spr | The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 7.4

Hirota frowned after hearing that another medium would come.

Having the feeling that the increase of people of unknown stature and the distrust that these guys were mediums, he wondered whether he should put trust in them after all.

His distrust deepened even more when he heard that the one who would come was a medium named Hara Masako.

Where did I hear this name before, he thought, and instantly recalled that Saki had talked about that name sometimes. It was a medium who she saw on variety shows and specials on TV.

Because Hirota especially hated mediums who appeared on television programs, made talents scream and were made to be admired, from the bottom of his heart, he went as far as to think suspiciously of the members of Shibuya Psychic Research.

That Masako, who seemed to have taken up their message and would be coming soon, arrived a little before midnight.

"Thank you for coming at such a late hour."

When Mai went out to meet her and entered the entranceway, Masako blinked a little as if she was a little absent-minded and came back to her senses.

"Ah... ... Yes. Good evening."

The girl looks like a traditional Japanese doll, Hirota thought. He heard the stories from Saki and had seen her on television many times, but her appearance didn't leave much of an impression. When he took a closer look, she was a smallish and beautiful girl. Her glossy, straight hair was ended at her shoulder and it matched her nowadays unusual traditional Japanese attire.

Even though she hadn't used make-up on her small white face, her lips were red, so she really did look like a doll.

"... ... Where is Naru?" Masako said and Mai puffed her cheeks.

"We meet again after a long time and that's the first thing you say?"

"We did meet the week before the last though."

"It was only two weeks ago when we did something fun together. Women's friendships are really brittle, you know."

Masako showed an elegant smile.

"That's what would be called common sense."

"Yes yes."

"Yo, Masako-chan."

Reiko and Midori came together from the living room and Takigawa was the one who waved his hand.

"Long time no see."

"So Takigawa-san was here as well?"

"Yeah, I was. It's only because I have free time though."

"Where are the other people?"

"For now it's only me."

At Takigawa's words, Hirota suddenly remembered an unpleasant premonition. He spoke to Mai who was beside him.

"-- Just how many cooperative workers does Shibuya Psychic Research have?"

"There are four people."

Hirota's face unintentionally stiffened.

"It can't be that... ... all members are going to come, right?"

"Who knows? I guess that depends on the development from now on?"

Without minding Hirota who quickly got disgusted, Mai pointed out Masako.

"Midori-san, this person is Hara Masako-san. This is the client Agawa Midori-san and her mother Reiko-san."

Midori as well as Reiko politely bowed their heads.

"Thank you for coming at this late hour."

"No. I am the one who is grateful for allowing me to intrude your house."

"And this is Midori-san's cousin, Hirota-san."

Masako returned a nod at Hirota who bowed and greeted her. Mai pointed at the inner part of the house.

"The base is here."

After nodding and following after her, Masako abruptly stopped her feet when she reached right in front of the base.

Reiko and Midori who said they would make tea and were about to head toward the kitchen, were also stopped. That's how sudden Masako stopped her feet.

"What's wrong?", Mai said, looking back at Masako. Midori thought it was strange and watched Masako's figure attentively.

Masako raised her finger upright. She pointed it at the full-length mirror

"... ... It's watching us."

"Eh?" Midori looked at the full-length mirror. In that place only the corridor that was illuminated by the somewhat colored light of the incandescent lamp and the people standing here were reflected.

"From that door a spirit is watching us."

Masako clearly stated it was a door.

"It's a man. He's seeing the situation on the inside. He's holding a stick-like thing."

Midori shivered. What was seen just now overlapped with what she had seen. Someone's shadow standing beyond the mirror. Without even making a subtle movement, the figure was seeing the situation with patience.

Her eyes unintentionally closed. If she didn't do it, she felt like she would see it once again.

-- A body stained with blood.

He held in his hand -- a bloody hatchet.

"I can hear voices. But they have no relation to that man. I don't know whose voice this is. It sounds like a male as well as a female."

Midori looked at Masako from the side, who had settled her gaze somewhere fixedly.

"It says, you cannot come in. Go back, and go back and never come her again."

Midori opened her eyes. Those were the words that Reiko often said.

"But perhaps, that may have not been my imagination as well... ..."

She muttered it at a low tone.

"-- Huh?"

Mai asked Masako.

"When I entered the house, I had a strange feeling. It felt as if no one was inside the house."

Midori heard that and raised her eyebrows. Wasn't that something Mai once said? -- Moreover... ...

"I wondered why there wasn't anyone around. -- Even though Mai was right in front of me."

Mai looked at Masako.

"That... ... When I came to this house, I thought exactly the same thing... ..."

"Me too," Midori whispered. Mai, Masako -- and Naru who had come out of the base a while ago and watched over the situation, simultaneously turned to look at Midori.

"It happened when I first came to this house. When I went with my mother to look at the house. -- Even though mother was beside me, I was wondering why she wasn't here. I was wondering where my mother went to... ..."

A short silence came over them. Unusually, Midori could vividly recall that strange feeling of that time.

"-- This is stupid."

The one who grunted that was Hirota.

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The House in Which Nightmares Dwell 7.4

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