Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing "Where is home?"
I know I'm late...I'm so sorry!
Anyway, here's the next chapter for this week. Do tell me what you think about it ^ v ^
"I heard you're having another season for your show," John said as he sliced the sunnyside-up egg on his plate.
He served their breakfast – bacon and eggs with toast, and tea – in the garden. Masako sat in front of him.
"Yes," Masako shyly nodded. "It's our fourth season. I didn't think people would want another one."
John chuckled. "Your show is quite interesting to watch," he said. "I've learned a lot of things about paranormal activity here in Japan from your show.
Masako looked surprised at John. "You watch my show?"
"Yes," John shyly answered. "I watch it when I don't have much to do. I think it's only right that you get another season for it."
Masako smiled. "Thank you," she said. "So, I heard you just got back from England?"
Masako nodded. "About that," Masako said. "I remember in the banquet, you and Oliver-san spoke to each other."
John nodded, trying hard not to show how worried he was at where their conversation was going. "Yes," he said. "I talked to him. He invited me to attend the conference."
"Ah yes," Masako said. "Have you two been…friends for a long time? I'm just curious."
John sipped his tea. "I met him around two years ago," he said placing the cup of tea back on the saucer. "That same day I called you on the phone to ask for help about his brother, Eugene Davis. Eugene is the one I've known for quite a while."
"Oh," Masako said.
She expected John to be Oliver's long-time friend in Japan – a friend Oliver would share his whereabouts with. But perhaps Oliver did tell him about where he was.
"Have you heard any news from him lately?" Masako asked.
"No, I haven't," John said. "Is there something wrong?"
"Well…He went missing before I left England," Masako said.
"Missing..?" John asked.
"Yes," Masako said nodding. "His parents believe he flew here to Japan with a woman."
John stared at Masako for a moment. "You…mean…He…eloped with someone?"
Masako shyly looked away. "Well I hardly think that's the word for it," she said, ignoring how her conscience agreed with the priest. "Anyway, the girl is Japanese," Masako said looking up at John. "He met her here in Japan two years ago, and his parents believe that they are here in Japan at this very minute."
John nodded.
"Are you sure you haven't heard anything about him?" Masako asked.
John sadly looked at Masako. "I'll be honest with you, Hara-san," he said. "I exchanged emails with him a month ago. He told me to start contacting him through email because he was going to be on a trip."
"What trip?" Masako asked excitedly. "Did you know what trip it was? Where he was going?"
"What I read on his last email was that he was going to work on an SPR case in Zurich," John said. "That's all I remember on the email. I can check it again for you."
Masako sighed and tried to smile at John. "It's alright," she said. "I believe you."
John looked sadly at Masako. "I'm sorry," he said. "You share a special bond with him, don't you?"
Masako smirked and shook her head. "I wish I do," she said. "But he doesn't see me the way I want him to."
John placed his hand on Masako's – a warm smile on his face. "You're a beautiful lady, Hara-san," he said. "And you're a beautiful person too. I'm sure there's someone out there for you, be it Dr. Davis or someone else."
Masako felt blood rush up her cheeks. She looked shyly away. "No one…has actually said I'm a beautiful person before," she said.
John chuckled. "I'm sure they're just too shy to tell you about it," he said.
Masako looked up at John and smiled.
Sometimes she wondered how things would be if John wasn't a priest. Then again, she might not have met him if he wasn't a man of God. Afterall, they first met each other in a paranormal case somewhere in Japan.
"I didn't," Ayako answered.
Yasuhara's panicked face softened.
"What's going on, Yasu?" Takigawa asked.
Yasuhara shook his head. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm sorry."
Ayako frowned. "Well I'm not letting you go back to your office without an explanation!" she said, standing up from her seat.
"Me too," Takigawa said, following Ayako.
Yasuhara looked up at them and smirked. "I knew you two were dating," he teased.
Takigawa and Ayako stiffened, blood rushing to their cheeks.
"There's no way I'm dating this hag!" Takigawa shouted just as Ayako shouted "There's no way I'm dating this pervert!"
Yasuhara burst into laughter.
"Oi!" Takigawa said glaring at Yasuhara. "You're just trying to evade my question."
"Bou-san's right," Ayako said trying hard to stop her self from blushing. "What's going on? Why shouldn't we tell Emi where Mai-chan is?"
Yasuhara chuckled and walked to the counter to get some breakfast. "I just had a bad hunch," he said.
"What do you mean by that?" Ayako asked as she took her seat again. Takigawa also sat back on his chair.
Yasuhara took a plate of sandwich from the kitchen and took a seat at the counter in front of Ayako and Takigawa.
"Emi-san met me yesterday," he said. "She asked me how Mai-chan was, and later where she was."
"Eh?" Ayako said. "What time did she ask you about her?"
"I believe that was around lunch time," Yasuhara said. "She went to my office just to ask about Mai-chan."
Takigawa folded his arms on his chest. "So she wasn't satisfied with the information you gave," he said. "That's why she met Baa-chan here in the hospital."
"Yeah," Ayako said. She then realized that Takigawa called her Baa-chan. She quickly hurled her fist at the top of his head, making Takigawa yell out in pain.
Yasuhara ignored what happened and took a bite at his sandwich before he spoke. "Naru's parents are here looking for him," he said. "They believe he's somewhere here in Japan. They plan to talk to people who Naru supposedly spoke with two years ago here in Shibuya."
"EH? NARU'S PARENTS ARE HERE?" Ayako and Takigawa exclaimed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?"
Yasuhara smiled. "It didn't seem important at the time," he said.
"NOT IMPORTANT? THIS IS MAI'S REPUTATION ON THE LINE!" they both said.
"So they'll talk to us too?" Ayako asked.
Takigawa gasped. "Prof. Davis and his wife are going to talk to us," he breathlessly said.
"Oh get over it, fan boy!" Ayako said glaring at Takigawa.
"I'm not a fan boy," Takigawa said glaring back at Ayako. "It's just not everyday that you get to meet a prominent person in the field of paranormal science, you know."
Ayako rolled her eyes.
Yasuhara chuckled. "It won't be that rare if they become Mai-chan's parents-in-law."
Ayako and Takigawa nodded. "WAIT!" they exclaimed, realizing what Yasuhara said. "MAI-CHAN'S GOING TO MARRY NARU?"
Yasuhara laughed. "I was just kidding!" he said. "You should see your faces."
Ayako and Takigawa glared at Yasuhara. "That's not a good joke," they said.
"As much as I like Naru over Takumi for Mai-chan," Ayako said. "I still think they're still too early to get married, let alone have children."
"I agree," Takigawa said. "Though I won't exactly want Mai-chan to not get married and have children by the time she reaches Ayako's age. That would just be terrible."
Ayako glared at Takigawa. "What do you mean by that exactly?"
Yasuhara chuckled. "Anyway, if they get enough information from Emi-san, I doubt they would try to contact you."
"By enough you mean if Emi-san tells them where Mai-chan is, right?" Takigawa asked.
Yasuhara nodded.
"Well I didn't tell her where they are," Ayako said. "You didn't either," she said looking at Yasuhara. "Where else will she get information about where Mai-chan is? Haruka-san doesn't know anything about it either."
Yasuhara nodded. He was about to take bite his sandwich again when it hit him.
"Takumi-san," he muttered.
"Takumi?" Ayako and Takigawa asked.
Lin pulled out his vibrating mobile phone from his pocket, checked the screen to see who was calling, pressed the Accept button, and held the phone against his ear.
It was early morning and they were just about to have breakfast. Madoka and Luella were busy dressing up and ordering breakfast. The professor himself was busy checking his emails from SPR.
"Emi-san," Lin greeted. "Good morning. This is Lin."
"Lin-san, good morning," Emi said from the other line. "I hope I didn't bother you."
"No, I was also about to call you about our appointment with you today," he said. "Is this afternoon still alright?"
"Yes," she said. "I also don't have much to do this morning."
"Ah! That's wonderful," Lin said. "Can we meet you later at 10?"
"Yes, absolutely," she said.
"Thank you, Emi-san," Lin said. "Do you want to speak with the professor?"
"Oh no," she said. "I just called to tell you that I think I have a clue on where Mai-chan and Noru-san are."
Lin stiffened. "You…do..?"
"Yes," Emi-san said. "I spoke with the forger Noru-san had contact with in Europe. He bought the tickets that Noru-san and Mai-chan used in their trip."
Lin stiffened.
They were going to find Noll. They were going to find Noll soon. He could feel it.
"That's…great news! I will tell the professor," he said.
"Lin-san," Emi said.
"Y-yes..?"
"I…I just wondered…Noru-san…is of a-age too, isn't he?"
Lin looked down at Shibuya's morning scape from his bedroom window.
He knew what she was thinking.
"I have nothing against Noru-san," she said. "I just want him to do it properly."
"I understand," Lin said. "I…I have nothing against Taniyama-san as well. Things…just need to be sorted out first..."
Emi smiled. "Thank you, Lin-san." She ended the call and looked up at the only family picture Emi and his family had with Mai.
She looked at Mai's cheerful face as she sat on the ground beside Yui.
Emi remembered how happy Mai was back then. She missed being part of a family, though she never admitted it. Mai had always been scared of bothering others for her needs.
Emi sighed. She remembered what Takumi told her before he left the night before.
Takumi told her where Mai and Naru supposedly were. Emi realized how Takumi liked Mai when he told her everything that night.
"You left Mai-chan in Naru's care," Emi said. "Why?"
Takumi smirked. "Aside from the fact that Mai-chan chose him?" he asked. "This is humiliating for me but I have to be honest. I…haven't seen Mai as happy and as complete as she was when she met Naru two years ago here in Japan. Before she met him, she looked like her futile optimism was the only thing waking her up every morning. But when she met him, it's like…it's like she wakes up every morning because she wants to wake up every morning. It's hard to explain. But that's how it's like."
Emi stared confused at Takumi.
Takumi chuckled and looked down shyly. "I thought having such harsh life conditions in England would sadden her," he said. "Would break her…Perhaps it did. But she really looked better when she met Naru there again. Even when she was in the hospital with all those broken bones, she was…happy."
Takumi looked up at Emi. "Naru, I think, is a part of Mai-chan that no one, even me, can replace," he said. "…Unless one day she really chooses otherwise. Naru himself is like a family to her – a family where she truly belonged, just as Naru sees her as his own family. And because of that I felt…I believe that Mai will be safe with him. She will be happy with him."
Emi looked at the Mai's smiling face on the picture again. She was in highschool when they took that picture. Her hair was newly cut short. She knew a pair of shorts that made showed how much thinner she was than other highschool girls.
She wondered what Mai looked like at that very moment.
Was she taller…slightly bigger..? Was her hair longer? Was she eating well? Was she happy?
Emi remembered that evening Mai introduced Naru to her family. The two didn't seem to notice it but Emi and her family did – that unspoken bond between them that didn't look too inappropriate for their age.
They acted like a mature couple.
Emi's vision suddenly blurred. She wiped the tears forming in her eyes and smiled.
"I just want everything to be properly done, Mai-chan," she said. "If he really is serious about making a family with you for good, he should understand."
Mai sneezed, covering her nose with her two hands as she sat on the bed.
Naru stared at her.
It was evening and he was about to turn the lamp shade off when Mai sneezed.
"Are you having a cold?" he asked.
"No," Mai said shaking her head and jumping off the bed. She ran into the bathroom.
Naru immediately heard water splashing from the faucet. Then everything went silent. He saw Mai a moment after, walking out of the toilet – the scent of rubbing alcohol touching his nose.
Mai got on the bed, covering her legs with the blanket. She suddenly felt Naru's hand over her forehead.
She stiffened and shyly looked down at her hands.
Naru pulled his hand away – sure that Mai's body temperature was normal.
"Somone must have thought about me," Mai said. "That's all."
Naru grunted and turned the light off. "It better not be a man," he muttered.
"What..?"
"I said go to sleep," he said scooting closer to Mai so the blanket covered both of them.
Mai shrugged her shoulders and sunk into the bed. She turned her back on Naru.
Naru on the other hand pulled her closer to his chest.
Mai felt her heart skip a beat as she felt his body close to her back. She could feel every thump that his heart made.
"Neh, Naru," she said.
"What?"
"What if I'm really sick?" she asked. "Won't you get infected since you're well…c-close…to me?"
"I'm not you," he said.
Mai scowled. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't get sick that easily," he said.
Mai glared at the darkness looming the room. "Says someone who faints when he uses his powers," she muttered.
"Mai."
"What?"
"Good night."
Mai froze. He must be very tired. He had been typing in the office just a few steps away from the bedroom, since they ate lunch that day. She figured he was doing some work-related tasks on his laptop.
"G-good night," she said as she relaxed her body on the bed.
Naru tightened his hold on her and buried his face in her hair.
On the office desk sat his open laptop – a blinking image of a yellow envelope flashing on the screen. With it flashed Yasuhara's full name and "Subject: We have a problem."
