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"I know something you don't know!" sung the voice, a parody of innocence contorting his Master's lips while eyes shone wide and scared. It looped, over and though, a merry dance around Mob's head. "Don't you want to hear my secret?"
"Hilarious," Reigen deadpanned. "It's juvenile, and exactly the sort of thing I'd expect from some prankster spirit, but how uncreative can you get?"
Mob watched him ruefully shake his head. Reigen's hair was still mussed from the tumble he'd taken earlier when the spirit had taken him by surprise; a quick screech and a series of thumps was all that Mob had borne witness to since he'd opted to walk in ahead.
He'd seen something gleaming within the dark, purportedly empty house they'd entered and had wanted to be cautious. As simple as the job had been on paper, they always had a tendency to go awry. That was the whole reason he'd agreed to come along today despite no longer working for Spirits and Such.
Obviously, there had been something else lying in wait. They hadn't even managed to make it past the first floor.
"I'm sorry I didn't exorcise it in time. I didn't realize it could split itself apart like that."
"I guess I can give forgive you for the oversight, though I'm surprised you let it get the jump on you," said Reigen with sanctimonious grace. "What, you couldn't sense it when you walked in?"
It was only the years of practice that kept Mob from sighing.
"I did, but I sensed its form further inside. That's where the source of its energy was coming from. What came after you felt more like…" He struggled to think of a comparison. "Like an echo? Its core wasn't there, even if it seemed like it was."
"Or so you thought."
"So I thought."
Feigning composure, Reigen breathed out and relaxed into a casual lean on one leg. "You know, I never thought I'd be grateful to the fart cloud, but I guess being possessed a time or two gives you a bit of resistance to that sort of thing. This spirit barely managed to do anything before I wrestled control back."
"This spirit was also much weaker than Dimple is," Mob pointed out.
"You could have kept that to yourself, thanks."
"Sorry."
"I could also just be getting better at dealing with spirits even without psychic powers."
Mob squinted at the bruise blooming on Reigen's chin; red deepened to purple from where his fist had forced his possessed mouth shut.
"Sure."
Reigen sniffed, choosing to be mollified rather than chasing Mob's insincerity.
"Well, do your thing."
"What?"
"Exorcise it. Come on, now."
"Ah. I did?"
"We just established that whatever you banished wasn't the whole thing, right? So get the rest of it." Fingers flicked in an impatient gesture. "Anytime now."
"I did get it, though. The spirit. You're not possessed anymore."
"Are you absolutely sure? No more echoes?"
Don't you want to hear my secret?
"I don't sense anything."
Reigen didn't look entirely assured. "You didn't feel it the first time, either."
Mob bristled. A tongue honing its sharpness cut, "It must have been too weak for someone as powerful as me to sense."
Reigen barked a laugh, harsh and nervous at the defiance. "I guess I should trust that you know what you're doing after all this time, huh? Right! Well, since that's taken care of, we can let Mrs. Sano know her poltergeist problem is taken care of."
"It won't bother her anymore," Mob agreed.
Don't you want to hear my secret?
They made their way back out to the front garden, Mob trailing after Reigen's more frenetic pace. The sun was only just beginning to sink lower in the sky. They still had the whole of the afternoon and evening to look forward to, for whatever they felt fit to spend it doing.
"Thanks again for covering while Serizawa's out. I know you have better things to do over your spring break."
"Not particularly. I just wanted to spend time with friends, and I'm still doing that."
"I-I see." Reigen cleared his throat. He looked back over his shoulder, and Mob gave him a small, but encouraging smile to let him know he hadn't misunderstood. "Good to hear. And since we wrapped up here so early, we have plenty of time to kill before we're to meet back up at the office. What would you say to a late lunch? My treat, since you helped me out."
In lieu of payment, of course. But Mob preferred that since he no longer worked under Reigen, after all.
"Okay," said Mob. "It would be good to have some time to catch up properly."
"Exactly. I'm sure you have lots to tell me about."
And in his voice was a lilt; an undercurrent that resonated—over and through and around like an echo. Fading, but…
Don't you want to hear my secret?
Mob nodded. "You too."