Chapter 9-Opening Night
January Day 5, 6:48 P.M.
"Kyou Oshiro attached herself to Ichika, while Masuyo attached herself to you, that was why Masako wasn't able to sense or see them clearly," Yasuhara explained as he stood backstage with Hoshiko, Ayako and Masako. "Ichika was actually possessed, because Kyou sensed that she had slight psychic abilities and used them to her advantage. Which is why you had so many hard to explain accidents."
"Okay, then why did they steal Masako's sight and Mai's voice?" the young actress asked. The case had been solved and the others were packing up the van, leaving the four to discuss the events and fill in the two investigators who missed out on the action.
"That was Kyou's doing," Masako answered. "She had possessed Masuyo and forced her to kill herself with her fear. Because I was unable to see her the first time I came here and she continued to wreak havoc, it caused everyone to lose their faith in me. And in turn I began to doubt myself, Kyou played on that and took my sight in order to assert her control of the situation."
"Then what was Mai's fear? If yours was to doubt yourself?"
Masako just shrugged. "You'd have to ask her, it could be anxiety of not saying the right thing. Or even the fear that she might say a theory but be wrong and no one would believe her after that. I don't know, but that is her business, wouldn't you think?"
"Point taken, but what about the Sanskrit charm? How does that tie in?" Ayako asked, crossing her arms.
"I meant to mention is earlier, but Masuyo's brother had a picture of his family at a shrine," Yasuhara explained. "In the picture there looked to be another brother dressed as a monk. It's just a theory, but Masuyo's family could have owned a shrine and she left to pursue acting, much like Hoshiko. If Masuyo and Kyou were even a little close when they were alive I'm sure they both might have a little knowledge of it. And who knows what kind of knowledge you can get when you're dead?"
"That would explain why Masuyo clung to you, Hoshiko," Ayako concluded. "Coming from similar backgrounds, it would also explain why Kyou chose to attack you and hadn't made any other attacks since their death." She shrugged. "Kyou could have used Ichika's body to plant the jinx on you to counter the effects of my charm."
"But what about the writing on the wall from your experiment thing?" Hoshiko asked. "I thought only a poltergeist made by humans could affect it. And the chest was supposed to move, but it didn't."
"Naru did put a charm in there to minimize the effects of any spirits, but Ichika must have some latent psychic abilities that Kyou was able to manipulate to her will," Masako explained, "it's something that we have to take into consideration when we go on these cases."
"Really?"
"Yes, several cases ago, one of us was possessed to the point that we had to have him sedated to protect everyone involved until we could extract the spirit," Ayako said. "But it looks like I was right about Kyou's suicide, it wasn't as black and white as everyone thought!"
"She had some drinks and then took her medication that she shouldn't have mixed with alcohol. Hardly a murder, Ayako," Masako scoffed.
"Perhaps, but she did possess Masuyo and made her jump off of the roof. I knew the suicides were fishy!"
"Yes, yes, you were right and I was wrong," Yasuhara replied. "This must be how Monk-"
THUNK!
"Feels!" The college student clutched his head in pain.
"Quit while you're ahead, kid!" The priestess growled, dusting off her purse. The two teenagers laughed at the boy's pain.
"Wait, there's one thing I don't understand, why the nursery rhyme? Why Kagome?" Hoshiko asked, the medium shrugged her shoulders.
"My best guess is that it was Masuyo singing the song in the E.V.P. that we found. Both spirits were like birds in a cage, trapped in this building. She may have been trying to give us a message on how to release her. Kyou used it as a way to drag the spirit from its attachment to you."
"By the way, Masako, how are your eyes?" Yasuhara asked, still rubbing the bump on his head. Masako smiled brighter than she ever had before.
"Sometimes my vision gets a little blurry, but for the most part it's back to where it was before everything happened." She clasped her hands in front of her like the prim and proper doll she always looked like.
"And Mai's voice is back to normal, a little hoarse now and then, but I think we all missed her comments," Ayako added with a smile. "Okay, most of the equipment must be packed up by now, we should probably help before Monk scolds us for making him and John do all of the work."
***
"After we get this back in the van you can go home," Naru said as he took down one of the shelves for the monitors. Everything was back to normal and the spirits were finally at rest. While everyone was happy and relieved that everything had worked out, Mai just sighed and continued to pack up the wires.
"Thanks," she said, she had not bothered to look up at her employer.
"Are you all right?" Mai ignored him and continued to pack up. "You've barely said anything since your voice came back."
"I have, you just weren't listening."
"I thought you might be excited about being partially right. Only a poltergeist would be able to write on the wall-"
"This has nothing to do with being right about a stupid poltergeist, Naru!" she snapped. He really thought that that was why she was angry with him? Was he really that stupid? She had never been that petty, why would she be now? "You thought I was suicidal." Her voice wanted to crack at the words, luckily she could chalk it up to nonuse.
"Mai, all I said was that it was one of a few possibilities-"
"That you came up with to figure out why I was on the roof. I know, but it was the theory that you stuck with. One that you were convinced of. And you went with it. So sure of yourself."
Naru stood there unsure whether or not to counter her argument. Then again, she didn't give him much of a chance to decide. "You know my story, everyone does! After the shit I went through you really thought that I would end it all?" She took a tearful breath before she continued. "I thought I bounce back, that it was written all over my face."
She wiped away a tear and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess you just can't read Japanese as well as you thought!"
Time to intervene. "Mai, if you just listen-"
"No, Naru! You listen!" She didn't care if anyone heard her. This was going to bother her too much if she didn't finish. "I've been to hell and back, literally, and always made it through somehow. After being your assistant for two years I thought you would know me by now! Hell, I thought I would know you! But I guess-" She paused as the realization of her words were sinking in. "I guess..." Shouta was right. She let out a shaky breath.
"I guess, we're no less strangers than when we first met." She grabbed her bag and coat, along with the final box of wires. "I don't work again until Tuesday, right?"
"That's correct." There was no point in arguing.
"I'm going to put this in the van and head out. I'll see you on Tuesday, Naru."
***
January Sunday, Day After Case 1:15 P.M.
With the case being solved, Mai had to make up for ditching a certain someone for the last week. Which explains why she now sat at a restaurant having lunch with her boyfriend. "Well, your case is finally solved, I was starting to think you might have been ignoring me," Shouta laughed after the waiter left to put their order in to the kitchen.
"Sorry," she shrugged, shifting in her seat. She realized she wasn't sitting up straight. She chalked it up to only sleeping a couple hours and not having the energy. "It's been a rough week, and this case wasn't an easy one."
"I could tell, from our last few text conversations." He took a sip of his water. "Now, I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but," Here it comes. "Have you thought about finding a new job?"
She knew that he would bring that up again. She hated it. But he was right. And she hated that. So she sighed. "I mean, not deeply, but the idea has crossed my mind." She sipped her water. "It's kind of hard to search when you're so busy, you know?" Really, Mai? You think that will shut him up? Ha! Nice try.
"Well, what if I told you I had a solution?" Great, Mai, you know exactly what's coming next. But Mai just cocked her head, beckoning him to continue. "At my internship, they're looking for paid assistants. It might not be quite as much as what that dickhead is paying you, but I'm sure if you told them your story they might be able to work something out."
She should have known. He really wanted her to get out of Naru's abusive hold over her and the more she worked, the more she was starting to think he might be right. "That's awesome," she faked a smile. "I'll check it out and see what their requirements are-"
"Better yet," Shouta interrupted her as their food came out. "I already set up and interview for you!" Mai felt her stomach drop. She didn't feel like eating anymore. Then again, she hadn't really eaten the last few days. "It's tomorrow afternoon! I'll pick you up from school and take you over when I go for my internship. Isn't that great?"
Mai was speechless, she didn't know what to say. She was grateful that Shouta wanted to go to such lengths. She just wasn't sure if this was a good time. What would the rest of the team think? "W-wow, Shouta!" she feigned excitement. In the pit of her stomach, she felt a heavy weight. Was she afraid of Shouta's work or just afraid of the change in general? She wasn't big on change in the first place. She had the same haircut since middle school after her mom died.
"I thought you might be more excited, you have off tomorrow, right?" Shouta asked concerned.
"Oh no!" she waved her hands to dismiss the awkward feeling. "I am excited and I do have off tomorrow. I just didn't sleep well last night is all. And I'm just a little nervous about an interview."
"Well, I know you'll be great!" he smiled and started to eat his food.
***
Sunday 6:14 P.M.
"Well, why don't we talk about your sleeping patterns today," Hozumi said putting his cup on the coffee table and opening his notepad. "You told me you've tried regulating your sleep by exercising in the morning with your neighbor, how has that been working?" But Mai didn't answer. She was looking out the window. "Mai?"
"Huh?" And thus she was jogged out of her daydream. "I'm sorry, I got distracted. What did you say?"
"Have your morning runs with your neighbor helped you sleep better?" Just as always, Hozumi was patient. He didn't want to force her to answer any question that she didn't want to. He provided her with a sense of comfort that Mai wasn't too sure she deserved anymore.
"Yeah, I'm still not sleeping too much, but better than before. I got about seven hours of sleep last night," she lied with a smile on her face. She hoped it didn't look as fake as it felt.
"That's good, that's the most you've gotten straight since before you came to me. How are your nightmares? Did you have any last night?"
"No." She lied again. She wanted to forget about the demon in her dream Friday. She just wanted it to go away. And she knew that if she told Hozumi, he wouldn't go away. If she told him it would only confirm her fear of it. "I haven't had any nightmares really this week. I mean earlier this week I think I might have had one about an old case, but to be honest I really don't remember it."
Hozumi stood up and walked over to his desk. "If you wake up in the middle of the night, I want you to write down what woke you up and what dreams you had," he said, handing her a notebook. "Better yet, try to keep a diary of events in there. What time you go to bed. When you wake up. When you go to work. Keep a record of times and a short explanation of what you are doing." Mai nodded and placed the notebook in her bag. "Keeping a record of your routine makes it easier to see where changes need to be made."
"Okay, I'll do that," she agreed. She was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and escape everyone and everything. But if she did, she would be met with that demon again, probably.
"Now, how is school going? Are you still doing homework in the middle of the night?" He continued as if he couldn't see the exhaustion on the girl's face. He knew she was lying but he wasn't going to call her out on it. He needed her to trust him more than she did then. She couldn't afford to lose her trust in him and he knew that.
"School is going well," she answered a smile appearing on her lips. "When I wake up before I really need to go running, I go forward with whatever lesson we're about to go on. Surprisingly, despite the little sleep and stress I've had, my grades have actually improved greatly. One of my teachers told me that if I keep up this pace, I could graduate before everyone else in my class."
"That's great!" Hozumi smiled.
At least that wasn't a lie.
"Have you thought about what you're going to do after you graduate? Are you going to college or are you going to continue working for the paranormal research facility? Or maybe try to do both?" Mai looked down at her hands and thought about it for a minute. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Mai really hadn't thought of it since her mom died. She thought even less of it after she moved out of her old teacher's place. For so long, Mai really only thought about the present. Her only goal was to finish high school and since taking this job, not to get killed in the process. Shouta wanted her to quit SPR. She wasn't sure if she wanted to. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ever do anything involving the paranormal again. But, it really did intrigue her. "I...I don't really know. I haven't thought much about it," she admitted, fiddling with the ends of her skirt.
"I'm getting really good at English," she continued, smiling. "In class, we also sometimes discuss other languages and I've been picking up on them fast. I could always go to school for linguistics."
"You don't have to decide today," Hozumi laughed. "But, it's time that you thought about it. You're almost finished your second year of high school and then it's just one more and then you're out in the real world. Well, more so than you already are."
***
Monday 3:13 P.M.
Mai stood outside in the snow, dressed in the closest to interview clothes that she owned. A blouse and a pencil skirt that had belonged to her mother. If I do get this job I'll have to go shopping for business clothes, she thought to herself adjusting the too big skirt. Where is he?
As if on cue, the young man's car pulled up to the gate of the school. Her heart pounded as she stepped into the vehicle. "Hey! You look great! Might need to get the skirt tailored though," was his greeting as she leaned over for a kiss.
"It was my mom's I don't exactly have her hips," she laughed nervously. And thus they were on the road. Her stomach was doing somersaults as her boyfriend navigated the way to the office where he interned. She was actually grateful that she didn't eat lunch that day. It probably would have ended up on the floor of the car at that point.
It was bad enough that Shouta was making her look into a future outside of SPR. Then Hozumi asked her what her plans for the future was now that she was getting ready to enter her senior year. She had thought briefly about what life would be like without her ghost hunting fami-friends. Her ghost hunting friends. But she didn't think that that might happen so suddenly. She also had never actually gone for a formal interview before. Not since her interview for high school and gaining her scholarship. And surely those questions were going to be completely different from the ones she would be asked today.
"You okay, Babe?" The voice broke her of her reverie. She looked over at her boyfriend and realized he had parked. They were in some parking garage, assumedly own by the company she was about to have an interview with. She smiled when she saw his concern.
"I'm fine," she lied, feeling her smile growing weaker. Faker. "I'm just nervous is all. I haven't had an interview for a job before."
"Kazuya never interviewed you?" Mai shook her head.
"Nope, he just recruited me to get free help since I broke a camera, didn't I already explain this?"
"Wow, I'm glad he really investigates the type of people he brings in and works with for hauntings." Shouta rolled his eyes. "Who knows what kind of freaks he could have working for him or end up doing work for? Come to think of it, didn't you end up doing a case with a psychotic murderer?"
"Yeah, but none of us knew it would end up that way-"
"Mai, you figured it out and tried to warn Kazuya and instead of calling the police he just let you continue your 'investigation' and ended up with you kidnapped and almost killed. And-"
"And we wouldn't have met or be having this conversation, I know." Her head felt heavy and tired as she sat there. She shook her head and mustered up her fake smile, but she couldn't fake a smile in her eyes. She hadn't been able to in a long time. Just how long? "What time was my interview again?"
"Shoot!" The young man leapt out of the car, his girlfriend following suit. "We better get going!" They walked over to the elevator and he held the door for her. "Don't be nervous, you're going to do just fine. They will love you almost as much as I do."
She didn't want to admit it, but that was exactly what Mai was afraid of.
***
Tuesday 12:30 A.M.
"No!" Mai gasped as she jumped into a sitting position in her bed. Cold sweat beaded down her neck and her whole body trembled with each shaky breath. Tears created rivers down her cheeks as she leaned against the walk for support. Split images filled her eyes every time she closed them. She had gone back to forgetting what exactly she dreamt. She wasn't sure whether to be angry with herself for being unable to remember, or to be grateful that her mind once again decided to protect her.
Her trembling had ceased and she took several deep, shaky breaths as she leaned over to the lamp and switch it on. She glanced at the clock as she cleared her throat, grabbing her notebook on the floor and a pen. There were only two entries in the journal.
Monday 1:56 A.M.
Replays of past cases. A lot of negative things were said. I killed John this time. I woke up sobbing after I did it. I'm going to do some studying and try to go to sleep
UPDATE 5:12 A.M.: Looks like sleep is not my friend anymore. Going to run with Tsubame. I hope I sleep tonight.
UPDATE 6:30 P.M.: School was uneventful. Usual classes and conversations. I was hoping for a relaxing and uneventful evening off, but Shouta had other plans. (Why I decided to go on that interview I'll never know.) But I'm home now, might as well get my homework done.
She had reread her two previous entries, seeing the sentence that she had scribbled out. What was this supposed to do again? She wondered as she remembered Hozumi saying something about finding a routine and seeing where changes needed to be made. She sighed and began her entry for the new day.
Tuesday 12:39 A.M.
Woke up again. Can't remember the dream this time. From my reaction waking up it's probably best that I don't know. Writing in here is supposed to make me see my routine and possibly help me to get more sleep. (It's nights like tonight when I'm not sure I'll ever get better. I'm so tired. So tired. Will I burn out? I haven't yet. Maybe it's best if I did-)
She scribbled out the last few sentences. If Hozumi was going to ask to read it, she didn't want him knowing that she wasn't getting better. Not after all the progress she had made. She made a few steps forward and a giant leap backward. She didn't want anyone's pity, not even Hozumi's. He had done so much for her, if he saw her break down like this-
Tears rolled down her cheeks as came to her realization. Something was going to give. It was only a matter of time.
***
Tuesday 2:02 P.M.
The teacher had given them menial work to do on their own and allowed them to have their own conversations. Mai was grouped together with Michiru, Keiko and Taiki, she had finished her work and was staring out the window. "Earth to Mai!" Keiko startled the girl out of her daydream. "You okay? You seem jumpy."
"Huh?" she blinked and gave a smile, hoping her friends would believe it. "Sorry, I didn't sleep that well last night."
"So where did you go all dressed up yesterday?" Michiru asked, closing her workbook. "A date with Shouta perhaps?"
"Yes." Mai physically bit her tongue when she realized she had spoken too quickly. "Actually, his parents were in town so we met them for dinner." Mai hated lying to them. If she did get this job how on Earth was she going to explain it to them? She would have to explain how abusive Naru was to her and that she couldn't take it anymore. But would they believe her?
She could say that she got into an argument with him and he fired her. That could work, right? "How is Shouta? I don't think I've seen him since Michi's party," Taiki asked as he finished his assignment. "Actually, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know my name, he didn't really talk to me then either. Maybe he doesn't like me." Taiki laughed as Keiko playfully smacked his arm.
"Idiot, of course Shouta likes you just fine," Keiko chided, crossing her arms. "If Shouta really hated your guts he probably would have mentioned something to Mai-chan. And we all know she wouldn't keep that from us, right, girlie?"
Mai's stomach plummeted to her feet. She tried her best not to make it noticeable, but Shouta had mentioned something about not trusting Taiki. "I don't trust him, he just seems ridiculously protective over Keiko." He had told her. Mai didn't have the heart to tell her friend that her own boyfriend was suspicious of one of her best friends' boyfriend's intentions. Despite the overwhelming feeling that she had betrayed Keiko, Mai smiled and even managed a chuckle. "Right, don't worry, he likes you just fine." She managed to relax and lean back in her chair. "You really only met him at the party and Shouta doesn't open up very easily."
"See? You're paranoid for nothing!" Keiko playfully smacked her boyfriend's arm. Taiki faked a grimace and earned another smack. "Quit being so dramatic!"
It was hard to believe how much Keiko had come out of her shell in the last couple of months. It was no doubt thanks to Taiki. Michiru didn't really come out of her shell until she and Akira broke up, either way Mai was glad that her friends were happy. What she didn't understand though, was while her friends were becoming more outgoing and having fun, why was she becoming more introverted and shutting everyone out? Yet try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to attempt to be outgoing anymore-
"Earth to Mai, come in Mai!" Keiko broke the girl from her trance once again. Mai literally shook her head of her thoughts. "Do you work today?"
"Uh, yeah," she answered.
"Maybe you should as Kazuya if you could have tonight off and you can rest," Taiki suggested. "You said so yourself you didn't sleep well." Mai held up her hands in her defense and laughed.
"Guys, I'm fine." She scratched her head. "Plus I've had the last two days off, I'm sure Naru has plenty of work to keep me busy tonight."
***
Wednesday 3:12 A.M.
Looks like even if she did take her friends' advice and taken the evening off to sleep, she probably wouldn't have been able to. It appeared that her insomnia was indeed getting worse. She hadn't managed to fall asleep since twelve thirty the morning before. Mai felt like she was losing her mind, sure she had pulled all-nighters for work, but usually she had at least one good night's sleep within the case. After going four nights in a row, sleeping threes hours a night max, then staying up twenty six hours straight, she was obviously not going to fall asleep tonight.
In a couple hours she would be out and running with Tsubame, so she preoccupied herself with more studying. Though she was starting to think that there was only so much studying that she could do. If she didn't get some sleep, decent sleep, then there would be no point in studying at all. Her head could only take so much of this.
Mai contemplated on writing in her notebook that Hozumi had given her. She was supposed to write down how long she slept and other things about her day. Still she had the book open and a pen in hand, but she only had what she had written about two hours earlier. The date and time. How could she explain how she had literally made a huge step backward on her progress? Wouldn't Hozumi be disappointed?
Tears rolled down her face and hit the page before her. She was so lost in thought for so long she was surprised to hear her alarm go off. "It's going to be okay, Mai," she told herself as she climbed out of her bed. She just wasn't sure if she could believe her own words.
***
Friday 7:30 P.M.
Mai managed to sleep for an hour on Wednesday night, but the was the last little bit of sleep she got the rest of that week. Luckily, she had learned the magic of coffee. She made sure she had enough caffeine to keep her up for the show that night. The doors had just opened and Mai walked in with her boyfriend who checked in their coats. "So this is where you were all last week," Shouta said as he returned staring at the woodwork high on the walls.
"Yeah," Mai nodded, looking at the intricate designs she hadn't noticed before. The lobby was much brighter now that the chandelier was lit. She turned her attention back to finding a certain assistant director who had hers and her boyfriend's tickets. It wasn't the petite director that she found though.
"Mai!" It was the blond priest who had called her name. She rushed over to him, dragging Shouta along. "Glad you could make it." The whole gang was there, even Naru and Lin. Monk handed her two tickets. "You just missed Fuyumi, she went back to keep Inoue calm."
"I'm sure we'll see her after the show," Mai shrugged and handed the tickets to Shouta. "Well? No flowers for your sister?"
"There's a table over there where you can give your flowers to and they give them to the cast when they come out for the finale," Monk explained, pointing to the table in the corner. "You can also purchase a bouquet to give them."
"That's pretty sweet," Shouta commented. "My friend's little sister's dance recitals had a stand like that too."
"The girl isn't going to be able to carry all of those bouquets," Ayako rolled her eyes. "They might give her your flowers, but the rest are going to be in her dressing room."
"Someone's not happy that they don't flowers waiting for them after the show," Masako scoffed from behind her kimono sleeve.
"You arrogant, little-"
"Why don't we go and find our seats?" Yasuhara decided with a cautious smile. "The show's going to start soon and we're all pretty well acquainted aren't we?"
"And Naru and Lin have ditched us," Kiko said crossing her arms. The group agreed and started walking into the theater. "I'm glad Fuyumi was able to throw in a couple extra tickets."
"Yeah, I'll have to thank her after the show," Shouta commented.
"How did two of the youngest in our group end up with dates and we're going stag?" Monk asked Ayako only to receive a bonk on the head.
"Not my fault my boyfriend had to work tonight, what's your excuse, you old geezer?"
It was strange, Mai noted, seeing everyone all dressed up for the play. Even Naru and Lin's business clothes seemed a little dressier. The rest of the guys were in dress pants and button up shirts with ties. Masako was in a kimono as usual, but this one was a shimmering violet color, with a black and white lacey pattern, Mai had never seen her wear this one before. Ayako and Kiko were in simple cocktail dresses, the priestess's was a deep crimson in color with black lace sleeves, the psychic's was blue with black trim and a keyhole in the lower back. Mai wore a simple black A-line dress with a red bow around the waist.
Fuyumi had gotten the group seats in the second row, the first row was already filled with family of the other cast members. Naru and Lin were already seated in the middle of the row, leaving eight seats toward the aisle left open. Masako was the first to walk into the row and land a spot next to the stoic boss. Monk and Ayako were next, the John, followed by Kiko and Yasuhara. Lastly, Mai took the second seat from the aisle and Shouta took the final seat.
A year ago, heck even just six months ago, Mai would have fought Masako over the seat next to the black clad boss. Tonight, Mai was in between her boyfriend and a coworker, she was more than happy to let the medium have the seat next to Naru. After their argument a week before, Mai and Naru really hadn't spoken much to each other. A greeting here, an order for tea there, the occasional order of paperwork, whatever was needed to make the silence in the office not completely deafening.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Inoue had taken the stage in his suit and slicked back hair, he looked much younger and less stressed than he did a week earlier. "Thank you all for attending our opening night of Yotsuya Kaidan. For months, our cast and crew have spent countless stressful hours prepping and rehearsing and creating to bring this legend to life for each and every one of you. In fact, we even believed that we had an encounter with Oiwa's merciless spirit." A few gasps could be heard in the crowd, but Inoue chuckled and waved them off. "Don't fret, we were able to gain Oiwa's blessing for this production. Now before we raise the curtain, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone involved, especially my assistant director, Fuyumi Akiyama. Fuyumi?"
Fuyumi gave a slight bow and advanced toward the microphone. She wore a black pencil skirt, white blouse, black blazer and black wedges that still only made her about Masako's height. Her curly black hair had been twisted into a low bun on the right side of her head. She had ditched her thick-rimmed glasses for what Mai assumed were contacts, and she smiled toward the audience.
"Thank you, Director Inoue. And thank you, all of you, for being such a lovely crowd for our opening night." Fuyumi had always been a no nonsense director, now she seemed to be less strict in front of a new audience. "We indeed had some unexplainable issues while prepping for this show. However, all is well and resolved, thanks to the wonderful paranormal investigation team, Shibuya Psychic Research, who, along with the famed Masako Hara, were able to finally put the spirits haunting this beautiful theater to rest."
"I didn't know she was," Mai heard Yasuhara whisper to Kiko. She must have asked whether or not the team was supposed to be acknowledged, Mai determined. It is probably also to give a little extra publicity to the show.
"Would you look at that, I'm practically dating a celebrity," Shouta chuckled in Mai's ear. She gave a chuckle back.
"So without further adieu, we present the classic legend of Yotsuya Kaidan!" The crowd erupted in applause and the directors walked off of the stage. The lights dimmed and the curtain was raised. The show was beginning.
Shouta had reached for Mai's hand and gripped it tight. She chalked up the queasy feeling in her stomach to the fact that she barely ate anything for lunch, let alone dinner.
***
Saturday 4:07 A.M.
She had to have eaten something bad at lunch or something. That was the only explanation as to why she was hovered over the toilet puking her guts out. She still hadn't slept a wink and the dark circles under her eyes were starting to look like she slept with too much eye makeup.
She had finished hurling and curled up against the wall, feeling miserable. Her stomach churned, but she didn't feel feverish, so what was going on? She tried to write down her day in the journal Hozumi gave her but her stomach forced her to stay in the bathroom.
Man, was she exhausted. Just a little nap would do. Just an hour. Something. She would probably need a full week of nothing but sleep in order to catch up on it, but she would settle for an hour. Maybe if she just rested her eyes she could lull herself for a bit-
Hello, sweetie.
As soon as Mai had closed her eyes, she snapped them back open. That damn demon was there again. But she couldn't be possessed, or even haunted, right? She had the protection charms from Ayako she should be safe. Her mind must have created him, to manifest her fears and sleepless nights into this horrible demon. It just couldn't be real.
The demon might not have been real, but the tears running down her face certainly were.
Fear. Her fear was definitely real. She leaned over the toilet and retched only air.
***
Next chapter: Post Case 4-Wounds-Naru's requests for tea become less frequent as Mai slowly becomes more and more isolated from her friends as her insomnia takes further control into her life. What will it take for it all to end?