Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

Chapter 1

The SPR has closed another case. One of the usual, including Mai getting targeted by the spirits, Ayako failing to purify the place, Masako vaguely feeling random presences, Yasuhara collecting useful information in no time at all, John spilling holy water all over the place, Takigawa chanting to prevent the spirits Mai provoked from becoming too dangerous, Naru solving the case in his usual narcissist way and Lin running around saving everybody else before things got too out of hand.

All in all it was a run of the mill case, thought Mai looking out the window of the café, where the irregulars and part-timers of the SPR chose to celebrate another job well done and the fact that they got out of it alive.

Thanks to Lin-san said Ayako and got Mai out of her trance.

Yes, she thought, Thanks to Lin-san.

The head of their unusual organization, as well as the senior investigator had once again declined their invitation to celebrate the closing of the case. Naru just waved them off with a cold remark, something along the lines of "I have better things to do/my mind works differently than yours/ Mai tea..." Mai has stopped paying attention to his default replies about anything concerning human interaction. Lin-san didn't even bother uttering a reply. He just nodded courtly during their good-byes calling.

Mai was glad spending time with the rest of the team thought and decided to snap out of her thoughts of her antisocial co-workers.

"Ne, mina, what do you think of Lin-san?" She asked. "I mean, he barely talks to us but then he runs to our rescue without second thought, putting his life on the line. And it's not just because Naru orders him to, I feel like he genuinely cares."

Even her first encounter with Lin ended up with him getting injured to protect her from a falling shoe case.

" Well, I don't think he is a bad person to begin with, and since the Urado case he seems to have at least stopped acting as if any form of interaction with us causes him disgust.", replied Bou-san still thinking about it.

To Mai it seemed like that question has been in his mind as well. In the past year they have learned almost everything that Naru had been disclosing from them but Lin-san…well, he was still a mystery.

"He can still be quite intimidating though. And really the only form of interaction I have with him is a hello and a nod, so I am not really one to say. ", said Ayako inspecting her well-manicured fingernails.

"Lucky guy…" muttered Takigawa.

"What did you say you poor excuse for a monk?" yelled the red-headed Miko moving to catch her handbag.

"On the other hand…" continued Yasuhara, a mischievous smile forming on his lips " Mai don't you think I haven't noticed how he has moved from ignoring you to actually explaining work related things to you. In Lin standards that's a clear declaration of love!"

Everybody burst out laughing, making the rest of the café direct annoyed glares at them. Mai's ears had turned red and Monk was patting her on the head laughing hard at the girl's discomfort.

"Well, Takigawa aren't you one to laugh? Who was getting all chummy with Lin-san during the case at the Yoshimi restaurant? You even got me jealous!" Yasuhara-san teased.

"Hey shounen why did you have to go and remind me of THAT case… Man! I'm tired all over again!" complained monk. "But still you are right, Lin-san was very cooperative when Naru was out of the game"

"So maybe Naru is the reason behind Lin-san's attitude towards us.", added Masako

" He does have a lot on his plate, having to look after Shibuya-san, keeping his boss's secrets, trying to find the body of a friend and on top of that being such a strict practitioner of Taoist sorcery", John said thoughtfully.

"Now that I think about it, John" said Ayako " you two are rather alike."

"You said it again Ayako. How is tall, dark, taciturn Lin similar to small, blond, affable John" said Takigawa impatiently.

"You stupid monk, think about it. They are both quiet, they are both sacrificing several pleasures for their religions and more importantly they are the two people we know the least about their backgrounds" replied Ayako, annoyed.

"That's true, they both have to fast, Lin-san said he is a vegetarian and doesn't drink and well, John is a priest", said Mai.

"Hey, when you say pleasures in what extent do you think their abstinence goes?" Yasuhara had a smirk on his face saying that.

"Still, Brown-san is not particularly secretive about himself, are you Brown-san?", interrupted Masako sensing the conversation tilting into an awkward subject.

"Heh, not really, it's just that it hasn't come up." said the Australian somewhat embarrassed.

"There you have it! John is just being discreet while the person in question is being secretive!" said Mai energetically.

She had a feeling that Lin-san had a very good reason for acting like that even after everything they had been through together. Naru, she thought, may act like he doesn't like us but he was the one who brought us all together in the first place, and he always lets himself be surrounded by everyone despite his complains. On the other hand, Lin-san seemed to distance himself from them. Sometimes it was like he was part of the group whereas other times he just faded in the background. But his smile, thought Mai, on those rare occasions, and his small gestures of acknowledgement…was he longing to belong but for some reason couldn't? She shook away that thought and turned her attention back to her friends who were caught again in an argument.

"…responsibility does that to a person you see, but how would you know, you care-free EX-monk!" barked Ayako, emphasis on the "ex".

Mai laughed. Of course Naru and Lin-san wouldn't want to come with them, the level of maturity when Ayako and Bou-san were together dropped to zero and with Yasuhara lighting the sparks, she was sure that at least Naru would get murderous intentions. Right now the so-called shounen was imitating rather successfully the aforesaid boss turning Ayako's argument against her. Masako was laughing behind her kimono sleeve and John was giggling while trying to sip on his tea at the same time.

Her thought turned again to her Chinese colleague. All the members of the SPR have experienced stressful situations, have been close to death more than a normal person ought to, but still they could laugh and enjoy life and each other's company. Could it be that Lin-san's experiences have led him to distance himself from the world as a form of self-preservation? She was more than aware that their line of work could do that to a person.

"Imagine having to control five demons all the time, being able to see things others cannot and at the same time being partially blind…", she heard Bou-san saying,

"And on top of that having to live with Naru!" exclaimed Yasuhara.

"Oi, oi! Shounen watch what you're saying about the person who pays your salary." retorted the monk.

Masako's shoulders were shaking uncontrollably now, so much for the kimono sleeve, noticed Mai.

"Guys… do you think that Lin-san has been through a lot? Does he… does he maybe make himself be so…so distant?" said Mai reluctantly.

"Of course he's going through a lot, what do you think?" Masako at everyone's surprise snapped at Mai's comment. "Do you think it is easy to train to be a diviner? He probably spent his adolescence very differently than you, with your happy-go-lucky attitude. Do you know how it is to live surrounded by visions all the time and be responsible for people like you who cannot even take care of themselves?"

At this Ayako lost her patience with the girl. "Hey Masako don't you think you are being a bit too harsh on Mai? We all know her circumstances, and you are not the only six-sense girl in our team."

"No it's ok. Masako is right, I do have a happy-go-lucky attitude." and it's what keeps me going, thought Mai but didn't dare say it aloud.

"Hara-san, I think that Mai-san is very strong and thus sometimes appears to be care-free. But it's really remarkable if you think about it.", said John earnestly.

"Exactly." agreed Takigawa "And what I also think is that Lin-san may not be as strong as Mai…"

He shuffled her hair playfully to make the awkwardness go away and continued.

"What do we know about Lin-san? He was reluctant to give away his name and his nationality until he was obliged to do so by the circumstances at the Urado case, he hadn't let us realize he was partially blind until very recently, he hates the Japanese and has used this as a justification for the cold attitude towards us…"

"It's not only us, though. He's done this before. He has said the same thing to Gene." interrupted Mai.

"So is it safe to assume that he was like this even before Shibuya-san's brother's death? When he met the Davises?" added John.

"Maybe when he met Shibuya he developed this hate for the Japanese? I wouldn't blame him." joked Yasuhara.

"More importantly", interrupted Masako again, "Naru has also been…difficult…even before his twin's death"

"There you go, shifting the interest on Naru-bou again." said Ayako sarcastically.

"Well Naru is just…you know…Naru, the mad scientist who would gladly dissect Masako just to see how she communicates with the spirits." said Mai cunningly.

"Ha-ha, very funny Taniyama, maybe he should dissect you just to see where that brain of yours is." retorted Masako visibly annoyed.

"Wow Masako, I think we might have become a bad influence for you. That was actually a witty retort." Ayako laughed.

"So, guys, what do you think Lin-san has been doing before he came to work for the Davises?" asked John, trying to bring them back to the point and keep the girls from gouging each other's eyes out.