"So, in total, you owe me 3,780.88 yen for all the talismans I used. Plus, let's not forget my poor piggy bank, which was worth a solid 100,000 yen. I'll be listing everything down so I can properly collect what you owe me," Ryo announced, scribbling numbers into his notebook with the intensity of a loan shark.
Fumiko blinked at her son, completely baffled. "Akito… are you sure this kid isn't running some kind of scam?"
"No, Mom. See that tent over there?" Akito pointed at a small, makeshift tent nearby. "That's where spirits go when they need Ryo's help. His services are just… a little pricey this time because, you know, he almost died back there." He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.
"I'll get back to your case later," Ryo declared, adjusting the strap of his bag. "But first, I need to find a stronger ally before I step foot in your haunted house again."
Fumiko sighed and handed over the payment for the talismans. Ryo took it, his only earnings from this chaotic day, just enough to buy food for himself and his siblings.
"Alright, we'll head out now. Take care, you two," Ryo said, nodding at Fumiko and Akito. The mother and son had decided to stay behind, waiting for the blue talisman's effects to wear off before saying their goodbyes.
As they walked away, Ryo glanced back at Akito. A small smile crossed his lips. At least Akito got to talk to his mother. That was something Ryo himself would never experience.
"That was amazing! So they can use the talisman even without sticking it onto you?" Ayame asked, keeping pace with Ryo as they made their way home.
"Yeah, as long as I transfer the energy to them myself," Ryo explained, still sulking over the fact that he was heading home empty-handed—no piggy bank, no extra cash, nothing to bring him joy.
"Whoa, do you have more of those?"
"Of course. I keep a stash at home. I mean, I have to invest in materials for my business, right?" Ryo replied. Then, suddenly, he stopped walking and turned to Ayame, squinting at her suspiciously.
He pushed up his glasses, adjusted his bag strap, and gave her the most judgmental look imaginable.
"Why are you still following me? Don't tell me you're planning to come all the way to my house?" He narrowed his eyes. "Because that's not happening."
The last thing he needed was to bring a ghost home. If word got out among the spirits that he had a third eye, his house would turn into a supernatural hot spot.
Ghosts were nosy as hell. They gossiped, shared information, and spread intel like a bunch of otherworldly busybodies. The last thing Ryo wanted was to become the main topic in the afterlife's rumor mill.
"You literally gave me permission to come with you. And remember, it's just for one week," Ayame replied, flashing a playful smile as she tried to act cute in front of Ryo.
Ryo immediately looked away. Cute girls—his ultimate weakness.
"Tsk. One week only, got it? And just so you know, I can't talk to you inside my house. There's already a spirit roaming around in there, and until it's gone, I need to pretend I don't see you."
"Noted, boss!" Ayame responded cheerfully.
With that, they continued walking toward Ryo's house. But the moment he pushed the door open, they were greeted by the sound of loud crying.
"Ryo-ni! Ryota's been throwing up water for a while now! His fever's really high, too!" Rin shouted in a panic the second she saw her older brother.
Ryo immediately dropped everything he was carrying and bolted to the living room. There, lying on the floor, was his youngest sibling, coughing violently and vomiting water.
His other siblings stood nearby, helpless. Their father was nowhere to be found, and Ryosuke wasn't home either. Their grandmother sat in the corner, looking distressed, as she repeatedly called out their father's name.
"Ryo! Reiji's throwing up water! Hurry and call Shiona!" their grandmother cried.
"Grandma, that's Ryota, and… Mom's not here anymore," Rintaro gently corrected her, trying to calm her down while also dealing with the wailing twins.
Ryo's mind raced as he knelt beside Ryota. He could feel the heat radiating from his little brother's body—his fever was dangerously high.
"Where's Ryosuke?" he demanded, his voice tight with urgency.
Ryo had no idea what to do. He had just dealt with one problem, and now another one had landed on his plate. He couldn't even catch a break.
"Blurghh!"
Ryota coughed violently, vomiting more water—this time, mixed with mud.
"Mud…?" Ryo whispered, his eyes darting around the room as he searched for the ghost—the man Ryota had been talking to.
"Oniisan, what do we do? He's been throwing up water non-stop," Rin asked, panic clear in her voice.
But Ryo frowned. "You don't see the mud?"
Rin's confusion only deepened. She was already overwhelmed, and now her brother was spouting strange things.
"What mud, Oniisan? There's no mud! And how could he even throw up mud?" she asked, bewildered.
"Ryo, they can't see the mud your brother is throwing up," Ayame said, her tone serious. "Do you have any idea what's causing this?"
Ryo took a sharp breath before turning to Rin. "Hold Ryota. Take him to the hospital."
He quickly pulled out the money from his pocket and handed it to her. Then, without another word, he bolted out of the living room.
"Wait, Nii-san! Where are you going?!" Rin called after him.
But Ryo didn't answer. He ran straight to the stairs, determined to find the ghost hiding beneath them.
He couldn't find the ghost inside the house, so he ran straight to the nearby river behind their home.
"I'm sure that ghost is the one doing this to my brother," Ryo muttered, not even caring that he was barefoot and that the ends of his uniform were already soaked in mud from the wet ground.
"What does it look like? Tell me so I can help," Ayame said.
But before Ryo could answer, they both froze in place.
By the riverbank, the ghost was crouched down, repeatedly dunking a toy truck into the water.
"That's Ryota's favorite toy!" Ryo exclaimed, his heart pounding.
Unlike the first time he had seen this ghost, its energy was no longer calm. Now, it was wild, unstable—surrounded by a dark, ominous aura.
"Is that him? The ghost?" Ayame asked, and Ryo could only nod.
Before he could even react, Ayame suddenly launched herself forward and punched the ghost square in the face.
"You son of a—! Why are you tormenting a child?!" she yelled, snatching the toy from the ghost's hands. She tossed it to Ryo, who barely managed to catch it, still too stunned to react.
But he wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid for the ghost.
Ayame left him speechless—she was drowning the ghost!
"If your life was miserable, don't drag an innocent child into it!" she screamed, pressing the ghost's head deeper into the water. "Do you want me to kill you again?! You wanna be double dead, huh?!"