Ghost Hunt By Ono Fuyumi

Ghost HuntI Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits

Prologue

Location: Tokyo, Shibuya Street. "Shibuya Psychic Research". After opening the door, the autumn wind rushed inside. Outside by the cherry blossom tree, the smell of red tea wafted through. I (Taniyama Mai, 16 years old, student) am working at "Shibuya Psychic Research", a paranormal investigation office. This office exists to perform scientific investigation of paranormal phenomena, ghosts, and extra-sensory perception. Even though I say it's a team, and only the director, his assistant, and the part-time assistant work here, there are three outside people who help too. The staff is exceptionally small here, and the details of this office are kind of suspicious. The office is located in the Shibuya district of the city center and was newly built there. At a glance it looks like a coffee shop or an easygoing office. Outside, the air is very nostalgic. The trees on the streets are changing color. Movie ads for "An Unbelievable Story" had been pasted everywhere on the opposite sides of the street; I'm not sure whether or not it's a good movie. Every Saturday, I come here to the office and do paperwork. I've organized the old issues of a Psychic Research Magazine by date. Assembling things, registering things, transcribing table of contents, and ordering books. In other words, I do manual work. I guess the level of my job will only be this high. And now, we're not doing any ghost hunting. Because now things are moving slowly, and there's no other way to go about doing this. But every day, I continue to do who knows how much meaningless work. The sound of the doorbell ringing. Right. It's a guest! The client who just came in looked like a girl in high school. "Not here. I heard that this is where they do investigations on ghosts, but." "Yes. That's right," I said. But then the two girls looked at me with their round eyes. They were about the same age as me. They looked surprised. "What kind of situation are you in?" One of them answered in a timid voice. "It's about this headstrong girl. The one...who was possessed by a fox spirit. Can you help her?" Oh, so it's about spirits. My office deals with spirits. "Is it a fox spirit?" "Yes. ...My friend. A doctor looked at her, but she just seems to be getting worse. A spirit showed up too. Is the director here?" I directed them to the sofa. "Please, call the director now." I knocked on my boss's door. "...Boss?" A bored voice responded, and I opened the door. The director of "Shibuya Psychic Research" had a map opened wide on his desk. His beautiful, deep, pitch-black gaze fell on me. My knees felt weak. "...A client?" "Yes, it sounds like someone got possessed." The director frowned slightly. This map was quite an obstacle to him, because he kept thinking about it. At this time, don't even bother mentioning anything about spirits to him. Because then, he seems to dislike people unrelated to the paranormal field even more. My boss replied, saying that clients only come during office hours. Reluctantly, the director stood up. He has been looking at the map all day, so it's no wonder he was in such a bad mood. The girls sitting on the sofa were all uncomfortable, sitting so closely together that their shoulders touched. When I left Naru's office, I noticed they were tense and pale. Looking at them, I opened my mouth. The director walked calmly to the sofa, as his head tilted down slightly as he spoke. "Nice to meet you. I'm the director, Shibuya." The girls looked so dazed that it surprised even me. If I mention the head of this office, I'm talking about a 17-year old guy. Plus, even if the client has bare feet, they might still run away. Suddenly the the two girls shrieked, their eyes staring into each other's. "What are the details of your problem." The leader of "Shibuya Psychic Research", Shibuya Kazuya-san (also known as narcissistic Naru-chan. Seventeen years old. Ghost Hunter.) spoke in a cold manner. They opened their mouths simultaneously. "That...!" Then they looked at each other. Naru did the same thing. "Only one of you needs to explain," he said coldly. They looked at each other again, and then the person whom I spoke to at first opened her mouth. "Umm. There was a classmate who was doing Coccri at school last month. A friend of ours saw it too, and it seems that she's been possessed by a fox spirit. Since then, she has been acting weird." "Weird?" "Sometimes she acts strange. She says and does weird things." Naru sighed softly. "Be more specific." The girl hesitantly lowered her head. "Oh... In the middle of class, she jumped onto a table, laughed, and then cursed the teacher. Also, one time in P.E., when we were practicing the long jump, she suddenly ate...sand from the sandpit." ...Huh? She ate sand? The girl's face was distorted in concern. "Whoever died then must've been that kind of person. This is serious," the girl emphasized. Naru's fingers entwined together as he pondered the situation. "And you want the fox spirit to leave," he said presumingly. "Yes." They nodded their heads. Lifting his head, Naru stared back at them. "My apologiesbut I cannot help you. Whether or not she's possessed...I suggest you take her to a neurologist." He responded as he stood up. "Well then." They let out an indignified scoff, but Naru didn't take notice. His pitch-black eyes turned toward me. "Taniyama-san, please lead them out." "But." ...You're not helping her? Can't you at least (if her friend is possessed) recommend her to someone else? Without turning around, Naru continued to walk toward his room. "Um, boss!" I called out. Naru turned around, looking at me with a different expression in his eyes. "Well, Taniyama-san. Tea." ...Okay. If Naru makes that kind of face, then it's no good. He won't listen to a word I say. After the stoic man shut his door, I turned towards the girls. "Sorry... Here, things are a little different." The girl laughed bitterly. "...But, it's terrible. If only you could see her!" ...I was thinking the same thing, but. "In this office, the director is a professional. Being possessed by a spirit isn't something we handle. I'm terribly sorry about this." They gave each other an unsatisfied look. I decided to explain more. "There's something you should know. He only accepts cases that he deems important." In our case, "Shibuya Psychic Research" requires that you pay a fee. This fee will cover the expenses of the investigation. We have to do research and check out the situation in person. The fee isn't really high, so even a high schooler's money would be enough. But it needs to be a really serious case for us to drag all the equipment there, and keep Lin-san and Naru busy with the investigation. Those two aren't stupid either. The girls lowered their heads. I started to feel bad for them, so, "Um, I think what you said is true," I said in a small voice. "How about you give me your name and school, and I'll compile a report of your problem. We might look into it." And then their faces brightened. "Really?" "Yup. But I can't guarantee it." I took out an SPR pen, and the talkative girl eagerly took it. The sound of the pen scribbling on the paper. She wrote the information with round characters. "Name...Itou Kiyomi. Occupation...High-school freshman. Address..." Afterwards I saw them off and watched their figures fade away. They were the same age as me. They were brave, to come all the way here to help a friend who had been acting strange recently. I carefully folded the piece of paper and placed it into my breast pocket.

Chapter 1School /

The next day was Sunday. It was a fine, autumn day, with the wind blowing gently and a clear sky hanging above. The heat wasn't as intense as it normally was. I looked outside the window beside my desk. There were three papers spread out on my desk. Yesterday, we got three requests, and I think another one is coming. They're all piling up. One was a request to exorcise a ghost, another to exorcise a fox spirit, and then one about a poltergeist. "Why is all this happening?" I casted a doubtful look onto the papers and noted the name, "Yuasa High School." Yuasa High School is an all girls private high school near Tokyo. One of my junior high friends went there, so I knew about it. It's supposed to be a strict school. It wasn't the best academic girls school around, as it was quite lenient with grades. Yesterday, we got three requests from students in that school. ...What's happening there. It's not just one problem either.

* * *

"Naru-chan." I could hear the sound of the door opening, followed by a rough voice. That voice...came from a former monk. That guy is always using the office as a coffee shop. "Yo! Mai-chan, how are you feeling?" Bou-san (Takigawa Houshou, 25 years old, a former monk) waved at me, a bright smile on his face. I responded angrily, saying yes, everything's fine. I looked at him when he entered. Black hat, black sunglasses, black everything. Except for the hot pink t-shirt he was wearing beneath his coat. Bou-san, did you forget that you're supposed to be a monk? "Give me some ice coffee," he commanded as he slumped onto the couch. "Please, the vending machine's too far away." "If you're that tired, then you should be panting right now." "Don't be so mean. I had a lot of work today." Bou-san also mentioned a paranormal case that he was asked to investigate To put it simply, he wanted to talk about it with us. "It's work-related? Really?" My voice was full of uncertainty as I spoke. "It's true, it's true. That's why I want ice coffee." Okay, okay. I guess I have no choice I went to the kitchen and poured the ice coffee into a glass cup. Ice coffee is Bou-san's favorite (and he'd take ice coffee even on a cold day). I continued to prepare it for him. "Even so, what's up with the getup?" I asked him. I eyed Bou-san's lavish outfit suspiciously from top to bottom. "AhToday I had a concert." "A concert!" Oh, so you're not just a monk? I see. But this isn't useful for an exorcist. "A concert, you know. This isn't just a fancy getup." "Oh." Bou-san took his jacket and hat off and flung them away. (Hey, you.) "I was in a baku apu bando." A what? I'm drawing a blank. "Back" meaning..."back." And "band" meaning...um, a "music band"? ...Then that must mean... "Whaaaaaaaat!!" A back-up band! "Things at work suddenly got busysome idol who couldn't sing called us in." "Um, hello?" I said loudly. "What?" "What does a...backup-band do?" "What...*sigh*. Should I have just exercised instead of coming here?" No, well, but then. "So you play an instrument?" "That's right." "...Got it. A percussion instrument like a mokygyo (wooden fish instrument)?" I asked. "Um, well." "Ah, or a bamboo flute?" Bou-san pointed to a big, black case on the floor. "I'm a bass player." Huh! What?! "Um...and you're sure it's not a shamisen (asian guitar)?" "You...when were you born anyway? It's just, you know, a bass guitar! Come on, girl." "Okay." "I don't think I've said this before, and even if I do it doesn't really matter, but I'm a professional bassist, get it? I know I might not look it." ......... "I'm a musician with my own studio. I have my own band, but the lead singer isn't very good. Anyway, I'm here because I want some advice from Naru-chan." ......... Bou-san, are you done now? You don't need to get all in my face about it. "Why are you doing that! How come you're performing in concerts!!" I couldn't help but yell out. *huff huff* "I have the freedom to do so." "Didn't you live in Mt. Kouya?" "I did. I lived in a temple. My parents wanted me to be a monk, but I wasn't allowed to listen to the music I liked in the mountain. I couldn't listen to any of the CDs. And well, that's why I decided to leave. Get it?" "...I get it... But" Bou-san waved my question away. "There are so many demands in this industry. Curses, ghosts, and everything else. Before, people would ask me to pray for them if anything bad happened, so now, being a monk is like a hobby for me. Do you have any other questions?" "...No." Wow, I'm still shocked. "There's no prejudice in this profession. Monks lock their doors, listen to others, and even go disco dancing. One of my friends, who's also a monk, is a practicing gynecologist as well. It's just something you'd take to your grave." After a pause, Bou-san continued, "...So, there's something I want to share with you." "Huh?" While Bou-san was talking, Naru came out into the main room. "...You two are obnoxiously loud..." I felt like frowning at the monk. Man, he's not fun. This monk is an exorcist. He's the enemy of normal people. If Naru's in his office, drinking tea leisurely, Bou-san will make me, the employee, engage in small talk with him and therefore not concentrate on my actual job. But, Bou-san is just that kind of person. He doesn't care at all. For him, it's just water off a duck's back. "Yo." What kind of greeting is that. He raised his hand, then waved. "Today we were talking about work." "No kidding." Naru looked pale as usual. "I mean it. It sounds like a complicated case, so I thought I'd borrow your knowledge." Naru took a seat beside Bou-san, and I placed the tea in front of them. "A complicated case?" "Yes. Mai-chan, come here for a sec." Heh, heh. "Actuallythis a request from a fan of my band. She's a high school student from Tokyo..." "Band?" Bou-san repeated what he told me to Naru. After he heard the news, Naru looked surprised too, though his reaction wasn't stupid like mines. After saying that, Bou-san continued his announcement like a TV newsman. "It's a request from one of my fans, Taka. She's a high school student, and there're some weird things happening at her school. I have a bad feeling about it." Naru was silent and attentive. "That girl said that there's a desk in her room that's cursed. In the past three months, the people who've sat in that desk all had accidents." "...This sounds cliche," Naru remarked. "You can't say that. This situation is different, because four people had the exact same accident." "...Didn't Japan have the highest amount of accidents in history this year?" "I thought you'd say that. But unfortunately, that's not the case. This isn't a simple traffic accident. All four of them were dragged by a train. Their arms got caught in the door. And this happened to all four of them. In the past nine months, the seating arrangment changed three times, and four different students have sat there. One person was injured slightly, but the other three sustained large injuries. Well, fortunately no one died. Don't you think this is strange?" Naru's hard gaze showed that he was deep in thought. "And that's not all. One of the girl's teacher used an art prep room, but then a ghost showed up and the teacher was sent to the hospital. He's still vomiting blood, but no one knows why." My voice felt stuck in my throat. "That's strange," I choked out. "You think so? There seems to be a lot of strange incidents happening at that school. It's not just a simple ghost story. There seems to be other accidents and illnesses going on in ther school. That girl also said..." Strange incidents... Suddenly I remembered the piece of folded paper in my breast pocket. "Hey, Bou-san. Is the school 'Yuasa High School'...?" Bou-san looked surprised. "What...? It is Yuasa High School. How did you know?" Ehhh?! I hastily pulled out that paper from my pocket and showed it to Naru and Bou-san. "Yesterday we had three requests! All from Yuasa High School!" Bou-san snatched the piece of paper. "This request..." "Naru rejected them, but I took their contact information in case you or John wanted to help." "Was that fan of yours Itou Kiyomi?" "Her friend saw someone do Kokkuri, and now she's possessed by a fox spirit. In the second request, Miura Satoko said a ghost touched her, and now she's having liver problems. And in the third request, a poltergeist showed up in a club meeting." "...What do we do?" Bou-san groaned. It's strange. For so many incidents to happen at one school. And in such a short time period too. "It's not just a coincidence," Bou-san declared. Naru didn't respond. He just quietly gazed ahead. "Naru-chan, what should we do? Are you just going to ignore this?" Bou-san asked. Naru appeared to be thinking. "We should contact them." That's the way to go! Right when I was about to use the phone, the door opened. A guest is here. "Um..." the guest muttered. An old gentleman came into the room. Since I was standing the closest to the door, the man handed a business card to me. "Noboru Mikami, principal of private school: 'Yuasa High School'" read the card. "There have been a number of strange incidents happening at my school, so I was wondering if I could request an investigation." After hearing the principal, we couldn't help but exchange looks.

A private school, Yuasa High School. Something is happening at that school. Something strange. We went to Yuasa High School on Monday. Before proceeding with the investigation, we wanted to hear the staff's and students' accounts of the incidents. Naru and I went inside the school. Lin-san (real name unknown, age unknown, though presumably in the late 20's, Naru's assistant) went around and got some information already. Wouldn't someone have seen one of those incidents in order to start the rumors? Since Bou-san also received a request from this school, he went there as well. And so "Shibuya Psychic Reasearch" and Bou-san represented separate entities. It was a typical school. It wasn't old, but it wasn't new either. It wasn't wide, but it wasn't narrow either. It seemed like there was an adjacent building that used to be part of the student union. But now it's old and rotting, so now they're in the middle of demolishing it. When we arrived at the school, we saw the PE teacher teaching softball to the students. The PE teacher saw the principal with us. Afterwards, Principal Mikami was waiting for us in the main office. Naru introduced me and Bou-san to the principal. Even though all he said was, "This is my assistant." "I'm Gosokurou-sama. Nice to meet you." Then the principal introduced us to a middle-aged teacher. "This is our student advisor, Yoshino-kun. He helps the students. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask." Yoshino-sensei bowed lightly. His bad complexion made him appear nervous. "Anyway, there have been a lot of accidents and illnesses lately," the teacher said, "one-fifth of our staff is on leave, and this has been a hindrance to our classes. The same thing is happening with the students... In any case, the strange rumors have spread not only to the students, but also to the teachers. Everyone seems to be losing it. Well, it'll be better if you could hear the complaints from the affected people themselves. Since you've requested it, I have prepared a small conference room for you to use. You can use this room as your base. If you need anything else, feel free to ask me." "I've informed the students and teachers about this and told them they could see you after school in this room. But I don't know how many people will come." "Feel free to investigate the school however way you want. You can do whatever you believe to be convenient here. I give my best regards to you," the principal said. Naru bowed slightly. "You can leave it to us, sir." After we left the principal's office, Yoshino-sensei guided us through the school. Then he lead us to the room designated as our base. "Here it is," the teacher announced. Yoshino-sensei looked back at us. His eyes rested on the tallest figure, Bou-san. "Are you the leader?" We heard him say. "No, no. The leader's over there." Bou-san pointed at Naru. Ah, Bou-san finally got him to understand. Yoshino-sensei turned to look at Naru. Then an uneasy expression appeared on the teacher's face. "Well...I also have something to talk to you about." ...It all happened in a flash. Naru calmly looked at the teacher, then nodded. "I'll listen. ...Did it happen here?" I looked at the door. Above it was the nameplate, "Small Conference Room". "...I see." Yoshino-sensei opened the door. There was a big table inside, along with a white board and a small shelf. It looked unused. (Though that's what you'd expect from a conference room). Naru carefully scanned the room. Yoshino-sensei encouraged us to enter. "Tell me the details," said Naru. Yoshino-sensei looked back at us, the lines on his face reflecting his uneasiness. "...Well, the thing I've wanted to talk about was..." Naru nodded. "We will protect our client's privacy. You don't need to hide anything from us. By all means, please tell us the details." Yoshino-sensei nodded. His forehead was covered in sweat. "Um... I hear knocking sounds at night." "Does this happen in your house?" "Yes, at first it was. It's a soft sound, but I woke up anyway even though I'm a heavy sleeper. It's a knocking sound on the windows and doors... And then when I checked it out..." Yoshino-sensei became hesitant. Naru silently prompted him to continue. "Nobody was there. I looked through the curtains and saw a hand knocking on the door. A thin, white, feminine hand. After I see it, the hand stops and the sound is gone. At first I thought I was just seeing things, but then the knocking goes on every night..." "Is it just a knocking sound?" Naru asked as he took down notes. "Yes, just a knocking sound. I was scared. There were times when I didn't want to go home, so I went out at night. But it's the same wherever I go. Whether it's in the bar, or at midnight, or just in the vicinity, I always hear that knocking sound. If I don't open the door or window, then it just keeps knocking until the morning. ...Recently I haven't been getting enough sleep." No wonder. So that's why Yoshino-sensei has bags under his eyes. Naru nodded. "...That's what I thought. So does anyone else hear this sound?" "Yes. My family hears it too, but they don't really care." "I see." After muttering to himself, Naru turned around and faced Bou-san. "Bou-san, make some mantras." After saying that, he turned to face Yoshino-sensei. "We will give you a cleansing tag to seal off the evil spirit. Never open the window or door at night. And please refrain from walking by yourself at night. The knocking sounds may continue, but don't worry. ...We will have to investigate more." "...Okay." Bou-san left the room to write the mantras. Afterwards, Yoshino-sensei took the charms and bowed. Then he left the room, his back turned against us. "...That was sudden. What do we do now?" Bou-san asked. Naru shrugged and looked at his watch. "If we wait, class will end soon," Naru replied. "We can let the students come in and tell us about the incidents. It's almost the end of the day."

The first group who came to the conference room included Itou-san, the girl who came to SPR earlier. Her friend had been possessed by a fox spirit. She looked nervous. Naru told the six girls who came to sit down as he prepared the tape-recorder. "I want to confirm the incidents that occured here," he said. As Naru spoke to Itou-san, all the others became nervous. "As I recall, your friend has been possessed by a fox spirit. Is that right?" "...Yes." "Is she here today?" "No, she has been staying home for a long time now. Her mother won't let her leave the house even though she seems to be healthy now." Itou-san looked back at her friends for confirmation, and they nodded. "Please tell me the situation again." Itou-san repeated the story. The group of girls murmered agreements, and we were able to get a better grasp on the story than from what we heard in the SPR office. One day that girl just suddenly did something really strange. Her unusual actions (jumping onto a desk, running around the classroom, and then crying and laughing aloud) became worse (bad-mouthing others, proclaiming prophesies, just a lot of things that didn't make sense). In the end, she jumped into the pool on a cold day, and then she swallowed sand, pebbles, and chalk. "Did she hurt anyone?" Naru asked. "No, she didn't." "I see. You said she was possessed by a fox spirit. Why do you think so?" "That's because..." Itou-san looked back at her friends. Somebody... "That's because she said so herself," one of the girls said. "Yeah," another girl agreed. After we heard the details, that girl seemed to have said her friend was possessed by a fox spirit. Naru lightly tapped his desk with his finger. "Well, at the time we thought nothing of it. When someone's at that state, wouldn't you think she's sick? Wouldn't it be a good idea to take her to a neurologist?" The group of girls started to whisper to each other. Eventually it was Itou-san who answered. "It's because...she said, 'I am Oinari-san's servant, the white fox'. And she started acting strange after we played Kokkuri-san last month." "Kokkuri-san... With paper and...what else? Glass? Goblets? Did you use any of those?" "No, we used a pencil. We wrote five characters onto the paper with a pencil." "...I see. It sounds quite simple. Did you have fun with it?" "Yes." Keiko-san nodded. "Nothing else was strange, but... Kokkuri-san didn't return, and we didn't make fun of him either. But, as we were leaving, she said something weird." "She told us she felt like she was possessed. She complained that her shoulder felt heavy." "That's right. She started acting strange the very next day." "Yeah." The girls started to talk amongst themselves again. "...Okay. Where did you do Kokkuri-san?" "In the classroom. First year, room three." Naru looked up at the rough map of the school, which was on the board. He was clearly contemplating something. "Please write down your friend's name and contact number. I will investigate this throughly."

After Itou-san left, the next group, which included Kugayama Minori-san, came in. A student who looked slightly younger than me, and a student who looked older than me, came in as well. "Your request regards a...poltergeist in a classroom," Naru stated. "Yes...erm, about that." Kugayama-san nodded nervously. In the track and field team, strange things happen in the dressing room. Lockers are toppled over, and equipment get scattered all over the floor. "Then our equipment stopped working too." "Did you not think that someone was trying to sabotage the team?" "We thought so, at first." "Of course, we thought someone was just up to mischief. We changed the key to the locker room. But there was nothing wrong with the key. One night, we even stayed by the locker room to catch the culprit, but no one came." "I see. Yes, that is strange." The other student nodded in agreement. "But when we looked away for a moment, the shot puts, which were in boxes, were lined up perfectly beside each other on the floor." "...I see." Naru nodded slightly. Well, that's definitely a poltergeist. I wonder if it rearranged those mechanical parts. I guess we'll find out. "Are poltergeists behind all these things?" "I don't know..." Kugayama-san bowed her head. She seemed to have forgotten what he was about to say. After Kugayama-san left, Satoko Miura's group came in next. Although Bou-san and I began to feel this to be tedious, Naru persistently questioned the people who entered. "So you are...Miura-san?" "Yes." Surrounded by friends, Miura-san had to stand on tip-toe to show us where she was. "Please listen. It seems that someone got possessed." "Yes...we'll see." She started to act strange after she did Kimodameshi last month. "There's a 'closed warehouse' in the gym. Several years ago, the caretaker of the warehouse died. Since then, there are rumors that strange things have been happening there." The other girl picked off from where the previous girl had stopped. "We did Kimodameshi after we finished our tests." "Okay." "We told hundreds of ghost stories there, and nothing strange ever happened. Except for this kid." The girl pointed at Miura-san. "I felt really bad." "In the daytime, I'll see strange shadows. Since then, the strange figures will return the very next day." "Please elaborate," Naru's said. "Yes. Um, say I'm using the sink, okay? And then I see a figure. The mirror...reflects the wall, and even though it's odd, there will be a strange shadow on the wall. The weird part is there's also a rope on the wall, and it's in the shape of a noose." The shadow seemed to be everywhere. It's always reflected on a nearby wall. "Man, I have a bad feeling about this." "That's it, then." The next, plump girl opened her mouth. "Didn't Ei-chan get hospitalized? I had a bad feeling about that." After saying that, the girl spoke to Naru. "Yeah, Ei-chan is hospitalized now. After we did Kimodameshi together, ghosts of children have been showing up at her desk. After a few days, Ei-chan had to go the hospital because there was a puncture in her stomach." "You're kidding..." I murmered. "It's true. She would suddenly feel frozen in the middle of class, and when she looked down, she'd feel something touching her stomach. So...when she bent down and looked into her desk, she'd see a hand stretching out, massaging her stomach." We all screamed. "She thought it was weird because the ghost would often massage her stomach, but then disappear soon after. She told me that when I visited her yesterday." ...Oh. Tapping his finger on the table, Naru was thinking again. He crossed his arms, a hard expression on his face as he faced Bou-san. Naru looked like he was about to leave.

But then Miura-san's group returned. Sighing, we were tired out when the last group, including Takahashi Yuuko, came in. One of the seats in her class is cursed. The last person who sat there was dragged by a train. I was surprised that someone as cute as Takahashi-san was a fan of Bou-san's band. It didn't go with his slouchy style. Takahashi-san faced me. Then Bou-san shook hands with her, a crooked smile plastered on his face. "You really came" she said in adoration. "Seems like it." Then Bou-san introduced us. "That handsome guy over here is the president of "Shibuya Psychic Research", Shibuya. And the little girl over there is his assistant, Taniyama." "Nice to meet you." Takahashi-san smiled mischieviously. "Same here." "I want to hear the entire story." Bou-san turned around to look at Naru, who continued to speak. "Is the person involved in that accident here today?" I looked at the group of eight in front of us. "She's here." Takahashi-san indicated a girl in the back. "I'm the second person to get in an accident, but..." "I wanted to say the story back then, but," the girl hesitated for a moment. "It happened when I tried to get off the train. Well, I was getting out of the train, right? As I was leaving the train, someone tugged my arm. It was really forceful. My arm got stuck in the door, and the train started moving, so I ran to keep up with it. There was nothing else I could do, right? Anyway, I fell and was dragged along the platform. This went on for five meters before the train stopped." Her shoulder was dislocated, and her leg broke. She removed her cast last week. "Did anyone see you get dragged by the train?" "About that." Everyone turned to look at the girl. "There weren't many passengers on the train that day. No one was near the door when my arm got stuck." Naru scribbled down some notes. "What time was it?" She reported the time the incident happened, as well as the situation of the other victims. After answering the questions, Naru went on: "Do you know why these accidents happen to people who sit in that desk?" The girls exchanged doubtful looks. "We don't know...right?" They whispered to each other. "...I see. Thank you." He shut his binder with a slam. Then Naru turned around to face Bou-san. "I want to see the desk." "Ah, well, I'll show it to you." Takahashi-san's hand shot up into the air. The girls brought us to Takahashi-san's classroom. It was classroom 2-5. The classroom was on the second floor in the south wing of the school. The cursed desk was near the window. "Over there." After she said that, Naru walked over to the desk. As he touched the desk, his dark eyes narrowed. "Is anyone sitting here now?" Takahashi-san shook her head. "Nope. The last person who sat there is in the hospital now." "Was the desk ever moved?" "No, it has always been over there." Naru was contemplating. After a while, he looked satisfied and left the desk. "I heard that your teacher was behaving strangely." Takahashi-san nodded again. "That's right. He said he saw a ghost in class, so now he's not coming to school. He wasn't the type to believe in them either. But now he's in the hospital. They say that he still sees ghosts in his hospital room, and that he's suffering from Neurosis." ...Hmph. "Okay... Thank you." Naru placed his hand on his chin. This was an expression he often showed when he was thinking.

Two teachers were waiting in the meeting room when we returned. One teacher said he saw ghosts in the car mirror when he drove.. The other said that he felt like someone was following him even though no one was. In addition, the two said they often heard eerie sounds. ...There're so many things going on here. What do we do? Anyway, after we finished the inquiries, I was able to make tea for everyone. Principal Mikami told us we could use his set of tea. And that's why I'm here right now, making tea, while Bou-san's being so rude as to fling himself onto a chair and prop his feet onto the table. "That lax guy," I mumbled under my breath. "Isn't this really bad?" I asked. Bou-san nodded, a look of mischief on his face. "Look at the sheer amount of incidents that occur here." I looked at the notes that Naru took. "...There's no way this is happening. Just thinking of exercising them all by myself makes me dizzy. Geez." He let out an exaggerated sigh and then looked at Naru. "Naru-chan, can you think of a one-time solution of exorcising all the evil spirits here?" "Blow up the school and all the people involved," Naru murmered in an irritated tone. "Oh, that does work. But then we'd have to make this school off-limits for a long time afterwards. Though that definitely is a way to solve this problem in one shot." Hey you "Well, I guess. ...We'll have to divide the exorcisms up between everyone. But don't you think that this could all be a prank by someone?" Bou-san remarked as he faced Naru. "Maybe so..." "Huh?" I blurted out. Bou-san frowned. "You. I thought you'd know. There's no doubt this will be difficult. Certainly, there're a large amount of incidents, but none of them are serious." Naru looked doubtful. "Don't you think that this is an abnormal amount?" "...That, well..." Naru's eyes, eyes darker than night, wandered the room. "If none of the accidents are fabricated, then there must be a reason behind them," Naru stated. ...That's right. Footsteps and knocking doors, all of the incidents are strange. Furthermore, for all this to happen in one school is even more odd. "I understand what you mean... But, what do we do? The client did request an investigation, so how about we first try to find the cause behind all this?" After hearing Bou-san, Naru changed his facial expression several times. He seemed to have mixed feelings about the case. "...I'm not so sure of the implications here. However, this doesn't look good. Reinforcements will be necessary." Bou-san's tone was sarcastic as he spoke to an aggravated Naru: "Are you calling Masako too?" In an instant, Naru's expression became incomprehensible. It's the kind of face you'd make when you put something in your mouth, thinking it'll be sweet, yet it turns out to be sour. That kind of face. "Why do you hate Masako?" It seems like Naru doesn't like Hara Masako (16 yrs old, medium, beautiful person) much. He's strangely quiet when the subject changes to Masako, so it makes me wonder if she's using his weakness. "Depending on the situation, it might be good to get advice, y'know?" A huge grin spread across Bou-san's face. "I can't see myself living a life off of other people's advice, can you?" Naru retorted. Waved away with money. Bou-san's expression was bitter. "That was bad," Bou-san grumbled. "Don't mention it," Naru added.

* * *We finally finished the investigation for today. Tomorrow, we will meet up at the school and continue our work. I wonder what conclusion we will arrive at. Us ghost hunters, that is. Naru and his assistant, Lin-san, Bou-san, the priestess Ayako (Matsuzaki Ayako, presumably 23 yrs old), the medium Masako, and the priest John (John Brown, 19 yrs old, Australian).

Chapter 2Psychic /

The next day, all of us were facing Yuasa High School. The team was made of seven people: me, Naru, Lin-san, Bou-san, Masako, Ayako, and John. However, it was at Naru's request that everyone had gathered here today. I wonder if they have a lot of free time... It's hard to imagine, but is it because of Naru's popularity? Naru entered our small conference room and started to explain the circumstances. So far, our tasks seemed simple. "Anyway, there are a large number of incidents, so we can't spend much time on every one of them. Just try to exorcise as many as possible, and if that's ineffective we'll think of another plan." "John and Bou-san, go here, okay?" Naru passed the memo regarding the cursed desk victim's hospitalization to them. "If a spirit is there, do you want us to exorcise it?" Naru nodded to John in response. The foreigner's hair was a fair, gold color, and his eyes were blue like the sky. When we first met, he spoke with a Kansai accent. (At that time I thought if he were to keep talking that way, it'd be like listening to a different kind of Japanese.) "And now, Hara-san." "Please just call me by my first name, Masako. I don't mind." The clad-in-kimono Masako smiled with her round, red, doll-like lips. "Always making that request." Who was that, that voice just now. It seems like Masako really likes Naru. Someone with a graceful appearance. Someone with strong attacks. Other than Masako, the only other person capable of such a sarcastic remark is... Naru let out a small sigh. "Please take a look around the school. For the time being, perform an exorcism in the art preparation room. Afterwards, do the same thing for the seat that's causing accidents and for the locker room in the track and field team. Matsuzaki-san, please accompany her. If you encounter any spirits, please exorcise them." "I wanted you to call me by my first name too, but you didn't care, remember?" Ayako pressed. Naru's cold gaze met with hers. "If you have the energy to joke around, then I would really rather see your exorcising abilities. How about gradually showing us your exorcism skills so we can respect you?" ...That's right. Why did you sigh to Masako when she asked a question, and why did you retort back to Ayako? Ayako complained about this too: "What the hell. Why do you discriminate between me and Masako?" "She is capable, so I'm only giving her the respect she deserves." "You make it sound like I'm not capable at all, although I do regret that I have not been able to prove myself yet, can't you at least show me a little respect?" ...Yeah, that's true. Ayako barely showed her exorcism skills. Suddenly, Ayako glared at me. "Just then, you said that in your mind." "Be polite to your elders, okay?" "Hand over the driver's seat in the car[1], okay?" "Hey, you" I grumbled. "Aren't you being irresponsible?" Naru's cold, matchless voice sounded, "If you two want to play, then how about going home?" "...I'm sorry." Afterwards, Naru glared at Ayako and me. "I see." There were some receivers lined up on the table. "Please take one. Here, Mai will be able to receive information. As long as you are on school grounds, the signal will get through." We will use the night vision camera as well as the thermograph. The psychics will have to rely on their sixth sense and receivers for ghost hunting. "Got it." Ayako nodded reluctantly. "What about you? What will you do, Naru?" I asked. "I will continue to investigate with Lin." "I see," I said. "Good luck. I hope things go well." Followed by a completely sarcastic tone. "Don't get your hopes up." ...So am I the only one not doing anything? Oh, wellthat's just the way things are, I guess. Those were some clearly confident orders. Exactly what a prestigious narcissist would say. Ayako glared at Naru. "Masako, let's go!" she declared. Masako was violently dragged out of the room. This acted as a cue for the rest of the members to stand up and leave. I sat down in front of the large receiver. I hope this case runs smoothly. Even though I was thinking that way, I still had to organize the information that we collected yesterday.

I organized a large amount of notes regarding the incidents, their locations, and what happened according to the witnesses. I quickly started on my tedious task and ordered them into a big folder. I don't have psychic powers, so of course things turned out this way. Still, I can't help but feel that this everyday routine is a chore. Yeah, even once would be good; I just want to look cool performing an exorcism. ...Then Naru might also take a good look at meNo, that will never happen, right? The social difference between a CEO and a part-time worker is too great. It was certainly something to think about. Alone, I grumbled to myself when all of a sudden, The conference room door opened. ".........!" Shocked, I shot up from my seat. Takahashi-san looked even more surprised than me. "...You surprised me..." I uttered. "Same here. ...I didn't think that would happen. Where's Norio?" "Who?" Norio...who's that? "Takigawa-san." "Bou-san? So 'Norio' is basically just Bou-san's nickname?" "It's written as 'Hounama', but read as 'Norio' , but it looks like it's right. But it isn't, right? Are you the only one here?" "Yes. Bou-san left to do some exorcisms. Would you like to sit down?" "I'll sit." Giggling, Takahashi-san energetically entered the room and sat down with a pat. What a friendly person. "Here's some tea. How's class?" I asked. "Thanks. ...We have to teach ourselves the material because our teacher is in the hospital." "Since a lot of our teachers have been hospitalized, everything is self-taught. I feel grateful. By the way, Taniyama-san, I think that's about it." "Please, just call me Mai." "Well then, you can call me Taka. Everyone calls me that." "Okay." I guess I can call her Taka-san even though she's my senior. "Mai, why are so many incidents happening here?" "Work." "It's a strange job." "If you could be understanding, why do these incidents keep occurring?" "Of course, you can talk about it. I'll listen to you." Hee hee hee. I really like this person. "Actually" I talked about the circumstances of the case as I arranged the notes. Taka-san also helped out. "Well, life is tough, isn't it?" "Guess so." "Well, it's a good thing this job isn't dangerous, y'know?" "It's not a job where you feel at ease though, right?" "So they're not hauntings?" "Right now we're not sure." "Is that so" I decided I liked her strange manners. Like a boy, she crossed her arms. "What's wrong with this school. Must be because it's a really haunted school. Curses, ghosts, and psychic powers. If an UFO comes along..." ...Eh? "Taka-san, what did you say just now?" "It's Taka. It's all because of this huge assembly gathering on psychic powers. The existence of curses, ghosts, and psychic abilities..." "Stop! Who's this person with psychic powers?" "Oh, you didn't hear about it? It's Kasai Chiaki." "Oh." Taka tilted her head. "In this school, there's a third year. She has psychic powers." "Whaa?" "It's Kasai Chiaki-san. Lately there have been these TV programs. Programs about spoon bending. Spoons were being bent." ...I see. "I think it immediately started right after summer vacation. It became really popular overnight. A lot of people went and saw her do it. I went and saw it too. Anyhow, the craze soon died down." Taka chuckled. "Bending the spoon by the neck. It's amazing. I was really impressed by it, but some people believed it was fake. And then, for a while it became a hot topic. The school became divided up into believers and non-believers. Spoon bending became popular for a moment, but..." "But what?" "Things became serious. Even the teachers were dragged into the strangeness. Everyone wanted to put an end to this and find out whether or not it is fake, so Kasai-san was asked to go to the stage in a morning assembly." "...And that's when things got worse." "Then Kasai-san's friend, Sawaguchi-san, lost her temper. Her friend became an overwhelming figure when that happened. And then the guidance counselor, Yoshino, asked Kasai-san to bend a key in order to prove her powers." "Did everyone see it?" "Yes. In the assembly in front of the entire school." "Hehh." Mysterious... "And then well, the teachers and Sawaguchi-san attacked Kasai-san. Saying stuff like, psychic powers don't exist, you're trying to escape reality, this is fake, how dreadful. Seriously." It was a very likely reaction. "And now Sawaguchi-san refuses to go to school. And also, Kasai-chan became furious. She said 'I'll curse you to death' to the teacher. It became hectic." Wow. This is a serious matter. "And he lectured specifically on this matter in the school assembly, saying there's no such things as psychic powers or ghosts. He and his long speech." "Poor him." "I feel bad for him too. Thank you. But, since then, strange things have been happening, and people have been talking. It's only gossip, but there have been some talk that it's because of Kasai-san's curse." "How unlucky..." What's happening here? Psychic abilities and curses and rumors... I took the mike. "Naru, Naru. Can you hear me?" While calling him, I heard some static, as well as some other common sounds. "What." "Come back. You see, I found some useful information." There was some static in the background. "Come back now," I repeated.

After Naru listened to Taka's explanation, he contemplated. "...I don't know the details about it, but..." Taka replied. "How are those two now?" he asked. "Well, I don't know, butSawaguchi-san rarely comes to school. Sometimes Kasai-san would be invited to do new things, but lately that hasn't been happening at all. After she was made fun of in the morning assembly, Kasai-san rarely talks now. The thing is, everyone wants to see what tricks she used. Though this is what you'd expect." "I see..." "If I remember correctly, Kasai-san and Sawaguchi-san were both in the Biology Club. Kasai-san might still be in school. She should be in the room where the Biology club was in, the Bio-preparation room." "Thank you. We'll go there and take a look. Mai, come on." "Okay..." Regarding work, Naru takes his job seriously, which is why he's such an expert. After a crude explanation on using the equipment, he let Taka moniter the machines. He took me along with him, and I left the conference room behind me. The Biology preparation room was lined up with some other science courses. It was in the class right beside the lab room. As we approached the door, we heard voices coming from inside. The moment Naru knocked, the voices came to a halt. "Yes?" A woman's voice. Naru opened the door. "Excuse me for intruding, but would Kasai-san be here?" There were some desks and shelves inside, along with a schoolgirl and a female teacher. After hearing the name "Kasai", the pair's expressions changed immediately. "What business do you have here?" asked the teacher. The teacher looked at Naru. She was a young schoolteacher with a gentle voice. She listened with business-like attention to Naru. "I want to speak with Kasai-san. Are you Kasai Chiaki-san?" he asked. When Naru saw the girl, she stared back at him. "...Now what?" It was clearly hostility. It was the first time the girl saw Naru. "The principal had called us in. I'm Shibuya from 'Shibuya Psychic Research'." Kasai-san turned her head to face us. She wore an expression of disinterest. The teacher looked slightly embarrassed. "...Please take a seat. I'm Ubusuna Kei, the Biology teacher." "Ubusuna...It's quite an unusual name," Naru commented. Ubusuna-sensei smiled gently in response. "Since it's about Kasai-san... That must mean you want to hear about the incident in September." "Yes. I would like to ask her about the circumstances." Ubusuna-sensei, what now? She looked at Kasai-san's direction. "I don't want to." Kasai-san's face was turned away from us. "It has nothing to do with me. Leave me alone." "But, you should talk to them so that they don't misunderstand," the teacher coaxed. "........." Kasai-san looked outside the window. "I don't want to. They're just call me a liar." Ubusuna-sensei walked over to Kasai-san. "They're paranormal researchers. The CEO will not dismiss what you have to say." The teacher tried to get Kasai-san to answer. Then she let out a small sigh. "...Well? What do you want to ask about?" the girl finally said. "I heard that you're connected to the strange incidents happening in the school from a student here. You also had an argument with your friend, Sawakuchi-san." "I have nothing to do with the incidents happening in the school. Mizuo also" "Mizuo? Do you mean Sawakuchi-san?" Naru asked. "Yes. Sawakuchi Mizuo. Lately she hasn't been coming to school. She shuts himself in her room and refuses to go out or even answer the phone. I didn't make her do that, because I didn't even meet with her this month." Naru nodded slightly. "Sawakuchi-san heard about the mysterious power you had and made an announcement to the entire school in the morning gathering." "...That's right. But she didn't believe it." It's amazing how humans are not to be trusted. The hair on Kasai-san's whole body practically ruffled up. "Can you bend spoons?" Upon hearing Naru's voice, she gave him a stern stare. "Yes I can. You probably don't believe it, and you must think I'm being selfish." "You don't need all the commotion around you, isn't that right?" A biting, suppressed smile spread onto Kasai-san's features. "After all...You don't believe in psychic powers anyway, right?" she pressed. "Why would I? Even I can bend a spoon." Eh? Ubusuna-sensei, I and even Kasai-san were shocked as we stared at Naru. "You can?" the girl asked. "I can. There are no paranormal researchers that do not believe in PK." "Can you do it easily?" "...Yes..." And then without any warning, the girl immediately said, "Show me." As he stood up, the glass on the shelf pierced into him as he reached for a spoon. ...Naru, are you okay?! Naru accepted the spoon from the girl. There was a complicated look on his face. He seemed to be hesitating. "Can you do it? Can you really?" If Naru can't do it, then Kasai-san won't trust us. And then we won't be able to hear the entire story. However, if she's already changed into that kind of person, then she won't be able to trust anyone else. Naru's glance fell toward the spoon. He looked at the spoon, then at Kasai-san. "I wonder if you do not know how." He muttered something. As the tip of his finger touched the spoon, the spoon's neck became bent and fell down. Clink! The sound of the metal echoed throughout the room. We quietly took in a breath. Then he handed the headless spoon, which was now a mere stick, to Kasai-san. She timidly accepted the bent spoon. "Amazing..." "Do you believe me now?" "...Yes." Kasai-san tightly grasped the spoon handle.

"It all started when I saw this TV program in the Summer," Kasai-san said. "I just happened to see this late night program about spoon bending. I ended up thinking about it afterwards, and I tried to bend one by myself." The girl picked up the fallen head of the spoon and joined it to the handle. This created a five degree angle. "I don't have anything amazing to show you though, not at my level." Shrugging her shoulders, she tossed the broken spoon onto Ubusuna-sensei's desk. "The next day, Mizuo bought spoons and called lots of people. Then I bent the spoon, though I couldn't do it as easily as you. It took me a long time to bend the spoon in one shot." ".........?" Kasai-san stopped talking to Naru. Ubusuna-sensei then continued for her. "Back in the day, a psychic named Uri Geller appeared in a broadcasting. Some of the viewers began to bend spoons, and that's when this whole commotion about psychic powers started. Those who discovered their psychic powers back then were called 'Gellerini'." "You know this very well." Ubusuna-sensei smiled. Naru directed his question to Kasai-san. "Can you still bend it?" he asked. Kasai-san's expression seemed constrained. Naru's words appeared to send her a challenge. "Of course I can!" Kasai-san shouted as she grabbed another spoon. Her right hand grasped the spoon in front of her face, as her left hand reached out for the spoon's neck. "Are you okay?" I asked. Naru was silent while the girl stared intently at the spoon. The tip of her finger touched the spoon. However, her power seemed to concentrate in her shoulders. Focusing her mind and feelings, she stooped forward. Her body was almost completely bent forward into the chair. "Don't do that." Naru gripped Kasai-san's shoulder. The girl shot him an unhappy look. Her face was pale. "...What." "I know what you're doing. When you do that, you're doing the same thing some of the Gellerini did." ...What things? Kasai-san's face was white as Ubusuna-sensei turned around. "...Sorry. But this child isn't lying. It's just, sometimes she can't bend it," Ubusuna-sensei explained. ...You say so, but we didn't see that. "...Um," I timidly cutted into their conversation. Naru slowly turned around. "That was a trick. While your body was bent, you tried to bend the spoon with the chair." "Ehh." "Placing the spoon into your shadow, you'd bend itagainst the hard edge of the chair." What? Naru's eyes were serious as he spoke. "The majority of the Gellerini nearly lost all their psychic powers in a short amount of time. As a result, they had to resort to tricks in order to cover up the loss of their powers. Some of the Gellerini were caught and labeled as impostors. Right then, it looked like you used one of the typical tricks that the Gellerini used." ......... "But I really can bend it!" Kasai-san shouted. "If you are caught using that kind of trick, you will lose your credibility. Got it?" "...Yes." "The Gellerini's powers were terribly unstable. Every paranormal researcher knows this fact. If you can't do it, then just say you can't do it. Don't pay any attention to those people who do not believe because they never believed in psychic powers from the beginning." "I understand." "Because of the Gellerini, Shelby Meyer of Switzerland also had a worldwide reputation from her PK. ...Never again was it given such recognition." Kasai-san looked small. "I'm the one who taught her that." Ubusuna-sensei placed a hand by her mouth as she apologized. "Some teachers put her in situations where she had to bend spoons to prove her powers. Kasai-san's powers are unstable...Everybody's suspicion grew stronger, and they wanted to make her cower." Naru nodded. "You are a very understanding teacher." Ubusuna-sensei didn't answer, but smiled slightly instead. Kasai-san spoke in a low voice, "...Lately, I haven't been able to bend spoons." "That's possible." "I talked to Kei-sensei, and she taught me that trick. I haven't been able to bend spoons recently. Even if I can do it, I only bend it slightly, so I use that method instead." "...I see." "...Mizuo constantly taunted me. I learned how to concentrate on bending spoons from Kei-sensei, and I practiced it. So then I tried to use that method hastily, but I can't do it at all." "What about Sakauchi-san? Did he think you could really do it?" "...Mmm, he kept finding fault in me. He did that countless times. And then...in September, I was called to the front of the school in the morning assembly The guidance counselor, Yoshino-sensei, came and went on about how psychic powers is nonsense, and then he complained about me being an idiot and a lowly woman. At that time, Mizuo got angry because I could do it, and he told me off." "You bent the teacher's key..." "Yes. It was Yoshino-sensei's car key. And that's just the beginning. But, I opposed the teacher in front of everyone, y'know? Since then, the teacher's criticism was relentless... I became quiet, and coming to school has been hard with all the gossip. But Kei-sensei has been nice to me despite all the criticism she has to face. Just what is the Biology Club doing, and other stuff like that. The members of the club have been sending me glares, and afterwards a lot of them left the club. I...made them quit the club. That's why I've been idle lately; I just can't help but think about this." After Naru listened to what Kasai-san said, she stuck out her tongue. "I see. Did you also say: 'I'll curse you to death'? "After he said all those mean things to me, I flew into a rage. I couldn't help but get angry." "So you were just saying it?" Naru said to Kasai-san and Ubusuna-sensei as he looked at them. "It's possible that...something like cursing him to death would be hard to do." "Yes, that's right," Naru agreed in a dull voice.

When Naru and I returned to the conference room, we heard lively voices from inside. Everyone had returned. "Did they just come back from exorcising?" I asked casually. "Mai." "What." "I have a favor to ask of you." ...F-f-f-f-f-favor?! Naru wants a favor from meeeee?! "...P-, please go on." "About my bending the spoon earlier." "Yeah?" "Keep it a secret from everybody." "Why? It was amazing." "Please. Especially from Lin." ...Wha. O-okay. But why? I really want to ask him about the details. But Naru looked truly worried, so I decided to let the matter drop. "Of course," I assured him. It's not bad to have the upper hand for once. I'm grateful, Naru. Light-headed, I bowed slightly, while Naru opened the door to the conference room. For a moment, he looked like his real age. But just as quickly, the expression reverted back to his beautiful, emotionless state. Inside, Ayako and Bou-san were in the middle of a lover's quarrel. "Why are you so incapable and useless?" asked Bou-san. "How am I useless!" As usual, their relationship seemed good. "What's the problem?" Naru asked as Ayako looked the other way. "...What's wrong?" I absently asked Taka and Bou-san in a cheerful voice as I turned to face them. "Instead of helping out, this idiot is doing nothing but standing around, not to mention trying to run away as well." "Where did you guys go?" I asked. "The room with the poltergeist." Oh. "Hold on a sec', Ayako, you're being reckless as usual, aren't you," I remarked. Ayako shot a cold glare at me. "It's not a joke! It was scary! Because I was like hey, and then Masako said that nothing was there..." "Just to be on the safe side, shouldn't we exorcise all of them, since we don't know what to expect?" "If only she weren't such a flirt. Anyway, it's because Masako said nothing was there," Ayako grumbled as she faced John. "But...that can't be," murmured the boy with sunlight-colored hair and a white bandage. "John! Why's that?!" "Ah, is that it? It's nothing important. It only happened for a short time anyway," John chuckled as he turned to Bou-san's side. "A spear was thrown at us." ...A spear. "By spear, do you mean the kind of spear in spear throwing?!" "...That's right." "But, in reality it's because someone was trying to hurt us." ...But isn't that really dangerous?! Naru's calm voice boomed like thunder. "Can you be more specific?" Suddenly looking worried, John turned to Bou-san for help. "When we were coming back from outside, we opened the door and looked into the track and field team room and saw a spear flying towards us. Of course, no one else was in the room," Bou-san explained. ...It was that dangerous... Moreover, is the bandage the reason to aim at their heads? Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Naru replied in a hard voice, "And? Did you eventually get some exorcisms done?" Ayako decided to be mean. "...Masako said that she has not seen even one ghost around the school..." Naru looked back at Masako. "...Is that true?" "Yes." Masako looked up and nodded. Her face was brimming with confidence. "...That can't be." "But there aren't any. I thoroughly looked all around the school, and there were also no spirits in other places." Bou-san interjected, "You'd expect there to be spirits here, right? But there aren't any at all. It's natural to think that since this is where the curse is taking place. And because four accidents had already occurred, more will continue." "Then they're deceiving us," Masako stated. "The whole school?! Stop joking." "It's a fact." The deathly silent Masako turned the other way. Naru looked at Masako and let out a sigh. Then Bou-san and John both asked, "Over here? Why?" "Maybe they're failing. No one looks happy here." ...Could that be it? Yeesh. I wonder if I can just believe that. John looked a bit apologetic, "But that girl who was possessed can't be faking it. The exorcisms weren't effective. Takigawa-san and I alternated our exorcisms numerous times, but in the end we had to struggle to do it, and they came back anyway." "I see..." Naru appeared to be deep in thought. "These extremely strong spirits are very lucky now. Tomorrow, if that girl calms down, you can ask her questions again." "No, it's okay," Naru dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "Go see the girl at the hospital." Bou-san looked confused. "The hospital... You don't mean the one in the neurology section?" "What's wrong?" "Oi, oi." "Doing something like that. It's not the ghost's fault though." Followed by an emotionless voice: "What seems to be an evil spirit could just be a neurotic disease. In actuality, when consulting a neurologist, there would be many symptoms and different methods to deal with them. Of course, we can't just deny the possibility of possession. If the girl so far as goes to a temple, then the counselor would be concerned, right? One would assume the possession is responsible for a hysterical personality." "Ah..." ...What do those difficult words mean? Ayako also looked confused. "Sometimes a hysteria fit will look as if the victim is possessed by a spirit. This could be the case with her, right?" Bou-san replied. "So you think it was a hysteria fit? Hysteria could be the cause..." Naru nodded. "That could be the reason. It could just be a misunderstanding." "Huh...?" Naru turned towards the priestess and me. "'Hysteria' is a medical term. It could be an explanation. The girl, however, was relaxed and not serious at all. So as a matter of fact, it's the exact opposite. 'Hysteria' is a term used in nerve medicine. Generally the term 'hisuterii'[2] is used... The word 'hisu' is derived from that word. 'Hysteria' alone can be the cause, which means that one could say 'hisu' is the cause." "Oh. I've heard of that before." "Someone with hysteria would try to suppress their extreme desires, instead of carrying them out. Apart from an explosion, I can't think of a way to place a limit on all these strange occurrences." ...My poor brain was not excited. Bou-san said, "So what you're saying is this? For example, if a girl really likes a guy, society will always view the guy as a lecher. I always limit variations." ...Hey hey Bou-san, what kind of example is that. Naru shrugged. "It's the closest thing I could think of even though it is a bit different," the monk admitted. "Basically, I'm saying that most couples break up instead. Well, if I say something difficult, then Mai wouldn't understand, so I simplified it..." ...That's too much help right there. Please if it's because of the suppression, then I also think the suppression caused hysteria. "The superego would be influenced by others and changed as a result. 'Convulsions' would be considered typical. Someone may want to behave violently, but then suppress the feeling so that he or she doesn't explode in anger. In this case, 'Convulsions' would be one of the many symptoms." "Ohh." "As for that girl, she might be possessed by a spirit. She was suppressed, although this could hold true for all Japanese students. She did the Kokkuri and is now seized with the idea that 'it's a curse'. Thinking about that brought about the trigger for her bout of hysteria. Generally she'd explode on her parents or teachers. The spirit possessing her had distorted her mind. She behaves as if she were possessed. If she unconsciously acts possessed at home, she would be calm there." Oh... "So what are you trying to say?" Bou-san asked Naru. "Unless she's possessed by a spirit, she has hysteria?" "I fear that's the case. If she gets visitors while she's in the hospital, then things would be clear." "Then what about the others? What about the hand coming out of the desk and the knocking sounds? Are all those due to sicknesses too?" Bou-san looked back at Masako, who had a look of satisfaction on her face. "...So there are no ghosts here." Naru shrugged. "If I were a neurologist, I'd conclude that there is a mass breakout of hysteria in this school..." He muttered something, and then glanced down at his feet. "You can't think anymore?" asked the monk. Hearing that, I instinctively listened. "Ah, Mai didn't know? Even though things may appear this way, as a parapsychologist this is my conviction." ...Sorry about that. For the most part, I was listening.

"What a troublesome case..." Naru said as he looked out the window. John nodded in agreement. "So its come to this." "Really?" Bou-san asked in a persistently carefree manner. Naru shot Bou-san a disdainful stare. "Out of all the complaints weve received, how many do you think actually happened?" "Well, at a glance there seems to be some misunderstandings," the monk responded. "Strange incidents continue to occur in this school. No one feels comfortable anymore, and everyone feels like prisoners," John said to Naru. "Since everyone feels so uneasy and frightened, they might experience hallucinations. This could be the reason why the girl possessed by a fox spirit became such a wreck. I know this sounds vague, but something similar to a curse must be causing thisAt least, thats what I think. If this situation continues, the uneasiness will increase, and people will believe the school is haunted or that theres a curse. And then the clumsier people may panic." "Right," Naru agreed. "We cant determine whether or not these incidents are due to spiritual phenomena because of all the possible exceptions and the sheer amount of incidents that has occurred. Moreover...even if thats true, the amount is still abnormal. There must be a reason behind all this despite the fact that incidents only occur to those related to the school. Still, I havent the slightest idea what those reasons could be..." Everyone seemed deep in thought. "Now the only one we can rely on is Hara-san..." Naru muttered indifferently. Hara-san raised an eyebrow before responding, "...There are no spirits in this school." Naru let out a sigh upon hearing Masakos voice. "...So thats your conclusion. Have we reached a dead end this soon?" "Maybe Masako is right?" asked Ayako. Masako turned towards her. "Matsuzaki-san is undoubtedly correct." "Exactly. However you think about it, if the ghosts arent there, then theres no way they are the cause." Ayakos remark was thickly coated in sarcasm. Masako turned toward Naru. "Kazuya-san believes me, right?" Right. I... Im absolutely disgusted with you saying "Kazuya-san" like that. I hate it when you do that! And then I instinctively replied, "Well thats obvious, isnt it?" Everyones gaze fell onto me. Especially Masakos sharp one. "...Why can Taniyama-san say that? As for the *freebie, please be quiet." Freebie?! Freebie?! Youre infuriating me on purpose. Youre making me lose it. Just because I carelessly let slip something. "There are spirits here. Its just that, Masako cant sense them," I stated. Masako began to laugh. "Taniyama-sans spiritual ability is non-existent." "But, they do exist here. I can feel it in the atmosphere." Ahh, some words can be bought. "Such talk is meaningless." Masako giggled as Ayako raised her voice. "I agree with Mai." ...Ayako? "I think so too," came another voice. Masako scowled at us. "There arent any here. I believe I am correct." "Really? If there were ghosts here, what would you do?" asked Ayako. "In one way or another, everything will be okay," Masako replied. "So, from now on, youll stop helping Naru with his cases, right?" the older woman challenged. ...What are you talking about, you. We forgot about our situation and just stared at her with blank looks on our faces. There was a faint smile on Masakos face. "Ara, Matsuzaki-san, why must you speak so roughly?" "Theres a problem with this team." ...A problem with the team? You mean from the very beginning? Masako replied, "Its okay. I get it. Because of this change, I win. Kazuya-san is mine." Naru struck the desk, the sound echoing throughout the room. "Dont just do what you want and bet on others like that!" ...Look out. Hes angry. Naru was clearly in a bad mood. "I know what Hara-san is saying, and I know what Mai is saying too. But we cant tell whose judgment is correct as of now, so this argument is pointless. This case is meaningless," he stated ruthlessly. ...This is how Naru acts when hes angry. If anything, this was quite natural for him. Masako and Ayako turned around. Ayako stomped towards her acquaintance, John, her shoes clanking against the floor. "John, lets get back to work! We should quickly exorcise the spirits." "Huh...? That..." "Well! Lets go!" ...Poor John. He was dragged out of the room by Ayako again. Bou-san scratched his head. "...Ill get back to work too..." He went out the door. Masako spoke to Naru and proceeded to shoot me a glance before walking out. Now the only ones left behind were a very confused Taka, me, a bored Naru, and an expressionless Lin-san. Naru was casually looking out the window, his bitter expression still in place. "...If only," he murmured. "Eh?" When no reply came, I shook my head. "If only...a psychic with abilities that we can trust were here. Lin, lets get back to work as well." "Okay." Naru and Lin also left the room. Stiff and dazed, Taka sighed. "Is it always like that?" "...Yeah." "Mai constantly undergoes hardships." "You think so?" I asked. "Of course. If it were me, no one would be able to rely on this service anymore." "...For a moment, I was thinking the same thing." "Dont feel bad about it." Taka gently patted my head, comforting me for the moment.

Chapter 3Onibi /

It was raining after class. We were in the middle of a tea break during a late meeting in the conference room. During the meeting, Naru made a fuss about being an idiot and not telling everyone about Kasai-san's case. I heard him, but I wasn't really listening. Instead, I had looked out the window and watched the rain fall. The monotonous rain made me feel gloomy. I thought about that, knowing today was one unlucky day. There are two possibilities. The first possibility is that someone (a criminal) is responsible for this. With the exception of divine intervention, I think it could just be that everyone is having a hard time. The rain softly came down like were strings of silver. The clouds darkened the sky, which created a depressing mood. And then the next thing I knew, I was in an amusement park. Why am I in an amusement park? ...Of course, this is a dream. It was a small amusement park. I was filled with excitement. I realized this place looked familiar. It looked just like the amusement park my mom had once taken me to. I was standing in the front of a mirror house. In the middle was a glass mirror, and around it was a maze. That's right. When I was young, I would cry in that mirror house. When I saw my reflection in the mirrors, my reflection was scary so I'd cry. But now it's alright because I'm grown up. I used to roll up my sleeves and jump into the mirror house. I would go through the continuous maze. It wasn't necessary to go through the maze, but I went anyway. The maze was a reflection of the mirror. I had walked and walked. It was just my shadow and me. I had walked to the middle of the maze. For some strange reason, I was rushed and clumsy, which is why I had slammed into the glass. What's with this huge maze anyway! The maze was getting darker and darker. Ah, that's why. This maze darkens as time passes. While thinking about this, I could no longer see my feet. The only available light was the light reflected by the mirror. What do I do? There's no exit. As I feared, he didn't come! I started to run. My reflection also ran. Hundreds of me turned and ran, but in the midst of all, only one shadow wasn't moving. I aimed at it. That must be the clue to get out of this maze. I rushed towards the unmoving shadow. ...Naru. In the darkness, Naru was there, completely clothed in black. Only his hands and face were pale as moonlight. "It's impossible to get out," I told Naru. Without saying anything, he pointed at something to his side. His pale fingers left a white trail in the darkness. I could see the tip of his finger. That's...the school. The inside of the school was inversed black and white, like a photographic negative. The wall was black, while the blackboard was white. The wall and floor had a white outline, but other than that they were transparent. This was the school's shadow. And that's an unripe will-o-wisp. There were pale, clear will-o-wisps scattered throughout the entire school. In the darkness, I stared at them fixedly, placing all my attention on them. "What's...that?" I asked Naru as I looked up at him. Naru answered, "You'll understand." ...I'll understand? So that's it. Of course, I get it now. That will-o-wisp has evil intentions. Furthermore, it's not of this world. I shivered. There were countless will-o-wisps. All of them were evil. I couldn't help but watch them. They exhibited a cold color. As I was watching them, they flashed little by little. Gradually the scene became blurry and normal colors came into place again. I could clearly see a wall. "...?" A wall. A very pale green wall. I was surrounded by a strange wall on all sides. "Mai!" What?! I lifted my head and saw Naru. There was a harsh expression on his face. "Just now, you were asleep, weren't you?" Eh? Asleep? ...Of course. Huh?! I looked around to see everyone's cold eyes piercing at me. "I'm sorry. I did fall asleep." A...awkward. "You were completely sound asleep with your eyes open." "Sorry..." Naru looked at me with cold eyes. "Are you my assistant? Or are you a hindrance?" ...W-, why you. "Hold on a moment, why are you being so mean! I was sleepy so I couldn't help it. I didn't sleep well because I kept thinking about this case. It's not like I fell asleep while driving!" Naru sent me another icy stare. "You've become aggressive, haven't you?" "It's a perfectly natural response. Congressmen that bear the burden of the fate of an entire country have to sleep. Even people who have to complete difficult tasks that are as smart as the president have to sleep. So there's nothing bad about a mere, low-class person like me being asleep." "...Wonderful, you've distorted my words." "Oh dear, you've made the director upset," Matsazuki-san taunted. "I'm fine," Naru replied. ...Really. "With that kind of personality, you won't be living a long life," Naru pressed on. ...This guy, this guy, this guy! Ahhow refreshing. You may have a sharp tongue, but you're very capable. On top of that, you're also quite handsome! If you had a good personality, it would be too good to be true, and you'd be the one suffering an early death, wouldn't you! Naru's gaze fell onto my direction, and soon everyone else's did the same thing. "Let's forget about this foolishness," Naru said. "We must return to the topic at hand." So sleeping is just foolishness? I'd like to see you say that while marching to Capitol Hill. [1].

Naru lightly tapped the table with his finger. "I don't know whether or not Kasai-san's situation is related to this case..." Ayako leaned towards him. "Well, how much faith do you place on that child, Kasai?" "I believe her." "Heh." Ayako's cruel eyes flashed. "Well I think she's lying. Please, as if she can actually bend spoons." ?? "Isn't spoon bending fake?" I asked, "It's not, right? Spoon bending isn't just a magic trick." I wasn't sure though. But it's probably safer to ask Ayako instead of Bou-san or John. "So is it?" I asked. John nodded. "Right. Uri Geller started spoon bending. Uri Geller is the best psychic of the century...his supernatural powers were shown to the public. He had PK, clairvoyance, and prediction abilities similar to that of a prophet. He made the impossible possible. Geller was everywhere when it came to spoon bending. All the children saw him do it too." "Um, you mean the Gellerini? "Yes, that's right. But the Gellerini had unstable powers. When they lost their powers, they would rely on magic tricks. Some of them were exposed as cheaters. "I see." "Because of that, some people began to doubt Geller's ability." "They doubted Uri Geller?" "Yeah. At that time, America's Society of Parapsychology had publicly announced that Uri Geller was a fake. That incident left such a strong impression on people that everyone now believes spoon bending is fake." "But John, did you think Uri Geller's powers were real?" John put on a tired smile. "Not really... It's just, he was too showy. At any rate, they were just illusions[2] that garnered more attention than they deserved." "Illusion?" "Um...basically it's accomplished by using lots of magic tricks. Like making airplanes and trucks disappear." "Ah, I get it now." Listening in, Bou-san leaned towards us. "I think Geller was a fake too." "Why?" I asked. "Hmm. Psychic ability...if it's the ability of sensing hidden things, hearing noises, or seeing things, then that's the ability to sense things that shouldn't be there. Geller was well-received at first, but he was later in a bind. He could do everything, but there was still something strange about him," the monk admitted. "Right," John nodded. "There are two types of psychic abilities, ESP and PK. ESP is extrasensory perception, a special ability in which one can perceive things that normal people cannot. There are two branches of ESP: clairvoyance and telepathy." "I see." "PK stands for psychokinesis. It's an ability that normal people do not have. Basically it's the power to move objects with your mind... Generally psychics fall into one of these classifications: PK or ESP. Occasionally someone will be a mix of each, but most people will fall into just one of those categories." Bou-san nodded. "Edgar Cayce Jean Dickson is an amazing clairvoyant, but I've never heard of him bending a spoon before. Likewise, Nina Kulagina has strong PK powers, but I've never heard of her having ESP. Only Kulagina and Davis have that kind of PK power." "That's right," John agreed. "But for Uri Geller, assuming his PK was the best, was his ESP also the best too? If that's the case, then that means his power was unrestricted. However, I still think he was a fake." Ayako leaned forward. "I've always wondered about that. Why does the spoon bend? If the metal bends, then what kind of spoon is it? And if PK can bend the spoon, then is it even a spoon? Isn't that strange?" "So you're basically saying that PK is just a magic trick?" I wondered aloud. "No, that's different," Bou-san asserted. "There are three types of PK: PK-MT, PK-ST, and PK-LT." ...Wow, this is too much information. "Spoon bending would fall under the PK-ST category. It's the ability to influence stationary objects. There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding this ability. There have been many reports of frauds that claim to have this. Actually, PK-MT is considered the best ability out of all of them. This is the ability to influence moving objects, such as changing the eyes of a die as it's rolling. If you're thinking about getting a two, then you really will get a two." "Hehh." "PK-MT is also widely considered to be fake. However, the majority of people have this. This latent ability varies in power for different people." "...Do I have it too?" "Maybe. If someone has PK-ST, it doesn't necessarily mean that said person is a fake. Unlike the Gellerini's PK, Shelby Meyer's was fake. She bent a special type of metal. She seemed credible but terribly arrogant." "Huh?" "Generally, for people with psychic abilities, like Geller, would act as a magician. In that case, he would be able to perform magic without having to put up with others' complaints. But even magicians have limits. Otherwise, people would get suspicious, right? If I remember correctly, Meyer was also a magician, similar to Rolfe-something or other, but Rolfe constantly got into conflicts and fights with others. Despite this, this Rolfe magician was eventually backed up by Meyer. In other words, Meyer had confirmed his powers." "Oh" "And there was also Nina Kulagina. She was very strong. She had both PK-ST and PK-LT. PK-LT is the ability to influence living organisms, such as making them move. Such actions were often a cinch for her. She could cure illnesses with just physical contact. She stopped a frog's heart and even a human heart." "She could stop hearts?!" "Yes. During the experiment, she aroused the researcher's curiosity. If she could stop a frog's heart, then she might be able to stop a human's heart. He got a volunteer for the experiment, and eventually the volunteer's heart was in imminent danger of stopping. The doctor witnessing this was able to save him though." Oh my god "...Also, another very important figure in PK is England's Oliver Davis. He also has PK-ST. Normally, PK is used to move matchboxes, spoons, or other little objects. But there's a big gap of power between this guy and the others. Dr. Davis is more of a serious researcher than a PK-user, and as such he hasn't been publicized much. If I remember correctly, last year there was a video of him doing an experiment. In the experiment, he threw a 50-kg block of aluminum into a wall." "Wow." "But PK is just limited that way. Neither Shelby Meyer nor Oliver Davis had PK-LT either. I haven't heard of anyone being able to influence living things. Despite that...Uri Geller could do all the PK, right? On top of that, he could also use ESP. Still, he looked suspicious to me." "Oh..." Naru interposed. "Well...in any case, regarding Kasai-san's problem, for the time being, the important thing is she believed in her powers. She felt that her teacher's attack on her was quite unfair. This resulted in..." "Cursing to kill"? "Yes," Naru interposed. "That's our current situation. She can't have PK-LT like Nuna Kulagina though, right?" ...In any case, if she could stop hearts... "...That's...not possible, right?" Naru pondered the idea for a moment. "...Correct, it wouldn't happen," he clarified. "Anyway, we need to deal with our current situation. Perform some exorcisms." Everyone stood up.

As everyone left to do their exorcisms, I stayed in the conference room. I was alone and bored... Before I realized it, it was already evening. Dusk had come. The sounds of sweeping and cleaning continued for some time. Eventually there was no sign of students. With all the sounds gone, the school had really become a lonely place. I unintentionally thought about the dream I had. It was definitely about this school. The dark labyrinth. A place covered with will-o-wisps. What kind of spirits were they? "......?" I don't know. But it was just a dream. Um, how should I think about this? On the other hand, whoever is guiding me in my dreams can't exist (The Naru in my dreams comes out, talks to me and watches over me. Plus, he's always smiling). I really should get a book on dream interpretation. ...I continued to think about it. As I was tidying up the place, there was a light knock on the door. "Yes?" My voice stuttered, as we were just talking about Kasai-san a moment ago. I couldn't help but feel like I was in a flutter. "Huh? You're alone?" the girl asked. "Yeah." Her eyes swept through the room. "Can I come in?" "Yeah, come in, come in." "Thank you. ...What are you doing?" "As a good-for-nothing, I'm just arranging documents here while looking over the equipment." "How unlucky." Once again I noticed that Kasai-san was sitting in a strange position. "Heh..." What a strange thing to say. "So how're things going?" "Well, it's weird. Shibuya-san seems to think our medium's having problems," I said. "I'm different though. NaruShibuya-san, is also different. He's a ghost hunter," I clarified. "Heh, cool." I looked blankly ahead. Come to think of it, no one has ever asked me what a "ghost hunter" was. Oh yeah, Kasai-san has some psychic abilities herself so she must comprehend some of those strange things. "...But, he might actually be an Onmiyouji[3]. Ah, I'm not admiring him or anything, but it's true," I continued. Kasai-san whistled. "In that case, he's even more amazing. Hehh, to think he's an Onmiyouji too," she said. I was so moved that I was speechless. "And what about the exorcisms? Did they go well?" "Well, it seems that we have a difficult road before us. Our group's spirit medium says there are no ghosts here. We were almost fighting about it." Kasai-san raised her eyebrows. "There aren't any? Then what caused the incidents at the school?" "Yeah, well. I don't know about that. The only person in our group who can see ghosts is the medium, and she says she can't see any. We'll have to investigate from a different angle.Oh right, Kasai-san, have you seen any spirits here?" Kasai-san waved no. "No. I don't have that kind of power. I might not even have ESP." "ESP?" Does she mean the kind that everyone was talking about? "Don't tell me you don't know? ESP is a type of psychic ability. I'm no good at ESP, not at all. But I can do PK. I had no choice but to use my PK-ST. ...And that's when strange things have been happening." Kasai-san shrugged. "Wow... Kasai-san sure knows her stuff..." "Yeah. I'm just telling you what Kei-sensei told me. It's because Kei-sensei is very knowledgeable about parapsychological research." "You mean Ubusuna-sensei? Hehh, she sure is." "Yeah. That's why there were rumors of the Biology club becoming an occult club. In actuality, the club didn't really have any activities at all." Kasai-san's using the past tense. "...So how's the Biology club faring now?" "Actually it's virtually over. The only member left is me. Mizuo put an end to it." "He ended it?" I asked. Kasai-san gave a lonely smile. "What of it? It happened a long time ago. When I started bending spoons, he changed completely." "That way of thinking is unproductive. If everybody were to try their utmost for themselves only, then eventually others won't be able to influence them." Kasai-san stared back at me. "...Thank you. I feel a bit responsible though. About Mizuo, Kei-sensei, and all those things that happened afterwards..." "You don't need to think that way." Kasai-san is making that lonely smile again. "That's right. But still, Kei-sensei has been put in a difficult position too. Since she's protecting me, all the teachers are criticizing her, and even PTA is criticizing her too. During the time in which the school was split up into believers and non-believers, teachers and students alike shot her stony looks. Everyone was so mean and sarcastic to her. She ended up completely ostracized. In addition, the criticisms have been heavier lately. In any case, there are no ghosts here and no ESP, but people still claim to see ghosts here. Some students discuss these things in private with Kei-sensei." This time Kasai-san let out a real smile. "Ubusuna-sensei, right?" I asked. "Right." Kasai-san grinned. "...It's because I'm a junior. When I was attacked by the school, she came to my aid. The teaching practically came to a halt. And eventually I couldn't think anymore." "...Oh. What does Ubusuna-sensei teach?" "You don't know? She's the Biology teacher in this school." I had to gather up my thoughts for a moment. "So, about what those students were talking about..." "Eh? What?" she asked. "Even if I knew, I can't tell you. It's confidential." "Oh." Kasai-san edged closer to me. "You can go to Yoshino-sensei's house and ask him." Kasai-san seemed ready to move. I was also a bit restless. "By Yoshino-sensei, do you mean the one who humiliated you in the school morning assembly?" "Yes...that's the one." She let out a satisfactory smile. "Hehh, I see. Did he make you nervous?" "Well, about that He had dark shadows under his eyes." "Serves him right. ...No, what am I saying, this isn't right. Sorry, I couldn't help myself." "It's okay, it's okay." We furrowed our brows and laughed heartily. While laughing, I imagined a spoon in my mind. And then I bent it. So bending a spoon can change people's fates; what a warped idea. ...I couldn't help but think that way. As I talked with Kasai-san a little while longer, Taka-san came into the conference room. "Yeesh, I can't find Norio anywhere," she whined. "That sucks. Would you like some tea? I was just about to make some." "That would be nice. Kasai-senpai, nice to see you." "Same here." Kasai-san was on her toes now. She seemed wary. But Taka didn't mind. Though already cheerful, Kasai-san eventually became relaxed and opened up to us more. We were able to wipe off her seemingly unfriendly personality, and our conversation eventually became really exciting. We were even able to see her smile. "...It's been a long time si