AN: This is a direct sequel to Vernalagnia. I'm really really sorry for the long break, but I've just been so brain dead when it comes to writing lately that nothing seemed to work out. I hope you can forgive me! A noceur is a person who stays up late. Feel free to send in a word that you would like for me to include! Also, check out my profile for a poll!
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"Hey, Mai! What are you doing? You've been staying up late recently... what's so interesting on your computer? Are you talking to somebody? Ooh, is it a boy? Who is it?" Mai's rambunctious roommate bounced around the shorter girl, trying to get a glance at her screen. "C'mon, lemme see!"
"Ah, careful, Emiko," the laughing psychic warned when her short haired friend got dangerously near her equipment. "Emi, you know how expensive that camera was!" Spinning around in her chair, Mai saw Emiko in her own seat, leaning forward with her hands pressing down on her knees. Mai knew that position well. It was one her roommate had become very fond of- because it meant she expected a story, and a good one at that.
When Emiko first discovered Mai's previous occupation as a ghost hunter, she demanded to hear about all of the cases they went on, and the psychic happily obliged. Sometimes, her blonde roommate would record these stories in her flowery notebook, and other times, she would make her clearly socially awkward boyfriend listen in as well. Mai enjoyed having an audience, especially one that wasn't skeptical of the truthfulness of her tales. But this was one story she didn't know if she could tell.
While she had told Emiko about all of her co-workers, and she had already met Yasuhara, Mai never told her about that final moment with Naru. She never told her about how strongly her heart ached after being rejected so cruelly, never revealed Naru's true identity to her roommate. But now, seeing Emiko's determined expression, she knew she would have to let go of her fears.
"Well, it goes something like this..." And so for hours, she recalled her entire time with Naru. She didn't repeat the details of each case, seeing as Emiko practically knew them all by heart at this point, but rather, each individual moment with her cold boss that served to strengthen her feelings for the man.
Telling her own story to her bubbly friend made her realize that Naru may not have been rejecting her feelings, but instead, rejecting himself for her.
When she finally stopped talking, there was a long pause while she recollected her thoughts. Finally, Emiko spoke, hesitantly, seeming to realize that the slightest disturbance could send the brunette into waterworks.
"And so you've been e-mailing him... but it's awkward? Mai... you should tell him again. It sounds to me like he wants to see you again too, but I think he's scared to. Surely you've realized by now that you never answered his question in the woods?" The blonde reached a hand out to Mai's shoulder.
"... You're right. I never... I just let him think he was right. I never bothered to correct him..." Suddenly, Mai giggled, breaking the tense mood in the small dorm. "I can't believe I just let him go on serving his egotistical fantasies! He's got a big enough ego already, I shouldn't have let him believe he was right!"
Smiling widely, she grabbed Emiko's hand, and pulled her surprised friend towards her, trapping her in a tight embrace. Pulling away, she whispered a small "Thank you," before pulling her laptop and heading down to the rose garden, her favorite place to be alone.
Staring in shock at the door that closed behind the brunette, Emiko scratched the back of her neck. "Well, I hope he comes back from England soon. The time difference is killing her sleeping schedule!" Laughing quietly to herself, she went to her desk and began to write in her journal.
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