Chapter Text
Late afternoon light filtered past the large trees surrounding the hotel's entrance. Standing a only a few feet away two glass doors leading straight to a long oak desk, were two young ladies stood; there were six members of the Arm Detective Agency, and standing at the center was a tall young man gently adjusting his spectacles. "Right then," hazel eyes drifted over his colleagues as he spoke, tone even, "I am certain that everyone here understands the importance of the case and has read the given files regarding our investigation request?" While Kunikda's eyes landed on a lanky brunette man who was currently eyeing a cherry blossom tree, everyone else nodded in confirmation.
"Good." With that, the Arm Detective Agency moved towards the glass doors at an even pace.
At the end of the group, a young man with silver hair and sectoral heterochromia eyes stared in awe at the large building in front of him. While he has grown used to the towering buildings in Yokohama, Tokyo was a different sort of beast.
Instead of taking the train, the group was instead gifted a black SUV by the kind manager who had requested their help, allowing Atsushi to witness many different environments that he would have entirely missed if they had taken a train. Upon entering Tokyo for the very first time, it was safe to say that Atsushi had experienced what Yosano described to him as a sensory overload as his purple-stained honey eyes reflected the many neon-lit skyscrapers and advertisement billboards that filled his vision all at once, which would leave him curled up in a ball with a pounding headache for the last hour of their trip.
Offering a small nod to the doorman, or woman in this case with a bright smile, his eyes shifted back to the scene in front of him, and once more, Atsushi was taken aback by just how large the hotel's main lobby was.
From the glossy floor that could make a mirror jealous from how well it reflected the group to the well-furnished space; Atushsi silently wondered if he was in heaven, especially when his attention was caught by the crystal chandelier hanging directly above the long oak table that had dark purple flowers homed in a black vase on each side. Overall, this hotel was very obviously out of their pay range— and the more his eyes spotted random displays and items that definitely cost an arm and a leg, the more his hands sweated.
Just as the world began to spin from how long he had been holding his breath, a slight tug of his sleeve forced him to release his shaky breath. shifting only his eyes, he met a pair of clear blue ones. "Ah, Kyouka-chan…" Tilting his head down slightly, he offered a smile. "What's up?" Somehow, and somewhere Kyouka had managed to find a pamphlet that had information on what the hotel offered. Glancing down, his eyes landed on a familiar dish. Squinting in amusement, Atsushi meets Kyouka's gaze with a bright smile. "I see. If Kunikida allows, we’ll go get some crepes later tonight." Hearing that, Kyouka smiled with a slight nod.
"ooo~ what a beautiful place for a suitable…" shoulder dropping at the oh-so familiar voice, Atsushi glanced to his side to find Dazai leaning over his shoulders with wide eyes.
"Dazai-san, please…" rubbing his temples, Atsushi felt his headache making a return…
"Ah, Atsushi-kun! Don't look at me like that, I could never soil such a beautiful view with someone like myself!"
"Uh huh…" Just as Atsushi was going to stuff the pamphlet in his bag, it was suddenly snatched out of his grasp. "Ranpo-san!" confused as to why a crowd was starting to gather around him, Atsushi watched as Ranpo flipped through the pamphlet with pursed lips.
"Ed mentioned their tasty food…" Ranpo grumbled to himself.
Tilting his head slightly, Atsushi squinted, Ed… Who's— ah! "You mean Poe-san?" Ranpo answered with a slight nod. "he's been here before?"
Finally glancing up from the pamphlet, a small frown formed on Ranpo's lips. "No."
"Oh… then how…?"
"He's here right now. for a meeting regarding his newest book." And with that, Ranpo unwarrantedly tossed the pamphlet back at Atsushi. Fortunately, thanks to the tiger's reflex, Atsushi caught the pamphlet before it could land square on his face.
"Don't mind him," a new voice joined in. Glancing up, he found Yosano standing off to the side with a hand resting on her hip. As her gaze watched the retreating figure, her voice softened, "He's in a bit of a mood today." Though confused, Atsushi nodded as he watched Ranpo slumped directly into a leather couch with a pout, he didn't even glance at the complimentary chocolate bonbons placed directly on a coffee table next to him…!
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"I expect everyone to be back here at 10 tonight," was the last thing Kunikida had said before he turned and walked towards his hotel room; in which everyone did as well, including Atsushi.
Standing in the elevator, surrounded by two metallic golden walls and a long glass window that allowed guests to view a large garden as they waited in the elevator, Atsushi found himself subconsciously fiddling with the longer piece of his belt while he waited for his floor. He wasn't certain if he should feel lucky that he was given a room with a balcony or unlucky that his room was on the opposite side of everyone else. Glancing at the counting numbers, Atsushi could only sigh as he watched the red numbers continue to increase while soft piano sounds filled the small space. Perhaps once they get settled in he'll see if Kyouka would like to go explore the hotel's garden sometime before dinner.
Tilting his head, he subconsciously began humming to the piano. Apparently, the hotel's garden was 700 years old, famously known for its beauty and it's rekkown "Sea of Clouds" mist experience that Atsushi wanted to experience at least once before they leave. Even so, their mission came first. Speaking of which, Atsushi frowned as he thought about the investigation they had at hand. Last week, Haruno had received an email requesting their assistance in investigating a matter— specifically a “ghost” problem apparently.
If someone had told Atsushi that ghosts were real before joining the agency, maybe he would have believed it— yet, now that he has gone through the unimaginable, he has wisely decided not to question anything anymore.
In other words, he learnt to expect the unexpected.
Ding
Disrupting his thought, Atsushi glanced up to find a long amber-lit hallway instead of the grey elevator door. Gripping his bag strap, Atsushi took a step forward with a deep inhaling, Atsushi stepped into the hallway with wandering eyes.
4-25…4-26…4-27…4-28…
Ah! His room.
Scanning his keycard, Atsushi slowly pushed his door open. Upon entering the door, Atsushi was once again taken aback by the pure luxury of his surroundings. The room was neat, with soft gray walls decorated with beautiful paintings of mountains and florals. Slipping off his shoes and replacing them with the complimentary slippers the hotel lent to their staying guest; he began moving through the room. Although, his gaze seemingly lingered on the western-style bed with desire oozing from his eyes.
Don't get him wrong, Atsushi loved his futon, especially since he spent most of his life sleeping on the cold ground of a basement, or chained to a prickly brick wall, but he always wanted to at least get the chance to sleep on a bed. Resting his hand on the end of the bed, he inhaled softly. It’s so firm yet so soft! He thought with a smile— and so, slipping off his traveling bag, he slumped onto the bed and began rolling and stretching.
The comforters smelt of vanilla and sunshine, if that was even possible, and the bedding was just so soft and fluffy, it made Atsushi feel as though he was on a cloud. It was so comfortable he could easily fall asleep right there and yet he held off, even if the sun was aiding a helping hand in his drowsiness. With one final inhale of the fresh scent of washed blankets, Atsushi reluctantly tore himself from the bed.
Glancing around, he spotted a door, most likely leading to the bathroom. Pushing the door open, his eyes widen slightly at how large the bathroom is! Compared to his family's own bathroom, which felt like a cramped closet, the hotel bathroom was at least as large as his and Kyouka’s dorm, if not bigger— and don't get him started on the large square bathtub that could easily fit three people in it if they so wished to do so!
Eventually, Atsushi begrudgingly stepped out of the bathroom. Eyes landing on the last spot he's yet to explore, he began to slowly approach it with curiosity. Resting his hand on the cool metal attached to a slidable glass door, Atsushi gently pushed it to the side. Stepping onto the cement floor warmed by the evening sun, he rested his hand on the warmed metal bars acting as a shield from the sharp drop. Glancing down, Atsushi found that he had an overlook of the garden. It was truly magnificent.
From the overall botanical landscape to the waterfall, Atsushi felt as though he would never see something as beautiful as this for the rest of his life! Leaning into the rail a bit more, he took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air as he allowed the sun to warm his body with closed eyes.
_____
"Kyouka-chan! Over here!" Coming out of a hallway, Kyouka meets his gaze with a smile. With long strides, Atsushi found the younger one standing next to him. "Since we have to be back here at 10, I thought we might as well grab dinner!" Atsushi explained as he led the way to the dinner space, or at least where he hoped it might be, Atsushi thought as he wearily eyed the arrows pointing in all different directions. "Hopefully you don't mind," he added with a chuckle.
"It's fine," she replied softly, "I don't mind."
After a minute or two of walking down the many halls, they finally found the dining hall, and like everywhere else in the hotel, the dining space was up to par. Once they showed their cards to the hosts, they were immediately led to a table that could easily fit 4 more people if needed. At this time of day, the buffet was open to guests, free to pick any of the food, with some options needing the guests to pay for. Grabbing an ivory white tray with golden patterns, they began their search. There was a mixture of cuisines, from Western styles to common Asian cuisines. And of course, Atsushi would not take this opportunity for granted— in other words, he grabbed whatever could fit on his plate.
Once they had their full, they chatted a bit about where they wanted to explore while here. Atsushi mentioned the waterfall while Kyouka wanted to see the pavilion overlooking the mist show. They began their hunt for the strawberry crepes, which didn’t take long, for it was near the garden’s entrance.
Eventually, the duo decided to head back to the main lobby to wait out the last 15 minutes before they had to meet the others and the manager of the hotel to gain more information regarding their investigation case. "Do you really think there is a ghost haunting the hotel?" Atsushi suddenly asked as they made a turn.
Tilting her head slightly, Kyouka hummed. "I do not know." Resting her hand on her side, something cold flickered in her eyes. "Even so, Demon Snow will strike it down readily."
Chuckling at the other's pure determination, Atsushi couldn't help but shake his head with a soft mumur, "right."
_____
"Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice." With a bow towards the ADA members, an middle age woman dressed in a gray blouse and a dark pencil skirt. Moving a strand of hair behind her ears, she smiled gently, "Please, take a seat at the table inside." Filtering into the meeting room, Atsushi noted how bland the room was compared to eveything else in the hotel.
Taking his seat between Kyouka and Dazai, Atsushi folded his hands. Standing at the head of the long table, the manager began. "I do not wish to waste any of your precious time, so I'll get straight to the point." Twisting her hands anxiously, she breathed in slowly before continuing. "For the past three months, we've been receiving complaints regarding sounds of crying and shouting. At first, the staff and I had thought that stray cats were getting into fights, it would not be odd, for we have some residential cats that like to linger in the garden. However, even after searching around we could not find any cats, let alone any other animals that could be the cause of the noise. At some points. Although, perhaps for at least half a month, we had received no complaints or reports of strange noises, until we had an important patron who stayed for a few days. Eveything went well up to the last day," taking breath, her black eyes scanned the room as she continued. "He reported a missing watch, yet no matter how much we searched and checked the cameras, we could not find an explanation for how a watch could have gone missing, while angry, the gentleman thankfully did not pursue further in the matter." From where he sat, Atsushi could see just how much the woman's body was starting to tremble despite how tense her body appeared. “Until… until two weeks ago," eyes landing on Kunikida, she took a deep breath. "See, we have heavy security around the botanical garden, including numerous staff members placed near the water sights. Especially because the ponds are incredibly deep. While we have railings and warning signs to prevent children from slipping past and tumbling into the water or any other unimaginable dangers. A sudden shout had alerted a staff member of ours." Breath hitched, she pressed her lips into a thin line.
Next to him, Dazai leaned forward, eyes curved gently with a gentle smile, "Take your time, do not push yourself." If it weren't for the fact that Dazai immediately threw himself at the poor woman the moment his eyes landed on her and declared love at first sight. Then perhaps he would have looked and sounded sincere.
Though, the manager seemed to have forgotten all of this. With a grateful smile aimed at Dazai, she replied, "Thank you, sir." Moving her hands to her side, she started again more confidently, "As I said, a shout had alerted a staff member of ours. Immediately rushing over, the staff member found themselves facing a large crowd gathered around our Koi pond. In the middle of the pond was a body of a young maiden dressed in Edo attire." eyebrows knitted, she frowned deeply, " Oddly enough. The maiden family had reported that their daughter had never shown an interest in Edo period fashion, let alone did she own anything of those sorts— let alone a kosode." If Atsushi remembers correctly from the books he read in the orphanage, kosode were worn by noble women, and were definitely something someone wouldn’t wear for no reason in today's world.
"Leading to now. After the incident, a family member of mine had recommended contacting a detective agency in Yokohama after hearing of my situation. Claiming they might be able to help with this sort of situation."
"I see." Pushing his glasses up, Kunikida met the older woman's tired eyes. "You were right to contact us. Have no worries! We'll begin our investigation tonight." Standing up, Kunikida's gaze swept over the group sitting at the table with a stern look. "Yosano, Ranpo, you too will go to the police station and examine the body for any clues. Dazai and I will go and examine the security footage from the last three months with the manager,"
"Oh! Please call me Keiko-san!"
"With Keiko-san," corrected with a polite nod, "And Atsushi and Kyouka, you two will go and investigate the pond where the incident happened." Pausing, Kunikida turned back to the manager, "and if possible, have the staff member who had been there at the scene meet our members there?"
Nodding, she exclaimed, "Of course!" Reaching into her pocket, Keiko pulled out a black phone and quickly began typing away on it.
"Well then!" Glancing over everyone once more, Kunikida declared. "We will meet up tomorrow morning and I anticipate a proper written report before breakfast from each group. Best of luck."
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There weren't many people moving along the trails of the botanical garden, given the time and all, and honestly? Atsushi should also be asleep, yet he found himself leaning against a bamboo rail overlooking the pond, watching as colorful koi caused ripples in the pond distorting the starry night sky reflection. "If I had known we'd be writing reports while on the mission, I would have brought my computer," Atsushi grumbled to himself in disdain. When Kunikida mentioned the report tomorrow, Atsushi watched his chance of slumber fly away. It was one thing to type a report, for ever since he had joined the agency, his typing skills had improved dramatically; however, it was a whole different matter to handwrite one— especially if the report ended up being more than one page. While Kyouka had offered to write the report since Yosano had the hindsight to be on her computer since they were sharing a room, Atsushi had immediately declined. He couldn't let Kyouka stay up all night for a report, she was too young and should be allowed a chance to rest for the night. Still, Atsushi couldn't help but click his tongue in disdain for the long-awaited night.
Speaking of which, where was this staff mem—
"Uhm, excuse me… are you two with the detective agency," a timid voice called out in the night. Shifting only his eyes, Atsushi spotted a young woman with ginger hair and brown eyes dressed in a simple dark evergreen polo shirt and khakis.
"Yes." Nodding, Kyouka spoke first, "Were you the one who had witnessed the scene?"
Fiddling with their fingers, the young girl nodded slowly, "Yes, oh uhm— my name is Maeve by the way."
Pushing himself off the rail, Atsushi approached the young lady with a smile, "My name is Atsushi, and this is Kyouka," he gestured, "It's nice to meet you Maeve."
"Ditto."
Glancing back at the pond that had a few spotlights shining down on it from above, Atsushi started. "Before you were aware of the incident, had you noticed anything strange? Anything out of place perhaps." While Atsushi was never the one to jump straight to questions, he was tired, and his patience was thinning as the night grew older.
As if noticing his impatience, Maeve straightened their posture and shook their head. “No. I had been around the corner over there helping a guest," she said while pointing towards a split in the path. "Then suddenly I heard a shout and immediately made my way over here only to see a young girl in the middle of the pond…" she added softly.
Turning his gaze back to Maeve, Atsushi rested a hand on the bamboo rail, "Are there any entrances that staff are permitted to use to enter the inside of the area?" he spoke while studying the other.
Biting her lips, Maeve was about to shake her head when she suddenly paused, and a thought came to mind. "Us tour guides are not permitted, however, there is a small entrance that the managers or those who care for the Koi fish are allowed through." Hands clamping, the girl sighed. "While I can lead you to the entrance, we won't be able to go much further. We’ll need proper authorization to enter, which I unfortunately do not have."
"Better than nothing, I suppose," he sighed, and so, the two began to follow Maeve. Continuing to look out for any sort of indication of infiltration or hints to what could have happened that day, Atushi's mind began to wander. How was it possible that a young lady could disappear in the middle of the night only to reappear dead in the middle of a koi fish pond during the day with no one noticing? It did not make the slightest sense, especially for a sleep-deprived Atsushi.
Minutes later, Atsushi and Kyouka found themselves standing in front of a metal green door ornamented in fake leaves and flowers to blend in with the rest of the garden. "Most doors here used by staff members require a keycard and/or a scan of an ID to gain entry. Tour guides, receptionists, and the doormen are granted the lowest level of authority, while managers, groundskeepers, and our wildlife specialists are granted higher authority." Resting her cheek in the palm of her hand, Marva continued to explain. "My first day of training here, I had asked why normal keys were not used in case a staff member had lost their keycard. My trainer made it clear that metal keys risk both security and a person's life, especially a child's if they manage to get hold of it and slip past a door in the garden space."
"Would the danger not be the same if they lost their keycards," Kyouka questioned with narrowed eyes.
"Yes. You're correct; however, unlike a key, the system here acts like a retail store. Where an associate might have a code to log into their Point of Sale system at a register, indicating who had been using it that day; it applies to our system here as well. Say if a staff member drops their card and someone picks it up and decides to enter through a staff-only area and say they get hurt. Each swipe is recorded in our system, indicating which member had entered that specific area that day."
"…And so if that person is harmed or even killed, it can be traced back to the staff member who had recklessly lost their card," Atsushi finished with a frown. Maeve nodded in confirmation.
"Was a card found?" Kyouka asked.
Narrowing their eyes in thought, Maeve pursed her lips with a shake of her head, "From what I was told, they never found a keycard on the poor girl."
"Then it's unlikely she had gone through the door then," Atsushi grumbled in defeat, as Kyouka sighed in disdain. Shifting slightly, Maeve who looked just as dejected, muttered an apology for not being able to help as much as she could. Atsushi could only shake his head as he waved listlessly, explaining that she had provided enough information and not to worry. With that, the trio decided to head back for the night since there was not much they could inspect at this time of night. Hopefully Ranpo had been able to deduce something with Yosano, Atsushi thought with a yawn.
Back in the hotel, Atsushi was about to wave goodbye to Maeve and to Kyouka when Maeve suddenly exclaimed.
“Ah, I can’t believe I forgot,” knocking at her forehead, she sighed, explaining, “Sorry for the abruptness, but I just recalled something! When they evacuated the guest and finally pulled the girl from the water, I noticed something kinda strange.” Atsushi shared a glance with Kyouka as Maeve continued, “There were weird red lines on her neck? And maybe her wrists. I’m not sure, I wasn’t close enough to really see her that well.”
Glancing at the older girl, Kyouka hummed softly, “You’re certain she had marks on her neck?”
Maeve nodded, “Certain! They markings were very red!”
“Did they look like strangle marks or…?” Atsushi spoke up with a quirked eyebrow.
“Mn… no? Not really, and definitely not a rope, at least not a thick one.” Taking account of the confusion being thrown her way, she added, “They were too thin, at least the size of acrylic yarn.” scratching her cheek, and chuckled softly. “Sorry again, I didn’t mean to withhold anything, I genuinely just remember!” Bowing her head, she grumbled a few words to herself before looking io again. “Hopefully it’ll help with your investigation though!”
“Anything helps at this point,” Atsushi reassured with a smile, Masve smiled back as well.
Finally, Atsushi waved goodbye to the two as he said goodnight before he made his way back to his room. Ambling down the hall leading to an elevator which he unfortunately had to take back to his room, Atsushi went over eveything tonight in an attempt to draft a paper in his mind. While waiting on Maeve, Atsushi and Kyouka had pre-scouted around the pond. The pond itself was rather large and appeared about 10ft deep; however, instead of the pond being at a comfortable eye level, the pond was instead buried at least 5 feet down from the railing. Surrounded by greenery and flowers which filled the entire enclosure. Leading to his first thought, perhaps the girl had stepped onto the bamboo railing and lost her footing? Falling to her demise?
But that would have been impossible. for the fact that she wouldn't have died immediately upon touching the water, and someone would have definitely alerted a staff member in time to prevent the girl from drowning. And from what he could recall from the file given to them, the girl appeared to have been dead for a couple of hours. Which brings him back to his original question. How does a dead body magically show up in the middle of the night without anyone noticing? The girl's profile claimed she was at least 167cm and any normal person would notice a strange person carrying a long body bag around in a botanical garden. Furthermore, there weren't many places to hide, unzip the bag, and have the time to dump the body in a pond without anyone noticing a thing.
The more he pondered, the more he felt his brain swell. Moving his hand to massage his temple, Atsushi firmly pressed the number 4 and leaned against the golden elevator wall as the sound of soft violins and pianos filled the silent space around him. As the elevator came to a slow, Atsushi stood up, preparing to exit the elevator the moment they slid open.
With a soft ding, Atsushi's eyes focused on the lit hallways slowly appearing in front of him when a flash of black caught his peripheral vision, snapping his head to the side, Atsushi found his own gaze staring back at him, yet the only thing he found were dark eye bags. Squinting at himself, he sighed in disbelief, both at himself and this ridiculous case they were given. Stepping out of the elevator, he began rubbing his eyes in defeat. He's going crazy, he concluded.
As his memory led him through the long hallway with half-lidded eyes, Atsushi begrudgingly cracked his eyes open a bit more as he came to a split in the hallway, turning left, Atsushi glanced up only to flinch back.
oh,
Oh, he's definitely lost it. Atsushi thought with a slackened jaw.
For just a moment, Atsushi thought he had seen Akutugawa, the port mafia rabid dog, the man who had threatened to kill him next month, enter the room across from his.