Chapter 13
A/N: Spoilers beyond Manga/anime.
A few days later we were discharged from the hospital, Lin drove Naru, Kenji and I back to SPR.
"Mai!" Madoka greets me happily hugging me, I return the hug as she pulls away from me she asks, "How are you feeling now?"
"Good." I say nodding my head slightly, I take a seat on the closest sofa and Kenji climbs up next to me.
"Would like anything to drink Mai?" Lin asks me while hanging up his coat.
"Oh no, I'll be fine." I shake my head.
"How's the case going?" Naru asks Bou san just as he finished hanging up his coat.
"Not much I'm afraid; I'd actually say it got worse…" Bou san grimaces and Madoka cuts him off quickly.
"Not now Bou san! We'll tell him after he's had a chance to rest." Madoka hisses at Bou san trying to shut him up before the damage was done.
"No, what happened? Tell me." Naru accepts a glass of water from Lin and sits down on the couch facing Madoka.
"Well… The police called yesterday and they said that another person was killed the same way Mr. Ichinose was killed. Seems that our angry sprit is now even more livid."
"This is bad…" He stops for a moment deep in thought before asking, "Why has the police called us?"
"Well they found a note and this time it wasn't as discreet." She stops abruptly as she takes a glance at Kenji.
"Something not very good a child should hear?" I ask, Madoka gives me an apologetic look as she shakes her head.
"I'll just take him out for awhile then…" Just as I stand up Naru orders me,
"No. You aren't going to go out – it's too dangerous. Madoka, my office please. Lin, keep an eye out for those two." I open my mouth in shock. How dare he!?
"How can you – " Bou san cuts me off diverting my attention away from Naru. Least I should commit bloody murder on Naru in front of my son. I grit my teeth as I allow myself to be distracted.
"Calm down now Mai, we know he's being a jerk but it's for your safety." His office door closes with a soft click and I close my eyes to stop myself from feeling so irritated with him. Bou san is right. It is for our safety, but he didn't have to say it like that did he? I sigh and slump back onto the couch.
"You're right Bou san… So how've you been? You still look as well as you used to."
"Hmm… Well in the grand scheme of things I've been having it pretty good. I haven't gotten myself killed by Ayako." He jokes getting a well deserved smash over the head from said murderess.
"Oww… Sorry! Sorry! I was just joking!" Bou san whimpers cowering into the couch while tending to his sore head. I smile then laugh. I've come home at last.
"How have you been Mai?" Ayako asks me ignoring Bou san.
"In all honesty – not that great." Ayako gives me a sympathising look and smiles encouragingly at me. "But I'm happy that everyone seems to have been fine these few years."
"Oh Mai, it's just so much like you to worry about us first." Ayako sighs and shakes her head.
"Did that idiot in there have anything with why you left us?" Bou san asks me gently.
"Yes, he did. A lot of it had to do with him surprisingly – even though it was of my own choice in the end to leave. I suppose I owe you all an explanation, but I can't do it without everyone here." I say noticing the absence of Masako and John.
"You don't owe us anything Mai." Bou san tells me kindly.
"I know that, but I feel like I do and if I don't I will never be able to look any of you in the eye anymore." Kenji lay his head on my lap and curls up into a ball.
"Are you tired Kenji?" He yawns and nods sleepily, Ayako coos at him as she says,
"You have a very adorable son Mai." I smile and pat Kenji to sleep.
"Hmm… He can be a right little monster when he wants to. He's just too tired now to do anything."
---
"What did the police report?"
"The same thing that happened the last time; heart carved out. They couldn't find what would have done that, the heart had just seemingly been ripped out." Madoka informs me grim faced.
"And why couldn't they have missed the note?"
"It was carved into the victim's body. Every single square centimetre is covered with the note, it just kept repeating." She says simply handing me a folder.
"What is…" I look down on the thick folder and flick a few pages open.
"The case file that the police sent us. This is a collection of similar cases that they've so nicely compiled together for us." I frown; we've never worked with the police before.
"Why did you accept the case Madoka?" She regards me with a serious look and says slowly,
"This is serious Naru. I've come across this case before but that was in England, and to find out now that these cases are so similar to the one I've come across in England is just more than a little disturbing Naru. This means that whatever is going on is not just in this area or just in Japan but it could possibly reach around the world. You have to solve this one, not just to stop other people from dying but Mai and Kenji. They are next and it's just a matter of time. The police are willing to give their help, I say take it and solve it before anything happens."
"Wasn't the last one fifty years ago?"
"Fifty years ago in Japan. I didn't get the connections until I saw the police files. A more recent one had happened in England."
"Why are they helping Madoka? Don't give me that lie I know you're about to let loose." She stops in mid-sentence and closes her mouth to form a new sentence.
"They didn't have much choice. It was in the said note." She hands me a photo of the dead body and a close up shot of the full message.
I will get my reward. Taniyama. SPR can't protect you forever.
"That is all over the poor guy's body, the police has no idea what to do so a superintendent who used to know me called me up and requested this from me."
"This is getting worse and worse…" I throw the folder and photos onto my desk, "What do you think we do now?"
"You don't have anything?" She asks me mildly surprised.
"Madoka, whatever this is it's not attached to a certain place, I have no idea where to start looking and going to the places where the victims died won't help us in finding the real killer. All we'd get is a trace left by the sprit sent but nothing to trace it back to the point of origin. It's made to look like individual attacks but they aren't, that's all we know."
"But Mai – " I cut her off sharply.
"Yes I know Madoka. You don't have to repeat." I hold back a rage of sorts boiling up from under my skin. "All we can do now is keep Mai and Kenji as safe as possible." I push off my desk I was leaning on and stride towards the door, Madoka holds onto my arm to stop me going any further.
"Where are you going Naru? We haven't come up with anything yet!"
"I am going to find somewhere safe to keep Kenji and Mai for the time being as that is all we can do now." I say coldly pulling my arm back.
"Running won't solve anything Naru!"
"I didn't say I was running did I Madoka? I said 'I am going to find somewhere safe to keep Kenji and Mai' I'll solve this case without worrying that Mai and or Kenji is going to be in a constant state of danger. I do happen to find myself thinking the best when I'm not preoccupied with something else. I'm sure you'll find that that's the case for you too." I wrench the door open with a little more force than necessary and slammed it shut.
---
Naru comes storming out of his office pretty loudly and makes no effort to quieten down, I glare at him but something in his eyes make me stop.
"Naru…What happened?" I ask with concern.
"I need to talk to you Mai. It's about your's and Kenji's safety." He informs me coldly. I carefully slip Kenji's head off my lap and place a cushion under his head before standing up.
"That's fine but keep it down will you? Kenji is sleeping now."
"Kitchen." He walks into the kitchen without even looking to see if I'd follow, something tells me this isn't the time to nit-pick.
"Naru… What's going on?" I ask cautiously eyeing him wearily; he stays silent for a moment before suddenly saying,
"You'll have to say somewhere safe, whatever sent these sprits want you and or Kenji. Dead. I am not going to allow that to happen to you or him. I need you to call work and say you won't be able to come in for an undefined period of time. Same goes for Kenji."
"Naru, are you out of your mind? I can't do that! I'd lose my job! And Kenji, what will he do? He's gotten very comfortable at school and he's got his school friends." He moves forward and grasps my hands in his pulling me closer to him.
"Mai, listen to me. I don't care that you hate me or you have a strong desire to kill me right now, but you have to do this. Please, for me; for Kenji. I am not going to allow you to be placed in danger. If you don't want to do this for me think about Kenji, you would never put him in danger – I know you won't allow that and just like you I will never allow you or Kenji to be in danger. You have to do this." His eyes implore me to do as he said.
"That's emotional blackmail." I whimper pulling back but Naru just holds me tighter.
"It's the truth Mai. The police have just come to us, another person has been killed and the same message is left there. That thing wants to kill you and or Kenji. I will not let that happen, do you understand? If you don't believe me you can read the files on my desk that Madoka gave me."
"I – I – I, Naru please…" I whisper, "I don't want to do this, I don't want this to be happening." My hands are trembling but only I can tell, Naru is holding my hands too tightly to notice anything.
"Mai, I promise you that I'll find a way out. I'll promise you anything you want – just listen to me and keep safe. Promise me you'll call into work, quit if you even need to, call Kenji's school. Please." There is a lot of worry in his voice as he holds me tighter begging me with unspoken words.
"I… I promise…" I swallow a large lump in my throat and blink away hot tears surfacing. The first attack was bad enough, will there be another one like that soon? I don't think I will be able to cope if something like that happened again…
"I've been told by Madoka that this case isn't just restricted to Japan, she has seen a similar case in England so she doesn't think that moving out of the country will do you any good but at least for now if we can trick whatever is trying to harm you and Kenji into thinking that you're still in the country we might have an opening there."
"England…?" I ask confusion taking over.
"Go to England Mai. My parents will look after you, I don't think we can fool this thing for very long but it'll give us some time to look for it."
"England…? ENGLAND?!" I scream while realisation sinks in.
"Calm down Mai!" He cups my face in his hands to make me stop.
"You are asking me to move out of the country with Kenji with me." I stare at him with disbelief and I'm starting to feel like I'm not me any more. Just a helpless spectator watching in from the sidelines.
"Yes."
"But – but – I – Kenji…" I stop and take in several deep breaths to calm down.
"John will go with you, I can't find anywhere safer and it'll give us some time to look for the sprit. I have a feeling that once the sprit doesn't sense you in the country, it will lash out a bit more and that might just leave us some trails to follow."
"But I – "
"You'll be fine. John will follow you there and he'll help you." Naru says to try and reassure me, but it doesn't and all I can think of is that Naru will be in danger.
"You aren't…" I trail off, of course he can't where has your brain gone? I scold myself.
"I can't Mai. I have to solve this." He says almost painfully, he places one of his hands on the back of my head and on my lower back pulling me in tightly in a hug, "I know you'll be fine. You'll be strong." He whispers into my ear. I swallow the shock and long after he's let me go I can still feel tingles all over my body.
"Call the your work Mai and Kenji's school, you can use my office." He leads me into his office with his hand on the small of my back, opening the door for me. I pick up the receiver and dial into work,
"Good afternoon Mr. Kayo, I regret telling you this but I will be away for a longer period of time." My boss' voice comes over,
"When will you be back? Do you need more time to rest after your injury?" I hesitate before pushing the words forcefully out of my mouth.
"I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know when I will be back."
"Mai…" Disappointment colours my boss' voice and I bite my lip to stop myself from saying something I shouldn't. He was such a nice person to me too, he gave me a job when no one would.
"I am so sorry." I apologise sincerely.
"If you can't tell me when you will be back I don't know if I can keep you hired…" Something like sadness filled his voice. Sadness and disappointment.
"That will be fine Sir." I hear him sigh over the phone.
"I will send you two weeks of advance pay then. Call me when you are OK again and can come back to work."
"You don't have to do that Sir." I say quickly as guilt eats through me.
"You were the best worker I've ever had. At least keep in contact with me."
"OK then. Thankyou for all these years, for giving me a job when I needed one."
"I don't give people jobs on sympathy Mai. I give them jobs based on what I can see their ability is." My boss answers me sharply.
"I know Sir, but thankyou all the same." I hold myself as rigidly as possible to stop myself from breaking down in apologies and excuses to my boss.
"Alright then, goodbye Mai I hope to hear from you soon."
"Yes Sir, goodbye." I hang up the phone and make an effort to pick it up again to call Kenji's school.
"Good afternoon to you, I'm sorry to call so late but it is regarding my son Taniyama Kenji? He won't be attending school for a while longer."
"Oh OK, do you know how long?" The receptionist asks me with a cool voice.
"I don't unfortunately… I might enrol him in another school if I have to, I will call you before I do though."
"Alright then. I will inform the principal. Thankyou Ms. Taniyama." I hang up the phone and sigh turning to Naru.
"I've done it, now what?"
"You're getting on the next plane out to England with John. He's at a hotel at the moment, I'll have to tell everyone what we're going to do and get John to come down here."
"Do I go pack anything?"
"No."
"But – "
"You'll get everything you need in England. I just want you out of this country as soon as humanly possible." He leaves me alone in his office and goes out into the waiting room.
What is happening? Is it really that bad? I glance on Naru's desk and I see the folder and several pieces of paper sticking out of it. I pick it up and start reading through it, while going through the report a photograph slides out and as I bend to pick it up my whole body freezes up when I see it.
I will get my reward. Taniyama. SPR can't protect you forever.
I feel light headed and that is when I realise I'm not breathing. I drag in a ragged breath and force oxygen into my lungs. I turn my head away and stagger out his office taking in air; I must have been depriving myself of oxygen for a lot longer than I thought…
"Mai? Are you alright?" Ayako asks me holding onto my arm giving me some support. I nod my head weakly and explain my light – headedness.
"The report – photos."
"Naru! Why did you let her near those reports?" Ayako tells him off leading me to the couch.
"It's fine Ayako, it's my fault for looking at them anyway." I shrug her hand off my shoulders and sit down next to Kenji's sleeping form.
"But you're going to England!?" Bou san exclaims pacing around the room anxiously.
"I'll be fine Bou san…" I say weakly.
"Naru you'd better be really confident about this." Bou san cautions him.
"Naru, the tickets are booked. It's for today four PM." Lin hands Naru three pieces of paper and Madoka walks in shutting her cell shut with a soft snap.
"I've just called John san, he'll be here in ten minutes."
"Good. Lin isn't there an earlier flight?" Naru asks impersonally, which I find quite a feat considering all the things that are going around.
"The last flight left an hour ago, this is the next flight." Naru says nothing but leaves and shuts his office door behind him telling the world he does not wish to be disturbed.
"What does that boy think he's doing?" Bou san mutters unhappily going into the kitchen, just pacing the whole place up and down.
"Oh stop it would you Bou san! If you pace any more the floor will develop a hole in it and I hope you fall through it!" Ayako snaps at him making him stop in his tracks but he turns to fidgeting to relieve his restlessness.
"Bou san that boy is doing what he thinks is the best course of action. He hasn't left us down before, lets just see what happens." Madoka advises him giving us all some advice as well.
"No one is ever perfect you know." He growls under his breath, "If anything happens to Mai because of this stupid crack-pot plan his head will be on a platter."
"Can you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" I ask thoroughly annoyed. "I don't like this plan either but do you have another one?" Kenji starts to wake up and I pat him to put him back to sleep.
"Mum…?" He rubs his eyes sleepily.
"Go back to sleep honey, you'll need it." I kiss his forehead and continue to pat him to sleep.
---
"Hello…?" A groggy voice greets my ears, a voice that I haven't heard in awhile and have been longing to hear for quite awhile.
"Mother, how have you been?" I ask as a reflex question.
"Naru?… NARU!" I can hear the phone being lowered and my mother shaking up my father from his sleep.
"Honey, honey get up Naru is on the phone!" I can just see her shaking up father as I hear her muffled voice over the phone.
"Mother, mother, don't bother to wake father. I'll call again soon, I'm so sorry to call at such an unearthly hour but I have something very important I need to tell you." She seemingly ignores me and keeps rattling on.
"Oh honey, when will you come back? We miss you so much, and your father is in such a state at the moment. You will come back home soon?"
"Mother, listen to me – this is very important." I say firmly over the phone. As much as I would like to talk to my mother with no particular aim I must tell her about Mai. She seems to get the urgency of my tone and stops talking,
"I need you to look after a few people. Just for a while, it's for their safety – the case that we're on is very dangerous and I don't think we can protect them as well. Two people will arrive tomorrow evening I think, Lin will send you the details soon; John san will accompany these two people."
"Naru, who are these 'people'."
"One of them will be Taniyama Mai and her son Kenji."
"The same one who left…?" My mother leaves the question hanging. Seven years ago I called back and informed my mother and father briefly about Mai's sudden departure. I think my mother picked up on something that my father didn't.
"The very same one." I grimace.
"Naru," My mother asks innocently.
"What is it…?" I'm getting highly suspicious at that opening…
"Why are you speaking in English? You know very well that I can speak in Japanese."
"Let's just say to stop anyone listening in from actually understanding what I'm saying." I say stopping that line of conversation before it can be developed any further.
"About that, Mai can't speak English very well. That is also part of the reason why I'm sending John with her."
"Naru, don't you think it's a little risky to leave her alone?"
"I am not leaving her alone mother."
"Your father and I have heard from Lin and Madoka, that is why he's in such a state. For the past few days I haven't been able to get him to sleep before 4 AM as he has been searching for the answer to your case." I tense in annoyance.
"I'm no longer a minor any more mother."
"That is true, but the case is of high importance. We don't think that you wouldn't be able to handle it; on the contrary we know you will be able to, it's just that this is starting to become progressively worse. Do you understand Naru?"
"Yes of course I do." I sigh, "That is the reason why I'm sending Mai and Kenji over there."
"It won't stop – "
"Mother, I know. I just want to see if we can use this chance to see if we can find the thing behind all these killings. I don't even think it is sprit related any more."
"I promise we will do everything we can to protect Mai and her son but I don't know if it will be enough."
"I have faith in you mother." Her sigh sends static sounds down the line.
"If only your brother was here Naru…" I clench my jaw and stay silent concentrating everything I've got to stop myself from snapping.
"Can you tell me what happened between the two of you?"
"Gene?" I ask in surprise.
"No – Mai, I'm talking about Mai." I hear her sigh with concern making the sound go crackly, "I don't know what happened all those years ago Naru but I have to know. Even if it's not now it'll have to be some time soon."
"I'll tell you soon, but now it's just too complicated. Another thing, don't look so surprised if Kenji looks uncannily like me." Mai would probably blab her mouth off the moment my mother expresses any amount of surprise at how alike Kenji is to me.
"And why shouldn't I be…?" She asks me suspiciously.
"I'll tell you later, you must be tired mother. I'll let you go back to sleep." I say hastily, my hand hovering over the cut off button.
"No you don't Naru." She warns me using the same tone of voice she used to when we were hiding something from her, "You tell me exactly why I shouldn't be, right now I have a lot of time on my hands and I'm not tired any more. I'm your mother please remember that." She wants to know I'll tell her then.
"Kenji is my son mother. Mai left seven years ago because of that. I didn't even know, she didn't tell me, didn't tell anyone! Just disappeared." She doesn't say anything for a while before asking me calmly, but I know otherwise. The calmer she seems the more emotional turmoil she is going through and right now she is talking to me as if discussing the weather.
"And you didn't remember having slept with her because?"
"I was drunk, hence not remembering anything. Well I did, but I just put that down as a dream."
"You were drunk were you?" There's a steel edge to her voice. "When this case is over, you are to come back home immediately. Do you hear me young man? I have a lot to talk to you about, and no doubt your father would love to have a word with you."
"Mother, you're upset. Go get some rest, I didn't want to tell you for a reason and now you're upset." I say, trying to sooth her.
"Oh yes Naru, I believe you had a reason but I don't think it was my health you were thinking about. Naru – I – I mean how could you?"
"How could I?! How could I what mother? How could I have slept with Mai when I was drunk? I had no such intensions." I ask outraged, my mother let out a long stream of Japanese words just rambling on before composing herself to form a coherent sentence. This is the first time she has ever done that, I'm afraid I've upset her more than I had previously thought possible.
"Naru, I would have you on the same plane back if it weren't for this case but rest assured, I will be talking to you soon. And in the near future."
"Mother, don't be harsh on Mai." I plead with her.
"Oh it's not her I will be furious with Naru. It will be you. How could you Naru? A gentleman never gets drunk."
"Well mother, I'm not going to further this discussion with you any further as you are making yourself more upset than necessary."
"Naru!" My mother cries out in despair, "Making myself more upset than necessary? You must be joking, I'm not making a big enough fuss. If it weren't for your father sleeping here and you being all the way in Japan I would skin your hide! You're taking about your own son, Naru this isn't just merely a thing he is a real breathing living human! What about Mai? The things she has had to go through! You being irresponsible for just one night is almost irreversibly unforgivable! And oh lord… She was only seventeen at the most wasn't she? Naru…"
"Mother, mother! Stop. Calm down. Just calm down. Breath." I hear her taking in deep breaths over the phone and I mutter, "What is it with me and calming down hysterical females?"
"Enough with that glib tongue of yours Naru." My mother snaps angrily at me. "Show some respect to your mother!"
"I'm sorry, I've upset you." I apologise to her.
"It's not me Naru." She sighs despondently, "I'm upset for Mai. Naru do you even feel anything for the poor girl?" I'm taken a back by her direct question and stay silent to consider her question. Mai's smile comes to mind, and her affection toward Kenji. Her love. A warm feeling starts in the depths of my stomach and I don't quite know what it is.
"I'm… not sure…" Since Mai and Kenji came into my life nothing ever seems as sure as they used to be.
"Would you do anything for her?" She asks me gently.
"Yes." There's nothing to doubt on that, I know how I feel on that I've even asked myself this question before.
"Absolutely? With no room for doubt. It has to be a hundred percent Naru."
"Absolutely."
"At least you aren't a gone case as yet." I can hear my mother smile as she says those words.
"A gone case for what?"
"For being a gentleman, but more importantly for feeling any thing for another person after your brother died. Can you really leave her on her own here? Do you think you'll be able to do that?" I hesitate. My first and most obvious answer would be 'yes' but something doesn't sit too well.
"Y-yes."
"Don't hesitate to come over when you feel you need to. Get Lin to send the details now, I'll go get them from your father's computer. Call back soon Naru. Goodbye." That's final. Once she says her goodbyes she means it.
"Goodbye mother." I reply not too willingly, and as usual she hung up first. The dial tone beeping in my ear as a confirmation that she hung up. I replace the receiver into its cradle and look out the widow for a moment before heading for the front door.
"Lin, can you please send the details over to England?" I ask him forgetting to revert back to Japanese. He raises his eyebrows at me but silently heads for his computer to do as I've asked him. I stand behind him and read through the flight details before he sends them.
"You were talking to your mother?" He asks me so that only I can hear him.
"Yes." A soft knocking comes from the front door before someone opens it and John comes in smiling excusing himself.
"Good afternoon everyone." I straighten myself and head towards him.
"Sorry for all the trouble John."
"It's nothing at all." He says cheerfully, turning his head to look at Mai.
"John san!" She gets up and hugs him in greeting, "How are you?"
"I'm alright Mai, thanks for asking." He smiles radiantly before nodding towards Kenji's sleeping form, "I take that this little fella is Kenji?"
"Yep, he's sleeping at the moment but he'll be a little terror when he gets up." John laughs light heartedly stifling his laughter as to not wake Kenji.
Why can't she be like that around me? Am I really that bad?
"Naru, hey Naru!" I blink a few times realising that someone is trying to ask me something. It turns out to be Mai.
"What is it Mai?"
"It's about lunch time, Ayako and Bou san are thinking of going out to get something to eat, would you like to have anything?" She asks me looking like she was sixteen again. Ever since she came back she has been getting more and more of her old self back, the fun loving Mai we all used to know is starting to come back to life and for some reason I can't quite name, I'm very relieved.
"Naru?" She prompts me again.
"No, that'll be fine." I say dismissively watching her gently wake Kenji.
"Honey, would you like something to eat?" He lets out a yawn and kneads his eyes with little fists.
"OK… Mum I'm tired…" He rolls over into the couch and burries himself there.
"You've slept a little too much I think. Sleeping too much will make you feel sleepy, come on get up sleepy monster." She pulls him out of his little corner and as he makes a big fuss she just ignores him and makes sure he stays sitting up right.
"Who are you?" He innocently asks John who is sitting next to Mai.
"I'm John Brown. You must be Kenji?" John asks kindly.
"Yep! How did you know my name?" Kenji asks all thoughts of sleeping gone.
"Your mother told me about you." John smiles and continues, "I hope you don't mind."
"No… Why should I mind? Should I mind mum?" He asks childishly directing the last question to Mai. Mai laughs freely and ruffles his hair,
"Of course you shouldn't! What a silly child you are." She kisses his head and stands up. "I'm going to make something to drink, would anyone want anything?"
"Tea." I say before even thinking, she turns to me a look of mild surprise etched on her face.
"O-OK, I'll go make some tea then…" I follow her into the kitchen just standing in the doorway watching her prepare the tea. After a few moments of silence with the exception of the utensils clattering around Mai says out loud without turning to me.
"You do know that I can prepare a pot of tea by myself Naru, you don't have to stand here just to watch me. I'm sure you're very busy." I watch her move efficiently around the kitchen awhile more before giving my answer.
"I do know that, and I'm not that busy."
"Well you always seemed like you were when I used to work here."
"I am busy but this case concerns you."
"Naru, whatever is trying to kill me won't be doing it while you aren't watching me." She says with a slight edge of annoyance and the utensils she is using sounds a little louder than normal.
"I know that Mai." She fills the kettle up and slams the lid shut before forcibly putting it on the gas stove to boil.
"Naru, can you please leave the kitchen? You're putting me on an edge. And you're cramping my space." I'm slightly taken back by her words, but she does sound like she's under stress. I turn to leave but her voice stops me.
"When the tea is ready I'll call for you." I return to the waiting room and John seems to be having a lot of fun with Kenji, a flash of jealousy shocks me when I see those two having fun together. He's my son but I don't interact like that with him at all.
"Naru, would you like to join us?" John asks me before I can head for my office. I hesitate a moment before joining them, John smiles at me before saying quietly to the piece of paper he's holding.
"I may not have been filled in on the details yet Naru, but I sure am not blind." Louder he says to Kenji, "I can fold a paper plane would you like to see it?" Kenji nods enthusiastically watching John fold the paper quickly. Origami. I pick up a piece of paper and fold it into the shape of a crane.
"What are you folding Naru?" John asks me a bit obviously, but I know why he's doing that.
"It's a crane." I say holding it up, I pass it to Kenji and as he admires the folded crane.
"Hey can you tell me how you did it?" Kenji asks me excitedly, his smile and joy is infectious and I can feel myself smiling back at him.
"All you need is a square piece of paper," I tear a large square out of the biggest piece of paper I can find and hand it to Kenji. "The bigger the piece of paper is, the easier it is to make." It feels odd to be teaching a young child how to fold a piece of paper into a crane but it feels somehow familiar and strangely comforting. Before I can finish teaching him how to fold the paper crane Mai comes out with the tray of tea.
"Oh Naru, I thought you'd be in your office." I clear a space on the messy table for her to put the tray down on.
"I was going to but John invited me to join them." She sets the tray down on the cleared space before noticing that her son is trying to fold something.
"What do you have there Kenji?"
"It's supposed to be a paper crane. Naru was teaching me how to fold one…"
"Oh…!" I don't have to look at her to know how surprised she is; she pours a cup of tea and hands it to me.
"Thanks." Everyone goes silent with the exception of Kenji who is still happily playing with the scrap paper. I look up to see Mai dumbstruck. "Is anything the matter?" I ask.
"You said 'thanks'." She says simply staring at me.
"That is so strange because?"
"You never said thanks to me before." She says as if stating the obvious.
"That doesn't mean I'll never say 'thanks' to you." I take a sip of the steaming tea and that familiar taste somehow soothed almost everything. She still makes the best tea. Time has done nothing to dampen it.
"You make very good tea Mai, what do you use?" John asks her drinking his tea.
"Just what there is in the pantry…?" Kenji tugs on my arm to get my attention,
"Can we finish this after you're done?" He asks pointing to the half folded piece of paper.
"We can finish it now." I pick up the piece of paper and continue to explain the folds to him. Somewhere in that time he found a way onto my lap and by the time I finish teaching him how to fold the crane he is leaning into my chest and my arms are wrapped around him. Probably when I was trying to explain the folding to him I had put my arms around him to show it to him. He twists around on my lap and says to me happily,
"Thank you for teaching me how to fold a crane Naru." Unexpectedly he hugs me and I'm left feeling very awkward not knowing what to do.
"Mum always says to thank someone properly when they've helped you do something." He says while smiling at me, is this a manner complex that Mai has?
"You never thanked me when I was working here. I was afraid that he was going to do that too." Mai says innocently when she sees me look at her.
---
Just before three we drove to the airport, Ayako had bought Mai and Kenji a change of clothes while out to change into while on flight if they needed to. The trip is going to take about 12 hours and it'll be pretty tiring.
I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I don't know if I want this to happen. Could I really let her go? I stay silent and watch her as she talked and joked with everyone. Her effortless nature just seems to include everyone in it, there's something about the way she talks and interacts with other people that just seems so natural and joyful.
'Calling all passengers to flight 210 Japan to London to boarding area 5. Calling all passengers to flight 210 Japan to London to boarding area 5.'
Already? I check my watch and it's fifteen to four. I follow closely behind everyone as we walk through the crowds to see them off. Mai slowly works through everyone saying their goodbyes, hugging everyone.
"I'll see you soon Naru…" She says uncertainly and it hurts, not just that but it also annoys me. Almost as if she isn't sure if she'll ever see me again.
"Take care Mai. And I will see you soon." She gives me a sad empty smile before turning away. Why are you still standing here like an idiot? Because you are that's why. Those voices jeer at me. I move forward and pull her arm back almost violently.
"Naru, what are y- " It doesn't matter that everyone is around us or that she probably doesn't want me to touch her but I do anyway. Her lips so soft and yielding, I just take what I can. For a moment she responds to me but it is so brief I could even put it down to my imaginations but her hands dig into my arms and I know I'm not imagining anything. I break apart from her and whisper,
"I'll see you soon Mai. Please take care." She doesn't let go so I do the letting go for us. I don't look back, I don't look at anyone I just focus all my energy on not running back to stop her from boarding that flight. I've just willingly let her go after finding her. I am a fool. My mother's voice rings in my head and I now know what she was trying to get me to understand.
'…Can you really leave her on her own here? Do you think you'll be able to do that?'
No, I can't really. No matter which way I try to look at it, I can't. But I am.
A/N: phew! This was a loooonggg chapter XD 19 pages!! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing out Naru's personality, his mother was quite fun to write too, I'm not sure I got it right but it seems to be what he'd do when speaking to his mother XD please leave a review too! There may be typos in this doc. as it is pretty late and i don't think my brain is working that well (plus i can feel a headache coming on...) i'll fix it up tomorrow if i have more time! it's monday tomorrow too so yeah... hope you enjoyed it!