Chapter Text
Takemichi took his role as president of the supernatural investigation club seriously, even if it was just him and three others. This club was his from the very start; he had turned a rundown storage room into their sanctuary. Together with his friends, they transformed that shabby space into something extraordinary. It was one of the best things that had ever happened to him, and even though many of his friends had moved on to their own, Takemichi remained fiercely loyal to the club.
Two years had passed, and now Takemichi was a third-year junior high student, on the brink of high school. Yet, he refused to let go of the clubroom filled with cherished memories.
So, he stands tall against the intimidating high schoolers. Takemichi knew he had to protect his club.
“I’m not letting you take this room!” he hissed at Kiyomizu Masataka and his gang.
“Are you kidding me? Just let them have it! I don’t want to die because of your stubbornness!” shouted his club member, Kisaki Tetta, from the corner of the room. The boy looked a mix of nervous and furious, a ridiculous expression on his face. Under different circumstances, Takemichi might have laughed and teased him, but this was no laughing matter. Kiyomasa stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with the intention of appearing menacing. Jokes on him, Takemichi was already terrified just from the guy’s presence.
Kiyomasa loomed over him, using his unfair height to intimidate both boys. Kisaki cursed under his breath and grabbed a glass jar of unknown liquid, ready to defend himself. While Takemichi took a deep breath, fighting back tears. Why did these creeps want his clubroom?
“I’ll be nice, little brat. Step aside in three minutes, and I won’t hurt you,” Kiyomasa rumbled, sending a wave of tension through the room. The fear was palpable; Kiyomasa was fucking terrifying.
Kisaki, predictable as ever, reacted as expected. “You don’t have to tell me twice—move bitch!” He bolted, shoving Takemichi aside, trying to escape from the creepy followers who were whistling and winking at him. But Takemichi stood his ground, refusing to budge from the door. Kiyomasa raised an eyebrow and laughed mockingly. “You’re one stupid fuck, Hanagaki.”
Oh great, he knows my name! Takemichi felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.
“Time’s up,” Kiyomasa grinned wickedly. And Kisaki, who surprisingly, didn’t leave, shouts. “Takemichi, you idiot, get out of that stupid room before you die! I don’t want to have to explain to your overprotective friends that you fucking died by being a dumbass!”
“No! I built this room, and I’ll die in it!”
“Fine by me,” Kiyomasa laughed again, grabbing Takemichi by the collar of his shirt and raising his other arm to swing at his skull.
So Kisaki’s panic was evident.
“Oh, my go—”
Suddenly, a loud cry echoed in the hall. Takemichi, who eyes squeezed shut, felt no pain. So, blinking rapidly, he opened his eyes to a shocking scene.
One of Kiyomasa’s followers lay on the floor with a bloody nose, eyes rolling back in his head. And before the other guy could react, a fist slammed into his face, and he joined his companion on the ground. The rest of them just stared, bewildered, at the source of the chaos.
“Oh, thank fuck!” both Kisaki and Takemichi exclaimed as they spotted Hanma Shuji, who looked thoroughly amused by the whole situation. Kiyomasa? The once-menacing figure now looked like he was about to faint from the sight of Hanma. But Takemichi couldn’t blame him; everyone feared Hanma, the embodiment of chaos. But right now, the two club members were just grateful that someone like Mr. Crazy was a part of their club.
With Hanma in the mix, Kiyomasa’s intimidating presence evaporated. So Kisaki, who had been hovering ten feet away, was now in Kiyomasa’s face, laughing. “You’re nothing but a piece of shit! How dare you mess with my club? Who do you think you are, huh?”
Kiyomasa stepped back, not because of Kisaki’s tiny, fierce stance, but due to the blank stare Hanma directed at him. “Please! I didn’t know this was your club! I just wanted a place to smoke quietly!”
What a pathetic excuse, Takemichi thought bitterly, glaring daggers at the coward. Kiyomasa had lost his edge, and Takemichi seized the moment he’d been waiting for since Kiyomasa had first demanded their room. He marched right up to the guy, with Kisaki still acting tough beside him, and kicked him. Kiyomasa yelped in surprise, tumbling to the ground alongside his followers. Takemichi slammed the door in their faces, and both Kisaki and Hanma couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
Takemichi let out a frustrated huff, feeling like that whole accident had shaved years off his life. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the idiots cluttering the room. But he was a good president, so he busied himself setting out the items on the table for everyone. It was louder than he preferred, thanks to Kisaki, who seemed incapable of shutting up, and Hanma, who always egged the obnoxious blonde on. So, they weren’t much help while Takemichi finished arranging everything. Oh, how he wished the last club member would show up soon.
"Why are there two bodies on the floor? And why is Kiyomasa sobbing like a baby next to them?"
And arrived he did.
"Chifuyu!?" Takemichi exclaimed, relief flooding through him as he rushed to his best friend, wrapping him in a tight hug. Chifuyu chuckled, patting Takemichi’s head. "I was gone for twenty minutes. What the hell happened?"
"I knocked them out," Kisaki chimed in smugly, prompting Chifuyu to roll his eyes, easily translating that to mean, ‘Hanma knocked them out.’
With a dismissive hum, Chifuyu ignored Kisaki, who promptly cursed his whole blood line for it. But no one paid him any mind as Takemichi and Chifuyu settled side by side, leaving Hanma across the table. Kisaki clicked his tongue in annoyance before plopping down next to Hanma. Soon they shuffled stacks of paper like office workers, a serious air filled the room. Since this was their daily routine. The supernatural investigation wasn’t just a fancy club name; it was Takemichi’s job to take requests and look into ghost claims from students and sometimes teachers. Most turned out to be fake, much to Takemichi's and Kisaki’s relief, and Hanma’s displeasure.
But sometimes—
"I think I’ve got something," Chifuyu said, snapping everyone’s attention. Hanma perked up eagerly, while Takemichi and Kisaki silently prayed this wasn’t something terrifying.
Please, no demons. No demons, no demons, no demons.
"It claims it saw a demon."
Great. Just fucking great.
"Like what? Explain all the details," Hanma urged, resting his chin on his hands, eyes gleaming with anticipation as he stared at Chifuyu, who was still focused on his notes.
Clearing his throat, Chifuyu began, " The client says her grandma used to practice witchcraft, and five weeks ago, she passed away. She claims that sometimes her grandma’s corpse wakes her up at three a.m. and whispers words she can’t understand. But last week, she finally heard her grandma's words clearly."
Chifuyu paused for dramatic effect, and it worked wonders; Takemichi and Kisaki shrank back in their seats, while Hanma looked like a kid captivated by a bedtime story. Then Chifuyu continued, "The grandma whispers, 'Don’t let the devil take you to the red door.' Since then, the client has been sleepwalking, waking up in her backyard, right in front of the shed with a red door."
" Oh, hell no, that sounds fucked up!" Kisaki hissed, discomfort etched across his face. He pointed a finger at Chifuyu, glaring like a menace. " Burn that thing, right now."
" Count me in!" Hanma exclaimed, his enthusiasm as peculiar as ever. Anything involving demons was always a welcome distraction for him.
And after a moment of thought, Chifuyu turned to Takemichi, who gulped nervously in response. The president had an undeniable fear of ghosts and all things scary, a quirk that had persisted since he established the club. Yet, as the leader, he had no choice but to say—
"We're meeting with the client."
"Great, we're doomed," Kisaki threw his hands up in exasperation, while Hanma cheered with delight.
Chifuyu nodded, then grabbed a red stamp, pressing it firmly onto the paper. With the marked document in hand, both Takemichi and Chifuyu stood up, ready to face the client, while Kisaki and Hanma remained behind to sift through more papers or wait for any visitors. As they exited the room, no one bothered with farewells; everyone had their tasks to tackle.
"So, who's the client?" Takemichi asked as they strolled down the eerily quiet hallway. It felt surreal compared to the bustling school hours they were accustomed to. Most clubs were holed up in the high school building, taking advantage of the better rooms, but Takemichi didn’t mind having a whole hallway to themselves—unless, of course, it meant a long walk to meet a client.
"Her name's Shino Shizuki, a third-year high schooler. Her friend dropped off the claim, mentioning that she wasn't feeling well."
Takemichi hummed, a sense of foreboding creeping in. That didn’t sound good. He silently prayed they weren't dealing with a possession. That would complicate things, even with someone like Hanma, who had an uncanny knack for exorcism.
With a heavy sigh, Takemichi set about plotting the investigation. There was so much to tackle, and his gut told him this was no trivial matter. If his instincts were on point, they had to be ready for anything—unless they wanted to join the ranks of ghosts themselves.
"We're here," Chifuyu announced, nodding toward the art room where the kids were all smiles and chitchat. Well, almost all of them; one girl stood apart, and Takemichi recognized her as their client. He turned to Chifuyu, waiting for him to size her up.
How so?
Well—
Chifuyu, like everyone in their club, possessed some kind of supernatural ability.
Takemichi had his heightened spiritual senses and foresight, which had awakened when he first joined the club with his friends.
Kisaki came armed with fancy gadgets and sharp insights, while Hanma was just, well, Hanma—there was that.
And Chifuyu had the unique gift of seeing human souls, which he described as a light flame flickering around each person. The colors varied, depending on the individual. It was a remarkable talent, and to harness it, Chifuyu had to form a triangle with his hands and peer through it at the subject.
Right now, he raised his arms, focusing through the triangle at the frail Shizuki, who was muttering to herself. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to her or them, allowing Chifuyu to investigate without interruptions.
" What do you see?" Takemichi whispered, his anxiety palpable as he shifted on his feet.
Chifuyu blinked twice before lowering his hands. " It’s muddy, but nothing like possession."
" Oh, thank goodness," Takemichi muttered under his breath, then shot a glance at his best friend. "Wait, what do you mean muddy?"
"It’s not like demons are clinging to her, but it’s not nothing either. I’ve never seen anything like this. Maybe Kisaki would have some insight. Or we could check out her house to dig deeper?"
Takemichi pondered the suggestion. " Let’s meet with Shizuki-san first."
" Alright," Chifuyu agreed, his frown deepening as they stepped into the room. Instantly, all eyes turned toward them; everyone recognized who they were. Takemichi and his crew had gained a reputation for healing the sick. Even those who didn't believe knew that strange things happened around the Supernatural Investigation Club, and nobody wanted to get caught up in that chaos.
Most students whispered and shuffled away from the boys, and Takemichi caught snippets of their mutterings.
Freaks.
Weirdos.
Monsters.
And plenty more, but he had grown accustomed to those labels and learned to tune them out.
" What the hell did you just say?" Unlike Chifuyu, who snapped, glaring at a boy who’d dared to call them disgusting beings. A new one, so kudos to him to being creative.
" Chifuyu," Takemichi cautioned, but Chifuyu clicked his tongue and strode toward the client and her friend. The two girls exchanged worried glances but made no move to stop their approach.
" Shino Shizuki?" Takemichi asked, his curiosity piqued as the girl nodded nervously without uttering a word. Her friend interjected, " I sent that message this morning; you guys are quick."
Takemichi chuckled lightly. " Well, the claims sound serious, so we’ve got a few questions, if that’s alright with you."
" That's fine," the friend replied, clearly unwilling to budge. Takemichi exchanged a glance with Chifuyu, who merely shrugged, and the two boys settled into chairs across from the girls. The rest of their classmates kept their distance, leaving the air thick with unspoken tension. So, Chifuyu pulled out the papers, scanning the claims before he spoke up. "You mentioned you were sleepwalking?"
Shizuki nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah, it started last week. At first, I would wake up out of my bed, but each night, I find myself closer to the red door."
It was evident she was terrified; no supernatural insight was needed to see that. The poor girl trembled, and even her friend’s comforting touch couldn’t quell her nerves. Takemichi and Chifuyu exchanged another look before returning their attention to the girls. Finally, it was Chifuyu who broke the silence. "We need to check out your house. We won’t overstay our welcome, but it’s necessary."
Shizuki blinked, glanced at her friend, then back at Chifuyu, finally nodding slightly. "How about tomorrow? My parents won’t be home until one a.m."
"And I’ll stay with her, keep an eye on her while you do whatever strange things you weirdos do," her friend added.
"Um, that’s kinda rude," Takemichi said, feigning offense, while Chifuyu shot a glare in response.
"Sorry, not sorry. Now get out; the stares from the other kids are getting really annoying."
Chifuyu clicked his tongue in annoyance before rising abruptly, startling everyone around, including the poor teacher. Takemichi quickly followed suit, hurrying to match his best friend's pace as they exited the room together, the hallways echoing with their footsteps.
They made their way back to the club room, and once more, Takemichi found himself deep in thought, trying to devise a plan.
With the information they had gathered, it was clear they weren't up against just any demon—perhaps it was a demon far more powerful than Chifuyu’s ability. But Takemichi wasn't fully convinced; after all, demons typically lingered around shrines and graveyards rather than wandering aimlessly. So, what exactly were they facing? The girl's soul was muddy, and it was evident that something unsettling was afoot.
Maybe—
"Do you think we could track down Shizuki-San's grandma?" he asked, glancing at Chifuyu, who blinked in surprise before shooting him a withering glare. "I'm not interested in chatting with a ghost who's been meddling with things best left untouched."
"Come on, don't be so dramatic," Takemichi replied, rolling his eyes. "It could lead us to a solution for whatever mess we're in."
"Once again, no," Chifuyu shot back.
Takemichi sighed and rolled his eyes again, choosing to hold back his frustration rather than push Chifuyu any further.
Before long, they found themselves back at their old junior high building, a little more rundown compared to the high school. It was a perfect place for its fair share of delinquents who hang around, like Kiyomasa from earlier. But it didn’t really matter, as Hanma had a knack for scaring most of them off.
"Hey, guys, look! It's the freak duo!"
Except for those fuckers.
They were the most notorious kids in school. Even though they were in the same grade as Takemichi and Chifuyu, these kids had a reputation for being tougher than most high schoolers. They called themselves Tokyo Manji, or Toman for short. And the jerk who threw insults their way, Baji Keisuke, was one of the toughest in the gang. So, even Chifuyu made the smart choice to just ignore the guy.
Of course, the jerk loved to push the limits. So, when the duo ignored his insults, he decided to trail them instead. Baji chuckled at his own jokes as he followed the two from behind. And right behind Baji were the rest of those idiots, doing nothing to rein in their friend.
Takemichi felt his anxiety rise with each passing moment as he glanced at Chifuyu, who looked poised to pounce on the fool behind them.
"Chifuyu," Takemichi warned, his panic escalating as his best friend shot him a fierce glare. Chifuyu's hands were clenched into fists, and it was clear he was itching for a fight.
Oh no, please, whoever's listening, have mercy on us.
And that mercy came in the form of a baseball, that came flying out of nowhere. It was so sudden that Takemichi felt it more than he saw it—a blur speeding from a nearby window. If they kept moving, that ball would surely find its target in the obnoxious idiot trailing them. He stared at Chifuyu in horror, then abruptly halted, raising his arms to shield everyone. The silence lasted a mere heartbeat before the shattering glass echoed through the halls. Everyone froze, eyes wide with shock as the ball sailed over Takemichi’s and Chifuyu’s heads, destined to have struck Baji squarely if he had been in the way.
“Whoa, what the hell!” Baji exclaimed, eyes darting between the ball rolling across the floor and the teens standing before him. The duo remained unfazed, a calmness that would send shivers down most spines. And Takemichi felt the tension in the air, this was the moment when fear typically sent people scurrying away. It was as if he were the harbinger of some dark curse, and he braced himself for the same reaction from the thugs behind him.
But when he turned to face the delinquents, alongside Chifuyu, who had seemingly forgotten his anger, he found them gaping in astonishment at the duo’s unexpected display.
“How did you do that!?” Baji buzzed with excitement, circling the pair as if the earlier insult had never crossed his lips.
“So, is it true? Are you guys really magnets for bizarre accidents?” Mitsuya Takashi chimed in, a spark of curiosity lighting up his expression.
Chifuyu growled, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Um, excuse me, don’t act like you weren’t just throwing insults at us.”
“We didn’t do anything; that was all Baji,” Hanemiya Kazutora replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. Chifuyu looked ready to unleash some kind of wrath on them all, tension crackling in the air.
Baji felt insulted by Kazutora, and kicked the other boy’s leg, so chaos erupted. And Takemichi let out a sigh as Chifuyu jumped in, the three of them tussling like kids, hair pulling and skin scratching. With the Toman gang cheering them on, placing bets on who would come out on top. It was a scene fit for toddlers, really. Takemichi shook his head at the absurdity.
“So.”
The sudden voice jolted Takemichi, forcing an awkward noise from him that sent the instigator into fits of laughter. He turned to glare at the source, only to be met with the sight of Sano Manjiro, better known as The Invincible Mikey. The teen, wore a grin, his dark eyes piercing right through Takemichi as he asked, “Do you have superpowers?”
Superpowers?
No one had ever labeled them that before.
But they were more like—
“They’re unwanted gifts,” Takemichi blurted out. Mikey raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How so?”
“Because I never asked for them, and they tie me to chaos. I never wanted to be the one blamed for the chaos that follows me, but that’s how it goes.”
“That sounds lonely,” Mikey said, then walked away as if he hadn’t just struck a chord deep within Takemichi. Those three words lingered in the air like a haunting melody. Lonely? The way Mikey said it made it feel like he understood exactly what Takemichi was going through, and it almost brought him to tears.
That sounds lonely. The phrase echoed in his mind.
It was lonely.
Even with three friends who shared similar burdens, they didn’t bring destruction like he did. His awakened gifts felt more like—
A curse.
Something muddy and stuck to him.
Muddy?
‘It’s Muddy, but nothing like possession.’
Fucking hell!
“Chifuyu!” He turned back to his best friend, who was sprawled on the floor, scratched up and bloodied, alongside Baji and Kazutora, who looked equally worse for wear. Chifuyu shot him an annoyed glance. “It’s a curse.”
“What?” Baji scrunched his nose in confusion before glancing at Kazutora, who shrugged. “Maybe he’s casting a curse on you.”
“No way, I’m too pretty to be cursed!”
That was all it took for Chifuyu to connect the dots. He leaped to his feet, striding over to Takemichi. “You genius! We need to get out of here.”
“Wait, don’t curse me! I’m sorry!” Baji called after them, but the boys were already gone by the time he stood up.
“Welp, you’re screwed,” Kazutora patted Baji on the back, his tone devoid of sympathy.
.
.
.
“Wait, could you say that again?” Kisaki blinked, pulling himself away from the mountain of papers before him. Hanma, on the other hand, seemed intrigued. Who would’ve guessed it would turn out to be—
“Shino Shizuki is under a curse, and we need to figure out what’s causing it before things go wrong,” Takemichi explained, already feeling exasperated with Kisaki, who hadn’t even done anything yet.
“How did you find out?” Hanma leaned back in his chair, calm and collected, as he regarded the two boys. Chifuyu raised his hands to form a triangle. “Because it’s what I saw—it was muddy but not entirely dark. I think it’s getting stronger. So, we’re heading to Shizuki's house tomorrow to find whatever object is cursing her.”
At this revelation, Kisaki shot up, his hands slamming against the table. “I get that you can see things, and maybe it is a curse. But how the hell can you not know what kind of curse it is? Do you have any idea how many types of curses exist? There are countless ways to break them. One mistake, and both the host and we could be dead! Do you hear me? Dead!”
Kisaki’s rant was met with a chorus of eye rolls, and then Takemichi flashed a sweet smile. “That’s why it’s on you to dive into all that curse research. I know you can handle it. Don’t let us down.”
“What!?” Kisaki yelled, “You want me to pull an all-nighter studying curses? The government will see my search history and think I’m a lunatic!”
“You are a lunatic,” Chifuyu shot back. “And trust me, the government doesn’t care about you.”
Hanma, ever the supportive one, raised an arm in solidarity. “You got this.”
“I hate all of you!”
“Just do your job!” Takemichi and Chifuyu shouted in unison.
Ah, just another day for the Supernatural Investigating Club.