Ghost Hunt:Volume2 Chapter4

Chapter 4 - Woman, To You I Give a Child

1

...It's dark.

This isn't Noriko-san's house because I see a sliding door.

Beyond the porch was a backyard with a pond. It looked like the one in Noriko-san's house...

A girl was playing in the backyard. I couldn't see clearly because of my blurry vision. But I could tell that she was almost Ayami-chan's age. She was also wearing a kimono. What time era is this?

"Tomiko! Tomiko!"

A woman's cry rang from inside the house. Her face became distorted.

It's dangerous! Don't go with him!

The man and girl exchanged a few words, and then the man took the girl's hand and walked off with her.

The shrill cry from the house continued.

Don't go! You can't go with him! I tried to shout, but no sounds came out.

The man walked away as he held onto the girl's hand. They went toward the pond. The girl vanished into the distance.

"Tomiko!"

A cry of misery. Ah, it's my voice. That was me.

I dashed outside. White fog engulfed the pond, and I couldn't see anything. My tears fell as I bent down. I lowered my head and realized there was a well. Deep inside the well, water was flowing. A woman brushing her hair was reflected by the water. The woman's teardrops rippled the water's surface. I unconsciously faced the room to see the weeping woman. I felt sad for her. She must've wanted to go there so much. I was about to walk there, but then a pair of hands stopped me.

Turning around, I saw Naru staring back at me. His eyes looked pained. He shook his head, the sadness evident in his face.

I turned back to see the woman.

Sobbing and whimpering, she leaned against the well. Crying, crying... She cried out before jumping into the well. The sound of water dripping.

...Then I woke up.

What was that just now?

I knew it was a dream, but why would I dream about that?

I slowly stood up, and my entire body ached.

This is...the bottom of the well.

And then a sound came from above.

"Mai! Are you okay?!"

Ayako leaned against the well. She was worried about me.

Suddenly I remembered the woman's painful cry from my dream.

"I'm fine! But I can't climb back up!"

"Lin is finding something to help you out! Are you really okay?"

"Yeah." After I replied, I heard some footsteps. Lin-san quickly appeared. His hands held onto the well as he agilely made his way down.

"Are you hurt?"

"Nope."

Without smiling, he nodded and looked back up at Ayako.

"Throw the chair down here."

Ayako tossed the chair into the well.

While standing, I thought for a moment.

...The buried well.

I immediately understood.

This well is the same one that woman jumped into. Since her child disappeared, she commited suicide because of the pain. And then she became a ghost. And now she's still looking for her child...

Standing on the chair, Lin-san reached his hand out toward me. I was finally on the ground again.

"What time...is it now?"

I asked Ayako while I pondered over whether or not I should wear a skirt in the next case.

"It's 10:00. We've just started work."

...That means I didn't stay in the well for long... That dream only lasted a few minutes.

* * *

"Kidnapping?"

"Kidnapping?"

Ayako asked as she cleaned my leg wound.

"Yeah, that's what I think. Tomiko was kidnapped, and then her mother jumped into the well to commit suicide. What a vivid dream, right?"

"Did you hit your head?" Ayako giggled. "You're not even a medium so does your dream even count?"

Excuse me but ho was the one freaking out earlier?

Lin-san contemplated, "...Even though we don't know if it's true... It could serve as a valuable clue."

"Ah, so you think so too?" I asked.

Lin-san was still deep in thought.

"Hey, what do you think? I doubt we can purify this place," Ayako admitted.

"......"

"Hey!"

"...I don't think we can force them out," he finally spoke, "we should wait until Naru comes back before we attempt another exorcism. Exorcisms use brute force, which is why they always try to resist us."

"...Aren't there other ways? First of all, we don't even know when Naru will be back," Ayako replied.

"Naru has a clear idea of our situation. He wouldn't loaf around and waste time so he'll definitely be back soon."

"...You sure have faith in your boss."

Lin-san shot a cold glare at Ayako. "Naru has never let anyone down before. That's why I believe him."

Turning toward me, he continued in his cold tone, "Rest for a while. Your head might hurt after your fall."

"Okay."

Actually, my whole body ached so much I could barely stand it. I obediently lay on the sofa.

2

I was floating, drifting.

I opened my eyes.

In the dark room, I could hear the whirring sounds of the equipment. I was looking at our base.

The person sitting in front of the equipment was Naru, not Lin-san.

Naru's not supposed to be here. He didn't come back yet. I must be half-asleep... In that case, I can't wake up.

I looked at Naru. He was smiling.

Ah, how I love the way he smiles. The real Naru would never smile that way.

"Naru?" I asked while lying down.

Naru cocked his head, as if asking ‘what’s up’.

"Can we save Ayami-chan?"

If we're defeated, then Ayami-chan will be taken away by that woman, just like all those other dead children.

"Everything will be fine," Naru reassured me with a smile.

"Did you go on a date with Masako?"

...Ahhh, what am I saying at a time like this.

Naru smiled again. "You're mistaken."

Such a warm smile. I was satisifed with this.

...I'm glad it's just a misunderstanding...

Suddenly I heard a sound. The door in our base opened.

This time I was really awake.

Hurriedly, I shot up from the sofa.

Naru had just come back.

...Huh? Am I still asleep?

Naru looked at me. "Are you awake?"

Not even a slight tone of warmth.

Hmph. It's the real thing.

"You came back?!"

"If I didn't come back, how would I be here."

...Ah, sorry. That was a dumb question.

Naru faced Lin-san now. "Lin, replay the recording."

"Okay."

Lin-san sat in front of the equipment. That same empty seat.

Bou-san and company came in too. John and Masako, who were supposed to be guarding Ayami-chan, was also here.

"What about Ayami-chan?" I asked.

Bou-san shrugged in response. "Naru said we could come back and leave her with Noriko-san."

...What?!

"Naru! Is it okay if we just leave those two there?"

"It shouldn't be a problem," Naru responded bluntly.

"What do you mean 'it shouldn't be a problem'... How irresponsible."

"Tonight this case will be solved." He looked back at me with his deep, profound eyes. There was no worry and no hesitation.

"Will it succeed?!"

"Did you think I was out doing nothing the past few days?" He retorted disdainfully. "Even with this many people, everything is still a mess."

...Your personality really sucks.

Unconvinced, Ayako inquired, "Are you sure this will work? You don't know everything so some things might be unclear. That woman isn't an easy one to deal with."

Naru's eyes were overflowing with contempt. "I knew from the start that the woman was no ordinary ghost. From a poltergeist standpoint, it was obvious."

For a moment Ayako had nothing else to say so Bou-san pursued it instead, "Well, let's listen to your strategy and decide whether or not it's good."

Not looking at the TV anymore, Naru crossed his arms. "The situation is obvious. That woman wants to find her child."

Ayako interrupted, "We don't know anything about that. The problem is, how do we get her to give up?"

"As long as we give her the child, things will be okay."

"What?!"

"If that child is here, that woman will be satisfied and pass on."

"And where... Would that child be? How old is she now? We probably won't find her."

"Are you implying that (with my intelligence) I did not think of this? Bringing Tomiko here would not only be impossible, but also meaningless. Even if she sees Tomiko now, she might not recognize her."

"...Then what do you mean..."

Naru ignored Ayako. "Hara-san, how's the situation now?"

Masako listened carefully for a moment. "The living room... They're still in the living room. They haven't tried to go to the hotel yet..."

Ayako butted back into the conversation, "Hey, why don't we consider our safety first?!"

Naru shot her a cold glare. "Well, that's not something a professional would say."

"Even professionals have limits! This place is dangerous! I've seen many haunted houses, and this is the first time I've seen one this bad."

...Then what about Ayami-chan? Are you going to leave her to die?!

I turned toward Bou-san.

Bou-san calmly nodded his head. "If we don't handle this situation carefully, we may become jibakurei ourselves—"

"...Hey!"

I was about to interrupt him, but then Ayako beat me to it. "Quitting while you're ahead is also a strategy!"

"But!"

I was about to continue, but then Naru calmly called me out. "Mai, anyone who wants to go home can leave. I do not want to work with mediums of that caliber."

Ayako was fuming.

Bou-san pressed Naru, "So will your plan be successful?"

"Whether or not you trust me is your choice," Naru replied in a cold tone.

Bou-san and Miko-san exchanged glances.

"Okay..." Bou-san stood up. "Then I'll just trust you. I'll suffer through this again and try to exorcise the ghost."

"Oh, forget it. I'll join too..." Ayako murmered hesitantly as she stood up.

"Try our best. At least until we fall," Bou-san offered.

"I'll bury your corpse."

"If it's a Shinto style burial, you'll never live down the shame."

...Talkative bastard. But now that things are working out, I'm thankful.

3

"So what will we be doing?" asked Bou-san.

Naru instructed us, "As of now, we have enough manpower. The underlying problem is the woman. If we don't bring her out, everything we do will be meaningless."

"How do we bring her out?" Ayako retorted.

"Disperse the children," he said in his sharp voice, "Miko-san, can you make some charms?"

"Of course I can. Even though the ones I stuck in the hotel were useless earlier."

"First, make a significant amount of charms."

"I'm telling you this will fail," complained Ayako.

"It's okay. John will assist us."

"Okay, but..." John murmered.

Naru patted John's back, cutting him off. "Perform another exorcism."

"What?!"

"The idea isn't to prevent the ghosts from getting near Ayami-chan. It was to not let the ghosts leave the house in the first place."

Bou-san blinked his eyes in surprise. "I don't know if that will work."

"It doesn't necessarily need to be strong. Just good enough to keep the spirits from leaving and to leave the Demon's Gate open."

"What's the Demon's Gate?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Quiet, Mai."

"I want to know."

"Located in the northeast quarter, it's the gate in which evil spirits leave through. Originally it's the easiest place to leave, and since the charms will be blocking all other passages of exit, the ghosts that are heading towards the hotel will have to pass through the Demon's Gate, —Bou-san and Miko-san will disperse the spirits leaving the Demon's Gate."

"So you want us to disperse the spirits that leave the Demon's Gate?"

"That's right. All you have to do is disperse them."

Ayako commented, "We can't solve the problem this way. Even if we do disperse the spirits, they will end up accumulating anyway."

"Don't worry. As long as we temporarily reduce the amount of spirits near that woman, it'll be okay. John, go to the living room and disperse the spirits there."

"Got it."

Naru nodded and stood up.

Bou-san called him, "Hey, I understand that we handle the childrens' spirits, but who will be doing the most important exorcism of that woman?"

...That's right. Bou-san and Miko-san are all outside the room, while John will be staying inside. But he can't do it by himself. But then Naru said things wil be okay if we disperse the spirits.

"Can it be... Naru, are you doing it?"

Naru smirked confidently and softly clapped his hands together. "We're starting."

It was 4:00 AM.

Charms were pasted all over the walls. To prevent the ghosts from leaving through the living room, John stayed in the living room and sprinkled holy water. He recited the prayer used earlier on Ayami-chan. At that time, the spirits couldn't immediately find Ayami-chan; instead, they just wandered around. Even though in the end, his spell was still broken.

Outside, Bou-san and Miko-san had stuck their charms onto the house. There were also charms in the hotel Ayami-chan was staying in. Even though in the end, they will probably break.

Only one place wasn't sealed by charms. The Demon's Gate.

And that's where Bou-san and Miko-san are.

John and Naru were in the living room while Lin-san looked over the equipment.

Naru told me and Masako to stay in base, but Masako insisted on being in the living room.

"Mai, the living room will be sort of dangerous. Stay with Hara-san. Things will be troublesome if she gets possessed."

Recalling Naru's words, I followed Masako to the living room.

It was dawn, and the sun was almost up. Even if the sky didn't seem much lighter.

What is Naru planning? That woman is looking for her daughter— Tomiko. Since Tomiko isn't here, she won't give up. She can't cross the bridge into the other world. If she finds Tomiko, she'll be happy and satisfied enough to leave for the other world. —But, how can we do that?

Tomiko's not here. She might not even be in the living world anymore.

"John," Naru called out, urging him to start.

John nodded and started his prayer, which I've seen many times already. Not long afterwards, the room became foggy and the sounds began.

It's starting... I looked around and didn't see any shadows or ghosts. The only indication that they were here was the warping sounds coming from the ground. Knocking sounds on the wall and thumping sounds in the furniture started too. Masako's face was pale white. If you're so scared, you should've stayed in base.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go back to base?" I whispered.

Masako shook her head. "No, I'm fine... I'll stay here."

You want to stay with Naru that badly?

I really wanted to say something cold to her. I'm scared too~ Being pulled into the well was a bad enough experience.

"There are two ways to exorcise spirits..." Masako explained, her eyes searching the room. "Cleansing them and removing them. Cleansing them involves talking with the spirit and finding out why they can't cross the bridge. But this is something that only a medium can do."

"Naru's not a medium, but he wants to exorcise the ghost," she continued to explain.

"Exorcise it?"

"Killing it with brute force..."

A different method? Persuading them is the same as cleansing them. And to not pay any attention to the spirit's troubles is killing it.

"I hope he doesn't kill them, at least not in front of me."

Masako can see the spiritual world. To her, spirits and humans are the same. She doesn't want to see a human die or a spirit getting killed. That's Masako.

...Even if I don't really understand it, I guess this is the way it is.

When Masako and I were softly talking to each other, the rapping sounds grew louder.

Footsteps sounded from the floor. The sound of children trying to run away.

A cold layer of air enshrouded the floor, as white, wispy smoke hovered about the floor, encircling the entire room. In the middle a vague, lone figure started to materialize.

Sorrowful cries filled my ears. The desperate cries became louder.

John's prayer was making them flee.

"......!"

Someone tapped my shoulder, but when I turned around, no one was there. My hair was being pulled.

I wasn't the only one either. John constantly turned around, sprinkling holy water every time in order to push the spirit away.

The barrier was working.

The floor distorted, and I couldn't help but sway along with it. A flash of light shone on the wall.

The room swang intensely.

...It's too strong!

The sudden shaking of the floor made me lose my balance as I was lounged into the air. John and the others were struggling too.

I could feel someone clutching onto my wrist. I tried to pull my hand back, but then an unseen force tugged me back onto the ground.

"Mai-san!" John cried out as he turned around and sprinkled holy water in my direction.

The force on my wrist vanished. The smoke engulfed the entire room.

John didn't stop his prayer. The objects the smoke was moving were dropped temporarily.

"Hara-san! What's the situation?!" Naru turned to look at Masako.

"They're running away. The amount of spirits has decreased dramatically... They're leaving the the living room."

The remaining spirits cried as they left. I was probably the only one who heard them. The ghosts moved slugglishly. They were all trapped in this house, with no where to go. They couldn't go back to their house. They were sad, lonely spirits who called out to more children. And now John's prayer was hurting them.

...I kind of understand Masako's feelings now. Those children are too pitiful. Loneliness and sorrow... They keep getting pushed around.

Same for the woman. Trapped in her own sadness, she couldn't stop looking for Tomiko, and now she had created a snaring trap of sorrow.

But we can't leave things as it is. We can't turn the living Ayami-chan over. There's no way we can do that. We won't let Ayami-chan become one of those dead childrens' playmates.

The mist in the living room started to dissipate. This is proof that the number of spirits are decreasing. The spirits were pushed away with the help of John, Bou-san, and Ayako.

"Can't you cleanse them?" I asked.

Masako shook her head. "It can't be done... As long as that woman is here, it can't be done. If we don't cleanse that woman first..."

Masako abruptly took a deep breath, her blanched face reflecting her fear. She stared at the well.

"...She's coming..."

And then there was silence.

A thin wispy mist drifted towards our direction.

We held our breath.

And then an empty sound filled the air.

Water drops in the well could be heard. And then, a voice bellowed.

The well—

A bluish light floated above the well.

A transient figure arose.

We all stared. It was an indistinct figure of a woman. Her hair was wrapped up in a bun, and her lanky figure was covered in a kimono. She looked like she might disappear any minute.

"Tomiko-san isn't here!" Masako exclaimed. "She's not here anymore!"

The figure lowered her head, but didn't respond.

"Please understand! Tomiko-san isn't here!" Masako cried out desperately.

"These children aren't Tomiko-san! Please release them! They all want to return to their mothers!"

Masako stopped.

The transient figure was halfway up from the well; the edge of the well reached her waist. Small white things appeared on the brim of the well. It was as if they were larva. White, small, childrens'... Fingers.

The little fingers reached for the floor.

They want to come up.

On the other side was another pair of fingers. And another, and another... The edge of the well was covered with little, white fingers as the children tried their best to get out.

"No! Don't come here!" Masako shouted.

I was rendered speechless.

John stood in front of us as he prepared to sprinkle the holy water again. Suddenly a force knocked him off his feet.

"John!" I cried out.

And then, the woman whose head was lowered started to raise her head.

Eyes filled with hatred. She didn't hear Masako at all. She was still concentrated on finding Tomiko. She had no plans of leaving until then.

Her gloomy eyes swept the floor. They stopped at the black figure near the door. A figure black as night. A pallid face.

Naru stared back at the woman. His dark eyes were full of confidence.

Naru raised his right hand.

"Naru, stop! Please wait!" Masako cried out.

Naru didn't bother looking at Masako. He just stared at the woman, his arm raised high, flashing the object in his hand to the ghost. The woman watched Naru's movements intensively.

"Your daughter is here," Naru calmly announced.

There was a wooden board cut in the shape of a human in his hand. A spell paper was pasted on it.

The woman stared at the wooden piece.

"Take those children...with you as well."

Naru tossed the wooden piece into the air.

The woman cried out.

The wooden figurine spun in the darkness, slowly spinning toward the woman. The blurred trajectory faded into a figure. —The figure of a child.

I get it now. That's Tomiko.

The woman hunched back and reached out for the child. Tomiko ran into the woman's arms.

The air in the room began to revolve counterclockwise.

The woman spun too, her hands wispy like smoke. The moment her faded hands touched Tomiko, a white light flashed.

"......!"

What happened? What was that light?

The woman embraced Tomiko. A white light emanated from them.

The woman hugged the wooden figurine; I couldn't see her expression. But from the way she held her head and shoulders... She looked satisfied.

A white light encircled the woman. She melted into the brightness.

The light engulfed the entire room.

A warm, serene light. It wasn't blinding at all. It was just very warm.

The light slowly faded away.

The misty children's figure appeared distinct for a moment in the white light. Soon after, they too disappeared into the light.

I saw it. In the midst of the fog, I saw the smiles of the children.

The white light dissipated, leaving the dusky room the way it was before it all happened.

Masako stood up.

"...They're gone...the spirits have been cleansed...!"

4

...Dawn came.

We were in the living room, looking at the hole in the floor.

"Masako, what's the situation?" Ayako asked.

Masako smiled slightly. "...Everything's fine. There are no more spirits here..."

We sat on the floor. Everyone was quiet. We had no more energy left. We all just sat there, a bit dazed.

"...How did it get cleansed?" Ayako mumbled.

Naru replied, "Because her wish was fulfilled."

"Wish?"

"Of finding her daughter."

...I don't get it.

I poked Naru, "Hey, what was that wooden figure?"

"It's a paper effigy," Bou-san interrupted. "In other words: a human figure, an idol, the shape of a human carved in wood, a puppet..."

Ayako continued, "It's wood cut in the shape of a human. It represents the person being cursed. It's a method to curse, like a voodoo doll."

Naru looked irritated.

Heh heh, seems like I'm not the only one who doesn't get it.

Naru started to explain. "There are white spells and black spells. White spells help people, while black spells harm them. Oftentimes the same spell can be used to harm or help people."

"That's right. It's the same thing when you get rid of an enemy in Esoteric Buddhism," Bou-san mused.

...Oh.

"But, how do human effigies and cleansing relate?" I asked.

"Human effigies are basically vessels to hold spirits. Do you know what a vessel is?" Bou-san asked.

"Not really."

"It's a place to store a soul. If a human effigy were made to represent you, it would take all the damage that you receive, and vice versa. This is what a human effigy is. It was originally used for Girl's Day, on March 3rd."

"Ah~"

"That human effigy represented Tomiko. That woman thought it was her daughter, and so she believed she found her daughter. That's how she was cleansed."

"So basically, she was tricked?"

"Hey! You can't say it like that," Bou-san shouted out.

"But, wasn't it a fake?"

"You can't really say that. If I put a nail in a human effigy representing you, then Mai, you'll die. That being the case, it's considered real. I'll just leave it at that. When the spirit is cleansed, it can't come back. It'll stay in the other world. —Got it?"

"Yes... I think I understand, but I'm not sure."

"It's amazing that you can make one. Is that why you left earlier?" Bou-san asked Naru.

"That's right. In order to find her birth and death dates," Naru confirmed.

"The human effigy was successful, meaning you found them, right?"

"Of course. It cost me quite some time. I was able to find the information because this house is on an old street. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't have found it."

"...Then what's her name?"

"The woman was Oshima Hiro. After her house was torn down, this one was built in its place. Tomiko was her only child. After half a year, Tomiko's body was found in the pond."

"...Was it a kidnapping?" I asked.

Lin-san looked at me.

Naru crossed his arms. "Maybe. That woman..."

"Committed suicide by falling into the well," Ayako chuckled.

Naru looked a bit shocked. "...I'm not sure how she died. She passed away half a year after her daughter was found. The only information I needed was Tomiko's birth and death date; that's what is required for a human effigy."

"Oh..." I murmered as Naru left the living room, followed by Lin-san.

Bou-san looked at the two retreating figures. "I never thought Naru-chan was an onmyouji."

"Onmyouji?" I asked.

"Someone who uses yin and yang... Do you understand?"

"How can I?"

Bou-san smiled wryly. "Well, let's say it this way. It's magic that was introduced into Japan during the Heian Period from China. It's based on yin and yang. One family in particular, the Fujiwara family, perused it often, even though the Shinto religion used it as well. Well, using a human effigy to represent Tomiko was ingenious. Only an omyouji could've done it."

...Oh—

"Impressive, an onmyouji," Ayako appraised.

I turned toward Ayako, "It's impressive?"

"Well, yeah. And a handsome onmyouji too."

...Hehhh, impressive.

I felt exhausted. Silence ensued once again.

And then I finally stood up.

"The scariest thing was that woman," Bou-san sighed.

"Ohh, in that case, the strongest emotion is a mother's love," Ayako remarked.

"Really... Well, forget it. Ah—I'm exhausted. I don't want to encounter something like this again."

"True," Ayako agreed.

Then we left the living room.

When I reached the hallway, I saw Naru on the phone.

"...You can come back anytime. Everything has been solved," he said into the phone. After he hangs up the phone, his eyes fell on me. Eyes deeper than the darkest night.

"Are things really okay now?" I asked.

Naru's eyes were warm as he replied, "Yes, everything's fine now."

"Okay."

On his side was Bou-san, who was stretching. "Naru-chan, are you getting ready to leave?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Naru?" Ayako asked. "I heard you and Masako are dating. Is it true?"

Naru raised an eyebrow.

"Dating?"

"Did you go on a date with her? You know, movies and concerts. Young people sure have it good."

She said in a sneering tone.

...Stop it, Ayako. You're digging your own grave here.

Naru shot Ayako a cold look. "So that's how it is. When I wasn't here, you were talking about this? No wonder you failed to improve the situation."

...You see. I told you.

"You player."

"Does it bother you that Hara-san and I go out?" Naru asked, a smug look in his face.

...Ah~ah~ Here it comes again. Ayako, just give up. You can't beat Naru.

"Don't speak so confidently because you're mistaken. I have no interest in children," Ayako retorted.

"Good, because I have no interest in old women." Naru smirked.

Ayako turned around and dashed to the second floor.

That left me and Naru in the hallway.

"Naru, you don't need to hide it," I said, smiling. I tried to speak in my usual joking tone.

...Ah— This is no good. I'm really shooting myself in the foot.

But then, Naru had a troubled look on his face.

Ehhh. So even Naru has these kind of moments. It surprised me.

"I don't know what Masako said," Naru said, avoiding my gaze, "but it's not like that— You're mistaken."

Then he started to walk towards the base.

...A mistake.

It's the same thing that dream Naru said. A feeling of elation bubbled inside me.

...It's a mistake.

So that's how it is. I felt relieved. Even though it doesn't really mean anything. When Ayako asked, he just pushed her question away. But when I asked, he explained to me.

Ah. I'll leave it at that. Naru doesn't care if Ayako gets the wrong idea. But, he doesn't want me to get the wrong idea.

Ehh, that can't be. No, never mind. I'm satisfied for now. I need to behave myself, right?

I smiled to myself for a long time.

When we were organizing the equipment, Noriko-san and Ayami-chan came back from the hotel.

Naru explained what happened to Noriko-san.

"Is everything really okay?" Noriko-san asked uneasily.

"Don't worry. If a problem still persists, you can tear down the house. In that case, you won't have to worry."

After hearing Naru's reassurances, Noriko-san sighed and lifted Ayami-chan up. Ayami-chan looked at me and smiled.

The bright, clear smile of a child.

Ah, thank goodness...

"You can finally go home now," I said. Even though I don't know what Ayami-chan will think of all this.

Ayami-chan dashed towards me, a concerned look on her face.

...What's wrong?

Ayami-chan tugged my hand. "Mai-chan, are you leaving?"

"Hm? Yes."

"Can't you stay longer?" Ayami-chan pleaded, an unsatisfied look on her face.

...Don't worry. Ayami-chan's already this energetic so she'll forget this quickly and return to her normal lifestyle.

"Then, Mai-chan, when are you leaving?"

Being asked a question like that, I looked at Naru.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then," I answered Ayami-chan.

"Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yes."

"Then, Mai-chan, can you sleep in my room tonight? If you want, you can keep living here."

Noriko-san couldn't help but smile. I did the same.

Ayami-chan looked at us. In order to make sure everything is okay, we're staying an additional night. I followed Ayami-chan's wishes and slept in her room that night.

The knocking sounds were gone. The night couldn't have been more peaceful.

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