A/N: Welcome back! Today, our ship must deal with some trifles of everyday life, those of which Naru thought he could avoid. Tough luck, bucko. Maybe next story~
Anywho, enjoy!
PS: Thank you to everyone who has stuck around since the beginning or has just hopped on the train! You guys are amazing for giving a WIP a chance :') There is an important message at the end of the chapter!
PSS: The Dreamwalker Art Dump on AO3 has an update with the piggyback scene from last chapter (plus some NaruMai Halloween stuff)
Interlude: His and Her Circumstances
The aftermath of the case had been a blur. The last Mai remembered was falling asleep on Naru's back. According to Yasu, she had slept through the entire case's wrap-up.
Naru had informed Ohashi and the other guests of what had happened as EMS assessed Suzuki and prepared her for the ride to the hospital. His instructions were to set fire to the mansion. It was unclear whether Urado was attached to the land or not, but the safest solution was to purify everything with fire.
Because he hunted ghosts, not demons.
His last recommendation was that anyone who remained in the mansion until its burning had to be over the age of 30, lest they suffered the risk of death.
After leaving those eerie instructions, SPR hastefully packed and left.
Mai woke up in the van approximately an hour or two later. Her neck hurt like hell, but she barely had the strength—or motivation—to move. After another 20 minutes of discomfort, she finally mustered the strength to shift herself. As if on cue, the memories of everything that happened flooded back into her head causing her eyes to snap open in alarm.
The clock said it was noon, so they must be heading back to Tokyo. She let out a sigh in relief, closing her eyes and dropping her head back onto its rest. Thank Usa-sama that they were out of that hellish place.
Suddenly, her headrest moved. If she had to take a guess…
It was probably Naru.
She held her breath and opened her eyes. Turning her head ever so slightly, her cheeks warmed when she realized she was resting on Naru's shoulders while his head drooped over hers. Telling by the laptop in his lap, he must've fallen asleep in the middle of typing his report.
How cute.
She fought the hardest urge to giggle. Carefully, she reached over to save the document for him, putting the laptop to sleep before closing it gently. When he shifted, she froze. Eventually, he settled down, so she took a quick peek.
Compared to his usual furrowed brows and flat affect, his expression now couldn't be described as anything other than serene and innocent. No longer was he frowning. No longer were his features hardened by the difficulties of life—no more death visions, no more social burdens, no more facing a world without his twin.
Mai knew Naru didn't sleep well, but she wasn't sure if it was a habit he always had, or if it was how he coped with Gene's death. He was always up late when she texted him, or when she would trek to the base during cases. Some days his eyebags were worse than others, but they never fully went away.
So, he must have been exhausted to have fallen asleep in the van.
Her face softened.
What can I do so that you can sleep peacefully like this more often?
A strangled cough from her left ripped her out of her thoughts. What a time to remember that Lin was with them!
Turning away sharply, she rummaged through her pant pockets for her phone to distract herself—wait, had she always been wearing these sweatpants? And this hoodie?
She could've sworn she had a pair of shorts and a baggy long-sleeve on during her confrontation with Urado. Then, the memory of blood splashing onto her clothes as she was slammed into the operating table flashed into her mind.
Ah. So, someone must have changed her.
She prayed to Usa-sama that it was Ayako. Masako would've been fine, but she didn't need another teenage girl judging her body. Even worse was if Naru had to ever change her clothes out of necessity. Now, that would be the day she melted into the floor for good.
Even though the whole thought process was ludicrous, she couldn't help but wonder what Naru would think of her body…
Mai, don't even finish that thought, she reprimanded herself, covering her face in embarassment as she shook her head.
But really though, did he have a preference? A lot of guys at her school seemed to like girls with larger chests. And what about hips? That one magazine Bou-san forgot to put away—when she and John had come over to play with his cat—popped up into the recesses of her memory.
Damn it. She had been so close to forgetting about it too.
Shaking her head, she tried to ground herself. This was Keiko-level degeneracy.
Ghosts over boys. Ghosts over boys. Ghosts over boys.
Besides, it wasn't like Naru was the type to care about bodies. Half the time, it was like he forgot women even exist. It was probably better that way for her self-esteem. She wasn't particularly blessed, but she also wasn't flat-chested. Then again, she was still a teenager so who knew how she would end up looking as an adult?
Not that it mattered.
She shook her head in frustration again. It was normal to be self-conscious about her body as a teen, but why did it matter what a guy thought? It wasn't like she and Naru would be doing anything anyway. They were friends.
Just friends.
Normally, I can't hear all your thoughts, but for some reason, I feel like I just returned to something that should make me very uncomfortable.
Gene! You're back!
I don't know if I want to be. Am I interrupting your horny thoughts?
GOODBYE.
And she closed off her othersense.
A weak chuckle next to her ear had her nearly crashing into Lin and sending them all to the astral plane. Holding a hand to her heart as she breathed heavily, she blinked at Naru who now sat awake watching her with a raised eyebrow.
"You nearly scared the soul out of me! When did you wake up?"
"After you shook your head for the fourth time. You must have been having a heated debate with yourself."
Heat rose to her ears as she quickly turned away from him. "Why were you watching me?"
"It's like studying wildlife."
Meanwhile, Lin continued practicing his self-erasure techniques. If he practiced anymore, he might finally become one with the background.
Oliver glanced as his phone screen lit up for the 20th time that minute.
After the creation of the "SPR Group Chat" for case purposes, the members of his team decided to use it for casual conversation, shopping lists, memes, and what they dubbed as "selfies." Oliver had to wonder why he—or Lin—bothered to stay in the group, especially after Madoka added herself.
Speaking of Madoka, she was slated to leave Japan in the coming weeks. He wondered why she had even stuck around this long. Their benefits package was quite fair, but BSPR didn't offer that much PTO.
To her credit, she was technically a working investigator for his branch while she was in Japan.
On paper.
She had joined them on exactly three and a half cases total. The first was for the Rokuryou high school case, second was helping with research during the Urado case, followed by two other insignificant cases. One of which was only her and Mai. Telling by her word salad of a report, he questioned if the investigation was as involved as she made it sound.
Allegedly, she was also completing reports for BSPR through data analysis and literature composition for her most recent study.
Oliver's phone lit-up once again, breaking him from his thoughts.
Just as he was halfway to turning it face down, he noticed a picture in the message notification. He wasn't sure what compelled him to open it, but he did.
The SPR group chat opened to a string of messages between Yasuhara, Madoka, Matsuzaki, and Mai about her school trip to Kyoto that she was on right now. She was currently at an Otsukimi festival visiting the Okazaki shrine.
The first picture was of the rabbit statues that guarded the shrine.
The second picture was what caught his attention. Mai stood in front of the shrine posing for the camera. Meanwhile, that boy from school she was friends with posed in the background.
Oliver frowned. There was nothing particularly offensive about the picture, but he wondered where her other female school friends were.
Apparently, Madoka was also curious.
Madoka: Who's that? :3 Where are your girlfriends?
Yasuhara: Yeah, who's that? :3
Mai: Yasu, shut up. Madoka, you've met him before!
Yasuhara: :L
Matsuzaki: Isn't that the kid from the park? The one you were two-timing on?
Mai: There was no two-timing!
Madoka: What are you guys doing straying from the group ;)
Mai then sent another picture, this time of her with the rest of her group.
That was all Oliver needed to see before he put his phone on "Do Not Disturb." He had wasted enough time on trivialities. He picked up his tea cup only to scowl at its lack of contents.
Checking the tea pot, his scowl deepened.
Empty.
He exhaled through his nose before forcing himself out of his seat and into the kitchen. While he waited for the water to boil, the jingle of the door alerted him to a newcomer. He came around the corner to find Hara Masako.
She smiled and greeted him. "Hello. I just came by to drop off some sweets I got from a client." She placed the bag on Mai's desk. "Please feel free to share them."
Oliver nodded. "Thank you," he said. Remembering that he should have some semblance of manners, he asked, "Would you like tea?"
She seemed to hesitate briefly before reluctantly nodding her head. "Yes. Please, allow me to help."
After the tea was set, they sat across from each other in the waiting area. It was silent as they prepped their tea, Oliver adding a dash of milk to his.
Unsurprisingly, Hara was the first to break the silence. "There has been something on my mind," she said, looking down to the teacup nestled between her hands. "I… I have been foolish, and I apologize."
Oliver stayed silent, allowing her to find her words. He wasn't sure where she was going with this but now he was curious.
"I don't intend- I've never intended to reveal your true identity," she said, correcting herself.
He raised an eyebrow. "Any reason that you're bringing that up now?"
She averted her gaze, her eyes refusing to meet his. He noticed her grip on the teacup tightening.
Collecting her resolve, she looked him straight in the face, her cheeks slightly pink. "I realized my mistake and I would like to correct it. If you would give me a chance, I would like to get to know you better. Normally, this time."
Oliver raised a brow, slightly surprised. She's gotten bolder.
What had transpired for Hara Masako to be vulnerable like this, he wasn't sure. No girl had ever been interested in him this long enough to make the effort, so he had to give her at least that much credit.
Unfortunately for her, Gene was much better suited for this kind of situation.
Granted, if he had been the Oliver from before Gene's death, he would have outright disregarded her feelings. The Oliver now was surprisingly more patient. Perhaps, with age came maturity.
Imaginary Mai in his head snickered.
"Quite frankly, I don't know what you see in me aside from my appearance," he said cordially.
Hara sat, unfazed. "Despite what you believe, you have many qualities. For one, you are intelligent, accomplished, skilled in what you do, and have demonstrated a strong care for your team. Those are all admirable qualities. I believe we match each other well, given my abilities and reputation."
From a superficial standpoint, she wasn't wrong. The image of a world-renowned psychic researcher in a relationship with Japan's celebrity medium would make headlines in some recluse corner online for those without more important things to do.
"I'm sure you're aware that I am not one for romance."
Once again, Hara was unfazed. "We don't have to be in a relationship, but I would like a chance to get to know you better without the forced obligation of our previous terms. Whether as friends, or not. If anything more develops, fine. If not, I will also accept it." Her eyes held determination, and potentially, another emotion.
Oliver stared at her for a few moments.
He wasn't sure how he managed to surround himself with a group of persistent females. Between his mother, Hara, Matsuzaki, Madoka, and Mai, each one was just as stubborn as the next. Regardless of what he said, he knew they would continue to go about doing whatever they wanted.
While he rather not be bothered at all, he could look at it in an advantageous standpoint. She wasn't intolerable, having a good connection with her allowed for more opportunities in the Japanese paranormal sphere, and if it came down to it, she could scare away any other foolish women. And then, there was that conversation with Mai he had about friendship.
"What if I end up taking advantage of you?" he countered.
She sipped her own tea, placing the cup gracefully back on the saucer. "I have worked with you long enough to know that you aren't one to unfairly take advantage of others," she paused, studying him.
"You think too highly of me."
Hara frowned, tilting her head slightly. "We all think highly of you. Is it so difficult to believe that others may want to get closer to you?"
His brow twitched, a sudden chill brushing through the room.
Oliver exhaled slowly. Her question reminded him of something Martin asked him years ago. His answer back then had been quick, something he didn't have to even think twice about.
Now, the answer wasn't so clear.
He sighed, drinking the rest of his tea before saying, "Do as you please."
Hara's eyes widened, her face lighting up. "Thank you." She then stood to retrieve the treats she had brought, unpacking them onto the coffee table. "Perhaps, Lin-san may want to join us," she said.
Rather than waiting his approval like she would have before, she walked to Lin's office of her own accord.
Oliver's eyes followed her. She never would have asked him something so direct before. Her previous approach had always been through suggestion and implication. It also seemed as if her demeanor had changed as well. She appeared less tense now, her presence lighter. He wondered what sparked the change.
The image of Mai's dumb grin popped into his head.
Of course, it would be her.
"Wow…" Mai took in the expanse of the shrine, the moon casting an ethereal glow on the premises. She could only imagine how beautiful the area would be when autumn was at its peak.
It was odd.
Despite being on the other side of the country, the Okazaki shrine felt like another home to her. She felt welcomed here, like she was among family. Usa-sama's glowing form hopped around the shrine with energy, leaving a trail of glowing paw prints.
While her group lingered around the festivities, something drew her to the intricately landscaped pond in the back of the shrine. It was a series of elevated ponds that poured into each other through small waterfalls. Stone rabbits were sprawled along the land.
"Shouldn't you be having fun at the festival, Ojou-san?"
Mai turned to the side, finding an elderly priest with a broom. "Good evening. I was just admiring the pond. It's so serene."
The old man chuckled, nodding his head. "It sure is. Whenever I had problems as a youngster, I would come here to clear my mind. Water is very clarifying."
"I can't argue with that," she said. "Are you the priest of this shrine?"
"Yes, I am. I've been serving this shrine ever since I lost my daughter. It's provided me a lot of clarity and time to heal."
Mai nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry to hear about your daughter."
The man offered her a smile before glancing to the deity at her side. "I see you're not unfamiliar with the gods' blessings."
Her eyes widened. "You can see him?"
"Of course, I can," he said, stepping beside her with his hands folded behind his back. "While you're here, try dipping your hands in the water. There's a tale that spring water that flows here is actually holy water."
"Are you sure I can?"
He gestured his head toward the pond. "Go ahead. You're probably the most qualified."
"Oh, okay," she said, looking at her hands before crouching down. Reluctantly, she dipped one hand in before dipping the other to scoop the water. What felt like spiritual energy flowed from her hands out to the tips of her hair, almost like a static shock. "Is it supposed to feel like electric?"
She glanced over to the man's reflection, realizing that he never had one. Shooting her head up, she blinked as she stared up at air.
"Hello? Oji-san?"
"Who are you talking to, Taniyama-san?"
Mai quickly stood, spinning in a circle as she looked for the old man. "Uh, would you believe me if I said no one?"
Takata scratched his head, cautiously looking around the area. "You weren't lying when you said you talked to ghosts."
That's right. After one thing led to another, Takata found out about her abilities. He wasn't really surprised considering her job and all. What was more surprising was that he shrugged it off like it was normal. He didn't make any comments about her being creepy nor did he want to stop being friends.
It was so weird that she was still trying to get used to it.
"Don't you think that's creepy?" she asked.
Takata shrugged. "Nah, it's actually kind of cool. You're like a manga protagonist."
You kind of are, y'know.
She chuckled, rolling her eyes. Her hands hung in the air, dripping from the pond water. She shook them to remove any excess, not noticing as Takata walked up to her.
He suddenly took them into his own, pulling out his handkerchief. He then gently dried her hands off, the softness of the cloth brushing along her skin.
Mai's heart beat rapidly as she internally freaked out, her voice stuck in her throat.
"Oh, sorry. Did that make you uncomfortable?" He paused, pulling away. "I-I don't know what I was thinking." He took a few steps back, averting his gaze in embarassment.
She turned away as well, her hand over her heart in an attempt to calm it. Why couldn't she say anything? What was she supposed to say?
Was she uncomfortable? No? Yes? She didn't know anymore.
"I'm so sorry!" Takata bowed rapidly, obviously repenting.
Shaking her head and arms, she frantically thought of what to do. "N-no! It's okay! I wasn't uncomfortable. Just surprised!"
He looked relieved as he let out a big sigh. "Oh, good- wait, you weren't uncomfortable?"
She blinked, realizing what she'd said. "Um, no, I guess I wasn't."
He gulped, turning to hide his face, scratching his head.
Uh, what do I do? Gene?
Hey, don't include me in your shoujo-manga moment.
I'm serious, Gene! You're more experienced with this kind of stuff!
She heard her spirit guide sigh. Well, let's start with—do you like him?
Mai blinked, never having considered the question before. Did she have feelings for Takata? Possibly? The more she got to know him, the more she grew to like spending time with him. And she didn't exactly hate his attention either.
She would be lying if she said she didn't feel some semblance of attraction toward Takata, like a crush.
But were her feelings for him the same as her feelings for Naru?
Her feelings for Naru were more like…
They were like what?
She thought they had just been simply feelings of infatuation, but now that she compared them to her crush on Takata… they seemed much more convoluted than she originally thought. And that only meant one thing—
Rather than going away, her feelings had only gotten stronger.
Damn it, Naru.
If only he would stop doing weird things that made her want to melt into the floor! For someone without any experience woo-ing girls, he was doing an awfully good job.
Then, there was Takata who stood with her now. He was the textbook example of a perfectly kind and down-to-earth guy that any girl would be lucky to have. Yet, the idea of pursuing any kind of relationship scared her.
Maybe that was why she was constantly making excuses for why she couldn't pursue anyone. Yes, her current life and future plans played a part in it, but was that really it? Or was it fear? Fear of what, though?
Takata coughed, ripping her out of her daze. She could only see the side of his face, but he didn't look or sound upset. "We should go. Aino just texted me that they're waiting for us at the entrance."
"Oh, um, okay," she said lamely, moving to walk beside him. Usa-sama hopped ahead of them, leading the way. She focused entirely on her guardian deity as they walked, trying to formulate something to say.
Other shrine visitors passed by them, the gentle glow from the lanterns casting light shadows as they moved. The sounds of their chatter and laughter were way too effective at breaking her concentration. Her brain was malfunctioning.
Before they reached the entrance, Takata stopped and turned to her. "You don't have to say anything, Taniyama-san. I get it," Takata said, an understanding smile on his face. "I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but I accidentally overheard a conversation a while ago mentioning that you weren't sure about a relationship right now."
Mai blinked. That was likely the works of Keiko and Michiru.
He scratched his cheek. "I just want you to know, I think you're worth the wait. Even if you end up finding someone else you like, I'd be happier knowing that I tried," he said bashfully, averting his gaze again. "Because you're a pretty cool person."
There it was again, her heart pounding in her chest. Heat rose to her cheeks and ears as she stared at him dumbstruck. The moonlight illuminating against his hair gave it a blue tinge, masking his warm dark brown with a purplish tone. The breeze swayed his bangs to softly brush against his eyebrows.
His hair grew…
Why was she just noticing this now?
"Guys, what's the hold up?!" Their friends called out in the distance, breaking her out of her trance.
"Yeah, yeah, we're coming!" Takata said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
What he and Mai didn't hear was Gene's off-handed remark.
Looks like the idiot has a rival.
Mai paced in her hotel room, thanking Usa-sama that her friends were gluttons for snacks and sugary drinks.
When her group had returned to the hotel per their curfew, Takata sent her a sheepish smile before heading back with the other boys. And… she felt like a fool when she blushed and her friends picked up on it.
What was even worse was that it felt like utter infidelity.
"Okay, Mai, now you're being ridiculous!" she said aloud. "It's not like you and Naru are in a relationship. You can flirt with as many guys as you want!"
Pfft.
Usa-sama, who was still there for some reason, groomed himself as he listened to his priestess whine about the woes of young human romance.
She dropped onto her futon and groaned into her pillow while kicking her feet.
"Why now…" she said, sighing.
It's not like you didn't know that he was into you, Gene said.
"Yeah, I know." She paused, turning her head to the side. "I just didn't expect him to… you know."
Be that smooth? Know how to make moves on a girl?
"It's embarrassing when you put it like that!"
Take it from a dude. He knew what he was doing. You knock her off-guard a little and then she won't be able to stop thinking about you.
"Please tell me guys don't really think those things. Isn't that like mind-games?"
It's no different than girls giving the cold-shoulder to get attention.
"That sounds like a whole other ordeal. On another note, you sure know an awful lot about this kind of thing for someone who's mentally 15."
Well, Luella likes to watch soap operas.
"Figures."
To take her mind off things, she reached for her phone. A notification from Naru had her shooting up into a sitting position. He'd sent her a message asking for what reason she had to curse him earlier.
Had she been?
You did say, 'Damn it, Naru' earlier.
"Oh, right."
How could she even reply to that? It wasn't like she could tell him that she was mad at him for always doing things that made her want to melt. In the end, all she could muster was a single melting emoji.
The room door then opened to reveal Michiru, Keiko, and their other friend, Eri.
"You feeling better now?" Michiru asked, handing her a milk tea.
She mumbled a barely audible, "Yeah."
Her friends glanced at each other. Keiko squinted at her suspiciously before dropping herself down beside her. "I knew it. Something totally happened with Takata-kun."
"Yeah, you've been weird since we met up." Michiru sat herself down too, opening her bag of rice crackers. "Don't tell me…!"
"Did he confess?!" Eri asked, holding her hands to her cheeks.
Feeling self-conscious with all the eyes on her, Mai closed her eyes and placed the milk tea can on her cheek. Nice and cool.
"He might as well have," she said.
The three girls squealed, leaning in with the eyes of famished wolves.
Mai rolled her eyes, knowing that they would beat the story out of her sooner or later. Thus, she explained what happened between her and Takata.
"This trip was supposed to be for me to find the boy of my dreams." Keiko pouted as she fake cried while suffocating a plushy. "Not for Mai to get the cutest not-confession when she doesn't even want it. So unfair."
Mai rubbed at her temples, not unlike the way Naru would during their team's antics.
"And you already have Shibuya-kun to boot. Leave some for the rest of us!"
Michiru laughed. "Just because you're unlucky with guys doesn't mean the rest of us have to be too." She grinned and put an arm around Eri, the only other girl with a boyfriend.
Keiko glared in envy before diverting her daggers toward Mai.
While Mai was single, she was considered "soon to be spoken for" for whatever reason as if it was a given.
Mai sighed, saying, "You know Naru and I aren't like that. Besides, I already told you guys it's not a good time for dating right now." Usa-sama jumped into her lap at that moment then, receiving a head pat in response.
Keiko stopped her fake crying to subconsciously watch Mai pet the air, before remembering to stay on topic. "At least tell us this, do you really not like Takata-kun? At all?"
When they were met with silence, the girls once again took wary glances at each other.
Mai blew at her bangs, groaning. "I don't know anymore. I guess I might have a small crush on him, but how can I like him and also like Naru?"
Michiru giggled into her hand. "You've been so busy reading ghost stories that you've abandoned all romances, haven't you?"
"Yeah. You can still have a crush even while being in a relationship, you know. You just don't act on it," said Eri, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear.
Keiko brought a hand to her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Then, that leaves the question of who you like more? Takata-kun, or Shibuya-kun?"
Mai scrunched her brows as she played with Usa-sama's ears. Who did she like most? Even though her brain couldn't compute it, her gut said otherwise.
"I like them both the same for different reasons," she mumbled, putting her hand to her lips. "I like Takata-kun's patience, kindness, and open-mindedness. He's really thoughtful!"
Her friends nodded, urging her to continue.
"As for Naru," she said, trailing off as she thought. There were a lot of things she liked about him. "He can be a little cold sometimes, but when he lets his kindness show, it means the world. And it's silly to say it out loud, but he's actually easy to talk to. I'm sure he judges some of the things I say, but for some reason, I don't care. It's like I know he wouldn't think of me differently. He's actually been a lot less rude lately too."
When she looked back over at her friends, she made a face when all of them smiled at her weirdly.
"I don't know, Mai," said Michiru, a hand on her cheek. "Sounds to me like you definitely like one more than the other."
Once again, Mai's brain wasn't computing.
Keiko shook her head in disapproval. "To think you were this oblivious."
Michiru shot Keiko a glare before giving Mai a sympathetic look. "What she's trying to say is that you don't just like Shibuya-kun."
Mai tilted her head.
"It sounds more like you're in love with him."
Mai yelled into Gene's favorite nap pillow. "This is awful!"
The spirit in question bit at one of his nails, unamused at her theatrics. He pulled his hand away to assess his work. "You're acting like someone burned your crops and poisoned your water supply."
"They might as well have," she said, shoving her face into the pillow. "I was doomed for failure as soon as I caught feelings. Not only do I like Takata-kun, but I might be in love with Naru too! It's a disaster."
He rolled his eyes. "Is loving my brother that bad?"
Mai paused in her whining, the tips of her ears reddening as she gave a muffled, "No…"
"Then, what's the problem?"
"I put in all this work to stay out of a relationship and it was all for nothing."
He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Her issue wasn't necessarily about Takata. It was about Noll.
"Just because you love him doesn't mean you broke your own set of ridiculous rules—you're not in a relationship, are you? Besides, I'm actually more impressed that Noll made it this far."
"What do you mean?"
"My dear twin, who is notorious for scaring girls away, has managed to soften the heart of one peculiar young lady. One of a soft heart but a loud mouth."
And she threw the pillow at his face. "Why did I even bother asking?"
Gene laughed, nudging her with his foot so that he could sit on the couch. She sat up to give him room.
"Okay, okay. Say I agree with you that right now isn't the best time for a relationship, but what about later on?"
Mai laid her head on the back of the couch, shrugging. "I'll tell him. Eventually. Doesn't mean he'll reciprocate, though."
Gene placed an elbow on the back of the couch, resting his head on it as he watched her. "What if he does?"
"Then… I'll be really surprised," she said, nonchalantly. It was obvious that she wasn't considering his question seriously, like the idea wasn't even plausible.
Gene pressed his lips together, understanding that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to change her mindset. Being as stubborn and in denial as she was, Noll would have to do something so drastically obvious that even Mai wouldn't be able to find an excuse for it.
Whenever that happened, he wanted to be in the front row seat.
Autumn began rearing its head starting with Madoka's departure. She had left enough of a mark that the SPR irregulars took her to dinner as a good-bye. Even after she left, she continued to be active in the group chat, much to Oliver's dismay.
In terms of cases, there were a few small ones here and there but nothing interesting. While it was enough to keep the office open without cutting into Oliver's own funds, he wondered if he would have to resort to spending more on the advertising budget. After all, receiving cases outside of Tokyo prefecture made hunting down lakes more convenient.
The sudden movement of something white out of the corner of his eye tore him from his thoughts. He glanced over to the corner in question to find nothing. Used to this phenomenon by now, his eyes scanned his office until he caught sight of the culprit again, this time leaping onto his desk.
Rabbit eyes blinked at him as he blinked back, his face ever stoic.
As Mai's abilities grew, so did the powers of her guardian deity. Thus, it wasn't uncommon for him to see glimpses of the white rabbit whenever she was in the vicinity.
He wasn't the only one seeing him, however.
All of the irregulars had mentioned catching glimpses of him when they came by, including Madoka when she was still in Japan. Sometimes the deity was in Mai's school bag, while other times he could be seen on her shoulder or on her desk. The SPR group chat joked that maybe she should try getting him to possess a stuffed animal.
Oliver found the idea ludicrous.
This was real life, not a TV show.
Speaking of Mai, something else that had changed was her behavior. After she returned from her school trip, she would often get flustered and awkward whenever anyone asked about it.
She would answer with a quick, "It was fine! A completely normal school trip! Yeah!" Even from the shelter of his office, it was hard to miss how "off" her response was.
And then there was the issue of her new habit.
As if on cue, his office door opened unannounced, revealing the source of his perplexity.
Mai sat down on one of his lounge chairs, her head and neck leaning on one armrest while her legs draped over the side of the other. When she got so comfortable around him, he wasn't sure.
This was her new habit—sitting in his office when she had something on her mind. Luckily, it wasn't frequent. She didn't always say what the issue was, and he didn't always ask. Sometimes he would answer her vague questions and then she would leave. Sometimes she vented to him without his input, and then thanked him with more tea.
Somehow, it had become a new normal. He didn't even bat an eye anymore.
"…Is there something you needed?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the research he was reformatting.
He heard her sigh. "No…"
If she didn't need anything, then he was going to continue working.
"Well," she started to say.
So, she wanted to talk, after all.
When she didn't continue her thought, he exhaled through his nose in annoyance before looking at her from around his monitor. Usa-sama—whom he still had a difficult time referring to as such—hopped off the desk in favor of sitting on Mai's stomach.
"Err, I have a personal case that I was asked to help out with," she said, "but I thought it might be better for the group to address together."
Interesting. Mai took on small jobs by herself on behalf of SPR, which he supported since it was good for her development, but she had never requested help before.
"This lady just inherited a house and a bunch of old possessions from her great aunt. She recently moved in but feels like something is off with the house. Apparently, it feels like she's always being watched, even in the shower. Sometimes, she sees a figure following behind her when she walks by the hallway mirror."
Sounded like the typical signs of a haunting—or, the plot for a fictional depiction of a haunting on some TV program.
Oliver rested his cheek in his hand. "And what makes this case interesting enough for SPR to take it? Have you visited the house yourself to survey if it really is supernatural phenomena?"
Mai opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself as she considered what to say. Her mouth opened and closed a few more times like a sputtering fish before she eventually said, "I was actually going to check it out now since we're closing soon. I figured I would ask if you wanted to come along."
He considered it, but the chance of it being a waste of time weighed too much.
"I'll pass. If you find the situation serious enough, schedule an appointment with the owner of the house."
"Oh, okay, sure," she said, shrugging to herself.
Then, the sound of the office door opened, signaling a customer's arrival. Mai hurried to greet them, accidentally leaving his door ajar as she left.
"Mai-chan, are you ready to go?" That sounded like that school boy she was friends with.
Oliver needed to remind her that her friends couldn't come and go as they pleased during work hours.
"Oh, Takata-kun. Yeah, I am! Let me just get my stuff."
"No rush. By the way, thanks for checking this out. Yamada-san will be out for a bit, so I'll give you the tour of the house."
Oliver's ears perked up.
"You said she's your neighbor. You must be close if you can come and go when she's not there," Mai said. "Does she live alone?"
"No, but the family's out right now so we'll have the house to ourselves. That'll be better for your investigation, right?"
"Doesn't matt-"
"I will also be coming," Oliver said as he left his office, causing Mai and Takata to jump at his quiet arrival.
Takata smiled nervously, bowing his head in greeting. "Ah, so you got your boss in on it too, Mai-chan?"
'Mai-chan.' Oliver frowned.
Mai's questioning stare lingered on her confusing boss for a second longer. Before she could say anything, Oliver beat her to it. "Mai is still a training investigator. So, I will be supervising."
"Um, okay then." Takata shrugged.
While Mai gathered her coat in utter confusion, Oliver put on his own trench coat and stopped by Lin's office to let him know of their departure.
"Is this necessary?" Lin scrutinized, lifting a brow.
"I don't understand what you mean," Oliver said, shutting the office door behind him.
A/N: *Update: Please read*
It's about time I shared with everyone my plans for the story. Quite a few people have mentioned the ending being close but do not fret! The plot bunnies continue to fornicate~ I plan for a time skip and even after the end of the main story, there will be multiple side-stories about NaruMai as a couple.
So stay tuned!
Btw, for those wondering if Mai has figured out she's hearing some of Naru's thoughts: Nope. It's harder to figure out since Naru doesn't talk to himself nearly as much as Mai does lmao
As usual, if you enjoyed reading, please considering leaving a kudos if you haven't already or a comment (on any fic you read)! It's always a writer's delight!