School went on as casual as it was. No problems whatsoever, and I somehow managed to keep up with the lectures that came after lunch break. Before I knew it, school was over and I was ready to make an exit. I grabbed my bag, but felt a gentle nudge on my shoulder. Curious, I looked over and saw it was Yohan.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my eyes widening a little before I sat back down at my desk.
"Me and Rika wanted to get some donuts, wanna come?"
Yohan's voice was the epitome of a nice guy. Yankee appearance or not, he definitely didn't act like one. I looked toward the front door of the classroom, where Rika and Rachel stood. Rika waved with an enthusiastic smile, while Rachel simply avoided my gaze with a pout. Hanging out with them, huh. It did sound nice. At this point, it was close to saying we had become friends, but…
I could feel it. Another gaze stuck on me. Despite my casualness, I didn't have it in me to look right back at her. Yes, that soul was Yumiko. She had invited me to go supernatural hunting, but I had no honest idea what she really meant by that. In my conflicted state, I suddenly felt empty inside as a realization struck me.
The moment I joined up with Yumiko, the moment I had these powers of mine, the moment I sought the truth, things like hanging out with friends or having a normal school life were no longer an option. And this was a decision I picked myself.
"Sorry, Yohan. I've got other things to do," I replied with a faint smile.
I was frustrated. This was the first time in my life I had been invited to hang out with someone. The first time someone had treated me like a friend. But it hurt. I couldn't repay that or act like a friend to them because of my predicament. At that moment, I wondered to myself, if I didn't have any powers, would I live a normal life? That was something I had always dreamed of. I sought the truth for some kind of answer that could help me get rid of these mundane powers in the first place, but yet…
I clenched my fists.
I was getting dragged into another tunnel I saw no chance of escaping.
"That's cool, we can go another time!"
Yohan's smile was enough to comfort me. He patted my shoulder and walked over to Rika and Rachel. Their faces were filled with disappointment, and I couldn't blame them. As Yohan and the others left, I walked alongside Yumiko, and together we exited the school premises. My negative energy had been fully restored.
"You alright?" Yumiko asked, her voice soft.
"…Yes." My reply was distant.
"You said we were supernatural hunting. What exactly do you mean?" I turned to face her.
"Exactly how it sounds like. We need to find a job."
Yumiko was dismissive of my question. It was clear she didn't want to give me a straight answer, but I didn't press further and simply followed her wherever she was heading.
"Why here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked at her again.
We found ourselves in the town's park. I didn't even know this place existed until now. Compared to the big city, it was empty. Just me and Yumiko sitting on the benches.
"There's someone I want you to meet," Yumiko said, her gaze shifting away from me toward another figure approaching us.
I followed her gaze and laid eyes on something I could only describe as abnormal. A guy who looked like a high schooler just like us, shorter than me, fully covered in a leather jacket straight out of a detective movie. He paired it with baggy brown trousers and wore nerdy glasses. At first glance, I knew I would never get along with someone like him. Was he cosplaying? Who dressed like this in modern times? And why did Yumiko know such a weirdo?
"You're early, as expected," Yumiko grinned and stood up.
I followed behind her and stared at the guy with an obnoxious frown.
"Yumiko, may I ask who this scrawny looking fellow is?"
The sudden remark from the weirdo pierced straight into my soul.
"This is Yuu. I told you about him earlier, didn't I?"
"Yuu?" The weirdo pondered before turning to me, then back to Yumiko.
He ignored me.
"Yuu kun, this is Kou, a friend of mine who helps with my supernatural hunting," Yumiko said with a small grin.
I see. So these two had known each other for quite some time. Don't tell me he's mad because a third wheel is interfering in their weird relationship or something.
"Yumiko, I'm going to be honest," Kou said, flicking his glasses. "I don't think I can work with this guy."
"I would agree."
That was probably the only thing I agreed with him on.
"Who cares about that. Let's get straight into business," Yumiko said nonchalantly, dismissing our banter.
Kou sighed and sat down on the bench, then suddenly pulled a laptop out of his jacket. Was it that big? He adjusted his glasses and turned it on. Yumiko sat beside him on the left, while I took the seat on his right. Before my eyes, Kou opened a browser and a link popped up almost immediately. A gloomy looking website appeared.
"Controversities?" I muttered under my breath.
That was a lame name.
"You must be thinking that's a lame name, right?" Kou said suddenly.
"Yes, it is."
"Kou created this website," Yumiko replied proudly.
"Huh? I'm sure he just used AI or something," I said, narrowing my gaze at Yumiko.
"No. Why would anyone stoop that low? I made it myself," Kou replied with a mocking grin.
"Despite how nerdy he looks, Kou is very smart," Yumiko praised.
"Y Yumiko, I told you not to praise me," Kou blushed.
What exactly was their relationship?
"Anyways, this website was created for Yumiko. The purpose is simple. Anything supernatural or strange that people witness gets documented here. It's basically a forum where people in this town talk about the strange things they experience every day."
"Wow. We're probably the same age and you've already accomplished something impressive."
Even I couldn't help but admire him. But why create a website? I could understand tracking events, but a lot of these posts probably weren't even real.
"What's the story of today?" Yumiko asked, clearly excited.
"Yes, the trending story so far is…" Kou scrolled and stopped at a post. "My name is Hinata, I am sixteen years old, and I haven't gone to school for over three months. My life took a complete turn three months ago when I received a gift from a classmate. It was a beautiful doll, though something about it felt off."
"Off?"
"Shut up and let me continue," Kou snapped, then went on. "For the first three days nothing happened, but it felt like it was always watching me. On the fourth day, while having dinner, our chandelier suddenly broke. It was brand new, so accidents were unlikely. Strange things started happening. We became clumsy, glasses broke, people slipped, rain started whenever my dad stepped outside. Everything felt like bad luck. Then it got worse."
"What happened?" I asked, but Kou shot me an annoyed look.
"Sorry. Continue."
"These incidents became more direct. A month ago, my dad was hit by a truck because the driver couldn't control the brakes. My mom broke her ankle when the stool she stood on shifted. I got injured constantly, beaten on the street, insulted for no reason. I was treated like trash. The world rejected me. It's the doll's fault. I've been locked in my room for a month now. Please, if anyone can help me, I'll do anything."
Kou finished.
"Ever since she got that doll, she's had nothing but bad luck," Yumiko explained. "But this isn't natural misfortune. It's being forced."
"But why?" I asked.
"Someone probably made a contract with a supernatural and cursed her."
"That's vile," I muttered.
"She's been robbed of a normal life," Kou added. "She's probably mentally broken."
"I have her address. Should we move?" Kou asked.
"Yes. Let's go."
It seemed we were heading to the girl's home. Despite how dangerous it sounded, both Yumiko and Kou were calm. Was this normal to them? That thought alone was disturbing. But I had no choice but to follow.
It was time for my first supernatural hunt.