Chapter 8

The good news: Asakura allowed Saeko to take a longer break tomorrow.

The bad news: When he told her that he's going to work her like a slave, he meant it.

Work came piles after piles. No matter how much Saeko managed to clear, more would appear. It's plain astonishing how much work is given to a small company like theirs. To make things worse, Hinata is suddenly very keen on asking Saeko for help.

"Yamashita-san, can you help me with this data?"

"Um, sure."

"Oh, and this one too. You wouldn't mind, right?"

"...No, of course not."

"Thank you, you're such a sweetheart! And Yamashita-san?"

"Yes?"

"Nothing. I just felt like calling you."

Saeko could only grit her teeth. Hinata is definitely doing this on purpose. As angry as she is, though, it was thanks to Hinata that she got a lead on Shinya No Manako. This is the least she could do.

Just endure, just endure...

***

Saeko worked so much, her feeling went numb at one point. She doesn't feel tired, or fed up, or feeling like she wants this to end already. It's like her brain has gone on autopilot mode that told her to work, and remember to breathe while she's at it. Oh, and to consume the measly meals she bought for her lunch and dinner. Even after her colleagues have gone home, Saeko continued to work. She even went so far as to sleep inside the company. Anything to get her work done.

And then, it finally arrived. The long-awaited ten thirty. Saeko got up from her seat the moment the time changed. Wordlessly, she looks towards the windows of Asakura's office, where the person himself is sitting behind his desk. He noticed her stare, stares back, rolls his eyes, then gestures impatiently to tell her to leave. She nods at him gratefully.

She managed to take a single step before Hinata appears out of nowhere and intercepts her.

"Can you help me with one last thing before you go, Yamashita-san?" she asks with a sickeningly innocent voice.

Saeko held back the urge to snap at her. Why does she has to be so insufferable?

"I'm afraid it has to wait until I come back," she says instead.

"It won't take much of your time, I promise!"

"Can you just let me leave in peace, Hinata-san?"

"No, really-"

"MOVE!"

That single shout made everyone stopped what they were doing. The entire office has gone quiet. Saeko looks towards Asakura. Even he was shocked, and is staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. Hinata was stunned, too, and Saeko takes the opportunity to walk past her and leaves the office.

Overall, she didn't regret shouting at Hinata. In fact, she felt a lot better after doing it. That woman had it long coming. Saeko is glad that she could finally snap at her. Now to Maeda's place.

***

As she's standing at the entrance of Maeda Psychiatry and Therapy, a single question popped into her mind.

How on earth did she managed to get here without a single guidance?

Like, seriously. There weren't any signboards that pointed her the right way, and she definitely didn't ask for directions. And yet, her feet moved by themselves the moment she left the office, and eventually brought her to her desired destination.

It's not just the route, either. The entire building looks familiar to her. From the color and design of the doors, the signboard, even a tiny crack next to the entrance. Again and again, she wonders whether this really is her first time here.

Well, no matter. She's here to do something about her paranoia, not take a trip down the memory lane. She takes a deep breath and pushes the doors open.

There are two receptionist counters facing the entrance. Both counters are painted blue, and a female staff is sitting behind each counter.

Both receptionists widened their eyes in recognition when they saw Saeko. Then again, it only happened for a single second, so Saeko was probably imagining it.

She walks slowly to the counter to her right.

The receptionist bows at her. "Good morning and welcome to Maeda Psychiatry and Therapy. How may I be of service to you?"

From the voice alone, Saeko could tell that she was the same receptionist who spoke to her on the phone yesterday.

"Good morning. My name is Yamashita Saeko. I made an appointment with Maeda-san yesterday," she replies.

"Ah, Yamashita-san. Yes, Maeda-san has been expecting you. Please follow me."

"Before we go, I need to make sure of something," Saeko says quickly. "I won't have to pay a single yen for the consultation fee, right?"

"You don't," the receptionist assures. "As I have told you over the phone last night, any and all fees will be covered by the government."

"You also mentioned that they launched some kind of welfare program."

"Yes."

...Something fishy is definitely going on. This should have been the time for the receptionist to show her a pamphlet, a screenshot from the government's official website, or literally anything to prove that the program exists. But nope, only a verbal assurance was given. To make matters worse, the receptionist's colleague has been refusing to make eye contact with Saeko ever since she has entered the building.

She better leave before it's too late.

"Um, I changed my mind. I'll just take my leave here," Saeko tells the receptionist.

"Please wait! We're not trying to scam you! We swear!" the receptionist tells her desperately.

"In that case, please tell me the truth."

"I-I can't. Someone expressly forbade all of us, even Maeda-san."

"Who did?"

The receptionist averts her eyes. "We were banned from sharing that information too."

Hmm, what to do? They're definitely hiding something, but they don't look like they mean her any harm. She could always go look for another psychiatrist, but the issue of money will come up for sure. She would also have to apply for another long break, something Asakura will never approve again. It's now or never.

"...All right, I will trust you," Saeko tells the receptionist reluctantly.

"Really? Thank you very much!"

"However, please keep in mind that in the case where you were really trying to scam me, I won't hesitate to lodge a police report."

"Of course! Thank you for believing in us!"

"Now that this is out of the way, please bring me to Maeda-san."

"Certainly! Right this way!"

***

Maeda is a man probably in his mid-forties. He's of medium build, and his hair is trimmed short. Saeko couldn't tell his height since he's sitting on one of those chairs that look like sofas when she entered his office.

He smiles at her in a friendly way.

"Hello there," he greets her. "You are Yamashita Saeko-san, correct?"

"Y-Y-Yes..." she replies rather nervously.

"Now, now, no need to be nervous. Come, take a seat."

He gestures towards a chair that looks like those beach chairs they have in pools; only this one is made of leather instead of wood or plastic.

Saeko does as he says and lies down at the weird chair.

"Before we begin, would you like some refreshments?" Maeda asks her. "Some herbal tea, perhaps? I got some good chamomile."

"Yes, please."

"Wonderful. Please give me a moment."

It didn't take Maeda long to return with a cup of warm tea. Saeko accepts it with both hands. She brings the cup close to her face and breathes in its fragrant aroma. Slowly, she takes a small sip. Warmth spread through her instantly.

"How was the taste?" Maeda asks her.

"It's very delicious," she replies with a smile.

"That's good to hear. Chamomile tea can help to calm you down and reduce stress, just to name a few of its benefits."

"I see..."

He's right. Already, she feels much calmer. Even if it's temporary, she could forget about the stress-inducing work environment, and also the eyes.

In turn, she has a nagging feeling that she used to lie down on the same chair and sipping on a cup of tea. The only difference is that she was drinking something else entirely. What was it-

"Now, then. Let's begin the session. Are you troubled by anything?" Maeda asks all of a sudden.

She looks towards him, and is surprised to see that that his right hand is holding a blue clipboard and a black fountain pen on his left. They weren't even there before. He probably went and retrieved them while she was alone with her thoughts.

"...Oh! Um, yes. You see, I have started to hallucinate. I always see a pair of eyes staring at me from a distance."

"Hmm, interesting. Do you see them right now?"

Saeko shakes her head. "No. They never appear whenever I was inside a building. Also, they only appear between the time at midnight and four in the morning. You know, the Witching Hour."

"A hallucination that is oddly specific to location and timing, I see. How intriguing... Please tell me more."

So that's what Saeko did. About the urban legend Shinya No Manako, her own experience with it, her investigation, the stories and viewpoints on the online forum, everything. She paused every once in a while, to catch her breath and take a sip from her tea. As for Maeda, he had been listening quietly the entire time. There were several instances where something Saeko said caught his attention, and he scribbled something on the paper clipped on the clipboard.

Eventually, Saeko is finally done.

"...And that's why I decide to pay you a visit," she ends by saying.

Maeda nods at her. "Thank you. Based on everything you said, I could give you a proper diagnosis. In the end, the eyes were just as you said, a hallucination, and nothing more."

"But, what about those people who shared their stories in the online forum?" Saeko asks in an attempt to argue.

"Let me ask you this, then. Did you meet up in any of them to verify whether they were telling the truth?"

Saeko got tongue-tied at once.

"It's pretty easy to come up with a rumour to get people hooked, you know," he continues. "Especially in this day and age where pretty much everything can be fabricated."

"I would understand if it were just tens or hundreds of them, but these people were in the thousands!" Saeko insists.

"Have you ever heard of the bandwagon effect? It's a phenomenon where one person would follow a belief or preference just because the others are doing so. Someone probably wanted to start a trend of their own, so they came up with this "Shinya No Manako" story. Those who saw the story wanted attention too, which is why they claim they saw the eyes as well."

"What about me, then?" Saeko asks. "Unlike them, I'm not craving attention or trying to start a trend!"

"You were hallucinating because you were tired," Maeda diagnoses. "Overworking and severe lack of sleep would do that to you. How long have you been working in that inhumane company?"

"Around two years."

"Two years of constant working overtime without a single day of break," he shakes his head disapprovingly. "It's a miracle your body could function properly until now. Then again, I guess that's being young for you."

Saeko hangs her head. In the end, were the eyes really something her tired brain came up because she was tired to her bone? It can't be. She remembered clearly how afraid she felt whenever those eyes were staring at her. No illusions could ever give her that kind of feeling.

"But... But..."

She tries to form words, but none would come out. His words make too much sense for her to argue back.

"Now then, anything else?"

Saeko decides to stop arguing. No point doing that with someone who couldn't even see the eyes.

"Well, there's one other thing. Is it normal for someone young like me to have amnesia?"

Saeko brought this up almost casually, but it sure rattled Maeda.

"...Yes. Again, you were exhausted. You'll have mood swings, start to see things that don't exist. Oh, and memory issues. And you will fall sick easily," he replies."I have never fallen sick ever since I have started working."

"You don't? Hmm, the young one these days are really something. Then again, it's still four out of five, no?"

His entire demeanour has changed with just a single question. Previously, he was speaking casually, like he's speaking to a friend. Perhaps he was trying to ease her nervousness. Now, he's pausing before he starts each sentence. Even when he's speaking, he speaks slightly slower than before, as if he's worried that he might say something he's not supposed to.

If he's not hiding something, she's a Mokumokuren.

"Say, Maede-san. Have we met before?" she asks him as casually as she could.

He shakes his head. "No. This is your first time here."

"Are you sure?" she insists.

"Absolutely positive."

She watches him closely, just waiting for him to slip. Before she could catch him, he clears his throat loudly without a single warning.

"Let us continue, shall we?"

Drat, she was being too obvious.