Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

Sunday, August 9, 1992.

Room 401, a studio apartment in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

Yuzuru Masahiro stood in front of the door, raised his hand, and rang the doorbell three times with a short ring and two times with a long ring. This was the first piece of information he had obtained.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, the door opened lightly, and Kuroki Eimi, wearing only a bathrobe and with delicate features, stood in the doorway.

Because of the rush, the belt around her waist was loosely tied, revealing her fair and radiant skin, and her figure was especially alluring.

Her delicate collarbones and high, firm breasts were almost completely exposed; they were probably an E-cup, otherwise they wouldn't be so impressive.

In the fleeting moment when the hem of the silk bathrobe fluttered, he even caught a glimpse of spring.

The second piece of information was accurate; he wasn't wearing underwear after all. Yuzuru Masahiro breathed a sigh of relief. Although the information was a bit unreliable, it was probably usable.

Kuroki Eimi had just taken a shower and put on makeup when she heard the doorbell ring—three short and two long rings.

This was the pre-arranged code she used when she was blind.

She quickly wrapped herself in a bathrobe and ran to open the door, but to her surprise, a strange young man stood before her.

The man was wearing dark blue short-sleeved overalls; he was strong and handsome.

"You are..." Kuroki Eimi began to ask, then suddenly realized her attire...

She gasped softly, pulled her bathrobe tighter, and slammed the door shut.

"Excuse me, I'm Masahiro Hanyu, the designated contractor for the Waterworks Bureau." Hanyu raised his voice through the door.

"Here's the thing, we recently received a complaint about a leak from the resident of apartment 302 downstairs, so we need to prioritize checking the pipes in all the rooms on the 4th floor. Thank you for your help."

He had to get into Kuroki Eimi's apartment today, and if he couldn't do it openly, he'd have to use other means.

Masahiro Hanyu, 24 years old, works at the "Xinyi Detective Agency".

However, his current identity is not that of a private investigator for the firm, but rather that of an administrative clerk.

The original owner of this body committed suicide by burning charcoal yesterday, and he was reincarnated.

The door opened again, and Kuroki Eimi, wrapped tightly in her bathrobe and clutching the belt, looked on with a shy blush.

"People from the Waterworks Bureau? I didn't receive any notification beforehand..."

Masahiro Hanyu bowed slightly and handed over the document folder in his hand. The cover read "Designated Operator of Tokyo Metropolitan Waterworks Bureau".

Kuroki Eimi's tone was wary. "Hanyu-kun, do you always ring the doorbell like this when you come over?"

A look of confusion flashed across Masahiro Hanyu's eyes. "I just pressed it randomly. Is there anything wrong with that?" He believed his acting was perfect and that the other person couldn't see through his act.

As expected, Kuroki Eimi didn't suspect anything and gently shook her head, "I was just asking casually."

Her tone became more wary: "Could I see your identification? Outsiders aren't allowed to come into private apartments."

Masahiro Hanyu was prepared; he reached into his pocket and pulled out a laminated work ID. The card read: Designated Operator of Tokyo Metropolitan Waterworks Bureau.

His work ID had a one-inch photo affixed to it, and a blurry but recognizable red official seal was stamped in the lower right corner.

Then he flipped to the test report in the document folder, pointed to it, and saw a handwritten signature of the resident of room 302.

Masahiro Hanyu's movements were natural, and his eyes were open and honest, giving off an impression that he was "ready to verify at any time."

Kuroki Eimi's gaze swept over the red stamp on the work permit and the signature on the document, but she couldn't see anything wrong with it.

She remembered that there was a notice posted on the bulletin board in the hallway about the upcoming water pipe maintenance.

If we don't let the repairman in, and the leak worsens, then we'll get a complaint from the downstairs neighbor tomorrow, and that would be a real problem.

She bit her lower lip, and the slight wariness in her heart was eventually suppressed by the thought of "being afraid of causing trouble." "Okay, please wait a moment, I'll change my clothes."

Eimi Kuroki closed the door again, and Masahiro Hanyu waited quietly outside.

In this era of bursting economic bubble, people in Tokyo commit suicide every day.

The reason for Masahiro Hanyu's suicide was not complicated: he owed a large amount of debt and was about to be fired from the detective agency.

The overall economic climate was unfavorable, and the detective agency needed to streamline its staff, but he was a dispensable clerk.

With no source of income, the debt collectors from "Takefuji" took away all his savings, and with his rent due soon, he didn't know how to survive, so he chose to end his life.

After being reborn, he felt hungry and wanted to eat.

Because the original owner was depressed, she hadn't eaten for a day before committing suicide.

Masahiro Yuzuru recalled a saying: "People who can eat while crying are the ones who will live well."

After eating instant noodles, he went to the agency to meet President Satsuki. He told him that he had studied at a detective academy and pleaded for a commission to conduct an investigation.

President Sha Yue's peach blossom eyes were icy as she handed him a commission.

"This commission has been stalled, and tomorrow is the deadline. Once you complete it, I can give you a chance later."

Is this just giving him a chance? And only one day? Masahiro Yuzuru frowned. Isn't this just telling him to give up? What an old hag who can't get married.

No wonder the original owner of this body fantasized about winning over President Sha Yue every time she saw her charming peach blossom eyes.

The contents of the power of attorney are clear and concise:

The client is the president of Fukai GG Company, named Aoyama Suke.

Commission details: Investigate his personal secretary, Eimi Kuroki. Find out who is secretly seeing Eimi Kuroki and having an intimate relationship with her.

President Aoyama is 43 years old, married but childless.

His female secretary, Eimi Kuroki, was 23 years old and unmarried.

Although she has only been with Fukai GG Company for three months, Secretary Kuroki and President Aoyama have already been rumored to be having an affair, and the two are currently in a romantic relationship.

Aoyama's request to investigate his female secretary's personal romantic life likely stems from his distrust of his lover.

Just as Masahiro Yuzuru was staring at the letter of authorization, a light-colored screen suddenly flashed before his eyes.

[Privacy Intelligence Reward System successfully linked]

[Host: Masahiro Hanyu]

[Host Level: 1, can obtain three random pieces of information]

If you uncover the truth and complete the mission using the provided information, you will receive a selectable reward.

[The person under investigation has been identified as: Eimi Kuroki]

[Information 1: If you ring the doorbell three times short and two times long, Kuroki Eimi will open the door without asking who it is.]

[Second piece of information: When Kuroki Eimi heard the doorbell ring, she went to open the door without even wearing underwear]

[Intelligence 3: Dior: Poison Perfume]

As a detective, Masahiro Hanyu was extremely excited to have access to an intelligence system.

After reading these three pieces of information, Masahiro Hanyu couldn't help but complain, "This is just too unprofessional."

Although it may seem far-fetched, since it is intelligence, it should be useful.

Masahiro Hanyu's point-by-point analysis:

The first piece of information is that if you press the doorbell as instructed, Kuroki Eimi will open the door without asking who the visitor is.

This indicates that she and the visitor are familiar with each other. They may have developed this tacit understanding through some event and use it frequently.

The second piece of information is that Kuroki Eimi will eagerly open the door when she hears the doorbell, and she doesn't care whether she's wearing underwear or not.

This indicates that she and her visitor have a very close relationship, to the point where they are completely open with each other and do not worry about their privacy being exposed.

Based on these two pieces of information, Masahiro Hanyu came to the conclusion that the visitor who could ring the doorbell in this way was probably Eimi Kuroki's lover.

Third, Dior: Poison perfume, a women's perfume brand launched in 1985.

The perfume might be the one used by Eimi Kuroki. But what information is this intelligence suggesting? Masahiro Hanyu couldn't figure it out for a moment.

He could only use the intelligence he had already obtained to investigate Kuroki Eimi and complete the commission before the deadline.

The door opened again, and Kuroki Eimi stood inside.

She changed into casual loungewear. A light pink silk low-cut top with a perfectly curved neckline, paired with a matching satin long skirt, revealing her slender ankles and bare, fair feet.

"Excuse me, Yuzuru-kun, please come in!"

"But... could you please hurry? I have guests coming today."

Masahiro Yuzuru's heart skipped a beat. A guest! Could it be her lover?

Is this woman wearing underwear now?