DETOUR
My Rude Awakening

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ghost Hunt. I wouldn't be writing this if I did.

WARNING: May contain spoilers from the manga and novels, including Akumu no Sumu Ie.

PROLOGUE
Unsolicited Advice
10.12.2015

Siena, Italy
February 14, 20XX, 7:32 PM GMT +01:00

Oliver Davis sipped his second cup of tea as he swept his gaze around Piazza del Campo.

The medieval square was surrounded with many historical buildings, each of them fascinating in their own right.

Torre del Mangia stood proudly in the midst of everything. Made of hundreds of red bricks that were discolored with age, the bell tower had withstood several modifications and the passage of time itself. Noll sat in front of it, transfixed as he tried to imagine what kind of visions he would see if he ever dared to touch just one brick from the said tower.

A smirk escaped from his lips as he seriously considered trying it since he was already there.

After all, it was way more interesting than listening to the ongoing conversation between his father and the director of Santa Maria della Scala Museum.

The case was referred to the Society of Psychical Research in London a few weeks prior, after the aforementioned organization's counterpart in Italy had failed in resolving the haunting.

The heavily accented English of their client was terribly annoying. Noll could not understand what he was saying half the time he was talking so there was really no point in joining the discussion.

He tried catching the attention of his father, but the older man was so engrossed with their exchange that he did not notice his son at all.

I guess I am stuck here until the old men are satisfied with all their talking. The young researcher mused as he sighed in resignation.

The restaurant where they were currently at was just one of the many that lined up the edge of the piazza. After a week of non-stop investigation in the centuries-old hospital that was turned into a museum, it would have been a good spot for relaxation if it were not for the noisy tourists and lovers that surrounded him.

The square was filled with couples flirting, walking hand-in-hand, kissing, and sitting on the ground doing only God knew what else. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes over the ridiculousness of it all.

He caught a glimpse of the watch on his wrist and he immediately figured out why there was an unusual number of couples out there.

It was Valentine's Day.

This time he was unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

He could not believe that all these people still subscribed to the superficial holiday that only encouraged consumerism. It was stupid to say the least, and pathetic since they glorified something so illogical as love. He let his mind wander for some time to find something else – anything, really – to distract himself from the growing boredom.

That was when he heard a familiar tune playing in the background.

"I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day…"

A man with a smooth baritone was singing along with it in a language Noll knew perfectly.

"…in everything that's light and gay. I'll always think of you that way."

An image of a cheerful brunette vividly appeared in his mind. It had been a while since he thought about her. Four years had come and gone so fast and he was now 24 years old. He had not heard any news from and about his colleagues since he left Tokyo to focus on his responsibilities in the main office of SPR in London. He had no idea how they were doing. He had been swamped with work from the moment he returned to his position as senior researcher in SPR that he did not have time to check up on them. On her.

At least, that was what he made himself believe.

"I will find you in the morning sun and when the night is new…"

He searched for the source of the voice as the song continued to drift in the air.

"I'll be looking at the moon and I'll be seeing you~"

His gaze rested on the stout old man gripping a wooden ladle covered with red sauce. There was no doubt he was using it as a microphone as he belted out the last notes of the song. Their eyes met just as the song had finished. The man beamed at him and made his way to their table.

"Salve, signore. How may I help you?" he inquired enthusiastically in a mix of Italian and English. "Please do not hesitate. I am Mario, the owner of this restaurant."

"Oh no, I do not want anything. I just heard your singing, that is all." Noll replied nonchalantly.

"Do you know the song, signore?" Mario asked, eyes sparkling with undisguised excitement.

"I believe that anyone who knows English knows the song, or at least the melody," he responded straightforwardly.

"And how was my singing, in your opinion?" The stout man looked at him expectantly, waiting for his judgment.

"Er, how do you say it in Italian?" he wondered out loud, then continued monotonously, "Benissimo."

The older man clapped his hands in elation. "Grazie mille, signore. I am very glad you liked it."

Oliver only gave him a nod in acknowledgement. The young man expected the owner to leave him alone – right about now – after such a compliment. His expectations were dashed when the corpulent man resumed his interrogation.

"So signore, did the song remind you of a certain signora?" he asked the younger man while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Noll had had enough of it. He gave the restaurant owner the coldest glare he could come up with as he said, "Signore, I fail to see how that is any of your business."

Mario raised his hands in surrender. "Mi dispiace. I was simply curious." He smiled apologetically as he walked away from the table.

The older man abruptly halted midway and called out to Oliver, "If I were you, young man, instead of just thinking about her, I would go to wherever she is and stay next to her." A pained expression took over the owner's face as he went on, "It is much better to try and be rejected than to spend a lifetime wondering how things could have been." He shook his head in regret, then suddenly grinned and looked at the psychic researcher in the eyes. "But with your looks, signore, I doubt any woman could refuse you, even if they tried." Mario laughed so boisterously that he ended up having a coughing fit as he strode back to the counter.

Noll stared after him, too shocked to move from his spot. How could the old man know what he was thinking? He closed his eyes for a moment to clear his mind.

It was not the time to think of her.

They were about to close the case and he had to return to London to finish revising his manuscript for a new book. There were so many things to accomplish, deadlines to meet, and…

His mobile phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts.

An email from Madoka had just arrived. If he remembered correctly, she was in Tokyo with Lin, overseeing the operations of the Japanese branch of SPR.

He slid a finger over the glass surface to open the email. The subject simply said 'Happy Valentine's Day, Noll!' He was pretty sure it was one of his mentor's usual pranks, which consisted of silly images or video clips.

There was no message, but there was a lone attachment – a JPEG file – labeled as WishYouWereHere. He tapped on the it, slightly intrigued by the file name. A photograph popped up on the screen in high definition.

"Bloody hell!" Oliver cursed loudly as his phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. The young man regained his composure immediately and picked up the device, cautiously hiding the offending image from his father's sight.

Madoka Mori, you have gone too far this time. He thought to himself, anger simmering underneath his cool façade.

Martin Davis directed his attention to him, alarmed by his swearing.

"What is the matter, Noll?" the professor asked with concern in his voice.

"Martin, can you close the case by yourself? There is an urgent matter I must take care of," the son explained hastily. "I need to leave as soon as I can."

"Of course, but will you first tell me what is wrong?" the older investigator demanded sternly.

"There is an emergency in Tokyo. They badly need my help or else it could get out of hand," the younger man lied smoothly. I hope my parents will forgive me for this. His brows furrowed as the gears in his mind started working overtime.

Martin detected the impatience in his son's voice and demeanor. He knew that when Oliver was like this, no one could stop him. His wife would probably murder her for letting their remaining son go, but he had no choice. Noll would not take 'no' for an answer right now and he was old enough already to take care of himself.

"Alright," the older Dr. Davis acquiesced. "I will inform Madoka and Lin of your arrival. When will you leave?"

"As soon as possible. I will inform them myself. Thank you, Martin," Noll answered hurriedly. "Also, please apologize to Luella for me. I will call you once I arrive in Tokyo."

"Off you go then, before I change my mind," his father insisted, sending him off with a wave, and then continued, "I will explain the situation to the director and we will finish up by tomorrow."

"One more thing. Please thank Mario, the owner of the restaurant, for me," the young man requested.

"Will do," Martin acknowledged with a curt nod. "Take care, Oliver."

"Will do," he replied as he stood up, then added, "And I will write the report while in transit. Do not worry about it."

Noll shook hands with the museum director as he bid him good bye. Once the pleasantries were over, he quickly made his way to the hotel to book for the earliest flight to Tokyo.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! It's been a while since I updated my other story called Contact, but here I am with another story that is completely unrelated with it. I came up with the prologue for Detour while I was in the middle of writing the next chapter for Contact. Noll is so difficult to write in emotional scenes. I've been struggling for months to finish the chapter, but I just can't find the right words to make sure he stays in character. My imagination eventually strayed and then this chapter happened before I knew it.

I hope you were intrigued by the prologue! I sincerely believe that Mai and Naru will only get together once they are older and more mature. I created this story so I can share my ADULT!Mai and ADULT!Naru headcanons.

I wanted the setting to be in London or somewhere in UK, but I realized that it would be too much of a cliché so I chose somewhere more interesting (and I'm actually familiar with). It was a difficult choice between Paris and Rome, but in the end, I chose Siena because I remembered the trip I had there with my friend where we freaked out while exploring the halls of Santa Maria della Scala Museum. We realized at some point that we were alone (it was winter = not many tourists around). It was dark and cold, and the museum used to be a hospital where a lot of people died. It was scary as f-! We started running for the exit when we saw skulls and bones displayed in one of the rooms. The other places mentioned here also exist in real life and if you ever find yourself in Italy, I totally recommend going to Siena (after seeing Florence and Rome, of course) and climbing its two main bell towers. The view is breathtaking and you'll find yourself being transported to medieval times.

Anyway, please let me know if you love or hate the idea. I would really like to get feedback from you since I do not have any solid plan for this story yet.

TL;DR: This new story has no connection with Contact. The prologue is set in Siena because London is too mainstream in the Ghost Hunt universe.