"Well, my work here is done," Madame Ether announced while rising triumphantly to her feet. "I have spoken with Tsutomu and urged him to take his business elsewhere."

Her gaze drifted towards Ichiro while he smiled stiffly. As satisfying as it had been, there was also something disconcerting about how the spiritual medium had scolded and threatened to beat Tsutomu earlier. It had reminded him of a domineering mother disciplining her unruly child, and he could only hope never to have the misfortune of crossing her.

However, the next words to come from Madame Ether's mouth put a swift end to that possibility.

"Futoshi, could you leave the room for a few minutes? I need to speak with your nephew about something that has come to my attention."

Ichiro's heart raced as Futoshi placed a finger against his chin in contemplation before slumping his shoulders with a groan.

"Of course. Just don't do anything inappropriate."

At that, Futoshi departed the living room and left Ichiro to the mercy of the old woman he had already grown to fear. Madame Ether looked upon him again and shuffled her way back towards the table where the teapot and empty teacups lay.

"Come, sit down, young man." She gestured with a wave of her forearm. "There's no need to be afraid."

Ichiro knew he didn't have much of a choice. He dragged his feet forward and knelt opposite her, hoping such a position would allow for an easy escape if the situation turned unfavorable.

Madame Ether nodded, seemingly pleased with his compliance. She placed her wrinkled hands on both knees and straightened her arched back.

"I think you know what I want to talk to you about."

"My serving of the tea earlier?"

"No," Madame Ether replied without hesitation. "Although, you performed well despite the less than-quality equipment."

"I see. What have I done wrong then?"

Madame Ether's narrow eyes suddenly widened. "Nothing! Quite the opposite, in fact!"

"What?" Ichiro flinched.

"I may be an old woman whose best years are behind me, but my senses are as strong as ever. So don't think I didn't notice where you were looking during my ritual."

Ichiro thought again about the earlier commotion. "Well, I found it hard not to. You were making quite some noise."

"That isn't the point. Most people are happy to mind their business while I work, but you kept glancing in Tsutomu's direction and even followed him with your eyes a few times."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"Young man, Tsutomu is a ghost."

"Oh," Ichiro muttered as he finally began to realize. "But Futoshi-"

"He was too busy drinking tea and helping himself to food in the kitchen. Just like my other clients around lunchtime."

The mention of food reminded Ichiro that he needed to eat soon, too, so he waited restlessly for Madame Ether to finish communicating her message.

"You're doing a poor job of hiding your gift, and your uncle is a fool to be none the wiser."

Ichiro felt overwhelmed by the revelation and wondered why he'd been oblivious until now. "I see. I suppose it is remarkable..."

Madame Ether leaned sideways to rummage through her bright red purse. "Your uncle owes me 4500 yen for today, but you should offer to help him in the future. It will save money and give you a chance to sharpen your perception."

Ichiro guessed that this so-called yen had replaced the mon as the official currency. He nodded to demonstrate his understanding.

"Oh, and before you call your uncle back, you should know that it was a fine prank he pulled on me last week. I wasn't expecting to see you naked, pleasant as it was."

"Pardon?" Ichiro muttered as his memory of the bath that had ended in disaster hurtled back. "That was you?"

"It most certainly was."

Ichiro fumed at the revelation. "Then you're a filthy old woman. All I wanted was to enjoy a bath."

Madame Ether blinked in surprise. "So, you weren't aware of your uncle's plans?"

"No. Of course not."

"In that case, I am sorry. Had I known earlier you weren't a ghost, then I would not have been looking. Would you mind fetching him so I can give a piece of my mind?"

Madame Ether seemed genuinely regretful of her actions, so Ichiro accepted her apology and left the room to search for Futoshi.

******

"That was some trouble you just got me into," grumbled Futoshi as he returned to the kitchen after seeing Madame Ether off. "You should have followed my lead and pretended you couldn't see a thing."

Ichiro remembered how the old man had simply carried on with business while the ritual took place. He realized his mistake but also felt irritated at being kept in the dark.

"Well, you didn't give me any warning. How can I know what passes as normal in this day and age?"

Futoshi sighed and thrust both hands into his trouser pockets. "You have a point there. I guess we'll just have to make the best of your newfound ability."

"And what would that mean?" Ichiro dared to ask while taking a seat at the dining table. "You aren't going to use me for selfish purposes, are you?"

"You could say that." Futoshi grinned and came over to throw his arm around Ichiro's shoulder in an unwelcome gesture of affection. "But, think of how much more money you'd make as a medium. It'll be better than being my assistant, that's for sure."

Ichiro frowned and wrested Futoshi's arm away. "It sounds tempting, but there must be some trick. What is it?"

"Nothing. Just a chance to get back at Madame Ether and wear traditional clothing whenever you want."

If there was anything Ichiro wanted, it was to be appreciated by Kumiko, especially after being separated from her for centuries and having other men woo her in his absence. Even so, he knew there were many complications to be found in Futoshi's plan.

"But I am still new to this place," he responded while looking around at the white cabinet and other strange furnishings. "How do you expect me to be successful when there is so much that frightens me?"

"Hey, don't worry about that. It's where I come in."

Ichiro glanced at the nearby door. "Pardon?"

"I'll support you in this little business venture. That means helping with advertising, settling costs, and finding clients. What do you say?"

"I think it's a great idea," a hoarse voice sounded from a few feet away, drawing the attention of both Ichiro and Futoshi. "You could even start with me."

Futoshi fell to the floor in shock as Ichiro's entire body became tense. He stared at the unexpected visitor for a moment before forcing out a single word.

"How?"

Tsutomu smirked and gave his suit jacket a shake for emphasis. "You didn't think a little scolding could scare me away for good, did you? I had to endure far worse back when I was a fresh recruit."

"He's right in a way," Futoshi murmured after recovering enough to sit up. "They say new guys are just punching bags for their seniors..."

Ichiro surmised that Tsutomu had been a soldier in his youth and had thus gone through severe training that made an old woman's blows and threats seem mild in comparison.

If Tsutomu could possess him again, then it was best to comply in the meantime. He turned to face his rival and offered an answer.

"All right, Futoshi and I will take you on as our first case. Is there anything I should know?"

Tsutomu smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yes. I may have paid my estranged wife a visit while I was in your body."

"You... what?"

"But don't worry. All I did was pretend to be a missionary and offer to educate her on the Christian faith."

"Christian?" Ichiro uttered, becoming a different kind of horrified by what Tsutomu was telling him. "How could you think that a good idea? They torture and crucify those people..."

"Hey." Tsutomu reached out and inadvertently passed his hand through Ichiro's forearm. "Times have changed. The government doesn't do that anymore."

Ichiro blinked. "If so, then how are they punished? They're a threat to this country..."

"Nothing happens. They aren't powerful enough to make any major changes, and the rest of the world would look down on us if we were to repeat the past."

"I see." Ichiro took several deep breaths to calm himself before turning to Futoshi for reassurance. "I guess a delegate will be needed in this case. Maybe you?"

Futoshi shook his head. "I'd like to, but making women comfortable isn't my strong suit. I think this is one for Kumiko again."

"I suppose you're right," Ichiro remembered how Kumiko had managed to earn the trust of his mother. He nodded at Tsutomu. "If there's anyone who could really make an impression on your wife, it would be another woman."

Tsutomu looked down at the floor and sighed. "Exactly. The only problem is that Kumiko has a full-time job."

"Then we'll just wait until she returns," Futoshi replied without hesitation. "She's bound to hear us out then."

"Maybe, but you forget how tired people can get after work. I think we'll need someone else as backup. Like Yukari."

Futoshi stared at Tsutomu for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Oh, that's rich! You know that she's a foul-mouthed delinquent, right?"

"That's just who she is on the surface. I had the chance to spend a few hours with her, and I think she's hurting a lot inside."

Ichiro decided to share his opinion as well. "I'm inclined to agree with Tsutomu. Yukari may be a little harsh, but she was also patient and understanding when I woke up in her house."

"So, she's not all she seems, huh? Looks like you two made more progress with her in a week than I did in three months."

"You could say that we did," Tsutomu said with pride, much to Ichiro's distaste. "So, do you think we should consider her in our plan?"

"If that's what you want. I'm starting to think you have a thing for her."

"Oh no. I may have bonded with her, but nothing can change the fact that she doesn't look much older than my son."

"Good point. I guess it's settled then," Futoshi addressed them both. "We find a way to get Kumiko involved in the ex-wife's life, and when she can't make it, we call Yukari instead."

Ichiro nodded for the sake of it since he was growing tired and just wanted the meeting to end soon. However, Tsutomu felt the need to come forth with information that complicated the situation all over again.

"There's one more thing. Do you remember how Yukari stormed out because her father was here?"

"Yes?"

"We might need to sort that out too."

******

Historical Note: Ichiro panicked when he heard the word Christian because they were indeed persecuted by the Shogunate during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. A notable event was the crucifixion of the 26 Martyrs of Japan, which occurred on February 5, 1597, in Nagasaki.

While Ichiro wouldn't have witnessed this in person, he would have heard about the mass execution weeks or months later.