sushi and lai on the brain

Has anyone else noticed that all of the ADA's enemy organizations lack a sense of unity? I was thinking about it last night, and only the ADA has members that all want the same end goal.

In this essay, I will... Just read under the cut, idk.

Organization by organization, I'll explain what I mean.

Armed Detective Agency:

Fukuzawa: Founded the Agency as a place to help Ranpo use his ability to save people

Ranpo: While only wanting to use his hyper-intelligence when it suits him, he'll also only use it if the end goal is helping people

Yosano: Wants a place in the world where nobody will use her ability as a weapon against other people. Also, has been spending all of her time in the ADA helping people.

Kunikida: Will live and die for his ideals, many of which revolve around helping people.

Dazai: Despite whatever ulterior motives the man has, his main reason for joining the agency was Oda telling him to "Be a good man and save people."

Tanizaki: He's a loose cannon right now, but for the sake of my argument he's doing it all to help his sister. That or he's the only exception because he's definitely going to join the Mafia.

Kenji: Can do no wrong and I don't think the kid has an 'I actively want to hurt people' bone in his body. Also, he helps people around Yokohama and they all like him. So, yeah he falls under our wants to help people category.

Atsushi: Wants to prove he's worthy of being alive by saving people.

Kyouka: After being stuck in the Mafia she's chosen to use her ability and skills to help people while working in The Agency.

Apologies for sounding like a broken record for that entire section. It gets more interesting I swear.

Port Mafia:

Mori: While he clearly cares about Yokohama as a place (made clear by his actions during The Guild arc) he also seems to be running the mafia for the power and safety (?) it brings him.

Chuuya: I could go on for a whole post on why Chuuya is still with the Mafia. But that's not what this post is about. In Stormbringer Chuuya finds his answer to the whole 'Am I human?" argument. So that can't be his main driving force. I think his main reason for doing what he's doing is that Chuuya is a social person. He enjoys having people around whom he can trust and who trust him. But, he also knows he doesn't want to be a leader, so an executive of the mafia is a safe and comfortable position for him. (He and Sigma would get along great with their whole desire for a home thing.)

Akutagawa: Is pretty clear, while loyal to the mafia his driving force is proving to Dazai that he's worth something, that he's grown stronger. Although now that he's gotten that I wonder what his main driving force (aside from fucking Atsushi up) is.

Tachihara: He's being put in the Mafia category because it's where he wants to be. Aside from being a double agent and all that Tachihara's driving force was getting revenge for his brother and the orders he was given. Even saying that "Orders make me who I am."

Kajii: I am almost 100% sure he only joined the mafia because they let him blow shit up with no repercussions.

I'm not doing every PM ability user, I'd be here for the rest of my life, so take these few.

The Guild:

Fitzgerald: Is looking for the book to bring his dead daughter back to life and save his wife.

Margaret: Trying to make money to restore her family's honor.

Steinbeck: Making money to send home to his family.

Twain: Wants an adventure (?) He went to write a book about it so I'm assuming that's what happened.

Lucy: Looking for a place where she'll be appreciated and seen as useful (Gods, why do so many people in this story just want a home.)

Lovecraft: Is only with The Guild because of a contract.

Herman: Loyalty to what The Guild was? Love for the Moby Dick?

Poe: Only joined because it meant he would get to see Ranpo again (we know what you are).

The Hunting Dogs:

Fukuchi: Is trying to dismantle the state and 'dethrone the angels'. And I'm pretty sure his reasoning is that the state is the only reason war happens, so if he removes the state war can't happen anymore. (nobody tell this man about civil wars he'd have to wipe out all life on earth.)

Teruko: Follows Fukuchi? I haven't analyzed her enough to know what her goals are, sorry.

Tecchou: Strives for justice in the world and puts it above everything else (except for Jouno in those five minutes.)

Jouno: Enjoys tormenting people and seeing them squirm but also wants to help the innocent and finds joy in that. (Gods Jouno, pick a side when you come back, okay? I had to open the Manga to figure you out.)

The Decay Of Angels:

Fyodor: Wants to destroy all ability users and cleanse the world of sin.

Gogol: Wishes to be free from the shackles of society's morals and is at the moment attempting to kill Fyodor to prove that point.

Sigma: They just want a home, somewhere to belong that can't be taken away from them. (Can Sigma get a happy ending, please? I love him very much.)

Bram: God only knows the man wants to sleep with his Spotify on and relax for once.

---

It's just fun that only the Agency has members that all want the same thing. Especially with some of the organizations having members that directly contradict each other. Gogol attempting to kill Fyodor. Bram actively not wanting to use his ability. Tecchou striving for justice that Fukuchi is actively destroying.

Maybe that's why everyone keeps losing to The Agency, they lack the unity that the ADA has. Or maybe I'm grasping at straws and this is dumb.

On the topic of BSD mental issues..

Because a lot of people in this fandom just LOVE to bestow their own mental problems on characters and even go so far as to claim not a single BSD character is mentally alright, I went on a little rant to debunk this bulshit of a claim. If you’re one of those who support the “everyone is mentally ill because I said so” theory, don’t even bother reading this, please, and save us both the time.

If you do read, however, please keep in mind those are just my opinions and analysis and why I personally find the claim that everyone is mentally ill bulshit. You’re free to believe what you want but I’ve had multiple people come spurting out insults at me simply for not believing every single character is mentally diasbled.

First, our beloved ADA Atsushi - He's actually doing really well. Sure, he's not 100% ok but we were given no serious childhood trauma impacts (except for flashbacks that don't really... do anything to him mentally except for motivating him to do better which is, you know, not a sign of mental illness), he doesn't have self-destructive tendencies, he doesn't feel like he owes the society anything but he doesn't slip to nihilism either. His motivations are humane and sane and relatable. I mean, if anyone told you your friends would be in mortal danger if you stay with them, wouldn't you try to get away from them too? Dazai - Ok, Dazai is far from stable. He still handles his issues surprisingly well though and his constant suicide attempts are really played off as a joke, which is not the best way to handle them but it takes a lot of seriousness from it and kind of makes it hard to believe it's what he actually wants to do with his life. Especially since there are times where he goes out of his way to make sure he stays alive (Dead Apple being just one example). Kunikida - Arguably one of the most stable characters in the show. Some people claim he has OCD but have you ever seen an actual OCD patient? His love for schedules and hard time when they can't be kept is something that runs in my family and nobody has ever been diagnosed with OCD. People need to realize that having your life planned out is not a mental illness. Yosano - I'm a little more benevolent about Yosano, especially since she has a more psychotic side to her and she seems actually damaged by her childhood but I stiil stand my point that she is doing extremely well for someone who supposedly has a mental illness. It's almost as if the "insane" side of her was purposedly overblown for comedic purposes. Ranpo - I know a lot of people say he's autistic but I don't agree with that hc. Why? Well, I have a classmate who's not autistic and she's exactly like him. She's smart, almost genius, has great deduce skills and brilliant crime-solving abilities (tested multiple times with Black Stories or whatever that game is called in english) but she is unable to live on her own. She knows close to nothing about real life, skills used for everyday functioning and as for public transport, she only learnt how to use it recently and she's almost 19 years old. I also have an autistic friend who specifically said he'd find it insulting to hear that Ranpo is supposedly autistic. Tanizaki - I'm not sure what to say here, Tanizaki is a normal guy. Nothing special about him. He's willing to go great lengths for his little sister but I think anyone with younger siblings can relate to that. At least anyone who cares for their younger siblings. Kenji - Go on and tell me how Kenji of all people has a mental illness, I dare you. And if you pull out his cheeriness, you're obviously just too depressed to fathom that some people might actually enjoy life. Fukuzawa - Again, one of the most stable characters in the series. Say what you will but he's not unstable and his ability to stay calm at almost any situation except for when his kids are in danger is just further proof of this. Kyouka - I'd say she might have issues. My afforementioned autistic classmate pointed out that she feels autistic to him so there's that. Also her childhood visibly screwed her over. However, she's still surprisingly stable and normal despite all of that so while she might have some issues, they are greatly balanced by her strong will and natural personality. Naomi - I wouldn't say Naomi is 100% ok in the head but not to a point where I'd claim an actual mental illness. Sure, I'm not a doctor but nor is anyone who diagnoses her with whatever it is they diagnose her with. Haruno - And exactly what is wrong about Haruno? She's cute, positive, cheery, hard-working and supportive. And she gets scared in situations that invoke this. Literally NOTHING weird.

Next up is our dear Port Mafia Akutagawa - No denying it, Aku has serious issues. Again though, he's doing far better than most people with similar problems but that could just be due to him letting his frustrations out via murder. Chuuya - No issue found here. Sure, he's a little short-tempered but that's about it. A lot of people are short-tempered without being mentally ill. And he could be portrayed with some serious issues due to his origin and past. Gin - Do we even know enough about her to diagnoze her? All we know is that she's silent, a little shy and that she's always on odds with Tachihara. Make me a diagnosis from that. Higuchi - Aside from her massive crush on Aku, there's nothing weird about her. She probably picked the wrong job but she's willing to work hard anyway to earn her place there,, which is not exactly typical for people with mental illnesses. Hirotsu - STABLE PERSON. Just... what else is there to him? He is literally the voice of reason who commands the black lizard solely because he can actually keep them under control. Geez, there is literally nothing linking him to any mental problem! Kajii - This guy's got issues, no denying it. And I won't even say he could do worse because obviously he could but he's fairly close to being the insanest (is that a word?) he can get. Kouyou - Oh look, ANOTHER completely stable person. I mean, come on, she's been an executive since Dazai and Chuuya were 15, that's seven years. Clearly she couldn't hold her position if she weren't stable. Not to mention, we saw her being stable in stressing situations so. many. times. Elise - She's an ability. No comment. Mori - Yes, he has his issues. But he's the hypercompetent Mafia boss who stayed in charge for a very long time already and there's no sign of anyone overthrowing him any time soon, nor planning to because he's just a great leader, something he couldn't be if he was mentally ill. Oda - Do I even need to elaborate on this? Oda is very probably the sanest person we got, one who sees the wrongs of his past and does his best to overcome them and repent, all of which goes without him being depressed or self-loathing in the slightest. Randou - This has been talked about a lot. Randou is sensitive and impulsive and sometimes acts on emotions rather than rationallity. None of that makes him a mentally ill person. It just makes him a person, a human being we can all relate to. Ace - Ace is a selfish human being who thinks too highly of himself and is manipulative and abusive. Is that a problem? Yes, obviously. Is that a mental illness? Not necessarily and more likely no than yes. He does things for his personal gain and everything went his way for far too long for him to expect it to go any other way. And as we all know, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutelly. Q - Does anyone really think Q is sane?

Now for the group that so many people dislike it’s honestly sad, the Guild Francis - Francis is, first and foremost, a very loving husband and father. He goes on this insane mission to Japan to obtain a mystical object he believes is real but never got any deffinite proof of. Is he naive? Perhaps so. And after he loses, he gets depressed and broken because he finds out his wedding ring disappeared, probably because his wife did something. That breaks him. And honestly? He has every right to break down. It's understandable and human and it does not make him mentally ill. Louisa - While yes, she is very shy and some argue she has some sort of anxiety disorder, all of this can be explained by the fact that she's practically a child. She's 18 dammit. Who could leave their home country at 18 only with an organization of older people, who also all seem very sure of themselves, while having no combat ability and nothing to really bring to the table? If she were mentally weak, there's no way she'd go looking for Francis after his fall, it's actually more likely she'd hurry back home, probably with tears and fear of being arrested if she were to stay in Japan for longer. Margaret - Name me one thing that makes you think Margaret of all people would have a mental issue. One thing. Most of her screentime is her being a vegetable. And while that is certainly a health problem, not a mental health one. Nathaniel - Hey, he was completely ok before meeting Fyodor. Being religious is not a mental health problem and f you if you say otherwise. John - Again, nothing unstable about John. He's not even that selfish, doing what he can to support his family and even picking up the remainings of the Guild to keep the people together and give them new hope because, y'know, hope is very important to people. Lovecraft - He's not even human. You can't apply human mental health logic to him. Herman - We've seen him for how much... 2 minutes total? And even from just that, he seemed like a calm and composed guy. No sign of mental problems whatsoever. Mark - He's hyper, that's what people say at least. But is he really? Kind of hard to believe when all we've seen of him is two scenes of adrenalin rush, one scene where he tries to lift the spirits of his coworkers and one scene where he just decides to go back home because this adventure is obviously over. No sign of mental illness here either. Lucy - A little more visible traumatic impact than with Atsushi and some abandonment issues, which are completely understandable and relatable. Not necessarily a mental illness. Poe - Ok so Poe doesn't feel well in company of others and he is a little psychotic when he gets too into his self-assigned role but 1) introverts are not mentally ill and 2) it's completely natural to get carried away when we witness the person we believe wronged us getting some karma back.

The one group that appeared for such a short time, yet everyone seems to love them, the Rats Fyodor - The most obvious god complex, clearly. He's not sane but he's stable so there's that. Nobody says he's ok, he's clearly not. But he's composed and smart enough to not let his issues control him. Ivan - Part of his brain is literally gone. He's not ok. he can't be. And unless part of your brain is missing too, you physically can't relate to him. Pushkin - Actually a stable, understandable character. Weak men are known through all of history to be the causes of major drama simply because their complexes over being weak lead to them finding joy in torturing the strong. It's not a mental illness, it's just bad character. Oguri - Clearly, Ogugu has issues. Call it survivor's guilt or PTSD or whatever you want, he has issues. Nobody is denying that. Still, he's doing fairly well when not desperatelly trying to seem evil.

I do not feel like doing the Hunting Dogs for the sole reason of me not liking them enough to focus on their mental states but they are pretty much lab rats, artificially enhanced humans and that alone should be enough to explain why I don’t believe in applying normal psychology to them. As for the Decay of Angels, there’s still much more to learn about them so I won’t get into that just yet. And when it comes to the governmental agents, I haven’t read the novels so I only know a bit about Ango and I honestly don’t see how anyone could think Ango has a mental illness.

I repeat again, these are my opinions, based on my experiences and what I’ve studied about mental illnesses (because believe it or not, I study about these things quite a lot). It doesn’t fit except for Tumblr romanticised versions of them and even those are iffy. You’re free to agree and disagree with all of this or with just certain parts but please don’t feel required to share your thoughts, I frankly don’t much care.

With that I bid you goodbye, at least until another thing prompts me to make a long-ass analysis almost nobody will read, nor care for.

Days worth celebrating

relationship: Edogawa Ranpo & Izumi Kyouka rating: G genre: fluff / family fluff AO3 link: here!

summary:  Kyouka hears Lucy talking about Mother's day and is reminded of her own, while Ranpo finds her drifting amidst her thoughts.

“Today’s the day, the sweet curry day, the sweet curry day for meee,” Ranpo’s obnoxious, made up song echoes down the empty staircase as he makes his way down by himself. Everyone else in the agency is busy or off doing a case, and while Ranpo isn’t the type to enjoy doing anything alone, he at least can humor himself with the company of those on the first floor cafe. They’re always more than eager to talk to him about his day, his work, or whatever is happening in the city at the moment. The gossip of older people is something he finds very entertaining, really - old people have a knack for hearing anything and everything from one another.

His singing continues as he hops out onto the sidewalk, but he soon freezes outside the window when he notices a familiar small head of black hair sitting alone at a booth. That was... Kyouka-chan, wasn’t it?

Ranpo glances around the inside of the cafe through the window. Atsushi isn’t around for once, which is surprising in itself. His eyes narrow with a hum, and he moves to enter the cafe with a cheerful wave of his hand. “Miss waitress, two slices of strawberry cake for me and Kyouka-chan, and one coffee for me!”

Sweet curry doesn’t fit the mood for addressing Kyouka alone, he thinks.

The waitress - a middle aged woman, curvy, but not overweight - laughs gently at his exuberant greeting. “Energetic as always, hm, Ranpo-san? Your coffee is 6 sugars and three creams as usual, right?”

“You got it! Thank you!”

Though, really, it’s just an excuse to get her across the room so she doesn’t hear anything Ranpo says as he takes a seat in the booth directly across from Kyouka. There’s a cold cup of tea in front of her given the lack of steam, and her eyes are looking down into the reflection the drink creates.

“No Atsushi-kun today, Kyouka-chan?” Ranpo asks, folding his hands on the table with a smile.

Kyouka shakes her head. “He said he had to go find Dazai-san.”

The detective rolls his eyes. Well, that’s clearly a lost cause. Dazai could be anywhere because of his eccentric way of thinking, and Atsushi wasn’t the best at narrowing down ideal spots for him to be hiding. No wonder she’s by herself.

That doesn’t explain why she has such a distant look on her face, though.

“Something bothering you?” His words are both a question and a statement. No one can hide anything from him, especially not Kyouka. A former assassin she may be, she was still a child - a blunt and honest one at that. (She reminds Ranpo of himself quite a bit.)

Kyouka starts to shake her head, but seems to realize lying is a lost cause before she even starts. She looks up through her bangs to meet Ranpo’s gaze - his green eyes look back at her calmly, reassuring even. She lifts a hand to grip at the cellphone hanging around her neck, then glances towards the counter where Lucy is walking out of the storeroom with a box of supplies.

“... Earlier, she was on the phone with someone.” Kyouka starts softly, and Ranpo turns to glance at Lucy himself. “It was about Mother's Day.”

It only takes a second for Ranpo to put the pieces together, and he gives a small ‘ah’. “So you’re thinking about your mother.”

Kyouka nods slightly in affirmation.

The head waitress walks over with a tray in hand and a smile on her face. Ranpo looks up with a sudden, beaming smile, giving a happy ‘thank you~’ as she sets down the slices of cake and his coffee. There’s some sort of relief to be felt when Kyouka’s eyes light up a bit at the cake presented before her, and Ranpo smiles over the rim of his coffee.

“Thank you, Ranpo-san...” Kyouka mumbles quietly, lifting her fork to dig into the soft cake. She seems more intent on stabbing at it than eating it at the moment.

Ranpo studies her face for a moment, then sets down his coffee. “Are you feeling down because you can’t see her for Mother’s Day?”

“... A little.”

“Hmmm, I see. That’s understandable.” Ranpo jabs his fork into the strawberry sitting atop his slice, taking it into his mouth and chewing it energetically. When he swallows, he sets his fork down. “Well, luckily for you, today isn't Mother's Day. It's not till this Sunday."

Kyouka tilts her head. “... Luckily?”

Ranpo hums, remaining cryptic. He’s not always the easiest to understand, and everyone in the agency admits to this. The only ones who can say that they truly understand him completely... Kyouka would assume those people were Fukuzawa, Yosano, and Dazai. Fukuzawa was like a father to Ranpo, Yosano was his best friend, and Dazai - he and Ranpo were always spending their free time together, being the two geniuses of the agency they were. Atsushi had made a curious comment that maybe they were dating, but the two men were too affectionate with everyone to say for sure.

“Mind if I share a little secret with you?”

“With me?” Kyouka’s brows raise. She’s surprised, and with good reason. Though Ranpo is all smiles and full of energy, she felt that it was something similar to Dazai - a mask hiding something more serious, something he had shown only briefly in the past. She figured there was a reason, but knew it wasn’t her place to ask.

“Kyouka-chan is like a sister to me. Honestly, you remind me of myself,” Ranpo answers, smiling wryly. “Like you, my parents died when I was 14.”

This was Kyouka’s first time hearing anything about it, anything about Ranpo’s past. Curious as it was, no one seemed to know a thing - not even Dazai. As she recalls from Tanizaki, the brunet even asked to look into the founding of the agency at one point.

The former assassin takes a small bite of her cake, staring at Ranpo with curiosity and concern. “I didn’t know...”

“I know. Not many do. I’m more secretive than I look.” Ranpo admits, lifting his coffee to take another slow sip. “Anyway... My mother and father, they died in an accident when I was 14. I had no other relatives or family, they were all I had - so when they died... I was all alone in this world.” There’s a solemness in his gaze, and his tone is lower than his more high-pitched cheer. “I went to the police academy here in Yokohama because that’s where I was told to go if anything happened but, well, they kicked me out after half a year. I lived on the streets after being fired from one job after the next.”

“And... The director found you after that?”

“Right. Well, not that I took to him right away.” Cue a laugh as the detective rubs at his head. “Hard to believe, right~?”

“It is.” Kyouka agrees, then nods earnestly. To think that once upon a time Ranpo, who fawned over and would do anything for the director’s attention, would have disliked him once upon a time... It’s hard to imagine. The love, attachment, and sheer respect he held for the man was too great to ignore.

“Well, in any case... My mother was a great person. Stubborn and headstrong, capable of putting father in his place no matter what he tried. She could flip you on your ass if you tried to pick a fight with her too.” The man leans back in his seat, looking up at the ceiling. “If she were still alive... I’m sure she and Yosano would have been good friends. The last Mother’s Day present I ever got her - it was a bouquet of flowers I bought with my own saved up allowance, all in a pretty vase and card attached. She looked so happy, y’know...”

Kyouka doesn’t know how to respond. She’s never been the best at comforting, nor has she really received it during her time spent in the Mafia. She reaches out to hold his hand, but he seems to pull himself out of his thoughts and sits up right. He notices her hand, closing the distance to take it in his with a smile.

“That’s why I’m happy things are different in the agency now when you were brought in! Me, I only had Fukuzawa-san growing up... Mother’s Day is kind of an odd one out for me now. But, it doesn’t have to be the same for you. The agency is big, we’re our own family now... Is there someone you view as the motherly type towards you? She might not be your mother but - I’m sure yours would want you not to have such a sad expression when you think about her.”

Blue eyes blink incredulously, staring into those green eyes that study her so earnestly. Kyouka lowers her head to study how his hand holds hers, and she moves to squeeze it tightly.

Someone she views as the motherly type...?

Kunikida immediately comes to mind, but she doesn’t feel it’s the same thing as the mothering a mother would give. She loves and respects him, but decides to count him out of this one.

Naomi... She’s more like a big sister. Lucy, too, even if they butt heads.

That leaves two, and as she sifts through her memories and instances she’s had between them, the answer is clear. If she could... She’d like to thank that person. Lifting her head, Kyouka nods to Ranpo. “I think so... Can you help me get something for her?”

Ranpo smiles eagerly. “It’d be my pleasure!”

The next Sunday rolls around, and while it’s a day off, Haruno always volunteers to come in anyway to get ahead on paperwork for herself and her peers. Haruno is sorting papers by what needs to be read and signed by the director, what are requests for the agency, what are thank you letters, and so and so forth. She’s humming a tune as she goes, and is halfway finished with the stack of letters in her grasp when she feels a small tug on her sleeve that makes her stop.

“Hm?” Haruno pauses, twisting her body to locate the perpetrator. Kyouka is standing behind her and looking up at her with wide blue eyes, as if waiting to be acknowledged. The older woman does so with a smile, setting down her letters and turning to the girl. “Kyouka-chan, good morning! Is there something you need from me?”

Kyouka shakes her head, revealing the hand she’s hiding behind her back that’s holding a small, pastel pink gift bag. “There’s something I wanted to give you.”

Brown eyes blink in surprise, mouth opening slightly in surprise as she graciously accepts the gift bag by the handle and stares at it. “Give me? Where is this coming from?”

“Today is Mother’s Day...” Kyouka explains timidly, cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. “Ranpo-san... said that, if I couldn’t celebrate with my mother... then I should honor her by thanking the person who’s been most mother-like to me. So I thought I’d give you something.”

Haruno pulls out a small lacquer jewelry box from the bag. The design on top is elegant, with cherry blossom flowers hanging from a branch and petals flying into the wind. Kyouka’s words, along with the emotions behind the gift bring the woman to the brink of happy tears, and she hugs Kyouka close to her chest. “That you would want to honor your mother with little me of all people... I can’t describe how happy that makes me feel. Your mother is surely just as proud of you as I am.” she says, kissing the top of the young girl’s head with a teary laugh. “I never thought of myself as the motherly type, but for you, I wouldn’t mind that.”

Kyouka returns the hug timidly, but squeezes with a firmness that expresses her true feelings. “Thank you, Haruno-san...”

“I’m a bit surprised, though - I’d imagine you’d view Yosano-san that way first.”

The former assassin shakes her head. “Yosano-sensei is like a big sister... or aunt. Ranpo-san says she’s like a sister, and he’s a big brother to me.”

Haruno giggles, tucking some hair behind Kyouka’s ear. “I see. That makes sense. Thank you, Kyouka-chan... I’ll cherish this forever.”

Kyouka nods, stepping back to keep her gaze with Haruno’s for a few moments longer before she runs off across the room where Ranpo is watching from the doorway with a smile. He’s almost knocked off balance when Kyouka runs up and headbutts into his chest, hugging him tightly. It brings out a small cough, but it sounds more like a laugh as he pets her head gently.

“See? I told you she’d be happy about it. Are you happy, Kyouka-chan?”

The girl nods. “I’m happy... Thank you, Ranpo-san.”

“Well, anything for my cute sister, you know~”

She hums quietly in response, nuzzling into the fabric of his shirt. There is a few moment of silence, and soon she lets her chin rest against his chest to study his face. “Is there such thing as a sibling day?”

Ranpo blinks. “Huh? Uh... Yeah, but it was in April I think, so it’s already passed... Some other countries celebrate it on the last day of May, too.”

Kyouka steps back, clenching her fists together with a determined expression. “Then I have to plan for next year.” she says, then dashes past him and down the stairs.

“Eh?” Ranpo whirls to watch her run off. “Eh?! Kyouka-chan...!!”

His confusion quickly melts into a smile as he rests his hand on a hip. How can he possibly complain when she looks so excited? He can’t and won’t stop her from wanting to indulge in holidays to celebrate the new family she’s gained, the new life she’s decided to lead.

Ranpo understands that all too well, and wants to protect her as well as this family they both cherish.