Shortly afterwards -- it had begun to snow.
The flakes were fluffy and white, gliding dreamily down onto the streets below. They piled up on the brims of streetlamps and awnings of colorful buildings, bits of frost reflecting the city's golden lights back at it as pedestrians busied themselves along the sidewalks.
In the darkness of the agency, Atsushi Nakajima, weretiger and orphan, watched this all from Ranpo's desk. He sat there with his knees to his chest, head rested on crossed arms as he stared out the nearby window with glittering eyes.
So,
He thought, entranced by the scene,
This is 'Christmas Eve', huh?
Not too long ago, Kyoka had fallen asleep on the couch. Atsushi knew that she didn't have any particular attachment to the holiday, so when she began muttering things about gingerbread cookies and movies -- he knew she was doing it for his sake. .
Atsushi had to reassure her that he was okay--really -- and that honestly, he didn't really know that much about this whole Christmas Eve thing either. He wouldn't mind missing it, and if she were tired, she really ought to get some rest.
When she finally let herself nod off, Atsushi had found her a blanket, switched off the lights, and went to sit elsewhere so not to be a disturbance to the little assassin girl.
That elsewhere being where he was now. Lip caught between his teeth as his gaze dropped to the phone vibrating in his hand.
He waited for the tone to go dead, then ended the call before the automated voice could ask him if he wanted to leave a message.
That's...all of them now, I think...I've tried calling everyone.
It had been two hours since the members of the Armed Detective Agency had disappeared into the city. And one hour since he had last tried to call them. But just as it had been that time, he wasn't having any luck.
No one was picking up.
It probably wasn't any fault on their part. They had sprung for a company phone plan sometime last month at Kunikida's suggestion But someone made the mistake of putting Ranpo in charge of the purchase, and the provider turned out to be a front for a criminal organization.
The agency had managed to defeat those guys, of course. But they hadn't gotten a chance to get a replacement service yet. So everyone's cellular service was more or less on the fritz.
But still, trying to call them had been worth a shot. It was getting awfully late, and Atsushi would be lying if he were to say that he wasn't starting to get just a bit anxious.
He clenched his fists, trying to will his thumping heart to calm down.
They were the Armed Detective Agency, all formidable ability users in their own right. They'd be fine. Something like cursed mistletoe surely wasn't too much for them to handle.
It was just...he hadn't expected them to take this long.
The fog of sleepiness had started to creep up on him a while ago -- but he had been pushing past it, determined to wait up for them.
A-after all - He thought, They'll need help setting out the futons when they get back, right?
He should at the very least be able to help out with that.
Yeah, because that's what we're doing. That's how we're spending tonight, sleeping over at the office together...
He glanced around the empty room.
YOU ARE READING
𐌌𐌉𐌔𐌕𐌋𐌄𐌕Ꝋ𐌄, 𐌌𐌉𐌔𐌕𐌋𐌄𐌕Ꝋ𐌄, 𐌌𐌉𐌔𐌕𐌋𐌄𐌕Ꝋ𐌄
ФанфикшнOn a dark and frosty Christmas Eve, cursed mistletoe began appearing all over Yokohama. Despite being under strict orders to remain inside, the members of the Armed Detective Agency one by one find themselves on the streets of the city. And more th...
