Dumb cop, liar cop (Oumota)

Kokichi's secret investigation

The next few days were normal. Kaito and Kokichi haven't talked much. Rather than talked, the argued.

"Why in the world is someone as small as you picking fights all the time???" Kaito yelled on their way back from work that day. At this point he wasn't even sure what they were fighting about; they were just angry. "I bet anyone could knock you out with one punch!"

"If I were in a fight, I would break your kneecaps, dumbass!" Kokichi yelled back, "Don't look down on short people!"

For some reason, each time they argued at the police station, they would catch some of their coworkers smirking at them. Kaito didn't get why though. Not only so, but the two also attracted a lot of attention each time they start yelling in public.

On the transit, Kaito and Kokichi were forced to quiet down. Both sat down next to each other naturally, like they have been traveling together for years. Both were grumbling under their breaths. Both were determined to not look at the other.

"Don't wait for me to go to work tomorrow," Kokichi suddenly said, "I won't be going."

"What?"

"I said, I won't be at the station tomorrow. Are your ears as slow as your brain?"

"What do you think you're doing skipping out on your job-"

"SHHHHHHH!" The entire train shushed Kaito. The idiot had no inside voice. Kokichi smirked. It was a real smile... Kaito thinks that he knew Kokichi better now than a few days before. He's not always the incarnation of Satan, sometimes he's just a bit smug...

"I'm not dumb. Kaede knows I'll be taking a few days off."

...

"Captain Kaede, is it true that Kokichi is taking the day off?"

"Yes," Kaede said, "He decided to take his vacation this week. He planned it months ago... says he's going to the beach in the early winter. Weird kid..."

"What? A week?" Kaito blurted, "He's not even going anywhere?"

"How do you know?"

"We live in the same apartment complex. I would have noticed if he was going anywhere... He seemed to be staying home today."

"Neighbors huh~" Kaede smirked, "You two always entered and left the station together, I thought you two were a thing~"

"WHAT?"

"Is it that surprising? Kokichi always picks on you the most. He is like a kid who teases the crush he likes."

"I thought he was just being rude to me and Shuichi because we are new."

"Kokichi is tough on newbies. He wants to keep them from making careless mistakes," Kaede said, suddenly chuckling, "But you are one tough guy. Kokichi probably never met a cop that managed to yell back at him. That's probably a healthy change of pace for Kokichi."

"Hey," Kaito said, "The way you're putting it makes it sound like we're dating or something."

Kaede gave Kaito a death stare and then sighed. Kaito really was a bit dense. 

"Anyways, if that's the case, do me a favor."

"Of course."

"Check up on Kokichi after work today," Kaede said, "Kokichi thinks he's such a good liar, but I know he's working on a personal investigation of sorts. He takes days off to solve those cases on his own."

"Is that... allowed?"

"It's nothing illegal. But he's is always on his own, and refuses to share anything with others. It can't be good for his sanity," Kaede said, "He's a really confusing and often annoying person, but I want him to know there is always someone he can rely on. Kokichi is very distrustful, though. He is suspicious of everyone, even when he has no reason to do so."

...

Kaito banged on the door of Kokichi apartment.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. OPEN UP, KOKICHI!" he yelled.

No answer. Kaito cracked his knuckles. "ALRIGHT, YOU ASKED FOR IT!"

BANG! Kaito kicked the door, which went flying off its hinges into the dark apartment. 

...huh. Looks like Kokichi really wasn't home. Kaito looked around. The room was odd. It looked like some kind of little kid's hideout. The sofa's cushions were removed and stacked on the floor of the living room, with a blanket draped over them like a pillow fort. 

Colored pencil drawings were taped to every wall. There were designs of fantasy weapons, castles, and creatures. Most of them were scribbled and childish, but some of them were actually detailed and drawn with care.

A certain drawing caught Kaito's eye. It was a drawing of a red-haired police officer. He realized with a shock that it was a drawing of him. The drawing of Kaito carried a very wide grin. A speech bubble came out his mouth saying, "I'm too stupid to care!"

"THAT *SSHOLE!" Kaito crumpled the picture and threw it on the ground.

But... if Kokichi wasn't in his apartment, where was he? ...he wasn't just hiding somewhere in the apartment to avoid talking to him, was he?

Kaito decided to venture further inside just to be sure. Kokichi's kitchen was a mess... no food except Panta and candy. How in the world was the kid alive?

All the rooms were empty, except for Kokichi's bedroom. When Kaito went to the room, he found the door was locked.

Kaito decided to first call and make sure. "Kokichi? Are you inside?"

No answer.

"Kokichi, I swear, if you're inside when I get this door open, I will fight you."

Nothing.

BAM! Kaito is basically busting down all the doors today... 

The room was empty, with a large closet on one left side and a bed on the right. Like the living room, Kokichi's bedroom was littered with papers... but not drawings. They were copies of crime cases solved at the precinct. There was a large chalkboard on the far end of the room. It had pictures of all of the members of the police force.

Kaito was a bit surprised to find his own photo and Shuichi's on the drawing board too. Under Shuichi's was one word, "trustworthy?"  under Kaito's was one word, "idiot".

What in the world was this board even for? Kaito suddenly noticed tiny print below "idiot". 

It wrote: So far, he has proven himself too dumb to be the mole, but perhaps it is an act.

What in the world did he mean by mole? Isn't that an animal? The term seemed familiar to Kaito, like something he heard once in a spy movie. Anyway, the more Kaito saw of Kokichi's apartment, the creepier it seems to get... Maybe it was some sort of weird joke.

(Kaito, you idiot)

Kaito shrugged and turned his attention to some of the case files in the bedroom. A certain case stood out. It was the murder of two married couple fifteen years ago. Unlike all of the other files, Kokichi couldn't have been possibly involved with a case this old. 

But then he read the name of the couple... Ouma.

Kaito quickly started reading the details of the case. The couple had a son at the time. Kokichi Ouma. 

Was Kokichi trying to solve his parent's murders?

All this information was whirling in his head until it abruptly halted when he heard a gun click from behind him, and Kokichi's ice cold voice:

"Don't move."

(wow, this chapter was long)