Takeshi's phone buzzed on the coffee table. The vibration broke the stillness of the hideout's living room, where he and Rikuu were lazily scrolling through a crime report on the couch.
"Switch it to speaker," Rikuu muttered, eyes still on the ceiling.
Takeshi obeyed and tapped the green icon.
"Hello?" he asked, sitting up. "Who is this?"
"Shoto on the line," said the voice. "Come quick. I've got a task for you and Rikuu."
That was all it took. Without another word, the two of them threw on their coats and bolted from the hideout.
When they arrived at the secondary base, Shoto was already waiting by the entrance, arms crossed and expression grim.
"Come inside. I've been expecting you."
Inside, Shoto wasted no time. He spread out several documents and laid down an old photograph on the table — the image depicted four figures standing in front of what looked like a shrine.
Takeshi blinked. "Wait… is that my father?"
Shoto nodded. "Yes. That's Touma, back when Kakusu was newly formed."
Rikuu leaned over, eyeing the others in the photo. "So… what's our mission?"
"I want you to go to Touma," Shoto began, tapping the photo. "Ask him everything he knows — clans, family networks, anything about current crimes in Tokyo. Three major incidents happened this morning alone."
Rikuu frowned. "Why us though? Why not the higher-ups?"
"They're preoccupied. And besides… Touma won't talk to me," Shoto admitted with a glance away. "He and I have a history. He retired because of it."
Takeshi hesitated. "I don't even know if he'll be willing to help us…"
"Maybe. But he's your father," Shoto said. "And he knew Rikuu in some way, back then."
The two boys exchanged glances, then stood and gave Shoto a respectful nod. "Understood. We'll try," Takeshi said.
"That's all I'm asking," Shoto replied, watching them go.
As they passed the edge of Shinagawa and trekked toward Minato, Takeshi broke the silence.
"By the way… what are we doing about that code?"
Rikuu blinked. "You're still thinking about that?"
"I'm seriously curious, okay? We keep running into pieces of it."
"I still can't decode it," Rikuu admitted. "But mark my words… I'll figure it out someday."
The buildings grew taller and more modern. Soon, they reached Minato — a place that once felt like home to Takeshi, and now felt like a distant world.
The two of them hopped across narrow rooftops until they reached a quiet residence nestled behind a row of hedges.
Takeshi jumped down and knocked loudly. "Dad? It's me, Takeshi. I brought Rikuu."
A woman's face peeked through the curtains.
"Takeshi? Rikuu? Oh, goodness, it really is you!"
Miyako rushed out and hugged her son tight.
"Okay, okay, enough, mama," Takeshi laughed. "We're not here to catch up. We've got a mission."
Behind her, Touma stepped out of the house. His posture was calm, eyes kind yet worn.
"Good evening, Takeshi. And... Ryoi—I mean, Rikuu."
Rikuu tilted his head. "Do I really look that much like my father?"
Touma nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah, your facial harmony… it's very familiar."
Miyako welcomed them in and offered food before they could refuse. The four of them sat down for dinner. Rikuu, unusually quiet, watched the dynamic between Takeshi and his family in silence.
Takeshi noticed.
After dinner, Touma placed down his chopsticks. "So, what brings you here?"
Takeshi scratched his neck. "Sir Shoto sent us. He said you might know things… about clans, families, current crimes."
Touma raised an eyebrow. "Shoto sent you? Hah. I thought he'd avoid me for life."
"I hope this doesn't stir anything up," Rikuu added cautiously.
"Don't worry. I've already forgiven him," Touma said calmly. "But I'm afraid you might be disappointed. I haven't kept up with the clan scene in Tokyo for years."
Miyako frowned. "That's a long trip you boys made for nothing."
"We should probably head back then…" Takeshi muttered.
But Rikuu suddenly leaned forward. "Touma-san, if nothing else… can you tell us about Kakusu's history?"
Touma smiled and leaned back in his seat. "Sure. But it's a long one."
He took a deep breath.
"A long time ago, we were just kids—me, Akihiko, Asahi, and Fuyutsuki. We formed Kakusu from scratch. At first, it wasn't much. Just us trying to play detectives. We didn't have access to proper criminology training, so we relied on self-study and experimentation."
Touma paused for a moment.
"We ranked ourselves. I was the highest, then Akihiko, Asahi, and Fuyutsuki. Based on intellect and contribution. Eventually, our methods improved. We evolved into a real investigative clan. People began to take notice. That's when we opened our doors and began recruiting."
"Is that where you met Shoto?" Rikuu asked.
Touma nodded. "Yes. We met Shoto, Nagisa, Aiko, and Ryoichi in Shinagawa. Akihiko adopted a child around that time. What was her name again…"
"Ichika," Rikuu said softly.
"Right. Ichika," Touma echoed. "Things were going well. Until… Chaos came."
"The criminal clan," Takeshi said darkly.
"They weren't just criminals. They were organized, and ruthless. They killed Shoto's parents. He didn't talk about it for a year. Then… you two joined, and so did Akari. Fuyutsuki recruited her personally."
"What happened between you and Shoto?" Rikuu asked, more gently now.
Touma let out a sigh. "I asked him what was wrong. Tried to help. But he shut me out. Got angry. Eventually, he blamed me… told others I didn't support him. That damaged my credibility. I stepped down not because I failed—but because my presence only made things worse."
A heavy silence fell over the table.
"I never really followed Tokyo's clan affairs after that," Touma added. "So… I'm afraid I don't have more for you."
Rikuu hesitated. "Sir Shoto… is he vague or naive?"
Touma chuckled.
"Neither. He just misunderstood."
As they stepped outside, Rikuu walked a little behind Takeshi. He glanced back once more at the front door, where Touma and Miyako stood side by side.
"…You're lucky," Rikuu whispered.
Takeshi blinked. "Huh?"
Rikuu smiled faintly, not looking at him. "I feel envious. You've got something warm waiting for you. I don't."
Takeshi didn't say anything right away. But his hand reached over and gently tapped Rikuu's shoulder.
"Maybe that's why we're fighting. So that people like you can find something warm, too."
Rikuu said nothing. But this time, his silence was different.
It wasn't cold. It was hopeful.