Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

Ozawa Ayari's voice wasn't loud, and Yuzuru Masahiro didn't pay attention, as his mind was on the phone.

Kuroki Eimi's eagerness to meet must be related to the investigation of Aoyama Suke.

Masahiro Hanyu immediately replied, "I'm in Golden Lane..."

Before he could finish speaking, Kuroki Eimi's voice came through the phone:

"Okay, wait for me, I'll be there soon!"

Then Kuroki Eimi hung up the phone, clearly indicating that she really had something urgent to see him about.

Ayari Ozawa's fingertips gently caressed the rim of the crystal glass.

"I invited Mr. Yuzuru to a candlelight dinner. I hope your girlfriend won't misunderstand?"

Yuzuru Masahiro hung up the phone. "Ozawa-san, you've misunderstood. It's not my girlfriend, it's..."

Masahiro Hanyu wanted to say that he was acting as a commissioner, but he hesitated.

He accepted Kuroki Eimi's commission on a side job.

Ozawa Ayari is a friend of President Satsuki. If she finds out, President Satsuki might hear about it.

If an unofficial detective takes on private jobs, that demanding woman, President Satsuki, probably won't keep him working at the detective agency any longer.

He had to change his story, "It's... a friend I'm not close to, she needed to talk to me about something."

Ayari Ozawa's long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly. "Oh, is that so?"

"I'm relieved that I haven't burdened Yuzuru-kun!"

The "Karuizawa Club Pure Malt" whisky has a high alcohol content, and Ayari Ozawa's cheeks are alluringly flushed.

Masahiro Hanyu returned to his seat. "Ozawa-san, you're overthinking it."

"You have a good alcohol tolerance." He tried to change the subject, not wanting Ozawa to notice his side jobs.

Ozawa Ayari replied casually, "It's alright, after all, I run a bar."

"If you have a low alcohol tolerance, you'll easily get taken advantage of."

After Kuroki Eimi called, Ozawa's tone seemed distant.

Masahiro Hanyu doesn't care; earning 50 yen in commission is the most important thing to him right now.

The two drank and chatted politely. Xiaoze drank less, only taking a small sip each time, and controlling his alcohol intake appropriately.

Not long after, Masahiro Hanyu's pager rang again; it was Eimi Kuroki calling.

Masahiro Hanyu returned the call, and Eimi Kuroki's voice came through.

"Hanyu-kun, I'm at the public phone booth at the end of Golden Street. Where should I meet you?"

Kuroki Eimi and Ozawa Ayari cannot meet, otherwise his taking on private jobs might be exposed.

"Wait for me there, I'll be right there to see you!"

After Masahiro Hanyu hung up the phone, Ayari Ozawa chuckled.

"Hanyu-kun...it seems you don't want me to meet your girlfriend, do you?"

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to your girlfriend."

"I was just thanking Yuzuru-kun; there's nothing special between us."

Masahiro Hanyu smiled. "Ozawa-san, you've really misunderstood."

"Thank you for your hospitality. I will come again when I have more free time."

He raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Ayari Ozawa felt a strange sense of loss; she had met all sorts of men in the bar.

She's always the one rejecting others; it seems no man has ever ignored her like this before.

She felt even more frustrated. She had wanted to save face, but now she was being ignored again.

Ozawa raised his glass and downed it in one gulp. "I really mean what Yuzuru-kun said. Feel free to come visit me anytime!"

She stood up and opened the door, her waist swaying more than usual.

Masahiro Yuzuru's gaze fell upon it, and he sighed inwardly, "That figure is indeed alluring!"

Ayari Ozawa saw him out of the bar, and Masahiro Hanyu bowed slightly, saying, "Goodbye, Ozawa-san!"

As Yuzuru Masahiro hurriedly left without looking back, a thought popped into Ozawa Ayari's mind: What kind of woman came looking for him?

Kuroki Eimi paced anxiously beside the phone booth at the end of the street. When she saw Yuzuru Masahiro approaching, she immediately went to greet him.

"Hanyu-kun, I'm so sorry, did I disturb you?"

"But this matter is truly urgent, otherwise I wouldn't be troubling you so late!"

Masahiro Hanyu said in a relaxed tone, "I really am sorry to bother you, but it's more important to complete the request."

Kuroki Eimi looked apologetic. "Well, Kana-nee found a photo in the hidden compartment of President Aoyama's handbag."

"To prevent President Aoyama from finding out, Kana-nee took a picture with her camera. This is the printed photo."

Masahiro Hanyu took the photo; it was a full-body photo of a woman.

The woman was wearing a black evening gown; she was tall and slender, and her face was partially obscured as she turned to the side.

On the woman's right wrist, she wore a strangely shaped demon head bracelet.

The back of the photo was also photographed, and the words "Maki" were written on it.

Below is the date the photo was taken: August 1980. This is a photo from twelve years ago.

"Kana-nee said that the handwriting in the photo is exactly the same as that in the book," Kuroki Eimi said.

Yuzuru Hanyu examined the photo closely. "Maki" must be this woman's name. Perhaps she is Aoyama's mysterious lover.

He recalled what Ayari Ozawa had said: there was a tall female customer who liked to order the "Karuizawa Club Pure Malt" whisky when she went to the Golden Street Bar.

Could Aoyama's lover, "Maki," be the same person as the female customer in Golden Street?

Kuroki Eimi was wearing a collared short-sleeved shirt and a long skirt. Because of her anxiety, her chest heaved, and her trembling breasts looked as if the buttons might pop off at any moment.

"When I went to see Kana-nee, President Aoyama had already left."

"Near his house, I saw a woman's back view that looked a lot like the woman in the photo, and she was wearing the same bracelet on her right wrist."

"I followed her secretly and saw her enter a Couple's Nest clubhouse."

Masahiro Hanyu was a little doubtful. Could it be such a coincidence? He had just discovered the photo and then ran into the person in it?

Couple's Nest is a private dating spot for couples.

These couples-only clubs offer privacy, safety, and freedom from outside interference, providing a haven for couples having extramarital affairs.

Eimi Kuroki didn't want to speak and be overheard by passersby, so she moved closer to Masahiro Hanyu.

"I wanted to go in, but that club only allows couples or members to enter."

"I called Kana-nee, and Kana-nee told me to ask Yuzuru-kun to come over as soon as possible."

Whether it's a coincidence or not, now that we have a lead, we should investigate it thoroughly.

The two took a taxi to a standalone building in Roppongi, where Couple's Nest is located.

After getting out of the taxi, Eimi Kuroki walked to a Toyota sedan, opened the door,

"Hanyu-kun, please get in the car. Kana-nee is waiting for you."

Yuzuru Masahiro got into the car, and Kana Hojo, sitting in the driver's seat, turned around. "Yuzuru-kun, we meet again!"

Yuzuru Masahiro's voice was deep, "Hojo-san, I'm sorry about last time, I was just trying to fulfill my request."

Kana Hojo recalled the sailor uniform; thankfully, the young detective hadn't seen it. Her face flushed slightly.

"Hanyu-kun, you did the right thing back then."

The past is the past, and Kana Hojo doesn't want to dwell on it; what matters most is what's in front of her.

"The woman that Kuroki-san was following went in and hasn't come out yet. Perhaps Aoyama-suke is inside."

Yuzuru Masahiro looked at the iron gate of the clubhouse. "In that case, we should go inside. Perhaps we can find the evidence there."

Kana Hojo nodded slightly. "It's not for members; one person isn't allowed to enter."

She bit her lower lip. "So, let's have Yuzuru-kun and Kuroki-san pretend to be a couple!"