Archive of Our Own

As he made his way down the empty street in order to get back to his lodgings, Asōgi Genshin could feel the winter chill of industrial London biting through his coat and making him shiver. Working for Scotland Yard was a tiring effort already, but the days somehow felt longer during the winter due to having to deal with the bitter cold of Great Britain while on the job, especially since the daylight hours themselves were shorter. Thankfully, his superiors at the Yard had something of a heart, and after a hard day of investigations that day, he’d been allowed to go home just a little bit earlier than usual that day.

As he walked, Genshin’s mind drifted towards thoughts of his home country: Japan. It had now been almost six years since he had left his home for his special exchange program in Great Britain at that point, and while he absolutely loved his work as a detective that he intended to use in order to bring home knowledge for his own country’s police force, Genshin couldn’t help but deeply miss his family every day that he was away. His lovely wife, Sayaka, who always provided him with so much warmth and laughter and helped keep his head on his shoulders whenever his brain seemed to short circuit. And his beloved son, Kazuma, who would be 13 years old at this time. By the time he finally arrived home, he'd probably even be 14.

A part of Genshin had always felt a little bad that he had chosen to go overseas when Kazuma was so young, especially when he looked up to him so very much, and Genshin knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his son. However, both Sayaka and Kazuma had encouraged him to go when the time had come, given how he’d been working towards the trip for almost his whole life, so he was always able to reassure himself with that thought whenever his doubts came knocking in his mind. Even with that in place though, letters from home were always something that helped to brighten his day, and Kazuma always seemed to draft miniature novels whenever he was the one writing.

“Help! Somebody help me!” A voice abruptly snapped Genshin out of his silent thoughts and he was suddenly incredibly alert, the cold not even bothering him anymore as he looked around the now quiet streets. The calls for help had gotten his attention not just because of them being what they were, but because the voice sounded young, as if it was coming from a scared child or pre-teen. And beyond even that, the words were spoken in Japanese, Genshin’s own native tongue. Meaning that even if anyone else had possibly heard the calls, it was unlikely they would understand what was being said.

“Please! Please help me!” The voice echoed again, and Genshin immediately started running in the direction he believed he heard it projecting from. The calls rang out relatively sporadically, and they seemed to be getting weaker with each time they happened, making Genshin unsure if he was going the right way. But his instincts were telling him that he was, and he knew to always trust his gut as a detective.

Genshin suddenly screeched to a halt as he passed by an alleyway, as he could see a shadow within it that looked like a curled up person. Realizing he was blocking the light that would shine into the alleyway, Genshin stepped off to his left in order to get a better look, and he could see that the person in his field of view was indeed a child. A boy who had his knees pulled up to his chest and was looking up at him with soft but fear-filled dark brown eyes. He had spiky black hair and was visibly shivering, likely from a mix of cold and fear, and there was what seemed to be a Daruma doll sitting beside him on the ground. Seeing his fear, Genshin was sure to be careful and slow as he approached, as he didn’t want to accidentally scare him away.

“My boy?” he asked quietly in Japanese, as he knew that he would need to do that given the nature of the calls he had heard, “Was that you shouting just now?”

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Y-You’re Japanese?” he asked in a scratchy voice, though he seemed to still have reservations about Genshin approaching him, since he scooted back ever so slightly.

Genshin nodded, giving the best little smile that he could. “I am. My name is Asōgi Genshin, and I currently work for Scotland Yard," he said, trying to use his best fatherly voice so as to reassure the boy, "I promise that I won’t harm you. What’s your name? Are you lost?”

The boy stared at him quizzically for a moment before he nodded. “M-My name is Naruhodō R-Ryūnosuke,” he said, stammering and shivering simultaneously as he answered, “I…I don’t know anyone here. I don’t have a home. I…I’m lost…I want my mother…”

Genshin paused, his mouth slightly agape. Naruhodō? He knew that surname. It was the surname of one of his best friends from back home, a girl named Manami. But she had disappeared from his life several years ago, after her parents had married her off by force. Theoretically, she should’ve taken her husband’s surname, which would then be passed to any child she might have. But on the other hand, Manami had always possessed a very rebellious spirit, so it wasn’t implausible to him that any child of hers could potentially carry her surname instead. However, before he could think about that line of inquiry any further, Genshin gave himself a little slap on the face in order to snap himself out of his thoughts. Those potential connections weren’t a priority at that moment, as he needed to get this poor boy somewhere safe before he froze to death. And thankfully, he knew a place where he could take him.

Genshin slowly got a bit closer, and Naruhodō looked up at him in a frightened way. But Genshin gave him a gentle smile once again, and it thankfully seemed to enough to convince the young boy that he could trust him, and it allowed for Genshin to pick him up in his arms and hold him against him, with Naruhodō clutching his Daruma doll to his chest like it was something deeply precious to him.

With the boy now in his arms, Genshin could get a better look at him and try to pick up more details about him as he began making his way down the dim streets once more. From the look of him, Naruhodō seemed to be around 12 or 13 years old, though he was unhealthily small and was very cold to the touch, which made Genshin wonder how long he had been on the streets before he had found him. But given that he seemed to already be falling asleep in his arms, it had probably been far too long.

Looking at Naruhodō once again made Genshin think of his own son, Kazuma, and of how horrible and distraught he would feel as a father if his own son was ever in a similar situation. He also had to question how on Earth the young Naruhodō could have ended up on the streets of London all by himself. There was a whole process one would have to go through in order to get on a steamship and sail halfway around the world. Had there been some sort of freak accident? Or had someone cruelly abandoned the poor boy in a foreign country for one reason or another through the use of an overly elaborate plan?

No matter how things had come to pass though, Genshin could see that the results had been more than negative, and he was determined to make sure young Naruhodō would be safe. While a part of him wanted to simply bring the boy back to his own lodgings and call it good, he knew that his job as a detective in a city as crime-ridden as London was was far too demanding and dangerous for him to be able to also care for a child while working at the Yard. Plus, he couldn’t risk the boy getting involved in anything dangerous in relation to said job which could potentially bring him harm. Thankfully, Genshin knew exactly the place he could go as a substitute. He just hoped his good friend wouldn’t be bothered by him dropping by for a sudden late night visit.

Within the warm confines of 221 Baker Street, things were quite peaceful for roommates Sherlock Holmes and Mikotoba Yūjin. The two had spent the entire day solving a case for another new client of Holmes’s, exposing the strangest thief that either of them had ever seen, as he was someone who would hide stolen items within urns that had been pre-broken and then glued back together for easy access. But the issue had finally been wrapped up and everyone’s stolen wares had now been returned to them, so the duo were settled back in their shared flat, with Yūjin documenting down the adventure and Holmes just loafing on the couch, puffing away at his pipe as he seemed to just be waiting for the next possible thing to hit him on the spot.

“So. How does it feel for all to be well and good with another day having been saved, Mikotoba?” Holmes asked as he looked up from his pipe, “I’m sure you’re having great fun documenting all of the details of the endeavor down on that paper there.”

“I feel like that description is a little bit of an exaggeration when it comes to this particular case, but I will admit that it does always feel good to know that a small piece of London is working the way it should be once again,” Yūjin said as he continued to write, “I find it fulfilling to be able to help people like this. Whether I’m working in the medical laboratory or on the streets with you.”

Holmes nodded. “You are so very eloquent, Mikotoba. And I’ve seen how it translates to your transcriptions. That’s why you’re the writer and not me,” he said as a boisterous laugh escaping him. Yūjin couldn't help but laugh a little bit at that comment as well, because although he wasn’t a fan of self-deprecating humor, he just couldn’t help but agree with Holmes when it came to his chicken scratch writing.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that made both of the men jump, and they turned their attention towards the front door only once the silence that followed the noise started becoming awkward for them. “I’ll go ahead and get it,” Yūjin finally said as he stood up from his chair, “Though I don’t know who could possibly be knocking at this time of night. Or why they’d be here of all places.”

“If it’s Scotland Yard, tell them I’m not here!” Holmes exclaimed, leaping over the back of the couch and crouching down behind it in order to hide. Yūjin rolled his eyes with a chuckle, as Holmes actually had no beef with the police at the moment that he currently knew of, though he really hoped there wasn’t going to be some sort of unexpected problem to deal with that he had been uninformed about. However, when Yūjin did finally reach the front door and open it up, he was more than a little surprised by what he actually saw.

Standing on the front step was his good friend and fellow Japanese exchange student, Asōgi Genshin, and he was holding a sleeping or maybe unconscious teenage boy in his arms. The boy looked to be starving and half-frozen, and he was holding a Daruma doll in his arms. Yūjin opened his mouth to say something to his friend, but he was so caught off guard by what he was currently faced with that he just ended up closing it again without saying anything, as he didn’t want to incorrectly assume anything about the situation now before him.

“Yūjin, I…I’m really sorry to be troubling you at this late hour,” Genshin said apologetically, finally breaking the silence between them, “But I really had nowhere else that I could think of to go. Please, may I come in?”

“Oh goodness! Of course! Please!” Yūjin stammered, hurriedly stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter, “Please, tell me everything about this.”

Genshin walked inside, holding the young boy in his arms quite protectively and seeming stressed. Holmes stood up from behind his hiding place when he heard Yūjin speak, and when he caught sight of the boy in Genshin’s arms, his face immediately turned serious. “Lay him here,” he instructed, gesturing to the couch in front of him, “Spare blankets are in my bedroom, Mikotoba. I’ll see if I have anything I can warm up.”

“Thank you, Holmes,” Yūjin said appreciatively, though he was a little surprised at just how quickly his partner had sprung into action. Holmes merely nodded in response before he disappeared into the kitchen, while Yūjin went into the bedroom to find the blankets as he was told. When he came back and laid one over the now resting boy, he seemed to unconsciously snuggle into it, and both Yūjin and Genshin let out something of a sigh of relief at the sight. Now things seemed to be at least a little bit better, and the one-eyed Daruma doll was staring at them from the makeshift table in front of them.

“Okay. Now that we have that all settled,” Yūjin said in a bit of an exasperated tone as he turned to his friend, “Tell me everything, Genshin. Who is this boy? How did you come across him?”

Genshin sighed. “I found him this evening while I was walking back to my flat,” he explained, “I found him after I heard him calling for help…in Japanese.”

“In Japanese?” Yūjin questioned in surprise, “Was he alone? If so, how did he end up here in London? Did you get his name?”

“He was alone. But I didn’t ask him how he ended up here yet because I was too concerned about his physical condition. And considering he ended up asleep so shortly after I found him, something tells me I arrived only just in time,” Genshin said as he shook his head, “As for his name…Naruhodō Ryūnosuke.”

Yūjin stared at Genshin as if he had suddenly grown a second head. “Naruhodō? You’re certain of that?” he asked.

“You thought of it too, didn’t you?” Genshin asked, his eyes narrow with worry, “About what that could possibly mean in terms of his background?”

“Yes…Manami…” Yūjin said with a nod, “I know she was married and she had a brother who could also carry the name, which is much more likely, but I…I just can’t dismiss the possibility from my mind, even if it is nothing more than a fool’s hope. But if that is true, then how could this boy have…?"

“I don't know. Believe me, I have the same questions as you,” Genshin admitted somewhat embarrassedly, “I’m sure we can evaluate the potential truth of that once he’s a bit more recovered and we can ask him some questions. I just wanted to get him off the streets first.”

“Yes, of course. Naturally,” Yūjin agreed, and he then knelt down to check on Naruhodō from a medical standpoint. The boy was still quite cold to the touch, and feeling his chest and abdominal areas told an unfortunate story of a lack of nutrition, as his ribs were easily felt. But aside from those two things, he seemed relatively okay. He at least wasn’t sick, so he could probably physically recover just fine as long as he was properly cared for. However, that said very little about how or if he would recover emotionally. Though it wasn’t his specialty, he could tell just from what he was seeing that there wasn’t any way the poor boy wasn’t traumatized from the experiences he had gone through.

Suddenly, Naruhodō started stirring, and Yūjin hurriedly scooted back so that the boy wouldn’t wake up in close proximity to the face of a stranger. After a moment, Naruhodō opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he seemed uncomfortable with the sudden light all around him, and then he turned his head to look at Genshin and Yūjin, who were watching him anxiously. “Genshin-sama?” he asked timidly as he sat up, pulling the blanket up to his chin as if it would protect him, “What is this place? Who’s that?”

He was pointing at Yūjin as he spoke, and it was clear that he was still quite scared due to the location being unfamiliar to him. Genshin stepped forward, gesturing for his friend to follow him. “This is my good friend, Mikotoba Yūjin. And this is his house,” he explained to the boy, “He’s also a doctor, so he can help you recover as you need to.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Naruhodō-kun,” Yūjin said in his typical calm voice, “I was informed of your name and your situation by Genshin.”

“Oh. O-Okay then…” Naruhodō said, and his body seemed to lose some of its tension as he shifted his position so that he was sitting more comfortably. Yūjin gestured to the next couch over for him and Genshin to sit down upon, and they could see that Naruhodō was almost analyzing them as they sat down.

Once the two of them were settled, Genshin was the one to break the silence and speak. “Now then. Since we’ve come to rest now, I was wondering if you could perhaps tell us a little about yourself, Naruhodō-kun,” he said to the young boy, “How did you end up here in London by yourself? Could you perhaps explained what happened that led to your arrival here?”

Both Genshin and Yūjin had a feeling that these questions were likely going to be somewhat difficult for Naruhodō to answer, especially considering where he had ended up and how he had been found. But they felt it was very important for them to know those details so they could best figure out how to help him, especially considering how he was in a foreign country alone. Meanwhile, Naruhodō was quiet for a moment as he stared at the two men before him, as if he was debating if whether or not he could trust them with the answers to their questions. But finally, he took a deep breath and started talking.

“M-My mother, she…It started when she died a few months ago, and I was supposed to go live with other relatives on her side of the family. But my Aunt Yuina…She didn’t want me, and she told me she was sending me away…” Naruhodō explained, clutching the blanket around himself tightly, “I-I didn’t know what she was planning or what would happen to me when she said that, but then one day, we got off a train at the port and she told me to go on a big boat by myself with some papers that she gave me. I-I couldn’t argue with her, so I did what she said, and then the next thing I knew, it was leaving Japan. I only got off because I was told by a lady that it was where my ticket said to go. And I followed a big crowd of people here by going on a train and getting off here in this city.”

Genshin and Yūjin’s mouths were agape in shock as they listened, but they quickly straightened themselves out so as to not potentially scare Naruhodō with their reactions. “Is that Daruma doll the only thing you brought with you?” Yūjin asked gently, “And are you perhaps aware of the English language?”

Naruhodō nodded as he pointed to the doll. “That’s the only thing I had that was mine. Other than the papers Aunt Yuina gave me,” he explained, “As for English…I know it’s the language of this country because Mother told me about that. But I don’t really know how to say any words in it. I know I heard it while on the boat and I could maybe repeat what words I can remember, but I don’t really know what any of it means.”

“That’s understandable. Foreign languages take some time to be understood, which is why they’re often taught from young ages,” Genshin said calmly, folding his arms as he thought about everything he had heard from Naruhodō so far, “So how long have you been here in London?”

“I...I think it’s been three days?” Naruhodō said, but he didn’t sound very sure, “I didn’t have anywhere to go because I don’t know anybody here, so I didn’t have any food either. I…I just…I just want to go home…I want my mother back…I…”

Unable to say anything else, Naruhodō’s head dropped and he started to cry while Yūjin and Genshin looked at each other distraughtly. The idea that someone would send a child off to a foreign country all by themselves with no one to take them in and not teaching them any grasp of the language necessary for survival is said country was horrific to them, especially since it was done by someone who was supposed to be his family. They both had their own children back home, but they had both made sure that someone was watching over and taking care of them before they left in order to make sure they were safe while they were away in London. But Naruhodō hadn’t received this sort of care, and it was more than likely that he would’ve died if Genshin hadn’t found him when he had. And that thought alone was something that made the two men incredibly sad.

Genshin then stood up from where he was sitting beside Yūjin and moved to sit beside Naruhodō where he was instead, putting his arm around him and pulling him in close, hoping that it would be able to comfort him in some way. “Ryūnosuke-kun…” Genshin then said quietly, knowing that he was about to ask something very selfish, “Would you perhaps be willing to tell me your mother’s name? It sounds like you loved her very much, and Yūjin and I may be able to put something together for her memory even while you’re here.”

Yūjin gave Genshin something of a disapproving look when he finished talking, but he couldn’t hold it for very long when Genshin looked back at him with a knowing look, as he knew that he shared the exact same curiosity. It was just that Genshin was braver than Yūjin himself was, and he could ask the questions that Yūjin feared wouldn’t be socially polite to inquire into.

Naruhodō wiped his eyes as best as he could, but his voice still only came out as a whimper. “My mother…” he sniffed, “Her name was Naruhodō Manami…S-She…She always loved me…I miss her so much…I wish she would wake me up and tell me that this is all just a nightmare, but...I know she won't...”

Genshin’s heart sank as he heard this, and he turned to look at Yūjin, who had his hand pressed to his mouth and looked like he was about to cry as well. Neither of them had seen Manami, their dear friend, in over a decade, and all of their efforts to find her had never come to fruition. They had assumed she was gone forever, and that was now confirmed in a much worse way than they wanted. And by her own son no less, who had been cruelly abandoned after her death. However, the revelation made both men feel even more determined to help young Naruhodō, both because it was the right thing to do and because they thought that maybe they would have a chance to do right by their old friend, even if she herself wasn’t around anymore.

Holmes then finally returned to the room as the other two men were silently contemplating things, holding a bowl of heated broth in his hands. Naruhodō seemed a bit alarmed at the sight of this new person as he got close, but a reassuring nod from Genshin was able to calm him down again. “Attakai,” Holmes said calmly. His Japanese was quite rusty since he didn’t speak very much of it, but he was trying his best, and his effort was at least enough to convince Naruhodō to trust him. He reached out and accepted the bowl Holmes was offering him into his own hands, and then he brought it up to his lips, taking the tiniest of sips. His eyes then widened and he started drinking the broth within a lot faster, with it being the first sort of nourishment he’d had in days.

“Easy there, Naruhodō-kun. Don’t drink so fast that you accidentally choke,” Yūjin said, his doctor voice unconsciously coming to the surface as he said it. But the look of delight on the young boy’s face was enough to lift everyone’s spirits just a little bit, as it was the first time they had seen him smile since they had met him, which was incredibly welcome after everything they had just heard in regards to where he had come from.

Naruhodō finished the bowl of broth quickly, and then he smiled at Holmes. “Arigatōgozaimashita,” he said, his voice sounding much more perked up. Since he could understand that phrase, Holmes simply nodded in response before he took the bowl back from him, but he didn’t walk out of the room just yet.

Genshin then stood up from the couch, and the three grown men gathered in a huddle of sorts to talk. Genshin and Yūjin felt a little bit bad that Naruhodō wouldn’t understand their English while they were discussing him, but they knew they could always relay their messages to him again once they were done talking. “I hate to impose this on you, but can I ask if Ryūnosuke-kun may be allowed to stay here with the two of you?” Genshin asked with a deep sigh, “I can’t risk him staying with me because of the danger of my job, but I want him to be safe. Especially while I figure out if there’s a way we could possibly bring him back to Japan with us.”

“You already know my answer, Genshin,” Yūjin said with a nod, but then he turned his gaze to his partner, “But what are your thoughts, Holmes? This is really your house, after all. I don’t want to assume too much.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Holmes said, his voice being uncharacteristically serious and his expression stone-faced, “The streets of London can be cruel to the children who fall into the dark claws of misfortune for any reasons, and given this boy’s racial status as a Japanese, he’d undeniably be an outcast even from other orphans if he was anywhere else in the city. I will not allow that to happen since I have the power to prevent it. The boy will be safe here. I assure you.”

“Thank you both so much,” Genshin said, bowing his head graciously, “I’ll help you with whatever you may need in terms of money or supplies for him because of the suddenness of all of this. Just let me know if the need for that arises at any point. I know this wasn’t something any of us were really even thinking about preparing for."

“We can worry about that as time moves along,” Yūjin said thoughtfully, “For now, we’ll just worry about starting to adjust to these new circumstances. And we should let Naruhodō-kun know of them as well.”

Holmes and Genshin nodded in agreement, and all three of them turned their attention back to Naruhodō, who was watching them curiously as if he was trying to listen to their English. “Ryūnosuke-kun. You’re going to stay here with Yūjin and Holmes, alright?” Genshin said as he knelt down to his level, “As much as I'd like to, I can’t take you in myself because my job is too dangerous and time-consuming. But I promise I’ll come and visit you here when I can.”

Naruhodō nodded slightly. “O-Okay…” he said, though he sounded nervous, “But…It’s not too much trouble for me to stay here, right? I-I don’t want to be a burden on anyone…”

“Fear not, Naruhodō-kun. Everything’s been discussed among us, so it’s perfectly alright,” Yūjin said, a friendly smile appearing on his face, “Holmes and I will take good care of you, and we’ll also teach you English in order to help you while you’re here in London.”

“Really?” Naruhodō asked, his eyes seeming to brighten.

“Really,” Genshin said as he smiled at him, “We’ll make sure you’re okay from now on. Whether you’re here or in Japan, and through whatever comes to pass. We promise.”

A smile bloomed on Naruhodō’s face as he heard this, and it was enough to warm everyone’s hearts once again, seeing the child finally have a sparkle of hope in his eyes. Naruhodō then threw himself at Genshin, hugging him tightly, muttering something that sounded like “thank you” over and over again. He seemed to be on the verge of crying again, though this time because of joy and gratitude rather than sadness and despair. Genshin returned the boy’s embrace, hoping it would offer more reassurance that he intended to keep his promis. Holmes and Yūjin then exchanged a smile as they watched, and something inside them was telling them that they were going to be on a new sort of adventure from this point forward, and this was merely the beginning of it.