So this was originally the oneshot for the 'Introduction' theme in my 100 Themes Double collection. Unfortunately, I thought of it at work, so I had several hours for it to go completely out of control. Oops.
Spoilers: Let's just say if you haven't seen the whole series, this isn't going to make a lot of sense.
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Shotaro Hidari loved Fuuto. There was something about the city's environment, its ever-present wind, that made him feel at home. Even though his parents had moved away several years ago, while he was still underage, he'd stayed behind, living in a small apartment connected to the detective agency he worked for. The arrangement was dependent on near-daily calls from his mother checking how he was, but he was happy.
He'd just finished a case, one of those rare ones that he was allowed to handle on his own, and was on his way home with the payment of a grateful client. Completing a case always left him happy, even one as simple as this one had been: the recovery of a lost engagement ring. He'd even been lucky enough to watch his client propose to his girlfriend, and her tearful acceptance.
Pausing in the middle of Fuuto's market, he smiled and shook his head. "Maybe I should tell Akiko about that. It's the sort of mushy stuff she likes." The young woman had turned up at the agency a year ago, and even if she drove him completely bonkers most of the time, she was nice to have around. He'd grown up an only child, so it was interesting to see what it would've been like with a bratty little sister to take care of.
His train of thought was interrupted, quite roughly, when a passerby speed-walked right into him, almost knocking the both of them over. Shotaro staggered, recovered, and faced the offender, who was kneeling to retrieve several books that had scattered. "Hey, watch it!"
"Ah, sorry! I'd just found this really interesting part..." The young man spoke without looking up, and Shotaro noticed he was wearing a high school uniform... the colour was that of a prestigious private school. A teenager from a rich family, then. The young detective switched tactics and crouched to grab the last book, handing it to the boy.
"That's okay, but you really should watch where you're going."
"Thank you." The boy took the last book and stacked it on the other two, both he and Shotaro returning to their feet. Shotaro couldn't help but notice that while the boy's uniform was meticulous, his black hair was an absolute mess. It looked like whoever had cut it had been on a caffeine high. He realized he was staring when the teenager tilted his head. "What is it?"
He cleared his throat. "No, nothing." His eyes went to the book's spines, their titles. Two were on law practice in North America, and one was about wildlife in Siberia. "Why were you reading and walking at the same time?"
"They're just really interesting..." The boy's eyes went to Shotaro's jacket, and he pointed. "Your paycheque's about to fall out."
Shotaro looked down. The brown money envelope was halfway out of his inside pocket. "Oh, crap!" He shoved it back in. "Thanks. It's not really a paycheque though... it's a client's payment. Goes to my boss." Around there was where he realized he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, sorry. I'm Hidari Shotaro. I work for the Narumi Detective Agency." He offered his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Hastily shifting the books to his other arm, the boy reached out to shake Shotaro's hand. "Nice to meet you. My name's Sonozaki Raito."
Shotaro couldn't help his mouth falling open a bit. "Sonozaki? The family that owns Fuuto Museum?" Among a dozen other businesses in the city. No wonder the kid was in private school.
"That's right. My parents and oldest sister do most of the work there, though." That much Shotaro knew. The Sonozaki family's second daughter, Wakana, was Fuuto's prime radio personality. He was about to mention that when Raito's phone rang, and the boy fished the lime-green cell out of his pocket. "Hello? Sis? Yeah, I know, I'm on my way..." He pressed the phone's mouthpiece against his shoulder and bowed slightly to Shotaro. "Nice meeting you. Sorry, I have to get going."
Shotaro smiled. "It's fine. Nice meeting you, Raito." He could've slapped himself. Why the hell would he call the kid by his first name after just meeting him? Raito didn't seem to care, though, and smiled before turning and walking away, on the phone once again.
He returned to the present when his own, black cellphone rang, and he picked up. "Hello?"
"Shotaro!" Go figure. It was Akiko. "Aren't you on your way home yet? Dad ordered lunch, and I'm gonna eat yours if you're not back when it gets here!"
"Oy, Akiko! You do and you'll regret it! I'll be home in a few minutes!"
He dodged other pedestrians as he continued on his way, still in a bit of a shouting match over the phone. For the briefest of seconds, though, he looked over his shoulder. He didn't know why.
And he was too far away to notice, but Raito Sonozaki, in the same moment, had looked back too.
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Whew! Hammered this out in less than an hour, go me. Don't worry, all, Lost Blue is still in the works. Now that I've got this out of my skull, maybe I can actually get progress on it.
