Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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April 20th, Saturday, 5:31 AM.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, a pale dawn breaking through a thin veil of mist. In the east, a hint of crimson slowly rose, lifting the curtain of night.
The apartment building, which should have been quiet, was suddenly shattered by an angry shout from a man.
"Moroboshi! How long are you going to stay in the bathroom?! If your stomach's that bad, go see a doctor!"
Rei had already been waiting outside the bathroom door for nearly ten minutes. He pounded on it hard, the flush on his cheeks not from embarrassment, but from the urgent alarm his bladder was sounding.
Ritsu, who had finally fallen into a rare deep sleep, was jolted awake by the shouting. Groggily pushing open his door, he saw Rei pressing his head against the bathroom door in a rather strange posture… legs tightly clamped together.
Ah. He got it.
Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Akai remained completely unhurried. With his right hand, he flipped to the next page of the newspaper he was reading, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking utterly at ease. Completely unaffected by the commotion outside, he continued to "cultivate inspiration" while sitting on the toilet.
"Bourbon, you okay?" Ritsu asked.
Rei looked at him with a pained expression. "What do you think?"
Looks like he was about to hit his limit. Without another word, Ritsu grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside. Under Rei's confused gaze, he casually picked the lock of the neighboring apartment and said, "Go use the bathroom in there."
Who would've thought lockpicking could be used just to borrow a toilet?
Rei didn't question it, he rushed inside to find the bathroom. If he held it any longer, something serious might happen.
After finally relieving himself, Rei looked at Ritsu, who was leaning against the doorway half-asleep, and asked, "How did you know no one would be home at this time?"
"I've already investigated all the residents in this building. Of course I know their work schedules," Ritsu replied, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away any traces. "You remember to wipe the sink dry, right?"
"Yeah. I won't make that kind of rookie mistake again." Rei's gaze drifted to Ritsu's upper right arm. Though the wound had long healed, a scar remained. He wouldn't make that kind of mistake again.
Back in their apartment, Ritsu wanted to wash up, only to find Akai still occupying the bathroom. With a sigh, he went back to his room to change. There was a mission today, if the target refused to cooperate and become a researcher for the organization. Gin's orders were clear, eliminate them on the spot.
Those who couldn't be used by the organization would be dealt with in the cruelest way, erasure.
He put on his usual outfit. A black hoodie layered under a dark gray flight jacket. Everyone had their own habits when it came to mission attire, rarely changing them. It had practically become an unspoken tradition in the organization, resulting in wardrobes stocked with at least three identical sets.
Dressed and ready, he stepped out of the bedroom just as the toilet finally flushed. At last, he could go in and get cleaned up.
Breakfast was prepared by Rei, a classic Japanese-style spread. Miso soup with button mushrooms, chilled tofu, grilled mackerel, dashi omelet, and rice. A solid, well-balanced meal.
In truth, the three of them had very different tastes. Rei preferred traditional Japanese cuisine, Akai leaned toward American-style fast food, and Ritsu favored English breakfasts.
But since neither Akai nor Ritsu could cook and Rei was actually good at it, their attitude was simple. Whatever Rei make, they'll eat. Just don't make them cook.
"What's today's mission?" Akai asked.
"Kōda Masahiro, 39, a researcher at Uenohara Biotech. He lives in a high-end apartment less than two kilometers from the company. There are two office buildings nearby suitable for sniping," Rei replied.
Looking at the apartment floor plan and a three-kilometer radius map of the area, Ritsu said, "I'll take point A, Rye takes point B. Bourbon, you contact the target from the car. If he refuses to cooperate, I'll fire the first shot as a warning. If he tries to call the police, Rye, you take him out."
"Sounds good."
Taking a sip of miso soup, Rei added, "If the target agrees to cooperate, I'll signal the field agents near the apartment to move in and bring him to the lab."
"Alright. Finish eating and take the train, we'll waste too much time driving."
"Got it."
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After walking to Maekuchi Station, Ritsu and Akai, both responsible for sniping, carried guitar cases on their backs. The most relaxed one was Rei, wearing a navy baseball cap, hands in his pockets, looking completely at ease, like their manager.
Ritsu reached out and weighed Akai's guitar case, frowning. "Rye, didn't I tell you to put an actual guitar in here?"
"Only professionals like you would notice it's not a guitar inside. Don't worry, Japanese stations don't have security checks. We won't get caught."
"You should treat everything with caution. Next time, put one in, it won't add much weight."
"Yeah, yeah."
They took a JR train and got off at Uenohara Station, the trip including transfers, taking about an hour and a half. Since their destinations differed, they put on earpieces and split up.
Standing on the rooftop of an office building, feeling the cool morning breeze, Ritsu leaned against the railing and calmly opened his guitar case. Inside, an all-black Ibanez electric guitar lay in the front compartment while behind it was hidden an AWP sniper rifle.
"Point A in position."
"Point B ready as well."
After hearing both confirmations, Rei took out his phone and dialed the landline of their target, Kōda Masahiro. Calling the living room phone ensured that no matter where he was, the target would move into a position suitable for sniping.
As the call connected, Ritsu's scope captured the target, still in pajamas. Noticing his thinning hair and the beginnings of a bald spot.
'Figures. Researchers really do go bald easily,' he thought, suddenly feeling concerned for a certain fourteen-year-old girl.
"Target visible from Point A."
"Same here."
Kōda, completely unaware that two sniper rifles were trained on him, muttered to himself when the caller didn't speak, "A prank call?"
As he said that, Rei's voice came through the receiver, carrying a faint smile,
"This isn't a prank, Kōda-san. I suggest you don't make any sudden moves. My people are watching you."
"Calling this early with a scam? Do I look like a three-year-old to you?"
Kōda hung up immediately and turned to head to the bathroom. But the moment he did, the glass window in the living room shattered, a bullet embedding itself into the wall behind him.
The phone rang again.
This time, he understood.
The caller wasn't lying.
Someone really was watching him and they had a sniper trained on him.