#myserylovscompany

[ghosthunthq]

The Notebook

Who it is For: @dreams-of-kalopsia

Who it is By: @myseryluvscompany

What the prompt was, if you have one: No prompt, just some humor

Any additional notes: I have no idea if this hit the humor mark. It started much funnier and then got weirdly serious. 

She’d never really thought about it before, however now that it had crossed her mind, Mai couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it. Naru and those blasted black notebooks of his. It had never bothered her before; she’d been oblivious to them and the number of times Naru had made comments about her not understanding their contents had made her sort of gloss over them in general. She wasn’t going to invite opportunities for Naru to poke fun at her intelligence. Well anymore than she already did.

But now? Now she couldn’t get it off her mind. When she’d taken him his tea the day before, he had [i]deliberately [/i]shied the book away from her and Mai had noticed. Due to stacks of files on the usually pristine desk, she’d been forced to skirt the piece of furniture to put the cup within Naru’s reaching distance. She wouldn’t have even noticed if he hadn’t glanced at her first. Lately she’d developed a bit of a sixth sense regarding when Naru’s eyes were on her. Mai figured it was her self-preservation instincts because anytime Naru paid attention to her, it couldn’t be good.

So when he’d looked at her, and then shifted in his chair so the book was conspicuously closer to his chest than it had been a moment before, Mai had noticed. And she hadn’t been able to un-notice since that. She’d eyed him up for a few moments before she’d left the office, her mind already running through ideas. Okay so Mai couldn’t actually recall a time when she’d gotten a look inside one of those notebooks now that she thought about it. Previously it had been a disinterest, taking Naru’s word for granted that there was nothing in them she needed to know, but now Mai wasn’t so certain. Could he be intentionally hiding them from her?

Mai had pondered that possibility all night and lost a bit of sleep over it, but she’d dismissed her own thoughts. Now it was returning with a vengeance. There really only was one way to find out the truth, though Mai was not keen on it. She’d simply have to either steal a look in one when Naru wasn’t around, or misappropriate one for the same purpose. It couldn’t be that difficult right?

Apparently it could. For all that her boss had an affinity for disappearing during their cases and going heavens knew where, when they were in the office, Naru’s behind was glued to his chair. He didn’t even go to the bathroom and this was not something Mai had ever thought would be something she would come to know about her employer. That or Yasuhara had gotten in there when she hadn’t been looking and actually glued Naru to his chair. She wouldn’t put it past him.

As she delivered her usual round of tea for him, Mai discounted that theory though as Naru was standing and perusing his bookshelf; the selfsame one that held a couple of those notebooks she was after. Mai tried not to let her eyes wander over the shelves as she carried the tray of refreshments over to Naru’s desk. As she lifted the cup and saucer from the tray though, Mai almost dropped it when she realized one of the notebooks was sitting on the edge of her boss’ desk, half hidden under another book with a title she couldn’t read thanks to being a little too advanced for her limited knowledge of English. Suddenly Mai felt like all her Christmases had come at once.

Glancing at Naru, lest his stupid sixth sense have alerted him to her incredible luck, Mai continued as she was. She shifted the tray when she deposited the tea, and the small plate of biscuits that accompanied it, and when she collected it into her arms, the notebook was pressed firmly between the broad tray and her chest. “Enjoy your tea Naru,” she said as she walked out of the office, striving to keep her pace from showing her excitement but, as Mai closed the door behind herself, she let out a sigh of relief. Not wasting a moment, she dashed into the kitchen and put the tray aside before swiping the notebook. Mai took a moment to glance around the screen and ensure that Naru hadn’t already noticed the missing book, before she cracked it open.

What she found was certainly not what she’d been expecting.

The rows and rows of kanji reminded her of the workbooks they’d been given in school when learning English; words repeated and to be copied so that students would learn how to write them. Was Naru trying to learn kanji? She recalled him saying to Lin that he was pretty hopeless with the written characters, but she thought at the time that he just hadn’t wanted to do it. As Mai read the words, the attempts at stringing symbols together to form sentences, she actually felt… sorry for Naru. She struggled with English herself, even now, and she knew the difficulty of learning a new language. Given that Naru was a genius, though she wouldn’t confirm that out loud, it had to sting that he was struggling.

She closed the book when it became apparent just what it was and Mai suddenly felt guilty that she’d pried.

“Hey Mai, what you reading?” Yasuhara’s voice rang out from beside her and Mai jumped; barely managing to keep a hold of the notebook as she did. When she glanced at Yasu, he had a smirk on his face, at least Mai thought it was a smirk, and she wondered if he knew what was in Naru’s notebooks or had just seen it over her shoulder.

“Uh it’s nothing,” she replied, shifting the book behind her back to protect it from Yasuhara. Now that she knew what was in them, she didn’t want anyone making fun of Naru for it. Yasu wouldn’t mean any harm but she knew what Naru was like and if they wounded his pride in any way… well they’d spend the next year paying for it. And she felt guilty enough that she knew, let alone being the reason everyone else knew as well.

Yasu seemed to eye her up for a moment, contemplating something, before he shrugged and headed for the fridge, intent on getting himself a drink. Mai thought she was in the clear and went to step out of the kitchen when his voice reached her. “I’d make sure you put that back where you found it. Naru does have an eye for detail after all.” Mai glanced back but Yasu hadn’t even turned to look at her and she wondered if he truly was omniscient or if he just wanted them all to think that. Whatever the reason, he did have a point and Mai didn’t want Naru to know that she was aware of his difficulties. Still that didn’t stop her from wanting to help him somehow.

Mai was still contemplating this as she tucked the book into her desk drawer, because even she wasn’t stupid enough to leave it somewhere Naru might see it, and any hope she’d had of continuing her work went completely out the window as it seemed her mind was locked in that drawer as well. More than once as the day progressed, Yasu startled her out of her thoughts until finally, the day was done and Mai knew it was time to go home. She would have waited Lin and Naru out in order to return the book but she knew her chances of that were about as high as winning the lottery, so she slipped it into her bag, along with one of the files she was still writing up, and bid the men a good night.

The moment she got inside her apartment, Mai put her bag on the table and headed for the closet. Her mother had never thrown anything away, and while Mai had learned that hoarding tendencies weren’t good when one lived in as small a place as she did, she hadn’t thrown everything away. Box after box she tore into them, rifling through until she confirmed they didn’t hold the treasure she sought before moving onto the next. Eventually Mai was surrounded by opened boxes and covered in a film of dust as thick as makeup. She really did need to think about cleaning that out more often. The final box sat before her, and Mai opened it with less gusto as she had the others, certain her quarry must be within. It was the law of the universe that anything was in the last place one looked so, logically, this was the one. Ten minutes, and a healthy dose of nostalgia later, Mai looked at the book she held with an accomplished grin on her face. She couldn’t help flicking through it, noting the name written twice on the inside cover and running her fingers over it with a soft smile. The first was elegant, straightforward and clear to read; the writing of an adult. The second was less so, shaky and slanted and Mai remembered when her mother had stepped her through it as if it were yesterday.

Satisfied with her find, Mai tucked the book into her bag, before removing the black notebook. As she ate her dinner, she looked through it, recognizing many of the kanji inside until she reached a page that made her pause. She’d know those ones anywhere; she wrote them often enough. It was her name, over and over again. The next page was filled with Lin’s name. The next with Yasuhara’s. One after another they were all there in vary states of accomplishment. Something about looking at those pages, at seeing that they mattered enough to Naru for him to learn how to write their names, made Mai close the book softly. It felt like a betrayal of his privacy to know those things; that he thought they mattered in some way, that despite his struggles he still learned how to write their names. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable by how much she had pried, Mai exchanged the notebook for the file and went about finishing the work she couldn’t focus on that day until it was time for bed. Still that feeling wouldn’t leave her and she tossed and turned long into the night until finally exhaustion claimed her.

When Naru arrived at work the following day, he knew he was going to be late. He’d had an appointment that couldn’t be avoided so he had sent Lin ahead while he dealt with it. As he entered the office, he could hear Mai tinkering in the kitchen, no doubt preparing tea for him, and Yasuhara was on the phone with what sounded like a prospective client. Depositing his coat, Naru headed for his office. It didn’t take long to spot the oddity; the thing that didn’t belong in his usually meticulous work space and he frowned as he approached the old, worn book as though it might grow teeth and bite him at any moment. It looked well worn, the spine creased and cracked from being opened and left open one too many times, and he couldn’t help pausing as he saw the lettering across the front. Learning Kanji. Immediately, he glanced to the bookshelf where his workbooks were collected; minus the one he’d noticed go walk about yesterday. Clearly someone knew what was in them. Naru paused as he considered the implications. He’d noticed the book missing yesterday, but with no concrete proof, he couldn’t just demand it back from one of his assistants. Not without drawing attention to them even further.

Taking a slightly steadying breath, he opened the cover to see one of the few sets of kanji he could recognize without checking now. ‘Mai Taniyama’ was written in two hands on the inside and Naru actually felt himself relax. Part of him had known if Yasuhara had been the culprit, it was going to cost him in some way. And he doubted the younger male would have thought to give him an obviously well used textbook on the subject. The evidence all pointed to Mai, but it was a relief to know that was the case. A moment later, the girl in question entered his office with a knock, carrying a tray with a single cup on it. She paused, obviously catching sight of him holding open the book she’d left, and Naru watched on with a small amount of fascination. Would she run? Or would she face the fact that he so obviously knew it was her? Eventually she straightened and continued forward. So she had decided to face him. Neither of them spoke as she put the cup down on the desk he stood behind, and she reached out to place the missing notebook alongside it.

Despite the fact she’d technically stolen from him, Naru didn’t feel like berating Mai, even if his pride stung a little that she knew he practiced. This time, she didn’t wait for a thank you like she usually did, clearly she didn’t want to linger any more than necessary, but just as she went to pass through the open doorway, Naru couldn’t hold it back any longer.

“Thank you Mai.”

Whether it was for the tea, or the book he put to the side of his desk, or the fact she didn’t expose this flaw he saw in himself, Mai would never know, but she nodded without turning around, and continued on her way, closing the door behind her.

[ghosthunthq]

Window Shopping

Who it is For: @myseryluvscompany

Who it is By: @samantha-girlscout

Any additional notes you may have: Hope you enjoy!

When Mai wasn’t working at the SPR office after school she liked to walk around her neighborhood. She never did much outside of window shop, but it felt nice to walk around and see what her part of the city had to offer.

On such a day she decided to visit a nearby flower shop. She always loved the variety that the florist had on display and the older gentleman didn’t mind her smelling his wares as long as she provided him a bit of company. It was a small price to pay and she payed it without complaint.

As she rounded the corner she stopped short at the sight of Bou-san standing in front of the flower shop browsing its wares. The sight of him perplexed her immensely. While most of the SPR irregulars had her address, most chose to visit her at the office instead of her home. So, for her to run into Bou-san on this side of town was very much a surprise.

Mai considered turning back around, but her curiosity got the better of her. She carefully walked forward. When she was barely a pace away from him she stopped and waited for him to acknowledge her. He was so intent on his browsing, though, that he merely moved a centimeter away to make room for her.

She wondered how long it would take for him to notice that she was there.

“Agh,” the monk muttered under his breath, “Why don’t they have a bouquet with red roses?”

“That’s because Kita-san likes to make them special.”

The poor man nearly jumped nearly a meter in the air. Turning he found a chortling Mai nearly bent over in her mirth. “Oh h-hi Mai! What are you doing here?”

“I live nearby remember? I was out for a walk after school and I noticed you here so I thought I’d come and see what you were up to.”

“Oh, right.” His hand went to the back of his head as he scratched it sheepishly. “I knew that.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, no reason,” he said with a thin laugh. “I just thought that since I got out of practice early that I would walk around a little bit myself. Are you about done? I could walk you back to your apartment if you’d like.”

Mai tilted her head to the side. While she had seen Bou-san nervous a few times over the last year, she had never seen him this bad before. She considered sparing him, but her interest was now piqued. She glanced inside of the shop and spotted the owner watching the two of them. As their eyes met, his eyes crinkled and he waved at her good-naturedly.

Perhaps she should satisfy her curiosity.

“Actually I was planning on saying hello to Kita-san. You should come in with me! I’m sure that he could help you with whatever you need.” She didn’t wait for him to respond before she dragged him inside of the shop and called a greeting to the florist.

“Good afternoon, Mai-san! How was school today?”

“As wonderful as it can be.” She smiled brightly as she wheeled Bou-san around to face the older man. “Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Bou-san. Bou-san this is Kita-san.

"It’s nice to meet you.” Ktia-san bowed in greeting, the younger man was quick to reciprocate. “Taniyama-san has mentioned you a few times now. You’re the friend who plays in a rock band, correct?”

“Yup, that’s me.”

“That sure sounds like fun.” The owner paused for a moment before smiling knowingly. “I couldn’t help but notice that you were browsing outside for quite some time. Is there something you are looking for in particular?

"Ah.” He looked at Mai for a moment before he shook his head. “Not exactly. I was mostly just looking.”

“But didn’t you say something about looking for something with red roses in it?”

“Red roses you say?” Kita-san walked out from behind the counter and beckoned the pair to a display that was slightly hidden from the sidewalk. “Those are the flowers of romantic love. You have a woman you are trying to woo, no?  Tell me does she like big shows of affection or smaller ones?”

Bou-san’s face flushed. “I-It’s not like that Kita-san. I—”

“Oh don’t worry. I know plenty of men like to receive flowers as well. Now, does your significant other like other types of flowers as well? I can make a bouquet of any combination of flowers.”

“I’m not gay!” Bou-san said as he put his head in his hands. “Look I was just browsing. I don’t even know if she’d like a bouquet of flowers or not.”

“I can tell you with great confidence that there isn’t a person alive or dead who doesn’t like to receive flowers.” Kita-san stopped in front of the refrigerated display to reach inside to pluck out a pink rose and turned to Mai. “Here you go, dear.”

“Kita-san you don't—”

“I insist, Taniyama-san.” He gently pressed the flower into her hand. “You help me quite often when you come and visit this old man.”

“Th-thank you.” She brought the flower to her face a smiled at the scent. He smiled kindly at her for a moment before turning to Bou-san with a pointed look. The younger man merely rolled his eyes.

“Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but she is a very picky woman. I only thought of red roses because they say that you can never go wrong with them, but I’m starting to rethink that.”

Kita-san hummed to himself. “They do say that, though different occasions necessitate different flowers. What is the occasion?”

“A, uh, first date?’

"With who?” Mai asked suddenly excitement bright in her eyes.

“D-don’t worry about who it is!”

“A single red rose should do, then.” Kita-san said with a definitive nod before he reached into the cooler and plucked out a rose. Before Bou-san could protest the flower was wrapped and pressed into his hand. He began walking towards the back of the shop. “I’m sure that she’ll love it. Now go and have a wonderful date. ”

“Wait! I didn't—” Kita-san disappeared behind a curtain leaving the two patrons in the main part of the shop. Bou-san looked down at the flower and then back at Mai who was laughing quietly to herself.

“He likes to do that.” She led him out of the shop and back out into the street. “Now are you going to tell me who you’re going on a date with, Bou-san?”

“No.”

“But I could give you tips! And then if the date goes well you can introduce her to everyone.”

Bou-san let out a sigh as he began walking in the direction of Mai’s apartment. “Look, I don’t want to jinx this so just leave it be alright? If anything comes of it I’ll let you know, but for now it’s just a simple date.”

“Oh, fine.” Mai pouted. They didn’t talk much in the short walk. Mai attempted to make small talk, but it appeared as though the man had a bit too much on his mind to keep it up for long. They came to a stop before her apartment and she turned to wave at him.

“Good night, Mai.”

“Good night! Good luck on your date with Ayako!”

Bou-san stopped in the middle of the street and whirled around to find Mai smiling knowingly at him.

“How did you know I was—” He spluttered in shock. “I mean, who said I was going on a date with that old hag?” Mai turned around and shrugged.

“Just call it intuition, I guess.”