You're Mai Cup of Tea

Disclaimer from the previous chapter applied.

Divine White Tea

Known for its soothing and calming taste and scent. A perfect cup of tea after a stressful day. Erase all your troubles as the scent of lilies, hydrangeas and holly flowers carry you off to a flourishing meadow — leaving you feeling renewed as if reborn.

You always found ways to vanquish all my troubles — I was always at peace around you. Just being in your presence was comforting.

Ingredients: Lilies, Pale-Blue Hydrangeas, Holly Petals, Oranges, (?)

Preparation Time: 2 minutes, Cooking Time: 6 minutes

Directions:

1) Boil a pot of water with the lily, hydrangea and holly petals until they become discolored (darkened.)

2) Carefully fill the tea cup with the floral mixture.

3) Add 2-3 drops of orange juice to taste. (Optional)

4) Stir and mix well before serving.

A guardian angel.

That's what you were to me.

Someone that always looked out for me.

Someone that always comforted me when everything seemed hopeless.

Someone who always ensured I never stopped believing.

Like the northern star, you always guided me in the right direction whenever I lost my way.

You could do no wrong. You shone through even during the darkest of times.

No matter how hopeless a case seemed, you always had a way of restoring my hope.

.

.

Half asleep, my body felt light as if I was descending into an empty void…It was a difficult feeling to describe.

I opened my eyes in surprise when I sensed another presence.

Who could it be? Naru? But why would Naru be in my room?

When I turned to look at him, Naru's eyes were warm and the corner of his lips were curved into a smile.

Huh? What's wrong? Why are you standing there?

Just as I was about to ask him his face became solemn. He seemed anxious.

It seemed as if he wanted to tell me something. But I couldn't hear him. I tried to read his lips.

Ayami-chan...?

Ayami-chan's in danger?

Ayami-chan?!

Naru said that you were a busybody — sticking your nose into places you had no business in. But that was the part of you I liked.

You were always so kind. Even when you no longer had a place in this realm, you stayed behind and continued to help other trapped lingering souls.

Although Naru assumed the real reason why you lingered about was because we hadn't found your body yet.

The truth was you stayed for Naru didn't you?

Your biggest regret was leaving Naru behind and being unable to protect the brother you love so much.

Naru, was lucky to have such a caring brother like you…

.

.

I was floating and drifting again. As I opened my eyes I found myself in a dark room.

It was our base, but instead of Lin, Naru was watching over the equipment. However, Naru had not come back yet, so this must be another dream…

I slowly turned to look at Naru. He was smiling again.

Ah.

I really love the way he smiles, but the real Naru would never smile like that.

"Naru?" I asked while lying down. Naru tilted his head towards me — expectant of what I was going to say.

"Do you think we can save Ayami-chan?"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Naru reassured me with a smile.

"And Naru…did you go on a date with Masako?"

Gahhhhh! What am I saying at a time like this?

Naru smiled again, "You're mistaken."

He has such a warm smile…I'm glad that it was just a misunderstanding.

You had a magical hold over me. You always knew what to say to wipe away all my troubles. When it wasn't a vision of death, I always woke up with a lingering warmth in my chest.

But…

Gah! I wish I could crawl in a hole! How embarrassing! I even asked you if your brother went on a date…

Sometimes I wish you would appear in my dreams. Just one more time. So you can guide me again — not through any case…but through my own feelings.

Although I can't exactly ask you whether the person I feel in love with was you or not right?

Naru was always so perceptive with things he could prove with facts and research. Surely, you were the one that was more perceptive regarding feelings and relationships right?

It makes me wonder if you were aware of my feelings for you…?

Was that why you never told me who you really were?

Because you didn't want to hurt me knowing that it was impossible for you to return my feelings for you? Or was there another reason why?

.

.

Without a word, Naru pointed towards something in the darkness —lighting up a white trail.

T-that's the school!

At the end of the trail was the school, but instead of its normal appearance its walls were black and had a white outline. The building was completely transparent.

But instead of being filled with empty desks and chairs, bright globs of light illuminated various parts of the school.

Will-o-wisps.

"What's that? Why are they there?" I asked Naru.

Naru replied, "You'll understand."

Ah…I get it now. The will-o-wisps had evil intentions…

I was always a magnet for danger. But you always managed to warn me of any dangers before I ran head first into them.

If not for you I wonder if I would have ended up dead in one of those cases.

You defied the strings of fate for me.

It was as if there were two paths branching off in front of me every step of the way. There would be a sign pointing to "Death" and another to "Safety", but for some reason I could never seem to read the words on the signs.

Just as I begin heading towards the path to death you would defy the rules of the game and illuminate the path to safety — helping me narrowly escape the hands of death.

You were my savior.

My Guide.

My Guardian.

My Everything.

.

.

This is a dream…

Swimming forward, I saw Naru's figure in front of me.

"Naru, do you know what happened to Masako?"

Naru smiled warmly. Seeing Naru's smile made me feel extremely relieved. Masako must be alive and safe.

Naru moved and pointed to the right.

"That way? Masako is there?"

Naru nodded and smiled before he disappeared — dissipating into the darkness.

I began sprinting towards the direction Naru pointed to find Masako. At the end of the corridor, a door appeared in front of me.

I had seen it before…but where?

Inside was a small hall with stairs towards the second floor. I ran straight up to the second floor. Tracing my memories, I went down the second floor corridor before reaching a door at the end of the corridor. Opening the door, a wide bathroom appeared — the Execution Room.

"Masako?!"

Masako lifted her head, "Mai?"

"Are you ok? Are you injured?"

Masako slowly shook her head.

"We will definitely come rescue you."

"Thank you…" Masako smiled gently, "I am fine. Naru was with me until now."

"Naru?"

"He was here encouraging and reassuring me. It was really strange... He wore an extremely gorgeous smile."

You helped me protect those I held dear to me.

Although we all went into each case confident that we would be able to solve it, there was always an unspoken thought that consistently loomed above us — after all we all went into these cases fully aware that it may be our last. We all put our lives at stake in each and every case.

There was never a guarantee that we would all come back alive…

In the beginning, I didn't know how close I would become with everyone I met, and before I knew it I had an older brother, an older sister, an uncle…I had a family again.

Thank you for helping me protect the family I've always dreamed of.

It means more to me than you'll ever know.

Thank you, Gene.

.

.

"Nao-san! What is this? What are you doing?"

"Ceremony for rebirth…"

"Naru! Ceremony for rebirth?"

"Spirits are drawn to this cave. Dark holes symbolize being born again. She probably wants to go through this to reincarnate as something else."

"Huh? Does that mean I'm a spirit now?"

"Yeah, so you shouldn't get too near. Let's go." Naru said as he held my hand.

"Naru…you said that you guided me into the dream. Did you always do that?"

Naru turned back with a warm smile.

Ah. I see.

All I could think about was the warmth emitting from our joined hands. It was probably the second or third time you held my hand, and little butterflies still fluttered within me.

Before I knew it I started looking forward to seeing you in my dreams. It was a place where nobody could reach us. We were free to be who we wanted to be. It was a place where you dropped that cold exterior you built up so well — a front that wasn't yours.

I was content to stay there forever, but little did I know our time together had already begun ticking down. You seemed so wistful as we discussed the process of rebirth. Were you aware that your own time was coming?

Were you relieved?

Had you finally accomplished all you had stayed for?

If so, I hope I played a role in helping you do so. For I owed you so much that I didn't even know where to begin repaying you for your kindness.

In a way, I'm glad I never found out till you were gone, for it would have been selfish of me to ask you to stay…

.

.

"You've already been steadily becoming more and more capable by yourself, so you should be okay."

"But...how should I persuade them?"

"You should inspire them to increase their light. The most important thing is you have to personally become a thing of light. Although a living person is heavy and abundant so no matter how many plus particles are emitted it won't be easy to reach them." Naru explained.

"And a dead person's self is weak?"

"Very weak."

"Believe in yourself. You can definitely do it." Naru patted my hand gently before disappearing.

You taught me so much. You gave me the power to save those I cherished and cared about.

This was the last time you showed up in my dreams during a case before we found your body…and I realized your true identity.

Looking back on that dream, it almost seemed as if your usually bright smile was sad. You must have known that the end was coming soon. But even then you let me believe that you were Naru…

Why?

You had to have known my feelings. After all I was like an open book and my heart was on my sleeve for everyone to see.

I guess this is what you both had in common. You were both so enigmatic and perplexing.

You saved me countless of times. You held my hands while guiding me to safety. You always greeted me with a warm smile and erased all my fears and worries.

How could I not have fallen for you?

Did you feel the same?

Did you like me back?

Gene I know it's you now…so why won't you answer my call this one last time?

.

.

You were the flashlight that helped me get through the dark.

You always lit the way for me.

Even now your smile is still deeply imprinted in my mind — it was so bright and beautiful.

It was so obvious how vastly different you both were, so why didn't I notice it from the beginning?

Me or Gene?

Gene.