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Kanai Wards ultimate secret has been exposed. The case that cost the lives of a number of master detectives, has finally been blown wide open.
The case that cost the life of their chief has finally been solved.
Halara would like to say that it was their hard work that sealed the deal. They’d even prefer it’d have been the combined effort of the nocturnal detective agency that took care of it. But no, in the end it was their trainee who solved it.
It was him who was sent to the secret lab and got chased around by homunculy. The rest of them were instead locked in the Amaterasu CEO’s penthouse. The detective who solved the mystery that is Kanai Ward and it’s endless rain was their trainee:
Yuma Kokohead.
No, that doesn’t seem right.
It was Number One, if that Makoto Kagutsugi is to be believed. And truthfully, they hadn’t believed him at the start. None of them had. Desuhiko and Fubuki had thrown a hissy fit, yelling at the CEO that he was lying.
Yuma was many things. He was kind, forgiving, impulsive and lacked the self preservation skills needed to keep himself out of trouble. As much as he had been a good detective, he was also always the main cause of the chief's headaches. While he had solved cases in Kanai Ward, all of these were with the assistance of a master detective.
This description simply doesn’t fit someone like Number One.
Number One is the top position within the WDO. While it was unknown how someone could become Number One, only someone of truly great intelligence could get this position.
And Yuma all but burned a pot of water.
The evidence however, turned out to be overwhelming.
The face that hid underneath Makoto’s mask ended up being the final nail in the coffin.
Yuma Kokohead didn’t exist anymore, if he ever existed in the first place. According to Makoto, Number One had erased his own memory. This would explain his amnesia and his claim to waking up in the storage room of the trainstation he ended up leaving to Kanai Ward from. He would’ve supposedly done this with “the book of death”. According to Vivia this was a book that existed within the WDO and he already had suspicions Yuma had it since the Nailman case.
As to why Vivia refused to say anything about this prior, that really is anyone’s guess.
The mere concept of a book that allows you to make a deal with a death goddess for the price of your memories seems ridiculous to Halara. And as much as they believe in Vivia’s skills as a detective and knowledge on all things book related, they couldn’t help but be a bit suspicious of Vivia’s claims about the existence of this book.
That was until they returned to the submarine.
After their seemingly endless talk with Makoto and promising to not violently maim him for effectively helping their chief to an early grave (really Halara still does not like this guy and would prefer to see him six feet under) they headed back to the agency. To their surprise, there was someone already there.
Makoto and Kirumi had been under the impression “Yuma” left Kanai Ward, off to go solve mysteries god knows where. And while none of them had wanted to accept this, at the time it didn’t really seem like there was any other possible explanation for his absence.
However they found him sitting, drinking coffee on one of the agency's couches. There was blood on his face, clothes and even in his hair. A mess of shades of pink and red. His clothes had rips in the sleeves and his tights were torn to shreds. Yet still, he sat there as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
With a mysterious purple book placed neatly on the coffee table.
“Oh, hello everyone.”
A small smile had been on his face and his shoulders relaxed. Halara hadn’t even noticed his posture had been at all tense.
Yuma was always honest, even if not verbally. His body language often betrayed him. It was easy to tell when stress was getting to him or even when he was getting particularly excited. You could tell that he had never been trained by the WDO to hide his true feelings.
Then again, he did keep the book of death and his rising kill count a secret just fine.
Fubuki and Desuhiko ran to him, checking him over. They held him softly, probably worried they’d injure him further.
Halara however, stormed forward not too soon after. With the help of Vivia they managed to fish out some much needed answers.
As it turns out, after his altercation with Makoto in the bathhouse, he had apparently run away. His memories returning so suddenly had him overwhelmed. His body had responded by getting as far away from the dangerous situation as possible, regardless of the fact that there was no danger anymore. He had left both Makoto and Kirumi unconscious on the floor and hightailed it out of the laboratory. Somehow he managed to get himself past the electrical fence and into the nearby woods.
It took quite some time for him to realize everything that had happened, when he returned to the bathhouse Makoto and Kirumi were already gone. Then he just returned to the submarine, not knowing where else to go.
It all seemed deranged. But the details of his story made sense. His clothes getting torn from crazed homunculus grabbing at him and him flailing around in the woods. His injuries also checked out, nothing severe but there was a head wound that he claimed to have gotten from being grabbed by the ankle and crashing into the curb.
His story was made all the more believable by the fact that it was Yuma telling them this.
His sheepish and ashamed expression that was a little too familiar to them. All those times they watched him retell whatever horrific and insane case he had solved that day. How somehow, while being chased around by peacekeepers and almost dying, he managed to find something related to Kanai Ward's ultimate mystery.
As much as Halara doesn’t want to believe that their Yuma is still in there. As much as they don’t want to give themselves the false hope, that maybe, just maybe things haven’t been broken beyond repair. That conversation felt just like before. As if nothing had changed at all.
When Yuma was done speaking, they all waited for just a second. Waiting for the chief to scold him for putting himself in danger. To spew on about how all master detectives are selfish, despite the fact that Yuma isn’t a master detective.
It wasn’t on purpose, it was habitual. It was how things always happened before.
But the chief doesn’t speak. He’s not here and things aren’t the same.
Desuhiko ends up helping “Yuma” clean up. Offering him clean clothes and washing his hair for him. He says that he is capable of doing it all himself, but Desuhiko doesn’t let him go.
They all agree to meet up as they always had before. The chief might not be here to greet them anymore, but “Yuma” would still be staying here on the couch as he had before. A joke is made by Desuhiko about how he could take the bed now. Not only does it not land, the tension in the room only gets thicker.
Days pass as they help the citizens of Kanai Ward move on from the massive revelation that is their immortality. They make moves to improve the peacekeepers and change their management. None of them really know where “Yuma” goes every day. He looks more exhausted and smells more of coffee every time they see him.
The chief's bed has remained untouched and neither couches look like they’ve been used to sleep on much recently.
Before, you could always tell that Yuma had started sleeping there. Prior to him joining them, the pillows had been arranged differently and the indents in the couch cushions were just from sitting. It wasn’t kept as clean either.
Since he started sleeping on it, they’ve all made it a point to keep that couch tidy and to fluff the cushions before they leave. Yuma always kept the submarine in its entirety clean, they could at least do this for him. Being well rested is of great importance when you need to be vigilant. And well, if there was anywhere you needed to be vigilant… it would be here.
The habit doesn’t die though. Halara has caught Desuhiko, Fubuki and themselves tidying up the couch more than once. They’ve even seen Vivia do it, despite never sitting on it himself.
While the couch would of course never truly make for an adequate replacement for a bed, it does look rather cozy with the shared effort.
Nevertheless, “Yuma” seems to not be using it. Instead he is working himself to death and none of them know over what.
Efforts have been made to get him to rest more. While they themselves still feel uneasy around him, they’d prefer not dealing with a medical emergency anytime soon.
Fubuki has hidden the coffee multiple times, “Yuma” however always finds it. She hid it in the high cupboards and the ones under the sink. She hid it in the bathroom, the chief’s desk, the chief’s nightstand, under the couch and IN THE DAMN FIREPLACE. He found it, every single time.
There have been talks about taking a break.
“My man, please just go lay down.”
“Yuma, I really do hope you sleep better tonight! Maybe we can go to the cafe together soon if you’re feeling better?”
“All living things must slumber, you yourself are no exception to this rule.”
All of them being met with:
“I’m fine, there is nothing to worry about.”
Well, if the great Number one says it’s so, then they won’t worry. They don’t care and they won’t care. He’ll crumble to the floor soon enough and it’ll make no difference to them.
No difference at all…
Halara notices that the others have made efforts to find out what “Yuma” is up to every day.
Desuhiko made numerous attempts to follow the man, but none were successful. Turns out, the man has a knack for recognizing Desuhiko in disguise. Something that the detective seems to be disappointed, yet also awfully charmed by.
Since these failures they’ve all started questioning him a bit more… blatantly.
They are often present for the not so subtle prodding and probing the others do. And they have to admit that they have also pushed the subject here and there. But it’s all useless.
His answers are vague or not entirely truthful.
The endless questioning does end up giving them some information, though it is not what they were after.
It’s surprising it took so long for the topic to arise. Then again they had all been busy and rather overwhelmed as of late. To think that such a revelation would be brought by such a simple question.
“I must ask, is it your duties as Number one that keep you from finding your rest?”
“What? Oh no you’ve got it all wrong, I resigned.”
Halara could swear they saw Vivia’s eyebrows climb to his hairline in surprise and honestly they were most likely sporting a similar look.
“WHAT??”
“I never knew Number One could just quit like that…”
“He can't, you better have a good explanation for this.”
They felt as if they were filling in the chief's shoes, they had said it the same way he would’ve. But they needed an explanation for this and pronto.
“I felt that, considering all that had happened, I was unfit for my position. And technically speaking Number one can’t quit, no. So I may or may not technically be retired…”
Retired.
HE’S BARELY 20.
Apparently he is being paid a pension. According to the law, you need to have been contributing to the national pension system for at least 10 years. Now according to “Yuma”, he had done that. SOMEHOW. It all begs several questions regarding his age and how long he’s been employed by the WDO. Or more likely, what kind of dirt he has on the unified government that makes this possible.
In any case, this means that the position of Number one is open. And Halara is going to get it.
This is a position they’ve been aiming for their entire career, it is the very top. It has the best pay, the most authority and more than likely the least amount of work.
They’re far from lazy, but the WDO has a tendency to overwork its staff. Being as capable as they are, they’ve suffered from their poor management skills quite a bit. Spending months working on cases by yourself back to back takes its toll.
It’s why working here was so much easier. They were never truly on their own here.
So they keep close tabs on the WDO and anything related to a possible election or test of any sort. This is a lot easier now that Kanai Ward is no longer so detached from the rest of the world.
They make it a point to check their work email during the time they are at the agency. This, of course, doesn’t escape the attention of their colleagues for long.
“I never would have taken you for the kind of person to spend a lot of time on their phone, Halara.”
“I’m not, I am however the kind of person who wants to be ready when the WDO finally announces that they’re looking for a new Number one.”
They don’t know yet if it’ll be any time soon or if it’ll be long after they’ve left Kanai Ward. There’s a good chance they’re waiting for everything to cool down. The whole “there are immortal people who eat human flesh” thing hasn’t quite blown over yet. Turns out it takes most people a while to let the realization that Kanai Ward's endless rain and seclusion was related to the massacre that was the cannibalization of its citizens sink in.
“Well even if you were first in line, you’d still have to beat me to get the position!”
“As if you’d ever stand so much as a chance against me.”
Riling Desuhiko up is easy, he’s nosy and considerably short tempered. He is also undeniably talented. There is no one as capable at infiltration and information gathering as him.
However Halara Nightmare is obviously a better detective.
Infiltration and information gathering is a skill they also have, though perhaps not on Desuhikos level. Unlike him however, they have many other skills to make up for that. They’ve solved all kinds of mysteries and have solved a number of homicides the disguise detective couldn’t dream of comparing to.
“I do stand a chance actually. I solved a homicide here and have done a lot of intel gathering. The fact you don’t see me doing any work doesn’t mean I’m not there!!”
“I should hope I don’t see you when I’m investigating, it would ruin the stellar job I’m doing.”
“Exactly!… WAIT you can’t just praise yourself when I’m explaining to you how I am fit to be Number One.”
“The fact that you think that demonstrates that I am simply more capable than you. My logic makes anything possible, so it will be me who becomes Number One.”
“I’d prefer it if neither of you took on that position.”
In the doorway a rather weathered looking “Yuma” stands. His presence silences them for a second.
“Oh? I had not expected that you had any doubts about my abilities. You’ve seen them first hand after all.”
“Yeah, my man! Not cool.”
Desuhiko pouts and Halara is admittedly a little hurt. They don’t care about what this “Yuma” thinks. They barely talk to him, his opinion has no real meaning whatsoever.
“I have no doubts about either of your abilities… it’s just…”
He seems just a bit dazed as he speaks, as if struggling to find the words and too exhausted to know where to look for them.
“Number One is not a position either of you should have.”
The nerve. The gall. Halara doesn’t know where he gets it from.
Who does he think he is to be going around giving unasked advice on what they should be doing with their career. Just because he threw his prestigious position away doesn’t mean he has any right to be going around telling others whether or not he gives them permission to fill his seat.
They haven’t been this angry since finding out Yuma had been robbed of them in the penthouse. The absolute rage they felt when the very real possibility that they’d solve the case with only four of them left presented itself. Though that might have been the same anger that they felt when “Number One” spoke to them in the submarine. “Discard your emotions” THEIR CHIEF WAS DEAD. Not so much as a single word of sympathy left that man when told that the chief of the nocturnal detective agency had passed.
They feel their face get warm with anger. There is no one to kick and nothing to protect at this moment aside from their own ego. And so they do the only thing they can think of.
They storm out of the agency.
Vaguely, they hear Desuhiko yelp in confusion as they shove HIM out of their way as they leave. A thump can be heard on their left.
Blind rage does not suit them, but it’s hard to see anything when there is so much to be angry about and you are powerless to do anything about it.
Rain hits them in the face as they step outside. The cold water cools their face, but it does not extinguish the rage they feel.
They don’t go to their hotel room, nor do they go to the café they spend far too much time at. No, the others could come looking for them and they don’t really want to speak to anyone right now. Instead they go there where they have really only been twice.
Once when they first got to Kanai Ward and again when the agency blew up.
The old detective agency.
While speed walking they start to think about what just happened.
This is all so unlike them. Halara Nightmare is a master detective, they always know what they’re doing and they always have everything together.
Except now.
There was once a time when they had thought themselves more capable in leadership than their chief. Not due to lack of respect or anything, it’s just well… They’ve always perceived themselves as capable of anything. They’re smart, strong and most of all they are confident.
The chief was far less skilled than they were in many aspects, however… no one can replace him. He had a way with words and was able to somehow make everyone feel at home. Halara had always suspected that there was something up with him, but they couldn’t quite place it. There never seemed to be a reason to look into his oddities, Kanai Ward's ultimate mystery trumped everything in importance.
Now though… now they wished they had put in the effort.
Then losing Yuma…
The worst part about losing him is that he isn’t actually gone. Everyday they have to see HIM and everyday it makes them just a little bit sick.
He isn’t the same.
Halara has never been strictly against change, nor have they ever put as much thought into maintaining the “peace and quiet” Vivia so often longs for.
But this…
Everything was fine before, teaching a trainee the ropes hadn’t come naturally to any of them. But dammit if they hadn’t done a good job teaching Yuma how to solve mysteries.
Yuma was… refreshing? It's hard to explain. He was selfless in a way they weren't. Soft the way Fubuki often was, young and impulsive like Desuhiko, almost passively suicidal like Vivia and… sharp like they were. He was also a ball of anxiety that was way too determined.
He completed their little group in a way they hadn’t realized was needed.
They step into the old agency, closing the door behind them. The building is clearly out of use. It’s mostly empty, but the memory of being here with Vivia, Desuhiko and the chief lingers in the space.
Losing the chief had left an impossibly big hole in their hearts, but at least they could grieve together. But no, Yuma was taken from them.
And now Halara is having a hard time holding it all together.
…
This doesn't mean they can't be the next Number One. They are still capable and they are still as skilled as ever. Discarding their emotions was an instruction they always followed with ease.
There is no reason for him to say that they shouldn't be Number One.
After much deliberation they end up going to the rooftop. The building is stuffy and pacing while going in circles inside their head isn’t going to help anyone.
Once again the rain hits their face, leaving droplets on their glasses. Unlike before, it doesn't feel like a glass of water failing to put out a burning building.
They go towards the railing and lean on it with their arms folded. Much like the chief had when he took them here.
They know that before they often sat in the chief’s chair at the agency. Filling in a space that belonged to him. Back then it was funny to them, watching the chiefs flail around in an attempt to get his chair back. Now it's almost automatic, standing where he stood, saying words he should be saying.
Now filling any space that had belonged to him feels suffocating.
For a couple minutes they just stare down at the city, breathing calmly. Pain is hard to swallow, but somehow, being here isn't so bad.
“So you are here after all.”
They whip around their head to the voice. “Yuma” stands near the entrance. The normally loud door had made no sound, they were so sure of that.
“I was almost getting worried I had thought wrong when assuming I'd find you here.”
This should be the last place anyone would come looking for them. Yet, he looks as if he never doubted they'd be here.
“Why did you follow me here?”
“I did not follow you, it took an embarrassing amount of time to get up from the agency floor.”
Just how long had they been here? The rainclouds didn't give them any clues…
“I apologize for what I said to you earlier. I feel as though I have given you the wrong impression with my choice of words.”
They scoff and turn their head away from him again.
“You believe I’d make a bad Number one.”
“I don’t think that at all.”
“Oh? So I must have imagined you saying that Desuhiko and I should not have such a position.”
“I didn’t…”
“Listen, I realize that you might be imagining things in your delirious state. I can, however, promise you that I am as sharp as I’ve always been.”
“I know that.”
“Then why? Is it that with your memories, you feel as though you are above us? Do you believe yourself so superior that we can’t possibly fill your shoes?"
"Of Course not.”
“It seems so though, doesn’t it? You hardly talk to us, you disappear every day to god knows where. I don’t know what you’re doing, but you are awfully pretentious if you think we can’t carry the same burdens as you. We might not be all that alike, but I don’t need to be anything like you to fulfill what were once your duties.”
Their words are sharp as a knife, they know that. It’s proven difficult to communicate with this guy. He doesn’t see how hard they’ve worked towards this over the years. The position of Number one doesn’t open itself up every day, HELL it doesn’t even open itself up every decade.
He might not think highly of them, but they know they’re capable. They will get this promotion and be better at the job than he-
“I never thought I’d be on this side of the conversation…”
“What on earth does that mean?”
He smiles softly, he seems almost melancholy. In this moment he looks so incredibly soft in a way that Yuma couldn’t be.
He looks akin to a parent or maybe even a grandparent, who’s reminiscing on their own childhood.
“Number One of the WDO…”
His old position. Halara knew that there had been many before him. As long as the WDO has existed, there has been a Number One at the top. Their names aren’t known, nor are their fortes. All anyone knows is that they’ve existed, whoever “they” might be.
“He was everything I wanted to be.”
He closes his eyes before averting his gaze to the sky.
“He seemed so… extraordinary. Almost larger than life, you know?”
Halara doesn’t give him an answer, it doesn’t seem like he’s expecting one.
“I was a stellar detective, there was no case he could give me that I couldn't solve. Fraud, missing persons, homicides, even cold cases weren’t anything I couldn’t deal with.”
“No competition could compare to me, that was what I believed. I was simply… better than they were.”
“I wasn’t like you, Halara.”
His gaze drops back to their eyes. He doesn’t look as gentle as he did a second ago. The look in his eyes is sharp, almost like it's trying to cut them open.
As if he could make them understand just by managing to place his next words underneath their very skin. Sharing space with their bones and veins.
“I was you.”
…
Halara blinks and the anger fades away.
“I- I don’t understand.”
“I know you’re capable, I know that you know you’re capable. I understand you far better than you give me credit for. My intention was never to demean you or to belittle you. What I meant was that I know you deserve better than that prison they call a glorious title.”
His tone becomes a bit irritated at the end there, but Halara is too busy being confused to care much. Number one is the most prestigious position within the WDO, there is nothing better.
“The WDO, the position of Number One, they’re not what you seem to think they are.”
“Explain it to me then.”
And so they talk.
About Number One, about what it means to be Number One. His childhood is mentioned, even if only for a second. They talk about how he got the position and about who he used to be.
A child with a forte too important, too special, too convenient for the WDO to let slip between their fingers.
They talk about loneliness, the pressure of the job. The fact that money has no value if there is no one to spend it with.
Family, friends, hobbies, they are all things of the past when you accept the job.
“Being a detective is still so important to me.”
He says it and they believe him. Because he’s being honest, he’s being open. They’re talking more now than they ever have. About things Halara never would have imagined talking about, let alone with him.
“But you matter more to me, you all matter more to me. I was not a perfect Number One and truthfully, I don’t think anyone would be perfect for a job like that.”
“Halara, you deserve better. You deserve a comfortable position within the WDO. You deserve to be acknowledged for your skill.”
He pauses. His gaze turns sharp as glass.
“You don’t deserve to be turned into nothing more than a symbol for greatness. A person who won’t be remembered, simply because they can’t be allowed to exist in people’s memories.”
“I don’t want you hunted for sport due to your talents.”
It’s a lot to take in. His concerns are not without merrit, but Halara has never been one to give up.
“I deserve better than the position you were in.”
His shoulders sag in relief, concern fading from his face.
“I will simply have to change the management of the WDO and what it means to be Number One.”
They say it proudly and without any doubt in their voice. This might not be an easy task, but that is precisely why it must be Halara who takes care of it. They are the best the WDO has to offer after all.
He looks at them with widened eyes. For a second all is still.
Then he laughs.
“Hahaha… I- I don’t know why I didn’t expect that from you.”
“Sounds like you’re getting rusty, or maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
His laughter fades into a fond sigh.
“No, I know you just fine.”
He shakes his head and walks towards the door. He holds out his hand to gesture for Halara to follow.
“I think the lack of sleep is simply messing with my judgement, even Number One needs his rest you know.”
A scoff leaves them as they step closer to him to follow.
“How about you follow our advice and get some rest, Yuma.”
He looks at them with genuine shock on his face. This look has him looking just like before.
Things are not like what they were before. He isn’t the same person as he was before the laboratory, but maybe none of them really were. They themselves certainly weren’t the same person they were when they first met.
The chief is still gone and while there may be nothing they can do about that, they can do something about the people who are still here. Because well, the others do obviously still need them.
And if Yuma pulls himself back together again, maybe they can all leave Kanain Ward without their hearts feeling so terribly heavy.
As they walk past him through the door they hear Yuma laugh again.
Yeah, they feel lighter already.