Tokyo Detective Chronicles

Her hands began to tremble slightly as she took out her phone and found that familiar number.

Dial it.

Fortunately, the call was answered after a few rings.

"Feed?"

A familiar voice came from the phone, still so languid.

Upon learning that the other person was alright, Morikawa Aoi breathed a sigh of relief, but opened her mouth in anger.

"Brother Iori... what's going on at your house...?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Where are you?

"I'm at your door..."

There was another moment of silence, then the voice said, "I'm next door."

Morikawa Aoi was stunned.

"next door?"

Aoi Morikawa looked up at the house next to her.

A detached house, about the same size as the Fushimi family home, was lit with warm lights.

For some reason, Morikawa Aoi suddenly remembered the girl she had seen that morning.

She bit her lip.

Then she turned around, went back to the car, and picked up the prepared gifts.

After thinking for a moment, I took out some of my usual gifts from the trunk. After all, it was my first time visiting someone's home, and I couldn't go empty-handed.

"Yui, wait for me."

"Yes, miss."

Aoi Morikawa took a deep breath.

Holding the gift, I walked towards the house with the lights on.

……

When the doorbell rang, Fushimi was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

Rina Hoshizaki was somewhat surprised: "I'll go open the door."

She jogged across the living room and opened the door.

A little girl was standing outside the door.

She had long white hair tied into two low ponytails, wore an elegant school uniform and plaid skirt, and was carrying two large gift boxes.

That face was unbelievably beautiful.

Hoshizaki was stunned.

"Hello?"

Aoi Morikawa looked at her.

Looking at this girl in the pink apron, her cheeks still slightly flushed... it really is that girl from this morning...

She bowed slightly.

"Hello, I'm Aoi Morikawa. I apologize for the intrusion."

Her voice was soft and gentle, and her demeanor was so elegant that she seemed to have stepped out of an etiquette textbook.

Hoshizaki stared blankly at her.

"M-Morikawa...?"

"Yes. Brother Iori... Is Fushimi-kun here now?"

Hoshizaki then realized what was happening.

"Ah! Yes, yes! Please come in!"

She stepped aside, and Aoi Morikawa entered the entryway and changed into guest slippers.

Then she looked up and saw Fushimi in the kitchen.

He was wearing a blue apron and holding a plate, looking this way.

The two looked at each other.

Fushimi nodded.

"Xiao Kui".

Aoi Morikawa's tense face relaxed slightly.

But it quickly recovered.

She went to the living room and placed the gift on the coffee table.

"This is a small token of my appreciation... I originally wanted to visit Iori... my brother." She wanted to call him Iori directly, but the words "brother" came out of her mouth uncontrollably.

Just as she was feeling a little regretful inside.

Fushimi came out of the kitchen: "No need to be so polite."

Then Morikawa Aoi remembered her business and began to inquire about the Fushimi family's situation...

"There was a slight mishap."

Fushimi, remembering Morikawa Kanata's protectiveness towards her, didn't offer much explanation.

"But it's been resolved, so don't worry."

Aoi Morikawa nodded, and sensibly didn't ask any more questions.

Fushimi told her to wait in the living room while he and Hoshizaki Rina continued preparing dinner.

Seeing the two people who had been busy in the kitchen, wearing matching aprons—one blue and one pink—Aoi Morikawa's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.

The white-haired girl suddenly felt uneasy; she wished she could rush in and take her place!

But thinking about my progress in cooking... uh...

She could only sit on the sofa with a huff, like a punching bag, but on the surface she did not show any abnormality.

……

In the kitchen, Fushimi was chopping vegetables.

"What does Ms. Morikawa want with you?" Hoshizaki asked in a low voice.

Fushimi said, "He probably just came to check on me."

"She...is so beautiful."

Fushimi continued chopping vegetables without stopping.

"Um."

"Is that hair real? It's so white!"

"real."

"What about the eyes? Are they real too?"

"real."

Hoshizaki was silent for two seconds.

"Are you... very close to her?"

Fushimi finally looked up and glanced at her: "We've known each other for a long time. Her brother is my friend."

"Oh……"

Hoshizaki nodded, then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, about the assistant you mentioned earlier..."

"Um?"

"How much is the salary?"

Fushimi paused for a moment.

"You haven't even agreed yet and you're already asking about salary?"

"Of course I need to ask!" Hoshizaki said matter-of-factly. "I'm very realistic!"

Fushimi looked at her.

Watching her try so hard to appear sophisticated, her cheeks flushed slightly from the steam, but her eyes were full of laughter.

Then, without waiting for Fushimi's reply, she brought over the prepared tea.

"I'll go greet the guests first."

She carried the tray and walked out of the kitchen.

……

In the living room.

Aoi Morikawa sat on the sofa, her hands neatly placed on her knees.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

Rina Hoshizaki walked over with a tray and gently placed a teacup in front of her.

"Please have some, Ms. Morikawa. My name is Rina Hoshizaki, and I'm a friend of Iori's."

Aoi Morikawa bowed slightly.

"Thanks."

She picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and tasted very ordinary tea leaves.

Then put it down.

Aoi Morikawa remembered the name—the woman who offered to make her a bento box on her phone the day Iori's older brother collapsed at home…

So this is that wild woman named Hoshizaki Rina...

She was Fushimi Iori's fiancée, so why did she have to serve her tea and water, making her feel like a guest?

Although she was originally a guest.

Aoi Morikawa looked the girl up and down...

Hmm, not bad.

But in what ways is he better than me?

She was clearly younger, prettier, and from a better family.

Then... she noticed Rina Hoshizaki's chest...

Morikawa Aoi: "..."

She lowered her head, then quickly looked away. Could it be that her brother, Iori, liked...?

Tsk.

Morikawa Aoi gritted her teeth in resentment. Damn it, this is way too much!

"that……"

She began, "Do Iori-nii and Hoshizaki-san... often cook together?"

"Huh?" Hoshizaki Rina paused for a moment. "Uh, it's not that often, it's just today..."

Morikawa Aoi nodded.

"I see."

"Have Ms. Hoshizaki and Iori-nii-san known each other for a long time?"

"Yeah, it's been more than ten years."

Rina Hoshizaki said, "We've known each other since we were little, but it's only been about five or six years since we moved next door to Iori's house."

"I see."

She picked up her teacup and took another sip, the teacup obscuring the slight twitching of her lips.

More than ten years... isn't that the legendary childhood sweetheart relationship?

She's only known Iori's brother for four or five years...

Aoi Morikawa's fingers tightened slightly, and she stopped thinking about it.

He simply picked up his teacup again and took another sip.

"Miss Hoshizaki and Iori's brother have a really nice relationship."

Her tone was calm and natural.

But Rina Hoshizaki inexplicably felt that there was something hidden in that sentence.

"It's...it's alright." She scratched her face. "It's just friends and neighbors...uh, not really...anyway..."

She didn't know what to say.

Aoi Morikawa looked at her with a smile that was absolutely perfect.

But Rina Hoshizaki suddenly had a strange feeling... as if she was being watched by something.

……

In this delicate atmosphere, the three of them finished their dinner...

Morikawa Aoi put down her chopsticks.

His expression was somewhat somber.

How could it be... so delicious...?

She stole a glance at Rina Hoshizaki.

Hoshizaki was eating heartily, his cheeks bulging.

Aoi Morikawa looked away.

She glanced at Fushimi again; the two seemed to have gotten used to this smell... This made Morikawa Aoi feel a slight sense of urgency.

"Oh, right, Iori-nii-san."

"Um?"

"Where do you plan to live before the house is rebuilt?"

Before Fushimi could even speak, Hoshizaki Rina blurted out, "Of course you'll continue staying here!"

She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Aoi Morikawa's eye twitched again.

Fushimi shook his head. In two days, Hoshizaki Rina's parents would be returning, and it was clearly inappropriate for them to continue living here.

The girl keenly noticed this.

"If you don't mind, Iori-nii, you can come and stay at the Morikawa house."

Her voice was very soft.

"We have many empty rooms in our house, and my brother keeps talking about you."

Fushimi, however, thought it wasn't so bad.

However, the port area is still too far away.

Moreover, before this, he had already thought of an even better place to go, an excellent place to stay...

……