Chapter 12

Ayashi's POV

The days passed by so fast, it's already Friday. Fiona got discharged from the hospital, she went back to normal by then. Umabsent ako ngayong araw sa kadahilanang hindi ako mapakali sa isipang hindi ko agad mareresolba ang misteryong nakapaloob sa dormitoryong yun.

And Linette's ghost started bothering me again and I took that as a sign that she's getting impatient about the progress I'm making.

"You kept on looking on the waffles in your plate, hindi mo pa kinakain yan." Sabi ni Tita Ysabel na kakalabas lang mula sa kusina, nilagay niya sa mesa ang bagong timpla niyang kape bago siya nag-umpisang magbasa ng diyaryo.

Gusto ko sanang tumingin kay Tita kaso hindi ko kaya dahil si Linette lang din naman ang nakikita ko at wala ng iba. It’s not like I am scared of her, it’s just that I am so sick looking at her from time to time.

Nakakainis na.

"I'm not feeling well today, I'm gonna skip school." I said, she didn't seemed bothered about it.

"Pwede ka namang umabsent kung masama ang pakiramdam mo," she flipped the pages of the newspaper, "alam ko namang hindi mo papabayaan ang pag-aaral mo."

I started eating the waffle on my plate, my stomach don't want to digest food today but I don’t want Tita to worry about me.

I'm still bothered about the bride's mysterious case, idagdag mo pa na wala pang balitang binibigay sa akin si Cooper. I told him to give me the information I needed right away, if hindi naman niya kayang gawin ang pinagagawa ko ay sana tinawagan niya na lang ako para hindi na ako maghintay sa wala.

Narinig ko naman ang paglapag ni Tita sa newspaper na binabasa niya kanina.

"Para yatang may inaalala ka, may problema ba?" She asked.

"It's nothing."

"But it looks like it's not just nothing, the reaction in your face is saying the latter. Is there a problem in your school?"

"No."

"Is it a boy?"

"Heck, no."

"Then what is it? You can tell me anything Ayashi, what's bothering you?" I finally have the guts to look at Tita Ysabel's face although I can clearly see Linette's ghost behind her. 

Can this ghost leave me alone even just for a moment? Parang ayaw niya akong tantanan.

"It's a very weird question Tita but I still wanna ask you about it."

"Go on sweetheart, what is it?"

I looked at her.

"Don't freak out okay? I've been seeing beings that cannot be seen by other people." Usal ko, "I can see ghosts."

Nagtaka ako dahil parang hindi siya nagulat sa narinig niya muli sa akin, I expect her to ask questions like, can I see any ghost behind her or when did I ever found out that I can see ghost. Things like that.

She sipped a cup of her coffee before speaking.

"Vixen, dear, your father told me once that he can see ghosts too. May third eye siya kaya siguro minsan ay madali niyang nareresolba ang kaso dahil may tumutulong sa kanyang mga kaluluwa." My brows arched, "Your grandfather also have a third eye, your great great grandfather and the rest of our ancestors. Naipapasa ang ganyang kakayahan sa bawat henerasyon."

That explains everything, nakapangiwi ako nang napansin kong kinukulit na naman ako ni Linette.

"The thing is, I don't actually see normal ghost. Yung nakikita ko lang na mga kaluluwa ay yung naging biktima o mga kaluluwang konektado sa mga kasong pinagkaka-abalahan ko." I crossed my arms while trying my best not to turn my gaze into Linette's direction.

"That is weird." Tita Ysabel raised her eyebrow before sighing deeply, "Tell me honestly Ayashi, are you working on with another case again?"

I continue eating without uttering a single word, Tita Ysabel seemed to notice that I don't want to talk.

"Ayashi, you need to focus on your studies—"

"I can focus on my studies while finding some recruitments for the S-unit and while working on with a case." I looked at Tita Ysabel's eyes, "I know that the organization want me out of business if I didn't find any new recruitment for my unit."

"Where did you even hear such nonsense?"

"When I was still in the headquarters in Osaka, hindi ko sinasadyang marinig ang pag-uusap ninyo ng head ng SSI." I rolled my eyes, "I already have three recruiters, I only need one. So tell Mr. Big Boss to just hold his horses for awhile because the S-unit will be complete soon enough."

Napasapo si Tita sa noo niya bago siya sunod-sunod na umiling.

"I told you not to worry about that thing, kakausapin ko na lang si boss tungkol—"

"Tita, let me do it on my own."

"You even told me that you will not entertain any cases as long as you're here in the Philippines."

"Well, being stubborn runs in our veins." Nakangiti kong usal dahilan upang mapailing siyang muli, ininom niyang muli ang kape hanggang sa wala ng laman ang cup niya.

She stood up before getting her purse on the top of the center table, she left my motorcycle keys on the same center table before she looked at me again once more.

"I'll be going to the headquarters, I'll left your keys since being sick is your excuse to solve this case you're working on." She heaved a sigh, "I'm hoping that you'll solve that case today."

"By the way Tita, can you transfer the case of Linette Lily to the S-unit?" Tita was confused but she didn't ask anymore questions.

"I'll see what I can do about it, I'll get going."

"Sure, bye. Take care on your way."

Tita left and I continue eating my waffles in no peace, the way Linette looks at me is kind of disturbing and creeping the hell out of me. Hindi niya talaga ako nilalagay sa tahimik hanggang hindi niya nakukuha ang gusto niya.

"Linette, I'm actually trying to be nice. Kanina ko pa sinusubukang huwag kang tignan pero kanina mo pa ako kinukulit." Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin, "And please, can you transform? I mean, yung itsura mo ngayon ang mismong magiging dahilan kung bakit aatakihin ako sa puso at baka hindi kita mabigyan ng hustisya."

The image of Linette that I'm seeing now is scary, her eyes are pure black, her hair is messy, she's so pale, and she's drooling not with saliva but with blood. May mga itim pa na ugat na nakakonekta papunta sa mata niya, binubuka niya pa ang bibig niya na para bang stretchable yung bungo niya.

She quickly changed herself into the same Linette who is still alive, pero hindi pa rin maitatanggi na sobrang putla na niya. She sat down on the nearby chair, I heard her sighing deeply.

"Is this okay?" Sinandal niya ang likod niya sa upuan, "I'm actually pretty entertained if I look like a scary monster or ghost, minsan ay nagpapakita ako sa ibang mga estudyante whenever they started gossiping about me."

I shook my head before I continue eating. Tumingin siya sa tv kung saan kasalukuyang pinapalabas ang Tom and Jerry, I sometimes hate that show.

"Jerry is so cute."

"Hindi minsan naging cute ang daga."

"But still.."

Pagkatapos kong kumain ay agad kong hinugasan ang pinagkainan ko, I took my keys before I headed out while Linette continue following me towards the garage where my motorcycle was parked. I started the engine of my motorcycle, sumakay si Linette sa likod ng motorsiklo.

"So, bakit pati ang bride na yun ay ginugulo ako?" I asked while driving, "Why can't you just tell me directly who is that fucking bride, why is she pestering the dormitory, what does she want and when will she stop pestering other people? It's starting to piss me off. Hannah and Shannah? Ridiculous."

"Kahit na gusto kitang tulungan Ayashi ay hindi pwede, I'm a ghost right?"

I stopped when the light turned red.

"You're not completely a ghost, you're still alive." Napatungo siya sa sinabi ko, does she really think that I won't be able to know her secret?

You can't hide anything from me.