"Oh whatever!" Ayako grumbled continuously in the car as they had finally left Noto sometime in the afternoon once they all got their reins in their hangover. "That fellow who only cares about looks!"
Ayako's displeasure had started when we set off.
"Oh, calm down Ayako. Naru must have good reason to have Masako join him in the van." The Miko gave out an exasperated huff as she rolled her eyes at the passenger seat, rolling her hazel eyes.
"Yeah yeah! The size left in the van is small yadah yadah!" She grumbles, clenching her fist, turning her upper body to look at the youngsters sitting in the backseat. "At a time like this, shouldn't I get special treatment?! No matter how small the space left is on that van but instead Masako gets the glory!"
Because Bou-san's car is a normal five-person vehicle, it definitely could not seat more than 5 people and although the company vehicle is a van, it was filled with equipment and could only seat 5 people as well, if it is fully equipped: Three on the front and two at the back. On normal cases the official SPR group: Lin, Naru, Mai, Akemi and Oliver can fit in easily but in complex cases such as the Noto hotel made them accommodate a total of 9 people with Oliver, so theoretically there still shouldn't have been a problem.
If the company vehicle was to be driven by Lin-san, it was only natural that Naru would accompany him on the front seat. Following that came the problem: who would take the last three seats in the company vehicle?
And why did this problem arise? Well it was in that morning at breakfast when Naru changed it all—
"Speaking of glory," Ayako's eyes narrowed as she raised a brow towards the person sitting in the middle of John and Yasuhara— all three spine-crawlingly smiling so genuinely on their faces that it was odd to see all three together.
"What happened to yours? You and the brat had a fight or something that he dumped you here with us? What happened to your throne, Akemi?"
Akemi cocked her head lightly to the side, a finger on her chin as she feign thought of what to say. "Well I think its because he's shy..."
Ayako frowned at her words, suspicious. "...Have you done something to him again, Akemi?"
With a quick reaction her head straightened, and a bright smile plasters itself on her lips as she glowed. "Nothing that I didn't like~!" And the group nodded and didn't bother asking for more details.
Seems legit.
When Naru informed them at breakfast that Akemi won't be sitting at the van with them, the reaction they hoped Akemi would give was to either complain or be confused and question why but it surprised them when the heiress simply smiled so wide with flowers surrounding her figure, saying "Sure, I don't mind~!"While in response, the tensed air around Naru thickened further. Such different atmospheres confused the group that they didn't couldn't process all that's happened. Even Lin took a second glance after taking a bite of his food as though he had only processed the information and gaped at Naru in surprise, but the two teenage girls saw this as an opportunity. Their eyes lit on fire as they finished breakfast quick, packed the equipment and their stuff and stood beside the van waiting for the passenger seat to be unlocked. Eyes locked on the passenger door, both aiming to sit at the vacant seat at the front between Lin and Naru.
None bothered to question the bickering of Mai and Masako outside as they all digested their foods first. However, their plans were foiled as soon as Naru opened the passenger seat, waiting to have someone take the middle seat, when the girls were about to coyly get inside while pushing the other— a bark sounded beside them and with a quick jump and Naru's guide, Oliver sat on the middle seat with a tongue sticking out his pants. The expression on the two paled and froze on their faces like stone. Akemi stepped beside Naru at that time and pet her dog, praising him before whispering a few things to Naru and left to Bou-san's vehicle.
And that was how they got to this current situation, the group had to pass through the Japanese Archipelago to return to Tokyo but it seems they were lost due to the idea they got to take a shortcut back, but the road had suddenly narrowed and gradually became a gavel path.
"Where is this place?"
"You make a din non-stop like that in the car; in that circumstance how can one look at the road signs?"
"You directionless imbecile!"
"Do you want to walk back from here?"
"Akemi, could you...?" Bou-san trued to ask but Akemi was quick to talk.
"Bou-san, you shouldn't ask directions to a blind person. That is quite dangerous." Akemi smiled in a civil manner as she spoke without breaking her stride. No way would she get the blame of getting them lost. Naru would bite her ear off. She won't risk all the progress she has accomplished!
Ayako and Bou-san then started to fight, maybe for a few minutes more as Akemi distributed snacks between John and Yasuhara, who thanked her and continue watching the monk and Miko argue so much unlike their religion.
With a sigh and huge hesitation— realizing that they had no choice, Bou-san pulled over to the side, making Lin who is following behind him, copy the actions.
With that, all of the passengers on each vehicle came out and the fight started again. With Naru's mood worsening but Bou-san, Yasuhara and Ayako were quick to push her on hus side and distract him while they fix their destinations.
"I think, because the car did not follow Matsuzaki-san's directions, that's why we have ended up in such a strange place." Masako mutters under her breath, breaking away her view of Akemi handing Naru one of the snacks she was munching on the car earlier, to glance at Ayako.
"Masako, if you know what to do, then say so." The blamed Miko frowned, hissing at her while Mai shook her head, already tired of their fights. She already fought with Masako at the van, now there was another fight going on in here. 'Masako must be a tsundere if this is how she shows her love— but that doesn't seem to be the case with Naru though? So, what could all that really mean?'
Lin-san, who stood beside Bou-san asked: "Are there are any more routes nearby?"
Bou-san appeared a little defeated. "Regardless, we have to get back to the highway first."
Yasuhara opened the map and corrected Bou-san, "There's no space for the car to make a u-turn." Placing the map on the front of Bou-san's vehicle, the drivers observed it as Yasuhara pointed a path. "But if we continue to drive on straight like this, there'll be a campsite, and from there we can return to the highway."
Bou-san nods, "It looks like that's our only choice." letting Yasuhara pack up the map. "Back to the car now guys, Akemi mission accomplished!"
"Okay!" Hearing her name, the heiress brightened but before she could take a step towards the car, she froze. A feeling in her chest tightening. A tugging sort of feeling, and she felt like she was... near.
A quick turn on her feet, Akemi clasped her fingers on Naru's wrist stopping him from stepping closer to the van.
The group observed the two in curiosity but due to the sounds of their cars and their distance, they couldn't make out what Akemi was saying to Naru. Who at their observation looked confused at Akemi before he nodded at her, with the word they could only understand out of the whole conversation, "Okay. I'll keep an eye out."
Then the two separated to get inside their own vehicles.
The path they took was still quite a long drive— this time with Lin leading the party, towards the campsite they saw in the map that is by the river. If they continue along the path they created, the group would be able to go back however, the car in front suddenly stopped making Bou-san frown in confusion as there was nothing wrong to get them to stop again.
John asked as they saw the van stop. "Is something wrong?"
"What's this? Are we lost again?" Ayako frowned in confusion as Bou-san stopped the car behind the van while Yasuhara looked at the map, shaking his head.
"It shouldn't be wrong again." Looking out of the car, they saw Naru got off the vehicle in front and stand by the railings, gazing at the wide water reservoir it provided.
Ayako frowned further, as a voice broke off their silence. "Get out of the car." Akemi told them, making everybody inside the compact vehicle stare at her in question but Akemi instead gave them a pleading gaze to just trust her.
"Okay." With a shrug of his shoulders, Bou-san nods and opens his door— the others following along, while John waited to his side to help Akemi.
"Thanks, John." Akemi thanked as she holds his arm. Letting him lead her towards the others.
"Could he be uncomfortable again? It's that idiot Bou-san's fault for driving onto this type of road."
"Whose fault should it be that we're on this type of road?"
Akemi nudged John to have him lead her towards Naru, a careful expression on her face as she read Naru's aura.
Mai's brow furrowed in mild concern as she noticed Naru's tensed shoulders. "Naru, are you all right?" 'Was he uncomfortable again?'
Below us was a relatively large lake; or rather than calling it a lake, it should be a reservoir; in the distance one could see the concrete dyke.
Naru did not answer Mai; he did not even turn his head, instead he looked at Akemi, who gave him a nod.
Lin-san hurried down from the car and ran to Naru's side.
"Naru, What is it?" The tech mechanic asked but still there was no answer as he and Akemi kept staring. It was as though Mai and Lin's voice could not reach Naru's ears. The two silently conversing with themselves as though he was confirming something, Akemi cocks her head towards the railings and Naru, as though pondering his actions, slowly lifted his hands to touch the railings.
The others watched him in confusion, some with narrowed eyes of observation. 'Very strange; what exactly is happening?'
Naru opened his eyes wide and looked at the scenery in front of him.
"Naru?"
It was only to have Naru gently bend forward; the fingers grasping the rail turned slightly white. Standing by the side, Lin-san gasped in astonishment.
"Is this the place?"
Mai turned to look between Lin and Naru, completely lost. 'What does this mean? I was a little lost already.'
But that was when Naru's lips moved,mumbling to himself, as though to calm himself down.
Akemi letting go of John's arm and went next to Naru, placing a hand on his shoulder as he kept mumbling.
" – Finally – I've finally found it – "
a/n: Finally— I also found the strength to write this chapter! Thanks for waiting guys!