Supernatural Investigation 101: Chronicles Of Nakashima Wakana

When Sei hears Sayuri frantically calling Wakana's name, he feels his heart drop. He takes long strides toward her. "Where is she?"

"She's gone." Sayuri gives her phone to him. "Matsuda Yuji called. She was beside me one moment; and then, she was gone in the next moment. This phone was lying on the floor. I think that she picked the call."

Sei stares at the broken screen of the phone. Where could she have gone? Did that ghost do something to her? She might be in the vicinity. He dials her number, but the call doesn't connect. "Damn it!"

Taking rapid breaths, Sayuri looks at him. "Minami-kun, is she going to be alright?"

"She has to be." He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to calm himself. Nishimura-sama must know what is going on. How does a ghost's mind work? "Explain what happened in the car."

***

After having a conversation with Sung Jun, Choi Minho returns to T City. As a habit, he ends up in front of Nakashima Wakana's apartment. Staring at it with longing in his eyes, he lets out a deep sigh. She would despise him if he reappears in her life again.

He did manage to convince Sung Jun that Wakana's abilities need to be suppressed. However, he couldn't avoid the responsibility either. Coming back to the Supernatural Investigation Agency is going to take a toll on him. 

He wants to avoid her; and yet, he can't avoid her. Is this the fate that his sister-in-law was talking about? Something that can't be untangled? 

"Where is she?" He appears in front of her door. Would it be bad if he takes a peek? He searches for her in the apartment. He murmurs to himself, "She's not here."

She must be with Minami Sei.

After what he did to her, going back in her life would be cruel to her. Would she come to see him if she finds out that he is back in the Supernatural Investigation Agency? 

Unlikely.

He will keep his promise and never appear in front of her again. Guiding Dierre Virevo doesn't need his direct interference in Wakana's life. He can handle the Supernatural Investigation Agency through Nishimura Soichiro. Since Wakana is no longer a part of the SIA, he can definitely avoid her as much as he can.

Is she doing well now?

She's with the man she loves. Surely, she would be fine after a while. 

But is she? There's no harm in checking up on her. He's going to do it from a distance. He won't even see her. If he can only hear her voice, that's enough.

In the next instant, he materializes in front of Minami Sei's apartment. His brows furrow into a frown. Wakana isn't here either. 

It's late. Where is she at this hour? He takes out the blank card. The card is black as coal. There's no change. She shouldn't be in danger. He can't trace her mood. Is she asleep?

But why is his heart uneasy? Maybe one glance is fine. He won't do anything to her. Choi Minho goes to her Elder Sister's place. Her sisters are here. When he doesn't feel her presence, he leaves the place.  He searches for her at the usual places where she used to hang out. 

"Where did she go?" He takes a glance at the card again. The card can't tell him the location. He inserts his hand in his inner coat's pocket and brings out another card. Looking at Minami Sei's card, he knits his brows. "Why does it say helplessness and anxiety?"

That boy won't feel helpless if it isn't related to Wakana. Where is Minami Sei? Wakana should be with him. Is Red Guest back already? 

There's no other choice left. He doesn't like doing this. Standing at the top of a building, he looks at the vibrant city in front of him. So many minds. His gift's range did increase after becoming immortal. But he has never done this before. Closing his eyes, he scrutinizes the countless minds. Since he's attuned to her mind, it should be hard to find her in the mass. However, he can't trace her. 

He opens his eyes, panting for air. His shirt is drenched with sweat. "She couldn't have left the city."

Shutting his eyes close, he searches for Minami Sei. It takes him nearly fifteen minutes to find him. Choi Minho appears in the bas.e.m.e.nt. He doesn't enter right away. Instead, he reads the mind of people inside the bas.e.m.e.nt. 

"Disappeared?" His blood turns cold. After a call? It shouldn't be possible. He walks into the bas.e.m.e.nt. Nishimura Soichiro stands up when he sees him.

"Choi-san, you are back." Nishimura Soichiro exclaims, "I thought that you quit the agency."

"You!" Minami Sei charges at him, grabbing his collar. "You bastard! How could you do that to Wakana that day?"

Choi Minho grasps his hand and pushes him away. Sei staggers back and flinches. The man is too strong. Sei grits his teeth and grimaces at him. "Are you a man? How dare you hurt her? She respected you so much."

Nishimura Soichiro raises his brow. They have been discussing Wakana's disappearance. Even if a ghost was involved, she shouldn't disappear like that. Maybe she's possessed. However, what the hell is going on here? 

"I gave her to you because I can't be with her." Choi Minho tells him with an emotionless voice, "I thought that you would be able to keep her safe in my absence. I was wrong." Very wrong. 

Sei purses his lips. He hasn't expected Choi Minho to admit his feelings like that. An ugly feeling twists something in his heart. 

"You didn't give her away. She chose me." Minami Sei sneers at him. "She married me, Choi Minho."

Married? Choi Minho stares at him. Something inside him feels broken. Then, he doesn't even have the right to feel this way. He inhales sharply. Minami Sei is right. Sei is Wakana's happiness -- not him.

It is not important right now. He has to find Wakana first. She might not be in danger right now; however, the situation can change anytime. 

He has a grasp of the situation after reading their minds. Taking a mortal away from the physical realm can't be a ghost's doing unless it has become a powerful demon. Choi Minho ignores Minami Sei and picks up the phone from the table. The phone is completely dead. He curls his fingers around the phone, trying to feel the energy. 

Choi Minho drops the phone.

Sei narrows his eyes when he sees the flicker of fear in his eyes. He knows something. "Where is she?"

His question isn't answered. Choi Minho is not in the bas.e.m.e.nt anymore. 

"Choi Minho!" Minami Sei shouts in rage. "Get back here."

"I don't know what's going on." Nishimura Soichiro bends down and picks up the phone from the floor, muttering to himself. "Honestly, I don't want to know what's going between the three of you."

"Nishimura-sama, how are we going to find Wakana?" Minami Sei asks him, distressed. Judging from Choi Minho's expression, she must be in danger. He has never felt this helpless before. "What is the point of this investigation agency if we can't do anything?"

"We will find her," Nishimura Soichiro assures him. "Since you have already passed the evaluation, I can show it to you now."

"Show what?" Minami Sei questions him with a tensed voice. He doesn't feel excited. On the other hand, he wants to destroy the thing that took Wakana. "If you can't help me, tell me right away. I will go find someone who can help me."

Wakana's phone signal disappeared in the apartment building. The CCTV cameras didn't see her coming out of the apartment building either. 

And what does it mean to invite a ghost? Sayuri did say that Matsuda Yuji was already dead and his body was burned. However, she kept receiving his calls. Even throwing that phone in the water tub or breaking it with a hammer won't stop the calls. When she tried to throw that phone away, it returned to her on its own.

That woman with the snake nest on her head or Akabane Houmi might be of some help. But he doesn't know where to find them. Compared to Choi Minho, he's truly useless.

"Choi-san felt something in this phone." Nishimura Soichiro walks to the shelves on the wall and removes the pile of paper. He opens the secret locker. "Humans might not have special powers like immortals do, but we have technologies to tackle down the problem-- Ah! Here, it is." 

Nishimura Soichiro takes out a small object. He comes back and puts down the phone on the table. He glances at Minami Sei. "Now, watch. We are going to find out what Choi-san felt when he touched this phone."

He takes the sensor close to the phone. The needle in the sensor trembles between numbers and letters of different three colours. Minami Sei wonders what is this man doing. How is this helpful? This looks too ridiculous. Then again, he has already seen enough to not question Nishimura Soichiro.

When the needle stops on the blue letters, Nishimura Soichiro tilts his head with a puzzling gaze on the sensor. "Gift? Why is it a gift?"

"Gift?" Minami Sei gapes at him. "Gift like Wakana has?"

"There's no ghostly activity." Nishimura Soichiro narrows his eyes on the needle that is resting on the blue symbol that represented gifted individuals. "It's someone who has a gift."