In a Foreign City, Hometown Secrets

He quickly jolted back and looked at her.

  "I didn't expect you to be awake," he looked down and scratched his head.

She smiled and looked down, "you must think it's weird that I'm keeping all of this, huh?"

He shook his head.

  "It brings back memories," she said and looked up at him and stood up and smoothened out the cover, "good ones along with bad ones. I mean- yeah- you did burn me with those matches, but you also helped me light the candle I bought for the apartment. You even liked it, you didn't say it, but I knew you liked it."

He looked away and she smiled, "You used to light it every night when I was supposed to be asleep."

  "How'd you know?" he asked.

  "Because- the wax would be lower every night," she smiled, "and you were the only other one that lit the candle."

He sighed, "god- it brings back so many bad memories."

She walked to him and he looked at her. She took him in for a hug and pulled his head to her shoulder and he was hunched over as she rubbed his back.

  "Bad things had to happen for this to happen now," she whispered and held his shirt tightly and sniffed, "If I knew that this is how we'd end up, trust me- I would have dealt with your shit a lot longer."

He shook his hand and hugged her, "You shouldn't ever have to deal with what I put you through."

  "Osamu- you were also just a child in bad circumstances," she said and she felt his tears on her shoulder.

  "Was I?"

  "You were," she smiled, "you were just a child, you were just as lost as I was, we were so lost. I can't hold your past against you, you were just a kid and you were thrown into that life. If I could- I would go back and help you. I would. If I had my wisdom now back then, Osamu- maybe things would be different. You would be different, but you've changed Osamu. You are not the boy you once were, you're a good man now."

  She pulled his face away and he tried to bite his lip to hold back his tears. She placed her thumb below his lip and pulled it away and he let his tears begin. She pulled his hand and they sat down and he cried into her lap and she rubbed his back.

  "I wish- I could have been better for you, and for everyone else," he cried.

She sighed and smiled, "Osamu- you are everything I ever wanted now."

  "But how could you possibly forgive me?" he looked up at her and grabbed his shirt and he tried to hold his tears back, "F/N- do you realize how much I put you through? How could you even stand me being alive right now?"

She held a hand to his cheek and he leaned into it and she wiped his tears.

  "Because- I love you," she said, looking at her hand, "I have always loved you, and when people love other people- we tend to look for their best qualities. You were a horrible kid, but you were sweet. The times you lit my candle, even when you kissed me, you showed love, when you showed me what was below your bandages when we danced when you'd take me out. I have all of these in my mind- along with the bad and ugly, there was beauty. Osamu- you a rose in a garden with no light."

She started crying and she let out a choked cough, "and I loved you every day, no day went by when I didn't think about you."

He gulped and looked at her, "I thought about you too, but I knew how wrong it was of me. I had no right to think about you, after all I did to hurt you. I wanted to get you out of my head, because you would torment me in my dreams, and I could never forget what I did."

She wiped his tears with her thumbs and shook his head, "Oh Osamu- if only you could have seen yourself now when you were a kid. If only I could see who you've become, Osamu- you're such a- such a gem to have in my life."

She cried harder and she pushed herself to his chest and he held her close, "and I don't ever want to hurt you ever again."

She shook her head, "And I'll endure it even if you do- because you're the only person that made me feel loved."

He hugged her tighter and he rubbed her back and head and he tried to lick the salty tears off of his cheek. 

  "N/N- I want you to know I love you," he said, "and I mean it- none of this is a lie."

She nodded and he smiled, "And I promise that I won't lie to you when I say I love you."

She nodded and he wiped her tears with his shirt and smiled.

  "Come on- Kunikida will get worried about us if we're late, I don't want to hear his accusations," he smiled.

  She nodded and quickly got dressed and so did he. He pulled his trenchcoat on when they left her apartment and they were close to the Agency, but F/N pulled back on his hand when she saw an ice cream parlour. Osamu looked as she held her hands to the glass and smiled.

  "Come on- Kunikida can forgive ice cream, can't he?" 

  "We'll find out now I guess," he shrugged.

They got a lot of ice cream and entered the Agency.

  "Where were you two!?" Kunikida yelled.

F/N held ice cream to him, "Here- try it!"

He looked at it and took it and had a small smile, "Well- thank you."

  "Kyouka- Atsushi," F/N called and they came to their names and she handed them ice cream.

  "Do I get one!?" Ranpo practically jumped over his table.

Osamu held the biggest one to him and he had a wide grin, and F/N smiled, "I had to add all of their sweetest flavours together."

  "You know me so well," Ranpo quickly devoured the first ball.

  F/N and Osamu sat at their seats and began eating. F/N loved the icy treat and quickly licked it all up. Osamu was quick to finish his too, but once he gulped down the last piece of wafer he sneezed. He grabbed a tissue and wiped his nose.

  "If you're getting sick- I'm seriously kicking your ass," Kunikida hit him upside the head with a heavy-looking book.

  "Now that's just mean Kunikida-kun~" Osamu said with a stuffy noise F/N handed him a handkerchief and he took it.

  "F/N handed me her handkerchief!" he waved it in front of Kunikida, "That's a true friend!"

  "I'd smother you with that handkerchief," Kunikida snapped.

F/N blinked at them and Atsushi placed a hand on her shoulder, "They fight often."

  "Achoo~" Osamu sneezed and he blew his nose again.

  "How did you get sick?" F/N asked.

  "I hope it wasn't the ice cream," he pulled his hands to his chest and lay on the desk.

She tilted her head and rubbed his back.

  "There- there," she patted it, "go drink some tea."

  "I can't get up N/N~" he whined.

Ranpo looked at him with a raised brow.

  "N/N~ can you make me tea? Please~" he begged.

F/N got up but felt a hand push her back to the chair and Ranpo picked Osamu up by his coat collar and pushed him.

  "Make the tea yourself!" Ranpo pointed.

They looked at him and Osamu left for the tea.

  "Ran-chan," F/N got up, "are you feeling okay?"

Ranpo looked back at her and she saw his stoic face and she let out a deep sigh.

  "Ran-chan," she said again and he left.

She didn't want to decide between Osamu or Ranpo. She sighed.

  "Tell Osamu to lie down and drink fluids," she ran out the door and she skipped down the steps. She looked left and right and saw the tail of his cape and she ran after him. He moved into the crowd and she chased after him, pushing through the crowd and she couldn't find him, but she knew where he had gone. She ran and saw him through the glass wall of the arcade. She went in and she panted and she saw Ranpo's messy black hair and she hugged his neck.

  "I'm so sorry Ranpo- for everything I did to you," she held him tighter, "please- don't leave me."

Ranpo pulled her arm off and he turned around and held onto the chair between his legs.

  "Do I mean less to you than Dazai?" he asked.

  "No- no- you are my best friend Ranpo," she sighed, "you are like a brother to me, and I genuinely- I'm so sorry- I know I've been neglecting you, and I feel horrible."

He tilted his head, "what does he have that I don't?"

  "Ranpo," she grabbed his wrists and held his hand in hers, "Ranpo- you are my best friend, I've known you for longer than I've known him. You ground me Ranpo, please- don't leave me- don't ignore me. I know I'm a hypocrite saying this, but please. You still mean so much to me."

  Ranpo got up and hugged her and she hugged him back, "You're the reason I still feel so comfortable at work with him, and you introduced me to so many new people. But nothing can compare to how close you and I are."

Ranpo smiled, "I probably overreacted a bit."

She pulled away and smiled, "Maybe a bit, but it was justified."

  "It's just- I'm so worried that he's still taking advantage of you and hurting you and you're trying to hide it for his sake."

  "If he ever does something like that- you'll be the first I call," she nodded.

  "Promise me- promise me you'll say something," Ranpo held his shoulders, "I don't want to ever see you like that ever again."

She nodded and he held her cheeks and she held his hands, "Ranpo- I promise never to keep my silence against him again. I will speak up against him and I will tell you everything."

He smiled, "thank god."

He held her hands and smiled, "You and I- we're best friends, right?"

  "We are," she nodded, "my best friend, my only friend that has known me for as long as you did."

Ranpo nodded and she smiled, "Can we go to the Agency?"

  "Sure," he nodded, "I'm sure Dazai is causing a bigger scene than he should."

She smiled, "he loves his dramatics."

He nodded. He grabbed his cap and put it on his head, "let's head out then."

She bought some medicine for him and more tissues. They went up the Agency steps and immediately heard him whining.

  "When is F/N coming back~?" he cried.

She opened the door and he jumped to her held onto her waist and sniffed.

  "Osamu- are you still sick, you should be lying down," she looked down at him.

  They're bullying me N/N~" he whined.

He sneezed and she took a tissue blew his nose and tossed the tissue.

  "Come on- let's lay down and fix you," she said.

He lay down and Atsushi looked at F/N.

  "We didn't actually bully him, F/N-san," he said.

  "I know Atsushi," F/N looked at him.

  "N/N~" Osamu held onto her waist, "I'm dying~ and I hate this pain!"

She looked down at him as he laid his head on her lap.

  "Seeing Dazai sick," Yosano hummed, "truly a rare sight."

  "Really?" F/N asked and she took the syringe and pulled the syrup in.

  "Yeah- although I think it's because he used to be so hammered there would be no way he would be aware of his own sickness," Yosano hummed.

  "That so?" F/N asked.

  "You're bad-mouthing me Yosano-san~" Dazai hummed.

F/N grabbed his face in her hands and she placed the syringe to his lips.

  "Don't let a drop go to waste," she warned and he nodded.

He wasn't expecting it to taste this foul and he gagged and wanted to sputter it out. F/N held a hand over his mouth and he was forced to gulp it down.

  "I hate it!" he turned his back to her.

She got up and raised a brow, "Seriously- Osamu- how old are you right now?"

  "Not funny!" he lifted a finger.

She sighed, he used to be able to eat all kinds of shit in the past and barely anything got him to gag. She sighed and placed his medicine away.

  "Did he get sick from me?" Kyouka asked.

  "He shouldn't have," F/N smiled.

  "Maybe a beautiful woman like F/N can make me get better," Osamu wailed.

She looked back at him and sighed.

  "I think he needs another round of his medicine," Yosano winked.

She sighed, "Throwing me to the wolf, I see."

Yosano hummed, "Maybe it works on him."

She sat down and Osamu went straight to her waist and clung to her.

  "Why did you leave me~" he whined.

F/N pushed his hair back and he sneezed. She wiped his snot and looked down lovingly at him.

  "You know- you keep your charm when you're sick," she raised her brows.

  "Do I?" he said with a stuffy voice.

  "No- Osamu- you look like complete shit," she said with a smile.

  "That's mean!" he huffed but tightened his arms on her.

  She smiled and he fell asleep on her lap, she listened to it, it was stuffy and disgusting as only one of his nostrils was clean enough to get air in. She sighed and he woke up after a bit and sat up. He blew his nose and he groaned.

  "I can't feel my brain,' he groaned.

  "You didn't have much of one, to begin with, this might be bad," Kunikida hummed.

  "N/N~" Osamu pointed to Kunikida, "he's- he's being nasty!"

  "It's alright- calm down," she ruffled the back of his hair.

He laid his head on her shoulder, "I know one thing that would help me."

She hummed, "Oh yeah? What would that be?"

  "A little bit of you," he whispered and placed his hand on her thigh.

She looked at him, "now you're being nasty."

  "How could you say that about me?" he whimpered.

  "Here, take the medicine," she held the syringe to him.

  "No!" he got up and flew to the other side of the couch.

She huffed, "Don't fight me right now."

He covered his mouth, "It's disgusting! I'm not taking it!"

  She got up and he looked as she looked left and right, they were in a meeting and she looked back at him. She took the medicine in her mouth and she went to him and caged him against the couch and he watched her get closer. She grabbed his chin and began kissing him, he kissed back but felt her tongue shove the medicine into his mouth. He didn't gag into the kiss, but instead, he gulped down the medicine and she pulled away and wiped her mouth.

  "There- you took it," she crossed her arms.

  "If you administer it to me like that every time," he looked her up and down and sniffed, "maybe I can excuse the taste."

She raised her brow, "Osamu-"

  "All jokes!" he laughed awkwardly, "I mean- unless."

He shrugged and held his hand out.

She narrowed her eyes, "fine-"

  "Perfect," he smiled.

The others came out of the meeting and F/N grabbed her phone. She could do her work on it. Osamu fell back asleep on her and she kept a hand on his forehead.

  "How is he doing?" Yosano asked.

  "He hasn't sneezed as much anymore, but he's still a bit cold," she hummed and Yosano nodded.

  "He needs some more tea," Yosano said.

  "He won't let me go," F/N demonstrated by sitting up, but Osamu's arms tightened around her.

  "I can see," Yosano said and F/N sat back down, "how he can do that in his sleep, guess we'll never know."

Yosano made tea and placed it near Osamu. F/N took her hand away from his forehead and he shivered and she shook him up. He sat up and he let his head lull.

  "Come- drink more tea," she held it to him.

  He shakily grabbed the cup and she helped him carry it to his lips. He drank and he shuddered as the hot water ran through his body. She looked up at the clock and so did he.

  "Let's get you to bed, Osamu," she whispered, "you'll drown yourself in sweat."

He nodded and wrapped his coat tighter on him.

  "I'll finish my reports, Kunikida-kun," F/N said, "but Osamu's doing pretty shitty."

  "I trust you- just don't let yourself get sick," he said.

  "I won't," she hummed.

  She closed the door and slung his arm around her neck he leaned onto her and she took him to his dorm, which was much closer than hers. She helped him unlock the door and she locked it and he stumbled against the wall.

  "Osamu- you're doing horrible," she whispered, "come- take a bath."

She began taking his jacket and vest off and she saw how much sweat had accumulated below it. 

  He went to his bathroom and let the water run. F/N was preparing soup and set up the table. He was wearing a shirt with a sweater jacket on top. He sat down looked at the bowl in front of him and sneezed.

  "Drink up," F/N urged.

He nodded and he quickly spooned the soup into his mouth. She saw him slowly blink as he held the edges of the bowl.

  "Thank you," he said with a raspy, deep voice.

She smiled and nodded, "of course."

  He nodded and once he was done with the soup, he moved the table aside and laid in her lap. She felt him let out a deep- overworked sigh. She brushed his hair back and felt the sweat along his neck. She moved the table and set up the futon and pulled him onto it. She turned to heating up and she covered him in a blanket. She turned off the lights pulled the blankets higher up and laid below them. She pulled him close and his shaky hands held onto the front of her shirt. She smiled and closed her eyes. Osamu woke up and looked out the window, the bright sun running in and he wiped his sweat, but he was feeling much better and he sat up. He felt how hot it was in his apartment and he looked down and saw F/N still asleep. He got dressed and she got up and did the same. She tilted her head at him when she zipped up her skirt.

  "How are you feeling?" she asked.

  "Much better," he hummed, "my nose is still stuffy, but much better than how I was feeling yesterday."

She smiled, "that's great."

They went to the Agency, but on the way, Osamu pulled F/N to his other side, she looked confused but saw a pot fall from above.

  "Woah-" she looked back, "that would have hit me straight in the head if you didn't pull me."

  "I had a feeling it was going to happen," he said.

She nodded, "I see."

  He held her hand again and she felt the soft white bandages caress her wrists. She smiled and he tucked their hands into his pocket. She smiled and he held the door open for her and she walked in.

  "F/N-chan," Yosano wiggled her fingers.

  "Yeah?" she asked.

  "You and I are going on a mission together!" she exclaimed.

  "Seriously? Us?" she smiled, "this is going to be fun!"

Yosano clapped, "I know right."

  "Can I come with N/N~" Osamu wailed and hugged her tightly.

  "I don't know if you can," F/N said and he lifted her and she held his arms.

  "Oh my goodness- put me down!" she yipped.

  "Not unless you take me with you! They're very boring here," he hummed.

  "Dazai~" Yosano raised a brow, "we seriously can't waste time with you! Either come or not- I don't care, we need to go now though."

  "Yay!" he put F/N down and they went to the train station.

He smiled and sat down and F/N sat between them.

  "So what are we doing?" asked F/N.

  "I will be conducting an autopsy on a victim," she said and patted her briefcase, "you will be proving that he had no alibi at the time of the murder."

She nodded, "Yeah- much respect Yosano-san, but I can't go with you to the autopsy, I will pass out."

  "I know, you don't have to watch if you don't want to," she smiled.

F/N nodded and they went on a train all the way to Tokyo. 

F/N smiled and looked around and saw the large buildings.

  "This is nothing like Yokohama," she hummed and Yosano smiled.

Osmau held onto F/N as she looked around the large buildings and Yosano watched as her eyes widened.

  "To think my grandparents lived here," she smiled, "that's insane."

  They went to a large government building and F/N shivered, it was cold and their stares were insane. They were directed to a woman at a desk and they saw a finely dressed woman. Her hair was tied up with a single strand falling on her silently content face. She looked up at the sound of the approaching shoes and F/N smiled. She waved and stood up.

  "What are you doing here?" F/N asked.

  "I wanted to see if I could get back the house my parents used to own, it'd be nice to have a home in Tokyo in case I chose to get away from the ever-busy Yokohama," she giggled, "an assignment here, I assume?"

They nodded and she pushed her strand behind her ear.

  "Tokyo brings back so many memories, the fairs here were much more exciting than they are in Yokohama," she hummed.

  "Rie-chan," she turned around and saw an older man, about the age of her father.

  "Daisuke-san," she bowed and he smiled, "I heard you came in and I needed to see for myself. Your father was a great friend of mine, a shame they were killed."

M/N nodded, "That was years ago- let's not dwell on the past."

  "And this young lady," he pointed to F/N.

  "My daughter, F/N," she said.

  "Wow- a daughter too," he smiled.

  "Well- we can't leave you all waiting here- how can I help you?"

  "We're here to assist with the murder of one of the officials, I'll conduct the autopsy and F/N-chan is in charge of the alibi confirmation," Yosano said.

  "Well- forget the wait- follow me," he smiled.

M/N followed as well.

  "And you Rie-chan?" he asked as he placed his hands in his pocket.

  "I was wondering if I am able to get back my family home?" she asked.

  "Ah yes," he nodded, "that's been in government custody for decades. Even if you could get it back, it'd be better to clean it out for all its worth."

  "I'm aware, but I don't want it to get torn down," she said, "I want to see if I can find anything. Maybe find hints of my parent's murderer."

He coughed and F/N and Osamu looked at him with narrowed eyes, "that murderer would have definitely escaped Japan by now."

  "But this one didn't," she hummed, "and this time it was a higher-ranking official than my father. I don't think he would have left Japan."

  "I don't think you should be playing detective Rie-chan," he unlocked a door, "after all some things are better left in the past."

  "If my father did something to harm people, I want to know," she said.

  "Rie-chan," he looked back at her and F/N held Rie's hand, "your father a great friend of mine, but let this rest. You won't find the killer, and you won't like what you find out about him either."

M/N nodded. Yosano and Osamu looked at each other and he looked at Yosano.

  "Here is the body," he knocked on the glass of the door and they heard footsteps behind it, "M/N-chan, come with me- I'll see what we can do about the house."

M/N was held back by F/N and she turned around F/N looked at the man and M/N smiled.

  "Call me when you're done," M/N motioned a phone in her hand, "I can show you, kids, around, I'm sure you'd love it!"

She smiled, "Alright."

She let go and M/N left.

  "He's hiding something," Yosano hummed, "even I can tell."

The doctor came to the door and opened it. He pulled down his mask with his pinky.

  "You must be Yosano," he smiled, "come in I've been waiting."

She nodded and the doctor looked at F/N.

  "You two stay out here," she said.

They closed the door and F/N nodded. She held onto her bag and Osamu looked at her.

  "Could you peep that far into the past?" Osamu pointed to the direction M/N left.

  "I wish I could," she shrugged, "but if there is no digital trail- I can't find anything. I want to figure out as much as my mom does, but I have a feeling that whatever my grandfather did justified his murder."

She shuddered and sighed and looked up at him, "I mean- how often are Chief Justices murdered?"

He said, "Probably not very often."

She nodded, "Yeah- I'd think so too."

  "Plus- I don't think- um- that they cleaned up the scene much," she gulped, "there might still be blood everywhere."

He placed a hand on the back of her neck and she looked up at him.

  "F/N," he smiled, "you don't have to look at it. If you're worried, I'll go with M/N and check it out."

She nodded, "I can trust you with that- you aren't as terrified of blood as I am."

She shuddered, "I don't even want to think about it- seriously! Disgusting!"

He chuckled and leaned his back on the wall next to her.

  "How long do you think you'll need for this?" he asked and nudged his head to the door.

  "Depends," she shrugged, "but I think not more than a few hours."

He nodded, "You're crazy effective with technology, it creeps me out sometimes."

  "It creeps you out?" she asked.

He nodded, and she smiled. She placed a hand over her laptop in her bag and sighed.

  "Hopefully we can get over this quickly," she said, "I can't do murder and blood and guts."

He nodded and they saw Yosano come out and the doctor behind her.

  "Are you guys done?" Osamu asked.

Yosano nodded and took the file with her.

  "Let me show you guys to the next place," the doctor hummed.