At the end of the day, Mai came back with a big plastic bag in her hands. Although the others found some hitogata, it could not compare with the quantity Mai had on her. The SPR members who search for the hitogatas are all exhausted in searching all around the school but there wasn't a single drop of sweat seen on Mai's forehead. The SPR members cannot believe that she manage to find so many hitogatas! Is she a female version of Flash or something?! She found so many hitogatas!
"I found forty nine hitogatas while you found fourteen. It is a total of 63 hitogatas including Naru's doll. Phew! We found it all!" Mai said in relief as she went to fetch herself a cup of water.
"Wow. You found so many of them. And how did you know we found all of it?" Bou-san asked looking at the girl with a strange expression.
"Well..." Mai said and point to the drawing with dots on a whiteboard in the corner.
Withe a single glance, they knew the meaning of her actions.
"No way. Are those dots the location of the hitogatas?" Bou-san said in amazement, not believing the girl's words same as through with everyone.
"Haha.. Unbelievable right? I had this very dream a day ago. It really bother me since it was about the school so I drew out the things I saw in my dream. But I never really expected that those lights on my dream — those dots, are the hidden hitogatas. To be honest, I'm also impressed. For me to have dreams like that, it's very strange." Mai said as her face remain normal saying half lie and half truth sentence.
Her first few sentences are considered the truth but the last one? It is completely a lie! Strange? NO! It is quite NORMAL for her to have those kind of dreams. Her life is full of supernatural although she ignore a lot of it. What could be so strange for her in having a cognitive dream like that? Mai is used to having dreams like that. She never have dreams like this appearing so frequently but Mai knew that Mr. Guardian have something to do with it because eversince he came to her life, cognitive dreams keep on appearing frequently when she sleep.
Naru and Lin finally have answers to some questions they have but many questions are still unanswered about Mai. While the others are surprised by this, the two narrowed their eyes while scrutinizing Mai.
"Whoa! You're a psychic?!" Bou-san asked in amazement and put an arm on Mai's shoulder.
"Huh? Am I?" Mai asked with a confused expression.
"Yeah!" John said with a kind and amazed look.
"Oh.. Come to think of it, if my dream really provide some accurate information, then it means it is a cognitive dream, right?" Mai said after some 'realization'.
"Exactly!" Bou-san.
"But it can be a coincidence or a one time thing." Ayako added ruining the lively mood.
"Yeah. Ayako's partly right?" For once, Masako agreed.
"Haha. But we never know. I have not been tested if I'm really psychic or not. " Mai said perfectly lying with an innocent face.
She walked to Naru and handed him his hitogata with his alias on it.
"Good job Mai." Naru nodded as he praised his assistant, earning a glare from Masako but Naru bluntly ignored her.
Mai noticed it but she never paid it to mind since it is not her business. Naru put the hitogata in the bag and went to Lin while the others continue to ask Mai about her family however, Mai never answer them truthfully and just tease them.
Masako look at Naru but as usual, the young teen ignored her. Naru had been blackmailed by this girl and he agreed to go on their little dates to hide his identity. If not for the fact that Masako saw his PK demonstration video as Oliver Davis and threatened him, he wouldn't have any connection to her outside work. Naru was, of course, annoyed but he can't do anything about it.
"Oh.. I... I have something to report." Mai said hesitantly as she bring out her notebook.
"I have talked to Takahashi Yuko-san. Yuko-san said that they never change the arrangement of the chairs so they were sure that it is the chair that is cursed and not the people who got injured. She didn't know who sat on that desk on the first semester but she said that a student named Murayama-san sat there the second semester. They change the seat plan on every 15th of the month and they change seat in the beginning of September for the second semester. With the summer break on the list, I estimated that the student, Murayama-san, sat there from the beginning of July 15 to September 14."
"She was also involved in a train accident 3 days after they change seats. That means the Hexer probably put the hitogata inside the desk sometime between July 15 and September 11. We don't need to worry about anyone who sat on that desk before Murayama-san as the incidents only happened since mid-September. Uhm.. So...." Mai said stopping her report while looking at her colleagues.
"So that means that Murayama-san have connection to the hexer and must have angered that person." Ayako said in reply.
"Yeah. And I also found out something." Mai said flipping the page of her notebook. The nervousness and second thoughts are evident on her face
"During the Kansai panic where Kasai-sab still bend spoons in front of some students, Murayama-san suddenly came to them saying that Kasai-san's trick and so called preternatural abilities are fake and disgusting. She even complained to Ubusuna-sensei about it since the teacher also taught some lessons about paranormal in her biology club class. Murayama-san do not believe in psychic powers and such so that explains why she is hostile to Kasai-san."
Everyone look at Mai as she continue her report with a lifeless and stoic expression. Ayako saw that her 'premonition' is happening so she just sighed as she look at the young brunette.
"The track team also didn't believe in Kasai-san and psychic powers. Their adviser is against it so it's not a surprise if the other members of the track team detest Kasai-san too. Takahashi-san also said that other track team members are also mean to Kasai-san and even bully her. The adviser of the track team is also the one who saw a ghost while driving his car and end up in a car accident. After connecting some clues and the other information we got, I discovered that everyone who didn't believe in Kasai-san and even bully her were the ones who are involved in these psychic phenomena." Mai said finishing her report while feeling so listless and close her notebook.
"So based on the information we all got, there is even more reason to believe that Kasai-san may really be the hexer." Naru said as they watch Mai grit her teeth and clench her hands into fist to the facts laid in front of them.
"Kasai-san is innocent." Mai said forcing those words through her teeth.
"Mai! Why are you still siding with that girl! It is obvious that---" Ayako said forcing the girl to stop for her own good but Mai cut her off.
"What about Ubusuna-sensei? W-well, I don't mean to say it but she have a reason to hurt them too!" Mai stuttered as she felt guilty on cutting off an elder.
"Unfortunately, a Zuso is not something just anyone can accomplish successfully. One has to have the power such as psychic powers or a proper training to succeed." Masako said with a hidden pity in her eyes.
Although Masako doesn't like Mai because she is close to Naru and she is an assistant, she still deemed Mai as an acquaintance or a friend so seeing Mai like this sadden her a bit. Naru ,on the other side, stopped and thought seriously.
"Naru, what is wrong?" John asked curiously as the others look at them.
"Oh. Nothing. But anyway, why would the hexer place a Zuso on me? " Naru asked
"Uh? Because you are in her way?" Ayako answered
"She must've felt she needed to get rid of anyone who come her way. So she should've put a curse on each one of us, right? But I'm the only one who is cursed." Naru asked leaving the others in a dilemma.
"Oh! A Zuso is a way of Onmyou so that means an onmyouji should be able to break the curse, right? That's it! You are an onmyoiji so that means you are especially in her way!" Ayako said with a path sound coming from her hands, clapping.
"Oh yeah! That's right!" John exclaimed at her answer.
"Wait a minute. What did you just call me?" Naru asked stopping the others.
Mai sighed as she knew what's going to happen next but she's excited to see the other's next expression. Of course, Lin and Masako excluded since they know Naru's true identity.
"Uh? Onmyoiji? Ayako answered awkwardly noticing the change of the mood.
"What made you think that?"
"Uh. You mean you're not? But you used a hitogata on our last case and only an onmyoiji can make that!" Bou-san answered.
"Lin made the hitogata " Naru said.
"What?! S-so.. Lin-san is an onmyoiji?!" They exclaimed with an interesting faces as they look at Lin simultaneously.
"I guess you can say that."
"Wait... If you're not an onmyoiji, then what is with that attitude of bossing us around?!" Bou-san asked, clearly angry that their new found respect for this young president was feed to the dogs.
" But the hexer wouldn't have mistaken me for an onmyoiji and even if I was one, I don't think the hexer would have a way to find out." Naru said ignoring the angry gazes of the Miko and the monk. But hearing his question, the 3 lowered their heads down in guilt and whimpered like puppies that had done something wrong.
"Kasai-san heard us talking about it." They said in the same time.
"Then that means, there is even more reason for Kasai-san to be the hexer." Masako repeated Naru's sentence a while ago.
They look at Mai and saw her sigh as she glance at her phone. Masako suddenly recalled that her phone screen broke while saving her on the first day they met. Masako pursed her lips remembering the event.
"My statement will not change. I am going out for some air." Mai said in a stoic voice as she pick her phone and left the base.
"Haay... Why couldn't she give up?! That girl!" Ayako said with a sigh.
"I am going to check something so you may proceed on burning the hitogatas and dump the ashes in a river nearby." Naru said and left the base as well, leaving the others annoyed by his bossy attitude.
Mai is fuming mad that she just walk away without knowing where she is going. She stopped and look at her phone to check the messages but she noticed that her feet is just inches away from an opened manhole. One step and she will fall down to that hole. Mai shivered at the sight of the darkness. Although she really don't fear darkness much, she is so uncomfortable as a chill ran through her spine. She had a bad feeling about this.
"Mai!"
Mai look back at the voice and saw Naru at the gate barrier of the area. Naru followed her around and saw her dazing in front of a manhole. Naru's pride really hurt as he follow this follish girl in worry but his body never really listen to him and continue following Mai. Naru's mood fluctuated but what can he do about it? It already happened.
" What are you doing, dazing around?!" Naru scolded in anger as he walk towards her.
Mai was about to meet him but she felt a cold hand grasp her ankle. Another wave of chill explore her back as she trembled. She slowly look down to her feet and saw a child giggling maliciously as it grip Mai's ankle tighter.
"Naru! There is---- Aaaaaahh!!!"
That ghost pulled Mai down the manhole but she felt a hand caught her hand.
"You idiot! Geez!" Naru said in English as Mai calmed herself ignoring language Naru used.
But that ghost pulled her down with such force as she grip Naru's hand tighter. She felt her body fall down to the darkness. She closed her eyes and wait for the pain but she noticed a wave of warm force in the air.
Is that---!!!
Mai opened her eyes to see but her body already reached the ground with a bump. Mai cried out in pain as she subconsciously touched her back. There are scratches on her arms and her wrist and ankle are sprain!
What a pain! Why does trouble always come to me?!
"Are you okay?" A cold voice sounded as Mai turned around in shock, recognising that voice.
She saw Naru's silhouette sitting, leaning on the wall while grasping his arm.
Oh my gosh! He fell too?!
***
Author's Note:
Hello!
I wanna say thanks for those who read this fanfiction. This story is my third one and all of my fanfictions are not completed yet and is inferior compared to other stories.
So I am glad that there are some people who still read this despite having some defects. 😇😇
I am also grateful to those who voted! You don't know how much your votes mean to me! 😉😉
Thank you everyone! 😘😘
And I thank also Unknown_Silence27 and Elizabatbella for the praise! 🤗🤗
I hope you enjoy and always stay safe!😊😊