I know I said I wanted to update this before christmas well...shit got away from me. Dog sitting and then getting getting sick set me back a bit, among other things...
Never mind that now, enjoy the chapter! Stay tuned at the end for my personal updates if you are interested. :)
Chapter 2-Fault
A little earlier…
Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz.
Organizing his notes, Shibuya Kazuya was actually about to call the family of the first victim when his phone started vibrating. "It's Kazuya," he answered, pressing the device to his ear.
"Shibuya-san, I have bad news and unexpected news." It was Atsuchi. Naru could feel his headache coming in at the temples.
"What is it?"
"Bad news is there has been another disappearance, so I will be seeing you shortly. The unexpected news is the first and third victims have also taken up getting outside help…"
Present…
"Naru? Mai? What are you doing here?" Takako's mother stopped herself from closing the door.
"I want to ask you the same question," Monk said with a grin. "It's good to see you, Masako."
"You know them?" Takako's mother asked.
"Yes, we've worked together. I can assure you that they keep the utmost discretion in sensitive situations like this," Masako said, placing a hand on the woman's elbow. "I feel it would be best to invite them inside before the media mongrels catch wind of our presence."
Reluctantly the woman relented, allowing the group to enter the apartment. Despite them having gathered for a somber meeting, the apartment was decorated in bright colors and tapestries. A bookcase was set up in the living room area with its top shelf dedicated to crystals and rocks, and fairy and dragon figurines.
Considering this is the girl that slapped me in my dream I thought this place would feel less than welcoming, Mai wondered to herself as she stepped closer to the bookcase. She resisted the urge to pull the book that caught her eye. Reiki for beginners…she probably would've loved to meet Izumi…
"We understand that this is a difficult time for you all, however any information you can give would be appreciated. Even if that information disproves the sightings being Takako's spirit," Monk said as he and Naru sat down in the living room across from the grieving mother. With Lin taking his place standing behind them.
"I've been here since this morning and I have yet to feel any sort of presence," Masako said joining the mother on the couch.
"Masako, Dear, remember you are here to help our client," a woman's voice called from the kitchen. The clicks of her heeled boots announced her arrival into the living room. Dressed in her black suit with her hair slicked back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, she was certainly playing a vital role.
She looks just like Masako, Mai thought as she turned from the bookshelf. I guess it would make sense that her mother would be with her. Masako is only seventeen.
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting, I'm Masako's manager, but you can call me Miyu," the woman said giving a slight bow in greeting.
"I'm Kazuo Narumi, we are with Shibuya Psychic Research and we are here to speak to Adachi-san's parents," Naru said turning his attention back to the grieving mother.
Looks like we'll be adding Yasuhara to the mix, Mai thought from her position at the bookcase. It's been a minute since he used his alias. Not to mention he didn't use it at the bar or the police stations, I wonder what made him suddenly decide to do so.
"We understand that there have been sightings of your daughter's spirit at The Blue Room, the bar where she was last seen," Naru began, completely ignoring the look that was sent by the medium's manager. "And seeing as you have called upon a medium such as Hara Masako, is it safe to assume that you have had a sighting of her as well?"
"I almost wish I could answer 'yes' to your question, if only to see my baby's face again…in something other than a photograph," Takako's mother said bitterly, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt. "But no, I have not had any 'sightings' of Takako. Despite living so close it had been weeks since I last spoke with her, let alone saw her."
"Then what prompted you to call Hara-san?"
"That would be my younger daughter, Tsubaki's insistence. She said she's had dreams where Takako visits her and tries to give her clues about her killer." The woman shook her head and looked apologetically at the medium. "I was hoping having you come here would help her realize that those dreams were just that, dreams."
"And as I said before, I haven't sensed anything since I arrived," Masako said, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Shortly before you arrived, I tried to explain that to Tsubaki-san, but she locked herself in Takako's room."
"She's always looked up to Takako, it was hard enough on her when she moved out, but now…" She let out a long breath. "It's been rough on her, since she just graduated high school she was planning on asking Takako if she could move in with her here. But she never got the chance."
"Is there any chance she might be able to speak with us?" Monk asked, leaning forward. "Our teammate over here is pretty well versed in dreams where spirits try to make contact with the living. Even if it was just a dream, I think Mai would be able to give the final verdict."
The mother gave the teenager a long look, Mai hadn't moved from the bookcase, only snapping her attention back to conversation at the mention of her name. "Through the kitchen, there's a small hallway, the door to the right is her bedroom. But if she doesn't want to talk, please leave her be."
"Mai," Naru said, earning a nod from the petite assistant.
While the apartment was definitely more lavish than the one she currently lived in, it wasn't exactly enormous. Before she could blink she was at the bedroom door. Mai wished she had thought to bring a notebook and a pen with her since she would be interviewing on her own.
But something in the air shifted, not a breeze or a draft. The light and the almost welcoming feeling of the apartment suddenly felt heavier. It's weird my shoulders feel like I'm carrying bags of bricks. Am I just nervous? It's not like I haven't interviewed victims and families before. She physically shook her head of the thought. Now or never, she told herself as she knocked on the door.
"Tsubaki-san? I'm Mai from Shibuya Psychic Research, I was hoping you might be able to talk to me, maybe answer a couple of questions. Your mom said-"
With that the door shot open, a girl with black hair and dark brown, reddened eyes stood there with a look of disbelief on her face. She was maybe a little taller than Mai and her face was blotchy from crying. "What did you say your name was?" She took a step toward the young assistant.
Mai gave a sympathetic smile and a small bow. "Nice to meet you, I'm Mai, Taniyama M-"
She didn't get to finish before Tsubaki screeched and shoved Mai into the wall behind her. "It's you! You bitch!" she cried, fresh tears forming down her face.
"Tsubaki! I-" Mai tried to get out of the girl's grip, only for her to wrap her hands around her neck.
"It's your fault! You killed her! You killed her! You killed my sister!" Tsubaki's grip kept getting tighter and tighter until Mai's vision was filled with spots. Together they lost their balance, tumbling to the ground, with Tsubaki sitting on the high schooler's stomach.
Naru! Monk! Someone! Anyone! Mai's mind screamed as she clawed at the hands cutting off her airway. Takako! I can't help you if your sister kills me!
Whether that silent message actually did anything, Mai didn't care, as her throat was no longer being crushed. Tsubaki's weight was lifted off of her and she was able to roll over, coughing uncontrollably. She pulled herself to her knees as she finally was able to get some air in her lungs. She felt a hand on her back and looked out of the corner of her eye to see black clothes.
"Are you okay, Mai?" Naru asked as she caught her breath. She managed a weak nod. "Lin?"
Mai was able to look up and see that Tsubaki was now a sobbing, blubbering mess, being held up and back by the tall Chinese man. "I think the fight's left her, Naru," Monk said, kneeling down to them. "You okay, girlie?" Again Mai nodded. "You spend too much time with this one and lose your tact?" he teased, earning a rough chuckle out of Mai only to get her coughing again.
"Oh my god! Tsubaki, what have you done!" The Adachi mother raced to her living daughter who was still in Lin's arms.
"Lin, stay with Adachi-san and Tsubaki in the bedroom," Naru said, guiding Mai to a standing position. "The rest of us will be in the living room."
Though lightheaded, Mai didn't need too much assistance getting to the couch, where Masako was waiting with a glass of water. The psychic accepted it with shaky hands. "Thanks, Masako." Despite the smile she wore, her pain was evident in the hoarseness of her voice.
"Don't chug it, we don't need you throwing up everywhere," the medium said. A year ago, Mai would have taken offense, but there was no bite in the other girl's words.
I forget how a scary incident for one person can be even scarier for others around them, Mai thought as she slowly sipped from the glass. Guess I'm back to worrying everyone again, though I really can't blame them. Or even me, it's not like it's my-
"It's your fault! You killed her!"
"Mai." It was Naru's voice that broke her from her reverie. Her eyes snapped up at him. "We need to get you checked out."
"D-don't worry about it, Naru, I'm fine-" She felt ice-cold fingers graze her neck, making her jump.
"No, my dear, you're already starting to bruise," Miyu said, seemingly unfazed by the girl's discomfort. "Injuries to the neck, no matter how small, should still be treated with care and expertise."
"I'm inclined to agree," Masako said, turning to Naru. "We can take her to the hospital or even a local clinic-"
"Monk, trade places with Lin," Naru ordered. "Lin will take her to get looked at."
"But Naru-" Monk was already out of the room before Mai could get her protest out. Followed by a series of coughs. Masako helped bring the glass up to her lips when they ceased.
"I suppose you'll continue to interview the mother and surviving daughter?" Miyu asked, crossing her arms.
"Tsubaki seems convinced my assistant is the reason behind her sister's death. Considering Mai was nowhere near Saitama, I doubt she actually is. I want to know more about her dream she had with Takako."
"Glad to know you seem to have a tracking device on me," Mai said after another sip.
"You have a company phone, don't you?"
"I was joking, but remind me to bring this up with HR." Mai set the glass down on the coffee table when Lin came into the room. "I'm counting on you to remind me."
"Duly noted," Lin agreed, offering an arm that the high schooler refused as she stood up. "We'll meet you back at The Blue Room. If there are any delays I'll text you."
May Day 1, 8:04 P.M.
It was a little difficult convincing the ER doctor that Mai was the victim of a random mugging. Luckily she left her phone and wallet in the van to make the story a bit more convincing. That didn't stop the doctor from asking to speak with Lin in the hallway and the nurses interrogating her on whether or not she was actually safe at home with her "boyfriend."
Their stories seemed to match up enough to convince them there was no domestic abuse involved. And after several questions about the strangulation itself and how she felt immediately after and currently, she was discharged with orders to have plenty of fluids, ibuprofen, and icing the area for fifteen minutes at a time. Advice was given to return if her condition seemed to worsen, more intense pain, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, and overall if anything simply felt wrong.
"I feel like that was the most vague aftercare instructions I've ever received," Mai said as she climbed into the van, pulling her phone out of the glove compartment.
"I already let Naru know we would be late," Lin said as he fastened his seatbelt. "There isn't too much they can do unless there is serious damage. Ultimately, they give you instructions to treat a bruise and tell you to come back if anything goes wrong."
"I guess that makes sense. Is it really that late?" Mai fastened hers as she shook her head at her phone. Lin started the van and drove out of the hospital parking lot.
"Naru and Takigawa are already back at the bar, why don't we grab some takeout?"
"Sounds good, I'm starving."
And so, the unlikely duo made a stop before they rejoined their team, a fast food place. It was another forty or so minutes before they made it back to The Blue Room with the goods. So it actually wasn't surprising that the bar was decently busy or that Naru was reviewing his notes and Monk was watching the few monitors much like a security guard in their makeshift Base.
"Hey! Look who's back!" Monk said, swinging his legs off of the table of monitors.
"Yeah, they thought Lin was my boyfriend," Mai said following Lin to the kitchen with the food. "We probably should have called Atsuchi, he might have been able to clear things up faster."
"Well, aside from the domestic dispute, I guess they determined you're gonna live?" Monk asked, turning one of the chairs at the kitchen table around before sitting down on it.
Mai shrugged as she pulled out her meal. "There wasn't much they could really do, my vitals were normal, aside from the bruising and hoarseness I'm physically fine." She broke apart her chopsticks as she graced herself, before taking a bite of her gyudon, realizing just how famished she was. "Did you find out anything else from Tsubaki and her mother?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Monk scolded half-heartedly. "But not much, Tsubaki shut down after she attacked you. Would only mumble something about Takako saying it was you, it was you. What 'it' was, she never elaborated. Naru gave Reina, the mother, his number in case Tsubaki becomes more coherent."
Mai nodded as she scarfed down her food, ignoring the soreness of her throat as she swallowed. The gyudon was just too good to care about the pain. "We didn't stay there long after you left, we actually met up with Atsuchi on our way back here. Turns out another girl's family filed a missing person's report."
Mai swallowed before replying. "The fourth victim? Did he give you the name?"
"Yeah, Sato, Ami, a twenty-five year old girl who was last seen here three nights ago," Monk answered, looking a little sheepish. "I guess the other victims weren't accurate with their message."
Mai looked down at her food in thought. "Yeah, that was nowhere near what I heard in my dream. Are we sure Sato, Ami is connected with this case?"
"She is of a similar age of the other victims, was last seen at this bar, and has been missing over forty-eight hours." It was Naru who spoke as he came into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water before placing it on the table in front of his assistant. "You should drink."
Mai obeyed, knowing it was useless to argue and actually craving the hydration. "Basically, she's considered a potential victim of this killer until proven otherwise."
"Pretty much," Monk said with a shrug. He turned to the black clad manager, raising a brow. "I meant to ask you, why did you give the Adachi family your alias? You haven't used it in months, are you planning on bringing in your body double too?"
"It's a possibility that's become a probability. With the increasing number of victims, adding another set of hands for interviewing families and researching in general wouldn't be a bad idea. I had considered recruiting him from the beginning, but I wanted to see what ground we could cover just the three of us. Now four."
"Are we going to cram another person in this apartment? We gotta also think about Goji, he's been nice enough to allow us to stay here while we help out Atsuchi, but we can't impose too much."
"I've taken that into consideration, I have an idea but it will depend on how events tomorrow unfold when we meet Chinen, Anzu's family." Naru turned to head back to their makeshift Base, before looking back at his petite assistant. "I'm glad you're doing better."
With that, he headed for his notes, Lin, who had silently ate his food and finished, followed him. Leaving Mai with the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Earth to girlie," Monk's voice teased as he poked her forehead. "Are you finished?" he asked once she snapped back to the present.
She looked down at her takeout bowl and realized she had finished her food. I was definitely hungrier than I thought. "Yeah, guess I should finish the water too," she said simply for the sake of answering, as Monk stood up and headed for the fridge.
"Well, I hope you saved some room," he said, Mai could hear the grin in his voice as he pulled something out from the freezer.
Mai couldn't help but smile when he placed a pint of vanilla fudge swirl ice cream and a spoon in front of her. "Thanks, Monk! You didn't have to."
"I didn't, Naru grabbed it when we hit up a convenience store on our way back here. Though, I think Lin might have sent a text telling him to grab some," Monk said taking back his seat at the table. "Either way, this was an SPR Management Special."
"So I have to savor it, who knows when the next time my boss will treat me to ice cream again will be," Mai said, opening the pint and scooping out a bite. "This is so much better than an ice pack."
After the events of the day, Mai really wasn't surprised to find herself in front of the three spirits that had visited her the past two nights. What did surprise her, was that there was now a plush pile of glowing purple blackness, in the shape of a couch that was actually very comfortable to sit on.
"You told your sister that Mai was the one who killed us?" Momo groaned, shaking her head as she sat down on another pile of purple glow. "That was the message you thought would be best to give your grieving baby sister?"
"Ugh! That wasn't what I said and you know it!" Takako kicked an invisible rock as she paced around.
Anzu sat next to Mai on the couch, her gaze intent on the investigator's neck. "It's the same for you, we can see your injuries here too," she said, physically resisting the urge to touch Mai's neck.
"It's not a big deal," Mai said, waiving off Anzu's concerns. "Well, as long as it doesn't happen again. Did anyone else decide to tell their loved ones I'm the one that killed them?"
"I NEVER SAID YOU KILLED ME! God! Tsubaki really just took what I said at face value and ran with it." Takako went to bang her head against a glowing wall.
"Well, what did you say? Obviously it was something that could have been interpreted that way-" Momo was cut off by Mai.
"You told her that it's my fault your dead. That's why she attacked me." Mai propped her elbow on the arm of the couch, resting her head in that same hand.
Momo groaned again, sliding and twisting herself so she was seated sideways with her legs dangling over the arm of the glowing chair. She rested her forearm over her eyes, willing the pounding in her head to dissipate. "You never did answer my question about ghosts getting headaches, but I guess I have my answer. The longer I deal with you might make this turn into a migraine-"
"You know exorcism isn't really my thing, but I'm sure shoving some charged crystals down your throat would make you-"
"You really gotta work on your threats, newsflash, you can't use crystals if you're dead. Charged? What do you put a battery in them and-"
"I've had enough with both of you bickering!" Mai snapped, standing up and approaching the two spirits. "We're literally going backwards, so unless you want your killer to not only get away with your murders, but also continue killing, then stop it with the arguing and tell me about this Sato, Ami."
"Who's Sato, Ami?" the bickering girls said in unison.
"The latest victim according to police, she's twenty-five and was last seen at the Blue Room three nights ago. The name you guys gave me last night was way off." Mai huffed as she returned to her seat and plopped down.
"But…she's not the next victim. The next girl is ***aku-chan and she's already suffering" It was Anzu who spoke, her voice frail with disbelief. "Why would the police not look for her?"
"Because there is a difference between her and us," Momo said, rolling over and sitting back up. She ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh. "They will figure it out and pretty soon. This Ami girl, unfortunately, she's a victim too, just not like we were. Not really."
"Okay, what is the difference between Ami and you guys?" Mai asked. Momo shook her head.
"I meant-"
"She meant there's a difference between us and the newest girl they took," Takako said, leaning her head against the wall. "She was taken the night after that Ami girl, I get why the police haven't put it together yet. After all she-"
Mai never heard the rest as the astral plane swirled away from her.
THUMP!
"Ow…."
May Day 2, 7:49 A.M.
Mai groaned as she came to her senses and realized that she had been sleeping on the couch in Goji's apartment, which she had just fallen off of. She sat up, rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the morning light. Sleeping bags and the remains of a busted old futon were the evidence that the three men had also gotten at least a little sleep. "Morning, sleepyhead."
Mai looked up to see Monk holding out a mug of tea for her. "Thanks," she said taking it. "Does Naru already have you working?"
Monk took a seat on the couch with his mug. "Nah, not yet." He took a sip. "He and Lin have been busy doing something, but they didn't get up that long ago, maybe an hour."
"Probably reviewing last night's tapes-"
"Nope, they haven't touched the pile of monitors." Mai gave him a look and he shrugged. "It's not the wall we're used to."
"So much for us 'ghost hunting' on this case, I guess it really is just a front."
"I'm sure he'll have us review the cameras at some point, even if it's just to give us something to do. But I think he's been comparing notes with Atsuchi. Seems he doesn't agree with the police's decision of the latest victim." Mai climbed back on the couch as Monk spoke. "Naru thinks she is a little too old considering the ages of the victims seem to be decreasing, though we don't really have much to go on. And from what I heard, Atsuchi seems to agree."
"Wow, Naru defending my theories, had you told me he would six months ago I would've said you're crazy." With that, Mai took another sip.
"I'm pretty sure that would be a separate issue in my case," Monk teased. "We will be visiting Anzu's family later this morning, so if you want some breakfast, better get it now."
"Anzu, huh…" With the force of a bullet train her dream came back to her. "Shit, I better tell Naru what she said."
"What who said?" Sure enough, speak of him and he shall appear. Dressed in all black no matter the weather, Naru was in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.
"Morning, Naru," Mai said giving a little wave. "I spoke with Takako, Momo, and Anzu in my dream last night. They said the police are looking for the wrong girl. Apparently the girl who I can only seem to hear half of her name was taken on Saturday night."
"And what about the girl they are currently looking for? Is she actually missing?" Naru paced over to the table of monitors for his notebook.
"They said Ami is a victim too, but not like they were. I couldn't get much more out of them than that," Mai explained, her chest suddenly heavy. "Oh! And that there was a difference between them and the newest girl. Not Ami, the girl who was actually taken by the killer we're looking for."
"And that would be?" Monk asked raising a brow. Mai could only shrug.
"Your guess is as good as mine, I woke up before they could tell me."
"In any case, once you finish getting ready we are going to meet Chinen Anzu's family. Supposedly they have also acquired outside help like the Adachi family," Naru said, scribbling something in his notes.
"Speaking of, will Masako join us in the investigation or is she going to stick with the Adachi family?" Monk asked as Mai got up and put her mug down on the end table.
"At the current moment, she will be working directly with the Adachi family. Atsuchi hasn't asked for her assistance, but I am open to her input," Naru said. "Now get ready."
"Yeah, yeah, on it, Boss!"
8:31 A.M.
It was a quiet Tuesday morning, for Kimura Kiko. She elected to take her college classes online this semester, meaning that on days like today she was free to sleep in just a little longer. Or a lot longer, she really wasn't much of a morning person. This was one of those days, despite birds chirping outside her window, at the slight notion she might be waking up, she rolled over hoping to ignore it and sleep another hour or two-
KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE!
How her phone's ringer went from silent to full blast, she wasn't sure. Probably happened in her sleep. How her ringtone changed to the Ouran High School Host Club theme song, she could answer. She left her phone unattended while hanging out with Yasuhara the night before.
With a groan she rolled back over and grabbed the device to see exactly who was calling her at a semi-ungodly hour. "Yasu, don't you have class or something?" she asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.
"I apologize, My Darling, for waking the beast before noon." Yasuhara's sarcasm was chipper and evident through the phone. "But I have been given a quest and am in need of a sidekick!"
"You're lucky it's early and that I love you, 'cause-" Kiko paused as she realized what she said, a furious blush creeping up her cheeks.
"We will revisit that later," Yasauhara said undeterred. "On a more serious note, Naru called me in to help with a case and told me to bring you along and fill you in."
"Why didn't he just call me?" Kiko sat up and stretched trying to wake her body up now that her mind was.
"Maybe one of his spirit guides told him you were not a morning person and his patience wouldn't be able to handle you when you first wake up."
"Since when does Naru have spirit guides?"
"About seven seconds ago when I made them up."
"God, it's too early for this."
"I know you just woke up but our resemblance isn't that uncanny."
"Let's move back to the case, where is it? What does he need help with? What are the details?"
"Saitama. Research of course. And I'll explain the details when I pick you up. Pack for a week I'd say, looks like this case will be intense."
"We've been on quite a few intense cases with SPR, what makes this one different?" Kiko finally stood up and headed for the bathroom.
"I'll be more thorough when I get to your place, but the police are involved and Naru also wants me to play his double."
"Shit, I don't like the sound of either of those things."
"Yeah, it's been a while since I had to be Shibuya Kazuya, I'm packing an extra suit just in case I have to do a press conference."
"You're going to give a press conference?" Kiko put her phone on speaker and put her hair up in a bun.
"I will have you know I am phenomenal with the press."
"Modesty really is your best quality."
"Anyway, I told Naru we'd be there this afternoon. I'll be over around eleven thirty, is that okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be ready by then. See you in a bit."
"Sounds good. Love you too." And the line was cut before Kiko could process that statement.
A twinge of pink returned to her cheeks as a smile grew on her lips. "I guess I'm not actually surprised." She shook her head and turned on the faucet to wash her face.
She patted her face dry and grabbed her phone. "Noll sent a text?" She opened it as she headed back to her room. "Bring extra clothes? I guess he's expecting this to take longer than he thought."
It didn't take very long for Mai to get dressed. After inspecting the bruising on her neck which looked far more concerning than she felt about it, she was glad she had decided to pack the light pink infinity scarf Keiko had given her a couple weeks ago.
"It's cute and light so you can wear it even in the beginning of summer. We could all use more accessories!"
She paired it with a fitted t-shirt and jeans, hoping she looked more fashionable than the awkwardness she felt, before heading down to the bar to meet the rest of the gang. Monk was the first to greet her with a grin.
"Well don't you look adorable!" he teased, ruffling her hair.
"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment, especially since it's probably best to keep this covered," she said, pulling down slightly on the scarf to reveal the purple mark.
"Good call. Naru and Lin are out front with the van." He motioned her to follow him out the door to where the van was parked. "At least your voice seems to be better, last night it hurt my throat just hearing you talk."
At that, Mai cleared her throat. "It definitely feels better than last night, but still pretty rough. Kinda like when your allergies get really bad."
"Are you two ready?" Naru asked as the two reached the van. Lin was in the driver's seat with the engine running.
"As I'll ever be," Mai said with a shrug as Naru held the door open for her and she climbed in. "Any idea on the ghostbuster Anzu's family hired?"
"Atsuchi wasn't able to tell me much as the Chinen family hired outside help after he interviewed them. He only found out when his partner went to search Anzu's belongings again," Naru explained as Mai and Monk climbed in and he did the same. "We'll find out more soon enough, but the Chinen family will have to wait. We have a slight change of plans."
"So, we're not going to see Chinen Anzu's family?" Monk asked from his lone seat in the back of the van.
"No, we are meeting Kagawa Momo's boyfriend."
I wonder what we'll learn from him, Mai thought as Lin pulled out onto the road.
I was rereading earlier chapters while I was writing this one and realized my favorit platonic duo to write is in fact Mai and Lin. Not sure why, but they give me age gap sibling vibes and Lin was lowkey protective of her since the beginning and you can try and fight me on this but you will lose lol.
I am actively writing again...ish...I was I really was, but I kind of fucked up my laptop. It's an ancient 2012 macbook pro and one day I couldn't access FFN and figured out the system needed upgrading...and now I don't have microsoft word on here anymore because it was the 2011 version.
I didn't lose any of my work luckily, and it's now backed up and I'm gonna try and upgrade the system again so I can use the new microsoft word and hopefully have this thing running better. If not I will be in the market for a new laptop so suggestions for budget friendly models will be greatly appreciated (as long as any ideas on how to fix my current laptop cuz well, she's been with us almost since the beginning lol)
Final update I have is please check out my other profiles, I'm on Wattpad, AO3, Twitter (no i will not call it X lol), Insta, and Tiktok under Kikifan21 (except Twitter which is but I really dont post there, it's just for manga spoilers lol).
Thanks again for your continued support and don't forget to review :)