Tokyo Detective Chronicles

Time flies, and it's Saturday.

The area in front of Chiyoda Station was teeming with people.

It felt as if all the young people in Tokyo had gathered here.

The early autumn morning sunlight filters through the gaps between the tall buildings, casting interplay of light and shadow on the clean station square.

Rina Hoshizaki stood at the edge of the crowd, somewhat lost in thought.

She dressed up specially for today, wearing a light beige knitted cardigan over a pure white cotton shirt, and a decorative black and white tie.

Her shoulder-length short hair was carefully styled into a bun at the back of her head, revealing her fair neck and giving her a refreshing and neat appearance.

She wore a knee-length black A-line skirt, revealing her shapely calves encased in sheer black stockings.

The brown leather boots were polished to a shine, with low heels that made a "click" sound when walking.

Carrying a canvas bag decorated with flowers, she looked like an autumn fashion model straight out of a fashion magazine, appearing sweet, pretty, and adorable.

She tapped her toes rhythmically on the ground, humming a song softly in a very good mood.

Passersby would assume she was waiting for a date and secretly condemn the despicable guy who made the pretty girl wait.

When Fushimi Iori, carrying a large bouquet of flowers, came into view, Hoshizaki's eyes lit up instantly, and he ran to greet her.

"It's too slow!"

She complained, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up as she looked Fushimi up and down, revealing a satisfied expression.

This morning, she came to Iori's house under the pretext of "pretending to be a couple to visit the teacher's house, so of course I have to dress up properly," and gave Fushimi Iori a makeover according to her aesthetic.

At this moment, Fushimi was wearing a light gray casual thin suit jacket chosen by Hoshizaki, with a soft white turtleneck sweater underneath, and slim-fit trousers on the bottom.

She had also styled her hair slightly with hair wax, and the wispy bangs in front of her forehead no longer completely covered her eyes, revealing her listless, dead-fish-like eyes.

During the two days leading up to the weekend, Fushimi Iori was also busy.

In my spare time, I also took on a commission to exorcise a haunted house, and the process went surprisingly smoothly... In just two days, the client settled the remaining payment.

However, I still need to organize and archive the project, so I haven't been able to get a proper rest these past few days.

Karin could help in the past, but she's been busy with Hayakawa Chiho's affairs lately, and being a yokai also presents many inconveniences.

Fushimi even started thinking about whether he should hire a human as an assistant...

He subconsciously raised his hand to scratch his head, but touched sticky hair wax instead.

"Tsk."

Smelling the unpleasant odor that made him uncomfortable, Fushimi pouted, "This is practically a workplace injury."

"Come on, he's obviously super handsome!"

Hoshizaki pressed his shoulder, turned around, and looked at the two people in the one-way glass next to him.

Fushimi stood in front of the mirror, momentarily lost in thought.

At this moment, the person reflected in the mirror was no longer the gloomy guy with bangs covering his eyes, who seemed to be separated from the whole world by an invisible barrier.

Instead, he was a clean-cut, refreshing-looking male high school student with a gentle, scholarly air.

With relaxed eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and impeccably beautiful features, she was stunning.

In a daze, Fushimi even felt...

If that accident hadn't happened five years ago, if his parents were still alive, if he hadn't remembered his past life, and if he hadn't been constantly wandering on the edge of the mortal world...

Perhaps, this is how Fushimi Iori should look in the mirror.

Although he is good-looking, his personality is surprisingly ordinary and peaceful, with a touch of the naivety and vitality that comes with his age. He goes on weekend dates with his lovely childhood sweetheart next door.

Together, let's create beautiful memories that can heal the wounds we've suffered throughout our lives.

The thought only flashed through my mind.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Hoshizaki waved her hand in front of his eyes: "Hey, hey, hey, this beautiful girl dressed you up herself, cheer up!"

As she spoke, she reached out, stood on tiptoe, and pinched the corners of his mouth with her thumb and forefinger, gently lifting them to both sides.

"hey-hey."

"See, isn't this much better! If you visit your teacher with a stern face, they'll think you're coming to collect a debt."

Feeling the tugging sensation on his lips, Fu sighed and gently slapped her hand away.

"Alright, alright, let's go."

"Tch, boring."

Walking down the street, Rina Hoshizaki was still in high spirits.

She would occasionally steal a glance at Fushimi beside her.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches of the roadside trees, casting dappled, shimmering spots of light on him.

The light gray coat accentuated his sharp shoulder line, while the white turtleneck softly clung to his neck. Without his bangs obscuring his face, his profile was clearly defined, and his eyelashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyelids.

She was a completely different person than usual.

As Hoshizaki watched, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked away, staring at the ground in front of her, but couldn't help stealing glances again.

Just as she was distracted again and almost bumped into a roadside utility pole...

An arm reached out just in time, put its arm around her shoulder, and gently pulled her toward him.

"Watch where you're going."

Fushimi's voice rang out from above, calm and undisturbed.

Caught off guard, Hoshizaki threw herself into his arms.

My nose brushed against the soft knitwear on his chest, and I could smell the clean scent of soapberry.

"Ugh!"

She gasped softly, hurriedly straightening herself, smoothing her disheveled hair, her ears turning red: "Th-thank you..."

"What were you thinking about just now?"

Fushimi released his grip and continued walking forward, casually making a conversation.

"N-nothing!"

Hoshizaki stubbornly insisted, and quickly took two steps to stand beside him.

Then, she suddenly remembered that Iori had claimed to be her boyfriend, and with a giggle, she deliberately put her hand on Fushimi's shoulder and teased him:

"I was thinking... if Takeda-sensei saw us like this, would he think we're a perfect match?"

"Darling~"

Hoshizaki looked at him and blinked.

Fushimi glanced at her but didn't respond to the conversation.

Hoshizaki didn't mind, and laughed to herself, humming an unknown tune, her canvas bag swaying in her hand.

She thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility of the moment...

The sun is just right, the breeze is not dry.

The two walked quietly like that. If a passing photographer were to take a picture at that moment, the scene would probably look as youthful as the opening of a pure love movie.

Suddenly, Fushimi, who was completely oblivious to romance, took out his phone and glanced at it, looking at Hoshizaki Rina with some suspicion.

"Feed".

"Hmm?" Hoshizaki blinked, still lost in her rosy fantasy.

"Speaking of which... there's something I've always been concerned about."

"What's wrong?"

Hoshizaki tilted his head, looking completely innocent.

Fushimi turned his phone screen towards her, where the time was clearly displayed: [8:40 AM].

"Did Professor Takeda really invite you to visit so early?"

Hoshizaki Rina: "..."

"Well……"

She covered her face and let out a strange cry.

She slowly squatted down, burying her burning face in her knees: "I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!"

She was so excited this morning that she was so focused on picking out clothes that she forgot about the most important time.

"So what time is it exactly?"

"Eleven o'clock..." Hoshizaki's muffled voice came from between his knees: "I...I misread it...I'm sorry!"

"..."

"...So, we now have almost three hours to kill?"

Hoshizaki cautiously raised his head, his dark eyes peeking at him from the crook of his arm.

Seeing that Fushimi didn't actually look angry, she whispered, "...Mm."

Fushimi looked up and saw that a brightly lit movie theater sign had just come on in the distance, with huge posters advertising the latest animated and romance films.

There was just enough time to watch a movie.

He looked down again at the girl who was still squatting on the ground pretending to be a mushroom.

"Alright, stop blocking the way, let's go."

Fushimi started walking towards the movie theater.

After walking a few steps, he realized that Hoshizaki hadn't followed, so he stopped and turned halfway to the side.

"What are you waiting for...don't you want to watch the movie?"

Rina Hoshizaki looked up and gazed at the huge poster above the movie theater, her eyes widening slightly.

The next second, a radiant smile returned to her face, even brighter than before.

"Here you are!"

She jogged after him, her steps light and quick, and pounced on Fushimi from behind, making him stumble.

"Hello!"

"Hehe~"

……

"Iori, let's watch this anime! The online reviews seem to be super positive lately!"

"casual."

"What do you mean 'anything goes'?! Choose carefully!"

"Then let's make it into animation."

"Okay!"