Prey and Predator [Ranpo x Reader] + Bonus ✓

10. Tomorrow

Things had not returned to normal as I wish they had later that day; brother shut himself in his room and mum let him be - "He's going through a lot. Let's give him some space.".

Dinner felt lonely without my brother. I had little to no appetite and did not sit with father during his meal; I had taken a nicely presented plate of food for dinner to him, along with a glass of water on a tray, and some medication he was prescribed to take to tackle his health issues. I supposed mum would be the one picking up the empty plate after he'd finished, so I headed to bed and lay down for a few sleepless hours.

"Let's get rid of dad."

His serious undertone was rarely used. My few memories of ever seeing it had been during some days he picked me up from kindergarten and elementary school and some child in my class decided to pick on me while I waited alone. They weren't bullies, though - not that brother allowed them to be so anyway. Being several years older than myself was something he used to his advantage to help protect me from that developing into something more serious: "Bullying" - he said - "Weeds have to be cut by the root before they grow wild and mingle among the lilies.". I used to think he was obsessed with gardening so I had nicknamed him "flower boy", before I realised what his allegory had meant.

Other than that, he only ever got serious - no, sore-headed - whenever he was asked to look after dad or be around him in general. That I never understood, but I didn't think much of it - not until now.

He looked to be much more than serious. He looked disturbed. The vividness of his being had not been present in those few minutes he spent in my room when he suggested that we should run away.

But as mum said, we should give him time. He's being directly affected by these crimes happening in the city.

I'll be your emotional support, too, from a day on, brother. Let that day be tomorrow.

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I was knocked awake by a hand shaking my shoulder, demanding that I should open my eyes and pay attention to whoever demanded it from me.

'Yes, I'm awake,' I mumbled, still trying to open my heavy lids.

There was whimpering beside me.

'Mum! -' My eyes hurried open as if hit by a wave of adrenaline as I recognised my mother uttering my name. 'What happened?'

I sat up and made sure I absorbed the situation correctly: mother was sitting by the edge of my bed, a hand resting on the sheets after having been forced to let go of my shoulder, and the other covering her mouth so she'd not let out a loud sob.

She wasn't the only one in the room; standing beside her was the ebony-haired woman I'd seen sat at the table with her friends when I visited the cafe below the Armed Detective Agency's headquarters, a look of dismay present on her face. Behind her stood the small girl I'd seen bringing in the tower of boxes with Atsushi on my visit to the cafe also. Why are they here? Why would mum be crying while detectives are gathered in my room -

'Where's dad?!'

Mother shook her head and buried her face into her cupped hands.

I pushed myself up and was told to stay put by the woman who stood beside mum. I didn't listen. I rushed out of bed and towards my door, quickly opening it and stepping out into the cold hallway. There was discomfort in the air. And a mood that made me lightheaded.

I sought the wall for support and looked ahead of me in the direction of my parents' room; there were several people gathered by the door, strangers in uniforms, and a blinking red light coming from the windows, penetrating the dark hallway with flashes of red - there were police cars parked outside, no doubt. But these members of society weren't the only ones present. There were known individuals among them.

For a while, all I was able to identify was the unique white hair which an individual about my age bore, a familiar pair of hands wrapped in bandages which had held my own hands at the cafe's counter once, a long blond ponytail which descended behind a beige waistcoat, and a smudged browned palette of colours which bit by bit came together to form a clear distinct figure.

'Ranpo,' I called out, unable to recall any of the others' names; they all turned to face me in sync as if such movement had been triggered by the single press of a button that controlled the men as a single body. 'What's going on?' I managed to let out despite the fog settling in my head which made me unable to articulate any thoughts together at all.

But I didn't need an answer. I had constructed in my mind what the situation had been: a murder had taken place in my house, a room just beside mine. And I had not heard anything. Nor stopped it. And I should've anticipated such an event happening:

My brother got rid of Father.

I slid my back down the wall and hugged my knees together as I sat down, burying my head in shame between my bare arms.

I had had the chance to stop this murder. But I chose to do so a day too late. Tomorrow was too late.

'Leave me alone,' I muttered between the tears I let out as I heard the wooden planks cringe in front of me; someone had knelt before me, and was opposing my imperative. I repeated my command.

'I heard you the first time...' the voice affirmed, a mournful tone present in it. I looked up to see the figure of the detective I'd called out sitting before me, his hat in his hands and head facing down expressing a rueful aura.

'It's a mistake. Tell me it's a mistake! - You said if I cooperated his innocence would prevail.' I reached for his shoulders and gripped them tightly, the angst in me present in my grasp. 'He's innocent! He didn't mean to - no! He didn't do it. Someone is trying to frame him! You know that too! Your ability told you that! Tell the police officers to release him. It's not too late. He was only sleeping! Show them what your ability is capable of!'

'[Y/N],' the bandaged brunette called out, his face a mere blur through my tears as I looked up to meet his gaze. 'He's been taken to the police station already.' He paused to let the fact sink in. 'Your father was stabbed. He's no longer breathing.'

I looked back at Ranpo for reassurance: Tell me he's lying. Look at me and tell me the truth. Tell me that this flirtatious brunette is merely testing the faith I have in my brother.

He remained quiet and offered me a folded piece of paper which he had been holding between his fingers. I took it from him and opened the creased paper, stretching it out before me and wiping the corners of my eyes to get a clearer view of the writing present in it.

Take care of my sister. I'm trusting you, the Armed Detective Agency, to look after her when I'm gone.

This was my brother's handwriting, I did not doubt that. Moreover, I recognised the ink to belong to that one cheap red pen I bought him when I earned my first set of money from completing my first working shift at the convenience store.

'We've arranged a place for you and your mother to stay at while we look further into the case,' Ranpo stated, avoiding my gaze. 'It's not healthy for you to stay here, where the memories of your dead -' He stopped his sentence midway and pursed his lips, acknowledging that proclaiming such a phrase would wound me further.

He pushed himself up and reached his hand out for me to take.

'This isn't over yet.'

I shook my head and looked back down between the gap left between my knees. 'Count me out.'

He expressed disapproval. 'The [Y/N] I met, the convenience store woman with short-temper, would never give up. She agreed to stay in to prove her brother's innocence.'

'There's nothing to be done, now. If your ability said he did it - and if all odds point to it - there's no point anymore.' I let out, my tears halting as a numbing sensation came by. 'You don't know me at all.'

He knelt in front of me and placed his hat on my head. 'You're the only one in this household who won't have to give a testimony regarding your father's case. I convinced the agency and authorities to keep you out of it.'

'What's that got to do with anything?'

'Your testimony would give us false information, and information which would make capital punishment definite for your brother,' he paused 'Because you've been deceived, [Y/N].'