Chapter Text
He couldn’t believe he was there.
The very next day, he was back in front of that house. He had to think very carefully about the path he should follow to make it to his desired destination since he had mindlessly strolled to Edogawa’s home last time.
It was a terrible idea, and he wasn’t the only one who thought the same.
“A stranger and candies, doesn’t that sound familiar to you?” Michizou asked when Junichirou told him about his experience the previous afternoon.
They were having lunch in the rooftop, hiding from Jouno and Tetcho, and leaving Lucy with Atsushi. They loved their friends-- Junichirou loved his friends, and Michizou appreciated his teammates, but sometimes they wanted to be alone. Alone together, of course.
“He looked like a kid,” Junichirou defended himself.
So did Teruko-senpai, and not only was she scary, she was dangerous. It wasn’t his appearance that made Junichirou not mistrust Edogawa. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t think Edogawa was a bad person.
“I don’t care, that was dangerous.”
True, but had he died?
There was no point in questioning what happened, and Junichirou would retrieve that tray, no matter how suspicious the whole situation was.
Michizou didn’t know that. The ginger made Junichirou promise he wouldn’t go there, and much less alone.
Junichirou pushed the metal door open and walked through the rock path to Edogawa’s front door. He was nervous, and the creaking door didn’t do anything to appease his mind.
If Junichirou didn’t go to school the next day, at least Atsushi would know what to tell the police once Naomi insisted on filing a missing person report. Of course, he wouldn’t go down without a fight, and he would not let anyone take him to a second location, if anyone tried anything like that, the only second location he’d reach would be death.
He was letting his head go to dark places, Edogawa was not like that. They had met once before, but Junichirou would feel that he was not the kind of person who killed others, or was involved in illicit businesses.
The door opened. “If you’re here, then knock on the door,” Edogawa said.
Junichirou’s soul almost left this body. That had been the closest he had been to death, but nothing in his facial expression of his body showed it.
The redhead nodded and walked in when Edogawa left free space for him to pass.
Wait, no.
He stood unmovable in the entrance; nothing would make him go further in. Junichirou had already messed up the second he stepped inside the house, and he had to make sure Edogawa didn’t lock the door with anything that he wouldn’t be able to unlock.
“What are you waiting for? Get in!”
Junichirou removed his shoes and followed Edogawa to the kitchen.
Was he an idiot?
If he got murdered, it’d be all on him, Edogawa shouldn’t get arrested, he was the fool who got himself killed; he might as well put Edogawa’s knife against his throat and trip.
The man gestured at the stools of the kitchen island, and Junichirou obediently sat down. Maybe he had a secret death wish.
His head told him to escape, to not do what so many had done to meet death, but his heart refused to believe Edogawa would hurt him in any way. Why?
Edogawa sat in front of him, on top of the kitchen island. He had a lollipop on his hand, and he was staring at Junichirou. Eyes as emeralds, Junichirou got lost in their gleam.
“You need a job, work for me then.”
“Sure,” he mindlessly said.
Wait, no.
“Excellent!” Edogawa took the lollipop to his mouth. “You start tomorrow after school.”
“But I have club activities.”
He didn’t say he didn’t want whatever job Edogawa was offering; Junichirou didn’t say it felt unsettling to go to a stranger’s house after school for a job he knew nothing about, his head could only make his mouth muster an excuse.
“You don’t want to go anymore.”
And it wasn’t even a good excuse, apparently. Junichirou had considered not going any more in favor of working, but how did Edogawa know that?
The young man clapped his hands, making Junichirou focus on him. “I’d tell you more, but your friend might barge in if I did, so go to him, and I’ll let you know about your new job tomorrow,” he jumped off the counter. “See yourself out; the tray is in the entrance.”
“Alright,” Junichirou stood up and went to the entrance, where the tray waited for him, clean. He picked it up and looked at the interior of the house. “Thank you, Edogawa-san!”
“Get outta here!” He didn’t sound mad, maybe a little bit annoyed, but not mad.
Junichirou smiled; he rather liked Edogawa Ranpo.
The redhead walked out and didn’t think of anything until he got to the street, and he heard someone shout his name.
Edogawa said his friend might barge in, and Junichirou wondered how did he know. As his friend ran towards him, he looked at the house’s facade. On the fence, there was a sign.
Edogawa Ranpo
Detective
And there was a phone number. Professional, minimalistic, elegant, a black plate with silver lettering, with bright green details that reminded Junichirou of Edogawa’s eyes.
Junichirou said he wouldn’t be like his father, but faith had other plans. The job he somehow got was with a detective, despite Junichirou not wanting to do anything with that profession. The world was trying to tell him something, and he refused to listen.
“You bastard!”
The redhead turned to his heaving friend. Atsushi was a snitch, but he wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t fear for Juncihirou’s safety. He had good friends, but their worry was unnecessary.
He was not sorry for what he did. Curiosity killed the cat, and he didn’t think death was a high price to satisfy his mind. Edogawa Ranpo, a detective, was a mystery on his own, and Junichirou hated that the promise of an enigma excited him. Behind the thrill of the investigation, was the pursuit of the truth.
There was more to Edogawa, and there was a reason why he wanted Junichirou to work for him. There were no coincidences in the world, everything would fall together like puzzle pieces, and Junichirou wanted to be there when the picture got revealed.
The world was telling him he could not run from what his father wanted for him, but it gave him Edogawa almost three years before his father tried to meddle with his future. He could take advantage of it and be what he was meant to be, just not how he was supposed to do it.
When Michizou regained his breath, his eyes locked on the sign. There were no words from him. Instead, the ginger trapped Junichirou in a tight hug.
When Michizou let go, he held Junichirou’s arms, patting from his shoulders to his wrists. “All good?”
All great, and everything would be okay; Junichirou smiled. “I got a job.”