ტTheAutumnRoomტ

October 12th

"Another victim was found buried not far from where she was murdered...the identify of the 3rd victim is yet to be revealed, but it has been confirmed that...same killer..."

Click.

It was disgusting. Partly because Mai knew that the murders were not the work of any spirits but of living human beings, and because the killer had been evading the police for so long. Every day during dinner Mai would turn on the radio and hear of accidents, missing people reports, and now of things like this. It was becoming increasingly dangerous to be out at night – especially if you were an alone teen who was heading home after work. Takigawa had insisted on giving her rides, but she'd declined the kind offer. She was sure her old Bou-san had a busy life of his own and if he went out of his way to drive her what was only a 20 minute walk, how soon would it be before she became a burden?

The silence after she'd turned off the radio was becoming unnerving. Finding that her appetite had disappeared, Mai pushed the steaming dish of curry away and brought her chin to a raised knee. "Some floor mats would be nice." She muttered. However, ever since moving closer to her new college, she'd been tight on money. Lots of cooking and working two part time jobs had become the norm. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ordered take out. But she made it through the lonely days by reminding herself that no matter how hard it would get, that others were suffering more. Every evening announcement proved it.

With a lift of a shoulder to adjust her loose blouse, Mai gazed dejectedly around her meager apartment. After the last case at Suzuki Academy, Mai had decided that it would be her last. At least until she could regain a normal-ish lifestyle at college. She couldn't miss as many college days of class as she had in high school.

Saying goodbye hadn't been as horrible as she thought it would be, because it hadn't really been a separation. Yes she'd no longer be working there – and it pained her to think that Naru would hire another girl to make him daily tea – but she could drop by whenever and see anyone she wanted during her free time. They were still her family. However, she couldn't help but feel left out and left behind when they would leave for new cases while she attended lectures. That part of reality still hadn't sunk in.

On her last day as an official SPR member, they threw her a small farewell party to which even Madoka and Yasuhara attended. It lasted late into the night which resulted in an agonized Naru and a messy office Mai gleefully knew she wouldn't have to clean up. The evening ended up with everyone falling asleep on the couches and floors. When Mai awoke in the middle of the night to use the restroom, she saw the light of Naru's office glowing along the edge of the door. Without knocking, Mai opened the door and peered inside to find Naru reading through files at his desk.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" She whispered, taking a step into the office. Naru didn't seem the slighted bit surprised by her visit and simply stated that he wasn't tired and preferred catching up on work instead. Mai smiled then, saddened by the fact that such interactions like these would become rare. The thought tugged at her heart.

"Well, I didn't get to tell you this during the party. But thank you for everything. It's meant so much to me. I'll never forget my time here."

Mai didn't expect her ex-boss to respond with more than a polite nod. However, she was proven wrong when she'd least expected it. Naru stood without another word and walked around the desk that had been putting distance between them. Standing right in front of her, Naru placed a warm had upon her shoulder and looked into her eyes with the slightest look of care. "I'm thankful of your help thus far. Be careful on your own." His monotone words bore just the slightest edge of true concern. "You can call me if you need anything." He added on after a moment.

Mai remained speechless and only gazed back into his dark eyes, searching for anything definitive. Unfortunately, Naru cut the moment short and returned to his seat without another word. Just when she thought she'd fully processed what had happened, Naru gave her one of his genuine, rare smiles. It took her breath away.

Then, at that moment, Mai felt a strong urge to act one last time as his employee. She made him a cup of hot, green tea and left with a final goodbye. Stuck onto the teacup was the number of her new cell with the words, "In case you need me."

The nerves she had grown.

That had all been four months ago. Despite her courageous act, she had not heard from Naru once.

Being too lazy to get up, Mai pushed her small table against the wall and set up her futon. She knew she wasn't eating enough, but her lack of sleep was keeping her from regular daily activities. Those dreams she'd been having lately...they weren't allowing her to get any rest. It'd been nearly two weeks and they were just as vivid as ever, if not more intense.

To put plainly, Mai had become afraid of falling asleep. And the side effects were definitely showing. It was strange, she had to admit. She'd never had such dreams unless there was a case to dream about. Mai yawned as she laid down, her arms landing above her head in a long stretch. With her head tilted back, Mai caught sight of the calender hanging on the wall. She noticed that the red circle indicated that it'd been three weeks since she'd visited the SPR office. As she closed her eyes, she decided that she was in need of some experts.

And with that, Mai decided a visit to the SPR was long overdue. She briefly fell asleep with the familiar faces of her companions floating in her mind.

Then the door and faceless girl appeared.

Next Day

Umbrella in hand, Mai stepped outside into the cool air. It was a refreshing feeling; she found it to be quite a nice change from the usual humidity from the past few days. After locking her door, she walked passed two other doors and down the stairs to the ground floor. Rain clouds were already forming overhead. Mai opened her umbrella just as a light drizzle began to fall. But before she could reach the sidewalk -

"Mai-chan!"

Mai started and turned around with a smile. "Good morning Asou-kun."

"Just Akira!" He reminded her as he ran down to meet her. The young man was only dressed in his sweat pants and T-shirt. No shoes. He began hopping from one foot to the other in an unsuccessful attempt to keep them dry. Mai offered her umbrella and smiled. "Akira-kun." She compromised.

He beamed at her. "Are you skipping class today?"

"I'm on my way." She lied without missing a beat.

"If you waited a minute for me to get dressed we could head out together?"

Mai pretended to consider the idea. "Well I'm kind of in a hurry so..." without giving him a chance to say otherwise, she escaped laughing. "See you later!"

"It's a promise!" He shot back.

Asou Akira's room was right next to hers, and attended Suzuki Academy with her. Akira clung onto her in a way that hinted his attraction towards her that was more than friendly intent. However, Mai liked to pretend otherwise. Her thoughts were on Naru too often anyway. It was just nice to have a friend who lived so close to her, someone she could talk to and live her life at college with.

Mai quickened her pace along the water slick sidewalk. She felt pumped and more energetic than she'd been since the start of her nightmares. Her sleeping patterns had gone a bit haywire if not completely disappeared – the dark rings under her eyes were proof.

Her gaze rose upwards so that her umbrella was tilted and raindrops were dotting her face. Today was the 13th, a Friday. Hopefully the other members of the SPR would be gathered at the office. Replacing the cover over her head, Mai's pace quickened and she began humming a slow tune. Within ten minutes, a familiar building standing at the intersection came into view.

The dark SPR letters seemed to welcome her back. It delighted her to see Takigawa, Ayako, and John's cars parked next to Lin's van. With a smile to mask her tiredness, she walked it.

-Insert opening song-
Chapter 1: Encounters

Even before Mai reached the CEO door, she could hear loud voices from within the office. She leaned in to listen, not wanting to barge into the middle of a new case proposal. Someone was saying loudly:

"But she was hinting at the fact that her brother was acting suspicious."

"You know Ayako, you're being too narrow minded again."

"I think he's right Matsuzaki-san."

"Oh ganging up on me are you?"

Mai shook her head with a smile and took her ear from the door. As she raised a curled fist, Mai couldn't help but wonder why she felt so nervous.

Knock Knock Knock

A hard voice replied. "Who is it?"

Mai's hesitated at hearing Naru's voice. Everyone had fallen silent, as to not embarrass themselves. Grinning, Mai opened the door with a wide sweep and struck a pose. "Morning everyone!"

"Mai!"

The call of her name was immediate and endearing. The young woman smiled and couldn't help but let out a laugh. Takigawa stood from his seat and put both hands on his hips. "We were about to file a missing report on you! How long has it been? 6 weeks?"

"Three." John corrected with a polite grin. His blond hair seemed shorter than Mai remembered.

Ayako had already given her a bear hug and with almost a motherly gaze asked, "How have you been? You look exhausted."

"I'm great," she said. Mai lowered her eyes before adding, "But I didn't come today just to visit."

Had her voice sounded too serious? Everyone's expressions dropped the slightest bit, wondering if it were bad news that she was about to share. Her demeanor hinted towards it, she was sure. Naru had been completely silent since her entrance, as though she weren't really there. But after a moment, he asked:

"What is it?" He was still looking down at his files. Mai pouted, then asked. "Where's Masako?" She could see that Naru was annoyed at being outright ignored. Well, served him right for not welcoming her back.

"You didn't see her leave? She walked out a few minutes ago, talking about some television thing she had to go to." Ayako answered.

Mai shrugged with a silly laugh. "She must have sensed me coming here and left!"

"Hara-san can only sense spirits." Naru said a matter-of-factly.

"And you can't take a joke."

Taking a seat next to Ayako, Mai grabbed a cookie from a bin centered on the coffee table. Well that was new. She couldn't remember Naru or Lin ever keeping sweets in the office. She assumed it must have been a present from Masako or Madako. She nibbled at the corner of the chocolate pastry without much appetite. Instead of bringing up her own issues, Mai decided to put it aside and as a diversion, asked:

"So what were you guys so hotly discussing before?"

"Oh just the new case." Takigawa answered with a low sigh as if he were remembering something that he'd rather not. "We haven't even visited the house yet and it's already proving to be a toughie."

At his words, Mai became tempted to offer her help. She was so close to asking if she could see the files that she contemplated skipping a few days of classes. But instead of speaking up she listened and licked a corner of her treat clean.

"But Taniyama-san, didn't you say that you came in for a specific reason today?" John asked.

Being reminded of her true motive, Mai suddenly realized that she didn't want to share her nightmares with everyone and bring down the mood. They already seemed so busy that she didn't want to cloud their minds. At least for some more than others, her issue would receive too much attention, perhaps to the point of distraction during their case. Mai silently tapped the toe of her shoe on the carpet that soon became the only sound in the office.

"Mai?"

"I...was just wondering if you guys were free tomorrow for dinner. But I guess the timing won't work out since you'll have to set the base and meet the clients..." Mai trailed off with a weak laugh. She couldn't make eye contact with anyone because she was afraid that they would be able to see through her lie. She could feel their eyes on her, suspicious if not concerned. Takigawa seemed to miss the somber mood however, and groaned with regret.

"Sorry Mai. You know I'd much rather hang out with you than go exorcise another old house."

"You're welcome to leave the case if you would rather waste your time 'hanging'." Naru's voice held no sympathy.

"No, it's fine." Mai stood up to make leave. Everyone shifted at her sudden movement.

"Are you leaving already?" Ayako asked.

"Yep! I have a lecture soon. Believe or not, I'm actually paying attention to my studies now." She laughed. "I should head out in case I'm late. And..." Mai motioned with a finger at the papers littering the office. "I seemed to have barged in when you guys were working."

Through her frozen smile, Mai temporarily forgot to stop holding her breath. No one seemed happy that their reunion had lasted so short. But they smiled and nodded, deciding to let their old partner leave with happy smiles. Takigawa was still frowning as he walked her to the door; he'd been the most upset when the girl had mentioned that she was going to quit. With short waves, Mai left the room. Almost immediately the office fell dead silent. It seemed almost empty without Mai's voice, despite there being four other people.

After leaving the building and putting some good distance between them, Mai remembered that she had to breathe to keep her body going. She felt a tightness in her chest, ready to snap if she stopped walking. With people that were like family, she didn't know why her visit had felt so awkward. To make things worse, Naru had behaved as distant as he'd been the first time they'd met – cold and like a stranger who couldn't care less. After all they'd been through, Naru had moved on from her so easily.

That fact itself made her feel the loneliest she'd felt in years.

When Mai reached for her umbrella, she noticed the treat she was still holding onto. It had formed slight cracks from her grip. Mai observed the pastry in her hand and saw that it was in the shape of a house. With its chocolate icing, tilted tiles and detailed windows, Mai suspected with a frown that it was supposed to resemble a haunted house. Even if Japan didn't technically celebrate Halloween, she suspected that the design was for that day. The house suddenly triggered the image of the door from her dreams and a headache began to pound in the back of her head.

She started to feel nauseous as it began to rain. Tossing the pastry into a nearby trashcan, Mai brushed her hands against her jeans to rid of the sweet smell. She walked in the direction of her apartment, convincing herself the whole way that on a day like this one, students should be allowed to skip class without consequences.

Three Days Later, October 16th

The small park was encircled by several white, leaf-covered benches. Mai was the only other person sitting at one, sipping on her hot chocolate while everyone else preferred to walk off the chill from the cold afternoon. She looked up into the bright sky but the bare branches that overreached blurred her focus. Mai wondered what to do with the rest of her free day. She'd thought about visiting SPR, but was still irritated at Naru and didn't want to deal with him, even if that meant avoiding the whole group. They'd only finished their most recent case after all and needed to rest up. Giving up on that option, she began listing a string of chores in her mind. Essay prompt...dinner...milk for the stray cat...mother's grave...

Focusing on her own thoughts let the outside noise melt away. When she opened her eyes again, everything was crisp and bright. She smiled at the peaceful sight. The list gave Mai renewed energy and she got up to her feet and punched the air. "All right!"

But in the process of standing up, she was hit by an unknown object and turned too sharply to avoid it. There was a loud thunk, her voice got caught in her throat in mid-cry. Her hot chocolate lurched violently in its container before spilling out and making contact with the chest of the person behind her. Mai turned and stared in horror as the brown stain spread. Another thunk and a red rubber ball rolled away from the crime scene it'd created.

"I'm sorry!" A little girl cried.

Mai had grabbed her handkerchief and was dabbing at the stain with haste. "Did that burn you? I'm so sorry -"

"It's fine."

The man's voice made Mai's eyes widen with such speed that her vision blurred. But she didn't need to see his face to match the voice. He looked at her after taking off his dripping scarf.

"Naru...?"

"That was quite a delayed reaction."

Mai turned red.

...

"You didn't have to accompany me."

"It was my fault. I couldn't just leave you without doing anything." Even still, Mai watched as her ex-boss picked out a new shirt. His jacket had taken most of the damage, but had soaked through to dampen his shirt as well. Mai sighed. This was kind of a like a date, if you looked at it sideways and squinted. They never would have ended up together alone at a department store if she'd asked him months ago, let alone begged. Only when she wanted to avoid him could the universe mess with her like this. Mai almost laughed at the irony; along with the fact that Naru had been looking around for a good 15 minutes already. None of the clothes seemed to suit his taste. Finally after another several minutes she muttered to herself: "You're sure taking your time."

The words didn't escape Naru's attention and he gave her a quick glance. "I'm not going to waste my money on a cheap brand." He explained.

"So you buy clothes by brand?" She observed, though such a statement could have been a playful tease to anyone else. She smiled and patted her purse. "Don't worry, I was planning on getting it –"

"It's fine. You don't need to do that." Naru finally picked a black button down shirt and made his way to the register. Mai remained behind, standing among the array of mens shirts and pants, looking as out of place as she felt. Where had things gone wrong for them? Even small talk was painful; more so than ever. She sighed and called out to him.

"I'll wait outside okay?"

He didn't reply, leaving it for her to decide.

...

Naru's fingers hesitated before hooking the last button on his new shirt. The sleeves were a tad too long and it sagged a bit around the shoulders. He sighed. He could have gone home for another sweater instead of wasting money in a store he'd never been in. Everything shouldn't have been a big deal, but for some reason it was irritating him to the core. He suspected it was because his schedule had now been pushed back a good 40 minutes. That didn't mean he had to let it out on Mai, but he couldn't seem to help it. As he stepped out of the dressing room and towards the front doors, Naru saw Mai's patiently waiting form. She was raising herself to her toes and rocking back to her heels in repetitive, slow motions. The sight momentarily stopped him, and his frustration all but disappeared. There was a nostalgic pang that reminded him of tea and warmth. It hit him with an eye-widening force when he realized why: Mai had used to do it all the time in his office.

…

Mai covered the bare skin around her neck just as a strong breeze passed by. She frowned as she watched a flock of birds fly from one end of the sky to the other. She wondered if she should leave, disappear before Naru returned. She figured that would make him happiest. Just then the doors swung open, sending the door bells to jingle loudly. Mai saw the young man walk out with his new shirt on, his damp clothes now in a bag. He looked a bit chilled.

"Well, you took long enough." Mai gave him a quick up-down inspection and nodded in approval. She reached for the bag in his hand. "Here, let me at least wash those for you."

"They need to be dry-cleaned. I'll send them out during lunch." He pulled away before her fingers could snatch them away. "I need to get to the office now."

Mai swallowed hard at his abruptness. She hesitated before offering a smile. "Well I'm pretty busy too, with school and all. It was good seeing you."

Without a reply, Naru turned around and left.

...

"I always liked this time of year the best." Takigawa said, taking a sip from the glass of homemade lemonade. He raised the cup, as if performing a toast to the warm afternoon sun. "No extremities in weather, no mosquitoes, so sweating, no snow, beautiful scenery..."

Ayako urged herself not to roll her eyes. "Why are you here? I'm sure you can enjoy the scenery at your own place."

Takigawa took a another short sip and smiled widely. "What, I can't visit for now reason but to say hi?"

"Not if you're going to drink all of my lemonade while you're doing it no."

"You're no fun."

Ayako crossed her legs as she watched him. Her fingers drummed against her own drink as she tilted her head to one side. "Well? Is it Naru and SPR related?"

Takigawa shook his head and leaned forward, both elbows on his knees. The monk's face suddenly turned serious. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about a possible side case: the allegedly haunted house on the outskirts of town. The one with all the deaths over the past 15 years."

Ayako's face turned dark. "I've read about some of those deaths in the papers. I heard that they never found a killer to close the cases."

Takigawa motioned excitedly with his free hand. "I did some more research, and it definitely sounds like something in our field."

Ayako crossed her arms in a way that he knew was final. "I do not want another 'Suzuki Academy' like experience. Are you going to take responsibility if one of us die?" She demanded.

There was a pause, and then: "Would you reconsider if I said yes?"

"No, forget it." The woman raised a brow, her lips in a pout. She could see him slouch with disappointment. After a moment she couldn't help but ask. "Why are you that interested?"

"Something about the place draws me in – which doesn't happen often. I don't know, it's the mystery of it all I think."

"With what happened a few months ago and there being so many deaths, I doubt Naru will take it." Ayako mentioned. She knew how shocking the whole case had been, how risky. Yet here the monk was, suggesting a new case like it was a simple job for babysitting.

In the midst of a sip, Takigawa remembered something and quickly drew the cup away from his lips. "And the thing is, a family is living there at the moment."

Ayako was surprised and she didn't try to hide it. "But I thought the place had been abandoned years ago. You think they don't know about its history? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently they're supernatural junkies. But the mother contacted me and wants me to check things out. She's been feeling uneasy from the rumors and stuff lately."

Ayako was thinking, her long fingers curled under her chin. She met eyes with the monk and asked, "What's the family's name?"

Takigawa stared at her and said it slowly, as if it were something not to forget.

"Asou."

To be continued in Chapter 2: Two Surnames Found