Mai is quiet throughout the ride towards the location of their next case, she had a bad feeling since she woke up this morning and not the typical someone-might-get-injured type of bad feeling, but the teenage I'm-in-trouble type of feeling. She knew that she should be worried about the case they have on right now but she can't get that bad feeling out of her mind, to the point that she didn't even care that she is now on the van with the two of Japan's most taciturn duo, even though she was practically dragged to sit on that specific van.
She tried to ignore her instinct that is telling her something that is not even be a part of the case, speaking of which, she immediately put her attention to the case file on her lap. She could sense that glances that both men on her sides gave her. This was the first time since the start of the ride that she has not been in daze – ignoring their glances, she started to read the file.
The picture of the house is a simple English-style picket fence house, it was a good house for small family, not too far from the city but also not too near where it can be surrounded by the city noise. Haunted is not the word the first thing a person would think of when looking at the place, but given on how it is currently abandoned due to the owners not wanting to be inside of the house and how they, a team of paranormal investigator is going there, shows how looks can be deceiving.
Looking at the case file, all she could remember how their disheveled clients anxiously went to their office.
It was just another day at SPR, Mai and Yasuhara was reviewing and rejecting request upon request. Seeing that the reason the so-called 'haunting' can be logically explained, there is no need for a paranormal investigator. As they stack away the final newspaper clipping, a knock echoed throughout the whole office.
Mai has been a bit fidgety lately due to the text she received from her sister during her stay in the hospital. It has been two weeks since that text, so to say the least, she is anxious due to the possibility that her sister might show up at any moment.
Yasuhara saw her hesitation, so it was silently decided that he was the one to open the door. In front is an anxious man holding a distress and disheveled woman.
"Is this Shibuya Psychic Research?" The man asked gruffly. Yasuhara nodded and guided them inside, Mai immediately went to the kitchen and prepared tea while Yasuhara asked the basic questions for potential clients.
"May I ask your name and what made you ask for our help?"
"I'm Kurosawa Yuu and this is my wife, Ayumi. We recently just got married and moved into this new house just a bit farther from the city, we were fine for a month or two until things happened."
As soon as Mai served the tea, her inner alarm bells started ringing like crazy as she listens to what seems to be explainable rationally. Scratching of walls, window tapping, hearing things in their attic and basement; it could be a dozen of things before it is considered as paranormal. Both Mai and Yasuhara knows that, but why does Mai's instinct say otherwise?
Yasuhara was about to inform them the possible cause of the happenings when Mai interrupted.
"Something else happened…before you decided to come here and seek for a paranormal investigator, something happened, am I right?" The Kurosawa couple looked at each other, possibly not expecting this type of reaction, but they both nodded.
"We tried to ignore the happenings since we are both non-believers of the paranormal." The man looked at Mai, most likely checking if he offended her but Mai simply signaled him to continue. "But when things got a bit bad, we asked for help but the person we approached recommended your place, stating that your team will provide more help than her handling things alone."
"Before approaching that person, we first tried everything, from staying up late to see if there's some stray or a sick prank that someone is playing to recording the common places where those things happened." The man took out a video and voice recorder, he was about to turn on the voice recorder when Mai stopped him.
"I think it would be better if you shouldn't play it in front of your wife, it might make her uncomfortable." Mai said softly but Yasuhara immediately noticed the small tense on her voice.
"Kurosawa-san, there's a café just across the street, how about you and your wife get some coffee and something light to eat to help distract you from all of this even just for a little while. We'll listen and watch the audio and video, after that we'll have someone pick you up." Mai's voice was so calming and soothing that even Yasuhara wanted to do what she said, what more to the distressed couple.
The couple may be skeptics to the paranormal world, but just by simply looking at the girl in front of them, they knew that they could trust her; so, they followed what she said and headed towards the café she mentioned.
Once the couple are out of the office, Yasuhara immediately looked at Mai apprehensively who was staring at the recorders.
"Mai-chan, did you just accept the case without Big Boss' confirmation?" He knew that Oliver has being lenient to the brown-haired girl, but accepting a case with his permission is most likely suicide.
Yasuhara notice the lack of respond from the girl, he tried calling her twice but nothing. He was about to stand up and call for Oliver when Lin went out of his office and stopped Mai's shaking hands from reaching the recorders, an action that drove her out of her stupor temporarily.
Lin moved the recorders a bit farther away from Mai and went to Oliver's office, when both men went out of the office and immediately asked what happened. Yasuhara explained what just happened earlier, seeing that Mai is still unmoving and staring at the recorders.
"From observation, Mai's instinct is design to make her wary from danger and seeing her react like this means that whatever is in those recorders triggers her instinct violently." Lin explained, even though it wasn't exactly necessary. Oliver walked a few feet in front of the girl and grabbed the audio recorder and pressed play.
The sound of wind and static filled the room, that went on for a minute when a soft humming was heard. It was soothing like a lullaby, but it came to an end when a word was said over and over; getting louder each time over powering the humming, until it was a full-blown distorted scream.
"MINE!" Mai curled up on the sofa, covering her ears tightly. As soon as Oliver saw her reaction, he pressed stop without hesitation.
"Yasuhara, get the client's details. Call the others as well, we have case." Oliver ordered before heading back to his office but not without stealing a glance to the dazed brunette.
The van arrived sooner than expected and they saw their client waiting anxiously near the front porch of the house. The husband, who is alone right now, immediately approached Oliver as soon as he steps out of the car.
"Shibuya-san, I hope that you didn't have any trouble getting here." The client said, but her boss only nodded in which Mai had to answer for him.
"Everything was fine." Mai answered and looked at the side, "May I ask about the car?" She pointed out the extra car.
"Oh, the person who recommended your office to us owns that." As if on cue, a woman with long black hair came out from the side of the house.
"Kurosawa-san, there you are. I would like to ask if you were given a blueprint upon your purchase of the house?" The woman asked but kept her eyes on her phone. Mai and John, who was beside her, stiffened when they heard the woman's voice and another person is intensely at the person.
"We didn't actually get the blueprint, but I'll ask the previous land owner if they still a copy of it." Kurosawa replied
"That would be much appreciated." Kurosawa immediately pulled out his phone and took a few steps away from the group. Mai only looked at the woman, though she noticed that the woman's gaze is slightly on the person that was a foot in front of her, subtly analyzing Oliver behind the dark sunglasses she wore, before she smiled and removed her eyewear.
"Shoujo Akira. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shibuya Kazuya-san." The moment her startling grey eyes made contact with her boss; Oliver obviously noticed that she was definitely analyzing him earlier. Mai continued to look at the woman in front of her before they finally made eye contact, her peripheral view also noticed Oliver looking at her.
"Hi, Mai." It seems to finally sunk into Oliver's mind who this woman is, since she mentioned her at least once; Shoujo Akira, Mai's adoptive sister.
"It's been awhile, Nee-san." Mai said timidly, Akira simply smiled which was seemingly not reassuring for Mai as she looked at her a bit apprehensively.
Akira also greeted John who also greeted back a bit timidly. Their client came back after his phone call.
"Shoujo-san, the previous land owner said that the blueprint was missing for a while now, most likely misplaced or thrown away." Akira nodded in understanding and the client guided them to their base, which was parlor room and pointed out the guest rooms where they will stay.
The Kurosawa are currently staying at the Ayumi's sister since she refuses to spend another minute inside the house after the whole recording occurred. Which was understandable, seeing that the wife became really paranoid even though the paranormal events was not as worst as they have encountered before, but it seems to be a bit too much for a non-believer.
Their client left them in the parlor room once they put all their equipment inside and once the client confirmed that the investigators don't need anything as of the moment, he went straight to his sister-in-law's house. Saying the parlor room is tense was an understatement, it was so awkward and uncomfortable that Mai noticed that even Oliver was slightly affected, given on how tense his shoulder is and his jaw clench; not that he would ever admit it.
"Shibuya-san, may I excuse Mai for minute?" It was not a question nor a request, it was an order disguised as a question. Not hearing an answer, both women went out of the parlor room and went next door which seems to a living room.
Akira sat down with her arms crossed and stoically stared at her, Mai visibly tense as she sat down in the love seat in front of her.
"Two weeks." Akira said coldly, "I left you on your own for two weeks and the next thing I know you ended up in the hospital. Just. What. Were. You. Thinking?"
"Nee-san, I–" What Mai wanted to say was cut off.
"Not only that, you personally got involved with the case. You should know by now how dangerous that is, especially for you." Mai could easily identify the frustration and anger in Akira's voice.
"I didn't–"
"You were hysterical, Mai. You empathized too much that you forgot that you were a professional with years of training. You lost control of your emotions." Mai didn't even retort, she knows that she looked like a child getting scolded by her mother.
"I let you join them because you promised me that you'll be safe, that they'll be able to keep you safe. Ending up in the hospital, heavily bruised and battered body is not considered as safe, Mai."
"I did what I had to do, I had to keep them safe." Mai's voice was filled with resolve.
"At the expense of your own life?!" Akira stood up with the pitch of her voice raising one note higher, it was obvious to her that she was losing her composure.
Akira took a deep breath, "You can't keep doing this, Mai. Just because you have control and adapted well with your abilities, that doesn't mean that you won't break and bleed." Her voice sounded so exhausted. Over the years that she knew her, this is the only time Mai saw her sister be this open with her emotions.
"I am not willing to once again juggle your life for them." Akira walked out of the room, and Mai sat down before burying her face on her hands with her knees supporting her elbows. She heard the living room door open and noticed John and Takigawa entered.
"Mai–" Takigawa obviously heard some things and wanted answers.
"Not now, Takigawa-san. Please." Mai mumbled, John stood beside her and put his hand on her shoulder as a gesture of comfort.
"I'll try to talk to her. You know that she's just worried, and you have to admit, you did act a bit reckless." Mai weakly replied an 'I know' as she ran her fingers through her hair.
John gently patted Mai's head and went out of the living room. Mai and Takigawa went back to the living room and started to arrange the wires and other equipment that they need, silence filled the room.
The inside of the house is silent, outside is not much better. John did what he said and followed Akira out, he immediately noticed her in the front porch of the house and that she was in a call.
"She's okay, there's nothing to worry about." John noticed that Akira's voice sounded so tired, it was obvious to him that her worry for Mai simply turned into exhaustion.
"No need, I'll handle it. You still have someone to take care of, I'll just update you if anything happens." John has a vague idea on who she is talking to but he still didn't want to disturb them. So, he simply waited until she was done.
"Akira-san." John said softly, but was loud enough for her to hear. Akira turned around and gave him a soft smile.
"I know that I was a bit harsh, especially with the possibility that they must've heard something. But I can't help it, I don't want Mai to keep hurting herself for their sake." Though John did not fully witness what happened to Mai after Akira took her under her wing, but he knows enough. So, he completely understood why Akira did what she did.
"I understand that, but can you really put the whole blame on the people who had no clue at all?" John asked gently.