Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume3 Chapter2 (section)

===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.