My Youth As A Sorcerer Sucks, Chapter 45.

Chapter 45: Yumikio's Lamentation 3.

—OoOoO—

For Yumiko, happiness was simple. For example, being able to gather with family and be accompanied by warm, appetising dishes for breakfast in the morning. Moreover, with both of her parents, who were very busy office workers and she was an only child, it often made her feel bored at home alone. That was why being with them was the fanciest thing she could imagine.

When she was little, Yumiko was very close to her parents. However, her communication, especially with her father, decreased slowly. Moreover, they only talked about simple things when she began high school and felt like starting to find her own world. Even so, she at least often confided in her mother if something was bothering her.

Maybe the closeness between women made her feel more comfortable venting to her mother. Well, that didn’t mean she never told her father anything.

“Yumiko, are you feeling unwell?”

The gentle voice of a man sitting before her snapped Yumiko out of her reverie. She quickly looked at the man and shook her head slowly.

“No, I’m fine, pa. What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes looked a little unfocused earlier, as if your mind was wandering,” the man replied, “How about school? No one’s bullying you, right?”

Yumiko was momentarily stunned to see her caring father. They only chatted about simple things in daily life, but he was such a sensitive person. The man seemed to understand his daughter's mood without saying many words.

The attention given by her father warmed her heart. Things like that were what she missed when having breakfast together. Moreover, with the crazy things that happened to her yesterday, she wanted to pour out all her heart's contents. However, she didn't know where to start. No, she wasn't even sure her parents would believe her.

Besides, how was she going to explain it? Saying that she was haunted by supernatural beings and saw a man burned alive by a sudden explosion?

“If you’re not feeling well, should I call your homeroom teacher and tell her you won’t be coming to class today?”

The suggestion did not come from Yumiko's father but a woman who had just joined the dining table. It was her mother, dressed neatly in her office suit.

“No, it’s too much, mama.”

“No, it's not. It's normal to miss class when you're sick.”

“But I'm fine,” Yumiko replied.

Miura's household wasn’t like most households. It was common to see Yumiko's mother, who was the last to join the dinner table several times. In fact, the person who prepared and was responsible for the meals in this house wasn’t her mother but her father. It wasn’t like the woman didn’t do the chores. It was just that Yumiko's father loved to cook, so he was the one who made the daily meals for the family and washed the dishes.

Meanwhile, Yumiko and her mother would help with other tasks, such as cleaning and washing clothes.

The small family enjoyed their breakfast quietly, accompanied by the television showing today's weather forecast on the local channel.

“That was the weather forecast for today. Next, we will move on to the news to see what happened in Chiba Prefecture over the past 24 hours.”

Some might say watching television while sitting at the dinner table was rude. Or maybe some people didn’t have such strict rules. Yumiko didn’t know about other households, but watching the news while eating breakfast was a routine in her house.

'I didn't really like watching the news at first. I mean, what's so good about it? But after entering high school, I started to understand why adults invest so much of their time in watching it.'

“Through Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukinoshita Yukimura, the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan has sent instructions to each local government to carry out maintenance of infrastructure, logistical supplies, and also the availability of clean water following the warning of Typhoon Jebi which is predicted to hit the Kansai, Kanto, Chubu, and Shikoku regions in September.”

“Yukinoshita Yukimura…, he’s a great politician,” Yumiko’s father muttered, “Doesn’t his daughter also go to Sobu High, Yumiko?”

Upon hearing that question, Yumiko's hand stopped for a few seconds as she was about to chop rice from her bowl

"You mean Yukinoshita Yukino?"

A feeling bothered her when the girl's name was mentioned. Actually, Yumiko didn't have any particular problem with the youngest of the Yukinoshita family. In fact, she, along with Hikigaya Hachiman, had helped her learn to make cookies. However, her sharp mouth bothered her a little, especially when they had a confrontation on the tennis court a few weeks ago.

The father noticed the change in mood, even though it was only for a split second.

“What's wrong? Do you have a problem with her?”

“Not really,” Yumiko replied, shaking her head slowly, “She taught me how to make cookies, after all. Besides, a friend of mine is also her friend. It’s just that she’s very arrogant and has a sharp mouth.”

“Please don’t look for trouble with big people," the mother said this time, "Of course, I'm not telling you to keep quiet if she bullies you. However, it would be wiser if you didn't deal with her. She’s the daughter of the secretary of state, after all.”

“No, Yukinoshita isn’t that kind of person.”

Yumiko's reply raised her parents' eyebrows, and they were surprised because they didn't expect their daughter to give such a response.

“I mean, Yukinoshito might be arrogant. But complaining to her parents is something she’d never do.”

It may sound strange to see Yumiko defending Yukino like that, especially after their feud on the tennis court. However, it was basically not personal. People who often compared them as if they were enemies had no idea at all.

Plus, saying Yukino would tell her parents was enough to trigger her.

She and Yukino had many differences, so many that they could compete on anything served on the table. The girls were like water and oil, which could never mix even if placed in the same container forever.

However, one common aspect might make Yumiko understand them even slightly. Something in common that made her reluctant to tell those closest to her about the nightmare she had been going through for the past few days. They both shared a small pride that made them reluctant to show their weak and helpless sides in front of others.

“Well, well. We don’t need to talk about things like that at the dinner table, do we?” said the father to change the atmosphere.

After hearing the family head's advice, they enjoyed breakfast in silence and let the voice of the television presenter accompany them.

“A body in a terrible state has been found in a residential area in the District of Masago, Inage Ward. A cigarette butt and the smell of gas that was smelled around the residential area were the only things found. The initial suspicion is that the victim died due to sparks from the cigarette interacting with the leaking gas.”

All eyes were immediately sucked into the television until they stopped what they were doing for a moment.

“Isn’t that just a few blocks from our house?” the mother asked without looking away.

“Now that I think about it, I heard an explosion last night,” the husband replied.

“But still, broadcasting the news in the morning when people are having breakfast, couldn’t they have chosen a more appropriate broadcast time?”

Unlike the couple, their daughter stared at the television screen with wide eyes, unable to believe what she saw. In fact, her mouth stopped tasting the rice inside.

“Fourth degree burns all over his body made it difficult for the police to identify the body….”

Yumiko no longer heard the next sentence. The world in her eyes felt like it was spinning. The deliciousness of her food suddenly disappeared, and it became tasteless. Even though she was at the dining table, her mind flew back to the night when she saw the man being devoured alive by fire after being hit by an explosion.

Suddenly, Her stomach felt nauseous, and the girl ran to the bathroom.

—OoOoO—

“Bleeegh….”

Yumiko knelt in front of the closet. The host's descriptions continued to bring back bad memories she had tried so hard to forget.

The human brain is a great property. It automatically buried all bad memories in the subconscious. However, just a little trigger can destroy everything.

The girl stood up, staggering slightly. Her ears were ringing, and her vision was blurry. Her chest rose and fell every time she took a breath.

'A little water on the face will do.'

Yumiko turned her body to face the sink. However, she was surprised when she saw the figure of a woman with tangled hair covering her face and a snake-like body. The creature was right before her face and only a few inches away.

“Kyaaa!!!”

Yumiko reflexively closed her eyes and took a step back. Her hands also moved without her knowledge to push whatever the creature was away from her face. However, due to uncontrolled strength and pure adrenaline taking over, Yumiko actually hit the figure.

A thin blue aura seemed to surround her hand. The creature was sent backwards, crashing into the mirror as it hit her with a loud clatter, sending the shards of the mirror scattering across the floor. The sounds made Yumiko spontaneously open her eyes to see what was happening.

“Ziiiiii….”

The creature didn’t perish. However, because it was so weak, it immediately ran away when it felt the threat from the girl and left her alone, sitting silently, staring at the messy condition of the bathroom.

'It happened again,' Yumiko thought as her body trembled.

Being haunted by supernatural beings was one thing, and she was certainly scared of things that science couldn't accept. However, watching the objects around her suddenly disintegrate without physical contact made her more scared than when the creatures haunted her.

'It was like last night. A disaster suddenly appeared and somehow, I felt like it was my doing. This feeling of guilt that I can't shake off….'

The sound of hurried footsteps and getting closer made Yumiko turn her gaze to the closed bathroom door. As if not caring about the house's property, a man had just broken down the door even though it was unlocked.

“Yumiko, what's wrong?! I heard a voice….”

The man's words stopped immediately when he saw the blonde girl sitting weakly on the cold floor. Yumiko turned her head, finding her father and mother standing in the doorway. However, when her father immediately went to her father, her mother seemed to leave the location with a worried expression.

“Oh my gosh! Yumiko! What happened?! Why are you sitting there?! How did the mirror break?!” asked the father with a dishevelled face.

Without waiting for a reply from his daughter, the man immediately helped Yumiko to stand up. The girl swayed a little, but her father's strong arms helped her regain her balance.

“It's okay, no need to rush. Catch your breath first."

"But your face looks really worried, Dad," Yumiko replied, intending to joke a little.

“Do I look like that? I’m sorry, haha,” her father replied with a dry laugh, “But seeing something like that, I feel like my heart is going to jump out.”

Yumiko lowered her head even further when she heard the answer. The father felt his heart pinched when he saw his daughter's dark expression. After giving all his attention to his daughter, he glanced around the bathroom for the first time.

'A shattered mirror, but no hard object at all? What exactly happened?'

“Can you walk by yourself, Yumiko? For now, let’s get back to the dining table.”

The man tried to remove his hand from his daughter, but Yumiko gripped his hand even tighter while shaking her head weakly.

“No. Please stay like this for a while.”

“Of course,” the man replied warmly.

—OoOoO—

The family gathered again in the living room, but no warmth surrounded them. A suffocating silence was their companion. Yumiko sat back down with her father before her. However, her mother was not in the chair. She was in the kitchen and came with a glass in her right hand.

“Here, I warmed up some water. Drink it slowly. I called your homeroom teacher and told her you’ll be absent today.”

Yumiko accepted it and drank it immediately, even though her mother told her to take it slow. When her daughter ignored her words, the mother snorted softly and sat down.

“So, what happened, Yumiko? Why is the bathroom in a mess?” the father asked after seeing his daughter put the glass on the table.

Yumiko lowered her head. She squeezed tightly the glass she was still holding on the table. It wasn’t an interrogation. Even her parents showed no intimidating aura. However, the confusion and guilt that filled her seemed to pile up and weigh her down.

“Will you believe it even if it sounds unreasonable?” Yumiko asked after a moment of silence.

The two adults widened their eyes at the unexpected question. Reflexively, they looked at each other before returning to Yumiko.

“You’re our daughter. If there’s anyone who should trust you in your time of need, it’s us.”

Yumiko bit her lower lip, trying to hold back all the emotions flooding her.

“Since yesterday I’ve been seeing ghosts continuously. No, even since a few days ago it seems like I can feel their presence. I mean, it’s like they are watching me. However, it was only since yesterday that I could see them clearly.”

The two adults looked at each other again. When Yumiko asked what they would believe, they thought it was just about her problems at school weighing her down to the point that their little girl had difficulty talking about it. However, what came out of her mouth was completely beyond expectations.

“Are you sure what you saw was a ghost, Yumiko?” asked the mother.

“I know it sounds completely stupid. That's why I'm asking you to trust me.”

Yumiko said it weakly, her eyes staring only at the table's surface. The main reason that kept Yumiko from telling was that her pride refused to be seen as weak by others. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason that weighed on her. Let alone other people, Yumiko still had difficulty believing her situation.

“You know, honey. It’s not that we doubt you. It’s just that, suddenly talking about ghosts, we don’t know how to respond,” replied the father.

Before Yumiko had time to respond, her mother also asked a question.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just your hallucination? I know going to an elite school like Sobu can be very tiring and it can be stressful.”

“But I'm not crazy, mom!” Yumiko immediately responded by raising her voice.

“I know. How could I call my own daughter crazy? But stress-induced hallucinations can happen to anyone.”

“Then why don’t you believe me?!” Yumiko shouted in exasperation as she stood up from her chair.

“It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we don’t want you to jump to a diagnosis without consulting an expert first,” the father replied.

“What do you mean without consulting? Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

Yumiko's clenched fists trembled, holding back the outpouring of emotions she had struggled to contain. Her eyes looked wet, with the corners seemingly unable to contain the clear liquid about to spill out. Her face was a mess. All the disappointment and anger seemed to be trying to dominate each other.

But above all, Yumiko was tired. She was so fed up with all the bullshit that was embroidered on her. No one in this world understood her, that's what she thought. She was so lonely, and no one understood her feelings.

'I wish they would at least take my words more seriously after seeing the mess in the bathroom earlier,' Yumiko thought desperately, 'Guess, I'm all by myself in this world.'

The blonde girl could only sit with her hands supporting her head and hide her disappointed face from her parents.

“Fine,” Yumiko muttered, “Just do whatever you want.”

The mother felt suffocated as she stared blankly at her daughter, who was filled with disappointment in her eyes. The face that always looked beautiful was now wrinkled and seemed to have lost its last light. However, unlike the woman, who looked emotional, the father continued to try to show a strong expression. He did feel very guilty because he had difficulty believing his daughter's words in the end. However, he tried to carry out his role as the pillar of the family as best he could.

“Dear, I’ll ask for permission from the office to absent today, but if you want to go to work, that won’t be a problem.”

The woman shook her head at her husband's suggestion.

“I will take leave too.”

The man nodded slowly.

“Then, please help Yumiko get ready. In the meantime, I’ll make a reservation with a psychiatrist at Chiba Hospital.”

Hearing the plan, Yumiko immediately raised her face and looked at her father.

“Psychiatry? Isn’t that too much? Dad, I’m not crazy or anything.”

When the girl gave in and let her parents do what they wanted, she only expected them to take her to a psychologist to get a clearer conclusion on her complaints. However, psychiatry differed from psychology, and Yumiko understood very well what kind of people came to that place.

“I know, Yumiko. I believe you don’t. However, as a parent, I want you to be treated by the best experts in the field.”

Yumiko ignored those words and buried her head on the table. For her, there was no point in listening to those words.

'You're lying. You must think I'm bipolar or even schizophrenic, right?’

—OoOoO—

The hospital was a place where sick people gathered, whether they were just coughing or seriously ill. It wasn’t uncommon for people to have given up on their lives but still try to do their best not to betray those who supported them. However, if there was one place that carried negative emotions in every corner, it was the hospital.

The birth of cursed spirits was always directly proportional to the amount of negative energy with concentration in a zone. However, it didn’t mean such places would guarantee the birth of high-level cursed spirits.

Yumiko had never felt such suffocating nausea in her life until she came to the hospital. It wasn't like it was her first time in a building filled with sick people. In fact, when she had been to such places before, she had felt quite fine other than her clinical symptoms.

However, today was so different from her previous experiences. As soon as she entered the hospital grounds, Yumiko felt hit by a wave of negative emotions that suffocated her. Unfortunately, that wasn't the main problem.

'They're here even during the day! They swarm this place as if it were their nest!'

Yumiko bit her thumb anxiously. She sat in a waiting chair in the corridor with her parents on either side. The girl wore pants, and her upper body was wrapped in a hoodie, which covered her blonde head.

Yumiko lowered her head, not having the slightest courage to look forward. Almost everyone she met, she always saw the ghosts attached to them.

'Moreover, what's with that ghost on the stairs? It's just an arm, but it trips up almost everyone who tries to use the stairs.'

If the girl could see her face, she was sure it would be messy. Yumiko rubbed her face weakly, lamenting her fate that had suddenly changed like night and day.

“Are you okay, Yumiko?”

The attention given by her mother didn't make her feel better. The deep disappointment she had felt over her trust being betrayed by her parents made her reluctant to answer the question. However, no matter how desperate she was, Yumiko didn’t want to be a disobedient kid who ignored her parents. But on the other hand, the inner conflict over her parents' treatment that dragged her to this place was still ongoing.

However, a speaker calling out her queue number saved her from having to give any response.

“Miss Miura, Miura Yumiko. Please enter the examination room,” said a staff member who came out of the room to confirm, following the call from the speaker.

“Let’s go, Yumiko,” said the father softly as he stood up and was followed by the mother.

Her body felt heavy to follow her parents' instructions. The chair she was sitting on seemed to have its own gravitational field, forcing Yumiko to be reluctant to step from that place. However, above all, she knew that what was holding her back wasn’t laziness or fear of whatever the psychiatrist would do later but the burden in her heart that made her body feel heavy.

Yumiko dragged her feet, following her parents from behind. Each step brought her closer to the door she desperately wanted to avoid. When her father's hand touched the doorknob, Yumiko immediately turned her face away as if trying to reject the reality presented before her.

'I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'M NOT CRAZY!'

The words kept playing repeatedly in her mind like a broken record.

“Excuse us.”

These words were said by the father as he opened the door.

It wasn’t what the family had imagined. They thought the doctor would be right before them when they entered the room. However, the nurse who had called her manually just now greeted them.

"Please sit here for those who want to be examined. I will do a little medical check up and fill out some questionnaires. Meanwhile, the accompanying family can sit on the sofa that has been provided."

“When can we see the doctor?” asked the father.

"After completing the initial data collection, you don't need to rush. The doctor will be waiting in his room," the nurse replied, politely pointing to where the doctor was.

Without any further questions, Yumiko immediately sat down in the seat provided. Between her and the nurse was a table with tools for checking blood pressure. In addition to filling out a questionnaire about psychology, the tests she did weren’t much different from the initial screening during a medical check-up, such as weighing, checking blood pressure, sleep disorders, and others.

“Okay, now please follow me. I will take Miss Yumiko to see the doctor.”

With those words, the nurse stood up, and Yumiko followed her hesitantly. However, before they headed to the intended room, the father stopped them to ask.

“Can we follow our daughter inside?”

“I will try to ask the doctor. If possible, you can accompany your daughter. But if the doctor thinks Miss Yumiko is more comfortable talking face to face, then with all due respect, you must wait here until the doctor calls to give his conclusion.”

“Okay, we understand,” he replied, giving the woman the way.

The nurse nodded at the man's understanding.

After feeling no more questions, the woman guided Yumiko to the room she was going to.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound of the door being knocked.

“Doc, I have the next patient.”

Without bothering to wait for a reply, the nurse opened the door. To give Yumiko some space, she shifted her body to the side.

“Please come in, Miss Yumiko.”

Yumiko nodded weakly without saying a word. However, just after taking one step, she stood stiffly in the doorway. Her eyes widened, and she was fixated on a birdcage placed on a stand behind the doctor's chair. However, that wasn’t what made her guts shrink, but rather something inside the cage.

Yumiko glanced at the nurse beside her, trying to see the woman's reaction. However, nothing, she just smiled kindly at her.

'Guess no one can see it.'

Meanwhile, because he didn't find his patient entering the room, the man initially writing something at his desk lifted his face. He looked at the blonde girl with a raised eyebrow.

“Is something wrong, young miss?”

Yumiko shook her head slowly at the question. She stepped back weakly, her face down, not daring to look forward.

The sound of the door closing made Yumiko flinch slightly. And that confirmed that now it was just her, the doctor, and the supernatural being inside the cage.

Her steps felt very heavy. The closer Yumiko got to the doctor's desk, the stronger her desire to turn around and leave became. Even though the distance between the desk and the door was only a few meters, it took her a long time to get there.

The doctor stood up from his desk and went to a more comfortable sofa to examine the patient.

“Please sit comfortably here,” the man said kindly.

Without asking any questions, Yumiko just sat there. However, her eyes couldn’t be taken away from the birdcage. She’d steal a glance occasionally, but because the two-headed snake-like supernatural creature looked terrifying, Yumiko immediately averted her eyes and tightened her hoodie.

Seeing that, the psychiatrist narrowed his eyes.

“Are you interested in that bird cage?”

Yumiko was shocked again by the question. Her eyes reflexively looked at the doctor who had sat on the sofa before her.

“N- no, it just looks beautiful. But I wonder why it’s here.”

"I know, right? It's a beautiful birdcage. Too bad the bird that was supposed to live in it suddenly died," the man said, looking at it with a sad look. "I put the bird there because its beautiful chirping can calm the feeling."

The atmosphere the man gave off made Yumiko sympathise, so she reflexively followed his gaze as he looked at the birdcage. However, she forgot that inside was a two-headed snake monster that only she could see. When their eyes met, Yumiko panicked and immediately turned her face back.

'I think I know why your bird died.'

“Please wait a moment, I need to send a short message to my colleague.”

“Sure, I can wait,” Yumiko replied.

The man then took out a smartphone from his shirt pocket. His fingers danced quickly on the screen, ensuring he could save as much time as possible. However, there was a moment when the man looked at Yumiko with a probing gaze, which, unfortunately, the girl didn’t notice.

And finally, the man gave it a final touch before putting it back in his shirt pocket.

"Thank you for waiting and sorry for wasting your time," the man said, slightly bowing.

Yumiko shook her head slowly.

“No, it's fine.”

“Thank you. You can call me Kurokawa. I don’t mind what you call me, though.”

The girl gave a single nod.

“My name’s Yumiko, it’s Miura Yumiko," the girl replied softly.

It was so quiet that the doctor had to lean forward so his ears could clearly hear Yumiko's voice.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Miura. My purpose here is to listen and help you. Please make yourself as comfortable as possible to share whatever you are feeling. If necessary, you don’t even need to think of me as a doctor. I can be your friend to pour out all the things that are bothering you, or even be a place to vent all your complaints.”

The man paused in his words to take a breath.

“Everything we discuss here will be kept confidential between the two of us. I will not share this information with anyone without your permission.”

“Really? Including my parents?” Yumiko asked, interrupting the doctor.

“Of course,” the man replied with a firm nod, “I will simply explain my diagnosis to them leaving out any information you would prefer not to show them.”

The doctor waited a few moments to see Yumiko's response. However, seeing the silent girl, he smiled and continued his words.

“Today, I would love to listen and get to know you better. I will ask you some questions, but you are free to tell me in a way that is comfortable for you. However, please let me know if there is a topic that you do not want to discuss or talk about.”

The man looked at Yumiko with a friendly gaze but with great seriousness.

“Basically, I want you to understand that this is a safe place for you to talk about everything you want. There is no right or wrong in this conversation. I am here purely to help you understand what you are going through.”

The doctor took a deep breath slowly and then exhaled without making any sound.

“So, how are you feeling lately? Is there anything you want to talk about first? Or do you want to tell me a little bit about what brought you here?”

After hearing the question, Yumiko squeezed her pants tightly until they were wrinkled. Her head was lowered, and she bit her lip tightly. After her parents betrayed her trust, Yumiko didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't want to trust anyone anymore. However, she was tired of all the apparitions she had given birth to.

In the end, deep down, the little girl wanted someone to genuinely listen to her story without judging her. However, the experience when the person closest to her didn't even listen to her still left a mark on her heart.

“Why should I tell a stranger like you?” the girl replied softly.

The doctor was neither surprised nor offended by the rejection. Instead, he put on a friendly smile because he had expected it.

“Yes, I am a stranger. That is why I want to get to know you well, young miss.”

Yumiko's mouth seemed locked, and she felt numb even to reply. However, the man understood the girl's silence.

“Well, if we look at the positive side, it is actually a good thing to not trust people you just met too easily.”

The blonde girl looked at the doctor with a surprised look.

“Is that something a psychiatrist is allowed to say?”

“Why not?” he replied casually, “Before I became a psychiatrist, I was just an ordinary citizen. Besides, I also have a son who is still in elementary school. So, of course I understand your concerns.”

“What if all your patients refuse to talk?

“Well, if it happens, it happens. It just means I need to study harder to be trusted by my clients.”

The man's sincere smile radiated from the girl. Maybe, just maybe, Yumiko could try to trust the words of a professional.

“You’re not going to think I’m crazy, are you? I mean, my parents probably brought me here because they thought I was schizophrenic or something.”

“Is that so? Isn’t it because they are worried and want to provide the best treatment immediately?”

“But at least they could hear my story first, right? But instead, I haven’t even told a third of it, and they immediately doubt me and force me to come here.”

Yumiko stared at the man with ragged breath. Her gaze was fierce, and her emotions suddenly became unstable.

“I'm not crazy, you know?!”

“Sure. I also believe that you are not like that. That is why I am here to help you to explain the situation to your parents,” the man replied.

Yumiko clenched her fists, and her beautiful eyes began to fill with tears.

“Then, tell me, doc. Do you believe in supernatural things? Do you believe that ghosts exist?”

The man didn't reply right away. He crossed his arms over his chest while closing his eyes and letting out a small mumble.

“Supernatural things, huh? Well, as a religious person, of course I believe in their existence.”

“Then what if I told you I could see them?” Yumiko asked.

The doctor was silent for a moment, but the smile on his face didn’t disappear at all from the beginning.

“That’s not something that’s surprising. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who can do that too.”

Yumiko clenched her jaw with a hardened expression. Although it was a neutral answer, it offended her.

The blonde girl knew exactly what the man meant when he said he had met many people who saw the same things she did. Of course, the doctor was a psychiatrist, someone who dealt with people's mental health problems daily. Even though she wasn’t an expert in the field, Yumiko felt that the man was indirectly putting her in the same category as those crazy people.

“That’s different! I bet you were just referring to your crazy patients! I saw the real thing!”

"Trust me, I don't doubt you," the man said, trying to make her understand.

“No, you doubt me. You think I’m one of your schizophrenic patients, right? But I’m not!”

Yumiko raised her voice again, trying to maintain her identity, which was slowly being eroded by the common sense of the people around her. However, even though he was facing a girl who was starting to lose her composure, the doctor's face remained unwaveringly friendly.

“Young miss….”

The gentle voice of him made Yumiko gasp. It wasn't like she flinched, but the greeting was enough to restore her composure and make her breathe more slowly.

“… Like I said, I’m a religious person. I believe in the concept of God. So, of course I’m going to believe in the supernatural and I believe there are people out there who can see them.”

The psychiatrist intentionally paused his words to see Yumiko's reaction. However, seeing the girl who showed a calmer attitude, he widened his smile and continued his words.

“However, that doesn't negate the fact that there are people out there who suffer from schizophrenia and see things that they don't really see.”

“So, which one do you think I am?” the blonde girl asked softly.

Instead of answering her immediately, the man leaned forward a little, getting closer to Yumiko. His index finger was pointed upwards as if he wanted to guide the girl to get an idea.

“First of all, can you describe to me what they look like?”

Yumiko stared at him for a moment. She didn't understand what the man was trying to get from the information. However, even though she had nothing to lose if she said it, it was quite difficult for Yumiko to fulfil the request.

“I don’t really remember the details because they have various shapes. Also, I tend to try to avert my gaze when I meet them. However, there was one there.”

With her head down, Yumiko immediately pointed at the birdcage, which looked empty to the naked eye. The doctor followed the girl's direction, but he only showed a blank expression.

“You can stop pointing if you feel uncomfortable,” the doctor said, and Yumiko obeyed.

The bespectacled man waited for Yumiko to relax before continuing their session.

“So, can you describe what it’s like?”

Yumiko nodded weakly, indicating that she understood the instructions given.

“It had the shape of a reddish brown snake, but with two heads. Its fangs were so sharp and each head had four eyes. The rest, I can’t say in detail because I only saw it briefly earlier. However, one thing is for sure, the creature may not be as big as the ones I’ve seen, but it was the scariest one so far.”

“I see,” the doctor replied, pinching his chin, “By the way, do you think you can communicate with that creature?”

Yumiko looked at the man with a complicated expression.

“Are you crazy? How can I possibly communicate with a monster like that?!”

“Ah, that’s right. It was a strange question. Hahaha,” the man replied with a dry laugh.

However, when the laughter faded, he quickly returned to his professional mode.

“Putting that aside, how were your days before those strange things happened to you? Did you feel anything that made you depressed, exhausted, or dissatisfied with yourself?”

Yumiko tried to dig into her memory as best she could, returning to the weeks before she felt the changes in her body. Her brain automatically made the clues the psychiatrist gave her as keywords. However, no matter how deep she dived, Yumiko couldn't find any bad memories recorded in her brain.

“I don’t think it’s something that makes me depressed or mentally exhausted. However, the worst I’ve ever experienced before this series of events was having about two fights with my friends at school.”

“Oh, a fight between friends, huh? Can you tell me the details?” the man replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, we’re not really friends. Our only previous interaction was when she taught me how to make cookies. She’s also a bit arrogant, but that’s not what caused our fight.”

Yumiko paused, trying to confirm what she was about to say with the memory of when they first confronted each other.

“If you think about it, it actually stemmed from a misunderstanding.”

The girl said this while looking up at the ceiling, trying to review their argument with a cool head.

“I’ve a close friend, who’s really my friend, but on the other hand, she’s also in the same club as the girl I had a fight with. I wouldn’t say she’s very quiet, but in some ways, she’s the type of girl who’s easily embarrassed and has a hard time saying what’s on her mind. So, at that time I didn’t know that my friend had an appointment to have lunch with that girl because she didn’t tell me. However, that girl thought that I was the one who stopped my friend from having lunch with her.”

“Well, misunderstandings are part of being young. It teaches you to communicate your intentions better to others.”

After that, Yumiko told about her dispute with Yukino on the tennis court, which was basically nothing more than a misunderstanding.

The interview session continued with Yumiko, who had become more open about her thoughts. The psychiatrist also gave her ears and kept them wide open to make sure that he didn't miss a single word. His eyes, which were focused on one point, also didn't let the slightest change in the girl's expression escape his sight.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. The time they had spent together passed so quickly. The suffocating atmosphere that Yumiko had felt at the beginning had disappeared, replaced by the peace she had longed for. In fact, at some point, she had completely forgotten about the existence of the two-headed snake-shaped spirit.

“So, how is it? What do you think about my condition?” Yumiko asked after she had poured out everything, “Do you think I’m really crazy or schizophrenic?”

The man didn't reply. He just stared at the girl with a hard-to-read expression.

Yumiko lowered her head. She had resigned herself to whatever diagnosis she’d receive. She no longer cared if she was later found to have symptoms of a mental disorder. However, even though she had tried to be sincere, there was one point in her that still held onto hope.

“Honestly, it’s hard to conclude,” the man said, “Your stories all seem very consistent and I don’t find anything odd at all. I was going to schedule a follow-up examination. However, the more I hear from you, the more I think I need to take a different approach to your case.”

Hearing the long answer, Yumiko immediately lifted her face. Her expression was so bright, as if some of the burdens she had been carrying had been lifted. Not only that, her face suddenly felt hot. Without realising it, her eyes felt full of water pooling in the corners.

The blonde girl quickly wiped the clear liquid with her hand.

“In other words…,” she said hesitantly.

The psychiatrist nodded with a warm smile.

“That’s right. There are no symptoms whatsoever in your condition. That’s a relief, but to be honest, it’s also very strange from a medical standpoint. However, the built-up tension is making your emotions unstable.”

“I understand very well about the last part. I realise I’ve become a little colder to my friends. Besides—.”

Yumiko's eyes widened as if she had just realised something.

“You said you wouldn’t schedule a follow-up examination, but instead wanted to approach it with a different method?”

"As I said, I don't find any symptoms in you medically. In fact, according to the tests you took before entering this room, your cognitive abilities are actually good. So, we will not get anywhere unless we change the approach.

Yumiko blinked several times, trying to process what she had just heard.

“You mean, you believe that I can actually see supernatural things? You believe that they are real?”

“Didn’t I say from the start that I believe they exist because I am a religious person?”

Yumiko was speechless. No, it was different from the disappointment she felt a moment ago. The girl just didn't expect that, finally, there’d be someone who really believed her words. The words the doctor said were even more valuable than the confirmation that she wasn’t mentally ill.

“So, what other method do you want to use?” Yumiko asked.

“Psychology is basically the science that studies the behaviour of the brain in responding to every stimulus. What I do in this room is a general standard that is in accordance with medical principles. However, various kinds of psychological treatments have been carried out far since ancient civilisations.”

Those were complicated words to understand. Although Yumiko understood the meaning of the words, she didn’t catch the purpose of the narrative. However, the girl waited patiently for the man to finish whatever he wanted to say.

“In the simplest terms, we are no different from people in the past. Just like them, there are many things in the world that science cannot explain. And sometimes, these things create fear in us.”

“Is it okay for a doctor to talk about such dogmas?”

Despite the taunts filled with doubt, the doctor kept his smile on.

“Ultimately, the goal of psychology is to find peace amidst the mysteries of the unknown world. Whether it is religion or science, as long as we put our faith in it, it will become a dogma.”

The doctor sighed as he closed his eyes.

“I don’t want to say what is right and what is wrong. For me, as long as it gives you peace in your life, it is a path worth choosing.”

Yumiko actually didn’t really like explicitly carrying out missionary activities. Moreover, she was raised in a family that didn’t really believe in the concept of God. Since she was little, Yumiko also believed that supernatural things didn’t exist. However, the events she experienced over the past few days forced her to rewrite the things she had believed in all this time.

“So, what do you want to suggest?”

Instead of answering the question, the man took a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket. He put the paper on the table and wrote something on it.

“An address?” Yumiko muttered.

Without giving a word in response, the doctor nodded slowly.

“I believe your case is a true supernatural event. And supernatural events can only be handled by people who are experienced in the field.”

“You mean like shamans?”

The man laughed softly at the question.

“Well, what I mean is the religious people like priests and monks.”

He said as he handed a piece of paper to Yumiko. The girl took it without hesitation and read its contents carefully.

“Tokyo? And this isn’t the 23 special wards of Tokyo either, right? Okutama, isn’t that a mountainous area that also borders Saitama Prefecture?”

Yumiko looked back at the man, demanding further explanation. After all, even though it was in Tokyo, Okutama was a small town in a mountainous area mostly filled with villages. Even bears and wild boars still roamed the area.

“Don’t worry, it is one of the cultural and religious centres in Japan, which focuses on preserving and deepening Shinto and Buddhism. It is officially owned by the government. You can check it on the Ministry of Culture website.”

The room was filled with mellowness again after Yumiko chose to look back at the paper rather than continue the conversation. Her heart was still hesitant to accept the suggestion. However, more than anyone, she knew that medical treatment wasn’t the solution to the nightmare that befell her.

Seeing the blonde girl who still hadn’t given any certainty, the psychiatrist uttered a few more words.

“If you feel unsure, you can ask your parents to come with you.”

“They don’t believe in the supernatural. I doubt they would consider this unscientific method,” Yumiko replied.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’m willing to accompany you. After all, I also go there quite often to exchange ideas about psychology from a religious perspective.”

Yumiko crumpled the corner of the paper as if trying to convince herself of the decision she was about to make. Her eyes were drawn back to the written address, but her mind wasn’t focused on whatever was on the paper.

“Tokyo Cultural and Religious Preservation Centre, huh?” the girl muttered.

—OoOoO—

Even though they were a minority group with less than 3000 people, jujutsu sorcerers had a very important role in Japan. They hunted for cursed spirits and maintained the stability of vulnerable places filled with negative emotions, such as hospitals, government buildings, schools, etc. Also, having side jobs was common, making it easier for them to mingle with society.

The psychiatrist returned to his desk, staring blankly and facing the door that had just been closed by his unusual patient. The man took a deep breath and rested his hand on his chin. His friendly gaze disappeared and was replaced by a flat look.

The man pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. His thumbs were busy swiping something on the screen until they stopped after finding what he was looking for. With a tap, he put the object to his ear.

“Yes?”

It didn't take long for him to get a response from the other side.

“As I said in the message I sent earlier, there’ll be a girl from Chiba who’ll be coming to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, her name’s Miura Yumiko.”

“Are you sure she also experienced the same awakening as Yukinoshita Haruno and Yoshino Junpei?” asked the man from the other side.

The psychiatrist leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table.

“I don’t know if she has the same case. But she said that she could only see cursed spirits a few days ago. Besides, seeing his reaction that couldn’t even differentiate between shikigami and cursed spirits, there’s no doubt that she had just been awakened.”

The birdcage that held the two-headed snake monster opened by itself. The creature turned its head at the click of its cage lock. Seeing an escape route, it flew out, swimming in the air as if it was happy to be able to move its body freely. However, it was only momentarily before the creature flew towards the doctor and coiled around his neck to go back to sleep.

“Then you made sure to tell her to come on Saturday, right?”

"Of course."

“Good. Now, try to investigate further, whether Hiratsuka Shizuka is involved in this resurrection case.”

The man immediately widened his eyes and immediately stood up from his seat. Luckily, he had good emotional control. If not, he would have banged the table and let out a scream that could probably be heard outside the room.

“Are you crazy?!” he cursed, trying to keep his voice down, “By hijacking this information and not reporting it to Hiratsuka, I already risked my life. Now you want me to investigate it myself?! Do you really want me to die?!”

In the professional world, there was no sorcerer in Chiba who didn’t know Hiratsuka Shizuka. She was the sole reason why the death rate of sorcerers had dropped so drastically on the mission. Her existence ensured no sorcerer would have to go on a job unsuited to their rank.

However, unlike Gojo Satoru, who liked to show off her abilities and always did everything spectacularly, Hiratsuka Shizuka was a calm woman who always efficiently finished her work. Therefore, except for Gojo Satoru and Yaga Masamichi, no one had ever seen her full power. Even her students and classmate, Nanami Kento, had no idea of the peak of Hiratsuka Shizuka's power.

The only thing people knew was that Hiratsuka was a sorcerer with powers higher than her ranking on paper.

“Okay, okay, I understand your concerns,” his interlocutor replied, “We’ll pay you handsomely for the information and your efforts. Just make sure this information doesn’t fall into the hands of Hiratsuka Shizuka or even Gojo Satoru.”

The doctor let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. His tense muscles began to relax. He sat back in his chair and leaned back comfortably.

“Don’t worry. No matter how strong Hiratsuka is, news of the death of a family won’t reach her ears as long as you take care of it properly. As for Gojo, it depends on how you handle it. Anyway, I’ve already picked out a day for Miura Yumiko that he’s off. So, as long as you don’t mess it up, we’ll be safe.”

Planning something behind Gojo Satoru's back was like playing with fire. If you didn’t do it carefully, it’d backfire and even kill you.

“By the way, what are you planning to do with that girl? Are you going to kill her?” asked the doctor.

There was a long pause for the other person to respond. The doctor thought he wouldn't get any response, but the man on the other end seemed to be starting to speak up.

“I don’t know. It all depends on the decision of the higher-ups. However, for me personally, it’d be a shame if we just killed the girl.”

The man hung up his words for a moment. The sound of inhaling and exhaling air could be heard through the phone. Only then did he continue his words.

“Cases of late awakening are extremely rare. The first case was Yukinoshita Haruno followed by Yoshino Junpei who eventually died at the hands of the cursed spirit that transformed these two. And lastly, this Miura Yumiko. It’s unclear whether she was awakened in the same way as Yukinoshita Haruno and Yoshino Junpei.”

“So, what you mean is…,”

The psychiatrist didn't finish his sentence, hesitating over the conclusion in his head. However, even though he couldn't see it, the person on the other end nodded.

“You’re right. Rather than killing Miura Yumiko, it’d be better to turn her into a research object. We can dissect her head and try to uncover the mystery of which part of the brain evolves upon the awakening of a sorcery abilities.”

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Hello, how are you? Sorry for the delay in updating. There's no reason. I really had a hard time writing the part during Yumiko's consultation session. I wanted to write with as much nuance as possible to a real consultation, but it was really difficult because there are a lot of tricks and guidelines used when interviewing patients. Hell, I even had to repeat that part three times to get an okay. Even though it didn't satisfy me, it was the best I could write about an interview with a psychiatrist.

The next chapter will be the final chapter in Yumiko's arc. The initial plan was that this arc would be a turning point to focus again on Sobu's life after we had gone through many chapters focused on jujutsu life in Tokyo. However, it looks like there will be a slight change in plans. I thought about including a little flashback about Hiratsuka. So, what do you think?