..:MICRO-FICTION LIBRARY:..

Koichi kicked off his dress shoes and leaned back in his favorite chair. He rubbed his tired eyes in a futile attempt to fight his exhaustion -- it had been a long day, with the phones ringing nonstop at the station he was currently assigned to. Lupin this and Lupin that. He didn't resent any updates on his famous enemy, because that meant he was one step closer to arresting him, but he couldn't fight off the fact that he was completely and thoroughly exhausted. Emerging from the shadows of their modest home, a hand turned on the light. Koichi saw Emmy standing there, with a small, sympathetic smile.

"Long day?"

The inspector's eyes fluttered in protest, then calmed as his vision got used to the bright light. His lips curved into a grin when he saw her approach.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be in bed soon."

"Okay," She replied, "But at least let me give you a kiss."

Shortly after her response, Koichi closed his eyes and pursed his lips in anticipation. Instead of meeting her's, a small chocolate was placed instead. He opened his eyes in surprise, then opened his mouth and ate the small treat. Emmy couldn't help but to giggle at his reaction.

"Alright, for real this time." She then leaned towards him and gave him a gentle, comforting kiss. She could slightly taste the sweetness of the chocolate on his lips.

She then walked away, heading back to their bedroom. Koichi watched her as she faded into the shadows, happy that he got both: the candy and the real deal!

The inspector's attentive eyes examined every piece of information that was scattered on the worn surface of the desk. There was no way Lupin and his gang could be robbing so many locations at once, but, a logical explanation for this series of crimes had yet to surface. Koichi tore through the evidence obsessively, wondering if there was something he might've overlooked. Suddenly, he heard the door open, making him temporarily snap out of his hunt for a smoking gun.

"Sorry about the wait!" Emmy said as she entered the office, carefully navigating the well-packed room as she held two hot, takeout coffee cups, "You wouldn't have believed how busy it was at the café..."

The man smiled as he watched her approach, "No matter the location, it's always like that in the afternoon," He replied as he took one of the drinks from her, "Thanks for picking up the order." He paused, and as he looked at her, he fully noticed the second cup. An eyebrow of his rose curiously, "When did you start drinking coffee?"

Emmy held her beverage with both of her hands as the heat that emanated from its container warmed her. She shrugged, "Recently, maybe around a week ago," She answered, "It's a flavor I've never really explored before, and you're always drinking it..." Her voice trailed off as she brought the lid closer to her lips.

Koichi couldn't help but to be slightly amused by her comment. He never envisioned her liking coffee -- despite being a diabetic, the woman was known for her love of anything sweet. He always assumed that his preference for black coffee had permanently scared her off of the drink. Following shortly after her response, he similarly brought his drink to his lips. As the couple shared their first sip, it quickly ended with both of them nearly spitting out their beverages in surprise.

"Ugh! Why is it so bitter?!"

"This tastes like syrup!"

The two then paused, with both of their faces being dusted with a faint shade of pink.

"Oh, you must have gotten my gingerbread mocha..." Emmy sheepishly murmured as she traded drinks with her husband.

Koichi eagerly drank a generous gulp of his black coffee to mask the sickeningly sweet flavor. As the taste dissipated, he looked at Emmy as a similar look of relief washed over her face after she sipped her order. He couldn't help but to ask, "You... don't actually like coffee, do you?"

She shook her head, "Not at all," She confessed, "But when it's prepared like a hot chocolate, I'll like any brew you hand me!" She grinned as she eagerly took another drink of her beverage.

Her answer didn't surprise him in the slightest, but at the same time, he wondered why she would persist in drinking it if she had to take such desperate measures to make it palpable. At the same time, Emmy pondered why anyone would drink something so horribly bitter daily. Regardless of what brew or flavor their drinks were, it certainly woke the two up, and not just from the caffeine, but also the shock of a mixed-up order!

The Inspector stared at the sandwich ingredients -- various types of cheeses, cold cuts, greens and bun styles were being offered. His order was simple: all he wanted was a turkey sub, with no additional condiments and extra lettuce, per his wife's suggestion. As his eyes finished taking in all the choices, his gaze met the employee behind the counter. The kid looked no older than 16, with his babyface speckled with zits. His brown eyes were filled with uncertainty as he clumsily cut another loaf of bread to make a bun. Koichi Zenigata had watched this teenager repeat this process three times now, with him somehow failing every time. The first sandwich had too much mayo, then he accidentally used smoked chicken instead of the plain turkey, and the other attempt? He dropped the sub on the floor! The Inspector's patience was beginning to wear thin, and as he watched him struggle to complete the difficult task of making a sandwich, he surmised that the kid had to be a relative of the deli's owner. There was no other possible explanation!

Emmy watched from a distance, quietly eating her chips as she witnessed the scene unfold again and again. She was surprised that her husband hadn't already exploded at the kid, as she wondered whether the latter's apologetic-yet-tenacious nature about the craft of sub-making had slightly endeared him to the man.

"And..." The boy drew out his opening word anxiously, "It was turkey you wanted, right?" He asked, still flustered by the fate of the previous sandwich.

"Yes," Koichi huffed subtly, "With all the toppings, and extra lettuce." He added with palpable irritation.

Emmy quietly giggled after hearing the low rumble of her husband's voice, but then felt a twinge of guilt over the fact that she was nearly done with her own lunch. The two made eye contact shortly afterward; though Koichi was succeeding at keeping his irritation at bay, it was obvious he was becoming close to walking out of the restaurant, as he looked at the woman with faintly apologetic eyes. She gave him a sympathetic frown in response, and then approached him with her half-eaten bag of chips.

"Here," She said as she offered him the remainder of the salty side dish, "You need to get something in your system."

Tempted, Koichi glanced at the employee, then back at the chips, "Thanks Emmy, but..." As he was about to finish his response, he heard something that no hungry individual would want to hear.

"Uh oh..."

Koichi froze in mid-speech upon hearing the dreaded, muttered words. Emmy similarly paused, with her gaze meeting the teenager's. The two of them could sense the anger rising in the Inspector, with the employee blurting out, "Don't worry, sir! Just a small hiccup!" Believing he avoided a scene, he then grinned as he turned towards the fridge, "I just need to get more mayo!"

The man quickly faced the counter, and slammed his palms against the smooth surface, "Forget the mayo!" He exclaimed, "Just make something that resembles a turkey sub so I can eat and leave!"

Emmy found herself in the same postion as she was in earlier: watching these two butt heads over the particulars of one simple sandwich. As she was about to approach her husband again in hopes of talking him down, something shined outside the window of the deli, with her noticing it through her peripheral vision. Curiously, she glanced in its direction, then her eyes grew big with shock.

She nudged Koichi and then pointed at the window, stammering madly as she struggled to get her thought out, "Look, look! Over there!"

Koichi grumbled to himself, initially too distracted by his hunger to take interest in whatever was outside. But, Emmy's persistent and urgent nudging eventually made him look in the direction of the mystery object. "What is it-" The Inspector stopped as he mirrored a similar look of shock. On the street beside the parking lot of the deli, an all-too-familiar yellow Fiat was near the traffic lights, patiently waiting to make its turn. Even with the distance Koichi and Emmy were at, the red jacket of the car's driver remained recognizable.

"LUPIN!" Koichi shouted, making the employee behind the counter jump in surprise.

The woman began to run to the doors, "I'll get the car started!" She replied urgently as she left the small business.

As the ever diligent Inspector was about to follow her lead, he heard a voice filled with butterflies squeak. "Uh, sir," He offered him the completed sandwich by sliding it to him on the counter, "I finally got your order right."

Koichi turned to look at him, his mind now abuzz with what Lupin's doing and why Lupin's here -- he had completely forgotten the pressing matter of his difficult lunch in such a short span of time. Without much thought, he grabbed the sub and ripped open the wrapping, and took a bite with such gusto it appeared that half of it had already been consumed afterward. "Thanks," he responded, then placed a disorganized bunch of dollars and coins onto the counterspace before bolting out of the deli.

The boy stood there awkwardly, unsure of what he had completely witnessed. He looked down at the money and counted its amount quietly. He grinned excitedly as he held up the amount, "Cool, a ten dollar tip!" He beamed, "And that was the best sandwich I have made so far!"

Author's Notes: This one is actually inspired by a real story. In late 2023 I saw a yellow Fiat in my neighborhood that had a license plate that was a Lupin reference. I got so excited when I saw it I could barely talk! What a small world! Unfortunately, I haven't seen the car since, but my mother has reported sightings of it since then. Lucky!