"Didn't think I'd gotten enough fame for you detective's to start coming after me."
"You've cause quite a ruckus, but you wouldn't mind if we had a little fun with this, do you?"
...
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"Kokomi, you know I did not sign up for this! I told you I only have permission for today."
"I know! I know. I got permission as well. They know. The police won't do anything until you've been gone for more than a week, so we're fine!"
Y/n let out a frustrated sigh. When Kokomi had asked to meet up she was not expecting any of this. Leaving for a few days? How absurd. There was no way she'd follow along when she wasn't prepared at all. Actually, she didn't even have the faintest idea of what they were going to be doing.
"Sorry, I just-"
"Come on. You can stop by the hospital to check up on your friends before we go. Please?"
Without being able to give a response, Y/n was dragged away. Kokomi seemed to be in some sort of a hurry as her pace quickened every few minutes until they were in a full on sprint. When they reached the hospital, Kokomi knelt down to regain her breath. Y/n patiently waited for her to recover, then went inside. She hadn't realized that her friend had stayed outside the building with a gloomy look.
Y/n aimlessly followed the outdoor path, wondering where Kazuha would be resting. She was about to turn a different direction when she heard a small whistle sound nearby. Under a tree, sat Kaedehara Kazuha in a hospital gown, blowing on a leaf. He seemed to be nearly recovered besides a slight sense of unbalance when he stood up.
"Ah, Y/n! I had been wondering how you were after I heard that Heizou had been hospitalized as well."
The h/c haired thief nodded with a smile. "Sorry I haven't visited. Things have been... icky, I guess."
Kazuha chuckled in response. He could tell Y/n was in a bit of a rush and did not talk as much as he would've liked to. Although this did not go by unnoticed, Y/n knew she shouldn't keep Kokomi waiting too long and after a small chat, she left to visit Heizou.
There was a few minutes of uneasy silence before Y/n was allowed to come in. She had stared straight into the doctor's eyes with a disappointed look, standing firmly in one place. She had contemplated whether she should throw her bag across his face in order to be let in, but in the end the doctor surrendered and let her in.
Heizou looked extremely bored and was blankly staring out the window when Y/n had walked in. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. It was clear that he wasn't expecting to see her the day after he had called.
"How was your beauty sleep, Mr. detective?" Y/n asked with a smirk.
Heizou smiled in response. Y/n could tell he was still tired and recovering, obviously. At first the detective was questioning how the thief had been allowed in, but stopped knowing he shouldn't make any brash movements and also because he had a feeling he already knew. Just like she had done with Kazuha, the two had a small chat, but they didn't have as much to catch up on since they had talked the day before.
Right before Y/n was about to leave, Heizou asked her if she had his notes with her. Although she was confused she nodded. Then she realized what he was going to say. She dug through her bag and took out the carefully packaged notes (she had it wrapped in a cloth so she wouldn't damage it) and handed it to him. He opened it up and was surprised to find other newer and neater notes that Y/n had forgotten to take out. Y/n returned to the door and turned around to say goodbye.
"Stay safe." Heizou responded. Then the thief left, but a small smile was plastered onto the detective's face, a small piece of her still remaining with him.
"Kokomi, you still haven't told me where we're going." Y/n groaned.
Her friend remained silent. She still had the same worried face from before they got to the hospital. It was growing late and the sun had almost already set. Y/n turned on her flashlight, but Kokomi immediately placed her hand over the light, shaking her head. Now Y/n had grown suspicious. She knew it wasn't like Kokomi to be so on edge for such a long period of time.
"Alright! I think we can stay here for now..."
When they stopped, Y/n found herself in the middle of a forest. There was a foul stench in the air and she wasn't sure how Kokomi wasn't reacting to the smell. Suddenly, she recalled the news from a few days ago, realizing she was in the very same place.
'So... Kokomi is in cohorts with Ryo.'
"Are you insane?"
Kokomi flinched at Y/n's sudden question, but after a small moment of silence she began laughing. There was a delighted smile on her face when she had stopped. The sound of her laughter rang in Y/n's ears. How gullible she had been. Behind her, a dark figure leaned onto a tree. A small silver glimmer shone in the figure's hand, a knife. Upon instinct, Y/n pulled out a gun she had stolen from the commissioner (just in case). She pointed it at the two, slowly retreating in small steps.
"Sorry, Y/n. Ryo had such tempting benefits for me, I just couldn't resist!"
The gun trembled in her hands. She was afraid. How could she do anything against her best friend or ex-best friend? When she glanced at the figure, it had disappeared back into the forest. Thousands of thoughts and questions flooded her mind, but every single one was shut down with curses. She told herself that there was no way she was going to let herself be put into any harm tonight. After all, she had told the detective she would "stay safe."
A pair of arms wrapped around her neck and she fell unconscious.
