Bungou Stray Dogs the Untold Origin of the Detective Agency

Section 2: The Untold Origins of the Detective Agency (7-9)

 The last man in the suit slightly caught Fukuzawa's attention. There was nothing about his appearance that really stood out. He was your run-of-the-mill kind of guy. He wore a navy suit with a broad-brimmed bowler hat and held a T-shaped cane in one hand. He was reminiscent of the typical Western gentleman. It wasn't clear what about him bothered Fukuzawa, exactly, but there were a few things that made him suspicious. He was sitting in the front row, he sat up completely straight and didn't fidget in the least, and his overcoat was slightly large for his overly skinny appearance.

Upon closer inspection, the man had a piercing gaze contrary to his gentlemanlike appearance, almost as if he were looking inside the actors. They were the eyes of a predator, like a hawk or leopard moments before pouncing on its prey. One thing was for sure; they were not the eyes of someone enjoying the play. Was the large overcoat being used to hide a weapon? Was the cane in his hand a sword cane? Fukuzawa would be able to stop him from this position if the man were to commence a surprise attack, but...

Fukuzawa quietly measured the distance with his gaze. He played out every move the enemy could make in his mind and calculated. That was when...

"Hey, can I ask you something?" asked Ranpo suddenly. "Everyone here paid money to see this, right?"

"No talking during the show," scolded Fukuzawa. However...

"Why would anyone pay to watch a story this predictable?" asked Ranpo. He looked incredulous, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.

Fukuzawa had a bad feeling about this.

"I mean, even the twist is so predictable! That's the murderer! Even a child wouldn't need more than five minutes to figure it out!"

The people sitting on both sides of Fukuzawa and Ranpo began to mutter to themselves in annoyance, but Ranpo paid no heed.

"The reason he got to be with the protagonist at the time of the first murder was because he used a candle as a time delay for the trigger! There were only two candles! You saw it with your own eyes, right, old guy?"

A small commotion began to grow around Ranpo. The actor onstage was glancing at him as well.

"Ugh! You're so stupid! That guy you're turning to for help is the killer! You still have the first picture you took, right? You'd be able to see he's the killer if you just looked at it! Why are you dawdling?"

A few audience members began to whisper.

"What's wrong with that boy?"

"But... Wait. That's the killer? No way."

"It would all make sense if he is, though, right?"

"Stop," Fukuzawa lightly chided Ranpo.

But Ranpo continued.

"Oh, great. Just great. The two who went to the cargo room are gonna be killed next because they just happened to see the spider's web that could have been used as evidence. Now just watch. The killer's going to make up some excuse to leave the room like he needs to get the map or something. Ugh! Don't let him get away!"

Ranpo stomped his feet on the ground in an aggravated manner. Almost immediately...

"I'll go get the map," said the character onstage as he disappeared behind the wing curtain.

"See?! This is so aggravating!"

The commotion started to get louder.

"No way. That's the killer?"

"B-but he's such a good guy... Why?"

"Was everything he said to his girlfriend just a lie?"

The whispers began to spread from seat to seat. Fukuzawa's stomach pains were only getting worse.

"That's enough. Some things you just need to keep to yourself," demanded Fukuzawa with a little force.

"Why? Why is everyone watching this show? It's so aggravating!" Ranpo's eyes were ablaze with fury. "Seriously, why? It makes no sense to me. I don't understand anyone! Why are adults like this? Why is everyone like this? Someone, just tell me why!" he shouted.

This outburst didn't just come out of nowhere. Doubt and stress had been swelling inside him for the longest time, waiting to explode.

"I don't understand what anyone's thinking! I'm scared! It feels like I'm surrounded by monsters! It doesn't matter what I say—nobody understands me! My parents were the only ones who did, and they're dead!"

This time, he was screaming—an anguished lamentation aimed at nowhere in particular. The protagonist onstage was begging the skill user, who was nowhere to be found, to save them. As the protagonist cried for help, so did Ranpo.

"If there's a skill user here, save me! If there's an angel, then save me! Why must I be alone?! Why do I have to live alone in the middle of a bunch of monsters?"

"Enough!"

Fukuzawa grabbed on to Ranpo with both hands. Ranpo glared back at him with clear animosity in his eyes.