Psychic Detective Yakumo / Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

File 01: Vessel

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The rain that had started at dawn did not seem as if would stop even after noon; rather, it was just raining more heavily.

The endless pitter-patter of the raindrops created a hazy mist.

It had become warmer with the arrival of March, but with the weather like this, even spring would hesitate to visit.

She really shouldn't have gone out in this weather. Mayuko regretted her decision as she walked along the riverside promenade.

The rain had made its way into her sneakers, making her feel uncomfortable.

In the first place, it was Miki's fault for calling her out on a day like this. She had said that she was lonely because of her broken heart, but when Mayuko thought about it, it was already Miki's fourth broken heart this year.

At the end of the season, her heart was broken, and at the beginning of the season, she fell in love. She was a calculating person. In any case, she was just going to start a love once spring called.

The more Mayuko thought about it, the stupider she felt.

Mayuko stopped in front of the water gate and held her umbrella between her shoulder and her neck so that she could breathe on her hands.

It was cold. Her breath was white. Her red fingertips were trembling slightly.

Dummm.

What sounded like subterranean rumbling reached her ears.

Mayuko examined her surroundings, moving only her eyes.

She found the source of the sound immediately. It was the river, swelling as it swallowed up earth and sand.

The water level had risen, and the current of the now brown river was just like a drove of violent oxen.

Dumbfounded, Mayuko took in the sheer intensity of the current.

The wind suddenly whooshed by.

'Ah!'

It was already too late when Mayuko cried out. Her umbrella had been carried away by the wind that had blown from below.

Her white plastic umbrella spun as it tumbled down the embankment.

'Oh, come on.'

Mayuko grumbled her displeasure to nobody in particular and chased after her umbrella. She tried to head down to the lawn of the embankment, but her feet were caught by the soggy turf and she fell on her bum, so she ended up sliding down the embankment like that.

'Argh! This is the worst!'

Resisting the urge to cry at how miserable she was, she stood using both of her hands to prop herself up. Her back and elbows were pulsing with pain. She might have grazed them.

The umbrella was being blown about by the wind on the riverbank.

Water dripped from Mayuko's fringe. While thinking that it might have already been too late to pick it up now, she started walking towards the umbrella.

'... o... p..'

Just as she was about to take the umbrella in her hands, she heard somebody's voice.

'Who's there?'

She tried asking, but nobody answered. She might have mistaken the sound of the wind for something else. Mayuko sniffled and stooped over to pick up the umbrella.

Whoosh.

There was another gust of wind.

'Ah.'