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“Did you hear the rumour?”
Ken blinked, frowning. His classmate was gossiping behind him, pulling him out of his reading.
“What rumour? There are practically hundreds.” Another girl replied tiredly. Ken wondered if she also felt annoyed that her rumour-loving friend was interrupting her studies.
“Apparently, the pool changing room is haunted!” The first girl giggled. “I’ve heard all sorts: the lights turn themselves on overnight, the taps drip even though the caretaker makes sure they’re tight before he leaves, stuff like the pool ropes end up thrown all over the floor… spooky, right?!”
“Or…” her friend - oh yes, her name was Himeko - started, flipping a page in her textbook. “Someone’s pulling a nasty prank on the caretaker.”
“What, you won’t even consider if it’s a ghost?”
Ken swallowed thickly. Of course not, they don’t exist…
“Hey there!” A boy interrupted. Ken glanced back and his eyes widened. It was Motomiya, a boy from two classes below theirs. He was popular among the sports teams for his athleticism and friendly disposition. What was he doing here?
“What?” The first girl’s tone was cold, startling Ken. What was her problem?
“Was coming to chat with a friend and overheard your conversation. Could you tell me more?”
“Uh, why would I wanna do that?” she sneered.
“ Ayaka!! ” Himeko hissed. “What’s with the attitude?”
“Sorry, I don’t like eavesdroppers.”
At this point, Ken couldn’t help but step in. “It’s kind of hard not to eavesdrop when your idea of whispering is everyone else’s full volume.” he snarked. There were some snickers from other nearby students.
Ayaka gaped at him. “I-Ichijouji-kun! I’m sorry, did our conversation disrupt your studying?”
“You were disrupting everyone’s studying.” Another girl jumped in, the blond boy beside her looking rather disdainfully at Ayaka.
“Ah, Hikari-chan!” Motomiya smiled; it was rather more subdued than Ken was used to seeing. “Takeru! I came to talk to you guys.”
“We heard,” The boy - Takeru Takeishi - joked. “We’ve heard the rumours, too; we planned on asking around after free study ended.”
“I finished my studying so I came over right away.” Motomiya laughed.
“You? Finished studying? Wow, never thought I’d see the day.” Takeru teased. Motomiya pouted and went to argue when Hikari interrupted.
“We’re here for a reason , knock it off you two.” Then she turned to Ayaka. “Since you were so excited to tell your friend about this rumour, you wouldn’t mind telling us too, right?”
“Telling my friend and telling you occult club weirdos are two entirely separate things.” She rolled her eyes. “Go ask someone else.”
Himeko tutted. “Wow, you sure like acting all cutesy and nice when it suits you, huh?”
“What?! Why are you scolding me ?”
“Because you were horrifically rude and, to be frank, I’m embarrassed to be seen with you right now.” She snapped back. “Go away and come back when you learn some respect.” With that, Himeko returned to her textbook. Ayaka floundered for a moment, face reddening the longer the silence continued, before throwing the dirtiest look at Motomiya and stalking back to her seat.
“What a brat.” Ken muttered to himself, turning back to his own book. He realised that he’d completely lost where he’d been, sighing irritably.
“Hey, umm, Ichijouji?” Ken looked up to find a sheepish-looking Motomiya smiling down at him. “Thanks for standing up for me. Sorry we interrupted your studying.” He turned to the girl behind him. “You too, Asakawa. Thanks.” She simply nodded and returned to her work.
“Oh, no, it wasn’t you who interrupted me.” Ken smiled. “I’m sorry my classmate has a severe lack of decorum.” Motomiya frowned. “Uh- that is, a lack of manners.”
Motomiya’s mouth formed a small o. “I see.” He shuffled for a moment.
“Daisuke-kun?” Hikari’s voice jolted him. “Let’s go see if we can find out more about those rumours.”
“Right, sorry.” he chuckled, scratching his head. He turned back to Ken. “It was nice talking to you. Oh, I’m Daisuke Motomiya, by the way.”
Ken smiled. “I know. I’m Ken Ichijouji.” For a moment, he considered leaving it at that. But in the end, his curiosity won out. “So, the occult club?”
Daisuke’s eyes brightened. “Are you interested? We’re always welcoming to new members- Wait. How do you know me?”
“Oh no, I’m just curious. Also, all the sports clubs are fond of you, since you’re so active and willing to volunteer for events.” Motomiya’s cheeks turned a soft pink. Cute… Ken blinked. What??
“Geez, Daisuke-kun,” Takeru sighed and grabbed him by the elbow. “You can flirt later, we have research to do.”
“I’m not flirting ,” Motomiya said, flustered. “I’m allowed to make friends, y’know.”
“You are later . Right now, we need to go info-gathering.”
“Yes, boss.” Motomiya quipped, sending Ken a soft smile and a wave before leaving.
What interesting people… the occult club, huh? Ken mused, turning back to his notes. Suddenly, they didn’t seem all that important. I wonder… No, that was forever ago. Just a trauma response.
He sighed and glanced up at the clock. Just checking it out wouldn’t hurt, right?
--------------
Ken stared up at the sign above the door, declaring it as the occult club’s room. He shuffled a little anxiously; was this really a good idea? Maybe he should just go home, no reason to be so nosy. It wasn’t his place and he had his own club to worry about, even if he didn’t have it today. Just as he was about to leave, the door slid open.
“Oh! I thought I sensed someone out here,” Hikari said with a smile. “What brings you here, Ichijouji-kun?”
“Curiosity?” He laughed a little, ran a hand through his hair. Sensed…?
Hikari’s smile was disarming as she stepped aside. “You’re welcome to join us for this afternoon, as a taster session.”
“Umm, thanks.” Ken stepped in after a moment, glancing around.
It was brighter than he expected, almost homely despite being a school clubroom. The window had dark, heavy curtains, there was a little desk underneath it laden with snacks, drinks, even a mini-fridge (when he asked later where it had come from, Takeru replied, “My brother got me it for my birthday this year”), the bookshelves were packed with books of all sizes and lengths as well as housing the club members’ belongings, and there was a computer pushed against the opposite wall from it. The most interesting thing, though, was the central table; it was scattered with odd items, like crystals, bundles of herbs and boxes of salt, a ouija board-
“Why on earth is there a ouija board in here?” Ken asked, eyes widening.
“Don’t worry, we rarely use it,” Motomiya replied flippantly, leaning back in his chair as he read an old-looking book.
“That’s not as reassuring as you probably think it is.” Another member snarked. He looked younger than them, with serious eyes and a no-nonsense attitude. He turned to face Ken. “I’m Iori Hida, from the year below. Nice to meet you, Ichijouji-san.”
“Uh- you too?” He glanced around. “Does everyone know who I am?”
“Duh, you’re the school’s football star and resident heartthrob.” A senior said, her voice light. “I’m Miyako Inoue, a third year. Just call me Miyako, I don’t like being called senpai”.
“Nice to meet you, Inoue-san.” he smiled. Heartthrob??
Inoue sighed. “I guess that’ll do for now. What brings you here? Don’t you have practice?”
“It got called off ‘cause of the bad weather.” Motomiya’s voice floated out from behind his book. “A bunch of sports clubs are upset about it; it’s almost tourney season and there isn’t enough indoor room for ‘em all. Ah-hah!” He tipped his chair back onto all four legs and practically slammed his book into the table. “Found it!”
The other members crowded around him, Ken following after a moment of hesitation. Takeru reached out and ran his finger along the page as he read aloud.
“‘Disaster at Local High School: First Year Found Dead. The body of a first year boy was found in the school’s pool storage room after he was reported missing almost 6 days ago. It appears he was trapped when a large shelf of equipment collapsed on top of him. The pool had been closed for several weeks due to renovations and so no-one should have been in that storage room, the school said in an official statement. The police are investigating the matter and have asked the school and its students for complete transparency in order to give the boy’s relatives closure.’” He whistled softly. “That’s terrible.”
“Yeah,” Hikari murmured.
“Something about this is bothering me,” Inoue mused. “If the pool was closed for renovations, how did he get into the storage room? It should have been locked up, both the room itself and the general pool area. Was it a cruel prank pulled on him that just ended horribly?”
“I’ll keep looking, maybe there’s a follow-up article.” Motomiya said.
“Okay. Would you like a drink?” Hida offered. He agreed with a grateful smile and Hida headed over to their snack table.
Ken was surprised. The group seemed very close-knit, and it seemed that they took their researching very seriously. It made him feel wistful - his club worked well together, but more like a well-oiled machine - cordial but not close friends.
How he wished he had friends like these…
“Ichijouji?” He jolted and turned to Motomiya, who was frowning. “Are you okay? You were spacing out.”
“I’m fine,” he reassured him. “I kinda envy what you guys have.” He said this softly, under the chatter of the others. It made him nervous to be so open with someone who was practically a stranger, but something about this other boy was easy to trust.
“You could always join us, you know. Like I said earlier, we’re always accepting new members.”
Ken bit his lip. “ I don’t know… I already have my hands full with the football club and my studies, I don’t think I have the time for another club.”
“It doesn’t have to be full time. We can work out a way for you to just join us when you’re free, like today.”
“Don’t badger him, Daisuke!” Inoue cut in, frowning. “If he can’t join, then he can’t join.”
Motomiya pouted. “I’m not badgering him. I just… I don’t know, I got this feeling like we can help him somehow.”
“Help him? With what?” Takeru inquired.
“If I knew that, I woulda said so,” he grumbled. “I don’t get why you guys accept Hikari-chan’s senses more than mine.”
“Sorry that I’m skeptical, it’s literally my job in this club,” Inoue quipped. “Besides, Hikari-chan has proven her abilities time and again, and this is the first time you’ve ever spoken about something like this.”
“No, it’s not.” Ken only heard Motomiya’s muttering because they were so close. He sighed. “Whatever, it’s probably not important anyway.” With that, he slouched back to his seat and flipped half-heartedly through the pages of another book.
“Sorry about him,” Inoue huffed. “He’s not usually so grouchy. Must be the weather or something.”
“Maybe he’s tired of being dismissed.” Ken sent her a pointed look. “First by one of my classmates about the rumour, then Takaishi-kun when he was just being friendly, and now you with his feelings. I’d be pretty annoyed too, if people kept brushing me off like that.”
Inoue’s eyes widened and she spluttered for a few moments. At that moment, Hikari cut in.
“We found another article.”
Inoue hurried over to the table, eager to escape the awkwardness. Ken followed and the group gathered around once again. This time, Hida was reading from a tablet.
“Pool Incident Breakthrough: an anonymous tip given to police has led to the procurement of evidence incriminating a student in the death of a first year at a local high school. The student, who cannot be named due to child protection laws, was said to be quiet and closed off. There is also evidence that they were bullied by the classmate who died. Theories include the student snapping and killing him, or a revenge prank gone terribly wrong. In any case, the police have detained the student and will begin questioning immediately.” He hummed. “That’s plausible.”
“I dunno… Feels kinda convenient.” Motomiya reached forward and plucked the tablet from the table.
“Yeah…” Takeru hummed. “A prime suspect being incriminated by an anonymous tip…”
“Not to mention they were being bullied,” Motomiya added. “You don’t usually get bullied by just one person, it’s generally a group thing.”
“So you think one of the kid’s bullies tried to get them in trouble using their friend’s death?” Ken surmised.
“Right.” Motomiya confirmed. “Maybe this was a horrible accident, a bunch of dumb friends dicking around somewhere they shouldn’t be. They panic, try to cover their tracks by blaming their victim.”
“It’d be easy to believe a kid being bullied would eventually snap back.” Hida agreed.
Inoue reached for the tablet, examining the article with a hand to her chin. “But it’s difficult to know without any proof. Just a case of one person’s word against another’s.”
“Well…” Takeru started. “If the bully is haunting the pool, maybe we should try to communicate…” He gestured to the table.
“You mean with the ouija board?” Hikari’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Besides, if the kid who died was bullying the accused, couldn’t he just lie about the victim’s involvement?” Ken pointed out.
The room grew quiet as the club digested this information. Eventually, Hida spoke up. “We could try to find out what the verdict of the interrogation was. There’s likely another follow-up article.” The others agreed, about to get to work when the school bell rang once more.
“Ah, we’re outta time.” Motomiya pouted.
“Then let’s make this homework,” Hikari suggested. “We can all do some research at home tonight, then compile what we find tomorrow morning.”
“I can’t,” Motomiya said. “I gotta cram for my maths make-up test. I already blew it once because I got too into club research. Teach said that if I fail again, I’m barred from club activities until I get my grades back up.”
“Oof, that sucks.” Takeru smiled sympathetically. “Don’t worry, focus on your test and we’ll do the research.”
“Ugh, this sucks.” Motomiya whined.
“Let’s hurry up and tidy so we can get home and start researching!” Inoue chirped.
--------------------
Ken stood in the school’s entryway and stared up at the rain. He hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella since the forecast had been favourable that morning. Looks like I’ll be getting wet
“Ichijouji?” A voice startled him and he glanced back to see Motomiya watching him curiously.
“Ah, Motomiya. You’re still here?”
“Yeah, had to go get some study material from my teacher. What’s up?”
“Oh, I just didn’t bring my umbrella today.” He sighed.
“Ah, that sucks. I tend to bring one with me everywhere at this time of year, just in case.”
“I should probably consider doing the same.” Ken chuckled.
Motomiya considered him for a moment. “Why don’t you come to my place?” he suggested. “It’s closer, we can share my umbrella and then you can borrow it until tomorrow.”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to impose-”
“It’s not imposing if I’m offering, Ichijouji.” His tone was light, teasing, and Ken felt the little ball in his chest loosen slightly.
“Well, can I at least do something in return, as a thank you?”
“You don’t have to…”
“I want to.” Ken assured him, smiling. He turned back to the rain. “You and your friends accepted me so readily, and you’re doing me a favour by lending me your umbrella. I want to do something for you, too.”
“...If you’re that set on it, then sure.” Motomiya conceded. “What is it?”
“I want to help you study tonight.”
“Huh? But, shouldn’t you get home?”
“I can call ahead and let my parents know. Please?”
Motomiya stared for a few moments. “Ugh, I can’t say no to that. Alright, let’s go. I don’t wanna be here if the weather gets worse.” With that, he grabbed his umbrella from the rack beside the door and stepped out, unfurling it and beckoning Ken over. He swallowed, ignoring the odd feeling in his stomach and falling in step beside his new friend.
---------------
“Ugh, this makes no damn sense!” Motomiya exclaimed, throwing himself back to sprawl on the floor. Ken frowned and looked over the worksheet.
“Hmm, this isn’t exactly clearly set out.” Ken muttered. “Just throwing worksheets at you and expecting you to know how to use something you don’t understand isn’t how you teach.”
“Tell me about it,” Motomiya grumbled. “Teach goes too fast for me, and I’m in the lowest grade. She wears her majority fail rate like a damn badge of honour instead of being embarrassed about how it shows she’s a bad fuckin’ teacher and it pisses me off.”
“Let’s take a break.” Ken suggested. “While you calm down, I can try and figure out an easier way to explain this.”
“Sure. You want a drink or anything?”
“Yes, please.” Ken smiled and Motomiya pushed himself to his feet, padding out of the bedroom. Ken stared down at the paper, frowning. His friend had been receptive at first, but quickly grew aggravated the longer it took him to understand things. He was probably impatient and just wanted to do research, but he had to pass this test.
“Here.” A bottle of soda was thrust into his face, making him jump and squeak in surprise. He glowered up at a snickering Motomiya. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya.”
He swiped the soda with a huff. After a long drink, he put it down and considered the worksheet again.
“Hmm… I think the problem is actually the method she expects you to use. It’s overly complicated, especially for a lower grade class. Even my grade was taught an easier method.”
“Can you teach me that way?”
“Of course.” Ken smiled. “You’ll still get points for getting the right answer, even if you don’t use the method she taught you.”
They spent the next thirty minutes or so working with the easier method, until Motomiya was consistently getting the correct answer. After which, they took a short break. Ken pulled his phone out and began scrolling through search engines.
His companion noticed. “Whatcha lookin’ at?”
“I figured I’d try to do some of the research for you. That way, there’s something we can contribute tomorrow.”
“‘We’? Then you’ll join-”
“Not necessarily,” Ken cut in hurriedly. “I just want to see this story through to the end. I’m way too invested to leave now. Besides, tomorrow’s weather is projected to be bad again, so I might be able to join you after school again.”
Motomiya beamed. “Sweet! I’m sure you’ll have a blast!”
Ken glanced at the top of his screen, eyes widening. “Yes, maybe, But right now, I have to get home before my parents worry.”
“Damn, it’s that late already? I’d say time flies, but I wasn’t exactly having fun with maths.” He pulled a face, then pushed himself up. “C’mon, I’ll see you out.”
Ken gathered up his things and followed Motomiya to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Motomiya.”
“You can call me Daisuke. See you, Ichijouji.”
Ken hesitated. Then, “Only if you call me Ken.”
Daisuke’s eyes widened and Ken tried to ignore the sharp pang of embarrassment. Maybe that was too sudden? He should take it back-
“Sure thing, Ken. See you tomorrow.”
Ken’s heart stuttered. “Yeah. Bye... Daisuke.”
It took until he got off his train for his heart to calm down.