Chapter Text
Reigen Arataka was, for lack of a better term, bored out of his damn mind.
The day was turning out to be just the same as every other - clients with stiff shoulders and an irrational fear of curses looking for the cheapest solution they could find. He meets with them, discusses the various exorcism courses, provides a massage and some advice, and sends them on their way. If he's lucky, he'll make enough for take-out after the office closes. If he's extra lucky, he can buy a new video game to occupy his free time at home.
It was boring. Unbearably boring.
Reigen took a moment to rub at his tired eyes, then glanced to the time on his laptop. 2:20, he had ten minutes before his next appointment was scheduled to begin, ten minutes with nothing to do but wish he were back at home and asleep in bed. Ten minutes to regret getting out of bed in the first place.
2:21. Nine minutes now.
The client probably wouldn't appreciate it, but he needed to do... something with his hands. He took out a pack of cigarettes, half-empty, and grabbed the lighter from his desk. He wondered what the office must smell like to visitors; he had long grown used to the omnipresent stench of smoke that seemed to permeate his very being, spreading to every surface he touched and every space he occupied. He used to hate adults like him.
2:22.
He flicked open the flimsy dollar store lighter and lit the cigarette between his teeth. When had he started smoking? It feels like so long ago now, he's not sure he can trust his own memory. It was probably some time during high school though, like every bad habit he'd developed. He'd stopped caring so much in high school.
2:23. He took a long drag of the cigarette, held the smoke for a few seconds. Exhale.
When had he decided to start up this whole "psychic" business anyways? He thought it would be something interesting to do. Something fun. Something fulfilling. A childhood idol had inspired him, and he thought he could be happy if he could help people like that man did, all those years ago. Was it working?
2:24. Maybe not.
He could switch things up again, like he had in the past. It wouldn't be too hard to take down the sign outside, throw away the talismans and the salt and start something new. Something fun. Something fulfilling. That's how it always started. This was how it always ended.
2:25.
With each cycle, he was growing more and more disconnected from himself. He had no idea what to do with himself, what he wanted to do with himself, and how to even find the motivation to do... anything. Nothing was fun anymore. Nothing was fulfilling. All he had to look forward to was sleep.
2:26. The cigarette helped to calm his nerves, but not completely.
He slept for the sake of sleeping, because it was something to do, and it was more preferable to being awake. The endless hours he spent alone in that dingy apartment would drive him insane, but he has nothing better to do with that time than throw it away and escape into a restless sleep. Sometimes he had dreams. Luckily for him, they were only rarely nightmares.
2:28. He had almost drifted off. That would have been a fire hazard, and not at all beneficial for his reputation.
He sighed deeply, rubbing the remains of the cigarette into an ashtray beside his desk. He would open a window to air out some of the smoke if it wasn't so cold outside. It was going to rain later in the evening, luckily hours after he would be home, and he hoped the gentle patter of raindrops on his window would help him sleep easier.
2:29. It was no time to be thinking about sleep. Someone was paying for his help, so he had to help them, no matter how tired he was.
Reigen stretched his aching legs, getting some blood flowing back into the underused limbs before standing from his office chair, eyes trained on the door. The client would be walking in at any moment, so he had to be prepared to deliver the finest service he could muster.
He heard footsteps approaching his office. He slipped into that practiced businessman persona, all friendly smiles and confident posture, something much more organized than his true self and far more capable of managing a small business.
2:30. The door opens. Right on time.
So on and so forth, every day for the past six years.
"Niisan... can you please show it to me? Just one more time?"
"Ritsu, it's too dangerous... and mom would be mad if she found out."
"You're not dangerous, niisan! You protected me then. Please, I just want to see it once before I sleep."
"I guess... if it's just water, it can't hurt anyone. Just keep it a secret, okay?"
"I promise! Cross my heart!"
It was dark, and so, so cold. It shouldn't be possible to be so cold with a beating heart, but his must be if there's still blood flowing from the wound on his head. Why is it so cold?
He doesn't even have the energy to shiver anymore. That can't be a good sign.
He's moving, he thinks, but he's obviously not the one doing it. Someone must be carrying him somewhere... yes, that must be it! He must have fallen asleep on the couch again, and his father was carrying him to his bedroom. That's a very reassuring thought, even if the pace is far too quick to be walking up stairs, and this person's breathing is sharp and labored against his chest; but it's the only thought swirling around his muddled brain that makes sense, so it must be true.
He hopes he'll be warmer soon, once he's back in bed and tucked under the covers.
Well, this was certainly a break in routine, if not entirely welcome.
Reigen had finished his work as usual, waved goodbye to his final client of the day, and began preparations to close for the day. It wasn't the normal closing time, but heavy rains were on the horizon, and he wanted to arrive home at least mostly dry, so he decided there'd be no harm in leaving a little early. He was a little miffed that the rain was coming earlier than predicted, but such was the reliability of weather forecasting.
There wasn't much he had to do besides file away some documents and snuff out the few sticks of incense left burning in lieu of actual air fresheners. The thick clouds that loomed overhead blocked out the harsh light of the setting sun, making the nighttime seem much closer than it really was, and Reigen didn't enjoy being in the office at night. It was too... quiet. Somehow, the darkness seems to exaggerate that emptiness into something almost unnatural, so he tries to avoid it if he can.
He had left the building once satisfied with his meager attempts at being organized and looked ahead to the treck home.
The city was something he was familiar with, and something he took for granted. For all the time he spent alone, with only his thoughts and cute dog videos on the internet to keep him company, it was like a breath of fresh air to step out into the streets and witness life progressing all around him. Though he wasn't a fan of larger crowds, just being in the vicinity of other people was enough to put his heart at ease, if only slightly. He was thankful to live in an urban area, where human beings were in abundance, always rushing, always moving, always there.
This evening, though... it felt different. Wrong even, and something deep in his gut told him it wasn't just the weather.
There were few people about at this time of day, especially with rain approaching, but he expected as much. What he hadn't expected was the melancholic mood that saturated the air like humidity, so much that it pressed heavy on his chest and made taking deep breaths difficult. It was odd, considering how often he had walked this same path, that today was any different - every season, every month, no matter the weather, this was the way he walked to and from his workplace. He could walk it backwards and blindfolded, if such a thing were ever required.
Today was different, and he couldn't fathom why, but he still had to get home before the rain, so he carried on as he always did.
In fact, he did such a good job carrying on that he didn't notice when the first few drops of water began hitting his face, so it was a bit of a surprise when the downpour finally began. Cursing, he rose his old leather briefcase over his head for protection and ran the remaining few blocks to his apartment building, leaving him winded and soaked by the time he reached cover. So much for leaving early.
Well, at least it was over now, right? He could step into his little apartment, take a nice, long bath, and settle in with some microwaved dinner and cheesy action movies from the 80s. That sounded nice, right?
Until Reigen reached into his pockets and made the wonderful discovery that his apartment keys were not there. Which meant that the only place they could be was... back at the office. Back... through the rain... at the office.
He really, really did not want to go running around in the rain again, especially now that the sun had begun to set, but he really didn't have a choice if he wanted to get inside without having to deal with management. So, with a heavy heart, he mourned the jacket he draped over his head and rushed back out into the open, thankful at least that the cold water was enough to keep him running.
He survived that perilous journey, somehow, and now stood before the door to his office once again, dripping rainwater onto the welcome mat as he fumbled for his keys - which, thankfully, were on his person and not locked away inside with the apartment keys. The water made everything a little slippery, but in a few seconds he held the metal in a firm enough grip to slide it into the lock and turn.
Except the door was already unlocked.
Reigen paused, annoyance fading away to be replaced with anxiety. He would never, ever leave work without making sure that the front door was locked; that was part of the routine, he always locked the door. What could have possibly possessed him to neglect such an important step? Was it the rain, the cold, the smoke, the fatigue...?
Or something else? Someone else?
His breathing had settled since he stopped running, but it began to race just a bit faster as the possibility surfaced. He couldn't fathom any reason that his psychic business would be a target for a robbery, but then again, the mind of a criminal was something he could never understand. It could even be a client of his own, perhaps unsatisfied with their service and there to enact revenge on him. He shuddered at the thought of shaking hands with a criminal unknowingly.
Heartbeat loud in his ears, Reigen steadied himself, took a few deep, calming breaths, and carefully opened the door. If there really was someone snooping around his office, he could confront them - talking his way out of dangerous situations was a specialty of his, after all. If there was nobody there, then either the place was haunted (which would inevitably be bad for business) or his memory just wasn't as good as it used to be. Somehow, the latter was the scariest thought.
He walked as quietly as possible down the hallway, shifting his weight slowly to avoid making any noise. His ears were strained to pick up even the slightest hint of an intruder, but so far all he could hear was the blood rushing to his head and the ringing that filled the silence around him. He recalled the mood he felt as he left work earlier that day, as he felt it again the closer he got to the main room. It was even stronger in there, like a physical substance that he had to wade through like muddy water, and the air was shockingly cold. He began to believe it really was a spirit that had invaded his workplace until he finally reached the end of the hallway and peered around the corner.
Immediately, he spotted two figures on the opposite end of the room. One seemed to be hovering over the other, which was lying motionless on the old couch against the far wall. Neither made any sound whatsoever; it was like they existed in a different world, a reality that only barely intersected with his, leaving just the imprint of their existence and nothing more. Spirits, he was sure.
They were small spirits. He could handle this.
The bag of salt he kept in his jacket for emergencies was pretty soggy, but it would have to do. He stuffed one hand into the pocket where the substance was hidden and stepped around the corner, putting most of his energy into keeping up a confident appearance. The figures still didn't react to him. He stood for a few moments before he cleared his throat.
It felt like something snapped in the air. Instantly, the leaning figure's head whipped around to face him, now fully aware of his presence. It's eyes were wide, clearly fearful, but they held a sort of defiance that reminded Reigen of a stubborn child.
Actually, now that he could see the figures more clearly, they really did look like... children.
Just... normal kids.
Reigen's stomach dropped, along with the hand he'd held in his jacket. His jaw hung open as he struggled for something to say, but the scene before him was so surreal that he found himself at a loss for words.
The child that stared at him looked quite young, with big, round features and pastel-colored clothing. His sleek black hair was dripping with rainwater, sliding down his chubby cheeks like tears. He was trembling, but his eyes only barely conveyed any emotion, that fear and determination, but it was faint, swirling around in the deep black of his irises, shifting in intensity. He had yet to say a word, but he seemed content to keep it that way.
Then there was... the one lying on the couch.
He was not shivering. He was not moving at all. The only sign that he still lived was the rise and fall of his little chest, but even that was too slow and shallow to be healthy. He looked pale, unnaturally so, and his spiky black hair was wrapped up in gauze.
Gauze. An injury? He was bleeding. Oh God he was bleeding.
Reigen was roughly shaken from his thoughts by a fresh wave of panic. "Kid, what- how did you get in here, and why are you here?" he stuttered, trying to step closer to the odd boy, who raised an arm protectively above the boy on the sofa. "Is he hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?" he asked, more collected, trying hard to keep a level head. He had no idea who these kids were, but if they needed help, it was his responsibility as an adult to do everything he could for them.
The boy looked to him, then to the other child, and clenched a hand on his lap. "...You can't call," he mumbled, though he sounded conflicted.
Reigen shook his head. "I don't understand. Are you afraid of doctors?" he tried, crouching down to stand eye-level with him. "It's okay. I know doctors seem kind of scary sometimes, but they want to help you. I'm sure they'd want to help him, too."
The boy's fist clenched tighter, his knuckles turning white. "You can't," he repeated in a whisper, voice cracking. "The bleeding will stop, he'll wake up, he just needs to sleep. I promise we'll leave soon, he just needs to sleep. Please."
Reigen felt his chest tighten at the strain in the kid's words, but this was an urgent situation. "Look, kiddo, I don't mean to scare you but you can't know that for sure. A hospital isn't home, but he'll be a lot safer there. If something bad happens, they'll know what to do. I may be an adult, but I don't know how to take care of people like doctors do. Do you understand?"
His little body curled in on itself, and his trembling only intensified. "I know!" he cried, arms wrapped around himself, "I'm... I'm dangerous, so they'll take me away. That's what mom said... but Ritsu hated the doctors, and he cried when he wasn't with me... but I can't control it, and Ritsu needs help... I don't know what to do..." he trailed off in a fit of shivers, though no tears had fallen yet.
The pit in Reigen's stomach turned sour. "Why would your mom say something like that?" he leaned closer, but the child kept his face hidden. "Why are you out here without your parents? Did you run away?"
Unexpectedly, his body went still and rigid, his voice monotone. "We can't go home. Mom and dad... they're gone now."
"They left you?"
He shook his head.
Reigen really didn't want to upset the poor kid any more, but he had to know what happened if he wanted to do anything about it. "It's okay, you can tell me. I won't hurt you- my name is Reigen Arataka, sorry for not introducing myself. Can you tell me your names? That way we won't be strangers anymore." he gave a friendly smile, even if the boy wasn't looking at him anymore. He waited patiently, but kept an eye on the boy on the couch, prepared to act if his condition became any worse.
After a few moments of consideration, the kid relaxed a bit, looking up at him through thick bangs. "Hello. My name is Shigeo Kageyama. My little brother's name is Ritsu," he said simply, then added, "Sorry for breaking into your office. It was too cold to stay outside."
Reigen, too, relaxed as the boy - Shigeo - opened up to him. "Nice to meet you, Shigeo. I'm not mad, I'd rather have you inside than out in the rain. Actually, I'm impressed you could get in all on your own," his words further brought Shigeo down from his panic, and the mood seemed to lighten. "Now, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I want to help you, okay? To do that, I need you to tell me what happened."
Shigeo flinched, gaze lowering to his lap. He played with his fingers absently, keeping his voice low. "I don't know what happened, honest. Mom caught me using my powers, and she got really mad at me, and started yelling. It was really scary," he broke off, hunching his shoulders. "Then everything gets all fuzzy... and I woke up, and mom and dad were... they were..." he tried to finish the sentence, but he couldn't express the last few words, so he just resigned himself to silence.
That was surprisingly... a lot more to take in than he'd initially thought. He had been expecting some form of abuse - when Shigeo had mentioned his mother, he had imagined the woman hurting the younger brother, after which Shigeo had taken him and fled the house. The very thought of a mother harming her children made him livid, but this was something different altogether. Namely...
"You said... 'powers'? Is that, like, a game you play with your brother or something?"
Shigeo perked up, tilting his head to the side in puzzlement, as if what he had just asked was absurd. "No. I meant my psychic powers," he said. "Don't you have them too, Mister Reigen? I saw your sign... you work with ghosts, right?"
If Reigen had been drinking something, he would've done a spit take.
"Wh- whoa, whoa, whoa kid, slow down there," he said, waving his hands rapidly. "I, ah- you're not playing some elaborate prank on me right now, are you?"
Shigeo shook his head firmly. "No, I'm telling the truth. I've always had psychic powers..." he turned to look over his shoulder at his brother, expression strikingly serious for someone so young. "Sometimes I lose control and hurt people... that's why I'm dangerous. Mom didn't want me to use my powers anymore, but it made Ritsu happy, but..." he glanced back at Reigen, "I think I did something bad again."
Reigen brought a hand to his chin, trying to find any deception in Shigeo's words, but all he could see was a little boy, afraid of something he knew as "psychic powers" to the point where he truly believed he was a threat to people around him. It could have been the result of an overactive imagination, but the expression on Shigeo's little face was open and sincere. He didn't know what to make of that information, so he decided it would be more productive to move on. "Okay, so you think you did something bad, huh? That's okay, everyone makes mistakes. Can you tell me what you did? I promise I won't be mad," he reassured Shigeo, holding open palms up in honesty, keeping his tone gentle but firm.
Shigeo's face scrunched up a bit, leaning forward in his chair. "One time, these bullies were picking on us, and they grabbed Ritsu. I tried to stop them, and everything got fuzzy... then everyone was hurt, even Ritsu. He had a... a c-concussion?" he struggled to pronounce the term correctly, but Reigen could see what he meant from the bandages wrapped around the other's head. He wanted to ask questions, but Shigeo was still talking, and he didn't want to interrupt. "Ritsu said it wasn't my fault, but mom said it was. She told me not to use my powers again, and I didn't want to, but then Ritsu wanted to see them. He was lonely in the hospital, so I wanted to make him happy again. That's all I did, I just moved some water around, but mom saw and started yelling, and Ritsu got mad too, and-" he suddenly brought a chubby hand to his mouth, suppressing a whimper. Reigen wanted to reach out, but was afraid he would make the boy uncomfortable. "Mom hit me. That's all I remember. That's it, that's all, but then I woke up and... it happened again. Everyone was hurt. Mom... dad..."
Okay, nevermind about that, he had to do something to comfort this poor kid. He reached a hand out slowly, waiting to gauge a reaction, and when Shigeo did not lean away from him, he brought the hand to rest gently on a quivering shoulder. Shigeo remained stiff, but made no move to pull away from the contact, so he took that as a sign his comfort had been accepted. "Hey, Shigeo, look at me. Just look for a second," he prompted, and the boy's big eyes met his own. "There you go. Now, listen to me - what your mother did was really- it was mean, okay? She shouldn't have done that. No matter what you think you did, you didn't deserve that. Like I said, we all make mistakes."
He didn't look convinced. "I hurt them really bad, though..."
Reigen sighed, squeezing his shoulder slightly. "Really, you're- adults are bigger and stronger than kids, you know? I'm sure whatver happened between you wasn't enough to really hurt them."
Reigen looked into Shigeo's eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. The boy was staring- no, glaring at him, like twin black holes that threatened to devour him on the spot. All at once, that oppressive atmosphere returned full force, and he struggled to take in enough air to clear the black spots from his vision. "No," Shigeo said, voice barely a whisper, "You're wrong. You're wrong, Mister Reigen. I hurt them. They were bleeding, and then they weren't breathing, and then they weren't moving. I tried to help. Dad taught me how to stop bleeding once, just press on a cut until it stops. But it didn't stop."
Reigen felt sweat trickle down the back of his neck as panic planted roots in his gut all over again. Was this little, frail-looking child telling him that he somehow... killed his parents? On accident? With psychic powers?
"Then I saw Ritsu, and he was still breathing," he continued, voice only a little softer. "I didn't know what to do. I was scared. I just took Ritsu on my back and ran out of the house. That's how we got here."
"Wh- you- you ran away- sorry, I just," he took in a deep, shaky breath , the exhale lifting his unkempt bangs from his forehead. "You're saying... your parents are..."
"Dead," the boy finished, with a pang of sadness despite the blunt remark.
"D-dead," he repeated dumbly. "Right. So, your mom was mad, and something happened that you... can't remember?" he asked, and Shigeo nodded in affirmation. "Okay. Okay, you don't know what happened. But then when you came to, they were already hurt?" Another nod. "Why did't you call 119? Do you know how to do that?"
"I did try but... the phone didn't work. I think the power was off," he explained, fidgeting with his hands again. "I tried to do it myself, but the bleeding wouldn't stop..." Reigen looked down to his little hands, and for the first time caught a glimpse of the dried blood that built up under his fingernails. The rain must have washed most of it away.
"All right, well- that was good, to try and call," he still couldn't believe what was happening right in front of him, that a boy and his concussed brother showed up in his office, parents supposedly dead back at home. Dead, were people really dead? He had to do something- he would have to call the police, at least, to pick up the bodies- bodies, God. They would certainly question the children though, but with Shigeo in the state he was in, and Ritsu with a concussion, there was no way they would be forced to testify, right?
Could he guarantee that these kids would be okay? That Shigeo wouldn't be accused of something there was no way he could have done? He even thinks he did it... but they can't do anything without evidence, surely the evidence would prove his innocence.
But what if it didn't? What if... it actually proved-
"Mister Reigen? Um..." Shigeo interrupted the silence in the room. "Are you... mad?"
Reigen quickly shook his head, releasing his grip on the boy's shoulder in case he'd been too rough. "No, no, I'm not mad- I promised I wouldn't get mad, didn't I? I keep my promises," he said.
Shigeo slumped a little. "Oh... you just looked a little mad," he mumbled, Reigen internally cursing himself for losing his cool, even for a short moment.
"I see. Sorry about that - I was just upset that your mom hit you like that. It's not your fault," he explained, though Shigeo still did not relax. Either way... he had to do the right thing if lives were on the line. Time to rip off the band-aid. "Listen, if your parents are, ah- you had the right idea, calling 119. That's the right thing to do, so I'm going to have to do that now," he said, and Shigeo already looked anxious again. "I'll tell the ambulance to go help your parents, and then we should drive your little brother to the hospital, okay? I won't leave you alone, we'll wait together in the lobby. You'll be okay."
Shigeo's face went pale, and his shivering returned, though now he really looked on the verge of tears. He said nothing, only bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them and resting his head on top. Reigen had the feeling that Shigeo knew he was right, but he was still terrified of what would happen to him. As if he truly believed he had killed his parents.
"Shigeo. Shigeo, you're very strong, you know that? You did what you could to help your family, and you protected Ritsu like a good big brother would," he said, smile gracing his face as Shigeo peeked at him through wet eyelashes. "I don't know what happened at your house, but neither do you. You don't remember what happened, so you can't say you did it. The police, though, that's their job. They'll look around and tell us what happened, and then you'll see that you're not the one at fault. You're not dangerous. They'll prove it."
Shigeo continued to stare as Reigen's words were processed in his mind. He nodded, softly, tentatively, and Reigen's smile grew even wider. "Good. That's the spirit!" he gave a firm nod of his head, then slipped his cellphone out of his pocket. "I'm going to call 119 now. Do you know your address?"
"Yeah. Ritsu helped me remember it," he replied, more confident now.
"Good, good. Oh, can you check on your brother for me while I make the call? Let me know how he's doing."
Shigeo didn't even say "yes" before all his attention was turned on to his little brother, eyeing him over for any sign of more serious injury or worsening symptoms. He rested a small hand on Ritsu's chest, felt the gentle rise and fall, and he seemed to lose himself in thought.
Reigen, meanwhile, prepared himself for what he was sure would be the most awkward phone call he's ever had to make in his 28 years of life. He dialed 119, worked through the specifics in his head, and hit call.
"Shigeo, what on earth are you doing?! I told you not to use your powers anymore!"
"M-mom- I'm sorry, I just-"
"You just what? You just wanted to risk Ritsu's life again for some stupid party tricks?!"
"No, mommy, don't be mad at niisan! I asked him to do it, it's not his fault!"
"Ritsu, your brother is dangerous. You can't play with his powers anymore, understand?"
"No, I don't! Niisan isn't dangerous, he didn't hurt me! Why won't you believe me?!"
"Ritsu, it's okay..."
"Shigeo, if you can't keep yourself under control when you play together, then maybe you shouldn't play together at all."
"Mom, please, I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"
"I don't want it to be this way either, but you've proven you can't handle it."
"Please, please, I'm sorry, I-"
"Let him go!!"
Slap
Then everything goes fuzzy. He wakes up in a world of red.