And here's the next chapter!

Quote of the day: People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

"Hey, Mai, what's up?" Monk's voice came cheerful and clear through her phone and cut through all her resentment and anger and worry. She felt her face split into a smile and his warmth spread through her chest.

"Nothing much," she lied, unwilling to admit that she had a problem and choosing instead to enjoy talking with Monk. She made it to her room and closed the door behind her. "Just working on case stuff here. What about you? How's the meeting with the adoption agent going?"

"Well…" She could almost hear him smile. "He thinks I'm a little crazy for wanting to adopt a seventeen year old. And he doesn't understand why Ayako's willing to help out as well without being...involved with me."

"Well, maybe you two should get involved," Mai giggled. Ever since she and Naru had started dating, she had turned her attention to Monk and Ayako. She had suffered long enough; now it was her turn to cause chaos and embarrassment.

"Yeah, well," Monk said, sounding extremely uncomfortable, and hurriedly continued. "It's going pretty slow because he's so skeptical, but I think the initial stage is almost finished. Soon, you're going to have to show up and give your thoughts on it."

Mai smiled to herself. "I know my thoughts on it."

Even though Ayako was the one who originally wanted to adopt Mai, she had run into trouble with her age. According to Japanese law, Ayako had to be 25* to adopt, and since she wasn't, Monk had stepped in and accepted.

"And you better not change your mind, little girl, because I am EXCITED," Monk suddenly yelled in her ear. Mai winced and then laughed.

"So am I, Monk. Don't worry about it. What you should worry about is asking Ayako out."

"Shh, she's going to hear!" Monk whispered.

"What am I going to hear, you stupid monk?" Ayako shrieked. "Don't you go telling her inappropriate things! You might be the one who has the title of guardian but I'm the one in charge here!"

"I'm not - " Thwack. "OUCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU OLD LADY?"

"Give me that! Hand over that phone!"

Ayako's breathless voice filled Mai's ear. "Mai! How are you? What's up with the case? Naru didn't do anything weird, did he? Do you need us to bring you anything?"

Mai's throat clogged up suddenly. She swallowed hard. "It's all good, Ayako. We're all fine here," she said. Her voice wavered. "Naru hasn't done anything. You don't have to worry about him."

Ayako heard the tremble in her voice. "Mai, baby, is something the matter?"

Mai swallowed harder, swallowed the pathetic trembling. "I'm fine," she repeated more steadily, and forced her voice to come out flippant and carefree. "Just a little tired after the slave driver's constant demands."

"Alright…"Ayako trailed off uncertainly. "Well, we'll be there just as soon as we're done with business here. Hang in there."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ayako, I'm fine. You and Monk both need to take a chill pill."

"I'm just worried!"

"Ayako…" Mai groaned. "You do know I worked at SPR before you wanted to go ahead with this adoption business?"

"Yeah, but I can't -"

"Then just go relax. And maybe go out on a date with Monk."

"MAI-"

Mai hung up as fast as she could and burst out laughing.

She felt better after talking to the two people who loved her better than she could ever know, and, incidentally, loved each other better than they knew themselves. She stood up from her bed and stretched. Her gaze fell on her small suitcase.

She took out a cream colored sweater that ended a little bit below the waist, black tights, and comfortable sneakers. After a few minutes of hesitation, she took her gold earrings out, stuck them in her ears, and then started off to the bar downstairs.

It was a weekday night, so the bar wasn't too full, but there were still a good amount of people milling around. Mai accidentally bumped into a large man with a scar across his jaw.

"Watch where you're going, girl!" he sneered.

"Sorry, sorry," Mai apologized profusely and ducked around him. She tried not to step on anyone's toes and managed to make it to the counter with only one more incident.

Her heart beat uncomfortably in her chest, and she sat there, unsure of whether she had done the right thing or not. She really didn't belong here. Maybe Naru did know what he was talking about.

"What can I get you, doll?" the bartender asked her, putting his large hands up on the counter.

Mai leaned away the slightest bit. "Um, can I just get water?"

"You're at a bar, doll," the man chided, shaking his head, but he found a cup and gave her the water she asked for.

Mai took a sip of her water and looked around, trying to find Makoto. Where was he? He had said he would be at the bar - but that was yesterday. He probably wasn't here every single day.

Stupid, stupid, Mai thought, and was just getting up to find him when a tall, handsome man in a white button down shirt slid onto the stool next to her.

"A gin and tonic, please," he told the bartender, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He turned to Mai and grinned a lazy smile. "Hot in here, isn't it?"

Mai nodded and tried not to have a heart attack. They were just making small talk, for goodness sake. She wasn't being interrogated or anything. "I wonder what it's like when there's a ton of people," she said.

The bartender let out a sigh and set the man's drink in front of him. "It's like an oven in here at best."

The man laughed and took a gulp of his drink. "My name's Yoshirou. What's yours?"

"I'm Mai. Nice to meet you."

Yoshirou smiled. "The pleasure's all mine, sweetheart."

Oh, why couldn't Naru be this polite?

Because you love his jerkface self, not his politeness.

"So what brings you here?" Yoshirou asked, taking another swallow of his drink.

"Just business," Mai said elusively, not sure how much she should reveal to a stranger. She decided a little white lie couldn't hurt anyone. "We're helping Mr. Daichi with maintenance and such. How about you?"

"Just passing through the area," he said, just as elusively. "I've got some family business to take care of, and then I'm outta here." He downed the last of his drink. "Have you heard about the ghost that's been roaming around this hotel?" he asked, leaning in close.

Yes. Now we're getting somewhere.

Mai nodded. "I've heard, but I haven't seen it yet. Have you?"

Yoshirou shook his head. "Nah, not myself. But I've been talking to that fella over there." He pointed behind Mai, and she turned and craned her neck to see an older man with graying hair and a thick mustache eating alone. "He says he saw the ghost himself, and everyone thinks he's a little nuts, but I do believe him."

"Interesting." Mai tried to memorize what he looked like and then turned back around. "Have you heard anything else?"

"No, but -"

"Excuse me."

Mai turned her head so fast she was sure she cracked something.

Naru.

She was dead.

"Hey there," said Yoshirou good-naturedly, but Naru was looking only at Mai.

"Mai," he said, and smiled. It was forced, cold, annoyed. Deadly. The combination of his fake smile and cold eyes made her insides squirm. She had forgotten these past few weeks how closed off he could become.

"Hi," she managed.

Naru reached over and took her cup of water. "Don't mind if I do," he said, and lifted his arm to drink it, but he stumbled over Mai's chair and it went all over the man opposite her.

"So sorry about that," Naru muttered, feebly looking around, presumably for napkins, but the bartender was gone, and there were no napkins.

"It's just water," Yoshirou said, his voice taking on a tinge of annoyance. "It'll dry. And who are you?"

Naru glared at him and said in a low, quiet voice, "Who I am is none of your concern, but this is my girlfriend, and I would appreciate it if you left right now, or I will call the cops on you, and they will find some very illegal things in your room."

Yoshirou's lazy smile slowly turned into a hideous glare, and Mai detachedly wondered if he had just been pretending to be nice and kind for her. His face turned red and his knuckles white. He cursed at Naru and stalked off.

Mai was left with a very angry Naru.

"Naru, I-"

"Did you drink this?" Naru demanded, holding up her cup of water in her face. He gripped her arm tight.

"Um?" What was up with him?

"Did you drink it?" Naru's face was drawn in panic now. He was squeezing her arm way too tight.

Mai was suddenly afraid. What was he so panicked for? She tried to focus. "Just one sip."

"When? Before that guy came or after?"

"Right - right when the bartender gave it to me. It was before - before he came."

Naru visibly relaxed and collapsed on the stool where Yoshirou had been sitting. He released his hold on Mai's arm, and with that, Mai's timidness vanished.

"Why did you pour my water all over him? That was not an accident! You don't have to be jealous -"

Naru looked at her with cold eyes and cut her off. "I saw him put something in your water when you turned around to look there." He jerked his head in the direction of the man with the mustache.

"Oh." Mai felt his panic in her chest, albeit a little bit too late. She knew what that meant. "I'm sorry, I just - needed a little break."

"Just don't come down here without me anymore," Naru grumbled.

"I wouldn't have come down here in the first place if you would talk to me a little!" Mai said indignantly.

"Mai, you can't go running off like that while we're working! Work is not always about having something to do!" Naru shot right back at her.

"Work is not about keeping your assistant on a leash!"

"I'm not keeping you on a leash! I'm trying to protect you!"

"You're trying to control me!"

Naru glared at her. Later, she realized that he had made a smart move, keeping quiet, because they were both angry and a bundle of nerves from what had just happened, and nothing good could come out of that. She wished she had more sense, because she instantly regretted what came out of her mouth next.

"You were never this dull before! You were actually nice to me before we started dating! I wish I had never kissed you!"

A curtain came down over Naru's face, his eyes, his expression. He silently, slowly got up from his stool.

And he left the bar.

*Alright, so I'm not exactly sure on this one, but I did some googling, and this might be correct. Again, I don't know their laws, so if anyone does, please let me know!

Why would Mai do that? *wails*

For next time: a crime, some evidence, and something sinister