𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑 ❧ S.HEIZOU

007.

 007, UNDER THE RAIN.

"Let's just hope that the rain doesn't wash the clues away..."

"Why think about work when you can dance in the rain with me?"

━━▲━━

  "...And you should be good to go, sir. Remember to come back in a month for your check up." The doctor reminded, one hand scribbling down indecipherable notes in the clipboard he held in his other hand, before pushing up the glasses that hung above the bridge of his nose. The scent of disinfectant and medicine plagued his senses, the quiet buzzing of the light hanging above them both echoing through the quiet office.

  Shikanoin Heizou nodded, thanking the doctor as he walked out of the room, his left hand supported by the splint provided by the hospital. The corridors were packed with people, each concerned over their own worries, each busy with their own responsibilities. The detective sighed, eyes glancing at the prominent injury on his wrist, a frown etched on his face as he was reminded of the obstruction to his own duties, a clear obstacle to his daily life.

  'It's fine,' he thought. As a detective, he trusted his intuition to guide him, and there was really no need for his strength if he just needed his mind. If anything, this would only be a new challenge for him to conquer, and it won't be anything difficult if it's him; after all, he's Shikanoin Heizou, the best detective in the Tenryou Commision, and perhaps even the world. So, if he were to use brute force to handle his cases, wouldn't that mean he had already lost?

  He hummed in satisfaction as the thoughts in his head continued, before he was bumped in the shoulder, a soft 'sorry' coming out from the stranger's mouth. Heizou would've brushed it off if it was a normal occurrence—the hospital was crowded, after all— but his intuition rang in his ears, alerting him of the familiar presence. Yet when he turned around to find the person, they were gone, leaving only an unsettling feeling in his chest.

  '...Why does it feel like a headache is coming...?' Heizou grimaced, but decided to leave it as it is, knowing that he wouldn't be able to catch up to the stranger no matter what. The feeling was worrisome, but for some reason, he knew that it wouldn't spell disaster for someone else. Perhaps he was just anxious, especially after consuming so much caffeine his heart had begun to work abnormally.

  Curious, he ponders. Why was the hospital so crowded today, anyways?

  Listening to the whispered voices from around him, the detective had picked up several words, his brain automatically processing the information and deciphering from the clues. It seemed that an officer from Liyue had been transferred to Inazuma's hospital, so his comrades had decided to come visit their old friend here in the nation of eternity, wishing for his quick recovery. Silently, Heizou passed on his own prayers to this unknown general, thanking him for his services and wishing the safe recovery of the two government workers; himself and the stranger. A silent solace found in two overworked civil servants perhaps, he had mused.

  When he left the hospital, the looming clouds began its tearful spread, drops of rain falling from the sky and hydrating the lands. Knowing he hadn't brought an umbrella, thinking that it wouldn't rain, Heizou decided to remain underneath the shelter of the hospital roof, watching the rain silently and observing the people as a pastime.

  That man over there, the one leaving the hospital doors, his posture was a little down, and his eyes were slightly drowsy, the stain on his shirt seemingly from a spilled cup of coffee. Had he been staying up at the hospital, visiting someone? Heizou recalled the man standing by a room, anxiously pacing across the corridors and eyes continuously glancing at the light above the room. The fabric on his shoulder was slightly crumpled, perhaps from someone's hand. He deduced that the man was told to go home to rest by a friend or relative, and although reluctant, the man had agreed.