"Wait......! Wait, wait, wait!" I suddenly blurt. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would Shiori do all this to look bad?!"
"Ah-ha! Now that's the question, boy! Why would Shiori want to look like the villain in all of this?" Ranpo asks aloud. "It's simple really."
Breaking character, a sadden smile appears on his features.
"The Shiori who's been attacking around Yokohama, and the Shiori we know...are two different people."
My eyes widen. Those words...my heart needed to hear them so badly.
"...Really-"
"Now I know you lost it." Minoura interrupts. "How can there be another Shiori running around Yokohama?"
Ranpo shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe a secret sibling? A doppelganger? A crazy stalker who likes to cross dress or cosplay? ...Or an ability user who can change faces?"
"Get serious. Someone with an ability like that would either be placed in government custody or locked up somewhere. With a terrifying gift like that, there's no way that person would be allowed to freely walk the streets."
"..."
"Um... Ranpo-san?"
"Locked up, huh?" He thinks to himself a bit before smiling. "I bet you think I'm just saying all this because Shiori's a part of Agency and I'm just blindingly sticking up for her. But this investigation isn't over... I need to look into something."
"And what is that exactly?"
"That's for me to know, and for you to wait and see."
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
"Ranpo-san, what were you talking about back there?"
"..."
The two of us are walking the streets, heading back to the Agency.
"Ranpo-san?"
"Oh man! I sure am hungry!"
"!! U-Um, do you want to stop somewhere to eat?"
"No, I'm good."
"...?"
Then why say that?
"Are you confused?"
"Very much so." I nod.
"Good...that's exactly what this "Shiori" wants from everyone. A state of confusion and internal conflict within the Agency."
"Internal conflict?"
"Think about it. Until you heard I say it's not our Shiori, did you doubt your sister? Even for a tiny bit?"
"..." Atsushi looked ashamed to even have thought it.
"See? If we thought she didn't do it, and some of the Agency members did, we would come to a standstill and fight with each other over the matter."
"I see...so their goal is to slow down the Agency from finding the real Shiori so they can find her first."
"Look at that. I'm sure Shiori would be proud to hear you now."
"..."
"Now, as long as I tell everyone that this Shiori is a fake, we won't get distracted.... But I do want to visit a certain place just to have proof since the police need more than my amazing word.... Anyways~! Come on, Atsushi-kun! To the Agency we go~!"
"!! Wait, Ranpo-san! That's the wrong way!"
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
"Ranpo-san, please tell me!" I beg for the hundredth time. "What is this place you need to visit?"
"Geez, calm down, Atsushi-kun. I still need to get approval from the Director before I can go."
"...Alright."
"...Don't look so down. Listen, you'll be the first person I tell once I get the information I seek."
That cheers me up a bit. "Alright, thank you, Ranpo-san."
Ranpo and I have entered the Agency's office and noticed everyone standing around looking tense.
"Whoa, you all wanted to greet me?" Ranpo grins.
Everyone didn't react to our presence. All their faces looked...troubled and serious. But his was the most distressed.
"Your awake Kunikida-san!" I approach him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm ok...though, I would feel a lot better if they weren't here." His eyes look towards the hallway...where the Director's office was.
"Who's here?"
"..."
"Let's go see." Ranpo walks pass me.
"W-Wait, the Director is in a meeting-" Ranpo casually ignore Tanizaki and heads straight to the office.
"..."
I simply follow him. We stood outside the door, hearing voices inside.
"...Maybe we shouldn't-"
Ranpo cuts me off, opening the door. "I'm back!" he announces.
All talking ceased and eyes turn our way.
"I'm sorry about him-..."
What...are they doing here?
"Ranpo..." the Director addresses.
"Well, ain't this a lovely surprise. We were just about to discuss the topic of your sister."
Sitting across from the director was the boss of the Port Mafia, Ougai Mori. Stand on either side of him was Nakahara Chuuya and Akutagawa. Dazai stood next to the director, hands in his pockets with...a very icy demeanor across his features.
Just what the hell did we walk into?
YOU ARE READING
Trouble On The Side
Fanfiction[Fourth Book] After finishing off the Guild, everything is peaceful once again...is what the Agency wished for. But nothing is never that easy. A new organization has made themselves known. They have come to Yokohama hunting for an ability user with...
