Mirror Mirror (self-insert #9)

Chapter 7

Masako arrived while I was in the middle of revising what I had written so far of my report, so I went out to greet her just in time to see her jerk to a halt in front of the full length mirror. "What is it?" Mai inquired.

"It's watching us." Masako lifted a dainty hand to point at the mirror. "The spirit is watching us from the other side of the mirror."

Silence. A chill crept down my spine.

Masako went on, her voice firm and distant at the same time as she stared at her reflection. "It's male. Watching everything that happens in the house. He seems to be holding something like a bat." Midori flinched, her face pale. "I also hears a spirit's voice, but it seems to have nothing to do with that man. I don't know who's voice it is. It seems to be a male voice...but it also seems female. 'You can't come in! Get out quickly! Once you get out, never come back', the voice said." She hesitated, her gaze focusing on Mai. "Perhaps that wasn't a hallucination."

Mai tilted her head "'That'?"

"When I entered the house, it felt strange. You were right in front for me, bit it felt like there was no one there." Masako said as Naru and Bou-san joined me.

Mai blinked. "Ah. I had the same feeling."

That explained why she'd just stopped in the entryway when we first arrived.

"Me too." We turned to look at Midori. She bit her lip. "When I first came to this house with my mother, my mother was standing right there, but I was wondering, 'Why is there no one here?' I even wondered where my mother went."

Since no one else mentioned it, I could safely assume that Mai, Masako, and Midori were the only ones who had experienced the sensation. Aside from having names that started with the same letter, similarities came to mind. They were relatively young. They were girls. They were daughters who were still under the care of—or were once under the care of, in Mai's case—their mothers. They were daughters.

I opened my mouth to share my deduction, and just then Hirota chose that exact moment to throw yet another hissy fit. "This is too absurd! Why is even Midori-san like this?!" He snapped. "How could you let these people lead you on and say this kind of thing?!"

"But I reall do remember experiencing that kind of situation." Midori argued.

"These guys are just going along with what you said."

"No!' She said forcefully. "I've only just remembered this. I haven't previously told anyone."

"Then you were fooled by that strange atmosphere. It made you believe that you felt that." He rounded on us so suddenly that Bou-san hurriedly backed into base, leaving me and Naru to face the brunt of his rage. "You people should stop now!"

Naru tilted his head. This entire time he had been leaning comfortably against the doorway as if he were listening to someone talk about the weather rather than accuse him of swindling. "What do you mean?"

"DIDN'T YOU GUYS JUST CALL THAT PSYCHIC TO COME AND PUT ON A PLAY? WHO WOULD BELIEVE YOUR OUTDATED ACTING?"

"You don't have to be so loud." I snapped.

That was a mistake. Hirota rounded on me so quickly that I flinched violently. "What, are you trying to silence me? Do you not want me to expose your group's corrupt business?"

I so wanted to sock him in the face.

"Besides, Midori-san—you don't believe that this little girl is very powerful, right?" He asked, turning back to Midori.

"She really is quite powerful."

"Nira." Naru said, quietly but firmly. "If you can't handle this, then go and wait with Lin. I can deal with him."