-.xXx.-
"I'm late!" Mai Taniyama ran down the stairs of her apartment building. "I can't believe I overslept again!"
She sheilded her eyes from the bright sunlight as she stepped outside onto the sidewalk. Her pace slowed as she caught up with the groups of pedestrians crowding on the corner. Mai's foot tapped on the concrete below her as they waited for the light to turn and the road be safe for them to cross. It took nearly a minute for the light to change and then people immediately began spilling onto the street at lightening speed. As soon as Mai neared the next crosswalk, the light turned red and cars began to speed around.
"I'm going to get it for sure," She groaned.
xXx
"Mai, tea."
"Hai!" The said girl called back into her boss' office as she let the door shut itself behind her. She saet her bag on the ground by the table and ran into the kitchen. She poured water into the kettle and started to heat it on the stove with the spices inside. When she was satisfied that it wasn't going to be whistling anytime soon, she walked back to the table and took out a book on poltergeists from her bag. Mai sat down and started to read.
"What are you doing?"
Mai jumped and looked up to find her boss, Naru, staring at her from the doorway to his office. The paranormal book she was holding dropped to the floor.
"Um," Before Mai could say anything else her boss had already picked up the book.
"'The World of Poltergeists'?" He snorted befre smirking at her. "Nothing you try to do will make you smar, Mai. You're just going to stay dumb forever..."
Mai huffed. "I'd rather stay dumb than become a narcissist like--wait a minute! Listen to me!"
Naru closed the door to his office, effective shutting her off and putting the voume on mute. The tea kettle whistled and Mai ran into the kitchen to finish her mission.
"No matter what, I just can't stay mad at him forever," Mai sighed and looked back at Naru's closed door. "I just wish he wasn't so evil all the time."
She poured some tea into two cups and brought one of them into Naru's office. As soon as she took a step onto the carpet, his monotone filled the air.
"You were late today...again," Mai could feel his smirk from behind the book he had his nose buried in.
She set his cup of tea on his desk. "Gomen! I'll try not to be late tomorrow!"
She turned around and just before she closed the door to his office, he spoke again, "No matter how hard you try, idiot, you'll still be late."
"Oh! You evil narcissist!"
xXx
It was nearing the late afternoon in the office and things were quiet as usual. Mai was fiddling with a pencil pretending to file the thick stack of papers Naru had conveniently and kindly dropped onto her desk. Lin was in the kitchen making his own tea--said he didn't like the kind Mai made--and Naru was back in his office. The bell around the front door jingled and a middle-aged woman walked in. She wore a plain blue skirt and a blazer over her light-colred blouse. She looked around nervously and spotted Mai leaning over the table.
"Excuse me," She said softly and Mai looked up and smiled. "I have a problem with-"
"-the paranormal?" Mai finished for her. "You've come to the right place. Let's see what we can do."
She then stood up and led the woman into Naru's office.
xXx
"Hello?" Takigawa answered his cell phone.
"Bou-san?"
"Mai-chan!"
"SPR has an interesting case on our hands..." Takigawa heard her trail off as he sat down in his leather chair and leaned back.
"Need me to help?"
"Hai!"
"When and where?"
"Tomorrow, if possible, at eight-thirty in the morning. If you can't come-"
"I'll be there."
"Thanks!"
"What's it about, anyway?"
"We don't know much, but from what we know it's kind of weird. Whenever this family says a certain word, they get soaked with water."
"What's the word?"
xXx
"Bou-san!" Mai yelled. "It's not funny! Stop laughing!"
"Mai, shut up. You talk too loud," Naru told her from his desk.
"Narcissist! Bou-san, stop laughing already!" Mai glared at the wall across from her and sighed.
"Careful not to get splashed with water, Mai-chan!" Bou-san howled. "You're going to be in trouble on this case if you can't hold your tongue!"
Mai huffed and slammed the phone down on it's receiver.
"You need to learn to control your anger, or are you too dumb to even do that?"
"I'm leaving for the day!" Mai grabbed her bag and slammed the SPR's door shut. "Stupid Bou-san, stupid Naru, stupid word, stupid case..."
She kicked a dented can across the sidewalk and ran to the crosswalk, making it across the busy road just in time for cars to start moving.