Chapter Text
“Keep it professional,” was what Isamu always told himself when handling a job, he had decided to stick by that no matter the circumstance. Until today.
The call came early in the evening, unexpected, sudden, unwanted; his older brother, Senzai’s body had been found and taken to the morgue, at the top of his work building for further investigation on how he’d passed. It was shocking given Senzai was fairly young, but what was more puzzling was that no one could properly tell what had happened.
There was a heavy, unexplainable feeling of guilt sitting deep in Isamu’s chest as he walked the dark, dense streets of Tokyo, approaching his work space sluggishly. The night air seemed to drag on, same as the time as he got closer to the door, every step feeling like another break from past.
The one with his brother.
Isamu treaded up to the sixth floor, opening the door cautiously. Not like anyone had been in the offices any time recently, it was past working hours.
In his mind he was able to convince himself that maybe this was just another normal investigation, just another dead person, but his heart still had that unavoidable sting of reminder that this was his brother.
In a few strides, Isamu crossed to the other side of the office, eyes browsing the surfaces of every document-infested desk, piled with unorganized papers, misplaced pens, forgotten coffees gone cold, and computer monitors shut off.
The key was placed thoughtlessly on the same desk as it always was, at the edge, beside yet another stack of papers. Just like usual.
And as if this was any normal day at the job, Isamu grabbed the key and hastily walked to the separate door behind the desk where he stood, and stuck it in the lock.
He turned the key painfully slow, and stalled in front of the unlocked door, contemplating whether he should just come back tomorrow where his coworkers will be there to motivate him to keep his composure, or just go in now, and get it done and over with. Assuming he’d even have the emotional strength to look at his brother, the man he hadn’t spoken to in a few months, lying dead on the table he’d seen hundreds of other people on before.
Isamu hesitantly let the door swing open, revealing the sight almost exactly how he’d imagined; the table in the center with his brother on it, body covered by a mortuary sheet, only lit up by the slightly bright bulb right above, and the tiny table beside him, with his picture, and up-to-date documentation on what the others have been able to find out about his death.
His eyes unmistakably landed on Senzai’s rested expression, just as how it would be if he were sleeping.
A cracked, breathy exhale escaped from Isamu’s mouth and echoed into the empty space, he stepped into the room, getting a tiny bit closer, really taking in the details of the body in front of him, “It hurts to see you like this, brother..” he muttered sorrowfully at Senzai’s corpse.
Looking over to the table he lifted the document of details, “I wish I had a little more time to tell you my regrets…”
Isamu scanned the paper, reading Senzai’s name, age, birth date and death date, but no cause of death. He squinted his eyes in confusion looking over the info once again, glancing from time to time back to his brother on the counter.
There was a map plastered on a board in the far right corner, showing the island of Aogashima, Senzai’s apparent location of death.
He placed the paper back onto the table delicately, and reached for the framed photo beside it.
It was a photo of Senzai, from not that long ago he supposed.
The poor man looked disappointed, weary, depressed. Like he had gone through something words can’t explain.
For as long as Isamu could remember, their relationship had been on and off for a while. Senzai seemed a bit distant in the past years, quieter, reserved, restrained even, but there was a time when they were the closest.
Of course that was when they were much younger.
A long silence followed as Isamu stood hovering over his brother, lost in deep thought.
What had Senzai even been doing in Aogashima? Why could no one seem to figure out how he died? What actually happened?
No one set Isamu to the job, but he figured as a detective, and this being his own brother, that he had the weight of the responsibility to go over to the island, and try and find some clues.
Maybe even answers.
Isamu grazed his fingers over the cloth briskly, “I won’t rest until I find out what really happened in Aogashima.”
His tone dipped seriously, mission set and clear; he’d begin tomorrow as early as possible.
He looked down, getting distracted by the dirt on the floor, rethinking and reminiscing on all the times he’d spent with Senzai.
Time flies.
The quiet was interrupted by the sound of another presence clearing their throat in the room behind him.
At first, Isamu ignored it, tuning it out as background noise of maybe another coworker, or even the custodian. But it was far too late for anybody else to be there.
Thats why he even chose to come this late.
He turned his upper body slowly, eyes darting every corner of his vision until they landed outside the room, back into the office.
In the darkness, lurked a slim, masculine figure, probably dressed in casual attire, though only his shoes were decently visible thanks to the light leaking out of the autopsy room.
The man stepped forward, exposing his appearance; sharp facial features, relaxed brown eyes, short dark hair in a rough do, wearing a thick, black leather jacket, and black jeans.
Not quite what Isamu had been hoping for when he saw the shoes.
His legs twisted around, making him face the other, “Excuse me, who the hell are you?” Isamu questioned, crossing his arms in a type of defiance.
The other guy tsked, “Wow, not even a greeting? Damn.” He trudged to the other side of the table, leaning over it and gazing at Senzai, “My name is Yasu Masashige, I’m a paranormal investigator.” He looked back up at Isamu, meeting his eyes, “Who are you?”
As Isamu processed what he just heard the other man say he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy, but he brushed it off for now, trying his best to remain polite as they hadn’t gotten off on the best note, “Isamu Uchiumi. I’m the detective here.”
He held out his hand for the other to shake it.
“Uchiumi?” Yasu repeated as he shook Isamu’s hand and held it in his grasp longer than he should,
“You’re… related?” He motioned his eyes towards Senzai.
Isamu nodded solemnly, avoiding eye contact with Yasu now, “Yes. He is- he was my brother..” he explained plainly, and pulled his hand out of the uncomfortable hand shake.
“How unfortunate… I’m so sorry..” Isamu heard him say, but his voice sounded empty, like he only said that on default. “I suppose you’re gonna investigate what happened to him? Or have they already figured the cause?” Yasu asked, pulling Isamu from his zoning out.
“Yes.” He replied fast. Too fast, “Sorry- yes, I’m going to investigate. The other pathologists hadn’t found his cause of death yet.” He noticed his tone sounding a bit angry on the last part, so he corrected himself and glanced back at the other, realizing Yasu had never looked away from him.
“Ahh.” Yasu nodded, focusing on the ceiling now that their eye-contact became awkward. He pointed at the photo on the frame, “You look a lot like each other?” He chuckled humorlessly.
Just as fast as Isamu managed to sigh away his rising irritation it all came floating back with Yasu’s back-handed comment, “Now why are you here?”
He watched as Yasu’s smile immediately melted off his face and contorted into an unsure frown, “I’m here to help find the real reason for your brother’s… sudden death.” He stepped off from his lean on the table and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Didn’t you say you were a paranormal investigator?” Isamu stated, not giving into whatever this strange man had to say. “I did. And I am.”
“So how exactly are you going to help? Are you going to communicate with my brother from the land of the dead?” He badgered, and rolled his eyes.
“No. I’m not that kind of paranormal investigator. I don’t deal with ghosts. That’s not my job.”
“‘Not your job’? Mr. Masashige, with all due respect, you have no business here. We already have a team of experts doing everything they can— and me as a detective. We don’t have room or time to be conspiring about the possibilities that my brother may or may not have been mauled by some ‘inexplicable force!k” Isamu denounced, using his right hand as a motion as he spoke.
Yasu scoffed quietly, and a visible smile crept on his lips, “Like I said, that’s not what I do.” He leaned his body forward to get a closer look at Isamu, “I don’t believe he got ‘mauled by an inexplicable force’.” He mocked, “I do believe that seeing as he passed with seemingly no injuries or internal damage, something else beyond our knowledge may have occurred.”
“And now with the conspiracy theories..” Isamu sighed, putting his head down in defeat.
“Please, Isamu, if we head out to Aogashima island together, I bet with our combined familiarity in the two fields, we may be able to get more answers.” Yasu reasoned, eyes following Isamu’s hesitant step back.
“It’s Mr. Uchiumi to you, and I was only planning on going to the island for a little while to pick up clues on his death, nothing else.” Replied Isamu, narrowing his eyes at the other.
Yasu seemed a little taken aback at the thought of Isamu’s plan, “You were going to go to Aogashima island alone?” He inhaled a silent gasp of air, brows rising in surprise, “Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’d be in?”
A scoff came from Isamu, “Like what? Some Lochness monster is gonna gobble me up?”
However, Yasu didn’t seem to be joking about this at all, “You do not have the experience I do with these types of… creatures.” He issued, “I have a strong feeling that your brother may have encountered one of them there and… had the unfortunate fate to not make it out.”
Isamu could feel his whole body heat up in anger, now Yasu was just being plainly disrespectful, “What kind of experience do you think you have? Cause whatever ghosts you’re seeing are probably just the side effect of medications .”
“I don’t take medications.”
“You should.”
Isamu approached the map in the other corner of the room, “You look suspiciously young, how old even are you? You look like a high schooler.” He mumbled hoping to annoy the other into leaving.
“I’m 20.” Answered Yasu, “And you couldn’t pay me to revisit my high school.”
“Why? Were you bullied?” Isamu found himself chuckling at the thought.
“No, I actually had many friends..” Yasu joined him at the map.
“Aww, did they leave you?” He couldn’t stop teasing. Yasu put his head down, avoiding Isamu’s gaze and stared at his shoes glumly, “…You… you could say that.”
The final breath that left the other’s mouth was enough for Isamu to know he hit some kind of nerve deep inside his heart. This made him feel a little bad, though he quickly recovered from the feeling upon remembering what he was even dealing with, “Sorry.” He apologized half-heartedly after an interval of quiet.
Yasu nodded his head.
From the corner of his eye, Isamu saw him focus his attention back towards Senzai, “Has…” he hesitated, making Isamu look back too, “Has Senzai ever mentioned anything out of the ordinary?” He finally asked.
“Any strange ideas or beings?” He prompted to fuel his memory.
Isamu took the time to genuinely consider what the other was asking of him. It felt ridiculous, there’s no way that something out of the ordinary could’ve happened to Senzai. Right?
“He always did talk about another world in a far away place..” Isamu answered distantly after a little pause of thinking deeply.
Was he delusional for considering what Yasu was saying may be true? Or was he just desperate?
There was no logical explanation to how he could’ve even known that Senzai might’ve been talking about these strange things before unless he really had some sort of experience. Isamu exhaled sharply, he’s gotta stop this madness before he seriously loses his mind.
“If you would only give it a chance… I could help.., Mr. Uchiumi.” Yasu broke the silence, and gently brushed his hand along Isamu’s arm.
It wouldn’t hurt.
The only thing he’d lose if it didn’t work out was time.
And if he really was wrong about everything, maybe the others would be able to cover up Senzai’s death with a different… reasonable explanation.
Isamu groaned, rubbing circles along the sides of his head in defeat,
“Fine.”