~~~AKEMI~~~
Akemi smiled at her conversation with Yuri, it chimed like bells as she laughed at something she said but just as she was about to respond a voice behind her lowly interrupted her, Akemi turned to her guard in question.
"Ojou-sama, I'm sorry for interrupting but I believe it is time for your meeting with your grandfather." the female guard whispered in Akemi's ear and the Lady continued to smile in hopes that no one would find out their conversation.
"Thank you for reminding me," Akemi nodded and turned to her friend with a disheartened expression. "I'm sorry, Yuri-chan but it seems my family is waiting for me..."
Yuri seemed to understand the message and let out a wide smile, her hand lifted up to dismiss it. "Oh come on! it's alright~ your family needs you! no need to apologize, I guess we'll just see each other at the party later then?" Yuri asked and Akemi's disheartened smile lightened, glad that her friend wasn't troubled with her leaving.
"Of course, I'll be there!" Akemi beamed clasping her hand near her cheek, but her smile seemed to stop halfway as the guard tapped her shoulder and whispered a name that made Akemi turn to look where a familiar man in black walk out the school gates with haste. 'Huh? Naru?'
Akemi already met the other people the Principal hired, as she was the first student that led a Ghost hunter tour around there, but because of their Graduation Ceremony nearing— which just finished today she wasn't able to introduce them to Kazuya when they first met and help much with the investigation. Akemi only ever heard about the others through Mai's phone calls trying to update her every time— Akemi thinks it's just Mai's way to avoid killing Naru after enduring at least three days with him but Akemi could tell, Mai was warming up to the impassive boy. Mai at the time updated Akemi about the Miko, who is actually a family friend— exorcised the building only for it to backfire and that thought thoroughly disappointed Akemi.
Not because a family friend failed but because none of them would believe that there was no such thing as spirits inside the building, but Akemi didn't dare to speak it out as they didn't believe a famous psychic what more if it came from a student? oh dear.
Akemi excused herself out of the gathering, waving to the female guard and clasped her arms around the guard's before following the same path where Naru went. She giggled as she remembered the moment she heard Mai go through with her nickname to Kazuya, it seemed to stick and Akemi found herself calling Kazuya the same thing. She didn't know why, it just seemed to fit him somehow...
'I wonder what has gotten him so disturbed...' Akemi frowned to herself but she covered it up with a smile and nudged the guard lightly for both of them to walk a bit faster.
"Naru?" Akemi called as she saw Naru walking a few steps ahead of her. The sound of Akemi's voice calling for him made Naru stop in his steps and turned slightly to see Akemi with a guard by her side nearing him with a smile plastered on her lips. "What are you doing here?— Your hand!" Akemi gasped as she smelled something metallic and touched Naru's bleeding hand. The sudden attention it got made Naru lift it to his chest as if to hide it.
"It is nothing—"
"A wound is never nothing, Kazuya." Akemi said, her voice stern. "There is a clinic nearby we could get your hand checked." Akemi suggested, reaching out for his hand only for him to pull tighter, closer to him.
"Thank you for the concern but there is no need." Naru's tone made Akemi turn cold, she has never seen him so irritated before— the air around him just said negatively cold. Akemi stared at him as he was full of frustration and anger. "I just need to be alone, I hate myself so much that it makes me sick." Naru gritted, saying the words he wasn't able to say back in the building as he was overwhelmed by what happened, the injured it caused.
It made Naru sick that he was the cause of it, that he might be wrong.
'I was so sure! I was so sure that there were no ghosts... the evidences said it all, then what—' Naru snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a warm hand touch his rigid back.
"Naru, calm down..." Akemi said, her hand caressed his back in a motherly manner. Her touch was...
Warm. Gentle.
'That's right... I've got to calm down.' Naru let out a sigh and straightened himself up, lecturing himself about losing control in the back of his mind.
Akemi noticed the air around Naru calming and let go off the guard and boldly clasped her arm on Naru's. "Here, let me assisst you." Akemi giggled as if she understood a joke that only she seemed to understand.
"But Ojou-sama your Grandfather and Aunt are waiting at the venue..." the guard spoke.
'Oh my...I'm sure my grandfather wouldn't mind, would he? If anything I think he'll be happy with it and Grandmother would surely get him back in place but my Aunt though...' Akemi glanced behind her and gave a small smile.
"I'm sure my Grandfather and his...guest would be willing to wait a few more minutes..." Akemi smiled, "-a friend of mine needs my attention at the moment." Akemi squeezed Naru's arm tighter in hopes to get the message to stay quiet.
And it seemed to work as Naru kept silent.
~~~MAI OTHERS~~~
"Have you guys seen where Naru is?" Mai asked but only received a few shakes and no from the others.
Of course that wasn't enough for the Miko of the group as she let out a scoff. "Do you think he was embarrassed enough that he went home?" Ayako asked but nobody gave it to themselves to answer.
"Hey, what happened to that girl from earlier?" Bou-san asked as he glanced at Mai, already wearing his monk outfit as it was his turn to exorcise the building.
"Ah... Kuroda-san already went home," Mai said before turning back to clean up the machinery around the room.
"Oh? You're not staying to watch the Monk's exorcism?" Mai heard Ayako ask once again and Mai didn't bother to answer.
'If Akemi-sempai were here she would reprimand me for my rudeness but whatever! I don't like that Miko!' Mai pouted and packed a few stuff with a furrowed brow.
"Is it okay to put this stuff away?" John asked as he started to help Mai. She turned and gave him a small smile of gratitude. "-if we need it we can take this out again besides we don't know when the building will collapse again."
'John... I'm so grateful! Huhu-'
"You still believe what that little boy said?!" Mai twitched, finally having enough.
"How do you know he's wrong?" Mai turned. "-Why don't you prove to me that there are evil spirits here!"
'Even Akemi-sempai says there are no evil spirits here and she believes that from the very beginning!' Mai huffed to herself and carried a box to leave the room, the sound of Bou-san's chanting lowering with every step she takes.
'There's no way such a weird chant would rid of the evil spirits in this room! Come on, Naru! Get back here and prove this idiots wrong!' Mai nodded in anger as she stepped and continued her work.
"Mai-san, I set up a tape recorder on the second floor." Mai turned her sight away from her watch to see John stepping down the stairs.
"Ah! Thanks for helping." 'I've decided to wait for Naru but...'
"No problem," John waved. "I'm gonna go and look around a bit as well."
"Okay. Be careful," Mai waved as John left her alone on the hallway but it didn't seem to be that way when she heard the entrance doors sliding open.
'Could it be...Naru?!' Mai turned with haste but her relief slumped when it was only Kuroda-san.
"How's it going?" Kuroda-san asked as she went inside the building.
"U-uhm well since you left the Monk and Miko-san have already performed exorcisms and we're just making sure everything is fine now."
"Where is Shibuya-san?" now Mai's bitter expression came back as she huffed.
"I have no idea. I'm starting to wonder of evil spirits are really here?"
"I saw one." Kuroda pressed, startling Mai from how forceful Kuroda's words came out.
"That's... That's right you did mentioned that." Mai sweated,
"Oh?" the two high schoolers turned to the stairs to see Ayako stepping down with a hand on her waist— sending them a smile that seemed to come put as a gloat.
It irked Mai.
"Playtime is over kids," Ayako smiled. "-You should go home. The exorcism was a success."
"That's what you said last time," Mai deadpanned.
"This time we're sure!" Ayako barked as she stepped closer to Mai but Kuroda spoke up.
"No. Spirits are still here," Kuroda says as she lifted her head up as if she was in a trance. "-I can feel it."
Ayako scoffed at this, already having enough of Kuroda's acts. "Playing your psychic games again? Cut it out and leave it to the professionals-"
"Rest assured," the girls turned to see Bou-san already dressed back to his clothing with John following behind. "-Ayako may have blown it but I did it right." Bou-san assured as he stood next to the others.
All of them thought that it was finally over, but that's the thing.
It was just a thought.
Tmp. Tmp. Tmp. Tmp.
"...Is someone up there?" Mai asked as they all stared at the wooden ceiling with wide eyes.
.Tap. the sound continued,
"No way! All of us are here..." BANG!
With haste, Bou-san dashed upstairs to where the sound was while the others stayed by the halls but when he came back, he was shaking his head as he saw nothing. "No. There can't be. I know I heard it! Everyone else heard it. And Takigawa heard it too, right?" Mai emphasizes but when Ayako claims it to be just a wind Mai flipped.
"That's ridiculous! Why don't you admit that this exorcism failed too?! You were so arrogant earlier when you were lecturing Naru but did Naru gave lame excuses like you're giving us!? No!" Mai took a deep breath. "Why don't you guys try acting like adults!" she yelled and it seemed to have rattled the 'spirits' as the building started making noises.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
Even the lights on the ceiling shattered, making everybody crutch and cover their ears and eyes to avoid glass.
"It sounds like an indoor athletic competition!" Bou-san yells as the sounds grow louder and faster and heavier.
Bou-san turns to Mai in panic. "-Hey! Get out of there! That ceiling could collapse,"
"Oh, ok." Mai went to step but the shoe cases beside her started to shake and made its motion to fall on her. "Ah! Whoa, no wait!"
Mai extended her hand in hopes to stop the cases from falling on her but instead she was engulfed of something warm. 'Warm...?'
"Objects that are moved by poltergeist should feel warm..." Mai heard Naru's voice in her head say.
"LOOK OUT!"
~~~AKEMI~~~
The next day.
The doors to the Principal's office opened and Akemi turned to face Mai with one of her sweet smiles.
"Now everyone who was involved in this incident is here." Akemi smiled, 'This should be interesting~'