The Sweet Taste of Death: Chapter 11
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December 13
Day 4
Mai threw the covers over her face and winced as sunlight invaded her vision. Takigawa sat by the window patiently, playing with the curtain's maroon fabric. "Come on, Mai. Get up!"
"No," she let out a tired moan.
The monk sighed. Why did he have to share a room with a girl? They were always so hard to wake up. John, Lin, and Naru were so freaking lucky. "If you don't, we'll have a Naru without tea on our hands. Is this how you want my life to end, Mai?" he said seriously.
"I'm up, okay?!" she said hastily, shoving her head back into the feather pillow.
After a while of watching Mai fall back asleep, Bou-san decided to step his torture up a notch.
"Here go the covers," he said, uncovering Mai clad in boy shorts and a Hello Kitty shirt.
"But I'm so…tired." Mai rolled onto her stomach.
"By the way," the monk began, "you should see the Christmas decorations Umiko set up outside! They're really amazing. But I guess you should wait until its dark out so you can actually see them. She even got up early this morning to start putting up the Christmas tree!"
Mai shot out of bed with a purely shocked expression and stood up without warning. "Okay, okay! Get out so I can get ready!" she yelled, embarrassed.
Takigawa raised up his hands in surrender. "I'm going; you don't have to push me, Mai."
After a while of waiting outside the bedroom door, Bou-san was finally allowed back in, not like had much to do in there other than sleep, anyway. He followed Mai into the dining room, where Seiji stood in front of John, Masako, and Lin taking breakfast orders.
He turned to greet the new comers. "Oh, hello, Mai. Takigawa," he said politely, bowing.
"What would you like for breakfast? I'm cooking today."
Mai smiled nervously. After all, it had been a while since they had talked. "Um, anything is fine as long as it's edible."
The humiliated girl shrunk in comparison to Seiji, who now stood in front of her with an offended look on his face. She never meant to be so rude.
Way to make a "second impression," Mai.
Masako's eye twitched as she stifled a cough behind the sleeve of her silk kimono. John reached for Mai's shoulder, but before he could, Seiji bent over in an attempt to conceal his laughter.
"Ha-ha! Of course! You got it." Once the boy finally recovered, he turned to Takigawa. "What would you like?"
And so, to Mai's relief, the day started off pretty normal as Ayako, Naru, and Umiko finally came to the table. Seiji, who had finally received everyone's orders, decided on making some curry to wake everyone up.
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"John, Masako, and Ayako, while it's still light out I want you to go and perform exorcisms in all of these areas," Naru said, indicating towards the small red 'X's across the blueprint he had in his hand. "It doesn't matter what room each of you does. Decide that by yourselves. If anything at all strange happens, I want you to contact either me or Lin, understand?"
"Understood," they said in unison. And with that, John was handed the blueprints and they were set off to work.
Once the others had left, Bou-san and Mai sat down, waiting for orders.
"Mai, I want you to tell me all about your little detour yesterday," Naru started, sitting down across from the two. Lin's typing was the only thing filled the empty void which was silence.
"I don't see why you made me stay after, Naru. I mean, I don't really know anything about those knives. Only Mai does," the monk started hesitantly.
"I understand, but that's not what I had in mind for you, Takigawa," Naru stated, an arrogant smirk making its way onto his face.
Bou-san, not understanding, looked towards Mai for answers, but she shrugged instead. "I don't get it. What do you want me to do, then?"
"Well," the narcissus started, "I've called over a friend to help us investigate. You two will be headed to the library for some information on this house."
Takigawa and Mai looked at each other in surprise. "Yasuhara-kun?"
"I hope you don't mind, Bou-san," he smiled, his pen propped under his lip in an innocent way. Said monk looked away in despair.
"Not that kid, again."
Mai grinned sympathetically towards Bou-san. "Hey, you're lucky. I have to stay with Naru," she countered.
Naru coughed, "Madoka will be driving Yasuhara over any minute and then drop you off at the library, but she says she won't be able to stay long, so when you're ready to come back, call, and Lin will go pick you up. I will go inform Takuro-san. Mai, when I get back, we can start."
His assistant nodded reluctantly. As he closed the door to the base leaving only them three, Mai turned to her 'brother' figure. "He makes it sound like an interrogation. It makes me somewhat nervous."
"You should be nervous," Lin said over his typing. "Naru was quite upset when he had figured out that you were gone. He won't be easy on you. I have to admit, though, even I was a little scarred of what would happen to you. And Naru can go a little over-board when it comes to the people he cares about."
Mai reddened. "So I've heard," she said, when suddenly the door swung open.
"Boss! I missed you!" someone shouted, wrapping their arms tightly around Mai's neck.
"Yasu–Yasuhara…" Mai winced, but sighed in relief as he gradually let go.
"Lin," Yasuhara left them hanging as he winked suggestively towards the Chinese man.
Takigawa chuckled behind his hand as Lin sent the college student a dangerous glare, only to have said student turn to him next.
"And you, Bou-san," he started, taking the monk's hand in his, and kissing the back of it.
"Ew! Yasu-germs!" Takigawa shouted, rubbing the spit of a certain smiling Yasuhara onto Mai's jacket.
"Ugh, boy cooties!" Mai stuck her tongue out and stood up, dodging the heinous attack towards her clothes. She ran around the couch and away from her enemy.
"Ha-ha, you'll never get me!" Mai yelled, until she 'incidentally' bumped into a certain narcissus's chest. "Uh, Naru!"
His hand rested on her shoulder as he glanced up to see Yasuhara.
"Hey, big boss!" he said happily, raising his hand in some sort of a wave.
"Hey, guys!" another voice came from behind Naru.
"Madoka-chan!" Mai said, excitement filling her voice as she peeked under Naru's arm.
"Mai-chan! How have you been doing? Has Naru been treating you with manners?" The pink-haired woman asked politely, hugging Mai like it had been years since they had seen each other.
"Ha-ha, you know the answer to that one," Mai said, slapping her boss's arm playfully as she winked at her friend.
Madoka smiled brightly, her arm locked around her former student's neck, causing a responded choking noise from him. "Looks like I have some more things to teach him! Excuse his ignorance," she apologized, bowing and bringing Naru down with her.
Takigawa was about to die of laughter, but he just couldn't help himself. Lin sighed and turned back around, beginning to type again.
"Don't worry, I never do," Mai commented when they came back up.
"Don't you have people to drive?" Naru questioned rudely, nudging his old mentor halfway out of the door.
Mai turned around towards Takigawa. "That's weird. I know you're old enough to have a license, so why don't you have a car?"
Bou-san smiled sheepishly, giving Mai a playful pinch on the cheek. "Ah, well, I do have a license; I've just never used it."
"Why not?" she inquired, pinching his hand so that he'd let go.
"Cars cost so much these days and…well, lots of other reasons, but that doesn't matter. I'll see you later!" he yelled down the hallway as he continued to be dragged by Madoka and her faithful assistant, Yasu.
She yelled something Naru couldn't understand back and waved them good-bye. "Ah," she sighed peacefully, placing her hands on her hips, "nothing like seeing old friends again, right Naru?"
Her boss didn't answer, but glared at her instead. 'Says you,' he thought.
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"Answer me, Mai. You had gone in there before, correct?" Naru said, impatience lacing his voice.
"Maybe," she said, dazed.
"Mai," he started threateningly. Anyone could tell Naru was currently in a bad mood, and Mai was not ready to get in his line of fire.
"Fine, I was there, but does that really matter? I mean, I' am in one piece, right?" Mai said with a sigh. There was no getting around an angry Naru.
He boss leaned back in his chair. "Tell me what happened that time," he demanded.
Mai choked. "Are you always so straight-forward?"
"I do not waste my time, Mai," he said in a stern voice, taking a small sip of tea.
Mai twirled her hair around her finger lazily. "Like I haven't noticed?"
"Mai," he rasped.
"Okay, okay! So I was annoying you and Bou-san, but then he told me that he was busy and I was really bored since I had finished dinner early, right? I decided instead of going to bother Ayako that I would be of some use to the case and investigate by myself for a little while, so–and by then it was still a little light out since we had eaten a very early dinner–so then I just felt drawn to that room…the library, I mean. And I had only just gotten there when I went to the back of the room (where the desk was) and I saw a window there so I stood by it for a moment and then all of the sudden I saw snow! And that's when we all went out to play–" before Mai could continue her little rant, Naru held his hand up, signaling for her to stop.
"So you had just gotten there? You didn't see or find anything?" Naru inquired softly.
"That's right."
"Hmm," he hummed out, repeatedly clicking the pen in his hands. Mai seemed nervous about this. She had never really seen Naru fidget. It was a rare sight.
"What's wrong?"
"It's odd…Anyway, are you sure you didn't find anything else, Mai?"
"Pretty sure," she answered confidently.
Her boss stood up from the chair across from her slowly. There was something strange about it. "That's enough for now. But I do want you to stay in here with Lin and I until one of the others come back, okay?"
"You are so boring, Naru!"
"At least you could go to sleep. Do what you do best; it could help the case," he said, walking over towards Lin.
Mai sighed looking down. She knew it wouldn't help because, for one, Dream-Naru was currently absent, and two, well…there wasn't really a number two. It just sounded more important that way.
"Okay," she said with an unnatural air of quietness around her.
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Ayako sighed as she waited for John to finish up exorcizing one of the many rooms in the west wing. That freaking hallway went on forever. Besides, the house was scary even in the light. She didn't want to go back alone. After all, on the very first day, Masako had gotten sick due to something inhuman.
She had insisted on bothering Naru until he had told her, but of course no one else knew (that Masako was coughing up blood) besides himself, her, Mai, and Lin.
Naru told her that it should be a secret and that word of the incident was not to leak, especially to the Takuro family.
Impatience coursing through her veins, Ayako tapped her foot and crossed her arms. She wanted out of here and somewhere safe. Now.
Speaking of which, the medium seemed to be rather quiet lately.
John walked out of the room with a smile. "I'm done, Matsuzaki-san, Hara-san. Should we head back to the base, now?"
Ayako nodded swiftly and began hurriedly walking back, leaving a glaring Masako and a nervous priest in her dust.
"Ah–Wait, Matsuzaki-san!" John called out.
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Mai looked up expectantly as the base's door opened with an eerie creak.
"It's all done, Naru," Ayako said quietly. She left the door open for John and Masako who both stepped in silently behind her.
The narcissus turned around in his chair and nodded. "Good. Now, Matsuzaki-san, would you mind making some charms for Mai and Hara-san?"
Ignoring the strange looks he received, Naru glanced back over towards the monitors. Mai stood up in protest. "Wait–what?!"
"I politely asked Matsuzaki-san if she would make some protective charms for you and Hara-san. Did you not hear me the first time?" he commented rudely.
"I can care of myself, thank you," came Mai's snide remark as she scoffed in protest.
Naru removed his hair from in front of his face and glared back at his assistant. "Apparently you can't, can you?" But before he could even finish, she had stormed out of the room, fuming.
A sigh escaped his lips. "John, please follow her."
With a quick nod, the priest was off.
Ayako frowned at their usual game of cat and mouse. "I can't see why you don't just–I don't know–get along with her once in a blue freakin' moon. It's simple, really," she rasped, sitting down on the couch followed by Masako.
"Naru, is it really necessary?" the medium inquired behind her kimono sleeve.
"Quite."
I mean if he wasn't around, who else would be able to protect that girl?
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