~~~ AKEMI OTHERS~~~
"Ara~ Naru, Gokigen'yō~" Akemi smiled as she opened the door to the office, surprisingly for once without a guard or one of her cousins tailing behind her. Akemi sweat dropped at Naru's lack of response and didn't bother to say anything else as Akemi smiled towards the Principal, who handed the papers she needed at college.
"I believe Congratulations are in order, Maruyama-san." The Principal nodded at Akemi, intertwining his hands on the table as he and Naru seemed to be waiting for something. While Akemi just stayed quiet and continued smiling, not even bothering to ask about what seems to be a lamp standing idly by the desk. "-being able to make it with top scores, My~! they are sure lucky to have you."
"I believe it is I, that is lucky to be able to go to such an amazing school..." Akemi politely responded, before holding her papers tightly. "-It seems that I am intruding, I'll go and excuse myself now." Akemi turned to glance where she believed Naru is standing by and to the Principal sitting by his desk with a nod.
"Uh.. yes sure..." The Principal stood to guide her by the door, but not before Akemi stopped midst in her steps to face Naru, unknown whether he was looking or not.
"I guess this is farewell for now, Naru..." Akemi smiled, disregarding how Naru once again stayed silent-- not one bit perturbed and for a moment Akemi would have thought that Naru wasn't even there and she was just talking to herself but surely the Principal would have informed of her wrongs so that was just a thought and left the school building, completely unaware of the days to come to her.
But Akemi did happen to hear, and this time she was positive of Naru's attendance.
"For now." Naru said, and Akemi could just imagine him nodding as she left through the door. Akemi couldn't stop the elegant smile grace her face. 'It's such a sad thing that I won't see this investigation to the end.'
~~~AKEMI~~~
"How are you feeling, Maruyama-san?" , a young man with spectacles asked. His warm brown eyes patiently staring at a calm-- poised sitting Akemi, who had her hands placed on her lap but she couldn't help but twiddle her fingers from the silence.
"This week have been perfectly fine," Akemi smiled, but her lips seemed tense and the doctor seemed to notice and took note of it by the pad on his lap.
"On our last appointment you said your ears have been ringing and you constantly get headaches, does that still happen?" Akemi faltered.
"The ringing have ceased but the headaches come and go from time to time," Akemi admitted. "-and..."
"And?"
Akemi shook her head with a smile and elegantly fixed herself, oddly starting to feel attuned of herself as she stayed longer with the Doctor's calm atmosphere. "Nothing~ it's just the headaches again. They don't really have a time gap, they just really come and go and its starting to worry my family."
"I see," the doctor smiled and continue their appointment.
~~~AKEMI OTHERS~~~
"Are you trying to say I did it?!" Akemi smiled as she peeked inside of the room she remembered to be the base for Naru's equipment, sliding the door open she leaned in.
"Ara~ Did I miss the big reveal already?" Akemi giggled, with a hand to cover her mouth.
"Akemi-sempai!?" Akemi turned her head and smiled at the direction she heard Mai.
"Yaho~ sorry I'm late, Boss!" Akemi waved, as she walked inside the room sending Naru a sheepish smile, who just sighed and continued what he was about to say before the interruption.
Akemi stood near the entrance, making sure her hand touched the walls and stayed near the door just in case for immediate escape. From what Akemi remembered, Naru warned her about the building's land subsidence and so she would make sure to keep that warning in mind.
"More than anyone else in this room, it makes the most sense to assume that it was you." Naru said, pertaining to Kuroda, who continued to gape at Naru's impassive expression. "-I had a feeling from the beginning that this had something to do with you. For example, you mentioned that you saw spirits from the wartime nurses and victims however there is nothing to substantiate that this area was attacked or that the school was ever used as a hospital during a war."
"Not that there was a hospital here at all." Akemi made sure to add, the years of history her grandparents taught at such a young age coming out of her mouth. However, Akemi did felt bad for Kuroda, getting drilled for something she was just afraid of happening.
"-Simply lying." Naru continued.
"Whatever..." Kuroda muttered, feeling something shake in her and Mai glanced at Kuroda with worry as the girl continued to shake. "-I'm not making things up!" Akemi frowned, placing her hazed eyes on the void floor.
"At first I thought you were just pretending to be a psychic," Naru glanced at the entrance, seeing Akemi's full attention was placed on the floor. "-despite the fact that my recordings clearly indicated no spirits and Hara-san confirmed the same thing but I honestly felt perplexed when we experience events that were--"
'Poltergeist like,' Akemi thought the same internally to herself. She sighed,
"So that means that a human must have been causing it often in individuals under in extreme stress unconsciously end up causing poltergeist activity usually children, teens or sometimes a psychic female." at the mention of this, Akemi lifted up her gaze. "Deep inside their mind to get people's attention. An unconscious desire to be the center of attention."
Akemi could practically hear it, 'Notice me...I'm here...please...'
"-If this were happening in a household, the suspects would be the inhabitants but in this particular case no one lives here. So who would most likely end up with the center of attention? that would be Kuroda-san or Mai." at the mention of her name, Mai perked up, lifting finger to point at herself, Akemi giggled at the expression she imagined Mai would give.
"Me?!"
"If you were to compare the two, obviously it would be Kuroda-san who would have more to gain." without missing a beat, Naru dropped the fact. Mai turning to the side to avoid the clenching of her teeth to be seen,
"What a creep! You were doubting me...." Mai murmured in shocking annoyance while Bou-san patted Mai on the back for comfort.
"Hahaha! That's just what one would expect from your boss..."
"The unconscious mind acts on its own, Ara~" Akemi hummed, caressing her chin in thought. 'I see... the mind sure is amazing if it is able to affect such a physical thing,'
"Before exams I always wish the entire school would collapse but it never happens..." Akemi sweat dropped at this,
"Mai, I think that's a different case..." Akemi worriedly laughed, now that she thought about it maybe it would be possible if the person's ability of psychokinesis was that strong but the idea of the school suddenly collapsing in the middle of exams was not a nice sight to think about and it seems everybody else thought the same as the others except Naru and Hara-san turned to face Mai with widened eyes.
"That's just a difference in talents," Naru sighed at Mai's personality. "-I think Kuroda-san is latent psychic."
"Psychic?" Mai tilted her head in confusion and Akemi smile her way.
"Basically a person with pre-natural power." Akemi said to Mai, who still held a confused expression.
Naru sighed, already getting annoyed by the constant explanation. "I will explain for Mai to understand,"
'How kind of you...!' Mai irked while Akemi sweat dropped. 'Definitely bullying...'
Naru turned to Kuroda, "You might not be aware of it but you probably even have some PK. PK is short for Psychokinesis. For Kuroda-san the existence of evil spirits in the building was necessary in order to obtain attention from others..."
"Wow... I can relate to how that feels..." Kuroda and the others turned to face Mai, the sudden voice of Mai made their attention slip unto her. Akemi smiled at this, 'I think everybody could relate to how that feels.'
"The truth is," Mai sadly smiles, but it still came out as encouraging. "Deep inside we all want to be special, I think." Mai pats Kuroda on the back,
"Then how do you explain about the time that I got stuck in the room?" Ayako spoke up, her gaze back to Naru, who turned to a guilty looking Kuroda and asking for permission.
Kuroda nodded already being exposed enough as it is. "The incident of you getting stuck in the room was caused by this..." Naru took out a nail, Ayako blanched at this.
"A nail?!"
"Tiny but enough to get the door stuck. I suspected this a while ago but I didn't think it was important enough to tell you." Ayako snatched the nail out off Naru's hand in anger.
"Someone intentionally did that to me...who..." Ayako turned to Kuroda, who flinched. "You?!"
"Now~ now... it must have meant to be a harmless prank." Akemi stepped up, lifting her hands in front of her in hopes to stop Ayako from attacking Kuroda. Akemi hated hearing conflicts more than anything. "-from what I heard, you did give her a hard time, Matsuzaki-san... so don't put the blame too much for her acting out." Akemi reasoned before turning to Kuroda. "And you... I understand your situation... your situation can be a reason for your actions but not a justification, " Akemi sadly smiled, placing a hand on Kuroda-'s head. "-You'll be doing a lot of apologies to compensate the consequences of your actions."
Kuroda nodded meekly, being reprimanded by an angel herself was too embarrassing and it made her feel more guilty. "-and what about the broken videotape?" John asked,
"It wasn't broken it was intentionally erased," Naru said.
"Did she do that to?"
"By the time Mai arrived at the lab that day, Kuroda-san was already here so most likely yes." After that, the people around the room discussed about what to do next, most of them agreed to Naru's suggestion that everybody had part of the exorcism and that it all ended well but it seemed the famous psychic wasn't too in on the suggestion.
"I'm not convinced," Masako Hara spoke up, "Why don't we just tell the principal the truth?"
"Kuroda-san's already feeling bad enough," Akemi spoke up and Mai stared at her sempai in awe. "-I don't think we need to make things worse for her." at that, everybody seemed to have agreed.
"Mai, you can't tell anybody this. Agreed?" Mai nodded at Naru, sealing her lips tight but it turned into biting her tongue when Ayako stepped up with a sultry smile.
Akemi maintained her composure, 'How bold~'
"Uh-uh. Naru you're a feminist, aren't you? Do you have a girlfriend?"
"This is completely off the subject," unmoved by her flirt, Naru turned with reserve.
"I can handle a young one." Ayako bark back, Mai flinching at the boldness of Ayako's words. 'J-just what is this bitc-'
"Thanks for the offer but unfortunately, there's only enough room for me in my mirror." Akemi, Mai and Bou-san stifled their laughs a Ayako's failed attempt, Naru glancing at them from the corner of his eyes before turning his attention back to Lin, which Akemi greeted silently back at her entrance.
"Lin let's start clearing out," Naru handed a camera to Lin before turning to Bou-san and Mai's direction. "Aren't you all leaving to?"
"Eh?" 'Everyone's leaving... of course, the case has been solved so they no longer have to be here.' Mai frowned to herself, feeling disappointed that it all seemed to end early, she looked around the room with a frown, watching Naru order Lin around with Akemi helping to tidy the little things up.
"Don't you have to go to class?" Naru asked Mai as Akemi handed him one of the cables. Mai turned to him in question,
"No, I'm not going today,"
"Maybe you should try a little harder to get smarter?" Akemi sweat dropped at Naru's direct hit. Mai pouted, 'I don't get him! Is that all he has to say? I know I didn't do much but I helped! the least he could do was tell me he's gonna miss me or..' Naru turns to face Mai, and the girl waited with baited breath, 'Is he...?'
"If you're not going to class why don't you help Akemi pack up?" Mai's shoulders slumped, Akemi chuckled at the hopeless reaction on Mai's face, she could practically feel Mai's disappointment. 'Yeah, yeah... I should have seen that coming' Mai thought in disappointment.
Akemi patted Mai gently on the back before letting herself carry a box filled with a few light equipment and walked by the door, fortunately, Lin was already packing behind their backs as Naru continued explaining his evidences earlier, so the packing went by faster than it did on their first day. Only the cables were in need of tidying up and Naru let himself do that chore.
"Ah! do you want me to wait until you leave? I know it was just for a short while but you were my boss..." 'How kind of you Mai!' Mai cheered herself as she plastered a smile on her face. However, waiting beside the door where Naru is currently in the midst of walking through, Akemi realized the air around Mai and hummed to herself, 'I see...'
"That's not necessary," Naru said, his dark eyes glancing at the girl waiting by the door with a patient stand. "You should really get to class, you'll be helpless if you get any stupider." Akemi sweat dropped at the harsh comment but didn't bother to say anything because in some points, Naru is correct.
But Mai seemed to get offended by it as she stomped her way outside, bumping into Naru-- the action pushed him to get closer to Akemi. "Whatever! Okay. I'll try harder to become a good student, good bye then! BLEEEEH----!" and like an immature child, she stuck out her tongue at Naru and ran away.
"Ara... I know you have good intentions but your words seem to come out differently in her ears." Akemi sheepishly chuckled and Naru didn't say anything and sighed, turning to face Akemi.
"Do you want to work part-time in my office?" Akemi jerked her head to look at Naru, surprised at the sudden off topic.
"Eh?" Akemi kept her gaze at Naru, the boy seemed to avoid her purple gaze. 'Is he recruiting me?'
"It's an administrative job but I'm short on staff-- somebody quit the other day..." Akemi snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at Naru,
"Ahh... I see..." Akemi nodded coyly, trying to control the grin that wanted to reveal itself.
"-You can come whenever you're free." Naru continued avoiding his gaze and Akemi couldn't help but stifle her laughs.
~~~AKEMI MAI~~~
It was the very first weekend after the Old School Building investigation, and so far everything was silent, well until Taniyama Mai opened the Office door.
"Akemi-sempai?!" Akemi turned her head to the direction where she heard Mai, the golden labrador retriever calmly sitting next to her leg.
"Ara! Gokigen yō~ Mai." Akemi stood, giving her greetings the way her grandparents taught her.
At the graceful greeting, Mai stiffed and bowed in return to greet, "What are you doing here, Akemi-sempai?" Mai asked as she sat to the long couch and watched as Akemi tucked her skirt as she sat back down on one of the single couches.
'Just how graceful could she get?' Mai sweat-dropped, finding her sempai lacking any kind of boyish flaws.
"Naru asked me to work here and I am so glad that both of us are going to work together again~" Akemi, clasped her hands by her chest as a genuine cheer reached her lips,
Akemi was the one that suggested this idea to Naru, at first he disregarded the idea but when Akemi told him of Mai's situation of being an orphan and working things for herself Naru finally agreed and called her himself.
"And the dog?" Mai placed her attention to the huge golden labrador next to Akemi, who still sat there calmly breathing.
"Oh, how rude of me, this fella right here is Oliver." Akemi leaned and petted the dog. "-The family doctor suggested this idea and so I'm training him."
'training him for what?' Mai found herself wanting to ask but before she could, the doors to Naru's office opened.
And hearing the sound of the doors opening, Mai turned and saw Naru. Mai felt excitement of seeing him and unintentionally yelled his name. "Naru!"
"Welcome back, Naru~" Akemi greeted, Mai didn't notice that Akemi, too got up as she heard the door with the golden labrador standing up with her. "-how was it this time?" Akemi asked and let Oliver drag her to where the kitchen would be and by the sound of Naru's tongue clicking in annoyance, Akemi could tell it didn't go too well.
And so she made him some tea,
"Eh? How was what?" Mai asked in confusion, turning her head to glance at Akemi who was already holding Naru's daily tea and Naru who was taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack.
"It's none of your business." Naru simply said and Mai felt an irk appear on her head. 'This condescending bastard! I was just asking!'
"Naru, be nice." Akemi sweat dropped and handed the tea over to Naru, who quietly took it and Mai noticed this exchange, 'Now that I think about it...'
"Akemi-sempai," Akemi let out a hum as she glanced at Mai in question. "-you're already a part-timer here?" Naru quietly sipped his tea and Akemi nodded with a hand lightly on her cheek.
"Ara~ I go here everyday after my classes," Akemi said and tucked her skirt to seat by the couch, Oliver following along. It ended with Oliver sitting between the single couches of Akemi and Naru. "-The university that I go to is close to the office so I make time to come." Mai nodded at that, 'I see...I wonder what University sempai is attending?'
"If both of you are here to idly chat, I suggest going to a nearby cafe." Naru spoke up and the two girl sweat dropped and went back to the reason why Mai is here.