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"Yeti sightings?"
"Uh-huh!"
Shoutarou leaned back in his chair, chewing his lip as he thought carefully how to address the situation.
"Listen Haruna, this isn't exactly what a hard-boiled detective deals with-"
"But don't you always just go hunting for strange monsters? Or dogs?" Haruna turned the article she had outstretched to Shoutarou so that she could reexamine it for herself. "A yeti is kind of like a big dog. You're good at finding those so why not this?"
Shoutarou stared at her, mouth agape, but couldn't exactly go off at a small child. It's not her fault if her manners were somewhat lacking after all her parents...
"My job is for catching criminals-"
"But you were just returning a lost dog, Uncle Philip told me that's where you were."
"Well, that was... That was just a favour and it's different from hunting down a yeti."
"How?" She had a face so like her mother's when she was grilling him, it resurfaced some foul memories from deep within his brain. Ones he'd tried so hard to write out of his reports.
"Well... Yetis aren't real, so-"
"If it's not real then why did they write about it in the paper?"
Shoutarou chewed his lip again. He got out his chair and squatted down beside her, trying to reach eye level to explain.
"This is an article from a small-time paper. They want more people to buy their paper, so they sometimes... make things up... so that people will be interested and pick up a copy."
Haruna scrunched her face up at him.
"People can't just lie in papers. They're like books. Our teacher always tells us to check them instead of believing things on the internet."
Shoutarou stopped for a minute. He'd had to get used to not getting so ahead of himself when talking to Haruna. There'd been a few too many incidents of his loose mouth making her talk back in class.
"Well, most the time that's right but not this time."
"Why?"
"...Well, like I said. They just made it up so people would buy it."
"But they can't do that."
Shoutarou had never been the best at handling these situations, and well... Desperate times called for desperate measures. Desperate measures called for the perks of being an uncle.
"You're right. You should probably let your dad know when you go home." And the added perk of her father being a cop.
It was enough for the time being and she went back to the couch where her drawing stuff was. Shoutarou could watch her while writing his report from his desk.
For the most part, they sat in silence while they both worked, not even reaching to put the radio on. Every time he looked over she seemed more and more focused on her drawing until she finally set her pencils down.
"I'm gonna go show Uncle Philip!" She called over the couch and sprinted for the garage before he even had a chance to respond.
Rather uncharacteristically, the walls of the garage were blank. The whiteboards were unmarked. The place was clean. No experiments, nothing under shady observation. Philip lay on the middle of the walkway over the middle of the room, staring into space uncomfortably.
It was rare, but every so often, even Philip ran out of subjects to direct his interest towards.
"Uncle Philip?" Haruna crouched down beside him. At the sound, he shot straight up and stared at her. He mustn't have even heard the door in his frustrated slump. She held the drawing out to him and he took it and examined
"Are they missing?" Haruna shook her head.
The piece of paper had a drawing of the yeti on it, based on the small blurry one that had been in the paper. Above it, she'd put "have you seen this yeti" and under it, she'd listed the number for the detective agency.
"It's a yeti, the paper said there'd been a yeti sighting nearby but Uncle Shoutarou wouldn't take the case. I'm gonna try searching for it myself." Philip examined the image, a smile starting to creep onto his face.
"Do you have the article?" She nodded and took it back out the pocket she'd stuffed it in, handing it to Philip for him to investigate.
The smile intensified a thousand times and he sprung up, moving over to the couch on the far side. He stuck it to the board by it with one of the magnets that he'd tied a piece of string to for mapping things. He stood back a minute then rummaged around, pulling out a small stack of Fuuto Spectator papers from under the couch.
Haruna was quick on the uptake and grabbed the safety scissors from the desk tidy to give him. Philip took them and placed them on top of the stack of papers before lifting her up onto the desk and handing them to her with a small selection of the papers. Haruna liked helping him with his interests and he'd adapted to let her take part, letting her go through books or magazines to find information. He could easily get it all from the Gaia Library, but this gave her an opportunity to learn as well.
She flicked through the paper, looking for similar blurry pictures. There were a few relating to stray dopant incidents that would crop up every so often, or strange monsters said to resemble the city's riders. She checked the pages of letters from readers. Despite Shoutarou's distaste for such papers, Philip had let her in on a little secret that sometimes people wrote into it with early sightings of strange goings-on and dopants, hence one of the reasons he had a subscription bringing them in. That, and he got research ideas off some of the other stories and advertisements for miracle cures.
She worked her way through the pile, throwing the useless ones to the floor, cutting out a couple of things and highlighting them;
'Saw a hairy monster near my bins last night,'
'Monster stole my cat,'
'Met a strange man in an alley on my way home from work, didn't speak a word of Japanese,'
In one dated two weeks previous to the article she'd brought in, she found what she was looking for.
'YETI SPOTTED IN AIRPORT WEARING ALOHA SHIRT?!' with a blurry image below it. Picture was the supposed yeti obscured in the crowd of people.
Haruna grabbed a magnet and put the article on the board and tied the string between them. Philip looked up as he heard her scrabbling over the table.
"Fantastic, Haruna!" He placed down the issue he was looking at and quickly studied the blurry images. He crawled up beside her, grabbing a marker and started circling things in the images. Haruna couldn't always decipher the connection he was making but he nodded confidently to himself before getting back down. Haruna followed him and took the stool beside the couch when he sat. She'd had him fall on her a few times already.
He had his book. Three, two, one,
And he was down.
An eerie silence
It was like being completely alone when he did this. Despite being able to see him it felt like he'd teleported from the room suddenly, leaving her behind without a thought.
Then he was back and went back to the board almost as if nothing happened but now with more knowledge than he could hold in.
An address was scribbled up and circled.
"Where's that?"
"The zoo, they have some nice penguins, and some particularly grumpy ones that didn't like the looks of a recent visitor."
Haruna was sure he probably had more to say but she knew one thing from her uncles. No great detective lets a lead grow cold. Without hearing the rest of what Philip had to say, she ran back through and grabbed her bag and shoes and rushed for the door
She was halfway down the stairs, fastening the velcro on her trainers when she heard Shoutarou screaming and the thundering on the steps.
He held her hand tight the entire way, preaching a long lecture about running off on her own and how big the slipper that hit him would have been if he hadn't caught her in time. Haruna wasn't particularly swayed by the argument, but he was taking her to the zoo so she wouldn't argue with him. He claimed he was doing it to avoid her running off again and to prove there wasn't a real yeti hanging out there.
Haruna knew he just liked to go stare at the tiger dramatically and tip his hat at it as if it understood. She didn't care about his reasoning as to why they were going through, all that mattered was that she was getting her way. She was getting to solve her case.
Shoutarou stopped at the gate and bought their tickets, grumbling about the prices and how he should be getting a discount for all he'd done for them. The ticket person didn't pay him any mind. Haruna grabbed a map off the counter while he was paying and looked at it. There were pictures of the animals over their enclosures to help kids find their way about. The penguins were near the mid-point, the heart of the zoo.
"Haruna!" Shoutarou called her just as she was about to run off for them. She turned, hoping he hadn't noticed. He kneeled down and grabbed for something in his bag. She waited uneasily for him to start back on his lecture.
She felt a sudden weight placed upon her head.
"If you're going to be a detective today, you have to look the part, right?" Her hands went up to feel what it was. She felt round the brim and the ribbon and her fingers traced the embroidered Windscale brand. It was much too big for her and definitely one of Shoutarou's own. Her cheeks felt full as she smiled and hugged him.
"Where are we going then?" Shoutarou took her hand, holding it tight. Haruna was still feeling the hat with her other hand, trying to hold it how Shoutarou did when he was being half-boiled. He had to nudge her to snap her out of it.
"The penguins! We gotta see the penguins! Uncle Philip said they know something," She dragged him through the crowd, like a battering ram to get through all the legs. There was a noise nearby, a tinny voice coming through a small speaker, mentioning something about penguins. She used it to guide her way.
That and the strong smell of fish. Haruna squeezed in under two particularly sweaty sets of parents. Behind her, Shoutarou muttered an apology and managed to squeeze in, picking her up to set on his shoulders.
A young keeper stood in the centre of the enclosure, speaking into the microphone as she held out fish. Behind her was someone else in a much larger version of the keepers' uniform, pulled over an extremely hairy body. All the kids were pointing at him and trying to ask their parents questions they couldn't answer honestly. Haruna squashed Shoutarou's hat as she leaned over.
"See Uncle Shoutarou! That's the yeti that was in the paper!"
Shoutarou could only trip over syllables in response as he tried to rebalance himself.
"Haruna, I'm sure it's just," Shoutarou paused and pushed his hat back up a little from his eyes. "It's probably just one of the keepers in a costume to entertain the kids when feeding the fish."
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
Haruna scrunched up her face, crossing her arms on his head. It didn't look like a suit. She couldn't see any way to put it on and she could see him blinking. When a penguin got particularly aggressive about taking a fish, he was jumping back and yelping.
"Ask!"
"Huh?"
"Ask them if it's a costume! You're big, they'll tell you!"
Shoutarou sighed, automatically reaching up to touch his hat but instead finding Haruna's arm as she flattened it.
"All right, but if I'm right I pick what we see next."
Haruna grabbed the hand and firmly shook it.
Shoutarou slipped back out from the crowd and walked along the side till he could see another member of staff.
"Hey, Haruna," He let her down off his shoulders and took her hand again. "Stand behind me and act shy, ok?"
Haruna nodded and gripped the back of his coat as he walked towards them.
"Excuse me," The member of staff looked at him and smiled politely. "Sorry, my niece got scared by the yeti feeding the penguins," Haruna could feel the heat rising in her face and almost started shouting but was cut off as he kept talking. "Could you tell me if it's just one of the staff?"
The staff member smiled understandingly but didn't turn their attention to Haruna.
"Well, they're not one of the keepers, but they're a volunteer just helping out for now. They came in wearing the costume, but they're no one to be scared of."
Shoutarou thanked them and walked back towards the enclosure side, taking Haruna along by the hand.
"See, it's just a costume."
"That's NOT what they said! They said they looked like that when they arrived, they assumed it was a costume!"
Shoutarou pinched his nose, taking a deep breath. The yeti had disappeared from the enclosure and the keeper was just closing the door.
Haruna's hand slipped from Shoutarou's grasp and in an instant, she was gone. Rushing through the crowd of legs and other kids. It was too busy to see where she was going but she could guess her way.
Then there was the smell of fish back as her guide. She dipped under the arms of parents, following it until she saw him.
Her yeti. Talking to the keeper outside their building. He was back out of the uniform, wearing a rather worn aloha shirt and shades pushed up his cone-like head.
Haruna stared at him, mouth agape. She had been right. The yeti waved bye to the keeper and started walking away and for a second she forgot she could do more than stare.
As she took that first step, a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
"Haruna! What did I say about running off!" Shoutarou knelt down in front of her, red, sweating and panting heavily. She wasn't paying attention, too focused on not losing track of the yeti. He was starting to disappear into the crowd.
"Haruna!" The hand tightened as she attempted to pivot from him.
"Uncle Shoutarou, he's getting away!" She pled with him, trying to pull away against the hand. Shoutarou stood back up straight, pushing up on his tiptoes to see over the crowd and catch sight of the yeti.
He let out a short scream but cut himself off as people turned to see what was happening. He cleared his throat and grabbed ahold of Haruna's hand again, starting a steady pace to break through the crowd.
They caught the yeti as he walked away from the hot dog stand in hopes of a table. Shoutarou flagged him down but found himself seemingly stunned to silence at the realisation that he had in fact stopped a yeti. Shoutarou looked over him cautiously. Seeming to linger on his collar and arms.
"Is everything okay?" The yeti spoke first and Haruna jumped, clutching tight to Shoutarou's side. Somehow, she hadn't expected it to actually be able to speak. Up close, she could definitely see his tongue move, the movements of his chest and nostrils as he breathed. Shoutarou seemed equally shocked.
"We uh, saw you feeding the penguins and-"
"Are you a real yeti?" Haruna cut him off, no longer able to hold back. The yeti blinked at her for a second.
"Oh, yes," He reached out a hand to her and it took her a second to realise she should shake it. It was warm. "I'm Norg, I'm on holiday."
Haruna took a deep breath and grabbed back onto Shoutarou's arm.
"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU UNCLE SHOU!" She jumped as she spoke, pulling on his arm. She was really right! She was right and she'd solved the case! She'd found a monster just like her dad and uncles did! She was a detective just like them!
Shoutarou cried at her to stop pulling.
They sat down with Norg at one of the tables while he ate. Haruna couldn't peel her eyes away from him.
"So you're... here on holiday?" Shoutarou finally asked.
"Yes, this city sounded nice. I thought I should visit it," His Japanese was good if a bit stunted in the uncertainty of actually speaking it. Haruna wondered what languages yetis usually speak. "I wanted to see the sights!"
"Have you seen Fuuto Tower?" Haruna got in before Shoutarou could continue his own line of questioning. Norg shook his head.
"No, I wanted to go later."
"We can take you! Can't we, Uncle Shoutarou? You love the tower, you can show him!"
Shoutarou gave her a hesitant nod.
"That would be great! I'd like a tour guide!"
Norg finished eating and immediately went for the exit, almost leaving them both behind in his haste. He didn't realise his mistake until he was on the other side of the gate and had to wait for them as Shoutarou hoisted Haruna back onto his shoulders.
"Haruna, if you notice any... strange bald patches on Norg, just let me know okay? But quietly," He whispered to her as she leaned in close. She nodded though he couldn't see it.
They walked together, Shoutarou only slightly leading the way as Norg followed his map. Occasionally, they'd have to stop as he wanted Haruna to take a picture of him with something. The ramen stand, some of the many pinwheels around the city, a couple of posters for the local radio station, and the large cut-out of Fuuto-kun at the base of Fuuto Tower.
"How come you're on holiday?" Shoutarou finally asked him as they made their way up the tower, Haruna now walking by herself so he wouldn't lose his balance.
"Oh, I was made unemployed a few years ago," Norg was getting more confident speaking to them. "It's cold where I live, so I wanted to go travelling. I've been to a few places. Sunny places, wet places. I saw Fuuto City in a magazine and I hadn't been to any windy places. It looked nice here."
Haruna wondered what kind of job a yeti would have.
The doors opened onto the viewing deck. There were a few people there, about standard for the tourist season in Fuuto. Some pop-up stands sold souvenirs, food, drinks. They all stood in the shade, far from the view, allowing tourist pictures to go undisturbed.
Norg leaned on the railings, the wind catching his fur. The breeze was cold and the sun low, but the skies remained the same blank bright blue. Haruna stood a bit away from him, looking out across the city from between the bars. Where was the detective agency from here? She could trace the roads leading to it, but the building was low and hard to make out in the skyline.
"It's a beautiful city, isn't it?" Norg asked but Haruna couldn't think to reply.
"It is," Shoutarou spoke in her place, joining them against the rail, holding tight to his hat. "It's criminal what happens within it."
Norg and Haruna stared at him.
"I mean... It's well protected," Shoutarou desperately tried to correct himself. "It's got Kamen Rider to protect it! He'll make sure to stop any criminals! Him and the police."
Haruna looked between the two but Norg was just silent before nodding and looking back out across the city.
"Heroes are good, maybe if I stick around I could get an autograph from one."
Haruna caught the smile before Shoutarou could hide his face.
The view got boring fast. Maybe not for adults but Haruna had already switched to the painting on the railings and grown bored of that also. She looked around for something else while Norg and Shoutarou stared out across the city.
She tugged on Shoutarou's coat.
"Uncle Shoutarou, can I have 1000 yen? I wanna get something for Norg," Shoutarou winced at the mention of money but gave it to her anyway, holding back his usual sigh. Haruna ran over to the stall and came back with something clutched tightly in her fist.
She tapped Norg on the arm and he finally looked away from the view. She took his hand and placed the souvenir in it.
A tiny Fuuto-kun keychain.
Norg held it up, examining it against the view with a smile.
"I haven't gotten a present in a long time," He took his backpack off to clip it onto the strap and took the opportunity to retrieve a digital camera from inside. He handed the camera to Shoutarou. "Can I get a picture of us? I'm making a scrapbook, I want to have a picture of the friends I made."
Shoutarou called one of the staff over to pass the camera duty on and ran over to pose beside them, one hand on his hat, the other on the railing. Norg knelt down beside Haruna, doing some peace signs and ending up out of place as she copied her uncle.
Norg thanked the member of staff as they handed it back and looked at it smiling.
"Let me see!" Haruna pulled on his shirt and Norg leaned down to let her see the picture. It was the first she'd actually looked at the hat Shoutarou had given her.
White, with a black ribbon.
It looked good on her.