𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄 ｡ᵒⁿᵉ ˢʰᵒᵗˢ

ken takakura. | spirit matchmaker

THE evening had started like any other investigation, with you and Ken taking on yet another seemingly harmless spirit sighting. This time, rumors of a trickster spirit were circulating around town. You'd both heard enough ghost stories to know it was probably no big deal, maybe just a poltergeist pulling pranks. Little did you know this spirit had its own agenda and a knack for matchmaking.

As you and Ken approached the old, abandoned building, a chill ran through you, not from fear, but from the strange, electric energy in the air. You were about to say something when Ken stopped short, tilting his head as if he’d heard something.

“Did you hear that?” he asked, his voice steady, though his brow was slightly furrowed.

You shook your head, eyes scanning the dim hallway. “Nope, just the usual creaks and groans of a haunted building.” You grinned, nudging him playfully. “Scared already?”

Ken rolled his eyes, feigning indifference. “Hardly. I just think we’re not alone here.”

As if on cue, the spirit decided to make its move. With a soft rustle, the air shifted, and you felt an invisible force push you...right into Ken. Your face was just inches from his, and for a second, neither of you moved, caught off guard.

You cleared your throat, stepping back quickly, though your cheeks were burning. “Sorry! Guess I, uh, lost my balance.”

Ken gave a small nod, though he looked just as flustered. “Right. It’s fine.”

But the spirit wasn’t done yet. As you both continued walking, it conjured up more accidents, dust causing you to sneeze, which made Ken reach out to steady you; a flickering light that forced you both to huddle close to read a note on the wall and finally, as you reached the end of the hallway, the spirit used its biggest trick yet.

A soft, tinkling laugh echoed from somewhere above you, followed by a faint glow. And then, in a flash, the door behind you slammed shut, locking you both in the room.

“Okay, that was definitely not normal,” you said, backing up to the door and rattling the handle. “Hey, spirit! This isn’t funny!”

The spirit’s laughter filled the room again, and with a whoosh of cool air, words began appearing on the wall in faint, glowing script.

“Aw, come on. You two need a little push! A haunted matchmaking service, if you will.”

You stared at the writing, your jaw dropping. “Wait, did it just—?”

Ken groaned, crossing his arms. “I think we’ve found our culprit. And it has... ideas.”

Now trapped in a confined space, you and Ken had no choice but to investigate. But every step you took seemed to lead to something more ridiculous than the last. First, the spirit set up a table with a dusty, ancient bottle of wine and two cracked glasses.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” you muttered, staring at the romantic dinner setup.

Ken just sighed, shaking his head. “This spirit has a twisted sense of humor.”

You both ignored it, but the spirit wouldn’t give up that easily. A loud, dramatic sigh echoed around you, making you jump. Then, the candles on the table lit up, and ghostly violin music began playing softly from nowhere.

You glanced at Ken, who was biting back a smirk. “This is... not exactly subtle.”

“Yeah, well,” you muttered, “if it thinks it’s going to make us have some kind of cheesy date, it’s out of luck.”

Ken shrugged, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Then again, maybe it’ll let us out if we play along?”

You raised an eyebrow, chuckling. “You’re not serious.”