Ghost Hunters, Lies, & Money (Ghost Hunt Fanfiction)

In Which: Mai And Bousan Eat Cold Rice

Day Two

6:45am

Koku Inn

Soft light filtered through the murky window and passed across Mai's face. The young woman stirred, murmuring something in her sleep,

Naru...

A small bird perched it's self on her windowsill and let out a few hopeful chirps. Mai rolled onto her back, her hair lying around her head like an amber halo. The room was still, an open suitcase was pushed into a corner, a jacket, tank-top, and skirt lay in heaps about the room. Just then two knocks broke the silence. Mai frowned in her sleep and shifted to her side.

"Hey, Mai? You awake?"

Mai groaned as her mind flitted back to the conscious world,

"Leave me alone..."

"Mai. It's almost seven, time to get up," the voice persisted. Mai grabbed her pillow and covered her head,

"Bou-san, just give me a minute," she complained.

"You don't have a minute, they're serving breakfast now and Mrs. Koku has informed me that if you're not down there to give your order-"

"I'm not hungry."

"Mai!" Bou-san protested, "I'm risking my breakfast here, if you don't come out here right now, I'm going to have to leave you and-"

"Bou-san, I appreciate this, but I'm not hungry."

Bou-san crossed his arms and frowned stubbornly at the door as if Mai could see him through it; ironically she could in her head as she laid there.

"Fine, fine..." Bou-san said, making to walk away, "I guess I'll just eat and watch Masako take your seat next to Naru and talk to him all morning about Mr. Sachi's house and how lonely she was without out him and-"

Mai's door flew open. The young woman looked flustered, she was running a brush through her hair as she pulled on a sock. Bou-san smiled back at the glare she was giving him,

"Good morning sunshine."

"Shut up."

The two reached the dining room just as Mr. Koku was about to shut the doors.

"WELL WHO DO WE HAVE HERE? LATE ARE YOU? YOU SHOULD KNOW AT THIS INN WE DO NOT TOLERATE TARTYNESS," the old man shouted.

The din of breakfast was utterly drowned out and thirty sets of eyes were now on them. At the back of the room sat SPR. Ayako was smirking amusedly, as was Masako (who to Mai's horror was already seated cozily next to Naru). Bou-san also noticed this and gave her an unsympathetic, I-told-you-so look. Mai glared up at him because he was right, and she didn't want him to be.

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I WAS HERE ON TIME, BUT SHE WOULDN'T GET OUT OF BED," Bou-san yelled back, trying to redirect the blame.

Oh, nice Monk, Mai thought grumpily.

Mai tried to catch Naru's eye, but he was acting like he didn't know her, as was Lin. John stood and waved them over, immediately buckling as a sharp kick to the shin was administrated by Ayako. Mai smiled brightly at John (who was now rubbing his leg and wincing) and sent daggers at Ayako.

Marching over to their table, Mai took a seat next to Masako, who pretended not to care, and continued her rapt conversation with Naru,

"As I was saying..."