Dangerous Souls

Break A Leg

Chapter 2-Dirty Work

January Day 2, 3:45 P.M.

Mai managed to get out of class early, she had no clue how, but it happened. Which is why she found herself making her way through the busy streets of Tokyo without rushing like she normally did. It was a nice change. The sun was out providing a small glow of heat on this chilly winter day. It was a welcomed relief compared to the chilly last couple of days. She was also thankful that she remembered to bring an extra change of clothes in case she had to go up that rickety ladder again.

Mai walked into the theater, the lobby was quiet, save for some muffled voices of what she assumed was rehearsal. She needed to get backstage and find Naru, but she needed to figure out how to get back there without disrupting the actors. Ayako showed her yesterday while they were setting up equipment, but she wasn't quite sure. She also needed to find somewhere she could change her clothes.

Rounding a corner, she found a not so happy Monk, walking away from the theater doors. He was shaking his head, lost in thought as Mai approached him. "Monk? Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Oh, hey Mai, yes I'm fine," he replied, shaking his head again. A distraught monk. A haunted theater. Work to be done? Mai decided her best course of action was to follow the man.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, trying to match his steps.

"Nothing's on my mind-"

"Then why are you in such a hurry to get as far away from your sister as possible?"

"She's making out with someone older than me, she's seventeen!" He stopped himself and started walking in a different direction.

"I mean she is an actress," Mai defended. "Are you really mad at that or are you just mad that she didn't tell you she was in Tokyo?"

She must have touched a nerve, because Monk just shook his head and walked in the opposite direction. When his footsteps faded, she let out a breath and shook her own head. "Great going, Mai, you just made this case even longer in one sentence..." she chided herself. Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket. "Damn it, what now?"

She pulled it out her phone, sure enough her suspicions on the texter were correct.

Hey babe! You didn't answer yesterday. Everything okay? You mad?

She sighed and began typing back.

Sorry! No I'm not mad we just-

"Mai." The familiar voice broke her concentration and she looked up. "You're early."

"Uh yeah," she responded, shoving her phone in her pocket. "I managed to get out of class early, what would you like me to get started on?"

"This way," he said, heading down the hall and nodding for her to follow.

Whichever way Naru was leading her, it was not the way Ayako had showed her the day before. They turned a few corners and he opened a door that led to a set of stairs. She knew exactly where they led to and she didn't quite like the cool breeze that swept her skirt slightly. Nevertheless, Naru flipped a switch and a few hanging bulbs sparked to life. He started down, reminding her to shut the door behind her.

She followed him down into the cool dank basement, a clamminess built up on her hands as they walked through. The walk felt like it would take forever, passing several boxes, their equipment that had been set up, before they finally came to the door on the other end. A set of stairs led up to it. Naru climbed up and twisted the doorknob. Mai, behind him, swore she heard an almost confused noise come from her boss. Wow, he apparently knows English, or at least curse words, now he was showing slight emotion? Boy, Mai was starting to see a new side to him.