Icy Protector

2| Entrance Exam

"Are you taking a leisurely stroll when we have an emergency on our hands?" Kunikida shouts. "Come here, quick!"

"You're lively this morning!" Dazai says. "If you're neurotic for too long, it will accelerate your aging."

"Wait? Is that true?"

"You better write that in your notebook." As Kunikida writes it down in his notebook, Dazai says, "I'm joking with you."

"Dazai!" Kunikida shouts as he breaks his pen.

"Kunikida, catch!" I say as I grab another fountain pen out of my bag and toss it to Kunikida.

After Kunikida catches the pen, he puts it away and starts dragging Dazai by the arms.

"Ummm, what's this 'emergency' we have?" Dazai asks.

"Oh, right! Come to the office! We're short-handed there right now!"

"Why?" I ask.

"A bomber has taken a hostage and barricaded himself in the office!"

We rush to the agency. We enter the office and hide behind a planter. Tanzinaki is on the desk with a bomb and his sister, Naomi, is tied up on the floor.

"No. No more," Tanizaki says. "It's all your fault. It's all the Armed Detective Agency's fault! Where's the President? Get him out here! Or else, I'll blow everyone away with the bomb!"

"Shoot," Dazai says.

"He has a grudge," Kunikida says. "The criminal has a grudge against the agency. If he doesn't meet the President he'll blow the place up."

"We do get a lot of grudges against us," I say. "That is a military-grade explosive. If it explodes, it will at least blow up the entire room. You could cover the bomb to reduce the explosion. In our situation right now, it would be hard."

"What do we do then?" Atsushi asks.

"How about we let him meet the president?" Dazai asks.

"Idiot! He'd kill him. Besides, isn't he on a business trip?" I ask.

"He is."

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"We don't have time for an argument," I say. "We need a solution."

Dazai and Kunikida do rock paper scissors and Dazai wins.

"You have to go," Dazai says.

"Alright, so Kunikida will try to get to the bomb first. That probably won't work so we'll have to send Atsushi out with some props like a newspaper. You'll then try and persuade him to not blow us up. Makes sense?"

"Yes," Kunikida says.

"Why me?" Atsushi asks.

"Because you aren't a part of the agency so he doesn't know anything about you."

"How would it work?"

"Just distract the criminal and Kunikida will take care of the rest," Dazai says.

Kunikida heads toward Tanizaki. "Hey. Calm down, kid."

"Don't come near me! I'll blow you up! I know you. You're Kunikida! You have the ability where you can create anything you write, right? If you do anything weird, it's the end for all of you!"

"How will I deal with this situation?" Atsushi asks.

"Act like a newspaper boy," Dazai says. "Distract him. We'll handle the rest. This is small compared to other stuff we deal with."