Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

"Hanyu-kun, please take your revenge on me!"

Masahiro Hanyu recalled Reika Takizawa's pleading voice in the romantic hotel, and those yoga poses.

He had escaped back then, but he never expected that this yoga instructor would come to the detective agency and specifically ask him to accept the commission. Could it be a trap?

Regardless, it's a good thing that someone specifically requested him to investigate!

Besides, President Satsuki has a protection mechanism for the detectives in the agency, so he doesn't need to worry too much.

"President, I'll just take one day off. I can go back to work tomorrow."

President Satsuki hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

The first piece of intelligence states that Aoyama will definitely go to the Eros Royal Adult Club on Tuesday night, but no time was specified. Yuzuru Masahiro decides to go there early.

At 3 p.m., Masahiro Hanyu arrived at the Royal Building with three bottles of MARS Komagatake Pure Wheat wrapped in kraft paper.

At this time, the Royal Cupid Club had just opened for business.

Manager Yoshida must have already given instructions. Upon seeing the business card handed to him by Masahiro Hanyu, the security guard in black standing at the door didn't ask any questions and led him into the club through the side door.

The long, narrow corridor was lit by warm orange wall lamps. Yuzuru Masahiro followed the corridor to the office and met Manager Yoshida again.

He gently placed three bottles of MARS Komagatake Pure Wheat on the table. "Manager Yoshida, I've brought the sake."

Yoshida nodded, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said, "Kobayashi-kun, please come to my office."

Not long after, a tall, thin young man wearing a black vest walked in.

Yoshida said, "Kobayashi-kun, take these new bottles of MARS Komagatake Pure Wheat to the main bar for a tasting tonight."

"Also, please arrange a seat for Mr. Asano, right by the bar."

Kobayashi bowed and replied, "Yes, Manager Yoshida."

Yoshida introduced, "This is Kobayashi-kun. He's the bartender. Asano-kun can talk to him about anything."

"Please remember the rules here: do not wander around or disturb the guests."

"Asano-kun, I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

Masahiro Hanyu replied humbly, "Yes, I understand! I will follow Manager Yoshida's arrangements."

The two left the office, and Masahiro Hanyu handed Kobayashi a pack of Heineken cigarettes.

"Please take good care of me, Kobayashi-kun!"

Kobayashi put the cigarette in his pocket. "Don't worry, Asano-kun, I'll give this Komagatake cigarette to different guests to try."

"The more people drink it, the more positive feedback will naturally come."

Masahiro Hanyu bowed slightly. "Thank you, Kobayashi-kun!"

"I'd like to ask, what are the differences between Tuesday and other days? When I'm recording customer feedback, I try to take all factors into account."

Kobayashi thought for a moment: "There's not much difference between Tuesdays and other days."

"Tonight's drag show should include nurses, flight attendants, maids, and brides."

"However, this cycle repeats every few days, and it's not certain which types of costume dances will be scheduled for Tuesdays."

Watching a striptease performance is probably not the reason why Aoyama came here on a Sunday.

Masahiro Hanyu continued, "I wonder how the Karuizawa Club pure wheat liquor is selling at your store? After all, it's a competitor of Komagatake, so I'd like to know."

Kobayashi smiled. "Karuizawa, sales are alright."

"Especially on every Tuesday, a VIP guest known as Aoyama-kun will come to order this sake."

Masahiro Hanyu's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, does this VIP come every Tuesday? Has he fallen for one of the waitresses?"

Kobayashi was clearly specially trained; he walked with his upper body straight, and the bottles of wine he was carrying on the tray did not wobble at all.

"This distinguished guest visits every Tuesday."

"This VIP has been a regular since I started working here five years ago, but I haven't seen him get close to any of the waitresses."

At this point, Kobayashi suddenly put on a stern face, "Asano-kun, you shouldn't pry into the privacy of VIPs."

Masahiro Hanyu quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I was just trying to find out why this distinguished guest likes Karuizawa sake."

Kobayashi's expression softened. "It's probably because the VIP likes the taste of this Karuizawa sake. What other reason could there be?"

"However, this VIP always requests that the bartending performances use Karuizawa sake."

Masahiro Hanyu felt he had found a clue. "Excuse me, Kobayashi-kun, are flair bartending performances only held on Tuesdays?"

Kobayashi shook his head, "It's not certain, it happens almost every day."

Aoyama didn't come here for a waitress, nor for a special performance, so why did he have to come on a Tuesday?

Kobayashi pushed open a heavy wooden door. With a deep creak from the hinges, a strong scent of perfume, the mellow aroma of whiskey, and a faint smell of cigarette smoke wafted out.

The spotlights in the center of the dance floor were dazzling, and the music was lingering and tantalizing.

The performance has already begun on stage, and a dancer wearing a red lace slip dress is gently swaying her body to the rhythm of the music.

There weren't many customers in the booths below the stage yet. Scantily clad waitresses moved between the booths, looking for customers who needed them.

Yuzuru Masahiro searched among the guests, but Aoyama Suke had not yet arrived, so he was relieved.

Kobayashi bypassed the booths at the edge of the dance floor and led Masahiro Hanyu to a spot in the corner of the bar.

"Asano-kun, please take this seat!"

"The view here is expansive, allowing you to see clearly the situation of all the guests in the hall."

"You will be able to see it when I present the Komagatake sake to the guests."

Yuzuru looked around. This spot was hidden in the shadows on one side of the bar, making it difficult for Aoyama to notice him.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Kobayashi-kun!"

Masahiro Hanyu naturally didn't care what feedback his guests gave him about Komagatake Pure Barley.

He came here to find out the reason for the estrangement between Aoyama and Hojo Kana based on the first piece of information.

As more and more guests entered the hall, the dancers on the stage had already removed their outer halter dresses, leaving only their form-fitting, sexy outfits.

The dance moves became increasingly alluring, the music increasingly enchanting, and occasionally a few low cheers rose from the audience.

The waitress in the booth whispered something in the guest's ear, eliciting a soft, ambiguous laugh.

At this moment, a middle-aged man entered the lobby and was led into a booth by a waitress.

The man was fair-skinned and refined, wearing glasses; it was Aoyama Suke.

Masahiro Hanyu lowered his upper body and hid in the shadows of his seat to avoid being seen by the other party.

The seat was right next to the bar, and he could hear two bartenders talking.

"Our VIP guest, Aoyama, has arrived. Get that whisky ready!"

Another bartender opened a drawer on the liquor rack and took out two bottles of Karuizawa Club Pure Wheat.

From Masahiro Hanyu's angle, you can see the bottles of liquor displayed in the drawer.

His gaze passed over the wine bottle and landed inside the drawer, where an enlarged photograph sat.

Several frosted glass pendant lights hung above the bar, casting a warm yellow glow that fell perfectly on the photo.

It was a black and white photograph of a young man with handsome features.

Staring at the photo, Masahiro Hanyu felt a jolt of surprise. Why did it seem so familiar?