Natsume Souseki accepted Asou Akiya as his disciple.
At the same time, it signified that all three apprenticeship trials had been successfully passed.
Asou Akiya's evaluation of Shibusawa Tatsuhiko was as follows:
[Dangerous. Currently within a controllable range. This Ability user has had an excessively smooth path of growth and lacks sufficient experience being tempered by society's harsher realities.]
To put it simply, Shibusawa Tatsuhiko thought too highly of himself. He needed someone to knock down his arrogance a few pegs and make him understand that there were always people greater than himself and horizons beyond what he could imagine.
Natsume Souseki handed that task to Asou Akiya.
Asou Akiya, in turn, immediately handed it off to Edogawa Ranpo.
Master and disciple truly shared the same lineage. Without exchanging a single word, each knew exactly what sort of lazy scheme the other was plotting.
After discussing various matters with Asou Akiya while hidden within the subspace, Natsume Souseki shot him a meaningful look that plainly said, You know what I mean.
"You're the local expert around here. Shibusawa Tatsuhiko will be arriving in Yokohama tomorrow. Handle it yourself. Don't let him cause any trouble in Yokohama."
Asou Akiya replied unwillingly, "Got it."
Natsume Souseki said, "As long as I'm here, you don't need to worry about whether contacting him will cause any problems. I'll handle any objections from the Special Ability Department."
Having finally gained a genuine and reliable backer, Asou Akiya was deeply moved.
"Natsume-sensei..."
Natsume Souseki replied coldly, "Enough. Let me out."
I've had enough of you two!
On the sidewalk beneath the night sky, Natsume Souseki carried the box of tea under one arm and strode away at a brisk pace, soon disappearing into the streets of Yokohama.
He truly lived up to being the target Edogawa Ranpo had spent several months trying—and failing—to catch.
His ability to hide was simply on another level!
He's an absolute master of disappearing!
Asou Akiya and Randou returned to the villa. Nakahara Chuuya was not home, so the two of them took a bath together, enjoyed themselves, and afterward came the part where Asou Akiya devoted himself to carefully pampering his lover.
Randou reclined comfortably on a lounge chair, stretching out his body. His long wavy hair had been treated with a nourishing hair mask, and a skincare mask now covered his face. He was not particularly accustomed to the cool sensation of the facial mask and instinctively wanted to protest.
"Akiya~"
Through the mask, Asou Akiya gently massaged the area around his eyes. Treating him like the treasure of his heart, he said softly,
"It's to replenish moisture and slow down aging."
Randou replied sweetly,
"Having you is more than enough to keep me moisturized."
Asou Akiya tempted him further.
"Be patient. I'll give you the full treatment."
Randou's anticipation immediately soared.
As more skincare products were brought over by Asou Akiya, he found himself thoroughly enjoying the process of having body lotion applied. Through every touch of his lover's fingertips, affection was conveyed directly to him.
The thoroughness of the treatment deepened little by little.
His upper body, his lower body, and even the more private places that required extra care all received the same attentive treatment beneath those gentle fingers.
Before long, Randou's breathing had grown faintly uneven. It was not particularly stimulating, yet it was comfortable enough to make him tremble. His entire body felt warm and relaxed, so much so that he could barely muster any strength.
One of his ankles was caught by Asou Akiya's free hand and placed onto a cushioned stool in front of the lounge chair.
"Don't move around, and don't laugh either. You'll get wrinkles if you move your face while wearing a mask."
Randou obediently settled back down.
His mind felt light and dreamy, while his body seemed thoroughly hydrated and cared for.
A soft whimper echoed in his heart.
This kind of treatment simply makes him want to book appointments for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and a lifetime VIP membership!
By the time Fukuzawa Yukichi brought Edogawa Ranpo home, the sight that greeted the black-haired teenager was a thoroughly pampered Randou nestled against Asou Akiya on the sofa, the two of them watching a movie together.
Edogawa Ranpo did not say a single word.
Still sulking, he stormed inside, headed straight for the refrigerator, and began searching for something to drink.
Asou Akiya said without even lifting his head, "No drinking anything cold."
Edogawa Ranpo huffed in protest, "It's none of your business!"
Fukuzawa Yukichi, who had been about to leave at the doorway, immediately reprimanded him upon hearing this. "Ranpo, this time it's our fault!"
Ranpo sniffled. Wearing a relatively thin winter detective outfit and a scarf wrapped around his neck, he had clearly picked up Randou's preference for elegance over warmth. After being scolded by Fukuzawa Yukichi, he tearfully ran over to Randou and buried his face in Randou's soft palm.
"Randou-san, you're ganging up on me with them!"
Randou's hands were fragrant and elegant—bare of gloves, and never used to touch outsiders.
The French beauty gently soothed Ranpo.
Silent, yet tender.
"..."
Asou Akiya watched him take advantage of Randou and rolled his eyes.
"Fukuzawa-san, it's cold outside, and your home is quite far from here. Would you like to stay here for the night?"
"This…"
"You might still have to trouble yourself tomorrow as well."
"…Alright. Sorry for the intrusion."
Fukuzawa Yukichi understood the implication in his words. Tomorrow, there would likely be something troublesome awaiting him.
After Ranpo finished his complaints, he pulled his face out of Randou's hands, revealing sharp, cat-like upturned eyes that widened with sudden alertness.
"What kind of thing did you arrange for me this time?!"
Asou Akiya smiled.
"Take a guess."
Edogawa Ranpo was still sulking. He turned to Randou and said, "Randou-san, I want to sleep with you."
In his mind, this was simply a child wanting to sleep next to the "mother" of the household.
Randou replied lazily, "No. You're too old now, you can't sleep in the same bed as me anymore."
Ranpo protested indignantly, "How am I old?"
Randou withdrew the hand that had been stroking his face and instead ruffled the boy's hair like a house cat's. The black strands felt cool to the touch, still carrying the chill from outside.
"You're fifteen now."
In the blink of an eye, the black-haired boy who had met Asou Akiya at thirteen and joined this household at fourteen had already turned fifteen. His personality, however, had barely changed—still just as childish as ever.
Asou Akiya said, "Stop pretending to cry. Go help Fukuzawa-san find a room to rest in."
Ranpo shot him a glare, then clattered off in his slippers to assist Fukuzawa Yukichi in arranging a place to stay. Afterward, he ran back again. Perhaps reassured by Fukuzawa Yukichi, his extraordinarily short memory quickly restored his mood.
"Akiya, did you prepare anything fun for me?"
Asou Akiya smiled.
"Yes."
After a brief pause, he added in a mysterious tone, "It will be delivered tomorrow."
This was a package that had arrived five years too early. He had no choice but to sign for it—but he could still pass it on to someone else.
After successfully appeasing Ranpo, Asou Akiya carried Randou back to their room.
Randou asked him, "Akiya seems a little gloomy?"
Asou Akiya said troubledly, "I originally wanted to prepare a gift for you, but it arrived too early for you to use. So I had no choice but to give it to the child first."
His plan was to intercept Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's corpse five years in the future.
Illuminations + Draconia = dual-layer spatial-type Ability!
If Randou could analyze and absorb Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's power, then Asou Akiya could finally feel assured about his safety. By that point, even if they still could not kill Verlaine, they would be able to bridge the gap between Randou and Verlaine after Randou lost his memories. He could not bear to see Randou suffer, so in order to obtain power, he could only set his sights on other people.
Asou Akiya laid the French beauty down on the bed and let out a quiet sigh under the other's indifferent gaze.
"One step at a time, I guess."
So really, he was not a qualified mind manipulator after all—things always went off track somewhere.
He climbed into bed and turned off the lights.
Time to sleep!
If Shibusawa Tatsuhiko went and got himself killed, then the corpse would be theirs. If he survived, then… so be it.
At least leave Japan with a little hope for a "Transcendent."
...
During the daytime, the police department assigned the "detective duo" a task: investigate a theft case at the Yokohama Municipal Library. It was a minor job, with barely any reward at all, but the two of them still accepted it.
Edogawa Ranpo did not rush into the library. Instead, he wandered outside as if waiting for something.
Fukuzawa Yukichi was in charge of security and vigilance.
The two worked in perfect coordination—one in thought, one in action—each complementing the other.
A luxurious sedan stopped in front of the library. A driver dressed in a tailcoat stepped out first, then opened the rear door and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Tatsuhiko, we have arrived. The two individuals are just ahead."
He was a professional butler serving the Shibusawa family, appointed by the head of the household to take care of the seventeen-year-old Shibusawa Tatsuhiko. However, more often than not, he found himself unable to even catch sight of his young master.
In Japan, the age of adulthood was twenty. Shibusawa Tatsuhiko was still a minor, and as such, he was under the Shibusawa family's close and attentive care.
He was an Ability user with the potential to become aa "Transcendent."
As long as it was not excessive, any requests he made would be granted.
The Yokohama Municipal Library was not closed for the occasion. Citizens still came and went to borrow books, and quite a few young men and women passing by slowed their steps in curiosity at the sight of a wealthy young heir making an appearance.
Inside the car, a boy dressed entirely in white—like a snow-country fairy—stepped out. His crimson eyes looked upon the world with boredom, as if cutting himself off from the noise of traffic and the mundane world.
He looked forward.
And met a pair of cunning emerald eyes.
"I found you."
...
—Are you my kind?
—Or are you a toy Akiya gave me?
———
Author's note:
Quanquan checked the timeline again. Uh, there was no mistake. (facepalm)
It is currently early February of 2001.
Asou Akiya is 24 years old.
Randou is 23 years old.
Mori Ougai is about to turn 29 years old.
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko was 17 years old and would turn 18 in May.
Edogawa Ranpo was 15 years old and would turn 16 in October of the latter half of the year.
Nakahara Chuuya was 10 years old and would turn 11 in April.
Dazai Osamu was 10 years old and would turn 11 in June.
This story is set 11 years before the start of the original canon's first season.
***
[Mini Theater]
Asou Akiya: Your thought processes aren't even on the same frequency.
Edogawa Ranpo: Hehe, this is my gift~ I want to see whether he's interesting or not~.
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko: That line should be mine.
Edogawa Ranpo: Just you wait! I'm going to make you lose so badly you'll be kneeling on the ground begging, "Ranpo-sama!"
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko: …
Nakahara Chuuya: Uh… stranger, don't mind him. He's having a chuunibyou episode.
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko: I accept your challenge.
Edogawa Ranpo: Bring it on!
Nakahara Chuuya: …You two actually get along way too well, don't you =.=.
Asou Akiya: They're both chuunibyou, actually. Don't get involved, Chuuya.
Nakahara Chuuya: I'll stay out of it!