"Good morning!" Mai cheerfully greeted everyone in the office.
They greeted her back with the same enthusiasm.
"Jou-chan!" Bou-san hugged her tightly "I haven't see you for a long time."
Ayako thwack him "You saw her yesterday, idiot."
"Oww! Can you just talk to me normally, old hag?!" he whined. He got another thwack at his last remark.
Mai giggled at the two. Right, it's been two months since she work in SPR as an intern. She will work under Naru until her graduation.
She's been in cases here and there; Naru even tested her if she's a psychic. The test result said that she's a latent psychic or something.
She's following her parent's footsteps.
"Mai, tea." Naru's voice disrupts her thoughts.
She rolled her eyes "Yeah, yeah, narcissist."
She's mumbling about a certain narcissist that's addicted to tea while stomping to the kitchen.
Yasuhara whistled "It seems that Ayako-san will win the bet."
Ayako flipped her hair "I never lost when it comes to betting, so far." she proudly said.
Naru snorted "Maybe this will be your first lost?"
"You haven't even kissed her yet." She reminded him "Why is that?"
"I will only do that the moment she will fall for me. So that, Masako and Lin's bets will be mine at the same time."
Everybody looked at him, with raised eyebrows as if saying 'are you sure that's the real reason?'
"Don't forget there's a time limit." Bou-san reminded him
"I know. If I will lose, I will give you three million yen each."
All their jaw dropped. But Naru smirk at them.
"That is if I will lose. But I never lost in my entire life."
"But it's possible." Gene smirk "Never, but not impossible."
Mai came in from the kitchen with a tray. Masako is kind enough to help her.
"Thank you." she smile at her
"It's nothing, Mai"
Masako admired her. She never met any woman like Mai, she never throw herself when she saw Naru, unlike other women.
Masako even tried to treat her badly, acted like a spoiled brat to her, but Mai lectured her that just because she's a well-known celebrity it doesn't mean that she will treat her like one and comply to all of her useless demands.
She laughed and decided that Mai is now one of her trusted friends. She even ask her to be one of her bride's maids, at first she refused but she eventually gave in when she never stopped asking her and when she saw her name in the invitations.
"We have case." Naru said when Mai is done serving their tea.
"Where?" Mai asked.
"In Shouo Mansion."
Mai widened her eyes in fear "In Kyoto?"
"Do you know about that place?"
Mai sheepishly smile and scratch the back of her head "Yeah, kind of."
Everyone's attention is on her "Last year, my friends and I went to Kyoto, we heard about the Shou mansion being haunted by demons, or something. So we took a test of courage, when nothing happen my friends got discouraged and they played the Ouija board that we found in the basement."
"So you didn't join your friends?" Gene asked
Mai shook her head "No. Because the board creep me out."
Naru nodded "Then?"
"Did they got a name?" Bou-san asked
"Yes, it said 'Zephar.' When they asked what he wants he answered soul. That's when they stop, but the pointer keeps on moving. We run after we felt the temperature dropped rapidly."
"Where are those friends of yours now?" Naru asked
"They all died."
There's a long silence before Yasuhara spoke.
"They all died?" he repeated, Mai nodded.
"How?" Ayako asked.
"Accidents, illness, suicide,"
Naru narrowed his eyes "Elaborate."
Mai rolled her eyes "Yuuki was raped then killed; Sandra was ran by a truck; Nami suddenly got a stage 4 cervical cancer; Megumi killed herself when her boyfriend left her for her mother."
They all flashed disgusted look at her last statement.
"Seriously?!" Ayako exclaimed
"Yeah. Megumi's mother is a single mom, she got pregnant with Meg when she was thirteen so she's quite young. She mostly mistaken as Meg's older sister."
"So all four of them died?" Naru inquired.
"Yes."
"What about you?"
Mai look at him as if he's stupid "Obviously, I didn't die because I just make your tea a while ago."
All of them snickered at their young boss.
"Knowing how danger magnet you are, I thought he also followed you." He smirked, and then sober "So your friends are the reason why the mansion is haunted."
"Hey, it's already a well-known haunted house in the first place." She defended
"Yes, but your friends are the one who woke up whatever entity that haunting the mansion."
"Sorry." she mumbled.
"The current owner, Shouo Yamato, is our client. He inherited the mansion from his grandfather who died recently. When he surveyed the mansion, he heard women voices, screaming for help." Naru briefly explained.
"Be here at eight tomorrow. And Mai, don't be late remember I'm recording your attendance."
"Will you stop reminding me every time?" She spat
"I'm just reminding you, because I'm sure, you will forget it with that brain of yours." He teased.
Mai was flustered "For your information narcissistic, my brain is fine! I'm not stupid like what you always implying!"
When she only got a smirk from him, Gene and Bou-san hold her, she's ready to kill him!
"Let me go! I will hit that narcissistic jerk and that sarcastic smirk out from his face!"
The others laugh, they never get tired watching the two teasing each other.
Naru slightly blush when he glimpsed her underwear, she's wearing a skirt and she's trying to kick to him.
Lace... he noted.
He stood up and grin at her "Mai, really? A red lace? Are you seducing me?"
Mai immediately stop struggling, Naru went to his office while Mai still processing what he just said.
Seconds later...
"NARUUUU!"
Naru let a soft laugh in his office.
They arrived around three in the afternoon. Shouo-san booked a hotel nearby, he meet them at the lobby.
"Thank you for coming, Dr. Davis." He bowed to him. He led them to the mansion.
"Wow, it never changed!" Mai exclaimed
"You've been here before?" Shouo-san curiously asked
Naru shot her look that says 'you will hear from me later', Mai inwardly cringed "Ah, no. I mean, long story. Hahah"
When they enter the mansion, Gene shivered.
"Gods! What kind of haunted house is this? There are so many lost and tortured souls!"
Mai supported him "Careful, don't collapse on me, you are heavy."
"I'm sorry Dr. Davis, but I really need this place, this is my grandfather's treasure. I want to inherit this place to my future child too." Naru just nod, he led them to their base "This will be your base." He handed him the blueprint of the house. "And here's the blue print."
"Thank you, we will call you if we need anything." Gene informed.
Shouo-san bowed before he left.
"Gene, how many spirits can you sense?" Naru directly asked his twin.
"A lot. More than five, most of them are women."
Suddenly, a cold shrilling scream echoed the whole mansion, not one or two but a lot of voices.
Mai is trembling, she dropped on her knees, she covered her ears.
"Mai?" Naru kneel to her eye level. When Mai look at him, she was crying.
"What happen?" He worriedly asked.
She cried harder "I can hear my friends' voices." she whispered, but loud enough for the team to hear.
They all gasped.
Naru hugged her, to comfort her. Naru ordered them to set up the base while he's still calming Mai down, who eventually fall asleep.
Everyone is doing their assigned tasks; research, temperature reading, sensing.
Around six in the evening, everyone is in the base.
"Naru, we found an Ouija board in the second floor." Ayako informed her young boss.
"But we didn't bring it here." Bou-san added
"Why?"
Ayako and Bou-san exchanged looks, then she speak.
"Because the pointer is moving swiftly."
"I want to see it." Before he can stand, a knock interrupted him.
Gene opened the door and saw Shouo-san with a blond man.
"I'm sorry I didn't inform you earlier but my wife called for an exorcist. This is John Brown." He introduced.
Naru's ears perked, he don't like the name 'John' because he always heard Mai talking to someone named John and he hates it.
John bowed at the "G'evening"
They blinked and then burst out laughing.
"It seems that he learned Japanese in Kansai area." Shouo-san informed them. "John, please work together with them." Then he look down on his side "Are you sure she's safe?"
John smile at him "Yes. She won't leave at my side."
Shouo-san once again bowed at Naru "I will now take my leave."
When he left, John enter the base. The SPR widened their eyes when they saw a kid, clutching the side of his pants.
Naru narrowed his eyes on this "I don't think it's appropriate to bring your child here."
John blushed "Ah no, Amy is –"
"Mama!" Amy ran to Mai's sleeping form on the couch. She shook her to wake up "Mama! Mama! Wake up! Don't leave me!" she cried.
Their jaw dropped at the sight. Naru widened his eyes for a moment. He then glared at John.
"Your name is John?" He asked coldly, John nodded.
"Yes, mate!"
"JOHN!" Mai exclaimed when she saw him. "What are you doing here?! And you even brought Amy!" She angrily shouted.
The priest blanched "I was called here for work, Mai-san."
"And Amy?!"
"She won't leave my side. She said she wanted to see you." He tried to reason out to her, when he saw Mai furrowed her eyebrows deeper "Amy-chan said, she wanted to make sure that you are safe."
"She..." John nodded, he already knows what Mai is about to say.
Mai looked at the child that hugging her tightly.
"Mai" Naru's cold and stern voice makes her to look at him "Explain."
"Oh sorry Naru. John, I want you to meet my boss, Oliver Davis, his brother Gene, Matsuzaki Ayako, Takigawa Houshou, Yasuhara Osamu, and lastly, Lin Koujo. They are the SPR team" Everyone gave him a curt nod and smile.
"Guys, I want you to meet Father John Brown. A Catholic exorcist."
"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed, which made John flinch at their sudden outburst.
"A Catholic priest?!" Naru can't help but raised his voice, and looked at Mai
"Yes, he's a priest." She confirmed.
"But he has a child" Bou-san pointed at the child beside her.
Mai widened her eyes "Amy is not his child!"
"Then she's yours? She even called you mama." Yasu asked.
"Soon, after I adopt her." she smiled at them.
Oliver Davis is lost, so the 'John' that always called Mai is a priest? He's jealous to a priest all this time?!
But how come Mai knows him?
And the child? She called her 'mama.'
"Amy, why are you here?" Mai softly asked.
Naru looked at Mai and the child named Amy. It made him curious why the child insisted to come.
"Mama..."
"Yes?"
"You will... I dreamt about it." tears coalesce on her eyes
"Come on tell me."
She opened her mouth. Everyone gasped at her statement, even Naru was stunned; it seems that his blood left out from his body. Mai widened her eyes. She hugged her when she starts crying.
"Don't leave me mama, let's go home." she sobbed.
Mai didn't answer.
She looked at John, it seems that she already told him what she dreamt seeing his look.
Her statement still echoes in her mind...
.
.
.
.
.
"You will die here mama, protecting someone..."