12-25-2018, 06:41 AM
[div style="width:450px;text-align:justify;font-size:11px;margin-top:10px;color:#000;line-height:100%"]The latest chapters of BSD revealing Yosano's backstory killed me lol. I started thinking about how Ranpo might've met her, and although now that has been shown, I thought it could've also played out as something like this. So this fic is something like a "What Could Have Been" story, I guess.
"The city's gonna get flooded in some parts at this rate." A young boy thinks aloud from where he's looking over the railing of a bridge, green eyes studying the water that rushes underneath and leads out to sea. It's been raining nonstop since early morning, never letting up, incessant and overwhelming. While humans can deal with it well enough with an umbrella, the aftereffects of all this water is the real problem.
The boy hums, reaching into a plastic bag hanging off an arm and plucking out a lollipop. He tucks his umbrella under his arm as he unwraps it carefully, shoving the wrapper in his pocket before continuing on. The rain is loud and heavy in his ears, seeming to even drown out the occasional car that passes as he makes his way down the sidewalk. There's no people - a blessing, considering his nature to comment on things without a filter.
His caretaker warned him about getting involved with other people, after all, and he had learned his lesson as well. Proud as he is, he trusted his caretaker's advice! After all, that man was the same person who made him realize he had a special ability. Someone like that deserved his unwavering respect and attention, at least that's what he felt.
"Rain rain, go away, come again some other day~" There's a pause. The boy stares up at the sky, pouting when the rain continues to fall. He stomps a foot into a nearby puddle, waving his umbrella over his head. "Will you stop raining already?! You're impeding my work, you know! Do you know who you're troubling with all this rain? Edogawa Ranpo - the one and only Edogawa Ranpo, you know!? No one's gonna call the agency for help when you don't stop raining! Stupid weather! Stupid, stupid, stuuuupid!"
Something makes the boy named Edogawa Ranpo freeze in his movements - the sound of water on metal, an undeniable 'tink'.
He's been down this area countless times before in the rain. That sound doesn't belong here, it's an anomaly. Something's different this time.
He hears it again, and starts to glance around.
"Huh? Where is it?"
Well, even if he says that, it's not as if the answer will call out to him. Nothing is that simple. Ranpo purses his lips, reaching inside his coat for a pair of glasses.
"Fukuzawa-san said not to use it without him around, but... Just this once!" With an eager grin, Ranpo slips his glasses onto his face with both hands. "Let's go, Super Deduction!"
A few moments of silence pass. Ranpo's expression is stern - then he suddenly turns to make his way down an upcoming alleyway on his right.
"This way!"
Every step he takes through the alleyway is followed by a splash of water. The ground is soaked, there are puddles galore. Had it not been for Ranpo's umbrella handed to him on his way out, he was sure he'd be drenched down to the bone. Really, he should feel lucky Fukuzawa gave him permission to even go down to the candy store in this weather but then again... maybe it's also because he complained for two straight hours until the bodyguard gave in?
Eh, whichever one. It doesn't matter.
Tink.
There it is, that sound again. Ranpo blinks, eyes wide in curiosity as his footsteps slow. It's somewhere around here, somewhere -
And then, he comes to an abrupt stop in the alleyway. That was...
Ten feet ahead of him is what is most likely the back-end of a shop. Empty wooden crates are stack up in three's or four's, and in between two stacks underneath a small awning is a young girl in a white outfit with splatters of red coating the fabric. Her clothes are soaked, her face is buried in her knees, and - ah, the source of the noise: a part of her head is just out of the awning's reach, and every so often a drop of water hits the butterfly-shaped clip in her hair.
Ranpo stares for a few lingering moments, then takes a step forward. The girl finally seems to notice him then as she bolts upright with a look of absolute terror, pressing back against the wall. She seems to relax a fraction when noticing it's Ranpo, but still remains on guard.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ranpo asks as he closes the distance without a second thought, seemingly completely ignorant of personal space. He stops to stand in front of her, green eyes blinking curiously.
"Eh? Ah," The girl lowers her head to the splatters on her outfit. Now that Ranpo's closer, he realizes it's a typical nurse outfit, though she's rather small to be wearing such a thing. "T-This blood isn't mine-"
"Hah? I know that much. I was asking if you were okay 'cause you're crying, y'know."
"Eh...?"
"'Eh' again? Repeating yourself is a bad habit." The boy exhales, letting his body lower to squat in front of the girl. His umbrella rests against his back comfortably as he reaches his bag for a piece of candy and offers it out to the girl. "I'll give you this if you stop crying."
His offer earns a bewildered stare. Violet eyes blink incredulously, looking down at the piece of candy, back up to Ranpo's face, then down to the candy - before she finally accepts it with a small puff of her cheeks, fiddling with the wrapper as she looks away from the young detective's face. "... I wasn't crying..."
Ranpo beams. "You say that, but your eyes are red and irritated. Even if you use the excuse it's been raining and you're super soaked, that can't be covered up. Unfortunately for you, you can't lie to me!"
"Hmph... Why is that?"
"Why? Well, ain't it obvious? 'Cause I'm me!"
"Eh? That doesn't..."
"See there ya go, saying 'Eh? Eh? Ehhh?' again. What's your name? Not 'ehhhh-chan' right?" He offers out his hand, palm up and inviting. "My name is Edogawa Ranpo! You can just call me Ranpo, okay?"
The girl starts to lift her hand, but pauses halfway in apprehension. She studies Ranpo's face, as if trying to look for some ulterior motive, some underlying reason why he would want her to take his hand - Ranpo knows she's thinking this because, with his glasses on, there's nothing he can't notice or know at a glance. He can tell that she ran away from someone for some reason, that she's most definitely a nurse despite her age, but even so...
Well, she has no reason to be crying alone in an alleyway, right?
"C'mon, c'mon - you know how to shake someone's hand, right?" Getting impatient, he grabs the girl's hand, shaking it with so much eagerness the other squeaks in surprise. "Nice to meet you~! Won't you tell me your name?"
"Ah..." His company relaxes as she processes the warmth of his palm, head shrinking down between her shoulders. "Yosano... Akiko..."
"Yosano-san, huh? That's a nice name! Then, take this, Yosano-san!" Ranpo grabs the handle of his umbrella, putting it in the palm of Yosano's hand and forcing her fingers to curl around it before he pulls her to her feet with him.
"W-Wait, what are you...!"
"Do you wanna keep crying here?"
"Eh?"
"Jeez, there you go again!" Ranpo puts his hands on his hips, leaning forward with a childish pout. "What good is it gonna do you to cry here alone? I dunno about you, but if it were me, I'd like to get outta the rain - and I'm on my way home right now, so why don't you come with? My Fukuzawa-san will be happy to help you!"
"I…" Yosano shifts where she stands, wringing her hands around the umbrella handle nervously.
Ranpo tilts his head. "No good? We're eating yakiniku ramen tonight. Don't want any?"
"I'm not-"
A gurgling noise cuts off her words. Silence falls over the duo, and a bright red color starts to take over Yosano's face. Ranpo, despite this, gives a haughty grin she can't help but want to punch off his face.
"What were you gonna say? 'Not hungry'?"
Yosano grits her teeth. "B-Be quiet! I'll go! Are you happy now?"
Ranpo raises his arms into the air. "Yup, I sure am!" And then, his arms lower, one of them held out to offer a hand. "It's this way, I'll take you!"
Yosano is less hesitant this time in grabbing his hand, but she still gives a noise of surprise when the boy is so quick to turn and hurry along down the sidewalk. She's sure, had he not been holding her hand, she would've tripped.
There's a small scowl given at his back. This guy… He was so arrogant, not considering others as he went about his business-
And then, Yosano's thoughts come to a halt when she notices the rain falling down against Ranpo's outfit. It makes a pitter-patter sound as it bounces off his cloak, soaking his sleeve that's holding onto her hand. She digs her heels into the concrete and tugs at his arm, forcing the boy to a stop.
"W-Wait! If you let me use your umbrella, you're gonna get all wet!"
Ranpo stares. He looks briefly up at the sky, then back at Yosano. "So? It's just water. I'm not gonna die."
"Then it won't kill me either if you just take this back."
"Ehhh? But you're a girl."
Yosano's brow twitches. "So what? Are you going to treat me like a doll because I'm a girl?!"
"Whaaaat? Of course not! It's just, well-" Ranpo pauses, tilting his head with a gentle, wistful smile. "My mother up in heaven would get mad at me if I didn't treat a lady with respect, y'know? Ain't nothing about treating you like a takane no hana."
"... You don't have a mother?"
"Nope. No mother, no father." At one point in the not-far-distant past, such a thing would have been difficult for Ranpo to say - but things are different now. He won't let that hold him back.
"Then, the person you're talking about-?"
"Fukuzawa-san is Fukuzawa-san."
"What does that even mean..."
Ranpo beams, tugging at Yosano's hand to continue down the sidewalk. "You'll see when we get there!!"
The girl can't help but give a smile at his back. She gives a small giggle, taking a quick two steps forward to try and share the umbrella. "You got it wrong, by the way."
"Huh? Got what wrong?"
"A takane no hana has nothing to do with being treated like glass. They're more treated like no one can reach out to them..."
"That so? Guess you're nothing like that." Ranpo lifts up his hand that is holding Yosano's. "After all, I reached out to you!"
Yosano shakes her head in amusement. "You really are a strange one."
[align=center]❀ ❀ ❀
"The city's gonna get flooded in some parts at this rate." A young boy thinks aloud from where he's looking over the railing of a bridge, green eyes studying the water that rushes underneath and leads out to sea. It's been raining nonstop since early morning, never letting up, incessant and overwhelming. While humans can deal with it well enough with an umbrella, the aftereffects of all this water is the real problem.
The boy hums, reaching into a plastic bag hanging off an arm and plucking out a lollipop. He tucks his umbrella under his arm as he unwraps it carefully, shoving the wrapper in his pocket before continuing on. The rain is loud and heavy in his ears, seeming to even drown out the occasional car that passes as he makes his way down the sidewalk. There's no people - a blessing, considering his nature to comment on things without a filter.
His caretaker warned him about getting involved with other people, after all, and he had learned his lesson as well. Proud as he is, he trusted his caretaker's advice! After all, that man was the same person who made him realize he had a special ability. Someone like that deserved his unwavering respect and attention, at least that's what he felt.
"Rain rain, go away, come again some other day~" There's a pause. The boy stares up at the sky, pouting when the rain continues to fall. He stomps a foot into a nearby puddle, waving his umbrella over his head. "Will you stop raining already?! You're impeding my work, you know! Do you know who you're troubling with all this rain? Edogawa Ranpo - the one and only Edogawa Ranpo, you know!? No one's gonna call the agency for help when you don't stop raining! Stupid weather! Stupid, stupid, stuuuupid!"
Something makes the boy named Edogawa Ranpo freeze in his movements - the sound of water on metal, an undeniable 'tink'.
He's been down this area countless times before in the rain. That sound doesn't belong here, it's an anomaly. Something's different this time.
He hears it again, and starts to glance around.
"Huh? Where is it?"
Well, even if he says that, it's not as if the answer will call out to him. Nothing is that simple. Ranpo purses his lips, reaching inside his coat for a pair of glasses.
"Fukuzawa-san said not to use it without him around, but... Just this once!" With an eager grin, Ranpo slips his glasses onto his face with both hands. "Let's go, Super Deduction!"
A few moments of silence pass. Ranpo's expression is stern - then he suddenly turns to make his way down an upcoming alleyway on his right.
"This way!"
Every step he takes through the alleyway is followed by a splash of water. The ground is soaked, there are puddles galore. Had it not been for Ranpo's umbrella handed to him on his way out, he was sure he'd be drenched down to the bone. Really, he should feel lucky Fukuzawa gave him permission to even go down to the candy store in this weather but then again... maybe it's also because he complained for two straight hours until the bodyguard gave in?
Eh, whichever one. It doesn't matter.
Tink.
There it is, that sound again. Ranpo blinks, eyes wide in curiosity as his footsteps slow. It's somewhere around here, somewhere -
And then, he comes to an abrupt stop in the alleyway. That was...
Ten feet ahead of him is what is most likely the back-end of a shop. Empty wooden crates are stack up in three's or four's, and in between two stacks underneath a small awning is a young girl in a white outfit with splatters of red coating the fabric. Her clothes are soaked, her face is buried in her knees, and - ah, the source of the noise: a part of her head is just out of the awning's reach, and every so often a drop of water hits the butterfly-shaped clip in her hair.
Ranpo stares for a few lingering moments, then takes a step forward. The girl finally seems to notice him then as she bolts upright with a look of absolute terror, pressing back against the wall. She seems to relax a fraction when noticing it's Ranpo, but still remains on guard.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ranpo asks as he closes the distance without a second thought, seemingly completely ignorant of personal space. He stops to stand in front of her, green eyes blinking curiously.
"Eh? Ah," The girl lowers her head to the splatters on her outfit. Now that Ranpo's closer, he realizes it's a typical nurse outfit, though she's rather small to be wearing such a thing. "T-This blood isn't mine-"
"Hah? I know that much. I was asking if you were okay 'cause you're crying, y'know."
"Eh...?"
"'Eh' again? Repeating yourself is a bad habit." The boy exhales, letting his body lower to squat in front of the girl. His umbrella rests against his back comfortably as he reaches his bag for a piece of candy and offers it out to the girl. "I'll give you this if you stop crying."
His offer earns a bewildered stare. Violet eyes blink incredulously, looking down at the piece of candy, back up to Ranpo's face, then down to the candy - before she finally accepts it with a small puff of her cheeks, fiddling with the wrapper as she looks away from the young detective's face. "... I wasn't crying..."
Ranpo beams. "You say that, but your eyes are red and irritated. Even if you use the excuse it's been raining and you're super soaked, that can't be covered up. Unfortunately for you, you can't lie to me!"
"Hmph... Why is that?"
"Why? Well, ain't it obvious? 'Cause I'm me!"
"Eh? That doesn't..."
"See there ya go, saying 'Eh? Eh? Ehhh?' again. What's your name? Not 'ehhhh-chan' right?" He offers out his hand, palm up and inviting. "My name is Edogawa Ranpo! You can just call me Ranpo, okay?"
The girl starts to lift her hand, but pauses halfway in apprehension. She studies Ranpo's face, as if trying to look for some ulterior motive, some underlying reason why he would want her to take his hand - Ranpo knows she's thinking this because, with his glasses on, there's nothing he can't notice or know at a glance. He can tell that she ran away from someone for some reason, that she's most definitely a nurse despite her age, but even so...
Well, she has no reason to be crying alone in an alleyway, right?
"C'mon, c'mon - you know how to shake someone's hand, right?" Getting impatient, he grabs the girl's hand, shaking it with so much eagerness the other squeaks in surprise. "Nice to meet you~! Won't you tell me your name?"
"Ah..." His company relaxes as she processes the warmth of his palm, head shrinking down between her shoulders. "Yosano... Akiko..."
"Yosano-san, huh? That's a nice name! Then, take this, Yosano-san!" Ranpo grabs the handle of his umbrella, putting it in the palm of Yosano's hand and forcing her fingers to curl around it before he pulls her to her feet with him.
"W-Wait, what are you...!"
"Do you wanna keep crying here?"
"Eh?"
"Jeez, there you go again!" Ranpo puts his hands on his hips, leaning forward with a childish pout. "What good is it gonna do you to cry here alone? I dunno about you, but if it were me, I'd like to get outta the rain - and I'm on my way home right now, so why don't you come with? My Fukuzawa-san will be happy to help you!"
"I…" Yosano shifts where she stands, wringing her hands around the umbrella handle nervously.
Ranpo tilts his head. "No good? We're eating yakiniku ramen tonight. Don't want any?"
"I'm not-"
A gurgling noise cuts off her words. Silence falls over the duo, and a bright red color starts to take over Yosano's face. Ranpo, despite this, gives a haughty grin she can't help but want to punch off his face.
"What were you gonna say? 'Not hungry'?"
Yosano grits her teeth. "B-Be quiet! I'll go! Are you happy now?"
Ranpo raises his arms into the air. "Yup, I sure am!" And then, his arms lower, one of them held out to offer a hand. "It's this way, I'll take you!"
Yosano is less hesitant this time in grabbing his hand, but she still gives a noise of surprise when the boy is so quick to turn and hurry along down the sidewalk. She's sure, had he not been holding her hand, she would've tripped.
There's a small scowl given at his back. This guy… He was so arrogant, not considering others as he went about his business-
And then, Yosano's thoughts come to a halt when she notices the rain falling down against Ranpo's outfit. It makes a pitter-patter sound as it bounces off his cloak, soaking his sleeve that's holding onto her hand. She digs her heels into the concrete and tugs at his arm, forcing the boy to a stop.
"W-Wait! If you let me use your umbrella, you're gonna get all wet!"
Ranpo stares. He looks briefly up at the sky, then back at Yosano. "So? It's just water. I'm not gonna die."
"Then it won't kill me either if you just take this back."
"Ehhh? But you're a girl."
Yosano's brow twitches. "So what? Are you going to treat me like a doll because I'm a girl?!"
"Whaaaat? Of course not! It's just, well-" Ranpo pauses, tilting his head with a gentle, wistful smile. "My mother up in heaven would get mad at me if I didn't treat a lady with respect, y'know? Ain't nothing about treating you like a takane no hana."
"... You don't have a mother?"
"Nope. No mother, no father." At one point in the not-far-distant past, such a thing would have been difficult for Ranpo to say - but things are different now. He won't let that hold him back.
"Then, the person you're talking about-?"
"Fukuzawa-san is Fukuzawa-san."
"What does that even mean..."
Ranpo beams, tugging at Yosano's hand to continue down the sidewalk. "You'll see when we get there!!"
The girl can't help but give a smile at his back. She gives a small giggle, taking a quick two steps forward to try and share the umbrella. "You got it wrong, by the way."
"Huh? Got what wrong?"
"A takane no hana has nothing to do with being treated like glass. They're more treated like no one can reach out to them..."
"That so? Guess you're nothing like that." Ranpo lifts up his hand that is holding Yosano's. "After all, I reached out to you!"
Yosano shakes her head in amusement. "You really are a strange one."
[align=center]❀ ❀ ❀
The front door to Fukuzawa's house rattles as it's slid open, pulling the bodyguard's attention away from the stove where he's finishing up the last half of dinner for himself and Ranpo. Slowly, his gaze drifts towards the clock on his wall, dully noting that the boy he had taken into his care almost a year ago had been away for much longer than usual.
Just what was so interesting in all this rain?
Really, he didn't want to let Ranpo leave in the first place, but that boy was so awfully insistent when it came to what he wanted. If only he'd apply that to his detective work appropriately...
"I'm back~!" Ranpo's voice rings loud and clear, breaking Fukuzawa out of his thoughts.
"Welcome back, Ranpo." Fukuzawa answers in kind.
"- Ah, you can leave your shoes and the umbrella here, okay? Don't worry so much, he isn't as scary as he sounds at all~"
... Just who was Ranpo talking to, anyway?
The swordsman arches a brow, eyeing the hallway that led into the kitchen from the front entrance. There's Ranpo's footsteps - and someone else's. Another child, given the lightness of it.
"Who did you bring back with you?"
Ranpo's head pops out from the hallway, expression cheerful. "As expected of you, Fukuzawa-san! You noticed right away!"
You also talk loud, the man thinks, but he says nothing and decides to stare expectantly as Ranpo eventually leads their guest into the kitchen: a young girl seemingly around Ranpo's age, with her hair cut in a black bob and a butterfly pin in her hair. More importantly...
"That's a military nurse uniform." A statement, not a question. He's seen it before in the company of a certain distasteful man.
Ranpo doesn't falter in the face of his lacking response, gesturing to the girl at his side with a hand. "This is Yosano Akiko! I found her in the rain all alone, so I thought it'd be safer for her if I brought her home."
This is a first. Ranpo had an invasive personality, but he didn't get along with other people very well - especially in the initial meeting. That in itself has some merit, so Fukuzawa decides to go along with Ranpo's actions... as usual. He sets down his cooking utensils, walking over to stand in front of the girl, taking note of how she flinches when he kneels down to be more eye level with her. Internally, he frowns at the possible reasons why.
"I am Fukuzawa Yukichi. Though Ranpo is a bit difficult, he's telling the truth. You are safe here for however long you stay." Silver eyes shift to the boy. "Her clothes are soaked. Do you have any to spare so she can change and warm up?"
"Already planned on it~! Of course I do!"
And just like that, Ranpo is off dragging the girl further into the house with a squeak of surprise from the back of her throat. Fukuzawa watches them disappear with a sigh as he stands to his feet. His expression is stern, as if something else is lingering on his mind, but he decides to deal with that later and instead continue to focus on dinner. First things first, they'd need a third bowl -
"- In here, Yosano-san!" Ranpo chirps, footsteps echoing against the wooden floor as he turns into a room to his right. It leads into what looks like a bedroom, though it looks too neat for someone as energetic and flighty as Ranpo...
Still, Yosano asks, "Is this your room?"
"Technically speaking, I guess?" Finally, the boy releases her hand in favor of crossing the room to push open the door to a closet. He gets down on his knees as he opens a chest, and from where Yosano can see over his shoulder, it seems to be a chest to hold his clothes in... How old fashioned. Had he just moved in here, perhaps? "Let's see, let's see... I know I have something in here that'd suit you - oh! This should work!"
Ranpo turns around, waving a long-sleeve navy blue dress with a black ribbon around the waist. It's a pretty dress, Yosano likes the simple yet elegant design of it. Yosano's brows raise, however, head tilting in confusion.
"Do you have a sister?"
"Huh? No, these are all my clothes." Green eyes blink behind the fabric Ranpo is still holding up in front of him. "Clothes are clothes. I wear whatever I want. We're around the same height, so I don't think it'll look too bad on you, if that's what you're worried about..."
"No, I-"
Yosano pauses, pursing her lips. Now that she thinks about, all she's been exposed to is men with a stereotypical sense of masculinity they needed to maintain... Something about this difference in Ranpo - it was really refreshing. "Thank you," she reaches out, accepting the dress and hugging it close to her chest. "Really, Ranpo-san."
Ranpo folds his hands behind his back, swaying from side to side cheerfully. "No need to thank me! Considering the rain outside, Fukuzawa-san has probably drawn up a bath. You can use it - it's to the right out this room, down the hall on the left! Can't miss it, okay? Take all the time you need, dinner still has some time before it's finished, after all!"
Before she even speaks, as if he already knows her answer, he's making his way around her and bouncing out the room. There's a wave of his hand before he disappears towards the kitchen again, and Yosano is left gawking at the door. She seems to gather herself a second too late, blinking and yelling after him after trotting up to the doorway, "Eh - uh, r-right...!"
He really is a fast-paced person, isn't he?
Well, she doesn't dislike that. Unaware as she is of it, there's a smile on Yosano's face.
Violet eyes lower to the floor in thought, but there's a momentary pause when she notices water drops on the polished wooden floor. That reminds her, his clothes were soaked for her sake, weren't they? Yosano hesitates, brows furrowing in confusion. Even though he was soaked, he was telling her to warm up first... What a reckless person-
A shiver wracks the girl's frame. Ranpo quickly leaves her thoughts, replaced with the deep need for a warm bath. "Uh, let's see... he said it was down this way, right..."
❀ ❀ ❀
Ranpo's presence is heard first before it is seen. His footsteps are as loud as ever, not holding anything back from the man in the kitchen who pauses mid taste-testing the ramen he's in the process of making. He hears the wet thud of Ranpo's cloak being thrown over a chair, but the sound of Ranpo sitting down never comes.
He decides to speak then:
"It's been in the back of my mind since you came home, Ranpo," Fukuzawa starts, setting down his chopsticks. There's a certain heaviness in the air, conjured by both of them. "You've been wearing your glasses since you came in. There's something more to bringing her here, isn't there?"
Silence. That's a strange thing, from Ranpo. Fukuzawa glances over his shoulder, taking in how the boy is smiling underneath his hat, but at this angle, the man cannot see his eyes - those eyes that sit behind the black frames sitting on his face.
"... She's an ability user from the military. Considering her position given her outfit, I'd assume she's a rare ability user that has the ability to heal others." Ranpo says at last, voice even. There's a maturity in his tone that surprises Fukuzawa a little. "Though I can't pinpoint the specifics - she ran away from someone because she's scared of them. A man, probably, considering how she flinched when you got too close."
Now it's Fukuzawa's turn to be silent. He stares at the young boy sitting at his table. Somehow, it feels as if he's neither here nor there, as if he could disappear in an instant if the swordsman were to blink his eyes. There is an unimaginable depth to Ranpo that perhaps even he hasn't realized yet... but it may have been better if he never realized it. "I see," Fukuzawa says at last. "But what does this mean in reference to your reasonings towards bringing her here?"
Ranpo removes his hat, setting it on the seat of the chair nearest to him. "To tell you the truth, Fukuzawa-san... I don't really like humans. I don't like adults either. You're the only outlier for a special reason, and even you should be aware of why that is," Because you're my savior, because you made me realize the truth, because I would be dead without you- "But, I can't ignore people like me... I don't want to. I don't want to watch anymore kids my age get hurt and used because they have amazing potential, so..."
"... So?"
The raven hesitates. Fukuzawa notices that Ranpo's hands are clenching at the bottom of his shirt, then soon relaxing as the boy walks closer to stand before him -
And gets down on his knees into dogeza.
That effectively throws Fukuzawa for a loop in every sense of the word. He takes a small step back, eyes widening.
"I know I'm selfish, I know I'm a brat and always frustrating you - but I don't want to watch another person my age end up like Oda Sakunosuke." That other person who saved him. Ranpo is sure that that assassin isn't even aware of the impact he had on Ranpo, and perhaps they'll never meet again, but Ranpo would never forget what Oda had done to help Fukuzawa save him -
Ranpo lifts his head, if only to meet Fukuzawa's gaze with pleading green eyes.
"You said I could help people with my ability, didn't you, Fukuzawa-san? I want to do that right now - for that girl. Even if it means working twice as hard for the agency we started together, I'll do it!"
The boy's expression is stern now, determined and set in his ways already. Even if Fukuzawa were to say no... Well, he's sure that Ranpo wouldn't listen to him anyway. For some reason, Ranpo felt he had to do this. For the first time since he had taken Ranpo under his wing, Ranpo was willingly reaching out to help someone else for the first time, despite how jaded he was towards society.
"... You just met this girl." Despite the resolve he senses in Ranpo, Fukuzawa needs to be sure. He can't let something this serious be on another whim of the boy-genius. "What makes you so certain that this is the right decision instead of taking her home?"
"Because - my deduction says so." Ranpo lifts a hand to his glasses, pinching at a temple of his glasses before pulling them carefully off his face. "I think we need Yosano-san, and more importantly, she needs us. She does right now, most of all."
Because his deduction says so, huh... That's a difficult thing to argue. Ranpo's 'Super Deduction' was certainly amazing, the fact it wasn't a real ability aside. Anything he predicted was exceedingly accurate and the truth. For him to say with so much conviction and confidence that his deduction said they should protect this young girl... How could Fukuzawa argue? There was no way to prove such a thing wrong, at least not yet. The only thing left standing in the way was human will, was it not?
"... Very well," Ranpo lights up at his words immediately, so Fukuazwa is quick to continue, "However, the choice is hers alone. If she declines your invitation, you must take her back where she belongs. Are you fine with that?"
Ranpo jumps to his feet, throwing his arms around the older man's middle in a hug. "Yes! Thank you, Fukuzawa-san! You won't regret it!"
Fukuzawa coughs at the impact, lowering his head to watch Ranpo nuzzle into his yukata like a cat. A ghost of a smile makes its way onto his face, letting fingers run through wet black hair. "Go change your clothes and dry your hair now, before you get a cold."
"'Okay~!"
Just like that, Ranpo is off and running again down the hallway and out of sight. The silver-haired man watches him go, files the smile on Ranpo's face into his memories to look back on later.
❀ ❀ ❀
Yosano stares at her reflection in the mirror of the bathroom. Her eyes look more puffy than she had anticipated them to be - or maybe she was just trying to still deny she had been crying not too long ago before Ranpo had found her. To think she had been dragged so easily into someone else's home like this -
But...
She runs her hands down the front of the borrowed dress she was now wearing. It was warm and a bit big on her, but comfortably so. These clothes, this place... It felt like the closest thing to home she's ever felt in a long time. How that boy managed to make her feel so safe and comfortable despite just meeting - she doesn't know, but she doesn't hate it either.
The thought makes her pick up the butterfly-shaped hairpin sitting in front of her on the bathroom sink. Her expression turns forlorn, stroking the golden wings carefully as if they might break under the pressure of her fingers. Her dirty, bloody, evil fingers -
"Yosano-san? How are things?" Ranpo's voice.
Yosano jumps, hugging her hairpin to her chest as she walks towards the bathroom door and opens it. Ranpo has changed out of his clothes from before, now sporting a white long-sleeve shirt, brown capris, and what she assumes is knee-high socks. A towel is sitting on his head, which he soon pulls off to place it atop hers.
"H-Hey-"
"You gotta dry your hair properly or you'll get sick, Yosano-san."
Yosano relaxes at his words. She studies the soft smile on his face as he rubs the towel against her hair. "... Ranpo."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you helping me?"
"Why..." Ranpo pauses, expression unreadable as he studies the girl's face. "Do you want the truth?"
"Of course I do - what else would I want?"
Ranpo smiles. "That's true! Well, if I'm being honest... I'm an ability user, you know. Like you."
The girl pales. "That-"
"My ability allows me to see the truth in anything. That means I know where you're from, what you do, the gist of your ability - but I'm not scared of you. We both want the same thing."
"The same..."
"Yep!" Ranpo pulls the towel away from Yosano's hair, seeming to be satisfied. "To help other people since we can do things they can't - right?"
Violet eyes widen, blinking incredulously and staring. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes - she's stunned into silence, and that silence is only broken by the faraway voice of Fukuzawa.
"Ranpo, it's done."
Ranpo leans out of the bathroom to shout down the hall, "Coming! Just a sec!" He looks back at Yosano, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. "Dinner's done. You're still hungry, right?"
Oh, right... That's how all this started - because she was hungry, and the next moment Ranpo was dragging her along down the sidewalk. She nods in agreement, and starts to follow him down the hall towards the kitchen.
"Oh, I almost forgot-"
Yosano blinks.
"The dress looks nice on you! You can keep it!"
"What? But-"
"Nnnnope, no buts here! It's just a piece of fabric, it ain't gonna bother me. It looks better on you anyway."
"You really like calling the shots, don't you?"
"Hmm - only when I know the outcome will be good!"
Yosano hums, nudging into the boy's side with an elbow. "Is that all the time?"
"Haha! No way!" A pause, "Almost all the time."
His comment makes her snort into a hand as they make their way into the kitchen where Fukuzawa has just finished setting down all three bowls filled with ramen and meat. Ranpo cheers as he climbs into his seat, patting the empty spot next to him for Yosano who joins him with a bit of hesitance. Fukuzawa sits down across from the two, expression pensive.
They could easily pass as siblings, he thinks.
Ranpo doesn't ask Yosano anything right away, the man notices. Instead, the boy carries casual conversation as they eat and talking about anything and everything like the flighty person Edogawa Ranpo was. The more he talked, the more Yosano seemed to relax, with her shoulders falling slack and a small smile on her face. It's interesting to watch how Ranpo worked when he was truly aiming for something - despite how terrible he was with people on a personal level, if he had a goal in mind, he could interact and coerce people rather effectively in a manner that was comforting on the other individual.
It's nearly hard to imagine that a young boy with such awful manners could be as polite as he was, but then again, Fukuzawa noticed Ranpo had a soft spot for girls. The woman known as Fumiyo, Ranpo's mother, had truly hammered it into his head to treat girls with a sense of respect, didn't she?
Well, Ranpo's father was another matter entirely. He's not going to think about that famous, incomprehensible detective of legend.
"So, Yosano-san, what do you plan on doing after this?"
Ah, and there it comes.
"After this...?"
"Yeah. Are you gonna go back to wherever you ran away from?"
Fukuzawa takes back everything he just thought about Ranpo. This brat really has no tact whatsoever.
Unsurprisingly, Yosano hesitates at Ranpo's question. "That..."
"You don't wanna go back, right? You don't have to. You can stay with me and Fukuzawa-san. I asked him earlier, and he said he's fine with it!"
"Yes, and I said the choice is ultimately up to Yosano-kun."
Yosano twitches, one of her chopsticks dropping into her bowl. "Can you... not call me that, please? Yosano is fine..."
"Ah... Of course. My apologies." Fukuzawa and Ranpo share a look, but nothing is said.
Ranpo sets down his bowl and chopsticks, turning to face Yosano in his chair. "I don't know the specifics of why you ran away outside of trying to avoid someone, but you'll be safe here. You don't even need to use your ability - I could care less."
That was the first time Yosano had ever been told that. She can't hide the fact she's taken aback, sitting up a bit straighter to keep his gaze. She didn't need to... He didn't care?
Ranpo leans forward a bit with a smile on his face and a sparkle in those bright green eyes of his. "A few months ago, Fukuzawa-san got an ability permit from Natsume-sensei. I'm going to be the greatest detective in the world with my Super Deduction, so you can rest easy with us! I'll be doing all the hard work - heh, not that it'll be hard at all for me~"
"Ability permit...?" Violet eyes shift to Fukuzawa, gaze questioning.
"It's something needed when a business wants to have employees who are ability users and need to use those abilities on the job. Ranpo uses his 'Super Deduction' to solve cases. We've been doing that for a year independently now and recently earned a permit through an acquaintance."
"So what do you say, Yosano-san?" Ranpo's smile seems to rival the sun itself as he offers out a hand. "Will you join the Armed Detective Agency? You'll never have to feel alone or scared anymore!"
Never...
Yosano lifts a hand and lets it hover over Ranpo's.
Never feel lonely or scared again -
We both want the same thing - to help others since we can do things they can't.
She does want that. She wants to help others, but not like that place. Not with that person. She wants to help in a place that's warm, full of light, where she doesn't have to blame herself if she doesn't want to use her ability, if she's too tired mentally, physically, emotionally -
Tears well in Yosano's eyes as she grabs Ranpo's hand with both of her own, nodding quickly in affirmation.
"I will... I want to! I want to help!"
I want to be free, I want to be my own person.
And as Ranpo seems to know exactly what she's thinking, he places his other hand over both of hers. His touch is warm, and there's a thankfulness in his smile whose depth Yosano can't begin to understand - but someday, she hopes she can. If she's here with these people, she feels she may come to understand more about others... and herself.
"Then it's official! Yosano-san, welcome to the Armed Detective Agency!"
Fukuzawa shakes his head. This boy truly was a force to be reckoned with. "So things ended up just as you wanted them to."
Ranpo raises his hands into the air, still holding onto Yosano's. "Yeah!"
Yosano watches, saying nothing, stuck in a mixture of awe and confusion. He knew from the start, yet still went through the motions... He really was strange, but that ability, Super Deduction, was amazing. There was no other way to describe it. To know what will happen and choose the perfect method to ensure it does, that is an ability that can help others.
"You should finish your food before it gets cold."
"Oh, right!"
"Ah, sorry-"
"After that, I'll pull out a spare futon for Yosano."
... Not that it's very useful later on in the night.
When Fukuzawa wakes up amidst his slumber as he often did (a habit from his time as an assassin), both Yosano and Ranpo were sleeping on either side of him and clinging to his yukata. There's a smile on his face as he strokes both of their heads gently as he decides to commit the moment to memory.
❀ ❀ ❀
Months pass, and Yosano quickly gets used to life with Fukuzawa and Ranpo. Their work at the Armed Detective Agency is rather straightforward, and it's thanks to Ranpo it can function so efficiently. Every day, there seems to be more and more people asking for his help, and Yosano finds herself wanting to do more and more however she can as well. Perhaps his energy is infection, perhaps it's because she wants to pull her own weight in this place she calls her new home -
Whichever it is, she's happy here. She's happy with these people.
"Ah, that guy is here." Ranpo thinks aloud, glancing up from his manga from where he sits on a desk.
Yosano looks at him and tilts her head. "That guy...?"
"A friend of Fukuzawa-san's." Ranpo closes his book and hops off his desk. "I have mixed feelings about him, but he gives me sweets and Elise-chan is fun to play with, so I try to ignore everything else about him. Easier said than done, though."
The girl feels her blood run cold. "What was... that name you said...?"
"Hm?" Green eyes blink, studying Yosano's face. "I said Eli-"
The front door to the agency cuts off his words. From the entrance is Fukuzawa, with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his yukata. Following behind him is a man with shoulder length black hair that seems a few years younger, donned in a pristine white doctor's coat. A young blonde girl is trailing after them from behind, her smile seemingly empty - almost doll-like.
"Really, thank you for taking on this request, Fukuzawa-dono," the doctor says, smiling politely as he trails after the director. "I've been terribly worried, you see. It's been months, and none of those I've asked to assist have spotted her at all."
Yosano feels her legs start to shake. "Mori... sensei...?"
"Hm?"
The man referred to as Mori pauses, head turning in the direction of her voice. Bright magenta eyes land on her, and it makes Yosano feel as if she's suddenly paralyzed on the spot. She only feels capable of moving when Mori raises his arms out happily, walking towards her with a smile on his face - she flinches back, knocking into the desk behind her and gripping at Ranpo's cloak.
"Yosano-kun, I've been looking all over for you! I'm so relieved to see that you're safe and well - and with Fukuzawa-dono of all people!"
Without a word, Ranpo moves in front of Yosano, grabbing the end of his cloak to lift it up and shield her from the doctor's view. It causes Mori to pause in making his way over to Yosano, and the girl in question hesitantly glances up to look at Ranpo's face.
It's impossible to tell what expression he's truly making under the bill of his hat.
"Ranpo-niisan...?"
"Ahh... I see. I finally understand everything now."
"What's wrong, Ranpo-kun?" Mori asks.
His voice sounds so innocent, so ignorant - it grates on Ranpo's nerves so much he can't contain himself. He reaches out to grab the fountain pen sitting on the desk behind Yosano, whirling around to throw it nib-first towards the man's face.
Ranpo isn't surprised that Mori catches it with a gloved hand without flinching, glaring down the unreadable expression on Mori's face. It's deadpan almost, but both children are well aware for completely different reasons that it's closer to annoyance, as if he's inconvenienced.
"My my, Ranpo-kun... That's rather rude of you," Mori says after a heavy moment of silence, studying the fountain pen before pocketing it inside his coat. "But I have to admit, you can conceal your murderous intent rather well. Color me impressed."
"I can't give less of a shit if I impress you or not." Ranpo hisses.
At the new angle, Yosano can a sharpness in her friend's green eyes she's never seen before - it shakes her to her core, but at the same time, she's not as scared of that look as much as she is of the man in front of them. She squeezes harder at Ranpo's cloak, head bowed and pressed in between the boy's shoulder blades.
"Akiko," Ranpo's voice is soft - only for her, just for her, in this moment. "How long have you known that person?"
Yosano clutches his cloak tight enough to make her fingers go numb. She refuses to lift her head, but he hears her loud and clear: "Before I was eleven..."
"... I see. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner."
Why was he apologizing? He didn't do anything wrong-
"I don't understand where this sudden hostility is coming from, but if you heard my words to Fukuzawa-dono, I've been looking for her for quite some time. I'd like to take my dear Yosano-kun back where she belongs."
"You can go choke on your own shit for all I care."
His tone is sharp, completely devoid of all of its characteristic flippancy. He's really mad.
"Akiko is a part of the Armed Detective Agency! She ain't going anywhere, let alone with a creep who likes little girls. She's not yours to hurt or control anymore, got it?"
Silence sets in faster than Yosano has ever seen. Curiosity gets the better of her as she glances over one of Ranpo's shoulders, noticing Fukuzawa is walking over to stand next to Ranpo... In front of her.
"Yosano Akiko has been a member of the agency for a few months now. Any relationship you had with her is null and void now, I believe. She's shown no interest in returning to wherever she fled from." Fukuzawa says, voice stern.
"'Fled' is such a strong word." Mori counters, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Change the subject all you want, but Akiko is staying here."
For a few moments, Mori and Ranpo hold each other's gaze. It's almost terrifying how a boy so young can keep his stare with a man so cold, but the person that was Edogawa Ranpo had so many sides to him it was hard to keep track.
"... How unfortunate." Mori says at last with a laugh as he takes a step back, tucking his hands into his pocket. His chin lifts, a condescending gleam in his eyes. "After all you did to help others, Yosano-kun... At this point, I think it's better to call you an 'Angel of Death' after all instead of an angel, wouldn't you say?"
Yosano feels her stomach lurch.
That was... No, she didn't...
"Elise-chan. We're going."
"W... Wait!"
Yosano pushes past Ranpo and Fukuzawa, a hand reaching out towards the back of the man's white coat. She didn't want to be something evil, she only wanted to help, but she... That person - !
Something pulls her back. Yosano recognizes it immediately as Ranpo's hand on her wrist, keeping her from walking any further.
"Ranpo-nii-"
"For someone so smart, you sure are stupid."
Mori stops a few feet from the door, glancing over his shoulder to look at the boy. He says nothing, but his expression alone is an inquiry in itself.
"Akiko isn't an angel. She's just a normal human." Ranpo steps forward to stand beside her, but his grip remains firm against her wrist. "She'll never be able to save everyone, and that's fine. It doesn't make her a bad person. Not even I can save everyone despite how amazing my ability, but that's fine - 'cause we're human, and we're gonna mess up who knows how many times in life. The only difference is that unlike you, Akiko has people who will be there for her when she blames herself. You don't feel that sort of thing, so it must be pretty damn boring, huh? Not that I pity you. It can't be helped you're incapable of caring about anyone other than yourself. Even your ability is selfish."
Mori sneers, visibly amused.
Ranpo doesn't fall into the taunt. He lets go of Yosano's wrist in favor of letting his hand rest atop her head with a smile. "And if she's really an Angel of Death, that's fine too. After all, she's got the world's best detective and a trained killer at her side. That's still better than whatever you could give her."
"... She'll be quite at home then among those sorts of monsters, no?"
"Mori-sensei." Mori's gaze shifts to Fukuzawa, which the swordsman deem acknowledgement enough to continue, "Consider your request declined after all. More accurately, consider any alliance of ours void as of this moment. Do not come here again, do not try to approach Yosano ever again."
Yosano whips her head to look at Fukuzawa, eyes wide. Alliance? Because of her, he was willing to destroy that?
"That's rather unfortunate. Are you certain that is what you wish?"
"Yes. Goodbye, Mori Ougai."
The doctor smiles, finally turning back to face the door as he continues to leave. "May we meet again in the future, Fukuzawa Yukichi-dono. Do take care."
And just like that, Mori and the blonde girl at his side leave the room. No one moves or says anything for a few moments, and then -
Yosano falls to her knees. Ranpo catches her halfway on her way down, kneeling next to her with a look of concern on his face.
"Akiko, are you alright?"
"I'm... fine." Yosano sniffles, then falls into a fit of hiccuping and sobbing - she was crying. Ah... This was the first time she had cried since meeting these people, all because of that person. "I'm fine, I just - I'm s-sorry... I'm sorry, Fukuzawa-san... Ranpo-niisan..."
"Hey, hey, sorry for what? You didn't do anything wrong - The agency is a family, you know. Fukuzawa-san and I will do anything for you." Ranpo cups Yosano's face, expression surprisingly stern. His thumbs wipe away some of her tears before squishing her cheeks hard enough to pull a squeak from her throat. "Don't forget that, okay? No matter what, this is your home now."
This is your home now.
Somehow, those words make Yosano tear up more. She throws her body forward to wrap her arms around Ranpo in a hug, crying into his shoulder. He doesn't stop her, only coughing out a breath at the impact and resting a hand atop her head.
"It's okay, everything's okay," he mutters, looking up at Fukuzawa with a smile. "Everything'll be alright now."
Fukuzawa understands those words are not just for Yosano, but for him as well. He nods his head slowly in silent agreement, which Ranpo returns before looking back down at Yosano.
The little bird Fukuzawa remembers just hatching from his shell has certainly grown in the short time they have known each other, shedding his downy feathers more and more each day.
That reminds him -
"Ranpo, the case today-"
"Oh yeah! The theft!" Ranpo quickly rises to his feet, pulling Yosano up with him. "I can't leave that alone, I already accepted it after all. We should get going." He looks down at Yosano, tilting his head with a smile. "Wanna come with us this time?"
Akiko is a part of the Armed Detective Agency.
And the agency is a family, you know.
"... Yeah."
If this was her new home, if this was her family now, she wanted to help them. She wanted to walk beside them, not wait on the sidelines and only be useful one way. She wanted to stand on the same stage as them.
"I want to go! I'll work hard too!"
"Great! Then let's get to it!" Ranpo bounces where he stands before running off towards the front door, Yosano chasing after him with a smile on her face, tear stains fresh, but already fading.
Fukuzawa walks after, not bothering to pick up the pace. They were smart children who knew not to wander too far from him.
Instead of one hatchling, it seemed there would two under his wing from now on. Not that he could say he minded at all.
Just to be very clear: I don't ship Ranpo and Yosano romantically, I just see them as best friends or platonic soulmates - they're family. Also, I ended up writing a sequel to this... it'll be the thing I post next. cx