Photograph

Mai watched as the cars outside were quickly filling up the parking spaces outside the Victorian-inspired chapel. She nervously took a deep breath before she turned around to look at her father-like friend who stood behind her with a frown stuck on his face.

"Mai, you should change."

The brunette then suddenly had a long second of reminiscing her past. The past where she eventually felt a slight affection for the man that she would finally meet at the end of the aisle. Her lip curled slightly into a smile as she sat in front of the mirror holding a photograph of him and his twin in a somewhat crumpled photo.

Holding the photo dearly, she looked at him for the first time with a full compassionate smile after she discovered that he would leave for England. Mai remembered how Naru could treat the photo as a 'garbage,' but in fact, it was a treasure that she would eventually keep forever.

She carried that same photo on the same day he returned to Japan. As she happily waited at the arrivals in the airport, she took a deep breath, pulled out her phone from her shorts, and realized that the photo fell from the pocket. Picking it up, she chuckled and blushed as she ran to the arrivals entrance and looked at the raven-haired man sitting in the café, sipping tea while patiently waiting for his assistant.

"Taniyama-san is here Naru" The Chinese man stood up and carried his laptop bag. The young CEO sighed and looked at her as she walked to them with her hands behind her back and a smile on her face saying.

"Welcome back!" He noticed her tinted lips, her rosy cheeks and how her hair changed.

"Did you review the case I forwarded to you in your email?"

The days of being together made Mai realize her true feelings. Despite his accusation of her loving his deceased twin, Mai knew who she wanted to be. She eventually held that photo together with him when he met his biological grandparents.

"I know that you don't know them and I know I have no right to doing this but." Mai showed him the photo of him and his twin before sitting next to him holding his hand.

"This is a chance for you to meet them for him." Mai watched as Oliver Davis looked back at her with hope.

"I understand that Martin and Luella is your family, I do. But wouldn't it be better to come home into two families rather than no family at all?"

Oliver Davis understood her and somewhat felt bad for her after realized what she said. So, he gently placed his arm around her silently. He felt her warmth and her heartbeat. His lip curled into a smile and whispered in her ears.

"Thank you, Mai."

Days were starting to lighten up for Mai. Her days with her boss inside the office were starting to become lighter. His attitude to her changed, he was more delicate, kinder and more affectionate.

Mai held the photograph before keeping inside the pocket of her ripped jeans the moment she heard him calling her name.

"Yes, Naru?" Mai went inside the CEO's office and stood in front of his desk. She realized that he was busy with the computer and his planner. He held his pen while looking at the screen and told her.

"Move my 9:00 am tomorrow to next Monday." He said as he kept his attention on the screen and his planner.

"Um, the 9:00 am tomorrow is our meeting with the local paranormal researched in Kyoto."

"I am aware of that." He looked at her but then returned his attention to the screen.

"O-okay, um, so if we're not going to Kyoto does that mean I get to have Saturday on my day off?" She asked politely and took him quite a while to answer as if formulating a solution to a problem.

"No." A still and cold no was his response.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have a date with your documents while you're out- again." Mai rolled her eyes as her shoulders fell and mouth frowned.

Oliver Davis suddenly stood up and closed his hardbound planner shut. He placed the pen on his desk before carrying his black journal. He then walked towards the coat hanger and took his keys.

"Are you serious?! You, narcissistic jerk! You're going home while I'll be sorting all the cases we took for the past two years?!" Mai's voice rose, and her body was ready to march and give him an angry speech. She followed him outside his office and watched him lock his room.

"Get your coat. We'll leave early tonight." A stern and settle response made the brunette flinch.

"Wait, so If it's not my day off tomorrow and we're not attending that meeting, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Mai asked as she watched the raven-haired man stand in front of the door.

Mai eventually shut down her computer and took her bag pack and her coat at the side of her desk. Not seeing her boss' reaction as he responded. "You're going on a date… with me"

Naru eventually turned around hiding his lip with his scarf before opening the door and stepped outside.

"F-Fine." Mai subtle response made her blush and made him walk away from the door.

Fights were always prevalent in every relationship, and sometimes separation could be one solution. But for Naru, he didn't want to give up on the woman that understood him and made him into a better person. Despite their differences, he wanted to mend their broken relationship and get back together.

"Mai." His body took a deep breath as he finally caught her. He looked for her all over the city and eventually realized where he could find her. Mai's big brown eyes were slightly covered with tears as she sniffed and tried to calm down.

"Naru. Staying together like this will only make us break each other." Mai sniffed as she stood by the lamp post in mid-spring. The wind was flying cherry blossom petals as the two confronted each other.

Oliver Davis bit her lip and finally thought out loud what he felt. "I didn't expect that you'd come here, it took me a while to find you." Naru took his steps slowly and calmly as he watched her calm down.

"I didn't expect for you to come here," Mai mumbled to herself. "I want some time for myself please."

"Well then, let me be the one to tell you my side of our story." Naru stopped and placed his hands inside his pocket. Mai slightly nodded as she held the cold post.

"Years ago, I hired you to become my assistant. I know how it felt and I know how hard and envious it is to see someone with their family."

Naru looked away and couldn't tell his emotions by looking at her since he would become emotional.

"Honestly, when you confessed I wanted you to clear your mind and patch up what your feelings were before. I didn't want to become a rebound for your unrequited love for my older twin."

"But as we worked together and eventually stood side by side with each other I realized one thing. We can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart." His words made Mai's heart sunk deep.

"I have been too cold for too long, and I think it would be best to be extraordinary with you."

"If we fight, we fight, but we shouldn't burden ourselves with fights," Naru added as he finally stood in front of her underneath the lamppost in 6th street. He held her hand and placed a locket necklace on her palm.

"Luella wanted to pass this down to her daughter, but she only has one son now." Naru paused and looked at her in the eyes and smiled. "She would very much appreciate it if you were to answer my one simple question.

Oliver Davis held her hand, got down on one knee and lifted his right arm, showing her a simple diamond ring.

"wha. Naru." Mai tear up once again as she looked down and saw him on his knee. She held the locket and his hand on her hand as her left hand covered her mouth. She was in surprise and had no words to say at all. It was all such a surprise to her.

"Mai Taniyama, will you marry me?"

A soft response came from her lips, her eyes and lips curved happily as she said. "Yes." Oliver Davis slipped the ring on her finger. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, hiding his smile on her shoulder. A blush formed on the brunette's cheek, she looked at her fiancée silently staring at her before he could plant a sweet and affectionate kiss on her.

Mai watched the photo once again and held it before looking at Takigawa Houshou.

"Hey, Bou-san." Mai nervously shivered.

"Haru and Miyami are with Lin and Madoka. You don't have to worry about them."

"I'm not worried at them. I am more worried about what will happen next."

"You're going to be fine. He's always by your side."

Mai Taniyama stood up and held the photo next to her heart before sliding it in her pocket. She walked outside the Chapel's guest room. Her heels were heard in the quiet chapel. She focused her attention on the aisle and the end of the corridor. She ignored all the eyes that were looking at her with pity and sadness. Guests were wearing black.

At the end of the aisle lays a white carnation casket. Her footstep was slow yet calm. Her eyes looked tired and restless. Her lips looked dried, and her body felt like collapsing. But she reached the end of the aisle to meet her husband lying down, and another part of her memory flashed. Her last memory of her husband, alive. Her heart breaks as she remembered her husband's last words personally.

"The kids wanted to go to the Zoo this weekend. I know that it's going to be a long drive." Mai watched as Oliver Davis walked to the door carrying his son, Haru on his arm and his eldest daughter, Miyami, in his hand.

"Of course, I'll be home by then." He smiled and gave giggling Haru a kiss on the cheek before giving the toddler to the brunette. Miyami started to cry after saying. "Daddy please don't go. I don't want you to leave."

"I'll be back, Miyami." Naru knelt down and kissed his princess on the forehead.

"Wait for me to come home." He brushed his daughter's hair and stood up before kissing his wife goodbye, Not knowing that it'll be their final goodbye.

Naru. Wherever you are. I want to let you know that we will be fine. I will be fine. The kids and I will be fine. So, go and find the light.

Mai had mourned enough; devested the moment she learned of her husband's car crash, but she accepted it and kept on telling him to move forward.

The brunette looked at her husband once again and placed her hand on the glass of his body. She took her hand and left the photograph that he gave to her when she was his assistant.

"Thanks, Naru."

I am sorry if I have been writing such depressing and sad fanfictions of Mai and Naru. I have been listening to sad songs and watching tragic movies for the holidays and I sincerely apologize. I see that some of you guys are interested in the Ghost Hunt Manga Raffle! The Raffle doesn't only limit to ghost hunt but also Kathy Reich's bones and Bramstoker/ Anne rice books! I am still currently waiting for GH Vol 3 to be sent here to my address in the states. I will try to update you guys on the mechanics and instructions. Stay tuned to our stories! -Eve.