ARU GAZED upon the wonderful skyscrapers that adorned the city. To say at the least, it was...very movie-like.

"This place hasn't changed one bit" She grinned, pulling up her hood and stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"It really hasn't" Aiden agreed. "You've been here before?"

She squinted at him. "I'm not even going to answer that, you could figure it out yourself. It's really not that hard"

"Brynne and detective-ness?"

"See, I told you it wasn't that hard" Aru rolled her eyes. "I know you're not that dumb"

"Guys. Stop bantering" Drew urged. "We literally might get run over by people. This is New York"

"This is a healthy discussion, what do you mean?" She replied. "But you're right. Let's get moving"

"I'm going to Sheela's private base to keep an eye on the cams" Drew told them. "I'm getting a bus there. See ya"

Aru and Aiden nodded in acknowledgment and waved their goodbyes.

"So we're on our own?" Aiden asked, looking down at her.

"We're on our own" She confirmed, taking out her phone. "10 minutes walk. Then we get to our non-dangerous, non-infiltrated hotel"

"Is that foreshadowing?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

"I sure hope not?"

"I mean..." Aru started. "It wouldn't be far fetched, considering they could already be on our trail"

"That's-"

Suddenly, a notification buzzed in Aiden's pocket. It was his office phone and it said 'IMPORTANT MESSAGE' "Check your office phone" he said, probably knowing she had it on silent.

She got it out. "We need to get to the hotel quicker. We can't risk unwanted eyes"

They practically ran to the stay, checked in with their own separate, respective rooms, and then settled in Aiden's to read the message.

"IMPORTANT MESSAGE- We have discovered The Sleeper's activity and have seen he could potentially pose a threat to society. We have decided to reveal that there is an important case that could hurt people and that Aiden Acharya, known as Detective Acharya, and Arundhati Shah, who usually goes by Aru Shah, known as Detective Foudre, are working on the case. We are thinking about their public duo name, as if this investigation goes well, we shall pair them up more often in the future. Suggestions for names and anything else is welcome. That is all. Regards, 

The Otherworld Detective Agency's Council of Guardians" read Aru.

"Wow. That's a lot. And the duo name?" Aiden asked. "Foudre and Acharya?"

"No. Too bland. What's your signature thing?"

"Well. I do have this technique" He suddenly got uncomfortable. "But I don't know if it should be official"

"What is it?"

"It's this thing called smolder" Aiden started. "I, um, use my looks to distract the person and then use the distraction to my advantage"

"Oh?" Aru said. "Okay. Foudre smolder?"

"Lightning Smolder sounds better" He suggested.

"Fine by me"

"Another thing I wanted to ask" He said. "Your name is Arundhati right?"

"Yeah. But I don't like using it"

"It means the morning star" Aiden told her.

Aru looked at him then. And then she said quietly, "I didn't know that. All I know is that my father named me and my father left me and my mom all alone. That's enough of a reason to not use it"

"I don't exactly have a great dad either" He replied, "A cheater"

"Cheaters are pieces of shit that take everything for granted" Aru huffed. Aiden smiled, but his eyes screamed 'it's my fault'. Aru noticed this and she added, "and it's definitely all their shitty ass's fault"

"Yeah. I guess so"

Aru knew there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise, so she changed the subject to something he might like.

"You take pictures, right?"

Aiden's head snapped up so fast. "How'd you know?"

She glanced pointedly at him fiddling with his camera strap. Then he said, embarrassed, "Oh. It's a habit, I don't realize I do that"

"Can I see some pictures?"

"Yeah" He scooted a bit closer. "This is the one I took the day before we met"

The girl in the picture looked vaguely familiar, but Aru couldn't touch on who it was.

And then, Aru's phone sounded. She looked at the message.

Julia Lim ❤️❤️

6:54 PM 

ARU

BESTIE

BABY GIRL

BITCH

IM ENGAGED MF

HELLOOO?

Aru almost dropped her phone in a hurry.

NO WTF

YOU'RE ENGAGED??

K-CHILD PROPOSED???

KYLE'S ACTUALLY A BIT BRAVE?

JULES WTF

THATS NOT THE KYLE CHEN IK

LOOK AT YOU BEING OLD

25 YEAR OLD BITCH

The replies came in a hurry.

IM NOT JOKING LMAO

IM WEARINF A RING

ARU THIS IS CRAZY

IT REZLLY IS WTF

WELL

I WISH THE BEST FOR BOTH OF YOU

IF KYLE HURTS YOU ILL KILL GIM

IF VICD VERSA I WONT KILL YOU

ILL GET YOU IN JAIL THO

I HAGE CARDS I CSN PLAY

IM 'AUTHORISED PERSONELL' OR SHATEVER

THE AMOUNT OF SPELLING ERRORS

MINI COULD KILL YIU

NOF TE POUNT

I HAVE TO GO

SEE YOU

"What is it?" Aiden asked.

"Our cab driver from the other day? She's engaged"

"Whoa! Congrats to her"

Aru smiled, and she really did feel happy for them. But unfortunately, the investigation mattered more because if someone found out the closeness of Julia and Kyle to her, they could use it to their advantage.

Which could result in Julia and Kyle not being able to get married.

The thought made Aru more motivated and they got to work.

The days went by quickly. Not a single advancement in the investigation.

Aru wanted nothing more than to collapse in her own pride while it slowly crumbled and everyone could see what a coward and horrible person she really was.

But she couldn't do that. It was her job to make other people do that.

In that week, while no progress happened, Aru couldn't stop wondering:

'Who was that girl in the picture, and why does she look so familiar?'

If you guys are wondering, Julia and her boyfriend, well now fiancé, are east-Asian (more specifically, Julia is Korean and Kyle is Chinese) and are both 25. Anyway, you might be like: it doesn't matter, they don't matter to the story line.

Oh but my dear readers, little do you know that they do. They matter a lot.

Anyway, how was the chapter?

-Loife xx