Trouble At The Office

The afternoon sun seeped through the car window, though its warmth wasn’t needed.

Satsuki and Ryoma drove through Shinagawa, humming along to classical music when they heard a loud crash coming from a large office building.

Satsuki slammed on the brakes.

The ground shook.

Is this an earthquake? Satsuki thought.

One glance at the building gave Satsuki her answer. And that answer was a dirty shiver that seeped into the pores of her skin.

Guess not, she thought.

The lady sighed, her tone seeping with disgust.

“You've got to be kidding me…”

Why do I always run into some sort of trouble?

Ryoma watched as Satsuki unfastened her seatbelt.

That crash was not something natural means could have caused.

It had to be a cursed-spirit.

That was the strong conclusion that Ryoma came to. He figured his aunt did as well, seeing how annoyed she looked.

The boy peered over his aunt’s shoulder and stared towards the building.

At the entrance, a flood of workers rushed onto the sidewalk, their faces and screams filled with terror.

“It’s a cursed-spirit!” A woman screeched. “Please! Somebody! Call a spirit hunter!”

Satsuki grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. To her, this was just a normal day of work.

“Come on, boy. The people need us.”

She then opened the door and turned her body towards the autumn breeze. She looked on the bright side of things. At least she could get a good stretch.

But before she could get out of the car fully, Ryoma said, “Auntie, wait.”

“Hm?”

Satsuki turned.

The boy’s voice was serious. Though it wasn’t as if he was the playful kind to begin with. In his eyes remained a familiar fire. A fire that was now burning even hotter.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Do you think there’s a chance that the spirit has connections with the Leech?”

Satsuki understood why Ryoma would think of that, since the only confirmed location was the Leech’s lackey in Shinagawa. There was a chance that her lackeys could still be here.

But Satsuki shrugged the thought away.

“There’s a chance, but I doubt it,” she said.

It was an office building after all. The Leech wouldn’t go after a cursed-spirit there. She wasn’t that desperate anymore. There was no need for low-hanging fruit. Not after she corrupted the loving spirit of Satsuki’s brother.

“Though who knows? Today might be our lucky day.”

Ryoma unfastened his seatbelt and reached for his wooden katana at the back of Satsuki’s car.

He stood in the open street as people ran as far as they could from the tall office building.

Clenching the handle of his wooden katana, Ryoma replied to his aunt’s words.

“I hope so,” he said.

With that, the two stepped towards the building.