Here's my next ghost hunt. I'm making this one a bit longer than the other one. At least 8 chapters.


"I'm very glad you've decided to take my case," Mr. Takaya Habushi said, shaking everyone's hand and bowing a lot. Mai had to stop herself from giggling. Small, round and overdressed in a shiny black suit with gleaming silver buttons, he looked absolutely ridiculous. Monk san wasn't hiding his grin as his hand was shook energetically. Ayako was keeping cool, but Mai could tell beneath the calm exterior she was fighting so hard to maintain, she was choking with laughter. She glanced over to her once rival now best friend.

Masako Hara was displaying her usual coolness, but a raised sleeve prevented anyone from seeing her upturned mouth. Mai caught her eye and winked. Masako's eyes teared up from the pressure of not bursting out. She glared at Mai for making it even harder. "And thank you, Mia! Your tea was amazing!" "W-what?" Mai's hand was grabbed energetically, and she was face to face with the beaming Mr. Takaya. "Erm… Habushi-san," She corrected him. "My name is actually Mai, not Mia." "Of course, Mai, I'm so sorry, It's just the relief that someone is finally taking my case." Habushi apologised. "Now I really must be going. Thank you again, so much." After a few more handshakes the door slammed shut behind him and Masako bust into a fit of giggles while Mai roared helplessly, hands over her stomach, sinking slowly to the floor where she rolled in helpless mirth. Monk-san and Ayako were laughing heartily too. "That was the most original thing I've seen in a long time!" Ayako finally choked out, tears running down her face. "Your mascara is running, It makes you look like a panda bear," Monk-san informed her, getting a kick to the shin for his pains. He bent over clutching his leg. "Will you all stop behaving like children?" a cold voice asked. They looked up to see Naru standing next to the sofa and looking very annoyed. 'Typical Naru,' Mai thought as she scrambled to her feet. 'can't laugh for the life of him' "What do you want Naru?" Ayako exclaimed. "The guy was funny!" Naru answered her irritably, "Precisely. There was something funny about him. Did none of you realize that?" "You're paranoid Naru," Ayako informed him. "He was just an amusing wack job." "Not the weirdest person I've met," She added, giving Monk a meaningful smile. Very offended he drew himself up. "I'm going to choose ignore that because – "You don't have a good reply!"

Naru let air hiss frustratedly though his teeth, tuning everyone's attention towards him again. "Explain why he didn't shake Lin's hand." 'Oh! I didn't notice that', Mai realized. She spoke up, "Lin's a quiet guy, maybe he was scared." 'No offence Lin', she added in her mind. Although now that he mentioned it, it did seem odd. After all he had shaken Naru's hand many times and was close enough to Lin to easily shake his hand. "Lin, show them your hand," Naru commanded. Lin showed the room his palm. Ayako and Takigawa gave exclamations of surprise. Takigawa: "A charm to ward off possession!" "Do you mean to say, you think Habushi san was possessed?" Ayako asked. "Indirectly," was her only answer. "We're still taking the job, right?" Mai clarified. "Yes, just be careful. John can't come for this job, so we have to be inconspicuous until we find out what exactly is wrong with our new client."


Mai smiled as she walked home. the sun was already sinking behind the tall buildings. She loved the sunset almost as much as the sunrise, and the cherry blossoms she passed reminded her of that fateful day when she has accidentally broken a camera in the old school house. It had only been a few weeks since Naru returned from England and yet it felt like the year he was absent had never happen.

Nothing had happened when he was gone. Life has reverted back to its old self so quickly it had almost been scary. It felt like all that time she had been a chick in an egg, waiting for the moment Naru would come back, to hatch and spread her wings. Hearing a soft peep she looked around. Speak of the devil. There was a little sparrow chick huddling forlorn in the gorgeous carpet of pink petals. Much to small to be out of it's nest. Mai knelt beside it. The sounds coming from its dainty beak were high pitched and sounded like a child's cries. Wisely, Mai kept her distance. If a baby bird smelled like human, the mother wouldn't go near it she knew. She ground her teeth in frustration. She couldn't touch it, yet she couldn't leave it here. Mai took pity on the little chick's squalls. Deciding to take it under her wing she carefully cupped it with both hands, marvelling at the softness of its fluffy feathers and carried it home. She carried it into the kitchen and cut up a tissue box to make a nest, filling it with pillow stuffing under a layer of tissue and cotton.

Once her new charge was settled comfortably she had to think about it's food. Sparrows ate seeds, but were baby sparrow's stomachs ready for that? She decided on softened bread crumbs in warm water. Using a pair of tweezers she dropped the wet tidbits into the yawing wide hole of the mouth. Because the feeding rate was very slow, it took five minutes before the sparrow was satisfied. And by the time Mai woke up for the fifth time, she wished she had tried to put it back where it belonged instead of letting the excitement of having a pet go to her head.


Sunday morning she took the tissue box and walked to her friends house. She rang the bell. After a while she rang it again. Finally Keiko answered the door. "Keiko…" Mai stopped in surprise. Keiko was dressed sloppily in a crumpled T-shirt and shorts. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were puffy, and half closed. On her feet she was wearing flip flops. Never had Mai seen her friend so unkempt. "S-s-soooorry" Keiko yawned hugely, probably cracking her jaw in the process. " 'ts Sunday. Wassamatter?" "Er… Keiko you're half asleep!" "Haven't had my coffee yet," Her friend apologized sheepishly. "Come in." Mai took a seat on the bench of the diner table, setting the box carefully on the table between, while Keiko fumbled her way to the kitchen and readied the kettle.

"So," She said at last, one she looked more human. "What did you come to talk about?" "I took in a baby bird, but I have to go on a job today and I can't take him. I'll be gone for a few days at the most. Will you- "Take care of him?! You bet I will!" Keiko was briming with enthusiasm. "I've always wanted a baby bird." Mai still felt a little hesitant about leaving it here. "I don't know what he eats, but- "I got it covered," Keiko interrupted again. "We have a lot of bird food fro the wild ones we feed and I can get baby bird formula from the supermarkets. Seriously Mai. don't worry." Mai exhaled deeply, forcing herself to trust Keiko with this. "OK. That's a weight of my chest. I really didn't want to have to bring him." "Wait," Keiko had a certain look in her eye. "Your job would have anything to do with a handsome narcissist?" Mai couldn't help but blush under Keiko's penetrating gaze. "Yeah," She tried to make it sound like no big deal. "He came back three weeks ago and asked me to work for him again." "Oh Mai!" Keiko clasped her hands dramatically. "I knew he loved you- "Hold on! Naru doesn't …you know what. He doesn't even like me terribly much," Mai interrupted quickly. She couldn't help the little bit of bitterness slipping into her voice. "Mai, of course he does," Keiko was being very serious now. "He didn't even properly refuse you. He just asked if you liked him or his brother because he was doubting himself... because he's an idiot." "OK, OK." Mai laughed at Keiko for getting mad on her behalf. "But this time I'm not going to try so hard." "Maybe I can get my father to brew you up a love potion," Keiko clowned around. "And you can slip it into his tea." "How do you know your father can make love potions?" Mai giggled. "Easy! Because he married mum. And coming from looks, she's way out of his league."


Let me know if it shows promise and let me know if I made it unclear who says what. That is my most frequent complaint from my editor and spellchecker, Watashi no imotou no Merusedesu.