Disclaimer: The author does not own any of the trademarks used in this piece. Any similarities the story may have with events in the real world is purely coincidental.

Author's Note: In an odd twist, I actually brushed up on some Conan while working on this last bit. Found some chapters and episodes I'd love to go back into and want to catch. Not sure if it'll fully rekindle my interest in the franchise, but it's a spark nonetheless. Regarding the case I described here, I don't watch a lot of American shows about the FBI so I only based some of the details off of news articles posted on their official website. Might not be as accurate as I intended, but it can be readjusted.

Also, I'd like to take a moment to credit a couple of Youtube channels I'm subbed to, Retroblasting and Toy Polloi, for the inspiration and references to some of the details used here. If you're into 80s pop culture stuff, those channels might be up your alley. Spoilers about Transformers The Movie ahead - rather old film at this point, but people and spoilers these days...

In any case, thank you for viewing and I hope you enjoyed this little offering. Had a lot of fun getting back at it again after so long.

Dinner with Cassette Man - Epilogue

Noone could ever question Shuichi Akai's sharp memory. Some might even say it's too sharp for his own good. But that never stopped him from losing count of how many times his day had betrayed him.

He wasn't even supposed to be on a case today, but since he knew the landlord of the apartment where a suspected cyber fraudster and his girlfriend lived, James was more than happy to loan him over to Cyber crimes. If not for Camel tagging along and covering for him, he probably wouldn't have managed to duck out for a bit and spend the afternoon humoring a dangerously enchanting lady over some rib eye and a tall cold one.

But as Shuichi watched the girlfriend, a University freshman just a couple of years older than Shiho, weep for a man who defrauded several people of hundreds of thousands of dollars through ransomware, the humor he relished on just hours ago began to fade like a distant memory. She'd already gotten lost in the shuffle as the other agents either scoured the room for bugs or huddled around the perpetrator's laptop with him. By the time someone does get back to her, she'll be bombarded with questions about how much she knew and why she ended up ratting him out now, with the obvious implication of them being partners in this scam. It couldn't be helped; part of their job was to suspect everyone involved, after all. But if they were going to extract anything coherent and useful out of her soon, affording some human decency never got in the way of that. With that in mind Shuichi split from the pack, grabbed a clean towel, and draped it over the young woman's shoulder. An empty gesture, but it was the only comfort he could give her. Her crying seemed to have eased down subsequently, but Shuichi had seen this kind scenario enough times to be fooled into taking it as a sign of appreciation or innocence. If anything, she was just tired from the shock of seeing her world fall apart before her.

The whole investigation bled into the next afternoon as more evidence were found on suspect's laptop once it was brought over to a local precinct, including log files, receipts, exchanges with other fraudsters, as well as traces of having committed identity theft and phishing in the past. Shuichi sat through the entire inquiry, his disengagement still unchallenged. He'd already drawn his own inferences about this particular case, but he let the agents in charge uncover the facts for themselves this time. Most of the money were safely recovered in a matter of hours, but unfortunately for the girl the suspect was living with, part of her University fees were paid for by stolen funds. Apparently, she became suspicious of her partner when he gave her a huge sum of money at once without explaining how he got it. She was scared that he might be involved in something dangerous, so she ended up filing the report. She seemed visibly shaken by how she'd failed to notice his crimes sooner even after they started cohabiting the room he was arrested in.

Without another word to anyone after that, Shuichi stepped out of the facility for a moment, feeling hollow inside. He knew what he was getting into when he enlisted with the FBI, that the responsibility the badge entailed doesn't stop even after his callous thirst for revenge was satisfied. But with Gin and the so-called Black Organization in hindsight, the rest of society's ills tasted cheap like the vending machine coffee he had not long ago. Annoyed at his own conflicted self, he thought about lighting himself a stick, as if to remind himself of the bitterness of the life he'd chosen, but lost the mood altogether as he was about to reach the pack of cigarettes in his breast pocket.

Shiho might be right about him having too many vices...

Rather than the pack of cigarettes in his jacket, Shuichi instead fished for his phone to see if she left any messages, only to find otherwise. Around lunchtime, he received a call from James telling him that she declined joining the FBI's forensic division, but after the conversation they had about the matter last night, he wasn't all that surprised by her decision. He thought of calling her after that, but between being tied down by an ongoing inquiry and Shiho's opinions about being followed around constantly, it didn't materialize into anything more than a thought. She'd become stronger since breaking free from the shackles the Organization bounded her with, and he trusted she'd know what to do if she did get in trouble. She's probably back at the hotel anyway, making preparations to return to Japan now that her itinerary was fulfilled. It wasn't his place to tell her otherwise.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Camel across the lobby having some canned juice. When he noticed, the burly agent approached him. "You okay, Akai-san?" he asked. As usual, the concerned expression painted on his face didn't fit his hard features.

"Ah. How are things looking?"

"Right now they're finalizing the charges against the perp. As for the girl, Cyber crime offered to help her out with her debt." The notion that some good came out of her cooperation brought both men a sliver of relief. However, Camel needed to get something else out of his chest. "I'm really sorry I couldn't handle the situation on my own. I know how much you've been looking forward to yesterday and-"

Shuichi cut him off with a hard tap on the back. "We've been at this dance long enough. If it wasn't this, it would've been something else."

Somehow, that gave Camel a second wind. "You go on home now. I might've failed yesterday, but I sure can take care of things from here."

"Huh? It's alright. Do-" This time, it was Shuichi's turn to get interrupted.

"No, I insist! Please allow me to redeem my honor!" Camel exclaimed in Japanese. He still has a long way to go, but the gesture elicited a slight smirk from Shuichi.

"...You've been watching too many Samurai movies," Shuichi remarked.

Camel flashed him a sheepish grin. "I've been studying up for when I go back to Japan. Still a lot of good stuff I'd like to try out."

Not wanting to step on his second's resolve, Shuichi conceded. He was free to leave anyway now that he'd served his role in the investigation. "You should try the Death Lord ramen at Ramen Ogura in Beika. I heard some good things about it, but don't get in trouble when you do..."

The brawny agent gave him an emphatic nod. "Please send Miyano-san my regards."

"Will do, Camel. Will do."

After finishing up at the precinct, Shuichi was back on the road. He made a contrite face as he drove, recalling the times Camel overextended himself on his account. Camel always talked about how grateful he was that he still trusted him after all the times he messed an operation up . For Shuichi however, it was the other way around. It always has been. Camel didn't deserve the burden of the his own sins, and yet the musclebound oaf outright shared part of it with his broad shoulders. He even started rocking the shorter hair on the regular since they had to fake his death. They could break bread as many times as Camel would like, but Shuichi figured it'll take a while for him to make up for all the trouble his colleague had to put up with. Possibly a lifetime too, on top of what he owed certain other people.

On the way home Shuichi stopped by a Walmart. Contrary to his word, he didn't have high hopes in finding that Beetle he promised Professor Agasa, but he swung by the toy aisle anyway to see if it was there. Not only was the Beetle not there, several columns of pegs didn't have anything hanging on them. Oddly, among the few available items was a two-pack of mini cassettes that went into that old player of his. As it was the only one of its kind left, he put it in his cart and headed off to the meats section for some cheaper steak cuts he could practice with later.

A little past eight in the evening, Shuichi finally got back to his apartment. Being gone for nearly the full day wasn't unusual for him. He was spent, but nothing a nap and a drink wouldn't fix. But as he reached his doorstep, his reserves suddenly kicked in as he felt something amiss on the other side. Nothing in particular set him off, only years of constant vigilance heightening his radar. On reflex he opened his door as gingerly as possible as he crept inside...

"It can't be...," he muttered to himself, blinking twice to confirm he wasn't just tired after a long night out. And yet, she remained still with each attempt, nestled in his couch like a porcelain statue that had come to life to watch television. Even more stunning than her presence though was the white floral sundress she had on, revealing how comfortable she'd gotten in staying at his place. Arresting as she looked in homewear, he shook his head before heading straight to the kitchen, keeping his eyes from wandering precariously at her rosy white neck or her crossed legs...

"Oh, you're back." Shiho greeted, rolling her eyes at his direction for about a second just to see his reaction before reverting back to the TV screen.

"I am. Miss me?" he said, maintaining a cool facade as he circled around the counter.

"Hardly. I was really trying to get into the show until you showed up," she replied sullenly, belying the mild satisfaction she got over seeing the agent waver a bit.

Shuichi took a gander at what she was watching and found... the 80s cartoon about the cars on his shelf. He had the first couple of seasons on DVD, but it was the first time they were being played. "Trying," he repeated. "How's that working out for you?"

Shiho let an exasperated groan out. "Not good at all. This thing doesn't have much of a plot, does it? Pure product placement at its worst."

Shuichi resounded an amused grunt as he unpacked the groceries. "Wait 'til you get to the original film."

"Let me guess. Convenient deaths so they could 'roll out' new toys," Shiho balked at the idea as she paused the video to turn his way, their eyes meeting for the first time since he left last night. "I told you... I've seen the Hollywood movies... No, I was forced to watch them," she added, particularly stressing the latter part with dread.

"I'll do you one better. They start doing it at the beginning of the film."

"Really? They did that to a children's movie? That sounds even worse than killing off a Sentai Warrior mid-season."

"It is. Especially the body count."

"Oh. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't imagine the Detective Boys taking it very well." Allowing a disgusted sight to escape her lips, Shiho detracted from the movie to ask about Shuichi's day, figuring it couldn't be any worse. "What happened to the case you were working on?"

"It's all but closed as we speak. We arrested the perpetrator and recovered everything he stole," he answered.

Freshly reminded of the perils that come with keeping secrets, Shuichi didn't think twice about breaking his own personal confidentiality clause and decided to enthrall Shiho with the specifics of the case. He spared her no amount of detail while he stocked his perishables into their rightful places, from the type of scam the culprit used to the problems his partner was saddled with. For her part, Shiho listened to it intently, asking clarifications for some details he might have glossed over a couple of times in between.

"The girlfriend... Will she be alright?" she asked once the report was over.

"She's a strong woman for doing what she thought was just... She'll pull through."

"I see." With the federal agent's assurance putting the lid on the matter, Shiho took the opportunity to segue into how things turned out on her end. "Speaking of the FBI offering assistance, you've probably heard from Mr. Black already, but I've formally turned down their offer."

Shuichi confirmed Shiho's presumption with a resounding grunt. "I had a hunch you would." With most of the items he got now in their respectful compartments, he took a seat adjacent to her, setting the carded cassettes down on the table. "What do you plan to do when you get back?"

"Hmmm," Shiho appraised, "I can tell you, but I'll have to hurt you badly if you laugh or shoot me down."

"I'm all ears," he replied, gazing back at her somberly.

Making an abashed face, Shiho took a deep breath, closed her eyes and announced "I'm thinking of taking up some additional units, try to get a position as a school physician." She paused for a moment before revealing her rationale. "Students and even teachers in Japan...They go to the infirmary when they don't feel well, but they're not always literally sick. I thought that maybe after all the things I've been through, I could hear them out and help unpack their pent up stress... It's a tentative plan to say the least, but I'd like to try it."

About half a minute later, when the words had already dissipated into the cosmos but hasn't yielded so much as a twitch of a muscle, she opened her eyes narrowly at his direction. "What? Don't tell me it's such a bad idea that left you speechless..."

"Not at all. On the contrary," Shuichi finally replied, his expression unchanged. "It fits you very well... The you right now..."

"Do you really mean that or are you just trying to be smooth with me?" Shiho cast a doubtful eye at him.

"You look at your friends closely enough to know how they'd think or feel. That's a good place to start if you really want to go down that rabbit hole," Shuichi stated, decisively as though presenting an important clue. "Besides, the world could use more people who care about the living than ones who pick up and muck around with the dead." He then reclined on the couch, titling his head up and training his eyes at the ceiling above them. He wouldn't say it outright, but he admired her for wanting to stray from the life they have now as seekers of the truth. So much so, that it made him wonder if there will ever be a time when he'll be able walk away from it too...

A weak smile creased Shiho's lips as she looked at the agent, well aware of what he was feeling right then. "Friends, hmm... I guess you can put stalkers in there too."

Shuichi rolled his eyes back at her upon that remark. "Don't get ahead of yourself. That's a dangerous line you're crossing."

"You call this dangerous? Should I be scared now?"

The two froze to a standstill for a while before it thawed into an exchange of rueful smirks in lieu of a laughing frenzy. The air between them was tense but not the kind either of them minded, acknowledging that they have reached an even deeper level of understanding since yesterday. Relishing on it for too long would be more than treacherous however. Letting her eyes roam across the room for a distraction, Shiho noticed the mini figures on the table and decided to go from there. "Say...Do you happen to have that movie we were just talking about on disc? After everything you've said, I kind of want to watch it now to see how bad it gets."

"Having dinner with your stalker, staying in his house, and now asking him to put a movie on. What a troublesome girl..." Shuichi pulled himself up and checked the shelf to see if he had it. "I skipped the third season altogether, but it should be here somewhere."

As he scanned through the spines of his DVDs, the corner of his eye was suddenly drawn in towards the other side, specifically by the item that was now proudly in front of the cars on display. It was definitely his childhood cassette based on some telltale marks. The figure was still unmistakably vintage, but it was much cleaner than the last time he'd given it a moment's glance. Its joints and panels had been tightened, the failing stickers replaced, even the chrome was reapplied. He almost wanted to reach for it to see if it was really his cassette but...

"Keep your hands off the chromed bits for a few days. It was a pain painting those trims back on," the former scientist warned. "I'm just glad it wasn't handled by a rough child or discolored badly. I'd hate to have to mess with a whitening solution for an antique."

"Mind if I ask what came over you?" he straightened up and asked, hands on his hips as if interrogating a suspect. He considered fixing it himself several times, but between getting the newer cars and the painful memories it evoked, it just never came to be. To see it this sharp again after so long, he couldn't hide his astonishment for once.

"I got back early and I was bored. That's all there is to it," she readily answered while examining the figures' cardback. The irony of him acquiring it wasn't lost on her now that she'd familiarized herself with the lore a bit. "Consider it a 'thank you' for last night... And for listening to my ramblings..."

For a brief moment, Shuichi was swept back in time, to his last memory of actively playing with the figure. From the the day he received it from his father and took it out of the box, the adventures he had with it, the few misadventures that have left characteristic traces on the figure... Pieces of his past that he thought had been lost with time, but were now unearthed and restored its former glory by this troublesome girl...

"Repaying you for this will take a while," Shuichi said. "The list of people I owe have gotten longer since I came back to Japan for you."

"You can start by recording your smooth lines on there, play them back when you're feeling down," Shiho joked dryly as she put the card down. She then got up and walked over to where Shuichi stood to help him set up. "Dinner would be nice too. Remember, you're the one asking for it again."

"We can pop some steaks in the pan later," Shuichi suggested. But with Shiho's admonishing stare boring a crater at the very spot on his head where one would've been hollowed out had the events at Raiha Pass turned out differently, he added, "...Or we could just order something easier on the blood."

The End.

written by akaisherry47