Chapter 38

"That case ended when we finally found the young boy's body, and he was able to pass on. Of course, the team informed me of all that I'd done while possessed, and when I woke up Lin was there. I remember how much it snowed that night, and how we all went out together after." Mai concluded another story and took another bite of her omelet. Her teacher nodded in awe and felt her heart warm at the tale.

"Sensei, do you still not believe in spirits? You must think we're all pretty crazy after hearing all my stories." Mai concluded noting that her teacher was mostly listening to her speak.

"I've never seen a ghost or anything of the sort, but I do believe in energies that people and places have. Doesn't really matter though because this isn't about me. I just want to know as much about you as possible in the short time we have together. I'm not listening with my own beliefs and bias. I want to hear you as you want to be heard. Your mother was good at that." Sango said simply enjoying her fruit salad.

"Hmm… she was, was she? The more you describe my mother the more I think we're nothing alike. You make her sound so beautiful, selfless, majestic, and gifted. I wonder if I take after my father more?" Mai questioned and noted her teachers' frown at the mention of her father.

"Mai, I see all those things in you, although I do recall your father to be quite clumsy in his younger years like someone I know. I'm sure if you ask your friends, they'll attest to all your gifts. The way that gothic fellow looks at you I'm sure he agrees that you are beautiful." Sango reached over and stroked her face and kissed her forehead making Mai blush.

"Actually, after this, I'm going to meet him. I was debating telling him about everything we found out about you know who yesterday, but I've been such a burden to him since I moved in. I want to give him a reprieve until we are sure about the situation." Mai confessed looking down at her plate with guilt in her eyes.

'Between finding his brother's body and leaving his home for Japan he's got enough to deal with. Now that I've been dumped into his life just stressing him out even more. How could I just bring this up now?" Mai pondered heavily.

"Well, like I was saying I do believe in energies that people have. That boy has a quite odd and mysterious presence, but whenever you enter the room, you can just see his posture lean toward you and stand at attention. Dumbass watches you like you'll vanish into smoke. I only spent a couple minutes with you and the kid, and I noticed. I think if you depended and confided in him more, you'd be surprised how willing he'd be to help you. And if he gets fresh with you let me know cuz' I pop that little punk in a heartbeat." Sango relayed with a smirk.

"The more you talk the happier I am that you refused to teach me martial arts because I'd still be a violent little monster." Mai replied with light laughter.

"Yeah right, all my sons are fine young men and you are a wonderful young lady yourself. So you've decided to continue schooling I hear. Have you applied mostly locally?" Sango asked mixing her hot chocolate with her spoon.

"No. I applied to two schools overseas, but the rest are here in Japan." Mai responded smiling.

"Wow. Are you scared at the thought of going to another country? You'd have to leave your friends and job here behind. Suppose you leave and fall in love with another boy or decide you like the country more than Japan? There's a lot more to consider than just getting accepted." Sango theorized as she allowed her mind to consider the possibilities.

"Yes. I would miss my friends, but I know they'd only be a phone call away just like you are. Life is full of possibilities if I go or stay. Doesn't mean I should be afraid to move forward. "Mai maintained vaguely not commenting on the 'other boys' statement.

"That's true, but I can't help but worry. When I left Shibuya and you told me you wanted to stay behind; you at least had your school, your two classmate friends, and their parents as a support system. Now I'm not too sure. I won't hold you back, but just remember I'm only a phone call and a plane ticket away from you. If I can't make it, I'll send one of my sons." Sango assured and Mai smiled.

"Yes, I know sensei. I'll call more often than on birthdays and holidays." Mai stated hoping to quell her concerns.

"You better!" Her teacher yelled slamming her fist on the table and gaining the glances of a few of the restaurants' patrons. The waiter quickly came over and asked if everything was alright and Mai nervously waved him away.

"More importantly keep tabs on that Kasai guy. If he approaches you, invites you out for coffee again, or anything of the sort let someone know where you are. I know you've been handling life on your own for a while, but you don't have too anymore." Sango urged before calling the waiter back and asking for the check.

The two parted ways and Mai decided to walk since the weather was great today as they headed into the warmer side of spring. The buds on the cherry blossoms were out and the sun warmed her skin. She texted and confirmed the location they were meeting to Naru and he responded with a simple 'Okay. Don't be late.' Which Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes at.

'I can already hear him going on and on about how I planned this whole thing and had the nerve to be late. I know I made him promise to try three new things, but I can't believe he's actually meeting me.' Mai thought and she laughed to herself and she suddenly remembered what she'd said to him the night before.

She felt her face heat up at the audacity of her own words.

'I can't believe myself! Okay, focus Mai. Don't get all scared now." Mai thought as butterflies fluttered around in her stomach.

Out of habit, she held onto her key, which for the weekend was placed around her neck. She didn't want any aura reading to distract her from this important weekend. Her time with her teacher and Naru were going to be memorable.

Mai checked her phone again and noted their meeting time to be fast approaching. She delved deeper into downtown Shibuya, nearly forgetting just how busy this particular area of the city was, and hoped Naru was able to find the address.

'Of course, he'll find it. I don't think I've ever seen him get lost. Like…ever. His car also has a pretty good GPS system so no worries there." Mai surmised noting how the sidewalks were becoming more and more congested with people the closer she got.

'Strike one. Naru hates crowds.' Mai said as she approached and started speed walking suddenly noting the escaping time.

Mai finally noted a figure dressed in deep blue jeans and a navy-blue dress shirt all complimented with a black cardigan. The guy looked fresh out of a fashion catalog, and a group of three girls were fawning over him giggling.

Naturally, this person was Mai's boss and he was sporting a fierce scowl.

'Strike two. Naru cannot stand being fawned over for his looks.' Mai rolled her eyes at the forwardness of these women. The closer she got the clearer their conversation got and Mai couldn't help but blush.

"Come on. Whoever you're waiting for must be stupid to make a guy like you wait. Why don't you come with me and we can have some adult fun ?" A snooty woman with a black pixie cut said.

"Ha! She's too vulgar for a classy guy like you. Besides I've got a sister would be more than willing to let you have twice the fun if we get together." Another woman with dyed blonde hair offered.

At this point, Mai didn't even want to know what the third woman was going to say to try and one up the other two.

"Hey, Naru. Sorry for the wait. The crowds are outrageous today." Mai said waving at him and all four of them glared at her, somehow Naru's glare was still the harshest.

"You're late." He nagged.

'And there's strike three.' Mai thought and sighed. All the same, she refused to let this mood continue throughout their day together.

"Only by two minutes. I doubt they'll remove our reservation for such a short time." Mai reasoned noting the women still lingering around him.

"Is this shrimp your girlfriend?" The third woman asked with contempt.

"How sad? She doesn't even look old enough to even know a man's worth?" The blonde added and sneered. Mai blushed at the remark and at her own apparent naïveté.

'He's actually my parole officer. It has already been an entire month since I carved someone's face, so he's taking me out for good behavior.' Is what Mai wanted to say, but Naru had already left them all behind and headed into the building.

"Look you scared him away you brat!" The woman with black hair screeched. Mai quickly ran after her boss before the women got even more aggravated. When she finally caught up with him, he was already wearing an orange wristband and was holding one out for her.

"Thanks. You should have waited inside if those women were bothering you." Mai apologized briefly struggling to place her wristband on.

"I figured you get lost in the crowds if I didn't wait outside for you. Seems I was right." He said in a dull tone. As a man walked over in a uniform with the name of the establishment adorned on it.

"Hello, my name is Hiten. Have you two been here before?" He questioned cheerfully. Mai shook her head and returned his smile.

"Alright let me share a little bit about our establishment and the rules of the puzzles. Our facilities are equipped with 12 separate mystery puzzles, and each one is equipped with two emergency exits for your convenience and safety. These doors will pop open if an alarm is pulled. If you are ever in a room that is locked and an emergency is announced press the square red button and it will automatically unlock all doors in the puzzle. Today you two have selected the escape from Alcatraz puzzle. You'll have one hour to complete the puzzle and escape the maze of sorts. For this particular puzzle of beware of the spotlights while you're solving each room or you'll have to start over. I suggest you use the facilities before you start which are behind me to the left. Any questions for me?" The instructor concluded.

"Ah yes. Apparently, this is the most difficult puzzle maze here. How many people who go in actually solve it?" Mai asked curiously.

"Good question. Well on the first try 1 of every 40 parties will get the entire puzzle in an hour. Some spend an additional hour or two to solve it. Even fewer people finish it without having to start over. So good luck and have fun!" Hiten patted them both on the back and was on his way.

Mai ran to the bathroom of course before entering the maze with Naru. The first door they entered led to a wall of bars, and both heard the door lock behind them. Mai also noted every few moments a light would appear outside the bars. The room held a toilet, a sink, and a rough looking futon. There was even a stuffed animal rat sitting in the corner which Mai chuckled at.

"Okay, perhaps one of these bars is loose." Mai wondered out loud as she approached them and shook each of them. Unfortunately, none of them budged and Mai even got close to the light to which she quickly backed away.

"Mai, that's too obvious." Naru commented as he began to observe his surroundings.

"Okay, then how about this?" Mai said and grabbed the base of the toilet and yanked as hard as she could before she fell on her butt with an 'omphf'. Luckily the tiles underneath made a hollow noise and their eyes met knowingly. Naru leaned down to her level and removed the first tile, and Mai the next. They both peered down into the darkness.

"Oh, heck no! It's way too dark down there. What a day to wear a dress." Mai said and plopped down on the futon only to yelp at the contact with something hard.

"Ouch!" Mai shot up onto her knees with both hands on her butt. Naru walked over and reached under the mattress and pulled out a flashlight.

"It seems your intuition is in the lead. Although how many bruises you'll have before the end is questionable." Naru commented and Mai decided it was too early for them to start arguing with one another. They peered down and there was another prison cell nearly identical to the one they'd found themselves in.

Luckily the one below them was adorned with a bunk bed that they were able to climb down onto.

"I'll go down first. Hold the flashlight for me." Naru said as he effortlessly swept his legs into the hole and cascaded downward. Mai held the flashlight, wondering how a boy who sat in an office chair all day could be so athletic.

'Show off.' Mai thought bitterly.

"Alright toss the flashlight down and use the top bunk to get down." Naru called to her. Mai tossed the flashlight, which again he caught with ease. She swung her legs over cautiously searching for the top of the bed with her foot.

"Am I close I can't feel it under my foot." Mai complained.

"It's right under your feet just move down more." Naru instructed and Mai slid ever-so-slightly fearing she'd lose her grip on the top floor.

"Ugh... I'm too short. I'll lose my grip if I go any further." Mai whined more, wondering why they would make this part of the puzzle so difficult.

Suddenly she felt a hand on the back of her heel guiding her foot. She was careful to let him guide her fearing she might kick him in the face.

'Though the idea is tempting.' Mai contemplated momentarily before refocusing on the task.

With his help, she was able to climb onto the bunk, and then use the side ladder on the bunk bed to climb her way to the floor. Thankful to be level with the surface again she noticed that Naru was now analyzing their new surroundings. Unlike the previous room, this one was dark and the only guide they had was the single flashlight.

Mai moved closer to Naru to limit the chance of an accident.

"Well, Scooby? Spot any clues?" Mai asked and she could feel him raising an eyebrow at her in the darkness.

"If anyone is Scooby it's you; with the animal instincts and all." Naru retorted quickly. Mai laughed shortly deciding not to be offended this time.

"Heck, I'm just surprised that you ever watched cartoons." Mai added with light laughter.

"It was Gene. He found the irony of us watching the show amusing." Naru added still peering over their surrounding slowly and something caught his attention. He paced forward to one of the bars and slid four of them aside.

"Of course, when I do it it's too obvious, but when you do it, it's brilliant." Mai interjected bitterly.

"So you think I'm brilliant do you?" Naru repeated cockily.

"Yes, among other more humbling adjectives I'm sure would ruin this activity." Mai replied darkly.

Mai was about to exit the pushed aside bars when suddenly the overhead light came on. Before Mai knew it Naru had grabbed her by her waist and pulled her backward further into the room. He pulled her into his chest as he stepped away and waited to see what would happen next. Mai could feel her face heating up as they both waited to see when the lights would turn back off and they did.

"That was close. So they'll most likely be a third puzzle within the hall that we must also solve before the lights come on. This will most likely be completed with only this one flashlight and keeping in mind the intervals of time that the lights will be on or off." Naru contemplated aloud.

"Jeez, you scared the crap outta me! I really expected something to come around that corner." Mai remarked and struck him lightly on the chest. He then released one hand from her waist and grabbed her hand.

"Don't. I'll lose count." He said flatly as the two waited until the light returned.

"Five minutes and forty- five seconds of darkness and a solid minute of light. Roughly since I was a bit distracted." He announced.

"Well, then I'll keep track of the time while you figure out what's going on in the hall. Let's say I'll warn you twenty seconds before the lights come on." Mai suggested and he hummed his affirmation.

"Umm… Naru?" Mai voiced. He hummed again in response clearly still contemplating the puzzle. She could feel the vibration in his voice on her back and it made her blush deepen.

"You can let me go now." Mai suggested slowly, but he didn't.

What little light was afforded to them from the hall made Mai curious to know if she'd be able to see what kind of expression he was wearing. At times when he was most cryptic, she'd usually search his ridiculously handsome face for clues about what was going on in that head of his.

Mai turned just enough to view his face and was utterly surprised.

He wore a mischievous smirk with his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. His eyes wandered over her boldly only causing his grin to grow wider. The last time Mai remembered something even remotely close to this expression, he kissed her.

"N-naru, what are you doing?" Mai asked cursing herself for stuttering so much.

"Observing." Was his reply when the lights suddenly went out again. Mai could feel her heart rate increasing rapidly no longer able to guess what was going on.

"Start counting." Naru reminded before his hands left her and she could hear the bar rattling.

"R-right." Mai took a deep breath and focused on the passing time. Before she knew it five minutes and twenty seconds flew and she called for him.

"Naru! Twenty seconds!" Mai called.

Fast footsteps approached her call revealing the young scientist and his flashlight.

"Well, what does it look like?" Mai questioned.

"It's a replica of an electrical switch box associated with different color LEDs. A certain order most likely unlocks the second door at the end of the hall while the wrong order might set off an alarm or turn the hall light on, which again, in turn, will set off the alarm.

There is also a locked door at the end of the hall." He briefly explained.

"Oh, how are we going to figure it out?" Mai sighed.

"There are most likely clues somewhere in these two cells, so we might as well start looking." He said already scoping out the walls and floors of the room.

"Well, I'll look upstairs then. I won't need a flashlight like you do down here." Mai suggested as she began walking but was stopped once again by the hand of her boss.

"I'll go." He objected handing her the flashlight.

"It's okay Naru I can do it." Mai scoffed at his persistence.

"Mai, you were barely tall enough to get down on your own. Do you think you could pull yourself up there again and come back down without hurting yourself, you klutz ?" Naru concluded flatly making Mai cross her arms and narrow her eyes.

"I'm sure I could! I just didn't know what was underneath me so I was nervous. Besides you could just help me down again if I needed." Mai reasoned not liking the thought of being babied.

"Oh, so you don't mind if I see your underwear again then?" He disclosed and noted Mai's sudden surprised expression and light blush as she turned to him.

"Y-you didn't ?!" Mai accused hands sudden holding down her light pink dress self-consciously.

"What did you expect when you were climbing down and needing my help? Besides it'd take too long if I had to help you up and down, and we've already used half of our time." He further explained knowing he'd won he handed off the flashlight and Mai held it up so he could climb upstairs without incident.

'Stupid Naru. Heck of a time to suddenly start acting like a teenage boy.' Mai thought to herself as she used the flashlight to search the room for any clues. There were a couple messages etched into the walls for effect but didn't make them any less creepy. Most of the wall was comprised of tick mark craved, but one phrase made Mai shiver.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE

She recalled how she could hear Urado say that very phrase before they escaped that hellish mansion. Mai shook off the bad memories and continued to search around the room without much luck. The walls didn't offer much so she peeped inside the toilet, scanned the ceiling, peered under the sink, and even stomped on all the tiles to see if any more of them were hollow.

All that seemed to be left was the bunk bed or the hallway itself.

"Any luck Mai?" Her roommate called down.

"No, but I haven't checked the bunk bed all that thoroughly yet." She confessed. Mai spotted the light back onto the top bunk so Naru was able to get back down. Mai shown the light onto the top and bottom bunk which Naru checked thoroughly, but didn't seem to come up with anything. He stood back up and brushed himself off and began thinking again."

"We haven't check under this bed, it's a bit tight though. I don't know if you could fit." Mai contemplated as she kneeled down but immediately placed her hands on the back of her dress.

"On second thought maybe, you should try after all. Wouldn't want to flash you again?" Mai said and laughed nervously. Naru rolled his eyes freely doubting Mai could make out his entire expression in the dim light was offered from the exposed tile above and the downward pointing flashlight.

"Mai, it's too dark for you to flash me, not that I would even bother. I won't fit, so just hurry up and look. We're wasting time." Naru remarked causing the brunette to mumble under her breath. Mai held the flashlight in one hand and the back of her dress in the other while she peeked under the bed. Just as she suspected there was some writing relaying a pattern with color.

"I found it!" Mai cheered then accidentally bumped her head.

"Owww…"

"Idiot." She could hear the narcissist respond.

"I'm going to read it to you so try to remember since it's not too long." Mai prepared her boss as she began to recited the pattern.

"Red, blue, yellow, green, blue, green, yellow, red. So eight colors in total. "Mai recited it a second time just to make sure he'd had it.

Afterward, she carefully slipped from under the bed and dusted herself off.

"Alright, here we go. "Mai said as the hallway light came back on starting the countdown for reentry into the hallway.

She handed off the flashlight which Naru took, and she saw him pull out a notepad from his pants pocket. Mai laughed at the absurdity of it, but didn't want to distract him from remembering the proper order. She leaned in to check his work, not that she doubted the boy genius, but just for good measure.

"Of course, you have a notepad handy. I should change your nickname to boy scout, but your handiness isn't your defining characteristic." Mai joked.

"I am a scientist, Mai. There are always important matters to observe and make note off." He responded half surprising the girl since she was expecting something more sarcastic.

"Really now, what exactly did you think you could observe meeting me here? Perhaps my animal instincts in a controlled environment? Well, I don't think anything like that could be triggered unless there was some actual danger in this puzzle." Mai snorted.

"True, but I did observe how lude you behave on dates. Parading your undergarments to unsuspecting prey." Naru accused and Mai made a sound of disbelief.

"Stop bringing it up already you pervert!" Mai barked and Naru chuckled stopping Mai dead in her tracks.

'He-he actually laughed….like it was nothing… he laughed right in front of me. A-And he called this a d-da-da-date! Pull yourself together girl don't faint now.' Mai thought to herself trying to control her breathing as her heart rate sped up. Just as she was sure he was going to notice her change in emotion the lights mercifully went out. Naru turned the flashlight back to the bars and was making his way when Mai offered a statement.

"Is there anything in Kanji on the panel you need me to read?" Mai asked and Naru appeared to be contemplating her request before he nodded in the dull light.

"Alright, I'll come with you this time. Don't worry I'm still counting." Mai assured following behind him through the bars, but tripped causing Naru to grabbed her hand. With his free hand, he guided her down the dimly lit hall. She felt her heart rate speed up again and tried to observe her surroundings in order to stay calm and not lose track of the passing time.

When they reached the end, Naru pointed the light onto the panel.

Mai peered into it.

It looked like any ordinary electrical box, but there were strange LEDs next to the switched just as her boss had described.

"Anything noteworthy. Mai looked at her phone to checked how much time had passed before reading through the box. Most of the tabs had some tape with writing saying where each switch controlled, but in the corner was a small bit of writing in the corner that read "the code is backward".

"The order of the color is apparently backward, so try switching them in opposite order. Hurry, three minutes." Mai urged as she let go of his hand and took the flashlight from him. He, in turn, took out his notes and did just as instructed.

Instantly they heard the door unlock besides them, and Mai opened it.

The sound of the ocean could be heard, which Mai assumed meant they were close to exiting the maze. The opposite side of the door was illuminated by harsh red lights down another hall. They journeyed further in and spotted a ladder that led upwards, but you couldn't see the top. Beneath it was a book of Morse code and a telephone.

Naru reached to pick it up and could only hear beeping signifying their next puzzle. He pulled out his notepad and opened the book, and began to decipher. Mai noted the time again and they only had about seven minutes remaining. She didn't bother him as he quickly noted each character the code referred to and translated quickly.

Mai looked over his shoulder and translated the message as he wrote. After he finished, he looked at her for translation.

"It says to climb the ladder and knock three times." Mai announced and she noticed they only had about three minutes. They headed toward the ladder and Mai started climbing before realizing her mistake.

She looked over at Naru and he smirked while shaking his head.

"Shameless as ever." He mumbled to himself and climbed ahead of her and Mai was glad for the deep red light since she was probably red in the face anyway.

"Shut up and climb." Mai spat and went up behind him. He knocked three times and the lid was opened revealing a bright room that smelled of ocean water and the speakers played the ocean. Their eyes adjusted slowly after spending so long in the darkness of the maze.

"Congrats! Well done you two!" Hiten said and clapped for the two.

"Since you two got out on the first round you get to choose from the prize glass." He announced as he waved them forward going down a hallway back to the lobby. Inside the glass was a number of trinkets that caught Mai's eye.

"Do you see anything you like Naru?" Mai teased knowing he was already doing more than she thought capable of him. He chose not to respond which she figured was him being merciful. Mai scanned the case again and saw a cute black teddy bear with blue eyes.

"I'll take this one please." Mai point excitedly Naru leaned in curiously and noted the features quite simply.

"Here you go Miss. Thanks for coming!" The boy waved off and Mai hugged her bear happily. Thankfully once they exited the rude trio from earlier had departed. A chill came into the air and the beginnings of sunset rested on the horizon.

"So what's for dinner? You in the mood for anything specific?" Mai inquired noticing he seemed to be already leading them in a particular direction.

"Yes, I've already made reservations. I didn't expect you to remember how crowded Shibuya can be on a Sunday." Naru reported and

Mai huffed.

"Well thank the Gods you're a genius and could figure out weekly traffic patterns on your own! Otherwise, we might have been forced to go to a stall! Heavens forbid." Mai shot right back with a smirk and she punched his arm lightly. He rolled his eyes as they kept pace.

"Just kidding, I'm glad you did. What type of food is it?" Mai inquired.

"You'll see when we get there." He chatted.

"Oh, I see. A surprise. Well then, will you be accepting that case tomorrow?" Mai poked again wondering how much longer she was on leave.

It had already been a couple weeks and she was more than ready for her college exams. Each application was already sent out, thanks to Yasuhara. He was a great teacher and a great friend, but gosh darn it, he was always trying to embarrass her for his own selfish pleasure. Not to mention when he brought the fart bomb to the library and blamed it on her. She was just ready to get back to work and to go on more adventures with her coworkers again.

"Perhaps." He responded as he kept the pace and moved on silently.

"I see. Another topic successfully evaded. Have you found out a better label for my strange range of psychic abilities?" Mai queried again half curious in earnest, half throwing him a bone.

"It wouldn't be possible to categorize all of your abilities into a set field of classification." He started concisely but continued after pausing thoughtfully. " I believe the closest I could get to summarizing them would be adaptive clairvoyance. It seems your abilities are flexible enough to promote your survival in nearly any situation. You should consider going through an official screening at the main branch of SPR if you are interested." Naru responded scientifically as expected.

"You mean… in England? Isn't that where your parents work?" Mai uttered a bit taken aback.

"Yes, and Madoka as well as other scientists. That would be the best way to get answers if you're serious. At the rate yours are growing I would suggest it sooner rather than later." Naru advised darkly.

"I don't know how I feel about a bunch of strangers poking and prodding at me. Can't you just do it?" Mai worried holding onto her bear a bit tighter.

"So you wouldn't mind me poking and prodding then?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she scoffed looking away.

"T-that's not what I meant! I just trust you more than a total stranger in a foreign country." Mai explained herself.

"Naturally, I'd accompany you. I do need to finish my next book and attend to other matters at home." He added and Mai relaxed a bit.

"I see. Well perhaps during my school break I could go before I start college. That's less than two months away. I'd have to find a place to stay, save up for it, and get a passport. Ermm…. Maybe after college then." Mai realized and sighed heavily.

"Mai, I do live in England you know. SPR would be glad to cover the trip, especially if I could publish another book from it. I could arrange to have it done during your break." He reasoned simply.

"You know the whole sugar daddy thing at school is bad enough. I don't need you doing anything else for me. I'm already grateful for all you've done, and I don't even know how I can repay you for half of it." Mai argued.

"SPR does also sponsor psychics they believe are worthy of researching. With my recommendation you'd be a shoe in. Just don't embarrass me and be better than everyone else." Naru settled and Mai nodded understanding.

"Easier said than done from SPR's perfect egg." Mai whined and noticed he'd finally stopped and dropped her jaw. It was a five-star fancy pancy restaurant.

Of course, this is what Naru would pick.

"Good Evening. Do you have a reservation?" The front server queried immediately.

"Shibuya, for two at five o'clock." He gave simply.

"Ah yes. Follow me Mr. Shibuya." The waiter walked the duo further into the restaurant and down the stairs to a dimmer, candle lit section of the restaurant. Mai could just feel the mood of the area and started to blush at the thought of Naru picking this out for them.

"Here is your table and here are your menus. Can I get you anything to start off with?" The waiter offered.

"Two glasses of Tavel Rosé." The waiter nodded and was off.

"Rosé? Isn't that wine?" Mai asked naively.

"Yes. Are you afraid you'll act like a drunk fool again?" He asked eying his menu.

"First of all, sensei did that, not me. Besides this place isn't exactly giving me the keg stand vibe." Mai jeered and took another eyeful of the beautiful velvet décor. Their booth even had a red curtain and Mai noted a few other booths with similar set ups.

"Why didn't you tell me you were picking such a nice place. I would have worn something different or asked for a later dinner so I could go home and change." Mai scolded as he ignored her and went through his menu.

"I chose this place because of its privacy. I don't need to be bothered by other civilians like I was this afternoon waiting for you." Naru quipped but with no sting in his voice.

Mai sighed and opened her own menu understanding his point, but still a bit self-conscious about her little pink number. Her eyes traced the menu and everything looked absolutely delicious, but nothing had price tags which concerned her. She knew Naru could afford it, but she wasn't used to this kind of life. Heck, there were a couple months when she first started living alone where she survived on pure ramen for weeks.

Across from her she heard Naru close his menu and set it down.

She looked up to meet his curious gaze, and blushed. He didn't seem to want to say anything, but was merely observing her like in the maze. She tried to revert her gaze and concentrated on her menu, but could feel him watching her silently.

"Why are you doing that?" Mai said aloud finally.

"And that would be…" He trailed off still staring at her. She knew he was toying with her.

"Y-you're staring." Mai responded embarrassed.

"I'm thinking." He replied plainly.

"May I ask about what?" Mai sighed closing her menu for the moment unable to focus.

"This and that?" He said ambiguously and knowing full well how his assistant would react.

"So do this and that require you to stare?" Mai remarked picking up her toy bear and choosing to look at that instead of her dining partner.

"It can. Depending on the subject." Naru supposed.

"How very scientific." Mai mused. Another waiter came by and placed two glasses down. He was quite the handsome older gentleman and he'd even winked at her as he poured the wine.

"Will the two of you be ready to order or would you like more time?" He probed.

"Uh.." Mai droned and opened her menu and searched frantically.

"I'll have the Rice Pilaf and she'll have the almond grilled salmon." Naru voiced and Mai looked up flustered and nodded her agreeance. The waiter took their menus, pulled their curtain and disappeared.

"How do you know I wanted the salmon? What if I wanted dessert for dinner?" Mai asked and crossed her arms.

"Because you do like salmon and you weren't ready." He spoke and rested his elbows on the table, folded his fingers, and rested his chin onto of them. His eyes danced about her again and Mai searched his eyes to try and pick out his thoughts.

"If I'm the subject, aren't I allowed to have a clue. For all I know you could be planning to ship me to live with Yasuhara for a year." Mai shivered at the torture he'd subject her too.

"I'm considering." He muttered.

"Seriously? Considering making me stay with that little devil?" Mai croaked nervously.

"No, you idiot. Considering what you asked of me yesterday." He maintained. Mai shortly connected the dots, and realized he was thinking about his feeling for her.

"Oh. Okay then. Have you gotten any closer to a conclusion?" Mai addressed shyly.

It was Naru's turn to skirt his gaze away.

"I believe so." He meant to say confidently, but there was some apprehension audible in his tone. Mai hummed and nodded taking a sip of her wine, wondering why they hadn't asked for her ID.

"Well, just because you know doesn't mean that you're ready to tell someone else. I knew and I didn't tell you until I thought I'd might never see you again. I'm not asking you to come gushing out with it since that isn't like you. I just want you to be sure about your decision." Mai shared and sighed at the memory of that somber day.

"I….see." Naru pondered slowly.

Silence reverberated for a few moments and Mai didn't dare break it knowing the scientist was deep in thought. Then the food arrived and it was delicious. Mai didn't mind the salmon either. Mai sipped her wine again and lightly wiped her mouth.

"Tell me the truth. Did you enjoy the indoor maze game today? It might have been a bit easy for you, but we barely made it out on time." Mai asked remembering the original reason for their outing today.

"I didn't dislike it and it did prove to be a form of mental exercise." Naru commented and Mai smiled to herself.

"Well it doesn't sound like a disliked it which I'm happy about. I'll take what I can get. I hear there might be a play that displays Japanese mythology around here. I'm sure that'll help you out on cases as well." Mai laughed proudly suggested their next outing.

"Hmm… worth looking into." Naru said shortly and Mai smiled and felt butterflies in her stomach. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she'd ever be on a date with Naru. Suddenly she remembered what she promised her sensei before they parted ways.

'Maybe when we get back… I don't want to ruin today.' Mai thought sadly.

"Do you have room for dessert?" He asked dully.

"I thought you didn't like sweets." Mai responded and raised a brow at him.

"I don't, but you do." Naru offered and Mai nodded her head. Naru pushed back the curtain and signaled for a waiter, and asked for a dessert menu. Moments later he was back and handed the menu over to her. Her eyes looked over her options greedily, but settled on the tuxedo cheese cake.

"I'll be accepting the case, but I think you should sit this one out." Naru said and Mai felt her stomach drop out of nowhere. She looked at him surprised, but tried to hide her disappointment.

"Is that why you've been tolerating me all day? So you could drop the news and shut me up with dessert." Mai accused narrowing her eyes.

"No, I only recently came to this conclusion. The time off has done you good. You don't need the environment of another case to put all that down the drain." He reasoned out.

"I was fine during the last two cases when I was in worse condition, but now you sit me out?" Mai argued keeping her voice down, but still spoke combatively.

"I asked you if you were ready for those cases and you told me you were. I figure they'd be a good distraction, but you should have taken the time to gather yourself. Don't think of this as a punishment Mai because I was going to bring you back to the office once, we returned." He spoke and sipped his wine.

She didn't know why but she felt like crying at the idea of her friends being away on a case. They'd be leaving her behind in that stupid apartment alone. It would be like last time when he left and she didn't know when he would come back. Cases were dangerous, but she liked to be there to help and protect the team.

She belonged on the front lines. With them.

But even more true, it was the idea of being lonely.

She had gotten used to someone always being there wherever she turned. Losing had always been her reality for so long when she gained all that she had... of course, she'd get lost in the euphoria of it all.

No.

She would bear this last thing and wait for them to return to her. They would come back. They had too.

"Alright, I will stay behind." Mai chirped quietly holding in her tears. She could feel her face burning with disappointment, and she looked away embarrassed by her own childishness.

"Just…" Mai started but her voice cracked and died in her throat.

"Don't mumble Mai. Speak up." He voiced bluntly causing her to buck up in annoyance.

"Just call me and talk to me when you guys are gone. Let me know how everyone is. Just don't forget about me, okay." Mai finally said wiping away the stray tears. Of course, the waiter took this time to arrive back with Mai's cheesecake piled high with whipped cream and chocolate drizzled over it.

"For the lady." He offered and Mai said thank you weakly. The waited pulled the handkerchief from his front pocket and leaned in to wipe her tear, but was stopped by a certain narcissist.

"Thank you, I'll take it from here." Naru said and swiftly grabbed the napkin, shooing the waiter, and closing the curtain. Naru slid around the booth so he sat close to the brunette and wiped her eyes.

"I'll make sure that the team keeps in contact and you're informed of our progress." Naru offered feeling a bit strange at their close proximity, but didn't need that flirtatious waiter butting in either. He wiped the two offending tears and handed it to her to do the rest.

"Thank you." Mai stuttered out and placed the handkerchief onto the table.

Naru was confused by her change of emotions, but she seemed to be handling them well. He couldn't help but feel guilty for some reason when she looked up at him with disappointment playing on her features.

It made his heart clench in a strange way.

It was like the dread he'd felt when life had wronged him or even the fear he'd known when members of his team were hurt or missing.

'Perhaps I do love her…' Naru thought recalling all the other times he'd felt this similar heart clenching brought on by her whenever she called for him or praised him or even was upset with him. Recalling now he wondered why he had ever doubted it when he could recollect this feeling so many moments prior.

"Mai." He called out still sitting so close to her.

She was tasting the whip cream with the tip of her fork and placed it down as if being caught playing with her food. She looked up at him and noted the strange look he had in his eyes. Before Mai knew it, he had closed the distance between them.

She felt his arm slink around her waist as he deepened the kiss, and Mai placed her palms lightly on his chest. He could taste the sweetness of the dessert she just sampled, and the softness of her lips was driving him mad.

Mai could feel all the tension she was feeling moments ago melt away into their kiss. He teased her bottom lip with his tongue, and

Mai could feel a chill of pleasure running down her spine.

Everything about Naru was intense, naturally the way he kissed would be the same. He deepened the kiss and Mai could feel herself getting lost in it. When he finally pulled away Mai felt flush, and cautiously looked up at his haughty smirk. His hold on her waist hadn't loosened, and the air between them was still heavy with potential.

"You know, every time you upset me you can't kiss your way out of it." Mai pouted a bit annoyed with herself for being swayed.

"Is that so?" He challenged raising a brow. Mai huffed and turned back to her dessert.

"Besides didn't I tell you not to kiss me just because you wanted too. You know what you're insinuating right? I don't need you confusing me unnecessarily." Mai responded and sighed.

"You don't believe my intentions are sure?" Naru probed.

"Are they?" Mai shot back.

"They are." He returned without hesitation.

Mai lowered her fork again at this and turned her head swiftly. He was smiling at her, really smiling, and Mai could feel her face warming. She turned away from him to save face.

"S-so then… you're sure? Of your feelings that is?" Mai marveled.

"Well, I don't make a habit of lying." Naru reasoned briefly.

"Sure, Dr. Davis. I don't expect you to prove yourself it in one night." Mai responded and snorted. Mai suddenly felt his fingers dancing on her hips, and could feel her center warming. She looked over at him again in surprise and could see the mirth growing in his eyes.

"One night? I think we could manage." He taunted and that's all it took for Mai's face to turn a flame.

Naru clearly amused by her reaction and having had his fun removed his hand, allowing Mai to finish her dessert without choking.

"You are still in my dog house Mister! Maybe when you get back your advances will be accepted more affectionately." Mai huffed eating her cheesecake.

"I'll look forward to it." Naru replied already anticipating his return.

Hey readers! Hope the new year is treating you well. Hope you enjoyed the update, it took me a bit to get it right for you guys. Thank you as always for all the ratings and reviews they mean a lot! See you next update!