Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

After preparing his documents and tools, Masahiro Hanyu went to the front desk.

Ryoko Suzuki made a list of the items she needed to take, then carefully packed them back into her canvas bag. She clenched her little fist again, "Hanyu-kun, you have to do your best!"

Masahiro Hanyu left the detective agency with a canvas bag on his back and first went to a convenience store to buy a piece of Strong Punch chewing gum.

This is a new chewing gum, less than six months old. Masahiro Hanyu examined the packaging repeatedly but found no useful clues.

He put the chewing gum in his mouth; the minty flavor was very strong, and it was invigorating in the hot weather.

But what exactly was the third piece of information about chewing gum trying to convey? He couldn't figure it out for the moment.

Masahiro Hanyu randomly chose a ramen restaurant, ate his fill, and then returned to his residence, an apartment in Adachi Ward, Tokyo.

This is an old wooden apartment building with five floors, no elevator, and no access control.

The stairwell was narrow, and the wooden stairs creaked with every step.

Just over a month ago, Masahiro Hanyu moved here from his 1K apartment in Shinjuku.

There are two reasons why I chose to live here: first, the rent is cheap and payable monthly; second, it's remote, which helps me avoid being chased by debt collectors from "Wufuji".

The debt he incurred was due to him acting as a guarantor for his friend Ono.

Ono's investment failed, and he committed suicide by burning charcoal, leaving a huge debt of 50 million yen on his guarantor.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Masahiro Hanyu took out his key and opened the door to room 502.

This is a single room with only 18 units. The room is small, the facilities are old, and the sound insulation is very poor.

At night, he could clearly hear the whispers of the couple downstairs and the creaking and shaking of the wooden bed.

However, his neighbor's house was always quiet; you couldn't hear a sound.

There are two apartments per floor in this building. The apartment next door, room 501, is occupied, but he hasn't seen this neighbor since moving in.

Although the space was small, the reincarnated Masahiro Yuzuru had tidied up the room spotlessly. Unlike the original owner, he was not sloppy at all. Rebirth meant a new look.

After a busy day, Masahiro Hanyu took a hot shower. He was very pleased that the rent was so cheap and he even had a private bathroom.

I had just finished showering and dried myself off when I heard a knock on the door. "Is Yuzuru-kun home?"

Masahiro Hanyu knew from the voice that it was his landlady, Keiko Tanaka.

The rent was due six days ago, and he was in a hurry to collect his commission from President Satsuki in order to pay the rent.

Yuzuru Hanyu put on a bathrobe, opened the door, and Tanaka Keiko stood in the doorway. She was a woman in her forties with a plump figure and heavy makeup.

Her round, bright eyes swept over Masahiro Hanyu's yukata, landing on his handsome face. "Hanyu-kun's here!"

"The rent is six days overdue. When can you pay me this month's rent?"

Her gaze drifted behind Masahiro Hanyu, a smile spreading across her chubby face. "Hanyu-kun's room is so clean, were you waiting for me?"

"Would you like me to come in and sit down? If there's anything you're having trouble with, we can talk about it." She moved her fleshy legs, which were covered in black stockings, closer, and put her hand on Masahiro Yuzuru's shoulder.

The rent for this apartment is only 3.8 yen. Mrs. Tanaka came to collect the rent several times before, but Masahiro Hanyu's original body could not come up with the money.

Mrs. Tanaka implied to Masahiro Hanyu that as long as he provided good service, the rent was negotiable.

Under Mrs. Tanaka's gradual probing, the original owner of this body had no choice but to prepare to offer herself to her husband.

Mrs. Tanaka's plump face drew closer, and just as her hand was about to touch him, Masahiro Hanyu turned around at the perfect moment. "Please wait a moment!"

Mrs. Tanaka's outstretched hand fell short, and she awkwardly withdrew it.

The original owner was burdened with huge debts, faced unemployment, and had to offer herself to the bloated Mrs. Tanaka for 3.8 yen.

It was because of these reasons that she completely broke down and chose to commit suicide.

Masahiro Hanyu quickly returned to the door and handed over an envelope. "Here is thirty-eight thousand yen."

Mrs. Tanaka opened the envelope, carefully counted the banknotes inside, and her face turned grim. "Next month's rent is due in a day, or you'll have to move out."

Masahiro Hanyu smiled and said, "Okay, I will definitely pay on time."

Mrs. Tanaka snorted, swayed her thick waist, and turned to go downstairs.

Masahiro Hanyu planned to arrive at Oasis Fitness Club early the next day, so he lay in bed while it was still early in the night.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, I suddenly heard a "clang" sound, as if something had fallen to the ground.

Then a "ah" came from next door; it was a woman's voice.

Masahiro Hanyu closed his eyes and thought, "So my next-door neighbor is a woman. Judging from her voice, she shouldn't be very old."

The apartment building has cheap rent, and most of the tenants are students, single working professionals, or people who do odd jobs nearby.

In a daze, Masahiro Hanyu fell asleep.

The next morning, Masahiro Hanyu got up before six o'clock.

While washing up, he listened carefully and there was no sound from next door, so his female neighbor probably didn't need to get up early.

At 7:00 a.m., Masahiro Hanyu arrived at Oasis Fitness Club, located in Chuo-cho, Meguro Ward.

This is a standalone multi-story building with a simple yet grand facade. A huge "GG" sign stands upstairs, making the name "Oasis Fitness Club" visible from a distance.

It's so early, there are very few people at the gym.

Yuzuru Masahiro hid in the shade of a tree not far away, observing the people entering and leaving the club.

Around 7:30, five or six men dressed in sportswear entered the club one after another.

Among them were three or four faces that Yuzuru Masahiro felt he had seen before, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen them before.

He searched his memories, both those of the original owner and his past life, and suddenly a thought struck him—he remembered!

He had seen these men in some Tokyo movies that were only for viewers 18 and older…

These action movie actors and male teachers are now right in front of him.

He could still recall the names of these people: Kato, Mukaiyama, Oshima…

Is the second piece of information suggesting some kind of connection between yoga instructors and male teachers?

He wasn't sure yet; perhaps they weren't exclusive VIPs at the gym.

Masahiro Yuzuru had been secretly observing until after eight o'clock, when only the few people he had seen earlier entered the gym.

He found a public restroom, changed into a dark blue work uniform with a white Panasonic logo embroidered on the cuffs.

Then, putting on a pair of glasses, carrying a toolbox, he walked through the doors of the gym.

He needed to go to the VIP area to check and determine exactly what the second piece of information meant.

Does Takizawa Reika work at this gym? What is her relationship with these male instructors?

The receptionists at the club were a young man and a young woman, both wearing gray club uniforms and name tags pinned to their chests.

Masahiro Hanyu stepped forward, bowed slightly, and handed over his work ID and work order.

"Excuse me, I'm an after-sales technician for Panasonic fitness equipment. This is the inspection work order for today."

The male receptionist glanced at Masahiro Hanyu's work badge, his tone somewhat puzzled.

"Panasonic after-sales service?"

"There must be a mistake. The Panasonic fitness equipment is past its first warranty period; it's being maintained by our staff now!"