A/N: well.... I kinda forgot the date and didn't greet our birthday girl on my last update so I'll greet her now. Haha. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, TANIYAMA MAI! I know her birth is in the 3th of July but I really don't care about the date so I forgot about it! Sorry! So I hope you enjoy this chapter. And always stay safe, my dear readers and take care of yourselves. If nothing goes wrong, I'll update the next chapter 3-4 days later.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
[Not Edited]
-oOo-
The mansion is weird. It's was like the building was brought out of a painting. There are stairs at the wall, windows that are located inside a room and also at the ceiling. There are so many misplaced doors and windows around. There are even rooms in a room. Even Yasu and John are having difficulty getting the temperature of the rooms because of these weird structure.
They even met Minami-san and his assistant during their task. But he just took out a thermometer and said he's done in just a few seconds. He even mocked Yasu's for being the 'young boss' but Yasu just toyed with him by acting old. They had finished setting up the equipment and was currently having dinner together in the base. They can dine in the dining room but since Mai and Masako still didn't felt right, they decided to bring in the food and forced the two to eat a little.
"By the way, Mai, you said you graduated highschool when we're at Ryokuryou High. Is the papers done? Where will you go for college?" Bou-san asked as he placed soup on Mai's bowl.
"I already have all the papers done. As for college, I was originally planning to go to Tokyo University but something came up in China so I think I'll abandon that plan. I will be heading back sooner than expected." Mai answered, making Yasu sigh and the others confused.
"Heading back? You're leaving?" Ayako asked with wide eyes.
"Yes."
"W-why?!" Bou-san asked her. Even Naru is looking at her confusedly. She hadn't said anything about this before.
"You knew about me getting no support until my coming-of-age ceremony right? I told you that during my school's cultural festival. Actually, that agreement serves as my protection from our relatives who wants to cover my inheritance. I am my grandfather, the patriarch's successor so naturally, I have the majority of shares and wealth in the Xia Family. As long as I'm still under that agreement, I'm safe but once I become an adult, I will be seen as a big piece of meat for those hungry wolves. I don't want you to be dragged in our rivalry so I need to leave." Mai explained to them.
"But you're still 16! China's coming-of-age is 18, right? That means you still have 2 years left." Masako joined the questioning while having a complicated look on her face.
"That's is right but my cousin and my former fiancé gave me this." Mai said and showed them an virtual invitation on her phone. It was a wedding invitation. It was so beautifully designed and looks fancy. It was right to say that the couple being married is rich.
"They came to Japan to give me this so that means they want me to return as soon as possible to attend the wedding of the one who cheated on me. It can't be possibly mean something good so I think they'll planning something for me at the wedding reception." Mai said as she put away her phone and held her eating utensils again.
"The wedding is on my seventeenth birthday so that also means that they're not planning to keep that agreement and covet the inheritance from me sooner. I need to get ready for this so I have to leave sooner than planned."
"Hey! You're still young! And you didn't even enter college yet! How can you fight those decades year old business foxes?! Won't that be putting your life in danger?!" Bou-san said as he poked Mai's cheeks. Ayako and Masako also joined at glaring at her.
"Stop it, Bou-san. It tickles!" Mai said as she slapped the finger from her face. Yasu also laughed but he stopped after realising something.
"Oh! Didn't I tell you guys?" Yasu asked as Bou-san and the others turned to him.
"What?"
"Mai already graduated college at the age of fourteen. She finished Finance in Beijing University to be exact."
"What?!" Ayako screamed as they all look at Mai. Lin's attention was also caught by this.
"Is that true?! Then why study highschool again?!"
"Well, I didn't plan on studying highschool again but I never experienced going to school for all my life so when Yasu's mother told me I can go to school, I agreed. Of course, I'm still studying Finance at that time. The school also understood my situation so they let me play for a while."
"You don't know but Mai's a prodigy when it comes to money! She even earned more than my mom! She is working at HUALAN Group too!" Yasu boasted as the SPR listened to him. They were so amazed while Mai bowed her head in embarrassment.
"But will you really be okay after leaving Japan?"
"It's okay. I have with me my grandfather's guards and also his lawyer. They help me and make sure I'm safe." Mai answered giving them a sweet and calming smile.
"When will you be leaving?"
"Until I found the last piece of my father's works. I need to find it before I go back."
'and also Mr. Guardian. I also need to find him first before leaving.'
Mai was about to say her last sentence but she didn't because she thought it would annoy Naru and he'll act cold to her again. She didn't want that to hit his nerves and it pricks her heart everyone that happened. Mai pursed her lips before relaxing it again to eat the food on her plate. The SPR find this as a chance to know the brunette better so they didn't hold backs and ask her so many questions. They asked her about her school, her father and mother, her friends and her journey to Japan.
Ohashi-san couldn't find any blueprint so Naru decided to make their own blueprint instead. That's gives SPR more work to do. Mai and Masako got better and aided them in measuring the rooms before sunset. They changed the tapes on the cameras before retiring. Lin and Naru, as usual, stayed awake to watched the base. Ayako didn't leave the two girls' side except when she's in a bath or something. Mai and Masako waited for Ayako in the bedroom while unpacking their things.
-oOo-
'.....drip....drip......drip.....'
Mai suddenly opened her eyes at the sound of dripping waters. It was so loud that it woke her up from her slumber. Mai groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes. She tossed away her blanket and slowly went to the bathroom to check the faucet. She was the last one to use the bathroom so she was sure she turned the faucet off. She lazily opened the door and went to the sink.
'It isn't dripping.'
Mai still tightened the faucet closed and was about to return to her bed when she smelled something. Mai, who did not feel anything, now had her senses ringing. Her intuition keeps screaming at her to run but she turned towards the direction of the metallic odor. Mai cautiously looked at the shower curtain as the smell of blood intensified. Not long after, she saw a dark red liquid flowing out of the bathtub.
Her heart began thumping loudly inside her chest. Mai panicked and run towards the bathtub. The blood is continuously leaking out of it. She reached out her hand and pushed the shower curtain away. Her heart almost stopped beating at the sight she saw. The tiled walls were stained with blood splatters and the bathtub was filled with dark red liquid. Her nose is also filled with the smell of blood.
Her body trembles at the sight of a figure inside that bathtub of blood. Her grip on the shower curtain tightened as that figured slowly submerged. Mai can see the body of a man, his bloodstained body is very pale and he looks horrible. Mai tried to memorize that man's face but her eyes became blurry because she felt nauseated. The dizziness took over her as she kneeled on the bloody floor. Seconds after that, she heard a raspy voice in her ear.
"....I don't want to die..."
-oOo-
Mai woke up with Ayako's shaking. Ayako said that her eyes are open while she's sleeping so she became worried and woke her up. Masako is also looking at her worriedly. Mai just drank some water and told them she's alright. She told them she was just tired as an excuse. She wanted to tell them what she dreamed off but she saw Masako's uncomfortable face so she decided to tell until she's okay and with the others.
They went back to measuring the rooms but they encountered a situation. The measurements really don't match each other. Sometimes it was measured square in the inside but rectangular on the outside. This happens in most of the rooms they measured yesterday and they even repeatedly checked it numerous times. John and Bou-san went out to measure the outside again but came back with the same measurements. Mai slammed the list on her head and childishly complained.
"ARG! Why is this happening?! Our measurements don't match this rooms actual size! It's off by three meters! We measured it three more times already! Not tell me there are secret rooms here?!" Mai complained as she repeatedly punched the walls. Bou-san and Yasu also thought about it.
"Maybe there are really secret rooms? That's why we keep on messing up the measurements." Yasu agreed as Bou-san and Mai kicked the wall.
"Then why don't we just tear down the walls and get the proper measurements?! I don't wanna hear Naru complaining about this again! We were scolded yesterday too!" Bou-san and Mai yelled as John tried his best to calm them down.
"Why don't we measure the other rooms and double check it again if there's something wrong. We can just tell Naru that we did check it again and there might me secret rooms." John said as he stopped Mai and Bou-san from tearing down the walls. Yasu agreed and they went back to measuring but because they're double checking it again, their work also doubled. And when they submitted the list to Naru, they really did found the gaps after Lin drawer out the map on his computer.
"It doesn't match at all, does it?" Naru asked, looking at them suspiciously.
"I don't care what it says! That's what we measured!" Mai retorted before drinking the tea she made. He's still a bit cold and their conversations are awkward but at least she can tell at him.
"We actually checked it several times but the results are still the same. So maybe there are secret rooms?" Yasu also added while John and Bou-san nodded.
"That's a possibility. But let's verify the measurements again tomorrow." Naru answered making the four of them flinch.
"106 rooms... We'll have to measure it again?!" Mai complained but Naru turned away from her after saying something.
"If you're that lazy, you can just leave."
"Damn jerk!"
The next morning, they went measuring again but the results are still the same. That night, they gathered in the dining room for supper. They're still talking about the case when someone called 'Shibuya-san'.
"Excuse me, Shibuya-san?"
"....." It took a minute for Yasu to turn around and saw Igarashi-sensei behind him. He almost forgot that he's acting as Naru in this case. It seems like he enjoyed wearing his father's suit that he had forgotten his role. Mai giggled at him as he flashed his usual business smile.
"I'm sorry, Igarashi-sensei. You were talking?"
"I'm sorry that I interrupted your dinner. Is it okay for me to speak with you?" The old teacher asked while giving him apologetic look. Yasu smiled at her kindly and gestured her to a seat but the teacher declined.
"Please. We don't mind, Igarashi-sensei."
"Well, actually, I have a favour to ask since you don't look shady as other mediums. I'd like to conduct a seance later and it would be an honour to us if you come to participate." Igarashi-sensei politely asked while slightly bowing. Yasu don't have the authority to answer this so he was planning to use an excuse to delay the answer until he consulted Naru but the big boss appeared with his loyal aid.
"Narumi-kun?"
"Sir?" Naru immediately acted like a 'lowly' investigator.
"Igarashi-sensei came to invite me to a seance and I want to participate. But what do you think?" He asked and sighed internally at the sight of his saviour. The SPR also hid their grins while watching the event.
"I see. I also want to participate in the seance as an observer, if that's okay?" Naru answered as Igarashi-sensei nodded.
"That's okay. The seance will be on 9PM in the next too, okay?"
"Yes. That would be fine." Yasu answered as he showed the old lady out.
"Oh my! Yasuhara is such an actor!" Bou-san praised when they're the only ones in the room.
"Thanks! Mai trained me during our middle school! But I got nervous for a second there!" Yasu answered while laughing nervously.
"Mai trained you?"
"Mai's a great actress. She totally nailed it on our Snow White play during middle school!" Yasu said as he brought out his phone to show them a picture. In that picture, Mai laid on a stone table filled with flowers. Her white dress looks like it's glowing and her face is pale but enchanting. She definitely portrayed Snow White well in this picture.
"Hey! Don't you go on showing my pictures like that!" Mai said and was about to snatched the phone but Ayako quickly beat her to it and sent the photo to her own phone. Bou-san also did the same. Mai complained but they never listened.
The SPR arrived at the room only to see that Minami-san and the fraud waiting for them. The room was a bit dark and the only light inside are coming from the candle they lit up. Masako came too but Naru told her not to participate in the seance. Only Yasuhara is participating. He was quite nervous but he still go. He wanted to personally experience a seance conducted by a professional.
"Excuse me, Igarashi-sensei, the room is a bit dark and I want to film the seance. Could you lighten up the room a bit? My camera couldn't captured anything." Minami-san came up and asked the old lady. The old teacher furrowed her brows as she confusedly stared at Minami-san.
"Uhm, spirits don't like lights, Minami-san. I couldn't brighten the room anymore than this. But if you want to film the seance, you can use night-vision camera. Don't you have any?" The female teacher proposed but Minami-san just laughed nervously and waved his hand to ease his embarrassment.
"A-ah.. Right..."
"Mr. President. We have a night-vision camera in the base. Should I get it for you?" Naru asked Yasuhara. Unlike the others who are giggling at the expense of other morons, he wants this to be over fast. Yasuhara heard him and smiled.
"That would help us greatly, Narumi-kun." Yasu answered and Naru left with Lin to get the camera. They came back after a few minutes and set up the camera to film the seance. Igarashi-senseiand her assistant sat and pointed Minami-san, 'Davis'-hakase and 'Shibuya-san's seat. They gathered around the table and hold hands.
"....please take a deep breath and call upon the spirits....the spirits living in this mansion....to those living in the mansion, please possess this woman's hand and reveal your souls."
Mai looked at Suzuki Nao, who is the assistant of the old female professor. Her left hand is held by Igarashi-sensei while her right hand held a pen marker. Her eyes are closed like the other participants in that seance. In front of her are stack of papers for the 'spirits' to write their wills and pleas. Mai nodded as she got how the seance will be. Mai continued to watch the female assistant until she felt something pulling her arm. She turned to her side and saw Masako's uncomfortable face. Her hands are also cold and she's shivering.
"Masako, are you okay?" Mai whispered as she supported Masako on her shoulders.
"I'm okay, just feeling dizzy. The spirits are gathering in this room now." She answered back in a whisper but she's still shivering. Mai pressed Masako to her and gently soothed the medium by rubbing her back. Mai was really thankful she's not a medium like Masako or else, she will suffer. Masako calmed down after a few moments but she still sticked to Mai.
".... I implore you to reveal yourselves. Please let us hear what is in your souls. If you hear my voice, please reveal yourselves...."
The candle which is the only light in the room, suddenly flickered and the temperature gradually decreases. Mai tightened her grip on Masako and put up her guard. The others also felt it and is ready to chant if something wrong happened. Suzuki-san suddenly moved her hand and and wrote at the peppers in front of her. Mai watched in awe. The squeaking of the marker and the rustling if papers are the only noise in the room as they all watch.
The female assistant continued writing. Not long after, scratching noises and knocking sounds rang loudly inside the room. The tables suddenly began shaking as the noises rang even more loudly. Minami-san and that Davis impostor shook in fear as they look around. They had planned to pull out their hands from the semi-circle they formed but Yasuhara and Igarashi-sensei held their hands tightly.
"Please don't pull out. The seance will be disrupted and the spirits will not be sent back-" Igarashi-sensei warned them but the candle flickered again and the flames was put out. It was only darkness and supernatural noises in the room. Those impostors finally snapped and screamed in fear. Ayako, Bou-san and Mai saw them so they began chanting for the activity to stop. John also joined them by praying and bringing out his holy water.
Mai focused in chanting but she suddenly felt very cold behind her and Masako. The latter felt it too and held unto Mai. The brunette directed her chants to the wall and before she can even finish it, the sounds stopped as the lights suddenly flickered on. Naru was the one who switched it on. Mai's eyes lingered to Naru before she held Masako's shivering frame.
"Masako, you okay?"
"Yeah. T-that ghost... It's definitely behind us a while ago."
"Yes. It's okay now." Mai consoled her as she looked around the room. The room's floor are full of scattered paper. All of them have words written on it. Mai ignored the impostors' shaking forms and picked up some papers. All of the papers said 'HELP'.
"We definitely invoked spirits. Almost all the papers said 'HELP'" Naru said as she showed the papers he picked up.
"This says the same thing too."
"Same here."
"It's different here."
Ayako and John also agreed but Bou-san called and showed them a paper. Unlike other papers, the writings on that paper is different and it was written in different colours. The marker used by Suzuki-san is black but it was written in red. And those words....
'I DON'T WANT TO DIE.'
"What does it feel?" Igarashi-sensei asked her assistant after they arrived at the SPR base. They are planning to review the footage they caught during the seance. The impostors left with the excuse of being tired.
"Well... It seemed to move my arm around. It felt as if only magic can move it." Suzuki Nao answered them while trembling. It looks like she's still shaken at what happened. Igarashi-sensei went to hug her as comfort while Lin and Naru reviewed the footage.
"Stop! Go back 53 seconds and go frame by frame." Naru instructed while Lin nodded. All the people inside the base focused their attention to the monitor while they watched the slow motion video on the screen.
There they saw it. On the screen, Suzuki Nao is writing with her marker at a fast pase. The papers are marked before they hit the ground. However, one paper slipped unmarked and the moment it touched the floor, red writings appeared on it in a matter of seconds. The people watch in awe. This is the first time they witnessed something like this.
'I DON'T WANT TO DIE'
"Ugh!" Masako staggered and leaned into Mai. Her face is paler and she's even more trembling than a while ago. The SPR worriedly run to them and asked what's wrong.
"Masako?"
"I-I'm sorry. May I go back to my room? I feel so nauseous." Masako answered while covering her mouth with her kimono sleeve. Mai was still supporting her to stand.
"Okay. Let's go." Mai nodded and began to assist her to the door.
"Matsuzaki-san, please go with them." Naru suddenly stated but Mai looked back and rejected the idea.
"No. We can go back on our own. You still have cleaning to do after the seance-"
"No. Matsuzaki-san, accompany them." Naru coldly insisted and turned around to face Yasu.
"We set up night-vision camera and condenser mics in the seance room. May we finish yesterday's investigation, Mr. President?" He asked with his very professional tone. Yasu just smiled and nodded at him, getting what he meant.
"Okay."
Ayako went with them and closed the door behind them. Mai was a bit hurt by Naru's treatment but she still noticed the uneasiness coming from Naru. Mai didn't know why he's feeling that way but she is sure, this case is not that simple. Well, the case they previously took are not simple but if Naru's acting that way, then this case might be more dangerous than any cases they accepted. Mai sighed and calm the erratic beating of her heart.
"Masako, you said a while ago that you smelled blood in the seance room. Di you smell it before or after the poltergeist activity?" Mai asked while waiting for Ayako to finish her bath. Masako freshened up and was feeling better after a few minutes rest so Mai took the chance to talk to her.
Honestly, she was feeling with Masako as much as she was with Naru. The others didn't know it but she heard their conversation about Naru and Masako when she was in the hospital. They thought she was sleeping at that time but she heard all that they said. Masako liked Naru and used the PK demonstration clip to blackmail him to date her. And after knowing Naru's feelings for her, Masako completely gave up pursuing him. But she heard that Masako was so heartbroken so they have taken her to the amusement park to cheer her up.
That outing happened after the case and while she's stuck in the hospital. She's a bit devastated that they got to have fun while she's bored in the hospital but her feeling of guilt and awkwardness overwhelmed that devastation. And Mai was planning to avoid both Naru and Masako but Masako still kept acting like normal with her.
Mai and the others then knew how strong Masako is. Other girls would hate the one that 'snatched' their guy but she didn't do that. Instead, she keeps on getting a long with her. Of course, Mai still did the same as Masako but despite her happy and easy going facade, she still feels awkward inside!
"It was after." Masako answered while looking at her eyes. Mai's feels awkward at the eye contact but she fights herself from looking away. She sat on her bed that is beside Masako's and asked her questions.
"You felt the presence behind us at that time right? Did you see what form the spirit take?"
"No. I was too distracted by the smell of blood that I didn't noticed it. But I felt that the spirit wants to cause harm to us. It feels... malicious. What about you? What did feel?" Masako asked her while covering her lap with blanket.
"Me?" Mai asked, a bit confused.
"Yes. You're a psychic, right?"
"Ah! Haha. I keep forgetting I told you my background." Mai answered nervously while scratching her hair.
"Well, I'm not a medium like you so I didn't see it but I also felt it's malicious intent. Similar to you, I also think it would cause us harm if that spirit laid a hand on either one of us. Honestly, ever since we entered this mansion, my intuition keeps on telling me to run away." Mai answered.
"I see. Did you have any visions about this place? You also said you have retrocognition through dreams." Masako asked.
"Ah. About that.. I think I have dreamt of something before but because we got busy, I forgot to tell it to the others." Mai answered while sighing awkwardly.
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you and the others tomorrow." Mai answered, thinking that if she said it right now then Masako might not sleep or have a nightmare. If the medium knew what she is thinking, she swear to God, she'll smack Mai over and over again. Contrary to her appearance, Masako's mentality is strong and she had witnessed something worst before.
The unknowing medium just nodded and laid on her bed. Ayako came out so Mai hurried went to the bathroom to freshen up. She avoided the bathtub after remembering her dream. She just took a quick shower without wetting her hair and changed to her pink pajama. She went out of the bathroom and saw Ayako drying her hair and applying so many skin care products on her face.
'Ah. So that's why her bag is always bulky.'
Mai went straight to her bed and saw Masako sleeping. Mai smiled and fix the medium's blanket. She then slipped into her own blanket and closed her eyes. This actions didn't go unnoticed by Ayako's eyes. She may be applying products on her face but she can still see them on the mirror in front of her. Ayako was worried their friendship might go more astray than before. But she saw their relationship improving after love toyed with them. Ayako let out a sigh of relief and continued her routine.