Black Lack - Prologue
Shibuya Psychic Research Centre.
The first thing that Taniyama Mai noticed on entering the SPR office was the outstanding lack of noise. She stepped through the front door and let it click shut quietly behind her before she peered around.
Where was Lin? She couldn't hear him typing. I'm not late today, she thought looking at her watch.
She ventured forward and stopped suddenly. A thought came to her. Ehhh, maybe this is a dream!
In a panic for a second, she put her hands to her cheeks and glanced around for the Naru who appeared in her dreams, only there was no such 'Naru' to be seen.
Besides, there are no floating spirits, she told herself, finalizing the absurdity of it. She quickly calmed down and frowned. Speaking of the so called narcissist…
She rapped lightly on his office door. "Naru?"
When no answer came, she pushed Naru's office door open a crack and poked her head through the gap. She strained her eyes in the poor light of the room.
"Eh?"
The blinds were half shut. Why was that? She panned her eyes across and a dark lump on the desk. She entered the room and frowned, a hand to her heart.
"Naru?" she whispered. What is he doing? She walked right up to Kazuya Shibuya's desk and looked down at him. He was slumped forward on the desk, his cheek resting on some papers. She bent and stared at his face.
So close, she thought and listened to him breathing softly. Her cheeks enflamed and she straightened and backed away. What on earth am I doing? She stood undecided in the middle of the room.
His expression is softer when he's sleeping, she thought. Masako would love this chance. Shame she isn't here, Mai thought derisively. She cackled evilly inside, and then sobered suddenly on thinking about it. She slapped herself. This is my chance!
Now, there were two agonizing questions she needed to ask herself. Should she wake him or let him sleep. She would, in no doubt, be blamed in some way or other for each of these actions; therefore she would lose terribly in the spar of words that followed.
Eventually, she walked up to his desk again and made to shake his shoulder, only to get the fright of her life when the body of her boss stirred and came to life. She gazed at his eyes that opened and looked at her sleepily with none of their usual flintiness. She was transfixed staring into those lovely, grey eyes.
She froze whilst Naru slowly rose up off the desk, his eyes becoming sharper and sharper as he did.
"Mai?"
His voice broke the horrible silence and Mai waited on tenterhooks.
"Mai, what are you doing?"
She laughed awkwardly. "What d-do you mean Naru? I'm…"
"Stop stop stuttering and stop loitering," he said coldly.
"Hey! I wasn't the one that was sleeping just now! What do you mean 'what am I doing.' I was about to wake you!"
Naru gave her a vague look. Mai couldn't believe the blatant cheek of this guy. She ranted in her head for a moment.
"Mai."
She looked at him sharply. "What?"
"It's good to see that you aren't late," he said without looking at her. Mai's animosity dried up quickly. A bubble of happiness worked its way up in her soul.
"That is," he continued, "not late by the half an hour you usually are."
The bubble popped.
"Now that's a bit exaggerated!" she fumed. You unbearable narcissist!
"Mai," Naru said calmly, a lip curved slightly upward at her distress no doubt. Mai felt her annoyance coming off her in waves. She hoped Naru could feel it!
"Prepare me some tea."
Mai drooped. "Hai, hai," she muttered and left his office. She noticed Lin was sat at his station on his computer and stopped in surprise.
"Lin, Good Morning."
He glanced at her and nodded, then went back to his typing. I am being ignored, she thought. She resisted the urge ask of his whereabouts when she'd first got in and went to fix Naru's tea.
~GhostxxHunt~
After grumpily setting Naru's tea before him, Mai set about tidying up papers and filing away files. she trawled through newspapers and read the mail which featured business documents, bills, the odd letter pleading SPR for help (Naru ignored those and Mai was the one to fish them out of the paper bin). In this post, there was the rare occurrence of a fan letter.
After a while, she sat on the sofa in the reception area and sipped her own cup of tea, feeling a little despondent. She hoped that a client would set foot in the SPR office soon. The quiet was getting to be bit too quiet.
Her mind drifted from thoughts of Bou-san, to John and the rest and then to thoughts of Naru. What was he doing sleeping in his office anyway? She felt concerned for a moment. I hope he's alright. Maybe I should buy him cold medicine when I got out next for his consignment of tea, just in case.
After mulling it over for a bit, she decided that it must be just plain overworking on his part. I suppose even Naru can be caught unawares doing things that aren't expected.
He looked a lot more endearing when he was sleeping, just like seeing the Naru in my dreams smile. Mai grinned.
"Hello?"
Mai jumped and stood quickly. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she had failed to notice a client standing at the door.
"Oh hello!" she said quickly greeting him with a smile. "Please come in."
The man in question seemed to be in his late twenties. His jaw was strong and he had a serious gaze. He smiled back at her but in a strained sort of way.
"I would like to speak with Shibuya Kazuya."
Mai smiled softly. "Please have a seat. Shibuya-san appreciates consultations after he has had his assistant run it over with him."
~GhostxxHunt~
After setting a tray with two cups on the table and serving the guest his tea, Mai sat down with them and listened to what was being said.
Hamasaki Ryouta sat opposite Naru looking slightly worn and stiff.
"Recently our family has come into the inheritance of a house," he said looking at Naru seriously. "At first living there was fine…" he paused as if wondering how to put it to them. "As we started to settle in, strange things started to occur that was not auspicious. It was my wife that first saw 'it'."
Mai leaned forward.
"What do you mean by 'it'?" Naru said with a hint of impatience in his voice.
"My wife saw the ghost of an old lady."
Mai glanced at Naru. He didn't look impressed.
"I am sorry Hamasaki-san," he said, "you are going to have to say something more to merit the investigation."
Hamasaki-san looked put out for a moment and looked to the carpet. A few seconds later, he lifted his head up again.
"One night, a mirror my wife was using smashed before her eyes and for no reason. She was injured." Ryouta stopped and grew quiet. He rubbed his forehead before continuing.
"I am concerned. I implore your help. Even yesterday our daughter was…," he frowned down at his clasped hands, "she was almost pulled into the lake by our home by ghostly arms. My wife is extremely upset."
"Is this spirit, the old lady, seen often?" said Naru.
"No, we have only seen it once."
"Have there been any other incidents?"
"My wife and I had a scare when the house seemed to suffer from a small quake last week and that was the last straw."
Hamasaki-san implored gently, "Please, we will be forced to move out and possibly sell the house if this continues."
Naru's eyes narrowed. He's contemplating the case, Mai thought. You better take it on Naru.
"Is your daughter alright?" she said quickly hoping to persuade Naru for the sake of the girl.
Hamasaki-san nodded. "Yes. Well, only as fine as any other girl her age would be. She is five years old."
Mai turned to Naru and was about to demand that they take on the case when Naru flicked his gaze at her, as if he knew she was about to burst out with a righteous speech.
"Consider you request answered, Hamasaki-san," he said.
She beamed and stood. "SPR will gladly help you!"
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