It was already past 8 o'clock in the evening. Kiyomi Ruri pouted and walked out of the Nanahara family's house. As the wind blew, she looked around and saw dim streetlights and swaying trees casting flickering shadows. Combined with the "ghost stories" she had just heard, she couldn't help but feel a little scared. She quickly hurried back to her own house.

At the entrance, she habitually shouted, "I'm back," and took off her round-toed shoes, ready to go to her own room.

Kiyomi Kako was tidying up things in the living room and stopped her, asking, "Did you have dinner at Nanahara-kun's place again?"

Kiyomi Ruri was still thinking about whether there were "unclean things" in the world. Standing at the staircase, she casually replied, "Yeah, Mom, what's wrong?"

Kiyomi Kako sighed and said, "What's wrong? How many times have you had dinner at his place? I haven't seen you during dinner time for over a week."

Kiyomi Ruri was taken aback and tried to find an excuse. She muttered, "Didn't you ask me to take care of him? So I cook for him every day, and we eat together."

Kiyomi Kako was annoyed and said, "I asked you to take care of him, but I didn't ask you to eat at his place all the time!"

Kiyomi Ruri was unhappy and said, "If you don't want me to, then forget it. I won't take care of him anymore. Is it okay for me to come back home for dinner?"

"Alright, alright. Since he lives right across the street, you can eat wherever you want. But he lives alone, so be careful not to burden him." Kiyomi Kako didn't actually oppose her daughter's interaction with Nanahara Takeshi. It was common for Japanese high school students to have relationships, and the success rate was quite good. Parents and schools rarely interfered, considering it a normal experience in life.

The legal age for marriage for Japanese women was still 16 years old. It was common for them to go on blind dates and get married after graduating from high school. Now, they were being strictly prevented from interacting with boys. Without any romantic experiences, they would grow up to be fools.

Kiyomi Kako just reminded her, "Your dad's friend sent over a few lamb legs. Take two of them to him tomorrow. I'll give you the recipe, try cooking it yourself. Don't just rely on others for food. You can't make friends like that, understand?"

Kiyomi Ruri had no objections. Her dad had plenty of friends and often gave him all sorts of random things. It was better to let Nanahara Takeshi cook them than to let her own mom ruin them.

She replied directly, "Got it. Anything else, Mom? If not, I need to do my homework."

"Go ahead, go ahead!" Kiyomi Kako didn't want to lecture her teenage daughter too much, fearing that it would strain their relationship. Besides, Nanahara Takeshi lived right across the street and seemed decent. With her watching over, nothing major would happen.

Kiyomi Ruri quickly went upstairs, but after taking a few steps, she turned back curiously and asked, "Mom, why are you packing your things? Are you going on a trip?"

"It's not me, it's your dad. The Sapporo Science and Education Department asked him to organize and revise some books. It takes four to five hours to commute every day, which is too troublesome. So he plans to stay in Sapporo for a while." Kiyomi Kako said casually, "Don't worry, I bought him accidental injury insurance."

"Oh, I see." Kiyomi Ruri didn't care. Her dad usually hadn't woken up yet when she went to school in the morning, and she would already be asleep when he came back drunk at night. Sometimes, they wouldn't even see each other for a whole week. It didn't matter if he stayed in Sapporo for a while.

She didn't care about these household matters, went upstairs, took a bath, changed clothes, tied her hair into a big bun, and sat down at her desk, quickly writing her homework. She didn't care if it was right or wrong, she just stuffed it back into her backpack. Then, she took out "The Case Files of Miss Ruri-mes, the World's Number One Beautiful Princess Detective" and started reading from the beginning.

The buried body in the flower pot case, the ten yen coin case, the blackened town district referendum case, and the forged painting case, a total of four cases were all complete and based on deduction. Miss Ruri-mes had meticulous thinking and brilliant deductions. There were no supernatural elements involved, making it an epic masterpiece.

When she reached the end of the forged painting case, she looked at Nanahara Takeshi, who had fallen into the sewer and was forced to use crutches. No, it was Nanahara Watson. She smirked triumphantly. Although she had made up with Nanahara Takeshi and they became friends again, she was still annoyed by him. So she arranged this scene for him. If he dared to mess with her again, she would make Nanahara Watson sit in a wheelchair.

Looking at the pitiful Nanahara Watson with crutches, her smile had a hint of cunning. But she quickly picked up her pen and continued writing, completing the forged painting case. Miss Ruri-mes also obtained a famous painting, and Nanahara Watson, who was as dumb as a dog, lazy as a pig, greedy for money, and had a bad personality, couldn't tell the real from the fake. He was completely confused and kept asking questions. Then, she changed the name and moved the strange story told by Aokawa Mariko to Tokyo. She fell into deep thought as she wrote it down.

Was this considered a case?

At first glance, it seemed like a ghost story, but it was also related to a murder case. However, it seemed unlikely that it was related to a murder case. The old lady lived 20 kilometers away from the crime scene. How was it related?

Because of some inconspicuous object?

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Or was it just a coincidence?

She had to observe carefully when she went to Aokawa Mariko's house tomorrow. She had to try to discover something.

If she made a discovery, she had to speak up loudly. She couldn't just listen to that guy blabbering. She also had to teach him a lesson.

But what if it really was a supernatural event...Kiyomi Ruri couldn't sit still and subconsciously looked back at herself. Suddenly, she felt that the room was very quiet. She quickly stood up and went to the bookshelf to look up information about folklore.

.........

The next afternoon came quickly. Kiyomi Ruri put on her backpack again and stood by the shoe cabinet, waiting for Nanahara Takeshi. Nanahara Takeshi was still the same, taking his time and taking about four or five minutes to come downstairs. But this time, he was rubbing his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

Kiyomi Ruri took his backpack from him and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Nanahara Takeshi changed his shoes while pondering, "Just now, two girls were talking about a mixer event next to me. It's not normal."

Kiyomi Ruri found it strange, "Mixer events are common. What's wrong with girls talking about it?"

Nanahara Takeshi remained cautious, "No, this is the fourth time this week. There have been a total of eleven girls in the class talking about how fun it is to participate in the mixer event near me. I feel like someone is plotting against me, but I haven't figured out what they could gain from it. I rarely talk to girls in class and always keep my distance. I even have the image of a bookworm. How could they find me?"

Kiyomi Ruri felt inexplicably happy and hummed a few times, saying directly, "You're too sensitive. Just ask them directly. It's not a big deal. Why think so much..."

Nanahara Takeshi glanced at her sideways, "You brainless fool. They were obviously waiting for me to strike up a conversation and trying to lure me into participating in the mixer event. If I go and talk to them, won't I be walking into a trap? What if they have ulterior motives? I don't want to get involved in unnecessary troubles."

Kiyomi Ruri felt scolded and became a little unhappy. She didn't want to deal with this lunatic anymore and said disdainfully, "Alright, alright. You're such a heartthrob. It's like others are so infatuated with you. Hurry up and change your shoes. Miss Aokawa is probably already waiting for us."

"Right, let's focus on the task at hand. We can talk about this later." Nanahara Takeshi changed his shoes and said directly, "Let's go and visit Aokawa's house."

Kiyomi Ruri followed him, glancing at him from side to side, and asked with concern, "Are we going there directly? Don't we need to prepare something?"

Nanahara Takeshi looked at her strangely, "Did you prepare something?"

Kiyomi Ruri patted the side of her backpack and whispered, "I brought a short wooden stick."

"Are you planning to beat ghosts with a stick?"

"Just in case, if it's really a supernatural event and you're a fake medium, you'll be the first one to run away. I need to prepare something for self-defense!" Kiyomi Ruri reached back and touched her backpack, feeling a sense of security. She muttered, "I checked the book last night. It said that human blood has spirituality, and smearing it on a wooden stick can fend off ghosts."

"Suit yourself. Just stay away from me when you're smearing blood. Don't splash it on me." Nanahara Takeshi didn't care about how she planned to handle things and tapped his forehead. "As long as I have my head, everything will be fine. With it, nothing is a problem."

Kiyomi Ruri tilted her head and pursed her lips, deciding that if something strange really happened, she would definitely not cover for him if he tried to escape. She would see how he would handle it then.

The two of them argued as they arrived at the school gate. Aokawa Mariko was indeed already waiting for them. She quickly invited them into the car and politely exchanged a few words before starting the car and heading towards her house.

Kiyomi Ruri still sat in the front passenger seat and looked at her with concern. "How are you doing after last night, Miss Aokawa?"

"Call me sister, and you can call me Ruri. Let's drop the formalities." Aokawa Mariko was probably a bit of a hypocrite. Her personality was not dominant at all. She spoke while driving, "I'm fine after last night. Nothing happened. My grandmother didn't have any more nightmares. But she still didn't rest well. After all, something like this happened, and it's hard not to worry."

"As long as nothing happened, everything will be fine soon." The situation didn't worsen, so Kiyomi Ruri felt relieved and asked again, "Where is your grandmother?"

"She's not feeling well mentally, so I'm afraid she'll get tired. I temporarily arranged for her to stay at my aunt's house. I'll take you to see the house first, and then I'll go pick her up." Aokawa Mariko breathed a sigh of relief that her grandmother didn't have any more nightmares last night, but now she was worried about their ancestral home. She couldn't bear it if the ancestral home was haunted.

Nanahara Takeshi listened in the back seat for a while and smiled as he asked, "Miss Aokawa, has your grandmother bought or found anything recently?"

Aokawa Mariko had already thought of this and verified it before. She answered directly, "She hasn't found anything, but she has bought things. There's a flea market near our house, and my grandmother often goes there when she has free time. She likes to buy some small trinkets for nostalgia. Nothing has happened all this time, and I've checked them before. They're all ordinary items. Later, Nanahara-kōhai can take a look again. They're all in her room."

Nanahara Takeshi nodded with a smile and didn't say anything more. There was nothing to say for now. They would have to collect information at the scene before making any judgments.

Soon, the three of them arrived at a large town area near the city center in Hirayano. They parked in front of a small house that seemed to have some history. It was a two-story building without a yard, probably a small apartment building built in the early Showa period.

Aokawa Mariko opened the door and said, "Nanahara-kōhai, Ruri, feel free to sit and look around. I'll go pick up my grandmother and be back soon."With Nakano Eri, the senior police officer, guaranteeing their safety, Nanahara Takeshi and Kiyomi Ruri felt at ease leaving the house and driving away. From the outside, Aokawa Mariko's house looked old and small, but the interior was decorated in a trendy and vibrant style.

There were potted plants in the entranceway, with various species that were well-coordinated and harmonious, showing that a lot of effort had been put into it. The main color of the rooms was natural wood, with wooden floors that looked clean and tidy, giving a sense of sophistication and tranquility. The space was also well-planned, with each area having a clear function while maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.

In simple terms, the house had been carefully arranged by its owner, creating a warm atmosphere that would be suitable for filming a fresh and youthful movie. It didn't look like a haunted house at all, without any eerie feeling.

Nanahara Takeshi walked around casually, browsing the rooms, with Kiyomi Ruri following closely behind him. She would look at whatever he looked at, occasionally glancing around vigilantly, afraid that something ghostly might suddenly appear.

The first floor was the public area, and they didn't find anything unusual as they walked through it. Nanahara Takeshi then went up to the second floor using the staircase with a handrail in the shape of the letter "Z". He first went to Aokawa Mariko's room, which seemed a bit messy, but it was normal. Most likely, she had gone out to stay somewhere else last night and had taken some of her daily clothes with her.

He took a quick look around and even opened the wardrobe to check Aokawa Mariko's clothes. Accidentally, he saw a few pieces of underwear. Then, amidst Kiyomi Ruri's protest, he went to the old lady's room. It seemed that the two of them, the grandmother and granddaughter, lived on the second floor, each occupying one end. In between, there was a bathroom and a toilet. He took a quick glance at them but didn't find anything suspicious.

The old lady's room was quite retro, with a standing lamp, a dual cassette recorder, an old-fashioned wooden bed, a floor-standing radio, a standing electric fan, and a mahogany rocking chair. Upon entering the room, it felt like going back to the 1970s.

In addition to these large pieces of furniture and appliances, there were also many small items scattered around. Presumably, at the age of over seventy, the old lady was very nostalgic. She had a large collection of movie posters and magazines from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, as well as a cabinet specifically for storing cassette tapes of songs. They were all quite messy, probably being flipped through and listened to from time to time.

These were probably the things she bought when she went to flea markets, searching for old items from the past to reminisce about her youth or to appreciate songs and movies that she couldn't enjoy in the present, preferring old movies and songs.

Of course, in addition to these, there were also some second-hand items, such as vintage porcelain dolls, cups with era imprints, and ornaments.

Nanahara Takeshi looked at each item one by one, occasionally picking one up to examine it carefully. After finishing, he didn't find anything particularly special and went to press the play button on the heavy dual cassette recorder. Soft music immediately filled the room, and he listened attentively with a smile on his face.

Thinking that he had discovered something, Kiyomi Ruri quickly leaned in and listened carefully as well, only to find that it was a male singer singing what seemed to be a folk song, with a slow and lyrical rhythm. There was nothing else.

Curious, she asked, "What song is this?"

Nanahara Takeshi smiled and said, "It's a popular lifestyle folk song from the 1960s and 1970s. The singer is Yoshida Takuro, who was a representative figure of the lifestyle and new folk songs at that time. He is also known as the father of Japanese folk songs. It's a very old song."

Kiyomi Ruri listened carefully for a while and felt that it wasn't as exciting as rock music. Curiously, she asked again, "Why did you laugh just now? Is there something wrong with this song?"

Nanahara Takeshi rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, "I didn't hear anything wrong."

"Then why did you laugh?" Kiyomi Ruri became even more puzzled.

Nanahara Takeshi looked at her disdainfully and said, "It's normal to smile when you hear a beautiful song. Should I cry instead of laughing?"

Kiyomi Ruri was annoyed by his gaze, as if he was looking at a vulgar person. She said unhappily, "We're here for 'demon exorcism', not for you to listen to music. Get to work quickly!"

Nanahara Takeshi nodded, turned off the cassette recorder, and started to look through the old posters, magazines, books, and tapes in the room. He carefully examined each one, then pondered for a moment. He walked around the room, bending down and looking under the bed, not missing anything. Finally, he stood there, rubbing his chin, lost in thought.

Kiyomi Ruri also found nothing and looked up at him, waiting for a while before cautiously asking, "Did you find out what the problem is?"

Nanahara Takeshi opened his eyes and said, "The situation is not good. This is a decent family, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong, not even much family conflict."

Kiyomi Ruri was surprised and asked, "No problems at all?"

Nanahara Takeshi nodded slowly and said, "Yes, but it's not quite right. A family like this shouldn't have any psychological problems. How could someone have continuous nightmares?"Kiyomi Ruri also felt a little confused and hesitated, saying, "Could it be related to that murder case twenty kilometers away? Or is it... is there something dirty?"

Nanahara Takeshi turned his head and scanned the room again, whispering, "I don't know for sure yet, but one thing is certain, we received less money. This is more troublesome than we imagined."

(End of this chapter)