Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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Without bothering with an umbrella, he ran through the rain to the parking lot and slipped into his car.
Leaning back in the driver's seat, Ritsu didn't start the engine right away. Thinking back on those brief ten minutes just now, it had somehow been the happiest moment he'd had in the past six months.
Letting out a long breath, he gathered his thoughts before finally starting the car and heading toward the research institute.
Just ten minutes, yet it had allowed him to briefly reclaim his identity as "Sasajima Ritsu." To him, that alone was an unimaginable luxury.
After arriving at the institute, the slightly fatigued Ritsu went to Lab No. 5. After informing Shiho of his condition, he headed straight into his room, planning to take a shower and go to bed early. He still had a mission with Chianti tomorrow.
The moment he opened the bedroom door, Kurotan sprang out of its little nest and circled around him happily, as if saying, "Come play with me, Hooman!"
Ritsu crouched down, suddenly feeling like an unqualified owner. He was always leaving the cat to Shiho's care. And when Shiho got busy, it would be left alone in this enclosed space, it must get lonely.
"Sorry… Kurotan. I'm a bit tired today. I'll play with you after tomorrow's mission, okay?"
He rarely let his guard down completely, but the little cat in front of him couldn't speak, it would never betray him.
"Meow~"
Kurotan seemed to understand. It obediently trotted back to its nest and started scratching at its post on its own.
Ritsu stood up, went into the bedroom, quickly showered, changed into his pajamas, and slipped under the covers. But instead of falling asleep right away, he found himself thinking about what Kenji had said earlier.
Where was Rei now? Had that man already arranged for him to enter the organization? Or was he undergoing closed training under the Public Security Bureau?
He recalled his first mission. Since then, he hadn't received another assassination assignment, but the mission he carried out with Chianti had still indirectly caused many deaths.
How could someone like him ever face Rei again?
Lying on the soft pillow, with the faint scratching sounds of Kurotan in his ears, he closed his eyes and within seconds, he fell asleep. He must have been truly exhausted.
After more than five hours of shallow sleep, his breathing gradually became erratic. The muscles in his face tightened, and beneath the duvet, his hands clenched the bedsheet tightly, as if trapped in a nightmare.
In the dream—
The rooftop of a high-rise building, under a blazing sun.
Messy, medium-length hair drenched in sweat. He took off his heavy protective suit, revealing that signature gentlemanly smile. His lips moved rapidly, as if saying something but no sound could be heard.
Then, suddenly, the smile changed.
His expression turned anxious. He waved his hand urgently and raised his voice in a desperate shout.
This time, the words were clear.
"The bomb's about to go off! Ritsu, get away!!!"
It was the first time since they became friends that he had called him "Ritsu," instead of "Ritsu-ya."
And after that…
There was nothing.
The bomb exploded, releasing a blinding flash of light. The massive shockwave turned everything around him pure white, while his ears rang with something like the shrill whistle of an old train.
When the white light faded and he looked again.
All that remained were mangled, lifeless fragments… limbs torn apart beyond recognition.
Crimson blood splattered everywhere. The entire sky seemed dyed red, along with his vision.
"Kenji!!!"
Ritsu jolted upright in bed. His pajamas were soaked with cold sweat. He gasped for air, his throat unbearably dry, even filled with a phantom metallic taste.
Just a nightmare?
Why did it feel so real… as if it were something that would happen?
"Meow~"
Startled awake, Kurotan licked the back of his hand with its tiny tongue, trying to comfort its terrified owner.
Footsteps sounded outside the door as well. Shiho, who had just returned to her room and was about to wash up and sleep, heard the commotion from across the hall. She rushed out without even putting on her slippers and knocked urgently on the door.
"Hey! Alex! What's wrong?!"
Ritsu quickly got out of bed and opened the door. Seeing Shiho's worried expression, he couldn't help but smile faintly and gently pat her head.
"Sorry. Just a nightmare. I made you worry."
The moment she confirmed he was fine, the concern on her face disappeared, replaced by her usual cool indifference.
Shiho brushed his hand off her head and said with a huff, "Oh, I was just worried Kurotan would lose its owner and not get high-quality cat food anymore. Go back to sleep, you even woke it up."
He had intended to return to bed, but the dream left him uneasy. The bomb disposal unit Kenji and Jinpei belonged to was already dangerous enough, one mistake could mean death in the line of duty.
"Miyano, I need to ask you a favor."
"What is it?"
"Please take care of Kurotan. I need to go out."
"…Huh?"
Shiho frowned and glanced at her watch, it was nearly 1 a.m. Where could he possibly be going at this hour?
"I…"
Seeing that he couldn't explain, she simply picked up Kurotan from the floor and said, "Go."
"…Thanks."
Ritsu hurriedly grabbed a coat and rushed out. Before leaving, he turned back and reminded her, "Go back inside. The tile floor is cold."
Barefoot on the ground wasn't just cold, it was dirty too.
'That name he shouted in his nightmare… It sounded like a given name, didn't it?'
Shiho gently stroked Kurotan's smooth fur. She didn't know what Nanase was going to do, but she could tell it had something to do with that half-heard name.
Who was it?
And what kind of relationship did they have to make him rush out at this hour?
Driving his GT40 out of the institute, Ritsu gradually calmed down as he stopped at a traffic light. The problem was, he didn't know how to warn Kenji.
Taking out his phone, his long fingers quickly typed out a question.
#If you want to give something to someone but can't meet them, what's the best way?#
After reading the top answer, Ritsu immediately headed to a closed courier company. Agile as ever, he vaulted over the back wall into the yard. Without avoiding the surveillance cameras, he concealed his face with a mask and hat, even stuffing padding into his clothes to make his figure appear bulkier.
Using a paperclip, he picked the back door lock. He didn't take anything valuable, only an unopened courier uniform in his size.
"…"
Back in the car, looking at the uniform in his hands, Ritsu let out a bitter smile.
So this was his first real act of theft, huh? A police officer committing a crime…
He changed into the dark blue courier uniform and strode toward the Metropolitan Police Department. There, he delivered a letter to a detective on duty. Written on it were two simple lines.
[To: Hagiwara Kenji
Metropolitan Police Department, Security Bureau First Division, Mobile Unit Bomb Disposal Squad]
[Operation 1107 Rescue Plan—Initiated.]