Beneath the Lilac Tree

by archangelBBQ

"Been there, done that." It's been many years, but Mai and Naru finally meet again. Or has it? Moving forward this time, Naru is determined to change the past, even if he cannot predict how it will shape their future. Together the twins, Mai, and Lin will create SPR from scratch, though things are certain to be much different this time around.

4. Part IV

Way too long chapter ahead... you have my apologies in advance. Looking back, I know I should have split this into two, but oh well – you know hindsight. Here's hoping for a future edit.

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Part IV

Mai Taniyama was making curry.

It should have made her happy, to see their reunion. Instead, watching the twin brothers walking away had given her a strange feeling of helplessness, so she hadn't lingered on the street. She'd run hastily up the stairs to her apartment and changed out of her uniform and into her tracksuit, her eyes dry by the time she began her dinner preparations. She no longer cared if she actually ate curry for dinner that night, but the ingredients were there in front of her and cooking provided an activity to keep her hands and mind busy. Besides, she had no desire for cup ramen and her pocket money was getting low, so getting takeaway was out of the question. As far as she could tell, she'd have to live off the 3,200 yen she had in her wallet for the next two weeks, waiting for the next check from the firm that possessed her parents' dwindling accounts. It shouldn't be a problem, rent and other bills weren't due for another three weeks and her monthly train pass was new.

As she chopped the vegetables, the onions and beef already sizzling in the pan, she couldn't help the occasional glance toward her mobile. It sat still and silent on the top of the kotatsu where she'd left it in plain view. It didn't made a sound. She found her mood growing sour as the evening wore on because of the fact.

She knew it was irrational. Naru certainly couldn't call her, not if they had to hide their relationship to maintain the pretence that they had met only once. Gene had no reason to call her, either—at least not tonight. He'd left his small suitcase, packed neatly and zipped shut in the corner of the room, but he obviously didn't need it if he hadn't taken it earlier. No doubt he could come by tomorrow, after the twins' long last reunion... well, long last for one of them.

She knew—with a slight amount of pride, though she took no pleasure in the thought—her intuition about the situation had been right. Gene was obviously not just sightseeing as he had told her, and from the brothers' discussion earlier, it was probably more than just an exorcism or visiting mediums. Whatever Gene was up to, the two would be busy discussing it and would have no time—and no reason—to include her in their plans. Even if Naru wanted to keep her in the loop, he couldn't. All things considered, he may even be hesitant to discuss it with her. That last thought was painful and she tried not to think about it, scowling as she all but pulverized the apple, chopping it into tiny pieces.

But even if the twins were preoccupied, she wanted Lin to call her. Why hadn't he called her before to tell her Naru was already in Japan? Obviously Naru had asked Lin for her account of the story she'd told Gene, and Lin had told Naru that Gene was staying with Mai for him to know to wait for them there. She knew, with annoyed resignation, that if Naru's judgment had guided him to such a conclusion it was probably the best course of action for the situation. Naru knew Gene better than anyone. And as Lin had said, "the task at hand was to save Gene's life." Mai saw the reason with going along with Naru's plan, whatever his plan may be. But she was lonely and wanted to talk to someone and couldn't help but foolishly wish for someone to call her. She desperately wanted to call up Ayako just to chat about anything—anything at all—but Ayako didn't know her. Nor Bou-san, Masako, Yasuhara, and John, wherever they were. She could call Michiru or Keiko, but what could she even say? She couldn't explain the situation and she could hardly remember how a fifteen year old girl was supposed to act.

That left Lin as her only other connection to the secret future. But she knew if Naru had asked him to stay quiet she wouldn't hear anything from him until this was all over and sorted out—whenever that would be. If that was even possible. How could things possibly go back to normal, when she didn't know what that was?

For the second time that evening she found tears, this time from frustration, forming in her eyes.

...

As if by unspoken agreement, after the two left Mai standing in front of her apartment building, the brothers walked to the corner, flagged a taxi, and went to the hotel Naru had reserved. Gene was obviously very comfortable in the company of his brother, but having Gene by his side was both comforting and unfamiliar to Naru. Seeing his brother's lively face had summoned strong emotions from his core, feelings that were fragile and unsteady. He wanted to wrap his arms around him, to laugh and cry with relief and astonishment. But he could do neither of those things. Instead, he walked by his side silently, feeling clumsy and awkward.

"Seems nice enough," Gene said blandly as they passed the fountain in the wide lobby.

Naru smiled wryly, hitting the key for the elevator. He'd barely noticed the hotel when he had first arrived—he'd asked Lin to make the arrangements. Lin complied, of course, and his selection of a hotel near Mai's apartment was certainly not a coincidence. "I thought it would be easier than a more traditional inn."

"I'm not complaining. I enjoy a luxurious hotel as much as anyone else. Though it does seem a little... extravagant. A few steps up from the other places I've been staying."

"Don't get your hopes up too high, we're in their cheapest room." Walking down the hall, Naru reached in his pocket and pulled out the key cards to the room. He passed one to his twin as he opened the door.

"Ah, home sweet home," Gene laughed, dropping his knapsack on the far bed, noticing that his brother's luggage was already set neatly by the first. He took off his coat and draped it on the back of the chair. Sitting down, he began to rummage through his bag, pulling out a sweatshirt and donning the lighter article of clothing. "So tell me, how are you finding Japan so far, Noll?"

Naru paused, taking the time to place his own coat on a hanger in the closet. What had been his original impression when he first came to this country? Blinded by the death of his brother, he had all but hated everything about the crowded, foreign city at first. Gradually, however, it had begun to warm to him. He shrugged. "It's a little warmer for February than I thought it would be."

Gene snorted. "Is that all?" He stood, stretching his arms behind his back as he went to the window. Pulling back the curtain, he gazed down to the street below. His eyes narrowing, he began to recall the route of the taxi. He could see where the street she lived on crossed the main road, but Mai's apartment building was hidden behind other taller structures. Though they'd taken the cab, it was certainly within walking distance. "It was a lot colder two days ago," he admitted. "When I came into Tokyo it was raining and hovering around freezing. Yesterday and today were rather pleasant, though. Looking at the forecast, this warm spell should continue."

"Lin said you ran into Mai two nights ago? Is that right?"

"Yeah. What luck, right? To run into someone you knew," he said, smiling as he turned back toward his brother. "Lost my hotel room and she appeared. Crazy coincidence."

Naru, sitting on the bed, his back against the wall, raised an eyebrow, wondering if Mai had invited Gene to stay with her or if he had made the request himself. "Did you spend both days together?" It was odd that the sentence made him uncomfortable.

"No, not today. She had school. Yesterday we went out."

"What did you do?" He asked, trying not to sound terribly interested.

Gene shrugged, flopping down onto the other bed, crossing his arms under his chin. "Ueno Zoo and then we just sorta hung out in Ueno Park. Walked around. I took her out for dinner. Nothing much."

Naru forced himself to relax the tension that was gathering in his neck. Jealousy? There was no need for him to be jealous, he knew. It wasn't rational. But it was difficult to contain and he almost couldn't stop himself. Gene rolled over and reached for his bag, zipping open a side pocket.

"Don't you have any other luggage?" Naru queried.

"I left it at Mai's," he shrugged. Pulling out his mobile phone, he stood and sat down on the bed next to his brother, their shoulders touching. "It's just some extra clothes. I'll be fine for tonight. I still have her key. We can get it tomorrow."

It annoyed Naru, somewhat, that Gene hadn't returned the spare key when they'd left Mai earlier, or taken the suitcase. While it was a pretence that he himself could meet her with, he had a feeling Gene was taking advantage of the situation as well. The boy in question interrupted his thoughts, flipping open the phone and holding it out in front of his face.

"Here, I took some pictures at the zoo..." Gene began to scroll through them and Naru felt a smile tug at his lips. It was an odd assortment of animals Gene had chosen to capture. The Asian black bear, a kangaroo, a sheep with huge curving horns, an okapi. To Naru's eyes, the device was incredibly dated and the image from the built-in camera was low-quality—nothing compared to the camera on his own iPhone, the phone he would have years in the future. That said, Gene had always had a penchant for photographs and despite the limitations from the device, the photos were well-done. He could not have said what it was, whether the timing or the angle, but something about the photos was naturally engaging to the viewer. The smile wavered on Naru's face as the next photo came up, a picture of Mai.

Gene hooked his arm around his neck, a playful frown on his lips. "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't tell me about her. I mean, who knew we'd all meet again. But still! You should've told me you made such a cute acquaintance. I think I like her."

Naru tried to remain expressionless, but he felt the blood slip from his cheeks as he wished he hadn't heard those words.

Gene didn't seem to notice the change in his brother's color and changed the subject. "You flew into Tokyo today?"

"Yes." Naru said, his voice tight. It wasn't exactly jealousy he felt. No—it was insecurity. Something he had never before felt before concerning Mai. It made sense, of course. He should have known Gene would be instantly drawn toward her. As brothers they had always shared a preference in many things, including the people they wanted to be around. Not to mention that Gene and Mai shared many similarities. He'd sought her out, even as a spirit.

"Do Martin and Luella know you're here?"

"No.. Lin does. He'll tell them." He closed his eyes. Mai had chosen him, but that was when she'd had no other choice. Try as he might he could not keep the thought from the back of his mind.

His brother clicked his tongue in disapproval. "That wasn't very considerate."

Naru shrugged, not wishing to divulge the real reason he had left the country in such a hurry, anxious to be reunited with the two people most precious to him. "I wanted to surprise you."

Gene seemed to find the thought amusing and grinned, taking up his coat again. "You seem tired."

"Not particularly. It's just that feeling after a long flight. Lethargic."

"I sat for a long time today, too. Wanna take a walk and stretch our legs? It'll wake you up and help you sleep tonight."

...

Mai was considerably calmer after she had finished cooking. She didn't have much of an appetite, so she ate a light dinner and went about the task of cleaning the kitchen and putting the leftovers away. After she had finished she sat down at the kotatsu, picking up her school bag and sighing as she envisioned the schoolwork inside. She had no desire to do homework and doubted she would even be able to concentrate.

She felt uneasy, alone and confined in the small apartment. The sound of pipes creaking, of neighbors audible through the walls, and the flickering of the lights was unsettling. Deciding that she needed to get her mind off things, she pushed aside the textbooks and stood. Slipping into her sneakers and zipping her sweatshirt up to her chin, she left the apartment. She hurried down the stairs, reached the street, and began to walk. After a moment she began to run.

...

"Have you started your research on them, or have you just been sightseeing?" Naru asked Gene, his hands in his pockets. They turned away from the busy street that the hotel was located on to a smaller, quieter side street.

"Just today. Mostly I've been going around so I can tell Luella and Martin about it. I don't want them to get suspicious, so I've been trying to do the legitimate business first. So far I've had five experiences that I can report back to SPR." Gene ticked off events on his fingers. "I went to Gunma Prefecture for two days to meet the "medium" in Midori—you were right about him, by the way, a total fake—so I ended up just sightseeing. I spent two whole days in Maebashi."

Naru looked amused. "I heard about it from Luella. She thought you were having a great time."

"I bet she did." Gene laughed. "While I was in Maebashi, though, I met a kid who was being followed by a mischievous spirit. Nothing too nasty, so it was easy to tell it to leave the poor guy alone. The kid couldn't have been more than six years old." He sighed. "So at least it wasn't a complete waste of time. It'd be nice to meet a genuine medium, though."

"What about the woman in Oume? And Hara Masako, the one with the show?"

"Well... the woman in Oume was... no." Gene curled his lip in distaste. "She wasn't a medium. She was just very absorbed in the occult and was convinced she had something she didn't." He sighed slightly. "I wanted to meet with Hara Masako today but it seems she's out of town, filming something for her show." He snorted. "She may be the only legitimate medium in Japan, but who knows when I'll get to see her. So much for all that. I did manage two other exorcisms, though. I went to Kodaira to solve the mystery of a simple poltergeist." He turned to his brother expectantly, eyes twinkling.

"It was the stepson causing all the problems, wasn't it?" Naru said coolly.

Gene grinned and gave his brother a playful rub on the head. "Exactly. I knew you'd look over my notes if I left them out, you nosy git." He laughed and put his arm around Naru's neck playfully, but his face sobered and he tightened his grip so that the two brothers' heads were touching, his hand gently pressed against Naru's temple. "I'm glad you're not mad, Noll," he admitted quietly.

"Of course I'm not." Naru said softly. How could he be angry when he was standing next to his brother after sixteen years without him? Their argument had been petty and he hadn't been very upset, even the first time. Gene had taken it harder than he had. After all, he'd been the one who refused to come to Japan. He'd been the one who hadn't stood by him when he should have the most, and so Gene had left the country while he sulked in silence. "I'm sorry for making you angry."

"Yeah, you did." Gene chuckled softly. "I thought you were being a real knobhead. But I was an ass about it. Sorry."

"I meant what I said before. Even if it's not important to me, it is to you. I support you."

Gene ruffled Naru's hair gently before releasing him. "Damn straight you do." He smiled and continued his narrative, but his voice was softer than before and his facial expression was lighter, even relieved. "The other exorcism was in Tachikawa. The daughter at a shrine found a way to revive the dead. Her lover died and she turned him into a temporary zombie," he laughed, and seeing the alarmed expression form on Naru's face, reassured him quickly. "It was harmless. Nothing like in those movies." A small smile quirked across Naru's face, remembering when Mai had forced him to watch some modern cult zombie movie. She'd been all but horrified that he hadn't already seen it, the first time he'd lived through its theatrical release. Gene did not seem to notice the change in his twin's expression. "It was so simple even you could have figured it out," he teased. "Oh, and you'll find this interesting. I went to a quote-unquote "psychic research" place that was based in Sagamihara."

Naru lifted his eyebrows in curiosity. "What was it like?"

"Kind of a dump. They didn't seem to know what they were doing. Then again, when you don't have a lot of funding and you can't buy any appropriate equipment..." Gene's voice trailed off and he shrugged, lifting his hands. "Didn't look like they even did any research, though. There's plenty of resources you can get from the library. Any decent library's going to have something."

"You've been busy." Naru said.

Gene laughed. "I suppose so. I've only just started on my own research... after the plans with Miss Hara fell through, I spent all day at the library."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Yes, in fact. Very interesting. I'll... tell you about it later." He paused, his eyes distant as he gazed at the darkening sky. It was quickly approaching twilight, the bright lights from an airplane blinking in a steady line toward Narita International Airport. "A good beginning for today, I suppose. It is a little disappointing to think that sightseeing is pretty much over. I can't say I haven't enjoyed it. The last thing I want to do is take a day trip to Kyoto or Nara. I'd love to see all the famous shrines there." Gene's face brightened and he smiled. "Why don't we ask if Mai could show us around? We can go on the weekend, I'm sure she'd love to join us." He seemed a little too excited at the prospect, Naru thought. Or was it that he just really wanted to see Kyoto and Nara? "It was fun going around Tokyo with her. She's a great tour guide."

Naru nodded but remained silent, wondering what the 'very interesting' piece of information could be. "What was it that you—"

"Speak of the devil," Gene interrupted, a grin forming on his face.

Naru followed his brother's gaze. Down the street on the opposite corner Mai had appeared. For whatever reason her younger appearance seemed all the more startling to him, watching her unnoticed from afar. And she was lovely. He wondered briefly why he hadn't immediately noticed Mai's appeal when he met her the first time. Answering his own question, he rationalized that he'd been only sixteen and had other pressing matters on his mind. At this moment she was fifteen years old and jogging lightly down the street in an old school track suit, but he thought she was as adorable as she'd ever been, ever would be.

A peculiar thought suddenly struck him. If I had a daughter, would she grow up to look that beautiful? Would she run with such confidence, hold her head high, just like her mother? He wondered vaguely. His brother's voice shoved the thoughts from his mind.

"Mai!" Gene called, waving. "What are you doing?"

Mai turned abruptly, jolting to a stop. Her face brightened to see them, a grin spreading wide across her features. Even from the distance they could see how her face lit up. She reversed her direction and ran toward them with an even gait. "N... Oliver! Gene!"

"What are you up to?" Gene asked, noticing with unease that Mai's eyes lingered on his brother's face for a moment longer than he deemed necessary. "I didn't know you were a runner."

"Oh, um, well, I'm not," Mai said, looking embarrassed, tapping her toe on the concrete. "Sometimes I just like to get... out and about, is all."

Naru gazed at her evenly and calmly, trying to keep his expression neutral. He was fully aware that Mai only ever ran if she was frustrated or upset, sick of sitting still with the thoughts in her head. In short, she ran to forget her troubles.

She met his gaze tentatively. "What are you two up to tonight? It's a nice evening for a walk, huh?"

"Why don't you walk with us for a while, Mai." Naru said, much to the surprise of his brother. "We were just discussing that we might go sightseeing in Kyoto. If you were free, perhaps you could show us all your favorite spots."

Mai grinned again. "Of course! I'd love to!"

Gene, as if annoyed at being left out from their exchange, said quickly, "Great, it's settled then. We'll pay for everything, of course. It'll be like an all-expenses paid holiday." He smiled at her and touched her arm. Mai did not seem to take notice of the casual gesture but his brother did. "Everything will be on us."

"Where do you want to go?" Mai asked, tapping her finger against her chin as she thought aloud. "I haven't been to Kyoto in a while, but Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji are always favorites, and, oh! Definitely Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari-taisha," she said, beaming at the brothers. "We can walk the Philosopher's Path and go around Gion and Pontocho..." she hesitated. Naru wasn't, but Gene was still a teenager. "Maybe that's not interesting to boys, though. All the girls love to see the maiko dressed up, but..." her voice trailed off and she eyed the two brothers, both who were staring at her blankly.

"We'll let you know if there's anywhere in particular we'd like to go, otherwise please direct us as you wish," Naru said smoothly. He'd never gone sightseeing in Kyoto, himself, and was looking forward to what Mai might come up with to keep them occupied.

"Yeah. Okay." Mai smiled at him warmly.

"Are you headed back to your apartment?" Gene asked, noticing for the second time in their conversation the looks that passed between them and the air of a silent, mutual understanding between Mai and his brother. An unpleasant feeling that he was missing something important began to spread through his body.

"Oh, yeah.."

"We'll walk you," the older brother said, and Mai smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to be a bother—"

"It's not a bother," Naru said simply, and she nodded quickly.

"Right. ...Thank you."

The three walked down the street and a stiff breeze swept between them. Mai wrapped her arms around herself. Now that she had stopped running, her body temperature had dropped and the lazy breeze went directly through her sweatshirt, chilling her even further as it hit the lingering sweat on her skin.

Noticing her shiver, Naru frowned. "You're cold now, aren't you?" He chastised. "You should have said something."

"I'll be okay, sorry. It's not too much farther..." Mai smiled and rubbed her fingers together. Her cheeks were rosy. "When I was jogging I was really warm, but now that I've stopped it became chilly again." She shivered again as a gust of wind picked up again.

Even as Naru made the move to remove his jacket, Gene had hurriedly removed his scarf and wrapped it around her neck. Naru's hands stilled and his eyes hardened.

"Mai, you need to take care of yourself." Gene smiled at her gently, his gaze soft and compassionate. She almost stopped in her tracks. It was exactly one of the gentle smiles he'd given her in her dreams when he'd been dead. She hadn't even noticed they'd been missing until this reminder of what exactly those smiles were. "You can't let yourself catch cold."

"Thank you," she mumbled softly, looking embarrassed. Only when Gene had turned his eyes away did she glance at Naru, trying to catch his gaze. His face was turned away but she could see that he was scowling.

...

It had been a rather awkward goodbye at Mai's apartment. They'd followed her up the stairs and after Gene took his suitcase and returned the key they stood in a brief silence in the door. Naru told her they'd keep her informed as to their plans; Gene promised vehemently that they'd call her every day and try to meet up again before the end of the week. When Gene made no attempt to take back his scarf, Naru reminded the two loudly. Mai, flushing deeply, hastily removed the article, apologizing that she had been so careless and forgotten. Gene had simply laughed, reminding her that they'd see each other later and she could have returned it then.

From her apartment they returned to the hotel. Gene seemed hesitant to resume their earlier topic, instead moving quickly between subjects of various things he had seen or heard on his trip. It was obvious that he was thoroughly enjoying his stay in Japan and enjoyed telling his brother about it, so Naru did not press him until dinner.

"You said you found something today. Care to elaborate?" he asked as they sat down in the quiet hotel restaurant.

Gene exhaled loudly. "Yes. About that. Let's order first," he said, noticing the approaching waitress. He picked up the menu as she placed glasses of water on the table, scanning it quickly before making his decision. "I'd like the vegetarian pizza, with the arugula salad. And a cup of decaf. Please." He smiled pleasantly at the young woman, who seemed quite breathless to be serving two identical handsome young men. She nodded wordlessly as she wrote it down.

"The walnut penne with the tofu and shiitake salad, please," Naru said shortly. "And a cup of Earl Grey."

The waitress didn't seem to know which to be more surprised about: the young men or their sophisticated food preferences, so she simply nodded again and left. Gene turned his attention back to his brother. Naru finally spoke. "What did you find at the library today? Did you..." his voice trailed off, hesitant to continue.

"He's dead." Gene paused, rubbing his eyebrow with his forefingers quickly and then dropped his hand to the table, sighing. Naru lowered his gaze and the two sat silently as the waitress brought their drinks. Gene spoke again as she left. "I guess it's not that much of a surprise. We always assumed he was, anyway, but now I know for certain. Ichirou Nilson has been dead for sixteen years."

Naru nodded as he reached for his tea. It was true, that they had suspected this. Ever since he could remember, he and Gene had speculated on the possible fate of the man. As they hadn't been speaking the first time, Naru did not actually know anything Gene's search and had never known what—if any—the fruits of his labor had been. "How..?"

"In the earthquake." Gene's lips twisted into a grimace. "Or more specifically, the landslide of Mt. Ontake it caused. You were right to think that he had died before we were born." He let out a bitter chuckle. "An autopsy confirmed that he died on the 14th of September, even though they didn't recover his body until the beginning of October." Gene paused to lift his cup of coffee, sipping quietly. "But," he continued, returning the coffee to the table and reaching into his pocket, from which he pulled a folded piece of paper. He opened it quickly and passed it across the table. "This is something we didn't know. I was going through an archive of articles about the earthquake when I found this coincidence."

Naru picked up the paper and read the English heading. Markus I. Nilson, Victim of Otaki Earthquake's Landslide. His eyes skimmed the article before finding the paper's name and date. New Haven Register, October 8th, 1984. His mouth became dry. "You mean..."

"Yes." Gene had a satisfied gleam in his eye. "While he was living in Japan he went by his middle name, Ichirou," he continued. "Knowing his real name made it very easy to find him and his parents. Lukas and Satoko Nilson of New Haven, Connecticut."

The waitress returned with their salads and placed a basket of rolls on the table. Gene took a roll and passed it to his brother before taking his own. He picked up his butter knife and slowly, methodically sliced the bread and smoothed butter on the inside. "To think that yesterday we didn't even know if my namesake was alive or dead." As he took a bite of the bread he reached into his pocket again, removing multiple papers that had been folded together. He unfolded the papers, smoothing the creases with his left hand as he studied it.

From across the table, Naru could see the top paper easily and had immediately recognized it. The doctor had written quickly, but the characters were crisp and clear. 渋谷一郎. Shibuya Ichirou, born on September 19th, 1984. He knew what the paper beneath would be. It was identical in every aspect of the form, save for that one character. Completely identical but instead the name recorded was 渋谷一也, Shibuya Kazuya. And surely, the final, hidden paper beneath that was a certificate of death. 渋谷治美, it read on the top of that final sheet. Shibuya Harumi. She had died just twenty-eight hours after the birth of her twins.

"Where do we go from here?" Naru asked quietly.

Gene chewed a forkful of salad and nodded quickly. "Now that we're both here, one of us can continue the trail on Markus and the other can start looking up Harumi. We can find out if her parents are still alive. I'd like to contact the hospital, too."

"What do we do when we've found them?" Naru asked, sighing. "Where do you intend to go from this, Gene?"

Gene frowned, stabbing a piece of his salad with his fork. "Admit it, Noll, you're just as curious about this as I am."

"Yes," Naru said reluctantly. "I am curious. But my curiosity is much different than yours. When we've identified our grandparents what do we do then? I suppose you want to plan a trip to New Haven next."

Gene remained silent for a moment. "I don't know," he said quietly, sounding sullen. "There is always the question of why we had blood relations but ended up in that orphanage anyway."

"Will knowing the reason why really make any difference? Do you plan on turning your back on Martin and Luella?" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded both accusatory and childish and Naru sighed, seeing the hard look that instantly formed in Gene's eyes. His brother ignored him and the table was quiet but for the sound of their forks moving from the plates to their mouths.

"Sorry. I'm just hungry and tired." Naru muttered, focusing firmly on the salad. Gene had never stood for his lectures, he understood that now. "I don't mean to sound so..."

"Then eat, stupid," Gene chastised, and the atmosphere lightened between them. Their meals arrived and Gene dug into his pizza with relish. "Oh, this is good, Noll. Here, try some." He deposited a piece on the edge of Naru's plate of pasta and speared several pieces of penne with his fork, popping it in his mouth. "That's really good, too," he said, swallowing. "I'll eat whatever you don't want."

"Help yourself," Naru said, a small smile lifting his lips. Gene had always been quick to judge him, but he was also quick to forgive—something he believed he himself had never possessed.

Gene continued to eat off his plate and eventually a new, unrelated conversation began.

...

His entire body had begun to ache from the long day, so when they returned to their room Naru took an after-dinner shower, standing under the warm water to soothe the soreness. When he had finally pulled himself from the luxury of the water and dressed, he took a book from his luggage and lounged on the hotel bed, reading while Gene took his own shower. Neither had ever been the type to dawdle in the bathroom, but tonight both took their time. Naru noticed it had already been an hour since they returned to the room following dinner when the water from the second shower shut off. The room became quiet, and he could faintly hear Gene humming to himself, the sounds magnified in the tiled room. Gene finally returned to the room, rubbing his neck with a towel, considering his brother in silence.

"You... and Mai..." Gene began, sitting down at the edge of the bed.

Naru looked up from his book, waiting for him to continue and not knowing exactly what he would say if he did.

Gene frowned, looking away. He didn't know what to say to his brother, not knowing how to put his suspicions into words. There was something about their familiarity that was very deeply ingrained, something that couldn't possibly have come about in a matter of days—let alone hours. But if Noll told him that they had only met during Mai's school trip, he would believe him. There was no reason for his brother to lie.

"Nothing," Gene said, standing up suddenly and moving to the window, looking out onto the night street. "It's nothing." He remembered how Mai had stopped in her tracks when she had seen him. What had been the expression on her face? Surprise, certainly, but there had been something else. He couldn't decipher the second meaning.

The two were silent for several minutes. "It's incredible you were able to find out so much in only one day," Naru finally said quietly, setting his book down as he gazed at his brother.

Gene shrugged, turning and leaning against the window sill. "You were always a more dedicated researcher than I. Now that we're working together, I imagine things will progress quickly."

"When we find them, our grandparents, do you want to contact them?"

Gene shrugged again. "I suppose so. But we'll talk about it when we're at that point." He stooped, opening his bag and pulled out a CD walkman.

Once again, the dated technology was a surprise to Naru. He couldn't remember exactly when mp3 players became the norm, nor when he'd seen an iPod for the first time, the devices soon becoming an international phenomenon. The portable CD player had definitely fallen into decline in the future.

Gene opened a CD booklet and sat next to his brother, pulling the earphones between them, inserting one into each of their ears.

"What do you want to listen to?" Gene questioned.

"Whatever's fine. What did you bring?"

"Mm... Radiohead, Badly Drawn Boy, Blur, some Presidents, Coldplay, a couple classical CDs: Rachmaninov, Phillip Glass, Mahler..." Gene paged through the booklet. "Oh, I picked this up at a secondhand book store in Maebashi." He pulled out a disc and inserted it into the walkman. He passed the booklet to Naru, who turned it over in his hands as the music started. Acoustic guitar, followed by a woman's voice.

Bonnie Pink: he recognized the name. While he didn't know if Mai had owned this exact disc, she'd once had other albums by this artist. She'd claimed it was good practice for her language skills, as the Japanese artist often sang in English. A wistful smile crossed his lips. That had been a long time ago.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Gene suddenly said, taking the booklet from his brother.

"Who?"

"Mai." Gene frowned at him, tapping his forehead with his finger. "I see it up here."

Naru shrugged, closing his eyes. Between their psychic connection as twins and his own intuition, Gene had surprising accuracy when it came to deciphering his thoughts, while he himself had never been able to see what his brother was thinking outside of logical, situational reasoning and lucky guesses. To pinpoint his thoughts of Mai indicated Gene had been somewhat preoccupied with her, himself. Naru knew he needed to tell Gene everything, and as soon as possible—the fact he could give something away by his mere thoughts reiterated the fact. "I'm thinking about a lot of things. What you found about our father, what we're going to do tomorrow. Taking a trip to Kyoto this weekend. Everything."

Gene said nothing, biting on the skin of his index finger, wondering if he was witnessing something unusual and bizarre; if it was possible his brother also had feelings for that girl.

The two lay next to each other, listening to the music together in the quiet room. They would both fall asleep in that position and when Naru awoke, hours later in the deep of the night, he rose soundlessly and purposefully from the bed. He tucked the CD player away and pulled a sheet over his brother before going into the bathroom.

When he returned to the room he saw his brother was still sleeping soundly. Without hesitation, he took one of the room keys from the desk, slung his jacket over his shoulders and silently left the room.

...

Mai awoke as a body curled around hers, a warm torso pressed against her back and an arm sliding around her body, a gentle hand resting on her forearm. His breath was warm on her neck and he squeezed her shoulder. For less than a second she panicked, wide eyes searching the darkness and then quickly relaxed. She recognized his touch just as she recognized his face and voice.

"Naru," she murmured, her eyes drifting closed and her lips curving in a smile.

He exhaled and rested his forehead on the back of her neck, pulling her body closer into his. "Mai," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing here?"

"The middle of the night seemed to be the most convenient option to talk at the moment." He said dryly. "Are you complaining? I can leave."

"Of course not." She didn't think she'd ever appreciated hearing his sarcasm so much before. "How did you get in?"

"I pocketed your spare key when we were leaving. When you and Gene were preoccupied with the scarf. You left it out on the table. Sorry."

"That's fine. When I couldn't find it I was actually hoping you'd taken it. But won't Gene be suspicious if he finds out you're gone?"

"If he wakes up—he was always a very sound sleeper. The hotel isn't far from here so I won't be gone long." Naru paused. "He knows.. something. Suspects something between us. I suppose I should tell him sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, now's not a very good time." He continued, softer, and Mai could hear the frown in his voice. "I would like to explain everything, somehow. Show him everything that I saw in the future. I don't know if I should, but.. as soon as possible.." his voice trailed off and he sighed into her skin. "You smell nice, Mai."

"Naru?"

"Hm?" His lips touched her neck gently.

Mai closed her eyes, his caress comforting and electrifying at the same time. "Why didn't you come to Japan with him in the first place?" She murmured. "What is he doing here? It's obviously not just sightseeing, and it's more than just visiting mediums, isn't it?"

But he didn't answer her. Instead, his hand traced her body from her elbow up to her shoulder, down her side and to her hips. He kissed the ridge of her ear tenderly, his roaming hand returning to slide under her shirt, tracing the skin of her stomach. Her breathing quickened and he moved his lips down her jaw before kissing her lips gently with his own.

As he kissed her, she pulled his body into her own, pressing herself against him and encouraging his wandering hands as she returned his kisses. When he pulled his lips from hers she was breathing heavily, eyes half-lidded with desire. "Should've brought some condoms," he lamented, smirking as he saw the embarrassed expression that soon followed his words.

"Naru," Mai blushed and averted her gaze. She could count the times they'd been intimate in the past on one hand, and now that was on his mind? When they were teenagers again and sneaking around his brother? It was unexpected, to say the least. "I don't think that would've been a good idea," she muttered.

"No. Probably not," he agreed, but his actions contradicted his words as he kissed her again in response.

When he released her lips she opened her eyes, feeling dazed. "Naru?"

"Sorry," he said shortly, turning his gaze away and sitting up, pulling himself from her side. "I just... You're right. This probably isn't a good idea. I should probably go before we do something stupid."

He turned back to her as she took his hand. "Don't go yet," she pleaded. "Just... for a little longer. Somehow it feels like I haven't seen you in a long time, and..." her voice trailed off. "I'm being selfish, sorry," she mumbled quietly.

"Don't say that," he murmured quietly, slowly lying back down by her side, his head propped against his hand. He exhaled as she nestled into his side and closed his eyes, putting his arm around her. His desire was still there but the urgency was ebbing away. That she was here, whole and in his arms was a comfort in itself. "I'm sorry for being so distant today."

"It's okay, Naru. We do what we have to do."

"I made you cry."

"Did not."

"Don't lie."

"Just because I was crying doesn't mean you were the cause. It isn't always about you, Naru." She retorted, smiling at him.

"I still feel responsible."

The smile wavered and slipped from her face. "If anything, I'm to blame, aren't I?"

"I don't want you to say it like that."

Neither wanted to breach the subject—of that day, of what he had done to bring them to the current circumstances. Mai was not comfortable to speak of it and he, likewise, was unwilling. He regretted the accident that had almost killed her—of course he regretted it—but that accident had forced him here to be reunited with his brother. Surely bringing his brother back from the dead warranted their sacrifice. Her sacrifice. The end justifies the means.

She waited a moment for him to speak. When he did not, she sighed, trying to release the tightness which enveloping her chest. "Anyway. This is how we used to be, right?"

"I don't like it. And I don't like lying." She could hear his frown. "I don't want to lie to him."

"I know," she said, letting out another sigh. "Of course you don't want to lie."

"I just—I just don't know how to tell him. And now, while he's..." He did not complete his statement aloud. Set on finding the answers to his mystery, he finished silently.

"It can't be helped, right? At least for now." Naru nodded but remained silent. "It's.. it's different this time around, isn't it," she questioned.

"Different how?"

Mai bit her lip. "Last time... last time we came back, the future was always a little fuzzy to me. It felt like the future was a dream, right? I didn't feel so out of place in the present. This time it's the opposite, I feel like I have more difficulty remembering what this present is supposed to be, that this is the dream, instead." Both her experiences were different from what Naru had reported experiencing. He'd remembered the future with clarity as well as the preceding time leading into the moment he arrived in the past. He'd had no difficulty assimilating his knowledge of the time to come into the present.

"I had always assumed it had something to do with the fact that you'd returned to the time passively, as I had brought you back," Naru began slowly. "We didn't return to the exact same moment in time, either, as you'll recall." Mai nodded. Though she and Naru hadn't spoken much lately of his reversal of time—she'd left him and Lin to do the speculating—she had thought of it often. "This time, it seems that we did. Lin, as well. He remembers the future clearly. It could be more related to the fact that you'd been dead when I reversed time." He felt a lump grow in his throat. The day Lin had delivered the news of Mai's death was a very distant memory, but the day of the accident was burned into his memory. The sight of her blood on the pavement, the smell of the burning car. The sound of life support in a cold hospital room. It still felt like a nightmare he'd just awoken from.

"But that doesn't make sense, either," Mai frowned. "By that reasoning Gene should remember the future."

Naru exhaled in exasperation, anxious to leave the topic. "I don't know, Mai, I really don't. I haven't had much time to think about it."

She knew what the tone in his voice meant and she was quick to oblige him. "I saw John," Mai said, changing the subject. "I fell in a puddle and he was the one to help me up." She let out a bitter chuckle. "It was really weird! He looked so young." She looked up at him, trying to distinguish his features in the darkness. "You do, too. Baby-face Naru."

"Don't say that," he growled playfully, and she giggled softly. "It's strange to see you so young, too." Naru touched the strands of hair at her neck. "Your hair is longer than when we first met, isn't it?"

"Is it? I don't know. I don't remember." Mai blushed. "You remember what my hair looked like when we first met?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. You must have gotten a haircut sometime in the next few weeks." In the darkness she could barely see his tender smile. "But you shouldn't. This is.. very cute." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before rising. "I should go now."

She gazed up at his dark silhouette, wishing she could see his face. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, about their last day in the future and where they would go from here. But she could not bring herself to voice the words. Now was not the time, and she didn't know when—or if—that time would come. "Next time will you tell me what you and Gene are doing here?"

"After I tell Gene about us." He replied, his hand on the sliding door. "Good night, Mai." He slid the door shut and Mai heard the door to her apartment open and the sound of a key turning in the lock a moment later. She closed her eyes to the darkness, listening. Soft footsteps receded down the hall and disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, it was morning.

...

When Gene awoke, daylight shone through the window, the blinds half-pushed back. He groaned and rolled his head away.

His brother's bed was empty but he could hear the sound of computer keys. He rose partially onto his elbows, raising an eyebrow as he observed his twin typing methodically on his laptop at the table. There was a steaming teacup and some untouched buttered toast at his side.

His brother, noticing the movement, smirked as he lifted his cup of tea. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

"You're at it already?" Gene asked, rubbing his head as he sat up. He turned his gaze to the clock. It was almost eight o'clock. "I guess I slept in, huh."

"Not really. I was awake so I thought I'd get started. Besides, the quicker we know, the better, right?"

Gene nodded and rose from the bed, walking quietly to his brother's side and reaching for the toast. "You know me, I'm always impatient. What've you done so far?"

"Just some general investigation on Markus Nilson." Naru informed him, taking the other piece of toast as Gene sat down. "I found him on the list of 1981 Yale graduates. He studied East Asian Studies and History, graduated summa cum laude." His mouth curled in a smile.

"Seems appropriate," Gene said, picking up the tea and taking a sip.

"Assuming he was in his early twenties when he graduated, he was probably born in the late 50's, and therefore would have been in his mid-twenties at the time of his death. Using the article in the New Haven Register you found yesterday, I was able to find a very short obituary. He was survived by his parents and two younger sisters, Alice and Emma," he continued, turning the page of his notebook, scanning his notes. "From there, I looked up the contact information for our paternal grandparents, Lukas and Satoko Nilson."

"Wow. Did you even sleep last night, Noll?"

"Assuming White Pages is correct. It might not be." He looked at the piece of paper again. "And there's only one way to find out. We might as well call them."

Gene's eyes widened in surprise, swallowing his mouthful of toast quickly. "Really? Already?"

Naru nodded, pausing as he thought. "It's morning here, which means it's evening on the Eastern Seaboard." He rose to his feet, picking up the hotel phone and bringing it back to the table. "Why not, right?"

Gene hesitated. "Let's... wait. Wait until tomorrow. Tonight's not a good night." He closed his eyes, pausing. "I just don't think it's a good night for them."

His brother gazed at him thoughtfully before speaking. It had been a long time since he'd received a recommendation like this from Gene but he'd always trusted his twin's intuition absolutely. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Gene nodded. He rose to his feet and with a fluid motion, pulled off the shirt in which he'd slept, bending to find a replacement in his brother's suitcase. "Eat your toast, Noll, and let's go get some real breakfast. I could use some coffee."

...

The two had been at the library for hours, moving the research from their father to their mother for the better part of the morning. Despite the ease of which they had uncovered information on their father, facts on their mother remained elusive.

Gene frowned and exhaled loudly, stretching back in his chair. He was certain he'd perused every article in the archives relating to the 1984 Otaki Earthquake and uncovered anything ever written about the tiny village of Otaki and the Kiso District. Nothing he read, however, was of any assistance to move forward. "Why can't we find anything on her?" He muttered, resting his chin on his hand glumly.

"We only just started," Naru said, rising to his feet. "I'm going to get a cup of tea. I saw a shop outside. Do you want to take a break?"

Gene shook his head wordlessly, staring gloomily in front of him.

"I'll bring you something. Do you want a cup of coffee? Something to eat?"

"Nah, I'm good." Gene said stubbornly. Then his face transformed, brightening at a new prospect, and he snapped his fingers. "I could call the hospital. It's possible that they know something. Who knows."

Naru nodded, shrugging on his jacket as he turned away. The archives were located on the second floor and as he hurried down the stairs he passed a window, turning his gaze outside. It was an overcast day and the sidewalks and streets were crowded with people and vehicles alike. His eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting on a bench, watching the pigeons that wandered aimlessly on the pavement, fluttering their wings and hopping away when the human feet came too close.

He frowned, pausing and walked slowly to the door, wondering if he had been mistaken. As he stepped outside, however, he could see that he had not. He recognized the jacket and the scarf: she'd kept both articles, many years into the future. Her back was turned to him, chestnut-coloured hair blowing lightly in the breeze.

"Mai, what are you doing here?"

She turned to meet his gaze and simply shrugged. She did not seem especially surprised to see him. "Skipping school," Mai said, sounding both defiant and ashamed.

"Obviously." His frown deepened. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

She shrugged again, turning her eyes away. "A sick day or two can't hurt, especially when I've done it already. Where's Gene?"

"Inside. Did you know we were going to be here?"

"No," Mai shrugged, looking away again and refusing to meet his gaze. "I just a feeling to come by, I guess. I thought it would be a good idea to check out some books, maybe find a Murakami novel. It's been a long time since I've read his books in Japanese. And I suppose I'd like to finish reading Jane Eyre. It wasn't... exactly... just that I wanted to see you." She flushed slightly as she finished.

It was true that Mai had been reading Jane Eyre shortly before their return to this time: his mother had introduced Mai to the famous novels of Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen several months ago. He believed her that she did honestly want to read, but in Naru's mind her statement more than partially a lie and certainly not a legitimate reason to skip school. Not to mention that sitting outside the building, watching the pigeons, was not an active pursuit of finding the books in question. "And you wanted to come to this particular library? Isn't there a library closer to your apartment?"

She gave him a bitter, lopsided smile. "I suppose that's my intuition at work."

His lips were a thin line. "You should go to school, Mai."

"I know," she pouted. "I just... I really don't feel like it."

"It's not going to get any easier." Her eyes hardened and she turned her gaze back to the sidewalk. He sighed and sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees. The transition into the past was no doubt hard on her, especially considering what she had voiced last night: that the future seemed real and this present seemed more akin to a dream. "I'm sorry, Mai. But we have to try to live normally. I know it's difficult, but what else can we do?"

"You don't have to go to school," Mai said glumly, sulking.

"Not high school, but I have a semester of work left at the university until I graduate and when the time comes I will do my coursework, just like last time." He smiled wryly. "Think of it as an opportunity to learn more, Mai. Do more. Dare I even say, do better than last time."

"Half my teachers are younger than me," she said, her lips lowering into a dour shape. This was an exaggeration; only several of the teachers at her school were in their early thirties or younger.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you can't learn anything from them." When she simply scuffed her toes against the pavement in response, he frowned. "You're just being stubborn." He gazed at her for several seconds and then rose to his feet, gesturing with a nod. "Come with me."

Mai followed him as he walked down the sidewalk, ducking into a small café. He gazed at the offerings listed on the menu before walking up to the counter and ordering a cup of Assam tea, to go. His spoken Japanese was flawless, as it had always been, and Mai realized she'd missed hearing him speak it. Once they had only spoken Japanese together. Over time, they spoke mostly English, the Japanese conversations becoming few and far between. Even the night before, when he'd met her in her room they'd spoken English out of habit.

"Do you want anything?" He asked her, startling her out of her musings.

Mai glanced at the list of teas, somewhat surprised and impressed by the large selection for such a small shop. "A cup of the tamaryoku-cha, please," she told the woman. "Thank you."

Naru nodded as if in approval and paid for the teas at the cashier. When the woman behind the counter passed him the cups, he passed one to her and they walked out of the brightly-lit shop into the overcast morning. Naru pulled his sleeve back to glance at his watch before lifting the cup to his lips, squinting slightly as he gazed above the buildings across the street and into the grey sky.

Mai watched him, realizing that while his outward appearance should suggest a teenaged boy it was impossible for her not to think of him as older. His mannerisms had always suggested maturity but gazing at his profile she could almost see the man he had grown into in the future, mingling with this present past. "Thank you," she said softly, taking a sip of her tea. "Is this your bribe to get me to go to school?"

"Of course not," Naru said indignantly, stopping as they once again stood in front of the library, close to the building and away from the steady stream of pedestrians that crossed on the sidewalk. "I thought you would like some tea. That's all." He closed his eyes for a moment, as if contemplating something, transferring the cup of tea into his other hand. Slowly but steadily, he reached toward her and took her hand in his own, entwining his fingers with hers as he took another sip of his tea.

It surprised her that he would hold her hand in public. That he would do so, even though someone might see them on this busy, crowded street. Even more startling that he would do so when Gene may be in the vicinity to see such a revealing action.

That said, Mai thought wryly, he had to be certain that his brother wouldn't happen upon them. She wasn't entirely sure what the psychic connection between them encompassed and what his psychometry was capable of. He had not only seen, but experienced his brother's death, and she wondered if he could also look in on his brother at will. The thought led to another: what would happen as the twins grew older without separating? Naru, of course, had never said anything of the matter, but from several overheard conversations between Lin and Martin she had surmised that the twins' ESP capabilities had continued to develop together right up until Gene's death. They were an anomaly, their abilities growing instead of fading with age, though that very growth was masked as they learned control. When Gene disappeared, however, so did Naru's evolution. Mai wondered if Naru'd had these very thoughts in the last few days as well.

Despite her musings, she found a smile growing on her lips as she inhaled the gentle aroma of the tea. The tension that had gathered around her began to dissipate and she forced herself from that train of thought. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn," she finally said softly. "You're right, of course. I should go to school." She squeezed his hand, looking up at him. "Will I see you tonight?"

Naru's lips quirked in a slight grin. "I'm sure Gene will be up for something fun this evening. We'll take you out for dinner. Or whatever it is that kids do in Tokyo."

She smiled at his words. "I can endure school if I'm looking forward to that. And you still have my key."

"Yes."

"Then I'll see you, one way or another. Promise?"

"Of course."

She smiled coyly as she extracted her hand from his own and offered him a small wave as she walked away. Naru wondered vaguely the meaning of that smile and if it would be presumptuous of him to go out and buy some contraceptives. He shook his head to himself as he watched her meander away, knowing he couldn't possibly be so irresponsible. How would he ever explain his possession of them if his brother happened to find them? When she had disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians, he turned and returned into the hush of the library, the sounds of outside all but disappearing as the heavy door closed behind him.

Approaching the table that he and his brother had claimed, Gene looked up when he saw him coming, an excited grin spreading across his face. "Noll," he whispered, gesturing for him to hurry.

Naru set his tea on the table, pulling out a chair. "What is it?"

"Turns out all we needed to do was call the hospital. At some point they recorded Harumi's next of kin. Probably—well, almost certainly—after our transfer, because the hospital at Takayama certainly didn't know about it. Apparently she called the hospital to claim Harumi's remains. Our maternal grandmother, Shibuya Mitsuki."

Naru frowned. "Her remains? Not her body?"

"That's what the woman said." He glanced down at his notes. "She claimed her remains on September 28th, 1984, is exactly what she said. Well—you know. In Japanese, not English."

"Did the woman mention anything about Harumi having twins or of being pregnant?" Gene shook his head and Naru's eyes narrowed slightly in thought. He settled back into his chair, a pensive frown settling on his face.

"Though the casualties of the quake were fairly low, it would make sense that the mortuary in such a small village would be overwhelmed with the victims of the earthquake. If a body was identified with certainty, though unusual, it's not out of the question that they would proceed with cremation." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "A possible reason why we weren't claimed by family on our mother's side could simply be that she was not aware of our birth," he mused. Gene waited patiently and his brother continued.

"In the confusion of the aftermath, the hospital either lost or did not keep a record that the deceased Shibuya Harumi had delivered two children. We were transferred out of that hospital to Takayama on the 22nd. By only collecting her daughter's remains, Shibuya Mitsuki wouldn't have known of the fact."

"Perhaps she didn't even know her daughter was with child," Gene added. "If she'd known her daughter was pregnant, surely she would have questioned the hospital when she collected her remains. Don't you think?"

"It does seem possible. When did she claim the remains, again?"

"September 28th. Eight days after Harumi died."

Naru's frown deepened. "That seems like a long time."

"It does, doesn't it." Gene nodded slightly. "Of course, there's always the possibility that she was aware of our birth but did not act on the information. Perhaps she wanted nothing to do with us and let the hospital take care of us as they saw fit."

"There is always that possibility," Naru agreed. He directed his gaze to the table top. Since he had left it had accumulated a number of phone books and directories. "What's this, anyway?"

Gene beamed and pushed one of the phone books toward him. A quick glance showed that it was a directory for Chubu: Niigata - Yamanashi - Nagano. When his eyes fell on the word Nagano, Naru felt a weight drop into his stomach.

"Here," Gene flipped the book open to a marked page and ran his finger down a line of names, stopping about two-thirds of the way down the page. 渋谷光希, Shibuya Mitsuki. "This is her. Our grandmother."

Naru frowned. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I.. just do," Gene said, smiling sheepishly. "Just a feeling that it has to be her, right?" The impish grin remained on his twin's face. "There's only one way to find out."

...

Mai stood in the hallway for several minutes, listening to the teacher talk within before she finally slid open the door. "Sorry I'm late," she said quietly, bowing.

"Taniyama, I thought you were sick today?" The teacher, a strict-looking woman with a pinched mouth, frowned at her, irritation plain on her features.

"I feel much better now. I didn't want to miss class," Mai said, cringing as she heard two girls guffaw at her in the back of the classroom. Several other girls, the ones who had seen Gene the day before and her leave with him, tittered and whispered amongst each other. Mai knew they were speculating and she had the sudden urge to leave the classroom again, never to return. But she stood calmly and after several moments she realized their whispers didn't actually bother her. She had experienced more in her life to be bothered by mere high school gossip.

The teacher shot an angry look to the disruptive students and nodded tersely at Mai. "Take your seat, Taniyama. Okay, class, everyone get into pairs or small groups. Discuss the text with your peers until the end of the class."

The classroom slowly began to move, the students looking around and grouping themselves together. Mai slid into her seat in the middle of the classroom, pulling out her books and a pencil.

"Mai, were you really sick? Where were you?" Michiru asked with a whisper, swivelling around in her seat.

"I'm okay now," Mai said quietly, flipping open her book. "I didn't feel well this morning, is all."

"Nothing—nothing to do with Gene, right?" Michiru said with a conspiratorial wink. "Wasn't that his name?"

"Of course not," Mai said, finding the page by looking over her friend's shoulder. "Are we going to talk about this or what?" She muttered, noticing that their teacher was walking around, listening to the students' discussions. Iwasaki, who sat next to Mai, turned in his seat toward them and join them wordlessly.

"Um, okay." Michiru sounded disappointed. "So what do you think? Did you read this before? We read it aloud before you got here."

Mai turned her attention to the page, her eyes sliding over the text. She had read the short story last night. It had been assigned, after all. Even as she started to read it she had remembered this story, the confession of a man accused of murder. This time, however, with fifteen years in-between, the story's meaning was completely different. "It's pretty interesting, isn't it?" She mused as she scanned the page. "The reader can't tell if the man is finally confessing his guilt or if after all the accusations he begins to doubt his own innocence. I never noticed the duality of the text before. I just assumed he'd been lying the whole time."

Michiru stared at Mai for a moment and then at the book. "You know... you're right. I never thought of it that way before, either, huh..." She turned her gaze to the boy next to them. "What about you, Iwasaki-kun? What do you think?"

The boy frowned, staring at the words. "I always thought he was finally coming clean, too, but.. I guess Taniyama's right. It's kinda vague." His eyebrows furrowed. "But why finally confess if he wasn't guilty?"

"That's true," Michiru said dubiously.

"Well, they were accusing him for such a long time," Mai said. "Everyone turned on him. It was obvious they were never going to believe his innocence. And after all, you begin to believe it if you hear it enough, right?"

"Well, which one is it?" Iwasaki said impatiently. "Is he guilty or not?"

"I guess that's the point of the story, to be ambiguous. We'll never actually know the truth." Mai rested her head in her hands on top of her open book. "I guess I'd rather believe that he's innocent and been wrongly accused." She mumbled, and closed her eyes, yawning.

"While I am grateful you can share such insightful comments with your classmates, Taniyama, class isn't quite over yet," the teacher said from behind Mai's shoulder. "If you're going to sleep in class you shouldn't bother coming in."

Mai's eyes snapped open and she immediately straightened in her seat. "Yes, sensei." She watched the teacher carefully as the woman walked away.

"You're wrong, Taniyama," Iwasaki suddenly said. "At the end, after his confession, the man says that he told a lie. That's obviously that he was lying about his innocence, right?"

Mai's gaze meandered back to the text. "Well," she started slowly, "that passage is repeated from the beginning of the story. In the first paragraph, he states he isn't lying and he's not afraid to die for what he believes to be the truth, and says that what goes around comes around. But in that last paragraph he admits he lied and again says what goes around comes around. Don't you take it to mean that what he lied about was not being afraid to die? I mean, honestly. Everyone's afraid to die." A small smile quirked the corners of her lips as she said this.

Michiru frowned at her, noticing the change in her expression. "What's so funny?"

Mai's eyes were wistful. "Nothing," she lied. The bell rang. "What's next? Geometry?"

...

"Mai-chan, do you want to get ramen or something? Yuriko said she was free, too." Michiru asked as they wiped the blackboard together. In the hallway, students were departing for their clubs, the classes over for the day. "Keiko had to leave early, to run an errand for her mom, but she said she'd meet us there."

Mai hesitated. It would probably be good to meet up with her friends, to 'reacquaint herself,' so to say, but she was expecting Naru or Gene to call her to make plans later. Not to mention she had almost no money to pay for anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. "Sorry, Michiru-chan, I'll have to pass tonight," she sighed. "I'd love to but I'm totally broke!"

"I can spot you," Michiru offered helpfully.

Mai bit her lip. "It's tempting, and I am hungry, but..." she sighed. "I really can't. It'll be a couple weeks before I can pay you back, and I wouldn't feel right about that."

Michiru looked disappointed. "I really wanted to hear all about Gene. Who is he, how do you know him? You'll tell me everything, right?"

"Yeah, of course... " Mai's voice trailed off. In order not to lie, she decided to offer as little information as possible. "He and his brother are visiting Tokyo for a few days," she said, "I was just showing Gene around, is all."

"He has a brother?" Michiru looked interested at the prospect. She sighed, dreamily, sliding open the window and clapping the dusty erasers outside. "I'd like to see them together. If they look anything alike they must make a very handsome pair."

"I guess so," Mai said, noncommittally. That's probably an understatement, she thought wryly.

The door slid open and Yuriko poked her head into the otherwise empty classroom. "Michiru-chan, Mai-chan, are you ready to go? I just got a text from Keiko. She'll be done in fifteen minutes, so if we go now we can meet her. "

"Mai can't, she's broke," Michiru said, and Yuriko made a face.

"Oh, come on, Mai, don't be silly. We'll pay for you! It's just ramen. It'll be, what, 800 yen, tops?"

"I would feel bad," Mai protested weakly, wondering what her friends knew about her overall situation not to press too firmly. After all, Yuriko could have said "It's only ramen, can't you afford that?" But she hadn't. They knew she lived on her own, but she didn't remember what else she'd let on.

"Don't worry about it, come on!" Yuriko took her arm in hers, bouncing it gently. "Pretty please?"

Mai felt a smile tug on her lips. Yuriko was a new addition to inseparable group she, Michiru and Keiko had become since middle school. It was probably around this time that they became close. Keiko, who had been placed in a different class than Mai and Michiru, had introduced her to them. "Okay, but I can't pay you guys back for a little while."

"Who cares? You don't have to pay me back. I'll just pinch some money from my stepdad," Yuriko giggled. "Come on, let's go. What say we head down to Shibuya? I hear there's a new place that has really good tonkotsu ramen!"

...

She was glad she'd acquiesced to the will of her friends. When they'd left the school Mai didn't quite feel at ease with the girls, but as the afternoon turned into evening she felt more and more comfortable. She was still self-conscious about their age difference and was afraid of acting differently so as to draw attention to herself. She was hardly the same person she'd been just yesterday, all those years ago. After all, she'd lived twice as long and had a great deal of experiences that led her to different conclusions and expectations about the world. But as she immersed herself in the present, trying to forget about the future for a while, she found herself slipping back into mannerisms she'd forgotten, remembering inside jokes and behaving as a normal fifteen-year old girl would.

After the ramen shop in Shibuya they walked up and down the busy streets. Keiko window-shopped while Yuriko looked at all the male figures they passed, commenting on those she deemed most handsome or fashionable. They stopped in a boutique when something in the window caught Keiko's eye and the girls browsed the racks of hats, scarves and displays of vintage-style jewellery.

The girls were in the shop for a long time, waiting as Keiko seriously considered buying a trendy jacket. Mai, not as interested in looking at items she knew she couldn't afford and finally feeling the weight of two glasses of water she'd drank with her ramen, approached the shopkeeper and asked if she could use the restroom.

The man seemed reluctant to turn his attention toward her and when he did he gazed at her condescendingly. "The restroom is for purchasing customers only," he snipped. "And I doubt you can afford anything in this establishment considering..." His voice trailed off as he looked her over with disdain.

Michiru, standing close behind her, looked outraged. Mai, sensing a scene, simply shrugged and led her friend away.

"Mai, don't tell me you're going to stand for that sort of bullshit!" Michiru hissed, and Mai was somewhat surprised to see her friend so agitated. Michiru almost never swore.

"It's fine. Whatever," Mai shrugged. "The train station's just down the street and there should be public restrooms there. I'll just go there." She caught Yuriko's eye. "Yuriko-chan, when you're done I'll meet you guys outside, okay?"

"I'll go with you," Michiru said quickly, following her outside. "What a jerk!" Michiru exclaimed once they had exited the shop, her face flushed with her sudden anger. "Just because we're high schoolers. He has no right to assume you can't buy anything there! It was way overpriced, anyway," she sniffed. When Mai remained silent, Michiru frowned. "Doesn't that bother you, Mai-chan?"

"Everyone is dealt some sort of injustice in the world," Mai said, "so I'm grateful that it was a minor one." Michiru frowned slightly, looking at her friend closely with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment. Mai couldn't tell if she was worried or just confused. "At least," Mai said quickly, "that's what my mom always used to say."

Michiru watched her dubiously as they pushed open the door to the station. "Yeah, I guess."

"I'll just be a minute." Ducking into the restroom, Mai heaved a sigh of relief. It was the first time that evening she'd evidently done something out of character. Her heart was pounding, though she honestly couldn't say why it made her so nervous.

In the privacy of the stall, Mai felt a lump form in her throat. It was not her own mother but Luella who had said that to her.

When she returned to Michiru the girl appeared to have all but forgotten about the incident and was cheerful again. They found a new topic, talking and laughing as they returned to the shop where Keiko and Yuriko were waiting outside.

"Did you buy anything?" Michiru asked.

"Nah," Keiko shrugged. "I don't think I liked it that much after all. I'd rather think about it for a while."

"You can always come back," Mai agreed, and Yuriko nodded.

"Besides, we've got that quiz tomorrow, right? We should probably call it a night." Keiko frowned when Michiru groaned at the mention of the quiz. "You were saying you need to study, weren't you? And it's already getting late."

"Yeah, I guess so. If I don't head home now I won't make it for dinner and my dad'll yell at me."

The girls parted ways when they entered the underground train station. Michiru and Keiko took the same train and Mai and Yuriko were on the same line so they said good night as they swiped their passes at the gate. When they arrived on their platform, Yuriko frowned, glancing at the digital display of the train schedule. "Oh, shoot, it looks like you just missed the local."

Mai shrugged. "It's okay, I'm not in a big hurry." She smiled at her friend. "That's good, though, the express will be here in a minute. You won't have to wait long."

"Yeah." Yuriko said absently. She seemed to hesitate. "Here," she said as she turned to her, suddenly pressing two 1000 yen notes into Mai's hand. "Take this."

"Oh, Yuriko-chan, you already bought my ramen. I can't—" Mai protested.

"Just take it," Yuriko said, pulling her hands away, forcing to Mai hold the money uncertainly. "Seriously. You don't need to pay me back. Emergencies come up, you know?"

"Are you sure?" Mai asked, her voice faltering. When Yuriko nodded firmly, Mai finally dipped her head, putting the money in her pocket. "Thank.. thank you. I'm really sorry for the trouble. I'll pay you back."

"Don't," Yuriko grinned and began to laugh. "Besides, I'm curious to find out how much I have to take before my stepdad notices. The guy's loaded and completely oblivious." Mai felt a smile grin twitch on her lips. Mischievous Yuriko, just as she remembered her. The girl looked up as the train approached. "Oh, that's my train. The express line to homework, studying, and tomorrow. Gotta go!" She grinned at Mai, waving. "See ya!"

Mai returned the wave from the platform. When the train moved down the tunnel, her friend gone from her sight, she dropped her hand. It was time to return to the apartment and she wondered if this time it would feel like returning home.

...

They'd called Ms. Shibuya Mitsuki several times over the course of the afternoon, unable to leave a message. In between calls the brothers began to research the area of Nagano in which Mitsuki lived, trying to determine if it was where Harumi had grown up. Unfortunately they couldn't find any indication that the woman had ever lived there with her daughter. In fact, just as earlier in the day they'd had trouble finding information on Harumi, Mitsuki Shibuya was all but impossible to trace. Had they not seen her name in the directory, Naru knew, they never would have known of her existence.

It was dark outside when Naru finally placed his hand on his brother's arm. "It's time to go, Gene," he said with a resigned sigh. "We'll try again tomorrow."

Gene stared at the materials on the table, his face the mask of a sullen pout. He was tired, hungry and grouchy and he knew his brother was right. With no amount of calling would she pick up the phone tonight and no amount of research would bring them closer to their goal.

"Yeah," he sighed as he stood, picking up the phone books and returning them to the shelf. "You're right," he said, quirking a grin. "Voice of reason, Noll. You always were, always have been." He shrugged as he shoved the last book into place. "I suppose if we can't reach her, we have her address from the directory. We could always try her at home."

Naru frowned. "She's not answering her phone, Gene, so why do you think she might be at home? It could be anything. Maybe she's traveling."

"No," Gene said thoughtfully. "I don't think that's it." He shrugged again. "I just think we'd see her if we tried to go there. If we went this weekend we could ask Mai to come with us."

Naru's frown tightened and he wondered why his brother wanted Mai to accompany them to look for their grandmother. He knew Gene had said nothing to her of his task in this country. "I thought you wanted to go to Kyoto this weekend," he said carefully.

Gene paused, considering. "Maybe.. later. It just seems like it'd be fun to go to Nagano instead."

Naru sighed, pulling on his jacket. The thought of going to Nagano, the place his brother had once died, made him extremely uneasy. "Let's go get something to eat. We can talk about it over dinner."

"Want to ask Mai to join us?"

He hesitated before answering. "Whatever you want, Gene."

...

Mai was even more grateful for the evening with her friends when she returned to her apartment and still had not heard from either of the brothers. It had been her first chance to take her mind off the larger situation at hand, but it returned with full force as soon as she'd walked home in the cold evening. If she hadn't gone out with the girls, she knew, she would have simply been waiting nervously at home, worry and anxiety gnawing in her stomach as the dark curtain swept over the city, the early spring twilight cooling into night.

She locked the door behind her and slipped out of her shoes, shrugging off her jacket and padding quietly into her bedroom, changing out of her uniform and into a sweatshirt and jeans. Returning to the main room, she switched on the light above the kotatsu and turned off the other lights. She sat beneath the only illumination in the room and set her schoolwork in front of her, absently turning a pencil in her hand as she surveyed the books before her.

She did not feel the need to study. Her classes, both today and yesterday, had all been extremely easy. English and grammar lessons, of course, had been a breeze and she even remembered all the literature, history, science and math. It was her recollection of math that surprised her the most. She would have thought that she would have forgotten it completely, as she hadn't used much of it in the future. But as the teacher went on about Euclid postulates and axioms, Mai realized that she understood it even better than she had the first time. Naru, she grudgingly admitted, had been right to suggest that she could do better this time around in her studies, though she wasn't sure what better grades would accomplish in her life. She wanted things to be the same, same but for the addition of Gene. It seemed a simple undertaking.

Her stomach grumbled, urging her to go to the kitchen and heat some food for dinner. The ramen was now three hours ago and already she was hungry again. Instead, however, she remained seated, staring at the opposite wall. Her mind was preoccupied with the twins. She wondered where they were and what they were doing. Perhaps, she thought, they had stayed at the library late. Whatever Gene's real purpose in Japan was, it undoubtedly contained some sort of research.

As if in response to her thoughts her mobile rang. She jumped at the noise. Gene, the screen declared. Her heart fluttered in her chest with trepidation and relief.

"Hi there Mai! I'm not calling at a bad time, am I?"

"No, of course not. How are you?"

"Good, we're both great. Noll and I just got back to our room. I know it's already getting a little late, but do you want to get some dinner?"

"I'd love to. I was just going to eat, actually."

"Perfect. We'll come pick you up." In their hotel room, Gene glanced at his brother, whose gaze was turned on some faraway object. "We'll see you in a few."

...

She met them in front of her apartment building, their breaths showing in the cool night. "Where do you want to go?" Mai asked.

"Anywhere you'd recommend?" Naru queried. "A place close by, perhaps?"

"Do you want Japanese food?" Mai asked uncertainly, to which Naru shrugged in response, indifferent.

"Yeah," Gene affirmed. "Definitely Japanese food."

The small restaurant that Mai led them to was about halfway between her apartment building and the hotel, a small shop on a narrow street. The light, glowing warmly through the frosted windows, was inviting and lively voices could be heard from within. "It's been a while since I've been here," Mai began tentatively, pushing beside the navy colored noren curtains with a hand, ducking her head as she opened the door. "But the udon and okonomiyakiwere both really good. And decently priced, too."

After they were seated, had ordered their food and were drinking tea, Gene clasped his hands together. "So, Mai, have you thought about our trip this weekend to Kyoto?"

"Oh, um, no. Not yet," Mai said, startled. "Sorry."

"No, that's good," he said, smiling. "Change of plans. Instead of Kyoto, how would you like to go to Nagano Prefecture?"

Mai shot a questioning glance at Naru, who lifted his shoulders slightly but remained silent. She hoped it was an indication that he'd explain later. "Okay," Mai said, hesitating. "I don't really know anything about Nagano, though. I don't know if I could show you around the same way as if we went to Kyoto."

"That's fine. We can pick up a guide book between now and then. We'll just do whatever seems fun."

"And we can always go to Kyoto later, right?" Naru said, taking a long sip of his tea, hoping he didn't sound disappointed. Honestly, he had been looking forward to the opportunity to go to the city with Mai and he had no desire to visit Nagano whatsoever. At his comment, Mai's eyes once again moved to his face curiously but he evaded her gaze.

To Mai, it was obvious that his brother seemed tense and unsure about the idea though Gene did not seem to notice the fact. Instead, he grinned. "Yeah."

The food was quick to arrive. They had ordered a sampler plate of vegetarian tempura to share, rice, pickles and vegetables in traditional Japanese fair. Mai was relieved that as they ate Naru's spirits seemed to improve, the tenseness leaving his shoulders and his facial expressions relaxing. Gene, as well, who had been cheerful before, seemed even happier once he began to eat. As they talked and ate Mai noticed that the atmosphere between the trio seemed much more comfortable than it had the day prior. She was hesitant to ask them about their day, knowing they had spent much of it at the library, but there was not a lack of conversation. Both Gene and Naru asked her about her day: Naru questioning her about classes and school, while Gene was interested in her excursion out with her friends. The topics meandered away from Mai's day and led to other, animated conversations. Gene spoke of some his sightseeing in Maebashi, stories that he was telling his brother for the first time.

After they had finished their dinner Gene excused himself to the restroom, leaving Naru and Mai alone for the first time that evening.

"Are you okay? With going to Nagano?" Mai finally asked quietly. Still uncertain with what the brothers were occupied with, she knew at least that returning to that prefecture, at this time, no doubt made him nervous.

Naru sighed heavily, shrugging as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. "I'll be fine." He turned his gaze from the check to the billfold, thumbing through the notes.

"Oh, um, let me pay for my share," Mai said quickly, reaching into her pocket.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mai. I'll pay for you." He pulled out the money and set it down on the table.

Seeing no reason to protest, Mai put her money back into her pocket. "Thank you." Her eyes softened as she gazed at him, a smile tugging the corner of her lips.

Returning to the table, Gene saw the gentle smile that Mai offered his brother and the seed of suspicion, planted the day before, began to grow. He did not want to think of it. "We passed that arcade on the way here, what say we go there next?" He asked as he sat down in his seat. He watched Mai as he spoke, noticing that while her grin broadened at his statement, the inner light in her eyes faded when she turned her gaze from his brother to him.

"That sounds fun! It's not too late yet, so I'd be game. What do you say, Oliver?"

A genuine smile lifted Naru's lips. "I suppose we could do that."

"You don't have to sound so reluctant," Gene teased, pulling his brother to his feet. "Come on. Let's go."

...

The arcade was still busy and some of the games had lines of people waiting. Not tremendously picky, the three teens avoided the clusters of people and went to the available games. Mai watched first as the brothers played a racing game, laughing so hard she thought her sides would split at Naru's ineptitude at the game. She had known that he was terrible at video games, ever since the time Luella's visiting young cousins, a Wii gaming console and MarioKart combined in one fateful afternoon, many years later. She'd laughed like this, then, too.

"Have you ever played a racing game before?" She chortled and he smiled at her, his eyes full of mirth.

"You wouldn't believe me if I said I had," he replied.

She continued to laugh and he gently pushed her toward the game in his place. "Here, you play," he commanded, and she took the controls.

Gene beat her spectacularly as well and then they moved on to the taiko drumming game. Mai and Gene played the first game, laughing as they tried to hit the beats. Naru watched from the side, content as a spectator. When Mai finished, having bested his brother, she laughed and tugged on his arm and convinced him to play as well.

"I'm beat," Gene said, setting down the drum sticks after the third round of the game, in which Mai had another spectacular round. "You guys good to go?"

"Yeah." Mai said happily, and Naru nodded shortly.

"It's getting late. We should head back. And you have school tomorrow," Naru said, turning to Mai.

She shrugged and didn't seem to hear him, instead hurrying them forward. "Oh, a photo booth!" A huge smile covered her face. "You don't mind, do you?" She hardly waited for their answer, all but pulling the two brothers inside, crowding into the small space of the booth. She took her purse from her pocket, inserted some coins and pressed the button to begin. "Are you ready?"

Using the mirror, they situated themselves to fit inside the image area. Mai in the middle, grinning, pressed the button to take the first picture.

"Smile, Noll," Gene commanded.

"I am smiling," Naru retorted dryly. His smile, of course, barely lifted his lips. Both Gene and Mai knew it was a teasing reply, fully aware of his impassive expression.

"Next one—" Mai said, laughing as Gene turned his fingers into bunny ears behind her head.

"Serious faces, everyone," Gene deadpanned, and the flash shone on three somber faces.

"What should our last one, be?" Mai asked Naru, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Quick, we only have five seconds!"

"Three wise monkeys," Naru said without hesitation, and the three moved simultaneously just before the final flash went off.

Stepping outside to examine the prints, Mai pointed at the last picture. "How did we do that," she murmured, smiling. "You'd think we'd coordinated it or something."

Gene looked over her shoulder on one side, Naru on the other. On the left side of the picture, Naru had covered his ears, a faint smile evident by the glimmer in his eyes. In the center of the photo Mai's eyes were wide, both hands covering her mouth, giving her a startled appearance. And on the right, Gene had an enormous grin on his face, his eyes covered tightly behind both hands.

"We three look good together," Gene suddenly said, taking one of the sets of prints from Mai. "You bought three sets?"

She shrugged. "So we could all have one." She turned to Naru and passed it to him, her fingers lingering as they brushed his hand.

"Thank you," he said, gazing at the photos for a moment before tucking it in his inside jacket pocket.

They left the arcade together and stepped out into the cool night. Gene gazed upward at the dark starless sky, his breath steaming upwards before it was whisked away into the shadows. "Well, where to from here?"

"Don't you think we should call it a night?" Naru questioned, glancing for traffic on the street as they crossed to the opposite sidewalk. Both Mai and Gene, he noticed, did not look.

"Nah, not yet. Besides, I'm still a little hungry. Let's stop in a store and grab a snack or find a café."

Naru frowned, reluctant to agree with his brother even as he felt the same. Due to their strenuous schedule of the day, he, too, was hungry again—or at least in the mood for a cup of tea. "Mai, what about school tomorrow?"

Mai, who was just finishing buttoning her coat up to her neck, shrugged ever so slightly, agreeable to anything. "It's not too late, I can stay out a little longer."

They passed a brightly lit confectionary and Gene slowed as he looked in the window, a showcase of every dessert the shop made on display. "Those parfaits are huge," he noted. "Do they really make them that large?"

"Oh, absolutely," Mai laughed. "And honestly these aren't really that big, compared to some cafés." She looked at the sign of the shop, dredging for a memory of the place. She knew she'd had a parfait there before—though it was possibly more than ten years ago for her. "I've been here before," she started. "But it's been a while. I think they specialize in parfaits and anmitsu."

"That's the anmitsu?" Gene asked, pointing at a bowl with plastic fruit and gelatinous-looking balls and cubes, arranged more pleasantly than he might have expected from 'gelatinous-looking balls and cubes.'

"Yup," Mai said, a slight smile spreading on her lips. "Have you ever had any kind of Japanese dessert?" She asked. "It's really different from Western desserts, if you've never had it."

"I've had green tea ice cream," Gene said. "But that's pretty much it." He glanced at his brother, as if seeking his approval.

"Shall we go in?" Naru asked, raising an eyebrow. His brother obviously wanted to and he knew that Mai loved parfaits. He himself did not care for the texture of gelatin, nor was he terribly fond of sweets. While the other two had been preoccupied with the desserts he had read the menu pasted on the window by the door. The establishment had a very small selection of black teas but he was not feeling very particular. Any hot beverage appealed to him at the moment.

Gene, as if afraid his brother might change his mind, did not hesitate. He took Mai's arm in his and pulled her toward the door. "Let's go, Mai." He gestured with a nod of his head. "Come on, Noll."

...

An hour with two desserts, a cup of decaf coffee and two cups of tea—not to mention much laughter and conversations later—the three left the small café.

"I suppose I should go home," Mai confessed, a guilty look crossing her face. "Thank you for taking me out tonight. I had a lot of fun."

"Of course, Mai," Gene said, and Naru smiled warmly.

"Let us know if you'd like to go to Nagano."

Mai nodded quickly. "Yeah. I'll call you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Have a good night," Gene said, and they waved, parting as they left her at her doorstep.

The brothers walked to the hotel in comfortable silence. Despite the magnitude of the day, neither was tired but rather awake and alert, owing to their evening with Mai. When they returned to the room Gene turned on the television, lounging on his bed while Naru showered and prepared for bed.

"What are you watching?" Naru asked, returning to the room and sitting down on his own bed.

"Some documentary about the marine life of Okinawa. It was either this or an old Japanese movie about a poet and painter." He shrugged and rose to his feet, his bare feet padding quietly across the floor as he stepped into the bathroom, taking up his toothbrush and squeezing toothpaste onto it. "You're welcome to change the channel."

Naru's shrug mimicked his brother's and he lay back onto the bed, barely listening to the dialogue of the show and only faintly aware of the sounds around him. His mind was continuously turning over the situation at hand.

Ever since he'd stepped on the plane in London headed for Tokyo, he'd thought about the moment he would tell his brother the truth. A suitable situation still had yet to present itself to him but he hated lying. That evening, sipping his tea and watching Mai eat a parfait and Gene try anmitsu for the first time, he was suddenly convinced that he was wasting precious time. It would not become easier to tell Gene as time went on and he would be better off telling him as soon as possible.

In theory, it would be simple—all they had to do was completely open their psychic connection. It was something they'd never done before, but he'd thought of this often, in the future. He'd come to the conclusion that there was no doubt together they were capable of such a thing. While it would drain them both, it would also explain everything. To do so, he hoped, would eliminate the possibility of misunderstanding.

But that would show his brother everything, and he wasn't sure what the implications of doing so would be. To know everything of the future that he did. To show all of his weaknesses of the years, every personal hardship and every private joy on display. It would also lay bare his and Mai's most intimate moments and that didn't seem to be his choice alone to share. Mai would not want Gene to see those times. Though appealing in its simplicity, it was not an option. He would have to explain it to him with words.

Gene returned to the room, then, his hair damp from having just washed his face. Naru, who hadn't moved an inch since his brother left the room, forced himself to relax. He knew that if Gene noticed his tension he would be suspicious or worried.

"Tired?"

"A bit."

While Gene lay down on his bed, propping his head up with a pillow, Naru struggled to think of words to say. He did not know how to begin. His brother gazed at the television and his resolve began to fade.

Peaceful footage of underwater mammals and fish was accompanied by dreamy music. "These gentle creatures once grazed peacefully on the abundant sea grass in Henoko Bay. Now, perhaps fewer than fifty dugongs remain and struggle to survive. Already threatened by pollution and overfishing in many other parts of its dwindling worldwide habitat, the remaining dugong population in Okinawa is most jeopardized by the United States military's plans to build a new airbase," the woman narrated quietly. Gene moved to turn off the lamp, the television the only light in the room.

After some time Gene turned off the television and the room became suddenly still. He spoke out of the darkness. "I like Japan," he said, both his grin and sleepiness evident in his voice. "What about you, Noll?"

Naru nodded, a smile easing his face as he closed his eyes. "I do, too."

...

When Naru unlocked and opened the door to Mai's apartment at an hour past midnight, the light was on and she was sitting at the kotatsu, reading.

"You're up," he said, startled, closing the door quietly behind him.

She smiled sheepishly, lowering the book to the table. "I was waiting for you."

"Sorry it's so late. I fell asleep." He bent to remove his shoes. "What would you have done if I hadn't shown up?"

She shrugged. "Sleep here, I guess." Her eyes twinkled as she gazed at him, her grin widening. "But I knew you'd come." She patted the cushion next to her that she'd set out for him. "You look stressed, Naru. I know it's difficult not to worry, but it'll be different this time. You know that. Everything's going to be fine."

He exhaled as he sat, sliding under the kotatsu, pulling the blanket around him. He leaned forward onto the surface, resting his head against his hands. It was not just the trip to Nagano that he was worried about. "I know." He looked over at her hands. "What are you reading?"

"A novel by Fumiko Enchi." She turned the book to show him the cover. "The teacher I stayed with gave this to me when I left, but I'd never read it. I don't know when I lost it, in the future, but I eventually did. I didn't have it when I moved to London." He raised an eyebrow, silently asking her appraisal and she made a slight face in response. "It's good—she's an excellent writer—but I hate starting a new book when there's another one I haven't finished yet. I really should have gotten Jane Eyre from the library. But it's not homework, I guess. And something new to occupy the time." She sighed and pushed the book away, resting her chin against her hands and closed her eyes. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yes. Did you?"

She smiled but didn't open her eyes. "Very much so. Thank you. And thank you for convincing me to go to school today, too. It wasn't... it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"And you had a good time with your friends after school, right?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I did. I almost gave myself away to Michiru, though. I need to be careful." She sighed, opening her eyes and resting her cheek against her hand. "It's probably harder for you, though. When are you going to tell Gene?"

"Soon." He exhaled heavily. "Tomorrow. Probably. I probably already should have told him, but... well, hindsight." He closed his eyes, pinching the skin between them with his fingers. He looked tired, Mai thought, and she frowned with worry as she gazed at him. She wished he hadn't come but had instead continued to sleep. It was obvious that he needed the rest. The tension was evident on his face.

Naru sighed slightly and opened his eyes, rubbing his temple with his fingers as he looked around the room, surveying the minute details. It had been a long time since he'd been in her apartment and he'd never before at this time in her life. Still, he recognized objects he'd seen before, including several items that she had brought with her when she came to England. The photos of her parents, a ceramic jar of pencils, and a small maneki neko statue, the cat with a raised paw. If his memory served him correctly, the object was quite old. It had belonged to Mai's grandmother.

Next to the cat was another figure of a cat in a very different form, a stuffed animal of a lion. He didn't recognize it and the object itself seemed new. "Cute lion," he remarked, his gaze falling on the plush. "Is that new?"

Mai smiled. "Gene gave it to me."

He couldn't keep the frown from forming on his lips, jealously instantly welling in his chest. "You shouldn't let him pay so much attention to you," he said, his voice coming out a little harder than he intended it to be. "He'll get the wrong idea."

Mai frowned and looked up at him, questioningly. "Naru," she started, unsure of what to say. He looked away, scowling in response.

She suddenly remembered Gene's light flirting from the days before. Since she'd been with both brothers, she had thought that Gene's attitude toward her had been nothing but platonic friendliness. Evidently, however, Gene must still be treating her differently than he would other girls as Naru had noticed the variation. She'd never seen him jealous before. "You're being silly. Even if he... even if he thought..." She didn't know how to reassure him. She realized that it did not matter what she said regarding Gene's feelings. Rather it was her own feelings that mattered. "You don't think I would choose him over you? You... you don't need to think about that, Naru. It's not going to happen."

It was Gene you should have fallen in love with in the first place, he wanted to say. But he could not bring himself to utter the words.

Even if he did not voice his thoughts, she understood he was insecure and ashamed of the fact. Sighing, she reached toward him and took his hand in her own. "I mean, I could say the same, right? That because you have Gene, you don't need me anymore? I could expect you to return to England and I would never see you again."

"Don't be preposterous," Naru said shortly and she smiled.

"Then it's agreed. I want to be with you, Naru. That's not going to change." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. "It's not going to change," she repeated.

Resting his hand against her cheek he returned the kiss. His eyes were guilty when he pulled his lips from hers. "I'm... sorry. I'm not being rational. I'm just.. tired. I suppose I'm still jet-lagged."

The concern returned to her face. "Then you should get some rest." Her eyes moved to the clock in the kitchen and she sighed. "It's already one-thirty. I should go to sleep, too. I have school tomorrow, after all."

He sighed softly, closing the distance between their faces, resting his forehead against hers and his hand sliding to rest on her neck. "What do you want, Mai? Where do you want this future to take us?"

"I just want things to go back the way they were," she said. "I want everything to be the way it was, before, just with Gene."

"But that's impossible," he said, flatly.

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know it's impossible, Naru. So we just have to move forward, I guess. So that's all I want. To go forward with you and Gene."

They remained in that position, their noses almost touching, for a long time. He had closed his eyes, but from the way his eyelashes fluttered against his skin, she could tell he was thinking, rather than resting.

His eyes finally opened and he regretfully pulled away from her, dropping his hand to hers and squeezing her fingers gently. "I should let you go to sleep," Naru said, getting up from the kotatsu and then helping her to her feet. "I've already kept you up this long."

"No, not at all." She smiled at him, his hand resting on the small of her back as he walked her to her bedroom. "And please don't worry, not too much. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." He leaned toward her and kissed her again gently, then folded his arms around her and embraced her tightly. "Thank you, Mai. I couldn't do this without you." He held her in silence for several moments before he spoke again. "I... I do love you, Mai. Very much."

"I know. I love you too, Naru," Mai said, smiling as he released her and kissing him gently on the cheek. "Now you go, too. You need rest more than I do."

...

His brother was once again awake when he woke up, sitting at the computer. That fact didn't surprise Gene, but his twin didn't look rested. The dark shadows beneath his eyes, staring vacantly at the screen, worried him.

"You look awful, Noll," Gene frowned as he sat up. "Did you sleep poorly?"

"Yeah," Naru said shortly, shifting in his chair. In fact he'd barely slept at all. The upcoming trip to Nagano weighed heavily on his mind, coupled with thoughts of how to finally come clean with his twin. Despite the comfort he'd felt when he visited Mai, when he returned to the hotel he'd been unable to sleep.

"You should go back to sleep."

"I'll be fine." He rubbed his eyes, wishing his voice didn't sound quite so irritated.

Gene shrugged, knowing his brother wouldn't listen to reason if it concerned his own well-being. "Suit yourself." He ran a hand through his hair and slid out of bed. "I'm going to hop in the shower."

When Gene returned from his shower his brother looked somewhat better, a half-drank cup of tea by his hand and a Western breakfast laid out on the table: thick slices of toast, potatoes, eggs, a pot of coffee and, of course, a pot of tea. Apparently a bit of caffeine and hot food did him a lot of good. He'd closed the laptop, setting it aside and was now reading a newspaper.

"Smells delish. You called up room service?"

"Something like that." Naru said, gesturing toward him. "You should have some before it goes cold."

"Looks great," Gene murmured, pulling on a sweatshirt and settling down in the chair, heaping some scrambled eggs onto a piece of toast and setting it on his plate. Naru reached over and poured him a cup of coffee, which Gene accepted with a smile.

They ate leisurely and in silence. Gene's mind was wandering outside and Naru had turned his gaze back to the newspaper.

"It's a nice day today, huh?" he murmured with a smile, his eyes closed. "The bad weather's definitely turned. It's going to be a sunny day."

It was quiet between the two for several more minutes. Gene opened his eyes when Naru spoke suddenly. "Should I call them this morning?" He asked. It was immediately obvious of whom he was speaking of.

Gene hesitated for a moment, heart thumping as he thought of the couple they were certain were their paternal grandparents. His resolve hardening, he nodded. "Yes. What'll you tell them?"

His brother paused, his finger resting gently on the saucer under his empty tea cup. "We probably shouldn't tell them who we are. At least not right away. That might be a little too much."

"Then what?" Gene frowned. "It would be better to be honest, Noll."

"It seems a little... insensitive." When Gene gave him a disapproving look, Naru sighed. "Okay. I'll be honest." He picked up the phone and dialled, slowly and methodically. After a delay a woman's voice answered the phone.

"Good evening. May I please speak with Mr. Lukas Nilson or Mrs. Satoko Nilson?" Naru said politely.

"Just a moment, please," the woman said, and there was silence for several moments. "Dad, phone," he heard her say, followed by another long silence. Finally he heard the sound of a phone being picked up.

"This is Lukas," a deep voice said.

"Hello, Mr. Nilson. My name is Kazuya Shibuya." Naru said smoothly. "I apologize to disturb your evening. Do you have a moment?"

"Yes," the man hesitated. "You aren't.. somehow related to Harumi Shibuya, are you?"

"Yes." Naru answered calmly. "She was my mother." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "I.. If I am correct, I believe that your son, Markus Ichirou, was my father."

There was a still silence as Naru waited. He heard voices in the background. "Darling, what's wrong?"

"Grandpa?" A child's high voice questioned.

"Yes," the man's voice trembled. Naru heard Lukas whet his lips. "You're quite right. I.. Forgive that I am speechless. I—We had been under the impression that Harumi died before.. before her due date."

Naru heard the distinct sound of a woman's high gasp. "Lukas," he heard her say softly. "Is.. is it...?"

"Our mother died just shortly after we were born." Naru said, finding that there was a lump in his throat.

"I.. I see. ...Our?" he questioned.

"My brother, Ichirou, and I are twins."

The man let out a heavy sigh, a sigh of happiness and relief. "My God! Twins!" He could hear the woman in the background begin to cry. "Is Ichirou there with you?"

"Yes," Naru said, and passed the phone to Gene.

"Hello?" Gene said tentatively, and Naru watched as the emotions washed over his older brother's face. Trepidation, relief, wonder, happiness.

This is what he wanted, Naru thought, leaning back as he listened to one side of the conversation and closing his eyes. To hear someone's joy to discover he was alive. Why didn't I realize that before?

...

Naru opened his eyes with a start, the room very quiet around him. The sound of a key being inserted and the mechanism unlocking the door reached his ears, startlingly loud in the still room and the door to the room swung open.

Gene closed the door quietly behind him as he entered the room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I fell asleep?" Naru questioned, his voice groggy.

"You must have slept awfully last night. You were really out of it."

He rubbed his eyes, trying to gather his bearings. From the light outside, it was obvious that the sun was close to its height of the day. "What time is it?"

"A little after noon."

Naru sat up in surprise, noticing that the table had been cleared, save for the glasses of water from their breakfast. Gene set a bag on the table top. "Lunch," he explained.

Naru stood, stretching his limbs, somewhat surprised that he wasn't sore from sleeping in the chair—and for so long. "I think I'll take a quick shower. If you don't mind."

Gene waved his hand. "Go right ahead."

Ten minutes later, a towel draped over his shirtless torso, he returned to the room feeling refreshed and ravenous. Gene was reading the paper, waiting for him. He looked up, setting the paper aside and opening a container. The smell of something delicious, mingling with the aroma of fresh coffee and tea, wafted toward him and his mouth began to water.

Naru pulled a long-sleeved t-shirt over his head and ran his hands through his hair, combing the damp strands with his fingers. "What is that? Smells good."

"Just a little lunch," Gene said grinning, unveiling the food. "There's an Indian restaurant across the street. I picked up samosas and a couple different kinds of curry. And rice, of course." He inhaled deeply. "You know they're doing something right when even the rice smells this good. They had korma, so I got a little. We'll see if it's as good as Luella's." He gestured toward his brother and set the opened containers around the table. "Come, sit down. Let me tell you about Lukas and Satoko Nilson."

"They'd love to meet us, of course," Gene said, passing his brother one of the containers of rice as he sat down. He then began to spoon what appeared to be an eggplant dish onto his own rice, taking a bite and blowing out through his mouth as he chewed the hot food. "And they actually travel to the UK occasionally. They have a trip tentatively planned in a few months. Nothing is finalized, but there's some sort of conference going on in May that Lukas is planning on attending. He's an academic, just like Martin." He smiled. "I imagine the two would get along very well."

"What's his field?" Naru asked, reaching for a samosa.

Gene swallowed his mouthful. "Neuroscience. Not bad, right? Satoko is an artist, a painter. She runs a gallery and shop in downtown New Haven."

Naru couldn't help but wonder how a neuroscientist and a painter would take to having a psychic pair of twins as grandsons. "What about the rest of the family?" He questioned. "Their other children, the sisters, and their families. Did he mention any of that?"

Gene nodded. "The entire family has stayed in the New Haven area. Markus was the oldest of their siblings. Both of the sisters are married. Alice, the middle child, has two daughters, ages ten and eight, and Emma, the youngest, had a baby about a year ago."

It had been one of the daughters who had answered the phone, and it was one of Alice's daughters he had heard in the background. "Were they all there?" He asked, and Gene nodded. He began to wonder why he had insisted they not call yesterday and if it could have had anything to do with the fact that the entire family would be together today.

"After Markus graduated he went to Japan, fell in love with the country and decided to stay for a while. He found work in Tokyo as a translator. Lukas said he was extremely likeable and personable, always got along with everyone. Though, what father wouldn't say that of his son?" Gene smiled slightly. "So it was relatively easy for him to live in a foreign country, far from his family. He made friends easily and because he was half-Japanese, he wasn't immediately singled out as a foreigner."

"You were right on the mark, by the way," Gene continued. "Born on 8th June 1959, he was 26 years old at his death. Markus had always been athletic—apparently he was on the Yale track and field team—and loved the outdoors. He met Harumi when he took a trip to the Kiso District in Nagano. Part of the trip led him through Otaki village, on his way to climb Mt. Ontake." His smile turned bitter. It was the mountain that would eventually kill him. "Harumi was a teaching assistant at the Otaki school. Lukas and Satoko had never met her, but Markus had spoken and written of her. Lukas said he had the impression that Harumi wasn't very close with her family. She'd gone to school in Nagano city. He didn't know where she was originally from, but she seemed to be from the country. She didn't like Tokyo and didn't visit Markus much there, before he moved to Otaki."

"What did he do when he came to Otaki?"

"He worked in a shop, doing what sounded like manual labor," Gene said, setting his spoon down. "Even though he wasn't making a good living or full use of his talents, he loved it there. Lukas said he tried to gently persuade his son to come back to the States, but that Markus would go on and on about how beautiful the area was and how happy he was there. He lived in Otaki for a little over two years. He skied a lot in the winter and climbed the mountains when there wasn't enough snow. When Harumi became pregnant, though, he starting thinking about the future seriously. He wanted financial stability to raise his family, so he started to make plans to move the family back to Connecticut."

Naru frowned. "But they never made it. If they had returned to the States..."

The statement hung in the air. If Markus and Harumi had moved to the United States, they would have been spared the earthquake and the landslides. Neither would have died and their children wouldn't have grown up as orphans. They never would have met the Davis's. Instead, they would be Americans with three cousins and grandparents.

The two were silent for some time. "How do you think..." Naru started carefully, anxious to manoeuvre the conversation along, "they will take to our capabilities?"

"I don't know," Gene answered honestly, "but I don't think we need to worry about that."

This was the time, he realized. Now was the time to tell his brother everything. About Mai, the future, and his own death. Naru leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the window. His features became stern as he pondered the situation. He was at a loss, still unsure of how to bring up such a tremendous topic.

"What's bothering you?" Gene finally asked, frowning. His brother had settled into a deep silence and even he didn't have the faintest idea what could be running through his mind. "Does this really bother you that much?" When he didn't answer, Gene's frown deepened, studying him intently. "I thought you seemed happier, somehow, just by being here in Japan. Maybe I was wrong. You've been acting rather strange, Noll."

"That's.. not it." Naru sighed and rubbed his eyes. His mind had felt clear, when he'd woken up, but it seemed clouded again, and he had difficulty focusing his thoughts. If anything, he supposed he should be surprised that Gene hadn't said anything about his different behavior earlier. "It's not that." He sighed and ran his hand through his damp hair. "I wish I would have had the desire to find them," he murmured softly. "I should have. Or swallowed my pride and come with you anyway. This is all my fault. None of it would have..." He didn't finish his statement. Could he honestly wish none of it had happened? Yes, he told himself. Together, Gene and I might have met Mai anyway.

But Mai would have fallen in love with Gene, a small, niggling voice told him. Not you. Surely, not you.

Gene frowned. "Noll?"

It would have been better that way anyway, he tried to tell himself. But the two opposing sides of his thoughts would not listen to each other.

Naru looked up and met his brother's gaze. "Gene, I..." He was his better half, there was no denying it. Gene was warm where he was cold, always offering an easy smile that drew people toward him. He was often quick-tempered but always quick to laugh and quick to forgive. " I need to tell you, but I don't know how to put it into words."

His twin, searching his face, reached forward and placed his hand on his cheek reassuringly. "What is it?"

"I should have told you earlier. You'll hate me." Naru closed his eyes. "Or think I'm insane."

"I could never," Gene said with a gentle, concerned smile. He leaned forward, encouragingly, resting his hands on the table. "Tell me, Noll."

Naru sat in silence for several moments, wondering how he should begin. Thoughts swirled in his head. Traveling around Japan, searching for the lake. London and Tokyo. Days and nights with Mai.

"Is it about Mai?" Gene suddenly asked, as if reading his thoughts.

"She's... very much involved in all of this." Naru sighed. "I suppose I could start there. I've known her for a very long time. When we told you that we met when she visited London, we were lying. I'm sorry."

Gene looked puzzled. "You didn't meet in London? Where did you meet, then?"

"Here, in Tokyo."

Gene looked startled. "But..."

"It was early April, of this year." Naru's eyes clouded as he recalled the memory of that time. "It was spring. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom." He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. His words seemed slow and cumbersome. "I've lived this before, Gene. I've lived this day and many others, far into the future."

Gene kept his face an unreadable mask, though Naru knew his brother was startled. After a short silence, he spoke. "You've never... been precognitive," he finally said softly.

"No, Gene. I know what would have happened, had I not returned to prevent it." He released a shuddering sigh. "The first time you took this trip to Japan I did not come to help you. I was stubborn and I wasn't interested in the past. You were..." He swallowed, his voice suddenly tight, his hands beginning to shake as the words tumbled forth. Tears formed in his eyes as he relived the moment he had witnessed through the green haze of death. "You came alone. Alone, and... you died here." Gene noticed the dampness in his brother's eyes with alarm but remained silent. "You were killed and your body was dumped into a lake." Naru released his breath in a shuddering sigh. "A hit and run. I came to Japan to find you. By then it was too late. I came here to retrieve your body."

The two sat in silence for a very long time. Gene would not meet his brother's gaze. "And you met Mai?" he suddenly asked, his voice thin.

"I opened an office as a pretence to search for you. Ghost hunting. I met Mai when I was here. She worked in the office with us," Naru said honestly. "I came here with Lin."

Gene's face fluctuated between shock and disbelief. Naru could see that his brother was struggling to believe him, unwilling to doubt his brother but afraid of accepting the implications the truth would reveal. "You.. remember everything?" He asked with difficulty, frowning. "What about Mai? If she recognized me.. and lied..." His wide eyes searched his brother's face for answers. "She remembers the future as well, doesn't she? What does she know about me?" He demanded.

Naru closed his eyes for several moments, trembling. "You guided her through her dreams," he finally said, his eyes troubled as he gazed at his brother. "After your death. Not knowing I had a twin and doubting her own abilities, she thought it was I in her dreams for a very long time. Only after I found you did I tell her the truth."

"How.. long was that?"

"A little more than a year."

Gene looked at the table sullenly. " Then how... did you come back? To now?"

Naru held his brow with his fingers. "I... honestly couldn't tell you."

"You must have used PK, didn't you? I bet you killed yourself in the process."

He could have laughed, of course Gene was right on the mark. "That was my speculation," he admitted, and exhaled. "Mai and I were together. I fell in love with her."

"Then what happened?" Gene said, his voice suddenly bitter.

"She... she was hit by a car. I... I turned back time to reverse her death."

Gene said nothing, his eyes somewhat hard as he gazed at a point beyond his brother's face. The only sound between them was the sound of their breathing. Gene's was even and calm. Naru could feel his own heart thudding in his chest.

"I don't believe that I did it alone." Naru said softly. "I believe it was only possible because you helped me. Somehow. If only I had known earlier, I would have—"

"No," Gene said suddenly, rising to his feet abruptly, his thighs hitting the table and the cups and glasses clattering against each other. "Don't say it. I don't want to hear it."

Naru rose to his feet shakily, feeling weak and sick in his stomach. "Gene," he started.

"Don't say it," Gene growled. He stilled, though he did not turn to meet his brother's gaze. "You chose her over me."

"How could I choose between you?" Naru asked, his voice very quiet. "How could I say that I love you more than her, or her more than you? You are... the most precious people to me. My love for you is different but I love the both of you more than anything in this world."

Gene wasn't listening, distancing himself from his brother. "I died," he murmured. "I died while I was looking for our family, here in Japan." He turned his angry gaze onto his brother. "You already know about them, then. The Nilsons and Mitsuki Shibuya."

"No," Naru said honestly. "I never knew anything about them."

Gene's brow furrowed with confusion. "But why—?"

"I never knew what became of your search," Naru admitted, hesitating. "You didn't speak of it. And I never continued the investigation in your stead."

"Why not?" Gene burst out. "Why the bloody hell not, Noll?"

Naru looked pained. "I told you, Gene. I simply... did not have the drive to find them, as you did. I had you. You were my family. We had Martin and Luella. I was content with that. And after you died… there was even less of a reason to find them. What would have been the point?"

Gene's face darkened and he turned suddenly, striding toward the door.

"Gene—"

"Just.. give me some time to think about what you've said." Gene said, his face turned away from his brother. "I won't.. do anything foolish. I just need a little time to myself."

He knew, with certainty, that his brother had spoken with finality. The remaining task of his undertaking was to leave him alone. He had said what he needed to—at least he hoped it was what was needed to explain the situation—and now he had to wait, to see how the weight of his words would be processed. And so Naru stood, resigned, as the door closed behind him and his twin disappeared, leaving him alone in what seemed to him an empty, lonesome room.

...

Mai had been doodling in her notebook when she suddenly sat up straight, a shiver traveling her arms. She began to wish for school to end so she did not have to sit still, knowing that there was something she needed to do, somewhere she needed to go. She wasn't sure what it was, or where, but it certainly wasn't at the school.

When the bell rang, she left her books in her desk and hastily left the classroom, hurriedly putting on her jacket.

"Mai," Michiru called after her as she all but ran down the hall. "What's wrong? You left all your books!"

"Sorry, Michiru, I just remembered I have to do something. I'll get them later, I have to go!" Mai called back, barely slowing her pace and offering a wave to her troubled friend, who stared after her with concern. "See you tomorrow!"

She moved by instinct, taking the train first to a different area of the city and then continuing down a crowded street. She hurried by the busy temple, the atmosphere quieting as she reached the riverside park. She now knew that she was hurrying to meet one of the Davis twins, though she still did not know who or what she needed to do when she met him.

Everything fell into place when she saw him. Gene was standing at the edge of the path against the railing, his hands deep in his pockets as he stared at the water. She was suddenly very nervous and wondered what it was that had driven her to come here. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Mai approached him and took a similar stance by his side, her own hands in the pockets of her coat as she gazed forward.

He did not turn his head to acknowledge her presence. "What are you doing here?" He finally asked, almost grudgingly. "How did you know where to find me?"

Mai shrugged, gazing out over the river, her eyes avoiding his. "Just a feeling, I guess. Are you OK?"

"Did Noll ask you to come?" He asked, eyeing her carefully.

She shook her head and was silent for a moment, lips pursed together as she contemplated what to say. "I take it... he told you. I'm sorry for lying to you," she said, her voice dropping. "You know, now, I assume, that I knew who you were when I saw you."

He nodded tersely, a frown deepening his face. "You should have said something."

She sighed, pulling her hands out of her pocket to lean her elbows on the railing, watching several ducks fly down onto the water, fluttering their wings. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I didn't know what to do. Would you have believed me, even? I guess I didn't think you would. Or I didn't think I could explain it to you, that it wasn't my place. Maybe that was wrong. Maybe I should have told you, right away. But even your brother, who seems to always know what to do, didn't know how to tell you. It was a difficult situation to be in, Gene." She could see that he was reluctant to be convinced, and continued. "I don't mean to justify our actions. In the end, we betrayed your trust. I'm sorry."

He looked away, aware of his own unwillingness and somehow ashamed of it. "I don't suppose I have a very good reason to be mad at you. I haven't been exactly truthful with you, either. Did Noll tell you?" When she didn't speak he elaborated. "Why I came to Japan."

She shook her head, leaning away from the railing and turning toward him. "I was told originally that you were visiting mediums, but..." her voice trailed off. When his firm gaze prompted her to finish, she continued. "Other than that I don't know. But it seems to be more than that."

"What do you know about me?" He asked, his voice suddenly very quiet.

"I know that you are the youngest and most celebrated, perhaps the only perfect medium in England," she started, without hesitation. "While not well-known in the general eyes of the public, you are renowned among academic and parapsychological circles. That you and your brother were labelled The Most Powerful Psychic Pair in Documented History by some researchers at the British Society for Psychic Research," Mai said blandly. "Or something ostentatious like that." She paused, flushing and looking embarrassed of what she had just said. "If that's what you're asking. But that's all."

Mai's face grew pained and her voice dropped even softer, her gaze riveted on Gene's sneakers. "The only other things I knew of you before I met you at the station a few days ago was that you were Naru's brother. That you were terribly kind and patient with a fool like me. That I was fortunate to have met you, even if it was only a shadow of your former self." Tears had formed in her eyes and fell to the sidewalk from her tilted head. Though he could not see her eyes, Gene noticed the splatters on the pavement immediately. "Your death was a tragedy that I couldn't ever understand. Now that I've met you, I know that. I really like you. You never should have died."

Gene averted his gaze, uncomfortable to see her crying. "Don't say that." He frowned, placing his hand comfortingly on top of her head. "You died, too. It's not like my death was anything that significant."

"But it was!" Mai protested. "More than you could know. You can't imagine the effect your death had on the people who love you." Mai sniffed softly and wiped at her eyes, embarrassed for her outburst. "I wasn't there, and I didn't know you the first time, before you died. But I don't want you to go through that pain. I want you to live. I don't want the person most precious to Naru to disappear. I want you two to be happy together," she finished softly.

"Most precious," Gene scoffed, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Don't say that," Mai said quickly, her voice trembling. "He'd do anything to save your life, Gene. So.. don't say that. Please... don't be angry with him."

"He chose you over me," he muttered darkly. "How can I not be a little angry?"

"No," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "He didn't. He doesn't need to choose between us, Gene. It's not like that. We're not.. mutually exclusive."

Gene swallowed, and spoke slowly. "Because I live, Mai, your future will be different. Are you okay with that?"

"That's the point!" She found that she was crying again. "I'm happy that I get to stand here next to you today. I'm so happy that I get to meet the real, living, breathing Gene who has a full life ahead of him. I'm happy that we can come back here and do anything to avoid that happening again. So that your brother and your parents, and Lin and Madoka, and all your friends and co-workers and classmates and professors, everyone you ever meet will get to live by your side. I'm glad that no one has to receive the news that Eugene Davis died." She finished, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"People die all the time."

"I know," Mai whimpered.

"Your parents are dead. My parents are dead, too. So why are we alive, Mai?" Gene asked quietly. "Why are we the ones that get a do-over?"

"I don't know. John would say it's all part of God's divine plan," Mai whispered, closing her eyes. "But I'm not a Christian so I can't say that."

"If anything, it's this that doesn't seem fair." Gene sighed. "But I guess that's how the world works. Whatever you want to call it. In the end, it amounts to the same thing," he said, his voice sounding resigned. He lifted his gaze to follow the ducks as they flew up and away from the water. "Whether it's fate, or destiny, kismet, or karma. The will of God or the wrath of God. Divine retribution. Or chance, coincidence, a cosmic accident. Whatever. We're here today." He exhaled loudly and frowned. "Please stop crying, Mai. I didn't want to make you cry and people are beginning to stare."

"I'm not crying," Mai said, wiping at her eyes again, a small smile hitching the corner of her lips.

He placed his hand on her chin and lifted her face, meeting her eyes. Gazing at her for several moments in silence, Mai found her cheeks growing hot. "G..Gene?"

"Good." He dropped his hand. "Just making sure you're not lying," he said, a small smile twitching his lips, and Mai flushed in embarrassment. He began to walk down the path, gesturing with his head for her to follow him. They walked together side by side for several minutes before Gene spoke again. "I'm hungry. What about you?"

"Mhn, I'm okay."

Gene appraised her, raising an eyebrow. "I'd ask you to treat me to something to make up for this, but it would probably be wrong to make a destitute student to buy me food, huh?"

"I'm not destitute. I can treat you. If you want something, I'll buy it," Mai said stubbornly, refusing to admit that the money in her purse wasn't hers, but a loan from her friend.

"Okay. Then I want takoyaki." Gene said, pointing at a food vendor up the way.

Mai nodded briskly and went to the stand, waiting for the older couple that was currently being served. When it was her turn she purchased a small container, which she passed to Gene who immediately speared one of the dumplings with a toothpick and popped it in his mouth. "They sell juice and soda, too. Do you want something to drink?"

"Coke," he demanded between chews.

Mai turned back to the vendor. "One coke, please."

"That's 750 yen." The man handed her the beverage and Mai passed him several coins from her wallet. She turned back to Gene, who was thoughtfully munching on the takoyaki.

"Have you ever had takoyaki before?" Mai asked as they stepped away from the stand. He shook his head. "Do you like it?"

Gene swallowed. "Yeah. It's good. What's in it, besides octopus?"

"Mm, probably green onion or pickled ginger. And tenkasu." Seeing the look on his face she elaborated quickly. "Leftover deep-fried tempura batter. Or something to that effect."

"Sounds delicious," Gene snorted, piercing another takoyaki, though his expression was pleasant. "Because deep frying this batter isn't good enough, we need to put little pieces of deep fried batter inside it and then deep fry it."

"Well, it's good, right?" She laughed. "Besides, don't make fun of Japanese food. Your country's the one with the chip butty. Because bread hasn't got enough starch as it is, let's make a sandwich with french fries," she imitated with a high, sarcastic voice.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her quiet, but a grin had spread across his features. When he finished eating the takoyaki, he passed her the empty container and she handed him the soda in response. Passing a rubbish bin, she tossed the container in and returned her hands to her pockets.

They walked in silence for several minutes as Gene drank the soda, tossing into the next bin they passed when it was empty.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Mai asked softly, breaking the silence. An anxious look flickered on her face. "I'm sure Naru is worried about you."

"I suppose so." Gene said, and his lips quirked in a grin. "Your English is almost flawless, Mai, but you still call him Naru? Not Noll?"

Mai flushed. "I started calling him Naru as soon as I met him. Naru for narcissistic."

"He can be a little full of himself," Gene admitted. "How long ago was that?"

She hesitated. "Fifteen... sixteen years ago."

His mouth dropped open in surprise. "I... I had no idea it had been so long," he finally said. "How old would you be if you hadn't died, then?"

"Thirty-two. If I hadn't died the first time. Otherwise, twenty-four."

Gene frowned, a puzzled expression clouding his eyes. "The first time?" He repeated.

Oh, no, Mai thought, swallowing quickly. "Naru... Naru didn't tell you that this is the second time?"

Gene's frown deepened, his eyebrows lowering and eyes darkening. "No. He didn't."

Mai swallowed again and looked away. She felt as though someone had dropped a block of ice in the pit of her stomach, the cold feeling spreading throughout her body. "I..." But she couldn't form a coherent thought besides Oh no oh no no no, I shouldn't have said that...

Gene stopped directly in front of her, facing her with anger growing in his stormy eyes. Mai's breath caught in her throat. This is what Lin meant. That Gene would think that Naru's betrayed him.

"Tell me, Mai. What happened the first time?" He demanded furiously. "Naru came back for you?"

"Well, yes—I mean, well—" Mai stammered.

"Well?" He repeated incredulously. "What else are you lying about?" His voice rose and Mai shrank away, his words more painful than if he had slapped her.

"Gene," she whispered, pleading. She didn't know why but she was afraid, fearful of this escalation. "I.. I didn't know that he hadn't told you. I'm sure he wants to, he's probably... just nervous about saying it all at once. I know that Naru wants to tell you everything, but you know him. He doesn't know how. Please be patient with him. We'll.. we'll just go back to the hotel and..."

"I am not as patient as you think I am." Gene growled, cutting her words short. "How can I believe him now? Will he ever tell me the truth? Will you ever tell me the truth?" Mai opened her mouth to reassure him but he spoke harshly before any sounds left her throat. "You've already lied to me. He probably wouldn't have said anything if he hadn't felt threatened," he spat. "Didn't want his insignificant younger brother getting too close to his girl."

"That's not it," Mai whispered, flinching at his cold words. "Believe us. Trust us. Please."

Without warning Gene grabbed Mai's shoulders, leaning his head toward her and resting his forehead on hers, hands suddenly clutching her temples. She cried out in surprise. "I don't want to hear it in bits and pieces. I want to know the truth. All of it. So show me," he whispered and her head spun as she remembered, remembering from the very beginning.

A strange boy entering the classroom, turning on the light and smiling at her friends. What a fake smile. Is he scheming something? In the dusty room, a camera tipped, crashing against the ground. She didn't yet know his name, but it was Lin's blood on the ground. His face, twisted in pain, sneering at her. Get away from me. I don't need your help.

You should get a little more rest. A boy in her dreams, smiling a kind smile. Closing her eyes, feeling content to know he was there by her side. I wish you'd smile like that more often. Dark eyes, gazing at her with tenderness and concern. This place is dangerous. You should go back to where the others are.

The vision began to move jerkily, unnaturally quick as it passed through her memories. Disjointed moments in fast-forward and rewind. The wind is gone and my ears are ringing. What is that? Ghostly eyes, thirsty for blood, ignored her and stared hungrily at the man by her side. It was only a dream. The bones of a child, hidden behind a statue. Maybe he's a qigong master. That would explain why restraints wouldn't do anything. Leaping into the lake, plunging into the murky depths to grab the hand of a sinking, struggling girl. Our Father, who art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name. A horde of the undead, rattling the shutters, louder than the panicked voices of the living. You should stay, or you'll never see him again. Standing among a thousand soft points of light, drifting aimlessly through the building. Have faith in Naru. You don't really think he would betray our beliefs, do you? Vision wavering as glass shattered around her, the strong chemical smell overwhelming her senses. You idiot! You could have died, do you understand that? An enormous mansion in the middle of the forest. We all felt that we were treated like dogs. Her feet dragging against the ground as she was pulled forward, the smell of blood growing stronger. You'd better look for another job. The office will close upon my return. The terrible crunching sound as the enormous dog crushed the desk in its maw. She said they were looking for a corpse. A talking coin that made her forget the cold darkness they were trapped within, bringing a smile to her lips. This is wrong! Naru, I hate everything you stand for! The rumbling crash of a building sinking into the ground. In a fight to the death I would be utterly defeated. Watching him as he clutched the railing, gazing at the lake with loss and hopelessness and fear all but hidden on his face. This is all my fault. The chilling giggle of a possessed child. The ocean washes the dead bodies ashore. The ice cold hands of a ghost, holding her tight against the wall. That's enough already! Why do we have to go so far for your pride? The calming sound of a priestess' bell. Dr Davis is one of the few people in the world who has psychokinetic abilities and ESP. A dark form on a white beach, lying still in the sand. Why does he only call you by your first name? The fragrant sweetness of a steaming cup of tea. You're already becoming more and more capable by yourself, so you'll be okay. Believe in yourself.

It wasn't a dream. I really did meet Naru. Just now, Naru was here. But...

She was dizzy, and the astonished face in front of her blurred and lurched upwards. Her ears were ringing fuzzily, but she could also hear the hum of the monitors and the tak-tak-tak of fingers on a keyboard in an otherwise silent room. She could smell the metallic smell of blood, hear it dripping in the darkness. It's extremely dangerous here. Wake up and get out.

She couldn't tell what was real and what was only memory. How could I have forgotten the people I came here with? The warmth of his hand holding hers tightly. A photograph of twins, standing side by side. Walking down the street, sharing an umbrella. There is a place I'd like to take you. Will you come with me?

"Noll," a panicked voice called.

I let go of his hand, and he's gone.

Staring out over the ocean together, the wind blowing her hair away from her face. Do you mean me, or Gene? A tight grip around her ankle, pulling her back toward the darkness. Thank you for all your hard work. The hum of cicadas in the trees on a hot summer day, the heat of a body lying close to her own. Mai is extraordinarily sensitive to things that would harm her. She has the ability to distinguish between friend and foe.

Laughter. That means her mind is like a wild animal, right?

He was supporting her limp body, running toward the street, flagging a taxi. Come to England with me. Laughing with the others until tears formed in her eyes. Calm down and put your foot on the ladder. You can do it, right? The spirits of trapped children, screaming in pain and loneliness. I want to be with my precious friends. I want to leave this place with them and return to Tokyo together.

"What have you done?"

"Help me, Noll, it's Mai, she—"

Watching a somber figure in black place flowers on the grave. No matter what happens, stay close to me. The sound of ocean waves, crashing against the rocks resounded in her ears and she succumbed to the darkness.

...

---

note:

A billion thanks to everyone who has waited patiently as I pulled this chapter together, encouraged me and reviewed. And many thanks to Kyia Star, who introduced me to Until Death Do Us Part, totally sweetest manga (since Ghost Hunt) ever. As always, feedback, comments, constructive criticism is always welcome. Until Part V!