I'm a teacher in Tokyo!

"I asked, Mako Yamamura."

Perhaps it's because the ghost I'm restraining is too weak?

Whether a person's spirit possesses its own will after death is the question that the wealthy businessmen who sponsored them most wanted to know.

After thinking for a moment, Mako Yamamura looked at Kayako and the others, who seemed a little worried, and said, "I still want to give it a try."

He had previously proposed several locations, such as the Himuro family, the rumored Minakami Village, a certain island that was said to be very strange, and so on.

Powerful ghosts can send chills down the spine of even those with weak intuition, and instill fear in those without any inspiration.

Kayako pointed to her schoolbag, her eyes filled with encouragement—this was the kind of look her teacher had given her before, and she wondered if she was convincingly faking it.

In fact, Kayako kept her concern for others hidden in her heart and rarely showed it.

"We'll be waiting for you here."

Tomie Kawakami's expression was anything but joking at that moment.

"Ah."

Mako felt their gazes, her heart warmed, and the blank expression on her face seemed to ease a little, revealing a genuine smile.

Because it's a slight smile, the expressionless face doesn't seem out of place.

She suddenly felt very fortunate that Yoshizaki-sensei had brought her into this club—later, she learned that Yoshizaki-sensei had asked Tomie to take care of her.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Tomie invited me to join the club.

—Although this was actually just a spur-of-the-moment thing for Tomie.

But in Mako's eyes, that was the reason.

Mako followed Kunihiko Aso into the room shrouded in black cloth, feeling somewhat nervous as they moved forward.

His right hand was always open with his fingers spread, and he would clench his fist and then relax it from time to time. His ability would only take effect when he touched the opponent.

If the shop owner in front of him has any ill intentions, he will quickly touch him and use his ability.

However, Mako was clearly overthinking it.

After leading her into a room, Kunihiko Aso gave her a face mask without saying a word.

He then turned on the UV light, without saying a word, put on gloves, rummaged through the box and found a photo album, took out a negative, and then developed the photo with developer.

After developing the photo, Kunihiko Aso placed it in front of the UV lamp and hung it on a rope. At that moment, he suddenly asked, "By the way, I haven't asked this student yet, what's your name?"

"Mako Yamamura."

Mako made no attempt to hide her name.

After learning the latter's name, he hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not cross his bottom line and asked:

"Um, Mako-kun, I want to ask you a question—do you believe in ghosts?"

Mako was taken aback by Kunihiko Aso's sudden question. Of course, she believed him, and after a moment, she said, "I believe you."

Upon learning that Mako believed in ghosts, Kunihiko Aso breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes, and then asked a question.

"Have you ever seen a ghost?"

"never seen it."

Mako answered honestly.

"Now, look at that photo and tell me what you see?"

Mako Yamamura had actually been observing that photo for a long time, but in fact, she didn't see anything in it.

"Nothing at all."

"Nothing at all?"

Kunihiko Aso was somewhat disappointed; as expected, people with keen intuition were not so easy to find.

Just as he was about to put the developed photos away in disappointment, he suddenly felt a little taken aback.

Because, even in his eyes, the ghost that was originally sealed in the photo had completely disappeared.

"strangeness."

Kunihiko Aso didn't know what had happened. He searched through the photo album again and washed it again, but every time he put it in front of Mako, the ghost in the photo would completely disappear.

After losing three or four photos in a row, Kunihiko Aso panicked. He rummaged through drawers and cabinets, muttering something under his breath, frantically searching for the few remaining negatives.

They didn't even have time to wash them before immediately placing them under a UV lamp.

But what terrified him at that moment was that the faint shadows that were originally on all his negatives had disappeared under the ultraviolet light.

That's a ghost I spent half my life catching!

Where did they all disappear to?

But everything was fine this morning, so why is this happening?

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 165 Mako Gets the Camera

Kunihiko Aso couldn't understand what had happened. The ghosts, who had been perfectly fine that morning, had all vanished without a trace.

His life savings, his only means of support for the future, are now beyond his capabilities to catch ghosts, and it would be difficult for him to actually do so.

This means that once all of one's inventory is used up, that faint hope will be gone forever.

He himself could only risk his life to search for the existence of ghosts in those "forbidden places".

How can we make him accept this?

While the shop owner in front of her inexplicably went into a frenzy, Mako was completely bewildered. She could only stand silently in the corner, watching the shop owner rummage around, muttering to himself, then throwing something on the ground, angrily grabbing his hair, and shaking his head like a madman.

After a while, Kunihiko Aso knelt on the ground, exhausted. After confirming the situation, he had no choice but to accept the reality.

All the ghosts I had painstakingly sealed away in my photo album have disappeared.

"Um... Boss, is there anything I can help you with?"

Kunihiko Aso waved his hand, his once upright posture becoming somewhat hunched. He sat on the ground in a daze for a while before slowly standing up, his eyes seemingly filled with a hint of determination.

Looking at the latter's appearance, Yamamura Mako suddenly felt a little sorry for him and couldn't help but ask weakly.

Could it be that a ghost is sealed inside this photo album?

In that rumor, the camera had the power to capture human souls, and the shop owner in front of me kept asking if I could see anything in the photo album and whether I believed in ghosts. Doesn't that mean the photo album is haunted?

My life exists solely for the study of ghosts.

"I never expected that I would still be able to hold onto my principles at this final moment!"

Looking at the determined girl in front of him, Kunihiko Aso smiled. Having made that choice, he felt much more at ease, and he no longer cared about where the camera ended up.

For a moment, hearing these words, Kunihiko Aso was somewhat dazed, but his hand unconsciously handed the camera to Mako Yamamura.

"I believe."

"Then, I will hand it over to you, along with the research materials I have compiled, and methods for repairing and converting ordinary film into special film."

This is the only person in all these years who has heard all that I have said and has not rejected me.

"Mako Yamamura, I want to ask you another question: Do you really believe that ghosts exist in this world?"

Thinking of this, Mako Yamamura's interest grew even stronger.

Thinking this through his mind, he suppressed his smile and said, "Mako-kun, I don't want to hide it from you. Those photo albums actually contain sealed ghosts. This camera is the culmination of my life's work and has the power to see and seal ghosts!"

Perhaps, the mysterious disappearance of all the ghosts is also driving them to make that choice!

Compared to research, what is my own life worth?

At this moment, listening to the shop owner's repeated questions, coupled with his strange behavior earlier, and finally recalling that ancient legend;

"Once captured by a camera, the ghost will be sealed inside the photo. Destroying the photo will also destroy the ghost inside. The reason I send it out is that I hope you will take photos to seal the ghost, and then I can conduct my research based on your photos."

However, after he finished speaking, Mako's eyes became even more excited: "I want it even more."

Mako was startled. She was a clever child, and with so many hints, she could naturally guess something.

He had already made a certain decision, and at this moment he felt a sense of relief.

"Of course, ghosts are not benevolent. Once you choose to step into that world, your life thereafter will be extremely dangerous. Even so, do you still want it?"

"I'm entrusting this camera to you."

Mako sensed a hint of determination in the shopkeeper's tone and paused slightly, asking, "What's this?"

"No, I'm going to explore far away, it might be a long time... or I might never come back."

Kunihiko Aso's gaze wandered for a moment, then he came back to his senses: "Of course, if you wish, you can keep the photos you take safe, or put them in the store's mailbox. I will check them when I come back."

The premise is that you are still alive at that time.

"If you find it troublesome, you don't have to save it. Of course, you don't have to worry about ghosts coming out, because ghosts sealed in photos can never come out."

"Alright, I've said enough."

"Take these things back with you, I still need to pack!"