Dangerous Souls

Post Case 9

Post Case 9-Uncertainty

April Thursday 4:30 P.M.

"Mai actually has a weekday off from work? That hasn't happened since finals, I think!" Michiru exclaimed as she, Keiko, Mai, and Taiki were walking home from school.

"Tell me about it, if it's not a case, it's endless secretarial duties along with errands. I'm surprised he hasn't asked me to pick up dry cleaning yet," Mai laughed, stretching her arms over her head. "Though I really can't complain, he's given me the last two weekends off. And considering the last place we investigated was a tea greenhouse, we have plenty of tea to last him, so I haven't had to run out for more. I've really only been doing follow-ups on-"

Gggrrrrggllup.

Three heads turned to the tallest of the bunch. Reddened cheeks and lips pressed tightly together, the boy glanced in the other direction. The girls shared a look before Taiki couldn't take the silence anymore. "Okay fine! I'm starving! Lunch feels like it was forever ago."

"I could go for some ramen," Keiko said with a roll of her eyes and a nudge to her boyfriend. "There's a new place that opened around the corner. I heard they have a glass window in front of the noodle master and you can watch him make the noodles!"

"Noodles are the one thing you become an otaku like Michi about," Mai laughed, quickening her pace, knowing she was starting a war.

"Huh! Who are you calling otaku!" Michiru and Keiko exclaimed, making Taiki laugh.

"Better run, Mai!" Taiki called as the high schooler broke into a run.

"Last one there pays!" Mai called behind her.

"You're on!" the other two girls shouted leaving the boy behind.

"How do I always end up on the losing side?" Taiki groaned as he sprinted to catch up.

***

Once again our favorite medium had most of her bobbed hair tied into a bun towards the top of her head. A plain lavender dress completely disguised her appearance which satisfied her greatly as she was no longer Hara Masako today.

What was her name exactly? You may wonder, as she made her way down Tokyo's streets. Well, to be honest, she hadn't decided yet. She was hoping she wouldn't have to give a name but she knew the likelihood of her being able to try out a class without that key piece of information was very slim. She would just have to cross that bridge when she got to it.

The arts studio she arrived at offered a multitude of different classes. The first floor offered painting and drawing, the second offered pottery, the third offered photography, the fifth offered vocal and orchestra training, but it was the fourth floor the young medium was after. She walked off the elevator with her bag in hand looking for Studio C, Ballet.

The room was long and open with ballet barres lining the wall under the windows. Across from the windows and barres was floor to ceiling mirrors. It was a young adult beginner class the ages of the students ran from fifteen to twenty, making her feel a little better that there were girls her age trying to learn from scratch. The students were dressed in their pink tights and black leotards and pink ballet slippers. Many of them were warming up at the barre or stretching on the floor.

A woman in her mid thirties approached the teenager. Her black hair was tied in a neat little bun at the nape of her neck and wore a similar outfit to her students, only adding a light pink wrap skirt at her waist. She had kind eyes as she met her potential new student. "You must be our observer for the day. You may have a seat in that chair over in the corner. If you have any questions you can ask my assistant, Yota," the instructor turned to her class. "Alright ladies, let's begin with some barre exercises."