It's almost ten-thirty in the morning, Naru was glaring at the wall clock in his office. "Where the hell is that idiot?" he muttered.
He's reading a new case file that was faxed to him earlier. He remembered that Mai always serve him light snacks during this time. His stomach softly growl, he's hungry and he badly wanted to have tea – Mai's tea, he then glared at the clock again. It's already eleven.
He stood up and went to Lin's office. He knocked twice, when he didn't heard him he opened the door and saw him wearing headphones.
He took the headphones away, Lin was startled and turned around, he saw Naru's irritated and scowling face.
"Noll. What brings you here?" He casually asked.
"Did Mai called that she will be late today?"
Lin raised his eyebrow "Noll, did you forget? She asked for a leave of absence from you yesterday." He wanted to laugh at his young boss' blushing face.
Naru wanted to curse his self, how can he forget about it? He slightly blush at his ridiculous mistake and went back to his office. He heard Gene's laughter before he close his office door.
His stomach growl again, "Great! It's too early to get hungry."
He smiled when he remembered Mai cooking lunch for him; he chuckled when he realized that his lovely assistant spoiled him too much!
He pulled out his phone from his pocket and scroll thru his contacts, he groaned in frustration when he remembered that he don't have Mai's number nor email. There are only five people on his contacts, namely, his brother, his mother, father, Madoka, and Lin.
"Gene!" He called. He will use Gene to ask Akira for Mai's number.
"Yes, Noll?" Gene entered his office with a teasing smile on his face, he already know what his little brother wants.
Naru felt a warm sensation on his face, "Nothing. Never mind." He mumbled.
"Oh and here I thought that you will ask me for Mai's email." He shrugged "It seems that I'm wrong."
He turned around to leave, his hands on the doorknob when he stop him. He inwardly cheered for victory.
"Wait stop, you have Mai's email?" He tried not to sound jealous.
"Yup!"
"Give it to me." He ordered.
Gene grinned "And why would I do that?"
"As her employer, it is still my responsibly to follow up on her." He stated in all business mode.
"Naaa~ Not enough." He was about to turned around to leave when he heard his little brother groaned.
"Fine, because I already miss her." He mumbled with a red face, he's thankful that his office is dim.
Gene took his phone from his pocket, he scroll down to find Mai's email.
"Here." With a Cheshire cat smile on his face, he gave his phone to him to copy Mai's email.
Naru rolled his eyes, after he copied Mai's email, he dismissed him immediately.
Akira drives Mai at the airport.
"Take care of yourself, Akira. And please tell Naru that he should not skip a meal." Mai instructed.
Akira smiled and nodded "Sure~ Take care of yourself too."
"Can you please take my car to your house for the meantime?"
"Of course, I can! I will take care of your apartment until you come back."
"Thank you, I will surely come back."
Mai hugged her goodbye before she went to the departure area.
With a sighed, Akira watched Mai until she can no longer see her and went back to her car.
Mai still have thirty minutes to spare when her phone vibrated. Naru emailed her!
I forgot that you already left. I already miss you! Mai giggled at the sad emoji at the end of his message.
I already miss you too. Take care of yourself, Naru!
Take care of yourself, Mai.
Who taught you on how to use emojis? Mai can't help but ask, Naru isn't the kind of person who will use emojis in his emails.
Mai, I'm not an idiot. I know the modern way of expressing emotions thru messages.
Oh, really? She put a smirking emoji at the end.
Are you doubting me?
Maybe…?
When Naru only reply a pouting emoji, she laughed.
Meanwhile in SPR CEO's office...
"I see, I will use this if I want to kiss her..." he mumbled.
Naru was scrolling down the web page to look for the meaning on every emojis. Yes, Oliver Davis is reading Emojis for Dummies, and he reminded his self to make sure to erase his web history later!
Gene smiled when he saw her girlfriend entered the office, after she drove Mai to the airport; she went to the department store to buy some food for lunch.
"Hey." Gene greeted with a kiss. When they pull away, Akira was blushing. The perfect medium chuckled at her reaction.
"What's that?" he asked, referring to the bag she brought.
"Oh this, I'll cook for your lunch."
Gene's eyes sparkled, "Thank you!"
The couple went to the kitchen, Gene help her for the preparation.
"Ki-chan, Mai said that she's going home right? Where is that? Her home, I mean." Gene suddenly asked, Akira almost cut herself with the knife.
"Oh, uhm, I forgot to ask her. Why?"
Gene shrugged "Nothing, it's just that we didn't know anything about her family background."
Akira smiled "You will know soon, when she come back."
"Yeah, I can't wait for her to come back. She must comeback, for the sake of Olive Davis' sanity."
The couple laughed.
"Right." Akira muttered.
Naru was reading the book that Mai's gift from his birthday when Gene opened his door with a tray of food.
"Before you complain, no, it's not me who cooked these, it was Ki-chan. Mai told her to not let you skip a meal." He stated.
The young scientist felt a warm sensation in his chest knowing that Mai still worried about his eating habit.
"Tell her, I said thank you."
Gene smiled "Okay."
Then he left back to the common room and have a lunch together with Akira.
Masako frown when she saw the other SPR members loitering in the office. Everyone turn when they heard her open the door.
All of them blinked at her sudden change of dress code, instead of kimono, she wear a cocktail dress the shows her curves and cleavage.
"Masako you look great!" Ayako exclaimed.
The medium blushed at her compliment. "Thank you, Matsuzaki-san."
She saw Gene came out from the kitchen with Akira. She smirked at the Mai's friend who only rolled her eyes on her.
"Gene, where's Noll?"
"In his office, but he don't want to be disturbed at the moment."
Masako smiled "It's okay, it's important."
"But, even so –"
Masako ignored him and went to his office.
"Is she going to seduce Naru, now that Mai is not here?" Akira hissed.
"I think so, remember the first time we saw her not wearing her kimono over a year ago?" Yasuha asked, everyone nodded remembering that time.
"That time Mai saw her on top of Naru." Ayako stated.
Everyone looked at the CEO's door waiting for them to come out.
Naru never bother to look up who entered his office, he thought it was Gene until he heard the voice speak up.
"Noll."
He snapped his eyes from the book to the medium before her, then back to the book.
"I didn't remember calling you here, Hara-san." He stated coldly.
Masako frown when he didn't even took a second glance on her dress.
"Are you going to read there all day?" She asked innocently.
"State your business then leave, I'm busy."
"You're not, your just reading a book."
Naru didn't answer.
Masako took a deep breath "I have something to tell you about Mai." And it works, Naru looked at her.
"About what?"
Masako sweetly smiled at him "Let's go out for a tea."
"No. Say it here."
"It's important, I don't want any members will hear it."
Naru stared at her for a moment then sighed "Fine."
Masako grinned when she saw him stand up and wear his overcoat.
The noise form the common room halted when they saw Naru came out with Masako clinging beside him, smiling at them.
"Noll?" Gene and Akira both asked in confusion. They can clearly saw the irritation on Naru's face.
"We will go out for a while." Masako told them.
The SPR members looked at them as they went out from the office.
To Naru's annoyance, the café that Masako chose to talk to was full of people. He never touched the tea and sandwich that Masako ordered for him.
"Now tell me about Mai." He stated.
Masako chuckled "That can wait, let's enjoy our time together alone, like before."
"I never enjoyed those time." He frankly muttered, he saw Masako's eyes flashed with anger for a moment, but then she smirked.
"You should stop waiting for Mai, Naru. She won't come back anymore."
Naru whipped his eyes to her, now that catches his attention. He narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
Masako told her that she went to Mai's apartment, and accepted the money she offered.
"She did?"
Masako softly nodded, "Yes, she did. I don't know that Mai can be easily blinded with money."
Naru didn't say anything, Masako inwardly rejoice that Naru believed her... or so she thought.
"How could you let her clung to you like that? What if Mai will hear about this?" Akira angrily pointed at him. She immediately bombard him with questions when came back.
"Is true that Hara-san went to Mai's apartment earlier and offered her money?" Naru asked, this what made Akira stopped from her ranting.
"Oh, you mean this?" She pulled out the check form his pocket and wave it front of him.
Naru smirked "I thought so, there's no way Mai will exchange me for money." he mumbled softly.
"Don't tell me that bitch told you that Mai accepted her offer and will never come back?" Akira furiously asked.
"Yes, more or less."
Gene needed to hold Akira for stopping her from going to where the female medium is.
"I swear, I will bald that bitch!"
"Did you take several photos of us?"
The photographer nodded "Yes, Hara-sama."
Masako smirked, "Good." She handed a check to him "I'm expecting a great headline first thing tomorrow."
The photographer bowed and thanked her before coming out from her limo.
Buckingham Palace, London, England
"Ren, are you really okay with this? Letting our parents decide who are we going to marry?" Mai seriously asked her childhood friend, whom in two weeks will be her fiancé, if they won't do anything to stop it.
She didn't went home directly, she stop in England to have a talk with this man.
"Of course not! Having you as my wife, who nags worse than my mother and sister. And –" he didn't have a chance to continue his sentence, when Mai's fist landed on his face.
"And what about me? Do you think I will be happy having a playboy like you to be my husband?" she said, clenching her fist and glaring him.
He grinned "At least, I got the looks right?" he said with a smug, and he got another punch from that "Oww! Since when did your punches got stronger?" he whined as he touched his nose.
"Since I went to Japan" she groaned "It doesn't matter right now Richard Edwy Nathaniel Philip!"
"You don't have to say my full name, it's too long" he chuckled when he saw her pouted "You love him, right?" he suddenly asked.
Mai looked at him and blush "Y-yeah"
"Did he remember you?"
She shook her head "I don't think so."
"He's the reason why you want to stop this engagement, right?" he already know the answer when she went silent.
"What about you Ren? When will you stop fooling around with women?" she seriously asked.
He went to his drawer and pull out a picture of a lady, he handed it to Mai "Her name is Sophia Margaret, she studied medicine. I met her last year when I went to Oslo."
Mai smiled looking at the picture, a red-haired lady with viridian eyes, wearing a baby blue dress. "Oh, Norwegian. She's beautiful!"
"Those entire women I have in the past, only loves my lineage and title. And for the first time, someone is not blinded from those things, I saw the hurt in her eyes when she heard the news that I'm getting engaged, she thought that I'm making fool out of her, but nevertheless, she even smile and congratulated me. I told her to wait and have a faith on me, and that I will come back for her."
He saw Mai staring at him and listening very closely to his story, grinning ear to ear, he blushed furiously "I-idiot! You made me say such embarrassing things!" he shyly stated, covering his face.
She laughed "Sorry, sorry, it was the first time I saw you talking about your love life with a serious face. Did they know about her?"
"No! If I will tell them, they will only tease me to death."
She chuckled "You have a point."
"Now I understand why you run away three years ago. When we first heard about it, I thought you're just being stubborn. But you met a lot of people whom you can talk with ease, friends, and you met the Davis' twins. Then you fall in-love."
"He already said that he loves me, but Naru don't know anything about me, yet." She softly said "I don't know if he will forgive me from lying if he will find out."
Ren patted her head softly "If he will let you go just because of that, then he's the most idiot man in the world. He didn't know that there are lots of men who wanted your hand for marriage."
She smiled at that. Ren is indeed one of her best friends.
He yawned "C'mon, let's sleep. When will you go home?"
"In two days. Let me stay here for two days"
"Of course."
Unknown to the two, somebody are listening thoroughly outside the room. When they heard that the two was about to sleep, they carefully walked away with a satisfied smile on their faces.
When Naru woke up the next day, he checked his email he found Mai's name and widened his eyes on her message.
I see… It seems that you are enjoying your time with Masako while I'm gone, Oliver! Oh well, take your time. Naru saw a lot of angry emojis. He hurriedly replied, the message was sent fifteen minutes ago.
Did Akira-san told you? Great! Now he sounded guilty. He waited for a few moments before she replied.
Oh, so Akira knew about it? No, she didn't told me, I found it out thru this. Naru clicked the attached link on her message.
It has several photos of him and Masako while they were at the café yesterday, and she was clinging to his arms. He read the headline:
The famous spiritual medium, Hara Masako-sama spotted being intimate together with the famous paranormal researcher Dr. Oliver Davis.
Naru clenched his fists he didn't even bother to read the whole article.
Mai, it's not like that. Hara-san invited me to have a tea with her because she told me that she has something important to tell me about you. Please believe me. He even put a crying emoji, hoping that it will help.
And what is this 'something important' that she said?
She told me about offering money to you.
And you believe it?!
Of course, not! What do you take me for? I'm a scientist Mai, I don't directly jump to conclusion.
The news is all over the internet, Naru. I think your life as 'Shibuya Kazuya' is now over. I'm going to sleep, good night.
Naru raised his eyebrow at her last sentence. Mai, what are you talking about? It's already six in the morning. You are in Japan, aren't you?
It took him a few moments before he got Mai reply.
Of course I am! I stayed all night thinking on how to solve my family issues so I can come back sooner, I was about to sleep then I read the article online.
Mai please... You know Hara-san's obsession towards me.
I'm going to sleep now, Naru.
Naru sighed, he needed to fix it as soon as possible, Alright. I will say it again, I love you and I will always wait for you.
He closed his laptop, and cursed under his breath.
"Oliver, come here!" He heard Gene called from the living room. He sighed and stood up, Gene was scowling at him.
"Can you explain that?" He was pointing the TV. Naru was trembling in anger, now their pictures are all over the TV stations in Japan now.
"That was yesterday, right?" Gene asked, anger can be clearly heard from his voice.
"Yes." He simply answered.
"From this moment on, 'Shibuya Kazuya' is no more." Gene sarcastically stated and shoved the remote to his chest. He went back to his bedroom to answer Akira's rage.
He groaned when he heard his phone rings, he reached it from his nightstand and answered.
"Hello?" he answered sleepily.
"She's upset." The person on the other line stated.
It seems all of his sleepiness vanished "What? Why?"
"Have you read the latest Japanese News?"
"No."
"Then you better read it." She hang up the phone.
He rose from his bed and went to his study table where his laptop is, he switched it on and impatiently waited for it to load after he typed his password. He searched for the latest Japanese news that she's talking about.
His eyes widened, "That idiot!" He picked up his phone dialed her number.
"I'll take this call as you already saw it." She guessed.
"Yes."
"So, what now?"
"Change of plans."
"Right, I'm all ears."
Masako was smiling looking at her photo with Oliver, she received a lot of calls from her manager, and several TV stations.
"Yes, I'll be there for the interview. Thank you." She hang up the phone; that was the seventh call asking for her exclusive interview. Her mom was thrilled by the news and prepared one of her best kimono collections.
This will be her last card to have Oliver by herself. She will appear and tell the world that she's dating the one and only Oliver Davis, their pictures already spread all over Japan and England, he will only sound defensive if he will deny their 'relationship.'
An hour after lunch, she guested in one of the reigning TV Talk Show in Japan. They already told her the pattern, and someone leaked the questions to her. She's patiently waiting for her cue to come out while she's rehearsing her answers backstage.
"Hara-sama, you're up." One of the stage managers informed her, she smiled at her and prepared herself for the hosts to call her name.
When the hosts called introduced her, she come out to the stage with poised and elegance.
"It's nice to have you here, Hara-san." The male host stated with a smile
"It's my pleasure to be here."
"Oh, first things first, you don't feel any spirits here in the studio, do you?" The female host joked.
Masako took a deep breath, and feel the surrounding "No. the place is safe with spirits." She assured. The audience and hosts sighed in relief.
"Alright, now let's straight to point…" The female host read her cue card and smiled "How long since you start working under Oliver Davis?"
The medium inwardly smiled, she already prepared for her answers "I've been working under him for four years now, and thru that time working together we developed a more than work-relationship."
The crowed 'oh-ed' in the background.
"Is it true that the two of you are dating before then broke up?"
She lowered her gaze "Yes."
"Is there a third a party involved?"
Masako sadly smiled, and with teary eyes she nodded.
"Oh. A co-worker?"
"Yes." She whispered "We were so in-love with each other and then that woman showed up and broke us apart."
"That's hard… Working under your ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend." The female host stated
The other one agreed "That's right, and Hara-san is such a strong woman to handle that situation properly."
The screen showed their pictures form yesterday.
"Based on those pictures, it seems that the two of you are now dating again." The female host teased her.
She blushed and nodded shyly "Yes."
"Are you sure that it's not extortion?" The male host suddenly asked.
Masako raised her eyebrow, "What?"
"There's a rumor that you only blackmailed Oliver Davis for going out with you." He clarified.
The medium chuckled "That's not true. What would I use to blackmail him?"
"Perhaps his real identity?"
"We all know that Oliver Davis always avoid the media, and he is here in Japan using an alias, right?"
Masako furrowed her eyebrows, she was not informed for that questions, "Whoever spread that rumors is just jealous in our relationship." She smiled.
The audience sympathized with her.
"That's right. Well, it would be nice if we invited the one and only Oliver Davis his self, right?" The female host asked the audience.
They cheered in agreement.
Masako is not worried, she knows that Naru hates to be interviewed like this, she smiled at the two hosts "I agree, but sadly my boyfriend really hates to be interviewed live."
The hosts smiled at her, "We know, that's why we have Oliver Davis live on the phone for a while now."
Masako's smile faded and went pale. Phone interview, she didn't think about that! If he will deny it, he will only look defensive.
"Are you still on the line, Dr. Davis?"
"Yes."
"We apologized for calling in your office Dr. Davis, but we wanted to hear your side in the story."
"It's all a lie."
"Which one?" The female host seemed confused.
"All the things that Hara-san said, expect for the years that she worked under me."
The crowd gasped.
Masako chuckled "Oliver, I know you are angry for leaking our pictures, but you don't have to deny it."
"I'm not denying it Hara-san, I'm just clearing the things between us."
The hosts looked at each other, then to the medium, then to the screen.
"You are saying that you and Hara-san don't have any romantic relationship?"
"We have none. And since it came down to this, I will take this opportunity to thank you Hara-san, for those four years in working under me, you are fired."
The studio felt the coldness in his voice. The crowd gasped and made a fuss over it.
Masako widened her eyes "Wait –"
"I already have a restraining order against you from the police, and I already sue that photographer you paid to take pictures of me without my permission. I don't want you to show up your face in front of me again, unless I will call you first, but I doubt it." The studio only heard the dial tone after he said that, he already hang up the phone.
The crowd booed and throw objects at her. The hosts just shrugged and smirked.
Masako stood up and run with a broken pride and dignity, she can't believe that Oliver have the guts to fire her in the national television! She underestimated him.