Case 14: Search for the Sage (Part I)

Things finally seemed to get back on track.

Winter break came and passed and we were back in school. Slowly but surely, we were approaching the tail end of the school year.

As for Yua and our “agency”, things were also going fine. A client would show up with a request and Yua would splendidly solve the mystery as usual.

Even Sagara looked like he was done being angry with me and we returned to being friendly like always.

In such a chilly afternoon that Yua and I spent drinking tea and eating snacks together, an unexpected guest appeared there.

“Ah… crap,” I said very silently.

“You again…” Even Yua wasn’t amused in the least.

Standing at the door was my archnemesis, Takai Hana.

Ever since I accidentally spread the rumor we were dating a couple of months ago, she became wary and hostile against me, and things only escalated since then.

However, I hadn’t bumped into her recently, pretty much ever since that stupid sports festival, so I somewhat forgot about her.

She did give me a withering glance, but then actually turned to Yua.

“I already told you I won’t give up,” said Yua, looking determined.

Wait, what was she talking about?

“Your will has nothing to do with this, Shiomi-san,” the beautiful girl answered calmly. “I will have you evacuate this room, no matter what.”

My eyebrows rose. “Wait, what’s this about?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” asked Yua, glancing at me.

“You can’t simply use this place as you please,” explained Takai. “This is set to become a clubroom.”

“Hmph. You keep saying that, but what club would that be? You yourself told me that no one asked for it as of yet.”

“That’s…”

“As long as no one uses it, I don’t see why I should be the one to evacuate this room,” Yua said haughtily.

Takai sighed, pinching her nose bridge. “Must you really make things so difficult for me—pretend detective and resident playboy?”

“I’m not pretending!”

“I’m not a playboy!”

We spoke at the same time. Our synchronization made me smile despite Takai’s barbs.

“You can’t keep dodging this forever,” said Takai.

“And you can’t keep repeating the same lines forever,” Yua hissed back. “You have no authority to order me out of here.”

“I am the student council treasurer.”

“Then why is it you’re the only student council member that told me this, hmm? Sawatari-sensei does complain about my activities from time to time… but even she hadn’t told me to vacate this room.”

Takai clicked her tongue. Meanwhile, Yua just widened her smile, and her eyes sparkled.

“This means you’re here not under official capacity, but a personal one. The fact that the last time you came to me over this was over a month ago also proves this. If I had to guess, you were the one who asked for this room to be used, but you weren’t able to find anyone who wanted it. But the only question is… why?”

Takai mumbled something under her breath, but I couldn’t hear it well.

“What was that?”

“I said… because all of this is nonsense!” she raised her voice.

Takai was always the perfect beauty, calm and collected, but now she looked almost furious. Although I’d already made her mad a few times before, I still wasn’t expecting that expression.

“This love detective thing… it’s so stupid!”

“Hey, don’t call me that! I’m just a normal detective,” Yua complained, crossing her arms.

That’s what bothered her?

“But that’s what everyone comes to you for, right? Wasting our precious time at school on this nonsense… I’m sick of hearing about this. I’m sick of all the confessions, too—how many of the boys asked you to investigate me thus far?”

For some reason she turned her eyes to me as she said that.

Hey, I’m innocent…! I mean sure, I did think about confessing to her, and I did want to ask Yua for advice, but in the end, I did neither.

“I’m afraid I cannot speak about my clients, that’s confidential.”

“What are you gaining from doing this?”

“What do you mean? It’s just for my own satisfaction. Don’t get me wrong, Takai-san. I actually agree with you.”

“You do…?”

“Love is stupid, and it’s a waste of time,” she said casually. “I know that better than anyone.” Her voice sounded bitter for a few fleeting moments. “Do you think I’m doing this out of some altruistic will to help students in love or something?”

“You’re not?” asked Takai, sounding suspicious.

“Duh. I’m just doing this for the challenge. Oh, and the snacks, can’t forget about those.”

“Err, can we stop right there?” I took the moment to butt into their conversation. “I don’t know what’s bothering you so much about this, but Shiomi-san’s not doing anything wrong. And she is an amazing detective. Sure, maybe not everything is solved so neatly, but we’ve helped quite a few people thus far.”

As expected, the moment she turned her attention to me again, Takai’s eyes sprouted dangerous thorns.

Without saying another word, though, she turned her back to us. I was sure she was going to leave, but then she rummaged through her bag and threw something at me.

I caught it reflexively and felt something crunch within my hands.

It was a bag of snacks.

“Will that suffice as a payment, love detective?” she said very quietly.

I handed the bag over to Yua, who, after looking a little surprised, emerged into a wide smile.

“Oh? Is this a challenge for me?”

“No, it’s a job. …If you really agree with the way I’m seeing things, this should be right up your alley.”

“What is it? Do you want me to devise a way for you to hold off the lines of admirers? Or perhaps you have a stalker or something? An anonymous love letter that keeps bothering you? Or maybe—”

“No, it’s none of that,” said Takai, her voice full of thorns. “My request for you is simple. —I want you to unmask the Love Sage.”