Archive of Our Own

Hearing footsteps while you’re alone?

Sensing eyes upon you from the darkness?

Plagued by screams of terror every time you fall asleep?

Looks like you’ve encountered a supernatural entity. But don’t you worry, Fun4re Paranormal Agency has you covered!

We care about your safety against threats from the world beyond, ranging from common ghosts to sprites to even demons. Our services include safety assessments, anomaly removals, exorcisms, protection incantations, and many more!

Don’t hesitate or else they’ll transform!

Guaranteed 100% success rate! Trust Fun4re!

______________

Subaru hesitated.

He was never the type to believe in ghosts. To him, everything had to come with a rational explanation, and blaming any inconveniences on the paranormal only indicated one as weak-willed and irrational in his eyes.

On the other hand… he was at wit’s end. Scratching sounds, mysterious handprints, voices whispering his name,… none of it made sense. His neighbors didn’t report any problems, his landlord insisted nothing was wrong, the building security dismissed his concerns,... even the cops were annoyed by his complaints. Staring at this agency’s website, he let out a tired sigh, wondering how life had gotten him to this state.

He was fine with the tapping noises inside the walls. He could just ignore it by putting on his headphones.

He could tolerate the spontaneous handprints on his mirror. He could just clean it as many times as he needed to.

But what happened last night… it was when he knew he’d had enough.

______________

The sound of music entered Subaru’s ear.

It would’ve been fine if he wasn’t completely alone in the middle of the night.

The knowledge got him to jolt up from his bed, except… it wasn’t the same bed he fell asleep on. He frantically looked around the room that was no longer his, his heart pounding heavily enough for him to hear. It wasn’t enough to drown out the music outside his door, though, and it began to get louder, more distorted as time went by.

Feeling his heart hammering against his chest, he peeked through the door. A strange living room was dark save for a single golden light in the middle, illuminating its subject underneath.

That subject was none other than Subaru. Or at least… another version of him.

The impersonator had its back towards him, continuing to play the violin as though it didn’t hear footsteps from whom it was imitating. Subaru, against all rationality, slowly approached the figure, his arm aiming for its shoulder just to try and have a good look at its face.

He really shouldn’t have done that.

The figure turned around to look at him. Its face was identical to his, save for the pair of blood red eyes that glowed under the darkness of the space around them. Subaru froze as its mouth stretched all the way to its ears into a smile, just as the room seemingly came crashing down on its own and took him with it. As he was about to fall into the empty darkness, the creature’s arm reached out to grab his shirt. Its face morphed into something demonic, an amalgamation of humanity’s primal fears, as wretched sounds escaped its mouth into a sentence.

“Got you.”

Subaru woke up in a cold sweat.

He clutched his chest as he looked around, taking even breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart. As his eyes got used to the darkness, he saw the familiarity of his bedroom again, and with that he felt more at ease in the safety of his own home.

That was until he saw the violin leaning against his closet door.

As though his body triggered his fight-or-flight response, the black-haired immediately got off his bed and stumbled towards the dreaded instrument. Conflicted as he was, he decided to tuck it all the way to the back of his closet, just like the way he wanted to shove it to the back of his mind. If he could no longer see it, it would no longer haunt his dreams.

That was the least he could do to have some peace of mind-

“Subaru…”

He felt a chill down his spine at the whisper. Not again, he thought, while his dull (not glowing) red eyes scanned his room once again. Nothing else out of the ordinary, it seemed, other than some kind of handprints on the large mirror by his door-

He swiftly went back to bed and swore to deal with them tomorrow.

______________

And came tomorrow, where he found himself staring at the last line of this online brochure.

Guaranteed 100% success rate! Trust Fun4re!

He’d read reviews about this Fun4re (Fun-for-are? Fun for all? Were they even serious?), almost all of which were positive. But then again, he didn’t know if they were trustworthy, for it was all too easy for people to make up accounts and fabricate some goodwill into this already suspicious business. Seeing how young the team members were only further confirmed his doubts; there was no way people this age would have enough experience in dealing with the supernatural, if those things were even real in the first place.

Though he could say the guy with red hair looked kinda cute-

Subaru shook his head, bringing his attention back to the task at hand. Right, he was staring at the online form on the front page, its vibrant letters asking for his basic information. With nowhere else to turn to, he dejectedly filled it up and submitted with a click. Now all he had left to do was to wait for them to call back. 

At worst, it’d just be a scam that wasted his time-

His phone vibrated almost immediately. The suddenness was enough to make him throw his phone against the wall, but the number appearing from his screen prevented him from doing so. After some consideration, he finally decided to pick up, not expecting all that much anyways.

“Fun4re Paranormal Agency here! How can we help you?” A chipper voice spoke through the other end, eager as any other call center employee.

“H… Hello?” Subaru answered, slightly taken aback by how sincere the guy sounded.

“Hi! My name is Taiyo and I’m here to help! What seems to be the problem?”

“Well…” Subaru forced the next words out, internally cringing. “I think… my apartment unit is haunted.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place!” said Taiyo excitedly, alongside sounds of paper rustling on the other end. “We just need some extra information from you, and from there we can definitely help you out!”

“Okay…” He’s taking this seriously?

“Great! Why don’t we start with the basics? Tell me everything unusual that has been happening in your home.”

“Well… I hear scratching sounds coming from the corners of my room. Usually in the spot that is blocked by my closet.”

“I see. Do you have any pets?”

“No, I live alone.” Subaru sighed. “I’ve also called pest control to check it out, but apparently they didn’t find anything either.”

“No sign of pests…” Taiyo repeated what Subaru had said, as if he was writing it down. “And when pest control came and checked, did you get to see that spot yourself?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you see any scratch marks?”

“Um… I’m not sure…” Subaru tried to recall. “I saw some jagged lines running down the side of the wall. I asked pest control about them and they said there was nothing. I guess that doesn’t count.”

“Oh no, they do!” Subaru felt a chill down his spine at those words. “These marks are only visible to those directly affected by the anomaly. You have a good eye there, uhh…” 

“...Takaya Subaru.”

“You have a good eye there, Subaru! We’re getting somewhere!”

“Wait, really?” Subaru asked, somewhat in disbelief (and weirded out by the casual first name basis). “You don’t think it’s too… ridiculous?”

“All your concerns are valid, even the tiniest inconvenience.” Taiyo’s voice turned soft, as if he could sense his client’s insecurity on the other line. “We’ve dealt with much, much crazier stuff in the past. Banshees, sprites, goblins, you name it!”

Subaru felt color disappearing from his face. “Th- They’re real?”

“All of them! You should see the photos we took when-” Taiyo didn’t get to finish when another voice called out from his line. They mumbled something that Subaru struggled to make out (not that he wanted to eavesdrop) before returning to the call. “Ah, sorry. Those photos are confidential.”

“It’s alright.” As if he wanted to see them in the first place.

“Thank you for your understanding.” Taiyo chuckled nervously, before swiftly returning to his casual professionalism. “Anything else?”

“Um… yeah, actually.” Subaru felt reluctant to continue, but at the same time he was… relieved? This was, after all, the first person to actually listen to his problems without calling him insane, and he even sounded sincere at that. “I also see some handprints on my windows and mirrors. They… don’t really look like human hands.”

“Can you describe what they look like?”

“They look like our hands but with really long fingers. Sometimes it looks as if something just dragged its hands across the window. I clean those handprints every time I see them but they always come back immediately after.”

A pause. Subaru wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. It could just be that Taiyo was just taking his time to write things down, but that didn’t really explain why he heard other voices mumbling from the other line once again.

“Sorry. I was discussing this with my teammates.” That did not sound good. “May I ask you a question?”

“Sure…” He had a bad feeling about this.

“Have you ever heard voices calling your name?”

Oh no…

“Yes…” Subaru gulped. The brief silence from the other line did not help matters.

“Seems to me that you’ve been haunted by a poltergeist.” 

A what now?

“For this threat removal we’d need more information regarding you and your home. It doesn’t seem really convenient doing this through the phone, so may I suggest meeting in person tomorrow?”

“T- Tomorrow?” Subaru’s voice shook. Taiyo, meanwhile, remained unwavering in the face of this threat.

“It can be any other date if you want, but we’d like to resolve this as fast as we can.”

“I can do tomorrow.” Subaru immediately blurted out. He could feel his heart racing from those words, from the notion that whatever was bothering him had to be removed right now.

“Great! Is 11 a.m. good?” Taiyo exclaimed eagerly, to which Subaru could only produce a small hum as confirmation. “That settles it then! We already got your contact information on hand and we’ll make sure to send some additional measures to protect your living space. Do you have any other questions?”

“…No?”

“Okay! I’m looking forward to our meeting tomorrow! Thank you for contacting Fun4re Paranormal Agency and have a good rest of your day!”

“You too…” Subaru muttered, finding himself staying on the line until Taiyo closed it. He needed to process all that information: What was a poltergeist capable of? Why do they need to get rid of it immediately? Was his life in danger now? Why was that agency name pronounced ‘funfare’-

Another ping sounded from his phone, this time to notify he had an email. He opened it to see the familiar agency logo once again, alongside very detailed instructions on how to protect his house as promised.

“Burn some sage around the house while opening any windows that are available.” Subaru read out the email instructions. “Traverse around with the sage until all rooms have been purified, but do not open the front door. Make some prayers while doing so, if applicable, then sprinkle some salt in the corners of your room. Keep at least one window open through the night.”

The black-haired sighed as he turned off his phone. Sure, burning sage and throwing salt on the ground would definitely send whatever ghost haunting him flying through the window. He wondered why he even bothered calling in the first place knowing that it could all be a giant scam.

“Subaru…”

He clutched his chest at the sound, that all too familiar high-pitched, trilling whisper. Darn it, the voices are back. Even with all that skepticism, he wasn’t sure if he had any other options at this point. He might as well just follow the instructions and see if it really worked, and if it didn’t he’d just not go to the meeting. He only hoped the smoke detector or his landlord wouldn’t come after him for this.

______________

It actually worked.

For the first time in weeks, no, since he first moved in the house, Subaru had a good night sleep. No scratching sounds, no strange voices, and best of all no nightmares. Cleaning the floor wasn’t even an issue since all the salt vanished into thin air as soon as he woke up, as though it absorbed any and all disturbances to his house and spirited them away. It felt surreal waking up this morning feeling so light, and as much as he hated it, he was starting to believe everything the agency had said.

Right now, he was sitting at a coffee shop, where he’d agreed to meet with a Fun4re agency representative. He felt normal yet also uneasy, for he wasn’t ready to know what kind of threat he was about to face.

It was now 11 a.m., which means that their meeting should be starting right-

“Are you Takaya Subaru?”

Subaru nearly jumped from his seat, turning around to see a young man staring at him. It was the cute redhead he saw on the website, his smile radiant as the sun shining directly behind him. The sunlight somehow perfectly encircled his head like a halo, creating an angelic, almost ethereal look to him. Even then, he remained friendly and casual as ever, chuckling nervously at the sight of his stunned client.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, sorry!” The guy exclaimed, breaking Subaru out of his trance. “I’m just wondering if you’re Takaya Subaru.”

“Yes, yes, I am.” Subaru composed himself. “And you must be from Fun4re Paranormal Agency, right?” Is that how that’s pronounced?

“That’s right! I’m Taiyo! We talked over the phone!”

“Oh…” Subaru muttered, his face turning red all the sudden. So the cute redhead was Taiyo all along???

“Have you ordered anything yet? I’ll treat ya!”

“Y- You don’t have to!”

“It’s fine! That’s the least I can do with all the spooky stuff lying around!”

Without even giving his client time to protest, Taiyo swiftly went in line and ordered for the both of them. Subaru begrudgingly sat down with his drink in hand, just a simple black coffee in contrast to Taiyo’s strawberry frappe that was filled to the brim with sprinkles and candy. So he’s a sweet tooth, huh? Cute…

“So, how was your experience yesterday?” Taiyo spoke up, after swallowing a mouthful of drink. “Did our protection method work?”

“It did, actually.” Subaru replied, a small smile forming on his face. “I slept really well last night, and I couldn’t hear any strange sounds at all.”

“That’s great to hear! Here I was worried it wasn’t drastic enough. I’m glad Futaba stopped me from going overboard…”

“Futaba?” Subaru tilted his head slightly.

“Oh, he’s part of my team. He’s also coming tonight for our removal appointment as well.”

Subaru nearly choked on his drink. “Wait, tonight??”

“Yeah. Midnight, to be precise. Are you busy?”

“No, no. It’s just… it seems so sudden to have it done tonight already… And why midnight?”

“Like I said, your threat has to be removed as soon as possible.” The redhead answered with a straight face, to which Subaru could only gulp. “Paranormal activities are usually the strongest during the night, making its presence much easier for us to detect. Are you gonna be busy then?”

“Not really…” Subaru found himself hesitating. “Can you at least explain what’s going on? I don’t even know what I’ve been dealing with here.”

“Right, sorry…” Taiyo scratched his cheek apologetically. “You’re right, I should’ve explained everything to you first. I was afraid it’ll freak you out, but maybe explaining is better.”

Oh no…

The redhead then took out a huge binder from his backpack, filled to the brim with sticky notes and annotations. As he was going through the contents one by one, Subaru could take a brief look at the anomalies featured in each page, ranging from slightly unnerving to downright fear-inducing. He hoped he wasn’t dealing with anything looking particularly demonic.

His heart dropped as Taiyo stopped at the page titled “Poltergeists”, as he saw what his tormentor actually looked like…

“Ah, here it is!” Taiyo pointed to the image, shoving the binder uncomfortably close to his client. “A poltergeist is like a stronger ghost. Instead of just floating around certain locations, it can target a specific person and latch onto them.”

“Is that so…?” Subaru let out a shaky breath, then it suddenly hit him. “Wait, is it following me right now??”

“No, it’s not! You’re safe!” Taiyo immediately reached out and held his shoulders, grounding the panicking brunette even just a little. “This is why I wanted you to follow the protection method and meet all the way out here. You’ve basically repelled it for at least 24 hours.”

“I… did?”

“Yeah, and a great job at that!” Taiyo reassured his client, smiling softly to calm him down. Subaru felt light at his presence, like the sunshine had washed away all his worries in an instant.

“Thank you…” It was the least he could say after getting so much help from the redhead.

“No worries.” Taiyo smiled again. “Now, have you ever experienced this kind of haunting before in your life?”

“I don’t think so...” Subaru tried to recall. “It only started after I moved here, I suppose…”

“Then it must’ve appeared only recently. Which is great ‘cause that means it didn’t latch onto you for your whole life! That would’ve required much more drastic measures!”

Subaru hated how casual Taiyo sounded when he said something like that.

“Anyway…” The redhead continued. “I’ve looked through the history of your home, and…” He frowned slightly. “Has anyone ever told you about the previous tenant?”

“…No.” That cannot be good.

“Well, long story short, the previous tenant in your unit committed suicide. Her behavior has been described as erratic, as she kept claiming to see things no prior tenants had seen.”

The words sent a chill down the black-haired’s spine. If the voices in his walls hadn’t made him terrified for his life already, then the knowledge of the previous tenant dying in the very same unit certainly did. 

“You might be thinking that the previous tenant came back to haunt you.” Taiyo spoke up suddenly, snapping his client out of his train of thought. “It is a possibility, I do say. But there’s also a chance she was haunted by the same poltergeist that is haunting you right now, and it had simply claimed her.”

“So… which one is it then?” Subaru asked frantically. Underneath his calm exterior, he dreaded imagining himself suffering the same fate.

“We don’t know for sure. Futaba thinks it’s a poltergeist targeting the tenants in your unit, but it’s a bit unnatural for these things to be location-bound…” Taiyo hummed. “But then again, it could be that your place was home to numerous other tragedies in the past, and the poltergeist just happened to feed off the residual negative energy there.”

“Is… is that so?” Subaru was visibly shaking at this point. Taiyo reached out to grab his shoulder once again, this time making gentle rubbing motions to calm him down.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay.” He smiled reassuringly. “We’re gonna get rid of this thing for you, so you don’t have to worry too much about it. Plus, poltergeists thrive from negative emotional states, so the most you can do right now is to stay calm.”

“Okay…” Subaru replied quietly, taking even breaths to clear out his jumbled thoughts. Right, it was best to stay calm right now, since panicking would do nothing but let him make irrational choices, or worse: make him an easier target for the paranormal.

“You’re good now?” Taiyo’s voice was sweet as ever, effortlessly clearing out the chaos in his mind. 

“Yeah.” Subaru sighed. “Thank you for helping me out. I really appreciate this.”

“That’s what we’re here for!” Taiyo excitedly pointed to himself. “We always want to make sure our clients are safe and secure, both physically, mentally, and psychologically! That way the threat of the paranormal would be 100% removed!”

Against his better judgments, Subaru found himself smiling. As much as he wanted to worry about the worst case scenario, for now he felt hopeful for the future, assured that his threat would be removed soon and he’d go back to his peaceful life once again.

“So… Do you want us to come over tonight?”

Subaru looked to Taiyo, determination burning in the red of his eyes. “Yes.”

______________

11:00 p.m.

Subaru jolted awake at the sounds of the answering machine. Since when had he fallen asleep on the couch? Right, he was waiting for the paranormal team to arrive, and with that knowledge he tumbled towards the blaring machine.

“Hello…?” He called, trying to hide the tiredness in his voice.

“Hello, Fun4re Paranormal Agency here!” The all familiar voice of Taiyo sounded on the other end, chipper as ever.

“Hey, Taiyo.” Subaru tried his best to contain a smile. There was just something so special about this guy that warmed his heart. “I’m opening the door now.”

11:15 p.m. 

“Nifty place.” One of the team members, a young teen named Kazu, said casually as he set up the thermal cameras. “How did you find it?”

“I just saw it on a listing, that’s all.” Subaru replied. “I thought it seemed nice and affordable for a student, so I just went for it. I really should’ve done my research on its history, though…”

“Your landlord didn’t tell you about any prior incidents?” Another team member, Futaba, asked curiously while drawing symbols on the floor.

“No…” Subaru hummed, then something clicked. “Maybe that’s why he let me rent it for so cheap.”

“Someone’s desperate.” Taiyo spoke from another corner of the room, inducing laughter in everyone present.

“But what kind of person would go all the way here to study? This place has scary bad vibes!”

“Excuse me?” Subaru turned to the source of the remark, more confused than offended. The guy who said it immediately covered his mouth with a squeal, as if he wasn’t expecting to be heard.

“Hehe… your thoughts must’ve leaked once again.” Taiyo patted his increasingly embarrassed teammate on the back, then turned towards his confused client. “Sorry, Mio does that sometimes.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Subaru waved it off. “I mean, it does seem like a desolate place to stay for a student. I guess I chose it only because I wanted a fresh start.”

“Oh?” Taiyo turned to him, blue eyes filled with curiosity. “What happened?”

He soon regretted having those words come out of his mouth, for the black-haired held a downcast gaze as soon as he finished asking. Even his teammates seemed to cringe at the insensitivity, judging by the way they collectively stepped further away from the conversation.

“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to ask! You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to! I’ll just-”

“It’s okay, Taiyo.” Subaru calmly reassured the redhead, noticing how frantic he seemed. “It’s not that much of a big deal. I’m not that upset about it.”

“It was still a bit rude to ask, though…” Taiyo awkwardly scratched his head, smiling to push back his embarrassment.

“It’s fine.” Subaru smiled. “I… I think it might’ve contributed to the haunting.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Well…” Subaru took a deep breath, his shoulders slumped as the memory resurfaced. “I… I used to be a musician.”

As if on cue, Futaba turned to his client with stars in his eyes, startling both the black-haired and the teammates in his corner. Subaru didn’t have time to react before the brunette excitedly pointed towards him, eyes gleaming in excitement.

“Oh my gosh I knew I recognized you!!” His voice must’ve gone 2 octaves higher than last time. “You’re the Takaya Subaru! The violin prodigy who won the Nationals in three consecutive years! I can’t believe it’s actually you oh my goodness I’m such a huge fan of your work I watched you all the time on-”

“Not now, Futaba.”

“Okay.”

The brunette quietly retreated back to his corner at his younger teammate’s words. Meanwhile, Taiyo could only give Subaru an apologetic look, as though he was the one embarrassing himself yet again.

“Sorry…”

“It’s alright. I, um… appreciate his enthusiasm…” The black-haired looked away, looking somewhat embarrassed himself. “I’d hate to disappoint you, but I don’t play anymore.”

“Wh- Why not?” Mio spoke up this time, unusual for someone quiet like him.

“Well… I just thought it wasn’t for me.” Subaru looked down. “I played the violin and I wanted to be good at it. I never cared about prestige or competition, I just wanted everything to sound right or else I’d never be satisfied. I made myself train everyday thinking I could always do better, but at some point I began to neglect my own well-being…

“And then right before a national contest, I collapsed.” Subaru didn’t dare to look up, avoiding everyone else’s sympathetic gazes. “My parents had to withdraw me from the competition, but of course it continued on and someone else got the prize. I didn’t care about winning, but it still hurts to be forced out of something I worked so hard for. I couldn’t play a single note without reminding myself of that failure, and eventually I stopped feeling worthy of holding a violin in my arms.”

“I…” Taiyo struggled to form words, saddened by his client’s story. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright. It’s not a big deal.” Subaru sighed. “As for how I ended up here, I just need proper education at the nearby college so I can get a degree and a job. And now here I am, alone and haunted by some being from beyond our realm.”

The whole room went silent, save for the rustling of scattered paper talismans. Even with the rest of the team back in their positions, Taiyo remained by Subaru’s side, rubbing his thin shoulder in comforting motions.

“Are you happy about it?”

“Hm?” Subaru looked up, red eyes meeting blue.

“Like… did quitting violin make you happier?”

“I… don’t know, actually.” Subaru replied, feeling a lot more conflicted than he expected. “I’m no longer plagued by my failures, but part of me still feels so… guilty about quitting. Like I’m just throwing away everything I’ve built for myself. My life, my identity,… I don’t even know if I did the right thing…” 

The black-haired then buried his head in his hands, utterly helpless at his predicament. “I guess all this guilt was what got this entity’s attention, especially after moving in not too long after the previous tenant.”

“Hey, it’s good that you let it out. Bottling it up would only make things worse and, like you said, attract the poltergeist.” Taiyo spoke in a soft, low voice, calming down the storm in Subaru’s head. “And, you know what? I get how you feel.”

Subaru looked up, eyes widened a fraction. “Really?”

“Totally.” Taiyo answered with much reassurance in his voice. “For the longest time, I didn’t know what I liked. I kept getting into things only to quit once I felt I wasn’t good enough, and it was so frustrating when everyone else seemingly had their calling in life.”

Subaru nodded, but something was still on his mind. “And how was this…” he gestured to the ritual setup, “your calling then?”

“Well, I got in here out of curiosity… and boredom.” The redhead chuckled. “But I stayed because I enjoyed it. Not the scary stuff, obviously! I just like helping people in need.”

“But why this, of all things?” Subaru asked, somewhat confused. “You could’ve gone with something normal, like a policeman or firefighter.”

“I did think about that, actually. But those are all mundane struggles that could be resolved one way or another. Here, we’re dealing with things from beyond our world and therefore couldn’t see. And you know how people react to those things, right?”

“Yeah…” Subaru nodded, recalling the way no one believed him when he talked about what was happening in his room.

“I want to help those whose voices aren’t heard, and that’s why I chose to stay here. Even if the cases I handle end up in failure, which happens sometimes, unfortunately…” Taiyo’s voice trailed off at the last part, yet he pressed on. “I don’t wanna give up because I want to be here.”

The redhead looked to his companion, his gaze softened. “It’s fine for you to feel burnt out, I know ‘cause I’ve been there. But if you’re truly passionate about the violin, and by that I meant you have to really enjoy it, then perhaps you can try again. And if that doesn’t work out then sometimes it’s fine to let go.”

“Huh…” Subaru hummed, seemingly deep in thought. “I… never thought about it that way.”

“Hey, that’s just my suggestion. Take your time.” Taiyo patted his back. “You got this.” 

Subaru found himself at the encouragement, his throat constricting from how emotional he was. “Thank you, again, for hearing me out.”

“Like I said, it is our mission to keep you safe in any way we can!” The redhead grinned from ear to ear, making Subaru’s heart flutter. For someone who’d always struggled to make friends, who’d been used to sneering and isolation from fellow music students, he’d never felt so much warmth and comfort from any other person before. Though, Taiyo was only here to solve his haunting problem, and once that was done they’d just go back to their lives without any other reason to stick together. It saddened him to think about the redhead’s inevitable departure, for he wished they could stay friends for a little longer.

“Taiyo, I know you’re smitten with the client right now, but could you please help us set this up?”

“Kazu!!” The guy in question broke away from Subaru’s gaze to yell at the white-haired teen. If his dazed, half-asleep brain didn’t deceive him, the black-haired could’ve sworn he saw a faint blush on Taiyo’s face. Alone with his thoughts now that the redhead left to support his teammates, Subaru got reminded of the situation he was in right now.

This was, after all, supposed to be a horror story.

11:45 p.m.

“Candles?”

“Check.”

“Cameras?”

“Barrier circles?”

“Check.”

“Talismans?”

“Here. I’ve got the salt and sage too.”

“Good.” Taiyo examined the current setup, nodding as everything seemed to fall into place. He carefully reached for his bag and pulled out a bundle, its cover filled with some kind of script Subaru didn’t recognize.

“What’s that?” Subaru curiously pointed to the thing.

“It’s an iron blade.” Taiyo clutched the handle tightly. “Supernatural threats can be removed by imprisoning them here. The pure iron would burn their life source for eternity.”

“Silver works, too.” Kazu chimed in. “We just don’t have the budget for that.”

“We have this, though!” Futaba gleamed as he pulled out a shiny thing from his bag. A thin silver chain with a small pendant of the same material attached to it. “Please have this with you at all times, Subaru-san. It’ll protect you from the poltergeist.”

“Eh?” Subaru held onto the chain as he asked, his grip unconsciously tightened. “I thought you’re here to contain it.”

“Well, that’s the main plan.” Taiyo answered nonchalantly. “We have to prepare for the worst case scenario too.”

Oh crap…

“We’ve put up talismans to contain the poltergeist within this room, so that it doesn’t escape to the outside world.” Futaba checked the pieces of paper as he spoke. “We’ve also purified the space to prevent outside interference, and the chain you’re holding is to protect yourself from possession.”

Subaru’s heart dropped at the words. “P- Possession?” 

“It happens sometimes, yeah.” Kazu answered calmly, yet his gaze grew remorseful as he sensed the fear in his client’s eyes. “The chain won’t necessarily stop the threat from entering your body, but it does weaken its powers. We’ll find a way to get rid of it, don’t worry, but depending on its strength you might still get some kind of damage to your mind.”

Subaru gulped, already shivering at the thought of being possessed. So that’s why it’s the worst case scenario…

“Don’t be so morbid, Kazu…” Taiyo chuckled nervously as he approached the shaking black-haired once again. “Hey, if it makes you feel better, the poltergeist is still an outsider whether it gets in your head or not. You can still drive it out of your mind because you are in control of it.”

“How do I do that?”

“You just need to acknowledge that it’s all inside your head, and that way it can’t exert its power over you.”

Vague advice, but sure…

“Alright, the setup is good!” Taiyo brought everyone’s attention to him with a clap. “Now we just need one more thing from you, Subaru.”

“Wh- What is it?”

“We need bait.” Subaru felt his stomach drop, and Taiyo seemed to see through his fear. “Not you, obviously! We just need a source of negative energy to draw it in!”

“Huh? Does that mean…”

“It might seem rude to ask…” Mio spoke quietly. “But do you have anything you find particularly… unpleasant? Like something that might invoke a bad memory?”

Subaru blinked, once, twice, then left with an unreadable expression. It didn’t take him long to come back with an object in hand, holding it dearly as though it hadn’t been the root of his misfortunes.

“Your violin?” Taiyo asked, genuinely surprised. “Why do you have it with you?”

“Like I said, I felt guilty for leaving it behind.” The black-haired looked down, before shaking the negative thoughts away. “I… I couldn’t let it go, but I think I’m ready now.”

He handed the instrument to Taiyo, who hesitantly took it in his arms. It took Subaru himself to nod in affirmation for the redhead to place it in the middle of a circle of salt and candles, where the poltergeist would be contained.

“Alright, what time is it?”

11:59 p.m.

“Would you mind turning off the lights, Subaru?”

Subaru nodded, turning off any and all light sources while Mio lit up the candles. As Futaba reorganized the talismans and Kazu adjusted the settings of the thermal camera, Taiyo held a piece of paper close to his chest, taking a deep breath to prepare for the summoning. Subaru, as the target of this creature, sat on the sidelines while the team chanted in unison, feeling safe away from the main scene yet guilty for not contributing more. The candles flickered as the incantation continued, and the black-haired felt coldness washing over him even though he was nowhere close to the window. He tried to calm his beating heart, already anticipating the arrival of his tormentor.

0:00 a.m. 

Nothing happened.

The whole team looked around as soon as their chanting stopped, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. Other than a slight drop in temperature, the whole room remained undisturbed.

“Do you guys hear anything?” Taiyo whispered, still cautiously looking around.

“I… I don’t think so…” Mio followed suit.

“Camera’s not sensing anything.” Kazu confirmed from his spot.

“The talismans aren’t acting up either…” Futaba spoke up, voice shaking slightly.

“Does… Does it mean it’s not gonna-”

RIIIIIIIING

Everyone jumped at the sound, which turned out to be the doorbell. Subaru clutched his chest, utterly confused as to who would be finding him at this hour.

Wait-

“Can you check the door?”

“W- Why???” Subaru wanted to scream, but knew to keep quiet. “What if it’s outside???”

“We’re here to contain it, so we need it here.” Taiyo answered with a straight face. “And you should be the one inviting it because it’s your house.”

“Aren’t you guys the ones calling on it now???”

“Yes, but if it decides to show up to the front door like a coward, your invitation will be more effective.” Kazu explained casually. “You have the most power over your domain here.”

“I…” Subaru wanted to protest, but found himself choked on his words. It was his house after all, and who was he to force outsiders to open the door to his own home? Tiptoeing towards the ominous front door, whose bell was still ringing impatiently, he clutched onto the chain tightly and looked through the peephole to see…

“Subaru-kun? Are you in there?”

Subaru sighed in relief.

“Who’s that?” Futaba asked upon seeing his client’s expression.

“It’s just my landlord, thank goodness.” The black-haired clutched his chest. But then something else came to his mind. “Wait, what should I do? We’re in the middle of a summoning...”

“Let him in.”

“EXCUSE ME???” Subaru was whisper-yelling at this point. “I can’t let the poltergeist hurt my landlord!!”

“Subaru-kuuuuuun! I can hear you from out here!”

“I’m not putting my landlord in danger! I’m being serious right now!”

“So am I.” Taiyo answered just as defiantly. The duo stared down at each other for a while, before Subaru sighed loudly and accepted his defeat. Still, he’d only peek the door open, fearing the possibility of the poltergeist escaping.

“Yes, Atarashi-san?”

“Ah, here I thought you’ve ignored me already.” The landlord, Atarashi, placed a hand on his head. “Well, whatever you’re doing in there is disturbing the other residents, so I’m here to ask you to stop.”

“Oh?” Subaru was taken aback. He’d hate to call off the summoning now that they were at this stage, but at the same time something didn’t add up. The whole team had made sure to be quiet, and if anyone were to be disturbed, they would’ve come to talk to him directly. Why did his landlord have to be directly involved…?

“Hey there, Mr. Landlord!” Taiyo appeared behind the black-haired, who would lie if he said it didn’t scare him. “We’re so sorry if we caused trouble, but we just happened to notice a giant hole on the floor. Will you be able to fix it?”

“Taiyo, what are you-”

“Hmph! My building is perfectly well-maintained!” Atarashi seemed offended by this remark. “There’s no way there would be a hole on the ground!”

“Really? We saw it though.” Taiyo pressed on, much to Subaru’s confusion. “It’s been bothering Subaru here for a while, so could you at least just take a look?”

“Is it true, Subaru-kun?” The annoyed landlord turned towards his tenant, as if using him as leverage. “I’m not buying it until you confirm it yourself.”

Subaru turned to Taiyo, utterly baffled by what was going on. The redhead nodded in reassurance, and Subaru had to remind himself that the team probably knew what they were doing.

“Yes, Atarashi-san. There is a hole on my floor.” Subaru tried not to sound forced as he spoke. “Please come in and check it for me.”

With all the bravery he could muster, the black-haired opened the door, welcoming his landlord in. He had to resist the urge to hand over his silver chain, for the last thing he wanted was to cause the death of an outsider.

“Now, where is this ‘hole’ you kept talking about?” Atarashi asked with much irritation, before covering his nose in repulse. “And what the hell is that smell???”

“It’s just scented candles. They’re supposed to smell nice.” Kazu answered with much bite in his tone.

“Wha- Didn’t our lease say no candles indoors??”

“I’m sorry. I just need to-”

“Let’s worry about that later, Mr. Landlord!” Taiyo jumped in again, just as Subaru was about to apologize. “We have a hole to deal with!”

“Fine.” The man begrudgingly followed his lead, but soon stopped dead on his tracks at the sight of the containment circle. He looked horrified at the sight in front of him, but not out of disgust by some youngsters vandalizing it.

He looked as if he feared for his life.

And that was when something clicked in Subaru’s head.

“What are you-” 

Atarashi didn’t get to finish before Taiyo kicked him inside the circle. No traces of his clothes got caught in the candles yet his body burst into flames instantaneously. Subaru watched in horror as what was once his landlord writhed and screamed in pain, the flames melting off his skin and flesh. While the team gathered around to complete the ritual, Subaru could only stand in one place, frozen at the sight of the creature in front of him.

The same creature that haunted his dreams.

And now it was looking back at him in rage.

“Shit! I disturbed the salt circle!” Taiyo muttered as he frantically tried to fix the scattered substance. Using that as an opening, the creature lunged forward and grabbed his face, pinning him against the wall at superhuman speed. The redhead struggled to reach for the blade as he tried to push the creature’s face away, seething under the fire that he had inflicted on it.

“You little insect!” It growled. “You thought you could contain me that easily?!”

In one swift motion, the poltergeist extended its free arm to grab Futaba, who’d rushed in to try and place another talisman on it, by the neck. As its attention shifted to the struggling brunette, Taiyo got the chance to reach for the blade and slashed its arm, freeing them both from its clutches. The beast screamed as pools of blood spilled from its flesh, enough time for Kazu to come from behind and wrap a silver chain around its neck. The metal melted its skin as it tried to break free from the teen’s grasp, which was pulling it further and further towards the containment circle.

“Mio!! Prepare the incantations!!” Kazu yelled out. “I can’t hold it any long-”

He didn’t get to finish before the poltergeist grabbed him by the hair and threw him onto the ground. Freed from the silver chain, its body distorted further into a demonic monstrosity, regenerating any injuries as the blood red of its eyes burned with wrath. It knew not to play with these pesky little hunters any longer, and instead shifted its focus on its ultimate target.

Moving too fast for the naked eye to notice, it reached out towards Subaru, who couldn’t do so much as blink.

“Got you.”

______________

Subaru woke up screaming.

Taking even breaths to calm his heavy beating heart, he darted his eyes around, hoping to see anything familiar from his surroundings. As his vision became clearer, he saw the good old view of his bedroom, undisturbed as if nothing had happened this whole time. Confused, he kept his ear out for any sign of the unusual, to which there was nothing.

Has everything… been a dream?

Cautiously, he got out of bed and stepped towards his bedroom door. No sign of music outside. It should’ve been a good thing but a part of him felt so… uneasy. Everything he’d experienced earlier felt too real, too specific to just be a dream; even the way his hand was shaking right now just further proved it. After a few minutes of deliberation, he finally mustered enough bravery to hold the door handle, his heart pounding at what was expecting him from the other side. He took a deep breath as he pushed himself to just get it done with, and with that he swung the door open with one fell swoop.

It ended up being a mistake.

Blaring golden lights, classical instruments, room full of audiences… He somehow found himself in the middle of a performance, in the same auditorium that hosted the last competition he was supposed to attend. Donning that same old suit again, he stared in shock at the faceless, shadowy people in the seating area, all of whom applauding him for doing nothing but standing in fear for his life.

“That’s not what a prodigy sounds like.”

“Why can’t you perform something more difficult?”

“Don’t stop until you’re perfect.”

No, no, no… Subaru’s breathing turned frantic. I can’t be back here again!

He ran backstage, hoping to find the door that led back to his room again. Panic settled in as he struggled to pull the curtain, and even when he finally did so the only thing he could see was a brick wall, all sealed up with no potential exits in sight.

“Why are you not training right now?”

“Is that what a genius is supposed to sound like?”

“Why couldn’t you do better?”

He bolted towards the exit sign as the shadow audience continued to cheer, to celebrate his helplessness. Adrenaline surged as he slammed himself against the door, his hands too shaky to even turn the doorknob over. It eventually opened itself up with a click, only to reveal yet another brick wall on the other end. 

“Did I ever tell you to take a break?”

“You still have time. Stop lazing around.”

“Your performance is deteriorating. Do better.”

A hand grabbed him by the collar and dragged him through the hallway. Subaru struggled with all his might to break free, breathing with much difficulty from having his throat blocked by the collar of his shirt. He’d soon be freed from the grasp, thankfully, but not before getting thrown on stage like a ragdoll and hitting his body over the other instruments. As he tried to take his breath, his red eyes landed at the front row, where the demonic guest of honor was brought to his attention.

“Well played, Subaru.” The poltergeist clapped its hands, glaring at its visibly shocked victim.

“Wh- Where am I? What is going on???”

“You caught onto this surprisingly fast, I must say.” The creature made its way on stage, approaching him with a dangerously sinister smile. “It makes you all the more desirable.”

The black-haired frantically ran off, ignoring how his tormentor remained in place and not chase after him. Just as he was about to reach for the curtains, the shadowy figures held him back and dragged him away with much force. Struggling as he might, Subaru couldn’t escape their grasps, which brought him to his knees at full mercy of the demonic creature.

“Pathetic human.” It lifted him up by the neck, blocking air into his lungs. “I would’ve given you the easy way out if it weren’t for those insect friends of yours. Now you’ve left me with no choice.”

The walls and curtains started bleeding blood red, their patterns morphing into monstrous faces. The faceless people continued to clap their hands at the spectacle in front of him, gleefully celebrating his demise.

“Such a shame this kind of talent had to quit.”

“You’re just a coward who is scared of failure.”

“Do you know how much of a disappointment you are?”

Black dots started clouding his vision, and yet somehow the creature was still in his full view even in his last moments. Its twisted sense of joy sickened him to his stomach, but there was nothing much he could do about it now. He opted to just close his eyes, at least that meant he didn’t have to die seeing its face.

I’m sorry… I’ve failed you again…

______________

Back in the real world, Subaru’s body fell back with a thud. The poltergeist was nowhere to be seen, which would only mean one thing…

Subaru, or rather the creature taking control of him, stood up. Eyes rolled all the way to the back as its skin turned a pale gray color, revealing tainted veins crawling all the way up to its face. It stood there for a while before diving Subaru’s body onto a wall, much to the Fun4re team’s horror.

“SUBARU!!” Taiyo yelled out, ignoring the pain on his shoulder to grab hold of his possessed client. The beast struggled against his grasp, screeching and growling noises no human could ever make. Even when its sharpened claws dug into the flesh of his arms, the redhead made sure to never let go, making sure to tighten his grasp further.

“Stop it!!” He screamed as the creature’s movement pinned him against the wall. “I won’t let you hurt Subaru!!!”

Mentally apologizing to his client, he used all his might to shove the creature onto the floor, then immediately bolted towards the silver chain on the floor. Just before it attempted to stand up and hurt Subaru’s body again, the redhead got back to his feet and pinned it down, using the chain to bind its hands together. 

“Subaru!!” Taiyo cried out. He should’ve gotten used to this already, but somehow he felt so distressed seeing the black-haired’s state. “I know you’re still in there! Please stay with me! I’ll help you out of this I promise!”

The monster managed to let out another growl before, much to his surprise, going quiet and limp on the floor.

“Woah… the chain is so effective this time…” He muttered, still in shock at its sudden defeat. Unless…

“TAIYO!” Mio dashed towards him from across the room, then stopped as soon as he saw the unconscious Subaru. “Wha- What happened??”

“Prepare for an exorcism!” Taiyo yelled out, to which the blue-haired nodded and went back inside. He carefully lifted Subaru up in his arm, taking care not to hurt his limp body any further, before placing him down in front of yet another ritual setup.

“Is he alive?” Futaba asked as he formed the salt into a circle, his voice shaking audibly.

“He’s still breathing.” Taiyo confirmed, but he wasn’t happy just yet. “I say we do the usual, but let me sit inside the circle with him.”

“Are you crazy??” Kazu protested. “What if the poltergeist hurts you???”

“I know it sounds insane, but I think he’s trying to fight back.” Taiyo said with much determination, even at his teammates’ disbelief. “I… I was able to reach out to him. If I can do it again, we can get rid of it much more easily!”

“How are you so sure it’s gonna work??” Mio exclaimed, voice strained from all the stress he had to endure.

“‘Cause he heard me.” Taiyo took a look at Subaru’s limp body, his sleeping face neither pained nor peaceful. “He’s not visibly struggling right now, which means he's already trying to push it back. There’s a chance we can do this without hurting him this time!”

Clutching the silver chain that was wrapping around his client’s hand, the redhead spoke. “Please, let me help him.”

Looking at each other for confirmation, his team nodded, then proceeded to rearrange the salt to surround Taiyo also. As all elements start to fall into place, an incantation was cited, fueling the redhead with the strength to reach into Subaru’s mind. He would not allow anyone to get hurt this time, least of all his client.

“I’m with you, Subaru. I’ll help you through this.”

______________

Empty. Everything was dark and empty. Subaru could no longer feel his body nor the strong grasp on his neck, just a sensation of floating about with no particular destination in mind.

Strange. He thought. Is this supposed to be this peaceful?

“Subaru!”

Eh?

“Stop it! I won’t let you hurt Subaru!”

Taiyo?

Subaru managed to creep one eye open, surprised how he still managed to do so after getting all the air sucked out of him. Through his blurry vision, he could see the poltergeist’s bewilderment at this turn of event, its expression twisted from maniacal joy to anger in an instant.

“I know you’re still in there! Please stay with me!”

“What… what is happening?”

“I’ll help you out of this I promise!”

And just like that, Subaru felt Taiyo’s presence around him. Though not physically there to get him out of the monster’s grasp, he could sense the warmth he’d always felt from the redhead, the undeniable sign that he was there. Voices screaming out encouraging words poured into him at once, all coming from the same person who’d been by his side throughout this traumatic ordeal. 

The first person to understand him, to listen to him, to give him strength…

And he was here to help him out again.

“You won’t be alone in this. I’m with you, Subaru.”

Thank you, Taiyo…

“Why…?” The beast seethed, seemingly in pain from the way it clutched its head. “Why can’t I claim you?”

Subaru was no longer afraid. He felt a surge of energy coming through him, a sense of reassurance despite still being in a vulnerable position. He stared down at the increasingly frantic creature as though he was now the one taking control, so much so that he could sense the familiar metallic chain materializing underneath his sleeve.

“Let. Go.” 

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Subaru threw the hardest punch he could at the poltergeist. It would barely leave a scratch if it weren’t for the silver chain wrapped around his knuckles, which burned the creature instantly upon impact. He dropped to the ground as the creature let go of his neck, too busy tending its wound to even pay attention. The black-haired looked around for anything he could attack the poltergeist with, anything heavy enough to just wrap the chain around and beat up the damn thing.

Then his eyes landed on a violin on the ground.

His childhood violin. The very thing that started his love for music.

He picked it up and examined each and every detail, down to the little scratches formed after prolonged usage. It surprised Subaru at how accurately the violin was replicated, as if it was pulled directly out of his most precious memories. 

Oh wait, all this was inside his head right now.

What else could he do but to take control of it?

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Subaru spoke with a smile, his violin in position. “Let us start with my favorite song.”

“What the-”

Subaru drew the bow across his violin strings, his motion accompanied by a circle of light surrounding the ground where he stood. The light grew stronger and stronger as he continued on with the song, forming a barrier that would shield him from any harm. The beast came in without much hesitation and soon found itself blasted away upon contact with the barrier, screaming as the light burned it to its very core. More of that light came in bursts after subsequent draws of the bow, so rapidly that a once fearsome monster could do nothing but screech in pain. Its efforts to stand up and run towards Subaru were rendered moot by the shadow people, who instead held it in place to take more attacks from their performer.

Subaru didn’t care about how he was playing. Sure, he might’ve held the bow incorrectly or plucked the wrong string, an inevitable consequence of being out of practice, but to him everything just sounded right. For the first time in years, he loved what he played, cherished the melodies that he himself produced from the instrument that gave him a purpose.  

“WHY?!?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”

“Be quiet.” Subaru glared at the monster, swinging his bow to create another wave of light. “It’s rude to interrupt a performance.”

“ENOUGH!!!” The creature screamed from what was left of its throat. Using the last of its strength, it pried off the shadow people’s grasp and lunged at its supposed victim at full speed, more as a desperate move than a calculated attack.

Subaru remained unfazed. He was just glad he finished his song in time for the grand finale.

“Glad you enjoyed it!” He grinned while swinging his violin at full force, landing it onto the monster’s face and sending it flying across the auditorium. The audience broke into a loud cheer, to which he performed the usual bow and send off to end the night. 

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and have a good night!”

______________

The poltergeist flew all the way out of Subaru’s head and into his room.

“Woah, it actually worked!” Futaba exclaimed as he held onto his talisman tightly. The creature, now reduced to nothing but an undead corpse, growled and shrieked as it cursed at the puny creatures it chose to mess with.

“All of you! To Hell with all of you!! May you burn in flames for all eternity!! Lowly insects! One day I will return and claim that wretched human!!!”

“Damn. This thing got pathetic real quick.” Kazu remarked, somewhat pitying the being that was once a terrifying monster. “Should we just finish it quickly?”

“No.” Mio said grimly, no trace of sympathy found in his uncovered eye. “Make it suffer.”

“Okay… Take care of Subaru.” Taiyo spoke as he made his way out of the circle, stumbling slightly in the process. Wiping some blood off his nose, he effortlessly dragged the screaming creature into the containment circle, where it was set ablaze once again.

The redhead stared down at the poltergeist, sharpening his blade as he recited the sealing incantation. His eyes were unwavering as he watched it screeched and roared, until all that was left was a wisp of smoke to be swiftly absorbed into the iron.

______________

“That should be good.” Futaba muttered as he placed the last talisman on the front door. “How are the windows going?”

“Nothing so far.” Kazu called back while inspecting the thermal camera, none of its photos showing any handprints. “Anything weird over there, Mio?”

“Good.” The blue-haired replied as he cleared out the containment circle, all while mumbling to himself. “Why am I always the one doing the cleaning?”

Elsewhere in the living room, Subaru sat idly on the couch, wrapping his shivering body with a blanket. His encounter with the poltergeist was still fresh in his mind, still recalling how he’d just barely escaped a painful death by the hands of this beast. At the same time, however, he felt relieved, even oddly proud of himself for actually toughening up and facing his fears, both towards the poltergeist and the past he tried to leave behind.

He felt something warm touching his cheek, causing him to flinch. It would’ve freaked him out if it weren’t Taiyo standing behind him, slightly backtracking also in surprise.

“Ah! Sorry!” Taiyo raised his hands, one of which was holding a mug. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you!”

“Taiyo…” Subaru muttered, his heart calming now that he knew it was just the familiar redhead.

“I made some herbal tea… I thought you might need it.”

Subaru smiled, then gestured to the redhead to sit down beside him. Taiyo followed accordingly and handed over the mug, his gaze soft and comforting despite all the chaos that happened earlier.

“So… how is it?”

“It’s… bitter.” Subaru remarked following his first sip. “Is it because of all the demon-repelling properties?”

“You got it!” Taiyo laughed, prompting a smile out of Subaru as well. Indeed, the tea did help soothe his jumbled thoughts somehow, calming down any potential panic attacks that might arise following a possession.

“Um… Sorry to interrupt…” Mio came towards the couch, holding burnt bits of wood with an apologetic look on his face. “Your violin… um… it was destroyed… Sorry…”

“It’s okay.” The black-haired replied with no hint of resentment. He was rather relieved, if anything. “I’ll get another one when I’m ready.”

The blue-haired bowed as he scurried off to his side of the room again, leaving the two guys on the couch alone.

“How are you feeling now?” Taiyo asked again, still somewhat unsure about his client’s state of mind.

“I’m fine… I think.” Subaru replied evenly, without any trace of trauma much to his own surprise. “I still can’t believe my landlord is a man-eating demon, though…”

“Well, at least that means you don’t have to pay rent anymore!” Taiyo chuckled, trying to joke around to ease the tension. “I’m surprised you’re the only one he actively came after.”

That statement slightly unnerved Subaru, but he chose not to comment on it any further. Although… he wondered why he was the only specific target, while everyone else also had to experience some level of trauma in the past…

“Are you gonna tell him about his powers?”

“Excuse me?” Subaru turned his attention to Mio, who swiftly covered his mouth at his gaze. The black-haired looked around in confusion as everyone else turned uneasy all the sudden. “What’s going on? What powers?”

“Well…” Taiyo scratched his head, trying to find the right words to break the news. “Let’s just say that you have potential for psychic powers.”

Subaru blinked. “What?”

“You sensed signs of the poltergeist pretty early into your haunting. Most people wouldn’t know any better until their furniture started flying, but you managed to notice even the smallest abnormality.” 

“But it also made you a very easy target for the supernatural.” Kazu added, as if it would make things better for Subaru. “They see psychics as their enemy ‘cause they fear their power.”

Subaru gulped. He did not want another one of those coming after him.

“Hey, at least your powers made you notify us early enough to intervene.” Futaba chimed in, trying to ease his client’s stress. “That thing was crazy strong and it might not even be at full power yet! Who knows what would’ve happened if we came later…” 

The whole group shuddered at the thought.

“So… I’m a psychic?” Subaru asked, still very much in shock.

“Yep! And a powerful one at that!” Taiyo replied eagerly, which brought even more confusion to the black-haired. “We did have to use some incantations on you while you were being possessed, but we didn’t have to perform a full exorcism ‘cause you pushed it out of your mind yourself! You’re the first client we work with who could do that!”

“Is… is that so?”

“It came back in pretty bad shape, too. You must’ve been too powerful for it to handle.” Futaba recalled. “Makes me wonder if your powers were innate or awakened by the incantations…”

“Well, whatever that is, you could make for a useful addition to our team!”

“Eh?” Subaru turned to look at Taiyo, who made himself clear that he was being genuine.

“Yep! We at Fun4re acknowledge the existence of psychics, and we can offer to train you with your powers, too! That way you can protect yourself and others like you from supernatural threats!”

“Hmm…” Subaru hummed, completely deep in thought. Right now he was still too overwhelmed with everything that had been happening for the past couple hours, from confirming the existence of the paranormal to escaping certain death by one and now revealing himself to be one. At the same time, though, he didn’t mind that idea. Like Taiyo said, he could be utilizing this powerful pool of psychic energy in him to protect himself as well as save other people, those like himself whose voices would be unlikely to be heard.

And plus, the Fun4re team had saved his life. It would be nice to support them in return, and it’d even give him more excuses to actually stay in touch with Taiyo. 

“Hey, that’s up to you to decide. No pressure.” Taiyo rubbed his shoulders in reassurance, his voice soft and comforting. “Just know that we’re always hiring.”

“I’ll think about it.” Subaru placed his hand on Taiyo’s, red eyes filled with confidence. He didn’t know whether it was from the residual adrenaline from that encounter, but he found himself no longer afraid of facing these monsters anymore. Given some time, he could see himself ready to join the ranks of the Fun4re team.

“Great! Give us a call whenever you’re ready so we can prepare for your ascension, and after that you can be part of our team!”

Subaru nodded, then his eyes widened a fraction. “My what?”

“Your ascension!” Taiyo answered casually, chipper as ever. “It’s a ceremony for you to advance beyond the boundaries of humanity and become one of us!”

“One… of you?” Subaru couldn’t believe his ears. In the darkness of his room, he could’ve sworn he saw Taiyo’s eyes glow.

“Yep, one of us!” Taiyo put on a teasing voice, as if this was something remotely normal to reveal. “How would we even take on these creatures by being mere humans?”

“I…”

“Welp, I guess we have to leave now! Been nice knowing you!” Taiyo stood up suddenly, ignoring how Subaru was still trying to process everything. The rest of his team had already finished packing their stuff at some point, all waiting by the door for their leader.

“Thanks for the invite! Have a good rest of your night!” And out they went, disappearing into the night as Subaru watched the door closed.

Maybe a good night's sleep was the first thing he needed right now.