Chapter Text
“Ranpo!” Yosano burst into the office looking panicked. “I need your help! Preferably immediately!”
“What did you do?” Ranpo looked up from his chip bag with none of the urgency Yosano was having. “And why do you need my help? Can someone else do it?”
“Only you can,” Yosano informed him. She had calmed down slightly, but she was still looking nervously behind her shoulder into the hallway as if someone was chasing her. She moved further into the room and closed the door, even going as far to lock it.
Ranpo got up from his desk and started walking over to Yosano. “What do you need?” He sighed. He supposed he could do something for her after she had entered so panicky.
“I need you to take the blame for me!”
“I…” Ranpo blinked. “What?”
“I accidentally lost some important documents. Not confidential ones,” she rushed, “but ones that are needed. Very soon.”
“And you want me to take the blame?” He wasn’t quite following her thought process here. Yeah, he could use his glasses to find it out, but that would be too much work for something that’s really not going to affect him that much. “Why would I do that? It sounds like a ‘you’ problem.”
Yosano looked around as if to check if someone was listening nearby. Except Ranpo refused to believe that was actually what she was doing because there was very clearly no one else in the room.
She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. There was really no point in doing that because, again, there was no one else in the room.
“It’s because Fukuzawa is going to be the first one to find out.”
“And you want Fukuzawa to get mad at me?!” Ranpo stared at her in disbelief. Was that actually the reason why she was asking? “For something I actually didn’t do this time?! No way I’m helping you!”
Ranpo turned around and prepared to stomp back to his desk, when Yosano grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Please! Just hear me out.” Ranpo sighed and turned back to Yosano as she continued. “If Fukuzawa hears that it was you that lost the documents, he won’t get as mad! In fact, he probably won’t get mad at all. So it would be for the best if you take the blame!”
Ranpo stared Yosano in the eyes. “And what will I get out of it?”
“What?”
“I’m not going to do this for free,” Ranpo stated while crossing his arms. “What will you give me to do it?”
Yosano looked as if she was deep in thought before she responded.
“I’ll take you to your favorite bakery,” Yosano offered
“You take me there all the time,” Ranpo pointed out. “Offer me something better.”
“I’ll buy whatever you order at your favorite bakery.”
“Deal!” He shouted before Yosano could really think through what she was offering.
“Wait! I take it back!”
“Too late! You’re the one who said it first!”
He cackled as Yosano sent him a glare. Ohhh he’d be sure to make the best out of this deal! (At the expense of Yosano’s wallet).
Yosano just sighed. “Fine. But you better make sure my name doesn’t come up when you’re taking the blame.”
Oh right. He still had to take the blame for… what was it again? Missing documents?
“In fact.” Before he knew it, he was being pushed towards the door by Yosano. “Why don’t you do it right now!”
Ranpo sighed. Well, there was no going back now. And he supposed he could be nice to Yosano and make this as convincing as possible.
Fukuzawa won’t lie. He was a little bit annoyed. However, if someone were to walk into his office that moment, they would only see him as appearing perfectly content. Even if he was (and he had lied before about it being just a little) very very annoyed.
He was supposed to get the financial reports an hour ago, but he hadn’t received them yet. And it was of utmost importance that he got them. He needed to reference them for virtually everything he had to fill out next.
There was a knock on the door.
Fukuzawa took a deep breath, trying to push down his annoyance even more. But it was hard. It was likely a person who was delivering the documents and he hoped that had a very good explanation on why they were late.
“Yes?” He called out when he was sure no traces of annoyance would accidentally creep into his tone.
The door slowly opened and Ranpo’s head popped around the corner. He was still keeping the door halfway closed and he hadn’t entered the room yet.
When he saw Ranpo, Fukuzawa’s annoyance melted away.
“Do you need something?” He asked, concerned. Ranpo didn’t normally enter his office, so he hoped everything was okay.
Ranpo didn’t respond right away. Instead, he hesitantly took a step into his office. And then another. And when he was in fully, he gently closed the door.
“Are you okay?” Now he was really worried. Ranpo wasn’t normally this quiet.
“Promise you won’t be mad?” Ranpo’s voice was soft and he wasn’t meeting Fukuzawa’s eyes. His shoulders were hunched, making him appear smaller than he already was.
Fukuzawa immediately stood from his desk, all former paperwork he had been doing forgotten. He slowly approached Ranpo until he was in front of him, kneeling down so he was at eye level. Ranpo was staring at the floor.
He gently placed one of his hands on Ranpo’s shoulder. “Would you mind telling me what you did?”
“I… I…” Ranpo looked up to meet his gaze. “I accidentally lost the financial documents!” He rushed out. He then paused before continuing. “I’m really really sorry.”
Fukuzawa froze.
So Ranpo was the one who was responsible for the late, or now confirmed missing, documents.
He pushed down his immediate instinct to start glaring, and instead looked over Ranpo carefully.
He was fidgeting with his hands, clasping and unclasping them. His feet kept on shuffling back and forth. And… There were tears starting to gather in his eyes.
“Are you mad?” Ranpo’s voice was almost a whisper as he looked at Fukuzawa with tear filled eyes.
Fukuzawa thought it over. Ranpo was responsible for losing the documents. Which meant he’d be the reason for the late work. And he’d also be the reason why filling out the other paperwork would tak so much longer.
But… Ranpo was looking at him so nervously and guiltily.
So he couldn’t stay mad for long.
“Of course not,” Fukuzawa reassuringly said, patting Ranpo on the shoulder.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’m still really sorry.” Ranpo was still looking miserable, though the tears had stopped.
“It’s fine. Really.” He added when Ranpo looked at him doubtfully. “They’re not confidential so we don’t have to look for them and retrieve them. The only thing that really needs to be done is to make a copy. And that’s an insignificant little thing in the grand scheme of things.”
“You sure?”
“Of course I am.”
He wiped away some of the remaining tears on Rampo’s cheek.
“You know what? I can actually deal with making the copies. Why don’t you get Yosano to take you to your favorite bakery?”
Ranpo nodded and gave a small smile, which Fukuzawa counted as a victory. He gave Ranpo’s shoulder one last reassuring pat before standing up fully.
Ranpo left the room and Fukuzaw sighed. It seems that he would have to be making copies now.
“Well? Is he mad? What did he say?” Yosano questioned Ranpo as soon as he left Fukuzawa’s office.
Ranpo grinned at her. “It went pretty well, he’s not that mad, and…” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “He said you should take me to the bakery!”
Yosano appeared as if she was going to protest, before she must have decided not to.
“Fine… but after this, it’s done. I’m not going to pay for any more of your sweets.”
Ranpo hummed in acknowledgment. He’s sure she’d need something else from him eventually. And he now knew that he could always use paying for his snacks as payment for such services.