The next day.
Byakuya made a point of arriving at the Ward 20 Branch early.
It wasn't even seven o'clock yet, and he was among the first to show up.
Shortly after, Akira arrived as well.
Most likely she'd taken the subway from Ward 1, where her home was located.
Though there was a small chance she'd already rented a place nearby.
"First Class Amaha, you're here early."
Akira spoke the moment she spotted Byakuya in the office.
"So are you. Good morning, Akira."
"Good morning."
Akira didn't even sit down at her desk before continuing, "We can head out to Ward 7 now."
"You're certainly motivated."
With a brief comment, Byakuya rose from his chair.
The two of them took the subway to Ward 7.
Today, Byakuya wore his usual white combat uniform. Akira was dressed in her black work attire, complete with black stockings.
"I think we should start by investigating the location of the Ghoul Restaurant you disrupted. What do you think, First Class Amaha?"
"I agree we should check there first. Even if a new Ghoul Restaurant has appeared, we don't know its exact location anyway."
Their opinions aligned.
Before long, they arrived at the site of the previous Ghoul Restaurant.
It was a hotel owned by the Tsukiyama family. The establishment had been shut down ever since the Ghoul Restaurant incident came to light—it was no longer permitted to operate.
Not only was it sealed off, but police and security guards were stationed there around the clock. Ordinary people weren't allowed inside.
"Hold it. Who are you?"
As Byakuya and Akira approached the entrance, a security guard stopped them.
"We're CCG investigators, here to investigate matters related to the Ghoul Restaurant."
Byakuya stated his identity and purpose, presenting his credentials.
Akira did the same.
"Oh, go right ahead."
The guard immediately let them through.
Inside the hotel, Byakuya and Akira searched for a long time.
They didn't overlook any corner that might contain clues, but they found nothing.
By noon, they took a break for lunch.
They found a random restaurant nearby. The moment they sat down, before they could even order, Akira brought up the Ghoul Restaurant again.
"Continuing to search that hotel seems pointless. Let's finish combing through the entire building this afternoon, then try a different approach."
Her expression remained neutral.
"My thought is that we should directly investigate the previous Ghoul Restaurant that the CCG destroyed. This hotel was only shut down less than six months ago. Normally, no ghoul would dare return so soon, let alone leave any traces behind."
"That does make sense, but..."
Akira's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "Are you certain? First Class Amaha..."
"Certain about what? Is there a problem?"
Byakuya was confused by her reaction.
"If you're certain, then there's no problem."
Akira said nothing more.
But her cryptic manner made Byakuya uneasy.
Just as he was about to order food, Akira suddenly stood up.
"What is it? Something urgent?"
"You're asking what's wrong? Didn't you suggest going there to investigate? We can eat there too. No need to waste time here."
Akira spoke flatly.
"Fine."
Byakuya thought it over and conceded the point. The Ghoul Restaurant was indeed often established in places that used to be regular restaurants.
He'd been slacking yesterday and hadn't done his homework—not something he wanted his subordinate to know. So he didn't show any sign of being unfamiliar with the situation.
Afterward, the two walked in silence.
They headed toward the location of the Ghoul Restaurant that had been destroyed years earlier.
Since it had been a while, the place had been sealed for a year or two before being allowed to reopen. It was currently operating normally.
Byakuya hadn't done his research, but Tsukiyama had told him the exact location last night, so he didn't need Akira to lead the way.
But when they arrived at their destination, Byakuya was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't a regular restaurant.
It was a couple's theme restaurant.
He hadn't known this beforehand... Now things were awkward.
It suddenly clicked why Akira had reacted so strangely when he'd suggested coming here. She must have known what this place was all along.
He was caught in a dilemma.
If he explained that he hadn't known what kind of restaurant this was, he'd be admitting he hadn't done his homework.
But if he said he had known, wouldn't that make him look like some "creepy boss" who brought his female subordinate to a couple's restaurant?
Still, Byakuya quickly regained his composure. The simplest solution was to say nothing.
Just act like this was purely for work, with no ulterior motives whatsoever.
Akira's expression didn't suggest she was overthinking it either. When Byakuya had confirmed his decision earlier, his calm, professional demeanor had apparently satisfied her concerns.
"Let's go in."
Byakuya spoke casually.
"Mm."
Akira nodded.
Since this was an investigation rather than a combat mission, they hadn't brought their Quinque cases. Byakuya had only concealed a dagger-sized Hiruko 1/76 on his person, as he always did.
The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The interior was decorated entirely in pink, and everywhere they looked, couples sat together.
Byakuya and Akira appearing in this couple's restaurant made it look like they were a couple themselves...
...
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