Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume4 Chapter2 (section)

=== 3 ===

Already exhausted by the previous night, we were rudely awakened by someone early in the morning. 

Grumbling, I opened the door. Outside the door stood a few girls; they had heard of the psychics’ arrival, and had run to ask for news before classes started.

It’s not like I don’t understand your feelings…

So I explained the situation to them. Yesterday was only preparing for the investigation; the official investigation would start today, so any exorcism would only begin after that. 

After dismissing the dissatisfied group of girls, once again I snuggled beneath the sheets.

I was nearly asleep, when someone knocked on the door.

It was the 5 groups of students we saw the day before. Thanks to them, Ayako and I were well and truly roused.

The series of unfortunate events did not end there.

When I went to the equipment we set up yesterday, to retrieve the data collected, there was a large crowd of people gathered around. They grabbed hold of me and I was interrogated. Because it will get in the way of our investigations, could every one please keep their hands off the equipment – they need to be handled with care. There was no job harder than this. 

Furthermore, in the crowd all dressed in uniforms, we outsiders were even more eye-catching. When we walked around to check on the equipment we would be stopped by curious students.

They all wanted to know even the smallest development. As Yasuhara had said, everyone in the school felt unsettled. There were conspicuous empty seats in the classes. The seats belonged to students who were sick due to the season, and students who were too afraid to attend school. The school was completely lifeless. Students gathered in small groups, and spoke softly, as though at a funeral. 

And, we would be fortunate to be stopped by the students. The real misfortune was to be spotted by Matsuyama. If we were seen by Matsuyama, he would make sarcastic comments. He would say a lot of words that would more than make my blood vessels burst, and leave wearing a self satisfied expression. Hn. Bastard.

Then that afternoon, Masako, who came with John in the third group, dropped the most dissatisfactory bombshell.

When John and Masako arrived, it was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

John Brown, 19 years old, is an Australia born exorcist. Unfortunately he learnt his Japanese in Kansai, and would inadvertently become the unfortunate target for teasing. His personality is very good, it’s a small shame (?) that he’s a psychic. 

Hara Masako, 16 years old, is a spirit medium. She has been actively working as a medium since her childhood, and is a famous personality who has appeared on television. Although I’d like to comment on other aspects of her, I’ll skip it now. She is, according to Naru, apparently very powerful. 

After the pairs’ arrival at the base and introduction to Yasuhara, who had came to help out after class, Naru explained the situation. I was at the side organizing the reports collected the day before and checking the data collected by Lin-san the previous night.

First Naru asked Masako, “Hara-san, what is the state of the school?”

Masako looked melancholy. Looking lost for words, she was hesitant for a while. With Naru’s encouragement she finally spoke.

“I’m not… quite clear.” She dropped the bomb.

In a split second we started clamoring.

“That can’t be, Masako, that again?”

Masako ignored the monk’s words.

“It’s not like I can’t see anything. I can feel their presence.”

Appearing worried, the monk cradled his head in his hands. Ayako and John shook their heads, they were out of ideas. Then Naru’s expression turned complicated.

In other words, this time we can’t count on Masako.

Spare me a little.

Apparently, it takes some talent to be able to see spirits. For strong spirits with clear aims, even untalented people have been reported to be able to see them. But, for the normal spirit that quietly exists, one would need special talent to see it. 

Of all the members gathered here only Masako has this sort of ability. That is to say, if we can’t rely on Masako, we were as good as blind. It was really worrisome.

“… and their presence that you can feel?”

When the apparently very frustrated Naru said that, Masako showed a contrary expression.

“Normally, the spirits should be clearly seen, but here… It’s like looking at a poorly tuned television channel. There is a great deal of static mixed inside… Do you get what I am saying?”

En, I’m not quite clear.

“I can feel the presence of spirits, and there are quite a lot of them. I also know where they are, but… exactly what kind of spirits they are, I’m not too clear. Although there are spirits that can be clearly seen that are present.” 

Masako said that and lowered her head.

“For me, I have never been good at communicating with wondering spirits. If it is a spirit that has a special connection to a person or a location, I usually have no problem…”

The monk sighed.

“Anyway… because these are spirits summoned through Kokkuri, it is to be expected they have no great connection to the school or to the students… And this happens again, Masako.”

He glared maliciously at Masako.

Masako stared at the monk.

“This is only a special situation. This time it’s not like I can’t see or feel them at all!”

“Yes, yes,” the monk said, contracting his neck.

Masako suddenly slightly creased her brow.

“But there is a spirit that I feel particularly strongly here…”

“What kind of spirit is it?” Naru asked. Masako squinted, as though looking at a distance.

“It is a male, about my age…” A male…about Masako’s… about my age…?

“I can see that male very clearly. I can feel a very strong emotion. That male… perhaps something happened in this school that saddened him. He is currently trapped within the school.”

That… is not it…

With her eyes closed, Masako tilted her head.

“It is clearly not nearby, but its presence is that strong… I believe it must be the spirit of someone who committed suicide. And it happened not long ago.”

It is Sakauchi-kun… In other words, he is currently haunting the school…

My head suddenly felt pleasantly cool.

Last night’s dream. The boy on the roof. That person… who was he?

Naru opened his notebook and took out a newspaper clipping.

“That spirit, is it this person?”

Masako took the clipping and looked at it. Coincidentally Masako was standing right next to me, and I could see the contents of the clipping by just stretching my neck. It was an article about a first year student’s suicide in a certain school. There was a photograph of the student on it.

I suddenly felt faint. That was… that photograph was…

Masako nodded.

“It is this person. So his name was Sakauchi…”

Naru retrieved the clipping from Masako and returned it to its original location and said, “this… hate for the school… is true.”

Naru looked like he was muttering to himself. Then he immediately turned to Lin-san, “Lin, what was the situation last night?”

The aforementioned Lin-san took down his headphones.

“There are some locations where the temperature was abnormal. 3-1, 2-4 and the LL classroom had especially low temperatures.”

3-1 was Yasuhara’s classroom where the mass poisoning occurred.

2-4 was the classroom where the black dog appeared.

“There is nothing abnormal with the visuals; the microphones recorded sounds in 3 locations. Distinctly, they are the Art Preparation Room, 2-4 classroom, and the Gym Storeroom.”

Naru knocked the table with a thump.

“So it is like this, we get a response on the very first day.”

When was that incident… Naru had said before “Spirits are very shy.” Spirits dislike outsiders. If there are outsiders, they would temporarily go into hiding.

However we got a response on the very first day. If that’s the case then…

Naru swept a glance over all of us.

“Commence exorcism with the 5 aforementioned locations as the core. Hara-san, please walk around the school and check the locations where there are spirits. Matsuzaki-san, please accompany Hara-san, and conduct exorcisms to the best of your abilities.”

“Ok.”

Ayako and Masako rose. Naru called after Ayako, saying, “It’d be better if you don’t look down on the spirits in this place; please be more careful. 

“Mai will keep watch over this place, and actively manage the communications. Monk and John,” Naru looked at the pair as he said that.

“First, proceed to the 5 locations which had activity last night and conduct exorcisms there. After that go to locations pointed out by Hara-san.”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

The pair replied and rose from their seats.

“Lin and I will continue to investigate suspicious locations. Yasuhara-kun, please help us. Mai,”

“Yes!”

In response to my enthusiastic reply, Naru shot a cold look at me.

“Do not be lazy and fall asleep.”

Yes~