Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Early June

It was a slow day in the office. They had been getting requests, but they were so insubstantial that even Mai could tell them what they needed to fix in their houses. So she gave herself the task of cleaning the small kitchen while heating a pot of water.

She was wiping down the counter when Naru made his presence known. 

"We're taking an interview in my office in ten minutes," he stated.

"Why there? What's wrong with what we usually do?" Mai asked, pausing her cleaning to turn to him.

"Conference call. The client can't make it in person," he answered.

"I didn't--" Mai was cut off by the kettle on the stove. She pulled it off before continuing. "I didn't know we would be talking with a client today."

"She called while you were in class."

"I've been here for two hours and you're only telling me now?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't necessary until now."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Just take your tea." She held out a fresh cup to him.

He smirked and took it. "With pleasure." He turned and left the kitchen. 

"The least you could do is tell me about the client," she called after him. She didn't get a reply.

Mai grumbled to herself as she finished her task.

She took everyone else's drinks to the office with her.  They were all sitting around the room already. Mai gave Naru a pointed look after they all thanked her that he ignored.

Naru dialed the number. A woman picked up the phone after a few rings. "Morita Kyoko-san," she greeted.

"This is Shibuya-san. We talked earlier," Naru said. 

"Yes! Yes, of course. I have time now," Morita-san said hurriedly.

"I have my team with me to listen as well. Begin by telling us what has been reported to you by your customers," Naru said.

"It's mostly the men that are staying here. They say they feel watched and being touched. If they're staying with a partner, they report scratches and being shoved," Morita-san explained.

Lin took down notes on his laptop. "Is there something else?" Zoe asked.

"My son. He's twenty. He helps around the inn while he goes to university. I admit he can be a bit of a flirt, but he's never done anything inappropriate. I don't let him sleep here anymore after..."

"It's alright," Zoe assured her.

"He woke up abruptly one night feeling like he was being suffocated. I thought it was just a nightmare or something else..."

"Like sleep paralysis?" Yasu offered.

"Yes, that. And it didn't happen for at least week. When it happened again, I told him to stay with his grandparents. Their house is walking distance from the inn," Morita-san explained.

"Does he still experience anything while working?" Naru asked. 

Morita-san sighed. "Most days, yes. He showed me some scratches just the other day."

"We will need to see them if they are still present. Have any other employees been affected?" Naru continued.

"Yes, but not as badly as Kosuke," Morita-san answered. 

Naru didn't look up to consult with anyone else. "Do you currently have rooms available?" he asked.

"Yes, there are some available."

"We will be there tomorrow morning. There are nine of us, but we won't need that many rooms. We also require a room with numerous outlets to set up in. If you have them, the plans for the building would be very helpful as well."

"Yes, of course. It will all be arranged. Thank you very much." Morita-san hung up after supplying the address to the inn. 

"I want the van loaded before everyone leaves today," Naru instructed them.

Mai hurried after everyone as they jumped into action. She called up all the Irregulars to let them know they got a case. She went to find the others when she was done. 

"These cameras should be good to go. They're in working order," Zoe was telling Lin. 

"Refurbished?" Lin asked.

"By myself, yeah. And tested."

Lin nodded and picked them up.

"What can I do?" Mai asked.

Zoe turned around quickly, searching for something. She found it on one of the empty shelves. "I already counted them, but I want you to double check me. I'd normally do it myself, but we're a bit short on time."

Mai looked at the list of equipment before looking back up. "Do you think this one is gonna be bad?" Mai asked.

"Intuition?" Zoe asked. 

Mai nodded.

Zoe sighed and sat on her desk. "This kind of activity certainly doesn't look good. I don't think it's the worst we've dealt with, but it sounds like it will have its hazards."

She took a moment to watch as Mai fidgeted. 

"You know Naru is gonna take all the precautions he can."

Mai nodded again. "I just feel really anxious about this. What if it's not enough?"

Zoe looked to the floor. She grimaced when she shrugged. "We'll just have to figure it out when we get there. I know it's not a good answer, but it's all I have."

"No, I know. I'm sure it's nothing," Mai said, feigning a smile and waving it away. 

"Mai, you should know better than to disregard your feelings by now," Yasu scolded as he walked in. 

"It's not always easy to tell what's actual intuition and what's me just worrying," Mai retorted.

"So you admit that you worry a lot," Yasu returned with a grin. 

"That's not what I'm saying. It just gets confusing sometimes," Mai said defensively. "Never thought I'd be saying the astral projection is the least confusing thing I have to deal with," she added. 

"Oh, don't worry. Something will change to make it normal for you again," Zoe laughed. "Get to work before Naru comes looking for you."

Mai headed out to the van. Zoe hopped off the desk and got back to picking out equipment. 

"What was that about anyway?" Yasu asked. 

"Mai's worried. And rightly so," Zoe answered. 

"She doesn't know if it's her intuition or not," Yasu countered. 

"Which means we should be even more careful," Zoe insisted. "If I find you not being careful, you're gonna have more to be worried about than a vengeful spirit." She deliberately dropped a monitor into his hands. 

He grimaced. "Noted."

Chapter Text

Day 1
Morning

Mai felt just as tired in the morning as she did when she went to sleep the night before. She managed to make it to the office on time, but she could barely keep her eyes open as she stood there. 

"Mai, go sit down before you get hurt before we even get there," Naru chided. 

"Yes, yes. I don't know how you can be so calm after what we heard yesterday," Mai grumbled, but did as he told her.

"Because I'm careful," he said before she closed the door.

"Stupid narcissist." Mai sagged in the seat and rested her head back between the headrests. She closed her eyes, but still couldn't will herself to take a short nap.

Finally, Naru and Lin joined her. "Took you guys long enough," she complained.

"Would you rather the others get lost?"

"Naru," Lin scolded. "It only felt longer because you're tired, Mai."

She cracked an eye open. "Is this the first time you've dropped my honorific?"

"It's probably only the first time you've noticed," Lin answered honestly. "Get some rest."

Mai woke with a jolt. She looked to either side, but neither of them had woken her up. It didn't look like they were there yet as Lin was still driving.

Mai frowned. For some reason, she felt--.

"Mai? We haven't arrived yet," Naru said.

"Yes, I can see that," Mai said shortly. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. "Ah, I'm sorry."

Naru narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but let it go.

"We have time yet. Get some more sleep," Naru said. 

"Oh, so now you want me to sleep," Mai retorted harshly. "Wait, no. I don't understand."

"Are you feeling okay?" Lin asked. 

"Of course I'm--" She cut herself off with a frustrated groan. "I'm not mad! Why do I sound mad?!"

"Mai, breathe," Naru said, drawing her focus to him. He waited until she took a few deep breaths. "This location may have a lot of strong emotions. You may be tuning into them already."

Mai continued focusing on her breathing. She nodded as she listened to his reasoning. It made sense. She had nothing to be upset about. 

"Get some more rest. It should lessen the emotional effects as we get closer," Naru said. 

Mai nodded again. "Alright. I'll try." She shifted to get comfortable again and guided her mind to allow her to sleep. 

Lin waited until Mai's breathing evened out. "She never wakes up like that."

"I know."

"It could be the case."

"We're still over an hour away. She's perceptive, but this is rare."

"If the emotions are strong enough to do this, we could be in for some trouble."

Naru sighed. Lin was right. They could be in for a lot of trouble. 

"Mai, wake up," Naru called. "We're here."

Mai blinked awake. She saw the inn first and shivered. The exterior was well taken care of and shouldn't have made her feel uneasy with the white walls and maintained bushes. Even the balcony in the third floor. But she still felt uneasy. 

Trying to control her shaking hands, she unbuckled herself and went to get out, but Naru was blocking her way.

"Aren't we going?" Mai asked confused.

"Do you remember waking up during the trip?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't mean to sound mad. I don't know why I did," she answered. "I don't think I feel it now."

"I figured because you're not biting my head off now," Naru said.

Mai rolled her eyes and shoved him out of the way. "It wasn't that bad. I know for a fact I've said worse to you."

Naru followed after her as they went to meet up with the others at the front door. "Yes, but this is probably the first time I haven't done anything to warrant it."

Naru led the way inside and up to the front desk. A woman greeted them before excusing herself to get Morita-san.

"Ah, thank you so much for coming," Morita-san said. She appeared to be in her forties, but the dark circles under her eyes made her look older. "I'll show you around."

She led them through to a large sitting room with numerous bookcases. "I can give you this room to set up in," she said.

"We only need part of it. Perhaps we could use screens to separate from the rest of the room?" Naru suggested.

"Of course," Morita-san said.

"Does anything happen in here?" Yasu asked.

Morita-san frowned. "Things happen everywhere. I've had reports from every guest room."

"We won't be setting up cameras in any guest rooms unless they're our own," Lin said to her.

Morita-san nodded. She led them out of the room to acquaint them with the rest of the building. Once they were done, she was called away.

"The spirit has free reign of this place. It doesn't focus on one area," Zoe said.

"That makes it easier and harder. What do we do if a guest experiences something?" Yasu asked.

"We talk to them about what happened and add it to our list," Naru said. He turned to Mai. "What are you feeling?"

"It's...heavy? I'm not really sure," she said.

"Anything like what you felt on the way here?" 

Mai shook her head. "Nothing like that."

Naru nodded. "Get the others. We'll start setting up."

They all filed out, but Naru stayed behind. He stood at the desk where the plans for the building had been laid out.

After a minute, he looked up and turned around, but no one else was in the room with him. He narrowed his eyes at the room. None of the equipment was inside yet for him to start investigating the room.

The feeling dissipated slightly as Monk came in the room with some pieces of the shelves. 

"You alright, Naru?" he asked. 

"I'm fine," Naru said. 

Monk studied him for a moment, but let it go.

Once he had left, the feeling came back. Naru frowned, but tried to ignore it as he started putting the shelves together. 

Chapter Text

Mai frowned as she went about her usual tasks. She had tried multiple times already to not come off as being upset, but it seemed perpetual.

She entered the dining room where Monk and John were setting up a camera. Monk looked up with a grin, but it faded at seeing Mai's expression.

"Mai?" he called as he walked over. "You've been out of it since we got here."

Mai scratched her head. "I know. I don't know what it is." Her frustration was apparent.

"Did something happen at home?" John asked. 

Mai shook her head. "I was tired, but that's normal when we have to leave for a case."

"Maybe on the ride here then?" Monk suggested. "I can see Naru-bou saying something to make you mad."

"No, it wasn't that either. I was asleep most of the time." She remembered waking up though. She jumped when the thermometer beeped. 

"Mai?" Monk asked.

"I, uh, I woke up once on the way here. I was so mad, but I don't know about what. I didn't even mean it. It just came out."

"Well, at least it's not that bad right now," Monk said. He looked behind her. "We better go."

Naru entered the room and raised an eyebrow as Monk and John left.

"How are you feeling?" Naru asked.

"Angry, but not like before. It's exhausting," she admitted. 

"Has your mentor talked about grounding yourself?" Naru asked. Mai started to turn around to give him a confused look. "I suppose not."

"Isn't that similar to what Zoe did with Makoto?" Mai asked.

"Sort of. Something here may like how it affects you. Focus on your physical surroundings."

Mai looked around the dining room. The tables were spread out with tablecloths on top. The decorations were simple, but a bit sparse. 

Mai jumped again when Naru gently took her arm to put her hand on the table next to them. "I don't mean just looking around. Use everything."

Gradually, Mai started to feel more normal.

"Better?" Naru asked.

Mai nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Of course. It would be troublesome if you went around the entire day more grumpy than usual," Naru poked.

Mai glared at him. "At least I know this is my own frustration now," she said as she turned away.

Naru followed behind her as she worked her way around the room. Every so often, he would reach out to something that appeared to be older or a fixture of the room.

Mai led them through to the large kitchen. Morita-san was talking with an older man about dinner preparations. When she was done, Morita-san greeted them with a tired smile.

"I have some questions if you have the time," Naru said. Mai paused as she listened in.

"Yes, of course."

"What was this place before it was an inn?" Naru asked.

"Well, it was kind of like a boarding house. My grandfather told me about it when I was little. It's been in our family for generations," Morita-san said.

Mai knew what was coming next.

"Since that is the case, I must warn you that we may find someone related to you here. The fact they are still here does not speak to an easy passing," Naru said.

Morita-san nodded solemnly. "I've...already entertained the idea. I'm prepared for whatever you and your team might find."

"Is there anything that may have documented who was here or what may have happened?" Naru asked. 

"That would probably be better to ask my mother. My grandfather passed everything down to her while she was still capable of working."

Mai went back to tuning them out when Naru started talking about logistics with interviewing employees. Every so often, she reached out to a nearby surface.

A shout and clatter took Mai's attention from the thermometer. Naru had even stopped talking. She set everything down and headed towards the noise.

"Mai, wait," Naru called. She only slowed her steps for him to catch up.

She rounded the corner to find the man from before leaning against a counter and two pans on the floor next to him.

"Are you alright, sir?" Mai asked. 

"Never gets old," he laughed humorlessly.

"This has happened before?" Naru asked.

"At least once a week. Have already had to replace some good pots because of it," the man explained.

Mai walked over to the fallen pans. She picked one up. She looked at Naru. He knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth.

"It's warm."

He looked to the nearby stovetop anyway. All the burners were off.

"Does this always happen here?" Naru asked the man indicating the stove area.

"Anywhere in the kitchen. Probably why it's still surprising when it happens."

Naru nodded. "I'm going to find Lin. We may need to adjust the cameras," he said to Mai.

She nodded in understanding.

"Stay here and keep working. I'll be back."

"I can handle myself, Naru," she retorted. He gave her a questioning look. She returned it. He shook his head slightly before leaving.

Mai felt a bit uneasy as he left on his own, but she had her orders. She picked up where she left off.

"You don't seem bothered by this?" Morita-san commented.

Mai looked over as she worked. "I've been doing this for a while and the others joke sometimes that I'm a magnet for the spirits. I'm pretty used to it," Mai said with a small laugh.

"I suppose I've gotten used to it too," Morita-san said. 

"How long have things been happening here?" Mai asked.

Morita-san shrugged. "As long as I can remember, I guess. I don't know what we did to make them upset though. It's never been like this."

"What was it like before all of this started happening?" Mai continued.

"Just like someone was watching over the place. Even as Kosuke was growing up, it was never a problem," Morita-san answered. She folded her arms in front of herself and looked over at the stove again. "I just don't want my staff and guests to be afraid to come here."

"We'll get to the bottom of it and help whoever is here move on," Mai said comfortingly.

Morita-san gave her a small smile and nodded in thanks.

Chapter Text

Early Afternoon

Masako followed Ayako back into the base. Mai watched them move around the room. Masako's posture and appearance was normal, but Mai noticed a slight hesitation to Masako's movements. Like she was already tired. 

If anyone else noticed, they didn't say anything.

Naru turned to face them. He looked to Masako and nodded for her to start.

"It's...difficult to understand what is happening here," Masako began.

"Why is that?" Monk asked.

"It feels like there should be more than one spirit here, but I can only feel one," Masako said.

"I attempted small cleansings a few times, but it didn't seem to help," Ayako said, crossing her arms. 

"Did it make it worse?" Naru asked.

Masako shook her head. "It stayed the same. Whoever it is has an almost overpowering anger."

Mai could feel Naru's brief glance. 

"Couldn't that be it though?" Yasu asked. "Overpowering. It could be masking any other presences."

"How do we get around that anger though?" Monk asked. 

"Hara-san, did the anger lessen at all?" Naru asked. 

Masako nodded. "We were upstairs. That's how I got the sense there is more than one here."

"Was it when we were in the kitchen?" Mai asked Naru.

"What happened in the kitchen?" Ayako asked suspiciously. 

"It was with the cook, not me," Mai hurried to explain. She got distracted by Naru leaving the room and gave a sour look. She looked back at the others sheepishly. 

"What happened, Mai?" John asked. 

"It seemed like a pot for thrown. It was dented pretty badly. No one got hurt," Mai said. 

"We didn't have cameras set up yet," Lin stated. 

"Morita-san was there too," Mai continued. "They said it's kinda common. At least once a week."

Naru came back then with the dented pot. He set it on the table in front of everyone.

"That is not what I pictured," Monk commented. 

"Do we know what it hit to cause such significant damage?" Zoe asked as she looked at it closely. 

"Probably the edge of a counter," Mai said. 

"It's a shame we don't have footage of it," Yasu said.

"Hold on," Monk interjected. "If this happened when Masako-chan felt the anger lessen, what does that mean for us?"

Mai had a feeling he knew what Naru was going to say because she knew it too.

"We will be depending on the spirit to act until we know more. Everyone needs to stay vigilant so no one gets hurt," Naru said. 

They were all quiet.

"So what do we do now?" Ayako asked.

"Morita-san is going to help organize her employees to interview them about their experiences. Her son will need to be a priority," Naru explained.

"Because of how much he's been targeted already," Monk stated.

Naru nodded. "Morita-san's parents live nearby. She said her mother would have information about the building," he said, looking to Yasu.

"That would be a good place to start. We can get on that now. It'll help focus further research," Yasu said.

"I can't spare both of you today," Naru said. "I need you to handle this on your own while we work through the interviews."

Yasu frowned, but stayed quiet.

"Bou-san and John, try to do cleansings based on what Hara-san has found already. Should it work, Hara-san may be able to determine more. Start with the kitchen."

Naru and Lin left after that.

"Cheer up, Shounen. It's just this once," Monk said.

"It's a lot more boring doing research alone. Are you offering to come along instead?" Yasu asked with a grin.

"I'm sorry I said anything," Monk said and rolled his eyes. "Let's go, John."

"Don't worry. You'll get over it," Zoe said to Yasu. "Come on, Mai. We don't wanna keep him waiting."

They walked across the lobby into the dining room. Naru was standing with a boy who barely looked like an adult. His arms were crossed I front of him as they talked. Naru glanced at them before looking back.

They crossed the room, coming into the boy's view. He kept talking about the scratches he had received as he took them both in. Naru handed a list to Zoe and directed her over towards Lin. He subtley shifted to stand in front of Mai more.

"What were you doing before you go the scratches?" Naru asked.

Kosuke furrowed his brow as he thought back. "I think I was in the upstairs hall going back to the utility closet after cleaning a room. I don't remember anyone else in the hallway. It was just me."

"Anything before that?" Naru continued.

Kosuke shook his head. "Just cleaning up the room after the guests left."

Naru was quiet for a moment. Kosuke shifted from foot to foot.

"If you remember anything or you experience something else, come let us know," Naru said, dismissing him.

Kosuke hurriedly left.

Naru turned to Mai then. He had a piece of paper in his hand. "I'm giving you a list of employees to talk to."

"You're letting me do my own interviews?" Mai asked, shocked. 

"We have a lot of employees to talk to. I trust your intuition to guide your questions," Naru said. He held out the paper for her. "Though I suggest you take notes. Lin has an extra notebook."

Mai had been about to smile at the compliment until he added his last comment. She looked at him unamused before fetching the offered notebook.

She took a seat at a table and waited for her first interview.

Morita-san led four people in and directed them around the room. A middle-aged woman crossed the room and took the seat across from Mai. 

"Ah, Shibata-san?" Mai asked.

"Yes, that's me," the woman said kindly.

"I'm Taniyama Mai. I just have a few questions for you," Mai introduced.

"Of course."

"How have you worked here?" Mai started.

"About ten years," Shibata-san answered.

"What have you experienced here?" Mai asked.

"I work in the kitchen. I've seen pots and pans fly across the room. Utensils we're using are also moved or thrown sometimes," Shibata-san said.

"How long has this been going on?"

Shibata-san thought for a moment. "Maybe a year or two. It hasn't always been this bad. It used to just be a nuisance."

Mai nodded as she made quick notes. "Um, has anyone been hurt when something happens?"

"At first, some people would get bruised. We've come to expect it anymore."

Mai gave the woman a sympathetic look. She thought back to Naru talking to Kosuke. "Do you remember what happens before something gets thrown?"

Shibata-san thought about it for a moment. "We're usually just joking around. Some of us have worked together for a while, so we get along well. It makes the work go easier."

Mai smiled. "Yeah, I get that." She was about to let Shibata-san leave, but she thought of something else. "Have you ever felt that you were targeted?" 

Shibata-san looked at her in mild surprise before shaking her head. "No, I don't think I have."

Mai nodded. "Thank you, Shibata-san."

The woman stood and headed to the kitchen. Mai sighed as she crossed the name off her list and got ready for the next one. It was going to be a long day.

Chapter Text

Mai sighed as she trudged into the base. She wasn't sure why she had been dismissed from the dining room, but she wasn't going to complain. She sat heavily on one of the armchairs in their enclosed area.

"Wow, you look beat, Mai," Monk commented.

Mai groaned in response as she curled up in the chair. 

"That bad, huh?"

"I don't want to ever do that many interviews again," Mai grumbled.

"Talking with a lot of people like that can be draining," John commiserated.

"How did it go for you?" Mai asked them. 

Monk sighed and John shrugged. 

"Masako didn't feel any changes. It probably didn't do anything," Monk said.

"That's correct," Masako said as she stepped into the room. "It doesn't seem to have had any effect. I just know it feels like a woman."

"Look what else we found," Ayako said. Yasu followed her in looking as tired as Mai felt.

"Starting a novel, Shounen?" Monk asked when he saw the large stack of papers he was carrying.

"They certainly had a lot to talk about," Yasu said. "I think I heard about every family member they knew about. I don't know what will be useful yet. I have to go through it all again."

Mai took note of the top paper, covered in his handwriting. "That's just your notes?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm still not convinced my hand hasn't fallen off," he answered with a nod.

Naru, Lin, and Zoe came back as well. Naru immediately posted an updated blueprint of the building with notations.

"According to the activity reported in the interviews, these are the places that seem to most often be prone to activity. Aside from the guest rooms, we already have everything covered with cameras," Naru said. 

"Are those rooms occupied?" John asked. 

"Not at the moment. Lin and myself will be occupying one of them."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ayako asked. 

Mai probably should have expected Naru would do that. She grimaced anyway. 

"We are aware of the possibilities," Naru said. "If necessary, we will set up a camera there as well."

"What about the rest of us?" Monk asked.

"Due to the increase in activity, there are plenty of rooms available. I don't expect anyone else to sleep in an active room," Naru said. He pointedly looked at Mai.

She rolled her eyes and looked away. 

"I want everyone up early tomorrow," Naru dismissed them.

Mai didn't get up right away. Monk, John, Masako, and Ayako all got up to head upstairs. She watched as Zoe was about to follow them, but looked back to see Yasu hadn't gotten up from his spot at the table. He was just staring at the daunting stack.

She watched as Zoe crossed the room and took some of the papers off the pile.

"Hey!" Yasu protested.

"Either you're going to bed now and I'll help you in the morning or I'm gonna help you now so you're not up all night," Zoe said. Yasu opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again. "Come on. Fresh eyes will be better," she insisted.

"Mai," Naru called, bringing her attention to him. "Are you willing to try projecting right now?"

"You're giving me a choice?" Mai asked in mock incredulousness.

Naru gave her an unamused look. "I'm serious."

She bit her tongue to keep in any other smart remarks. Instead, she shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Naru quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, let's do it," she amended.

"Are you comfortable there?"

Mai nodded. Naru pulled a chair over so he could sit down as well. He held out a hand to her.  She accepted it as she felt embarrassment heat up her face. She wasn't sure she could get used to it.

Still, she did her best to push it aside so she could relax until she reached the familiar landscape of the Astral Plane.

She allowed herself to wander for a bit. Nothing immediately jumped out at her. There certainly weren't any memories to see just yet.

Mai felt drawn to a room on the third floor. It was all the way at the end.

"Isn't this the room Naru said he and Lin would stay in?" Mai asked herself. 

The room materialized a little around her. It was set up as any other guest room. She walked up to the window. A flash flew down.

Mai rushed to the window to try to see what it was.

A moment later, she was staring at Naru again.

"What the?" 

"Mai? What happened?"

"I...don't know?" She paused. Naru waited for her to continue. "I was on the Astral Plane and I went up to the top floor. Something drew me to the room you and Lin will be in. And I saw something fly past the window. When I looked to see what it was, I ended up back here."

Naru looked over his shoulder at Lin who nodded and turned to a laptop.

"I'm gonna try again," Mai said, determination fueling her.

"Wait, Mai!"

Naru tried to stop her, but she already closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Okay, now what? I can try again or maybe there's something else around here," Mai said to herself.

Mai wound her way through the dining room and the kitchen until she found a back door.

She was about to step outside, but something made her stop. 

"No! How could she!"

Mai whipped around. 

She swayed where she sat.

Mai made a sound of frustration and scratched her head. 

"What the hell?!"

"Mai, that's enough," Naru said.

"Just one more time! I heard something!"

Naru held her by her shoulders and forced her to look right at him.

"No, Mai. Twice is enough. You looked ready to fall over this time. You're not going again. We're not risking it."

Mai deflated slightly. Of course she knew the potential dangers. They had been ingrained in her head for a while, but she also didn't like something stopping her like that. Naru let go of her when he felt sure she wouldn't try anything rash.

"We'll try again tomorrow. Whatever is blocking you may let you in then. Or we will find something that can help you," Naru continued.

"What did you hear?" Lin asked.

"It was a woman. She said "No! How could she!" But I didn't see anyone. I was alone," Mai answered.

"Come on, Mai. It's late," Naru said. He reached out and lightly tugged her arm as a hint to get up. She cooperated with him and stood up. 

The climb up to their rooms was silent. 

"Hara-san chose the room across the hall for you two," Naru said as they stopped outside the doors. "I don't want you projecting while you sleep, intentionally or not."

Mai nodded. 

"Please, Mai. No projecting."

She looked at him with wide eyes at that. "Okay, I won't," she assured him. She saw some tension leave his shoulders. It was replaced with her own as she looked at the door just behind him. "You be careful too."

Naru looked back at the door. "It's fine. I have Lin."

"I'm also serious, Naru."

"I know. Go to bed, Mai."

Mai reluctantly turned away and went into her and Masako's room. She briefly thought about projecting anyway, but then she remembered Naru would know. He always seemed to know.

Chapter Text

Day 2
Morning

Mai trudged down to the dining room behind Masako. Despite properly sleeping, she was still tired. She rubbed at her face as they walked.

Most of the others were just sitting down as well. Naru narrowed his eyes at her, suspicious of her tiredness.

"Lay off, Naru. You should know by now I usually don't sleep well on cases. Even when I don't project, it's tough," she muttered as she took the seat next to him. 

"So you didn't?"

"No, I didn't."

"Good."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Monk asked. 

"It's nothing important. Just how I slept," Mai deflected. 

"Oh? Did you see anything?" John asked. 

"No, she didn't," Naru answered before she could. 

"I've tried to help you sleep better," Masako said.

"I know. I appreciate it, but I don't know how much it helps," Mao admitted.

"Doesn't help when you get woken up at six by a clumsy roommate," Ayako said grumpily.

"You should have thought of that when picking roommates," Masako retorted. "Besides, I offered to Mai, not you."

"I regularly deal with snoring. I figured I'd be okay."

"Hey!" Monk crossed his arms. 

"Sorry, mate. You do," John said. 

Monk sagged in his seat. 

Naru largely ignored them. He finished eating long before the rest of them and left. Mai figured he was heading to the base. She finished up and excused herself to follow him. 

The base was mostly quiet except for the occasional keyboard taps and the shuffle of papers. Naru wasn't there though. 

"Lin, did Naru say where he was going?" Mai asked. 

Lin paused in his work to give her his attention. "He's sorting out which guests are willing to talk to us. He shouldn't be long."

Mai nodded. "Thanks." She took a seat at the round table in the center on the space that was covered in packets of paper. She picked up the one closest to her. 

From what Mai could tell through the messy handwriting, it was one of the stories Yasu had come back with the day before. She briefly thought to get him a recorder instead. Maybe she could get Naru to give them work laptops too.

She read the story to pass the time. Rather than a family member, it seemed to be about someone who worked there. The girl seemed to be nameless, unfortunately, but had been friends with the two daughters who had lived there. She had been especially close with the younger daughter, following her around whenever she wasn't busy.

Mai was brought back to the present when Naru walked back in.

"Lin, I want the guests who are here as couples to be interviewed separately," Naru stated.

"Understood," Lin answered.

"But why?" Mai asked. She set down the papers.

"To see if their stories still line up when interviewed on their own," Naru said simply.

"Alright, do I need to get my notebook?" Mai asked, already getting up from the table. 

"No need. Start taking temperatures. I want you to read the transcripts after we're done to see what your intuition picks up on," Naru said.

"Are you sure that will work?" 

Naru quirked an eyebrow. "I imagine you picked up that one for a reason." He indicated the packet in front of her. "Even if it's not clear why yet. It doesn't appear to matter what form the information is in."

Mai looked down at what she had read again. Nothing seemed to jump out at her. Still, she grabbed a pencil and left Yasu a note on it.

After finding the thermometer and a clipboard, she headed to the kitchen to start taking temperatures. She smiled and greeted the cook from the day before as she got to work.

She glanced at the camera in the corner a few times as she worked her way around the L-shaped room. Other employees came in as she worked, making the place feel quite busy for how few guests there were.

She finished before she got in the way and moved out to the dining room. An employee was preparing the tables for lunch. Mai went to the closest table to stay out of her way.

The girl was moving onto the next table when Mai saw Kosuke peak around the door that led to the lobby. His grin made her skin crawl when he spotted the girl. He made his way over, standing tall.

"Himeko-chan! I haven't seen you all morning," Kosuke said.

She didn't respond to him as she kept setting tables.

"I was looking all over for you," he continued. He reached out and she moved away to go to another table, leaving the first one only mostly finished.

"Hime-"

"She's not interested," Mai said out loud. 

Himeko gave her a grateful look. Kosuke looked over at Mai. "Of course she is. We've talked a lot."

"She hasn't answered you once since you came in. Let her do her work and leave her alone," Mai insisted.

Kosuke turned away to approach Himeko again. Mai set her clipboard down and marched across the room. She put herself in between the two. Kosuke stopped with a frown. 

"She's not interested. Perhaps your mother would like to know you're slacking off?" Mai suggested.

Kosuke's frown deepened, but he turned and left the room.

Mai turned to Himeko. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Himeko nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Does he do that often?" Mai asked.

"I guess so. I'm just his newest target. I just started a month ago and the other girls warned me about him," Himeko said. "It would be kinda cute if he wasn't so pressuring. He's too persistent."

Mai nodded. "Will you be okay now?"

Himeko nodded and smiled. "I haven't seen him turn tail like that in a while. I'll be okay."

The radio on Mai's hip crackled. She excused herself to listen in.

"I can feel the other presences," Masako said over the radio.

"Where is everyone?" Naru asked immediately. 

"We're on the third floor," Monk answered.

"We're also on the third floor," Masako said.

"I'm in the dining room," Mai answered.

"We're about to head downstairs back to base," Zoe answered.

"Everyone--"

Naru was cut off by a shout, followed by a series of thumps. Mai heard it more in person than over the radio. She ran for the lobby. 

Naru and Lin were coming out of the base at the same time to see Zoe flying down the stairs to where Yasu was sprawled on the floor.

He flipped himself over and took a minute to catch his breath and fix his glasses.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Zoe asked, also out of breath.

"I was shoved down a staircase," Yasu deadpanned.

"What happened?" Naru asked.

"I looked away for a second to reply on the radio and looked back when I felt something to find him already halfway down the stairs," Zoe said.

"Something pushed me from behind hard enough for me to lose my balance," Yasu said. Zoe held out a hand to help him up. He accepted it and carefully got to his feet.

"Did you hit your head at all?" Zoe asked, trying to ascertain the damage.

"I'm pretty sure I hit everything at least once on the way down, but I'm fine," he tried to assure her.

"I'll be the judge of that," Ayako said as the rest of the team appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Come on, Ayako. I can walk a straight line," Yasu complained.

"I don't care. Come on." She pulled him along to the base.

Naru looked over everyone else. "Did anyone experience or feel anything before that besides Hara-san?"

Monk, John, and Zoe all shook their heads. Naru looked to Mai with a questioning look.

"Nothing really happened. Kosuke was in the dining room bothering a young woman, but I scared him off," Mai said.

"You scared him off?" Monk asked incredulously.

"Yes! I can be intimidating when I want!" Mai defended herself.

"Mai, he's been a center of the activity," Naru said pointedly.

"He was bothering her! I had to do something."

"I don't think that's his point," John said, trying to keep them calmer.

"His behaviors could be causing the spirit to act out," Naru said slowly.

"I realize that, thank you, Naru. I still wasn't gonna let him harass her!  I don't even know where he went after that."

"What do you mean by harrass her?" Naru pressed.

"He kept trying to talk to her or touch her, even when she ignored him and moved away," Mai explained.

Naru nodded, accepting her explanation.

"After he left the dining room, he was headed toward the front door," Lin said.

Masako lifted a hand to her face. "That might be why she changed targets so suddenly. If he seemingly disappeared, she would take her anger out on someone else."

"So, what, we were closest?" Zoe asked. 

"It looks that way," Monk said. 

Naru turned to Zoe. "Take Yasuhara-san to conduct the guest interviews. Maybe it'll keep you both out of trouble."

"But analyzing the family stories."

"Can wait. I need more coverage throughout the building for now. Having the two of you interviewing frees up the team and I trust the both of you to maintain consistency." Naru turned back to the others. "Go back to what you were doing and be careful."

Chapter Text

Afternoon

Around lunch, Mai handed over the completed temperatures to Lin to put into the system. She looked over his shoulder at the monitor in front of him. He was reviewing the footage from the incident earlier.

Mai grimaced as she stood and watched Yasu tumble down the stairs in slow motion.

"What do you notice, Mai?" Lin asked her.

Mai startled at the question. "Umm..."

Lin rewound the footage and played it forward again. "Don't worry. Focus and take your time."

"Well, Zoe is facing away when it happens," she said uncertainly.

Lin chuckled a little. "There is that, yes. Look closer at his back. Here." Lin rewound it again and pointed to Yasu's upper back. Mai watched closely as Lin played it in slow motion again.

Mai gasped. Briefly, there was a handprint in the fabric of Yasu's sweater. "How? I mean, obviously it's the spirit, but..."

"Take a breath," Lin said. "You know the answer."

Mai took a deep breath. "It would probably be the spirit manifesting her anger, right? She's so angry that she's able to physically shove someone and create the handprint."

"That's right. Now, provided our other footage is also usable, we may be able to use this as evidence to take back to BSPR."

"You mean to prove what we know already exists," Mai commented.

Lin laughed again. "Yes, I suppose so. BSPR archives hard evidence, whenever it is found."

"Which isn't often," Mai finished.

"Not necessarily. Teams can capture a lot of evidence. The problem is how much of it can be explained away," Lin said.

"Mai," Naru called as he walked into the base.

"What's up, Naru? I just made some tea, so it can't be that already," Mai answered.

"I want you to try projecting again. Without jumping back in if it doesn't work," he said.

Mai gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah, alright," she agreed. 

He ushered her around the screen that separated their base from the rest of the room and sat her down in one of the lounge chairs. "Take your time. There's no rush. I'll be right here."

Mai snickered. "That's almost comforting. Are you sick?"

Naru glared at her. She schooled her face as she fought back more laughter. She closed her eyes and felt Naru hold her hands. She slipped easily onto the Astral Plane.

"Alright. Take your time. You've got this," Mai encouraged herself. 

She looked around the dark expanse the building occupied. She waited, but she didn't know what for. Looking at the outline of the building, she saw everyone walking around and completing the work Naru had given them. So far, they all appeared safe.

Mai wasn't sure how much time had passed until she felt drawn towards the building. She followed the feeling. 

This time, an orb of light was waiting for her. It fluctuated between a dull red and dark blue as she got closer. She started to reach for it, but hesitated. She remembered the anger she felt before. 

Mai retracted her hand and took a minute to close her eyes and focused on the warmth coming from her hands to keep her grounded. She opened her eyes a moment later feeling determined. She reached out again and kept in mind the intention to remain herself. 

The first thing she noticed was the warmth coming from the sunlight streaming in through the kitchen window. A girl with long, dark brown hair was standing at the sink, her hands submerged in soapy water. She glared down at the dishes. Mai couldn't make out what she was muttering to herself.

The girl glanced up to look out the window. Mai could feel the anger coming off of her. She followed her gaze.

Outside, tending to a vegetable garden, was another girl. Mai thought they were twins at first, but the second girl had a different air about her. As if she was older.

Next to the girl was a young man, not much older than the girls, Mai guessed. The two of them were laughing and talking as they worked in the dirt.

"They really like each other," Mai said to herself. 

"Hi-chan, I've been looking for you," another girl said from behind them. Mai turned around, but the girl next to her didn't. 

"It's not fair," Hi-chan said.

The girl stepped through Mai and held out a comforting hand. Hi-chan stepped away after putting down the last dish. The girl frowned. 

"I thought he wanted to be with me! She must have done something to steal him."

"I don't think..." the girl started, but trailed off. She could see her friend was already off in her own world and any attempts to reason with her would fall on deaf ears.

"I must separate them."

"Hi-chan, maybe think it through."

"I've made my decision already," Hi-chan said decisively. She hurried out the back door. "Onee-chan!" Her tone was suddenly brighter, almost cheery.

The girl looked after her solemnly with her hands clutched to her chest. Mai wished she could give her a hug. Her sadness made her look so small.

Mai felt the memory begin to fade.

----------

Naru sat in front of Mai as she slumped into the lounge chair. He had seen numerous people project themselves to the Astral Plane, but seeing Mai do it on purpose still unnerved him. 

He let his mind wander as he waited for her to return. It wasn't something he would often do, especially on a case, but something about being around Mai during these times brought out some rare sentimentality.

Ever since the event where Gene gave her the ability to handle his PK, he wanted to both thank and curse his brother. All of this allowed him to get closer to Mai, but it also introduced more risk for both of them. Risk that he quickly realized he would have to accept regardless of his opinion.

Naru was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Lin's chair being pushed out. Lin came around the screen moments later.

"I'm going to check on the interviews while I procure some documents for those two. I traced some of their leads and may have found something useful," Lin stated.

Naru nodded. "They should be done soon anyway."

Lin opened the door and stepped through. He appeared to trip as the door swiftly closed behind him. Naru saw the handle shake.

"Naru?" Lin called through the door.

"We're fine," Naru called back. He glanced at Mai's still form before looking back at the door.

"The door is warm. My shiki could handle this."

"No, nothing is happening in here and Mai doesn't appear to be in distress. We don't want to anger anything just yet," Naru answered. What he didn't say was that he didn't want to take risks that could put Mai in danger. He had a feeling Lin knew anyway.

Naru could feel Lin's displeasure through the door. "I will be back quickly. If the door doesn't open, I will make it open."

Naru heard Lin's footsteps retreating. He turned back to Mai. She still sat limply in the chair. "What are you seeing?" Naru muttered to himself.

It was a few more minutes until her fingers twitched. That was the first sign he knew she was coming back. 

Mai groaned and pulled her hands away to rub her eyes. Naru somewhat reluctantly let them go. 

"I think I'm even more confused than before," Mai grumbled as she sat upright again. She stopped when they heard a click and the door slowly swung open. 

"What happened while I was gone?" Mai asked as she stared at the door moving on its own.

"Nothing to concern yourself with. What did you see?"

Mai narrowed her eyes at him before speaking. "I was with two girls. I'd guess high school age? The one, Hi-chan, was angry at her sister over a boy. She believed her sister took him from her." Mai sat and reflected on the memory for a moment. "She was angry and there was something else." She paused. "Jealousy, maybe?"

"You have no other names?" Naru asked.

"It's not like I can control what they say," Mai quipped. "Anyway, the other girl there was really sad. I think she was sad about her friend." Mai got the feeling that wasn't all of it, but she wasn't sure what else it could be.

Lin came back then with some papers. "I see it has been fixed," he commented. 

"Yes, it opened on its own."

"Was something wrong with the door?" Mai asked.

"When Mai came back?"

"It seems whatever caused it was in the vision she saw."

"I'm right here! The door was locked?"

"Only briefly," Naru said to her.

"That's still important information! And you accuse me of withholding things!" Mai shoved at Naru's shoulder, but he didn't move. 

"It became irrelevant."

"Ugh, you're impossible!" Mai got up and headed towards the door herself.

"At least take some equipment with you so you can be useful," Naru said.

Mai turned around and glared at him as she grabbed a few devices and headed back out.

Chapter Text

Evening

Mai had spent most of the day testing the kitchen with all the devices they had. Humidity, floor and counter levels, air drafts. All of it came back normal. Nothing that could throw a pot with force like the day before.

Once she was done, she moved on to the stairs. The first thing she noticed was that the floor at the top of the stairs was seamless. No boards poking out anywhere to trip on. 

Every so often as she covered as much area as she could, one of the employees passed by. She'd give them a smile as she worked. 

She was about halfway done when she felt like someone was watching her. She looked around, but she was alone on the landing. 

"Are the temperatures on the thermal okay, Lin?" Mai asked over the radio.

"Everything looks fine," he answered immediately. "Do you feel something?"

"Just like there's someone watching me, but there's no one here right now," Mai answered.

"Just be careful."

"Roger."

Mai got back to work. She was almost done when she felt a wave of irritation come over her. She closed her eyes and attempted to ground herself.

The irritation was still there when she opened her eyes again. She looked down the stairs and saw Kosuke climbing them. The irritation she felt increased.

Outwardly, she only frowned at him. He barely gave her a glance as he passed her. She figured his pride was still hurt from the morning.

Still, she was practically seething by the time he disappeared from view. Logically, she knew she didn't have much of a reason to feel so strongly towards him. She closed her eyes to ground herself again. 

After some deep breaths, the feeling finally dissipated. She quickly finished taking the measurements and hurried back to base. 

Mai sat off to the side back in base in an armchair. The table was covered in papers that were full of notes and written accounts. She didn't understand how they were sorted and didn't want to risk messing it up, but she was curious.

"Matsuzaki-san, you examined the scratches on Kosuke-kun?" Naru asked.

"I did. He claimed he got them a few days ago and the amount they've healed fits with that," Ayako said. "But I noticed some bruises as well that looked very fresh. He said he didn't know where they came from."

"How fresh?" Naru asked.

"No more than twenty-four hours ago, I'd estimate," she answered. "He said nothing had happened to him that he knew of."

Naru nodded to himself. "Mai, tomorrow, I want you to ask the younger female staff if he has done anything like he did earlier in the past few days. Questions, pestering behavior, anything."

"Alright," Mai answered.

Naru turned towards Yasu and Zoe for them to start.

"Well, we were able to contact some recent guests along with talking with current guests," Zoe started. "The immediate thing we noticed was that it's only younger couples that were affected. Older couples were largely left alone, as were families."

"There was a difference in severity with some of the guests, but we haven't pinpointed why just yet," Yasu said. "And none of it was close to what has been happening to Kosuke-kun. Or myself, for that matter."

"At least for Kosuke-kun, we could assume it's because he works here," Monk commented. "We don't have that reason for you though, Shounen."

Yasu shrugged and briefly winced before schooling his face. "Anyway, Mai, I noticed your note on the one story here. We haven't gone through them all thoroughly again, but I took some time to look through for the stories about sisters. It definitely helped us narrow things down."

Mai sat up a bit straighter in mild surprise. "It's nothing! It was just a feeling at the time. It might not mean anything."

"You've been right plenty of times before, Mai. Don't sell yourself short," John said.

Mai fiddled with the hem of her shirt at the praise.

"It's worth looking into after what you saw," Naru commented.

"You saw something? When were you gonna tell us?" Ayako asked affronted.

"It wasn't much and no one else was here. One girl was mad about her sister and a boy being close, I think. And another girl tried to reason with her, but she didn't listen. The only name I have is "Hi-chan"," Mai explained.

"Hmm, a nickname isn't much to go off of. Especially one as generic as that," Yasu said to himself as he shuffled a few papers.

"The girl was angry?" Masako asked.

Mai nodded. "I don't know that it felt like this place does, but she seemed pretty mad."

"Perhaps she has been around for so long that it has become overwhelming anger now," Masako said.

"But if she was mad at her sister, why is she going after men?" Monk asked.

"That's what we need to figure out," Naru said.

They quieted when they heard the door open. Kosuke came just around the privacy screen. "Mother said to inform you all that dinner will be ready soon," he said before leaving again.

"Huh," Monk said.

"What is it?" Mai asked.

"You know, doesn't he resemble Shounen a bit?" Monk asked.

"I think you need your eyes checked," Ayako quipped.

"I feel like I should be offended," Yasu said with a grimace.

"I suppose from far away, maybe," John said. "About the same height and dark hair." He shrugged.

"Spirits have found less than that in common with someone to target them," Masako pointed out.

"It's a valid point. The men we talked to were all taller with dark hair," Zoe reasoned. She turned to Yasu with a grin. "How do you feel about dying your hair?"

"Absolutely not," Yasu answered immediately.

Naru cleared his throat to regain everyone's attention. Everyone quieted down quickly.

"I don't believe the change in target was a mistake," Naru said. "The cameras showed Kosuke leaving the building after leaving the dining room where Mai witnessed the interaction with the female employee. If the spirit is immediately reacting to Kosuke's behavior, what he did in there is what triggered the activity. Yasuhara was very likely a replacement."

"That's also not comforting," Yasu said.

"If that's the case, how do we proceed? You could end up being a target too then," Zoe said to Naru.

Mai shivered at that. She didn't like where this was going.

"Naru, you should switch rooms," Lin stated. "Sleeping in the most active room will all but guarantee something happens to you."

"I'll be fine," Naru insisted. He turned back to the two at the table. "Go over the people you talked to remotely and determine if the trend continues. After that, try to find these sisters."

They both nodded in understanding.

"I want everyone up early tomorrow," Naru said to the room.

Accepting the dismissal, they all slowly got up and left the room. Mai stayed seated a moment longer as she absorbed everything. 

"Mai, I don't want you projecting at all tonight," Naru said. "Two days in a row is enough for right now. We can try again during the day if we absolutely need to."

"But we still need so many answers," Mai protested. 

"You're in more control of your abilities now. I don't expect you to be going off to the Astral Plane every night. You need proper rest."

Mai crossed her arms. "I'll sleep if you do."

Naru sighed. "Mai, you've been susceptible to the spirit's emotions since before we got here. You may not feel it now, but it takes energy to feel what she feels. It will start to wear on you. So you need proper rest."

"Fine, then at least eat with us if you won't sleep properly yourself."

Naru stared hard at her for a moment. "Fine," he said eventually before ushering her out of the room.