Prey and Predator [Ranpo x Reader] + Bonus ✓

17. Foundation of trust

I resorted to relying on my own deduction and reading of each writing to formulate my own take on the scene - all before depending on Ranpo's ability and intel. As I reached for these and searched through for chronological order I began suspecting that he too was a member of the Ki family which had turned to crime and was forced to deal with the loss of an almost-teen boy. If that was so, how did it explain his apathy towards the gathering in honour of Eiji's death?

While Ranpo had reached into the newly opened bag of crisps he had snatched from the locker I came across a letter which I organised at the top of the pile considering where it stood on the timeline: from oldest to most recent. It dated back to when she'd first been admitted in as a nurse.

Dear [L/N],

It was not my intention to have alarmed you by having this letter posted to your residence, but I felt that giving you this in person would not seem quite appropriate; at work, I expect for professionalism to be exercised over biased friendships and relations, so this will only take a few minutes of your personal time.

I know it may seem strange to you to receive such an informal letter from someone such as I, but there is something which I must remark on: ever since you first applied for the job I noticed you lacked confidence, and there was no major achievement present in your personal statement - I do not mean to offend you in this way, but I expected to see more than just a replica report of outstanding grades in this section. Regardless of this, however, you showed true passion for the position and field you had applied for, and once you walked in through the door you gave off a sense of belonging - this is where you were destined to be.

You've put my mind at ease when the thoughts of "Perhaps I should've chosen someone different" or "Maybe I didn't make the right choice" invaded; your colleagues speak highly of you despite your inexperienced self, and often they mention how pleasant it is to have you around even if you simply follow to watch how the job is carried out. Patients alike have reported similar feedback.

I can tell that behind this welcoming persona is a terrified girl just as charming. You're scared of messing up and that is more than understandable - I would be too. But you must understand that others around you can provide you with the support you well deserve - I, for example, would love to hear what goes on in the minds of my staff and find ways in which we can tackle these issues (after all, who else can do better than the manager himself?).

I do not expect for you to write back if you do not wish to do so, but I'd like to invite you to my office perhaps during a lunch break you may have, just to come in and have a nice chat, but also let me know on my proposal to act as your personal mentor. Remember: You are not a burden to have around and anyone in the hospital (not just the department alone) will testify for this.

I hope to hear from you soon, and please do consider my proposal.

Kind regards,

Mr Ki

Even without the little context and supposed truth I'd been provided with regarding mother's later relationship with the man - well, a relationship was a strong term, really; it was my personal belief that a forced connection between people did not deserve to receive the name of "relationship", but rather, should be considered a toxin of human bondage; there were already elements of obsession and patronising disguised through kind words, for instance, instead of suggesting she should seek assistance from him if needed, he seemed to be telling her to do so, using her weak spots (i.e. the lack of confidence and experience) to lure her in.

Each and every letter I read got more personal and informal as I went along, and the manager began addressing himself by his first name, later changing this to "the man of your dreams", and the contents became taunting and proved to become a sign of clear verbal molestation.