If you end up in Shibuya, looking to solve the problem of a haunting, you'll probably end up at the SPR office. SPR, meaning Shibuya Psychic Research. Ordinarily, ending up here means you've either exhausted all your options or jumped immediately to 'haunting.'

If the latter, we'll probably have a problem because my boss is picky and doesn't like it when people do not look at all possibilities (likely, your case might be better off in the hands of a hospital or maybe even a police officer).

The former? Well, maybe then we'll take your case.

That is, as long as you don't make our boss angry by referring to his age or having a worse attitude than himself. There's only one person allowed to have a bad demeanor in this office and that's the boss. Shibuya Kazuya.

Shibuya Kazuya (aka Dr. Oliver Davis; AKA Naru, short for Narcissist) is 18 years old, so it's very surprising to learn that he runs this office. Especially where his assistant, Lin (almost 29, who is somehow more gloomy that Naru himself) is older than him and his other investigator is 17 (me!).

Which isn't to say that he...wanted me as an investigator. Or thinks me capable as an investigator. He was forced into it. And now that his other assistant is gone (Taka, now a university student!), I'm mostly just office assistance unless we're in the midst of a case...and even then, I've been known to attract trouble. Meaning I mostly answer phone calls, file paperwork, and begrudgingly make tea every time Naru asks for it.

But anyway~

Naru is very picky about the cases we take at SPR. They have to be exciting enough to pique his interest. And they have to have enough activity that we can record it scientifically as he prefers. After all...he is a doctor (kind of).

We don't talk about that distinction. It just puts him in a bad mood.

Today was mostly quiet. We had gained enough reputation when Naru had left and when Madoka took over that we don't get as many stupid requests as we normally did when I started out. Unfortunately what we had gained was just a lot of people with smaller cases that didn't offer Naru much satisfaction in solving.

Our client that came in for consultation was a young woman under the name of Aiko Watanabe (she was maybe 25, and an assistant in a law office). She had just moved into a home with her husband (Fumio Watanabe, an accountant? I think? For some big magazine?) where they were having some problems with a ghost. Things were moving around, only a few centimeters at the time. Things went missing only to appear a few days later. But it was nothing that showed any imminent danger. Watanabe-san says that her mother died shortly after they moved, so she's worried about her mother not passing because the items that keep moving all belong to the daughter.

It was their wedding photos that went missing. She thinks (at the discretion of us not telling her husband this) that her mother is trying to warn her about her marriage.

Realistically, it sounds like a potential poltergeist but she's also too old to be doing stuff like this. I'm vaguely interested in what it could possibly be and yet I knew Naru would never take the case. He'd probably just tell me the reason they had troubles as soon as Watanabe-san left. And he'd probably make fun of me for not knowing right off the bat.

I smiled, inwardly. The client didn't know it, but these cases never interest him too much. It's very simple and—

Naru nodded, crossing his legs as he leaned back into the couch. "We'll take your case. If you speak with Taniyama-san here, she'll provide you with the necessary information about our investigation."

I flinched, gaping at my boss. However, he doesn't look at me. "Stop gaping, Mai." He pushed himself from the couch and disappeared into his office, leaving me with the client.

But I can't help but watch in wide-eyed shock as his door closed behind him.

Really? This case?

Both Naru and Lin-san had disappeared into their respective rooms, leaving me responsible for what would normally be Yasuhara's job (he's also a university student, in his second year and also a part-timer here on occasion): research. Turns out this week, he has some test or another and is actually studying for once.

Not to mention, I still haven't the faintest clue why we're taking the case. It's non-threatening and honestly, barely a nuisance for the client. They only wanted us there to make their lives a little bit easier. So now I'm stuck researching the neighborhood's history while the boss does...who knows what.

Now that he's not looking for Gene, I'm not really sure what he does with all his time anymore. I'm too afraid to ask because he'll probably be mad at me for asking.

Shortly after the client left, the SPR Irregulars arrived and made our couches into a coffee shop. Again. They even managed to summon Yasuhara-san, who had the excuse of needing the optimism of the SPR office as a study break (yeah, he's probably the one that orchestrated this meet up).

We all sat around the coffee table, and I was situated with some printouts from online I found before the gang showed up. But even as I coddle a cup of tea (that John thankfully agreed to make for us, seeing as I was already flustered at their sudden appearance) I found myself distracted by all the conversation.

"You know, you're making it very hard for me to concentrate."

Ayako scoffed. "Mai-chan, the more time you spend around that boss of yours, the more you act like him. Why don't you let me get you a clerk job at my parents' hospital?"

My cheeks puffed out. "I like it here very much, thank you."

"Besides, if Mai left—it's not like you can turn a hospital lobby into a coffee shop."

We flinched as Naru's voice wafted into the room. I turned and found him staring at us from his doorframe. I turned my eyes down and my cheeks burst into flames. Busted.

"However, now that you're all here, I ask you to clear your schedules for the next week."

I watched as the team fell into pandemonium.

"You can't ask that!"

"Why would we do that."

"Yeah, we don't like you that much to clear at the drop of a hat, Naru-bou."

That last one was Bou-san, whose eyes were wide and resentful. He probably had plans this weekend.

Naru just watched the scene in amusement.

"Out of good favor of Mai, of course." His lips curled up as he assessed the room. "Mai will be acting as lead investigator for this case. I'll be there for observation (and to fix any problems that may arise)."

EH? Me? Lead investigator? But that's—that's Naru's job! "What do you mean?"

He crossed his arms and looked me carefully in the eyes. "Do you not think you're ready? I can easily—"

"No! NO! I'll do it!" I shouted. Ha! Think you can take away something before I even had a taste? I'll show him! I'll be the best lead investigator the world has ever seen!

Naru just rolled his eyes and turned back to his office. "Mai, stop monologuing in your head. It's unbecoming."

Hey, you! But before I had the opportunity to shout after him, Naru shut the door behind him. The argument was over before it'd even begun. "Stupid, arrogant, jerk," I grumbled, relaxing back onto the couch. I stared long and hard at the teacup I abandoned on the coffee table. My friends cheered.

"Cheer up, Jou-chan! You're rising the ranks!" Bou-san cried, pulling his arm around my shoulder.

"I knew you could do it!"

"About time the boss man let her do something important!"

Around me, the SPR irregulars remaining in the office bustled with joy. They were all congratulating me for something I haven't even done successfully. Even Masako managed to a smile in my direction. I smiled with them, but I was suddenly unsure of myself as they all piled around to hug me.

My eyes glanced over to Naru' s office door and my gut wrenched. I couldn't help but feel like I've been tricked into something.