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You look up at the office building. It’s a little shorter and newer looking than the others surrounding it, but it didn’t look out of place. You rub your hands together, and take a deep breath.
You hold a small notebook in your hands, with about three-fourths of the entries crossed off. You look at the next name on the list. Spirits and Such Consultation. You haven’t crossed it off yet, but you’re certain that it will be soon.
Without much ado, you enter the building. There isn’t much else to do. You’ve already come this far, and if you didn’t continue forward…
Well, you know what would happen. And you didn’t want that to happen. You climb the stairs to the newly renovated office, pausing to catch your breath a few times. You’re tired. Physically and mentally. You’re tired of being so powerless, you’re tired of feeling sick, you’re tired of being tired.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you reach the third floor of the building, and enter Spirits and Such Consultation.
It’s a small office. It’s what you can expect of a freelance entrepreneur. But, it's decorated with plants, and in the window there is a direct view of the giant broccoli that grew in the center of Seasoning City. A few boxes still cluttered the area, but for the most part, there was order in the chaos.
Three desks are set up in the office. A kid that couldn’t be older than fourteen sat at the desk nearest to the door. The desk was too large for him, but still had personality. Next, you noticed the man sitting on the opposite side of the room. He’s fidgety, and he doesn’t quite look comfortable with your presence. His desk is a mess, unorganized and unkempt.
Finally, there is a third desk with the man you are looking for. Reigen Arataka, the self-proclaimed psychic of the century. He had been under fire recently for being exposed as a “fake”, until his media appearance went haywire. While people had mostly let him be after the extraordinary show of power, a lot of the community didn’t trust him not to snap again. That’s why he was so far down on your list.
You fidget with your hands once more, announcing your presence to those in the room. All three look up, and you suddenly feel even more nervous. You feel like you want to leave-- there’s too many powerful people in this room. The man sitting on the opposite side of the room stands up.
“Um, hello,” The man greets, crossing the room. He looks even taller when he’s standing. He felt strong, but what’s even more disconcerting, he’s not even the biggest presence in the room. You nod gently, licking your teeth inside of your mouth. “Welcome to Spirits and Such Consultation,” The large man picks at his hands. He looks at the young boy, who stares blankly back. Somehow, The tall man seemed to gain some courage from it. “I am Serizawa Katsuya. What can we help you with today?”
You smile weakly. “I’m here for an exorcism.” You say. “I called ahead…?”
“Ah, right. I remember. Come have a seat.” Reigen nods from his desk.
The middle school boy in the gakuran stops you. “Excuse me…” He says. “You look ill.” And he was right. The world spins under your feet, and your head pounds. Your vision starts going dark, and your legs give from under you. Serizawa catches you, and leads you to the seat in front of the middle schooler, but the faint spell doesn’t go away. You swear you hear a chuckle from somewhere behind you.
This used to scare you beyond anything. Now you are just tired of it. Something swirls in the pits of your stomach, and it’s all you can do to not throw up. You can tell they’re talking around you, but nothing reaches you. Something cold is pushed into your hands. You instinctively raise it to your lips, and sip the cold. It’s water.
Slowly, you begin to reenter yourself, sapped of all energy within you. The voices come back first. You hear whispers of gentleness next to you, a voice of bluntness tinged with worry, and a frantic man in the background. Then sensations return. There is a hand on your shoulder, a cool cup of water in your hands, and the uncomfortable metal chair under you.
“Are you okay?” The blunt boy asks, and your voice isn’t quite ready yet, so you just nod exhaustedly.
Reigen speaks from somewhere beside you. “This appears to be quite serious. Have you been to a medical professional?”
You’re tired of hearing that. “I’ve been to every doctor in the area. They all say I should be perfectly fine. No vitamin deficiencies, no anemia.” What is wrong with you is spiritual . Any psychic worth their salt should be able to tell that. You knew this was a waste of your time. That stunt at his press conference was just a set up. “I’ll be taking my leave.” You stand, testing your legs once more.
“It’s your father, isn’t it?” You hear the boy say. You pause, and turn to face him. How did he…? Maybe there was a real psychic here. You sit back down.
“I’m… Not quite sure who it is, but that’s what makes the most sense.” You say. “He passed away a few years ago, under…” You try to find the right words, “Unfortunate circumstances.” Sure, he was never nice, but no one deserved to… You shake your head. Back to the topic at hand. You look down at your hands. “No one has been able to exorcise him.”
“Right,” Reigen takes over, “He seems to be a powerful spirit.” He nods along to everything that was being said. He sounds absolutely idiotic. You resist the urge to roll your eyes.
You cross your arms. “Are you willing to attempt to exorcise him?” Reigen puffs his chest out.
“You’ve come to the right place,” He asserts. “We’re the only ones that could do the job.” Reigen looks at the young boy. “Today, this young man will be performing your exorcism. I make it a habit to let him handle the small fry. Mob, do your thing.”
Didn’t he just say that my ghost was a ‘powerful spirit’? You feel unconvinced. But if they can manage to actually get rid of the spirit, you would be thankful. You look at the young boy-- Mob, was it?-- and you could tell he was more than he looked. He is the most powerful aura in this room, but it was more welcoming, instead of making you want to run away. Still, in the face of such power, you can’t help but be awed.
“I’ll do my best,” Mob says, before raising one hand. You feel something tug in you, as you see the boy’s aura materialize. It’s awe inspiring, but the pain in your gut overtakes you before you can comment on it.
“Are you alright?!” Serizawa asks, kneeling beside you. You gasp deep breaths, and you can taste blood. You haven’t felt this bad in a long time. Did you look alright? You work through the pain.
“This isn’t good,” Reigen muses. “The spirit seems to be hurting the client.” He says, and no, really , “This looks like a more difficult job than I expected.” He rubs his chin.
Mob looks at you. “The spirit won’t even appear,” You deflate. Not even they could fix this?
Reigen leans on the desk, half sitting, half standing. “It appears you are being possessed.”
“I’m still me!” You exclaim, exhausted with Reigen’s false confidence. You weren’t possessed!
Reigen shakes his head. “There are different types of possession. Sometimes, you can’t even tell if a spirit is possessing you. This spirit seems to be leeching off your energy and has been using your body as an energy source and a hiding spot. I guess it would be more appropriate to say it’s like a parasite. Does that make sense?” He explains.
And honestly… yes, it does. You weren’t sure if he just guessed that, or if he somehow knew. His aura was definitely the weakest in the room, but maybe something was just… hidden about him? Call your interest piqued. You nod in response.
“Still,” He says, “This makes things more difficult. That means we can’t get the spirit out without hurting you, too, unless we can lure it out.” Reigen thinks aloud. “Is there any way we can get your father’s attention?”
Serizawa speaks now. “Actually, I have an idea, though it won’t be pleasant.” He says. “Maybe we can lure it out with certain memories that he would have a reaction to.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Serizawa,” Reigen nods in approval. “Can you think of anything?” He faces you.
You can think of a number of instances that might lure your father out. But none of them were exactly great memories. You nod regardless. If this was the only way you could get rid of him, then you would have to work with it.
“Okay, it might help if you speak your memories aloud. If he’s listening, then he’ll jump out if you talk about him.” Reigen states.
You take a deep breath. None of these memories were pleasant, and now you had to share them with a bunch of strangers. Regardless, you pushed on. You start with the first memory. Then the second. And the third. By the fourth you are starting to doubt that it’s working. But finally, at the fifth memory, something happens.
You feel instantly more light, as you see the spirit next to you, black like the night. You can’t help but flinch back, and suddenly, you are a kid again, cowering from your father. He’s yelling.
“How dare you tell these strangers about our life!” He growls, and you can’t help but stare at the wispy black spirit. “Listen to me!”
Mob raises his hand, and his aura rematerializes. The malicious spirit doesn’t stand a chance against this powerful boy, and he’s instantly evaporated. The spirit screams in pain, in a way that you don’t think you’ll be forgetting for a long time. But, as it disappears, you feel rejuvenated. Like a new person, more complete than ever. You smile, and look at your hands. It… actually worked! You are free!
“Thank you, thank you so much!” You say gratefully, happily shaking the boy’s hand, and turning to Reigen. “Thank you…”
“All in a day’s work.” Reigen says flippantly, before deciding to add on carefully, “Are you alright?”
“I’m… okay.” You say, as the full weight of everything hits you. The stories you told were not very happy ones, and though you feel like you are lighter, you also feel exhausted from everything today. You rub your hands together. “So, I guess I will pay, and then I will take my leave.” You say reluctantly. You feel like you don’t want to leave, but you couldn’t exactly loiter. You don’t know why you want to stay so bad.
Reigen messes with something in his coat pocket. “Would you like to grab something to eat?” He asks. You can’t tell his intentions behind it.
“Why?” You ask.
You can’t tell the emotion that flashes on Reigen’s face, but it passes as soon as it appears. “I just thought after all of that, you’d like some soba.” Your face heats up slightly. It’s small, but it’s still such a kind gesture…
“Sure,” You say gently, a small smile on your face. Reigen claps his hands.
“Right, then, Mob, Serizawa, we’re closing up now then. We don’t have time for another client today, anyway.” Reigen announces, and Serizawa hesitates for a moment, before nodding briefly. The boy gathers his things, like his backpack, and his homework. Serizawa leaves first, then Mob waits for a moment longer at the door.
“I hope you feel better,” He says, then walks through the door. You can’t sense his aura anymore.
Reigen stands in front of you. “Are you feeling well enough to walk?” He asks, and you stand up and nod. He smiles, and heads for the door. You follow him.
“Ladies first,” He says cordially.
You can’t help but tease him. “Doesn’t that mean you should go first, Reigen-san?”
Reigen pauses a moment, before regaining his cool. “Call me Arataka. Reigen-san is too formal for me.”
“Arataka-san, then.” You say cordially. You pass through the door, waiting for him to turn off the lights and lock the door. “Say, I had a question for you.”
Arataka looks at you. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just--” You think about your next words very carefully before deciding against saying them. “Nevermind. What else do you do in your free time, Arataka-san?”
Arataka considers the change of subject before responding. “I cook some,” He states. “I don’t have much time to, however, so I mostly order take out.”
“Sounds unhealthy,” You tease, “I love to cook too. I’m not very good at it though. I burn toast when I make it.”
Arataka laughs in response, and you smile a gentle smile. “I guess you could teach me,” You say. Arataka pauses in his laughter, looking at you. You can barely see the lightest shade of pink when you look at him through the orange-y mid-sunset colors reflecting off the sky.
“Maybe,” He says. “I’ll charge you for it, though.” He says without missing a beat.
“I thought you were part of a psychic office?” You laugh. His smile is brighter than the sunset. It’s nice to look at.
He simply waves a hand. “If you are as bad as you say you are, I’ll need compensation for my house burning down.” He teases right back. You can’t wipe the smile off your face.
“I’m not that bad,” You insist. Your stomach growls. You’re apparently hungrier than you thought. “Where’s this place you’re taking me? I’m half-starved.”
Arataka points to a small shop down the road. “Just down there. Hold on, we’ll get you there.” He pulls you by the hand, and you feel your skin burning at the touch. You feel yourself go red under his touch, but you try to ignore it.
The banter between you two continues through dinner, gentle and light, avoiding the conversation about your past. You’re glad that Arataka was intelligent enough not to pry. Actually, Arataka seemed much more smart than he let on. He was kind, smart, and handsome. Maybe you were wrong about him at first. Maybe he isn’t a phony. Or maybe he is. But that doesn’t matter. What only matters is that he’s here, and that he helped you.
You’ll be forever grateful. Right as you’re about to depart, you stop him. “Arataka-san…” You say. You hold out a small sheet of paper. “Here’s my email address. Feel free to message me anytime you want, if you want.” Your face goes red as you look away from him, but he takes the paper.
“Of course I will. I’ll talk to you soon,” He says, and walks off in the opposite direction, supposedly to home.
You hope that he isn’t just going to throw away your address. You’re interested in seeing him again. And now that you don’t have a ghost possessing you, you have more free will than ever. You feel so incredibly grateful. You feel happy.
You are glad you met Reigen Arataka .