Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Ghost Hunt

2010-10-24T07:39:47Z

Sinmay: /* Format Standards */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

The Japanese version can be downloaded [http://www.mediafire.com/?po0t42h2wtm here].

== Updates ==
*March 1, 2009
**Added part 3 of chapter 3

*March 7, 2009
**Added Part 4 of chapter 3

*July 7, 2009
**Please welcome our newest translator [[User:Sqwark|Sqwark]], who will be handling translations for Volume 4

*April 3, 2010
**Volume 7, Chapter 4 begun

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (70%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume4_Epilogue|Epilogue]]

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume5|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_5_Chapter_1|Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_5_Chapter_2|Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_5_Chapter_3|Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_5_Chapter_4|Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_5_Chapter_5|Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume_7_Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時]]

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 9|Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 10|Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 11|Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 12|Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 13|Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 14|Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Chapter 15|Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]
:*[[User:Sqwark|Sqwark]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Prologue

2010-05-02T17:19:59Z

Sinmay: /* Prologue */

==Prologue==

Tokyo, Shibuya.

Standing by the office window, I stopped moving the rag in my hand.

The trees lining the road outside the window are Sakura trees. White flowers have started to bloom like stars in the sky.

“It's so fast~” I couldn’t help mumbling to myself.

Behind me, someone spoke, “What’s fast?”

It was my colleague. A dignified picture in a white blouse and white Chinese-styled wool sweater, that girl rolled up her sleeves, took a mop and mopped the floor.

“It’s been a year. It’s almost been a year since I’ve started working here.”

“Oh~”

The female who said that with a sigh is named Takahashi Yuuko, Taka in short. Sherecently became a senior in a certain metropolitan girl’s high school.

In contrast, I am Taniyama Mai. With everyone’s help I’ve become a second year in a certain metropolitan private high school this spring.

And this is the office of “Shibuya Psychic Research” - A place where ghosts and the supernatural and other unimaginable occurrences are investigated.

“You really lasted a year – in a strange part time job like this.”

If we’re talking about the scope of my work, it's commonplace to meet ghosts. For someone like me, who had never encountered a spirit before, this is a clear improvement. How should I put it, I’m no longer scared by strange stories and what not. Even when I see horror movies, the ghosts there aren’t even real, and I can even talk about a lot of other vaious things.

“And the higher-ups haven't changed either. Yeah, I’m really an incredible person. It’s almost a waste of my talents!”

The boss is Shibuya Kazuya. He’s only 17 years old. He’s a man who has managed a high-class office in a high-class building in a high-class street. Although we’re talking about paranormal events, it's still science and technology that is applied in studying spirits or the supernatural, etc. He's terribly secretive, and his personality sucks, but what pisses me off the most is he's capable and good-looking. He’s a narcissist whom even Buddha would run barefooted from. People call him “The Secretive Naru-chan”.

Taka laughed mischievously.

“Because the boss is like this so it’ll continue, right?”

… Ah.

“That’s true, it’s already been a year. Has there been a little progress within this year?”

“What?”

“Personal relations.”

“Taka-san, we’ve agreed not to mention this, haven’t we.”

“Is that so? I think my memory has been getting poorer.”

“Hm. Did you get dementia already?”

“Don’t say it like that.”

“But I have to.”

On my reply, Taka replaced the mop and placed her hands on her hips with a tough attitude.

“Taking the words of your elder lightly would cause you to get into trouble,” she announced.

Then she ran to my side and leaned out of the window that was open for cleaning.

“Mai likes Naru!!~”

I can’t believe she actually screamed down at the street below. There were a few passers-by who looked up in curiosity.

“Hey! Look what you’ve done!”

“Ha ha, do you respect me yet?”

“I respect you. No, this subject is no match for the upcoming King.” (tl/n: 殿下is probably used to address male monarchy, hence the next line.)

“How rude to call a lady that. You should address me as ‘Queen-sama’.”

“The Queen-sama holding the mop, right?”

“How matching~”

Saying “Ah Ha”, I had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Then how is it? Is there progress?”

“The same.”

A year ago, Naru and I were merely strangers; now the relationship is one of the user and the used. At work I only did jobs like making tea. Last month, with everyone’s help I’ve gotten the title of ‘investigator’, and an increase in salary.

“Only that.” I said resolutely. Taka grasped her head in worry.

“So what've you done this year?”

“My part time job.”

Taka cooed and clenched her fist.

“You have… no will power!”

“But labor is very sacred. You have to separate work and life.”

“Ah, such admirable attention for work. If you keep thinking like that, he’ll be snatched up by someone else.”

… Ah.

“What’s unbelievable is that boss is still single.”

“There’s no mystery to that. Naru’s personality is terrible.”

“Saying this type of thing with such confidence, don’t you feel a little sad?”

Yeah yeah yeah… whatever.

Anyway I really wish this supposed progress would occur. But even if I had hopes for that young gentleman, I deeply believe it would be a waste of energy. Because at age 17 he is already a workaholic, ie the demon of work. He would definitely choose the vicious spirit of a grandmother over extremely pretty girls with beautiful personalities.

Furthermore, could I, who doesn’t even know his home address or telephone number, hope for any progress in the situation?

As I said that, Taka looked at me with a deeply sympathetic expression.

“Indeed it is like that. It would be much better if he told us his address and stuff at least. At
the very least let us know which direction it is in.”

“Yeah.”

I’ve asked Naru that before. “In case of an emergency, could you tell me how to contact your home.” Was what I said to him.

However Naru answered me like this: “If there’s anything I will contact you.”

Who~ ever~ said it was about you having a situation and contacting me? ‘If something urgent happens to me what should I do’, didn’t I put it like that?

‘Right, I shall tolerate that before I ask something like that’, I thought. And then I thought of saying something like “But, you home is over in 三鹰, right? I’ve met you before at the station.” Perhaps he might answer, “You must have been mistaken, I live in the XX area,” or something – I hope.

But, but, as expected, Naru isn’t the type who’d answer a leading question.

He coolly said a line “Are your eyes bad?”

“Do you think there could be anyone who looks like me in existence?”

‘In an~y case your looks are out of the ordinary but not in a good way.’ That I would get angry is also an expected result.

“It is the end for people once they give up.”

Taka caressed my head.

“Yeah, I won’t admit defeat.”

When I was play-acting at crying, somebody opened the office door.

It was a woman of about 25 or 26 years of age who entered the office.

“Yes?”

I frantically put down the rag and attended her. She smiled – I feel that she is a person who loves to smile.

“I would like to see the boss.”

“But he is currently in the midst of travelling…”

Naru was currently away at the northern mainland (tl/n: I guess this refers to the Hokkaido region?). Although he was ‘away’, it was not work related. It should be called a simple pleasure visit.

“Then, is Lin around?”

The Lin she referred to should be Lin-san.

The person called Lin-san is Naru’s helper. Nobody knows his real name and age – in this way he is more mysterious than Naru.

“Yes. Then, excuse me.”

Before I finished, that person was still smiling broadly.

“My name is Mori, Mori Madoka (森, 森圆). If you tell Lin that he will understand.”

This really shocked me. Could this person possibly be one whom Lin-san is familiar with?

In the end I asked her to take a seat on the sofa first, and then went to the Resource Room to call Lin-san.

The Resource Room located next to the boss’s office is a narrow sound proofed room lined with video recorders and monitors. Although I don’t know what he does, Lin-san spends most of his time in the office there. Although he is frequently re-watching videos of completed cases while working on the computer, today he was teaching a psychic girl to bend ladles.

I gently knocked on the door and opened it, Lin-san and the psychic girl raised their heads.

The psychic girl’s name is Kasai Chiaki. This spring, she has smoothly ascended a grade in a certain metropolitan girls’ school’s junior college. Facing the ladle on a table in the corner of the room, Chiaki-sempai smiled at me.

In contrast, Lin-san was completely expressionless.

“Lin-san?”

Even though I spoke to him, Lin-san did not reply nor did he smile.

“That is, we have a guest. A guest called Mori-san.”

An expression of mild shock crossed Lin-san’s face.

“Her name is Mori Madoka-san.”

Lin-san stood up abruptly. His expressionless face clearly showed signs of shock. Ignoring me who stood at the door, Lin-san walked into the office.

Mori-san sat hunched on the sofa.

“Madoka.”

When she was called by Lin-san, a brilliant smile appeared on Mori-san’s face.

“Lin.”

Mori-san stood up joyously.

Could… could this person possibly be Lin-san’s…?

“Do excuse me for coming without warning. How have you been?”

“Yeah. Please take a seat. What’s up, all of a sudden?”

She smiled a carefree smile.

“Yeah, I thought I’d try to shock you guys ~ are you shocked?”

“I was shocked. You didn’t come just for that reason, did you?”

Eh eh eh. This is scary. There is a smile on Lin-san’s face.

“I suppose so. Is Naru not around?”

“He’s gone travelling.”

Lin-san replied softly. A bitter smile appeared on Mori-san’s face.

“… if that’s the case. Then.”

Mori-san announced resolutely:

“Call him back for me. There is work.”

This was a really abnormal development.

“… Who is that?”

Chiaki-sempai asked softly.

“… don’t know. I even thought she is Lin-san’s lover.”

Taka chattered.

“And don’t you think her tone is a bit like one of giving orders?”

I said under my breath.

We gathered in the kitchen, talking quietly while we made tea.

“Isn’t her attitude towards Lin-san very tough?”

“Exactly.”

“It looks like she has at least a deep friendship with him.”

Talking like that we could not reach any conclusion. But within the me who was brewing the tea, was a curiosity that could not be satisfied.

I placed the tea on the table. Mori-san smiled and nodded to me in greeting. I returned the nod in greeting. Lin-san was making a call. Wearing a difficult expression, he sighed gently, then handed the receiver to Mori-san.

“Please. It is Naru.”

Naru is a person who means ‘no’ when he says ‘no’. I was afraid, on the other end of the line, he’d say something like “don’t joke with me.” However, Mori-san’s smile did not crack.

“You will come back, right?”

Saying that, she smiled. After a moment of silence, Mori-san continued in an excited voice.

“Thank you *heart*”

Like that.

“He wants to come back?”

I couldn’t help asking. Mori-san nodded.

“Yeah. He said he’ll arrive tonight.”

What ~~. Inconceivable.

Naru’s travels last at least a week. The long ones can take over 10 days. Now he will actually come back in 2 days? Do you move just because of a call like that, Naru, Hn?

Waiting for us beyond this unexpected incident was a situation beyond our imagination.

Lin-san wore a perplexed expression and returned to the Resource Room. I poured another cup of tea for Mori-san.

“You’re really incredible.”

I said. A blank look filled Mori-san’s face.

“Incredible? Why?”

“Because it only took you 2 sentences to convince Naru.”

Mori-san gurgled with laughter.

“… so it is like that. – are you from this place?”

“Yes. I am a part timer. I am called Taniyama.”

“Hn~ For me, I think you are the one who is really incredible.”

Ai?

“Whether it is Naru or Lin they are both hard to get along with. They are very shy. That those 2 have employed someone is something I find shocking already, and it also looks like you are very used to them, right?”

Ha~ This, could be considered such. Thanks to them I’ve recently became noticeably more sharp tongued.

I smiled a little embarrassedly, then looked at Mori-san.

“That… what relationship do you all have? Could I ask?”

“To put it simply, I am the master.”

“Master?”

“That’s right. I’m the one who thought Naru to ghost-hunt.”

What in the world.

But, there is that too. Naru couldn’t possibly be independent without having learnt it from someone.

“Then, is Mori-san also a ghost hunter?”

“Previously I was; I initially was about to pass the baton over to Naru.”

“You don’t do it anymore?”

“Yes. For me, I am lacking a certain ability to adapt.”

“Ah?”

“I’m no good with machines. I spoil them very quickly.”

Child-like, Mori-san smacked both her cheeks.

“Ah…”

“I clearly follow what Naru and Lin-san say to do. I can only think that I am being disliked!”

That… that really makes one hurt. That is people who don’t get along with machines. That is not a trait suited to being a ghost hunter.

But Mori-san looks like a very nice person to be with. Could it be, I can ask this person? Where does Naru live? What is Lin-san’s real name? What is his age? What was Naru like in school? Who are the members of his family? What is Lin-san’s biography? How lucky, I thought. Just when I was about to fire questions at Mori-san, Lin-san walked out of the Resource Room wearing a thin overcoat.

“Madoka, anyway we are going out first. – Taniyama-san.”

“Ye… yes.”

“I’m going to leave now. Please help me tell Kasai-san that.”

“Yes… thank you for your hard work today.”

Ah ah, I was preempted by Lin-san.

Just like that I was left with my questions; that lady left the office, leaving behind Taka, Chiaki-sempai and I, who were filled with regrets.

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[Ghost Hunt|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Next Section]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Prologue

2010-05-01T06:16:32Z

Sinmay: /* 2 */

==Prologue==

===1===

Cumulonimbus clouds stretched from the gleaming ocean into the cerulean sky.

Due to the sunlight’s reflection, the asphalt road that followed the shoreline sparkled with a white glow.

Beneath the railing, translucent waves could be seen rolling in. I think, it must be very comfortable to jump in. But right now, I am currently holding on to this phone.

“How’s it going over there?”

I said, as I heard the nearly weeping voice of my colleague on the other end of the line – although she's just a colleague from work.

“Even with an air-conditioner, it's still hot as hell. What about your place?”

“I thought it'd be cooler since we're further North, but apparently not.”

Noto-peninsular’s summer, is really summer.

“That’s so disappointing –” a cheerful laugh came through the receiver.

“It’s even hotter than Tokyo, right?”

“Exactly!”

“But if you're by the sea, can’t you go swimming? It'd feel completely different from swimming in a pool.”

“Yeah, in theory. But that won't happen, cause four of us can't swim.”

Of all our members, one is currently hospitalized. As for the 3 others, due to their injuries, it would probably hurt a lot if they bathed in seawater.

“What the heck is Bou-san doing, being so pathetic this time; he should just swim from the start.”

“They all look exhausted. Although their stitches were just removed, I’ve heard that they should still refrain from swimming. Because of lingering wrist pain, work is also cancelled. John is apparently already better, but – ”

“Poor things. I want to see them.”

“Are you coming?”

“If I’m sponsored, I’ll go.”

“Ah? … Ha ha.”

“A-ah, as a poor person, I have no sympathy. I hate myself for having dealt with all the clothes, cakes etc that were for visiting Bou-san in hospital.”

“Forget it, there’s no use regretting. That's just you.”

“You bastard. – What about the boss?”

“He should be discharged in 2 to 3 days; we’ll know after his check-up today.”

“Mai – I think even if he isn’t hospitalized, the boss still won’t put on a swimsuit and go swimming.”

“Yeah yeah.”

“You're lucky, you can look after him hand and foot.”

“What- whatever! Ayako and Masako are the ones that hover over him like a shadow!”

“If that's the truth, then what are you doing every day?”

“I’m looking after Bou-san.”

“You're so cunning!” Came an extra-loud voice from the receiver. I hurriedly pulled the receiver away from my ear. That bastard, why was she so loud.

“I’m joking; I’m doing an assignment now.”

“What? Did you bring your homework there?”

“The hotel lady sent it to me, and all the answers are correct. And Yasuhara's here too.”

“Yasuhara broke his ribs, so he couldn’t possibly bathe in the ocean.”

“Of course. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a free-of-charge home tutor.”

“You're a rude bastard without any manners – you’ll have to treat me when you get back.”

“Yeah, it’s all right if it’s an ice cream cone.”

“Bastard, you're such a bully – only ice-cream?!”

“Grr… you’re gonna do what?”

“Whatever, don’t you have a special subsidy? Just treat it as a special treatment for me; I'll wait until your pay day.”

“Ha-ah, landlord-sama, thank you for your leniency.”

“Don’t be such a pain! I’m looking forward to that day. I’ll stop here today. Talk to ya later!”

“Take care!”

“I’ll take care of the things at home; I’m leaving the casualties to you!”

“Okay, bye-bye!”

Replacing the receiver, the green colored telephone ejected my phone-card and beeped. The cicadas, which were even louder than this, were also crying non-stop.

I, Taniyama Mai, am a second year high school student.

The reason a student in a Tokyo high school like me is here in Noto is more or less because of work. I hold the title of "investigator", even though I can't really do anything.

Now that it was summer, I had originally thought it’d be fun to travel far away from Tokyo (to Noto). But in the end, we kept getting casualties, and because of the boss’s hospitalization, we remained in Noto even though our investigation ended already.

Too bad for the restaurant that we investigated to provide lodgings. And that explains why I'm just wandering around, waiting for my boss to be discharged. Before I knew it, half a month had already gone by, and my summer holidays were drawing to a close.

Coming out from the telephone booth, I was scanning for shade as I walked along the shore, when I heard the sound of a car horn.

Lifting my head, I could see a car coming over slowly.

“Oh, are you here to visit the hospital?”

I could see the silhouettes of 3 people – a male and two females, the former or which stuck his head out from the driver’s seat.

===2===

The man who stepped out was the monk, as Takahashi mentioned, was – Romeo Takigawa Hou-sou, aka Bou-san.

Originally from Mount Takano, he currently works at some studio. And even though I'm saying all this, I've never met that side of Bou-san ever before. Although Takahashi had shown me many CDs printed with ‘Norio Takigawa’ on the cover, I’m still incapable of linking those two people together.

“Mai! Naru can be discharged. I’m going to pack the bags now, do you want to come too?”

“I’m coming!”

Actually, we really don't need that many people to go handle the discharge procedure. But Bou-san’s car has an air-conditioner. And I'd much rather ride in an air-conditioned car than walk back in the unbearable heat. We'll just drive to the hospital, and then drive back. Hey, this is the best way to do it.

“The heat is killing me!” The woman beside me complained loudly as I sat down in the backseat.

“Are you an idiot? You deliberately travel that far on a hot day like today, just to go to a phone booth to make a phone call.”

“But I have to call the office, and there are no public phones where we stay.”

“That store can't be that heartless; you just need to borrow the phone.”

“Mai and Ayako are different; she is not brave, and borrowing other's phones to make long-distance calls isn’t easy either. Not that going so far just to use a phone booth is any better.”

It was at least 10 minute walk from the lodgings.

“I rudely borrowed a phone from someone?”

“There’s no such thing. I think it’s Ayako who doesn’t know manners or perhaps her skin is thicker (tl/n: less easily embarrassed).”

“- Mai, tonight you must tell me fully what you said over the phone!”

“No way!” With that I punched Bou-san, but only lightly.

Ayako is Matsuzaki Ayako. She’s a self-proclaimed priestess, but a priestess made up so garishly was beyond my imagination; she’s also very cool. You could say she has a dynamic personality. However, she donated a lot of clothes to the parentless me, who is unable to wear those high quality clothes. That’s why I say, she’s a sharp tongued, soft hearted big sister. She always says, “This clothing suits you very well, it doesn’t fit me” and what not. In a line, to be able to be with Ayako like this is also some sort of fate.

Ayako looked at Bou-san and I and couldn’t stop laughing secretly on one side.

Masako’s full name is Hara Masako. She is a medium who frequently appears on Wideshow and other similar programs. She, clearly, like me, is just the age of a high-school student, but the difference between us is so great, this fellow! She’s currently infaturated with the boss of ‘Shibuya Psychic Research (SPR)’ – our boss. I heard she cried because she had to go back to Tokyo to record a program.

“Apparently it was Naru who wanted to be discharged!”

“He requested to be discharged?” I turned back to look at Masako.

What in the world is he thinking of, that young master! Naru, who I’ve called ‘Naru’ from the first, and who I call ‘Naru-chan’ affectionately now, is our boss who opened his own offices in Shibuya at age seventeen. Towards the older people he always wears an apologetic look; his personality is also terrible. Summing it up it’s a look of supreme arrogance and omnipotence.

“If he’s so willful, he’ll die young.”

“Well said.”

“Forget it, it’s not like that fellow Naru’s willfulness started today.” Ayako opened her mouth to speak.

“And it’s not like he has to create trouble for others, furthermore it’s not only because there’s something wrong with his own body. If Naru does this then isn’t it not wrong?” Although the words are a little too much, they are indeed the truth.

===3===

“That body of his isn’t very study either; it’s better to pay a little more attention to the state of his body.”

“Naru’s weakness should be due to his use of Qi Gong, his previous hospitalizations were also due to this; if he doesn’t use Qi Gong, he should have any problems temporarily, should he?”

“As to this I don’t know, at first I even thought it was leukemia or something, it shocked me to death. So Qi Gong is Naru’s secret.”

“What illness, and it doesn’t have any symptoms… you’re talking about that soap opera from a few years back, right?”

Really, the number of secrets that young master has is really numerous; while it is a matter of course that one wants to keep things hidden, but…

I smiled. “Bou-san, why are you so quiet?”

“Ah?”

“Normally you’ll talk when you’re driving.”

Bou-san glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled bitterly, “even I have times when I think about things!”

“I know. Are you thinking that because work is on temporary hiatus, your living expenses haven’t been dealt with yet?”

“Right right. And there’s the fuel cost for going back, what will I do… hey hey, there’s no such possibility, right?!”

“Is that wrong?”

“Hn, is money the only thing I can think about?”

“Speaking of which, Bou-san hasn’t been very energetic recently.”

“It’s not being unenergetic, it’s thinking about things; that’s very manly, right?”

“As if. This look doesn’t suit you at all.”

“You wench!”

“It’s unrelated, right? Tired yet?”

“Continuously babysitting children is exhausting; I’d consider myself to have experienced the sensation of a teacher leading a school tour – it’s just like Bou-san has been these few days.”

“Young children? Who is a young child here?”

“As for this – who do you think it is?”

Che~ That’s not cute at all.

But the kindhearted me, who had seldom seen Bou-san space out like this, was still worried. Furthermore, the investigation this time around was really exhausting, and Bou-san was even injured – he had 15 stitches on his back.

The other 2 people who remained in the lodgings were similarly injured.

Yasuhara, whose full name is Yasuhara Osamu. This spring, he breezed through his examinations with outstanding results, and is already a university student at a famous university. We encountered him because he had previously made a job request, in the end he became the muscle of the company. This time he even broke his ribs, and is still currently wearing a plaster cast. And during the long awaited relaxing summer break too! Sigh! Poor fellow!

The other is John, whose full name is John Brown. A priest from Australia, John had also endured many injuries – his body is covered with stitched up wounds. Although he isn’t as badly injured as Yasuhara and Bou-san, it is serious enough.

This was a rare visit to the seaside, but the 3 men couldn’t swim. Besides, if there were 3 females looking after Naru it were already more than enough. Just like this we gathered together every day to gossip, sigh! I can’t help feeling it’s a waste of this summer vacation.

Just as I was thinking this, the tall building could already be seen directly in front of us. The building that towered over the other buildings surrounding it was the hospital where boss is staying at.

Entering the entrance hall, I saw Lin-san at the reception area.

Lin-san’s name is Lin Koujo. Based on his name I think he should be a China man, or more precisely he was born in Hong Kong. I’m not sure whether to call him an investigator in Shibuya Psychic Research or the boss’s secretary. Ma~ He is just this type of fellow. Apparently he even knows Chinese Witchcraft techniques – this I know from the things he had done. He is an uncommunicative sort of character. As to why this type of person is working in SPR, I do not know.

Lin-san was making a payment at the reception.

“Yo, are you settling the bill and handling the discharge?” Although Bou-san was greeting Lin-san, his gaze was fixed at his hands.

As a poor person I also couldn’t help looking over. From a distance of 2 to 3 meters I could see a rather thick wad of cash; if it were only 3 or 5 notes, it shouldn’t look that thick; it should be the hospital fee from Naru’s family. If it’s like this, then he is, as expected, a young master from a rich family.

“Is he really getting discharged? Is he alright already?”

“Naru requested it himself.” Although his tone is still very cold, he is making a reply, and that’s an enormous improvement already. Recently I’ve been able to converse with Lin-san, although the conversations are all very short.

I secretly asked Ayako, “Ne, is hospitalization so expensive?”

Ah, Ayako nodded her head.

“Furthermore it appears that Naru doesn’t have insurance.”

- Gei, that fellow.

“Are you lying? Is that fellow paying the full fee out of pocket?” If he had brought along his insurance policy, if he had National Health Insurance, he would only need to pay 30%. That is to say, in reality the victim would only need to pay 30% of the bill, the country would shoulder 70%. If the doctor’s bill were 3000 yen, the actual fee would be 1000 yen.

“The cost of just a single bed is 10 000 a night. Without insurance, the treatment cost would add up to tens of thousands.” On that note, Ayako’s family runs hospitals.

“That’s really scary; clearly with health insurance it’d be decreased by a lot.”

“What about you? As for poor people, it’s still better to take good care of your body!”

“Mind your own business!”

Although Ayako’s words are quite brash, I know she is being concerned for me.

In the midst of our conversation, Lin-san had finished settling the bill, so we walked together towards the wards, and said farewell to the doorman whom we had already gotten familiar with.

The room labeled ‘Shibuya Kazuya’ was his room. After gently knocking on the door we opened it and entered. The patient wore a hospital gown and sat on the bed looking at documents. That document was a record for work – he’s a 17 year old workaholic.

Upon hearing Lin-san’s voice, Naru closed the file.

“Ah.”

He looks like he’s in a very bad mood; his color is also very poor.

When Naru collapsed during the investigation, he nearly stopped breathing. Lin-san and Bou-san performed mouth to mouth resuscitation on him; the paramedics who rushed there had said he was in trouble, and he even entered the emergency room. It really made one feel he had a very narrow escape. He was already like that, is it really all right to get discharged now? If he hasn’t really recovered, the doctors should have stopped him from getting discharged.

Ayako brought the fruits that were prepared and went to greet the doctors and nurses; Lin-san packed the bags; Masako made tea; while I leaned against the wall looking on.

Despite this, in the end everyone still stayed behind.

Naru was hospitalized for 6 days. While it was a matter of course that Lin-san stayed behind to protect Naru, even the other fellows who should have had other jobs scheduled had also stayed behind. Could they possibly be that free – or were they concerned about Naru? He’s clearly a willful and secretive fellow.

But didn’t I also stay behind? As expected I still worry about this fellow.

The last time he was hospitalized he refused to accept visitors, but this time he didn’t say so, perhaps there is a reason on this side I can’t be sure. Originally we only came here because of the investigation; furthermore this time it was even more severe than the last, therefore we were this worried that we didn’t return first. Perhaps even Naru would feel insecure?

- This shouldn’t be possible.

I even thought he would be like the last time and unhesitatingly say “With you lot visiting I’m not able to sleep, you’re getting in the way!” Has his heart changed slightly, does he know gratitude now? – Sigh! Such a thing shouldn’t be possible.

I also don’t know whether Naru’s family knows of Naru’s hospitalization. During the period of his hospitalization not once have I seen a visiting relative. Under normal circumstances, if the son is hospitalized, the mother would come at least. Yasuhara’s well tempered mother had come. But no one from Naru’s family came; it’s like they weren’t contacted at all. Thinking about it, it’s quite incomprehensible.

Naru’s father is apparently a University Professor, a researcher in the paranormal. But is there this type of teachers in University? While his mother is apparently around, as to what type of person she is I don’t know, but I don’t think she’s a normal mother. Otherwise she’d definitely be very angry to see her son not attend school and open a psychic research company instead.

- But… up till now she hasn’t appeared in the hospital.

I don’t know if they are unaware of Naru’s hospitalization? Such a possibility shouldn’t exist, right? Even if they silently accept their son’s suspicious behavior of starting a company to be a ghost hunter, but he hasn’t returned for such a long period of time, could they possibly not think it strange?

It’s really such a puzzle!

Where is his home? What type of home is his home like? Does he have brothers? As to Naru’s situation, there’s nothing that I know of. Even I have started feeling frustrated; he is really an exceedingly secretive person.

“Naru-chan, can we send these things away?”

“Have you forgotten anything? Have you said goodbye to the doctors?” I smiled.

At a time like this everyone was like a temporarily put together family.

Bou-san is the father, Ayako is the mother, Lin is the picky grandfather. The broadminded eldest son and the steady, reliable second son are John and Yasuhara. The carefree and precocious daughters are me and Masako. And Naru is the willful youngest son (although he is slightly older than me). Look, it’s really very suiting.

“You’re still grinning stupidly by yourself over there; hurry up and help out!” My head was knocked a few times – it was Bou-san.

“Put this in the car.”

“Got it, Dad!”

“Haah??” I smile secretly as it’s a secret! I’m not telling you, Bou-san!

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| Forward to [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Next Section]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Prologue

2010-05-01T06:06:34Z

Sinmay: /* 1 */

==Prologue==

===1===

Cumulonimbus clouds stretched from the gleaming ocean into the cerulean sky.

Due to the sunlight’s reflection, the asphalt road that followed the shoreline sparkled with a white glow.

Beneath the railing, translucent waves could be seen rolling in. I think, it must be very comfortable to jump in. But right now, I am currently holding on to this phone.

“How’s it going over there?”

I said, as I heard the nearly weeping voice of my colleague on the other end of the line – although she's just a colleague from work.

“Even with an air-conditioner, it's still hot as hell. What about your place?”

“I thought it'd be cooler since we're further North, but apparently not.”

Noto-peninsular’s summer, is really summer.

“That’s so disappointing –” a cheerful laugh came through the receiver.

“It’s even hotter than Tokyo, right?”

“Exactly!”

“But if you're by the sea, can’t you go swimming? It'd feel completely different from swimming in a pool.”

“Yeah, in theory. But that won't happen, cause four of us can't swim.”

Of all our members, one is currently hospitalized. As for the 3 others, due to their injuries, it would probably hurt a lot if they bathed in seawater.

“What the heck is Bou-san doing, being so pathetic this time; he should just swim from the start.”

“They all look exhausted. Although their stitches were just removed, I’ve heard that they should still refrain from swimming. Because of lingering wrist pain, work is also cancelled. John is apparently already better, but – ”

“Poor things. I want to see them.”

“Are you coming?”

“If I’m sponsored, I’ll go.”

“Ah? … Ha ha.”

“A-ah, as a poor person, I have no sympathy. I hate myself for having dealt with all the clothes, cakes etc that were for visiting Bou-san in hospital.”

“Forget it, there’s no use regretting. That's just you.”

“You bastard. – What about the boss?”

“He should be discharged in 2 to 3 days; we’ll know after his check-up today.”

“Mai – I think even if he isn’t hospitalized, the boss still won’t put on a swimsuit and go swimming.”

“Yeah yeah.”

“You're lucky, you can look after him hand and foot.”

“What- whatever! Ayako and Masako are the ones that hover over him like a shadow!”

“If that's the truth, then what are you doing every day?”

“I’m looking after Bou-san.”

“You're so cunning!” Came an extra-loud voice from the receiver. I hurriedly pulled the receiver away from my ear. That bastard, why was she so loud.

“I’m joking; I’m doing an assignment now.”

“What? Did you bring your homework there?”

“The hotel lady sent it to me, and all the answers are correct. And Yasuhara's here too.”

“Yasuhara broke his ribs, so he couldn’t possibly bathe in the ocean.”

“Of course. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a free-of-charge home tutor.”

“You're a rude bastard without any manners – you’ll have to treat me when you get back.”

“Yeah, it’s all right if it’s an ice cream cone.”

“Bastard, you're such a bully – only ice-cream?!”

“Grr… you’re gonna do what?”

“Whatever, don’t you have a special subsidy? Just treat it as a special treatment for me; I'll wait until your pay day.”

“Ha-ah, landlord-sama, thank you for your leniency.”

“Don’t be such a pain! I’m looking forward to that day. I’ll stop here today. Talk to ya later!”

“Take care!”

“I’ll take care of the things at home; I’m leaving the casualties to you!”

“Okay, bye-bye!”

Replacing the receiver, the green colored telephone ejected my phone-card and beeped. The cicadas, which were even louder than this, were also crying non-stop.

I, Taniyama Mai, am a second year high school student.

The reason a student in a Tokyo high school like me is here in Noto is more or less because of work. I hold the title of "investigator", even though I can't really do anything.

Now that it was summer, I had originally thought it’d be fun to travel far away from Tokyo (to Noto). But in the end, we kept getting casualties, and because of the boss’s hospitalization, we remained in Noto even though our investigation ended already.

Too bad for the restaurant that we investigated to provide lodgings. And that explains why I'm just wandering around, waiting for my boss to be discharged. Before I knew it, half a month had already gone by, and my summer holidays were drawing to a close.

Coming out from the telephone booth, I was scanning for shade as I walked along the shore, when I heard the sound of a car horn.

Lifting my head, I could see a car coming over slowly.

“Oh, are you here to visit the hospital?”

I could see the silhouettes of 3 people – a male and two females, the former or which stuck his head out from the driver’s seat.

===2===

The fellow who appeared was the monk Takahashi mentioned – the Romeo Takigawa Hou-sou, aka Bou-san.

Originally of Mount Takano, his current job is apparently at some studio. Despite putting it like this, I haven’t encountered that side of Bou-san ever before. Although Takahashi had shown me many CDs printed with ‘Norio Takigawa’ on the cover, I’m still incapable of linking those two people together.

“Mai! Naru can be discharged. I’m going to pack the bags now, do you want to go too?”

“I’m coming!”

Actually, there’s completely no need for so many people to go to handle the discharge procedure. But Bou-san’s car is installed with an air-conditioner. Compared with walking back along the unbearably hot road, I’d definitely choose to take the car. Drive to the hospital, and then drive back. Hey hey, this is, of course, the most advantageous.

“The heat is killing me!” As I just sat down on the backseat, the woman beside me started speaking immediately.

“Are you an idiot? You still deliberately travel such a long distance on such a hot day to go to a phone booth to make a phone call.”

“But I have to call the office, and there are no public phones where we stay.”

“That shop can’t be heartless; you only have to ask to use the phone. Won’t that do?”

“Mai and Ayako are different; she is not brave, and borrowing other people’s phone to make long-distance calls isn’t too easy either. However, to run such a long distance to a phone booth to make a call isn’t a good idea either.”

It was a 10 plus minute walk from the lodgings.

“I rudely borrowed a phone from someone?”

“There’s no such thing. I think it’s Ayako who doesn’t know manners or perhaps her skin is thicker (tl/n: less easily embarrassed).”

“- Mai, tonight you must tell me fully what you said over the phone!”

“No way!” With that I punched Bou-san, but only lightly though.

Ayako is Matsuzaki Ayako. She’s a self-proclaimed Miko, but a Miko made up so garishly was beyond my imagination; she’s also very cool. Her personality is also very explosive. However, she donated a lot of clothes to the parentless me, who is unable to wear those high quality clothes. That’s why I say, she’s a sharp tongued, soft hearted big sister. She always says, “This clothing suits you very well, it doesn’t fit me” and what not. In a line, to be able to be with Ayako like this is also some sort of fate.

Ayako looked at Bou-san and I and couldn’t stop laughing secretly on one side.

Masako’s full name is Hara Masako. She is a medium who frequently appears on Wideshow and other similar programs. She, clearly, like me, is just the age of a high-school student, but the difference between us is so great, this fellow! She’s currently infaturated with the boss of ‘Shibuya Psychic Research (SPR)’ – our boss. I heard she cried because she had to go back to Tokyo to record a program.

“Apparently it was Naru who wanted to be discharged!”

“He requested to be discharged?” I turned back to look at Masako.

What in the world is he thinking of, that young master! Naru, who I’ve called ‘Naru’ from the first, and who I call ‘Naru-chan’ affectionately now, is our boss who opened his own offices in Shibuya at age seventeen. Towards the older people he always wears an apologetic look; his personality is also terrible. Summing it up it’s a look of supreme arrogance and omnipotence.

“If he’s so willful, he’ll die young.”

“Well said.”

“Forget it, it’s not like that fellow Naru’s willfulness started today.” Ayako opened her mouth to speak.

“And it’s not like he has to create trouble for others, furthermore it’s not only because there’s something wrong with his own body. If Naru does this then isn’t it not wrong?” Although the words are a little too much, they are indeed the truth.

===3===

“That body of his isn’t very study either; it’s better to pay a little more attention to the state of his body.”

“Naru’s weakness should be due to his use of Qi Gong, his previous hospitalizations were also due to this; if he doesn’t use Qi Gong, he should have any problems temporarily, should he?”

“As to this I don’t know, at first I even thought it was leukemia or something, it shocked me to death. So Qi Gong is Naru’s secret.”

“What illness, and it doesn’t have any symptoms… you’re talking about that soap opera from a few years back, right?”

Really, the number of secrets that young master has is really numerous; while it is a matter of course that one wants to keep things hidden, but…

I smiled. “Bou-san, why are you so quiet?”

“Ah?”

“Normally you’ll talk when you’re driving.”

Bou-san glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled bitterly, “even I have times when I think about things!”

“I know. Are you thinking that because work is on temporary hiatus, your living expenses haven’t been dealt with yet?”

“Right right. And there’s the fuel cost for going back, what will I do… hey hey, there’s no such possibility, right?!”

“Is that wrong?”

“Hn, is money the only thing I can think about?”

“Speaking of which, Bou-san hasn’t been very energetic recently.”

“It’s not being unenergetic, it’s thinking about things; that’s very manly, right?”

“As if. This look doesn’t suit you at all.”

“You wench!”

“It’s unrelated, right? Tired yet?”

“Continuously babysitting children is exhausting; I’d consider myself to have experienced the sensation of a teacher leading a school tour – it’s just like Bou-san has been these few days.”

“Young children? Who is a young child here?”

“As for this – who do you think it is?”

Che~ That’s not cute at all.

But the kindhearted me, who had seldom seen Bou-san space out like this, was still worried. Furthermore, the investigation this time around was really exhausting, and Bou-san was even injured – he had 15 stitches on his back.

The other 2 people who remained in the lodgings were similarly injured.

Yasuhara, whose full name is Yasuhara Osamu. This spring, he breezed through his examinations with outstanding results, and is already a university student at a famous university. We encountered him because he had previously made a job request, in the end he became the muscle of the company. This time he even broke his ribs, and is still currently wearing a plaster cast. And during the long awaited relaxing summer break too! Sigh! Poor fellow!

The other is John, whose full name is John Brown. A priest from Australia, John had also endured many injuries – his body is covered with stitched up wounds. Although he isn’t as badly injured as Yasuhara and Bou-san, it is serious enough.

This was a rare visit to the seaside, but the 3 men couldn’t swim. Besides, if there were 3 females looking after Naru it were already more than enough. Just like this we gathered together every day to gossip, sigh! I can’t help feeling it’s a waste of this summer vacation.

Just as I was thinking this, the tall building could already be seen directly in front of us. The building that towered over the other buildings surrounding it was the hospital where boss is staying at.

Entering the entrance hall, I saw Lin-san at the reception area.

Lin-san’s name is Lin Koujo. Based on his name I think he should be a China man, or more precisely he was born in Hong Kong. I’m not sure whether to call him an investigator in Shibuya Psychic Research or the boss’s secretary. Ma~ He is just this type of fellow. Apparently he even knows Chinese Witchcraft techniques – this I know from the things he had done. He is an uncommunicative sort of character. As to why this type of person is working in SPR, I do not know.

Lin-san was making a payment at the reception.

“Yo, are you settling the bill and handling the discharge?” Although Bou-san was greeting Lin-san, his gaze was fixed at his hands.

As a poor person I also couldn’t help looking over. From a distance of 2 to 3 meters I could see a rather thick wad of cash; if it were only 3 or 5 notes, it shouldn’t look that thick; it should be the hospital fee from Naru’s family. If it’s like this, then he is, as expected, a young master from a rich family.

“Is he really getting discharged? Is he alright already?”

“Naru requested it himself.” Although his tone is still very cold, he is making a reply, and that’s an enormous improvement already. Recently I’ve been able to converse with Lin-san, although the conversations are all very short.

I secretly asked Ayako, “Ne, is hospitalization so expensive?”

Ah, Ayako nodded her head.

“Furthermore it appears that Naru doesn’t have insurance.”

- Gei, that fellow.

“Are you lying? Is that fellow paying the full fee out of pocket?” If he had brought along his insurance policy, if he had National Health Insurance, he would only need to pay 30%. That is to say, in reality the victim would only need to pay 30% of the bill, the country would shoulder 70%. If the doctor’s bill were 3000 yen, the actual fee would be 1000 yen.

“The cost of just a single bed is 10 000 a night. Without insurance, the treatment cost would add up to tens of thousands.” On that note, Ayako’s family runs hospitals.

“That’s really scary; clearly with health insurance it’d be decreased by a lot.”

“What about you? As for poor people, it’s still better to take good care of your body!”

“Mind your own business!”

Although Ayako’s words are quite brash, I know she is being concerned for me.

In the midst of our conversation, Lin-san had finished settling the bill, so we walked together towards the wards, and said farewell to the doorman whom we had already gotten familiar with.

The room labeled ‘Shibuya Kazuya’ was his room. After gently knocking on the door we opened it and entered. The patient wore a hospital gown and sat on the bed looking at documents. That document was a record for work – he’s a 17 year old workaholic.

Upon hearing Lin-san’s voice, Naru closed the file.

“Ah.”

He looks like he’s in a very bad mood; his color is also very poor.

When Naru collapsed during the investigation, he nearly stopped breathing. Lin-san and Bou-san performed mouth to mouth resuscitation on him; the paramedics who rushed there had said he was in trouble, and he even entered the emergency room. It really made one feel he had a very narrow escape. He was already like that, is it really all right to get discharged now? If he hasn’t really recovered, the doctors should have stopped him from getting discharged.

Ayako brought the fruits that were prepared and went to greet the doctors and nurses; Lin-san packed the bags; Masako made tea; while I leaned against the wall looking on.

Despite this, in the end everyone still stayed behind.

Naru was hospitalized for 6 days. While it was a matter of course that Lin-san stayed behind to protect Naru, even the other fellows who should have had other jobs scheduled had also stayed behind. Could they possibly be that free – or were they concerned about Naru? He’s clearly a willful and secretive fellow.

But didn’t I also stay behind? As expected I still worry about this fellow.

The last time he was hospitalized he refused to accept visitors, but this time he didn’t say so, perhaps there is a reason on this side I can’t be sure. Originally we only came here because of the investigation; furthermore this time it was even more severe than the last, therefore we were this worried that we didn’t return first. Perhaps even Naru would feel insecure?

- This shouldn’t be possible.

I even thought he would be like the last time and unhesitatingly say “With you lot visiting I’m not able to sleep, you’re getting in the way!” Has his heart changed slightly, does he know gratitude now? – Sigh! Such a thing shouldn’t be possible.

I also don’t know whether Naru’s family knows of Naru’s hospitalization. During the period of his hospitalization not once have I seen a visiting relative. Under normal circumstances, if the son is hospitalized, the mother would come at least. Yasuhara’s well tempered mother had come. But no one from Naru’s family came; it’s like they weren’t contacted at all. Thinking about it, it’s quite incomprehensible.

Naru’s father is apparently a University Professor, a researcher in the paranormal. But is there this type of teachers in University? While his mother is apparently around, as to what type of person she is I don’t know, but I don’t think she’s a normal mother. Otherwise she’d definitely be very angry to see her son not attend school and open a psychic research company instead.

- But… up till now she hasn’t appeared in the hospital.

I don’t know if they are unaware of Naru’s hospitalization? Such a possibility shouldn’t exist, right? Even if they silently accept their son’s suspicious behavior of starting a company to be a ghost hunter, but he hasn’t returned for such a long period of time, could they possibly not think it strange?

It’s really such a puzzle!

Where is his home? What type of home is his home like? Does he have brothers? As to Naru’s situation, there’s nothing that I know of. Even I have started feeling frustrated; he is really an exceedingly secretive person.

“Naru-chan, can we send these things away?”

“Have you forgotten anything? Have you said goodbye to the doctors?” I smiled.

At a time like this everyone was like a temporarily put together family.

Bou-san is the father, Ayako is the mother, Lin is the picky grandfather. The broadminded eldest son and the steady, reliable second son are John and Yasuhara. The carefree and precocious daughters are me and Masako. And Naru is the willful youngest son (although he is slightly older than me). Look, it’s really very suiting.

“You’re still grinning stupidly by yourself over there; hurry up and help out!” My head was knocked a few times – it was Bou-san.

“Put this in the car.”

“Got it, Dad!”

“Haah??” I smile secretly as it’s a secret! I’m not telling you, Bou-san!

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[Ghost Hunt|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Next Section]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Prologue

2010-04-28T06:45:16Z

Sinmay: /* 1 */

==Prologue==

===1===

Cumulonimbus clouds stretched from the gleaming ocean into the cerulean sky.

Due to the sunlight’s reflection, the asphalt road that followed the shoreline sparkled with a white glow.

Beneath the railing, translucent waves could be seen rolling in. I think, it must be very comfortable to jump in. But right now, I am currently holding on to this phone.

“How’s it going on your side?”

I said, as I heard the nearly weeping voice of my colleague on the other end of the line – although she's just a colleague from work.

“Even with an air-conditioner, it's still hot as hell. What about your place?”

“I thought it'd be cooler since we're further North, but apparently not.”

Noto-peninsular’s summer, is really summer.

“That’s so disappointing –” a cheerful laugh came through the receiver.

“It’s even hotter than Tokyo, right?”

“Exactly!”

“But if you're by the sea, can’t you go swimming? It'd feel completely different from swimming in a pool.”

“Yeah, in theory. But that won't happen, cause four of us can't swim.”

Of all our members, one is currently hospitalized. As for the 3 others, due to their injuries, it would probably hurt a lot if they bathed in seawater.

“What the heck is Bou-san doing, being so pathetic this time; he should just swim from the start.”

“They all look exhausted. Although their stitches were just removed, I’ve heard that they should still refrain from swimming. Because of lingering wrist pain, work is also cancelled. John is apparently already better, but – ”

“Poor things. I want to see them.”

“Are you coming?”

“If I’m sponsored, I’ll go.”

“Ah? … Ha ha.”

“A-ah, as a poor person, I have no sympathy. I hate myself for having dealt with all the clothes, cakes etc that were for visiting Bou-san in hospital.”

“Forget it, there’s no use regretting. That's just you.”

“You bastard. – What about the boss?”

“He should be discharged in 2 to 3 days; we’ll know after his check-up today.”

“Mai – I think even if he isn’t hospitalized, the boss still won’t put on a swimsuit and go swimming.”

“Yeah yeah.”

“You're lucky, you can look after him hand and foot.”

“What- whatever! Ayako and Masako are the ones that hover over him like a shadow!”

“If that's the truth, then what are you doing every day?”

“I’m looking after Bou-san.”

“You're so cunning!” Came an extra-loud voice from the receiver. I hurriedly pulled the receiver away from my ear. That bastard, why was she so loud.

“I’m joking; I’m currently doing my assignment.”

“What? Did you bring your homework there?”

“The lady at the hotel here sent it, and all the answers are correct. Furthermore, Yasuhara is here too.”

“Yasuhara broke his ribs; he couldn’t possibly bathe in the ocean, can he?”

“Of course. Thanks to you, I’ve gained a free-of-charge home tutor.”

“You're a rude bastard without any manners – you’ll have to treat me when you get back.”

“Yeah, it’s all right if it’s an ice cream cone.”

“Bastard, you only know how to bully me – just ice-cream?!”

“Grr… you’re going to kill me?”

“Whatever, don’t you have a special subsidy? Just treat it as a special treatment for me; I'll wait until your pay day.”

“Ha-ah, landlord-sama, thank you for your leniency.”

“Don’t be such a pain! I’m looking forward to that day. I’ll stop here today. Let's chat again later!”

“Take care!”

“I’ll take care of the things at home; I’m leaving the casualties to you!”

“Yeah, bye-bye!”

Replacing the receiver, the green colored telephone ejected my phone-card and beeped. The cicadas, which were even louder than this, were also crying non-stop.

I, Taniyama Mai, am a second year high school student.

The reason a student in a Tokyo high school like me is here in Noto is more or less because of work. Regardless, I hold the title of "investigator", even though I can't really do anything.

Now that it was summer, I had originally thought it’d be fun to travel far away from Tokyo (to Noto). In the end, we kept getting casualties, and because of the boss’s hospitalization, despite the end of the investigation we remained in Noto.

Too bad for the restaurant that we investigated to provide lodgings. Just like this I wandered around and waited for boss to be discharged, and before I knew it, half a month had already gone by, and my summer holidays ended just like this.

Coming out from the telephone booth, I was looking for shade while walking along the shore, when I heard the sound of a car horn.

Lifting my head I could see a common car moving slowly over.

“Ai? Are you here for hospital visitation?”

I could see the silhouettes of 3 people – a male and two females; it was a male who stuck his head out from the driver’s seat.

===2===

The fellow who appeared was the monk Takahashi mentioned – the Romeo Takigawa Hou-sou, aka Bou-san.

Originally of Mount Takano, his current job is apparently at some studio. Despite putting it like this, I haven’t encountered that side of Bou-san ever before. Although Takahashi had shown me many CDs printed with ‘Norio Takigawa’ on the cover, I’m still incapable of linking those two people together.

“Mai! Naru can be discharged. I’m going to pack the bags now, do you want to go too?”

“I’m coming!”

Actually, there’s completely no need for so many people to go to handle the discharge procedure. But Bou-san’s car is installed with an air-conditioner. Compared with walking back along the unbearably hot road, I’d definitely choose to take the car. Drive to the hospital, and then drive back. Hey hey, this is, of course, the most advantageous.

“The heat is killing me!” As I just sat down on the backseat, the woman beside me started speaking immediately.

“Are you an idiot? You still deliberately travel such a long distance on such a hot day to go to a phone booth to make a phone call.”

“But I have to call the office, and there are no public phones where we stay.”

“That shop can’t be heartless; you only have to ask to use the phone. Won’t that do?”

“Mai and Ayako are different; she is not brave, and borrowing other people’s phone to make long-distance calls isn’t too easy either. However, to run such a long distance to a phone booth to make a call isn’t a good idea either.”

It was a 10 plus minute walk from the lodgings.

“I rudely borrowed a phone from someone?”

“There’s no such thing. I think it’s Ayako who doesn’t know manners or perhaps her skin is thicker (tl/n: less easily embarrassed).”

“- Mai, tonight you must tell me fully what you said over the phone!”

“No way!” With that I punched Bou-san, but only lightly though.

Ayako is Matsuzaki Ayako. She’s a self-proclaimed Miko, but a Miko made up so garishly was beyond my imagination; she’s also very cool. Her personality is also very explosive. However, she donated a lot of clothes to the parentless me, who is unable to wear those high quality clothes. That’s why I say, she’s a sharp tongued, soft hearted big sister. She always says, “This clothing suits you very well, it doesn’t fit me” and what not. In a line, to be able to be with Ayako like this is also some sort of fate.

Ayako looked at Bou-san and I and couldn’t stop laughing secretly on one side.

Masako’s full name is Hara Masako. She is a medium who frequently appears on Wideshow and other similar programs. She, clearly, like me, is just the age of a high-school student, but the difference between us is so great, this fellow! She’s currently infaturated with the boss of ‘Shibuya Psychic Research (SPR)’ – our boss. I heard she cried because she had to go back to Tokyo to record a program.

“Apparently it was Naru who wanted to be discharged!”

“He requested to be discharged?” I turned back to look at Masako.

What in the world is he thinking of, that young master! Naru, who I’ve called ‘Naru’ from the first, and who I call ‘Naru-chan’ affectionately now, is our boss who opened his own offices in Shibuya at age seventeen. Towards the older people he always wears an apologetic look; his personality is also terrible. Summing it up it’s a look of supreme arrogance and omnipotence.

“If he’s so willful, he’ll die young.”

“Well said.”

“Forget it, it’s not like that fellow Naru’s willfulness started today.” Ayako opened her mouth to speak.

“And it’s not like he has to create trouble for others, furthermore it’s not only because there’s something wrong with his own body. If Naru does this then isn’t it not wrong?” Although the words are a little too much, they are indeed the truth.

===3===

“That body of his isn’t very study either; it’s better to pay a little more attention to the state of his body.”

“Naru’s weakness should be due to his use of Qi Gong, his previous hospitalizations were also due to this; if he doesn’t use Qi Gong, he should have any problems temporarily, should he?”

“As to this I don’t know, at first I even thought it was leukemia or something, it shocked me to death. So Qi Gong is Naru’s secret.”

“What illness, and it doesn’t have any symptoms… you’re talking about that soap opera from a few years back, right?”

Really, the number of secrets that young master has is really numerous; while it is a matter of course that one wants to keep things hidden, but…

I smiled. “Bou-san, why are you so quiet?”

“Ah?”

“Normally you’ll talk when you’re driving.”

Bou-san glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled bitterly, “even I have times when I think about things!”

“I know. Are you thinking that because work is on temporary hiatus, your living expenses haven’t been dealt with yet?”

“Right right. And there’s the fuel cost for going back, what will I do… hey hey, there’s no such possibility, right?!”

“Is that wrong?”

“Hn, is money the only thing I can think about?”

“Speaking of which, Bou-san hasn’t been very energetic recently.”

“It’s not being unenergetic, it’s thinking about things; that’s very manly, right?”

“As if. This look doesn’t suit you at all.”

“You wench!”

“It’s unrelated, right? Tired yet?”

“Continuously babysitting children is exhausting; I’d consider myself to have experienced the sensation of a teacher leading a school tour – it’s just like Bou-san has been these few days.”

“Young children? Who is a young child here?”

“As for this – who do you think it is?”

Che~ That’s not cute at all.

But the kindhearted me, who had seldom seen Bou-san space out like this, was still worried. Furthermore, the investigation this time around was really exhausting, and Bou-san was even injured – he had 15 stitches on his back.

The other 2 people who remained in the lodgings were similarly injured.

Yasuhara, whose full name is Yasuhara Osamu. This spring, he breezed through his examinations with outstanding results, and is already a university student at a famous university. We encountered him because he had previously made a job request, in the end he became the muscle of the company. This time he even broke his ribs, and is still currently wearing a plaster cast. And during the long awaited relaxing summer break too! Sigh! Poor fellow!

The other is John, whose full name is John Brown. A priest from Australia, John had also endured many injuries – his body is covered with stitched up wounds. Although he isn’t as badly injured as Yasuhara and Bou-san, it is serious enough.

This was a rare visit to the seaside, but the 3 men couldn’t swim. Besides, if there were 3 females looking after Naru it were already more than enough. Just like this we gathered together every day to gossip, sigh! I can’t help feeling it’s a waste of this summer vacation.

Just as I was thinking this, the tall building could already be seen directly in front of us. The building that towered over the other buildings surrounding it was the hospital where boss is staying at.

Entering the entrance hall, I saw Lin-san at the reception area.

Lin-san’s name is Lin Koujo. Based on his name I think he should be a China man, or more precisely he was born in Hong Kong. I’m not sure whether to call him an investigator in Shibuya Psychic Research or the boss’s secretary. Ma~ He is just this type of fellow. Apparently he even knows Chinese Witchcraft techniques – this I know from the things he had done. He is an uncommunicative sort of character. As to why this type of person is working in SPR, I do not know.

Lin-san was making a payment at the reception.

“Yo, are you settling the bill and handling the discharge?” Although Bou-san was greeting Lin-san, his gaze was fixed at his hands.

As a poor person I also couldn’t help looking over. From a distance of 2 to 3 meters I could see a rather thick wad of cash; if it were only 3 or 5 notes, it shouldn’t look that thick; it should be the hospital fee from Naru’s family. If it’s like this, then he is, as expected, a young master from a rich family.

“Is he really getting discharged? Is he alright already?”

“Naru requested it himself.” Although his tone is still very cold, he is making a reply, and that’s an enormous improvement already. Recently I’ve been able to converse with Lin-san, although the conversations are all very short.

I secretly asked Ayako, “Ne, is hospitalization so expensive?”

Ah, Ayako nodded her head.

“Furthermore it appears that Naru doesn’t have insurance.”

- Gei, that fellow.

“Are you lying? Is that fellow paying the full fee out of pocket?” If he had brought along his insurance policy, if he had National Health Insurance, he would only need to pay 30%. That is to say, in reality the victim would only need to pay 30% of the bill, the country would shoulder 70%. If the doctor’s bill were 3000 yen, the actual fee would be 1000 yen.

“The cost of just a single bed is 10 000 a night. Without insurance, the treatment cost would add up to tens of thousands.” On that note, Ayako’s family runs hospitals.

“That’s really scary; clearly with health insurance it’d be decreased by a lot.”

“What about you? As for poor people, it’s still better to take good care of your body!”

“Mind your own business!”

Although Ayako’s words are quite brash, I know she is being concerned for me.

In the midst of our conversation, Lin-san had finished settling the bill, so we walked together towards the wards, and said farewell to the doorman whom we had already gotten familiar with.

The room labeled ‘Shibuya Kazuya’ was his room. After gently knocking on the door we opened it and entered. The patient wore a hospital gown and sat on the bed looking at documents. That document was a record for work – he’s a 17 year old workaholic.

Upon hearing Lin-san’s voice, Naru closed the file.

“Ah.”

He looks like he’s in a very bad mood; his color is also very poor.

When Naru collapsed during the investigation, he nearly stopped breathing. Lin-san and Bou-san performed mouth to mouth resuscitation on him; the paramedics who rushed there had said he was in trouble, and he even entered the emergency room. It really made one feel he had a very narrow escape. He was already like that, is it really all right to get discharged now? If he hasn’t really recovered, the doctors should have stopped him from getting discharged.

Ayako brought the fruits that were prepared and went to greet the doctors and nurses; Lin-san packed the bags; Masako made tea; while I leaned against the wall looking on.

Despite this, in the end everyone still stayed behind.

Naru was hospitalized for 6 days. While it was a matter of course that Lin-san stayed behind to protect Naru, even the other fellows who should have had other jobs scheduled had also stayed behind. Could they possibly be that free – or were they concerned about Naru? He’s clearly a willful and secretive fellow.

But didn’t I also stay behind? As expected I still worry about this fellow.

The last time he was hospitalized he refused to accept visitors, but this time he didn’t say so, perhaps there is a reason on this side I can’t be sure. Originally we only came here because of the investigation; furthermore this time it was even more severe than the last, therefore we were this worried that we didn’t return first. Perhaps even Naru would feel insecure?

- This shouldn’t be possible.

I even thought he would be like the last time and unhesitatingly say “With you lot visiting I’m not able to sleep, you’re getting in the way!” Has his heart changed slightly, does he know gratitude now? – Sigh! Such a thing shouldn’t be possible.

I also don’t know whether Naru’s family knows of Naru’s hospitalization. During the period of his hospitalization not once have I seen a visiting relative. Under normal circumstances, if the son is hospitalized, the mother would come at least. Yasuhara’s well tempered mother had come. But no one from Naru’s family came; it’s like they weren’t contacted at all. Thinking about it, it’s quite incomprehensible.

Naru’s father is apparently a University Professor, a researcher in the paranormal. But is there this type of teachers in University? While his mother is apparently around, as to what type of person she is I don’t know, but I don’t think she’s a normal mother. Otherwise she’d definitely be very angry to see her son not attend school and open a psychic research company instead.

- But… up till now she hasn’t appeared in the hospital.

I don’t know if they are unaware of Naru’s hospitalization? Such a possibility shouldn’t exist, right? Even if they silently accept their son’s suspicious behavior of starting a company to be a ghost hunter, but he hasn’t returned for such a long period of time, could they possibly not think it strange?

It’s really such a puzzle!

Where is his home? What type of home is his home like? Does he have brothers? As to Naru’s situation, there’s nothing that I know of. Even I have started feeling frustrated; he is really an exceedingly secretive person.

“Naru-chan, can we send these things away?”

“Have you forgotten anything? Have you said goodbye to the doctors?” I smiled.

At a time like this everyone was like a temporarily put together family.

Bou-san is the father, Ayako is the mother, Lin is the picky grandfather. The broadminded eldest son and the steady, reliable second son are John and Yasuhara. The carefree and precocious daughters are me and Masako. And Naru is the willful youngest son (although he is slightly older than me). Look, it’s really very suiting.

“You’re still grinning stupidly by yourself over there; hurry up and help out!” My head was knocked a few times – it was Bou-san.

“Put this in the car.”

“Got it, Dad!”

“Haah??” I smile secretly as it’s a secret! I’m not telling you, Bou-san!

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| Return to [[Ghost Hunt|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Ghost Hunt:Volume 7 Chapter 1|Next Section]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter1

2009-03-13T22:39:25Z

Sinmay: /* Chapter 1 - School */

==Chapter 1 - School==

===1===

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.

<center>* * *</center>

"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.

"Ah—Today 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 busy—some 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.

===2===

"Actually—this 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.

===3===

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."

===4===

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."

===5===

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.

===6===

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?

===7===

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.

<center>* * *</center>

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).

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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Chapter1

2009-03-12T02:37:30Z

Sinmay: /* 2 */

==Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling==

=== 1 ===
　The following day had a nice weather, and the Sakura trees on the road to school were forming a beautiful white tunnel.

　Along with the nice weather I, for some reason, was feeling better too. In the morning, when I saw the sky clearing away and the sun rising, I suddenly felt myself full of energy, and went to school earlier than usual.

　I was passing through the tunnel of roadside Sakura trees on my way to school, when I suddenly felt like seeing the old school building.

　The old school was standing on the opposite side of the sports ground facing the new one. A wooden half-demolished building. A building that had many bad rumors going around about it. Everyone considered it a haunted mansion.

　Are the rumors true?

　I decided to go.

　Maybe it is true. Being abandoned for a long time, the windows are clouded in dust. More than half of them are broken so one could see the gloomy inside of the school beyond them.

　Dark hole openings in the windows. I feel something different from these holes, they belong to another place, a different world that I know.

　A distorted tiled roof. Half of the building is covered in a blue sheet. That originally beautiful blue color is soiled too, deeply ruined.

　I approached the old school building.

　The entrance way has an old-fashioned door with glass window, which is clouded and broken too. A transparent vinyl put there is looking rather lonely.

　I peeped in through that window.

　Inside the entrance way the color of dusk is dominating. A rattly shoe shelf disposed to the faint light is standing there like a gravestone. A terrible amount of dust. A spider's nest. Its threads are dusty too. A completely dilapidated building.

　Broken glass is scattered on the floor, something that looks like an old bowl, and other garbage is all over the place. Ruins. Dilapidated building. A haunted house. An old school building of bad rumors.

　Peeping in, I suddenly notice a strange thing inside the entrance way.

　What could it be?

　A black machine.

　Pretty big, looks like a video camera. Set on top of a tripod.

　Why is such a thing here I wonder, I have to make sure what it is.

　Spontaneously, I put my hand on the door knob.

　A very dusty and rough sense of touch.

　The door opened with a very unpleasant creak, to let me inside.

　I entered right after the door opened. As I thought, it's a video camera. It can't be... someone lost this?

　I got closer to the camera.

　Why would there be a camera?

　This thing totally puzzles me. It's like seeing a car stopped in the middle of the living room of a friend's house.

　Er, what is this?

　Just when I stretched my hands towards the video...

"Who is it?"

　A man's sharp voice.

　In that ex-school building of bad luck. In that dark entrance way, inside that completely dilapidated building, there just when I saw a strange thing and felt curious...

　At that time all of a sudden I heard a voice, it is impossible not to get surprised.

　Of course I was surprised. Not just surprised. I literally jumped back. While jumping I unintentionally crashed into the almost collapsed shoe shelf.

　At that moment the shoe shelf swayed turning around.

　On my vision's edge I see a man's figure standing at the door.

　I try to avoid the shoe shelf that was inclining towards me for the second time.

　At the spur of the moment I trip and fall and the shoe shelf collapses grazing my uniform skirt, on top of that it directly hits the video camera... I take an innocent breath　...that surprised me...

　Huh, I thought I was going to get caught in.

　Taking a breath of relief, I turned to face the man just like a rogue would in front of two monks.

　Not good.

　Now it is completely broken. The previously broken shoe shelf. And the man is lying on the floor.

"Are you alright?"

　I rushed over to him. And at the same time heard a voice.

"What's wrong?"

　A man's voice.

　The one who rushed over here from the door is the exchange student who made me unrest from yesterday. Shibuya. Today he isn't wearing a uniform too. He is as black as ever.

　He ran over to check the collapsed man near me.

"Lin?"

　Does he know him? Saying that, he notices me, giving me an intense look.

"What happened?"

"Ah, that's……"

　Just when I was about to answer the fallen man raised his body.

"Are you hurt?"

　Shibuya asks him.

"Yes..."

　He mutters.

　 Below a long forelock that is covering the upper part of his face, there is a red line flowing down.

　 My voice gets nervous.

"……Did you cut yourself somewhere?"

　The blood falling from his chin is forming a circle of dots on the floor.

　What should I do!

"I am very sorry！　I was surprised and..."

　I quickly try to give him a hand, but Shibuya stops me.

　Using his perfectly calm hands, he is checking the state of the fallen man's injury.

"It's a small cut... Anywhere else?"

"I am alright"

　The injured man got up. He bent a little when his weight got to his legs.

"Can you stand?　How are your legs?"

"……Everything is okay."

　But still he has quite a sickly look on his face. A fat layer of sweet is flowing down his forehead.

　Not knowing what to do, I just stand there nervously.

"I am really sorry.

　But suddenly hearing your voice I was totally surprised..."

"He already told you, it's okay"

　Shibuya says in a cold voice.

　I counter with an even colder look.

"We met yesterday, didn't we?"

"That's right."

　But is it alright for me to give him such a grave look? After all this man got injured, because of me getting surprised.

"That's right, but what's more important now,

　is there a hospital or a doctor nearby?"

"Right after the school gate..."

"Take me there."

　Saying this, Shibuya supports his friend with a shoulder.

　I also tried to help him, but he put off my hand with his arm.

　What's with this guy!

　Glaring at me he says.

"I'm fine. Your help is unneeded."

　...This guy.. what's with his attitude. In the first place all this happened because you scared me like that. And I even as a kind person lend you a hand...

"Lin, can you walk?"

"Yes, I am okay."

　Shibuya takes a look at me.

"What's your name?"

"Taniyama..."

"Then, Taniyama-san, I will be alright from here on, you can return to the classroom."

"But.."

"I should let you know that the school bell just rang."

　Heh?

　I got up early and still I am late?

　Getting up early, being scared to death, these two guys almost freaking me out and on top of this I'm late for school?

　Ah, I should have never approached the old building.

　As I thought, that place was full of bad luck!

=== 2 ===

　Even though I ran in all my haste, I was totally late for school. And as if to finish me up, the teacher had to scold me in front of the whole class... it couldn't get any worse.

　Thanks to this I was in a bad mood throughout the whole day.

　School ended.

　And when I was about to go home, Keiko and the others gathered around my desk.

"Hey, Mai are you going home?"

"Why?"

"Weren't we going to meet with yesterday's exchange guy?"

"Shibuya?"

"Yes, let's meet him."

　Don't joke around. I don't want to see that guy's face for a while.

"I'm going home."

　I make it clear to them that I won't go.

"Whyy?　Mai... you've changed."

　Even Michiru nods.

"What a weirdo you are.

　That guy's got the godlike coolness, don't you think so?"

　No I don't.

　They are too excited.

　I too think he's got a pretty face, but that's all.

　Recognizing me as a weirdo, Michiru says,

"Well that's fine. The lesser rivals, the better."

"That's right. We'll be the only ones to enjoy his enchanting eyes."

　Keiko is really happy.

"You really don't want to come?"

　Yuuri adds in mistrust.

"Are you sure?　You were quite interested yesterday."

　With these words Michiru smoothed down her uniform, having nothing more to say.

　Keiko too gives up on me and changes the topic.

"But, I was really surprised yesterday. The atmosphere was so tense wasn't it?　I thought that ghosts had appeared for real"

"Me too."

"Today, we'll tell stories again."

"But where? We won't get in the right mood here. What about we borrow the A/V room again?"

　You're really into it, aren't you?

"Yeah, it isn't dark enough here.

　The A/V room? The school's mixer room."

"That sounds okay."

　……Just when they were talking about this,

"Wait a minute"

　The voice we heard was that of our class rep. Ms. Kuroda Naoko.

　Somehow, she always looks nervous. It's been half a month since I entered this school. And yet, I still haven't talked to her.

"Ah, Kuroda-san, good-bye."

　Yuuri turns to her with an innocent smile.

"It isn't goodbye. What were you talking about just now?"

　Ms. Kuroda seems to be in a bad mood.

　But we didn't insult you or anything.

　Then I replied,

"We are going to tell ghost stories today. That's what we were talking about."

　Keiko poked me.

　I feel Ms. Kuroda's murderous intent.

　What's with her.

　At exactly that moment, Shibuya shows his face from the door.

"Is Taniyama-san here?"

　Ms. Kuroda turns to his direction.

"What year are you?　What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I had an arrangement with these girls..."

"Arrangement?　About the ghost stories?"

"That's right...?"

　Hearing Shibuya's answer, Ms. Kuroda turns at us without fail.

"Didn't I tell you to stop doing this!"

　……Ah？　What's with this girl?

　She angled her eyes.

"No wonder I've been having headaches since this morning."

"Ha-a?"

　I incline my head doubtfully. What is she talking about?

"Taniyama-san, I am sensitive to spirits. I have headaches when a lot of them gather. I am having headaches today. Spirits have definitely gathered here."

"……Ha-a……"

"Didn't you know?　When you tell ghost stories spirits gather. These are mainly low-level spirits. But even if they are low-level ones, when a lot of them gather they attract stronger spirits. You will be in trouble if that happens."

"……Haa"

　……WHAT'S WITH THIS GIRL?

"So you shouldn't think of telling ghost stories as fun."

　Then she turns to Shibuya.

"It would be quite troublesome if senpai did it too.

　I'd have to do an exorcism."

　Ms. Kuroda says that with a thoughtful expression.

　Shibuya shrugs his shoulders.

"Isn't it just your imagination?"

"That's why people who can't sense spirits are annoying."

　Her tone is persistently intense.

　Shibuya looks at her with a strong intent.

"You, if you really can sense them then do you sense something from the old school building?"

"Old school building?　Ah, it seems spirits of those who died during the war are gathering there."

　Ms.Kuroda says quickly.

"Died during the war……?"

"Right. I often see a man's shadow looking at me from the windows and it looks like a man from the war"

"Hee, which war?"

"Of course, the World War II.

　During the war there was a hospital on that place. The spirits of the dead nurses can be seen there. It had been air-raided once. Therefore a lot of injured spirits can be seen too"

"Awesome."

　Shibuya says with a sarcastic smile.

"I didn't know this was a hospital during the war.

　I heard that this school was here since pre-war days.

　And before that there was a medical faculty, wasn't there?"

　……A really hard personality……

　Ms. Kuroda bends her mouth. Then her face gets red.

"I woudn't know such a thing.

　Anyway, I've seen them. A person unable to sense them wouldn't understand."

　Ms. Kuroda doesn't give up until the end.

"The school principal is bothered that the ex-building's demolition failed and was complaining.

　Are you here to exorcise it?"

"……it isn't so simple。We'll do it when possible."

"I see."

　Shibuya responds coldly and turns to us.

"Since here is no good, let's go elsewhere?"

"It's still such a thing!"

　Ms. Kuroda snaps at Shibuya with incredible force.

　But Shibuya completely unconcerned comes to us making Keiko and the others restless again.

"Let's……"

　This extremely timid voice is Yuuri's.

"Let's put it off for today?"

"I agree.……I'm not in the mood for it."

　Keiko loses her enthusiasm too.

　What's happening, no one is even looking at him, they will miss a chance for intimate experience with their cool senpai.

　But still Michiru says,

"...Shibuya-senpai sorry. After all..."

"I see."

　Shibuya nods in assent.

"Then some other time."

　Saying that he raises his hand. Looking at the seemingly satisfied Ms. Kuroda he says,

"You are satisfied too, right?"

"...What are you talking about?"

"It's okay if you don't know.――Taniyama-san, please."

　Shibuya invites me.

　Keiko and the others throw a surprised glance at me.

"What is it?"

"Do you have a spare minute?"

　He says with a smile on his face. Keiko and company cannot notice his negative expression. My back is being watched reproachfully while leaving the room.

=== 3 ===

"Who is this girl?"

　Shibuya asks me while walking in a brisk step before me, where is he leading me to I wonder.

"I don't know. Today I talked to her for the first time. She seems somehow suspicious to me."

"……Yeah. Is she really a medium?"

　His expression gets a bit thoughtful.

"Well, she said it herself, didn't she?

　――By the way, is the person from this morning alright?"

"About that."

　Shibuya turns to face me with his cold indifferent expression.

"He sprained his left ankle. It is apparently in a very bad condition, so he won't be able to stand for a while."

"……About that,……I am really sorry……"

　I say this, but still I think if I really should be apologising to him.

"Well……is he an acquaintance of yours?"

"Wasn't it obvious?"

　Shibuya glances at me with ridicule in his eyes.

"……What kind of acquaintance?"

　I ask.

　He was giving me a strange feeling. That guy from the morning was over the hill no matter how you look at him. That same person was talking to his partner, the seventeen year old Shibuya, in a polite manner, while on the opposite side Shibuya was always talking in an excessively rude way. Isn't this a reversal?

　Shibuya replies with his peaceful voice in a casual manner.

"Assistant."

　Oh. What an arrogant assistant this is. Would you normally talk to your master in such a rude tone.

"Your master seems to have a rather strict personality."

　I say this with a grain of sarcasm.

　I don't know if it was a sprained ankle or a broken bone, but I had already releaved myself from that responsibility by lending him a hand.

"But it wasn't only me who was responsible for your master's injury. He was the one who surprised me……"

"It's the opposite."

　The opposite……what is? I didn't surprise him for sure.

　Shibuya says in brief.

"I am the master. He is the assistant."

　Eh!?

　EEEEH!

　……What a thing. This is a serious matter.

　A seventeen year-old using an adult for his assistant?　What in the world is this guy?

　I stare at Shibuya with an "Are you serious" expression.

　He looks at me with all his pale.

"My assistant being unable to move is a trouble.

　Don't you think you have a responsibility to take, Taniyama-san?"

"Hey, don't joke around!

　Just to make things clear, I was a victim too. Not only was I startled to death, but I was late for school."

　All the world's cold is gathered inside his eyes.

"He was hurt. ……And how are you?"

　……That is... I'm pretty lively.

"Moreover, the camera was broken."

　Ah, that video camera. Now that I think about it, it fell really badly. And it's a fragile precision instrument…….

"Rin……I mean my assistant、tried to prevent you from touching it, which led to our current situation."

"That is……really……"

　A really bad situation. That was inevitable. It wasn't my fault. ……Even if I say so, it doesn't feel like he will understand.

"I would have liked you to pay the camera's compensation, but……"

　Compensation!?　Are you joking!

"It isn't like I broke it intentionally!"

"Didn't they teach you not to touch other people's stuff without permission?"

　……But……I felt like "Why in the world is there a video camera in such a place.

"And, how much is the compensation……"

　What Shibuya estimated was an unbelievable sum of money. Such a great cost that only exists in dreams.

"Cut out the jokes!　Why is a video camera so expensive!　This can't possibly be true!"

"That video camera was a custom-made, Germany product. Would you want to show you the certificate?"

　Foreign order. Custom-made on that.

　……My eyes went black.

　What am I going to do!

　Shibuya said、

"If you don't like this..."

　……What?　I can apologize for not being able to pay!

"Would you mind taking the place of my assistant?"

"By this……You mean I'll be working as your assistant?"

"Exactly."

"I'll do it."

　I'll do it, be it an assistant's job or a maid's job.

　Shibuya bows his head in assent.

　At the same time I asked him a sudden question.

"……By the way、what kind of work are you doing, Shibuya-san?"

　Second-year, high school student. 17 year-old student、having an assistant、using an incredibly expensive camera、what the hell is he doing?

"Ghost Hunt."

"Haa!?"

"Or in other words、ghost extermination.

　We've come here to investigate the old school building by the request of the principle. We are called 'Shibuya Psychic Research'."

"Pusai..kkiku... risaachi?"

"Haven't you taken any English lessons?"

　I have. Well, excuse me. For being bad at English.

"A psychic phenomenon investigation service. And I am the head of it."

　Wha……Whaat.

　Head, this fellow、with the social standing of a 17 year-old!

　Not only that, but what...?　Investigation of the old school building?　Psychic phenomenon investigation service!?

　This is a joke, right!?

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Ghost Hunt

2009-03-07T22:26:55Z

Sinmay: /* Updates */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*March 7, 2009
**Added Part 4 of chapter 3

*March 1, 2009
**Added part 3 of chapter 3

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (70%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt

2009-03-07T22:26:04Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*March 1, 2009
**Added part 3 of chapter 3

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (70%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-07T22:24:52Z

Sinmay: /* 4 */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp) ==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Onmiyouji]. 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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei,” Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

“...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime,” Taka suggested.

“Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you.”

“Will you come back?” I asked her.

“Yeah.”

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

“I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?”

“Of course.”

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

===4===

The next day, everyone gathered in the conference room. Naru brought up news about Yoshino-sensei. Yesterday, Yoshino-sensei was in a car accident by himself, and one of the members of the Track & Field Club had collapsed in the locker room.

Naru frowned. The teacher in the car accident said he saw a ghost in the rear mirror. These incidents still happened even though John and Bou-san performed exorcisms yesterday evening.

...In other words, the spirit isn’t gone.

Furthermore, Taka’s already hospitalized homeroom teacher, wasn’t doing well either. His condition worsened, and despite being in a hospital, he still sees a ghost, which continues to cause disturbance there. He’s also vomiting blood.

Despite the exorcisms, the teacher’s condition wasn’t improving.

“...It’s not working,” Naru calmly stated.

We were speechless as well.

Suddenly, I recalled the dream I had yesterday about the school. Will-o-wisps were scattered everywhere. I had the feeling that they were evil spirits. But the dream wasn’t important or anything.

Not long afterwards, Ayako was glaring at Masako, with a sarcastic look in her eyes.

“So there are no ghosts here? Even with all that’s happened?”

Stubborn Masako.

“There are none,” she firmly replied.

Even so, the medium had an uneasy look in her eyes.

“Did you observe everything thoroughly? So you really didn’t see even one spirit at all.”

“Even if you expect there to be some, there are none!” Masako was almost shouting. “If I don’t see them, then there aren’t any here!”

“Well then, how do you explain this school’s situation? Is everyone lying? Or is this a mass breakout of hysteria—?”

...Ayako, you’re sure enjoying yourself. Stop it.

Masako scowled at Ayako. After watching the two, we decided to leave the conference room.

While doing so, Bou-san said, “Hey—Naru-chan.”

With an unhappy, bitter expression in his eyes, Naru looked at the monk.

“Masako is just being obstinate. Lighten up. Masako’s trying her best.”

“...It’s not good enough.”

Upon hearing Ayako’s protest, Bou-san turned to the woman. “Quiet, you. We need Masako in this situation. Although Masako can’t see any ghosts, this place really is haunted. Probably because the spirit is exceptionally strong, or because we’re dealing with mass hysteria. To make matters worse, we’re unsure if the exorcisms are helping at all. Naru, don’t you think so?”

We became silent and looked at Naru to see his reaction. He was completely calm and composed as he answered, “If we cannot rely on Hara-san, then would you care to find another spirit medium to hire?”

...What a blunt answer.

Clearly this guy was thinking, “I hate Masako.” But, to say something like that, Masako definitely won’t be able to rest in peace (not that she’s dead or anything like that).

What a cold-blooded jerk.

Bou-san was so shocked that when he saw Naru, the monk stood up and shrugged his shoulders. Ashamed, Ayako stood up too. As if attracted by a lure, John also stood up—and then our meeting ended.

Leaving me with Naru and the yet-to-be-found Lin-san.

“Naru, what you said just then was kind of mean.”

“Of course it was.”

...Oh. So it was obvious, wasn’t it?

“What did you tell Masako?”

So many strange things have been happening, and Masako is no match for them.

For a moment, Naru seemed to falter.

“Exactly what kind of weakness of yours does Masako know about?” I pressed.

“There’s no such thing.”

(“...Oh. Well, back then you should’ve told Masako that.”)

Can I really say that? If I could I would. I don’t know. I can’t help but recall Naru’s ever unpleasant face when he went on that date with Masako.

After sending me a glare, he stood up.

“Lin, let’s get back to work!”

This guy is running away!

I hastily left, tilting my head to see his back go into the distance. Since he ran out of mean things to say, he just did whatever he could to evade the question. And he was ambiguous again. I’m positive something happened. Just as I thought, she’s using his weakness. The problem is: what kind of weakness is it?

For a moment, I recalled the spoon bending incident. I wasn’t really put in such an awkward position. The spoon incident was nothing compared to this.

As always, the world is filled with numerous puzzles...

70% Translated~

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-07T22:23:20Z

Sinmay: /* Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp) */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp) ==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Onmiyouji]. 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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei,” Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

“...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime,” Taka suggested.

“Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you.”

“Will you come back?” I asked her.

“Yeah.”

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

“I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?”

“Of course.”

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

===4===

The next day, everyone gathered in the conference room. Naru brought up news about Yoshino-sensei. Yesterday, Yoshino-sensei was in a car accident by himself, and one of the members of the Track & Field Club had collapsed in the locker room.

Naru frowned. The teacher in the car accident said he saw a ghost in the rear mirror. These incidents still happened even though John and Bou-san performed exorcisms yesterday evening.

...In other words, the spirit isn’t gone.

Furthermore, Taka’s already hospitalized homeroom teacher, wasn’t doing well either. His condition worsened, and despite being in a hospital, he still sees a ghost, which continues to cause disturbance there. He’s also vomiting blood.

Despite the exorcisms, the teacher’s condition wasn’t improving.

“...It’s not working,” Naru said calmly.

We were speechless as well.

Suddenly, I recalled the dream I had yesterday about the school. Will-o-wisps were scattered everywhere. I had the feeling that they were evil spirits. But the dream wasn’t important or anything.

Not long afterwards, Ayako was glaring at Masako, with a sarcastic look in her eyes.

“So there are no ghosts here? Even with all that’s happened?”

Stubborn Masako.

“There are none,” she firmly replied.

Even so, the medium had an uneasy look in her eyes.

“Did you observe everything thoroughly? So you really didn’t see even one spirit at all.”

“Even if you expect there to be some, there are none!” Masako was almost shouting. “If I don’t see them, then there aren’t any here!”

“Well then, how do you explain this school’s situation? Is everyone lying? Or is this a mass breakout of hysteria—?”

...Ayako, you’re sure enjoying yourself. Stop it.

Masako scowled at Ayako. After watching the two, we decided to leave the conference room.

While doing so, Bou-san said, “Hey—Naru-chan.”

With an unhappy, bitter expression in his eyes, Naru looked at the monk.

“Masako is just being obstinate. Lighten up. Masako’s trying her best.”

“...It’s not good enough.”

Upon hearing Ayako’s protest, Bou-san turned to the woman. “Quiet, you. We need Masako in this situation. Although Masako can’t see any ghosts, this place really is haunted. Probably because the spirit is exceptionally strong, or because we’re dealing with mass hysteria. To make matters worse, we’re unsure if the exorcisms are helping at all. Naru, don’t you think so?”

We became silent and looked at Naru to see his reaction. He was completely calm and composed as he answered, “If we cannot rely on Hara-san, then would you care to find another spirit medium to hire?”

...What a blunt answer.

Clearly this guy was thinking, “I hate Masako.” But, to say something like that, Masako definitely won’t be able to rest in peace (not that she’s dead or anything like that).

What a cold-blooded jerk.

Bou-san was so shocked that when he saw Naru, the monk stood up and shrugged his shoulders. Ashamed, Ayako stood up too. As if attracted by a lure, John also stood up—and then our meeting ended.

Leaving me with Naru and the yet-to-be-found Lin-san.

“Naru, what you said just then was kind of mean.”

“Of course it was.”

...Oh. So it was obvious, wasn’t it?

“What did you tell Masako?”

So many strange things have been happening, and Masako is no match for them.

For a moment, Naru seemed to falter.

“Exactly what kind of weakness of yours does Masako know about?” I pressed.

“There’s no such thing.”

(“...Oh. Well, back then you should’ve told Masako that.”)

Can I really say that? If I could I would. I don’t know. I can’t help but recall Naru’s ever unpleasant face when he went on that date with Masako.

After sending me a glare, he stood up.

“Lin, let’s get back to work!”

This guy is running away!

I hastily left, tilting my head to see his back go into the distance. Since he ran out of mean things to say, he just did whatever he could to evade the question. And he was ambiguous again. I’m positive something happened. Just as I thought, she’s using his weakness. The problem is: what kind of weakness is it?

For a moment, I recalled the spoon bending incident. I wasn’t really put in such an awkward position. The spoon incident was nothing compared to this.

As always, the world is filled with numerous puzzles...

70% Translated~

Mushi:Vol1 Ch1

2009-03-01T21:39:40Z

Sinmay: /* Night 1: Usarin-kakka's Daily Edict */

== '''Night 1: Usarin-kakka's Daily Edict''' ==

<pre>From ★ Usarin
To ★ Sensei
Subject ★ Edict
Body ★ Hello, Usarin here. I know that you should be the busiest during after class hours, but, since you said that I could text
you whenever I pleased, that’s what I’m doing now! If I’ve done anything wrong, just lecture me, okay? I’m currently at home. Are
you still in school? If you think it’s too much of a hassle, you could just ignore this message, but, if you’re free, do reply! I’ll
be waiting!</pre>

<pre>From ★ Sensei
To ★ Usarin-kakka
Subject ★ In the middle of a teacher’s conference
Body ★ I’m bored. I have no idea why the job as a teacher is so long-winded. I’m so bored that I’m drinking cup after cup of
coffee… But, that wouldn’t be good for my stomach. Why did you text me, anyway? Is anything up? 'Cause, if there is, I, Sakaki Guryuu,
will hightail out of here right away. It’s not like I’ll be missing much from this kind of meeting, anyway, don’t worry.</pre>

<pre>From ★ Usarin
To ★ Sensei
Subject ★ Edict 2
Body ★ Ehh~ You’re in a meeting, Sensei? I’m sorry, I must have distracted you. I’ll get straight to the point, then: After your
meeting dismisses later, please, come over to my house, Sensei. Do you remember what day it is? November 11th… It’s your birthday!
It’s impossible to hold anything grand at my house, so, I’ve only prepared a cake for you. If you’re free – and I mean really free –
please, come over to my place. Happy birthday, Sensei! I’ll be waiting!</pre>

If words were used to describe Kannonsakazaki Private High School teacher Sakaki Guryuu, they would probably be something along the lines of “talented,” “elegant,” “genius,” “stunning” – you could probably list out every positive adjective you knew and compare them to Sakaki, and none of them would seem out of place, because he was perhaps the most perfect human being in the world, a being bearing the closest resemblance to God. Even “godlike,” “flawless,” and “one-of-a-kind” seemed to match him – the pinnacle of human evolution, Sakaki Guryuu.

Obtaining a doctorate at twelve, skilled in all fields, being hailed as the incarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci – not only was he intellectually gifted, he was physically talented, too. Aikido was meant as a method of passing time, but soon he found his way into the Olympics. His touch of the piano melted hearts, his paintings of the brush shook worlds. The titles “The Best," "The Finest," and "The Greatest,” seemed to perfectly suit him, and, backed by the extremely wealthy Sakaki Organization (he was already picked as the Organization’s heir), it seemed that he had already succeeded in life. Failure was clearly not on the menu.

However, Sakaki had a weakness, no, more of a problem actually. This “problem” was the reason why, when he was nineteen, he went down to the countryside and started teaching in the private high school he used to attend. This was also why he never fully concentrated in literature, arts, or sports. It was a “problem” the large organization was powerless to deal with.

Yes, it was a “problem”, and the cause was known as Usagawa Rinne.

She was a normal, high school girl that Sakaki loved, was enamored with, even. In fact, you could even say that Sakaki worshiped her.

It was because of her that Sakaki Guryuu strayed from the path to elitism.

Hoping to spend more time with her, Sakaki decided to become a teacher in her school. All the other literary, artistic, and sports matters, which were meant as time-passers in the first place, were put on indefinite hold. All of her living expenses, including her apartment rent, water and electricity bills, tuition fees and pocket money, were fully sponsored out of Sakaki’s pocket. In short, he was her [[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#Daddy-Long-Legs|Daddy-Long-Legs]].

Since there was nothing wrong with that nick name, Sakaki silently acknowledged it.

“What a waste of talent, what the hell is he doing? Resign from being a teacher! Go do something proper instead!” These were words uttered by people who didn’t know Sakaki’s feelings: in other words, pointless words of advice. To Sakaki, there was something more important than producing a thesis which upturned the most fundamental laws of science, securing a gold medal by beating a world champion in Olympics, or even making a name as one of the most prominent artists in history – it was spending the day with Usagawa Rinne, doing ordinary stuff, living an ordinary life. That was true happiness to him.

Priorities do, after all, differ from person to person.

And so does happiness.

The head teacher stood up and began making a speech about teenage delinquency and the current state of social safety; about how they were a threat to society, and how, if they were all rounded up and expelled, what a better world we would be living in. From a third person’s point of view, this would seem like anything but a peaceful discussion.

What was he mad about? Was he generally mad about the degeneration of society? That was highly unlikely – the Head Teacher was probably just pissed, that’s all! Pissed at the fact that nobody wished him, “Good morning,” today, pissed at the students who secretly called him “anteater” behind his back! In order to vent out his anger, he was directing his hatred towards all teenagers in general.

“Boring.”

Sakaki said, softly. It was indeed boring – everything was. Due to the low birth rate and a new policy to prioritize senior citizens introduced by politicians, the school was becoming poorer by the day. In order to save electricity, lights were not turned on, resulting in the meeting room being extremely dim. Married couples refused to have children, as raising them took too much money, snobbish politicians who prioritized elderly citizens, hoping for a higher voter turnout – even if the school’s fortunes were rapidly declining. Still, it was still no reason to pin it on them. Plus, there was nothing wrong with being poor, Sakaki reasoned. Looking at Usagawa Rinne made him think that way.

Human beings, after all, were only able to gain happiness by fulfilling their own goals. Even if someone owned a lot of property, if he felt that he hadn’t achieved his own goal and was unhappy, then he would, of course, be unhappy! Similarly, even if someone was poor, as long as she felt she was happy, then, of course, she would be happy! “He,” in this case, referring to Sakaki before he met Usagawa Rinne. “She,” in this case, referring to Rinne.

Rinne was extremely poor. Her only hobby was cooking, and even though she had to work hard to make ends meet, she still bravely lived on. She must be happy, and the one who got to meet her – Sakaki, must also be equally happy.

Sakaki, who was previously listening to the meeting in a corner, shifted his attention towards his cell phone upon receiving Rinne’s message.

The Head Teacher was still going on loudly about something. “It must be hard on him, screaming out loud like that in the winter will evidently give him a sore throat,” Sakaki thought, as he withdrew the vibrating cell phone from his pocket, preparing to read his new message. Even though the Head Teacher visibly frowned at this, Sakaki pretended not to notice, as he indifferently began replying to the message while on the long table.

The Head Teacher immediately lectured him.

“Sakaki-sensei, please refrain from using your cell phone in a meeting…”

“I apologize.”

Sakaki said softly, while still maintaining a conceited attitude.

“I was previously evaluating which was more important, listening to you ranting or reading my message. I acted according to the order of importance. If I offended you, I hereby apologize.”

Sakaki haughtily – or should we say arrogantly, silenced the Head Teacher. The Head Teacher coughed, as if wanting to display an air of strictness and continued talking.

Not too long after, Sakaki’s phone made a “Rat-Tat-Tat” sound as it vibrated on the table. It seemed as though he had a new message. Sakaki naturally reached for his phone.

The Head Teacher, who was in the middle of another meaningless rant, warned, with spit flying everywhere, “Sakaki-sensei…”

“…I’m sorry, I suddenly have urgent matters to attend to, and need to be going now. Oh yeah, you, the Head Teacher, make sure to send me the minutes by tonight. Only list down the points; there shouldn’t be much anyway seeing how things are going now.” 

“Wha---”

Seeing the Head Teacher’s face darken, Sakaki immediately retorted, “No buts! I have urgent business to settle now. Don’t forget, this school is under the jurisdiction of my Sakaki Organization, and the teacher’s guild is also funded by it, so I think that those who sit down and quietly listen are the bright ones.”

Sakaki stood up after finishing. Full of rage at being humiliated, the Head Teacher’s face was as red as a tomato. Sakaki ignored him and continued to avoid his gaze. Nodding at the other teachers, who were rendered speechless, Sakaki turned and left the meeting room. “Usagawa Rinne is calling me. Why should I waste my time in such a pointless meeting. She should be my main priority,” Sakaki reasoned as his long strides echoed in the empty hallways.

Sakaki’s elegant strides would often make people stop in their tracks. Some girls would even point at him, as if trying to say “unbelievable!”

Be it a guy or girl, all who saw his elegant demeanor would be robbed of the ability to think for a few seconds, stopping in their tracks to marvel at him. Of course, “him” in this context refers to Sakaki Guryuu, who was making his way to Usagawa Rinne’s apartment. Like a wave rippling outwards, Sakaki ignored the stares of the crowd and walked ahead.

His blonde hair, inherited from his American mother, shimmered transparently under the sunlight. This was in addition to a series of proper facial features and a perfectly proportioned body. Disliking outlandish outfits, Sakaki frequently wore a suit, save for occasions where he went to Rinne’s place. Every time he tried to wear something fancy, he would be mistaken as a celebrity though, sometimes accompanied by fans screaming “Give me an autograph! Give me an autograph!!” while dashing towards him. Sakaki often wondered, “What use is it getting a high school teacher’s signature?” Even though he had a celebrity-like name (and signature), it didn’t mean he was a celebrity!

Since this was a countryside town after all, as soon as Sakaki left the main street, the crowd would begin to thin. He began jogging on the long, dark, uneven path, as he made his way to Rinne’s apartment. He could have reached her place faster with a bike or car, but since Sakaki wanted to avoid his perfect hair (which took him great effort to dry and comb every day) getting messed up by the wind, he opted to go on foot. Besides, Rinne’s apartment wasn’t that far anyway. Looking at his new, handpicked clothes, Sakaki wondered, “Do these clothes suit me?” Although he never really felt comfortable wearing clothes marketed to youngsters, Sakaki felt that wearing a suit to a party was simply too ridiculous, and ended up putting up with it. Plus, wearing a suit often gave him a “teacher-ish” aura. Whenever he was alone with Rinne, Sakaki hoped to shed his teacher “shell”, and be himself with her.

It was quite a distance from the nearest station before there were any houses. Large fields were left abandoned without any apparent reason, some with wooden houses erected on them. These wooden houses, some even having tile roofs, gave one a sense of antiquity, as if time had suddenly stopped.

Just as Sakaki was making a couple of pointless observations…

“Hey there, Onii-chan…”

A voice drifted out from somewhere. It sounded like a guy or a low-pitched girl’s voice.

Sakaki turned towards the source of the voice and saw an odd, little stall in the middle of the field.

Could that even pass as a stall? A purple mat was placed on the floor, hammered to the ground with nails. On top of the mat a person, who was clad in a long, robe-like garment, quietly sat there, cross-legged. The person’s face was blocked by a long hood, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or woman under it. There was also a large, crystal ball on the mat, which the person was gently polishing. There was also a small sign placed on the mat, which simply read “Fortune telling, 100 yen”.

“Fortune telling…?”

Why would a fortune teller be in such a place? Shouldn’t they be in a shopping district or something – no wait, what was a fortune teller doing in the countryside anyway? And could one really make a living by a measly 100 yen per fortune telling? Lots of questions surfaced in Sakaki’s mind; this was a suspicious trader indeed.

The mysterious trader lifted both hands. Maybe it was due to the long sleeves on the robe, but this made the trader seem positively inhuman. The trader then said to Sakaki, “Yes, Onii-chan, fortune telling. Would you like to give it a go? I’m very accurate, you know. Your fortune in wealth, in love, or in life… Or perhaps you would like to hit it big? Win a big prize? Look for something long lost? Get rid of something bothering you? I can tell all sorts of fortunes!”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested.”

Sakaki replied shortly, as he quickly turned his back to the fortune teller.

“Wait, wait!!” the fortune teller said and hastily got up. The fortune teller then proceeded to say something that made Sakaki freeze in his steps.

“You won’t lose anything by just getting a reading, Onii-chan! I sense a malicious aura around you, and if you don’t get rid of it soon, it is certain to bring you misfortune! You seem to be a powerful person, who doesn’t really care about what happens to himself. However, this malicious aura may cause misfortune to befall those around you! I know you don’t want that to happen, do you? Sakaki Guryuu…”

“Huh…?”

Sakaki furiously turned his head. There was a crystal ball in the fortune teller’s outstretched hands as the fortune teller mystically continued, “… The one you like, ah, Usagawa Rinne? She will be the first victim, and die a very horrible death. You don’t wish such fate to befall your lover, do you, Onii-chan? A corpse, with a gouged out eyeball…”

“You…”

Sakaki roared as he charged into the empty field, towards the stall. This shady character not only knew his name, but Rinne’s as well! He forcefully grabbed the fortune teller by the collar.

“Ouch! Don’t do that! It hurts!” The fortune teller yelled, somewhat unemotionally. Sakaki ripped open the fortune teller’s hood, revealing the face of a surprisingly young man. His expressionless face, however, gave Sakaki the chills. It was like a bug's, totally void of expression.

The guy’s hair was messy, and his eyes shimmered in a frightening crimson.

Sakaki hollered in a loud voice, “Who the hell are you? How do you know my and Rinne’s names? And what’s this about a corpse? Are you saying Rinne is going to die? What on earth do you mean? Answer me, brat!”

“That’s why…”

The fortune teller wasn’t the least bit shaken. He was also not the slightest bit attracted towards Sakaki, as he looked at him without blinking, his eyes like clear accessories.

“… I told you to come for a fortune reading, didn’t I? That’s what I could tell anyway, I’m a fortune teller after all. You will encounter a series of misfortunes after this, misfortunes which will destroy your normal days, shatter your everyday life, and bring forth pain and suffering! And the overture to this catastrophe, the first victim, will be the one you adore, the girl named Usagawa Rinne…”

The fortune teller said in one-breath. Not pausing to draw a breath, he continued, “… She will be killed by a devil, in a brutal, inhuman way – her eye sockets will be pierced by a spoon, and her eyeballs will be gouged out! She will slowly die, with pain being the last thing registered in her brain! Because it’s such a painful way to die, I bet she’ll even hate you! Compared to being murdered like this, I bet she would wish to have died back then, in that big, blue sea. ‘Ah, it would have been so much easier if I had died in the sea back then~ Why did you have to save me, sensei? I hate you, I’m going to curse you for all eternity…’”

Sakaki whacked his fist into the fortune teller’s face, as if trying to stop that prediction from coming true.

Even after being walloped in the face, the fortune teller’s expression did not change. Since he was being grabbed by the collar, he did not fall, as he said, in that feminine-yet-masculine tone, “That’s what’s going to happen in the future. Punching me isn’t going to change it.”

“What the… You son of a…!”

Sakaki yelled, clearly shocked by the fortune teller’s inhuman response. “Who the hell are you? What is your motive? What are you planning to achieve? Why are you saying such things? You’re saying misfortune is about to befall me? What misfortune? Why must Rinne die?”

Sakaki had no doubt that this fortune teller was a real one now, most likely due to his inhuman reaction and aura. Also, Sakaki was clearly disturbed by his shimmering red eyes. Normal human eyes don’t glitter. This guy was clearly not human.

“We are called ‘Mushi’.”

The shady fortune teller said in the same tone.

“W-We?”

“…… Yes we. We do not have form, we do not have [[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#sentience|sentience]]. We only obey orders from our superiors, a collection of individuals who have forsaken individuality. We are known as ‘Mushi’. [[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#Mushi and Bugs|Not ‘Bugs’, but rather, ‘Mushi’]].

The ‘Mushi’ said, with ironically bug-like eyes.

The purple mat Sakaki was standing on seemed to shimmer, as if it lacked substance, as if it were ethereal. What’s going on here? Is this really true? Those were the thoughts racing through Sakaki’s head.

“As a ‘Mushi’, my orders are to pass you these warnings from the future. You are to ponder upon my words, think of an appropriate strategy and try to delay the inevitable. Who knows? You might be able to avoid the worst case scenario.”

“Worse case scenario?”

“The coming of the devil.”

The “Mushi” spelled out.

“It could happen anytime – today, tomorrow, 10 years later, maybe even 10 seconds later. However, in the end, that day will still come. The devil will appear before you, murder Usagawa Rinne and cause the worst case scenario.”

“Worst case scenario?”

“I can’t tell you.”

The “Mushi” answered, rejecting Sakaki’s second question just like a faulty calculator failing at the last moment. Does he mean to say that that is not part of his fate?

“Even though I can’t tell you, what I can say is, it’s the worst case scenario.”

“Then to me, the worst case scenario would be Rinne dying. Even if you were to weight the Earth exploding or the Universe imploding on one side of the scale and Rinne dying on the other, the scale would clearly tip towards her favour.”

“That might be it, I guess!”

People, after all, had different priorities. The “Mushi” ambiguously replied, before saying, “In a situation like this, it doesn’t matter what you hold as the worst case scenario. After all, if Usagawa Rinne isn’t murdered by the devil, then the worst case scenario will never occur. So try to keep it that way.”

The “Mushi” brushed Sakaki’s hand away, as he rummaged through a small cardboard box on the mat. A while later, he produced a giant egg and cupped it in both hands.

What kind of egg was that? It was slightly smaller than a human’s skull – around the size of an ostrich’s egg. It had a white base and, as if wanting to look less dull, had red and green patterns on it. However, these patterns seemed genuine, and it certainly didn’t look like something someone had painted on it.

Of course, this was no egg a bird, reptile, amphibian or bug could ever lay.

What was this egg? And why was the fortune teller holding it?

The “Mushi” carefully raised the egg, and handed it to Sakaki.

“This is the egg of a Dream-world beast. It’s not a creature of this world, so don’t bother searching any encyclopedias for it. Don’t forget to hand it to Usagawa Rinne. You don’t have to keep it warm, it will hatch after some time. If you’re lucky, it’ll hatch into a Dream-world beast before the devil arrives. Dream-world beasts are primitive beings, and just like animals, they have [[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#filial imprints|filial imprints]], and will recognize the first thing they see as their mother. So it should theoretically recognize Usagawa Rinne as its mother, even though they are physically different. Since Dream-world beasts are very powerful, they should most likely be able to ward off the devil.”

“Because of its parents?”

“Because its parents are in danger. Dream-world beasts value family ties, and they are the best counter to the devil. Hmm… Before the Dream-world beast hatches, though, you should carry firearms on you, in order to protect Usagawa Rinne, even though they are forbidden!”

The “Mushi” gently prodded Sakaki’s chest, and true enough, a handgun was hidden inside. How could he possibly tell? Sakaki was shocked. He felt as if he was breathing another planet’s air, and the air was composed of different components, causing him to feel very strange and dizzy. It was as if the world had suddenly gone mad.

“Who… What on Earth are you?”

Sakaki yelled, having asked this question for the third time.

For the first time throughout their encounter, the “Mushi” smiled.

“I wonder, what should I answer for you to believe me?”

For some reason, the old apartment looked even more run down than the tile-roofed houses today – the old apartment Usagawa Rinne stayed in, of course. It was a three storey building, with a total of 6 rooms, 3 of which were vacant. The 2nd floor was where the office was situated, and room 1A, on the 1st floor, belonged to Rinne. Room 1B, which happened to be situated next door, by the way, was occupied by a self-claimed musician. According to Rinne, she was either bad at socializing, or she just plain hated humans, since she rarely mixed with anyone at all.

There was also the question as to why an apartment was even built in a place like this. Despite being an apartment, however, the rooms were uncomfortably small and narrow, which in turn caused the rent to be very cheap – so cheap, in fact, that even Rinne could afford it with the money she earned from her part-time job. Also, despite Sakaki’s frequent “Don’t worry about the money, just go get a better house”, Rinne stubbornly refused to listen, replying with a simple “As long as the room is long enough for me to lie down, its all the same to me!” Not only did Rinne turn down Sakaki’s offers, she was also very against receiving any form of cash from him, insisting that she could take care of herself just fine.

Of course, Sakaki had, behind Rinne’s back, given her all forms of help. Like threatening her boss with the prospect of not being able to establish himself in society should he ever fire Rinne, or installing a water purifier in her apartment’s water supply in fear of her getting sick after drinking contaminated water.

Back to the story, by the time Sakaki reached Rinne’s apartment, it was already six. Treading on the old cement floor, he made his way to room 1A and stopped. He took a deep breath; appearances were indeed deceiving, Sakaki was in fact, quite vulnerable to girls, especially when the girl in question was Rinne. He tended to get nervous quite easily, so stopping by the door and taking a deep breath every time he visited this apartment was already a routine of his.

Again for some unknown reason, this run-down apartment had an intercom. Sakaki pressed the door bell, and waited.

Rinne’s clear, chine-like voice quickly came out from the intercom.

“Who is it?”

“Usarin-[[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#kakka|kakka]], its me”

“Hai~~”

Even though he never said who he was, Rinne already knew who it was on the other side of the door. The only person who would address Rinne as “-kakka” would be Sakaki. Rinne immediately let out a squeal, and cut her reply short.

Since the room was small, Rinne literally reached the door in less than two seconds.

Appearing behind the open door was the silhouette of a cute, little girl. Because her clothes were quite dated, she looked somewhat old-fashioned, but ignoring this fact, she was indeed really cute. Clean, straight hair, snow-white skin, a gentle smile on her face, those alone were enough to make her very attractive, but what attracted Sakaki the most was her clear, chime-like voice.

Rinne, who was up to Sakaki’s chest in height, looked up to him and smiled, like a blossoming flower.

“Sensei, you really came!” Rinne said in a transparent, bell-like chime. “I’m so glad you did! Come in, it’s freezing outside!”

Rinne pulled Sakaki’s arm and dragged him into her room. There was only enough space for one to take off his or her shoes (and also store them at the same spot – there wasn’t room for a shoe rack). Sakaki took off his shoes, and let her drag him into her room.

Rinne’s apartment was about 4 tatamis wide, and consisted of her room, a toilet and the kitchen, so the four-and-a-half tatami standard measurement for rooms (including a toilet) actually took up the entirety of Rinne’s apartment unit. There was no bathroom in her unit, so Rinne had to use the bathroom located outside everyday.

Sakaki took off his coat and placed it in a corner, along with the egg.

Most likely due to Rinne’s cooking, there was a strong aroma in the room that wouldn’t disperse. There was a small window in the room that was tightly shut, because of the cold outside. Even if she turned on the kitchen fan, it wouldn’t have helped much. After telling Rinne about his empty stomach, Sakaki snuggled both his legs into the futon beneath the table.

Rinne opened the fridge and withdrew a box and some malt tea. She poured the tea into a cup she withdrew from a sink, and placed it onto a saucer. She then took the box, along with the tea, and went to Sakaki’s side.

“It’s done!”

“Thanks a lot… But why are you sitting next to me? Isn’t it squishy? The table is square anyhow, you don’t have to squeeze beside me right?”

“You don’t understand?”

Rinne smiled as she leaned on Sakaki.

“It’s because I want to be by your side! Even if its 1 centimeter closer, I still want to be closer to you”

“Happy birthday, Sensei…” Rinne concluded as she looked up at Sakaki.

Sakaki looked as if he was trying very hard to withhold something.

“… Usarin-kakka, if you utter such cute words, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold myself back. Please don’t be that way, I’ve already promised Usarin-kakka that before you graduate, I won’t hold your hand or anything so please, don’t make me break that promise.”

“Those kind of promises, I won’t mind if you break them. You shouldn’t have to withhold yourself in the first place.”

Rinne said matter-of-factly as she continued to lean on Sakaki.

“This is bad,” Sakaki thought. Rinne was too cute, to the point that Sakaki wanted to hug her on the spot. But he couldn’t. If a teacher did that to a student, it was considered an offense.

Sakaki resisted the notion with an iron-clad will, and steered the topic to a safe direction.

“Speaking of which, Usarin-kakka, it seems that the things in your room have increased yet again?”

“They have?”

“Yeah, like that television for example. I didn’t notice it the last I was here? Did you buy it recently?”

“I wouldn’t be able to afford such a thing! It’s too expensive! You know how the shopping district has these lucky draws once in a while? Like on their 10-year-anniversary or grand sales and such, this was the prize for the runner-up!”

“So you drew the 2nd place lot?”

“Nope, its just that nobody did, and the television became an extra. The uncle who was in charge of the lucky draw said ‘It’s no use keeping it, I guess we’ll just give it to Rinne!’, so that’s how I got it~”

“He’s abusing his authority that way, it’s fairly easy to see what he was after.”

“Yeah! But since he said he would give it to me, there wasn’t any reason for me to refuse him, was there? Actually, I kinda wanted a television myself too, that’s why I accepted it. Oh, and I also took lots of instant noodles back with me.”

In a corner of the room, there was indeed a cardboard box labeled “Kannonsakazaki Shopping District”, and if it was filled with instant noodles, then it would certainly have been a lot of instant noodles. Sakaki warned Rinne, “Don’t make it a habit to accept things from strangers. There have been lots of reports from school about students accepting such things and then being charged with high installments.”

“Okay…”

Rinne smiled bitterly, as she opened the box on the table. There were two slices of cake inside, she was too poor to purchase an entire cake.

Rinne placed the cakes on the saucers, and announced, “I don’t have any forks!” She then stood up, hesitated a while, and stood rooted to the spot, as if thinking of something. After a while, she went to another corner of the room, and took a paper bag.

Her face was flushing red. It was as if she was embarrassed and frustrated at the same time.

“Erm…”

Sakaki more or less guessed what the paper bag meant, and why she was hesitating.

The bag must have contained Sakaki’s birthday present, and Rinne was obviously hesitating whether or not to give it to him. She was probably thinking something along the lines of “Would this be appropriate? Would Sensei like it, and what if he rejected it?”, and thus was hesitant to present Sakaki his present.

Sakaki understood, as he said to Rinne with a benevolent expression never seen by anyone else, “Don’t worry! As long as its something from Usarin-kakka, then I’ll definitely treasure it, no matter what!”

“R-Really? But Sensei, you’re so rich, I bet your previous birthdays were much grander, and the presents must have been extraordinary right? I’m sorry, or maybe I’m ashamed of myself.”

“That’s not true.”

Sakaki answered truthfully: “A present’s value is not measured by how much it cost; a birthday’s worth is not based on how big the modal was. To me, Usarin-kakka, being able to spend the day like today sitting by a warm table and enjoying cake, toasting with malt tea, this is more enjoyable than anything I’ve experienced thus far. This is definitely my best birthday by far, so please, don’t put on such a face.”

“B-b-but…”

“Stop but-ting anymore, I’ve sworn to you that I’m with you not because I pity you but because I really love you, from the depths of my heart. Trust me, you aren’t worthless, I’m not a superior being, and Usarin-kakka, you are more than a match for me, please believe me when I say that you are a special girl to me. I’ve given you my word, am I right?”

“Yeah…”

I’ve given you my word.

Usagawa Rinne shouldn’t have been ashamed in the first place. Who cares if she was poor, as long as she was herself for Sakaki, she would be the one he loved the most. Sakaki had told her this before, when the two of them had first met. Back then, Rinne hadn’t been able to smile naturally, and wasn’t too capable of having long conversations. Compared to then, she had become so cheerful now.

“T-then, at least for today…”

Rinne said as she lowered her head, “Don’t call me ‘Usarin-kakka’.”

She said in a voice that sounded as if she was pouting, yet teasing him at the same time.

This was Rinne’s true desire, expressed half-jokingly.

Sakaki obliged and said, “Usagawa.”

“Call me by my given name.”

“Rinne.”

“Yeah…”

Most likely satisfied, Rinne nodded, as she withdrew his present from the bag.

It was a wool scarf. Rinne’s handwork was good, and the weaving was absolutely fantastic.

“I was going to give you this for Christmas, but since I managed to finish it early, I’m going to give it to you now. I’ll prepare something else for Christmas.”

“Thanks. Wow, this really is some handwork. Did you learn it from anyone?”

“I learned it from one of my friends. I stayed at her place for about three nights, and begged her to teach me her secrets. All I needed to do was master the basics, and it was continuous repetition from then on, which is why it was surprisingly easy once I got the hang of it! Although the wool is of cheap material, its 100% hand-sewn with lots of love!”

“I see, it’s very warm!”

Sakaki smiled in joy. Love – it definitely provided the most warmth!

Rinne held the scarf with both hands, and sat down facing Sakaki.

“I’m going to help you wear it, lower your head a bit.”

“Okay.”

Sakaki obliged and lowered his head. The scarf gently went around his neck.

It was then that Rinne kissed Sakaki.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, as Sakaki’s face was plastered with shock. Rinne put her hands by his ears, and gently kissed his lips. The scarf, which was gently wrapped around his neck, softly fell to the ground. This sudden act caused Sakaki to blank out, as he felt the warmth emanating from Rinne’s hands, lips and heart.

“Umm…”

Suddenly, her lips parted.

Rinne slowly furrowed her eyebrows, and mumbled, “……I’m sorry Sensei, I broke our promise.”

“Ah…”

Sakaki said at a loss of words. Rinne looked down, and her thick fringe veiled her expression from Sakaki.

“But I’m constantly in pain, wondering what I am to Sensei. I like Sensei, I like Guryuu-san, but since we’re in a teacher-student relationship, and Sensei refuses to hold hands, call me by my name and all, sometimes I feel really scared…”

Rinne said as she shook her head.

“…… I’m very stubborn aren’t I? Sensei treats me so well, yet here I am, asking for more. I wonder, what am I to Sensei? Does Sensei really like me? I believe you when you say you do, but even then… I’m scared, really scared, that’s why I wanted some affirmation…”

Rinne said, as if on the verge of tears. She wasn’t crying; even though her voice was trembling, she wasn’t crying. Sakaki understood – it was because these were her true feelings, that’s why she wasn’t crying. He understood that these weren’t just words uttered at the spur of the moment; these were matters that were troubling her deep in her heart.

Sakaki suddenly felt the urge to curse himself. Rinne mentioned that she was in pain, in fear; fear of being hated, being dumped by Sakaki. She loved him that much!

And just like how Usagawa Rinne loved him, Sakaki Guryuu loved her just as much.

Because the two of them treated each other as important, they were afraid of losing that “importantness”, of losing each other. Just like the two sides of a coin – even though they were totally different, both of them were just as real; even though both of them were technically unrelated, both of them were as tightly bound.

Sakaki caressed Rinne’s silky hair, before bending down and kissing her lightly. Rinne’s hair gently trembled, as she closed her eyes and cried, this time with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Because humans are a fragile species.

That was why we sometimes seek affirmation.

Affirmation of love, feelings, and a few other emotions.

That’s definitely not something bad.

So Rinne, you can stop crying now.

Sakaki Guryuu’s 20th birthday ended, with fond memories etched deep in his skull. By 10 o'clock, he decided to go back home. Even though he wanted to be with Rinne, it was, after all, already 10. Who knows what might happen if he stayed even later! It was best to retreat for now.

Rinne was so cute, Sakaki found it almost impossible to reject her. Since he was a healthy, 20 year old man after all, it was dangerous to continue staying by her side - dangerous in “that” sense, of course. No matter what, Sakaki wanted to avoid crossing the last line of defense, the point of no return.

Sakaki bade farewell to Rinne, with the scarf he received as a present around his neck, and a slice of cake in his hands. In the end, he failed to think of a way to pass the Mushi’s strange egg to Rinne, because the atmosphere certainly didn’t permit it. Plus, upon further thought, the “Mushi” fellow did seem a bit too suspicious.

It was impossible, after all, for a human to predict the future. As for how he knew Sakaki and Rinne’s names, it was possible if one really wanted to investigate. And the glow in his eyes, it was most likely a cheap trick. All that nonsense about Rinne being killed and a worst case scenario, what rubbish! When Sakaki had entered Rinne’s room then, for a while he had actually taken the Mushi’s premonition seriously! After seeing Rinne’s cheerfulness, however, he dismissed the thought entirely. To think that Rinne would be killed, what a joke! Even if one went to hell and back, one wouldn’t be able to find a reason Usagawa Rinne should be killed. What a load of codswallop!

But then…

For some reason, Sakaki still felt a tingle of anxiety. Was what that young man, that “Mushi”, said all a just a big lie? If it was a lie, why did he have to weave such a lie? And if it wasn’t, how in the world did he know in the first place?

Even as Sakaki stopped to think about it using his genius intellect, the conclusion seemed to steer towards a not-so-pleasant direction, which caused Sakaki to dismiss the thoughts straight away. These anxious thoughts, however, seemed to pile up in his brain, casually sinking in like in mud.

Sakaki stood under a lamp post, in the middle of a pitch black street.

He was on the uneven, country-side path. In a few minutes, he would reach the shopping district. He could see the faint neon lights in the distance. The skies were a cloudy gray – there were no stars tonight, and the moon was nowhere to be seen. Sakaki stood still, clutching the odd egg in his hand.

Was what the “Mushi” said really a lie?

What if it wasn’t? What if he had committed an irreversible mistake? That was a scary thought indeed, the though of “what if” terrified Sakaki tremendously.

Go back! Sakaki decided. Even though there was a chance he might be cheated, and maybe even laughed at, he would at least deliver the egg to Rinne, and notify the security guard to secretly protect Rinne. Or maybe he could bring her to his residence before the egg hatched. That would put her far away from harm's reach.

I’ll protect Rinne.

That was what Sakaki thought.

Putting the matter of whether or not she would be killed aside, if there was any threat of impeding danger, the threat had to be neutralized, no matter how subtle the threat may be. Even though there was a possibility of it being no more than a lie. Or a cruel prank. Or something of the sort.

Just as Sakaki made up his mind, and turned around…

A girl, holding a spoon in her right hand, passed by his side.

At the same time…

“Ah!!”

Sakaki yelped in surprise, his heart throbbing furiously.

He looked at the silhouette of the young girl, whose footsteps seemed to be dancing in the shadow. The girl was dressed in old, tattered clothes, like a vagrant. She didn’t have any pants on, and was barefooted. She had long, untamed hair, like a wolf, and perhaps it was due to her not conditioning it, her hair appeared to be in a mess. The spoon in her right hand, however, appeared unusually shiny.

… A spoon.

The Mushi’s words once again flashed through his mind.

“She will be killed by a devil, in a brutal, inhuman way – her eye sockets will be pierced by a spoon, and her eyeballs will be gouged out! She will slowly die, with pain being the last thing registered in her brain...”

That wasn’t a good sign! It wasn’t a good sign at all!!

A strange, young girl appearing in a place like this, at a time like this, with a spoon that was rendered unusually shiny by reflecting the light from the lamp post above – this all coincided with the mysterious fortune teller’s prophecy - the person who Sakaki treasured the most would have her eyes dug out with a spoon, and subsequently killed. This was all Sakaki needed to act.

“Hey you, wait!”

Sakaki hollered, as he ran towards the girl, intending to stop her.

He stretched out his hand to block her path.

“Do you intend to get in my way?”

With a pure, monotonous voice that seemed to carry none of the noise we know as ‘emotion’, this voice came from behind Sakaki’s stiff back. Before Sakaki’s outstretched hands was… No one.

Sakaki immediately turned around.

“Anyone who wishes to stop Guriko, I’ll dig their eyes out. Are you a ‘Mushi’? Even though your eyes don’t glow red, are you a ‘Mushi’? Or are you some unrelated person?”

The girl rasped. From her appearance, she was no more than a high school student. Her voice sounded normal – if it wasn’t for the strange sense of defiance it contained. It was as if even the Sun would freeze after hearing it.

The girl had thick, dark eye shadows, which seemed like black holes sucking in all the spiraling darkness around them. She had a childish face, and slender appendages – yet there was this strange, sinister air about her. She stared at Sakaki with deep, dark eyes. Sakaki felt as if he was peering into a gunbarrel, cold and emotionless, while reeking of death.

He had no idea when she had sneaked behind him, but Sakaki was ready to put up a fight.

The girl’s face contorted.

“If you’re not a Mushi, why do you seek to stop me? Or do you not have any intentions of getting in my way after all? If you have nothing to say, then get out of my way!”

“Why you…!”

“[[Mushi:Vol1_TLnotes#Gankyuu Eguriko|Gankyuu Eguriko]].”

Gankyuu Eguriko… Eyeball Gouger?

It was as if she dug people’s eyeballs out!

“I don’t care what you’re called. What do you plan on doing?”

Sakaki had already noticed that this girl wasn’t human. A normal girl wouldn’t be able to move with speed exceeding his jurisdiction.

And… She knew about “Mushi”.

That means…

“If you’re not going to do anything, then buzz off.”

“What do you plan on doing? I don’t think I should let you pass.”

Sakaki calmly said, as he glared at the girl.

“Then so be it.”

Sakaki felt that the girl made no sense.

“If you don’t move…”

The voice came once again from Sakaki’s back…

“Then I’ll make you move.”

Sakaki felt a heavy blow at his neck. His mind wasn’t even aware of what was happening, let alone his body reacting. However, his sharp reflexes allowed him to steady his footing. It would need something more than that to topple Sakaki Guryuu.

From his rapidly distorting vision, Sakaki caught sight of the girl, as she mumbled, “What a stubborn fellow. But you won’t be able to stop me for long.”

Sakaki felt a strong blow being delivered to his stomach. This merciless attacker didn’t give any chance for Sakaki to counter-attack, as she slammed her open palm against Sakaki’s lower jaw.

Sakaki fell down, unable to do anything else.

And the huge egg, which was previously resting in his hands, fell to the ground.

Rinne, Usagawa Rinne – these words flowed continuously within Sakaki’s mind. He was struggling, trying hard not to be swept away by the torrent of thoughts concerning Usagawa Rinne. After being mercilessly beaten back by the waves of Usagawa Rinne thoughts, Sakaki finally came to his senses, as he furiously opened his eyes. He was still under the lamp post, on the uneven path. And the first thing he saw, from the corner of his eye, was a young man cradling a crystal ball.

“Oh, you’ve finally awoken!”

“Ugh…”

The “Mushi”, whom Sakaki had thought to be a part of his dream, appeared right beside him. Sakaki climbed to his feet, ignoring the aching in his body, and grabbed the “Mushi” by the front of his robes.

“Where’s Rinne?”

“Calm down. Shouting isn’t going to do your lower jaw any good, especially since it’s just been palmed, literally.”

“I don’t care what happens to me. Where’s Rinne? And that brat…”

Seeing Sakaki’s anxious face, the Mushi couldn’t help but let out a smile. “Who knows? I just happened to be passing by, and met you here by chance, that’s all!”

“How would some random passerby know I was palmed? You were hiding somewhere here right from the start, weren’t you!”

The Mushi opened his eyes in awe.

“What great deduction! I’m sorry, it’s just that back then, I didn’t think that I would be of much help, that’s why I didn’t step out to save you! Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I just said that I don’t care what happens to me! Where’s Rinne? And that brat?”

“And I just said I didn’t know, didn’t I? Instead of asking me, why don’t you just go affirm for yourself, where the devil is headed – Usagawa Rinne’s residence.”

“You said, Rinne’s… Residence.”

Seeing Sakaki’s face grow paler, the Mushi said coldly, “That’s to be expected. Hmm… If you hurry over now, you might be able to stop her! Instead of wasting time talking to me here, why don’t you hurry over there instead?”

“Uh…”

Sakaki immediately pushed the Mushi aside, and sprinted towards Rinne’s house.

“Oh and don’t forget this.”

The Mushi said indifferently, as he placed the egg back in Sakaki’s hands. Sakaki accepted it without much thought.

On the uneven, gravel floor, Sakaki’s involuntary feet carried him forward, as the Mushi’s figure slowly melted into the background, like a shadow disappearing behind his back.

Sakaki ignored him and continued running. Run. Keep running. That was what his brain was commanding his feet. Run like the wind! Along this long, empty road, reminiscent of hell. Sakaki tried to suppress the urge to puke, as he continued clinging on the tiny, almost non-existent sliver of hope, and dashed ahead.

Usagawa Rinne, Usagawa Rinne, Usagawa Rinne.

Her name swirled through his mind, sealing his other thought processes.

What’s happening now? Is this some form of punishment? Since when did the world go wrong? Since when did it go crazy? It was too strange, too bizarre. Sakaki felt like crying – this was totally illogical.

But then – this was reality.

He initially wanted to wait till Rinne had graduated before they got married. Since he was a teacher and Rinne was a student, he had continuously told himself to just cross his fingers and wait. It was nothing but three years – such a short amount of time, it would go by in the blink of an eye. He had firmly believed that his future lay three years ahead of him, even though God was most likely blind in one eye, even though fate was unnecessarily cruel.

“Rinne!!”

He was at the old apartment. Sakaki hammered the old, wooden door, as if trying to break it down by force. All the while, he was yelling her name at the top of his voice. Rinne! Rinne! Rinne!! There was no reply, no reply at all. That was strange, did she go for a shower perhaps? But how was that possible? He was just being overtly hopeful.

“Bang!”

Sakaki withdrew his handgun from his coat, and shot the doorknob without a second thought. He then kicked the door open, as if he didn’t care if he broke it in the first place. True, someone might have heard the gunshot, but Sakaki couldn’t be bothered any more. Shoot first, questions later. Even if this became a criminal case, Sakaki didn’t care.

Rinne was in danger. Usagawa Rinne was in danger,

That left him no choice.

“Ah…”

The door to hell swung open before his eyes.

The worst case scenario unraveled before him.

A girl, whose body was covered in blood.

It was Rinne’s corpse.

Sakaki’s emotions exploded that instant.

“…… So that’s how it is. I know, you hate me don’t you, God?”

There was no need for explanation. Rinne had died, in a locked room. A blood-stained girl was standing next to her. It didn’t take a genius to guess that this was the criminal, Rinne’s murderer.

If that was the case – she should die too.

Go to hell!!

Sakaki relentlessly fired at her on the spot. The girl was taken by surprise, as she took a bullet to the chest, followed by one to the head, and to one of her legs - A total of three bullets. In the dimly lit room, fresh blood splattered everywhere with a sickening “swish”, as crimson red fluid trickled down from the walls. Before the girl had the chance to scream, he head was already against the wall. She was dead. He had killed her – a human.

No, that wasn’t a human. That was Rinne’s murderer – a devil.

That’s why, she deserved to die.

Sakaki mumbled something, as he approached the poor, mutilated corpse of Rinne. She was sitting, with her back against the table, her feet facing outwards. He head lay slumped on the table, and she had an absolutely blank look on her face. One of her usually sparkling eyes was now replaced with a spoon, while the other was laying dully open. Usagawa Rinne had died – just like what the Mushi predicted.

Sakaki pointed the gun barrel at his temple, as he fell to his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks. Looking at Rinne’s dead body, he had only one choice left – taking his own life. Living in a world without Usagawa Rinne, Sakaki didn’t have that strength. There was no happiness in a world without her, just a boring, mundane life, that was why Sakaki decided to follow her, by committing suicide. He cursed God and fate for being so cruel towards him, as he edged towards Rinne and apologized. “I’m sorry Rinne, it hurts doesn’t it? Compared to being murdered like this, wasn’t it better if you had perished in the vast sea then? I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

Sakaki mumbled, as his fingers reached for the trigger.

“I love you, Rinne!!”

This was when Usagawa Rinne sat up.

As if waking up from a dream, Rinne slowly stretched her body, and observed her following. Her sight finally fell on Sakaki. The spoon was still stuck in her right eye, her tears were still flowing down her cheeks. Usagawa Rinne looked at Sakaki, and asked, as if nothing was wrong, “Eh? What’s up, Sensei?”

There was an unfathomable expression on Rinne’s face.

“Ah, I can’t see in my right eye!”

That’s strange, Rinne thought as she rubbed her right eye. It was as if something was lodged in her right eye. She stared at Sakaki, as if asking him “Huh? What’s this?” Grabbing the spoon, Rinne pulled it out of her eye socket, as a thick, gooey liquid oozed out from it. Sakaki was speechless. What was this? This was absurd, had the Earth gone crazy after all? Or was he dreaming? Was this a dream! He certainly hoped it was!

Right then, something strange happened again.

“Ugh…”

Rinne’s expression suddenly contorted, as she pressed against her right eye, her face twisting in pain.

“It’s hot! My eye, it feels so hot! It’s burning!”

“R-Rinne…”

Sakaki was unable to move, even though his most treasured person was suffering right in front of him.

“Sensei, my eye feels so hot all of a sudden. What’s happening? It’s burning, it hurts, Sensei…”

She is calling, Usagawa Rinne is calling for me.

I should go and save her then.

Sakaki stood up, and immediately rushed to Rinne’s side. She was still pressing her hand against her eye.

Sakaki shook her shoulders and asked, “Rinne, are you alright? Rinne!”

“Sensei…”

Rinne mumbled in a soft tone, as she removed her hand from her eye.

Sakaki stared at her face, and immediately sensed a shiver travel down his spine.

“It’s too late!”

Usagawa Rinne’s right eye had completely regenerated. It was previously pierced by a spoon, but now there wasn’t a single scar visible. The only thing that remained was a trail of eye-fluid on her cheeks. But Sakaki was sure she had been hurt! He felt his mind go numb – it was unable to catch up with the rapidly crumbling reality.

He placed an arm around Rinne’s shoulders, as his gaze traveled to a corner of the room.

“Even digging her eyeballs out failed to kill her. Its too late, so stop grieving…”

Even though her clothes were stained with blood, the girl continued to look at him with her expressionless, gun-barrel like eyes. There was no trace of emotion on her face, but her voice was surprisingly pure.

This girl, who had previously tried to murder Rinne, was poking her finger into the gunshot wound on her head, as she withdrew the bullet in a casual manner that would certainly freak most people out. She then proceeded to do the same with her wounds on her chest and legs. Wasn’t it painful? No, before that, shouldn’t she be dead? A bullet was planted in her head, a real bullet! Sakaki stared as three blood-stained bullets fell to the floor, as her wounds instantly regenerated, just like Rinne’s eye. What in the world is going on?! I’ve had enough of this! I can’t explain this in the least! Please stop, please give me back my normal life; my normal, ordinary life.

The girl ignored Sakaki and continued staring at Rinne. With a sad – nay, more like a pitiful - expression, as if trying to say that they were in the same boat now, she explained to Rinne the situation she was currently in.

“You have obtained the Apple. It’s now deeply rooted within your heart, so it’s impossible to give up on it now. The Apple won’t even let you die – it’s that deep…”

The girl said, as she headed towards the door.

“You can never live on as a normal human being again.”

The girl suddenly turned back and said, “In order to not be consumed by the Mushi, you better do your best to protect that Apple.”

The girls shadow silently vanished beyond the door. What was she planning to do? What in the world had just happened? In the midst of confusion, the girl had disappeared, leaving behind two very confused individuals.

A blood-stained world. A messed up room. Mushi. An immortal girl.

Sakaki was totally lost here. He abruptly had this urge to grab on to something, so he chose the nearest target – Rinne. He tightly hugged Rinne, much to her surprise, but she merely closed her eyes, and quietly embraced Sakaki.

Rinne felt at peace. The expression on her face suggested that even though she had no idea what was happening, as long as Sakaki was around, everything was fine. It was a face of pure bliss, as if she had entrusted everything to Sakaki. Usagawa Rinne, my most important person.

“Sensei…”

“Yeah?”

Sakaki gently answered Rinne’s call.

“I suddenly recalled that long lost memory, my final memories before I almost died in the sea. That time, as death was fast approaching… I dreamed of an apple. The moment I ate the apple, I came back to life. I think it’s because I ate that apple… That I was able to survive till today. I have this sort of feeling.”

Rinne pressed her palm against her right eye.

“That girl, she could have been here to take back the apple!”

Even if the world was thrust into frenzy, even if the basic laws of nature were broken, life still goes on. The end of today marked the arrival of tomorrow. The first thing that came the next day was the morning dawn. And the morning dawn was synonymous with homeroom. Being the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, Sakaki Guryuu was required to take attendance, as well as brief the students about their duties and responsibilities.

Yesterday, which was also the day Usagawa Rinne’s eyeball was gouged out by a spoon-wielding girl, Sakaki had brought her to a hospital, just to be on the safe side. The doctors, however, were unable to find anything wrong with her. That’s why she attended school today, being her usual, cheerful self. As Sakaki Guryuu went though the attendance list, though, he noticed, amongst a list of over 40 students, a name which he had never seen before. It wasn’t as though he had never heard the name before. In fact, he had heard it only just recently.

Gankyuu Eguriko.

“…… Eh???”

He had a bad feeling about this.

Sakaki chalked it up to an optical illusion, as he took out a bottle of eye drops, applied it, and looked at the list again.

Gankyuu Eguriko.

He would never mistake such a wild name. Seat number 11. That seat was still occupied by someone else yesterday! For some reason, however, the person in question was assigned to Seat 12. Sakaki had a very bad feeling about this. What was happening? He thought. Just as he was wondering, the classroom door was suddenly ripped open.

“Ah…”

The girl sported a unique, wolf-like haircut, a sailor uniform, white indoor shoes and the same, gunbarrel-like eyes. She looked exactly the same as she had yesterday, and standing in the midst of normal high school students, she surprisingly didn’t seem too out of place. She stepped in the classroom matter-of-factly, and proceeded towards the podium.

Sakaki Guryuu stood stiffly at the podium.

The students shot curious glances at the girl. “What’s happening? Who is she?”

Sakaki thought of what to say to the girl, but his current state of mind was blank. Even as he was thinking of what to say to her, the girl had taken up a piece of chalk, and scribbled on the blackboard.

Transfer Student, Gankyuu Eguriko.

It was the first time the students had heard of a transfer student transferring into their class. They started discussing among themselves, and Gankyuu Eguriko didn’t seem to mind.

With a sharp tone that clearly didn’t sound like what a transfer student should have sounded like, she faced the students and said, “I’m a new transfer student, Gankyuu Eguriko. You can call me Guriko if you want, but if you don’t want to, then you might as well not approach me at all. As long as you mind your own business, I won’t harm you, so try not to mind me too much, or even bother to talk to me. If you anger me, I’ll dig your eyes out, no matter who you are, so if you treasure your own eyeballs, then don’t provoke me. That goes for you busy-bodies, who can’t seem to keep your mouths shut. I don’t think anyone will miss you guys if you died anyway. That is all.”

Guriko said in one breath, as she lifted her head and looked at Sakaki, satisfied.

Because she was called Eguriko, that’s why she requested to be called Guriko? Her sense of naming was actually quite laughable!

Sakaki put up a straight face, and asked her, “What do you plan to do?”

Guriko said to Sakaki in a volume that only he could hear her, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill her.” Her voice was pure, void of any emotion, as usual. There wasn’t a single smile on her face.

“Maybe I should say I can’t kill her. The Apple has already rooted within her, all physical attacks will be useless towards her. Since she has an infinite lifespan, I guess you could call her an immortal. And since she’s immortal, I can’t take away the Apple. And that basically means I have no reason to kill her whatsoever. However…”

“The Mushi… They have many.”

Gankyuu Eguriko looked at the ceiling.

“I have a bad feeling about this, so I’m going to stay here for a while. Don’t worry, I won’t give you any trouble.”

With that said, she moved to her empty seat, which was right next to Usagawa Rinne.

She had used some form of magic, to create a space for herself within this school.

Ignoring Sakaki’s furious stares, Guriko turned and glanced at Usagawa Rinne, who was right next to her. Rinne slightly flinched – it was natural, after all, as according to Sakaki, she was previously murdered by this girl before her, by having her eyeballs gouged out with a spoon, a most brutal method indeed.

Guriko said to Rinne, who was rendered speechless, in a pure, innocent voice, “I’m sorry.”

“Eh?”

“Even though there was no other way, I did indeed try to kill you.”

That was all she said, as Guriko suddenly slumped on the table and began sleeping. The whole class was shocked at the new transfer student’s eccentric behavior – more like, they were shocked by her bravery. She had put on an attitude that clearly stated she had no respect for the teacher whatsoever. The usually quiet classroom suddenly buzzed with activity.

It was, however, too early to get excited.

But of course, the students had no way of knowing that.

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[Mushi_to_Medama|Main Page]]
| Back to Color Illustrations
| Forward to [[Mushi:Vol1_Ch2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T07:07:41Z

Sinmay: /* 3 */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp) ==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Onmiyouji]. 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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T07:05:43Z

Sinmay: /* Chapter 3 - Onibi */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi (Will-O-Wisp) ==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Onmiyouji]. 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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt

2009-03-01T06:40:34Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*March 1, 2009
**Added part 3 of chapter 3

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (50%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T06:39:49Z

Sinmay: /* 3 */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Onmiyouji]. 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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-03-01T06:38:58Z

Sinmay: /* Illusion */

==Chapter 1==

===Warded Off With Money===

サラリと受け流す, Sarari to uke nagasu. Literally "warded off with money".

==Chapter 2==

===Driver's Seat===

Literally means "hand over the driver's seat". It's an idiom that means "Let me be in charge!"

===Hysteria===

"Hisuterii" and "hisu" both mean hysteria

==Chapter 3==

===Illusion===

John says "illusion" in English, not Japanese.

===Onmiyouji===

Onmiyouji are spell casters. They use healing energy to vanquish demons and ghosts. They can cast both good and bad spells.

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| Jump to [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T06:37:46Z

Sinmay: /* 3 */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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. Ah, I’m not admiring him or anything, but it’s true," I continued.
Note: Onmiyouji are spell casters. They use healing energy to vanquish demons and ghosts. They can cast both good and bad spells.
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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt

2009-03-01T06:37:40Z

Sinmay: /* Updates */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*March 1, 2009
**Added part 3 of chapter 3

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (30%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T06:37:12Z

Sinmay: /* 3 */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

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. Naru—Shibuya-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. Ah, I’m not admiring him or anything, but it’s true," I continued.
Note: Onmiyouji are spell casters. They use healing energy to vanquish demons and ghosts. They can cast both good and bad spells.
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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-03-01T06:35:12Z

Sinmay: /* Chapter 3 - Onibi */

==Chapter 3 - Onibi==

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

===3===

I Can’t Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits
(3) Will-O-Wisp

Part 3
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. Naru—Shibuya-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. Ah, I’m not admiring him or anything, but it’s true," I continued.
Note: Onmiyouji are spell casters. They use healing energy to vanquish demons and ghosts. They can cast both good and bad spells.
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 since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai-san said gratefully.

On the other hand, Taka looked really tired.

"…Poor you… If you want, we can hang out sometime," Taka suggested.

"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."

"Will you come back?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

Taka stood up with a bounce and bowed.

"I’ve gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"

"Of course."

As I waved good-bye, I felt warm feelings swell in my heart as I saw them off.

~50% Translated

Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Translator's Notes

2009-02-17T07:15:40Z

Sinmay: /* Dai-Senpai */

<center>Translator's Notes and References for 
<big>悪霊シリーズ</big> 
Volume 1: Ghost Hunt</center>

== Prologue ==

=== Namuamidabutsu ===

This is a Buddhist chant/prayer that in Japanese means something like this "I sincerely believe in Amitabha, Lord have mercy on me". You can find more detailed information and better explanation [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/mcb/mcb10.htm here].

== Chapter 3 ==

=== Oba-san ===

While this term literally means "aunt", it is generally used for middle-aged woman. However, calling a young woman (under age 40) this would be considered an insult. (Ayako is 23 years old.)

=== Sly Tanuki ===

Tanuki is a raccoon dog. They are mischievous shapeshifters, like kitsune in folklore. They are also considered slow and absent-minded though. More information [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki here].

=== Kansai-ben ===

John speaks in Kansai-ben with an Australian accent. This is often considered funny, frightening, or very rural. Kansai-ben is used often in comedy talkshows.

=== Bouzu: Kiddo ===

"Bouzu" is how many people address little boys.

=== Wate ===

"Wate" is "Watashi" (I) in the Kansai dialect.

=== Spoken English ===

The astericks* indicate spoken English words, as opposed to spoken Japanese.

== Chapter 4 ==

=== Momotaro ===

In the folktale Momotaro, the Peach Boy, the dog following Momotaro starts fighting a monkey the moment they encountered, so this is why dogs and monkeys can't get along. More information [http://www.japanippon.com/fairytales/momotaro.htm here].

== Chapter 5 ==

=== Jibakurei ===

Literally "earth-bound spirit." Basically it's a spirit that can't leave a certain location because of its former attachment to it when it was alive.

== Chapter 6 ==

=== Desu ===

Desu is added for politeness in this case. But in the Osaka dialect, it's supposed to be "dosu" instead.

== Epilogue ==

=== Town Pages ===

Town Pages is a directory for businesses.

=== Hello Pages ===

Hello Pages is a directory for pseudonyms.

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[Ghost_Hunt|Main Page]]
| Jump to [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue_version2|Prologue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-02-17T07:14:45Z

Sinmay: /* 2 */

==Chapter 3 - Storm Warning==

=== 1 ===

The weather on the second day was really unnerving.

Today's Friday, and the weekend's almost here~ Plus, the weather's really nice! If I just act like my usual self, then everything will be alright.

But in reality, I've got a lot of things on my mind to worry about. And it's all that guy's fault. All that narcissist's fault.

A beautiful day like this rarely ever comes by. And when it finally does, I have to spend it doing some ghost hunting stuff.

Ah—I'm really unlucky...

The white sakura flowers blinded my eyes.

"Mai—"

The moment I stepped into the building, Keiko rushed up to me.

"...What is it?" I asked. "You're a bit too energetic to just greet me."

"Good morning. Hey, what did Shibuya-san say to you?

"Ha ha. So that's why you're ambushing me over here?"

"Right. Hey, exactly what did you guys talk about?"

Arghh... What...do...I do? Should I tell her? No, it would just be a waste of time.

I busted out laughing.

Keiko had a startled look on her face. "Can it be—"

"It's a secret (♥)."

Hee hee hee. Everything in my heart just flew out. So this is my punishment. First of all, calm down.

But that didn't happen. Hearing the jealousy in Keiko's voice, Michiru hollered out, pressuring me to defeat.

I surrendered. "...Whaaaat..."

Keiko let out a deep breath.

Michiru finally spoke out, "Then, Shibuya-san...isn't a transfer student?"

"Nope. He's just a liar."

"So that's how it is..." Keiko mumbled listlessly.

Michiru waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't be so disheartened. Since he's not a student at our school, that means..."

Keiko finished off, "..No love rivals!"

"Right!"

It turned out like this again. Why are you guys so happy...are you idiots? Just because the rival doesn't go to our school doesn't mean that she doesn't go to another one. If he was a student at our school, then you guys can just divide him up or even snatch him from his girlfriend. But how are you gonna deal with a love rival whom you've never met before?

"Taniyama-san."

Suddenly someone called my name. It's that rude Kuroda girl from yesterday.

"Good morning," I answered, "Is something up?"

"That person...is he a psychic?"

"No, he isn't."

"But didn't you just say he came here to investigate the old school building?"

...Oh—So you were eavesdropping.

Now that I think about it, I really need to change the subject. "He's not a psychic; he's a ghost hunter."

"Ghost hunter?"

When Kuroda-san raised her eyebrows, Keiko and Michiru pulled me off to the side and asked, "Hey, what does that mean?"

"I'm not really sure, but I think it means a psychic."

"How is it different from a psychic?"

"That's why I said I wasn't sure. He bought in lots of expensive equipment, like video cameras and whatnot. That's why he just doesn't seem like a psychic."

"Oh—," Kuroda-san interjected, considering her idea, "Taniyama-san, can you introduce me to that guy?"

"Wha?"

What...do...I...do?

"I have psychic powers, so I might be able to help him with his work."

Michiru quietly whispered her resentment.

I replied, "But...Kuroda-san, didn't you already meet him? A formal introduction isn't necessary. You can see him after school at the old school building."

"I know that, but..."

"But it's best if you don't get involved with that guy at all."

"Oh, but why?" Kuroda-san's asked, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"He said he dislikes talking to amateurs."

"I'm not an amateur like you."

"Ah—Still, Naru-chan is a professional. He even has an office."

"Mai," Michiru interjected, pinching my neck, "Calling him Naru-chan already...how affectionate of you."

"Narcisstic Naru-chan. You guys, stop fantasizing about him. He has a rotten personality."

"But he's still *that* handsome?"

"I'm just saying, If a girl is pretty, she'll definitely have a terrible personality, which is something no guy wants. If someone is pretty, that person, female or male, will definitely have a bad personality."

"Really.."

"He's such an intimidating narcissist. From now on, I'll just call that narcissist 'Naru-chan'."

I can tell from Keiko's reaction that she'd just get hurt if she got close to him. I was trying to tell Kuroda-san this, but when I turned around, I was left facing empty space. Kuroda-san was already sitting down, with a textbook wide open on her desk.

I was speechless.

"That's just the kind of person she is," Michiru quietly whispered to me.

"Didn't Kuroda-san go to the same middle school as you?"

I'm pretty sure Michiru is from that same middle school.

"Right. She was quite famous in middle school, always going on about her psychic powers, her warnings "oh~this is dangerous", her sensitivity to ghosts, and always wanting us to do this and that."

"Oh..."

"Man, she just likes to be the center of attention. No doubt she likes all the flattering she gets."

"...Oh."

"How should I say this...could she have fallen in love with Shibuya-san at first sight?"

"What!" Keiko exclaimed indignantly.

Kuroda-san shot her a hateful look, to which Keiko immediately shut up.

I really don't understand Kuroda-san. In the end, it's probably best not to associate with her.

=== 2 ===

When school ended, my friends commented on how "sly" I was before I headed out towards the old school building.

After I went to the back of the old school building, I noticed the silver van was in the same parking space as yesterday. What's Naru-chan doing, sitting in the back of the car?

"Hello," I greeted him.

Hearing my voice, he lifted his head, shifting his attention from the equipment to me.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Looking over yesterday's recording."

Oh—I didn't really get it, but it sure did seem impressive.

"Then, did you find anything?"

Naru-chan glanced at the shelf overflowing with televisions. "Nothing unusual."

"Nothing unusual? Then the old school building doesn't have ghosts after all?"

"Are there no ghosts? Or are they just hiding themselves? Regardless of the answer, the old school building shouldn't be that dangerous."

...When he's talking about it that way...

"Uh...is the equipment working?" a voice came from behind me. Hastily turning around, I saw a woman wearing gaudy clothes and a man with a dumb look on his face.

"These are expensive toys for a kid."

The woman let out a scornful laugh.

Naru-chan stared at them. "Who are you guys?"

Kid's toys? Severe consequences will follow if you damage his pride like that.

The woman looked at Naru-chan. Sure, the woman was beautiful, but she was lacking in charm. She was one scary big sister.

"I'm Matsuzaki Ayako. Nice to meet you."

Her red lips spreaded into a big smile.

Naru-chan coldly replied, "I have no interest in your name."

Ayako-san almost lost it, but then she glared intently at Naru-chan. "How arrogant, but you're definitely a handsome young man."

"Thank you."

...Hey, hey.

Ayako-san crossed her arms. "Forget it. Even if you become more handsome, it won't be of any help. You can't exorcise ghosts with your face anyway."

Naru-chan's gaze lifted up. "Are we in the same industry?"

"Pretty much...I'm a miko."

A miko? You've gotta be kidding, right?

But then, Naru-chan retorted, "I was under the impression that miko were young, pure maidens."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but make a funny face.

The man beside them also let out a burst of laughter.

"Oh, you can't tell?" Ayako-san was furious as she sent deathly glares to Naru-chan. She chose the wrong opponent.

Naru-chan continued, "If you want to say you're young, I think you are really too old." He smirked.

She deserved it. Well said, Naru-chan.

The man at the side finally started guffawing.

Miko-san's lips distorted. What now? Being called "Oba-san"[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Oba-san] by a 16-year old boy. Is there no way to retaliate?

The guffawing man proudly added, "She also puts on heavy makeup."

This is considered mockery, but Naru-chan is still better when it comes to insults.

Moreover, are those two partners?

Miko-san glared angrily at that man. "Well, I'm just naturally beautiful. That's why it looks like I'm wearing lots of makeup."

Her voice was confident, but I'm scared that her face is already all stiff.

"To sum it up..." Miko-san forced on a stiff smile, "Your little show is over, kid. Just leave the rest to me."

And with her jeering voice, she laughed at Naru-chan.

"The school principal said that you're unreliable. No matter how you look at it, a 17-year old just isn't skilled enough."

Hmph. So the principal said that Naru-chan is unreliable? Did he get more ghost hunters to come?

Naru-chan smiled slightly. "Then please teach me, senior."

Ayako-san's scowl widened.

Naru-chan disdainfully glanced at her profile before shifting his line of sight onto the other man. "...Who are you? You don't seem to be Matsuzaki-san's assistant."

The man seemed older than Miko-san. He pretended to look up at the sky. "How can I be a woman's assistant.. I'm a monk from Kouya Mountain. My name is Takigawa Houshou."

A monk from Kouya Mountain?

Wow, cool.

Naru-chan continued to look at the television screens, then said in a bored tone, "Kouya Mountain allows long hair now?"

The man was startled after hearing that.

That's right, monks don't look like this man except in manga. In fact, they're usually bald.

Not only did this man keep his hair, but he also keeps it hung in a mess on his shoulder and in a messy bundle on his back.

Miko-san scoffed, "Law-breaking monk."

"...But I really did stay at Kouya Mountain. Even though I'm not there right now..." the monk mumbled, his voice carrying a hint of shame.

I couldn't help but laugh at his pitiful appearance.

Our eyes met.

"And who's the giggling girl with the big mouth?"

...I don't have...a big mouth.

"I'm just a kind-hearted student. I was called on to help him move things..."

"Oh, right, and what about you, little boy?"

Without averting his gaze, he looked at the television set. His body language seemed to say "I have no interest in you guys".

"You guys should go to the principal to find out. Seems like you at least know my age," Naru-chan replied.

"Man, we did ask already. He said you're from a paranormal investigation office on the prestigious Shibuya Street."

"I have nothing else to add to that."

Bou-san coldly laughed. "...The principal also mentioned that he thought he could trust this office because of its prestigious location. He never thought that the head of the investigation would be a little kid. Boy, does he feel duped."

"Really, now," Naru-chan said in his cold tone.

Leaning on the car, Miko-san added, "The principal...is quite a worrywart..."

"That's right," Bou-san agreed.

"An evil spirit or whatnot, is something I can easily exorcise. ...So, the kid can just leave it up to me," Miko-san said, laughing at Naru-chan.

"If you could help, then that would be fine," Naru-chan said indifferently.

Even Bou-san decided to join in on the sarcastic remarks. "Man, how regrettable, the kid can't help at all. That principal is also overdoing it. He called in all these people just for a little old school building."

"Right. A ghost hunter, me, and you..." A small smile spread on Miko-san's face, "One would obviously be enough."

"Right, he should've just called on me." Bou-san laughed too. "What's all this about anyway? Oh right, little boy, what's your name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya."

"Shibuya Kazuya? ...Never heard of it," Bou-san commented.

"But, I never heard of your name either. Must be third-class," Miko-san added.

"That's because you don't keep up with your studies. And actually, I've never heard of Matsuzaki either," Bou-san retorted.

...Hmph, this argument is going nowhere...

What's wrong with these people...

What does it matter? Naru-chan is the same; do all psychics have rotten personalities?

While Miko-san and Bou-san ensued with their argument, Naru-chan continued to fiddle with the equipment. What a pain... Taking a glimpse at the playground, I noticed a girl wearing a uniform walking this way.

Oh, it's Kuroda-san.

Ah—Sure enough, she did come.

The moment Kuroda-san saw me, she waved. "Taniyama-san."

Man—I'm not good at dealing with her.

Kuroda-san glanced at the car, seeing Miko-san and Bou-san deep in argument.

"Who are those two people?"

"They came here to investigate the old school building. They said they're a priestess and a monk."

"Really..."

When those two noticed the raven-haired girl, Kuroda-san bowed in assent. "Are you guys here to exorcise the ghosts in the old school building?"

Miko-san examined her for a moment. "Yes, that's the case."

The girl's face cracked into a smile. "Ah, thank goodness. I've always had a feeling of unease towards this ghost-nest old school building."

Miko-san shot Kuroda-san an intense stare. "You...how is that possible?"

"I have strong psychic powers...so it's been very annoying for me..."

"Attention lover."

"Huh?" I pondered aloud.

"You like attention, don't you? Do you want to be noticed that much?" Miko-san pressed.

"True. She...does not have any psychic powers," Bou-san added.

"How do you know?!" I shouted.

"I can tell by looking," Miko-san responded coolly.

"...Saying that so casually!"

"She just wants to get everyone's attention. She's been tricking everyone." Miko-san shot a scornful look at the girl before turning around.

"I really do have psychic powers," Kuroda-san insisted, "I'm going to summon a spirit into my body."

"Kuroda-san!" I cried out.

"...My psychic powers really are strong..." the girl said, her eyes hard and resolute. A deadly look hovered in her eyes. It's over now.

"Fake miko, you'll regret this."

"...I'm waiting for it then." Miko-san shot her one last glance.

All of a sudden, Kuroda-san dashed back towards the playground.

=== 3 ===

The whole situation was so chaotic.

For now, it's best not to get involved with Bou-san and Miko-san. Or maybe I should just not have anything to do with these bad people.

Then..

"That's right. Naru-chan, what do I have to do today?"

Naru-chan looked at me, a hint of shock behind his eyes. "What did...you just say?"

"What's wrong?"

"You just called me 'Naru-chan'."

Ah, I'm in for it now. That was a slip of the tongue.

"Sorry, I said it wrong."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Huh? Is that your nickname?"

Naru-chan wore an indescribable expression.

"Seems like everyone thinks the same way as me then, narcisstic Naru-chan."

Hee hee hee. That was a good comeback.

"Huh?"

"Forget about it, forget about it... Is there something you want me to do?"

"That's right... Just then, when I called him that, he didn't have the reaction I expected; it didn't seem like he was gonna give me a clever retort..." I pondered to myself.

"Mai's senior..."

"Ah, you called me by my first name—"

"...Didn't you just do the same thing for me?"

"But—"

"Which classroom did Mai's senior see the shadow?"

"She's not...my senior. She's...Michiru's senior friend," I complained, to which I was given a stern look by Naru.

"It's the same regardless of whose senior she is. Which classroom was it in?"

"It's on the second floor in the far west wing. It's the classroom that's practically stripped of everything.

"Got it. Go install the equipment there. It would be good if paranormal activity is found there," Naru-chan said as he rose and jumped off the van. When he started walking towards the old school building, a silhouette started coming this way.

Ah...now what is it...

When I think about the culprit that way... The principal advanced towards us.

Typically the principal is sly like a tanuki[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Sly_Tanuki], while the head instructor is like a fox. This is true in our case, as the principal really does look like a tanuki.

Since the principal's coming here, does that mean he has some business with us? An indistinct figure walked beside him.

"Hold on a moment, who's that person by the principal?" Miko-san whispered. "It can't be...is it another psychic..."

The moment I saw the shadow, I started to get a bad feeling in my stomach.

I'm totally leaving if another nasty guy comes.

The principal was chatting amiably with the other person.

He's short. Is he a student...he seems young.

Also...oh? Blonde, blonde hair.

What, it can't be a foreigner!

As the principal noticed us, he wiped off his tanuki-like smile. "Ah, everyone is together."

A kind voice.

He quickly stepped this way. "Here's the other guest. Let me introduce you guys."

...What, so it is another psychic...

Usually foreigners look old, but... I looked at the foreigner again. He's probably 12 or 13. I can't tell if this person is male or female. He's short for a foreigner. He's practically the same height as me. He must still be a kid.

The principal smiled warmly. "This is John Brown-san. Please welcome him, everybody."

...He's not a transfer student. You sure can't make a proper introduction.

Speaking of names, John is a boy's name. So this person is a "he". Ah—he's cute.

Brown gave us a deep bow. "How y'all doin'?"[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Kansai-ben]

…………?

J...Just now, was that English? My English sucks. I can't understand at all—

Miko-san, Bou-san, and even Naru-chan became dumbstruck.

"I be Brown. Glad ta meet y'all.

...Str-...Strange. It sounds like Japanese...but it's a dialect...

The principal forced a smile onto his inevitable expression. "Um...Brown learned Japanese in the Kansai area..."

Monk-san bust out laughing, followed by Miko-san. You shouldn't laugh. He's a foreigner. To be able to say this much is still amazing... Haha.

Brown seemed a bit lost. His confused look, his blond hair, his blue eyes, and the fact that he's a foreigner just made him look even more ridiculous. So-...Sorry. Ahahaha.

The principal gave us a puzzled look, then said, "W-Well then, I'll just leave it at that," before running off.

Brown turned towards the principal's figure, then said, "Thank ya."

When he said it that way, we all busted out laughing again.

Instead of laughing, Naru-chan wore a stiff expression on his face. "Brown-san, where are you from?"

"I be comin' furm Australia."

...Wow. The way he talks is really hilarious.

Sorry, I can't stop laughing—

Brown looked at us in bewilderment. "Is my Jabanese really strange?"

Naru-chan smiled wryly. "It's pretty strange."

Brown took a deep breath. "Jabanese be so dif'cult!"

"Hey, kiddo[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Bouzu:_Kiddo]!" Bou-san shouted aloud. Bou-san saying "kiddo" sure seems strange—

"I'm begging you, please don't speak in that weird Kyoto accent," Bou-san implored.

"Still, there ain't no other talk thaz mo' polite than this here Kansai-ben talk."

"Who?! Who taught this guy Japanese!" Bou-san exclaimed, his breathing becoming more and more difficult. "Listen carefully. Kansai-ben is a dialect. I suggest you not speak it anymore, got it? Otherwise it'll seem like you're speaking comic-talk."

"Ah," Brown nodded, "If I don' speak, then ever'body can jus' get 'long. Y'all all psychics?"

...It's still very strange...

Naru-chan responded, "Well, more or less. She's Matsuzaki-san, a miko. And he's Takigawa-san, a former monk on Kouya Mountain."

"An' you?"

"I'm a ghost hunter."

"Oh, then this here equipment in da car is all yors? Impressive."

"What about you?"

"Ah, I be an exorcist."

"Exorcist?"

In an instant, Miko-san and Bou-san stopped laughing and started staring at Brown, with gazes that suggested they were looking at a powerful enemy.

"About that, I thought in Catholicism you can't be an exorcist unless you're ranked higher than a priest. ...You seem really young to even be a priest."

"Thas' right. You, my fella, is very knowledgable. Howeva', I'm 19 already. I jus' look like a young 'un."

Oh no, I can't hold in my laughter.

Nineteen...then that means, he's Naru-chan's senior? This foreigner really does have a baby face...

"It's best if you don't say 'wate[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Wate]'," Naru-chan advised, smiling wryly again.

"If you say boku or watashi, you shouldn't say 'ansan'; otherwise , you'd be changing the meaning to 'you.'"

Brown...no, Brown-san nodded his head.

"Okay, thanks. What be ya name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya."

"Shibuya-san, hope ya don' min' takin' me aroun' the place first."

Shibuya-san nodded slightly, then turned towards me. "Mai, time to work."

"Okay."

When Naru-chan headed towards the old school building, I wondered why everyone else followed.

The equipment in the lab room had recordings. The sound of the machinery echoed throughout the classroom.

"These are..." Monk-san mumbled, apparently at a loss for words, "I can't believe you brought in this much equipment."

Naru-chan ignored him.

Miko-san snorted in contempt. "This is all useless. Little boy, your little show is finished. It's time to put all your things up."

Naru-chan ignored Miko-san.

"Bringing all this equipment in is such a waste. That must've been exhausting for you," she taunted.

Monk-san said, "That's rude. Ah—I have high hopes in you. Since you have this much equipment, you must be very capable."

His tone was ironic, mocking.

Naru-chan turned around, a hint of coldness behind his eyes. "...What about you two? Did you come here to exorcise spirits? Or did you come here to play?"

Embarrassed, Miko-san instantly turned around. "That's why I said I hate kids. Well, it must be an earth spirit, as it seems to be showing off a lot," she purposely ranted aloud, then left.

Monk-san followed, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Now what are you going to do?" Naru-chan asked, facing Brown.

Brown looked embarrassed. "...Do you want me to help you?"

"I don't care."

"Um...I, I don't really know what to do in this situation. Is it alright if I stay here an' help ya out as much as possible?"

"That's fine. Just do what you want," Naru-chan answered calmly, his eyes still glued to his computer.

After nearly 10 television sets were stacked on top of each shelf, the TV screens changed. Now they were showing a view of the corridors. Digital numbers and letters flashed incessantly on the screens. A view of the first and second floor could be seen from the TV placed in the entrance hall. All the screens were emersed in blue and green speckles.

"What's this?"

Naru-chan flashed an impatient look at me.

Would it kill you to answer me?

Brown-san answered instead, "It's Thermography... It indicates the temperature."

"Oh—"

Hey, he's pretty nice despite being psychic.

(I'm already starting to think that all psychics have terrible personalities—)

Brown-san pointed at the screen. "Orange indicates hot temperatures; on the other hand, blue indicates cold temperatures."

Ah—colored speckles, how strange.

"Thank you, Brown-san. You're so kind," I said in a tone that will hopefully taunt Naru-chan.

Brown-san blushed. "It's nothing... That's right, I didn't ask you what your name was. Are you Shibuya-san's assistant?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I'm Taniyama Mai."

"You can jus' call me John."

...It's that..strange Japanese again—

Turning back, I saw Monk-san in the middle of the TV screen. While examining his surroundings, Monk-san walked into the depths of the hallway. Miko-san was in another screen.

And in the other screen...

I could see the dim classroom deep in the entrance hall. Inside, the shoe cabinet casted off a shadow. And in the middle of the shoe cabinet was a ghost.

"Naru-chan!" I screamed, pointing at the TV screen of the entrance hall.

Right in front of the shoe cabinet was a doll-like girl wearing a pink sakura kimono, trying to see what was above the shoe shelf.

She looked just like a living human, with that jet-black hair of hers. She was also about the same age as me.

The girl looked at another direction, then turned and left. She was no longer in the screen.

"Wh-...what was that, just now?"

Not acknowledging my question, Naru-chan rose and headed towards the door. His expression didn't change at all.

The door opened.

The doll-like girl stood in the middle of the darkness,

"......!"

I screamed.

John softly patted my shoulder. "It's okay, Mai-san. She's not a ghost."

Huh?

Naru-chan forced a smile on.. "The principal must really want us to finish the job quickly since he went as far as inviting you..."

Her expression didn't change.

"Do you two know each other?" I asked.

"No. I only recognize her face because she's very popular," Naru-chan replied.

"Who is she?"

Though I was obviously asking Naru-chan, the girl opened her cherry-like mouth and answered me instead, "If you're talking about me, then I'll introduce myself. I'm Hara Masako."

"Who?"

I don't know...

Naru-chan sighed. "She's a very famous psychic medium. She's great at summoning spirits, probably the best in Japan."

"Summoning spirits?"

"Ignorant, aren't you?"

"I'm talking to you—"

This time John answered my question again. "It's like calling spirits out and letting them possess your body and speak."

"Huh? Oh, like the kinds on TV, right? Like when a psychic speaks in place of the ghost, right?"

"Yup."

Naru-chan looked at the spirit medium. "What is your evaluation of this building, Hara-san?"

The psychic medium cocked her head. "I'm not sure... Who are you? You don't seem to be a psychic..."

"I'm a ghost hunter, Shibuya."

...What was that, Naru-chan. Do you just go for pretty faces? You don't speak to us with *that* kind of attitude.

The psychic medium looked at Naru-chan with a surprised expression. "Did we...meet before?"

Oh. What an old pickup phrase.

"I think this is the first time we met."

"...Really...?" she said, turning around to face the pile of equipment, "...I don't think there're ghosts here. Even though the principal was in a panic over it, there's nothing here. I also don't feel the presence of any spirits."

"Really..." Naru-chan said, contemplating her words.

...Does the principal want to tear down this building that much? Is the old school building really that scary?

A ghost hunter, a priestess, a monk, an exorcist, and even a psychic medium. He makes it seem so serious by inviting so much people. Just because of the old school building rumors.

But, these people...do they really have that kind of ability?

It happened at that time.

A loud, knocking sound and a woman's scream echoed through the building.

We were fightenened for a moment.

"Is that Matsuzaki-san's voice?" John asked.

Naru-chan rushed out of the room and we followed.

We bumped into Bou-san right after we left the lab room.

"That sound just now..!" Bou-san exclaimed.

"I'm not sure, but it seems to be on the first floor," John replied.

Matsuzaki-san's scream echoed through the hallway from the west side of the first floor on the other side of the lab room.

"What happened?!" Naru-chan was the first to reach the door, but he couldn't open it no matter how hard he pulled.

Miko-san banged on the door from inside. "Open the door! Hey, open the door!"

Both Naru-chan and Bou-san pulled with all their strength. The door started to bend, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Let's kick it open," Bou-san suggested as he faced the door. "Ayako! Move away!"

"What! Don't just call me by my first name like that!"

...You don't seem that worried.

Bou-san kicked the door, causing the door to emit a snapping sound. Bou-san kicked the door again, this time knocking it down.

Miko-san's face looked blue.

"What happened?" Naru-chan asked calmly.

"I don't know...After I came in, the door shut by itself. I couldn't open it."

"You didn't lock it then?"

"No!"

Right when they were about to argue again, Hara-san intercepted. "How embarrassing."

Miko-san stared at Hara-san. "What do you mean?"

"How can you say you're a psychic? You start hollering like crazy when the door locks on you. Don't you think that's sort of embarrassing?" Hara-san taunted, her tone cold like the wind.

Bou-san whistled softly, then turned towards the raven-haired girl. "You there... Are you Hara Masako-san?"

"Yes."

"You're prettier in person."

Hara-san looked at Bou-san as if he were something dirty, then turned around.

This person has a bad personality too—

=== 4 ===

"Well then, we must find out exactly what's in this old school building," Miko-san arrogantly declared.

We took a break in the lab room, drinking the canned coffee that John brought.

"Aren't you being oversensitive?" Masako commented coldly.

"Shut up little girl. I'm not the same as a fake psychic who got popular just because of her looks."

A small smile brushed through Masako's face. "Thank you for complimenting my good looks."

Hmmm—That...reminds me of someone.

Miko-san disregarded Masako. "I believe it's an earth spirit."

"An earth spirit is...?" I asked.

...What?

Miko-san looked fed up with me. "Didn't your assistant go through any training, Shibuya-kun?"

"She lacks the ability to do so in this area, nor is she worth training," Naru-chan said, his finger toying with a nail.

You jerk. You must've been itching to say that.

Miko-san assumed a teacher's position. "An earth spirit is one that lives in a certain place."

"You mean like Jibakurei [spirits that're bound to an area]?"

"So you know difficult terms like that? But they're not the same. Jibakurei are bound to an area because of an event that occurred. Earth spirits are spirits of the land, known as Seirei."

"Oh—"

So there're actually different types of spirits.

"Weren't a lot of shrines here before? In that case, there could be many of them."

"I think it's a Jibakurei," Bou-san intercepted, "Didn't something happen at this old school building? A spirit must live here. It had to disrupt the workers' progress because it was scared of losing its home."

"What do you think, John?" Naru-chan turned around to look at the foreigner.

"I'm not sure. Aren't haunted houses usually caused by *spirits[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Spoken_English] turning into *ghosts?"

Naru-chan looked at the nail in his hand, then nodded. "*Spirit...seirei, *ghost is yuurei. Are you listening, Mai?"

...Mind your own business. So you think my english is really bad, huh?

"If it's a *spirit, then that means the earth spirit has some kinda relationship to the land. An' if it lives in a building, it woulda been a *ghost that might summon evil spirits or whatnot," John explained.

I see.

"If it's 'cause of a ghost, then that means the person who died in the house is a Jibakurei," John continued.

"You guys don't think believe it's an earth spirit?" Miko-san asked as she stood up.

"I don't think so. It's Jibakurei," Bou-san said as he rose and stood beside John.

John's sky-blue eyes mirrored his confusion. "It's early, an' we still can't agree on a conclusion."

Miko-san stood up. "To sum it up, everything will be fine as long as it's exorcised. I'll get rid of it tomorrow."

She announced, "I don't have time to waste on this insignificant case. I'll go home as soon as I'm done with the exorcism."

Miko-san laughed, then waved as she left the lab room.

Bou-san saw her off, then inquired about everyone's opinions. "What do you guys think?"

Masako replied, "It's no use. I already said there aren't spirits here."

"But there are so many rumors about this place. How do you explain that?" I implored.

"You didn't see anything bad happen, did you? A building this old will always have one or two rumors. It's like the school's Seven Wonders."

Ah—what a confident tone. This person is more and more like that other guy.

I couldn't help but retort. "Then why did the door lock on Miko-san?"

"That was because she was a bit confused," Masako replied in a blunt, authoritative tone.

So is that how it is..

True, some people will just unconsciously open and close the door. But weren't Naru-chan and Bou-san unable to open that door even with their strength combined? Can Miko-san unconsciously close the door so that it locked by itself?

Then, without thinking, I laughed.

Maybe Miko-san was so scared to death when the door closed that she couldn't help but cry out in fear.

That would explain why she sounded so eager to leave after the exorcism.

The dark, crimson glow of the sunset shined through the windows, leaving a rosy shine on the glass windows.

"Naru-chan, it's getting dark."

Naru-chan lifted his head towards the window. "Ah... We'll go home after the preparations are done," he said, rising from his chair.

"Move the equipment into the classroom on the west side of the second floor."

Okay—

Bou-san wondered aloud. "Oh yeah, boy, you're not staying here, are you?"

"Not today... But I might stay tomorrow."

Huh? Then...what about me?

While I was thinking uncomfortably, Naru-chan looked at me. "Come here after school tomorrow."

"Um...tomorrow's Saturday—"

"It doesn't matter what day of the week it is. You must work."

Uh, uh, uh. No, noooo.

"Staying here is kinda..."

"Then do you want to compensate me for the video camera now?"

"...I'll be ready."

Hmph. You really do act like a boss.

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Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Chapter6

2009-02-16T03:22:34Z

Sinmay: /* 5 */

==Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High==

=== 1 ===

Tomorrow afternoon, I went to school right after I got up.

Naru's okay, right?

I'm kinda worried. He just stayed in the old school building by himself. Afterwards, did the ceiling fall...or...

Man—they say ill weeds grow apace.

Once I was in the old school building, I went directly toward the lab room.

Naru's not here. ...It can't be that simple.

Nearly half of the equipment were carried out, and the remaining ones weren't recording anything either.

What happened?

I ran outside.

If Naru's not in the lab room, then he must be in the van.

I went around the old school building and saw the van, which was in the same parking space as yesterday.

I peered into the van. Naru was leaning on the equipment, fast asleep.

I knocked on the car window.

"Naru!"

He opened his eyes slightly, apparently still in a daze from sleeping. Then he looked at me.

...This guy...is really handsome.

It's rare for someone half-awake to make me feel so happy.

"...Mai."

"Good morning."

"Don't 'good morning' me. What's wrong with you, coming here so early in the morning."

Hmph—I came because I was worried about you.

"It's not early at all. It's already past 11 o'clock"

"It's not afternoon..."

It's not afternoon? What kind of life are you living?

"I made coffee. Do you want some?" I offered.

"You are hardly ever this sharp."

Can't you at least say thank you?

Forget it. I'm used to it anyway.

I took out the coffee that I brought with me and poured it into a cup, then handed it to him. "Last night, did you find anything?"

"Yes."

...Eh?

I really wasn't expecting a yes. The tone in his voice seemed to say that there was more.

"Ah, do you know what's wrong with the building?"

"Yes."

Naru's face was stoic.

Right when I was going to ask more questions, I was interrupted by the rest of the team calling out Naru's name.

The psychics have come.

=== 2 ===

In the front was Bou-san. "Hey, what happened?"

"What do you mean 'what happened'?"

"The equipment in the lab room!" Miko-san shouted in a stubborn tone. "Are you getting ready to leave?"

Naru calmly replied, "Yes."

"...Are you kidding?"

Miko-san looked surprised.

"No, that's why I started bringing back my equipment."

Silence ensued.

Then, everyone started talking again.

Naru placed a hand on his head. "Please don't be so loud to someone who just woke up. ...I just went to sleep a little while ago."

Huh...he stayed up all night?

Bou-san stared at Naru. "...Then why are you putting all your equipment up?"

"I've decided that this case has been solved."

"You exorcised the ghost?" Bou-san asked.

"No."

Huh?!

Naru slowly picked up his files and handed them to Bou-san.

"What's this?"

"Last night, the old school building sank 0.2 inches."

"What did you say?"

Bou-san snatched the graphs from Naru and carefully examined them. Unfortunately for him, he didn't understand it at all and just ended up looking embarrassed. "I don't understand."

Miko-san interjected, "What's going on?"

"Land subsidence."

"What? Are you saying that all the phenomenon were caused by land subsidence?!"

Not acknowledging the question, Naru reached into his files and took out a sheet of paper.

"A level scale graph, a geological diagram, and a water-course diagram," Naru muttered, placing each diagram beside him.

"What're those?"

"If you look at them, you will know."

We gazed intensely at the diagrams.

"Diagrams..."

"They're diagrams..."

Man—I don't understand these diagrams!

Finally, Naru's fully awake.

He stretched. "The building was built on moist land. The workers had placed fresh soil on this land in attempt to lessen the moist before the school was built. Based on the number of wells around the area, there is a big water vein running beneath the school."

Everyone stared at the diagrams.

Countless circles were drawn onto the diagrams.

"Now only two wells remain, both of which are dry. This is what I discovered yesterday."

"Huh?"

"What I'm saying is, the building is weak because it was built on damp soil. Furthermore, the water vein is almost dry. Because of these factors, the building is sinking. Moreover, the building is sinking at an alarming rate. The area that is sinking the fastest is..."

Naru pulled out another diagram and pointed at blue circles that indicated areas that were falling apart. "Over here. The building is sinking rapidly on this side of the building, and as a result the rest of the building is becoming unstable and distorting. Even though the principal wants to tear down the building, there really is no need. The old school building will come down in a matter of time."

Everybody fell silent.

Bou-san disappointedly lowered his arm. "What, so you're saying the chair moved and the ceiling fell because of this?"

"Correct. The classroom on the west is three inches lower than the one on the east."

"Three inches, meaning 7.5 centimeters...that was unexpected," Miko-san mumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Then the ghost sounds...were they also?" Miko-san asked.

Naru nodded. "Those weren't sounds made by ghosts. Those were sounds made by the building falling apart."

"...Stop playing with me. Then are you saying we were in a dangerous place like that?" Miko-san asked.

"Apparently, yes."

"Then it's really dangerous. Tell the principal to make that building off limits to everyone desu[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's_Notes#Desu]," John said.

Bou-san couldn't stand it anymore. "John! I beg you, don't use 'desu' with the Osaka dialect!"

"Sorry..."

Don't be mean to him. It's not John's fault. It's the guy who taught him Japananese's fault.

"John's right," Naru said in an icy tone. "Inform the principal that the old school building is to be off limits to everyone. It will collapse soon."

=== 3 ===

In the afternoon, when Naru and I were finished putting the equipment back, Kuroda came.

"...What happened?" she asked, observing the scene.

I explained the situation to her.

"Since this building was built on damp soil, it's not very sturdy and is now falling apart. That's why it seems that ghosts are here."

"But...then, what about the ghost who attacked me?" Kuroda asked, her gaze turning to Naru.

That's—oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. That's... How can that be explained?

Naru coldly replied, "Perhaps it is a wandering spirit that follows you around."

"...How can that be," Kuroda said.

A wondering spirit. Ah...is that so.

"Then, are you done with your work?" she pressed.dcss

"Not yet. I will be after I finish writing my report today."

...It's all over.

That's right. Naru's a ghost hunter who came here to investigate the old school building. Keiko and them will be disappointed. We'll never see him again.

Ha ha ha. Keiko and them may be disappointed, but I know I'm not. I'm so happy~ I won't have to get tangled up with this guy again. So happy...

…………?

"I still think there's a ghost here," Kuroda insisted.

"There is none."

"How confident. This place may have land subsidence, but a ghost could still be here."

Kuroda was stubborn, unwilling to accept Naru's words.

"There are none. My investigation has showed me that there are no ghosts here."

"You could've made a mistake."

"Kuroda-san."

There it is again. That cold look in Naru's eyes.

"Well then, you can exorcise it. I believe my work here is done, so I'm packing up."

Kuroda looked timid for a moment. She turned around to avoid Naru's piercing gaze.

I whispered, "This sucks."

"Because I'm about to leave?"

...Who said it was about you!

"You narcissist! Why would I feel sad about you leaving! Stop joking around! You're just a..."

"So you're okay with me leaving?"

"...Well it's like the end of a dream."

"Huh?"

"The old school building is in the corner of the school. No matter how you look at it, it seems like something's there, and that's how the rumors about the ghosts started. ...Doesn't that seem sort of romantic?"

"But aren't you scared of it?"

"...That's two different things. It's a scary feeling, but it's also a happy one. Do you understand this kind of feeling? But...since everything was caused by land subsidence, it doesn't feel romantic at all. At least say you're running away from the earth spirit. It would be bearable if you say that. Soon the old school building will fall down and be replaced by a gymnasium. All the rumors will eventually fade away too... It's kind of sad. Even though I wouldn't like it if people died here, I still like talking about ghost stories."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes, it is."

And at that time...

''Crack''..!

A sharp sound. The windows in front of us ''Crack''ed.

"Mai! Get away!" Naru shouted.

"Okay!"

The building's falling?!

But my legs won't move.

The windows shattered, with the glass flying out the window because the curtains prevented them from flying at us.

And at the same time, there was a knocking sound.

A knocking sound...?

...No, it can't be this feeling. This is...the sound of someone knocking on the wall...

Who's doing this?! Who's making this loud noise?!

"What's happening?" shouted Miko-san as she ran into the room.

"...Is it collapsing...?" asked Naru hesitantly.

This was the first time I heard Naru speak without confidence.

Who can be knocking on the wall so hard? The sound seemed to be coming from all directions. And with each knock, the building shook. Dust drifted down from the ceiling.

"Is someone knocking on the wall?"

Naru didn't answer Miko-san's question.

''Bang!''

Suddenly the door shut itself. It was scary, especially since it happened right after the glass windows had shattered.

The door opened and closed by itself.

No one touched it.

It just automatically opened and closed.

When the door closed one more time, the windows completely shattered, covering Kuroda's body.

Kuroda screamed.

Bou-san and John's voice came from somewhere inside the building.

Naru grabbed my hand, then turned to help Kuroda stand up. He opened a window and motioned to it. Then he turned to Miko-san. "Go outside!"

"Through the window?!" she cried out in panic.

"Now's not the time to fight!"

I went through the window since it was impossible to go through a constantly moving door like that.

Naru grabbed Miko-san's hand.

"Hold on, let go!" she protested.

Not listening to her pleas, Naru continued to pull Miko-san. Then he looked at me, shouting "Hurry up and run! It's not safe!"

...The building is falling apart. And now, this big mess happened. The knocking sound on the wall, the door opening and closing... I wonder what's doing all this.

If it's not because this building is unsturdy, then it must be...

Holding Kuroda's hand, I ran away from the building.

I kept running until I was far away.

=== 4 ===

We quickly ran out of the building, followed by Bou-san and John. Afterwards the building became quiet.

We gazed at the old school building.

The sounds had stopped. We were finally able to think about what happened.

I felt a sharp pain in my hand. I looked down and noticed the cuts and scratches in my palm. Was this from when I climbed out the window?

How's Kuroda? The glass practically shattered into her. When I turned to look at her, I saw the gashes on her body.

"Are you okay?"

Noticing little pieces of glass in her hair, I reached my hand out and removed them.

"Don't move. Are there any glass shards in your clothes?"

Kuroda shook her head.

Miko-san wiped off some of Kuroda's blood with a handkerchief.

Bou-san looked at Naru. "...What was that?"

Naru didn't reply. He just gazed at the old school building, a dazed look in his eyes.

"Was that ground subsidence?" asked Bou-san.

"I wonder..." Naru mumbled to himself.

"What the hell?! Didn't you say that there're no strong poltergeists here!" Bou-san yelled.

Naru had nothing to say. His hand was crimson red. In order to help us escape, he received serious injuries.

"Naru...your hand," I said.

"Huh?" He looked at his hand, finally noticing his injury. "It's okay. It's not a big deal."

When Miko-san finished taking the glass pieces out of Kuroda's clothes, she turned toward Naru. "Can land subsidence do that? That sound wasn't from rotting wood. That was definitely the sound of someone knocking on the wall."

Bou-san laughed, "You're exaggerating. Are you saying a giant was there? You don't know how to explain the feeling, so you just compare it to a huge hand knocking on the walls."

"It could be."

Ah, when it comes to insulting Naru, they're best friends.

Miko-san patted the dust off of her clothes. "How stupid of me. I almost believed this child."

"...Give him a break. It can't be helped. After all, he's still young."

Naru was silent. He just looked at the old school building. His face was void of feeling, but for some reason he still seemed strong.

"I wonder... Get back to work."

"Yeah, we have to at least finish the job here."

What...an annoying guy.

Even though you're not an outgoing guy, you do settle down in these kind of situations.

Those two laughed around, then left. John silently helped Kuroda treat her wounds.

"Naru?" I asked.

"Hm?"

He said in an empty tone. He didn't even look at me.

"If you don't treat your hand..."

The glass must've pierced a big blood vein. Blood flowed down his left hand and dripped off his fingertips, leaving a pool of black blood on the ground.

"It's all right. It'll clot soon."

"But..." I couldn't say it.

Naru didn't even turn around to look at me. His tone was cold, and his face expressionless.

"What I'm saying is..."

"Help bandage Kuroda's wounds."

"Okay."

"As of now, I need to calm down. I hate myself so much I can't stand it."

...Okay.

You...are filled with pride.

=== 5 ===

After we helped Kuroda bandage her wounds, we sent her home. I don't know when Naru left after that.

"Where did Naru go?" I asked as I stood in the entrance hall of the old school building.

Bou-san and Miko-san looked through every classroom, searching for him.

"Yeah...where did he go anyway?"

Miko-san laughed in contempt. "How cute. He must've left from embarrassment."

Bou-san laughed too. "True, it sure is nice to be a kid."

...These two—

"It must be a tsukumogami. This time I'll exorcise it successfully," said the tall woman.

Bou-san turned to face her, then retorted, "Oh, didn't you already give up?"

"It was just one mistake."

"You don't have the ability to. It's my turn. Now you can see the difference between me and a little girl like you."

...That's so arrogant. Unbelievable. You didn't do anything today, and when everyone's trying their best, you just complain. Now what?—The difference between you and a "little girl"?

***

Bou-san really did look like he was going to do an exorcism. Dressed in black robes, he had placed the altars up in the room.

"You're not going to watch?" he asked Miko-san.

I listened to Miko-san's reply as I prepared to move the rest of the equipment.

John was helping me. "Is this really okay? Moving all the equipment back?"

"It's all right. If we need to use it again, we'll just move them back. Plus, this place might collapse anytime soon."

Miko-san snickered. "Do you still believe that kid's theory about land subsidence?"

I couldn't help but glare back at her. "Do you have any evidence that he's wrong? If you're going to laugh, at least get evidence that evil spirits are here first."

For a moment she looked insulted, but she didn't say anything. "You really like to stand up for him, huh."

"That's because right now, he's my boss."

...Even though I'm just a replacement, I still am Naru's assistant.

I lifted a video camera and walked out the door.

Seems like Bou-san's starting the exorcism. He was sitting down, his back turned towards me. "On sunba nisunba un bazara un hatta."[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator%27s_Notes#Namuamidabutsu]

Hmph. Can this weird chant really get rid of the ghosts here?

"Zyaku un ban koku."

...Where did Naru go?

When I finished moving all the equipment, I waited for him in the van. Naru still didn't come back.

The sky darkened.

By then Miko-san redid her exorcism. It seems like they're gonna leave now.

It was completely dark.

What now? Do I go home? Or should I wait for Naru?

What do I do?

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Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Prologue

2009-02-15T06:25:42Z

Sinmay: /* Prologue */

==Prologue==

　It was completely dark inside the room. A blue penlight's glow was moving around. A light too weak to illuminate the entire room. The blue light shone on the floating silhouette of the girl holding the penlight.

　It's raining outside. The voice of the little girl is sweeping somewhere throughout the lonely sounds of the falling rain.

"...This is a story I heard from my uncle.

One summer my uncle went to the mountain with a friend. They walked, aiming to see the summit of that mountain."

　She paused for a moment.

"...And you know, the weather was nice, but they lost their way, even though they had been there before.

　They should have arrived to the top in about three hours, but no matter how much they walked, they couldn't reach it.

　Strange as it may seem, they kept on walking, and then a completely unknown mountain ridge appeared above them and they couldn't understand where they were anymore. Anyway, under these circumstances they decided to return and took the way from which they came, but after they walked for a while the same place appeared before them.

　No matter how many times they walked that way, they always came to the same ridge. Eventually it got dark and they had no choice, but to camp at that place."

　No one was able to open their mouths now.

"Night came. They sat by the camp-fire, chatting, when they heard a man's voice. A voice asking for help. The two of them looked around for the voice's owner, but couldn't see anyone. Trying to call for him didn't give a result either.

　And just when they thought that it was just their imagination, they heard the voice again. This time it was closer than before, they searched again, but still there was no one around.

　The same thing happened many times again, and the voice was steadily closing in to them. At the end the voice got so close to them that it was coming from the campfire. Someone's breath, footsteps and even clothes' rubbing sound could be heard, but still they couldn't see anyone there. As anyone would, they got a very bad feeling about that, so my uncle's friend began chanting a "[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's_Notes#Namuamidabutsu|namuamidabutsu]]" prayer. All the sounds started to tone down.

　The two of them couldn't sleep that night at all and waited for the dawn. In the morning they realized that near the camp there was a cairn."

"A cairn?"

"Yeah. When a man died in the mountain, they piled up some stones at that place instead of a grave. That's called a cairn.

　――You see, that cairn was about an average man's height. It was impossible to miss it. Still they didn't notice it the day before.

　The dead person probably felt lonely and tried to invite them...or something like that."

　I still wonder what could have happened if my uncle's friend didn't do the "namuamidabutsu" prayer.

　Yuuri finished her story, leaving the rain's sound to be the only sign of activity around us.

　She quietly turned off the penlight.

　Another two lights remained inside the room.

"Next is Mai."

　Keiko suggests from the darkness.

As the expert, I started my story.

"...It's a story I heard when I was a grade student.

　On a street at night there was a woman going back home. That was in the Autumn, so her body got cold midway and she felt she needed to go to the toilet. She was just passing near a park and thought she could use the public toilet there.

　A public bathroom at night doesn't feel right, does it?　Because it's dark and all...

　Although she didn't want to, she went into the restroom. Then, she heard a voice calling out of thin air."

　I made my high-pitched voice tremble.

"Do you want a red mantle?"

"No-o!"

　Someone screamed.

"That woman totally frightened, left the restroom.

　But somehow the door was stuck.

　The door jolted and again she heard the same voice, 'Do you want a red mantle?'. She hit the door with all her might, but it didn't open. And when she heard the voice for the third time she answered,'No, I don't want it'. Right after that the door opened quickly."

　No one could speak. Only a weak rough noise of breathing mingled with the sound of the rain is audible.

　I continued the story.

"The woman got out of the restroom in a haste and was so scared that she just couldn't go home by herself, then she saw two patrol policemen passing by.

　She greeted the policemen and told them about what happened while going home. They told her "That was probably a molester who had hidden himself somewhere inside the bathroom. We can't catch him by ourselves.", so she had to go inside again.

　Before she entered the toilet again the police man told her "When the voice asks you again, please say yes."

　Then the woman entered the toilet and soon after that she heard the creepy voice "Do you want a red mantle?". She, as instructed, answered with "Yes". And at the same instant a terrible scream spoiled the midnight silence."

"The door opened quickly, and the woman there was dead."

　Raindrop sounds. Raindrops...

"She was covered in red just like she was wearing a red mantle.

　She was dyed in deep red blood. Her body was pierced so that it looked like the pointer of a compass, full of small holes everywhere."

　Everyone screamed.

"No!"

"Waah!"

　Hearing the screams, I turned off the penlight.

　Only one light was left.

　Only one blue light was still shining... Michiru started her story.

"It's a story about this school..."

　The blue light is shining on Michiru's hair, her hair that is hanging down from around her face.

"Mai, have you heard the story of the old school building?"

　I turn my face shaking my neck in a negative answer.

"Strange.

　At the ex-school building there is a wooden building at the opposite side of the sports ground. The half-collapsed building."

"...So.

　It wasn't collapsed. That's where the reconstruction stopped."

"Why...?"

　Michiru smiled like a ghost.

"Curse..."

"C-c-curse?"

"Yes...

　That building was cursed... a lot of strange incidents happened there. Every year a teacher and a pupil died there... Was it a fire or an incident, only bad things happened there."

　I saw that right after I entered this school. The old building had half-collapsed. It was full of broken glass and walls around. Really, that building is a scary place.

"The new school building was built before ten years.

　That time, when they had to demolish the old building to start the construction, strange things happened. A machine stopped and workers got ill. But still they tried to break the west wall, and the roof fell down. All the way from the second floor. All of the workers on the first floor died."

　Diseases, injuries, incidents...

"Thereupon the construction was suspended. It was left like that, with the west side collapsed, for a long time.

　After that unpleasant things continued to happen. A child from the neighborhood was found dead in the ex-building, three days after that a teacher committed suicide there...

　...The demolition was restarted last year in order to rebuild the gym. But again only the half of it got demolished, before the work got suspended. The same as last time. A machine broke, a worker got..."

　...huh.

"Once a truck went out of control and drove through the sports ground during class. Two students died and seven sere severely injured. It was on the newspapers too."

　...I don't like this.

　Michiru keeps on in a low voice.

"My senpai's friend saw a man's ghost at the ex-building...

　A person's white shadow was looking at her from the second floor, she said. The road around the school fence isn't a place to walk at night. When I was walking my dog at night at that street I felt someone looking at me. When I turned around, from the window of a half-collapsed classroom a white silhouette was..."

"It can't be..."

　Keiko raises her voice.

"It's true. ...and that person was waving his hand like he was inviting me.

　I got the feeling that I shouldn't go inside the old school so I left staggering on my feet."

"A-and..?"

"That's all. When I started walking, my dog bursted in barking with great energy, so I got back there. I looked again at the window, but the person wasn't there anymore."

"Hyaa..."

"...I'm turning it off."

　Michiru sais quietly. The room got quiet again.

　With a weak sound Michiru's penlight disappeared. The vicinity was wrapped up in the darkness and the sound of the rain.

　Keiko says with a hazy voice from inside the darkness.

"One..."

　Her voice is trembling. After we tell the ghost stories and turn off the lights we have to count upwards from one. The last one should be a ghost.

　Yuuri's voice.

"Two..."

　Mine.

"Three..."

　Michiru's low voice.

"Four..."

　There are four of us. Are we about to hear a fifth voice?

　We strained our ears. *Raindrops*

"FIVE"

KYAAA!!!

　We all screamed, horrified at once. We fell into panic with agonizing cries.

　What was!?　This voice!?!

　Keiko and the others embrace themselves in fear.

"No-o, no-o！"

　At that instant, the dark room was lit up.

　Near the door there is a lights switch.

　Under the small green light there is a group of unsociable looking students among the desks. In the school basement there is a Audio-Video room, that's where we are.　We turned around, and saw a tall boy standing near the door, looking at us with interest.

　He has an impressively beautiful face. A hair as dark as the night, and a deep gloomy look in his eyes. With well-matched black clothes. His white face and hands are like the melting moonlight inside the twilight abyss.

　Without an uniform. Is he an exchange student?

　Keiko asked, "W...was that you?"

"Yes... did I do something wrong?"

　A nice peaceful voice.

　Michiru sits down relieved.

"Ahh, that surprised me. I thought I was going to die."

"Excuse me. The lights were off so I thought there was nobody in here, but suddenly I heard voices... so I just.."

"That's... it's alright!"

　Keiko says joyfully,

"Are you an exchange student?"

　He paused a little.

"...is it like that, I wonder..."

　What's with this pause?

"A first-year?"

"...I'm seventeen this year."

　A strange way to answer.

"So, you are a senpai."

　Keiko says that with a lively voice. ...She is the kind that is attracted only by the looks.

　Actually this guy is really handsome. A tall figure. Long foot too. And again, a beautiful face.

　...But I kind of feel something weird from him. It's just a feeling, but I can tell we don't match.

　Michiru says with a smiling face.

"We are sorry to have surprised you too!

　...we were telling ghost stories."

"Heeh"

　He said and smiled.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

　Everyone screamed in delight.

"Please, please...sit here."

　Michiru pulled his arm.

"What's your name?"

"Shibuya..."

　Keiko's eyes form a heart at that moment.

"Shibuya-senpai, do you like ghost stories too?"

"Sort of."

　He smiled.

　Everyone screamed happily again, but after all I had this feeling of unrest coming from him. I wonder why, but I didn't really like him.

"Shibuya-san..."

　I said, and he turned at my direction.

　Mm? As I said his face was expressing a smile. But I felt it. This guy had something hidden under the surface. His eyes aren't smiling.

"What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I had something to take care of."

"Then do it faster, because we're going home now."

"Eeh!"

　Keiko and Michiru exclaim, dissatisfied. Even Yuuri who has been quiet until now, pulls my uniform.

"That Mai...Don't worry about it senpai.

　What is it that you have to do here?　We will help you!"

"...Ah, it's only some tape dubbing..."

　Shibuya-senpai once again forces his smile smile.

"The truth is, I'm in a hurry right now.

　How about, next time you tell ghost stories, let me join in?"

"Then, tomorrow after school!"

　Keiko waves her tail.

"Alright. Where?"

"Our homeroom! Room F1!"

　He smiled, bowing his head in assent.

"Okay, then we are off. Goodbye."

　Michiru stood in an unusually graceful manner.

"Take care."

"Yess.(♥)"

　Everyone was in high spirits, Keiko and the others were pleased with themselves, but for me, I was the only one unsatisfied and thinking about what had just happened in the A/V room.

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Ghost Hunt

2009-02-15T06:00:25Z

Sinmay: /* Format Standards */

[[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version (volume 3 hasn't been translated in Chinese), but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (30%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

User:Sinmay

2009-02-15T05:01:48Z

Sinmay:

I'm Sinmay, just an Asian college student. I love anime and manga, and have just been getting into light novels. I want to improve my foreign language, be able to read more Chinese, and hopefully learn Latin and Japanese. As of now I'm kinda self-teaching myself Japanese..

I mainly translate from Chinese > English, but I can do Japanese > English (very very slowly...)

I also like vampire/shapeshifter books, especially Twilight (excluding Breaking Dawn) and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes books.

If you want to contact me, you can email me at xinmei14 at gmail dot com

Or you can leave a message on my [http://sinmay.livejournal.com Livejournal].

Ghost Hunt:Volume1 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T21:45:56Z

Sinmay: /* Momotaro */

<center>Translator's Notes and References for 
<big>悪霊シリーズ</big> 
Volume 1: Ghost Hunt</center>

== Prologue ==

=== Namuamidabutsu ===

This is a Buddhist chant/prayer that in Japanese means something like this "I sincerely believe in Amitabha, Lord have mercy on me". You can find more detailed information and better explanation [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/mcb/mcb10.htm here].

== Chapter 3 ==

=== Oba-san ===

While this term literally means "aunt", it is generally used for middle-aged woman. However, calling a young woman (under age 40) this would be considered an insult. (Ayako is 23 years old.)

=== Dai-Senpai ===

Literally "old teacher". Or in other words, a senior teacher older than 50.

=== Sly Tanuki ===

Tanuki is a raccoon dog. They are mischievous shapeshifters, like kitsune in folklore. They are also considered slow and absent-minded though. More information [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki here].

=== Kansai-ben ===

John speaks in Kansai-ben with an Australian accent. This is often considered funny, frightening, or very rural. Kansai-ben is used often in comedy talkshows.

=== Bouzu: Kiddo ===

"Bouzu" is how many people address little boys.

=== Wate ===

"Wate" is "Watashi" (I) in the Kansai dialect.

=== Spoken English ===

The astericks* indicate spoken English words, as opposed to spoken Japanese.

== Chapter 4 ==

=== Momotaro ===

In the folktale Momotaro, the Peach Boy, the dog following Momotaro starts fighting a monkey the moment they encountered, so this is why dogs and monkeys can't get along. More information [http://www.japanippon.com/fairytales/momotaro.htm here].

== Chapter 5 ==

=== Jibakurei ===

Literally "earth-bound spirit." Basically it's a spirit that can't leave a certain location because of its former attachment to it when it was alive.

== Chapter 6 ==

=== Desu ===

Desu is added for politeness in this case. But in the Osaka dialect, it's supposed to be "dosu" instead.

== Epilogue ==

=== Town Pages ===

Town Pages is a directory for businesses.

=== Hello Pages ===

Hello Pages is a directory for pseudonyms.

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| Jump to [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue_version2|Prologue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-02-14T21:37:58Z

Sinmay: /* 2 */

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

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| Forward to Next Section
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Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T21:36:53Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version, but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]] (30%)
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter3

2009-02-14T21:33:53Z

Sinmay: New page: ===1=== 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...

===1===

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!

Ah—how 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. [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Capitol_Hill].

===2===

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.

"What about 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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes#Illusion] 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.

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| Forward to Next Section
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T21:33:05Z

Sinmay: /* Hysteria */

==Chapter 1==

===Warded Off With Money===

サラリと受け流す, Sarari to uke nagasu. Literally "warded off with money".

==Chapter 2==

===Driver's Seat===

Literally means "hand over the driver's seat". It's an idiom that means "Let me be in charge!"

===Hysteria===

"Hisuterii" and "hisu" both mean hysteria

==Chapter 3==

===Illusion===

John says "illusion" in English, not Japanese.

<noinclude>
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| Jump to [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter2

2009-02-14T21:29:42Z

Sinmay: /* 6 */

==Chapter 2 - Psychic==

===1===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Driver.27s_Seat], 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, well—that'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.

===2===

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 me—No, 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.

===3===

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, but—Sawaguchi-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.

===4===

"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 it—against 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.

===5===

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'[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes] 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.

===6===

"What a troublesome case..." Naru said as he looked out the window.

John nodded in agreement.

"So it’s come to this."

"Really?" Bou-san asked in a persistently carefree manner.

Naru shot Bou-san a disdainful stare. "Out of all the complaints we’ve 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 this―At least, that’s what I think. If this situation continues, the uneasiness will increase, and people will believe the school is haunted or that there’s a curse. And then the clumsier people may panic."

"Right," Naru agreed.

"We can’t 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 that’s 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 haven’t 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 Masako’s voice.

"...So that’s 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 aren’t there, then there’s no way they are the cause." Ayako’s remark was thickly coated in sarcasm.

Masako turned toward Naru. "Kazuya-san believes me, right?"

Right. I... I’m absolutely disgusted with you saying "Kazuya-san" like that. I hate it when you do that!

And then I instinctively replied, "Well that’s obvious, isn’t it?"

Everyone’s gaze fell onto me. Especially Masako’s sharp one.

"...Why can Taniyama-san say that? As for the *freebie, please be quiet."

Freebie?! Freebie—?!

You’re infuriating me on purpose. You’re making me lose it. Just because I carelessly let slip something.

"There are spirits here. It’s just that, Masako can’t sense them," I stated.

Masako began to laugh. "Taniyama-san’s 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 aren’t 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, you’ll 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 Masako’s face. "Ara, Matsuzaki-san, why must you speak so roughly?"

"There’s a problem with this team."

...A problem with the team? You mean from the very beginning?

Masako replied, "It’s okay. I get it. Because of this change, I win. Kazuya-san is mine."

Naru struck the desk, the sound echoing throughout the room. "Don’t just do what you want and bet on others like that!"

...Look out. He’s 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 can’t 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 he’s 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, let’s get back to work! We should quickly exorcise the spirits."

"Huh...? That..."

"Well! Let’s go!"

...Poor John. He was dragged out of the room by Ayako again.

Bou-san scratched his head. "...I’ll 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, let’s 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."

"Don’t feel bad about it."

Taka gently patted my head, comforting me for the moment.

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Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter2

2009-02-14T21:27:01Z

Sinmay: /* 6 */

Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T21:16:59Z

Sinmay: /* Updates */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version, but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*February 14, 2009
** Please welcome our newest translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted volumes 1 and 2, and part of volume 3.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T21:15:43Z

Sinmay: /* Translation */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki. The translation for volume 3 is from the Japanese version, but since the translator is learning Japanese as she goes along, feel free to edit.

== Updates ==

*February 13, 2009
** Please welcome our new translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted the first volume up.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T21:13:49Z

Sinmay: /* Translation */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

The majority of the translations come from the [http://book.sky-fire.com/Novel/2682/MainIndex.html Chinese version] If you spot any inconsistencies, feel free to edit, as this is an open wiki.

These sections, however, have been translated from the Japanese version:
Volume 1, Prologue and part 1 of Chapter 1
Volume 3, excluding prologue

== Updates ==

*February 13, 2009
** Please welcome our new translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted the first volume up.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Registration Page

2009-02-14T21:04:27Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 1 - Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?! / 悪霊がいっぱい!? */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

== List ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!''  / 悪霊がいっぱい!? ===
:* Prologue - Kaie - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - Kaie - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:derawr|derawr]] / [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 4 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 5 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 6 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 7 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 8 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Epilogue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! ===

:* Prologue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 4 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Epilogue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''

=== Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* Prologue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]]
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Chapter 7

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8
:* Chapter 9
:* Chapter 10
:* Chapter 11
:* Chapter 12
:* Chapter 13
:* Chapter 14
:* Chapter 15
:* Epilogue

[[Category:Registration Page]]

Ghost Hunt:Registration Page

2009-02-14T21:03:57Z

Sinmay: /* List */

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

*"First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

*The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

*Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

*Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

*This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

== List ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!''  / 悪霊がいっぱい!? ===
:* Prologue - Kaie - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - Kaie - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:derawr|derawr]], [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 4 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 5 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 6 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 7 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 8 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Epilogue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! ===

:* Prologue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 4 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Epilogue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''

=== Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* Prologue - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 1 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 2 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]] - '''Completed'''
:* Chapter 3 - [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]]
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1
:* Chapter 2
:* Chapter 3
:* Chapter 4
:* Chapter 5
:* Chapter 6
:* Chapter 7

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8
:* Chapter 9
:* Chapter 10
:* Chapter 11
:* Chapter 12
:* Chapter 13
:* Chapter 14
:* Chapter 15
:* Epilogue

[[Category:Registration Page]]

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T21:02:58Z

Sinmay: /* Hysteria */

==Chapter 1==

===Warded Off With Money===

サラリと受け流す, Sarari to uke nagasu. Literally "warded off with money".

==Chapter 2==

===Driver's Seat===

Literally means "hand over the driver's seat". It's an idiom that means "Let me be in charge!"

===Hysteria===

"Hisuterii" and "hisu" both mean hysteria

<noinclude>
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|-
| Return to [[Ghost_Hunt|Main Page]]
| Jump to [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter2

2009-02-14T21:00:49Z

Sinmay: New page: ===1=== 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 ...

===1===

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[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator%27s_Notes#Driver.27s_Seat], 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, well—that'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.

===2===

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 me—No, 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.

===3===

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, but—Sawaguchi-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.

===4===

"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 it—against 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.

===5===

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'[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Ghost_Hunt:_Volume3_Translator's_Notes] 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.

===6===

"What a troublesome case..." Naru said as he looked out the window.

John nodded in agreement.

"So it’s come to this."

"Really?" Bou-san asked in a persistently carefree manner.

Naru shot Bou-san a disdainful stare. "Out of all the complaints we’ve 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 this―At least, that’s what I think. If this situation continues, the uneasiness will increase, and people will believe the school is haunted or that there’s a curse. And then the clumsier people may panic."

"Right," Naru agreed.

"We can’t 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 that’s 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 haven’t 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 Masako’s voice.

"...So that’s 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 aren’t there, then there’s no way they are the cause." Ayako’s remark was thickly coated in sarcasm.

Masako turned toward Naru. "Kazuya-san believes me, right?"

Right. I... I’m absolutely disgusted with you saying "Kazuya-san" like that. I hate it when you do that!

And then I instinctively replied, "Well that’s obvious, isn’t it?"

Everyone’s gaze fell onto me. Especially Masako’s sharp one.

"...Why can Taniyama-san say that? As for the *freebie, please be quiet."

Freebie?! Freebie—?!

You’re infuriating me on purpose. You’re making me lose it. Just because I carelessly let slip something.

"There are spirits here. It’s just that, Masako can’t sense them," I stated.

Masako began to laugh. "Taniyama-san’s 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 aren’t 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, you’ll 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 Masako’s face. "Ara, Matsuzaki-san, why must you speak so roughly?"

"There’s a problem with this team."

...A problem with the team? You mean from the very beginning?

Masako replied, "It’s okay. I get it. Because of this change, I win. Kazuya-san is mine."

Naru struck the desk, the sound echoing throughout the room. "Don’t just do what you want and bet on others like that!"

...Look out. He’s 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 can’t 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 he’s 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, let’s get back to work! We should quickly exorcise the spirits."

"Huh...? That..."

"Well! Let’s go!"

...Poor John. He was dragged out of the room by Ayako again.

Bou-san scratched his head. "...I’ll 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, let’s 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."

"Don’t feel bad about it."

Taka gently patted my head, comforting me for the moment.

<noinclude>
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| Forward to Next Section
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</noinclude>

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T20:56:44Z

Sinmay: /* Chapter 2 */

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T18:44:02Z

Sinmay:

Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes

2009-02-14T18:40:07Z

Sinmay: New page: ==Chapter 1== ===Warded Off With Money=== サラリと受け流す, Sarari to uke nagasu. Literally "warded off with money".

==Chapter 1==

===Warded Off With Money===

サラリと受け流す, Sarari to uke nagasu. Literally "warded off with money".

Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T18:37:52Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

== Updates ==

*February 13, 2009
** Please welcome our new translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted the first volume up.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume3 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T18:36:42Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

== Updates ==

*February 13, 2009
** Please welcome our new translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted the first volume up.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火
:* Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛
:* Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ
:* Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter1

2009-02-14T18:35:50Z

Sinmay: /* 6 */

==Chapter 1 - School==

===1===

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 hquite lenient with grades.

Yesterday, we got three requests from students in that school.

...What's happening there.

It's not just one problem either.

<center>* * *</center>

"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.

"Ah—Today 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 busy—some 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.

===2===

"Actually—this 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.

===3===

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."

===4===

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."

===5===

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.

===6===

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?

===7===

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).

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Ghost Hunt

2009-02-14T18:34:02Z

Sinmay: /* Volume 3 - I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない */

{{Template:STALLED}} [[Image:GH_projects.jpg|200px|thumb|The Akuryou Series]]

"Ghost Hunt" is a novel written Ono Fuyumi. It was released between 1989 – 1994. It has a manga (1998 - Present) and anime (3 October 2006 – 27 March 2007) adaption. This series was originally called the "Akuryou Series" (悪霊シリーズ).

The manga was renamed to "Ghost Hunt," and since the anime was based on the manga, it adopted the title "Ghost Hunt" instead of "Akurei" (the original title). "Akurei" (悪霊) roughly translates to "Evil Spirits."

This project has recently been revived by [[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]], whose LiveJournal can be found [http://sinmay.livejournal.com/ here]. If you enjoy reading the translations, be sure to head over and say thanks!

== Translation ==

=== [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Translators are asked to [[Ghost_Hunt:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

== Updates ==

*February 13, 2009
** Please welcome our new translator [[user:Sinmay|Sinmay]], who just posted the first volume up.

== The Akuryou series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ono_Fuyumi Ono Fuyumi] ==

=== Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Pressure Falling / 気圧低下]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Storm Approaching / 暴風雨注意報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Storm Warning / 暴風雨警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Central Pressure 912 Millibars / 中心気圧九一二ミリバール]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Maximum Velocity 68 Knots / 最大風速六十八ノット]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Wind and Rain Subside and the Waves are High / 風雨弱まるも波高し]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter7|Chapter 7 - Flood Warning / 洪水高潮警報]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Chapter8|Chapter 8 - Warning Lifted / 警報解除]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:*[[Ghost_Hunt:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume2|(Full Text)]]===

:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Spirits' Residence / 悪霊の棲む家]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Girl / 少女]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - You Can't Play with those Kids / その子たちとは遊べない]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child / おんな、汝に子を与う]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Author's Note|Author's Note]]
:* [[Ghost Hunt: Volume2 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 3 - ''I Can't Sleep Due to the Abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない ===

:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School / 学園]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Psychic / サイキック]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Onibi / 鬼火]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Curse / 呪詛]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Hitogata / ヒトガタ]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Spellcaster / 呪者]]
:* [[Ghost_Hunt:Volume3_Epilogue|Epilogue]]

=== Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - Don't Play with Spirits, Children / 死霊とあそぶな、子供たち
:* Chapter 2 - Dance in the Shadows / 陰に踊る
:* Chapter 3 - Blue Silhouette / 碧い影
:* Chapter 4 - Chrysalis / さなぎ
:* Chapter 5 - I was Watching That / それを見ていた
:* Epilogue

=== Volume 5 - ''I don't want to become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - That Mansion / その家
:* Chapter 2 - Blindfold / めかくし
:* Chapter 3 - Hidden Ghost / 隠れ鬼
:* Chapter 4 - 手の鳴るほうへ
:* Chapter 5 - Human Devourer / 人喰い
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - ''Don't call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで ===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - House by the cove / 入り江の家
:* Chapter 2 - Unforeseen circumstances / 不測の事態
:* Chapter 3 - Object from the sea / 海から来るもの
:* Chapter 4 - Calamity / 凶事
:* Chapter 5 - Juda / ユダ
:* Chapter 6 - 寄り来る神
:* Epilogue
:* Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 1)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ！(上)===

:* Prologue
:* Chapter 1 - 11th of August / 八月十一日
:* Chapter 2 - 12th of August / 八月十二日
:* Chapter 3 - 13th of August, 7.00 am - 11.00 am / 八月十三日　午前七時－午前十一時
:* Chapter 4 - 13th of August, 11.00 am - 3.00 pm / 八月十三日　午前十一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 5 - 13th of August, 3.00 pm - 5.30 pm / 八月十三日　午後三時－午後五時三十分
:* Chapter 6 - 13th of August, 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後五時三十分 ― 午後八時
:* Chapter 7 - 13th of August, 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm / 八月十三日　午後八時－午後十一時

=== Volume 8 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits! (Part 2)'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (下)===
:* Chapter 8 - 13th of August, 11.00 pm - 12.00 midnight / 八月十三日　午後十一時－午後十二時
:* Chapter 9 - 14th of August, 12.00 midnight - 1.00 am / 八月十四日　午前零時－午前一時
:* Chapter 10 - 14th of August, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後一時－午後三時
:* Chapter 11 - 14th of August, 3.00 pm - 3.30 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時－午後三時三十分
:* Chapter 12 - 14th of August, 3.30 pm - 4.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後三時三十分－午後四時
:* Chapter 13 - 14th of August, 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後四時－午後五時
:* Chapter 14 - 14th of August, 5.00 pm - 6.00 pm / 八月十四日　午後五時－午後六時
:* Chapter 15 - 14th of August, 6.00 pm and beyond / 八月十四日　午後六時以降
:* Epilogue

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]]
*Project Supervisor:

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:Sinmay|Sinmay]]

'''INACTIVE'''
:*[[User:derawr|derawr]]

Those who are interested in translating and are able to do Japanese --> English can PM/e-mail [[user:HolyCow|HolyCow]] for the RAWs, or try slapping him about in the IRC channel.

=== Editors ===

'''ACTIVE'''
:*[[User:HolyCow|HolyCow]]

===Scripts Partially Contributed===

We would like to thank these users for contributing portions of translated script:

*Kaie for Volume 1's Prologue and Chapter 1 (both versions)

Unfortunately partial contribution of translated scripts are no longer accepted for this project.

== Series Overview ==

* Volume 1 - ''Are there really lots of Evil Spirits?!'' / 悪霊がいっぱい!? (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903111)
* Volume 2 - ''There really are a lot of Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊がホントにいっぱい! (Published 1989, ISBN 978-4061903654)
* Volume 3 - ''I can't sleep due to the abundance of Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊がいっぱいで眠れない (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904170)
* Volume 4 - ''Lonely Evil Spirits'' / 悪霊はひとりぼっち (Published 1990, ISBN 978-4061904859)
* Volume 5 - ''I Don't Want to Become an Evil Spirit!'' / 悪霊になりたくない! (Published 1991, ISBN 978-4061905948)
* Volume 6 - ''Don't Call me an Evil Spirit'' / 悪霊と呼ばないで (Published 1991)
* Volume 7 - ''I don't mind Evil Spirits!'' / 悪霊だってヘイキ! (Published 1992, ISBN 978-4061986961)

Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter1

2009-02-14T18:29:59Z

Sinmay: New page: ===1=== 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 t...

===1===

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 hquite 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.

"Ah—Today 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 busy—some 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.

===2===

"Actually—this 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.

===3===

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."

===4===

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."

===5===

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.

===6===

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?

===7===

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).

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Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Prologue

2009-02-14T18:25:48Z

Sinmay: New page: ===1=== 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 wafte...

===1===

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 apologies—but 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.

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