Tokyo Detective Chronicles

In a newly opened karaoke room in Shibuya, neon light balls spun, splashing colorful light spots onto the walls and the excited faces of the girls.

"La la la~"

The speakers were playing the hottest girl group song of the moment, and the music video on the screen showed girls with exquisite makeup dancing in unison, accompanied by deafening music.

Half-finished juice drinks and opened snack bags were piled on the coffee table.

Rina Hoshizaki sat at the far end of the sofa, holding a banana-shaped glow stick in her hand, waving it rhythmically but absentmindedly.

The light swept across her slightly dazed face.

"well……"

A sigh was drowned out by the girls' wailing and howling singing.

She probably can't stay in the archery club any longer.

Although joining was purely on a whim, because she thought it looked cool to wear hakama and draw a bow, Mr. Takeda invited her in a gentle and enthusiastic manner.

Judging from her progress over this period, she does have some talent.

But after what happened today, can the archery club really still tolerate me?

Hoshizaki then realized that he seemed to really like the feeling of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, and the wonderful experience that Fushimi had taught him... of focusing all his mind and soul on the tip of the arrow.

A rare tranquility... a kind of focus that requires all one's strength to maintain.

The experience of completely relaxing your mind until you loosen your fingers, watch the arrow travel along its predetermined trajectory, and hit its target.

She felt she would never get tired of it.

What a pity...

As for whether Fushimi damaged her interpersonal relationships?

Hoshizaki pursed her lips, the image of Takeru Satoh's repulsive face flashing through her mind, making her feel nauseous.

Aside from him, there was absolutely no need to befriend anyone else in the archery club.

It's a great thing that we were able to cut ties so cleanly and decisively, and that we won't be bothered with them afterward.

But... where should I practice archery in the future?

Professional shooting ranges are too expensive, and my meager allowance isn't even enough to buy a decent bow.

"Rina——!"

A girl with short, chestnut-brown highlights rushed over and affectionately wrapped her arms around her neck, exuding a slightly tipsy, fruity scent.

"You've been spacing out by yourself since just now~"

"Could it be... he's in love?"

She is Aya Koizumi, one of Rina Hoshizaki's friends since junior high school.

"They look very similar!"

Another girl, Miyuki, who wore round-framed glasses and looked more demure, also came over and gently poked Hoshizaki Rina's soft cheek with her pink-painted fingertips.

"She seems distracted... Could it be... she's thinking about that boy from earlier?"

"No, no... Don't talk nonsense."

As if her tail had been stepped on, Hoshizaki Rina's glow stick rolled off her lap and fell to the ground with a "thud".

"Hey~ Still pretending to be stupid!"

Aya Koizumi grinned mischievously and reached out to tickle her:

"We all saw him, the one who was chatting with you in front of the shoe cabinet! Tall and thin, with long hair, he looked a bit... gloomy?"

"Is he a second-year student?"

Miyuki pushed up her glasses, and her eyes behind the lenses shone.

"I'm not gloomy at all!" Rina Hoshizaki blurted out, but immediately realized something was wrong, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"They're... neighbors."

She said vaguely, "It was by chance."

"oh--?"

The two friends, one on each side, immediately drew out their words, their expressions clearly showing disbelief.

Something's up!

"Tell me the truth! What's your name? Which class are you in? How did you meet? How far have things progressed?"

Rina Hoshizaki was cornered on the sofa, almost sinking into it, unable to withstand her friends' barrage of gossip. She raised her hands to cover her face in surrender.

But the two men persisted in their questioning, and when she still refused to confess, their unclean hands began to grope her body.

Hoshizaki immediately decided to change the subject.

"Okay, okay! Actually, it's because I'm planning to quit the archery club!"

"..."

"Huh!? Really?"

Koizumi Aya and Shirai Miyuki spoke in unison, and even the landmine-type girl named Shimizu Hitomi, who was sitting opposite them, playing on her phone with a lollipop in her mouth and not saying a word, unconsciously looked up.

These three people, who have been friends with Hoshizaki for so many years, have visited the archery club to watch her practice more than once, and they can see that she genuinely loves archery.

This sudden withdrawal clearly indicates that something has happened.

"It's just... I feel like I'm not suitable, there's no other reason." Hoshizaki's eyes darted around.

Before he could finish speaking...

"I think I know why~"

"Huh?"

Shimizu Hitomi touched her row of earrings, crossed her legs in a relaxed manner, shook her phone screen, and twirled a lollipop in her mouth.

Aya Koizumi immediately lunged forward to snatch the phone:

"What?! Hitomi, let me see!"

Clearly, the three of them were particularly concerned about Hoshizaki Rina's lifelong happiness, given that she had never been in a relationship before.

Several heads crowded in front of the phone screen, which displayed the school's anonymous forum.

A highly popular post was floating on the homepage:

[The archery club captain suddenly fell ill and collapsed during training! A conflict is suspected to have occurred at the scene!]

The accompanying images are two blurry, candid photos.

One photo shows Takeru Satoh lying on the ground in profile, and the other... actually captures Hoshizaki chasing after a boy as he leaves the dojo.

It was obviously posted by other members who enjoyed watching the drama unfold and had opinions about Sato Takeru's usual behavior.

"So it really is that boy?"

Koizumi Aya looked excited and shoved her phone screen closer to Hoshizaki's face, bringing it even closer:

"What did you do to Takeru Satoh? Tell us now!"

"It's not what you think!"

Rina Hoshizaki pushed her face away and pursed her lips.

She could probably guess why no one was mentioning archery competitions.

It's likely that everyone present at the time found it hard to talk about, after all, the fact that the head of the archery club was overwhelmed by an amateur's archery skills to the point of fainting was something the entire club would find embarrassing.

And Iori probably doesn't want this matter to be exposed either.

not to mention……

Hoshizaki eyed the three girls in the private room with suspicion, noticing their looks and figures.

Tsk, how come she didn't notice before that these three guys were all so...tsk.

Considering their usual behavior and emotional experiences, alarm bells rang in my mind.

We absolutely cannot let these guys become curious about Iori because of this, nor can we let them know his true nature!

So, with this possessive mentality, Hoshizaki began a nonsensical explanation, and the others imagined a version of events that was completely different from the truth...

In short, it's about Takeru Satoh trying to flirt with Hoshizaki under the guise of giving him guidance, only to be punched unconscious by Iori Fushimi, who was accompanying him.

What a bizarre story it is that a gloomy, violent maniac rescued a bullied young girl.

Surprisingly, even Hoshizaki's reasons for leaving the club became clear...

"That's ridiculous... I already said that Takeru Satoh fell on his own."

Rina Hoshizaki denied it with a twitching eye, but faced with the questioning looks of the other three, who said, "You're still being stubborn."

She couldn't think of any other more reasonable explanation for the time being.

"Waaah..."

……

Soon after, four girls with different styles of clothing walked down the stairs, chatting and laughing.

"You must thank them properly!"

As she was leaving, Aya Koizumi waved and shouted loudly to Hoshizaki, drawing the attention of passersby.

Hoshizaki blushed slightly: "Okay, okay! I know!"

The night in Shibuya is just beginning.

The streets were teeming with people, and the neon signs cast bizarre and colorful reflections on everyone's faces.

Rina Hoshizaki crossed what is said to be the world's busiest intersection and headed towards the station.

The cold wind blowing on her face made her a little more awake.

After some explanation, she finally convinced her friends that Iori wasn't some kind of gloomy and violent maniac, and that Sato Takeru really had fallen and hit his head.

To appease them, I treated them to ice cream, which barely shut those gossipy girls up.

But what Koizumi and the others said inadvertently awakened Hoshizaki... What exactly is her relationship with Fushimi?

Childhood sweethearts?

Neighbor?

Seniors and juniors from the same school?

Or... something even more special?

Hoshizaki recalled that afternoon at the archery club, when he stood behind her, holding her hand and breathing in the warmth of his breath against her ear.

I recalled the helpless look on his face when he promised to visit Mr. Takeda a few days ago.

And even earlier, countless fragments of memories of being with him.

When did I start going to the Fushimi family's house to play whenever I was bored?

When did it start that I always want to confide in him no matter what troubles I encounter?

When did it start that when researching new recipes, I unconsciously start to wonder "what kind of expression Iori would have when she eats it?"

My heart skipped a beat.

My cheeks felt slightly warm in the night breeze.

Deep down, she knew that she had... a little bit of affection for, or rather, dependence on, Fushimi.

But when she actually faced these feelings honestly, she felt a terrible panic in her heart.

"No, no..."

Hoshizaki slapped his cheeks hard, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts; now was not the time to think about these things.

She shook her head and decided to go to the Fushimi family first to ask about the progress of today's investigation... Yes, that's the important thing!

Thinking of this, Hoshizaki unconsciously quickened his pace.

It only takes about 20 minutes to get from Shibuya back to Chiyoda by train.

Rina Hoshizaki navigated the quiet residential streets with practiced ease and arrived at the Fushimi family mansion.

The lights were on inside, and a dim, yellowish light shone through the windows.

She hesitated for a moment and did not ring the doorbell.

Instead, as usual, she slipped in quietly, pushing open the door as if she knew the way well, her steps light and excited, like a cat stealing food.

I had planned to give Fushimi a surprise.

Unexpectedly, a pair of unfamiliar women's leather shoes appeared in the entryway.

Hoshizaki paused in his steps.

Are there guests at the Fushimi residence?

She took off her shoes, pulled out a small mirror to check her appearance, and then tiptoed through the porch.

Faint voices came from the direction of the living room; it was Fushimi and a young woman whose voice he didn't recognize.

"Then I'll go prepare something for you to eat."

"good!"

Driven by curiosity, she cautiously peeked out and peered into the living room...

Then he froze on the spot.

She didn't see Fushimi, but a strange girl with her back to her was standing in the middle of the living room.

The girl was only wearing a large men's shirt.

The shirt hem hung down to her thighs, and it seemed like she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Her bare legs were perfectly shaped, long and straight.

But Hoshizaki's main focus was on the shirt... she recognized it as Fushimi's clothes at a glance.

At that moment, the girl was raising her hand to unbutton her shirt.

One, two...

As the shirt slipped off the shoulders, a large expanse of fair back skin was revealed.

The girl seemed completely unaware that someone was behind her, and continued to take off the obviously men's boxer shorts, casually draping them over the back of the chair.

She reached for the neatly folded underwear on the chair next to her.

First, there was a pure white cotton bra with simple lace trim.

She turned around, facing sideways towards Hoshizaki, and bent down to fasten the clasp on her back. This action revealed the soft contours of the girl's developing breasts under the light.

Then comes underwear...

She tiptoed slightly, the fabric sliding up her thighs and outlining the soft curves of her hips.

His movements were unhurried and natural, as if he were in his own bedroom.

The light in Hoshizaki Rina's eyes disappeared, and her brain completely shut down.

What... is going on?

Why is there a half-naked strange girl in Iori's house?

Why change clothes in the living room?

What happened that required them to wash and dry all their underwear?

Wait... that's their school uniform...

Does Iori have any female classmates at school with whom he can freely change clothes at each other's homes...?

Shouldn't I be the only one who can do that?

Do I really change clothes in his living room?

No, the key point should be who this girl is...

Just then, as the girl turned around, Hoshizaki finally noticed that there were scattered bandaged wounds all over the girl's back.

Some areas that don't need bandaging are still red, swollen, and bruised.

Even the men's shirt draped to the side had some bloodstains on it...