Editing Ghost Hunt:Volume 5 Chapter 1 (section)

===1===

On the second day, I rushed to the office after the term opening ceremony. It was already filled with people.

“What is going on?”

Taka shrugged in response to me, who had entered the office and couldn’t help peering around.

“I don’t know.”

“Has Naru returned?”

“It looks like it. When I got here he was discussing something in his office, but I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Then, why did he gather everyone here?”

“Please don’t ask me.”

On the sofa used for guests sat 4 people who were not guests. And they were, Bou-san, Ayako, Masako and John. Although they are not members of “Shibuya Psychic Research”, they are psychics who act in adjunct with us.

I gently lowered my head.

“Yo.”

It was Bou-san who raised his hand in his usual leisurely manner. Takigawa Housou. A monk originally of Takano Mountain.

“What is going on?”

“Don’t ask me. I was called here by Naru-chan.”

“Really?”

“Ah. I cancelled all my prior engagements before coming.”

“What’s up, again?”

“On the phone last night he said there’s a big job. He hung up after saying there’s a job; I came at the designated time, but he himself is waiting in his office instead.”

“In that case I completely don’t understand what is going on.”

“It is exactly like that.”

I poked John, who was sitting right in front of me, in the shoulder. John Brown - an exorcist whose attractions are his doll face and Kansai accent.

“What about you, John? Have you heard nothing about it?”

John’s soft blond hair shook side to side.

“It’s the same on my side; he didn’t tell me anything either.”

“But he actually gathered everyone here - what type of situation could it be?”

The one who cut in was Ayako. One had better not be tricked by her fancy make-up and mistake her for a bar hostess. Matsuzaki Ayako. Self proclaimed Miko.

As I was thinking along with Bou-san, John and Ayako, Masako started laughing softly. Hara Masako - a 16 year old top grade spirit medium.

“What is it?”

Ayako used her sharp voice to ask in response. Masako used the cherry-blossom colored sleeve of her kimono to hide her mouth. 

“… then, that is saying there was no adult contacting everyone.”

“Contact? What about?”

“Contact from the client in this situation. And when so many psychic users are clearly gathered.”

“And this so-called ‘client’ is?”

“For me it was a person called Ohashi (大桥) who contacted me.”

Saying that, a mocking smile appeared on that doll-like face.

That was saying, this Ohashi-san had nothing to call us for – I think that was what Masako was trying to say.

Ayako’s face was filled with fury. Just as she was about to speak with displeasure, the door to the boss’s office opened, and the verbal war did not have the chance to start.

It was Naru, dressed entirely in black, who pushed the door open and walked out.

Aiyaya, he really did come back.

Following him was Lin-san’s tall form and Mori-san’s gentle figure. Then,

“… eh?”

John and Ayako said simultaneously,

“Young man?!”

Bou-san stood up.

“Yasuhara-kun!”

I shouted.

The fourth person who came out from the boss’s office, was Ex-Student Council President Yasuhara, who had fortunately entered a certain first class public university this spring.


Regarding us, who stood there with our jaws hanging open, Naru looked like he found us noisy; he waved his hands and called for everyone to sit on the sofa. Following Naru’s instructions, we sat, and everyone asked the question that I wanted to ask. Naru, looking impatient, waved his hands once more.

“We will explain the situation in order from the beginning to everyone; could I have a bit of quiet?”

A frown had already appeared on that other-worldly beautiful face, there was no use for us to continue pestering. Out of options, everyone shut their mouths; Naru looked around at us.

“Someone has made a request to us. I have already accepted. So I hope to receive everyone’s help.”

Masako cut in and said,

“That is… is it a request from the agent – a person called Ohashi?”

“Yes.”

“He made his request to me last week.”

Naru nodded.

“Then Hara-san must act independently.”

“Of course, ask if there’s anything I can help with.”

Doll-san said that with a coy tone, smiling. Ayako raised her brows.

Naru only nodded, then looked around at us once more.

“The investigation will begin in 5 days. Is there anyone here who cannot participate?”

No one replied to Naru’s words. After confirming that, 

“I hope to receive everyone’s help this time.”

Naru turned to look at Yasuhara. Yasuhara Osamu - the Student Council President who came here to make his request on behalf of the students in the previous case.

Upon seeing Yasuhara’s gentle nod, Naru dropped a bomb.

“Yasuhara-kun, I would like to ask you to act as my substitute.”

“What in the world?”

“That is to say, have Yasuhara-kun play your part?”

To Ayako’s abrupt outburst, Naru shot a cold look.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Of course I heard it. But why?”

“I will explain the situation. Can’t you wait a little?”

Swallowing Naru’s ice-cold words, Ayako fell silent. Then suddenly Mori-san cut in.

“Wh~y do you have to use that tone of voice?”

She glared at Naru, shocked. And then she looked around at us,

“I’m really sorry. This child has such poor manners.”

This… “This child”!

“Could everyone treat him as a person with an abnormal disposition and tolerate him please.”

What type of response do you think we should have? Everyone looked on blankly, while Naru looked extremely displeased and coughed once.

“… this is an extremely big job. It could even be called a job for publicity. The client has requested secrecy in its execution, but to what extent secrecy can be maintained I don’t know. If the media gets wind of this I can imagine it turning into a big uproar. I did not want to accept it initially, but some events have occurred such that I had to accept. That’s why I have requested Yasuhara-kun to be my substitute.”

The last job was also a famous one, besides paranormal events becoming the target of the media, we, the ones responsible for resolving the situation, have also become celebrities. News reporters and magazine reporters have arrived in droves and gave us endless trouble. For the media-hating Naru, he left this place from the second day of the incident until the clamor had subsided.

“However, is this a situation of the level that requires Naru to orchestrate?”
 
To Bou-san’s query, Naru replied coolly,

“If that was not the case I would not purposely have Yasuhara-kun come here.”

Naru gently rested his hands on his knees.

“It looks like the client has gathered many psychic users. They are practically all suspicious people widely lauded by the media. I don’t want to have anything to do with that type of people.”

Bou-san smiled, satisfied.

“So you are forcing something you dislike onto someone else?”

“I’m not particularly forcing you all. If you don’t feel like it, you may leave.”

When Naru said those cold words, once again Mori-san interrupted everyone’s words.

“Why don’t you ask everyone nicely? You do wish for everyone to go together, right? That’s why you have gathered everyone here, am I wrong?”

… and that’s true too.

“When you are asking people for something, do you use this tone to speak? I’ve clearly told you before – such a child that refuses to learn.”

Has there ever existed a person who was so firm with Naru?

When Mori-san lectured Naru, who had turned to a side, we started laughing.

“I’m so sorry he is such a mal-mannered child. Could everyone please not hate him.”

“Madoka!”

Aiya, Naru looks rather displeased.

“Wha~t?”

In contrast, Mori-san wore a smile that looked like heart symbols were about to come flying out.

“Could you be quiet for a while? I can’t speak at all like this.”

“Ah, Ok.”

Saying that, Mori-san flashed a smile.

“If that’s the case, you have to mind your tone *heart*.”

… very, very strong. This person is so inconceivably strong.

Naru, wearing an expression of extreme displeasure, was momentarily lost for words.

Mori-san looked around at us again.

“Naru really dislikes the publicity stage. He planned to refuse this job, but he accepted only because of my situation. Although I think it is going to trouble everyone, could everyone please help him.”

When asked by someone like that, everyone should have trouble refusing. Everyone nodded, as though influenced by Mori-san’s smile.

Naru knocked on the table with his fingertip unhappily.

“In conclusion, I beg to be excused from the foolish uproar like the one that happened the last time. And I don’t wish to cooperate with the fools who are immeasurably self-satisfied when lauded by the foolish media.”

… Eh. Isn’t this a little out of the ordinary?

“And then? Is Naru-chan not going to the site?”

Bou-san asked. Naru frowned.

“Even if I didn’t want to go, I don’t have any reason not to.”

“I have a question.”

I raised my hand very respectfully.

“Then what character will Naru go as?”

“I will go as a simple investigator from this place.”

… Oh. If he’s an investigator then isn’t that the same rank as me?

“Then, what is the client like this time?”

Ayako asked. Using a dangerous expression, Naru gave a name. Everyone was instantaneously stumped.

This was a super famous person whose name even I knew of. That being the case, if the media finds out, there would really be a huge uproar. 

Regardless, it was the name of Japan’s former prime minister.