Dangerous Souls

Just a Little Green

"I simply thought you would enjoy the view," he said, giving her a smile she knew was forced.

"You're not telling me something, Jin, I don't like that."

At that, his grip on her hand became almost painful, making her gasp. "Promise me." His voice was a hoarse whisper.

"What?"

"Promise me!" For the first time, Mai saw her guide afraid. Afraid of what, she wasn't sure, but in that instant he never looked so different from the man he had been impersonating since she met him.

"I-I promise," she stammered, her heart racing.

"Promise you'll be careful..."

The grip on her hand was gone, forcing her to look down. Jin had let go of her, but before she could process this, she looked up and saw that he was gone entirely. "Jin?" A mere whisper. "Jin." A little louder.

She stood up on trembling limbs.

"Jin!"

***

"Jin!" Mai shot up in her bed drenched in sweat. Her heart raced a mile a minute as she gasped for breath.

April Day 2, 5:15 A.M.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

She quickly slammed the snooze button out of reflex as she tried to compose herself. What the hell was Jin trying to tell her? Does it have something to do with the vision I saw on the train the day before?

Dread filled her as she scrambled for her phone about to dial her friend who had made an appearance in the vision, only to realize the time. "I can't call him now," she resolved. "Even if he is awake he's probably doing school work or something."

Placing her phone back on the nightstand, Mai took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm herself. She had never been so itchy to run off her stress before. She only hoped Tsubame was just as ready as she was.

***

Her dream that morning still had her shaking in the afternoon as she scrambled across the streets of Tokyo to make it to the greenhouse on time. Not that she really expected to get more than a "You're late," from Naru, he wasn't as uptight about tardiness as he had been in the past.

I wonder what he would have to say about my dream, she wondered as the crosswalk sign flashed that it was safe to cross. She shook her head as she matched the brisk pace of everyone else who had waited for the light to change. Not like I could ask him, she decided. He doesn't need to know that my guide disguises himself to look like him. She stopped, having come to the greenhouse. Wait, does he even know I have a guide?

She shrugged off the notion, figuring the man probably already assumed that she had a guide to help her through her visions. There was no need to elaborate on something he probably already knew. Yet there was still a nagging thought that tugged at her.

Buzz. Buzz.

On the step about to open the door, she paused and pulled out her phone from the side pocket of her schoolbag. "Yasuhara," she said absently and opened the text message.

I didn't forget about what you told me yesterday. I figured I would let you know that my car will be in the shop for another day. No white sedan as of yet. Keep you posted. :)

A shiver of unease ran down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she quickly whipped her head around to see if someone were watching her. Snap out of it, Mai, she scolded herself and opened the door. There are a ton of people running around now that schools have gotten out, if anything one of them saw you walking to this building and were confused. You are in your uniform and I doubt that many high schoolers are interested in a greenhouse that grows tea.