Tantei High (Erityian Tribes, #1) | Published under Pop Fiction

Chapter 29 - Who Is He?

"Are you alright?"

Napaupo ako sa lupa nang makaalis ang dalawang taong nag-uusap. I was still with Hiro but I couldn't think straight because of what I saw.

"Y-yeah." I breathed deeply to calm down and I looked at him. "Bakit ka nga pala nandito, Hiro?"

"Checking some evidence."

Speaking of evidence, nanlumo ako nang ma-realize ko na nakuha nila ang phone ni Riye. That was the reason I went here and now, it's gone.

Napatingin ako kay Hiro at nakita kong nagte-text siya sa phone niya. After that ay bigla niya akong hinatak palayo sa may gubat.

"W-wait. Saan tayo pupunta?"

"Agency. I already texted them."

Hindi na ulit ako nagtanong. Alam ko rin namang kailangan talaga naming pag-usapan yung mga nangyari. Masyadong maraming misteryo na ang bumabalot dito na hindi ko naman maipaliwanag at maintindihan.

Habang naglalakad kami ay chineck ko rin ang phone ko. It was already 3:03 A.M. Sobrang dilim ng paligid kaya tanging phones lang namin ang nagsilbing guide sa paglalakad namin. Nakita ko rin na panay ang missed calls mula kay Akane. Nagulat naman ako nang bigla na naman niya akong hinigit at nagtago kami sa gilid ng isang building. Itatanong ko sana kung bakit pero nalaman ko rin kaagad nang may narinig akong mga boses.

"Yes. I felt their presence." That was Ma'am Reina's voice.

"May binalikan kaya sila? It's better if we check the forest," sabi naman ni Sir Hayate.

"And that Black Dimension would be a pain in the ass," dagdag ni Sir Hiroshi.

Nag-uusap sila ng kung anu-ano habang naglalakad palayo pero hindi ko na masyadong marinig but one this is for sure: they were also going to the forest. Buti na lang at hindi nila kami naabutan dahil lagpas na kami sa curfew.

Naramdaman ko ang paghatak ni Hiro sa kamay ko kaya naglakad na ulit kami and this time, mas binilisan namin dahil baka may makahuli pa sa amin. Pumasok kami sa Midori Building at mas nakakatakot dahil sobrang dilim at wala talagang nakabukas na ilaw. Bigla naman siyang huminto kaya alam kong papasok na kami sa hallway. Pagbukas niya ng pinto ay hindi ako nakahinga.

Seeing the hallway at 3 A.M. was worst than facing a Shinigami. It was like a void and the atmosphere was too eerie. It felt like something would come out from it and devour us.

Pumasok kami ni Hiro at rinig na rinig ang footsteps namin at ang paghinga ko. It was so creepy that I ran as fast as I could until we reached the agency. Pagdating namin doon ay nakabukas na ang mga ilaw at nandoon na rin sina Akane, Reiji, Ken at Riye. Biglang nawala lahat ng takot na naramdaman ko kanina nang makita ko si Riye sa harapan ko.

"Riye? Bakit ka nandito? Okay ka na ba? Pinayagan ka na bang lumabas? Paano yung—"

"Calm down, Akemi. Tumakas lang kami," sabi naman ni Akane.

Naupo naman ako sa tabi nila at saka ako nagpakawala ng buntong-hininga. Na-realize ko na halos hindi na pala ako huminga kanina sa sobrang takot sa pagdaan doon sa hallway.

"Ano bang nangyari, Hiro?" tanong ni Ken habang nag-iinat. Naka-pajama pa siya kaya halatang kagigising niya lang.

"Shinigamis," he stated and their expressions suddenly became serious.

"Wait. You mean in the forest?" tanong ni Akane habang nakatingin siya sa akin.

Dahil nandito na rin naman kaming lahat ay kinuwento ko sa kanila yung nangyari at kung paano namin nakita ang dalawang Shinigami. Just like the cloaked person, they also vanished suddenly. Sinabi ko rin na nakita namin ang teachers namin pero kahit nakwento ko na lahat ay may kung ano pa ring mabigat sa loob ko.

"So they are also investigating it. Paniguradong tina-track na ni Ma'am Reina ngayon ang mga Shinigami na 'yon."

"Pero mas gusto kong malaman kung paano sila sumusulpot at bigla na lang nawawala. You think they can teleport themselves?" tanong naman ni Ken.

"Did you see their faces?" Reiji asked and I averted his gaze.

"We saw their faces. I can describe them to you," sabi naman ni Hiro.

"Hmm, I think there's a device in the Technology Department that can visualize a person's thoughts," Reiji said.

"But that's only used by officials," sabi naman ni Riye sa kanya.

Napatingin naman ako sa kanila. May gano'ng device na pala? Makikita mo visually ang nasa isip ng isang tao?

"There's no need for that. She knows one of them," Hiro pointed out and they all looked at me with curious eyes.

I knew it. He was reading my mind that time.

Napapikit na lang ako dahil hindi ko alam ang ire-react ko. I was hoping what I saw was just a mistake but I knew that face too well.

"You know one of them? How come?" tanong ni Ken at muli akong napabuntong-hininga.

I guess thay have the right to know.

"His name is Darwin," sabi ko sa kanila. "He was my classmate in my previous school. Akala ko normal lang siya pero hindi ko akalaing makikita ko siya kanina."

I still couldn't believe it. I saw him. I saw Darwin. Siya lang ang kaisa-isang kaklase ko na maituturing kong naging kaibigan ko. I could still remember the time when he gave me my bag and I thought that would be the last time I'd see him.

And I was wrong.

But how? Why was he with a Shinigami? Alam niya kayang nandito ako? Alam niya kayang Senshin ako?

Nabasag ang katahimikan namin nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng agency. Napatingin kaming lahat at halos mapasigaw ako nang makita ko ang dumating.

"Is this the Detective Agency?" tanong ng isang matandang babae. Napaatras ako nang bumaling ang tingin niya sa akin.

She was thin and her skin were shriveled. Her white hair looked like a web because they were shiny and silky. What surprised me was her face. Her eyes were bulging, and a scar ran from her right cheek to her chin.

"Yes," sagot ni Hiro.

"I want you to investigate on the robbery cases," she said and she placed pictures on the table.

***