I walked, and walked across a silver, grassy hill, each step echoing through the stillness, brushing past lifeless bodies scattered like fallen leaves.
My hands and shoes were stained, marked by the reds and shadows of dark blood.
This was a dream, a vision of my future.
But deep down, I knew it wasn't real.
I walked endlessly, bound like a slave, my eyes obscured by a bandage woven from my own intuition.
Atop the silver hill, I saw a woman seated at a small tea table, her hair matching the color of the silver grass beneath me as she wear a tophat.
She sipped her tea calmly, as if unaware of the scene around her.
I am a slave, a slave to the very concept that could help me save those lifeless body
I am a slave of intuition
"Andrew?... Are you ok?.., you been sleeping like that for over 13 hours since we got here?..."
It was a voice of a girl I know, tho a little nap wouldn't hurt after I just draft a person to be my assistant like a military army for something... But maybe not right now...
"Gosh damnit... You really gonna get brain damage if you gonna get a heavy nap by sitting on a tilted chair Andrew!"
I could feel the chair being tilted upright, the sensation of gravity shifting as the wind around me changed. Still, I kept my eyes closed, savoring the last remnants of sleep.
I later opened my eyes as I see the source and the core of the voice, a bright brown star-like eyes, a long brown hair wearing a brown general-like peaked cap, and a oddly great fashion sense
"... H-Hm?... Oh... Hey there..., Ayaka-san..."
"Hey! You're finally awake! I was worried you'd slipped into some kind of coma. Seriously tho... Also, you don't need to use Japanese honorifics with me just because I'm Japanese. You only speak English and a bit of Japanese, right? So, you should talk to me like a normal English person would!"
I forgot how pure she was sometimes. That innocent energy... though, to be honest, I'd lied to her about my Japanese abilities. It was a simple tactic, my "Verbal Deception" technique that I make up!. By pretending to need help, she'd feel appreciated for teaching me more. In the end, it would make her value our partnership more.
But hey, after all, my japanese is already perfect but considering I am gonna enter a high school for the first time as some 17 year old private detective, it definitely gonna take me more, and I am not that motivated to learn it myself Infront Ayaka so that she could appreciate me and be eager to work with me even more... As that have a lower chance of success rate since there's gonna be fine where she not going to see me studying
"Oh... Don't worry Ayaka, But I still think I need to learn Japanese to actually be a real detective here since well... We're in Tokyo?..."
"Well of course!, if you need anything, just let me know Andrew!, Sorry for that rude waked up, like seriously, you were like in a deep sleep and I thought of calling a ambulance!... Also don't sleep in a suit next time!, do you know how uncomfortable that is!?."
"... Dumbass" I mummers under my breath "Alright then, I get it... Er... Later I guess."
I watched as she bounced out of the room, joy and energy radiating from her with every step as she closed the door behind her.
"... Oh well.." I muttered to myself, "How long has it been? Ah, four more hours till the academy entrance ceremony... Still time to prepare..."
That mean I still have time to get preparation before arriving at!... my new high-school for the entrance ceremony..., which is the first day...
I walked over to the window, pulling the string to let the sunlight flood into the room. Below, the city sprawled out, glinting in the morning light. I was now living at the P.P.I. Task Force Headquarters, standing for Private Police Investigation
A secret law-police organization tasked that I establish back in this current ages from my last 'place', with solving cases that require my... specific skills. It was a former office building, renovated into a task force HQ, where I now reside.
Ayaka, the energetic brown hair girl with shining fashion but shunning the fashion in her mind, either way, is weird that she dressed like she stepped out of a fashion magazine, yet she claimed to have no sense of fashion at all despite the fact that she created clothes for herself
Funny.. because I have no fashion sense either, yet here I was, wearing the long suit she insisted I buy at the mall yesterday. Which what make me doze off and fall asleep, don't ask why I sleep with suit. I already learnt that this is weird for a lot of people.
____________________________________
Flashback to the Mall
"Hey, Andrew! Look!"
Ayaka's voice pierced through the cacophony of mall noise, that I could hear it clearly despite her being a fair distance away. I sighed, already dreading what she was about to drag me into.
"...Hm? What is it, Ayaka? Are you finally done—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Ayaka's petite figure darted toward me. She wasn't alone. In her hands, it was a long suit with professional design... Something I hate cause of my non existent fashion sense
"I found it!"
she beamed, her eyes shining like she'd just uncovered some ancient treasure.
"It's perfect for you!"
I stared at the coat. And then back at her. And then at the coat again.
"... I'm not wearing that Ayaka."
She pouted instantly, her expression morphing into something akin to that of a sad puppy.
"Oh, c'mon, Andrew! You're a detective! It's basically part of the uniform. Think of it as... well, as part of your cool detective persona!"
"My 'cool' detective persona doesn't need help from a coat."
She narrowed her eyes at me like I'd just insulted her fashion sense. And in a way, I had.
"Trust me, this is exactly what you need to complete the look. You'll look just like Sherlock Holmes. All the cases you solve? You'll get twice as many if you just wear this."
"If Sherlock Holmes solved cases because of a coat, I'm pretty sure he'd be out of business. Which probably why he didn't live long."
She wasn't having any of it. Without warning, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the fitting rooms. For someone of her size, she had an impressive amount of strength. I considered resisting for a moment, but then again... it was Ayaka. This wasn't a fight I was going to win.
"C'mon, you're trying it on!"
She declared with authority, as if I had any choice in the matter.
"Are you seriously—"
"Yup! You are not leaving this mall until you try it."
"Suffering,"
I muttered under my breath.
"the abstract concept of this world... the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship."
She shot me a quick glance by turning around her head. "I heard that, you know."
Before I could react, she shoved the coat into my arms and practically shoved me into the changing room. I stood there, staring at the coat for a long moment. Why was this happening? Out of all the things she could get excited about, this was the hill she decided to die on?
After what felt like an eternity of hesitation, I slipped on the coat...
It fit.
IT FIT WELL!?
I looked at myself in the mirror, adjusting the collar. It wasn't bad. But admitting that to her? Not a chance, Ayaka is actually not dumb or stupid!?
"How's does it look?"
her voice called from outside the changing room, a mix of excitement and impatience.
"Terrible."
"Liar! Let me see!"
I opened the door, stepping out to face her. The moment she saw me, her face lit up like she'd just won the lottery.
"... Gosh damnit..."
I muttered under my breath
"Oh my gosh, Andrew!"
She actually clapped her hands together in public, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"You look amazing! I told you it would be perfect! Now all you need is a magnifying glass and a pipe-"
"A pipe? Do you want me to get arrested?"
"Oh please," she waved me off, "people still love classic detectives. You'd just look sophisticated!"
"Sophisticated, or like someone straight out of a 19th-century drama?"
"Both! It's like vintage chic!" She circled around me, studying the coat like a fashion critic at a runway show. "I'm telling you, this will give you major detective credibility."
"I'm not looking for credibility from fashion. I'm looking for cases."
She crossed her arms, glaring at me in mock frustration. "Well, with that attitude, you'll get zero cases and zero compliments. Imagine walking into the academy for the first time in this. You'd be unstoppable!"
"Imagine me walking into the academy in this and getting mistaken for a theater professor. Plus, I have to wear their uniforms only."
She stifled a giggle but quickly composed herself. "Trust me, Andrew. People will notice you in this. I mean, sure, you're already impressive, but with this coat... you'll make a statement."
I stared at her, deadpan. "The only statement I'll make is, 'I lost a bet.'"
"Oh, come on! Just admit it, you like it!" She grinned mischievously, her eyes daring me to disagree.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Fine. It's... tolerable but I am not wearing this in the academy."
I lied, I am tolerating this clothes that much, She gasped, hand over her mouth as if I'd just confessed to a crime. "Oh my God! You do like it!" No I do not.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," I muttered, already mentally preparing to fold and hand the coat back.
But she wasn't done. "Since you like it so much, we're definitely buying it. I knew I had great taste!"
"I didn't say we're buying it."
"You didn't say we're not buying it either."
"That's because I assumed it was obvious."
She held the coat out, admiring it in her hands. "Too late. I'm buying it for you, and you're wearing it to every cases!, End of story."
I sighed again, defeated. "Fine. But I'm not thanking you for it."
Ayaka just smirked. "You will when you see how many compliments you get."
_______________________________________
"Sigh..."
The earlier memory of that day in the mall brought a bit of changes to my face as I walked away from the window. She'd been so enthusiastic, so adamant about me wearing the coat. And, well... I suppose she wasn't entirely wrong. It fit the detective image, even if I wasn't ready to admit it back then. That was a another case of joy from me.
Back in the present, I walked away from the window, expressionless, heading for the door to get ready for the academy. Time to go through the motions, showering, eating, all the supposed "normal" things people do. Of course, for me, neither eating nor showering was particularly normal, but I suppose today was an exception.
I stepped into the bathroom, staring blankly at the unfamiliar array of bottles on the shelf. Soap. Shampoo. Conditioner. Three different options, and yet... none of them made sense to me. I picked up one of the bottles, squinting at the label.
"Citrus-scented... but is it soap or shampoo?" I muttered to myself. I popped the cap open and sniffed cautiously. It smelled like some kind of fruit, but it didn't tell me much else.
Citrus was citrus. Still, it didn't seem right... What the hell did Ayaka buy for me?, are these actually shampoo and soap or just drugs made out of fruit?... I never take care of myself a lot so Ayaka is basically the one who is taking care of me like a Mom...
I grabbed another bottle, this one labeled with something vaguely floral... Again, no clear indication if it was supposed to be used on my body or my hair. Wasn't there a universal system for this? How did people figure out which bottle did what?
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, slightly irritated. "Maybe I should just use one for everything. Efficiency, right?"
Eventually, I decided on the citrus-scented one and poured it into my hands, figuring it was shampoo. It foamed enough, and that seemed to be a good sign.
I rubbed it through my hair, trying to convince myself I hadn't just washed my hair with body wash. That'd be embarrassing. I shook my head. Not like anyone would ever know.
After finally rinsing off, I stepped out of the shower feeling... unsatisfied. Showers were supposed to leave people feeling refreshed, right? Yet, every time, it just felt like another chore to me, something I had to get through to meet society's expectations of cleanliness.
I reached for thd towel. Showering was strange to me. All these products. All these steps. Most people did it without a second thought, but here I was, questioning the purpose of each bottle on a daily basis....
Wrapped in the towel, I headed to the closet where my newly issued academy uniform hung neatly, waiting for me.
It was... black. Too black, and no I am not racist, the world greatest detective is not racist, but honestly. The jacket was black, the pants were black, even the shoes were polished black. It felt like I was about to attend a funeral instead of a high school.
I pulled on the uniform, buttoning the stiff jacket as I examined myself in the mirror. The outfit didn't fit right, not just physically but in a deeper sense. It wasn't me.
The dark color made me look more like I was about to deliver a eulogy rather than attend an entrance ceremony. The monochrome look clashed with my own style or lack thereof.
"This feels... too formal," I muttered. It was like I'd been forced into a role I wasn't meant to play. The pristine black fabric was suffocating, the kind of uniform that imposed expectations on whoever wore it.
I straightened the jacket one more time, the dark material almost blending into the shadows of the room. The uniform was supposed to give a sense of belonging, I assumed, but all it did was make me stand out in a way I didn't want to.
After the quick shower and dressing, I stepped out of the room.
"..."
"Oh!, Hey there Andrew!"
I turn my face as I already done showering and put clothes on to Ayaka, who is holding a frying pan like a weapon and wearing a chef apron
"I am right now trying to make breakfast for you... And uhh... just give me a moment pls!!"
"..."
I noticed a faint blush on her cheeks as she panickedly ducked under the counter, clumsily gathering ingredients. I walked closer and peeked over the edge.
"Ayaka... you're not going to clean all that up in under four hours, you know."
"N-No, I will! I promise!"
She was panicking now, a smudge of flour on her face as she scrambled to clean up the mess she'd made. Vegetables scattered, a sponge in one hand, she looked like she was fighting a losing battle.
"Oh well, if this is how it's going to be every morning, I guess I'll just rely on convenience stores for today."
"That might be your best option... after all, there's a market near the academy on the south side of Tokyo. You can grab whatever you need there!"
"... Well yeah sure thanks and cool, You talked too much."
"W-WHAT!?, YOU THE ONE WHO MAKE ME TALK MORE LIKE THIS!, YOU PROBABLY SET UP A TRAP!"
"I did not set up one Ayaka..."
"NUH UH"
"Yuh uh"
"NUH UH"
And so it went on, back and forth, for what felt like two minutes. Eventually, I made my move, running past her.
"NUH UH!"
"Yuh uh!- Get juked.."
"HEY WHAT!?, THAT CHEATING YOU CHEATING BASTA-"
I was already out of the room, jumping through the steel elevator doors as they slid shut behind me.
Victory, look like I win this battle, of course I was emotionlessly joy in the evalator with a emotionless face like always, this is a another instinct of me feeling a emotion such as joy, never would I have ever expected that I show apathy toward something
Everyday, I would look into something for tomorrow, today and the day after tomorrow for something such as rate to me, such as the feeling of emotion, Pride, Apathy, Sociopathy, Sociopathy, Sociopathy and Sociopathy...
I wait as I wondered how long until I will get rid of those, the lurker of my consciousness who is helping me, a truse sense of a sociopath
The Evalator doors finally open as the sunlight from the glass wall shines through it to a liar... The sense of freedom from existing outside a trapped house...
Freedom... What I am feeling right now is a sense of freedom but I know that is not true, whether or not what you think, no one in this reality will ever felt or see true freedom...
Not even me, I am a slave of intuition, everything won't be decided by me except for fate and Intuition. I will forever be controlled by a strings like a pillar by it.