Ive seen around episodes 38-39 when I wrote this. Hope you enjoy!
"I know something is wrong, Kairi. Just please talk to me," Keiichiro begged.
Kairi was facing away from him, still quiet. Finally, he spoke, "There's nothing to talk about."
"I just want to help you. You're my friend."
Kairi gave a chuckle, "Yeah. Friend."
"It's true."
"You wouldn't like me if you knew more about me."
"I can't know that until you decide to tell me."
After a few moments of silence, Keiichiro spoke again, "Is it something to do with your brother? Tsukasa mentioned you didn't always get along with him."
Kairi's hand clenched. "Please just leave."
Keiichiro sighed and picked up his jacket, leaving the bistro.
The next day Keiichiro came back to the bistro and greeted the workers, "Is Kairi here?"
"No, he's out getting groceries," Umika responded.
"Good," Keiichiro pulled up a chair at the table Noel was sitting at. "I want to help Kairi but he just won't talk. I tried to contact his brother to see if I could get any information about him but apparently his brother has been missing for a while."
Touma and Noel kept a straight face while Umika's eyes grew with shock.
"Did his brother just leave him? Did something happen and he went missing?"
Kairi entered the Jurer and raised an eyebrow at everyone staring at him.
"I really don't think this is a good time," Touma answered.
"Kairi," Keiichiro started, "I was trying to get some information to help you but I found your brother hasn't been seen for over a year. What's going on?"
"There's no missing person's report so there is no reason for you to be looking into it," Kairi stated.
"I just want to help you. If you don't know where he is I can help you find him."
Kairi grabbed Keiichiro by the collar, "You can't help me with this. If anything you are dragging it out longer."
Noel stood and pulled Kairi away from the officer but stayed silent and sat back down.
"I care about you Kairi, like I said you are my friend."
"You are so like him I can barely tell the difference these days," Kairi admitted. "You are just so nice and perfect. I am so glad that I finally have something I am good at, and that for once I am not living in my brother's shadow. But even that goes to show he'll always be better that me. Just like you. No. I don't care how far I have to go; I will get him back because I at least owe him that. If you want to help, you can just stay out of my way."
Kairi stormed off leaving Keiichiro, Umika, and Touma shocked. Noel just frowned into his tea.
After Umika and Touma processed what just happened, Umika started, "Sorry about that. He's just been really grouchy lately. We've not been able to do much to help him either. You might want to give him some space."
Keiichiro stared at the table trying to piece together his thoughts. He whispered, "get him back?" His eyes met Noel and remembered their duel and repeated the words, "get our loved ones back…"
Noel raised an eyebrow and stared at Keiichiro wondering what he was planning to do.
The red patranger glanced toward the bistro workers and sighed before walking out the door.
He headed home still pondering what the blonde had said.
Keiichiro rolled over as his phone rang, "There's a gangler attack," he heard Tsukasa yell through the phone.
"Right," he swung out of bed and headed toward the scene.
He arrived and focused his attacks on the gangler. Nigou and Sangou were attacking the Lupinrangers who appeared but he kept focus on his target.
Eventually he growled, "Is one of you thieves going to open this safe before I blast him?"
"Oh la la," Noel chuckled as Red avoided some pordermen to get to the safe. Once Lupin Red was out of the way, Patren 1gou blasted the gangler.
As the dust settled, the rangers watched as the gangler grew. The reds looked at each other before Kairi asked, "Why did you help us?"
Keiichiro shrugged and spoke soft enough the others couldn't hear, "I might not understand what is going on, but like I told you yesterday, I just want to help you Kairi."
Lupin Red pulled out the Lupin Magnum, "What did you just call me?"
"You heard me. Now are we going to take down the gangler or do you plan to attack me?"
Lupin Red groaned as he called forth his jet. He stayed silent throughout the battle.
Noel looked between them as the fight ended, "So are we one big happy team now?"
Both reds shot daggers with their looks.
"You best keep your mouth shut," Lupin Red growled.
"You're threatening an officer," Patren 1gou answered.
"Yeah, and I threaten you all the time. What are you going to do? Arrest me?"
Patren 1gou groaned, "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Just get out of here."
"Adieu," Lupin Red responded as the megazord broke apart.
The next day the Patrangers entered the Jurer for lunch.
"Bonjour," Noel greeted. Kairi eyed them all as Umika brought their drinks out.
"I still don't understand why we worked with the Lupinrangers yesterday," Sakuya complained.
"Noel pointed out we would defeat him quicker if we worked together," Keiichiro grumbled, lying to his team.
"Oh la la," Noel smirked into his tea, "It is an accurate observation, is it not?"
"We did take him down in record time," Tsukasa nodded.
"The faster we take down ganglers, the sooner we get to their boss. And I'm sure the Lupinrangers would agree that taking down ganglers faster gets us Lupin Collection pieces more quickly. It's a win/win really," Noel assessed.
"Are you sure the Lupinrangers really would want to work with the officers that keep chasing them?" Umika asked as she set plates down.
"It's not like we really want to work with them either. But Noel has a point," Tsukasa agreed.
"With how much K-chan goes on about hating Lupin Red, it'd be hard to imagine them joining together," Kairi chuckled, glancing up from his phone.
"They are criminals," Keiichiro admitted, "but maybe if we work together, we can find out exactly why they steal the Lupin pieces. Because it's not like Noel here will tell us."
"I'm on both teams, I can't go spilling everyone's secrets, can I? Both teams would trust me less than they already do." Noel took a bite of his food. He then added, "They are good people though. Not sure you'd understand as a policeman who sees everything in black and white, but they have good intentions."
"I think I'm beginning to see the shades of grey," Keiichiro admitted, giving Kairi a small smile.
Sakuya changed the subject, talking about some movie he had seen the other day. Both reds weren't sure how their teams working together would turn out but they both felt more hope than they had before.