That day at the office, Mai tried to avoid Naru as much as possible, still feeling awkward.
Fortunately, Naru seemed to be avoiding her too. The most she saw of him all day was when he called for tea, and even then...
The door to Naru's office cracked open. Mai jumped.
Through the crack, he said curtly, "Tea." Then closed it again.
She groaned, sinking down into her chair. "Ugh…"
Yasuhara chuckled. "Would you like me to get it?"
"Please?"
He stood and headed to the kitchenette. "Did something happen between you two?"
"No…?" Mai frowned and shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Then why so tense? You've both been prickly all day."
"I don't know, why don't you ask him," she grumped, crossing her arms. "I know I didn't do anything wrong." At least, not while awake…
Yasuhara returned from the kitchenette carrying a cup of tea. "Very well. I think I'll ask."
Mai watched intently as he disappeared into Naru's office. But when Yasuhara emerged again, the amused twinkle had left his eye, replaced with a puzzled look.
"What? What'd he say?"
"Well…he denied that anything had happened between you two. When I asked about the tension, he said I must be imagining things."
"Wait. So he didn't blame me for anything? Not even one little thing?"
Yasuhara tilted his head. "If you had bothered him somehow, he would usually make some complaint…"
"Right? He'd say something petty like, 'Why can't she keep quiet?' or call me stupid."
"You know him so well," Yasuhara chuckled.
"Then I guess it doesn't have anything to do with me after all…" Mai mused. Which should have been a relief. But something didn't feel right. What was bothering Naru? And why did she feel somehow responsible?
The third night on the train. Naru sat across from her again, this time writing in a notebook.
Mai felt stupid. In hindsight, there had been every indication that it was Naru the whole time, save for that one moment with the sheep.
But now that she was sure it was him, what to do about it?
She moved to sit next to him, watching him carefully. After a moment, she peered over to take a look at what he was writing. It was all in English, of course, so she couldn't read it. But soon she realized that he was just rewriting the same line over and over, crossing words out before penning them in again.
Fascinating stuff...not.
"Do you like this face that much?" Naru suddenly asked, giving her a quick glance.
Mai jumped and looked away. "N-No...I'm just bored."
Truthfully, she was a bit disappointed. If she was going to have actual recurring dreams about a guy, the least she could ask for was that they would be a little more interesting.
She sighed. "What am I even doing here? I want to leave…"
"Be my guest," Naru muttered.
"Fine." Mai huffed and got up from her seat. "I'm getting out of here."
She opened the door of the compartment and closed it behind her without looking back.
Now she stood in a narrow corridor connecting several compartments. Beautiful countryside continued to stream by in the windows. No other passengers were in sight.
"Hmm, now what…"
Mai took a few steps down the corridor, and out of curiosity, peered into the next compartment.
"Huh?"
Naru sat in this one as well, reading a book.
"Wait…"
She went back to the compartment she had just left. Naru was still in there.
"Whaaa?"
She walked down the corridor, peering into every compartment she passed. Naru. Naru. Naru. He was in every single one of them!
"Okay, now this is scaring me." Just how obsessed with him was she?! No, don't answer that!
Mai crossed over to the next train car, hoping there would be some way off this damn train, or at least another soul she could talk to. But the compartments in this car were full of Naru too.
She walked faster, giving each compartment only a passing glance. She only stopped when something caught her eye.
"Wait, is that...me?"
This compartment was different from the others. Instead of Naru sitting alone, there was another person sitting across from him. Someone who looked exactly like her.
The Other Mai was saying something. Mai pressed her face against the door's glass, trying to overhear.
"Why'd I have to get stuck with someone so boring anyway?" she whined. "I wish Gene was here instead. That'd be so great." She sighed forlornly. "He'd smile at me and be so nice and actually talk to me like a normal person. It's just my luck…"
Mai couldn't help but cringe. Not that she didn't totally agree, but wow, did she really sound like that?
But it got worse.
"I mean, why are you even alive right now? That doesn't make anyone happy. What's the point?"
Her blood chilled. "Wait...that's…"
Going too far.
The Other Mai let out a loud sigh. "I wish you were the one who died instead! Now that would make me happy..."
Mai slammed her hand against the door. "No! I'd never say that! I would never…!"
"Can't you do something about it?" Other Mai asked.
Naru didn't say anything. The entire time, he just stared down at the floor, expression blank.
Mai banged on the door. "Stop it!"
Why wasn't he talking back? Why did he just sit there and take it? He didn't deserve this. No one did.
Hastily, Mai found the handle of the door and slid it open.
"Stop—"
But when she entered the compartment, no one was there. Both Naru and the Other Mai had disappeared.
"Wha—"
The door slid shut behind her. Mai whirled around. "Hey!"
She pulled at the door handle, but now it would not budge.
That was when she heard the water.
Mai turned at the trickling sound, just as it started to pool around her ankles. Cold, dark, muddy water, rising fast.
She threw her weight on the door, straining to get it open. "What is this?!" she said through grit teeth. The water rose to her knees.
"Come on! Please!" It rose up her thighs. Panicking, Mai banged on the door. "Help! Someone!"
The water was nearly up to her chest, when a pair of slimy, decomposing arms emerged from the depths, encircling her waist.
"Huh?" She only had a second to react before the arms tightened, and tugged. She screamed. They were trying to drag her under the water!
"NO!" Mai clung desperately to the door. "Naru! Help! Naru, please! NARU!"
She heard footsteps running down the corridor. There he was, outside the compartment, eyes wide. "Mai!"
"Naru…" She nearly cried in relief.
He immediately began pulling at the door. He seemed to have better luck at it, and the door finally slid open, causing the water to rush through the opening, dragging Mai with it out into the corridor.
"Oof!" She landed on the floor with a splash. Except it felt harder than the carpeted floor of a train. It was colder, uneven...were these...cobblestones?
Mai opened her eyes. She lay in a narrow alley, dark but for a dim streetlamp at the far end, just enough light to cast stark shadows from the dumpsters and trash bins lining the walls.
"Wh-Where am I…?" Mai struggled to her feet. She was dripping wet, shaky, and cold, but at least the arms were gone. But so was...
"Naru?" She hugged herself, shivering. "Where are you?" There was no other sign of life anywhere.
Slowly, she made her way down the dark alley.
"Naru? Where did you go? Na—"
She tripped on something and stumbled.
Mai fell to her knees, catching herself with her hands. Reflexively, she looked back at what she had tripped over. Her eyes widened.
A body lay on the ground behind a dumpster, hidden in the darkness except for a pale arm outstretched into the alley. And a pale face.
Naru's face, speckled with blood. His eyes, lifeless.
Mai screamed.