Crossing the enemy lines
Fandom: Ron Kamonohashi Deranged Detective
Last week, an anime in the making was announced to the delight of manga readers like yours truly. This is a prequel to the first chapter, with some hints of spoilers, yet canon divergence and a mix of head canons and fan theories.
If you haven’t read it, I urge you to do it.
Trying out for the first time to join @flashfictionfridayofficial for this week’s prompt.
Totomaru Isshiki is on the run. Face, beet red and sweating, and heart racing, he turns around for a split second to check if someone is following him. Nary a soul. No one. Nothing. He walks along the coastal beach, strange that there are no divers to be seen, no beachcombers, not even the locals. The white sand, however, keeps on entering his white sneakers.
Kilometres it seems as he comes across the fields of rice where patient water buffaloes are waiting for their masters. His burner phone starts again to vibrate. In fact, it has been vibrating ever since this morning. Like a wilful child, he decides not to answer it at all.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck… fuck me!” Cursing is not particularly in his vocabulary, but at this moment, cursing at himself seems to be the only thing he can do. Paranoia grips him. Regrets. He has a lot of those. Especially if you are born in a powerful family operating in the shadows. He’s been cooped up for two days on the beautiful Yaeyama Islands. He’s walking aimlessly. The view is right—a row of Bali style lodges in the middle of luxurious jungle facing the blue waters of the ocean against the backdrop of loud yellow sunshine, verdant rice fields, temperature shooting up to more than 30 degrees, perfect for a getaway—but everything is wrong, off. Toto’s ideal vacation is without a doubt no disturbance coming from anybody, lest his own family.
The old Nokia model vibrates again. He resolves to answering it all at once. “Hi!” Toto knows the owner of that voice, Milo Moriarty.
“No greetings? Oh, you wound me, Toto. Are you enjoying the views at least? Have you been touring the whole island? You are so unreachable. It is exhausting to be ignored. Don’t try me, Toto. Don’t make me angry.”
Of course, Milo will know where he is. He has eyes and ears on everything. His omnipotence scares him, a family trait. Besides, he’s the one who kidnaps him away from the comforts of his new flat. He’s the reason he has probably lost a day prior to his arrival to the islands.
“It is not my fault to be here, Milo. I was doing my job and the next thing I knew I was on an island.” Toto is irritated that intermingles with his fear. He knows what Milo is capable of. He has seen how he destroys his enemies, witnessed what happened to those who oppose him. Yet deep inside, he knows Milo won’t dare touch a strand of his brown hair. He has other ways to punish him.
“Your job? If that’s your way of making me laugh… you only got it because you insisted of doing the right thing when you don’t even have the talent for deduction.” Loud chuckle rambles on the receiver. Toto could smother him. “The curtain rises.” Milo has the penchant for the dramatics. “Your stage is ready.”
“Ron Kamonohashi is not bothering the family. He’s suffering from depression, wallowing in his own loneliness…why do we need to lure him out?” Toto asks. He’s not used to violence so he’s resorting to a more sinister plan: befriending him, earning his trust. Milo has instructed him. He’s been taught how to mind his manners after all, all thanks to their grandmother, who is particular with etiquette by keeping the appearances of a respectable family.
“Because he’s nothing but a pest, Toto. He’s akin to a rat that needs to be eradicated. He’s an anomaly. He’s a taint.” Milo, who has taken over the family empire, means business. He can go on and on, declaring a hundred ways to destroy Ron Kamonohashi.
“He’s walled up in his room for five years, don’t you think it is punishment enough?”
“Are you backing out? Are you defying me? We have talked about this.” Milo raises his voice. Toto, shocked and defeated, tries to defuse Milo’s anger.
“All right. All right. You don’t need to be hyper. I’ll do it, okay?!” Toto assures Milo.
“Very good! Enjoy the last few hours of your holiday, Toto. Details will come to you once you are back in Tokyo.”
“Will you be there?”
“Maybe. Though I doubt it. If my schedules in London will permit me. Goodbye, Toto. I am counting on you this time.”
Toto lets out a sigh. He packs the personal stuff he has, goes to the terrace, and watches the sunset. Very soon he will meet the descendant of Sherlock Holmes. Not long now.
—
Expanded version now on AO3.
