Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

It rained in the afternoon, and the summer heat in Tokyo seemed to have eased a bit.

As night fell, the bars in Shinjuku's Golden Street area became noisy and lively once again.

The lightbox of the "Misty" bar was still lit, but a wooden sign was hanging that said it was closed on Saturdays.

As Masahiro Hanyu pushed open the door to the bar, the rich aroma of alcohol and the slightly sweet scent of wax wafted towards him.

The bar was dimly lit, and several pink candles were lit on one side of the nanmu bar counter.

The candlelight flickered gently, enveloping the entire bar in a warm, hazy glow.

Ozawa Ayari stood inside the door, bowing slightly, "Welcome, Yuzuru-kun."

She wore a black velvet dress with an extremely slender waist, outlining smooth, soft, and shapely lines.

Her long hair was loosely tied up, and her slightly upturned eyes were delicately drawn, adding a touch of charm. The fragrance of gardenias seemed even stronger.

Masahiro Hanyu handed over a bouquet of white lisianthus flowers. "Ozawa-san, you look beautiful today!"

Ozawa Ayari reached out and took the flowers. "Hanyu-kun, you're so thoughtful. These flowers are perfect for tonight's candlelight dinner. I'll find a vase to put them in."

Of course, you can't go to a bar party empty-handed. A bunch of 10 white lisianthus flowers cost 1200 yen, which Masahiro Hanyu thought was a good deal.

Ozawa Ayari casually locked the outer wooden door to prevent anyone from coming in and disturbing her.

"Hanyu-kun, has your foot injury healed?"

Masahiro Hanyu lightly stomped his foot. "Ozawa-san, thank you so much. You've fully recovered."

Ozawa Ayari blushed slightly as she recalled the moment when her ankle was massaged, feeling a pang of self-pity.

The small table by the window was covered with a plain linen tablecloth, and set with plates and crystal glasses.

Raw fish slices with lemon wedges, salt-roasted ginkgo nuts, cold takoyaki (octopus balls), and tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).

Without excessive decoration, each dish exudes care and refinement.

Ayari Ozawa invited Masahiro Hanyu to sit at the table. "Hanyu-kun, what would you like to drink?"

Yuzuru Masahiro's gaze swept over the liquor shelf, which was filled with a dazzling array of alcoholic beverages, but none of them were the kind he was looking for.

Did I remember it wrong? Or was I just distracted that day?

Ayari Ozawa swayed her hips as she followed Masahiro Hanyu's gaze. "Hanyu-kun, do I not have your favorite drink here?"

Although he had beautiful women and fine wine by his side, Masahiro Hanyu was somewhat disappointed. His mind was more focused on the commissioned investigation, after all, it was worth 50 yen.

"Ozawa-san, your selection of drinks is so extensive that I'm having trouble choosing."

"But I remember there was a Karuizawa Club pure wheat one, maybe I'm mistaken."

Ozawa Ayari chuckled, "Hanyu-kun's taste is quite unique. This whisky is rich and strong; very few people drink it."

She bent down and pulled open the walnut drawer beneath the wine rack.

"This whiskey is not commonly found in the bars on Golden Street, since very few customers would order it."

"I only have two bottles here, and they've been stored for several years."

Yuzuru Masahiro's gaze fell on Ozawa's waist, whose graceful curves were fully revealed due to her leaning forward.

Ozawa placed the amber-colored glass bottle on the bar, and the moment she unscrewed the cork, a rich aroma of liquor wafted out.

It has the rich, smoky aroma of toasted oak, mixed with the sweetness of honey-soaked apples, and a hint of smokiness.

"This sake is a bit strong, and I don't usually drink it. But since Mr. Yuzuru likes it, I'll have a little bit too."

Yuzuru Masahiro noticed the clue in Ozawa's words, "Ozawa-san, since very few customers order this, and you don't drink it either, there's probably no need to keep this bar on hand."

Ozawa raised the bottle, and the amber-colored liquid slowly slid down the side of the glass into the crystal glass, its color as clear as melting honey.

"There was a customer who used to come to Golden Street and always ordered this whisky at every bar. If they didn't have it, she would go to another bar."

"At the time, in order to keep this customer, some bars started stocking this drink, including mine."

The wine pooled at the bottom of the glass, forming a warm yellow hue, with fine droplets clinging to the glass walls.

Ozawa pushed the glass towards Masahiro Hanyu, saying, "That's a female customer; it's rare for female customers to like this drink."

Masahiro Hanyu picked up the glass bottle. The bottle wasn't particularly long or narrow, and the label had a frosted texture with retro gold lettering.

He examined it carefully, turning it over and over, but couldn't find any useful information.

The clue to the third piece of information should not lie in the wine itself, but in the person who drinks it.

"Female customers who like this wine must be quite unique, right?" he asked, putting down his glass.

Ayari Ozawa sat down opposite Masahiro Hanyu. "Yeah, that female guest is probably a model, maybe ten centimeters taller than me."

"That was five or six years ago, and this female customer has not appeared on Golden Street since then."

Masahiro Hanyu wondered if this news was related to his current investigation commission.

Ozawa Ayari raised her crystal wine glass. "The rule in Golden Street is that we never entertain guests on our days off. Today is the first time I'm making an exception."

"It's mainly to thank Yuzuru-kun for helping me catch the thief who stole my underwear."

The candlelight reflected in Xiaoze's eyes, shattering into starlight. "I really feel bad that you sprained your ankle while catching the thief."

Masahiro Hanyu also raised his glass. "Ozawa-san, you're too kind. Since I accepted the investigation request, it's what I should do."

"It was mainly thanks to your support and cooperation that we were able to catch the thief so successfully."

Thinking about the initial misunderstanding and the display in the bedroom, Xiaoze's face flushed slightly.

"Hanyu-kun, I salute you!"

Their glasses clinked lightly together, producing a crisp sound.

The richness of the whiskey brought a blush to Ozawa's cheeks.

A faint scent of gardenias mingled with the aroma of alcohol wafted over, and Masahiro Hanyu put down his glass.

"Ozawa-san, you seem different tonight!"

Ayari Ozawa raised her eyes, her lips curving into a seductive smile. "Oh, how is it different?"

"The fragrance is stronger, with a stronger gardenia scent."

Masahiro Hanyu was telling the truth, but Ayari Ozawa took it as a flirtation.

"Don't you think it's bad, Yuzuru-kun?"

Masahiro Hanyu said seriously, "Great, even more moving!"

The candlelight made Xiaoze's cheeks blush even more, and the candlelight dinner between the two in the private setting of the bar already had a somewhat ambiguous feel to it.

She invited the young detective not just to express her gratitude, but also to showcase her charm.

Ozawa blinked, staring unabashedly at Masahiro Hanyu, "More captivating than when I showed off my lingerie?"

Masahiro Hanyu hesitated for a few seconds, "Oh, that's for an investigation commission, it's different."

He was wondering if the female customer who drank "Karuizawa Club Pure Wheat" in Golden Street was related to this investigation commission.

The wine glasses swayed gently as the two men clinked glasses in succession. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows of the two men, overlapping them on the wooden floor.

Ozawa refilled Hanyu Masahiro's drink and said softly, "Drink slowly. We're open all day, you can stay as long as you like."

The atmosphere was right, and the young detective should consider doing something about it! Of course, she would refuse.

Having been dominated by him at home, Ozawa hoped to use this opportunity to save face.

Otherwise, how embarrassing would it be if Satsuki Yui found out!

Suddenly, Masahiro Hanyu's pager went off. It was Eimi Kuroki calling, and the numbers she sent indicated that it was urgent.

Ozawa pointed to the side of the bar where there was a telephone, and Yuzuru Masahiro got up to return the call.

Kuroki Eimi's voice came through, "Hanyu-kun, where are you? I want to see you."

The telephone wasn't ringing, and Ayari Ozawa glanced over.

"Is she Yuzuru-kun's girlfriend? Please invite her over."