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Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
(A/N: So summer vacation is finally here! I don't know how often I will be updating but I'll do the best that I can!)
Lin had noticed the change in Mai and Oliver's relationship right away. He could tell there was much less tension between the two. It seemed that the two were closer than before and it showed in the office and especially at the school.
It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon at the SPR office. Four eavesdroppers stood at the narcissist's office door. Blushes graced their cheeks as they listened to what was happening on the other side of the door.
"Naru, it's too big! There is no way it is gonna fit!" They heard Mai exclaim.
"Yes it will, trust me. Watch." They heard Oliver assure.
"Ow! That hurts!" They heard Mai cry.
"What did you expect? You should have known this was going to hurt." They heard Oliver remark.
"Oh great, now I'm bleeding" Mai whined.
"Don't worry, that's normal." Oliver reassured her.
"What do you think they are doing in there?" John asked being naïve like always.
"Are you really that innocent, John?" Ayako remarked.
"If they are doing…that, I swear I'll-!" Houshou started.
"Oh please!" Masako interrupted. "No matter how much you act like one, you are not her brother. So what right do you have to interfere in her affairs like that?" She looked at him slyly sticking up for her friend.
"Like you're one to talk!" Houshou retorted angrily. "If this was a year ago, you would have barged in there and ripped Mai to shreds!"
Masako glared. "That was year ago. I have moved on completely and I am now a completely changed woman." She prided.
"Shhh!" Ayako hushed. "I can't figure out what they are doing when you guys talk so loud!" She said wither her ear to the door.
Just then, they heard someone clear there throat from behind them. They turned to find Lin looking at them strangely. The four backed away from the door. Lin proceeded to walk to the door and then open it.
"Don't go in there!" Ayako warned. "They're-!"
He entered the office. "I've got some more information on the school." Lin said placing some papers on Oliver's desk.
The four peeked in Oliver office. Dumbfounded Ayako finished, "…Using a glucose monitor!"
The scene was perfectly innocent. Oliver sat at his desk. Mai stood next to him with a tissue wrapped around her index finger to stop the slight bleeding. A small machine, no bigger than half the size of your palm, with a little needle sticking out on the end rested on Oliver's desk.
"Yep!" Mai said cheerfully. "We have science project on Diabetes. Our teacher lent us a glucose machine so we can find out what it is like for people that have to use them." Then becoming suspicious she added, "What did you think we were doing?"
"Nothing!" The four shouted in unison.
"Well, it's getting late. I think it's about time we leave, don't you?" Houshou asked Ayako, John, and Masako even though it was only two in the afternoon. They nodded. "Well then, see ya!" Houshou said and then they quickly fled the SPR office.
Oliver and Lin, who had been watching the scene deadpanned, turned their attention back to each other. "Good work, Lin. I will look over them shortly." Oliver informed him.
Lin nodded and left closing the door behind him.
"Oh, that's right." Mai said remembering about the case. "Have you figured out who the ghost might be and why they haven't passed on?" She questioned.
"Unfortunately, no. Your school doesn't have any major history. There is a possibility that I cannot find anything, because someone has covered up something. Though, it is difficult to say for certain." Oliver said as he examined the papers.
'I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this case…' Mai thought to herself.
Monday started just like any school day would. The first four periods passed like a breeze for Oliver, even though Oliver knew everything already and therefor found the classes useless for him. He was just glad that now it was lunch break which gives him the opportunity to do something useful with his time. Such as working on the case. Unfortunately- in his opinion- the base's door was mysteriously locked.
He personally blames Lin for this. No matter how much he knocked or yelled through the door for someone to open it, no one did. Which was weird considering he knew for a fact that Lin was in base. Oliver was going to have a nice little chat with him later. It was obvious what Lin was doing. He was giving Oliver a subtle push to be more social, especially with Mai.
And so, Oliver sat sulking sitting on the picnic bench he sat on days before. Just what was he supposed to do now? He could go ask the janitor to unlock the door, but explaining the situation in which his own assistant locked him out would hurt his pride too much. So Oliver did the only thing he could do to make lunch period pass faster: read one of his many books.
"Naru?" An all too familiar voice called out to him. Oliver reluctantly looked up. It was Mai of course. She held her bento; she had probably been on her way to meet Keiko and Michiru when she saw him.
Mai looked at him a bit surprised. "What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be at base."
Oliver smirked. "What? Not happy to see me?"
"Oh, you know what I meant!" Mai said headstrong.
Oliver continued to smirk and explained, "For your information, all the activity that I have experienced so far in this case has happened in this courtyard. I thought it'd be a wise idea to observe this place for a while." It wasn't a complete lie, but it was close enough to one.
"Oh." Mai said contemplating it. "Well, have you had lunch yet?" She asked a little more brightly.
"No." Oliver said simply.
"Will you?" Mai pressed.
"No." Oliver sad again."
"I see even after a whole year, your eating habits haven't changed." Mai observed becoming a little irked. "But how many times do I have to tell you? Skipping meals like that is really bad for your health! Neither your mind or body can function properly when it's low on nutrients." Mai informed him She wasn't mad at him, she was just mad that he doesn't take good care of himself. After all, whether she admits it or not, she cares about him.
"Even though that may be true for some people. My 'my mind and body'- as you put it- function at a much higher level than most So therefore, it is not necessary for me to eat three meals a day." Oliver retorted.
"Oh come on, Naru! How hard is to bring a bento to school?" Mai said not giving up. Then it occurred to her, "Not unless, it's because you don't know how to cook?" She gave a sly smile.
"That is not you concern." Oliver glared.
"Oh, so it is true! You don't know how to cook!" Mai spun around elated. "The Great Narcissist actually has a weakness!" Oliver didn't say anything only gave an exasperated sigh. He couldn't believe he had let that one secret slip. Mai continued, "If that's the case then I guess I have no choice!" Mai smiled.
"No." Oliver said flatly.
"But I didn't even tell you-!" Mai started confused.
"I can already tell where you're going with this and I refuse." Oliver informed Mai.
Mai sighed. She placed her bento on the table and her hand on her hip. "What the big deal? It's not like I would be going out of my way to make a bento for you every day. I always make too much for myself anyway. Besides, as your assistant and friend, it my job to make sure you stay healthy." Then she quickly added, "But… there is a catch."
"And what would that be?" Oliver mused even though he didn't want anything to do with her bentos. Especially since, that was something a girlfriend usual does for her boyfriend.
"You will have to help out with the festival." Mai announced.
"Mai, I am not going to help with the festival just for something I didn't even ask for, let alone want." Oliver said dully.
"Fine!" Mai pouted. "Then I won't make you tea ever again unless you help!" She declared.
Oliver stared up at her wide-eyed. She did not just pull the tea-card!
School was now over and Oliver and Mai walked together to the school's library. Many students were staying after class to do some festival preparations. Oliver and Mai happened to be two of them.
Oliver was sulking once again. It occurred to him that a lot of unfortunate events happened to him today. Little did he know there was one more to come.
Mai noticed his slightly degraded attitude. In attempts to cheer him up, she says, "Oh come one, Naru! It'll be fun! You act like you've never been to a school festival before…"
"I haven't." Oliver said looking forward.
A little shocked, Mai exclaimed, "What? You never went to a school festival before?" Then she remembered. "Oh right, you grew up in England. English schools are a bit different than Japanese school, so there might not be festivals there, but surely you have gone to some big school event?"
"Though that is true, in England we don't have the same events as you do here, I still haven't gone to or participated in any school event." Oliver said as they continued to walk.
"But…why?" Mai questioned not understanding it at all.
"…I was homeschooled." He replied truthfully.
"Oooh." Mai understood. That's why he is so anti-social, well at least one of the reasons. "That explain soooooo much!"
Oliver was a bit annoyed at that comment but he let it go.
Twenty minutes or so later, Mai was checking everyone's progress. Everything was going well until Takashi Satoru, the co-class representative approached her. "Taniyama-san, has class 2-D returned the ladder they borrowed?"
"I wasn't aware they borrowed the ladder." Mai said.
"Well, they did and said they'd have back within five minutes or so, but it's been over twenty. Some of our classmates are waiting to hang stuff up." Satoru explained.
"Oh, okay. Well then, I guess I'll go check if class 2-D is done with it." Mai informed him.
"Oh really? Thank you!" Satoru thanked. "I'll go back to helping everyone out."
Satoru was about to walk away when Mai stopped him. "Oh and one more thing, while I'm gone make sure Shibuya-san continues to do what he is doing."
"I'll try." Satoru replied nervously, still scared of Oliver.
"Okay, then I'm off." Mai said making her way to the door. After one glance at Oliver with a look that said 'You better not try anything while I'm gone!', Mai left.
Oliver sighed as he continued to cut various figures out of a long roll of black paper. He couldn't believe he had been reduced to this. However, he wasn't even going to risk stopping while Mai is away because he knew one of the students would tell her if he did. After all, he was only doing what Mai requested for something he couldn't possibly live without. For her tea!
The year he spent in England was absolute hell without it. He wasn't going to lose it again.
Mai walked upstairs to where room 2-D was. She walked around the corner and soon saw a group of students working on something in the 2-D classroom. They had the ladder.
Mai approached a boy who was standing on the ladder hanging a banner up against the wall. "So will you guys be done with the ladder soon?" She asked.
The boy looked down at her. "Oh, are you from class 3-A? Sorry about that, it took a little longer than expected to hang everything up. We're almost done though. We'll get this ladder back to you in a couple minutes." The boy promised.
"Okay, thanks!" Mai smiled and turned. As she walked away, she thought 'Everyone is working hard. No surprise there, since the festival is in just a few days….'
She hummed a jolly tune as she walked down the stairs. About halfway down the steps, Mai felt an ice cold hand push her from behind. Without a grip on anything, Mai tumbled downwards.
From the corner of his eye, Oliver saw Satoru glancing at the clock every few seconds.
"What is taking Taniyama-san so long? It's been like ten minutes!" Another student exclaimed.
"Alright, I guess I should go check on her." Satoru announced and then walked out the library's double doors, letting them fall close behind him.
A moment later, the library doors busted open. Oliver looked up to see a very panicked Satoru. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Satoru nearly shouted, "I-it's Taniyama-san!"
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