She studied him for a moment longer, her gaze unwavering, before she stepped even closer, her movements smooth and calculated. Her lips brushed near his ear as she whispered, barely audible, "Then solve this case."

Kavei straightened slightly, his eyes meeting hers with a confident yet casual smile. "Sure," he said simply, accepting the challenge without flinching.

Scene: Najima's death investigation
Time: 14:30 pm
Location: Najima's apartment

Yukina Itsuhara settled back onto the sleek black couch. Kavei didn't look at her. He dove straight into the investigation. His gaze was sharp, picking up on every detail as he moved through Mr. Najima's private room. The air inside was humid, thickening the already heavy atmosphere.

The room was clean. Minimalist. Sleek. No signs of a struggle. Books lined the shelves neatly, papers arranged carefully on the coffee table. The only thing out of place was the trail of shattered glass glinting on the floor. According to Yumiya's statement on the news, this had to be the object she'd heard breaking.

Kavei noted it all, his eyes slow, deliberate. Then he stepped back out, something already beginning to form in his mind.

His next move was to speak with Yumiya—the primary witness from the broadcast. She stood just beyond the entryway, arms wrapped tightly around herself, tension visible in every inch of her body.

"Where were you when he died?" Kavei asked as he approached.

Before she could respond, Yukina's voice cut in from across the room. Sharp. Smug. "Looks like our little detective hasn't been watching the news," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Kavei stopped. The way she said it hit harder than he liked. He let out a slow breath. He could feel her watching, like she was waiting for him to react. That smirk on her face—it said she was already judging him, already sure she was three steps ahead.

He didn't rise to it. Instead, he turned back to Yumiya, his voice calm. "Where were you when Mister Najima was killed?"

But Yukina wasn't done. She laughed—sharp, almost mocking. The sound pulled everyone's attention. "Are you serious?" she asked, her tone dipped in condescension. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

Her smug posture, the way she leaned back on the couch like she had all the time in the world, made something in Kavei snap. The way she dismissed him—like he didn't matter—was too much.

He stepped forward. Then again. A few strides and he was standing right in front of her. Her smirk vanished mid-laugh. Gone.

Kavei leaned down slightly, close enough that she could feel the heat of his breath, his hands clasped behind his back. His voice was low. Calm. But there was an edge to every word.

"Look," he said, each syllable deliberate. "I've been patient. I've been polite. But if you keep testing me, that patience is going to run out—fast."

Yukina didn't speak right away. She blinked, caught off guard. Kavei stood back up then, moving away from her. Something in him—his quiet certainty, the weight he carried so easily—had shifted the dynamic. Just for a second, she felt... off balance.

Then her assistant, Henkai, stepped in, voice low and dismissive. "Let it go, ma'am," he said. "He's not worth your time."

Yukina exhaled slowly, like she needed to reset. She leaned back again, arms folded, but something in her posture had changed. Less casual. More guarded. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him.

Kavei turned back to Yumiya. His stance was relaxed, but his focus was razor-sharp.

No one interrupted him this time.

He resumed his questioning. "So, where were you at the time of the incident?" he asked, his tone steady again.

Yumiya looked taken aback as she formed her words. She was the key witness to the crime, it didn't make sense to be questioned despite that. "I don't understand-"

"Where were you?" Kavei repeated, more directly this time. "Last night?"

"I was sleeping in my room," Yumiya replied, her voice soft.

"When did you wake up?"

"Around half past ten," she answered, fidgeting with the hem of her frock.

Kavei glanced down at her hands, his own still clasped behind his back. "May I check your room?" Kavei asked suddenly as he looked back up at her.

Yumiya blinked, caught off guard. "Pardon?"

"Just a view," he clarified, his voice calm but insistent. "I won't touch anything. That shouldn't hurt, right?"

She hesitated but eventually nodded, gesturing for him to follow. Accompanied by Inspector Senzaki and a couple more officers, Kavei entered her unit, stepping into a small, neat room. His eyes scanned the space, finally landing on the bed covered in soft pink sheets. He bent close to examine it, noting every detail. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He exhaled as he stood back up and turned to face Senzaki. "Gloves, please."

Senzaki nodded immediately and signalled one of the officers in the room. The man bowed his head at Senzaki quickly before jogging out. He reached Najima's unit and slipped out a pair of gloves from the box resting on the coffee table. The man jogged back to Yumiya's unit and handed the pair to Senzaki, who passed it along to Kavei. 

Kavei knelt next to the bed as he donned the gloves quietly and reached under it, nothing. He lifted his head back up as he glanced at the nightstand next to the bed. As promised, he didn't touch anything; only his eyes moved like a camera, quietly capturing every detail. Kavei finally stood up and moved around the entire unit, kitchen, living room, and even the balcony.

"Is it okay for a child to be playing detective like this, Inspector Senzaki?" Yumiya asked as she glanced over at the man standing beside her. Senzaki simply shook his head, his hands clasped behind his back. "Trust the boy. He has never once failed to catch the criminal whenever he is involved."

Kavei sighed as he gripped the rails of the balcony. "Nothing..there is nothing here..."

As he turned to leave, his eyes caught sight of something on the pavement down below, not too far away from the main gates. He nodded to himself as he patted the railing and then turned around and went back into the unit. "Inspector, how far has your investigation reached?" Kavei asked Senzaki as he walked towards the main door of the room, adjusting the white gloves on his hands. Senzaki walked beside him as Yumiya followed behind, with the officers following behind her.

They stepped into the corridor. "What do you want to know?" Senzaki asked. 

"A list of people who had entered the apartment through cars, bikes, or any vehicle, really," he replied, moving towards Najima's unit. Yukina watched as he shifted from one unit to another, but before he could enter Najima's room, she spoke, drumming her fingers on the armrest of the couch. "Mind if I join your investigation? I wish to watch you work. We had a deal, remember?"

Kavei stopped mid-step in front of Najima's room. He turned enough to throw a glance at Yukina and simply nodded. Yukina stood up then and donned her black gloves, the gloves she always carried with her. Henkai followed beside her as she entered the room right behind Kavei. Senzaki ordered one of the officers to bring the notes they had recorded during the investigation, but before he could enter, Kavei turned around and spoke. "I want to investigate alone, sir. So, is it possible for you to stay here for a while?" Senzaki scoffed as he stepped back. "Well. As you say," he said, raising his hands halfway, grinning at Kavei. Kavei raised an eyebrow, matching Senzaki's scoff.

He then turned around and walked into the room with Senzaki standing at the threshold. "You leave too," he directed his words at Henkai as he pulled his pants up slightly, kneeling next to Najima's body on the couch. Henkai remained expressionless as he spoke, hands neatly behind his back. "Sorry, boy, but as Madam's secretary, it is my duty to stay with her at all times--"

Kavei began laughing suddenly. It clearly irritated Henkai. "What do you find so funny? I am simply doing my duty."

"Oh, no. I wasn't laughing at you, sir," Kavei said as he stood up, taking one glove off. He then glanced at Yukina. "But he will have to leave." Yukina sighed as she complied. "Henkai. Just stand outside, okay? Where the Inspector is standing. The door is open and literally everyone can see inside, so what are you worried about?"

"But ma'am--"

"It's okay, Henkai. Please?" Yukina nodded at him. Henkai finally conceded as he strode past Kavei and stood next to Senzaki at the threshold of the room. And then Henkai heard it. The dismissive comments directed towards Kavei. He was too focused on taking care of Yukina, and hence, he had muffled the voices reaching his ears, but hearing it now made it clear. They were being overly rude. Henkai was sure Kavei could hear them too, so why wasn't he saying anything? He was old enough to clap back, wasn't he? He had done that with Yukina after all.

Senzaki noticed the growing sense of confusion on Henkai, although his face showed no signs of the same. He cleared his throat as he spoke. "Kavei is used to the harsh comments, and he also doesn't want to get tangled with them," he whispered to Henkai, not looking directly at him, which caught him off guard. How did this man know what he was thinking?

"When I first heard people being harsh towards him," Senzaki continued. "I was super enraged. But Kavei told me not to bother with them. I lose my cool from time to time when people underestimate him, but when he proves them wrong? Oh, that is more satisfying than shutting them up. Also, he is not as old as you think he is."

As Senzaki finished, Henkai couldn't help but fall more into thought. This man answered every question in his mind in a heartbeat. Henkai knew how good he was at hiding his emotions, so how did Senzaki manage to discern what he was thinking? This man was THE SENZAKI after all, alright.

Kavei glanced at Najima's body one last time. A small smile spread across his face. "Bingo,"