Khan made it through the rest of the week without getting involved with supernatural investigations or being prompted to make out with any of his tenants.  On the drives to and from school Rin and Mila had become competitive about getting the front seat.  Rin because she wanted to avoid sitting next to Khan.  Mila partly because she enjoyed chatting to Evy, but mostly just to get a rise of Rin.

On Saturday a new prospective tenant named Valerie was to come by and see Apartment 302.  Khan deeply hoped Valerie would be only interested in accommodation and not the paranormal.  At the same time he’d let Mila know he might need her services in faking a ghost, should the need arise.  He was going to do what it took to get the Rosario filled.

Exactly at 1pm there was a buzz at the security door, just when Valerie said she would arrive. Except when Khan went to answer the door, the person who was there was Miss Erasmusbrug, his homeroom teacher. “Oh, Miss Erasmusbrug, what are you doing here?”

“I was supposed to view an apartment…”  She trailed off as she spoke.

“You’re Valerie?” Khan asked, putting the pieces together.

“So… you really do own an apartment building?”  Valerie Erasmusbrug asked.  

Khan nodded, “The Rosario is my place.”

Valerie sighed.  “I guess I should go then.”  She turned to leave.

“Wait, no!” Khan called out.  Without thinking he grabbed her by the wrist to stop her from going.  Surprise filled Valerie’s face.  Realizing what he’d done, Khan let go just as quickly.  He didn’t give up though.  “You… don’t need to go?”  Valerie looked at him with confusion.  “I mean, I don’t think there’s a rule against a teacher living in a building owned by a student.” 

“No… but it just seems odd.”

“Just come have a look." Khan offered,  "You’re already here.”

Valerie looked conflicted.  “It’s not just that you’re a student.  Mila said this place is… haunted?”  She said ‘haunted’ in a hushed tone, as if ghosts might hear her.

Khan had known this might eventually happen, the reputation Mila had generated was backfiring, scaring off a potential tenant.  He’d just have to work around it.  “Mila’s just playing games.  There are no ghosts here.”  Valerie looked unconvinced.  Khan changed tactics.  “You came here for a reason right?”

“Teaching at Eberhard is my first real job." Valerie sniffed.  "I was hoping to save up money to buy my own place, but my parents have put down an ultimatum that I have to move out.  So I’m trying to find someplace cheap enough that I can still save for a down payment.”

Khan smiled.  “You won’t find anything more affordable than a studio apartment at The Rosario.”  He waved her in.  “Come have a look.”

Valerie looked around, as if she might be spotted doing something illicit, before entering The Rosario.  She followed Khan up three flights of stairs and into 302.  “There’s certainly not much to it.”  She commented about the place.

“Its main selling point is the affordability.”  Khan countered.

“Where’s the bedroom?”

“Err… there is no bedroom?  That’s what studio apartment means.”

“Oh.”  Valerie looked a bit embarrassed.  She didn’t dwell on that feeling for long though, because they noticed Rin in the hall, using the thermal camera as she went.  “Rin?  You live here too?”

Rin looked up from her camera.  “Living is generous.  I survive here.”  Khan squinted at her, if Rin noticed, she didn’t mind.

“What are you doing?”  Valerie nodded to the camera.

“This?  My mom sent me to do another sweep, to see if I can find any signs of paranormal activity on the thermal camera.”

Valerie’s eyes went wide.  Khan gave a nervous chuckle.  “Ah, but you haven’t found any ghosts have you Rin?”

“No.”  Rin rolled her eyes as she spoke.  “I never find any signs of ghosts.  I mean except for…”

“Why don’t you come in and give 302 a scan?”  Khan quickly called out, interrupting her.

Rin glared at Khan before responding with an apathetic “Fine.”  Rin entered 302 and looked at the walls through the thermal camera.  Valerie came around and watched the screen with far more interest than Rin.  Once Rin had finished scanning 302 she clicked off her thermal camera and announced “Nothing here.”

Khan smiled and turned to Valerie “See?  Nothing here.”  Rin rolled her eyes and showed herself out.  Valerie looked around the room again, as if there was more to see.  “So?”  Khan followed up.  “Do you want it?”

Valerie scratched her ear.  “I… I think…”  

Before she could finish that thought they heard a bell ringing.  Followed shortly after by Evy’s voice calling out “Come forth!  Come forth!”

Concern furrowed across Valerie’s brows.  Khan gritted his teeth.  “Could you excuse me for just one moment?” Valerie opened her mouth to answer his question but Khan dashed off before she could speak.  Khan ran down to the second floor where he found Evy in the hallway, ringing a bell.  “What are you doing?” He growled at her.

Missing his intonation, Evy cheerfully responded “It’s a Spirit Calling Bell, I just got it.”

“Well could you not do that right now?  I’m showing an apartment to a prospective tenant, and I do not need any spirits called forth!”

At that moment Mila poked her head up from the stairwell.  “Did I hearing a Spirit Calling Bell?” she asked.

“No!”  Khan hissed.  “No spirit calling!  Everyone just act normal for five minutes please!”

“Ooooh, we needs to be normal, Evy.”  Mila said as she climbed the rest of the stairs to the second floor.  Her eyes sparked of mirth.

“Yes, we’re being too weird Mila.”  Evy responded, with a mocking tone.  There was no mistaking that the mocking was directed at Khan.  “Come, we will just sit quietly and watch what the Netflix algorithm recommends while drinking Diet Coke.”

“Is that normal enough Khan?” Mila asked with a wide grin on her face.

“I’m not being unreasonable!” Khan tried to respond without screaming.  Evy took Mila by the hand and pulled her into 202, both of them laughing.  Khan pushed down his anger, took a deep breath and ran back upstairs.  With a plastered smile he addressed Valerie, “So, have you…”

“I heard everything.”  Valerie said, cutting him off.  Khan sighed.  He had probably lost this one.  “Everyone else here thinks there are ghosts.”  She added.

“They do.”  Khan admitted.  There was no point in denying it at this point.

“I don’t want to live in a haunted building filled with students from the school I teach at.”  Valerie explained.  Khan almost wished he believed in ghosts, then her concern would seem more reasonable to him.  Well, he got the student part anyway.  “But I’m out of time.”

Khan perked up at that.  “You are?”

Valerie sighed.  “My folks have put their foot down, I have to move out.  I don’t want to move in here, but I haven’t been able to find anything else in my price range.  Would you be willing to let me stay here without a long term contract, so I can keep looking for a place that isn’t…” she waved her hand in the air “...everything that’s going on here?”

Khan would take that as a win.  “We can do it month-to-month.”  And like that, 302 had a tenant.