The First Rumor: Spirit Photo Park
The First Rumor : Spirit Photo Park is the true first chapter of Twilight Syndrome: Search. Taking place chronologically before The Original Rumor it follows Mika Kishii, Yukari Hasegawa and Chisato Itsushima on their first outing investigating paranormal rumors around Hinashiro City. In this chapter they head to Park I investigating an alleged spirit photo, alleged soul sucking statues and An Eyeless Ghost.
Summary
The chapter opens with Mika talking with her classmate Kimika who tries to show her a photograph. Mika initially mistakes it for a lewd photograph of Kimika's boyfriend but is quickly shown it is in fact a spirit photograph. Mika asks to borrow the photograph claiming her senior is tangentially associated with famed psychic Kibo Akio. Kimika is initially hesitant but relents and gives the photo to Mika.
After class, Mika runs over to Yukari's class to show her the photo. Yukari is annoyed by Mika's sudden appearance and her eccentricities and Mika shows her the photo. Yukari dismisses it as nothing but a development error in the photograph, but Mika swears it is legitimate. Yukari asks for proof of it's authenticity but Mika claims she has used up all of her spirit medium abilities. Yukari calls over her classmate Chisato who Yukari claims is a real spirit medium to inspect the photo. Chisato is unable to determine it's authenticity and claims she'd have to go where the photo was taken to know for sure. The picture is identified as being taken at Park I and the trio meet there later that night to investigate.
Yukari apologizes for getting Chisato roped into this to which Chisato says she doesn't mind. Mika tells them that the hot spot of paranormal activity is the Torii gate on the other side of the park across Koube Bridge. While the three check out a map of the park Mika tells them of the other rumors surrounding the park. She first tells them of the stone statues at the sculpture garden that allegedly come alive at night and steal the souls of the living. Second she talks of an eyeless ghost that walks around the park with a dog, Mika even claims that this very ghost chased her older brother while he was going for a jog.
Mika wants to check out the sculpture garden and Yukari relents, however Mika fails to guide them there and they get lost on the way. Yukari initially dismisses the statues as nothing more than regular statues but she begins to hear something that sounds like a whisper. Chisato and Mika do as well prompting Mika to make a recording.(On her Sony MD Walkman MZ-R3 no less!) After Mika's recording the sounds stopped completely. The trio attempts to follow the voices but find nobody at all.
Yukari begins to get nervous and notices that they are lost. The three girls encounter a large cluster of insects but manage to evade them on their way to the bridge. They arrive at said Koube Bridge and are consumed by a feeling of dread. The trio gets half way across when Mika decides to take a picture of Yukari and Chisato. On the other side of the bridge they hear a low gutteral sound which Yukari assumes is part of a drainage system. They soon arrive at the Torii gate they were talking about earlier, through it is nothing more than a parking lot. Chisato takes another photo, this time of Yukari and Mika. Yukari pressures the other two to leave but Mika asks Chisato if she can feel anything. Chisato turns white and also wants to leave as soon as possible. Mika complains that she wanted to verify the other rumors and Yukari accuses her of rumor mongering.
Chisato notices how late it's getting and Mika says she needs to use the bathroom. Yukari and Chisato stay behind while she heads towards the restroom. Mika asks for them to accompany her because she is now feeling afraid but the other two decline. Mika and Yukari argue a bit but Mika storms off. While Mika is away Yukari asks Chisato if they should go home already. Chisato thinks it'd be rude to do so but Yukari doesn't seem to care. Yukari talks about how she feels that Mika dragged the two of them around all night and how she thinks Mika has an ego. Chisato asks if Yukari hates her to which Yukari says she doesn't. Chisato however voices her appreciation for Mika. Their conversation is cut short by Mika's scream and the two rush to investigate.
When they arrive they find that Mika is perfectly fine and only screamed because of the spiders in the bathroom. Mika uses the bathroom while Yukari expresses her desire to go home again, but at that moment Chisato and Yukari hear something. Mika immediately assumes it's the eyeless ghost and the three rush outside to check. They are approached by an older blind man with a dog. Mika demands to know what he's doing near the women's bathroom. He apologizes and says he was unaware it was the women's bathroom. Chisato tells Yukari that he is not a ghost. The old man apologizes and introduces himself as Sakai.
Chisato asks Sakai if he is familiar with the area, he tells her that he in fact is familiar with the area. Chisato starts to ask him about the Torii at the top of the hill, she tells him that they took a picture up there. Sakai immediately tells her she should not have done that and to burn the photo as soon as possible. This startles Yukari and Mika. Sakai warns the girls that it is dangerous at night and tells them to go home which they do.
