~~~AKEMI~~~
"Where am I?" Akemi looked around the dark room she currently resides. She couldn't see where she is but the distinct smell of something metallic— blood filled her nostrils.
"I don't want to die..." Akemi's breath hitches, hearing a sound of splashing water behind her. The heiress turns her head at a leisure pace, not quite thrilled at what she is doing. 'No! Don't turn around!'
But it was too late, "I don't want to die..."
Akemi watched, realizing that the splashes weren't water at all, it was more sticky sounding— more thick. With only a flickering light to show her the space, Akemi let her eyes move towards a tub.
A tub filled with blood, a body rising from it at a slow pace. "I don't want to die..."
Akemi tried to stop her lips from trembling when the body that rose resembled the demon she saw.
No. It was the demon she saw.
"He...he...he" The malign spirit rose to its full height, his sight completely focused towards Akemi's figure with a bloodthirsty gaze. It's lips grinning from ear to ear, revealing its sharp crooked teeth.
Akemi thought that was all it will do.
Before it lunges at her, making the heiress scream. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
But when she screamed, Akemi sits up to find herself in a wide garden— no not a wide garden, but paradise. Her wide gaze darting around but it was nothing but peaceful, with no demon in sight.
She sat above flower beds of different kinds right on top of a hill with a few more mountains across her view. Akemi winced, taken aback when her eyes felt warm lighting from the sun, clouds filling in the blue sky.
'Where am I now?' Akemi blinked, confused as she knew this was no vision connecting the malign spirit. No.
She was in someone else's memories.
"Finally you're here." Akemi almost jumped at the voice. Checking behind her and sees a familiar kid, leaning on a huge tree bark under the shade of its leaves.
She felt those deep midnight eyes penetrate her bones once again, it stared at her so focused that it shook her to the very core.
Kid Naru's lips lowered when Akemi sat not far from him, the heiress gasping— panting breaths as her chest heave up and down; her hair ragged with her eyes so frantic and shocked. She looked confused. So he asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Akemi returned the same frown, noting that it was fully English.
"Who are you?"
Kid Naru clicked his tongue, crossing his arms as he glared at Akemi. "Again with the acting, Claire? I'm not falling for that anymore. I learned my lesson."
"Claire..?" Akemi's brow furrowed, actually lost to what was going on but also curious to what kind of lesson did this kid learn from a simple act.
Feeling her head spin, Akemi held her hands right on her temple, massaging them once in a while. Seeing her so bothered, Kid Naru's frown loosened once again speaking,
"Is it because of your grandparents again?" Akemi's shoulders went rigid, sensing the boy moving to sit next to her. With an uncontrollable urge, Akemi lifted her eyes to peer but the boy maintained his sight towards the beautiful view of nature.
'Why is she seeing him? Was this a memory?'
"No... It's something more scary..." Akemi mumbles under breath but Naru's sharp ears heard her at the same moment she hugged her knees.
Kid Naru scoffs, his eyes a bit darkened. "What's more scary than living beings?"
Akemi stiffened at his words, watching the boy speak so broodingly despite his age. Kid Naru stands up, patting his back with his eyes avoiding her observing gaze— turning to walk away from her with his hands inside his pocket shorts. "You should wake up now."
"Wha— but I just got here!" Akemi frowned, her lips pouting when Kid Naru glanced at her with a smirk on his lips.
"Yeah, that's why I want to leave." Akemi felt triggered, feeling some sort of vein snap at his obvious teasing.
"What do you mean by that—!?" Akemi stared, not aware that she spoke Japanese.
"See you tomorrow." Kid Naru cut her off as he looked away, even waving his tiny hands goodbye as he walked away. Akemi noticing how the tips of his ears turned a flushing color. ''He's actually leaving?!' "I'll be here anyways when you need me. So go."
Akemi blinked at the little boy, as he took a step away from her— gradually disappearing and it left her panicking. She didn't know why but it felt like that would be the last she'll see of him,
But her hands won't move. She couldn't. She just stared, 'Move! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! MOVE! REACH HIM!' Hitting her thighs, Akemi commanded them to move but it won't cooperate, looking at him. Kid Naru was almost far. Too far.
'NO! MOVE!' With frantic hands she tried to reach, her fingers out and extended trying to touch—
°•○●●○•°
Akemi's hand grasped Naru's just before he could turn away to leave. Her eyes frantic with her chest rising and lowering with big pants, yet her eyes remained staring towards a stunned Naru.
With a weak voice she said, "Don't... Leave..."
"Akemi!" Ayako hugged the heiress, making Akemi's hold loosen from Naru's but the male held on and stepped back near her again; confused.
Naru was just about to see what Lin was calling him concerning about the sudden changes in temperature back at the seance room. Seeing that Akemi was still unconscious and he couldn't do anything to help, Naru went to turn and see what Lin wanted to show. It was at that point, Akemi reached to catch his hand out of nowhere.
The people inside the room, including Igarashi and her assistant, let out a sigh of relief when the woman was finally awake.
"Akemi-sempai!" Mai sobbed, clinging unto Akemi's tired figure. Akemi letting out a smile and patted the high student gently on the head— realizing that she's on the temporary base, laying on the couch.
"What happened?" Akemi asks when Mai and Ayako gave her some air.
Bou-san and the other SPR crew stood beside her, the monk petting the woman's head as he too let out a relieved sigh. She's okay. "You started convulsing back at the seance room— you scared us to death, you know?"
Akemi let out a wry laugh, "Ara~ sorry for making you guys worried..."
"Oh we were definitely worried," Yasuhara gives out a laugh. "It felt like we have to pay a billion bucks to compensate your death, if ever. So don't do that while with us, okay?"
Akemi snorts, "Okay."
"We're just glad you're finally awake," John smiles towards Akemi. Watching as Ayako helped Akemi sat up but before Akemi could respond, the hold on her hand tightened and she looked up to where Naru should be before he let go of her hand to check on what Lin called him for earlier.
Akemi faintly smiles at the sight of him walking away, but shook her head and focused in learning what happened after she 'convulsed' as they claimed.
Ayako explained that Akemi convulsed not more than just a few minutes before letting out a scream. That only lasted for a second when she suddenly had her eyes opened and her body frozen in place,
It scared them to see her like that and tried their best to place her to the temporary base and put her on the couch. It was not until a while later maybe a minute or so Lin called Naru over and that was when Akemi woke up and moved.
"I see..." Akemi hummed, turning to gaze at the people in the room before lowering her head to a bow. "I really am sorry for making you all worried."
"What did you see back there?" Naru asked as he stood beside Lin, facing the monitors without as much as looking back when he asked.
Akemi frowned in concern when the aura around Naru felt cold. Even the room seemed to drop a few degrees when she felt Ayako and the others shiver beside her. He was angry,
And Akemi felt bad for causing it so. At least she felt like she caused it.
"At the seance, there were a lot of spirits..." And so Akemi thought she at least owes him this much explanation. "All of them realized that I could see them, so they kept crying to me for help."
Igarashi let out a questioning glance, "Um, I'm sorry but is she a medium?" The sensei not bothering to ask the different names she was being asked to call; Akemi or Claire.
"Akemi— um I mean, Claire is an Itoka with Clair- abilities." Bou-san almost let out a coy smile as he realized the coincidence of it all. Clarisse, Clair and Clair abilities. "She came from a Japanese-French family hence the names."
Igarashi nods in understanding, not needing to know anything else.
Akemi inhales before: "Continuing towards when the candle fell, something appeared. I don't know what it is, but it was drenched in blood and was muttering how it doesn't want to die... It looked monstrous, surrounded by forbidding black. I've never seen such a dark aura." The reminder of such a sight made Akemi pale, the stench of rotten meat still on her nose and the cries of the spirits not far from her ears.
"And what does the forbidding black symbolize?" Suzuki asked, not quite getting the terminology.
Akemi was about to speak when Naru beat her to it, the boss turning to finally face her. Crossing his arms in the process, "It means the very color of itself, any smells?" The last words directed towards Akemi and the heiress nodded,
"All I get from it is blood and rotten meat." Naru frowned at what those could mean.
After hearing her explanation, Igarashi-sensei and her assistant Suzuki left to take their rest for the night. Akemi realized that it was close past to midnight and let out a gasp, she was asleep for that long. Though she listened when Naru started setting up precautions, concluding to have everyone up on teams before they went back to their quarters.
"Hey, hey... aren't you being overly cautious about this?" Bou-san asks, "I get that you're concern about Akemi and all but-"
"Only a lazy person would think that." Bou-san bit his lips, not wanting to say anymore. "Seriously this kid, you should treat your elders with more care, you know?" and they all went to their quarters. None of them had the strength to disagree,
After the short dispute on trying to lighten up the mood somehow, Akemi stayed awake in the room. Wearing her white night gown, she just couldn't make herself sleep no matter how her eyes wanted to close, so leaving her bed— telling Oliver to stay as she did so.
The heiress didn't leave the room though. She didn't want to, knowing what lurks out of it. So the heiress opted to looking out the window instead; her gaze tired when voices of the spirits was now louder and their drained faces kept following her around.
Akemi let out a tired sigh, turning back just when Oliver growled.
A spirit stood in the middle of the room, not noticing Akemi's presence as it stood next to Mai. Her touch towards Mai's cheek made the sleeping Mai open her eyes yet remained still on bed.
"She can't help you." Akemi says when the spirit went to try and get more from Mai but hearing the heiress, its head whipped towards Akemi's direction.
It's sulken eyes gaping at her while the blood around her neck continued to drip. "She can't help you..." Akemi repeated,
And without a word as though it didn't do anything, the spirit left.
Ayako on her bed, squirming— hearing Akemi's voice sent her awake. Massaging her eyes, Ayako glanced towards an awake Akemi and a laying golden retriever who acted like it didn't just growl earlier. The heiress blank in expression when she glanced at Ayako to Mai. "Why are you still awake?"
"Let's check on Mai first, Ayako." Akemi tiredly says, walking towards the still open-eyed high school student. Knowing Mai was having a vision, Akemi catching a glimpse of it as she touched Mai's hand.
A wince coming out of her lips when she saw a bloody body submerged on the tub. The same spirit that was with them a moment ago.
°•○●●○•°
~~~AKEMI AND OTHERS~~~
{Third Day}
They decided to watch the recording first thing in the morning. Akemi sat on the sofa still wearing a loose vintage shirt and pants yet making sure a large cardigan sweater was on her shoulders. With her hair tied to a loose braid, Akemi let it hang over her right shoulder while she sits with a cup of tea on hand.
"About the same time the rapping sounds began, the temperature started dropping." Lin says while he pressed a few keys to reveal the clips of yesterday. "Beginning near the ceiling, it gradually and eventually dropped three degrees across the entire room."
Igarashi turns to her assistant, the two having slept once they got on their quarters, so having a reminisce over the night didn't happen. "What did it feel like?"
"Well it seemed to drag my arm around. It felt as if only magic could move it."
Bou-san frowned while they watched the recording. Hearing a slight thud from the video, "It looks like someone fell down."
"That would've been me." Akemi would have laughed from Yasuhara's carefree attitude but it seemed now wasn't the time when Naru's aura turned serious
Akemi huffs, couldn't help but admiring it about him. 'He's always serious.'
Naru, leans forward. A solemn expression passing his face, oblivious to Akemi's thoughts about him. "Stop! Go back 53 seconds and then go frame by frame."
They all paid attention, except for Akemi of course who continued to lazy around the couch trying not to let herself sleep.
The others gazed ever so attentively towards the paper that fell, frame by frame until they stared at the outcome. " Whoa."
"There was nothing written there just one frame before..."
"Akemi-sempai?!" Mai let out a gasp, holding the pale medium in her arms when Akemi tried to get up on her feet only to threateningly fall on her knees.
Akemi frowned— her senses were nonstop. She still heard the cries. See their blood and it won't go away until they all have their peace,
"Akemi-sempai, I think you should rest... maybe I should go take you back to our room?" Akemi stands when she realizes only Mai planned on going to their quarters with her and leave after. Which would result for the high school student go back by herself.
Akemi cut her off with a weak drawl, "No, you're defenseless by yourself-"
"You need rest." Naru spoke, though his claim more directed towards the woman who seemed to fall any second due to fatigue. "You're defenseless being tired either."
Akemi blinked at them when Naru turned to Ayako without waiting for her response. "Matsuzaki-san, please go with them."
Mai thought that Ayako would be the better option to send Akemi to sleep but soon realized that the Miko would also be by herself when coming back, hence the with.
"Gladly." Ayako then took of Akemi's spiral glasses, pulling over the heiress' cheeks as she reprimanded the girl. "Look what you have done with your face! Your aunt will kill me if she sees those bags under your eyes! Mattaku! how long have you lost sleep?"
"...3...4..." Akemi winced as she finally said. "five...?"
"Five...?"
Akemi winced, "...da..y...s?"
"THAT'S IT YOU ARE SLEEPING!" Akemi's body went rigid at the mention,
"Eh!? But I can't sleep on an active activity, Ayako~!"
"Active activity?! Are you even hearing yourself? No!"
"I meant active paranormal phenomena— Bou-san...?" Akemi tried to get the monk on her side but he too was adamant on her recovery, especially after seeing her convulse last night. Thinking that would at least send the heiress to get some rest— but she didn't, so he too remained firm on this. It was the best way to reassure them of her condition.
With her last hope, Akemi sent Naru a longing look, actually begging. "Naru...? Please..."
Naru sighed, not bothering to look at her doe eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Go get some rest, Akemi. That's an order."
Akemi sighs, feeling her body wilt all over despite her protests. "I really can't though..."
"Akemi." Akemi stared, defiant, not really wanting to sleep.
"No."
Naru's eyes turned cold, "..."
"..." Akemi frowned, "...No."
"Akemi," Ayako this time crossed her arms beside the heiress,
"Akemi-bou you should really sleep."
"You need the rest, Akemi-san." John and Yasuhara nodded.
"Akemi-sempai please, just this once."
"...Lin?" Naru's brow twitched, 'Why did she look for Lin?'
However, the mechanic just kept to his task. Though Lin glanced her way before moving his gaze to Naru's brooding air. Decided that it is better to keep to himself when he went back to the monitors,
Seeing all of them gang up on her, Akemi couldn't say no now with how they actually agreed on something for once. Especially when Mai asked her too as well earlier, so with a heavy heart she nodded. "Please don't regret this..." She lowers her head before lifting it up to give Naru a smile,
"Fine. I'll get some rest, can you guys wake me up in 30 minutes?"
The others nodded as the girls left, in no way are they going to wake Akemi up when she lacked 5 days worth of no sleep. "Think she'll be fine?" Bou-san worded out just when Akemi, Ayako and Mai left the room.
"She seems adamant on keeping herself awake," John frowned in worry. "She will be fine, right?"
"..." They all remained quiet, Naru most of all.
°•○●●○•°
"Mai-san?"
"Yes?" Mai turned, seeing Masako coming inside the room as well. Her skin pale still but was slowly gaining her color compared to last night.
"How are you feeling?" The medium asked, closing the door behind her and making her way to her temporary bed.
"W-why are you asking me a question like that?" Mai covered her mouth, glancing at a peacefully sleeping Akemi with Ayako raising a brow towards the high school student. 'Oh... I forgot she was such a deep sleeper.'
"Sorry..." Mai sheepishly smiled towards Ayako.
"I'm just showing you proper respect." Masako also started to keep her voice hush, letting out a huff when she turned her head away from Mai and sat on her bed.
"Resp- for me?!—" Realizing how loud she was, Mai whispered. "For me...?"
"Since it was only you who saw the same visions I did on our last case."
"Visions?" Mai blinked, 'Does she mean Sakauchi?' "Yes, but not on this case. I haven't seen any this time."
"What are you two finally getting along?" Ayako says; already speaking in a normal tone when by this time in her sleep, Akemi wouldn't wake up until a bomb explodes beside her.
Ayako placed a hand on her hip, observing Mai sitting by Masako's end of the bed. The two deciding to lean closer to hear each other better before Ayako interrupted their conversation.
"We're just joking," Masako says just when Mai was about to laugh but, "I'm not usually like this."
"No... what do you mean by that?!" Mai yelped, glaring at the obvious jab Masako was giving her in a subtle way.
"Well, I would never use such vulgar language as you do."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"And in your head also." Masako lays down on her bed, while she said so. Making sure her back was facing Mai and covering herself with a blanket for further distance.
"Are you saying something's wrong with me?!"
"I wouldn't say so out loud."
"You sure have a very charming personality!"
"Because unlike someone I am blessed with looks and talent." Mai at this response let out a growl, a vein on her forehead throbbing. Burning rage continued to heat up just behind her back.
"You speak like that yet Akemi-sempai is much better than you!" Now it was Masako's turn for a vein to throb, sitting up the medium let out an freezing glare.
"Why bring up someone in the middle of this?"
Mai harrumphs at the obvious nerve getting hit, smirking as she crossed her arms. "Well by looks and talent I thought you meant Akemi-sempai!"
"Leave Akemi-san out of this." Masako lays back on her bed, trying to calm herself back.
"Why do you despise me?!"
"Look into your own heart and find out." Was Masako's quick response.
"Can't you two try to get along?" Ayako let out a weak smile as she tried to apply some of Akemi's cream towards her noticeable (?) Eye bags.
"Get along..." Mai scoffed as though the idea is out of her reach,
"Wouldn't that be nice?" Masako spoke in a mocking tone before Mai and Ayako left the two psychics in the room for a well-deserved rest. While the others spent there time remeasuring the rooms once again taking the whole day with the task incomplete.
Then Igarashi knocks on the door that night,
°•○●●○•°
~~~AKEMI~~~
Akemi panted out of her dream, beads of cold sweat piled on her back when she sat up, it was another vision again— this time about a blood drained male. The sudden action made her dizzy but her world turned over when she called out for Oliver, the dog usually there when she get sudden attacks.
"Oliver? Where are you?" Akemi tried to call out once more, her voice slowly gaining a shake the more she called with no response.
Her head turned light, her eyes seemed to hurt and a ring continued to annoy her ears. She didn't know whether her heart was slowing or hastening when her chest felt so tight.
"Oliver!" Akemi continued to call out, jumping out of her bed only for her knees to crumble but Akemi didn't care much for a little hurt when she felt her whole body ache all over. "Oliver! Come here!" Akemi panted, her call once again didn't get a response.
Now the heiress was frantic. "Oliver! Come here!" Akemi called out at the same time her cold shaky fingers opened the door. At first it didn't open by how frantic she tried to pry it open but soon got the hang of it and yelled out for the golden retriever, "Oliver?! Come here!" Akemi's commands already in french— teaching the dog to realize how dire the situation is when she commands him in french.
But still nothing,
Akemi felt her face cold as she hastened her steps in the corridor, calling for her dog.
It wasn't until she reached the temporary base did Akemi heard a familiar bark run towards her.
Letting a breath of relief, Akemi's body loosened its sudden tension and fell on her knees just as Oliver reached her and continued to bark and wag his tail, trying to cheer her up by portraying his cheer at seeing her. Akemi didn't mind when Oliver kept moving because of his excited tail, she kept her arms tight around the dog, taking deep breaths. Whispering 'Thank goodness' over and over again,
"Akemi-sempai...?"
It was only after a full 10 minutes of hugging the dog made Akemi realize why her face was so cold, all due to wet tears dripping down her cheeks. And that she was still in her new night gown; and she's barefoot.
"Wha- Why is Oliver here?" Akemi asked once she got a hold of herself, yet it didn't stop a few stutters coming out of her lips— still shaken.
She would have thought of this more calmly on different circumstances but she woke up having an attack and it made her thoughts gibberish.
Oliver knew to never leave Akemi's side without her say, especially when she's asleep. So when Akemi woke up to not feeling Oliver laying beside her made the heiress worry,
To answer her question, the others only went to stare at Mai.
Mai explained how she tried to get Akemi awake when Igarashi told that Suzuki-san, her assistant suddenly disappeared. With already three hours of no one seeing her, Mai remembered how a dog could lead them towards Suzuki's scent.
It was a good idea even Akemi agrees to that but when Mai tried to get Akemi's permission, she decided not to when Akemi was so tired. Mai couldn't ask Ayako to wake her up or get permission since Ayako was already with Masako looking around for Suzuki-san.
'I'm sure Akemi-sempai wouldn't mind,' Mai at first tried to get Oliver but the dog remained laying next to his owner. It wasn't until Mai pulled on his leash did the dog finally moved,
"I'm really sorry for not getting your permission, Akemi-sempai... I just thought that it would be fine with you since you usually let Oliver around." Mai fiddled with her fingers, truly regretting what she had done especially when Oliver only led them to a wall when they searched and didn't know Akemi would react in such a way.
Akemi sighed, seeing how Mai regretted her decision but Akemi needed to set boundaries on this one. She needed to explain the situation. "Mai, I get that you want to look for Suzuki-san and help— I understand that and I forgive you but you need to know that Oliver should never leave my side, especially without my say. I only let him leave my side when he does it to comfort somebody else, since its his job as a service dog. If I keep changing my commands and let him do as others say, he would engrave it to his head and learn it." Akemi sadly smiled, petting the quiet dog sitting beside her. "I need to be firm in this because Oliver has a job, I can't let him do anything else while he is working and when I'm sleeping— Oliver is always alert because those are the times I get an attack."
Mai's head bowed, feeling something heavy on her shoulders when Akemi said: " I needed him, Mai and he wasn't there. Please consider those thoughts next time."
Mai nodded, biting her lip. 'I knew Akemi-sempai has a service dog for a reason... I didn't know it was for this cause as well.' Mai lifted her eyes, glancing towards Ayako and Naru.
The very two people who disapprove Mai on having Oliver with her.
Mai didn't tell anyone that she'll be borrowing Oliver, it was just a moment thing and left the others to get Oliver and go back to the group, Bou-san, Yasuhara and John to search for Suzuki-san.
They too asked if Mai got permission and seemed to doubt when Mai pushed that Akemi wouldn't mind and when Oliver brought them to a patched wall they decided to go back to base. When Naru saw Oliver with Mai he had asked where Akemi is, afraid that the girl wasn't resting just as told. However, when Mai said Akemi was resting the room suddenly went cold and Naru had told her to give Oliver back to Akemi before she wakes.
Mai was about to bark back just in time for Ayako to come in and also saw the dog with Mai, same questions were given and same reaction was said. They wanted Mai to give Oliver back to Akemi,
Seeing their reaction to it, Bou-san couldn't help but ask. "What's wrong with having Oliver around that makes you guys gang up on Mai?" It was just an innocent question, curious.
It was guessed Ayako knew because of her relationship with Akemi while Naru must have known because Akemi told him before hand due to the job.
None of them were telling since it wasn't theirs to say but the others soon knew of the answer when they heard Akemi frantically calling for Oliver.
Unaware that Naru flinched when Akemi called. Her voice was so worried. So scared. Terrified even.
They have never heard Akemi act like this— seeing her shaking and hugging her golden retriever that tried so hard to cheer Akemi up and lick her tears. An anxiety attack.
"So Suzuki-san is missing? What... What was going on when I was asleep?" By then they decided a change of topic, having already dealt with an obstacle. "How long has she been missing?"
"Igarashi-sensei said she woke up at dawn and Suzuki-san was still there, but Igarashi-sensei found her gone at seven and it's 11 in the morning now. " Yasuhara explains letting Akemi do the math, Bou-san and John thought of adding more to help further widen the content. "-Suzuki-san's luggage is still on their quarters as well as her contact lenses which Igarashi-sensei said she would never leave behind."
"Ohashi-san already asked the staff and they claimed to have not seen her. We also checked the doors that get you inside and outside the building and so far they were all untouched."
Akemi frowned as she went to make some tea but decided not to when her hands continued to shake and now it felt numb. "What about windows? She might have gone out by that." Akemi would know, she almost tried it when she really didn't want to sleep only to have Ayako and Mai stop her.
Naru who was listening in let out a hum, placing a hand on his chin. "That is a possibility." And then handed Akemi a tea he made himself, Earl Gray.
"I'll go and ask some of the guards, if they saw Suzuki-san," Akemi told them and each nodded but one couldn't help but ask,
"Guards? There were bodyguards here?"
Akemi innocently blinked, "...you didn't know?" They all worked for her family of course, all designated to keep watch over her safety. Akemi had them promised not to meddle on her business and so only decided to protect her from attempts on the outside of her knowledge. How else could she walk around without worry of being bombarded?
"Where could she have vanished to?" Mai asked just when Akemi thanked Naru and took a sip of the hot beverage.
"Leave and get some sleep." Akemi pouted when she finished her drink, Naru dragging her still fatigued body out with him.
°•○●●○•°
"Nothing was recorded on last night's tapes and there's no sign of her within our search radius either." Bou-san said as it was John and Yasuhara's turn to measure. The four of them back on measuring the rooms,
"How many meters?" Mai asked and Yasuhara checked, "3.21"
"-If there really is a secret room here, we'll find it. I'm sure it will turn up in our research unless she really did disappear of her own accord. If she vanished against her will..."
Mai tugged her lips, brows furrowed in confusion. "But didn't two other people disappear here before? So couldn't this be the work of spirits as we suspected? Akemi-sempai also saw a lot of spirits."
"These spirits asked for 'help.'" Bou-san shook his head, "If the three vanishings are the work of the spirit wouldn't it be odd if the people who disappeared were the same ones who answered the pleas for help?"
"Weren't the ones who disappeared also the ones who were trying to help those who disappeared earlier?" John spoke up, glancing at the two and joining their conversation.
Mai blinks, "Oh! that's right..."
Seeing that she got the point, John continues. "Then perhaps those of us helping to find Suzuki-san might disappear too?"
"Oh!"
"We did see some strange words at last night's seance." 'Then Akemi-sempai could go missing too?!'
"Or maybe...." Yasuhara beamed the flashlight under his chin, attempting a scarring plot twist. "It was Suzuki-san herself and not the spirit who wrote those words last night and she fled to avoid being exposed."
Mai frowned, "But how about the writing in blood and the rapping sounds?"
"That's right." Was Yasuhara's quick move on and the three let out a chuckle at fast paced acceptance, soon having John find a hidden room after they finished measuring.
°•○●●○•°
"A secret room?" Naru stared at them in doubt, particularly towards Mai who stood beside him in front of the long table trying to look at the map to pinpoint the location they found the overcoat.
Mai points to the made map, "Yeah! There really is one." Her brows twitching knowing that his doubt was some sort of pay back. "Look, it's right here!"
Naru let out a low hum when he observed the location Mai has pointed, "You said this wall's width is off by three meters? That would be where it is."
Bou-san nods, seeing that they gained his interest, Bou-san took out the dirty overcoat that they found and handed it to Naru.
"A coat?"
"And look at this..." Bou-san fixes his hand towards the tag at the inside of the coat, it was a bit worn out but not that hard to read as it was sewn in place. " 'Property of Miyama Charity Hospital' isn't that the hospital the family ancestor built? These must be hospital issued supplies."
Naru, caressed the coat as Bou-san handed it to him. The wizard solemnly frowning in concentration. "I think so."
"But why do you suppose it was in that room?"
RUSTLE—
"There's something in the inner pocket." Naru took out a small piece of paper folded the smallest way it can, the hard piece of it easily felt when he rummage the pockets.
Bou-san takes it when Naru handed it to him and Mai took a curious peak.
"Isn't that ancient money? Oh, wow! Let me see, let me see!" Mai tried to lean further, but Bou-san's tall stature made it difficult, so the monk lowered himself instead.
"Looks like ancient money all right." Bou-san blinked when he noticed a few scribbles on the money by pen. 'Hm? is this writing on it?' "Uh?— out... Ura.. to listen— die... all are— re came?"
"What kind of Japanese is that?" Ayako crossed her arms, a snapping her eyes towards the monk who glared at her due tp the attitude.
"That's really what it says! Look for yourself!"
Naru ignored their bickering and watched as Bou-san handed the money towards Mai. "Why was this written on it?"
"This can't just be someone's doodling..." With her words, the others except for the two ever-the-brooding males, nodded in agreement.
However, Naru decided to break the tension with "Let's finish this floor's measurements before the sun sets. Once we have more accurate data, it'll be easier to search for Suzuki-san."
"Huh?!" Bou and Mai stiffen.
Having such a measly paper with them written with unreadable scribbles does not help any of the crew to learn of the whole layout of the mansion. Instead of having to focus on one simple thing that they got, Naru prefers to focus on the job they were actually given.
"You want that done before the day is over?! Give us a break!" Bou-san sobs, couldn't be able to take anymore measuring. Without Akemi's help, the Office felt colder.
"President- uh, Assistant Narumi-san, shouldn't you be helping us?" Mai turned to widen her eyes at Yasuhara, being his stand-in he has power but instead Yasuhara seemed to get the memo yet fully disagrees. And so said,
"Yes. He is already helping us, because his expertise is dealing with people right? He is the right man in the right place." Yasuhara hummed, observing Naru. The actual boss already having his backs turned to the others the moment he gave the orders; oddly having sparkly flowers bloom around him as he was seen as a designated people-talker, a position that deals with meddling people and able to shut them out without a problem. His mouth does great work on keeping the SPR working.
"Ah pardon me," Igarashi came in with an awaken Masako, the two seemed to have met on the way towards the temporary base.
"Igarahsi-sensei, is everything all right?" Yasuhara asked when the professor looked up to him the moment she came inside.
"Yes...um, I tried to call Suzuki-san's home a little while ago but as we feared she hasn't been home yet. So I wish to consult Shibuya-san... I wonder if I should file a missing person report with the police?"
"Ah... That's right," Yasuhara nods, this was a personal decision that he didn't feel like making yet from the look of it, Igarashi-sensei deemed him worthy enough for such a decision. He's just a freshman in College! "We've only just started searching, I think we should try searching a little longer before we report this to the police. Agreed?"
"Yes, all right..."
°•○●●○•°
Mai stood nearby the open door where she got in— squirming from where she stood when she saw nobody was around except for Lin and her. 'Wow, it's just Lin-san here... He didn't even turn around to see who it was.'
It's not that there was bad blood between them, Mai surely hope there is not. But for everyone, Lin does come off as introverted— the most introverted introvert there is but even introverts socialize in a way of their own— Mai has yet to see the Tech Monitor leave his office without a case forcing him to go outside or Akemi calling him out for snacks and tea. Mai really wishes to at least get closer to him so she won't feel so conscious and shy all the time.
"Umm Lin-san, I'm done eating. Would you like me to take over and keep watch?" Mai asks, plastering the kindest and most helpful voice she has but Lin didn't even bother to glance her way and continued typing around his keyboard.
"I'm fine." Mai slumped at that, 'Oh really?'
Finding ways to keep communicating with him, Mai asks the one thing she's curious about. "Where's Naru and everyone?"
Oblivious to her, Mai couldn't tell the exasperated sigh wanting to leave out of Lin's lips. "Naru is at Ohashi-san's place. Yasuhara-san and Brown-san went to check on Igarashi-san while Akemi went back to sleep in her quarters."
"Then you guys are here all alone, That's dangerous!" A gasp falls out of her lips as she realizes what that could also mean unaware that she too was walking around alone in the hallways as well earlier. "That means Naru's alone, too..."
"I'll be fine." Lin repeats, deciding to ignore Mai's 'whisper' 'You stubborn little- what do you mean, you'll be fine?'
Trying to keep her emotions at bay, worry for Naru walking around alone and trying to have a short conversation with Lin. "Oh, if I remember clearly, aren't you Chinese, Lin-san?"
And with that, Mai felt she shouldn't have asked what she had, Lin paused in mid typing— slowly turning his head with a dark look upon his face. Not willing to give anything, "So?"
"So...um, oh never mind." Mai didn't even know why she bothered the topic anyway. "-I guess that's not important. It's nothing."
'Man talk about being unsocial...'
"I hate the Japanese."
Mai stiffens, the quip came off as a big surprise. "Wha- what did you...?"
"Don't you know what the Japanese did in China a long time ago?" Lin rhetorically asks, turning his swivel chair to face a still frozen Mai. "I hate the Japanese and living among them makes me uncomfortable."
"But before that," Mai's voice came out weak. "China was responsible for the Mongol Invasion... isn't world history filled with invader's and the invaded?!"
"Then you approve of what Japan did?" Mai's eyes widened, the wrong words would set off a trap she would never escape forever.
"No, I don't! I didn't say that..." 'My heart's really pounding and I have a lump in my throat... I feel so disoriented but this isn't right. It's unfortunate...'
"That's not what I meant..." With a saddened gaze, not for Lin or for her but for all the situation and reason. "Japan did a lot of terrible things. I think we must never forget that. Terrible deeds are just that— terrible but if we hold on to grudges forever, we'll never move on." With a big breath Mai weakly says, yet her gaze never wavered towards Lin. "If we harbor grudges, we'll keep hating each other for eternity and that's just wrong! it's completely unacceptable!"
Finding her voice, Mai stepped forward. A frown plastered on her face no longer conscious or shy under Lin's gaze as this was something she should speak out of. What this is leading to... It's just wrong!
"Lin-san, it is one thing if you hate me personally, but don't hate me because I'm Japanese... or female... or because I'm an orphan!"
"I don't want you to hate me for that." Mai finally said, silence surrounded them before feeling her face heat up when Lin covered a laugh.
'Is... is he laughing at me? yikes...'
"Those are the same exact words." Lin mutters before clearing up his throat. "...Someone else said the same words to me long ago. I remember them well."
Mai blinked, "Was it Naru?"
"No way, when Naru found out all he said was 'Well, you're an idiot.' " Lin also gave out a slight smile, reminiscing his first meeting with Naru and his brother.
'That's... that's just him.'
Lin lightly shakes his head, focusing back to a grimacing Mai as she tried to imagine the very likely response of Naru when he found out of Lin's dislike. "If you say so, I don't hate you. We can't erase the psychological trauma of what happened but I agree, it is stupid to bring national problems into personal relationships." Giving Mai a look, Lin adds in: "Still, you should learn about these problems. It wasn't that long ago."
"Okay, I'll do my best." Mai, nodded, feeling accomplished in some way. Not that she liked the thought of studying history but the feeling that she took a step forward towards a nice relationship with Lin, was quite a feat.
Mai was about to start speaking but the door to the temporary base opens, footstep following after the movement with Naru along with the others, walking inside. Naru's endeavors to asking Ohashi-san about the blueprints were a fail. "Lin, have you entered the data we measured?"
"Yes."
Bou-san pats Mai's head, "Hmm? you look flustered, Mai. Are you okay?"
"Yep, yep! I'm fine." Mai lets out a laugh, turning to focus on Naru and Lin as they spoke.
"The empty space is still there. It looks small but I'm worried about the big picture."
Naru frowns as he leaned his eyes closer to the monitors. "Since our measurements are still accurate, we can't dismiss it. When we measure the second floor, we'll probably see the same empty space. Mai what about the third floor?" Naru turns to Mai, at his last words.
The high school student stepping to her feet, checking the handmade blue prints at the long table.
"One sec...it doesn't look like it's on the third... or does it? I think the empty space might be concealed from above at the third floor."
"That's one humongous secret room, isn't it?" Ayako, peaks in the handmade blueprint before glancing at the monitors— Bou-san chiming in. "Maybe we can enter that room we saw from the top?"
KLINK!
"..." The SPR crew turned their gazes simultaneously towards the window. Another pebble lightly hitting it,
"Hey look..." They stepped closer towards the window where the noise came from and Mai jumped in fear, clinging unto Ayako.
"I- it's coming!" Mai pointed towards the silhouette that was taking shape. However, she was the only one panicking when Naru contorted his expression in simmering anger and worry.
"Madoka?!" The SPR crew blinked in surprise, watching the passive boss stomping his feet though in hurried steps to open the window and help Madoka get inside, away from the cold night.
"Good evening~ I thought I'd come over to give you the results of my investigation, eh?" Madoka looked around the room, noticing a missing person and her dog. "Where's Akemi-chan?"
Naru frowns, almost letting his eyes roll when Madoka dismisses how she got inside without much worry. "She's taking a rest. That was dangerous, what if something happened?"
"Oh, wouldn't have saved me, Naru?" Naru remained quiet and seemed to flinch, the SPR crew besides Lin noticed the reaction but kept to themselves as they are still trying to process Madoka's entrance.
Seeing that she got him quiet, Madoka was led to a vacant couch and took out her notes to report everything she got. Slightly pouting when Akemi wasn't available. "Okay, I'll go step by step... uh starting with Suzuki-san and any contact she had this morning— I checked with all the bus and taxi companies in the area and none of the drivers I spoke with ever remember a rider matching her description. We can't rule out hitchiking but of course, this is assuming she was even able to leave this mansion."
Naru, crosses his arms, standing close to Madoka. "Anything on the two who vanished earlier?"
Madoka nods, "The first to disappear was Hideki Matsunuma, an unemployed 18 years-old. On the night of February 13th he came here with seven of his friend, this is where they lost touch..." Madoka turned to a page that fully explained the events. "While they were partying in one of the rooms, he just staggered out and never returned. When they filed a missing persons report a week later, police and volunteers searched but they couldn't find Matsunuma-kun— However, when they were preparing to leave they discovered a second missing person, one of their own searchers."
"A second missing person?"
"It was a 21 year old man. There's an audiotape in here that was recorded as evidence. It has brief history of Kaneyuki Miyama and his son who built this place." Madoka fetched out a bag the SPR crew surely remebered not being on her person when she came in. Handing Naru a thick folder— who didn't question the mystery of her luggage.
"Miyama-shi..."wasn't Naru read the name on the files report. Turning his gaze back to Madoka, just as the woman was hiking herself on the window sill with Lin already outside to help her. "Isn't he the one who owned the hospital Miyama Charity Hospital for patronage?"
"Huh? How did you know that?" Madoka looks at Naru in question but the boss ignored her gazes and told the two adults to be careful— in his own way of course.
Madoka and Lin then went to leave, Lin already waiting outside, supporting her down and also making sure she went back to her hotel safely.
"See ya~" Madoka cheerily waves towards the SPR crew before she cheers towards Naru. "-And Naru tell Akemi-chan hi for me~!"
Naru didn't look away from the files, and decided to take a look once more on the paper bill they found.
"We could confirm that this coat was supplied by government welfare but its still a mystery why it's here." Bou-san held out the coat while Naru held the ancient paper bill.
Mai shivers, a strange gnawing pressuring her head. 'Why do I feel so on edge? I'm feeling queasy.'