Ai-chan: … *sighs* hello people… I'm back… SO… I'm sorry I'm a little late… *grins sheepishly* correction… I'm VERY EXTREMELY late… Hehehe… I've been so busy now… I got essays to write, news reports to do, presentation, slide shows… examinations… and well yeah… Anyway, I'll stop rambling and present you the chapter.

Oh and YOU ALL KNOW THE DISCLAIMER BY NOW SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT, 'kay?

Italic – Thoughts

Third Person's POV

A young lad with ebony locks paired with sharp and intelligent yet cold sapphire orbs entered an empty building. He felt a pang of remorse at the sight of the old dusty office and the white clothes which covered the furniture.

A sullen aura hung about the building as the silences slowly became unbearable for the young scientist. This was the Shibuya Psychic Research Headquarter or just SPR HQ for short.

Shibuya Psychic Research is the Japan branch of the British Society of Psychic Research (BSPR). SPR was made of 8 members, well nine if you include Naru's mentor who was part of the BSPR. There were 3 official members and 5 irregulars.

Shibuya Kazuya/Oliver Davis/Naru is the boss and his 2 assistants were Lin Koujo, an omyouji, and Taniyama Mai, a latent psychic. These three were the regular member while the irregulars are the followings:

Matsuzaki Ayako – a Shinto priestess;

Takigawa Houshou (a.k.a Bou-san) – a Buddhist monk;

John Brown – a Catholic priest;

Hara Masako – a spirit medium; and

Osamu Yasuhara (Yasu for short) – a researcher

The bell chimed as the door opened.

"Naru! I'm sorry I'm late! You see… my alarm clock is broken again!" a familiar feminine voice exclaimed.

Naru whirled around with wide eye only to see his male assistant instead of the other one. His heart clenched though he managed to calm himself down.

"Are you alright Noll?"

"Yes. Have you contacted them Lin?" he enquired stoically to an older and slightly taller man with his dark bangs covering an eye.

"Yes. They are all going to come. It appears that they haven't lost hope…" Lin replied to his charge in a similar manner.

"Noll, are you sure about this case?"

Noll ignored his assistant as his blue eyes scanned the pictures on a wall and settled on a particular picture.

"Come on Naru! Just one picture please~!"

"…"

"Even Lin has agreed! I won't bother you anymore! Just this once! Please~"

"… … … Fine…"

"Yay!"

Naru shook out of his reverie but didn't remove his gaze of the picture. It was taken before the disastrous case in which the 'glue' went missing and the group drifted apart.

In the picture, Ayako and Bou-san were arguing as usual. Next to them was John who had his arm around Masako. Yasu stood beside the couple with a victory sign and a wide grin. Mai was standing in a similar pose only without the victory hand sign and with a slightly red face. The last three were Naru, Lin and Madoka.

"Shut up you old man!"

"You hypocrite! You're the old woman!"

"Shou-chan! Why are you acting like a married couple with her? I thought we were in love!"

"Shut up Shounen!"

"Ah~ your harsh word breaks my heart. How could you? I've given you everything! My body, my virginity-,"

"Yasu… I dare you to ruin Jou-chan's innocence!"

"Maa… maa… please don't fight minna…"

"Ano… let's take it now!"

Naru chuckled silently at the silly memory. It improved his mood albeit only a little. He observed the picture again and his eyes lingered on the auburn teenager.

"… You Know, I like you…"

"I just said that I don't like it when people care about me."

"Baka! That's not what I meant."

"…"

"Jeez- You're so slow… I meant I like you in a very special way."

"Me? Or Gene?"

"... Wha…What, are you saying? Isn't it obvious? I... I mean… I didn't know…"

I should not have been so harsh with her back then. I didn't even get to apologize… and explain that she is more like a younger sister that I never had.

"-oll! Noll! Oliver!" the elder of the duo shook the younger who was staring out into space.

"What?"

"They'll be arriving here soon," Lin reminded.

Their current case was once again in the Phantomhive manor. The place where Mai disappeared without a trace.

"I know…"

"Mai, Ayako, Yasuhara and John will be in Bou-san's car."

"Naru, you're kidding right?"

"Mai, I never joke around."

"NARU! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! THEY ARE GOING TO MURDER ME!"

The ride to the airport was very loud in the other car. They were so loud that I could literally hear them.

"Nee~ Honey~ Do you know that I so flexible? We can do [CENSORED]and also [CENSORED]"

"What are they doing there?"

"Eww! Yasu!"

"I don't know… nor do I want to know…"

"I really pity Taniyama-san, Brown-san and Hara-san…"

"YASU GET OFF BOU-SAN AND AYAKO STOP HITTING HIM! BOU-SAN PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD!"

"Wow… Mai snapped…"

(Ai-chan: For those who haven't read the first version, you can find this argument in 'A New World, A New Adventure' chapter 1. This is the rewritten version of that.)

All the spirits were all purified already and yet Mai didn't appear so they gave up and left. After the case, tension increased between the members and soon they went on their separate ways.

Ayako began working at the hospital full time; Bou-san travelled more around the continent performing with his band; Yasu went into college; Masako continued here show business; John stayed with Masako and became engaged; Naru and Lin closed off SPR and went back to England.

However, they still meet up once in a while to discuss about their daily life. SHE was never brought up between them as if she doesn't exist anymore. They all could not stand the pain of the disappearance of their coworker.

Now a chance arises for them to look for Mai for the last time and hopefully she'll be found. The current case is much more risky than the previous one. Countless people were killed brutally by either a spirit or a demon or a serial killer. The phrase 'Jack the Ripper' was always present at the crime scene.

Mai… where are you?

Meanwhile

Somewhere in London

Three translucent figures ran around the mansion when the door creaked open. They stopped and smiled brightly.

"Okaeri! Bocchan!" they greeted.

Ai-chan: Expletive… Well… that's short… really… short… as in … really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really I need really really a beta reader really really really who can make sentences longer really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really good at writing detailed stories and gory stuffs! really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really is anybody reading my author note? really really really really really really really really really really really really …no? Really really really really aww…too bad… really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really short.

Well… you know the drill… please R&R. Please PM me anyone… I'll be update once a month or once every 2 weeks… yeah I know… long time… I'm busy too.

Zasshu means hybrid or crossbreed in Japanese.