Part IX
The school day couldn't go fast enough for Mai. She spent nearly all the day thinking about Naru, Gene and Lin, wondering if they had found an apartment they could agree on. With some amusement she imagined Naru and Gene arguing over minor details while Lin waited patiently. Would Naru be the most difficult to please, or would Gene be the more particular of the twins? She didn't know.
As she gathered her books at the end of the day, Michiru skipped over toward her with a smile on her face. Mai's friends had already questioned her during lunch about her absence of the day prior. Rather than trying to think up a probable story, Mai decided to tell the truth—or at least part of it. There was a fire at my apartment, she'd said, so I had to move to a new one. She didn't elaborate on the fact that she'd stayed in a hotel (with some young men, no less) and would likely spend the night there again tonight, or that she didn't know where she would be living in the near future. But the girls didn't press her story, instead they whispered about the regular high-school gossip over their bento lunches: who liked who, who was actually dating, and whether or not the object of Yuriko's affections returned her feelings.
Michiru leaned against Mai's desk, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "We haven't done it in a while, but do you want to hang out in the AV room? Keiko brought it up yesterday. She really wants to tell a story she heard recently."
Mai's initial reaction was to turn her down—after all, she had to meet up with Naru and company soon. But the hopeful look on Michiru's face garnered her enthusiasm and she found herself grinning. It had, after all, been years since she'd sat in the audio-visual room telling ghost stories with her high school friends. "Sounds good! I can't stay too long—I need to catch up on homework from yesterday," she lied, "but I'd love to!"
...
Mai was able to excuse herself from the girls after about an hour after school. Hurrying down the hallway, she took her mobile from her pocket and sent a text message to Naru, letting him know she was done with school for the day. Pulling on her coat and stuffing several books into her school bag, her phone chimed with a message received. A smile grew on her face as she read his return message. They were on their way.
The car pulled over to the side of the road and Mai opened the door, sliding into the backseat next to Naru. Lin was driving and Gene sat in the front seat.
"How was school?" Gene asked, swivelling his head around as he asked her.
"It was fine," Mai waved her hand, "but I want to know about your day. How did it go? Did you find an apartment?"
Naru snorted slightly, his elbow against the car windowsill and his head resting against his fingertips. "The first apartment we went to was haunted."
"No, really?" Mai gasped, looking between the three. Lin scowled and averted his gaze, as close a look of annoyance Mai thought she had ever seen him direct toward the twins.
"Well, haunted is a loaded word. There was a lingering spirit," Gene said sheepishly.
"What happened?"
"Gene wanted the real estate agent to be distracted so he could cleanse it," Naru elaborated dryly. "But he wasn't able to communicate that fact with us."
"How was I supposed to ask you to distract the realtor when the realtor was right there?"Gene protested.
"So what happened?"
Naru smirked in amusement and shook his head, glancing at his brother.
"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" Gene said, folding his arms across his chest in a pout. "But it was the only way to have a moment alone with the spirit."
"What did you do?" Mai prodded.
"I locked Lin in the bathroom," Gene mumbled, looking away. "While they were figuring out how to get him out I was able to speak to the spirit."
"You what?! Seriously?" Mai gasped, turning her gaze, now sympathetic, back to Lin. No wonder he was annoyed.
"The ends justify the means, don't they?" Gene protested. "It was just a couple minutes. It wasn't that bad..."
"Easy for you to say," Lin said stiffly.
"Were you able to cleanse the spirit?"
"Of course," Gene shook his head nonchalantly. "It was nothing, really.. Once I spoke with him, he was ready and willing to be on his way."
"Luckily, the third apartment we visited was agreeable," Naru said, moving the subject along. "We've already checked out of the hotel and took our luggage over. We'll go there right after we're finished here."
"We're not going there now?" Mai questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Where are we going?"
"We saw one last apartment that we thought you might like to look at. It's nearby the place we chose." Gene said, a grin spreading over his features. "You're going to love it," he assured her. "Noll thinks so too, right?" He swivelled his head, searching for his brother's approval.
"After we chose our apartment, we couldn't convince him not to keep looking," Naru said dryly.
"Well, the realtor was right there and we had the time, so why not?" Gene grinned at Mai. "I knew you wouldn't mind. Anyway, he said he'd meet us there so we could show it to you tonight."
Lin turned the car onto a small residential street, the older houses partially hidden behind hedges, stone walls and wooden gates. "Just down this street," he said quietly and Mai turned her gaze out the window.
"It looks like the neighbourhood I grew up in," she murmured softly.
Gene smirked to himself as he saw his brother's eyes soften.
After Lin had parked the car, Mai stepped out, turning to gaze at the building in front of which they had stopped. It was a traditional looking house with a tiled roof and sliding doors. Like most of the other houses on the street (albeit much smaller), there was a stone wall next to the road. Shrubs and small trees within the yard partially hid the small house and gave it a degree of privacy. Stepping next to one of the trees to examine it, Mai's mouth widened into an amazed smile.
"What is it?" Naru asked, bemused by her reaction.
"It's... a lilac tree," Mai said, smiling, pressing her lips together to keep her grin contained. "There was one in front of my last apartment, you know. They're beautiful, when they bloom... probably my favourite." She giggled and whispered to him, hoping no one else would hear. "And it was beneath the lilac tree that you first kissed me."
Naru looked away and Mai smiled, knowing it was his equivalent of a blush. That he could be embarrassed by such things always surprised her.
"My mother loved them, too," Mai reminisced with a smile, somewhat louder, as Gene and Lin were approaching. She turned her grin to Gene. "I love it already. It better not be too nice inside. You know my budget."
"It looks nicer than it is," Naru reassured her with a dry smile.
"Noll, don't say that," Gene protested.
"It's true," his brother said with a slight snort.
It was small, as Naru had assured her, and the low ceilings made it seem even smaller. Lin had to stoop as he took off his shoes and stepped up from the landing and he was careful not to hit his head against any of the hanging lamps. The main room had a small kitchen tucked into one side with several built-in shelves lining the walls. A sliding door led to a small hallway, where there was a small bathroom and an even smaller storage room with a washing machine. There was only one six-mat tatami room, but Mai knew it was plenty of space for her.
"I love it," she whispered, smiling at Naru.
The realtor had arrived. Lin was speaking with him and Gene's attention was diverted, examining the near-opaque paper of the sliding doors, so Naru took her hand and squeezed it gently. "It is very convenient. It's about five minutes to walk to our apartment."
"Then I'll live here," Mai agreed. "But you guys already knew that, right? The realtor's trying to get Lin to sign the lease already."
"Well, Gene was absolutely convinced."
"And you?"
"I thought you might like it." He smiled at her. "But I'm not going to decide for you."
Mai giggled and squeezed his hand back. "Oh, Naru," was all she said.
He led her forward, pushing her gently toward Lin and the realtor. He dropped her hand, only to place his gently at the small of her back. "Let's get this finalized, then."
...
After all the papers were signed and in order, the four bid goodnight to the realtor and brought in Mai's luggage, which had been stowed out of sight in the trunk of the car. They then went to the apartment that Lin, Naru and Gene would be sharing. While her new residence was on the traditional end of architecture and design, theirs was in a large modern apartment building. They took the elevator to the fourth floor and Mai drew in her breath as she stepped into the main room, the tall ceiling accentuated by the huge windows on the opposite wall.
"What a view!" She breathed, stepping up to the glass. She hadn't paid much attention to the huge tree in front of the building as they entered, but she could see its upper branches now. With a smile she watched a bird flit into the tree, hop down a branch and then fly away again into the evening.
"It'll be beautiful in the summer," Mai said, turning her head toward Gene as he stepped forward to stand next to her. Naru joined her on her other side. "Don't you think? To be right above the leaves."
"Yes," Naru agreed pleasantly. "It will be beautiful."
Mai turned to see Lin gazing at the three of them, a bemused look on his face. She cocked her head to the side, wondering. "What is it?"
Lin shook his head slightly, a small smile hinted on his lips. "Nothing. Just... surprised, maybe. But then again, not really." He shook his head again. "We picked up dinner earlier. If you three don't mind, I'll start heating it up. It shouldn't take too long—just long enough for you to see the rest of the apartment."
...
After dinner, Mai made tea and the four sat around the table, sipping from their cups in silence. Mai leaned toward Naru to look at his watch, her face falling as she saw the time.
"I should go soon," she admitted. "It would be nice to unpack a little and I should probably do some homework."
Naru finished his tea, setting his cup down and rising to his feet. "I'll walk you," he announced.
"Noll, why don't you help Mai unpack and get settled?" Gene suggested. Seeing a surprised look cross Mai's face, he continued. "As long as you're not just trying to get away from us," he teased her with a wink.
"Of course not!" Mai flushed slightly. "But I know you probably have to get settled here, too..." her voice trailed off.
"There's not a whole lot to do," Lin said, rising and collecting the dishes. "Considering that we'll have to wait for some things to arrive from England. And I'm sure Gene wouldn't mind doing a bit extra tonight."
"Never," Gene beamed. His face quickly formed a self-satisfied grin. "And there's nothing wrong with Noll owing me a favor."
"Come on, Mai," Naru gestured for her to follow him toward the door. He smirked at her, stepping into his shoes. "If you're lucky, I'll help you with your homework as well."
"Yeah, right!" Mai snorted, slipping on her shoes and smiling as Naru helped her into her coat. "All my teachers would accuse me of cheating, if all of a sudden I had perfect scores!"
"Well, I'll make sure to ignore some mistakes," he told her seriously, wrapping a scarf around his neck and turning up the collar of his coat. He raised a hand in parting toward Gene and Lin. "I'll be back later, then."
...
"Honestly, it's not much," Mai admitted, unlocking the front door and stepping inside. She turned on the light and stepped up into the house, leaving her shoes behind and shrugging off her coat.
"I can alphabetize your manga," Naru suggested wryly, and she giggled. Bending over to a partially open box, he picked up a volume and gazed at the cover. His gaze seemed wistful to her, but when he spoke his voice was bland. "Or perhaps arrangement by date would be more appropriate."
"Don't you dare waste your time with that," Mai warned. "Would you like another cup of tea?" She asked, meandering over to the kitchen and bending over a box. "The kettle should be in here..."
"If you don't mind."
"Of course not. Aha!" She stood up, kettle in hand. "Here it is."
Naru leaned against the wall, watching her with a soft gaze as she filled the kettle from the tap, humming softly to herself as she set it on the stove. She then went back to the box and carefully extracted some cups, setting them on the counter. Turning, she sighed slightly as her gaze fell upon him. Illuminated in the soft light and in the privacy of her own home, she was again amazed by how striking he was. "You really are handsome," she murmured, giggling. She shook her head to herself and turned away. "It used to be so distracting, when I would look at you. But now I don't think of it like that."
"You used to blush when I looked at you for too long."
She smiled, embarrassed, and a faint blush flushed her cheeks. "Of course... you know that's not the only reason I began to like you."
"But it doesn't hurt, I suppose."
She giggled again. "Helped me keep interest during our finer arguments." She tilted her head to one side, a smile tugging at her lips. The timbre of her voice changed as she spoke again. "Sometimes I don't know why I'm so lucky."
"Nor I," he agreed softly. He helped her unpack the box of kitchenware, arranging plates and utensils on the shelves. "I often thought of us living together," he admitted quietly, turning a bowl over in his hands, feeling a chip in its rim. "On our own, eventually."
Happiness surged through Mai at his words, flushing her cheeks and warming her insides. "I suppose I did too," she confessed quietly. "I was very happy, living with Martin and Luella. They were so kind to me. Always so generous. It was like I had a family again. But I did think, sometimes..."
Naru lifted the rice cooker from a box and set it on the counter. "Do you want this here?"
"Mn, yeah, that's fine. Things'll sort themselves eventually." The water began to boil and she filled the bottom of the teacups with the hot water, rotating the cups to warm them before dumping the water into the sink. Then, opening a box of tea, she set teabags inside the cups and poured the water over them.
"Did you think of us living together in England? Or in Japan?" It was something he had always wondered but had never been able to ask her. Now, with the possibility of living together so far away in the future, the words fell easily from his lips.
Mai paused, eyes distant as she set the kettle back on the stove. "I honestly don't know," she admitted. A small smile spread across her lips and she met his gaze. "Ultimately, it doesn't matter, right? As long as we're together. Either Japan or England."
"Someday," Naru said softly.
"Promise?"
"Of course. But only if you promise to marry me someday, too."
Mai's eyes widened at his statement. "Of... of course," she echoed, too shocked to say anything else.
Naru looked away, running a hand through his hair. "I never asked you, before. I meant to." He returned his gaze to hers. "I know this isn't a proper proposal. I will properly ask you, Mai, someday. But now isn't the time for us to get married."
"Yes," Mai agreed, trying to keep her smile from spreading too widely. She giggled suddenly. "Sorry. I just imagined the looks on my classmates' faces if we... if we got married," she finished the latter end of her sentence hurriedly, still not comfortable with the words. "And, oh! Poor Martin and Luella. They'd think you'd lost it."
"Maybe," Naru said dryly. "Don't say anything," he added quickly. "Please... not even to Gene. Not yet."
"Of course not," she reassured him, smiling as she reached toward him and stroked his face. "Oh... Naru," she sighed, embracing him.
He remained silent as he held her in his arms, stroking her back gently until she suddenly jumped, emitting a small sound of surprise as she extracted herself from his arms. "Ah! The tea!"
"Ruined the moment, Mai," Naru laughed quietly, shaking his head as he watched her spoon out the tea bags.
"Well, I didn't want to ruin your tea," Mai laughed, passing him the cup. "Even if it just came from a bag. Besides, I thought you didn't care much for moments," she teased.
"I only care if it's with you." He said simply and turned, surveying the remaining boxes stacked neatly in the main room. "Is that everything for your kitchen?"
"Um, no... there should be another box. Dry foods, I think, mostly. Pantry items." She meandered over to the boxes. "Bathroom, bedroom, main room," she said, setting the boxes aside. "Ah, here. This one."
"I'll do it," Naru said, setting his tea down to pick up the box. "You should unpack your clothes."
...
Mai was still hanging up her clothes in the closet when Naru had finished. He stood in the doorway with his tea, watching her work. "I put the box of toiletries in the bathroom. There was a shelf for your towels but I didn't unpack anything else. There's not much and I assumed you'd want to just arrange everything the way you wanted the first time around."
"Thanks, that's plenty for now. I guess that just leaves the living room, then."
"Shall I unpack your books?"
"If you'd like," Mai said, shrugging slightly as she smoothed her school uniform on its hanger. She'd been wearing it all evening and had only changed into different clothes when he'd returned to the kitchen. "It's not a priority. I can do it later." She made a face. "I should probably do some homework, actually. I have a couple assignments due tomorrow. I know my absence has been explained and the teachers would probably cut me some slack, but..." she sighed and shook her head. "Best try to stay on top of things for now. I'll have plenty of absences in the future." She pushed the suitcase horizontally into the closet and rose to her feet.
"Will you want some furniture?" Naru asked.
"Hmm... maybe a kotatsu," Mai said honestly. "Though winter is almost over. It almost felt like spring today. I know in a week or two it'll be a lot warmer. So maybe any old table would do."
"As you wish." Naru said, holding the now empty cup in his hands, turning it over gently. "Just know, Mai, that whatever you want, I'll get it for you."
"I know, but that's not very fair," Mai said, smiling at him as she walked out of the room. He turned and followed her into the main room. "I can't just have you buy everything for me, Naru. You'll spoil me. I'm already spoiled." She picked up her school bag and extracted her books. "Though I suppose I would like a kotatsu. And a few pillows. Here I'm just be sitting on the floor." She sat down with her books and Naru began to unpack her books, setting them on the shelves.
"I know you're not always very forthcoming about these things," Naru started, straightening some books as he spoke. "But I do hope if you have any dreams or anything unusual along those lines, you'll tell me."
Mai looked up, turning her pencil in her hand. "You think it'll be different from last time? My... abilities?"
"I don't know." Naru spread his hands slightly. "There's no way to know. I had thought your abilities stemmed from your contact with Gene's spirit. Otherwise, it seemed unlikely that you never would have noticed them manifesting before."
Mai nodded. They'd had a variation of this conversation before, wondering why she was particularly receptive to Gene's abilities. "And why I stopped having dreams after I came to London."
"Yes," Naru agreed. He frowned, as that piece of the puzzle didn't line up any longer since he'd learned Gene's spirit had been present throughout his return and Mai's arrival to England. Gene had stayed by his side but had stopped longer participating in his life through contact with Mai; he had simply been observing from the spirit realm. But there was no reason to say so and raise more questions to which he didn't have answers. He would simply mull over things later, he decided. "So why it shouldn't be the same this time, or in fact, why your abilities shouldn't be stronger with even closer contact to Gene..." his voice trailed off. "You haven't noticed anything?"
Mai shook her head. "No, nothing."
Naru paused, drumming his fingers against his leg. "The other day, when Lin and I returned for the airport. You were waiting for us. Gene said it was your intuition that brought you to the lobby at the right time."
Mai frowned slightly as she thought. "I suppose so," she started slowly. "I guess I forgot about that."
He smirked, exhaling a small laugh. "I suppose we'll just have to rely on my observational skills, if you can't remember."
"It didn't feel the same way," Mai protested, laughing, though there was a defensive edge to her voice. "It didn't feel at all the way I would expect. It wasn't a sure feeling, it was just something I needed to do. So I wasn't thinking about it. Next time, I'll notice. And I'll tell you."
"We'll see," he teased, his smirk widening.
"Come on, be nice," she shook her head, though she was smiling and Naru knew she wasn't angry.
...
Mai had been working diligently on her homework for some time. Naru had placed her books on the shelves and with Mai's consent had begun to arrange the remaining items on the shelves: a framed photograph of her and her parents when she was younger, knickknacks and figurines including the plush lion Gene had given her during their trip to the zoo. Placing that particular item onto the shelf, Naru resolved that he himself would give Mai something in the next few days. It didn't seem right that every gift he'd ever given her had disappeared into a non-existent time and all she had from the twins was the plush and a sheet of silly photos from the arcade. Perhaps not a stuffed animal, he mused, it wasn't his style. Maybe some jewellery: earrings? He wondered, and looked toward her to see if her ears were pierced yet.
"That sweater looks good on you," Naru suddenly said. Mai looked up from her work to see him studying her. "I don't remember it from before."
"Oh, this is new, actually." Mai looked at her wrists, smoothing the woven cuffs. "I bought it the first day here... this time around." She smiled bitterly. "I opened my eyes and I was lying in a puddle. I must have slipped, though I don't remember falling." She paused and seemed to remember something, as her eyes widened and she raised a pointed finger. "I can't remember, did I tell you that I saw John? He didn't recognize me, of course," Mai sighed, folding her arms in her lap. "He helped me up and tried to give me his umbrella."
"That sounds like John."
"I was cold and soaking wet. It would've been an hour before I got home, so I bought some dry clothes."
"And that's when you met Gene."
"Yeah." Mai sighed. She shifted again, tapping her pencil against the floor absently. "Funny how everything fits together so perfectly, sometime." She shook her head. "What if I hadn't met him?"
"Well, you would have met him eventually. And I was on my way to Japan to stop him from going to Nagano by himself." His body suddenly tensed and stilled. "Tomorrow," he finally said, his voice strained. "Tomorrow is the day that Gene would have died."
Mai reached toward him and took his hand. "But you don't need to worry about that. You've changed things, Naru. Together you'll run SPR."
Naru sat in silence for several moments. "I've always assumed you'd just come back and work at SPR with me," he said quietly.
"Well, so did I," Mai smiled. "I hope that wasn't presumptuous of me."
"Of course not," he scoffed, and his eyes softened as he gazed at her. Slowly, he reached toward her and stroked her chin with his thumb. "I just want to make sure that's what you want."
"Yes," she said honestly. "Didn't I tell you before, Naru? I just want it to be the way it was before, only with Gene."
"It won't be the same," he cautioned. "Nothing can be the same with him around." He leaned toward her, his voice low and quiet. "Couldn't do this with him here," he said, and her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her gently. She smiled shyly as he released her.
"Naru," Mai began tentatively. "If Martin and Luella do come to Tokyo in the near future, what will you tell them? About me?" She searched his face. "Or would it be better to wait? I mean, it will only become an issue when you need to return to England."
"No, I don't want to wait." He studied her thoughtfully. "I don't want to keep you a secret, Mai. We'll just tell them the truth."
"The truth?" She repeated, unbelieving. After he had just asked her not to tell Gene that he wanted to marry her. Who probably already knew anyway.
He smirked. "We met when you stumbled into one of my cameras—"
"Stumbled!" She protested.
"—and offered to pay for it by working for me."
"Offered?" Her eyebrows shot up.
His smirk widened. "Well, we may need to stretch the truth a little."
Mai laughed and kissed him. The kiss deepening, he took her shoulders and pulled her toward him as he settled back onto the floor.
...
Naru awoke to his brother's hand, gently shaking his shoulder. "Noll," he whispered, "wake up."
"What is it?" Naru asked, opening his eyes blearily to daylight. Passing his arm over his face, he closed his eyes for several moments before opening them again. "I must have slept soundly. It seems like I just went to bed."
"Sorry to wake you like this." Gene sat back on the bed, his hair dishevelled and t-shirt wrinkled from a night of restless sleep. "I had a dream. I thought you would want to hear and I'm afraid the details won't stay with me."
Naru was immediately more alert. "Tell me."
"I saw Mai's apartment fire, actually. I must have been thinking about it when I fell asleep, so..." Gene exhaled. "I guess, I know what it was caused by, if you want to know."
"Was Mai—or were we, for that matter," he corrected himself. "Were we somehow at fault?"
"I wouldn't say that," Gene scratched his head absently, ruffling his hair further. "Last time Mai prevented the fire. Unknowingly, of course. So is she at fault if she didn't prevent it this time?"
"Of course not," Naru said hotly.
"I agree," Gene said calmly, placating. "I agree absolutely."
"What happened?"
"It's rather convoluted, actually. I saw the past—the time she prevented it. She was returning to the apartment during the day and there were some kids playing in the street. As she approached she could see what the kids were doing. They were antagonizing a cat, hiding under a bush. Nothing too serious, I guess—small stones they were throwing rather half-heartedly—but Mai gave them a piece of her mind and scared them off."
"So, what, the kids started the fire? I thought it was faulty electrical wiring."
"No, you're right. It was the wiring. When Mai wasn't there this last weekend, an older woman who lives in the building came down to scold the boys."
Naru frowned slightly as he studied his brother. "You saw this time as well—in your vision? In succession?"
"Well..." Gene paused, eyebrows furrowing as he thought. "Yeah, sort of. Like an overlay; where I could see the past—that didn't happen—and this time, which did."
"Go on."
"That older woman saw some of what the kids had been doing from the apartment, or at least seen enough and decided they were up to no good. Incidentally, she was in such a hurry to come to the rescue of the poor cat, she left her iron plugged in when she went outside. It was an old model, the type that doesn't automatically shut off. The wiring eventually overheated and that's how the fire started."
"A butterfly in Brazil," Naru mused quietly.
"So it seems." Gene's eyes wandered over to the bedside clock and he quickly stood up, stretching. Walking toward the closet, he took a sweatshirt and pulled it over his head. "She should be leaving for school soon. I should be able to catch her."
"You're going to tell Mai?" Naru asked, brow furrowing. "Now?"
"Wouldn't she like to know?" Gene sat back down on Naru's bed while he pulled on some socks, then sprang to his feet again. "Be back in a jiffy," he said, and left the room.
Naru frowned, pushing the covers back as he got up. "Wait, Gene," he called, but his brother was already gone. "Always impatient," he muttered, shaking his head to himself and reaching for his own clothes to dress.
...
Mai was walking down the street when she heard her name called. She turned to the sound.
"Mai!" Gene was running toward her and she stopped. He skidded to a halt next to her, breathing hard. "Let's walk," he said, gesturing forward. "I wouldn't want to make you late."
Mai nodded her appreciation and they continued down the street together. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, it's just about the fire, actually," Gene started, catching his breath. "I had a vision and I wanted to tell you what happened. That it wasn't your fault."
"I know," Mai said, looking up at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "You showed me. Last night, remember?"
Gene frowned. Behind them, Naru rounded the corner, his open coat blown behind him as he jogged down the street. He slowed to a walk when he saw the two down the street, his expression immediately becoming blank when he saw his twin standing next to Mai. Mai was facing away from him, but his brother was turned toward him and could see him clearly.
"No," Gene said slowly, "actually, I don't remember." Seeing Mai's face shift toward uncertainty, he smiled reassuringly. "But actually, the whole dream was pretty fuzzy when I woke up, and I can't remember much even now. I just didn't want you worrying about it. So you'd better get going, I wouldn't want to make you late."
Mai's face brightened into a smile and she waved as she trotted off down the street. Gene watched her leave and his brother soon appeared at his side.
"You shared the dream with her, and didn't remember?"
"You heard?" Gene asked.
Naru frowned. "As clear as if I was standing next to you." He glanced at his brother beside him, his eyes moving without turning his head. "You did that too, didn't you?"
Gene sighed, clapping his brother on the shoulder, turning as if to leave. "Lin will wonder where we've gotten to."
"I told him." Naru did not move. "I know you've been able to sneak into others' dreams but this is the first time you've shared a dream with another—a dream vision, no less."
Gene spread his hands. "I didn't even mean to do it."
"And with someone who's not even in the general vicinity," Naru mused. "That must mean that you and Mai..." His voice trailed off and he raised his gaze to his brother's, fixing him with a level stare. "In the last week you've done things you've never done before. Noticing Lin's shiki, your vision at Tokyo Tower... Even the way you found Mitsuki Shibuya, I don't think you would have been able to do that a month ago. Unless you've been hiding it from me, which I rather doubt. You're terrible at secrets."
Gene folded his arms across his chest. "You think it's because of Mai?"
"I didn't say anything like that." Even as Naru spoke, he began to wonder how Gene had known that he would be able to catch Mai on her way to school—certainly she hadn't said anything before of when she would leave in the morning. Even he didn't know exactly what her morning schedule was.
"But that's what you're thinking." Gene looked away. "I don't know, Noll. I really don't. What do you want me to do?" He laughed suddenly. "No, I know what you want. You want to test the theories you're already making." He turned his head and Naru found, to his surprise, that he could not read the mixture of emotions on his brother's face. "Be patient, okay? Neither of us have reached our full potential. Things will become clearer if we give them a little more time."
"You're sure about that, aren't you."
"Yes." Gene said lightly. "Very sure. Now let's get back to the apartment—we're testing Lin's patience and my stomach."
...
The days passed and the twins settled into a comfortable routine. Their equipment and books arrived from England and Naru placed the first advertisement for the now fully-functional office. Mai acquired a large kotatsu and the four, Lin included, had taken to convening at Mai's apartment at the end of the day, after school or work. Dinner was always on the stove and the rice was almost ready when they arrived from the office. After dinner, Lin and Naru would read and Gene would help Mai with her homework. Mai would begin to yawn and Lin would stand, promptly announcing it was time to part for the night. Returning to their own apartment, Lin would work in his room, the sounds of computer keys faintly audible through the closed door, and the twins would sit in their shared room: talking, reading, or sometimes playing card games. Occasionally they called their adopted parents to assure them they were happy and healthy in Tokyo. Falling asleep, they would prepare for another day at the office, both looking forward to another evening with Mai.
"Welcome!" Mai called as the trio entered, turning with a bright smile toward the door. She was standing at the stove, tending a steaming, sizzling pan.
"What are you making?" Gene asked, stepping out of his shoes and up onto the raised floor. "It smells great in here."
"No different than usual," Lin said, stooping to place his large shoes on the rack. "How are you, Mai?"
"Great!" She said merrily, waving them inside. "Come sit down. Dinner's almost ready. Anything new at the office today?"
"Nothing," Naru said, his voice surly and she knew he was disappointed. He hung up his coat and held out his hand to take Gene's. The three had come straight from the office and were dressed appropriately: Lin in his signature white shirt and black vest while Gene and Naru both wore dark-colored sweaters and collared shirts. "No enquiries. No cases. No clients."
"Something will turn up," Gene said, walking over to the kitchen. "Ooh, gyoza!" He exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he looked over Mai's shoulder. "Looks great!"
"I haven't made gyoza in ages," she cautioned, "so don't get your hopes up. I'm sure my technique is absolutely wrong."
"Mai, you really shouldn't have to make us dinner every night," Lin said and Mai laughed in response. They'd had the same conversation before, several times.
"I've told you, I like to," she protested, and smiled as Naru came toward the kitchen.
Naru stood next to her in front of the warm stove and lifted the lid on a large pot, billows of steam escaping as he peered inside. "Soup?" He asked. He glanced toward her with a raised eyebrow. "What else did you make for us tonight?"
"Not much, just kinpira gobo," she said, checking a smaller pan on the back burner. "I think it's done. Gene, would you pass me that potholder? I need to let this cool a bit. Thanks." She set the pan aside, removing the lid to let the steam curl off the cooked vegetables inside. "Oh, and there's the hijiki seaweed salad from yesterday in the fridge."
"I'll set the table," Gene said, and after collecting plates and bowls, took them to the kotatsu where he began to arrange them. Lin filled a pitcher of water and took glasses to the table but Naru stayed by Mai's side, resting his hand gently on the small of her back as she tended the pan of frying dumplings.
"You know, you really don't have to make us dinner every night," Naru said quietly.
"I know," Mai giggled. "But I really do like it. Isn't it nice, coming here after work?"
"Of course it is." He frowned slightly. "But tomorrow you'll be with us at the office."
"Yeah! I'm glad it's finally Friday. That's why I made so much tonight, since I won't be cooking tomorrow." She said, lifting and turning the pan as she deposited the gyoza onto a plate. She passed it to Gene, who had returned from the kotatsu for chopsticks. She turned, looking to the rice cooker on the counter nearby. "And the rice is done! Perfect timing. Let's eat!"
...
It was not long after dinner that Gene suddenly announced he and Lin had business to attend to back at their apartment. Lin, who had been drying the last of the dishes as Mai washed them, did not look surprised but simply nodded. Naru had raised an eyebrow at his twin but remained silent. Their departure was swift and immediate, Mai waving goodbye sand Lin informing her that they would pick her up the following morning to go to the office together.
"Sure seems quiet all of a sudden," Mai remarked after the two left. She smiled at Naru, knowing full well that Gene had again taken it upon himself to give the couple time to themselves. "I'm going to make tea."
Naru shook his head. "I'll do it," he said, rising to his feet. Mai sat back down slowly, watching him as he filled the kettle and set it on the stove.
"I'm looking forward to coming to the office." She said, smiling and bobbing her head in thanks as he set the passed her a cup. "Does it look the same as last time?"
"More or less. Of course, it's different since this time Gene had a say in the decor."
"Less black, I suppose," Mai giggled, blowing steam off of her tea.
Naru agreed with a nod of his head. "We agreed that we could keep the furniture black at the office if we brightened it up at our apartment. So that's the same. Gene insisted on adding other colors into the room. Rugs and artwork and the like. Well—you'll see tomorrow."
"Up to your professional standards?"
"It'll do," he said dryly. "Gene wanted to, so I let him take care of it. On the condition that he provide us with decent teacups, which he obliged."
"Most important," she teased.
"I'm afraid tomorrow will be rather boring," Naru admitted regretfully. "So if you would rather not come into the office..."
"Of course I want to!" Mai said quickly, straightening and a defensive edge coming into her voice. "Besides, you never know when your first client will show up."
"We may have to wait until your principal calls about the supposedly haunted school building," Naru cautioned, lifting his teacup.
"It's only been a couple days, hasn't it? And besides, your books came from England, didn't they?" Mai grinned. "So even if no one comes, it will be a perfect quiet day at the office for you to do some light reading."
Naru frowned at her. "Reading books I've already read is not ideal compared to the alternative." He sighed, again thinking about what Gene had said that morning on the street a few days ago. It had been occupying his focus and his research ever since. "I suppose I have some things I need to continue looking into."
"And you can still have new insights, even if you're re-reading something," Mai suggested with a smile. "But I'm sure someone will come in tomorrow."
"You're sure, are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this intuition?"
Mai flushed and looked at the teacup in her hands. "I don't know. Just... just a feeling." Her voice quieted and he could hear her doubt. "Maybe it's just optimism. I don't know why I said it."
He gazed at her quietly and said nothing before nodding his head in defeat. "Gene seems determined that I should not yet understand his abilities, so I suppose I should expect not to understand yours, either, especially if they are linked, as I suspect." Mai looked at him questioningly but before she could speak, he reached into his pocket and removed a small box. "For you," he said, passing it toward her.
The puzzled look on her face remained but was lit up with a smile. "What's this? You shouldn't have." She opened the box and her eyes softened. "Oh, how lovely.."
"It's hardly anything, so don't make that face," Naru said, watching her as she picked up a small enamelled pin. "I wanted to get you something much nicer, but it couldn't be too fancy or you wouldn't be comfortable wearing it to school. I thought it would be nice... if it was something you could actually wear."
"No, this is perfect," Mai said, smiling softly. She turned the pin over in her hands, the edges catching the light. The circular pin was etched with the design of a tree, the green inlaid leaves twining around a white bird, stark against the bronze and black background. "It's so pretty... and I've never seen anything like it. This is wonderful." She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Thank you." She opened her eyes and gazed at him, her eyes seeming to him impossibly large. "Did you really mean it, then? When you said you wanted to get married someday?"
"Of course I meant it," Naru said, frowning slightly, his expression almost worried. "You know I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."
"I know," Mai agreed, her finger absently tracing the design of the pin. He could see that she was trying not to smile, biting her bottom lip. "It's kind of embarrassing, you know? But it makes me really happy that you said that... it makes me so, so happy."
"You don't need to be embarrassed," Naru stated matter-of-factly. "Marriage is a meaningful commitment. Of course it would make you happy to know that we have the same objective in our relationship."
"Well, when you say it like that, it doesn't sound so romantic anymore," Mai laughed. She rested her head on her arms, turning her face to hide a yawn. "What did you mean when you said that Gene didn't want you to understand him? His abilities?"
Naru paused, considering. "Nothing. It's nothing."
"Are you sure?" It obviously wasn't nothing, but he probably wasn't ready to discuss his thoughts.
He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I appreciate... that you're concerned. But let's talk about it later."
...
The next day found Mai reading at her desk, absently watching the clock. It had been a quiet morning at the office—everything ready in case a potential client came by—but the morning had slipped into early afternoon and she began to worry that her hunch of a new client had been wrong. She was alone in the main room. What had used to be Naru's solitary office was now an office for the Shibuya brothers and Lin retained his own office, from which came familiar sound of typing. She realized she didn't even know what he was doing—how could he be writing up case notes when there hadn't even been any cases yet? Frowning as she considered this, she finally nodded to herself, coming to the new conclusion that what he was doing didn't even have to be work for their office of SPR—surely there was work to do relating to BSPR. Most likely there were reports to write regarding the twins' new business—or even just a letter informing their adopted parents on their daily activities. Her eyes flitting up to the clock once again, she exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful for the opportunity to stretch. She stood, flexing her arms above her head and walked over to the kitchenette, re-filling the electric kettle and turning up the heat.
She turned, sensing a presence in the room. Gene stood in the doorway, his eyes somewhat unfocused as he stared toward the door. He suddenly blinked, his eyes clearing and he turned toward her. "You're making tea?" He mimicked her nod, his eyes going back toward the door. "Good. I think we're going to have a guest who will really need some."
Mai was taking the steeped tea leaves out of the pot when the office door opened. A girl, not much older than herself, peered cautiously inside. "Excuse me," she said tentatively.
"Please come in," Mai said, smiling welcomingly. "Welcome to Shibuya Psychic Research. Won't you please sit down? Can I offer you some tea?"
The girl hovered anxiously by the doorway, not seeming convinced. Mai found herself immediately observing her, looking at their potential client closely for any clues or indications of her nature. She was a very pretty girl, Mai thought, with large eyes and full lips, her dark curly hair reaching just to her shoulders. She was probably sixteen or seventeen—still a student, and the fact that she did not come in the afternoon during the week probably alluded to the fact that she either attended cram school or had club activities, or both. "This is that psychic research place I saw advertised, right? You investigate... things of a supernatural nature?" Her eyes darted to the open doorway when Gene appeared.
"Please come in," Gene said, echoing Mai's earlier words. He sat down in a chair and gestured toward the sofa. "Let me introduce myself. I am Shibuya Ichirou. Together with my brother, Shibuya Kazuya, and the assistance of Taniyama Mai," Mai nodded her head toward the girl in greeting, "and our assistant Lin Koujo, we run Shibuya Psychic Research. What can we do for you?"
"Let me take your coat," Mai said gently, and the girl slowly complied. Underneath she was dressed in a deep purple cardigan over a lacy black shirt and black pants, which Mai noted seemed new and fit her well. Mai wasn't entirely sure if it was the current fashion, but the woollen coat also seemed new and she suspected it was well-made and expensive. As she hung the coat on the rack she wondered if the girl came from a wealthy family.
At that moment Naru appeared, where Gene had stood only moments before. "Bring the tea, Mai," he said, and Mai quickly complied. As she passed her desk, she picked up a folder, tucking it under her arm. "Lin," he called, and the tall Chinese man appeared, carrying his laptop folded under his arm. Naru sat down in the chair next to his brother.
The girl's eyes widened and she moved forward, staring at the twins. "Maybe... maybe you can help me," she suddenly breathed, unmasked relief evident in her voice. She fumbled in her pocket, retrieving what Mai could see was a photograph. Mai set the tray of tea down on the table, passing cups to Naru and Lin. She waited until the girl had sat down before offering her the tea, placing it in front of her on the low table.
The girl finally passed the photograph to the twins. "I think... I think you might understand a little bit," she whispered. It was obviously the girl before them in the photograph, standing beside an identical girl. Twin sisters.
"You came here today because of your sister, didn't you?" Gene asked softly.
"Yes," the girl whispered, tears welling in her eyes. She managed to blink them away and her trembling hands reached for the teacup in front of her. "My sister died three months ago. And she's been haunting me ever since."
Her words settled over the still room. The girl drank the tea, her eyes focused on the table. While Naru was intently studying his brother, Gene was just as focused on the girl. Lin and Mai's eyes both moved between the twins and their prospective client, waiting for and wondering what the reaction would be.
"What happened to her?" Gene finally asked softly, when the girl had lowered the cup from her lips.
The girl closed her eyes briefly, holding the teacup tightly as if afraid it might slip from hands. "They said... it could have been an accident. And that doesn't bring as much shame on the family as the alternative. But of course... there was talk.." she let out a bitter chuckle, but as she was fighting tears the sound was strange and forced. "There's always talk. That she might have committed suicide."
Mai, sitting next to her, moved on instinct, putting her hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"What do you think happened?" Naru asked.
The girl shook her head. "I... don't know anymore. At first, I was sure it was an accident. She didn't leave a note. She had no reason to kill herself, at least that's what I thought. She didn't seem unhappy. But I'll be honest that I doubt myself. We had started hanging out with different friends. We were in different circles. If something was wrong... maybe I wouldn't have seen it. And then... strange things started happening."
"Strange things?" Gene questioned.
The girl took a deep breath. "Maybe... a week after the funeral. At first I thought I was imagining it. Doors would be open when I had walked through and closed them only moments before. I fell a couple times when I was about to sit because my chair was no longer directly beneath me."
Naru frowned slightly. "Where did this happen? At home, or at school?"
The girl took a breath. "Anywhere. I don't go to the store anymore because I'm afraid that a display might get knocked over after I walk by it." She lifted the teacup to her lips. "My parents thought I was acting out to get attention. Or... something. I don't understand why they think I'm doing it. And I almost believed them, too, at first—I thought, maybe, somehow, I was unconsciously doing these things, or.. forgetting, or something. But then..." her voice trailed off, and she looked nervous.
Mai glanced at Naru, watching his reaction to these words. He remained silent as his twin spoke. "Other things started happening," Gene said for her.
The girl nodded gratefully. "Things that I didn't think I could do and just forget I'd done them, like you could with opening a door or moving a chair. I'd never had a nosebleed in my whole life, but all of a sudden, every night I would wake up with a bloody nose and blood all over my face and on my pillow. Three lightbulbs have shattered above me, when I'm alone, studying in my room in the evening. And just recently..." her voice trailed off again and she glanced toward Mai.
"It's okay," Mai said quietly, her voice gentle. "You can show us."
The girl slowly slid the sleeves of her cardigan down her arms. The shirt she wore beneath was short-sleeved, and as the bare skin of her arms was revealed, it could be seen that they were covered in dark bruises and several bandages. Her eyes downcast, she remained very still for several moments before quickly pulling the sweater back up to her shoulders.
"My... legs are the same," she confessed quietly.
"When did this start?" Naru asked seriously, glancing toward Gene, who had an alarmed look on his face.
"About... a week ago. Or a little more."
"When? At night, like the nosebleeds?" Gene asked.
She shook her head. "No... Not necessarily. It's happened during the day as well. Sometimes at school, in class... it feels like someone's just hit me." She smiled bitterly. "It's better that way, because at night it wakes me up and I can't sleep." She took a breath. "And at the same time... there have been messages."
Naru's frown deepened. "Messages?"
"Not like on paper or anything," she said quickly. "I'd have brought anything if I could. But I swear I've seen it... getting out of the bath, in the mirror in the steam..." her voice trailed off. "I suppose that sounds crazy."
"What does it say?"
The girl took a breath. "It's always one or the other. It says You killed me, or.. it says It's all your fault," the girl said, her voice trembling, and at for the first time in the interview, she began to cry. She covered her face, desperately trying to steady her breathing. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's been a really bad week."
"You don't need to apologize," Mai said gently, once again touching her arm reassuringly. "Thank you for being so brave to tell us. It's the only way we can understand and help you."
The girl had calmed enough to nod, wiping at her eyes before lifting her chin again. She blushed slightly, as if only just becoming aware of the male gaze that was upon her. "I refuse to believe that I'm crazy," she finally said, her voice steady. "I know that's what my parents are thinking. That I'm out to cause trouble or get attention. And if my classmates knew... well, they'd say the same thing, right? But I know these things are happening. As unbelievable as it sounds." She pinned Naru with a sharp gaze, evidently having caught on to the fact that he was the leader of the group. "Do you think I'm lying?"
"No," Naru said shortly. "I don't. I see no reason to disbelieve you and from what you've told us, it seems very likely that there is something supernatural at the root of your problem. But we'll need more information if we are to offer you any assistance. We'll need to ask you more questions about your sister's death and we'll need raw data, both of which may feel like an intrusion on your privacy. Before we come to any agreement on how to move forward, you must understand that as our client, we will both do our utmost to protect your safety and we will respect your wishes on how to conduct our investigation. If you omit details when we ask for them or if you refuse to allow us to conduct surveillance it will undoubtedly have an effect on the result of our investigation and final opinion."
The girl gave a short nod of consent and Naru glanced at Mai, who opened her folder and removed a sheet of paper, placing it on the table in front of her. "This agreement states as much, but in greater detail. Please read it carefully and let us know if you have any objections. You can return it to us when we start the first day of our investigation. If you don't, of course, we will have to discontinue our research."
"When can that be?" She asked, her voice hopeful. Her face had changed from distraught to eager. "When can you start investigating?"
Naru folded his arms across his chest, glancing at his brother and meeting his gaze. "We could start tomorrow. Or on Monday, as you prefer. You said that these things have happened both at school and at home, correct?" She nodded and he pressed his hands together, the fingertips touching just below his chin. "It will be difficult to gather data at your school, certainly." He turned his head toward Lin. "Lin, do you think you could get Mai and Ge—" he stopped himself and corrected himself without missing a beat "—Ichirou into her school as transfer or visiting students on Monday?"
Lin nodded, speaking for the first time. "Shouldn't be a problem."
Naru glanced toward Mai. "It won't be an issue for you to miss some school next week?"
"Course not."
Naru tapped his pencil against his notepad. "As for at your home..." his voice trailed off slightly but the girl interrupted, eyes swinging between them, landing on Mai.
"Wait, you're in school?" She looked astonished. "You mean, college, right?"
Mai blushed slightly, not entirely sure why she was flustered. "Actually, no, high school. I'm fifteen."
The other girl blushed as well, embarrassed. "I'm sorry... for some reason I was sure you were older." She looked at Mai closely and then her eyes moved around the group in front of her. "If you're going to be students at my school, then I wouldn't even have to lie to my parents if I told them you were classmates, coming over to work on a school project. That way you could come to my house." She looked apologetically at Lin. "I am sorry, sir, but I don't think I could convince my parents that you're a classmate..."
"I should hope not," Lin said with a very small wry smile.
"Forgive me for asking," Gene started, "but I want to confirm that you wish to keep our investigation a secret from them?"
The girl nodded, biting her lip, suddenly nervous. "That's right. I would rather they didn't know. If that's possible."
The twins exchanged glances. "It may be difficult," Naru began, "but we'll work something out."
"Um, I live in kind of a big house," the girl started, and Mai immediately knew her earlier suspicion of a wealthy family was correct. "They don't usually bother me. And they never come in my room. They would notice if I had guests, but as for what we did..." she spread her hands, and Mai knew the girl didn't have any idea of what they would need to conduct their investigation. "You can do whatever you need to do."
Naru nodded, a small smirk forming on his lips. "We'll work out the details. Then, what day would you like us to begin our investigation?"
"Tomorrow." The girl smiled, relieved. "Please."
Naru stood to conclude the meeting and the other four followed suit. "Mai, will you make the arrangements for tomorrow with..." his voice trailed off as he looked at the girl, not sure how to continue.
"Murata." She blushed. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. My name is Murata Kaori."
Naru inclined his head. "We will meet again tomorrow, Murata-san. Please look over the agreement and we will conduct a more thorough interview of your circumstances then. Please feel free to contact us before then if you have any questions or concerns."
The girl watched as the three men disappeared into the side office, following Mai to her desk. Mai fished a pencil from a tray, picking up a clipboard. "We'll need your address and contact details, as well as the name of your school and your class." Mai said, passing the items to Kaori. "If I could just have you fill out this form..."
The girl nodded and took them wordlessly, began to write. Pausing in her writing, she glanced up toward Mai. "Are you related? You're all so familiar."
Mai smiled. "No, not related. But we've known each other for a really long time."
When Kaori passed the clipboard back to Mai, she glanced over the form to make sure they had the information they needed. "As for tomorrow..." Mai began, scribbling a number on the line for Client Case No. and her own name at Staff Review, "We usually have a considerable amount of equipment for our investigations. For your circumstance, we may not want to use all of it. Shibuya will have a recommendation for what is necessary and we'll discuss it with you tomorrow when we meet. But would there be a time tomorrow that we could bring in our equipment without your parents noticing?"
Kaori nodded. "My parents go to church every Sunday morning. They leave at nine and return around noon."
"Is it all right if we come at 9:30, then?" When Kaori nodded again, Mai passed her the agreement she'd left on the table as well as a business card. "That should give us enough time to start with. We'll go from there." She smiled warmly. "We'll see you tomorrow, Murata-san."
...
Kaori Murata had left the office and Mai had made another pot of tea. She opened the door to the twins' office, carrying the tray of tea as well as the clipboard with the form Kaori had just filled out.
"—the nosebleeds could easily be caused by stress," Naru was saying, drumming his fingers against the desk, "but it's very unlikely the marks on her arms and legs are."
"Thank you," Lin said, as Mai passed him a cup. "I thought you didn't even like tea, Gene?" He remarked as the older twin accepted the cup from Mai.
"It's growing on me," Gene smirked.
"What did I miss?" Mai asked, passing the last cup to Naru with the clipboard and sitting down in a chair next to Lin.
"Not much." Gene said. "We were just going over what she told us. Noll said he didn't want to start discussing any theories yet."
"You do believe her story, don't you?" Mai asked, taking a sip from her tea. "You told her as much."
"Yes," Naru said, looking up from the clipboard. "It is possible, however, that not everything she's experienced is supernatural. Undoubtedly it is a very stressful time for her, to lose her sister..." his voice trailed off slightly and he returned his gaze quickly to the clipboard in his hand. "So we'll be going to Arakawa, then." He glanced at Mai, somewhat amused. "At 9:30? Did you choose that time or did she?"
"Her parents go to church, she said," Mai relayed. "We can at least bring some equipment into the house unnoticed."
"Unless she has nosy neighbors," Naru commented absently, turning back to the page. "Though we'll have to see what we can actually use. Keeping her parents unaware may be difficult."
"We certainly can't put any cameras up where they will see them," Gene said, stretching his arms up and folding them behind his head. "That would leave just small microphones and basic temperature gauges."
"There is her bedroom, if she's certain her parents wouldn't come inside."
"In her bedroom? Surely, Naru, that would be an invasion of her privacy," Mai protested.
"It depends on how desperate she is," Naru countered, frowning slightly. He passed the clipboard to Lin and sat back in his chair, folding his hands together. "We'll find out more details tomorrow, when we can conduct a complete interview. There may be some details she omitted and we know nothing about her sister."
Gene frowned slightly, thinking. "She said it was an accident, but she never alluded to how she actually died."
"She doesn't want to tell us, certainly," Naru agreed, "but she'll have to if she expects us to do anything about it." He turned his gaze to Mai. "Mai, why don't you see what you can find out about Murata-san and her family?" He nodded toward his brother and Lin. "We'd better get the equipment ready for tomorrow."
"Before we begin, there's something I have to say." Lin said, setting his empty teacup down on the small table between his and Mai's chairs. "Aahil... the shiki you've become acquainted with," he said, nodding toward Gene, "told me that there was a spirit, following her that left as soon as she opened the door to the office."
"Her sister?" Mai questioned aloud.
Lin shook his head. "I don't think so. Aahil said it was the spirit of what used to be a boy."
Naru looked intrigued, leaning forward and pressing his folded hands against his chin. "Curious," he said.
"A boy, huh..." Gene said thoughtfully.
Lin glanced toward him. "Did you see anything?"
Gene shook his head. "I didn't see that," he said. His words seemed to be spoken too carefully and Mai had the suspicion that there was something Gene was not saying. Perhaps he truly hadn't seen the spirit that Lin's shiki had: but he had seen something else that he was not telling them about. She pursed her lips, remembering how Gene had come out of the office before the girl's arrival. He had known she was coming—that was clear. But was that his intuition, or something more? She began to wonder if Gene's blank look had anything to do with the spirit, tapping her fingers against her leg as she thought. Certainly, yesterday, even she'd thought that surely a client would arrive—not that she'd known exactly when, of course, but Gene's abilities were strong whereas her own barely existed. Suddenly noticing that Naru was watching her, she blushed slightly, her thoughts interrupted and she averted her gaze.
Mai stood, collecting the cups. "More tea for anyone?"
"Maybe in a bit," Gene said, eying his brother with a smirk. "I'm sure Noll would love more."
"I'll make sure the kettle is full and ready at a moment's notice," Mai teased as she left the office, taking the cups to the kitchenette.
As she set the tray of cups down, she frowned, looking at the countertop. The teacup from which Kaori Murata had drunk was sitting on the counter where she'd left it—but she immediately noticed the hairline crack, obvious in the white porcelain. She reached toward it, hesitating for only a second before picking it up. The teacup broke into two pieces in her hands, the halves coming apart effortlessly.
"Interesting," she murmured to herself, setting the broken teacup back onto the counter, tapping her finger against her lips. It was a warning, she knew, but one that would not be heeded. "That is very interesting indeed."
A/N: Sorry (as usual) for my slow update. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews! Let me know what you think of this chapter! I love to hear from you ^_^