Hello again! Before I start, I just want to thank everyone who helped me out with what John calls Naru. The final verdict: Kazuya. Thanks again, guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. If I did, I would make sure Mai pestered Lin all the time.

Mai thought about the way the kitchen looked as hard as possible and let Gene guide her once he picked up the location. Lin walked in silence beside her. It unnerved Mai. Every time she thought she was getting closer to him, she found herself running into a brick wall.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm supposed to be leading you?" she asked.

"No."

"Why not? I asked."

"It's not my business."

"So what is your business?"

"Watching over Naru."

"What about the rest of us? Is watching over me your business?"

"Until the rest get back, yes. After that, no."

"So if I was being murdered, but everyone else was there, I wouldn't be your business?"

"Mai," Lin breathed warningly. He didn't drag a hand down his face, but it sounded like he wanted to.

"Fine, fine, I'll be quiet."

They entered the kitchen. Lin sat at the table while Mai took out ingredients for noodles. She struggled and strained to get the noodles until her neck started to hurt.

"Lin, can you get the noodles for me? I can't reach them."

Lin heaved a sigh and got up from the table to take them down for her.

"Thanks, Lin!" Mai said brightly.

"Anything else?" he growled.

"I knew it!" Mai cried gleefully. "You do have a heart, don't you?"

"Never mind."

Mai grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him back. "Wait, Lin, I promise not to say anything if you just mix these things for the sauce. Please?"

Lin silently did as she asked until the rest of the team came. They ate, and then made their way upstairs. Naru sat down tiredly on a couch, and at that point Mai realized that something was wrong. He never sat willingly on couches when there was work to be done. He would go straight to his desk unless he needed to explain something. Now, he was not.

Mai went up to him and sat down casually by his side. "Naru," she whispered, when she was sure no one was looking. She knew he would be upset if she made it into a big deal.

Naru didn't answer, but Mai knew he was listening. She went on, "Are you okay?"

Naru didn't say anything for a moment, and Mai feared he was going to say something sarcastic and biting, but then he amazed her. He never ceased to amaze her, Mai thought grudgingly.

"Just a little tired, Mai," he said gently. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch, resting his head against the back of it. When he closed his eyes, he looked so human, so boyish, so perfect that Mai found herself reaching for him -

Stop, she chided herself. He's only being nice to you because he's that tired. Stop thinking of touching him! He hates it.

"Miss Matsuzaki," Naru called, jerking Mai from her thoughts. "We need charms for this room."

"I left my supplies in the van."

"I'll help you get them." Mai stood to go, but Naru stopped her.

"Stay here, Mai," he said. "They'll be able to come back. Miss Matsuzaki, take John and Monk with you."

"Naru, I don't think-"

"Mai, stay here," he ordered, and Mai didn't protest the tone of his voice. She sank back into the couch.

After a few tense minutes of profound boredom, she ventured into the silence. "I need to get my homework from the other room."

"Take Miss Hara with you."

Mai was sick of arguing with him. "Fine."

The girls went to their shared room. Mai rummaged through her duffel bag, trying to hurry so Masako couldn't get her alone for too long and go off on all the reasons she would eventually get Naru and Mai would never. Sure, she knew Masako was pretty and in a much higher position than her, but it didn't make the heartbreak any less. She wanted to keep hoping that Masako would find someone else or some other place to be and maybe, just maybe -

"Mai, what are you doing?"

She realized she had been staring into nothing, and maybe for quite some time. She shook her head and yanked her books from her bag. "N-nothing. Just lost in thought."

"That's a first."

Mai groaned. She didn't want this conversation right now. "Masako, I'm really not in the mood right now."

Masako was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Maybe some other time, then," and hid a smile behind her sleeve. Mai looked up at her in amazement. Usually, she would never let it go. Mai had been expecting some awful retort about how she was in a mood to have Naru or something equally ridiculous, but this was startling and...nice.

Mai sighed in relief. "You're really not that bad, Masako."

"Not that bad?"

"Not bad at all."

They smiled at each other for a moment, and Mai tried to memorize every single detail of that moment, of a moment where the two girls could be sisters instead of mortal enemies, of a moment where they could love each other instead of love Naru. Mai reached out to take her hand.

"Not bad at all," she repeated.

They were walking back in a comfortable silence when Mai tripped over a kink in the carpet. She cursed and caught herself, but her shoulder was suddenly extremely cold. She looked around in fear as she rubbed it, trying to discern if there were any spirits around, but she didn't sense anything.

Masako noticed as well. "You bumped into one of Lin's shiki. He sent one with us. He also sent one with Ayako and Monk and John."

"That's sweet of him," Mai giggled, trying to imagine the passive onmyoji's face as concerned. She shook her head and smiled to herself. She was his business after all.

"Please don't say anything about it though," Masako said. "I don't think he wants us to know."

"I won't," Mai promised, and they walked into base.

As much as Mai wanted to sit next to Naru, she knew she wouldn't concentrate within a five foot radius of him, so she took a chair next to Lin at the computer table. She was taking advanced biology, and it was a struggle to pass without having the teacher to answer her questions.

She took out her homework and began doing it. Halfway down the page, she got stuck. It was something about electrons and she didn't get it all. She repeated the question to herself a few times under her breath, trying to put her mind to it, but it just wasn't registering.

"What did you say?" Lin asked, looking up from his laptop.

"Oh, nothing!" Mai said. "I didn't mean to bother you. I just have a bio question I can't understand."

Lin turned back to his computer. "I'm awful at anything human-based."

Mai silently thought of his shiki and tried to hide a smile. "Oh, well," she said. "I guess I'll wait for Ayako to come."

"Come here, Mai," Naru called from the couch. Mai tried to squish the butterflies in her stomach. "I can help you with it."

Lin looked at him. "Naru, I don't really think you should-"

"Come here, Mai," Naru repeated firmly, almost warningly.

Mai glanced at Lin, who shrugged. She took her stuff to Naru. When she handed her notebook to him and stood in front of him, he said dryly, "Sit, Mai. I don't bite."

"Um, okay." Mai tried not to look in Masako's direction and sat as far away from Naru as she possible could.

Naru sighed boredly. "Mai, can you see the question from all the way over there?"

"Well...no."

"Then?"

Mai reluctantly moved closer to him until he was satisfied, which wasn't far enough for Mai's weak heart. She hoped against hope that her face wasn't a horrible shade of maroon. She was so close she could feel the heat of his body warming her. He could probably hear her heart thudding against her ribs.

"Which question?"

Mai could barely understand him over the rushing blood in her ears, and her face was so hot she was sure it was going to melt off. "Umm…that one," she mumbled, pointing to it with her pencil.

Naru caught her hand and Mai almost melted before she realized he was only taking her pencil. He drew a diagram on her paper with a practiced hand and began explaining the answer to her. Mai struggled to concentrate on his words rather than his voice.

"Mai? Mai, are you listening?"

"Yeah?" Mai squeaked.

"Then what did I just say?"

"Um…" Mai glanced at the paper, trying to guess which number was the most recent one. "6 ATP molecules are produced?"

Naru rolled his eyes. "Lucky guess." He handed her the textbook and notebook. "And Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay right here. You can't pour me tea from there."

Mai looked at Masako. "Can't Masako-"

"I'm paying you to be my assistant, not Miss Hara. Do you really want a cut in your your paycheck?"

Mai fumed silently. Why was he so bipolar? One minute, he was explaining her question to her, and the next, threatening her paycheck? She poured him his tea, not caring that it spilled everywhere, and sat as far away from his as possible. She wasn't going to obey him any more than she had to.

Half an hour later, she began the next section, and, unfortunately, she did not understand it at all. She had to finish this today, or she would be severely behind. She didn't know what anything meant. She glanced several times in Naru's direction and decided the lesser of the two evils was being off schedule today and asking Ayako later.

Speaking of her…

Naru's phone vibrated and he put it to his ear. "John?...I see. Mai will come and get you in a few minutes. Don't leave even if a door appears…Yes, of course."

He hung up. "Mai, you need to find Ayako, Monk, and John. They went into a room and when they turned to leave the door had disappeared. Take Lin with you and bring them straight back here. Focus on John."

Mai knew she was the only one who could go, except maybe besides Naru, but she hesitated. "One tiny problem." she said. "How am I supposed to get into a room with no door?"

Naru looked away from her and returned his focus to his laptop. "I'm sure Gene knows how," he murmured.

Mai rolled her eyes at his vague answer and went for the door. He just wanted her out of his hair, didn't he? "Come on, Lin!" she called, determined not to think about it.

Yeah, I know it's short, but I decided to split a long chapter up into two. Hopefully the next one will be more satisfying.

For next time: A really dark hallway, really dark stairs, and, obviously, an evil spirit.