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As you slowly opened your eyes, you were momentarily disorientated by the bright fluorescent light. Blinking rapidly, you realised that you were still in the office, slumped over your desk, surrounded by piles of paperwork and open books. It took you a few seconds to remember that you had been studying the Tokyo Zodiac Murders case all night, so intently that even your dreams were haunted by the gruesome details.
The case was simply extraordinary. It was baffling, peculiar, and had an unfathomable complexity, as it involved the brutal killing of six young women, exactly as described in Hiroshi's notes. What made it even more gruesome was that each of the six bodies was found buried in a different location, with a different body part missing and metal objects interred along with them. What made the case even more puzzling was the fact that Hiroshi was actually killed prior to the deaths of the young women, who were, in actuality, his daughters and nieces. Despite Hiroshi mentioning several people's names, none of them were found guilty as they all had strong alibis. Even the police thoroughly investigated and cleared all possible suspects. Hiroshi himself seemed to be the only one with a strong motive, but since he was already dead before the murders actually occurred, he was ruled out as a suspect, hence the mystery.
As you rubbed your bleary eyes and stretched your stiff muscles, you noticed Atsushi standing next to your desk, looking down at you with a mix of surprise and concern. "[Y/N], are you okay? Did you stay here all night?" He asked, his voice laced with worry.
But you were completely unfazed by your rough night's sleep—or lack thereof—your mind consumed by a single, burning desire. You needed to prove Ranpo wrong, to show him that you were more than worthy of handling the case that had stumped investigators and detectives for years. Without missing a beat, you replied to Atsushi, "don't worry, I'm fine!" You waved your hand in the air, dispelling his apprehension like a puff of smoke. "But...where is Ranpo? I need to talk to him."
"I'm...not too sure." Atsushi responded, rubbing the nape of his neck with his hand. He didn't think the first person you'd want as soon as you had woken up this morning would be Ranpo. "He might be here later?"
Dazai and Yosano walked into the office just then, their eyes simultaneously widening at the sight of you, still in your office attire, with dark circles under your eyes and a book clutched tightly in your hand. But before they could say anything, especially Yosano, who was currently looking at you with pity, you jumped to your feet, sheer determination written all over your face.
"Do you guys happen to know where Ranpo is? If you do, I will buy you whatever food you want." You asked, your urgency palpable.
"Deal," Dazai grinned. "It's actually Ranpo's day off work, so he won't be at the office today. He'll probably be at his apartment since he doesn't live at the agency."
