Chapter 10: A Mysterious Invitation
Tokyo, December 2006
A few weeks later, it dawned upon Gene what Christopher had tried to say with 'good luck'.
His girlfriend was hot, but, compared to whatshername, Susanna was very high maintenance. Dating Susanna wasn't something he could fit into his busy schedule. Between school and his part-time work it was a hassle to make time for goldilocks - and free time she demanded. He had accepted it at first, but it became obvious that she did not like to be ignored. In other words, she wanted to be spoiled with attention.
However, there was no way he could text her all day. Texting during his part-time job was not done. He also did not like to be distracted while doing homework in the evenings.
On top of that, goldilocks seemed hesitant to sit with Devi and the others. Gene didn't think much of it at first, so he ended up sitting with goldilocks' group during lunch hours. He didn't mind, because they were nice people. But being with them took away from connecting with his own friends.
A few weeks after the first date, a terrible thought entered his mind. Gene had begun to prefer the moments with his customers at the donut cafe over spending time with his girlfriend. And so he realised that goldilocks was very much into him, but Gene didn't feel the same way about her.
He had made a mistake - and in Martin's words, a 'grave error'.
Gene confronted Christopher about his warning.
His friend made an embarrassing confession.
As it happened, Christopher was goldilock's (in his own words) 'first victim'. The pair had lasted exactly one week. Both Susanna and Christopher were too embarrassed by that situation to even talk to each other again.
Which explained why neither wanted to sit with the other group.
Christopher had told him that he did not want to talk badly about goldilocks in front of her new boyfriend. In other words, he had hoped that Gene would have understood his hint.
Gene groaned when he recalled that conversation.
That guy is way too subtle for his own good!
Today, was another day at school.
Gene fled from goldilocks as soon as the school day ended.
He told her that he had some family emergency to discuss with his brother. He dismissed her protests with a strained smile, then hurried over to Sangen-Jaya station. After hopping into the train to Shibuya, he let out a deep breath of relief.
Still, Gene had mixed feelings about this. It seemed - it was a dirty attempt to shake her off.
It wasn't a complete lie; he did receive a text from Martin. However, it wasn't something that required an emergency meeting with Noll.
With a heavy heart, Gene arrived in front of the office.
That was when he heard the shouting voice of a woman coming from the inside.
A visitor?
Gene wavered in front of the door.
A muffled voice of a male argued back at her.
That's Noll.
Gene opened the door, then poked his head out of the small gap.
"With that attitude, Aoki-san, I don't think you have what it takes to be of our assistance."
He was able to see the back of a tall woman with long, black hair down to the hips. In her left arm she held a collection of flat and thin items. Noll stood in front of her and held something in his hand. Gene was unable to see it clearly.
"Fool someone else with your scamming tactics."
The woman bristled.
"You didn't even watch my DVD!"
"I don't need to," he said. "People like you typically use psychological manipulation to get what they want. That won't work on us."
His voice was cold.
Gene sighed. Noll could at least humour the woman by watching her DVD.
"I'm not a fake. I'll prove it to you!"
A sigh came from his brother.
"I'm not going to waste any more of my time on you. Did you think you could promote your phony business through our organisation?"
Aoki cursed at him.
Noll turned his head to the back.
"Lin. Show her out."
Suddenly, the woman lunged forward and stretched out her arm.
Gene gasped and pushed the door wide open.
"Watch out!"
Aoki grabbed his brother's wrist.
Noll froze up as she dug her fingers into his forearm. He grunted and dropped the DVD case on the carpet.
Gene launched into the woman's direction.
"Stop! You're hurting him."
He grabbed her shoulders and attempted to pull her back, but Aoki wouldn't let go off Noll. She started to pull Noll around like a ragged doll and began to shout.
"Why? WHY? I am perfectly capable!"
Lin took hold of her hand and began to pry her off Noll.
"Let go of me!"
The woman threw her arms around, causing Gene to fall back.
Lin dragged Aoki to the door, then pushed her out of the office.
"Don't come back," Lin said. "Or we'll call the police."
Then he slammed the door in her face.
A few curses from the other side from the door, but after a while they heard nothing. The woman didn't return.
Lin's warning had been effective.
Gene sighed and got up to help Noll from the floor.
"Who the hell was that?"
"...Someone who thought they could get away with a useless trick. She seemed to be under the impression that we are willing to put a good word in for her..." Noll pulled the DVD case from the floor. "...thriving clairvoyant business."
Noll handed the case over to Gene.
Aoki featured prominently on the cheaply designed cover. She had been photographed from the side with her eyes closed, and partially covered by the title and several captions in Japanese. Gene wasn't able to read what the text said. Judging by the visuals it had all the makings of a typical fake psychic DVD or video CD made for easy money.
"Thriving, really?"
"She used the same tactics on me as she would on an unsuspecting elderly person."
"Clever."
"Not at all."
Gene shrugged. "Sarcasm, Noll."
Noll sat down on the sofa and soothed his wrist with his other hand.
"Are you okay?" Lin asked.
"It's nothing," Noll replied. "It'll go away soon."
The man nodded.
"Then I'll prepare some tea for you," Lin said. "Gene?"
"I'll have some too, thanks."
Lin went to the kitchen.
Gene scratched his head.
"I didn't think people would come over here so soon. We've been open for what? Not even a week?"
"Some people are desperate for attention."
"Hmm."
Gene sat down and waited for Lin to return with the cups of tea.
"...Then what about requests for investigations?"
"Nothing," Noll said.
"Nothing at all?"
"There were a few," Lin said. "Mostly people who recently bought a house and weren't used to their homes yet."
Gene grimaced. That wasn't nothing.
"Okay. What else?"
Lin smirked a little.
"A few high school girls wanted their fortune told."
Gene frowned.
"Fortune telling?!"
Lin smirked.
"...My guess is that they only wanted to see Noll."
Noll sighed. "Lin..."
Gene laughed out loud.
"Amazing! What did you tell them?"
He shrugged.
"I told them they would never date a guy as good looking as me."
"Ouch. Harsh. You could have sent them to me."
Noll raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you have a girlfriend?"
Gene pressed his lips into a thin line. That shut him up alright.
Lin cleared his throat.
"...In any case, we don't have the equipment essential for proper inspections. Our custom-made cameras are taking long to ship to Japan."
"Right," Gene said. "But you could at least note down their names and phone numbers."
"I can assure you none of the visitors so far have been worthwhile," Noll said.
"...Geez, you're always like this. Cut people some slack."
"...And you are far too trusting."
Lin sighed.
"Noll is right. We can't waste too much time and money on them."
"Oh well, if you two say so, I won't say anything." Gene leaned back into the sofa, then sipped his tea. "By the way, Noll, have you read the message from Martin?"
"...No."
"That's why I came over," Gene said. "Madoka has added another travel mate to the roster."
Noll blinked. "Who?"
"Madoka's significant other." Gene winked and waved a finger at the others. "Guess who?"
"Timothy Grey," Lin said.
Gene blinked at the man.
"Huh. How did you know?"
Lin let out a sigh before explaining.
"We met in the laboratory while you two were on holidays. They've been dating ever since then."
Gene's jaw dropped.
"You knew all this time?! Why didn't you say anything?"
Lin shrugged.
"Madoka wanted to keep it a surprise."
Noll took out his phone.
"...Timothy Grey," he said. He stared down at Martin's text message with wide eyes.
"Damn, I bet our parents were dying to tell us."
Lin smirked again.
"Your father knew something was going on, but he had to keep quiet in front of your mother."
"Really?" Gene laughed. "I bet he got an earful from her. Right, Noll?"
Noll put a hand in front of his head and sighed.
Lin headed to the data room.
"Excuse me, I have some matters to take care of."
They watched Lin disappear into the room.
"What's up with him?"
Noll sighed.
"Madoka put him in charge of changing the office's interior."
In other words, Madoka still wasn't satisfied with the look of the main room.
"Well, yeah. I can get behind that," Gene said. "Didn't I tell you to change the curtains? They're awful."
"It will be done in time."
Noll sipped his tea with a pensive look on his face.
Gene sighed. The room looked terrible, but at least it was nice and quiet.
Unlike his girlfriend.
He suppressed a groan. Gene didn't want to think about her.
"Gene."
"Hm?"
He looked up. Noll stood next to him.
"Let's talk."
Gene closed the door behind him.
"So what's there to talk about?"
"Don't come over so often."
He frowned.
"Why?"
Noll put the cup of tea on his desk.
"You draw too much attention."
"And who exactly is attracting teenage girls into the office?"
Noll shook his head. He turned around and leaned against the desk.
"It's not about that."
"...Because I am your brother?"
He nodded.
"If you associate with me in the office under your name, they will make the link. I don't want any trouble out of it."
Is this about what Haruka said?
"That people will find out if we cooperated together?"
"Partially," Noll said, "and I myself am not keen on revealing my identity either."
"Alright. I understand," Gene said with some reluctance.
He scratched the back of his head. It had been a while since they had talked about Haruka. Though, despite all the distractions, anything related to her and the visions always remained in the back of his mind.
"You know," he said, "I've been thinking about that vision a lot lately... and it honestly gives me the creeps."
Noll remained expressionless.
"Don't mind it too much."
Gene glared.
"Aren't you taking this too lightly? I saw two visions, one in which you died. And that new vision was, I don't know how to say it, - fucked up, I guess."
Noll folded his arms. His eyes closed.
"...The first one is no longer applicable."
Gene looked down at his hands. "...I know, but, how could I not worry? I'm scared."
His brother sighed. "I can't help you with that."
"I know, I'm not asking you to," Gene said. "But there's just... a lot on my mind."
Noll frowned.
"You don't look well."
He grimaced. "How kind of you to notice."
"...It's not about school," Noll said. "Your girlfriend?"
Gene let out a small laugh, heaving his shoulders.
"I may have committed a grave error."
"...You sound like Martin."
"I think I want to dump her."
Noll looked irritated.
"Why are you telling me? Just do it."
Gene groaned.
Blunt as always.
"I don't know how to do it. ...Susanna's crazy for me, but she's not the one - Honestly, that girl gets on my nerves the whole time. She keeps demanding more time from me than I actually have! And -" Gene paused his rant when he noticed the bored look on Noll's face. "Never mind, I'll spare you the other details."
"Then dump her, and stop going after looks next time."
Gene let out a pitiful laugh.
"It's too soon, and, I want to break it to her gently."
"Just do it."
He sighed and took a step forward.
"...Noll, you don't understand. Do you know how it feels to get dumped. It's awful. - I'm sure goldilocks would cry, and I don't like making girls cry!"
Noll frowned. "Then stay with her if it bothers you that much."
He shook his head.
"No way."
Noll let out a deep sigh.
"Dump her and never look back again. You'll never see her cry that way."
"She's in my class! I can't just do that!"
Instead of replying to Gene's retort, Noll averted his gaze and walked around the desk. He sat down in the chair and pulled a book from the table.
"Noll?"
Noll sighed, then stared back at him with such intensity that Gene nearly froze on the spot. The words that came out of his brother's mouth made his jaw drop.
"Promise me not to date anyone for at least a year."
A stunned silence swept over the room.
Gene began to protest.
"How could you-"
"Focus on school and your part-time job. We're not swimming in money."
Gene couldn't retort. Noll had a point.
"And I'm sure Luella would agree."
He gulped at that remark.
"...Fine," Gene said. "Fine! I'll give up on girls for a year!"
Noll lifted his book from the table and flipped the pages to a yellow bookmark.
"And anyone else of that matter."
Gene paled.
"...You bloody-"
"Promise me."
Noll didn't look up from the book. He was already reading. No further discussion was possible.
Gene sighed in resignation.
"I... promise."
"Hm. At least you're not denying it this time," Noll said.
"I never denied anything."
Noll didn't respond. His attention was lost in the book.
Despite Noll's indifference, Gene couldn't help but feel as if a veil was lifted from his face. It wasn't as if his brother hadn't already, but admitting it out loud to Noll was an entirely different matter. He couldn't even tell Luella that he had liked that guy. Even though she had already known for over a year, and even accepted it.
Gene sighed.
I guess I should tell her and Martin too, soon. And Lin.
He looked down at Noll.
"And... what about you? We're identical twins, but I've read it isn't always the same."
"Why do you ask?" Noll said, still focusing on the book.
Gene shrugged.
"I might as well ask since you know about me now."
His reply was immediate.
"I don't think about it at all."
"You don't?"
"I don't."
Gene could only frown at his brother's answers.
"Do you even know?"
Noll shrugged.
"How can you not know?"
"I'm not interested."
Gene was rendered speechless. His brother had always been something of a book nerd, rather than having any interest in people, at all, but this still came as something of a surprise.
Perhaps he should approach the subject differently.
"You know, I realised it since I was like... twelve. When we entered high school - in the locker rooms, if you know what I mean. Did that happen to you?"
Noll's attention remained on the book, but Gene could see a frown appear on his face.
"Never."
"Are you even interested in having a relationship with someone?"
"Is there a reason why I should?"
Gene was taken aback.
"Really? Not even for the future?"
"I don't care. For now, I only care about doing research."
Gene snorted.
"What an idiot scientist. Life is not all about science! You might run into the girl or boy of your dreams and you won't know what's coming for you. At least give it some thought."
Noll looked up at him with an annoyed expression.
"Stop making assumptions. I didn't say I was opposed to the chance of it happening."
"Well, if you do end up caring, stop ignoring people and calling them pumpkins."
He shrugged.
"I can't help if most people don't interest me."
"Well," Gene said, smiling. "You'll figure it out one day."
Noll snorted.
"You're the one to say that. With your love troubles."
"Excuse me? You've never even fallen in love."
"You're not in love with your girlfriend either."
"But I..."
Gene wanted to protest, but he couldn't.
"Am I wrong?"
"No, you're right. I'm not in love, I don't love her. It's just physical attraction. And I can't help that okay?"
"It's still your choice to act on it," Noll said. "So stop making idiotic decisions."
Gene grit his teeth.
"I know. I learned my lesson."
Noll returned his attention to the book.
There was a silence.
Gene grimaced.
"So no relationships for a year, huh."
"Good."
He whimpered. "It feels like signing my own death sentence..."
"What?"
"...Never mind," Gene said.
Even before talking to Noll, Gene knew that his brother wouldn't be of any great help in this area. Still, it helped a little to talk to a more level-headed person. But it felt embarrassing to even admit that he had made mistakes due to irrational thoughts.
One of those mistakes was telling his parents he had a girlfriend.
He sighed.
"Damn it."
"What?"
"Luella is going to ask about my girlfriend. And worse, Madoka is with her. They'll gang up against me!"
Noll smirked.
"Not if Mr. Grey can distract her."
"Really?" Gene never met him before. "Is he a good fit for Madoka, Mr. Matchmaker?"
"Who knows. ...It's not an unwelcome surprise."
He smiled.
"Then I look forward to seeing them."
Noll waited by the arrival lobby in Narita International Airport. He was leaning against the wall, with his eyes closed. Next to him, Gene stood, tapping against the railing. He could imagine Gene's eyes scouring out the people leaving the exit. Most of which were tourists.
Due to the amount of luggage, the group was probably one of the last to go through immigration.
"I see Mr Grey," a voice said.
Lin stood behind Gene.
Noll opened his eyes and moved his gaze to a tall man rolling two suitcases out of the exit.
Timothy Grey looked around in slight confusion until he found Lin and the twins. He stopped and waved a hand at the group.
"Hello there!"
Noll raised his hand somewhat.
Suddenly, a trolley with various stacked boxes appeared into the lane. He was able to spot Madoka's bright hair and her squinting eyes.
Lin called out.
"Madoka, watch out!"
She stopped.
The trolley had nearly crashed into Grey's legs.
"Oh! Did I hit you?"
Grey turned.
"No, not at all. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stopped," he said. "Let me handle the trolley."
Madoka shook her head.
"...It's fine. We're almost there. The guys should be waiting..."
Lin stepped forward and greeted them.
"Let me help," he said.
"Oh, Lin. Good to see you again!" Madoka said as Lin took over the trolley. "And yes, thank you."
"It's no problem," Lin said. "Let's move over to that side.
Then he pushed the trolley out of the way. The boxes contained the last batch of books that he had left at home and the laboratory. He had asked Madoka to take those books with them, instead of sending them by airmail.
Madoka and Grey followed Lin, rolling their suitcases out of the lane.
Noll and Gene were left alone, presumably to give a moment with their parents.
They didn't have to wait much longer.
Their parents showed up soon after with their own suitcases. Luella broke into a smile at seeing her sons.
"Welcome to Japan!" Gene said, stretching his arms wide.
Noll stood stiffly beside him and grinned at them.
Luella walked over and pulled Gene into a hug.
"Happy to see us again?" He said.
"That would be an understatement! We missed you. It's been so quiet at home," Luella said.
"Yes... It's good to see the two of you again," Martin said.
He looked somewhat dishevelled and there was a weary smile on his face. Their father usually didn't take well to long flights.
Luella pulled away from Gene, then gave her sons a look.
"Goodness! The two of you have grown a lot. Right, Martin?"
Her husband nodded.
Luella pulled Noll into hug as well. He patted her back awkwardly.
"I think we're almost 175 centimetres?" Gene said, comparing the heights of his brother and parents.
Noll shrugged. He had no idea why they were making such a fuss.
"It paid off living with Lin. He gave us a couple." Gene pointed at Lin, who had hunched over the trolley a little. "See, he looks a bit shorter than usual!"
Noll groaned.
"Don't be stupid."
"I was just joking," Gene whispered.
It seemed like the man in question had noticed his name being mentioned, because Lin came over. He was immediately greeted by Luella's look of pity.
"Raising twins on your own must have been detrimental to your health," she said. "Look at those bags under your eyes!"
Lin shook his head.
"This is... nothing."
Luella turned to Gene.
"I hope you were kind to him..."
"Mother. Of course, we were~"
Gene forced a smile.
"Let's head to the van," Lin said. "You must be tired."
He returned to the trolley.
"Let's go," Noll said.
He was about to take Martin's luggage when Luella asked the question.
"Oh by the way, Gene," she said. "How's your girlfriend? Is she coming to the Christmas dinner?"
Gene's smile froze.
"...Oh, uh, we broke up."
"He dumped her after a month," Noll clarified.
"Oh. ...Really?" Luella said with a frown. "I didn't peg you for type to dump someone so quickly."
Gene lifted his hands in defence.
"...It's not like I wanted to be the one to do the dumping. I had no choice! I swear!"
"What happened?" Luella asked with a worried expression.
"Well, there are more fish in the sea," Martin said, patting his son on the shoulder.
Gene groaned and put a hand to his forehead.
"Look, can we talk about this later and go to the van?"
He whirled around.
"Where have Madoka and Mr Grey gone to? I don't see them anymore."
"Aren't they following Lin?" Luella said.
Gene shook his head. "Lin is waiting for us over there alone."
Martin stared at the crowd inside the airport and squinted.
"Have we lost them?"
"Oh! I see them," Luella pointed at a bookshop further down the hall. "Our two lovebirds are over there."
Noll sighed.
Of course, Mr. Grey was easily distracted.
"I'll go get them." Noll pushed Martin's suitcase into his brother's direction. "Gene, handle the suitcase for me."
"I'll go with you."
Luella hooked her arm into Noll's arm. He looked down at her.
"What? We haven't done this in such a long time," she said with a warm smile.
Noll did not protest, so they walked over to Madoka who stood together with the tall and lanky man.
Grey hadn't changed much since they met earlier this year, though his brown curly hair seemed longer than usual. The pair was looking at a stand of Mount Fuji. Well, they weren't really looking. Madoka and Grey were animatedly talking about climbing Mount Fuji, even though it didn't seem to be the right time of the year for such an expedition.
Madoka was the first to notice their presence.
"Noll!"
"Mr. Grey, Madoka."
Grey turned around and showed a happy smile on his freckled face.
"A pleasure to meet you again, Oliver," he said.
"Likewise," Noll said.
Grey gestured at the stand.
"I'm sorry, this beautiful illustration caught my attention. I've always wanted to do mountain climbing... A proper mountain. You know what I mean."
Noll showed a weak smile. Grey had mentioned that on occasion in his lectures.
"Shall we go now?" Luella said. "Unfortunately, my husband was unable to sleep during the flights."
Grey laughed.
"Of course."
Lin and Gene loaded most of the luggage into the van.
They had planned on taking the suitcases to the hotel, after visiting the office. That way, the group wouldn't have to worry about handling suitcases inside the trains. Neither Noll or Gene had a driver's license, so it wasn't possible to take the entire group by car.
Noll was about to take the other seat in the front when he heard Gene's voice.
"Can't I go with you, Lin?"
"I can drive by myself," Lin said, staring at Gene. "Accompany your parents. You haven't seen them in a long time. You too, Noll."
Noll sighed.
"But I don't want to be stuck as the fifth wheel in that group." Gene gestured at the lovey-dovey couple behind him: Grey and Madoka. "I broke up with my ex a couple of days ago... I can't stand looking at happy couples for at least a few weeks," he said. "So please?"
The man bluntly spoke.
"You have Noll."
Noll frowned at Lin's reply.
"He's my brother, not my boyfriend!" Gene hissed.
"Did you just say 'my boyfriend'?" Luella said.
Gene's face grew pale. It seemed like she overheard part of the conversation.
She inclined her head.
"Well, where have you hidden him this time?"
He turned around and shouted. "It's not like that, Mother!"
She grinned.
"In a suitcase? A cupboard?"
"NO."
Luella turned around with a satisfied look on her face.
"Ugh... Please, Lin," Gene begged. "Please let me come with you."
The man sighed.
"Alright. But promise me to unload Noll's book inventory and your mother's luggage once we arrive. They nearly broke my back just now."
"Fine..."
Sitting with three people in the front seats of the van was uncomfortable, so Noll was glad that avoid that situation. However, Gene's absence meant that he was taking the brunt of the conversations in the train to Tokyo.
Martin and Luella bombarded him with all kinds of questions about his life in Japan so far. On the other hand, Grey was visibly excited to be in Japan and asked Noll for recommendations on what to do. Noll had a hard time suggesting whatever the man would be interested in. In the end, he recommended what Gene liked the most from their summer trip. Such as visiting Uji, eating takoyaki in Osaka, and going up the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower for a good view of the Tokyo skyline. Noll couldn't help but resent the absent Gene and Madoka. The latter seemed amused with his attempts at casual conversations about tourist attractions and daily life in Japan.
Noll was glad when they arrived in Shibuya to see the office. Noll was glad to see the group, but it was tiring to be the centre of attention for so long.
The visit to the office was short.
Noll made tea for the guests, while Madoka inspected every corner of the office, making sure it was impeccable and representative. Gene and Lin returned to the office soon after. His brother was made to carry every single box until he cursed; it seemed like Lin had gotten fed up with him during the return trip. Lin had sighed in relief when Madoka approved of the changes made to the interior. She had been quite the slave-driver in the past months.
Madoka suggested that they should take a part-timer to take care of the trivial things in the office. Noll responded that hadn't decided on it yet. He wanted to settle down first, do research and potentially take on a case in the upcoming months.
After the inspection, they travelled to the hotel to check in and have dinner.
While waiting for their drinks to arrive, the couples discussed their plans with the twins and Lin. In short, the couples would spend the first week in Tokyo to celebrate Christmas together with them. After that week, Luella and Martin would fly to Hokkaido in order to see the ice sculpture festival. They they would travel back to Tokyo to meet up with their sons for the last time, before returning to England. On the other hand, Madoka and Timothy planned on spending time in her home town, to visit her parents and grandparents. They opted to stay longer in Japan so that they could visit some touristic sights in Kyoto and Osaka.
After their drinks arrived, Luella's interrogation of Gene began.
"Gene, let's get back to what we were talking about earlier."
"N-now?"
Luella frowned.
"Yes, what happened to that child?"
Martin nodded.
"You looked very happy in the photo you sent us about a month ago."
Apparently, Gene had sent them a photo of him and his ex girlfriend at the cinema. Noll remembered it went downhill right after.
"It didn't work out. We weren't compatible," Gene muttered.
"Just take it easy, my boy," Martin said. "Don't rush. Next time take the time to get to know each other."
"Well said, Martin." Luella said.
"I know, I know." Gene sighed. "Can we please talk about something else right now?"
Noll nodded.
"I agree."
"Of course," Luella said. "Let's not sour the mood too early."
"Good." Gene turned his head to his other side. "Oh, nice necklace. Haven't seen that one before?"
He stared down at the necklace around Madoka's neck. It was a delicate-looking and simplistic silver-coloured necklace with an amethyst pendant.
Noll raised an eyebrow. It was a strange turn in the conversation. Gene never paid attention to jewellery before.
"It's a gift from Timothy. For my birthday. Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yes, very much. It suits you."
Their parents made noises of agreement.
Gene winked at Noll.
(See, Noll? You'd better take note of that.)
Noll frowned.
(...Take note of what?)
(Mr. Grey, my dear matchmaker.) Gene took a sip of his tea and winked at Noll. (Pretty jewellery always makes a good birthday gift. You'll impress for sure!)
Noll didn't quite understand. Why was Gene telling him this?
"So," Madoka started. "How's school? Is your Japanese getting any better?"
"Just fine," Gene said. "I caught up without problem."
"Wow. That's great to hear!"
Gene smiled.
"Yeah, and I've got tons of friends."
"You're probably very popular, aren't you?" Madoka winked.
Gene laughed awkwardly.
The subject caused Lin to speak up suddenly.
"He showed me some of the love letters he received," he said. "Two girls asked him out after he broke up."
"Lin!"
Madoka laughed.
"What a show off!"
Gene hung his head. "Guys, please..."
"Oh wow, I'm impressed," Grey said, seemingly admiring him.
"As expected," their parents said in a chore, completely unsurprised.
"I turned them down though!" Gene said.
Luella frowned.
"I didn't peg you as the type to turn down a girl."
"No, it's this guy over there." Gene pointed at Noll. "I promised him I wouldn't get into any relationships for at least a year. Noll thinks I need to chill."
She looked at her other son.
"Really?"
"Yes," Noll said. "He needs to focus on studying and making money."
A stunned silence overcame the group.
"And it's not like I actually had interest those girls, so yeah..." Gene muttered. "It was for the best."
Suddenly, a chuckle came from the other end of the table. It was Lin.
Martin blinked.
"Lin?"
"What's there to laugh about?" Gene said.
"I'm sorry." Lin put a hand against his face. "It's just that Noll sounded like he's your parent."
The whole group, except the twins, began to laugh.
Gene whined.
"Noll! I didn't ask for another adoption!"
"Shut up, Gene."
Then their food arrived.
At the other end of the table, Madoka, Timothy and even Lin talked enthusiastically about something he couldn't hear over Luella and Gene's loud voices. So Noll quietly ate while watching those two and Martin engage into familiar conversations.
It felt like home, and yet it wasn't.
But for now he felt content.
Timothy pulled the thin curtains away from the window and watched the streets below. It was awfully busy down there.
Visiting Japan had been somewhere on his wish list, but it was somewhere below other faraway countries such as Singapore, Canada, the Philippines and Australia. He had various friends living those countries from his time as a student, and he had promised to visit them if the opportunity arose. He never would have expected that he would visit Japan this year - together with his girlfriend.
It all started with that fateful meeting at the university in May.
His heart had been whisked away the moment he met Madoka, but his mind itched to catch up and rationalise these strange emotions. Knowing that Oliver Davis held her in high esteem, only raised his curiosity. That day he lost all of his concentration; he had kept glancing at her card and it was up to him to contact her. Timothy wanted to talk to her, but he lacked the bravery to do so for at least a few weeks. When he made the call, she responded positively. Their date followed the next week; a meeting in a simple coffee house near the university. He found out that Madoka was a very funny person, in addition to being impressive. Despite looking quite young she was already in her late twenties, not much younger than himself.
In the weeks following that meeting, it got busy for both of them. Timothy was tasked with grading theses of graduating students and preparing for the arrival of new students at the college. Madoka, on the other hand, busied herself with arranging work permits for the new SPR branch in Japan as well as visas for Lin and the twins.
After everything subsided, Madoka contacted him again; she invited Timothy to the Pratt Laboratory. He accepted immediately. Timothy was a little sad that he didn't find Oliver at work there, however, he was happy to meet Lin, who became Madoka's co-tour guide. It was a relatively small place, but packed with various interesting machinery. Apparently, a selection of that equipment would be sent over to Japan once an appropriate place for the branch office would be found. Lin spoke in great detail about what he was doing there. Timothy listened attentively and asked many questions, which Lin answered in kind.
After the tour, Timothy mustered the courage to invite her to dinner the very next week, then the ball started to roll. Over the next few months they met his parents and now they were in Japan to meet her parents.
The door of the bathroom opened.
"It's your turn."
He dropped the curtains from his fingers and looked back into the room.
"Right."
Madoka wore a towel over her wet hair.
Timothy grabbed his pyjamas and other necessities.
"Ah. You have an email notification."
She was sat on the bed and glanced at his open laptop.
Timothy usually received a pop-up notification whenever he received an email. He didn't want to miss anything important, after all.
"Let me see."
He sat down next on the edge of the bed and took the laptop, then clicked on his inbox.
New Private Message at Parapsychology Forum.
Timothy frowned. He had not posted on that site for at least a half year.
"Well, this is surprising... Who could it be?"
"Can I see?" Madoka asked. He pulled the screen down a little. "On parapsychology?"
Timothy nodded.
"Yes, I posted in a discussion thread on quantum physics."
"Oh, I know this site."
"You do?"
Madoka showed a weak smile.
"I've looked at it a couple of times, but it didn't seem friendly at all."
"Well, that doesn't surprise me... Many sceptics frequent that board as well," Timothy said.
He clicked on the email.
Invitation
From: Dave S.
You can view your new message by clicking on the following link:
Timothy blinked. He didn't remember talking to Dave S.
He clicked on the provided link. After logging in, he was lead to the private message.
Judging by the bold nickname, Dave S. seemed to be a moderator of the board.
Dear GreyTimeLord,
I appreciated your thoughtful contributions to the thread "Can the future influence the past?". The notion that psychic abilities should be used to solve problems of individual persons as well as society spoke to me on a personal level.
Recently, a falling-out occurred between the administrators of the Parapsychology Forums and caused a division between many forum members. In light of this recent dispute, I decided to create a private message board called AltPSI, where those of the same alignment may discuss in peace without being harassed by others.
I would like to extend an invitation to you. Please click on the link below to register:
A link followed the message.
Timothy couldn't help but feel confused at this invitation.
Madoka giggled.
"Grey time lord? Is that how you got into quantum physics?"
Timothy blushed.
"Well, I have to admit where it got started," he said. "But this is odd, don't you think?"
"Yes, it seems like he is cherry picking the members who align with his opinion," Madoka said. "It's strange that he went through the trouble of mentioning your contributions to this board."
Timothy vaguely remembered agreeing to the latter sentiment in that thread. But it had been prompted by a fellow quantum researcher rather than himself.
"...I have to agree," he said. "In any case, it's time for a bath."
He turned off the laptop and went to the bathroom.
Timothy felt a little curious alright. He himself didn't bother with the message board after a few weeks, but he could very well imagine it was ripe with disputes between the board members. It could be quite interesting if he joined the invite only board for serious discussions. But that's something he could do after returning to England.
For now, he wanted to enjoy Japan along with Madoka. It was far more important than a bunch of strangers quibbling on the internet.
He sighed, turning on the water.
Earlier today, Oliver mentioned something about the Mori Tower of Roppongi Hills. It seemed that the top floors housed a museum, and that the sight on the top floor was very impressive. Especially at night.
It seemed like a good place to propose.
Timothy shook his head.
No! It was far too early for this. He hadn't dated her for so long, and he had yet to meet her parents. Timothy wanted to do everything in a proper order. First, meet the parents. Second, wait until they were ready. Then buy a ring... He shook his head again. He was getting ahead of himself!
Timothy stepped into the bath and relaxed.
Still, proposing to Madoka Mori in the Mori Tower sounded like a brilliant idea.
Timothy always enjoyed a good pun. He'd have to thank Oliver for that one later!
Author's note
My apologies, I was unable to to update any sooner. Real life got in the way!
I hope you enjoy the story so far. It ended quite positively. This chapter wraps up the end of the first arc. Gene still has troubles with romance, but at least he made it out alive. :P
The next chapter marks the beginning of the second arc. It's the long-awaited reunion with Mai, whom we haven't seen since chapter 4 "Hiraeth". Of course, we will also meet the other characters. Look forward to it! I had a lot of fun writing these chapters so I guerantee entertainment. =)