A/N: This prologue is a brief interpretation of a scene in Akumu No Sumu Ie, so fair warning if you have not read the novel/manga. I felt it was essential to understand Naru's state of mind when it comes to his research, and how he can lose sight of his humanity when he gets caught up in furthering his research. This may end up as a LinxMai thing later, because I'm really into that pair right now, despite the creepy age difference. (NaruxMai will always be my OTP, but there's just something about Lin.) I've got a thing for older guys, I guess. :\ If you're looking for NaruxMai, look up my other drabble collection titled "Vehicles".
Their voices were getting more heated as the conversation pushed forward. Mai, Bou-san and Masako quickly hurried to the kitchen.
Police investigator Hirota Seigi and Oliver Davis were squaring off against each other. Naru was accusing Hirota-san of using shady practices to close his cases, as he suspected that Hirota was withholding information that could help SPR's current investigation of the Agawa household.
"Are you mocking me!?" Hirota-san countered back at Naru's argument. He slammed his fist down on the table.
"Thanks to Japan's wonderful investigative talents, I had to personally come to Japan myself to find my brother," Naru seethed. "I flew down here. I filed all of the necessary paperwork, and it still took a year to find him!"
Mai cringed at the display of emotion Naru was releasing and felt her own heart ache at this public outpouring. The air in the small room cackled with an unseen electricity that made her skin tingle. She kept quiet with the rest of the group as Naru continued.
"I doubt that my brother would have been found without my help," he told Hirota-san. Naru's voice had returned to a cold steely tone, but there was an unrecognizable fire lit in his dark eyes. "Even after spending an exhaustive amount of time to find him, the body had decomposed so much that it was impossible to identify. Because of that, the cause of death could not be determined. Even a post-mortem exam was impossible." Naru glared at Hirota-san, who returned Naru's glare with one of his own.
"If I had only started searching for him after I turned in the paperwork, I'm sure that I would have found him sooner! An examination would have been possible!" Naru raised his voice.
Bou-san took this opportunity to step in and try to control the situation. "Now, now, Naru-bo. Even if you had found him sooner, and could do an exam to determine the cause of death, finding his murderer is a different matt-"
"That isn't the point!" Naru yelled, interrupting Bou-san. The floodgates holding back his emotions had crumbled away, as he was caught up in his zeal to make them understand his plight. "Gene was a perfect medium! He could speak in their native languages with no prior knowledge!" Naru's eyes practically glowed. "How did he see spirits? How did he hear their voices!? If we could have done a detailed exam on the body, we could have found some leads!" He pointed at Hirota-san. "Those guys just ruined the opportunity!"
The room fell silent, as his voice reverberated off of the thin walls and echoed in their ears. Mai was at a loss for words. She had never imagined that Naru could be so cold and heartless. To put his research before the sanctity of his brother's life and meaningless death stunned Mai. She released a breath that she didn't notice she had been holding in. The looks on Bou-san and Masako's faces mirrored Mai's own shocked expression. It would have been almost comical in any other situation.
"W-work!" Bou-san stuttered. "We need to get back to work!" He glanced at Masako and Mai.
"Definitely! Let's get back to work!" Mai agreed quickly. Bou-san led them away from the scene that just unfolded before their eyes, leaving Hirota Seigi alone with Naru.
This is Kazuya Shibuya, manager of Shibuya Psychic Research, known by his employees as Naru. But to the rest of the psychic world, he is Dr. Oliver Davis, famed paranormal researcher known as The Mad Scientist.