ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
It was all so weird, standing in the middle of a room with everything clear and bright. Not like the usual blur and dark that Akemi is used to, just from that thought Akemi knew this to be a vision.
Looking from the open balcony, the cold breeze of the night seeped in. Laughter from the outside echoed around and it wasn't until the sound of footsteps by the hall joined in did the noise outside ceased.
As if all that Akemi should focus on were the footsteps that slowly went near.
The door to the old styled dorm opened with a click and before Akemi could tell who it was about to come in, she heard the voice once more yell out.
"I can't stop it! I cannot stop!"
~~~
"Sempai!"
Akemi's eyes opened wide, the familiar blur back to her sights. The heiress let out a groan as she massaged her nape, it felt stiff.
"Akemi! Thank goodness you're alright!" Hiroko and Moe stood beside the sofa where Akemi laid, relief filled their eyes.
"What happened?" Akemi asked, gazing around the room with a frown.
"You fainted." Naru stated as a fact, seeing as she was alright, Naru stood from his kneeling beside her.
Learning that they were near each other made Akemi flinch at the sudden closeness of his voice. 'So— so handsome!' Akemi warmed,
"You got us worried there, Mattaku!" Ayako flicked Akemi on the forehead, making the girl let out a small yelp from the sudden attack while Mai hugged her.
"Sorry if I made you guys worry..." Akemi let out a breathy laugh as she petted Mai's head. "-how long have I been unconscious?"
"21 minutes and 16 seconds." Naru muttered, turning back to the cameras they were starting to set up.
The people inside the dorm dropped a sweat at Naru's blunt behavior, Hiroko and Moe silently sending messages to themselves as they pouted their lips toward Akemi to gesture the heiress and Naru.
"We've only set up 5 of the dozens of monitors on a vacant dorm just two doors away from Moe and Hiroko's dorm," Naru continued before turning to gaze at Akemi's figure by the sofa with a cold look. "-I suggest you don't go fainting out of nowhere again."
'Like I could actually help it...' Akemi embarrassingly smiled, "Don't worry the next time I faint, I'll tell for you to catch me this time!" Akemi teasingly joked.
Naru was silent, so were the others as they watched the two. "No need, just go and fall by yourself." Naru answered coldly before turning to leave the dorm.
Akemi guessed he went to the base two doors back this dorm. "Gomen about his behavior, it seems he hasn't have his tea yet." Akemi jokingly smiled towards Hiroko and Moe, Mai standing up from hugging her to go and make the tea herself but Akemi held her back and insisted she do it.
Akemi left the dorm with such haste, the others staring at where Akemi went until they heard the door to the dorm click shut.
"Sheesh, those two really are something..." Bou-san muttered with a whistle, while Mai shook her head at something she thought and went to tug the monk to help tidy up the still ruined living room while Ayako, Moe and Hiroko stayed put at where they stood, still staring at where Akemi went with an idea on their own on what was going on.
~~~
"You're perfectly fine now?" Naru asked as Akemi handed him his tea with her usual smile, this time the tea was a different blend of chamomile tea, the cup held one flower head of chamomile flower, white petals and a bright sunny yellow center floating on the steaming warm see through dark orange sunset water.
"Would you catch me if I'm not?" Was Akemi's quick response.
It was aesthetically pleasing to the sight, "Don't joke around," Naru didn't bother to say anything else and drank the tea as Akemi handed another cup for Lin, who is fully focused on the screen of his monitor.
Akemi was waiting for Naru's retort but it seems her tea always had the ability to make him speechless, she decided to keep giving him tea if it means a less grumpy wizard.
"What happened when I fell unconscious?" Akemi asked and the irritable wizard came back just as fast as Akemi wished it was ceased with her tea.
"I'm not your keeper, Akemi." Naru frowned, "Why don't you ask Mai?"
'Ara... Weren't we just joking around before we came to the dormitories?' Akemi felt her brow twitch at Naru's sassy comebacks that she decided to just leave him be for now, knowing that he nor her would like their anger to be directed at each other.
Without another word, Akemi turned and left the room with an oddly calm smile on her face.
Because she knew,
and Naru despised that she knew.
~~~
"Ahh... So that's what happened..." Akemi placed a hand on her cheek in thought,
In turns out, the reason for Hiroko and Moe's antics back at the door was because the books started being thrown all over the room and Hiroko along with Moe hid by Moe's room and tried to lock the door in fear,
However, the books ceased when Akemi knocked on the door. The sudden stop made Hiroko and Moe freeze in place as if the hauntings would start right again, so when they heard Akemi call their names— the two girls snapped out of their daze and went for the door.
Every thing else happened as usual until Akemi's fainting occurrence, the group panicked as Kikyo caught Akemi before she fell on the ground and started carrying her towards the sofa.
After having Ayako check on her condition, then that was when Naru started demanding the others to start piling up the equipment.
While the men carry the monitors, Mai checked the temperature of each rooms by the dorm, learning that Hiroko's room has a lower temperature compared to Moe's. Kikyo and Ayako helped clean up the leaving room with Hiroko and Moe, however, the dorm was in too much ruin that 20 minutes wasn't enough to clean at the time Akemi woke up,
Seeing that it was indeed not yet tidy up, Akemi helped picked up the books and after a while the dormitory was finally clean.
And it was all in time for brunch,
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI MAI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"Ahh! So you guys are childhood friends with Akemi-sempai?" Mai gaped, staring at Akemi, Hiroko and Moe.
'Just how many childhood friends does Akemi-sempai have? In a way it makes me feel relieved that Akemi-sempai cherishes every kind of friendship for years to come...' Mai softly smiled.
"Akemi-chan and I are childhood friends as we lived in the same neighborhood while we met Yuki and Moe on our junior year," Hiroko smiled, gesturing between themselves as she explained their story of friendship.
"Man, I sure am hungry!" Moe stretched as the living room was spotless of any papers.
Being an Art student, that was considered a great achievement.
"I'll go check what we can eat!"
Mai opened the fridge only to pinch her nose in the process, "I know that you guys weren't kidding around about the fridge but this was actually worse than I thought!" Mai heard Bou-san said, and he wasn't even close to the fridge.
Having it smell so bad, Mai decided to close the fridge turning to face the others as they let out a sly smile. "Delivery anyone?"
In the end, the crew ate some pizza that Akemi actually was delighted in trying. It was a first for her to experience a pizza delivery which out of nowhere turned into an Akemi documentary, Hiroko and Moe telling stories about Akemi as they have the time before going to their classes, they thought what a better title for Akemi but "-And Her Humble Ways."
They talked about Akemi's child-like excitement to a small thing such an arcade which to Akemi retorted back that she rarely goes to the arcade as a child.
"I remember seeing her try the arm wrestling that Hiroko lost at, Akemi tried it once and said she has avenged Hiroko when she won! Pfft!" The others laughed, Bou-san and Mai particularly has tears in their eyes as they couldn't imagine such a frail looking Akemi defeating a pure metal muscle arm.
"-Remember the lottery where she got the first prize of a weeks worth of vacation? The one with a flight to Maldives?" Hiroko leaned in, the others curious to hear what happens next while Akemi let them have their fun.
Knowing that the girls needed it.
"She traded it for the third prize, a family board game!" Moe pouted at that, her two friends glancing at Akemi with a disappointed sigh.
Akemi couldn't do anything else but scratch her cheek sheepishly, something inside her wanted to apologize but she just couldn't see what was wrong in choosing a way to bond with the people she loves than swimming on a sea with dozen more people.
"We wanted to go to Maldives..." Hiroko teased, making Akemi blush in embarrassment even more.
"But instead Akemi wanted to try a board game with us and her whole family..." Moe continued, Ayako and Kikyo sweat dropped at the two teasing Akemi. They remember what kind of board game it was, Akemi wouldn't stop trying to get them to play with her.
"Ojou-sama, it's already 10 am..." Kikyo spoke up, the sudden alert of time snapped Hiroko and Moe out of the fun as they panicked into fixing their stuff.
"We're late for our Sketch Session and you're our model for the day!" Hiroko and Moe dragged Akemi out of the dorm,
"Can I just not do the—"
"No buts! Hiroko and I have been waiting to see you on our Goddess Venus costume!"
"Don't forget the Arabian Princess! Yuki wants a picture of every costume!" Hiroko cheered as the heiress helplessly waving a temporary farewell to the group, Mai and the others meekly waved goodbye at the sudden sprout of action.
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ MAI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
With Akemi not being available, the SPR crew decided to call on Masako as it was too late for Mai to know that Akemi wasn't actually gonna work for the SPR today due to her schedule— despite Akemi's insistence on just skipping one day of class— knowing that that insistence was out of place for the heiress, Bou-san and the others concluded that it was all because of her modelling for the art students today.
With Kikyo's silent nod to confirm, the crew decided to let it be and prayed for Akemi's welfare.
KNOCK— KNOCK—
"That must be Masako! I'll go get it," Mai stood from her chair, all of them were already staying on the Base. Reaching for the door, Mai smiled as she was greeted with Masako's indifference.
"Masako—!" Mai went to greet but Masako got to it first by saying her hello before making her way inside without another second of hesitance. The sight of it made Mai's brow twitch, 'Is she seriously that petty?!'
"Yo!"
"It looks like we meet again," Ayako smugly crossed her arms, Masako ignored her. 'Why you—!'
"I believed I was needed?" Masako spoke up, giving a few nods to the others to show their greetings were heeded as her gaze was focused on Naru's turned figure, facing the monitors.
So far the aloof male has made sure the electricity was doing okay and concerning the refrigerator, he found it to be broken hence the stench. He needed more information when he found out the school didn't hold any records of any man dying in their accounts except for the news of students committing suicide, but that was to be expected on a school.
The question was who among those students are they dealing with today, if that were the case?
Naru let out a sigh, turning to face the others. "Yes, I already briefed you about the case— this time I want to know more about who is on the dorm if you please,"
Hearing his words, Masako tilted her head in amusement. Her heart delighted to help Naru. "Show me the way,"
Mai, Bou-san and Ayako deadpanned at the stars surrounding Masako's head.
Naru nodded towards Mai, the teenager getting the meaning of it and went ahead to lead Masako to the dorms with the Monk, Miko and Naru following behind.
Mai didn't notice it at first but a feeling of dread touched her spine as she went inside. Her first time passing by the door, the high schooler was focused about the condition of her sempai's friends and was too insensitive too feel any other feelings except for finishing the job.
But now with nothing to keep her distracted, Mai actually felt shivers crawl up her arms and a slight whiff of something cooking.
"I sense...a young man," Masako said as she walked around the living room with a kimono sleeve on her nose, her brows furrowed and skin pale. "-he is filled with disgust and...uncontrollable hunger..." Masako turned paler by the second as the smell of something cooking continued to fill her nose.
"What is that smell?" Masako scrunched, Bou-san and Mai letting a hum.
"That's the fridge," Mai pointed to the electrical equipment unplugged and left open empty outside the dormitory building. "We cannot seem to remove the stench..."
Masako shook her head, "No... it smells like—"
"Meat?" the others turned to look at Mai, the girl blushing in embarrassment before blurting out that she smelled something cooking while coming here, along with Hiroko and Moe saying the same.
They were quiet but Masako dismissed that with a nod as she continued to walk around. "I can sense his lingering presence here in this dorm... but I cannot see him..."
"You cannot see him?" Naru frowned, if Masako cannot see the spirit then that may pose as a setback.
Masako shook her head, "It is not like I cannot see him but it's that... He is not here..."
That made them pause,
"Eh?"
Ayako frowned, "Then where could the spirit be?"
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Akemi stood still in the midst of Art students in front of their papers, wearing the Arabian robe Hiroko and Moe were gushing about. If anything it resembled an Arabian dance outfit on an animation her cousin watched. It was a short purple low waist skirt that held intricate golden jewelries that dangled and jingled on her sides with white roses pinned on her skirt. Akemi was thankful that somehow the class added under pants that was baggy and thin that you could layout her legs but it was enough to reassure Akemi that she won't fully show it bare.
Her top matched the purple color of her skirt, having golden threads outline the heart neckline and bottom of her top with thin black straps to keep it in place. Hiroko and Moe also helped Akemi placed the golden collar necklace with other golden intricates as her head dress was simply designed as a white veil with golden threads while her hair was let down to give off more of her delicacy.
Akemi kept her expression still and soft with her eyes faintly hooded by her own and lips soothingly puckered and gently opened just a bit to emphasize her lips; head facing her lower left, tilted in a manner of a doll. Her left hand lifting the middle end of her veil up that delicately traced its threads, while her other hand softly lay lifted outward from her waist with her right leg stepped forward and heel lifted to a tip toe, making her bent her hip slightly towards the opposite side.
The students and Professors were in awe that immediately started drawing.
And contrary to popular belief, ghosts and spirits are still present in the morning light. It all depended on the strength of the energy they engulf in hopes to stay in the morning.
Or how sensitive the psychic sense of a person is.
Akemi couldn't say if it was fortune or misfortune as she stood in front of many people with a dark figure just standing behind Hiroko, who was slowly turning pale.
But Akemi wasn't allowed to move and if she were to acknowledge the spirit without moving then she would be in the predicament of a spirit trying to attack her.
And that won't be good— Akemi didn't have her talismans even her beads with her.
She also wasn't in the position to ask for help.
With a defeated sigh, Akemi would have to wait it out before helping Hiroko, her friend would be fine as this wasn't the first Hiroko was being followed by a being because of her attractive energy.
Akemi noted this at the beginning of their meeting back in grade school, the brown-haired girl attracts the most demon-ish looking beings and Akemi felt bad for the girl.
Considering they have the same conditions of attracting unwanted attention from beings unknown to men.
The only difference is Akemi has the ability to see and prepare herself while Hiroko remained oblivious of a ghost clinging unto her.
This was the kind of reality Akemi lived in, even when she disregarded her abilities with pills to at least experience being normal it still won't matter because of her lifestyle.
She'll just have to endure like she always have cause she knew in the end it would be worth it.
~~~
Sneak peek for sometime later....
"Akemi..." Hiroko caress her friend's hair with concern, making sure it won't touch her face.
BLURGH—!
"Shh, it's okay let it out..." Moe worriedly patted Akemi gently on her back as the heiress puked anything she can on the toilet.
"He... he was eating them..." Akemi coughed, just as on the other side of the building Naru came out with a name,
"Hagiwara Seiichi, 21 years-old and a suicide student of Law 1961. He used to stay in this room and committed suicide when Okita Kiyomi, a close female friend of his was said to be missing for quite sometime. To this day, Okita-san hasn't been found and Hagiwara's reason for killing himself is inconclusive..."
Akemi frowned, her purple orbs blazed with anger and sympathy as she and her friends started making their way back to the dorm. "Hagiwara killed Okita-san..." Akemi says just as she saw a figure hovering over Hiroko.
Her sharp eyes making contact with Hagiwara's ghastly ones.