Chapter Text
He was a neglected child. His parents never really cared for him properly, often traveling abroad for their acting and screenwriting careers.
It's not like he didn't mind though. After all, he didn't know them that well. It was like saying farewell to a stranger rather than the person who had given birth to you.
As a result, he was often left with his uncle and aunt, and soon learned about his uncle's detective agency. His interest piqued, and decided to request to join as an apprentice detective. Much to his relief, his uncle agreed, and he assisted in his uncle's more minor cases, such as robberies or infidelity.
He had enjoyed being mentored by his uncle. He had treated him better than his parents had anyway, giving him a life and something to look forward to, investigation and detective work. He found it fascinating how complex or simple a case could be, and took his time to make sure every single detail revealed the mystery.
He could have lived like this until he turned eighteen, spending everyday with either a new puzzle from his father figure, or working on a minor case. Either way, he had felt grateful how kindly his two parental figures treated him. The apprentice detective had wished it could stay this way forever.
Unfortunately for him, reality did not agree.
The now fifteen year old, golden eyed boy had finished his daily school lessons, arriving home shortly after, throwing his leather bag off his shoulder. He expected a puzzle to be left on his desk, or a case file for him to solve, however none appeared. Additionally, something else was odd in the household.
His aunt and uncle were nowhere to be seen.
Strange.
The apprentice detective made his way to the second floor, locating the master bedroom.
He approached the door, footsteps lightly tapping against the marbled flooring.
A bare hand pressed against the knob, and slowly turned it.
Click.
What he discovered in this room horrified him down to his very core.
His aunt and uncle's corpses laid cold on the mattress, the bright red color staining the previously white sheets.
In an intense panic, he slid his phone out his pocket frantically, dialing the authorities, his voice quaking and audibly crying as the lady on the other side of the line responded to him with calm authority.
Due to no longer having any relatives, one of his uncle's friends at the agency and a man the apprentice had come to know had offered to take him in. The boy accepted, as if he had any other choice.
The case was left to the precinct detectives at the station, and though the boy knew his uncle strongly disliked the station for an unknown reason, he didn't mind it much back then.
After months of agonizing investigation, the police station came up with nothing. The former apprentice was enraged when the investigators called, claiming there were no leads relevant to the case, and simply moving on. But through various undisclosed connections of his uncle's friends, he was able to get his hands on the case files.
He painstakingly looked at his uncle and aunt's corpses for weeks, overexerting himself to find a culprit and expose the true murderous intent behind this case.
Days, weeks, had passed before he found the answer. The alibi for one of the suspects did not align with what their peers had claimed, and the culprit was found and swiftly confessed, claiming they wanted the private detective agency for their own gain.
This greatly upset the detective, and soon his world view began to twist.
All murderers are irredeemable, selfish human beings. They kill for heartless reasons, without consideration for any of their victim's feelings or how their relatives feel. They attempt to pathetically escape their punishments and he wouldn't allow it. No matter what.
And before he knew it, he'd soon gone viral on social media overnight for solving such a gruesome case at his young age of fifteen and his pretty looks, many pitying him for solving his own parental figure's case.
Pity. They pitied him.
He despised that.
From then on, he locked his emotions away in order to avoid pity. The very thing he despised so much. He hated the looks on their faces when they saw him. He hated the tone they used when speaking to him.
Why? Why do you feel the need to treat me as if I'm a fragile, broken person who can't do anything without help? Can't you treat me like a person?
Thoughts spiralled in his head, blood boiling of a pure, raw, hatred.
Hatred.
Hatred.
Hatred.
Shuichi gasped for air.
His lungs heaved, breath shaky and ragged after that horrific nightmare. His breath was rapid and panicked.
Panicked, desaturated golden eyes darted around his current location.
The cold, metallic, cramped box around his body had locked him inside. Likely a locker, he assumed. Attempting to calm his rapid thoughts of the pity he faced that fateful day, he took deep breaths, breathing inward and outward until his body stopped trembling with frustration and panic.
Sighing, he directed his sight to the metallic plate facing him, perhaps he could try and kick the locker door down?
Shuichi attempted to break the thin metal door, leather boot knocking against the metal, but not breaking it. Another attempt. And another. After a considerably forceful kick, the door dropped onto the floor with a loud, ringing sound. He slowly wandered out the locker, cautiously inspecting the room.
It seemed to be a classroom. It smelled of staleness and greenery, it was quite overgrown and aged, evident from the dust gathering on the desk and locker door that was now broken, the plate on the hard, cold concrete.
He began to observe his surroundings properly, inspecting the blackboard that caught his attention. It was a..neon bright green? Odd.
Tapping his finger against the digital-like screen, he assumed something would appear. Alas, nothing occured. What did he expect? He began to walk over to the windows, noting that they were sealed shut with a peculiar barbed wiring. Strange. The detective could only assume he was trapped.
Noticing slight movement from the locker next to the one which he'd previously escaped, he approached curiously, but the locker door creaked open, hitting the detective straight in the forehead.
Great.
He stumbled back slightly, clutching the red mark that had developed on his forehead due to the collision. The detective clutched his cap, a hand going to stabilize his weight on the nearby desk.
Gold grey eyes focused upward and were met with worried purple eyes that he assumed emerged from the locker. The girl soon spoke;
"Oh my god! Are you okay?"
She panicked, her blonde hair swaying as she rushed over, gazing at the injured detective.
"Yes..I'm alright."
She took a sigh of relief, her eyes drifting over to the red mark on his forehead.
"I think I hit you with that door..sorry about that." She glanced backward, looking over at the now empty lockers.
He sighed, "That's alright. I was also in a panicked state when I had exited my own locker." Shuichi reassured, also glancing over at the empty lockers.
"I see..I'm still sorry about that, though.." she glanced at the detective as he took in the scenery. "Oh, do you know where we are?" She questioned, tone slightly panicked as she glanced around nervously.
"From a basic observation, it looks like we are in a classroom," He answered, removing his gloved hand from the desk. "It seems as if this is an old school, due to the overgrown greenery and the developed dust on the desks and chairs."
"Really..? Do you think we've been kidnapped?" The girl seemed concerned.
"That's likely," the detective nodded, gloved fingers tracing over the desks to gather the dust, the same gloves mirroring his idol's, a certain pale detective with deep purple eyes that can pierce through every false statement, and elegant white hair, and a braid at her side. Though, he'd never admit to that.
"I'm going to investigate outside this classroom." He added in a quiet manner, boots clicking against the concrete floor as he neared the door knob. "I'd like to know more about this environment, it is vital that-"
"Rise and shine, ursine!"
Shuichi turned back to look at the source of the sound, finding five plush bears located at the center of the room. They seemed to be..speaking bears?
"Ey! Don't go walkin' out on us kubz' now!" The bear with a dominant blue palette angrily yelled out.
"..What are you exactly?" Shuichi remarked, shaking his head in disbelief. He attempted to head out the classroom once more, but was not so gracefully interrupted.
"Wait!" The pink bear exclaimed, "We need to do our introduction first! Like dad said so!"
"Dad..? This is getting weird." The detective murmured to himself, sighing deeply.
"Introduction? What introduction!?" The blonde exclaimed, confused and shocked, "Who even are you guys?!"
"We're the Monokubs!" The red one in the center yelled excitedly, clutching its scarf.
"Monokubs?" He questioned, finding the idea extreme. "I suspect these toys are being manipulated by a remote control of some sort." Shuichi commented, tone unamused. "In other words, they are simply not worth our time."
"Hey, hey, hey, we've got some valuable information for you here! Just listen up, will you?" The monokub with the leopard print spoke arrogantly, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.
"I highly doubt that." He replied bluntly, tone unwavering.
The girl looked back at him, her eyes full of concern and confusion. "Hey, um, I know we don't know each other very well, but maybe we can try to get some answers from them?" She continued, "Maybe they know where we are?"
The detective contemplated for a fleeting moment, before nodding slightly. With a soft, "So be it." He returned to the inside of the room, walking over to where the Monokubs were situated. He gave a subtle, expectant glance at the blonde girl in pink.
Under his pressuring gaze, she spoke. "Okay, right, for starters, where..are we? This looks like a classroom."
The red one spoke confidently, grinning ear to ear, which heavily repulsed Shuichi, expression already filled with disdain.
"This place is the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles! Basically, it takes some of the best sixteen students from all 'cross Japan and places them into a school!"
Shuichi chose to question them further. "Sixteen, you said?" he interrogated.
The bear with the glasses spoke up cockily. "Correct! There are sixteen Ultimate students in this academy!"
"..Huh? Ultimates?" The blonde inquired.
"Ultimates are a title, meaning you are prodigious in a certain talent!" The pink one replied, flashing a grin, similar to the red bear.
"And to find these Ultimates, the government scouts 'em through a program known as the Ultimate Initiative." The bear with glasses spoke up once more.
"Ultimate Initiative basically gives ya all the special stuff, like free school tuitions, voting privileges, and eligibility to run for elected office!" The blue bear yelled out.
"Wow, Monokid!" The pink bear was delighted. "You memorized all your lines perfectly!"
"So students chosen by the Ultimate Initiative are Ultimates. You got that?" The bear adorning round black glasses gazed up at the duo.
"Um..I don't need the explanation. Because I'm an Ultimate, too." She answered, a bit worried.
"Eh, whatever!" The red bear exclaimed, rolling its eyes at her answer. "We answered your question so now we're off!"
"Hey!- Wait a minute-" The girl didn't get to finish her sentence before the bears collectively spoke;
"So long! Bear well!"
and vanished. She sighed, head slowly turning to the detective beside her.
"..They left. I still have so many questions.."
The boy remained silent for a moment before responding.
"Alright. As previously stated, I shall now take my leave. I wish to investigate further in our current environment." He replied quietly, almost a whisper, before leaving her side and departing from the room and into the hallway.
It had looked remarkably similar to the classroom, stale air, dusty flooring, and overgrown greenery. Shuichi exited the room, glancing around the large hall.
"Hold on-! I never got your name!" The girl exclaimed, following him out the classroom.
The detective turned and glanced back, quietly considering his options. She seemed harmless. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to introduce himself. After all, introductions are mandatory to gaining one's trust, right?
"Uh..hello?" The girl asked, gazing at the boy who seemed lost in thought.
Shuichi soon snapped out of his trance, and soon met her eyes. "My name is... Shuichi Saihara." he murmured softly, his gaze drifting to the floor.
The blonde's eyes widened slightly. "Wait- You're Saihara? The famous detective that solved that...that awful case?" She inquired, gaze concerned.
He nearly winced at the comment, being reminded of the very first murder case he cracked. The detective held his emotions back. He could not allow them to surface. Never again.
"I'm so sorry for your loss.." Her eyes and tone were not of pity, but sympathy. "That case must have been horrifying..I- I can't imagine how I'd feel if that happened to me.."
He took a subtle, shaky inhale before disguising his anxiety once more.
"I'd rather not discuss it." He snapped, harsher than intended. A bit stand offish in his actions, a slight glare in his typically indifferent expression.
"Ah- I'm sorry if I offended you!" The girl quickly apologized, slightly frantic in her movements and words. "I didn't mean it! I was just curious, that's all.."
Shuichi nodded quietly, indicating it wasn't very aggravating. The blonde seemed to calm herself at this motion, taking this opportunity to calm herself.
"So, can I safely assume that you're the Ultimate Detective? I mean, assuming that we're both Ultimates..right?" She questioned. He replied with a quiet "yes", gazing up slightly at her from underneath his cap.
"And you?" He asked, shooting the same question back at her, clutching his cap visor.
The blonde visibly brightened. "I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist." she smiled sweetly, her hands tucked behind her back. "Nice to meet you, Saihara!"
"A pleasure to meet you as well, Akamatsu," he replied in a formal manner. He soon returned to the main subject of discussion."Now, if you'll allow me, I'll be investigating the environment of this building. It is vital that we know our current location."
The detective began to take his leave, traveling over to the larger area of the hallway.
"Wait- Saihara-" she quickened her pace to follow him. "May I join you? If you don't mind, of course."
"If she was able to figure out my talent merely from my name..then I must hide it.."
He glanced back at her, before speaking in a soft, quiet voice.
"You may join me if you wish." he replied, albeit a bit distant, it still made the pianist happy.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed excitedly, now matching her pace to walk alongside Saihara.
But his footsteps paused, confusing the pianist. "Under one condition." The detective stated, shifting to a more serious tone.
"What is it?" Kaede asked, intrigued.
"Under any circumstance, do not reveal my Ultimate Talent or last name. I'd prefer to be called Shuichi. Knowing there may be a danger lying within this school makes me think a detective would be a priority target.”
“But..calling you by your first name? That’s..really personal, y’know?” Out of concern, she began to worry about calling him his first name.
“Do not worry about it. It is a ploy to disguise my identity.” He assured the blonde. "Like I said, I do not want to be targeted due to my talent."
She nodded hesitantly. "Okay.. I promise I'll keep it a secret." Her expression was more serious, as if keeping a treasure dear to Saihara safe. “I’ll..call you Shuichi from now on.”
Shuichi's expression softened, nodding. "Right. Let's investigate."
The duo began to walk to a room that caught Shuichi's interest. A room with musical notes plastered along the door frame, and the door itself containing a patterned piano design.
"What's this..?" Kaede attempted to turn the knob, only to find it locked. "Is this some sort of music room?"
"That's correct." The detective nodded to her words, "I suggest we try and break it open-"
"Rise and shine, ursine!"
"Again..?" Shuichi mentally facepalmed, as the pianist jumped in surprise.
"Hey, don't go breakin' down the damn doors!" Monokid shouted, echoing throughout the hall.
"It was merely a suggestion. I had only intended to go through with it if necessary." Crossing his arms, he turned his head to investigate something he found more intriguing than these group of bears.
"Y-you can't go breaking The Ultimate Research Labs!" The pink one clutched the flower to her chest in a cowardly manner. "They're meant to help enhance all of your Ultimate Talents!"
"Ultimate Research Lab..? What's an Ultimate Research Lab?" Confused, the girl in pink tilted her head.
“Y’know how you guys are Ultimates? These places are for honing your talents!” Monotaro exclaimed, chest puffing up in a sort of pride.
“So anyway, this is the Ultimate Pianist’s Lab, but we have set up labs for the other Ultimates as well.” The bear in glasses added patronizingly.
“By the way, this research lab is still locked ‘cause..” The red briefly glanced at the pink one in shame, head now down as if the floor had become extremely interesting.
“Because..?” She clutched her backpack straps, a tad bit puzzled.
“‘Cause..” The “leader” glanced at the pink bear once more, as if telling her to speak up.
The detective’s head shot up slightly. A cold, calculating gaze now locked onto the bear, observant. “Is it that extreme to the point your group is speechless? If so, then-”
“Cuz we’re still setting everything up..Sorry, we’ll hustle to get it ready..” Pulling the flower to its chest, the pink bear seemed disappointed, hanging its head in shame.
Sighing in disappointment, a soft whisper emerged from the boy’s lips,catching the blonde’s attention as she turned her head to face him. “I..don’t know what I expected from the likes of them.”
“Ay! I heard that! I’ll bully ya like how I bully Monodam!” The guitar-wielding bear yelled, practically handing Shuichi a migraine. The olive-colored bear, which both Kaede and Shuichi assumed to be “Monodam”, seemed to remain silent.
Seconds of awkward silence passed before the Monokubs collectively glanced at each other.
“...So long! Bear well!”
The group of bears disappeared one by one, it seemed as if they were vanishing into thin air. Shuichi suspected a sort of teleportation mechanism or illusion? It had caught his interest. Perhaps he’d interrogate one of the Monokubs later. But for now..
“Let’s go, Sai- uhm, Shuichi!” A bright grin made its way to the blonde’s lips. “You don’t have to argue with them about the lab anyway. Maybe I can play a song for you when we get out of here!”
A silence overtook the dark-haired detective, replying shortly after.
“That’s not necessary, Akamatsu. I was simply curious about the contents of this room..However, I agree. Let us get a move on.”
Moving forward, both Kaede and Shuichi stopped at a girl who seemed to be spacing out, gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her dark cyan hair reaching her knees, glasses pressed against her face.
Kaede approached her earnestly, Shuichi behind her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. She smiled. "Hey, you're an Ultimate student, right? Can we talk-"
Yet, no response came. She seemed totally out of it.
Needless to say, it wasn't long before the pianist resorted to more extreme measures.
"Heeeey? Hellooooo!" She asked, waving her hand in front of the girl's unfocused eyes.
Yet, no response came. She was totally out of it.
"What the- she still can't hear me? Then..maybe she's a really detailed mannequin?-"
"Akamatsu," a soft, yet scolding voice echoed behind her. "That isn't necessary. It isn't required to speak to someone who refuses to speak to us."
He turned back, gaze shifting to the bright red staircase, yellow and pink polka dots patterning it. "Or rather, cannot. If she really is a mannequin, there's no reason to-"
Poke. Poke.
"Akamatsu? What are you doing?" he gazed back, to see Kaede's fingertip squish against the girl's skin.
"Poking her doesn't work either?" She sighed. "Then..maybe she is just a doll."
"Yes, it seems so..now, Akamatsu, let's get a move on-"
"But she looks so real! Try it!" the pianist gently gripped the detective's gloved wrist, attempting to place his hand against the girl's cheek.
His hand quickly stiffend in place, making Kaede pout slightly as she found it difficult to move his wrist closer to the girl's cheek.
"I'd.. rather not." He commented quietly, Kaede's fingers still wrapped around his wrist. "Don't be like that, Shuichi! It's fun, I promise!" She smiled, beaming brightly. A sigh escaped Saihara, however he didn't seem too agitated.
"I never thought I'd be poked while in a still state. How truly unexpected." The girl spoke up quietly, still unmoving from her previous posture.
"Excuse me?" Shuichi glanced back at Kaede, who gave him a smile.
"So she wasn't a mannequin. Well, I knew that." The blonde replied casually, still smiling.
"Regardless, you still attempted to make me poke her..why?" the detective commented, a bit irked, and slightly amused. However, these emotions refused to surface.
Kaede replied, "Because she wasn't responding."
"Oh, I didn't mean harm.." The girl spoke up, adjusting her glasses. "I was just in deep thought." answered the dark cyan-haired girl. “This dragon statue is pretty odd, no?”
"Alright. Apologies for the brief..annoyance, but would you tell us your name?" Shuichi asked, eyes still narrowed in suspicion, unchanging.
"Oh, right. I should introduce myself. I'm Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer."
"A cosplayer..interesting." The detective muttered under his breath, putting a hand to his chin in concentration, voice low and barely audible. He was once again lost in thought.
"Are you curious about my cosplays?" She directed her attention to the boy with grayish-gold eyes. "I could tell you about my various commissions, or I could make a cosplay for you!" Tsumugi exclaimed, visibly elated at the idea of either the detective or the pianist in cosplay.
"No, thank you." Shuichi replied calmly.
The cosplayer sighed, "It's a shame, really." a frown making its way to her lips. "With such a pretty face, you could even crossplay as a girl."
Her head turned to the blonde. "How about you? I'm certain you'll make a great Navia!"
"A..what?" The pianist questioned. "Umm..maybe I'll try it one day?"
"That's great!" Tsumugi smiled brightly. "Though..I'm not sure I could get the materials from inside this place..Speaking of which, where even are we?" The cosplayer seemed a bit concerned, her frown returning.
"That is exactly what we are trying to investigate as of now." Shuichi spoke, tone stern. "Thank you for your time, Shirogane. Let's go, Akamatsu."
"Um, wait!" The cosplayer shouted, teal-green eyes shifting in panic. "Um..I never got either of your names."
Shuichi and Kaede shared a brief glance at each other, before Kaede burst into a bright smile and answered.
"I'm Kaede Akamatsu! The Ultimate Pianist! It's nice to meet you, Shirogane!" She smiled, an introduction similar to how she greeted Shuichi back at the classroom. "And this is-"
"You may call me Shuichi." he commented quietly, interrupting Kaede. "As of now, I do not remember my Ultimate Talent." The detective gave a quiet glance at Kaede, a reminder to keep their secret.
She gave a small nod, mentally scolding herself for forgetting the condition she had agreed to. "Yep. I'm sure you'll remember soon enough, right, Shuichi?"
"I hope so." He added. "Then, farewell, Shirogane. We shall investigate the remaining perimeters of this building."
"Okay, good luck!" The cosplayer bid them well, and returned to gazing at the bronze dragon statue which had distracted her earlier.
The detective strided confidently over to the brightly colored staircase, the pianist behind him only a few steps away.
“Odd, isn’t it? He quizzed, walking down the steep staircase with caution, gloved hands tracing the railing. It was dusty here as well.
“The colors of the stairs? Yeah, it’s so…out of place.” Akamatsu agreed, her sneaker tapping against the strange, eye-burning colors of the staircase. “Why would a childish pattern be in an old place like this..?”
“That is also what I am wondering. In any case, we should prioritize progressing throughout the building.. Though, I will say, I would like to investigate this further if I am given time.”
The blonde agreed, “Yeah! Let’s find a way out, Shuichi.” Her eyes gleamed of hope, the same eyes fixated on the last few stairs before them.
It wasn’t long before the two had completed the short walk down the stairs, finding two separate hallways to their left, and forward.
“Shuichi, we should go left first,” Kaede led, gesturing for him to walk alongside her. “Maybe we can cover more areas faster that way? And so we don’t get lost?”
“I agree. It is wise to track our movements,” he placed a hand into his pocket, and pulled out a tablet-like object.
“Huh? Shuichi, what’s that?” Her head tilted curiously, her eyes diverting downward to view the object he was holding.
“I felt as if something shifted somewhere near my pocket. Perhaps this was placed on our bodies while unconscious?”
“Check on your own person as well, Akamatsu. I do not think I'm the only one who was recieved this object.” The detective added.
Kaede quickly nodded, her hands going to take off her backpack and reach inside of it.
“I knew it! My backpack did feel heavier when I woke up here!” Hands dug through her backpack, shifting pieces of sheet music, and a pink piece of fabric of what resembled a spare vest, she found the electronic device safely tucked in the back.
Booting it up, Shuichi found his own name on display, before various options such as “Layout”, “Report Cards”, “School Rules”, and many more. On the top right corner, there it read: “Monopad”.
“Monopad..” Shuichi muttered, tapping on one of the icons. Some weren’t available.
“Monopad? Is that what this is?” Kaede asked, reaching for the object at the back of her backpack, placing it on her hands as her forefinger swiped on the peculiar object, watching as her own name shined on the bright screen.
“It seems so.”
“Oh! There’s a map!” The pianist's lips curved up into a bright grin, "It's going to be easier to track this place now!"
"You are correct..However, look at the report card section." A gloved finger tapped onto the “Report Card” icon, and found 16 other profiles. “Some names from this list are missing..I suspect these are the remaining students we need to find?”
“Report cards, report cards..” Glancing over at her own Monopad, she copied his actions. “Oh- Shuichi, on my list it doesn’t say your talent or your last name.”
“..I suppose that’s good. I don’t want to make a big deal out of my talent nor become a target.” A vague feeling of jealousy rushed over Shuichi as he stole a glance at Kaede...why was he feeling this way? What was wrong with him?
“Shuichi? You look..tense. Is something wrong?” she checked, her innocent violet eyes filled with worry for her peer.
“I wish I was as free as you.”
“...It’s nothing.” he pushed that thought to the depths of his mind, into the darkest corners so it would never surface again, like he always did. He wasn’t..jealous, was he?
Yet, the pianist’s brows were furrowed in deep concern, her lips pressed together in a thin line. “Are you sure..? You know I won’t judge you for anything, y’know..I mean, I don’t know what’s going through your head, but I’m open to helping out..if that’s okay.”
The detective’s expression was unbothered and neutral, however his stiff body language was a clear sign of the opposite.. at least in Kaede’s eyes.
“..Let us just go. I do not think we should waste any more of our time chatting by the staircase.” He navigated the overgrown hallways, and soon left Kaede to ponder in her own thoughts.
“Shuichi..” she mumbled under her breath. “Right. I’ll be right there.”
The pianist shook her head, forcing the concern out of her thoughts and followed the detective’s trail.