A Cake For President

We're back at the agency right now and we saw Kunikida-san outside the door of the building. He looks like he's searching for someone but he doesn't know where to search for them so he just stands still and waits there quietly.

"Kunikida-san, are you looking for someone?" I asked to confirm my hunch.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Dazai. Have you seen him on your way back here?"

Curious about why he was looking for Dazai-san and where the man is right now, I shake my head twice to answer him no.

"We haven't seen him. Why are you looking for him by the way?"

"There's an errand that I want him to do. The President was asking me to buy a cake but I have an important meeting soon and I need to leave 10 minutes from now."

"Did you just say, cake?"

Both of us turned our gaze to Ranpo-san who decided to talk after hearing the word cake. When it comes to sweets, he really can't help but to be attentive.

"Yes, you heard it right, Ranpo. The president strictly said to not let you buy or see the cake. I need to obey the president's order so you're out of this." Kunikida-san stated.

Ranpo-san's head tilted, eyes completely clueless.

"Why?" he innocently asked. If you would look at him right now, he looks like a kid who just got lost at the amusement park.

"You're still asking me that? The president doesn't want you to buy or see the cake because everyone knows that you will eat it before it even arrives to him!" explained Kunikida-san.

I saw Ranpo-san got stilled and crossed his arms over his chest before pouting. He's sulking that the President already predicted what will happen once he saw the cake.

"I'll do it, Kunikida-san. Let's not disturb Dazai-san today."

It was my voice that made the bespectacled man turn his gaze at me.

I don't want Dazai-san to be disturbed by him today. He is looking for something that is so dear to him so I would do all of the errands that Kunikida-san would give to him. By that, I can help him to focus on searching for it. The other members didn't come to the agency today so it's only me who could do the errand on behalf of Dazai-san.

"Okay, if you say so. Here's the agency card, you can use this to pay for it. Any cake would do. Be sure to deliver it to the President yourself. Thank you, Atsushi-kun. I need to go now because I need to prepare for the meeting."

After telling me the reminders, Kunikida-san disappeared from my sight. He entered the entrance of the building and Ranpo-san walked in front of me.

"I'll go with you, Atsushi-kun!" Ranpo-san said with a bright smile.

I felt bad to decline him.

"But Ranpo-san, you heard what Kunikida-san told you earlier. The President doesn't want you to help with this errand. They would be mad at me if I didn't listen to them."

"Forget what that old man says. He would give me chocolates if I cried outside his office anyways."

My eyes grew bigger. Sometimes, it's really hard to fathom Ranpo-san's mind. He's childish most of the time.. no, not most of the time, but actually everytime.

He started to walk before me so I didn't have a choice but to let him tag along. It's not that I would let him eat half of the cake that we're going to buy anyway.

While we're on the way, I can't stop myself from thinking about where Dazai-san is right now. Ranpo-san was quick to notice it. I wasn't speaking and just walked quietly beside him. The silence between us was deafening and I was about to get lost in the cloud of my thoughts, when Ranpo-san decided to speak.

"Let me tell you why you are acting like that. You are worried about Dazai, right? You want to help him but he didn't tell you what he's searching so you don't want Kunikida to disturb him. You're also probably thinking where he is right now."

Ranpo-san can read what's inside my mind like an open book. He's right. I'm really worried about Dazai-san. Should I ask him to tell me what Dazai-san is finding? Ranpo-san might know about it. If he tells me what the thing Dazai-san is finding, then he can help me give it back to him.

"Do you have an idea what it is, Ranpo-san?" I asked, hoping that he would answer yes.

"I do, but I'm the greatest detective. You know that I won't tell it to you for free."

I know he would say that. I terribly want to help Dazai-san so I would do anything just to get that information from him.

"What is it that you want?" I asked confidently.

I don't have any choice, Ranpo-san is the only option I have for now.

"I want to be the one to deliver the cake to the President!" he answered.

My mind suddenly went blank.

"Ehh?"

Letting Ranpo-san to deliver the cake to the President is never the best idea. Kunikida-san has reminded me to deliver it myself but I don't have any right to reject Ranpo-san's condition when in return, he's going to tell me the thing that Dazai-san is finding.

If I agree with him, it would be the stupidest decision I would ever make. The President and Kunikida-san would scold me and will give me an earful sermon, however, I won't be able to sleep comfortably at night if I didn't do anything to help Dazai-san today so I don't have any choice but to agree with his condition.

Ranpo-san is the only person who could help me with a hundred percent of assurance. He is the greatest detective in the world after all.