After school, Kogoro Mouri and Yukiko Fujimine headed off to their club activities. Alex sent Eri Kisaki to the izakaya first while he went to pick up Reiko.
Reiko's luggage for the move had been packed the night before. Despite Alex's warnings, she'd gathered a mountain of stuff.
"Do you really need all this?" Alex asked, eyeing the pile skeptically.
"I can't sleep without this pillow," Reiko insisted, launching into a list of reasons for each item.
Alex sighed, giving in. There was no way he could carry it all alone in fewer than four or five trips.
Luckily, Officer Megure was at the izakaya, waiting to take Alex to the police station to wrap up yesterday's case. When Eri mentioned Alex was helping Reiko move, Megure enthusiastically drove over to lend a hand.
It took two trips in the police car to haul all of Reiko's belongings to Alex's rented place.
"I'm heading to the station with Megure," Alex said to Eri. "Can you help Reiko unpack?"
With that, he hopped into the police car and left.
As soon as he was gone, the warm atmosphere chilled. Eri stared at Reiko with a blank expression, while Reiko shot back a look of disdain at her brother's childhood friend.
Neither spoke, locked in a silent standoff.
"Wow, the luggage is all here? I thought I'd come early to help," Yukiko said, stepping into the room. She quickly sensed the tension. "What's up with you two?"
"Hmph!"
Eri and Reiko turned away, busying themselves with the luggage.
Well, well, looks like you two don't get along as well as I thought! Yukiko thought, her eyes glinting with mischief. Last weekend, they'd ganged up on her, making her think they were tight. In the Three Kingdoms, Sun Quan and Liu Bei allied against Cao Cao. Time for me to team up with little Reiko to take down the Great Demon King Eri!
With a plan in mind, Yukiko sidled up to Reiko. "Hey, Reiko, let your onee-chan help you out!"
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Station, though Seiji Kubo's death was ruled an accidental fall, it was still a fatality, so Alex had to sign some paperwork to officially close the case.
In the First Investigation Division's office, Megure went to fetch the case file, leaving Alex to wander. A familiar voice caught his attention.
"This isn't a case—it's a brain teaser!" Officer Matsumoto grumbled, flipping through a detective handbook, muttering complaints.
"Matsumoto's been studying deduction hard lately," Officer Sato said, handing Alex a cup of water. "Your presence really lit a fire under him."
"He'll get the hang of it," Alex said with a grin. "By the way, where's Officer Morimura? I haven't seen him lately."
"Morimura's on vacation," Sato explained. "He's got a new girlfriend and is pretty thrilled about it."
As they chatted, the office door swung open. Inspector Samezaki stormed in, his face grim. "Sato, Matsumoto, with me."
"What happened, Inspector?" Sato asked, standing.
"A body was found in a sewer near Okachimachi's jewelry street," Samezaki said. "It might be tied to the recent ruby theft case." He glanced at Alex. "Want to tag along, Alex?"
"I'll pass," Alex said, shaking his head. "I need to wrap up Kubo's case first."
"Fair enough," Samezaki said, not pressing. He left with Sato and Matsumoto in tow.
Alex waited a bit longer until Megure returned with the file. He signed the documents as instructed.
"Once the chief signs off, yesterday's case is closed," Megure said, relieved. "Let's go, Alex. I'll drive you back."
At the izakaya, Reiko's things were mostly unpacked by the time Alex returned. Instead of staying upstairs, Reiko was helping out in the shop, while Lucky stood guard at the entrance, officially the watchdog.
"Yukiko-neechan, is this clean enough?" Reiko asked.
"Looks great, Reiko. Nice job!" Yukiko replied.
Alex walked in to find Yukiko and Reiko chattering happily together. Eri, meanwhile, sat alone at the cash register, watching them with a cold stare.
"Onii-chan, you're back?" Reiko waved cheerfully.
"Yeah," Alex nodded, then sidled up to Eri, puzzled. "When did those two get so chummy?"
"One's sucking up, the other's lapping it up," Eri said with a smirk. "How could they not hit it off?"
Women's relationships are this complicated? Alex thought, baffled. Seeing Eri's sour mood, he didn't press further.
"Is yesterday's case sorted?" Eri asked, concerned. "A record could cause trouble if you want to study abroad…"
"It's all settled," Alex said, chuckling. "I haven't even decided if I want to study abroad, so no need to worry about that yet."
"Well…" Eri hesitated. "About Saturday's Teitan test…"
"I'll go with you," Alex said, then noticed her odd expression. "What's up?"
"I signed you up too," Eri admitted, biting her lip. "Alex, give it a shot."
"Me?" Alex laughed, half-exasperated. "Eri, I'm not you. You've already self-studied all of high school. If I take that test, I'll bomb it."
"Just try," Eri insisted stubbornly. "If you don't pass, I'm giving up my recommendation this year too."
Studying abroad was Eri's dream, and her willingness to compromise showed how much it meant to her.
Alex sighed, relenting. "Fine, but if I fail, you can't get mad."
Eri knew Alex wasn't likely to pass Teitan's recommendation test in his current state. "If not this year, there's always next," she said, glancing at Yukiko and Reiko at the counter. A smug smile curled her lips. "Alex, I'm definitely studying abroad with you."
(Chapter End)
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