Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp)

1

It was raining after class.

We were in the middle of a tea break during a late meeting in the conference room.

During the meeting, Naru made a fuss about being an idiot and not telling everyone about Kasai-san's case. I heard him, but I wasn't really listening. Instead, I had looked out the window and watched the rain fall.

The monotonous rain made me feel quite gloomy.

―I thought about that, knowing today was one unlucky day. There are two possibilities. The first possibility is that someone (a criminal) is responsible for this. With the exception of divine intervention, I think it could just be that everyone is having a hard time.

The rain softly came down like were strings of silver. The clouds darkened the sky, which created a depressing mood.

And then the next thing I knew, I was in an amusement park.

Why am I in an amusement park?

...Of course, this is a dream.

It was a small amusement park. I was filled with excitement.

I realized this place looked familiar. It looked just like the amusement park my mom had once taken me to. I was standing in the front of a mirror house. In the middle was a glass mirror, and around it was a maze. That's right. When I was young, I would cry in that mirror house. When I saw my reflection in the mirrors, my reflection was scary so I'd cry. But now it's alright because I'm grown up. I used to roll up my sleeves and jump into the mirror house. I would go through the continuous maze. It wasn't necessary to go through the maze, but I went anyway. The maze was a reflection of the mirror. I had walked and walked. It was just my shadow and me. I had walked to the middle of the maze. For some strange reason, I was rushed and clumsy, which is why I had slammed into the glass.

What's with this huge maze anyway!

The maze was getting darker and darker. Ah, that's why. This maze darkens as time passes. While thinking about this, I could no longer see my feet. The only available light was the light reflected by the mirror.

What do I do? There's no exit. As I feared, he didn't come!

I started to run. My reflection also ran. Hundreds of me turned and ran, but in the midst of all, only one shadow wasn't moving. I aimed at it. That must be the clue to get out of this maze. I rushed towards the unmoving shadow.

...Naru.

In the darkness, Naru was there, completely clothed in black. Only his hands and face were pale as moonlight.

"It's impossible to get out," I told Naru.

Without saying anything, he pointed at something to his side. His pale fingers left a white trail in the darkness.

I could see the tip of his finger.

That's...the school. The inside of the school was inversed black and white, like a photographic negative. The wall was black, while the blackboard was white. The wall and floor had a white outline, but other than that they were transparent. This was the school's shadow.

And that's an unripe will-o-wisp. There were pale, clear will-o-wisps scattered throughout the entire school. In the darkness, I stared at them fixedly, placing all my attention on them.

"What's...that?" I asked Naru as I looked up at him.

Naru answered, "You'll understand."

...I'll understand? So that's it. Of course, I get it now. That will-o-wisp has evil intentions. Furthermore, it's not of this world. I shivered.

There were countless will-o-wisps. All of them were evil. I couldn't help but watch them. They exhibited a cold color. As I was watching them, they flashed little by little. Gradually the scene became blurry and normal colors came into place again. I could clearly see a wall.

"...?"

A wall. A very pale green wall. I was surrounded by a strange wall on all sides.

"Mai!"

What?!

I lifted my head and saw Naru. There was a harsh expression on his face.

"Just now, you were asleep, weren't you?"

Eh? Asleep? ...Of course.

Huh?!

I looked around to see everyone's cold eyes piercing at me.

"I'm sorry. I did fall asleep."

A...awkward.

"You were completely sound asleep with your eyes open."

"Sorry..."

Naru looked at me with cold eyes. "Are you my assistant? Or are you a hindrance?"

...W-, why you.

"Hold on a moment, why are you being so mean! I was sleepy so I couldn't help it. I didn't sleep well because I kept thinking about this case. It's not like I fell asleep while driving!"

Naru sent me another icy stare. "You've become aggressive, haven't you?"

"It's a perfectly natural response. Congressmen that bear the burden of the fate of an entire country have to sleep. Even people who have to complete difficult tasks that are as smart as the president have to sleep. So there's nothing bad about a mere, low-class person like me being asleep."

"...Wonderful, you've distorted my words."

"Oh dear, you've made the director upset," Matsazuki-san taunted.

"I'm fine," Naru replied.

...Really.

"With that kind of personality, you won't be living a long life," Naru pressed on.

...This guy, this guy, this guy!

Ah—how refreshing. You may have a sharp tongue, but you're very capable. On top of that, you're also quite handsome! If you had a good personality, it would be too good to be true, and you'd be the one suffering an early death, wouldn't you!

Naru's gaze fell onto my direction, and soon everyone else's did the same thing.

"Let's forget about this foolishness," Naru said. "We must return to the topic at hand."

So sleeping is just foolishness? I'd like to see you say that while marching to the National Diet.

2

Naru lightly tapped the table with his finger. "I don't know whether or not Kasai-san's situation is related to this case..."

Ayako leaned towards him. "Well, how much faith do you place on that child, Kasai?"

"I believe her."

"Heh." Ayako's cruel eyes flashed. "Well I think she's lying. Please, as if she can actually bend spoons."

??

"Isn't spoon bending fake?"

I asked, "It's not, right? Spoon bending isn't just a magic trick."

I wasn't sure though. But it's probably safer to ask Ayako instead of Bou-san or John.

"So is it?" I asked.

John nodded. "Right. Uri Geller started spoon bending. Uri Geller is the best psychic of the century...his supernatural powers were shown to the public. He had PK, clairvoyance, and prediction abilities similar to that of a prophet. He made the impossible possible. Geller was everywhere when it came to spoon bending. All the children saw him do it too."

"Um, you mean the Gellerini?

"Yes, that's right. But the Gellerini had unstable powers. When they lost their powers, they would rely on magic tricks. Some of them were exposed as cheaters.

"I see."

"Because of that, some people began to doubt Geller's ability."

"They doubted Uri Geller?"

"Yeah. At that time, America's Society of Parapsychology had publicly announced that Uri Geller was a fake. That incident left such a strong impression on people that everyone now believes spoon bending is fake."

"But John, did you think Uri Geller's powers were real?"

John put on a tired smile. "Not really... It's just, he was too showy. At any rate, they were just illusions[1] that garnered more attention than they deserved."

"Illusion?"

"Um...basically it's accomplished by using lots of magic tricks. Like making airplanes and trucks disappear."

"Ah, I get it now."

Listening in, Bou-san leaned towards us. "I think Geller was a fake too."

"Why?" I asked.

"Hmm. Psychic ability...if it's the ability of sensing hidden things, hearing noises, or seeing things, then that's the ability to sense things that shouldn't be there. Geller was well-received at first, but he was later in a bind. He could do everything, but there was still something strange about him," the monk admitted.

"Right," John nodded. "There are two types of psychic abilities, ESP and PK. ESP is extrasensory perception, a special ability in which one can perceive things that normal people cannot. There are two branches of ESP: clairvoyance and telepathy."

"I see."

"PK stands for psychokinesis. It's an ability that normal people do not have. Basically it's the power to move objects with your mind... Generally psychics fall into one of these classifications: PK or ESP. Occasionally someone will be a mix of each, but most people will fall into just one of those categories."

Bou-san nodded. "Edgar Cayce Jean Dickson is an amazing clairvoyant, but I've never heard of him bending a spoon before. Likewise, Nina Kulagina has strong PK powers, but I've never heard of her having ESP. Only Kulagina and Davis have that kind of PK power."

"That's right," John agreed. "But for Uri Geller, assuming his PK was the best, was his ESP also the best too? If that's the case, then that means his power was unrestricted. However, I still think he was a fake."

Ayako leaned forward. "I've always wondered about that. Why does the spoon bend? If the metal bends, then what kind of spoon is it? And if PK can bend the spoon, then is it even a spoon? Isn't that strange?"

"—So you're basically saying that PK is just a magic trick?" I wondered aloud.

"No, that's different," Bou-san asserted. "There are three types of PK: PK-MT, PK-ST, and PK-LT."

...Wow, this is too much information.

"Spoon bending would fall under the PK-ST category. It's the ability to influence stationary objects. There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding this ability. There have been many reports of frauds that claim to have this. Actually, PK-MT is considered the best ability out of all of them. This is the ability to influence moving objects, such as changing the eyes of a die as it's rolling. If you're thinking about getting a two, then you really will get a two."

"Hehh."

"PK-MT is also widely considered to be fake. However, the majority of people have this. This latent ability varies in power for different people."

"...Do I have it too?"

"Maybe. If someone has PK-ST, it doesn't necessarily mean that said person is a fake. Unlike the Gellerini's PK, Shelby Meyer's was fake. She bent a special type of metal. She seemed credible but terribly arrogant."

"Huh?"

"Generally, for people with psychic abilities, like Geller, would act as a magician. In that case, he would be able to perform magic without having to put up with others' complaints. But even magicians have limits. Otherwise, people would get suspicious, right? If I remember correctly, Meyer was also a magician, similar to Rolfe-something or other, but Rolfe constantly got into conflicts and fights with others. Despite this, this Rolfe magician was eventually backed up by Meyer. In other words, Meyer had confirmed his powers."

"Oh—"

"And there was also Nina Kulagina. She was very strong. She had both PK-ST and PK-LT. PK-LT is the ability to influence living organisms, such as making them move. Such actions were often a cinch for her. She could cure illnesses with just physical contact. She stopped a frog's heart and even a human heart."

"She could stop hearts—?!"

"Yes. During the experiment, she aroused the researcher's curiosity. If she could stop a frog's heart, then she might be able to stop a human's heart. He got a volunteer for the experiment, and eventually the volunteer's heart was in imminent danger of stopping. The doctor witnessing this was able to save him though."

Oh my god—

"...Also, another very important figure in PK is England's Oliver Davis. He also has PK-ST. Normally, PK is used to move matchboxes, spoons, or other little objects. But there's a big gap of power between this guy and the others. Dr. Davis is more of a serious researcher than a PK-user, and as such he hasn't been publicized much. If I remember correctly, last year there was a video of him doing an experiment. In the experiment, he threw a 50-kg block of aluminum into a wall."

"Wow."

"But PK is just limited that way. Neither Shelby Meyer nor Oliver Davis had PK-LT either. I haven't heard of anyone being able to influence living things. Despite that...Uri Geller could do all the PK, right? On top of that, he could also use ESP. Still, he looked suspicious to me."

"Oh..." Naru interposed. "Well...in any case, regarding Kasai-san's problem, for the time being, the important thing is she believed in her powers. She felt that her teacher's attack on her was quite unfair. This resulted in..."

"Cursing to kill"?

"Yes," Naru interposed.

"That's our current situation. She can't have PK-LT like Nuna Kulagina though, right?"

...In any case, if she could stop hearts...

"...That's...not possible, right?"

Naru pondered the idea for a moment.

"...Correct, it wouldn't happen," he clarified.

"Anyway, we need to deal with our current situation. Perform some exorcisms."

Everyone stood up.

3

As everyone left to do their exorcisms, I stayed in the conference room. I was alone and bored... Before I realized it, it was already evening. Dusk had come. The sounds of sweeping and cleaning continued for some time. Eventually there was no sign of students. With all the sounds gone, the school had really become a lonely place. I unintentionally thought about the dream I had. It was definitely about this school. The dark labyrinth. A place covered with will-o-wisps. What kind of spirits were they?

"......?"

I don't know. But it was just a dream. Um, how should I think about this? On the other hand, whoever is guiding me in my dreams can't exist (The Naru in my dreams comes out, talks to me and watches over me. Plus, he's always smiling). I really should get a book on dream interpretation.

...I continued to think about it. As I was tidying up the place, there was a light knock on the door.

"Yes?"

My voice stuttered, as we were just talking about Kasai-san a moment ago. I couldn't help but feel like I was in a flutter.

"Huh? You're alone?" the girl asked.

"Yeah."

Her eyes swept through the room.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come in, come in."

"Thank you. ...What are you doing?"

"As a good-for-nothing, I'm just arranging documents here while looking over the equipment."

"How unlucky."

Once again I noticed that Kasai-san was sitting in a strange position.

"Heh..."

What a strange thing to say.

"So how're things going?"

"―Well, it's weird. Shibuya-san seems to think our medium's having problems," I said.

"I'm different though. Naru—Shibuya-san, is also different. He's a ghost hunter," I clarified.

"Heh, cool."

I looked blankly ahead. Come to think of it, no one has ever asked me what a "ghost hunter" was.

Oh yeah, Kasai-san has some psychic abilities herself so she must comprehend some of those strange things.

"...But, he might actually be an Onmiyouji[2]. Ah, I'm not admiring him or anything, but it's true," I continued.

Kasai-san whistled.

"In that case, he's even more amazing. Hehh, to think he's an Onmiyouji too," she said.

I was so moved that I was speechless.

"And what about the exorcisms? Did they go well?"

"Well, it seems that we have a difficult road before us. Our group's spirit medium says there are no ghosts here. We were almost fighting about it."

Kasai-san raised her eyebrows. "There aren't any? Then what caused the incidents at the school?"

"Yeah, well. I don't know about that. The only person in our group who can see ghosts is the medium, and she says she can't see any. We'll have to investigate from a different angle.–Oh right, Kasai-san, have you seen any spirits here?"

Kasai-san waved no. "No. I don't have that kind of power. I might not even have ESP."

"ESP?"

Does she mean the kind that everyone was talking about?

"Don't tell me you don't know? ESP is a type of psychic ability. I'm no good at ESP, not at all. But I can do PK. I had no choice but to use my PK-ST. ...And that's when strange things have been happening."

Kasai-san shrugged.

"Wow... Kasai-san sure knows her stuff..."

"Yeah. I'm just telling you what Kei-sensei told me. It's because Kei-sensei is very knowledgeable about parapsychological research."

"You mean Ubusuna-sensei? Hehh, she sure is."

"Yeah. That's why there were rumors of the Biology club becoming an occult club. In actuality, the club didn't really have any activities at all."

Kasai-san's using the past tense.

"...So how's the Biology club faring now?"

"Actually it's virtually over. The only member left is me. Mizuho put an end to it."

"She ended it?" I asked.

Kasai-san gave a lonely smile.

"What of it? It happened a long time ago. When I started bending spoons, he changed completely."

"That way of thinking is unproductive. If everybody were to try their utmost for themselves only, then eventually others won't be able to influence them."

Kasai-san stared back at me. "...Thank you. I feel a bit responsible though. About Mizuho, Kei-sensei, and all those things that happened afterwards..."

"You don't need to think that way."

Kasai-san is making that lonely smile again.

"That's right. But still, Kei-sensei has been put in a difficult position too. Since she's protecting me, all the teachers are criticizing her, and even PTA is criticizing her too. –During the time in which the school was split up into believers and non-believers, teachers and students alike shot her stony looks. Everyone was so mean and sarcastic to her. She ended up completely ostracized. In addition, the criticisms have been heavier lately. In any case, there are no ghosts here and no ESP, but people still claim to see ghosts here. Some students discuss these things in private with Kei-sensei."

This time Kasai-san let out a real smile.

"Ubusuna-sensei, right?" I asked.

"Right."

Kasai-san grinned. "...It's because I'm a junior. When I was attacked by the school, she came to my aid. The teaching practically came to a halt. And eventually I couldn't think anymore."

"...Oh. What does Ubusuna-sensei teach?"

"You don't know? She's the Biology teacher in this school."

I had to gather up my thoughts for a moment.

"So, about what those students were talking about..."

"Eh? What?" she asked. "Even if I knew, I can't tell you. It's confidential."

"Oh."

Kasai-san edged closer to me.

"You can go to Yoshino-sensei's house and ask him."

Kasai-san seemed ready to move.

I was also a bit restless.

"By Yoshino-sensei, do you mean the one who humiliated you in the school morning assembly?"

"Yes...that's the one." She let out a satisfactory smile. "Hehh, I see. Did he make you nervous?"

"Well, about that— He had dark shadows under his eyes."

"Serves him right. ...No, what am I saying, this isn't right. Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay, it's okay."

We furrowed our brows and laughed heartily.

While laughing, I imagined a spoon in my mind. And then I bent it. So bending a spoon can change people's fates; what a warped idea.

...I couldn't help but think that way.

As I talked with Kasai-san a little while longer, Taka-san came into the conference room.

"Yeesh, I can't find Norio anywhere," she whined.

"That sucks. Would you like some tea? I was just about to make some."

"That would be nice. Kasai-senpai, nice to see you."

"Same here."

Kasai-san was on her toes now. She seemed wary. But Taka didn't mind. Though already cheerful, Kasai-san eventually became relaxed and opened up to us more. We were able to wipe off her seemingly unfriendly personality, and our conversation eventually became really exciting. We were even able to see her smile.

"...It's been a long time since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I've gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

4

The next day, everyone gathered in the conference room. Naru brought up news about Yoshino-sensei. Yesterday, Yoshino-sensei was in a car accident by himself, and one of the members of the Track & Field Club had collapsed in the locker room.

Naru frowned. The teacher in the car accident said he saw a ghost in the rear mirror. These incidents still happened even though John and Bou-san performed exorcisms yesterday evening.

...In other words, the spirit isn't gone.

Furthermore, Taka's already hospitalized homeroom teacher, wasn't doing well either. His condition worsened, and despite being in a hospital, he still sees a ghost, which continues to cause disturbance there. He's also vomiting blood.

Despite the exorcisms, the teacher's condition wasn't improving.

"...It's not working," Naru calmly stated.

We were speechless as well.

Suddenly, I recalled the dream I had yesterday about the school. Will-o-wisps were scattered everywhere. I had the feeling that they were evil spirits. But the dream wasn't important or anything.

Not long afterwards, Ayako was glaring at Masako, with a sarcastic look in her eyes.

"So there are no ghosts here? Even with all that's happened?"

Stubborn Masako.

"There are none," she firmly replied.

Even so, the medium had an uneasy look in her eyes.

"Did you observe everything thoroughly? So you really didn't see even one spirit at all."

"Even if you expect there to be some, there are none!" Masako was almost shouting. "If I don't see them, then there aren't any here!"

"Well then, how do you explain this school's situation? Is everyone lying? Or is this a mass breakout of hysteria—?"

...Ayako, you're sure enjoying yourself. Stop it.

Masako scowled at Ayako. After watching the two, we decided to leave the conference room.

While doing so, Bou-san said, "Hey—Naru-chan."

With an unhappy, bitter expression in his eyes, Naru looked at the monk.

"Masako is just being obstinate. Lighten up. Masako's trying her best."

"...It's not good enough."

Upon hearing Ayako's protest, Bou-san turned to the woman. "Quiet, you. We need Masako in this situation. Although Masako can't see any ghosts, this place really is haunted. Probably because the spirit is exceptionally strong, or because we're dealing with mass hysteria. To make matters worse, we're unsure if the exorcisms are helping at all. Naru, don't you think so?"

We became silent and looked at Naru to see his reaction. He was completely calm and composed as he answered, "If we cannot rely on Hara-san, then would you care to find another spirit medium to hire?"

...What a blunt answer.

Clearly this guy was thinking, "I hate Masako." But, to say something like that, Masako definitely won't be able to rest in peace (not that she's dead or anything like that).

What a cold-blooded jerk.

Bou-san was so shocked that when he saw Naru, the monk stood up and shrugged his shoulders. Ashamed, Ayako stood up too. As if attracted by a lure, John also stood up—and then our meeting ended.

Leaving me with Naru and the yet-to-be-found Lin-san.

"Naru, what you said just then was kind of mean."

"Of course it was."

...Oh. So it was obvious, wasn't it?

"What did you tell Masako?"

So many strange things have been happening, and Masako is no match for them.

For a moment, Naru seemed to falter.

"Exactly what kind of weakness of yours does Masako know about?" I pressed.

"There's no such thing."

("...Oh. Well, back then you should've told Masako that.")

Can I really say that? If I could I would. I don't know. I can't help but recall Naru's ever unpleasant face when he went on that date with Masako.

After sending me a glare, he stood up.

"Lin, let's get back to work!"

This guy is running away!

I hastily left, tilting my head to see his back go into the distance. Since he ran out of mean things to say, he just did whatever he could to evade the question. And he was ambiguous again. I'm positive something happened. Just as I thought, she's using his weakness. The problem is: what kind of weakness is it?

For a moment, I recalled the spoon bending incident. I wasn't really put in such an awkward position. The spoon incident was nothing compared to this.

As always, the world is filled with numerous puzzles...

5

Both Naru and Lin-san disappeared, so I ended up alone again.

The end-of-classes' chime came and echoed noisily inside school for a while, and time passed like a sea roar fading at that. Then, a silent-as-the-grave after-school came along.

I dislike after-school; it's cold and lonely. I wonder if Taka or Kasai-san will come…

Having thought of that, I heard the patter of footsteps. Without a knock, the door opened too. Taka popped her head in, and Kasai-san followed from behind her.

Oh. How timely!

"Yahhoo~"

"Yes~"

"You're alone as usual, Mai. I met Kasai-senpai, so I came hauling her with me." Taka laughed.

"I was waiting, you know? I can't bear being alone after school until I sense it's dusk."

"It's too unbearable, indeed. That's why I thought of coming here to see you. Feeling grateful?"

"I am, I am. I must make some tea with my feelings of gratitude in it."

"Yay~" Taka laughed and turned to say, "See?" to Kasai-san.

Well. "Aren't you perhaps treating the conference room like a coffee shop, Taka?" I told her.

"Oh, I'm busted?"

"This place isn't a coffee shop after all. I hope you won't linger here thinking otherwise."

"But~ But Mama-san is a good person and comfortable to be with~"

"I would say the same as well," even Kasai-san agreed.

"...Could I be the good Mama-san you're talking about?"

"Who else qualifies for that role?"

"Please, take a seat. Would you like to drink tea or something?"

We drank tea once the three of us had laughed for a while. After a pause, Taka leaned forward as though imparting some secret. "What's Norio up to?"

"He's in the middle of doing an exorcism."

"Does it look like it's going smoothly?"

"Hmm... I wonder. The case this time is somehow giving us a lot of trouble." ...Come to think of it, we were always having a hard time though. But, well, the nature of the present case was unknown. So even if something was happening, I didn't know how to feel about it oftentimes.

When I said that, Taka leaned closer. "Hey, how's Norio?"

"What do you mean by 'How'?"

"Because—He's a medium, isn't he? Is he dependable?"

"Who knows...?" From the beginning I also thought that he's useless, among other things, but I wonder what he's really like. "Not bad. He's getting better, I guess."

"Really?"

"Instead of that, what do you think about Bou-san's band?"

"Okay, band, huh?" Taka folded her arms. "The vocals, you see, aren't very good."

"How about Bou-san's?"

"He's great at it~ He also composes music though, beautiful songs such as Melody Rain; I love it."

"Really? He's that good?"

"He surely is. He's a studio musician after all."

"...?? Explain your point in less than 50 words."

"Well, a studio musician can't be half-skillful, you know."

"Seriously!?"

"Seriously. It's outrageous to be unskillful. That's why, Norio isn't the problem. Vocals, you see, are firstly about the song and secondly about the looks. The vocals are still lacking, even though he's in charge of it since he writes the song lyrics."

"Heh~"

Taka turned to Kasai-san. "That's right. Don't you write song lyrics too?"

Kasai-san blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"Yup. I was told something like, 'Even if no one can write song lyrics, shouldn't you still try it?' Kasai-san, you're very good at writing poetry."

"Eh, is that true?" I asked.

Taka replied, "It's the psychic girl's hidden talent. Heaven bestows two gifts to people like that, right? You wrote the poem for the literature club's bulletin, didn't you? That was an excellent poem."

Kasai-san looked a bit bashful. "...Aah, that. That sort of thing... It's because the members are few, and since the club bulletin wasn't filled, I only wrote to fill the gaps."

"Kasai-san has also joined the Literature Club?"

Not only the Biology Club.

"Yeah... It's a club in the required curriculum, you see," Kasai-san said, her face reddening a bit. "Enough about that talk already. Rather than that, I want to hear the direction of the band's story."

"Eh—Really, senpai, stop being shy~"

"I'm not being shy~"

"But your face is red." Once she had laughed her head off for a bit, Taka carried on, "Well, the songwriting is lacking, and the vocals are also lacking. I guess the keyboard is also lacking. The guitar isn't really, very promising as well."

"...Only the bass is good in the band?"

"The drums are also good."

"How come the rhythm sessions are merely like that? Isn't that kind of band unproductive?” I remarked, and Kasai-san agreed a whole lot too.

Taka stuck out her small tongue and said, "Well, yeah. I might be the only one who thinks like that, but, look at me, I'm into Norio supremacism—"

"Ah, that's how it is~ Heeeh~" What the hell. Isn't this amazing?

"Hehe. Say, Mai, are you by any chance into Shibuya-san supremacism, I wonder?"

I gave a start. "...What are you talking about?"

I feigned calm as much as I could, but Taka giggled after looking seriously at my face. "It's useless, Mai. You can't escape a woman's intuition."

Even Kasai-san said in a teasing tone, "Heh~ That's how it is~"

...Ah, uuugh.

"...Gotcha?"

"You got me."

Following Taka, Kasai-san spoke heartily too, "That guy is good-looking after all, right~? He seems pretty nice." 　

Without meaning to, I spouted my tea.

"Wha-What? Is there something wrong?"

"Kasai-san, you perfectly misunderstood something about Naru."

"But... I thought he's rather nice."

"You jest. If Naru were nice, this world will only have good people. It would be like heaven."

"That... Is that so?"

"His personality is bad, bad. He's badmouthed and heartless, and additionally he's narcissistic and secretive."

Kasai-san peered at my face. "...But you love him, don't you?"

...Ugh. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Boohoo.

"Go on and admit it. I won't get angry."

"...Maybe."

" 'Maybe'? It's as if it doesn't concern you."

I drew my face closer to the both of them. "Even I myself don't know sometimes. He often appears in my dreams. Do you think it's like that after all?"

"Completely. That's your love for that guy speaking," Kasai-san spoke with finality.

...Uuugh. As expected, that's how it is, huh?

"—Your love may have many difficulties," Kasai-san told me earnestly.

"...Right? Bou-san is good on that point."

It seems like strait-laced Naru isn't the standard ladies' man.

When I said that a little bitterly, Taka waved her hands wide. "No, no. Not at all. I'm like his younger sister. I think chasing idols, getting into their dressing rooms, and drawing near them will be lucky. However, if I'm treated as a younger sister as courtesy dictates, I think I shouldn't do those things."

"...I see. You also have many difficulties, huh, Taka?"

“But I won’t lose~ I’ll endure this trial and seize a star’s glory~" Taka clenched her fists tightly in a guts-pose.

"Do your best, okay~? I’ll be cheering for you in the shadows!” I cried out loud, and Kasai-san did the same.

“Do your best also, Mai~”

“Well~ I'm glad~ I also wish you two happiness!”

"Mai~"

"Senpai~"

"Taka~"

Gripping one another's hands tightly, we howled with laughter. We were shedding tears and laughing uncontrollably when the Bou-san and Naru in question returned.

Taka and I were very flustered.

Bou-san was gazing at us. "It seems like you had a great time," he said in a reproachful tone.

"Hahaha. ...How did things go on your end?"

“Horrible.”

"Oh?"

"Masako has no clue whether or not we could do an exorcism. I feel like I'm fetching water with a strainer."

...Your hard work is much appreciated.

6

Bou-san looked at Taka and then at the darkness beyond the window. "Taka, you should be going home now. You too—" he started to say when he saw Kasai-san. As if to say, "Who's this?" Bou-san tilted his head.

I told him her name was "Kasai-san."

As though saying, "Oh, hello," Bou-san nodded.

"This is Bou-san," I introduced him to Kasai-san next.

Kasai-san gazed at Bou-san solemnly. "...Aah, hi," she said in a barely audible voice and then stole a glance at Taka.

Taka reddened slightly.

"You two should better go home. I'll take you two up to the station."

"Just a bit longer." Taka looked up at Bou-san.

She's like a dog.

"You shouldn't be here at night."

"...Because it's dangerous?"

"Daytime is better than nighttime after all," persuaded Bou-san.

Taka's expression bore mixed emotions, but she stood up. She's happy to accept the escort, but her desire to stay longer was written on her face. Even so, she obediently picked up her bag and followed behind Bou-san.

I wonder if I'm a hindrance, Kasai-san's face said, and yet she came after them.

Wahaha! Good luck, Taka, I murmured in my mind.

Ooh, come to think of it, I was also lucky. Wouldn’t it be just Naru and me?

Speaking of Naru, after watching the three leave the room, he began to go through documents.

Let's have a chat, shall we?

Alright! I wonder if I should start up a conversation with a short joke.

That’s what I had thought, and yet I talked to Naru about trivial things such as Bou-san's band, which I'd heard from Taka earlier. Of course, I hid the bit about the supremacism of Taka's certain someone.

Naru did not seem to care when I chattered.

Somewhere in the room came irritating and unusual clattering noises. We looked up at the ceiling where the sounds originated. Thumping sounds continued once again; it's as if somebody were moving something hard on the floor above.

—However, this was the top floor, so of course there's no floor above it.

All of a sudden, the light in the room dimmed. It wavered gloomily as if it were wearing down.

Naru half-rose to his feet to apparently stand ready.

There were clunking sounds in the ceiling again. Soon, the seemingly exhausted light flickered. It was already dark outside the window. Whenever the light flickered, the ceiling would stand out faintly in the dim light before the bulb went out afresh.

After it flickered many times, I noticed a handful of hair falling through the ceiling, as though it sprouted from there. It was about ten centimeters long.

"...Naru."

"Calm down. Don't move." Naru turned his darker-than-black eyes towards that which sprang out from the ceiling.

The dim light turned off, and when it turned on again, that handful of hair was astonishingly two times longer. It seemed to be about 30 centimeters in length now.

Captivated by it, I could not move. Every time the light flickered, it steadily lengthened. Before I knew it, Naru was standing in front of me. I stared at the ceiling over his back. When there was a flicker again, a hairline became visible—a hairline with a pale forehead.

...Someone's descending through the ceiling...!

My breath caught.

While Naru had his back to me and fixed his eyes at it, he said, "...Don't move. It will be all right. Hold still."

"...Yeah."

The light wavered. It went down, revealing its forehead up to its eyebrows. Another flicker, and closed eyes came in sight. It fell from the ceiling in every flicker, and before we're aware of it, its cheeks and jaw appeared.

...Before long, it turned into a woman's form dangling from the ceiling merely by her neck.

"Naru..." I called out when I could not bear it anymore.

The woman, whose face was pale as wax, opened her eyes widely in an instant. She focused on Naru with glaring eyes as though she were starving for something. She then lifted her thin bloodless lips into a smile.

"Naru...!"

Naru clasped my arm with his hand behind him and held me to his back. "If that right there is a spirit from this school, it can't do anything. It will be all right."

As he was saying that, the light wavered again. The woman's body came down: her white-kimono-clad shoulders and then chest. Looking like she wouldn't stop soon, the woman leaned forward from the ceiling. Hanging upside down, she held a gruesome smile and watched Naru intently. The look in her eyes was brutal.

...If it kept on descending like this… A shudder ran down my spine. ...What would happen to us...?

Surprisingly at that moment, somebody opened the door.

"Bou-san!"

Pushing the door open and grasping the knob, Bou-san stiffened. He looked hard at the woman who was hanging from the ceiling and quickly linked his fingers. "Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan!"

At Bou-san's voice, the woman's body slithered back into the ceiling. The light turned on at the same time as the tips of her hair vanished.

"What was that...just now?" Bou-san gaped in surprise.

In an extremely calm voice, Naru said, "It seems you arrived here swiftly."

...Please don't speak like it weren't a big deal!

"...With this, it's apparent that Hara-san is unreliable right now."

"Seems like it."

While listening to their conversation, I sank down to the floor.

Bou-san patted my head. "Are you okay? Were you scared?"

"...Yeah..." Those eyes were scary. Their look, cruel and evil. The woman didn't look at me even once in the end. It's Naru whom her bloodthirsty eyes were riveted on. That's what I thought, and when I buried my face in my hands, an image abruptly flitted in my head: a will-o'-wisp burning at Naru's feet. "Oh..."

"What's wrong, Mai?" Bou-san peered at me.

"That was...after Naru."

"—What?"

"This room isn't its target. It showed up for Naru. It's evil. Naru is in danger."

Bou-san and Naru stared at me, bewildered.

Then Naru crouched down to my level. "Why?"

"I told you; it's because that was evil. There are will-o'-wisps in this school, and that was one of them. It's aiming for you." ...I wonder how I could think like this. What am I saying?

"...Mai, are you awake?"

Although I thought I wasn't sure, my mouth moved on its own. "I'm awake. I'm not confused. I don't understand why myself, but I just know!"

Bou-san and Naru exchanged glances. They told me to compose myself and had me sit on a chair, and as they asked questions, I told them about what I had seen in my dreams before.

Of course I didn't say Naru appeared in them.

"I don't know why, but the moment I saw the will-o'-wisps, I realized they were absolutely evil. They weren't spirits; they were demons. They're absolutely dangerous."

Naru got absorbed in his thoughts. He cast his gaze on the floor. I had the feeling that he was looking at where I'd seen the will-o'-wisp earlier.

There came sounds of a lot of footsteps and voices; they were the sounds of everyone returning.

* * *

After listening to Naru and Bou-san's explanation, everyone similarly stared in puzzlement.

Masako went pale. Her exceedingly high spirit medium's pride appeared to be wounded. "That is impossible," she protested, her voice quaking. "It is impossible that there are spirits here."

"Well then, what did we see?"

"...I do not know. But that was not a spirit. It is absolutely different." Tears brimmed in Masako's eyes. "If I’m wrong, then I have lost my psychic ability!"

Ayako patted Masako's back. "You have affinity with spirits. You just don't get along well with the spirits here."

"...That sort of thing..." Masako covered her face with both of her hands.

Ayako's shoulders sagged. "Anyway, since we don't know the true nature of what we're up against, I think it's better to not be in this school at night. Let's go home, Masako."

Masako nodded with downcast eyes.

I got deeply uncomfortable. It felt like I had snatched Masako's most prized possession. Masako is a pro. Moreover, she's hailed as top-notch.

This must be really shocking for her, I thought.

Naru stood up. "Ayako is right. That will be all for today."

100% Translated~

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