A/N: New art in the art dump on AO3 (Mai and Naru POV from last chapter)!
Mini Case—Part 2
The next day, Mai and Naru agreed to meet at the office first to gather equipment. She anticipated nothing more than the sound of the final bell to signal the end of classes—mostly due to the incessant chatter of her two closest friends about her "date" with Naru last night. They started the instant they saw her on the way to school to the very last bell.
"Takata-kun isn't going with you?" asked Michiru as they changed footwear at their lockers.
Mai shook her head. "He has practice," she said, kicking off her indoor slippers. Takata was on the soccer team, which was why he usually met up with her at work or after work. He did skip a few times to hang out, but he couldn't now because of the tournament coming up during winter break.
"I want to stop by your job sometime! You work with so many cute guys," Keiko said, a finger to her mouth in thought. "I really want to meet the priest!"
"Like I'd let you taint sweet John with your depravity." Mai stuck out her tongue as she made a hasty retreat while Michiru held Keiko back. "Anyway, gotta go or Naru will kill me!"
With that, she left first in the opposite direction since they were going to cram school tonight. After a drab ride on the train while giving her rabbit companion a few treats from the treat bag, she met Naru at the office. Unsurprisingly, he was standing in the main area with his arms crossed as if she was late.
He didn't make any comments upon her arrival, instead handing her a satchel. She was about to question it when she noticed Naru pick up a medium-sized duffel bag. It was filled to the brim, but the way it sagged told her the contents were decently heavy.
Despite being opposed to the idea at first, Naru had eventually succumbed to the idea of utilizing less advanced equipment when completing small cases. No way in hell was Mai about to carry one of those colossal—and egregiously expensive—cameras with her. So, the big boss invested in some compact cameras, including what were popular online right now, the "Go-pros."
Before she could say anything, she caught sight of Yasu coming from Lin's office.
"Yasu! I thought you were only working the weekend?"
It was brief, but his eyes narrowed with a suspicious glint before disappearing in favor of his normal smile. "Nope! I got called in per diem while you and the Big boss are out."
"What about classes?"
"We just had our last big exam until finals, so it's no problem. Besides, most of my classes are in the morning." Yasu walked up to them, eying their bags. "Never thought I'd see the day you two are backpacking to a job. Reminds me of the tofu sellers at the market."
"You're free to chauffeur," Naru said with a "Gene-smile."
Yasu paled. "By the time I get back, it'd already be time to go home."
Not as bad as London traffic, said Gene offhandedly.
Is London traffic really that bad? It's not even an option to consider driving in Tokyo.
"London is known as the most congested city in the world. Most people will either take the Tube or the bus. However, even the bus is slow," answered Naru aloud.
Yasu, who wasn't sure how their topic landed on London, nodded. "I heard the same for New York City, but I think they're more like Tokyo in that they use the train more than buses."
"So it seems." Naru signaled the end of the conversation by heading for the door. "Yasuhara, research the property I left a file for on your desk. We will call later to review."
"You got it."
Before Mai left, she peeked back around the door. "And don't mess up my filing or may your rice burn!"
"Please, no! Not my rice!"
And then the door slammed shut.
As Mai and Naru walked toward the station, she couldn't help but feel grateful that he took the duffel bag. She would've been ready to collapse between weaving around people, the anxiety of being responsible for more expensive cameras, and then having to walk 8 minutes to the station. It didn't make much of a difference, but Usa-sama headed back to the spiritual plane to free up real estate.
The Shibuya station was hectic as usual, so she stayed close to Naru. He wasn't that much taller than her, and yet, why did he move so much faster?! His long strides equaled two to two and a half steps of hers.
"Uh, mind you consider those with shorter legs?" When he didn't bother to answer, she huffed. "Earth to Naru!"
When the train pulled up, she scurried to catch up before they got separated. Right before entering, he turned around. With an arm on the small of her back, he nudged her onto the train first before he stepped in.
They had apparently just made it because the doors closed right after. Mai let out a breath in relief, taking some time to slow her breathing.
Talk about out of shape!
Mai lurched as the train began to move, leading her to stumble into Naru. With nothing to hold onto, she reflexively grabbed at his trench coat as she pressed up against him. Being so close to him again, she realized that he must've grown a bit taller since their first meeting. She'd never noticed before because everytime she was this close, she was usually fearing for her life.
Noticing the wrinkles she was creating, she quickly released him and found her own hanging strap to hold on to. Bet that coat costs more than my monthly rent, she reminded herself.
"You would be correct," Naru said, amusement in his voice.
Mai flattened her lips into a straight line, unamused. "Yeah, don't let me dirty your attire, your Highness."
When their stop finally came, Mai took the opportunity to immediately put distance between her and Naru, in need of some space to breathe.
They walked in comfortable silence on their way to meet Yamada-san at her house, passing by Takata's parents' shop. She couldn't help but peek inside as they walked by, noting the relaxing atmosphere as people read and studied inside.
When they arrived at Yamada-san's house, the tightness in her chest returned. She took a deep breath as Naru knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with short permed black hair. While she didn't have dark circles, the creases under her eyes lended to a more haggard-looking appearance.
"Thank you for coming," she said, welcoming them in. "Please come in. I'm Yamada Hotaru. I'm the one who asked you to investigate. Taniyama-san, right?"
"Yes, nice to meet you!" Mai smiled brightly before gesturing to Naru. "This is my boss, Shibuya Kazuya. He'll be supervising me."
Naru nodded in greeting, extending a hand.
"Of course, of course," Yamada-san shook his hand before guiding them into the open living room. "Please have a seat."
She scurried to the kitchen to get tea, which Mai offered to help with but was declined. Instead, Mai had no choice but to drop herself on the couch next to Naru, earning a glare when he suffered the rebound of her plop.
Ignoring him entirely, she looked around the living room, noticing things she had missed yesterday. There were high shelves that displayed artifacts and other souvenirs from foreign countries. Some of them were a bit eerie, specifically the wooden African masks and the Russian puppets.
When it was just the three of them yesterday, the house just felt like any other. Today, it felt crowded. Suffocatingly so.
She leaned in toward Naru and mumbled, "Doesn't the house feel a little different today?"
"From the standpoint of a non-sensitive person, no, it doesn't."
Figures.
Yamada-san returned with a traditional tea pot and ceramic tea cups. After serving everyone their tea, she put a hand to her chest and took a deep breath before exhaling in a manner too shallow for the amount of air she took in.
"Are you alright?" Mai scrunched her brows in worry.
"I'm okay. There might be something in the house that I'm allergic to." Yamada-san took a sip of her tea and cleared her throat. "So, do you think there are spirits here?"
Used to having Naru take the lead, Mai waited for him to answer her question. When his response never came, she remembered that she was supposed to be the lead investigator. "We can't say for sure yet, but our investigation today should shed some more light."
"I hope so," Yamada-san said, sighing. "My family has been too scared to return home because of these incidents. They try to stay out of the house for as long as possible."
"How many people live here?"
"Normally, me, my husband, and our two daughters. My eldest son is attending unversity but is staying with us for the time being."
"What was the chance that either of your daughters were home yesterday?"
Yamada-san shook her head. "Very low. One had an afterschool student council meeting that goes late. The other was at cram school. Besides that, they won't step foot in the house unless either my husband or I are home."
Mai nodded, tracing the rim of her teacup as she thought. "And no one stays in that back room?"
There was a deafening silence following her question. Yamada-san looked confused for a moment before her eyes finally sparked with recognition. "Oh, that back room. I completely forgot about it."
Mai lifted a brow meeting eyes with Naru. Weird.
"Not to scare you, but we saw an apparition from the back room window."
Yamada-san brought a hand to her mouth in disbelief. "Impossible. That room has been locked since the day we moved in. I don't even think we have a key."
"What…?" Mai leaned forward. "No one has ever been inside?"
"I'm afraid not." Yamada-san bit at the corner of her thumb, her anxiety becoming more apparent through the shakiness of her movements. "My great aunt even wrote a letter saying that she wanted the room undisturbed. Something about preserving the belongings the way it is—the furniture, items, everything."
The mention of the great aunt and the room rang alarm bells in Mai's head.
Silence settled into the room after that, allowing the three to hear the faint creaking nearby. They froze, trying to listen.
"Sounds like a rocking chair?"
Yamada-san turned to point her ear toward the back wall. "We don't own one."
"Perhaps a door," Naru offered, heading toward the hallway to listen more clearly. Mai and Yamada-san did the same.
They first stood in the hallway, their heads tilting back and forth. The sound stopped briefly before starting again. Like Naru mentioned, it sounded like the creak of a door. From the nature of the repetitive motion, it was like the wind was swinging it back and forth.
"I think it's coming from the kitchen," Mai said quietly.
Yamada-san, being the house owner, took the lead with shaky breaths before abruptly stopping in the middle of the kitchen. It looked like she was debating whether to look at the hidden stairwell or not. Gulping loudly, she stepped forward and faced the dark stairwell. She gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.
"I-it's open," she managed to get out.
Mai peeked her head around the fridge, eyes widening as she watched the door lightly swing back and forth. It was barely ajar, only allowing a sliver of light through the crack, yet it still swung enough to hear.
"How can that be?" Yamada-san looked like she was about to pass out. "That room has been locked for years. Even my great aunt kept that door shut when she lived here."
Mai's lips pressed together as she debated her next step. What do I do? I'm not an exorcist. Can I at least keep them safe if we go in?
Just remember your protection spells. You've fought a lot worse, reassured Gene. If push comes to shove, just use Noll as bait and run away.
Uh, I don't think he'd be happy to know you suggested that.
He'd probably suggest that too. Notice how nothing ever happens to him during cases? I swear he's completely immune to the paranormal because he lacks all form of spirituality.
As true as his statements were, she couldn't ponder on them right now.
"I'm going in," she announced, knowing Naru would be right behind her. If Gene was correct, then having Naru come with her would mean nothing dangerous would happen.
…Right?
She crept up the stairs, whispering her protective spells. She reached out to push the door open, taken aback by how light the wood was. The hinges were so loose that a draft could've easily swung it back and forth. However, due to it being late fall, no windows were open.
The inside of the room was almost like being transported back in time. Like other parts of the house, it was a tatami room with areas of wood flooring to allow for furniture. Along the perimeter of the room were antiquated furnishings with décor indicative of a woman's space.
As soon as she stepped in, the air became heavy. Turbulent. She was left feeling anxious as a myriad of emotions hit her all at once.
What is this?
She took a moment to slowly drop herself onto her knees, a few sweat drops forming as she processed the emotions—anger, fleeting happiness, fear, envy, disappointment, loneliness, and despair.
Yamada-san reluctantly peered into the room. Seeing Mai's change in demeanor, she frowned. "Are you okay, dear?"
Naru, who stood beside the door, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "She's reading the space."
That was his way of telling her not to interrupt.
Meanwhile, Usa-sama, who had been hanging out with Gene on the spiritual plane, manifested. He placed a paw on her knee. While she couldn't communicate with him like Gene, they communicated through ideas or "inklings" instead. In this case, she got the feeling that he was reminding her to ground herself.
Nodding in appreciation, she gave him a pet. He jumped up to her shoulder as she stood.
This room was a whole other world compared to the rest of the house. If the antiques in the living room gave off weird energy, then this room was flooded with it.
She needed to find some clues on whose space she was in.
"Do you mind if we look through the drawers and closets?" she asked Yamada-san.
"By all means."
When Naru didn't budge, she remembered that she needed to give him an order as the "lead investigator." What a joke.
"Naru, would you care to give me a hand?" she said nauseatingly polite, reenacting Masako's way of speaking to a tee.
He raised a brow but got off the wall to assist. "Not at all," he said, approaching her from behind and adding quietly, "Boss."
Jumping from his sneak attack, she shot him a glare to which he merely looked away with a glint in his eye. The nerve!
Remembering Yamada-san behind them, she fumed in silence. Instead, she redirected her attention to the black gloves Naru used as he sifted through the items—remembering exactly who he was.
It was laughable that she was currently the lead investigator for a one-on-one case with the amazingly talented and handsome Dr. Davis. Other parapsychologists would be frothing at the mouth at such an opportunity.
But the one with her now wasn't just Oliver Davis. He was her self-important boss with an ego as high as his intelligence. He was also her friend, someone that she trusted with her life and hoped that he felt the same.
Inwardly smiling to herself, she looked over some frames that were faced down on a low table. Upon flipping them over, she lost whatever smugness she had felt. One photo was that of a family with everyone's faces gouged out except for a single person. That remaining person's face was covered with scribbled black ink.
Yikes.
Oddly enough, there wasn't any dust on the frame—or on anything for that matter.
She looked at some other photos. The faces were either burned, gouged, or scribbled over. Telling by the ink marks, the person had used an ink brush rather than a pen.
"Yamada-san, do you recognize any of these photos?" asked Mai, stepping aside to let her companions get a look.
"No, I don't." Yamada-san took a frame and tilted it toward the window for a better look. "These look a century old!"
"They appear to be from before the Showa period," stated Naru, taking a frame.
Mai put a finger to her chin in thought as she studied them. "You're right! It doesn't look like the scribbles were with a pen—you can't see any indents on the surface of the paper." She tilted the photo to look at the surface, trying to find an angle with the least glare.
"Cameras didn't arrive until late Edo. Assuming that these photos were taken during the Meiji era, this family must've been very wealthy to have taken so many."
Mai thought about how long the room must've stayed vacant. Did the great aunt really never enter? And why? If nothing paranormal ever happened to her, then how would she know to avoid this room?
"Did your aunt ever mention anything odd happening in the house?" Mai asked Yamada-san.
"She wasn't the type to burden other people with her problems, but she did always look a little paranoid. Sometimes she would glance into the corners of the rooms. Or if we asked what was wrong, she would quickly change the subject."
Moving on from the frames, Mai scoured the rest of the items, finding miscellaneous dolls and handwritten notes that defied comprehension.
After a few minutes, Yamada-san spoke up again. "Um, there was something that I'd forgotten about because it disturbed me so much." She glanced around the room anxiously before taking a step closer to the door. "There was a night when I came by to check on her and drop off some meals. When I entered the house, she was just sitting staring at the wall in the family room. She kept muttering things I couldn't understand. It was always something 'Tsu-san, or Tsuru-san?' I couldn't make out the name."
She scrunched her brows as she recalled the memory. "My aunt had been on pain medication because of a recent fall, so I didn't think much of her behavior. But we don't know a single person with 'Tsu' in their name."
"It is more of an old-timey name. Maybe it was someone she knew in the past?" asked Mai.
Yamada-san shrugged. "Perhaps," she said, looking a bit paler. "Do you mind if I step out? Remembering it is making me a bit queasy."
"Of course."
After she left, Naru and Mai decided it was time to setup their equipment. In an attempt to keep the door from shutting and locking from unseen forces, Mai placed a paper talisman on either side. Naru went to collect the equipment while she stayed in the room. Sitting herself against the wall under the window, she crossed her legs and breathed in deeply.
They agreed that while Naru set-up the camera and microphone, she would gather information to build a profile. Closing her eyes, she focused. Usa-sama, who had been perched on her shoulder, faded away as he returned to the astral plane.
The next Mai opened her eyes, she was in the astral office bathroom.
She needed to stop spawning here.
Standing up, she headed for the waiting area where Gene was likely lounging around. The guy in question had been expecting her, already by the door raring to go.
"Finally, some action!" He pumped his fist. "I got a glimpse of what's going on and it's kinda wild. You sure you're ready?"
"Probably not, but let's do it," Mai said, mimicking his fist pump.
"Ladies first."
Mai opened the door and exited first, Gene and Usa-sama following behind. Normally, the plane would slowly form into a vision, but this time it spun rapidly instead, knocking them off-kilter.
Like being thrown into a blender, her head was all sorts of disoriented as she tried to adjust to the vision. When she was finally clear enough to open her eyes, she found herself in a first person memory.
Just as she was wondering where he was, Gene spoke up. "I'm still here. Looks like we're watching the same thing." It was a like private theater for only them.
The vision started with a teenaged girl brushing her long hair in the mirror. She appeared to be in her late teens—marriageable age during this period. Her hair was pin straight and black with hime-cut bangs. She had a pleasant face with good posture. The girl hummed gleefully as her eyes flickered out the window frequently, almost every minute.
Eventually, the reason for her excitement arrived. A small group arrived via horseback in mixed Eastern-Western attire. Telling by the rich hues of their clothes, they were likely wealthy or of the nobility. The most notable of the figures was a dashing man with slicked-back dark brown hair, suiting the style Westerners used.
Touching up the powder on her face and fixing her hair, the girl brushed out any wrinkles in her dress. She admired the dress proudly in the mirror, saying to herself, "I need to praise the seamstress for her work." Unlike her younger sister, who still stubbornly wore furisode, she was perfectly happy to assimilate to the Western styles. It was all the rage right now in the capital.
And today, they were going to meet an ambassador and his son. Her father strictly enforced that she and her sister present themselves well. A future marriage would be highly profitable for their family.
Gathering downstairs with her family, she met her mother, sister, and brother.
"That dress came out well, Tsuru," her sister whispered in her ear. Her sister was in a flower-patterned furisode, giving her a youthful, almost child-like air.
"I told you to have one tailored as well. Must you be so stubborn, Anju?"
"Be quiet. They're entering," reprimanded their brother, Soujirou.
As the vision continued, they met the ambassador and his son, Ryuuchirou. In Tsuru's perspective, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.
And in Mai's opinion, he had nothing on Naru, but she wasn't about to admit that out loud—especially not to his lookalike.
After the initial meeting, Tsuru had nothing but high hopes for her future. Ryuuchirou was every bit a gentleman with a kind manner of speech and a great education. He would be a perfect husband. However, the next few meetings with Ryuuchirou painted a different picture than what Tsuru had planned. As she was the eldest, it only made sense that he court her. They were closer in age, and thus, spent more time together during gatherings. And yet…
His line of gaze always followed her sister.
While a bit miffed, she tried to ignore it. It wasn't unknown to her that Anju was considered the beauty of the family and that many men waited for her to come of age. Ryuuchirou must have been enamored by her beauty as well, but surely, even he knew she was still too young to court.
Right?
Then, malicious rumors started to spread throughout the capital. Some pitied Tsuru, stating how it must be hard for her to have a younger sister with better looks and brighter personality. Meanwhile, others stated how plain and by the rules she was. The one that hurt the most was how she was so undesirable that the ambassador's son had much rather courted her younger sister than Tsuru. She even overheard Ryuuchirou himself laughing that people thought he was trying to court her. "Why would I want that boring girl for a wife? She isn't even nearly beautiful as her sister. What a shame."
This spiraled her into a hole of despair.
Other men even began ignoring her in favor of Anju, writing her off as the boring older sister—the unwanted leftovers. Why all of a sudden?! Everything had been fine before, so why now was everything falling apart?!
Why was everyone being so cruel?
The nail on the coffin was when Anju and Ryuuchirou announced their engagement. Throughout the entire courting period, Anju had been so consumed with her own happiness that she failed to noticed the isolation and ostracization that Tsuru had been going through the entire time.
"You need to lighten up! You have been so negative lately. Would you like me to introduce you to some people?" Anju's blind attempt to help was nothing but a mockery in Tsuru's perspective.
It was like watching the happiness that had ripped hers away come back to rub salt in her wounds.
Seeing an opportunity, Tsuru's paternal uncle, who was jealous of her father's status and wealth, promised to help her take revenge on those who stole her future. Blinded by enmity, she agreed. What followed was a series of her tormenting her sister and future brother-in-law while making a fool of herself at gatherings, leading the other family members to ostracize her as well. In reality, she was nothing but her uncle's puppet to knock her father off his high horse.
Eventually, even her uncle pushed her aside after he got what he wanted. Without no one on her side, her rage only grew to the point that she finally decided to push her sister down the stairs one night.
But there was a problem.
It had actually been her mother whom she had mistook for Anju. Being of a weak constitution, her mother eventually perished from the incident.
Tsuru's subsequent guilt drove her into insanity.
Fearing her misdeeds and the hysteria would tarnish the family honor for good, her father locked her in the back room, away from the prying eyes of society. He covered up the story to the public, claiming that she was sent off to marry in another territory.
She continued to waste away in that room for years—
Suddenly, Mai was yanked out of the vision. Before she had a chance to process what had happened, two empty cavities for eyes stared back at her. The pale slit mouth wording something before Mai jumped back and screamed.
She shot up screaming, slapping the nearest person to her—Naru.
He cursed quietly, takenaback. He should have known better than to get too close.
When Mai realized what happened, her face dropped. "Oh crap, Naru! I'm so sorry!" She crawled over to examine his face, noting the deep scrape where her nail had dug into the cheek. It was deep enough that small traces of blood rose to the surface.
Yamada-san, who had been in the kitchen, hurried to the bathroom to get the first aid kit.
"I would expect a slap of that caliber from Matsuzaki but not from you," he said, eying her nails. They weren't as long as Ayako's fake nails but apparently enough to cause damage.
Mai contorted her face in guilt but still tried to lighten the mood. "Your cornea would be sliced in half if it was Ayako." Or worse, depending on how devious she was feeling. "If her fake nails actually managed to stay on for the impact, that is," she added under her breath.
When Yamada-san brought the first aid kit, they moved out to the kitchen, Naru suggesting that they finish their investigation for the day. "The camera and microphone are set up now. The module should sync all feed to the cloud."
Mai nodded her head, pretending to understand what that meant. "Okay, cool, now sit down so I can clean up your cheek."
"I'm perfectly capable of managing a scrape, Mai."
"I don't wanna be the reason your 'beautiful' face is scarred," she said, rolling her eyes. She pushed him down into a chair and opened up the first aid kit, soaking a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. "Sorry, but you're going to look like you got into a fight for a few days."
She dabbed his cheek with the soaked cotton, noting how his eyebrow twitched briefly. No matter how good he was at the statue motif, there were still little signs that broke his stoic image.
"Does it still sting?"
He briefly glared at her before looking away—not unlike a pouting child.
Touchy.
Remembering that Yamada-san was also there, she opted to summarize her vision rather than poke at the bear. As she explained the events of Tsuru's life, she applied a disinfectant cream and a square bandage to Naru's cheek.
It really looks like someone punched him in the face, Gene piped up.
She couldn't help but inwardly giggle. He's pouting like it too.
If Naru heard her thought, he made no indication.
"What an awful story," Yamada-san said in regards to the vision, a hand to her chest. "And all that really happened here?"
"Not necessarily. It could be from anywhere around this area," Mai said. "We have a team member who's researching, so we'll see if anything I saw matches up."
"The camera in place will give a live recording throughout the night, so please refrain from disturbing the equipment," Naru said, standing up just as Mai finished his treatment.
"Oh, and I put talismans on the door. I don't know if they'll keep it from locking or not, but the wires should keep the door open a little."
Yamada-san nodded furiously. "Absolutely! I can't thank you enough for coming by. Will you be back tomorrow at the same time?"
Mai nodded, reaching into her school bag. She pulled out a small stack of paper talismans and handed them to Yamada-san. "Here are more of the protective talismans. You might want to put them in your bedrooms and maybe the family room."
When Yamada-san looked confused, Naru clarified for her, "It is unclear how the hauntings will change now that the room has been opened, but the talismans will reduce activity."
Yamada-san gulped and gladly accepted them. "I see. Thank you so much to you too, Shibuya-san."
With that, Mai and Naru gathered the rest of their items and left just in time for the other family members to get home.
As they walked to the train station, Naru called Yasu to see the status of his research. Understandably, there wasn't a comprehensive amount due to the limitations of their work hours, but Yasu's efficiency was still impressive. Mai ended up taking over the call, while Naru led the way through the station. By the time they boarded, the call ended so that none of the other passengers would be disturbed.
Finding a seat, it took Mai a few minutes to realize they were taking the route back to her apartment. "Uh, we're not going back to the office?"
"Your hours are almost over, so it made more sense for you to go home. Unless you want to waste time going back into Shibuya?"
She shook her head. "No, that's not it…" she said, looking away awkwardly.
It was just that he was taking her home again. Unprompted.
Maybe the spirit of chivalry really had possessed him yesterday. Should they call John?
"What did Yasuhara find?" Naru asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, so this family home has been around for several generations. When he looked into the death count, it was maybe four? No one of the name 'Tsuru' though." She placed a finger to her chin, running through her vision. "He told me to call him back when I get home. There's probably more he found."
"I want to be there for the discussion."
Mai shrugged, not thinking much of it—he'd already been to her apartment before and they were just talking shop. She did raise a brow at something else though. "Hey, isn't this working off the clock?"
"Isn't that just normal Japanese work culture?" he countered, crossing his arms.
She blinked at him for a few seconds. "Well… yeah, but it doesn't mean it's cool!" She fake-huffed.
He glanced at her, a brow raised. "Then, what is it that you want?"
She froze, not expecting him to actually reply to her teasing. Not to mention that she didn't exactly have a reply to give. "Uh, I don't know, a 'thanks.'"
He then proceeded to look at her like she was dumb. "You complained about working off the clock, yet you only want a 'thanks?'"
He looked her straight in the eyes before adopting what could only be described a bishounen smile minus the blowing rose petals and pink-tinted lens.
"Thank you so much for your dedication, Taniyama-san."
Mai covered her mouth to keep herself from bursting out laughing, gently kicking her feet out.
"That's so fake," she said, scrunching her face up. "You gotta do that to Yasu next time."
Amidst her laughter, neither she nor Naru noticed the faint smile on his face.
Unlocking her apartment, she opened it up for Naru to carry in the bags. Since she had nothing planned for dinner, they both accepted defeat and picked up some takeout on the way.
Getting some utensils and setting their food on the kotatsu, Mai video called Yasu.
"Is that Yaki-udon?" asked Yasu first-thing as he answered the call.
"I've been craving it for ages," said Mai, breaking up her chopsticks.
Yasu was about to say something when he noticed movement from Mai's side. He paused with his mouth open before squinting toward the camera. "Is there someone with you?"
"Yeah, Naru's here for our discussion."
Yasu raised a brow, casually covering his mouth with a hand. "I see, 'our discussion.' You forgot to tell me how dinner was last night."
Before Mai could say anything, Naru's voice cut in from the side. "Yasuhara, what did you find?"
Yasu pouted, resigning to get to work. "Fine… so, I looked more into the families of the individuals who died. The first two were a mother and infant duo from tuberculosis, next was a middle-aged woman who fell down the stairs, and last was Yamada-san's great aunt."
"Who was the woman who fell down the stairs?" asked Mai.
"Her name was Aono Sachi. She was married to Aono Hitoshi, a nobleman with military prowess and wealth. They had two daughters and a son."
Mai shared a look with Naru.
"What were the names of the children?"
"The eldest son was Soujirou, the eldest daughter was Tsumugi, and the youngest daughter was Anju."
She scrunched her brows, tilting her head in confusion. "Tsumugi" not "Tsuru?" Had she heard wrong in her vision?
"Everything else matches up except for the girl's name," she said. She then explained to Yasu in full detail what she'd witnessed in her vision, providing more background.
Yasu tapped his desk with a pen. "It might just be a weird nickname the family used only for her?"
Mai played with her chopsticks as she thought. "I wonder what this spirit wants? She hasn't really done anything super violent to Yamada-san's family, so I personally don't think she means harm. I don't want to have to exorcise her."
"Maybe she just wants her story known?"
"You say that, but I feel like she was trying to stop me from seeing more."
While Mai and Yasu threw ideas back and forth, Naru's phone lit up. He opened the notification, bringing up the live feed from the Yamada household. Mai moved closer so she could see the feed, adjusting her phone so that Naru was in frame this time.
"What's happening?" asked Yasu.
Neither Mai or Naru said anything, focusing on the video.
One of the daughters of the household had entered the room, having been what alerted the camera. She stood at the doorway and stared inside while the voice of another family member asked her what she was doing. Without warning, she walked further into the room and began smashing the picture frames against the floor. That wasn't all, she moved on to the notes, dolls, and whatever else was in the room.
"Yura! What are you doing!?" Another girl, presumably her sister, ran in followed by Yamada-san. They shook Yura by the shoulders from behind, yelling her name as she continued rampaging.
"This needs to go…" the girl called Yura whispered, barely audible by the microphone. "Needs… to… go…"
Her shoulders slumped forward, her sister stabilizing her. Then, she "woke up," completely unaware of what had transpired.
Yasu, who had been trying to listen in, tapped his pen against his chin. "I don't know about you, but that sounds like a conveniently timed message," he piped up.
Mai nodded, staring intently at the kotatsu as she tried to piece together what the message implied.
They sat quietly after that until Yasu broke the silence. "Say, did someone deck you in the face, Big boss?"
And then the call mysteriously lost connection.
A/N: A more case-oriented chapter with bits of slice of life! Next chapter will be the conclusion and a mini timeskip to the last case!
Ngl, the end of December and January have really been something else. I'm just hoping for February to be much better ;A;
Thank you to all my current readers, and new readers who popped up! Your comments have really been great motivators this past month despite all the life BS. So, as always, please consider commenting! Always means the world! Take care, guys! Let's get through this year in one piece :L !