Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - August 14th 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

1

Outside, as usual, was overflowing with sunlight so bright it was pure white.

After Lin-san went outside in chase of Naru, I took the opportunity to, for some reason or other, go for a walk by myself and trudged through the forest.

Although the sunlight was still bright, the cry of the evening cicadas could already be heard. The sound was lonesome and depressing. I felt something somewhat gloomy sinking in my chest.

Even I didn’t understand what it was and grew steadily more depressed.

...I’m depressed. I wonder why.

I should feel more triumphant. I found out something I had been curious about for a long time.

...I wonder what’s caught me in a mood like this.

I wandered aimlessly through the forest as I thought this and caught sight of a figure in front of me. He was standing against a tree.

As soon as I saw that figure, I abruptly understood.

Oh, I…

“I thought you went to see the lake.”

When I said this, his jet black eyes, which were looking straight at me, quickly averted. Whether or not it was a trick of the light, his expression seemed slightly shadowed.

“...Right.”

I muttered and walked over to the tree that Naru was leaning against.

“I’m sorry. For calling you ‘Naru-chan’ so easily.”

“Why?”

His eyes, which turned back toward me when he asked, were truly deep.

“It was a name only your older brother used, right? I was completely unaware of that fact...”

Although, even Lin-san addresses him like that, so maybe it’s no longer such a private name.

“That’s something from when we were really little.”

“Hmm...”

Naru put his back against the opposite side of the thin tree he was leaning against.

“...You really are an amazing person.”

There was no response to my murmuring.

“Or perhaps I should say, the distance between us is noticeable. ...Heheh. I guess that’s why you refer to me as an idiot. Compared to you, I really am an idiot.”

...Undoubtedly, this is the cause of my depression.

“I suppose you’ll return to England soon.”

His family is there and it’s where his life is.

“Then you’ll return to the life before you met us. ...I can’t even imagine what kind of life that is. Somehow, the worlds we live in are completely different.”

“That’s not true.”

“Really? You don’t think so?”

“Just an idiot scientist.”

This was the first time he had referred to himself like that, so I inadvertently looked back behind me. His back was visible on the other side of the thin trunk.

I quickly turned my gaze back.

“I guess you were an orphan, too.”

“My situation was different from yours. I had a brother and was also blessed with adoptive parents.”

“I see. ...What kind of person was your older brother?”

“Who knows.”

...Sure enough, he won’t answer my questions.

“I’m glad I happened to run into you. I sort of wanted to apologize.”

After I said this, I heard a quiet voice from behind me.

“I was looking for you.”

“Oh?”

“There were a few things I wanted to tell you, so I thought it would be nice to see you.”

“...Tell me what?”

Only his voice could be heard from behind me.

“...It’s possible we might not meet again, so there was something I wanted to say, but...”

“But?”

“Perhaps I won’t after all...”

‘You’re kidding me,’ I silently muttered. He’s keeping me in suspense.

I looked back behind me to tell him to say it, then heard the sound of footsteps treading through the undergrowth. At that moment, I involuntarily turned my gaze in the direction of the sound.

“...Huh?”

2

...What’s this????

I felt my mind go momentarily blank. I quickly pulled myself together and looked back behind me. No one was there anymore.

—This can’t be possible. Because that person was approaching me at a 15 degree angle to my front.

“Huh?”

I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“What’s the matter with you?”

That person, who had approached me at a 15 degree angle to my front, stopped.

Jet black hair and jet black eyes. Dressed completely in black.

“...Naru?”

He looked puzzled.

“You’re really Naru, right?”

“What are you saying? Are you awake?”

“Um… I’m not sure.”

How? What happened?

“—Who was here until just now?”

Naru tilted his head slightly to the side at my murmured words.

“Who was here?”

I pointed behind me where there was no longer anyone present.

“You. I was talking to you until just now. I’m sure of it.”

Without a doubt. That wasn’t a dream. I’m not nimble enough to sleep while standing.

“You were right next to me. What was that?”

“You were half asleep.”

I flared up at his openly contemptuous voice.

“It was different! It was like my usual dream, but it absolutely wasn’t a dream!”

“...Usual dream?”

Ah, I messed up…!

Naru moved his feet and came just a step closer.

“What is that?”

Naru’s gameface. Now I won’t be able to deceive him.

“It’s just a dream...”

Again, he stepped forward a distance of one step. Now, if I stretched out my hand, the remaining distance was close enough to touch him. I was against the thin tree trunk, which was still at my back, so I felt somewhat cornered.

“What kind, then?”

“Nothing that concerns you.”

“It didn’t sound all that unrelated to me.”

The color of his eyes was deep.

“I was here or something like that?”

“Or, it has nothing to do with you.”

“I think it may have something to do with me.”

“There’s no need to pry so much.”

“There’s no need to hide it so much, either, right?”

“I’m not hiding...”

...Fine! I’ll tell him already! After all, what’s the possible aftermath? He’ll laugh at me and I’ll slap his cheek, then I’ll feel relieved once it’s over.

“It’s a dream… about you!”

...I said it…

Even I could tell that my face had gone bright red. And yet, despite this, he, on the other hand, merely looked puzzled. This cold fish!

“—About me?”

“That’s right. About you. It’s my selfish dream. Perhaps it’s my wish. A dream about a gentle Naru.”

Actually, you’re not gentle at all, but this is implied irony to its fullest.

“Gentle—?”

“Yes. About you smiling gently and even speaking kindly to me.”

I’ll never accept that that’s your subconscious.

Naru stared at me wide-eyed.

“...You were talking to me until just now?”

“Yeah. Got a problem?”

I don’t know what I’m being so hostile for.

“—About what?”

“Insignificant trivialities. It was probably a daydream. —Of course it was a dream. A certain someone doesn’t smile and won’t even engage in idle chat with me. And you absolutely wouldn’t search for me unless you had a task to order me to do.”

This is the perfect confession. Ha-ha-ha.

Now you can laugh as much as you want. My right hand is already in position to slap you. Someone as cold-heartedly callous as you could never understand my maiden’s heart anyway.

“...What does that mean?”

Naru appeared dumbfounded.

Being questioned like that, I couldn’t help getting exasperated.

What does that mean? Isn’t that obvious? Why do you think I was keeping quiet about the fact that you were appearing in my dreams until today?

Are you stupid!? You don’t know!?”

“I don’t understand.”

Aaaah! I’ve had enough!

“That’s right, of course you wouldn’t. I knew you were an unfeeling, heartless person. Even so, isn’t it human nature to unconsciously hope for a little bit of kindness where it can’t be seen? You always smile whenever you appear in my dreams, and because of that, you seem gentle and concerned for me. —Of course, that’s just my wish. Still, when I see that kind of dream, I sort of think, at the bottom of your heart, you’re actually not such a cold-blooded human being. When that kept happening, my maiden’s heart thought it was just your soul popping out to come see me!”

Now does that dimwitted brain of yours finally understand?

“I can’t astral project.”

...huh!?

“I can’t do that. I wasn’t blessed with that talent.”

“I know. Obviously, I know that. That’s just my wish.”

“...that isn’t it.”

“If you’re going to laugh, then laugh… huh?”

When I suddenly calmed down, the already white face of the person I was shouting at was completely pale.

“When… did that start?”

Feeling oddly disheartened, I was dumbfounded.

“When did the dream start? From the beginning...”

“...It’s not me.”

...huh?

“That isn’t me. ...It’s Gene...”

Eh?

“Who?”

He placed his white hand to his forehead as if fighting off dizziness.

“Eugene...”

“That… that isn’t so! I would definitely know even if you are brothers! It was absolutely you!”

“No. It’s Gene.”

“But!”

I’d never mistake him for someone else. It was about Naru.

“We’re twins.”

...What?

“If we were expressionless, no one could tell us apart. —He’s my twin brother.”

...Th...that…

“So… Gene was still wandering this world...”

Similarly, Naru’s eyes also seemed to be wandering somewhere in the distance.

3

“That was… your older brother?”

But he’s…

—Dead.

Then…

“It was… about your older brother...”

The memory fragments cracked and fell apart.

—Why didn’t I realize it?

When I think about it, it’s so simple.

The Naru I meet in my dream smiles. The real Naru doesn’t smile.

—He was a completely different person.

His personality and his way of talking... he was was a completely different person except for his appearance!

There were certainly times when I thought he seemed like a different person. No wonder. It was an entirely different person. I just didn’t notice it—

Because they have the same face.

Because they have the same voice.

I thought it was Naru.

“Does he have regrets in this world…? That must be the case.”

Naru's low voice was sorrowful.

“...We might not meet again.”

When I murmured that, Naru turned his gaze to me.

“He said that earlier.”

“Yeah. If his body is found...”

Cutting off there, Naru closed his mouth.

There was nothing I could say, either.

***

“Mai. There’s something I want to ask you.”

Naru spoke after some time had passed.

“...What?”

“On one occasion, you had a vision of the past where your throat was cut. At that time, was there anything strange?”

“Something strange?”

Naru momentarily groped for words.

“I performed psychometry on a small item that was kept in that mansion. It was something like a vase or lamp. Yours was very similar to the vision I saw within that.”

“Eh?”

“You could say that it was almost identical in every detail. It was before your dream.”

“...What does that mean?”

Naru shook his head a little.

“I’ll change the angle of the question. Inside your dreams, what sort of role did Eugene play?”

—Role?

“...I don’t really know, but there was a time when he told me he showed me the direction of a dream. The rest of the time, he gave me advice and taught me various things. This time, your brother taught me a method to enter a trance state.”

“The method where you release the tension from your entire body while focusing on your breathing?”

“Yeah.”

Naru released a sigh.

“What is that idiot doing...”

Idiot? —Even in regards to his brother, Naru is Naru.

“For a spirit medium to lose his way even for a moment. When I thought he was already on the other side.”

“I guess he was worried about you.”

I said that for some reason.

Naru frowned in disgust.

“I haven’t fallen low enough for Gene to worry about me.”

—Conclusion: Because he was able to be brothers with this guy, I’m certain his older brother was infinitely good-natured.

“But, what does it mean?”

“In short, that idiot is posing as your spirit guide. My guess is that you have innate spiritual abilities. In anticipation of that, he was probably determined to stick by your side and take on the job of drawing out your abilities. Good grief...”

If you talk about him in this way, your older brother won’t be able to rest in peace.

“That method of entering a trance state was a technique Gene used often. On those occasions, it was a trait of his to perceive spirits as light and see the landscape as transparent. On top of that, he’d connect the line without permission.”

“Line?”

Naru looked truly disgusted.

“There was a hotline between Gene and myself. For direct communication between consciousness and consciousness.”

“Telepathy?”

Naru nodded.

“Although, it wasn’t at all useful with anyone other than my brother. He relayed that to you. That explains why you also saw the same vision.”

...Really?

“He should quickly cross over to the other side.”

It was an absolutely understandable sentiment, so I decided not to think of Naru as a heartless person. It would be painful for me, too, if my mother and father remained on this side forever.

“I bet he was really worried about you.”

“He should mind his own business.”

“Now, now. Eugene disappeared and there was no one left with the ability to see spirits, right? So then, he guided me so I could be useful somehow.”

I think he’s a kind older brother. If you take that for granted, you’ll regret it someday.

“He’s meddlesome.”

“That’s called kindness.”

“It’s also call stupid.”

...Good grief!

4

“Why did your brother come to Japan?”

I thought he might not answer, but…

“There was a request that wanted him to perform evocation. Also, there were stories of old-style spirit mediums all over Japan, so he was investigating that at the same time.”

“Hmm...”

It’s probably rude of me to ask at this point, but his brother was a spirit medium. He was also famous.

“Your brother was also doing that kind of research?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ghost hunt together?”

“We did.”

“I see.”

Undoubtedly, Naru would have been frustrated during investigations. Thinking, ‘I wish my brother was here.’ There are occasionally times when Masako can’t see anything and I’m a good-for-nothing psychic. While his brother could grasp a situation immediately and quickly perform a purification if necessary.

I recalled the method of spirit purification he taught me. He, who asserted that it was ‘easy’, must have been a genuinely gentle and warm person.

...And now, he’s dead.

At this moment, he’s sleeping at the bottom of the dam—

“Your brother… how did you know he was here? Was it psychometry, after all?”

Naru nodded.

“Is that absolute? There’s no doubt?”

“Probably.”

“...Can I ask you how he died?”

Naru was silent as he contemplated for a moment. Then,

“Gene left for Japan and was about half-way through his scheduled stay. When I borrowed his clothes, I suddenly synced with him.”

“Synced?”

“To assimilate with the target person while using psychometry.”

“Like the dream I once had?”

“Right.”

I couldn’t stand experiencing that over and over again. I would certainly hate using psychometry.

“Suddenly? You didn’t do something trying to sync with him deliberately?”

“That kind of intention isn’t always necessary. Rejecting it requires will, however. ”

“Oh...”

“I think the first thing I saw was a mountain. On that mountain during the day as I was walking there on the road, I heard a car coming from behind. As I turned around, I could see the car that had rounded the curve drive farther and farther toward the outside. It raced straight towards me, then there was an impact and I collapsed. As I was lying on the asphalt, someone got out of the stopped car.”

“...Uh-huh.”

“It was a woman. I could only see her below the knee, though. She panicked and, after screaming, returned to her car. After a moment, I could hear the sound of the car moving and approaching me from behind...”

I choked back something bitter. If that’s the case, then that woman finished Gene off. Without a doubt… you could say he was murdered…

“From there on, the vision developed a green halation. That’s characteristic of when the target is dead. I was dragged along the ground and loaded into the trunk of the car. In a place somewhere like a garage, I was wrapped in a silver tarp. That was thrown into a lake from atop a boat—”

“That’s awful...”

“Getting into an accident there in the first place was careless and stupid.”

...Again with that manner of speaking… Honestly!

“I hope you find him soon.”

That’s most likely why he’s wandering. Being this far away, he can never see his family again. He’s all alone at the bottom of the cold water.

...He probably wants to go home soon. To the place where he belongs.

Naru started to say something. He started to say something only to stop talking and sighed instead.

It was then that I heard a distant voice.

“Oh, this is where you were?”

It was a woman’s voice. It wasn’t Ayako’s voice and it also wasn’t Masako’s voice, but it was certainly a familiar voice.

When I looked around, I could see a woman waving from amidst the forest.

That person was…

“Oh, Taniyama-san. How are you?”

I’ve missed that bright smile.

It was that mysterious acquaintance of Naru and Lin-san that I once met.

“Madoka.”

“...Mori-san!?”

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