Title: Missing Persons
Word Count: 934
Prompt 3: What secret does he hope is never revealed? Does anyone else know it?
Setting: Volume 10 of the manga, in one of the early scenes where Masako rides in the van with Lin & Naru. The scene in the manga was done in the point of view of Monk's group, so I wanted to switch that for this story.
"Would you like to ride with us, Hara-san?" Naru asked.
What kind of question was that?
"Of course," Masako said. She passed by the fuming Mai and Ayako and gracefully got into the back seat of the van.
She smiled at Naru, but winced when he shut the door with more force than necessary.
Masako watched the other girls get into Monk's car through the windshield, and she suddenly had a feeling of being trapped.
She was being irrational, she told herself as Lin and Naru got into the front seats. They started following Monk's car.
All was silent for some time, and Masako wanted to enjoy it, but she could not shake the uneasiness.
She imagined the turmoil that was probably going on in the other vehicle, and felt a little better.
"Takigawa-san and John suspect something," Naru said.
Masako almost jumped at the sound of his voice. She had not expected any conversation.
"How do you know?" Masako asked. She mentally kicked herself. What a stupid question to ask him.
"What have you told them, Hara-san?" He asked.
"Do you not trust me?" Masako asked.
"Have you given me a reason to?"
Masako covered her mouth with her sleeve and glared at the back of his head. So this was why he had asked her to ride with them. She should have known that almost everything Naru did had an ulterior motive.
"If you know that they are questioning, then you know that I have not said anything," Masako said softly, smoothing over the irritation she was feeling, "The group you have compiled is more intelligent than you give them credit for." Except for Mai, she considered adding, then decided against it. "I've kept your secrets, Davis-san. It cannot be helped if you do not believe me."
*.*.*
A few years ago, Masako had gone to a psychic presentation that was located out of her home country. It was very early in her career, but she had been treated with respect.
"Miss Hara," one of the leaders had greeted her, "So glad you could make it. This film you are about to see is a real treat. Mr. Davis was young during this demonstration, around your age."
*.*.*
"I've been meaning to ask you…have we met somewhere before? Masako asked.
"No, I believe this is the first time," he said.
*.*.*
Naru had been correct; she had not met him before. However, it had not taken her long to place Kazuya Shibuya's face, for that film had made such an impression on her. He had been so young, but she had thought that video had been made well before her time – she had not expected the Oliver Davis to be barely a couple of years older than her.
*.*.*
"Shibuya-san, I would like to take you out to dinner, if you'd be interested?" Masako smiled and tilted her head at him.
She could hear Mai running the vacuum cleaner in the main room of the office. Masako had stopped Naru as he walked out the door.
"Thank you Hara-san, but I will pass this time."
"I am sure the conversations would be intriguing, it is still not too often I get to speak to another psychic."
"I'm not psychic," Naru said flatly.
"You're not?" Masako furrowed her brow. "But I cannot have you mixed up with someone else; I saw the aluminum block demonstration a few years back."
Naru's face hardened, and Masako realized she had backed him into a corner, without intending to. She raised her sleeve in surprise. "Is that something you wish to keep quiet?"
"Yes," Naru said. They both heard the vacuum switch off.
"Then you will allow me to take you to dinner?" Masako said, "As an apology."
*.*.*
Their silence was broken by Lin honking the horn.
"I knew that we should have led," Lin said, slowing to a stop at the intersection where Monk's car had turned the wrong direction. "Do we continue back, or follow them?"
"Just follow them," Naru said. "Then I do not have to worry about filling out missing person reports if they do not show up at the office."
Next to Monk's parked car, Monk and Ayako were arguing, and Yasu was looking over a map.
When it was agreed that there had been no good reason for the wrong turn, the two groups headed out again. The van took the lead.
Masako had considered pulling Mai aside to ask to switch places before they left.
*.*.*
The tension in the air of the van felt like thick humidity. Masako wondered how Lin could stand it.
Naru hated her, Masako was sure of it. She had never been hated by one of her peers before. But she deserved it, she thought. She had held the secrets over his head. How could she be so childish?
The scenery passed by, Masako barely registered the camp sites they were passing.
"Stop," Naru said suddenly. Lin complied, putting on the brakes. Masako was terrified that Monk was going to rear end them.
Naru was out of the car before it had fully stopped, going to the guard rails at the edge of the road.
Lin got out as well. Masako saw that Mai was already by Naru.
"What's wrong?" Lin asked. "Naru?"
Masako shifted in her seat, leaning to better see them. Naru had not replied, but she saw Lin step back in alarm.
"Is it here?" He asked Naru.
Masako looked out and saw the lake, and realized what was going on at the same time Naru said, "Finally… I've found it."
