Author's Note:

Hey, First Chapter up! Sorry for making you wait. I'm a little bit sleepy so forgive me if there are spelling and grammatical errors. I've been typing and editing articles non-stop in the past 48 hours and I just typed this chapter to enlighten my mind. I really missed writing this series. Thank you for being patient. Here we go!


Chapter 1

A bearable kind of silence loomed inside the car. Naru is driving silently while Mai was busy… snoring softly. Naru glanced at her as he swerved to the street where his apartment resides. Mai decided awhile ago that she would spend the night with him today since she doesn't have classes for the next day and doesn't have any appointment in the modelling agency. Naru knows that she have planned on working on a fashion event tomorrow if he did not come back today. He just wished that Mai would just say that she missed him that much.

But something's off with her… Before he came back to England, she's worried that he would not come back to Japan anymore. Not worried… Afraid is the right term. He sighed. He promised her that he would come back but he could still feel her fear which is very unusual.

When he was away a year ago without promising that he would come back, she was not afraid; in fact, she went on with her life. Now that he made a promise, Mai was too afraid to let him go with the fear that he would never come back to her. How ironic.

He parked his car in front of his apartment. He looked at the sleeping Mai once again before getting out of the car and walking to Mai's side. He unbuckles her seat belt before scooping her out of his car. The moment he carried her, Mai automatically wrapped her arms around his neck which made him smile. "Mai, I therefore conclude that you are really that possessive."

He walked to his door and said 'Open' in his commanding British accent voice. The door knob turned by itself and opened gradually (Creepy. This is just the product of author's imagination). He went inside. When he reached steps, he took off his shoes and said 'Close' using the same accent and voice.

(A/N: I know what you're thinking. Equipment that can work with voice command was it called like that? are really handy when scenes like this happen. How can you open a door with keys if you are carrying someone in your arms?)

He left the door to his bedroom slightly open this morning after he came from the airport. He brought Mai to his room and laid her on his bed covered with midnight blue sheets. He opened the bedside lamp. Then, he went back to Mai and took off her shoes and put it under the bed.

"Now, I have never done this to anyone before," he whispered. "You should thank me."

He looked at the face he learned to love through the years. Of course, Mai had always been beautiful. If a stranger would look at her, they would think that she was just having a cozy life. But for someone who knows the every inch of her face, like him, you could see how she struggles in life. Living a life without your parents or someone to take care of you in times that you needed it, it is hard. Naru knows how she feels because once upon a time, he was an orphan like her.

But not everyone is lucky like him who found a new family. He brought up his hand to her cheeks and caressed it lightly.

Mai has been looking for a family… But she found it here, at SPR and in him.

"I know you have been afraid that I would be gone from your side again. But please, trust me this time. I won't EVER leave you again."

He saw how a smile formed into Mai's lips… She must have heard what he said.

Mai turned over and grabbed one of Naru's pillows and hugged it. Naru could just smile over and over again. Mai always do this whenever she sleeps here. To stop your minds from thinking RATED K scenes, Naru sleeps on the sofa in the living room when Mai is here to prevent his hormones to kick… Even though he can control himself, he is still a man, after all.

He covered Mai with the sheets and walked back to the living room where he left the file Madoka gave him this morning. He looked at it before he went to fetch Mai at school but he just looked and did not fully understand its content (which is rare) since he was rushing himself to see the woman he missed so much. Plus, based from Madoka's report, Mai has been depressed after he left.

His one month stint as BPR's CEO brought him the feeling of being the full narcissist which was brought down partially since he and Mai got together. His rational mind, as he puts it, came into the surface because he needs it at that particular moment. The company was holding a lot of problems, though they were all minor, as he sees it. But accumulated dust forms dirt which cannot be cleaned easily.

The main problem was that the some of the best scientists that they have had resigned for unknown reasons and transferred to another company. Naru has to hire 20 scientists to replace the number that the company lost and that took most of his time because he really screened each applicant.

Fortunately, by the end of the month, he was able to find efficient scientists who understand the nature of the work that BPR has. He was able to come back in Japan on time but he was welcomed by Madoka with a lot of cases which was not taken since most of the SPR members were busy, even Mai.

Speaking of Mai, he knows every move that she makes. Madoka is a great detective. She gives him a regular update about Mai. An hourly update, if that's even possible. Naru knows every fashion event that she attended and participated in. He also knew that the teachers in Shirouko were eyeing her as the school's female representative on the coming Mr. and Ms. Teen of Japan, the country's most prestigious and democratic contest for the graduating students of every secondary school whether they had a good or bad reputation. Mai does not know about this because Sakuro, who suggested this ridiculous idea to the board members of the school (Naru's judgement), did not say a thing about it because it was meant to be a surprise.

So much for reminiscing. He is now here with Mai. He does not have to miss her… so much. Yes, he miss her now even if she is just a few steps away but not so much… just much.

He has some work to do. Better to face it now.

He opened the top button of his shirt as he sat on the sofa. He took the folder containing the file and opened it.

Naru sighed as he read the first sentence on the first page which went on like this:

Dear Noll. Good day to the evil narcissist (as Mai puts it). This is a case that would really interest you and have to be attended as soon as possible. Do not dare to reject this case. This is a favor for a very close friend of mine.

If you refuse, I will definitely take Mai away from you… Hahahahahhahahahah (this is an evil laugh, idiot scientist! Just in case your scientist's mind takes over your sane mind.) I would take her to the farthest island in this world and you would never EVER see her again.

Notify me the moment you decide to take the case. I'll call the other members as soon as possible.

With Love, Madoka

"Seriously, what's wrong with this woman?" Naru said softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He flipped to another page. "Finally, something came up from this file that is worth reading."

A newly opened restaurant has been having problems with the business. Judging the resto's photo taken by Madoka, it's a five-star European restaurant which would really take away someone's fortune the moment they walked inside it. It is owned by Katrina Charters, 26-year old Irish-American brunette, like Mai (only on the brunette part), who has been an actress in Hollywood for a short period of time before she was involved in a sex scandal which had ended her career. But she was born to the Irish billionaire Braille Charters and famous American pianist Olive Thompson; therefore, she lives in a bed of roses and does not have to work for anything. She used her parent's wealth to establish her own business here in Japan upon Madoka's advice. Well, Oliver and Gene have met her before in England when Madoka threw a huge party to celebrate one of her birthdays.

Going back to the case, he wonders why this kind of restaurant is being avoided by luck. He turned again another page and saw the answer to his little problem.

The restaurant is on the verge of closing since no one wants to neither eat inside it nor order delivered foods from them. Due to the frustration that money does not enter in her bank account, according to the report made by the owner, she asked some customers about what they think of the restaurant and why are they not coming in.

Some customers who went in, even the ones who just stepped a foot on the vicinity of the place, are being haunted by unknown entities inside it (that's how they put it). Some customers would feel something or someone cold touching their nape or back or spines. Some who would step on its vicinity would feel a sort of electricity run from their feet up to their chest which would make them go as far as possible from the place. These stories have spread throughout the neighborhood which made other people totally avoid eating and buying food from the restaurant.

Well, it looks like an ordinary case but what caught his attention was the electricity part.

Naru turned again the page but closed the folder the moment he saw the content of the last page. He is too much interested on this one… But what suddenly bothered him a lot was the address of the restaurant.

The location of the restaurant is in Mai's neighborhood and it was just 400 steps away from where Mai's apartment stood up.

He sighed as he put down the folder and leaned comfortably on the sofa. Even though he does not want to think this way, he just could not let the fact go.

The fact is that whenever a case involves Mai, even if it's just a small involvement such as this one on which addresses are related, the woman he loves somehow get involves with the case so much that she would get injured severely in the end. He knows that it is not right but the feeling just won't go away.

"Mai, what am I going to do with you?" Naru asked himself exasperatedly as he looked up at the ceiling. "I want you out of danger but I just can't stop you from working with me. It has already become your passion, a part of your life. I just can't take it away from you." He sighed again.

"And I can't even fire you because I cannot work efficiently without you." He added solemnly. He shifted from his position so he can lie down. He grunted out of frustration. "I want to handle this case but I can't afford to see Mai hurt again."

He put his elbow over his head. "Mai, what am I going to do with you?" he asked again.

All of a sudden, he felt an invisible wave coming and he knows that his twin is connecting with him. He breathed deeply and waited for his brother to reach him fully. A few seconds later, Gene spoke.

"How are you, my head-over-heels-in-love-with-a certain brunette girl-sleeping-in-your-bed, Noll?" Gene said sheepishly. Naru could imagine the naughty grin of his brother right now which makes him want to strangle him to death.

"I'm perfectly fine… until you came in my mind, Gene." Naru replied coldly.

"Oohhhh. I'm freezing. You're scary, little brother." Gene said mockingly.

"Stop mocking me, Gene."

Gene sighed. "I know you are bothered. I just want to cheer you up before I say something."

"No I'm not." Naru lied. "And what are you going to say, anyway?"

"You will accept the case, Noll." Gene said as a matter-of-fact. "You can't resist the temptation of the challenge that you are going to get from it."

Naru mentally rolled his eyes. "How could you know that?"

"First of all, I am you brother and I know everything about you. Second, you are an idiot scientist. Your curiosity would get to your nerves and it would prevail in the end and lastly…"

"What?" Naru asked curiously when Gene stopped.

"You must accept the case because solving it will be the best way to help Mai solve her own problems." Gene replied seriously.

Now, Gene got his attention. "What are you talking about?"

Gene sighed. "I know that I am not in the position to tell you this. It's Mai's duty. But since she doesn't have any plan on telling you that she was having the same nightmare since the day you left for England last month, I should be the one to relay you that information."

"What nightmare? And why she did not tell me about it on her mails?" he asked worriedly.

"She has been having nightmares about you leaving her permanently. I tried to help her by waking her up most of the time but she would just pay attention to my voice on the last part of the dream that's why she always end up crying and frustrated when she wakes up. To answer your second question, she does not want you to worry about her, like what you feel right now,"

The moment he heard the word 'nightmare', Naru abruptly stood up. He suddenly panicked. "You should have contacted me when I was away and told me about this." Though he doesn't hear anything Mai might be having that nightmare now so he has to wake her up. He started to move towards his room. He was on the door when Gene stopped him.

"Don't wake her up, Noll." Gene said. "She's having a good dream for the first time after you left. Let her sleep."

Naru stopped on his tracks and just leaned on the door frame. "I hope she just told me about it. I could have gone here earlier."

"Well, that's another reason. She wants you to focus on father's left over works."

Silence…

"But actually and to tell you one thing, her fear of losing you was flamed up with the would-be case that lies on your living room."

See what Naru means? This is the worst thing that could happen after the welcome party concludes. "I know that the location means a lot, Gene."

"Of course. That's one of the two reasons. The distance. Mai happened to receive the bad aura immediately since she was near. You, of all people, know how sensitive she is. The second one is that there is a strong connection between Mai and the entity haunting the restaurant."

Naru nodded. "I understand. They were both sharing some feelings."

"As expected from the idiot scientist." Gene applauded. "Unfortunately, I can't get through the whole story of the place since I am not familiar with it. Mai nor you nor SPR has visited the place before. You know it. If I don't have any connection with the place, I can't penetrate it."

"Of course." Naru agreed with him. He looked at Mai who was still hugging his pillow. It seems that he cannot escape the circumstance. He has to do it to help Mai. It's the best he can do to make up for the days that he was gone which made her afraid of losing him.

Mai shifted in her position. "I love you Naruu…" Mai murmured…

Naru smiled for the nth time today. This proves that she was having a good dream about him. But his smile faded as he remembered that he has to make a big decision.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Naru said.

"Noll, you just made the right decision." Gene answered. "And yes, you don't have a choice. Unless you want Madoka take away Mai from you." Gene chuckled.

Naru just mentally rolled his eyes. He walked towards Mai and kissed her lips lightly. "Sweet dreams, Mai." He whispered as he gave her another kiss before he went out of the room and lie down on the sofa again.

He took out his phone, typed on his cell phone and sent the message to Madoka.

Madoka, call everyone for a meeting tomorrow at the office. 9 AM.

He put the phone on the table and just let it buzz saying that Madoka had replied. He sighed.

Naru stared at the ceiling and wondered what Mai was dreaming about.

"You wannnnaaaa knoooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww?" Gene asked teasingly.

"I thought you already left." Naru countered coldly again.

Gene laughed like a maniac. "Do youuuuuu reallllllllly want to knoooooooooowwwwww?"

"Stop it Gene. I'm beginning to despise you again." Naru commanded with the same voice but he knows that this would not have any effect on his brother. He thought that Gene would change a bit after he died but no… he is still the same but even too mischievous now.

"Right now," Gene intervened with his thoughts. "Mai is having a good dream about you. But I won't tell you about it because of its adult content." Then Gene laughed again.

Naru felt the heat creeping up on his neck. "I have to sleep now, Gene. Goodbye." Then he broke of their connection.

Naru sighed heavily. "Now…" he said. "How am I going to sleep right now?" he asked himself. "I need to wake up early for the meeting."

Thoughts of Mai wearing sexy clothes came flooding on his mind and that's when the hormones kicked in. He grunted in frustration as he covered his face with his hands.

"Mai, what am I going to do with you?!"

At the corner of his the living room, Gene was laughing like an idiot. "Serves you right, idiot scientist."