It was a normal day at the office when a call came in.

"Hello? This is Nocturnal Community Relations Division…. Hai? Hai. OK," Theo hangs up, turning to Arata.

"We have another case, Miyako," he smiles.

"Hai. What's it about?" Arata asks.

"It's a rather troublesome one, but easy…it's just…" Theo trails off.

"Just what?"

"Just that you'll be working with City Hall again…" Theo quietly mutters.

"Oh, is that all?" Arata smiles, "Well…as long as it's not Kanoichi-san…"

"Ah…actually…" Theo trails off again.

"Mm?" Arata's smile is relentless, so Theo quickly shuts up.

"Never mind. It's in-between Chiyoda Ward and Shinjuku Ward this time. We'll talk as we go, ne?" Theo quickly says before getting his tools.

Arata tilts his head, questioning this before going off before them.

Kyouichi observed the entire thing so… "Is it Kanoichi-san again?"

"Hai…" Theo answers.

Kyouichi sighs, "Well…let's get going before Miyako meets up with that guy."

Just imagining the sparks flying between Arata and Kanoichi made Theo shudder before they went out as quickly as possible.

Apparently, this case was about a kitsune causing trouble in a park on the border between Chiyoda Ward and Shinjuku Ward.

At the site…

The moment they saw each other… they were both irritated, Arata refusing to speak to him while Kanoichi just glared.

Kyouichi and Theo sweat-dropped. Apparently, their differences are even more apparent then they thought.

"Uh…let's get on with this case, ne?" Theo smiles as he tries to brighten the atmosphere.

Kyouichi agrees, "That kitsune is probably around here somewhere…"

"I would like to "dispose of it" though…" Kanoichi mutters.

Unfortunately, Arata heard that. "You can't do that. This case is in our jurisdiction."

Kanoichi glances at him, "I thought you weren't talking to me…"

Arata shrugs, "I'm just stating a fact."

"Huh…" Kanoichi smiles, not believing him.

They split up.

After a while of searching and not finding anything, they reconvene. Kanoichi suggests, "How about a bet?"

Raising an eyebrow, Arata asks, "What kind of bet?"

Kanoichi smirks, "You can take care of this case yourself…while I won't kill any Anothers tonight. If you solve this case yourself, you win…and if I kill the Another, you lose. Loser has to do any one thing the winner says."

"Then… if I win, you can't kill Anothers unless absolutely necessary," Arata smiles.

Kanoichi smiles, "Then if I win…" he whispers what he wants to Arata, which makes him blush and run, hiding behind Kyouichi.

Theo curiously asks, "What'd you ask for?"

Kanoichi just smirks, "It's a secret."

Suddenly, they hear a rustling from a bush. Out pops a silver fox, the tips of its four tails white.

The fox yips, Arata being the only one who understands it, "Play with me!"

They just stare at the fox for a bit before Arata laughs, coming out from behind Kyouichi.

"What do you want to play?" Arata asks.

"You understand me, human?" the fox asks, a bit surprised.

"Yeah…" Arata nods.

"Oh! You must be that Ears of Sand guy! Ne ne, play with me!" The fox excitedly jumps.

"OK OK. What's your name?" Arata smiles.

"Gin…and I want to play tag!" Gin wags it's four tails.

Kyouichi, "You want to fill us in, Miyako?"

"Ah…well, Gin here wants to play tag," Arata answers.

"What about all those reports of-" Theo gets interrupted as the fox transforms in a puff of smoke, turning into Theo.

"That…" Theo finishes.

Looking in shock at the other Theo, Arata hears Gin say, "This is how I play tag!" Before he points to himself, "It," then runs off.

Kyouichi, Theo, and Kanoichi were a bit shocked. Kyouichi asks, "Did that fox just say it's… it?"

Arata nods, then expresses his own shock, "Wait, you understood that?!"

Theo explains, "Well…kitsune do mimic humans a lot, so they can mimic human speech but… I never thought I'd hear that…"

Kyouichi shakes his head, "Never mind that! Catch him!"

They split up again, going after Gin.

When Kyouichi had it cornered, Gin, still in Theo's appearance, kissed him on the cheek. Kyouichi froze for a few seconds, leaving enough time for Gin to escape.

Theo didn't have much luck either as Gin had transformed into Kyouichi, using the same trick on Theo before escaping.

Then, Kanoichi encountered something similar…only Gin was transformed into Arata. When he saw Arata, Kanoichi raised an eyebrow, "Still not talking to me?"

Arata shook his head, then tried to run but… Kanoichi already placed his weapon on the ground, sealing it in place.

That Arata turned back into the fox, whimpering for its life. However, Kanoichi gave it no mercy, electricity crackling as he killed it…only to see that in its place was a tuft of fur.

Meanwhile…

Arata encountered Kanoichi, who was smirking. That Kanoichi pinned Arata down before trying to peck him on the lips…only for Arata to kick him off.

"Gin~…" Arata darkly smiles, "I don't like that guy. Besides, we have a bet going…and I have to win, so… I'm it."

Kanoichi turned into Gin in a poof, whining, "I lost?! I wanted to play more~!"

Sighing, Arata smiles, "I know some Anothers who would like to play with you. I'll introduce them to you later, OK?"

"Really?" Gin asks, tails wagging in anticipation.

"Yeah."

"OK!"

When they got back to the gates, Kyouichi and Theo were exhausted and not looking at each other while Kanoichi was checking the time.

"I win," Arata smiles as he came back with Gin.

"I win too," Kanoichi says as he holds out a tuft of fox fur.

"Oh! Gin made a clone of himself?" Theo excitedly expresses, wanting that tuft of fur for a sample.

Kanoichi gives it to him as he has no use for such a thing, making Theo very happy.

"Killing a clone is technically killing an Another so…" Kanoichi smiles.

Kyouichi sighs, "Guess it's a draw then…"

Kanoichi and Arata look at each other.

"In that case…I'll, at least, not kill Anothers around you, Miyako-san," Kanoichi sighs.

"Really?" Arata asks, not believing what he's hearing.

"Yeah…but, Miyako-san…," Kanoichi points to his cheek, "As for your part of the bet…"

Arata could only stare as his face turned red, "Fine!" Then he quickly pecked Kanoichi's cheek running back to the office.

Kyouichi and Theo blink in surprise as Kanoichi smiles.

As they said their goodbyes, Kanoichi requests, "Please tell Miyako-san that…this won't be the last time we'll see each other."

Kyouichi and Theo nod as they head back.

Back in the office…

Senda-san was drinking coffee as Miyako had his head in his hands, not willing to look at anyone.

Theo and Kyouichi delivered Kanoichi's message, which caused Miyako to groan, putting his head on the desk for a while.

Sweat-dropping, they finish the report, then go home, giving Miyako comforting pats on the back.

As for Gin, he got some new Another playmates.

Omake:

At the Miyako residence…

Kohaku had somehow heard about how Arata had spent some time with that exorcist and was understandably upset.

However, the instant he saw how tired Arata was, he transforms into his animal form. A black coyote with amber eyes.

Looking at him in this form, Arata picked him up, and put him onto the bed, stroking his fur. Then, Arata hugs Kohaku, "So fluffy…"

They cuddle for a while, eventually falling asleep.