Ah, finally...the last, longest and most boring chapter! Big-big-big thank you for everyone who has taken your precious time to read and review. I really appreciate every word that you gave me, your comments, your ideas, your criticism, everything…I want to hug you all.

Sorry about the long update, I was converting kanji into letters for the whole characters of a certain novel. I guess I was too preoccupied, and my eyes hurt. He he he… And for hakuMeyen who has a national exam in this month, I can only wish you good luck. Good luck!

The last disclaimer: I want to have Ghost Hunt!

Oh, by the way, Gene and Naru in the back cover of the last volume of Ghost Hunt were so cute… I hate that last book, really, because it so sad! I just read it once and never more; usually I always reread my manga. And I kind of disappointed because Shiho Inada-sensei abandoned the part of the novel where Naru poked Mai's head teasingly, he told Mai that Takigawa's explanation was too much for her poor brain. That's a simple gesture, but coming from Naru, for me it was one from his so not often cute affection toward Mai. Hics!

Chapter 17

"It's so unusual for you to come to my house without me asking you," said Masako, opened her front door widely for Naru. "Just come in and make it your own place. Everyone is out for vacation so basically my house is empty. I wish I could go too, but my assignment bound my feet. I was in library with my friend when you called me, which was why I couldn't talk much, sorry."

Masako directed Naru to her room at the second floor, with little balcony facing the front beautiful garden. There was a pretty bench but Naru chose to lean his bottom onto the leaves ornamented steel railing.

"I want to talk," Naru said softly. The sun had already waved its hand to this side of the earth. The old garden stone lamps which decorated the little artificial landscape behind his back were glowing with their warm lights, but Naru ignored them. His face was calm and serious, an expression that could make the weeping toddler cried hysterically more.

"Of course, you always come to talk about things. Is there any new case? Ah, how rude of me, I'll get something to drink for you." Masako disappeared behind the door so fast, even Naru had no chance to stop her.

Naru spent his waiting time by checking an opened book on the bench, a book that discussed the of so-called modern civilization, compared it with what was referred to as ancient stage of the history where everyone considered it as a manual era. Naru put the book back on its original place. As an exception for this day, he didn't feel like reading. Masako seemed taking her time, so Naru just looked around, feeling a little out of place as usual. Actually he has several times entered this so girly room, but this was the first time he took his surrounding into his full attention. Was it because he felt a little nervous or just his conscious feeling that this would be his last to step his feet into this room?

Blue, the color of the room was blue with different shades, ranging from light to dark. For Naru, that was what Masako's room in his memory. As a typical male indifferent human, he has been used to pay less attention to the pots on the balcony where he stood which contained all kind of plants like azalea, daisy, chrysanthemum, bonsai cherry tree and even a small yuzu tree. Or to the dark brown cabinet which seemed so old that its history could be traced till the days of war. Or to the colorful pillows on the bed that refreshed the overall impression. Or to a classical painting on the wall which depicted a fisherman who tried to catch a big kajiki. Or to a messy desk in the corner which books and papers lay all over it. But today he put them all into his memory, before he buried it later.

Masako suddenly popped up from behind the door, carrying a tray with two cups of tea and a biscuit jar on it. She placed it on the wooden bench beside him and smiled brightly, "Well, will you be here until dinner?"

"No, it probably won't take that long."

"So what do you want to talk about?" said Masako quietly as she sat on the empty side of the bench.

Naru hid his hands deep inside his pockets and stared at the pale floor, "It's time to put our relationship to an end."

That Naru, always shot right at the target point. He never bothered himself to mince his words, or even eased the feeling of the one he'd put into misery with his bad news. Was it hard to compose words for the opening like: "I'm so grateful to have you by my side for this three whole years, but-" or "I really enjoyed my three years together with you, but-" or "the moment I spent with you is very precious to me, but-", even if those were all just lie, empty words.

"What do you mean by end?" Masako clenched her fist as her heart felt like it has been electrocuted.

Naru looked at her directly into her eyes; his eyes were deep and calculating. And then, his cold voice tore Masako's heart, "About you and me, our engagement, the wedding plan, we should end it. It won't work and you won't be happy with someone like me."

Masako bit her lower lip. From the beginning, ever since Matsuzaki told her, since she opened the door, since she let him into her room, she already knew that that harsh verdict would come out from his mouth. She already prepared herself but nevertheless, her heart was still crying. Could she-... Couldn't she-... No, she could not and should not. How embarrassing and pathetic she was. But this was her last chance, to ask and to plead. So maybe...

"You're going to leave me for Mai? For Makoto and Mamoru?" said Masako in no less cold voice. She was hoping that Naru didn't recognize the desperate tone in it.

Naru just remained silent, his handsome face was expressionless. That was the answer for her question. Maybe, in Naru's complicated mind, didn't respond verbally would reduce the painful effect that Masako felt. She turned her pretty head away.

"Couldn't you...," Masako's voice quivered. She didn't want to express her distress, but she couldn't help it. Although she has determined herself to keep her head up and smiled pridefully, but her heart said another. These two opposite desires of her were battling each other within herself now. "But you love me, right? Naru? Do you leave me because you feel guilty for your sons?"

'Stop! Don't say another word! Let him go!'

With teary eyes, Masako looked at Naru whom still kept his silence. He was staring at the teacup as if it was an ancient Egyptian artifact which any time would scream curses at him.

"Do you think you will be happy with Mai? You can still show your responsibility even if you're not with her, this worked alright before..."

Masako wanted to bite her tongue off because in truth, every word that it spoke only hurt her more. She didn't even know why she said those all. And Naru was still not giving a single word that only made Masako wanted to scream and slapped his face with the tray and poured that hot tea onto his head.

"It would be unfair for the kids or Mai if you do that just because you feel like you have to. We can still find other ways…right, Naru?"

With trembling hand Masako straightened the hem of her blouse. Flashes of memories when she slipped the ring into his finger, as they walked into the restaurant with intertwined fingers, while Naru helped her walking across a stony river in one of their cases, when they were discussing something, when she gave him the home made chocolate cake at Valentine Day, when she slipped a secret gift into his bag at his birthday...

"I love Mai," Naru's firm reply destroyed all those happy pictures. Somehow, his voice wasn't devoid of any emotion like usual.

Masako lifted her head. Beads of tear were no longer stoppable. Finally, those words... She didn't know whether all this time she actually waited for Naru to spit those words onto her. Her dream was ripped into pieces, her heart shattered unrecognizable and her life was split irreparable. But at least with that truthful declaration she was able to completely throw her pathetic hope away, she would be able to live and rise again with no false future map that never failed to blindfold her.

"B-but I love you..." Masako said again in a cracked voice. "What do you see in Mai? What does she have that I don't? What make Mai better than me? I will change myself, I'd be even better than her."

'Oh no, why would I still begging like this?'

Masako was sobbing slightly, her hands clutched her own skirt so tight until her knuckles turned white. "Even after all this time, couldn't you give your heart to me, even just a remnant, even only a scrap? I love you so much; I'm willing to do anything for you..."

'Stop! Stop! Don't say even a word anymore, don't lower yourself like that! You're so stupid, Masako!'

"Mai-" Naru paused and turned his back, gazing at the garden below which now completely engulfed by the night. His hands grasped the railing as his waist leant into it. "I never thought about this before. I thought that it was ordinary, every parent's feeling toward their children." He took a deep breath and somewhat his voice sounded so sad. "They came so suddenly into my life, at first I just want to know them. But curiosity turned into something bigger and deeper, and I realized that I love them more than my own life. Mamoru and Makoto, I couldn't watch their first breaths in this world, I couldn't hear their first words, I couldn't see their first steps, I can not see them whenever I'm home. Mai was always alone, she risked her life without me protecting her, she struggled to survive alone without me looking after her, I wasn't by her side when she needed me at most. But it's not just about my responsibility or my guilty conscience. I can not leave them because I need them..."

Masako took a deep breath to loosen the tightness in her chest. With the end of her sleeve, she wiped the tears off her cheeks. This was the first time she heard Naru talked so much about his feeling, and this was the first time he let out his emotion in front of her. But unfortunately, that emotion was for someone else.

They didn't say a word anymore, lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Each was waiting for the other side to cut the silence. Masako counted the ticking sound of her clock. She wasn't sure how long they've restrained themselves to speak out, but somehow this quietness soothed her aching heart. This was the end, really-really the end. She has already lost him, but did she really own him from the very beginning?

"About-"

"You don't have to worry about anything else," Masako cut him off. "There's no threat on Mai. I can guarantee it with my soul, there's no more that can be used to harm her."

Naru nodded. He turned himself to face the girl and bowed deeply. "Thank you," he murmured softly. With a slow movement that seemed like a sacred ritual in Masako's eyes, Naru pulled the ring off of his finger and placed it on the tray. "I give it back to you. You keep my ring, just do whatever you want with it."

Masako watched him silently as Naru began to walk away. Naru was halfway to the exit when she called him.

"Hey, Naru...is it really not possible for us?"

'Stupid! Why should you ask that question? Is it not enough, the pain that you feel right now?'

Naru turned his back slowly. "I'm sorry," Naru replied in a tone that somehow sounded softly in her ears.

"I see," said Masako weakly. "I'm sorry I can't escort you to the front door…"

"I'll talk to your parents. Can you tell me when they-"

"No," still a gentleman until the end, eh? "I'll tell them myself. That's not your obligation. Don't think of them anymore."

No, she wouldn't let him meet them. She herself would lie to her father, mother and the whole family that she had dumped Naru. She would find for the reason later. Maybe it would scratch Naru's pride in the eyes of her family, but at least it would protect him from their wrath.

"I guess it will be better if we don't see each other. And maybe…I wouldn't be able to help SPR with the cases; you should find a better replacement. I have to concentrate on my study," added the broken hearted girl.

From the corner of her eye, Masako could see Naru nodded and headed for the door, stepping out from her life, leaving her life forever. Masako filled her lungs with air fully to calm herself. No, no more crying in front of him, that was enough. Naru had to go with the knowledge that the girl whose heart he had broken was strong, there shouldn't any guilty feeling toward her, and he should not pity her. Naru had to continue on with his life happily without the burden of useless feeling about her.

Masako stood on her balcony, her eyes following Naru that was already out of her house.

'Turn your head, Naru. Look at me. Turn your head. Please, for the last time, look at me…'

But her eyes only met Naru's back; each of his steps brought him even further from her existence. But since the very beginning, was Naru really ever looking at her? Did he ever see her? Then what made her hoping that Naru would look at her even at this last moment? Those beautiful eyes were not for her.

"Naru!"

The man stopped right in front of the gate. He raised his head towards the place where Masako was calling him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything...!" she held his breath. "Tell Mai to forgive me, okay? And you have to be happy! I won't forgive you if you don't!"

Naru nodded and a moment later his figure completely disappeared from her view. She was alone now, and only then Masako allowed her composure to crumble. She stumbled back onto the bench and let her tears flowing freely. She stared at the white gold ring on the table between the untouched cups and then raised her own hand up to the same level as her eyes, gazing at her finger. Her ring was shining mockingly. With trembling fingers she pulled it off.

"My God, it's so painful..." muttered Masako between the sobs. "Is this what Mai felt? Oh God…I'm so sorry, Mai...please forgive me..."

She lifted her feet and drawn them tight against her chest. She grasped both rings tightly till her palm hurt. With one hand hugged her feet and the other held the rings closed to her chest, Masako buried her face into her knees and cried louder.

One day…yes, one day she would get rid of them and forget about everything. But now, lamenting herself was what she would do. She would cry her eyes dry, she would mourn over her ill-fated romance life, and she would berate herself for being such a stupid and pitiful being. Yeah, she would laugh and smile again…someday. But right now, when no one around, she would spoil this pain in her chest and drained her despair. All the while, she wished that all her memories with Naru were erased from her mind, immediately and permanently.

'You're stupid, Naru! You don't know what you've missed when you threw me away. It's your own loss for dumping me! Someday you'll regret it...'

Masako was trying to mentally entertain herself, but deep down she knew that she was fooling herself. Ah just please let her be, right now she had a dispensation to say anything to alleviate the sadness that oppressed her whole being. But, there was another something that eaten herself more than just this broken hearted feeling, and it made her heart constricted painfully. The awareness that she actually didn't have the right to cry over her sorrow, the knowledge that actually she had also hurt someone ought not to be hurt, it made her unable to drown herself into her grief peacefully.

"I'm so sorry Mai, I'm so sorry…"

Crying was such a perfect remedy. And crying Masako was, the whole night, until her eyes were red and swollen, until she felt asleep while dreaming about beautiful days that were no longer her own.

…

Naru gave the taxi driver a specific address. It was dinner time already, a time which was considered impolite to visit someone. But he didn't care; he wanted to tell Mai everything, as immediately as possible. With long strides he finally stood in front of Mai's door and poked the button. Silence, no one opened the door. Naru rang the bell again, and again, and again and then frowned. Although Mai did not allow him to meet the kids, but at least Mai would still greet him even if they would only argue in the hallway.

Maybe they were dining out? And Naru walked away, standing there all night would only pull curiosity and suspicion from Mai's neighbors toward a non inhabitant like him. Perhaps tomorrow morning he would be lucky.

The next morning Naru stood again in front of Mai's door and still, no one opened the door. He checked his watch again, 7.30 o'clock in the morning. Maybe Mai dropped the children off to the daycare earlier than usual and Hamada-san was in the market. Then Naru walked along the path which Mai usually took to the daycare. But they weren't there. Mamoru and Makoto's one-san kindly informed him that the Taniyama children took their day off, without giving him any detail. And Naru understood and didn't insist her, he was not listed as family after all.

The wrinkles on his forehead were countless now. Why it was so hard just to find them? Mai didn't answer her phone too. He returned to her apartment and they were still not there. Where was she? Where were they? He came to the units on each side of Mai's apartment but after minutes of ringing their bell without any answer, he almost came to a silly conclusion that all the occupant of the building was evacuated from an invisible catastrophe.

The annoyed Naru left that 3rd floor. He stood motionless, listening to the unanswered tone of her cell phone. The sounds of children who were playing pulled his interest. He observed the apartment's yard which has a little play ground at the corner, hoping that his sons were playing happily among those kids. He approached them to find only disappointment.

"Hey, do you live in this apartment?" he asked the elementary school children who were absorbed in making something out of cardboard, perhaps for their school's project.

The kids were looking at him in surprise and two of them nodded.

"Does anyone know Taniyama-san or Hamada-san on the 3rd floor, apartment number 306? I am looking for them, but their apartment is always empty. Does anyone know where they are?"

One of the boys pointed at another group and shouted to someone whom was jumping off of the top of the jungle gym, "Mika! Hey Mika! Come here!"

A girl with long hair but dressed like a boy run approached them with a sweaty red face. "What?" asked her.

"You live on the third floor, right? Do you know about Taniyama-san?" asked the boy who had called her. "This oni-san wants to know..."

"Who are you?" asked Mika to Naru, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"I'm Makoto and Mamoru's father."

"Ah!" Mika's face brightened. "Oh yeah, I remember having seen you with them. So you're Mamo-chan and Mako-chan's father…"

"You know where are they?" asked Naru.

The girl shook her head. "I don't know, but they brought a lot of big bags with them. I think they went somewhere far for a very long time. I was with Mayumi at that time, so I didn't ask them."

"And when was that?" Naru's calm voice turned into panic.

"Yesterday. I took my hamster to the vet, he was a little strange."

"Thank you for telling me," said Naru who then left the ground. Yesterday afternoon. That was when Mai called him. Had she actually been trying to say good bye? Oh damn, it indeed sounded odd when Mai out of the blue said 'thank you' at a time she was supposedly to be angry.

Naru stood like a confused man on the sidewalk. His head was shackled by sense of panic, fear, anger and regret. If only he dealt with Masako later and cleared everything up with Mai as soon as he felt something was strange. If only he told Mai faster...

Naru clutched his phone and sent a message to Mai. He should have known, Hamada-san has warned him, Mai also has mentioned it. What a fool he was. Now, how should he find them? His usually clear mind was now just foggy. Under normal circumstances, he would know how to start the investigation. But the mental image that he would never meet Mai and his sons again made his brain cells run like hell and collided with each other. Japan was not a little country, and with her money and intelligence, it would really be easy for Hamada-san to hide in a remote place from a foreigner like him.

Suddenly he remembered that some of Makoto and Mamoru's toys in his apartment, maybe he could psychometrically read them and found some clues about their whereabouts. He quickly hailed a taxi. He should have brought his car, but because he felt very tired lately and had not enough concentration to drive by himself, so he preferred to use public transportation today.

Naru opened his apartment door and hastily opened the closet, dragging the big box from the bottom shelf. He spilled its contents onto the floor. No, no…those weren't actually their toys; those all were the toys he had bought for them whenever Makoto and Mamoru spent their day in his apartment. He thought it was easier than carrying bags full with toys from their place into his. No way, these toys were useless, Makoto and Mamoru had only played with these maybe for only twice. It had to be the toys which really belonged to them, which they touched and played with everyday…

He went into the kitchen and rummaged his drawers. No, no even one cutlery was left. With a thumping chest Naru squatted down and checked every corners of his place, looking for even tiny stuff he could use, a broken crayon or even a piece of eraser. But he did not find any. He sat on the floor and tried to relax himself. He took one of the toys and grasped it tightly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on it, but a few minutes later he opened his eyes and sighed in despair. Only a blurry image.

Naru desperately read all the toys in which were just futile attempts. In fact he nearly drained his own energy. With trembling hands Naru squeezed a stuffed cow and buried his face in it, he really wanted to scream now. Not once during his life that he felt the bound to other people so strong like this, not even when he lost Gene. Okay, loosing Gene was devastating, but at least he could control his heart. He gazed at the fluffy animal in his hands and his heart was broken, he nearly cried. What should he do?

This was just like three years ago again, when Mai gone and had left him. But this time it became worse, because this time he didn't want her to leave, because this time he finally knew how to protect her, because this time there was nothing that forced him to break her heart, and because this time he had to loose not one but three most important souls in this planet. That was so right, everything that he had said to Masako yesterday. Three years ago, as a teen boy, he had childishly thought that pushing her away had been the right thing to do as his effort to protect her, selfishly glad to know that by not seeing her it would have made the process easier, stupidly wishing that he would someday met her again. But he understood, that was just because he loved her so he hid the terrible fact for it could destroy her.

He pulled out his phone and punched the first name that popped out from his mind.

"Yeah, hello..."

"Where's Mai? Do you know where she is?"

"Uh...what? Naru? Is this Naru? I did not check the caller-id. Uhh, you call me, this is so strange. Please don't give me bad omen-"

"Matsuzaki, do you know where Mai is?" repeated Naru sharply.

"What a weird question, usually at this hour she's in her apartment. She has a cram school later in the afternoon. For the precise schedule, you have to ask her yourself or ask Hamada-san, why asking me? Like I'm her mother…"

"They're gone..."

"Eh...?"

"Like I've told you, she's gone! She left with Hamada-san and the kids yesterday! Did Mai ever say anything to you?"

And Matsuzaki was screaming incessantly, "No way! How can they leave? So they won't come back? Oh this is your fault, Naru! You made Mai left; you forced her to do this! You-"

"Please stop, you just make my head hurt," Naru cut her off with his cold voice. "I won't be able to find Mai if you're keep nagging rampantly. If you have any items that belong to Mai so I could read it, bring it to the SPR office. Now!"

And Naru immediately contacted Lin and asked him to call the others with the same request. He himself went to the garage and drove his car to his office, ignoring the fatigue that was now whipping his body.

...

The SPR office, Shibuya. That noon Matsuzaki and Takigawa occupied the living room and discussed Mai's disappearance. They had nothing useful for Naru, but opted to help with not even an idea on how to help him. Naru and Lin who sat across from them tried so hard not to restrain and throw them out, because they hoped to find some clues from their chatter.

All of a sudden the door opened and John appeared, panting.

"Sorry, I was in a meeting at the church. And the secretary just told me that I had a message which asking me to come here and bring Mai as soon as possible? I've called her but she didn't pick her phone up and her apartment was empty." He glanced around before murmured innocently, "I was under impression that she's here already."

Matsuzaki was the one to answer, "The message was not to bring Mai, but to bring whatever you have which relating to Mai. Naru wanted to psychometrically read it."

John was staring at her confusedly.

"Mai disappeared, along with the twins and Hamada-san. We're trying to locate them, and Naru need something so we can track the place."

"Ohh..." John sat down, taking off his jacket. "Sorry, I have none."

"Ahh, now what we should do? It's all pointless..." Takigawa sighed.

Naru and Lin also thought the same. It was astonishing that even they said that they didn't have any useful thing, those two were still coming to this place. They could understand John since the poor priest got a misleading message.

Matsuzaki and Takigawa were again busy with their 'maybe-' and perhaps-' speculations. They spoke out that Yasuhara would surely find out something about Hamada-san because they came from the same town. Maybe Hamada-san had relatives or acquaintances who might knew where she was likely to go. Yeah right, like Chiba was just a small village and its villagers all were gossip loving grannies. Naru looked at Lin hopelessly.

"Kanazawa..." John muttered suddenly.

"Eee..." Matsuzaki and Takigawa halted, turned their gaze to the blonde man.

"Could it be that they're in Kanazawa?" muttered John again.

"Why Kanazawa?" asked Naru seriously.

"Ah, I'm not sure myself..." John rubbed his hands. "I had this conservation with Hamada-san, about a month ago I think, about places in Japan I've been to. When I mentioned Kanazawa, she said that actually she wanted to live there. If only Mai didn't want to get into Todai, she would definitely ask Mai to move there. She told me that she wanted to build their traditional inn together and resign peacefully after she trained Mai-san to take over all her business."

"But if they really wanted to hide, surely they would choose a place that wouldn't flash into our mind, right?" said Takigawa as he folded his arms and leaned his back onto the couch thoughtfully.

"Then the place she likely would return to could be Chiba," suggested Matsuzaki. "She's from there, so naturally we won't think she will return to the place she's been known from."

"No-no... It can't be Chiba." John shook his head convincingly. "Hamada-san once told me that too many painful memories over there. That was the place where her children grew up. Surely she would not return to Chiba. Beside, she said that she, together with her best friend, had a little investment in a hotel in Kanazawa."

"Do you know the name of the hotel, John?" asked Naru.

Suddenly the door opened again with a bang sound and Yasuhara walked in, panting. It surely made everyone felt like déjà vu. "Taniyama is missing? She really is missing?"

"Hoi, sit down and take a deep breath before you talk!" snapped Matsuzaki. "Did you run away from your professor?"

"Not really," said Yasuhara who run to the kitchen and returned with a glass of cold water in his hand. "I was waiting for my professor when I got Lin-san's message. And after a long wait, I was told by the assistant that my beloved professor had a stomach ache so I just had to wait for an indescribable more time. Finding missing people are much more important than patiently praying for someone a speedy recovery from his addiction over the toilet flushing system. Beside it still holidays, I don't even know why my professor scheduled my thesis consultation today."

"Do you have something belong to Mai-san?" asked John.

"I have her pen but I think it just would not be, she lent me her pen and I forgot to give it back to her," said Yasuhara as he walked toward his desk and opened the drawer. "But because it was still newly bought, so I think Boss-san could not use it, am I right?"

Everyone sighed in disappointment.

"So then, we should just hunt her in Kanazawa," said Takigawa eagerly.

"We?" Naru glared at him disapprovingly.

"Oh come on..." said Matsuzaki impatiently. "More people mean more aids. Moreover, we also need a car to make the hunting easier and faster. And look at you, everyone can see that you're in no condition to hold a steer, you'll have Takigawa and maybe John as a replacement driver."

"That's a reasonable opinion," add Yasuhara. "I agree with her."

"From your tone, it seems that you will come with us too. What about your thesis?" scolded Takigawa.

"A few days off will refresh my brain for a while, after all I've been ahead of my own schedule. It's okay, even my professor will be happy too. He'll have his time with his toilet seat more freely."

"Just tell us that you need an excuse for a short vacation," teased John.

"All right, I'll call my friend. He has a SUV that can accommodate us all," said Takigawa, taking out the phone.

"Thanks for your help," said Lin quickly before Naru had his time to refuse the offers. Right now he had to settle the decision. Matsuzaki was right, they definitely needed their helps.

They left about an hour later. Lin, John and Takigawa would take turns driving for about 10 hours to their city destination: Kanazawa.

...

"Ugh, then how are we going to find them?" muttered Matsuzaki, looking into a crowded street skeptically. They had reached the city and it was night already.

"Because they left yesterday and perhaps got here around last night, maybe they will look around the historical attractions first?" advised Yasuhara. "Let's go to the famous places, Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en, the tea house district, Seisonkaku-"

"You seem to know all these places," muttered Takigawa half-sleepily.

"In junior high, we had a field trip to Kanazawa."

"Hamada-san likes gardening. I think she would visit Kenroku-en," said John.

"We'd better find a place to stay and rest. Beside, it's night already, those places must have been closed by now," said Lin.

And all of them nodded in agreement as if Lin's words were the words of god. They had to spend about almost two hours to find even just a humble place, it was a holiday season indeed. They were lucky eventually to get a small inn with only two rooms left, Matsuzaki had to share room with John and Yasuhara and someone had to sleep on the floor. They put their backs to rest for the night; luckily the owner was kind enough to serve them dinner and provided them with extra futons.

The next morning, they divided themselves into three groups, Takigawa and John would be stationed at the Seisonkaku-villa, while Yasuhara and Matsuzaki's base would be at Kanazawa-castle park, and Naru and Lin covered the Kenroku-en's area. The three places were side by side to each other so it would make their job easier.

But despite being already divided, each area was still so large, wide, big and full with people. So, it really was not an easy work.

Yasuhara and Matsuzaki were staring at the castle in awe, some of the area was still closed because of the restoration and renovation. This castle had three gates, but the Ishikawa-mon main gate was the most preferred entrance chosen by the tourist to get through, and the gate was directly opposite to Kenraku-en's main entrance. But since there were still two gates at the other end, so they were really rallying on some good luck.

John and Takigawa focused their searching in Seisonkaku-villa, a preserved samurai village. They looked carefully for every nook and corner, across the street, behind the tree, just in all places. They also pointed their attention onto children. Wherever there were kids gathering, they were also there, hoping that they would find Makoto and Mamoru among them, and strongly wishing that no one suspected them as child predator.

Naru and Lin had their own battle in Kenroku-en. That place was considered the most beautiful garden in Japan and it really was, but they were there not to enjoy the beauty of its scenery. When people who crowded that place was walking slowly and stopped here and there while commenting their amazement about the elegant bridge or the graceful pond or the artistic stones or sophisticated trees, Naru and Lin ignored those all and concentrated more on breathing living things.

It was lunch time when the reinforcement groups decided to have a break. If Mai's group was also there they must have had lunch somewhere too. So they still kept their alert system up even while munching a yakisoba or yakitori. Naru and Lin walked along the street with restaurants and shops outside the garden, still looking and searching, for Mai and also someplace to eat.

"Ah, Davis-san!" A surprised voice greeted Naru and Lin. They turned toward the source of the voice and found an old woman who seemed in difficulty to maintain her steps with two small children whom practically dragged her.

Naru stood frozen in place. What kind of good fate that he had today? He was like a hunter who was approached by the deer. He could barely speak because of his overwhelmed sense of relief and joy. But something was tickling his mind. Why did Hamada-san spoke to him instead of run avoiding him?

"Ah, it really is a miracle to meet you here," exclaimed the old lady breathlessly while Makoto and Mamoru jumped to hug, as usual, Naru's legs. "Thanks to all the gods in heaven for leading me to meet you. Davis-san, Lin-san, would you please look after Mamoru for a while? I have to take Makoto to the restroom to change his pants but I can not watch Mamoru too. And I'm not so sure where the restroom is, I think it's somewhere over there…"

Ah, Naru just realized it also that there was somewhat an unpleasant smell from his son. Hamada-san immediately took Makoto's hand as she persuaded him for an ice cream only after he change his smelly wet pants. Naru immediately grabbed Mamoru whom were also moving to follow his twin.

"You stay here with Otou-san," whispered Naru, holding the little boy's hand. Mamoru whined in protest and wriggled his way to the direction of his twin and Hamada-san.

"Mamoru," called Lin softly. "Here…" He let out a 500 yen coin in front of the boy. Mamoru just stared at the round thing on his little palm and recognized it already. Okaa-san would sometimes allow him and Makoto to insert that thing into a big metal box, and something would come out of it.

Naru widened his eyes and glared at the older man, silently complained that that was an inappropriate thing to bribe a little kid to calm.

Lin shrugged slightly, "I don't have any other idea."

Mamoru dragged Naru's hand to find the closest vending machine. He squealed to find one.

"No-no-no…that's for cigarette," said Naru calmly. He looked around and found the soft drink one not so far away. He pointed the big thing and his son happily made his way to his father's chosen target. He put the coin into its slanted eye, smiling to hear the sound of the coin being swallowed into its stomach. Mamoru looked up at Lin questioningly.

"I think he asks you which drink that you want," Naru translated his son's expression.

Lin frowned and stared at the display and put his finger onto the picture of small can of lemon tea. He was about to push the selected button when Mamoru screamed, "Me-me-me…!"

Mamoru raised his hands at Naru, pleading that he wanted to be the one to push the button. Naru lifted his son till he faced the row of buttons and looked up at the adult with his toothy grin. He extended his small hand to one of the button but turned his little head at his father, asking for confirmation.

"No, that's for ice coffee. See that yellow button? That's for the lemon tea," Naru directed him.

Confidently, the little one pushed the button and wriggled to be put down. Mamoru squatted down in front of the machine's mouth, happily listening to its humming and a moment later a small can rolled down with a clack sound. He giggled, took the can and gave it to Lin.

"You don't want it?" asked Lin. The little boy shook his hand, he ever had tried a gulp the same one from his mother's and it tasted not good. "Thank you." Lin took the can and slipped it into his pocket.

Naru put his hands under the boy's armpits and lifted him up. He kissed Mamoru's forehead whom already secured on his stomach and embraced him tightly. And Naru, known as the ice price, almost cried happily and shed his tears when his son hugged his neck, chattering cheerfully that his mother had bought him and Makoto the masked rider figurines yesterday. He had not saw his sons for how long already? A couple weeks? A month? He stared at his son closely.

Lin cleared his throat behind him, excused himself that he wanted to tell the other to cease their mission. Naru took his son to sit on a bench under the cherry tree in front of the row of shops, waiting for Hamada-san and Makoto. Mamoru stood on his lap for he couldn't sit still, held on his father's shoulder as he looked around and babbled merrily. He gave his big smile to other kids whom sat not so far from him and jumped up and down excitingly to see a colorful balloon seller.

Naru held his son carefully. He did not mind that Mamoru's soiled shoes dirtied his pants. He kissed the boy's belly in front of his face, inhaled deeply the scent of his baby talc.

"Otou-san, there's a bear balloon..." chirped Mamoru, pointing to a distant place.

"Aa, do you like balloon?"

It really was a strange feeling for him, Naru just realized this. Usually he was a person who avoided physical touch. He was not comfortable when someone treated him physically, maybe except for some people. Gene and Mai were surely in this exclusive group, heck…how did you think Makoto and Mamoru were created into existence? And now his sons were extending the list. He hugged the little boy tighter while Mamoru giggling as he grabbed Naru's hair to keep his balance.

Naru pressed his forehead onto the boy's chest, muttered softly that he was so very glad to meet him again, how he missed them so much, that they were really the grace of his life. A month really was felt like forever.

Mamoru crouched down and Naru tried to hold him close, but Mamoru insisted that he wanted to go to a traditional candy shop across their place. Many children was gathering in front of the shop while its old kind looking chef demonstrated his ability to make the hot sugar dough into a lot of shapes from flowers to many kind of animals.

Mamoru was smaller among those kids so Naru held him on his waist. Mamoru stayed on Naru's chest quietly, fixed his eyes onto the show below him. He clapped his hands just like any other kids whom also hummed 'Ohhhh…" whenever the magical hands finished one shape to another. Naru bought him the butterfly, frog, bunny, chrysanthemum and dragonfly shaped candies in the display and returned to their previous seat. Naru sat him on his lap, the little boy was now staying still while examining the captivating sweet things in both his hands. Mamoru leaned onto his father's chest and giggled as Naru kissed the top of his head, the orange scented shampoo of his hair filled Naru's nose.

"Don't, it's dirty," Naru pulled Mamoru's wrist when the boy chewed his finger. "Just eat your candy."

Mamoru shook his head. "Makoto…" murmured him as his little hand shoved some of the candy onto Naru's face.

"You share them with your brother? Hmmm, good boy…" Naru stroke the thick silky hair of his son.

"This is frog..." Mamoru muttered to himself as he ran his little finger along the plastic-wrapped candy, tracing the well-made shape.

And Naru couldn't help but thinking, what had his mother been thinking when she had decided to leave him and Gene in the orphanage. It was said that a mother's feeling was supposedly stronger than a father's, as expected from the chemical element in woman's brain. When it felt so dreadful for Naru to only think that he wouldn't be able to see his children anymore, then again, what had his mother been feeling at that time? He felt so thankful that Mai didn't have any thought to put them in the orphanage. He was so sure that even if Hamada-san wasn't by her side, even if her sons were considered as freaks just like him and Gene, Mai would not give up on them.

"Where's Okaa-san?" This question had nagged his mind for a while. Where was Mai? Why wasn't she strolling along with them?

"Okaa-san has a lot of homework," muttered Mamoru as he glanced at his father with his round and clear eyes. Naru could see his own reflection on it.

What? Mai was doing her homework? Naru didn't quiet understand. Mamoru chuckled, poked Naru's cheek with his candy. Naru couldn't help but smile as he flicked Mamoru's nose as response. Suddenly the boy straightened up and turned his head and wriggled to be put on the ground. Soon later Hamada-san and Makoto came into sight. Mamoru jumped excitingly and run to his twin, gave him some of his candy.

"Ah, thank God..." Hamada took the seat beside Naru. "Luckily not too many people were queuing up in the restroom."

Naru picked Makoto up and put him on his lap as the other twin curiously checked the new plastic bag beside Hamada-san's feet. Makoto giggled as his father kissed his forehead. He has changed his pants into a short pants and a new pair of sandals stayed firm at his feet. The smell of soap and baby talc's fresh fragrance was spreading in the air.

"Makoto already wanted to pee since we were still in the garden, I've told him to hold it but I couldn't find the restroom. Well…in ancient time, people sold their urine to the farmer for fertilizer, and I was glad Makoto gave his for free," the old woman smiled. "I don't know that you're here too, what a coincidence. Do you have case here? What is it about? A haunted tree?"

"No," replied Naru. "I'm looking for Mai. I visited your apartment yesterday and it was empty. John told me that you're probably in Kanazawa. But where's Mai?"

"Ah!" Hamada-san smiled amusedly. "She's doing her homework; I won't allow her join us before she finished it." She sighed quietly, "But it's a big trouble to look after them alone with these old bones. Just a little careless, then they will soon disappear from your view and you'll find them under the bridge, watching the fish. So, you want to meet Mai?"

"I want to talk to Mai. Which hotel do you stay?"

"Obaa-san, ice cream...?" the children exclaimed suddenly, reminded her that she owed them the ice cream.

Hamada-san shook her head. "Why do they always remember when someone promised them something tasty?" Hamada-san stood up and moved her neck around; she found an ice cream sign down the road. She turned her head to face Naru. "You could find her in Anraku Hotel, room 416. I'll take these kids for their treat."

...

Mai read the brochure in her hand, nodding off to feel the cool breeze. She learnt all the tourist destinations in Kanazawa. Mai was alone on that second floor veranda that was designed just like an outdoor lunch place, with a pair of three seated benches and raw wooden table sets which usually full in breakfast time. Everyone was out enjoying their vacation, and there she was, trapped in this place until she completed her homework. Hamada-san was quite a sadist too.

Mai read the explanation about Ninja-dera temple, which had no relation or connection with ninja at all but had many secret and hidden places inside. Hmm, seemed like a fun place. She searched for another unusual place. Her homework could wait a little longer, her head needed a little refresher.

A long shadow fell on her desk and Mai squealed in shock as she threw the brochure away, "Sorry Hamada-san, I've almost finished it, really. I just take a little break...!"

"Mai..."

Eh, the voice was different... Mai turned her head around and gasped. Naru? Was that really him?

"Naru? You're here?"

Naru took his seat across of Mai as she watched him closely. The girl was surprised to see him. Yes, surprised but not scared. What was really going on? Hamada-san haven't told him either why they were here.

"You're not in Tokyo..."

Mai pursed her lips. "Yes, of course. If you forget, we are now in Kanazawa, not Tokyo. By the way, how could you be here too?"

"Do you run away, Mai?"

"Run away... Naru, what do you mean?" she quirked her eyebrows at him.

"You're not going to avoid me and run away with the kids, are you? You yourself told me something like that," Naru's voice sounded grim. "You said that you'll vanish from my life so I won't take them."

"Uhh...ha-ha-ha... That really is funny," Mai laughed softly. "Do you think how much have I paid for that prep-school? It's expensive, you know! Then why should I leave it just like that? Beside, my apartment's rent is still for another year. This is golden week, and my cram-school is off for a week, so Hamada-san wanted to have a different view other than Tokyo, so here we are..."

Ah, Naru forgot. Golden Week, the longest vacation period in Japan beside the summer holidays for schools. It was a collection of continued holydays, from April 29th till May 5th. How could he be so forgetful? How stupid could he be? Yasuhara's words and those kids who weren't at school, he should have got the hint.

"But your neighbor told me that you brought big bags, so I thought…"

Mai's smile got wider, "Ah, those bags belong to Makoto and Mamoru. Just tell them not to bring all their toys, will you? Hamada-san and I have only one small bag just enough to slip a toothbrush and comb in it."

Ah yes indeed, that was the reason he bought them their own toys in his apartment. In one occasion when the kids spent half of their day in his place, Mai equipped him with two very big bags.

"But two days ago you called me, and you sounded so strange... I thought you said goodbye to me."

"Ah, you were? Sorry, at that time I was a little stressful. Actually I planned to tell you, but then Makoto fell and cried, so I seemed to be forgotten. Ah sorry, sorry..."

"I was scared to know you've been gone..." murmured Naru, his black eyes locked to Mai's brown eyes. "I thought I would not be able to see you and the kids again."

"Really?"

"I and the others finally find you here, all thanks to John who remembered that Hamada-san wanted to visit this place."

"Oh, they're here too? So, where are they?" Mai shot her eyes toward the door, hoping to see happy faces.

"They're also looking for you. I met Hamada-san and children outside Kenroku-en. From her, I know you're here."

"Ah, sorry. I guess I've made a big fuss huh? But why did you so easily conclude that I planned to run away and hide from you?"

"You did not pick up your phone. I couldn't contact you, so was everyone else."

Mai blew her nose and crossed her leg uncomfortably. "Hamada-san forgot to put my phone back in my bag, she left it in the living room when I was busy with the kids and our luggage. Ah, this mess is really ridiculous, huh?" She took a cheese biscuit and chewed it slowly with burning cheeks. She had made everyone worry, and she secretly grateful that the others weren't here. They definitely would scold her severely.

"I've cut my relationship with Masako."

"Ughk ...!" Mai choked and coughed, spraying the eaten biscuit sprinkles everywhere. "What did you say?"

And Naru told her everything, the history of their breakup, the reasons and everything that happened around that time. Naru tried to be careful when inform her about the Kobe incident.

"I killed the boy...?" Mai whispered in disbelief, tears welling up.

"No, it was that evil spirit. It wasn't your fault at all; in fact I was to blame. Please don't worry-"

"Oh my God..." She clasped her mouth tightly.

Naru calmly told her the other things, also what happened yesterday with Masako. He told her everything, and Mai listened without uttered even a word.

"I don't want to lose you again..." said Naru, ended his explanation. He looked at Mai, hoping that she reacted the way he had hoped. But he was not sure.

Mai was silent, looking blankly at her opened notebook with teary eyes. She was still shaken over the facts that have been transpired. Drops of tears damaged her pen writing on the already finished work. Naru waited patiently.

"I didn't know that the situation was that horrible..." sobbed Mai.

"You really should not think about it that much. It's already behind us..."

"It is over for you!" Mai snapped bitterly. "You already knew about this since long ago and actually lived in it. But I knew about that just now, you hid it from me. How can you expect me to take it so easily and pushed it out of my mind just like that?" She wiped the tears from her eyes. "You are, and oh well-Masako... You're so stupid!"

"I'm so sorry..."

Mai buried her face in her folded hands on the table. Naru didn't say anything, giving her some time to calm down. They were in silence for awhile.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it until now?" asked Mai without lifted her head up. "Did you think I couldn't take it and dealt with it?"

Naru took a deep breath. "Yes. I knew you, you would take it the hardest way. Beside, your body just got a huge impact from the shock, I couldn't risk you for another. I just wanted to protect you; I just wanted you to live without any tainted memory."

"So it was about me," said Mai as she looked up slowly, startled Naru a little. "That all happened because of me."

"I've told you not to blame yourself," Naru said sharply.

"How could I not blame myself?"

"Think rationally," His tone hardened slightly. "Think logically. If you blame yourself then it will be no end to this. All we can do is accept what had already happened and know clearly that under normal circumstances, you definitely would not have any intention, desire and even ability to do such e thing. Do you understand?"

"But it's not easy," she locked eyes with him, eyes full with sorrow.

"Who said it will be easy? You just have to get used to. Not all things happen or take place according to our wishes, but we have no other choice but to accept it. That's how the life is, take it and deal with it and continue our life,"" Naru's voice weakened. "It actually will make you stronger."

"But to kill someone, a child..."

"Mai..." Naru's expression turned hard. "If you were in your body at that time, were you going to kill the child?"

Mai shook her head.

"Did you have any intention or desire to kill the child? Even if you were in control of your body, were you capable of doing such a thing?"

Mai shook her head again.

"Everything is settled, then. After all, it was my responsibility for putting you into that situation. I didn't take enough precaution, I should have known about the risk. So don't blame yourself."

"Did you blame yourself, Naru? Until now?" Mai's question surprised him. "For accepting the case, for instructing me to persuade the spirit."

Naru nodded slowly. "I did. It still haunts me sometimes, but more to the fact that it made me missed everything I should not."

Mai pondered everything in silent and then thoughtfully whispered, "Poor Masako… She really loves you."

Naru's eyes narrowed. "Don't talk about that. I didn't know that everything would develop into something like we're now. I just wanted to shield you from any harm, but I guess I just hurt you more."

"Oh now what should I do?" Mai trembled slightly from holding the tears which threatened to spill.

"Try to put it all behind and get used to it. It might be difficult, but I know you can do it. You're strong, you've been in so many difficult situations and you got through them all. But there's another option, you can dip or even drown it in sake to make everything easier, but it'll still there, it won't go anywhere even after you emptied fifty gallons of the finest sake in the world."

Mai scoffed at his irksome answer. "And what are you gonna do now?"

Naru seemed faltered by that question, he locked his gaze onto the apple juice glass and its straw, his hand arranged the pen, pencil, sharpener and eraser in many different orders. "Of course to unify my family. Would you forgive me? Would you let me back into your life? Into our sons' life? To start a family?"

Mai realized that she always couldn't get his subtle care. Not that she was so dense, but Naru had his own pride to let it became apparent. She even believed that somehow he intentionally hid his kind intention from the world and let everyone witnessed only his cold side. "I feel overwhelmed by those revelations right now. And there's too much that have happened to us. Do you know that I've already given up on you, Naru? You knew that I love you. I know I should have jumped and rolled around with joy and danced up the street because I have you back. But I had used to think that I've lost you, I was conditioned to not put any hope toward you. To be honest I don't even know what to think right now."

Naru nodded calmly. "I just want you to know that I love you. I love Makoto and Mamoru. But I'm also not going to force you; I must give you a little time and space to think of it."

Mai clapped her mouth with her fingers as she stared into the distance to the verdant hills afar. Slowly her tears were streaming down again, although she herself didn't know whether those were sadness, joyful or anxious tears. Too many feelings mixed and stirred in her heart.

"You were trying too hard, Naru," said Mai after a while and after she could control her tears. She pulled her handkerchief out and dried her cheeks. "That's who you are. Gene told me that you always kept everything for yourself. Just don't do that again, I beg you. I need to trust you, so that's mean that I need to know the truth. Like you said, I am strong, so I can take everything the world throws at me. Maybe we can be family, as long as you do not walk by yourself."

"I can try,"

"Gees, Naru. Don't try, just do it. You're also tormented by this, am I right?"

"The only regret I feel is because I lost my precious moment with my sons. I don't want to miss any little thing anymore." It was one of his rare moments when he let his emotion emerged to the surface.

"You'll always be their father..."

"Okaa-san...!" loud howls from the door surprised them, and two little boys rushed eagerly. Hamada-san followed behind them.

Mai straightened up her posture and once again checked her eyes and cheeks dry. Even if she wanted to scream and cry and kill Naru, she couldn't do it in front of her sons. She forced her best smile for them.

"Ah, I'm grateful to get to the hotel safely," she nodded at Naru. "Now, can I hand over these two little bear into your care? I think I'll put my ageing waist down to rest for a while."

"Of course, Hamada-san..." replied Mai with a laugh. "Thank you very much. After all it's your own fault for not letting me going with you."

The old woman sneered. "That remind me, have you finished your task?"

Mai threw her hands up, "I promise I'll finish it today, I just rest my poor brain. Beside, after all the wails and hurricane that came along just to get to this city, who wants to spend it to only doing some stupid homework?"

Hamada-san looked to Naru. "Ah, well. I will assign Davis-san to watch your work. I'd better going to my room... Be good boys, okay?" She ruffled the twins' hair and whispered to Mai, "Do you want to know what's in their stomach for lunch? Let me remember, oh…they have takoyaki, fried gyoza, caramel pudding, orange juice, chocolate milkshake, candy and ice cream. Nice, don't you think?"

She ignored Mai's whine and waved her hand as she walked to the door. Makoto and Mamoru put their left over candy on the table and started to climb their mother's seat when Naru quickly snatched them and sat them on his bench.

"I ate takoyaki… Very hot and Obaa-chan blew it huff-huff… And there were carrot, orange, strawberry and even spinach ice cream... I don't like green tea, it's bitter… Obaa-chan said that we shouldn't play in the pond, a lot of colorful fish... There was a small bird, on top of the tree, they flew from far away and took some rest in Japan..."

Makoto and Mamoro were racing to tell their stories. Mai nodded and commented here and there at the right moment.

"You guys are pampered by Obaa-chan, huh?"

"Makoto peed in his pants," Mamoru added, pointing at his brother whom nodded, somewhat proudly. Well, no big men had courage to pee in their pants in public just like him, so he actually was a brave boy. Right?

"Why do you look so happy? That's shameful, Makoto…" commented Mai.

Mamoru and Makoto just swayed their body as if not listened to their mothers. Mai pinched their cheeks. The boys giggled and then chose to sit on Naru's lap.

Naru poked their noses and they poked him back in his cheeks.

"Idiot..." muttered Mamoru quietly.

"Eh?" Naru couldn't believe his ears. From where did this kid get a word like that?

"Idiot...!" repeated Makoto, clapped his hands happily.

Mai sat uneasily, rolling her eyes. "Gene," she finally whispered after Naru censured her with his eyes, waiting for an explanation. "That wasn't me, it was Gene. They met him in their dreams. Don't ask me how or why he taught them the word. I think he just wanted to upset you."

"Well, if someday you see him, just tell him that I'm not as idiot as someone who can not find a way to get across."

Mai just shrugged her shoulders, holding her own laughter. She suddenly remembered something, "Errr…doesn't that bother you? That they met Gene in sleep?"

Naru sighed softly, "So they also inherit your abilities. So what? What else can we do? Though I always hope they will be just like other normal children." He slowly stroked their hair. Makoto and Mamoru were busy to read Mai's textbook, the hiragana and katakana parts, purposely missed the kanji. Naru listened to them proudly, not even three years old and already able to read fluently.

"I guess so."

"So they don not show anything else? Nothing strange like…poltergeist?"

Mai shook her head.

"That's good. Having special ability like that isn't as glamour as what people use to think. More about the burden than the pride, sometimes it's like a curse," murmured Naru in relief. "Since I was little, as much as I can remember, my ability always scared the people around me. I couldn't control it. But people always misunderstood me; perhaps that what made me became a difficult child. I had to protect myself not to close to another person, because usually they disappointed me in the end. I myself didn't know and even fear for what I could do, let alone anyone else. Only Gene knew, only Gene understood that."

About that, Mai could understand him too. At the beginning of their employer-slave relationship, she always thought that he was such a jerk with unpleasant personality. But after a long time she finally comprehended his situation. It was a habit Naru had developed since childhood by putting a distance to people whom didn't understand him.

"Are you going to do certain tests on them?"

"Do you want me to propose for it to SPR?" asked Naru.

Mai shook her head. "I want them like other children who don't have to worry about things like that."

"That means that we have a deal?"

Mai nodded. Mamoru and Makoto were doodling on her book and she moaned softly, now she had to redo her homework.

"Is Masako alright?" asked Mai quietly. She refused to look into Naru's eyes.

"She'll be fine. We'll all be fine."

"I never imagined it would be like this," said Mai as she watched the chrysanthemum flower-shaped candy on the table. "Do you think I should see Masako and talk to her?"

"I don't think you should, I think Masako isn't going to like it. She told me to forward her message to you, she said she's sorry."

"If..." mumbled Mai as hers eyes gazing into the clear sky. "Back then you knew that I was already pregnant, what would you do, Naru? We were so young, were you going to tell me to abort them? Do you think we'll have different story?"

"Mai, how many times should we do this all over again? Do you think I didn't want to fly into the past and held you from going, sailed through those tough times during your pregnancy together, be by your side and watched for my sons' first breath? Do you know how I felt when Hamada-san told me how difficult your pregnancy was and I wasn't there to help you at all?"

"I'm sorry..."

"I'll make it up. Next time when you're pregnant again I will ensure you and the kids in your womb are healthy and alright, I'll tie you on bed if I have to."

Mai's face flushed, "next time?"

"You want to have only two kids?"

Mai's face was getting redder and hot, "And twin? Again?"

Naru smirked, "Well, just look at them; I think my genes are more dominant than yours. So when you're pregnant again, big probability we'll have twins again. Perhaps identical too, just like Mamoru and Makoto."

Makoto and Mamoru were dozing on his lap now so Naru couldn't dodge a pencil that had a hard landing on his forehead.

"I didn't say that I'll open arms for you, why are you so sure? You know, sometimes you're so annoying," Mai pouted.

This time Naru was actually smiling. "Because you love me and I love you, and we've already have the proofs of our love. If we should split up only because of your upset, than everything we've been through will only serve no purpose. So, will you marry me? I'll contact my parents right away, they will be more than happy to come here whenever we're ready. Maybe we can hold our wedding before Matsuzaki's?"

"Naru! I never thought that you can be so cheeky!"

Mai put her attention toward her sleepy sons to avert the embarrassing talk. She tapped their cheeks softly, "Hey, don't sleep yet. You ate sweet thing, didn't you? We'll brush your teeth first."

The twins just moaned in protest. They turned around and hugged their father, seeking for a kinder judge.

"Hey, do you know about komodo?" said Naru. "Their mouths are so dirty that there are a lot of bacteria in their mouths. If they bite their prey, the poor animal will die because those bacteria will get to their blood through the wound and attack the neuron system. That's because komodo never clean their mouth."

Mai poked their side, "Hey, I don't want two komodo as my sons. I'll put you in the zoo if your mouths are that dirty. Go, open your eyes and brush your teeth."

Makoto and Mamoru swatted her hand and giggled and then buried their face into Naru's chest.

Mai shot her brow up at Naru and took something from her pocket, "Just help me, please? Get them to bathroom and brush their teeth. Here's the key, the room number 215, I have to rewrite my homework."

Naru shrugged and shook his sons, "Come on…" He put the whining kids on the floor and took their hands. "What taste is your toothpaste? Is it strawberry or apple or orange?" He distracted them for their sleepiness and smoothly dragged them inside.

Mai just smiled thankfully and buried her face into his palms. Naru's words still made her embarrassed and happy at the same time. Really, what should she say to him now?

::::::

Mamoru and Makoto were so exciting to see the beautiful black swans in the pond and eagerly tried to look closer, but Naru pulled their hand.

"Don't run, there's so many people, you'll run into them," said Naru patiently. "We have to wait for okaa-san. We'll watch the pond together with okaa-san."

"That's a bird..." said Makoto as he pointed his finger. "What bird?"

"Swans. They can swim, but they can fly also."

The little twins got bored a couple minutes later.

"Otou-san, I'm a rabbit!" said Makoto who pulled his hand free from Naru's grasp and then squatted down and jump forward. Mamoru soon imitated his brother. They guffawed happily as they jumped chasing each other.

"Be careful..." Naru followed them from behind. After all, they would stop eventually when they tired.

The people around them who saw the father and sons couple couldn't hold their smile. Some were looking at them in disbelief, couldn't trust their own eyes or ears that those cute kids actually were his sons. He looked just like a college boy, and God please save Japan, young people these days chose to defer their marriage age and even the already married couple preferred to have kid as few as possible. Some girls who watched the handsome lone father eyed him expectantly, they didn't mind with the kids, in fact…his fatherly nature added more into his charm. But the girls' fantasy was quickly shattered into dust when a girl with a camera in her hand ran approached the man of their dreams.

"Hey otou-san, what do you want for lunch?" Mai started to address Naru 'otou-san' now. That was the appropriate thing in Naru's opinion since he also started to call Mai 'okaa-san'. That was the way they declared their first step into a real family, for Mai still asked for more time to make it legal. Beside, Makoto and Mamoru also imitated the way they called each other that sometimes they said "Naru, you sit on my crayon," or "Mai, my cookie fall on the ground and it's dirty," that made them shocked and frenzied.

"You want noodle or rice? There's - Ahh…!" Naru hissed and immediately ran after both twins whom had stopped being rabbits and now turned into lions and ran away, chasing a group of kids who fled into the pond. He caught them and hauled them at once at the waist like two rice sacks. He could not imagine Hamada-san, an old lady, to look after them by herself the day before. Usually, the twins were compliant enough to their parents' order. But here in this family garden closed to a shrine, with so many people especially family with kids played and ran around everywhere, Makoto and Mamoru became too excited.

Mai laughed and took over Mamoru from Naru's arm, carrying him tightly. Makoto held out his hands, asking for his mother as well. Naru lifted him up and secured him on his chest.

"Hey, I once said not to release okaa-san or otou-san's hands, do you remember? What if you lost? You'll be in cold and rain and heat and hunger out there, alone. And then bad people will take you and you'll never see us again." She pinched their cheeks. "So, are you going to stay by otou-san and okaa-san's side or not?"

Makoto and Mamoru nodded and then laughed as they hugged their father and mother's neck. They could feel it, the happiness aura that had returned to their life. Even Otou-san said that he would live with them, everyday! This would be great, especially when he said that they could have a kitten as soon as they moved to a new house. Errrmmm…they had watched about the mountain on television, so maybe someday otou-san would also give them a bear? They, and otou-san, and okaa-san, and obaa-chan, and the kitten and the bear would play happily every day. Otou-san surely was a very kind person; they loved him so much…!

"Somehow I feel so tired..." said Takigawa as he bent his body around to the left and right, straightening the curled muscles.

"I was never thinking that Shibuya could behave like a normal father as any other normal father," commented John. "I remembered that whenever we had case with children in it, he always acted like he wanted to eat them alive. Though admittedly, it's really weird to see him behave so fatherly like that with his usual iced expression."

"Yeah…frightening, isn't it? That's a behavior anomaly and what it'll mean? Maybe an apocalypse is coming. And what make me want to laugh right now is that this fuss was all just a plain misunderstanding," said Takigawa again.

Takigawa, Matsuzaki, Yasuhara, John and Hamada-san sat under a big leafy tree, enjoying the beautiful scenery and watching that odd couple and their sons from afar. They chose to let the newly reunited little family to enjoy their togetherness. Lin chose to stay at their inn; celebrating the joyful and cheerfulness with the pack wasn't his thing.

"It's a deception," Matsuzaki mumbled as she cleaned her sandal. "Masako deceived her own heart to be with Naru, Naru deceived Mai to save her and Mai deceived everyone to protect her sons. Stupid! If only they talked honestly to each other from the beginning and resolved the problems that arose out, we certainly would not be worried and sad and hasty and rushed and panicked like what has already happened. So stupid! And I wouldn't have acnes and headaches thinking about them."

Hamada-san laughed softly, "And I deceived everyone too."

"Hamada-san too?" asked John. Everyone turned their head to the old woman who seemed to be satisfied herself.

"Yes, I always thought that if I didn't make a push, this issue would be a very long completion. So I gave some clue to John-san that I wanted to go to this place and at the right time brought Mai and children away. I haven't heard the whole story from you, but somehow I always thought there was something odd; just an old woman's instinct, I guess. So I thought maybe I should blow up something to forcefully open up Davis-san's eyes. If Davis-san thought that he would lose Mai and his sons and left his cautious zone to retain them, then it would obviously nail the problem. But if he didn't pursue his rights, well I guess everything would be clear and then I really would take them far away from Tokyo for sure this time."

"Ah, I see..." Yasuhara was grinning, admiring a clever ploy of that old lady.

"Ahhh, they really are stupid. But somehow I get the feeling that they'll do it ahead of me," sighed Matsuzaki, leaning against the tree. "Hamada-san, do you think we'll see a wedding ceremony soon?"

"It's up to them. After all, they already have what they needed."

"But at least, let's see the bright side," uttered John in an optimistic voice. He smiled broadly. "They both were in the same shore when the tide reached its highest point, so I hope they will realize how much they need each other and they certainly will not let it go wasted."

"Speaking of deception, because you said that we should be honest to avoid the similar foolish thing, I guess now I should confess something to you that has been buried in my mind since so long," said the monk shyly to Matsuzaki.

"E-ehhh?" Matsuzaki's face flushed. She straightened her back and gave the monk a disbelief look. He would not...he certainly knew she would get married soon, right? Oh how embarrassing this would be? And why in front of everyone?

"Frankly, I wanted to say this since long ago but there were always things that stop me from letting it out. I don't want to regret it in the end because I know it will be bugging me even in my sleep," Takigawa scratched the back of his head nervously. "I think this is the only perfect time and I don't really care what you'll say for the answer."

John and Yasuhara stared at Takigawa sharply. Matsuzaki was getting redder and redder along with the flowing speech.

"I just want to say you should change the way you're dressing yourself," said Takigawa with an innocent look.

Matsuzaki widened her eyes; she really should know that nothing good would come from that filthy mouth! John and Yasuhara held their laughs while Hamada-san was looking at them in amusement.

"I know you want to deceive people by dressing like a college girl. Even Mai dresses more mature than you. Just put something fit for your age. After all you're going to get married next month, right? Start dressing like an adult woman or young wives..."

"What?" Matsuzaki was gawking at him. "You just wanted to say that? I thought..."

"You thought of what?" Takigawa was grinning widely like a horse. "Uh, why are you blushing? Oh no, don't tell me… Were you, probably, thinking that I would utter some romantic words, eh?"

"Grrrrr! Takigawa! Prepare for your awaited miserable death!" Matsuzaki was roaring in rage. She stood up sturdily, eyes shone with fury. "Did you know that these trees here are living? I'll make sure you enjoy your slow and painful torments I put upon you! You obscene monk! Don't bother with last words and wishes! I'll show you the true power of a miko…! HYAAA…!"

The sound of the birds' flaps which fled from their perches in fear took everyone's attention. No need a shelter anymore, better saved their life from an upcoming doom below. And people even from far away places that witnessed the massive evacuation wondered what kind of horrible occurrence that has driven away the poor birds.

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The End

…ooOoo…

Alright, the story has ended. The next project will be that 'Twisted Moon' story, the continuation of 'Naru's Great blah-blah-blah', but it has to wait for a while. School and other blah-blah-blah are still choking me…

Just to inform you, my '伯爵の恋 Hakushaku no Koi = The Earl's Love' story will be put in hiatus for an undetermined time. It's a collaboration story that one of the authors is still preoccupied by her own life and the other is too dysfunctional to work it alone. My friend is still adapting herself into her new school and new neighborhood and new habit in a foreign country up till now, plus with that nuclear crisis that make her family practically 'have one foot ready to make a long run' and 'one eye opened while sleeping'. She even said that half of their belongings were already packed up and stored in bags. I hope that would explain the long un-updated chapters.