Chapter One:

Movement of the First Clock Hand

To Oliver Davis

He told himself he was going to be calm. He was going to be himself, act natural and analyze the situation carefully like he always did. But that may be a feat better said than done in this situation.

Staring back at him were familiar crimson brown eyes of a woman who wasn't supposed to be any older than sixteen. She equally mirrored his reaction right now-an obvious expression of surprise. Her lashes brushed against her cheeks as she blinked once or twice more than usual.

This woman couldn't possibly be Taniyama Mai right?

As if something had dawned onto her, the corners of her dainty lips slowly broke out to a very familiar infectious (yet silly) smile reminding him of his cheeky assistant's own. Her crimson brown eyes glistened under the light of the sun, half dyeing it to gold. Her chocolate brown hair fluttered behind her like a cape, draping its locks loosely on her lithe shoulders. He took noticed of a lone golden band on her fourth left finger, the ornament claiming his attention completely.

The next thing he knew, he was pulled into a loose embrace by the mysterious woman, her warm breath blowing next to the expanse of his skin as she comfortably nestled her head at the crook of his neck.

He automatically froze at the intimate gesture, words seemed to fumble behind his lips for once. His initial reaction to push away anyone within a radius from himself reigned in his head, or rather his rational side, however why does it seems like as though every fiber of his being told him to stay enveloped into this woman's arms?

'No.' He told himself, strongly against to succumbing to this foreign feeling. He refused to acknowledge it because such emotion was a sign of weakness and that's the thing he hated the most.

He was supposed to walk away after dismissing Mai's confession because surely she have been mistaken and confused her feelings between the two (him and Gene) of them, when he heard the rustling of grass. He fall back a step, not expecting her to run after him, especially when she looked like she was about to cry. However, instead of being greeted by the sight of her, a woman of her twenties and vastly resembling his scatterbrain assistant, only older and matured, stared back at him in the exact place where he left Mai seconds ago.

"You…" before he can attempt to shook the woman off him and start interrogating for answers, the mysterious woman muttered against his clothes in exactly a replica of Mai's voice, "Welcome home, Naru."

1/7/2017