~ The Romancing of Taniyama Mai ~

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Ghost Hunt.

1. The Bet

It began with a bet.

This is not surprising because bets proliferated things. In the right hands, money would exponentially expand and the person (whose hands those belonged to) would go off feeling extra happy. On the other hand, bets weren't always about money. They produced other things too, like heated exchanges, boasts and all manner of irrational behaviour. Which was why Naru was sorely regretting entering the bar with the rest of the men from SPR, or rather, all the men minus John, who politely declined and Lin who did not decline so much as disappear the moment the topic of after work drinks was raised.

"So… Naru. When are you gonna fess' up to Mai anyway?" Bou-san hiccupped and waved at the bartender. "Another round for me and the two gentlemen here!"

Naru pursed his lips disapprovingly. "Haven't you had enough to drink?"

"Never!" he crowed triumphantly.

Yasuhara patted him solemnly. "You haven't answered the question yet, Shibuya-san," he said.

"I don't have anything to say to Mai."

"If you aren't going to, you'll better caesarean, I mean caesar, cease, I mean stop giving Mai the wrong hints," the monk slurred into his empty scotch glass.

"I haven't given her hints. If you recall, I rejected her just before I went back home," Naru replied, miffed.

"Then, what do you call those er…" Bou-san appeared confused for a minute and then looked appealingly at Yasuhara. "Help me out here shounen, I can't remember…"

"Sarcastic banter? Insults traded? How he's always rescuing her? Calls her and nobody else by her first name?"

"Yeah. That," he nodded, (or swayed) tipsily.

The bartender had returned with their drinks and Naru seized his with the air of a drowning man scrambling for safety. Distracted, the other two also lurched awkwardly for theirs.

"I bet you don't dare to confess to Mai," Yasuhara said after awhile.

Naru could only marvel at how the student had managed to stay sober. He didn't like to admit it but he was probably not all there too. The dim air of the bar seemed to be wavering in front of his very eyes*.

"Hear, hear," Bou-san mumbled. "Naru-bou is a scaredy-cat."

"Deal."

"Eh?"

Naru put his drink down carefully. "You said you would bet right? I accept your challenge."

Suddenly, Bou-san didn't look so drunk anymore. He looked, in fact, alert. "So what's the deal if Naru-bou loses?" he asked eagerly.

"Hmm," Yasuhara said, a devious gleam in his eyes. "He'll have to propose to Lin-san instead."

A drunken silence met this as the three of them envisioned Naru going down on one knee in front of the Chinese man. Naru shuddered inwardly. "You've been speaking to Madoka haven't you?" he accused suspiciously.

Yasuhara blinked innocently. "Not exactly, no. I haven't spoken to her at any rate.
"Anyway, wouldn't it be better to go on a date with Mai and tell her you've been secretly in love with her all this time?"

Bou-san sniggered and tried to turn it into a cough when Naru glared at him. "So, how about we give Naru-bou here till the end of the year?" he asked, enthusiastically clapping the younger man on his back.

"Good enough for me," Yasuhara said cheerfully as Naru glared haughtily at them. "Shall we get the bill then, before Shibuya-san changes his mind?"

Outside, the streets were still thronging with nightlife as Naru made his way back to his apartment after parting ways with the other two, who were sharing a cab since they lived in the same general direction. The street lights glittered brightly, competing with neon signboards that promoted everything from Suntory whiskey to dancing robots, the traffic blaring noisily. A group of girls strutted past him in their high school uniforms and high socks, giggling when he looked at them. Mai, he silently reflected, would probably be graduating in a year's time, and possibly entering a university if (and it was a very big if at the moment) her grades cut it. Things would be changing, that much at least was certain.

The security guard at his apartment block nodded politely as he waited at the lobby for the elevator. "Evening Shibuya-san," he said as he lowered his newspaper. "Late night out?"

"Yes," Naru replied curtly, not in the mood to talk.

"Looks like it might snow tonight."

Where was the elevator? Naru looked at his watch. It was close to 2 am. Lin was probably going to grill him for not calling first.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

"I said it might snow tonight. The first of the year and all that you know," the guard said helpfully when Naru stared blankly back at him. "It's supposed to be a good omen." he explained as with a musical chime, the elevator door slid open. "There's your ride then, sir. Good night Shibuya-san. I'll see you tomorrow."

Alone in the elevator, Naru had time to think. It was a stupid bet. Why would Mai like him after what he'd said? Was he even in love with her? If he wasn't he wouldn't have gotten jealous of his brother would he? Besides, they were getting along fine now and he didn't see the need to complicate things. She won't wait forever, a small voice in his head whispered. He quashed that traitorous thought. Why shouldn't she… Oliver Davies was talented, smart and gorgeous. He was worth waiting for wasn't he? Ah, but you've stated clearly that you weren't interested, the voice reminded him. The elevator dinged again and Naru hurried out from the small mechanical contraption, away from his treacherous half-drunk thoughts. Tomorrow, when he was sober and had time to think clearly, he would call the bet off. No one would be the wiser and nobody's feelings would get hurt. Disappointed yes, but definitely not hurt. Or perhaps you actually really like her, but you didn't dare tell her that then, you idiot. Naru turned around sharply. Surely that hadn't been his head talking. Gene? Absolutely wonderful – he was hearing his dead twin's voice. The apartment he and Lin shared was two doors down from the lobby and he hastened to it, fumbling for his keys as he did so.

* In truth, the air really was wavering, due to all the smokers, but Naru wasn't to know that because he was as he had realised, probably at least slightly drunk.

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