Mirror Mirror (self-insert #9)

Chapter 7

"So can I." I growled. "I can deck him right where he stands."

"Nira..."

I huffed aggressively and shoved past him, then whirled around. "I will be back." I warned him. "This is just a break."

Naru dipped his head in a nod. "Take as long as you need."

Lin glanced up from the computer as I strode over to reach under the desk for my backpack. He didn't speak until I'd taken a long swig from my waterbottle, and when I did, his voice was cautious. "Hara-san is here?"

"She's here." I said moodily. "Hirota's throwing a fit, in case you couldn't hear."

"Oh, I can hear, alright."

I sat with him for a few blessedly quiet minutes, and slowly but surely my head cleared. "Stinking Hirota." I said conversationally. "Having a different opinion is one thing, but being a bigot is another. Like, I don't believe in ghosts, but you don't see me verbally abusing you guys for it."

Lin grunted in agreement, though he did look up when I stood. "You're going back out there?"

"Don't worry—if I get out of hand, Naru can always drag me back." As an afterthought I added, "If he can, of course."

I peeked out from behind Naru just as Hirota said, "This is a malicious crime, an extremely malicious crime!"

"Um..." All eyes turned to Midori's mother. The smaller woman cleared her throat tentatively. "Don't you think you're overreacting? From what I've seen, Shibuya-san and his workers aren't those types of people."

"Those people are untrustworthy." Hirota insisted.

"But I feel that, Hirota-san, you are too untrusting."

Hirota paused, taken aback, before glancing at Naru. The sight of his composed face must've angered him to no end because without hesitation, he snapped, "These people are murderers!"

We had gone so quiet that I half expected Lin to come out and see where everyone had went.

Mai was the first to speak. "Wait, Hirota-san!"

"I'm not Midori-san's cousin." He said, ignoring her. He looked Naru straight in the eye. "I'm from Tokyo's Special Investigation Team. I came here for work."

"Eh? EEEEEEEEEHHHHH?!" Bou-san burst out of the base's doorway and jabbed Naru in the chest. "Y-y-y-y-y-y-you! Did you not pay your taxes?"

"I don't remember this."

"But the Special Investigation Team is involved, did you not pay your taxes or accept bribes?"

If anything, Naru would be the one bribing people. I kept my mouth shut.

Nearby, Mai was having her own nervous breakdown. "What is the S-s-special Investigation Team? Are they any different from the police? What is with accusing Naru of murder?!"

Bou-san came to the rescue. "N-n-not police! The investigation here refers the the attorney office! In short, their work is to determine whether to prosecute those suspects that are detained by the police!" He whipped around to face Hirota. "Speaking of which, why is an attorney here instead of a police man? You must be exaggerating if you are saying that he is a murderer! Even though this person has some temperamental and emotional problems, it still doesn't mean that he would be crazy enough to kill someone!"

"The missing body of Eugene Davis."

He and Mai went still.

"It happened on the summer of this year and Eugene is his brother. I have deemed him as one of the accomplices in the incident and have been investigating him in secret."