Here's the next chapter~~ *twirls in then twirls out* Someone also asked if Mai was a High Shool student, and my answer to that is no, she's not. I'm placing her as a Middle School student. Hope that cleared things up, it was how I had thought of it as anyway. (And sorry for not stating your name, I'm on a tight schedule with all this hiatus bar coming lower and all…)
Now enjoy the story! :D
"This book is rather interesting."
"Whatever."
"Where'd you get it from?"
"Whatever."
"No, I'm serious, where did you get it from?"
"Whatever."
"What is wrong with you? I'm being serious for once!"
"Whatever."
"Arg! Fine! Be that way! Me and my new friend are going to have a blast, right book?"
"Whatever."
"... Even the book sounds like you..."
"Whatever."
"..."
.
.
.
The next morning, Naru had picked Lin up from the hospital, and both made their way back to the van parked behind the building. "The test was a success, I had both Mai and Father Brown do the sealing of the room."
Lin nodded, taking in the information of his charge. "And do you have an idea on who might have done it?"
"A poltergeist is done mostly done by the women population, and from that population, the majority would be in their pre-adolescence to adolescence who have much more stronger waves than any other age." Naru spoke of the fact with ease. "So that would eliminate everyone except for Mai and Kuroda, but then if we look closer, latent psychic ability for pre-adolescence is due to being under stress, so that would leave Kuroda as our prime suspect."
Naru concluded with a curt nod. "So that would conclude the theory behind the poltergeist, leaving land subsidence as the main factor for the school building."
"Proving that your first theory was right." Lin agreed.
"Of course it is, what do you take me for?" Naru conceded. Lin could only sigh.
They neared the van and Naru immediately shown Lin the video of what had transpired in the sealed room. It was during the video replay when Mai appeared looking like the dead.
She groaned, her hand rubbing out sleep from her eye, as she made her way towards them. "Morning."
Both males looked up, taking in the sight of the tired girl. Naru spoke up. "You're rather early, Mai."
"Blame that stupid project of yours!" She grumbled, hiding another yawn. "I was awake all last night just thinking about it because the stupid narcissist wouldn't tell me anything..."
It took her a while to notice Lin. "Oh, you're that guy that pushed me out of the way back then... How's your ankle?"
"Fine." Lin gave a curt nod before turning away.
"Gee, great attitude..." Mai muttered under her breath. Another yawn took over. "Anyways, when are you going to tell me about the experiment, Naru?"
The said teen looked up, analyzing her for a moment, then returned his gaze back to the laptop. The bags under her eyes gave away that she hardly slept a wink, which was sad since it took away from her pretty complexion. "Wait until everyone else gets here, it'll save me from repeated explanations."
"Fine, do whatever you want, narcissist, after all," Mai rolled her eyes, continuing her mumbling. "you are all 'noble'."
Naru, who had heard the mumble smirked. "I'm honored if you think that way, Mai."
"Huh?" It took a while to process what had just happened, and when it did. "You jerk! I did not mean to fuel your narcissism streak!"
To Mai's irritation, Naru ignored her. She crossed her arms across her chest and huffed haughtily. It wasn't until the thought of yesterday's unasked question decided to roll itself into her turmoiled mind, did she stop to her fuming. She turned back towards the male. "Hey, Naru,"
Naru paused his talk with Lin and turned towards her. "What is it, Mai?"
"I had a question yesterday, before you decided to head off like the jerk you are." Mai started, looking solemn. "The day you left us, did you come back?"
Naru resisted the urge to frown as he processed what his temporary assistant revealed to him. He had gone to the hospital then straight to the hotel, nothing on him coming back here to the old school house building. This time he did frown in thought. "No, I didn't come here."
"Oh," Mai nodded absently, her enthusiasm coming back to her a second later. "alright then, it must have been my imagination then! Oh! Is that John I see?"
The two males turned to see the Priest coming towards them. "Goo' mornin',"
"You look tired, John," Mai pointed out.
The said male nodded wearily. "'Fraid I was thinkin' too much 'bout the experiment, so I got little sleep."
"You too?" Mai sympathized. "I hardly got any sleep because of it."
"That ain't good for your skin, Mai," John smiled, amusement dancing across his tired features. "Girls like you need to have full rest."
"Now you're starting to treat me like a child!" Mai pouted, but couldn't stop the grin from breaking through.
Naru cleared his throat. "If you have time for flirting, then I prefer you go elsewhere."
He then turned to face the van, absorbed in his work. Mai frowned. "Flirting?"
She turned towards John, with a questioning look. "What does he mean, flirting?"
John merely smiled, sharing a knowing look with Lin, who gave a small smile in return. Mai glanced between the two, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She opened her mouth to voice out an opinion, but was cut off before she could get out a word.
"Hey," Everyone turned to see Houshou, Kuroda and Ayako coming towards them. Masako wasn't with them. "have we missed anything?"
Mai smiled. "Nope, nothing as of yet. Where's Masako?"
"She wasn't feeling well," Ayako spoke up, flicking her hair back. "so we came here without her."
"Oh," Mai let her statement trail off.
Naru spoke up, cutting the reunions short. "If you have time for chatting idly, then you can go home,"
"Geez, what's up with him?" Houshou muttered, watching as Naru headed for the building. Lin a pace after him.
"I have no idea," Mai gave a shrug, making her way after her temporary boss. Everyone else followed soon after.
.
.
.
"Is it done yet?"
"How should I know that?"
"The drama!"
"Oh shut up!"
"Says you!"
"Uh-huh,"
"Seriously? You were the one who was all like, whatever, every single time!"
"'Cause it was worth it."
"Every single damn time!"
"Worth it."
"Every single fucking damn time!"
"Language!"
"Ouch! What the hell?! Where the hell do you keep getting these things?!"
"Why should I tell you?"
"..."
"That's right, I'm the boss."
"..."
.
.
.
Mai was stuffing her disappointment to the farthest corner she had in her heart. But the pangs still resounded through her being.
It was a week after Naru had stated that case was closed, officially, but it still felt like yesterday.
After showing the moved chair, and announcing that Kuroda was unconsciously making poltergeist, he had immediately packed up, Lin with him all the way. Houshou, and Ayako had pushed it off after the whole explanation bit, stating that they were done with it. John had only agreed, and despite feeling tired, he had kept his friendly face up.
Mai had thought it might have a strained tinge to it, but it was her tired eyes playing tricks on her.
After that whole fiasco, Naru finally stated that he would report a story that won't depress Kuroda any longer. The said teen was happy, and now she was rising in popularity because of it.
Keiko, Yuuri, and Michiru often teased her about her Prince Charming leaving her, but she retorted that she was perfectly capable without a narcissistic freak. They only smiled knowingly to each other, which pissed her quite a bit, but it didn't last long, since they were her friends after all.
Now she was sitting down at her seat, and droning the lecture out by staring out the window. A perfect view of the old school house building. The distant thought of Naru saying that she would grow dumber made her snort.
Her attention was taken again when the old building began to collapse, creating a huge cloud of dust. Somehow, everyone had gotten out of their seats to look at the school building, whispers flying around as they viewed the collapse.
Mai didn't waste time and immediately headed out of school to go towards the building she had been in only a week ago. With everyone else. She didn't stop until she reached the back of the building, expecting the van to be parked there, but it wasn't. Mai ran a hand through her hair, giving out a wry smile. "Figures, if they were here then I wouldn't be in school."
She stood there for a while, basking in the memories she had made with the temporary boss she had met on accident.
.
.
.
"She looks real lonely..."
"Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about it."
"Oh yes there is."
"Enlighten me, chap."
"Stop with the English."
"Can't help it, I was raised in England."
"Well I have a problem with it."
"Right, right, you're all for Young'un and all."
"Honestly, let me get to my idea, man!"
"Alright, alright, what is your grand idea?"
"Imma go visit your brother!"
"Right, right, ... Huh?"
"Tata~"
"Hey, wait! ... Goddamn him!"
.
.
.
Naru sneezed, he rubbed his nose frowning. He was sure he hadn't done anything to catch a cold, so why was he sneezing? A thought came up, something that his brother, Gene, would say, about how someone would be talking about you if you had sneezed. Something that their heritage believed.
He gave a sigh. "Yeah right, like that could be true..."
"So you think that people aren't talking behind your back?" The teen started as he turned to see K leaning against the wall, his usual grin in place.
Naru scowled. It had been almost a week since the last time he had encountered the brunette, and he had settled down on the thought that he would not appear for the rest of the duration he was here in Japan. That he would be able to rest in peace, so that he could concentrate on the work he was here for. "What are you doing here, K?"
The said teen placed a hand dramatically over his chest, a mock horrified look on his face. "He asked what I was doing here?"
He then turned towards the wall, a perfect picture of woe. "And here I thought that we were at least past that stage!"
Just then, the door opened, revealing the Chinese man. He looked between them, then nodded. "I'll come in at a later time."
He left, shutting the door behind him.
"Well," K started, recovering from his previous position. "that was quick."
Naru heaved a sigh, massaging his temples. "Just what are you doing here in my office, K."
"I see it's always business with you," K sniffed, crossing his arms. "and since you won't take a joke, I'll get straight to the point, hire Mai."
There was a pause as Naru thought it over. He had the thought of hiring her because of her background, but then it would get suspicious if she found out that she was kept in the dark. Naru knew, for a fact, that the girl was smarter than she looked, even if she had her moments of being a lost cause, but he couldn't risk his secret to come out, especially when Masako had already found him out. "No."
"Why?" K countered swiftly, analyzing the teen in front of him.
"She'll get suspicious." Was all the he answered with.
"That's all you care about?" K exclaimed, seemingly exasperated.
"I'll be going home once I find Gene, dead or alive." Naru countered. "So I won't be hiring Mai."
"Now you make her sound like an object." K scrunched up his nose at the thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened yet again.
Lin didn't need to analyze the situation, with all the tension in the air. He gave a curt nod, before leaving, shutting the door closed for the second time.
"Talk about grand entrances," K muttered, his head in his hand. He the straightened up and walked over to the huge desk that the living teen was occupying. "listen, you don't have to worry about Mai becoming suspicious of you or your work, she has a whole bunch of secrets that she guards as well, so suck up your goddamn logic and hire her!"
"Her secrets aren't as important as mine." Naru stood his ground, stating the fact coldly.
"Not as important, huh," K crossed his arms, glaring down at the seated teen. "you're dead wrong on that grasshopper, dead wrong."
The door opened, but closed immediately, the two occupants too busy to notice that the Chinese man had yet again tried to come in on their conversation, but had retreated just as quick. It was too dangerous in a room filled with tension. Especially when you had a ghost who looked like the apocalypse itself and a teenager who had hormone problems... definitely dangerous.
"Then tell me a good reason on why, I should hire her." Naru finally replied, he thought he saw the look of pure worry etched on the brunette's face before it was wiped off.
"Just hire her," K started, a defeated look rising on his features. "She needs protection."
"Protection?" Naru repeated with a frown.
K merely nodded, rubbing his face. "Give her protection, it'll help, even if it is a little that would be fine."
He ended off in a murmur, closing his eyes briefly. Opening them, he let his usual grin surface. "Now I gotta go, tata~"
"Should I even bother yelling at you to wait?" Naru groaned to the disappearing figure.
"Mou~ that was mean~" K's voice echoed as his presence disappeared from the room. Leaving Naru alone to process on what he had been told.
It was frustrating enough that he couldn't get the exact location of his brother from the two-faced ghost, but the thought that Mai was in need of protection from some unknown force that was supposedly the cliché evil.
He sighed as he sat there for a few more minutes on debating whether he should hire the lively brunette into his office or not. The thought of her being in his office made some small part of him giddy, something that made him horrified, and he squashed down without a second thought by grabbing the phone on his desk and dialing the school's number.
It took a while for him to understand what he had just done, and he felt like hitting his head on the desk. "Wh-"
"Hello, how can I help you?" A female's voice cut him off.
"Can I speak with Taniyama, Mai?" Now that wasn't him, he wasn't so insecure about anything. He must have been possessed, that must be it.
"Sure, hold on please." He was placed on hold, and for a while he listened to the music that floated through.
He let out a groan, smacking his head against his palm. "What the heck is wrong with me?"
"Hello? This is Taniyama, Mai, speaking." Naru smiled at hearing the voice he had grown so fond of.
"Mai," He greeted.
There was silence before it crackled to life. "Oh, it's you, what made you call me on a school day, your Highness."
Something was definitely wrong with him if he was smirking at the retort. "Your payment,"
"... You're actually going to pay for my menial labour?" Was the deadpan he received. "This must be a new chapter in all of history."
"I can always keep the money if you'd like." He answered.
"And I'd like to keep the money," Mai retorted. "I don't work for free, y'know?"
Definitely the Mai he knew. "Alright, I'll post it to your house then."
"Ah, ok," Mai answered, a bit distantly.
"Does your school allow you to work, Mai?" He questioned, fiddling with a pen on his desk.
There was a small pause as a cautious reply answered him. "Yeah..."
Somewhere inside him something soared. "That's good, I want you to come here whenever you're available and work for the manager of the company. It isn't much, just some filing and here and there."
Maybe it was too much for her... "Unless of course you don't want to work here."
"No, I'll go! I'll go!" Mai's voice rose as scrambling on the other end was heard. "What's the address, I can start this Saturday, since I don't have anything planned."
Naru smiled, as he twirled in his chair to look out the window. He spoke of the address and soon hung up. He rubbed his face tiredly.
Something was definitely wrong with him.
.
.
.
"Look! They're going to be together soon!"
"Was it necessary to visit him?"
"Of course it was! It's how you keep friendship going!"
"Like how you when you had gone to England?"
"Oh yeah! Remember the time I climbed up your house to get to your room?"
"That was Noll's,"
"Aha~ so it was, he had a good expression there when I scared him with my coded knocking!"
"He was pale the next morning,"
"Oh well, it was better than getting a broken arm after losing my grip, pfft, those were the good times!"
"How did you get your arm casted?"
"I had insurance that travels with me."
"Right, traveling insurance..."
"You don't believe me?"
"No,"
"Then tell me how I was able to cover my costs when I had come down sick!"
"Um,"
"Or how I had received treatment for that one fracture that was staking my life on the brink of death!"
"Er,"
"Or that one time-"
"Okay, okay! You win, you had the traveling insurance!"
"I knew you'd notice it sooner or later... But this late? That's slow..."
"You're one to talk!"