Summertime Rendezvous: Birth of the Great Detective

"..."

BEEP.

WHIRR.

With a tap of my ID card, the door swished open.

I held the door with my right arm, waiting for Sato-san to follow.

"Thank you, Kobayashi-kun."

"No worries."

"..."

"Oh. Good morning, Kobayashi-kun."

"Morning boss!"

I greeted Head Manager with a salute.

"And oh, what's this?"

"Sato-kun."

"You are here as well."

"Morning, Sir."

Sato-san offered a courteous bow. 

"How did it go? Your first day."

"I know I said we would catch up after work yesterday, but, I had something urgent pop up last minute."

"So have my sincere apologies."

"Oh no no Sir, that's fine."

"Uhm. As for yesterday..."

"It certainly went, heh-well."

"Yes, it went very well."

"!"

She was definitely about to say hell.

"Oh, that is good to hear."

"I suppose, Kobayashi-kun here, has been helpful so far then?"

"Is that right?"

"Yes, Kobayashi-kun was very helpful."

"I am very grateful to him."

Awh, you are making me blush Sato-san.

"Good, good to hear that."

"And, one more thing, before you go."

"Sir?"

"If you ever see Kobayashi-kun slacking, then let me know, alright?"

Head Manager flashed a cheeky grin.

"Hey, boss! Have some faith in me."

I exclaimed in disbelief. 

"Hehe, will do, thank you."

"Right then, I let you two get to work."

"And if you come across any problems, let me know, you know where I am."

"Alright?"

Lies.

That is such a huge lie.

Head Manager, despite idling in a room near the main office door, has always been someone with an elusive nature. For a minute, you will catch a glimpse of him, engrossed, in a call or meeting with a client. And the next minute, he would simply, vanish, into thin air, nowhere to be found. 

I learnt this the hard way. 

Throughout my first year, I would often be on a pursuit, to find Head Manager, while inquiring with my colleagues about his whereabouts. But even they, themselves, were unsure. Eventually, I realised it was futile, and just opted to seek assistance from colleagues nearby instead. 

A team without a coach. 

"Sure, will do thank you Sir."

"..."

FANFARE.

"Arriving at the same time."

"Both, holding coffee cups."

"Coffee cups from Azure Bottle Coffee."

"A scandal!"

Tanaka and Yamamato screamed in unison, like paparazzi stalking a celebrity.

"What are you two idiots talking about!"

I yelled back in frustration.

"You cannot fool us Kobayashi-dono."

Yamamoto tilted his glasses.

"Yes, Mr Kobayashi!"

"There is no need to be shy."

"I understand."

Tanaka patted my shoulder.

"Oh, one more thing. 

"I offer my sincere congratulations to you Ms Sato!"

"Uhm, congratulations...?"

"For what Tanaka-kun?"

Sato-san with her finger on her lips, questioned Tanaka with a perplexed expression.

"Oh Ms Sato, pretending to be innocent."

"Guess I got no choice."

Tanaka sighed.

"Congratulations you two! For being a couple!"

"Whoo, well done Kobayashi-dono!"

"Although, it would have been better with 2D waifu."

SIGH.

"I don't even know how you two got to that conclusion."

"My my, Mr Kobayashi."

"Allow me to explain."

Tanaka opened his drawer and took out a deerstalker hat. 

"..."

"Welcome to the Meitantei Tanaka show!"

"Let's begin!"

"08:40 AM. Mr Kobayashi and Ms Sato arrive together."

"Right... Okay... I mean I could've just met her nearby the office or building."

"Well that may be true, but the interactions between the both of you were very minimal when you had entered."

"It was almost like, you had already interacted with her for a longer period of time."

"If you certainly had met her by the door, then you would have entered the office deeply engrossed in the conversation, trying to catch up on everything from yesterday until this morning."

"And that wasn't the case."

"You guys entered quietly one after another."

"Hmm. Well, that still doesn't prove anything, does it?"

"Playing difficult aren't you Mr Kobayashi, then let me tell you more."

"08:45 AM. Mr Kobayashi and Ms Sato arrive at their workspaces, each holding a coffee cup."

"Both of the coffee cups, despite being different shapes and sizes, contained a name label 'Azure Bottle Coffee'."

"Maybe we just happened to go in there by coincidence."

"Coincidence?"

"I think not!"

"You just wanted to say that line didn't you."

"Haha, you got me."

"But anyway, going back to the point."

"Another clue that hit me was..."

"You never buy coffee from the cafe."

"After all, didn't you say, that coffee was too expensive and a waste of money when buying it from a cafe?"

GULP.

"Well, that is true..."

"But... I just felt like drinking today."

"Heh."

Tanaka smiled.

"Felt like drinking?"

"Oh Mr Kobayashi, you gotta come up with a better excuse than that."

"Yamamato, no, My dear Watson, please hand me that poster over there from my table."

"Yosh!"

Yamamoto handed Tanaka a poster, that looked strangely familiar.

Where have I seen that?

"..."

Tanaka flashed the poster in front of our eyes.

"!"

~~~

Azure Bottle Coffee: Summer Discounts

Couples get 25% off!

Valid From: 21st July 2023

Valid Until: 25th July 2023

~~~

Busted.

"..."

"I picked up this poster this morning, while I walking with my girlfriend." 

"And, it pretty much explains it all."

"Couples discount, at Azure Bottle Coffee."

"This can only mean one thing."

"That's right!"

"You are the culprit!"

"Mr Kobayashi!"

Tanaka boldly presented his deduction.

"Gahhh."

The imaginary shining light glimmered over my eyes.

"..."

"Ehehe. I guess they got us, Kobayashi-kun."

SIGH.

"Yeah... I give up now."

"Let's go!" 

"We did it! My dear Watson!"

Tanaka and Yamamoto shook their hands in celebration.

"Anyway."

"I didn't expect you to be the bold type, Ms Sato."

"What magic did you perform, to pull the strings of the cold-hearted Mr Kobayashi?"

"..."

"Eh."

"Ehhhhhhh!"

"E-e-e-it's nothing like that!"

Sato-san, while flushed by Tanaka's comment, waved her hands around, in a gesture of denial.

"It's nothing like..."

Sato-san shifted her gaze towards me.

"Ah."

"Yes!"

"It's, it's nothing like that!"

"We were only pra-pra-pretending to be one, for the discount."

"Yes, for the discount!"

"Ra-ra-right? Sato-san."

"Yes!"

"Discount!"

"Hmmm."

"Well, that's the shame."

"Here I was thinking you guys actually did it."

"But jokes aside."

"Why don't you date for real?"

"Ms Sato and you seem a good fit."

"..."

"Date...?"

I silently exchanged glances with Sato-san as I pondered over Tanaka's question.

"..."

SLAM.

"!"

"Right guys, enough talking. Time to get started, it is 09:05 AM."

"Here is some paperwork for today."

Head Manager abruptly, disrupted our conversation, slamming a pile of folders on the table. 

"Okay..."

Tanaka sighed in disappointment.

"What...?" 

"Did I interrupt something?"

Head Manager questioned us with a look of bewilderment.

"Nothing..."

"I guess then, I'll leave this to you guys."

"All the best."

Head Manager walked back to his room.

"..."

Why does the air feel so heavy?

"..."

What is this miasma? 

"..."

Wait a minute.

"!"

Tanaka!

"..."

"He ruined it!"

Tanaka shed tears in disbelief.

"Uhm Tanaka-kun, is something the matter?"

"Tanaka, you alright man?"

Both, Sato-san and I, compelled by the shared concern, questioned Tanaka.

"I apologise for that, you guys."

Tanaka gave his cheeks a brisk slap.

"Well then, let's get started!"

"Fighting!"

We all cheered ourselves for another gruelling day.

And today, also marked the birth of the next Great Detective.

Next time on MEITANTEI CO-...

Cut it right there!