Mayu

Chapter 10: Kokeshi Holds Secrets

     Hiding in a tree, Jiki Fusako watched them menacingly. She realized that Mayu and her friends found the fake black rose and the previous clues around the city of Tokyo. "They found the rose. If they have a choice to find that girl, we'll see....In another city, Hachioji." She grinned evilly as she left the cemetery and went to the streets. With her hands in her jacket pockets, she walked as some people stared at her, thinking that she's the real Fusako acting strange.

"Is that Fusako?" said a man carrying a briefcase.

"Oh, my!" said a old man.

"Wow! Look at that girl!" said a young boy.

"Son! Don't look at her!" said a mother.

Jiki Fusako walked calmly as she went to the Shinobazu-dori Avenue in Bunkyo. She went closer to a tree before pulling out a telescope where she watched from a distance and saw the real Fusako and her adopted pet cat, Hoby, who are trapped in Komine Tunnel. The entrance and exit paths are blocked with stolen police tape. Fusako comforted Hoby as she wondered how she went there and have no memory of who kidnapped and captured her.

Later, at night, back to Shinjuku, Mayu and her friends are observing the clues that they found earlier during their adventures around the city of Tokyo, Japan. They are in the former's hideout and still didn't found Fusako.

"We found those clues, girls." said Marina.

"That's right. This means that Fusako went for some places." said Mayu.

"Jiki Fusako followed us during our mystery." said Azumi.

"It looks like the mystery is not solved yet, girls. We have to find our friend Fusako and go back to school."

"How? You said to us. We have 12 days." Mayu remarked as Marina rolled her eyes.

"It's still 12 days, Mayu. Don't worry, we'll find her in 11 days." She said as she brushed her hair.

The girls sighed as they looked up to the night sky. They hopefully expected that they will still find Fusako and return to school. Unknown to them, Jiki Fusako is on Kabukicho Sakura-dori street, with her arms crossed and watching the building. She smirked as she started to write a note.

The following morning, Marina awakened Mayu after a good night's sleep. "Mayu! Mayu! Wake up!"

"What is it, Marina?" The china doll asked.

Then, the girls went to the vending machine where they saw a note sticked to it.

"Jiki Fusako left us a note." Marina remarked.

"Oh my stars, what does it says?"

"Hello again, girls.

We never saw each other for a long time. No, it's not! I can appear and reappear every time and I'm gonna tell ya: I stole many kokeshi dolls and some postage stamps from a local store in Tokyo. If you want to see Fusako, you'll never see her anywhere!

~Jiki Fusako

P.s.:Don't let the Kokeshi dolls fool you girls!"

"Kokeshi dolls?"

"Ha! Anyway, are the kokeshi dolls a bad meaning?" Kira was incredulous.

"The case is not solved yet, girls." Marina stated.

"And these dolls hide a secret. A really, mysterious secret." Mayu stated.

Later, the girls have eleven days to have the mystery solved. They went to the Shinjuku station and used the Marunochi Line to go to Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station as they left in order to look for the kokeshi dolls. When they arrived in Naitomachi, they arrived at the large park and garden in Shinjuku: Shinjuku Gyo-en. Mayu and her friends went to the park, looking for the first Kokeshi doll who is holding a secret.

"This is the limit. The kokeshi doll might be anywhere." said Marina.

"Man, you can stretch out. It's like...getting out of the school." Tamayo claimed.

"I have no idea how those dolls can hold a secret." said Hisa.

"Hey, girls! Look at the map!" said Mayu as she observed the map, "We're here. I wonder where the doll might be. Right there!"

"The Middle Pond?" Tamayo asked.

"Where we'll find it?" Hisa asked.

"In this little mud here, I believe that the first doll stands there."

The girls went to the east path and went past the Haha to ko no woods and used the easiest path to go to the Kami no ike pond. When they went to the west path, the girls saw from a distance where the Middle pond stood and kept going. Nine hours later, they arrived at their destination. "Marina, where's the Kokeshi doll?" Azumi asked.

"You took us to a national park, girl!" said Kira.

"Hey, look!" Mayu pulled out Hisa's phone and used the camera to zoom where the first kokeshi doll stood in a tree. "Bada-bing! There it is!"

"Jiki Fusako stole it from a local store." Marina remarked. "She's the impostor."

"Exactly, Marina! The Impostor!" said Tamayo as she noticed Mayu trying to pick up the kokeshi doll. "Mayu, what are you doing?!"

"Getting the kokeshi doll out of that tree!" She told her as she kept climbing.

"Get down from there! You're gonna fall!" Marina warned her.

"Don't worry! I'll get!" Mayu reassured as she took a breath as she saw the kokeshi doll and carefully avoided falling as some people watched from a distance. "Take it easy, Mayu. You got this!" She said to herself as she reached for the doll and almost leaned to the ground. "Whoa! I can do this, I can do this." Mayu kept reaching for the clue and picked the doll up in a branch. "Got it!"

"Whew!" Marina and her friends, as well the people, sighed in relief.

One moment later, Mayu and her friends has left the Middle Pond and saw the Kokeshi doll with fascination.

"The kokeshi doll, girl. This is the first." she said.

"Let's see here." Marina picked it up. "It was made with no arms or legs."

"Gosh..." said Hisa.

Marina inspected the doll as she noticed a postage stamp sticked to it. She found out that the stamp has simply a letter "J", "A letter J." she said.