As I opened my eyes I saw a long street, small residential houses lined the area.
My arms felt heavy so I looked down.
What was I doing again?
In my hands was a small book. "A Memoir of Mysteries."
Ah thats right I was gonna show Nii-chan my new story!
My little legs carried me as fast as I could, my excitement burning away. The book bounced in my hands as I ran, my small backpack slapped against my shoulders.
As I approached the park I saw his large back. With his signature auburn hair it was none other than my big brother.
"Yuto-Nii!" I called out with all my might.
He turned and I was met with a bright smile. The kind of smile that made everything okay. "Hiroto. You made it."
My older brother was the best older brother in the world. He was only 1 year older than me but he always took good care of me.
I flashed him my book. This was a really good book. My new favorite book.
"Is that a new book Hiroto?" He asked while smiling.
"Nnh! It has sooooo many stories! But the mysteries are kinda easy.." I frowned. I finished most of them in 5 minutes.
I felt a hand ruffle my hair. "That's only because Hiroto is the smartest. No other 6 year old would be able to solve those!"
"Hehehe." I liked it when Yuto said good things. My chest felt warm.
After my parents went far away Nana and big brother have always taken care of me. I still wonder when mama and papa are coming home though. Nana said they went on a "long trip," but it had been two years already.
But it's okay because I have big brother to play with me!
Yuto sat down on the park bench and patted the spot next to him. "Want to tell me about the stories?"
I climbed up next to him, swinging my legs that didn't quite reach the ground yet, and started talking about the locked room mystery I'd just read.
Yuto listened to everything.
He always did.
---------------------------------------------
I stare out the window counting the birds.
One… two… three… one hundred thirty two.
Class was always such a drag. After grandmother passed away to old age I've been taking care of myself.
Well Yuto was still there. Always there.
After my first year of high school, I quickly landed myself a position at a big police department as a brutal crimes investigation detective. The youngest in the department's history.
Due to my overwhelming credentials and recommendations I was allowed a pardon even with my young age.
The police commissioner looked at me with an incredulous look. "You sure you wanna see what we see? Deal with the monsters we deal with?"
I said yes without hesitation.
Yuto joined quickly at seventeen, right after graduating high school. We'd become partners. The detective duo that never failed.
Even then I was forced to attend classes due to the "law." Or something like that.
I glanced at my phone under my desk.
Yuto: new case lil bro. meet after school?
Hiroto: obv. what kind?
Yuto: the interesting kind.
The bell rang.
I grabbed my bag and headed out, ignoring the whispers behind me.
"Thats the detective kid."
"I heard he already solved like twenty murders."
"He never talks to anyone though, weird."
It didn't matter I had Yuto.
I was in the police station. Fluorescent lights shone from above. The smell of powder coffee and criminals assaulted my nose.
I was eighteen now. A full detective. Still the youngest in the department.
And Yuto– nineteen, strong, brilliant, unstoppable– was my parter.
We sat across from each other at our shared desk, with the files spread in between.
"It's a serial arsonist," Yuto said, tapping at a photo. "He's burnt three buildings in two weeks. No casualties yet, but it's escalating."
I studied the photos.
"He's not trying to kill people," I muttered. "He's trying to send a message. Each building belongs to the same property development company. Each burn was made in a place that would ensure nobody died."
Yuto's eyes lit up. "Sabotage?"
"Or.. revenge. Someone who lost something to that company." I pulled up old property records. "Let's see who they have negatively affected in the last year."
By midnight we had narrowed it down to three suspects.
Two hours later, we'd caught him– a man whose family home had been demolished for a luxury apartment complex. He'd lost.. Everything.
The arrest was pretty clean. He lunged at Yuto but he was quickly flipped over.
"Another one down lil bro," Yuto said as he fistbumped me while handcuffing the man.
"We make a good team" I smirked.
"The best." He agreed.
He grinned. "You know, I've been thinking– after we close the Nakamura case next week, we should take a vacation. Somewhere nice like Osaka, maybe Kyoto. Take a breather."
"You? Me? Rest? Blasphemy."
He chuckled and followed up. "I'm serious, Hiroto. No crime for a few days. Just us and the sun, and maybe some hot babes."
I put a palm to my face. "You and your 'hot babes' never fail you huh?"
He burst out laughing. "Of course not."
I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Nii-san. After the Nakamura case. It's a promise."
Our pinkies interlocked into an internal vow. An everlasting promise.
The Nakamura case. A brutal serial killer we'd been chasing for months. His victims: children, women, and elderly. He would assault them and then butcher their corpses, displaying them as if they were art pieces.
He reached over and ruffled my hair. Just like when we were six.
Some things never change.
The corners of my lips tilted up almost imperceptible.
"I saw thatttt." Yuto teased.
"Fuck off." I cursed back.