I am late. I'm sorry. Also this is the last chapter. I'd like to thank you all for your support, especially Blue-Starlight92 for all the great beta-reading. Might do a sequel if there's demand. If not, I hope you enjoyed.

Kazuya is Oliver Davis. Oliver Davis is Kazuya. John is having a hard time wrapping his mind around this concept. It seems completely impossible that this individual he's worked with for over a year is the famous researcher and psychic he's been fascinated by since he got into psychic phenomena. And now he's leaving to go halfway across the world and John will probably never see him again.

Takigawa is having the worst time. He must he horrified that his hero, the man he worships, is Naru. A seventeen-year-old boy with no manners and even less patience. It's a little depressing: Naru is younger than any of them, except Mai and Masako.

Actually, despite Takigawa's dramatic dismay, it's Masako John is most worried about. He knows too well how much Masako cares for Naru, even if the feeling isn't reciprocated. The day they found out, he talked to her briefly, and she seemed fine, but she's a great one for concealing her emotions, so a few days after Naru is actually gone, he stops in by her place.

Her parents, unsurprisingly, aren't home, but it doesn't bother him anymore. More than once he's sat up at night with her when she's been haunted by another spirit – he's come to regard it as his duty. So daytime isn't anything to get into a fuss about, either.

She opens the door when he knocks, and looks a little blank, as if worried she's forgotten an appointment.

"Morning," he says. "I was in the area and thought I'd come see you."

"Hello. It's nice to see you." Masako stands aside. "Come in."

"I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" he says, as he follows her into the apartment.

"Not really. I was just reading a book."

Strangely normal activity for someone who should be heartbroken, but he doesn't say so, obviously. Instead, he sits down on the couch and shakes his head when she asks if he'd like some tea.

"No thanks," he says.

"All right, then," she says. "What are you worrying about?"

His eyes widen. "Why do you think I'm worried about something?"

"Because that's the only time you drop by spontaneously," she explains. "You never actually just pop in to say hi." Masako smiles. "Also, you're not very good at hiding your feelings."

John smiles back at her. "I never have been. All right, you caught me." He holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Am I really that bad?"

"It's not bad." Masako's forehead wrinkles. "It means you care. But sometimes it makes me feel more like your parishioner than your friend."

John isn't sure how to respond to this. The truth is, he consciously avoids being around her alone at her house unless she needs help. It feels more professional, a word that's on his mind a lot around Masako. But he really doesn't want to alienate her, so he says, "I'm sorry. In the future I'll try to be better at that."

"So you are planning on staying?"

"Yes, why?" He tilts his head. "Did someone say I wasn't?"

"No. I suppose I just assumed...well, Naru is the one who brought us all together. It only makes sense that after he leaves, we would fall apart again."

And just like that, resentment flares up in John's mind, even though the conversation is leading right where he wants it to. Should want it to. Needs it to, if he's going to get her to talk. But somehow, that thought is far from his mind as he leans forward and touches her arm.

"Masako," he says, "It doesn't have to be like that. Kazuya may have brought this group together, but he's not the reason we started growing fond of each other. How easy would it have been for us all to drift apart? But instead we became friends, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure we stay that way. I promise."

They stare at each other for several seconds. Then Masako's gaze shifts down to his hand, which is still touching her arm. He yanks it away and feels himself blushing. Great job, he tells himself. You've scared her.

She doesn't run away, though, just smiles faintly.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you so impassioned," she says.

"Sorry."

"No. I like it."

"Oh." He blinks, caught off guard by this turn of events. "Uh," he continues, "I did come here to talk to you about Kazuya, though."

The smile drops off her face. Watching feels a bit like being stabbed in the heart, but a small part of him is pleased that he guessed right.

"What about Naru?" she asks.

"It's just that I wanted to see how you were taking the news, that's all. Of his leaving, and so on."

Masako raises her eyebrows. "I'm flattered that you care, but why should I be taking it any differently from the others?"

"Umm..." Is she going to make him say it? Is this some kind of test? "Your, uh, feelings for him." He waves his hands in the air. "I mean, not that I don't think you can deal with it, I'm sure you're fully capable of handling this sort of thing, but, well, I care about you and I thought you might like someone to talk to..."

She's still staring at him. He trails off, doesn't make eye contact. Has he grossly misjudged the situation? How?

"I gave up on Naru a long time ago," she says.

John's jaw drops.

"But," he says. "But, but..."

"I know you started talking to me like this because you felt sorry for me – " she begins.

"That's not true! Well, not only."

"I'm pleased to hear that. But regardless, Naru brought us together. Yet another connection I've made because of him." She smiles stiffly. "I should be grateful to him."

"But," John says again. It seems to be the only word he's currently capable of producing, and he shakes himself. It shouldn't be this much of a shock. "You liked him, I thought."

"I did. I do, I suppose. But I've accepted that he's never going to reciprocate." She shifts in her seat, doesn't look at him. "He's fond of Mai. And they'll be good for each other."

"But you've never acted like you accepted it." Oh, dear, had that been less than tactful? Masako doesn't seem offended, though. She just sticks her chin out and says, "I may be aware of my defeat, but I don't have to take it lying down. I'm not going to make it easy for her."

"But you're not really interested."

"No. I know when to cut my losses." She shrugs. "It's still not very comfortable to think about, but I believe I've moved on. Someone very important to me helped a lot with that."

"Who?" John says. "Mai?"

She snorts. "Honestly, are you that naïve?"

"What?"

"John."

He just stares at her, no idea who she is talking about. Maybe someone not in the SPR? She must have friends outside the team, surely.

Masako rolls her eyes and sighs. "I'm talking about you."

"...oh." This time he succeeds in keeping his jaw from dropping, but only just. "I'm really glad that I could help."

"It was very kind of you," she says.

"You are my friend," he says. "It's just what a friend does, isn't it? Listen to you and tries to help?"

Masako drops her eyes and the amusement disappears from her voice. "Yes," she says. "I suppose they do."

"Is something wrong?" He reaches over to pat her on the shoulder without thinking, and she jerks back.

"You really are that naïve," she says.

"I don't understand." He seems to be missing half this conversation, like whenever he gets a grip on what's happening it slips away. John wishes he was better at this, but although he's fairly good at understanding people's body language and reading what they're feeling, he seems incapable of puzzling out what it means. What isn't she telling him?

"I did say you were very important to me, and that you helped me get over Naru." She looks expectantly at him.

"Yes," he says.

"I think it started when you insisted on helping me bring the groceries home. I don't think anyone has ever done that for me. I don't think Naru would. Actually, maybe it really started back at the hospital, because I kept thinking Naru would never do that, either." She shakes her head. "I didn't realize it till then, though."

"Realize what?"

"I've given up on Naru, but...not on you..." Her voice shrinks away to a tiny whisper near the end of the sentence, and he barely catches it. Takes a second to sink in, too.

When it does, though...

After a couple of seconds, she asks, "Are you all right?"

Somehow me managed to find his tongue, not having swallowed it as he thought he might.

"Yes," he says.

"I'm sorry to dump this on you."

"It's okay. I'm glad you told me."

"I did do some reading. I know priests can't... I mean, I know the kind of vows you have to take."

"Yes," he says, knowing his tone is getting harsh, but he can't seem to moderate it even though he wants to. She curls up in on herself, feet tucking under her and arms retreating into her sleeves.

"It's just," she says, "that I thought you felt something, too."

"What?" And again, he says this too harshly, wincing himself as he hears how his voice sounds. His emotional filters seem to have been stripped away and with them, his vocal ones. Masako flinches and stares resolutely at his feet.

"I know," she says. "It just seemed that you were going out of your way to help me, and you don't seem to do that for any of the others. I expect I was just imagining it." She scrubs at her eyes briefly, and he realizes she's crying. The knowledge wakes up something inside him and seems to break down some kind of dam in his head. Yes, he's definitely been in denial.

"You're right," John tells Masako, and she looks up sharply, eyes still full of tears.

"I do go out of my way, more for you than for anyone else. I think I probably like you more than I should." He runs his hands through his hair, and smiles wearily. "I can't do anything about it, though. I'm sorry. You should move on."

She shakes her head wordlessly.

"Masako, you know I can't."

"I know."

"It'll only hurt you."

"I know. And we should probably stop seeing each other. It would be easier for you."

"But not for you?"

"No," she says. "I like spending time with you. Regardless of the reasons."

"I think I can manage that."

There are several minutes of silence.

"I can't promise anything – " he begins.

"I know," she says quickly. "I'm not asking you to."

"But I'm going to pray about this," he continues.

Masako's eyes widened. "Okay," she says, unfolding herself, corners of her mouth turning up.

And he smiles back in return. Who knows what God has in store?

The future is a question that doesn't need an answer quite yet.