***
"I knew it! I knew it! It's not haunted!!" Mai exclaimed as she look at the results of their investigation.
"You already knew from the beginning that the building is not haunted?" Naru asked as he printed out the reports.
"I have a feeling!" Mai answered happily.
"First, about how Matsuzaki-san was locked, I already know that it's a prank. I also knew that Kuruda-san did it." He added.
"Oh? How?" Naru asked probing answers from his temporary assistant.
"Humph! Don't act dumb. You know a nail was stuck in the doorsill preventing the door to open."
"Oh? How do you know I knew it?"
"I saw you holding a nail after the incident? That gave me a clue of what is going on."
Naru was truly impressed by Mai's intelligence though he knew he is smarter than her. He really didn't made a mistake hiring her.
"About Kuruda-san being 'attacked', I don't know it at the beginning but I realized that she might have erased the footage since she arrived there before all of us. She has plenty of time erasing the video."
Naru smirked as he watch his assistant smugly present her sentence. He knew that Mai is clever but he doesn't expect that she was this clever. But not clever enough to reach him.
"I'm impressed."
"Humph! Thanks for the compliment but I knew deep inside you're thinking that I'm not enough compare to you. From the first glance I knew you were this narcissistic."
"Humph.."
"It's already 10pm. Are you hungry?" Mai asked as she was looking at her watch. She knew Naru would reject if she propose an invitation so she drop the idea but....
"Groooowwwllll..."
O_________O...
Mai hear two large growls from two stomachs. Mai just giggle and pull Naru out of the van. Seems like Mai and Naru are hungry .
"Let's have dinner. My treat." Mai said as they walk towards a 24/7 restaurant..
***
John, Matsuzaki-san and Takigawa-san's lips twitch as they look at the sleeping teenagers. The male one is sleeping while sitting as the female one is lying opposite to him. They were both covered with blankets but they can see that they are cold since the van's door is opened. Masako came and saw the scene. There was a tinge of bitterness when she saw it and felt so sad. Her face was tranquil as usual but there's a flaw in her face because of her current emotions.
"Hey! You're gonna catch a cold sleeping here!"
The male one woke up first and run his fingers on his hair making him look so handsome who jus woke up. The girl woke up next and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes was a little bit red due to sleepiness but she still rose up and lazily rub her eyes.
"Aw. So cute." Takigawa-san said as he bring out his phone and took a picture of the two. He only stopped and put his phone in his secured pocket when the two glared at him.
"Tsk. Youngsters." Matsuzaki-san
Papers are stacked between the two teen-agers' laptops. The two sleepyheads smirked at the sight of their work.
"The case is solved." The two said in the same time. The other one said it in a cold voice while the other one said it in a sing song voice. The others wrinkled their brows as Kuruda-san came and heard it.
"For real?!"
All of them widened their eyes as the look at the two. Naru handed the papers to them and let the others see it.
"This is a level scale graph. The building sank more than 0.02 inch just overnight. The phenomenon is just Land subsidence." Naru said as they read it.
"What?! Land subsidence?!"
"The whole development was built on top of damp ground. Based on the number of wells that Mai and I checked, just underneath the school is a big water vein running through. There are other two well but when we checked for the amount of water in them, they were both empty. So that's what's going on ." Naru added his explanation but others cannot truly understand it so Mai giggled and explain more further.
"What he is saying is the foundation is weak since this building was built on a damp soil. In addition, an underground water vein is half dried out. All of these factors are causing the land to shift and settle.. This area is the most severely affected." Mai said as she pointed the place on the map.
"The settling is progressing more rapidly on one side of the building and as a result, various of parts of the building is starting to distort and deform. That is what would have caused the chair to move and the ceiling to collapsed. The classroom floor on the west side is 3 inches lower than the one on the east side. The rapping sound was caused by the building creaking as it sank. This building should be declared unsafe to enter since sonner or later, the building will collapse."
***BASE
"You're really leaving?! But it doesn't explain the day I was attacked!" Kuruda-san said but the two just gave her a cold shoulder.
"Come on! There are spirits here! I can feel it!" Kuruda-san insisted but no one answered her.
"Shibuya-san! Taniyama-san!"
"Then you should exorcise it yourself! You can sense spirits that equipments and a professional medium cannot perceive. You have have a strong power then so exorcise them. You're really pushing it!" Mai said in irritated voice.
She really can't embarrassed her by exposing what she had done but she continue with her lies! And she keeps on babbling about spirits this and that!
Mai was about to continue but Naru shout at her to stopped. She was about to apologize to Kuruda-san when she has calmed down but the glass began to crack and Kuruda-san was grazed by the glass shards.
"Kuruda-san! Are you okay?!" Mai rushed to her and help her up. The building began to shake and the three on the building run to evacuate. Banging sounds is also heard loud and clear that makes Mai confused. Aren't this a case of Land subsidence?! Why is there a poltergeist activity now?!
***
The other reprimanded Naru on his Land subsidence theory and left to tend Kuruda-san. Mai checked the data and the building didn't sank not even a centimeter a while ago but when she asked Masako, she said she didn't felt any presence of a spirit. But why is there a poltergeist activity?!
"Waaah!!!!" Mai screamed in frustration as she jumped and pull her hair.
"Waaaaah!!!!!"
Naru, who is staring at the sky turn his head to the screaming brunette not far away from him. Her face has a hint of frustration and helplessness.
She was pulling her hair and stomping her feet in annoyance. There are also tears lying on the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill. Naru was amused by this girl. Why is she crying? Mai look at him and noticed blood flowing from his arm.
"Naru! You're bleeding!" Mai said as she held his wounded arm gently. Naru withdraw his arm and look at the other side, avoiding her gaze.
"It's just a scratch."
"Scratch? It won't stop bleeding. Come. Let's clean it." Mai said forgetting that she's frustrated a while ago. Mai bought something in the convenient store and tend his wounds.
"The case... We are sure that it is land subsidence. Why did a poltergeist activity occur?" Mai asked as she sip a bit of her bubble tea.
"Poltergeist...." Naru repeated as he touched his chin. Mai frown at the sight of this because she knew Naru thought of something but won't share it with everyone.
Poltergeist..... Kuruda-san keeps on talking about spirits and then I got worked up... And... Could it be....
Mai reached out for her phone and type something. It really is?! But how to prove it?.. How.....
From how Mai got so worked up, Naru knew that she had picked up a clue or two. She is really talented. If he's not in undercover, he would've gave her an invitation to Cambridge University.
"Then case solved?"
Mai asked him as she knew that they had the same theory. Naru just smirk and sip his tea.
"We will discuss this later." Naru just said and Mai nodded at him.
***
Naru called Mai and Kuruda-san to the principal's office the next day and they saw everyone involved there. Naru then performed his experiment and everyone participated. Mai asked Naru what was that about but Naru just ignored her and went on his way. Mai just pout and harrumphed at him.
"Oh Mai."
"What?"
"Come find me after class."
"Yes, Boss."
Mai complied but later, she wished she had never. Naru made her hammer the wall and sign it. Naru also invited John and his real assistant, Lin Koujo to come help. And the injured real assistant really treat her coldly that almost made Mai puke blood from cold chills.
"Done. After this, the case is solved, right?" John asked him.
"Yes." Mai answered him but Naru interrupted her.
"Not yet. It depends."
" We are not wrong this time! No--- we are never wrong in the first place!" Mai said anxiously that made John wonder.
"What?"
"Don't mind Mai's nonsense. You can go now."
"It's not nonsens----" Mai was about to refute but Naru gave her a cold stare that makes her stop. Well that was scary.
John went on his way and Mai help the two with some works. Mai can't wait for tomorrow but her phone rings and what she received later made her busy, unable to come tomorrow. Naru was suspicious about this but he discard the idea since he is not really related to her.
"She's the one?"
"Yes. I need her help since you're injured. Besides, she owes you one, she needs to fill your position."
"Okay. But just be careful not to be discovered."
"Hmm."
***The next day.
Everyone was on the old school building. Kuruda-san and Mai was excused by Naru but Mai didn't show up because she is absent.
Naru closed the case by concluding it as a poltergeist caused by humans that experience extreme emotions. All the events happened after Naru and Mai conclude it as land subsidence are all poltergeist caused by Kuruda-san who is craving for attention.
Naru also didn't tell the principal about it and he just told him that the spirits are exorcised. Naru explained it all to the group and they agreed hiding the truth from the principal.
"By the way, where is that brown headed girl?" Matsuzaki-san asked as she flipped her hair.
"Yeah. I haven't seen her." Takigawa-san.
"I don't know." Naru just answered them coldly and continue packing his stuff.
Takigawa-san and the others left one by one and Naru was done packing after a while. Lin closed the van and look at Naru but he saw him looking east.
There was a girl walking towards them. Her head was bandaged and she was smiling at them so cheerfully.
"Naru!"
Naru just nod at her as the girl hand him a cup of tea. He accepted it since it's his favorite tea, Earl Grey.
"The job's done?" Mai asked as she sipped her tea sitting beside Naru.
"Yes. I appreciate your cooperation during this case." Naru just coldly answered her and noticed Lin coming their way carrying wires.
"Lin-san! Good to see you again. Would you like some tea?" Mai offered him giving him the to-go cup filled with tea.
"Thank you, Taniyama-san." Lin coldly said as he accepted it, looking so reluctant. Mai awkwardly smiled at him and sip her tea.
"Oh, you already know my name! I'm sure Naru already told you. I'm also sorry about what happened earlier." Mai said as she smiled again at the cold tall man that never respond to her.
"What are you doing here?" Naru asked her.
"Bidding you goodbye, Temporary Boss."
"Oh. Speaking of which, would you like to work for me part time?"
"W-what?" Mai and Lin asked at the same time. Face showing shock at what he just said.
"It's an administrative job... I'm short on staff, somebody quit the other day."
Lin frown at the lie Naru just said. Someone quit the other day? Naru, you don't like people so you didn't hire some staff! And we only came here recently! Mai giggled at them since she had a feeling that Naru is lying and she knew what is Lin thinking.
"Has a good pay?"
"Hmm. Yes."
"You're not gonna mistreat me are you?" Mai asked teasingly but she received a death glare from Naru in return.
"Are you gonna accept it or not?"
"Hahaha.."
Lin was amused by the girl who has the guts to play with the cold guy in front of them. Even he don't dare to do that to his boss.
"Okay, I accept it. You will be my Permanent Boss from now on."
"Humph." -Naru
"Hey, you're not gonna deduct my salary for making fun of you are you?"
"Will you shut up?"
Looking at the scene, Lin was amazed. A scene came to his mind. This scene was just like in London when he is still alive. Now, Lin finally knew why he hired Mai, she was just like Gene.