Fun and Games (self-insert #4)

Chapter 1

"That's not tea. That's pond scum."

I didn't answer right away. Patting myself on the back for my foresight, I quickly went to give Lin his cup before returning with a smile. I sat down on the couch opposite him. Time for a little verbal sparring. I did a quick safety check: no spoons or pens he could throw if he got really peeved and I knew he would chuck his beloved book. "What flavor do you want?"

"Earl Grey." He turned a page.

"Can you tell me what the ingredients are, aside from the Earl of Grey?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Obviously tea leaves."

"How do you know they're tea leaves?" I challenged. "Lord knows what you're drinking. My tea, on the other hand, has fresh and identifiable ingredients. Clove. Cinnamon. Honey. Sometimes basil. It's good for you."

He went back to reading.

"You should be more like Lin. He drinks it and thanks me every time."

"I'm not Lin, I'm me. Aren't you making me tea?"

"Make it yourself, you ingrate."

Mai was late that day, so by the time she barreled through the door he was starting to get a tad irritable. "Sorry I'm late!" She called, her jacket and bag a ruffled mess.

Naru was at the bookshelves, trying to find something else to distract himself with. "You're late. Make me some tea." He snapped.

Irritation flashed over her face as she plopped her bag on the receptionist's desk with a thump. "That's how you treat me first thing...?" She grumbled before adding in a louder voice, "Have you ever considered making tea for yourself?"

"Then what am I paying a part-timer for?"

I felt bad for the said part-timer, but she had to be grateful she wasn't working for him the way Lin was. Poor guy worked late into the night and more than once I'd entered the hotel's dining area at breakfast to find him staring at his laptop with a barely touched plate of pancakes and eggs next to him.

"Yes you're right, boss!" Mai answered cheerlessly. "By the way, Lin-san...I guess he's stuck in the research room, huh?"

"The poor guys is always stuck in the research room." I pointed out. She nodded in agreement.

"Poor guy." She echoed. Once the water was bubbling away she picked up one of the newspapers lying around. Naru rarely read anything that wasn't faintly academic or for research purposes, so anything that wasn't a book had to be impressive. "By the way, they were in today's newspaper again. The article about Ryokuryou High School. Um...the headline reads 'Is It Just Mass Hysteria? Another Strange Incident At High School'. It says here that some of the students started to panic because a dog bit them during class. The teacher claimed that he didn't see a dog but the students indeed had injuries."

"Sounds like a good reason to panic." I remarked.

Mai added a spoonful of Earl Grey. "Why did you turn down the request? You should've helped them."

He picked up a book, glanced at the cover, then put it back. "I try to avoid cases that may potentially attract mass media." He said primly.

She tilted her head. "Eh? Why? This could help us become famous! Then SPR would have many more clients..."

Mai meant well, I knew. Fame was exactly what Naru was trying to avoid. Also, 'many more clients' meant many more headaches for everyone but His Majesty.

Ring! "Hello?" A tall bespectacled boy stood in the doorway, dressed in a school uniform with a coat over his arm. If he was surprised by the average age in the room, he didn't let it show.