Alright, this is my first Ghost Hunt related story, and I am extremely happy to write it. Why? Because I absolutely love this series, and seeing all the wonderful people help build the fanfiction of this series makes me want to join them. I watched as it hit the 100 stories mark, the 250 stories mark, and the 500 stories mark. I want to add to that number! Now, without further ado, let me continue with what you need to know about this story.

#1 - There are spoilers. From what and when, I never keep track of. So if you don't want spoilers... then don't read. Actually, if you don't know half the stuff I will mention, you probably shouldn't be reading Ghost Hunt fanfiction in the first place.

#2 - I follow my own timeline. So if you think "They already should know that!" Then welcome to my world.

#3 - This is fanfiction, so if you see differences, that's why.

#4 - Enjoy yourself!

Disclaimer – I would never own Ghost Hunt. I would, of course, borrow the characters for a non-profiting fanfiction and mess around with their lives. That I can do. So enjoy the story.

Chapter 1 - The World Still Turns

Mai remembered last night clearly: the pain, the screaming, the hands reaching and feeling. She remembered hearing Masako shrieking as she saw them. But it was too late. He got up off of her, and ran away before they got a good look at the man. She remembered crying, and Masako helping her dress and get to her house. Masako's house, anyways. No one knew where Mai lived.

She remembered making Masako swear to not tell anyone, especially their co-workers. She remembered waking up this morning, in tears as she had dreamed of her attacker.

Masako had given her some clean clothes to wear, and told Mai to take a shower and to take her time. She ended up taking twenty minutes, still feeling sore and tender. Masako had called Mai's boss, and told him that they weren't going to the office today, since they were going to have a Girl's Day Out, as Masako had called it. After arguing for a bit, Masako got her way, and Mai had the day off.

Now it was noon, and Mai wasn't feeling that great.

"You're probably still in shock," Masako said, setting a small bowl of egg and rice in front of Mai. Mai looked at it, and decided that even though she wasn't hungry, she should eat it, if not to offend Masako, who has never been this nice before...

"Do you pity me?" Mai asked quietly, making Masako look up in shock.

"Yes, I feel sorry for you, but that's not why I am treating you nicely. I guess I was always jealous of you... and now I wish we could be friends, though I wish this revelation came in a different way," Masako answered honestly, and it made Mai feel better. She hated when people treated her kindly due to pity.

"I should be getting home..." Mai said, not wanting to intrude on Masako's home any longer. She just wanted to go home and curl up into a ball and feel horrible. She knew Masako wouldn't let her do that here.

"Mai, why don't you give your parents a call and let them know you're on the way home?" Masako said, and Mai froze slightly.

I never told them... She remembered, and gave a fake smile.

"It's alright; they are use to me disappearing for days on end. They won't mind if I just show up."

"If you're sure..." Masako said, a little suspicious.

"I am," Mai replied quickly, and Masako frowned. Mai gathered her old clothes in a pile, and gave Masako a hug.

"Thank you, and remember, not a word to anyone."

"I promise," Masako said, and even though it made her uncomfortable to keep something like this a secret, she didn't want to fight with Mai at the moment.

Kazuya Shibuya, or known by his staff as Naru, was not a happy person. First, two of his workers – one hired, one when needed – weren't coming into work, and second, one of them blackmailed him into giving them the day off. Though that wasn't really what was bothering him.

The person who called was Masako, and it was common knowledge throughout his office that she and Mai didn't get along, yet they were having a Girl's Day Out suddenly. He had to give them time off. She blackmailed him. Him. He threw his pen across the room, and sulked.

Lin heard the pen clatter against the wall, and sighed. He had been in the room when Masako had called, and knew that she and Mai weren't coming into the office today. It was a little disbelieving.

The next day dawned early, as Mai couldn't get much sleep. She kept having dreams of the night before last, and it was really starting to bother her. But she shoved it out of her mind, and got up and showered. Now as she was drying her hair, she saw some scratch marks around the hair line on her neck, and decided instead of putting her hair up, as she had planned, to keep it down. Hopefully she could do the same to her breakfast.

She knew that after a traumatic experience that most people couldn't keep down food. She ate a piece of toast, and then headed towards the office, deciding to take the long way, instead of passing by that alley that haunted her now.

She had entered the office, and went immediately to the small kitchen, starting a kettle of water for tea. She shouldn't act as if anything was different, though it was extremely hard for her to feel happy at the moment. She would just have to pretend.

The kettle was starting to whistle, so she turned off the burner and set the kettle on a trivet, before starting to make the tea. She decided as a change of pace, to make a peppermint tea, and after making it, got out another tea pot and made Naru's favorite tea. It had to be his favorite; it was the only tea he didn't complain about.

She knocked on Naru's office door and after getting permission to enter, did just that, and set the tea down on the desk, and after a cheery hello that felt completely false to her, left. She didn't notice Naru's eyes on her neck, where he caught a glimpse of dry blood.

Lin granted her permission, and she entered his office, which was much more cluttered then Naru's, but still organized. She set down his cup of tea, and after repeating the hello that was way too cheerful for the way she felt, left the office. Lin watched her, and noticed something that was unusual. She wasn't making eye contact.

The day passed slowly, Mai mostly filing old paperwork, taking phone calls, having to reassure someone that just because he couldn't get reception on his television, didn't mean that it was haunted. There was a storm coming in, and that could affect it. After realizing that, he thanked her for solving her problem, and she waited for him to hang up, before doing so herself.

Takigawa, nicknamed Bou-san by his friends, stopped into the office, and though Mai greeted him with a smile, was met with a confused look.

"Mai, what happened to your wrist?" He asked, and Mai's hand twitched, before she examined it. She hadn't noticed that there were bruises around her wrist, along with a gash.

"Oh... M-my friend must have grabbed onto me too hard... When we went shopping yesterday..." Mai lied, stumbling over her words at the beginning. He looked unconvinced, but let it slide. She apparently didn't want to talk about it.

"If you say so. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted me to walk you home after you get off work."

Mai froze visibly this time, and she had to mentally shake herself to make it go away. Did Masako break her word?

"W-why?" She asked, and Takigawa looked even more confused at her behavior, but decided to ignore it. He felt he was doing that a lot around her today.

"Didn't you hear? There is a serial rapist on the loose, and he was last seen a few blocks away from here a couple of nights ago. If he is still around here, I don't want you hurt. So I have proclaimed myself your new walking buddy until they catch him!" He said proudly, not noticing the tears building in Mai's eyes.

Why, why now? Why not that night... why didn't he walk me home that night... that night... Mai quickly blinked the tears back just as Takigawa headed into the small kitchen looking for some coffee.

The phone rang, and she picked it up, and after taking a few notes, forwarded the call to Naru's phone, and hung up. She then saw Masako enter the building, and instead of heading to Naru's office, as usual, she sat down on the small sitting area, and waited for Mai to finish filing, and then dragged a folding chair over next to Mai.

Mai was a little confused. Why was she here? She asked that, and Masako answered.

"I was worried about you."

"Thank you... Bou-san offered to walk me home from now on... since... apparently there's a serial rapist on the loose and he was spotted near... near here..." Mai couldn't continue as her voice choked up, and Masako pulled the small high school girl into a hug, letting her cry. When Takigawa game out with a cup of tea and saw Mai crying, Masako shook her head, and he took that as a signal for not now.

Mai eventually calmed down, and apologizing for getting Masako's clothes wet, was told that it wasn't a problem. Masako then proceeded to Naru's office, and told him that Mai was done for the day.

"I got you the rest of the day off. Seeing as you were finished anyways, let's get you home."

"You're coming too?" Takigawa asked, and Masako nodded, as though it wasn't a strange request. It wouldn't have been, if he hadn't known that these two hated each other most of the time.

"Alright then... To Mai-chan's house!" He exclaimed, grabbing her injured wrist and pulling her out the door. Mai gave a small, unheard whimper of pain, but it was drowned out by Takigawa's chatter.

"And then that damned Miko stops by and leaves a huge mess. She just comes to my place, crashes, eats all the food and then leaves a huge mess when she leaves. And I wasn't even home! How the hell did she get in? I am going to break into her house and steal all the food to replace mine."

Soon he realized that he didn't know where Mai lived.

"So Mai, where do you live anyways?"

"Down this street till you get to the third block, then a left." She said, knowing that soon, her 'perfect' world was going to crash around her head. As if it hadn't already... She bitterly thought to her self.

"Are you sure?" Takigawa asked, knowing that area of neighborhood and its reputation.

"Yes."

He led them down the street, and turned, where it was noticeably worse. The buildings had graffiti all over them, and Mai pointed to a building that was rather shabby looking, and taking the lead, entered the building, and started to walk up the stairs. They followed her, and when she reached the third floor, took out a key and inserted it into the door knob. It took a little wiggling the key back and forth, but the door finally opened, and inside looked worse then the outside.

"Well, thank you for walking me home. Would you like anything to eat, or drink?" Mai asked, mostly out of politeness then wanting them to stay. She knew her home wasn't nice looking, and considering how rich these two must be, it probably looked like... well... shit.

"Mai, where are your parents?" Takigawa asked slowly, and Mai gave a fake smile.

"They aren't home yet." They never will be...

"Well, I guess I'll be leaving. Take care Mai," he said, and he and Masako left the small apartment, worry crossing both of their faces and one thought echoing in both of their minds.

Why does she live in such a place?...

Thank you for reading, please leave a review!

Happy Readings!
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