Entering: Green, the apprentice detective

❖❖❖

Ranpo watched in morbid curiosity as the glowing green light in front of him took the shape of a familiar silhouette.

It seemed like Atsushi-kun was caught up in some trouble again. Ranpo bit the lollipop in his mouth, causing the strawberry sweet flavor to melt on his tongue.

The light melted off and revealed a version of Nakajima Atsushi. He had a different haircut from their Atsushi, it was a bit longer and much better styled. There was a hairclip holding a part of his hair on the left side, butterfly-shaped like Akiko's hairclip but silver. And he was also wearing a familiar black haori.

Oya?

Ranpo already had a gist of this Atsushi's history.

"Ranpo-aniki!"

The boy greeted him cheerfully like he didn't notice any differences in Ranpo. His Ranpo wasn't that much different from him then, Ranpo easily concluded.

Ranpo pulled the lollipop's stick out and pointed at this new Atsushi.

"Atsushi-kun."

The boy immediately shut up, face gone blank as his mind worked as fast as it could, finally noticing the differences in their offices.

Ah, the other him trained a good one, didn't he?

"Ranpo-ani-"

The boy started but then realized something else, made up his mind, and continued.

"Ranpo-san, this is not in my world, isn't it?"

"No, it's not~! Took you long enough to figure that out, Atsushi-kun~"

This Atsushi's cheeks immediately turned red at Ranpo's words. Interesting, Ranpo pushed this information to the back of his mind. The boy, while knowing that he was not his 'Ranpo-aniki', still looked at him with stars and adoration in his eyes. This Atsushi trusted his Ranpo so much to the point of trusting his counterpart whom he had just met.

...

No, that was not it. This Atsushi knew Ranpo was similar to his Ranpo, and that was why he trusted him. Clever boy, Ranpo thought.

"So, Atsushi-kun, do you have any candy for me?"

The boy immediately pulled a lollipop out of his haori and handed it to him. Ranpo let out a chuckle, taking the lollipop from the boy, and receiving a bright smile back.

Melon flavor. He was going to enjoy this Atsushi for a while, wasn't he? Ranpo thought as he enjoyed the sweetness of the lollipop in his mouth.

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Nakajima Atsushi Entry:

✎ Green - the apprentice detective
Name: Nakajima Atsushi
Occupation:
    •    Detective
Affiliation:
    •    Armed Detective Agency
Nickname(s)/Alias(es):
    •    Little Detective (by Edogawa Ranpo, Yosano Akiko)
    •    Apprentice Detective-kun (by Dazai Osamu)
    •    Jinko/Weretiger (by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke)
Notes:
    •    This Atsushi calls his Ranpo 'Ranpo-aniki'.
    •    He wears a silver butterfly-shaped hairclip and a familiar black haori.