The Conspiration

After we bought the chocolate cake at the nearest bakery, I reminded Ranpo-san to deliver the cake to the President wholly. He told me yes, but he's not looking at my eyes directly so I know that he's not sincere while saying it.

"Dazai is searching for a photo." Ranpo-san said after a brief silence. I looked at him and repeated what he said.

"A photo?" What kind of photo exactly is it?

"Given that he won't stop searching for it, it's a photo that he treasured the most. But he can never search it here because the photo was gone a long time ago."

My heart felt sad after hearing that. So Dazai-san is just wasting his time searching for that photo. The photo isn't here so no matter how much he gave effort in finding it, he would never see it again.

"But why?" I asked, disheartened. My eyes are downcast. Suddenly, I felt my whole system relinquish myself.

"Does it mean Dazai-san won't see the photo again?" Just by thinking about that, it made me feel downhearted.

"Nope, he can still see the photo. But it will be up to you." I slightly raised my head. I look at Ranpo-san with a confused look. What does he mean that it's up to me?

"I will make sure to deliver this cake safely to the president. If you really want to help Dazai find the photo, you should stay here. It's true that the photo isn't here anymore. But who knows? Maybe the universe will conspire and bring the photo back to this world again."

I can't look away seeing the smile from Ranpo-san's face. Having no idea what he was talking about, I still chose to listen to him. He said, "bring the photo back to this world."

Does he mean that the photo is in a different world? But that's so impossible. Maybe he just told me that so I would stay here and he could bring the chocolate cake to the president himself. Should I let him do that and stay here? Ranpo-san doesn't know the way back to the agency anyway. I'm afraid he might get lost.

"I know what you're thinking." Flabbergasted, I looked at Ranpo-san once again after hearing his voice. Is he really a mind reader?

"I am not a mind reader, but your reaction is just too obvious. I won't eat this whole cake and even if I don't know the way back to the agency, you don't need to worry about me because I have someone that will help me to go back there."

Just on a cue, a young man with a dark brown mullet with purplish undertones that cover his eyes and hangs around his neck, appeared on the scene. He's wearing a white mandarin collar button-up shirt with a white loosely tied ribbon around his neck. He also has a black vest under an open cream colored tailcoat that is torn around the bottom and colored lapels. On his shoulder, there is his raccoon pet named Karl. Karl's body is mostly covered with thick brown fur and a black and white fur that can be seen around his eyes. He also had pointed ears.

"Ranpo-kun, since when did you know that I was here?" The man asked. He can't believe that Ranpo-san noticed his presence when he's being careful in hiding.

"Since earlier when we went to solve a case." Ranpo-san said.

My eyes widened in disbelief. Poe-san have been following us ever since that time? The said man hid his face on his palm. He got so shy that Ranpo-san found out that he was following us from the beginning. As far as I can remember, Poe-san is the former Master architect of the Guild. He introduced himself before as Ranpo-san's rival, but they actually look more like an old friend rather than rivals.

"Atsushi-kun, we are going back to the agency now. You should stay here and wait. I'll see you later," Ranpo-san bid his goodbye. He turns around, holding the chocolate cake in his hand tightly and walks with Poe-san and Karl. I looked at them until they disappeared from my sight. When I can't see their shadows anymore, that's when I realized that I am alone again.

I stayed at the exact position where Ranpo-san left me and didn't move. I waited just like what he told me, but I don't know how long I would wait there.

Did Ranpo-san just pull a prank on me? I have thought of a scenario that if I go back to the agency right now, the president would be mad at me for disobeying his order. Also, I can't escape from Kunikida-san's sermon and he would probably scold me for 5 hours straight for not listening to him when he got back from the meeting.

I sighed and decided to take a step forward. Nothing happened. I took another step forward.. another step, and another step.. until I heard a shout from afar.

"A robber! Please help me! He robbed my bag! Someone please get him!" a voice of a girl yelled.

I was quick to move my feet and ran towards the robber. The robber was a fast runner, but he had no match for my tiger's leg. In just a minute, I already caught up with his pace and caught him by his shirt, pulling him into a halt and dragging him to the ground to corner him. He can't run away from me.

"You should have just joined a running competition rather than robbing things from people, you ugly robber!" The girl, who had shouted earlier, was so furious. She gets her bag from the robber's hand and hits it on the man's head.

She was catching her own breath, eyes tired while breathing heavily because of running swiftly to catch up. The policeman came to arrest the robber and the girl looked at me to say thank you.

"Thank you so much for helping me, you saved my precious bag!" she said sincerely.

"You're welcome, It's my pleasure to help people." I replied with a slight smile. She opened her bag and showed me what's inside it. It made me startled. There is nothing inside the bag except a thick brown book.

The robber tried stealing her bag without knowing that there's no money inside it as it only contained a mere book.

"This is not just an ordinary book." the girl stated after studying my expression for a while.

"May I ask what's your name?" I hesitantly look at her as I don't think it's a good idea to tell her my name. But she looks trustworthy and friendly so I ended up telling her my name after a few seconds.

"Atsushi," I simply replied.

"It's nice to meet you Atsushi-kun, my name is Paula. Just like you, I am also an ability user."

I blink from what I heard. I was stunned to hear that she's also an ability user and was more shocked that she knows about my ability.

"You might be quick from running, but my keen eyes saw you transformed into a tiger earlier. It's your ability, right? You don't need to worry because I'm the only one who saw it. I can keep it a secret from others if you want."

I didn't speak. I remained silent and looked at her with curiosity. I was thinking of leaving her and going back to the agency already as I can't stay here waiting any longer. I was about to do that actually, but it didn't happen when the girl spoke again.

"When you want something so bad, all the universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it. Did you hear that quote before, Atsushi-kun?" the girl who introduced herself as Paula asked.

The quote is not familiar to me. I'm sure that it is the first time that I heard it.

"What do you mean?" I questioned her with a low voice.

"Like what I said earlier, I'm an ability user. My ability is to help humans to get what they desire the most, but I can only use my ability to help those people that help me first."

Help those people who helped her first? Does that mean she wants to help me because I helped her? I shake my head several times, not honestly liking the idea.

"No, you don't need to help me. It's my job to help people that need my help. I didn't do it to get something in return." I replied.

"How nice of you." Paula-chan praised. Her voice sounds genuine. "But I ought to help those people that helped me.. I don't like being indebted to anyone."

I want to convince her that she doesn't need to do it and I also don't want her to think that she's in debt with me, but I didn't get a chance to speak again when she opened her book and a combination of blue and purple light appeared in front of us.

"My ability, 'The Conspiration', allows the person I have chosen to achieve the thing that they desired the most. Whether it's in a different world, or on another planet. The universe will conspire to make impossible things become possible for them.. I have once brought one of my favorite characters from the book into real life. As it's not impossible for me to make a fictional character from the book alive, it's also not impossible for me to send someone from here to a different world. Now, tell me, Atsushi-kun. What do you desire the most?"

I didn't answer. I don't know what to answer. What is really the thing I desired the most? Having a nice place to sleep comfortably at night, I can now also eat more than three times a day, I have money and a job to support myself. I also have friends to call at the agency... I don't have anything else to ask because I already have all of those.

Paula-chan smiled when moments passed and I didn't answer her question. It's not like she's forcing me to answer and speak anyway.

"If you don't know the answer for that yet, don't worry, it's alright. My ability already knows what you desire and soon, you will also realize it yourself."

I looked at my arms and I got frightened when I saw both of them vanishing in thin air.

"W-What are you doing to me?" My voice was shaking, I was starting to get nervous as I couldn't do anything to stop my hand from vanishing. Even though she already explained her ability to me, it still won't sink in completely on my mind.

I want to know exactly what she's going to do to me. I want to know where she's going to bring me. I need confirmation from her so I won't be nervous.

"I'm helping you, Atsushi-kun." she said. I was so confused.

"But why me?" I asked.

"Because I'm choosing you."

For the last time, I saw Paula-chan's smile.

For the last time, I heard what Paula-chan said to me before I completely disappeared from her sight.

"I promise you'll be fine." I heard her whisper before I got completely consumed by the light.

##

Paula-chan closed the book she's holding and put it back carefully inside her bag. She looked up and stared at the cloudless sky, appreciating the beautiful scenery above her.

The weather in Yokohama is so good today. She thought before smiling.

"Return safely, Atsushi-kun."

There's a gust of wind that passed in her direction and in just a blink of an eye, the girl also disappeared without anyone knowing.