~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Akemi plucks out a taped Hitogata, turning it for the others to see back at the temporary base.
Akemi already went ahead with the others to look around for the Hitogata while Mai, Naru and Lin stayed behind the base. Naru deciding to have Yuko over to speak with her concerning the cases for the desk with train accidents and the track team locker.
Akemi clutched the two hitogatas tighter on her hand— not enough to break it though. A distinct scowl plastered on her face when the scent of the curse fills her nose.
So far she was still stuck with no visions, she did not know but a tingling thought told her it was concerning the shadowy figures she knew was following behind her.
"Ara? And who might you be?" Akemi paused mid step, hiding the Hitogatas behind her back— clasping the wooden doll with both hands along with the recording camera.
The heiress' lifts her gaze with her civil smile only to freeze, the woman's aura was distorted— compared to Kasai-san's this woman's aura is severely distorted more on her mental health and energy.
Jumping back from the sudden surprise, Akemi gives her a beaming smile. "Hello, I'm one of the members of the SPR investigating the school..."
Akemi observed as the aura around the woman seemed to darken a bit from the mention. "Oh? I've never seen you before though..."
"I just got back from a leave, maybe that could be the reason you haven't seen me around." Akemi swiftly replies without hesitation. "Well, I better get going— it was nice seeing you..."
Akemi walked passed the woman but her voice caught up to the heiress, "I'm sorry but I didn't get your name?"
Akemi remained silent yet paused her steps. It remained that way for a while until she turns to face the woman with a feigned soft smile. "Monet, my name is Monet."
Well technically it was her last name but Akemi felt a cold shiver run up her spine when the woman asked for her name.
And having such a foreign name, this woman might have a hard time actually knowing it.
The woman didn't seem stumped, giving off the same smile as Akemi was giving her. "Well, I'm Ubusuna Kei. Shibuya-san and I've already met so if you need any help on anything please don't be shy to ask."
Akemi elegantly smiles, 'So this is Ubusuna-sensei...'
"Will do!" Then Akemi left the woman alone in the halls.
'I don't trust her.'
Soon Akemi reached the temporary base and saw Naru and Mai conversing with each other.
It was quite shocking by the end of their conversation, Akemi found out that Naru was never an Onmyou-ji to begin with. So the heiress handed the Hitogatas to the real professional, who happens to be monitoring the whole school in the corner. Minding his own part on the investigation.
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ AKEMI ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Akemi walks around the field, the open area of the school quiet and peaceful while the students and staff remain inside either due to lectures or faculty so none of the SPR were actually bothering their class schedules.
Which would be a good thing too, Akemi worries how they could finish the job when students and others find out she walks around the area. The whole building would be buzzing and the paparazzi is not yet included in that situation.
Knowing that the camera is currently recording everything she is capturing— Lin being the Tech monitor would also know where she is. 'If I were taken, Lin would know immediately.' Akemi felt herself turn sheepish— not quite sure why she even thought of that situation.
Looking around, no hitogatas anywhere but when Akemi's sights noticed the far end of the school, she paused.
Akemi turned the camera to that direction, walking towards it without a thought. It was like all her senses pointed her there, and it hasn't failed her yet.
Reaching it, she noticed a caution of 'DO NOT ENTER' with reasons that Akemi could not figure out due to her being unable to read.
The chain-link fence lightly ringed as she placed her fingers on the wires. A thoughtful pout props on her lips, 'Is there an entrance to this?'
Akemi felt around the mesh fence but nothing was around to conclude there was any entrance at all.
Akemi could not believe she is actually doing this. Her eyes more enthusiastic than bummed.
'It's been a while since I've last climbed a fence,' Akemi thought to herself as she gripped the wires tighter and climbed. The camera already inserted on the holes and placed on the ground. 'Good times...'
~~~
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ NARU ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"What is that woman doing?" His arms crossed on his chest, eyes narrowed on the screen the moment Akemi placed the camera on the other side of the ground. 'Is she actually climbing a fence?'
glancing to the side, even Lin could not hide his stunned expression.
The screen showed a sudden movement, being lifted up and showing the surroundings. Apparently, Akemi was already on the other side of the fence.
With a sigh, Naru pinches the bridge of his nose. Not really knowing why he was reacting such a way.
Or maybe because he knew there was actually a gate on the far side of the fence and Akemi didn't realize it. 'I guess he had to blame her poor eyesight for that...'
SCRCKKK—!
"Where are you going?" Lin observed as Naru stood up from his chair, fixing his clothes.
"I'm going to look around as well," was his simple answer and left the room. His destination locates on the very area Akemi was looking around on earlier.
'....' his mind blank and yet still filled with the thought of Akemi having the dumbest idea to climb a chain-linked fence.
'She went through all that for a reason— she must have sensed something...' was the only thing Naru tried to think about— logical and smart.
Or at least that would be his brother's words in this situation because all Naru could say is she's stupid for going through that trouble with her eye condition.
'Akemi would pout all day if she were to know that's how you think...' Naru couldn't tell how many times he had sighed since this case started, he theorizes it was all from the lack of sleep.
His blazing orbs caught sight of the fence, the brooding male's brow knitted together and frowned at the sight of Akemi easily taking out a manhole cover.
He remembered that the heiress always had a strength in her and he found that quite shocking with how thin her arms are.
"Akemi!" Naru calls out, the heiress jumping from the sudden shout— her stunned eyes looking around before it landed on Naru's direction.
"Naru, you scared me!" Akemi pouts, she was already stepping inside the manhole when Naru's shout surprised her.
Naru noticed Akemi kept looking down the hole, uncertain whether she should go further down or wait for Naru to come closer. "What are you doing!?"
At the question of why she was in that situation, Akemi's face lit up like she found treasure. "The hitogatas! I think they are here! The scent is really thick—"
Naru inwardly scoffs, "Akemi...you are going inside a sewer..." He normally voiced out, unaware that Akemi heard him perfectly clear.
"If you mean that I'm confusing bad breath to bathroom sewage then come he— Kyah!" Hearing her yelp Naru opened the entrance gate with haste; making his way towards Akemi.
"Akemi!"
"...So there was actually an entrance..." Naru lets out a snort when he heard Akemi shakily comment, her candle fingers grabbing the top of the manhole tighter while she finds her footing. "I— I'm okay...found my footing!"
Without a word, Naru kneels down beside the manhole and in front of Akemi. Noting that the camera is just beside him on the ground. "Were you going to leave the camera behind?"
Akemi seemed to have realized her predicament when Naru observed how her skin paled. "I– I was going to bring it with me... But I don't know how I was going to... So I..." The longer she drawled the softer and quieter her voice became and Akemi must have realized the sudden decrease in temperature when she voiced herself back to normal.
Naru thought she would make reasons; apologize or voice anything out— he didn't expect the girl to give him a goofy grin with a weak laugh coming out of her lips. "He he he~ Can't you let this one go...? Just once? I mean— I did make you amazing tea blends..."
Naru once again gave out a breath, tapping the back of her hand. "Get out of there, I'll go down first."
"Eh?" Akemi blinked once, thrice.
"Get out," Naru repeats. "I'll go down first and you'll drop the camera to me afterwards."
Akemi pouts when she realized she wasn't mentioned, "What about me? I want to go down too~"
"Akemi." Hearing Naru speak her name, the girl playfully grinned. "Get. Out."
"Fine~ fine~!" Akemi chimes, chuckling as she got out of the manhole.
Naru steps inside, the ladder creaking on his weight but it wasn't long after when he felt a grip on his ankle. Looking down he saw it was the spirit from yesterday.
SCRCKKK—!
"Naru!"
Frail fingers wraps itself around Naru's wrist, the fingertips connecting towards Akemi's outreaching arms. Her teeth clenched and slightly shaking from the sudden strain.
"You're okay... You're okay..." Naru did not know if Akemi repeats the assurance for herself or for Naru— seeing how she whispered the words like a chant and the daze look on her eyes, Naru knew it was for her.
"Oi, calm down." Naru didn't know why he was the one comforting the heiress but it seems to be worth it when Akemi heaves out a shaky breath.
"I can't see the spirit anywhere... We have a few minutes before she comes back." Naru nods at her words. "—Which is something I thought I would say on a different occasion..." Naru internally grumbles under his breath, not really having the stomach for Akemi's teasing. Yet he knew this is her defense mechanism.
"Put your foot on the ladder. You can do it, right?"
"Yeah..." Naru places his foot on the ladder, his grip on Akemi's fore arm grew tighter— Akemi following his gesture. The squeaky metal ladder groaned on his step and finally letting out it's final purpose and gave out.
Akemi above him yelped at the sudden strain once again.
"Akemi, let go." Naru says to Akemi whose hand shook on its hold.
"What?!" Soon her grip would either loosen or she wouldn't be able to hold on and fall along with him.
"Let go and call the others—"
"I'm not letting you go!" Akemi shakily laughs. "-I'm romantic that way.."
Akemi felt herself on wind, both of them falling just like what Naru thought would happen.
Without a thought, Naru pulls Akemi closer and wrap his arms around the heiress to cover her body from the fall— her hand didn't let go of his arm while the other gripped his clothes tighter as they fell.
He has to do it.
Concentrating as much as he can in what seemed like minutes were only milliseconds in comparison. Psychic energy coming in focus but Naru froze when he felt another warm energy filled in his, as though it was giving itself to him— letting Naru use it instead of his.
This was one of his conclusions when it comes to Akemi's overflowing spiritual energy. Naru learned so far on his experiments that Akemi has her own mechanism when it comes to her spiritual energy, as simple as Naru could explain he depicted it as a faucet barrel under flowing water without it's top cover. Spiritual energy fills Akemi in without pause and she has control whether she decides to turn the faucet of the barrel to use it or not whenever she wants to. She won't get overwhelmed by the amount of spiritual energy she has because it remains the size of its container, the size her body is able to take. The excess would only flow out which would either trigger the spiritual beings around from her overflowing energy or not.
But in all the cases he has seen, Naru thinks it does trigger them.
With the rubble concrete far from them and safely landing on the ground, Naru's hold on Akemi loosened. Taking note of how his body felt light after performing PK, compared to how he does it alone leaves him close to death but somehow Akemi and him were able to do what he thought only he and his brother could.
As if all bad omens fell off his shoulders— cleansed him of the overwhelming energy that buzzed his head.
Unlike Akemi, Naru did not have his own mechanism and faucet when his psychic energy was involved. It was either give it all or store it all.
"...Are you okay?" Akemi jumps at his voice. Naru observing to see Akemi darting her eyes all over the place without a point.
"Naru...it's dark I can't see..."
"..."
"Naru..?"
Naru did not bother to speak, his hand reaching forward to hold her reaching hands. "Here."
Naru watched when Akemi seemed to have brightened at the thought of him being okay. A breath of relief leaving her lips.
Despite the dark, Naru knew Akemi was biting her lip.
'Her... li—'
"We left the camera," Akemi's voice snapped Naru out of his thoughts. The atmosphere tense.
"Do you see the Hitogatas?" Naru asks, letting go of Akemi's wrist; the heiress tugged on his sleeves instead.
"It's over there..." Akemi pointed to a direction and tugged on his sleeve to guide him.
It was just a few steps before Akemi kneels down and lifted one of the wooden sculpture. 'This is it.'
"We'll just have to wait for the others to realize what happened," Naru walks a few steps to the side— Akemi following him because he was her only guide around the dark area. The two lowering themselves to sit,
"Now you believe me~?" Akemi giggles next to him, pertaining to where he thought she smelled the sewer instead of the curses.
Naru only gave out a deep breath.
"...thank you by the way." Naru kinked his head, turning to glance at Akemi who was staring at his forehead. At least she tried to face him, knowing she's blind in the dark.
"What for?"
Akemi breathes a weak smile, "You told me to calm down earlier... I have a... thing for sudden saving..." Akemi says, hesitant and guarded.
Naru scoffs, "I think you got the roles reversed."
Seeing that he wasn't pushing for anything Akemi's smile widens. "Well I know you will not say it, so I thought I should do it myself~"
"You're welcome." A smirk passes his lips and Akemi could tell he was amused when the heiress huffs a laugh, lightly shaking her head.
"I'm sorry I just need to say this—" Naru breathes out, knowing what it meant. "But this is a whole new different meaning to '-falling down a hole.'"
Naru closes his eyes tight before finally letting go. "What do you call a boomerang that won't come back?" Akemi gasp, her eyes sparkling in the dark.
"Yo— you're actually indulging me on this?!" The heiress laughs when she heard Naru repeat his question.
"I don't know...what?"
Naru knew he was going to regret this. "A stick."
It was quiet for a while, and Naru was sure he's going to regret it for the rest of his life but when he heard a pig like snort come out of Akemi's lips he pauses. Watching Akemi stifle her laugh,
"That— that was awful!" She laughs, wiping the tear that threatened to leave her eye.
Naru softly chuckles when Akemi leaned in, this time wanting to share her own joke.
"How does....how does— pfft! How does a scientist freshen...her breath?" Akemi bit her lip, trying to stop herself from laughing too much.
Naru watched her with a raised brow, amused. "How?"
Akemi snorts, "With— with experi-mints!"
Naru chuckles, more entertained from the way she says her joke than the joke itself. "How are false teeth like stars?"
Akemi calmed down, a wide smile on her face. "I don't know, how?"
"They come out at night."
Naru gives Akemi a smile, but the heiress didn't know that due to her blindness— and sudden snort.
Naru noticed how Akemi's shoulder shook, her hands covering her face but that did not hide her laughter. "That— that was a good one!" Her voice muffled. " I'm sorry! I shouldn't be laughing this much! But I — but I just thought of my grandfather's dentures! Pfft!"
Because of her words, Naru thought back remembering a co-worker of his with dentures and internally retold his joke. "Pfft!" Even he let out a scoff as he turned his head away, coughing to hide the laugh.
The two spent a few more seconds getting over Naru's joke. After a while Akemi took a deep breath in, which was not a good thing to do due to them being on an empty sewage overwhelmed with the cursed scents but she went with it anyways.
Naru saw her purple orbs despite the dark, her eyes soft with the genuine smile on her lips. "What do you call two birds in love?"
The two froze for reasons they do not know, when Naru asked what they were called Akemi opened her mouth only for Lin's voice to echo around the sewer.
"Naru! are you okay down there?" It seems their joke bonding ends now.
"We're fine!" Naru hesitantly stands, giving Akemi a hand. "That was quick. We need a rope or a ladder and a flashlight!"
~~~~
KYAAAAHHH!!! FIRST NARU POV, a POV where its only him and his thoughts. I tried to be masculine or atleast get in the same wavelength as Naru's perception. I tried. I really tried but maybe I should start doing that when its a crucial part because I realized how difficult it was. Just a bit of course.
I decided to have Naru's point of view on this chapter because I just felt like his POV is the only possible thing I can put in this. I can't imagine Akemi narrating this episode thus Naru's POV.
And I know why didn't I use the coin trick that he did on Mai— well Akemi has active eyesight for paranormal. She knows Naru would be using the rest of his PK on entertaining her using the coin so she would debunk his mysteriousness right off the bat. Besides Naru did the coin trick to help Mai calm down so I've thought of other tricks used for people with sight difficulties and realized that Akemi would be more softened with dad jokes and puns. Especially at the idea that THE STOIC BOSS/MOODY NARU (who doesn't like puns) decides to make puns!!!
So let me just squeal for a moment. KIIIIIIIHHHH!!!!