Leg Crhm Prncss chap 24

Chapter 24: The date of the urban legend

The next few days passed quite calm. There were still no signs of any ghost at school, but it was a fact that they were there.  Fortunately, they were having some extra help to inquire these matters.
Arashi’s new siblings: Sheolh and Gelhanne were helping them quite much, and both Mayu and Ayako found their help really useful.
Arashi had developed the habit to spend the free time along with Mayu and Ayako on the roof top comparing the information they’d gathered. It had become a matter of every day, and that day wasn’t the exception.
Spring was close and a fresh breeze was blowing between the tress of the school’s ground. The snow had already melted and the new sprouts were starting to grow.
—It’s a nice day….we haven’t had a date like this in a long while— commented Arashi.
—Yes, indeed…shouldn’t you be enjoying it with your friends?—asked Ayako.
—Nah…they’re having club activities. What about you? Haven’t you made friends? I saw you talking to a girl a couple of days ago…
—She was asking for directions…— answered Ayako— I’ve never been good at making new friends…. Besides I don’t find it anyhow attracting…
—Why not?
—Why should I befriend with someone who calls himself my friend if I really don’t know how he feels about me? People’s strong point is always lying…
—Well that’s why you should trust on that person’s feelings…. Sometimes it’s not easy to say it out loud…
—May be…may be not…
Suddenly the roof top door opened and Mayu came out with her hair messed up and holding a thick folder of papers. She looked like if she had crossed the whole school running.
—You’re late, Mayu…—said Ayako.
—So…sorry…—she apologized — I was quite busy and forgot about the time…
Mayu was actually a really skilled inquisitor. She had managed to gather loads of information about the school’s profiles in a short time without awaking any suspects.
—Had any luck this time?—he said.
—Uh…—she nodded— it may be mere rumor though…but it could actually mean something…
—Heh?
—What’s it?—asked Ayako.
—Well…there are many urban legends of mysterious deaths between the students, and actually…I just figure out that one of them is a fact…
—Mysterious deaths? —said Ayako— Arashi, did you know about it?
—No.
—So…what was it?
—Well…the first thing was about a second year boy: Shimokawa Satoru.
—Shimokawa?— repeated Arashi.
—Do you know him?
—No, but I think I heard the name somewhere once…
—I see…so what was it about?
—Died because of suicide…—continued Mayu.
—Suicide?—said both Arashi and Ayako.
—Uh…he hanged himself from the third floor…
—Agg…—said Arashi surprised.
—There’s not weird on that. Suicide is a quite common cause of death. He might have had a lot of personal troubles.
—I thought that, too…, but for what I heard. He had a happy life: perfect grades, great family relationships…even a good and lovely girlfriend. I find it hard to think what could have pushed him to do it…
—Uhm…what about the other one?—said Ayako.
—Oh, that one…well…It happened some years before Shimokawa’s. A second year girl: Yoshida Fuyumi drowned in the school’s pool.
—The school’s pool?—asked Arashi.
—Yay…what’s even stranger is that she was the captain of the swimming team.
—Okay…now that’s weird…
—Well, yeah…but I still need to confirm these matters. I have a meeting with the sheriff this afternoon after school.
—Very well. We shall leave it to you. Then let’s meet on my place this afternoon. We’ll talk it over.
—Oki!— said Mayu cheerfully.
—Arashi?
—Sure, I’ll be there…. I’m gonna ask Shiro about those legends. Maybe he knows something.
—It’s not a bad idea...Teheeee…
—Okay…then, let’s meet in place at 4 o’clock.
—Deal!— said both Arashi and Mayu.
The three of them left the roof top and headed to the classroom. Yuko was there when they arrived. She seemed quite alarmed to see Ayako with Arashi, but Hiragi silenced her with a look before she said anything.
Ayako and Mayu walked to the window, while Arashi walked to his friends.
—Hi, Yuko…— smiled Arashi.
—Oh, hi…—she replied shyly.
—Want a cookie? My sister baked them…—said Shiro.
—Sure…thanks—said Arashi sitting down with them— How was the club activity?
—Boring…—answered Hiragi.
—Hey do you think Mayu and Ayako would like some? May be I should offer them, too…
—Uhmmm…
—Of course, not!—said Yuko— your sister baked them for us, not them…
—well…she said my friends, and they’re my friends, too, so…it shouldn’t be a problem…
—Mayu would be delighted…she loves sweets, but Ayako…I’m not sure if she likes sweets at all…
—Of course she doesn’t like them… She’s a witch. How could a witch eat sweet things?
—I’d appreciate if you stopped calling her that!—said Arashi angrily.
—Sorry, bro…forgive her…—said Hiragi—She’s jealous, and jealous people don’t act wisely.
—Who’s jealous? Hiragi, just shut up— said Yuko blushed.
—See…?
—HIRAGI!!
—Oh, c’mon, stop it already…—said Shiro.
—Yeah, Yuko…stop it already— said Hiragi— Shouldn’t you be in your classroom anyway?
—Hmph…—replied Yuko angrily.
She stood up and left the classroom really mad, but Hiragi just laughed about it.
—Is it ok to laugh about it?—asked Shiro.
—Sure it is. What’s the point of having a sister if I can’t tease her?
—You’re terrible…—smiled Arashi.
—Yeah…hehe—smiled Shiro– By the way, Arashi we have something we wanna ask you…
—Heh?
—What the heck are you doing with Shizuka on the roof top everyday? —said Hiragi.
—What?
—Hiragi, you don’t need to be so direct…
—I couldn’t help it… so what’s it? Are you dating her or what?
—Eh…—replied Arashi blushed.
—I knew it…–said Hiragi— Let me tell you something…if you really want to get her, you need to try other places as well…I mean the roof top? Well, it’s romantic, but there are better places…
—No…wait…it’s not like that…
—Since when d’you talk like that, Hiragi?—said Shiro— Check on who’s talking,the man who flirts with so many girls but never dates them.
—Hey…I haven’t found my other half yet, ok?
—What an excuse…
—It isn’t an excuse. Oh forget it…so how are you getting with her?
—Quite well…
—Okay… that’s an start…—said Hiragi—she seems quite tough…
—Well, she’s not like the other girls I guess…
—I’m sure she’s not, but there’s nothing wrong on it.—said Shiro.
—By the way, you two…Mayu is making a research about this school’s urban legends. I wonder if you knew any…
—The school, you say?— asked Shiro and Arashi nodded.
His friends looked each other without answering.
—Well…there is…something.—said Shiro.
—heh?—asked Arashi.
—Yeah…people say that the old building is haunted or something like that…
—Old building?
—you know…the one behind the school field…—said Shiro— It used to be the school ground before this one was built.
—Yeah, I think I remember…

—Seems like there were some incidents that conducted to its closure.
—Strange?
—Yeah…—said Hiragi—six students were found murdered and then three more mysteriously disappeared…
—Disappeared?
—Yeah, they were never found. The police took the case for years…
—And then other similar thing started to happen and they had to close it, and built a new one…but it’s just a rumor.
—Tehhe…—laughed Mayu making them jump— you shouldn’t tell ghost stories, other wise they’ll gather here…teheheee…
—Mayu! Don’t scare us like that!—said Shiro.
—Sorry, but I couldn’t avoid hearing you…
—You said some other strange incidents began to pup up? What kind of incidents?—asked Ayako.
—Uhmm…let’s see…—said Hiragi— There was this windows thing, the broken piano, the whole infirmary, the turned tables…I thinking I’m missing something.
—Yeah, the walking dolls from the biology lab and the blood in the pool…
—Pool?— said Ayako.
—Uh-huh…I think a girl drowned a week later…
—Yeah, Yoshida…I think…—said Hiragi.
—Yoshida Fuyumi!—said Mayu.
—Anything else?—asked Arashi.
—Well, the next year a girl went missing. She was sent to pick something in the music room, but never returned…
—Music room?—muttered Ayako— Can you tell me the order of events?
—Sorry, I really don’t know…it was a long time ago.
—I see…
—Why you so interested anyway?—asked Shiro.
—Teheee…I’m working for a contest about urban legends…
—Really?
Arashi didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the conversation. He was looking at Ayako. She was thinking something with her eyes on the floor.
The bell rang in that moment and they were forced to finish the chatting and returned to their sits. Arashi couldn’t be wrong. He knew that Ayako had something in mind, and whatever it was, she would tell it that afternoon.