"Why not?"
Juuzou sighed. "If you want money, go ask your dad."
"Why?"
Juuzou groaned in annoyance at the girl that was sitting on his desk, not allowing him to get his work done.
"Because you're not my responsibility," Suzuya said, trying in vain to look over some reports.
"Why?"
Nanami Amon was the bane of Juuzou Suzuya's existence. She was Amon and Akira's five year old daughter, and possibly the most annoying human being Suzuya had ever known. She looked much like her mother, with pale skin, sharp features, and light blue-green eyes. However, she had inherited Amon's jet black hair, which flowed freely all the way down to her waist. Nanami got bored easily, and was also full of questions, her favorite being 'why'.
Suzuya had complained to his superior about her constant questioning, but Amon had replied with that questioning was the only way she would learn. Akira and Amon had no sitter, so Nanami had become a regular at the workplace. That meant that the five year old would perch herself on Suzuya's desk every day.
She drove Juuzou crazy, but he was comforted by the fact that the next year she would be starting school. But for now, himself and Kiniko were in charge of looking after the annoying child.
"You're not my responsibility because I'm not your dad," Suzuya said, silently praying she didn't ask 'why'.
"Do you have kids?" Nanami asked, playing with her long hair.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want any," Suzuya said in annoyance.
"Why?"
Juuzou had to fight the urge to say because they might be annoying like you.
"Because he doesn't want any," Kiniko said, butting in from his desk next to Suzuya's. He pulled a couple yen out of his pocket. "Go buy yourself something from the vending machine."
"Yay!" Nanami said, jumping down from Juuzou's desk. "Thank you!" she said, taking the money from Kiniko and rushed out of the small room, door closing behind her.
"God, I can't stand that kid," Juuzou groaned.
"You owe me one," Kiniko said, leaning back. "Bought us some child-free time."
"She's gonna be back from the vending machine in two minutes flat," Suzuya pointed out. "And how much you wanna bet she bought those sugar coated sour worms? She's going to to be even more hyper than usual."
Kiniko smirked. "The door locked behind her. She has to go find someone with the keys."
"She's gonna knock first ya know."
"We won't hear her."
Suzuya chuckled and shook his head. "Guess I do owe you then."
"So how've ya been?" Kiniko asked.
Suzuya sighed. "Eh. Sleeping just a little better."
"You must just be lonely or somethin' like that," Kiniko said. "Ever thought of settling down?"
"What do you mean?"
"Get married. Have a family."
Suzuya sighed again. "No, that's not my thing."
"Could be," Kiniko said.
There was a pounding on the door.
"Don't open it," Kiniko hissed.
They waited a minute, and then there was a clicking noise. The door opened, and Amon stood next to his daughter in the doorway. The investigator was scowling, and Nanami's face was tearstained.
"Did you lock my daughter out?" he asked.
"No," Kiniko said. "The door must've locked behind her on the way out."
Amon gave the two investigators a wary look, and then left. Nanami skipped over to Suzuya's desk, just as Juuzou had predicted, with a bag of sour worms in her hand.
"I know you locked me out," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're lucky I didn't tell my Daddy on you."
Juuzou rolled his eyes.
She opened her bag of sour worms and chomped down on an orange and blue one. Nanami chewed obnoxiously loud and with her mouth open, showing off the slimy bits of candy in her mouth.
"Suzuya," she said, mouth full. "When I grow up, I'm going to be an investigator like my Mommy and Daddy."
"I hope I never live to see that day," Juuzou muttered under his breath. Kiniko must've heard him, for he chuckled.
"I could hunt ghouls," she said. "With a rainbow quinque."
"Rainbow, eh?" Kiniko said. "I don't know if they make those."
"I will have one," she said definitively.
Juuzou just shook his head and continued on his paperwork.
"Whatcha working on?" Nanami asked, looking at the papers on his desk.
"Work."
"On what?"
"A ghoul."
"What ghoul?"
"A ghoul named Naki."
Nanami took the papers off Suzuya's desk and examined them.
"Hey, those are classified!" Juuzou said, trying to snatch the papers back.
"Relax," Kiniko said. "It's not like she can read anything. All she can do is look at his Cochlea mugshot. And if she identifies him, that'll only help us."
Nanami found the picture of Naki. "Is he is nice?"
"He's a ghoul."
"Is he nice?" Nanami asked again.
"No," Suzuya said.
"Have you met him?" she asked, closely examining the mugshot.
"Couple times," Juuzou said.
"Did you sit down and talk to him?" Nanami asked, looking at Suzuya with wide, bright eyes.
"Well, no."
"How do you know he's not nice then?"
"Because he's a ghoul," Suzuya said, ready to be done with this conversation.
"Can ghouls be nice?"
Juuzou's heart skipped a beat.
You're very talented.
He can call me Sen if he wants.
Oh, by the way, I'm sorry I freaked out when I saw your stitches the first time. It's just so cool! Much better than tattoos.
I love your rainbow buttons. They're really cute.
I'm making you soup.
I got a cab and brought you back and put you in bed, got some stuff from the store, and came back.
While you were in the shower, I ran to the store and I got you something.
Eat up, you'll feel better.
Goodnight, Juuzou.
Will you stitch me?
I love you.
"Mister Suzuya, are you alright?"
Nanami's voice snapped Juuzou out of his trance. His hands were shaking, he was sweaty, and had become stark white.
"Suzuya?" Kiniko asked.
"Yeah," Juuzou asked, recovering.
"Oh you're alright," Kiniko. "You just fell off the earth for a minute."
"Sure felt like it," Juuzou mumbled.