Leaving SPR

Naru looked up from his book as he slowly digested what Mai had just said.

'Your want to quit?' he stated calmly.

'Yes.' said Mai as she kept her eyes down, refusing to look at Naru.

'Why?' asked Naru as he put down the reports he was reading before.

'I-I have to think of the future Naru, I can't work here forever. I earned a overseas scholarship and I'm planning to take it. It's a really good offer and I wasn't expecting to get it.'

'Really. When are you leaving?' his voice was even and calm.

'A-a week before the end of the holidays.' her voice trembled.

'Two weeks from now is it? Are you going to continue working in the last two weeks?'

'I'll continue working until two days before I leave.'

'Very well, I'll hand you your final pay check then.' was all he said.

Mai, sensing a dismissal, quickly walked out of the office and shut the door. Sinking onto a sofa she covered her eyes with the back of her hand she sighed with what sounded like relief. After a while her shoulders were shaking like she was laughing.

No reaction... I guess that's all you can expect from that egoistical work-a-holic jerk...

She sat there crying for a long time before she got up and realising the time, went home.

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Naru had sat in his office and stared at his desk. His book was still in his hand where he was holding his page when he was talking to Mai. His computer screen had put on it's screensaver since he stopped typing on it since then. His tea was left untouched as he slowly watched the steam come up and disappear until there was no more steam.

After a while, Naru picked up his cold tea and drank it all and dived back into his work. Speed-reading his book while furiously typing on his computer. He ignored his oncoming headache and growled at Lin when he came in to ask Naru what he wanted to eat. When he finished his work he paced about the room restlessly for an hour before he made Lin drive him home so that he could pace about at home.

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The next two weeks for Naru and Mai was something like a bad dream that was real life. They worked hard at trying to remain normal while avoiding each other and managed to evade each other for most of it.

On Mai's last day as a worker at SPR she was packing up all her stuff at her desk when Naru stormed out of his office and glared at Mai before chucking a envelope at her and proceeded to storm back to his office, slamming the door shut.

All was still for a couple of minutes before Mai carefully placed the envelope in her bag and continued her packing. She took as long as she could to pack all the little things she had.

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It was Sunday 11:30pm as Mai called a taxi to take her to the airport, seeing as her flight is at 2:00am on Monday morning. As she got on the taxi something jangled and Mai remembered she had forgotten to give back her SPR key. She made the taxi go on a different route so she could stop by and return it.

Mai slowly inched Naru's office open so she could put her key on his desk when she saw Naru. He was asleep on his desk, the light of his computer casting shadows on his face. Looking at him, Mai felt her temperature rise as she heard the pounding of her heart in her ears.

I wish it would stay like this forever... that would be nice...

Naru turned his face to the other side and said softly 'Mai... '

What? He's dreaming about me?... Mai felt herself blush.

'Mai... tea...' murmured Naru softly.

Mai face planted. She covered her mouth with her hands to muffle her giggles as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Only Naru would ask for tea at the most insensitive moment!...

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Naru stirred and woke up. He inspected the office closely.

Strange... I felt there was someone here with me just a moment ago...

His eyes fell on a cup beside him, hot steam was rising from it. The familiar smell of tea wafted to him as he picked up the cup.

Mai was just here not too long ago... She must of come here before she left to go to the airport...

It was strange, Naru was just sitting there in his office breathing in a cup of hot tea he held in his hands. As he felt the physical warmth of the teacup stream into him, there was a different type of warmth as he looked at that piece of paper stuck on the saucer. Naru felt his spirits lift. Holding up the cup he downed it all and stood up and stretched.

'Guess it's time to go home then.'

Outside, Mai giggled as she looked back up at SPR's sign. With a happy sigh she got back into the taxi.

Guess it's OK to make him another cup of tea before I left!...

In her hand she still held the key that opened the door to SPR for her. Her vision blurred as she looked at it. She sniffed and the movement caused a aingle tear to spill from her eye.

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At 2:00am of Monday morning, Taniyama Mai departed on a plane for the first time, out of Japan for the first time, to England.

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Mai going to England eh~ Who knows~ If I can ever be bothered I might continue this~ But I can't be bothered so nvm hehe~

Mai's Attempts

This~ Is a fanfic of Mai attempting to confess to Naru! These characters are TOTALLY not original and are from the manga, anime and book called Ghost Hunt! ^^

Attempt No. 1

'Hi Naru!' said Mai cheerfully.

'Your late. Tea. Now.'

Rebuffed... immediately...

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Attempt No. 2

'Hey Naru, I heard there is this new restaurant in town that opened last week and everybody said it was pretty good so I was wondering how it was but I've got nobody to go with me so...' said Mai casually as she looked at Naru under her eyelashes.

'Oh yeah, that restaurant, I had been meaning to go sometime - '

Yes?... Yes?!... thought Mai...

' - and I went yesterday with Lin after that case. The food was over-cooked with unnecessary amounts of garnish and spices and the restaurant itself was over decorated with candles that could cause a possible fire. Only amateurs at fine dining would think that was good.'

NOOOOOO!...

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Attempt No. 3

Mai left a box of chocolate in his office on Valentines day before she left. She giggled like she was doing something naughty as she tiptoed in his office while he had gone to the toilet.

The next day she found Madoka asleep and hugging a pillow on the couch, Lin no where in sight and a very annoyed Naru when she went to give him his tea.

'What's the matter Naru?' asked Mai as she discreetly looked around for the box of chocolate. No chocolate good...

'Somebody left a box of chocolate here in my office for some reason and Madoka was snooping in my office again and she found the box of chocolate and ate it all... Then she went on a sugar high and kept on disrupting me in my work and started terrorising Lin! She finally stopped at three and Lin collapsed from whatever she did to him.' ranted Naru.

'Why I am getting chocolate anyway? I remember getting a heap of chocolate last year too and I found a heap of chocolate in the mail box this morning!'

'Maybe because yesterday was Valentines Day...' said Mai as she laughed guiltily and edged away slightly,

'Valentines Day... I don't have time for childish things like that, especially if it disrupts my work and besides, I don't like chocolate.' stated Naru.

Mai walked out of the office dejectedly...

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Attempt No. 4

Mai has given up trying to leave hints to him so she built up the courage to ask Naru straightforwardly. She took a deeeeeeeeep breath and marched up to his office door and prepared to knock when Naru burst out.

'Mai! What do you want? Is it important? I'm in a rush!' Naru said irritably.

'Huh? Oh... ummm...' said Mai as she started blushing furiously.

'Just say it! I really have to get going!' said Naru as he pulled open the door.

'Ah! Naru... would you... date - '

'Date? Todays date is the 2nd! We probably we won't be back tonight so lock it on your way out!' Naru called over his shoulder as he rushed out.

'Ah! Naru! Wait!' she chased after Naru.

The door slammed in her face.

Attempt No. 5

Mai decided to write a love letter to Naru instead since hints or straightforward approaches won't work, then something written must work! So with great vigour, she sat down with a plonk and grabbed out a pen to write a love letter so ... um... lovely that she would be guaranteed to get her guy!

Dear Naru

I love you

-Mai

Too blunt... so she scrunched it up.

Dear Shibuya Kazuya

I have fallen in love with you since I first set eyes on you and wish you can return my feelings.

-from Someone

Sounds too stalker like... so she scrunched this up as well.

Dear Naru

I like you an-

No... just plain no... scrunched...

Writing a love letter is harder then I thought... But I! TANIYAMA MAI! Will write a love letter and give it to Naru!...

And so with this firey determination, Mai wrote a love letter to Naru and put it ontop of a heap of reports when he was away at lunch... Then remembering what happened last time when she wasn't there to oversee what happened, she made a cup of tea to bring to him.

'What do you want Mai?' asked Naru as he was just settling back down in his seat after lunch.

'I brought you tea!' smiled Mai she passed her tea to him she pointed and asked 'Hey what's that?'

'Huh?... ' Naru bent over to see what Mai was pointing at under the teacup and obviously the tea spilt out...

'My reports!' but his precious reports are fine because the tea had spilt on Mai's love letter...

'What is this? Some random junk mail then... Oh well, at least it caught most of the tea.' said Naru as he turned to chuck it into the bin.

'Ah! W-wait! It could be something important! You should take a look first right?' said Mai desperately.

Naru looked at Mai weirdly. Mai smiled at him goofily. 'Just watching out for the boss! hehe...he...'

'Fine.' he sighed as he pulled off the soaked envelope. The letter inside was incorrigible as the tea had soaked through the envelope and into the letter and poor Mai had written her love letter with an water-based ink pen...

'Well, obviously it can't be read so-' and he chucked it into the bin.

'I-I'll just go and get you another cup of tea now...' said Mai depressedly.

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'I give up my love for Naru! Fate is obviously laughing at me! Stupid twisted world.' mumbled Mai darkly.

'I think I'll be going early today I don't feel well... A cold coming on I guess...' said Mai as she said goodbye to Lin. She didn't look well either...

After half an hour Naru came out from his office for his dinner break and looked around.

'Lin, where is Mai?' he asked casually.

'She left earlier saying she felt unwell.' said Lin not looking up from his laptop.

'Ah really... I'll just go and eat out.' said Naru and quickly slipped out.

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Mai was currently in her PJ's and a blanket around her as she boredly flicked through the channels on TV. She stopped so she could pull out her thousandth tissue to blow her nose.

I guess I can't go to work tommorrow then...

Her doorbell rang, and Mai rolled out of the warm couch to go get it. She opened the door and came face to face with Naru...

'Um... Mai ar-'

SLAM!

What is HE doing here? panicked Mai. I've got a cold for chrissake! I'm wearing PJ's!

Ding dong... Dingdong dingdong... dingdongdingdongdingdongdingdong...

'OK! Ok... I'm opening... Geez!' remember you have given him up! It's OK to look uncool in front of him now... You don't care what he thinks of you at all...

'Mai have you got a cold now?... ' asked Naru as Mai resignedly asked him in.

'Um... Mai... How are you ah... feeling?...' Naru asked her slippers as he kept his eyes to the floor.

'Uh... Fine... Just a little bit of a cold that's all...' Mai replied to the light as she kept her eyes to the ceiling.

The soft crinkle of a plastic bag drew both of their attentions.

'Uh... I thought you hadn't eaten... So I... Got some takeaway... We could eat together...' mumbled Naru.

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They were eating the takeaway together and Mai was keeping up a steady chant of you have given him up! you have given him up! you have... when she noticed Naru say something.

'Ungh?...' was how Mai elegantly asked Naru to repeat what he just said...

'I... uh... Like you...' he said to the remote control.

'Naru?' asked Mai.

'Yes?'

'How many times have you tried to tell me that?' Mai demanded.

'What do you mean? How many times would I need to tell you?' asked Naru incredulously.

'I've tried to tell you so many times and you get it at first go! Fate is unfair!' Mai yelled.

Naru smirked. 'How stupid are you? All life is unfair Mai. That's why only smart ones like me can outsmart it and get it right at first go.'

Mai gasped indignantly. 'Is that how you ask someone to be your girlfriend? You egoistical narcississt! Get out!'

'Ok, I'm going... ' smirked Naru as he dodged Mai's missiles and let himself out of her apartment.

'... Wait!... Naru!... OK, Ok! I'm sorry!... Naru!... Naru? OI!' yelled Mai as she realised that he wasn't coming back.

'Wait for me- Oof!' Mai had flown out the door straight into Naru.

'Oooooow... OMG! I'm sorry Naru! Naru? Where are you?' asked Mai as she looked around. Strange, Naru was nowhere in sight!

'Much as I like you Mai, don't you think we are progressing a little fast?' came a muffled voice from under her. Taniyama Mai was sitting on Naru.

'KYAAAAAA! Hentai! What are you doing under me!?' asked Mai stupidly.

'Maybe because you knocked me over?' the muffled Naru's voice said sarcastically.

'I'm sorry! I'll get off!'

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(next day)

Mai was bringing Naru tea at the SPR, her cold all better. Naru was currently staring at Mai very intensely. Mai was feeling her temperature go up as he continued to stare at her for several minutes. Finally unable to bear anymore Mai snapped.

'What are you staring at me for Naru? It's making me nervous!'

'I was thinking you might need to lose weight because you were so heavy when you were sitting on top of me last night.'

'ah really... EH?! WHAT? THAT'S NOT A NICE THING TO SAY TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND!'

The office door opened and Takigawa, Yasuhara, John, Masako and Ayako burst in.

'Oh, so you're officially a couple now young people eh?' said Takigawa as he cast a sly grin at Mai. Mai could feel goosebumps come onto her skin as she felt the groups eyes slide across her.

'Congratulations!' said John, like a priest blessing newlyweds.

Ayako was giggling evilly with Yasuhara, Mai could practically see fox ears pop out of them as they seemed to plan something in their minds.

But the worst was Masako, the air she gave around her felt very chilly and the smile she was now giving Mai made her hair stand on end. The smile was cheerful as a smile can be but the eyes that Masako was giving Mai sai 'Let me catch you alone and your dead...'

Mai, giggling weakly, felt her inner-self slump in exhaustion.

I was planning so hard to get Naru I never thought of after that... Uggghhhh...

OWARI!

End