Hey there! Sorry I took so long to update. Advanced Algebra 2 is a killer and it takes so much of my time outside of school for homework and study time that I can hardly make it to the computer. Thanks to those who reviewed:
14AmyChan: I absolutely have no idea who Naru is going to end up with but it would be a crime against nature to not have him with somebody by the end of the story. :)
I will try to answer any questions other reviewers may have but this question has really perplexed me (heehee I love that word) on relationship status with Naru so let's just see where the story goes. :)
(Rin's P.O.V) Chapter 3
"Have a good weekend!" the manager called to me. I looked back at him and waved and exited the diner. The night air was nice and cool, typical for November weather. I walked over to my small car and unlocked the door.
"I hope Miku was ok for the day by herself." I mumbled, getting into the car.
I started the engine and waited for the car to warm up. As I waited, I busied myself with combing my hair with my fingers. I kept my hair in front of my right eye, which completely hid it. I liked it that way but my mother was the one to tell me to keep it this way. I didn't really know the reason behind it but I never questioned her motives. Once the car was warmed up, I pulled out of the parking lot.
Maybe Miku did something today that deserves some ice cream. After all, she did clean, I thought and I drove to the supermarket. Little did I know how very wrong I was about Miku deserving the ice cream.
I hope Miku likes Rocky Road ice cream, I thought, looking at the grocery bag in the passenger seat. I was just pulling up into the house's driveway when I saw a white van in my parking spot. I started to panic.
"Miku!" I shouted, even though no one could possibly hear me. I pulled into the driveway and I grabbed the ice scraper that I had in the car. I left the car running and got out. I ran up the stairs and I slowly opened the door. The house was quiet and I couldn't see Miku anywhere. I looked at the rabbit cage to see the rabbit eating some pellets.
"Why couldn't you have been a guard rabbit?" I hissed to her. Chu just looked at me.
I had the ice scraper raised behind my head, ready to hit anybody that should not have been in the house. I looked in the living room to see that nothing looked out of place and there were no signs of a struggle. I was about to move to the hallway leading to the bedrooms when I heard footsteps coming from the basement. I walked cautiously into the kitchen and I walked toward the door and touched the knob to the door. I narrowed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned the knob. I flung the door open to see a startled Miku stagger back down the steps. I reached out and grabbed her hand before she could fall backward. She steadied herself and looked at me.
"Hey Rin. You know, there's a way to greet people without startling them." she said, glancing at the ice scraper I still had raised behind my head. I pulled her up the steps so she was standing in front of me.
"Is anyone else in the house?" I whispered to her. Miku looked at me sheepishly.
"Yes, there is." she said quietly.
"Who? I don't want any robbers in the house. You did good to hide in the basement but why...?" I started to ask, but Miku cut me off.
"They aren't robbers. More like, they're working." she said, avoiding looking at me. I lowered the ice scraper, but I was getting angry.
"Miku, what did you do?" I asked, my voice growing calm. Miku flinched.
"N-Nothing too bad." Miku said. I opened my mouth to get more out of her, but a set of footsteps interrupted me and a girl with brown hair came up from the basement. She was carrying a tape measure and a digital thermometer.
"Hey Miku, could you help me with... oh hello. You must be Miku's sister." the girl said cheerfully when she noticed me. I, however, was not in the same mood.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Mai Taniyama, Miku's friend. I wanted to thank you for hiring us to investigate your home." Mai said brightly. I narrowed my eyes.
"'Us'?" I asked.
"Yeah SPR here at your service and getting rid of ghosts that plague homes is our specialty. Hey, that would be a great slogan!" Mai exclaimed to no one in particular. I gaped at the girl.
"Well anyway thanks again for hiring us. We really appreciate it." Mai said and she walked back down into the basement. I turned my glare to Miku, who had tried to follow Mai downstairs.
"Miku." I snapped, stopping my sister in her tracks.
"Yes, sister I love so much?" Miku asked, turning to look at me and smiling nervously. I set the ice scraper down on the kitchen counter. I put my hands on my hips and I started tapping my foot.
"What did she mean by 'us'?" I asked.
"Well there are two other people here. Mai is just the assistant." Miku explained.
"Why did you hire ghost hunters? You know that I was a ghost hunter when I was younger, right?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"I know that but the house has been really creepy and I have seen shadows of other people when you're not here. It scared me so I decided to do something about it." Miku said defiantly.
"Did you even consider how much we may have to pay for them to investigate? Ghost hunters don't work for free, you know." I hissed.
"Oh." she said, realizing her mistake and she face palmed. I rolled my eyes and I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I let out a sigh and I closed my eyes.
"Who else is here?" I asked, not looking up at my sister. The damage had already been done so no use in trying to get rid of the ghost hunters. I didn't want to seem rude.
"Well, there are two others. A boy about your age and a man with black hair and they are both very kind." Miku explained.
"Where have they set up base, if I may ask?" I asked.
"In your tech room." Miku replied innocently. I snapped my gaze up at her.
"Where?" I asked, beyond angry. I was furious now.
"In your tech room." Miku repeated. That did it. I bolted out of the kitchen and toward the stairs. I tore up the stairs and I saw the door to the tech room was open. I dashed toward the room and I grabbed the sides of the door frame to stop myself from skidding into the room. My equipment on the table and shelves did not seem out of place. I breathed a sigh of relief and I looked over at the computer desk. A man with black hair was sitting on a metal chair (which I didn't even know we had) typing on a laptop while a boy about my age was leaning against the far wall looking at a file. They both had not even seemed bothered by my sudden entrance.
"I assume your Miku's older sister?" the boy asked, snapping the file shut. He didn't even look up. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Something about him seemed off.
"Yes. And may I ask who the hell you guys are?" I snapped. The boy looked up at me and reflected my glare with one of his own.
"We were hired by your younger sister to investigate your home. She has claimed to sense spiritual energy and has also seen shadows. Have you experienced any of these phenomena?" he asked, completely dodging my question. Unfortunately for him, I don't answer questions unless mine are answered first.
"I don't feel the need to answer your questions if you won't answer mine. But what I got from all the "spiritual energy" talk is that you guys are ghost hunters. Is that right?" I asked. The boy sighed in frustration.
"Yes that is correct. We are known as Shibuya Psychic Research or 'SPR' for short. We specialize in psychic research and paranormal phenomena." the boy said. I smirked.
"Thank you for answering my question. Now as for yours, I have not experienced any spiritual activity of any kind in this house. But this morning I felt a burst of cold air rush through me and it was accompanied by an electrical jolt. It was very strange." I said, taking my usual frown in place of the smirk. The man with black hair started typing away on his laptop after I had said that. The boy nodded slowly.
"Do you know of any deaths or other disastrous events in or around this house?" he asked. I froze. I hadn't wanted to come to the subject of my little brother but that's where it was headed. Instead of talking, I nodded my head. I was unable to speak.
"Can you tell me about this event?" the boy asked. I held his gaze, unable to speak. But I wasn't going to let my guard down just because of some question about an accident. I breathed in and out slowly. I didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, I heard footsteps come up the stairs from behind me and my sister appeared along with the other girl.
"Ok, we have everything set up. What is there left to do Naru?" she asked the boy. I turned to look at her, an odd look painted on my face.
"Naru?" I asked, perplexed at the name.
"Yeah, that's what Mai calls her boss and I have to say, it fits him." Miku said, giggling a little. I gaped at her.
"Ok then. That's not weird at all. But if you want your question answered," I said, turning back to the boy, or Naru, I guess, "you can ask my sister. She is much more capable of telling you the story than I am." I said and I left the room to head downstairs. There was no way in the world that I was telling anyone what happened here six years ago.
I had a longer version of this chapter but I wanted to make things brief. I am super tired. So how did you like this one? I hope I'm getting Naru as far as his character goes. Mai is a little bit easier to write and Lin... is Lin. :) Review please! :)