Work Text:
“This is MIU 404 to MI-2 headquarters. The suspect has fled into a building that looks like a department store.” Pause. “Seems like there’s some kind of event happening. There's a line and festive decorations at the door.”
“This is MI-2 headquarters. Name of the building?”
Shima squints his eyes, struggling to read the silver-plated roman letters at the plaque by the door.
“R… rev… reve…? It’s a three-story building with a French name on Jingumae Third Street, near the Takeshita street crossing!” He does sound a little flustered at the end there, but it gives Ibuki, who's at the driver's seat, no right to giggle. Shima shoots him a nasty look. “We'll continue to follow the suspect on foot.”
“Understood. Please remember to approach carefully. He may behave unpredictably if you spook him, and we're still not sure if he has a weapon.”
“Roger that.” Shima hangs up on the radio and turns to his partner. “Let's go.”
“Man, this guy is annoying. He's not even actually running, just shushushu-ing everywhere, looking over his shoulder every five seconds. If you're trying to hide something, at least make a run for it,” Ibuki complains all the way during the process of unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. “I want to chase him properly! Can't I?”
“You can’t. Don't just ask me for permission for things that you obviously can’t do.” The retort comes out naturally, without Shima even sparing him a look. Instead, he's looking at the entrance of the building analytically. “There's a line at the door, but the suspect went in without much trouble…”
“Hm? You're right.” They start making their way towards the building. Ibuki rubs his chin and frowns, in deep thought. “Maybe he's some kind of VIP here at… hey, Shima, what's the name of the building again?”
Shima rolls his eyes. “Took you long enough.”
“Aw, Shima-chan, come on~!” Ibuki shoves his arm playfully, cooing loud enough for some people in line to turn their heads. “You're usually so good at talking, so when you trip over a word, of course it's gonna be cute! It's like a kyuru eruption! A kyuru-ption!”
“Please stop talking nonsense for a second. Hello, good afternoon,” Shima turns to the woman standing at the door, not wasting another breath on his moron of a partner.
“Welcome to Rêve D’une Poupée!” The woman greets back. “Are you here for the Suite de Bisous patisserie grand opening, or for the Printemps Blanc Bridal Fair?”
The words just tumble one after another once she opens her mouth, in such a rapid and fluent succession that Shima is stunned into silence for one whole second.
“Patisserie? Isn't that a cake store? Man, I'd like a slice of cake now!” Ibuki, however, seems unaffected and is quick to react, bouncing in place with apparent excitement. “Hey, big sis, is it a trendy shop or something? Is that why there's a line at the door?”
“That’s correct,” the lady smiles politely. “It's the new branch of the renowned store that hails from Ginza.”
Thinking quickly, Shima inches closer to Ibuki and whispers, just loud enough for the lady to hear, “if you eat sweets now, you're gonna ruin your appetite. Don't forget about dinner tonight.” Not allowing time for him to respond, Shima turns back to the door lady, smiling sweetly. “Sorry, we actually read about the bridal fair on the internet and wanted to take a look. Is it open to the general public?”
Even though she's probably trying to keep her face neutral, the woman's eyes visibly widen, and her expression brightens. “Of course! We are open and welcome to all. Please, come in with haste!” She bows and opens way for them, briskly enough for her hair accessory to tilt on its axis.
“Thank you very much.” Shima bows back, and wordlessly pulls Ibuki inside by the jacket. Then, when he's sure he's out of her earshot, he whispers, “nice one, Ibuki.”
“Shima-chan, did you just ask me out to dinner?” Ibuki is grinning the world's most stupid grin. Shima starts doubting whether the patisserie remark had been a strategic move or not. “Also, didn't she look super enthusiastic all of sudden when you mentioned the bridal fair? Do you think she's a wedding wota?”
“Don't waste brain space on useless things. We need to look around for our guy,” Shima instructs, closely inspecting the faces of everyone they pass by. As expected for a bridal event, it's nothing but couples, couples, and couples coming and going…
Shima's steps falter.
“What's wrong?” Ibuki asks him, eyes wandering around as he, too, studies the passers-by.
“We're going to look very out of place at the fair.” Shima chews at his bottom lip. “But then again, so will our perp. Why did he choose this building, specifically…?”
“Maybe it was at random? Or maybe he has an accomplice who sells wedding jewelry?” Ibuki guesses, seemingly just throwing ideas out, but Shima feels like he’s not too off the mark. “Also, can't we pretend like you're the groom and I'm standing in for your bride, who's like, my sister or something? I feel like I could sell that role pretty well!”
“There’s no point… okay, you know what,” Shima sighs, starting to grow weary from the chase. “Let’s go with that. You're my brother-in-law-to-be then.”
“Hell yeah! This is getting me hype!” Ibuki pumps his fists in the air. “Aah, I'm so excited for my little sister's wedding! Ever since we were children, it's been my dream to see her in bridal white—”
“You're way too into this,” Shima complains, but he can't help but laugh. Ibuki's smile is contagious. “Didn't I tell you not to waste brain space on useless things? Also, you sound like you have a sister complex.”
“I do not!” Ibuki clutches his pearls, thoroughly offended. “This is not that kind of character!”
“Be quiet. We're here.”
The fair is held in the building's third floor, a spacious, modern open hall, like ones seen at luxury department stores. It's not crowded, but it is busy, and there's so much on display – from voluminous wedding gowns, to unnecessarily tall decorations, to delicate two-meter-tall sweets displays, to infinite walls of even more gowns – that the possibilities for hiding spots are nearly endless.
This is going to be a long, long chase.
As soon as they walk into the fair, a stout woman in an elegant suit makes a beeline for them, smiling wide. “Welcome, esteemed guests, to the Printemps Blanc Bridal Fair. Please feel at home and don't hesitate to inquire with our collaborators for further information.”
“Thank you. We're just looking around,” Shima responds, smiling back.
“May I offer you some guidance on anything you might be looking for? Garments? Decorations?”
Shima exchanges a look with Ibuki. They seem to be thinking the same thing. “Garments, I suppose. Do you have any displays for accessories, like jewelry?”
“Most certainly. Please follow me,” the lady bows, and once she starts walking, they both follow her through the fair.
“He's right there,” Ibuki tells Shima at some point, and Shima follows his gaze. The man they're following is talking to a woman near the jewelry displays, clutching a bag against his chest; whatever discussion they're having doesn't look rushed or urgent, even though the man still looks nervous.
“Let’s keep some distance for now. He probably remembers your face, so let's be discreet,” Shima instructs, pulling Ibuki by the arm and saying, out loud, “oh, these suits are beautiful. This one would look really good on you.”
He indicates the first thing that shows up in front of him, which happens to be an elegant pearl white three-piece, displayed on a mannequin with a dark blue inner shirt, mint green tie, and matching corsage.
“Eh, do you think so? Isn't it too flashy? I thought something traditional might be better,” Ibuki slips into his character, looking at the suit analytically while keeping the perp in the corner of his eye.
“You have a distinguished eye, sir,” their guide praises Shima excessively, her smile wider than ever. “This suit was exclusively designed by a tailor specialized in bespoke suits for grooms. It's a piece that celebrates ‘love's triumph over all obstacles’.”
“I see,” Shima nods, only paying her half of his attention. The talks at the jewelry stand are still going; doesn't look like he might run away for now, so he walks to the right, slowly inching towards where they are, while pretending to look at more suits. “This one would look good on you too.”
“Shouldn't we look for a suit for you, though?” Ibuki remarks, giving Shima a weird glance that he can't quite decode. It looks like he’s trying to tell him something through telepathy. “Since, you know…”
“Hm? What’s wrong with the one I have?” Again, he's just saying anything to keep the conversation going.
“Please wait here for a moment,” their guide bows and signalizes them to keep still. “We have an in-house specialist for the… for special weddings. I'll go get him.”
She all but power-walks away – or shushushu-s away, as Ibuki would say – and in that moment, Ibuki turns to Shima, annoyed. “Stick to the script! Why would the groom be looking for a suit for the brother-in-law? It should be the other way around!”
Shima grimaces. “I forgot! Damn it, your scenarios are complicated!” He glances over Ibuki's shoulder. The guide is talking to someone he can't quite see from this distance. “You're more groom-like than me anyway, you should've been the groom! You don't even have a sister!”
“And your sister is already married! Ah,” Ibuki suddenly drops the argument, looking to the right. “He's gone.”
Shima quickly turns around. The guy they're supposed to be tailing is nowhere to be seen.
“Damn it,” he clenches his jaw, scanning the room for the now familiar navy blue suit and spiky black hair. “Come on, let's get moving.”
“Good afternoon, esteemed guests,” a new, male voice joins the conversation, right as they're about to change spots. They slip back into their disguises and turn around with matching smiles – promptly noticing the same thing about the guy that's arrived to help them.
Notice the suit, Shima communicates to Ibuki with a glance.
They also have the same cufflinks, and the same enamel pin on the right side of their collar, Ibuki replies with just a nod.
How did you even notice that? Shima asks with a minute frown.
“My name is Matsunaga. My company, Komorebi Celebrations, helps organize this fair and is one of Rêve D'une Poupée's forefront collaborators in wedding ceremonies.” He hands them a card, all smiles. Even his hair is styled in a similar way as their target, only longer and light brown in color. There's no mistake; they must work for the same company. “Moreover, our company is the first in the country to make same-sex celebrations our flagship product.”
Right as he's examining the business card in his hand, the words sink into his brain, and Shima stammers. “Oh,” He blinks, out of depth. “Oh no, that's actually not—you see, we actually—”
“Kazu-chan,” Ibuki suddenly whispers into his ear, and his soul leaves his body in the startle. “You don't have to try and hide it. Our cover has been blown already.”
Shima shoots Ibuki, who's smiling innocently and keeping his face far too close for comfort, a piercing glare. Matsunaga hides his mouth behind a fist, likely trying to keep his expression professional, and Shima has half a mind to glare at him too.
“Sorry, that's… force of habit,” he rubs at his eyes, feeling a headache incoming.
“Don't fret, sir. With so much discrimination and judgment from all sides of society in our daily lives, it's only natural for us to slip into a defensive stance.” Matsunaga seems to empathize with Shima’s reaction on a personal level. “However, please know that we at Komorebi will do everything in our power to make your wedding day a celebration worthy of your love for each other.”
Shima wishes he had better control over his blood vessels. At the very least, it’s comforting to see Ibuki blushing in tandem with him, his ears cartoonishly red.
“So he says,” Ibuki grins, and – really, is this necessary? – takes Shima's hand into his, intertwining their fingers. “Isn't that nice?”
“For the start… forgive me for my indiscretion, but I noticed you're not wearing engagement rings,” Matsunaga interrupts carefully. “Would you be interested in looking into a pair? We have many options for engagement and wedding rings that come in sets, right here in the jewelry section…”
“Sure,” Shima answers quickly, giving Ibuki a nod imbued with meaning, and getting a nod back in return. “Let’s go look at them.”
“We work together, you see,” Ibuki starts making small talk as they walk towards the jewelry section, while Shima looks for the woman that had been talking to their target earlier. They might have lost him, but if they get a chance to look into her… “Kazu was going to get us a pair, but we thought our coworkers would gossip too much. But I felt bad for him, so I'd like to try wearing one. He's an old-fashioned guy.”
“That's wonderful.” Shima could swear Matsunaga is tearing up.
“You shouldn’t put yourself on the spot just for my sake, Ai.” Shima smiles sweetly to Ibuki, in a way that he's positive only Ibuki would be able to tell that he's holding back the desire to physically harm him. “It’ll make things difficult for you.”
“Oh, Kazu-chan~ But you know I'd do anything for you, don't you?” Ibuki doesn’t yield, bumping shoulders with him in a display of affection. “Doesn't matter how hard things are, if it's for you, it's worth it!”
No, seriously, Matsunaga looks seconds away from breaking down crying. Ibuki needs to tone it down.
“These are very nice,” Shima comments strategically, just as they pass by the show window where their target had been earlier. “Look, I—Ai, look over here.”
“Hm? What is it?” Ibuki comes to stand by his side, close enough that there’s no space between them. They can just barely make out each other’s reflections on the glass case, so Shima is certain that Ibuki sees him jerk one eyebrow up, quietly indicating the woman they should look into. “Oh, you’re right,” Ibuki nods, letting Shima know that he’s gotten the sign. “Very beautiful.”
“Look, that one would match the suit,” Shima randomly points at the first ring that catches his eye, a neat band of silver – or was it titanium? Platinum? Whatever… – discreetly adorned by two gemstones, one light and one dark blue, embedded in the middle.
To his surprise, that attracts the attention of the woman they’re supposed to be sussing out. She immediately approaches them, silently bows to Matsunaga in some kind of acknowledgement, and says, “You have a good eye. This ring is custom-made by one of Japan’s top jewelers, to be offered exclusively by Komorebi Celebrations. It is an acrostic ring intended for a male partner. Acrostic rings spell out messages with the first letter of the name of the gemstone they contain; this one is made with aquamarine and iolite, to spell out—”
“Ai.”
Shima can’t help but chuckle, forgetting about the investigation for one incredulous instant. He turns to look at Ibuki with laughter nearly bursting from his seams, biting his lip to keep it in, but unable to curb the smile that takes over his expression. “‘A’ and ‘I’. It spells out your name.”
Ibuki stares at him in stunned silence.
“Oh—oh, that’s…” The woman stammers, her face turning pink, a hand coming to cover her mouth. When Shima steals a glance at Matsunaga, who’s still with them, just a couple of steps behind Ibuki, he’s staring resolutely at the ground, and seems to be shaking. “What a wonderful coincidence that is. The ring does spell ‘ai’, as in ‘love’ – uh, your fiancé has such a beautiful name, mister…!”
“He does, doesn’t he,” Shima agrees, a subtle vein of mockery in his tone. He turns to look at Ibuki again, fully intending to make fun of him – but their eyes meet unexpectedly, and Ibuki’s face is so pitifully red, his eyes so mellow with an incomprehensible something that it immediately disarms Shima.
Words fail him for a second; he blinks and gapes, lips in a futile search of a witty quip to smooth things over with. Did he take things too far? No, but hadn’t Ibuki been the first to step over the line, by starting that unnecessary couple-play, and even going so far as holding his hand…?
“You’re so unfair. That’s bad for my heart, you bastard,” Ibuki says suddenly, voice whiny and loud, elbowing Shima on the ribs with wholly unnecessary force. “Hey, miss, do you have any rings that spell out Kazumi? Maybe just Kazu? Or like, a blinged out ‘S’, or ‘K’?”
“I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that!” Shima protests out of habit, still massaging the spot where Ibuki’s elbow hit.
“Don’t worry about that, esteemed guests,” Matsunaga suddenly comes back into action, coming to stand between them, eyes glinting with barely contained manic energy. “We can arrange for a consultation on made-to-order matching acrostic rings. Needed be, we’ll match colors, motif, and size of the gemstones. Please,” he turns to the lady, who’s still very pink in the face. “Go fetch Sonoda.”
This really has turned out to be the longest, weirdest chase ever.
Sonoda just happens to be the name of their target. Shima thinks that they must’ve hit the Devil’s jackpot, paying the price of their success with unforgettable moments of mutual embarrassment.
And sure enough, here he comes, chatting animatedly with the lady who, now Shima notices, wears a suit in a slightly different shade of blue, but similar cuts, and has the same enamel pin on her lapel. Sonoda is definitely an employee at Komorebi Celebrations. Which must mean…
“I have a feeling about this, Shima,” Ibuki mutters.
“Don’t mention it,” Shima cuts him off, gritting his teeth.
The moment Sonoda comes close enough to notice them, his face immediately goes pale upon regarding Ibuki, who responds with a nonchalant smile of his own. The poor man scampers backwards, bumping against one of the jewelry showcases, and Shima sets his muscles, just in case they end up having to – now properly – chase him.
“I’m innocent!” Sonoda blurts out, voice cracking. His colleagues jump in startle where they stand. “I swear, I have nothing to do with it! I don’t know why she did it, but… I can prove it! I’m innocent!”
“We’re not doubting you,” Shima finally slips out of the convoluted groom-to-be role, back to his natural self with a breath of relief. “But, if you’re truly innocent, can you explain to us why you ran away?”
“What is going on…?” The lady asks in a murmur, dumbfounded.
Shima takes out his badge, followed suit by Ibuki. “Sorry, we’re the police. Mr. Sonoda is involved in a money laundering and attempted murder case. Officially speaking, he is a suspect, and must come with us to the station for questioning.”
“I believe in your innocence, you know,” Ibuki affirms, coming to lean on the glass showcase right by Sonoda’s side in a, frankly, overly friendly manner. “But it’s weird. You didn’t make a run for it, but you didn’t stop running away. Why?”
Sonoda looks on the verge of tears, clutching at his own arms in the same way he’d be clutching the bag in his hands during his escape. Maybe there had never been any important pieces of evidence in that bag, and that was just his nervous habit…?
“I… was late for the fair…” He mutters, eyes downcast and miserable.
Ibuki and Shima share a look.
Just as they thought…
“We will provide you with whatever information you may need,” the lady – Shima finally has a chance to read her nameplate, which says ‘Iwai’ – steps forward resolutely. “There must have been a mistake, I’m sure. Sonoda is an excellent employee of outstanding reputation.”
“All cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you,” Shima turns to Matsunaga, and offers him a small bow. “We’ll be counting on you.”
“Will you come with us, Sonoda?” Ibuki asks, always the one to offer a kind, sympathetic helping hand to their suspects. “It doesn’t have to be a scene. We won’t handcuff you or anything. Well, if you try to make a run for it, I’ll chase you…”
“Ibuki,” Shima warns, sternly.
Sonoda looks at Iwai, nervous and pale. She must be his superior in some way, Shima concludes; maybe a manager, maybe just a respected senior. At any rate, she silently nods, and he, in turn, nods to Ibuki. “I’ll go with you. I’ll prove my innocence.”
“Good guy,” Ibuki claps him heartily on the shoulder. “We’ll be leaving now, then. Ah, but it’s a shame, I kinda wanted to look around a bit more…”
“Excuse me.”
Having already started to make their way out, the three of them have to turn on their heels at the call. It’s Matsunaga. He looks utterly distraught, tears running down his cheeks.
“So… so, you’re the police, and you were after Sonoda-kun… but…” His voice is trembling. “In the end, are you still… going to get married…?”
Shima decides he’d rather not respond to that.
He also decides to pretend he didn’t hear it when Ibuki answers, in a secretive faux-whisper,
“Not for now, but let’s give it some time.”
To start with, Sonoda’s case was MI-2's responsibility, and 404 were on the case as assistants. As so, they hand him over to unit 215 right as they arrive at the door of Rêve D’une Poupée, and get a few hours of free time as a reward.
By then, the line for the new patisserie has decreased considerably, so it’s a no-brainer.
“That looks sooo goooood,” Ibuki praises enthusiastically when they get their order – two espressos, and two matching slices of simple strawberry shortcake. “Wait, don’t move, I gotta take a picture!”
“What are you, a high school student?” Shima rolls his eyes, but obeys the request anyway, keeping his hands off the table as Ibuki snaps picture after picture of the frankly very fancy setup. “What a long day we had. And we’re not even halfway through the shift.”
“Don’t even remind me. I’m beat,” Ibuki sighs, shaking his head. “And I didn’t even get to run at all. What a waste!”
“Wouldn’t you be more tired if you had run?” Shima asks, though he knows it’s pointless to try and make reason of some of Ibuki’s declarations.
“That's not the issue. My body isn’t tired at all. Rather, I’m mentally tired from the stuff you did at the fair.” With curt movements, Ibuki scoops a huge piece of shortcake, shoves it into his mouth, and dramatically rubs at his forehead, sighing. “Really, being this dense should be a crime. You should be criminally charged!”
“Who are you calling dense?! Plus, acting as a couple was your idea,” Shima counter-accuses, pointing at him with his own fork before getting a piece of cake himself. “We could’ve told him it was a misunderstanding and stick to the original scenario. You started it with your Kazu-chan…”
“And what’s wrong with a little Kazu-chan?” Ibuki is now pouting, shoving piece after piece of cake into his mouth until there’s cream sitting atop of his cupid’s bow. “Isn’t your Aaaaa-i way worse? Not Ai-chan? Not Ai-kun? Just Aaaaa-i? Not even my mother called me that!”
“I did not say it like that. I said it in a completely normal way – Ai. There, see?” Shima is being just as petulant and childish as him, but that should be fine. It’s usually fine, when it’s the two of them. He eats another bite. “Stop nitpicking, I had to improvise.”
“And then the thing with the ring!” Ibuki now pinches the bridge of his nose, looking up to the ceiling, as if afflicted by a great deal of pain. “What is wrong with you, really! You’re dense enough to be a hazard to society! Dense-o-noid! Dense-zilla!”
“Again, Ibuki, what does being dense have to do with any of this, or any of this have to do with being dense?” His increasing annoyance with Ibuki’s complaints is leading to almost match him in speed at eating the cake, even though he’s not too fond of sweets. “It was just too much of a coincidence. How often do you find a piece of jewelry that spells the name of someone you know?”
“The fact you don’t realize what’s so dense about you being dense is the scariest thing about your denseness,” Ibuki continues to accuse, almost done with his slice at this point – he has eaten it in the most bizarre way, a perfect circle around where the strawberry sits, now atop of a precarious tower of cream and sponge cake. “To make you pay for your crimes, I’m going to steal your strawberry! En garde!”
“Ibuki, cut it out!” Shima fends Ibuki’s fork off with his own, making an unpleasant sound of metal clashing against metal that definitely attracts some looks towards their table. “Yours is literally still on the plate!”
“That’s not the point! Surrender!”
“Never!”
They end up dueling for the strawberries like a pair of idiots, and then eating them off each other’s plates. Right as they finish, an emergency call comes through their in-ear, so they have to hastily drink their coffee, hastily pay the bill, and hastily go back to work, with further discussion on whatever happened at the fair postponed indefinitely.
> [INSANE] [UNBELIEVABLE] Outrageous Ike-oji gay couple spotted at wedding fair near Harajuku.
> just saw the craziest irl BL occurrence in my life. DM for details...
> Today, me and Miko were lining up for the new SuiBis grand opening, and these two guys came from the other side of the street… They were being really friendly with each other, a little flirty…? We thought they’d go to the shop, which was already super moe to think about, but they were actually going to a… to a wedding fair.. togeth$%¨*#$#&...?
For several hours now, Kokonoe’s Tbutter timeline has been in absolute shambles. He’d had a bad feeling about it before he even saw the first photo, a blurry, zoomed-in action shot, portraying two figures instantly recognizable even in such low resolution.
> The picture is bad, but they were so handsome… the most handsome gay couple I have ever seen… I hope the government makes them poster boys for marriage equality. ←They were visiting a wedding fair together
> apparently they were cops conducting some kind of investigation in the building. no but really, isn’t that just an excuse to check out the fair with your boyfriend…? they even went for cake afterwards... (i saw everything...)
> had to blur my fiancée’s face and mine, but you can actually see the trending #ikeojigaycops couple standing in the back, holding hands LOL what a miracle shot! #unreal #selfie #lovewins
“What are they even doing…” Kokonoe’s eyes are wide and bloodshot, his face pale with mortification. “They didn’t send me an invitation…”
Since his account is private, he hits like on every single Tboot about it, for good measure.