Under the gloomy sky, Ootomo Hiroki and Mrs. Togo were escorted out of the inn by the police.
Mrs. Togo, seemingly deranged, kept muttering her son's name.
Ootomo Hiroki, his face ashen, struggled with the fall from renowned screenwriter to prisoner.
With his client imprisoned, Hayashi Shuichi's commission was gone.
But before leaving, Akita Keito, who had always looked down on him, approached and handed him an envelope.
"Hayashi-kun, your deduction saved me from being branded a killer," Akita Keito said, bowing with gratitude. "Please accept this token."
Hayashi Shuichi was polite but accepted after a moment. Akita Keito then left.
Hime Eri watched him go, smirking. "That guy flips faster than a book."
…
When Officer Megure drove the four back to the izakaya, Mouri Kogoro was cleaning.
"Where'd you all go?" he grumbled. "I woke up this morning, and you were gone!"
"Last weekend, we promised Yukiko's parents to help their friend find a girlfriend," Hayashi Shuichi replied. "We went to handle that."
"Did you find the girlfriend?" Mouri Kogoro asked curiously.
"No girlfriend, but we found a boyfriend," Fujimine Yukiko said with a strange smile. "Even the client, Ootomo-san, was sent to jail by Shuichi."
"What?" Mouri Kogoro was baffled. "What's going on? Wasn't it a girlfriend? How'd it become a boyfriend?"
Hayashi Shuichi gave a wry smile and briefly explained.
Mouri Kogoro's jaw dropped. "A man dressed as a woman, and no one noticed? Were those three guys blind?"
"Togo Ryu was petite, with delicate features and no prominent Adam's apple," Hayashi Shuichi explained. "With careful makeup, he could pass as a woman."
"Delicate features?" Mouri Kogoro stroked his chin, eyeing his friend. "Speaking of looks, Shuichi's pretty delicate too. Could you dress as a woman?"
The three girls' gazes snapped to Hayashi Shuichi like magnets.
Hime Eri's lips curved, eyes twinkling. "He might actually pull it off. Shuichi dressed up could stun everyone."
"Haha, Shuichi would be a breathtaking beauty!" Fujimine Yukiko laughed, nearly in tears.
"Onii-chan as Onee-chan?" Reiko's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Should we try it?"
"No way!" Hayashi Shuichi's face darkened, flicking his sister's forehead. "Me in women's clothes? Not a chance!"
After the playful banter, Hayashi Shuichi remembered Akita Keito's envelope. He pulled it out, counting the money.
120,000 yen, a mix of bills—Akita Keito must've emptied his wallet.
"Tch, detective work pays well," Fujimine Yukiko remarked. "That's two days' worth of izakaya revenue."
"Earned through danger," Hayashi Shuichi said, unimpressed. "When I saw you three fleeing the inn in panic, do you know how worried I was?"
Recalling the scene, he glared at Fujimine Yukiko and Reiko. "Eri pulled you two out. Thank her!"
Though reluctant to bow to Hime Eri, the girls recalled how she saved them from the axe-wielding, ferocious Mrs. Togo.
Fujimine Yukiko awkwardly dipped her head. "Thanks for that, glasses girl."
"Thank you, Eri-nee," Reiko said, bowing politely.
Hime Eri crossed her arms, nodding with satisfaction.
Watching this, Hayashi Shuichi felt something was off.
Glancing around the izakaya, his eyes landed on the tea set on the counter, sparking an idea.
He poured two cups of hot tea and handed them to Fujimine Yukiko and Reiko. "Do it again, like before."
"We already thanked her! Why again, with tea?" The girls looked confused.
Hime Eri, familiar with Chinese culture from her childhood friend, instantly understood. This wasn't about thanking her for saving them—it was like concubines serving tea to the main wife!
"Hayashi Shuichi, you want to be Ximen Qing, but I'm not Wu Yueniang!" Hime Eri snapped, face darkening. "Careful, or I'll turn into Mrs. Togo!"
Jin Ping Mei was once used as a Chinese language text in Japan, and Hime Eri had read it extensively to study Chinese culture.
"Just a joke," Hayashi Shuichi chuckled awkwardly. "Alright, it's getting late. Let's prep—the shop opens soon."
…
The day's events weren't too taxing, but Mrs. Togo's final rampage left the three girls shaken.
Hayashi Shuichi didn't extend weekend hours as usual, closing early like a weekday.
After seeing off Fujimine Yukiko and Hime Eri, he returned to his second-floor room, showered, and was about to sleep when a knock came at his door.
Opening it, he saw Reiko standing there, her face flushed, voice weak. "Onii-chan, I think I caught a cold."
Oh no, was it from getting wet in the mountains?
Hayashi Shuichi touched her forehead—it was warm.
He scooped up his little cousin and headed to her room. "Don't worry, we have green onions and ginger in the izakaya. I'll make you some tea, give you medicine, and you'll be fine by morning."
"Onii-chan, I'm scared."
Reiko clung to his neck, trembling, her voice breaking. "When I close my eyes, I see Mrs. Togo with that axe, her eyes so fierce, the blade so sharp…"
I shouldn't have brought Reiko today… Hayashi Shuichi's heart sank with regret.
"Don't be afraid. I'll be right back. Nothing will happen."
"Onii-chan, can you hold me tonight?"
Reiko looked up, like a frightened rabbit, gazing pitifully at her brother…
(Chapter End)
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