[Yoishi Miura's Pov ]
Yoishi Miura did not think much about moral torment while working. Nor did he think about it afterward either. Unlike Doctor Takahashi, whom he assisted, and some of his colleagues, he did not consider his work a "great calling" or an opportunity to help "advance scientific thought forward." No, he felt satisfaction and pride in a job well done, but precisely as a job. He believed that sooner or later someone else could have done this work, so why should he not do it for good money? After all, he had graduated from one of the most prestigious medical universities not to earn a pittance in some rundown position where all the best spots were taken by people with Quirks suited to their fields.
Still, it was not his motivation that attracted Doctor Takahashi. What the doctor liked most about him were three things: attentiveness, pedantry, and the ability to keep his mouth shut. And the last skill was by no means the least important. Three days after graduation, when he was planning which job to take, his former academic advisor contacted him and said he could recommend a good place to work, but for that he needed to speak with an acquaintance of his.
Arriving the next day at the meeting place, a Chinese restaurant called the Blue Dragon in Tokyo, he was led to a private room. An elderly gray-haired man dressed like a typical office clerk was already sitting there. When Miura entered, the man stood up and greeted him.
"Hello. You must be Yoishi Miura? My name is Akayo Takahashi, and our mutual acquaintance, Reiji-san, recommended you as a young man of great promise."
"Hello, Takahashi-san. Yes, Reiji-san called me yesterday and said he had recommended me to you."
"Excellent. I need new workers for my scientific project. I can offer you a position as a laboratory assistant with the possibility of promotion, but for that you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The pay, of course, exceeds the standard by one point five times. As for the topic of the project, which I can disclose before signing the contract. Have you heard about the scientific discovery made three years ago concerning animals?"
"Yes, that topic stirred up all of society back then. The possibility of Quirks appearing in animals is astonishing, though it raises concerns. It is a pity that further study of that animal is impossible, since according to reports it gained a mind comparable to a human's. Is the project related to that? To animal Quirks?"
For the first time during the entire conversation, as Miura noticed, the man's face changed slightly. Until then he had sat with a kind smile, carefully examining him. Now the smile became slightly ironic, and his eyes took on an expression as if he had just heard a joke only he understood.
"Yes, we will study Quirks and the possibility of their manifestation in various 'animals.' Although the occurrence of Quirks in animals is incredibly rare, judging from the data we managed to obtain from those studies, we have ways to increase the likelihood of Quirk manifestation. You are probably wondering what all this is for? It mainly concerns the phenomenon of Quirks themselves. Two centuries have passed since their appearance, and no one can yet give a precise explanation of their origins or a clear definition. About eighty percent of people have Quirks, yet we know depressingly little about them. We cannot even understand why those who have the extra joint in their little finger do not develop a Quirk. Research on 'animals' with Quirks could help advance our understanding of the nature of Quirks themselves. And I very much hope that you, Yoishi-san, will contribute to our cause."
The conversation itself continued for another thirty minutes, during which they discussed the terms of the employment contract and the possible work schedule. Yoishi himself was surprised and pleased to land such a profitable job.
The following week after signing the contract, he was taken to the laboratory complex. The first day was mostly devoted to familiarizing himself with his duties and the workplace. The complex itself is located in one of Tokyo's special districts, surrounded by a concrete wall with a security checkpoint, and the building looks like an unremarkable concrete box. However, the interior could surprise a casual visitor with its brightness and sterile cleanliness, divided by steel bulkheads, and someone more familiar with science would notice the advanced measuring and computing equipment.
After completing his orientation, Miura received a first-level access pass out of a possible three and was registered in the local database.
Over the next six months of work, Yoishi mainly observed the animals provided, recorded data from measuring instruments, performed calculations, and organized the information. Since the appearance of Quirks, doctors had to study fields of zoology that were previously mostly in demand only in veterinary medicine, because many Quirk users have bodies with signs and properties of animals. Therefore, Miura did not feel lost in this field, even though he had initially planned to work primarily with people.
He became very interested in the drugs that changed animal bodies sometimes to absurd and grotesque degrees, though he wisely refrained from asking questions about them. He did not meet Doctor Takahashi very often. On those occasions, the doctor mostly talked about medical ethics, the importance of research, the history of the first attempts to study Quirks. At some point, as if he had decided something for himself, he was offered the position of Akayo-san's personal assistant and introduced to a man whose face was hidden behind a medical mask.
"Yoishi-kun, I want to introduce you to the owner of a truly unique and incredibly useful Quirk for our affairs. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you his name, but you can call him 'Notary.' His Quirk is called 'Contract'…"
As it turned out, his Quirk amusingly resembled the "Unbreakable Vow," an unbreakable oath from the Harry Potter novels, which were popular even in the era before Quirks. The Quirk only works once per person. The condition that the target agrees to must not contradict their personal principles, exceed a certain volume, or be too complex to understand. After shaking hands with "Notary" and agreeing to "comply with the terms of the non-disclosure agreement," the Quirk activated, and Miura took note of the impossibility of ever forcing himself to reveal any information about his work.
Miura agreed to such suspicious conditions because he believed that when an opportunity appears before you, you must seize it, and only those who take risks can achieve more.
However, after learning what was being studied at the next access level, Yoishi began to worry about the serious potential problems for him. Big money and the chance to advance science were fine, but not when you fear the appearance of some hero or, God forbid, All Might, and your research subjects and test subjects are people, especially children.
[End Pov]
The young black-haired man sighed sadly and finished his simple breakfast, prepared hastily. After quickly dressing and getting into his recently purchased car, he drove to work. He could not be late today, because a new batch of material was arriving soon.