Kaito felt a faint voice calling his name in the darkness. It sounded strangely familiar, but he couldn't place it. He slowly opened his eyes and first thing he saw was a girl's face hovering above him. She was young and beautiful, and her expression was full of concern. She repeated his name softly, as if trying to wake him up. Kaito reached out his hand to touch her face, to reassure her that he was fine. But as his fingers passed through her skin, he was abruptly jolted back into reality. A rush of memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the current situation.

Kaito quickly sat up and moved back, trying to put some distance between himself and the apparition. But to his dismay, he found himself backed up against a cold, unforgiving wall. He was trapped in a dark room with a ghost.

Kaito was a brave man, unafraid of most things. He was confident in his strength and skills, and he believed he could handle any wild animal that crossed his path. He would not hesitate to fight a bear or a tiger if he had to, or at least escape unharmed. But with ghosts, it was a different story. How could he possibly defeat an enemy that he couldn't even touch? He could not hide from them or hit them, and they could mock him and torment him as they pleased. In short, ghosts were an unbeatable enemy that Kaito feared.

"Get away from me!"

Kaito screamed, reaching for the nearest bookshelf and grabbed a handful of books, hurling them at her in desperation. But as expected, none of them could touch her, the books passed right through the transparent body, landing on the tastumi mats with a thud. The ghost even smiled back at Kaito, a dangerous smile. Where was the girl's worried expression from earlier? Had it all been a lie?

Just then, there was a knock on the door followed by a female’s voice calling out to him. "Kaito-kun, are you okay?"

Kaito saw a glimmer of hope and quickly stood up, moving past the ghost girl to reach the door. With trembling hands, he used all of his strength to slide it open, revealing a young woman standing before him. She was impeccably dressed in a gray vest, an elegant gray skirt paired with matching heels, giving off an air of professionalism. Her hair was in bob cut style. It was Kanako, his older step-sister, the daughter of his father's first wife.

"Kait—"

Kanako's eyes widened with concern as she saw the terror in Kaito's face. She hadn't even finished her sentence before he grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She felt a surge of fear from his panicked expression and tried to resist.

"Stop! Kaito, what are you doing?" she demanded.

But he didn't answer. His priority now was to move them far away from that place. He had seen something horrible and he didn't want Kanako to be in danger.

"Ahw!"

Kanako winced and rubbed her sore wrist, the result of Kaito's firm grip. She breathed heavily as she observed her brother, who was looking outside through the door. They were currently at the front entrance of the main house. Kaito’s family home was a large traditional house, with several buildings inside including the dojo, the main house, the guest house and the storage building.

"What happened, Kaito?" Kanako asked.

After making sure that the ghost wasn't following them, Kaito closed the door and turned to face Kanako with a grave expression.

"I've seen a ghost," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

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Normally, she would have laughed at her younger brother and told him to stop teasing her, but his serious tone and face made her pause. She chose her words carefully.

"Are you sure? Maybe you saw something else. It was dark in there."

Kaito shook his head vehemently. "No, I was in the library room, and when I was about to leave, I saw it right at the door."

Kanako furrowed her brow in confusion. Earlier, when she had entered the house, she had suddenly heard Kaito's loud scream, which was why she came to check on him. Unlike her younger brother, Kanako was not afraid of ghosts because simply she had no belief in something like supernatural.

"Let's go back to the room," Kanako continued, her tone light. "If there is a ghost, we'll have a great story to tell everyone." She was trying to alleviate the fear that Kaito was feeling.

"Are you crazy? It's dangerous!" Kaito protested.

"Don’t worry, I can handle myself, and you're a martial artist, after all."

He didn't have a chance to argue. Being a police officer, Kanako wouldn't believe in something unless she saw it herself.

The door to the library room slid open once more, and Kaito and Kanako stepped inside, each using the light from their phones to illuminate the space as they searched for any sign of the ghost. But to their disappointment, the room appeared undisturbed, with only scattered books strewn about the floor.

Kaito, still determined to prove the existence of the ghost, ventured further into the room, scouring every nook and cranny for any clue. However, despite his best efforts, he found nothing.

Kanako, not wanting to embarrass her younger brother, silently moved about the room, gathering up the books and carefully placing them back on the shelves. As she worked, an uneasy silence settled over the siblings, both lost in their own thoughts.

The siblings exited the library room and stepped out onto the engawa. Outside, rain was still pouring down heavily. The electricity system had yet to be restored, leaving the area in a state of dimness. The only source of illumination was from the stone lanterns that dotted the walkway. Some of them had shut down, some of them were still active but their stability was threatened by the wind at any moment.

To break the lingering silence, Kaito cleared his throat and posed a question to his sister.

"Uhm, why did you come here today?"

Kanako didn't live with Kaito, she lived at her mother's residence in the next district. When they were children, Kanako used to visit Kaito's house a lot and played with him. But ever since she became a police officer she came less often. Though Kaito regarded Kanako as a kind and caring sister, she could also be strict and disciplined with her younger brother when necessary.

"Father told me to come. Looks like he wants me to buy some Sake(1) again." Kanako answered cheerfully.

"I see," Kaito responded, not knowing the details of his sister's work, but it appeared she had an important role in the police force. Kanako often traveled to other cities in Japan, so his father took advantage of her visits and asked her to buy him Sake. Kaito couldn't recall when his father started drinking so much.

Kanako spoke softly, as if she had something difficult to say. "Kaito-kun."

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"Have you reconsidered coming to live with me?"

This wasn't the first time Kanako had suggested it. She was busy with work and saddened that she couldn't visit her brother and father more often. Living under one roof would make it easier for all of them to spend time together.

Kaito paused, taking in the scenery of the garden, the dojo building, and the mountains behind his house where his family’s shrine was located. He had been born and raised in this place it was his responsibility to inherit his family's martial arts and maintain them.

"I'm sorry, Kanako-san," he said finally.

Kanako smiled, respecting her brother's decision. "It's okay."

As they came back to the entrace of main house, the warm glow of numerous lanterns greeted them, contrasting with the cold and wet weather outside. Making their way to the staircase, Kaito announced that he would retire to his room to rest, causing a tinge of disappointment in Kanako, who had been looking forward to having dinner with her younger brother.

Just as they were about to part ways, a servant emerged from the kitchen and informed them that their father wished to see them both. Kaito had no choice but to follow, much to Kanako's delight.

Note:

(1): "Sake" is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, often served warm or chilled. It has a distinctive flavor profile that varies depending on the type of rice, water, and brewing process used. Sake is an important part of Japanese culture and is often consumed during social gatherings and special occasions.