Jumping from roof to roof, with their hands connected like this, she can't help but feel self conscious about the situation. Even if they're only connected in SP form, the grip of his hand still radiates some extent of warmth. Every time she looks his way it reminds her of what happened yesterday.
That was the first time she cried that much in front of someone other than her family. At least as far back as she can remember. Only now that she's thinking back about it did it embarrasses her so. Lashing out at him like that.
"Something on your mind?"
"Whaa- no I... nothing really.. I... was just wondering about what happened after I blacked out yesterday, that's all..."
Flustered, she tries to avoid the topic.
"Oh about that. hmmm, I possessed your body"
A casual response.
"What?!"
Her face turns beet red as she tries to confirm the outrageous explanation she just heard.
"Yes, and then I brought you home"
"Wha-wha-wha..! You-!"
"Oh don't worry, your mom didn't suspect a thing. I know how to play Mizuki kun down to a T"
A proud confession.
"That's not the problem here- ahhh"
She covers her face, but multiple emotions overwhelm her as the girl's hands almost reaching out to strangle him.
"Hahaha I can't exactly left you lying on the ground then, can't I? Or even at school"
Not a single shred of guilt emanates from the guy as he continues to laugh it off. On the contrary, his proud demeanor is almost demanding for her praise.
"Ughhh even so!! Mnnnn! using my body like that- *grumbles*"
"Calm now.. it's not like I did anything inappropriate with it. You woke up in your uniform didn't you?"
That's... Uhh still... couldn't you have find a better way..."
"What's this? I saved you from sleeping outside and this is how you thank me?"
Now he starts to pout.
Mildly irritated, but even she can understand that much. As hard as it is to admit, it would have been worse if she repeats her past curfew crime.
"T-thank you... I guess..."
As she turns the other way.
He wears his proud face again, deliberately trying to irritate her. But she let this one slides. At least all this helps break the awkward mood they were having, at least now she feels more comfortable, back to normal.
"Hey that... about yesterday.. I ummm..."
"There's no need to feel bad about it"
He reads her mind. The usual sneer or teasing look he'd have on him replaced with a somber tone.
"That's just the normal reaction when faced with such grief. That kind of situation will be more common with these line of work"
A huge contrast to his earlier attitude. Almost like a warning of what's to come in the future.
They landed in front of the Torii gate by the foot of the hill behind school. Despite looking decrepit it still looks somewhat regularly maintained.
"We're going to step into Ghost Realm from now on, brace yourself"
Daisuke cautioned.
"Is that where the Majin Kyotai is?"
She asks after a single gulp. Preparing mentally of the strange land she's about to enter.
"O-okay, let's go"
"Yeah, technically speaking they're at the top of this hill-"
He says as he pulls her hand along, passing the Torii gate and immediately the scenery changes around them.
"-but you can only get there after you've flipped the realm"
Ominous air blows her way as she steps onto the other side of the gate. Looking in front of her, even when Daisuke covers the view, she can see that the entire world is different. The sky, for instance, had changed to a darker more purple hue.
Hundreds of flying apparition fills the airspace, only some of them have wings while the others just levitates around. Slithering on the ground, zooming past by her side, hopping about and of course normally walking ghosts of every imaginable kinds and shapes. Most of them shares the description and images she'd seen and read from folk tales and online creepy stories but those makes up only a portion of the ghosts she sees moving around. Most of them are completely beyond her imagination and any human description. Fortunately this time, they are not paying much attention towards her.
Rushes of headache paralyzes the girl and weakens her stance but luckily Daisuke catches her fall.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... I'm fine"
She attempts to regain her foothold. Trying to brave through the fear that has swiftly gripped her heart as they entered. Even in this SP form, she can still almost hear her heartbeat thumps loudly.
"Let's keep going.."
"Tell me if it becomes unbearable, I can still bring you back instantly"
"Thanks but... just give me a bit more time and I'll be good"
After a while walking, Mizuki gradually regains stability and a clearer head. As her brain starts discerning the things around her to not be a threat, she becomes more and more confident to take a step on her own. She chuckles.
"ehehe this feels kind of familiar.."
"Owh? You mean like the first day after we met?"
"Nmm~ that too but... maybe I'm thinking of something way before that..."
Her eyes glistens as past memories flow into her head.
"I used to be even more of a scaredy cat back then... forget ghosts, I can't even look at other people"
He brings the other hand to his chin and turns his eyes above, as if reminiscing a memory of his own.
"Hou? when you were a kid?"
"*chuckles* I'm still a kid now... but no, it wasn't that long ago..."
Both of them shares a smile even if they're not looking at each other.
"At that time I would ask my mom to walk me outside almost everyday.. just around the neighborhood... thinking back about it it's kinda embarrassing"
He brings his hand on top of her head.
"No, you did great"
Her eyes widened, she was fully expecting him to make fun of her as usual, not to praise her like that. The girl turns her face down as if trying to hide her face. Then as if reaching her limit, she pushes him away.
"Stop treating me like a kid!"
She pouts, all the while contradicting herself. Though, evidently she can walk on her own now.
"Yeah yeah, well done. You seem better now"
His warm expression free of any mischief is a little rare to see. Almost radiating like the sun. And just like the sun, it's too bright for the eyes.
"What's with you all of a sudden..."
She mutters under her breath, avoiding eye contact, even preferring to look at the distorted creatures around her than to face him. Her heart beating fast from fear earlier replaced with a different emotion, a warmer feeling.
Before she notices it, they're already walking in a feudal Jousho town. It mirrors the places and sceneries she'd only seen in some obscure online photos and artistic depiction of old times. The only difference are instead of people in traditional clothings, the place is littered with these otherworldly denizens.
Seeing the glow of curiosity returns to her eyes
"Welcome, to the northern branch Majin Kyotai!"
Daisuke introduces the biggest traditional building before her. Noticeably it has a more refined build than the other houses and shops nearby. It looks more like those castle you'd find in some historical tourist spot.
As they enter the Majin Kyotai building, a big bulking figure greets them from behind the counter. His face resembles those scary masks in festivals, except this one actually talks.
"Human Hunter, I've heard you collected the Younaki Ghoul"
"Righty-O Hana chan, I'm here to claim big time!"
Proudly he announces while smacking the countertop with a package wrapped in yellow paper seal. A curve elongated shape almost like a banana, or a claw.
"Don't call me Hana chan"
The figure protests while grabbing the package. Following behind him are massive folded wings in black like that of a crow, a Tengu.
'that's... the same claw as-'
The vivid recollection of the lethal hand belonging to yesterday's ghost crosses Mizuki's mind, and with it a slight tinge of sorrow.
"as always we thank you for your great work"
Solemnly Hana chan expresses. He notices Mizuki who were looking around anxiously till now.
"A rookie of yours?"
"Yes yes, an intern"
Daisuke gestures her way to which Mizuki just passes a meek smile.
"I never took you as the teacher type"
"Just a change of pace every now and then"
Daisuke makes up an excuse.
The unexpectedly friendly Tengu then carefully checks the leaves from a big tree behind him, an upside down tree that hangs from the moon. On the surface, tree branches, or rather roots spread outward in a circular shape, fitting snuggly inside the shape of the moon. Each branches extends a single direction outwards and bends in a peculiar growth, almost like forming a letter, a word, a name. Though their written in a strange language that almost looks familiar until she looks closer and they appear ancient.
He then plucks a leaf off off the tree, sending a signal through the trunk that also erases a single branch of root in the moon. He proceeded to collect Daisuke's payment below the counter and hand it to him.
"A swallow's weight worth"
He drops several wrapped packages into Daisuke's hand. The young stud juggles it once in the air before thanking the guardian behind the counter.
"Human Hunter, you..."
"Huh? What, what is it?"
"Actually no, it bears no importance"
"What's that Hana chan? Now you're making me dead curious"
"It's nothing, just know that our concern only reaches the barrier between ghost and human. Anything beyond that does not fall within our power"
"What's with that ominous sounding message, are you trying to scare me?"
Daisuke jokes, but to no response except for a dutiful silence.
"Tch, alright alright message received. We'll take our leave now"
"So that's the Majin Kyotai"
Mizuki expresses her amazement as they exit the building.
"Well? What do you think?"
Daisuke turns to her while he maintains walking pace.
"Eh? What do I... Uhh.. they look like ancient times... is all I can say"
She struggles to come up with an opinion.
"What did they gave you?"
"That's, my payment of course. I send them ghosts with bounty, they pay me my bounty"
"Pay you? with human money?"
"with gold"
He replies as he brandishes a couple golden trinket. Small enough to be hidden inside his palm.
"Eh? They can do that? Do ghosts use gold too?"
"Well I'm more of a special case. I'm the first human Hunter around this part in a while, so they have to find other ways to pay me. Other hunters get paid in blood"
"Blood?!"
Understandably, she's a little shocked.
"Animal blood mostly, blood holds traces of reichitsu. The Majin Kyotai refines the reichitsu in them to be especially potent and solidify them for easier storage"
"Like a bank? But for blood?"
"Well their equivalent would be more like a pharmacy with a prize exchange counter at the front"
He corrects her guess.
"Ehh? I can't imagine what kind of pharmacy is that..."
She retorts.
"I guess you've gotten used to these sights by now huh?"
Daisuke points out after they've walked a bit.
"Yea, I guess... it's not too bad once you got used to them..."
She blankly observes the variety of appearances displayed by the ghost folks passing to and fro.
All these other ghosts in various wild shapes and forms. And yet, out of all these interesting appearance, she has to wonder
"Why the ghost from yesterday has to take her appearance..."
She didn't realize she was thinking out loud until Daisuke responds to her question.
"That's of course, because of Shinryo (Credit)"
"Shinryo? But.. she wasn't even trying to scare me?"
"Scaring is only one of the ways you can gain Shinryo, planting fear in their victim strengthens their presence but"
He counts on his finger
"Fear, Love, Trust, Hatred, Awe and Sorrow all are strong emotions."
Mizuki looks around her, inspecting the countless ghosts around her.
"Strong emotions creates strong perception, strong memories, of something. And that forms the bridge we call 'belief'. The more people believe, the more 'they' get, the stronger a person believe, the stronger 'they' get"
"Strong memories..."
She ponders on the word. Recalling her recent experience.
Daisuke makes no comment, leaving her to digest the experience herself.
Later as Mizuki arrives home her mom is acting all fidgety when welcoming her, adding further into her suspicion from this morning.
"Ahh Mii chan, can you help check on the water hose outside, I don't remember if I turned it off just now"
Fuuka instructs Mizuki before she could head upstairs.
"Okay, but I'm heading upstairs a bit-"
"No! No!"
Her mother insists on stopping her, spooking Mizuki a bit seeing her mother almost fell forward trying to call out to her.
"I mean.. go check it now, we don't want to waste water. Go quick quick!"
"O-.. Okay..."
She replies with a confused look. Acting surprised but actually knowing exactly the reason why, to not ruin the fun. In fact, Fuuka already told her the reason last week.
As she slowly makes her way to the water hose, Mizuki too is practicing the best expression to show on the occasion. That and mulling over a small concern that'll come up.
"I guess... It's about time now huh.. I don't want to think about it but mom probably already spoke about Daisuke kun.. ughhh I hope it doesn't get brought up during dinner..."
"Mii chan, how is it~?"
Gleefully Fuuka asks about the update on her task. That suspiciously smiling tone is already a telltale sign.
"Yes~! It's turned off, can I come in now?"
She asks almost like they're playing hide and seek.
Once she got the Okay's, Mizuki prepares for the 'surprise' waiting for her.
"Ta-da~!!"
In unison both her parents cheers to surprise her. Their overjoyed mood briefly overflows the narrow alley in front of the door. An excited middling couple's joy.
But that celebratory mood quickly turns a tad awkward with an unexpectedly lukewarm reception. With the only audience being Mizuki, the success of the performance is measured solely on her reaction. And she reacts, poorly.
It's not like she's unhappy, in fact she was anticipating it since her mom first mentions it last week. She was looking forward to seeing her dad, but something else about him causes her to be actually surprised but not necessarily in a way they intended. His look remains the same since she last saw him, he still have that comfy fatherly vibe she loves, all in all, the same dad that she loves. But this uneasy feeling she felt it coming before she even opened the door earlier, every hair on her body stands upright for some reason. Everything is perfectly the same as always, everything except for the child apparition sitting atop her dad's shoulder. A stranger, a guest perhaps. Although Mizuki's the only host that can entertain it for now since nobody else there notices the child's presence. An uninvited guest.