"Looks like Neko didn't do a good job investigating. She was probably too excited that her friend came back.", the man sighed as he walked towards Hashiyan.

While walking he lifted his cane a bit as Hashiyan frowned slightly when he saw that there was a sword hidden in there.

Damn it... a sword in the cane? I did learn self defense in the past but using it against an old man and a small girl... I don't think I can do that., Hashiyan concluded as he sighed smiling before lifting his hands into the air.

"Looks like I've been caught~ Hey, I really did my best coming here and I don't really like to lose so what about giving me one chance?", Hashiyan suggested as the old man looked at him curiously. "A chance?", he repeated urging him to go on. "As you can see, I'm just some weird, black-haired guy who hates violence.

So how about playing a game?", Hashiyan asked as the man got more interested, his sword still ready to be pulled out. "A game which you get to choose. It can be any kind of game. If I win then please close your eyes for a minute and forget this incident.", Hashiyan explained.

"And what if you lose?", the man asked as Hashiyan just closed his eyes still smiling.

"Hm~? I don't think that will happen.", Hashiyan said confidently as the man stayed silent for a while before putting his sword completely back into the cane. "Alright, the inspection will take some time anyway. Might as well do something interesting to pass my time.", the man agreed as Hashiyan smiled triumphantly.

"Now, please follow me. I will take your words and choose a game.", the man said as he walked ahead with the girl close after him and Hashiyan looked at them for a second before following them.

They arrived into a room with white walls and wooden furnitures. The man motioned Hashiyan to sit down and walked to a drawer to take some things. He turned away for a second before coming back with a small glass bottle filled with a suspicious, turquoise liquid.

Coccalap noticed how Hashiyan stared at the bottle as he started explaining. "This is a poison that my favorite student created some time ago. If you give some drops of those to a while animal it will kill it instantly.", he said as he opened the bottle.

As soon as he did though the bottle got out of his grip and landed on the table, spilling some of the liquid. When the liquid came on the table it started to dissolve a bit as Hashiyan stared at it in slight discomfort.

"...Please don't tell me you want to poison me with tea.", Hashiyan said as the man just nodded. "Bingo~ we will prepare three cups of tea and you have to choose one of them. The chance you'll have to live is 1/3.", he said as Hashiyan could only stare at him deadpanned.

He can't be serious, can he?, Hashiyan asked himself as Coccalap closed the bottle again.

"By the way, how good do you think is your luck?", he asked as Hashiyan didn't really expect this question. "My luck? It's pretty normal, I guess.", Hashiyan answered as the man nodded satisfied with the response.

"Well, in my case, my luck is rather high. I almost experienced death so many times but whenever that was the case, it was either my student or my subordinates who suffered the consequences. I would like to test how much luck I really have... if it's good luck or actually bad luck.

And even if it ends with the very small chance that I lose with this luck I can at least die happily with the thought that I was killed by my beloved poison.", the man said having nothing much to lose. Hashiyan smiled awkwardly as he listened to Coccalap before speaking up.

"Um... is there a possibility to play another game? Like chess or monopoly or uno?", Hashiyan asked as the man smiled amused under his mask.

"You are good at all of those, aren't you? Unfortunately, that won't be happening because I want this game to be fair so you'll have to bear with it. To make the game fair, this girl here will prepare the tea.", the man said as the girl walked over to Hashiyan reaching out to take the bottle.

Hashiyan noticed this as he gave her the bottle he was holding and closed the lid for her before giving it back. She took the bottle and walked away to prepare the tea.

"What a gentleman.", the man said mockingly when he saw Hashiyan's actions as the detective just smiled. "Is that your granddaughter?", Hashiyan asked as he looked at the small girl with her eyes being covered by bandages.

"Hm? Ah, no. That girl is merely a plant.", he said as Hashiyan lost his words for a few seconds not believing it.

"Someone called a Mimikry. She can even do the Mimese. She is some kind of plant but if she is actually completely a plant isn't known right now.", he explained as Hashiyan tried to find his voice back. "W-wait a second.

Did you just say she's a plant?", Hashiyan asked hoping he misunderstood something. "Ah, yes, she is. This form of the Mimikry is quite cute, isn't it? Although, she isn't that advanced when it comes to the Mimese. The eyes are especially difficult...If she doesn't get enough nutrients then she can't grow but if she gets too much then she'll end up like that thing...", Coccalap trailed off as Hashiyan could only stare at him distraught.

What... the hell is he talking about?, he asked himself as he decided to ask some questions. "What—", he stopped talking when he noticed the Mimikry coming back with the cups of tea as Coccalap nodded satisfied.

"Well, I think we talked enough now, haven't we?", the masked man asked as he motioned with his hands towards the three cups of tea.

"Now then... it was nice talking to you but... you won't be able get home."

Meanwhile where Eve is
Eve sat in the car worried as many thoughts swirled in his head. Ah... where is Hashiyan-san? We won't be able to go on like this... Is he alright? Tomohisa-san probably had so much work with tha detective. I hope he's fine... I want to see Sou again... I want to eat some mushrooms.

"Now before we start, please swallow this pill first.", Coccalap said as he placed a red and white pill on the table as Hashiyan eyed it suspiciously before picking it up.

"What is this?", Hashiyan asked already having his suspicions which were confirmed as soon as Coccalap answered.

"That is a poison that is working slowly on you. It's different than the poison in your tea.

You can call it an insurance. An insurance in case you get scared or try to find a way not to drink any cup at all.", the man said as Hashiyan just looked at the pill before looking back at the scientist waiting for him to keep talking.

"In one of the three cups, there is a quick-working poison. It's the one that you saw spilling on the desk. If you drink that then you'll experience death in a matter of seconds.

In the second cup there is a slow-working poison. It's a kind of antidote for the pill and basically neutralizes it.", the man explained as Hashiyan listened intently.

"Neutralizing it... that means...", Hashiyan started as the man nodded knowing what he was going to say. "Exactly, if you get the third cup with no poison in it... then you'll die as well.

Because the pill that you'll take will slowly poison you already. So the only option for you is to choose the cup with the slow-working poison. That is if you want to live.", Coccalap laughed as if he just said something very funny.

Hashiyan stayed silent as he looked at all of the cups inspecting them from right to left.

The right one is just normal tea... it definitely has to be. It lightly got onto the hand of the little girl... if there was poison on it then it would have injured her hand... so it probably is just tea., Hashiyan was deeply in thought but snapped out of it when he saw the girl holding something towards him.

It was the handkerchief he used to hold the bottle with the poison.

"Ah, you can keep that. Thank you for being considerate.", Hashiyan said but the girl kept quiet as she still held the handkerchief towards him. Hashiyan was confused as he took it back.

Does she not want it? Well, it's just a handkerchief but still..., Hashiyan thought but took it back nethertheless.

Coccalap who watched them decided to speak up. "Now please think and choose wisely. And you can take your time.

After all... you are standing close to death.", he warned Hashiyan who just smiled. "Yeah, I know. I already decided which cup to take.", Hashiyan said which surprised Coccalap slightly but he nodded as he waited for Hashiyan to choose his cup.

Hashiyan took the pill before taking one cup and swallowing it both. Coccalap watched intently interested to see what would happen.

Hashiyan hoped that his intuition would be right as he swallowed the poison.

Shortly after Hashiyan took the pill though he started to cough and Coccalap just watched as the guy before him started gasping for air and coughed, tears in the corner of his eyes.

He didn't say anything as he just watched Hashiyan holding his throat and fell on the coach and he stayed silent for a minute when he saw that Hashiyan stopped moving.

He looked at him one more time before sighing and ruffling his own hair. "It looks like I've won in the end.", the man said almost sad as the girl walked towards Hashiyan.

She reached out to him but before she could touch him Coccalap stopped her. "Don't touch him! Just cover his face.", he instructed as the girl put the handkerchief over Hashiyan's face.

"That guy... he had really strong mental health. We will give you the grave you deserve for standing strong until the end... strange guest.", Coccalap said before walking out leaving Hashiyan's body back in the room.

"Now, that's enough small-talk for today.", Neko said as she gave Kradness a pass to open the gate. "You are just going to give it to me without checking me?", Kradness asked surprised as Neko just shrugged.

"Well, that would be a waste of time. I would probably only see what kind of idiot you are. I know that you are not hiding anything.", Neko said as she leaned back on her chair.

Kradness could only sweat-drop as he mumbled a small thanks. "Now go! And bring back with bubble tea when you come here the next time.", Neko said as Kradness stood still even though she started to push him out.

"Eh? Wait! Should you really give it to me just like that?", Kradness asked as Neko scratched her masked head slightly.

"I don't know. If I get fired then take responsibility and buy me bubble tea.", she said as she continued to sip on her bubble tea.

"Eh?! Are you serious?", Kradness asked shocked and was about to add something but was stopped when he saw that a man with a bird mask walked in. "Oh, it's you two again.

You are good friends like always.", Coccalap said as they both looked at him. "Where were you?", Neko asked annoyed and she crossed her arms as Coccalap merely laughed.

"I had to do something and took a walk while I was at it. Ah, Darkness! Long time no see.", Coccalap greeted Kradness who greeted back.

"Oh, right. Neko, there are still some packages in the guest room. Could you take care of that?", Coccalap as they both perked up confused.

Kradness had a bad feeling when he heard that and just hoped the two guys listened to him. "Yeah, sure. I'll take care of it.", Neko said as they all walked to the said room.

Kradness just hoped that everything was alright as he followed the two of them. Neko opened the door and as soon as she did she saw a spilled cup of tea but that was all as she only turned towards Coccalap very confused.

"And which package are you talking about? There is nothing here.", Neko exclaimed and Coccalap was very baffled as he could only stare at the couch where the black-haired detective laid before.

"I wonder if the two of them are alright...", Eve sighed and as soon as he heard a loud thump next to him. "Hashiyan-san?!", Eve called out even though he couldn't see him at all.

He could only hope it was him. Hashiyan hummed in response as he got back into the car and Eve frowned when he could hear him panting.

"Are you alright?! Did you get injured?", Eve asked as Hashiyan caught his breath before answering. "Everything is fine... just got poisoned a bit.", Hashiyan assured as Eve shouted in shock.

"Poisoned?! Why?! Were you as stupid as Snow White and ate an apple from a stranger?", Eve asked as Hashiyan laughed and answered no. Eve demanded more answers as he shook Hashiyan who just laughed.

"What were you two doing?! Did you leave the car?! And where are the handcuffs, Hashiyan-san?!", Kradness asked as he looked at the two of them. He was very angry that none of them listened to him and was about to say something else before Eve interrupted him.

"Kradness-san, I know you're mad right now but what's more important right now is that Hashiyan-san got poisoned.", Eve informed Kradness who looked at Eve confused before widening his eyes when he realized the situation.

"We have to get away. Now.", Kradness said as he quickly got into the car and drove away. At the exact moment where they drove off Coccalap came outside as he looked around.

"So you actually won this game, huh? Very well, I will ignore this incident like I promised you. Seems like luck is on your side this time...", Coccalap said before walking away.

Like I promised I'll try to update more which is why this chapter is here~ ww Well, I hope you like it and it's still too early here but a Merry Christmas to everyone~