Chapter 14
by Need_More_SleepChapter 14: Willing To Do Anything
“Well, the guaranteed 100% ambush success rate doesn’t seem to work on you, Princess. Aria was throwing a tantrum in class again during lunch break today because she couldn’t find you. Where on earth did you run off to?” Riko chuckled.
“……” Of course, Kanako wouldn’t tell Riko she was intentionally avoiding Aria to carve out some personal space.
The school island spanned one square kilometer, dotted with numerous buildings. Hiding spots were plentiful, and Kanako easily found a quiet corner to have lunch alone.
“That’s not important. Any other useful information?” Kanako steered the conversation back on track.
“Hmm, Aria’s mother is Japanese, and her father is half-British, half-Japanese.”
“So she’s three-quarters Japanese? Why does she look more like a Caucasian…”
“The key point is that Aria’s father’s family is quite famous. The ‘H’ in her middle name is a reference to that family. Also, her grandmother was once awarded the title of Dame!”
“So she really is a noble young lady, no wonder…” Kanako now understood why Aria had zero life skills.
“Exactly, genuine aristocracy! But she doesn’t seem to get along well with her family, which is why she uses ‘H’ instead of her full family name. Well, big families all have their issues… that particular clan is a bit…” Riko trailed off.
“Don’t keep me hanging, spill it,” I urged.
“No way! Riko hates all this family background stuff. You go look it up yourself, Princess. The England Armed Detective Agency’s official website probably has it. Even if you don’t check, you can probably guess.”
“Armed Detective Charter, Article Two: Contracts made with clients must be faithfully upheld,” Kanako complained to Riko.
“Do your best, Princess!” Riko turned a deaf ear, instead waving her hands like a cheerleader to cheer Kanako on.
“Forget it, I’m heading back to the dorm. Ah…”
Clatter. Just as Kanako was about to wave goodbye to Riko, she accidentally collided with Riko’s wildly gesturing hands, sending her wristwatch flying to the ground.
“Sorry, Princess!” Riko immediately apologized.
“It’s fine, just a cheap thing.” Kanako picked up the watch, finding that the clasp seemed broken.
When Armed Detectives are on a job, they mute and stow their phones to avoid affecting the operation until the mission is over. Watches become crucial equipment for keeping time.
Bulletproof watches are mostly expensive, so Kanako bought a cheap wristwatch, not heartbroken if it got damaged.
“No! Damaging a client’s item is a huge blow to Riko’s credibility. Please, you must let me fix it!” With that, Riko snatched Kanako’s wristwatch away.
“…Credibility? You didn’t even finish the investigation properly…” Kanako shot Riko a sideways glance.
Perhaps to prevent Kanako from reclaiming the watch, Riko quickly pulled open her collar and stuffed the watch right into her cleavage. The golden bra instantly caught Kanako’s eye.
‘Mmm…?’ Kanako’s gaze went a bit rigid.
‘Let’s put aside for now that Riko’s peaks are more impressive than mine. But who is she wearing such a flashy bra for? All gold and shiny, it practically glows…’
‘I can understand Shirayuki’s mature, black-style route. But this style of Riko’s… I really don’t get it.’
In an instant, a flurry of random thoughts crossed Kanako’s mind. She felt an inexplicable sense of defeat. Riko’s petite frame yet such generous development… she felt like she was losing on the ‘being a woman’ front…
Kanako averted her gaze. Staring inside someone’s collar was impolite, and looking too long could make the blood flow restless.
‘By the way, did she deliberately squeeze them together just now?’ Kanako had that impression.
“I’m heading out.” Kanako decided this was no place to linger and turned towards the greenhouse door.
“Ah, wait.” Riko fished out a ticket from her collar. “Here’s a game token voucher. As my compensation.”
“No need, just fix my watch.”
“Riko’s been busy lately, no time to go. It’d be a waste if you don’t use it, Princess. It expires tomorrow.”
Riko forced the voucher into Kanako’s hand, who reluctantly accepted it. Looking it over, she noticed the arcade was near her part-time job.
“Alright then, thanks. Bye.” Kanako accepted the ticket with some reluctance.
“Hehe~~ Bye-bye~~ Princess~~” Riko’s voice sounded quite cheerful.
After saying goodbye to Riko, Kanako left the greenhouse alone.
Before returning to the dorm, Kanako stopped by the convenience store downstairs to buy a bottle of soy sauce. While meeting Riko was the main purpose, it was also true they were out of soy sauce in the dorm.
Besides the Armed Detective High School’s teaching facilities and student dorms, the school island also had shops catering to students, like convenience stores, laundromats, and game centers.
The fact that Armed Detective High could occupy an entire artificial island was thanks to the failure of the Tokyo Bay redevelopment project. The island was reclaimed by the government and eventually allocated to the Armed Detective Agency and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to jointly establish this school for training Armed Detectives.
The school island actually had a sister island—another artificial island to the north. The two islands were separated by the Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba and Minato Ward.
Since no one took over that island for development, it had nothing on it and was called the “Empty Lot Island.” It was essentially a giant concrete platform floating on the sea, with only a lone wind turbine on the southern side.
From the dorm hallway, Kanako could see the Empty Lot Island. Sometimes, students from the Vehicle Department would drive up there to race and practice their skills.
“The first typhoon of the year has formed. It has recently passed Okinawa heading north, with no decrease in intensity…” The TV news broadcast reported.
Kanako returned to the dorm and entered the living room to see Aria listening to the news while holding a mirror, arranging the hair on her forehead.
Aria had pinned up her bangs with a hair clip, revealing a smooth forehead. She seemed to like her high forehead quite a bit.
“No need to be so concerned about your image inside the dorm, young lady.” Kanako hid the two game vouchers Riko didn’t want, flashed the soy sauce in the living room, and then turned to walk into the kitchen.
“You looked into me?” Aria caught the implied meaning in Kanako’s words and seemed somewhat pleased.
“I did look into you a bit. I learned you’re from a noble family, quite famous in Europe, highly capable, never let a suspect escape.” Kanako mentioned Aria’s performance as an Armed Detective in Europe.
“But I’ve hit a wall in Tokyo. Twice now. For two days in a row, you’ve dodged me during lunch, and I couldn’t find you. That’s never happened to me before.” Aria put down the mirror and walked towards Kanako.
“Just luck,” Kanako explained.
The truth is, Kanako knew herself well. If she hadn’t used her family’s secret technique, how could she possibly have slipped away from under the nose of an S-rank in her normal state?
Earlier, right at the start of lunch break, Aria had almost physically grabbed hold of Kanako.
“The shooting accuracy you displayed with blind firing and the way you threw that fire extinguisher on the first day of school can’t possibly be explained by luck. And then you became so…” Aria didn’t continue, her face gradually turning red.
‘So troublesome. Just showed a little bit of skill, and now Aria won’t let go. Guess that’s an S-rank Armed Detective for you—even the slightest clue can become a lead.’ Kanako frowned deeply.
“Alright! Topic ends here!” Kanako stated firmly. Continuing this conversation risked Aria discovering her secret.
“No! My intuition tells me there’s a condition for you to become like that. Tell me about that condition. I can help you. I’m willing to do anything!” As she spoke, Aria grabbed Kanako’s sleeve and pressed closer.
The kitchen was fairly small, leaving Kanako nowhere to retreat. The rich scent of gardenias once again assaulted her nostrils.
‘You’re willing to do anything??? You want me to tell you I need to use you as an ingredient to enter Burst Mode???’
[To be continued.]
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