Chapter Text
“Honestly! Standards for men these days are far too high. Isn’t it too much to expect a man to handle not only the hard manual work, but to also be committed to one girl? It’s crazy out here! We go through so much competition to get a girlfriend, and she just goes off and dumps me for no reason. I mean, I’m nothing like those slobs she compares me to. At least I have a job–can’t she just settle for what I have right now?”
The couch creaked unpleasantly, springs squeezing out a painful wheeze. The client grunted, almost as if in response to the squeaking noises of fabric rubbing against faux-leather and the scraping of porcelain scratching wood. The rain pattering against the window did little to cover the volume of the man’s nasally voice, which was steadily growing higher in pitch.
The clicking of dress shoes cut through the client’s agitation, and Serizawa stepped out from the small kitchenette. With a thin tray in hand, he carefully made his way toward the unkempt man sitting leisurely on the couch, feet crossed and propped up on the table next to a now-cold glass of green tea teetering dangerously near the edge. With care, Serizawa nudged the cup back toward the middle of the table, and slowly set the tray down to place a fresh, steaming hot cup on the opposite end.
“I’m quite sorry to hear that.”
Thin, pale fingers wrapped around a chipped cup. Reigen took a short sip, before setting it back down with more force than necessary. He used his other hand to drum his fingers on his knees impatiently, and it was clear he had been fisting the fabric of his slacks as the client prattled on, the material now rumpled and stressed.
“But please, stay on topic,” Reigen said teresely. “How exactly does this connect to the case at hand?”
The client gave a chiding scoff, which made Reigen’s eye twitch in irritation. Serizawa’s sympathy grew exponentially.
“I was getting there!” the client huffed. “Whatever. Anyways, after the fight, she dumped me, and then that’s when the weird paranormal activity started. Of course, I thought at first that it was me going through the cycles of a break-up. You feel down for a bit, and then perk right up after finding another girl that’s definitely way hotter than her. All’s well and good, yeah? I mean, I really only knew her for a month or two. She was pretty cute, but I didn’t know her too well. It was just the right amount of attachment to not really care that she dumped me, but enough to be bummed out it didn’t work out—” The drumming against Reigen’s legs increased in pace. “—But then, I started getting really lethargic, and barely left the house. It got so bad that I called my boss saying I felt sick. Trash started piling up everywhere, and I didn’t move from my bed that much. After about three or four weeks of this bullshit, it all suddenly went away…poof! Gone like that!”
Reigen hummed, making a go on motion with his hand.
“I’m glad you came to consult us about this, Yoshida-san. This seems like a serious problem. But what exactly tipped you off that this was more of a… spiritual problem?”
Yoshida frowned. “I felt trapped in my room, for one. But the thing is, there’s just no way it’s a depression thing—or at least, an authentically generated depression. It’s bizarre now that I think about it. She definitely shouldn’t have affected me that much after the break up–I barely even knew her! And last I checked, I’m pretty clear in the mental shit. She must have definitely cursed me!”
Serizawa felt his stomach tighten. Yoshida’s experience, albeit extremely different from what he had gone through himself, hit a little too close to home. The sheer nonchalance at which the man threw around his words as though it were a simple bedtime story made Serizawa’s vision swim with a sickening feeling of familiarity. Uncomfortably, he clenched his elbows tightly behind Reigen.
“There’s also the fact that I would always feel this really crushing weight on my back, like something was physically leaning on it,” Yoshida tacked on. “I’m not into that superstitious crap, but I seriously started thinking about praying to get whatever the fuck it was off my shoulder. For a short time I thought it was the weight of my sins!” A forced laugh, then a deadpan stare. “Anyway, I just need you to get rid of it.”
Reigen glanced over his shoulder at Serizawa, tipping his head to subtly signal the esper. Is there a curse?
Serizawa shook his head in response. It’s definitely not a curse, he thought as Reigen turns back to the client. If it were, then its presence would be more pronounced. But at the very least, there’s a strong residue of a very dark aura on him.
“Well, I have good news for you, sir. The spiritual presence is not on you–at least, not currently. However, would you like for us to take a look at your residence to ensure there isn’t actually an evil spirit instead?”
The man scoffed, dragging his shoes off the table. “I don’t give a shit. Do whatever. Make sure it doesn’t come back so I can go back to work on Monday.”
“Certainly, sir.” Reigen’s voice was strained, his smile far too wide to be genuine, hands going back to wrinkling the fabric of his pants. “We’ll put you on the schedule. Is Friday good?”
“The day doesn’t matter to me. Just come whenever. Not like I’ll be inviting anyone when my room looks trashed.”
“Right!” Reigen clapped his hands together, clearly eager to get the consultation over with. He pulled out a red folder, flipping it open to reveal various plans. “Baseline consultation fee will be ten thousand yen, but if you recommend Spirits and Such to a friend, you could reach up to fifteen percent off your next spiritual visit…”
An odd sweat broke on Serizawa’s forehead as Reigen continued to rattle off prices to an extremely disinterested client, the world hazing over and voices fading into the background. He barely comprehended the bills being exchanged and the loud jingle of the bell as the client (finally) left the building, leaving only Serizawa and Reigen in the office.
Serizawa stood rigidly as Reigen talked business, hands clammy and tight. It had been a year since Shigeo had left the office, and even more since Serizawa pried his way from under Suzuki’s thumb. However, even with the leaps and bounds he’d traversed in order to become the semi-acclimated member of society that he was today, he still felt the haunting presence of an all-too-powerful aura clamping his painfully, the president’s cold blue eyes boring into the back of his eyelids before he sleeps. He feels the chill of his room—not the studio apartment he rented following his reintegration into society, but his childhood bedroom since he was 12—dark and cold, with too much silence and too little to do. The click of the cash register, the rustling of papers being stacked, and the loud sigh leaving Reigen’s mouth went in one ear and out the other. A gentle tug on Serizawa’s sleeve finally pulled him out of his daydream.
But clearly, that too was a mistake as Serizawa realized Reigen was directly in front of him, his face far too close to be considered socially acceptable, wrinkling his brow in concern. Serizawa felt his ears go warm.
“There we go. Earth to Serizawa? Can you hear me now?”
“Yes.” Serizawa relaxed. He hadn’t noticed how tense he was, and Reigen finally stepped away with a final tug. Serizawa could breathe again.
“Guess that client took a little too much out of both of us, huh?” Reigen sighed. “I’m sorry about that. It must’ve hit home, huh?”
Serizawa nodded awkwardly. He had talked about his life before Suzuki to Reigen on a post-work bar hop, after one shot too many in their systems and a mouth far looser than Serizawa would ever want himself to have. They never talked about that night, but even in Reigen’s almost catatonic state, he must have retained some of the topics they discussed.
“Well, feel free to take your leave tonight,” Reigen moved on, flicking the fan off and tugging the blinds closed with a clack. “I think I might need to take the rest of the day off, too.”
Their eagerness shared, the office was reset and prepped for the next day in record time. With some amount of regret that Serizawa encountered everyday for not being able to spend even that extra hour with Reigen, he slid the door shut as Reigen pulled out the keys to lock the office.
“Say, Serizawa,” Reigen’s back was to him, and Serizawa stopped at the top of the stairs.
“Yes, Reigen?”
The door clicked. It was locked, and after an affirming tug Reigen turned to stare him in the eye with a surprising intensity. “You’d tell me if you were uncomfortable with the case, right?”
Serizawa nodded, wide-eyed, and Reigen continued.
“Your wellbeing is important—more so than the client’s satisfaction. After all, we’ve always got a couple other espers we could hit up to take the case if you’re feeling unwell. But if it’s too much, you can always let me know, okay?”
He felt his chest squeeze in a way that had become more common the longer he’s been around Reigen. It was a simple gesture of concern, one that made his heart thump in his chest and warmth spread across his cheeks—it was one that Serizawa couldn’t help but add to his growing pile of evidence that Reigen was quite simply one of the kindest people he’s ever met.
He cares.
“I’ll be fine. It’s terrible to see anyone in that kind of situation, and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. It’s best to remove the spirit as soon as possible, should its reach spread and grow too big to handle.” Reigen met Serizawa at the stairwell.
Reigen’s lips quirked up. “Good to hear, Serizawa. But do be sure to let me know if you feel uneasy,” He said in the fond way he’d talk to Shigeo. “You may be the ‘spirits’ part of this business, but we can always drop the cases that we don’t like. That’s the perk of being co-owners, eh?”
They reached the bottom of the stairwell, and with a quick flex of his powers Serizawa cast a subtle bubble shield over the two as Reigen fumbled with his umbrella. It unfurled as the rain began to pool around their feet.
“Right, thank you.” Serizawa doubted that it would be possible for them to drop the case even if they wanted to. Money was tight now that it was the holiday season, meaning it was also the time of year when potential clients were out of town vacationing . But the concern still meant a lot to him, and with a hand over his heart, Serizawa gave his reply.
“Don’t hesitate to let me know, too.”
Reigen gave a brief dip of his head in acknowledgement. “Yeah, yeah. You got it, big guy. Say, since we can go in whenever, do you want to catch lunch beforehand? Might be more practical, too, since you have class after. We can’t have you working and studying on an empty stomach.”
“That sounds great, Reigen.”
“Excellent! Then it’s a date.”
The rain was loud, but somehow the silence that stretched after the declaration felt deafening. Serizawa blinked, ears turning hot after he realized what Reigen had said. Hearing splutters of back-tracking, Serizawa glanced to his side to see Reigen pink in the face and waving his free hand frantically.
“Not in that way! Sorry–bad habit of letting my mouth run, haha–say, isn’t this your stop? You can take my umbrella, go ahead–don’t want you getting wet! I’ll see you on Wednesday! Goodnight, Serizawa! Stay safe!”
“But won’t you get wet–” Appalled at the sudden shift in tone and the frantic movements, Serizawa found himself unable to do much else other than have Reigen’s only black umbrella shoved into his hands, be clapped on the shoulder, and watch as his co-worker dashed through the rain—suit becoming increasingly more soaked the further he ran.
“...Goodnight,” Serizawa said to empty air. The umbrella, as ineffective as it was due to Serizawa’s barrier, stayed firmly in his grasp. It was getting windy—hopefully Reigen wouldn’t catch a cold on his way home.
It was going to be a long week.