Chapter 3: The Team
A/N: I'm terribly sorry for my late update. College life is extremely busy.
Your reviews were lovely to read and bring a smile on my face. Thank you so much for every review, favorite, alert and simply just giving it a chance. I appreciate it very much.
Onwards!
Tick, tock, tick, tock...
The mechanism of the clock hands continued echoing in her mind - it was the only thing that echoed in her mind, in fact. All she could see was Naru - his dark ash mauve eyes; his beautiful long lashes; silky black hair..
His eyes were no longer widened, but merely looked calculative as they raked over her form. Before she could squirm under his heavy gaze, his eyes had already returned to hold hers. "Mai," he murmured so softly that she strained to hear it. Was she supposed to catch it?
Swallowing hard, she managed to compose herself enough. "Naru."
"Do you two...?" Luella unfinished question hung in the air as both teenagers remained rooted in their spots.
"She was my assistant," Noll answered flatly, averting his eyes away to face his mother. "Back in Japan."
"Your assistant? You mean in SPR?" She clapped her hands in excitement. "That's absolutely wonderful!"
Mai turned back to the stack of plates to take a deep breath, determined to not lose her cool. However, her hands betrayed her as they trembled while holding the plates. "I- I'll get these to the dining room, Luella."
"Oh, no! I can take them! I'm sure you would like some time alone for a small talk?" Luella suggested kindly as she reached out to get the utensils. Meanwhile, Noll brushed past Mai making his way to the sink, the slightest contact making the latter's heart leap.
Mai gave herself a mental slap as she replied, "No, it's fine!"
"The plates better not shatter before you reach the table, idiot." Noll's cold tone splashed over her gut and her eyes flashed angrily as she whipped her head back to face him.
"Shut up, jerk, I hope your ego shatters before you reach the table!"
Without another word, she stomped out of kitchen, breathing rather heavily as she slid the door shut behind her. Then she almost let go of the plates to smack her forehead.
"Ah, idiot, idiot, idiot!" She hissed to herself, face red. "His mum was inside!"
Taking a deep breath in a pathetic attempt to settle her composure, she straightened her back and made her way to the dining room.
"Noll, that was terribly rude of you."
The disapproving tone caught her ears and she peered around her, noticing that Yasuhara and the professor still engaged in a heated discussion. Well, she hated eavesdropping but...
She inched her way back to the kitchen door and pressed her ear against the door.
There were a few mutters with a 'used to it' and 'assistant' and she couldn't make out the rest. She huffed in disappointment.
"So are you staying for dinner?"
Her heart slammed against her ribs as she waited with bated breath for his answer. There was a short pause.
"The work can wait." His voice now sounded dangerously close to the door. She bit back a surprised squeak and hurried away to the dining room, almost tripping over her feet in the process.
The only thing in her head screaming at her was: Naru is staying for dinner!
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Dinner was a surprisingly smooth affair; though it was quieter than she was used to, she didn't mind it. Continuing to chew the delicious meat, she reveled in the juices that squirted in her mouth. Ah, Luella is a wonderful cook!
Yasuhara nudged Mai subtly.
She turned to him, raising a brow in question.
"Mai, do you know what you look like?" Yasuhara whispered in her ear. She eyed him suspiciously, then slowly shook her head.
"You look like you're having an orgasm."
In a split second, he was back to chewing his food with a satisfied smile on his face, dodging away from her smack successfully. "Yasuhara!" She hissed.
Noll stared at them coldly for a moment, then reached for his glass of water and took another sip.
"So I heard both of you met my son back in Japan?" Martin asked.
"Yes, he was a wonderful boss; a great slave-driver, but still a great boss." Yasuhara nodded his head approvingly as he said so, and Martin chuckled.
"He has always been this way. Thank you for all of your help and care back in Japan."
Mai placed her utensils down in a hurry. "No, no. It was us who was under his care."
"They're a troublesome bunch," Noll stated blandly.
Mai narrowed her eyes.
"Noll!" Luella gasped, horrified by his manners. Turning to face her guests, she said apologetically, "I'm sure he didn't mean it."
"I was merely speaking the truth," he said, pushing out of his seat and taking his utensils along, and started for the kitchen. Mid-way, he suddenly stopped and a small smirk curved his lips as he turned back to meet Mai's eyes, "You can ask my assistant how much trouble she had caused me."
Mai felt her cheeks heat up at his words. Before she could say something that'd probably embarrass herself, Yasuhara butted in, "Mai is a danger magnet, all right! Spirits seem to love her."
She almost breathed a sigh of relief at his intervention as he wrapped his arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze. "You owe me one for this, Mai," he whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes in response: He was never going to be nice for nothing, apparently.
She had only seen Naru for less than two hours and he was bent on embarrassing her already.
What a jerk.
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"Bloody hell, Yasu!" Mai yelled as she threw herself on the couch.
"Scoot over, you little midget," Yasuhara said, amused at her curse. She huffed, but did as he said, curling up in a corner and made space for him to sit. "You can just put your head on my lap."
Mai was about to scramble over when she stopped herself, scowl on her face, "You won't tickle me, right?"
Yasuhara shrugged, waving a book in her face. "I'll be reading; which means to absorb and analyse; apprehend and interpret new information that enhances and empowers the human mind which is often most effective when one remains concentrated and without distractions to maximize full utilization of resources."
Mai blinked and he simply smiled brightly at her, not even looking the tiniest bit out of breath from the long sentence he had just spouted. "You suck, Yasu." Even as she said so, she moved over and laid her head on his lap, wiggling to get a comfortable position, then closed her eyes.
"I feel tired, Yasu."
Yasuhara remained quiet and she opened her eyes to only see his fingers flipping the page. She shut her eyes again. "I really didn't expect him to be there. How am I supposed to face him?"
"The confession is over two years, Mai," Yasuhara said after a few moments, him replying her taking her by surprise. "He should have buried the memory. Don't over-think things."
Mai had only confided her confessing to Naru to Yasuhara and no one else. He was the first friend she trusted so much; he was a great brother to her and she was immensely grateful to him for all the things he did for her - though some of the times, it required a payment of some sort which involved books and whatnot.
"I hope so," she murmured in return, feeling herself sinking to sleep. "Remember to wake me up tomorrow morning."
"Stop thinking," she heard him say, patting her head in her state of drowsiness, "just sleep."
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Mai opened her eyes and squinted to try to see clearly in the darkness - it seemed as if she was back in her room. She tried wiggling her body and huffed exasperatedly. It felt as if a case fitted for her had bounded her entire body and she wasn't able to move. Fear was already long gone from something she had already accepted as part of her sleeping routine, but that didn't mean that she was perfectly fine with it.
She waited for the demonic sounds that sometimes came along for a moment. Then she heard it - giggles resounded loudly in her room as the source of the laughter seemed to be running around her bed. She couldn't make out any form though. Frustrated, she focused her energy on her toe and forced it to move with all her might.
Then she was up, her blankets pooling around her waist as she muttered a tired curse under her breath.
She clutched her bedsheets as she felt her eyeballs rolling about in their sockets, feeling terribly exhausted as she attempted to keep her heavy eyelids open to no avail. In moments, she collapsed back to her bed with a thump.
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"Mai!" The tight hold on her shoulders shook her for the third time and she cursed tiredly, disgruntled by the disturbance.
Opening her eyes, the rays of sunlight momentarily blinded her as she groaned irritably. "Ugh, Yasu, close the damned curtains."
Her throat felt parched as she buried her face back into her pillow and pulling her blankets around her shoulders in an attempt to go back to sleep again.
"Get up, Mai! Our first day of internship in SPR, remember?"
A cold icy feeling gripped her heart as she almost jumped out of her bed in a flash, "Oh shit, shit, shit! What's the time now? Bloody hell!"
"It's eight-thirty," he replied. She muttered another curse as she ruffled her messy hair.
"You look terrible," Yasuhara noted, "bad dreams last night? Or the same thing again?"
She slipped her feet into her slippers and stretched, still exhausted, then padded to the bathroom to brush her teeth. "The same thing. Three times last night." She sighed wearily as she squeezed some toothpaste on her toothbrush.
Yasuhara leaned against the frame of the toilet door, watching her intently. "I'll make some tea for you."
She grinned with the toothbrush in her mouth, white foam on the corner of her lips as she gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Yasu!" She managed to gurgle out through her filled mouth. Drinking tea after her episodes just ease her nerves a bit - it's not as if she was shaken by it, but she was tired for suffering from it. She didn't think it was something wrong until it got as bad as thirteen times a night and occurred almost every night that she finally told Yasuhara about it.
She pressed the towel against her face, now feeling quite freshened up after her morning wash-up. Taking a quick glance at her watch, she realized she had only about fifteen minutes to nine, their meeting time at the SPR. Scolding herself internally, she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and darted back into the toilet for a quick change.
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9:17 AM
"I'm so sorry, Yasu," she whispered to him apologetically after checking her watch as they reached before the door labelled 'Conference Room' and a smaller slip below that read: Group D. They had only left the apartment at five minutes before nine, and the walk to SPR took around twenty minutes - it might have been faster had they not taken the wrong route. She felt like burying herself in the ground for being late on the first day - what's more, she had even dragged Yasu down with her.
"It's okay, Mai," he replied, hand on the metal knob, then flashed her a bright smile, "but you should feel sorry."
Mai cringed a bit. She knew he hated being late and he was only letting her off this morning because of the episode last night - but that didn't save her from the lecture she was sure to get later tonight.
"Sorry," she tried pathetically again. He didn't reply and pushed the door open. The sound of the door opening alerted the four occupants inside the room and their eyes darted up immediately. Mai took a deep breath in a failed attempt to ease her clenching gut and trailed in after Yasuhara.
"Ohaiyo!" A boy looking around their age greeted them enthusiastically, waving his hand, "I'm Ashmond, but call me Ash for short. I love reading, writing, horror films, and of course," he winked at Mai, "pretty girls. Hello! I look forward to working with you two." His emerald green eyes, messy dark brown hair and high cheekbones did make him to be rather handsome, and Mai coughed in an attempt to cover-up her bashfulness.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Yasuhara said, bowing, "I'm Yasuhara Osamu. I'm sorry for being late on our first meeting."
Mai hurriedly followed up with her own introduction. "I'm Taniyama Mai, and I'm sorry for being late as well." She bowed.
A man looking in his early twenties scrutinized them for a bit; his deep blue eyes looking sharp as he considered them for a moment. Then he grunted. "I'm Zen."
"Don't worry about it, he has always been this way," Ash said, patting the man's head casually, in which the latter glared at him. Ash chuckled. "Aw, come on, don't be shy." He slung his arm over Zen's shoulder and gestured to the direction of a lady typing furiously into the laptop.
"That's Rose, her hair was naturally blonde, but she thinks dyeing it black would make her smarter," he said, chuckling to himself. Rose hit one of the keys especially hard and turned to glare,
"Shut up. I don't see how you are fit to comment on my intelligence."
"I'd challenge you to a battle of wits," Ash said, smiling brightly, "but I see you're unarmed." Rose made a rude gesture to him and the latter simply shrugged.
"Shakespeare!" Mai blurted out in excitement and she nudged Yasuhara, "I think you found your best friend!"
Yasuhara laughed as he seated himself beside Mai, "I have mine right here."
Mai grinned; he was rarely sweet.
"Moving on," Ash released Zen from his hold, wheeling his chair to gesture to another woman who gave them a scorching look, annoyance blatant on her face, hair up in a tight bun and looking like a disgruntled office lady.
"This is Tally, and she usually assumes the role of the assistant group leader for our team." He looked at the clock and stretched lazily. "Our group leader is always late. He should be arriving soon, though."
"Such horrible attitude," Tally suddenly commented, staring at Mai and Yasuhara. "What kind of interns did we accept this year?"
"People who made through thousands of applicants." Yasuhara flashed his signature smile.
She rolled her eyes. "Too young," she muttered, obviously displeased, "the standards must have dropped."
His spectacles reflected the light and glinted. "Well, I guess I should've came forty years later to satisfy your personal standards. I can see you're being a great role model for your requirements."
She blinked for a moment and Mai coughed to hide her laughter. Ash, on the other hand, burst out laughing. "I see I just found another of my species."
Tally's eyes narrowed, her lips set to an ugly snarl and she turned back to her phone. "Whatever."
"Hey, guys! Sorry for being late; an old lady got lost around the district and I had to bring her back home. Then there was her grandson who spoiled his toy car somehow and I had to repair it for him." Mai turned and watched a man with a small stubble on his chin and glasses perched close to the tip of his nose burst into the room with a loud declaration, looking very flustered, his trench-coat still around his shoulders. All eyes in the room turned to him. He laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"That's so nice!" Mai exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The attention shifted almost immediately to her and she dropped her hands, cheeks burning red.
"Ah, you two must be the interns. Nice to meet you, Taniyama-san, Yasuhara-kun." He tipped the hat on his head, charming smile slipping on his face. "I'm Drake, your team leader."
The two students immediately stood up and did a respectful bow. "Oh, no bowing from now on, please." Drake chuckled as he threw a piece of gum into his mouth. "I'm not used to it."
"Anyway, I shall get to the introduction since it's your first time here. I understand that you were from another SPR branch in Japan?" They nodded. "In England, our branch is considerably bigger with an estimated amount of a hundred employees here. We have a case ranking system; cases are sent to us according to our previous case's performance in addition to taking into account our team's talents and fortes."
He pulled out a marker from his pocket then walked towards the board and scribbled letters C, B, A, A+ and S on the board. Pointing to the first letter, "'C' is considered to be difficulty level of the lowest and 'S' of course, the highest. But in this branch, 'S' cases are quite rare and a special team is assembled according to personal performances - every single employee is aiming for that opportunity to prove their own abilities."
He chewed on his gum for a moment, "We rank the cases according to the details our customers provide which of course, may not be accurate. A seemingly 'C' case may very well be an 'A'. However, that's how our system work for now." He slumped onto the chair closest to the board. "I don't think I've missed out anything."
"Because of the newcomers on the team, we'll be working on 'C' cases for now." They felt a stabbing glare from a certain old lady and didn't turn. "No one is to blame them for this; your potentials aren't fully shown in the recent case, anyway."
He took a file from the table and flipped through it. The chewing sounds were horribly distracting to Mai but she bit back her comment. "This should be a fairly simple case. It probably isn't even supernatural." He flung the file to Mai and Yasuhara, the latter catching it swiftly. "Time for you both to showcase your abilities. Read and research on the details in the file and give me your deductions tomorrow. We'll be setting off in the afternoon."
"Ahh," Ash yawned loudly as he stretched lazily, "no work for me?"
"Sleep early, Ash, and don't game," Drake said, still chewing on his gum. "You're dismissed; get to your respective duties. Meet back here at eight-thirty sharp tomorrow. No one is to be late."
"Speak for yourself," Tally muttered, pocketing her phone and leaving the room, her heels clacking fading quickly into the corridor. Drake simply shrugged and wheeled himself over to the table, pulling out a thick stack of papers.
"I normally do the research, Drake," Rose said, closing the laptop, "what do I do tomorrow?"
"Help with the equipments, Rose," Drake said absent-mindedly as he sorted through the pages.
"But my nails - "
"I bet your nails are brighter than you by now. Stop colouring them," Ash said as he flung his bag over his shoulder. "See you guys tomorrow! By the way, this team leader is almost always late and he always makes up rubbish excuses. Don't believe him." He was out of the room before Rose could retort and Mai chuckled. Yasuhara slipped the folder into his bag and jerked his head to the door.
"Let's go, Mai, we've work to do."
She nodded eagerly, almost bowing to Drake in the midst of her leaving, then opted for saying 'bye' and running after Yasuhara.
A/N: Thank you for reading! A case has already arrived. Would the duo be able to prove their capabilities on their first case? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!
May Dream!Naru and/or Gene visit your dreams tonight.
-mysticflakes