"Gene?" Mai glanced around but found nothing but darkness.

She could never get a correct reading on the boy. He showed up when she needed him but was absent when she reached out. She wondered where he went when he wasn't lingering in the back of her astral plane on cases. She wondered what he was thinking of. What he could see.

Letting out a sigh, Mai turned and came to a halt.

Baku was sitting a distance away from her with his two tails curled around his paws and resting on the ground. He was watching her, quiet but strong.

Mai hesitated to take a step forward, still feeling uneasy about her new spirit companion. Lin was a great teacher when it came to letting her know everything she needed to know about Baku and summoning him, but even then there was no handbook on relationships between the summoner and a shikigami. A lot of having a shikigami was based on personal experience, which didn't go well with Mai.

She liked to know to what to expect.

Baku rose from his sitting position and Mai watched as he turned and began walking off. Apprehensive disturbed the tranquility in the space around her, filling her with a sense of rejection and she swallowed hard as the tip of Baku's tail disappeared, leaving her fully alone.

"Gene, where are you..." Mai said in the emptiness around her, closing her eyes and tilting her head up.

"Mai-san?" A gentle male voice called out.

Mai opened her eyes and found herself staring at the cured wood of the coffee table she was resting her head on.

"May I come in?" The voice that called her back to her body made her sit up and glance to the door, where she could see the distinct shadow of someone standing behind it through the rice paper.

"Yes, come in!" Mai answered quickly, wiping at her mouth in case she had been drooling while she slept. "Akifumi-san, when did you return?"

Akifumi smiled, through it fell short. "About a half hour ago. I came to grab my sister some things for her stay at the hospital and thought I should come say thank you before you leave."

Mai's eyes widened briefly before she smiled. "You don't have to thank me, Akifumi-san. I was just doing my job."

Although the Yoshimi family had finally been rid of the curse plaguing their family for generations, their struggle was not over. Nao was still in the hospital because of her stab wounds, the shrine had extensive damage due to the fire, and not to mental the corpses they had to rebury after Okobu-sama's attack. The Yoshimi family had a lot of deal with and SPR could only so much in the aftermath, since they were also dealing with their own injuries.

They stayed the night at the inn at the Yoshimi families insistence, while Yasuhara and Naru remained in the hospital. After a nights rest, Mai woke up that morning feeling a little more motivated to get the ball rolling and the SPR team began dismantling their base and packing the van with the equipment. They spent most of the morning lifting and walking in and out of the inn, so when they were finished Mai had taken some time to herself to try and reach out to Gene.

Nothing came of that, though.

"...you guys are welcome to come say at the inn at anytime. I promise we will take care of you as proper guests next time." Akifumi was saying as their conversation come to an end. He stood and bowed at a ninety degree angle, which Mai quickly reciprocated and the young male left with a smile, leaving Mai on her own to ponder her thoughts once more.

BEEP

At the sound of an incoming text, Mai picked up her cellphone and glanced down the screen to see that Lin had sent her a message.

Naru and Father Brown have been discharged. Be ready to leave.

Mai let out a long breath, her shoulder falling forward.

She was not ready to leave. Leaving the Yoshimi inn meant that the time she was dreading since the moment she opened her eyes on that Thursday morning in April was finally here.

Gene, we're almost there.


Naru glanced at the rearview mirror as she slid into the backseat.

Lin waited, his fingers curled around the steering wheel. "Everything's good to go?"

"Yes." Mai replied quietly, looking up and meeting Naru's eyes in the mirror. "Everything... is going right."

The two dark haired men understood the second meaning in her words and Lin twisted the key, turning the car on and beginning their depart from the Yoshimi inn property.

Bou-san's car followed close behind them, and Mai could see that the passenger seat was filled by Yasu instead of Ayako's usual figure. They probably thought he would be more comfortable in the front with his broken rib, which meant that John was probably stuck in the middle seat between Ayako and Masako. Masako, surprisingly didn't take the order that Mai would be accompanying Naru and Lin in the van instead, too hard. Though, she leveled Mai and Naru with a quiet look before she turned away.

Maybe Masako left so obediently because she knew that sitting in the van with Naru and Lin would be absolutely agonizing.

The drive from the Yoshimi inn back to the office was seven hours, which meant that at anytime between then Bou-san would be a wrong turn, so it was just a waiting game. By the three hour mark, Mai would have given anything to be in Bou-san's car because the silence was starting to feel sufforcating to her. Without conversation to distract her she was starting to slip back into that faraway part of her mind.

Mai glanced down at her fingers, counting them.

Ten.

She looked up, out the window.

No glowing orbs.

She must be awake, then. She doubted her perception of the world around her so often because the line between her waking and sleeping world was so blurry that she seemed to slip in between the two of them so often. It was second nature to her now, being able to astral project. The concept of her being able to change fate itself was also not helping her state of uncertainty about her world around her either.

She wondered, if she tried to float right now, would the law of gravity itself betray itself and take her to the sky?

Mai found herself speaking before she even thought about it, her voice traveling quietly across the space in the van. "Do you ever wonder if you're in a dream?"

Lin glanced back, taking in her hazy expression. "You mean, do I realize I'm dreaming when I'm asleep?"

"No." Mai answered, her eyes trained on the town they were passing. "I mean right now."

"When I'm awake?" Lin asked with a frown, seeming confused about her question. "If I'm awake then I'm not dreaming."

"But how do you know?" Mai asked. "Are you sure you're awake? Would you even be aware that you are dreaming?"

There was silence before Naru spoke, his voice clear as day and cutting through her clouded mind. "Cogito, ergo sum."

Mai looked up and met his eyes in the rearview mirror, where he was staring at her. "Huh?"

"I think, therefore I am." Naru translated for her, glancing away and Mai instead turned her eyes to the back of his head in front of her. "It's a phrase that Rene Descartes used to confirm his existence. That is a very simplified dumbed down version of the cogito, for your sake—" Mai ignored his jab at her, more focused on his point. "—but it means that even the thought of doubting your existence, proves that you exist. There cannot be a thought, without a thinking entity."

"I think, therefore I am." Mai repeated quietly and slowly turned back to watch the scenery speed by, feeling lighter than she had when she asked the question. Even though Naru had made a jab at her intelligence, he had managed to calm her anxiety inducing thoughts in a second.

"Takigawa-san is turning too early." Lin suddenly said and Mai felt her stomach drop.

As Lin had announced, she could see Bou-san car turning down a smaller road off the highway.

"You should call him and let him know he's off route—"

"No." Mai cut in, her voice sounding faraway. "Follow him."


"How you doing back there, John?" Bou-san asked with an amused grin, glancing back at the blond haired priest.

John smiled awkwardly. "I'm well."

Yasu snickered at the boys awkward position in between Ayako and Masako. The two of them had just finished arguing about who was more useful in the Yoshimi case, with Ayako eventually winning, leaving Masako in a bitter state.

Ayako smirked, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Too bad, maybe Naru will cast you aside for little Mai now that she seems to be the most helpful during cases."

Bou-san's eyebrow went up, "Yeah. I'm sure that's all there is to it." He muttered under his breath before noticing Yasuhara's curious eyes. "I'm surprised, Masako. I thought you would have put up more of a fight when Naru told you he wanted Mai in the van instead of you."

Masako stared out the window blankly, her eyes taking on a more serious look. "I believe... something is happening. Something beyond me."

The joking mood in the car disappeared instantly and Bou-san glanced at the girl in his side mirror. Then he looked at John, Ayako, and Yasu for a brief moment and came to the realization that he was not the only one who picked up on the strange atmosphere between Mai and Naru lately.

Bou-san let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Something beyond us all, Masako-chan."

Masako glanced up, meeting eyes with him in the mirror, before she smiled lightly and turned away.

Suddenly taking notice of the unfamiliar surroundings, Bou-san frowned. "Did we pass by a lake on our drive here?"

Ayako made a startled noise, looking down at her phone. "Idiot monk! You made the wrong turn!"

"WHAT?"

"Stop! Stop here! We're like a half hour off route. Naru is going to be so pissed."


The road was curved, turning to the left and surrounded by thick tress on either side. Silence enveloped them for the entire time they followed Bou-san's car, each of them staring ahead as they waited for something to change. Then, the trees on the right side started to thin out and eventually gave away to metal railings, and beyond them, a lake.

Bou-san's car started to slow in front of them and Mai felt the speed of the van start to stop as well, coming to park behind Bou-san at the edge of the road by the metal railings. Mai was out of the van before the other two even had the chance to remove their seatbelts and she heard the sound of Ayako and Bou-san bickering about who messed up the directions.

Walking towards the railings, Mai could see down below the murky water extending far out and ending somewhere in the distance. She looked down as her fingers landed against the cold metallic rail and down small waves hitting the side of the cliff the road was built on.

Naru came to a stop beside her, his hand falling into the rails next to her own, looking out at the lake with wide eyes. His hair lifted as a breeze passed by them and he closed his eyes, remembering the vision of Gene's death. When he opened them, he turned to look at the girl next to him and saw tears falling down her face as she wept quietly.

It was here.

He finally found it.


"Mai? Why are we renting cabins in the middle of nowhere?" Ayako asked, approaching from behind.

After they had confirmed it was the lake Gene's body was in, Mai asked Naru for the company card, which he handed to her wordlessly, and left him to his own business. He and Lin seemed to be calling Madoka, talking about flights and diving teams. She knew the time would be coming soon when Gene would be found. In her dream, they hadn't found the lake so quickly. Naru had stayed in the hospital for a lot longer than he did and the SPR team had stayed at the Yoshimi inn for almost a month before Naru was finally able to be discharged.

She knew that there was a campsite near the lake as they had stayed there for the duration of the search for Gene in her dream and as soon as she gathered herself and stopped crying, she spotted the wooden sign on the side of the road, pointing to a path where the campsite was and began following it.

Everyone followed her, though none of them asked any questions until she had walked up to the reception and asked to rent three cabins for a few nights. With the receipts of the payment in her hand and the company card in the other, Mai turned to them with a distressed look.

She swallowed down the lump in her throat, staring at their concerned faces. "If... if we leave now, I don't know if we will ever see Naru or Lin again."

Ayako's eyes widened. "Why? What in the world is going on, Mai?"

Mai sniffled and she wished she could just tell them everything at that moment but she knew they would come to find out the truth soon enough. "Naru is searching for... someone who has died."

Masako let out a gasp, her hands coming up to her mouth. "You mean...?"

Mai met her gaze, nodded somberly. "Yes."

Masako came to understand in that moment that Mai knew the truth of Naru's identity, and much more than Masako knew herself. With shaking fingers, she turned to look at everyone who was now staring at her for some sort of explanation to the cryptic interaction between them. "This is a something that Naru should tell you himself. It... it's not our business to tell."

John stepped forward quietly, his eyes taking in the distress in the younger girl's eyes. "Did you know this person too?"

Mai's tears fell once more, sliding down her cheeks as she lowered her head. Although she didn't answer, the comforting pressure of John's hand on the top of her head let her know that he understood enough.


The three cabins Mai rented were divided between three groups. Lin and Naru were in one. Bou-san, John, and Yasu were in the second. Then Mai, Masako, and Ayako were in the last one.

They were each around a small clearing on the campsite, with trees surrounding everywhere around them. Although the cabins came with furniture and cooking utensils it was up to them to provide their own food since the campsite doesn't have a restaurant and so the boys had gone into the local town nearby to buy some groceries.

"They better not have missed anything on the list I gave them." Ayako said as she looked out the window, watching as Bou-san's car pulled into the clearing. "I'm starving."

Mai smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Me too."

It was nearing evening now and they all had been getting settled in the cabins since they arrived in the morning. It was only when Yasu mentioned that he was hungry that they realized the situation with the food and promptly set off for the city with the company card, grinning while they promised to buy only the most expensive meat they could find.

The door to the girls cabin opened as the three males entered, each of them carrying plastic bags filled with food. Mai stood to help unload and sort through the groceries, passing the ones that needed to be refrigerated to Ayako, who placed them into the fridge.

"Those divers are still at it." Bou-san commented, looking to Mai. "They seem to be working quite quickly."

It had become quickly known to everyone that the body of the person Naru was searching for was in the lake as soon as the diving team arrived.

Mai nodded at his words and looked out the window, where she could see drops of water were starting to slide down the glass. "I wonder how long they can keep it up for. It's only drizzling right now but the weather says it's going to thunderstorm tonight."

Like she had spoken it into existence, a loud clap of thunder startled them and everyone let out a loud yelp.

"Well, I guess that answers your question for you." Bou-san chuckled and started to help Ayako take out all the cooking utensils they would need to start making dinner. "Naru and Lin have been standing out there all day watching, someone should tell them to come eat."

The pitter patter of the rain picked up, sounding more heavy against the roof of the cabin.

"They'll be coming to the campsite soon, they can't stay out there in this weather. Besides, the divers will have to stop because of the thunder."

Mai tuned out the conversation around her, feeling herself beginning to slip back into the anxiety and panic. She took a seat on the ground against the wall and closed her eyes, leaning her head forward onto her knees.

I think, therefore I am...

Her anxiety ridden thoughts faded away, allowing her a moment of peace long enough to fall into a light slumber.

Masako watched her shoulders slump forward in concern before turning to look at Ayako. "Let's try to be quiet."

Ayako turned to her, seeming pleasantly surprised. "Wow, I had no idea you could be so considerate—ow!" She let out a yelp of pain a someone shoved her out of the way. "What was that for?" She hissed as Bou-san pushed past her.

"Good riddance, woman. Must you be so rude constantly?" He huffed, ignoring the glare the red head was sending him as he glanced at Mai's sleeping figure. "This whole situation is taking a toll on her and she's looked miserable all day. She's going to need a moment to breath, especially before tonight."

Ayako blinked, her glare fading at his words. "Before tonight?"

Bou-san nodded. "John and Yasu and I were talking on the way here... I'm positive I understand what's going on here." He paused his movements as he searched for the rice cooker, turning to look back at her. "When we get the chance, we're going to have Naru and Lin answer all our questions."

Tonight, they were finally going to find out the truth.


"Gene? Gene!"

No answer.

Mai wrapped her arms around herself. "Why aren't you answering? I want to say goodbye..."

"Should I wake her up? She seems like she's suffering."

Mai shifted awake at someone's prompting hand, slowly opening her eyes.

Yasuhara's bright smile greeted her. "Wakey, wakey. Dinner is almost ready."

"Mm." Mai nodded and wiped the sleep from her eyes, yawning as she pushed herself to stand before she froze.

Naru and Lin were standing in the doorway, looking tired and damp from the rain.

Yasu noticed her line of sight. "We called them here."

Mai's eyes immediately shifted from Yasu to Bou-san, who was sitting in the middle of the room with a serious expression and his arms crossed over his chest. Was it already time? Bou-san was going to unveil everything right this moment, it seemed.

"What is it? I don't have the time." Naru said as he removed his shoes, moving into the room to sit down as well. Lin followed closely behind him, though he remained quiet as he looked around. He seemed to understand that dinner wasn't the only reason they were called upon.

Yasu cleared his throat, "So, here's the thing... which tea do you prefer? Dar Jeeling or Earl Grey?"

"I'm fine. What did you want to talk about?" Naru replied sharply, impatient.

Yasu's smile only grew brighter. "Which one?"

There was silence as the two teenagers just stared at each other, each waiting for the other to relent before Naru eventually sighed. "I'm fine with anything."

"Great! Then..." Yasu turned to Mai expectantly. "Mai, would you be so kind?"

"Oh! Sure." Mai blinked before she moved towards the kitchen area, glancing over her shoulder as she placed the kettle on the stove.

The conversation began almost immediately, with the question even Mai was curious to know. "What are you going to do after you find who you're searching for? Will you close the office?"

Naru's expression remained blank the entire time, seeming unaffected aside from his annoyance at having to come out of his way. "Does that have anything to do with you, Yasuhara-san?"

"Yeah, it does. We're friends, aren't we?" Yasu shot back, his eyebrows raising at the boy.

That drew a reaction from Naru, although it was miniscule the surprise in his eyes was similar to when Mai had asked him a similar question. "You consider me a friend?"

"Of course." Yasuhara's iron defense faltered for a moment, letting a genuine smile through before it was back up. "That is why I believe you owe us some answers."

Naru thought for a moment, looking down at the tatami mat below him. Then he closed his eyes. "Five minutes."

Bou-san grinned. "Don't be stingy, I want thirty minutes."

"Fifteen."

"Okay," Bou-san nodded, seeming pleased. He would have made it work with ten. "Fifteen minutes."

Mai licked her lips nervously, feeling her heart rate beginning to pick up speed. The kettle began to make some noise, letting her know it would be done boiling soon and so she set on preparing the tea cups while listening intently to the conversation behind her.

"The first thing I want to ask... is about your name."

Ayako frowned. "His name?"

Bou-san glanced to the red head with a curious expression. "Don't you find it odd that the name of the director of an office in Shibuya is named Shibuya?"

"It's not a coincidence?" Ayako retorted. Shibuya was not an uncommon surname, after all.

"Well, that's one of three possibilities." Bou-san held up his fingers. "One: coincidence. Two: He made the office in Shibuya on purpose for aesthetic reasons. Three: It's an alias."

"Alias?!" Ayako jumped up in shock. "What makes you think that?"

Bou-san glanced over his shoulder as the kettle began screaming, his eyes watching Mai pull it off the stove. "Do you remember when we first met at Mai's school? She suddenly called him 'Naru' and the way he reacted was a bit odd."

"What did you just say?"

Mai jumped, turning to her boss as he stood suddenly. "Excuse me?"

"Where did you hear that name?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

Ayako nodded slowly. "I remember... he was surprised. But doesn't it mean Naru the Narcissist?"

"Perhaps, but why would Lin call him that too?" Bou-san questioned and looked to the tall Chinese male. "Isn't that weird? I mean, Lin isn't the type who will call his boss Naru the Narcissist."

"You're right... huh?" Ayako seemed confused, her hand coming to her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. "Does that mean... Naru is his real name?"

"...well, we need to ask him." Yasu turned to Naru with a smile. "Is Shibuya Kazuya an alias and Naru is your real name?"

Naru's lips curved upwards into a slow smirk, seeming amused as he looked from Bou-san to Yasu. "I wouldn't want to ruin your moment by answering."

Bou-san chuckled and crossed his arms. "Thanks for your consideration, Naru-chan."

Mai waited for the tea to steep, putting the correct amount of sugar and cream in everyone's preference.

"Moving on, we've never actually seen proof that his name is really Shibuya Kazuya." Bou-san said, to which Ayako rebuffed by saying that neither of them had ever provided proof of their identification to each other. Of course, Bou-san had an answer for that as well. "Well, Mai cannot legally work without providing identification. Masako is a famous TV personality. We all have signed contracts with our legal names on it countless times when helping Naru out for cases, right? However, Naru's name is never on those contracts."

That was news to Mai. Unlike the others part of the team, they were hired by short term contracts while she was on payroll for the company as an official part timer.

"And remember during the Yuasa High School case when Naru had to be hospitalized? There was no name tag on his door. I'll ask you this question since your parents own a hospital but have you ever seen a patient with no name tag on the door?"

Ayako thought and eventually nodded. "I have. Sometimes, if the patients need privacy in the case of domestic violence cases or if they are famous celebrities. Name tags are important and essential for nurses to be able to administer the right treatment so unless it was specifically requested, his name should have been on the door."

"Exactly, so his name was specifically asked to be removed." Bou-san nodded and turned back to Naru. "Except, his name tag was on the door during his last visit. I'm assuming after his first visit, they were prepared about the name situation should he have to be hospitalized again."

Mai walked over from the kitchen with the tea prepared, setting each cup down in front of everyone.

"Thank you, Mai." John smiled at her kindly, to which she nodded in response and moved to set down Naru's and Lin's next to him.

Seeing that Naru and Lin were still not giving anything away, Bou-san carried on with his well thought out interrogation, watching as the brown haired girl moved towards him with his cup of tea. "Moving on, the biggest clue about Naru's identity being a secret is our sweet little Mai." Bou-san raised his eyebrow as Mai looked up in shock.

"HUH?!" Everyone exclaimed all at once, surprise erupting throughout the group.

Even John and Yasuhara, who had gone through all the possibilities about Naru's identity with Bou-san earlier on their drive were shocked by this sudden revelation.

"Mai?" Ayako asked in confusion. "How is Mai a big clue?"

Mai was in shock herself, having not expected to be part of this conversation and she remained frozen in her place in the middle of the group. What had she done to reveal Naru's identity? She ran through any possible situations in her head but nothing of note came up.

"Yes." Bou-san nodded firmly and started to grin as he took in Mai's surprised expression. He was lacking the shocked responses from Naru and Lin so finally to catch someone off guard was satisfying. "I mean, why is Mai the only one Naru actually hired as an official employee? He used the excuse that it was because Lin's leg was injured but why keep her after the first case was over? Mai's abilities are no joke now but don't forget that she seemingly had none when we first met."

Yasu looked at Mai with wide eyes. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Ayako answered quietly. "She grew into her abilities."

Mai even found herself questioning Naru's intentions by hiring her. In her dream, he hired her because she was an orphan and he felt empathy for her situation. But after she changed so much with the first case and their initial meeting the possibility that he hired her for such a small offhand thought was growing smaller and smaller.

She glanced at him, catching his gaze.

Why did he hire her?

"Also, why is Mai the only one out of all of us to have Naru's personal cell phone number?" Bou-san asked the group with a raised eyebrow.

Mai swung around. "You guys don't have his cellphone number?"

Masako's eye twitched in annoyance. "No. He calls us from the company phone."

Oh. Mai didn't realize that.

"And there is what happened that day when Akifumi-san came to the office to request we take his case." Bou-san continued.

"What happened that day?" Ayako looked stumped.

Bou-san smirked and put his hand against his chin. "There was a pile of mail on her desk, with coupons sitting on top of it" Mai snapped to attention, remembering how Bou-san had wanted the coupons. "She grabbed the mail before I could reach for the coupons and when I asked if there was anymore I could have she said it was just junk mail."

The faces around him remained blank, not understanding his point.

"And she put it in her desk drawer."

Ayako raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

Bou-san turned to her with an unimpressed look, sighing. "If it was just junk mail, most people would just toss it or even just leave it on the desk. Why bother putting it into her drawer out of sight?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and watched as realization slowly came to Ayako. "Unless, she was hiding something from us."

Ayako's brows furrowed forward and she turned to look at Mai slowly. "You...?"

Mai bit her lip and Bou-san turned to stare at her as well. "I think, Mai has known his real identity from the beginning. That would explain her slip up with his name, why Naru only hired her, why she is the only one with his cellphone number, and why the two of them are always talking quietly to each other and meeting up secretly in the middle of the night during cases."

Mai could feel her cheeks beginning to get hot at his words, suddenly feeling embarrassed that she was so see through to him.

"Unless, they are secretly dating of course." Yasuhara suddenly perked up, holding his finger up. He received a dark glare from the two of them for that comment, to which he just shrunk back with an awkward laugh. "Sorry, just trying to lighten up the situation."

"She also knows the identity of the person Naru is searching for." John spoke up quietly, looking deep in thought as he processed all of Bou-san's words. "There is also... the topic of Shibuya Psychic Research."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, John." Bou-san nodded to him in thanks for getting him back on track and turned to look back at Naru. "If Naru's name Shibuya Kazuya is just an alias, then naturally his company SPR also comes into question. Mai would hide the mail from us because of Naru's real name but what if it was also because the name of company didn't match the name on the door?"

"Why does that matter? He could have just named it anything." Ayako asked.

"True, but... think about all of the equipment he has. That is no joke. Those are serious and very expensive equipment used for psychic research. Is is normal for a seventeen year old to own and run his own company with that kind of equipment?" He shook his head in sync with Ayako. "So, what if SPR is an actual company and the Shibuya Psychic Research is just a branch."

"SPR?" Ayako muttered to herself before her eyes flew open. "You mean...?"

"Society for Psychical Research." Bou-san finished her thought. "It's an old paranormal activity organization in England which goes by the abbreviated BSPR. What if our office is a Japanese branch of that organization? If Naru was one of the members of BSPR then that would explain his name being Naru. I mean, have you ever met a Japanese person named Naru?"

"No." Yasu shook his head. "I haven't."

"So, assume Naru isn't Japanese." All eyes looked to Naru, who was sitting with his arms crossed looking back and forth as he watched the conversation unfold his identity. "He might be Japanese ethnically but what if he wasn't born here. Think about his office, full of psychic research textbooks all written in English. He doesn't know a lot of Kanji and he writes in a mix of English and Japanese. So, assuming Naru isn't Japanese... what is the English pronunciation of Naru?"

"Noll." John answered for him.

Bou-san nodded, closing his eyes and motioning for John to continue. "And what name is Noll used for as a nickname?"

"Oliver."

There was silence as the revelation hit the group.

Ayako swallowed, "As in... Oliver Davis?"

"That would explain a lot. Why we took the case with the fake Oliver Davis and why Naru seems to pick up things so quickly on cases. Assuming he uses psychometry."

There was another moment of quiet before Naru stood, looking down at them coldly. "Your fifteen minutes is up."

Lin watched Naru walked from the cabin before turning to the group, his face looking a lot more kinder than it had when he walked in. "He probably feels there's no need to answer if you already know so much. We came to Japan to search for his brother—"

"Eugene Davis?" John asked.

"—Yes. Gene." Lin nodded, his mouth curving up into a somber smile. "He came here to observe Japanese exorcisms and was last seen in a town about an hour from here. A few days after he was last seen Naru went to borrow a shirt from Gene's dresser and saw the vision of his death. This lead us here."

Ayako turned to Masako. "So then... the reason why Naru treats you different is because you knew his identity as well, right?" Her mouth twisted in a smirk as the younger girl began to squirm. "How coy, Masako. To blackmail him into dates with you."

"I only knew because I was able to view the video of the PK experiment Naru took part in." Masako explained shyly and then her eyes traveled upwards to Mai. "Though, I'm curious about how Mai knows his identity."

Bou-san blinked, his hand coming up to rest on his head. "That's right! And... how would you know Eugene Davis if he passed on before we met Naru?"

Everyone's eyes swiveled towards her and the tea cup in Mai's hand clattered to the ground in front of her as her fingers began shaking, losing her grip on the saucer.

"Ah!" Ayako moved forward to pick up the fallen cup, glancing up at her with a concerned expression before her face went slack at the look on Mai's face. "Mai... are you okay?"

"I..." Mai hesitated, face white as a ghost. "I—"

"Take your time." Ayako reassured her quietly, her hand coming to rest on top of the younger girls. "We'll wait for you."

It was time to finally reveal the truth.

Everything in her screamed at her not to, since hiding from her friends had become a habit ingrained in her so deeply that telling the truth made her body react physically. She thought about Naru's reaction to her when she told him the truth about Gene, how he looked at her with such dark anger and hurt.

"I do hate you."

Mai clenched her eyes shut in fear before the warmth from Ayako's hand began seeping into her numb fingers, bringing back the sensation and making her open her eyes to meet Ayako's warm gaze. Then she looked around the group and thought about all the affection she had received from them in the time she knew them.

John had been such an incredibly good friend to her. He offered her sound advice and been a listening ear, so willing to accept all of her, even her faults. He was always the first to recognize when she was having a hard time and he knew when she was silently suffering, sometimes even before she knew herself.

Bou-san had been her protective big brother, always managing to make her laugh and he was the first one she thought off when she needed a hug. He might act like the fool but she knew he saw her for what she truly was and accepted her regardless. Bou-san was the wisest person she knew.

Ayako had been the big sister she never knew she needed. Ayako was someone raised by tough love and that was how she handed it out too. Ayako was the first one Mai went to when she had questions that most girls her age would ask their mothers and she never turned her away.

Masako had been the sister Mai never asked for but was happy she received anyway. Their relationship started from jealously and rivalry but grew into something much friendlier and playful. They still had their arguments but Mai wouldn't have it any other way. Masako was Mai's opposite, in every good way and they learned from each others mistakes and wins.

Yasuhara was the ex she didn't see coming from a mile away but Mai was glad to have befriended him regardless. He was always there to offer a helping hand in anything she needed. He was reliable and was always down to be her partner in crime when she was dying of boredom in the office.

After a year and a half of hiding such a big burden from everyone while receiving nothing but their warm affection and understanding, Mai knew that it was finally time to let them know.

"Eugene Davis has not passed on yet." Mai began slowly, looking down at her fingers in her lap and not having the courage look up at their faces yet. She could not reveal the truth about Naru's death with him knowing first. "He... has unfinished business here in this world and while trying to contact Naru, he found me. On the day I first met Naru, I had a precognitive vision about everything from then until now."

Mai explained, in the best way she could, about her journey up until that point and although she could tell from the stunned silence in the room by how shocked they way, they still let her talk. She talked about her black notebook and how she wrote all the events in it and followed along as the present carried out those events. She told them that she already know about them before she met them and how she hid lots of things from them because she thought that it was best.

"...I had this deep instinct that knowing the future isn't a gift and I can't put into words that feeling I have. I struggled to understand why and tried to justify my deceit by pretending it was for everyone's sake, for Naru's sake, that none of you knew." She wiped at the tears forming in her eyes and bent down into a low bow. "I want to ask your forgiveness for lying to you all for so long."

"Mai." Bou-san's voice called out to her and she looked up, surprised to see that he was smiling at her. "You don't need to ask for forgiveness. You haven't done something gravely terrible. Like you just said, you were struggling with it yourself."

"B-but—"

Ayako cut in this time, her voice hard. "Stop that. You're not a criminal for lying. Especially about something like that."

"I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't have reacted so logically if I woke up and suddenly knew the future." Yasuhara laughed quietly, offering her a kind smile.

John nodded in agreement. "This is beyond us, Mai. You did the best with what you were given."

Mai swallowed down another apology, her eyes traveling to the one other in the group who had yet to respond. Masako was sitting quietly, looking deep in thought before she finally glanced up and met Mai's eyes.

When she started speaking, it was quiet and tentative. "You asked me before about what the meaning of visions of the future were and I told you that they are often bad omens, foretelling ill fated events. I think... as psychics our senses often come into question and we are scrutinized on our very perception of the world around us. It makes us question ourselves and doubt what our own eyes see, what our spirits feel, and what our senses know." Mai's eyes grew wide as she watched Masako place her palm over her heart. "What you have here with this group under Naru, Lin, Ayako, and Bou-san's guidance is quite rare. You were given the opportunity to explore your abilities as a psychic in a safe and trustful environment without doubting yourself. I used to despise you for it because it was not so easy for me, but now I see that this has given you unyielding confidence to trust in your instincts and I have come to trust your decisions without question as well."

Mai could feel another bout of tears coming and this time, it was not from shame and fear.

"Your instincts have saved my life. I will never forget it." Masako slowly looked up at Mai and she smiled gently. "This revelation has not changed that trust I have in you, Mai. I believe in you."

"Oh god..." Mai's hands came up to cover her face as she started to cry once more, unable to hold back the relief and emotions she felt in that moment. "Thank you so much for believing in me."

John smiled warmly, though his eyes still looked unsure as he observed her. "Why do I still sense that you are holding guilt in your heart?"

Mai wiped at her eyes, sniffling pathetically. "There is something I still have not told Naru because I'm afraid."

"It must be something big, if you still haven't told him." Bou-san acknowledged. He felt pity for the girl. She was young and having to make such big decisions while knowing so much was definitely a hard struggle. It didn't help that she internalized all the guilt when things didn't go right in the world around her. "Mai, you need to talk to him."

Mai nodded, "I know."

"No, you don't know." Bou-san cut in quickly and she looked up in surprise. "You need to talk and have an open conversation about it. About everything from the beginning until the end. You're afraid Naru is going to hate you—" Mai flinched and Bou-san sensed there was some unresolved business there. "—but the truth is that even if he did, you cannot control how he feels. So, just let it all out. Even if you fight, even if you cry, and even if you don't want to. You have to."

Mai let out a long shaky breath, closing her eyes and nodding. "Okay."

"Okay? Good." Bou-san nodded firmly, crossing his arms. "Now that we've all processed everything, lets freaking eat."

Mai slowly stood and walked over to the cabin door on wobbly legs, needing some fresh air and a moment alone to herself. The rain was still falling down heavily against the roof of the cabin and thankfully the front had a porch with a roof overhead, allowing her some time to stand outside without getting rained on. She listened to the muffled sound of clattering plates and conversation of everyone inside, letting the tension and stress leave her body.

Then, a bright light was invading her vision causing her to bring her hand up to cover her eyes as a car pulled into the driveway. It looked like a new car, probably a rental, considering the temporary license plate. It didn't belong to Naru or Lin as Mai had been in their car countless times and it definitely wasn't Bou-san's but Mai couldn't help but feel like she had seen it before.

Just as that thought entered her mind the drivers side door open and a familiar women stepped out into the rain, opening an umbrella above her.

Madoka didn't seem to notice Mai standing on the porch and instead moved towards the back car door and opened it, speaking in English to someone. Another woman exited the car with Madoka's help, opening her own umbrella and waiting for the third person to step out underneath it. This time it was a tall man, with greying hair and strong features. He nodded to Madoka and grabbed the umbrella from the other woman's hand, pulling her close in an embrace.

"Is Oliver here?" His masculine voice carried across the clearing, speaking in English.

Mai's lips parted as weeping from the unfamiliar woman reached her ears, sparking recognition in her at the sound of it. The woman had ash blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and she had a look of grief twisting her features. She was exactly as how she appeared in Mai's vision once before.

Luella and Martin Davis had arrived.


I think after this, there's going to be three more chapters? OMG. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY GOING TO FINISH THIS FIC.

I am so freakin excited to write romance like y'all don't even know.

also, i'm an idiot and kept forgetting to save this chapter so I had to rewrite so many scenes it was incredibly tedious and so i hope the emotions and importance of their conversations didn't get watered down and lost in that process.