My Dearest, Saihara-Chan

Chapter Five: First Investigation

"Good afternoon Saihara-kun!" Shuichi looked up from his phone. Kaede was walking towards him, wearing something very similar to what he was wearing. A cape, Sherlock Holmes looking hat, except hers was a light brown rather than Shuichi's dark blue and gray hat. 

 "Ah- good afternoon Akamatsu-chan." Shuichi greeted her. 

 "Are you ready to crack this case?" Kaede asked with a confident smile. Shuichi looked to the side of the alleyway they were currently standing in and shifted his weight around. 

 "U-um, yeah." Shuichi responded absentmindedly before looking down at his phone where he wrote down some notes on what they should do while they're here. "Let's... let's start with looking for signs of regular....visitors of this place."

 "Alright! That's a good start!" Kaede agreed optimistically. Shuichi nodded in acknowledgment before bending down to inspect the floor. Kaede was examining the walls and surrounding area. Doors lined the alleyway, and the alleyway led to an abandoned warehouse. Shuichi felt his body beginning to relax as he settled into a familiar routine.

 "Hey Saihara-kun, should I check if any of these doors open to anything?" Kaede suddenly asked. Shuichi looked up to meet Kaede's eyes.

 "That would be a good idea. Go ahead." He agreed, standing up. "I'll also check the doors on this side." Kaede nodded before going to try one of the doors. The two of them checked all the doors. Locked, and some leading to various shops and restaurants. Nothing too out of the ordinary. 

 "Saihara-kun, can I ask you a question?" Shuichi glanced at Kaede. She was looking up and around at the windows and rooftops of the buildings around warily. 

 "What's wrong?" He asked, feeling his stomach sink. What was it now... 

 "Is it just me... or are you getting a feeling that we're being... watched?" Kaede asked, almost whispering at this point. Shuichi felt a chill going down his spine; He looked at the windows and rooftops. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining and the sky a brilliant blue. Lighthearted chatter could be heard a distance away, and yet... there was something unsettling. 

 "Yes. I do feel as though someone's watching us." Shuichi responded carefully, fidgeting with the edge of his sleeves.

 "Let's keep looking for evidence that someone has been here before." Kaede suggested, changing the topic. "Whoever is watching us doesn't seem interested in harming us, after all." 

Shuichi nodded, before going back to investigating. He still felt quite unsettled as he made his way to the back of the alley, where he peeked into the empty warehouse. The sunlight coming through a small row of square windows on the top of the warehouse lit up all the dust floating in the air, making the space more eerie than it should've been.

 Shuichi looked at the ground of the warehouse. As dusty as the air. Something on the ground caught his attention though. Shuichi carefully entered the warehouse and approached it. There was a light purple rose on the ground. Shuichi bent down to inspect the rose. Light purple is an unnatural color for a rose, but he had heard before that it is possible to grow with dyes and breeding and such. Carefully, Shuichi picked up the rose. His light gray gloves immediately got covered with dust from the rose. Dust? Shuichi looked at the rose closer. Dust covering the rose could mean that the rose has been here for a long time, but how is it possible that the rose still look as fresh as it did if it was picked yesterday? And what could the purple rose mean? 

 "Saihara-kun?" Shuichi jumped, letting out a high pitched squeak that resembled someone stepping on a dog toy, almost dropping the rose. He turned to find Kaede with her head peeking in the doorway. She really got to stop creeping on him like that or Shuichi might just one day have a heart attack and die at this rate...