Outside the window, it seemed as though one could hear the crackling fireworks and firecrackers from Yokohama's Chinatown.
Three adults and two children sat together, eating and chatting. Ranpo gestured animatedly as he spoke, and inevitably the conversation drifted to a certain topic.
One of Japan's urban legends—supernatural abilities!
What had begun as casual after-dinner entertainment somehow transformed into a full-fledged contest of abilities!
Each person had to display the defining feature of their power and win the applause of the others. Nakahara Chuuya, who at first had not wanted to join the fun, immediately changed his mind and wished to demonstrate his gravity manipulation ability. However, Asou Akiya frantically signaled him with his eyes, stopping him from unleashing his full strength—you dark-red power would stir up some very unpleasant memories!
Left with no choice, Nakahara Chuuya resorted to poking walnuts with his finger; once cracked, the walnut kernels were added into the nourishing soup.
Edogawa Ranpo burst into laughter and slapped the table. "Little orange cat, you're so lame!"
"Watch me! Ability—Super Deduction!"
"Ohhh, I've seen through all of you. Ask me anything you like!"
The black-haired boy, eager to show off, closed his eyes for two seconds before suddenly opening them wide. His emerald eyes seemed to flash with torrents of information in an instant. His hair fluttered as though stirred by a great wind, a grand special effect befitting a supernatural ability—though in truth it was fake, as Asou Akiya had discreetly drawn out a folding fan and was standing behind Ranpo, providing the gusts.
He was afraid his "cat" might catch a chill in the winter, so he did not fan too hard; it was neither cold nor hot, but perfectly balanced.
Edogawa Ranpo lifted his chin, visibly narrowing his eyes in pleasure.
The embellishment and atmosphere were flawless.
Fukuzawa Yukichi: "..."
Nakahara Chuuya laughed so hard his head seemed about to fall off, and he nearly rolled off his chair.
Asou Akiya cheered him on. "Ranpo, here's my question—how would you restrain my ability?"
Standing on the chair in his socks, basking in the attention he loved so much, Edogawa Ranpo declared, "Akiya's ability? My power is deduction; Akiya's power is observation. At their core, both involve analyzing things, but in practice they are different. The level and scope of the information we obtain are not the same. To deal with you—hmm, in the end, it still has to be that!"
Nakahara Chuuya pricked up his ears.
Dad has an ability?!
Edogawa Ranpo had thoroughly whetted everyone's appetite before finally declaring, "That thing—observing what lies beyond observable phenomena! The human heart is the most unpredictable thing of all, so what Akiya is least adept at is manipulating people's hearts!"
Asou Akiya applauded generously and continued, "Second question: what does Randou dislike the most?"
Randou was caught completely off guard. "Eh? Why bring me into this? Akiya!"
What did he dislike the most?
Even Randou himself could not think of an answer at once.
"Wahaha, that's a giveaway question!" Edogawa Ranpo exclaimed loudly. "The things a person hates can change at any time. At present, what Mr. Randou hates most is anything that interferes with his relationship, forcing him to endure three months of suffering!"
Fukuzawa Yukichi and Nakahara Chuuya did not understand. Three months of suffering—what did that mean?
Under everyone's gaze, a wave of embarrassment shattered the Frenchman's sense of propriety. Covering his earmuffs with both hands, a blush spread from the roots of his ears across his cheeks. Without the slightest mercy, he declared, "Illuminations—silence for ten minutes!!!"
Edogawa Ranpo was swallowed up by golden cubes and sealed inside them; though he shouted noisily, no sound escaped.
Sound erased. Silence forcibly imposed!
Such formidable strength left the cat's guardian, Fukuzawa Yukichi, deeply shaken.
Nakahara Chuuya was delighted. This method and style—he liked it! As expected of his mom (or dad?).
Asou Akiya had already downed several glasses of alcohol and was in high spirits. With the assistance of "Illuminations," he proceeded to perform his own ability on the spot. He put on the black-framed glasses he had nearly forgotten, and his features seemed as youthful as a university student's.
"Ability—High-Dimensional Observer!"
He looked toward Edogawa Ranpo and Nakahara Chuuya, his dark eyes, hazy with drink, brimming with laughter.
"Between the two of you, in the future, Ranpo will most likely end up a little taller than Chuuya."
"No way!"
Nakahara Chuuya was so startled that he felt the urge to drink another glass of milk.
Relying on lip-reading, Edogawa Ranpo understood what Akiya had said. Still sealed within the subspace confinement, he pounded against the walls. The cat was so excited he practically rolled around, desperate to come out and dance on Nakahara Chuuya's nerves.
After that, Asou Akiya pointed at Fukuzawa Yukichi. "Mr. Fukuzawa, you're the only one left!"
Fukuzawa Yukichi's pupils trembled violently. [I don't have an ability!]
Surrounded by a room full of "ability users," Fukuzawa Yukichi felt that he truly lacked any talent for performance.
"I say you have one, then you definitely have one! Hurry up and come PK our abilities!"
Asou Akiya's words were extremely provocative.
Living in this world, which person with ideals would not wish to possess a supernatural ability?
A surge of boldness rose within Fukuzawa Yukichi. He decided to treat it as accompanying the others in drinking and having fun. He had never been some dull block of wood; the passion in his heart burned more fiercely than anyone else's. "If I had an ability, it would certainly be a power that could help others! I am here! Everyone's safety is under my protection!"
As long as he stood here, everyone was safe; that alone proved he possessed strength—if not an ability, then something equal to one!
In this round, Fukuzawa Yukichi truly participated, clenching his fist tightly.
Randou looked toward Fukuzawa Yukichi, his face filled with shock. He did not even lift his drink for a long while. In that fleeting instant just now—he seemed to have sensed the ripple of an ability spreading outward?!
Someone Akiya had casually befriended had awakened an ability simply from being stirred up???
Among those present, only Randou could perceive that kind of fluctuation—an energy wave detectable only by specialized instruments. As a former transcendent cultivated by a great ability-powered nation, he possessed extraordinarily keen sensitivity to such forces.
But in reality, once Fukuzawa Yukichi finished his impassioned declaration, he sat back down, as though he had not just delivered an embarrassingly grand chuunibyou speech at his age.
A thought stirred in Randou's mind.
Edogawa Ranpo was released and lunged forward—only to miss and be promptly caught by Fukuzawa Yukichi, who grabbed him just in time.
Edogawa Ranpo cheered, "Uncle Fukuzawa is amazing!"
Those emerald-green eyes of his were filled with sparkling stars of trust.
Aside from Asou Akiya and Randou, Edogawa Ranpo had been fortunate enough to encounter a third adult who won his admiration. The adult world was not numb or vulgar; it also contained dreams and burning passion, dazzling enough to make one want to scream with excitement.
Nakahara Chuuya could not stop nodding. Swept up by the atmosphere, he exclaimed with flushed excitement, "What incredible presence!"
What Fukuzawa Yukichi displayed was not merely willpower, but the formidable aura of a martial artist!
The strong are strong in heart as well!
This contest had no result; everyone had enjoyed themselves, and there was no need to determine a winner. Fukuzawa Yukichi held his liquor well; when he left, he was still perfectly steady and insisted there was no need for anyone to see him off. In contrast, Asou Akiya—who had been drinking against him at the table—felt dizzy and heavy-eyed. Looking more closely, he realized that even Randou's tolerance was quite impressive. Though he had not appeared to drink quickly, he had sipped steadily, finishing off an entire bottle before anyone quite noticed; he must have done his fair share of drinking back in France.
"Ranpo-kun, stop fooling around. Either help Akiya back to his room, or assist me in tidying up the dining table."
Randou did not wish to watch the two children roughhouse any longer. He stopped Ranpo's antics and then turned toward the orange-haired boy whose temper had been ruffled by Ranpo's teasing. In a gentle voice, he said, "Chuuya-kun, I'll trouble you as well."
At that moment, Randou adopted Asou Akiya's way of addressing him.
Calling him "Nakahara-kun" sounded distant, whereas "Chuuya-kun" carried a faint intimacy, much like the way one would say "Akiya."
Nakahara Chuuya instantly transformed into a well-behaved child, putting away his retaliatory impulses. "Mm!"
With the assistance of gravity as their "support," Edogawa Ranpo and Nakahara Chuuya successfully brought Asou Akiya back to his room. Compared to the clumsy Ranpo, Nakahara Chuuya was particularly thoughtful and even went to fill the bath with hot water.
Back in the bedroom, Nakahara Chuuya was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace.
Asou Akiya had dropped to one knee on the thick wool carpet. He was quite drunk, yet he had not mistaken the person he was holding.
"Chuuya, welcome home."
No matter how forgetful he might be, he had never forgotten this.
Nakahara Chuuya was still small in stature; his personality had been born into this world less than three years ago. Enclosed within the broad shoulders of an adult, protected in that embrace, the scent of alcohol was not unpleasant. Pressed against the man's chest, he could hear the steady thump, thump of a beating heart.
That was the heartbeat of someone called "father."
Outside, there were companions who were gradually becoming more sensible and understanding; inside this house, there were family members who accepted him.
Nakahara Chuuya raised his arms and returned the embrace, as though he were embracing the entire world. He had been dragged out of the darkness by a single great golden hand; if nothing unexpected had occurred, that person would have been the amnesiac Mr. Randou. One man had granted him a human identity; another man had taught him the skills to live as a human being. No matter how many truths were concealed behind their backs, the searing warmth he felt at such close range to a living heartbeat would not change.
—I believe in you, Dad.
—You will always watch over me, watching me grow up, watching me struggle toward my goal of pursuing the truth.
Within the span of a single minute, Nakahara Chuuya felt a warmth that was empathy of the heart, the gentle glow of the soul.
Such happiness, however, clearly could not last for long. Edogawa Ranpo was already peeking in through the doorway.
"Akiya, Mr. Randou is almost done with the housework!"
Nakahara Chuuya's face crumpled miserably as he asked from within Asou Akiya's arms, "Mr. Randou… why doesn't he like me?"
Asou Akiya had intended to kiss his dear child's cheek, only to find it covered in makeup. "..."
He sighed. "Miss Yukiko is far too skilled. The result is that you don't resemble Randou at all—you look like my illegitimate child."
Nakahara Chuuya asked innocently, "Is that not allowed?"
His purity melted the filth from the adult's heart. Asou Akiya gazed into those green eyes, enhanced by colored contact lenses.
It felt unfamiliar. In his memory, the blue-eyed child had always been the most adorable Chuuya.
"One day, I will let you stand before Randou with your true face."
"I'm sorry."
"I believe Randou will come to like you."
Why did Randou die in the original story? A small part of the reason was Chuuya.
After Randou recovered his memories, he abandoned his mission and refused to kill the incarnation of "Arahabaki." Before his death, he spoke words to Chuuya that could only be described as gentle and encouraging. All of this proved that Randou was capable of accepting Chuuya's existence.
Asou Akiya lifted his hand and tapped lightly at the corner of Chuuya's eye. "Remember to take them out before you sleep. They'll damage your eyes."
Nakahara Chuuya replied, "Mm, I'll take them out."
As he loosened his hold and prepared to slip out of the embrace, Nakahara Chuuya suddenly leaned in closer. "Happy New Year, Dad."
The moment those words were spoken, Asou Akiya was struck head-on by this New Year's gift.
Nakahara Chuuya bolted away as swiftly as lightning.
Edogawa Ranpo said smugly, "Just as I expected, the little orange cat still said it in the end. Hee-hee."
Faced with Ranpo's self-satisfied expression, Asou Akiya felt weak in both arms and legs and could not even get up. Sighing, he said, "Ranpo, help me up first. And don't sneak any snacks tonight. There's cake in the refrigerator saved for you all to eat tomorrow."
Edogawa Ranpo struggled under the weight of an adult man. As he tried to support him, he nearly collapsed himself.
"Akiya, you're too heavy!"
"Nonsense. My weight is perfectly normal. You're just too weak."
"If you say that, I'm going to be unhappy!"
"Hurry up and get me to the bathroom. I reek of alcohol; I'll make the bedroom smell awful."
"Fine."
With great difficulty, Edogawa Ranpo barely managed to complete the transport mission.
After finishing his bath, Asou Akiya had sobered up considerably. Once Randou fished him out of the tub and wrapped him in a bathrobe, Asou Akiya rubbed his eyes and yawned, yet stubbornly refused to go to bed, earning a helpless look from Randou.
"I swear there's just one last thing!" Asou Akiya declared.
With light, almost buoyant steps, he went to the refrigerator to look for some sweets. He took out a package of glutinous rice cakes filled with a mixture of peanuts and red bean paste.
Braving the howling winter wind outside, he hunched his shoulders and slipped the rice cakes into the mailbox near a set of cat paw prints. The mailbox was left unlocked, waiting for that skinny calico cat to come and collect its New Year's gift.
Yes—skinny.
Natsume Souseki was not particularly robust in build; his stomach was probably not very strong either, given how tirelessly he worked day and night for the country and the government.
After retirement, he would probably become a plump little cat.
On top of the rice cakes, Asou Akiya left a note: [For the sake of your stomach, please warm this up at a convenience store before eating. It will be softer and sweeter.]
When he returned, Randou was waiting for him at the door.
The door closed quickly behind them.
In the early hours of the morning, a small figure dusted with snow padded softly up to the house and carried the food away from the mailbox in its mouth.
Meanwhile, at a small clinic, Mori Ougai once again encountered a penniless patient.
Even during the New Year, Mori Ougai was still treating the injured, and he sighed deeply, almost too weary to speak. "Just give me whatever you have as a consultation fee."
Hearing this, the impoverished patient smiled awkwardly and stopped putting on the exaggerated act of "I have no money, only my life." He thought to himself: This underground clinic near the Suribachi City area really is a good place.
He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of candy—his last one, which he had been reluctant to eat.
"Here."
"It was handed out by the Port Mafia."
"Doctor, Happy New Year. Please don't say I'm not paying—I truly am just poor."
Mori Ougai's weary eyes fell upon the pitiful piece of candy resting in his palm. He paused slightly, then slowly curled his fingers around it, accepting what was perhaps the most wretched New Year's gift he had ever received. Looking at the down-and-out man from the Suribachi City district, he said, "Go back early, and take care of your injuries."
At last, the clinic was empty.
A young blonde girl dressed in a nurse's uniform stepped out, clutching a medical chart to her chest, her movements light and brimming with delight.
Mori Ougai remained seated in his chair, twisting his stiffened waist to ease the soreness.
The man looked toward his adorable and captivating humanoid ability and held out the candy. "Elise~."
Modeled after Yosano Akiko, and gradually developing a more lively and animated personality of her own, Elise happily ate the candy, having developed a deep fondness for sweets.
"Rintarou, I want more~."
"After the New Year is over, I'll take you out shopping. If you want cake, candy, or little dresses, you can have them all."
I will rescue you from the government-supervised sanatorium, Akiko.
This scarred and battered world needs you to heal it—
my Angel of Death.
…
In early January, as the New Year celebrations drew to a close—
In an ordinary dormitory in Yokohama City, Tanaka spent the holiday season in a constant state of anxiety. The probationary executive Watanabe Yukinari was dead, and Kimura Semei of the Black Lizard unit was also "dead." Only he remained alive.
Tanaka began to feel that perhaps he had been worrying excessively. If something were going to happen, it would have happened long ago—why would it wait until now?
Once the New Year break ended and he returned to work, he would be reassigned to a post far away from Asou Akiya.
Surely no one would care about the betrayal of such an insignificant person.
No one…
Tanaka suddenly noticed a gust of frigid wind pouring in from outside. He walked toward it, frowning. "What's going on? Did I forget to close the window?"
When he looked up, he saw that at the open window, "Kimura Semei" was crouching there halfway, grinning at him with bared teeth.
"Yo, Happy New Year. Congratulations on surviving the worst year of your life. But as long as you're alive, that's what matters, right? There's no need to fuss over the details. Don't you agree, Tanaka-kun?"
"I have a question for you. Answer correctly, and you get to live."
"Now answer me—"
"I want you to go kill Asou Akiya. Do you dare?"
The color drained completely from Tanaka's face as he stared in horror at the man who had greeted him only to immediately demand murder.
When someone betrays once, will there be a second time?
The answer—
Usually, yes.
"Kimura Semei" struck the man unconscious. Then he leisurely rummaged through Tanaka's refrigerator, picking and choosing what he liked to eat. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he set up burning charcoal in the room, carefully shut all the doors and windows, and left.
Congratulations on selecting a Bad End. Farewell—no need for a send-off.
Randou opened his eyes and looked toward the sleeping Asou Akiya. Before long, it would be their shared birthday.
A new year. A new day.
All the unpleasant matters of last year had been taken care of; no one would be allowed to destroy their relationship.
He closed his eyes once more and drifted into a light sleep.
Akiya… you said it yourself—you would love my soul more than my body.
For you, I will kill.
…
On January 1st, the auction was held at the "Sunset Manor" in Nagano Prefecture. Because the antiques inside were not to be auctioned separately and the starting bid for the entire estate was exorbitantly high, foreign guests showed little interest, and the property once again failed to sell.
On January 4th, in a maternity ward in Yokohama City, Yumeno Kyusaku was born.
On January 10th, Asou Akiya, Randou, Ozaki Kouyou, and Fukuzawa Yukichi all celebrated their birthdays on the same day.
They exchanged gifts and observed the customary courtesies of social reciprocity.
That day, Edogawa Ranpo was exceedingly busy, as he attended and enjoyed two separate birthday feasts.
He patted his stomach in bliss.
"So delicious."
The skinny little cat showed clear signs of gaining weight.
Thanks to the makeup skills Edogawa Ranpo had secretly taught him, Nakahara Chuuya—now able to pay proper visits and sit openly at Asou Akiya's side—turned his head and took a bite of the sweet, fragrant cake.
He was not envious. He was not jealous! He was eating his parents' birthday cake!
Seizing the opportunity, Nakahara Chuuya tugged on Asou Akiya's sleeve and said, "Mr. Akiya, Mr. Randou, I can write poetry now. My companions say they can understand it."
Edogawa Ranpo practically bristled all over, glaring at Nakahara Chuuya, who was openly provoking him.
What?!
The little orange cat dares to stab me in the back?!
Asou Akiya praised Chuuya, then turned to Randou and said, "Randou, Ranpo has been learning to write novels with me, though he hasn't produced any notable results yet. But I've found you a promising seedling in poetry. Would you like to try teaching him?"
Randou was a man of immense pride; in the realm of poetry, he was the sort of figure who could be canonized as a legend with a single published collection.
One work after another of his continued to enjoy immense popularity in France.
He turned his gaze toward the orange-haired boy, who sat there fidgeting uneasily.
"All right. I'll first take a look at your level. Do you know French and Latin?"
"I—I'm learning."
Nakahara Chuuya answered with a slight stammer.
Randou immediately felt that this was Akiya's premeditated scheme. Casting a suspicious glance at his lover, he thought: Did you deliberately model him after the two of us—raising a child who looks like you and shares my interests? Are you planning to bring another little orange cat into this house?
Isn't one black cat already enough?!
—Of course it isn't.
Asou Akiya slipped an arm around Randou's waist and, in order to persuade him to help tutor the boy, leaned close and murmured against his ear:
"My dear, the end of this month is just around the corner, isn't it?"
"…!!!"
Randou, who had firmly resolved not to give his lover any opportunity to play clever tricks, nevertheless felt his heart tremble in humiliating surrender.
He truly did not want to let another cat sneak into the house!
He clutched at his scarf in visible inner conflict.
"I… I'll… teach him… a few times… I still have work, and I don't have that much spare time." Randou glanced at Nakahara Chuuya, whom Akiya and Ranpo had brought into their home. The boy sat there very properly, nowhere near as mischievous or troublesome as Ranpo. Whether it was the result of Akiya's subtle "brainwashing" or not, Randou found that the child's temperament was actually quite good, and he felt a faint, inexplicable sense of closeness toward him.
"All right, that's perfectly fine."
Asou Akiya secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Only at this particular time was Randou so easy to persuade. Chuuya, seize this opportunity and earn as much goodwill as you can!
It will determine whether you will have a seaside grave of your own in the future!
"Chuuya, do your best!"
Hearing the encouragement, Nakahara Chuuya's eyes shone brilliantly. He smiled wide enough to reveal his small pointed canine teeth, then lifted his chin with firm resolve to look at the long-haired, melancholy French beauty before him. This was his family—the ability user who had brought him into the human world!
I will earn his acknowledgment. When he regains his memories, I will make him tell me the truth of everything!
Mr. Randou.
You are my father—and you are also my mother.
Ranpo can enter this home, so why can't I? I will squeeze my way in no matter what, hmph!
…
"Young Beast's Song"
Dark night in a field of deep grass;
a beast in a jar,
striking flint, made stars;
mixing winter, the wind moaning.
Then, the beast didn't look at anything
apart from castanets and moonlight,
cuddling the stars that never awoke,
inside the jar, receiving blasphemy.
—Nakahara Chuuya
{Special thanks to @bsd-bibliophile over on Tumblr, because damn, I could not find this poem anywhere.}