Out of Sight

Midterms. Yay.

"—full of herself celebrity who thinks she has, not just you, but everyone wrapped around her finger." I said with a growl. "And FYI, if she comes into your office naked, you were warned."

He sighed the long, heavy, exasperated sigh.

"You're being unreasonable in your evaluation of her," he said. "From all reports and meeting her myself, she is simply confident in her abilities and perfectly polite."

"Yeah, maybe to you."

"What exactly happened between you two to get you this way?"

I stiffened. It had only been a phone call. And a brief visit that would scar Ayako and I for life.

"She...she thought she'd show off her medium power in our apartment," I said, looking away. "And channeled someone who use to live there, and they kinda happened to be a perv—but that's not it! It's what she said afterward too. She didn't even apologize at all, and the things she said were just rude."

"Hmm," he said, as a sign he had lost interest.

"I got hit in the head and almost humped by a girl!"

"That isn't necessarily her fault and will you please stop bloody yelling." He was pinching his nose now. Irritated. "Whatever the case, you need to put it aside and accept those lessons with her, for your own safety, or you'll never be a capable ghost hunter. You'll just be crazy."

"Seriously considering changing my major," I said.

He didn't even grace that with his attention.

I crossed my arms. "Did you hear what I said? I just threatened to change my major and take away you're top pupil."

"Hmph. You are not my top pupil. The most psychically powerful, but not the cream of the crop."

"I'm still threatening it! You could at least try to stop me."

"Why?" A click of the mouse and a scroll of the screen. "I already know it's an empty threat."

"Oh yeah? How so."

He didn't say anything for a minute, his blues eyes shifting back and forth across the screen. He didn't scroll down anymore though, even though there was only one paragraph on there and a genius like him had to be a fast reader.

I threw down my hands. "Fine. Flippity fine. If it will keep stupid dead kids from possessing me and letting me go through their crap, then fine. But I'd like to see you act as maturely after getting restrained and humped by the same gender."

"That would never happen because I'd never get restrained in the first place."

I dug my fingertips down my cheeks, pulling down my lower eyelids. "Ugh, you're so arrogant. Maybe you and Masako deserve each other."

"Whatever," he flicked a hand at me, eyes to the screen. "Can you go now so I can read?"

"What about tools? Or teammates? Do I get someone to help me out?"

"You get to find that help, as most ghost hunters do. As for equipment, I've already dropped off what you need at your apartment." He turned to give me what could only be his blood-chilling glare. "You already know what will happen should you damage any of it."

I stiffened. "Swift and immediate death, sir."

The glare softened and the corner of his mouth twitched.

And for a brief moment, that could have taken a full 3 seconds, he just looked at me, straight in the eyes, unflinching. My heart tripped a bit over itself. What was he looking for?

But then it was back to the ever-important screen, which he finally scrolled. "I expect a thorough report of the likes I've never seen, at least from you."

I sighed. "Yeah yeah, I got it." I already had some ideas in my head as to who I could ask for help in this midterm endeavor.

"Oh, and Mai?"

"Yes, oh blackety black one?"

"It would be best if you didn't tell Takigawa you have a fiancé."

I winced. "Hey, you can't switch from professor to girl-friend-giving-love-advice like that, it's creepy as hell and still none of your business." I paused. "And I don't have a fiancé!"

"Didn't you promise to marry that Chance boy?"

I flushed. "How'd you...wait, did I say something about that when you came over that one time?"

"You were sleep-deprived and, frankly, rather feverish," he said, as though that explained it all. "You said you'd promised to marry the kid if you didn't get whoever you wanted at the moment, which I'm presuming is not Takigawa, so I thought it best you not tell him. He seems the type to get desperate."

Heat and shivers ran up and down my neck and back. What if I...did I tell him? Did I say he was the one? Oh God, please tell me my sleepy half-conscious self hadn't been that suicidal.

But...the professor wasn't acting any different. Which either meant, no, saving grace, I hadn't thrown myself into a hole, or he heard and...

Now that was just depressing.

"Guess I'll see you in class," I said, opening the door. It was unfair how fast my mood was plummeting when I already knew Professor Davis was out of my league by a few miles.

He said nothing, and I didn't expect anything, as I closed the door behind me with a snap.