Chapter Text
‘Lower your expectations. Realistically seen none of the persons in this room will ever work on a case about a serial killer - let alone one with an assassin.’
Those were the words of his instructor. Probabilities never were part of Yukine’s circle of friends. He always magically attracted unlikely events. Therefore it shouldn’t have surprised him that his first case was dealing with a serial killer.
At first it seemed to be an ordinary murder. Perfect for a newly minted police office like Yukine. However a few days after the start of their investigation a second victim appeared and slowly the case was showing its true face.
Two weeks into his professional life and Yukine was investigating the case of a serial killer that already had claimed four victims. No information about the culprit at all. Only the method of murder and the fact, that there had always been a bell at the crime scene, connected the cases with each other.
A strained mood laid over the precinct and marked the faces of everyone involved.
The relief was comprehensible when a few hours ago it had been announced that a cooperation with a specialist had been requested.
Incomprehensible was the choice, which offices will work together with the specialist. Why should someone like him, a newbie, be given the chance to work with a seasoned expert? Wouldn’t you normally choose someone for this position that had earned it through his hard work?
Even more incomprehensible was only one thing in the whole situation for Yukine: Why were his colleagues giving him pitying glances? Shouldn’t they envy him?
Anxious Yukine looked around the office. Any moment Hiyori will enter the room to take him to the first meeting with the specialist. When the moment finally arrived Yukine rushed to take the carefully sorted case records from his desk, which – it had to happen – slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor with a loud slam.
All attention was on Yukine, he felt the stares on his back. Only when Hiyori started to pick up the scattered records he was able to get out of his frozen state. Quickly he bent down and helped picking up the records, he didn’t care about the right order at all.
After all the records were collected and the two had left the room, Hiyori looked at him with an encouraging smile. “There is no reason to be nervous, Yukine-kun. You will probably understand quickly why the others behave like this.”
“I don’t get an explanation before I meet the specialist?” Yukine inquired. Shortly after realizing the unexpected mood after the announcement of their cooperation with the specialist, Yukine had tried to find out the reason behind it. However everyone he asked about it refused to give an answer. Even Kazuma, who even after this short while took up the role of a mentor for Yukine, blocked all his questions.
“You have to understand their silence. The first action during the meeting will be the signing of a confidentiality agreement,” Hiyori explain while she crossed the street. When she saw Yukine’s bewildered expression a short laugh escaped over her lips. “The specialist wants to protect his identity and the identities of his sources. Only when this condition is met will he work together with us.”
Unfortunately Yukine could comprehend the worries of the specialist, even when it increased his agitation and curiosity once more.
Due to his attraction for unlikely events he always tried to challenge live well prepared. Naturally this meant he didn’t peculiarly enjoyed having no information about his future partner in this case. The uncertainty to not even know if it will be a man or woman increased his unrest with every step he took.
After close to an hour – at least it felt like this for Yukine, probably only 10 minutes had passed – they reached their destination. Hiyori entered a small café, which hid in a quiet side street, and immediately went for a table in the corner of the room. A visual cover consisting of a hedge-shaped, indefinable greenery made it impossible to see if the specialist was already there. What wasn’t the case, as it turned out.
“We won’t have to wait long before Ya…the specialist shows up” Hiyori stated as she got comfortable on her chair. Yukine sat down next to her and looked at her questioning.
Time to react to this unspoken question wasn’t there, because just at this moment the entrance door opened. Quiet, barely audible, steps could be perceived. Unfortunately the hedge monster named visual cover didn’t allow him to see the newcomer. Only as he flopped down unceremoniously into the chair opposite of him, which had both walls of the room in the back, Yukine was able to look at the specialist.
A jolt went through the young police officer. Whatever he had expected, he hadn’t been prepared for this. Was it a prank that they played every rookie when the first difficult case arrives? There was no other explanation for Yukine for this whole situation. It had to be a prank.
“I will start with introductions right away. Yato, during this case Yukine was chosen to be your partner. Yukine, across from you sits Yato who helped us with many cases as a specialist,” Hiyori cheerfully began the conversation, a slight nervous undertone accompanied her voice.
“Impossible,” The word escaped Yukine before was aware of it. His eyes stared unbelievingly at the so-called specialist. “You can’t be serious! This person could never be…!” An ungentle kick from Hiyori against his shin made him fall silent. Appalled his eyes wandered back and forth between the two persons sharing his table.
The merry laugh of the specialist resounded in the café. It attracted the attention of the waitresses, who started to whisper to each other. Yukine on the other hand felt like he was in the wrong movie.
Once his laugh stopped and only a wide grin was left on his face, Yukine was met with a challenging glance. “You have brought an interesting person with you Hiyori! No one has ever declared his opinion off me that frankly. Really refreshing,” Yato purred and reaped a scolding glare from Hiyori. He didn’t even seem to notice it and offered Yukine his hand in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Hesitantly Yukine returned the handshake, only to try to discreetly wipe off his hand on his pants a few seconds later. Sweaty hands. As if something had been missing to perfect the shocking first impression.
Once again his eyes disbelievingly moved up and down on Yato. He hadn’t expected for the specialist to wear a suit – at least he tried to persuade himself of this in retrospective – but such an appearance he hadn’t expected in any case. Instead of the expected – at last he admitted it – suit, Yato was wearing a worn-out, black jogging suit that was embroidered with a yellow crown on its chest. Around his neck he wore a white, frayed, plush something that probably should pose as a scarf. To that he wore brown boots.
When his eyes refocused on Yato’s face they were met with a curious, slightly mischievously, gaze. Observant blue eyes, that definitely had noticed the inspection, threatened to cast a spell over Yukine. Swiftly he looked down unto the case records and warned himself to be more guarded. He liked the expression in Yato’s eyes not in the least. He felt like the potential prey, observed from a predator.
Through clearing her throat Hiyori tried to regain the lost attention. Yukine relaxed noticeably when he felt Yato’s gaze breaking off from him. “Would you continue with the meeting, Yato?”
Momentarily Yato put on a pout before he fished a few sheets of paper out of his jacket pocket and unfolded them. Energetically he pushed the mountain of records in front of Yukine to the side to spread the pages out on the newly opened space. “I present: The together with the police worked out and from both side accepted confidentiality agreement. Here I need a signature…does one of you have a pen?”
Frowning Yukine looked from the contract to Hiyori and got an affirmative nod. As a result he started to search for a pen in his pockets to sign the agreement. Mentally he extended his picture of Yato with the note ‘little predictive thinking and unorganized’. At least a pen he could have brought.
Scarcely after finishing his signature Yato collected the papers. “Like always I will sent a copy of this document to the police,” Yato said to Hiyori with an implied bow. “I’m at your service and we can start to introduce this case! I’m eager to know with what you need my help this time!”
If Yukine wouldn’t have already been convinced, that Yato can’t be a specialist under any circumstances, he would have thought it at that moment. This enthusiastic and much too loud exclamation wasn’t casting a professional light on him.
Luckily Yato’s euphoria was interrupted by the waitress’ request for orders, what gave Yukine the opportunity to ban his doubt over the mental state of their ‘specialist’ into the rearmost corner of his thoughts.
Before Yukine began with the explanation of the case, he took a deep breath in and out to bring back his lost concentration. “We have a serial killer that killed four persons over the last two weeks. There is no connection between the victims whatsoever, therefore we assume a random selection of victims. At every crime scene we found a bell-,” after a short search through the cluttered case files Yukine found a matching photograph from one scene to show to Yato. “-Which are from an identical type. The victims were killed using a specific mixture of poison that was purely won out of poisonous plants. Through a high concentration a small amount of the poison was enough to kill the victims. How it was administered to the victims is still unknown.”
Measuring Yukine looked at Yato who had started to browse through the case records on his own. The cheery expression exchanged with a serious and concentrated one. “Times of death?”
“In the evening, between 10pm and 1am.”
“All victims seem to come from wealthy backgrounds,” Yato stated while looking at the photos from the crime scenes.
“All held high positions in their profession, however work in different fields. Another reason why we assume he is choosing random victims with wealthy backgrounds.”
Briefly Yato’s eyes flashed with a cheeky glow. “It is really surprising how well informed a rookie is about this case. Especially considering the horrible muddle of his case records.”
Yukine’s cheeks assumed a red sheen. His gaze dropped unto his folded hands. “The disarray was an accident,” he muttered quietly and stared at Hiyori in horror when she tried to disguise her giggling as a feigned coughing fit.
Yato on the other side didn’t even try to hide his laughing, what only resulted in Yukine’s face turning a darker shade of red. Hastily he tried to overplay his discomfort by returning to talk about the case. “All victims were living in apartment complexes with great safety precautions in different parts of town. With no signs of forced entry and due to the deactivated alarm systems we suspect that the victims let their murderer inside their apartments.”
“A person that owns the trust of its victims and is knowledgeable about poisonous plants…a doctor?” Yato guessed, only a small grin remaining on his lips.
“This was already checked. They were visiting different doctors for treatment.”
“I’m only seeing the autopsy reports, did the treating doctors refuse to hand out the medical records?”
Confused Yukine raised an eyebrow. “A request for the medical records wasn’t seen as necessary since the cause of death isn’t related to pre-existing conditions.”
“The victims are persons in high positions. Would such a person go to a normal doctor for treatment of an illness that could harm their reputation or career?”
An annoyed pant escaped Yukine before he turned to Hiyori. “This guy was a help with other cases? Someone that makes up such theories? I think you are kidding me. Our ‘specialist’ has read to many crime stories. An underground doctor who treats influential people in secret and administers poison instead of medicine?”
Seemingly unimpressed with Yukine’s loud tone, that let the waitresses look worriedly in their direction, a smile played around Yato’s lips once again. However this time it made Yukine move back as far as his chair was allowing it. Had Yato seemed like a cat that planned to play with its pray before, his whole body radiated the will to kill now.
“If I were that useless, would the police come begging me to help them again and again? I don’t think.” His voice sounded like a warning purr. It told Yukine clearly to not take another step in this direction. Even though this warning hadn’t been necessary, all of Yukine’s instincts were screaming just this while they were running around in panicked circles.
The young police offices wasn’t able to even lift a single finger, what was discerned by Hiyori. With a slightly shaking voice she attempted to get the meeting back into motion. “According to the autopsy records only two of the victims had an injury or illness that needed treatment.”
Within a few second Yato, in contrast to Yukine, was capable to recover and he put up a disappointed expression. “What a pity. I found my theory interesting.”
A loud shrill pierced the still remaining predominantly tense mood. Yukine wasn’t able to suppress a startled jump before he could determine his phone as cause for the sudden noise. With a short apologizing nod in Hiyori’s direction he stood up from his chair. Only when he closed the door of the café behind him he accepted the call. “What’s up, Kazuma?”
“We just found a new victim.”
The door barely closed behind Yukine when the mood of the left behind persons change dramatically.
With a loud slam Yato’s head got to know the tabletop. A suffering groan could be heard from him, that turned into words a few moments later. “Why are you doing this to me Hiyori?”
For the umpteenth time this day Hiyori started to laugh. “Looks like my guess had been dead on.” Her face seemed to radiate with glee. “But please restrain yourself a bit. I would feel guilty if Yukine will be traumatized for the rest of his life because of you.”
“You give me your blessing to seduce your younger colleague?” Yato muttered barely audible against the table. “I think the boy really has to rethink the innocent image he has of you…however I sometimes doubt your skills as matchmaker.”
Scandalized Hiyori snorted and whipped Yato softly over the head. It was answered with a played pained exclamation from Yato, even though his face was still maintaining contact to the tabletop.
“May I remind you of your since one year ongoing attempt to set up Kazuma and the bitch?” Yato defended his doubts.
“Those two are hopeless cases! Bishamon-san is so blind in matters of love that every comment in this direction simply bounces off. And I don’t want to start with Kazuma. He worships Bishamon-san so obviously, but doesn’t have the guts to take the first step. Sometimes it seems like he is ready, but one second later he loses his heart. You could almost believe that he thinks Bishamon-san is a monster that will attack him when he makes a wrong move.”
“Bishamon is a monster. Every time we run into each other she tries to kill me,” Yato interjected, what was met with a that-has-another-reason-and-you-exactly-know-why look from Hiyori.
Briefly Yato, feeling her gaze, lifted his head from the tabletop to smile at her innocently. “As far as my sources are correct, you are betting when those two will get together. Can I still participate?”
“How do you know about the bet?”
“My sources remain a secret. However you shouldn’t have entrusted storing the money to Kuraha. He is bad at hiding things. It didn’t took a single week for Kazuma to find the hiding place by accident.”
“Damn it. Kazuma knows about the bet?” A red shimmer sneaked onto Hiyori’s cheeks, probably she remembered her attempts to sway the bet in her favor. “Okay, you can join in. However you have to ensure that Bishamon-san will never get to know about it.”
“Deal. I’m just wondering how I should accomplish it.”
“Just find a way.” Hiyori’s voice took on a threating tone. Yato wasn’t impressed by it. Then he finally said goodbye to his new friend – the tabletop – and leaned back into his chair.
“One question still remains before Yukine gets back from his phone call,” not once during the briefing of the case his voice had had such a serious tone. “Judging from his behavior you followed protocol?”
“Of course we have,” Hiyori answered with a sad look in her eyes. “But even when he gets to know the truth his behavior towards you will not change. Yukine-kun isn’t one of those persons that are effected by something like this.”
A bitter laugh escaped Yato. “Are you sure? So far there hadn’t been anyone, including you, that hadn’t change his or her attitude towards me after they got to know that I normally earn my money as an assassin.”