The expert of Anomalies

Don't get involved in this case

Sagen Takei walked out of the store and saw that the girl hadn't left yet, in front of her was a man in his forties or fifties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, thanking her chatteringly.

“Thank you, Miss Hideko. Without you, I don't know how to continue the business." The man said.

At this point, Sagen Takei had vaguely guessed everything. The man rolled his eyes and saw Sagen Takei, now his expression had changed to a nonchalant one as if he were a double player on stage: "You want to buy furniture?"

Sagen Takei shook his head, “No. Are you the owner of the shop? I have seen the wooden furniture displayed in your shop, I must say I admire your sculpting talent. I just wanted to ask you a few things, I am also a woodcarver, so the words I say are all sincere words from the bottom of my heart.”

He stared intently at Sagen Takei's face as if guessing whether what he said was true or false. Then he nodded, still in a cold voice:

“I don't have much experience to tell you. If you don't buy it, invite me back. I don't like to discuss my field with other people."

Sagen Takei secretly cursed him for being an eager guy, but on the outside, he kept a polite face, “Okay. If so, that's unfortunate. But if you don't want to, I won't force you. Goodbye, hope you have a prosperous business!”

Sagen Takei said and turned to leave. He had no reason to convince an obstinate old man to exchange his experience with him. But suddenly another cold voice said: "Wait."

Sagen Takei stopped walking in surprise. It was the girl's voice. This situation is very familiar, just a few minutes ago he said that to the girl, and now their identities have exchanged.

Sagen Takei wanted to leave immediately because honestly, no matter how beautiful the girl was, her personality was not pleasant at all. However, he was very curious about what she wanted to say, so he had to stop and turn around, asking:

"What's up?"

“You want to go to Mount Uyeno, right?” The girl asked.

The owner of the wood carving shop did not know when he entered the shop. So now it's just him and the girl standing on the sidewalk in the middle of a deserted street. It's still not time to leave work, so there are very few people in the street at the moment.

Sagen Takei asked back, "How did you know I wanted to go to Mount Uyeno?"

The girl did not answer him but said: “My name is Kamei Hideko. If you go to Mount Uyeno, take me with you.”

Sagen Takei was surprised, and couldn't help but exclaim this girl was too weird. And perhaps his potential to attract bad luck is working.

"No. Why should I take you with me? You also haven't answered my question. How do you know I want to go to Mount Uyeno?” Sagen Takei said in a steely voice, now he felt as if the girl had been following him since he set foot in this town. It's not that Sagen Takei is delusional about himself, but his feelings are rarely wrong. Much of that is true.

Kamei Hideko still did not answer his question, but simply said, "Whether you agree or not, I will follow you."

Sagen Takei laughed a sarcastic smile, “If you have mental problems, please go to the hospital, don't follow me, and hope that I will cure you. If you follow me, I'll call the police!"

Sagen Takei's last sentence was full of menace.

“You cannot accuse me. You have no proof.” Kamei Hideko calmly replied.

Sagen Takei was angry, he had never seen a girl so brazen, and no matter how beautiful she was, she couldn't hide her madness. Maybe this time he met a mentally ill person.

Sagen Takei thought to himself that if she dares to follow him, then just follow him, he doesn't pay any attention to her.

With that thought Sagen Takei turned on his heel and left, not wanting to see that girl again.

But taking a few steps, Sagen Takei stopped, because after his anger had subsided, his reason had completely recovered. At this point, he had a few things to think about.

Kamei Hideko has a special ability, and a person with special powers appeared in this town and wanted to follow him, so there was only one reason: she wanted to participate in Yamaoka's case as well. She must have something to do with the Asa family. Because one of the Asa clan hired him to come to this town to find out about Yamaoka's death and find Yamaoka.

Sagen Takei thought so, he stopped walking and turned his head, not unexpected that Kamei Hideko followed him, keeping a certain distance. When he stopped, she stopped too.

“Are you from the Asa family?”

She was silent, didn't answer, and didn't even look at him. Her gaze was fixed on a nearby grocery store.

After receiving no reply, Sagen Takei got angry, he continued walking and secretly speculated that the truth must not deviate from his prediction by how much. She was involved in this incident. And she has a special ability, if she followed him, it might work. It's just that he has to be wary of her because maybe she's plotting to take his life to interrupt the progress of the investigation.

Sagen Takei stayed at the inn that Amao Shingu recommended to him. It must be admitted that it is very beautiful and the classical decoration suits the tranquil mountain atmosphere. At this inn with a hot spring not far away, Sagen Takei entered the counter and registered for a room. Kamei Hideko also followed behind him. Fortunately, she didn't go crazy asking to share a room with him.

Sagen Takei secretly smiled and shook his head at his last thought.

Sweat dripped down his back all this time so he walked into the room and washed clean.

Before that, it is unknown whether it was because he wanted to train his body or to take revenge on Kamei Hideko, but he walked up the mountain instead of riding a car. She was still tactfully following him behind, not saying a word. Thinking that in the middle of the road she would be exhausted and give up. However, until at the door of the inn, she still kept a certain distance from him, ten steps, no more, no less. While his sweat was drenched enough to drench his shirt, she still hadn't shed a single drop of sweat. She didn't look like she had just gone through a journey up the mountain but simply walked the streets.

Sagen Takei was angry in his heart, he admitted that he was very childish at times, but she left him with no countermeasures. He couldn't hit her, nor could he report to the police.

After a clean bath, Sagen Takei leaned back on the mattress, staring at the ceiling, perhaps because he was so tired that he didn't want to think about it. Just want time to pass quietly and tomorrow to come.

But someone didn't let him be quiet for long when the phone's message notification bell rang. Sagen Takei had to pick up the phone and look at the message. The sender is Nishioka Takei.

Nishioka Takei is Sagen Takei's older brother.

The Takei clan is a family known for exorcism and wooden demon sealing. During the feudal years, the Takei family was a powerful poisoner, because not only humans needed the demon to be sealed, but sometimes the demon itself needed to be sealed to preserve its power.

But as time went by, the number of demons existed less and less, and the industry developed, leading to the collapse of the family's timber business. Now the family is almost only known for exorcism and demon sealing. The reason the family exists to this day is thanks to his great-grandfather. He switched to another business and kept the demon sealing profession as a side job. Thanks to that, the Takei family became a rich family, although not as powerful and wealthy as before, but at least now a famous family.

Nishioka Takei followed in his father's footsteps and started the family business, while Sagen Takei, despite his talent for sealing demons out of wood, had little to do with ghosts, even turning to launching a wood carving store and selling cakes.

This time, Sagen Takei appeared in this town because he was assigned a mandatory responsibility by the family after the wood carving shop was on the verge of bankruptcy, no, it had been closed for a few days. He accepted the quest of the Asa clan. The first reason is that someone from that family helped him in the past when he had to support himself in college without financial help from his family, the Asa family member recommended a part-time job for him. The second is that this case happened in Amao Shingu's hometown, and his relationship with Amao Shingu is a rare one that he has, and he can use it to fulfill his purpose.

Sagen Takei left his past flashbacks and looked at the message his brother sent.

“Have you seen the person I sent?”

When he saw this message, Sagen Takei broke down. He texted back: "She's Kamei Hideko, right?"

"Right."

“Why did you send her here?”

"To help you.”

“Why her? She looks very young. Although I have seen her special ability, it probably won't help me much in this quest."

“You should not look down on her. She's the best person I could invite to help you. If she wants something, just give her. Her personality is a bit weird, but it certainly won't harm you."