The 'okay' card
Ranpo sat at his desk. Leaning back with his feet on the table. Kunikida only scoffed at his bad manners.
“You want me to look for someone?”
Everyone gathered there looked hopeful. The greatest detective on earth could probably find that man in less than five seconds.
“Forget it, that’s such a pain.”
Everyone gasped at Ranpo’s answer.
Tanizaki pleaded with him. “C’mon, Ranpo. Give us a hand here.”
Ranpo only kept eating some candy not sparing him a glance.
“Akutagawa, the new guy. He was separated from his younger sister.” Tanizaki tried again now more desperate.
Yosano came up behind him. “You just cant let it slide if it involves someone’s little sister, can you, Tanizaki?”
“So? What’s wrong with his sister?” She chimed.
“Oh, right. So his sister was kidnapped by ‘the man in black’.”
Ranpo seemed to know something and leaned forward.
“Got a name or face?”
“No.” Akutagawa said bluntly.
“But his voice, I would recognize it in an instant.”
“Haaaaaa….” Ranpo sighed and leaned back again.
“What?” Akutagawa spat.
“Why’s the world filled with idiots? What do you want me to do with only a voice?”
Akutagawa seemed to take the very personal and ready to jump him. He sneered as he flew at him. “Is that directed at me?!!”
Blaise managed to hold him back. “Whoa, relax kid.”
Ranpo sighed. “I only do cases I’m interested in. In other words. You are the problem.”
Akutagawa seemed only more angry and Blaise really had to put some effort into holding him back.
“It’s okay Akutagawa, I will help you look.” Blaise said trying to shush him.
The kid stopped and made a small nod. “Thank you.”
A card was slid over the table to Akutagawa. He looked at Ranpo quirking a brow.
“It’s an ‘okay’ card.” Ranpo explained.
The kid seemed only more confused.
“You know your sister is still alive.”
Suddenly like a fire bursting Akutagawa flew on top of him. Blaise held him back. “What in merlin’s name do you think you are doing kid?!”
“Where is she!!! Tell me where Gin is!!!!” He demanded. His efforts to beat the shit out of Ranpo were fruitless when Blaise kept holding him back.
“What the hell are you doing Ranpo?! Just help the kid!” Blaise screamed at him.
“That is where the ‘okay’ card comes in.” Ranpo said calmly.
“Those are my conditions if you want my help.”
Akutagawa relented, Blaise finally could take a break.
“You need a stamp from every member. They will demand some kind of payment. Each member will decide for themselves what that payment will entail. And only then they will give you a stamp. It was not really my idea but you know, bosses orders.”
Akutagawa seemed filled with determination. He grabbed the ‘okay’ card ready to satisfy every member their needs.
Tanizaki immediately grabbed the stamp and stamped the ‘okay’ card. “I hope you will find your sister.”
Akutagawa nodded.
“And if you find that ‘man in black’, don’t show him any mercy.” Tanizaki whispered in his ear.
Kenji chimed in. “I would just give you a stamp. But Ranpo told me to give you some condition. I could use some extra hands for rice planting.”
***
The next two weeks Akutagawa came every night to the ADA dorms exhausted. And every time Blaise would make some food for him. Making sure he would never starve. That rice planting must sure be hard work. But every day his smile would widen. That kid and Kenji were really getting along.
Eventually came the day Akutagawa received his stamp from Kenji. The next person was Kunikida… Blaise knew things wouldn’t go smoothly with his partner.
Kunikida lifted his glasses. “Now, rookie, it’s my turn.”
“Akutagawa, I hereby name you a public morals agent!”
The kid looked as confused as can be. Blaise poked him. “Don’t mind him, that’s just Kunikida for you.”
Let us just say those days didn’t go well for Kunikida. Akutagawa was too brutal and straightforward. One time choking a suspect to get answers. Other times just completely messing up his paperwork.
Eventually Kunikida gave up and gave him the stamp.
After that was Yosano. Poor kid. Blaise could hear the maniacal laughter from here.
***
“Blaise, what are your conditions for the stamp.” Akutagawa asked him.
They stood outside of the ADA dorms, soaking in the sun.
“There are two things.” Blaise said.
“I want you to promise me to eat three meals a day.”
Akutagawa nodded, “Alright, I promise.”
Blaise couldn’t have another Dazai walking around here. Even though he loved him he really made him worry. Akutagawa was a steadfast kid, very true to his words. If he promised he would eat three meals a day then there was no doubt he would.
“Second, I am also looking for someone.”
Akutagawa his expression seemed to soften. “A family member?”
“No, a very dear friend of mine. He really reminds me of you.”
This seemed to peak the boy’s interest.
Blaise let out a small laugh. Reminiscing about him and Dazai in the past.
All the times the guy would get lost in the hallways. Eventually Blaise would find him. And every time Dazai yelled, overjoyed and clinged to his side.
All the times he would get in trouble. He was like a magnet for trouble. Getting caught past curfew. Unleashing a wild dragon in the dorms. Stealing test answers and selling them together with the twins.
Akutagawa saw how Blaise smiled at all these memories. “I see that friend is really important to you like how important my sister is to me.”
“Yeah..” Blaise sighed. “Have you ever come across a man covered in bandages named Osamu Dazai?”
“No, I have not. But I want to help you.”
Blaise shushed the boy and stamped his ‘okay’ card.
Akutagawa protested. “But you haven’t found your friend yet. I can help.”
“No, don’t. It’s okay. I have been looking for ten years. But thanks kid.”
He ruffled Akutagawa’s hair and walked away.
***
Akutagawa sat at the restaurant downstairs at the agency. Drinking some coffee and talking to Kunikida on the phone.
“Please exempt me from paperwork.”
A man with blonde hair walked inside, settling only one chair away from Akutagawa.
“I told you Kunikida I cant do paperwork. You always gets so angry with the way I fill in the papers. So why not just let me not do it all together?”
At the other side of the phone sounded a angry Kunikida. “As a member of the agency you have to do your part and do it properly!-“
Akutagawa rudely hung up and sipped some more of his coffee.
He noticed the strange blonde haired man sitting next to him. He looked to be about 22 like Blaise. The man had ordered some tea and was obviously not Japanese just like Blaise. Even though he didn’t look from Yokohama his eyes said otherwise. He looked like he had seen everything there was to seen in this city. The good and bad side of it.
The man awkwardly smiled at Akutagawa. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Are you a member of the Armed Detective Agency?”
“Yes. I am.”
The man shifted in his seat and threw another cube of sugar in his tea. His hands were trembling.
“My boss sent me to deliver a letter for the Armed Detective Agency. But I got a little lost.” The man said.
“If you want I can give it to him.” Akutagawa offered.
“That would be wonderful.” The man smiled at him. Hind hand searched around in his jacket until he found a black envelope. He slid it over the bar to Akutagawa.
“Sorry I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Draco Malfoy. And you are?”
“Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.”
The man’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything.
“You are not from Japan are you?” Akutagawa sipped at his coffee again. Staring at the black envelope right in front of him.
“I’m originally from Scotland but I work here since a few years.”
“Funny, I’ve also got a co-worker who is from Scotland.”
The man raised a brow. “What a coincidence.”
The man shuffled nervously and stood up. “Good talk, I got to go now.”
When the man started putting his coat back on Akutagawa opened the envelope.
His heart stopped for a moment. Rage build up. He shoved the photo in the man his face. “Do you know who that is???”
The man looked curiously at the photo. “Oh, isn’t that Gin?”
With a hard punch they both laid on the floor. Akutagawa was on top of the man. Beneath his the man’s lip was bleeding.
“Merlin’s beard!!”
He used the same weird curse words like Blaise…
“How do you know my sister!!! Where is she??!!!!”
The man pulled out a wand. And screamed some weird words. In no time Akutagawa laid on the floor in a daze. A pool of blood formed beneath him. And the world went dark. “Where is my sister…?”
***
Akutagawa opened his eyes and was blinded by white lights.
“Thank Merlin you are awake!”
“Who’s Merlin…?” He groaned.
Blaise sat on a chair besides the hospital bed, chuckling.
“Yosano managed to patch you up. What happened down there?” Blaise asked.
He put a hand on Akutagawa’s forehead and brushed some stray hairs away.
“There was a weird man. He had a picture of Gin…”
“Your sister?”
“Yeah he said his name was Draco Malfoy…”
Blaise was quiet. Hundred of things went through his mind. Draco? What was he doing here? Why would he be in Yokohama and have a picture of Gin?
“Come kid. Yosano said you are back to good health. We need to go to the meeting room.”
Side by side they walked to the room. Everyone was already waiting. Blaise told them a short list of what Akutagawa had told.
Ranpo chimed in. “Blaise, could it be you know this Draco Malfoy?”
“I do.”
There where audible gasps.
“We went to the same school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
Yosano spoke up, “Seems like a fancy rich kids school.”
“It was…”
“We were actually good friends but lost contact after graduation.”
Everyone looked silently at Ranpo who sat there pondering. Then he looked at Kunikida.
“Show him the footage.”
Kunikida nodded and turned on the large TV. It sprung to life and showed a video of two men sitting at a table and conversing. It was all very blurry.
The voice of the man with a red scarf was familiar. But Blaise couldn’t place it.
Next to him Akutagawa jumped up from his chair.
“That voice!! That’s the man in black!! Who is he?!”
Kunikida paused the video. “That was secret footage of a secret meeting between chief Taneda and the port mafia boss.”
Akutagawa his jaw fell open. “The port mafia boss has my sister…?”
“He is a very mysterious man. Nobody knows his name or ability. But before he became the boss he was known as The Demon Prodigy.” Kunikida said.
It reminded Blaise of something. A long forgotten memory from ten years ago. The Demon Student…
How odd.
Kunikida sighed. “This man is the most dangerous of all. He is the boss and guarded by thousands of armed men. You should better just give up.”
“I will kill him.” Akutagawa said full of confidence.
Blaise laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Even if you somehow manage to find him and kill him. You will still have the whole port mafia breathing down your neck wanting revenge.”
“I will kill him!” Akutagawa screamed.
Blaise pushed him back in his chair. “I’m sorry kid.”
“You know what it is like Blaise, please help me.”
Now everyone curiously eyed at Blaise. He never told his colleagues anything about Dazai.
“I can’t help kid.”
Akutagawa’s anger flared up again. “I will find him!!”
Blaise grabbed the kid’s collar. “Listen!”
“The mafia headquarters is an iron fortress. The hardest to infiltrate in all of Yokohama. Countless enemies of the mafia have tried. But none exceeded. And his personal bodyguard is one of the strongest ability users in Yokohama.”
“Do you know what that means?”
Akutagawa was huffing, his head enveloped by rage.
“It means that if you go there, you will die.” Blaise said.
Akutagawa screamed and grabbed Blaise his hand, almost breaking a finger.
“That doesn’t matter!!”
He stormed out of the room. Tanizaki reached for the kid’s hand. “Akutagawa! All you’ll do is get yourself killed!”
“Move!!” Akutagawa kicked poor Tanizaki in the gut and he flew against a wall.
Akutagawa was long gone. Everyone stared at the empty doorway.
Dazai had once told him about Mori being the port mafia boss. But he knew that at one moment he had died. Assassinated in his own home. The current boss gave him a strange gut feeling. That voice and that nickname…
Dazai…
“Dazai Osamu…”
Kunikida looked at him. “What are you saying.”
“Dazai Osamu. That’s the name of the port mafia boss.”
Everyone looked at him. “How do you know that?” Kunikida asked.
Suddenly Blaise jumped up from his seat and made a run for it.
“Where are you going?!” His partner yelled.
“I have to stop Akutagawa!”
Blaise couldn’t let Akutagawa die, and he couldn’t let Dazai die either.
What the hell had happened in those ten years?