Disclaimer: All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.


Unable to calm her mind, Mai gave up on sleep. She made the decision to arrive at the office early to give Lin a hand with packing since she knew Naru wouldn't help. When she arrived, Mai found Naru sitting in the van looking over documents. Lin was arranging equipment in the back of the vehicle. She approached Lin and knocked on the van.

"Good morning," Mai greeted.

Lin briefly glanced towards her.

"Good morning," he returned in greeting. "You're here early."

"Well, someone called me early," Mai pointed out. "I was already packed and couldn't get back to sleep."

Lin frowned as he adjusted a few cameras.

"Sorry about that," he said vacantly.

"It was fine," she replied with a wave, noting the emptiness of his apology.

They fell into a silence. The morning was quiet. The only sounds came from Naru rustling papers and Lin adjusting equipment.

"Hey, Lin-san," Mai said to get the man's attention, "about our conversation this morning—"

Lin quickly turned towards Mai in irritation, leveling her with a cold gaze.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly.

Startled by his sudden hostility, Mai backed up, tripping over her feet in the process. She was too surprised to catch herself and began falling back.

"Taniyama-san!" Lin called out in worry as he quickly grabbed her hand.

Mai looked at Lin, wide-eyed in shock, as she leaned precariously back, held up only by his hand. She couldn't believe how clumsy she was. Lin gently tugged on her hand, trying to get her to stand up properly.

"What are you two doing back there?" came Naru's voice.

"N-nothing!" Mai replied shakily. "I just tripped over my own feet."

"Then stop messing around!" Naru called back harshly. "If you're here then get to work!"

Mai furrowed her brow in anger until she felt Lin tug her hand again.

"Come on," Lin said, "help me carry the equipment from the office."

Mai nodded meekly, standing properly on her own. She watched Lin as he grabbed the supply cart and brought it over.

"That's why I came so early, you know," she mumbled when he came near.

"I know," Lin admitted, beginning to walk towards the office. "I'm sorry for acting like that. I just didn't want Naru to hear."

"Oh," she quietly replied, feeling a little unsettled.

Lin looked backed at Mai.

"I really am sorry," Lin told her apologetically. "Naru just sees those kinds of beliefs as foolish. I didn't want you to bring it up in front of him, but I overreacted."

"You don't find them foolish though?" Mai asked as they reached the elevator.

"Sometimes," Lin said, pushing the up button.

The elevator doors opened, granting them access. Lin wheeled the cart in and Mai followed behind him, pushing the button for the second floor.

"From the way you spoke this morning," Mai pointed out, "I had assumed that you often have dreams of your past life."

"Rarely," Lin admitted indifferently.

"Really?" Mai asked in surprise. "But why?"

Lin gave Mai a doubtful glance.

"It's a bit of a long explanation," he admitted.

"I'd like to hear it all the same," Mai replied with curiosity.

Lin nodded just as the doors to the elevator opened. The pair quickly exited and began walking to the office.

"There exists a concept known as soul dualism," Lin began. "This is the belief that humans have two souls. The ethereal soul, which may leave the body, and the corporeal soul, which remains within the body even after death, whereupon it dissolves along with the body."

Lin paused to unlock the office door.

"Does this make sense?" he asked as they entered the office.

"Yes, I think I understand," Mai answered.

Lin nodded in approval before continuing.

"In traditional Chinese culture, these are known as the hun and po, and they correlate to yang and yin respectively. They feed off one another in an endless cycle. Since the hun is fond of wandering and leaving the body during sleep, Taoists have developed techniques for restraining the hun."

"And this is why you don't experience these dreams often?" Mai cut in.

"Yes," Lin confirmed, "but occasionally these restraints are broken. I'm not exactly sure why this occurs. It seems my hun soul is seeking the soul of a woman I was once deeply involved with."

"I see," Mai responded contemplatively.

"Sometimes it doesn't make much sense to me," Lin admitted, opening the door to the resource room.

"I think it seems somewhat romantic," Mai responded as she watched him enter the small room.

"I wouldn't necessarily call it romantic," he commented, pulling the cart between them. "It's more of a need to find a resolution to the conflicts of our past life. It seems things did not end well for us."

Mai sighed, disappointed by his lack of enthusiasm.

"But you have that desperation to be near her, don't you?" Mai asked, relating it to her own feelings. "That painful longing that causes a physical ache within your chest?"

Lin stopped in the middle of reaching for one of the cameras. He looked at Mai in speculation.

"You have the dreams, too, don't you?" he finally asked.

"Yes," Mai confirmed. "That man… he seems so near yet so distant."

"I know the feeling," Lin agreed.

"But what if it's this longing that's keeping us apart?" Mai questioned earnestly. "I never thought it was more than a dream and now… "

"You're wondering who he could be?" Lin guessed.

"Yes," Mai nodded. "It's as though I've met him before. In this life, I mean. But I can't distinctly see who he is and I wonder if this longing for him is blinding me to his present form."

"That makes sense," Lin acknowledged. "I get the distinct feeling I've met her before as well, but I've never had that instant realization that this person before me is the one."

"So she could be among your acquaintances?" Mai wondered.

"I hope not," he quickly replied.

Mai laughed. "We're not good enough for you, Lin-san?"

"Well, that's not exactly what I meant," he corrected. "Excluding you, I don't think I could cope with her being one of my acquaintances."

"I'm glad I'm an exception," Mai laughed. "I would have been disappointed otherwise."

They fell into silence once again as they stared at each other across the cart.

"It wouldn't work out anyway," Lin finally pointed out. "You're all in love with Naru, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't think that's quite accurate," Mai confessed. "Regardless, Naru has his Wimbledon girl."

Lin laughed. "Except she's over eighty and a spirit."

"Yes, Naru has his quirks," Mai smiled fondly.

Lin returned her smile. They shared a brief and comfortable silence.

"I wish it was you," Lin finally confessed. "It would be so easy then, wouldn't it?"

"That's true," Mai agreed, "but… "

"There's just something missing," he finished for her.

Mai gently nodded.

"I wish it was different though," she admitted sadly.

Lin gave her a weak smile.

"Here," he said as he handed her a piece of equipment. "We should hurry."