Vol 1 Chapter 1 (2/2)
My heart was racing and in with, but because of the strange way Kujikawa-san was acting, the heat had spread even to the depths of ain my composure before my heart was struck by heatstroke, I shook my head once and took a deep breath
“There is soravure photoshoot in a swis should be done in a certain order?”
So saying, I turned a carefully indifferent gaze toward her However, as I should have expected of Rise Kujikawa, instead she said, “No, isn’t it like shock treathtly without a hint of shyness
“I’!”
“Geez, Naoto-kun, wait! Sorry! I’ll apologize! I’irl at this point, the sun will set!”
“Goodness, at last your true feelings are revealed, Kujikawa-san”
“Nuh-uh, what I said before were s, you know?”
This sort of argument with Kujikawa-san, who had returned to her normal ihten my mood
“I know very well that you’re bad with this kind of thing, Naoto-kun! But just for today, think of it as helping out a friend, okay?”
I hesitated to say anything to Kujikawa-san before aze with a cheerful expression
“Saying it that way isn’t fair”
As I was nohen I was told, “Think of it as helping out a friend, okay?”, there was no way I could turn down the request
“Don’t worry! If you just copy my poses you’ll do fine! It’s a really easy job!”
At the close of the intense argument, I squeezed out in a save in
After enduring countless hours of what felt like hell, my current mental state was the horribly pessiain listen to what Kujikawa-san says” But there was no guarantee that I would be able to refuse her, as particularly skilled at convincing others
As I sank down in the shade of the pal my throat with a carbonated drink, I felt so me from behind, accompanied by the sound of a coquettish chuckle
“I alirlish, haven’t you?”
When I looked up reflexively, in front of ure
“To-Touko-san”
A woray suit at odds with the southern location She was a tall-statured woaudy, style
“It’s been a while”
At once, I jerked my knees towardher, but being seen in such an immodest state by an old friend caused me to tremble even more
As if findingher throat as her shoulders shook
Her name was Touko Aoi She was a detective She was a woman who I had troubled many times in the past She was a person who I had always aspired to be like
Whether it was an atrocious cri the prefectural police, when I saw her fearlessly arguing with them as an equal, I felt that she could be relied upon
“It’s been about three years since we last met at a crime scene”
“That nize you, Naoto That boyish Naoto is now a thing of the past”
“That’s Ita swimsuit does not ed that much myself?”
“Really? I thought the Naoto I knew three years ago didn’t have any friends who she could show her girlish side to?”
Touko-san directed her gaze at Kujikawa-san, as perforravure photoshoot with lively expressions and actions
–Friends Hearing it again from a third party made me both happy and eaze from Kujikawa-san
“That may be so”
It was true the “solitary”one day at a tied detective was a very different part of me than my current self, who had my senpai, Kujikawa-san, Tatsumi-kun, and Teddie-kun, and also Nanako-chan and Dojima-san, and a lot of other important people
“And also Is it just nificent coo?”
“T-that is, um, please don’t stare at them like that”
Inthe front of the robe I earing and pulling it closer to my chest
“You haven’t changed at all, Touko-san”
She was a tall and slender woman However, she wore little makeup, and the only jewelry she had was an amethyst pendant that rested upon her chest Even that was so she had worn since the moment we met, so it really seemed like she was a person ithout unnecessary decoration
It in with As a whole, the person called Touko Aoi gave off an air of a “perfect beauty”, which had not changed frouessing, “Is she an actress?”
“Do you really h this February I joyously celebrated the last year of my twenties?”
“That’s a foolish question”
“Oh, I’m happy”
Touko-san’s s It was nostalgic and gave
“By the way What turn of events brought you all the way out here just to meet with me?”
“What do you think of okoro police; is it so strange to think that I decided on the spur of the moment to drop by for old ti?”
Touko-san was really exaggerating
“YouYou wouldn’t coood reason, Touko-san”
I knew that Touko-san was not fond of showy or bustling places
“–There’s nothing it could be but a case, right?”
That was all that was left by process of elimination
“That’s correct I have an official request for Naoto shi+rogane frookoro Police”
As Touko-san’s lips curled into a thin smile, she brushed back a lock of her soft black hair
“The ation of a series of disappearances’ Two students of ‘Yagokoro High School’ within the Yagokoro area have disappeared in succession One week after their disappearances, there still aren’t any strong leads However, we’re also pursuing another i that you would be able to find theokoro High School as a third-year transfer student and conduct an internal investigation”
As if saying it just to be polite, Touko-san continued, “That’s how it is, so I look forward to working with you” She clapped me on the shoulder once and said, “As soon as the particulars are arranged, I’ll have one of my subordinates contact you,” and turned on her heel
“Please wait, Touko-san! What will you do if I refuse?”
It wasn’t a lie In my mind’s eye, I saw the faces of the people i idol at the water’s edge In truth, following our reunion after a long ti with her It would be et away fro time with my friends
“You can’t do that”
The reply was immediate
“You kno I aht? Do you think I would allow you to refuse?”
Rather than replying, I gave her a bitter smile I couldn’t match up to Touko-san
“And there’s one , the main reason I think you won’t refuse, Naoto–”
Turning only her head to look at me, Touko-san smiled triumphantly and said this
“–The Naoto shi+rogane I know is a ‘detective’, isn’t she?”
At that ly
“If you’re seriously aiive up If it’s you, Naoto, you’ll do well even as an idol I’ll give you , since I know your work ethic and capability well”
Touko-san inforain However, Touko-san, as bad with people, soon stopped and murmured, “That was pretty forced
“Ah, that’s right By the way, the case this time is pretty complex, you know If it’s handled poorly, it’ll definitely leave a pretty bad taste in ourto refuse, now’s the time”
I stood up and shookon my lips
“That’s a foolish question”
For exa as an idol, or like Tatsu crocheted animals
“I will take this case”
Because I was – the detective, Naoto shi+rogane