Fic: I call confess the state I'm in
Jun. 19th, 2012 04:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rikke_leonhartI swear, this was going to be a drabble.
Title: I call confess the state I'm in
Pairing(s): Enomoto Kei/Ariake Koichi
Word count: ~2,300
Summary: Kagiheya/RnK crossover. Koichi has forgotten his keys. Luckily, Enomoto Kei is in the neighbourhood.
Author's Notes: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tonieboo0013, because when my brain went "Enomoto/Koichi y/y?" she shouted "Y!!!" so. There. Title from "Together" by Patrick Wolf. Oh god, so much incoherence I AM SORRY FOR THIS ;;__;; It was only supposed to be a drabble, I swear.
*
Koichi is banging his head against the door, cursing himself for forgetting his keys, George for actually remembering to lock the door of the restaurant for once and Taisuke for not being anywhere near the apartment to get the spare key. Shizuna wouldn’t be able to do anything anyway from Kyoto with Togami-san, and Koichi doesn’t even want to think about that. He’s happy that Shi is happy, but god. Even the creepy Sagi doesn’t seem to be around; she would be able to slither her way into the apartment somehow and let him in.
He bangs his head against the door some more.
There’s some talking on the street and Koichi sighs and tries to blend into the wall. He really doesn’t need anyone noticing him right now; he looks down, his hair obstructs his view, can the passersby just pass –
“Hey, are you okay?”
Apparently not. He looks up, three people stand there. A man in a suit, well-dressed and sharp, a man in a blue sweater and a woman who looks startlingly like Shizuna.
The suited man walks closer. “Are you alright?”
“Don’t go closer,” the woman hisses while trying to look polite. “You don’t know if he’s an insane person.”
The man waves her off with an irritated expression, hissing “Aoto-san” under his breath before mustering a smile that looks really plastic-ish but trying to be genuine. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Koichi says. “Really.”
The woman steps cautiously closer. “You’re not a thief?”
The man with the sweater says nothing, not even when Koichi glances at him. He blinks slowly behind his glasses, clutching at his shoulder bag.
“No, I’m not a thief,” Koichi reveals, hoping that by being honest those people will just disappear as quickly as possible and leave him alone. “I’m Ariake Koichi, I live here, I forgot my keys.”
“Ah!” The woman, Aoto-san, claps her hands excitedly. “I think –”
“Yes,” the suited man says, overbearing and smug as if he’d been the one to start the sentence in the first place, “I think we’ll be able to help you.”
“Serizawa-san, you mean, Enomoto-san will be able to help,” Aoto says, narrowing her eyes.
“Ah yes,” Serizawa waves her off again. “Enomocchan.”
The man in the sweater blinks again, eyes flickering briefly from Koichi to the door, as if assessing. He suddenly takes measured, quick steps up to him, turns to look at the door, kneels, produces a flashlight from nowhere and lights the lock, jiggles the handle.
“What,” Koichi says, startled at the close proximity, and he scrambles to his feet. “Are you guys thieves?”
Serizawa brandishes a card. “No,” he scoffs as if it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard, “I’m a lawyer, this is my assistant Aoto-san,” and then he tilts his head toward the weird, weird guy now rummaging through his bag, what, is he actually picking the lock – ? “And that is Enomoto-san from Tokyo Security.”
“It’s a locked room,” Aoto-san says, hiding a smile behind her hand, and Koichi just blinks. He understands literally nothing of what’s going on right in this moment. Does he seriously attract these weirdos? Is there something about him that just lures all the freaks to his doorstep? If so, he needs to fix it, stat.
“It’s a really old lock,” Enomoto-san says suddenly, apropos nothing, jigging the lock with something that looks like wire and a screwdriver. “Anyone could break in if they wanted to get in.”
“Not me, apparently,” Koichi mutters.
Enomoto apparently hears it. “Did you try?”
Koichi shrugs. “Not really.”
“Ah,” Enomoto returns, focusing back on the lock and with a decisive flick of his wrist, the lock clicks and Enomoto stands. “Easy.”
“See, told you,” Serizawa says, triumphant, crossing his arms and looking satisfied as if he was the one doing the work.
He’s a bit unsettled, really, to know that it’s so easy to break into the restaurant, his home, but his face finds a grimace that resembles a smile. What should he say? Thank you for breaking into my home? What is the proper etiquette for this? Does proper etiquette even exist for this? “I can heat up some curry for you as thanks,” he tries, hoping he’s concealing his wince well enough.
“Ah, I don’t know,” Aoto says, fumbling a bit and looking uncomfortable, oh thank god, maybe they won’t take him up on his ill-thought offer.
“That sounds good,” Serizawa says, “I could really use some food on top of that case. What do you say, Enomocchan? We should definitely take Ariake-san on his kind offer.”
Enomoto looks briefly at Serizawa, eyes glancing briefly at Koichi. “I’m hungry,” he says, almost apologetically, closing his bag and securing it on his shoulder again. He stands up straight, apparently just waiting for someone to make a decision whether to eat or not.
“Well, it’s decided, then!” Serizawa says and steps closer.
Koichi heaves a sigh. What did he just get himself into?
-
Inside, Serizawa sits heavily down by the counter, throwing his briefcase down on the seat Aoto was headed towards. She glares at him and then walks around him instead, sitting down on the other side of him. She sits down and then smiles sweetly at Enomoto.
“Sit here, Enomoto-san,” she says, moving the seat out a bit.
Enomoto sits, silent and straight up, before fishing some earphones out of his pocket. Aoto lays her hand on them, pressing them to the table, and she shakes her head at him, seemingly amused. She then turns to Koichi where he’s heating up the curry. She smiles at him and Koichi tries to return it, but damn, the resemblance is uncanny. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
He really tries to smile, he really does. “Ah, it’s nothing,” he says and he just knows his face is an unpleasant grimace.
Serizawa leans back, stretches. “Ah, it’s been a long week and the curry smells delicious. This will be good. Ariake-san, if you ever need a lawyer, please let us know.”
Koichi isn’t really sure whether or not he should be offended or happy at the offer.
Aoto is looking at Enomoto now, eyes large and enquiring, “wasn’t it scary being held at gunpoint?”
Koichi freezes.
Enomoto shrugs. “He wasn’t going to shoot me.”
Aoto narrows her eyes. “But he could have.”
“But he didn’t,” Enomoto returns swiftly.
“But he could have.”
“But he didn’t.”
Enomoto and Aoto are staring at each other, blankly and stubbornly, respectively.
“Enough, children,” Serizawa rolls his eyes and leans in to, Koichi guesses, exchange a conspiratorial look with him. Koichi manages a smile that actually resembles a smile somewhat and doesn’t make him look feral. “Enomoto-san is difficult to talk to at times,” he says, “but so is Aoto-san. I just do my best to keep up with them.”
“So what is it that you do?”” Koichi tries, mind still stuck on the gunpoint and someone almost being shot. “Aoto-san, gunpoint, you said?”
Aoto smiles at him and opens her mouth, but Serizawa cuts in, “We solve murders. You might’ve seen me on the news?”
The smirk is more natural to him than the smile. “I don’t really watch much television,” he says and sounds appropriately sheepish.
Serizawa scoffs but doesn’t say anything else, or rather, he doesn’t get the chance to, because Aoto cuts in, “Enomoto-san is really good at solving the murders. They’ve all been locked rooms and he’s a genius at finding out how it was done.”
Enomoto doesn’t say anything, just inclines his head.
“Interesting,” Koichi says, looking at the quiet Enomoto before filling up a plate. He sets it down in front of Enomoto. “Here, locksmith, my thanks.”
Enomoto still doesn’t say anything, but he nods.
“Manners,” Aoto hisses but looks like she knows it’s a moot point to argue.
“Thank you,” Enomoto says, quietly, when Serizawa and Aoto gush over the food, and Koichi is pretty sure neither of them hears it, but he still smiles at Enomoto, because the small smile Enomoto holds for the food is very pretty and grateful.
“You’re welcome.”
-
“Don’t just come here and eat all the food,” Koichi scolds, pointing a ladle at Taisuke. “Do something, work or wait some tables. Do something.”
“So mean, Aniki,” Taisuke says, pouting impressively. “Just because I didn’t – hey, how did you get in last night?”
“A locksmith happened to pass by,” he says airily, no need to elaborate further.
Taisuke looks disappointed.
“What, did you expect me to smash a window or something? Do you even realize how expensive that would be to replace? You’re mad,” Koichi huffs.
Taisuke shrugs and sits down by the counter and turns on the television. “I didn’t say that, there’s no way you’d be cool enough to do that on your own, anyway. Hey, do you have any curry left from yesterday?”
“No,” Koichi says and crosses his arms.
“Why not? I don’t believe you, there was some when I left yesterday!” Taisuke whines.
“Because I gave it to the locksmith,” Koichi shrugs. “He was pretty hungry.”
Taisuke narrows his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“That’s not really my problem,” Koichi says and returns to the new batch of curry.
Taisuke is watching him, he can feel it, so he keeps his attention firmly on measuring the ingredients, ignoring him the best he can. “You’re hiding something,” Taisuke concludes, at length.
Koichi turns, about to lecture him when the television catches his eye. “Oh, the lawyer,” he says, blinking, because he honestly hadn’t believed that lawyer last night when he’d been talking about being on television. Huh.
“Yes,” Taisuke says, “apparently he’s really good at solving stuff, and - ”
The bell goes.
“I’m sorry we’re not open yet – oh, it’s you,” Koichi says, pleased even if he doesn’t exactly want to be.
Enomoto stands in the doorway, shoulder bag held tightly against his side. “I thought I would put a better lock in for you.”
That is very okay with Koichi. If only he can get Taisuke to shut up for the next long while. Unfortunately, Taisuke does not read minds. “Who the hell are you?” he asks, crossing his arms.
“That,” Koichi cuts in, putting the curry to simmer and walking in to block Taisuke’s direct line of sight to Enomoto, “is the locksmith I told you about. And that is really nice of you, thank you very much, I would be very happy about that.”
Enomoto just nods and crouches down by the door, sets his bag down and starts poking at the lock with a screwdriver. Taisuke stares and Koichi reaches over to close his jaw, which only makes Taisuke yelp and then glare at him, then back at Enomoto. “What is his deal?”
“Enomoto-san is fixing the lock, are you deaf? He picked the lock for me last night so I could get in, okay,” Koichi says, resolutely not blushing when Enomoto glances at him.
“Fixing the lock,” Taisuke repeats slowly, looking between Enomoto and Koichi, back and forth as if he’s figuring out some math equation. He blinks and then a smile spreads on his face, slow and gleeful and Koichi wants to smack it right off his face immediately. He opens his mouth and Koichi clamps his hand over it.
“No,” he hisses, “whatever you think is very clever, don’t. Don’t say anything.”
He can feel Taisuke’s smile against his palm, and then Taisuke licks it, and Koichi yelps.
“Gross,” Koichi sulks, and Taisuke looks like Christmas came early this year.
“So, Enomoto-san,” Taisuke begins.
“Yes," Enomoto says.
Taisuke blinks. “So,” he tries again. “How did you meet my brother?”
Koichi vows to inflict pain on Taisuke as soon as the next opportunity presents itself.
Enomoto stops his fiddling, looks up. “I met Ariake-san last night when I picked the lock.”
Taisuke stares. Enomoto stares right back. And then promptly goes back to the lock.
“I thought you were lying,” Taisuke hisses when Koichi hauls him back and away from the front of the restaurant. “I thought you were just using some weird-ass cover story for you actually getting laid for once.”
Koichi pinks. “I am not getting laid,” he protests, then sighs at himself, because. Did he just say that loud enough for the rest of Tokyo to hear?
“Whatever, Aniki, your type is weird,” Taisuke throws his hands in the air in clear surrender before he slips past him and past Enomoto, out of the restaurant. When Koichi finally thinks he has his blushing under control, he goes back to the restaurant where Enomoto is slotting a new lock in. He jiggles it a bit, grabs the handle and tests it several times. He stands, walks up to Koichi with measured steps.
“It’s fixed,” Enomoto says. “I can do more if I come by later, this is better than before, at least.” He holds out a set of keys. “Would that be alright?”
That is very sweet. Koichi is very alright with that. “I’d like that,” he says. “I can pay you in curry?”
Enomoto looks down, as if he’s in uncharted waters. “I’d… I’d like that.”
Outside, a female (Aoto-san?) shouts in triumph and then, yes, Aoto-san jogs into the restaurant and grabs hold of Enomoto’s arm. “I’ll borrow him for a bit, we have a new case, I promise to have him back to you later so you can flirt some more.”
She shoves at Enomoto until he’s out of the restaurant and Aoto follows him until she stops and looks back at Koichi over her shoulder, she smiles brightly and Koichi blinks. The resemblance is uncanny. “You guys are so cute, absolutely precious,” she practically gushes. “Precious. Okay, later, okay? Bye!”
Koichi is very, very confused.
And he thinks he might have a date.
*
Title: I call confess the state I'm in
Pairing(s): Enomoto Kei/Ariake Koichi
Word count: ~2,300
Summary: Kagiheya/RnK crossover. Koichi has forgotten his keys. Luckily, Enomoto Kei is in the neighbourhood.
Author's Notes: For
tonieboo0013, because when my brain went "Enomoto/Koichi y/y?" she shouted "Y!!!" so. There. Title from "Together" by Patrick Wolf. Oh god, so much incoherence I AM SORRY FOR THIS ;;__;; It was only supposed to be a drabble, I swear.*
Koichi is banging his head against the door, cursing himself for forgetting his keys, George for actually remembering to lock the door of the restaurant for once and Taisuke for not being anywhere near the apartment to get the spare key. Shizuna wouldn’t be able to do anything anyway from Kyoto with Togami-san, and Koichi doesn’t even want to think about that. He’s happy that Shi is happy, but god. Even the creepy Sagi doesn’t seem to be around; she would be able to slither her way into the apartment somehow and let him in.
He bangs his head against the door some more.
There’s some talking on the street and Koichi sighs and tries to blend into the wall. He really doesn’t need anyone noticing him right now; he looks down, his hair obstructs his view, can the passersby just pass –
“Hey, are you okay?”
Apparently not. He looks up, three people stand there. A man in a suit, well-dressed and sharp, a man in a blue sweater and a woman who looks startlingly like Shizuna.
The suited man walks closer. “Are you alright?”
“Don’t go closer,” the woman hisses while trying to look polite. “You don’t know if he’s an insane person.”
The man waves her off with an irritated expression, hissing “Aoto-san” under his breath before mustering a smile that looks really plastic-ish but trying to be genuine. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Koichi says. “Really.”
The woman steps cautiously closer. “You’re not a thief?”
The man with the sweater says nothing, not even when Koichi glances at him. He blinks slowly behind his glasses, clutching at his shoulder bag.
“No, I’m not a thief,” Koichi reveals, hoping that by being honest those people will just disappear as quickly as possible and leave him alone. “I’m Ariake Koichi, I live here, I forgot my keys.”
“Ah!” The woman, Aoto-san, claps her hands excitedly. “I think –”
“Yes,” the suited man says, overbearing and smug as if he’d been the one to start the sentence in the first place, “I think we’ll be able to help you.”
“Serizawa-san, you mean, Enomoto-san will be able to help,” Aoto says, narrowing her eyes.
“Ah yes,” Serizawa waves her off again. “Enomocchan.”
The man in the sweater blinks again, eyes flickering briefly from Koichi to the door, as if assessing. He suddenly takes measured, quick steps up to him, turns to look at the door, kneels, produces a flashlight from nowhere and lights the lock, jiggles the handle.
“What,” Koichi says, startled at the close proximity, and he scrambles to his feet. “Are you guys thieves?”
Serizawa brandishes a card. “No,” he scoffs as if it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard, “I’m a lawyer, this is my assistant Aoto-san,” and then he tilts his head toward the weird, weird guy now rummaging through his bag, what, is he actually picking the lock – ? “And that is Enomoto-san from Tokyo Security.”
“It’s a locked room,” Aoto-san says, hiding a smile behind her hand, and Koichi just blinks. He understands literally nothing of what’s going on right in this moment. Does he seriously attract these weirdos? Is there something about him that just lures all the freaks to his doorstep? If so, he needs to fix it, stat.
“It’s a really old lock,” Enomoto-san says suddenly, apropos nothing, jigging the lock with something that looks like wire and a screwdriver. “Anyone could break in if they wanted to get in.”
“Not me, apparently,” Koichi mutters.
Enomoto apparently hears it. “Did you try?”
Koichi shrugs. “Not really.”
“Ah,” Enomoto returns, focusing back on the lock and with a decisive flick of his wrist, the lock clicks and Enomoto stands. “Easy.”
“See, told you,” Serizawa says, triumphant, crossing his arms and looking satisfied as if he was the one doing the work.
He’s a bit unsettled, really, to know that it’s so easy to break into the restaurant, his home, but his face finds a grimace that resembles a smile. What should he say? Thank you for breaking into my home? What is the proper etiquette for this? Does proper etiquette even exist for this? “I can heat up some curry for you as thanks,” he tries, hoping he’s concealing his wince well enough.
“Ah, I don’t know,” Aoto says, fumbling a bit and looking uncomfortable, oh thank god, maybe they won’t take him up on his ill-thought offer.
“That sounds good,” Serizawa says, “I could really use some food on top of that case. What do you say, Enomocchan? We should definitely take Ariake-san on his kind offer.”
Enomoto looks briefly at Serizawa, eyes glancing briefly at Koichi. “I’m hungry,” he says, almost apologetically, closing his bag and securing it on his shoulder again. He stands up straight, apparently just waiting for someone to make a decision whether to eat or not.
“Well, it’s decided, then!” Serizawa says and steps closer.
Koichi heaves a sigh. What did he just get himself into?
-
Inside, Serizawa sits heavily down by the counter, throwing his briefcase down on the seat Aoto was headed towards. She glares at him and then walks around him instead, sitting down on the other side of him. She sits down and then smiles sweetly at Enomoto.
“Sit here, Enomoto-san,” she says, moving the seat out a bit.
Enomoto sits, silent and straight up, before fishing some earphones out of his pocket. Aoto lays her hand on them, pressing them to the table, and she shakes her head at him, seemingly amused. She then turns to Koichi where he’s heating up the curry. She smiles at him and Koichi tries to return it, but damn, the resemblance is uncanny. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
He really tries to smile, he really does. “Ah, it’s nothing,” he says and he just knows his face is an unpleasant grimace.
Serizawa leans back, stretches. “Ah, it’s been a long week and the curry smells delicious. This will be good. Ariake-san, if you ever need a lawyer, please let us know.”
Koichi isn’t really sure whether or not he should be offended or happy at the offer.
Aoto is looking at Enomoto now, eyes large and enquiring, “wasn’t it scary being held at gunpoint?”
Koichi freezes.
Enomoto shrugs. “He wasn’t going to shoot me.”
Aoto narrows her eyes. “But he could have.”
“But he didn’t,” Enomoto returns swiftly.
“But he could have.”
“But he didn’t.”
Enomoto and Aoto are staring at each other, blankly and stubbornly, respectively.
“Enough, children,” Serizawa rolls his eyes and leans in to, Koichi guesses, exchange a conspiratorial look with him. Koichi manages a smile that actually resembles a smile somewhat and doesn’t make him look feral. “Enomoto-san is difficult to talk to at times,” he says, “but so is Aoto-san. I just do my best to keep up with them.”
“So what is it that you do?”” Koichi tries, mind still stuck on the gunpoint and someone almost being shot. “Aoto-san, gunpoint, you said?”
Aoto smiles at him and opens her mouth, but Serizawa cuts in, “We solve murders. You might’ve seen me on the news?”
The smirk is more natural to him than the smile. “I don’t really watch much television,” he says and sounds appropriately sheepish.
Serizawa scoffs but doesn’t say anything else, or rather, he doesn’t get the chance to, because Aoto cuts in, “Enomoto-san is really good at solving the murders. They’ve all been locked rooms and he’s a genius at finding out how it was done.”
Enomoto doesn’t say anything, just inclines his head.
“Interesting,” Koichi says, looking at the quiet Enomoto before filling up a plate. He sets it down in front of Enomoto. “Here, locksmith, my thanks.”
Enomoto still doesn’t say anything, but he nods.
“Manners,” Aoto hisses but looks like she knows it’s a moot point to argue.
“Thank you,” Enomoto says, quietly, when Serizawa and Aoto gush over the food, and Koichi is pretty sure neither of them hears it, but he still smiles at Enomoto, because the small smile Enomoto holds for the food is very pretty and grateful.
“You’re welcome.”
-
“Don’t just come here and eat all the food,” Koichi scolds, pointing a ladle at Taisuke. “Do something, work or wait some tables. Do something.”
“So mean, Aniki,” Taisuke says, pouting impressively. “Just because I didn’t – hey, how did you get in last night?”
“A locksmith happened to pass by,” he says airily, no need to elaborate further.
Taisuke looks disappointed.
“What, did you expect me to smash a window or something? Do you even realize how expensive that would be to replace? You’re mad,” Koichi huffs.
Taisuke shrugs and sits down by the counter and turns on the television. “I didn’t say that, there’s no way you’d be cool enough to do that on your own, anyway. Hey, do you have any curry left from yesterday?”
“No,” Koichi says and crosses his arms.
“Why not? I don’t believe you, there was some when I left yesterday!” Taisuke whines.
“Because I gave it to the locksmith,” Koichi shrugs. “He was pretty hungry.”
Taisuke narrows his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
“That’s not really my problem,” Koichi says and returns to the new batch of curry.
Taisuke is watching him, he can feel it, so he keeps his attention firmly on measuring the ingredients, ignoring him the best he can. “You’re hiding something,” Taisuke concludes, at length.
Koichi turns, about to lecture him when the television catches his eye. “Oh, the lawyer,” he says, blinking, because he honestly hadn’t believed that lawyer last night when he’d been talking about being on television. Huh.
“Yes,” Taisuke says, “apparently he’s really good at solving stuff, and - ”
The bell goes.
“I’m sorry we’re not open yet – oh, it’s you,” Koichi says, pleased even if he doesn’t exactly want to be.
Enomoto stands in the doorway, shoulder bag held tightly against his side. “I thought I would put a better lock in for you.”
That is very okay with Koichi. If only he can get Taisuke to shut up for the next long while. Unfortunately, Taisuke does not read minds. “Who the hell are you?” he asks, crossing his arms.
“That,” Koichi cuts in, putting the curry to simmer and walking in to block Taisuke’s direct line of sight to Enomoto, “is the locksmith I told you about. And that is really nice of you, thank you very much, I would be very happy about that.”
Enomoto just nods and crouches down by the door, sets his bag down and starts poking at the lock with a screwdriver. Taisuke stares and Koichi reaches over to close his jaw, which only makes Taisuke yelp and then glare at him, then back at Enomoto. “What is his deal?”
“Enomoto-san is fixing the lock, are you deaf? He picked the lock for me last night so I could get in, okay,” Koichi says, resolutely not blushing when Enomoto glances at him.
“Fixing the lock,” Taisuke repeats slowly, looking between Enomoto and Koichi, back and forth as if he’s figuring out some math equation. He blinks and then a smile spreads on his face, slow and gleeful and Koichi wants to smack it right off his face immediately. He opens his mouth and Koichi clamps his hand over it.
“No,” he hisses, “whatever you think is very clever, don’t. Don’t say anything.”
He can feel Taisuke’s smile against his palm, and then Taisuke licks it, and Koichi yelps.
“Gross,” Koichi sulks, and Taisuke looks like Christmas came early this year.
“So, Enomoto-san,” Taisuke begins.
“Yes," Enomoto says.
Taisuke blinks. “So,” he tries again. “How did you meet my brother?”
Koichi vows to inflict pain on Taisuke as soon as the next opportunity presents itself.
Enomoto stops his fiddling, looks up. “I met Ariake-san last night when I picked the lock.”
Taisuke stares. Enomoto stares right back. And then promptly goes back to the lock.
“I thought you were lying,” Taisuke hisses when Koichi hauls him back and away from the front of the restaurant. “I thought you were just using some weird-ass cover story for you actually getting laid for once.”
Koichi pinks. “I am not getting laid,” he protests, then sighs at himself, because. Did he just say that loud enough for the rest of Tokyo to hear?
“Whatever, Aniki, your type is weird,” Taisuke throws his hands in the air in clear surrender before he slips past him and past Enomoto, out of the restaurant. When Koichi finally thinks he has his blushing under control, he goes back to the restaurant where Enomoto is slotting a new lock in. He jiggles it a bit, grabs the handle and tests it several times. He stands, walks up to Koichi with measured steps.
“It’s fixed,” Enomoto says. “I can do more if I come by later, this is better than before, at least.” He holds out a set of keys. “Would that be alright?”
That is very sweet. Koichi is very alright with that. “I’d like that,” he says. “I can pay you in curry?”
Enomoto looks down, as if he’s in uncharted waters. “I’d… I’d like that.”
Outside, a female (Aoto-san?) shouts in triumph and then, yes, Aoto-san jogs into the restaurant and grabs hold of Enomoto’s arm. “I’ll borrow him for a bit, we have a new case, I promise to have him back to you later so you can flirt some more.”
She shoves at Enomoto until he’s out of the restaurant and Aoto follows him until she stops and looks back at Koichi over her shoulder, she smiles brightly and Koichi blinks. The resemblance is uncanny. “You guys are so cute, absolutely precious,” she practically gushes. “Precious. Okay, later, okay? Bye!”
Koichi is very, very confused.
And he thinks he might have a date.
*
