~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ MAI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Mai and Kikyo sat at the back seat of the van, with Bou-san and Ayako by the front. "Are we there yet?" Mai asked, receiving a glare on the rear view mirror from the Miko after hearing Mai ask the question, the tenth time.
They were currently on their way to Reddohiru Gakuin University where Akemi and the two girls are enrolled, it was not far from the SPR Office at most the drive only last a maximum 7 minutes but Mai was so excited that she deemed any building a Reddohiru Gakuin University.
Bou-san let out a weak laugh at Mai's excitement, feeling thankful somehow that Naru wasn't sitting among them as for sure he would have already spoke bluntly about Mai's behavior and result to another spat throughout the drive.
Speaking of the boss, Naru and Lin hanged back with the Office van that held all of the stuff they would need while John and Masako cannot join due to their schedule and might be able to come later.
Akemi on the other hand decided to meet them at her University first thing, letting Kikyo join the crew for the guard at the University to know they were guests.
"Ne ne Kikyo-san..." Mai hesitated, realizing that this was the first time she would speak to the guard as she always hanged back behind the crew and Akemi.
"Hai?" The guard stiffly turned her head to glance at a nervous Mai.
"Can I ask how did you became Akemi-sempai's guard?" Kikyo paused, Ayako and her making a second's worth of eye contact through the rearview mirror.
The monk letting out a hum as he too was curious. "Yeah, you and Akemi seem to be quite close for a guard and employer relationship...." Bou-san pointed out as he noticed the two acted a lot more like guardians instead of what he mostly sees in television.
"...Ojou-sama and I..." Kikyo hesitated until Ayako spoke up,
"The three of us are friends," the Miko waved, receiving gaping mouths at the two other people on the van.
"Ha?! Then how old are you Ayako?!"
"What do you mean how old I am?! What do you think?!"
"...26?" Mai tried, receiving an ice cold glare from the 23 year-old woman.
"What? So wait Akemi wasn't kidding?" Bou-san kept glancing towards Ayako and Kikyo who silently sat back with a deadpanned look.
Kikyo and Ayako glanced at one another, before each letting out a nod. "Kikyo and I are childhood friends, we went to the same school till College but Kikyo was the one to first meet Akemi," Ayako nodded towards the guard gesturing for her to be the one to tell.
"My family runs a Security Company and are closely working with the Maruyama Furniture Manufacture... 10 years ago they asked if they were available for babysitting—"
Mai and Bou-san sweat dropped, 'A Security Company for... babysitting?'
'Akemi-sempai sure is loved...' Mai hesitantly chuckled, feeling flustered for her sempai but their expressions went unnoticed as Ayako and Kikyo let out a nostalgic smile.
"Hearing that at the age of thirteen, I asked my father if Ayako and I could meet the girl they were planning to babysit and they agreed..." Kikyo drawled, feeling a laugh come out of her lips as she remembered their first meeting. Ayako seemed to have the same thought as she too started laughing,
The Monk and high schooler looked at them weirdly, pressing the matter by continuously asking what happened next.
Ayako waved her hand, her eyes filled with mirth as she leaned to the side to see Kikyo. "I remember seeing an eight year old Akemi just running towards us with a pink frilly dress and bows on her hair. She pointed a finger at us and said there is a creepy old hag on one of the guards shoulders and was asking him to marry her—"
"Pfft!" Ayako and Kikyo continued to laugh as they remembered that the guard Akemi accused of having an old hag on his shoulders screamed so loud at the living room, being one of the people that believed in superstitions and children having the ability to see the other side.
Bou-san let out an agitated laugh, seeing that Mai was laughing among the other two women in the car. "But Akemi can see spirits..." Bou-san pointed out,
The girls went silent.
"Oh is that it?" Mai perked, already seeing a huge building and on her side she saw Kikyo giving a light nod. Mai brightened, "We're here!"
~~~
"Uwaah! So this is the place!" Mai gaped, her eyes sparkled at the sight of other college students walking around the field.
'So... This is College!' Mai beamed, feeling a hand on her head, the teenager snapped out of her thoughts and went to glare at the Monk only for him to gesture at a frowning Naru, who just got out of the van and already hearing Mai's delight.
Mai fiddled her thumbs as her face turned warm, embarrassed. 'How— how embarrassing! Naru saw me acting weird!'
"Kikyo! Guys! Is that you?" Mai heard someone call out not far from them, they turned to see Akemi wearing puffed elbow sleeved blouse with a blue loose ribbon tied on her neckline, while her white top was tucked on a long blue checkered skirt that reached below her knees and black pumps. However, what shocked Mai and the others was her sempai were wearing black rimmed glasses.
That was the first they ever saw it.
Her gray colored wavy hair were tied on a high ponytail that did nothing to shorten her hair as the tips reached just above her waist bone with a few strands framing her face.
She looked quite beautiful, Mai would never get over how magnificent her sempai always looked.
"Yeah! We're here!" Bou-san waved over, hearing his call made Akemi smiled wider and lightly jogged to get to them quicker, her guard decided to meet her half way while Ayako stood by with a small smile of her own at watching her two friends.
'It's been a while since that event happened but I'm glad the two became stronger because of it...' Ayako sadly smiled, fully content on watching her friends.
Mai unknowingly glanced at Naru, mostly at this time he would already be barking orders but she was confused when Naru remained where he stood, by the doors of the van with his gaze away from her.
And more focused on Akemi.
Mai noted how Naru was voided of any kind of emotion, but something in her heart churned when Naru kept his silence and gaze towards the very girl Mai believed to be an angel. 'Is he...?'
She saw Naru gave out a breath through his nose, already joining Lin to the back of the van.
Mai stood by as Akemi decided to go towards the van as well with a genuine grin.
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"What do you think?" Akemi asked with Naru's back turned to her, not really knowing what else he was doing.
Naru didn't say a word, keeping his back turned for a few more but his slight stop of motion indicated that he heard her.
Stifling her laugh, Akemi touched his back, patting it to gain his attention.
It took a while for the boss to stand straight, turning to face Akemi with an unreadable expression on his face as if she disturbed him from doing something quite important but Akemi knew it to be false as it was protocol to look at the space inside first before turning to the equipment.
So she knew she didn't disturb him on anything.
"What do you think of the glasses?" Akemi asked once more as she pushed the round rim to the bridge of her nose a sit slipped. "Good excuse for having impaired eyesight, no?" Akemi smiled, questioningly gazing at Naru.
However,
Naru remained quiet, his gaze exploring the canvas in front of him a few seconds he turned away with a breath, closing his eyes as he left her alone on the van. "It's not like anything's changed— you only put on glasses..."
Akemi didn't notice whether those words were an insult or compliment; or a consolation for Naru himself, either way she'll take whatever she could.
Naru turned his back to her once more and took out a folder where his notes would take place, handing it off to Akemi without a word and she gladly took it.
After that they started to walk towards the others who were already making their way towards the dorms while Akemi, Naru and Lin lagged behind.
The thought of this situation made Akemi remembered a certain event and so she turned and glanced towards a quiet Naru and Lin with a teasing smile of her own.
"Ara~! My name is Maruyama Akemi and the Principal assigned me to be your escort today," Akemi chuckled, remembering their first meet at the high school.
Lin who stood next to Naru turned to Akemi with a light smile, actually amused at Akemi's words.
"If you don't mind me asking, Maruyama-san...What do you know about the Hauntings on the renovated Reddohiru Gakuin University dorms?" Akemi blinked, stunned that Naru was actually joining in. Seeing her expression, Naru huffed, a small twitch of his lips present as he smirked.
Lin shook his head, leaving the two alone and walking ahead.
Feeling his amusement, Akemi gladly answered. "Concerning the rumors about the hauntings in the School rooms— I actually cannot say but I do know that a chopped up woman haunts the pond on a nearby park." Akemi claims, lifting her pointer finger as if stating a fact.
Naru lifted a brow, still amused. "Oh?"
Akemi couldn't stop it, she started laughing.
Even Naru couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
~~~
"So this is the dorm..." Akemi heard the others gape as they gaze their eyes on a building set to look like a gothic architecture dorm. "Are every dorms built like this?"
Akemi shook her head, "Not really, this is the only building with this kind of structure. The others are more modern."
"Why does the dorm look like this?" Ayako asked as they went inside the dorms,
Akemi smiled as she showed the others the way to Moe and Hiroko's dorm room, stopping by the hall director waiting on the desk lobby.
"Well Reddohiru Gakuin first started of as a museum gallery back when the Americans took over Japan between 1945 and 1952, however years went by it became a Law School and ironic enough it was sued due to embezzlement— When 1985 came by, Hijiri Yama bought the building and land, planning to teach Art because of his passion for painting..."
Akemi gave the pen to Kikyo, letting her write the words SPR as registration instead of their names, especially for Akemi and Naru— already knowing his predicament of wanting to keep things private to himself... and Akemi... Well there are lots of stalkers willing to figure out where she is.
By the look of things, Bou-san especially Mai are left amazed.
"So far, it started great and the University was known as an Art school until it branched out to Businesses and Education programs. As showing where the school started from, this building was renovated to be more sturdy and placed all the students taking Art programs here," Akemi finished just in time to get on the floor where Moe and Hiroko are staying.
Akemi knocked, and quietly waited.
When no response was given, Akemi tried again.
"Hiroko-chan? Moe-cha— KYAH!" Before Akemi could knock a second time, the door opened wide letting Hiroko and Moe jump out of it and dragging Akemi down to the floor.
"Ojou!"
"Sempai!"
"Akemi!"
Akemi reassuringly lifted her hand off to the others, noting their worry and shock especially Kikyo, Akemi's eyes that were smiling turned solemn the moment Hiroko and Moe jumped unto her.
With a soft gaze, Akemi felt their fear. Hiroko and Moe were practically shivering and sobbing in her arms.
That was enough for Akemi's heart to hurt,
With a gentle pat, Akemi comforted them as they stayed on the floor. Only lifting her head to nod towards the others, that it was okay to investigate the inside while she stayed with her friends. Kikyo stayed with her, her hands clenched and lip bitten to keep herself quiet.
"Ara ara~ Daijoubo..." Akemi repeatedly said, Hiroko and Moe's cries turned to sniffles and they helped Akemi get up to her feet.
Seeing that they were alright, Ayako and the others stood by the living room of the ruined dorm. "What exactly happened here?"
Kikyo stayed outside with Akemi, for a second worried for her master. "Are you alright? Nothing hurts?"
Akemi waved Kikyo off with a smile on her face, "I'm fine, Kikyo~" The elegant beauty said, her skin paled just as she stepped foot inside.
The first thing Akemi felt was lust.
Then disgust.
Then hearing the words of a male man, "I can't stop it! I can't stop!"
BANG—!
Darkness engulfed Akemi's sight and nothing was left except for a pain on the back of her nape and the scent of blood and meat mixed together.
"AKEMI!!"
"Ojou!"