Chapter Text
“ So, could you come here?"
“ Your request is too sudden! Do you understand how busy I am right now?” Naoto raised his voice. His co-workers stared at him, rather surprised.
“ But it's very urgent.”
“ Why don't you hire someone from there? Wouldn't it be easier?”
“ After what happened, I don't trust anyone here. I only trust you. Please, I really need your help. At this point, I'm very desperate.”
“ Are you serious? You know this is not an easy job, right?”
“ Don't worry about it. I'll sponsor everything. From your flights to your accommodation. Don’t worry about the money, just help me!”
Naoto paused for a moment, leaning back in his chair. He still had a few jobs left to do. “ I guess I can go there next week. I can't promise you anything though.”
“ Oh, that would be great. Thank you so much, I really owned you.”
Naoto stretched his arms, picking up his half-empty mug of coffee. He sipped the warm liquid, thinking hard about what he just said. It's rare for him to accept jobs, even private requests such as this one. It was a selfish one indeed but he couldn't turn it down since that person already helped him a lot in the past. He would feel bad if he chose not to do it.
“ Urgh, why does it have to be a foreign country…” Naoto mumbled.
It was a rare case, maybe a first for Naoto since his recent debut as a detective. Very, very expensive and rare paintings were stolen in the span of two weeks. The security cameras couldn't catch the culprits since they found a way to hack the system, shutting down all alarms and footage from inside the gallery. It's very odd. Do people still do this in this era? Who was the culprit, and even so, what was their motive? To sell it? To keep it as a trophy? He didn’t know.
The more that he thought about it, the more curious he is with the case. He quickly shook his head. The task at hand is still not done and he's already taking interest in the new case.
“ I should focus on what's on hand,” Naoto said. He finished his third cup of coffee and continued working in front of his computer. His co-workers, curious at how he’s lost composure for a second came to his table as they were worried about him.
“ Tachibana- senpai, are you alright? Is the case too hard for you to handle? It’s been two weeks since you worked on it non-stop.”
“ Yeah, you should take a break. Drinking that amount of coffee is not good for you either.”
“ With the new client’s request, there’s no way I can take a break right now. Besides, I’m close to solving the case.”
“ Eh…. Already? As expected from a genius like you.”
“ There were very helpful witnesses. I am indebted to them.”
“ Then, Tachibana- senpai. Leave the rest for us!”
“ Yeah- Wait, what?! Don’t try and steal another man’s hard work!”
“ No, it’s not like that. I just want to help you out, that’s all. I really look up to senpai. I am just worried about senpai’s well being!”
“ It’s alright. I appreciate the offer but I would rather not trouble you two. You have done so much for me already.”
“ C’mon, Naoto. We’re your team. We can’t leave all the work for you to do. We’ll help you.”
“ Thank you, I would love that.”
By the end of the week, Naoto and his team managed to capture the culprit. It was a young woman who reported that she had been followed by an anonymous for the past three months. At first, she didn’t even notice the stalker but soon after, they started leaving traces of themselves like blood and body fluids near her doorstep. Soon, things in her room started disappearing. She couldn’t handle enough of it so she contacted them immediately. Naoto started investigating the security cameras and asked the neighbors if they saw anyone suspicious standing in front of her house at odd hours.
Thankfully, the culprit was a sloppy one so he made many mistakes trying to keep themselves hidden. Naoto and his team decided to trap them on one of their attempts. He managed to corner the culprit, resulting in them falling from the first floor and twisted their ankle as a pile of garbage broke their fall. Unable to run, they were caught and brought to the police station.
After the case was settled, Naoto told his team about the personal request he’s gotten.
“ So, it’s an art theft huh?”
“ Well, I haven’t received any details about it yet. I bet this is more than just a mere art theft.”
“ Then, we’ll follow along.”
“ You don’t have to. The client requested for me personally. They said they couldn’t trust anyone there. Not even the local investigators or the police.”
“ Why?”
“ Well, I don’t know for sure but I guess it’s probably related to them.”
“ But senpai-”
“ And it’s a foreign country. I don’t wish for any of you to be harmed during the investigation.”
“ All the more reasons we should follow you! Tachibana- senpai, you’re risking your own life here! We’re coming along.”
“ It’s my job to protect the civilians. I can’t bear losing the people that are close to me.” Naoto said seriously. “ Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“ At least tell us where you are going.”
“ Well….”
Naoto’s phone buzzed. It was a call from his new client.
“ Hey, whats-”
“ They stole another painting. I don’t know what I should do from now on. If this goes on every week, it would be bad for the artist and me. I-”
“ Calm down, please explain further about what had happened.”
“ I closed the gallery temporarily, updated the security system and they still manage to hack inside and steal one of the paintings. There’s something odd about it now that I’ve realized it.”
“ Odd as in?”
“ The first painting was stolen on a Friday, so is the second and third one which is today.”
“ So, they would only steal the paintings once a week? Fridays?”
“ Not only that, but they also didn’t steal the paintings based on their values. I noticed that they only took certain paintings, all from one artist. ”
“ Are you sure?”
“ Very. They chose the paintings from the artist Anonymous.”
“ Anonymous?”
“ They are one of the artists that do exhibitions in my gallery.”
“ Any more information about this artist?”
“ It’s hard to talk over the phone like this. When are you coming here? I actually need to leave for my business trip in a few days.”
“ Then, how will I get my information if you’re gone? If you want me to help, stop making things complicated for me.”
“ I know, I know but there is a person who can help you with that.”
“ You said you didn’t trust anyone.”
“ Well, they’re different. Ah, I need to go. I already took care of everything. I will be expecting you here on a Sunday.”
“ You’re telling me my flight is tomorrow?”
“ Um...”
“ Nevermind. I can manage.”
“ Thank you so much! I promise I won’t trouble you anymore.”
Naoto sighed, which brought the two teammates of him to feel surprised. He rarely shows any signs of tiredness in front of them. Those were very rare.
“ Tachibana- senpai, are you alright?”
“ I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.”
“ You can go home and rest for today. Don’t worry about paperwork, we’ll get it settled. Take care on your trip.”
“ Thank you, you two. I promise I’ll be back soon.”
Naoto went over his list, making sure that he doesn’t forget anything important. Clothes, toiletries, passport, his laptop, and a couple of other things he thought might be useful. He looked at the time, zipped his luggage, and placed his laptop bag next to it. He went straight to bed after double-checking his belongings. “ I still have a little more time tomorrow. I guess I can do a little bit of investigation.”
*
Naoto waited at the airport, scribbling some of the information in his notebook. Apparently, some people consider Fridays as a day of bad luck. Is the thief trying to confuse them? Was it a message or purely coincidental? He also received photos of the stolen paintings. The paintings were really alluring like it would mesmerize anyone that has seen it. For a person who doesn’t really know much about art, he doubted that the paintings were ordinary. He’s heard that the anonymous artist wouldn’t sell their paintings just to anybody, which might be the source of why it’s admired by some jealous rich collector who’s eager to get it.
“ Why an art gallery? Is it because their security isn’t as tight? It would be more fruitful if they would’ve stolen something like old artifacts or art from very famous painters. I get that the paintings were captivating but an anonymous artist?”
Naoto began looking up information on anonymous artists and there’s surprisingly a lot of them. From street art to sculptures, he’s found a lot of them. “ Ah, I found them.”
Many called them Anonymous because of their signature ‘A’ sign that could be found hidden everywhere in their paintings. There was not much information about them as they are fairly new to the art scene but they have managed to capture the curiosity of art collectors and art lovers around the world with their bewitching art. Their art could be found only in certain art galleries, especially the one from his client. They even held a very private exhibition once that is limited only to thirty lucky people.
“ It was the best night of my life.”
“ Entranced by everything.”
“ The lucky thirty people were very fortunate.”
“ Ah, I want to own them all.”
The last comment intrigued him. He wrote down something in his notebook before closing it.
Naoto boarded his flight, preparing himself for the almost thirteen-hour journey to a country he never once visited before. “ I better get some rest.”
*
Naoto arrived at the airport after the long flight. He couldn't sleep well, constantly thinking of how he is going to capture the crooks. He looked for someone but he couldn’t find them. He pulled out his phone, ready to give him a call.
“ Hey, Naoto.”
He turned around, looking behind his back. “ Oh, it’s you.”
“ It’s been a while. You grew a little taller since the last time we met.” The tall man said, pulling down his mask.
“ J, I’m older than you.”
“ Relax, I thought I could see you for a bit before I board my flight.”
“ Your business is….”
“ Back in my homeland. I’m leaving you with this person. Ash, this is Naoto Tachibana. He’s a close friend of mine. Naoto, this is Ash.”
“ Hello.” A younger one popped up from behind him. Naoto looked at the teen who was trying to avoid his gaze.
“ Isn’t he too young to take care of me?” Naoto asked.
“ They are more mature than you think, Naoto. This person is my very reliable part-timer and apprentice. They will take care of you for the rest of your trip.”
“ Master, your flight.”
“ Ah, you’re right.” The man said. “ Well, they will tell you the rest of the information that you need. Ash, take care of him while I’m gone. Don’t give him a hard time, alright?”
“ Return soon, Master,” Ash said.
“ Don’t worry. I’ll be back in two weeks. Well then, I shall be off. I trust you two.” The man said, ruffling Ash’s hair and kissing them softly on their forehead. “ Naoto. Please, protect Ash for me. Protect the paintings. I beg you. My worry won’t go away unless this is over. Promise me that.”
“ Ah, they have that kind of relationship? Aren't they too young to be with an adult like J?” Naoto thought.
“ Don’t worry, I promise.”
“ Mr. Naoto Tachibana, you must be tired. I’ll call for a cab.”
“ Just Naoto is fine. That would be great. If I’m not mistaken, you’re Ash?”
“ Ah, yes.” The younger one blushed a little. “ Master talks about you all the time. He thinks that you are really cool. I.... also think the same.”
“ Why do you call him master?”
“ Oh, um, I don’t know, really. It’s been so long since I’ve called him that. I guess I just got used to it.”
“ Oh.”
The cab ride was silent and awkward. They stopped talking right after Naoto asked about J. He felt like he shouldn't have asked such a weird question. Maybe it was his nature wanting to investigate everything.
“ Actually, he has brought me up since I was little. Because we used to play a lot, I got used to calling him that. He didn’t mind so the name stuck.” Ash said, playing with their fingers.
“ I see. I’m sorry if the question was quite offensive.”
“ No, it’s alright. It’s better if you confront me rather than keep it to yourself. You must be disturbed by it. Me and him don’t have that sort of relationship. He’s like a brother to me already. I don’t have those feelings for him. Master worries a lot about my well-being, especially when he knows there are thieves around. ”
“ Sorry. I’ve made some silly assumptions about you. It was just a doubt.”
“ It’s alright, I understand.”
The cab arrived in front of a cream-colored building. They got out of the cab and took out Naoto’s luggage. “ This is his house. Right across the street, there is the art gallery.”
“ Do you mind if we go and check it out for a bit?”
“ Are you sure? Aren’t you a little jetlagged?” Ash said worriedly.
“ I just wanted a quick look.” Naoto smiled.
Ash led him to the art gallery. They went through a small tunnel and were soon greeted by a garden. The dimly lit scenery was beautiful. Ash pushed in the passcode and opened the door. They opened the lights which slowly lit the corners one by one.
“ Downstairs we have sculptures and all the paintings are upstairs. You can only reach the first floor by taking the stairs.”
“ What about your security cameras?” Naoto asked.
“ There’s a room behind the front desk which leads to all the footage in the building.”
“ How many cameras do you have?”
“ Well, since it’s not a big building we only own three cameras downstairs and three upstairs.”
“ I guess that’s sufficient but with the wrong placements you can end up having a couple of blind spots. I’ll check on the cameras in the morning. ”
“ Is there anything else you wanted to know?”
“ Do you allow some form of photography? From what I searched, there are many articles about artist Anonymous but there are very few of their paintings posted online. It seems like they are very strict about their privacy. ”
Ash thinks for a minute, biting their lower lip, eyes wandering around for answers. “ Well, Anonymous is a very odd artist. Due to the news of their colleague’s painting being stolen and duplicated, they are more careful in selecting the paintings they want to exhibit. Only very certain people are invited to see their full collection like art curators and possible buyers.” Ash paused for a while. “ And yes, Anonymous would only allow photos of their art taken after the exhibition night. It’s just, some pieces might not be available.”
“ Why?”
“ I don’t know for sure. I guess they really wanted to treasure some of the artwork.”
“ Have you met the artist?”
“ I guess.” Ash looked at Naoto, even in the dark, they could see right through him. “Mr. Naoto, we should head back. You looked really tired.”
Naoto looked at the younger one. “ Ah, does it really show?”
“ No, not really but I can tell it from your eyes.”
“ Don’t worry about me. I’m alright.” Naoto reassured them.
Ash locked up and set the security system on. They left and walked to the house across the street.
“ Come in,” Ash said. “ This is the master's house. He told me to stay with you until his business trip is over.” Ash said as they heated tonight’s dinner for Naoto. When they headed to the dinner table, Naoto was already asleep on the couch.
“ I guess I’ll put this in the fridge.”
Naoto woke up at five a.m in cold sweat. He slicked his hair back, looking around in the dark. He forgot that he was at J’s house. His coat was gone and his tie sprawled on the table. There was also a thick blanket covering him.
“ I can’t sleep.”
Naoto wondered where his luggage was. It was a good thing that Ash left his laptop bag beside him. He pulled out his laptop from his bag and his notebook and pen. From the information that he’s gathered, two of the paintings that were stolen were only limited for the guests of the exhibition.
“ I need that list.”
*
The sun was up and Naoto was hanging around the kitchen, trying to find coffee. He needs his fuel after ditching sleep. He placed his notebook on the table, wanting to go over the details that he’s gotten. He opened one cabinet after another but he couldn’t find the coffee.
“ Mr. Naoto? What are you doing?” Ash said, standing all dressed up, putting down his bag on the table.
“ I was trying to make some coffee. Where are you going?”
“ Um, school?”
“ Oh, I forgot.”
“ Don’t worry. I’ll prepare breakfast and lunch for you and I’ll be back before dinner.” Ash said, taking out a few eggs and sausages from the fridge. “ Scrambled or sunny side up?”
“ Oh, um, scrambled please,” Naoto said, taking a seat. He watched as Ash swiftly moved his hands, handling the coffee machine. When done, he handed Naoto a hot mug. “ Here’s your coffee.” He said as he continued making breakfast. He gave Naoto a plate and took a seat in front of him.
Ash looked at Naoto who was staring at his plate. “ I’m very sorry, you would’ve preferred rice over this right?”
“ No, not really. It’s that I rarely eat breakfast anyways so coffee is already sufficient. Thank you, Ash.”
“ Oh, uh, you’re welcome.”
“ It’s nice to eat breakfast with someone,” Naoto said. “ Also, Ash. If it’s not too much to ask, can you give me the list of the people who came over to the exhibition?”
“ I think I have it in my file,” Ash said, rummaging his bag. “ Here.”
“ You kept it with you?”
“ Always. Master told me I should keep a close watch on it.”
“ Thanks, you’re a big help.”
Ash looked at Naoto as he sipped the hot coffee. He tried to read him and it seems like Naoto was genuinely happy to have breakfast with him. They both enjoyed their breakfast quietly. Ash glanced at Naoto a couple more times, realizing how handsome he was. J did talk about him a lot but seeing him in real life was much better than listening to stories.
“I-” Ash was cut off by the knock on the door.
“ You eat, I’ll get the door,” Naoto said.
“ Hello! Um…. W-who are you?” Two younger teens were standing in front of him, slightly intimidated by him.
“ Oh, I’m a guest here. Who would you want to see?” Naoto smiled.
“ Ah, we’re here to see Ash. We’re walking to school together. Is he inside?”
“ I’m here, I’m here. Don’t be afraid, he’s friends with J. He came to visit the country while J is away.”
“ Where is J?”
“ Dunno. Wait here, I’ll go get my bag.”
Ash went to get his bag. Naoto stood by the door, overhearing the conversation of Ash’s friends.
“ Do you think he’s a little gloomy lately?”
“ Because J is away?”
“ Not really. He’s been a little gloomy since a couple of weeks ago. Something must’ve happened.”
“ What are you talking about?” Ash popped out from behind the door.
“ No-nothing! We’re planning to go to the cafe after school. Are you joining?”
“ I can’t. I have things to do. Let’s go.” Ash said. He turned around quickly to Naoto. “ I’ll be back soon.”
“ Have fun at school.” Naoto closed the door and stretched his arms and went back to the table. He saw his notebook was opened and a small yellow sticky note was stuck between the pages.
“ Ash…”