Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 8 - Chapter 1.0

Chapter 1

  I’m the star of the show today

“Happy birthday, Yui!” Natsunagi called in a singsong voice. Several party crackers burst, and then applause filled the room.

“Heh-heh! Thank you!”

In the Saikawa mansion’s magnificent dining room, Yui Saikawa, today’s leading lady, sat beaming in front of a cake.

“Go on, Yui,” Charlie said. “Blow out those candles.”

And Yui did, all fifteen. It was a big cake.

“I didn’t think you’d all really celebrate with me. This is wonderful.” Yui clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, blissfully soaking in the celebration.

“Well, we did promise we’d throw you a birthday party. Even if it was a day late.”

We’d talked about it three months ago, when the four of us had visited Singapore on business. Today—December 24, Christmas Eve—we’d made that party happen at the Saikawa residence.

“All my fans celebrated with me at my Birthday Festival concert yesterday, and then you three came over today. I’ll just have to make every day my birthday!” Saikawa kicked her feet happily while Natsunagi and Charlie cut the cake.

“If every day’s your birthday, you’ll be an old lady before you know it.”

“It’s all right, Kimizuka. Idols stop aging when they turn eighteen!” Saikawa told me, punctuating her weird logic with a peace sign. I hoped she hung on to her energy, charm, and that trace of sassiness after she grew up, too.

As the four of us were eating our cake, Natsunagi said, “Oh, that’s right.” Rummaging in her backpack, she pulled something out. “Here, Yui. It’s your birthday present!”

“Oh, I’ve got one, too. I didn’t really know what would be good, though.” Hesitantly, Charlie also handed Saikawa a wrapped present.

The gifts turned out to be a mug and several different types of hair accessories. Saikawa held them in both hands, and her face lit up.

“I’ll use them right now! I’ll have a café au lait in the mug Nagisa gave me and put my hair up with one of Charlie’s accessories, and then we can go on with the party!”

As soon as she said it, the maids who’d been standing by zipped in and skillfully made it all happen, and soon Saikawa was cheerfully sipping coffee with her hair pulled back in a new scrunchie.

“See? I told you it would be fine,” Natsunagi told Charlie, who looked relieved. Apparently, they’d picked out Saikawa’s presents together. (I hadn’t been invited.)

“And, um, by the way…what about you, Kimizuka?” Saikawa was stealing glances at me.

Hoping she was keeping her expectations low, I got a small package out of my bag.

“A foreign novel? That’s a surprisingly respectable present from you.”

“It’s a translated edition, so you won’t have any trouble reading it. Also, quit acting like this is the biggest shock of the day or something.”

Saikawa giggled. “I’m happy,” she said, she and hugged the book to her chest.

“Come to think of it, Kimizuka, you and Ma’am did that sort of thing, didn’t you?” Charlie reminisced, propping her chin on her hand. “You’d loan each other books or DVDs, then share notes afterward.”

“Yeah, that was Siesta’s idea. She said there were as many interpretations of art as there were people who saw it, so we could deepen our readings by seeing the same things and sharing our thoughts.”

I got the feeling I was the only one who’d actually learned anything as a result, though.

“I see,” said Yui. “No wonder I sensed the influence of an old flame.”

“Quit saying things people are gonna misinterpret. Siesta wasn’t my… It wasn’t like that.”

“No, she wasn’t your old flame,” said Natsunagi. “She’s your current one.”

“Why are you getting all depressed?”

I mean, it was clear to everybody that Siesta and I had never had that sort of relationship. Nodding to myself, I took a bite of cake.

“This is really sweet.”

Hastily grabbing my cup, I used the bitter coffee to cut the sugar.

“I really do wish Siesta could have been here as well,” Saikawa murmured, looking down at her hands. “…Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” She hastily retracted the remark, hunching up.

“What, we’re not enough for you, Yui?” Sensing the shift, Charlie teasingly poked Saikawa’s shoulder.

Natsunagi joined in. “It’s fine. On your next birthday…she will be.”

“…Yes!”

Charlie and Natsunagi smiled, and Saikawa raised her head as if she’d gotten her energy back. “Still, it’s hard to believe that was already three months ago.”

By “that,” Saikawa probably meant the business in Singapore. A few months back, the four of us had been summoned there by the Federation Government, and Natsunagi and I had met with Ice Doll, a high-level government official. And in that meeting, we had talked about—

“I never thought you’d really become the Ace Detective.” Charlie gazed at Natsunagi, the set of her lips softening slightly.

Three months ago, Ice Doll had officially recognized Natsunagi as a Tuner. Siesta’s post of Ace Detective currently belonged to Nagisa Natsunagi.

“What do you think of it, Charlie? Be honest.”

Natsunagi and Charlie had gotten off to the worst start ever when they met on that luxury cruise. Natsunagi had declared that she’d be the one to inherit Siesta’s will, and Charlie hadn’t taken it well at all.

Now, though…

“Didn’t I say so before? I’m proud of you.”

In the time since, they’d weathered many crises together. Sometimes, Natsunagi had literally fought with her life on the line, and as an agent, Charlie had the utmost respect for her.

“…I see. Heh-heh. Yes, I see.”

Grinning, Natsunagi reached across the table to Charlie and tried to poke her cheek.

“Quit it,” Charlie said, twisting away, but she didn’t seem genuinely irritated.

“Kimizuka, I believe I’m seeing a lovely lily or two blooming over there. Is that romance in the air?”

“I’m just glad they’re getting along.”

I’d been eating my cake throughout the entire exchange. It was so damn sweet.

“Well, I may be the Ace Detective, but I haven’t done any new jobs yet.” Natsunagi shrugged a little awkwardly.

The Seed incident had ended four months ago, but Natsunagi hadn’t been assigned a new mission. Conversely, that did mean there hadn’t been a crisis big enough for the Tuners to get sent out.

“Maybe they think of me as a figurehead. Maybe they just needed to put somebody in the Ace Detective position.”

Apparently, Natsunagi wasn’t satisfied with that state of affairs. She puffed out her cheeks sulkily.

“But didn’t Noches say a long time ago that you’d be appointed as the next Ace Detective? I doubt you’re just a figurehead…”

“Yes, but back then, she was still in my mind. I bet that’s why,” Natsunagi told Saikawa. By “she,” Natsunagi meant Hel. Hel had been a former SPES executive and a really tough enemy for us. She’d also been Natsunagi’s alternate personality, but during our fight against Seed, she’d gone to sleep inside the massive tree known as Yggdrasil.

That meant Natsunagi didn’t have as much power as she’d once had, and she’d been appointed to the Tuners as a regular human.

“Even Ice Doll acknowledged you as the Ace Detective. You could stand to be a little more confident.”

“You think so? There’s no telling what was going through her mind behind that mask,” Natsunagi told me, remembering the frigid government official. “I bet she had her own reasons for making me the Ace Detective.”

“You mean Ice Doll’s plotting something?”

“It’s just a hunch, not a deduction or anything. Still, even if she did have some sort of hidden motive, I’ll work so hard that she and her people will ask the Ace Detective for help someday and mean it,” Natsunagi declared.

“And you won’t regret it?” Charlie asked Natsunagi again. “You’re not just following in Ma’am’s footsteps. You’ve decided to live that way because that’s what you want?”

“Yes. I’m not a proxy detective. This is how I’m going to live my life.”

Natsunagi tucked her short hair behind her ear, and the part of her face I could see was filled with resolve. Being at her side now made me prouder than anything else ever could.

“I see. Then I’ll be praying for your success from a distance.” Smiling a little, Charlie sipped her tea. Wait, that sounds like… “I’m going to be leaving Japan for a while.”

“For an assignment?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m headed to a war zone for a bit.”

That was how Charlotte Arisaka Anderson lived; it was routine for her. Before, we’d worked toward a common goal together, but now that our enemy SPES had been defeated, Charlie didn’t have a reason to stay. The agent was leaving for another battlefield.

“Why do you seem almost bummed?”

Uh, I wasn’t. Not really.

I’d just been thinking I’d finally be free of our dumb arguments for a while.

“Kimizuka, guy tsunderes aren’t cool these days.” Saikawa sighed and shook her head.

“Don’t tell me you’re going somewhere, too, Saikawa?” I pleaded.

“Ah-ha-ha. I’m planning to stay in Japan for the time being. That said, I’ve been taking frequent breaks from my work as an idol, so I’ll have to do better there!”

True, Saikawa had been so tied up in the sequence of SPES-related events that her idol career had taken a big hit. But as for the coming days…

“Charlie and Yui both have places to return to. We shouldn’t hold them back,” Natsunagi reprimanded me gently.

Our fight had reached a stopping point, and now it was time for new departures.

But…

“None of us have forgotten your wish, Kimizuka.”

With her sharp blue eye, Saikawa had read my mind.

The next thing I knew, Natsunagi and Charlie were both gazing at me, too.

“Yeah. It’s still too soon for an epilogue.”

Until the day that wish came true, our story wouldn’t end.