"No more than four people, and…" Officer Megure hesitated.
Yukiko Fujimine, already buzzing with excitement, darted out from behind the counter and grabbed Shuichi Hayashi's arm. "Shuichi, say yes! There'll be tons of Japanese and American movie stars there—it'll be a blast!"
"Aren't your parents famous actors?" Shuichi said, puzzled. "What's so special about celebrities?"
In his past life, Shuichi had met plenty of so-called stars while working cases. Without makeup, lighting, or filters, they were just ordinary—some even less than that.
"It's totally different!" Yukiko pleaded. "Just agree, please! How about this—if you say yes, I'll grant you one wish."
"Seriously?"
"No bullying me, no taking advantage, no…" Yukiko quickly backtracked, patching her offer.
"With all these restrictions, forget it," Shuichi said, playing hard to get. "I'm not that interested in celebrities anyway."
"…As long as you don't take advantage," Yukiko said through gritted teeth, "I'll agree to anything!"
"Don't worry, it's simple," Shuichi said with a grin. "You've been a great maid today. I'd love to keep you on for free for, say, a year."
"A year? In your dreams!" Yukiko's eyes widened, and she started bargaining. "Ten days."
"Six months."
"Fifteen days."
"Three months."
"One month, max!"
"Deal!" Shuichi slammed the table decisively. "Officer Megure's our witness."
"Heh…" Megure gave an awkward laugh, unsure what to say.
"Tch, should've stuck to ten days," Yukiko muttered, eyeing Shuichi's smug grin.
"Uh, Hayashi," Megure tried to add, "about this event—"
"I know," Shuichi cut in. "Detective Samezaki sent you because they want us to blend in at the event and keep an eye out for anything dangerous, right?"
"Sorry, we had no choice," Megure said, embarrassed. "This event's a big deal. If anything goes wrong, Mihama's international reputation could take a hit."
"But don't worry, we're not putting kids like you in danger. On Friday night, several First Division officers will be there, disguised as guests."
"If you spot anything off, just let us know. We'll handle the rest."
"Tch, so it's unpaid labor again," Yukiko huffed. "Didn't you just say Mihama's usually safe? Why all the caution?"
"The Metropolitan Police have no choice," Megure said with a wry smile. "Crime rates in Mihama spiked this week, so we're being extra careful. It's just a precaution—things should be fine, and you'll have a fun night."
"The more you say that, the more I think something's gonna happen," Shuichi said dryly. "You haven't gotten a threat about a bomb at the event, have you?"
"Absolutely not," Megure said, shaking his head quickly. "To be safe, besides you, Hayashi, the superintendent invited a First Division acquaintance to help."
"Who?" Shuichi asked, curious.
"No idea," Megure admitted. "I'm new to First Division, so I don't know much about the old guard."
"Shuichi's the izakaya's head chef," Eri Kisaki said, stepping forward. "If he goes to this movie event, we'd have to close for the night. That's a big loss."
"Hey, glasses girl, you're not trying to…" Yukiko started, then yelped as she felt a pinch on her backside. Thinking it was Shuichi, she glared, blushing.
"What?" Shuichi said, confused.
Yukiko glanced down—both his hands were on the table. If not him, then…
Another pinch. She spun and realized it was Eri.
"Glasses girl, you—"
"We don't have to go, right?" Eri said, raising her voice pointedly.
Yukiko blinked, catching her drift, and nodded. "Right, the izakaya's been doing great lately. Closing for a night would cost us a lot."
Megure, no fool, saw through their tactic. "I can't decide on compensation."
"Then please discuss it with someone who can," Eri said politely, gesturing toward the door.
"I'll check with Detective Samezaki at headquarters," Megure said, heading out, muttering, "Kids these days are getting trickier…"
"Glasses girl, what if the police won't pay?" Yukiko fretted. "Then we can't go!"
"So what?" Eri said nonchalantly. "The izakaya's earnings are for Shuichi's study-abroad fund. This event's all risk, no reward—dangerous if something happens."
"But I really…" Yukiko gave Shuichi a pitiful look, about to beg him to agree, when another pinch hit.
"Glasses girl, enough!" Yukiko snapped, clutching her backside. "You've got one too—pinch your own!"
"Tch," Eri smirked, rubbing her fingers. "No wonder, little chubby girl. Those hips are so plump, they feel pretty nice."
Yukiko bit her lip, raising a hand to retaliate, but hesitated. Eri's martial arts skills were way beyond her—fighting would only lead to humiliation.
After a moment, Yukiko settled for verbal jabs. "My grandma said big hips like mine are great for childbearing. I'll have sons. Your flat ones? Maybe a daughter, tops."
Eri froze, glancing down instinctively, then scowled. "Superstition."
"It's science!" Yukiko said smugly. "Medically, I've got childbearing hips."
Shuichi, listening, couldn't help but laugh. These two had to compete over everything.
…
At the same time, Tokyo International Airport.
A plane from the U.S. had just landed. A striking blonde woman with delicate features, a graceful figure, and wide sunglasses stepped out of the terminal. She approached a public phone booth and dialed an overseas number.
"Hey, I've arrived in Japan…"
(End of Chapter)
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.