My Dearest, Saihara-Chan

Chapter One: The Show's Beginning

"Saihara-kun, Kirigiri-san is asking for you." The young detective looked up from his work to see Makoto Naegi, his boss's assistant, standing at the doorway looking at him expectantly. Shuichi stood up, brushing himself off from the eraser shavings that was covering his lap before responding,

 "Does she need something from me?" Makoto shrugged. Shuichi looked down at his desk, where papers and files were strewn across the surface. Did he do something wrong? Is that why his boss wants to talk to him? Is it to fire him?

"Kirigiri-san probably just wants to assign you another case." Shuichi looked up. Makoto was smiling reassuringly at him, leaning against the doorway. "Don't worry Saihara-kun. I'm sure you did nothing wrong." He continued. Shuichi returned Makoto's smile, with a small one of his own before collecting himself and walking out of his office. The two of them walked down the hallway, in a comfortable silence that's only disturbed by the rain hitting the windows, the only lights outside coming from houses and lamps, looking like stars reflecting in the raindrops. Soon, the two arrived at a door, the gold plate reading the name, Kirigiri. Shuichi breathed a sigh, adjusting his hat before Makoto opened the door and announced, "Kirigiri-San! Saihara-kun is here!" The purple haired detective was standing at the window, watching the rain. She turned around, her expression as cold and unexpressive as usual. 

 "Thank you Naegi-kun. Please, if you will, close the door behind you." She said. Makoto nodded and with a bright smile, closed the door, leaving only Shuichi inside. He fidgeted with his hands before asking timidly, 

 "You... you wanted to see me?" 

 "Yes. I did." Kyoko responded, crossing her arms. "Please, take a seat." Shuichi nodded, making his way across the office to take a seat at one of the chairs in front of the desk. Kyoko sat in the chair across from Shuichi. Shuichi stared at the nameplate on the left of the desk, reading Kyoko's full name. He could feel her gaze on him. "Relax Saihara-kun. You didn't do anything wrong." Kyoko sighed. "Like Naegi-kun probably suggested to you, I called you here tonight to give you a new case." Shuichi turned his focus to Kyoko's hands, which were on the desk, fingers laced. The desk was empty of papers and files, and the pens and other stationary were neatly arranged in various cups on the right corner of the desk, unlike his desk, which was a mess, 24/7.

"What... what's the new case?" Shuichi asked, fidgeting with his sleeves. He could already imagine Kyoko's disappointment if he fails. He watched as Kyoko's hands vanished from his point of view, and heard her standing up to make her way to one side of the room, where bookshelves and file cabinets lined both sides of the office. Rustling papers interrupted the silence along with the rain hitting the building and window. Kyoko sat back down in the chair, in her hands, a file. 

 "The Dice Phantom Thief Case." She said, sliding the file across the desk to him. Shuichi's eyes widened, and he could feel his hands beginning to tremble at the now greater prospect of failure. 

 "T-the Dice Phantom Thief Case." He repeated, staring at the file like as if it was going to end his life. Which it could very well do. 

 "Yes. Four of our detectives have gone missing, figuring out the case, as you probably already heard." Kyoko said solemnly. "I don't need you to investigate the phantom thief case, per say, but I do need you to help us with locating the detectives that have gone missing." Shuichi could feel her eyes on him, observing and calculating. But his eyes weren't meeting hers. He was staring at his trembling hands in his lap. He can't do it. He isn't anyone special. He was just working for Kyoko to get by. So why did she choose him to take on such an important case, where multiple lives may be on the line? "I understand if you can't do it." Shuichi looked up, startled. Kyoko was leaning back in her chair, her arms crossed. Her expression was one of slight concern, which was a big difference from her usual poker face. "Anything that concerns the Phantom Thief's case will be risky. You might disappear too. We still don't know if the Phantom Thief kidnapped the missing detectives, or if they just vanished. But I hope you will be the one to find them." Shuichi stared at Kyoko's desk, feeling her expectant eyes upon him. He swallowed. 

"Why me?" He asked quietly. Kyoko raised her eyebrows, seemingly surprised.

 "Why you?" She repeated, before leaning forward on the desk. "Shuichi Saihara, you are one of my most successful detectives on my team. The reason why I didn't have you take on this case in the first place is because I was concerned that something like this would happen to you." Kyoko explained, her voice as monotone as ever, but her words carrying the ring of truth and meaning. "Do you understand?" Shuichi still stared at her desk, her words echoing in his head, over and over before fading into nothing. Kyoko's reading too much into his abilities. He was just average at best. 

 "I'll take the case." Shuichi said quietly. He looked up to meet Kyoko's eyes. "You can count on me, Kirigiri-san."