At the Shuchiin gate, Yukinoshita looked at Uchiha Ryo speechlessly.
"Why do we have to take three days off for our first job?"
Uchiha Ryo put his hands in his pockets. "It's a three-day holiday! We're out playing by order, and completing a mission while we're at it."
Yukinoshita sighed, then looked at the survey form in her hand.
"Then our first destination today is this New World Aquarium. Founder: Takahashi Kai, a third-year student at Shuchiin University."
Uchiha Ryo: "Mhm, New World Aquarium? Are there any Sea Kings?"
Yukinoshita turned her head. "What are you talking about? Let's go."
"Hey, hey, we need to go back to the apartment first. You heard President Shirogane say we need to hide our identities as Shuchiin investigators, right? In that case, let's change out of our Shuchiin uniforms."
...
Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, at the entrance of the New World Aquarium.
A young man in a staff uniform was constantly observing all the guests today. That's right, he was the owner of the New World Aquarium, Takahashi Kai.
He had already learned from the school that the school would send three groups of student investigators to score, so Takahashi Kai planned to disguise himself as a staff member, find those hidden investigators, and give them a satisfactory service attitude.
On the other side, Uchiha Ryo and Yukinoshita Yukino had already changed into casual clothes.
Today, Yukino was wearing a light blue blouse and a white cinched short skirt. She had also put on light makeup. With her natural beauty and light makeup, Yukino's beauty was even better than when she was at Shuchiin.
Uchiha Ryo watched Yukino put on makeup. Although he knew nothing about cosmetics, perhaps because he had been with Chitanda for a long time, he couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Is this... lip balm?"
Yukino put on her makeup quietly, but still nodded in response.
Uchiha Ryo: "Is it okay to eat this stuff?"
Yukino gave Uchiha Ryo a strange look. "It's for putting on your lips, not for eating."
"Never mind, pretend I didn't ask. But Yukino, so that we won't be recognized as investigators later, let's call each other by our first names."
Yukinoshita frowned. "I refuse."
Uchiha Ryo took the survey form out of Yukino's bag. "Yukino, you don't want to fail the mission because your identity is exposed, do you~"
"Oh my, this is General Affairs Manager Yukino's first job. If you don't do it well, you'll be laughed at by Haruno-senpai~"
"...."
Yukino took a deep breath. "Please take care of me.... Ryo-kun."
At the entrance of the New World Aquarium, Takahashi Kai quickly spotted the high-value Uchiha Ryo and Yukinoshita.
They look like students, definitely not old. And it's not the weekend, so the probability of them being investigators is high!
Yukinoshita suddenly stopped at the entrance and looked around. The foot traffic in this aquarium was not bad. You know, this was a Monday, and there were still quite a few people coming.
"You two, our New World Aquarium is holding an event recently. If you buy tickets, you'll get a plush toy."
Uchiha Ryo glanced at Takahashi Kai, nodded, and took out his wallet. "Two adult tickets, please."
"Okay! Do you two need a guide? Our guides are professionally trained and can introduce you to relevant fish knowledge."
Yukinoshita shook her head, while Uchiha Ryo smiled thoughtfully.
"Friend, who actively volunteers to be a third wheel?"
Takahashi Kai's face stiffened. He hadn't expected the school to send a couple to investigate. Could he have guessed wrong? Were these two not investigators?
"Uh, hahaha, are you two a couple visiting the aquarium together?"
Yukinoshita: "No...."
Uchiha Ryo laughed. "Isn't it obvious? Let's go. We don't need a guide."
Takahashi Kai smiled and nodded, then stood back at the door and targeted another young man.
The two who arrived at the aquarium wandered around like a real couple on a date.
"Why did you say.... we were a couple just now?!"
Uchiha Ryo looked serious. "Of course, to hide our identities. That person just now was definitely not a waiter!"
Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at Uchiha Ryo. "Heh."
The water tanks in the aquarium, coupled with the color scheme of various glass crystals, were indeed very atmospheric. In terms of ambiance, this New World Aquarium indeed surpassed similar small aquariums.
The deeper they went, the darker the corridor became, while the water tanks on both sides constantly emitted a soft blue light.
Yukinoshita stopped in front of a water tank. "It's so beautiful here."
Uchiha Ryo took out his phone. "Do you need a photo?"
Yukino turned around, seemingly using her actions to tell Uchiha Ryo, [Photographer, take a picture].
Aiming the lens at Yukino, he quickly pressed the shutter, and a full-body photo of Yukino was quickly produced.
"Let me see."
Taking Uchiha Ryo's phone, Yukino showed a confused expression. "I asked you to take a picture of me and the fish. Why is there only me in the frame?"
Uchiha Ryo took the phone back. "I was just taking a picture of the most beautiful thing in the lens."
"You! We're here as investigators, not... on a date."
Yukino's voice became smaller and smaller, while Uchiha Ryo admired his photo and said casually.
"Why not both? We should put ourselves in the shoes of tourists so we can investigate better."
Yukinoshita: "Whatever you say."
Because it wasn't a holiday, the aquarium wasn't too crowded with tourists. The two walked leisurely, and soon their attention was drawn to the colorful tropical fish.
Looking at Yukino's sincere smile, Uchiha Ryo, standing behind her, suddenly said.
"Do you really care that much.... about surpassing Haruno-senpai?"
The smile visibly disappeared from the girl's face. Yukino turned her head calmly.
"I don't want to surpass anyone. I want to prove my value...."
Uchiha Ryo: "Value, in Auntie Yukinoshita's eyes? To be honest, you children of prominent families are really tired. Since Haruno-senpai has already shown her ability and is likely to be the next head of the Yukinoshita family, shouldn't you just enjoy your freedom?"
Freedom?
"Freedom isn't necessarily an unconditional good thing. Freedom also means no protection and no shackles called safety. If I don't show my value now, guess what my future will be like?"
Uchiha Ryo thought for a moment. "Giving you freedom while you're in school, and then marrying you off as a tool for the Yukinoshita family's alliances after graduation. Because Haruno is already the next person in Auntie Yukinoshita's mind to control the family."
Whether it was her, Yukinoshita Yukino, or even the young lady of the Shinomiya conglomerate, Kaguya, could they guarantee that their future was their own choice?
Yukino naturally wasn't stupid about the Shinomiya family vortex Uchiha Ryo mentioned that day. Standing from the same perspective, she could also understand the helplessness of the young lady of a prominent family.
"....."
Yukino felt a hand on her head. Uchiha Ryo pulled out the survey form again.
"You don't need to shoulder all the pressure. For the next one, how about we go here? I also want to ask her about you."
Yukinoshita took the survey form and saw the last page.
Tokyo Shinjuku District Commercial Center Building, 14th floor, Snow Under Bar - Founder: Shuchiin University Second Year Student, Yukinoshita Haruno.