Chapter 9 – One More Year
It's an ordinary day in the office – or at least to members of SPR, it's been one week since the case in the airport, and one it's been week since Naru keeps on REJECTING a case! With an excuse that he still needs to train Mai on astral projection. For Mai, it's a special day because it's her twentieth birthday! She was humming while filing the papers, while the irregulars are chatting at the common room, and of course Masako is there in her gorgeous kimono sitting beside Naru.
She rolled her eyes. I wonder what that stupid Naru saw at her, she's not even that pretty, her thoughts was interrupted with a call on her personal phone. She smile upon seeing the caller on her phone and she immediately answer it.
"Yeah, I already got it… Thank you… hm? Yeah I'm fine. He didn't know… I know, bye. Vi ses snart" she let out a sigh before ending the call.
The people in the common room saw how Mai, laugh, giggle, and blush whoever she's talking to in the other line. And they are all awed when they heard her talking in English fluently with an English accent.
"What?" she asked when she notice that they are all staring at her like she done something extraordinary.
Gene laugh "Nice accent. It sounds like you really came from England"
She twitch from his words and she want to slap herself, she smile at him "Because English is my favorite subject, Gene"
Masako scoffs "I bet you're having a hard time learning that accent"
"It's quite easy actually"
"Nah~ it's not" Bou-san interjected "Before, I tried to study the English accent it's like I'm experiencing hell" he said
"It's because your brain is too small, there's no room for you learn another language" Ayako pronounced.
"At least I'm not as old as you!" He answered back, and a fist landed on his face which made him fall from the couch, which started their non-ending bickering.
"Mai-chan, what language 'Vi ses snart' is?" Yasu curiously asked.
"It's Swedish, right?" John seconded.
She casually nodded. "How did you know?"
John smiled "Before I came here in Japan, I became a priest of one of the church in Sweden two years ago"
She was silent. He didn't know… right? she thought
"That's amazing John!" Gene exclaimed
"Have you seen the Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm?" Yasu excitedly asked
"Or the royal family?" Ayako seconded
Mai, who's drinking a glass of water, almost choked from Ayako's question. She was relieved when she saw John shook his head.
"I have seen the palace, but not the royal family" he answered
"I heard the royal family is strict when it comes to going out in public" Lin, who's been typing only-God-knows-what, interjected.
"Yeah, and there's news that England and Sweden will unite in power thru marriage in the royal family" Gene informed
They are about to make a fuss when the door opened.
"Shibuya Psychic Research?" the man asked
"Yes. How can I help you?" Naru asked
"A delivery for Mai Taniyama" he said
Naru raised his eyebrow, the man didn't bring anything aside from a clipboard where you need to sign. Mai came out from the kitchen, and walk towards the door.
"I'm Mai Taniyama" she informed the man
The man stares at her, Mai widened her eyes for a moment when she recognized who the delivery man is "I need you to sign this one ma'am"
Mai tried to stifle a laugh, she did what he told, and he handed him a keys – a car keys.
"Look outside" the man said, and before he leaves the office he looked at Mai one more time and said "grattis på födelsedagen" then he left.
Curiosity strikes them, the irregulars went to the window to look outside – even Naru! And they found a metallic-blue brand new model of Maserati parked in front of the building. They were awed, they went outside to look closely, and it got the attention of the people walking by, they stop to look, some took pictures. But what makes it more odd is the balloons, no not the balloon itself, but what is written in the balloon – grattis på födelsedagen – it has the same words as the man said to Mai before he left.
"It's awesome!" Bou-san and Yasu exclaimed together as they examine the car closely.
Mai can even see the amazement in Lin's eyes "That model is not yet out internationally, right?" He's talking to Gene
He nodded "Yeah. Even the England's royal families don't have this kind of car yet"
"John, can you translate what's written in the balloon" Naru ordered
He tried to decipher the words, but later on "I'm sorry Shibuya-san, but I forgot how to translate Swedish" he said
Naru sighed. Now he's curious who in the world brought this model to Japan just for Mai.
"Heh, it seems that Taniyama-san have a sugar daddy who can afford this kind of thing. Not bad" Masako sarcastically said.
Mai rolled her eyes, she don't want to argue she might say things that she didn't want them to know.
"Hey Mai!" Gene called her "There's something inside the car"
She raised her eyebrow. When she looked inside thru the tinted window, there she saw a paper nicely folded, and a small box. She opened the door and took the box, when she opened it – it's a diamond necklace.
"Where the hell this from Mai?" Ayako asked, jealousy can be heard from her voice
Mai look at her "A friend?" and tried to smile
Naru sighed. "All of you, let's get inside" he ordered
They all followed him without complain.
Naru looked at Mai who's happily humming and tried to finish all the paper works that he left on her table, Just from who and where these luxurious gifts came from? It's not like what Hara-san said, right? She's not that kind of girl, he thought
She hurriedly drove her new car to her apartment; she's excited to meet the man who went here in Japan just to personally delivered all of these things to her – her big brother. When she saw him earlier at the office, she wanted to laugh at him, seeing his beloved big brother wearing a delivery man's uniform really suits him.
She parked the car in front of the building and went directly inside her unit, without knocking.
"You still don't know how to knock, Madeleine Anntonette Irish" he said as he returned the magazine that he's been reading until a while ago. She smile and run into him and gave him a teddy bear hug.
"It's because I miss you Vlademar Erik"
They were both surprise when they heard the door abruptly opened a cheerful voice followed.
"Mai, Happy twentieth birthday! I brought a huge~ cake just for the two of us! C'mon let's get fat!" Akira stopped and almost dropped the box of cake when she saw who's the guy that Mai's hugging! She put it on the center table, and squealed at the top of her lungs!
"OH MY G! Aren't you the crown prince of Sweden? His Royal Highness Vlademar Erik?" she almost yell from excitement, she squealed more when she saw him nod and smile. She run towards him and shove Mai – who's still in shock from her surprise visit – away, and hug him.
"What are you doing here? Why the media didn't know you're here?" she consecutively asked
"I'm here for personal reason, to visit and celebrate the twentieth birthday of my little sister" he answered
Akira widened her eyes, and gaped "Y-Y-You mean, Mai…" she said stuttering
Mai joined the two, recovering from the shock and from Akira shoving her "Akira, I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth… I –" she didn't finished her sentence when she hugged her and squealed again, louder than before. My eardrums! She thought
"I can't believe it! You're Madeleine Anntonette Irish! So MAI is just an acronym huh" she happily said
"You're not angry?" she worriedly asked her
Akira laugh "Why would I? Everyone of us has secrets"
Tears coalesce in her eyes, she hugged her bestfriend "Thank you"
Erik smile from the scene before him, she finally found someone who she can call 'bestfriend' I'm happy for you sis, at least for the past years that you are away from home, you experience the life that you really wanted to live through. But I'm afraid, you only have one more year to live this kind of life, you MUST go home before your twenty-first birthday, to do your duty: and that's to get engaged and marry your childhood friend, the crown prince of England, he thought.
[A/N]
You thought I already abandoned my stories? Hahahah. Well, I didn't!
Happy 2015 to all of you!
Once again, you are all welcome to follow me on my twitter account vermouthxd and/or you can also add me on skype is my username.
I'll be waititng!
*Vi ses snart - See you soon
*grattis på födelsedagen - Happy Birthday