az: R&R as usual. I tend to be too wordy. Feel free to point out if there's any inconsistency in the narration.

Meet again

Written by Izzu alias honou-no-izumi

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It had been one of those rare times when Q Class had some free leisure times, to which aside from the things each of them do during their own pastimes as well as their normal class or work; that allowed them to just sit around in their little mission room doing nothing. While also not having to worry about the next case or when Pluto would strike again.

Amakusa Ryu sat by himself in the small room as he quietly read the newspaper. Somehow, today... his expression had been slightly surprised but that was not unusual. Perhaps just curious. And the source of such reaction might be because of the newspaper article that he had been reading.

He didn't know why on earth he suddenly had a feeling to take a look at the obituary section of the paper, not like he expected to read about anyone that he know who could have passed away recently. But he just did, and what he found was something that he had not expected...

He frowned as he read the sentence at the beginning of the notice.

In loving memory of a brother, Tanaka Yumehito.

And under that sentence, was a medium-sized picture of a kindly man; the man whom he happened to have met... three years ago. Included in the obituary was the date of his death as well as a brief description of the man. There was also a small note included about when would the memorial service be conducted to allow relatives and friends to visit them.

Ryu frowned. The last time he had talked to that person, he had not looked as if he had some kind of illness. So why had he died so early?

He skimmed the notice again as it mentioned nothing about Yumeto-san's cause of death. The only other information that he managed to find was the fact that this notice was posted by his younger brother, Tanaka Ainosuke.

Ryu glanced up as the rest of the Q class finally entered the room to join him. Immediately he called out to Kazuma as he asked for his assistance...

xxx

Ryu glanced down on his note, before staring back towards the building where the memorial service had been conducted. It surprised him, what he had found out with Kazuma's help.

It was a bit shocking. A few months before this, Yumeto-san had already been announced dead... because of some kind of a lab incident. Because at that time the body bad been badly destroyed, it should make sense on why such mistake could be made. Though somehow... it troubled him. It was as if there was something about the case that did not make any sense. And how did this time, Yumeto-san would reappear again after disappearing for a long time?

Even more puzzling was that, shortly after the time Yumeto-san had been thought dead; his brother Ainosuke happened to be involved in some robberies and later a terrorist case. And he ended up getting involved again in several other serial cases three months later, to which somehow... he find it suspicious. It could not be a coincidence, and he had remembered about that story that Yumeto-san had told him years ago.

Could it be related? Much more surprising than this, was the fact that Yumeto-san's younger brother had bear a striking resemblance to himself! Even Kyuu was surprised about this. Even if he knew that there are chances that there could be at least seven people in this world that would bear similar resemblance to each other, this kind of coincidences... was it even possible?

"I wonder if our meeting here was fated... like that."

Now he understood why Yumeto-san had said that. It's because he bore an uncanny resemblance to his younger brother. That time, he must have been pulled to try to make him feel better because he reminded him so much to Ainosuke.

Then... as to the criminal cases that Ainosuke-san had been involved with, could it be that it was all Yumeto-san's doing? Then, all of the things that he had been told last time...

...did Yumeto-san really plan it all from the very beginning?

He had heard of those cases; the kidnappings, marriage murder and revenge, group riots, series of explosions as well as terrorist attacks and such, but Dan-sensei had not assigned those cases to Q class. Since the district police department of that area had been very efficient, with the team being lead by one Detective Fukuchi; an experienced officer in these kinds of cases. And even when this small piece of information had never been disclosed to the public, the department had received a lot of help from Tanaka Ainosuke; who happened to have very accurate intuitions regarding the cases and had helped a lot in solving it.

Somehow... he wondered if it all had been related?

"The older brother, in order to reawaken his younger brother's memories... had dwelled into the world of crime himself."

That time... did Yumeto-san be telling him the truth about himself? How strange... to be telling that to a total stranger like him. Then again he himself had told him about Pluto, even when he had been very cryptic about it. Could it be... that Yumeto-san had felt some kind mutual understanding that somehow both of their lives were a bit... similar?

Ryu thought about the things that Yumeto-san had said and never did. Could it be that Yumeto-san was also a criminal planner?

But he had gone through the case-files that Ainosuke-san had been involved in. The method of execution was nothing like how Pluto had done it. The cases had been well-planned, and they connected to each other very closely until the last one—like a massive domino game. And in spite how the culprits of each crime had mentioned about being approached by someone regarding the criminal plans; when they were caught, there was nothing that linked them towards the one who had given them the plans. Also he had noticed the appearance of one police officer, who happened to show himself suddenly; providing needed helpful hints to the investigation team as well as helping to capture the culprits of almost every case before he mysteriously disappeared. He wondered if that was Yumeto-san in disguise?

The way the cases had worked, the way the criminal plans had been done—if it really connected to Yumeto-san, was completely different than the way Pluto operated. While Pluto had tried their hardest to remain in the background, Yumeto-san's way had himself taking the role of both criminal advisor as well as the investigator. In fact, half the time... it was he himself that had captured the criminal after their identities had been exposed. And aside from the few cases that had taken some lives, there weren't that many casualties from the crimes that Yumeto-san had performed. In fact, aside from the members of his own group of criminal, none of the criminals that had been caught had died or went crazy. Totally unlike how Pluto usually work.

In a sense ... the way he looked at it, it didn't seem that the crimes had any other point aside from aiming at one single purpose. It was not about the crime itself, but more to what that action would have resulted after that. He wondered if everything had been made in order to revive his brother's sealed memory? Of Yumeto-san having killed someone in order to protect his little brother...

If that was so... had Yumeto-san achieved what he had been planning to do?

"Hey!"

Ryu jumped as he turned around and made faces at Kyuu for startling him.

"Idiot! What are you doing here? And in that outfit too!", he hissed as Kyuu grinned at him.

"You wanted to come in, don't you? To pay some respect to Yumehito-san. Then why don't you?"

Ryu glared at him for stating the obvious.

"If I get in, I might cause them some alarm! Haven't you seen that picture of his younger brother? We're even of the same age! If I go in... there could certainly be many questions that would be raised. I don't want to make any trouble for them!"

Kyuu nodded at him.

"I understand. That's why I came here like this. See?"

Kyuu waved him a bouquet of white lilies as he grinned at him in his black suit.

"I'll send your regards along, can I?"

Ryu gave a cry at him but Kyuu already disappeared into the building before he could do anything to stop him. He muttered to himself in exasperation before Kyuu returned back to him, while smiling so excitedly. Before he could ask why he was like that, Kyuu burst loudly in amazement.

"It was amazing! Ainosuke-san really looked almost exactly like you! But he was more soft-spoken than you... and even when his brother was dead, he had tried his best to act strong—Ryu, if only you can meet him in person! Ainosuke-san was an amazing person!"

Ryu gaped at him in surprise before hushing him down.

"You—you really can get all that just from meeting the kid once? What did you tell them? You didn't say anything funny... right?"

Kyuu shook his head.

"I just told him that I represent a friend who could not attend the ceremony. And that, his brother happened to meet you one day and helped you. Ainosuke-san looked so happy though, he kept saying that it was definitely his kind brother and that he had never really changed—Ainosuke-san, was really strong."

Ryu cocked his head at his friend as Kyuu continued.

"Ainosuke-san was alone by himself now, with his older brother now dead. Their parents had died long time ago and his brother had been the one who had taken care of him since. Yet, Ainosuke-san remained so strong despite how he had been grieving."

"You are really similar like him, as I expected."

Ryu chuckled.

"Yumeto-san... your brother was even stronger than me. How could you compare me to him? I am nothing compared to Ainosuke-san!"

How could he... while he had his friends to help him, while Ainosuke-san had only himself to fight against his older brother?

"Eh?"

Ryu turned towards Kyuu who remained puzzled at his last sentence as he shook his head. There was no need to tell him about what he thought, of what Yumeto-san had done... while leading his brother all the way until the end. This story... was better off known only to the select few people involved in this directly. There was no need for everyone to know about the full story.

In the end, the important thing for people to know was... that Tanaka Yumehito-san was a kind person and that he loved his brother so much. That's all there was... right?

"You were right, Kyuu. I also wished I could have met Ainosuke-san in person too," said Ryu finally as he dragged the puzzled Kyuu away from the place and back home.

xxx

Inside, Sayama Hitomi suddenly turned as she noticed Ainosuke lifting his hand to cover the left side of his face.

"Hmm... Ainosuke? Is there something wrong?"

Ainosuke shook his head in assurance.

"It's nothing. Somehow... suddenly, I had this strange feeling that someone had been thinking about me."

Hitomi smiled as she patted Ainosuke's head.

"It's because Ainosuke-kun had been a strong boy today. They can't help thinking about you..."

Ainosuke grinned before turning towards the portrait of his brother on the shrine.

"I guess so."

Note: I had Kyuu call Yume as Yumehito as I feel that he's the type to say his name slowly, allowing the silent 'hi' to be slightly noticeable.