Impetus:
1. The force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.
2. The force or energy with which a body moves.
Bold Italics = Gene speaking to Mai
Previously…
"Do you know the identity of your spirit guide?"
"I…"
She knew his first name, that he was Naru's twin, and his favorite games. But did she know Gene? She wasn't even sure how he spelled his name or what his family name was.
Shibuya Gin? That didn't seem right. The Japanese pronunciation of Gin wasn't the way he referred to himself. Unless that was just a nickname?
And why wasn't "Shibuya Kazuya" displayed at Naru's hospital room door? Every other room had a name, so it seemed fishy that they would forget only his. Unless that wasn't his real name?
That begged the question—
Who were these twins?
"I guess… I don't know who my spirit guide really is."
Impetus Pt. I
The weeks following their case at Yuasa High were less eventful. Mai returned to her usual routine—she went to school and headed to SPR after. She continued plugging away at Naru's egregious list of readings as well as making time for meditation with Gene. Between her psychic ventures, secretarial job, and schoolwork, she hardly had any downtime.
Even so, she found Naru's question creeping into her mind during free moments.
"Do you know the identity of your spirit guide?"
She'd been tempted to ask Gene outright but had the feeling he would withdraw himself. She was a big supporter of waiting until he was ready to talk… but was also an antsy teenager who didn't like being left in the dark.
That's how she found herself visiting John's church one afternoon on her way home. Naru let her out early since he and Lin were going on an errand run and would be closing the office for the evening. There was the sneaking suspicion he was going "Gene-hunting"—said spirit dubbed this himself.
As she approached the church, the piercing wind nipped at her legs through her thigh-high socks. Mai shrunk into her scarf, holding her coat closer to her body.
Cold or not, the church's children were still content to play outside. When they noticed her, they flocked up to greet her as John smiled and waved from the entrance.
"Hi, Mai-san. How are you?"
She beamed. "I'm doing okay! How about you? Looks like you have your hands full here," she said, ruffling the heads of a few children.
"You bet," he chuckled. "Okay, children, please give Mai-san some space." The orphans nodded and ran back to their spots to continue playing. "To what do I owe you for this visit?"
"What if I just wanted to be in the presence of a dear friend?" she joked.
One of the recent lessons Gene had taught her was closing herself off from spirits. For periods at a time, she could keep them from invading her space, ironically preventing Gene from sticking his nose where it didn't belong.
Perfect for this kind of situation.
John led her into the church, introducing her to Father Tojo, and then leading her to sit with him at one of the pews in the front row. Christmas decorations were already making their way onto the altar and around the church's interior.
They started by chatting about the church's preparations for Christmas and the events they will be hosting. Mai also bounced off a few Christmas gift ideas with him since she wanted to get an early start this year.
Noticing the children returning inside for dinner, Mai finally gathered the courage to ask her question.
"So, I came here because I wanted to ask you something. It's probably a dumb question, but it's important to me."
John nodded. "Of course, if I can be of any help."
"I have a friend who goes by, 'Gene.' In Japanese, that is spelled as 'J-i-n.' But my friend says he spells his name with a 'G,' which would make his name pronounced differently. That is unless he's a foreigner. Do you have any ideas?"
John made a thoughtful face and brought a hand up to his chin. "In English, 'Gene' with a 'G' is a nickname. It's short for 'Eugene,' spelled 'E-u-g-e-n-e.'"
Her eyes widened. She didn't know how she knew, but "Eugene" just felt right.
"That's it! Thanks, John. That's exactly what I was trying to figure out."
"Not at all! I'm glad that I could help," he said, smiling brightly before tilting his head a smidgen. "Um, pardon me for asking, Mai-san, but could you not have asked him directly?"
She shook her head. "It's a bit complicated. Let's just say that I thought I knew these people, but in the end, I knew nothing." Her fingers fidgeted with the end of her scarf as she sighed. "If it counts as a confession, I'm kind of snooping right now."
"I couldn't tell."
Was that sarcasm? Glancing at him, he had a slight upward curve to his mouth.
Mai couldn't help but laugh. If she had to share her current concerns with anyone right now, it'd be John. He was a great listener, trustworthy, and passed no judgment. Could she spill the beans with him? Would that count as a betrayal of Gene's and Naru's trust?
She took that as a negative as John and "betray" didn't work in the same sentence. Besides, Gene never said she couldn't tell anyone else. Naru didn't even know she knew about him keeping secrets.
"Can I unload on you the most convoluted situation ever? Please don't share it, though."
"Of course." He nodded.
And so, she unraveled the entire storyline to him from the beginning, including the events during cases.
John adopted a thinking pose. "From what you've told me, I don't think you should feel bad about snooping. The twins seem to be withholding quite a bit from you. Now, that doesn't mean I condone snooping normally."
Leave it to him to be the responsible one. If she'd told Bou-san the same thing, he probably would get fired up and help her snoop.
She was taken out of her thoughts when John mumbled, "That makes more sense now…"
"What makes sense?"
He hesitated for a moment. "I've had the suspicion that Shibuya-san may not be who he says he is. He is particularly adept in English and has even lent me a book or two—all his texts are in English."
"We got Gene's name but what about Naru's?" Mai asked, throwing her head back in exasperation.
"It may be easier to figure out than you think."
When she sent him a questioning look, he smiled and looked away apologetically.
Has he already figured it out?
"I won't say much more, but I hear that Shibuya-san assigns you many readings. Perhaps, you may find your answers there."
Great, now even John's giving me riddles!
Suddenly, one of the children entered the chapel and ran up to John, tugging on his shirt. The child didn't say anything but gestured to the dining area.
"Perfect, thank you for letting me know. I'll be in soon," he ruffled the child's head, who nodded and returned to where they came.
Mai eyed them, tilting her head in curiosity. Why were her senses going off? She still had herself manually closed off from the spirit world, so technically there shouldn't be anything passing through her "filter."
Unless she could still feel, but they couldn't sense her? Probably a question for the twins.
"Something's off with that kid," she whispered to John as they stood up.
He scratched his cheek. "So, you've noticed?" He looked toward the child, and she followed his gaze. "Father Tojo wanted to leave it be, but the situation is starting to concern me.
"I was thinking of bringing it up to Shibuya-san at some point. For now, we're going to continue monitoring things."
"Does the spirit eventually leave the child?"
"Yes, but the time it's taking is beginning to stretch."
She absentmindedly nodded. "Well, because it's you asking, Naru might agree to help."
The temperatures continued to drop as Tokyo approached December. SPR had only taken minor cases, which didn't warrant much attention from her. She instead focused on her coming exams and Naru's assignments. She still wasn't sure what she was looking for in the readings, and John was no help. Gene didn't seem to be aware of her intentions, so she continued to act as normal.
She paid closer attention to scientists' and researchers' names in the readings but none of them rang a bell—they all sounded like they'd be old farts.
That's how she found herself active in the paranormal forums of Threaddit. It started as research, but somehow ended up as a new mode of interaction. She soon forgot her objective and began sharing experiences in the threads and arguing with random people on the internet.
Oh, but she also made a friend!
While sharing a story about the Yuasa case—their client anonymous, of course—a student from another high school shared the hauntings occurring at their school. Nothing too crazy, just haunted classrooms, unexplainable odors, and hellhounds.
Mai ended up having a lengthy discussion with them about the occurrences. His username was LeftoverMackerel, so Mai dubbed him as "Mackerel-kun." Their thread got so long that they eventually moved over to private messaging because they were starting to lose track.
Gene joked that she was replacing Naru with her new friend.
"My poor brother! Being two-timed by leftover goods," her spirit guide feigned betrayal and flopped onto the astral couch.
Mai rolled her eyes. "He's like a pen pal. We only talk whenever something crazy happens at his school, or if I find something cool and haunted. He seems pretty smart and has some interesting ideas."
"Ahh, so you've found a muse! And to think, this gorgeous face wasn't enough to inspire you."
Ignoring him, she picked up Usa-sama and nudged him with her knee to make room on the couch. "Anyway, I wanted to pick your brain about some Christmas gifts for the crew. I was thinking of handmaking something."
Gene sat up and placed his feet on the coffee table. "Do you have any skills?"
"I can get away with some things, but I'm not good at any one of them."
"True… I saw those cookies you made for Keiko's birthday, or that patched pillow case you botched."
Cue the glare she sent his way.
Usa-sama lifted his head and blinked at Gene, likely communicating telepathically—they could do that now apparently.
"Usa-sama is suggesting you make protective charms, like those talismans Matsuzaki makes."
"How do I do that?"
"By the power of prayer! With Usa-sama's blessing, you'll be making the best warding charms around!"
She nodded down at the deity in her arms and gave him a good head scratch. "Do I need to do paper talismans, or could I use something else?"
Gene leaned his arm on the back of the couch. "You can use whatever! For the best utility, I'd recommend using Buddha beads."
"Like a protective bracelet?"
He nodded. "Sure!"
Mai liked the idea. Sometimes she felt it was unfair that she was the only one with protection during their cases. If she was successful, this could be her way to protect her friends. "Maybe I can ask Bou-san to sell me some beads!"
And so, that's how she ended up meeting with Bou-san a few days later for okonomiyaki*. He waved her over to his table upon seeing her enter the restaurant.
"How's it going, Jou-chan?"
She shrugged off her coat and scarf and slid into the booth across from him. "It's going! Just trying to survive exam season. How about you?"
"Same old, same old. We do have a few gigs coming up, so the band's been practicing a lot." He dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a fabric drawstring bag. "Here are those beads you were asking for."
"Thanks for bringing them! How much do you want for them?"
"Nothing. You can have them," he said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't feel good asking for money for Buddha beads, let alone from a high schooler."
What a good soul, said Gene.
"You sure? I really don't mind."
Bou-san smiled. "Of course!" The waitress then came to take their order. After she left, he turned his attention back to the brunette. "So, what're you planning on doing with them anyway?"
She pretended to think about it before giving him a mischievous grin. "It's a secret," she said, sticking her tongue out.
"Not sure if I should be worried or not," he joked.
The two continued to chat as their drinks and okonomiyaki ingredients came out. The topics ranged from school, coming plans, this kitten Bou-san took in recently, and Mai's new online friend.
"You sure the kid isn't some kind of creep?"
Mai rolled her eyes. "No way! We both just have an interest in the paranormal. He told me he didn't know anything about it until things started at his school. So, I've been introducing him."
"You know what school he's from?"
She brought a finger to her chin. "I never thought to ask. Mackerel-kun didn't say either, but I have a feeling it's in the Tokyo area."
"Mackerel-kun?" he asked, pouring the seafood plate onto the batter with his chopsticks.
"His threaddit user is 'LeftoverMackerel.'" She shrugged, throwing some veggies onto the skillet. "Not the weirdest thing I've seen."
His face suddenly adopted a sly grin. "So, you're telling me that you're cheating on Naru with a fish dude?"
Her head gremlin cackled impishly in her head.
Mai's jaw practically dropped to the floor. "What's with everyone thinking that?! There is no cheating to be had!"
The tables around them turned to look at her from her outburst. She blushed and shrunk into her seat, glaring at Bou-san in the process.
"Oh? That's not the first time you heard that?" he teased, leaning his chin on his hand. "Aren't you though? Don't think I don't know about your messages with Naru."
She narrowed her eyes. How would he know about that? The only one who knew was Ayako! The redhead only found out because she was salty after seeing that Mai had his cellphone number—and then she proceeded to snoop through her messages.
Wait. Did that mean Bou-san was talking to Ayako outside of work?
This time, it was Mai who had the sly grin. Her companion's face dropped in suspicion.
"Well, aren't you and Ayako chummy these days?"
"Hey, don't try twisting this around on me."
She tapped her fingers on the table in a rhythmic fashion. "Am I wrong though? You guys must be hanging out a lot if she's gossiping with you."
He huffed and took her plate to serve some of the okonomiyaki. "We just had a few jobs we did together on the side. Now eat before your food gets cold," he grumbled, placing her plate down.
"Yeah, yeah!"
A week and a half before Christmas, Michiru invited Mai and Keiko to visit her aunt's onsen for the weekend. Michiru secretly invited her now-official boyfriend, so they were the coverup.
Not that they minded, though.
Keiko needed some relaxation away from her siblings, and Mai didn't get to travel much for leisure so she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. She could afford it now too! It was still a bit of a stretch monetarily, but unlike before, she could manage to make it work.
Oh, and the onsen was conveniently near a lake. Kill two birds with one stone!
The onsen was not far outside of Tokyo in Niigata prefecture. It was seated on a small mountain with a great view of the surrounding mountains. Forest covered the rest of the area before revealing a mountain lake nearby. The snowfall painted a comforting scenery for them upon arrival.
The trio dropped off their belongings in their room before Michiru apologized and snook off to her boyfriend's room. The remaining two girls shared a look and laughed.
Like the hotel she stayed at with SPR, this onsen was of the traditional kind with tatami mats and separate bathrooms. Mai only hoped there weren't any rude paranormal disturbances during her trip.
She wanted to use this time to prepare her Christmas gifts. The relaxing atmosphere was perfect for meditation and spiritual development.
You could even meditate in the snow! Some people like to take ice baths too. It's humbling, said Gene.
"Nope, I'm good," she mumbled.
Keiko popped her head up from rummaging through her bag. "What was that?"
Mai brushed it off with a wave. "Don't worry about it. Hey, I'm going to head to the springs. You wanna come?"
"I'll be over in a bit! I want to take some pictures first," the pig-tailed girl said, pulling out her camera. "The newspaper club asked me to take some for them."
With that, Mai shrugged and found her way to the springs. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary much to her relief. Mai quickly undressed and pulled her shorter-than-shoulder-length hair back into a small ponytail. No one else was there so she practically jumped into the water.
Sighing in bliss, she sunk herself until her chin was submerged. Her eyes closed and she concentrated on the sounds around her—the faint sounds of men talking from the other side of the wall, the flickering of the torch flames, and the bustle of people moving about inside.
The sound of humming from behind her sent goosebumps up her back. She jumped around and found no one.
Great.
Maybe it wasn't the land. Maybe it was her who was haunted.
Sighing, she shook her head and continued relaxing. The humming would happen on and off from then on, switching between a man's and a woman's voice. Feeling uninterested in any of it, she tuned out the voices by closing off her othersense.
Instead, she concentrated on her other five senses. The water was nice and hot. The rolling steam moistened her face and warmed her airways. The bottom of her ears hit the surface of the water.
"Are you okay, dear?"
Mai's eyes shot open and she swiftly sat up, her hold on her senses relinquishing.
In front of her were two middle-aged women. Telling by their gray hairs and smile lines, they were likely at the tail end of their age bracket.
Is this ageism I hear?
You know I didn't mean it like that! And I know you'd think the same thing as me!
"I'm okay! Thank you for asking," she said, unsure if the heat creeping up her face was from embarrassment or the springs.
One of the ladies with her hair in a bun put a hand on her cheek. "That's good to hear. We were worried because you sat there so still without a twitch and you kept sinking lower. We thought you'd passed out."
Mai waved her hands frantically to deny their claim. "Oh no! I was just so relaxed."
"Sorry we interrupted your peace," said the other woman with a wavy bob. "You know what they say with all those people being found unconscious around these parts. We're just happy you're not one of them."
That piqued her interest. She could tell Gene was on attention too.
"I never heard of that. Is that common around here?"
The two women looked at each other in concern. The woman with the bun spoke first, "Only since a month ago. There have been seven incidents where people have gone missing only to return a few hours or days later unconscious."
"They weren't found with any injuries, but they all woke up without any recollection of what happened. All they can recall is something about a little boy," said the wavy-haired woman.
Sounds like the plot of some supernatural young adult TV show.
"Good to know. Was there a pattern that they followed?"
"I don't think so. They were just wandering around the forest near the shrine."
The bun-haired lady shook her head in worry. "Fortunately for the victims, they were found before snowfall. I can't imagine being lost in the forest with all the snow we've gotten recently. Just be careful, dear."
Mai nodded and stood up. "Thank you for telling me! Hope you enjoy your stay."
"You as well. Have a good night!"
When she returned to her room, she brushed out her hair and thought about what the two women had told her. Could it be paranormal? Or maybe a deranged individual who liked kidnapping people, bopping them in the head, and then leaving them for dead? And what about the kid they were talking about?
Sounds real paranormal to me, she thought. "But… not my problem!"
"What's not your problem?"
Mai glanced over her shoulder to find Michiru at the sliding door.
"I just heard a weird story about people getting kidnapped and then returning with amnesia or whatever."
"Oh, you heard that rumor? Some people are saying that the victims were 'spirited away.' My aunt and uncle don't believe in that kind of thing, so they kind of forgot to mention it. Sorry about that, Mai. Hope it doesn't ruin the trip for you."
Uh, kind of an important thing to forget about!
The brunette shook her head. "Don't worry about it! It's not enough to scare me."
Michiru smiled apologetically. "Plus if it were anything paranormal, you'd probably be the most likely to survive out of the three of us."
"You think? My coworkers would say otherwise," she grumbled.
The two girls left soon after to check out the amenities at the hotel and returned just before the workers laid out their dinner.
"Is it okay if Akira-kun joins us for dinner?" Michiru asked as she slid open their room door.
Mai shrugged. "I don't mind! Keiko's still not back yet?"
"Where has that girl been this whole time?"
"She went to take pictures for the newspaper club about… four hours ago?" Mai counted off her fingers. The longer she thought about it, the more sweat she felt forming on the back of her neck.
What if…?
"Do you think she went outside? We didn't even run into her at all during our walk." Michiru frowned and slid the patio door open to check the court area.
Mai quickly threw on her coat and scarf. "I… I'm going to go look for her. Maybe she just got lost."
"Wait, I'll come! I'll make Akira-kun look for her too."
They tried calling Keiko multiple times only to realize that her cell phone was left in their room. To not alarm Michiru's folks, they searched amongst themselves first. They did well to stay together for the first hour... and yet, Mai still found herself wandering off from the group.
Mai sighed, watching her breath blow with the wind as she shivered. She scanned her surroundings, squinting her eyes as snow fell onto her eyelashes.
How could she get so far away from the group?! She couldn't even see their flashlights or hear their calls. What's up with that?
They had been following the main trail when Mai noticed footprints branching out from the trail. She thought she told them she was going to check them out, but maybe they didn't hear her. Still, how did she manage to get so far away?
Her phone vibrated and she quickly reached into her pocket. "Michiru? I went down a trail and got a bit lost. Stay where you guys are and I'm going to backtrack."
"Do I even want to know?"
Not Michiru.
"Oh, Naru, hi," she laughed nervously. "What's up?"
The other line was silent for a moment too long for her. "Where did you put file 046?"
She tilted her head in thought, absentmindedly heading back to where she came from. "I think I left it in the topmost right drawer. I still need to go through it so don't put it back in the file cabinet yet."
"Fine," he said.
He didn't say anything after that but didn't hang up either. Surprisingly, she didn't mind. Her footsteps in the snow were the only sounds to break the silence.
She blinked as a small shrine came into view. Her breathing must have hitched because Naru noticed.
"Mai?"
"I just found a shrine… but I don't remember seeing it before."
"Where are you?"
"Remember how I was going to Michiru's family's onsen? Well, Keiko's been gone for five hours now, so we went looking for her."
"And you wandered off on your own and now you're lost," Naru finished for her.
She inwardly groaned. "Yup," she said, checking out the shrine. She gasped upon getting closer.
It was ravaged.
"Hey, Naru. What are the chances of someone getting 'spirited away?'"
His reply was distorted and muffled before the reception was lost altogether. "Naru? Naru!"
Staring back at her phone as the end-call tone played, she noticed a missed call and several messages from Michiru 20 minutes ago. Had she been lost for that long already?
6:24 PM
Mai? Where are you?
The little snot just texted me! She ran into a childhood crush and spent the whole time hanging out in his room with his friends!
Mai?
Are you okay? I'm so worried. Please reply! ; ;
6:36 PM
I really hope you're at the hotel! You better be there when we get back!
Goosebumps ran up her spine. Part of her was so relieved that Keiko wasn't missing. The other part was starting to freak out because now she was the one missing.
Mai, stay alert. You gotta find a way back.
"Easier said than done," she sighed. She took another look at the shrine and couldn't help the sadness she felt for the deity there. The least she could do was tidy up what she could.
She picked up the spilled vase of flowers and stood it upright. She then brushed off some of the debris on the altar and placed the small statues in their rightful places. Something scraped her ankle and she nearly jumped.
It was a small broken tombstone. The writing was too worn to make out, especially at night with only the flashlight. She stood it back up and brushed off the snow. There wasn't much to offer, but she left a few snacks she had in her pocket as an offering to the spirits. Clapping her hands together, she prayed that they found peace.
"Okay, now for getting out of here." She scanned the area again for her footprints but panicked when there were none.
"There's no way the snow fell so fast my footsteps are covered," she mumbled to herself. Rubbing her arms vigorously, she tried to calm her rapid breathing. "Usa-sama, can I get some help?"
Static silence.
A light in the distance caught her attention. Her eyes squinted at it and she inched closer. Could that be Usa-sama?
At this rate, she was willing to take what she could get. Running after the light, she nearly slipped a few times—she wasn't exactly equipped for thick snow. When she finally approached it, she saw a little boy barely the age of six. He stood on a ledge overlooking the far-off lake.
Knowing her luck, he was probably a ghost.
"Hello?"
The boy turned, revealing a sunken-in skull on his left side, blood oozing from the laceration. His skin was pale as snow. She took a sharp inhale and hesitated moving closer.
She steeled herself. "Uh, hi. I'm kind of lost could you help-" Mai ran up to him, perhaps too fast, because he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Silence.
"Hello?!" she called out to no one as she circled the ledge. The boy didn't come back and she was once again standing there by herself. Turning around to face the lake, she let out a yell in frustration. "This is so screwed! I just want to go back!"
Catching her breath, she took a moment to look closely at the lake. She almost stopped breathing.
It looked so similar, and yet...
She trudged further down the mountain for a better view but had to stop at a ledge on the side of the mountain. From here, the lake still looked eerily similar. However, this town was known for cooler temperatures, so she was skeptical. Her visions showed the lake during warm weather without nearly as many pine trees.
"Gene, what do you think?"
Silence.
"Gene? Usa-sama?"
When her companions didn't reply, Mai felt her stomach drop. She rummaged through her pockets for her mirror. Looking into the reflection, there was no trace of her spirit guides. It was only her distressed face staring back at her, illuminated by the new moon. Her hands shook, her fingers rigid from the cold, and her hold on the mirror slipped.
With a shaky reaction, she lunged her arms forward to try and grab ahold of the mirror only to feel the ground begin to waver.
Before she knew it, the snowbank broke apart and she found herself tumbling down the side with a scream. Pain shot up all over as her body hit the concealed rocks under the blanket of snow. She could only wonder how much longer it would go on before she was put out of her misery.
Finally, her body slowed down to a stop as she hit the bottom with a crack of her head. Warm moisture slowly oozed out, staining the white snow beneath her.
Would she be joining Gene now?
Before she fell unconscious, she heard the faintest whisper of a woman's voice in the wind.
Gene was worried. Mai couldn't hear him at all.
One would think that her traversing further into the spirit world would make it easier to contact her. Not a chance. Even Usa-sama couldn't contact her because she was in another deity's domain.
He paced the astral plane back and forth.
While the area didn't feel malevolent, she was still a teenage girl lost in the mountains with no means of communication.
What made him even more stressed was knowing that despite her situation, she still took the time to check out the lake for him. She would always think about others first. This whole situation happened because she was worried about her friend. It was a great quality about her but also to her detriment.
Suddenly, he watched as the ground under Mai's feet gave out and she screamed. "MAI!" He called out, knowing full well she couldn't hear him.
She tumbled down the slope, cursing himself for being dead. The growing pool of blood shook him to his core, his hands trembling.
It was too soon for her to join him. Not yet, not now.
She didn't even know his real name. Gene knew she was beginning to question everything, but he was selfish and withheld the secret. Why? Why did it matter so much? Was he protecting himself, or was he protecting Noll?
Wait, Noll! He needed to contact Noll.
Gene tightened his fists. He had wanted to speak to his twin using his own power, on his terms. But Mai needed him right now—he couldn't afford to be selfish.
"Usa-no-kami, please, I beg for your help."
.
When Mai's words were muffled by static and the phone promptly hung up, Naru blinked down plainly at it.
Half of him didn't care and figured Mai could take care of herself, while the other half remembered her track record.
It likely wasn't anything though. She probably just lost service and would meet up with her friend soon. Nothing to worry about.
Thus, he ignored the nagging feeling in his gut.
Walking over to her desk, he checked the drawer she mentioned the file being in and frowned in annoyance. It wasn't there. He wanted to get this part of his study over with tonight. He wasn't going to halt his productivity because Mai couldn't get her shit together. Checking the next drawer, he located the file but also noted the content underneath it. Various printouts on lakes in Japan sat at the bottom of the drawer.
He was tempted to look through the rest of her desk, but he couldn't allow himself to stoop so low.
Ever since the last case ended, his question for her continued to echo in the back of his mind. Mai never gave him a straight answer, and since then, they'd been dancing around the elephant in the room. For weeks.
Not only that, he wasn't burdened with her emails or texts as much as usual. Naru didn't mind since that was less spam on his part, but it was abnormal behavior for her.
He was tempted to interrogate her about what she was hiding, but Lin reminded him that wouldn't go over so well with her. She would undoubtedly chew him out.
Naru shook his head and sucked himself back into his work.
Around 9 PM, he decided to finally eat something. Lin had the same idea because he entered the office with a bag of takeout.
Naru headed to the washroom. When was about to leave, he noticed something off about his reflection. While he had a stoic expression, his reflection had a sad smile.
Placing his hand on the mirror, his eyes widened.
"Long time no see, Noll."
Okonomiyaki* = Pancake dish with cabbage and seafood/other meat in a batter, cooked on a skillet topped with a sauce, dried seaweed, and mayo! Very, very tasty.
A/N: Happy New Year! This is my gift to you before the year ends (in my timezone haha). I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday, whether you celebrate or not.
Now that things are shaken up a bit, we'll just have to see where things go~!
Thank you to everyone for sticking around so long, reading, and commenting! It's nearly been a year since I started this story and I'm so proud of how far we've come. This chapter is the last of 2023 (I swear I didn't even plan it that way)!
Please let me know what you think, or your predictions! I'd love to know your thoughts!