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It was after school. Jun had finished a meeting with the dance club; they had a new choreography for an upcoming competition and had taken time to begin practice and the teen was beat. Regardless, he wanted to check in at the MRC, see if anything was happening.
When he got in, Kento was at the table, head down on the surface. He was asleep and Jun quietly shut the door behind him. As usual, the place was empty. It was really just Kento and Jun, though other students came in if they needed something looked into. Despite Jun’s reservations about someone as laid-back as Kento being the president, he seemed to take it all surprisingly seriously.
Jun walked over to the table, lightly put his hand on Kento’s shoulder.
“Senpai,” Jun murmured. He was greeted with light snoring, and the younger teen shook Kento’s shoulder. Kento was asleep. Jun shook a little harder. “Senpai!”
Nothing. Kento had been taking his studies seriously, seemed to always be busy with schoolwork whenever Jun would message him. All that said, he still put his all into the club, though Jun wondered what would come of it once the older boy graduated. Being the only other member kind of put him in an automatic place of vice president, but what would he do once Kento was gone?
Jun sighed and leaned in, blowing on Kento’s ear. It’s something Jun hated, knew it would wake the other teen up. Kento’s eyes opened, and he looked over.
“Sadamoto-kun!” he covered his ear, his eyes wide, cheeks flushed. “Are you messing with me?”
“Well, you sleep soundly,” Jun shrugged his shoulders. Kento blinked lazily and looked at his phone. “It’s nearly five. Thought I’d check in, see if you were even still here.”
“Yeah, some of the girls in my class were telling me they felt like there was a strange presence around the school,” Kento explained. “During school hours, too. Thought I’d look into some things.”
“Wow, you’re actually a very good leader,” when Jun first came into the MRC, he doubted his senpai. He didn’t dislike Kento at all, but he just didn’t really seem to take the club seriously, and it felt like he was only keeping it going for his sister. But now it was like a switch had flipped and he was doing his best for the school.
“Well, it’s only us. I can’t let you take all the glory because you play detective outside of school activities,” Kento laughed, looked Jun up and down, noting the dance club shirt and sweats. “Been dancing, huh?”
“New choreography dropped, gotta be on my toes,” Jun laughed at his own little joke. Kento grabbed his phone, swiped frantically.
“Have you seen the dance video Yagami-san did?” he asked. Jun furrowed his eyebrows, shook his head. He knew Yagami helped out sometimes; hell, he’d gotten Jun comfortable enough to actually walk in and join the club. They’d since gotten a new councilor, but Yagami still showed up from time to time for encouragement. “Oh, it’s great, Sadamoto-kun! He looks really good. It even makes me wanna dance.”
“Please don’t,” Jun groaned. Kento chuckled and handed his kouhai the phone. Jun’s jaw dropped as the beat started and he saw Yagami in his pink outfit. His confidence was off the charts. His moves were so smooth; Yagami looked good. “What the hell, where did you get this?”
Jun couldn’t keep his eyes off of the video. It felt weird knowing Yagami and now he was watching what seemed like this secret side of him. He was all smiles, limbs, and hip action; it was captivating.
“He did it for the dance club,” Kento responded. He was bumping to the beat, eyes focused on Jun. “He thought it would be a fun way to entice students to join the club. It’s mostly girls, right? So a good looking guy like Yagami-san would definitely make them want to join in! Especially if he sometimes helps them to dance.”
Jun handed Kento the phone back, his cheeks red.
“You okay?” Kento asked. He extended his arm to put a hand to Jun’s forehead, but the teen smacked it away. “Damn, okay, just looking out for you. I don’t need your help with this mystery if you’re gonna be such a grouch.”
“I don’t need you in my personal space,” Jun retorted.
“You blew in my ear and you’re on me about personal space?” Kento asked. He didn’t want to start a fight, thought it could really impact the club and possibly his friendship with Jun if he wasn’t careful. “Fine, I’ll keep my hands to myself. If you’re sick, I won’t visit and give you notes from my first year.”
“I’m fine,” Jun stated. He wasn’t sick, just felt like he’d seen enough. He felt like his stomach was doing flips and like he needed fresh air. Jun shook his head, tried to get himself together. “So find anything out about our mystery person?”
“I looked around the school grounds once classes were over, couldn’t find anything,” Kento said. “They said it only seems to be during the day and only during school hours, so we might need to keep our eyes and ears out.”
“Think it’s a pervert?” Jun asked. He was coming back to his senses, doing his best to forget the video Kento just showed him.
“A pervert, a prankster, who knows?” Kento shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter, but I’ll come in tomorrow even though it’s a day off, see what I can find.”
“Damn, you’re really dedicated to be going in on a weekend,” Jun sounded shocked. “Makes me feel like I should do more for the club. At least get some more members in or something.”
“That’d be nice to have more eyes and ears spread around. But we don’t want people here just because we need to boost numbers; there’s no point if they’re not serious about it,” Kento explained. He definitely knew first hand.
“Gotcha,” Jun stood up, grabbed his bag from the table. He looked back at Kento. “If there’s anything, let me know?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you in the loop. Can’t let my connections to a detective go to waste,” Kento teased. Jun rolled his eyes, but he did know he’d helped Yokohama 99 enough to have a good idea of the best way to solve problems at the school. Yagami was busier now, he couldn’t go helping all the time. Jun considered it his duty to keep the school and its students safe.
Jun waved and left the club room, making his way out of the school. The fresh air made him feel better, but he stopped by the small park next to Survive to punch the persimmon tree a few times. It made him feel a little better.
Jun was up and eating breakfast with Mikiko the next morning when a message came in. Mikiko had lessened her rules about phones during meal time; Jun usually was good about being present, so if he was checking his phone now and then, she let it go. He was a teenage boy and needed some freedom and honestly, she was so happy he was making friends his own age.
It was from Kento. He’d said he was going to look around for the presence that had been reported to him. He’d sent an image, one of him and another classmate.
Senpai 🙂 - 8:38am: I got one of my classmates to help out so she can alert me if she feels anything! She knows Yagami-san too, so I bet she knows some detective tricks as well! Wish us luck, Sadamoto-kun!
Sadamoto - 8:41am: Good luck! If you need a third person, let me know. I’m gonna see if I’m needed or wanted at Yokohama 99, but I’m not really doing a lot today.
Senpai 🙂 - 8:44am: Just casually visiting Yokohama 99? The Rabbit Detective is busy, busy! Well just don’t forget us little detectives when you’re solving crime internationally. Take it easy! If Yagami-san’s in, tell him I said hi! 😀
Kento had gotten to teasing Jun about his dancing and time with Yokohama 99. He didn’t mind the nickname, even thought it was kind of cute and mysterious, but Kento never shut up about it.
He wondered if Kaito was the same way with Yagami in their youth.
“A friend?” Mikiko asked when Jun had spent a little too long just staring at his phone. She was happy to see Jun doing so well with school. When he told her he had joined the dance club, she was in tears. He had such trouble in middle school, only seemed to be close with a couple of people, but still just seemed so miserable. She hated that she was gone for so long, knew it would’ve been hard to be alone for so long.
Worse, she knew even when she was back, she had done damage. But they were working past it and she worked every day to be there for Jun and not ignore his thoughts and feelings for her benefit. In the end, the benefit benefitted no one.
“My senpai. From the MRC? He’s just working a kind of case around school, just updating me on it,” Jun explained. He finished his food, got up to clean his plate, collected Mikiko’s while he was up. “Can I visit Yokohama 99 later?”
“Oh, of course. You don’t need my permission; as long as I know you’re safe, I trust you,” Mikiko said. She didn’t feel as nervous letting Jun out and about as he pleased in Ijincho; she’d taught him how to fight and there were way less criminals around. Now and then she ran into trouble, but she could take care of them herself. Now and then she’d have help from a concerned citizen. “Oh, but I’m going shopping. If you don’t mind helping me before you go?”
“Of course not!” Jun exclaimed. He loved shopping; Mikiko got him whatever snacks or food he snuck in the basket, and she laughed when he’d suggest extra meals that he wanted. He was happier and so much more out of his shell, Mikiko would get him whatever he asked.
At the store, Jun was loitering about. He was in the snack section choosing what he wanted to eat. Mikiko told him if he was going to be so active with dance, he needed to ensure he ate. He was sure she meant snacks and definitely was referring to pocky. He looked for matcha flavored pocky; Sugiura’s favorite flavor. He wanted to give him something to thank him for all the times he’d talked to Jun and just let him speak his mind about whatever was bothering him. Jun never had siblings, but if he did, he’d have wanted a brother like Sugiura.
“Oh, Jun,” Jun looked over, noticed Higashi holding a basket. Sugiura was behind him, his eyes fixed on the shelves. He looked over, smiled when he noticed Jun.
“Sadamoto-kun!” Sugiura greeted, smiling with his teeth. He looked like he was glowing. He looked down at the boxes of pocky in Jun’s hands, laughed. “Shopping?”
“Uh, yeah,” Jun muttered. He was sure to most people, he looked like he was ready to run with the boxes. There was a third year he ran into around the school now and then, Matsui. He had a mean face and red hair not unlike Jun; he definitely looked like trouble. Kento told him Matsui and his friends had been bullies the year before, but had begun swooping in and trying to stop delinquents from troubling other students, even helped the MRC now and then.
Kento didn’t have a lot of specifics, but it seemed like something happened that caused Matsui to turn a new leaf from his troubling ways. He definitely looked like the kind of guy who would steal from a store, but Jun couldn’t judge a book by its cover. He knew it was good to know a person, though he also felt like it was important to listen to your gut.
“Jun!” it was Mikiko. She had returned with her small cart. She noticed Higashi and Sugiura, gasped when she laid eyes on Higashi. It had been quite some time since she’d seen him, only heard about him from Jun, mostly. He was so young when she’d last seen him, now he was a fully grown man with his own business. “Higashi-kun? It’s good to see you again!”
“It’s good to see you too, Mikiko-chan,” Higashi smiled. Kaito talked a lot about her when they’d get together, talk about how beautiful she’d gotten in the years they’d been apart, or talked about how great a mom she was with Jun, but Higashi still couldn’t help but be shocked. So many years had passed, and yet somehow it felt like nothing at all. “And now you have a son! And he’s a great kid. Seems you’ve taught him a lot!”
“You’re Mikiko-san?” Sugiura asked. Jun and Higashi looked over at him. Sugiura’s mouth was moving, but nothing came out. It was like he was trying to formulate words. He looked excited. “We- we kick some ass together!”
“Mom?” Jun turned to Mikiko. She mentioned that sometimes some thugs would try and harass her on the streets and she’d take care of them. She briefly mentioned getting help from a local, but never described him. Jun never expected it was Sugiura, but it also didn’t seem surprising. “He’s Sugiura-san.”
“Oh, Higashi-kun’s friend!” Mikiko didn’t mean to say it, but it was the first descriptor Jun had used for him and it had, unfortunately, stuck. Yagami’s introduction was ‘best friend whose nose Masaharu broke’ because Kaito’s way with words was sometimes lacking. Sugiura laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry. Jun talks about you a lot; he says you’re one of the detectives for Yokohama 99. I hear nothing but good things.”
“We do have a good reputation for solving problems,” Sugiura said. “I was shocked when Sadamoto-kun said you two would be living here, but I’m glad to meet you officially. Should’ve recognized that grab you use! Sadamoto-kun seems like he’s close to mastering it.”
“Oh?” Mikiko smiled and looked down at Jun. She knew he helped out at Yokohama 99 from time to time; she didn’t really know much about what he got up to, though sometimes she noticed faint bruises. She just assumed it was from general scraps with delinquents at school.
“We should catch up,” she continued, looking at Higashi. She turned to Sugiura. “And you should come along as well. Maybe for dinner one night?”
“Wait, me? Really?” Sugiura smiled, hands on his chest. He loved get-togethers. They were always so fun; everyone had a good time.
“Yes. Higashi-kun doesn’t keep company with anyone, I imagine you have to be a special person if he’s letting you in on his personal time,” Mikiko was referring to their shopping. Higashi was a calm yet serious person when she’d known him; he was timid and shy, seemed to keep to himself. He was older now, seemed more laid-back and less on guard, but she knew some things never changed.
Higashi was red, sputtering, wondering what to say.
“I am pretty special,” Sugiura laughed as he glanced at Higashi. He gave him a tender pat on the arm and winked at Mikiko. “We’d love to have dinner, Mikiko-san.”
“Isn’t Kaito-san coming over tonight?” Jun asked.
“Well, I didn't mean tonight. But maybe some time next week?” Mikiko held her chin in thought. She exchanged contact information with both Higashi and Sugiura, smiled at the oversized Bun-chan Sugiura used as his icon. “We’ll get the details all worked out! Maybe even next time we meet on the streets?”
They all laughed. Jun was happy Mikiko seemed to really like Sugiura. He had no doubt; Sugiura was a great guy and Mikiko seemed to have a soft spot for Higashi, so of course she’d like anyone that he deemed worthy of his time. But still, Jun always had doubts when it came to things he cared about.
Jun had helped Mikiko with the groceries and was now at Yokohama 99. There wasn’t much to do, but they told him he could stick around anyway. It was mostly organizing on Tsukumo’s part; he had case reports to write, clients to follow up with, and some organizing of files. Sugiura was just there to play with Ranpo and hang out with Jun.
“Did… you two know Yagami-san did a dance video?” Jun was still thinking about it. He had dropped it for a while, was nearly able to forget about it, but it all came flooding back when he and Sugiura had gotten into the agency and Yagami was saying goodbye to Tsukumo and Ranpo. He had turned to Sugiura and Jun, gave them a warm smile, and all that Jun could think of was that stupid dance video and how good he thought Yagami looked.
It felt wrong somehow.
Sugiura and Tsukumo both turned to him. Jun was beat red, wasn’t sure how to put together how he felt. Tsukumo smiled, walked over to the seat across from Jun.
“We know,” he said. “Amasawa-chan, one of our junior detectives, showed us a while ago when she was dropping off Ranpo. I take it you saw it as well when you joined the dance club?”
“No, my senpai showed me,” Jun sighed. He felt weird that Kento didn’t feel as flustered or embarrassed by the video as he was and he felt like a freak about it. “I’ve never actually seen Yagami-san dance before.”
“He’s good, right?” Tsukumo asked. He had a gleam in his eye that Jun didn’t quite understand, but Tsukumo seemed fired up. Sugiura laughed and sat in the seat beside his partner. “He gives everything his all when he works on it. He’s quite attractive in that regard!”
“Y-yeah,” Jun agreed. He looked upset and hurt, like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Sugiura asked. Jun shook his head, laid on the couch and sighed. Teenage angst was in full force, as was the confusing, awkward feeling of wanting to talk about your feelings, but also being unsure of what you wanted to say or even feeling good about getting your point across. Despite being so much older, Sugiura still felt like he understood all too well.
He was so thankful for all the years he had with Emi. She always listened to Sugiura’s troubles no matter how silly he felt when he admitted them out loud, and she always spoke so kindly and lovingly so that he felt better. Even when he decided to quit school, she never thought any less of him and continued to show her love and support. Perhaps it’s why he felt so close and always wanted to help Jun; he’d been shown that love and support from his sister, he wanted to be that rock for Jun when he needed it the most.
“Are you excited for dinner tonight?” Sugiura felt like if Jun was going to stay quiet and awkward, it was better to just let the topic go even if the teen was the one who brought it up.
“I guess,” Jun mumbled. He sat up. “Kaito-san’s gonna have a million questions about school, my feelings, everything.”
Kaito was trying harder to be present for Jun, and he was happy he listened and was actively trying to be a better father figure. Unfortunately he went overboard sometimes and Jun never knew what to do. He didn’t want to say anything because Kaito was trying, but sometimes it veered on seeming overbearing.
“Teenage years are the hardest,” Sugiura said. “You have so many firsts, life experiences, and even if you do everything right, you come back to those teenage memories years later and can’t escape the mighty cringe associated with it.”
“I cringe right now, and it’s going to be worse?” Jun asked. Tsukumo and Sugiura laughed.
“Can I… ask something, Sadamoto-kun?” Tsukumo asked. Jun turned to him, nodding his head. “Well, I’m not an expert on much in this case because I don’t know your personal life as much as Sugiura-shi, so feel free to tell me if I’m on the wrong path. But do you not like Kaito-san anymore?”
Jun’s jaw dropped. Tsukumo was quiet and didn’t leave a lasting impression at first glance, but he seemed very perceptive and always thought of things. Tsukumo was there when Jun first talked about his problems with his mother and Kaito. Things were better now, especially with Mikiko. And hell, Kaito was more open now and talking about Jun like he was an equal rather than just some kid.
“Sometimes it just feels like he thinks things should work a certain way and doesn’t understand nuance,” Jun explained. “Coming from him, an ex-yakuza who has seen all kinds of things, it’s just hard when he butts heads just because he refuses to understand other sides of things. As a detective, isn’t that his job? I just don’t always like to talk about everything with him.”
“Mikiko-san kept a diary about him, right?” Sugiura asked.
“Yeah. And young me didn’t understand at the time that it was just her opinion, didn’t consider that maybe Kaito wasn’t a superhero because I thought mom was always right,” Jun explained. He shook his head, realized how bad he sounded. “He’s great, he kicks ass and saved the day when mom was in danger, but it just seems odd that she had no problems with him. Everyone has faults.”
“Honeymoon phase,” Sugiura stated, laughing. “It’s okay, Sadamoto-kun. You don’t need to like him all the time just because he’s part of your life now. As long as you can keep it in perspective that despite his faults, he has good qualities to make up for it, I think it’s normal how you feel. It’s a hard shift even if things are getting better.”
“Thanks guys,” Jun meant it. He loved Kaito, truly. He guessed a big part was all him; he wasn’t used to a father figure who cared, so for Kaito to dig deep just felt like too much sometimes. He hoped that with time, he could feel better about it and get used to Kaito’s feelings. For now, all he could do was his best.
Jun got back home. He felt a little better having talked to Tsukumo and Sugiura, like he wasn’t going to explode if he was asked anything too personal. Jun knew he had people who cared about him, and things at home were exponentially better, but he still had trouble really speaking his mind because he felt like things had changed because of him. Mikiko told him that she’d been thinking of moving regardless after he told her his feelings, but his wanting a sit-down just brought home the fact that she had just made a decision without thinking of the one person she cared for the most.
Kaito was in the kitchen as Mikiko cooked. Jun stood in the doorway, didn’t want to say anything. Kaito and Mikiko seemed genuinely happy as they talked, not the weird ‘we’re a family and must put on a good face’ kind of feeling that Jun always had before, but like they were excited to share with each other.
Was this what Kaito meant when he said the distance would be better for them? It just seemed like they had more to talk about now; it seemed organic and not like there was something to hide.
“Hi Kaito-san,” Jun finally greeted. He’d just rip off the bandaid and answer all the questions Kaito would ask him. He knew really, Kaito just cared and wanted Jun to feel loved. He just still couldn’t get over that anyone so close besides Mikiko cared.
It was a him problem for sure, but he’d work to get over it.
“Hey Jun!” Kaito had a big smile on his face. Jun couldn’t help but smile back; Kaito always seemed so happy to see him that despite Jun’s father issues, he couldn’t help but feel good that this love was for him.
“Dinner’s almost ready. Do you mind setting the table, Jun?” Mikiko asked, turning to her son. Jun nodded, grabbed some plates to set the table. Kaito helped as well, putting small dishes on the table.
They sat down shortly after, Mikiko serving everyone their food. It was curry rice, and it smelled divine. Jun laughed as Mikiko piled extra curry and rice onto Kaito’s plate as the man licked his lips, his eyes glued to the food. Kaito was like a child sometimes, it was cute.
“So, school going well?” Kaito asked once they were all eating. “Your mom says you’re in Seiryo High now. Everything good there?”
“Yeah! I joined a couple of clubs,” Jun smiled as he ate some of his meal. “There’s a mystery research club. It’s just me and the president, but we have fun there!”
“Oh! Yeah, Tabou’s the outside councilor there! Uh, Amasawa’s the president now, right? The younger one?” Kaito asked. He looked up in thought. “Kento, I think?”
“Yeah! He’s great. He reminds me of you a little,” Jun said.
“Devilishly handsome, huh!?” Kaito laughed. Mikiko chuckled and immediately turned to Jun. He was in deep thought. Kento was handsome, but not in the same way Kaito was. Kento had a plain face, but his attitude and personality were what really shined to Jun. He was pretty laid back and took everything in stride, which seemed to work well to Jun, who overthought things and was a bit more serious. He liked Kento a lot; he was so nice to Jun when he first got to school, and they got along immediately. He felt like they could talk about anything and Kento wouldn't judge him, and it felt nice to finally have someone around his own age.
He'd really miss Kento once he graduated next year.
“I think it’s hard to compare a teenager who hasn’t grown into their face with an adult,” Mikiko said. Jun snapped out of his thoughts, smiled at her. She smiled back and winked.
“I also joined the dance club,” Jun stated. He knew it wasn’t ideal to be part of two clubs, knew that in general, it wasn’t allowed at most schools, but he figured he could make it work. If he ever had to choose one over the other, he’d be lost. He’d wait to see if it ever came to that.
“Oh, you like dancing, huh?” Kaito grinned, shoveled some food in his mouth. He swallowed it, took a sip of water. “You’re pretty fast in a fight, I’m not surprised. Bet there’s a lot of cute girls there, huh?”
“What?” Jun asked. He’d never thought about it. They were all so nice to him, even cooed over him now and then for being the only guy in the club. He worried he’d stick out because of it, but they assured him he’d be fine. “They’re very kind and we all work well together.”
“Yeah, but I mean…” Kaito seemed at a loss for words. Jun shoved some rice in his mouth. He saw the girls as close friends and sisters, and they were all pretty, but Jun never even looked at them like Kaito seemed to be implying. “You know, like maybe you’d wanna take one of them out on a date or something?”
“Masaharu, stop,” Mikiko said. She looked at Jun who was quietly chewing his food and staring at the table. His eyebrows were furrowed and she knew he was trying to be polite. She turned to Kaito. “They are his friends, leave it alone.”
She cared about Kaito, but once he was stuck on something, he wouldn’t let it go.
“Sorry,” Kaito murmured. He looked from Mikiko to Jun. Jun swallowed his food. Kaito was just asking questions because he’d probably be checking the girls out if he were Jun’s age. But Jun just didn’t think like that.
“I know,” he replied. He knew Kaito was just being Kaito. His annoying side was also, unfortunately, what made him so endearing and it’s why despite how Jun felt about him at times, he couldn’t stay mad. He loved Kaito and Kaito loved him. Some days were hard, but they would never ultimately diminish how Jun felt. Jun finished his food. “Can I be excused?”
“Yes,” Mikiko said. Jun got up, bowed quickly to Kaito before going to his room. He crashed on the bed, threw on his headphones and blasted some music. He took his phone out of his pocket, remembered that Kento was on a mission earlier.
Jun - 6:48pm: Did you ever find the presence?
Senpai 🙂 - 6:51pm: No! Koda-san says she barely felt anything, but we looked everywhere anyway. Nothing! We’ll have to put our heads together and figure this out tomorrow.
Senpai 🙂 - 6:58pm: You know, after dance club, of course. I’d hate for my Rabbit Detective to get in trouble for being in multiple clubs. I depend too much on your sagely detective knowledge to lose you so soon. ❤️
Jun laughed a bit before throwing his phone to the end of the bed and sobbing.
The next day around lunchtime, Jun searched around the school campus. If this mystery pervert, or at least that’s how Jun referred to them, only appeared during school hours, he and Kento couldn’t wait to meet up after classes.
He saw a few girls from the dance club gathered around near a bench. He walked over. They waved and surrounded him once he got over.
“Sadamoto-kun!” one of the girls, Tanaka, greeted. “There’s been a weird feeling over the school the past few days. We can’t figure it out, and you hang around the MRC. Do you mind looking into it?”
“Not at all,” Jun smiled at the girls. They all murmured as he stared at some nearby bushes. Nothing seemed particularly out of place, but something called to him. He walked through the bushes, looking around until he noticed a familiar canine. “R-Ranpo!?”
The dog barked and wagged his tail. He followed Jun back to where the girls were. They all immediately got down and Ranpo lavished the attention they gave him. The mystery pervert was… Ranpo. Did Sugiura or Tsukumo even know? If they did, Jun doubted they’d let him travel to and from the highschool by himself. But then, how did he get out in the first place?
Jun shook his head, looked around to see if any faculty members were around. He turned to the group of girls.
“I think he’s been the mystery presence around the school,” he said. He gave Ranpo a scratch behind the ears.
“It does seem like now that he’s here, it feels more normal and peaceful again,” Tanaka replied, tapping her finger on her chin. “Thanks so much, Sadamoto-kun!”
“I’ll take him to the MRC with me so I can report back to Amasawa-senpai,” Jun smiled and waved.
Jun grabbed Ranpo, looked around before making a dash into the school and right to the club. Kento was eating a bento at the table. He turned to Jun.
“Ranpo!?” Kento called. Jun let the dog go and Ranpo trotted right over to Kento. He laughed and gave him some meat. “Sadamoto-kun, why did you bring Ranpo here?”
“He’s our mystery presence around the school,” Jun said. He sat across from Kento. “Some of the girls from dance club were hanging together, they said it felt like the presence was around. When I went to look, Ranpo was in the bushes.”
“Oh. Oh no, I wonder if he was looking for Kyoko-chan,” Kento pat Ranpo’s head. “He was the family dog, but she took the most care of him, trained him to help look for any mysteries. I wonder if he was looking for her and it’s why the presence only seemed to appear during school hours.”
“Maybe,” Jun agreed. He smiled. “I’m just glad we got it solved.”
“You got it solved,” Kento corrected.
“Come on, you spent your Sunday searching around with your classmate. I think it was a joint effort,” Jun said. It wouldn’t feel right taking all the credit. Kento had looked into it and had given Jun the information he needed anyway. It would be like if Sugiura took all the credit for the cases that Yokohama 99 did. “I’ll message Sugiura-san about getting him.”
“Aww, I was kind of hoping I could actually see the agency in person,” Kento grinned. Jun looked confused. “Well, you’re always talking about the place! I figured we could drop Ranpo off and I could get a real look at how real detectives work! Kyoko-chan helped them now and then on some cases. Her stories were always so cool.”
“Oh, I guess Tsukumo-san did mention her being a junior detective,” Jun looked up in thought. He looked right back at Kento. “But how’re we gonna keep Ranpo from wandering around? We have class.”
“Eh, I can stay here with him,” Kento said. “He’s kinda my dog too, you know? He’s not gonna be around forever; I’ll just catch up on manga and chill with Ranpo.”
“W-well I can stay here too,” Jun hoped he didn’t sound too overly eager or stupid. Kento furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head. “Come on, joint effort and all. We’ll skip together.”
“Or, and hear me out,” Kento grinned, like an evil plan was formulating in his head, “we leave school now like the cool delinquents we are and return Ranpo. You give me a tour of Yokohama 99, and then we can go play some Dice & Cube. Might as well do it up if we’re skipping anyway, right?”
“Dice and Cube?” Jun asked. He’d never heard of it.
“Oh my god, it’s a super fun VR game!” Kento exclaimed. “We’re definitely going now! You’ll love it, Sadamoto-kun! It’s like a giant board game we get to traverse, we get to fight bad guys in virtual reality, and there’s a cute, giant cat!”
Kento was speaking so fast that Jun could barely keep up, but he seemed so excited. It did sound kind of neat; Jun had heard of VR but never tried it. He jumped up.
“Well, let’s do it then!” he yelled. Kento got up too, Ranpo trailing behind them as they walked out of the school. Jun had a lot to go in his life. He was going through his pains, but he had a lot of positives too. He’d have good experiences, bad experiences, learn about love and loss, get into all kinds of trouble. He wasn’t looking forward to the cringe Sugiura had told him about when he got older, but if it’s what it took to get through life, he’d deal.
Right now though, he was happy.