Evening and Winter (夕方と冬)

A Friendly Competition

Lucas was running down the sidewalk as he was putting on his grey flat cap, he was rushing to the Andersons' residence and quickly knocked on the door.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" he was out breath but called loudly.

"Lucas, what's with-"

"Fuyuchi, you got to help me!!" Lucas pushed the door aside as soon as Chifuyu unlocked the door from the inside, surprising him.

"Is everything okay?" Chifuyu slightly tilted his head.

"I-It's Otto Mason, I saw him down the street just now doing shady stuff in front of the Paris Bank-" Lucas's explanation was stopped by a large explosion, that took place at the area Lucas was pointing at. "A bomb?!" Lucas was shocked.

"What happened?" Eve also ran outside to see the smoke and fire at the distance.

"I'll check it out," Chifuyu fixed his boots, preparing to sprint.

"A carriage?!" Lucas was frantically looking around for a transportation.

"No time for that," Chifuyu jumped onto the roof to start running to the location from roof to roof, as police cars were driving down the street towards the same location. He stopped at the edge of a roof to look down at the scene, and from the aftermath, the bomb was set to bust the wall leading to the money stock pile. Sheets of the currency was scattered, while some were burnt. "The range of the bomb is not that big, must be some sort of homemade bomb." He was observing the burnt marks, calculating it to predict the possible type of bomb used.

"Hey, kid. Come down!" Taylor called to Chifuyu from the sidewalk, making the 17-year-old jump down to him.

"Otto Mason's doing, I assume?" Chifuyu asked the investigator.

"I think so too, you've read the case just yesterday, right?" Taylor nodded.

"Bank burglar, utilizing bombs to break through walls and is known to flee immediately." Chifuyu gave a short summary, knowing the investigator would want to make sure he reads the files.

"Right, he got away again." Taylor turned back to the scene, while ambulance was taking the injured people into the vehicles to bring to the hospital. "We're yet to find his hideout, and the type of bomb he's using." He added.

"Shall I provide you with my assistance, Mr. Investigator?" Chifuyu gave Taylor his mischievous smirk, mocking the investigator with just a facial expression.

"Fine," Taylor rolled his eyes and Chifuyu took a few steps closer to the scene, but stopped to turn his head.

"Your payment is attached to your wrist, sir." He gave the middle-aged man a wink with his grin, and Taylor looked down to his wrist to see his watch Chifuyu previously stole attached to his wrist.

"You little..." Taylor grumbled before Chifuyu continued getting closer to the scene, "You'll do a great job in silently putting on handcuffs, huh, kid?" he was playfully irritated.

"There's more where that came from, old man." Chifuyu chuckled without turning his head, focusing on the scene. While Taylor shook his head as he smiled, but he was secretly wondering how focused and professional Chifuyu becomes as soon as he's absorbed on investigating a scene despite how immature and mischievous the 17-year-old usually is.

"Hey, kid. This is no place to play around, get out of here." A preppy-dressed man called out to Chifuyu.

"Jeffrey, he's with me." Taylor told the man as Chifuyu turned his head to the man, then mildly sticking his tongue out with a straight face that made the man annoyed.

"What is a Japanese kid doing here?" Jeffrey immediately knew Chifuyu was a Japanese immigrant, "Who is he?" he asked Taylor while Chifuyu continued to focus on the burnt marks, touching the chain of his earring as he thinks.