Hiding In Plain Sight

Sentimental Value

"Wow, three hot dudes on top of each other? Did I stumble across a porno?" Shuichi's head shot up, locking eyes with the woman across the stream. Her long, blonde hair fell haphazardly around her body, bright blue eyes gazing into Shuichi's with a strange aura he couldn't pick up on.

"How much surgery did you have to get for a body like that?" Kokichi spat. Shuichi elbowed the purplette, glaring at him in disapproval. Yes, the woman had an extremely attractive body and seemed to know as such since she had little clothing covering herself, but that didn't warrant any insults. The woman squealed, a noticeable blush spreading across her face as she hugged her waist.

"You vicious little shit! What are you three doing here?!" She asked, her voice trembling with a questionable joy.

"We could ask the same," Rantaro interjected, the trio now standing and ready for a fight.

"Oh, you know, we're hunting Ultimates," the woman cackled, a malicious grin spreading across her cheeks. We? Before Shuichi could ask for clarification, three other strangers approached their accomplice from the shadows. They all had the same strawberry blonde hair and sapphire eyes, each dressed in light pink clothing with black belts accessorising their bodies. One of the four seemed to be male, the two new females had either a short bob or a ponytail.

"What are three men like you lot doing in a town like this?" The masculine member asked, smirking with a hand on his hip.

"Same as you, hunting Ultimates." Shuichi heard Kokichi scoff beside him, but neither spoke up to correct the bluenette's lie. "This is our territory, so I recommend you all leave." He watched as the group laughed, sitting on their side of the stream. "Guys, let's just sit back down, they're watching us. We can't risk leading them back to the others." Kokichi and Rantaro nodded, the three sitting close together with the possible attackers in their sight.

"What do we do? Can we kill them?" Rantaro asked, flexing his hands to prepare himself for a fight.

"No, something seems off about the first woman we saw. It was almost as if the others were sacrificing her in case we reacted violently," Shuichi mumbled. "Rantaro, do you have the walkie-talkie on you?"

"Yeah, what's your plan?" Rantaro asked, picking up on Shuichi's hint.

"Pretend to go to the bathroom and contact Harukawa so she knows about the situation. Tell her to use anyone possible to capture both us and that group, they have to pretend not to know us. Take both groups to the warehouse and keep our group outside, the other group is to go inside to be interrogated on their identities. You and I will help during the interrogation through the outside, she'll know when she sees it. Oh, and there's no need for unnecessary violence against the others, but they may be armed."

"Why do all of this Shu~Shu? Just because someone seems weird?" Kokichi asked, frowning as he ripped up the grass beside him and tore each blade in half.

"I recognise her, I think the woman with the long hair is the last Ultimate we're looking for," Shuichi explained. Kokichi and Rantaro nodded, the latter standing to enact the plan to save a possible friend.

"Oi, where are you off to Greeny?" Ponytail-Girl shouted.

"I'm taking a piss, come and watch if that's what you're into," Rantaro retorted, waiting for a response. "That's what I thought. I'll be back in a minute you two," he winked, wandering around a corner and out of sight. Sighing, Shuichi picked up the bucket and dirty scarf, refilling the container with water and the soap so he could wash Kokichi's accessory. Watching the water turn grey with blood and mud, Shuichi removed the scarf from the water and flicked off any excess drops, attempting to wring out as much water as possible.