Disclaimer: All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.

As Mai reached the plaza in Dōgenzaka, a boy approached her.

"Taniyama-senpai!" he greeted.

Mai paused in her trek to the escalator. She recognized the boy as a second year from her high school, but she couldn't remember his name. She was usually good with remembering people's names, but, just recently finishing the college entrance exams, she let a lot of things slip from her mind.

"Hello," Mai returned in greeting.

The boy smiled pleasantly at her, though it left her feeling uneasy.

"We've never gotten the chance to have a conversation," the boy said with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry," Mai politely replied. "I've been very busy with work and exams the past few months. I haven't had much time for socializing."

"That's understandable," the boy smiled.

Mai thought about asking him his name, but for some reason she felt that she just didn't want to know.

"Why don't we get something to eat somewhere?" he suggested. "Or maybe if you'd prefer karaoke—"

"I'm currently busy," Mai interrupted. "I have work and I should be going before I'm late."

It was only half true, of course. Still being a part-timer on hourly wage, she made her own hours. With the exception of investigations, she was able to choose when and how long she worked. But she figured a little white lie was okay in this circumstance.

"...ah," the boy responded in disappointment.

"Take care," she waved before quickly turning.

Mai lightly sprinted towards the escalator in her usual manner. Reaching the second floor, she released a sigh. She really didn't like the vibes that boy gave off and she was more than glad to get rid of him.

"Just a minute, Taniyama-senpai!" the boy called after her.

"Damn it," Mai grumbled under her breath.

She hurried towards the familiar blue-grey door at the end of the hall, trying to ignore him. Once at the door, she quickly attempted to open it, but it seemed to be locked. She had already spoken with Lin that morning, so she knew he and Naru were in today. The fact that the door was locked meant Naru wasn't even willing to talk with clients. This foreshadowed the foul mood he was sure to be in.

Mai sighed inwardly as she grabbed her keys to unlock the door. She was on her way to being in a foul mood, too.

"It seems like no one's in," a voice cooed close to her ear.

Mai jumped in surprise. Turning she glared at the boy from earlier. He was seriously creeping her out, and she was getting ready to lash out if he didn't get the message and leave her be.

"I'm sure someone's here," Mai countered in annoyance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work."

She quickly opened the door and entered the office, trying to close the door behind her, but the boy pushed past her. Looking around, he whistled appreciatively, causing Mai to cringe. It sounded crude compared to what she was used to from Lin.

"This is a really nice office," the boy observed.

Mai roughly set her bag down on the desk next to the entrance before turning to address the intruder.

"Excuse me," she said, "but this is a place of business. If you do not have a request, please leave."

The boy laughed in a none too pleasant manner. Apparently, his misconception that the office was empty, save for them, caused him to drop his polite act.

"Come on, Mai, don't be such a tease," he brashly replied as he reached out for her.

Mai didn't know how it happened, but in the next instant, the boy was face down on the desk, his arm twisted behind his back as Lin held him in place.

"Lin-san!" Mai squeaked.

Lin inclined his head slightly towards Mai.

"Friend of yours, Taniyama-san?" he asked, his voice low and even. His face held no expression.

"Not in the least," Mai replied vehemently.

"Shall I send him out then?" Lin inquired.

Mai nodded empathically.

"Please do," she agreed.

"Wait a minute," the boy complained, "I didn't do anything."

Lin twisted the boy's arm even farther up his back, causing him to cry out in pain.

"If you ever bother Taniyama-san again," Lin coldly informed him, "I'll ensure that you sincerely regret it."

Grabbing his shoulder, Lin roughly pulled the boy from the desk and escorted him to the door. He forcefully threw the boy out of the office, locking the door behind him. He then calmly turned to look at Mai.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

After a moment, Mai snapped out of her state of awe.

"Thanks to you," she admitted. "That guy was being a real pain in the—"

"Taniyama-san," Lin interrupted, his expression serious, "if you're ever in need of assistance, please don't hesitate to call for me. Especially if the circumstances are detrimental to your well being."

Mai stared at him blankly for a moment. His words were so sudden and unexpected. She couldn't help feeling moved by his concern.

"Thank you, Lin-san," she quietly replied.

Lin nodded in response before silently heading in the direction of the resource room.

"Wait, Lin-san!" Mai called at his unexpected departure. "Shouldn't we leave the door unlocked?"

"We're closed for the day," he replied without turning back.

Mai was left standing awestruck as he disappeared.

"...I see," she said to the empty room.

Mai wondered how Lin could be so protective and so distant at the same time. There was an obvious disconnect between his actions and his lack of emotions.

For some reason, Mai couldn't help but feel slightly irritated about this. It just seemed to bother her if she didn't have close relationships with the people around her. Because of this, it was almost unbearable for her how distant Lin acted at times.

There was no doubt that Lin was a very kind-hearted man, but at the same time, he seemed to lack the social graces to maintain close friendships.

"Mai!" came Naru's harsh voice.

Or perhaps Lin was simply running for cover from the inevitable tantrum of their irritable boss.

"That big coward," Mai mumbled, "I thought he said he'd protect me."

"Mai," Naru repeated, appearing before her.

"Yes, Naru?" Mai responded.

"We're out of tea," he informed her, "and office supplies. What am I even paying you for?"

Mai quietly blinked at him before speaking.

"I'm sorry, boss," Mai apologized, "but that's not what you pay me for. That's Yasuhara-san's job."

"And when he's not here," Naru replied in his severe tone, "it's your job. I'm sending you and Lin out shopping for supplies."

Mai smiled somewhat bitterly.

"Why couldn't he go by himself?" she asked.

"He doesn't know the brand of teas you buy," Naru commented, "and he's in charge of the company money, so I told him to just wait until you came in."

"...oh," Mai responded.

It didn't seem like a task that required two people and it still didn't explain why Lin didn't warn her. He had even called this morning to ask what time she would arrive and he hadn't mentioned anything then. It was just another example of his taciturn nature, which perturbed her to no end.

The man in question walked out of the resource room wearing his thin overcoat. Mai narrowed her eyes, directing a cold gaze in his direction.

Lin immediately stopped in his tracks. He stared between Mai and Naru. They were both visibly irritated and he wondered what happened in the short time he went to retrieve his coat. Mai usually wasn't the one throwing around icy glares. Especially not at him.

"...did I do something wrong?" Lin asked cautiously.

"I wish you had mentioned the tea," Mai commented.

Lin glanced at Naru who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Didn't Naru explain everything?" he questioned.

"He did," Mai agreed, "in his condescending tone."

"...ah," Lin mumbled. "I see."

He had a good guess as to why Mai was upset at him. The only question was how he should fix the situation. He knew she would get over it in the next few minutes, but that left a very long, awkward silence in the meantime in which Naru would get more irritated and make the situation worse. He silently bemoaned the irritability of his teenage colleagues.

"...I'm sorry that Naru and I have such difficult personalities?" Lin tried, glancing at Naru.

Naru simply shrugged his shoulders as if to say, 'Why are you even trying?'

"Just go buy me my tea," Naru ordered.

He then retreated to his office, leaving the pair to stare at each other.

Mai placed her hands on her hips. She knew, in truth, that Lin was completely unapologetic about his personality quirks, and she honestly respected that. But, surprisingly, Lin's apology covered most of the reasons she was upset. And at least, she conceded, he was making an effort, which she never would have considered possible in the past.

Mai sighed, releasing her momentary anger.

"No, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I was still upset about what happened when I first got here. We've already discussed your unsociable nature, and though it sometimes hurts, I completely understand. These feelings are my own problem, which sometimes can't be helped."

Lin frowned. He knew his silence sometimes bothered Mai, but he never realized it affected her so deeply. The knowledge made him uncomfortable. He had been putting in an effort to be less reserved around her, but he just couldn't change his nature so easily.

"Taniyama-san, I understand," Lin responded. "But rest assured, I consider you a friend, so you shouldn't take my silence or lack of emotional expression as an indication of otherwise."

A smile appeared on Mai's face. The fact that he considered her a friend made her unbelievably happy.

"I really appreciate that," she admitted.

Lin nodded and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," she replied.

After her confirmation, Lin moved to the door to hold it open for her. Nodding to him in thanks, she exited the office, leading the way down the hall to the escalator. They headed to the plaza and stopped near the water fountain.

"Please lead the way," Lin requested.

Mai was quiet for a few moments as she decided which direction they should go. She supposed they only needed to go to the grocer and the office supply store, but if they were going on a shopping expedition…

"Let's keep it low key," Lin added after seeing the glint in Mai's eyes.

"But that's no fun," Mai complained.

"Please, Taniyama-san," he entreated, "large crowds make me uncomfortable. I prefer to avoid them as much as possible."

Mai looked at him sympathetically.

"Lin-san, just give me the money and I can go by myself," she offered.

"No," Lin insisted. "I'm not going to make you carry everything by yourself."

Mai sighed in exasperation. Now things made sense.

"Let me see if I understand this correctly," she stated. "You don't shop because you hate crowds, which means you don't know where anything is, but you're too polite to make me carry everything, so that's why you waited for me to join you."

Lin looked thoughtful for a moment.

"...that's correct," he acknowledged.

Mai smiled.

"I can't believe you and Naru are so shy," she commented. "I thought Mori-san was just joking, but you really are."

"I prefer the term introverted," he replied.

"Is there a difference?" she asked.

"Shyness is more of a fear of how people will judge you," he explained. "Introversion, on the other hand, is a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments."

"I would say that's very much like you," Mai responded. "But you're not even a little shy?"

"There's a time and place for everything," he remarked.

"I see," Mai replied. "Well then, I've made up my mind."

Lin raised his brows questioningly.

"We'll go this way," she announced as she pointed down the street.

They began walking down the street in the direction Mai had indicated. Though it was only early evening, the sidewalk was packed with shoppers. Foreigners could be seen every now and then among the mass of people.

As they walked, the large crowd caused Mai to bump into Lin. With her small frame against his tall sturdy one, Mai ended up stumbling slightly while Lin stayed firm on his feet.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Lin placed his hand on Mai's shoulder to steady her. The crowd continued to mill about them, easily avoiding the pair without even glancing their way.

Mai had never realized until this moment just how solidly built Lin was. Obviously she knew he was athletic, but somehow they had never been this close except that one time in the well…

Mai shook her head, blushing at the memory. She wondered why she always ended up at the bottom of holes with guys.

"Taniyama-san, are you alright?" Lin asked after several moments of silence.

"Sorry, Lin-san," Mai apologized, trying not to blush even harder.

"It's fine," he said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," Mai reassured with an embarrassed smile.

Lin nodded, satisfied that she was alright, and continued walking. As they walked, Mai tried to think of something to talk about. It was true that they had conversations every now and then, but she still found it tough to find a common topic of interest that would keep Lin talking.

"So," Mai tried, "this is very domestic, don't you think?"

Lin briefly glanced towards her.

"Domestic?"

"You know, shopping together, like a family..." Mai trailed off. She had no idea why she brought that up.

Lin slightly furrowed his brow and gave Mai another quick glance. He wasn't sure if she had a point or if she was just talking to talk. He thought it might be the latter.

"Is that so?" he asked cautiously.

"...yeah," Mai replied hesitantly.

She cringed slightly at her wavering voice, hating how difficult it always was to hold a conversation with the man. When she was alone with Lin, she was always desperately searching for something to say. Sometimes it made her so uncomfortable that she had to escape for a bit.

"Lin-san!" yelled a feminine voice.

Mai was broken from her thoughts. Both she and Lin turned in the direction of the voice.

Lin recognized the woman immediately and suddenly panicked. He quickly grabbed Mai's forearm and began to drag her along.

"Wait a minute, Lin-san, what's going on?" Mai asked.

"Taniyama-san, we need to go, now," he replied, his voice full of urgency.

Lin picked up his pace, pulling Mai behind him.

"Is she one of your jilted lovers or something?" Mai asked out of nowhere.

Lin stopped abruptly and immediately turned to Mai.

"No," he said firmly.

"Lin-san!" the woman called once again.

"Please, Taniyama-san, I promise I'll explain later," he pleaded before quickly picking up the pace again.

Mai didn't know what was going on, but she found it kind of exciting. There had to be some kind of juicy story behind all of this and they were being chased. Well, she didn't really like the being chased part.

Lin turned suddenly, pulling Mai down a small lane with fewer people. They quickly hurried past the small shops and cafes. Looking over her shoulder, Mai could see the woman was still following them.

"She's persistent," Mai grumbled.

Ignoring her words, Lin tugged on Mai's hand, urging her to move faster. He was so preoccupied with escaping the woman, that he failed to realize the lane abruptly ended with no way out except back.

When they reached the dead end, Lin began to panic even more. He frantically looked around, eyes wide as he tried to find a way out when there was none.

Considering the fact that Lin practically had nerves of steel and rarely panicked, Mai grew worried by his unusual behavior and began to panic herself.

"Lin-san!" she cried.

When he quickly swiveled towards her, Mai did the only thing she could think of to remedy the situation.

Grabbing his tie, she pulled Lin down to her level and placed her lips against his. His eyes widened further in shock and she quickly grabbed his face to keep him from breaking the kiss.

In the next instant, Lin had his fingers tangled in Mai's hair, his lips pressed firmly against hers. He had never realized kissing someone could feel so incredible.

Mai released a surprised squeak as she felt her back press against the wall. The surprise was momentary as she melted into the kiss, forgetting her surroundings.

Neither noticed the woman witnessing their kiss, a look of surprise and hurt on her face. She quickly left the two in privacy.

Mai unconsciously released a small moan, and before she knew what was happening, Lin had suddenly pulled away. He covered his eyes with one hand.

"...Mai," he muttered.

Groaning in frustration, he brought his hands up to cradle his head. He quickly turned on the spot, facing away from her.

"Lin-san, I'm so sorry!" Mai exclaimed. "I panicked."

Too caught up in his own thoughts, Lin didn't directly respond to her.

"...bad thoughts," he mumbled imperceptibly. "Bad, bad thoughts."

"Lin-san," Mai said, tugging on his coat to get his attention, "please talk to me."

Lin turned towards her, his face a mixture of emotions. Mai was startled by his expression.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I was only trying to help you get rid of that woman."

He stared at her vacantly for a moment before he gently lowered his head, attempting to regain his composure.

"Thank you," he quietly replied.

"Who was she anyway?" Mai wondered. "An ex-girlfriend?"

Lin quickly raised his head, giving Mai an inscrutable expression.

"Of course not," he said. "She's just someone I used to have classes with when I studied abroad here. She used to always bother me."

"Well, if you kissed her like that…" she trailed off, unsure of where that thought was going.

Lin frowned at Mai.

"I never kissed her," he insisted.

Mai smiled at his instant denial.

"You're an interesting guy," she pointed out. "I'm sure a few girls have wanted to kiss you. It must be the bad boy attitude."

"I'm not that kind of guy," Lin insisted. "I wouldn't— I'm sorry I kissed you like that."

"Honestly, it was pretty incredible," Mai confessed unintentionally.

She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, shocked by her own confession.

Lin's eyes widened slightly. It took him a moment to reign himself back in.

"Taniyama-san," he remarked, "you really are something else."

Mai couldn't help giggling slightly. The whole situation seemed a little insane.

"I could say the same of you," she countered with a smile.

"Why don't we just forget that happened," he suggested.

Mai shrugged.

"If you insist," she replied nonchalantly. It was all just too surreal for her to freak out about a kiss.

"I do," Lin agreed. "Now let's go finish the shopping."

He turned to make his way back to the main street.

"Wait, Lin-san!" Mai called as she grabbed his sleeve.

Lin turned back to face her. He didn't reply, but Mai was used to that by now.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she expressed sincerely. "We both got lost in the moment and I know it didn't mean anything."

A small smile appeared on Lin's face.

"Taniyama-san, it's alright," he reassured. "It was a favor from one friend to another with the added benefit of being enjoyable."

Mai lightly laughed.

"It was, wasn't it?" she remarked.

Lin nodded in agreement.

"Let's finish our errands," he said.

~oOo~

On their way back, they happened to run into Yasuhara and Ayako by the plaza fountain.

"Good evening," Yasuhara greeted. "Where have you two been?"

"Buying the office supplies you forgot to order," Mai replied icily.

Yasuhara gently frowned before his eyes widened slightly. He scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"I knew I forgot something before I left," Yasuhara said feebly.

"So what are you doing here?" Mai asked. "I thought you were taking the next two weeks off."

"I am," Yasuhara confirmed, "but the boss wanted me to research something."

"Oh?" Mai asked.

"Yup," Yasuhara said as he patted his bag. "I've got some interesting documents for him."

"Alright," Mai responded. "What about you, Ayako?"

"I was in the area doing some shopping," Ayako replied. "So, I thought I'd stop in to visit."

"Same as always," Mai grumbled.

"I can afford these luxuries," Ayako boasted, "unlike a certain poor, unfortunate street urchin I know."

"Hey!" Mai protested, planting a foot angrily on the ground. "I'm not that poor!"

Lin, who had been quietly listening to their banter, suddenly placed a hand on Mai's shoulder.

"Taniyama-san," Lin spoke up. "Perhaps we should move this conversation inside. We're drawing a lot of attention to ourselves."

Looking around, Mai could see people staring at them. This caused her to flush in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking down.

Lin placed a hand on Mai's back and gently pushed her in the direction of the escalator.

"Never mind that," he told her. "We shouldn't make Naru wait any longer."

"That's true," Mai agreed as she began walking to the escalator. "He's already in a bad mood."

"Oh no," Yasuhara playfully fretted, following behind Mai. "Was it because I forgot the copy paper. I know how he loves the copy paper."

Mai shot a glare over her shoulder at Yasuhara.

"You know it was because of the tea," she said coldly. "Besides the fact that he can't have caffeine on demand, we can't entertain clients without refreshments."

"Has he had any caffeine today?" Yasuhara asked.

Lin turned sideways on the escalator, looking back at the group.

"I bought him tea from the cafe this morning," Lin informed them, "and he had some with lunch."

"He should be fine then," Ayako cut in.

Deciding her comment didn't need a reply, Lin turned to face forward once again, remaining silent.

Ayako crossed her arms, slightly offended by his brush off. She leaned forward to whisper in Mai's ear.

"How do you deal with that guy?" Ayako quietly questioned.

"Huh?" Mai said as she stepped off the escalator. "Lin-san?"

Hearing Mai say his name, Lin stopped on his trek to the door and turned to look at her.

"Mai!" Ayako shrieked, slapping the girl on her arm. "Be quiet."

"Ow," Mai whined, rubbing her arm.

Lin looked at the two women in alarm.

"Taniyama-san, are you alright?" he asked.

"There's your answer," Mai grumbled at Ayako. "He's just a nice guy."

Lin tilted his head, giving Mai a questioning look.

"Ayako was just wondering how I deal with your wonderful personality," Mai answered.

Lin lightly smiled at Mai's comment.

"I'm sure she was," he responded.

He shook his head, turning to follow Yasuhara into the office.

"He seems to like you," Ayako commented.

"Well, we are friends," Mai replied.

"It isn't more than that?" Ayako asked.

Mai frowned at Ayako. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Of course you wouldn't understand," Ayako responded.

She turned to follow the rest of the group inside.

"Come make the tea," Ayako said over her shoulder before disappearing into the office.

"Even now, I still have to make the tea," Mai grumbled. "Five cups coming right up."

When Mai walked into the office, it was to see Lin, Naru and Yasuhara standing in a group looking over some documents and Ayako sitting on one of the sofas waiting for her tea.

"Mai, tea," Naru said without looking up.

"Which tea would you like?" Mai asked, already knowing which one she would make.

"Any is fine," Naru said in a bored tone.

"Assam tea, then," Mai said to herself as she walked to the kitchen.

A long time ago, when she first started working here, Mai had developed a system for making tea. Different days called for different teas. She decided Assam tea would be for tough days, and that's what today seemed like.

After the tea was finished brewing, Mai brought it out on a tray. She set the tray on the table and began handing out the cups. Yasuhara came over to the sofa to join Ayako. Mai took two cups over to Lin and Naru.

"Thank you," Lin mumbled as he took a cup.

He was reading over a set of the documents brought by Yasuhara and distractedly walked over to one of the desks by the front door. He sat down, setting his cup aside.

"I'll take mine in my office," Naru order.

"Yes, boss," Mai replied, discreetly rolling her eyes.

She followed him to his office and set his cup of tea on the desk.

"Anything else?" Mai asked.

"No," Naru responded.

Mai lightly bowed before retreating from his office.

"Can never win with that guy," Mai mumbled to herself.

"Love troubles, Taniyama-san?" Yasuhara asked sympathetically.

"As if," Mai responded, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "I couldn't even make it through a first date with that guy."

"But you're still holding out hope, right?" Ayako asked.

Lin looked up, suddenly interested in the conversation. He couldn't deny that he was curious how Mai felt towards Naru. It had long been speculated among their group.

"No way," Mai denied. "That guy is only interested in his research."

"Then why haven't you had a boyfriend in the whole time that you've known him?" Ayako inquired.

"I—I'm just waiting for the right guy to come along," Mai stammered. "It's not as if I need a boyfriend to feel secure about myself."

"Tch," Ayako responded in irritation. "They have their uses. But you wouldn't know, would you? You probably haven't ever had a boyfriend."

"So what!" Mai exclaimed, standing from her perch on the sofa.

"Just as I thought," Ayako said with a smirk. "I bet you haven't even had your first kiss yet."

"That's not true!" Mai protested.

She instinctively looked at Lin as she said that. His eyes widened slightly as they made eye contact. Mai quickly looked away in panic. She didn't want him to know he was her first kiss. At the time, it hadn't seemed like such a big deal. After the fact, she was just glad it had been with an older, more experienced guy with the decency to not take advantage of her.

"I've kissed plenty of guys," Mai bluffed.

When she looked back at Lin, his eyes had widened further in shock. Now she felt even worse. She wished she hadn't said that.

"You big liar," Ayako accused. "I bet you've never even been approached romantically by a guy."

"That's not true," Mai mumbled, lowering her head.

Now Mai felt bad for a number of reasons, least of which was her lack of experience. She knew she shouldn't even feel bad at her lack of experience, but it didn't help that Ayako was making fun of her.

"I've kissed Taniyama-san," Lin suddenly confessed.

Mai quickly looked up at Lin, surprised that he would admit that. She realized he was trying to protect her again. She supposed that she must have looked extremely pitiful just now.

"What!?" Ayako shrieked in shock. "Why am I only just hearing about this? Are you two dating now?"

Mai snapped her head in Ayako's direction.

"It didn't mean anything!" she insisted.

"Wow," Yasuhara interjected, "way to stab a guy in the heart and twist the knife."

"It isn't like that," Mai tried again. "We're just friends."

"A friendly kiss before dooming him to the friend-zone," Yasuhara pointed out.

"I didn't doom him to the friend-zone," Mai protested.

"So you're saying you'd date him?" Ayako asked.

"I—I…" Mai was speechless.

It wasn't as if she wouldn't consider it, but she had never thought about it before now.

"I'm far too old for Taniyama-san," Lin admitted. "She can do much better and she shouldn't feel ashamed for waiting for the right guy to come along."

"He's so self-sacrificing," Yasuhara gushed. "He's definitely perfect for Mai."

Mai sat heavily on the sofa, burying her face in her hands.

"You two are jerks," she muttered.

There was a moment of silence as Lin glared at Ayako and Yasuhara.

"I should be going now," Yasuhara said suddenly.

"Me too," Ayako added.

Mai could hear the bell ring on the door as they hurriedly left, but she refused to look up. A moment later, she felt the sofa dip beside her.

"I'm sorry," Lin apologized. "I shouldn't have told them, but I thought it might help. I see now that I only made it worse."

"You don't always have to protect me," Mai insisted, "besides I don't have that much experience."

Lin frowned. "But you said…"

"I lied," she confessed. "I didn't want you to know you were my first kiss, but now I think it's worse to let you believe that I kiss just anyone."

"I'm sorry," Lin apologized again. He didn't think about it being her first kiss. "It should have been different."

Mai quickly looked up.

"I told you I enjoyed it," she reminded him.

"But the situation wasn't ideal," he gently argued, "and I was somewhat aggressive."

"Lin-san," Mai said seriously, "I know most of the time you're a gentle person, but I don't mind you being aggressive."

"I don't necessarily have any qualms about it," Lin explained, "it's who I am sometimes. However, it isn't right for me to be that way with you. I've said and done some harsh things in the past, and I regret that."

"I thought we agreed not to dwell on the past," Mai remarked.

"We did," Lin agreed.

"And besides," Mai pointed out, "I'm not exactly the sensitive type. I have some rough edges, too."

Lin faintly laughed.

"I realize that," he admitted. "I think it's one of your best traits, actually."

Mai tilted her head in thought. She really cared about Lin, and regardless of all the awkward silences, they seemed to have good chemistry, so she wondered why they had never developed a romantic relationship.

"Lin-san, do you want to try dating?" she suddenly asked.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"You mean us, together?" he questioned seriously.

"Why not?" Mai shrugged. "You already took my first kiss."

"I think it was the other way around," Lin commented.

"I took your first kiss!?" Mai blurted.

Lin looked down, a slight flush rising to his cheeks.

"That's— that's not exactly what I meant," he stammered.

Mai lightly laughed.

"You don't have to tell me," she reassured, "but I hope I was."

Lin raised his hand to his forehead to nervously rub at his temple.

"Well, until this point, I've been..." he hesitated a moment, "I guess you could say celibate."

"Really?" Mai responded in surprise.

Lin nodded.

"One of the many forms of abstinence that I practice," he remarked somewhat self-deprecatingly.

"For the same reason you're a vegetarian?" Mai asked.

"Somewhat," Lin replied. "It's more about self-discipline."

"I see," Mai remarked, smiling slightly. "You're shy around women, aren't you?"

A small twitch of a smile reached Lin's lips.

"That's half of it," he admitted. "But you should also know that I've been training my entire life to be an expert in my field. Those types of things have hardly ever crossed my mind. I haven't even really had the desire to kiss anyone, let alone anything more."

Mai was quiet for a moment in thought. From their earlier 'mishap', it seemed like Lin was perfectly capable of being sexual. And though he hadn't agreed to the possibility of dating, he hadn't outright refused either.

Taking a risk, Mai reached out, gently taking Lin's tie into her hand.

"Do you want to kiss me?" she asked as she rubbed the fabric of his tie between her fingers.

Lin's breath caught in his throat at the sudden intimacy. He swallowed with some difficulty.

"I— I wouldn't object to it," he spoke softly, remembering the kiss they had already shared.

Raising her eyes, Mai tugged on Lin's tie, causing him to turn in her direction. She looked at him expectantly.

Hoping he was reading her correctly, Lin leaned down. When she didn't pull away, he pressed his lips to hers. He felt a small thrill run through his body at the feel of her soft lips.

After a moment, Mai tugged on his tie again, pulling him closer. He quickly grabbed the back of the sofa with one hand for support, gripping it tightly as she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck.

He was trying to prevent himself from pressing Mai down on the sofa, but she was kissing him enthusiastically and he was finding it hard to control himself.

"Taniyama-san," Lin gasped, pulling away, "we shouldn't do this."

Mai's expression quickly became downcast.

"...why?" she questioned.

"It isn't the time or place," he explained.

"Oh," she said in relief. "I thought you meant we shouldn't do it at all."

Lin shook his head.

"I would definitely regret that decision," he admitted.

"So…" Mai hazard, "does that mean you want to try dating?"

Lin sighed as he ran his fingers through his long forelock.

"Perhaps we should discuss it over dinner," he suggested.

"Tonight?" Mai asked hopefully.

"I would think so," he agreed. "How hungry are you at this moment?"

As if it had a mind of its own, Mai's stomach growled in response. She laughed lightly in embarrassment.

"I guess that means I'm pretty hungry," she admitted.

Lin smiled gently as he thought of how cute she looked while flustered. He paused at the thought. He never realized until just now how often those sorts of things came to his mind. After today, he really had to reconsider how he felt about Mai.

Slowly blinking away his stray thoughts, Lin decided he needed to get back on topic.

"Given that the office is closed for the day, perhaps Naru won't mind if we leave now," he concluded.

"Naru?" Mai asked suddenly.

"Yes," Lin nodded, "we'll have to let him know we're both leaving."

"Oh," she murmured.

"If you prefer, I can talk to him for the both of us," he offered.

"Okay," Mai agreed, "but don't tell him we're going on a date."

Lin frowned slightly.

"I didn't plan to," he admitted.

Mai nodded absently, but didn't say anything more.

Lin gave her a quizzical look before heading to Naru's office. He quickly informed Naru that he and Mai were leaving early for the day to eat dinner. Naru's reply was a simple nod and a mumbled, "I'm not hungry."

Once Lin returned to the main office, the pair grabbed their coats and headed out. Mai left it to Lin to choose the restaurant. Once they arrived and were seated, they quietly chose their meals and placed their orders before Mai finally spoke up.

"Well," Mai prompted, "what do you think? Should we give dating a try?"

Lin exhaled lightly and paused a moment to nervously straighten his silverware.

"I'm having a difficult time looking at the situation objectively," he finally admitted.

"Why is that necessary?" Mai wondered.

"Well," Lin began, "what's the overall goal of 'trying it out'?"

Mai shrugged.

"To be happy, I guess," she replied. "There is no real goal at this point."

Lin contemplated her words for a moment. She didn't seem to have any expectations of where this relationship might lead, but he already knew he couldn't take things beyond dating. Therefore, he didn't see much point in it in the first place.

Even so, his attraction to her was making it hard to say no. He desperately wanted to kiss her again. It was a new feeling for him. But he needed to know that this was more than sexual. If he was going to allow himself to open up to someone, he wanted there to be something else.

"Besides our newly discovered sexual attraction, do you think there's any validity to us forming a romantic relationship?" Lin asked.

Mai tilted her head slightly in thought.

"I think there is," she finally replied.

"Is that so?" Lin inquired.

"Well, I admit that I have no idea what may come of this," Mai responded, "but I know without a doubt that you're an important part of my life. I love you as a dear friend. But even so, I hardly know anything about you. I'd like to know more."

"If that's the case," Lin said, "then why not just spend more time together without dating?"

Mai lightly exhaled.

"I can't say for sure," she admitted. "There's just this feeling inside telling me it's the right thing. If we don't at least try, I'll always wonder. And if it doesn't work out, then I'll at least know."

"So, it would be like a trial run then?" he asked.

Mai pursed her lips slightly in annoyance.

"It's bad to think of it that way," she admonished. "I'm talking about exploring a deeper form of companionship. After all this time, I can't help caring very deeply for you, even loving you. I've always hoped you would reciprocate my feelings in some small way. And maybe it's strange, but I miss having someone close to share experiences with. And not just the near death ones we face at work."

There was a brief pause as Lin considered his words.

"I've never actually said this to anyone," he began cautiously, "but I can readily admit that I do love you as well. I think we've developed a very good friendship, and it's something that I cherish. Even so, I don't know if I can give you what you're looking for. I can't promise a future together."

In spite of him admitting that he reciprocated her feelings, Mai couldn't help feeling a little depressed. She felt her eyes begin to water and quickly looked down, trying to blink away the potential onslaught of tears. She wouldn't cry over being rejected.

"I'm a little disappointed," she said quietly. "I thought…"

"Taniyama-san," Lin said suddenly, "I haven't said no."

Mai quickly looked up at him, but remained quiet. He knew he had to stop dragging this out. His mind was telling him he should say no, but he already knew he wouldn't. He just couldn't get his logic to stop warring with the rest of him.

"While there are things I can never give you," he told her, "I can't refuse you. I just can't bring myself to do it. I've realized that I want you whether or not it's logical."

Mai nervously fidgeted with the napkin in her lap.

"Does that mean you want to pursue a romantic relationship?" she asked hesitantly, fighting the sensation to throw up.

"I do," he agreed, "but I think we should set some boundaries."

"Such as?" she asked, feeling extremely relieved.

"What happened today in the office can't happen again," he explained. "We need to maintain our professionalism, especially during investigations."

"I agree," she replied.

"Secondly, I'd like us to be on a first name basis," he requested, "but again, not while we're at work."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Mai said, nodding emphatically.

"And finally," he continued, "I'd like to keep our relationship private."

Mai hesitated a moment before replying.

"I can live with that," she conceded. "There are plenty of things in my life that I prefer to keep private."

Seeing a hint of sadness in her eyes, Lin stared at her intently. There were so many things he still didn't know about her. And not just the little things. He had no idea about the details of those major events that impacted her life so drastically.

She was so often a strong willed and carefree girl, that he sometimes forgot the sadness and depth that pervaded her character. She had suffered a great deal of hardships in her life, yet she had always kept them to herself.

He couldn't help wanting to protect her. Which in turn made him wonder if he just had a soft spot for orphans.

"I'm usually used to your brooding," Mai commented, "but I can't help wondering what caused it this time."

Lin blinked at her words, focusing his eyes back on her face. He remained silent. He had lost the thread of their conversation and was trying to remember where they had left off. What had caused him to feel so woeful all of a sudden?

"I apologize," he finally spoke, "but what were we talking about?"

Mai gave him a doubtful look.

"Keeping our relationship private," she replied.

"Ah," Lin nodded. He remembered now.

Mai giggled slightly.

"How deep did you go into that brain of yours?" she asked.

"Not very," he replied. "I was just thinking that I'd like to know certain things about you, but they aren't appropriate for a first date."

Mai blushed crimson.

"I— I didn't take you for the lecherous type," she stammered.

Lin's eyes widened considerably.

"You're mistaken," he said quickly. "I just wanted to know more about your family."

"Oh," Mai responded. Now she understood. "That's not something I talk about often."

"I know," he acknowledged, "but it's a large part of who you are and I'd like to understand you better."

"I don't mind telling you, but…"

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter bringing them their food, and distracted by dinner, they lapsed into a silence.

After dinner the pair departed the restaurant and Lin offered to escort Mai home. She accepted his offer and he ended up walking her all the way to her doorstep.

They stood before Mai's door in an awkward, yet somehow comfortable silence. Lin found that he liked being with Mai, but the sexual tension between them had him on edge. He wondered if he should kiss her again.

Making a decision, Lin stepped forward, taking Mai's chin into his hand. He tilted her head slightly up and she closed her eyes. Looking down at her, he lightly wetted his lips. He slowly leaned down, preparing to kiss her on the mouth. At the last moment, though, he lost his nerve and kissed her forehead instead.

Mai opened her eyes in surprise.

Pulling back, Lin stared down at her and she quietly stared back.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, shaking his head. "I know we've already kissed, but suddenly I'm nervous."

"Because there's no reason to stop," Mai quietly replied.

"What?" he asked.

"You're afraid you won't be able to stop yourself," Mai clarified.

"How did you know?" he wondered.

"Don't you remember? I'm the girl with the sixth sense," she declared playfully.

"I remember," Lin said fondly.

"Besides," Mai added, "we've kissed twice now. Both times you wanted more, but you stopped yourself."

Lin sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"I guess I'm conflicted," he admitted.

"Don't feel bad," she replied comfortingly. "You're just trying to protect me. It seems to be instinctual with you. Eventually, I'd like more, but for now we can take it slow."

After telling Lin that, Mai stood on her tiptoes and pulled him down to kiss his cheek.

"I think you're really adorable," she whispered in his ear before letting go of him.

Once her feet were flat on the ground again, she took his hands in hers and squeezed them reassuringly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she told him.

Feeling determined to end it at that, Lin nodded. He was slightly disappointed that he hadn't kissed her, but he truly was afraid of his newly awakened desire.

"Tomorrow," he said, placing one last chaste kiss on her forehead.

She smiled at the sweetness of his actions before turning to head inside. Giving him one final look, she closed the door behind her.

Lin stared at her closed door for a moment before turning to leave, but his feet just wouldn't cooperate. Unable to leave it at that, he turned back to knock on Mai's door. After a moment, she opened it.

"Did you forget—"

Mai's words were cut off as Lin grabbed her and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. He didn't hesitate this time as he pressed his lips against hers. After a moment, he pulled back slightly and smiled at Mai's dazed expression.

"I couldn't leave without doing that," he explained.

"I'm glad you came back," she whispered.

"So am I," he murmured before kissing her again.

After a moment, Mai pulled back slightly.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked.

"I think we should leave it at this for now," he told her quietly.

"Okay," Mai nodded.

Finding it difficult to let her go, Lin continued to hold her in his arms.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Mai asked again.

"I shouldn't," he insisted.

"Alright," Mai replied, taking his arms from around her. "You better go before I don't let you."

Lin nodded gently.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's just difficult."

Mai lightly laughed.

"I prefer it that way," she confessed. "Now go."

She laughed again as he continued to hesitate, and pushed him out of her doorway.

"Good night," she waved.

"Good night," he said as she smiled and closed her door once more.

With that, he left to return to his apartment.