"Um, is Nanahara-kōhai here?" Okuno Taiji saw Kiyomi Ruri opening the door, wearing an ill-fitting apron, looking like a homely housewife. She looked surprised to see him and didn't expect that she and Nanahara Takeshi were already living together. Times have changed, high school students are no longer to be underestimated, they can get together so early, right?

I envy them, I'm already 28 and still single!

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"Um, what's the matter?" Kiyomi Ruri felt guilty and didn't notice the strange expression on Okuno Taiji's face. She subconsciously rubbed her apron and hesitated whether to lie and say that Nanahara Takeshi wasn't home.

Okuno Taiji replied, "Someone wants to see him."

"Who?"

"Our Criminal Investigation Division's managing officer, Officer Gotō Yasushi." After saying these words, Okuno Taiji estimated that Nanahara Takeshi should be at home. He turned and waved to the car on the side of the road, and immediately three people got out of the car, holding two black umbrellas.

Kiyomi Ruri shivered in her heart. She didn't expect that even for scolding someone, the highest commander of the police station's criminal cases would be mobilized. Then she realized that it was impolite to block the door and quickly invited Okuno Taiji to come in, and also called out for Nanahara Takeshi.

After a while, three more people appeared in the entranceway. One was the familiar Hidaka Tsukasa, and the other two were a man and a woman.

The man was in his fifties or sixties, not tall, slightly chubby, with a full head of hair but gray at the temples. He had a very gentle smile on his face, and at first glance, he looked like a retired uncle next door, but it seemed like he was a bit... well, maybe he had a busy job, as there were oil stains on the collar of his off-white long coat that Kiyomi Ruri could see.

This should be Officer Gotō Yasushi, the superior of Okuno Taiji's superior's superior. He had an ordinary appearance and dress, different from what Kiyomi Ruri had imagined as a "dignified high-ranking official".

The woman was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with short hair that reached her ears. She wore gold wire glasses and had delicate makeup. She had a serious and capable look, dressed like a white-collar worker in the city. The shoulder pads of her black women's suit were thick. Overall, she had a slightly triangular body shape, which was a popular style among professional women in Japan in the 1990s. It was a formal workplace attire, not something unique.

She was probably Assistant Officer Gotō Yasushi's assistant, with a rank of either Deputy Police Commissioner or Chief of Patrol, but it was hard to tell for now.

"Welcome, everyone." Nanahara Takeshi finally moved his noble butt and greeted them warmly. After taking a closer look, he smiled and said, "Please have a seat inside. My humble abode is simple, so please forgive me if I don't entertain you well."

"We apologize for the intrusion." The four people bowed politely before taking off their shoes and entering the room. They were courteous, not treating him like a child just because of his age. Nanahara Takeshi rubbed his nose and glanced at Officer Gotō's shoes.

Of course, as guests, he didn't say anything. That would be impolite. Once they entered the living room, he instructed Kiyomi Ruri, "Tidy up the table and make tea. Make good tea."

"Okay." With guests present, Kiyomi Ruri appeared very obedient and immediately started working. Officer Gotō Yasushi sat cross-legged, looked at the stew pot, and smiled, "You're having a meal. I apologize for the intrusion. We'll just sit for a while and leave, no need to trouble you..."

This was just a polite remark, not to be taken seriously. Kiyomi Ruri continued to move the pots and bowls into the kitchen, and during this time, Okuno Taiji formally introduced Nanahara Takeshi and Officer Gotō Yasushi to each other.

Nanahara Takeshi, the miraculous high school student who assisted the police in solving two cases, part-time medium with "extrasensory perception" that could discover clues that ordinary people couldn't.

Officer Gotō Yasushi, the first managing officer of the Hirano Police Station's Criminal Investigation Division, and a member of the Special Criminal Investigation Committee of the Metropolitan Police Department.

That's how troublesome it was in Japan. When meeting for the first time, either exchange business cards or have someone help with the introduction, carefully explaining each other's identities and positions, establishing a hierarchy. Otherwise, everyone would feel uncomfortable and find it difficult to speak.

Now Kiyomi Ruri also came out of the kitchen and served tea to the guests. She subconsciously wanted to sit at the corner of the table, as she remembered that when guests visited her father, her mother would sit gracefully and quietly on the side, not disturbing the conversation but ready to serve the guests. She instinctively wanted to imitate that, but then she saw Nanahara Takeshi waving at her and sat next to him without knowing why. After a while, she realized and her face turned slightly red.

Hmph, pretending to be so caring and attentive towards me in front of guests, what a big liar...

Nanahara Takeshi didn't care about what she thought. He smelled her scent, which neutralized the biological attack brought by the sloppy police officer, and smiled as he warmly greeted her, "Please have some tea. Officer Gotō, may I ask why you are here..."

He guessed it, but he still had to say it that way.

After taking a sip of tea, Officer Gotō Yasushi felt that the quality was quite high and the taste was good. He couldn't help but take another sip before looking at Nanahara Takeshi and sighing, "Nanahara-kōhai, I will retire in 386 days, and yet you've caused me such a big trouble. These past few days, I've had a headache. What do you say..."

With his opening remark, it seemed like the prelude to a severe reprimand. Kiyomi Ruri's heart tightened instantly, realizing that she hadn't guessed wrong. The police really came to settle scores. She quickly straightened her posture and said seriously, "Wait a minute, Officer Gotō, you have misunderstood. It's not what you think. The matter in Kotamachi has nothing to do with him. He didn't want to go in the first place. It was because I insisted that he went, and then the subsequent events happened. You can't blame him. You should blame me."

She didn't expect that there were hidden secrets behind the "Kotamachi Public Referendum Case" and she really wanted to catch the culprit. She dragged Nanahara Takeshi along, not wiping, no, finishing the case for her. From the bottom of her heart, she didn't see any problem with that. She really didn't want to send Koga Katsu and the others to prison, nor did she want to ruin their peaceful lives.

Since that's the case, she dared to take responsibility, not avoiding the blame she should bear. Even if things didn't turn out well this time and she might be in big trouble, she might even be chased by her mother with a broomstick up to the attic, she still wouldn't dodge.

As the "Second Intellectual of Higashitama Town," the "Future Famous Detective and Investigator," the "Incarnation of Ruri-mes," and the "Adorable and Beautiful Girl Like a Tibetan Fox," she was not a person without courage. She wouldn't hide and pretend to know nothing, tucking her head like a turtle, letting Nanahara Takeshi take the blame for her.

Yes, she was such a brave girl. She wasn't afraid of anything and had even thought about how to defend herself. She was prepared to quote a classic line from Mr. Sherlock Holmes:

- When the law cannot bring justice to the victim, from that moment on, private revenge becomes legitimate and noble.

- Therefore, my dear Lestrade, I cannot accept this case.

- On the contrary, I am willing to defend the criminal.

She had thought of saying this when she opened the door, to prove that she hadn't done anything wrong. If quoting classic lines still couldn't move the police, and they still wanted to hold her responsible, then she... would have to... well, she would just have to be beaten by her mother, and at most, hide in the attic and wait for her mother to calm down.

She didn't hesitate to take on the responsibility, her delicate face showing determination, astonishing everyone except Nanahara Takeshi. Even Okuno Taiji, who usually kept to himself, had a slightly moved expression on his face, feeling that it was truly admirable. It seemed that only in high school could such a pure love exist, and only such a pure love could protect someone with all their heart, surpassing the blind dates and matchmaking events in society a hundredfold.

To be honest, blind dates were really deceiving. He would never go again.

His partner, Hidaka Tsukasa, who was usually introverted and quiet, seemed to be in sync with him. He nodded silently, his expression seemed to be reminiscing about something, with a slightly melancholic look, as if he were someone with a story. As for the gold wire glasses lady who was kneeling next to them, she pushed her glasses up with two fingers, and a flash of light appeared on the lenses. She looked at Kiyomi Ruri thoughtfully, but there was also some admiration in her gaze.

On the other hand, Officer Gotō Yasushi was stunned, unable to understand whether Kiyomi Ruri's actions were intentional or unintentional, if she was cleverly pretending to be foolish or foolishly pretending to be clever.

He clearly didn't come to hold her responsible. Not to mention Nanahara Takeshi's so-called "instigation," it was just a guess, with no evidence. Even if there was evidence, Nanahara Takeshi was legally not an adult, so it would be difficult for the police station to do anything to him as long as they didn't expose the secrets of heaven. Especially since the case in Kotamachi had already given the police station a headache, how could they create more trouble and bother him? Were they afraid of not attracting the attention of the press?

His opening statement was just a way to sell his misery, to make Nanahara Takeshi feel guilty. It was a bargaining tactic. But unexpectedly, Kiyomi Ruri jumped out and insisted on taking the blame. She wanted to be the one to shoulder the blame, even if it meant... even if it meant being scolded by her mother, and at most, hiding in the attic until her mother calmed down.

She didn't hesitate to take on the responsibility, her delicate face showing determination. This shocked everyone except Nanahara Takeshi. Even Officer Gotō Yasushi, who was more emotionally expressive, had a hint of emotion on his face, feeling that it was truly admirable. He felt that only in high school could such a pure love exist, and only such a pure love could protect someone with all their heart, surpassing the blind dates and matchmaking events in society a hundredfold.

To be honest, blind dates were really deceiving. He would never go again.

He signaled his assistant, the gold wire glasses lady, to take out a leather paper bag and place it on the table. He sighed and said, "I have a headache, it's an old problem. It's hard not to have a headache in my position. I came this time to ask Nanahara-kōhai to take a look at this case and see if he can provide us with some ideas."

If he had known it would be like this, he should have just said it directly!