Ms Bat regrets to inform her beloved readers that as her obligations to work have increased for the month of Aug and with the advent of academia and societal responsibilities, she will only be able to update at the speed of slugs and snails. She hopes that you will wait patiently in the mean time and entertain yourself thinking up long and lengthy reviews to encourage her writing speed. She will also attempt to leave weekly updates on the status of her writing projects and other little reading tidbits on her profile.
Onward to the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ghost Hunt.
Meanwhile, His Excellency, Sir Lin Koujo remained as clueless as to the whereabouts of the prince as he was the day the latter decided to wander off in the shape of a tiny amphibian. He sneezed morosely as he made discreet inquiries at the university, and failing that, the market place, the town square and all surrounding farms… to no avail. Had he known it, in his search, he had in fact squelched through the very field filled with the same wild-eyed sheep which the missing prince (now a frog) had earlier encountered. It was also getting harder and harder to hide anything from the King and Queen, who were demanding with increasing regularity to know why on earth their Trade Minister was hobnobbing with the visiting herpetological professor or the farmers, as this very latest interview indicated.
"I think you ought to go take a break and rest up, Koujo. Let your assistant go through the proposal for the negotiations with Nihon," the king said, taking pity of the bedraggled appearance of one of his closest aides.
The Minister of Trade Relations bowed politely. "If my lord wishes it," he murmured and exited the king's private study with the same gloomy mood he'd entered the room with. If his majesty had any idea…Lin shuddered to think of the consequences. Perhaps he ought to inform his ward that he would be back for dinner tomorrow. He definitely needed a day off.
The infuriated girl stomped off into the kitchen, where Madoka and her friend were bending over a smoking pot on the stove. When Mai entered, bearing the empty teapot with her, the two women jumped guiltily.
"What's that?" Mai asked with narrowed eyes as she set the kettle to boil. Madoka smiled over brightly.
"Why, nothing. Is that tea for Naru?"
The girl snorted. "He can't even survive ten minutes without it," she muttered under her breath. The enchantress laughed.
"Correction. I once saw him last an hour without it. You're spoiling him by humouring him," she said. The younger girl was surprised.
"How would you know that?"
It was Ayako's turn to be surprised. "Don't tell me you don't know who that frog of yours is. I would have thought… his name…"
Mai shook her head. "Should I?"
And, in spite of Mai's repeated attempts to try to wheedle out an answer from either of them, all she got were knowing smirks and giggles. "Well, we won't ruin the surprise for you," said Madoka firmly when she cornered her later that day. Disappointed, Mai had wandered back into the sitting room only to find that it was occupied by a small gaggle of people. Squeezing her way between Yasuhara and the knight, Sir John, she blanched at the sight of the biwa, which Takigawa was currently in possession of. Masako took it from him. "No, no. See? You hold it like this," she explained before passing it back to him.
"Doesn't…anyone want to stop him?" she protested feebly when a loud blast went off.
Lin, who had just stepped out of his coach, winced at the loud explosion. A roll of soft pink smoke floated out from the back part of the mansion. "I say… it looks a little like cotton candy," his coachman murmured vaguely and then shook himself embarrassedly. Lin gave the man a stern look and then strode ahead, pausing only to swing shut the gate. He smiled fondly at the plaque which had the words The Last Homely House etched on it. Trust Mai to christen his remote country house with that name. And speaking of females with weird habits or ideas, there was no doubt, he thought, as he handed his hat and gloves to the strained looking footman, Madoka was behind the latest loud occurrence. Then he noticed the odd looking items that his umbrella stand had acquired.
Stepping into the sitting room, the minister was greeted by an awed silence. The reason for this was Takigawa Houshou, who ran his fingers lightly over the instrument. A stream of impossibly beautiful music came from it. Masako was visibly impressed. "If I hadn't known better, I would have said that you must have trained under one of our own musicians," she commented.
However, before Lin could ask what they were doing in his house, he was ambushed by a strong hug. "Lin!" the excited female voice that accompanied the hug squeaked. "You're back!"
Startled, the only thing Lin could do was ask, "Mori-san. Do I want to know what's going on?" The enchantress winked at him.
"Wait till you find out who you have in your house…"
Mai coughed and waved aside a plume of pink smoke. The kitchen, mercifully, was still intact even if the table in the middle seemed to be covered in its entirety with vivid pink goo.
"I don't suppose you would know where the tea is, would you," a voice asked through the haze.
Mai looked around and spotted Naru sitting patiently by the sink. "My kitchen is a mess of pink…stuff and you want to know where the tea is?" she asked in disbelief. Naru shifted slightly to look up at her.
"I think better when I've had it," he explained calmly.
Shoulders sagging, she sighed and went to fill the kettle with water. While waiting, Mai took a rag and tried to mop up some of the goo. To her disgust, it clung on the cloth and remained stubbornly stuck even when she tried to wash it off. As she did so, Naru came over and peered at the rag which she had draped on the sink. "It looks like a love potion," he commented with a glance through the door to where Ayako and Madoka were attempting to discreetly mop at their smudged faces. Mai flopped down on to a chair.
"I give up. Besides, it's their fault," she mumbled.
The kettle whistled. "So… what sort of tea would you like?" she asked, her earlier antagonism to the frog having vanished.
"You could recommend me something," he said quickly and surprised both himself and her.
"Is that actually a request?" she asked, hazel eyes twinkling.
"You might not believe it, but I am actually capable of speak decently when I have to. Now hurry up. I don't have all day," Naru replied stiffly.
"Hai, hai!" she grinned and took down the small container of Lin's prized white tea. As she filled Naru's cup for him, she reflected that there had to be something positive to say about someone who enjoyed her tea so much. Even if that person happened to be a frog and refused even to admit that he liked the tea she made.
Naru put down his cup (still floral and gilt-edged). "I have something to say to…" he started to say when a stream of beautiful music floated into the room. Takigawa was turning out to be a blessing and Mai settled back to listen dreamily, pleased that the Royal tutor's presence prevented Yasuhara from his musical explorations. Naru gave a small huff of impatience. As the music drew to an end and Takigawa basked in the applause and whistles, he tried again. "Mai," he began meaningfully, "there is something you ought to…"
The sentence was never finished as Lin chose this same moment to rush in. To the young girl's bafflement, her guardian charged past her to the sink and stared at Naru as if he'd never seen a frog before.
"Have you any idea what you've put your tutors through? What about your parents?" he practically roared.
"Now, Lin-san, you really must calm down," Madoka said in a mollifying tone and seized him gently by the elbow. "Mai? Is that tea I smell? If you would get your guardian a cup…"
Lin seemed to notice her for the first time. "Did you know this as well?" he barked.
"She doesn't," Madoka said firmly, coming to Mai's rescue. "Now, let's head back to the sitting room…" Still tugging on his elbow, she led him out of the room, turning to give Naru a look that clearly meant if I hear that you've upset Mai even more than she already is, you'll get it.
Naru felt as if he'd been treated extremely unfairly. For one thing, it wasn't him that had reduced Mai to sniffling miserably in a goo covered kitchen. For another thing, since he often made people feel like that anyway, and he was hardly up to the task of comforting them. Nevertheless, whatever he might have felt, Madoka's unspoken threat made it plain that he was to pick up the pieces regardless if it had really been his fault. He sighed.
"Perhaps it would be better if you finish making the tea," he suggested. Mai looked at him as if that was the last thing on her mind. "Madoka asked you to make some tea for Lin," he reminded her.
As Mai went through the motions mechanically, her thoughts skimmed the events of the past few days. Naru's flawless handwriting, his narcissism and appreciation for astronomy, Yasuhara's respectful address whenever he spoke to the frog, the sudden appearance of many people at the house in search of said frog, Madoka's mysterious smiles, Lin, normally so stoic having an outburst…
"Should I know who you are, Shibuya?" she asked flatly. Naru was staring steadily at her out of copper eyes.
"Does it matter?"
She thumped down the tea set angrily. "Lin clearly thinks it does! And Madoka knows. The Countess knows. Sir Takigawa knows. Gene knows. Yasuhara also probably does. I don't! How long are you going to keep me in the dark?"
"You're just angry because Lin accused you of something you haven't been able to see yourself," he stated coolly.
"I know I'm not as intelligent as you are! But just so you know, I'm also not as big an idiot as you are," she replied frigidly and went out with the tea.
Author's notes: An angry Lin wasn't on the books either, but it just happened. I hope I've not ruined anyone's image of Naru's long-suffering assistant. And I do wonder, has anyone managed to figure out where I've gotten the name for Lin's house from? =p
Ariana Taniyama: And if it does, it would be getting his just desserts i suppose. XD
HarunoRin: And... Naru screws up again! Though you have to hand it to him for trying. Ah well. He'll get a chance to redeem himself sooner or later. Can't say more for now. ;)
Jillian Rachel: Yes. Haha. I've to agree that childish men, especially Naru, make good fun as writing material.