[First Book]
Atsushi and Shiori are abandoned orphans who are living on the streets. They've gone a week without food and are about to die as a result. But one afternoon they save a stranger from having a near death experience himself. This stranger...
It's so peaceful and I'm all cozy. I could sleep all day. But that didn't last long.
"Ah!"
I quickly leave my make-shift bed on the floor, and jump to my feet still half asleep.
"What's wrong, Atsushi?! Are we under attack?! Is it that creepy old perverted man again?! The one who was sizing you up last week?! I'll kick his ass good this time!"
I look to see Atsushi to find my twin staring at his right arm. He sighs in relief.
I guess he remembered last night.
He looks around the room we're in. While far from spacious, it was a nicely-kept tatami room. Suddenly, something begins to ring impatiently.
"Huh?! O-Okay, okay, I'm coming, I'm coming."
He finds a pair of phones with two piles of neatly folded clothes. Atsushi grabs the ringing one.
"Okay, now what button to press? Is this it? C'mon, work already... Argh..."
I've never seen someone have so much trouble with a cell phone before.
Upon finally finding the right button, he holds the phone to his ear.
"Uh, h-hello?"
Who's he talking to?
"...Oh, it's you, Dazai-san."
Dazai, huh?
"Compared to sleeping out, this place is heavenly... Thank you for doing all this for us... Hmm? ...An emergency?"
Emergency? What did Dazai get himself into this time?!
"...Okay, I understand."
Atsushi pulls the phone away from his ear and faces me.
"We have to get dressed."
"Okay, I'll get dressed in the bathroom. You can take this room."
So I grab my phone, and pile of clothes, and leave the bedroom.
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
"Okay, I'm ready~." I happily call out.
I enter the living room to find Atsushi dressed in his new clothes.
He wore a white button up with the sleeves pushed to his elbows. He also had a loose black tie, black pants, black, fingerless gloves, and a suspenders/belt combo with a long stretch of the belt dangling loose from the buckle.
We look at each other and laugh.
"We really are twins." he smiles.
"Yep."
I wore the same outfit, but a girlie version of it. Instead of pants, I wore shorts. It was a skirt earlier, but I hate girly things. I also just happen to find scissors and thread in the bathroom. So I changed the skirt into shorts.
I also wore black, thigh-high stockings. I had my light gray hair tied up in to a long side ponytail as well. The ponytail was on the right side of my head.
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Atsushi's phone rings again and he quickly answers this time.
"...Okay, we're coming."
The both of us become serious as we leave the apartment. Once outside, on the second floor, I lock the door behind me.
"Behind us? What the?!"
I look in the direction my brother is looking and instantly get annoyed. We walk down the stairs and to the idiot stuck in the oil drum.
Dazai was wedged in there pretty tight. Only his head and feet were sticking out from the top.
"What exactly am I looking at here?" Atsushi questions.
"Take a guess." Dazai happily says.
"An idiot." I simply answer.
"Early morning mirage?" Atsushi guessed.
"Nope!"
"Are we under attack?! Or did you get caught in a trap?!"
"The kids down the street bully you again?" I joke.
"I climbed in here by choice."
"What?"
"I heard about a suicide method where you stick yourself inside a drum can, so I thought I'd put it to the test. The thing is, it's really painful and probably isn't going to kill me. And now that I'm in here, I can't get out on my own. I'm dying in here..."
"Congratulations, you'll die of suicide."
"Shiori!"
"What?"
"I like the idea of suicide, but having to go through the pain and suffering isn't my thing. But that's natural, right? And besides, I realized this after, but this method is actually for torture and not suicide."
"For the love of-"
I put my foot on the drum and was about to kick it over, when I got an idea. A evil smile appears on my face.
"What do I get in return?"
"Um...what do you want?"
"You to owe me any type of favor at anytime."
"...Deal."
I kick over the drum and Dazai falls out. Once free, he sits on the drum and stretches. I sit down next to him.
"Ah~ that was painful. I owe you that favor, Ori-chan. If it wasn't for you, I probably would have been permanently folded in two."
"Didn't you try asking the other agents for help?" Atsushi questions.
"Of course I did, but when I told them I was dying, they all did what Ori-chan just did. They said, "Congratulations". Is that any way to treat a co-worker?"
I'm not surprised by that.
"Why is it that everyone who has a supernatural ability is twisted in the head?" Dazai inquires to himself.
"Dazai-san?"
"..."
Dazai looks over at Atsushi.
"All the other detectives at the agency... They all have supernatural abilities, right?"
"That's right. We're an armed organization that takes care of problems the police can't handle on their own."
"...I don't think I can join the detective agency."
"But you have your very own supernatural ability."
"...It's true that I can transform into a tiger, but I have not control over my ability at all. I just transform unconsciously, it's not like I can become a tiger at will."
"Atsushi, my ability is completely useless, and I still want to join." I tried to cheer him up.
"But you don't need your ability to do anything. Your confident, smart, and a skilled fighter. You never use your ability either. I'll just be in the way of everyone."
"...So what now?" Dazai asks.
"I'll try to find work that even I can do, I know it won't be easy, but..."
Atsushi sadly looks at the ground. I look at Dazai who seems to be planning something.
