Prey and Predator [Ranpo x Reader] + Bonus ✓

24. Thanks for the hard work

'I'm sorry I couldn't bring any snacks with me,' I apologised, warming up a spot on the back of his head with my hand, his reply being the shaking of his head while still refusing to let go.

He remained quiet for some time, the warmth of our bodies embraced together too comforting to let go - a little while longer would hurt nobody: I'm trusting you, Kunikida, do deal with Chie for just a while longer.

I reached for my earpiece and took in a breath to alert those waiting outside that I had managed to reach the target and find no injuries anywhere on his body - none which could be seen on his bare neck anyway; before I was able to do so, Ranpo grasped it before I could, removing it and holding it down towards the floor where he rested his hand to support him up.

'Ranpo, what -'

A shot was heard being fired in the other room.

I reacted quickly and looked at the wall behind me where the shot would have occurred in my brother's room. Was it Kunikida? Did he shoot her?

"Kunikida isn't the type to shoot someone dead. That is why it's best he goes with you: you've had enough death happening around you." Fukuzawa's voice rang in my ears - something he had told me privately after the meeting - reminding me of the one principle he held over all others.

And the blond walked in with a stun gun like me; they don't make that sound when shot.

Kunikida...

My body tensed up, and the hand which held Ranpo's head shook its way down, reflecting the awakened fear in me, one which I'd brushed aside the moment my eyes lay on Ranpo again.

"Promise to trust your life to Yosano; she's a doctor and can treat the worst of cases."

No one could reverse death. If Chie was the one who possessed the gun she wouldn't have wanted him to escape. Kunikida was shot dead.

And it was my fault.

'[Y/N]!' Ranpo called out while I attempted pushing my way out after sliding the door of the closet open. 'Where are - you can't go out there without any form of protection.'

I reached my hand inside my jacket which stored the stun gun and pulled it out. A knife to a gunfight, maybe, but I couldn't sit still, not under all this tension.

The same footsteps and crutch were heard rushing as fast as they could back towards the door to the room, while I was attempting to let Ranpo release his grip on me.

'Let go -'

'[Y/N]!' he yelled out, immediately making me stop the struggle and look back at him once he had opened his eyes to look up at me.

I looked back towards the door, anticipating and holding my breath as I expected to have Chie barge in and hold me at gunpoint.

But Ranpo tugged me back, making me return my gaze towards him and let my guard down against his emerald eyes.

He gave off a weak smile and uttered: 'Thank you.' - This isn't over, Ranpo. You can't thank me yet.

Chie's expected hand lay on the knob, but before she was able to turn it over she was interrupted by another male voice - my brother's. Their voices were muffled and my ear range was out of shot to understand their exchange.

'Trust the rest to them,' Ranpo affirmed while he lifted the earpiece he had snatched from me. 'They're grateful to you.'

Kunikida was shot. Tanizaki was stabbed because of my presence on that train. You were kidnapped because you're involved in this case regarding my family issues - 'What is there to be grateful about?!'

He came closer and adjusted the earpiece back in my ear, cupping his hands over the sides of my face and giving me a reassuring smile.

'Wait for one of us to retrieve you,' Atsushi spoke on the other side, his breath itching like he had been pacing up a flight of stairs. 'Stay with Ranpo for the meantime.'

Ranpo removed his palms from my cheeks as if had heard the memo himself and knew it had finished and looked down at his hands while adjusting them between us. I stared at them too.

'You planned this far ahead, didn't you? You told them you'd let this happen?'

He shook his head. 'I put my trust in you,' he told me, pushing himself up firmly and sitting back comfortably - his earlier panic seeming to have left him by now - and sighed. 'Why else would I have this done if not for -' He stopped himself.

'Finish it.'

He whined and looked up at the ceiling like he was trying to figure out how the circuit which connected the light bulb to the switch worked. 'The agency was assigned a job to look after you and help you figure out the mystery behind your mother's motives and past. That's why I did it.'

I see. That's all there ever was, anyway.

I pushed myself up from the floor and sighed; I took in a breath and looked back at the door to avoid experiencing rejection face-to-face as I had felt the moment Ranpo's words had come out of his mouth.

There were signs everywhere now that I think about it: the reason he always came back was that he was assigned a job to look into my family's past and help figure out its future, he had told me so himself. Trust, sure, there may have been some. But feelings on his behalf: I suppose none.

'What's the situation with Kunikida?' I queried while speaking through to the earpiece, earning a quick reply that it was confirmed he was shot but still breathing, and was to be rushed back to the agency to receive treatment. 'Send him an ambulance and I'll cover the expenses.' - my proposal was rejected and he was taken to the agency as first suggested.

The female apprehended that same day was the one we had foreseen - Chie - and taken into custody by Atsushi who had managed to cuff the woman.

Brother stood dumbfounded while he watched the girl being pushed inside the police vehicle, the car driving away after the officers thanked the detectives who were still at the scene: Tanizaki, Atsushi, Kenji and Ranpo.

I bowed them and held my head low. 'Thank you for your work,' I bit my lip and kept my head down. 'Let me know about Kunikida's condition and -'

'You won't ask about Chie? The main reason why we first left the agency this morning?' Ranpo interrupted the movement of fabric around indicating those standing by the store's front had turned to look his way.

'I'm tired right now,' I excused, my voice seemingly having been lost on the way as tears started forming at the corners of my eyes and threatened to unleash; I won't look up.

His hand reached for my chin but I took a step back, back still bent in the polite gesture and the tears rushing silently at the swift touch he'd managed to brush on my cheek.

'Thank you for your work.'

He made no further persuasion and did not approach me again, but this tension built seemed to have manifested the air when no one else spoke, not even bright and happy Kenji.

I did not watch them leave but assumed they had so when they bid brother and me farewell and promised to return a report on the case, along with compensation for all that we had lost, and an apology letter.

All promised documents had arrived through the mail a couple of days later.