After quickly changing her clothes, Kotomi Izumi went downstairs and said to her parents, who were sitting in the living room watching TV:
"Mom, Dad, I'm going out to take Dragon and Phoenix for a walk. These two little gas tanks seem to have gotten even fatter lately."
"That's fine, but remember to only walk them around the neighborhood," Akina Izumi nodded in agreement.
"Don't forget the leashes," Kaneyoshi Izumi reminded her.
Don't underestimate how fast cats can be. Walking them isn't like walking dogs—dogs might dash off suddenly if you're not paying attention, but cats can be just as quick. A moment of carelessness, and they might slip away.
And unlike dogs, cats can leap onto walls, making them even harder to catch.
Ever since Kotomi bathed Dragon and Phoenix, she'd always doubted whether these two solid, round "gas tank" cats could still jump up walls. Maybe it was the cold weather—both cats were eating more and moving less. Even Phoenix, who used to dart around like a "soaring cat," had become lazy lately. After every meal, the two would take a slow stroll, then curl up by the heater for a nap.
Whenever Kotomi was home and saw her cats sleeping during the day, she would always wake them up immediately. As long as she was around, Dragon and Phoenix could forget about sleeping in during the day.
It wasn't just because Kotomi's personality was rather dog-like. She had once asked her classmate—who also owned cats—for advice and received an important piece of wisdom: Never let cats sleep too much during the day!
No matter how cute they are, the rule stands!
All the hardship of cat owners could be summed up in one sentence: if you don't tire your cat out during the day, your cat will tire you out at night.
By following this principle, Kotomi realized that as long as she wore them out in the daytime, her cats would sleep soundly at night—no matter how mischievous they usually were.
She felt this was truly a life-changing discovery.
Looking at Dragon and Phoenix sleeping on the sofa, Kotomi reached out, grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks like two little gas tanks, and gave them a playful shake in the air, waking them up.
The two cats blinked drowsily, thinking that compared to Kotomi, even dogs—the natural enemies of cats—seemed gentler.
After attaching their little bell collars and leashes, Kotomi continued to carry them by the scruffs as she stepped out of the house—like a hunter holding up her catch.
She walked toward the nearby car belonging to Officer Hidari.
Dragon, dangling in Kotomi's hand, looked dumbfounded, as if to say, "Have you considered the possibility that if you put us down, we can actually walk on our own?"
Arriving at the car, Kotomi set the two cats down, though she kept hold of the leashes. With Phoenix's springy temperament, it was best not to let her out of sight.
Kotomi opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, noticing a faint smell of cigarette smoke.
Though Kotomi wasn't particularly sensitive to it, she still instinctively scrunched her small nose.
The subtle movement didn't escape the keen eyes of Hidari, who said softly, "Sorry, I smoked a few cigarettes earlier while driving around."
"It's fine. The car door's open— the smell will fade soon," Kotomi replied, shaking her head lightly to show she didn't mind.
She still held the cats' leashes in her hands, so she hadn't closed the door.
"The last time we met was in Kyoto. How have you and Iroha been doing at school lately?" the officer asked in a tone more like a relative than a police officer.
"Even though Iroha and I go to different schools, we always stay in touch by phone or Line. She has her high school entrance exams in February. It's only a few months away, but she doesn't seem nervous at all. She's full of confidence, saying she'll definitely get into the same high school as me.
"Just thinking about having such a cute yet troublemaking junior next year makes me kind of look forward to it."
As Kotomi spoke, Iroha Isshiki's image appeared in her mind, and the corners of her lips curved into a soft smile.
Perhaps it was the series of murder cases that had brought the two of them closer together, or maybe it was the days and nights Kotomi had spent with Iroha Isshiki since they first met—the little moments and memories that quietly built up over time.
When she looked back now, Kotomi realized that this mischievous little demon who loved to tease her had already left an indelible mark on her heart.
What's more, Kotomi didn't want to erase that mark. In fact, she wanted it to sink even deeper.
"Seeing you two getting along so well puts my mind at ease."
Officer Hidari's tone carried the gentle warmth of an elder watching two children she'd seen grow up finally finding love and happiness together.
Kotomi couldn't tell if that was just her imagination.
"On Friday, Sobu High School is holding its cultural festival. Officer Hidari, could you and Officer Yukki come and join us? I'll be performing on stage with my friends. As for tickets—there's plenty to go around."
Kotomi smiled as she invited her, having slipped two festival tickets into her coat pocket before leaving home.
She had taken nearly two-thirds of the tickets from Shizuka Hiratsuka's office drawer earlier that day—since they'd just be sitting there otherwise, barely being distributed.
Inviting detectives from the First Investigation Division, who spent almost every day wading through blood and darkness to uncover the truth, to attend a school festival was something Kotomi did simply because the opportunity presented itself. She didn't expect much from the invitation.
Just by glancing at the dark circles under Officer Hidari's eyes and the empty instant meal container on the back seat, it was clear she'd been buried in work again, barely getting any rest.
In response to Kotomi's invitation, Officer Hidari smiled faintly—something she rarely did.
"A high school cultural festival, huh? That really brings back memories. I participated in a stage play once back in my high school days… though I was only playing the role of a tree. If you have any spare tickets, give me two. Tomorrow, when I meet with Yukki in Shinjuku, I'll pass one to him."
"That's really unexpected. I thought you'd turn me down, saying you were too busy with another big case," Kotomi said with a grin, then handed the two tickets from her pocket to Officer Hidari and reminded her once more:
"This Friday—don't forget. The tickets are valid for all three days since the festival runs from Friday through Sunday."
"We'll definitely be there for your performance," Hidari replied with a light chuckle. "Knowing Yukki's loud voice, he'll probably cheer so hard at the end of your show that he'll scare everyone around him."
"Officer Hidari, are you and Officer Yukki on vacation right now? You seem rather relaxed."
"Yukki's still at the Metropolitan Police Department, pulling an all-nighter to finish a case report. But starting tomorrow, he'll have a few days off. We just wrapped up a case, so he finally gets some well-earned rest."
Officer Hidari shrugged, smiling.
"Oh, I see. So you were out buying a late-night snack and happened to pass by my place?"
"No," Hidari shook her head and spoke calmly.
"I voluntarily submitted my resignation. The upper management at the MPD approved it quickly—they've already retrieved my police ID and sidearm. My position as Assistant Inspector will soon be filled by someone else.
"As of yesterday, I'm no longer a police officer. So you don't need to call me Officer Hidari anymore.
"Come to think of it, neither you nor Iroha ever knew my real name, did you?
"My name is Hidari Okumuro."
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