Game on - oumasai

Chapter 4: Long time no see

Two whole days had past since his last interaction with the gang leader. Yet, unlike most criminals, he couldn't shake him from his mind. How could someone so vulnerable, so small, cocky and childish, pose one of the highest domineering threats to Japanese modern society? He wasn't a Yakuza. No, there weren't any tattoos, neither on the back or arms or neck.

Slithers of memories intruded his thoughts at random moments of his day now at moments which were less an appropriate. At his desk sorting through paperwork, his face embedded hallucinating onto the sheets of A4, removed by a blink. Flashes of wide smirks, bleached white teeth, violet, lavender flourishes of hair.

One interaction and he was hooked like an addict. Something was wrong with him and it wasn't lust or obsession, he felt it... inside. Like a tracker, slowly releasing poison.

Tri-hourly, for the last 2 days, he was ordered to the room, behind the glass to assess interrogations. Funnily enough, despite surpassing the 48 hour mark, Kokichi hadn't requested any legal representation and had in fact, insisted upon staying. His own words were, 'Because I have an intolerance to lawyers! I get all angry at those money-hungry dimwits, and you, you right there,' he seemed to do that old trick and stare widely through the one way glass and somehow it always met flush with Shuichi's eyes, "don't want to see me angry. So no lawyers. Understand?"

As if they had a connection, intertwined by the strings of fate, Shuichi understood. Odd that thought came to mind, Shuichi had never given any care to spirituality.

Then Kyoko swiftly walked up to him, on time as usual, and simply crossed her arms standing directly behind him expectantly. "He's requested you."

"H-Huh? W-What..?" Unusual, this wasn't how it normally went.

On any other day it would go as followed.
'Interrogations are beginning, come with me.'

He attempted to follow her up with more questions but she simply turned in the other direction and walked away, a little more aggravated than usual. Her pacing was off. Normally she walked in a one-two, one-two but this was more like one-one, one-one.

The vagueness was the scariest part.

~~

"You asked for me?" He tried to remain composed but his hands were shaking. One look into Kokichi's eyes and he was engulfed in an uncomfortable, dark aura. However, it was met with a grin.

"I've been in your dreams, haven't I?~"

Yes.

"N-No!" That did not sound convincing. He tried again after clearing his throat. "No. Y-You haven't." His mind went into overdrive, assessing and recalling every interaction. Had that one time affected him that much? Ouma must be a parasite.

He chuckled innocently, struggling to place his hand sweetly in his hands due to the handcuffs shackling him to the table. "Don't lie to me! I smell out liars... I hunt them down and make them apologise." Within a millisecond, his gaze turned malicious and intense, eyes darkening, "You don't know the power you have until you see a government official begging on his knees like a puppy~"

Shuichi affirmed with a nod, not doubting a word. "What's your purpose in this?"

"So colddddd, lighten up a little, you're no fun when you're all tense." He raised his head up, tilting it sideways with a measured decorum. "I did want to play cards with you but I can't do it with these on..." He tempted, ending with an head-bob indication towards the shackles, "I know you want to, do I seem dangerous to you?~"

"E-Extremely... I'm not easy, y-you know!" Shuichi deflected, jumping the gun on firmly saying no to this offer. He raised his gaze a little upwards, to focus on the ridges of the other's nose, not yet able to face the eyes. As he shifted, he rolled one shoulder back, hearing it make small noises as it whizzed around the joint. He hadn't got much sleep thanks to Kokichi.

"I could help with that~ An apology, for keeping you awake." He laced a finger around his own mouth, biting his lip coquettishly as the offer settled in the open air. Shuichi's mouth moved to respond but then he spoke again, "And I know you're not completely useless, you got my confession... so you interest me. Enthral. You're so meek! Pathetic, how could a unsuccessful junior detective get that outta me? You've got me wracking my brain about it, keeping me awake! There's got to be some guilt, somewhere~"

"I... I... I'm sorry for that. B-But I'm not going to let you out of those handcuffs. They're the only thing keeping... me..." Shuichi's eyes tilted down, flat against the table, observing as he chartered on. The chain was amiss, and his eyes unsubtly displayed his realisation.

"Safe?~ Oh, Shuichi." The name rolled off the tongue, "You're a shitty detective~"

"When?!" The detective staggered back, out of the chair, giving a good few metres between the pair as the other rose from his chair neutrally, shaking his hands and shedding the handcuffs and dropping them to the floor, "Nishishi, ages ago! You were blabbering on so I got super bored."

"It was... an illusion."

"You're catching up, congratulations you're the last one to get there!" He nodded then clapped, slowly and monotonously, pausing for seconds after each clap to increase the tenseness and sarcasm of each beat. "It was all, a lie."

The door slammed open and a few officers flooded in, pinning the liar to the table whilst he simply cackled, followed in by Jin and Kyoko who were abnormally out of breath. "Shuichi, are you alright? We were only informed he was free from the handcuffs from the glass. And somehow, the door was locked from the inside..." he moved a lot closer, "He's dangerous, more than you know. But unfortunately, you have no choice but to work with him... a deal has been made."

Over his shoulder, from the table, Shuichi could see Kokichi's pinned down face smirking back at him, that sickening grin prevailing through all else.

This was the start of a partnership like no other. Life or death.