Sorry.. the update is so late ;-;

I tried to update every week, but i guess i cant.. because of assignment thingy and irl things uwu

Anyway, please forgive me and R&R ^^

CHAPTER 3

Saturday, 18 October

10.30 A.M.

Mai watched her boss sitting on the sofas, irritated with the lateness of their team members. Arakawa, that had arrived since half hour ago busy with her phone, texting someone. 'It must be her friend that supposed to be here with her,' Mai thought as she took a glance at her. She can't help but feeling embarrassed when their eyes met. Arakawa just smiled at her when she caught the girl looking at her.

'She wore the same jacket like yesterday…. And clothes that was not really much different in style… but why do I feel like she is a different person from who talk to us yesterday…,' Mai thought as she smiled back at Arakawa.

"Mai, Tea," It is already his second cup since Arakawa came in. Mai sighed as she replied, "Roger." She didn't dare to retort back at him, told him to say 'please'. Because she know, her boss was in super bad mood that if someone said something that opposite of what he want, he will replied with silly logic that somehow can't be retorted.

Mai took Naru's cup and pour the tea that already cooled down a bit inside the tea pot to the cup. She added two teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of creamer, more sugar than usual because she had this feeling Naru is in the mood of something sweeter. 'And maybe this will him calm down a little,' Mai smiled, her intuition always—no, more often right than wrong. Then, she served that cup to Naru.

While waiting for his reaction, Mai looked at Arakawa and asked, "Do you want some tea?"

"That sounds nice…," Arakawa stop looking at her phone and smiled at Mai politely.

"Do you like it cold or hot?"

"If you already have a cold one, I'll have that one please."

"Sure," Mai make her way back to the kitchenette and stopped in front of the refrigerator. She took out yellow Tupperware bottle, where she poured yesterday tea inside it. She pour the cold tea into the cup and add one tablespoon liquid sugar that she made some time ago. Mix them up lightly with spoon and brought it to Arakawa.

When she placed that cup near Arakawa, Naru stared at her with strange look as if he is questioning something. Mai turned her head to face Naru and smiled, "What's wrong, Naru?"

"Nothing, just the tea is sweeter than usual," Naru took a sip of his tea slowly, he looked like he was enjoying it. Even though there was no hint of joy—or happy or whatever positive feeling there is—on his face, just usual straight face.

However, Mai knew that he contented with the tea and what he just said was just a little comment, not a critics. She knew because of his eyes weren't looked like before, it looked more relaxed. She smiled, satisfied with her boss reaction and said, "Still, you like it," as if it was a fact.

"I don't dislike it," Naru put the cup on the table. His eyes followed her as she moved to the kitchenette to put back the cold tea and liquid sugar into the refrigerator. 'How she know that…,' he wondered and stopped looking at her.

Not long after that, exactly at 10.45 A.M., the door to SPR opened and Bou-san came in with big smile and apologized, "Sorry, there was a little bit of traffic jam on way here…," He looked at Ayako that was walked in and stood beside him, "…and she was one of the reason why we got into traffic."

"What?!" Ayako glared at him as if saying 'What do you mean by that'. She crossed her arm in front of her chest

"That was true, you weren't even ready yet when I picked you up."

"Can't be helped, just before you picked me up, I got a call from hospital. I must hurriedly go there and left what I was doing, you know!" Ayako explained the reason why and she still couldn't accept what Bou-san's said that as if make her was in fault.

"Now, now, now, let's stop this little fight," Arakawa somehow already beside Ayako and smiling playfully at her. Ayako turned her head to see Arakawa that was in her left side. However, because of their difference of height, Ayako was looking straight unto Arakawa's chest. Arakawa chuckled a little and lifted Ayako's head by her chin so their gaze met. Mai stared hard at her and she felt that her heart somehow beat harder than before.

"Such a stern look doesn't suit woman as beautiful as you," Arakawa said with straight gaze into Ayako's eyes and serious—a bit flirtious though—tone in her voice.

Ayako stuttered as her face slowly became red and redder, "A-a-ah, i-is th-that s-so."

"Yes, of course," Arakawa gave her a quick peck on the forehead. Right after then, there was something a 'bom' voice and as if steam coming out from Ayako. Bou-san that stood beside her can't help getting a bit flushed as he was watching in close distance. Mai who still in the kitchenette hide her face with tray, she could understand Ayako's embarrassment, somehow.

'She does look different,' Mai thought as she tried to calm herself down.

"…Anyway, where is Hara-san and Brown-san?" Naru asked, it looks like he tried to change the topic.

"Ah, they are—" Bou-san just want to answered when he got cut off by Masako that was behind him, hiding her face with kimono's sleeves—there was a hint of pinkish on her cheeks, "…here". Bou-san jumped a little, he didn't realize at all that Masako and John already behind him since the scene between Arakawa and Ayako happened.

"Since when?" Bou-san asked and he tilted his head confusedly.

"Ah, just a minute ago," John smiled as he answered.

"Where is Yasuhara-san?" Mai asked as she realized that they were still missing one member, and that was Yasuhara—boy without any special ability and could be said the most normal one between them, well he isn't that normal though.

"H-hah, Here I am," Yasuhara said, he looked like he just ran a quite distance to reach SPR office. His breath still ragged when he said that and sweat dripping down from his forehead. His neat appearance looked a bit messy, his hair sticking up here and there, one of his collar was pointing upward, and his plain beige jacket was buttoned wrong.

"What is wrong, boy?" Bou-san lifted his left eyebrows when he saw Yasuhara's messy appearance.

"…G-got up a little bit late," Yasuhara answered as he fix his collar and jacket.

"Your bedhead…," John pointing out that to him. Yasuhara, a bit panicked, tried to fix his hair. Still, his hair didn't follow what his owner want, it kept sticking up after Yasuhara combed it with his small comb that came out of nowhere.

"Hahahaha," Bou-san laughed hard and touch his stomach as if it hurts, "I don't know you have such a bed hair in the morning."

"Well, either way, I am still handsome overall," Yasuhara just smiled confidently when he replied.

"Do you need hair gel?" Bou-san dug his backpack, searching for that small item that he always bring anywhere for just in case he can't keep his hair in it's place.

"Yeah, thanks," Yasuhara catch the small gel container that Bou-san threw.

Not long after that, they all were sat on the sofa comfortably and Mai served them a tea that she just made. As if just realized that Arakawa was beside them and smiling to them, they got a little bit stiff and kept looking between her and Naru back and forth, as if asking 'who is this'. Arakawa, the one that is stared at, just kept smiling—and that made Ayako's and Masako's face a bit flushed when their gaze met.

"As everyone already here, I will start explaining about this case a little bit before we departed," Naru calmly start explaining about the case. After he finished explained it briefly, he looked at Arakawa and said, "And this is our client's daughter that will join us in this case with her friend, please introduce yourself, Ms. Arakawa."

"Hello, My name is Arakawa Reiforte. as Mr. Davis said, I will accompany you in this case in place of my parents and as a helper, I guess," She smiled cheerfully as she did her introduction.

"Hee…. By the way, why we need a passport? Where the location is?" Bou-san asked as he scratched his blond hair lightly.

"Australia, near Cairns for exact," Arakawa answered, before Naru could do that.

"Whoa… Australia…," Bou-san looked a bit shocked and a 'are you serious' look showed on his face.

"Yes, I'm serious, of course."

"Ehm," John coughed to make everyone attention to him, "What do you mean by 'as a helper', Arakawa-san?"

"She and her friend will help us investigate and else, just as her parents informed," Naru explained it shortly. He looked a bit irritated because of Mai and Bou-san kept chit-chatting by themselves about the case they just received. Actually, they were talking about how fun it is their 'trip' to Australia.

"Ah, that remind me, Australia is where you are from, right, John?" Mai asked while making a 'pon' sound with her hands—hitting her left hand that opened widely with her right hand that was in fist, just like how cartoon's character do it when they realize something.

"Yes, my Hometown quite far from Cairns though," John showed his angelic smile as he answered Mai's question.

"Have you be—" Mai just want to ask whether he have been there, but she was cut off by Naru, "Mai, let's stop asking useless things."

"Huft… Fine!" Mai puffed her cheek up a little and threw her face to left.

"About the transportation...," Naru said as he shifted his gaze to Arakawa. She smiled again—without any meaning—and said, "Ah, about that… I just want to ask you, which one do you prefer, Helicopter or Airplane?" She seemed to think about something before continuing, "and about the equipment you want to bring, do you want to bring it together with van you usually use… or you will let me provide you with Van there?"

For a second there, everyone—except Naru and Lin, ofcourse—was flabbergasted and nothing escape their mouth except small 'eeehh'. Naru calmly told her what he want despite the state of confusion that happens to his team member, "Then, I'll take Airplane. And for the equipment, I think I will use the Van that you provided."

"Okay, please wait a second," She tap her bracelet that is from some metal and have one centimeter wide. She said something in whisper and took out a small things that looked like a head of headset and place it on her ear just like how people usually wear the headset is. Then, she said something in another language that wasn't both Japanese nor English.

After a minute, Arakawa took out that thing from her ear and put it inside her pocket like before. She smiled and informed the 'still confused' members in that room with cheerful tone, "Okay, we can depart now if you want!"

"EEEHHH?!" a perfect shocked choir came from the group that still in daze.

"Eh?" Arakawa replied with small 'eh' and tilted her head. Looking at them with 'what is wrong' look.

"….You have booked the tickets for us?" Naru asked, a hint of disbelief could be heard in his voice.

"What ticket? I already arranged for a private jet for us though."

"Oooh… is that so…." Mai, Bou-san, Ayako, and Yasuhara said together, before they once again screamed in unison, "EHH?! WAIT, WHAT? PRIVATE JET?" Masako and John just stared at Arakawa with mouth closed—they tried to stop themselves from flabbergasted and reacted like how other fours were.

"Yes, or you want something else?" She asked innocently(?). They hastily shook their head when she asked that. Naru politely said no and told her that they can go now.

A/N: did i make Arakawa's personality too weird? did i make too many OOC inside this story? please let me know huehe