"English"

"Japanese"

'Thoughts'

--

Mai Taniyama closed her laptop as the pilot's announcement that they were reaching their destination and required all electronics to be turned off and put away for landing. Swiftly doing as asked before dropping back into her first class seat and connecting the seat belt, she stared out the window at her first sight of England.

She was feeling mixed emotions about her new adventure. She had spent the last four and a bit years learning how to control her powers that was part of her mother's inheritance along with the various businesses that came under the conglomerate that her grandfather owned along with the various languages required to communicate with the employees of said businesses since they were located all over the world.

Mai had travelled from Japan to America then to Russia and Siberia, from Thailand and China to France and now, to England. She had gained several degrees and doctorates as travelled in Business, Economy, Psychology and Parapsychology. She was now about to attend Cambridge University while learning about her grandfather's English businesses. Ironically, this included the British (and American) branch of Society of Psychic Research. This lay the complication in her emotions.

She was excited to be studying parapsychology further and exploring SPR but she was reluctant to see certain individuals her left her back in Japan again. Thinking of Lin Koujo in particular left another pang in her heart as it had several times over the last 5 years. She still wasn't sure why or how to stop it.

Firmly Mai squashed those thoughts down into the back of her mind. She refused to think of them further. While she knew she would have to meet them in her classes (Mai had two with Oliver Davis as her professor, Martin Davis was her professor for another three and Madoka Mori was a professor of her last class), Mai was in no hurry to jump right into meeting them.

Waiting for the plane doors to open after landing, Mai gathered her hand luggage and waited for her turn to exit. The best thing about first class was being about to exit the plane first. Navigating the maze that was Heathrow Airport, Mai finally passed through customs, received her baggage and exited the building. Her slim build neatly dressed in some expensive brand of suit that her Tetya Polina had insisted she add to her now extensive wardrobe with suitable matching heels. Gone were the days that Mai had to scrimp and save just to buy the cheapest of clothes. Now, she very rarely ever wore the same outfit twice.

Switching her phone to the UK network, she dialled a number listed under Andrew.

"Hello Miss, have you exited the airport?"

"Hi Andrew. Yes I'm just outside the front door."

"Ah, I see you Miss. I'm the black Rolls Royce three cars down from you."

"Alright, I'll head towards you now."

Hanging up, Mai pushed the trolley with her towards the car her driver had indicated. The young man named Andrew who had originally been standing by it now moving forward to take the trolley from her. Quickly opening the door to the back seat for Mai and shutting it after her, Andrew quickly loaded the boot with her luggage bed taking the trolley back. Mai closed her eyes to rest as she waited for Andrew to return and drive to her Manor in Cambridge.

--

Mai had two weeks to settle into new residence before the new term started at Cambridge University. She spent that time catching up with her staff and preparing for her classes.

When the day finally arrived, she dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans, a white cashmere jumper and black flats. Her long reddish brown hair was tied back into a smooth ponytail and a black satchel was slung across her shoulder. Greeting her staff as she left, she entered the door being held open by Andrew into back seat of her Rolls Royce.

The 10 minute drive to her class passed smoothly and Mai entered her first classroom of the day. Choosing a seat in the middle of the lecture hall where she had a good view of the room, Mai pulled out her pens and binder ready for class to start. Others already in the room glanced at her curiously before continuing with their conversations. More people arrived and found their seats until at last the clock hit 5 minutes before the hour and two stoic men (and one spirit Mai noted absentmindedly) walked into the door and to the podium, setting up for the lecture they were about to begin.

Mai watched them quietly sighing at the sight of the older man setting up a laptop to the projector and pulling up whatever presentation the younger man, the professor, would be using that class. 'I wonder if he knows Gene is still with him?'

Right on the hour, Oliver Davis turned to face the class and began.

"Welcome to Parapsychology 101. We're going to begin by discussing what parapsychology means to you and we'll finish off with its actual definition and what you can expect from this course. So what does Parapsychology mean to you..." Oliver ran his finger down a register of students and choosing a name randomly. "Let's start with Mr Jacobs?"

A tall blonde man stood up when his name was called.

"I believe parapsychology is the study of the paranormal."

"Very good, Mr Jacobs. Let's try someone else..." He ran his finger further down the list before holting in shock at one Taniyama, Mai. Blinking in shock his head shot up to search the students before he finally landed his eyes on Mai.

"You're alive! Mai! You're alive!"

Lin turned in shock at hearing Mai's name leave Oliver's lips doing his own search before landing quickly on her.

"Mai..."

Eugene left Oliver to rush to her side, not that anyone other than Mai saw him. Mai quietly sighed before responding to Oliver's original question rather than his ridiculous observation of her living status.

"Parapsychology is the study of mental phenomena which exceeds the normal parameters using scientific means."

The two men swallowed their shock before Oliver managed to pull himself together to finish his lecture.

Mai was slightly startled to find one of Lin's shiki land in her lap and placed her hand discreetly on the little cat-like creature to pat it. A quiet purr resounded in response which Mai pretended to ignore though Lin looked back at Mai suspiciously.

"That's definitely new." Came a ghostly whisper next to her which she thoroughly ignored.

An hour later the lecture had finally ended and Mai began packing her stuff. As she made her way down the stairs from her seat she was met by the two men standing impatiently below and trapped by the spirit behind her.

"Where have you been Mai? No one has been able to contact you for 2 years! We thought you were dead!"

The youngest of the two men exclaimed grabbing her arm in a tight grasp. Mai tried pulling her arm out of his grip before giving up.

"Only 2 years? Is that all?" 'So much for family.'

"What do you mean only 2 years? That's when I got a panicked phone call from Monk saying no one could get hold of you."

"How funny. The last I heard from anyone, being Yasuhara-san, was 4 & a half years ago and that was text saying he was too busy with his exams to meet up. As for Takigawa-san, I believe it was what... 3 months before that?"

Mai placed the index finger of her free hand on her chin while thinking.

"As for you two, I believe it's been 5 years since I had any form of contact with you. So where do you get off saying I was missing?"

Once again Mai tried to pull her arm out of Oliver's tight grip. She could feel bruises forming where he held her.

"Would you please release your hand from my arm before the bruises forming from your grip get any deeper?"

Oliver was shocked when he looked down to see how tightly he had been unconsciously gripping Mai's arm and releasing it jerkily.

"Thank you, now if you would please excuse me, Professor Davis, I have a lesson with Professor Davis Senior next."

With that, Mai brushed past the two men and exited tge class to find her next one, followed closely by the spirit of Gene.