Arc 1:「Trailblazers」Act 2

After Ken returned to his room, dinner (a delicious soba that Kohaku praised with vehemence shocking to even him) passed without further surprises or incidents, save one.

Kaji-san's phone rang during the meal. Now, this would usually be considered a faux-pas, albeit a relatively minor one, but it quickly became evident based on the way he'd become more serious that he'd been called out for business. The scruffy man finished his soba quickly and excused himself, tossing on a worn black greatcoat and departing into the night.

After that, it was just Kohaku and Chie. Despite their earlier, somewhat agreeable interactions, an air of awkwardness remained between them. Kohaku, of course, made no efforts to break it, and when Chie attempted to make small talk, he answered minimalistically. The brunette eventually realized that he had very little desire to talk, and clammed up, to Kohaku's relief.

After finishing her meal, she awkwardly excused herself, to which Kohaku responded with an absent nod. He finished his own meal shortly after Chie departed, then returned to his room. As he laid down upon his futon, he shut his eyes and simply let his memories of the day flow through him in a practice somewhere between meditation and stream-of-consciousness.

He'd enjoyed what little time he'd spent with Naoto Shirogane thus far, even if it was in a professional impression he got from the Detective Prince was that of someone who held themselves to exacting standards and likely expected similar from others, a mindset Kohaku was very familiar with. It was nice, he thought, to meet somebody who approached life the same way as he.

He wondered if he'd be able to kindle something like an actual friendship with the younger boy; he hadn't had anything resembling a real friendship since—

Kohaku cut off that stream of thought sharply. Dwelling on him would only serve to depress him.

Amber eyes cracked open and stared dully at a wooden ceiling for a time, before shutting once more. He cycled air through his lungs, grasping for equilibrium as he submerged himself in the sea of his memories once more.

His opinion on Chie Satonaka was largely undecided. On one hand, the girl seemed like a genuine person, and perhaps even a kind one, which were doubtlessly points in her favor. On the other, if the time he'd spent near her this evening were any indication, she was energetic and talkative, two traits that rarely meshed well with his personality.

He would hold off on making any judgements one way or the other, Kohaku decided.

Now, Ryoma Kaji; there was another individual who intrigued him. He'd always had a tangential interest in those careers that teased out hidden information and made it their own, and that interest had only deepened when he'd taken up the task of finding out who his parents were.

Couple that fact with the proficiency Kaji-san had shown at disguising just how intelligent he actually was? Well, the man had risen from a mild curiosity to an individual of interest in his book.

As Kohaku slipped out of his memories and into Morpheus' clutches, a thought passed through his mind. 'Perhaps there will be more to this little town than I'd anticipated…'

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"...and that's the situation as it stands." Her hands steepled in front of her face, Naoto spoke to the person sitting opposite her. "Have you any thoughts to offer, Kaji-san?"

Ryoma Kaji ran a hand through his shaggy, coarse hair casually—too casually—as he kicked one foot up to rest on his knee. His movements were somewhat stiff, and Naoto caught a flash of an emotion she couldn't quite place cross his face for a brief moment.

"Hmm…'ve got a couple contacts I can call up," he offered slowly, almost...hesitantly?

Naoto narrowed her eyes fractionally. 'Just what are you hiding from me, Ryoma Kaji?'

As much as she respected the reporter, for both his intelligence and his tenacity when pursuing a case, she knew that some of the information he'd shared with her in the past couldn't have come from official channels. The man almost had to have contacts of the extra-legal variety.

Naoto's sense of justice squirmed against the idea, but Kaji-san had yet to steer her wrong, and had been of invaluable help in solving several cases much more quickly than she'd have managed on her own. He'd more than earned a bit of trust, she thought, though perhaps…

She nodded to herself. Just because she was going to offer him her trust didn't mean she had to feign ignorance. "Kaji-san," she began, lifting her head to fix him with a look that wasn't quite a frown but neither was it a completely neutral expression, before continuing, "I can tell there is something that you are hiding from me." She raised a hand to forestall any protestations of innocence. "I will not ask you to tell me what it is you are hiding. I will simply ask you this favor: please inform me if and when any information you are concealing would put my family, my client, or me in danger."

Kaji-san gaped at Naoto, then snapped his jaws shut and let out a bitter chuckle. "Ya know, Nao-kun, sometimes that mind of yours is downright scary." He offered a small smile. "I can promise you this, kiddo." He closed his eyes for a moment, as though gathering strength, then snapped them open, a dark flame burning in his irises. He then spoke, his voice half a whisper, half a growl. "I'll off myself before I let my secrets gettcha hurt."

Something about the intensity in his tone and the molten steel in his eyes gave her pause. That level of passion didn't come from nowhere...but she had a feeling that, whatever it stemmed from, it was something incredibly personal. As much as Naoto's ever-inquisitive mind wanted to prod and pry until Kaji-san's secrets were laid bare to her, she'd long since learned to temper that part of herself.

Furthermore, Kaji-san was one of the minority of people outside her family who actually respected her efforts and didn't treat her like some kid playing at detective (albeit a useful kid). She had no desire to alienate someone who was in her metaphorical corner, someone she considered a friend, out of selfish curiosity.

Naoto tugged on her cap, then met Kaji-san's eyes. "Very well. I will place my trust in you, Kaji-san. Please, let me know if any of your contacts uncover any information." She closed her eyes, before continuing, "Suffice it to say that the people who could've gotten their hands on that are of extreme importance and interest to my client. I'll be counting on your expertise."

Kaji-san chuckled, canting his head to one side and flashing his sharp canines in a wolfish grin. "Always happy t' help, Nao-kun. Like always, we'll talk cash when I've got somethin' for ya." He stood, brushing his hands on his jeans. "It's gettin' late; I should get back so Hana-chan don't get mad. If ya need anythin' else, gimme a ring."

"I'll be sure to do just that," Naoto replied with an absent nod, her hands already shuffling through Yukimura-san's files and putting them back in order. "Have a good evening, Kaji-san."

With a casual wave, the reporter exited into the night, leaving her alone with her thoughts. It was only when she let out a jaw-cracking yawn that she checked her phone's clock and realized that it was nearly midnight.

She really ought to get some sleep; as troublesome as it was, she did still have to attend school even though she had a case. At least the school was more than willing to work with her on lessons and classwork during those long cases that would have her out of town for a long period of time.

She suspected it was partly for the prestige of having the famous "Detective Prince" be a graduate of Yasogami, but many members of the faculty were genuinely kind and understanding people, so it didn't bother her overmuch.

After taking a quick shower, she fell into bed, nestling into the warmth of the covers as she quickly fell asleep.

The Detective Prince began to dream. It was a bizarre dream, one at right-angles with reality and full of absurdity that wouldn't have been out-of-place on the set of a tokusatsu show.

Nonetheless, when Naoto woke the next morning, she felt more well rested than she had in a while. As she ate a small breakfast of nicely crispy toast and blackberry jam perfectly balanced between sweetness and bitterness, a small smile crossed her face. So far, the day was shaping up to be a good one.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Kohaku woke feeling much better than he had the prior evening. He didn't know if it was the cozy atmosphere of the inn, the quality of the futon, or even the cleaner air out in the countryside, but whatever the case, he felt lighter.

Whether his spirits would remain high was anyone's guess, but he'd deal with it either way.

He swiftly dressed himself in his Yasogami uniform, then set out early, a riceball in one hand and his bag in the other.

As he walked, munching on his simple breakfast, he heard the sound of multiple police sirens in the distance. He almost ignored it; in Tokyo, such a thing wouldn't have been uncommon, especially on his side of the city. In a small, quiet town like this one, however…

'Just my luck that I'd arrive in town just in time for something to happen.' With that dry thought, Kohaku finished his onigiri and continued on his way.

On his approach to the school, he came upon two other boys dressed in same uniform as he, with one minor difference. Where his collar had a pin shaped like the Roman numeral "I", signifying his status as a first year, theirs took the form of "II", meaning that they were his senpai.

He recognized one of them as the silver-haired boy who'd been on the train with him, and from the looks of things, the other, a young man with messy brown hair, had crashed his bike.

Kohaku paused. It looked as though the two had the situation well in hand, but…

Ah, he was in a good mood this morning, and it wasn't as though he was in danger of being late. Why not?

"Excuse me, senpai? Do you need any help?"

The silver-haired boy turned to regard him, while the other seemed a bit preoccupied, bemoaning the damage.

"No, I think we're fine," the young man replied neutrally. "Thanks for the offer, though."

Kohaku inclined his head. "It's nothing." As he turned to go, idly dusting off his blazer, he spoke again. "Later, senpai."

With that, he continued on his way, quickly reaching the gates of Yasogami High. It was much less...fancy than Kosei Academy, but that was fine. Schools didn't need personal chefs and massive, Olympic-sized pools to perform their functions, however nice such amenities might be.

Now, who was the teacher he was supposed to meet? Ah, right. Sofue-sensei, that was the name.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The buzzing tone of his cell phone brought Ryoma Kaji from dead sleep to full wakefulness in the span of a couple of seconds. His hand snaked out from under the covers he'd curled up beneath and snatched up the device, before retreating back into the cocoon of fluffy warmth.

Still encased within his fortress of floof, he snapped the phone open.

"Kaji."

"..."

"Nah, 's fine. Should prob'ly be gettin' up anyways. 's up, Tarou-senpai?"

"..."

"Ugh. Do I gotta? Not really feelin' that; they're just kids."

"..."

"I got it, I got it. I'll get back to ya when I've got more info." Click. "Geez, what a fuckin' hassle. Leaves a shit taste in my mouth, too…"

With a aggrieved sigh, the reporter dragged himself out of bed and doggedly shambled to the bathroom.

"Life didn't used ta be such a pain in th' ass…" he grumbled, shucking off his pajamas and drawing himself a bath.

After completing his morning ablutions, Kaji grabbed a pack of crackers and settled at his laptop.

'Sorry, Nao-kun, but ya don't know what kinda mess yer dancin' at the edge of,' the man thought as his fingers danced across the keyboard. 'An' if I can help it, ya never will.'

-x-x-x-x-x-

'She's wearing a pharaoh's headdress. I thought some of the delinquents back in Tokyo dressed funny, but this? This is practically cosplay!' Kohaku had entered the school and proceeded to the faculty office only to come face-to-face with a pair of teachers. One was a buck-toothed man with a receding hairline and an ornery expression on his face. The intensity of the disdain he practically radiated was matched only by the tackiness of his purple striped suit and orange checkered tie.

Thankfully, it was abundantly clear, both due to his apparent gender and due to the nameplate on his desk (which read Kinshiro Morooka), that he was not the person Kohaku was supposed to meet.

No, that would be the headdress-adorned woman sitting off to one side, paging through a well-worn leather-bound book. When he'd entered the room, she'd snapped the book shut and stowed it in her desk. She then rose from her seat, a short pharaoh's crook now occupying the hand that had previously held the book.

"Yukimura-kun, I presume?" she asked in a calm, almost soothing voice. At his assent, she gave a nod to her colleague, receiving a noncommittal grunt in return, then motioned for Kohaku to follow her.

As they walked, Sofue-sensei made to fill the silence of the hall with small talk. "It's not every day we get a transfer from an academy as prestigious as Kosei. If I may ask, what prompted you to choose our school?"

A look of discomfort crossed his face, and the leather handle of his schoolbag creaked as he squeezed it. "I'd rather not talk much about that; it's a personal matter."

To her credit, the teacher didn't so much as pause at his rebuttal, instead accepting his response and moving on. "Well, whatever the case, I do hope you enjoy your time here at Yasogami. I, for one, will be sure to make our journey through history as fulfilling as possible, Yukimura-kun." With that statement, she thrust out her arm, pointing confidently forward with her crook.

'What a bizarre woman,' Kohaku mused, following the faux-pharaoh down the hallway. 'Well, at least her classes shouldn't be boring.'

After climbing a flight of stairs, the two arrived at a classroom. From beyond the closed door, Kohaku could just make out the sounds of lively conversation.

Sofue-sensei walked up to the door, then paused and turned to Kohaku."Wait here for a moment, Yukimura-kun. I'll call you in once I've gotten your classmates-to-be to calm down."

The teen nodded wordlessly in reply, so she entered. Kohaku moved closer to the door, massaging his opposite shoulder with his free hand. 'I hope she doesn't make me do a long-ass introduction; those are always so damn awkward.' Kohaku squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. The roiling anxiety inside his gut didn't disappear, it never did, but it was calmed a small bit, and that would have to be enough.

Just as the amber-eyed youth reached a state of reasonable calm, Sofue-sensei's voice called out into the hall, beckoning him into the classroom. He entered, all too conscious of the eyes on him. As his gaze swept the room, he briefly locked eyes with another student, their familiarity unexpected but most certainly not unwelcome. As he gave Naoto Shirogane a small nod, barely more than a tilt of the chin, he felt a small measure of relief; at least there was someone in the class that he'd met before. The fact that the prodigal detective had left a good impression on him was just icing on the cake.

As he finished surveying the room, he noticed one other person, though only because the boy stuck out perhaps more than he did! With bleach-blond hair, a wicked scar over his left eye, and a skull t-shirt worn under a blazer that hung limply from the young man's shoulders, he was a picture-perfect stereotype of a delinquent. Add in the fact that even seated, the boy loomed over his classmates, and Kohaku suddenly began to feel a bit less nervous about standing out.

He glanced over at Sofue-sensei, who gave him an encouraging smile. Kohaku exhaled, then looked up at his classmates. "I'm Kohaku Yukimura. As you might be able to guess, I was named for my eyes." He gave a slight wry smile at that, probably looking more constipated than amused. "I moved here from Tokyo for...personal reasons. I hope that we all get along."

Another glance to the teacher, this one slightly pleading (never let it be said that Kohaku was too proud to beg), and she took pity on him. "There's a seat open between Matsunaga-chan and Shirogane-kun; feel free to take it."

With a murmured "thank you", he proceeded down the row to the desk Sofue-sensei had indicated and took his seat between Naoto and a small girl with a round face, short hair, and flushed cheeks. He gave them both a brief nod, then withdrew a notebook from his satchel and settled in for the lesson.

-x-x-x-

The morning passed with little of note happening; most of the material that had been covered was review, so he kept up with little issue. Indeed, the most noteworthy thing that occurred during the morning was him being introduced to the...experience that was Kinshiro Morooka.

Now, Kohaku wasn't one to judge people for their appearances beyond "did they do basic hygiene". The face one was born with wasn't an indicator of the quality of a person's character, after all. And in the case of Morooka-sensei, this proved true, albeit in a backwards and unpleasant fashion. By comparison to the ugliness of his spiteful, condescending attitude towards seemingly everyone and everything, the buck-toothed man's face was practically an angelic visage of beauty.

Thankfully, though, they didn't have to deal with the man for long, and all too soon, lunchtime came and went. The bento that Amagi-san had prepared was as exemplary as the meal the night prior had been, and Kohaku was done with it all too soon. As he stared mournfully at the empty lunchbox, he heard a loud ringing beside him. He turned to the source, a phone that the Detective Prince had fished out of his pocket. A severe expression on his face, Naoto excused himself to a corner of the somewhat emptied classroom to take the call, Kohaku glancing after the boy in concern.

Kohaku didn't know what the call was about, but he could see the color drain from Naoto's face. A few moments later, the young man ended the call and walked back over to his desk, stooping to grab his bag as he did so. He paused there for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then turned to Kohaku. "Yukimura-san, could you pass a message to the teacher when the next class begins?"

At Kohaku's nod, Naoto spoke again, his voice grave. "There has been an incident, and I have been called in."

And wasn't that just all kinds of ominous.

AN: It's been a while, hasn't it? I am truly sorry about how long it has been since I updated this and my other story, but...well. Let's just say that depression and being motivated don't often mix, and when that murky bleakness continues to self-reinforce the longer I go without updates, it becomes all the harder. I can only try to do better in the future, and hope that my depression comes knocking far less frequently and for far less long than it has in the past months.

In any case, as always, I extend my sincere thanks to Teninshigen for beta-ing, and I hope you all enjoy.