Offer

Naoya sat silently, watching Aki and Kazu contemplate their current situation. They sat at the small table of the hotel room, slowly digging into the provided meal of karaage and white rice. Naoya didn’t have much of an appetite, but he munched on a piece of chicken.

“We’re getting extra credits for this, surely?” Kazu asked.

“I suppose. Well, I’m helping my mother.”

“Ah. Yes. I’ll ask for a few more credits, then.”

Naoya put down the chicken piece and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“Stop that right now. You’re the least at fault here. In fact, you could’ve gotten out of it already, but you chose to help.”

It surprised Naoya that it wasn’t Aki, who had spoken up. Kazu pointed at him with a chicken wing.

“So shut up about being sorry. We just have to stick together to ride it out until the Judges acknowledge everyone’s effort.”

“They do that?” Naoya asked.

“More frequently than you’d think. Souls stay around for only about two to three years before they have worked off their debt,” Aki explained. “Some decide to stay, like us, but most move on. I can’t blame them—but it does leave us shorthanded. Then again, with less people, more ghosts slip through, and the hiring pool grows bigger again. I suppose the system works.”

Kazu continued munching, shoveling rice into his face. Naoya put down his bowl.

“You decided to stay?”

Aki nodded. “I was released from my obligations back in the 1980s. But the work feels meaningful. I’m good at it. Why leave when I can make a difference?”

“I’m not so noble. I hooked up with a woman in the acquisition squad,” Kazu added, mouth full. “We’ve been going strong for over ten years now. I’m enjoying myself. Why leave?”

“I suppose…”

“I’m sure it’s still a lot to take in,” Aki said.

“I’m starting to wrap my head around it. I was wondering… before photography, was the barrier just… okay?”

“Precisely,” Kazu said. “I mean, painting a place also takes some of the energy away, but a photo traps much more, much faster. With smartphones—and the desire to post anything and everything on social media—this has exploded. Previously it was only happening in massively popular spots. They were easy to monitor. Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Crossing, and the like. Now people flock to any place recommended by influencers and a single person can take hundreds of pictures in an hour. We’re spread thin!”

“But you can’t exactly force any soul to stay,” Aki countered. “They’re free to leave once their duty is done.”

“I’ve been saying, the Judges should give out incentives to anyone who chooses to stay and help. Like a shot at a better reincarnation.”

Naoya listened to the two discuss the merits of their life and the afterlife, most likely being privy to knowledge that no living human should ever be. He wondered if he could stick around as a ghost and join their organisation after his death, if he asked nicely.

“So will your mother be offered a job when all is done?” Naoya asked.

Aki shrugged. “Who knows? Ghosts that curse people are usually exorcised right away. I have never heard of a case like hers. But… as much as I’d love to be with her again, I hope she can move on and be reunited with Akie in her next life.”

A sudden bout of vertigo made Naoya sway. He knocked over his bowl, which clattered onto the tablet he was balancing on his lap. The next thing he knew was Aki, holding him up.

“What is it?”

“I suppose your mother can hear you and has strong opinions. Only her emotions make me feel… somewhat sick.”

He felt Aki’s hand tremble on his arm, but neither of them said anything. It was weird, knowing that the ghost’s emotions spilled into his own, and that the affection he felt wasn’t all his own… but he did feel it in the end. It was there, in his touch, his gaze. Hard to ignore. Naoya couldn’t refrain from looking into Aki’s eyes, even though it was ill-advised.

“Don’t push yourself,” Aki said.

“Please don’t be so nice to me,” Naoya whispered, not willing to conceal his heart. “I can’t control… I just can’t.”

“It’s alright.”

“Is it? I don’t know.”

“Thank you for being honest.”

Naoya laughed. “For all the good it does me.”

“I’m going to sleep,” Kazu said from the other side of the room. “I need to sort my head. They’ll call us when we’re up next. Though I think Naoya might need a day of rest. He’s not a ghost like us.”

“I’m fine,” Naoya said.

“You’re clearly not,” Aki countered.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Kazu said.

Naoya was embarrassed when Kazu left them, evidently implying… something. The way Aki held him in concern was easily explained by his good nature, but the way his own heart raced and made him bashful was not so easy.

“When the Judges deem your mother’s contributions worthy enough, she will be removed from my body, right?”

Aki nodded.

“So will she join the organisation then?”

“It might be an option, yes. It depends on her.”

“Would you like her to?”

Aki shrugged. “Of course I thought about it. Seeing her again. One of the conditions of our service is that we won’t knowingly search out the people who once knew us. But like this? It’s uncommon, but not unheard of. To see her again, even if only briefly, if she decides to move on? I’m excited… but also afraid.”

Aki sat in silence for a while, then he took both of Naoya’s hands.

“Can she hear me?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t actually talk to her. But these emotions… I believe she feels your presence. Think about it: Her desire to stay with you was strong enough to curse me. I might not know a lot about these things, but the way I get treated… I can read between the lines.”

“You know I’d be happy to indulge you as long as the situation continues. Either your feelings fade once the possession is dissolved, or the Judges can wipe your memory off them.”

“Excuse me?” Naoya sputtered.

“You’re cute. It wouldn’t be a hardship. Or are you not into guys? I have a female side too. Don’t tell anyone, but with some concentration…”

The air around Aki shimmered for a moment and before Naoya could comprehend what was happening, he was gone and she appeared.

“How about now?” Aki asked with a grin.