Chapter 3 - GHOST: PART I

"Kenji, why did you run so fast?"

...Fuji, why is he here? Ah, right… He must have found Kenji and Kenji must have run away. Gosh, what is Kenji thinking causing so much trouble? Anyways, Kenji is not to blame, I'm partly the reason as to why he's like this right now.

"Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry." Fuji apologized for showing up all messy and causing the floor to be muddy.

"Fuji, where did you find him?" Haruka asked as he continued to check on his son's condition.

"Well-"

"Fuji, don't tell them, I'll tell them." He may be drunk, but his way of speech was not badly affected. "I went to find out where my sister vanished to, happy?"

"Kenji, what are you talking about?" David was furious as his son was causing quite a scene in their daughter's memorial.

"Let me see," He pushed his mother aside as she checked the people who had gathered. "Ah, almost everyone is here. Almost everyone here has the intention to kill my sister."

"Kenji, that is enough."

"Father, do you really believe Ren would kill herself. Why would she, when she is the best in everything. She has a loving family, an annoying brother, and a handsome partner in the future. So, tell me, what reason would my beloved, talented sister kill herself. Only a psychopathy freak would kill herself and my sister is not like that."

Elder Ogino found the situation uncomfortable since they were with important people as well. But, he doted on his grandson so much since he was the only male of their family. "Kenji, why don't you come home and rest. Once you feel better, you can tell me everything."

"Ha-ha, grandfather, would you even listen to me. You never listen to me despite how much you favor me. You only listen to my sister, you only care about her opinion. Anyways, all of you only care about her. But why, why did you have to take her life away. So tell me, goddamn it! Which one of you killed my sister?"

... What? So, someone really did try to kill me? Don't tell me, the person who tried to kill me is amongst my relatives and friends. But, why? Why would they kill me for? I've, I have never even done anything terrible as kill a bug. So, why would they?

"Kenji, stop that. They are your family and friends." Fuji stepped forwards as he tried to stop the young man from causing more damage to the situation.

"Ha- Fuji, you believe me right? Didn't you say you had a dream my sister was crying and asking for help. Fuji, tell them..."

It was impossible to tell whether the boy was sad or happy about what he was saying. If he wasn't the son of such a well known man, they would have thrown him out already for displaying such terrible behavior. Plus, if he wasn't the old man's favored grandson, they would have sad awful words about him.

"Kenji, let's head home. I'll take you home." Fuji didn't really wish to share with everyone the nightmares he's been having. He found it strange as to why he'll be dreaming of his best friend's dead sister.

"No, why should I? If I go home, they'll lock me up again." Kenji pointed at his parents and grandparents who locked him up a few days ago. The fact he went wild after finding out what happened to his sister.

"Then, let's go back to my place. Just, please, let's go. We've caused such terrible memories for your sister now. People are here to remember, not for them to remember you causing a scene in her memorial."

Kenji fathom what his best friend said. He really didn't want to cause a scene in his sister's memorial, but he can't accept that the people showing up could be the person who killed her as well. He was disgusted to see the two face people all gathering feeling upset about her sister's death.

"Mother, I'll be at Fuji. Don't bother me..." He said as he walked out of the place without anyone's assistance.

"Kenji, wait..." Haruka said, but was stopped by her husband.

"Let him be, Fuji, we're sorry to trouble you. But, please take care of Kenji for us."

Fuji nodded as he greeted everyone farewell, "Then, I'll be going. Uncle, Auntie, Elder, I'm sorry for causing quite a scene."

As he was about to leave, he noticed something strange as he brushed the idea away from his head.

... Did our eyes just meet? Did Fuji really see me? Could he be able to see ghosts?

Ren wondered if such a thing was possible. Can a human being really see ghosts? From all the drama and books she read, there were cases that people did speak and see ghosts. But, they were mainly frictional cases.

"Hakura, don't cry. Kenji will be fine, Fuji and his family will take care of him. They treat Kenji like their own son."

"That's what I'm upset about, Fuji and his family have taken better care of Kenji than us." Haruka felt even more as she felt she failed as a mother. She lost one child and is now losing the other as well.

"Haruka, don't say that. Kenji just needs some time alone." Elder Ogino said as he comforted his daughter. "Still, I find it strange why Ren would do something to herself. Even though what Kenji said sounds nonsense, it's more realistic to believe that someone must have killed Ren indeed."

"Father, what made you say that?"

"We all thought highly of Ren, she was not the type of person to give up indeed. If someone was indeed to kill Ren, I would have thought it would be Kenji because of his jealousy over his sister. But, seeing how awful and upset he is about the situation. I doubted it was him and someone who despises Ren so much."

Hakura and David both somehow accepted the possibility that it could be true. But, what motive would push them to do so?

"But, why would they kill her?" Hakura softly asked her father.

"Who knows, does a killer really need a motive to kill someone?"

Ren was listening to his parents and grandfather's conversation. What they said made sense to the girl as well.

... That's right, most killers don't need a motive. Most killers would kill for the excitement of thrill just to kill someone. And if her killer has a motive, I could only think of one reason as to why they would kill me. But, that would mean, the killer must be one of my relatives if that is their motive.

"For now, secretly continue the investigation. Who knows, Kenji might be right and Ren was indeed murdered." Elder Ogino asked his son-in-law as he left to greet the rest of the guests.

"David, do you think what father said may be true." Haruka curiously asked.

"We both had thought that as well, now even Kenji and father-in-law doubt Ren killed herself. It just makes sense that someone killed her."

"By why, why would they?"

"Don't forget what your grandmother left her."

Haruka's expression darken, she would never expect because of that someone would dare threaten her daughter's life. She could only now suspect which member of her family would dare harm her daughter.

"It must be them, they wanted it yet grandmother gave it to Ren. She didn't even live it to any of his children, so they must be jealous of Ren and..." Haruka couldn't continue as her tears started to fall again. "My poor baby, my poor beautiful baby girl."

"Haruka, please, stop crying. You'll get sick if you keep crying, we both need to be strong for Kenji and Ren. We must work hard to find out the truth."

Ren too has realized why she has not crossed the afterlife. Her soul being stuck in the human world must me she must find out the killer. She fears the killer would not stand by and might harm Kenji as well.

"I better go check on Kenji."

Ren steps out of the memorial building, she realizes she actually has no clue where Fuji leaves. She does recall that his house was on top of a hill, near the temple. Well, technically it was situated on the same spot as the temple since his grandfather is the caretaker.