Teaser: Hara Masako is famous because other people are convinced that she can see “ghosts”. They don’t understand that it is not an ability she can choose to ignore, especially when she encounters what looks to be a possessed person in a local park.

Notes: Let me just tell you now, that I’m not at all an expert when it comes to the paranormal. So bear with me if/when I make mistakes. That, and it’s been a while since I’ve watched or read either series. I’m really rusty on the characterizations.

For some reason, I’ve been writing in the present tense lately. Don’t know why.

It isn’t uncommon for an office to lose a few folders at least once.

Here are a few of the cases that the SPR has come across that will forever remain…

Unaccounted For

FILE 3

“Spirit-blind”

By Hikagi

Hara Masako is famous because other people are convinced that she can see ghosts; many of these people think she is a child wonder because of this ability. Incidentally, a large majority of them are a bit mystified and have no actual knowledge of her powers, or what exactly she is capable of.

Either way, Hara Masako has the ability to see spirits. She has been aware of this for a very long time, and doesn’t need the encouragement from outside sources to confirm what she already knows as fact. It is an ability that very few individuals possess, and as such, has marked her as “different” from an early age. It is an ability that she cannot choose to ignore at a mere whim, or simply because she doesn’t want to See.

However, the others do not understand the distinction between a “spirit” and a “ghost”, and she feels little need to educate them if they insist on remaining ignorant of the spirit world. (Sometimes, though, she thinks that those people are extremely fortunate to not be aware of the terrible things that occur. They are incapable of seeing anything supernatural or paranormal, much like how a colorblind person cannot distinguish certain frequencies in the visible spectrum. …But then again, humans do terrible acts as well, and she is somewhat morbidly comforted and slightly ill at how human – and sometimes, inhuman, in both senses of the word – nature carries on even after the body dies.) Agencies have, during the beginning stages of her career, tried to contact her in hopes of seeing her perform an exorcism or two.

Masako does not have the power to exorcise spirits. That is not within her range of abilities. Her expertise lies within detecting and sensing the supernatural and, occasionally, even channeling or communicating with them as a medium. The agencies – after quite a few explanations and or refused requests – have gotten the hint, and have made the appropriate changes from then on.

(Every once in a while, however, Masako gets a call from an ignorant party who makes such a ridiculous offer, that she has to try very hard not to laugh at the poor fool. Instead, she calmly hands the phone to either her parents or one of her managers, and smiles darkly – something which looks almost out of character in comparison to her normally composed expressions – because she knows that that particular person won’t ever call for her services again without doing the appropriate research first.)

Most of her clients ask for her because her sensitivity is rumored to be unparalleled by anyone else in the region. Masako is somewhat flattered by this notion, because she knows that there are many others in her profession, and a number of them are quite famous as well. That, and she does not think that her age makes her exceptional. She is grateful that none of her colleagues take the media’s praise the wrong way, or look down upon her because she is young or – compared to the mediums who have been around for decades – inexperienced.

Recently, she has become more involved with “Shibuya Kazuya’s” agency, and her father has made more than one passing remark at this occurrence. Masako thinks it is a bit ironic, because she and “Shibuya-san” have nothing more than a business relationship going on, despite how others might perceive it. That, and perhaps, a sort of comradeship from the traumatic cases they have encountered together. She knows that she is attracted to his person, but also knows that it is not love that she is feeling. Crush, perhaps? A slight infatuation? What ever it may be, she acknowledges the emotion, but does not allow it to completely warp her behavior; she has her dignity, after all. “Shibuya-san” does not see her that way, and hardly appreciates the over-exaggerated motions that go along with signs of affection.

But, in the end, she keeps chasing after Naru because it is incredibly… (satisfying? Exhilarating?)… amusing to see Mai so worked up about the whole issue. It brings her some level of comfort that despite her qualities that set her apart from others, she still has the ability to partake in normal human interactions. And though she tells herself otherwise, she also finds that her falsified feelings of interest and jealousy are becoming easier to imitate with each gesture. She’s not sure what this means, but she keeps insisting that she dislikes how Mai keeps treating a person of Naru’s caliber so casually. In a way, this vying for attention makes Mai somewhat like the older sister she does not have.

However, her cases involving the SPR are few and far between. She has many obligations to appear on television or at fancy dinner parties, so Masako looks forward to the days when she is in the company of her… colleagues? No, that is not the word she is looking for. They are colleagues in the sense that they collaborate, but they are also much more than that. “Business associates” does not do the SPR (and the others) enough justice either. Friends? That might be what she is trying to describe, but the word “friend” is almost too personal for the camaraderie that they have going on.

… Camaraderie. Comrades. Yes, that will do for now. Although it carries a negative connotation in certain environments, she thinks that it describes the sense of relationship she is experiencing in a suitable manner.

Masako hardly gets any “off days”, but when she does so (and usually they happen to fall on Sundays), she likes to visit parts of Tokyo and roam around, pretending that she is just another normal girl out for a stroll. She hardly ever succeeds, because more often than not, she sees fluctuating auras, wandering spirits, lost souls (the ones of children bring her the most pain), and malevolent beings – all reminders of how un-normal she really is, and how she will never quite fit in with the rest of society.

So, one day when she goes for her almost routine Sunday-morning walk, she is unsurprised to see what – at first glance – looks to be a possessed person. Masako slows down to observe the occurrence more closely, because there is something about the woman that seems unusual – aside from the whole “being possessed” aspect. The lady has many physical attributes of a foreigner, but her hair could have just as easily been dyed in accordance to the modern trend. She is also very tall.

What confuses Masako the most is that her style of clothing is very boyish, despite her long hair. And then, the woman turns around, and Masako realizes that she is quite mistaken.

(A he, not a she.)

But this does not surprise her as much as she might have expected. No, what catches her attention is the fact that he turns around and immediately meets her gaze, almost as if he has sensed her looking at him from the very start. When he does so, she sees a figure overlapping his face (or is it slightly behind?) and the possessed man almost looks like two different people.

But then he blinks, and the secondary figure is gone, leaving behind only a young man with long, foreign-colored hair.

“Can I help you?” he asks.

Masako stares just a little bit longer, before shaking her head and hurriedly turning around, briskly walking home without saying a word in reply.

Later, she tells herself that it is because she had not wanted to stay near a possessed person without someone who is capable of performing an exorcism (not that this has ever troubled her before). There is something about the spirit that bothers her, because it does not quite feel malevolent (or benevolent either), but it is undoubtedly very old and powerful.

And cunning.

The next week, she avoids that particular park.

The week after that, she is with the SPR, on another one of their cases.

The following week, she has the Sunday morning off, so she automatically (having forgotten about the man in light of recent events until it is too late to turn back) makes her way to the usual park. She doesn’t encounter the possessed man, and she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Some part of her is curious and worried, because she recalls that the man’s ki has felt as if it has been possessed for a very long time. If so, why has no one noticed yet? And how is this spirit able to keep control for so long, without damaging the host’s body?

It seems to be an almost impossible situation.

(She wants to find out more.)

Masako gets her wish when, the following Sunday, she spots the young man standing across the park, talking to a few others. Not wanting to intrude, she sits down on a nearby bench and discreetly observes from far away.

From what she can tell, it does not seem as if the spirit is actively harmful to its host. And so far, it is doing an excellent job of remaining undiscovered.

That in itself is extraordinary, because she remembers that she has felt an almost animalistic quality the first time she has noticed the possessed man. How powerful is this spirit, that even not being human in nature has not hindered its ability to remain unnoticed?

Before long, however, her object of interest leaves, and Masako heads back home.

By a strange series of coincidences, Masako finds herself visiting the park every Sunday morning; oddly enough, no one has booked appointments during that time slot for the next four or five weeks. Even stranger yet, that same possessed man is there too – once with an older woman who acts like his mother, another time with a young boy who calls him “Nii-chan,” once with a group of other boys, and once with the same boys plus a few girls.

The week afterwards, he is alone, and Masako is almost startled when he approaches her bench.

“Good morning, Miss,” he says, smiling. “I remember you from a while ago, and I’ve noticed that you’ve been coming here these past few weeks.”

Masako nods, a little wary. The stranger is a little too close for her comfort, but she also does not want to offend the spirit possessing him. But considering the nature of this particular spirit, she also knows that he would not have approached her without a reason.

“What is a young lady such as yourself doing alone here?”

Masako is unsurprised that despite her careful observations and the pains she had taken to stay a great distance away, the spirit has managed to notice her anyway.

“And, nonetheless,” he continues, “one that seems to have an unusual interest in my companions and I?”

Masako does not completely know how to proceed because she lacks the knowledge of skillfully surviving a direct confrontation with a possessed person who seems to be very much… in control? (She pushes that thought away to the back of her mind, and vows to ponder about this situation. Later. And preferably with many resources. And help. Right now, she needs to come up with something to say before her mind blanks even further.)

“My apologies, kitsune-san,” she says, bowing deeply. She notices that he has stiffened at her greeting, but whether it is because her formal manner has surprised him, or at the title she has called him by, she is unsure. “I mean you no harm.”

He looks at her for another moment or two in contemplation, before shrugging. “Is that so? Would you care to tell me what caught your interest? I am quite curious, and my friends have been placing wagers the other day.”

Masako hesitates, because this possessed man is acting anything but, and she doesn’t know how to carry on from here. In fact, this experience is completely new to her, and her mind is going in every which direction because of her uncertainty.

“Come, come,” he says, smiling. “Don’t be shy – I don’t bite. Although, if you’re looking for a date, I’m afraid that I might be much too old for you.”

She blinks, not quite understanding where that last statement has come from.

He realizes this, and dismisses it with a wave of his hand. “Ah, never mind. That was a poor attempt at a joke.”

She answers him with silence, knowing that sometimes no answer is better than one that might potentially be insulting. He sighs, and gestures to one of the many paths, and she obliges, following his lead.

“So…” He makes sure that she isn’t too far behind, before continuing on. “I’m still curious.”

Masako takes a few minutes to ponder her response, carefully choosing her words. They pass by a number of trees and park benches. “I was… intrigued by the manner in which you are… residing in that body.”

“Oh?” He quirks his eyebrows in a manner that makes him look somewhat surprised.

“I can,” she hesitates a little, stumbling on her words. “I mean, I have a sensitivity concerning... spirits and supernatural beings.”

“Ah,” he says, “just like one of my friends.”

They stop walking, and they observe each other for a little longer. “You seem to hold a great capacity for sensing and perception, but I doubt that you can focus your ki into projecting and performing exorcisms, am I correct?”

She nods. “I lack the power to do so.” Then a bit hesitantly, “If I may ask a question?”

He smiles again. She feels that he is merely indulging her because his curiosity as a kitsune (or at least, because he is somehow connected to kitsune) is spurring him on. “Go ahead.”

“What are your intentions?”

He takes a few moments, possibly also choosing his words carefully. “Actually, I’ve been in control of this body since before it was born. But I can assure you, young Miss, that I am not going to hurt anyone.”

There is a shout from far away, and the man turns towards the source. “Excuse me,” he says in apology, “but I believe my friends are calling.”

She bows again, out of respect and caution. “I wish you well, kitsune-san.”

“Please,” he says, looking as if he is embarrassed by either her use of the title, the bow, or (once again) possibly both, “call me Shuuichi. Minamino Shuuichi. I am a high school student.”

“Hara Masako,” she returns. “Spirit medium.”

(She has a feeling that neither of them would be forgetting each other’s name or face any time soon.)

His lips quirk upward, as if amused in some way. “I should introduce you to Master Genkai one of these days.”

She recognizes the name. Genkai is quite an impressive figure, although he (or she) is not quite in her line of work. “Ah. That would be… an interesting meeting.”

“Yes. It would.” He glances in the direction the voices. “I really should be going. Have a nice day.”

“To you as well.”

Minamino turns around to leave. Just before he is out of hearing range, he says, “Perhaps we shall see each other again.”

(Somehow, she does not dismiss the idea. People involved with spirits live in a small world, after all.)

“Perhaps.”

And then, much like an illusive figure in the midst of concealing shadows, he is gone.

(Gone, but not for forever.)

Masako walks away in the opposite direction.

Fin.

Author’s Notes:

Wow. First time writing for Yu Yu Hakusho, so I wasn’t sure how to write any of the characters. Perhaps I’ll become more comfortable as I try again. (cough) This piece was meant to be a one-shot, but I might be inclined to write future YYH/Ghost Hunt stories – it wasn’t substantial enough for me to work out a multi-chapter “series”.

The biggest problem I had was that halfway into this chapter, I had to remind myself that I was including YYH, not xxxHOLiC. “Bad Ika! Wrong fandom!” DX

And I just realized that perhaps my version of Masako doesn’t strictly comply with the anime… Whoops.

I had trouble coming up with a suitable title for this chapter. “I Spy With Mine Blind Eyes” was one of the possibilities that came up. In the end, I settled for “Spirit-blind” because of the colorblind association in the beginning.

--

Omake:

“Yo, Kurama. So, what did that girl want?”

“Surprisingly enough, she recognized me as being a kitsune.”

“Eh? No way!”

“It seems that I’ve run across quite an interesting character. She doesn’t have the ability to manipulate ki, but she has an incredible sensitivity towards spirits. She called herself a medium, so I think it’s safe to say that that is the only thing she can do.”

“Huh. Imagine that.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Pay up, Yuusuke.”

“What!? Wait! Why me?”

“You lost the bet. She wasn’t a fangirl.”

Yatsuka Hikagi

September 18, 2008