The sun was shining brightly and the sky looked so beautiful clear of any clouds in the sky. It was a good fall day. Sure it was a bit cool out and a bit windy but things were going well today.
In an office a young woman about the age of eighteen sat at her desk waiting for time to pass. She was glaring at the clock willing it to go faster so she could go to lunch. She had a special purpose to use her lunch hour today and she was really excited to go and check things out. It was 5 minutes until two and that damn second hand seemed to be mocking her by clicking slowly taunting her because time would not bend to her will. She let out a soft low growl.
"Why is time against me? Stupid clock, go faster!" She thought glaring even harder at the poor defenseless clock.
"Mai tea!" A loud male voice called from inside her boss's office.
"Yeah yeah you could at least say please." She mumbled as she got up from her chair.
She headed toward the kitchenette but not before she headed towards Lin's office to offer him any. When she did she got his often 'no thank you'. Thus she entered the kitchenette and began to make Naru tea for him. "Stupid Naru. The damn tea addict. It's not that hard just to say please. Of course that would be too much for the great Oliver Davis. Manners are not part of who he is. Gah!" Mai thought as she waited for the water to boil.
It had been several years now since she came to work at SPR. She had long since then discovered who Shibuya Kazuya really was. The fact that he had a dead brother who also was her dream guide. The fact that she loved him confessed and yet he rejected her but for some unknown reason rehired her as his assistant, Of course she accepted because she couldn't help her heart. Even after so long he had not said a word about her confession. He remained the same towards her. It was almost like nothing changed whatsoever. It was like the words she said to him meant nothing at all. It hurt to think that way but it was as it was. She couldn't do anything about it. She would just have to live with a one-sided love.
The tea was finished and she set it on the small tray. She made her way to her boss's office. She stopped and balanced the tray in one hand and knocked lightly on the door. She waited for the okay and when it came she opened the door to his cave like office. That damn place was always so dark it was unreal and it's no wonder he's so pale. But she did have to admit he still looked as handsome as ever.
She slowly made her way to his desk careful not to cause any tea to spill over the rim. She set the cup down on his desk as usual. She waited a few seconds to hear a thank you that she shouldn't even expect. She rolled her eyes as he continued his work ignoring her. She then walked out of his office mumbling to herself about ungrateful narcissistic bosses. She closed the door and put the tray in the kitchenette and then made her way back to her desk. She sat down a moment and then looked at her clock and smiled.
He was sitting at his desk. Surprisingly Mai had not come in late today. Well then again for some unknown reason she was usually mostly late when they were going to go out for a case. And another odd thing was the harder and more harmful to people the case was the later she got. He was now a bit okay with her tardiness. It was like a sign for how long the case was actually going to take. Of course he'd never tell her that because then it wouldn't be timed properly. Who knows she may even become late on days the cases weren't actually that difficult which would only upset him because he did not want to waste time what so ever. There was a knock on his door.
"Come in." He called knowing it was Mai who had his tea. She entered in quietly not saying a word. "Odd." He thought. "She usually tries to start up a conversation with me." Today she didn't she was quiet. She was happy however. Well she only looked like she was he looked out of the corner of his eye. Irritated. That's the mood she was in. She had set his cup down and only waited a few seconds before leaving and mumbled on her way out. She hadn't gotten upset like she usually did when he didn't bother to say thank you. "I wonder what it is that has her so irritated." He glanced at his closed door thinking again.
He had returned to Japan for some unknown reason. He had told everyone that there was simply more paranormal activity. Which in reality yes this country seemed to have more than England did but that was not the reason he came back. In actuality he had not know why he returned to Japan. After being back home for a few months it seemed different. He just had this sudden feeling like he needed or well wanted to be back in Japan. He gave into it after a while telling his parents he was returning. Of course his mother protested and his father was reluctant but was okay with it in the end seeing as there was no way to change his son's mind. Of course he also asked Lin to return to Japan with his son seeing as he was still afraid that his son would end up like Gene had. Lin, well he seemed reluctant but never spoken a word against it. They had returned and of course Naru had also requested well more of demanded, after a few months of being back in Japan from major tea withdrawal, for Mai to be hired again. For some unknown reason that had become his thing. He didn't like anyone else's tea. They seemed to miss something while making it. Her tea was perfect.
There was a knock on his door pulling him out of his thoughts. She told him she was leaving for lunch and would be back in an hour. He gave no respond only continued with his work and then somehow ended up back into thinking about how things were now.
He smirked as he remembered the first day she had come back.
~Flashback: ~
It was an average day and things had started off as they usually did for him. He entered the main office and then headed to his own office where he took off his coat and sat at his desk. It felt like nothing had changed. Although there was a bit of a feeling like he was missing something. He wasn't sure what but it was there. Lin had come in not long after he did. Not saying anything to Naru and went to his office to begin his work immediately as he always did. After Lin had entered that missing feeling had gotten a little better but it still wasn't quite the same. Why was that? He didn't think too log about it only continued with his work. Finally after an hour someone else had arrived that day. Mai. She was quiet as usual when coming in. He was timing it perfectly. She'd take off her coat and set her belongings down beside her desk and then pull out her chair. His timing was literally perfect. He could hear the sound of her chair being pulled away from her desk. She'd sit down and just as she get herself relaxed and situated…
"Mai tea!" He yelled. He could hear her grumble about him not saying please. It made him smirk. She was predictable. He waited patiently and a bit eager since it had been a bit since he had her tea. She knocked on his door and she entered and set his tea down holding the tray and waiting for him to say thank you. He said nothing but gave her a remark about her staring at him. She blushed and then turned it quickly into anger to hide it and then yell at him saying how rude he was and telling him he could at least say thank you. She'd then proceed to get more into it and walk away mumbling about him being an evil ungrateful narcissist. Then slam his door on the way out. He smirked picked up his tea cup and took a long sip enjoying the taste of her tea. He almost smiled at the feeling after he took a sip. Now things were back to normal and there was no feeling like he was missing anything.
~End flashback~
He let a very tiny smile grace his lips as he remembered that. The girl was such an easy target. It was always amusing how upset she got. He enjoyed teasing her and watching her react. She was good to have around. She knew how to speak her mind. It was a bit refreshing to have someone not cower at his comments to them. She was something different. He had always known it since the first day he met her. She had not fallen all over him like the others had. She had seen through him. Well not entirely just noticed that he wasn't really thrilled about the girls. She had seen past his fakeness. That was something interesting enough for him to even look at her twice. Then she had soon become helpful on cases and then even more helpful when he found out about her abilities. She was useful. At first he hadn't quite known what caused him to hire her it was just something he did. After the fact that her abilities were discovered he had used that excuse and the fact the she does make good tea. Okay the tea was practically addicting. Of course him being Naru and all he wouldn't tell anyone that little detail. When he rehired her after she found his brother he still had told everyone that it was her abilities and the tea. Of course after going through such a long withdrawal it was mostly the tea. Then her abilities came in. Also she was what brought the rest of the other members together. Well, almost. Hara-san was mostly in it for him. But she had now grown out of that and was more in it to spend time with Mai. The two somehow became best friends. He had known that they were always tense around each other. Why they were he didn't particularly care. Soon enough though she had grown to like Mai even more and they had soon started helping each other out when it came to certain things when they had shared visions and other things that involved being a medium.
He let out a sigh. Yes things had changed but they were very much the same. He was in Japan this place held his tea his Mai and good work that could be – wait his Mai? Did he just refer to her as his? Well technically speaking she did work for him. He shook his head. He needed to get back to work.
He began his work again this time able to concentrate for a bit. Why did he not leave before her? He would usually go to lunch before she would. Work, too much to think about anything else. He began his work again forcing all thought out of his mind.
She walked into the little café not too far from the office. She bought herself a little treat and a drink so she could hurry and make her way to the new bookshop that had just opened a little bit ago. She sat at the table in the café watching people pass by. It was exciting. She felt eager and wanted to get there so she could maybe expand her knowledge on some things. That way Naru won't call her an idiot.
"Stupid jerk" She thought. "Always making fun of me. I'm not that dumb. I have a brain. I just choose not to use it too often." She finished up and made her way out of the café and hurried to the little book store. She had passed the office and ran into someone.
"Hey Mai, how's it going?" It was her beloved friend Bou-san. He was smiling down at her. "Late for work?"
She smiled back. "No, I'm at lunch; I was just on my way to check something out before I have to return to that dreaded place."
Monk laughed. "Where you headed to? I'll go with you."
"Just to a little book store. It just opened up." She said as they began to walk to it.
