Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Riddlers, Get Out of Tokyo

Upon hearing Aria’s declaration, Tohyama Kanako’s face twitched. What kind of nonsense was this…?

“Partner? I refuse!” Tohyama Kanako was already planning to leave Butei High and the Butei profession altogether. Asking her to be a partner now was completely impossible.

“Then I want you to be my slave!”

“Falling from partner to slave, what major crime did I commit? The rank plummeted straight to the bottom!” Tohyama Kanako couldn’t help but exclaim loudly.

“Why haven’t you served tea yet? Is this your way of treating a guest? So rude.” Aria plopped down on the sofa, her skirt fluttering, revealing two handguns holstered on her thighs.

“The one who invited herself over is the rude one,” Tohyama Kanako retorted irritably, turning towards the kitchen. She only hoped the uninvited guest would drink something and leave quickly.

“I want coffee. Double espresso. And Italian-style sugar too!”

“Don’t have that kind of thing. Here, there’s only mineral water and milk. Take it or leave it.”

Joking. Tohyama Kanako wouldn’t be foolish enough to actually give Aria coffee.

Coffee has a stimulating effect that perks you up. Giving Aria coffee would only give her more energy to cause trouble. Tohyama Kanako wasn’t that stupid.

Besides, Tohyama Kanako’s dorm only had instant coffee. That “double espresso” stuff? She’d never even heard of it.

“Then milk.”

Tohyama Kanako poured herself a glass of water and poured a glass of milk for Aria. She pulled up a chair and sat opposite Aria across the coffee table, maintaining distance.

Once the milk was on the table, Aria immediately picked up the glass and started drinking.

Tohyama Kanako observed the other girl’s genuinely thirsty appearance. It seemed Aria had been squatting outside her dorm door for a while.

“I’m grateful you saved me this morning. And I’m sorry about teasing you, but that wasn’t my intention. So, why did you come to my place?” Tohyama Kanako asked calmly.

“You don’t know?” Aria looked at her somewhat surprised.

“Know what?” Tohyama Kanako shot back.

“I thought if it were you, you’d have already known… Anyway, you’ll find out sooner or later. So let’s just assume that’s the case.”

“What kind of riddle are you speaking in?” Tohyama Kanako grew even more puzzled, thinking to herself, ‘What do you mean I should have already known? Riddlers, get out of Gotham… no, riddlers, get out of Tokyo!’

“Never mind that. I’m hungry!” Aria abruptly changed the subject and asked, “Got anything to eat?”

“Only half-price bento boxes.”

“No momo-manjū? I want that. Best if it’s from Matsumotoya.”

Momo-manjū are buns shaped like peaches with a very sweet filling, which had sparked a trend in the past.

“If you want it, go buy it yourself. There’s a convenience store downstairs. I remember they have Matsumotoya’s momo-manjū there.”

“Forget it then. What’s a half-price bento?”

Tohyama Kanako didn’t expect Aria to give in so easily. She had been thinking of shooing the other girl away so she could quickly slip out and spend the night at her childhood friend’s place, avoiding this pink-haired nuisance.

‘Looks like her surveillance class grades aren’t bad,’ Tohyama Kanako thought, reluctantly walking to the dining table and pulling out a half-price bento she bought with an employee discount from an eco-bag.

Aria followed.

“It’s a beef bowl or pork cutlet bowl. Pick one.”

“Then I’ll take beef.”

After heating the bentos in the microwave, the two sat facing each other to eat dinner.

Although Aria asked various questions about the bento’s contents, she didn’t seem too concerned about taste. As long as it was edible, she would eat it.

“By the way, what did you mean by that ‘partner’ thing?” Tohyama Kanako asked again during the meal.

“It means you come to Assault Studies, join my team, and we do Butei work together.”

“You’ve been investigating me, right? You should know I originally transferred from Assault Studies to Detective Studies. I have half a year left before I transfer schools and leave the Butei profession altogether. I don’t even want to be a Butei anymore, and you want me to go back to Assault Studies? I can’t do it.” Tohyama Kanako stated the truth plainly.

“I hate hearing three phrases the most.”

“Huh?”

“‘I can’t do it,’ ‘I’m tired,’ and ‘It’s too much trouble.’ These three phrases destroy all human potential. Don’t say them in front of me, got it?!”

Tohyama Kanako thought Aria was really self-centered…

“Also, Kanako’s position… you can be the frontliner with me.”

The frontline position is the vanguard position in a Butei squad, also the position with the highest casualty rate.

“That’s not good at all. Why me? There are so many students in Assault Studies.”

“Why does the sun rise? Why does the moon shine? You ask so many questions, like a little kid asking nonstop. You’re still a Butei, right? Go investigate it yourself.” Aria’s words came out like rapid-fire.

Infuriating!

Tohyama Kanako felt her blood pressure skyrocketing!

“You won’t tell me the reason, huh?! Fine! I absolutely will NOT be your partner! No matter what your reason is!” Tohyama Kanako slammed her chopsticks on the table, her attitude firm.

‘Asking the person directly is itself a form of investigation. You won’t tell me, so you expect me to grovel and beg you? I’m not the one asking for a favor here, Tohyama Kanako!’ she fumed inwardly, her temper flaring.

“If you don’t agree, I’ll live here! I’m running out of time. I must have you join! I’m prepared for a long-term struggle!” Aria pointed at the suitcase placed by the entrance.

“This dorm is registered under my name. I pay the rent and utilities. I’m the user and the temporary manager. You, without my permission, want to stay here. Legally, that’s forcible occupation. I can call the police and let them handle it.”

During her years as a Butei student, Tohyama Kanako had learned everything else somewhat haphazardly, but the lesson of using the law to protect herself was etched in her mind.

Of course, it wasn’t much use against lawless individuals, but it was quite effective against Butei. Aria couldn’t possibly be unaware of the consequences for a Butei getting involved in a lawsuit.

“C-call the police… You’re a Butei. Calling the police at school…” Aria was a bit flustered. She never expected Tohyama Kanako to pull this move.

“Yep, call the police. In Butei High. Based on the agreement between the school and the police, student cases are transferred to the specialized subject teachers of the involved students. To shut the police up, the teachers won’t handle it carelessly either. And the current teacher in charge of Assault Studies is Ranbyou. Her fists… hurt, don’t they?”

Tohyama Kanako had deep personal experience with this. Back when she was in Assault Studies, she was often “treated kindly” by Ranbyou, it really hurt! In the physical sense!

Aria nodded subconsciously.

“At this time, Ranbyou is either hunting for guys to pick up, or drinking with Tsuzuri Umeko and Takamagahara-sensei. If you ruin her fun, what do you think will happen to you?” Tohyama Kanako wasn’t trying to scare Aria, this was the blood-and-tear summary from other students.

If you interrupted Ranbyou’s drinking, you’d at least lose a layer of skin. That woman couldn’t even be described as a tigress, she was more like a rampaging elephant.

But that was still the better scenario, at least you wouldn’t die.

But if you interrupted Ranbyou while she was picking up guys…

That brave soul should just pray for their own good fortune. They might very well get a personal invitation to a prime seat at the bottom of Tokyo Bay.

“You… you think if you get Ranbyou involved, you can walk away unscathed? A Butei student calling the police at school, don’t you think that’s embarrassing for the school and the teachers? Ranbyou won’t let you off either!” Aria, grasping at straws, tried to counter-threaten using Ranbyou.

“Ranbyou wouldn’t bear to. Apart from training sessions, she’s never hit me anywhere else, not even scolded me. Besides, I’m a Detective Studies student now, not under her jurisdiction. Even if Takamagahara-sensei, as the homeroom teacher, pleads for you, do you think you can escape? Hah!”

Tohyama Kanako, popular even among the female teachers, was that confident!

[To be continued.]

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