Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume4 Chapter2 (section)

=== 1 ===

When the second group consisting of Ayako and Lin-san arrived, it was already night.

When she arrived at the Meeting Room, Ayako exclaimed, “Don’t we have a guesthouse?!”

It was exactly such a situation. As this place is very far from Tokyo, we had asked the school to arrange for lodgings for us. Despite that, the school’s side only prepared a workroom…

Matsuzaki Ayako, 23 years old, is a self proclaimed Miko. For no apparent reason she is always full of confidence, but up till today, no one has yet to see her powers. There are some who say she is simply useless.

Ayako questioned me, “What in the world is this situation?”

“It can’t be helped. We are still good, with only 2 people in a room. The pair of us have 6 tatami’s space.”

Naru and the guys were to be pitied, with 3 persons squeezing into a space of 6 tatamis; when John comes the next day it’d be 4 people sleeping together.

“How dare they not even have heating?” Ayako grumbled on.

“That, too, can’t be helped. Or should be forget it and just go home?”

When she heard me say that, Ayako refused to look at me.

Naru, wearing an expression that said “this has nothing to do with me”, was discussing something with Lin-san.

Lin-san: real name unclear, age unknown. I’ve known him for nearly 10 months now, but I still don’t know his name and age; all of this builds up Lin-san’s image. Thinking about it carefully, Lin-san is a more mysterious person than Naru.

“Anyway the number of sightings is really too large and our equipment and resources are a little lacking.” Naru said looking highly dissatisfied.

“Tomorrow we will have Hara-san do an inspection for spirits, and confirm the presence of the spirits. If there are spirits, we will have the Monk, Matsuzaki-san, and John conduct exorcisms. Lin-san and I will investigate the more suspicious locations. As for Mai…” 

Saying that, he turned to face me.

“Basically, stay at the base and collate and organize the reports.”

“Ye~es”

“But, if anything is discovered, you must report at once.”

???

When the monk saw that I was flustered as I did not understand Naru’s meaning, he continued.

“Aren’t you the woman with the 6th sense?”

“Ah, am I?”

Now that he mentioned it there was that incident, when a random hunch was right. And they unexpectedly even say it is latent ESP. Xi~ xi~ xi~ (laughter)

“Naru-chan~ this fellow just won’t do ~~”

Whatever. Have you forgotten? Look, I am very gentle. 

“Forget it. It’s nothing new that Mai is useless on the field. The last time was just a special case.”

Ayako’s tone was sarcastic.

“So, the truth is you are envious; just because you have never been useful.”

Ayako’s face was flushed with anger. 

Looking at the parties glaring at each other, Yasuhara started smiling.

“I had always thought psychic users etc are much darker and deeper people.”

“Our group here is special. Oh yes, Yasuhara-kun, don’t you have to go home?”

“En, don’t judge me by my looks, I think I am capable of the basic chores and errands. Right now I am thinking of staying to help out.” Yasuhara said, smiling.

The monk’s expression turned pathetic. Perhaps he was imagining a scenario of 5 men squeezed into 6 tatamis.

“Please don’t worry; I have borrowed a sleeping bag.”

En~ Surprisingly, Yasuhara is the tough type.

“Yasuhara-kun.” Naru’s tone was severe. “I really appreciate your offer to stay back to help, but it is better if you did not stay over. It is very dangerous.”

“Definitely, if you feel I am getting in your way, please tell me, and I will go home.” Yasuhara said, smiling widely.

I can’t help feeling he’s a very energetic person. En, I have turned into a fan of Yasuhara’s.

A glimpse of a smile appeared on Naru’s lips.

“If that’s the case, then please provide us with your help. Do you have confidence in your strength?”

“Please leave it to me.”

Naru nodded, and then said, “then, Lin and Mai, go and move the equipment.”

Yes~.



One by one we went to the van parked in the school’s car park to collect the equipment.

“LL classroom, 2-4, 3-1, the Locker Room, the Music Preparation Room – set up cameras in these 5 locations. Place microphones in the other places where the other strange stories were reported.”

We followed Naru’s instructions and moved the equipment to their designated locations and set up. Running back and forth between the car park and the school compound, Yasuhara was dazzled.

“It’s really incredible. The modern day psychic makes use of this type of equipment!”

Yasuhara and I went to the Chemistry Lab where footsteps were heard and installed a microphone.

“It’s only our group that is special.”

I smiled bitterly. There was nothing to be done besides forcing a smile.

“To tell the truth, I had thought that supposed psychics would look and feel more dangerous, they would raise their hands and chant incantations.”

“There are also people who do that. But at least, Naru is not a psychic.”

“Is that so?”

Yasuhara looked very shocked.

“That is what he says himself. He says he’s just a ghost hunter.”

“Ah, if that’s the case I get it.”

My hand that was installing the recorder paused. 

“That’s rare… Normally one wouldn’t know this type of thing.”

Yasuhara’s expression was complicated.

“Because this previously became a topic of discussion…”

Topic of discussion?

“Sakauchi, not long after enrolment he wrote this in the survey of his aspirations. He said he wished to become a ghost hunter in the future. But that might have been only written as a joke.”

“Sakauchi… was the male student who died in summer…?”

“Yes. According to what I know, his was the first death of a student since the founding of this school. There was a period when everyone was discussing that incident.”

Yasuhara looked pained.

“I can’t help feeling… we shouldn’t keep quiet. We pass each other in the same school, spend half the day in the same space, and might have unknowingly brushed pass each other in some corridor. If it was fated, we might have become friends. That’s what I think.”

“Yeah.”

Even if he was joking, he was still the boy who wanted to become a ghost hunter. If he had met us, what would he have said?

“Really? He was a boy who was interested in this sort of things.” Seeing that I was looking a little dejected, Yasuhara said that encouragingly. 

“Ok. Where should we go next, Captain?” Yasuhara lifted the stand up.

“It is, ‘the Gym Storeroom with Sound of the Cat’s Mewing’. Yasuhara-kun, don’t call me ‘Captain’ or whatever.”

“For that, if you want me to be less formal then I shan’t call you that. The real Taniyama-san should be a livelier person.”

Oh oh, I’ve been seen through.

“If Yasuhara-kun does not do so too then I shan’t continue. Because I am younger.”

“For me, I really hate this type of thing. I dislike the society which differentiates between social classes.”

“Ah, me too.”

“We really have quite a lot in common, Captain.”

“Yes, little brother. Before we get scolded by that super narcissistic big boss, let’s go to the next location.”

“Let’s do that.”

In the school filled with wild rumors, Yasuhara and I walked briskly, smiling.