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Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
"Yumi."
"You've been avoiding me since yesterday."
"What's going on?"
"Did you do something bad that I found out about?"
Satou Miwako, an outstanding officer from the Violent Crimes Division, was sharp as ever. She might not be great at solving those annoying locked-room murder cases, but dealing with someone like Miyamoto Yumi—who was all looks and no brains—was a piece of cake.
Just two days of odd behavior, and Satou already sensed something was up.
Normally...
Yumi would be tailing her, asking all sorts of nosy questions, prying into her relationship with Akira.
But ever since yesterday, Yumi had been avoiding her like a mouse avoiding a cat.
Given what she knew about Yumi, there was no doubt—this woman was hiding something.
"N-No, nothing's wrong!"
"I've just been really busy, okay?"
As she spoke, Yumi attempted to slip away.
But as a mere traffic cop, how could she possibly escape from Satou Miwako, a seasoned frontline detective?
The next second—
Satou's iron grip latched onto Yumi's cheeks like a vice.
"Spit it out!"
"What exactly are you hiding from me?"
Yumi loved gossip, and Satou wasn't far behind.
The only reason Satou hadn't fully displayed her own nosiness before was that Yumi would always spill the latest rumors before she even had a chance to ask.
"R-Really, it's nothing!"
Yumi refused to confess.
She knew that if she admitted to sleeping with Akira, she wouldn't just get her cheeks pinched—Satou would unleash her entire crime-fighting arsenal on her.
"Hmmm...?"
Usually, Yumi would blurt out gossip without needing to be interrogated.
But today?
Why was she suddenly so tight-lipped?
The more secretive she acted, the more curious Satou became.
"Satou-san, we need to head out now."
A fresh murder case interrupted Satou's questioning.
"Hmph—"
"I'll deal with you when I get back."
As Satou turned away, her brows furrowed slightly.
Something wasn't right!
In the past, Yumi would've already protested against getting her cheeks pinched. But today, she just took it without complaint.
"B-Bye-bye..."
Watching Satou's figure disappear, Yumi let out a long sigh of relief.
That was close!
If Satou had applied just a little more pressure, she might have cracked.
"Ughhh~~"
This was a nightmare!
Sleeping with Akira was a done deal.
Now, she had no idea what to do next.
CLOVER Convenience Store.
"Hey…"
"I heard you bought a villa in Beika Town, 3rd District?"
During a slow moment at work, Fuyutsuki Shiori approached Akira.
"Yep."
"I've been living there for a week now."
"Shiori-chan, interested in moving in with me?"
Shiori froze, then quickly shook her head.
To be honest… she was tempted.
Right now, she was living at Nakai Yui's place. Moving in with Akira seemed like a great option.
But…
If she actually did that, Yui would definitely be heartbroken.
"Ran."
"What about you?"
Ever since their trip to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the atmosphere in the CLOVER convenience store had become much more harmonious.
Not just because of the agreement they had made back at the station, but because the hardships they went through had deepened their friendship.
However…
Whenever both of them faced Akira together, they couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
Yeah… He understood.
If he wanted to clear the air completely, he needed to get these two girls together for a fierce bed-sharing showdown.
"No way."
Mouri Ran's rejection was firm and immediate.
If Shiori was worried about Yui's feelings, Ran's reason was entirely different—her father's survival.
Everyone knew…
Her dad was a notorious drunk!
If she moved out of the detective agency, who knew if he'd end up drinking himself to death at home?
"What about you?"
Akira turned his gaze toward Nakai Yui, who was standing by the shelves.
Out of the four high school girls working at the store, Yui was the only one who hadn't had any deep "interaction" with him yet.
Lately, he had noticed that she seemed more and more interested in him, but he still wasn't sure what was going through her mind.
"Baka!"
"Didn't we agree not to mess with our sworn sister?"
Shiori stomped on his foot hard, making her stance clear.
Meanwhile…
In the corner of the store, Suzuki Sonoko was fuming with frustration.
Damn it!
Why did he ask everyone else but not her?!
She actually wanted to move in with him.
But… she knew she couldn't.
If she did, it wouldn't take more than three days before Ran found out.
"....."