Day Five

7:00pm

The Koku Inn

There was a soft click as the door closed, and then there was Bou-san, standing in her room.

"I took extra precautions just to be safe- pretended like I dropped something outside your door and had to pause to pick it up. Then double checked, but I had no tails on me. Coast was clear. Pretty good, huh? Hey, you feeling worse?"

The self-satisfied smirk pulling at his lips fell at the sight of her lying there. Mai waved his concern away, scrambling to edge of the bed to sit properly,

"I'm okay, I was just resting a bit."

Concern lingered in his features as his gaze travelled over her,

"You hardly look it. Mai, I know we have a lot of planned for tonight, but if you think you're not up-"

"No, this is it Monk. I'm fine, I promise," she reassured hurriedly, refusing to let their chance go, not to mention…

Miss Miyuki and Masako won't get off that easy.

Her partner sank into the bed beside her, his eyes trained on her unrelentingly,

"Maybe you think that, but I'm supposed to be looking out for you…" he reminded.

The tone of his voice lowered at this statement and Mai frowned, recalling Ayako's unjust accusations.

"Bou-san," she protested, taking his arm, "you do look after me. You help me, and you're going help me get answers. Tonight."

She smiled up at him, and he gazed down with the same unconvinced stare, but after a beat, his expression softened into something like bemusement, and he let out a sigh,

"Alright, alright. Does this mean you're on board for your assignment then?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, and Mai shifted where she sat. She would have loved to give in to her desire to be irritated with her partner, as she could just feel his knowing grin. But his good humor had just returned and she had grudgingly accepted her part in operation Miyuki. She was going to distract Naru.

Still, that doesn't mean I'm excited about it. Quit giving me that stupid look Bou-san!

Mai released the monk's arm to cross her own as she answered,

"Yes, I'll keep him busy while you talk with Miss Miyuki."

Her partner's grin widened, but catching the warning look she threw him, he seemed to think better of making any insinuating remarks and instead replied,

"Great. Well that's settled, but- as nice as it would be to discuss your plans for distracting Naru- it's not actually what I came here for…"

Mai blinked and turned her attention back to the monk, "You mean, Mr. Miyuki."

Bou-san gave a meaningful nod, his face adopting a more business like expression.

Mai worried at her lip, talking- out loud- about Mr. Miyuki still felt strange…wrong…but she had already brought the monk in. He deserved to know the whole story. He needed to know, if he was going to help.

"Where should I start?" she began, her mind a sudden jumbled mess of ghostly encounters.

"Well, as much as I'd like the unabridged version- we really don't have the luxury of that at the moment. The festival starts in under an hour, and before that, there's dinner. How about I ask the critical questions, and you fill me in?"

"The critical questions. Alright," Mai agreed, hoping the monk didn't notice the touch of color that rose to her cheeks at the mention of dinner.

Festival dinners had become synonymous with hide-under-the-table embarrassment. She had yet to get through one unscathed. What would this one be like?

Distracting.

Mai swallowed and pulled herself free from her panicked dwellings just in time to hear her partner's first question,

"When did you first see Mr. Miyuki?"

"Oh, uh- the day we met Niko. He came to me in a dream, one of those dreams…I was standing in that room we found the picture in. I asked Mr. Sachi about it when I was investigating with Masako, I guess it was his office. It's been locked up tight since his death."

"I didn't know you had gotten a chance to ask. You were thwarted by Naru that first time," his baiting glance at her was ignored here and he continued, "but this is important. If it truly was sealed like that, Mr. Miyuki means business. The energy it must have taken to unlock it for you, so that you could go and retrieve the picture…"

Her partner whistled low and Mai startled from an unexpected memory: the playwright's ghost in the theater when she had fallen through the stage, him pulling her to safety, his exhausted manner afterwards, the exertion in speaking the word 'go' to her…

He's desperate. We have to help…

"Bou-san, he's pouring everything he has into guiding us. If the picture was worth that much effort in getting it into my hands, it has to hold the answers we need."

"That's what tonight is all about, right? Don't worry Mai, we'll help him," the monk assured, recognizing the mixture of compassion and conviction that now animated her pale and tired features.

His young partner was lead by her feelings and intuition, if she decided to fight for something or someone, she would never quit until she succeeded, or was brought down kicking and screaming. His lips curved in an approving smile.

Oblivious to the monk, the concern she had for another reviving her, Mai leaned over to the small nightstand beside the bed. Her fingers closed around the picture so frequently discussed, and yet still so mysterious. A little girl, unknown.

"Bou-san help me, what do we know about this picture?"

Her partner made a thoughtful noise and his large hand covered hers, procuring the photo,

"We thought it was of a favorite of Mr. Miyuki's," he recalled, "- an actress maybe…but after you saw that portrait of Yoshi Miyuki-"

"There was such a strong resemblance. I was so sure…"

Mai blinked, recalling what she had seen in Mr. Miyuki's dark room, a frame filled with the young Mrs. Miyuki, her hair cropped short. No smile, no golden curls. There was still a chance she could have been mistaken, and she might have believed so, but if it weren't for the memory she had fallen into just a short time ago: Mr. Miyuki had been there. He was the one who took the picture of the girl. It couldn't have been Yoshi…

"It wasn't his wife, but that's why we have operation Miyuki in place. Miss Miyuki must know who it is in this picture-"

"And whoever Kioko is," Mai finished, nodding with pursed lips.

In the next moment the photo was handed back, and Bou-san's voice drew her stare from the girl in the picture,

"We've gotten a little off track here," he commented, tapping the edge of the photo, "There's not much time, you should be getting ready- but there's one more thing I need to ask…"

Oh.

Mai ducked her head in guilt. Her passionate need to aid Mr. Miyuki, to solve the mystery surrounding him, had derailed their original conversation. And stolen most of their time.

"Sorry, Bou-san…"

He laid a heavy hand on her head dismissively,

"There's plenty of time to talk later. Just tell me this. I know why we're doing what we're doing tonight, interrogating Miss Miyuki, trying to get to the bottom of what's going on here…I just don't know what for. What's this secrecy you've been sworn to? If Naru was in on this, we wouldn't have to separate him from Miss Miyuki. He would probably have already asked all the right questions and Lin would have her answers typed up, ready to analyze. In fact, the whole team would help-"

Mai blinked. She could have imagined it, but she thought she caught something in his voice there...regret?

Is he thinking of Ayako?

"-we could use their resources. I'm committed to this Mai, I want to solve this case, but I need to understand why no one else can know. At first I thought we were keeping it from Naru because you two were having another lover's quarrel and you wanted one up on him, and I was fine with that-- oy, easy!"

There was a definite change in his voice here, Mai had none too gently nudged him in the ribs.

Lover's quarrel, as if.

That Bou-san.

"Geez," he murmured rubbing his side and decidedly putting more space between them, but there was a sparkle in his eye that said he was more amused by her reaction than injured.

Preempting any teasing comment, Mai recollected herself- attempting an answer she wasn't quite sure of herself.

Why?

"You're right Bou-san. This case would probably be solved already if we had..." Mai paused. Naru's help came to mind but, but defiantly she squashed that thought- "…the help of everyone. The hard part about this is that Mr. Miyuki never told me not to tell- but in every dream he's there, holding a finger to his lips, his eyes pleading with me not to say anything...so I haven't, up until now. Nobody can know he exists Bou-san. It doesn't seem to make sense, but there must be a reason."

A look of deep thought settled over the monk's features. There was a moment of quiet as the two of them sat there, minds full of the restrictions and their consequences in taking on the Miyuki case.

Sneaking a look at her partner's face, Mai had a worrying feeling that maybe her explanation wouldn't be enough. Without seeing the ghostly playwright before him, his dire gesture for silence, would her partner really blindly agree to go at odds with the rest of the SPR team and help to keep this secret?

Ayako.

It's not fair to him.

I'm asking too much…

Feeling a fresh surge of guilt well up, Mai opened her mouth to try and fix it, release him from his obligation of helping her- but he spoke first,

"You've told me now, and nothing's happened- right? No vengeful ghostly visit? Maybe it has to do with trust? I'd say he's a pretty good judge of character to choose you, maybe he needs more time with the rest of us? I'll guard his secret, until we figure things out. Then we can pull everyone in on it. And in the meantime, it'sactually kind of entertaining playing spy games with Naru."

At the smirk that spread across the monk's face, Mai let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He was going to stick it out with her. He wasn't going to leave her alone in this chaotic mess. Already feeling vulnerable from the trying events of that day, Mai smiled back, but then had to look away, rubbing at her eyes.

"I wish I knew the reason Bou-san," she murmured, staring down at her lap until she was sure her sudden tears had dissipated.

"Well, maybe we'll know soon, hm? I think we're on to something," he persisted.

His tone had lightened considerably; he seemed to have put his heavy thoughts behind him. With the instincts of a cunning spy, his focus quickly returned to operation Miyuki, "My assignment is already underway; I'll continue to get friendly with Miss Miyuki. And then, interrogation time. It's your turn Mai. Feeling particularly distracting?"

Mai snorted, her gaze taking a full view of the dirty contents of her suitcase strewn about the floor (the result of her shaking out all her clothes that morning in her rush to partner up with…a certain someone): Niko's aunt satin dress laid dully at her feet, and even Masako's kimono, which she had most recently worn, looked dingy in the dim light of her room.

"Define distracting Bou-san, because if you think for even half a second I'm going to be attractive distracting compared to Miss Miyuki in a fifty year old dress, and fevered- think again."

Her partner's eyebrows rose at her flat rejection of what he was implying at the word distracting, but to her chagrin- he didn't seem put off in the slightest,

"Hm. We'll see, huh?"

That Bou-san.

Mai stood, throwing a hard look back at his defiant certainty. It was her that was put off. What made him so confident? Did he…know something?

No, impossible-

"Didn't you hear anything I just said, but nevermind- keep thinking what you'd like about what's going to happen tonight. Ipromise to hold up my end, Naru will be too busy to care about you spiriting Miss Miyuki away."

That same strange knowing painted across his face, the monk stood also, and proving that he hadn't heeded her at all, he remarked:

"For better or worse, you're more distracting to Naru than you know."

Mai's gaze snapped to his in surprise, then hastily retreated. Blinking rapidly, struggling to not to appear affected, she cleared her throat and replied,

"Thanks Bou-san, but I don't need a pep talk. I already told you that I'll do my part. Distracting or not."

"Pep talk? Try the truth," her partner countered, shooting her a pointed look, "Anyways, the final countdown to operation Miyuki has begun. You have T-minus thirty minutes to hone your arts of distraction."

Mai, who wasn't much appreciating the monk's vague insinuations, disregarded his attempt at changing the subject before she was done with it,

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean? The truth? You make a lot comments about Naru lately...why?"

Her words came out in a flustered huff, she could see the monk heading for her door. If he moved another inch without answering her, she was going to cut him off.

His reply was murmured under his breath, his back to her as he proceeded to leave,

"I'm trying to make it fair. Since you two seem to insist on playing this game…"

Mai, bewildered by what he said, didn't try and stop him. He gave a quick goodbye, made plans to be back soon to pick her up for dinner, and then he was gone.

Mai stood in his wake, her head swirling with questions.

Fair? To make it…fair?

Mai groaned and scrunched her hair up in her fingers. She was too tired for this. She had too much to think on, without adding Bou-san and his cryptic allusions to the mix.

Mai's gaze fell on the window across her room and she determinedly pushed her confusion aside. Darkness had settled on Nozomi, and if she wasn't careful she'd end up late for dinner.

I am not going to be late.

Five minutes later found her kneeling on her bed, alternately picking up and tossing down different articles of clothing. Nearly everything she had brought with her was now dirty. With all that she owned spread out before her, her situation became starkly clear. She had nothing decent to wear, let alone anything along the lines of distracting.

Mai wiped her bangs out of her eyes for the umpteenth time, ignoring the fact that her forehead was more than a little warm to the touch, and sighed. She had to wear something. Sliding off the bed she bent down and took up Masako's kimono. It was her only option.

I hope she doesn't mind if I borrow it again.

Mai was pretty sure the chance to wear it had initially been a one-time offer…but desperate times called for desperate measures. She'd risk Masako's wrath.

"She can't very well rip it off me?" she murmured to herself, envisioning herself as Cinderella and Masako as one of her evil stepsisters. Mai frowned and shook her head.

Concentrate. Time to make this work.

The shimming fabric wrinkled in her hands, she gave the forlorn kimono a couple good shakes, but only succeeded in making herself out of breath. A bit red in the face, she laid it out across her bed, running palm after palm over the obnoxious creases that had formed overnight. No use.

Standing back, hands on hips, Mai glared down at the heap of material. It looked nothing like the stunning silken garment that Masako had pulled out of the box twenty-four hours before. Even worse, she noticed with alarm, there was a large spot were dirt seemed to be buried into the fibers…in a flash of successive memories she recalled the damaging incident:

The festival grounds.

The abandoned stage.

Hiding from Mr. Sachi and his mystery woman, crouched on the ground.

Naru turning up and-

Manhandling.

Mai felt her face flush, additional heat radiating from her cheeks and forehead. She told herself it was anger, and her fever.

Just the thought of him makes me ill!

Coming to the end of her patience, and feeling the press of time against her, Mai stood debating whether she might not try and see if she could borrow an iron at least from the Inn, but the last time she attempted to do that- her eyes fell on the satin dress crumbled against the wall- she was helped by Mrs. Koku. Mai shuddered at the idea of being caught alone with that woman again, and changed her mind about the wrinkles.

They're not so bad, and it'll be dark…

Mai, so absorbed in her dilemma, didn't hear the door knob turn. She was nearly startled out of skin in the next moment when a voice broke into the staring contest she was having with the offending kimono,

"It's late in the evening…she's wondering what clothes to wear…"

Mai whirled around, dropping the kimono in the process,

"Oy, careful! You could have tripped-"

"Bou-san!"

"What? You don't like my singing?"

"You scared me! What are you doing lurking at my door?"

The monk, who had hurried forward at her panicked movements, tutted at her,

"I wondered how getting ready was coming along, I guess not that well…"

Mai bent down and picked up the discarded kimono,

"You didn't need to check up on me, I'm figuring it out."

"Oh, you've got it all taken care of then? That Masako number is going to do the trick? Is that dirt-"

Mai snorted,

Masako number? That Bou-san!

"It was an accident, now out- how am I supposed to be distracting when you're in here distracting me?"

"Mai you can't wear that, look at it! Masako is going to have a fit- and what accident was that by the way…?"

Mai seeing that her words weren't going to be persuasion enough, she crossed over to the monk and began backing him out of the room,

"We covered the critical questions earlier, and I am not wearing Niko's aunt's dress again- so it's the kimono or nothing."

Mai bit her tongue. Her partner's face suddenly transformed into a look of mischievous delight,

"Well, given those choices- nothing would be distracting…oy!"

A well placed swack made contact with his shoulder. In his amusement he had forgotten how close Mai was standing.

"What? It would be distracting! So would that dirt stain on Masako's kimono, for that matter…but that's not quite the distracting we're going for, is it? How about a third option?"

The monk had wisely moved away from her, giving her and her glowering stare a wide berth. He watched with some relief as she lowered her arm while she listened. He was now right next to the door. Mai titled her head at his proposal,

"What do you mean a third option, Bou-san? I told you I have nothing else-"

"Allow me to present option number three," her partner interrupted, making a grand gesture towards the doorway.

"Is that my cue?" Nari asked as she peeked her head in.

Mai blinked, surprised to see the actress' petite form smiling at her door,

My third option is-

"Nari?" Mai spoke, her confusion written plainly across her face.

"Is option three," Bou-san finished for her, beaming triumphantly.

"Takigawa-san told me what an important night this is for you, and I wanted to help, if I could," the actress kindly elaborated, seeing that Mai still seemed a bit uncertain of what was going on, glancing at her partner with wondering looks.

At the word help, Mai noticed that Nari had not come empty handed- she raised three objects: a hanger with a stunning dress hung from it, a pair of incredible heels, and what looked like a cosmetics bag.

Oh, Mai thought finally understanding, she's going to help...

Bou-san came away from the doorway and approached his partner, his hand coming down to pat her head. He spoke smilingly, but in a tone too quiet for Nari to hear,

"See, with some assistance from headquarters, you'll be distracting yet Agent Taniyama."

So, he arranged this for me?

Mai felt her previous irritation with her partner abate (originally inspired by his vague comments about Naru and his insistence that she would be distracting no matter who she was going up against), a surge of appreciation taking its place. With how and when and thanks waiting on her lips, the monk turned from her to grin at Nari,

"I guess I'll leave you both to it, thank you again."

"It's really no trouble, I was in the same position myself not too long ago…"

This last part was murmured with a slight conscious coloring of her cheeks. Not wanting to embarrass her, Mai quickly looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bou-san do the same. In the next moment he was speaking of coming back soon to get her for dinner.

She's thinking of Mr. Sachi.

What a jerk.

A beat later, Mai's anger at the playwright was wiped out with another idea,

But what did she mean...in the same position…?

She doesn't think- she can't think… that Naru is to me what Mr. Sachi is to her?

Mai felt a sudden tap to her shoulder and she was yanked from the crash of thoughts pouring through her head of misunderstandings, failed romance, and troublesome men-

"Hey, you with us?" her partner coaxed, eyeing her oddly.

Mai shook herself, and mustering up a smile, looked from Nari to Bou-san with sudden alertness,

"Uh, yes. Sorry. Thirty minutes will be fine."

Her stumbling answer, based on a vague assumption, seemed miraculously to satisfy him. The monk nodded, though not without an extra-long stare at her, and then made for the door. Once it was closed behind him, Nari came forward, all the regret Mai had seen in her features, replaced by a bright look.

Mai attempted to mirror this expression, truly relieved that the actress had come to rescue her from her dressing misery, but…

Mr. Sachi.

Naru is not my Mr. Sachi.

Preoccupied by the misunderstanding she was certain they were heading for, Mai didn't notice Nari speaking until she was nearly done,

"…housekeeping can't be a focus. But I can see these must have been your choices?"

Mai heard her with a start,

Housekeeping...? Oh.

A flush creeping up her neck, Mai turned and hurried about the room, snatching up her discarded clothes that were strewn about the room, stepping on Masako's kimono once or twice in the process.

What am I doing? I'm supposed to be distracting- not distracted. Concentrate Taniyama!

In still contrast to the flurry of action Mai was preforming, Nari calmly picked up the abandoned kimono and satin dress of festival nights past and laid them at the end of Mai's unmade bed. Her sparkling eyes told Mai she was more amused with the mess she found herself in, than repulsed,

"Don't trouble yourself Taniyama-san, you should see my dressing room most days. There's only so much time, shall we begin?"

Mai halted, in the middle of stuffing another shirt into her bag, and managed,

"Oh, right."

With happy deliberation, Nari then set down the dress she had brought, and her makeup.

"Takigawa-san mentioned the word distracting frequently when talking to me of what look you were going for, and while I believe there are many styles that would suit you, I think this fits the criteria nicely."

Interested, and thinking darkly on her partner and the image he must have painted for the actress (she wants to be very distracting, you know- catch Naru's eye…)- that Bou-san! Mai quit her frenzied packing and joined Nari at the bedside.

"Do you like it? I borrowed it from the costume department; I thought it just the right amount of distracting and sophisticated-" she was forced to pause here, as she caught sight of Mai's alarmed and guilty expression, and anticipating her protests she hurriedly continued, "Oh it's really no problem at all at to borrow from the theater, they won't miss it for this one night. It was made for a character I played last year, a government official's mistress, so see: distracting and sophisticated."

Mai swallowed and felt her color heighten. She had worn the lucky dress of an old aunt, Masako's charming kimono, and now…she'd wear the dress of a mistress?

That. Bou-san.

But, Mai couldn't say she didn't like the dress. It was, in all actuality, the nicest she ever had the opportunity to wear. It looked to reach just above knee, and the top portion was in a strapless accentuating style, ruffled around the trim. The cut seemed to be of a kind that would flatter every curve. The material which it was made of was a velvet fabric in a rich dark green that looked so touchable that Mai was tempted reached out a hand to test the softness. Observing it, feeling Nari's eyes set on her, curious of her opinion, Mai smiled and answered,

"Wow, it's so pretty, thank you- but are you sure it's alright...? "

The actress beamed,

"Entirely alright, and I'm so glad you like it. Here, you get dressed and I'll get set up."

Mai found the dress deposited in her arms and with an encouraging nod, Nari turned from her, pleasantly busying herself in pulling out the vast collection of makeup she had brought.

"Okay, I'll be right out," Mai said unnecessarily, her gaze falling on her previous options of the night.

The satin dress and the kimono weren't even in the same league as what she had draped over her arm. With still some amazement at how she had managed this change of fortune, from turning up at the festival in a stained or outdated look, to going as in something astonishingly sophisticated, she shuffled for the bathroom.

Distracting.

Mai blinked back at her reflection, her surprise etched across her face. The dress was a curiously great fit, and Mai felt as if she had slipped into someone else's skin. She was no longer Mai Taniyama, but Agent Taniyama.

Her eyes roving over the dress, Mai's attention was caught by the fading bruise that darkened her exposed shoulder. Rubbing at it, she was grateful that it no longer hurt. She frowned a bit, but there was no use for it. The bruise would have to be an accessory.

Moments later there was a light knock at the door. Startled, Mai paused in her conscious tugging at the hem of the dress, and answered with a sort of squeak,

"Um- yes?"

"Mai? Are you ready in there, do you need any help with the zipper?"

Moving a bit stiffly, distressed to see that the dress rose up a bit when she walked, Mai half leaned for the door handle and opened the bathroom door,

"Oh, no I'm okay. It has a side zipper…"

"Goodness, look at you!" Nari exclaimed upon seeing her.

Mai felt her cheeks ignite, she quickly fussed with the top, her hand clumsily covering her bruise.

"What, did I do it wrong? Oh, and I know the bruise is horrible, but I fell through the stage…"

The actress' face relaxed into a warm smile and shaking her head, she gently took up Mai's wrist,

"Nothing's wrong Taniyama-san, and the bruise is a non-issue, leave it to someone in the entertainment business."

Mai stared after the small woman, the color leaving her face, her expression caught between an appreciative smile and bewilderment. She wants to help me.

I need it. Thank you.

"It's Mai," she spoke up, belatedly reacting to Nari's formal speech.

The actress' who stood in front of Mai, a brush in one hand and compact in the other, responded with a kind hand guiding her sit,

"Well Mai, I think I'm going to keep it simple. But you do have lovely eyes, so those are going to be dramatic. Or…is the word distracting?"

Her curious teasing made Mai lower her gaze consciously.

Oh no, here it comes…

Not knowing the details about operation Miyuki, the monk feeding her ridiculous ideas, and what she seemed to assume herself about Mai's feelings for Naru, she was given her the wrong impression…

"Ah, um- Bou-san has an active imagination, it's annoying. I'm sorry if he tried to pull you into his delusions."

Ha, there!

But an unmoved, "hm," was all the reply Mai got out of her clear denial.

She doesn't believe me…?

The brush sweeping lightly over her face, there was a moment of quiet, but then Nari continued,

"It's hard when people don't know the whole story, isn't it? They guess at things, it makes…you not want to bother explaining."

Mai's lips parted, she felt her color changing again,

"Uh-"

This was a direct reference to her feelings for Mr. Sachi. Mai didn't know what to say,

But it's not like that with Naru and I...

"It's okay though," the actress spoke, seeming to miss Mai's uncomfortable expression. Her own eyes didn't seem to see anything but the makeup she was applying…"I understand what it's like to have to appear one way, and feel another. Wise Obasan, Takigawa-san, everyone else who whispers…it's a bit exciting isn't it? You can't show it of course; you can't know how he feels for certain yet. Discretion and privacy are treasured in this town for a reason. I do hope you know however, with me you can always express yourself however you wish. I won't whisper like them."

Mai swallowed, her mouth dry, her heart in her throat. The actress' voice had been surprisingly steady throughout this declaration, though she knew what pain the subject must cause her.

She's supporting me. She thinks I'm in the same situation.

Feeling the tick of every second, realizing how difficult it would be to convince her that Naru wasn't Mr. Sachi, Mai settled on a simple response, not feeling equal to much more than that in the wake of such an admission and a gracious offer of confidence,

"Nari…I understand, thank you."

Mai's tone held genuine sincerity. She felt deeply for the actress, it was all she could do not to frown.

I won't whisper like them.

Those whispers, they must have tormented her for years…

That Mr. Sachi!

This town!

Some of Mai's anger must have blazed through the mask of calm she was attempting to keep in place, for Nari suddenly said,

"Oh, did I poke you? I'm sorry-"

"Oh, no- it's not that, I- ah…I think my foot's asleep!"

For good measure Mai shook her leg, one hand wildly waving away Nari's concern.

"Goodness, that is a terrible feeling. Well, I'm almost done, then you can move around again…"

Mai didn't answer, using the fact that Nari was then applying lipstick as an excuse.

That. Mr. Sachi.

Working at keeping her brooding thoughts in check, Mai watched as the actress added the finishing touch to her makeover- concealer deftly spread over the dull purple mark on her shoulder.

"There, that should do the trick," she murmured, standing back to admire her handy work, "Oh my, not bad if I do say so myself. Go have a look."

With a grateful smile, Mai slipped off the bed and headed for the bathroom, resisting the urge to tug down on the edge of her dress.

I don't have legs long enough for this!

In the mirror, Mai stared back at a version of herself she had never seen before. Everything about her makeup was light, excepting her eyes, which stood out now, in a way she didn't before imagine possible. All her years in preforming arts had served her well, Nari had an expert's touch.

"This is me…?" she breathed, amazed.

"Is it good? I think you look amazing, your eyes were a great canvas," Nari praised kindly from the other room.

Mai's gaze fell to the bare skin of her shoulder, carefully she touched were she knew her bruise to be, but it had vanished under the magic work of the actress.

I'm distracting.

There was the clicking of Nari packing up her things, and Mai hurried out of the bathroom,

"Thank you so much...for everything," she said, more relieved and grateful than she felt she could express.

As stark reminders, the kimono and stain dress still laid on the bed, leering up at her. Mai frowned and flipped the mess of her blankets over them, seating herself on top.

"You're very welcome Mai, it was my pleasure," Nari replied with a warm smile, makeup bag and hanger in hand, "Do you need anything else though? Don't forget the heels I brought you, and what about your hair?"

Heels and hair? Oh- that's right.

Mai brought a hand to her bangs, and bushing at them distractedly, she glanced around,

"Um, I have this clip- somewhere…"

Her head tilted at her thoughtfully, Nari began rummaging in her bag once again,

"I have some hair spray, if I remember right, when I was playing the mistress, they had me pin my hair up halfway…"

A couple minutes, some bobby pins, and a generous spritz of hairspray later, Nari had transformed her hair from its limp state (borne of a long day involving a fire, Naru, dancing, exhaustion…), to something resembling a model's.

Beaming at her approvingly, Nari was just making some last minute adjustments, Mai murmuring her thanks again, when they heard the click of the door handle.

Mai couldn't see him, but she knew it was the monk, come to bring her to dinner. Not wanting to ruin the actress' hard work, she remained still, but greeted him with,

"I'm almost ready Bou-san, we won't be late."

There was a low whistle and then,

"And then she asks me, do I look alright? And I say darling, you look wonderful tonight…"

That Bou-san.

Nari's hands fell away from Mai's hair and she turned to look at her partner, who was leaned up against her door frame. Charmed despite herself, she did love it whenever he sang, she smirked at him:

"Well, distracting enough for you?"

"Wonderfully distracting. He doesn't stand a chance."

Mai pulled a scolding face at his reply. Quickly, she glanced at the actress, anticipating her reaction, but she tactfully pretended not to notice, and said instead,

"I'm so glad you both are pleased. And I think that means my job here is done. I'll see you both at the festival?"

Smiling, they both assured her that she would. And with many thanks repeated, Nari saw herself out, though not without pausing to say,

"As we say in the theater- break a leg tonight."

And then her petite figure, and bright encouraging smiles, were gone.

"You two seemed to bond nicely."

"Yes," Mai answered staring at the hall through her empty doorway. It was slowly filling with people, "Girls do that over makeup and hair."

"Apparently. But it wouldn't be bonding over a heart to heart involving certain men..?"

Mai bent down to slip on the stylish heels Nari had left for her, her eyes cutting triumphantly to the monk,

"I knew it. It knew it was you who filled her head with all those thoughts of Naru and Sachi…"

The monk pushed himself off from the door, moving so that she could close it, his eyebrows raised defensively,

"I did no such thing, thank you very much. That was all her. When I brought up the fact that you needed help during our dance, we got to talking about you…the festival…Naru- she seems to believe you're in a situation much like she was."

"Well, I'm not," Mai countered defiantly, shutting the door harder than she intended. She wobbled for a moment; awkwardly adjusting to the new height she had just gained.

"Hm." Her partner snorted.

Mai clenched her jaw. She was sick of that response.

Naru is not Sachi.

Bou-san's warm hand took up Mai's arm, and he guided her forward, people beginning to crowd around as they all gravitated towards the dining room.

"Hey, you're not going to be cold wearing so little?"

Mai shook her head, summoning a small smile, "No, I feel a bit warm as it is."

The monk blinked down at her, his hand traded places, moving to her forehead,

"Do you have a fever?"

Mai gently brushed him off, getting odd looks from those pressed in around them. In a lower tone she answered,

"What, you can't tell?"

He shifted, and keeping his expression strangely neutral, he said,

"I think you might, but you should go see Ayako to be sure."

Mai opened her mouth, but he pointed a finger at her,

"No arguments. If you have a fever, you should be in bed."

Mai didn't reply. The last thing she was going to do was sit this one out. Not now.

I'm fine, I'll be fine…I'm just tired.

Near the dining room doors, the mass of people congested further. Mai and Bou-san came to a halt. Standing there she felt him lean against her, speaking in her ear he whispered,

"You have your strategy all worked out?"

"Strategy?" she repeated, a bit distracted by the woman who had just elbowed her.

"Yeah, you know- a game plan. You're distracting Naru tonight, how?"

Mai pursed her lips, her eyes darting around for inspiration. The truth of the matter was that she had no strategy. She hadn't thought past getting ready.

Every heard of winging it? She wanted to protest, but it was a weak retort- spies didn't wing anything. This was a serious operation, she didn't have a plan…and then her gaze fell on the kimono an old woman was wearing.

Bingo.

All at once the group was moving again, the two of them shuffled forward. As Mai's hand touched the door she answered,

"Of course I've got my strategy covered, Monk. I'm going to be Masako for a night."