Akemi stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at the spot where the absurd pink mascot had just disappeared. Her arms were crossed, her brows slightly furrowed in thought.
"That voice…" she whispered to herself. Not the bubbly, glitching Kawai Kitty lines—but his voice. Cool, low, and a little too honest for its own good.
Her eyes widened slightly. It's him.
The rude fan from earlier.
The one who had dismissed her like she was any other booth.
The same one who had just fought off a dozen thugs in a full mascot suit like it was just another Tuesday.
Akemi clenched her fists slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Then, as if summoned by the chaos, Detective Yumi Aikawa came jogging around the corner, a walkie-talkie still clipped to her hip and… a familiar looking baby in her arms?
"Miss Inoue?" Yumi asked, her expression all business until she noticed the blinking light above one of the broken cameras. "Are you alright? What happened here? We got reports of a disturbance and—"
Akemi's eyes locked on the bundle in her arms. "Is that… a baby?"
Yumi blinked. "Huh? Oh—this?" She bounced Emi gently, who cooed sleepily in her arms. "This is my friend's sister. He asked me to look after her for a bit."
Akemi tilted her head. "And the mountain of Kawai Kitty merch?"
Yumi glanced at the overloaded shopping bag swinging from her other hand like it weighed as much as a toddler. "Also for my friend. He's… helping me out with something."
Akemi smirked. "Seems like he is overworking you though."
Yumi gave her a sharp look. "Wait a minute. Who's the detective here—you or me?"
Akemi raised her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. You've got the badge."
Yumi narrowed her eyes but eventually nodded. "So, can you tell me what happened? We've got multiple unconscious guys, a broken security camera, and half the hallway looks like a wrestling match happened in it."
Akemi hesitated.
The image of the Kawai Kitty mascot standing protectively in front of her came to mind. That ridiculous paw raised in defiance. That terrible, glitching voice box. And then—his real voice, calling her a spoiled brat.
She smiled faintly to herself and shook her head. "Just some guys causing trouble. But someone handled it."
Yumi arched a brow. "Handled it?"
Akemi nodded innocently. "Like magic. Poof. Gone."
Yumi gave her a look that said she didn't buy it, but she didn't press further.
As they began walking back toward the main part of the convention, Akemi glanced down at Emi, who was now softly chewing on a Kawai Kitty plush's ear.
A thought bubbled up in her mind. So that's why he was with the baby.
Her gaze flicked back to Yumi. So that means… they're all connected.
Her grin returned, sly and playful this time.
"Oh, I know who you are now," she whispered to herself with a gleam in her eye. "And you're going to regret ever calling me a spoiled brat."
Yumi glanced over. "Sorry?"
"Nothing," Akemi replied sweetly, tucking her hands behind her back as her laugh echoed lightly down the hall.