Chapter Text
It was another case Isamu was assigned, but, strangely, this time it was a superstitious one. And Isamu’s the right person they can count on, 'cause sure, he does know a thing or two about the unnatural.
At first, the case was someone else’s, but the detective dropped it by regarding it as “too creepy,” so he was hired instead, and he doesn’t mind. He’s been bored out of his mind. However, Isamu feels his eyes twitching when he arrives at the scene.
Frankly, Isamu does regret accepting the case. Nobody told him that he would be working with soldiers.
Staring at the black-haired man in front of him, Isamu heaves a sigh and swallows it. Government soldiers can be quite rowdy, and that’s the only reason why Isamu doesn’t like working with them. The man, perhaps sensing his frustration, tilts his head and smiles.
“Detective, I’ll be your escort. I’m Hideo.” Isamu nods and grabs the man’s hand, shaking it. Then Isamu grabs his card and gives it to Hideo, preparing to introduce himself, “I’m—”
Only to get interrupted by the soldier (who Isamu will now be labeling as rude in his head), “—Isamu Uchiumi. Yes, I’ve heard, detective.” Hideo’s smile widened as he finally released Isamu’s hand and turned around. He furrows his eyebrows. Rude.
“So, Mr. Detective, I’m sure you’ve read the files. Apparently, there’s a kitsune in this camp. A soldier’s camp.” Just from hearing Hideo’s voice, Isamu can tell that the rude soldier clearly doesn’t believe in those rumors.
Isamu has already read it, and even he himself is skeptical. Primarily for the same reason as Hideo, a woman in an all-male camp, especially one with soldiers? Someone would have noticed something out of place. But then again, soldiers can be quite lustful.
With that thought, Isamu regards the soldier who’s walking in front of him, leading him deeper into the camp. The man doesn’t seem to be one of those people to be lured, but then again, he’s only known him for barely five minutes.
“It is quite unbelievable, yes, but the murders took place late after midnight, right?” He says to Hideo. That is one of the few reasons why Isamu agreed to take up this case. While Isamu doesn’t think it’s a kitsune, he’s intrigued by why the soldiers say it is.
As they walk past the camps, Isamu can see some soldiers going in and out; they don’t look half as troubled as Isamu thought they would be. He feels a small smile stretching on his face; he guesses soldiers and civilians are quite different after all.
His thoughts are interrupted by Hideo: “So, only three people have been taken, but the murder locations are all different.” Only three? Why did the soldier not mention that it’s three people in just a week and a half?
“Right, three. I still need to interrogate you guys properly.” He mentions and watches as Hideo pauses, suddenly turning back to look at Isamu. There’s still a smile on his face, like he’s amused. Isamu can’t quite guess why the man in front of him is so amused.
“Ah, yes, detective, we did set up camp for that. Why not ask me first? I am already escorting you after all.” As if Isamu wasn’t about to do that. Is Hideo this infuriating? Or is Isamu just not used to someone like him? He sighs and urges Hideo to walk.
“I was about to do that.”
“You were? I couldn’t tell.”
“Yes, I was.” Honestly, by the time Hideo leads Isamu to the tent, he feels like he’s been teased ten times, even though Hideo barely opened his mouth. It has to be that smile.
He grabs his pen and his little notebook with barely any pages used. Isamu doesn’t get why he still brings it around, but sure. It’s not like he actually needs them. Then he asks,
“Name?” This is the second thing he regrets today; he can sense it when he looks up at Hideo’s face. The man smiles somewhat wider, and he puts his hand on the table. Isamu talks before he can.
“Humor me,” But Isamu’s already writing down Hideo in his notebook, “Hideo, Detective.” Even now, Hideo doesn’t tell his full name. Yet, considering he didn’t say it twice, Isamu assumes he just doesn’t want to tell, and it’s not like these notes will go to his boss.
Scribbling down a childish ‘rude soldier ’ next to Hideo’s name, Isamu continues, “Right then, tell me about your experience with these ongoing rumors and murders.”
Hideo drops his smile, and it suddenly feels serious. What? With the sudden, serious attitude, Isamu immediately assumes Hideo must have seen something. He prepares his pen, nodding his head to let the man talk.
“I don’t know anything. I was asleep all three times, and heh, when I woke up, the area of murders was already under investigation.” Fuck. Isamu can’t believe that Hideo actually fooled him. That must be why Hideo insisted that he be questioned first. Isamu adds ‘very rude’ next to Hideo’s name.
Isamu must have shown his irritation on his face because Hideo suddenly laughed. Why is everything with this soldier so sudden? Then Hideo gets up, probably going to call others even without Isamu’s direct command.
“Call the people who may know a thing or two.” Hideo shrugs his shoulders and leaves the tent. In a few minutes, another guy comes in, wearing the same soldier’s uniform. Isamu hopes this one will actually be easier to talk to.
It’s over before Isamu knows it, and he glances down at his notebook. Only Hideo’s name is in there, including the childish nickname, and he rolls his eyes. This is exactly why the notebook is useless; Isamu doesn’t exactly note anything down.
All he’s gotten is the same thing. He asked the soldiers why they think it’s a kitsune or some form of that, and their replies were, “Why not? No one else lives around these parts, and our men wouldn’t get lured by another soldier.”
Jeez. Not much from anyone. Hideo comes back into the tent, and Isamu closes the notebook before Hideo can peek in. He knows the soldier will do that, and Isamu doesn’t want to be asked why he only wrote the soldier’s name, along with something childish.
Wait.
“Do you think it’s a kitsune, Hideo?” Isamu asks, remembering how skeptical the man sounded when he first led him into the camp. Everyone else who was interrogated seems to think it was the doing of the mythical creature, but Hideo doesn’t seem to believe so.
“Nope, do you?” Isamu thought he was the detective. He shakes his head and looks up at Hideo; clearly, this man and he might be sharing the same ideas.
Hideo tilts his head and sits down in the chair in front of Isamu. “Why?” The words leave Isamu’s mouth just as Hideo opens his, presumably to ask the same question. Heh. A childish victory, but Isamu will take it in this one-sided contest.
“Well, a kitsune? I don’t really believe in them. And those guys that were lured weren’t particularly handsome.” Hideo snickers, and Isamu doubles down on the fact that this soldier is rude. Maybe the nickname wasn’t so childish after all.
“I thought kitsunes target only handsome guys.” Like you? Isamu wants to say, but he doesn’t. Knowing the soldier, Hideo will just get an ego boost, and Isamu doesn’t want to do that.
He shakes his head and scoffs, realizing that Hideo is just skeptical for his own reasons. But it’s not like he’s wrong. A kitsune? Isamu really doubts it.
He starts the first night by staying up in one of the tents, carefully listening to sounds of anyone moving, but he quickly learns that a soldier’s camp is never truly quiet.
Soldiers are moving around no matter the time. Isamu even caught someone on the phone with his secret girlfriend late at night. That one probably won’t be lured. Isamu concluded and smiled to himself. It’s a cute thing.
And that was the only night Isamu got to spend alone by himself. For the rest of the days and nights, Hideo is in the tent too, sitting on the chair as he watches Isamu work. At night, Hideo is quiet, clearly getting the memo that Isamu is waiting for something else outside the tent.
When it’s clear that nothing is going to happen besides the same soldier who keeps coming out to call with his girlfriend, Hideo starts to talk.
“Detective, aren’t you sleepy?” Isamu turns back to see Hideo, who is sitting backwards on a chair, leaning his head on the back of it. He’s been chasing Hideo back to his own tent, but the soldier refuses, and it’s not like Isamu can do anything about it, so Isamu relents. Now he has to deal with the case and an infuriating soldier.
“I am, but I have to keep watch, you know? It usually happens after midnight.” Exactly why Isamu has been drinking coffee every night. This will mess up his sleep schedule after he’s done with the case. He smiles warily to himself.
There’s a rustle, and Hideo is immediately by his side, foregoing his chair to sit on the small bed that Isamu rolled out.
“Then let’s keep talking. I fall asleep if it’s too quiet.” Isamu turns to the other man, a small smile of disbelief on his face. He wants to ask why Hideo is even insisting on staying inside this tent and why he’s even awake. From what Isamu knows, Hideo tucks into bed quite early.
The image of Hideo pulling up his blanket and tucking himself into bed like a baby appears in Isamu’s mind for some reason, and he chuckles to himself, ignoring Hideo’s questioning gaze. Sure, Isamu will humor Hideo.
“I’ve been craving ramen, you know,” He says, and Hideo perks up; it seems that they might just have something in common.
“Yeah? Ramen’s my favorite. Tell you what, detective, after this, I don’t mind going out to eat ramen with you. But you’re paying; my protection isn’t free, you know?”
Hideo smirks and Isamu scoffs quietly. It’s not as if Isamu asked the soldier to stay in the same tent as him or to stay awake with him.
How infuriating. But Isamu does find it fun to bicker with Hideo. Reminds him of Senzai, when they were younger. Isamu wonders how Senzai is doing right now, not like he can just text and ask, not after Senzai disappeared. It has been years. Isamu regrets a lot now that he thinks about it.
“I’ll consider that if you actually prove yourself useful.” He challenges back, and Isamu thinks he’s starting to warm up to the soldier who’s been pestering him all day.
The man chuckles and nods, leaning back on his arms. Isamu’s eyes follow the position as he watches Hideo cocks his head back.
“I’ll prove myself useful, alright. I’m pretty confident in my aim and my skills, detective.” Even though Hideo’s head is tilted upwards, Isamu knows that the soldier has his eyes on him.
Outside the tent, everything is quiet, but Isamu enjoys how loud it is inside. Hideo’s not a bad company either.
Isamu learns, after talking to the man for the past few days, that they both actually share a lot in common, like enjoying ramen. Or maybe they don’t. Isamu can’t quite name the common things between them, so it’s probably their personalities that are similar instead.
One night, after the usual midnight time when Hideo and Isamu start chatting, the critters of insects and the normal forest sounds disappear. They both sense it.
Hideo looks at Isamu first and turns his gaze back to the slight opening in the tent. Vaguely, Isamu can hear the same soldier’s voice, the one that always calls his girlfriend, but this time, Isamu hears another voice. A man. And it doesn’t exactly sound like it’s through a call.
There’s no static in the voice. The soldier is talking to someone else a few tents down from Isamu’s tent. Isamu squints his eyes and peeks through the small opening. He only sees the soldier’s back from afar, the other person covered by the tents.
Fuck. Isamu looks at Hideo, raising an eyebrow as he quietly whispers at him to switch places so that Hideo can hear better.
Perhaps Hideo can recognize the voice of the other man. From what Isamu knows, Hideo’s been in the military for a year or two. The inside of the tent is dead quiet, only a few rustlings.
It’s similar to the outside too, Isamu thinks. The quiet rustling inside the tent mimics the low voices outside the tent, with no critters or noises. Anyone who even knows a bit about forests would know that this is abnormal.
“Hideo,” Isamu starts, low and quiet. He wants to ask if Hideo can recognize the voice. Anyone talking to another person after midnight can be suspicious, especially since the murders happen in these hours.
The soldier nods and turns back to look at Isamu, a blank look in his eyes. At least that’s what Isamu thinks. The light in their tent was extinguished after the entire area became silent, so it’s hard to tell in the dark.
“I know that voice, can’t really remember his name, but that’s a new guy.” Hideo murmurs, leaning in close to Isamu’s ears to ensure that the detective can hear it. For some reason, Isamu feels heat crawling up to his ears. Huh. No one’s ever whispered with such a rough voice in his ears before.
How weird. He shakes it off and focuses on the fact that two soldiers are talking after midnight. If they’re talking this late at night, then…
“I don’t know if they’re close, if that’s what you wanted to ask, but I barely ever see these two together.” And again, as if Hideo read his mind, he answers, still whispering right into Isamu’s ears. He’s so close. Close enough that Isamu can feel the man’s breath.
Not close? Then Isamu’s paranoia must not be just paranoia after all. Then, putting a finger to his lips, Isamu gestures to Hideo to stop talking, trying to listen to the snippets of the soldiers’ conversation.
“—Is low. Take your girlfriend there sometimes.”
“Well, I would, but she doesn’t wanna go out into the forest, or through the forest, you know?”
“But she’ll like it there. Why don’t I take you, and when you’re there, you can send a picture to her?”
Isamu stops listening and bites his lips. So, the guy with the girlfriend can get lured that easily? Perhaps Isamu should follow them.
“We should follow them.” It’s Hideo who opens his mouth and suggests that. Just from the number of times that Hideo has stolen the words and thoughts out of his mouth, Isamu becomes even more convinced that they’re both similar.
After speaking, Hideo pulls Isamu a little closer and stares into his eyes with a slow smirk. “Detective, how good are you at sneaking around? You have a pretty light body and long legs; I think you might be even better than me.”
What the hell. Isamu grits his teeth, his heart beating several times faster when he feels the other man’s breath on him. No one has ever done this to him before. Hideo is getting bolder by the day.
Carefully, Isamu pushes Hideo away, feeling heat rushing up to his neck. Adrenaline is what Isamu blames it on. “I’m sure I am, too. Just keep up with me, soldier.” Isamu cranks his neck, and Hideo looks amused.
They follow the two other soldiers only when the voice disappears. Isamu was afraid that they might lose them, but his worries disappeared when he saw a set of footprints on the ground.
With confidence, Isamu can bet that those are the tracks from the soldier with a girlfriend. If Isamu's theory is correct, a murderer wouldn’t leave any evidence, and all three other deaths also had tracks, but they only led to the death site.
“Looks like someone’s smart.” Isamu turns to look at Hideo, the man raising his shoulders as if saying that he wasn’t insulting. Rolling his eyes again, Isamu starts to follow the footprints, hurrying up his pace to hopefully stop a murder.
They walk a while, their ears open for the sound of any screams or talking. It’s a little while later when Isamu hears it. The same voice Isamu hears every night,
“The soldier with a girlfriend.” He says it out loud, and Isamu can feel Hideo’s eyes on him, clearly questioning Isamu while also being amused. Oops. He accidentally said his nicknames out loud. But Isamu ignores Hideo again, focused on tracking the two.
Isamu hurries, afraid that the soldier, who definitely has someone waiting for him at home, might get murdered.
When Isamu hears the voices getting louder, he grabs Hideo’s hand and strays from the path, hiding behind an area full of trees and plantations.
Staring through the small openings in the leaves, Isamu records the voices, just in case he’s right and this is about to be a murder. Isamu wants pure concrete evidence.
“With that detective around, I can’t make my fucking move at all.” The voice of the guy with the girlfriend, and Isamu furrows his eyebrows.
What?
“It’s been two weeks, dude. Shouldn’t we just spook the detective and make him leave?” The other guy says, and Isamu looks at Hideo.
Hideo has his hands on his gun, squinting his eyes as he glances at Isamu. His expression is serious this time.
“Spook him? Dipshit, how do you plan to do that? Clearly, that detective doesn’t believe in the kitsune bullshit we made up.”
“Then, why not kill that detective? Oh, but Hideo's always with him.” Suddenly, Isamu’s actually quite thankful that Hideo refused to leave his side and kept bothering him.
“Hm. We can’t take on Hideo; that guy’s fucking crazy with his shit. Let’s wait for Hideo to leave the detective alone.”
Isamu feels his heart beating fast, adrenaline, and fear. He needs to arrest these two now. Before they can make their moves. But if he alerts the police, they might take too long to get to the soldier’s camp, and the two murderers might know.
Isamu hasn’t even come to terms with the fact that it’s two people. And one of them is someone who has been calling his girlfriend every day.
He bites his lips, unsure of what to do in the moment when Hideo places one hand on his shoulder and mouths, “Tell the officers,” And raises his gun.
It’s obvious what Hideo plans. He wants to take the two guys on and stall for time for the police. But that’s a stupid idea; they can just wait until the morning. Isamu doesn’t get the chance to say that when Hideo suddenly stands up from his hiding spot and shouts,
“Planning to kill someone else now?” Hideo questioned, tilting his head as he fired a shot and left the area where Isamu was. Fuck. Isamu shakes his head and, with trembling hands, sends a message to the police.
He needs them to come fast. Hideo can’t take two of them, but Isamu does have a gun with him. Sighing to himself, he tries to calm his racing heart. If things go bad, Isamu will shoot them from his hiding spot.
“Hideo?! You…!” One of the murderers shouts, fumbling around his belt for his gun, and points it back at Hideo, the other one doing the same.
“Shit, you fucking idiot.” Isamu curses. He was hoping that one of the murderers wouldn’t have a gun on them, but well, Isamu doesn’t know why he hoped for that.
Hideo, for his part, doesn’t look fazed, but from this view, Isamu can tell that Hideo’s tensed. And for a second, Isamu wonders if he regrets barging up like that. Especially against two people on his ‘own’.
“Yeah, it’s me. You two were being a bit too loud for murderers, stupid.” There’s a smile on the man’s face as he taunts them, his gun still pointed at them. The other murderer, the one with a girlfriend, clenched his jaws and pulled out his gun too.
At this point, Hideo’s the one at a disadvantage. Why did he have to do that? Isamu’s quite literally ready to stand up and shoot the targets if he even hears a single shot being fired.
The moment is quiet for a second before one of the murderers laughs, grinning as he seems to realize something.
“You came alone? I thought that you’d be smarter, senior.” The nickname is biting, clearly a taunt. Isamu knows what he’s doing. He wants Hideo to reveal whether or not he actually came alone.
“Alone? Well, do I need more to take you two on?” Sounding so composed, Hideo smiles, catching on to what the murderers are doing.
That’s enough to make the murderers angry as one of them opens fire and Isamu swears his heart stopped. He doesn’t react fast enough, but he sees blood dripping from one of the murderers’ hands.
Then a shot. And another. Isamu instinctively closes his eyes out of fear and surprise, forgetting his plans for a second. He hears Hideo’s slight shout of pain, a curse leaving the man’s lips.
And when he opens his eyes, Isamu sees Hideo’s shoulders dripping blood. Fuck. Quickly, he stands up from his hiding spot and looks at the murderers, one of whom dropped his gun, bleeding in his hands. Hideo must have been the first to shoot.
The other guy still has his gun in his hand, and there’s a strong smell of gunpowder from that direction. Isamu shoots instantly, and he knows that he hit the target from the loud groan of pain he hears; he doesn’t watch the murderer stagger.
In a series of rapid fire, Isamu shoots a few more bullets, missing one. But the three other shots hit them, not exactly in the place that Isamu wants, but it’s enough.
One of them falls to the ground, but the other turns to look at Isamu, trying to shoot again. Isamu, out of pure adrenaline and experience, shoots the man’s arm, causing the gun to fall out of his grip, and Isamu shoots another shot to the leg to make the guy fall.
He fucking hopes the police arrive very soon.
“Hideo!” He shouts, hesitating if he should check on Hideo or focus on the murderers first. The answer’s clear as Hideo clutches his shoulder and walks toward the murderers.
“I’m fine. Let’s arrest these two.” His voice is low, raspy. And Isamu knows that Hideo won’t die from a shoulder injury, but his heart is still beating with fear, and he nods.
This isn’t the first time he has had a teammate injured. He needs to ensure that the situation is contained first. However, a problem arises.
Isamu doesn’t have handcuffs, and there’s nothing around to tie them up. Instead, he holds up his gun and threatens the two.
“Don’t even move. Stay still, or I’ll shoot.” The two murderers probably can’t even hear him over their groans of pain. Hideo comes close and kicks the fallen guns away, and Isamu is relieved that the other man is keeping his composure.
Hideo lets out an impressed whistle, clutching his shoulders as he keeps an eye on the two men rolling on the ground. Isamu’s surprised that they’re even able to move with two bullets in their legs each.
“You’re so fucking lucky that they only managed to shoot once.” Isamu curses again, biting his lips as he pulls up his phone and closes the recorder, sighing in relief when he sees a message from the police and an incoming call.
Thank god that they’re lucky. Isamu thinks this is probably one of the luckiest situations he’s been in for a case.
Isamu doesn’t even have to describe his area to the police; they already heard the gunshots, and the other soldiers are also up and aware now. Sighing in relief again, he glances down at the two on the ground and then at Hideo.
“Fucking reckless.” He curses and feels his heart pounding as he starts to hear the police’s voice. Fast and efficient. Isamu’s grateful.
The situation is solved quickly, and Isamu watches the two murderers get carried away. He looks away from them and stares at Hideo instead, watching the man get bandaged after having the small bullet removed from his flesh.
It could have hit him somewhere else, perhaps even a critical spot. But luckily it didn’t. Still, it’s more than enough to make Isamu regret his slightly late reactions, too struck by fear.
Hideo, noticing his stare, looks up and stops clenching his jaw, instead purposely showing expressions of pain.
“Detective. It really hurts.” Fuck. Isamu would be lying if he said he doesn’t believe Hideo. He walks over, infuriated by the man.
“That’s what you get for being so reckless.” Isamu scolds, watching with worried eyes as the nurse finishes bandaging Hideo up. Christ. He isn’t sure how to feel.
Isamu clears his throat, standing over Hideo’s sitting form. “But, thanks to you, we wrapped it up somewhat easily.” He ignores Hideo’s grin starting to appear on his face. Isamu’s very sure that that’s not how a man in pain should be looking.
“Uh huh, I even got injured for it, for you, but at least I proved myself useful to you, right, detective?” He asks, and Isamu stares at Hideo, watching the man instantly switch back to his act of pain.
“Yes. Thank you. I’ll treat you when we go get ramen.” Isamu knows what Hideo wants, but he doesn’t mind indulging the man, not after this. Hideo’s smirk widens, and Isamu forces himself to look away.
Fuck. What the hell.
The sun’s already starting to rise, and Isamu tries to distract himself. Time passed that fast? There’s almost no way that the entire encounter took almost two hours. But, well, he’s been distracted for half of them and panicked for the rest.
“Aww, I knew you’d say yes, free this weekend, detective?” Isamu doesn’t answer, but he plops down next to Hideo.
“Just call me Isamu, drop the title.” He doesn’t have to look at Hideo to know that the soldier’s smile widened. From the week and a half that Isamu’s been here, he knows that Hideo’s like a sly fox.
“O-Kay, Isamu.” Hideo hums, and Isamu ignores the flush crawling up his body. No one’s ever said his name like that. What the hell. Hideo is so infuriating.