Disclaimer: I wouldn't have to write this if I owned Ghost Hunt.
Chapter 3.1 Et Alia
She followed the narcissistic jerk to the old schoolhouse. I guess I have to find another job some other time. Although she theoretically has another job, she's paying off her debts and that wouldn't really account for anything in banks. She was walking behind the narcissist who was a just a few steps ahead of her when she decided to catch up and interrogate the man.
"When you said 'ghost hunting', what did you mean?" Saying the activity in perfect English.
He looked at the girl in his left cautiously. "Ghost hunting, an exact translation would be 'ghost exterminator'. My company, Shibuya Psychic Research or SPR specializes in psychic research or specifically, on investigations concerning paranormal activities." She breathed in the information and exhaled "psychic research" almost inaudibly. It's like the weirdest English lesson yet. He's very accomplished for his age and that's… impressive. Maybe I'd enjoy working for him after all.
He, of course heard everything that seems to slip out the girl's mouth. "Is that a question?" Or not. "Psychic means shinrei or spiritual while research means chousa or investigation. Your principal hired us last week with the hopes of solving the problem and continuing on with the demolition."
She huffed as they saw the black van. "For your information, I understood all of those English words. It's just the weirdest collection of Japanese and English words." She beamed at him, excitement overpowering her bitterness towards the young man, "But it sounds exciting! I'm looking forward to it, boss!"
He looked at her and her smiling form. Her smile is genuine, to say the least. It suits her. He was pulled out of his musings when they reached the back of the van and saw two unfamiliar figures.
"So you're the boss?" A red-headed lady wearing a matching pencil skirt and blazer in mustard yellow with a purple buttoned up shirt said. Her eyes matched her hair but it's evident that it's not her natural hair color. I may not like the guy but I had reasons unlike her, meeting him for the first time and already being that rude. I don't appreciate her pompous tone towards my new employer one bit.
The young CEO wore a bored look eyeing the newcomers. "Mind introducing yourselves as you seem to be already know who I am."
It's a battle of the condescending! Some popcorn would be good right now. The lady, who could be at least 23 years old, visibly flinched from the young boss' answer.
"Young boys such as yourself should learn your manners and not playing with all those fancy toys you got there. For introductions, I am Matzusaki Ayako, a self-styled shrine maiden," she said flipping her hair.
He hummed not really paying attention to the new people. For him, the laptop was more appealing to look at. He turned his head looking at the priestess. "I was under the impression that only chaste virgins can become shrine maidens." His latest employee and the man beside the red head tried to stifle a laugh with the young man's comeback.
The shrine maiden's eyebrow twitched in irritation, "I see, and your point is?"
"At the very least, I would say that you're a little too old to be calling yourself a maiden." That was it; the young girl and the blonde man lost it and laughed hysterically while Matsuzaki-san's expression went grim.
Kazuya directed his eyes on the blonde beside the maiden. "And who might you be? You look far more intelligent than just being a shrine maiden's assistant." The long haired man composed himself by taking long deep breaths. "I'm a monk of the Koyasan sect, and my name is Takigawa Hosho."
The teenage girl raised her eyebrow and butted in. "Since when were monks allowed to have long hair among the Koyasan?" Before she could stop herself, her eyes already wide when she asked, "Are you an apostate?"
The monk was quick to defend himself, touching his hair. "I've just come down from the mountain for now. I'm on a little hiatus!" The girl silently regretted her question and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm Taniyama Mai, by the way, please call me Mai," she bowed slightly.
"And who might you be?" The miko pointedly asked. It took her a few seconds to answer, fighting the lump stuck in her throat. "Well, uhm, I guess, I'm his assistant," giving them a nervous laugh. The black-haired teenager smirked at her answer.
"Lin, you can take off. You should rest for the remainder of the case," the Chinese man let his eyebrow do the questioning for him.
In all my years working with and working for the boy, not once did he give time to rest, and when did the high school girl become his assistant? What are you planning? The boy just nodded seemingly dismissing the question. "Call me if you need anything." With that he fled the weird scene.
"You are free to observe starting later. My assistant and I have preparations to attend to so if you don't mind, we'll be going back to our jobs." The monk and priestess just shrugged at the boy's statement and said they'll be in the school talking to the principal.
"Mai, grab all the boxes that you can carry and follow me." She nodded aggressively, pumped to start working. "And, Mai, please don't break anything else." She rolled her eyes at her boss and stuck out her tongue but followed him into the schoolhouse, boxes in hand.
They walked on a dusty hallway with the floorboards creaking under the weight of their steps as he explained how the events that were perceived as paranormal can be explained thus, making the stories about the building just fiction. They stopped at the first room to the right and entered. Her boss gently put down the steel rods and rectangular blocks that will house all the monitors. "We'll set up base here." The girl just nodded. She gingerly pulled out the cables from the box she was carrying wondering what's attached to where when she realized her boss was almost out the door. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"I'll start bringing in the equipment while you set up the shelves," he calmly stated.
"You're going to leave me here by myself?" This girl is afraid of being alone in a building that I just explained was not haunted? He sighed, "Yes, Mai. Seeing as you are not fit to carry the materials that weighs more than a hundred pounds."
She hesitated before giving him an okay. I can't believe how stuck-up that guy is! She observed for a moment the space which will become their base for the next few days. Hmm, the floors are uneven. I think this building's going to give in soon seeing that it's old. Old but not haunted. She affirmed herself. Old but not haunted. Old but not – a footstep broke her train of thoughts and panic filled her lungs as she screamed.
"Mai, stop goofing off and go back to work," her boss chided as he was fully enveloped by the light. This guy's really getting under my skin! She rolled her eyes at him which he answered with a raised eyebrow. They continued to set up quietly, her asking questions occasionally about where things went.
"What are those?" The question was thrown to the room but since they were the only two people there, the other answered. He looked at the object of his assistant's curiosity. "An infrared camera and a thermal imaging camera. They're used to shoot in total darkness." He walked to the cameras and lifted the silver one, "This one uses thermography to record temperatures. When spirits appear, the temperatures where they are drop and the change is shown by the camera."
She was like a little kid in a candy store. Awe and wonder made more obvious in her animated eyes. "It's amazing that you know a lot about this stuff."
"No, it's not. My brain just works differently than yours," he deadpanned. "Can you just take a compliment and shut up, you narcissistic jerk?!" She snapped at him although halfheartedly. She wouldn't admit it but she was already comfortable with their banters, even with his narcissism.
She calmed herself and asked another question. "Well, mister hotshot boss man, have there been any cases that you didn't solve?" He didn't even think about it, "No. I'm very good at what I do, after all."
She silently fumed at his arrogance. "Smart and handsome, yeah right, along with self-absorbed and jerky jerk face, jerk," she said under her breath in a mocking tone.
He stopped wiring the monitors to look at his assistant. He knows she didn't want him to hear her but it's an opportunity in itself. "You think I'm handsome?" The girl's not immune after all. He watched her expression of horror when she realized she said it just loud enough that her boss could hear her. "Ano… yeah. You certainly think that way and that's what all my classmates say so that shouldn't surprise you," she blushed like the teenage girl that she is while she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt her gaze on the ground.
Pink is a lovely color on her, he mused. "Well, it seems like you all have good taste." Her head snapped to her boss when he said that. She walked up to her boss and stood on her tiptoes so she could reach his right ear. He just stood there waiting for what his assistant would do next. He almost shivered when he felt her breath near his ear. With an inhale, "Narcissist!" He pulled away from the girl who just shouted directly in his hear sending her a glare that would make a grown man flee for his life. She just wore a smirk at his deadly expression. That'll teach you, you narcissistic bastard. Na-ru-ci-sis-tic! Naru! Naru the narcissist! From now on, his name is Naru. Her smirk turned to a grin with that thought.
This girl might be more trouble than entertainment. He furrowed his eyebrow and ended his deathly glare at the high schooler. He felt her inch close to him again while he busied himself with his laptop. "Ne, Naru, what are you doing?" Naru? He momentarily froze. His head shot up to stare at the girl. He claimed her wrist in his hand. "Where did you hear that?" Has he been found out? She gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean? Other people call you Naru too?" Didn't she know? Only two people called him Naru, the other one being Lin on occasion but I doubt he told her that. Lin won't do anything reckless like this. He let go of her wrist and dove his hand to his hair while she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Maybe she does know and is just playing innocent. That possibility nagged at him. What are you hiding from me Taniyama Mai? "Dang it! I thought I'd be the only one to call you Naru!" She sounded almost disappointed. "Oh, well! It's clever, right? Naru the Narcissist! I could have it engraved for you in a nameplate or something!" She beamed at him, her smile lighting up the room. She's not lying; she's too pure, too innocent. She really doesn't know but she's far from ordinary. She might not even be aware of it herself. "Naru, Naru, Naru the Narcissist," she said in a singsong repeatedly while untangling the cables. He just observed her while caught up in his contemplation. She looked up and smiled at him, a radiant uncorrupted smile that made him want to return one himself but fought not to, fought hard.
His battle with himself ended when the miko and the monk entered their base.
"My, my, little kids shouldn't be running around with this many toys," the priestess said her arms crossed. He just ignored them and ordered Mai to take measurements and temperatures of each room. Demanding jerk.
"It's an earthbound spirit. I can get rid of it in no time," the red head confidently said.
"There would not be a need for that," another voice said. Mai was startled to the point that she grabbed the narcissist's sleeve when she saw a pale tween standing in the door way. The girl tells ghost stories in total darkness in an empty school yet she's scared this easy?
"It's okay, Mai. She's human," he just said. She visibly relaxed and blushed when she realized where her hands were. "You're Hara Masako, aren't you?" the monk pointed.
"It seems like the principal doesn't have enough confidence in me to hire some minor celebrity for a medium," Matsuzaki-san huffed.
"So, Hara-san what kind of spirits are we dealing with?" the monk again inquired.
"There is no spirit here," the dark haired medium stated. She then looked at the handsome young man standing by the monitors. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe that I had the pleasure of meeting you before." Jeez, that's the oldest pick up line in the book.
"Yes, we've never met but I am familiar with your work," face blank. At least Naru didn't fall for it but she is pretty. Mai let her eyes linger on the stranger's features. Her skin was pale like the moon. Her hair was jet black and straight, her fringe perfectly framing her face. She was an elegant type of beauty which her clothing emphasized. Her long fine lashes gave her face more femininity and her eyes showed little emotions; she was reserved and proper. She and Naru would make a perfect couple, they both share a lot of things in common. She almost missed the flow of conversation in front of her.
"As I've said, there are no spirits here so there would be no need for an exorcism," her kimono sleeve covering her mouth.
"You're wrong!" Every head turned around when the door slammed open. "There are powerful spirits here! I can sense them with my strong psychic powers!" Kuroda-san? Where did she come from?
Even though Naru knows the bespectacled girl is more or less lying, he still asked, "Why do you say so?"
There was a glint in her eyes when the handsome man showed interest in what she had to say. "I've been having headaches as they gathered here, asking for help. They were stranded here when they died in the war," Kuroda-san explained passionately.
"That's false. You don't even seem to have any psychic powers. You're lying," Hara-san said bluntly. Oh, she and Naru are absolutely perfect for each other! Maybe they'll drive each other nuts and let me go.
"What?! You're the fake here. Everybody knows it's easy to fake results on TV and you only get ratings because you're pretty!" The outsider spat out her insult.
"I take that as a compliment but what you're saying is false. There are no spirits here," she simply said.
"Hey, this is no place for little girls as yourself. Run along now. We can't deal with psychic wannabes right now. We have things to take care of," this time the miko interjected.
"You're the wannabe! There's no way in hell you're a shrine maiden! Your skin's too saggy to be a virginal priestess!" Kuroda-san shielded herself.
The priestess on the other hand seemed to have had enough of the nonsense. "You grandstander. You're just looking for attention. Are you really that desperate for people to like you? You claim to be spiritually sensitive in the hopes of being noticed."
"Hey, that's totally uncalled for!" This time, Mai tried to stop the foul language then she heard a dark chuckle. She saw Kuroda-san staring at the miko with piercing brown eyes, "I'm going to summon a spirit and have it possess you. I swear you'll regret this." She turned her back and walked away. I've never seen her so angry before.
"Whatever. I'm going to prepare to exorcise the spirit," the miko took her leave as well.
The CEO, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes with the drama of it all. This is why I do not work well with anybody who lags behind in intellual capacity. "Mai, take measurements of the corridors and the rooms. Take this as well," he handed her a room thermometer, "and record the readings shown. I will set up the cameras." She just stared and took the materials. He didn't miss the questioning look she was giving the inanimate objects. "Do I have to repeat myself, Mai?" Her face then shifted to frown and she stuck her tongue out before walking out of the room.
The spirit medium excused herself to do another walkthrough while the monk volunteered to come with her. The young man paid them no mind and also left the room with cameras and microphones.
"Stupid demanding narcissist, never even gave me a chance to process everything," she mumbled to herself. She didn't really mind doing her tasks as his assistant but she was worried about walking around a supposedly haunted schoolhouse, alone. If Naru says there isn't a spirit here then I believe him. He is a cocky bastard and I don't think his ego can't take the blow if he was wrong. She got through measuring the rooms and the corridors; she jumped slightly every time she heard creaking noises or the wind.
She was on her way back to the base when she saw a blonde young man in front of the room. "Hey, are you lost?" He turned around and she saw that he had bright blue eyes. Definitely foreign. "Uhm. No, I'm actually told to find Shibuya Kazuya-san," her eyes widened when she heard him speak. She bit her cheek to keep herself from laughing at the man's accent speaking their mother tongue. "R-right he-here. He-he's in here," she struggled.
When they entered the room, they saw that the red head changed into white and red clothing, something someone wore in shrines, and her hair tied in a neat knot. Standing beside her was the monk who was engaged in a conversation, or insult sparring, with the miko while Naru was in front of the monitors checking each one. The spirit medium entered and stood beside Naru who just ignored her.
The blonde boy who entered the room with me coughed to get their attention. They turned to look at him, "Hello there. My name is John Brown, I was told to ask for Shibuya Kazuya-san as he is lead investigator of this case." The adults snorted and laughed to their hearts' content.
"You… Hahaha. That accent… Where?" The monk.
"Who? Hahaha. Taught… You. Kansai. Hahaha." The miko. I know I had some trouble but at least I have more self-control than them. Hara-san hid her smile behind her Kimono sleeve while Naru, well, was impassive. "I am Shibuya-san. What are you here for Mr. Brown?" He started to speak in Japanese but shifted to English.
"Ah, nice to meet you, Mr. Shibuya," he bowed then continued in his weird Kansai-ben and Australian accent. "The principal asked for my help as I practice the ancient art of exorcism." The laughter ceased hearing this.
"Only those who have been ordained in the Catholic Church as priests have the ability to conduct exorcisms. You seem young for that," Naru inquired.
"You really know your stuff. You're right. I just turned 19 a few weeks ago that's why I look so young," the young priest rubbed the back of his head. He's just a few years older than Naru but it sure doesn't look that way.
"So, we have an exorcist, a monk, a medium, a miko and a ghost hunter," the red head mused. "Well, stand back kids; I'm getting rid of the spirit once and for all." The team was met by the director and the principal in the entrance hall where there was an altar. She stood in front of it and started waving a gohei, a stick with elaborately folded paper on the end.
"I reverently pray for thy presence. Deign to ensconce thyself in this unhallowed place, and purify its many vessels," the school heads just standing behind her as she prayed. "I ask that my humble plea may be heard, to reclaim peace to the spirit trapped unto this place."
"What is she saying?" The school girl asked as she stood watching from a few feet with her boss, the monk and the priest.
"Have you never heard of norito, Mai?" She glared at the teen. Of course, I haven't. I wouldn't be asking if I did, jerk! "They're like Shinto incantations," the monk sensing her irritation with her boss' useless answers.
"I've never seen a Shinto-style exorcism. Watch closely, Mai." She just shot him a look but continued watching. After a few more minutes of the red head's monotonous incantations, she started to drift off, her head resting on the closest solid form.
"Uhm. Shibuya-san," the name bearer looked at the priest and saw he was wearing an apologetic expression. "Taniyama-san is…" He didn't feel the need to continue as the boss saw with his own eyes the source of his discomfort. Her assistant had her head resting on Father Brown's arm while sleeping. What am I going to do with this girl? He nudged the girl's arm and slightly shook her. "Mai, this is not the time for sleeping."
She groaned. "Five more minutes, narcissist," she slurred. Even half awake, she calls me a narcissist. "Mai, the principal is looking at you," her eyes blinked open and was assaulted by the light. When she saw that the school heads were still behind the shrine maiden, she glared at Naru while he just smirked at her.
"Descend and guide us your divine protection," there was a pause then Matsuzaki-san faced the older men. "That's it. Now, there's nothing to worry about." She was praised by the academic heads and they thanked her for her services. They offered to have a party in her honor but she declined saying she needs to stay to make sure that there wouldn't be any more problems.
The miko and the older men were walking to the door and the rest were going back to base when they heard glass breaking. They saw the windows cracked, shards headed to the three people nearest to the door. The miko instantly covered her head and scrunched down while the other two froze in shock. What is this? Did we make the spirit mad? But how is that possible?
The rest of the team ran up to them and inspected their injuries. "This man is bleeding!" referring to the principal. "Call an ambulance," the monk ordered the teenage girl. She just nodded and took out her phone. After her emergency call, the girl kneeled in front of Ayako checking for wounds. When she found none, she helped her stand while the others helped the older men.
The ambulance arrived a few minutes after the incident. When they sent off the heads, they went back inside the schoolhouse. The maiden said she's going to change to her normal clothes in another room before going to the base.
An intense atmosphere coated the base, as well as silence. Everybody was theorizing about the events that transpired earlier then they heard a shriek and knocking sounds. "That's Ayako," Mai said and rushed to where the scream was coming from with the others not far behind.
"Open up! Open this door!" She sounded frantic while she was banging on the other side of the door. The tensed atmosphere grew stronger. "Stand back, Ayako! I'm kicking it down!"
"Hurry up and do something! And don't drop honorifics with me!" Even in a state of panic, she still has the energy to argue with the monk. Bou-san kicked the door but it still wouldn't budge, he stepped back a little for balance then tried again. He was successful this time.
Ayako quickly got out of the room. She looked pale and her forehead was drenched in sweat which she wiped off with the back of her hand. Mai assisted her to the base and let her sit down. She gave her bottled water that she brought with her.
"I was changing from my robes to my normal clothes. When I was finished, I tried opening the door but it wouldn't. It seems that I made the spirit angry," the red head explained.
The teenage girl looked at her boss to gauge his reaction but he was just looking at a rusty nail. A rusty nail? Maybe he lost a few nuts and bolts in his head before.
"No, you didn't make the spirit angry. There are no spirits here," Masako said upon reentering the room. I didn't even notice she was gone.
"How can you explain what happened a while ago? It's obviously a site bound spirit."
"I still think it's an earthbound spirit that's blocking the construction, afraid of losing its home."
"John, what do you think?"
"Well, to tell you honestly, I'm not sure but it is true that a haunted house originates from a spirit or ghost occupying a certain space or structure."
The boy was still intently observing the nail. "So it's either a haunting, fiction or folklore." He turned to his assistant who was also observing the nail he held in his hand. "Are you listening, Mai? These are things you need to learn."
"Of course, I am! I'm not some worthless use of space here!" Hmm. Her lack of focus causes her to have instantaneous reactions.
"The paranormal events here are just fictional, nothing more," the medium interjected again.
"You're wrong. There is a spirit here and it's angry. Well, it's angrier from the attempts of exorcising it by the fake miko. That explains everything that happened earlier," Kuroda said, her expression cold.
"I am beginning to tire of this charade. Everything you say is false," the medium countered.
"The spirit attacked me!" They were looking at her. "I was walking down the hallway when something tugged on my hair and I felt hands tightening on my neck. It started strangling me when I fought to break free. It screamed at me, saying that my spirit sensitivity was too strong and I must be gone, something like that."
Naru had his eyebrow arched. "When did this happen?"
"A few minutes ago, in the second floor hallway."
"I'm telling you, you're just adding fuel to the fire with this one. She isn't even a psychic," the miko rolled her eyes and walked out, shoving the accused out of her way.
"You said it was the second floor hallway?" Naru walked to his laptop, pressed some keys then the monitor showed Kuroda on the screen. She was making her way up the stairs and when she reached the second floor, the camera began to flicker until there was just static. "What happened? Was the camera broken?" His assistant wondered out loud.
"No, but it is quite strange." He unconsciously put his right hand on his chin while his other hand grasped his elbow. "Electronic devices malfunction when spirits appear but I don't think that's the case here. Is it a spirit or EM interference?" The question was more directed to himself.
"It was obviously a spirit! EM interference doesn't cause someone to be attacked on the spot," she clarified.
"But Hara-san she doesn't feel any spirits here," Mai argued.
"Let's just say I still have doubts about her psychic abilities," the girl eyed the medium.
"It is common for female mediums to be exact or off base. Even if she doesn't sense any spirits now doesn't mean the haunting is inactive. If what you say is true then the spirits that inhabit this place must be in tune with your wavelength," Naru explained.
The girl's face lightened up hearing the young man's thoughts. "Yes, that maybe it."
"Let's call it a night since it's already getting dark," the boss announced. "Mai, you are dismissed, for the rest of you, you may do as you please."
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow," Brown-san was the first to concede to the decision.
"I'll walk out with you," the medium followed. "See you tomorrow, kids!" The monk lazily following the young pair.
The boss was just typing in his computer while Kuroda and Mai silently watched him. The brunette didn't exactly know what to do with herself. "Are you leaving?"
"Not yet. There are a few more things that I want to investigate," was his short answer.
"I could help you with whatever it is," Kuroda offered but he just shot her a cold stern look. "Go home. You are already a liability by being here as an outsider." She was stunned then ran away.
"Well, uh, try to be careful, okay?" She was sincere. Thinking about the unexplained events earlier, she was sure it was dangerous there. She was answered with silence so she just walked away.
She was halfway home when the thoughts of her boss being alone in a dangerous old schoolhouse suffocated her. She ran all the way home; she was breathless when she reached her doorstep. She checked her watch, 6:07 pm, I can do this. She headed to the kitchen after dropping off her things and started cooking for two. It was a good thing she did some grocery shopping before going into class since she woke up early. It's hard to believe that her day was still not over. She finished cooking and started packing two bentos when she thought they could use some tea. She searched her cupboards for the container then started boiling water. After putting the tea in a thermos, she was off.
She reached the old schoolhouse sometime after 7. She walked to where the van was and saw her boss sleeping in the back in an uncomfortable sitting position. She hesitated to wake him up but it was still early and she couldn't let food go to waste. She poked his cheek. "Hey, Naru," poke. "Naru!" poke. "Wake up." Poke. "Na-" she was cut off when a hand stopped her wrist. "Really, Mai. Do you want to poke a hole through my handsome face?"
She quickly took back her arm, "Why you egotistical maniac! I just put you out of misery from that sleeping position you were in and this is the thanks I get!" She snorted to which her boss just smirked. "What are doing back here, Mai?"
Her anger quickly segued to coyness when she handed him a paper bag, "Here." He raised his eyebrow but accepted the bag. "What is this, Mai?"
"It's really hard to do a good thing for you so could you just open it?!" She was slightly exasperated and nervous. He glanced at her once more before taking out the contents of the bag. He held a bento which caused him to lose his impassive demeanor to give her a quizzical look.
She just smiled and calmly explained. "Well, I didn't think you'd have the time to prepare dinner or go out for takeout so I thought I'd bring you dinner. It's nothing special but it's still warm. You must be tired being the big boss man and all."
She sat beside her boss but there still was respective distance between them. He was lost for words. In all the years he was working with Lin and others who would occasionally accompany him, never have any of them did anything like this. Food was the farthest from his concerns when it comes to cases. Lin just usually orders for him or food is brought by the clients, never by his workmates. He was staring at the food container in front of him when he heard a growl. He looked at his assistant who blushed in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I haven't exactly eaten either." She put my welfare first before hers? "Don't worry, you can have that all to yourself. I made two."
"Eat," that was just all he mustered to say. He wasn't use to this level of kindness from anyone since most people avoided him or the other way around, he avoided most people. She just nodded and took out another bento from the other paper bag she was holding. She gave him chopsticks as well.
"Itadakimasu!" She said happily and started eating so did he. "You aren't very talkative, are you?" She suddenly voiced out her thoughts.
"Hmm. I just talk when I think it's necessary, like explaining things to you," she stopped eating just to glare at him. She was right, though. The food was still hot and it was tasty even though there were few ingredients used. "Did you make this?"
She nodded, focusing on her food, "I'm sorry if it's not the kind of food you're used to. I'm kind of in a tight budget."
"It's good." She turned his head and just blinked at him. "T-thanks." Recovering from the initial shock from the narcissist's compliment, "That reminds me, I also made tea!"
Tea! His mind screamed. He was waiting eagerly, not that his face showed it while the girl beside him poured him a cup. His nose lingered on the smell of the beverage before taking a sip. His eyes widened when he tasted it. It was a little weaker for his preference but nonetheless, it was seeped to perfection, with just a hint of honey. It might be worth it having you around, Mai.
There was silence but it was far from uncomfortable. When he finished his tea, he put the cup down, "You did good today, Mai. I… enjoyed the meal." Damn it! How do people fight off blushes. She could feel her face heat up, "Ano… T-tha-thanks, uh, a-about the m-meal, I… I'm glad." She smiled shyly at him. I don't even like him that way and I'm stuttering like an idiot! But those eyes, how can anyone keep their composure with those eyes staring at you!
I was overwhelmed with the reviews and comments, you guys! I decided to create a new chapter for the rest of the night. Hope you enjoy it!