Lin's eyes widen in shock. He looks at Ayako to back him up but then realises by the silence from her part that she already knows. Then he can safely guess that Houshou and John must have said okay to this too. Naru can be very convincing when he wants to.
Mai, unexpectedly, says, "Okay. I can do that. You want me to pretend to be Nanami to lure her out."
Lin looks at her in stunned silence. He says, "This is crazy." He turns around, wrenches the door open and stomps out of the base.
Ayako says, "Told you he'd be furious."
"It is anticipated," Naru says, "He is in love with Mai and this is dangerous. He cannot afford to have anything happen to her."
Mai blushes and bites her lip, "Uh, Naru he didn't say he loves me or anything."
Ayako laughs, "Oh please! Just because he is an idiot doesn't mean the rest of us are!"
Mai puffs her cheeks and shouts, "I am going to the kitchen!"
She doesn't need to stay and hear Naru and Ayako laughing.
Mai prepares the tamagoyaki and the grilled fish herself. She puts them on a tray with the miso soup and the rice. Sakura quips, "For someone special? Hmm, let me guess, it is either the handsome Shibuya-san, or the rather gorgeous Lin-san."
Mai drops her head and softly says, "The rather gorgeous one." Then she hurriedly makes her escape as she hears Sakura whistle.
Before heading to the kitchen she had decided to look for Lin. She had found him leaning against the cherry tree. Now with the tray in hand she wobbles over to the tree.
Lin hears footsteps behind him and is not surprised to see Mai, balancing a tray. She sits down at the root and looks up at him, beckoning with her eyes to sit down. He does.
She picks up her chopsticks and eats some of her portion. She says, after swallowing, "I got you breakfast."
He says, angrily, "Why'd you agree with Naru's crazy plot? It is—" he is cut short when she picks up her chopsticks and stuffs his mouth with rice. He glares at her as he chews his food. His stomach grumbles as it is reminded of its hunger.
"You skipped dinner," she eats some.
"So did you," he says, crossing his arm, "Give me." She passes the bowl of rice and chopsticks to him. He picks at the fish and eats it. She looks at him in anticipation. He feels her brown eyes gazing at him. He understands but jokes, "The fish is quite good. Sakura-chan is a good cook."
She puffs her cheeks and fumes. He bumps his shoulder against hers and smiles, "I know you made it."
That makes her smile. She says, "Then can you believe in me enough to let me do this?"
His expression darkens and his jaw hardens. Mai puts down her chopsticks and gets to a kneeling position. She had done this before, so she does it again. She grabs his face and says, with fire in her eyes, "How many times do I have to remind you I am capable enough? Do you not trust me?"
He lowers his gaze (she was doing it, looking all determinate and making him all messed up what with his heart beat accelerating and all) and says, "What if something happens to you?"
Her gaze softens. She kisses his cheek and says, "You are there, and Shiroshiki too, to protect me, right?"
He has to ask, "Shiroshiki?
She removes her hand and looks around, all embarrassed. She says, "Uh, your familiar. The big white one."
He laughs, "That is a nice name!" He pauses as he looks to his right, "He likes it too!"
"Phew!"
"Okay," he concedes, "But if I even get an inkling of danger, we are putting a stop to it. Agreed?"
"Agreed!"
They return their attention to their breakfast and eat in a companionable silence.
In the middle of this all, Houshou leaves the onsen and says nothing to no one about his destination. He heads to the Sairenji Temple. A monastery might have the information he is looking for. As soon as he had learnt they were fighting against an onryo, he had decided to arm himself with the right weapon. The reason why he told no one is because he isn't entirely sure if his idea will work. He hopes he doesn't have to use his weapon, direly hoping it never comes to that.
After a lengthy discussion with the head monk, he leaves and sneaks into the onsen. Ayako asks where he went but he gives her the right palliatives and she no longer asks but she suspects all right.
As soon as Houshou returns, they start. The idea was simple, Mai would be bait, pretending to be Nanami and lure Nagisa out. When she appeared, the monk, the priest, the onmyoji and the shrine maiden will combine their efforts to exorcise her by destroying the onryo in her.
To prepare Mai, Sakura and Ayako go to town to find the right kimono. They knew how Nanami's bridal kimono looked like after Mai gave them a description. The challenge was to find the right kimono that would closely resemble it. After a couple of hours they find the right one.
Mai after putting the kimono on says, "Eh, the one in my dream was of such great quality."
"Well excuse me your highness, us peasants cannot afford royal kimonos," Ayako scoffs.
The door slides open to let Kaorin enter. Her interest in the Edo period was genuine, so she had agreed to help with the hairstyle when Sakura had asked. Mai smiles brightly at Kaorin. She seems a lot better now after her secret was revealed.
Between the three of them—Sakura, Ayako and Kaorin—they get Mai to look as much as Nanami as possible. Ayako asks, "Would the brown hair not ring her alarms?"
"My chest isn't bigger, my eyes aren't grey. I don't think she will looks for particulars," Mai rolls her eyes.
Sakura sighs, "I just want this to be over. But…there are the funerals, Hitoshi's guardianship, Kaito is still in a coma…" she holds back the tears, "When will this all end?"
Mai hugs her and says, "We will do our best today."
Kaorin says softly, "Please be careful."
Ayako and Mai solemnly nod.
Sakura and Kaorin leave after their work is done. Ayako and Mai look in the mirror that Mai holds aloft. The older woman says, "This has to be the craziest thing we have ever done."
"Well not the craziest, but definitely this goes in the top ten SPR chronicles of crazy," Mai laughs.
Ayako chuckles, "Anyway I should go check what my idiot of a husband is doing." She fixes a rebellious strand of Mai's hair and smiles, "You look really beautiful. Guess your boyfriend will not be able to take his eyes off you!"
Mai bites the inside of her cheeks. Ayako playfully squeezes her shoulders and leaves. Mai flops down on the floor. She touches her too hot cheeks and thinks, boyfriend? Is Lin her boyfriend? Are they a couple now? They didn't do anything of the ubiquitous "couple things" others do like dates and etcetra. But she didn't mind. She just likes whatever they are now. She hardly felt the need to label their relationship right away. Couple or not, the fact that he is with her is enough to give her butterflies in her stomach.
The door slides open. The noise startles her. She looks behind her back to find the very man plaguing her daydream standing with a tray in his hands.
Sakura was preparing tea for everyone when Lin offered to take Mai's to her room. John's wolf whistle would be reprimanded later by Lin. He slides the door and finds her sitting on the floor with her kimono spread around her. She jumps and looks at him over her back. Again that heart skipping beats thing happens to him. Her face is covered in the pinkish-orange light that is characteristic of twilight and it gives her a soft, nymphic look. He says nothing as he puts the tray down and kneels before her.
She opens her mouth to say something. He leans closer. And her gasp of surprise is lost inside his kiss. His mouth is so hot and demanding there is little she can do but cling to his shoulders as he hauls her closer. Her lips softens and parts so he could kiss her more deeply, more passionately.
When he pulls back, she makes a soft sound of protest. Their gazes meet and hold. His intense dark eyes and her brown—sharing the certainty that that wasn't enough, they must do it again.
"Oh Mai," he whispers hoarsely, and he moves his hand from her waist and strokes her neck with an excruciatingly gentle touch. Her heart flutters. She cannot hold herself back. She raises her mouth to meet his.
And this time their parted lips come together with less impatience and more exquisite focus. Lin's hands cradles her face. His hot, hard lips becomes warm, soft and tantalising, tasting her with deeply sensitive appreciation.
She winds her arm around his neck, and each time Lin shifts the angle of his mouth to seduce her with the lush, warm slide of his lips and tongue she matches him move for sensual move.
But soon their lungs protest for air and they pull back. She sighs and rests her head on his shoulder. Her heart refuses to quiet down and get back to its normal pace. She asks, "Well…what was that about?"
"You," he chuckles, "Are affecting me like no one else ever has!"
"Good," she feels mighty satisfied at that. Suddenly she remembers, "Lin? Can I ask you something?"
He says, "Yes."
"Are we…" she stops when she realises, oh god I cannot. Too embarrassing. She pulls back and shifts out of his embrace. She looks everywhere but at him.
He looks on quizzically. He grabs her hands and pulls her closer. He asks, "What is bothering you?"
She takes a deep breath and says in a rush, the words jumbling together, "Areweacoupleorsomething?"
At first he doesn't get it, then he does. His frown clears and he starts laughing out loud. She scowls at him. She says, "What?"
He scratches his neck, his laughter receding. He says a little shyly, "We are, if you want us to be."
"Of course I want to be!" she shouts, gesturing wildly with her hands.
That manages to amuse him more much to her chagrin. He leans closer and lightly kisses the crease on her forehead. It placates her a little. He says, "I was supposed to bring you tea."
She laughs, "Oh well, looks like someone distracted you."
"Yes," he grin, "That someone is deliciously cheeky."
Her blush nearly matches the reddish orange light outside.