-Tales 2-2-1 Beika-
Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.
Prompt: Haunted
A/N: This is actually the full version of a fic submission for Poirot Cafe, which as an abridged and shortened version. I started off with this chapter, was going to just use this but felt it needed a better ending and it finally became a multi-chapter thing.
-01: Life-
"Yuu-chan," Yukiko leaned onto her newly wedded husband of three days on the loveseat they were sharing in Yuusaku's small and quite cozy apartment, good for a newly wed couple but not w so for raising a family.
As a celebration of their wedding, Yuusaku had bought that piece of land with the dilapidated cheap apartment building in the developing areas of Beika, and had managed to have it subdivided to earn a bit of cash back. The old building had to be demolished, the metallic stairs and railings were covered with rust, flooring weathered and riddled with holes. There had been complaints about the building being infested with mice and insects, though Yukiko had never visited the site even once. Yukiko knew Yuusaku was a romantic when he said he wanted to start a life with her and now had the deed to prove it. Although Yukiko has never seen the place, she hoped it was not as horrifying as the rumours made it out to be. Then again, a certain part of her mind was thriving on the dramatics the place could have.
The recently detective-turned-best-selling author hummed in response, eyes never taken away from the blank sheets of drafting paper laid out on the small coffee table before him. After his proposal to Yukiko, he slowly withdrew himself from his professional detective career and focused on writing. By now, his editors were already pestering him for the next installment on a weekly basis. Then there was the mystery magazine ('Secrets Weekly' if Yuusaku remembered correctly) that was hounding him for a contribution to their special story corner (they promised a centerfold with illustrated graphics, Yuusaku was hard pressed to refuse such a marketing offer).
"Yuu-chan…" Yukiko whined as she leaned into Yuusaku's forearm, head resting on the broad shoulders. "I want to have a baby." She whispered into his ears.
Yuusaku jolted from his position, accidentally smeared a long line of black across the whole page he had been writing. He looked into Yukiko's eyes with reddening face. They haven't even had their honeymoon (again, blame the editors and Yukiko's rabid fans. Hiding out at the apartment was the best they could do for now until the whole wedding thing has blown over) and Yukiko wanted to have a child? Wasn't such things reserved for during the honeymoon?
"Yukiko…" Yuusaku turned to face her fully. "I think we should wait a bit. At least until we move to Beika." He reasoned. Providing somewhere safe, where they could live anonymously, was paramount before trying for a baby. He remembered reading somewhere that stress was not good for pregnancy.
"I know, I know." Yukiko instantly deflated before her face turned to a mischievous grin. "You'd want us to christen our new house wouldn't you?"
Yuusaku's pen stuttered again as he was instantly red at the ears. He knew of Yukiko's teasing nature but her blatant statement was a shock. There was now a second line of black marking across the page.
"So have you decided on the design of the place yet? Have you managed to contact your architect friend?" Yukiko decided to let Yuusaku off the hook, at least for now. She could tease all she wanted after they've moved into their new house, which she could foresee being at least half a year later.
"Hiroshi and I are going over the final designs for the two houses tomorrow." Yuusaku, grateful for the change in topic, returned to his ruined gridded paper with a frown. Sighing, he pulled out another sheet of clean grid and started copying the first paragraph. "I was lucky that he was looking for a place to call his own. Else it would be difficult to sell that particular piece of land."
"Why is that?" Curiosity now piqued, Yukiko gave her husband a bit of space as she scooted further away from the scribbling author.
"There have been several bad rumours, nothing too serious. Only that when the previous owner tried to sell the building, it ended up with the buyer having a serious accident and had to cancel the sales before the money had been transferred." Yuusaku commented absentmindedly. "Then there were cases where, when the owner had been trying to rent several of the empty apartments out, the boarders either left two months into the contract or were caught up in incidents resulting in bad injuries. I think one had broken their leg while walking down the stairs of the apartment, the other fell over the balcony when drying laundry. It's possible that they were caught in accidents because of the state of disrepair, but all the same, there were many more. I think one had involved a black cat, another with a broken mirror or something like that..." He trailed off.
"And yet here you are, all safe and sound, half a year after the sales went through. You've even paid for it upfront." Yukiko was not sure whether to feel horrified at the series of unfortunate events (even though Yuusaku said they were rumours, she believed at least the stories about the boarders were real) or if she should be glad that nothing happened to him. "I guess this means the places was destined to be bought by you."
Yuusaku gurgled something incoherent. It sounded creepy coming from his wife, especially after he stated the various rumours that he heard from the real estate agent. "Is there a specific style you like our house to be?" He asked in an attempt to change the topic from ominous land purchases to something a tad bit lighter.
"Hm…" Yukiko placed a manicured finger on her chin, still adorned with the rose nail art from the wedding, as she thought contemplatively. "How about something dramatic? Three storey with a large front yard, metal gates and large foyer. And we must not forget about the kitchen. I like the open kitchen, one where we can sit around for breakfast on a lazy Sunday afternoon with our child running down from the stairs, all excited about being able to spend the weekend somewhere fun…" Yukiko could already see the picture, the happy smile and brightly lit rooms.
Somewhere in the back of Yuusaku's mind, a list of requirements were forming and shaping the exterior of their future house.
Yuusaku met up with the architect responsible for their houses' design the next day on the now empty lot. Without the dilapidated building occupying the majority of the space and with all the weeds and broken concrete removed, the plot of land looked barren. The surveyors had marked out where the subdivision was with their thick chalk line.
"Yuusaku-kun." Hiroshi was running up to meet him, panting ever so slightly because of the lack of exercise. He traded his usual white lab coat he wore in his office and lab at the university and his own dingy apartment, to something more generic that was definitely bought many years ago judging by the style of cut. "You're early today. No case?"
"I've just been married, I want to spend more time with Yukiko. Besides, it's about time I cut down on those." Yuusaku looked at the dirt land in front. "So, this is the place."
"Looks big. Though are you sure you won't regret selling the left half to me?" Hiroshi pointed at the smaller division of land. "You could build a bigger place."
"I don't want to give Yukiko too many ideas. If the place is too big, she'll either want to fill it with shopping, furniture, or worst, enough children to start a basketball team."
Hiroshi shared a smile with the shuddering man. He would never understand why Yuusaku, even for his love of the smiling faces on his younger fans, would shy away from raising his own child.
"I see you two already have plans for the future. I'm sure you'll grow to love the child, or children as the case might be…" He pat the young author on the back in encouragement. "It's not so bad."
"I'm not a good parent Hiroshi. I work all the time, I'm not even sure if I'm fit to be a father to some vulnerable child. And Yukiko had already declared she wanted to try for one...soon." Yuusaku hung his head, feet digging into the dirt before smoothing the soil away.
"I'm sure you'll be a great father. Don't sell yourself short."
They noticed another man running up to meet them by the road, a smartly dressed professional carrying a satchel and a sketchbook in his hands. He apologised for his lateness as he had been trapped in train accident. Someone fell over the tracks in an attempted suicide but was unhurt as the driver responded quick enough and the train was already travelling at a slow speed today. The architect flipped open the sketchbook to show them some of his previous works as he surveyed the land, to judge the size. After writing down the list of requirements for the two houses, the architect proceeded with some rough sketches on site. By noon, they had a good idea of what the final houses would look like and decided to grab a spot of lunch, which the architect had to regretfully decline in favour of another appointment.
"I have a few more clients in the area." He said. "The area is developing and many young couples have just bought a place to call their own. Though none is as big a project as your's Kudo-sensei." He teased before waving goodbye two blocks down.
As Yuusaku and Hiroshi chatted along deserted street, they were aware of the general quietness of the area. As it was during the weekday, students are all off in classes and adults attended to their jobs. Several housewives loitered about as they browsed through the day's fresh produce on offer at the shops. Some, younger housewives, prefered to stand and gossip on the latest celebrities.
"This place would be nice to raise children…" Yuusaku muttered out as they entered a small cafe. He noticed the emptiness of the building the cafe was housed in, with a row blank faces on the post boxes along the walls of the nearby staircase.
"A bit quiet though, it wasn't so when we were kids. I still remembered this place being full of life, children running about, shouting. And that park down the road with its newly installed slide." Their waiter came with the menu, describing Today's Special, before taking their orders of sandwiches and coffee. "I thought you and Yukiko-chan would be moving away from Japan after the wedding, to start fresh instead of staying where she would be stalked for being an actress."
"Oh, we get quite a few hate mails through her agent. Though it was to be expected. My own editors had forwarded some of the more inventive fanmail to my apartment. They were quite a good read." He commented offhandedly. His own fanmails were strange, though at least they were congratulatory in nature. Some of Yukiko's were disturbing and he was glad her agent had the mind to screen them before handing it over. "But we really feel we shouldn't leave Japan just yet. Maybe later, we can go live in the States for the while. Once my books have spread internationally and sales become more stable, but now, I think the publishers are still negotiating the terms for translation or something like that."
"Never would have thought you would be moving away from your detective work." Hiroshi laughed as he thanked their waiter. "You were so into it a couple of years back."
"That was before I met Yukiko." Yuusaku could still remember the day he bumped into the rising actress. It had been purely coincidental when they were both eating at the same restaurant and having him accidentally spilling his cup of water over her. There were embarrassment from both of them, but after paying for her lunch and the subsequent crime-of-passion that happened at the same restaurant (and Yuusaku having the need to solve it), they still managed to exchange phone numbers. It was not the best way to pick up a potential partner but it worked. "I don't want all our dates to end up bad because I ran into a crime along the way. Even worst, I can't possibly imagine Yukiko being taken as a hostage because I was a detective. I knew I had to do something about it. If we were to have children, I'm going to be stepping away from the detective work."
"And becoming an author seems like a good choice?" Hiroshi could easily detect the fondness from Yuusaku. The man loved his wife so much that it was blinding.
"I've seen enough crime drama, heard every possible excuse on the planet, my mind can easily supply me with several decades worth of stories."
"Only you my friend, has such an attraction towards bad luck." Shaking his head, Hiroshi reached for his sandwich. "It's good that you've at least thought about cutting down on your detective work, less dangerous for everyone all around."
The pair of friend parted during mid-afternoon where Yuusaku had to meet with his editors (again). He was already regretting his career choice now.
Six months into his marriage and Yukiko had been called to star in a film. It was a small supporting role but required her to take up some training. Yuusaku encouraged her to take on the job even though she was reluctant (they still haven't had their honeymoon yet and Yukiko still acted all lovey-dovey with him every day that melted much of the young author's mind). When Yuusaku finally met the so-call teacher for Yukiko's lesson, a couple of weeks after she agreed to star in the film, he was pleasantly surprised to see it was someone he recognised.
"Kuroba Toichi." He introduced himself as an uprising magician. Though Yuusaku knew there was more than that. The familiarity of the features were niggling at the back of Yuusaku's mind, it was from something he had seen recently. But the only thing he read about, in that much detail recently, were thief 1412's heist. To be honest, he had no interest in thieves before the ICPO sent over the packaged information to ask for his opinion.
Their luncheon were interspaced with table tricks, disappearing cutlery, and colour changing drinks (thankfully not flavour changing). A myriad of card tricks later, Yuusaku could see the similarities between 1412 and the magician in front of him. Once Yukiko left for the restroom, Yuusaku laid the most intense gaze he had in his arsenal to mentally confront the man. Kuroba Toichi snickered, not bothered at all by the accusatory gaze. In turn, he lifted an eyebrow as though to question what Yuusaku would do with this information. Sinking back into his chair, Yuusaku steepled his fingers.
"You better send me invitations." He announced, challenging the magician. "And you better prepare yourself, I won't go easy."
The magician opposite laughed out loud, Yuusaku grinning in response. Yukiko came back to the table to find the pair of men chatting amicably about the merits of smoke and mirrors and how best to hide in plain sight (a strange conversation topic but Yukiko had already accepted Yuusaku's quirks and knew her teacher was just as strange).
"I see you've become good friends." Yukiko commented during their trip back from Ekoda to their Tokyo apartment. "By the way the two of you were chatting, I would have thought you were childhood friends, not someone who had just met a few hours ago."
"What can I say? He's an interesting person." Eyes on the road, he missed Yukiko's questioning glance for him to explain. Shaking her head, she turned her own gaze towards the streetscape flashing by the side windows.
"Say, can we stop by our house in Beika? I want to see it being built." Yukiko threw in her puppy-dog eyes for good measure. The drive would be somewhat out of the way but she really wanted to see how things were going. Not being able to resist, Yuusaku complied and made a deliberate u-turn in the other direction.
He parked the car opposite to the twin construction site. Scaffolding were erected to stop dust and noise, several trucks were parked and unloading timber and other material. The foundations for both houses (including the two hidden tunnels that allows for sneaking between the houses) had been laid a month earlier and works were just beginning for the ground floor. Yuusaku poked his head through the cordoned area, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the workers. Instead, he found the site foreman observing the laying of concrete.
"Kudo-sensei!" He was startled to see the author peeking into the construction site. Quickly, he left instructions to the workers and went out into the streets. "What brings you here? You should have called ahead."
"It was on the spur of the moment." Yuusaku motioned for Yukiko. "This is my wife, she wanted to see how the house is progressing."
"Well, I can certainly give the two of you a tour right now. Hold on a minute." Disappearing back through the flaps, he emerged moments later with two bright yellow hard hats. "Here, you need to be properly equipped. Also watch where you're stepping, wouldn't want you to stub a toe."
Ducking through the heavy material hanging from the scaffold, they were met with the bustling of workers, all busy with their task. Two pouring concrete over a wooden pile, several were up on the beams, securing the rest of the wooden framework. There was a small area set aside as the workshop for fabrication.
"Well, the foundation is now solid, we have the basement set. Along with that little bit extra." The foreman gave Yuusaku a wry smile. "We're hoping to have the framework ready before end of the month, so in about a fortnight, we should have all the wooden structure. The ground floor would be laid after…" He went on to describe where the staircase would be, how the kitchen would look, when and electric and plumbing would be connected.
"That incident with the relic took up a bit of time, having to bring in people to excavate and whatnot. But thankfully, it was removed and I think the local university is examining it." The foreman directed their gaze towards what they assume to be the entrance to the basement. "It was found as we were preparing the foundation and basement, nothing too serious or notable. Though they might contact you later to see what you want to do with the relic."
Throughout the tour, Yukiko had a look of wonderment in her eyes. She could already see the finishings, and was already wondering what types of furniture would suit their house best. Just as she was deciding on the colour scheme, someone screamed for them to be careful. Moments later, a hammer dropped mere inches from where the foreman stood.
"BE CAREFUL!" The foreman yelled up to the worker straddling the wooden beam high above. It was luck that he had not been hit. "I'm going to dock your pay if I catch you so clumsy one more time!"
A hurried apology followed in a slurry of words. The foreman sighed and shook his head. "Sorry you had to see that."
"Does that happen often?" Yuusaku looked around the worksite once more. It looked as though everyone was very careful with their tasks and this contractor came with a good reputation.
"Unfortunately so for this site. We've been having quite a few incidents, though nothing serious. Machines breaking down for no reason, falling tools, missing timber. Though I chalk it up to not having enough safety training and nearby kids meddling with our wares." The foreman showed them out of the construction site. "The site next door has been a little bit better but then again, the construction style is different. They're relying mostly on pre-fabricated parts whereas we're making the parts on site. There's a lot more woodwork involved in this house."
Thanking the foreman for his hospitality and apologising for coming so suddenly, they walked back to their car. Yukiko was extremely silent that Yuusaku thought something was wrong.
"Nothing Yuu-chan." Shaking her head, she took hold of Yuusaku's hands. "Probably a little bit shaken up from the falling hammer."
Kissing the back of Yukiko's hands, he reassured his wife that everything would be fine before starting up the car.
Yuusaku should have known the day was not about to end when his wife once again asked him to drive towards the shopping district. This time though, they were looking at furnitures, specifically wooden furniture. Yukiko commented that she wanted to furnish the house with more old-styled furniture, large wooden table in the dining room, a grand piano in one of the ground floor rooms so she could teach their children music. She had gracefully let Yuusaku decide on the furniture for the library and study seeing as those would be the places he would be spending the most time in and would be awkward to see so much of her influence in the interior design (her reasoning was that it would ultimately become his man-cave and it would be strange for her to have a hand in decorating it).
They pair had gone furniture hunting for the duration between the visit and until the day when the house was complete. Each weekend or on the days that Yukiko had no filming, had Yuusaku driving Yukiko to some shop she managed to find. On days when she had filming, she would be seen with an interior design magazine, browsing through the pages and tagging things that caught her attention. When the day of moving in finally came, Yukiko was nearly bouncing from the walls.
"Oh, it's wonderful." Yukiko kissed Yuusaku passionately on the lips, in full view of the movers who had been busily carrying furniture between the truck and the house. "It looks better than I've imagined." Though the front yard was still barren, the path between the gate and front door had been laid with small decorative ornaments. The large white balls atop of the gate pillars containing the street lights by the gate glistened under the afternoon sun. The white walls contrasted steeply with the black wrought iron gates, that pushed smoothly away as they walked down the path. Stepping into the threshold, there was still the smell of fresh wood and the lingering scent of paint. The large foyer let in light from the upper windows, painting the room with bright sunshine. Everything looked perfect in Yukiko's eyes, the only thing left was to complete their own little family.
That night, as they shared the large king size canopy bed, skin touching skin, Yuusaku dreamt.
He was standing opposite a dark cloaked figure, which had three lumpy objects leaning onto the hems of his cloak. A bony hand pointed at Yuusaku and two lumps moved, first slowly across the large expanse between Yuusaku and the cloaked figure, then picked up pace. The closer they came, the more Yuusaku could pick up small features of a baby. The faster one, who was already within reaching distance of the young author, had tame hair and bright blue eyes. Reaching down to pick the boy up, the boy giggled and laughed, and Yuusaku could not help but smile. He ruffled the dark locks of hair, noticing the softness and coldness seeping through the tiny body. On instinct, he held the boy tighter to his body. The second baby (Yuusaku also assumed it to be a boy) was struggling slightly but was slowly gaining speed as soon as he saw Yuusaku. The messy brown hair bobbed as the baby attempted to move his arms and legs faster towards Yuusaku. When he was within reaching distance, Yuusaku crouched down to pick the boy up but found the act difficult for he did not want to lose his hold on the already cold boy. Touching the face of the new baby now by his legs, he also felt the iciness, but his hands were already full from dealing with the blue-eyed boy. A hand landed on his shoulders before reaching out to take the boy by his legs. The boy struggled at first, clinging onto Yuusaku but the author forcefully removed the boy and guided the boy towards the outstretched hands. Bright violet eyes looked back up at him as though questioning Yuusaku why he was pushing him away but Yuusaku knew he had to be firm in his decision or the boy would not survive.
Glancing back at the cloaked figure, there was still one bundle struggling to move. It made several lurches, tumbling and turning, but it barely made it into the lit up area that surrounded Yuusaku and the disembodied hands. The two boys looked at the lump, hands reaching out as though calling for it to hurry up or giving it support, but the lump still struggled. Yuusaku could see chains forming from the wisps of mist surrounding them, and holding the boy back.
"Your choice." A voice echoed in darkness. The bony hand of the cloaked figure once again pointed at Yuusaku, behind him, another more recognisable voice spoke.
"Don't worry about this young one, I'll give him a home."
Turning his gaze towards the small lump, eyes wide but not as bright as the one in his own grasp, he reached out his hands but pulled them back before he could touch the skin. He knew he would not be able to take both boys into his arms, he had to sacrifice one.
"Very well." The voice in darkness sounded in approval. The mist gathered, obscuring the little lump. The boys wailed in unison, sadness prominent in their voice even if they were unable to form words. "Wise choice for he would not be fit for you or your family." As the darkness receded, Yuusaku was made aware of how the little boy in his grasp felt warmer to the touch. There was still a tint of sadness in his eyes, but it was slowly lifting, filling with laughter and joy.
Yuusaku blinked his eyes opened to see light streaming into the bedroom through the sheer curtains. Yukiko was snug against his chest, clinging tight onto his waist. Yuusaku smiled at the general sense of happiness even though he could not remember much of his own dreams save for bright blue eyes and a cheerful smile. He only knew something good had happened.
Two months later, in late autumn just as the leaves have begun to fall, his hunches were proven correct as Yukiko bounded up to him from the front porch after her doctor's appointment.
"I'm pregnant!" She leapt into Yuusaku's arms, who was surprised, shocked, and overall very happy at the sudden turn of events. "I'm so so happy!"
Yuusaku quickly brought his wife indoors, not wanting her to catch a cold especially since she did not have her jacket. He then proceeded to admonish her for jumping and dancing all over their living room. The actress was already planning her retirement from show-biz and thinking about the colour scheme for their child's room.
"So, boy or girl?" She asked as she settled down on the large sofa in front of the TV, which was showing a rerun of one of her older dramas.
"Boy." Yuusaku said surely. "It'll be a boy."
"I think it'll be a girl." Yukiko patted her abdomen. "It'll be nice to have someone to dress up with."
Shaking his head, he decided not to inform his wife of that dream long ago. If it was premonition about their future child, she did not have to know he gave up the other two who was supposed to be borne into their family. He still had lingering regretful feelings of the dream, how he was unable to save the smallest one. But it was supposed to be a dream and nothing more. Though what bothered him was the cloaked figure, with its bony hands and ominous aura. It did not feel natural nor one that would be giving life.
"Yuu-chan, you're spacing out again." Yukiko poked Yuusaku in the cheeks. "I think we should go look for furniture and baby clothing."
"Isn't that against tradition?" He remembered reading somewhere it was bad luck to look at baby things so early in the pregnancy. "Shouldn't we wait until we know the gender at least?"
"But by then, it'll be difficult for me to go out." Yukiko pouted, adding the puppy-eye effect.
Yuusaku struggled to stay firm but in the end, he drove the car from the nearby parking lot to pick Yukiko from the front of their home.
In the beginning of May, just as spring was coming to an end and summer was just around the corner, their baby took the first breath. When Yuusaku laid eyes on their baby, the little eyelids opened to reveal a startling shade of blue, the same colour as that in Yuusaku's dreams.
"Look at him." Yukiko smiled tiredly from the hospital bed as their son reached out his little hands for something to grab on. The boy had inexplicable amounts of energy for someone who was just borne into the world. "He's already curious."
Yuusaku reached out his hands, letting the little digits poke and prod at his palm then finally settling on grabbing a finger all too big for the little fist. He didn't bother to hold back the smile.
Several hours later, back in the private room of the hospital (for the doctors had wanted to make sure Yukiko was healthy and strong before letting her leave, there had been slight complication during the birth) both Yuusaku and Yukiko were showered with confetti. Streamers rained down from the ceiling and balloons rose from the floor beneath the bed (which Yuusaku had checked beforehand for any listening devices and whatnots, who knows what the paparazzi would do to sniff out a scoop). Yukiko had giggled from her position on the bed as their magician friend made his appearance in a burst of smoke.
"Congratulations friend." Toichi patted Yuusaku on the back before producing a small teddy bear with flair, catching the baby's attention. "And hello there young Kudo."
The baby laughed as he made grabby hands towards the fluffy teddy.
"So what's his name?" He inquired, letting go of the teddy. The boy latched onto the teddy's ears, biting and mouthing the small clump of fabric.
"Shinichi." Yukiko looked lovingly down at the curious boy in her arms who now abandoned thoughts of chewing through the teddy, instead it turned the toy and tried to pull at the arms and legs.
"Quite energetic for a newborn. I heard they normally would be asleep by now." Blue eyes looked up at the speaker, as though he detected the voice was talking about him.
"Quite. The doctors said it was uncommon. But all considered, he's healthy and that's all it matters." Yuusaku reached out to take the boy from Yukiko so she could rest her arms. Gently, he lifted Shinichi and held it to his chest. "What about your own little bundle? When is your baby due?"
"Chikage is having a check-up, we're expecting to be in two months but who knows." Toichi shrugged his shoulders. "Babies are unpredictable." There was a wry smile on his face, one that told Yuusaku there was more to it than the words spoken. In the young author's mind, a theory was beginning to form, one that involved the supernatural and precognitive dreams.
During their short conversation, Shinichi fell asleep in Yuusaku's arms. The drop of the teddy onto the floor notified them the boy was exhausted and Yuusaku promptly returned Shinichi to the small bed by Yukiko's side. Toichi excused himself, stating he would be bringing Chikage around after the appointment so the wives could chat. Yuusaku saw the magician out.
"Say…" Yuusaku began as he closed the doors behind him, "when your wife asked you whether you think the baby was boy or girl, what did you reply?"
"Boy. Definitely a boy. Without a doubt." Toichi stated surely. "I saw him myself, that energetic boy from my dreams. I'm quite sure of it. And I'm guessing you know it as well."
"I've never believed in the supernatural before, but Shinichi kind of confirmed it for me." Yuusaku turned his gaze back towards the doors before waving the magician to go pick up his wife before said wife chewed him out.
Yuusaku would have loved to say the years had gone by like the flow of water as he watched Shinichi grow from the small baby to the now five year old. Unfortunately, each day was filled with adventure.
Before Shinichi's first birthday, Yuusaku remembered going to the playpen to retrieve Shinichi for an immune shot. He found the playpen perfectly intact but Shinichi was missing from the inside. A frazzled search around the room revealed nothing and only when Yuusaku moved towards the closed doors of the library, had he heard the gurgled sounds of Shinichi somehow sounding extremely excited and happy. Opening the doors, Shinichi was found perched on a shelf tucked between encyclopedias and mystery novels. Yuusaku nearly had a heart attack, his son had escaped and managed to climb up several shelves. From that point on, Yuusaku made sure to stay besides Shinichi, barely stepping out of the house. Yuusaku had dropped his detective work all together, focusing his efforts on his novels.
At age 3, Shinichi was introduced to the small bundle known as Kuroba Kaito. An energetic and overly curious boy. Shinichi, who was on the shy side, had immediately taken a liking to Kaito. They became attached to the point where the two sets of parents were constantly visiting each other. They would often meet at a nearby park, where the wives would have the afternoon off and the husbands were tasked with babysitting. Kaito and Shinichi would busy themselves at the sandpit. But one particular incident had neither fathers wanting to bring their children back. One sunny afternoon, during their discussion on the merits of walking on air, silence suddenly overcame the normally energetic Kaito. They had dismissed it at first until the silence persisted. Toichi was the one who saw what caught the two boy's attention. Inside the sandpit was a clear plastic bag containing what seems to be a rusty red liquid. The tangy metallic smell seeped through and Toichi hulled the boys away. Both looked up with curiosity, before turning their gaze back at the dug hole and the empty space besides the two kneeled indents made by the playing boys. Yuusaku was quick to report to the police, who later told him the plastic bag contained a fresh dismembered finger but the body had yet to be found. Instead of participating in the investigation, Yuusaku took the boys to a child psychologist, just in case. Neither boys were pronounced traumatized, only very bright and highly adaptive.
When the boys were strong enough to run and play, earning restless afternoons for the parents, the Kurobas and Kudos would often take longer trips. To theme parks, beaches, and camping. The most harrowing experience came during one of their theme park visits, where Yuusaku not only found his son's love for haunted houses but also Shinichi's knack of finding trouble. That was not surprising in itself for Shinichi had a very curious nature. Rather than become scared of dark and spooky places, Shinichi would often be found giggling and pointing at dark shadows when he had been younger. Now, at age 5, Shinichi would actively look for such places as though it holds the answers to the world. During this trip, the boys ran around, poked their heads into bushes and hid behind dumpsters and alleyways. The parents had panicked when Kaito nor Shinichi returned to their side and had nearly called security when their children failed to return. The parents were not relieved even as Kaito ran up to them unhurt. Kaito tugged at their shirt to pull them towards Shinichi's location, who stood staring at an unmarked luggage standing beside a support beam for the rollercoaster. Yuusaku, recognising it for what it was, quickly pulled Shinichi away and pushed him into Yukiko's arms, instructing them to go as far away as possible. The police later reported the luggage to contain a bomb, part of a threat that was issued that very same morning. They commented that Shinichi had been lucky to not set it off, to which the parents decided to call it a day. Yuusaku never bothered to find out about that incident, only it was reported days later that the culprit was still on the loose.
Their son rarely cries, as a baby the only time he uttered a sound was when hunger strikes. As a young child, tears were only formed when skin was broken. When brought to moody restaurants or places that should set other babies off, Shinichi remained calm with his bright blue eyes, peering into the darkness. Sometimes, Yuusaku had to wonder what goes on inside that brain of his.
"Ne, 'tou-san." Shinichi tugged Yuusaku on the sleeve, breaking him out of his reminiscence. Yuusaku looked down at his wide-eyed son clutching onto a picture book of the Great Mouse Detective.
"Yes, Shinichi?" Lifting his son to sit on his laps, he assumed his son wanted him to read the story book but Shinichi did not hand the book over.
"Why is that person always standing so close to 'kaa-san?" His inquisitive eyes looked up, not registering ahd shock in Yuusaku and taking his silence as need for further information. "You know, the one wearing the black cloak? He's really really close. I've tried asking him but 'kaa-san was looking at me funny."
Yuusaku knew Shinichi had a knack of locating strange things, but by far this was the strangest. "Where have you seen this person?"
"Um...he was across the street at first, but last time 'kaa-san took us to the supermarket, he was standing close. And he followed us home!" Shinichi gripped tighter onto his book. "Who is that person?"
"I wouldn't worry." Yuusaku tries to soothe his boy by ruffling his hair. "Just ignore that person and he should be gone."
"But he's always been there! That time with that strange package, and at the park, and at the mall…" Shinichi listed all the times he found a crime in action, whether it was dropped goods from a robbery, bombs from terrorists, kidnapped children, and dismembered limbs. Yuusaku had thought it was all coincidences but apparently, Shinichi just never told anyone. "And then there was also the little kid that's always with the cloaked person. He looked just like me, only a lot smaller."
"What little kid?" Yuusaku held back the suspicion in his voice.
"Small boy, tiny. Blue eyes that always stared at me. I tried talking to him, asked if he wanted to play but he just disappears." He replied as though he was saddened by the lost chance at making a new friend. "He looked really lonely and I thought we could be friends."
Yuusaku wasn't sure what he could say, instead kissed his boy at the temple and told him not to worry. Shinichi nodded obediently but remained inside the library, taking up residence on the plush beanbag at the corner designated for children's books. Yuusaku frowned as Shinichi buried his head into the book. Strange circumstances had rattled his nerves.
A week later, Yuusaku received a hurried called from Megure. He had thought it was a request for a case but the inspector's distressed tone was cause for Yuusaku to rush towards the hospital. The older inspector met Yuusaku at the entrance.
"Yukiko, where is she? Where's Shinichi?" Yuusaku was out of breath from his run between his car, parked haphazardly in front, and the hospital's front desk.
"She's in the OR. Shinichi-kun has been admitted." Megure rattled off the room number and guided Yuusaku to the children's ward. "It had been a hit-and-run." He informed the frazzled author-slash-father plainly, stating how the driver ran a light, hit the mother and child during crossing.
"'Tou-san." Shinichi struggled out of his blanket. He had a cast on his leg, bandages wrapped around his arms, and several colourful Band-aids stuck on his cheeks and forehead. Yuusaku rushed to his son's side, trying to stop him from aggravating the injuries. "It was a black car, really really black car. But had a silver horse in front."
It was strange for Yuusaku to hear his son able to describe in detail about the car that hit them. He recognized some of the characteristics as being that of the car involved in a series of traffic accidents for the past week. Megure had called him up a few days ago to ask his opinion but Yuusaku was still going through the information that was sent over.
"And 'kaa-san...she, she hugged me. And...and…" Droplets of tears threatened to fall from his boy's eyes and Yuusaku carefully hugged him.
"Shh….It's alright. Everything would be fine." He patted his son gently, coaxing the boy to calm down. But Shinichi just remained still in his arms, which Yuusaku had to pull away to make sure Shinichi was doing fine.
"It was my fault. If I said something…It was always there when something happens." Shinichi pulled tighter at Yuusaku's shirt. "It was my fault, 'kaa-san was hurt because she tried to protect me…"
"It's not your fault Shinichi." It took a good portion of the hour to calm Shinichi down. By the time his son fell asleep, his wife's operation was over and he left Shinichi in the care of the nurses. He could foresee his son to start panicking the moment he wakes up but he really needed to check on his wife.
Megure was talking with one of the doctors out in the corridor when Yuusaku finally arrived. The doctor had a grim look on his face.
"Are you her husband?" The doctor asked, turning away from Megure's questioning. Yuusaku nodded, not trusting his voice. "We've done all we could be she had suffered extensive injuries. There were mass internal bleeding caused by punctured organs. The impact of the car was by far the worst I've seen. There were also minor fractures on the hips, legs and arms. We have to wait until she wakes up before doing any scans or tests for brain damage but so far, we have not found indications that she would have suffered. I can allow the husband to stay with her for now if you want."
"Thank you doctor. If you could send over your reports to the police, that would be helpful." Megure then turned to the distressed author. "Yuusaku-kun, go see your wife. I'll can have Kogoro close by Shinichi-kun's room. Do you want me to help you call someone more familiar?"
"I can give you the number. I think they would want to know." Yuusaku rattled off the Kuroba's home number before following the doctor towards Yukiko's room.
Yukiko looked extremely fragile tucked in between white starched sheets and bandages, quite different from the boisterous presence Yuusaku was used to. He pulled over a flimsy plastic chair and set himself up for a night of vigil. He somehow knew his wife would not be opening her eyes anytime tonight.
That night, Yuusaku's mind was cluttered with thoughts of 'what-ifs' and 'could-have-beens'. His son's words echoed in his mind as he pondered whether there was something he could do. He questioned why such things happened to his lovely wife and whether it could have been prevented, if he had not put it aside that time when Megure called, Yukiko won't be lying on the bed now. A lone voice echoed in his mind that told him if he had stayed true on his path, became what he was destined to be, none of this would have happened. He shook his head to clear out the thought before returning his gaze to his stilled wife.
His mind ran then on tangents as worry and frustration waged war, wondering from if Shinichi was sleeping or was he crying, to what Yukiko's first words when she wakes up would be. He must have drifted off as he was suddenly startled awake by the sound of sliding doors.
"You look like hell Yuusaku." Toichi walked in by himself, settling to stand by Yuusaku as they watched the rise and fall of the blanket. "Chikage and Kaito are with Shinichi at the moment. How are you holding up?"
"I feel horrid." Yuusaku admitted, cringing as he heard a pop when he moved his neck. "What time is it?"
"Noon. Don't tell me you fell asleep in here." Toichi shook his head before urging Yuusaku out of the chair. "Clean yourself up, see your son before coming back. I'll be here just in case."
Yuusaku was about to protest but knew his friend would start pulling threats (and pranks) out if he dallied any longer. He complied with much reluctance to freshen himself and check on Shinichi.
His son's room was slightly more lively with Kaito pulling out tricks and managing to sneak in a dove. Yuusaku wasn't complaining when he noticed a small smile on Shinichi's face. He walked over to give his son a kiss on the temple and informed Chikage of the whereabouts of her husband. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulders before directing him to the small bento she made. Graciously, to took the food and settled by the bedside as he listened to Kaito's stories about the cat next door and his doves and a bottle of food dye (he was surprised that Chikage had not scolded Kaito for the prank). It was late afternoon when the doctors came back to check whereby the three visitors were told to leave. Shinichi looked as though there was something he wanted say and Yuusaku went closer to ruffle the still neat locks.
"'Tou-san." Shinchi kept his eyes downcasted. "'Kaa-san said she doesn't want you to worry."
Startled, he turned back to look at his son. "Why do you think that?"
"I didn't think. I know. She told me just now." Shinichi stated with a soft voice. "She was here. That small boy brought her here."
"Shinichi." Lost for words, and ignoring the annoyed glare from the doctor, Yuusaku went to hug his son once more. "Please, stop this." His voice must have sounded pained because Shinichi flinched in his arms.
"'Tou-san…" Shinichi pushed him away. "I'm not lying. It's true. She was here. She said she'll come by again later!" Shinichi gripped tightly on the bedsheet, tears threatening to fall once more.
"Kudo-san." The doctor sternly reminded Yuusaku to stop aggravating Shinichi and instead of checking up on the boy, he led Yuusaku out of the doors, pausing to explain the situation. "It is normal for the child to experience this, his young mind may be trying to understand what happened and could be conjuring up imaginary scenarios. I would suggest to let him speak his mind for the time being and if it persists, I'll recommend a child psychologist."
Nodding, Yuusaku let the doctor do his work as he sat outside with Kaito. Chikage had left to check on her husband moments after they stepped out of the room but Kaito had refused to leave.
"Yuusaku-ojisan, Shin-chan would be fine." Kaito tried to comfort, producing a tissue flower from his sleeves. "I heard he would be fine, and Yukiko-neechan would be fine as well."
"And where did you hear that?" Yuusaku decided to entertain the boy and agree with him.
"That's what they said when they came into the room, when 'kaa-san left briefly to get juice for us." His wide violet eyes looked up directly in Yuusaku. "You shouldn't be sad. They said as long as you're here, as long as you have Shin-chan, everything would be fine here."
Chikage came back at the exact moment when Yuusaku wanted to question further. The Kurobas had to leave them since visitation hours were over. Yuusaku decided to stay for a while longer, though this time not returning to Shinichi's rooms but instead went to Yukiko's room. He stared down at his wife's pale face, wondering what Shinichi and Kaito had meant. He was interrupted once again by the nurse, even as he told the nurse this was his wife, the nurse had firmly told him he should not be staying here for two days straight. Sighing, he trudged towards his car and carefully drove himself home.
Looking up at the house, the large mansion felt oppressive. The silence echoing through the rooms was painful to Yuusaku's ears. Browsing through the cupboard, he made himself a bowl of instant noodles, bland and tasteless but he knew once Yukiko wakes up and knows he had not eaten, there would be hell to pay. Letting the dirty dishes soak in the sink, he returned to his only sanctuary-the library. Here, he tries to begin the next installment of his new novel, the Night Baron, but inspiration was nowhere to be found. Deciding to call it a night, and hoping to wake early for tomorrow's visitation hours, he turned towards the bedroom.
"You should not have turned a blind eye towards the world." A whisper cut through the silence in the middle of the night. Yuusaku's senses told him no one was in the room yet he distinctly heard a voice. "Even with Our prompts, you have not acted."
Yuusaku reasoned with the voice that he had done so in order to protect everything he has right now.
"Very well, someone else would have to take up your mantle. Let us hope your son would fare better and embrace these new gifts."
Yuusaku quickly opened his eyes, facing the darkness as dawn was just breaking through their window.
"What have I done." He asked the empty space, somehow knowing he just condemned his son to a life of misfortune.
-TBC-