21 posts tagged “mao inoue”

Finally got to finishing this chapter! It's getting.. well.. more complicated and I think everyone may kill me for this. *runs and hides just in case* ENJOY!!!! =D

CHAPTER 11

Jun and Sho continued their conversation at dinner at an all-night diner.

"I can solve cases like that, but this one is just not one of them..." Jun felt defeated.

"Cheer up. You can't get it all perfect at once." Sho took a bite of his burger.

Jun sipped his milkshake and thought of something, "What if....?" He needed a pen and paper.

"What if... " Sho waited for him to finish the sentence.

"The person we're looking for is completely throwing us off and is not part of law enforcement?"

"Then, that throws all your theories down the drain." Sho pointed out.

"I would start over from scratch too." Jun was seriously exhausted but he had so much in mind.

"You need to just rest. It's not the end of the world." Sho drank his soda.

"I know, but I'd like to get this done not for me.. for Mao."

"You seriously like her that much. I say you two go out on a date." Sho suggested.

"Ehhhh? It's wrong to date your client!" Jun almost spilled his drink.

"You kissed her... she kissed back. You admitted to each other how you both felt." Sho put it bluntly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to set you up with someone?"

"Oh shut up, Jun. You know, no girl will date me."

"Yeah cause she'll see how unbelievably blunt you are." Sho was the most straightforward person he knew and an anti-social at that. "Ever think that females ever found you attractive but you are so caught up in your work to be that oblivious?"

"Oh really? Who said I was attractive?" Sho was curious.

"Mao herself."

"Really?"

"Hey, don't be going after her now." Jun fired back.

"No no... she's someone that can kick my ass." Sho laughed. "Besides, the girl I'd like to date has to meet up to some standards."

"You make them high cause I know you that well."

"Oh hush. Besides, there is someone I like."

"That's a first. You're never interested in anyone." Jun finished his fries.

"I'll tell you after this case is over. I'd like to not talk about it..." Sho was embarrassed and can't believe he admitted to Jun that he had a crush on someone.

"Right. Let's talk about work, then." Jun wanted to change the subject anyways. He needed to concentrate more on the case right now.

"Well, I see you already have some ideas. Do you wonder if it's anyone we particularly know?" Sho wondered.

"I'm still wondering about my 'new partner' that Chief assigned me with. He's very... well... mysterious. He's straight to the point as well but he seems to like Mao." He remembered how he looked at Mao's picture while talking to the Chief. His expression changed immediately.

"He's from another precinct. He's actually like you... cracked cases like that..." Sho did a little research on him.

"Yeah. Apparently, he still goes to college, and it's at Mao's university." Jun couldn't get over the fact his almost-to-be-new girlfriend was hanging out with him when Yamapi should be helping him.

"I know. I think that's the reason why they wanted Yamapi to come here for this case. The Chief assumed you can work better if someone else is watching Mao while you research the clues further." Sho explained.

"Oh... I see." This was all new to Jun. He was getting attached to Mao, though. He didn't mind watching her, and she was helping him.

"Well, it's up to you what you want to do. I just decided to come and help out from the stories the Chief told me. Plus, it's been getting a bit dead in my area. So, this would boost up more work for me."

"Sure.... you sure you're not looking at porn while being on the computer?" Jun smirked.

"....and try to get caught by the station? No thanks! That's what my home computer was for..."

"I seriously didn't need to know that."

"Oh.. it slipped. Sorry." Sho looked like he was about to explode from another embarrassment.

"I'm actually in the mood to go to the bar for a bit."

"Sure. I'm up for anything. Let's try not to get too drunk though." Sho insisted even though he was a heavy drinker.

"We won't."

The waiter came around and gave them their check. They paid at the cashier and went to the nearby bar in the neighborhood.

*******

It was 3am, and Jun came back to the apartment very drunk. He managed to get the door open quickly and lean against the wall. ~ Dammit, Sho. I'm gonna kick your ass for this. ~ From what happened earlier, Sho bought a lot of shots for Jun, and they both were seriously drunk after a couple of hours. He left Sho there who seemed to be hitting on some girl. Jun never saw that before, and it just must happen when he's drunk. He felt sick and held his stomach. Loud stomping was the result of trying to get to Mao's bathroom. He made it and threw up in the toilet quickly. Mao awoke from the noise, turning her head to see her bathroom light open. Poor Jun was praying the porcelain god as he couldn't stop throwing up. After another round, he finally stopped and leaned back against the wall after flushing the toilet. "I will kill Sho when I see him again..." he groaned. He picked himself up and stripped off all his clothes. He then turned on the water and showered. Mao couldn't go back to sleep and turned on her lights. She decided to check if Jun was all right since the noises weren't pleasant. She walked over and heard the shower... the bathroom light was still on and heard groaning. ~ Ok, Mao... get a hold of yourself. You know you want to see him naked cause it's been on your mind a couple of days. Gah... ~ She closed her eyes and shut the bathroom door quietly. Then, she went into the kitchen and grabbed him a cup of water and a bag of crackers. Her college friends told her to do this after throwing up. She placed them on the kitchen counter and left a note for him to eat and drink the water. After, she went back into the bed. As she turned off the lights, Jun came out of the bathroom, with a towel covering him, still groggy but feeling a bit better. He threw his clothes in the hamper and then went out of the room. The lights were on and quickly noticed the counter. He went over and read the note from Mao. A smile formed on his face and took the glass and bag of crackers to the couch. He decided to relax a bit before even trying to sleep. He took off the towel and dried his head. Then, he went over to his bag of clothes and took out a shirt, boxers and pajama pants. Now, he was in the mode to relax. He sat on the couch and turned on the HDTV with the remote. He flipped it over to one of the late night news channels, and they reported the incident that happened at the police station. He watched, analyzing to see what maybe suspicious while drinking the water and eating the crackers. He noticed someone that he knew in the background who didn't seem phased by all this. He only saw the side of the face, but it was a she. Now, he wished he had the evidence to see but it was all left at his office. Still, in his state, he probably wouldn't have made it there. After an hour, he turned off the TV and laid down on the couch, falling asleep instantly.

*******

A week passed from the incident at the police station. Yamapi confronted Jun about his position on being his partner and why he was there. He would watch Mao while Jun works on the case. Jun didn't want that but he accepted. He researched Yamapi and was impressed by his credits and work. He didn't have any motive but it was still suspicious when they first met him. Moving along with the case, Jun couldn't find anything that matched the description of the woman he saw on TV. After, he found the news clip online and downloaded it to his laptop. He checked other videos to see if there were any new footage about it. There was one, but it was only the back of her head. It bothered him... he wonder if she turned. It felt very creepy like he might being seeing something he's not supposed. As he watched the video again and again at his office, he finally saw someone who was next to her: his friend, Shun Oguri. Now, he had questions to ask his forensics friend about the mysterious woman. "I hope he sheds some light to this..." Jun muttered to himself. He zoomed into the spot and captured a snapshot. After, he got the photo printed and placed it in the file. With new evidence in hand, he went into the forensics lab. Shun was working diligently with Shota for another case.

"Shun, I need to speak to you." Jun looked in his direction.

"Regarding?" He didn't look up till Jun answered his question.

"I saw a video with you in it. I need to ask you some questions." He was serious. When he was certain about a person, he was straightforward with it.

Shun stood up straight and looked at him, "Am I suspect?"

"I haven't decided that far yet."

"Fine. Shota, can you finish here?" He asked.

"No problem." Shota was weirded out by the whole situation. Jun questioning Shun like this? It was unreal. He took over Shun's project while they entered the interrogation room. Jun locked the door behind him and sat on the chair with his notepad, file of the case, and pen.

Shun was calm and just laid back on the chair, "You saw me in a video? When was this?"

"On the news a week ago. I was up late and you were standing near a female. I need to know if you know her..." He took out a picture and showed the snapshot he took. Shun was clear in the background right next to the woman. Shun leaned in a bit to look at it carefully. He clearly didn't seem phased about the bomb threat at the police station.

"That's you, Shun. It's not photo shopped in. You already look suspicious." He sighed.

"That woman...." Shun was trying to remember.

"You know her personally?" Jun wrote down some notes of Shun's expression.

Shun looked at the picture again, "I never seen her before until this day."

"Then how come you don't looked phased in the background? All the police officers were panicking and you just stood there." Jun pointed at Shun in the picture. The way it looked was that it seemed Shun put the bomb in there.

"Jun, what motive do I have?" Shun sat back and put his hands behind his head. He was relaxed.

Jun looked at him and thought about some possibilities, "Do you want me to go personal?"

"Please...." Shun smiled.

Jun wasn't prepared for the question at all. Shun got him there, "Are you in on this whole fiasco? Just tell me the truth."

Shun shook his head, "If I was, I would not be speaking about it to the police. Besides, the bomb threat wasn't bad. I've seen worse, remember?"

"Still, only you two were not panicking." He pointed to the photo again.

"Jun, stop being paranoid for once in your life!" Shun was getting frustrated. He was annoyed Jun pulled him out of his work to question him.

"This is work.. not personal." It angered him when he said that.

"Maybe if you weren't thinking of Mao-"

Jun cut him off, "-I was put on this case without a choice. I'm doing all that I can to help. Seriously, I just want to know for the record."

Shun looked at the intensity in Jun's eyes. The only time he ever saw that was when Yukie passed away. He was determined to solve this no matter what degree he went even if would be against his friends, "Jun. I don't know her. And this.... since I was trained to stay calm in situations like this, I don't panic. I simply analyze the situation."

"I see." Jun was not the one calm.

"Jun, may I make a suggestion?"

"Yes." He looked up from the file.

"I would ask Chief for a vacation for the next couple of days. You normally question people very carefully but right now, you seem like you're snapping which only happens when you haven't solved a case." He knew his close friend well. He was there when the whole thing happened to Yukie.

"I don't know, man. The pressure is on and the perpetrator is still out there. He or she is scaring Mao and even going after me." Jun sighed and held his pen.

"Come on. At least, take Mao out for a weekend or something. Get your mind off this for just a little bit." He also noticed the big sags under his eyes. Jun wasn't getting enough sleep since he's been on this case.

"Am I really losing it?"

"From the way you just questioned me, yes. I'm going to get back to work, k?" He smiled. Jun nodded while Shun got up and left the room. ~ Am I seriously going insane? I don't want Mao hurt in any way.... UGH! ~ He laid his head on the table. The door opened once more. Jun didn't see who came in and assumed it was Shun again.

"I'm so sorry, Shun. I really a-" Jun looked up and saw the Chief staring at him. "Oh." Jun immediately stood up and bowed, "I apologize. I thought you were Oguri-san."

The Chief sat on the chair Shun was sitting a minute ago. He looked at him profoundly, "Jun, Shota explained to me what happened. You're going against protocol. You know you need to clear who you question by me first."

"I forgot, sir." Jun sat back down.

“Why did you call Shun here?"

Jun showed him the zoom in snapshots he printed out and explained the situation. Still, the Chief didn't think it was enough to question him, "He's a video?"

"The point is that he's next to a woman who looks familiar, and he's also not fazed. They must know each other." Jun explained.

“I don’t know exactly what is going through your mind, but you need a break. This is not enough to support for questioning Shun.” The Chief was appalled. Jun was better than this, but he was slipping in his work.

“I didn’t photoshop this in, sir. I watched this video over and over again to see what I missed. Then, I finally saw it.”

“Still, without further proof, we have no room for questioning even our own colleague. You are dismissed for the week, and this will come out of your vacation time.” Chief got up and left the room, slamming the door. The echo of the slam felt louder to Jun. He looked down at the file and wanted to throw is across the room. ~ I don’t have enough proof? This is ridiculous! I’ve done this a million times and this is not enough????? ARGH!!! ~ Irritated, he went back to his office to pick up his things. As he left, Yamapi walked up to him.

“Where you going?” He asked.

“Ask the Chief. I’m out of the case for a week.” Jun snarled and left the station.

“Great.” Yamapi shrugged and went into the Chief’s office.

*******

 Jun held a glass of scotch in his hand. He needed to loosen up after what happened a couple of hours ago.

“You look like you were fired.” The bartender noticed his expressions while cleaning up a glass.

“No. I get a free week off because I’m not performing my duties well.” Jun drank a bit of the scotch and set it down in front of him, looking at it.

“You get a break and get paid. I don’t see any issues there.” He put the glass away.

“I do. I’ve been working on this case for the past few weeks and haven’t found the person behind all this.” Jun took out a cigarette and lit it. Then, he puffed out the smoke.

“Aren’t there some cases where it takes months or even years?” The bartender cleaned another glass.

“Yes but this shouldn’t be one of them.” He smoked and then sipped from his glass. “What am I missing?”

“Maybe your brain if you continue to drown your sorrows in drinking and smoking…..”

Jun turned around from hearing the familiar voice. It was his friend, Satoshi Ohno. He sat next to Jun who finished up his glass of scotch and put out his cigarette.

“I wouldn’t think to see you here.” Jun asked for another glass to the bartender.

“Once in a while. I actually heard you were dismissed for the week.” He ordered a bottle of Kirin Ichiban beer.

“It’s true what you heard.”

“You going to give up?” Ohno slowly drank his beer after it was given to him.

“No. Why would I? I’m going to have to do some work while I’m on this dismissal.” He looked down.

“I don’t think that would be wise of you to do.”

“What? What do you know that I should know?” Jun questioned.

“Put it this way. After you questioned Shun today, the Chief called us all in to keep an eye out for you. If you’re working on this case in anyway like accessing our databases, he’ll suspend you for 3 months.” He explained. “I’m here to tell you this because we’re friends.”

Jun’s eyes widened, “What happens if something goes on along that time? Does the Chief not want me to report it? God… what the hell…” Jun drank his glass fully and felt the burn down his throat.

“Look, he put Yamapi in charge for the week. So, let’s say you’ll see him more than you want to.” Ohno looked at his friend who seemed defeated at this point.

“Something isn’t right. Chief wouldn’t just do this out of nowhere unless….” Jun thought about it. Why was Chief suddenly have people he’s worked with watch him now?

“I don’t know much except I got to watch you here and there. Maybe you’ve already stumbled upon something and are really oblivious.” Ohno sat next to him.

“I don’t miss details. Maybe I am losing focus.”

“Or you are over analyzing something you don’t need to. I’ve seen you work and that can happen. Still, this case doesn’t make sense to me. I read the file that the Chief showed us and there are so many things still missing.” Ohno remembered seeing the file Jun possessed earlier. It had the snapshots and all his notes.

“So I’m not the one going crazy then.” Jun turned to the side.

“Maybe. This all started off as revenge against Mao’s parents. Now, this person is not only targeting Mao but you too. The way I figured is that only you know all the answers and have to piece them together.”

“That’s my job. You know that….” He was going to take out another cigarette but Ohno would have stopped him.

“True. I will say that it’s probably a woman.”

Jun arched a brow, “From what you’ve seen?”

“A lot of what’s happened has been very meticulous. I know this is stereotypical but women hide very well… their actions, feelings, etc. Putting it into context of what’s happening, it makes sense.” It was a logical answer.

“I never thought it could be a female. She would have to be connected to the law enforcement somehow because no one could know my number. I personally don’t know any female who could make a bomb or know a lot of about computers.”

“Yukie was….” Ohno pointed out.

“Yes, but she’s dead.”

“You sure?” He finished his beer.

“Don’t question me like that! She was strangled and stabbed… there was blood everywhere. Don’t tell me that was a false scene.” It tormented him for the past 4 years.

“It’s just an idea.” Ohno was the type to bring out every possibility since he drew out everything.

“For the artist, you pick up things clearly. I will not think that she’s alive when she’s dead. I was at the funeral, took therapy sessions and trained to be a detective after her death.” He glared at him.

“Ok ok. I’m sorry I mentioned it.” Ohno looked at his watch. “I better go… have some extra work to do at the office.” He paid for the drinks. “On me. Just… don’t do anything stupid and relax for the week. We’ll take care of what you’ll miss. Night.” He left the bar in silence. Jun turned forward towards the counter. ~ Yukie alive? It can’t be….. ~

I love Mao Inoue too! xD Here's one of hte magazines I have of her. :) Please credit of using or re-posting. Again, I will have Divshare downloads for all the magazines if you'd like to wait for them. =D

Gomen! *bows* I finally finished this chapter. It's getting to a point where everything is getting crazier... xD Hikari, just for you and I know you've been waiting! ENJOY!!!!

CHAPTER 10

The sun arose and brightened Mao’s room. Jun woke up from the light and blinked. He felt the side of the bed… it was empty. He sat up slowly and looked around. The realization of being in Mao’s room shocked him and got out of bed quickly. He opened the door and Mao wasn’t in sight. He began to worry. The cell phone beeped twice meaning he had missed calls. He went over to it, the time being noon. ~ Crap, I slept in…. ~ He had 4 missed calls and checked. One from Sho, Mao, the Chief and….. unknown number. The first voicemail was from Sho. He wanted to meet up with him for lunch or dinner to discuss everything they found out. After erasing it, he heard Mao’s cheerful voice. He was relieved that she was safe. What bugged him is that Yamapi saw her and introduced himself to her. So, she was having lunch with him. The next message woke his mind up… the Chief was yelling, wondering where he was because the police station was chaotic. Jun believed his neck cracked, listening to the message. After, an unfamiliar voice came on, and it was similar to the call Mao took that one night. 

“Well well… I found the detective who’s been screwing up my plans. It was tough finding your cell phone number. You were the one who disarmed my bomb… that made me very angry.” Then, the person cackled. Jun sat down on the couch and listened carefully. “I will go through great lengths to get what I want and that is Mao. I just want to make a point that you should not mess with someone like me. I’ve done some research on you, detective. You’re traumatized by the death of your girlfriend, yes?”

~ What the heck? How is he hacking into our network now? ~ Jun rubbed his forehead. The message continued after a little bit of silence.

“I know you’re listening carefully. Did I hit a soft spot, detective? Apparently, you went under an intense psychological treatment for it. I don’t get how you haven’t killed yourself.”

Jun did not want to remember it. It slowly was coming back to him when he mentioned the graphic details – almost committing suicide twice, drinking and taking sleeping pills at the same time, being quiet even though he was disturbed….. he apparently couldn’t forget his memories. He was a wreck after Yukie’s death. The voice laughed maniacally.

“Well, I hope I didn’t bring up bad memories… oh wait… that’s what I meant to do. You know you can’t forget Yukie at all. You have a nice, depressing day.” A click sounded. Jun closed his cell phone and sat back. Something rung a bell. ~ He said Yukie’s first name and not last name or girlfriend. ~ It confirmed to him that it was someone in the police department. After, he was thinking carefully what else might be obvious. ~ The tone of the person’s voice sounded like it was personal business. ~ He tapped his head wondering why go through the trouble of contacting him. It didn’t make sense to him. He turned on his laptop and opened up the Word program. Then, he clicked File and chose Open. He opened the document which contained the names of everyone in the police department. As reference, he put his notebook near him where him and Mao wrote down the names of the people they knew. He was thinking who liked Mao and who would have anything against him… it bugged him completely. Now, with some new information, he can try to narrow down his list. His cell phone rang again. Without looking, he flipped it up, “Hello?”

“Jun!!!! You should be with us. We’re having fun at the amusement park.” Mao shouted to his ear.

“Is Yamapi there too?” He would be fine but he’s not sure if he could be there with his ‘new’ partner.

“Yes. He was telling me you’re his partner for the investigation. He’s very hot.” She giggled.

~ Ugh, this is something I don’t want to hear. ~ “That’s nice….” He was not interested in the details.

“Oh, he’s getting me a drink. So, I decided to talk to you. Besides, you didn’t call me back.” She pouted.

“Oh… I apologize. I just… well…..” Then, his phone beeped and it was the office. He knew he had to pick it up, “Mao, I don’t want to cut this short, but I must go. The office is calling.”

“All right. I’ll be home in a while.”

“Have fun.” He quickly switched over to the other line, “This is Matsumoto.”

“JUN?!?! Where are you? Did you not get my message?” The Chief was yelling at him.

“Yes… what’s going on besides the insanity of the police station?” He sighed.

“Well, if you heard carefully, there’s a bomb in our vicinity.” Chief Abe shouted. Jun’s eyes widened, and it felt like his heart stopped. “Jun?”

He cleared his throat, “Sorry. There’s a bomb… why are you calling me? This is for the bomb squad.”

“There was a note left on it, and it was personally for you.” Chief looked at the note in front of him.

“What? Crap. I’m on my way over.” Jun closed his phone and left the apartment quickly.

*******

Jun arrived at the police station. All the officers were chaotic even though they were trained to be calm. The Chief was inside with the bomb squad to watch them carefully. He looked at the note again and shook his head. ~ I can’t believe this person went this far… ~

Jun tapped Chief Abe’s shoulder, “Can I read that?” Chief Abe handed the note to him. Jun read it to himself and couldn’t believe he was beginning to be targeted.

To the Detective who disarmed the last bomb,

I hope your happy now. I decided to take deeper measures to grab your attention. Try to figure out this bomb. It’s a lot more complicated and of course, less time. Once you’re out of the way, Mao is mine. So, you better think quickly.
 

~ FUCK!!!! Wait… a bomb maker, huh? I’ll keep that in mind… first, must save everyone…. ~ He pushed himself to the front and saw what the bomb squad was dealing with. They couldn’t figure it out at all. Jun examined it quickly, and it’s more complex than the other one. The bomb had a digital combo lock meaning that there’s only 4 digits that can make sure this bomb doesn’t go off. He had 10 minutes to get that code to work. Before he started, he decided to take extra pre-caution since he didn’t want it to explode just because he put the wrong code in 3 times. “Someone hand me a piece of paper!” He shouted out. One of the members quickly ran to the Chief and came back with a notepad and pen. ~ Now, this person is really annoying. There’s billions of combinations. How the heck am I supposed to decipher quickly? ~ He tapped the notepad and kept looking at the bomb. It was down to 8 minutes. He wrote down some possible number combinations like birthdays, his own number codes, and any police codes. Then, he tried 2 of them and it made the time go faster. It went down to 5 minutes really quickly. The bomb squad was panicking while the police officers left inside scrambled to get out. Jun looked around for other possible clues and then he thought of something bizarre. ~ Would my own police code work? ~ The timer was down to 2 minutes and he quickly entered his police code. The bomb timer stopped, and it was green. Jun sighed in relief. After a bit, the bomb squad moved forward and did their duties. Chief Abe went up to Jun and instructed for him to follow. He nodded and followed Chief into his office. The door closed, and they both sat down. 

“This is getting out of hand. Now this person is targeting the police station….” Chief stated.

“I know, sir. I didn’t think the person would. I still can’t figure out if it’s a male or female in all that matter.” Jun admitted.

“Are you and Mao sleeping together already?”

“NO!!!!” Jun exclaimed, “Sir, we just live together!” He had to lie because he cared for Mao so much.

“She might be clouding your judgment, though.”

“What makes you say that?” Jun arched a brow.

“You haven’t solved the case as fast as you used to….” Chief wanted Jun on the case for his amazing deductive abilities.

“I am trying to, sir, but it’s getting more and more complicated. Now I’m also a target, and I’m trying to figure out the motive. Mao is scared, and you put me on the case to protect her. She’s actually helping me because she wanted to know everything that was happening.” Jun explained himself.

Chief was surprised. No client would ever help the police force since they always seem to panic, “Ok. I apologize for judging you quickly. It’s just… well… now, we have to get to the bottom of this or this police station will become the target again.”

“I know, sir. I know…” He crossed his arms. “I’m highly irritated this person decided to use this building to get to me….”

Chief figured something he said, “So, have you gotten further clues?”

“After today, the person is a bomb maker and works here at the station or maybe another police station. No one knows my police code except for you, sir.” Jun thoroughly explained. “So, I want to know who else would have access to the police database.”

“Hhhhmmm…. The only person I trust with this is your friend, Sakurai Sho.”

“It doesn’t make sense that he would do this. I don’t see the motive.” Jun outbursted.

“I’m just answering your question. I didn’t say that Sho is the suspect. It’s just a possibility.” Chief took mental note of Jun’s reactions. He was answering with more yelling and not thinking, “You sound like you may to be taken off this case. I might have to give this to Detective Yamapi….”

Jun blinked and couldn’t believe what he was saying, “Really?”

“You seem like you need a break in general. You are not thinking of what you’re saying and anything the deals with Mao, you’re emotionally involved.” Chief pointed out.

“I want to stay on. I will have Detective Yamapi as my partner still and I’ll question more people.” Jun responded.

“You absolutely sure?”

“Yes, sir. I want to stay on this case. I’m working so hard for this and I don’t want this person to hurt Mao.” Jun turned his head to the side, “You are correct about emotionally involved with her. My judgment is not clouded, though. She’s helped me through the case a little bit and cooperating well. Besides…” He looked back at the Chief, “She just heard my whole story of Yukie…”

“You in love with her?” Chief already figured the truth after his questioning but need confirmation. Jun nodded. “Then, don’t lie to me anymore either…” He grinned.

“I will not, sir.” Jun looked down.

“Ok… well, write your report and e-mail it to me about today. Go back to work and don’t hurt Mao in the process.” Chief encouraged. “I’d like you both to stay alive and just don’t get sidetracked. This case is taking a toll on everyone and now the police station is spooked.”

“All right, sir. Thank you.” Jun stood up and bowed to him and left his office. The Chief sat back, sighed and mumbled to himself, “What I do for that guy….” He smiled and looked at the files on his desk.

******* 

Mao got home with Yamapi while the whole police station incident occurred. Yamapi wasn’t notified because he wasn’t the main detective on the case, and it wasn’t his main office. He was impressed by Mao’s apartment on how decorative and simple on the way it was setup.

“Would you like something to eat or drink? I know we just came back from the amusement park but those were snacks.” Mao asked.

“Oh, well, I am more hungry but I don’t want to bother you with dinner.” Yamapi was being considerate.

“You sure?” Mao smiled. “I make a really dinner…..” She was acting cute but wasn’t flirting with him in anyway. Yet, he thought that way.

“Ok.. sure…. You win.” Yamapi laughed.

“Awesome. Now go ahead and sit down. This may take a bit.” She instructed.

“No. I want to help. I can’t let a cute girl do all the work. That’s not right.” Yamapi began to like her.

Mao blushed but started taking out chopsticks and other utensils.

“So, what do you want me to take out?” Yamapi was anxious.

“I’m going for making sushi tonight actually. Actually, could you make rice with my rice cooker over there?” She pointed over to it.

“I can do that.” He went over to the rice cooker and saw the bag of rice near it. He put some in the bowl and the washed it in the sink. As Mao was preparing, she watched him carefully. He knew what he was doing, and she smiled. Her cell phone rang, and she was happy it was Jun.

“I’ll be right back. I have to answer this call.” She walked into her bedroom and clicked the answer button. “Hello?”

“Evening, Mao-chan. I apologize but I won’t make it tonight for dinner.” Jun explained as he sat back in his seat.

“Oh… okay. Are you coming home late tonight?” She asked.

“It might be like that this next week. Something happened and I’d have to explain it later.”

“All right. Your partner is here with me.” Mao chuckled.

“Eh? What’s he doing there?” Jun sat forward quickly.

“I offered dinner and he accepted. Do you want me to inform him of anything?” She said innocently.

Jun changed his mind quickly, “You know….” He paused.

“I know what?” She wondered.

“I might be able to get home early. Let me finish something up here. Is he doing any funny?” He narrowed his eyes.

“You fired back kind of quickly. He’s not doing anything….” Then Mao realized, “Are you jealous?”

“I am not!” Jun lied.

She thought of a funny idea, “Right. Listen, he’s hot and you know, I wouldn’t mind putting my hands all over him….” She held in her laugh.

“Mao… I didn’t need to hear that.” He looked at his computer monitor.

“Oh, you know you do. We’re not dating or anything….. besides, he’s quite a catch. Maybe I can have fun with him tonight while your gone….” She held her hand up to the speaker of her phone and covered it. She started cracking up.

“That’s it! I’m going back there in an hour!” He screamed and didn’t hear the laughing on the other end.

Mao put her hand down and laughed into the phone, “Right. You sure?” She couldn’t stop.

“What’s so funny?” Jun asked.

“You think I’m going to just go after Yamapi when you and I finally confessed to each other?” Mao shook her head.

“Well…uhh…” He couldn’t answer.

“Jun, I care for you, and I really want more like last night. I don’t Yamapi well and besides…” she whispered after, “You’re hotter.” Jun’s face flushed at her comment. He was very ecstatic about that. He knew that Yamapi was very good looking, and he could get every girl to drop dead. He was just glad to hear it from Mao. “So, you still going to come home tonight early?”

Jun snapped out of his quick thoughts, “Oh. Well, I guess I shouldn’t worry about anything. Go ahead and have your dinner with him. I’ll get home tonight to talk to you some more and hoping it’s not too late.”

“All right then. Don’t overwork and call me if anything.” Mao demanded.

“Have fun.” Jun clicked off. Mao smiled and was glad that he got jealous. It proved that he wasn’t just saying things last night to make her feel better. He actually did care and wanted to be there.

“Mao….” Yamapi knocked on the door.

“Oh… hey. I apologize. That wasn’t supposed to be a long conversation.” Mao bowed.

“It’s ok. I got everything cut up.” Yamapi smiled.

“Eh???? You’re done?!?!?!” Mao ran out to the kitchen as Yamapi followed. She was impressed, “You know how to make sushi, don’t you?” He nodded. “Well, let’s just wait for the rice then so we can eat.” ~ Something is kinda fishy about him. I will need to do some research. ~ 

*******

Jun decided to take a nap on his seat. He was at his computer for 3 hours straight, researching and writing. As he attempted to sit back, someone knocked on his door.

“Come in….” He yawned.

“Did I disturb you?” Sho responded.

“Oh! Sho-kun…”

“So I heard about today by the Chief.” He sat down in one of the seats in front of Jun’s desk.

“The bomb that spooked the whole police station?” Jun put his hands behind his head.

“Yup. I have to say this person is capable of many things.”

“Why do you say that?” Jun looked at him suspiciously.

Sho noticed, “Hey. I’m not your guy! Why would I betray you and the police station?”

“What? I didn’t say anything.” Jun responded.

“You looked at me like you suspected me of it. I talked to the Chief and that’s what he thought you assumed. Then you gave me the look which confirmed the assumption…” Sho explained.

“Oi. Look… there’s too many possibilities. It’s gotten complicated, and it’s pinned down from someone on the police force. When the Chief explained to me about codes and who may have it, it did cross my mind.” Jun sighed.

“Seriously, why would your own friends or partners go against you, though?” He looked up at Jun who seemed deep in thought, “Or something happened that spooked you personally…”

“Oh… no… it’s just…. Never mind. You wouldn’t understand since you never had a girlfriend or just slept around.” Jun blurted.

“Oh thanks.” Sho shook his head, “If it comes to girls, yes, I’m not an expert. Yet, I know the little things and you seem to have some girl trouble yourself regardless of this case.” He was right but Jun didn’t want to admit it.

“Anyways… let’s not go into my business…”

“You mentioned it. So, what’s up about Mao?” Sho never backed down to any subject.

“Well, she apparently knows everything about me. I don’t know whether to be happy or cautious but she heard my whole story about Yukie. She started to cry and I felt bad to tell her. Then, she had nightmares that I died….”

“She’s got it bad for you, then.” Sho quickly responded.

“We did kiss and told each other somewhat of how we felt…..”

“So you had it bad for her…..”

“Sho, I get that. So, this isn’t weird that she reacted or even had nightmares like that?” Jun asked.

“No. It means that you both care for each other a lot it seems and didn’t realize it.” Sho smiled, “Besides, she’s one beautiful woman.”

“Don’t even go there.” He smirked.

“Ok ok. I’ll back down. Let’s talk about business again. So, the case got harder…. Did you bring the package I brought you?”

“Yes.” He took it out of his bag.

“Anything match up?”

“Not really…. The person is like you, a hacker.” Jun re-checked everything to make sure.

“Hey, I’m not a hacker anymore. I work for the police force, remember?”

“Oh don’t hide it. Even Chief calls you the hacker.” Jun snickered.

“Anyways….. another hacker, huh? From all the work, experienced is what I describe our person.”

“Also a bomb maker….” Jun typed it up on the computer.

“Seriously? Oh God…. What else? A very good cook?” Sho joked. Jun looked at him seriously at that joke. It’s another possibility. “Don’t tell me you’re considering that thought from your look?”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe a couple of things are TOO perfect…” Jun tapped his pen on the desk.

“Well, who do we know that’s like this?” Sho looked at the package contents again.

“Are you a good cook?” Jun smiled.

“You’re kidding right? You know I burn things…” Sho rolled his eyes.

“Well, you like perfection like I do.”

“Oh be quiet. How do we know that you aren’t the suspect?”

“You dumbass. Why would I use my own police code to disarm the bomb? Why would I hurt Mao in any way?” Jun glared.

“Ok… I’ll shut up now.”

“I’m just frustrated…. Don’t mind me so much.” Jun explained.

“I figured. Look, it’s late and I’m starving. Let’s have dinner. My treat…” Sho offered.

“That’s a good idea. I need it.” He got up and they both left his office for a late night dinner.

Ahem... finally, ne? This particular fanfic will be long and I should start working on the other one too. xD So, enjoy this next chapter. *winks*

Mao looked at the packet given to Jun from Sho. She saw the wire tap and the e-mails from the perpetrator. The report was detailed, describing all the computer language that no one could understand. For the e-mails, the hacker used porno sites to cover up the real source. The real source of the e-mails came from a particular server which Sho hadn’t figured out yet. Although, it seemed he had to use many different passwords to hack through since it was complicated. Then, for the wire tap, it was one of the prototypes introduced at a convention brought on by the National Police Agency. Whoever got in contact with this had to have been part of it. She looked at the list of names on the paper Jun left her when they were comparing. Which of the people would be on the list? She looked over it carefully. Basically, Jun and his ‘friends’ were part of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. They were the only ones who made sense to go to the convention so they can find out the new devices. ~ Jun’s never seen the wire before. Why would he keep that information from me if he knew? I’ll ask him when he comes back. ~ The two names that stood out in her mind were Chief Abe Tsuyoshi and Sho Sakurai. Chief was a well-known police general that no one would cross. Sho is very good at hacking into computer systems. Then her mind went blank, and she sat back on the couch. Too much information all at once and it wasn’t easy. Who has motive if it’s anyone in the police force? She started writing down ideas of the people she knew.

*******
“Come in.” Jun slowly put his hand under his desk to see if he would need to draw the gun. The person opened the door slowly and revealed who he was. It was a new guy who he never seen before.
“Crap… I must have the wrong room again.” The guy was looking at the piece of paper in his hand and scratching his hand. He was tall and very handsome from what Jun gathered.
~ Another pretty boy… oh boy ~ Jun rolled his eyes and went back to typing.
“Hey, could you guide me? I’m looking for Chief Tsuyoshi.” He really was lost.
“May I ask who you are? I’ve never seen you here before.” Jun kept his eyes on the monitor.
“I’m Tomoshisa Yamashita but people call me Yamapi for short. I’m a detective who was transferred to work on the Inoue case.” He looked at Jun who had a shocked look on his face.
“I’m the detective in charge of the case. My name is Matsumoto Jun, but just call me Jun.” Jun decided to be polite and then he looked up.
Yamapi thought of the name carefully and then snapped his fingers, “Oh, you’re Detective Jun! I’ve heard a lot about you in my district.” A big smile came to his face and then he went up to Jun to shake his hand.
Jun got up slowly and placed both his hands on the desk, “No one informed me of this! I work on this case alone until otherwise.”
“Not from what I was told actually. Chief requested it.” Yamapi explained.
“Oh, he’s hearing it from me.” He walked out from behind his desk and grabbed Yamapi’s arm. He dragged him to the Chief’s office and pounded on the door.
“Ok ok.. I’m coming.” Chief open the door and saw a pissed off Jun.
“Who is this?” as he pointed to Yamapi. “I’m fine working on this by myself and when I need help!”
Chief sighed, “Well, I couldn’t get out of this one. The Inoues thought you wouldn’t handle this by yourself. So, they requested for another detective as support.” Yamapi was dumbfounded by all this.
“Oi…. First, they put me on a case that I didn’t work on and now I have to work w/ him?!?!?! This is outrageous. Can’t you tell them that I’m fine?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t give them that answer.” Chief went behind his desk. Jun and Yamapi walked in. Yamapi shut the door while Jun sat down on a chair.
“This is not happening.” Jun put his head in his hands.
“May I say something?” Yamapi finally broke his silence.
“Go ahead.” Chief pointed him to the other chair.
Yamapi sat and shrugged, “Look, I’ve been hearing about this all over the station. I have not been a detective for long but I can give my insight to this case.”
“What good will it do me if you don’t know the case?” Jun glared at him.
“I can read and learn about it in a night. Just give me the file and I’ll read it here. Besides, I was known to figure things out fast in my district.” Yamapi was trying to make himself look good.
Chief looked over at Jun who wasn’t thrilled, “You have no choice. Just work w/ him and I don’t want to see you guys punching each other.”
“I’ll try not to.” Jun crossed his arms.
“Well, will I be able to meet the client?” Yamapi was quite curious.
“Yes.” He gave him the file to look at.
Yamapi opened up the folder to see who he’ll be talking to, “She’s beautiful.” He held up the picture to see it clearer. “She looks familiar actually.”
“Oh really?” Jun asked.
“Yes.” He looked down at the file and started to read the facts. Jun watched him and realized the guy was no joke. His eyes read the words faster than he could. “Ok, I knew she looked familiar. She goes to my college.”
Chief smiled, “Good. Then you can keep a close watch on her there while Jun figures outside.”
“Sir!” Jun began to object but decided to not go further.
“So, she’s the Inoues’ daughter? Her real name is Mao Inoue. Got it. I just need to remember that she goes by the other name at school then.” Yamapi seemed giddy. Jun already didn’t like the guy. He observed how he looked at her picture… it bugged him so much.
“Ok, well, we have this settled. I think you two need to get more acquainted.” Chief suggested.
“Sounds good.” Jun just left the office and rolled his eyes. ~ Ugh, am I jealous? I must be… I don’t like how he looked at her picture. ~ He walked back to his office and sat on his chair. Little did he know, Yamapi followed him back to his office, holding the file. “Don’t you have a cubicle or something to go to?” Jun was plain rude.
“No. Chief said I can share w/ you here while I’m at the station. Besides, you know more about this than I do. So you can share the details.” Yamapi sat and started reading it.
“Just read the reports in there and then you’ll get the insight of things.” Jun went back to typing up his report to the Chief.
“I have a question….” Yamapi didn’t look up at all.
“What?” Jun didn’t look at him either.
“You jealous of the way I looked at Mao’s picture?” Yamapi grinned as he turned the page.
~ What? How the heck did he know when he never looked up? ~ Jun cleared his throat, “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know. I know you’re already threatened that I’m here to help out on the case that you couldn’t figure out on your own. Then, I saw, from the corner of my eye, how you continued to glare at me when I was looking at Mao’s photo. It’s just a quick observation.” Yamapi held up Mao’s picture, “You guys dating secretly?”
Jun kept his poked face but his head exploded, “No, we aren’t.”
“So, that means I can date her then, right?” Yamapi looked up and wink.
“I suppose. I don’t think she would go for you, though.” Jun was enraged inside, but wasn’t going to blow up. It wasn’t part of his character.
“I see.” Yamapi nodded.
“Look, I’m apparently stuck with you.” Jun looked at him and spoke his mind. “So, don’t even think of trying to go after Mao. She doesn’t need someone like you to watch her back. She can take care of herself.”
“You would know this how?” Yamapi’s curiosity struck.
“I interact w/ her because her family wants me to.” Jun answered.
“Right. Are you sure it’s not for your own benefits of getting to know her?” Yamapi seemed to be the type to test people constantly. Jun saw why he was good cause he can suspect motive.
“No. Besides, she’s helped a bit on the case itself to figure out clues we’ve found. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get my report done.” Jun went back to typing.
“Fine. I’ll finish reading this file outside.” Yamapi got up and left the office. Jun got up and locked his door so he wouldn’t come in again. He turned and learned against the door. ~ This guy…. He’s trying to find out more information of me and Mao now. Oi…. I’m really not going to have fun w/ this case w/ him around. ~

*******
It was 1am. Mao fell asleep with the notebook in her hand. She was waiting for Jun to come home, but it was no use. She hadn’t slept well the past couple of nights since many things happened. Jun came back and turned on a light.
“Mao?” Jun quietly called out. He walked in and took off his shoes. Then, he slid into some house slippers. From the living room, he heard some sleep talking and headed into that direction. He saw Mao sleeping peacefully.  He was contemplative on what to do, but decided to her into her bedroom. He picked her up slowly. Once he did so, she immediately curled up his arms. It was an unusual reaction to him, but she was still asleep. He walked into her room slowly and placed her on the bed. She was an angel while sleeping. After putting the blankets over her, he went back out to the living room and shut the door slowly. He quickly decided to look at Mao’s notes. He was very impressed on what she deducted. It will definitely help him.
30 minutes passed by. It was time for him to sleep too. He had a very exhausting day with the move, writing out his report and meeting his new ‘partner’ who he wasn’t thrilled about. As he was about to sleep, he heard screaming come from the other room and fell off the couch.
"What the?” The screaming continued and Jun ran into Mao’s room. She was having a nightmare. He quickly ran to her side and shook her to wake up. “Mao, wake up…..” After a couple of minutes, she woke up while Jun held her arms.
"You ok?” Jun was very concerned. Mao sat up next to him since he was sitting on the side of her bed. Tears ran down her cheeks and she fiercely hugged him. He just held her, patting her head, “Shhh… it’ll be ok. I’m here.”
“Jun…. I thought you died.” Mao buried her face in his shoulder.
“That was a nightmare.” ~ I died? ~ Jun was surprised.
Mao sobbed, “I think I was thinking of the story you told earlier and it got to me.”
“It won’t happen to me. I promise….”
“Still, I’m very scared for you. I know it’s your line of work, but the person may come after you instead.” Mao didn’t let go.
“That actually wouldn’t surprise me. I’ve put a lot of people in jail” Jun was trying to make light of the situation.
She continued to cry some more. ~ Am I going to ever get some sleep? I guess not. Mao’s more important. ~ Jun thought. After 10 minutes, her sobs subsided and she managed to look up at him. He had a big smile on his face. “I’m alive.” He winked at her.
“I’m glad it was only a nightmare and nothing real.” Mao sniffled.
“Yes. It must have been gruesome. I’m sorry I told you my life story earlier.” Jun felt bad.
“No, don’t worry. I wanted to know. I must be stressed from this case. I’m still scared about the person calling me.” Mao remembered that moment where fear struck her the most.
“We’ll get him. I wish I got more clues faster. I apologize on not being efficient as I should be.” Jun bowed his head.
“I can’t see you well.” She turned on her night stand light. When the light turned on, she saw Jun’s head bowing. “Jun….” She straightened his head to look at her. “Don’t apologize. The case got more complicated and there is nothing you can do about it.”
He nodded and blinked. Her face was wet from the crying and he got some tissues to help wipe them. She stopped him from doing so. “Is this wrong?” He backed away slowly without waiting for her response.
“No.” She looked at his hand and took the tissues away. Jun arched a brow and wondered. She brought his hand up to her cheek and closed her eyes. He smelled so good, and his touch comforted her. A smile was the result. “I don’t know if I would regret this…”
“Regret what?”
“This….” Mao leaned in and kissed his lips gently. Jun’s eyes shot wide open which made his reaction slow. She thought of this as a rejection and backed away slowly. “I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have. I should have thought-“ Jun cut her off by kissing her. He wanted to for a while and didn’t know she felt the same. She closed her eyes and melted with him through it. The innocent kiss became a very passionate one. Jun slid his arms around her waist while Mao’s arms found their way up to his neck. It was a kiss of destiny…. This case was meant for them to be brought together like this.
Jun realized if he continued to make out w/ her, he wouldn’t be able to control what was going to happen next. He slowly pulled away and breathed. Mao had her innocent look which he adored.
“Did I hurt you? I know I’m not Yukie and I know you’ll never get over her….” Mao began.
“No.” He looked at her. “The truth is…” He brushed her cheek. “If we continued, I don’t think I can control with what would happen next.” He leaned his head forward. Their foreheads were touching each other.
“I’m sorry to have brought this on. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while…. Well, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” Mao felt really bad.
“Mao, you’re not Yukie. I accepted that. You and her are completely different. I began… I… well….” Jun lost his train of thought.
“Jun?” Mao looked at him.
“Yes?” His eyes were closed because he was really tired.
“Could you sleep in my bed with me tonight?” She didn’t want to be alone in her room.
“You sure that is wise?” He wanted to make sure.
"Yes. I know this sounds very dependent of me but I’m not scared when you’re around. You protect me…” she explained.
“All right.” He lightly kissed her lips again and she kissed back. They both went in her bed and tucked themselves in.
"Good night, Jun.”
“Good night, Mao-chan.” Jun turned off the night stand light and held Mao close to him. The two drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Sorry for everyone reading! I know this took too long but had major writer's block! Plus, I was doing other things... XD So, here's Chapter 8... ENJOY!

The next day, Jun talked to the apartment manager and explained he’ll be moving in with the client. He understood and let him be for the whole day. Jun moved in all his things while Mao was in school for less distraction. Still, while he was moving in, he was double checking every door frame and floor piece of the apartment to make sure there were no devices. The bomb from yesterday made him think on his feet quicker than before, and he wanted to be prepared. By 4pm, he was done since he only brought some things from his other apartment. He sat on the couch, exhausted. His cell rang which startled him and checked the caller ID. A smile appeared on his face by who was calling.
“Hello?” He answered.
“Hi! Did you get everything in my apartment?” Mao asked as she sat on a bench outside her school.
“Yes. I’m really tired now.” He looked over to the side.
“I see. Well, I don’t want to bother you to walk me home if you’re exhausted.” Mao thought she could get him something to eat on the way back.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I owe you dinner then.” Jun sat up quickly.
“Oooo…. I’d be up for that. Well, I’ll be there in an hour there.” She started walking anyways.
“Mao-chan?”
“Yes?” Mao never thought Jun would call her ‘Mao-chan’, but it made her happy.
“Could I use your shower?” He didn’t realize he called her the nickname.
“Well, you’re living there now. You can because I don’t want to come home to stinky cop.” She chuckled.
“It’s detective by the way. Thank you. Well, I will see you back here.” Jun smirked.
“Of course. Have a good shower, ne!”
They both hung up, and Jun placed his cell phone on the table. He got up from the couch and grabbed his towel and shower items.

An hour passes by…. 

Mao comes home and doesn’t see Jun. She heard the shower door close and smiled. ~ Hhhmmm… he was in the shower that long? ~ She waited on the couch and played with his cell phone. Jun comes out of the bathroom in a towel since his clean clothes were in his bag. He was drying his hair with the towel. He doesn’t notice Mao staring at him at all. Her face is red as a tomato and turns back around quietly. ~ I didn’t know he was that good looking with a nice body. Ack… ~ Jun sits on the ground, looking at his bag and then gets this weird feeling someone is staring. He turns his head slightly and sees Mao covering her eyes with her hands.
“When did you get in?” He arched a brow.
“Just a minute ago.” She gulped.
“You’ve never seen a real shirtless guy, huh?” Jun still sits there, holding his clothes. She shook her head. “Well, I’m going to get clothes on. So, calm down.” He gets up quickly and runs to the bathroom. She wanted to squeal because Jun was not just handsome…. he was gorgeous. Under his clothing, he hid his muscles and toned stomach. She checked if he completely left the room and puts her hands down. ~ Nice going, Mao. You really are acting mature! ~ She picked a pillow and whacked herself on the head. Since Jun said he owed her dinner, she waited there, looking at his bags and equipment. There were a lot of devices she recognized. Being somewhat of a techie, she decided to setup Jun’s laptop. It was sophisticated and light. Jun came out, fully dressed and watched Mao setup. He was wondering why she would do.

“Damn. It’s password protected.” Mao sat there and thought of what might be a possible password. Jun leaned against the door frame and arched a brow. ~ What she up to? ~ She tried a couple things around to give her an idea. Access denied. Then, she used Yukie’s name, and the laptop started up.
Jun’s eyes widened, “What are you doing?”
Mao cringed and turned around slowly, “I was setting up your laptop for you.”
“My next question is why…” Jun then sat next to her.
“Well, I..uh…” She couldn’t think of a good answer.
“No one could crack the password.” Then he thought about it, “Did someone tell you about my former girlfriend?”
“Uh… yes..” She confessed.
“How much of the story?” He opened up a program and checked if the wireless internet was working.
“Everything….” She looked at him sadly.
“You researched me, didn’t you?” Jun wasn’t surprised.
“Yes.” She didn’t say more. Then, there was awkward silence. Jun didn’t want to speak. Mao didn’t know what to say or do. It started to bug her. “Look, I knew you weren’t going to say anything. It would be nice if the person who’s hired to ‘watch’ me would open up.”
Jun sighed and looked at her again, “I don’t like to think about my past. That’s all it is.” Then he sat back.
“How much has it affected you?” Mao was curious, but curiosity struck her.
Jun closed his eyes and decided to explain his story, “When it happened, I had nightmares for a year. I never said anything, not even to the psychiatrist. I was a rookie detective when Yukie and I met at 18. She was older…. 22 at the time.” The memories flooded back to him as he told the story. “She worked as a recruit for a private investigator and studied to get licensed. I fell in love with her, and she felt the same. We decided to move in when I was 19. Then, Chief had me working with Yukie on a case she was investigating. I remember we had no sleep on it, but it was nice to be in each other’s company for once instead of being separate all the time.” A quick flashback of being in front of the fireplace and coffee came to his mind. He smiled. Then, after a bit, he continued, “The case was tried in court, and it was the guilty verdict towards the defendant. We were so happy and celebrated. After that night, it was never the same. As we went back to our normal duties, I came home and Yukie was on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. She was strangled, cuts everywhere on her body and shot through chest. I dropped my bag and ran to her…. I was crying for hours. Shun, Shota, and Sho came by to visit, saw me hugging her and immediately called emergency back-up. They arrested me first because they thought I did it. When Chief saw me, he knew I didn’t and let me go. Plus, there was no evidence that pointed to me. I begged him to train me to be the best detective.” A tear rolled down his cheek. Mao noticed and brushed it away gently with her finger. He turned his whole body to face her, “This is why I’m known to crack cases easily.”
Mao took it all in slowly. She never realized that Jun was emotional, “I see why you never wanted to think about it.”
“When I was put on this case, I saw the picture in the file and I really didn’t want this case. You reminded me too much of Yukie, and I didn’t want to put myself through it again. The Chief explained I had no choice since I was chosen by your parents. So, when I first met you, we both didn’t have good impressions of each other.” Mao chuckled a bit and nodded. Jun smiled again, “Now, it’s great. I saw passed the whole similar face of Yukie and saw you for who you were.”
“Good. I was hoping you would because I was shocked she looked like me.” Mao blinked and uncrossed her arms.
“I could imagine. Now you know how I felt at the time.” He winked, “The problem now is that I think this whole case is linked to me and you. It’s not easy but I know it has to be someone who’s interacted with us.” His facial expression changed to seriousness.
Mao thought about it. What has she learned from her classes? “Well, basically, there has to be a motive or something about our backgrounds to cause all this….”
Jun took out a notebook and opened it up to a blank page, “Good thinking. Let’s write down the names of the people we know together.” He wrote down the names of all the people he knew in the Tokyo Police. After, he handed the notebook to Mao and wrote down the people she knew that knows about her and Jun. They compared the lists and had some similar names.

Another hour passes by…..

Mao’s stomach started to growl, “Hungry?” Jun grinned.
“Well, someone owes me dinner for not picking me up.” She commented.
“Oh yeah. I apologize. I forgot since we were talking. Is it ok to see what you have?” He got up and headed towards the kitchen.
“Yes. I hope it’s something yummy. Would you need some help?” Mao wanted to help so she could get to know Jun not as a detective but as himself.
“Sure… it maybe faster if the both of us do so.” He checked what she had and decided to make a pasta dish. “Could you cut up some of these vegetables as I start cooking?”
“Yes.” She took the vegetables he picked out of her refrigerator and began to wash them. Jun looked for a pot and large skillet. He found what he needed and waited for Mao to finish washing. She looked up at him and splashed a little bit of water.
He wiped his face w/ his shirt, “May I ask why you did that?”
“Cause…” She finished and then went over to the counter.
“Cause?” He began filling the pot w/ water.
“Oh…. Just start cooking…” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“I’ll get you back… just you wait…” He winked and smirked.
“Right…” she said sarcastically. He cooked a rigatoni dish with olive oil, cheese and various vegetables. Mao couldn’t wait to eat and setup on the table as he was finishing up. They ate dinner with a glass of wine. Mao realized Jun had a prestigious taste for not being rich. The way he handled his glass… the way the food was set on the plate…. He was detailed. It definitely comes with the job. After dinner, they put the plates into the sink to rinse and placed them in the dishwasher. Jun splashed Mao a couple of times and after a bit, she got annoyed. She took out the hose from the sink and sprayed him. He looked at her funny and tried to grab the hose. They were at it for about a couple of minutes. Then, Jun started chasing Mao around with a nearby spray bottle around the living room.
“I was dry from the shower… then you had to start this…” Jun shook his head as he was trying to grab her now.
“Hey, you kept splashing me. It was revenge!” Mao blurted out.
“I’m gonna get you….”
“No you won’t.” Mao ran into her bedroom and was about to shut the door till Jun barged in. She fell on the floor, and Jun tripped, landing on top of her while holding himself up. They both laughed because they were like little kids. Mao finally got to see Jun laugh and having fun. He wasn’t always the serious type.
Jun’s face became serious, though, “Oh my God. You ok?”
“Yes. Luckily we didn’t trip in the kitchen….” Mao looked at him intensely. Being close to him made her heart beat faster. Their lips were an inch apart. He noticed and stared deep into her eyes. Then, his heart began to beat fast….. ~ Crap… I should get up now, but... I want to… I have this need to kiss her…. ~
~ Is he staring at me? Does he notice I’m staring at him? ~ Mao seemed to be thinking the same thoughts.
Jun broke the silence, “Ummm…. I should get up now….”
“Yes… you are a bit heavier than me.” Mao responded and smiled. ~ Dammit… I should’ve just kissed him. ~ Jun got up and helped her up. They were still wet from the hose and spray bottle. “I will get us a towel.” She went into her bathroom while Jun waited for her. He put a hand to his chest and his heart was still beating quickly. The only other person who made him feel like that was Yukie. Was he really falling in love with Mao? He never thought he could. She came out and handed him a towel. They dried off a bit, and Jun bowed his head, “Thank you.”
“No problem. Maybe you should shower again….” Mao winked.
“Maybe… you should take one too.” Jun suggested. They looked at each other again and thought how nice it would be to shower with each other. They both turned away simultaneously. Mao was red as a tomato again while Jun was the same.
“Ummmmm…. How about I shower first and then you can go?” Mao decided.
“Sounds good. I should check my messages anyways….” Jun nodded and then quickly back to the living room. Mao locked the door and went into the bathroom, showering.

In the living room, Jun sat on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. His heart still didn’t slow down. The thought of Mao nude entered his mind. It seemed like a perverted thought but to him, it was deep. He really wanted to ‘feel’ Mao’s skin and kiss her lips. His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone went off. He quickly answered it without checking the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Jun. It’s Sho.” His tone seemed unusual to Jun.
“Good evening…. I received the package.” Jun explained.
“Good. Did you take a look at it further?” Sho seemed to be on his computer while talking to Jun.
“A little bit. I was very tired last night and moved all my items into Mao’s apartment today.” Jun sat back on the couch.
“Well well…. I guess I did go to the right apartment then.” Sho chuckled.
“You goof. You shouldn’t scare Mao like that. Why do you dress up like an old detective?” Jun chuckled as well.
“Oh be quiet. I wanted to be careful. There’s nothing wrong with it. Anyways, I should have called you which I apologize for. You know me… my work always makes me forget….” His tone was Sho again and wasn’t unusual.
“It’s true. Anyways, let’s get back to business. What else haven’t I seen?” Jun pulled out the paperwork from the package and checked it.
“Well, to add, it seemed I figured out a pattern. I’d have to explain if further later though.” Jun heard the shuffling of papers on Sho’s end.
“Hhhhhmmm…. I suspect it may be someone in our police force.” Jun asked.
“Why do you suspect someone from the police department?” This brought out Sho’s curiosity.
“I will tell you in person. There’s a lot to this I would have to discuss with you since you’re my electronics expert. We can setup a meeting for lunch or dinner.” Jun remembered the complexity of the bomb.
“That works. I will text or call you about it later.” He replied.
“Good. Look, I better go. I realized I need to report to Chief Abe today because he doesn’t know what’s going on.” Jun realized he hadn’t gone to the police station all day.
“All right. I will see you later. Don’t stay up too late.”
“I will not. Have a good night.” Jun smiled and disconnected the call. He stood up and sighed. It was an exhausting day, and it seemed his night would be the same. He picked up the notebook and looked at the names. ~ Rich, huh? Why go after Mao if the person is rich already? What’s really the motive? ~ Jun heard the door open and turned around. Mao was wrapped in a towel and hair was up in a towel as well. His facial expression changed to a super happy look. As this happened, he didn’t notice his crotch area was enlarged. Mao’s eyes widened and looked away quickly. He was wondering why and then felt odd. He looked down, covered it quickly with his hands and was mortified. He sat down quickly and put a pillow over it.
“I’m SO sorry, Mao-chan!” Jun shut his eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. Apparently, you haven’t seen a girl in a towel in a long time.” Mao decided to get him back for earlier about the shirtless guy comment.
“Oi….” He was trying to calm down and couldn’t believe that happened. Mao closed and locked the door. After 10 minutes, Jun’s enlarged area was down. Since he was embarrassed, he wrote on a note in his notebook and taped it to Mao’s door. Then, he picked up his jacket and left the apartment. Mao finished up and heard the front door close. She opened her door quickly and saw the note on the door. What it said:

Mao-chan,

I’m very sorry about that incident. It will not happen again. I will be out for a while. I need to report to the office and then research some more. If you feel lonely or something strange happens, text or call my cell phone. You can take a look at the package further if you’d like. You might recognize something I’m missing. Just be cautious. You may be a sleep when I get back tonight. Have a good night then. 

Sincerely,
Jun

~ I kinda like the fact you’re attracted to me though. It’s a nice feeling… ~ Mao held the note to her chest. ~ It smells like his cologne too. I don’t think I’ll be lonely tonight with this. ~ She went over to his laptop and package to check anything she might know. 

*******

Jun walked into the police station and directly headed over to Chief’s office. He had to be careful cause he suspected everyone for his case. The lights were on meaning Chief Abe was in. He knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Chief instructed. Jun opened the door and saw Chief Abe looking up from some paperwork. “Well, I was wondering when you were going to come in.”
“I apologize.” Jun bowed. “I was moving my stuff into Mao’s apartment.”
“What? You’re now going to live with her?” Chief seemed upset at the thought.
“After yesterday, I thought this would be better so I can keep a close watch on her. I forgot to inform you about it.” Jun continued bowing.
Chief sighed, “It’s fine if you think it’s good. I trust your judgment. I just hope nothing strange happens because of what happened to Yukie….”
“I know, sir. I’ve grown fond of Ms. Mao.” Jun leaned against the door.
“Oh? This is news to me.” He crossed his arms.
“Not in that way. Noooo… just she knows a lot about evidence and is very detailed.” Jun was denying his feelings because he didn’t want to express them in front of Chief Abe.
“Oh… I see. I thought you fell in love with her. I suspected it. That’s good then. So, she can be a little sidekick to you.” Chief was pleased.
Jun’s eyes lit at the word ‘love’. He was falling in love with her slowly, but he won’t admit it, “Yes. My thoughts exactly.” He scratched his head.
“Well, is there more to report?”
“I will write one out to you. I hope I can solve this quickly. It’s getting harder when I’m near the truth.” Jun was determined to catch the perpetrator.
“Good. I know the bomb incident was a scare to you… it was to me too because I have family that live in the area.” Chief turned his chair and looked at his shelf.
“Sir? I didn’t know that.” Jun took a mental note of it.
“Yes.” He looked at the time. “Ok, that is all for the night. I would like to see the report on my desk by tomorrow before the evening.”
“Yes sir!” Jun bowed and exited his office. He shrugged and went to his office to check if anything happened while he was gone. He went in and it stayed the same. Since he was spending time with Mao, he really haven’t had time for himself. He locked his door and sat on his chair. His desk was getting a bit dusty but he didn’t care. It was his office and time to piece all the clues together. He opened up a document on his computer and started typing each clue down.

- Phone tapping wire
- Bomb with a prototype motion device & same phone tapping wire
- The buildings used
- After the Inoues & trying to kidnap Mao 

The clues went on till it was the end of page one. Then, he heard a knock on the door and looked up to see a shadow waiting behind the other side….