Kamiya Gorou, 43 years old, graduated from the Japan Central Police Academy and is now the head of a detective agency.
With his background as a former detective and his tenth-degree black belt in judo, he is like a fish in water in his current profession.
Over the years, his detective agency has grown in scale and earned a solid reputation in the industry. His career was thriving.
Then one day, he suddenly received a call from an old friend he hadn't spoken to in a long time.
His acquaintance with this friend, Touma Youko, stemmed from a banquet hosted by a wealthy patron.
That night, he had been deeply captivated by Youko, who was performing in an evening gown—it was love at first sight.
Being single at the time, he subtly inquired about her and learned that she was also unattached, so he boldly made his move.
In the end, he got politely turned down, but since they both shared a love for drinking, they became good friends.
Though they didn't meet often, they maintained a good relationship over the years, exchanging New Year's cards and gifts.
Youko had never asked him for a favor before.
On the contrary, she had even helped him secure autographs from renowned musicians and singers for his music-loving wife—something he had never forgotten.
So when she finally did ask for his help, requesting an investigation into a young boy, Kamiya Gorou didn't delegate the task to another detective at his agency.
Instead, he personally took it on.
This showed just how seriously he took her request.
Besides, how hard could it be to investigate an ordinary boy? In Kamiya Gorou's career, this was barely a drizzle compared to the storms he had weathered.
After all, he had once helped the police take down a drug cartel and had identified a serial killer in a sea of people when no one else could.
He was certain that this request from his old friend would be handled swiftly and efficiently.
Feeling confident, he set out on his investigation—only for things to take an unexpected turn.
From this morning, he had been tailing his target in secret.
His methods for gathering intelligence were executed flawlessly, with a level of professionalism that left no room for criticism.
But no matter how skilled he was, there were always blind spots beyond the scope of his knowledge.
Starting around noon, a certain black-winged observer had already noticed his suspicious behavior.
Since Chisato was busy at school and couldn't play with it, the bird had been aimlessly circling the area.
It spotted Kamiya Gorou and, out of sheer curiosity, spent the entire afternoon observing him.
…
A sudden tap on his shoulder sent a shiver down Kamiya Gorou's spine.
Cigarette still in his mouth, he turned around—only to come face-to-face with a grinning young man.
It was a face he knew all too well, the one he had been following just moments ago.
Wait… this kid was ahead of me just now! When the hell did he circle around?!
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes widened slightly, but as a seasoned detective, his reaction time was impeccable.
"What do you want?!"
He deliberately put on a sour expression, trying to look unapproachable—an attempt to play it off as though he were just a regular passerby who happened to be in the area.
If the kid was merely suspicious but not certain, admitting anything outright would be foolish.
Chisato tilted his head slightly, then calmly reached out and plucked the cigarette from Kamiya Gorou's mouth.
"..."
???
Before Kamiya Gorou could react to the sudden gesture, Chisato reached out again and took off his sunglasses.
"You little—"
Before he could finish cursing, Chisato interrupted him, studying his face intently.
"You're Kamiya Gorou, the famous detective, aren't you?"
"I'm not!"
The immediate denial didn't shake Chisato in the slightest. He remained firm.
"You totally are. I saw a report on TV about you assisting the police in capturing criminals. That distinctive, stylish mustache of yours is pretty unforgettable."
"Hah… Hah… 'Stylish,' huh? That's… a fair compliment."
Kamiya Gorou awkwardly scratched the back of his head, laughing dryly—only for Chisato to deliver the killing blow.
"So, who hired a famous detective like you to investigate me?"
"..."
Kamiya Gorou stumbled back a step, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He suddenly realized that his earlier judgment had been dead wrong—he had been far too careless.
…
The Touma Residence.
Dinner had been prepared by Obara-san, and the table was filled with mouthwatering dishes—an undeniable step above Youko's own cooking.
Some things were best left to the professionals.
As she inhaled the delicious aroma, Youko silently acknowledged this fact.
She then made her way upstairs, stopping in front of her daughter's room. Knocking on the door, she reached for the latch, only to find—unsurprisingly—that it was locked from the inside.
Seriously… How much longer is she going to sulk?
No matter what had happened, she wouldn't say a word about it.
"You're not going to talk to me, Kazusa? Kazusa.."
Youko's knocking on the door became heavier, accompanied by increasingly loud calls.
"I understand that you're in a bad mood right now, but no matter how upset you are, you still need to eat. Have you forgotten my past mistake?"
"If you don't eat properly, your immune system will weaken, and you'll be at risk of all kinds of illnesses. Do you want to end up like I did, lying in a hospital bed in unbearable pain?"
Having said this much, Kazusa could no longer pretend she hadn't heard. Without a word, she opened the door.
The room was dim, with the curtains drawn shut.
Dressed in cotton pajamas, her hair disheveled, Kazusa's eyes were slightly swollen. Who knew how long she had been silently crying?
That brat, Chisato, is truly unforgivable.
Seeing her daughter like this, Youko couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. She pulled Kazusa into an embrace and patted her head.
"Be good, go wash your face first. Aunt Ohara and I will wait for you to have dinner together."
Kazusa nodded silently and headed for the washroom.
Youko went downstairs to the living room to wait.
Aunt Ohara, seeing her come down, took the initiative to excuse herself, politely declining Youko's invitation to stay for dinner, saying that she had to prepare dinner at home.
After she left, Youko stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the silent night sky and letting out a gentle sigh.
At that moment, her phone rang. The caller ID displayed "Kamiya Gorou."
She smiled, thinking that he must have made quick progress on her request.
However, upon answering, what she got was an embarrassed apology from Kamiya Gorou.
"Sorry, Youko, things didn't go very smoothly…"
Feeling utterly humiliated, he explained in full detail how he had been caught red-handed by his target.
By the time he finished, his old face was flushed red with embarrassment.
To be tripped up by some kid—this was nothing short of a disgrace to his career.
Youko found it hard to believe. She was well aware of Kamiya Gorou's abilities—he was a legitimate police academy graduate and had served in the criminal investigation unit.
His investigative and tailing skills were top-notch.
It was precisely because she trusted his capabilities that she had asked him to investigate Chisato.
And yet, someone as skilled as he was had actually been outmaneuvered by that boy?
After her initial surprise, a playful smile appeared on Youko's lips. This was getting more and more interesting.
She asked softly, "Gorou-kun, do you know how he discovered you?"
"I have no idea! I've been wracking my brain over it! Logically speaking, it shouldn't have happened."
"I was extremely cautious the whole time, keeping a considerable distance. There's no reason he should've noticed me."
Kamiya Gorou's tone was filled with helplessness. If one listened closely, there was even a hint of grievance in it.
Ever since he got back to the agency, he had been pulling at his already sparse hair, trying to figure out where he had slipped up.
The frustration was unbearable.
Youko held back a chuckle and continued, "Then, Gorou-kun, did you tell him that I was the one who hired you to tail him?"
"Of course not! Protecting a client's privacy is a fundamental rule in our line of work."
"That kid was trying to dig out who hired me, but I didn't tell him a single word—I just turned around and left."
Kamiya Gorou hesitated for a moment. Though he wasn't entirely confident, he still reassured her,
"Youko, don't worry. Even though I got caught, I'll still complete what I promised you. My agency has other skilled detectives."
"I'll assign them to the case and do my best to get you the information you want. It'll just take a bit longer this time."
"To avoid alerting him again, we have to be more cautious moving forward."
Youko smiled faintly.
"No need. I originally wanted to gather information quietly, but since I've been exposed, it doesn't matter anymore. I can ask him directly next time."
Though, of course, there was no guarantee that he'd give her a straight answer.
Kamiya Gorou grew anxious.
"Youko, don't be so hasty. Even if I said it'd take longer, at most, it won't go beyond two weeks. I still have friends at the police station. I can pull some strings and get his file."
"No need. That boy is actually very sharp. Since he caught you today, he's probably already making some guesses."
"He might have even locked onto me as the one behind it. If he hasn't called to ask me about it yet, he's probably just waiting for me to come clean first."
Kamiya Gorou fell silent at that, feeling utterly defeated.
"…Sorry, this was my mistake…"
"Gorou-kun, don't say that. This wasn't your fault at all. Let's go out for a drink sometime."
After a few more casual remarks, Youko ended the call.
"To even catch Gorou-kun… That boy…"
Kazusa, having finished washing her face, walked into the living room just in time to hear her mother murmuring to herself.
She asked, puzzled, "What?"
"Nothing."
Youko immediately put on a smile, placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders, and guided her to the dining table.
"Aunt Ohara had something to do at home, so she left early. Let's eat. I just bought your favorite mousse cake. After dinner, we can have some dessert once we've digested a little."
"...With this kind of diet, I'm definitely going to gain weight."
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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