((AHH I meant to post this before the other. I'm very sorry..anyway I'll reorder the chapters later, for now, i hope you like it. the 2nd half of a ghost story in the park. As usual I own nothing.))
I'm not amused about being out here, but the sooner I solve this case the sooner Ms. Hara will go away. I know that Mai was really upset when I told Ms. Hara yes. I wouldn't have if it wasn't important to not blow my cover. For the thousandth time I curse Gene's name and I miss him that much more. He's my brother and now he's my burden, my cross to bare as it were.
Once I have found his body if I have to ruin Masako Hara, I will. She might be famous in Japan but I'm the world famous Dr. Oliver Davis. Prodigy. The strongest PK user alive today. If she thought he'd still be enthrall to her when he had recovered Gene, she'd be in for a very rude awakening
Of all the days for Lin to be sick. I'm about to assign the teams so that we can cover the entire park. Mai will of course be with me. She is my assistant after all. Ayako with Takigawa, those two have some sexual tension that they really need to work out. Those two needed to do, well, whatever it was that they needed to do to work it out. He didn't like the constant bickering. It grated on his nerves. He's put Ms. Hara with Father Brown. I'm about to assign the teams when Ayako globs on to me.
Oh bloody hell. She thinks we look good as a couple? Is she serious? She's got six, seven years on me. She's out of her mind. I'm about to correct her when Ms. Hara inserts himself in Ayako's place. Great, she wants to be my partner. I eye her and hope I can covey my level of dislike with a look but she's undeterred. I can't risk angering her right now so I have to acquiesce to her demands. For now. I really with Lin were here so I wouldn't have to be alone with the egocentric medium.
I've assigned Mai to be with Takigawa. Since Lin isn't here to help protect her and I can't watch over her myself Takigawa will have to do. The case doesn't sound dangerous but with Mai once can never be too sure. The added bonus is that the monk considers himself to be a sort of big brother figure to her and that means he loves her in a way that will ensure he does his best to protect her. Ayako with Father Brown. They look absurd, but it'll have to do. We split up and I find a bench so that I can study and leave Ms. Hara to try and seek out the spirit. Sadly she's insisted on carrying on the charade of being a couple. I can only hope my stupid brother is amused wherever he is.
"Does it bother you that I forced you to take this case?" What an utterly stupid question. I know that Luella says that there are no stupid questions, but really, there are. This is just an example of it. I debate for a moment if such a monumentally stupid question deserves an answer and decide no, that if she can't take a hint than that's her problem.
"Are you sensing anything Ms. Hara?" She purses her lips, but it's not like when Mai does it. It makes me anxious to think about my trouble magnet assistant being out there. If anyone is going to get soaked, it will be her and I don't want her sick. I mean She'd have to miss work and then I'd have to suffer Lin's tea.
"There is a faint presence.." and with that she takes off. Bloody hell. I really don't like to run, my general rule is to only run when chased. Well sadly I have to chase her now. This had better be good. I'm really tired of her hurting the girl I lo..lik..employee. It distracts her from her work. As if Mai wasn't scattered enough already Masako likes to metaphorically poke her with a stick. Her childish antics do not amuse me.
Well, there are a very wet Takigawa and Mai. Lovely, now she'll get a cold and have to miss work. I'm about to take my coat off to keep the fool girl a little warm when it becomes painfully apparent that the spirit has possessed the medium. I'll have to deal with this it seems.
Lovely, what a stupid reason to haunt the park. A two timing boyfriend. This is a huge reason why I avoid romantic entanglements. They always get messy. Not to mention I've only even been even remotely interested in one girl..and that's hard to accept. She short, and loud, clumsy and not quite what one would call a star student. Yet, she oddly compelling. She makes me smile, though I'll never tell her that. I spend hours after she's left me thinking about her antics. One day I'll have to leave her, but until I find Gene I can enjoy a little bit of life.
And that's what Mai is. She's so alive, and happy. Before I only really had Gene. Now, i'm alone but not. She's wormed her way inside of me. I might as well just accept that I do like her. Why else would I employ her? Yes, her dreams are helpful but I could live without those. Hell I'd actually like to because then she'd not be hurt. Doesn't she know it's killing me every scratch she gets? I couldn't protect Gene but I can try to keep her safe at the very least.
Fabulous, now she wants to help this nitwit spirit. We nearly had her convinced to pass on but Mai wants to help her get some childish revenge. I think I'll sit this one out. I can watch and see if she's learned anything. It'll be a field evaluation I tell myself.
Ok, they are surrounding the low life moron who's the cause of all this stupidity. I'm hiding out in the bushes with Mai. My fingers brush hers as we lean down to try and avoid being seen. My heart flutters a bit. I can't focus on that now. I have to keep on top of the issue at hand.
And there's the water. Great, now the spirit should leave. She is. Great, now we can go back to the office and I can have some tea.
It feels much better here, I have tea and I'm not overly annoyed by the chatter of the people around me. Yet.
"May I remind you Naru how you solved this case so quickly?" The miko. I'm about to bite her off when Ms. Hara interrupts with the stupidest thing she's said all day.
"I'd like to buy you some dinner to say thank you." This isn't a request I know. She wants me to go out with her and she wants to shove it in Mai's face.
"This isn't the first time we've been out Mai, just last week we saw a movie together." I hear her say. That's news to me. I try to tell her with my eyes to just hang on. Soon enough I can tell her everything. Please don't hate me Mai. I try to implore her with a look. In the end her eyes glisten and I'm afraid she might cry. It'll break my heart to see her's broken. Ms. Hara grips me and I ball up my fists. I have to get out of here. I practically drag her out to the street. Once we're alone in the lift I glare at her.
"Just remember Oliver, if you want to remain hidden in plain sight, what you have to do." I grind my teeth. I'll be free of her soon enough.. I'll take Gene home and give him peace. The only thing that really bothers me is what will become of Mai and I..
The chill of the air bites me as we exit the building and I wonder if Mai's watching and if she let her tears fall.