Chapter 04: "After the Denouement"

Upon entering HQ, I headed straight towards the information desk where I saw Secretary-chan working away at her computer.

"Is the Chief in?"

She gave me a cursory glance and blinked once before tapping away at the keyboard once more. "He should be in his office. Although, he did have someone else with him, a woman with black hair and a suit. They went in about... mmm... ten minutes ago? She signed the guest log as 'Yukinoshita.'"

A Yukinoshita woman in a suit with black hair? The only person I knew that matched this description was Haruno. Was she going to be my lawyer for this case? Wasn't she the DA? Could she even do private cases? These questions whirled in my head as I stood in front of the mahogany doors to Chief Tsurumi's office. I knocked once and was greeted by his muffled voice from inside.

"Hikigaya? Come on in."

I twisted the door knob and enter without a word.

"Hikigaya...?"

My feet went numb as my ears are met with a voice as clear as a lone woodwind in a string accompaniment and thrice as smooth as velvet. The door shut behind me with an ominous slam, the change in air pressure created a slight breeze that caused her hair to shift. Sitting before me was a person I never thought I would ever see again in my life.

Yukinoshita Yukino.

The Yukinoshita family seemed immune to the ravages of time, and their youngest child was no exception.

The irises of the Ice Queen were a crisp and clear blue, a color that reminded me of a cloudless winter sky at noon. Flowing long black hair reached the small of her back, atop a face shaped like a gentle teardrop. Her skin was an unblemished pale-moon color tone, not dissimilar to milk or marble.

I couldn't tell too clearly because she was sitting, but she could be a little taller than the teenage Yukinoshita I was mentally comparing her to. She seemed more mature as well, if that was even possible. Then again, it could be because of her attire. A black suit covering a white button down shirt along with a pencil skirt that hugged her slim waist and hips. Professional and flawless, two words that summed her entire existence. At least on the outside.

The ex-president of the Service Club looked like she had just walked out of Soubu, not even aging a day. And she was observing me as if I was some sort of unicorn that just galloped in from atop a rainbow.

"Ah, yes," said the Chief as he cleared his throat. "This is Yukinoshita Yukino, the younger sister of our DA. Personally recommended by Haruno-san herself in fact. Seeing as how you were so close to Haruno-san, I thought that this arrangement would be beneficial… "

The Chief's words trailed off as he notices the lone guests in the office staring at each other. And besides Chief, what made you think I was 'close' to Haruno? Did you ignore how my eyes begged for help?

"... have you two… already met?"

I broke my eyes away from Yukinoshita, and instead looked at the Chief. My chest felt like it was being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. "We, uh, went to the same high school back in the day."

"That is correct." Supported Yukino as she too, turned an empty gaze over to the Chief. There was an odd inflection to her voice. "Hikigaya… san and I were in the same club as well."

… 'san'? What a horrific honorific to be addressed by. I felt so uncomfortable that I was sure a ninja slipped an itchy woolen sweater over me just now.

"Is that so?" Nodded the Chief. "Hikigaya, is that how you met Haruno-san?"

I shrugged noncommittally. "Seems about right."

I opted to lean against the wall with my arms folded, pointedly not sitting in the open seat next to Yukinoshita. This act doesn't go unnoticed by the Chief, who put on a pained expression at my open display of rudeness. Sorry Chief, but there are somethings I really can't do; I might actually freeze to death if I were to take you up on your generous offer.

"Well then… let's get you two up to speed." The Chief opened his desk drawer and brings out the lawsuit letter and hands it over to Yukinoshita, who accepts it respectfully with both hands. "Ouma Daichi was a criminal who was robbing bookstores at gunpoint. The list of his crimes is about a kilometer long now: illegal possession of weapons; possession of Class 1 substances as well as possession of federally regulated narcotics, all without a prescription; theft; attempted murder; threatening to inflict harm upon others; etcetera. Now, his family claims that‒"

"Ouma was a scholar of literature." I interrupted him, my patience worn thin after I heard the rap sheet listed aloud. Dehumanizing was one thing, but lack of perspective was another. "He had a promising future... if he kept at it. He was kind to his elders and parents; his neighbors and classmates loved him. Overall, he used to be a good kid. Just unlucky, and got put into bad circumstances."

There's a moment of silence as both the Chief and Yukinoshita were studying me with varying degrees of interest. I looked away, half intimidated by their eyes, half uncertain what I was trying to communicate with my impertinent interjection.

"... yes. They claim that Ouma Daichi was perfectly sane and could have been talked down. They are insisting that Detective Hikigaya had taken excessive force when he shot their son. They claim it was murder without good cause." The Chief finished explaining and leaned back in his plush leather office chair.

"I see…" Pondered Yukinoshita as her eyes traced across the lines of the piece of paper in her hands. "I believe I understand the foundations of the case. I have a few more specific questions for my client that will need to be answered so I can structure a response." Her eyes flickered to my person briefly.

"Of course." The Chief looked back at me and crossed his legs. "Hikigaya, take one of the conference rooms. Let's try to get this over with as fast as possible. I need you."

"Roger that."

I waited for Yukinoshita to stand up before straightening myself. She followed me outside of the office and into the working areas of the building.

We walked down the hallway wordlessly, passing through the various offices and departments. The sound of her heels hitting the tiled floors registered louder in my ear than that of everyone else on the floor. Ok, that sounded really creepy, even for me.

"Senpai!"

As we walked past my department's door, Shiba's voice rang out, causing Yukinoshita and I to stop and turn. Standing in the doorway was Shiba and another man. This relatively unfamiliar face had cropped black hair and intelligent green eyes. He wore no coat, and had a white shirt with a blue tie and suspenders to hold up his slacks.

Shiba noticed my gaze. "Ah, sorry! Let me introduce Detective Hiura Hiroshi. He was the one who requested your help."

"Pleasure to meet you Hikigaya-san." Hiura held out a hand that I shake reluctantly. "I pulled in some kid who had some dealings with Daichi. He's in the holding cells right now. I was hoping you could get some intel off of him before we release him. Shiba says your good at this stuff, and after watching some of the tapes, I have to agree."

I glare at Shiba who claps his hands together and bows his head, begging for my forgiveness silently. I can only sigh, he meant well, and I can't really get angry at him for that. "I'll see what I can do. Just… don't expect too much." I tilted my head in Yukinoshita's direction. "Let me deal with this first. Shiba can handle the details."

My fellow detective gave a word of thanks before he and Shiba stepped past Yukinoshita and I. They simultaneously turned their heads to give the woman behind me curious glances. Typical of these normies, was the natural beauty of Yukinoshita too much to resist? I pretended to not notice Shiba raising an eyebrow in my direction. Yeah he remembered her, and this was definitely not a can of worms I was willing to open right now.

"Let's go." I told Yukinoshita, taking the lead once more.

I went to the information desk to retrieve a conference room key from Secretary-chan. She had given me a skeptical look at my strange request, but it quickly vanished when she noticed Yukinoshita's presence. The office worker's eyes widened and she grabbed my collar, pulling my upper body over the counter to my great discomfort. She was so close I could smell the pleasant scent of her perfume. It was kinda sharp but soothing. Green apples, I think.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" I hissed in agony. My stomach was being squished against the edge of the countertop. At this distance, I could tell what color bra she wore from just below her collar.

Purple, huh?

"Who's that girl, Hikigaya?" Secretary-chan whispered in a harried tone. "Don't tell me…?"

"This hurts, can you let go!?" I pleaded back in a whisper. My extended arms quivered as they attempted to keep myself from falling over headfirst into her; they were the last line of defense stopping my gallbladder from getting crushed. "Please!?"

"No way... were you hiding a wife from me? And she came to work to pick you up?" Her eyes began to glow with the embers of insanity.

"No." I quickly denied as flatly as possible. "She's just my attorney. And can you kindly let go?"

"Attorney?" Secretary-chan blinked and her eyes return to normal. She was quiet for a few seconds before a look of horror passed over her face. "Wait, so the rumors are true? You're being sued?"

"Unfortunately that's the case." And how exactly did she come across this? "Can you let me go now, please?"

Secretary-chan loosens her grip, allowing me to finally breathe normally.

"Here…" She hands me the keys lifelessly. "Good luck… with your problem."

"... thanks?"

The keys were for the conference room at the very end of the hall. Was this her way of sticking it to me?

When I returned to Yukinoshita's side, I felt her staring at me, and it persisted even after we walked down to the room we were assigned to. Ah, she has this odd look on her face now. Is it because of all the interruptions that happened on our way here?

"Sorry, about the delays. Things are a bit… hectic right now," I apologized. I have to remember that she was now a lawyer from a prestigious family and working for free, wasting her time was pretty insensitive.

"No, that's not it." Yukinoshita shook her head and had a contemplative expression as she spoke. "I'm just surprised. You don't seem bothered by all the talking. I thought… you hated being singled out."

The hand that was about to turn the key stalled. "Huh… I never really noticed."

We entered the conference room, which was a large rectangular area with numerous windows against both walls. The windows on the walls facing the hallways were covered with off-white venetian blinds, giving us privacy. In the center of the room sat a large glossy wooden table in the shape of an oval, with office chairs situated around it.

"... anywhere is fine." I commented as we both stood in the entrance, ramrod straight. We awkwardly take our seats, with me at the foot of the desk, and Yukinoshita placing herself a few chairs away to my side. No conversation started, neither of us knowing how to break open a topic. Unwilling to be caught in this uncomfortable silence, I opened my mouth to speak up.

"Do‒"

"W-we‒"

We both attempted to speak at the same time and quickly shut our mouths.

"Y-yes?" I asked, nervous at the amount of tension I was feeling.

"N-no! It's fine." Yukinoshita had a panicked expression. "Please go ahead."

"O-okay… do you… want a drink?"

"That would be… good…" She carefully selected her words. Then again she was a lawyer, it shouldn't be too strange if this was her standard speech pattern now.

"Is canned coffee okay?"

"... as long as it doesn't have too much sugar."

I rolled my chair backwards and make a beeline to the miniature refrigerator in a corner of the room. I open the door and quickly grab two cans of cold coffee. I hand one to Yukinoshita, who inspects the drink with hesitant eyes before accepting with a word of thanks. The only sound in the conference room is the sound of tabs opening the aluminum containers as we begin to sip away at our coffee.

Unable to bear it, I stared upward, intent on asking Yukinoshita to finish what she had begun to say before. As soon as my neck moves, I saw her eyes flicking to her side. Suddenly feeling self conscious, I looked away, but in that process catch Yukinoshita's eyes return to my person.

What the hell was going on!?

I needed to RTB ASAP. How do I finish this mission in a single go? I only need one engagement with the enemy right? The Captain said that blitzkrieg tactics were best in such circumstances. Right, then I need to-

"Well, then… Hikigaya-san," Yukinoshita suddenly said, catching me off guard. The way she addressed me made my skin crawl. "I believe it is best if we begin."

"S-sure. Sounds like a good idea."

Yukinoshita reached into her bag and took out a notepad and pen. "Let's begin with your version of events. What happened at the scene of the crime?"

Her voice was cold and despondent. Ironically, I felt more at ease with this tone. I began to recount the things that occured in that book store, taking care to include relevant details like approximate times and the order in which events happened.

"So you were at this book store, when you notice Ouma Daichi enter. You quickly escorted Nee-san to safety before deciding to engage him?" Repeated Yukinoshita as she looked at her notes with squinted eyes.

"He had his gun to the cashier's face. I was able to get to a relatively good position and disarm him. However…"

"He then took an innocent as hostage and threatened to kill them with a knife…." Yukinoshita finisheed my sentence and hummed to herself as she drew arrows between bullet points with her pen. "Is there a police protocol when dealing with such situations?"

"Uhhh kind of?" I closed my eyes trying to recall the class that had taught this. "It was more like a general guideline to follow, I don't think the police department has an official protocol. You'd have to double check."

"Can you tell me what they were, those guidelines in particular?"

"Well, for confrontations with suspects, a lot of it down to the judgement of the officer in question. The first step is always to verbally interact with the criminal, whether they are armed or not. Escalation only comes after diplomacy fails."

I held up three fingers.

"There are three tenants which you have to consider. Ability: does the criminal have the capability to harm others? Opportunity: does the criminal have a chance to use the ability to harm others? Jeopardy: does the criminal pose a real threat to the lives of yourself, others, or themselves?"

With each criteria listed, I lowered a finger. "In my opinion, I followed protocol. I disarmed the perp and asked them to cease and desist. He didn't listen, and then on top of that he escalated things by threatening to kill a civie."

"I'm assuming that you thought he was incapable of being talked down?" Questioned Yukinoshita, looking at me curiously.

"I would say so. I thought he was high on drugs at the time. Autopsy said he was doping. But that's after the fact, I guess. I feared for the life of the innocent, and Ouma had the ability to end it. I weighed the risks and took the shot."

"I see." Yukinoshita exhaled a tired breath and placed her pen down on top of her heavily inked page. "From my perspective, I would agree that you followed protocol. But this is from a person unfamiliar with the nuances, I'll have to ask Chief Tsurumi for whatever official police procedure there is so I can confirm.

"All in all, this should be an open and shut case. They don't have much in the way of footing, especially when I'm sure witness statements would corroborate your testimony. The fact that he was a criminal who was violent should paint a very poor picture in front of the jury. If we negotiate well, a trial could be avoided."

We could avoid a court appearance? That would mean that I could avoid weeks of stress and not lose days off work to go sit in a courtroom.

"That would be ideal," I said softly.

"I think so as well, Hikigaya-san."

I felt like something slimy had slid down my back, and I shivered at the use of that honorific. It sounded so WRONG when it came out of her mouth. Completely and utterly incomprehensible.

"Alright stop, I can't stand it. Drop the honorifics. I feel like I'm in some bizarre alternate universe where you're actually giving me a bit of respect. Call me something else, anything else. Just… drop that honorific entirely."

"..."

"..."

Yukinoshita's mouth was agape, and I slapped a hand over my own. Ok, I didn't mean for it to become that harsh near the end, I just went with the flow and ended up here. I could still apologize, right? The name wasn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.

"I-is that so...Hikigaya-k-kun?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. That's not what I meant! You could have just called me by the family name and be done with it! I was so stunned, I could barely cough out a response.

"Y-y-yeah t-that's fine."

I think… I'm so confused right now.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat loudly and a small flush worked its way up her face. "Now that you have told me the events of the crime, can you tell me what happened beforehand? I just wish to know the proper context."

I described how I was called into work earlier than usual so the Chief could brief us on the case of Ouma Daichi that morning. Daichi had used a gun in previous robberies, so we were warned to go in expecting a gunfight as the worst-case scenario. The police force produced a profile and potential locations where the criminal might attack next. Teams were created and assigned appropriately. I left early that day and…

Yukinoshita's hand stopped, and she paused in writing notes. I think I saw her eye twitch, but I couldn't be sure. "You left work early that day?"

"... yeah?"

"... honestly, even after all this time he's still like this?" I heard Yukinoshita whisper something, but I can't quite catch it.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing at all," She said, making it clear that part of the conversation had ended. "So you slithered out of work and you happened to encounter the criminal as well?"

Slithering is a bit much…

"Where are you taking this?"

"The likelihood of such an outcome is scarcely believable." Yukinoshita asserted.

"Y-yeah it is, but you know: in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'm afraid that you may be at fault for this case afterall."

Wait, what?"

"... you lost me." I admitted, my confusion making my voice lose whatever emotion it had.

"It is clear. Because of your lack of work ethic, you encountered the criminal. In fact, it could be said to have brought the criminal there." The look she gave me was so blank I could have sworn I was talking to a sheet of printer paper.

"Hold on, I think you just said something really outrageous there."

"But you did not deny what I said?"

"No, I completely deny it! And besides, it's not like its my fault. If anything, it's your sister's fault! She chose the place!"

"Oh? You didn't happen to meet her there by coincidence?" The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees at that moment.

"N-no… we met on the street and she sort of‒"

"Well it's good to see that you easily fall to a pretty face, as expected. For a moment I thought that you may have actually improved as a human being."

"Didn't you just say I slithered two seconds ago!?"

The corner of Yukinoshita's mouth threatened to break into a smile, and I could see her physically struggle to contain her laughter. It didn't make things easier on me, and I let out a snort that caused Yukinoshita in turn to giggle softly. As if a dam had burst, I found myself laughing along with her. The tense atmosphere and awkwardness blown away with what I could only describe as…

"So this is what they call 'nostalgia?'" Asked Yukinoshita with her lips curling into an amused smile. "Not a bad feeling."

"Almost took me back. Though I feel like you missed an insult about my eyes somewhere in there." I notice a mischievous glint in her eyes and I quickly crossed my arms in her direction. "Nuh uh uh! Nope! You lost your chance. Let me at least enjoy my nostalgia in peace. I actually enjoyed high school, I'll have you know. Wouldn't mind reliving that for a bit, minus the abuse."

"Indeed… it feels so long ago."

"Well, I would say it has been some time. A lot of things happened between us graduating and now."

"... speaking of graduation… have you spoken to Yuigahama-san ever since then?"

"... I haven't." I admitted regretfully. I had lost contact with almost everyone I knew in Chiba after I left for basic training at the end of highschool. Yuigahama was no exception. A bit of me feels guilty that I never tried reaching out to her afterwards, but I was unsure how I would even begin a talk like that with someone like Yuigahama. Especially under the circumstances which we had separated on. I didn't want to assume too much nor cruelly let her read too far into things. So I took the path of least resistance and never bothered, irresponsibly letting it slip past my mind. "... have you?

"I have." She answered simply, wrapping her fingers around the can of coffee repeatedly, as if unsure with what to do with her hands. "You rarely came up in conversation, so it was unclear if you two still kept in touch"

The world around me temporarily shifted from the white daylight of noon back to the warm amber rays of a low sunset. Two of my closest people I knew were in there with me. Did I know what the future would hold back then? Did I ever imagine it going the way it did? When I walked down the aisle to receive my diploma, I still had the chance to change my plans. Did I do the right thing? The right thing for Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, or myself?

"Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita's voice broke me out of reverie. For the first time this day, I made the mistake of looking her directly at her face. It captivated me like a work of art; I noted that she still wore her hair the same way, with two thin ribbons that separated into two tails on either side of her smooth face. I wonder if her skin was still as soft as I remember. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and down my coffee in a single gulp. I tossed the empty can into the recycling bin before turning around to face her, making sure to keep my eyes away for her own.

"I'll feel better once we're through with this lawsuit." I say meekly.

Her lips formed a small smile as she agrees with my plan. "Let us reunite with Yuigahama-san after our problems are past us."

We finished up the rest of the questioning within the hour. Yukinoshita ended by saying that she was satisfied with this information, and that it was more than enough to build a strong counterclaim and defense.

"Worry not Hikigaya-kun, you are in good hands." Yukinoshita declared haughtily. "As a lawyer, my life's work is to ensure my clients get the best outcome possible."

"You mean your life's work isn't to inflict eternal misery upon me?"

"Please, Hikigaya-kun." She teased back, not missing a beat. "Your life's natural state is that of endless torment, you don't require my assistance in achieving such a goal."

"Touché." I felt a grin starting to form, and I try hard to push it down, but fail miserably. Any resistance was made impossible by this strange buzzing in my chest.

We left the office and I walked her to the outside of the building. She momentarily stopped to appreciate the lawn that was just freshly cut this morning, giving the grounds of the police department a park-like feel. Police officers milled around the courtyard and sat on the benches, enjoying the pleasant weather of the evening before work hours wrapped up.

"Hikigaya-kun."

I turned my head to my side and my eyes were temporarily blinded by the LED screen of Yukinoshita's phone that was held right up to my face. An impromptu flashbang, how devious.

"Hey! Quit it!"

"Let us exchange contact information. Phone number and email. I'll reach out to you if any developments happen as well as things for you to do. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

Well, I couldn't really say 'no' now, could I? It would seem that Yukinoshita does take after her sister in some areas. Maybe it just runs in the family? Now there's a scary idea. Imagining the two daughters turning into their mother was a horrifying thought experiment.

After we save each other's numbers, I continued to accompany her into town. The busyness of the evening rush hour brought bustling crowds and cars as people began their trips home.

"Thank you," Yukinoshita said suddenly, looking forward.

"Hmm? What for?"

"For keeping Nee-san safe. I don't know how to say the words that exactly describe my gratitude… but thank you… so very much."

I sighed in exasperation and scratched the back of my head. "Like I told your father. I was just doing my job, it's not that big of a deal."

"Still… thank you…"

"... you're welcome."

We reached the street corner, and am met by cars honking at one another at an intersection. Pedestrians filtered through the gaps of the cars stuck in traffic. Like a bees nest, everyone found their way through this area of high entropy. [1] I suddenly recalled something and I turn to my companion with some concern coloring my voice.

"Do you need a ride?" I asked Yukinoshita. "I brought my car."

"That won't be necessary. My hotel is near the subway, I'll be on my way."

"Don't get lost now." I joked, watching in satisfaction as Yukinoshita's face goes red in embarrassment.

"I'll have you know that my sense of direction has improved…." My lawyer pouted adorably. "... somewhat."

"Heh, whatever you say. I'll see you later."

"Yes. Have a pleasant evening, Hikigaya-kun."

She walked away, not turning around once to look back. I watched as her back got smaller and smaller, disappearing into the mess of crowds and buildings. She was gone, and the air became much easier to breathe in.

Meeting Yukinoshita again has solidified an opinion I always had: relationships are strange and fickle things. There's no consistency to them.

Yukinoshita and I had not talked in years, and that could be felt in our initial awkwardness. We both had expectations of course, but we were also aware that things change and people change. Whether it's because of society or some other external influence, behaviors shift. We were unsure if we could return back to being… whatever we were.

So imagine my surprise when we slipped into our familiar banter, bringing back memories of our verbal sparring matches in the Service Club. We talked as if nothing happened, as if that gap in time was never there.

It looked as if things hadn't changed.

But that was just on the surface.

Deep down inside, where those parts couldn't be seen. Many things could have been swapped around. Perhaps even removed. People become entirely different beasts, driven by different things even if they behave the same on the surface. Different animals within our old shells.

Source: me.

Neither of us knew how to act around one another, what levels of closeness are appropriate. Nevermind that, what about me? What did I feel was right? Was what I felt, right?

Unlike with Haruno, there was no undercurrent of anger at Yukinoshita reappearing in my life. In fact, I can't say I felt anything about it whatsoever. There was no stereotypical rush, no sensation of my brain melting. My mind didn't become a chaotic jumble of instinct and rationality at my old interest standing right before me. No desire nor longing. Not even the familiar sting of regret.

Almost the exact opposite of what had been felt when Yukinoshita and I had our last conversation in high school.

So…

Can I assume…

Does this mean…

Does this mean that I finally got over Yukinoshita Yukino?

Arc 1: "Detective Hikigaya Hachiman"

[1] Entropy is a concept in thermodynamics. To oversimplify 3 years of college level chemistry and probably giving my lab instructor a stroke: entropy can be thought of as the idea that the universe always leans towards chaos and low energy.

Revision Log:
03/17/2020: Re-uploaded with overhaul of tenses and changes in word choice and sentence structure as well as major grammar fixes.