"Uh-"

"What is it now, Mai?"

"Why are you giving me this?" Mai held up the envelope in her hand, looking at it bewilderedly as Naru leaned against the office wall with his head down; a pose often adopted when humouring his assistant.

"It's a raise." He sighed, glaring at the girl. "Can you fetch my Tea now? Or should I take that money back?" He held out his hand, his face expressionless.

Mai's brain clicked into gear. "Oh! Right!" Jerk... She hastened to the machine and poured out two teas; one for Lin-san. As she carried the two white mugs back to the office, she nibbled her lip in discomfort. Why did I get a raise?

She thought back over the last case, the one at the prime minister's mansion... had she done anything to deserve a raise? That mansion... Mai shuddered at the memories that place had given to her, memories that would haunt her... until the next case, when other things would happen and her mind would turn to those in fear, discounting her experiences so far as nothing special.

--Flashback---

"Pro or not, no one should have to experience that!" Mai shouted at her superior, clenching her fists as she tried to pound some of her meaning into his insensitive brain.

"Mai!" He interrupted, warningly. Mai forced herself on.

"Do you know what it feels like to die, Naru? Can you imagine the moment you die?" Mai brought a fist to her chest, her blood raging inside her veins. "Do you understand how fragile we are!? I REFUSE TO ALLOW MASAKO TO BE POSSESED!" Mai felt tears behind her eyes but held them back.

That dream had been so real; she had felt the blade slicing her throat open and releasing the blood in gushing rivers.

Mai looked at Naru's face; what was that emotion? It looked like he was in great pain, like a deep sadness had taken hold of his heart.

Naru?

"Naru?"

---End flashback---

After that, Naru changed the plan, an unusually compassionate gesture for him. Having said that, he did replace all the cursed school kids with hitogatas when we were reversing the curse at that school... Maybe he's not a total rock.

What had Mori-san said about Naru? That Naru worries about those close to him, that even if he doesn't show it, he's not a robot.

As Mai returned to the office, she saw that the main room was empty, so she went back to the back office where the computers were, but paused at the door as she heard voices.

"Mai's a good kid, I'm glad you gave her that raise."

Lin-san?! Mai held her breath and leaned into the door, straining her ears to listen to the conversation.

"Hn. I had no idea that she was living alone; she doesn't let it show... I mean... living alone like that... she must get so lonely." There was the sound of tapping; probably Lin on the computer.

They... they're still dwelling on the fact that I live alone? Those two didn't turn a hair when I said it, whereas the others were shocked, I thought that at least they saw it for what it was, not that big a deal... Mai thought back to the raise. So it's pity money?

"Yeah... no wonder she loves this job."

Mai opened the door with force, slamming it into the wall as she stood in the doorway with the tray in one hand. "I've got your Tea."

Naru didn't even glance up from his notebook. "Set them down on the side there Mai, then you can go back to the desk." Mai carried the tray over and put down the mugs, deliberately letting the hot liquid spill a bit onto the wooden shelves.

"Oops." She muttered sarcastically, before turning and leaving the office before Naru could realise what had happened and shout at her.

She sat herself down at the front desk with an angry sigh. She wanted to shove the money back in Naru's face and shout at him but... she needed the money... even though the pay was good, she was having difficulties paying off the money she'd borrowed for her new oven after the old model caught fire and charred the plaster of the wall, a scar that the wall still bore.

What should I do? She stared at the envelope for a while before pulling her bottom lip out in a pout and nodding to herself. She had to give back the money; it was a matter of principle, she was not a beggar asking for extra money.

Just as Mai stood up, Naru emerged from the office, expressionless as usual. Mai quickly walked over to him and held out the envelope with her head down, looking at the floor, suddenly having the irrational feeling of guilt, as though she were a naughty child under the scrutiny of a stern parent.

"What's this?" Naru's monotonic voice made Mai's blood boil, he didn't move to take or shun the envelope.

"My raise, I won't take it."

"..." Naru sighed and walked over to the filing cabinets. "Why not?"

Mai furrowed her brow and clenched her fists to her side. "Because I won't take your charity Naru."

There was a short silence in which Mai stared at the back of her employer as he rummaged through the contents of the filing cabinet. Naru rested his hands wearily on the side of the open drawer and turned to look at Mai, she grimaced; he was smirking at her with that damned arrogant and gorgeous face. "Remember my pet?"

"What?" Mai blinked, snapped out of her anger by the odd question. "Your pet?"

Naru held up one hand and Mai could see that held between his long fingers was a silver coin. "He's still a bit frightened by you, you know." The coin disappeared without Naru's hand moving and Mai looked in her hand where the coin was nestled in her palm. "But only a little." The voice sounded so much like it came from the coin that Mai dropped it in shock.

"Where is it?" She asked; there was no coin on the floor. A hand appeared in front of her face and Naru revealed that the coin was once again in his possession. "How do you do that?!" Mai demanded, poking the coin only to find that it had once again disappeared.

"You scared him again." Naru smirked, "He's gone away to hide." With that, the seventeen year old left the room, leaving Mai stranding alone and confused... and still with her raise.

"Jerk."

---

Was gonna be a one-shot BUT I decided to do more. The raise won't be the total focus but it will be important, especially at the edn! Jepaordy theme!