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Daffodils represent new beginnings, forgiveness, & respect. They are the perfect flowers for frie ndships that are just blooming. A bouquet of daffodils would say: “here’s to new adventures in our friendship.”
It’s been said that the average person could unknowingly walk past 36 murderers in their lifetime. However, considering the kind of people who lived in Yokohama, the same couldn’t be said for this particular city.
Fortunately or unfortunately, all of the people taking a stroll in the park were blissfully unaware of the dangerous individuals they passed by.
An example of this could be a man in his 30s seen walking with a cheerful blond little girl, closely followed by another man of short stature with auburn hair.
Another example would be a middle aged, silver haired man in traditional clothing, kneeling on the ground and feeding the stray cats with the help of a boy in detective getup.
Not a single person spared them a second glance, so it was only natural for these people to sense their own kind’s presence.
Mori and Fukuzawa tensed at the sight of each other, immediately putting their guards on.
“Oh my, Fukuzawa-dono, didn't expect to see you here,” said Mori with a condescending smile, glancing at the cats lounging on the ground, “but considering your little obsession with cats, I should've predicted it,”
"Mori-sensei," said Fukuzawa, refusing to rise to the bait.
Mori’s smile grew as the tension between them rose, but he also didn’t have time for this particular interaction today, “I would love to stay here and chat with you, but I’m on my way to something more important. So if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.”
Fukuzawa didn’t move, eyeing the doctor suspiciously, “And what would that be?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business?”
“If you plan on hurting anyone, it does make it my business.”
“Why don’t you just stick to getting cats out of trees, eh? Now, out of the way; I don’t have all day.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you know about the newest small gang uprisings and how you plan to deal with them, eh?” a different voice popped up.
Mori and Fukuzawa paused their conversation to look at the one interrupting them.
“what? Don’t tell me the boss of the port mafia doesn’t know what goes on in the underworld?” Ranpo rolled a lollipop in his mouth, unconcerned by the looks he was getting. “Or did you want to continue that pointless conversation? What happened to not having all day?”
Chuuya who had been silently watching until that moment snarled at him, moving to stand in front of the boss but was stopped in his tracks by a motion of Mori's hand.
"Oh my, don’t you know it's rude to interrupt your elders when they're talking?" Mori looked at Ranpo with raised eyebrows but didn't seem put off by the sudden intrusion.
"You were taking too long with that greeting of yours," Ranpo waved dismissively, "just tell us your plan."
"And I should tell you that, because…?" Mori maintained his aloof expression.
"Do I have to spell everything out for you? This group might be new, but they're good, and they keep getting bolder. It won't be long until they become your problem too. It's best to nip them in the bud before they take root." Ranpo explained, looking bored.
Mori considered the boy in front of him for a moment, then slowly answered, "From what I've seen, the Agency has been handling the issue with no problems. I must say, your success rate these past few weeks have been quite impressive. You've put a lot of dangerous people behind bars."
Ranpo grinned boastfully, "Well, I am the greatest detective in the world. And with the help of my coworkers, sniffing out the masterminds behind the attacks was a piece of cake."
"And yet, you're asking for my help."
Ranpo crossed his arms. "Tsk, in case you've forgotten, we're a detective agency-"
"-and with the masterminds out of the way, there is no longer any rhyme or reason behind the attacks. No more mystery to solve or patterns to find. In conclusion, the only thing standing between you and total victory is your lack of firepower. Did I get all of that right, detective?" this time it was Mori's turn to interrupt.
Ranpo paused for a moment, expression serious, but then went back to his usual carefree grin. "Finally catching up, huh? Took you long enough, I was getting impatient."
But Mori was no longer paying attention, ignoring him in favor of turning to Fukuzawa. "Perhaps we should discuss this someplace else? It does deserve immediate attention before it becomes too troublesome."
"NO!" The tense atmosphere was broken again, this time by a child's yelling, "Rintarou, you liar! You promised to take me to the candy store!" it was Elise, who was finally fed up with this conversation.
And just like that, the mask of the terrifying mafia boss was gone. "But Elise-chan! this is an important business meeting. I promise we can go afterwards." Mori knelt in front of Elise, desperately trying to reason with her; Like a tired father whose spoiled child is throwing a temper tantrum.
Fukuzawa and Ranpo blinked at the sudden personality change.
Elise was too stubborn, "That's what you said last time too, but I had to go with Chuuya instead-" the words registered in her brain as she said them, "wait, I can go with Chuuya again!" She turned around and hopped over to Chuuya, smiling brightly.
Chuuya froze at suddenly becoming the center of attention, "huh?"
"What? No! Elise-chan come back!" Mori pleaded.
Elise didn't spare him a single backwards glance. She grabbed Chuuya's arm and tried to drag him towards the street. "No, it's perfect. You go have your boring meeting and I'll go to the new candy store."
Chuuya looked at his boss helplessly, unsure of what to do. Mori's shoulders sagged as he whined, "Come oooon…"
Ranpo, watching the scene unfold, perked up at her words, "Wait, did you say new candy store?" he didn't wait for a confirmation before turning to Fukuzawa, "I'm going with them." He declared with conviction.
"Eh?" said Mori, stunned.
"What? No way, I'm not going anywhere with you." Came Chuuya's vehement protest. But Ranpo had already made up his mind, "Too bad, Mister Fancy hat, you've already been chosen for this honor."
"What honor?"
"The honor of accompanying me to the candy store, of course," Ranpo grinned smugly.
Chuuya's patience was on the verge of snapping, "Why you little- I ought to gut you right now." He hissed like a feral cat.
Ranpo's grin widened even further, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Too bad you can't lay a single finger on me because of the truce."
Chuuya took a threatening step towards him, "Alright, listen here you-"
"Ranpo," Fukuzawa's deep clear voice cut in, tone commanding everyone's attention, and effectively silencing the debate. He placed a protective hand on his shoulder.
"President." Ranpo respectfully turned to him.
"Are you sure?"
Ranpo frowned and thought it over, "I have no interest in listening to battle strategies and negotiations. They’re boring."
"Let him go, Fukuzawa-dono, what's the harm?" Mori stepped in with a smile.
Fukuzawa narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "You tell me."
Mori widened his eyes and let out a mock gasp, hand coming up to rest on the front of the shirt above his heart, "Are you accusing me of plotting something? Why, you wound me, old friend. I would never!"
At the face of Fukuzawa's unrelenting glare, Mori dropped the theatrics and rolled his eyes, "I'm not looking to start a war with you, we still have mutual enemies to defeat. Not to worry, we can go right back to fighting each other afterwards. In the meantime, no harm will come to your protégé from us. Isn't that right, Chuuya-kun?"
Even though the words were said in a questioning tone, Chuuya knew it wasn't a request. He stared at his boss indignantly, opening his mouth to say something, but thought it pointless and closed it. He glared at the unconcerned Ranpo with a clearly forced smile, "Yes, boss."
Mori's smiled widened, "Excellent! so what do you say? We'll continue our discussion while the kids entertain themselves?"
Fukuzawa took a moment to take another look at Ranpo. He seemed to find whatever he was looking for and nodded at him, "Very well. We'll be staying here."
Mori hummed in response, "It is a beautiful day for a stroll in the park. I'm sure an exchange of information, without interruptions," his gaze flickered to the three candy store goers as he said the last part, "will be much beneficial to both of our organizations." And with those words, Fukuzawa and he started to walk away, leaving Chuuya to deal with the two children.
Ranpo grinned, enjoying the obvious despair on Chuuya's face, "well, Mister Fancy hat, you heard your boss. Lead the way."
Chuuya huffed in exasperation, "Let's go, Elise-chan."
He grumbled under his breath all the way to the candy store.
The walk to the store was mostly uneventful. Aside from Chuuya's grumbling at Ranpo's presence, he seemed used to Elise dragging him around and making demands.
When they reached the store, Elise let go of Chuuya's hand and sprinted towards the store window with Ranpo in tow. Chuuya clicked his tongue but didn't stop them from pressing their faces to the display and continued walking at a leisurely pace.
"They look so delicious," said Elise with a delight that was contagious. Ranpo hummed in agreement, his eyes glued to mouthwatering treats on display.
Chuuya patiently waited for them to finish drinking in the sight of all of the colorful snacks and sweets and followed Elise to the display inside the shop. He momentarily let himself relax and smile at her enthusiasm. It was always refreshing to witness such an innocent happiness. Even if Elise wasn't an actual child, Chuuya didn't let himself think too hard on the logistics and instead focused on enjoying the moment.
"This one looks so good, no wait- I want that one, and one of those, but these ones have such cute designs…" Elise looked torn with indecision as she pointed to different sweets. Despite the looks he was getting from the other parents in the shop, Chuuya didn't try to rush her, calmly keeping to himself and only giving his opinion when asked.
When Elise finally settled on what she wanted, Chuuya took out his wallet and walked to the counter, but he was interrupted midway by a tug on his arm, "I want these ones."
He should've known the calm wouldn't last.
Chuuya looked at the hand on his arm like it had personally offended him, then gave an unimpressed look to the person attached to the hand. "Then you should buy them for yourself, detective."
The mocking intonation of the last word wasn’t lost on Ranpo, but he ignored it. "I don't have any money with me."
Chuuya looked at him incredulously, "who doesn't bring money with them when they go shopping?"
"I didn't know I was going to go shopping when I got out of the house this morning. I may be smart but even I can't see the future."
"Great, that sounds like a you problem," Chuuya shrugged apathetically and tried to walk away, but Ranpo blocked his way, "then I guess you won't mind if I leave," he sighed, "but oh wait! I don't know the way back, so who knows what'll happen to me? I might get lost, kidnapped, or killed. with the president knowing I was with you when it happened…" Ranpo clicked his tongue and shook his head in sympathy, "that really doesn't sound like an ideal situation for you, Mister Fancy hat."
Chuuya stared at the man before him. A moment passed without either of them saying a word. Chuuya tried to decipher the other's expression, to find any ulterior motives or hidden meaning behind the threat, but came up blank.
The detective genuinely wanted candy. "Your attempts at manipulation are pitiful," he informed the other in a flat voice.
"I value the truth," Ranpo crossed his arms, "besides, It worked fine last time."
Chuuya raised an eyebrow at the declaration and explained, "you don't need to lie to manipulate people," he then scoffed at the memory of getting trapped in a book, "and It won’t work this time."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
“I can be very annoying.”
“don’t I know it.”
“Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy. Buy me candy.”
“No.”
“…”
“…”
“…buy me cand–“
“No. Shut up.”
"Dazai would've bought me the candies," Ranpo tried a different approach.
That made Chuuya chuckle, "who are you trying to kid? we both know he would never."
Ranpo took out his phone, unashamed at being called out, "ok, then."
Chuuya paused at the easy agreement, eying him suspiciously, "…what are you doing?"
"Calling the president to let him know you've kidnapped me."
Chuuya grabbed the phone out of his hand lightning fast, fighting the urge to grab him by the lapel and shake him, "what the hell are you trying to pull?!" he hissed at him quietly as to not draw the attention of other customers and staff.
Ranpo groaned as if he was talking to a particularly slow child, "I already told you. Weren't you listening?"
"huh?"
"I. want. Candy. Buy them for me."
At that moment, anyone passing by would have wondered if a murder was about to take place. Chuuya's expression could only be described as 'wanting to bash someone's skull in with a brick.' Luckily for Ranpo, Chuuya had a lot of practice in dealing with this emotion, and his only response was to drag Ranpo to the display with enough force to leave a bruise and say "choose," with a smile promising violence.
Ranpo grinned at his second victory of the day, and joined Elise at discussing the various sweet pastries without a care in the world.
Chuuya could only sigh and resign himself to his fate.
With the candies chosen and paid for, a man led them to the tables at the back garden. Chuuya pulled a chair back for Elise and put her sweets in front of her. After making sure she had everything she wanted, he sat down to relax with a cup of tea.
“hey, pass me the syrup.”
And just like that, Chuuya’s peace was broken again. “Why are you here.”
Ranpo’s spoon stopped midway, “is this short of a memory normal for people like you? Everyone’s like babies to me, so I can’t tell.”
“Why are you sitting at this table when literally every other one is empty,” Said Chuuya through gritted teeth.
“We decided to share our cakes and sweets,” Elise chipped in. Ranpo nodded in confirmation, and Chuuya didn’t have it in him to rain on her parade when she was so clearly enjoying herself.
“Whatever, just stop bothering me,” Chuuya muttered in Ranpo’s direction.
A few minutes passed in silence, until Ranpo was bored again.
“So Mister Fancy hat, don’t suppose you know anything about that gang uprisings?”
“I’m an executive, why wouldn’t I know?”
“You’ve already proven not to be the sharpest tool in the box.”
There was a SNAP and the spoon in Chuuya’s hand broke in half. “Wanna say that one more time?”
Ranpo was completely unfazed, “Everyone knows you’re not the sharpest tool in the box.”
Chuuya counted to ten in his mind and then backwards. He resisted the urge to strangle him with great difficulty and exhaled slowly in annoyance, “what part of ‘stop bothering me' did you not understand?”
“So you do know something?”
“Shouldn’t you be able to tell, detective?”
“I want to see how long it’ll take you to snap this time,” Ranpo gave him a sly look, knowing the mention of the book would send Chuuya seething.
Unexpectedly, Chuuya only raised an amused eyebrow at him, “You think that was me snapping?”
It was time for Ranpo to be incredulous, “You started punching people.”
“Well, obviously,” Chuuya looked at him like he was the dumb one, which annoyed Ranpo to no end, “ I solved the first few mysteries, remember?”
Ranpo did remember, but he’d been mostly focused on the part where Chuuya gave up, rather than acknowledging the few mysteries he managed to solve.
Ranpo’s eyes snapped open, looking at the man in front of him, and for the first time actually seeing him.
This time, Chuuya shrugged off the weight of the stare and continued, “I’m no genius, but even I can do simple math. Solving each mystery would’ve taken me hours. Compared to that, it took me way less time to find each killer by punching people.”
“But… how did you know it’d take less time?”
“I’m no good at math,” the lie rolled of his tongue smoothly, “but Probability is what? seventh grade? It equals the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes. Anyone could’ve figured it out.”
There weren’t many people in the world that could make Ranpo Edogawa speechless, but he seems to encounter them more and more recently. He tried to keep the annoyance he felt out of his voice. “Dazai said you were dumb.” He pointed at Chuuya accusingly.
“Everybody’s dumb compared to Dazai!” unlike Ranpo, Chuuya didn’t bother disguising his tone, and Ranpo felt a tug of satisfaction at successfully annoying him. His mind was already running at super speed and considering the things he knew about Chuuya in a new light.
Chuuya continued, “besides, aren’t you a genius detective or something? Shouldn’t you already know these things about me?”
Even though Ranpo was capable of figuring out almost everything about someone in under a second using his ability, most things didn’t interest him enough for it. He fiddled with his fork and simply said, “I didn’t know. Not because I’m not smart enough to know mind you, but because I don’t care enough to know.”
What Renpo left out of his explanation was that it didn’t apply to Chuuya anymore. But Before he could marvel at the new revelation or be tempted into taking a look at Chuuya using his glasses, the silence was interrupted with a bang.
Ranpo didn’t need super deduction to realize it was of a door being slammed.
There were five men exuding an air of danger heading straight for their table, their muscles obvious and various halfway hidden guns and knives gleaming.
They stopped near their table and the one with the most bulk stepped forward. “Edogawa Ranpo.”
Chuuya leaned towards Ranpo with disdain. “Friend of yours?”
Ranpo’s sharp eyes barely glanced in their direction. “Of course not, but I know who they are, and so do you.”
Chuuya frowned, bemused. Another man from the crowd shouted, “you’re going to pay for what you did to our boss!”
Elise looked up at commotion, but soon lost interest and went back to enjoying her candies.
The realization dawned on Chuuya as the bulky man declared, “We’ve been following you for a while, waiting for you to be alone so we can strike you down and avenge our gang leaders.”
“Oh, so you're blind as well as stupid, huh. Can’t you see I’m not alone?”
The man smirked, “Oh yeah?” He turned to Chuuya who had also went back to enjoying his tea, “We know who he is too. You think you’re so smart?” he mocked, “Let’s ask. Hey mister mafia executive, this guy’s your enemy, isn’t he?” the man’s voice gained a dangerous edge as he growled, “Are you gonna stop us from beating the snot out of him?”
Chuuya looked at him with disinterest, took a sip of his tea and replied nonchalantly, “Have at it if you want.”
The man’s smirk widened into a maniacal grin not unlike that of a bloodthirsty beast.
He grabbed the front of Ranpo’s collar and easily picked him up. “Any last words?”
Ranpo remained unfazed. He looked at the man’s bulging muscles and sighed. “You trained all these muscles but forgot about the most important one,” He lightly tapped the man’s forehead, “but then again, you can’t really train a muscle that doesn’t exist.”
“Huh?! What did you just say to me?”
Ranpo sighed again. “I called you brainless. B-R-A-I-N-L-E-S-S. Weren’t you listening, Or are you deaf too?”
“Why you little–“ the man swung his arm and threw Ranpo to the ground. The force of the impact knocked the wind out of him.
The man laughed, watching Ranpo cough and try to catch his breath. “Not so smart now, are you?”
Ranpo’s coughing turned into something that stunned the man into silence. He lazily sat up. “heh he… heh heh hehehe you just– heheheheh– you just proved my point, you blind, deaf, stupid, brute.”
The man saw red. In a flash, his hand went to his hip and the sound of a shot rang out through the garden.
But Ranpo, who had covered his ears and thrown himself on the ground bracing for the pain, felt… nothing.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing in his line of sight was auburn hair.
Ranpo’s eyes widened. He had been ready for being shot. He had predicted and aimed for it, but even then he barely had time to move. Chuuya had been around six feet away, sitting behind the table, distracted and unaware of the upcoming shot. So how? Ranpo thought frantically, replaying the scene in his head. How had he managed to stop the bullet in time and save me?
Oblivious to all the questions running through Ranpo’s head, Chuuya had his hands in his pockets and stood in front of him with a defensive stance, like a shield.
“What the–?” the men looked at him with different degrees of confusion.
“I said have at it, didn’t say I was gonna let you,” said Chuuya, still seemingly nonchalant but with a fierce look. He nodded towards Ranpo, “This guy might be an annoying pest, but right now I’m his designated babysitter and if you want him dead, you're gonna have to beat me first.”
A few of the men stepped back in fear, but the one in charge wasn’t the kind of person who backed down.
He ignored his men’s warning hiss of “boss, that’s Nakahara Chuuya,” and stepped forward, invading Chuuya’s personal space and looming over him. “you gonna fight us? You’re outnumbered and outgunned. Not to mention you can’t even reach my chest. Each one of my men are three times your size.”
The last word triggered Chuuya’s temper. “I dare you to say that again,” he hissed through gritted teeth, eyes lighting up by an unmistakable fire.
“Heh, what are you gonna do, little guy; bite my ankles?”
It was over for him in a flash.
Ranpo winced in sympathy as Chuuya’s foot connected to the man’s jaw and sent him flying off a good few feet away, but his mind was only focused on two words: he’s fast!
Chuuya didn’t give the men time to bring out their weapons and started attacking them with swift movements.
The way he dodged his attacker’s advances reminded Ranpo of Dazai’s fighting style.
When it was his turn to attack, his aim was precise and his kicks came in quick succession.
Chuuya fought like a whirlwind and Ranpo couldn’t take his eyes off of him. The battle seemed more of a dance to him; and in the middle of this deadly ballroom, he was the picture of grace mixed with raw strength.
And just like that, the fight was over before it could even begin.
Ranpo observed the scene in front of him. The floor was littered with bodies, writhing and whimpering in pain.
He turned his attention back to Chuuya –who hadn’t even broken a sweat– and to his astonishment, couldn’t find any wrinkles on his clothes.
For the first time in a long time, Ranpo felt dumbfounded.
There wasn’t a single hair out of place.
After making sure the men were unable to move, Chuuya walked back towards Ranpo, picking up his fallen detective hat and throwing it at him with a bit too much force. “feel free to interrogate or use your ability on them now.”
Ranpo shook his head. “Nah, I’m not interested. We just have to wait for the police.”
Chuuya looked at him with puzzlement. “what, you called them already?”
“I don’t how to use a phone.”
Chuuya froze. “wait, so when you threatened to call your president–“
“Oh, that? I was bluffing.”
Chuuya barely stopped himself from grabbing Ranpo and shaking him. He brought a hand up to message his temple, taking a deep breath. “then pray tell, detective, how are the police going to find out about this?”
Ranpo groaned, giving Chuuya a look filled with irritation. “You’re not dumb. Use your head.”
Chuuya scowled before it suddenly occurred to him. “the gunshot sound. Someone must’ve already called the police.”
“Bingo.”
Chuuya stood unmoving, piercing gaze trying to decipher Ranpo. He finally said, “you did that on purpose, didn’t you? It was your plan. Taunting him until he loses his temper and shoot you.”
Ranpo grinned. “Certified genius, remember?”
“heh. Not bad, detective.”
“Right back at you,” Ranpo mirrored Chuuya, coming to stand in front of him, “not bad at all.”
“But still, why would you put yourself in danger like that?” Chuuya mused out loud.
Ranpo pursed his lips for second then replied quietly, with a sense of honesty much different from his usual frankness. “My friends are counting on me. They think I'm invincible, so I have to be. For them.”
That was all Chuuya needed to hear for his view of Ranpo to shift completely. The person in front of him was no longer an egotistical, narcissistic brat. He was someone that fought for his friends and drew his strength from people’s faith in him. Chuuya understood that. After all, he was also intimately familiar with lengths someone is willing to go for their friends.
The two man gazed at each other in silence. It wasn’t the first time that they felt the same emotion at the same time, but it was the first time that said emotion wasn’t exasperation.
This time, it was begrudging, mutual respect.
And they both knew it.
Chuuya clicked his tongue. “Come on, I’m not waiting here for the police to arrive. Unless you want to give an statement?”
Ranpo waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll have someone in the agency call them and explain later.”
Elise and Ranpo packed their candies and all three of them quickly left the store after saying their thanks.
As they stepped into the street, Ranpo’s voice brought them to a sudden stop. “There is still one thing I’m curious about.”
Chuuya raised an eyebrow at him, silently motioning for him to go on.
“Shouldn’t the enemies of your enemies, be your friends?”
Chuuya shrugged. “Sure, but those guys hardly qualify as enemies. They’re…” he made a vague hand gesture, “a nuisance at best.”
There was a pause as the two regarded each other carefully, until Ranpo burst into laughter.
“What’s with you now?” said Chuuya, annoyed.
Ranpo rubbed his eyes. “I see it.” He said in between laughing.
“What?”
Ranpo’s laughter finally died down. “I can see it. Why Dazai likes you so much.”
At the mention of Dazai, Chuuya was even more irritated than before. “Huh?! did you hit your head detective? That bastard doesn’t like me, he likes annoying me,” He paused, and then muttered, “Not unlike yourself, I suppose.”
Ranpo laughed again, shaking his head. He quickly considered a few things, and then stated, “I have a proposal for you,” he doesn’t wait for a reply, mind already made up, “what do you say to starting over, mister fancy hat? Shall we put aside our past grievances and strive to make the best of the truce, achieving our shared goal of protecting Yokohama?” he struck out a hand towards Chuuya to seal the deal with a shake.
Chuuya hesitated, regarding the stretched hand with suspicious. His mind automatically went back to the time he got trapped inside a mystery book. But the more he thought about everything that happened today, the more their past issues seemed like something to forgive and forget. Chuuya sighed, reaching out and grabbing the other’s hand in a firm shake. “We might’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, but I Guess it wasn’t all terrible. At the very least, I do seem to get a good workout every time you’re around,” He admitted.
Ranpo clapped his hands in victory. “Excellent! Now that we’re finished here thanks to my unmatched genius, Let’s all head back to the park.” Having said that, he turned to his right and started walking.
Chuuya exchanged a look with Elise, watching him go for bit before saying, “The park isn’t that way, smart guy.”
Ranpo froze mid step, quickly turning and walking in the opposite direction, to Chuuya’s left. “Right, of course, I remember that.”
Chuuya sighed for the thousandths time that day, walking straight ahead and crossing the street.
Elise who had been mostly silent as the events of the day proceeded, turned to Chuuya and spoke with a wisdom beyond her appearance. “You gained a good ally today, Rintarou will be proud.”
Chuuya’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah? You sure?”
Elise smiled, nodding with enthusiasm and conviction.
Chuuya’s features softened. He smiled back at her, patting her head fondly.
“Hey! Wait for me!” a voice from not far behind interrupted their moment.
Elise giggled playfully and Chuuya intentionally quickened his pace. But despite his annoyance, the smile on his face never once wavered.
Here’s to new adventures in our friendship.
END