Mai walked into Naru's room, tea cup in hand, and set it down on his desk beside a mess of papers and books. He paused for a second and looked up at her, hands hovering over the keyboard.
"In your dream, did you see who pushed you, Mai?"
She paused for a moment, pursing her lips and thinking, before shaking her head.
"Nope. All I saw was a black shadow and a hand. Did you find something, Naru?" she asked.
"It's not substantial enough so as to pay attention to it." He merely replied, going back to his researching. Mai shrugged and tapped Lin on the shoulder.
"Would you like some tea, Lin-san?"
"No thank you, Taniyama-san" Came the response, so she decided to go and see how the others were doing in the investigation. She had just walked out into the corridor when she heard someone calling her name.
"Mai-chan! Are you busy?" asked her aunt as she walked up to the girl.
"Not really, Shizumasa-san. Did you need me for something?"
The elder woman nodded.
"Yes, I found something that I think perhaps you'd like. I offered it to Kisa, but she said that it wasn't to her taste. She's rather selective, you understand." By now, Mai's curiosity had been sparked, and she had to keep from gasping audibly when the woman pulled a large ruby hanging on a gold chain from her purse.
"I found this down by the beach. It had been washed ashore and with a little cleaning, it'll look as good as new." She told her niece, handing it to her. Mai thanked her and walked back to her room, slightly dazed. This was the same ruby she had seen in her dream, the same ruby the girl had been wearing…and the same ruby that had been snatched away from her as she was shoved off the balcony by the strange hand.
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Mai looked at herself in the mirror in her room, examining her reflection. The image of the girl in the dress came back to her, and she was mildly jealous of how pretty the girl was. I'm jealous of a ghost…could I be any more pathetic? she berated herself. She looked at the necklace in her hand and undid the clasp. Looking at herself in the mirror, she raised it to her neck, and went to fasten it.
"DON'T PUT IT ON!"
Mai dropped the necklace and it fell with a clatter on top of the dresser as she whirled around, positive that she had seen Naru standing behind her, in the mirror. She looked around, only to find that she was the only one in her room. She felt the hair on the nape of her neck stand up.
Maybe Naru should get a look at this necklace… she decided, picking it up tentatively and hurrying out of her room. As she closed the door behind her, a faint shape materialized beside her bed, resembling a boy with black hair and deep blue eyes. It shook its ghostly head and sighed. That girl is going to get herself killed one day… it seemed to be saying as it vanished again.
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"And you're sure that this is the necklace you saw in your dream?" asked Naru, examining it closely.
"Positive. It's identical to the one I saw. I'm almost positive that when she fell, the hand managed to grab it from her."
"Hm…" At that moment Masako and rest walked in. Their eyes immediately fell on the ruby necklace, and Takigawa whistled.
"Wow, is that the family fortune, Mai?" he teased with a wink. She shook her head, smiling.
"Shizumasa-san found it on the beach and gave it to me." She decided to omit the part where she had been about to wear it only to have the pants scared off of her. She didn't really see it as something that they needed to know, which often frustrated Naru when he later learned some information that Mai had omitted. She always seemed to be downplaying her psychic abilities.
"It's fake."
All eyes turned to stare at the black-haired teenager.
"How do you know?" asked John, tilting his head, and they all fought the urge to snicker. John never really had been cured of his habit of talking using the Kansai dialect.
"Its density is lighter than that of a real ruby. This is probably garnet, or even colored silica glass." He replied, handing the necklace to Masako. "Do you feel anything coming from it?"
She closed her eyes, holding the necklace with both hands.
"Nothing. It seems like a normal necklace." She responded, handing him the necklace back.
"In any case, I think perhaps I'll hold on to it for the time being." Said Naru, placing it on the desk beside his computer.
"For Mai's safety?" asked Takigawa, arching an eyebrow.
"To further aid my research." He replied simply.
Everyone in the room sighed, even Lin, albeit his was silent.
Did this boy never think of anything but himself and his research? Takigawa patted Mai's back, grinning.
"Well, if it's any consolation, we care about your safety, Mai-chan."
She laughed dryly. "Thanks, that's really some consolation, Bou-san." she replied.
It occurred to Masako to look at Naru at that precise moment, and she saw Naru usual frown deepen at Takigawa's words.
Idiot. She thought, and for a second, she had the faint impression that another voice in her head said the exact same thing simultaneously.
Author's Note: Ah yes, there should be some Mai/Naru moments in the next chapter, so you can look forward to that. As much as I like Insta-love (just add water!), I much prefer to have things move along slowly, that is to say, naturally. (The above joke belongs to Azamiko, whose kickass GH story you should all go read. Like now.) Oh yes.
MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, THIS STORY SHALL CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA. BEWAAAAAAAAAARE.