Mai and Yasu gathered the students according to the events they experienced. They didn’t expect the large number of the student that came to the base one after the other. They were bombarded with so many psychic phenomena that made them feel like dejavu. They experienced the same event when they were just in the first day of investigation in their previous school case.
Mai sighed as she organize all the information that they gathered in their first day while Bou-san and Naru check out Yasu’s classroom. It is said that there is a strange odor permitting in that classroom. Yasu said that they did their best to search for the source of that odor but they failed to locate it. He also said that they hired professionals to handle it but they had failed numerous times.
They came back after an hour and said that they students are doing Ouija boarding as a pastime. They called it Orikiri-sama. Bou-san got angry and forbid them from doing Ouija boarding and learned that almost 80% of the students did the same thing.
This fact gave Bou-san a headache and was moping after reaching the base. Yasu came after them and gave them a report of those who did Orikiri-sama. Naru, who is looking outside, suddenly spoke.
“How many schools do you think practice Ouija Boarding? I really don’t get the reason why this school is the only one that become like this.”
“Spirits are not things an amateur can easily summon. Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to summon floating spirit by Ouija Boarding, I would assume that some of these spirits may be powerful enough to harm someone and I find it unusual that there are so many spirits inhabiting one place.” Naru explained while looking at the white board that have the list of places that are said to be haunted.
The room went silent for a while as they look at the board with a sigh. Mai look outside for a while and decided to make some tea.
“I have a question, can a person really summon spirits by Ouija Boarding?” Yasu asked them while looking at the folder he brought.
“Yeah, if you’re a psychic.” Bou-san answered as he turn his head to the young lad.
“Is that so? How about the belief that the spirit summoned by Ouija Boarding can give you information about the future?” Yasu asked, making Mai look at him because this question remind her of Mr. Guardian.
Mr. Guardian had not made her see dreams of the future but he made her see visions that her body did not see or experience. He also made her witness or experience what happened in the past and live it through her dreams or astral projection. She had dreams like that before but she can differentiate what dreams did he made her see and what dreams that her sensors delivered to her.
“Many people think that spirits know everything but let me ask you a question; if Mai died, do you think she’d know the future or will be able to read minds?” Naru answered looking at the young lad, who just asked the question.
“Not at all.”
“Basically, I think the only things spirits know better than humans are about their death and the world that comes after death.” Naru continued while Mai stared at his lifeless eyes. But instead of asking if he is okay, her mouth asked the question that she have after hearing Yasu’s first question.
“But what if the spirit have ESP when she/he was still alive? What if that spirit still have that ability after she/he died? Can the spirit tell you what the future hold or what happened in the past through visions or Ouija Boarding?” Mai asked making Naru stood frozen on his feet.
Silence reign after she asked that question. Mai patiently wait as she stared at Naru. She noticed his little action and was confused why he seem so shock. The others also waited for him to answer as Naru forced himself to calm down.
“There are some people who said that spirits made them dream of the future but some of them were proven as fraud. And there are currently no experiments that proves that a spirit with ESP can help a living person see the future nor the past so I cannot really answer your question. However, there are some written cases in the past saying that some geniuses have spirits guiding them. None of them were proven right though.” Naru answered and took a seat beside the window to drink his tea.
“Oh.” Mai just nodded at him and bowed her head. He thought of Naru's sad face and Mr. Guardian's existence. Mai shook her head and sip her tea. She would've to ask Mr. Guardian about his abilities.
“Well, enough of that. There are no spirits here that I don’t know where to start the exorcisms. It would probably the best to wait until all of us are here and start exorcising at various locations.”
They were just waiting for Ayako and Lin, who will be arriving today with the equipment to finish setting up the base and their accommodation. Masako and John will be arriving a day later after them so they have to do their best to work faster until nighttime.
“NO HOTEL?!?! You are saying that I was stuck at the back of Lin’s car only to sleep in a janitor’s room with a broken AC?!” Mai covered her ears as the older woman continued to shower her with rants.
“Calm down, okay? I have made that room ‘livable’ for us to use and it is still spacious even if Masako join us. About the AC, you don’t need to worry about it. You will sleep comfortably in that room.” Mai said in a gentle voice despite her annoyed mood, hoping to calm the raging red-headed woman.
The others ignored them and went back to eat their dinner. Mai left her to help Lin after seeing her companion calm her head. Mai made some tea for them after having dinner. Yasuhara decided to stay and help them – much to Naru’s dissatisfaction. Mai took Yasu and set up the gears to the places that is said to be haunted. They keep on chatting with each other and that makes Naru's blood boil in anger. The adults around him can smell the vinegar coming from him and giggled in amusement.
-oOo-
“By the way, Mai, do you have time to visit my place after this case. My mother missed you so much.” Yasuhara said while helping Mai carry some heavy stuff.
“I have visited your house in Okinawa before Christmas but no one was at home. The neighbors told me that you sold the house and move somewhere else. You didn’t tell me you moved.” Mai answered as she show him how to set up the microphones.
“Yeah. Unfortunately, my dad got a permanent job in a hospital near here as a Director so we decided to move here for convenience.”
“Okay. Just tell me the address and I will be regularly visit to leech off some food. Tell Auntie to prepare more food when I am coming.” Mai joked as she laughed.
“Okay. I will tell her that. By the way, you just told Matsuyama-sensei that you already graduating high school.”
“Oh. The papers are still processing. By the end of the month, I will be free to get them and ready to leave the school. I will go straight to a university and continue my grandparent’s legacy in China.” Mai answered as they go to the other room.
“So, you will be leaving Japan then? You will quit this job?” Yasuhara asked making Mai stop her steps.
This agency is close to her and so is her co-workers. The thought of leaving them had not crossed her mind until Yasuhara pointed it for her.
“Maybe.” She answered hiding the sadness in her eyes.
“Well, make sure to visit. You still have a year and a half before returning, right? How long do you plan to tell your friends about this?”
“Well, I told them that I will get my inheritance until I finished the 5-year agreement of staying here but I didn’t tell them that I am leaving. This plan is not permanent, anyway.” Mai answered him with a bitter smile on her face.
“Enough about me. Tell me about the student who committed suicide last September. Many had said that these events started happening after that student died. I am also curious about his suicide note.” Mai asked, changing the topic.
“Hmm. His full name is Tomoaki Sakauchi. He was a freshman and it is said that he died because of stress. But his suicide note became known all over the school after he passed away. ‘I AM NOT A DOG.’- it said. And I agree with what the students said that the message is for the school.”
“I can see that. I observed that the admin is so strict with the students and don’t even care about their privacy and personal hobbies. But do you know something about that student besides the information that was gathered?” Mai asked him while Yasu took his time to think.
“Oh! At the beginning of his freshman year, he was asked what his future plans were and he answered Ghost Hunter. The teacher thought it was ridiculous and made him change it. I was the one who handle their papers so I knew what happened. I don’t know anything about him anymore than that.”
“I see. He was interested in these kind of things.” Mai muttered while smiling but her smiled immediately vanished the second she felt a presence behind them.
She quickly turned around and pulled Yasu behind her but she saw nothing behind them. Mai furrowed her brows in confusion as she stood vigilant.
“Mai, what is it?” Yasu asked behind her as Mai blew out a sigh of relief.
“No, nothing! Maybe it was just my imagination. This is the last room. Let’s go back to the base.”
-oOo-
Mai found herself on the rooftop after opening her eyes. She is in the middle of the vicinity and it was very dark but she can clearly see the boy whose back is on her. He was giggling happily as he watch something passed through the railing.
Mai slowly walked towards him, putting her guard up. She was completely stunned at the sight of will-o-wisps roaming around the school building in front of the place they are in. And there is no mistaking it, it was the building of Ryokuryou High!
The boy beside her keeps on giggling as he stared at the will-o-wisps in front of them. There are also some of them floating outside the school building and unlike what she saw in Yuasa High School, the will-o-wisps here are moving from one place to another. There are also purplish-black will-o-wisps that doesn’t move like the others. They sat firmly on their ground. Mai don’t know what they are but her intuition keeps on telling her that they bring bad things.
“Why are you laughing?” Mai asked, half-annoyed, since she keep on hearing him laugh while she keeps on feeling chills from what she see.
“Because it’s funny.” He answered while chuckling. Mai turned her gaze at him and saw the familiar face beside her. Her glare was replace by a surprised pair of eyes.
‘He is…! Tomoaki Sakauchi!’
“They are very funny. I think nothing could be funnier more than this in this world.” He said looking at her with such malicious eyes. The glim in his orbs are darker than what is normally seen in humans. His lips are also hooked in an uncanny way that made Mai flinched at the sight of it.
“Could you tell me what they are? Why is it funny? You’re Tomoaki Sakauchi-kun, right? Are you related to the strange events happening in this school?” Mai asked in a hurried way buts he saw him slowly fading beside her. She stretched her arm and tried to catch him but it was too late because her vision suddenly turned white.
"Wait!"
-oOo-
“You can’t see any spirits here?!”
The room was filled with surprised screams after Masako had said her findings. Almost everyone wore a stunned and unbelievable expressions.
“Are you kidding me?!
“Are you sure, Masako-chan?!”
“I did not say that there are no spirits at all. I just can't see them but I do feel their presences.” Masako answered them wearing a neutral face. But her answer made Bou-san sigh and scratch the back of his neck in frustration.
“We’re in trouble.” He said.
“Maybe she is not in her best?” John said when he saw how the others make a disappointed faces.
“But you can feel that the spirits exists?” Naru asked her making Masako’s face brightened up a little.
“Yes. I know that there are many spirits and I know where they are but I couldn’t tell what type of spirits are they. I would usually see them clearly but this time, they are so blurry like I am watching TV that had a bad reception. I have never been good at communicating with floating spirits. I am better with spirits that have strong grudges to specific locations or people but in here, I feel no such thing. I am so sorry I couldn't help.”
“Anything else that you noticed?” Naru continue asking, ignoring the medium's apology.
“Yes. There is only one spirit that I have feel very strongly.”
“Tell me more.”
“It is a boy. He is about the same age as me and I can see his spirit clearly. I feel strong feelings from this spirit even though he is currently not here. He must have experience some hardships at school. I think he committed suicide and I believe it was just recently.” Masako said to them while Naru took out a picture from his black notebook.
“Is this the spirit that you saw?” Naru asked showing her the photo.
“Yes. That is him. His name is Tomoaki Sakauchi-san.” The teenager medium answered with a sad glint in her eyes.
“Hmm. I wonder if he held a grudge against the school.” Naru muttered and turned to Lin to ask him about what happened last night according to the information gathered by the gears that they had set up.
“There are several rooms that had unusual temperatures; Class 3-1, Class 2-4, and the Language Room. I didn’t see anything strange on the footage but some noises were recorded in three different locations too. The rooms are the Art Prep Room, Class 2-4, and the Store Room for the gym.”
“I see. The spirits are already showing some reactions on the first day.” Naru said making Yasu frown in confusion.
“Ah. Normally, spirits will hide when outsiders come into their territory. Apparently, they are shy. Spirits that react in the early stages of research are usually the intense one.” John kindly explained to him as Yasu nod in understanding.
“Let’s get to work. Now that we are completed, I will ask Hara-san to walk around the building and locate spirits while Matsuzaki-san will go with her to exorcise every spirits that Hara-san located. I recommend not underestimating these spirits so please be careful.”
“Gotcha.” –Ayako.
“Bou-san and Brown-san will perform exorcisms at the five rooms that was mentioned. When you finished, please join Hara-san and go to the places that she will find. Lin and I will continue to investigate the locations that are unusual. Yasuhara-san, would you mind helping me with that?”
“Okay.” –Yasuhara
“No problem.”- Bou-san.
“And Mai, stay here and wait for the updates from the others.” Naru said and put on his coat. The others are also ready to leave when they noticed that the brunette didn’t answer the boss.
“Mai?” Bou-san asked roaming his eyes, searching for the pretty brunette.
They saw her sitting on the couch with her eyes close. Her head quietly resting on her palm as she breathe evenly. Her whole being emit such a calm aura that made them unable to look away from her.
“Mai, wake up!” Bou-san said while walking towards her when he suddenly noticed her furrow her brows and showed a painful expression. Her breathes are also being erratic in contrast to her previous calm breathes.
“Mai?!” Bou-san called, alarmed, making the others stride towards them. Seeing Bou-san’s worried face, Ayako hurriedly pushed him away and take a look at the young teen’s sleeping face. She soon breathe a sigh of relief and gently shake Mai’s sleeping face.
“She’s just having a nightmare. Mai, wake up!”