The Case Of The Broken Heart

Chapter One: Late For Work

Chapter One: Late For Work

Mai

"Oh man, I'm so late..." Mai Taniyama thought while running through the side-walk toward the office. It wasn't Mai's intention of being late that day, but some unforeseen circumstances make it unavoidable for her to be on time, as she should any other day. She knew all too well of how much Kazuya Shibuya, better known as Naru, hated for her being late, even when she was just a high school student and if she deprived the narcissist of his indispensable tea, hell 

would get loose on anyone who happens to enter the office, seeking help to their paranormal problems. Although Naru, was still a teenage in years, he had been her boss for almost a year, when his company, the Shibuya Psychic Research was hired to get rid of some "ghost" at her school.

While his team was investigating all the events that were supposed to happen on her school she somehow managed to get Naru's personal assistant Lin Koujo, injured on an accident on their second day of work. After that she was forced to take Lin's place helping Naru with the rest of his investigation and during the course of the case, she end up knowing a few others from the ghost hunting business, like Houshou Takigawa, Ayako Matsuzaki, Masako Hara and John Brown. After their initial meeting, they all have worked on cases many times and she has learned a thing or two about the paranormal world since then.

It was later, on one of the cases that Naru told her she was a latent psychic, with some spiritual abilities of her own and was able to do more for the team. Even though Naru still didn't rely on her abilities that much, at least she was doing something to help solve the cases. Of course, that was if she still was Naru's assistant. He got pretty annoying when she was late, especially when Lin wasn't in the office like today. Lin needed to take care of some business for most of the day, so it was mostly up to her to take care of things while he was gone and make sure that Naru had all he needed at hand, while keep making him innumerable amounts of tea all day long for as long as he desire it. By now, his bad mood would be sky-rocket after being more than an hour late, but the matter was out of her hands.

While she was attending her classes, she started to feel sick before the end of her last class and before she knew it, she simply fainted on one of the school halls without any warning. Luckily for her, someone caught her before she could hit the floor, so her headache would not get stronger than it was before. She then was forced to spend an hour in the school infirmary, trying to convince the nurse that she was fine, but the nurse only agreed to let her go if she promised to go  in front of the door, she suddenly notice that her hand was slightly shaking when she held the handle of the door. Was she nervous of Naru's bad humor or was she beginning to feel sick all over again? She asked herself, not quite sure of the right answer, but whatever the case, she took a deep breath and open the door, trying to pull her best smile on her face and her fear in check. A dead glare from him, will freeze her over in an instant and the day was already a bad one.

"I'm here Naru. Sorry I'm late, something came up that I couldn't avoid. I hope you are not too mad with me." Please don't be, please don't be. She repeated in her mind like a mantra, in hope it became true and closed the door behind her. She was expecting to hear him yell at her for her being so late, but instead she found him looking at her in a mix between mad and worry.

"What are you doing here, Mai?" The question took her by surprise, because of all things he could had said or ask, she certainly wasn't expecting that one. Maybe her surprise was obvious to him, as he calmly raised up from his chair, letting his black book aside and came closer to her.

"Hum, well... I work here. Unless you decide to fire me." She replied almost in a whisper. Normally she would had been mad for he saying something so cold, but this time something on his voice make her wonder what was on his mind.

"Didn't you faint on the hallway on your school more than an hour ago? I believe the nurse sent you straight home, Mai." He said looking at her with his usual unreadable face. The worry he momentarily showed before was now gone.

"Wow... how did you know that? Did the school call you after all?" She asked avoiding his gaze. Oh, man... I pleaded for them to not call him. I should have insist a bit more, she thought.

"I don't have the habit of spying you when you are at school, just waiting for you to faint. Yes, the principal call me since that's part of our agreement to let you work with me. The school will always inform me if anything wrong happens to you while you live on your own. I'm more or less a second tutor to you, while I call myself your boss." He said and she blushed in embarrassment. She didn't knew the school director was going to go that far.

"Really? I didn't knew that. Anyway, it's was nothing, I'm fine Naru. Just a simple headache that make me a bit dizzy for a minute. Nothing to worry, I promise." She said getting away from him in her usual cheerful way. Perhaps if she offers to make him tea, he will be less annoyed.

"Well... you are not good at keeping promises, are you? Maybe I should take you to the hospital myself, just to make sure you are truly fine. We all know that you have fallen far too many times in the last few months from high places. Better be sure there is nothing wrong with you and that in your case, the spirits only want to have some fun with you." He smirked and anger rushed to her head as usual when he teased her. Stupid jerk... just you wait, there will be a time when I will get you back.

"I'm fine Naru. I came all the way from school without any problems. You can see for yourself... there is nothing wrong with me." He studied her complexion for a moment before sighing. She was too simple-minded, without a care for own well-being. It seems she only cared for others, which only make him mad at some extent. She lived alone, with no one to help her when she got sick and that's why he asked her school director to let him know immediately, if something ever happen to her at school. Despise what she had always thought, he did care for her on his own way.

"Come one... I will take you there myself, no matter how much you disagree or argue with me along the way." Her stubbornness had no match and he was perfectly aware of it.

"Naru... I just said I was fine..." She protested in vain, because he still guide her toward the door putting one hand on the small of her back.

"Put this on, it's cold outside from the previous rain." He gave her his long black coat and ignoring her protest, they go out of the office and in the way to the nearest hospital.

AN: A short chapter this time, hope you like it. I edit this for some mistakes, although I'm sure there are still plenty more, but I hope is a bit better now. Remember, dear readers that my English is still far from being perfect, yet it had improve a little. Thanks for reading