The Big Three

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." \- Benjamin Franklin(Narrator) Behold! A miracle has occurred in Investigation Department B! The glorious disaster zone has been… cleaned! Yes, you heard correctly! Through what we can only assume was a combination of extreme threats and reluctant participation, our three heroes have actually tidied up! Don't get too used to it.The evening sun streamed through the large windows of the newly cleaned Investigation Department B office. The room, usually a glorious monument to chaos, was unnaturally pristine. The scent of lemon-scented cleaner hung in the air. Mop buckets and brooms stood guard in the corners, and the central conference table was finally visible, cleared of its usual mountain of clutter.In the middle of this rare order, at the clean table, sat Reina and Haruto, locked in a tense game of chess. It was a battle of wits, with neither gaining a clear advantage. On the freshly wiped whiteboard, a score chart was drawn. Under "Team Bonding Points," Reina and Haruto each had nine points. At the bottom, with a glaring and predictable zero, was Takumi Saito.The man himself was, of course, at the back of the room, having apparently exhausted his life force by participating in the cleaning. He was asleep in front of an open laptop, a half-empty bag of chips serving as his pillow.(Narrator) And now, a formal introduction to our three musketeers! The so-called "super team" of Department B! Let's give them a warm round of applause, shall we? First, the princess herself! Reina Hoshigawa, 26! Beautiful, brilliant, sophisticated! Graduated top of her class from the most prestigious university! A natural-born investigator with a supernatural gift she tries to hide! Her goal? To crush all competition and become Daddy's worthy successor! A talent that truly glitters! Next, the secret weapon! Haruto Kurosawa, 26! The "third man"! Timid as a mouse but with a brain that could rival a supercomputer! Holder of PhDs in Physics and Criminal Law! He reads and remembers everything, a trump card for any team! If only he'd believe in himself! And finally…sigh… the man, the myth, the baffling enigma. Takumi Saito, 27. A soul and mind that has lasted generations, yet remains clueless on what to do with it all. The bastard liar, the golden boy fraud. What secrets hide behind those tired eyes? Probably something stupid. This…is Investigation Department B. May whatever gods are listening have mercy on us all.The moment the narrator's silent introduction finished, Reina stood up abruptly and slammed her hands on the now-clean table, sending the chess pieces scattering. "I'm done with this bull crap!I'm going home!" she announced, shattering the post-cleaning peace.Haruto jumped in shock. "H-Hoshigawa-sama! P-Please! We just finished cleaning! The General said we have to do team bonding! Our shift isn't even over!"Reina turned on him, all authority and impatience. "It's boring as hell, and you're both lame! Look at the time! It's almost 6 pm! Can't we just tell the old man we bonded really fast and left? Or are you scared?" she teased, watching with satisfaction as Haruto shrunk back, mumbling incoherently. "Alright, I'm going. Bye, boys."As she cat-walked to the door, a low, authoritative voice stopped her."No one is dismissed."Reina froze, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She turned slowly, a mix of shock, anger, and confusion on her face. Takumi was now standing, his hands planted firmly on the table."Excuse me?" Reina said, her voice icy."The General told me to keep an eye on you and give him a feedback report," Takumi stated, his eyes staring directly into her soul. "And I'm not one to lie to others."In his mind: Phew. Had to think of a lie to calm down this tiger. I can't lose her; I need her for this case. It worked like a charm. I'm a genius.Reina, believing the threat of reporting to her father, reluctantly gave in. She marched back to her seat with a huff. Haruto watched the exchange, terrified of the tension now filling the freshly cleaned room."Uhh," Takumi exclaimed, sitting back down. "Okay, what about we do this?"Reina stood up again, now at the head of the table. "Why don't we talk about our deepest secrets? Then we can be closer than ever!"Takumi tried to wave her off. "Can't we do something else—""Either this, or I'm leaving. For real this time," Reina said, her face deadly serious.Takumi sank into his chair. "Seriously?? Okay, I guess we can do that." He looked at Haruto. "What do you think?"Haruto stammered, "I-I think it's okay... could be fun?"Reina smirked. "I think I like you, nerdy boy."And so, the secret-sharing began. Reina went first, explaining her ability to see and feel past events from minimal information, her photographic memory, and how her parents took her to psychics who called her "blessed by a dying god."In Takumi's mind: Ohhh, that's crazy. I knew it! She's a descendant of one of the old religious groups from the Edo period. Probably the Hoshigawa clan that splintered off. This is perfect.Then, it was Haruto's turn. He shyly explained his computer-like brain for processing information, his ability to go unnoticed, and his struggling, painful talent for reading minds—but only if the target wasn't aware of him."Wait, you tried to read my mind?!" Reina asked, concerned."Y-Yes. It didn't work because you knew I was here. But with Saito-senpai... it has never worked. It's like something is blocking me. That's why I try to know him more."The attention shifted to Takumi. Reina looked at him with suspicion. "Maybe he doesn't have a brain!" she laughed, a genuine, joyful sound this time. She and Haruto began talking animatedly, bonding over their shared strange gifts, leaving Takumi to his thoughts.In Takumi's mind: So both of them have powers... and theirs are more exceptional than any I've seen in the past. They even have more than one ability each. It's a one-in-a-million chance. And Haruto can't see my thoughts... it must be my god blocking him. With these two on my team, I might actually solve this. I might not die in this life. He smiled to himself.Reina caught his expression. "What are you smiling about, big head? You haven't told us your secret! You thought you could leave, huh?"Takumi put his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers as he ran through forty-five different lies in five seconds. He then stood up and declared with utmost seriousness, "I have infinite wisdom."The room fell silent. Reina and Haruto stared in stunned shock.Then, Takumi burst out laughing. "I'm just joking! You should see your faces!" He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of their utterly discouraged expressions, laughing even harder. He cleared his throat. "My secret is... I can tell when someone is lying. And I never trained for it."Reina laughed derisively, calling his power "lame." Takumi shot back, defending his "great power," their argument falling into a familiar, sibling-like rhythm. Haruto just smiled, watching as a sense of familiarity finally filled the room.---Later that night, the trio walked out of the SCIU HQ towards the parking lot, their suits draped over their shoulders, looking tired but comfortable with each other. They exchanged contact information, swearing to keep each other's secrets.Reina slid into her low, red luxury sports car. Haruto and Takumi waved as they got into Haruto's more modest vehicle.The drive was quiet for a moment, an awkward silence hanging in the air, unnoticed by Takumi, who was intensely texting someone on his phone.After a thirty-minute drive through the beautiful, neon-lit Tokyo night, Takumi asked, "You know where I live, right?"Haruto nodded. "Yes, senpai.""Pick me up tomorrow morning.""Yes, senpai."When they reached Takumi's renovated childhood home—a modern duplex—he waved Haruto off. "Tadaima," he called into the silent, empty house. The only answer was the steady ticking of a wall clock. The evening light streamed through the large windows.As he climbed the stairs, he stopped. The door to his room was slightly ajar, a sliver of light cutting through the hallway darkness. He had locked it that morning.In his mind: The door was open. Someone's inside.He crept forward, fists clenched, ready for a fight. He gently pushed the door open and peeked inside.There, asleep in his bed, wearing only her underwear with her office clothes draped over a chair, was Ayaka Misora.Takumi sighed in relief. He tapped her gently on the shoulder. "Ayaka-chan. How did you get into my house?"She woke up sleepily, saw him, and her face lit up like a child's. "Takumi-kun!" she cheered, jumping up and wrapping her arms around him. "I took an extra key the last time I was here! Didn't you say I could come anytime?" she asked with clueless innocence.In his mind: That is not how it works, you moron.He put her down with a sigh. "Put your clothes on. I'm a man, you know?"As she cluelessly obeyed, he rolled up his sleeves and started arranging his desk. Ayaka, now wearing one of his giant shirts that swallowed her whole, hugged his arm. "I came because you promised!"Takumi looked at her. "I'm thirsty.""I'll make coffee!" she chirped, happily running downstairs.Takumi sat in his chair, stressed. In his mind: This girl is really something. Breaking into my home, wearing my shirt, watching me sleep... He rubbed his temples, then spotted her jacket. He quickly retrieved the extra key from her pocket. How many of these does she have? Should I change the locks?Ayaku returned with coffee, gazing at him adoringly as he drank. He cleared his throat. "Now, for the reason you're here."Ayaka pouted. "Can't we watch a movie first?""No. I have work tomorrow."She obediently switched gears. "What do you need?"Takumi opened his laptop. "Did any Himura Clan members come to the hotel today? Anything suspicious?"She thought hard. "The hotel bus was taken out by them. They aren't using it for hotel work.""Aren't you the assistant manager? Shouldn't you be more involved?""Even though our families are close, they don't tell us everything. But the manager said he's getting promoted, and I might become manager, too.""Why the promotions?""For the 18th birthday of the clan head's son next month, June 22nd. It's a huge event. Many famous people will be there. Even the Hoshigawa family is invited."Takumi wrote everything down. When Ayaka asked why he needed this information, he stood up, closed his notebook, and rubbed her head. "Civil servants have to do all kinds of strange jobs."(Narrator) And lie through their teeth to innocent,lovestruck girls. For shame, Saito! For shame!He then ushered her out to the guest room, locking his door and even propping a chair under the handle for good measure. You can never be too sure, he thought.As he got into bed, a message from the General popped up on his phone: GROUP B ASSESSMENT TOMORROW. DON'T BE LATE.He turned off his phone, looked at the ceiling, and sighed. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."