The clinic door opened before Yuki could knock, she then froze in place, for some reason no one stood behind it.
All she head was a a slow, creaking swing.
She stepped inside, the hallway smelled like old books and something herbal. Dust hung in the air, and empty chairs lined the walls.
At the end of the hallway was a desk beneath a dim light.
A tall woman sat behind it, she looked like she was in her early thirties. Her black suit and red tie were perfect, while her glasses rested dead-center on the bridge of her nose. Her black hair hung straight down like silk. She had a darker skin complexion and a serious looking resting face.
However, what was odd was her right eye was closed-shut, while her left was wide open.
Yuki hesitated a little.
"I'm here to see Sasaki Shin," she said, trying to steady her voice.
The woman didn't answer. She opened a drawer, placed a pen and form on the desk, and gestured.
Yuki sat in one of the chairs and filled it out. She then paused at the line for "Reason for visit" and left it blank.
When she returned the form, the woman took it without a word and disappeared to the back.
Yuki leaned forward to peek.
She saw him.
A man sitting in a red fancy chair under a single swinging lightbulb. One leg crossed.
However, she did not have a chance to see much of him, since the receptionist came back and opened a small gate.
Yuki stepped through.
The room was dim with two chairs in the middle. One fancy, and one plain. The room also had one lightbulb that kept swing gently from above.
The man, who was sitting in that red fancy chair looked clean.
He had a black suit, black tie. Everything was sharp and tucked and perfect — not a single wrinkle on him. His hair was darker than the night sky, while also being slicked back.
His face was smooth, almost too smooth. Straight jaw. Thin lips. You couldn't tell if he was being polite or mocking you — maybe both while he had the grin plastered on his face.
"You left the reason blank," Sasaki said.
Yuki didn't respond, she couldn't dare to respond, as she looked down at the floor.
He then tilted his head, as he analyzed her for a bit.
Then his grin widened, all of a sudden.
"Ah—I see. You talk to them, don't you? The dolls?"
Yuki's head shot up. Her whole body tensed.
"What?! How could you possibly know that?!"
She stood up fast, her chair scraping the floor.
"You're right, I shouldn't know that. I mean, it's not on the form... right?" Sasaki said.
He looked at her like he already knew everything.
Yuki started to shake, her fingers gripping the back of the chair, and when she looked at her palms, she realized sweat had started to form.
Sasaki's grin slowly faded, as his voice dropped to something quieter.
"How about you sit down. I just took a guess. That's all. Now... why don't you tell me about those dolls."
Yuki sat back down, slower this time. However, she was still shaking and unable to control herself.
"They…They would talk back at me," she muttered. "I-I just… didn't want to feel alone."
"Of course you didn't," he said. "No human would ever want to be alone."
His voice was smooth, but there was something else underneath it. Something sharp.
"Did it help?"
Yuki shrugged slightly.
"It made it easier to breathe."
Sasaki Shin nodded.
"Then you're saying it did help."
The lightbulb above flickered a little.
They then sat for what feels like an eternity as neither of them spoke, which made Sasaki lean forward just enough for the shadows to shift.
"Why don't you tell me what you left out? That part is pretty important, don't you think?"
Yuki lifted her gaze slowly, but her mouth remained shut.
Sasaki watched her in silence, for a little while more, Then he stood up.
Yuki blinked quite rapidly, as she watched him walking past her. He then opened the door to the hallway, and turned back to her.
"You've got quite the story hiding behind your eyes, Little Ayano. Come back when you're ready to talk about it."
Yuki stood slowly. Confused and upset.
Did he just call me Little Ayano?! She thought.
She then moved towards the door, but just as she passed him, Sasaki tapped on his temple with a sigh.
"Ah. That reminds me. A thousand dollars."
Yuki turned. "What?"
"U.S. dollars," he said, holding out a flat open hand. "Or about one hundred forty-three thousand yen."
Her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?!"
He gestured lazily to the wall.
Dusty frames. Old certificates. One of them looked handwritten in Latin.
"I'm very qualified. And quite underpaid. But I do get a lot of clients around this time, so... supply and demand. You understand."
She narrowed her eyes. "But I'm the only one here. There's nobody else."
His grin returned, sharper now.
"Are you sure?"
She glanced around again. Empty.
"Yes."
He leaned back slightly. "Have you ever heard of the unseen? Spirits? Maybe… demons?"
"Yes, maybe in stories," She said looking confused.
"Good," he said, nodding. "Then let me tell you something… those ones you can't see? They're my most loyal clients."
Yuki took a step back.
"You're insane," she muttered.
She turned, walking away fast.
Miss Nishimura really thought this guy could help? What was she thinking sending me to some overpriced wacko? This was such a waste of time. Yuki thought.
"Naomi Nishimura said the same thing," Sasaki called out. "Right before she slammed the door on me."
Yuki stopped and turned back. "What did you just say?!"
Sasaki Shin tilted his head slightly with a huge grin on his face. "However, she came back, they always do."
Then he shut the door behind Yuki.
Just like that.
Yuki walked back out into the hallway of the clinic.
The receptionist was still at the desk, staring straight ahead at the exit.
Yuki stormed over and slammed both hands on the counter.
"Just so you know, I'm not paying him. Actually, he should pay me for the stress he caused," Yuki said, out of breath.
The woman didn't look at her.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Yuki sighed.
She pulled out her phone. 7:25 a.m.
"If I go now, I can still make it to my first class," she muttered.
She walked toward the exit.
And left.
Like none of it ever happened.