Chapter Text
“Hey! You over there, with the hat!”
A young boy sucked in a gasp, flinching at the hand suddenly landing on his shoulder. Blonde curls entered his peripheral at the same time. He slowly looked up to see a pretty girl smiling brightly at him.
Then, her smile faltered, and his heart tittered to a stop. Oh, god, she’s mad.
What she said next made him balk.
“Wait, you’re… cute!”
…Huh?!
The next thing he knew, he was being dragged up and out of his seat, and the blonde girl introduced herself as Akamatsu Kaede. And Shuichi’s life changed for the better.
He vividly remembers how warm her hand was when she forced him to his feet. How warm it was… How warm…
Where did…
Cold.
Her warmth… her hand…
Slipping?
Where did…
…
it… go…?
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
It all started a year after Kaede died.
Shuichi met Kaede in his first year of high school. They were inseparable. Kaede would drag Shuichi to every function she could, even if he wasn’t invited. She insisted that socializing would make him less depressed in the long run— and as much as he detested it, he knew she was right. If Kaede was there, so was Shuichi. She was always there for him the way no one else was, believed in him more than anyone else did. She had passions, unlike Shuichi… She had a future.
And it was all ripped away. Violently, like snatching candy from a child’s hand before punching them in the gut.
When Kaede graduated high school, she was diagnosed with something called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as juvenile ALS.
See, the problem with this diagnosis is that Kaede was a pianist. Having control over her body was vital to playing the piano, and she was good at it. Shuichi remembered going to all of her recitals and being completely wowed, even though he knew nothing about music or technique. She was phenomenal. But then…
ALS took that all away from her.
The first sign of this disease started in her mouth. Kaede’s words became less articulated and slurred. This weakness of muscles appeared in her fingers next. Then her legs. Then her lungs. By the time she was in her third year of college, she was in a wheelchair, completely paralyzed from the waist down.
…And her dream of becoming a professional pianist died along with the nerve receptors in her hands.
Yet through it all, Shuichi watched her smile through the pain. Watched her as he wheeled her around, waving to her friends as feebly as she could manage. Watched her as her sister wheeled her across that college graduation stage, tears streaming down his face.
Watched… as her hand
so warm
became colder,
where did
slipping away from his hold.
it go?
Kaede died on the morning of June 1st at twenty-one years old.
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
“Shuichi, can you finish filing this report? It’s mostly done, but I need to clock out and go home to my kids. My wife will be pissed if I’m home late, again.”
Shuichi’s coworker— Takeda— peers over the cubicle wall to his workspace, a pleading expression on his face. Gnawing on his bottom lip, Shuichi casts a glance to the clock on his computer.
9:55 p.m.
With a sigh through his nose, Shuichi raises his hand, motioning for the file.
Takeda gasps in relief. He scrambles for the file, handing it to Shuichi. “Thank you, Saihara-san. You’re a life saver, seriously,” he breathes gratefully. “If I was home late again, I don’t think my wife would sleep with me for a month.”
That statement makes Shuichi wrinkle his nose. “...I didn’t really need to hear that last part, Takeda-san.”
His coworker laughs. “Sorry. But thank you!”
Shuichi rubs his eyes, listening to Takeda pack up his stuff and leave. Footsteps against the carpet quietly recede before fading into silence, sans the reticent hum of the lights overhead.
…And now the office is completely empty.
Now age twenty-two, Shuichi works as a private investigator at his Uncle’s detective agency.
It’s been a year since… Kaede died. Shuichi believes his grief has mostly subsided, although he has his moments. He would never say he’s over it, per se; he doesn’t think he could ever “get over” losing Kaede. But it hurts less, and that’s progress.
(If he drowns himself in work to convince himself that that’s true, no one but him has to know.)
Shuichi mostly handles small cases, just like his uncle. Infidelity, missing pets, runaway children, and so on. Most of the cases are solved within a couple days. Of course, there’s been a few that have lasted up to a week or so, but those are rare. Otherwise… Shuichi’s life is pretty bland.
He wakes up at five in the morning, loads himself up on coffee and maybe a breakfast bar, goes to work, works all day, comes back home, goes to sleep, and repeats the next day. Sometimes he’ll go for coffee with a friend… but honestly, that happens once every blue moon. While it may sound depressing, Shuichi finds his job enjoyable, so it’s really not that boring of a routine.
He really only has one friend: Momota Kaito. They were friends in high school, along with Harukawa Maki and… well, Kaede. However, after high school, he and Maki drifted apart. Kaito is the only one who he consistently talks to, and since graduating college, he hasn’t kept any other friends but him. After all, most of his friends in college were mostly Kaede’s friends. When she died, they slowly started talking to him less and less until they stopped bothering.
He wishes he could make more friends, sometimes. However, trying to grasp onto the motivation to do so is like trying to pick up a wet bar of soap.
Shuichi pushes his thoughts aside and picks his pen back up. He finishes Takeda’s file (just an infidelity— it was simple enough to complete) before continuing to his own remaining files. The sound of scribbling echoes throughout the empty room. He zones in on his work, line after line, signing, looping words, eyelids drooping. The next time he looks up, an hour has passed.
11:01 p.m.
His eyes slide down to the completed files, stacked neatly. A white paper clip is gripping onto the side of the manilla file on top.
White music notes.
Shuichi blinks slowly. A sigh trickles past his lips.
“Time to go home.”
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
Shuichi’s shoes clack against the sidewalk. It was a bit rainy today, so the roads are glistening under the yellow street lights. Few cars are on the roads. The occasional car passes by as he walks home. The woosh that comes when they do spray him in a light mist. He doesn’t heed it.
His head swims with tiredness. Maybe he overdid it today… by that last file, it seemed like the words were just sliding over his eyes rather than registering in his mind. He’ll have to do it again tomorrow, too… He picked up another missing animal case. This time, it was a pet wallaby. Somehow that’s legal to own, in Japan. Shuichi wonders how the person discovered they wanted a pet wallaby in the first place… His head is still swimming… Oh, there’s his street sign, he’s almost home…
“Shuichi.”
His vision sharpens and his shoulders tense. With a jerk of his head, Shuichi flits his eyes around the street. It takes him a full walk in a circle (clack, clack, clack) for him to realize
He’s still alone.
Shuichi swallows. “Hello?”
No response. Another car passes by. Woosh. The mist sprays him once more. He shivers.
Unsure now, he bites the inside of his cheek. I’m probably just tired.
The rest of the walk home, he’s hyperaware, but nothing else happens.
Weird.
Something similar happens the next day.
Shuichi gets up at five, as usual. He’s buttoning his shirt in the mirror and looks down, struggling with one of the buttons for a moment. When he glances up, another set of eyes is staring at him in the mirror.
Wide eyed. Angry.
“AH!” Shuichi yells. He jumps back from the mirror, spins around and—
No one’s there.
He snaps back around to look in the mirror again. No more angry, widened eyes.
He breathes harshly, frozen in place. Shaking his head, Shuichi places a hand on his chest, his heart beating rapidly under his palm.
“I’m just…” he reassures himself, “tired.”
He continues getting ready, his eyes glued warily to his mirror.
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
Over the course of the next week, similar experiences occur, and it’s really starting to freak Shuichi out.
While he was at work, the sensation of cold air wrapped around him, like a pair of arms.
Someone blew air into his ear, but when he swiveled around, no one was there.
Wide eyes stared at him out of his peripheral vision, and it took all of his willpower not to acknowledge them.
The last straw is when he’s trying to go to sleep and he feels something grab his foot.
Hell no!?
By the end of the week, Shuichi feels like he’s losing his mind. He’s thoroughly creeped out, and he has no explanation for these weird happenings. He’s losing his patience for it and quickly.
That Saturday, Shuichi dials Kaito’s number for what seems like the first time in ages.
He and Kaito are on speaking terms, but after high school they sorta just… drifted apart. While Shuichi graduated last year, Kaito went to college to become a part of JAXA, so he still has another year of school left. However, he should be back in town for the summer.
Shuichi is almost surprised when he picks up the phone.
“... Hello? Shuichi?”
“Uh, hello, Kaito,” Shuichi greets stiffly.
“Hey, dude! It’s been a while since we’ve talked!” Kaito yells cheerfully into the phone. “Uhh, haha, you like, never call me, bro. What’s up?”
Shuichi winces at that last part. He does feel guilty for never bothering to text Kaito, but he was never known for his ability to communicate (outside of work, anyway).
“Yeah, sorry about that. I was just wondering if you’d want to meet up? You’re back in town for the summer, right?”
Kaito gasps loudly, making Shuichi flinch a little. “Hell yeah, bro! I’d love to meet up! We should totally meet up at this one coffee place I’ve been wanting to go to! It’s called…”
They chat on the phone for a while longer before Kaito has to go. They agreed to meet tomorrow morning at nine o’clock at someplace Shuichi had never heard of before. The Loft. According to Kaito, he’d seen it before while passing by but never had the chance to check it out. It has good reviews, though.
Shuichi takes a gander at his watch. Almost noon. Sighing, he wonders what he should do for the rest of the day.
…He really needs to get some hobbies.
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
The gentle pressing of piano keys fills the air, each note stringing together a pleasant melody. A leather shoe softly taps the floor in time with the music. The flip of a page is barely there, but still heard.
Shuichi is lying on the floor in the music room with his eyes closed. He lets the music almost lull him to sleep. Even though he’s long forgotten the name of the song, it doesn’t really matter. Kaede always made even the most boring songs absolutely enchanting.
The music eventually comes to an end, and Shuichi hears Kaede’s bell of a laugh from above him.
“Fallen asleep, over there?” she teases.
“...No,” Shuichi mumbles before heaving himself up into a sitting position. “Your playing is always so calming.”
Kaede’s cheeks turn a soft pink. “Aw, thank you, Shuichi! That makes me really happy to hear!” She smiles.
A beat of silence passes between them. Shuichi stares back up at the ceiling, suddenly lost in thought. He hears Kaede flipping through her music for another song to play.
“Y’know…” Shuichi starts quietly. The sound of pages being turned pauses. “I think the reason why your music calms me so much is because when I hear it, I feel less alone. I dunno why. I think…” he bites his lip. “I think I feel lonely. Is it weird that I can’t tell?”
Words echo in his head.
“You’ll never be good enough if you don’t try harder.”
“Why are you like this, Shuichi?”
“I don’t know why I expected more from you.”
He’s jolted out of his spiral by a hand on his shoulder. Shuichi turns to see that Kaede is now sitting on the floor next to him.
“Shuichi, you don’t have to be lonely!” she declares. Confidence radiated off of her, her expression somehow intense and caring at the same time. “You don’t have to be lonely… because I’m here.”
Shuichi is stunned. He stares at her. Huh?
Kaede grins, so brightly Shuichi nearly has to look away. “What reason is there to be lonely when you have me as your best friend? I’ll always be here for you, Shuichi.”
Shuichi feels himself begin to smile. He nods in assent, reaching up to grab her hand, still resting on his shoulder—
Shuichi wakes up with tears in his eyes.
It’s not a nightmare. He doesn’t jolt awake with his heart pounding or wake up his neighbors with a scream. He doesn’t do any of that. Instead, he lies still, staring up at his ceiling, his chest aching, like someone had just stabbed him in his sleep.
Then, he rolls over and cries.
(He thinks he sees someone staring at him through his mirror again, but he’s too distraught to pay any mind to it.)
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
The next morning, Shuichi finds himself standing in front of The Loft.
He’s a little early… He’s not supposed to meet with Kaito for another thirty minutes, and if he knows the man, he will not be there a minute too soon. With a weary exhale, he decides to go in and check out the menu.
When he walks in, he’s greeted with an interesting sight. Instead of the usual modern-yet-cozy coffee shop aesthetic, it’s decorated to look more like a child’s sleepover party. Fairy lights zig-zag across the ceiling, casting the whole building in a soft, warm glow. The flooring is hardwood, but so many different colored rugs are laid out that Shuichi can hardly see it. While several tables with cushion-y chairs line the walls of the shop, the majority of the seating is found in multicolored bean bags scattered across the shop. To the left, a staircase leads up to an indoor balcony. If he squints, he thinks he sees a pillowfort.
It’s not what he expected, but it’s… comforting. He quite likes it, actually.
Approaching the counter, Shuichi decides to scope out the menu. He would feel guilty if he went ahead and ordered something before Kaito got here… He’ll just look. That way, he’ll be prepared to order later.
Unfortunately for him, he’s already been noticed by the cashier. “Gooood morning, dear customer! What can I get started for you?” The cashier’s shrill and bubbly voice snaps Shuichi to attention.
Behind the counter stands a short man (teenager?) with wild hair, which is riddled with violet streaks. His face is round, but somehow still retains sharp, masculine features, with eyes so wide Shuichi thinks they’ll pop out of his skull any second. Shuichi is… startled by him to say the least.
Why be startled? one might ask. He’s simply doing his job.
No, no… What startles Shuichi is the fact that his face is…
Indiscernable.
Typically, Shuichi can tell right off the bat if someone is being genuine or if they’re bullshitting. It’s something he’s trained himself to do as he’s grown up— especially when he was younger due to his parents’... unique style of parenting. This ability is especially helpful considering his job. Yet, despite the bright smile on the man’s (teenager’s?) face, Shuichi finds that he's—
Blank.
“Ummm, hello? Are you going to order or are you going to stand here and stare at me all day?”
Shuichi blinks back to reality. Immediately, he can feel the blood rush to his face, embarrassed.
“Ah, um, I’m sorry…” he mumbles. “I got lost in thought.”
The man laughs. Genuinely, maybe? He twirls a finger in his hair. “I got worried for a second. Thought you were undressing me in your head, there. It was a liiiittle unnerving, I will say…”
…Huh?!
“What?!” Shuichi exclaims. “No, no, no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t doing that at all! It’s just, your face is, uh…” he trails off. Biting his cheek, he realizes he’s dug himself into a hole. What is he supposed to say?! He can't possibly say, Oh yeah, I was staring at you because I was trying to analyze you and I can't so it freaked me out. That would make him sound like a creep!
“Hmmm? My face is what?” The man is grinning ear to ear now as he leans across the counter, eyes sparkling. “Too shy to say I’m cute, or what? Ohhh, I get it now! You actually thought my face was sooo repulsive that you were contemplating marching right out of here to our competition across the street?!”
Now he’s just putting words into my mouth.
“No!” Shuichi thinks he’s sweating a little. “Y-you’re not! I mean— you’re not repulsive, and I definitely was not thinking that.”
The cashier is leaning so far over the counter, Shuichi wonders if he’s going to jump over it. “Oh? So you do think I'm cute? Is that why you were staring?”
“I…”
Shuichi can’t see it, but he’s decently certain his face is red from embarrassment.
When he doesn’t respond, the cashier cackles. His laugh is abrasive, yet also… charming, somehow. He wipes a tear from his eye. “Haha… You’re pretty funny. Anywho, you’re here to order food, right? Want any recommendations? I haven’t seen you here before.”
Thankful to move on from the humiliating exchange they just had, Shuichi nods quickly. “Yes, it’s my first time here. I’m meeting a friend in a little while, so I was just checking out the menu before he arrives.”
He hums thoughtfully. “I see. Well, then! Allow me to bestow my superior recommendations to you, my dearest customer!”
Although a little put-off by the initial impression, Shuichi is fully enraptured as he describes the menu to him in exhausting detail. It’s quite the impressive sales pitch, he will say. While it’s still off-putting that Shuichi can’t read him at all… he opts to ignore it. Besides, hearing him list off all the options is making him hungry.
Once he’s finished, it’s clear he wants Shuichi’s thoughts. The detective places a finger on his chin. “Hm. You’re quite the convincing sales person. Somehow, you made every item you recommended sound appetizing; even the things I wouldn’t normally order sound tempting, now.” Shuichi levels his gaze with the cashier’s. “You have an interesting way with words.”
The cashier pauses, then grins. Indiscernible. “Why, thank you! I try.”
Shuichi searches his face for a moment more. He looks away, glancing down at his watch. He still has fifteen minutes before Kaito gets here, but…
Groooowl.
…He’s really hungry.
He meets eyes with the cashier again. “I suppose I’ll go ahead and order, since you’ve put in so much effort to help me out. I’d feel guilty if I just walked away now…”
The man’s grin widens. “Thank god! If you had done that, I may have just quit on the spot! Then I would’ve become a lowly panhandler on the street begging for scraps just to see another day!”
Shuichi’s face twitches. “Um. That’s kind of a lame thing to quit over…”
Unexpectedly, the man’s face drops. Shuichi is instantly put on edge. His eyes are so blank when he isn’t smiling.
It makes Shuichi think of those eyes.
Wide. Angry.
The nightmare is over when the cashier giggles softly. “You’re pretty interesting, dear customer.”
Man, this guy is throwing Shuichi for a loop. One minute he’s smiling, the next he almost looks angry, then he’s back to laughing again like nothing happened. It’s giving the detective massive anxiety.
“Anywhooo! Your order?”
Shuichi makes his order. A hot coffee with a little bit of oatmilk and a simple buttered croissant. (The croissant was one of the man’s recommendations, so when he ordered it, a flicker of delight passed over his eyes. Shuichi bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling.)
When the cashier hands him his receipt, his eyes catch sight of his nametag (how did he not see it before?).
Kokichi :3
Shuichi looks at it for a moment, still holding onto the receipt. He glances back up after a moment, meeting round, dark eyes— he looks a little confused. Shuichi realizes he’s been holding the receipt too long.
“Ah… Thank you, Kokichi-kun.” A small smile lifts the corners of his mouth.
Kokichi’s face drops again, but somehow it’s not as threatening as before. Suddenly, Kokichi lets go of the receipt and disappears behind the counter.
“You’re welcome! Enjoy your food!” he shouts quickly.
Shuichi blinks, not expecting that sort of reaction. Shrugging, he finally departs from the counter to sit himself down at a table. (Not a beanbag, though it’s tempting.) He decides as he’s waiting for Kaito to check his emails. He receives his coffee and his croissant, and soon enough, nine o’clock arrives and Kaito is waltzing through the door.
He spots Shuichi almost instantly and bounds towards him. “Hey, Shuichi! Long time no see, bro!”
As he rises to greet him, Kaito slaps him on the back so hard it nearly knocks the breath out of him. “Oof… Hey, Kaito. Thanks for meeting me here.”
“Of course! I’d never miss a chance to hang out with my sidekick!” Kaito assures him heartily. He spots Shuichi’s coffee and croissant. “Oh shit, you already got food?”
Shuichi wilts guiltily. “Y-yeah, sorry. I got here really early and I was hungry.”
“Nahhh, don’t apologize. Imma go order real fast!”
Kaito ordered swiftly, as promised, and came to sit next to Shuichi. “Sooo, is something up? It’s not like you to suddenly reach out and ask to hang. That’s usually my thing, haha.”
“Oh, um…” Shuichi sighs. Guilt chews at the inside of his stomach, making his croissant suddenly seem inedible. “I’m… I’m sorry for never reaching out. You know it’s not my strong suit.”
Kaito’s eyes widen. “Ack, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that… You just look like something’s bothering you.”
Shuichi purses his lips, contemplating. Kaito’s already here… he can tell him anything! But will he even believe him? The doubt makes words catch in his throat, and he shivers, cold all of the sudden. “Well. Um. Yeah. There is something bothering me. It sounds kind of unbelievable, and you can’t treat me like I’m crazy, okay? J-just— just hear me out.”
Kaito seems wary, eyeing him with concern, now. “Okaaay… you’re freaking me out a little, Shuichi.”
“I know, I know.” Shuichi shakes his head. “Okay. I just needed someone to talk to, because this has been going on for the past week, and it’s starting to make me paranoid and jumpy, and I can’t focus at work anymore because of it. It’s— it’s really freaking me out, alright?! I just— I think that… Well. I think I'm being… haunted.”
There’s a beat of silence. Kaito is staring at him incredulously, and Shuichi feels the beginnings of regret bloom within him.
“You think you’re being… haunted,” Kaito says slowly.
“Yes! I- I mean, I don’t know what else to call it. I keep seeing and hearing things. Like someone said my name when I was the only one around, I keep seeing really creepy, angry-looking eyes in my mirrors and in my peripheral vision. I’ve even felt someone touch me! And when I turned around, no one was there!” Shuichi begins rambling desperately. “I don’t know what to do, Kaito! Every little thing makes me jump, now. This has been happening since last Monday.”
Kaito is staring at him. At first, he looked incredulous, but now Shuichi can see how the blood has drained from his face. He looks pale as a sheet.
“K-kaito?”
The astronaut-in-training starts spluttering. “S-shuichi, c-c-come on! You— you know there’s no such thing as g-g-g-g-ghosts!” His friend is now gripping the table, staring at him with wide, crazy eyes.
Wide. Angry.
Shuichi pauses. “Kaito, are you… afraid of ghosts?”
“C-c-c-course not! W-what kind of a-a-astronaut would be scared of g-g-g-g-ghosts?!”
…
Clearly, the Kaito kind of astronaut.
Shuichi gnaws at his lip. “Kaito. Do you even believe what I’m telling you?”
“W-w-well,” Kaito stutters. Some of the color returns to his face. “I know that g-g-ghosts aren’t real, but I don’t think you’re lying, if that’s what you mean. I know my sidekick, and he would never lie about something like this! It’s just not like you, y’know?” He scratches his head. “But… Not gonna lie, it is kinda hard to believe.”
Shuichi hangs his head. “I know it’s hard to believe. No one else at work has noticed the things I’m experiencing, either. It seems like it’s targeted only for me to see and hear.”
“I see…” Kaito rubs his goatee, trying to hide his shudder. “Weird. I mean, it’s not like you mess with the occult or anything, right? Kinda odd that this just started randomly occurring.”
Occult?
Shuichi’s eyes light up. “Maybe if I go to a psychic or someone who is familiar with the paranormal, they could tell me how I can stop it from happening?”
Kaito ponders this, then shoots him a thumbs up. “Beats me. That sounds like a good idea, Shuichi! Leave it to my sidekick to think up a plausible solution!”
“Ah… Thanks, I guess.”
The two of them catch up on each other’s lives since they’ve seen each other last. Kaito is entering his last year of college next semester, but otherwise, he’s back in town for the next month. Shuichi arguably has nothing new to speak on other than some odd cases he’s worked on in the past few months. Kaito informs him of a fact he already slightly acknowledged…
He’s in desperate need of a hobby.
They chat for about an hour before Kaito bids him farewell. Apparently, he has a strict gym routine that he keeps up with every day. (Shuichi could never, so kudos to him for the consistency.) Due to his aforementioned lack of hobbies, Shuichi admittedly has absolutely nothing to do. So, he settles on finding the nearest psychic (or related) in the area.
Pulling up Google maps, he searches “occult.” At the very top of the search, a store named Spirit Oasis popped up. Surprisingly, it was only a ten minute walk from The Loft. With nothing else on his radar, he rises from his seat, throws away his trash, and begins his trek over to the occult store.
He feels a pair of eyes burning into his back as he leaves, but at this point, he’s learned it’s better to ignore it.
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
Shuichi gazes at the funky, neon sign that reads Spirit Oasis hanging above the store. On the window, a deep purple poster is advertising psychic readings inside, so he supposes he’s at the right place. The sensation of a gaze piercing through him has persisted since he left The Loft, but he continues to ignore it as he pulls the door open.
A bell chimes above his head.
“...Welcome in,” a soft, nearly inaudible voice greets him.
Shuichi enters with trepidation. “Ah, hello…” He flits his gaze around in search of where the voice came from. “I’m, uh, here for a psychic reading?” This store is a little unnerving, and his statement comes out more like a question than a request.
Abruptly, the soft voice appears behind him. “Oh, is that so? You’ve come to the right place.”
Shuichi gasps and jumps away. Turning to meet the source of the voice, he finds that a tall, lanky man with straight, black hair is hovering close behind him. Shuichi swallows nervously.
The man’s narrow, amber eyes examine him. “Hmm… you don’t seem the type to search out this kind of service,” he observes.
“Oh. Uh… You can tell?”
Even though a mask conceals the bottom half of his face, the man smiles with his eyes. “But of course. People of the occult tend to have a certain… aura to them, I suppose.” He pauses. “Anyway, you may call me Shinguji. I will lead you to our psychic, who is in the back. Please, follow me.”
Shuichi nods in assent, and Shinguji leads the way through the store. Shelves with crystals, tapestries, books, and even racks of clothes are scattered through the store, and he can’t help but observe with interest. This occult stuff seems more complicated than what it may appear.
They reach the back of the store, which is shrouded in ornate curtains. Shinguji swivels around to face him.
“We will discuss payment after your service, but depending on what you receive, the cost may range from ¥6,500 to ¥9,700. Is that agreeable?”
Yikes. It’s more expensive than I accounted for, Shuichi frets. Regardless, he nods. “That’s fine.”
I’ll pay anything if I can get this… whatever it is, to stop haunting me!
Shinguji lifts the curtain for him to enter, revealing an ominously dark room. “You may proceed.”
Shuichi holds his breath and steps under the curtain. A dimly lit, yet also cozy, room greets him. A mix of violet and warm orange lights offer enough light to see but enough to keep it decently dark. Dark red cushions litter the floor, and a wooden tea-table lies in the middle. On the opposite side of the table is where the psychic is perched.
They have an… interesting appearance. The psychic is adorning a clown mask that conceals the upper half of their face. Shuichi wonders if all occultists have a thing for hiding their faces… but other than that, they appear decently normal.
The psychic glances up. They beckon him. “Come, sit.”
Shuichi obeys and finds a cushion to sit on. “Hello…” he greets hesitantly.
The psychic smiles. “Good afternoon. You may call me Ace. What is your name?”
“I’m Saihara Shuichi,” he answers simply.
“It’s nice to meet you, Saihara-san,” they reply. “So, what service do you seek from me today?”
Shuichi falters for a moment. How to begin… “Well, for starters, I believe I’m being haunted by something.”
Ace perks up, intrigued. “Oh? How so?”
Relief floods Shuichi’s lungs. As much as he appreciated Kaito’s enthusiasm, it was nice to see he was being believed right off the bat. He recounts how his past week has been progressing. Ace nods along, listening intently, and when Shuichi is done explaining, he hums in thought.
“Hmmm… It definitely sounds like something has attached itself to you. Have you done anything out of the ordinary lately? Like say, picked up a new mirror, or maybe a vintage doll or vase? Anything of that nature?”
Shuichi shakes his head. “No… My schedule looks pretty much the same day by day, and I haven’t purchased anything new lately, besides some printer paper and other necessities for work,” he answers honestly.
“I see,” Ace acknowledges. Their hand taps at their chin as they ponder. “I want to try something… Shinguji-san!” they call for their coworker.
Shinguji merely speaks from the other side of the curtain, as if he were standing there the whole time. “Yes?”
“Would you fetch me a mirror? The two foot tall one, preferably.”
“But of course.”
Shinguji is quick, and soon he is back with the mirror Ace spoke of. The psychic thanks him, and walks around the table to stand behind Shuichi. Placing the mirror in front of him, he pats his shoulder reassuringly.
“This is just a test. I want you to look into the mirror at yourself. Not directly in your own eyes, but around you, like at your shoulders and the top of your head. Look around your body and try to see, or feel, if you can, if there is an energy other than yours surrounding you. This will allow me to see if there is something attached to you without disturbing it,” Ace explained in detail.
The more he explains, the more apprehensive Shuichi becomes. He’s already had several encounters with his own mirrors… Despite that, he nods. “O-okay. I’ll try.”
Ace smiles approvingly and lets go of his shoulder. “Just focus. I’ll be right beside you looking into the mirror as well, so you don’t have to be too wary.”
Shuichi nods again and takes a deep breath. He gazes into the mirror, doing as instructed and not looking in his own eyes. He searches in the darkness of the mirror, heart pounding. This is the first time he’s sought out the thing that was apparently haunting him. It is astoundingly nerve wracking.
Then, he spots something.
His heart stops.
Wide, vicious, eyes stare back at him from behind. Blood drains from his face, but before he can look away, Ace plants their hand on his leg.
“Keep looking. You see something, right?”
Shuichi breathes shakily. He nods.
“What do you see?”
Shuichi stares into the floating eyes behind him. The more he prolongs breaking eye contact, the more furious they seem to get.
“Eyes…” he whispers. “I-I’ve seen them before, in my own mirror. They look mad. Really mad.”
Ace doesn’t say anything for several long, excruciating seconds. Then they say, “You can look away, now.”
Shuichi sighs in relief, snapping his attention away from the mirror. His shoulders sag in relief.
Ace removes the mirror and returns to their original spot at the table. “I see what you’re talking about, now. Have you woken up with any unexplainable bruises or cuts lately?”
Shuichi furrows his brows. “...No.”
Ace grins enthusiastically. “Good. That means it hasn’t tried to possess you.”
He pales. What? Can it do that?!
The psychic laughs softly. “No need to worry, I don’t believe this spirit is hostile. It has no intention of harming you, I assure you.”
“What?” Shuichi questions, “How do you know?”
All he can think about is those terribly wide, angry eyes. It makes him shudder. They come off as pretty hostile to him.
“All spirits have an energy to them. The ones that are dangerous will feel dangerous and react harmfully to any kind of interaction. On the contrary, the spirit you just had a staring contest with did nothing but stare. Along with the fact that you don’t have any unexplained injuries… This spirit could have hurt you a while ago, and it didn’t. It’s likely that it was curious and wanted to observe you. In actuality, this is a common case when it comes to hauntings.”
Shuichi processes everything that was just explained to him. Not hostile, just curious? He bites his lip in contemplation. It would explain a lot when he considers it. Staring, puffs of air, calling his name, cold air hugs… All of those things are creepy, sure, but they didn’t hurt him.
Perhaps Ace is right.
“So… What should I do, then?” Shuichi inquires. “Do I just leave it alone…?”
Ace shrugs. “It’s up to you. You could leave it alone and let it follow you. Some people even prefer to interact with spirits whom they know are harmless. Either that, or you could try to make it go away with crystals, salt, spells, and the like. In some cases, they even go away on their own.”
With his hand on his chin, Shuichi ponders. It would be nice for it to go away, but if it was harmless… That honestly put his heart at ease, even if it was still unwanted and very creepy. Asking for spells or anything of the like most likely costs more money.
Perhaps it would be better to simply wait for it to leave on its own. Shuichi had a pretty boring life. It will probably get bored of him soon enough.
Ace stares at him as they await his answer. At last, Shuichi decides.
“I guess I can just wait for it to leave. If it becomes an issue, I can always come back here, right? My life is boring, so it will likely get bored and leave on its own, like you said,” Shuichi concludes.
Ace smiles. “A solid answer.” With that, they rise to their feet and reopen the curtain for Shuichi. “I’m assuming we’re done here, then? It was a pleasure to be of help to you, Saihara-san.”
Shuichi sees himself out of the dark room. He feels lighter, like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. “Thank you, Ace. I’m extremely thankful for your help.”
“It’s no problem! Let me know how everything turns out.”
The curtain flutters closed, Ace disappearing behind them.
Shinguji is waiting at the cash register. “Over here, if you would.”
Right… payment.
Shinguji rings him up to ¥6,500. He offers to sell Shuichi a protective crystal necklace, which he declines. He’s never been fond of jewelry, and the necklace is an additional ¥3,000. While he’s sure it works… he’s not very willing to pay that much for a necklace.
The bell chimes again as he exits the store. He checks his watch: 1:35 p.m. already. With nothing else to do, he should probably just go home now. An exhale escapes him. What an eventful day…
His shoes clack against the sidewalk as he begins his walk home. I wonder what I should make for dinner? Oh wait, I never actually had lunch…
Drowning in his own mindless thinking, he almost misses the shadowy figure standing in an alleyway he’s passing.
“Shuichi.”
He freezes. Sharply turning his head towards the sound, he zeroes in on the alleyway. Darkness permeates the space between the two buildings, even though the sun is high in the sky. The figure he just barely caught a glimpse of is hardly visible and stands eerily in the depths of the shadows.
At first, Shuichi doesn’t move, too frightened to utter a sound. But then Ace’s words echo in his head.
“This spirit could have hurt you a while ago, and it didn’t. It’s likely that it was curious and wanted to observe you.”
Right, He reminds himself. Not harmful, just curious. Perhaps I should indulge it…?
Shuichi clears his throat. “Uh… Hello?”
No response. The figure doesn’t move.
Shuichi swallows nervously and moves to keep walking. Maybe indulging it was a bad idea—
“Shuichi.”
He flinches again, rocking back on his heel. Gaze flicking back to the figure, he sees that it has tilted its head.
“Shuichi. Come… here…”
That shit is so creepy! What the hell?!
Shuichi weighs his options. Ignore it and risk it getting mad and haunting the shit out of him forever, or do what it says.
He bites his lip. Not hostile, just curious…
Hesitantly, he steps forward. The alleyway is dark, each crevice seeming to leer at him as he slowly inches further inside. In his distraction, when he looks up, the shadowy figure has disappeared. He freezes. “Where—”
His soul nearly leaves his body when a pair of nimble arms wrap around his waist from behind.
“Gotchu~!”
“AAAH!”
Shuichi lashes out, elbowing the body encasing his torso before he stumbles away. He sprints out of the alley, breathing shakily from the fright.
“Owww…”
Shuichi stops. Ow?
Wait. Now that he thinks about it, he hit something solid.
What the hell is going on?!
Swiveling around, Shuichi spots— not a ghost, no— a short, lithe boy on the ground, who is now rubbing his side from where Shuichi elbowed him. The detective’s eyes widen in shock.
“...Kokichi-kun?!”
Kokichi pouts angrily from where he is sitting on the concrete. “That really hurt, Saihara-kun! You hit me really hard!” Tears well up in his round, dark eyes.
Panic instantly floods his senses. He rushes to Kokichi’s side. “A-are you okay?! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you—”
“Like hell you did!” Kokichi explodes, tears evaporating like they were never there. Shuichi stares at him in astonishment. “You totally just ruined all my fun! You probably gave my tiny, frail body a big fat bruise!”
Instead of panic, Shuichi is now filled with irritation. “Excuse me? You scared the crap out of me! For all I knew, you could have been trying to stab me! It’s basic self-defense to hit someone who grabs you in a dark alleyway!”
Not to mention that I thought he was a ghost, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“Well, you should be a little more open-minded to dark alleyways! Don’t be so mistrustful, Saihara-chan,” Kokichi coos, dropping the angry expression. This boy’s emotions interchange at a puzzling, mind-whirling pace. Shuichi can barely keep up.
“Saihara-chan?” he questions incredulously, then shakes his head. “Just— look. I’m a detective, it’s kind of my job to be distrustful.” He rises to his feet, extending a hand to Kokichi to lift him up. To his surprise, he takes it. Shuichi examines his form, now that they’re up close again. He doesn’t appear to be injured…
Wait.
“How did you know my name?” Shuichi blurts out.
Kokichi peers at him with another one of those blank stares, then morphs it into one of mischief. “Truth is, Saihara-chan, I’ve been stalking you for the past few weeks! I love you so, so, so, so much that I couldn’t resist following you home every day! So exhilarating. Once I found out you were a detective, it just made me want to stalk you even more!”
Shuichi narrows his eyes. “That’s a lie.”
Kokichi’s eyes widen, glittering with intrigue. “Oh? How so?”
Because you’re not the one who’s stalking me, a ghost is!
Shuichi doesn’t say that, obviously. “The first time you met me was today. It was clear in your body language.”
Although Shuichi is incapable of reading Kokichi’s facial expressions, there’s one thing he can’t hide— his body language.
“Your arms were uncrossed and open whenever you started talking to me, and you were leaning forward. If you were trying to act as if you’d never met me, you would have been leaning backward and had more closed off body language,” Shuichi explains logically, watching Kokichi’s expression shift from excitement to curiosity.
Kokichi searches his face for a moment, then beams. “Ding, ding, ding! You’re correct, Mr. Detective! Today was definitely the first day I have ever met you. Well done!” The boy claps jubilantly.
Shuichi crosses his arms disapprovingly. “That doesn’t explain how you know my name.”
“Hmmm, wouldn’t you like to know…”
“Kokichi-kun.”
Kokichi groans, pouting like a little kid whose mother denied getting candy from the store. “UGH! Fine, you’re no fun. Okayyy, I left work and followed you to Spirit Oasis and listened in on you and Ace’s conversation. No biggie.”
“What?” Shuichi gapes. “You can’t be serious.”
“Yup! Totally dead serious. Ace and I just happen to be friends, so I snuck in through the back.” Kokichi grins innocently.
Shuichi gawked at Kokichi’s cheerful face. That means…
“You… heard everything, then?” he says slowly.
“Yuuup! Every word!” Kokichi plants his hands behind his head. “I thought I would scare you a lil’ bit. Just for funsies.” He sticks out his tongue.
Embarrassment washes over Shuichi. He drops his face into his hands. Before he can say anything else, Kokichi is speaking again.
“Are you really sure ignoring it is gonna solve your problems?”
Shuichi stops. He raises his head to meet Kokichi’s eyes. The deep pools of purple are stony with seriousness, no longer sparkling with mischief.
“...What do you mean?”
“You said it yourself, didn’t you?” Kokichi continues. “You haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, yet there is something attached to you. Seems… strange, doesn’t it? Don’t you think there’s something you’ve done or maybe experienced? Perhaps even something you’re avoiding?”
Shuichi’s eyebrows furrow. What is Kokichi even talking about? Why is he speaking as if he knows him at all? Irritation bubbles within him once more.
However, his words stir up his thoughts. They make him think. Is there something I’m avoiding…? But what? It doesn’t make sense.
Seeing Shuichi’s confused, irritated glare, Kokichi’s lips upturn in a soft smile. “Maybe you should face the strangeness of your problem, instead of denying it.”
Kokichi doesn't wait for a response before whisking himself away. He turns the corner, leaving Shuichi in the creepy alleyway.
“H-hey, wait a second!”
Shuichi chases after him, but when he steps out of the shadows, Kokichi is gone.