Hey guys ! think of this as a remake of behind the narcissist, well I've certainly learned a lot since then. I am dedicating this return to all of you who reviewed on the original but crap story but telling me and inspiring me to go on. This is for all of you...
Mai silently hummed to herself as she sat down with her cup of tea, Naru had gone out on errands and left her to watch the main area of the office until his return. She placed the tea cup on the coaster resting on the table. After pulling an object from her school bag and sitting back on the black sofa she held it in her hands. Caressing the paper packaging she gave a long blank stare at what she was holding. Slowly she began to tear the paper from the corners. It was a book, a book with leather coating. A note flew on to her lap as she held the book up to examine it.
'To a friend whom I am far from now, so far that I barely have a place in your memories...' she read the beginning to herself. She opened the book to see that majority of the pages where blank. The pages flicked and then suddenly it stopped at a particular page.
'Throughout the pain, throughout the fear, hold close to you those who are dear.' Mai blinked in response and the book snapped shut. "Was that my imagination?" she heard a door creek close by. She gulped and slowly turned her head. The handle on the door of SPR was being rattled, "EH?" She jumped back in response. "Mai, it's me calm down, just open the door." She gave a sigh of relief as she got up and unlocked the door to SPR. "You scared me..." she said opening it for him and holding her hands out to take his coat for him.
"Don't state the obvious, why was the door locked anyway?" he replied walking inside. "Well you wouldn't be back until late and since Lin isn't here I didn't want any psychos to break in." She shut the door and walked over to the kitchenette. The kettle whistled and vibrated slightly to hide the silence, Naru sat at the 'social area' of his gloomy office. He noticed the ripped packaging and the book, Mai walked in with the tray of tea. She poured him a cup and sat opposite him, he raised an eyebrow. "Mai what's this?" he said holding the book up. "Hey give it back !" she said reaching over the table put just missing the chance to grasp it as he pulled away. "I didn't think you'd be the diary keeping type." She groaned at him. "It's not a diary now give it back Naru!"
She stood up and quickly walked around the table. He kept holding it out her reach, "Looks new, something I should know?" he asked in his serious voice. "Naru!" she yelled angrily. "Next time clean up the mess." He began gesturing with his other hand to the packaging. "...And don't hide things from me, especially when you make it obvious by flashing things like this around in the office." He said throwing it back to her. "You should really find a better hiding place for your private things." She blushed catching it. "I wasn't hiding anything...I-I Just find it rude you think you can look at my stuff!" she snapped back. "Besides, I got it today...I thought it was another package I was waiting on, and since I would be home late...I wouldn't get a chance to open it, so I took it with me...but it wasn't the right one..."
He looked up at her interest, "Oh really what where you waiting on?" he asked her. She thought for a second. "It was just-" she began. "Look it's none of your business not like you would understand or anything." He looked at her as she snatched her school back from where she was once sitting (now occupied by Naru) and took her seat again opposite him sitting the bag to her side. "So did Lin get to China okay?" she said trying to change the subject. "Yes, he's there now though there was a delay." She blinked. "A delay? How come?" "Apparently the railway was flooded."
"Flooded ...but I thought Shanghai was having great weather this year." He gave her a look. "Anyway it's getting late you can go home now if you want to." He said placing his tea cup on the table. "By myself? No way besides I wanna stay here, where it feels safe." He pulled a neutral face. "Says the same woman that locked the door..." "I know it's strange but I feel safer for some reason...I just...hmm how do I put it it's hard to explain the feeling." She lay on her side, "Sleep here if you must, but be prepared to work if you stay." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Always so childish..." he said resting supporting his chin with his knuckles.
"If you're talking about the files I already did them a few minutes after you left. So I'm off the hook..." he almost smirked to himself. "No you still have to clean up your mess and the kitchen." She tilted her head in response. "Why do you treat me like I'm a middle aged house wife?" she said jokingly. "Because home and their husbands." He said back standing up. Her eye brows furrowed as she gave a cute angry look. "Is that so?" a vein popped out from her head as she threw the couches pillow at him.
He dodged and walked back to his office, "It's so adorable when you're angry..." he muttered quietly and casually to himself. Mai blushed; her face was no longer red of anger...but another playful emotion. "Did Naru just call me his housewife?"
Mai took her jacket and draped it over her as she lay down on the couch. She closed her eyes and went to sleep. She was standing in the middle of an empty road, it was twilight. She heard a distant noise and turned to see a light shining in her face. Mai couldn't run she was fixed to the spot for some reason, before she knew it she was forced to the ground, she heard someone get out of the vehicle. Mai couldn't move anything, it hurt so much, she wanted to get up but couldn't. She lay on the side of the road surrounded by trees and bushes; she heard the crunch of twigs and leaves as her body was approached.
"Please help me." She heard herself utter. The woman stared blankly, her face covered in darkness. The woman took hold of her legs and dragged her onto the road again. "Please...It hurts..." The woman took hold of her and forced her body into the boot of the car. She looked up at the woman in fear as she slammed the boot shut. In darkness she thought in fear of her fate, she tried to move but couldn't...She tried to scream but no one would hear her cries...It was hard to breathe...
Suddenly the car swerved and halted to a stop, the boot was opened. "Please don't...please...please...I need help..." Her bloody body was tugged until it fell out. She was kicked over a few times before her arms where taken and she was dragged. The skin that was bare got sliced on the rocky ground as she was dragged again but by the arms. She seen the edge of the ground...she silently cried to herself. The woman dropped her and prodded her with her foot to check that she was dead.
Mai was slowly and carefully picked up again before being thrown over the edge. In her head her scream echoed as the woman watched her fall. In reality there was no sound, she felt the water surround her.
She let out a loud scream as she jumped up, Naru burst through the office door. "Mai?" he said loudly. She looked at her arms which once had cuts and were being stung by salt. "A dream...?" Naru approached her. "What happened?" he asked. "Uh...nothing it was just a nightmare...sorry to worry you." She apologized. "What happened in your nightmare?" he asked sounding curious. "Well...I fell from a building...high up... and stuff." He sighed and sat beside her. "Really now? Your scream made me think something terrible happened, but I guess it was just you being an idiot as usual." He muttered.
"Hey!" she replied in an annoyed tone. "Are you sure that was your dream?" he asked her catching on to her lie. "Of course...why would I lie?" she told him nervously. "I just always thought your hands trembled when you lied." She quickly hid her hands behind her back. He moved towards her and grabbed her wrist bringing it to him. She tried her best not to tremble in his presence, but his glare made her nervous. The pinky on her other hand began to twitch, "I guess when you are conscious that you are doing so it stops." He released her wrist sitting back again.
"I'll go back to sleep..." she said picking up her jacket from the floor and placing it over herself. She curled up and seen he was still sitting there. "Aren't you going to go back to work?" she questioned in confusion. "I will, but I'll wait until you go to sleep first."
"Then don't watch me, I can't go to sleep if your staring creeps me out..." she said. "I thought you'd like the fact such a handsome person is taking time to look at you." "You sound so pervy right now..."