Autor's note :
Hello ! This is my very first fiction about Ghost Hunt. I use this as a mean to practice english as I usually write in French, while doing someting that I like (so if you see big mistakes, please, don't hesitate to tell me :) ).
What I like in story is to try to be as near as possible to the original character, so as less as possible of OOCness. I will do my best on that, knowing that I didn't choose an easy pairing. ;) As such, it will be a slow burn story.
This first chapter is to place my pieces in order. Hope it will encourage you to wait for the next chapter.
Disclaimer : Of course, I don't own anything other thant new characters.
Summary : Slow burn story about the relationship between Lin and Mai through life at the office and on cases. From co-workers to lovers with all the in-between. PROLOGUE
Pairing : Lin x Mai
Hated or not ?
PROLOGUE
The train wasn't packed. It was early afternoon on a week day. It was the good thing about having her day off in the middle of the week. She was able to go out while everyone – or most of people – were at work. Not that she minded being in the crowd, but definetly, Mai prefered the train when there was less people in it.
There wasn't a better time than her day off to go for a bit of shopping. Her thoughts went back to the time she started to work for SPR. At this time, shopping moments like these were rares. She were young, an orphan of sixteen years old and were buying only necessary stuff.
The train stoped to let people out and on. It was only a few that got on, allowing Mai's mind to stay on her nostalgic thoughts.
Since then, four years has passed by. She had finished school. It was not with the better grades, but she completed it. Mai celebrated her twentieth birthday with the ones she concidered as family. She became a full time investigator at SPR and thus, started to put more efforts to complete her tasks. No more -or practicaly- self allowed off-time, extra napes, chit-chat with friends… She waw still doing these, but on allowed times.
Mai smiled widely thinking about the fact that the one thing that didn't evolved much was her bickering times with Naru, and the fact that he did let her go with it. Thruthfully, she did find herself quit lucky. If now she understand it. He is family, they got to live a lot of things together while on cases and all, but that he put up with it since the very begining is still amazing from her point of view. Which employer would allow his employee to get angry at him since practicaly day one and tell it to his face ?
Some people in the train started to look strangely at her, and so she put a stop to her smiling, even giggling alone.
In the four years times, she got over Gene too. It had been hard. And nobody had been able to help her since, well, she didn't knew anybody who had felt in love with a ghost without knowing it, then had to abandon this first love the moment she discovered he was in fact dead. The worst part being that she had to abandon loving a dead man while still talking to him on dreaming times. In this conditions, it was a hard thing to do. But she was indeed a strong person. So she did and went on and was still happy to talk to him when she had the opportunity.
Mai still had a really good pay check for the work she was doing. It got better when she stopped being a part-timer and was insane when there was two or three cases in the month. This occurrence being rare in itself, Naru still refusing a lot of them.
Thus, sometimes, on her day off, she was going shopping and while doing so, stopped at a really great tea shop to offer her co-workers good tea. And right now, she was on her way to the office with her new finding.
Mai stole a quick glance to the bag in her hand. Today she tasted three different kinds. Hers was green tea with cherry. It smelled amazing and she loved it right away. The second was an earl grey, because she just knew that Naru wouldn't want any other. But the supplier was different than the usual and Mai finded it better. So she was going to give it a try. The last one was a fine black tea. Very simple, very strong, very Lin-like if she had to describe it. Would he like it ? She didn't know. Lin was still pretty silent, one of the things that didn't change much over time. Sometimes she was changing the tea she offered him and never one time had he complained. And for the customers, often troubled and stressed out, Mai finded one with Valerian. She hoped it would do them some good.
The train stoped at Shibuya and Mai got out walking with confidence. The girl always had been strong and had developped into a woman sure of herself. She grew only a bit more, her hair were reaching just under her shoulder and she losted her baby face. All in all, she was a « normaly » cute woman like she had been a « normaly » cute hight schooler. Masako was still cuter. But her strong personnality was a great aset to the general impression.
She smiled while entering the office and her clear voice reached easily everywhere in it.
« Hello Naru, Lin-san! I got you some great tea today too ! »
She had to wait a bit before having an answer back from Naru. She didn't expect any from Lin, as usual. The voice came from his own office.
« Since you are here, again, do make me one »
Naru didn't changed much either and in a simple phrase were still able to tell you that you had nothing to do here in the first place if he wanted to, what were the case on this instant. And all of that without any manners. But it was usual, and Mai didn't mind at all. She went in the kitchen part and prepared two tea for Naru and Lin. The black tea were smelling strong. It was a total change from the gingseng one from the time before.
Tea ready and on a plate, Mai got to Naru first without knocking on the door. Why would she bother when her boss were obviously waiting for her to come ? When she entered, he was reading some printed documents while having some books opened on his desk. Only his eyes moved to acknowleged her.
Mai saw a free spot pretty far from books and computer and deposited the tea there. In the four years times, she learned to not wait anymore for a « thank you » so she just started to try to chit-chat a bit.
« Here we go ! This one is good, I tasted it earlier. »
« ... »
Naru extanded his hand to take a tast of it. It took some more seconds to have a slow reply.
«… It's true. »
« Does anything happened today while I was out ? »
« While I agree that with you out we can actually have some work done, I don't see why you would come here today just to ask something that you will eventualy learn while coming to work tomorrow. Go home Mai. Or maybe you don't actually need a day off and wished me to suppress it later. »
« … huh ?! No way ! I need this day off Naru ! See you tomorrow ! »
Without delay, Mai ran away from the room. It was hard enought to get time « off-work » without having to ad the suppression of this day over a pic of curiosity.
Silence fell on the office at this moment. And Mai took a look at the remaining tea on her plate. She then put a little smile on and knocked on the door. She heard a faint reply and pushed the door open to see Lin near a bookshelf, a thin book open in his hands.
« Hello Lin-san. I was passing by and Naru asked for tea… so I made one for you too. »
Lin looked at her for some time before coming to take it, shortly answering.
« Thank you Taniyama-san »
Four years that they were working together and still, most of the time the talking were resumed to the strict minimum -meaning « Thank you » for the most part-. « Hello » were said by bowing sligthly the head and there don't really have a « goodbye ». And this was excluding talking during cases were they were talking just a little bit more.
It wasn't that Lin still hated Mai. He told her a long time ago that he didn't. He was just like that, not talking much. And often Mai asked herself what he would be saying if really he were talking to her. It seemed off – character. But even knowing all that, sometimes, Mai was really wondering if Lin weren't still disliking her… The sort of thing impossible not to wonder even if the person told you that it wasn't the case.
« You're welcome Lin-san, see you tomorrow »
With that she closed the door, not waiting to see if the tea was to his liking.
On the morning of the day after, her work were to pack the equipment quickly. It has been decided to check on a case a bit less than three hours away, at Nagano.
Once the equipment in the van, they all took their luggages – they all have conveniently decided to let at work a pre-packed luggage in case of emergency- and got in the van.