THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who has reviewed or faved or followed, and thank you to everyone patient enough to come back and read this installment. A thousand apologies on the long wait for the update!
The Resolution
December 9
Mai was the first to arrive at the office that morning, turning on the lights as she shrugged off her coat, rubbing her hands together in the chilly room. She was quick to adjust the thermostat and immediately headed into the kitchenette to set the kettle on the stove. She was about to go to Naru's office to look for any dirty dishes, but paused, seeing that the teacups from the previous day had already been washed.
She didn't have time to reflect on the situation as the office door opened and Naru stepped in, quickly followed by Lin. Their voices were low, but the fact that they were having a conversation surprised her. She was much more accustomed to their silent and harmonious co-existence. She frowned slightly as she saw Lin's furrowed brows and Naru's angry expression. They were arguing, and about a very serious subject as they didn't cease their discussion as they arrived.
"—I know you don't think much of my opinions..." Lin sounded tired, even as he persisted.
Naru's voice was level, but the anger behind his sentence was betrayed by a flash in his eyes. "I thought we'd settled this. I don't know what authority you think you have over me now, but it's not your place to tell me what to do." He glanced sideways, recognizing Mai's presence. "Good morning. Seems you're early today."
"Good morning," Mai said meekly, trying to keep a bright smile. The occasions she had seen them arguing were few and far between, which made her incredibly curious to know what they were speaking of.
Lin sighed in resignation, glancing between the two and nodding a greeting toward Mai. "I will prepare for the interview with the client." He paused, his coat draped over his arm. "You aren't the only one who is affected by this, Naru. Please take that into consideration."
Naru glared at his assistant's retreating form but said nothing.
"Are you arguing with Lin-san?" Mai asked tentatively.
"It's none of your business, is it?" He said shortly, walking into his office.
"Well, maybe not." She admitted, standing awkwardly in the door watching him drop his coat over his chair and sit down at his desk, picking up a pencil and open a file, reading silently for several moments. She waited, watching him.
He looked up, an eyebrow raised as he studied her. He noticed she was dressed very well today: a dark skirt and dark stockings, contrasting a light colored sweater. "Mai," he said.
"Um, yes?"
"Prepare tea."
"Right." She hurried back to the kitchenette, just as the steaming kettle began to whistle.
..
She was pouring a third cup of tea when the office door opened again. "Morning, all!" Takigawa announced loudly as he entered.
"Ah, Bou-san!" Mai said, grinning. "You're just in time. Tea?"
"Yes, please." He shrugged off his coat but left the navy colored scarf wrapped around his neck. "Cold out there, huh?"
"Here."
"Thanks." He took the cup from her outstretched hands and glanced into Naru's office before sauntering inside. "Naru-bou."
"Takigawa-san." Naru nodded in greeting but did not look up from his papers immediately.
Mai followed the monk inside, holding a second cup of tea. "I'm not too early, right?" The monk glanced quickly to a wall clock.
Naru followed his gaze. The time read quarter after ten. "The appointment's at 10:30." Mai placed the cup on his desk, inches from his hand, but he ignored her.
"Is that so.. I hurried through traffic. I didn't want the client to get here before me," Takigawa laughed. "Thought I was running late for sure."
In the main room, Mai took the third cup of tea and knocked gently on Lin's partially closed door, pushing it open with her toe.
"Lin-san, would you like tea?"
The tall man looked up from his work, a small smile lifting the serious expression from his face. "Please, Mai-san." He took the cup and thanked her quietly.
From the other room she could still hear Takigawa's conversation with Naru. "Ne, Lin-san," Mai murmured, venturing past the doorway and stepping toward the window, glancing down at the street below. She vaguely thought the situation felt familiar but brushed the feeling away, continuing quietly. "I know it's not my place to pry, but..."
"I can't tell you." Lin said simply, and she turned, watching him. He kept his gaze steady on his computer, but she still felt that his attention was directed toward her and she did not feel ignored. "He's right, in a way.. it is not my place to direct him in a course of action, and I should not go behind his back to discuss it with you."
Mai frowned. "Even if he doesn't want to take advice, he shouldn't be so rude about listening to it."
"That may be so." Lin chuckled lightly. "I can see that you want me to tell you so you can make an argument. Is that right, Mai-san?"
She flushed slightly. "Well," she stammered, embarrassed, her index finger self-consciously rising to her cheek. "Maybe a little."
He quirked a smile. "I wouldn't stop you... But I won't willingly give you weapons or ammunition for something that should not involve you."
"Of course." She looked at her hands, embarrassed. "That was inconsiderate of me."
"Not at all." He lifted his hand and pulled the cuff of his sleeve from his wrist. "It's almost time. You'd better prepare for our potential client." Lin said gently, and she hurried out of the room.
...
Lin joined Takigawa and Mai in the main seating area even though their client hadn't arrived at the appointed time, allowing him the time to leisurely set up his laptop on the table near his seat, returning to his office several times to bring out a notepad and two pencils, and finally the cup of tea he had left on his desk. All the while Mai doodled on her notebook, waiting.
"Late, huh." Takigawa mused, glancing toward Naru's office. The company president hadn't come out of his office. "Wonder if something came up."
Mai pursed her lips. "Was the traffic bad?"
"Not especially, but where'd you say he's coming from?"
"Ah, um..." She paused and glanced at the paper in front of her. "Mmm.. Koshigaya, I think. Though the case would be in Saitama proper."
"Completely different route than me." He agreed, nodding. "Couldn't be that he ran into bad weather when it's so clear here... Koshigaya's far but it's not that far."
"You never know." Mai protested. "It's been raining here and dry at my apartment, and that's hardly far at all."
Takigawa sighed. "Besides, honestly, he probably took the train, it'd be faster."
"Mmm, right." She sighed, her mind drifting. "Last night I dreamed about snow," she said dreamily. "Do you think it'll snow?"
When Takigawa didn't speak immediately, Lin spoke. "The forecast calls for clear weather the rest of the week." He said quietly. "It's only going to get colder."
She sighed. "That's too bad. It's cold enough as it is..."
"Snow, Jou-chan?" Takigawa laughed and ruffled her hair. She squirmed and ducked her head away, smoothing her hair. She'd tried to look nice for their client and didn't want Takigawa to ruin it. "Can't you get enough of winter? I didn't realize you loved the season so much."
"It's not that." She sighed. "I just thought it would be nice. Maybe classes would be cancelled if we had a snowstorm." She tucked her hair behind her ear absently. "I don't mind the cold so much when there's fresh snow."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't think you can count on your dream coming true this time, Mai."
"Of course not. If it's not terrifying, then it means nothing." She retorted, and wrinkled her nose. "I also dreamed about flossing. I had bad teeth." She tapped the tip of her index finger against her lower lip. "I guess I overheard a conversation at school about cavities or something."
"When was the last time you went to the dentist?" The monk laughed. "Maybe you should pay attention—your dream was trying to tell you something."
"I'd rather go to the country and build a snowman," she grumbled. "Or go sledding or something."
"Yeah, that'd be a lot more fun," he agreed.
Her eyes lit up and her back straightened. "Really? You'd go with me?"
"No way! I'd rather just make you a dental appointment. It's easier and I'd be fulfilling my fatherly duties." He said, nodding smugly as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Bou-san, you are not my father figure," she protested and he chortled in response.
"How about brotherly duties, then? Or older-and-wiser duties?"
Lin watched quietly, turning his head when Naru entered the room. Mai and Takigawa's banter quieted as he sat down. From the stiff line of his jaw she could immediately tell that he was much more irritated than the simple annoyed look in his eyes let on. Whatever it was that he and Lin had been speaking of, it was apparently still on his mind—a late client would be an aggravation, of course, but it wouldn't cause such a deep ire.
Takigawa sighed. "Man, it's getting really late. Think it's a no-show?"
Mai bit her lip. "I wonder if something happened."
Naru picked up the notebook from the table, glancing at the appointment that was penciled in on the calendar. "Mai, you did schedule the client's appointment for ten thirty, correct?"
"Absolutely." She said quickly, her eyes flitting toward the clock on the wall. The hand had slipped past the six some time ago and was now approaching the nine. She stood abruptly. "I'll make some more tea, I'm sure he'll be here by the time it's ready."
She hadn't reached the kitchenette when the door opened and Tokutata Yukinori arrived. He looked tired and haggard, as so many of their clients appeared on their doorstep, exactly fifteen minutes late.
"I apologize for my tardiness," he said, though from Naru's expression one wouldn't have thought that he was late at all. Despite his foul mood from earlier, he was already treating this client kinder than most visitors who came to SPR.
"It's not a problem." Naru said smoothly, politely. "Would you care for some tea?"
"Ah, yes, actually, I would appreciate that very much, thank you."
Naru nodded toward Mai and she hurried into the kitchenette.
"I am Shibuya Kazuya, the President of SPR. What can we help you with, Tokutata-san?"
...
It was his son, Tokutata explained. The boy, only ten years old, had been acting strangely ever since they moved into their new residence in Saitama.
"His behavior wasn't out of the ordinary the first few days in the house." Tokutata said solemnly. "I noticed.. perhaps a week or two after. But I'm certain the correlation is there. He's never acted like this before. Kazuyoshi has always been bright and energetic. He's always confided in me. At first he became strangely sullen and quiet, spending all his time at the park in our neighborhood. Lately, however, his behavior is even more bizarre. Mood swings, I suppose, is the lightest way to put it. He becomes angry or bursts into tears at the slightest provocation."
Naru frowned. "How long has this development been going on?"
"About four days."
"And how long has it been since you moved into the new residence?"
"Five weeks." Tokutata sighed.
"Did your son have to transfer schools?" Mai suddenly asked.
"Yes." The man nodded. "I thought he'd made friends... that first week he told me all about his new classmates. He was so excited. Of course he was sad to have left friends behind in his old school district, but they'd promised to keep in touch. What with email and mobiles these days, it isn't as difficult as it used to be. I've never worried about him at school before, whether it was his performance or his classmates, so I wasn't concerned when he had to start with a new class."
Naru's gaze flicked sideways toward Mai before continuing. "May I ask the reason you moved?"
Tokutata nodded quickly, eager to oblige. "My job transferred me to a different office."
"And you live there just yourself and your son?"
"Yes." His gaze fell slightly. "My wife... his mother passed away about seven years ago."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"It was a long time ago."
"When you first noticed that his behavior had changed," Takigawa asked, "what did you do?"
"He had complained once that week of not feeling well. I had checked for a fever, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. When he first started acting differently, I actually took him to a doctor, and I have taken him back twice since then. The doctor couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary and was just as baffled as I was." He sighed. "He's become quite withdrawn, spending a lot of time in a nearby park."
"With other children?" Takigawa asked.
"Not at all." Tokutata looked troubled. "I haven't seen him play with other children since this started. In fact the park is almost always deserted."
Naru pursed his lips. "Have you seen him there often?"
Tokutata paused. "Several times, yes. I've come to expect to find him there if he hasn't returned home for dinner." He cleared his throat slightly. "He used to sleep soundly, but now he's restless, talking in his sleep. I've also found him, on occasion, drawing this." Tokutata pulled a crinkled piece of paper from his pocket and smoothed it on the table, pushing it forward to Naru. Takigawa audibly gasped. "I don't know what it is, but it disturbs me."
Naru picked up the paper eyes tracing the characters drawn in dark crayon. He frowned and passed it to Takigawa. "On occasion?" He repeated.
"Yes, several times I've found it in his room. It seems to fascinate him."
"This is a harbinger of trouble," Takigawa said, frowning. "It's a ward, of sorts. Can be used to trap spirits. Usually, one spirit in particular is bound to a place and can't find its way on until this," he waved the paper in his hand, "is destroyed."
The man looked troubled. "But I don't understand. How could Kazu possibly know how to ..."
"This probably means nothing, itself." Takigawa set it back on the table and crossed his arms across his chest. "What it probably means is that there's an original out there, and the spirit is troubling your son because it wants to move on. You say he is fascinated with it?" He frowned, Tokutata's worry becoming more apparent. "I'd say more likely he's obsessed. The spirit knows that it is the source of its trouble, and is somehow troubling your son over it as well."
"It is possible," Naru said. "Unfortunately we can't be certain that is the cause until we gather more information. It is certainly something we shall look into in our investigation."
"Either way, this needs to be destroyed." Takigawa motioned to the paper. "Not that one, but... the original."
Tokutata's hands trembled, resting on his knees. "Could that be it? In his sleep he speaks of something that needs to disappear. Get rid of it to set me free, he mutters. Keep looking for it until you find it. Could he be speaking of this... this ward?"
Naru frowned. "The information so far is pointing in that direction, yes."
Tokutata clasped his hands together, bowing his head. "I beg of you! Please find and destroy the ward! I must have my son return to his normal self."
"If this is the case, it is indeed a trapped spirit, we will take care of it accordingly." Naru nodded, rested his chin on his hands. "But if we do find and destroy the ward and his behavior persists, I will need to meet with your son. Then the situation is more complicated, and it may be difficult to accurately access the situation before we actually meet him."
"I understand." Tokutata was visibly relieved.
"If you encounter more of these, please hold on to them." Naru said seriously.
Mai was watching Naru carefully out of the corner of her eye.
"Taniyama-san will have you fill out the appropriate forms for the case before you leave today," Naru continued. "We will be in contact with you to let you know our course of action."
"Thank you." Tokutata seemed relieved. "I can't express my gratitude."
...
Mai, Takigawa, and Naru saw Tokutata off, the former bowing formally; the latter thanking him for his visit. When he had left, Mai turned to find Naru staring at her, arms folded across his chest. Undisturbed, Lin picked up his laptop and returned to his office.
When he continued to watch her, even as she went to her desk, she frowned. "Well?" She asked, turning toward him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what you think."
She seemed surprised and paused. "So you're taking the case?"
"It would seem," he said lightly. "You think I shouldn't?"
"It's not that," she flushed in embarrassment, averting her gaze.
"It would be easy to find the original and destroy it." Takigawa said.
"Simple, perhaps, easy, I think not." Naru exhaled and tapped his fingers against his chin.
"It's in the park." Mai suddenly said.
Naru turned toward her, an eyebrow raised. "The park?"
"Yes." She nodded vehemently. "He's been looking for it. But he hasn't found it."
"Even if he found it, he wouldn't be able to do anything," Takigawa said. "It's not a simple charm or hex that anyone could deal with." He looked toward Naru. "Naru, what do you want us to do?"
The younger man paused, choosing his words carefully. "Takigawa-san, how familiar are you with this particular type of ward?"
The monk shrugged. "Obviously, I'd recognize it. But other than the fact that it binds a spirit to a location, I don't know much about it."
"Any further knowledge would be helpful. I'll need to know some perimeters to guide my research."
Takigawa nodded. "Sure thing. I have to head for practice soon, but I'll do what I can."
Naru turned his gaze to Lin, who had been standing in the doorway to his office, listening. "What about you, Lin? You didn't indicate that you recognized it."
"I wouldn't have had Takigawa not mentioned it first," The tall man responded quietly. "That he did, I can see that it looks very similar to a hex used in China." His lips thinned in a tight frown. "They are indeed very similar, both in their meaning and application. However, in China, the hex is never used by itself. Takigawa, do you know, is it possible to transfer the ward onto an object?"
The monk frowned slightly. "I suppose so. Actually, that does make more sense, I suppose. A piece of paper wouldn't last very long outside in the elements, if it is indeed in the park, as Jou-chan said."
Naru lifted an eyebrow. "That may complicate matters."
Takigawa sighed. "But no matter what, we have to destroy it... whatever it is."
"Wait, what do you mean, 'whatever it is'?" Mai echoed. "It could be anything?"
Takigawa exhaled loudly. "The only boundaries in cursing an object generally lie with the person who casts the curse."
"Either way, it would be good to be familiar with both hexes," Naru said, and Lin nodded. He turned to Mai. "Mai, start with some basic research on the area. Perhaps there is something that could point us to why someone might have trapped a spirit there, or who the culprit may be... spirit or otherwise."
...
Mai had been working diligently, looking through newspaper archives from Saitama when the door to the office opened. She looked up to see Madoka, wearing a long black coat and a vivid violet scarf around her neck, her curls caught partially between the folds. Her mouth was set in a thin line and her eyes filled with a stern determination.
"Ah, hello, Madoka-san!" Mai said, a cheery smile on her face. "It's been a while..." Her voice trailed off as Madoka stormed into the room, throwing open the door to Naru's office.
"Madoka. We weren't expecting you." Naru said pleasantly, his face carefully blank. "I didn't realize you were even in Japan at the moment."
Through her anger, her voice was surprisingly light. "Don't you have something you need to tell me?"
"No, I don't believe I do." The smirk that had turned the corners of his mouth clearly indicated otherwise.
Her eyebrows narrowed and she turned her back on him. "You," Madoka said, pointing at Mai, "come with me."
Mai squeaked slightly in surprise. She had never seen Madoka angry before, and the glint in her eyes illustrated that her fury definitely matched—even surpassed—Naru's. Even as she feared what Naru would say to her later, for skipping work during the middle of the day, she didn't dare defy Madoka now. She hopped to her feet awkwardly, fetching her coat.
Naru had risen from his desk, stepping into the main room, watching the furious woman with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll be speaking with you later, Naru," Madoka said, pulling the younger woman out of the office by her elbow, slamming the door behind her.
Naru stood silently for a moment, his gaze going to Lin's door, which remained closed.
Turning on his heel and striding back into his office, he went to the window, watching with narrow eyes as Madoka opened a car door, gesturing for the younger woman to get into the vehicle. His assistant did so, and before his mentor followed, she looked up, glaring at him through the slats of the blinds.
He gazed back calmly until she turned away, her head disappearing inside and the car moved out into the light morning traffic.
...
Mai watched the older woman carefully out of the corner of her eye. "Madoka-san?" She started quietly, tentatively.
Madoka rubbed the bridge of her nose gently and tried to smile, though the strain was still visible on her face. "I'm sorry, Mai-chan," she sighed. "I'm not angry with you." She leaned forward to her driver. "Saiki-san, the corner of Senkyou-cho will suffice."
...
It was an elegant cafe that Madoka led her into; even calling it a cafe was a little bit of a stretch. She had obviously been to the establishment before as the woman at the entrance clearly recognized her. Without a second thought the woman bowed, leading them to the second floor and selecting a table near the balcony that was both private and also offered a wonderful view of the interior fish pond. Mai stared, her awe that much more apparent as the sight did not seem to interest Madoka in the slightest.
"Thank you," Madoka said, all but calmed from her anger, unwinding the scarf from her neck. "We'll start with tea." She glanced at Mai, assessing her quickly. "And please bring lunch menus."
"Of course, ma'am," the woman bowed quickly and hurried away.
Madoka smoothed the napkin across her lap. Underneath the black coat she was wearing a white blouse and an expensive-looking knit cardigan. Mai realized she too, was wearing more formal clothes; she'd dressed a little nicer for the meeting with Tokutata, and for once, she didn't feel absolutely out-classed or out of place. Then she realized that the older woman was waiting for her mind to stop wandering and she flushed.
"I am under the impression," Madoka began lightly, "that you had a visit from Gene."
Mai looked at the tablecloth guiltily. "Yes."
The tea was quick to arrive, English-style, Mai noticed, and Madoka poured her guest a cup from the pot. "As I said, Mai-chan, I'm not angry with you. You told Naru, as you should have. It was his responsibility to move forward with that information." She sighed, frustrated. "Of course he didn't do anything, that stupid boy. We're lucky that Lin-san is able to read his actions so well."
Mai squirmed in her seat slightly and Madoka raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell him everything, did you?"
"No," she looked uncomfortable, "not.. everything."
Madoka rested her chin on her hands, gazing at the younger woman for several moments before speaking. "Will you tell me? You have my word that I won't repeat it."
Mai hesitated for only a moment. Madoka's gaze was open and sincere. "Gene said... he told me he wants me to do what he did for Naru. You know.. to help him with his PK."
"And you didn't tell him that?" The older woman looked amused, lifting the cup to her lips.
"Well, he... he knows what happened, right? I can't tell him what he should do." Mai said glumly.
Madoka laughed. "You really should have, Mai. What Naru needs is for people to tell him what to do."
Mai made a face. "He doesn't like that."
"Well, of course, but that's probably why it's so good for him." Madoka paused. "I'm going to tell you the following, Mai, not because I want to scare you or because I have an agenda, but because I trust you and I know you ultimately also have Naru's best interests in mind."
The silly expression Mai had been wearing slipped from her face.
"I've only myself just begun to understand what this means, and the more time that passes, the more frightening it is." Madoka pursed her lips. "As long as he can't control his own powers, Naru's in danger, and he's endangering everyone around him." She continued seriously. "Honestly, slipping into a three-day coma after cardiac arrest is pretty tame to what could possibly happen."
She said it carelessly but Mai felt a lump form in her throat at the mere thought. "But... as long as he doesn't use his PK..." she protested.
"You're being naive," Madoka said curtly. "But I'll forgive you that." An annoyed expression passed over Mai's face but the older woman waved it away dismissively. "You've spent too much time around Naru, Mai. I'm not insulting you." She gazed at the fish in the pond for a moment before continuing.
Her voice was much more somber than before and Mai felt chills on her arms. "I'm sure you remember what he did so effortlessly in the cave on the Yoshimi case. He drove something away that the rest of you combined could not. It is a tremendously massive thing to contain inside oneself, Mai, and the slightest slip of his grip could destroy this very cafe we sit in." She waved a hand, gesturing to the air around them.
"Of course, I'd like to say that it's not very likely, but it's impossible to say for certain. And you saw, yourself, when he wavered on that case, two weeks ago. His control slipped and thankfully, you were there, guided by Gene, to help him." Mai opened her mouth to protest again but Madoka continued before she could interject. "Who can say exactly what would have happened if you hadn't? Perhaps nothing at all. But personally, I'd rather avoid a situation where I have to return to England and tell his parents that not only did he use his powers, but he killed himself and four people at the same time." She saw the skepticism on Mai's face and frowned. "As I said, it is possible."
"If he's that dangerous, why haven't you and Lin put him into solitary confinement or something?" Mai grumbled softly.
Madoka laughed lightly. "Ah. Well, if you think you could convince Naru to voluntarily shut himself away from the world. I'm sure he would appreciate the solitude for a time, but he would get bored very quickly." She shook her head. "But, that is not in question. We have a solution to this problem, sitting right in front of me at this moment." Her hazel eyes gazed at Mai intently, and the younger woman looked away.
"You think I can prevent it from happening?" She said quietly, both hands fingering the cup of tea in front of her, but not ever lifting it to drink. "That I can actually help him use his PK safely, the way Gene did?"
"Didn't you do it before?"
"But Gene was there."
"I don't think you understand quite how amazing what you did actually is." Madoka leaned back in her chair. "Channeling PK without a physical presence?"
"Gene helped me," Mai repeated, mumbling. "I probably couldn't do it again if I tried."
"Oh, I doubt that very much." Madoka's smile widened. "I'm not asking you to do anything in particular, Mai. It's not your responsibility. I just want you to be open to the opportunity should it arise."
"Naru's not going to ask me to help him," the younger woman pointed out.
"Perhaps," Madoka said, smiling at the woman as their lunch platters were placed in front of them, and shrugged slightly, sighing as she picked up her spoon. "Let's eat lunch and get back to the office, Mai-chan. Naru will be quite vexed if I steal you away for too long. Not to mention the soup here is delicious. Bon appetit."
...
Lin felt his presence immediately but was content to ignore it at first. Knowing however that in a test of wills, he would surely retire first, he sighed and looked up from his computer. Naru was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame casually, arms crossed over his chest.
There was a dangerous look in his dark eyes. "What did you say to her?" the young man asked quietly.
Lin sighed, removing his hands from the keyboard and resting them in his lap. "Contrary to what you think, I didn't tell her much."
"Obviously it was enough."
"It was her initiation, not the other way around." Lin hesitated. "It happened to come up that in the presence of Gene and Mai, you used PK, and that Gene appeared in one of Mai's dreams the next day, saying goodbye. The rest she seemed to deduce on her own."
"Of course she did," Naru snapped. "And of all people, Madoka is the one most likely to overreact. Your misguided assumptions that Gene has left a task for Mai is an inconvenience to my staff, and will no doubt be a hindrance for the next case."
"A hindrance to the case, or a hindrance to you?" Lin said quietly.
Naru glared at him, lips set in a thin line.
"We are only concerned for your well-being." Lin finally said, his voice even softer. He paused, then spoke again. "They've just arrived back. I'm sure Madoka will want to speak to you."
Naru's lip curled. "I may have something I'd like to address as well."
...
Mai opened the door to the office quietly and nearly jumped as she saw Naru waiting in the main room, reading a paper casually, leaning against the back of the sofa.
He straightened, folding the paper and dropping it onto the low table and folding his arms across his chest.
"Naru," Madoka said lightly, stepping around Mai.
"Madoka." He replied calmly. He then turned his gaze to his frozen assistant. "Mai, why don't you take the rest of the afternoon off." Naru said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Lin can answer the phone."
In the other room, Lin's expression tightened.
Mai glanced between Madoka and Naru, who were both glaring at each other. "Um, sure, I guess I will." As she turned to leave, her eyes caught Naru's again, betraying her anxiety. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
...
As Mai left the office, a chill seemed to settle into the room. Madoka folded her arms across her chest.
"Would you like to sit down?"
"No thanks." She said shortly.
"Very well," he agreed, and waited. She spoke almost immediately.
"Why haven't you had a conversation with Mai about what happened?"
"I discussed the exorcism with her." Naru said tightly.
She frowned. "Don't play dumb, Naru, it's insulting and you're only embarrassing yourself. That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."
"You don't understand what it means," he snapped. "What it would mean if I asked this of her."
"You're being childish," Madoka countered. "It would appear that Mai can do the same thing for you that Gene could. She can allow you to use your PK. It would be a waste not to—"
"To what? To take advantage of the situation?" A short laugh escaped his lips. "Don't beat around the bush, Madoka. It's not like you."
"It's not taking advantage of her if she wants to." Madoka said. "Let her help you, Naru."
"We're not talking about Mai, are we." Naru replied scornfully. "You're talking about me. I don't need anyone's help. This is not some strange illness we're talking about that some catastrophic ending will come about if we don't take action."
"So the fact that you could destroy yourself, and if the situation was right, other people is a matter to be taken lightly?" Madoka frowned. "Face it, Naru. You don't want someone else to do what only Gene could do for you before. But Gene's gone and it's time for you to move forward."
"First of all, we don't even know if Mai has the ability." Naru said this, even as he knew it was a lie. "To test this would be incredibly dangerous! Even if she could do it, channeling my PK involves taking it inside oneself to diffuse it naturally," Naru said. "Even Gene, who shared my blood, often thought it was a very unpleasant experience. What Mai would feel would only be worse."
"So you're protecting her."
"That's a nice way to describe it." He sneered. "Most people would just say I'm protecting my interests."
"Doesn't it amount to the same thing?" Madoka challenged. "You can't hide your actions behind the act of a benevolent employer forever, you know."
He laughed sardonically. "I don't think anyone has ever referred to me as a benevolent employer. If I've been called an asshole to my face, what do you think people say when my back is turned?"
Madoka let out a frustrated sound. "Naru, goddamn it! Stop being so stubborn! Mai is worried about you, the least you could do is discuss this with her, and not keep it to yourself as you always do! Don't you care about her?"
"Of course I care about her." Naru snapped. "Mai is—" His words stopped abruptly. Madoka had the distinct feeling that if it had been anyone else, he would have blushed. Naru, of course, stood still, with hard eyes and cheeks that had probably never reddened in his adult life.
"Mai isn't the reason you came back to Japan, is it?" She asked softly.
Naru remained silent for several moments. "I am going to say this very plainly," he said, his voice calm once again. "I know Mai is concerned. Obviously you are concerned as well. But to bring it up would only make matters worse. Mai feels obligated to do this for me—for Gene. To address the matter will only corner her into a situation."
"She wouldn't do it just because she felt obligated," Madoka protested.
"Wouldn't she?" Naru frowned. "If Gene asked you, as his final request to do something that he believed only you could do, wouldn't you feel a little obligated? Take Mai's personality into consideration, and her feelings for Gene. He's helped her in countless situations, shouldn't she owe him something? No, he only asked because he knew if he did she couldn't refuse. And that is the exact reason I will not ask her."
"You will not," she repeated.
"No."
"Naru..." Madoka sighed. "I know you don't want to. But you need to talk to her about it."
"Yes," he agreed. "But only because you stuck your nose in and muddied up the situation."
The telephone rang in the office, only once, as Lin answered right away.
"Sorry to interrupt," Lin said, glancing between him and Madoka. "Takigawa is on the line."
Naru nodded, crossing the room swiftly. "I'll take it now." He paused as he reached to pick up the phone. "Lin," he said. "I'd like you to take the rest of the afternoon off as well."
"Naru?"
"Then no harm in continuing tomorrow." A small smile lifted his lips. Lin couldn't decide if it was sarcastic or not. "Best to savor the peaceful moments, right?"
Lin stared at the younger man, speechless for a moment and about to protest when Madoka took his arm. "Lin-san," she said quietly. "Let's go." Glancing at Naru over her shoulder, she sighed and shook her head, stepping out of the office.
...
The mobile on the table began to blink and a cheerful melody began to play.
She picked it up quickly and answered. "Hello—"
"Mai," Naru paused. "Are you free now?"
"Eh? Now?" She sounded surprised. "Ummm—Yeah, I'm not doing anything in particular."
"Will you come with me to Saitama?"
"Oh. Um, okay."
"I appreciate it." His voice was curt and she had the impression that he was mad—very mad, but was trying not to let her know. "I'll be there to pick you up in twenty minutes. We'll take the train."
"Not drive?"
"Lin won't be joining us," he said, and she cringed slightly as she heard his crisp tone. As she suspected, he was not in a good mood. At least it was obvious that she wasn't the source of his displeasure. She knew his ire was related to Madoka's visit, and had all but assumed it exacerbated by the fact that she had left work early, but if Lin wasn't coming the situation might even be tied to his argument with him from the morning.
But Naru never goes anywhere without Lin, Mai mused. He must be really angry with Lin if he's not coming along. I wonder why he wanted me to come along anyway? She frowned slightly. I don't know what we're doing, anyway. Maybe we'll meet Bou-san there? But I guess why would Takigawa drive and we go by train... Besides, Takigawa said he was practicing with his band this evening. I guess it's probably just the two of us, then.
She sighed, despondent. I guess that brings up the question why I'm going in the first place. I hope he didn't ask me just to help him get there. Can he read kanji well enough to get around? Going all the way to Saitama, he probably doesn't want to get lost. She exhaled again, staring at the quiet phone in her hand, finding herself wishing that the thought didn't upset her.
She opened the door immediately after he knocked. Out of habit more than anything, she once more looked over his shoulder, searching for the presence of Lin. Of course, the taller man was nowhere to be seen, and from the door she could see over the landing and to the street. Of course the van wasn't there, either.
She met his gaze, trying to judge if he was still angry. He didn't appear to be, and she felt a tension leaving her shoulders in relief.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice." Naru said stiffly.
"It's nothing," she laughed, grabbing her coat and closing the door behind her. "I'm on duty! I couldn't say no anyway."
He frowned, watching her as she locked the door. "You shouldn't feel obligated."
"Of course." She looked away as she slid her arms into her coat. "I don't feel obligated. Why would I?"
He said nothing as they walked from her apartment to the nearby station, taking a short train to the Shinjuku station before getting on a train that would take them to Saitama. As they took their seats, Mai's mind began to wander, thinking of possible topics for conversation as she took off her coat.
Naru had removed his coat as well. He watched Mai carefully as she twiddled her fingers, wondering if she was uncomfortable to be alone with him. He noticed that she had changed since he had seen her at the office; a hooded sweater and jeans replacing the more dressy office wear. "It's a nice sweater," he said abruptly. "It becomes you."
A flush of pink spread across her cheeks, as she looked up, startled. "Eh?"
"You were very presentable at the office today," he said, "but you seem more at ease as you are now." Naru frowned and looked away. "You should wear what you feel comfortable in."
Mai wondered if that was permission to dress down every day. She finally smiled slightly. "Thanks," she said softly.
The train began to move and she glanced at him, hesitating before she spoke. "So, um, why are we going to Saitama right away? And why just us? Where's Lin?"
"We're going to go to the park." He said simply. "You were certain the ward was there."
"It was just a hunch," she said quickly. "It's probably not..."
"No," he interrupted quietly, "I'm willing to trust you on this. I'm certain that if you were right in that it is there, you could also find it."
Mai's mouth dropped open. "You're joking, right?"
He gazed at her calmly. "Why would I joke about such a thing?"
"I guess you wouldn't, would you." She admitted softly, and frowned slightly. "Why are you doing this?" When he didn't answer immediately, her brows furrowed. "Naru, this isn't the way you would usually do a case. We haven't prepared our research, we haven't gathered any data."
"Takigawa had some more information about the ward. It will be a sufficient start."
"But... we're not going to be able gather any hard evidence if we do this," Mai floundered, looking confused. "I mean... you always document everything."
He shrugged slightly, looking out the window and evading her gaze. "There are always exceptions."
...
The station was very close to the park in question, so they walked the short distance rather than taking a cab. It seemed obvious when they approached it on the quiet street. The park itself was empty, dark, and dead silent.
As Naru walked confidently toward the benches and trees, Mai found that her gait had slowed and her heart was starting to pound.
"What's wrong?" He asked, turning to look at her.
"Naru," she trembled, "there's something bad here. Really, really bad."
"There are no birds." Naru remarked, walking forward into the stand of trees.
"I don't like it. Naru, we should..." she had stopped in her tracks and couldn't bring herself to follow him. "We should go. We shouldn't have come. We can't be here alone."
"Nonsense," he said, tucking his hands deeply in the pockets of his long black coat. His breath steamed in the cold air. "There's nothing Lin or Takigawa could do for us that we aren't capable of."
"What are you talking about—" she began to protest, but her words trailed off when she saw the spirit.
It reminded her of an old woman, but it was difficult to see the connection. Eyeballs rested in gaping sockets, withered lips that closed around rotten teeth, and thin, spindly hands with sharp, blackened nails.
Her stomach churned and she thought she might be sick, dropping into a crouch, hands clasped over her mouth. The feeling subsided and she slowly released her hands, taking a gulping breath.
He was watching her closely. "You see it, don't you. Where is it?" He asked quietly, urgently.
"Next to the big tree."
Naru retreated so that he was standing next to her and he helped her to her feet. His hand on her arm, he could feel her trembling. He gazed forward to where she said the spirit was. Even though she knew he could not see it, he seemed to be studying it intently.
"Where's the ward?" He asked quietly.
Not knowing what guided her, Mai lifted her hand and pointed again toward the tree. "The tree."
Naru left her side and studied the roots around the tree, frowning. "Beneath it or near it?" Dropping to a crouch, he pulled a flashlight from his pocket, illuminating the ground. His lips pursed in a frown as he surveyed the area.
She slowly came to stand next to him, and once again, raised her hand to point. "No," she said. "It's... it's the tree," she said.
"Unbelievable," he murmured, training the light on a thick root and raising it upwards to shine on the bare branches. "Transferring a ward to a tree." He straightened, rising to his full height. "What's the spirit doing?" Naru asked absently, pocketing the flashlight and then removing one of the black leather gloves he wore.
"She's going to kill that boy," Mai said quietly, shuddering as she looked away from the spirit. "If she has enough time. It's... you can see it in her eyes."
"Then we should take care of it right now." He said quietly. She stared at him in surprise and he turned to meet her gaze. "Don't you agree?"
The thought of taking on a ghost without Takigawa, John, Lin, or even Ayako and Masako frightened her. "We should get help." Naru said nothing and she continued, panicking. "Naru, I can't... I mean, I don't think I can do it by myself."
"I'm not asking you to do it on your own." He finally said quietly. "I'm just asking you to help me."
"You don't know if I can or not."
A small smile rose to his lips. "Didn't you before?"
"That was different," she mumbled. "Besides, what are you going to do?"
"We only need to destroy the ward."
"It's a tree, Naru. Are you going to destroy the tree?"
An eyebrow lifted in amusement. "Why not?"
"It's public property!" She sputtered. "I mean, maybe no one will notice, but..."
"There's a very dangerous spirit tied to this area." Naru said seriously. As if to prove his point, Mai saw the spirit again out of the corner of her eye. She shuddered and turned away, unconsciously grasping at Naru's coat as her fingers came in contact with it.
"Mai," Naru said quietly, "take my hand."
He could see that she was afraid. "Wait, Naru, I don't know if I can—"
"But I'm certain of it. Trust me."
She hesitated.
A small smile twitched the corners of his mouth as he reached forward and took her hand for himself. "Find some conviction, Mai." He said softly, barely audible over the drone that had started buzzing in her ears.
His hand was glowing, she noticed, and after a moment's reflection, she realized that her hand was glowing, too.
This was not the edge of his power, as she had felt before, the hint of what was contained within. That had been a full glass of water that had been jostled, just the smallest amounts of energy trickling down the sides. No, this was that very same glass of water tipped upside down, the contents discharged in their entirety. Even a glass was an understated metaphor— it was a jug, a bucket, a hose. A river or a torrential rainstorm. As in the Yoshimi case, this was his power unleashed, the static electricity visible around their bodies in a blue-tinted hue.
The noise grew until she could hear nothing else. She wouldn't have been able to release her hand from his if she had tried.
Then, as before, the feelings poured over her. Everything that was Naru was also in the power he released, and she closed her eyes, trying not to let the feelings overwhelm her. It was much clearer than before, and she was able to distinguish thoughts and feelings from one another.
Children's laughter under the sound of wind moving a thousand leaves of a huge tree.
The feel of worn pages being turned.
Hot tea, rich and aromatic.
The warmth of sun on bare skin on a cool day.
The smell of the sea.
And underneath it all, an unimaginably vast feeling lurked. Anger and tumultuous loneliness, as overwhelming as the ocean in its depth.
Suddenly it was gone. Mai opened her eyes and looked up at Naru, who was looking down at her, an expression on his face that was both bemused and worried. She realized she had sunk to her knees and she stood shakily, the bare hand that still held hers firmly helping her to her feet.
She looked to her left where she had last seen the spirit, and not finding it, turned to the tree. What was left looked as if it had been struck by lightning or burned, blackened and charred with nothing but the stump remaining.
"Mai," Naru began tentatively. The wideness of her eyes was beginning to worry him.
She looked bewildered. "Naru," she whispered. "Naru, you... you..."
She couldn't seem to form a coherent thought. The thoughts tumbling in her mind seemed to be racing over each other, hurtling and crashing into one another and breaking apart before she could grasp a hold of any singular one. And suddenly, her mind cleared, one thought surfacing. I still love you, she thought. I love you more than ever. Gene knew. Of course Gene knew. Why else would he ask me to do this?
"Let's go back to the office," he said, guiding her shoulder with his hand.
Numb and shocked, she followed him without protest.
She moved through the train station with him, silent and expressionless. When they were seated on the train, her head dropped onto his shoulder and she drifted into quiet oblivion. For the entire time that she slept, despite the uncomfortable ache that developed in his shoulders, he made no move to push her off.
...
He would not have brought Mai back to the office if he hadn't suspected it would be empty, but all the same, he found a tension releasing in his shoulders as he unlocked the door and stepped into the silent room.
The office was dimly lit with a gray muted light from the large window; she felt as if she had stepped into a black and white motion picture. Neither moved to turn on the lights. Mai walked quietly inwards, shrugging off her coat and draping it on the back of a chair as Naru stepped into the kitchenette and began to prepare tea. They both remained silent, the quiet sound of a clock ticking as it moved its mechanical hands.
She had settled into the corner of the sofa when he returned with the tea. Rather than sitting across from her, as he would normally do, he sat next to her. She seemed startled but accepted the tea with a nod, a small grateful smile on her lips. Upon waking she had been disoriented and groggy from her nap but the walk to the office had helped clear her mind. Naru had not spoken and she had followed him with a reciprocal silence.
Naru leaned forward and set his cup on the table, falling into a relaxed position Mai had seen him sitting in countless times before: elbows rested on his knees, fingers intertwined as his chin rested on his clasped hands. When he spoke, it was not the words she expected him to say.
"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I shouldn't have made you go through that. It was impulsive and extremely irresponsible of me."
She stared at him for a moment, shocked, and then frowned. "Don't say that."
He shook his head slowly, gazing at the floor. "I didn't want to ask you to do this," he said, sighing. "I knew what Gene asked you to do, and I was not going to ask the same thing." He frowned. "Certainly not like that."
"Why not?" She blurted. "Why don't you want me to do it?"
He turned his gaze away, eyebrows furrowing. "Why do you think, Mai? To prevent you from having that experience. Why would anyone want to feel such pain?" He exhaled loudly. "Gene asked you because he knew you would take full responsibility. I didn't want to put you in the same situation. I didn't... I didn't want you to feel obligated to do anything." He lowered his forehead to his hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He raised his eyes guiltily to hers. "It was just like before... with Gene. The connection goes both ways," he sighed. "I could feel your pain... your feelings."
"It wasn't painful," Mai lied.
He paused, studying her face. "I did not ask you to come along simply to read the kanji on the signs and direct me. Even if my kanji reading is not as good as a native speaker's, most of the signs are in English anyway."
Mai flushed. "I didn't think that."
He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? My mistake."
"Okay, the thought crossed my mind." She snapped. "But only for a second."
He gazed at the teacup resting on the table, watching the steam curl from the dark liquid. "I wanted you to come to Saitama with me. Not because I had the intention of destroying the ward immediately and wanted you there for that purpose, and certainly not because I though I might get lost."
"Then why?" Mai asked quietly, fully realizing that it was unnecessary to do so. He appeared ready to divulge the information without any prompting.
"I thought... it would be nice to go together. I was curious if you would be able to find the ward, of course, but there was no reason we couldn't wait until tomorrow, when the others could join us. Honestly I didn't expect it to turn out as it did." He shifted his limbs, reaching forward for the tea, sighing. "You can imagine my displeasure with the fact that it feels like I played right into Gene's hands." He sighed again. "I always did. He was much cleverer than me. Always more manipulative than most would suspect."
"He knew I would," she agreed quietly.
Naru remained silent.
"Even though he said he didn't know and didn't care, he didn't mean it, did he? He knew that I would. And that's why he was... why he was able to find peace."
He sighed. "My brother.. was absolutely inconsiderate to those around him." A bitter smile crossed his face and disappeared. "Both in life and in death."
Mai set down her empty teacup and rose, crossing the office as she approached the window. The darkening sky was just as gray as before. "I know Lin said it won't, but it looks like it'll snow."
"Or rain," he said quietly. She nearly jumped; he had followed her across the room without her even realizing he had left his seat.
A small smile spread on her lips. "It's December. If anything, it'll snow." She quoted.
He shrugged slightly and turned, leaving her side. "If you say so. But it's not going to do either. Lin's never wrong about the weather."
She turned her head, watching him as he picked up their teacups and took them to the kitchenette, pausing to turn the switch of a lamp, a soft glow illuminating the room. She heard the sound of faucet running. He was doing the dishes again.
Her mind wandered to the vague memories of a dream the night before. They had been in the office— not in the main room, but in his office. She had been searching for something on the street. This time, it was her own subconscious guiding her; not Gene's spirit that led her in the dream. What am I looking for, she found herself wondering. Or was the dream indicating Naru's confidence in me to find the ward...
She had taken her seat on the sofa once more when he returned to the main room. "You destroyed the ward, so the spirit is gone, right?" She said suddenly.
He nodded.
"So Tokutata's son will return to normal." A genuine smile brightened her features. "That's good." She looked up at him sharply. "You won't know who was the culprit, though," she accused. "You don't know why the spirit latched on to Tokutata's son."
A small smirk lifted his lips. "I said the spirit was gone, not that the case was closed. You're welcome to continue your research of the area to determine the answer."
Her face blanched and then she laughed. "You're joking. You're joking, right?"
He shrugged ever so slightly and sat down again, this time on the sofa opposite her. After several moments of silence he spoke. "Thank you," he said quietly.
She felt a flush rising to her cheeks. "W-what for?"
He shrugged again, turning his head toward the door. "For letting me borrow your time." He exhaled, pausing. "I imagine Madoka had something very specific to discuss with you during lunch."
"Well..." Mai faltered.
"I... avoided the subject because I didn't want to corner you into a situation, which I did tonight anyway. I'm... sorry."
"Naru," Mai said gently, "you've apologized three times tonight. You can stop."
He met her gaze truthfully. "What do you want, Mai?"
She hesitated, caught off-guard. "I..." She looked at her hands. "I do, I want to help you... to be there for you, if I'm needed. But I need to trust you, and in order to trust you I want you to trust me. I don't know if it makes sense for me to help you diffuse your PK if you don't. And I... I want to know more about you. Maybe that's why, even though it hurt, I think I was happy to channel your PK. Because I felt like I learned something about you." She exhaled noisily, hoping her cheeks weren't as pink as they felt.
"But that's not how I want to learn more about you," Mai continued. "I want you to trust me enough to share more of yourself with me. I want to spend time outside of work. I want to get to know you better." She laughed suddenly, bitterly, quietly. "What am I saying."
It felt like a confession all over again and she expected his scorn, but he remained silent and thoughtful. "I have a tendency to be... self absorbed." he finally said, with difficulty. "And extremely absorbed in my work. I am not good at asking questions about others' personal lives, and I am not good at talking about mine. I am not patient and I am not kind. Quite honestly I would make a terrible boyfriend."
"I won't ask you to be my boyfriend. And you're much kinder than you think you are," Mai said softly.
"You're much more forgiving than most," he replied. He gazed at her, studying her quietly. "I had not expected you to want to work for SPR again. I thought that you hated me."
"I don't."
He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching and his eyes bright in the soft lighting. "I suppose I gathered that much."
"Hmpf," she sniffed, "yes, egotistical as always." Even as she said the words, she couldn't keep the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You were always quick to judge," he said, pausing. "But unfortunately, you're usually right."
"Unfortunately?" She objected, and laughed, standing abruptly. "I'd better go." A wry smile crossed her lips. "How can I be on time tomorrow for work if I stay here late?"
He followed her movement, first with his eyes and then with his body. "I'll take you."
"You don't have to do that.." she protested, pulling on her coat.
The thick collar of the wool coat had turned under and she struggled with the garment, but Naru turned it over for her neatly, placing the jacket gently on her shoulders.
"Of course I don't have to," he frowned, looking annoyed. "But I want to."
Wide eyes watched as he put on his own coat, and a small smile formed on her lips as she followed him out the door.
