𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

file 018 | unexpected attacks

movie 4 — captured in her eyes

Ran looked through the binoculars in the castle and jumped as a cold can of soda was pressed to her cheek. Suzume grinned at her face. "Thirsty?"

"Thanks."

Suzume took her friend by the hand and pulled her out of the castle and towards a small courtyard, counting down along the way. Once she got to one, water shot into the air around them, surrounding them in rings of water.

"Amazing!" Ran said, looking around in excitement.

Suzume grinned. "I thought you'd enjoy it," she said with her friend turning to look at her. "Ready to keep going?"

"Yeah!"

~ — — — ~

Suzume stood inside the phone box, holding the phone to her ear with a frown. "You're sure he's dead?" she asked, earning a confirmation from the speaker on the other side. "Alright. Thank you, Inspector." She hung up the phone as Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta walked past the phone box, chatting excitedly amongst themselves. She chuckled as she watched them. "Never a dull moment, huh?"

She opened the door and stepped back out into the pouring rain, opening her umbrella above her head.

"Not even Suzume-nee'll figure this one out!" Mitsuhiko was saying to his two friends as Suzume was walking over to them.

"I can't wait to see her "I give up" look!" Genta added with a grin as they all imagined it.

"What're you guys smiling about?" Suzume asked in amusement, snapping them out of their daydream.

Ayumi grinned. "Suzume-nee!"

"Perfect timing! We were just about to head to your place right now!" Mitsuhiko said as they all gathered around the teenager.

"All three of us thought up a super special riddle!" Genta said.

Suzume blinked. "A riddle?"

"Ready? When asked what she thinks Suzume-nee is like, Haibara-san looked at the moon and answered, "She's not summer,"" Ayumi said, telling Suzume the riddle.

Suzume hummed.

"Did Haibara-san: one, praise Suzume-nee, or two, insult Suzume-nee?" Mitsuhiko gave her the answer choices. "Which is it?!"

"Not summer...moon..." Suzume murmured before grinning. "Number two is the answer!"

"Eh?!" All three kids chorused.

"W-Why is that?!" Mitsuhiko stuttered in shock.

"The months, or "moons," of summer are June, July, and August," Suzume said. "Together, their numbers spell out, "There's nothing good about her!""

I really need to bond a little more with Haibara, it seems... She chuckled awkwardly in her head.

"You really are amazing, Suzume-nee!" Ayumi cheered.

Genta had the opposite reaction. "Bah! You're no fun."

"Never mind that Genta-kun," Suzume smiled gently. "Why were you smiling earlier?"

"Will you "I give up" for us?" Mitsuhiko asked blankly.

Suzume blinked as the green light to walk across the street flashed.

"Let's cross!" Genta said as the kids went to go.

"Hold it! No crossing!" A middle-aged man called out, stopping the kids before Suzume could. "A blinking green light is the same as a yellow light. Wait until the next green light."