Chapter Text
Saihara had six files spread out on his desk, all containing the information of his current suspects for the phantom thief's associates. He had nothing on the phantom thief themselves.
"I think I've got one," he said after a while. Momota looked up from where he was stacking pencils on top of one another, aka 'helping'.
"One what?"
Saihara fought the urge to roll his eyes. He picked up one of the files and pushed it towards Momota.
"Iidabashi Tetsuya," he announced, "Known to basically everyone around them by the nickname 'Kiibo'. That's the one that was with the Phantom when they threw rocks through our window."
Momota stroked his goatee between his thumb and forefinger as he studied the document.
"I guess there's the white hair... but how can you tell for sure?" he asked.
"Actually, the hair didn't even come into play with narrowing it down until the end. That felt way too easy," Saihara said, then began to explain; "I started off with all the others that we have confirmed to be working together, aka Yumeno Himiko-san, Gokuhara Gonta-kun, and most likely that guy we arrested a few months ago, Amami Rantarou-kun, as well as our anonymous phantom thief." As he spoke, Saihara opened up the front page of the files to each of these individuals. "These people have three things in common. They're all under the age of 25, they've all only ever been convicted of rather petty crimes, with the exception of Amami-kun, and... they were all close with the victim from the case that I- we followed last year."
"Who?" Momota questioned.
"Ah- Ouma Kokichi-kun was his name, I'm pretty sure," Saihara recalled, and retrieved the old file from a drawer in his desk. The boy on the file was barely 19, with pale skin, curly black hair, and mismatched purple and yellow eyes. The 'DECEASED' marking beside his name caught Saihara's eye. He hated it, considering he'd never actually reached a conclusion on whether Ouma Kokichi was still alive or not. It was his uncle that had ultimately decided to mark him as deceased, because the police had given up on trying to find him.
"Oh yeah, that guy!" Momota acknowledged. "Man, he had it rough, huh?"
Saihara grimaced and shut the file. Ouma Kokichi's had definitely not been the most delightful case he'd worked on, but at least 'solving' it had earned him this job.
"Anyway, I paired that information along with the fact that I heard the Phantom refer to their partner as 'Kii-chan', which, once it came down to looking at all the files I had, I could assume was short for Iidabashi-kun's nickname, and it all fell into place from there." Saihara tapped a finger on Kiibo's file. "Everything in here adds up pretty much exactly to who I chased today, too, in terms of height, body-type, and complexion."
"Damn!" Momota grinned and clapped Saihara on the back, the shorter man wincing slightly at the harsh contact. "You did good, bro! Of course, I was actually about to tell you pretty much the same thing about this... Kee-boy."
"...Kiibo."
"Yeah, yeah, obviously."
Momota backed up slightly as Saihara began searching his pockets for his notepad. He pulled out the page with his sketch of Kiibo from their earlier encounter, and tucked it into the file. Then, he retrieved another notebook from a drawer and flipped through a few pages, searching for something..
"Hey, what's that?" Momota asked, leaning over to get a look. Saihara furrowed his brows, trying to concentrate over Momota's looming presence. Eventually, he found it.
"Here," he said, tapping on the page. "This is what we have on Iidabashi-kun's relationship with Ouma-kun from Amami Rantarou's testimony."
Momota squinted his eyes at the page.
"Bro, your handwriting is shit," he grumbled.
Saihara rolled his eyes. 'It isn't really', he wanted to say, 'you're just dyslexic.'
"From what I can gather, Ouma-kun and Iidabashi-kun were pretty good friends," Saihara explained aloud, "Amami-kun's testimony states that the two argued and fought a lot, but they were still basically inseparable. Before the police dropped the search on a potential accomplice in Ouma-kun's disappearance, Iidabashi-kun was a top suspect simply because of how close they were with him, and Amami-kun had mentioned a close friend being involved in his claimed suicide."
Momota shifted his weight and leaned back away from Saihara.
"I thought Ouma was murdered?" he questioned, "Isn't that literally the reason we have Amami locked up right now?"
Saihara hummed and closed the notebook, but instead of putting it back in the drawer, he tucked it in his jacket pocket alongside his other one.
"Maybe. I don't think so, though," he replied. In reality, he had only gone along with the police's assumptions and not argued because he knew that having Amami there for questioning on Ouma's case at all times would be a whole lot easier. Of course, he felt a little guilty about keeping Amami locked up on suspicions that Saihara could very easily disprove in a few minutes, and also about lying to the police, but it was necessary for his bigger goal. He convinced himself by telling himself that Amami would be happy once Ouma's case was solved properly, too.
Of course, Saihara couldn't tell Momota any of that. He'd hate it, and he would absolutely rat Saihara's plan out to the police and other detectives, even accidentally.
Momota clapped a hand down on Saihara's shoulder.
"Shuuichi, bro, you're way too uptight!" he said. "Hey, why don't you come out for drinks with me and Maki Roll tonight?"
Harukawa Maki, aka 'Maki Roll'. Saihara didn't exactly have a problem with Momota's girlfriend, not a personal one anyway, but she could be pretty intense. Saihara was almost certain that she hated him, though.
Well, to be fair, she seemed to hate everyone who wasn't Momota himself.
"Just you and Harukawa-san? I'd feel like a third wheel..." Saihara weakly excused. Come on, Shuuichi! "Besides, I don't drink."
"No way! It's totally cool!" Momota insisted, "You don't have to have anything alcoholic, and if you really want, you could invite a friend of you own?"
Saihara frowned at the other man.
"Kaito... I don't have any other friends besides you."
"Sure you do!" Momota rested his hands on his hips, staring down at Saihara like a disappointed mother. "What about that blonde chick from university? What was her name-- Amane? Akashi-?"
"...A-Akamatsu-san...." Saihara corrected. Of course he remembered Akamatsu. "I guess... I guess I just haven't really spoken to her since... y'know?"
"C'mon, bro, you need to loosen up!" Momota clapped him on the back again, then moved to his own desk to collect his coat and bag. "Look; you give Akamatsu a call, ask her if she wants to grab a drink and catch up, and it's as easy as that!" Momota shrugged his bag over his shoulder and looked at Saihara expectantly.
"But Kaito-"
"Nope! No buts! You call her, or I'll do it my damn self," Momota said.
"Um- I... I don't... have her number...?" Saihara tried.
"Yes, you do."
Saihara sighed and cast his eyes down. Yeah, he did. He'd have felt bad if he'd cut Akamatsu out of his life completely. She hadn't done anything wrong, she was just... collateral damage in the horror that was Saihara's mental state.
Saihara stood up and slipped on his jacket, collecting all his things into his bag and returning the files to their drawers.
"I'll call her on the way, okay?"
"Shuuichi."
"I will!"
"No, you'll make some excuse about your phone running out of charge or not having any signal."
"..."
"Fine..."
Saihara begrudgingly pulled his phone out from his pocket with shakey hands. He fumbled with unlocking it, scrolled to Akamatsu's contact... then he hesitated.
"Go on, bro. Hesitation is for cowards!"
Saihara flicked a half-assed glare at Momota, then quickly pressed the call button before he could change his mind. He set it on loud-speaker, then dropped his phone onto the desk and stepped back like it was a tiny bomb about to explode. With every ring, Saihara could feel his heart pounding, growing louder and louder in his ears-
"Hi!" Her voice suddenly came through the receiver.
Saihara's brain completely stopped. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He stared in dumb silence at her name on his phone screen.
"Um, hellooo?" she repeated.
Momota nudged Saihara harshly.
"Ah-! Uh- H-Hey! This is... S-Saihara Shuuichi... from university?"
Saihara looked at Momota for reassurance, but the man just facepalmed.
"Haha! I know who you are, silly!" came Akamatsu's voice through the phone. "It's been so long! How are you?"
"Um- Uh, I'm- I'm good, I think..." Saihara picked at the skin around his nails, but only for a moment before Momota slapped his hand away. "How- How are you?"
"Oh, great!" Saihara could easily picture her warm smile as she said that. "I'm still doing piano, of course. I've got a pretty big gig booked for next week, where I'll finally be playing some of my own original material for an audience! You should totally come check it out, if you're free!"
"Oh... M-Maybe?"
Akamatsu definitely didn't sound mad at him. Was he reading this all wrong?
"Uh- Akamatsu-san... I was just wondering..." Saihara trailed off, looking to Momota for support again. Momota looked like he was on the verge of losing his sanity watching Saihara struggle so badly at having one conversation. "It's just- I'm going out for drinks tonight, with some friends... I was just wondering if... Maybe you'd like to come along? We could catch up a little... Tie up loose ends?"
Akamatsu's silence made Saihara start begging for the floor to open up and swallow him right then and there.
"Sorry, just had to reschedule a recital!" Saihara let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I'll totally be there! What time, and where?"
"Um-" Saihara looked at Momota again.
"We were gonna head over now, so let's say... 7pm?" Momota said. "If you still live in the same place, we could totally come pick you up on the way," he offered.
"...that's your astronaut friend, right? Momota-kun?" Akamatsu asked.
"Y-Yeah!" Saihara laughed softly. "He's the one we're going out with... A-As well as his girlfriend...."
"Oooh Momota-kun got bitches before you, Saihara-kun!" Akamatsu laughed, "Or at least, I'm assuming...?"
"Oh yeah, Shuuichi is 100% bitchless!" Momota accounced. Saihara glared at him, but said nothing.
"Aww!" Akamatsu did not sound sympathetic in the slightest, and she giggled. "Anyways, yeah, I'm still in the same place! See you at ten-to, maybe?"
"That works!" Momota agreed. "Shuuichi can't wait to catch up! See you then!"
"See you!"
Then she hung up.
"See?" Momota grinned. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"
Saihara's heart was threatening to rip right out of his chest. He felt light-headed. He clumsily lowered himself into his desk chair and clutched at his chest, trying to steady his breathing. Momota sighed sadly, then crouched down to Saihara's level.
"Hey, it'll be fine, Shuuichi. I promise," he said softly. "I'm... sorry I pushed you. I just want you to be happy, y'know?"
"I- I know..." Saihara slowly dropped his hand to his lap and fumbled his fingers together. "Th-Thank you, Kaito." He looked up at Momota and forced a small smile. Momota grinned back.
"Ready to go?" he asked, and Saihara nodded. Slowly, he eased himself back to his feet, and collected his phone off the table. Momota took his bag, and Saihara followed him out to the parking lot. "We'll drop home first, get changed and shit, then we'll go pick up Maki Roll and Akamatsu and find a nice place to hang at. Sound good?"
"Yeah, sure," Saihara nodded and slid himself into Momota's passenger seat.
Saihara zoned out for the entire journey back to their apartment, just staring tiredly out the window. Sometimes he wondered how he and Momota stayed friends. They were so different. But honestly, Saihara couldn't get rid of Momota if he tried. In a way, as much as the man's constant obnoxious confidence terrified him sometimes, he was grateful for that. Having someone like Momota Kaito in his life was what kept Saihara... well... alive.
Still, that was how he used to think about Akamatsu Kaede.
•
Back at their apartment, Saihara changed out of his uniform and into a dark sweater with a long, almost trench coat-like jacket. On a whim, he fixed his makeup in the bathroom before deciding to make himself a cup of tea while he waited for Momota. Sure, all Momota really had to do was change his shirt, yet for some reason, even after all that, Saihara still had time for tea.
Eventually, Momota appeared in the main room.
"C'mon, bro, we're gonna be late!" he announced. Saihara rolled his eyes and put his mug in the sink to be washed later, then joined Momota at the door. He pulled on his boots, then waited for Momota to find a suitable jacket (even though he always ended up wearing the same one anyway). While Saihara stood waiting, Momota glanced at him for a moment, then did a double-take back. He raised an eyebrow.
"Did you change your face or something?" he questioned.
"Uh- Yeah, new makeup..." Saihara muttered, surprised that Momota has even noticed.
Momota gave a thumbs up. "Looks good!"
Then, as predicted, he grabbed his same purple jacket from the hook and slung it over one arm before snatching his keys from the shelf and opening the door.
"Ready to go wow some ladies, Shuuichi?" he winked.
"...You know I'm not interested in that, Kaito," Saihara sighed.
"Eh, you can still wow 'em! They'll just be... a little more disappointed in the end..." Momota paused and furrowed his brow in confusion, as if trying to decipher himself what the fuck he had just said. "...anyways, lets get going!"
Good idea. End that conversation there. Saihara followed Momota out the door, letting the man lock it behind them, then they both headed down the stairs and out to Momota's car.
"Did you take your meds, by the way?" Momota asked as he buckled into the front seat.
"Yes, I did," Saihara confirmed, slipping into the backseat. Bit late to ask now though.
Momota started the ignition.
"How's your chest?" he asked.
"Still fine," Saihara replied. "You don't have to worry over me like this, Kaito. You're not my mom."
"Heart surgery is serious, I need to check in on you !" Kaito shot back as he started to drive off. Saihara tensed and said nothing. "I'm just making sure that you're taking care of yourself, alright, bro? You've been working way too hard recently, and I can see it dragging you down."
"I'm fine, Kaito, really," Saihara said. "I took my meds, I slept at least six hours last night, I had breakfast this morning, and I'm feeling fine. I promise, I'll always tell you if there's something wrong, okay?"
That was a lie. Saihara knew that.
"Okay, I trust you," Momota sighed. "I love you, bro. Alright? No homo."
"Yeah. You too, Kaito."
Saihara watched out the window as Momota drove them to Harukawa's house. She lived alone, though Saihara had no idea where she got the money to afford that. Actually, Saihara didn't think he even knew what her job was...
As they pulled up to her house and she slid into the front seat, he decided not to think about it anymore.
"Kaito..." Maki whispered, "...why do you insist on always bringing Saihara on our dates?"
In the back seat of the car, Saihara pretended not to hear.
"Because he's lonely, Maki Roll! Besides, he's bringing someone too, so it's not as awkward!"
Thanks, Kaito. Either Momota didn't care about trying to keep his voice down, or he was just terrible at it. Saihara huffed and rested his cheek in his palm, elbow against the window, watching the outside zoom past him in a blur.
He'd almost forgotten where they were going until they came to a stop in front of another, familiar apartment complex. Saihara immediately knew which window to look up at. In there, lived Akamatsu Kaede; she also supposedly still with her roommates, Iruma and Chabashira. Akamatsu had lived here for as long as Saihara had known her, but he hadn't been back here for... going on three years now.
Saihara practically hid himself, sliding down in the backseat while Momota went to go ring her doorbell.
"You look ridiculous, Saihara," Harukawa said, watching him with an unamused frown on her face. "You may be wearing a lot of black, but you're too pale to blend into the car seat. Might I suggest a dark mask?"
"...very funny, Harukawa-san," Saihara groaned and hunched over in his seat, bouncing his knee anxiously.
"It wasn't a joke," Harukawa told him, then turned away again. "Why did you invite her if you're going to act like a baby about it?"
"Kaito made me..." he mumbled.
"Then stop letting people like him push you around."
Harukawa wasn't able to say any more as the back door opened on the opposite side to Saihara, and a familiar girl poked her head in.
"Saihara-kun! Hi!" Akamatsu greeted. She looked just the same as Saihara remembered her, not that he'd really expected her to have changed all that much in three years. Her platinum blonde hair framed her soft, pale face in waves, nicely contrasting her violet eyes.
Violet eyes...
Saihara was getting distracted. Akamatsu was now already buckled into the seat beside him, and he'd said nothing to her yet. Dammit!
"Uh- H-Hey!" he greeted with a nervous smile, unable to meet her eyes. As always, he hid beneath the brim of his hat, but Akamatsu tilted her head just right to see his face. Saihara averted his eyes.
"You look good, Saihara-kun! Your makeup is so pretty! Did you do it yourself?" she asked.
"Y-Yeah... Thanks..." Saihara blushed and smiled nervously. God, wearing makeup was such a stupid idea. He should've known better. "Oh- And, uh, y-you look great, too!"
Satisfied that Saihara wasn't going to try and do a runner, Momota finally started to drive off.
Saihara definitely still considered it.
Akamatsu leaned forward slightly in her seat, trying to catch Harukawa's attention.
"Hi! Have we met before?" she asked.
Harukawa didn't look at her.
"No," she answered bluntly.
"Oh, well, hi there! My name's Akamatsu Kaede! It roughly translates as, 'passionate red maple tree', which doesn't actually mean a whole lot to me, but it's pretty cool!" The blonde girl introduced herself with a sweet smile.
"Harukawa Maki."
"Ooh, what a pretty name for such a pretty girl, Harukawa-san!" Akamatsu beamed. Harukawa seemed slightly taken aback, then quickly hid her blushing face.
"Thank you..." she muttered.
"Ay, Akamatsu, you tryna steal my girlfriend?!" Momota joked. Akamatsu laughed.
"Maybe!" she giggled. "It's good to see you again too, Momota-kun! How are you? How's the astronaut thing going?"
"Pretty good, actually!" Momota told her, manoeuvring the car in to park by a bar. Saihara was relieved that the journey was over. "I don't wanna brag, but I'm totally top of my class right now. I think they're gonna move me up to the higher set early!" Momota set the car into park and switched off the engine.
"Oh, wow, that's great!" Akamatsu praised as they both got out of the car. Harukawa followed, but Saihara just stayed and listened to their voices become muffled when the doors shut behind them. Their conversation faded out, and he collapsed his head back against the seat, sighing deeply. He enjoyed the silence for only a moment, before a heard tapping on the window. He tilted his head to see Momota frowning at him through the glass.
"Come on, Shuuichi! Let's go!" he called. Saihara sighed and slowly sat up properly, unbuckled his seatbelt, and exited the car. On autopilot, he followed his friends into the bar. Loud noises, lots of people, weird smells, pushy strangers, mass amounts of alcohol...
His own personal hell.
But... maybe everything would be okay?