Hayashi Shuichi rode his bicycle, delivering Orisaka Midori back to the flower shop in the shopping arcade.
The flower shop door was slightly ajar, and a row of vibrantly colored flowers was displayed at the entrance, looking particularly delicate under the sunlight.
Hearing the bicycle bell, Mrs. Orisaka emerged. Upon seeing Hayashi Shuichi, her face immediately broke into a warm, enthusiastic smile.
She quickly hurried forward and took Hayashi Shuichi's arm: "Hayashi-kun, did you come to buy flowers? Come inside and sit down!"
Looking at Mrs. Orisaka's enthusiastic demeanor, it was as if Hayashi Shuichi were her own biological son.
Orisaka Midori stood to the side, a look of embarrassment on her face. She gently tugged on her mother's sleeve, speaking with some reservation: "Mom, Senior's izakaya is about to open. He needs to go back and prepare the shop!"
"Oh, right, right. The shop's business is more important," Mrs. Orisaka finally realized. She gave an apologetic smile, then turned and picked up a lush, green pothos plant from the doorway, placing it in Hayashi Shuichi's arms. "Hayashi-kun, take this back with you. Put it in your shop; it's beautiful and purifies the air."
"…Thank you." Hayashi Shuichi felt a little overwhelmed. Seeing he couldn't politely decline, he accepted the pothos with both hands, said his farewells, and left.
"Tsk tsk, what a fine young man," Mrs. Orisaka stared at Hayashi Shuichi's receding figure, her eyes full of affection.
"Auntie, you're not interested in him, are you?" The Yellow-Haired Girl's eyes widened, her face filled with astonishment. "Are you trying to find a high schooler stepparent for the Boss?"
The moment she said that, both the Orisaka mother and daughter froze instantly, their expressions hardening.
The next second, Mrs. Orisaka's face turned instantly livid. Her face darkened, and she reached out, fiercely pinching and tugging the Yellow-Haired Girl's cheek: "You idiotic girl! How old do you think I am? How could I possibly think that!"
"Meizuki, don't talk nonsense," Orisaka Midori shook her head, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry. "Mom is being so friendly to Senior Hayashi because he helped us out before."
"B-but that's not it..." The Yellow-Haired Girl's cheeks were red from being pulled, and she spoke incoherently: "I've helped the flower shop too, but Auntie is never that warm to me?"
Mrs. Orisaka glared at her exasperatedly: "You're Midori's friend. He's Midori's boyfriend—my future son-in-law! Can they be the same?"
"Mom!"
Orisaka Midori's face flushed instantly. She stomped her foot, her eyes full of shyness and frustration.
"Senior and I are just normal friends! Don't spread false rumors!"
"You've never been this close to a boy your entire life," Mrs. Orisaka said confidently, crossing her arms. "The way you were sitting on the back of his bicycle just now, clinging to him like a tender little bird... If you aren't boyfriend and girlfriend now, I'm sure you'll eventually hook up."
"Mom, what do you mean, 'hook up'!" Orisaka Midori cried out, annoyed. "Does a mother talk about her daughter like that?"
"Exactly!" The Yellow-Haired Girl hastily nodded in agreement. "What's so great about that guy! Besides being handsome, smart, and really good at fighting..."
The more she spoke, the more she felt something was wrong.
"Why are all those good points? Boss, what flaws does that guy have?"
Orisaka Midori was about to be driven mad by this hapless teammate. Fortunately, at that moment, the yellowish-brown dog that had followed Orisaka Midori all the way back barked "Woof woof" twice, breaking the awkward atmosphere and successfully diverting Mrs. Orisaka's attention.
"Where did this stray dog come from?" Mrs. Orisaka frowned, casually picking up a stick nearby, ready to chase the dog away.
"Mom, this little guy is very smart," Orisaka Midori limped quickly to shield the dog. "It did a great deed just now."
"It certainly was a great deed—it found a corpse," the Yellow-Haired Girl interjected.
"Found a corpse? Why would you bring back such an unlucky dog?" Mrs. Orisaka's frown deepened. "Hurry up and chase it away."
"Mom, the flower shop is usually only run by the two of us. When I'm not here, aren't you lonely on your own?" Orisaka Midori persuaded. "If we keep it here, it can keep you company."
"Hmph, what do I need a dog to keep me company for?" Mrs. Orisaka maintained her displeased expression.
Seeing her mother stubbornly refusing to keep the dog, Orisaka Midori, in desperation, had no choice but to bring up Hayashi Shuichi.
"Oh, right, Mom. Senior Hayashi's izakaya also keeps a brown-yellow dog. If we keep this one at the flower shop, then later..."
"Later, you can use the excuse of asking how to raise a dog to seduce that boy!"
Mrs. Orisaka's lips curled up, and she nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. You're as clever as your mother was when I was chasing your father back then. Since that's the case, we'll keep this dog."
Although Orisaka Midori felt helpless about her mother's words, seeing that her mother had agreed to keep the little dog, she felt relieved.
"Come on, little guy. I'll take you to get a bath. How did you manage to get so dirty?" Orisaka Midori led the dog toward the back of the flower shop. "Senior's dog is called Wangcai (Good Fortune). What should we call you..."
"Boss, I'll help you!" The Yellow-Haired Girl quickly chased after them.
Meanwhile, Hayashi Shuichi returned with the pothos plant only to see Kisaki Eri waiting outside the izakaya. Mouri Kogoro and Reiko had also returned.
"Onii-chan, you're back too late!" His little cousin pouted, a bit displeased.
"Shuichi, where did you run off to again?" Mouri Kogoro complained. "It's almost time to open, and we haven't even eaten yet!"
"Where did the pothos come from?" Kisaki Eri frowned slightly, examining the plant in Hayashi Shuichi's arms with suspicion.
"Midori came to find me earlier..." Hayashi Shuichi briefly recounted the events. "After taking Midori back to the flower shop, Mrs. Orisaka insisted on giving me this pothos when I left..."
"That's nice. Let's..."
Reiko was about to reach for the flower pot, but Kisaki Eri snatched the pothos first. After scanning the inside of the shop, Kisaki Eri placed it in front of the cash register.
"Onii-chan!" His little cousin looked at her brother, wronged. "I wanted to put it in my bedroom!"
"Alright, this one will stay in the shop," Hayashi Shuichi gently comforted her. "I'll find time in a couple of days to go to the flower shop and buy a few pots just for you."
Mouri Kogoro was more concerned about the case Hayashi Shuichi had mentioned: "Shuichi, is that body really the missing girl?"
"The shoes on the corpse's feet look very much like the ones Nagashima Ruko was wearing," Hayashi Shuichi explained while changing into his chef's uniform. "However, to confirm the body's identity, we have to wait for the police to break open that section of the concrete pillar."
"Onii-chan, who could have killed her?" Reiko asked curiously.
"I don't know," Hayashi Shuichi shook his head. "But the construction site where the body was found is near the school. If that body really is Nagashima Ruko, the killer is likely related to Sakuragaoka Middle School."
"Sakuragaoka Middle School is very rough," Mouri Kogoro sighed emotionally. "Someone from our elementary school class also went to Sakuragaoka. I heard that few students there genuinely focus on studying; they're all just punks and delinquents."
"That older sister, Midori, seems like a delinquent too," Reiko blinked at her brother. "Onii-chan, you won't get led astray by her, will you?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Midori is a good girl," Hayashi Shuichi tapped his sister's head. "Academic scores don't define character. There are bad eggs even among high-achieving students."
"Didn't Sakuragaoka Middle School have a violent case targeting a female student two years ago?" Kisaki Eri mused. "Could this incident be related to the case from two years ago?"
"Who knows?" Hayashi Shuichi waved his hand. "Let the police investigate first and see if they can find any clues."
"Oh, right, Onii-chan, you have to go to the Science Museum with me this weekend," Reiko grabbed and shook her brother's arm.
"Why go there?" Hayashi Shuichi asked in surprise.
"There's an event there on Saturday. Our teacher told us to check it out," Reiko's face was full of anticipation. "I heard many scientists will be there to show their achievements and even do live science experiments."
The next day, after school.
When Hayashi Shuichi and Kisaki Eri returned to the izakaya, they saw Orisaka Midori waiting at the entrance, holding the yellowish-brown puppy, accompanied by the Yellow-Haired Girl.
"Senior, you're back," Orisaka Midori greeted him, then used her hand to shake the dog's paw towards Hayashi Shuichi. "Pudding, say hello, too."
"Woof!" The small dog obediently barked lightly, wagging its tail. It was quite adorable.
"This little guy is surprisingly well-behaved."
No sooner had Hayashi Shuichi spoken than several barks suddenly erupted from the second floor above.
"Please come inside and have a seat. I'll go upstairs and put my things down." Hayashi Shuichi opened the izakaya door and went upstairs.
Kisaki Eri nodded at Orisaka Midori, then walked into the izakaya on her own.
"Tch, how rude." The Yellow-Haired Girl looked at Kisaki Eri's back and snorted disdainfully. "Just because she's a Teitan student, what's so great about that?"
"Senior Kisaki is just naturally reserved; she didn't mean it," Orisaka Midori offered an explanation for Kisaki Eri, then carried the puppy into the izakaya.
The Yellow-Haired Girl pouted and followed inside.
Orisaka Midori and the Yellow-Haired Girl found a seat. Kisaki Eri poured them both a glass of water, intending to leave, but the little dog named Pudding suddenly reached out and rubbed against her hand.
"It looks like Pudding really likes you, Senior Kisaki," Orisaka Midori said with a smile.
"Mhm." A hint of delight appeared on Kisaki Eri's face.
As a girl, she naturally loved small cats and dogs, but the apartment she lived in didn't allow pets.
Although Kisaki Eri and Hayashi Shuichi had picked up a puppy together when she was young, under Reiko's "education," the dog now treated her like an enemy.
Seeing that she liked the dog, Orisaka Midori handed Pudding into her arms.
Holding the puppy, Kisaki Eri's smile grew brighter, and even her eyes revealed a hint of tenderness.
Just then, Wangcai rushed into the shop. Upon seeing Pudding, its ears perked up, its eyes widened, and it adopted a fierce expression, barking continuously at Pudding.
Although Pudding was much smaller than Wangcai, it showed no fear and immediately barked back loudly.
The izakaya was instantly filled with dog barking, which was nearly unbearable.
Kisaki Eri looked annoyed, trying to silence Wangcai, but it simply wouldn't listen, continuing its relentless provocation.
On the other side, Orisaka Midori was also trying to soothe Pudding, but with little effect.
"Damn it, you're so loud!" The Yellow-Haired Girl frustratingly covered her ears with both hands. "Keep barking, and I'll kill and eat all of you!"
Just as the three girls were racking their brains, Hayashi Shuichi walked in.
Seeing his owner approach, Wangcai immediately stopped barking. It rubbed against Hayashi Shuichi's leg with a wronged expression and pitifully glanced at the small dog in Kisaki Eri's arms, as if it had just been bullied by Pudding.
"Hmph, it's true that dogs are like their owners," Kisaki Eri bit her lip, angry. "Wangcai is just like your precious sister, all it knows is how to pretend to be pitiful and tattle."
"Alright, what does this have to do with Reiko?" Hayashi Shuichi defended his sister, then patted Wangcai's head. "No more bullying Pudding."
Wangcai reluctantly nodded its dog head, its eyes darting around at Pudding, clearly still pondering how to chase this rival off its territory.
"Senior, I came today to ask if there's any update on the incident from yesterday?" Orisaka Midori asked.
"I don't know. The police haven't informed me yet," Hayashi Shuichi shook his head. "What about at your school? The news must have spread there, right?"
"Spread? It's more than spread," the Yellow-Haired Girl exclaimed proudly. "This morning, all the students at our school were discussing it. Teacher Kitamura even specifically called Boss and me in for questioning."
"He's very concerned about this incident," Hayashi Shuichi noted thoughtfully.
"Hehe, of course he's concerned. After all, his relationship with Nagashima Ruko is... unusual," the Yellow-Haired Girl sneered.
"How is it unusual?" Hayashi Shuichi pressed.
Orisaka Midori was about to answer, but the Yellow-Haired Girl stopped her, then snorted: "I'm the great hero who found the body! If I hadn't chased Pudding yesterday, you wouldn't have found the body either, Detective Hayashi. Shouldn't you show your appreciation?"
"Meizuki!" Orisaka Midori gave her friend a reproachful look.
Hayashi Shuichi didn't mind much: "How about this: I'll treat you to dinner at the shop this afternoon, how does that sound?"
"That's acceptable," the Yellow-Haired Girl nodded cheerfully. "Do you know why Teacher Kitamura was so eager to chase you away yesterday?"
"Why?" Hayashi Shuichi followed up.
"It's obviously because there's an inside story," the Yellow-Haired Girl winked. "This morning, I heard from the girls in our crew that Teacher Kitamura and Nagashima Ruko had an improper relationship..."
"Improper relationship?" Hayashi Shuichi asked, unsure. "Does that mean..."
"What else could it mean? It means a romantic relationship, of course!" The Yellow-Haired Girl scoffed. "I heard they'd been hooking up for over half a year, and a while ago, Teacher Kitamura even took Nagashima Ruko to get an abortion!"
Hayashi Shuichi looked at Orisaka Midori. The girl nodded silently, confirming the Yellow-Haired Girl's words...
(End of Chapter)
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