Chapter Two – The Arrival
Well…here we go. I hardly slept at all thinking about this case! What is it about this school that bothers me? Mai wondered uneasily as she climbed the narrow cement steps to the SPR office. Heading up the narrow staircase and into the lounge she found Naru already dressed in what she presumed was the school uniform. He was wearing a plain white pair of trousers with a waistcoat, the blazer in his hand waiting to be pulled on. There were decorative black lines running along the seams and in rectangles on either side of both the blazer and the waistcoat. The black shirt beneath the waistcoat came with a blood red tie, which he was struggling to pull straight.
"Mai, just in time." He stated as she closed the door and dropped her large, heavy bag, heading over to help with his tie as Lin entered the room. Lin was wearing his usual shirt and trousers, which was no great surprise to Mai. The Chinese man was too old to pass for a high school student. The only difference to his wardrobe was that he had a jacket over one arm and a black tie in hand. Monk-san and Ayako were also in formal dress today, while John was wearing a uniform slightly different to Naru's. The shirt was white while the jacket, waistcoat and trousers were black with white stripes. The only similarity was the red tie waiting to be tied round his neck.
"Here, let me." Mai offered as John made to put his tie on, but at her words he allowed Mai to take it with thanks. He smiled gratefully as her delicate hands deftly tied it for him and straightened it comfortably. He was far more used to his white vicar's collar than he was to ties these days. Nodding her satisfaction Mai pulled back and looked around. "Where's Masako?" She asked as she turned back to Naru, who buttoned his jacket neatly and turned to Mai.
"She won't be able to join the school like us, she's too famous. She'll arrive there in her usual role as a Medium to search the old school dormitory for restless spirits, which she will do during the daytime. This is the plan…" He began in a slightly louder tone as he turned to the rest of the group, all eyes watching him intently. "John, you'll join the Day Class and keep an eye on things there. Try to find out as much about the Night Class as possible from the students. Monk-san and Ayako, you will infiltrate as Day Class teachers and talk to the staff there, and Lin will join the Night Class staff and see what he can find out. Mai and I will join the Night Class. Mai." He listed authoritatively, turning to look down at the secretary as he addressed her directly. "Masako can't come into the Night Class dormitory, it would be too suspicious. You'll have to do the spiritual work there yourself. If you feel anything then tell me, no matter how small. It may be significant." He warned, looking away as Mai nodded to hand her the girl's Night Class uniform. Mai took the neatly hung uniform and looked at it through the transparent sheeting, thinking it was quite beautiful for a uniform. This is going to look terrible on me…
"Mai, come on. I'll help you change in Lin's office!" Ayako called from the doorway of the small room. Mai nodded and made her way over to the tall red head, who smiled assuringly as they entered the small room and shut the door. "I hear the people of the Night Class are particularly attractive." Ayako said with a teasing smile as Mai looked doubtfully at the uniform. "Don't worry Mai, white is definitely your colour." She added with a wink as she pulled off the plastic sheeting and pulled out the red neck-ribbon. She stripped the jacket away and handed Mai the petite black shirt that had been fitted to her size. Ayako had no idea how Naru got her measurements to do so, but it looked like a perfect fit.
Mai pulled off her green khaki shirt and pulled on the black one, enjoying the feel of the crisp cotton sliding over her arms as she buttoned it, finding that it opened at her throat as a V-neck. Next to go on was the jacket, which buttoned securely to the collarbone. Ayako carefully threaded the red ribbon, tucking it beneath the shirt collar and tying it in a neat bow at her collarbone over the edge of the jacket. Next Mai pulled on the pleated white skirt, glad she had worn black over the knee socks as she slipped back into her shoes awkwardly and looked up at Ayako, who nodded approvingly as she stroked a few stray strands of short hair out of Mai's face.
"Do I look…" Mai began, trailing off insecurely as she tugged at the large cuff of her jacket. She felt Ayako move to flick at her short brown hair, tidying the fringe where it had been mussed by the wind. There was no mirror so she couldn't see what she looked like, but she felt overdressed.
"You look absolutely fine Mai. You'll pass as a student of the Night Class, no problem!" She assured, ushering Mai through the door, where the four men were waiting patiently. Monk-san was leaning on the edge of Mai's desk with his hair in its usual scruffy ponytail while John stood beside him looking a little lost. Lin was looking at some notes and a map at the coffee table while Naru had his arms crossed impatiently, standing by the wall. His eyes shifted to the door of Lin's office as it opened and a very nervous looking Mai was ushered into the room, her cheeks turning red as all eyes turned on her.
"Right, let's go. We're going in groups and arriving at different times. Mai and I will go in first. Lin, drop us at the entrance and arrive a few minutes after us. Monk-san, you arrive at five. John, six-thirty, and Ayako, you join us tomorrow morning." Naru instructed as he lifted his suitcase. Mai hefted her large backpack and trailed after him down to the van. They were closely followed by Lin, who took her small case and put it in the back of the van with the miniature cameras and microphones. These would be placed secretly throughout the Moon Dormitory while the televisions would be set up inside Naru's room and Lin's office, wherever that was going to be. "Remember, when we get there we're a young couple, and we're there as transfer students." Naru instructed as he climbed up beside Mai and closed the door before pulling on his seatbelt. As he settled he looked across at Mai to see her blushing uncomfortably. "What is it?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Why are we a couple?" She asked awkwardly as she tried to shake off the heat in her cheeks. I know I've wanted to be Naru's girlfriend for a long time, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind…She thought, her chest sinking slightly at her train of thought. What if this is the only way I'll ever be with Naru? She wondered sadly, shaking her head slightly in reproach. This is neither the time nor the place Mai-chan! She scolded, swearing she saw a flicker of amusement cross Naru's face, but it was gone before she could even think about confirming it.
"It'll be easier to infiltrate together this way, and it will draw less attention to us when we're together." He excused, seeing Mai give a small nod before looking out of the window. "Just remember to act accordingly." He added as he pulled some papers out of the glove compartment. Act like I'm in love with you? Yeah, like that's going to be a problem! Mai thought with a blush as she looked through the windshield at the busy road ahead, wondering just what she had gotten herself into.
They were driving for hours, soon leaving all signs of civilisation behind them. They drove through countryside for what seemed like hours until they passed through a small town with empty streets and fairly old stone buildings. Naru was engrossed with the pages on his lap, and had been for the whole trip. What can possibly be on those pages that has him so absorbed? Mai wondered, knowing that he had been reading the same twenty pages over and over.
"Naru. We're here." Lin announced as he pulled up to a set of huge wrought iron gates, which were bolted but not locked. Naru put the papers back into the compartment and climbed out, quickly followed by Mai, who took her bag as Naru handed it to her and led the way to the gate. Looking up Mai couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the large black bars, which were spiked with sharp cross shapes at the top. It ran as far as she could see in either direction. It seems more like a prison than a school…
"Take my arm." Naru ordered as he opened the tall gate and held it open for Mai, who looked at him uncomfortably with a shy blush. "To make it convincing." He added as he held his arm out for her, leaving the gate open for Lin as he walked her towards the large white mansion, where the Day Class would be hard at work. As they drew closer to the school Mai's grip tightened. She was nervous, especially as she noticed that the Day Class, particularly the girls, were staring at them from their windows. That was bad enough, but that wasn't all. She had another feeling, but it remained stubbornly faint. "Are you alright?" Naru asked quietly as they approached the steps of the main building, feeling Mai's grip on his arm tighten, her fingers barely quivering.
"I think so…just a little nervous." She replied sheepishly, waving off her fears as they entered the building. The long echoing halls were deserted as they walked towards the Chairman's office, which was on the far side of the mansion overlooking the grounds. Once at the doors Naru knocked and took Mai's hand, ignoring her blush as he opened the door and pulled her inside. The longhaired man behind the desk looked up over his delicate glasses with an almost goofy grin. He looks a lot like I expect Monk-san to in a few years…
"Hello! You're our new Night Class students I presume." He observed warmly, his eyes showing nothing but kindness as he looked up at the couple, but Mai could see an underlying suspicion that he was trying to hide. Before she could dwell on this feeling Mai gasped slightly and gripped Naru's hand as that strange sensation returned stronger than before. It was at this moment that a young man from the Night Class stepped out of the shadows, his dark eyes gentle as he regarded at her. "This is Kaname Kuran. He'll take you to your rooms. You were lucky. We managed to get you rooms of your own, placed next to each other as you requested." The chairman replied with a kind smile. The young dark haired student walked towards them, the strange new feeling so strong that Mai almost lost her breath as he looked down at her with a handsome smile.
"Please come with me. You must be tired after your long journey." Kaname instructed invitingly in a deep silken voice. Mai blushed and felt Naru's hand on the small of her back, turning her towards the door as they followed Kaname back through the corridors and out the main doors. Once outside Kaname led them along the left path towards a large building with a moon carved into the stone above the door. Kaname unlocked the gate and locked it again once they were through.
"Why are we locked in?" Naru asked curiously as he eyed the lock, not showing his unease as Kaname led the way up to the dormitories. At Naru's question he paused and smiled charmingly over his shoulder, elegantly reaching out to open the door. Why am I so uneasy? Mai wondered as she looked at the tall brunette, who either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge her stare. He gripped the golden handle and pulled the dark varnished door open with a light creak.
"It's for our safety…You'll understand tonight." He replied jovially as he held the front door open for them, heading across the deep green carpet to the long wooden staircase. "Your rooms are this way." He added as he made to climb, both he and Naru stopping as Mai gasped and fell to her knees, her hands pressed against the floor to support her weight shakily. W-what is it? This feeling…She wondered in terror, knowing that she had felt it before, but not recalling when or where. She vaguely heard Naru call her name and felt him shake her shoulder. Her terrified eyes turned to him, his own eyes widening a fraction in surprise.
"Mai, what is it?" He asked as he cupped her cheeks gently, the feeling soothing her slightly. Her skin was surprisingly cold. "Are you feeling ill love?" He asked in a concerned silken tone, pressing his forehead to hers and watching a blush colour her cheeks as she came back to herself. She pulled back and put a hand to her forehead with a dizzy expression, feeling drained as the foreign feeling kept pressing in on her.
"No, I'm alright…just tired." She replied, allowing Naru to pull her to her feet as Kaname joined them and took her other arm gently. She couldn't say why, but his touch sent shivers through her that made her pull away and grab Naru. The ebony haired teen put his arm around her protectively, giving Kaname a look that plainly said, 'she's mine'. This look brought a somewhat amused smile to Kaname's lips as he went on ahead, though Naru couldn't decipher what that smile meant. It almost seemed to be the sort of smile an adult would give to a naïve child.
"Please come this way. I'll take you to Miss Taniyama's room first, she clearly needs rest." He added as he began walking up the stairs. Naru allowed Mai to take his arm and felt a lot of her weight pressed on it as if she needed his support to help her walk. Feeling so much weight Naru adjusted his position, slipping an arm around Mai's waist as the other gripped her hand so that she could lean against him as they climbed the stairs. They turned right at the first landing and followed the balcony across a few feet before stopping. The first room was to be Mai's. The one beside it was Naru's. "I'll leave you to get settled. Are you sure you don't require anything Miss Taniyama? I can call the nurse if you wish." Kaname offered kindly, but Mai quickly shook her head.
"No, thank you. I'm really alright!" She replied insistently with a wan smile. Kaname nodded before heading further right into another corridor that turned off the main balcony. It was one of two ways leading up to the next floor, as well as a few other rooms on this floor. Naru opened the door to Mai's room and pulled her inside. He quickly led her to the huge bed, where he removed her ribbon and jacket before helping her to lie down. Mai didn't even have the energy to be flustered at the attention as her back hit the mattress.
"What happened Mai?" Naru asked softly as he sat beside her looking concerned, an expression Mai didn't get to see very often. His hand rested gently on her forehead for a moment, but he felt no temperature. If anything she was colder than usual. Mai looked up at him, her hazel eyes wide, her body shivering. "Are you alright?" Naru asked seriously as he looked down at her weakened form. Her hazel eyes were half lidded and her skin was slightly pale.
"I think so…There's something very wrong here, and I think I know what it is…It's the people." She replied with certainty as she sat up, the feeling still there, but gradually lessening as she adjusted to it. It didn't get any stronger. I guess the feeling's limited to the amount of people here and how close they are…She surmised as she tried to push the feeling to the back of her mind. It was hard. It was almost like when you cut or burned yourself. The pain lessens slightly when you don't look at the injury and try to focus on something else.
"What do you mean?" Naru asked more seriously as he went to his case, flicking it open and removing his laptop to record whatever Mai said. She waited until he was sitting comfortably at the desk, taking that time to figure out exactly what to say. How can I explain this feeling to him when I don't understand it myself? It's like…It's a feeling of…How can I explain? It's like when you go somewhere you're not supposed to be. When you feel danger, extreme danger, but increased tenfold…But it's also more than that…It's like there's a spirit, but these people are definitely alive and solid…It's like they're unnatural…She thought in confusion, realising that Naru was still waiting for her answer. She loosely repeated her thoughts, watching him type rhythmically, his cobalt eyes fixed to the screen while occasionally nodding when she paused. Once he was done he looked across at her from where he sat at her desk.
"I'm sorry I don't have more." She apologised as she looked over at the thick red curtains, which had been pulled against the harsh light of day by whoever had been in this room before, or perhaps it was the maid. They were certainly good quality, like everything in this building. Only a sliver of light got in around the edges of the heavy blackout curtains. I suppose that makes sense since the students sleep during the day…
"No, you did well considering you don't have Masako's skill." Naru replied, ignoring or choosing not to acknowledge the scowl on Mai's face as she turned back to him. Great, so you'd rather be with Masako right now…She thought bitterly as he looked over his work, re-reading every word Mai had said to him. "What I don't understand is how you can feel like they're spirits when they're clearly alive…" He added with a frown, and Mai was just as confused inwardly. She gave a small dejected sigh.
"Maybe I'm wrong and Masako will be able to tell you." She retorted lightly, her jealousy pushing the foreign feeling to the back of her mind until it didn't bother her at all. She didn't even realise the feeling was gone as she stared at Naru intently, not quite worked up to a glare yet. Mai watched the teen as he leaned back in her chair, his head tilted almost elegantly towards the ceiling.
"I don't think you're wrong, but you're right when you say Masako may have a clearer idea…Unfortunately she can't be here without raising suspicions." He added simply, apparently oblivious to Mai's snipe. Mai held back a scoff as she bit the inside of her mouth, trying not to let her jealousy get the better of her. Naru stared at his monitor thoughtfully, but didn't seem to come up with anything new. "Alright. It's definitely the people?" He checked as he looked up at Mai, who shook off her negative feelings in surprise as Naru turned to her.
"It has to be! The feeling was definitely coming from Kaname Kuran, especially when he touched me. It was so strong…" She trailed off with a small shiver that sent a prickling sensation up and down her arms and legs. She received a short nod from Naru as he typed a little more, obviously making the addition to his report while Mai pushed herself up into a sitting position. She felt a lot better.
"Okay…I guess now I know what we're supposed to be watching. They want us to figure these people out, but something's still not right…" He trailed off, looking troubled as he closed his laptop and got to his feet before shifting his gaze to Mai. "I want you to lock your door once I'm gone, just in case…Tell me if anything changes or if you feel anything else, anything at all." He instructed as he repacked his laptop and carried his case to the door. Mai had never seen him like this before, not once since she'd met him. I guess this is what he's like when he's trying to piece things together in the beginning…She thought, reflecting upon her time with Naru and finding that he usually had answers stored or suspicions ready, but for once he was completely unprepared.
"Okay." Mai replied as she got to her feet and walked to the door with him. She watched from her doorway as he walked next door and unlocked his room, nodding good night to her. Mai smiled and held up a hand to wave, not expecting him to pause and speak.
"Good night love…Get some rest." He murmured with softened eyes and a small smile, a look that made Mai shiver for completely different reasons as a blush coloured her cheeks. Taken aback Mai stammered slightly in her response, giving a small half bow as she hovered in the doorway.
"N-night." She replied a little breathlessly as he ducked inside and closed his door. Mai paused a few moments, gasping as she felt the strange feeling from earlier grow stronger and looked across the walkway to see a young blonde man staring at her. His features were soft and almost innocent looking, but his eyes held a certain hardness within them, and she could have sworn his they flashed red. With a shiver she ducked inside and closed the door, turning the lock and not daring to take her eyes off the strong wooden surface until the feeling lessened. What's going on here? She wondered as she raised a hand to her chest, where she could feel her heart pounding.
