Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

After leaving Reika Takizawa's house, Masahiro Hanyu went to the food section of a nearby department store and bought some Sendai edamame mochi from "Kikusui-an".

This food is Sendai's signature snack, with edamame puree as its core feature.

Only edamame from Miyagi Prefecture can make it truly authentic. The soft, chewy glutinous rice dough is wrapped around the smooth, vibrant green edamame paste, sweet but not cloying.

August is edamame season, and it's the perfect time to enjoy them.

After tasting it, Masahiro Hanyu pondered what clue this third piece of information provided.

The "Gokurakuyu" retreat started in the evening, and he and Takizawa Reika made a promise to head to Mount Takao together the next afternoon.

Takizawa warned that since the two are appearing as a couple, Mrs. Yayoi's friends will definitely put Masahiro Hanyu to the test.

But she couldn't say for sure exactly how the test would be conducted.

The people attending the party were all former adult film actresses. They knew men too well, and they couldn't predict whether the other party would do something inappropriate.

Masahiro Hanyu wasn't worried. He was just looking for clues. There was no need to force anything. If he felt that things were getting too much, he would just slip away.

Back in his rented apartment, he took out a cassette tape, which he had gotten from Takizawa Reika's house. It contained the song "One Day Suddenly".

This is a love duet song released in 1969 that became a hit in Japan during the 70s.

Masahiro Hanyu lay in bed, listening to the nationally acclaimed duet by Sumio Akutagawa and Emiko Shiratori.

One day, suddenly, the two fell silent, even though they had talked so much before.

"I knew it would come someday..."

The song has a gentle folk style with beautiful harmonies, and the lyrics tell the classic story of friends turning into lovers.

So far, there are three pieces of information: I've already tried the edamame and mochi, and I'm currently listening to "One Day Suddenly".

Takizawa Reika's father passed away when she was very young, and Yayoi Yuko, worried that her daughter would be mistreated, did not remarry.

To make a living, Yuko Yayoi worked as a pink film actress in the 1970s.

In the early 1980s, with the rise of AV, Yuko Yayoi worked as an AV actress for a period of time.

When the song "One Day Suddenly" became popular, Takizawa's father had already passed away.

When Yayoi Yuko was young, she was beautiful and had many suitors.

Reika Takizawa remembers the men her mother dated, but they didn't end up together.

As Yuzuru Masahiro listened to the song and analyzed the clues, he had reason to suspect that Mrs. Yayoi's departure from home might be to see her former lover.

After all, in the letter she left for Takizawa Reika, she wrote: "I want to do what I want to do."

Mrs. Yayoi doesn't like Sendai edamame mochi, so it's very likely that her lover does.

Tomorrow I'm going to a hot spring retreat. By asking around through Mrs. Yayoi's friends, I can find out some information and use those clues to find out where Mrs. Yayoi is.

Masahiro Hanyu now feels that this request doesn't seem too difficult to complete.

By evening, the landlady, Keiko Tanaka, still hadn't come to the door.

Masahiro Hanyu was puzzled. Should Mrs. Tanaka have given some information about whether to provide compensation or continue renting the property? Why was she silent?

In the middle of the night, he heard the sound of something falling to the ground from next door, accompanied by a girl's soft gasp.

In August, Tokyo was shrouded in sweltering heat, with sticky, oppressive waves of heat rising from the air.

Mount Takao, located in Hachioji City, is like a cool, secluded paradise on the edge of the city.

Located 50 kilometers from Tokyo, this mountain is surrounded by dense primeval forests and is a popular summer retreat for Tokyoites.

Take the Keio Line direct train from Shinjuku and you will arrive at Takao-Yamaguchi Station in about 45 minutes.

After exiting the station, Masahiro Hanyu and Reika Takizawa walked along the mountain path for less than five minutes before they saw Gokurakuyu Onsen, nestled among lush green trees.

As dusk settled over the mountains and forests, the warm yellow lights of the hot spring resort were already on.

This hot spring resort is a typical Japanese hot spring building, constructed entirely of logs, with a curtain hanging at the entrance bearing the ancient name of the hot spring.

The two pushed open the door and entered. Before them was a front hall with tatami mats, and the air was filled with the steam of hot springs, the aroma of incense and Japanese sake.

A woman in a kimono greeted him, "Takizawa-san, you've arrived."

The woman looked to be under forty, with gentle features and a pleasing appearance that had grown over time; she still retained her charm.

Reika Takizawa bowed and said, "Hello, Mrs. Shirakawa. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Mrs. Shirakawa was the organizer of this hot spring retreat, and she was in charge of the specific arrangements for the gathering.

Takizawa Reika has known Mrs. Shirakawa since she was a child, and the two are very familiar with each other.

Yesterday, when Reika Takizawa was on the phone with Mrs. Shirakawa, Masahiro Hanyu could hear it clearly.

Mrs. Shirakawa knew that Mrs. Yayoi had run away from home.

She advised Takizawa Reika not to look anymore, saying that Yayoi Yuko would come back on her own after a while.

Takizawa Reika said that she has a boyfriend and wants him to meet her mother's friends.

Mrs. Shirakawa agreed without asking any questions or hesitating, as if this kind of meeting was a very ordinary thing.

"I just arrived recently too." Mrs. Shirakawa looked at Masahiro Hanyu.

Reika Takizawa quickly introduced, "This is Hanyu-kun, my friend!"

Masahiro Hanyu bowed slightly. "Hello, Mrs. Shirakawa. It's an honor to meet you."

Mrs. Shirakawa smiled and nodded. "Welcome, please follow me."

The two followed her into a quiet courtyard and arrived at the door of a room.

"'Bamboo' is Yuzuru's room. It's a private room with a private hot spring bath, so no outsiders will disturb you."

"Everyone is in their respective rooms. I will come to your room to let you know after you have soaked in the hot spring."

The fact that Takizawa Reika wasn't in the same room as him relieved Yuzuru Masahiro.

He remained wary of this woman.

There was a wooden sign hanging on the door of the room with the character "bamboo" on it.

Mrs. Shirakawa nodded to Masahiro Hanyu, "Hanyu-kun, please enjoy your bath. Takizawa-san and I won't disturb you any longer!"

If we want to find out about Mrs. Yayoi, we'll have to wait until we get together after soaking in the hot springs.

Once inside the room, Masahiro Hanyu locked the door from the inside.

He's a man taking a shower, so he doesn't have to worry about being secretly filmed.

However, he had to be wary of Mrs. Yayoi's friends, and even more so of Takizawa Reika.

This commission is going to be tough to earn! I have to be careful all the time.

The room has a hot spring bath that can accommodate two people. The water is already filled, and there is a misty atmosphere with rose petals floating on the surface.

A tea tray was placed beside the hot spring, and fragrant tea had already been brewed.

Yuzuru Masahiro first checked every part of the room to make sure there was nothing unusual before taking off his clothes and getting into the hot spring bath.

The water temperature was just right; my skin felt soothed and comfortable from the hot spring water.

After drinking a few sips of tea, Masahiro Hanyu drifted off to sleep.

In a daze, he heard the door being pushed open and someone quietly walking in.

The door was locked from the inside, yet it could still be opened from the outside.

Hearing the rustling sound of clothes being undressed, Masahiro Hanyu turned his head and exclaimed, "Mrs. Shirakawa!"