Chapter Text
[Name] and the other detectives like Yosano, Atsushi, Miyazawa, the President and Haruno in the Agency are in the Armed Detective Agency Conference Room. It's for the meeting about the investigation for the Azure Messenger Bomb Threat Incident. [Name] sits besides Yosano with Atsushi next to her, keeping her gaze focused on Kunikida since he's at the front of the large table and speaking to everyone, informing them of the investigation.
"At present, we have an unidentified criminal organization threatening to detonate a large bomb in a metropolitan area and launch a smear campaign against the Agency," Kunikida explained.
"I know the Agency's between a rock and a hard place," Yosano said, gazing at the information on the clipboard. "Tell us more about the bomb."
"This is the message left behind by the perpetrator," Kunikida said, his gaze returning to the clipboard in his grasp. "I'll read it. 'Greetings, I hope your agency is faring well. Forgive my impudence, but I have placed a bomb capable of causing mass destruction in a certain location here in Yokohama City. To secure the citizens' safety, I request that you locate and disarm the bomb at your earliest convenience. You have until sundown. I have faith in your abilities. Respectfully, the Azure Messenger.'"
"Who could be the Azure Messenger be?" The President questioned.
"We don't know as of yet," Kunikida informed.
"So it's all rigged so that if the bomb detonates, word of the Agency's failure will spread like wildfire," Yosano suggested. "The Agency can weather sticks and stones, but this type of attack will hit us hard."
"Since yesterday, the office staff have been searching for plausible locations, but there are too many possibilities," Haruno added.
Miyazawa raised his hand. "Hey. Are we still unable to reach Rampo-san?"
"It seems the case in Kyuushuu is coming to a head," Haruno explained. "I've requested he contact us as soon as the criminal is caught, but..."
The President looks to Kunikida. "Any further information from that taxi driver?"
"He denies any knowledge of the bomb," Kunikida said. "He wouldn't have it in him to blow up Yokohama itself."
"Listen, all!" The President announced, capturing the attention of those in the conference room. "This case is a cowardly act using information to attack the Armed Detective Agency. We have two objectives: uncover the Azure Messenger, the instigator, and disarm the bomb. The bomb takes priority due to its time-sensitive nature. If we cannot find the bomb and lives are lost, we no longer have the right to call ourselves a detective agency. Think of this mission as a fight for the Agency's existence and pride."
Everyone stands up from their seats, ready to leave from the President's orders.
---
"After all, he always spends two hours before going to sleep reviewing and revising his notes," Dazai said. He's sitting at a booth with the Sasaki and he's drinking either coffee or tea. "I doubt I could stand doing that for two minutes." Dazai is unaware that [Name], Kunikida, and Atsushi are sitting in the booth behind him. "Maybe he's got some soldier ants working for him in his brain--"
Kunikida knocked Dazai in his head, the man falling in the booth.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here, Kunikida-kun," Dazai groaned.
Kunikida sits correctly in the booth, his back to Dazai and Sasaki. [Name] looks out the windows, her eyes watching the people walk by. She was wondering where Dazai was, but she's not jealous that he's having tea with Sasaki. She won't allow the jealous feeling to cloud her mind.
"How could you ditch the meeting during an emergency and go on a fancy afternoon date?" Kunikida questioned.
Dazai recovered, his head appearing between [Name] and Kunikida and he smiles deviously at Kunikida. "Are you jealous of the fancy date?"
"I'm not!" Kunikida snapped.
"She's a victim who was nearly killed," Dazai started, dropping his comical tone. "Ensuring her safety and tending to her psychological well-being is an important and urgent duty for the Agency, wouldn't you say?"
"Why are you, the poster child for sloth and irresponsibility, a good fir for the task?" Kunikida remarked. "Besides, given her good looks, I'd assume she has a boyfriend at least."
"Apparently, they broke up recently," Dazai answered. "That's why, Kunikida-kun, I say you can do this!"
"Listen, Dazai!" Kunikida said. [Name] isn't sure how long their rambling is going to continue. "I came here because you skipped out on the morning meeting and I need to tell you what's going on."
"I know what's going on," Dazai whined, leaning further into the booth. "The goal of the Azure Messenger who set the bomb is to crush the Agency."
"Um..." Sasaki voiced. [Name] looked over her shoulder at the woman. "Are you sure an outsider like me should be hearing this?"
[Name] shrugged her shoulders, but she could care less. Atsushi looked to the side, "Not really."
"Sasaki-san's a person of interest in this case," Dazai stated. "There's no issue here. Sasaki-san, what's the class you teach at the university again?"
"Social psychology," Sasaki answered.
"That's great," Dazai said. "I'd love to hear what you think about this case."
"About the Azure Messenger..." Sasaki mumbled, looking to the side. [Name] removed herself from the booth she's in with Atsushi and Kunikida, impolitely standing up on the booth and she slips into the booth with Dazai and Sasaki, interested in what Sasaki has to say. "It may have something to do with the Azure King in the notorious Azure Flag Terrorist incident."
"So you think that, too," [Name] said.
"It could very well be the Azure King himself," Sasaki continued. "It's said that he blew himself up after being cornered by the police, but... it's possible he faked his death and is still alive. A former official, the Azure King set off a bomb in a government facility and issued a statement. His targets included killers whose cases were dropped due to incompetent prosecutors, as well as diet members who were engaged in political corruption on a global scale... All dangerous criminals untouchable by law."
"But if the Azure King is alive... why would he attack the Agency like this?" Atsushi asked, worry painted on his features.
"I have no idea," Sasaki answered.
"Well, the one who backed the Azure King into a corner is Kunikida-kun, who located his hideout," Dazai said, glancing over his shoulder and putting his arm on the booth. [Name] tensed up at the feeling of his arm around her, but more so on the booth than her. "I see. Kunikida-kun is the target of vengeance here."
"The terrorist's death was confirmed by the military police after forensic analysis," Kunikida informed. "There's no doubting it."
"Anyways, you should stay on your guard until you figure out who it is," [Name] advised, glancing over her shoulder at Kunikida.
Dazai nodded his head to [Name]'s words. "We'll need to hide Sasaki-san somewhere safe, as well."
"That I will not allow, Dazai!" Kunikida announced, standing up.
Dazai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Kunikida turns around and grabs Dazai by the collar of his coat. "You think you can keep a lady in your room in the name of personal safety? And day and night, do such and such unthinkable things?!"
"Nothing like what you're imaging is happening, though," Dazai stated.
"Shame on you!" Kunikida yelled. He froze once hearing Dazai's words.
"When I first let her stay, I slept in an adjoining room and didn't lay a finger on her, of course," Dazai elaborated. He dropped his honest comical to his teasing comical attitude. "Well, I knew you misunderstood, but I thought it was funny so I didn't correct you."
Kunikida shakes Dazai a couple of times until he lets go of the brown haired man and grabs his own head. Kunikida yells, thinking that he got outsmarted by Dazai and [Name] chuckled at Kunikida's actions. Dazai ignores the freaking out Kunikida behind him and turns his attention to Sasaki.
"Kunikida-kun seems to like Sasaki-san a lot," Dazai voiced. He smiles at the university professor. "Sasaki-san, what type of man do you like?"
Sasaki looks up. "T-Type?" She looks down, "It would be presumptuous of me to even have such a thing in mind... But... I do think it is wonderful when a man strongly believes in an ideal and pours his heart and soul into it." [Name] glanced at Dazai and she heard Kunikida stop his ministrations and Dazai smirks at [Name].
"That's totally Kunikida-kun," Dazai stated, he sags his shoulders. "Okay, the two of you can pick up the rest."
"Hey, Dazai!" Kunikida said, [Name] could see the sweat on his face "D-D-Don't go making assumptions!"
Dazai smiles teasingly at Kunikida. "Kunikida-kun, you're an open book." He drops his comical teasing, "He may be a bit twisted, but as you can see, he is high-minded individual who lives and breathes for his ideals." Kunikida yells. "Although, perhaps for that reason, his ideal woman is a bit of a challenge." Dazai hands Kunikida's ideal notebook to Sasaki. "Would you like to take a look?"
Sasaki takes the notebook.
Kunikida glares at Dazai, "Bastard, not again! When did you--" Kunikida reaches forward to swipe his notebook, but Dazai stopped Kunikida with a simply hand to his face. "Give it back!"
"Kunikida-sama..." Sasaki said.
"Yes?" Kunikida asked.
"This goes too far," Sasaki stated.
[Name] laughed, nodding her head because she agrees with Sasaki. Kunikida is hanging over the booth in defeat while Dazai has a pleased, childish smile on his lips. [Name] hears Atsushi's phone go off and she looks over her shoulder to the white haired boy. She watched him stand up.
"We finally heard from Rampo-san," Atsushi informed.
[Name] and the two men stand up, all three of them having serious expression on their features.