You asked for more, so here it is. I've decided that I'm going to do short chapters for this, as I have quite a bit of uni work to be doing and this way I can update faster.

krisaku: Things aren't going to get better for Naru this chapter I'm afraid.
thearistocrat: Yep, I agree with you, he deserved it. Glad you like it so much!
Ariana Taniyama: Glad you like it, sorry, no N/M this chapter (well, not unless you want to see it), but I can guarentee some later on for you.
Sable Scribe: Not a lot of N/M interaction this chapter, but from the next couple onwards there will be.
Also thanks to AlexaTarot, keywordparamore and Ivi90. The reviews help me write quicker!

Over the next two hours, you call up all the old team; Masako is currently out of the country to film in America, and Yasuhara is firmly ensconced in university life, but the others agree to meet with you and Lin the next day. Bou-san in particular sounds happy to do so; it appears that his life has been rather full of fan-girls the last two years, as he threw himself into the band in the absence of his SPR ventures. You feel a slight twinge of guilt, which you immediately suppress as unhealthy. You have nothing to feel guilty about; they all had lives before SPR, and they have continued them since. Now that you are back they are more than willing to come when you call, just like before. Nothing has changed. You eye the empty desk in the main office, and the empty teacup at your elbow. Better make that almost nothing.

You pick up the newspaper that Lin left you earlier and riffle through it. You feel more out of touch with Japan than you are willing to admit, and hope that by catching up on the news, you will feel more at home here. Funny, you were feeling fine until you went to visit Mai.

Forcibly, you return you attention to the newspaper. There is little of actual interest to you until you reach the fifth page. A banner across the bottom of the page advertises 'NORI - Psychic aid and exorcisms', along with two satisfied customer affidavits and a number to call. The address is also printed in small figures at the very bottom. You frown. The address is just around the corner from here. Apparently, one of your small rivals has cornered the market in your absence, and they are doing well if the size of the advert is anything to go by. Page space in this particular newspaper is not cheap. But are they the real deal, or just very convincing fraudsters?

You fold the newspaper and place it back on your desk, a small smile framing your lips. Finally, something to investigate. You have been back in Japan for two weeks now, and nothing has captured your interest enough to drag you away from organising the office. This is something simple enough to be done by yourself in just a few minutes, and is not only beneficial to the running of SPR, but has come along at the perfect time to take your mind off Mai's empty desk. You reach for your jacket and tell Lin that you are going out for a few minutes. He eyes you as if searching for a reason to disallow it, but apparently finds nothing and nods.

You walk the block to the office, intending to announce yourself as a potential client and use the opportunity to 'read' the office. If there are any genuine psychics working there, your abilities will tell you, and you will have to work even harder than before to compete with the established organisation. If not, then you can expose them for the frauds they are, saving the people of Japan money and yourself some wasted time. It is closed. You check your watch; it is almost 8pm. Not everyone works the whole night like you do, evidently. You turn and walk back to the office, resolving to return in the morning before you meet with Ayako, John and Bou-san.

There is a pressure on your shoulder, and somebody speaks into your ear. You open your eyes, wincing at the light shining into the room through the slat blinds and directly into your eyes. You sit up, realising that once again, you fell asleep at your desk in the office. Lin straightens and hands you a cup of tea. You wait until he leaves the room to pour it away like before. The plant protests at this, its leaves wilting a little. Hot water and greenery do not mix, apparently. Then you catch sight of the clock, and decide that the welfare of one small shrub is not your biggest concern right now – if you want to visit the Nori offices before your meeting, you have to leave now. Swiping your jacket from the back of the chair, you bark at Lin that you will be back in time to greet the others and leave before he can respond. The block passes quickly and this time when you reach the office it is open. You push the door and enter, a small bell ringing overhead.

The office has a main reception area, bedecked with sofas and a coffee table littered with magazines. You resist the urge to scoff; it looks more like a doctor's waiting room than a place of business. A boy of about your own age pokes his head out of one of the five doors leading from the main room and smiles at you winningly. You do not scowl at him, but nor do you smile. He doesn't seem fazed by this.

"Hello, Sir. Can I help you?"

You raise an eyebrow at this. Why would you be here if you didn't want something from them? The boy emerges fully from the other room and bows. You imitate the gesture. Even if you are here as a sceptic, there is no need to be completely rude. The boy produces a clipboard and pen from somewhere and looks at you expectantly.

"Do you have a reservation?"

I wasn't aware I was at a restaurant, you think, but you change your answer to a simpler 'no'. Being acerbic here will not help you find out the truth. The boy nods, smile still in place.

"That's not a problem, you can either make one for later, or we do have a spot open now, if you'd like a consultation right away?"

You nod and provide the boy with the Japanese name you lived under while here last. He doesn't respond to it; either he's new to the business, or your fame was more fleeting than you'd thought. He jots it down on his paper and beams at you once again before vanishing into the room adjacent to the one he emerged from. He reappears very quickly this time devoid of his clipboard, and asks if you want any refreshments. You suggest coffee, and he scurries through yet another door that you assume leads to the kitchen.

You only have to wait perhaps a minute at most before you are beckoned into the room the boy left the clipboard in. You enter and see that, while it isn't quite as informal an environment as the outer office, nor is it as personal as a private office. It has a comfortable-looking sofa and two chairs opposite a desk, on which a laptop and the clipboard are the only things visible. Behind the desk sits a man of about thirty, with thin black hair and pale blue eyes. You sit in the seat directly opposite him, and wonder how best to 'read' the office. Perhaps the laptop?

The man regards you in silence for a few seconds before he speaks. His tone does not quite hide his surprise.

"Shibuya-sama. You were the last person I was expecting to see in these offices. I cannot imagine the situation that would require you to ask for our help."

"You have heard of me then?" you ask, feigning interest. Perhaps this man will provide you with enough information for you to ascertain the validity of the company without having to indulge in your psychometry.

"Certainly, Shibuya-sama. I daresay I know more of your exploits than all of our other competitors combined."

Our competitors. The man knows why you're here, a theory confirmed by his next, carefully-chosen words.

"We are the real deal, Shibuya-sama. I give you my personal guarantee. And if that isn't enough for you, ask my best investigator."

He gestures behind you to the opening doorway. A tray laden with three coffee cups precedes the 'best investigator' into the room. Your stomach clenches again, fast and tight. If you'd eaten this morning, you'd be throwing it up right now. Of course, this is where she works. She couldn't go out and get a normal job, where you wouldn't have to ever see her again. She has to come to work for your biggest competitor. You think back to what he said – 'I daresay I know more of your exploits than all of our other competitors combined'. He knows she used to work for you, and judging by the look in his eye, he is thoroughly looking forward to this reunion.

She sees you as soon as she enters, but besides a slight falter on her second step, doesn't hesitate. She places the tray on the desk and hands one cup to her boss, who takes it with a 'thank you, Mai-san'. The next cup she holds with the ends of her fingertips as she holds it out to you. You nod as you relieve her of it.

"I didn't think you liked coffee" she mutters, just loud enough for you to hear. If her boss notices, he ignores it. She takes the last cup for herself – this is filled with tea, you can smell it from where you sit – and leans against the desk facing you. When she speaks, her words are addressed to her boss, though her eyes never leave your form.

"What is Oliver-san doing here, Keiji-san?"

Keiji looks at you for the answer. You think quickly. Telling her that you are here to see if she is working for a fraudster is going to get you assaulted; besides, you know that there is no way she'd go through with that.

"I wanted to see who my competition was."

You don't realise until after you are finished speaking that there are many ways she could construe that statement, and only the way you intended it is good. Sure enough, her eyes narrow and she almost spits at you.

"There is no competition, Oliver-san."

Even when she's mad at you, she's still keeping to that distant honorific. You know when to fight, and when to give in; this situation definitely falls into the latter category. You have to go anyway; the meeting with Mai's former co-workers is in ten minutes. You stand and excuse yourself, bowing and calling her 'Taniyama-san' to show that you, too, can be distant. It doesn't appear to have any effect. To think, she used to berate Lin and Yasuhara for calling her by her last name.

The air outside the Nori offices is brisk with an early morning breeze, but it is still warmer than the look in Mai's eyes as you left the office. You shiver into your jacket and walk back to SPR.

I'll answer this question before anybody ask it - NORI isn't an abbreviation, like SPR. All will be explained next chapter, or possbily the one after, deoending on how the pagebreaks turn out. Please review, it tells me how well I'm doing, and also let me know if there's anything you'd really like to see happen. I won't promise that I'll do them all, but some might find their way in. Thanks for reading!

Liris
xxx