The Invisible Answer

“Senpai, I implore you to withhold this incident from my mom, please…” Naomi pleaded, her hands clasped as if in prayer.

“I told you to go to school, didn’t I?” Eiji raised a brow, completely unmoved by her puppy-dog eyes.

“But I couldn’t let you be alone with—” Naomi glanced at Honoka, who was walking beside them in her school uniform, before whispering loudly, “...Specters! With the specters!”

Eiji reached out and grabbed the brass doorknob of the familiar dive bar. He shot a look back at the two girls. “Get in.”

It was official: Eiji and company were ditching Saturday classes.

“Skippy skippy!”

Naomi didn't need to be told twice. She hummed a cheerful tune as she bounced into the establishment, clearly not losing any sleep over her perfect attendance record. “I might even get a picture of Senpai sipping his juice for the blog!”

“Oi.”

Honoka followed, though her steps were hesitant, her eyes darting around the dim, cool interior of the bar. It was empty, save for one crucial ingredient currently shuffling out of the back room.

“Eiji-niisan!” Yume beamed, her face lighting up the second she saw him. Then, her expression shifted into something much more complicated as she processed the two girls trailing behind him.

“Nii-san?” Naomi repeated.

“Yume...chan?” Honoka blinked.

“Honoka-senpai?!” Yume gasped.

Eiji let out a long, weary sigh at the ridiculous collision of his different social circles.

“What in the multiverse is going on?!” Naomi bellowed.

⌁◉⌁

“So, you came here to... discuss something important?” Yume repeated, setting glasses of water and menus down with practiced precision.

“I didn't know you worked here, Yume-chan,” Honoka said, still looking a little shell-shocked.

“And I didn't know you were acquainted with Eiji-niisan...” Yume offered a tight, polite smile. “To the extent that you’d skip class together, anyway.”

“Hey, what about me? Aren't I a potential love rival, too?” Naomi raised her hand, sounding more offended by being left out than anything else.

“Love?!”

“Rival?!”

Honoka and Yume spoke in a perfect, panicked unison. Eiji just rubbed his temples.

“Kanzaki-kun and I aren't... acquainted like that,” Honoka cleared her throat, her face flushing.

“Then...?” Yume cocked a brow, her suspicion not entirely deflated.

“Oh, I’m acquainted!” Naomi chirped with a grin.

“She’s the founder of the Occult Club,” Eiji said, throwing Yume a lifeline before she overthought it.

“Yes! And our discussion is of the utmost importance!”

“I see...” Yume nodded, pulling out her notepad. “So, what can I get you two?”

“Two? But there are three of—”

“I already know Niisan’s order.” Yume smiled brilliantly at Naomi’s confusion.

“I’ll have a glass of milk!” Naomi proclaimed.

“Uhm, could I get some coffee?” Honoka asked.

“Coming right up!” Yume nodded and turned toward the counter, a somewhat menacing grin playing on her lips.

As the heavy atmosphere lifted, Honoka looked at Eiji gingerly. “Uhm... Kanzaki-san?”

“Hm?”

“Why are we here? And what was that about you being... an exorcist?”

“Oh, Senpai is a professional spirit-vanquisher who—”

“Put a sock in it.” Eiji landed a light chop on Naomi’s head. He leaned across the table, his eyes turning hard and serious. “I am an exorcist. I wasn't joking. This matter is as grave as it gets.”

Honoka gulped, her skepticism wavering under the weight of his stare. “B-but... what do you mean?”

“The day before yesterday, you tripped on the stairs. Yesterday, thugs tried to rob you. Today, you were nearly pulverized by a car. Your misfortune is… escalating.” Eiji laid it out flatly. “Sorry for making you skip class, but these 'accidents' aren't accidental anymore. They're dangerous. We can't ignore them.”

He leaned back, letting the words sink in. “Do you really think all of this is just a coincidence?”

Honoka sank into her seat, her gaze falling to the table as her mind raced through the laundry list of her recent bad luck.

“My misfortune... it isn't normal?”

“So you’ve figured out the type of Specter, Senpai?” Naomi asked.

“I think so.” Eiji nodded. “Meh.”

The floating eyeball flickered into existence beside Eiji’s shoulder.

“Eiji-dono!”

“W-what?!” Honoka jolted, her head whipping around frantically.

“What’s wrong, Takenaka-senpai?” Naomi tilted her head. “She can't see Meh, right Senpai?”

Eiji didn't answer. He watched Honoka’s reaction with intense interest.

“Is something amiss, Eiji-dono?” Meh squeaked.

“Ah!” Honoka jumped again, staring at the empty air where the voice was coming from.

The uncertainty in Eiji’s mind solidified into a concrete fact. “Can you hear something?”

“Oh... yes. I think I can,” Honoka whispered, still searching the air. “A squeaky, high-pitched voice. But I can't see anything...”

“Hm.” Eiji snorted.

“She can hear him but not see him? What does that mean?”

“Great question, Mizuno Naomi! It means Takenaka Honoka is an Auditor!” Meh spun in place, sounding delighted.

“An... Auditor?”

“Yes,” Eiji explained. “Auditors—or 'Listeners'—are rare. They’re people with the ability to hear Specters and other spiritual beings even if they can't see them.”

“Oh, kind of like my ultimate Sight?!” Naomi smirked.

“Not exactly! The Sight is an ability earned by Exorcists or those who have survived close brushes with the supernatural. Listening, however, is a sense you're born with.”

“I... I always felt like I heard things others couldn't,” Honoka admitted, her eyes wide with realization. “I just thought I had sensitive hearing.”

“Does it run in the family?” Naomi asked.

“Eiji-dono doesn't know, but there’s usually a reason it manifests,” Meh noted.

“Being an Auditor works in our favor,” Eiji said. “During those incidents... did you hear anything peculiar? Before or after they happened?”

Honoka contemplated for a moment before nodding slowly. “I... I have. It’s a low whispering. Gibberish. Distorted.” She winced as if the memory alone gave her a headache. “When the car came speeding toward me, the whispering got louder. It was so strong I just... stopped. I was overwhelmed.”

“I see.” Eiji nodded.

“Did we figure it out already?” Naomi asked.

“We most certainly have!” Meh spun.

“Takenaka,” Eiji called out, his voice stern. “I know this is a lot, but there is a Specter haunting you.”

“A Specter?”

“A malevolent spirit,” Naomi added helpfully. “Luckily, Senpai is a pro at vanquishing them!”

“All those 'accidents,'” Eiji continued. “The slips, the coincidences... they’re the work of a Yakubyo-gami.”

“A Yakubyo... Gami?”

“Minor Specters that bring misfortune and illness to humans,” Meh explained.

“Is she possessed?!” Naomi gasped.

“No. Most Yakubyo-gami don't have the power to possess. They’re lesser spirits. They hide, but I’ve never seen one disappear this effectively before.”

“If she were possessed,” Eiji added, “we would’ve found it instantly. But as it stands, there’s no trace of it. Meh can only sense the malevolence seconds before it strikes. It’s effectively invisible.”

Honoka’s expression turned grim. Knowing there was an invisible force actively trying to ruin her life—or end it—didn't exactly put her at ease.

“But!” Naomi jumped up, her infectious smile lighting up the booth. “We will definitely find it and stop it! Right, Senpai?”

Eiji nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching into a near-smile. “Yes. We will.”

“Your order is here. Sorry for the wait.” Yume returned, her prim and proper mask back in place. She set a glass of ice-cold milk in front of Naomi and coffee for Honoka.

“Thanks, Yume.” Eiji nodded.

“I happened to overhear something about... possession?” Yume asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Occult Club business,” Eiji shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Hmph. Nii-san, you dummy.” Yume pouted before retreating. “Maybe I should just transfer to your school and join the club too.”

Eiji heard her clearly but chose to ignore it. He didn't want Yume anywhere near the "business" side of his life.

“How do we find it, though?” Naomi asked, sipping her milk.

“Can you remember anything else?” Eiji asked Honoka. “Anything at all of note during the incidents?”

Honoka tapped her fingers nervously against the table. “I... I can't remember anything else.”

⌁◉⌁

Time flew by in Dream as they circled the drain of the mystery. Honoka was reserved, and extracting details from her was like pulling teeth, even with her safety on the line.

Meanwhile, Naomi and Yume had become fast friends, bonding over the best possible topic: embarrassing tales about Kanzaki Eiji.

“One time, Eiji-niisan came over to see my brother, but a dog started chasing him on the way!” Yume giggled behind her hand. “When he finally reached the house, he was so angry he didn't speak a word for hours!”

“No way! A dog chased Senpai?!”

“I was twelve...” Eiji muttered defensively.

“Was it a big, scary dog?”

“No! It was a Chihuahua!”

“Pfftt!”

Honoka even cracked a small smile. “Were you afraid of dogs, Kanzaki-kun?”

“No. What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let it bite me?”

Honoka chuckled, but then her eyes caught the clock on the wall. “Oh! I need to get home.”

Eiji’s brow furrowed. “It’s too dangerous for you to be alone.”

“Exactly!” Meh whispered. “If we stick close to her, we might catch a glimpse of the Specter when it strikes!”

“Do you want to come over to... my place, then?” Honoka asked hesitantly. “Mizuno-san? Kanzaki-kun?”

It was the perfect solution. It kept Honoka under Eiji’s protection and gave them a chance to bait the spirit.

“We shall let nothing harm you, Takenaka-senpai!” Naomi declared.