Work Text:
Sparkles.
That was the term Ishikawa-kun had used to describe the fragments of inspiration he saw around himself.
Was it the correct term to describe such a phenomenon? Kyousuke supposed only Ishikawa-kun would know.
As a linguist, Kyousuke quickly became captivated by his friend's way with words. Ishikawa-kun’s tankas, which were often recited on the spot, seemed to flow freely from his lips. Each consonant and stanza had woven together to leave Kyousuke breathless with fascination.
For someone with such small stature, Ishikawa-kun’s poetry carried tremendous weight. Kyousuke’s emotions felt tethered to the string of syllables his friend spoke - moved in a way that left him no choice but to visualize the imagery Ishikawa-kun brought to life.
Bliss...Sorrow...Trepidation...Placidity…
So many emotions had churned within his friend those past few months.
A breeze blew by, sending a shower of pastel petals fluttering through the air. Kyousuke lifted his hand and reached up, absently trying to catch one in his grasp as the two had done in their younger days. However, when he brought his hand down and opened it to check, he was met with an empty palm.
Had Ishikawa-kun’s sparkles been like the petals falling around him?
Hovering in the air, waiting to be caught by the right person?
“Maybe...” Kyousuke murmured as his hand dropped to his side, his gray hues moving up to gaze at the blue sky above him.
Ishikawa-kun was able to see so much more than the average person. He had a way of interpreting situations based on their tone - tenderly caressing a tranquil moment in time, or directly dissecting a harsh one until it was stripped down and left emotionally raw.
Ishikawa-kun understood the world in a way that was different from those around him, and because of that, his intentions were often misread.
Perhaps that was why Kyousuke agreed to become his assistant at the detective’s office in the first place - to witness Ishikawa-kun, not as a friend or someone who needed help, but as the unabashed genius he was.
Even if Ishikawa-kun hadn't reached conclusions in the usual way, he had given it his all to solve each and every case he took on.
Kyousuke respected him for that.
He respected Ishikawa-kun for making decisions not only for himself but for others, too. And that was what the rest of the world neglected to see.
When people looked at Ishikawa-kun, most saw a selfish, broken poet who avoided his work and wasted money on frivolous goods.
Kyousuke knew better, though. And after spending time with him working case after case, he had confirmed what he had believed all along.
Ishikawa-kun was a troublemaker who couldn't afford his own rent, that was true. However, beneath that self-centered façade of his was an overly empathetic and sentimental heart.
Even if he was gone, Kyousuke would do everything in his power to show the world the Ishikawa-kun he knew and believed in.
A misunderstood genius who turned everyday sparkles into everlasting poetry.