Disclaimer: I own neither ghost hunt nor the concept used here.
Summary: The team had a case situated on a beach resort. Mai's excited to see the sunset in a beach and thought of it out loud. Good thing only Yasuhara was around.
~ooOOoo~
"Ah," Mai stretched her upper body on the table and stared at the tea cup in front of her. As usual, she had been instructed to stay in the base and had been sternly instructed not to fall asleep, as if. She fought the urge to yawn as she got back to a normal sitting position. "Gee, it would have been great if I had a companion here with me. Even Lin-san would be a nice person to talk with." If there is no other choice, a part of her added and she slumped into the table again. Gazing to her right, she saw the clock and realized that it's almost 5 in the afternoon.
"Sigh, I thought this beach resort would be an interesting place to visit. Disregarding the fact that the case seems to be so boring as compared to the earlier cases we had." She loudly thought recalling all the times when a place quickly gives her some bad vibes and she was sure something was up with the place. Unfortunately, or fortunately, this place gives her the vacation-vibe as it is.
A few minutes passed by as she lazily stared at the clock. Somewhere in the background, the sound of crashing waves can be heard. Rhythmic and constant. "Michiru said that a sunset is best viewed on the beach. God, why must I be the one left in here?"
A loud cough caught her attention and she gazed at the brown haired guy near the door. "Yasuhara-san, you're back!" she stood up and began preparing some tea for him. Yasuhara simply sat down and watched her every move.
"Mai-san," He called with a serious tone. Mai looked at him in confusion but soon saw the mischief in his eyes.
She nearly groaned as she served him tea, "Yes?" Did he hear her say something a while ago? She simply sat across the table from his chair.
"Watching sunsets would be fun if you're with someone," he started and she urged him to continue. "That someone is preferably someone close to you or important to you." Mai flushed as she knew what he was implying.
"Y-you know, I was planning to watch the sunset despite having no companion at all. I never thought of inviting someone."
He merely smiled his knowing smile which made her cringe, "sounds melancholic to me."
She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I could invite the whole SPR to watch it with me. Or if the group is too busy, I could easily ask for Bou-san, Ayako or you."
"Not going to ask Naru?"
She blushed furiously and shook her head vehemently. "Of course not, why would I?"
Yasuhara's glasses glinted mischievously as he smiled again, "Hm, on second thought, I guess it would be a bad idea to invite Naru."
Mai looked at him questioningly. "How so?"
Yasuhara moved his head closer to her, a conspiratorial air around the two of them, "Can't you see what a disaster that would be?"
Mai frowned in confusion, wracking her head for any reason why watching a sunset with Naru would be a disaster. There's something nagging her at the back of her mind but she failed to follow it.
"Just imagine Mai, the rhythmic waves of the sea crashing on the white glistening sand. You're walking along with Naru, a comfortable silence surrounds you. You looked at the direction of the sea and exclaim on the beauty of the dying sun. Its blood red hue merged with fiery orange and a tinge of yellow, draped by the darkening sky filled by numerous stars."
Mai unconsciously blinked as he finished his description. She can imagine it. Actually, she can vividly see it. What's so wrong with that? It seems to be a perfect scenario, Mai thought.
Yasuhara seemed to have read her mind as he said, "That is where the problem starts." He sighs and looks far away, as if regretting the decision to tell her and have made up his mind to keep the knowledge with him.
Mai is loosing her patience as Yasuhara is taking his time telling her what is wrong, "Yasuhara-san?"
"Well Mai, you see," he shook his head again and smiled his irritatingly knowing smile. "Naru would just gaze at you with his mocking eyes and say: 'Mai, that isn't really the setting sun. The sun is not actually there and it's just the light of the sun being refracted. The refraction is caused by the earth's atmosphere. Since we perceive in a straight line, our eyes see the refracted light, a mere illusion of the already set sun. You really need to review your Physics concepts, Mai. '"
Her jaw dropped. She looked incredulously at Yasuhara and fought the urge to sniff. Nose bleed.
Pft, Yasuhara tried to conceal his laugh since Mai's expression is just so funny. He laughed while Mai's brain caught on and laughed with him.
"God, Yasuhara," she said between laughs. "I guess I should have known that. He will just definitely ruin the mood."
"Isn't he?" he looked like an innocent bystander, if not for the playful glint in his eyes. "I think he would really say those words."
The door suddenly opened and a dark clad youth entered the room, followed by the other members of the SPR. The two fixed themselves and dried the tears of laughter as the room finally was filled up. Mai quickly stood up and began preparing tea. She then gave each member a cup before sitting down again.
"Guys, how's the exorcism going?" Mai asked looking at Bou-san who sat near her. The monk merely shrugged his shoulders and gazed at the seemingly silent boss of theirs. The boss looked at her and she almost flinched with the full impact of Naru's midnight blue eyes.
"We will now pack our things as the 'ghosts' are simply childish pranks done to scare the owner." He answered with his cold voice as they all nodded. Everyone stood up and helped gather their equipments.
"Actually, Mai-chan," Bou-san whispered to her while they were packing up the apparatus and tools they had just arranged early that morning. "The owner's granddaughter was the one playing the pranks which scared the hell out of the owner. The kid merely wants her grandfather to believe in the concepts of ghost and monsters so that she would have something to blame whenever she breaks or destroys any of the antiques in the house. Ah, the children of today…" Bou-san sighed patting her head.
Mai remained silent. So, that's why Naru seemed so irritated a while ago. I guess he would call this case a waste of time. She shook her head and sighed when Bou-san left to get the boxes in the van. She then went out carrying the last box to be put on the van. Not fair, I didn't even get to enjoy the sunset. She thought and pouted. She gazed at the van parked at a distance, away from the beach house. The owner thought that it would be good to enjoy walking on the sand before one could reach the house so he didn't build any parking lot closer to it.
"Mai, you should have let Bou-san carry that if it's too heavy for you." Naru spoke behind her which almost made her jump.
"Naru!" she yelled in an irritated tone, giving him one of her glares. "No, thank you. This is the last box and I can easily carry it." Naru just gave her a condescending gaze before he took the box from her, which she didn't give without any struggle. He won and was now carrying the box while she grunted and glared at him. Sexist. She thought Naru would just quickly pass her by and wait at the van but he surprisingly walked with her.
Mai smiled thoughtfully as she realized the situation they are in. She and Naru were walking by the beach, side by side. A comfortable silence surrounding them. It's like being with him minus the usual banter that she, either she admits it or not, enjoys. Then – wait, this sounds awfully familiar… She looked furtively at her left and gasped in surprise. Beyond her was the blood red sun, a tinge of fiery orange and yellow on it. A few wisps of clouds around looked ethereal with the rays of the dying sun.
"Mai, that isn't the setting sun," She quickly turned her head towards her boss, surprise in her eyes, "The sun is not actually there and it's just the light of the sun being refracted. The refraction is caused by the earth's atmosphere. Since we perceive in a straight line, our eyes see the refracted light, a mere illusion of the already set sun. You really need to review your Physics concepts, Mai."
She frowned at the obvious compliment to her intelligence and it took a few seconds for her to realize what had just happened and she smiled, a giggle escaped her upturned lips.
It seemed like Naru was not expecting her reaction and looked at her skeptically.
She merely laughed and turned her back. She began walking towards the van where everyone was waiting.
"You know Naru. You really know how to ruin a mood, as what has been expected. The idiot scientist never fails to amuse me."
Naru raised a questioning eyebrow and an amused smile on his face, idiot scientist huh?
~ooOOoo~
End.
~ooOOoo~
Lame.
Thanks for my Physics professor who ruined the romanticized sunset for me. But, gee, it is kind of funny when I think about it.
Um, this is my first GH fanfic so please R and R.