Desperate times call for desperate measures

•Chapter 2•

Later that night, he waited by the phone, slightly nervous. He had no need to be nervous, right? He was just a prank caller. He wasn't going to hurt him or anything, right? Maybe he was nervous he'd get the answer wrong, but he couldn't think of anything else that it could be.
   The caller never specified what time he would call back. Despite that, Shuichi was itching to call him himself. He just said he would call at the end of the day. It was nearly 11. Shuichi sighed and lied down on his bed. He shut his eyes and thought about possible alternatives to the answer but thinking about it more just made his head hurt. He was pretty sure he had the right answer anyway. If he didnt, I guess the calls would continue. He could live with that. It's not like he had anything interesting to say anyway.
   The phone rang at around 11:30. Shuichi let it ring for a bit. His ringtone was his favourite song and he'd thought he'd just listen to it for a bit. After a while, he did pick up.
   "Hiya, detective!" The familiar, annoying, child-like voice rang down the phone like usual, which just made Shuichi's head hurt more, "Got an answer for me?"
   "Yes." Shuichi hadn't been as confident as he was now. He was sure this was the answer, "If you imagine you're in a dark room, you just stop imagining you're in there."
   Silence. Shuichi started to panic. Was this the wrong answer?
   "Wrong!" Shuichi sighed. He shouldn't have been so hopeful before, "I'm lying! Of course you got it right, detective. I wouldn't expect anything less from you!"
   "T-Thanks...?"
   "Alright, since you won, I suppose you want me to leave you alone now. That won't be an issue! Goodb-"
   "Wait." What was he doing? He's a petty vandalizer from around town. He's not going to help him with the case. Still, Shuichi thought if anyone could help him, it would be the person who could find a way to get his phone number with no explanation given. This was right, "I need your help."
   "Oh-ho-ho? The detective needs help from a criminal like me! How wonderful."
   "Shut up." There came a comedic gasp from the other line, "I hope you live in Tokyo."
   "Oh. Of course. Is that all you needed? Are you gonna arrest me, detective?"
   "No, actually. I need to go to Kawaguchi in Saitama prefecture tomorrow to investigate the murders going on there. I haven't been given a partner."
   "Seems pretty dangerous, you know? I suggest you complain."
   "Maybe, but I've already been forced to take it up."
   "So you want me to be your partner? Is that allowed?"
   "Probably not, but what other option do I have?"
   "Oo! Mr Detective is a rebel! Fun! Well, I'll keep my promise! I'll be there by 5:00! We're going by train."
   "Wait-" But the line went dead.
    Shuichi lied down again. Somehow, he couldn't feel any regret for that, even though it would probably get him fired if the firm found out. He didn't even know this guy's name, let alone how old he was. Despite having a childish voice, he couldn't have been younger than 18. He runs a "gang", he has pretty good vocabulary and he wouldn't have agreed if he was. So we had age (roughly) down, and his city down, but there was still so much mystery shrouding him. All those mysteries would hopefully be solved tomorrow. At 5am. He shut his eyes and let his memories drift him away into a deeper sleep than he'd anticipated.
    He missed his alarm.
    He missed the front door opening.
    He missed his bedroom door opening.
    And he'd missed a short boy sit on his floor, humming along to his own beat.

    "Mmm...this is getting bori- OH MY GOD-" The small boy was greeted by Shuichi's uncle standing in his doorway.
   "SHUICHI THERE'S BEEN A BREAK-IN!" He yelled, which, for some reason, was the thing to wake Shuichi up. He jumped, startled at his uncle's unusually loud volume. He stared at him, and then at the boy on the floor.
    He was dressed in an all-white uniform, with a matching clown mask, which barely covered some messy purple hair.
   "Hi." He said nonchalantly.
   "Shuichi, who is this?!" His uncle demanded.
    Shuichi blanked on any excuse he could give. The boy didn't though.
   "Sorry, sir. I wanted to play a harmless prank on your son, since we're best friends! I didn't mean to break in, I just wanted to scare him!"
   Silence.
   "Alright, then. Please don't pull that again."
   Shuichi's uncle left his room and shut the door. They both sighed in relief.
   "You're lucky my uncle is chill. And an idiot." Shuichi stared at the boy. His small stature was comparable to that of Shuichi's tall, lean frame. They were like polar opposites.
   "How did he get a job at a detective firm then?"
   Shuichi was about to answer, then realised there were more pressing issues at hand, "How did you even find my location?"
   The boy sighed, "What a stupid question. Of course I tracked the call." Shuichi was handed a ticket. His hands were cold, "I booked the train for 7:30 since I knew you were going to be late."
   "Thanks. Let me pay you back!"
   "No, no, it's fine, D.I.C.E make enough money, a train ticket is nothing."
   "But-"
   "Any questions, you can save for the bus. Let's go!" Shuichi was interrupted by his wrist being grabbed as the small boy pulled him to the bus stop outside his house where him and his uncle normally got the bus. This time, they would stop at the train station.
   He let Shuichi change first. Obviously.