Trouble (Summer Special double Chapter release 11-12)

~Chapter 12~

In the 2 years working as a part-timer at the manga-café, Naito was never excited to start to work. He would just take his things and go there, just because it was the least uncomfortable job he could find, and could be well paid for. This morning was a first experience for him. It was the first time he rushed to work. He took his dream journal and notes with him, so that he could write more about what he managed to figure out in his last dream, and he couldn’t wait to tell Airi.

“Yo. It’s been a while.”

“Hey...Jin. How are things?”
“It’s been very hectic actually; a group of university students showed up around midnight and stayed until 04.00 in the morning. They were incredibly loud - I suppose they were totally wasted. I think they noticed they were alone and took the opportunity to behave like animals. But they had 2 beauties with them, they were so cute, mate.. These guys were so lucky.”

“Yeah, yeah, it happens. Get used to situations like this.”

“It’s ok, in South Korea people tend to be louder and more rude than the Japanese. I was working at a convenience store before moving to Japan to study. You can’t imagine what kind of people I had to deal with every day..”

“Yeah, too bad.”

Why is he suddenly so chatty.. Can’t he just go and let me do my job in peace?

“I am studying Business Management you see, so I try to treat customers with respect, even if they don’t deserve it. We have many psychology-related courses in the university. I don’t have so many friends in Japan, so our customers are the only people I can practice my knowledge on..”

“Is that so. Good for you.”

“Are you a student too? You seem smart. What do you study?”
“Uhm .. yeah, I’m studying Computer Science.”
“I was right to think you looked smart! In which year are you?”

“I’m in my fourth year….”
“So you’re finishing studies this year? Awesome!”
“Yeah, I think so..”

“Let’s get some drinks sometime and talk more, Naito!”

“Sure…”

It was one of the many times that Naito played the “ok, let’s go sometime - but never actually go” game. Although he tried to be as distant as possible, people would come to him at the university - especially girls - and ask him to join karaoke parties, barbecues and drinking nights. He would always try to deny, and when they insisted he would just accept reluctantly, and just ask for the place to meet them, saying that he forgot his phone, to avoid exchanging contact information. After 2 years, most people realized that he didn’t want to socialize so much, so they didn’t annoy him. His only problem was when he had team projects. Why do students want to go out so often? What is so interesting about meeting the same people again and again and just drink to have fun? There were times when he couldn’t avoid these gatherings. He had to go to a café to work on the project, and then the others would keep him longer to eat after finishing their tasks.

Jin-woon kind of got the hint that Naito wasn’t exactly sociable, but that didn’t seem to affect him. Annoyingly enough, he seemed more enthusiastic that he had to “fight” to gain Naito’s interest.

What a bother...

He looked again at Naito with his eyes lightened up, and a smile from ear to ear, and headed to the locker room to get his stuff. Naito took a deep breath of relief and sat on the chair behind the reception. He almost never left his things in the locker room. The only items someone could find inside his locker were a pile of ramen, some vitamin supplements, instant coffee and occasionally other miscellaneous stuff like tissues and medicine.

He checked the big clock on the wall, showing 08.03. That was only 10 minutes that he was talking to me? It felt like half an hour… He quickly checked which booths were occupied, if the drinks stall was clean and the containers full, and he got lost in his own thoughts. He wrote down everything he could make from his dream after reading it again from his journal. He was trying to connect every hint of his behavior with neurological and psychological reasoning. Everything has a logical explanation behind it. The only issue is if you can actually see it.

After around 15 minutes the door opened. Naito lifted his head and stood up to welcome the customer. Instead of a customer, it was Airi who walked inside the building.

“Hey. I came as soon as I read your message. It’s better to discuss the matter up close.”

“Hey. I guess you’re right, but I am working right now.”
“Well, yes but there is a reason I came so soon and not later. You said that you saw the shadow when I was leaving your house, right?”

“Yes?”
“Since you can see it, you can understand why I came at this hour.”

Why doesn’t she just tell me, and makes this complicated? Do I have to guess? What is it, a game?

Then it hit him.

“Oh, it’s… it’s not around, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. I woke up this morning and I didn’t see it anywhere near me. Maybe it got stuck in my dream again, or remained somewhere in the real world for some reason. I don’t know if it’s something to worry about, but for the time being it helps with the situation.”

“I see. Ok then, let's use it in our favor. The café doesn’t seem so busy yet.”

“Glad you agree. So, tell me your stuff first.”

“I did a thorough search on the internet last night, about scientific phenomena related to sleep and hallucination/illusions. What I’m trying to do is find a way to explain the situation in a more practical way, so that we can deal with it with corresponding practical ways. I’ll give you my notes later, so that you can read them too.

Based on what this occult-creep told you, and some of the things I read yesterday, I started looking into the matter from a different view. After some thinking, I started believing that the reason why that creature doesn’t appear in your dreams when you “summon” it, is because it cannot do it whenever it wants. The hint behind it is the time it enters your dreams. You know how sleep has 4 Stages right? The NREM N1, the NREM N2, the NREM N3 or Delta Sleep, and the REM sleep. I think that it cannot enter your dream when you are already inside it - so during the REM sleep stage, when we achieve Lucid Dreaming - because it’s like your mind has already closed its “gates”. So it has to be one of the previous sleep stages that creates a bridge between the dream and the real world. I doubt it’s the first one, because you said that it cannot go “back” on its own and it lingers around you if you are not asleep, even if you are sleepy.”

“That sounds quite logical. I believe we have a good chance with this scenario.. But how are we going to test it?”

“I suggest you try to sleep when this shadow is inside the room. I know this sounds not so comforting, but from what you told me so far, you must have done it innumerable times until now.”

“To be honest, I had trouble sleeping once that thing appeared into my life, but I have never fallen asleep while it is already in my room. Maybe it’s somewhere where it’s not visible, but I am certain I don’t see it around before I close my eyes.”

“That’s...odd. Maybe you could try to make it follow you in your room before you sleep.”

“Easier said than done, boy.”

“Do you want to deal with it or not?”
“Yeah, yeah don’t get me wrong. I’m gonna do whatever it takes. Just let me complain a little bit. It’s not the easiest task. Maybe it could-”

Suddenly a thud coming from behind them sounded extremely loud. Jin was lying petrified on the ground with his arms trembling and a couple of broomsticks which were standing next to the locker room had fallen on him. He was looking with wide open eyes in their direction.

“WHAT..WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING??”