JULY
Shibuya Psychic Research

"What if it's like a parallel universe?"

Naru considered it. "You think we died in a parallel universe, and you received the vision of another version of yourself?"

"That doesn't work, huh?" Mai tilted her head and thought. "Cause if I died in one parallel and you in another, how would it make sense to receive visions from two different universes?"

They both sipped their tea in sync, their minds turning.

This had been an ongoing conversation they had when they were bored in the office. It was a bit morbid to theorize over their grim fates like they were having a casual conversation, but it kept them busy enough to lose track of time.

Naru was facing her, leaned against her desk with his arms crossed. Her feet were propped up beside him and so she nudged his thigh with her foot as a thought occurred to her.

"What about quantum immortality?"

"Let's not go there." Naru immediately shut her down, which made her eyes narrow into an annoyed glare. He held her stare for a moment in challenge before letting out a small breath. "Fine. Quantum immortality postulates that by some fluke—"

"Oh my god, here we go. Big words. Blah blah blah."

Ding—the office door opened, and the hot summer air brushed over them.

Ayako entered, fanning herself with her hand. "What's going on in here?"

"He's mansplaining again." Mai groaned, motioning towards him with an exasperated look. "Tell him not to do that."

"Naru, stop mansplaining." The red head immediately replied. "It's Mai's birthday, so she's right."

"Exactly." Mai nudged him with her foot again.

"Technically, her birthday was yesterday."

Her foot rocked back and forth on the surface of the desk, tapping into his leg in a teasing manner, and he reached down to wrap his fingers around her ankle to stop the annoying movement.

"Don't mansplain my birthday."

She was looking a little too smug for his liking so he lifted her foot off the desk, high enough to make her fall back into her seat with a yelp, and made it seem as if he was only checking the time on his watch. "Hara-san should've arrived already."

Mai grinned up at him. "Looking for back up?"

"Naru," Ayako called out, grabbing his attention. "I've been meaning to ask..." Seeming distracted by the question, Naru began lowering her leg back down, allowing her relief from the awkward position, although not for long.

Instead of dropping her foot back on the desk, he placed it on top of his thigh as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She waited for him to notice, but when a couple a moments passed without any movement she chalked it up to him being distracted and lifted her foot. She only made it an inch off his leg when his grip suddenly coiled around her ankle, holding her there with a firm hand. Her head snapped up, just barely catching a glimpse of his eyes as he glanced at her, his lips curling upward just the slightest as he replied.

"Is that so..." Ayako was saying, not all noticing the power play going on right in front of her.

Annoyed that he found it amusing, Mai tried again to free her foot. His hand tightened in warning and his thumb pressed into her skin, travelling up the soft space between her achilles tendon and bone. It was a ticklish feeling, but not an an unwelcome one, probably the opposite of what he was intending. Seeing no reaction, he squeezed again, sending a weird shiver down her spine that had her jolting up in her seat.

When two pair of eyes swung toward her, one confused and the other amused, Mai let out an airy laugh. "Masako sure is taking a long time!" She tried to play it off, but then his fingers were pressing down again and goosebumps rose in response. Slightly mortified, she prayed to kamisama that he couldn't feel them along the skin of her ankle. "W-where is she?"

As if summoned by the mere mention of her name, the girl herself walked through the door. She was a familiar sight with her kimono and short hair, but her complexion seemed brighter as she had opted to wear summer colours.

"Good afternoon." Masako greeted as she closed the door behind her. It was only for a brief second, but her eyes stopped on the place where he held her foot captive, then flashed away without a change in her expression. Perhaps he saw it as well, because Naru immediately let go of her ankle.

Ayako mimicked their boss checking his watch, her tone chiding. "You're late, you're late."

"That tends to happen when you're busy with bookings." Masako replied curtly as she turned, her expression softening just the slightest. "Happy belated birthday, Mai."

Mai beamed, still feeling off kilter but hiding it well. "And happy early birthday to you, Masako!"

"Thank you." Her eyes traveled to the right, and she gave a tentative nod in greeting. "Naru."

Mai knew what was coming next—Naru stiffened, like he was unsure of what to do underneath her attention, before he returned the nod. "Good afternoon, Hara-san." Suddenly, he pushed himself from her desk, purposefully shoving past her legs as he walked past. Mai turned in her chair, watching him thoughtfully as he took a seat in the armchair. She noticed recently that while he wasn't as cold towards the medium like he used to be, Naru seemed very conscious of himself when she was around.

Perhaps there really was something brewing there?

"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Masako asked as she glanced around the office.

Ayako shook her head. "Everyone else is meeting us there."

As usual, they celebrated together in the day between their birthdays. This was the first time that Naru and Lin would be joining them, which made this one a special one. Whatever plans that the others made were a secret to the two and all they knew was that they'd be meeting at a restaurant.

Feeling content, Mai lifted her feet to rest on her desk once more as they spoke amongst themselves, and her eyes zoned in on the ankle that Naru had been holding moments prior. He hadn't even been squeezing all that hard but the faint outline of his fingers were imprinted into her skin, slightly red around the edges. She immediately lowered her feet back onto the ground in case someone else noticed it, feeling like it was wrong somehow.

"Mai, you brought a change of clothes, right?" Ayako asked hopefully as she ran her eyes up and down the younger girl.

"Uh, no." She replied with confused expression, and looked down at the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing. "Should I have?"

Ayako didn't answer and instead glanced at the time. "We have about a half hour before we have to meet the others. That's enough time to take you home and change."

When Mai immediately looked to her boss, he let out a sigh but still stood to grab his car keys. "Let's make it quick." He said.

Ayako's eyebrows shot up as she watched him disappear into his office, then she sent Mai a look of pleasant surprise. "Wow, he's trained." She commented.

Mai grinned. "Positive reinforcement. He starts salivating at the mouth for tea every time I ask for a ride somewhere."

Naru's office door clicked shut behind him. "Let's go." He ordered and the three girls followed him.

"I'll have to use that on Houshou." Ayako whispered to them behind the boys back.

Masako rolled her eyes. "Or you can just communicate like adults in a healthy relationship."

"Eh, that's boring." The older women waved her off.

The drive to her apartment complex was short and as they stepped out into the summer heat, Naru rolled down the passenger side window to threaten that he would leave if they weren't out in fifteen minutes.

"You could come wait inside." Mai said as she leaned against the door, talking to him through the open window.

His mouth curved upwards sarcastically. "Do I get a treat if I do?"

Oops. He must have heard them.

Mai bit her lip, trying to look apologetic but failing to hide her growing smile. "Sorry."

"I'm sure you are." He drawled. "Make it quick, Pavlov. I'm not sure how long I can sit here salivating at the mouth."

"No, really—"

He had already started rolling up the window, not bothering to hear her out. Mai let out a sigh. Hopefully that wasn't going to set off his bad mood. He was already irritated with the heat and them joking about him basically being her chauffeur wasn't helping.

When the three girls entered her apartment, Ayako made a beeline for her closet. Mai and Masako took a seat on her bed, watching as the older women dug through the clothes for something appropriate to wear.

"Naru must give you rides often, then? If he's jumping up with a single look from you." Ayako asked, throwing an old t-shirt over her shoulder with a displeased noise.

"He or Lin drive me home." Mai told her. Yasu used to walk her home after work, but he lived in the opposite direction, so it made sense for one of them to just drive her.

"You two seem…" Ayako paused in her search. "…closer than the last time I saw you."

Mai felt a bead of sweat trail down her neck, and she cast the medium a glance, which only irritated her.

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me." Masako snapped.

"It's hard not to when your ears grow like Pinocchio anytime Naru's mentioned." Mai shot back, equally as annoyed. "Jeez, last time I be considerate of your feelings."

"I do not need your consideration. Now answer the question." Masako motioned for her speak, crossing her arms across her chest.

"We're alright." Seeing their expectant looks, Mai threw her hands up. "What else do you want me to say? Naru, Lin, Yasu and I spend a lot of downtime together since it's been really slow, so there's no more awkwardness."

That was true too. Although Yasu was only part time, he fit in seamlessly when he worked. Granted, he did like to annoy Lin and Naru when he had the chance, but his competency on cases made up for it. Whatever they had been expecting, Mai wasn't sure, but it seemed to have satisfied them enough to accept her answer. She turned the question onto the one who it really mattered to, bumping her shoulder against hers teasingly.

"And how's it going with you, Masako? I've noticed you've been stopping by the office more often."

The girl hesitated, her eyes lowering as she thought of what to say. "It's fine."

Ayako paused. "Just fine?"

Masako seemed embarrassed, and she raised her hand to her mouth to hide the rosy tint in her cheeks. "Naru is perfectly normal around me. Nothing has changed."

It was a bit odd that Masako didn't seem to notice Naru's change in behavior, but Mai kept the thought to herself. She still wasn't sure why he was acting the way he was and she didn't want to give the medium false hope by mentioning it. Unease rippled through her as she thought about her boss possibly becoming aware of Masako in a romantic sense.

Two years ago, he only interreacted with her out of necessity. Her ability to see spirits kept her as a regular on cases but her knowledge of his true identity—and her abuse of it—kept her at a distance from him, further away than anyone else on their team. Naru and Masako becoming anything but coworkers wasn't even a thought at the time, but it wasn't impossible for someone's feelings to change that drastically after two years.

Masako might have the occasional mean streak on her bad days, but she had come a long way from that rude haughty girl she had once been. Not to mention that she had grown into her womanly features and was even more striking then she had been at sixteen.

Naru was an adult now, and he had feelings, even if he did his best to appear as if he didn't. It was only a matter of time before a girl turned his head and the thought of Masako being the one to do it was a real possibility that sent another flash of unease through Mai.

"—I still think that you should just confess and get it over with." Ayako said.

Masako shook her head. "I don't want to force things this time. I want to wait until I feel like it's the right time."

Mai pulled her lip between her teeth, knowing that this was the moment she should cheer her friend on, but still finding herself unable to voice it with all the thoughts suddenly running through her mind. What if they did start dating? After what felt like forever of their group being split up, things finally felt normal again. Despite the looming threat of Gene's murderer making a return and the slow days in the office, Mai was content where they were. If Naru and Masako started dating then their whole group dynamic would shift.

"Here." Ayako threw something at her, interrupting her line of thought. "Put that on while I find shoes."

It was a dress she had bought for her graduation dinner. It was white, with thick shoulder straps and a square neckline. She pulled it over her head and smoothed down the back, slightly conscious of the length, which only fell to her mid-thigh. The dress was simple and loose enough that it could be worn casually, but it was still a lot dressier than she was used to.

"Is this too much?" She asked as she pulled on the sandal's Ayako picked out.

"Are you really asking that?" The red head rolled her eyes, motioning across her own body and then Masako as if the answer was obvious.

Mai glanced at herself in the mirror with a critical eye. "You guys always dress up though."

Two short honks rang out. Naru was hurrying them along.

Masako pushed herself from the bed. "Well, it's too late to change."

Mai sucked in a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to sooth the odd feeling in her chest. She took a moment to reassure herself that everything was okay, that nothing was going to rip this family away from her, even if the two of them started dating. Ayako and Bou-san were together and nothing had become awkward, right?

"Right." She answered herself with a smile, and then followed the two girls out of her apartment.


The restaurant was fancy, with dark wood tables and matte black chairs. A hostess met them at the door with a smile. "You're here with the booking under Takigawa?"

It was quite busy inside and Mai glanced around for the rest of their group, but she couldn't find them.

"Where is everyone?" She asked Ayako, who simply ignored her.

The hostess led them up some stairs where she opened the door to a roof patio.

"Happy Birthday, Mai and Masako!" The chorus of voices surprised them as soon as they stepped outside, and Mai grinned as she was assaulted with hugs from her favourite people. She said her thanks and looked around as Masako attempted to avoid being embraced.

The patio followed the same colour theme as inside the restaurant, except it seemed to be for group reservations only. A canopy stood in the middle of the roof, with string lights decorating the beams of it and white flowers hanging from the top over one long table, where their plates and cutlery were set up nicely. Mai picked up a napkin that was folded into a small dove with a raised eyebrow. Dropping it, she glanced around the rest of the roof, her eyes stopping on the bar off to the side, with one bartender standing behind it.

Yep, very fancy. She felt relieved knowing she wasn't overdressed.

"Did you have to choose somewhere outside?" Naru asked in a grumpy manner, pulling his blazer off and throwing it over an empty chair. His forehead was already starting to gleam with sweat, and he roughly swiped one of the doves across his face, not at all caring about the effort put into folding it.

Bou-san slung an arm across his shoulders. "I'll tell ya what," His words were slurring slightly, and judging by the cringe in Naru's face, his breath was probably tinged with alcohol. "When it's your birthday, it can be the most inside-y inside place ever."

"Just because there is a bar doesn't mean you have to abuse it." Naru shrugged his arm off. "And I won't be celebrating my birthday."

"Why is that?" John stared at him curiously.

"I do not enjoy having people sing at me."

Mai smiled at the thought, finding the image of Naru sitting stoically while everyone sang happy birthday to him amusing. "Did Gene enjoy your birthdays?"

"No. He found it rather awkward as well." Naru replied as he took a seat, pouring himself a large glass of ice water from one of the pitchers.

The others let him be, knowing that if they kept pushing him to socialize when he was hot and sweaty it would only end up bad. The group stood around, poking fun at the increasingly drunk Bou-san. Having a bar on the patio when they had rented out the whole roof meant there was no waiting for drinks, and he was taking full advantage of it—or rather, abusing it, as Naru would say.

Ayako sighed as she watched her partner harass Lin to take a shot with him. "I'm going to murder him."

"Oh, look!" Mai pointed in shock when the bartender poured two shots. "He's actually going to take one."

The two of them watched as Bou-san cheered the taller man and tipped his head back, downing the shot. Hilariously, instead of copying the motion, Lin took his distraction as an opportunity to poor his shot into Bou-san's drink without him seeing.

It wasn't long before the food arrived and everyone made their way to the table. Mai took her seat at the end across from Masako, and happily dug into her paid meal.

Birthdays after her parents passed had always been a rather depressing affair. Her mom had always made a big deal out of the day, giving her the kind of attention and care that made Mai feel like the center of the universe, which made every birthday after she was gone feel lack luster. So, she relished in all the attention and smiled wide when they sang happy birthday, blowing out the candles with Masako in sync.

Gifts were passed around and Mai ripped them open without an ounce of shame while the other girl shyly unwrapped them, her face pink underneath all the attention. Eventually, only two gift bags were left on the table and Lin passed them to each of the girls. "This is from Madoka."

The two of them opened the last gift together, both them staring at it in confusion. It was one of those neck pillows you use on planes.

A little card was left in the bottom of the bag and Masako read it out loud.

"Happy 19th Birthday. See you soon?"

Mai blinked. "Is she coming to visit...?"

All heads swiveled towards their boss, who suddenly looked extremely displeased. "She means we're going to her."

"Huh?" Mai's smile fell slightly. "But Madoka's in England? I don't remember planning a trip."

"I was hoping to get my thoughts together before bringing it up, but we were invited to the annual gala BSPR throws in London." Naru said, not at all seeming excited about the event. "Madaoka seems convinced that we're going."

Bou-san's eyes were wide, and although he was still very much inebriated, he seemed to be thinking the same as everyone else. "Why wouldn't you want to go? Galas are fun... I think? I've never been to one."

"It's not just a gala." Naru told them with a seriousness that made them go quiet. "The board of directors meet in the days following and they decide where funds are allocated to, and which branches get what. This means the event is disguised as something held in honour of our donors, but it's all about networking and politics."

"So, it's just one big pissing contest?" Yasu's eyes twinkled.

"In very crass terms, yes, it is." Naru nodded curtly. "We haven't ever attended because we're able to run as an individual company outside of the main branch—all thanks to Mr. Pratt, who generously funds all the company expenses. Going to this event would mean we're officially recognized as a part of BSPR."

"Is that bad?" John asked, confused.

"Not particularly," Lin cut in before the other male could answer, which earned him a narrowed look. "SPR being the first Japan location would generate a lot of interest, and our portfolio speaks for itself. As an official branch we would have more funding which is something you guys would benefit greatly from."

"More money for transportation?" Ayako clapped excitedly when Lin nodded. "We could take a plane instead of driving eight hours!"

"It's more than that." Mai said as she thought about the cost of their monthly rent, all the expensive equipment, and everything it took to keep SPR running. If one person could fund that, then having a network of them could really change things. "Higher salaries, more positions, expansion..."

"Yes, exactly. This means you guys wouldn't just be casual contractors. You could have real, solid job positions." Lin really seemed to want to hit home with the benefits of going to the gala despite the other boy's obvious apprehension. "Becoming officially recognized means that we could have higher profile cases as well."

"So, why the hard decision?" Bou-san asked. "It sounds like a good opportunity."

Naru sipped his water, giving a nonchalant shrug. "Sure, it is—a great opportunity for people sticking their nose where they don't belong."

"Naru." Lin warned. "Put aside your personal feelings for the moment. They should have a say as well."

"I understand that. However, they need to know that things might change. That means no more closing the office for birthday parties or slacking off when we have cases." His voice had taken on a bitter tone, and suddenly the tension between the two was palpable.

Clearly, they did not agree on this issue.

The silence that followed was heavy, and when the waiter came to check on them, she paused in the doorway, confused by the stark contrast of how lively they were only minutes before.

"Um, were you guys ready for the cake?"

Masako set the birthday card down and smiled politely. "We'll have the bill, please."


"Get in." Naru was waiting for her when she finally exited the restaurant, his hand holding the passenger door open. Without question, Mai slid into his car and flinched when he closed it with more force than was necessary.

They drove quietly for a few moments before she peered at him cautiously. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your birthday dinner." He apologized without looking at her. He had his elbow propped up against the window, with his chin resting in his hand as he drove. "I did not want to have this discussion yet. The invitation came yesterday, and the gala is not until next month, so I thought I had more time to think on it."

"You know, before she left, Madoka mentioned something about seeing me in August. I had no idea what she was talking about." Mai said out loud as she put the pieces together.

This only seemed to irritate him further. "Which means she knew for months."

More silence full of his tension followed and as they neared Mai's apartment, she desperately thought of something to say that would ease some of his anger.

"Who is Mr. Pratt?" She asked tentatively. "And why does he fund all our expenses?"

"Mr. Pratt is just about the only donor I can stand. Most of them are obsessed—" He stopped when he caught the look on her face and let out a long slow breath. "Mr. Pratt is a longtime associate of my father, and he has an interest in the development of psychic abilities. He is specifically interested in my work and has consistently followed my progress throughout the years."

"So, he's a friend?"

"No. He's like a doctor you meet with once a year for checkups." Naru smirked as he glanced at her. "Now that I think about, he would like you. He liked Gene too—but he made him incredibly uncomfortable."

Mr. Pratt seemed like a peculiar individual.

As they pulled into the parking lot of Mai's apartment complex, she remained in her seat.

"I can't read your mind, Mai. If you have something to ask, just say it." Naru told her when she didn't seem to have the courage to speak. Although, he guessed that his incredibly bad mood didn't make for the most welcoming atmosphere.

"How come you didn't get me a birthday present?"

He hadn't been expecting that. "Did you want one?"

"Who doesn't want gifts?" She shrugged, not at all seeming shy despite his incredulous look. "What?"

"You're shameless." He huffed. When she didn't seem to care and grinned at him expectantly, he leaned back in his seat to consider her carefully. "I think Matsuzaki-san has spoiled you beyond repair."

"You gotta take what you can get."

"Do I get one in return?"

He didn't actually care for his birthday or gifts, but if she was going to be so shameless asking for one from him he was going to return the favor.

"Of course!" She nodded.

"So, what is it you want?"

She went quiet for a moment, tapping her finger against her lip gently. "I want one question." Seeing his perplexed look, she continued. "At some point in the future I want to ask you question, and you have to give me a truthful answer."

Ah. He understood now. She wanted to ask him something personal and not have to answer one of his questions in return.

"How greedy of you." He drawled with just a hint of amusement. She stared, waiting, and he nodded. "Fine."

Pleased, she smiled before it slowly faded. Whatever had been on her mind came back to the forefront now she had she gotten her way, and he waited. When she finally gathered her thoughts and looked at him, he could see that she had realized why he was so cautious about going to the gala.

"It's not going to be just us anymore, isn't it?"

Us—their little world of paranormal la la land that she was so content in—would change. Naru would no longer have complete control over SPR, which meant he couldn't protect them from the vultures that would descend, picking and prodding at everything they did.

"No." He said simply. "But if this is something you want to do in the long term, then I suggest you take the week to think about the benefits Lin mentioned."

"Only a week?" Her voice rose in alarm. "But the gala is not till next month!"

"We do not have the time to be indecisive."

He needed her to understand how imperative it was that they made a decision quickly. Martin had shown considerable interest in their work in Japan, which meant an official BSPR branch here would happen eventually. Naru foolishly thought he would have at least another year to decide, but his father was forcing his hand.

They could take the lead with the expansion and risk changes they might not like or fall behind and watch some other group of investigators snatch up all the good work.

Things would change if they went, and things would change if they didn't—they just had to pick their poison.


A week had passed since Madoka's gift had left them with a difficult decision, and their team was split right down the middle.

The interesting part of their discussions was that no one really objected to accepting the invitation, which meant they weren't split into 'yes' and 'no' groups, but rather there were three who fully thought that they should become an official branch and three who had decided to trust what their boss would decide.

Mai and John were the only one's undecided, which meant that in the day before they had an official vote, they were the main focus of the 'yes' group.

"Mai, think about it—" Bou-san sat across from her in the office, leaned forward on his knees. "You're only an investigator right now, but what more could you do with SPR as it is now? Being an official branch means more options."

It really wasn't surprising that Bou-san wanted to go. He had been a fan of Oliver Davis long before he knew his real identity, and he knew a lot about BSPR. There was also the fact that he was a musician, which wasn't a very stable job career, and so having a solid job position within SPR would be great for him.

"Not to mention that you could stunt on BSPR with all your cool abilities." Yasu added on with a grin. The bespectacled boy was going to university, so his vote wasn't based on anything too thoughtful. He just really wanted to go to a gala in England.

Thankfully, Lin and Naru weren't very active in the discussion. They answered some questions when they asked, but they mostly let everyone else argue it out since their positions were pretty clear. Lin was a 'yes' and Naru—they didn't know where he stood exactly, but he seemed to be leaning towards a negative.

Ayako and Masako weren't as passionate as Bou-san and Yasu were either. They both had their own jobs outside of SPR so going or not going to this gala wouldn't make a huge difference in their lives. They just trusted that Naru would make the best choice.

Ayako's absence in the office was felt, and Mai shrunk under the pressure of the two boys. Without the red head to yell at her boyfriend to let her decide on her own, his effort had increased tenfold. Like an angel descending from heaven, John spoke up gently. "I think we should give it a break. Mai seems conflicted and you're pressuring her is not helping."

Shock flashed across Mai's face, and she sent him a thankful smile.

Bou-san frowned, leaning back as he gave the blond an assessing look. "You're undecided too, John. However, you don't seem conflicted at all?"

That was true. John hadn't engaged in the conversations and instead he opted to just quietly observe. To everyone else, he seemed to be the biggest mystery of where he stood—but Mai had a growing suspicion of what he was waiting for.

His quick glance at her made her stiffen slightly, and she met his eyes with a questioning look.

John turned back to the other two boys and gave them a polite nod as he stood. "I'll take my leave for today. I'll see you tomorrow." Mai chased after him as he left, and he stopped on the stairs outside the office when she called his name. "What is it?"

Mai frowned down at him. "Are you waiting for me?"

John smiled softly. "You caught me."

"Why?" She didn't understand why he had no opinion on the matter. Or rather, why he trusted hers so much that he would just go with what she wanted. "Don't you want to go to England?"

"I was there not that long ago, remember?"

That's right. Mai forgot, but John had spent some time working with a diocese in London for a few months. "So, you don't want to go back?"

"How do you know when something's about to happen before it does?" He suddenly asked instead of answering her question. "What does your intuition feel like?"

Mai tilted her head in confusion. "I just know. I feel it somewhere deep inside. It's hard to explain, but it's physical and mental—almost like a thought in my head."

A strange look passed over his eyes and he shifted, facing away from her slightly so she wasn't able to see his face fully. "It's strange..." John said slowly, raising his hand to his chest. "I've had that feeling for a while now." He glanced up at her thoughtfully. "Do you think this is one of those fated events you talked about previously?"

His words hit hard, and Mai realized that he was waiting for her because if he thought they were meant to go to England, then she would know. She hadn't thought about fated events in a long time, and him thinking that this was one of them sent a shudder through her.

Unconsciously, her hand raised to her chest, mirroring his position—and she knew.


"So, it's five against three?" Naru's voice was lacking any emotion as he ran his eyes across the raised hands.

Mai lowered her arm, feeling like she was somehow doing something wrong by taking the decision away from him. Naru was their boss, and he knew about the inner workings of how BSPR operated in a way they didn't, but she couldn't ignore the strange feeling that leaving her future in someone else's hands wasn't right.

Beside her, John still had his hand raised and he turned to look at her, eyes intent.

"I guess that settles it." Naru closed his eyes. "We're going to England."


sorry it took so long to upload, these next few chapters just seemed a little lacking to me but no matter how much rearranging i did, it still didn't seem right. so i'm just gonna upload them as it instead of keeping y'all waiting. the next chapter should be up soon.