Longer and Even Closer.

"They've sure got their hands full with this one" Mai thought out aloud as she watched Monk and the others perform their exorcisms on the monitors back in base. After Kurobara's tour of the school, they had decided to start with the designated areas where Aura was found. Mai was honestly proud of her friend, finding and identifying areas for them despite hating using their abilities.

Although minor, she could see the way her friend flinches when using her Aura manipulation and psychic abilities, she wondered why but thought nothing about it, Kurobara had mentioned about bullying and bad memories with her abilities but none was specific. Mai might be considered not bright but she knew flinching was not normal by any means especially when it was such a normal occurrence.

Right at this moment, they were working their way through the rest of the school. It would take quite a lot of time considering what they were working with, a whole school. "They've exorcised every place that had to do with these incidents, and yet, still…" she had heard that Taka-san's teacher's health had worsened then suddenly an unpleasant thought crawled inside her mind. She hoped that they were just being paranoid. 'N-Nothing's going to pop out in this room, right…?'

There was a startling sound, echoing around the room."H-Heyaah!!" Mai exclaimed, loudly almost jumping right out of her skin, when the door had suddenly opened. Her eyes widened with glee when seeing that it was not only Naru but Kurobara Akamia who stood just behind him with a slightly annoyed expression on her pale complexion.

They looked like they had realized something terrible, as her skin was much paler than before but Mai decided for now that she should not question it and just be happy that her best friend was here. "Kurooooo" She loudly proclaimed happily in relief, they were so relieved that it was just another human being.

Thank goodness was all she could think, Kurobara furrowed her eyebrow at the sudden singing voice of her nickname. Their eyes meet, both holding a fondness for each other although, Kuro's eyes were much more hidden.

But Mai Taniyama had caught something else, worry, concern? It was pooling inside her heterochromia eyes, causing the eyes to be more pigmented. Did something happen before coming here? Her eyes glance over to the cold-hearted boss who was in front of her best friend. He peered at her with his icy blue orbs for a moment, noticing there was an odd look between not only Mai but Kuro as well.

Kazuya decided not to ask and sat down at the conference desk to review notes he had taken. Kurobara followed, finally coming inside the room with a breathy exhale, her pale complexion only worried her friend even more. Right now she could use a cup of tea, to drown out her over complicated thoughts that were forcing their way through her brain.

Of course, she felt confused, not by her feelings but the fact that she had feelings in the first place, that and she, as much as she hated to admit it to herself but they were scared, terrified even at the prospect of having feelings for her boss and friend. Mai gave her a look one that sparked questions in her brown chestnut eyes.

"Ne Kuro do you want some tea?" She asked, knowing her raven-haired friend well enough to know that they had a tea addiction. Kurobara had a blank expression, as though she was in thought before tilting her head to the side. "There is no need to, Mai, I can make it myself." they huffed out amusedly, giving her a small smile at her friend's concern.

But Mai was not having it, not today, could she not see that she didn't have to do everything alone? That she could have help, it saddened her. Kurobara always acted alone, being the independent woman she is, always wanting to do things alone but even if it was small she wanted to help. "I know you can!" they huffed out loudly, giving her friend or trying to give her friend a stern stare.

It's safe to say that it failed as the ravenette sniggered at the look that Mai had embedded into her irises. "Just… let me be useful for once." They sighed out, making her feelings more known to the woman. Kurobara's eyes widened at that, realizing what this was about.

"Mai" she started out, voice coming out a little harsh than intended, seeing as she flinched by her mere tone. They sighed, wincing at her own voice, she needed to get it together, stopping thinking about it. "Never say that you are always useful, I just like doing it al-"

"Alone?" Questioned the brunette, quite loudly. "I know but, you do so much for me let me at least do something for you? Just let me brew the tea!" she almost bellowed out, they both knew that this was somewhat childish, petty to even argue about who will do the tea, but there was an underlying meaning to all this.

Kurobara loudly sighed at this, knowing how stubborn her friend could be, they were too tired for this but perhaps she should just let things be, she felt a stare on her back. Her orbs flickered to the side, motioning over to the person she was having an internal fight over.

Kazuya eyes flickered between them briefly, having a furrowed eyebrow at their behaviour and small argument. There was both amusement and annoyance swirling around his indigo eyes, a nervous feeling enveloped inside her stomach. It was a pleasant feeling, yes, but it just irritated her to no end.

Mai deciding that she won the argument began to make their tea, she grabbed hold of her Harry Potter mug with the crest of four houses laid upon it and grabbed a simple black mug for Naru, knowing he had the same addiction as Kuro did. "Hey, Kuro what tea would you like?"

Mai called out, her friend had a varying of different tastes, sometimes she wanted an earl grey other times she wanted a fruit tea. Kuro looked over for a moment, pondering her question before answering in a straightforward tone. "Earl grey for me, I am guessing the same for Mr narcissist here."

Amusement crawled inside her eyes, as she felt Kazuya's glare on her back; already used to this, she shook it off. "Hey Kuro, about Kasai-san." She started, turning around to look at her friend only to jump out of her skin, seeing the ravenette right beside her. Kurobara sniggered at her little action.

"You seem to be a little jumpy" she spoke, with a teasing voice in her tone, making her snigger all the more, Mai's cheeks heated up, a warm red hue danced across her cheeks. "Shut up" they exclaimed pointing at her "You were the one that came behind me?!"

]Their friend's eyebrows raised at that, mouth twitching in amusement at the way they were pointing at them. "You're the one jumpy, be careful you can burn yourself, idiot." Kuro teased softly with concern embedded into her tone.

"Ughhh" The brunette huffed out, instead of being burnt by hot tea, she was burnt but Kuro's teasing words, cheeks lit a flame in deep pinkish-red.

"Are you two done?" Kazuya almost hissed out in annoyance? Did they have to be so loud? Both of them glanced over to the grumpy teen who was at the moment pinching his nose in irritation at their small banter. "No, we are not yet done" Kurobara sniggered out, giving him a playful glare.

The tea was finally finished, now that was done they headed to the table, Kuro had her mug in her hands as she sat in a seat across from him while Mai placed the tea in front of the annoyed narcissist and laid in her seat beside her best friend. The brunette wondered what happened with the both of them.

There was a tension between them, that and her friend was usually tense and quiet. Wait! Did something happen between them, her eyes lit up at that fact. Kurobara noticing this right away gave her a pointed look.

'Don't even think about it, Mai.' Her voice echoed around in Mai's mind making her almost bounce from her chair. 'I really hate when you do that' she pouted out, giving the raven-haired woman beside her a glare.

'Too bad because I rather enjoy seeing you jump up, it's adorable.' Kurobara thought, sniggering quietly as she sipped her tea in peace. They scowl at her, cheeks burning red. 'I hate you'

'No, you don't you love me'

'Are you sure that isn't what you feel for Naru?' This time it was Kurobara who almost jumped, her whole body tensed at Mai's thought, her head motioned over to her friend giving them a sharp glare, but it began to fall as the thought kept echoing around her head, almost to taunt her.

"What are you two doing?" Naru asked them both when noticing a silent conversation going on between them both, oblivious to their own body language. Their conversation that they were having almost leaked to the surface.

"Ah… no, nothing… really." Mai said nervously with a sheepish laugh, looking over to her friend who seemed really tense.

Tap tap.

Kurobara's eyes widened at that noise, before anyone did her eyes glanced upwards, standing up from her chair, making the chair scrape against the ground. Her lips were curled downwards in a frown, this feeling. Her chest constricted as a pressure formed making her almost breathless.

Mai who was sitting, scared with a frozen fear as the sound grew louder, it sounded like something was scratching onto the tiled ceiling. Kazuya stayed still, eyes narrowed onto the ceiling, like Kurobara who cautiously stilled at the possibility of another being here.

Creepily, the lights began to flicker.

One flicker off.

Another flicker on.

Several times it flickered until they were all plunged into a thick blanket of blackness, it filled the room, no lights, just them here in a now cold and black room.

Mai trembled as her lips parted anxiously "Kuro... Naru." Mai said in a shaky voice, her body shook when they all heard the same scratching sound again. The raven-haired friend paused her lips. "Hey, Kuro…Naru… is, is that… hair." Mai breathed out harshly, chestnut eyes wide when something long, black and threads, surrounded by a supernatural glow.

Much to the horror of the other, it appeared to begin lowering itself down creepily through the solid tiled coverings of the ceiling. It grew.

Longer

Even longer…

Drawing closer

And even closer.

Mai was utterly petrified at what she witnessed, shaking and trembling in fear. "...Kur—"

Kurobara opened her mouth, keeping her eyes focused onto the being now inside the room with them. "Mai, take deep breaths, whatever you do, do not move." She instructed with such a calm voice that it almost soothed the brunette's nerves if it weren't for the obvious supernatural being right there in front of them.

As much as the ravenette wanted to move, she could not, otherwise, she would put everyone in serious danger and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Her heterochromia eyes continued to stare at the figure that was crawling out of the ceiling as the head attached to the hair finally appeared.

A pair of bloodshot and ghostly eyes shot open revealing what she could think of as a very angry spirit. Mai inhaled a deep shaky breath, flinching as the eyes keenly watched them. 'I-It's coming down…!'

'Mai, keep calm, that is all you can do, we will be safe, I promise you that I will never let anything happen to you, my dearest and utmost trusted friend. Just listen to me.' Kurobara's gentle voice echoed through Mai's head, trying to soothe her best friend who was in her mind staring at fear itself.

Author Note.

Well hello there, it is LittleSunflower here, back again with another chapter, I do not know why but this chapter took so fucking long, writer's block sucks, but i finally forced myself to finish this chapter off.

I am really sorry for being slow on writing this one chapter, I wish I did not slow update but Mental health and other issues always come up. Anyways I do hope that everyone is safe and sound.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, Thank you all for Following, Favourite and Commenting on my story, it really means the world to me. I feel blessed that people actually like this story enough to do this so Thank you. I hope you all know that I do read the comments and I am really sorry that it took so long to write this chapter.

Anyways Stay safe- LittleSunflower.