Chapter 2 – Meeting the SPR Members

Mai yawned as she looked at her clock, she still have two hours to prepare for school, she ate her breakfast first before going to shower. After showering and get dressed, she review some of her notes, she have a feeling that her professor will have a surprise quiz, she also inform Akira, just to be sure, since she still have a lot of time, she decided to walk to her school, to save money. After more or less twenty minutes she can already see their school gate when a black van pass by her, Shibuya Psychic Research, she read the name printed at the back, so they are the one who will investigate the old library, she thought.

She saw her peppy friend waving at her at the entrance, "You're early, Aki" she said as they enter.

"Because of the text I received from you this morning, I need to study a little more."

When they arrived at their classroom, they noticed their classmates are gathering on Hashimoto-san's table, she saw Akira rolled her eyes "Attention seeker" she heard her whisper, one of her classmate approached and drag them in to join the crowd.

"What happen to your neck Hashimoto-san? It bruised." One of their classmates asked.

She touched her bruised neck "I was attacked by a spirit yesterday, at the old library"

Mai and Akira saw some of their classmates widened their eyes for a moment, "I can sense a strong and dangerous spirits at the old library, so I entered to check it out, but unfortunately, they are too strong for me to handle. You guys are not a strong psychic like me, so you better don't go to that place." Hashimoto-san continued haughtily, the others who are listening gave her a worried look. Mai just raised her eyebrow at her pronouncement; Akira tried not rolled her eyes at her – from disgust, they walk out their selves from the crowd, "That girl is ridiculous!" she whispered at Mai, "She's really an attention seeker" she added, as she scanned her notes, Mai just chuckled hearing her friend whining. "Wanna check out the old library with me later?" she suggested, this made Akira looked at her.

"Are you serious?" she asked, well, she always joked around, so it hard to tell if she's just kiddin' or being serious, she thought.

Mai nodded "Of course, and I think that psychic research company already started their investigation"

She saw her friend grinned widely "Sure, I'll come!"

When their professor came in he announced to have a surprise quiz, the others protest saying they didn't study, Akira looked at Mai's table and she mouthed 'thank you' to her, in response Mai smiled at her.

Oliver and his team already putting up the equipment to where he asked to, Gene went to his brother for his report, "There's no spirit in here" he announced, "I agree. I can't sense anything either." Masako seconded, she covered her mouth as she speak.

He sighed as he heard his teammates bickering from the second floor, "Still, we should interview the students who witnessed some activities" the two mediums just nodded, and went to help the others on their tasks at the second floor. If only we have someone who have an ESP, he thought. He snapped from his thoughts when he saw a familiar lady entered, he stared at her for a moment and then he realized, she's the lady from last night! So this is where she went to school, he smiled at his thought, he decided to observe from whatever she's going to do. She's took some steps from the doorway closing her eyes, and taking some deep breaths, she's concentrating, he told his self.

He heard her sighed "Yeah right, attacked by spirits! That girl's full of herself, there's no spirits here." She said confidently. She's a psychic? He asked his self, asking his self won't give him answer, so he called the woman's attention

"You. You said 'there's no spirits here' does it mean you're a psychic too?" The lady pounce at his voice, she turned around and stared at him – or at least at his eyes, he felt awkward, as if she saw right thru him, he evaded his eyes from her stare

Lackadaisical, she answered "I'm just saying random things, don't mind me." He's about to answer when another woman came in, and went to the lady that he's talking to, but like any other girls she easily get attracted to him,

"Oh my gosh, you're the one that we saw yesterday! To think that you're the ghost hunters that the principal hired. I'm Yukimura Akira." She almost squeak as she introduced her name, her friend just sighed at her attitude

"Shibuya. Shibuya Kazuya, the Manager of Shibuya Psychic Research. You saw me yesterday?" He asked as he raised his eyebrow, he noticed Mai furrowed her eyebrow upon hearing his name

"Yeah. Yesterday afternoon, when we're about to exit. Not just you, but together with your twin." She answered frantically.

Yesterday, he narrowed his eyes as he tried to recount what happened to them yesterday, their voices, that's it. I don't feel or see any ghost on that place he remembered now, so she's that girl, that's why her voice was familiar when he heard her sing yesterday.

"So Mai, did you sense anything?" she asked her friend curiously, so her name is Mai, he reminded his self. Mai looked at her friend and shook her head.

"I knew it! That girl was lying just to get attention from others." She blurted out, her phone was ringing when she's still grumbling to Mai, and she excused herself.

"Who's that girl that she's talking about?" He asked her

She groaned and rolled her eyes "One of our classmates, a self-proclaimed psychic. She said she was attacked by spirits yesterday in this building"

"It was confirmed by our mediums that there no spirits here."

Akira went to Mai after several minutes talking on the phone "I gotta go first Mai, my boyfriend asked me to go out with him." She said

She just nodded "Be careful. Call me if he's going to tease you badly, okay?"

"You know, you should get yourself a boyfriend too, so you can understand that in guys, sometimes, teasing is their way of showing their affection" she said and kissed her cheek, "Nice to meet you Shibuya-san" then she walked out.

"Boyfriend? What the hell was that?" she whispered, but loud enough for Oliver to hear, he just smirked at her. Mai went to see some of their equipment on the table, and asked him what those are.

"Infrared and high-speed cameras are used to take pictures in dark places. And this is for thermography, it makes use of a heat sensitive camera to give a visual image" he explained, she looked closely at the cameras "These things sure are amazing" she said. "You know to use all this?" she asked, still looking closely at them, Oliver raised his eyebrow at her stupid question, I won't be a ghost hunter if I don't know how use all of that, he thought.

He smirked "Of course, your mind and mine are very different." That made her looked at him, "Ah, is that so?" she derisive "Of course! Naturally, there's no choice but to have you do all this. But why are you hunting ghosts?" she asked curiously, there are lot of amazing jobs, but why ghost hunting?

"Because there was a need for it." He answered bluntly

"But there must have been some cases that you couldn't solve?"

"None. I'm competent at what I do." He confidently said

Her eyes widened for a moment "That sure is something! Not only you are good looking, but you're very smart"

He stared closely at her "Do you really think I'm good looking?" he asked, if she saw him as good looking then why she's not making a fuss over it?

"Aren't you? Everyone was making a fuss over it."

He smirked "Hmm. You don't have bad taste."

She almost choked at his words, she can't take his narcissism anymore "Huh? You may be good looking, and your job is quite impressive, but what's with that narcissistic attitude?!" she loudly affirmed, when she saw him smirked at her "From now on, you're Naru-chan! Narcissistic Naru-chan!" she yelled, Oliver, or now, Naru, stifled a laugh at her childishness, he didn't noticed that his other teammates came down from the second floor, and they heard everything!

"Big Boss, or shall we also call you Naru? Who's that chick?" Yasuhara asked him, with a wide grin on her face, Mai looked at the others, she recognized them, they are from last night

"Ah! She's the singer from the diner" Madoka almost yelled from surprise, she just smile at them, but she felt a hateful glare from the girl wearing a kimono

"They are my team, Matsuzaki Ayako, our team's doctor also a miko – " he was cut off by Mai's question

"Miko? What's that?" everybody looked at her, "What? It's my first hearing it." She said when she noticed they're staring at her curiously

"A shrine maiden" Ayako proudly said

Her eyes lit up from amazement "Wow! You mean that young virgins who only stayed at the temple? I can't believe I will be able to meet one."

"Yes that one. You must be honored to meet such a well-trained miko" she said as he flip her hair, another self-important person, Mai thought.

"So you mean at that age of yours you're still a virgin?" no offense, she's just curious. The others widened their eyes at her innocence, but after a moment they burst out laughing, even the tall stoic man laugh silently, the miko in questioned just blushed.

"Y-yeah, of course lady!" she stuttered

Naru decided to continue the introduction of his team "We called him Bou-san, Takigawa Houshou, a monk –"again he was cut off by her question

"Eh? I thought monk is supposedly bald? Why do you have a long hair? You looked like a rock star." she asked pointing at his hair

Bou-san wiggled hair, and chuckled "Because I'm in a rock band jou-chan"

Naru was about to continue when Yasuhara reached and kissed the back of her hand "I'm Yasuhara Osamu, a researcher, and it's such a lucky day to meet such beautiful lady like you" he winked at her, Naru smirked when he saw her raised her eyebrow, she didn't even blushed, like any other girls. She discreetly remove her hands, "Thank you" was all she said.

"I'm John Brown, a priest and an exorcist" he reached his hand, and she gladly took it and shake.

"What country are you from John?" she asked

"Australia." He smiled.

The dark pink haired girl hugged her "I'm Mori Madoka, I occasionally helped them at their cases like today, I'm a researcher, but I'm also their adviser." she lively said, she pointed the stoic man, "That's Lin Koujo." The man bowed a little. "Your boyfriend?" she asked Madoka, who blushed from ear to ear, and she got it, he's her boyfriend!

She looked at him "Chinese?" she asked

He glared at her for a moment "Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?" his voice was seething, what's wrong him?

She furrowed her eyebrow "Hey, what's with that tone? I only asked you if you're a Chinese"

"I hate Japanese" he said bluntly, without caring that he's surrounded by Japanese, "Do you not know the history of what the Japanese did in China?" he asked. She felt her blood boiled from what he said, she clenched her fist, and without a second thought she landed a punch on his face, which made him stumble a little, the others gasped from what just she did to Lin, no one ever tried to lay a finger on him, but this lady… she's interesting, Naru amusingly thought.

"Listen, what an irrational brain you have there. I don't care about what the Japanese did in China, or whatsoever history, you don't have the right to hate me without knowing me first. Now, hate me because I punched you, not because I'm Japanese." She said angrily, she expect him to hate her now, but instead she heard him laugh.

"This is the first time I heard him laugh like that" she heard John said.

"Someone also told me the same thing" Lin said as he looked at Gene, he bowed at her "I'm sorry for being rude."

"Sorry for punching you too" she said sincerely

"No need to be sorry, he deserved it!" Gene grinned at Lin, and looked at her "You're the girl that we heard yesterday right? You said that you don't feel or sense any ghost on this place." He reached hand "I'm Shibuya Kazuya's brother, Genichiro, a medium, but you can call me Gene for short." She didn't took his hand, but instead she stared closely at him and finally said "Liar."

Lin, Madoka, and Naru looked at her seriously, the others are confused didn't understand what made her said that "What do you mean?" Gene asked curiously.

"That's not your real name right? That goes to you too." she pointed at Naru.

"What made you say that?" Naru asked

"Instinct. But I understand, sometimes, people hide their identity for a reason, right?" She smiled at Naru. She looked at the others with curious expressions on their faces, then she introduced herself "Mai. Taniyama Mai, nice to meet you." And then she realize, she still don't know the name of the girl in kimono, she walked towards her "Uhm. May I know your name?" she heard Ayako and Bou-san gasped, she saw her widened her eyes.

"You don't know me?!" she asked loudly, she was angrier when she saw her shook her head

"She's the famous medium Hara Masako, she have her own show that started years ago." Yasu said, yeah right, as if I'm already here years ago, she thought.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have a TV on my apartment, since years ago until now." she said sarcastically.

"So that's how the poor lives? Why are you here anyway? Outsiders hindered our investigation." She said while glaring at her

Ignoring Masako's glare at Mai, Naru answered her question "She's a student from this school, and it seems one her classmates was attacked in this building"

"Impossible! I can't sense anything!" she raised her voiced, she forgot to cover her mouth.

She jerked slightly at her voice, she opened her mouth to say something but Naru beat her on it "That's why we will interview the students later." She looked at Mai, "Can you help us on this? Since you studied here, I assume you know some of the students that we're going to interview."

Mai thought for a moment "Fine, but only this time okay?" Naru nodded.

"Okay, so Mai-chan, can you please let these people come in here today? Whenever their available time." Madoka gave her the names of the students, she read the names, and she recognized them all, they are all her classmates!

"They are all my classmates" she said to one particularly, Naru took the file from her, "Can you bring them all here later, Mai?" Masako stared at Naru, she's been working with the SPR for more than a year now, but he still called her with her last name, but with this girl? He just met her less than twelve hours, but he already addressed her with her first name and dropping the honorifics, she hates her more now.

"Hey, what's with that? Calling me by my first name and dropping the honorifics immediately." She complained

"You also called me 'Naru'. You also immediately dropped the honorifics."

She groaned "Fine." She looked at her watch, she gasped at the time "I gotta go, Naru, I still have a class. We will just come back here later." She waved at them and went out the building.

Gene chuckled "Naru, short for narcissistic? She's ridiculous, but I like her…" he said, and in his peripheral view, he saw his brother narrowed his eyes at him, and clenching his fist, Oh, Noll likes her, Gene thought, "to be my sister." Gene continued, and then he choose to have a telepathic conversation with him.

Noll

What?

You like her.

Is that a question?

Nope, because it's obvious that the answer is 'yes'

Naru didn't answer further; he cut the connection, and looked at his brother who's having a Cheshire cat smile on his face. He just rolled his eyes in response, he will admit that she's quite different from other girls, but it doesn't mean that he already like her. I didn't harbor any unexplainable feelings for her… yet, he mentally punched his self at his last word. He smirked, well maybe when I get to know her better, she's a psychic he know it, but she's just denying it, and he must think of a reason to make her work for him.