Chapter 11
by Need_More_SleepChapter 11: Social Savvy
“Looking for a cat?”
“Yep, looking for a cat. Over at the Odaiba warehouse district. The reward is ten thousand yen, and it’s worth 0.1 academic credits. It’s the perfect job for an E-rank Butei like me.” Tohyama Kanako headed towards the school gate.
Aria didn’t comment on this, simply following alongside Tohyama Kanako.
Leaving the school, the two took the train to Odaiba Warehouse Street.
This area was originally just a portside warehouse district, but after development, it had transformed into an upscale residential area and a fashionable shopping street.
Before starting the cat search, Tohyama Kanako needed to buy a few things first.
“You’re a student in the Detective program. What method are you planning to use to find that cat?” Aria inquired.
“Ask another cat, of course.”
“Huh?”
“Meow, meow~ Have you seen this cat? Something like that?” Tohyama Kanako placed her hands on her head, shaping them like cat ears.
“Are you an idiot?” Aria looked at her, somewhat dumbfounded.
“Calling me an idiot… Well then, do you, the transfer student, have any brilliant ideas?” Tohyama Kanako shot Aria a sidelong glance.
“Nope.” Aria admitted bluntly. “I have no talent for deduction. I didn’t inherit the most crucial part from my ancestors.”
“Talent… Whatever. Let’s start with the basics then, gathering information first.” Hearing the word “talent,” Tohyama Kanako thought of herself. Were her two special constitutions a curse or a talent?
Exiting the station, Tohyama Kanako led Aria to a pet supply store not far from the station.
Odaiba was the commercial district closest to the school. Many students from Tokyo Butei High would come here to stroll during their free time. Tohyama Kanako had also come a few times during her first year to buy personal items, so she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the area.
At the cost of a small bag of dried fish and some catnip, Tohyama Kanako learned from the shop owner about the nearby areas where stray cats gathered. A few other customers also offered suggestions.
Tohyama Kanako had also shown the kitten’s photo to ask, but unfortunately, she couldn’t obtain any direct eyewitness information.
Pet stores are gathering places for pet owners, where all sorts of animal-related information converges, naturally including news about stray cats. The owner would inevitably overhear customers’ conversations, which is why Tohyama Kanako came to buy the dried fish and catnip.
Of course, those items would also come in handy later.
With the information in hand, Tohyama Kanako and Aria moved on.
“Kanako, your communication skills are pretty good, getting information so quickly.” Aria complimented.
“It’s just a basic skill. Being a Butei isn’t just about fighting and killing, there’s also social savvy involved.”
Tohyama Kanako’s communication skills weren’t bad. She could converse normally with males and had experience teaming up with male classmates on cases. As for females… Just now, a female customer had been frequently batting her eyelashes, hinting at exchanging contact information.
‘Please, spare me…’ Tohyama Kanako lamented inwardly.
“By the way, Kanako, I’m hungry.” Aria tugged on my sleeve.
“I say, it hasn’t been long since lunch break, has it? Didn’t you eat lunch?”
“I did, but I’m hungry again.”
“You’re so tiny, yet you’re not energy-efficient at all…” Tohyama Kanako looked at Aria speechlessly. ‘Just as we’re about to start work, you come dragging me down. Could you please just go back?’
“Don’t call me tiny!”
Aria bristled like a cat. Due to the agreement she had with Tohyama Kanako earlier, she only stomped her feet hard on the ground a few times, not attempting to draw her gun.
“Alright, alright. So, what does the big, grown-up Aria want to eat?” Tohyama Kanako asked perfunctorily.
“Anything, you decide.”
“Tch, there’s no food called ‘anything’… Fine, come with me.”
The two went to a park near the pet store. Based on the information gathered from the store owner and customers, there was a possibility of finding Tohyama Kanako’s target in this park.
However, before starting work, Tohyama Kanako needed to feed the pink-haired girl beside her first.
“Aria, choose a flavor yourself.” Tohyama Kanako pointed to the menu board beside the food truck, which was parked on the road just outside the park.
Tohyama Kanako planned to get Aria a crepe. This high-calorie snack, mainly consisting of batter and cream, was perfect as rations for the high-energy-consuming Aria, economical and practical.
“What is this?” Aria looked at the menu curiously.
“Crepes. Don’t tell me you’ve never had one?” Now it was Tohyama Kanako’s turn to be surprised. She had eaten less of them since starting high school, but in middle school, she used to have them often with friends.
“This is different from the ones I had in Brittany, France. There, they were served on plates, not held in your hand. And they weren’t triangular like this, they were square.” Aria pointed at a customer who had just received their crepe.
“…Just think of it as a manifestation of food becoming fast and popularized.” Tohyama Kanako roughly understood. The crepe Aria was referring to was probably the traditional kind.
“Oh.”
After buying the crêpes, the two entered the park.
The flavor Aria chose was Peach Manju. Yes, there really was such an eccentric flavor. The popularity of Peach Manju seemed to be reviving.
Tohyama Kanako’s was an ordinary chocolate crepe, with a request for less cream and less sugar. Nowadays, to attract health-conscious customers, the food industry offers products with controlled oil and sugar, and this crepe shop was no exception.
Finding an unoccupied bench, Aria eagerly sat down and started devouring her Peach Manju-flavored crêpe, not even minding that her skirt fluttered up, nearly causing a wardrobe malfunction.
The pleated skirts of the Butei High girls’ uniform were designed very short. This was to facilitate girls who carried pistols strapped to their thighs, allowing for quick draws in critical moments. Therefore, Butei female students were often on the verge of wardrobe malfunctions whenever they moved.
Tohyama Kanako didn’t have to worry about that. Her pistol was holstered at her waist, and she had the considerate protection of safety shorts, no defensive vulnerabilities.
Tohyama Kanako also sat down and began eating her crepe.
“Kanako, why are you sitting so far away?” Aria stopped eating, frowning as she looked at Tohyama Kanako sitting at the very other end of the bench.
“Don’t mind it. It’s just a professional habit.” Tohyama Kanako certainly wouldn’t tell Aria it was about maintaining a safe distance.
In fact, to reduce the risk of incidents, keeping a distance from girls had almost become a passive skill for Tohyama Kanako. It was the same earlier on the train.
This was also why Tohyama Kanako was unwilling to squeeze onto the last bus before 8 a.m. To avoid being late, that bus was always packed with too many girls. The girls’ dormitory bus stop alone had a huge crowd.
Eating her crepe, Tohyama Kanako observed the surroundings and realized their timing might not have been ideal.
“Hurry up and eat. I need to start work. This isn’t a suitable place for us to linger.” Tohyama Kanako said this to Aria.
“Why? I want to savor this carefully.” Aria really liked this Peach Manju-flavored crepe, her eyes squinting with delight.
“Look around.”
This park had only been built and opened last year. It was fashionable, aesthetically pleasing, and seaside, making it perfect for couples on dates.
Right before Tohyama Kanako’s eyes, many young couples were going about in pairs. The two of them stuck out like sore thumbs.
Aria spotted a couple glued together on a bench across the path and instantly froze.
“Wow, using french fries to play the Pocky game. They’re really creative.” Tohyama Kanako remarked with a sigh.
[To be continued.]
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