12-25-2018, 06:54 AM
[align=center][div style="width:450px;text-align:justify;font-size:11px;margin-top:10px;color:#000;line-height:100%"]Once again, they meet in the rain. Sequel to the "What Could Have Been" story.
The sound of heels clicking against the concrete is drowned out by the pouring rain, Yosano's gasps heavy in her ears as she dashes with a bag hanging from her shoulder and her medical bag in her free hand. She takes shelter under the closest shop awning she sees, setting her bags down around her feet and exhaling a sigh.
She was wearing her new heels today, how disappointing.
After a moment of studying her surroundings - an empty street, with not a soul to be seen; there's nothing but rain, rain, and more rain - she kneels down to open her medical bag, shuffling around past the various knives and weapons to pull out a handkerchief. While she usually had one on her person, she had given one away earlier that day to a teenaged girl that had been crying in the bathroom of the train station. (Apparently, she'd caught her boyfriend cheating on her. Ugh, men are pigs.)
She presses the handkerchief against her face first, wiping away all the excess water from her face. She continues the process with the exposed skin of her arms, then to her soaking wet hair. Her violet eyes are skyward as she absentmindedly strokes at her hair to dry as much as possible, seeming to be lost in a trance. She's been stuck many times somewhere without an umbrella like this on a rainy day, but it's been quite a while since it's felt so intense.
The sound of water hitting metal pulls her out of her thoughts rather quickly however, making her pause. She lets her head tilt back, noticing a small tear in the veranda she had took shelter in. No doubt the rain had managed to slip through - and land just right against her hair pin. She takes the piece of fabric into her mouth, lifting her hands to unclasp the hair pin from her hair and hold it in her hands.
It's covered in water just like the rest of her, but the metal still gleams beautifully despite it all. Something about the thought warms her heart, just a little.
On a day like this, because of the same sound of rain against her most cherished possession, she met the person who changed her life. It wouldn't be farfetched to call him her savior, but he's far more humble than he acts in front of everyone else.
"I told you it was gonna rain."
Speak of the devil.
Yosano raises her head. Standing in the rain with a clear umbrella is Ranpo. A plastic bag is hanging off an arm, which he reaches inside to pluck out a piece of candy and offer it out to the doctor with a smile of amusement.
"I'll give it to you, if you stop making that worried face."
The woman can't stop herself from smiling at his words that sound so nostalgic - on purpose, surely - as she reaches out to accept it. It's a brand name chocolate, wrapped in bright red wrapping paper that nearly glitters even when there's no sunlight shining down on it. "I wasn't worrying." she says, unwrapping the candy and pressing it against her mouth. She doesn't chew it, instead letting the sweet melt on her tongue.
Ranpo gives a loud laugh, resting a hand on his hip and puffing out his chest. "You're still trying to lie to a master detective, after all this time? You just don't learn! Shall I deduce the truth in your words?"
"Won't you do it anyway, even if I were to tell you not to?"
"Exactly right - it's good we're on the same page," the man grins, reaching under his inverness for his glasses and flicking them open with a practiced flair. Yosano has seen him do this hundreds of times, maybe even over a thousand at this point. He never lacks the amazing ability to have the air change around him with a simple pair of glasses they both know do not help him control any ability.
(Of course, he says it is for his own reasons, and she lets him. She's glad to finally be confident in thinking it was an act, and not still him being caught in the delusions needed to help him survive the trauma of his childhood.)
Ranpo points at one of the bags at Yosano's feet, beaming confidently. "There's something in there that needs to reach someone within a time-limit, but it can't get wet either. You don't care about getting soaked in rain, after all. Probably... important documents, hm?"
A sigh falls from Yosano's lips as she bows her head. There was no lying to this man. "I suppose my not being myself when I left and ignored your warning was more than enough to tell you that." Really, she expected to be back already, in and out as quickly as possible, but it just had to rain like this.
"Well, that's true too. You planned to be back by now, but I knew you'd get caught in the rain. Mother nature is a pain like that."
"So you came to get me?"
"Of course not." The detective gestures to the bag hanging from his arms. "I left to get some snacks and heard you while making my way back."
Yosano arches a brow in a silent inquiry: heard what?
Ranpo smiles, leaning forward and tapping gently at the butterfly hair clip she holds in her hands. "That sound - I'd never mistake it. After all, it's what brought me to you all those years ago." His gaze doesn't lift to meet hers, but there's a softness in his green eyes that tells Yosano everything she needs - everything she didn't know she needed right now.
He knows her better than she knows herself, but like the mystery he is, he never tells her what she's missing and makes her realize it on her own instead. She supposes that's his way of helping her hone her skills as a detective that works alongside him. Though he's arrogant and conceited, she knows that Ranpo could never look down on her - they are equals, in his eyes.
Yosano stares, letting her eyes linger on her friend's face before it moves down to the handle of the umbrella he's holding over his head, then to the plastic bag hanging from his arm. She blinks, and she swears his clothes are black - black like the police academy uniform he used to wear in his youth.
And she laughs.
"It's like that time all over again, isn't it? Here you are again, to save me from the rain when I look like such a mess."
"Haha, it sure is kinda the same, huh!" Ranpo grins, offering out the umbrella to Yosano. Drops of water start to color the fabric of his clothes a shade darker. "So this is for you. That way, your documents won't get wet and you don't have to bust a lung running back to the agency."
Yosano smiles gently, endeared. "And what are you going to do if I use the umbrella?" she asks as if reciting from a script, but despite her words, she accepts the umbrella by the handle anyway. (It's a familiar one, worn and faded from her childhood when she had found a light within that pitch black darkness.)
"It's just water. It won't kill me!"
"If it's just water, it won't kill me either."
Ranpo gives an over-exaggerated pout. "My mother up in heaven would beat me up if I let a woman walk in the rain like that, you know!"
A chuckle. The doctor bends down to pick up her bags, throwing one over her shoulder while the other is gripped tightly within her hand and knocks against her thigh. "I suppose so. Fumiyo-san would give you quite the scolding."
"Right? At least you know that now."
Yosano gives Ranpo an amused look as she steps out into the rain, this time shielded from the rain thanks to the umbrella overhead. Ranpo turns to walk at her side, tucking his hands into his pockets as the rain slowly but surely starts to soak his clothes.
Yet, he looks so pleased with himself.
Violet eyes close, and the woman focuses on the sound of their footsteps against the sidewalk. A warm smile tugs at her lips. "You've grown into quite the responsible man, Ranpo-nii-san."
"And you, a responsible woman. The agency wouldn't know how to survive a day without you, Akiko~"
A moment of silence passes.
Then, they both grimace.
"... We've really long since grown out of those, huh?" Ranpo says wryly.
"No kidding." Yosano agrees.
"We'll just stick to Ranpo and Yosano-san then. Sound good?"
"Of course, Ranpo-san. Also..."
"Also?"
"Thank you, for coming to find me."
"I told you, I wasn't! I just happened to find you on my way back to the agency." Now he's the one lying, but she doesn't mind that side of him at all. He pretends to act like a boy to throw people off guard, to make up for what he has lost, but he is still very much a man with his own pride to hold onto.
Yosano laughs. "Whatever you say."
"Don't laugh! I'm serious!"
"Of course, Ranpo-san."
Ranpo huffs, squinting at her unhappily before glancing away. "Whatever... Anyway, I always will."
"Will what?"
"No matter where you go, whether you give me a warning or not, I'll always find you and take you back home. That's the promise I made to myself the day you decided to stay with Fukuzawa-san and I. Don't forget that, Akiko."
More silence. It's not because Yosano is stunned, nor is she embarrassed - rather, she's taking a moment to treasure the words, even if she's heard similarly phrased things before. After what feels like minutes, she finally reacts, side-stepping to knock into the detective's now-soaked shoulder. "Thank you, Ranpo."
The sound of heels clicking against the concrete is drowned out by the pouring rain, Yosano's gasps heavy in her ears as she dashes with a bag hanging from her shoulder and her medical bag in her free hand. She takes shelter under the closest shop awning she sees, setting her bags down around her feet and exhaling a sigh.
She was wearing her new heels today, how disappointing.
After a moment of studying her surroundings - an empty street, with not a soul to be seen; there's nothing but rain, rain, and more rain - she kneels down to open her medical bag, shuffling around past the various knives and weapons to pull out a handkerchief. While she usually had one on her person, she had given one away earlier that day to a teenaged girl that had been crying in the bathroom of the train station. (Apparently, she'd caught her boyfriend cheating on her. Ugh, men are pigs.)
She presses the handkerchief against her face first, wiping away all the excess water from her face. She continues the process with the exposed skin of her arms, then to her soaking wet hair. Her violet eyes are skyward as she absentmindedly strokes at her hair to dry as much as possible, seeming to be lost in a trance. She's been stuck many times somewhere without an umbrella like this on a rainy day, but it's been quite a while since it's felt so intense.
The sound of water hitting metal pulls her out of her thoughts rather quickly however, making her pause. She lets her head tilt back, noticing a small tear in the veranda she had took shelter in. No doubt the rain had managed to slip through - and land just right against her hair pin. She takes the piece of fabric into her mouth, lifting her hands to unclasp the hair pin from her hair and hold it in her hands.
It's covered in water just like the rest of her, but the metal still gleams beautifully despite it all. Something about the thought warms her heart, just a little.
On a day like this, because of the same sound of rain against her most cherished possession, she met the person who changed her life. It wouldn't be farfetched to call him her savior, but he's far more humble than he acts in front of everyone else.
"I told you it was gonna rain."
Speak of the devil.
Yosano raises her head. Standing in the rain with a clear umbrella is Ranpo. A plastic bag is hanging off an arm, which he reaches inside to pluck out a piece of candy and offer it out to the doctor with a smile of amusement.
"I'll give it to you, if you stop making that worried face."
The woman can't stop herself from smiling at his words that sound so nostalgic - on purpose, surely - as she reaches out to accept it. It's a brand name chocolate, wrapped in bright red wrapping paper that nearly glitters even when there's no sunlight shining down on it. "I wasn't worrying." she says, unwrapping the candy and pressing it against her mouth. She doesn't chew it, instead letting the sweet melt on her tongue.
Ranpo gives a loud laugh, resting a hand on his hip and puffing out his chest. "You're still trying to lie to a master detective, after all this time? You just don't learn! Shall I deduce the truth in your words?"
"Won't you do it anyway, even if I were to tell you not to?"
"Exactly right - it's good we're on the same page," the man grins, reaching under his inverness for his glasses and flicking them open with a practiced flair. Yosano has seen him do this hundreds of times, maybe even over a thousand at this point. He never lacks the amazing ability to have the air change around him with a simple pair of glasses they both know do not help him control any ability.
(Of course, he says it is for his own reasons, and she lets him. She's glad to finally be confident in thinking it was an act, and not still him being caught in the delusions needed to help him survive the trauma of his childhood.)
Ranpo points at one of the bags at Yosano's feet, beaming confidently. "There's something in there that needs to reach someone within a time-limit, but it can't get wet either. You don't care about getting soaked in rain, after all. Probably... important documents, hm?"
A sigh falls from Yosano's lips as she bows her head. There was no lying to this man. "I suppose my not being myself when I left and ignored your warning was more than enough to tell you that." Really, she expected to be back already, in and out as quickly as possible, but it just had to rain like this.
"Well, that's true too. You planned to be back by now, but I knew you'd get caught in the rain. Mother nature is a pain like that."
"So you came to get me?"
"Of course not." The detective gestures to the bag hanging from his arms. "I left to get some snacks and heard you while making my way back."
Yosano arches a brow in a silent inquiry: heard what?
Ranpo smiles, leaning forward and tapping gently at the butterfly hair clip she holds in her hands. "That sound - I'd never mistake it. After all, it's what brought me to you all those years ago." His gaze doesn't lift to meet hers, but there's a softness in his green eyes that tells Yosano everything she needs - everything she didn't know she needed right now.
He knows her better than she knows herself, but like the mystery he is, he never tells her what she's missing and makes her realize it on her own instead. She supposes that's his way of helping her hone her skills as a detective that works alongside him. Though he's arrogant and conceited, she knows that Ranpo could never look down on her - they are equals, in his eyes.
Yosano stares, letting her eyes linger on her friend's face before it moves down to the handle of the umbrella he's holding over his head, then to the plastic bag hanging from his arm. She blinks, and she swears his clothes are black - black like the police academy uniform he used to wear in his youth.
And she laughs.
"It's like that time all over again, isn't it? Here you are again, to save me from the rain when I look like such a mess."
"Haha, it sure is kinda the same, huh!" Ranpo grins, offering out the umbrella to Yosano. Drops of water start to color the fabric of his clothes a shade darker. "So this is for you. That way, your documents won't get wet and you don't have to bust a lung running back to the agency."
Yosano smiles gently, endeared. "And what are you going to do if I use the umbrella?" she asks as if reciting from a script, but despite her words, she accepts the umbrella by the handle anyway. (It's a familiar one, worn and faded from her childhood when she had found a light within that pitch black darkness.)
"It's just water. It won't kill me!"
"If it's just water, it won't kill me either."
Ranpo gives an over-exaggerated pout. "My mother up in heaven would beat me up if I let a woman walk in the rain like that, you know!"
A chuckle. The doctor bends down to pick up her bags, throwing one over her shoulder while the other is gripped tightly within her hand and knocks against her thigh. "I suppose so. Fumiyo-san would give you quite the scolding."
"Right? At least you know that now."
Yosano gives Ranpo an amused look as she steps out into the rain, this time shielded from the rain thanks to the umbrella overhead. Ranpo turns to walk at her side, tucking his hands into his pockets as the rain slowly but surely starts to soak his clothes.
Yet, he looks so pleased with himself.
Violet eyes close, and the woman focuses on the sound of their footsteps against the sidewalk. A warm smile tugs at her lips. "You've grown into quite the responsible man, Ranpo-nii-san."
"And you, a responsible woman. The agency wouldn't know how to survive a day without you, Akiko~"
A moment of silence passes.
Then, they both grimace.
"... We've really long since grown out of those, huh?" Ranpo says wryly.
"No kidding." Yosano agrees.
"We'll just stick to Ranpo and Yosano-san then. Sound good?"
"Of course, Ranpo-san. Also..."
"Also?"
"Thank you, for coming to find me."
"I told you, I wasn't! I just happened to find you on my way back to the agency." Now he's the one lying, but she doesn't mind that side of him at all. He pretends to act like a boy to throw people off guard, to make up for what he has lost, but he is still very much a man with his own pride to hold onto.
Yosano laughs. "Whatever you say."
"Don't laugh! I'm serious!"
"Of course, Ranpo-san."
Ranpo huffs, squinting at her unhappily before glancing away. "Whatever... Anyway, I always will."
"Will what?"
"No matter where you go, whether you give me a warning or not, I'll always find you and take you back home. That's the promise I made to myself the day you decided to stay with Fukuzawa-san and I. Don't forget that, Akiko."
More silence. It's not because Yosano is stunned, nor is she embarrassed - rather, she's taking a moment to treasure the words, even if she's heard similarly phrased things before. After what feels like minutes, she finally reacts, side-stepping to knock into the detective's now-soaked shoulder. "Thank you, Ranpo."