They continued walking through the morning streets of Kawagoe, embracing the cold season, a pleasant experience. Hikaru walked next to Harushi, who had yet again a slouched posture whilst walking.
Hikaru asked Harushi out of the blue,
"Where do we go now?".
Harushi yawned and grinned.
"Now? All we have to do is walk around for any lead to the case assigned to us around here...", Harushi says grabbing a piece of bread from a nearby vendor, giving him a few coins.
Hikaru, looking rather impressed just nodded and slouched his shoulders aswell, the cold air causing his pale cheeks to redden.
The walk to identify any potential foothold for their case was a rather gruesome and frustrating one. What could they do? They can't just begin any action without having a clue. It was afterall, one of the core principles as a PPA Agent: to be patient when the time needs.
From the distance, they both see a small crowd gathered infront of a house further down the road, both of them rush towards the crowd and get in.
A woman was crying helplessly on her knees as she held the body of her late husband on her thighs, who had died during the night. His face looking pale, lifeless and sulken. There were black spots on his fingers.
Harushi observed from this distance in the crowd and Hikaru feeling empathy just patted the woman's back to comfort her even though he was a complete stranger to her.
"This seems like an occurrence now," a man spoke to someone in the crowd.
"Yeah, this is the third time this has happened and all these cases occurred in a month!", another spoke exclaimingly.
"Is this some disease! We should start preparing funerals for people with black spots in their hands!", someone else spoke in a worry some tone.
"The poor guy was just 30... And he was saying that he was having bad dreams and panic attacks in the nights before... An awful way to go...", another remorsefully wept.
Harushi amidst all this listened to every word and remembered all the facts, he had a sharp brain anyways.
"Black marks... Panic attacks before dying... These seem like some symptoms... Is this a repeating pattern?", Harushi questioned to himself as he focused all his energy to get am answer.
"Mister, mind telling me that who was the last person that died with these such marks?", Harushi asked instinctively. It seemed like he just said it as if he was prepared for this.
"Huh? Why'd ask, kid? But, uh, sure... I think it was that red house on the end of the street," the guy replied pointing towards the area.
Harushi nodded and pushed himself through the crowd towards the woman who was helplessly mourning and crying on Hikaru's shirt, Hikaru seemed to be a bit uncomfortable by her move.
Harushi scoffed saying,
"Ugh, seriously... Come 'ere".
Harushi grabbed Hikaru off her and walked in the direction towards that odd red wood house.
Harushi knocked on the door in an impatient manner and stood with his arms folded on his chest, a slight tilt to the back in his posture. Hikaru just stood in front of the door on the road with his hands in his jacket's pockets.
"Pfft... Open up already...", Harushi scorns as he looks away.
The door slowly creaked open and a boy with short spiky black hair that barely reached half the way of his forehead in front and brown almond eyes poked his head out from the darkness of the house, hiding his body behind his door.
"Alright, kid listen up!", Harushi yells as he walks towards the kid in an aggressive manner.
The innocent boy stepped back a bit until Hikaru pushed Harushi aside. Hikaru then looked back at the kid with a convincing smile and bends down on his knees and says,
"Hey... Uh... We just want to talk about something you know? We are... uh special police guys... Yes! We are...".
The kid gave a doubtful look and shut Hikaru down.
"I'm not a child, I'm 16, and don't fool me around for nothing. Leave my house," the kid says as he's about to close the door.
Hikaru puts his arm through the gap between the door and the frame and says,
"Look... We just want to know about the black spots and the stuff that's been happening around the town... Nothing much... Can you please do it... And uh your good name?".
"It's Ren. Fine come in...", Ren says as he opens the door and Hikaru and Harushi step in, feeling the coldness in the air.
Ren had adorned a gray kimono, a resemblance of his traditionalist values.
"Sit down in the room, I'll make you some tea," Ren says as he points towards the living room.
Harushi slides the door open and it's a traditional living room with no chairs. An old TV box at the side and a few pillows to put the bottom on.
"I really don't remember sitting down on the floor alot," Hikaru commented in awe as he sat down.
"It's common for me," Harushi replied sitting down next to Hikaru, his superior height still prevailing on Hikaru's.
After what seemed like a few minutes, Ren came in the room with a tray and three cups of green tea with a sugar pot in it.
"Help yourself," Ren says placing it down and sitting to the opposite side of the duo.
Harushi takes the green tea and starts sipping away calmly. Ren followed suit, but Hikaru just ate a spoonful of sugar. He didn't like green tea at all. Harushi gave a death glare at Hikaru but didn't push further.
"Alright, lets get on with it. What is it that you want to ask?", Ren says with a serious and calm face.
Harushi nods and gives a little smile and says,
"I'm Harushi Hayashi, and this is my Junior Hikaru Shimo. We work for the PPA and our job is investigating paranormal activities basically. Apparently, we've gotten news that there has been a mysterious activity that people are getting weird nightmares for a few days before death and it seems like they are black marked on their hands for some reason. We're here because we've heard there has been a case like this in your house and we just need your help...".
Ren sighs and replies,
"I get what you mean... And yeah, that case you're talking about is some curse we all think about here in this area of Kawagoe... My gramps had a black mark for a couple days until he started having weird panic attacks and nightmares and it seemed like he felt less alive and more dead everyday until he died in his sleep...".
Ren looks away, a bit saddened.
Hikaru noticed the pain and in a sweet voice comforted Ren,
"Hey... Let's not talk about the case, but what about you, Ren? How's your family? Mom? Dad?".
"They don't exist. They died when I was younger and my gramps took me in ever since. And I don't have any other family... I've been living on family inheritance and my Gramps pension fund for a month... I'm just a bit lonely here," Ren sighs looking down at his cup of tea on his lap.
Hikaru looked at him with pity while Harushi kept his calm. It was dead silent for a while until Harushi spoke,
"Well, I suppose our job is done. Thank you, Ren. And-"
"I'll ask Miss Yoru to give you a job at the PPA in Tokyo!", Hikaru interrupts enthusiastically, as he stands up and pats Ren's back.
Harushi looks shocked and groans yelling,
"Wait, what- Excuse me! Hikaru! That's not our job and why are you bringing Miss Yoru in!".
"Look, you wanted a family right? We can be your family! Me, Harushi, Yoru and other people at the PPA, you don't need to be an Agent, you can work in other sectors...", Hikaru says calmly hugging Ren like a brother.
Harushi just looks at Hikaru with nothing but anger, but he tries bottling up all he could muster under his breath was...
"What the actual fuc-".
chapter 18, end