The next morning, Kiyomi Ruri woke up from a nightmare, clutching her chest and breathing heavily. She had dreamt that she was sleeping and dreaming, just after becoming a police officer and working as an assistant to Nanahara Takeshi, a pig-brained official. In her dream, a fierce-looking dog-headed demon broke into the room through the window and stabbed her in the chest with a fork. She woke up in a fright, but she woke up twice, both in the dream and in reality.

She wondered what the case was all about. She had been thinking all night but couldn't figure it out. The key must be why Matsuchi Yuto pointed to the sky before he died, but what did he want to say?

She imagined various possibilities and frowned as she washed up and got dressed. She put on her round-toed shoes and took the things she had prepared the night before, hesitating for a moment before heading towards the station.

She left a bit early today and wanted to wait for Nanahara Takeshi to go to school together, discussing the case along the way. But it would be awkward if they "accidentally" met and went to school together since they were neighbors. It was inevitable, so waiting for him would be a bit embarrassing.

At the intersection, she lingered for a while but he didn't come to buy fresh milk. She had to take the tram alone. As soon as she entered the school gate, she started counting down the time until school was over.

Finally, at three forty in the afternoon, the bell rang and she hurriedly left the classroom, wanting to be the first to arrive at the shoe locker to make sure Nanahara Takeshi wouldn't leave without her. Although it was unlikely, she couldn't overestimate his personal integrity. He had proven many times that his personal integrity depended on how much money he received. When he didn't receive money, he was as thin as a sheet of toilet paper. He was worse than a dog, not speaking a word of human language and not doing any work.

"Hey, Ruri, where are you going in such a hurry? And why are you carrying a backpack?" Just as Ruri was about to run out of the hallway, Sawada Yūko, her best friend, grabbed her from behind.

Ruri struggled but couldn't break free. She quickly said, "Yūko, let go. I have something urgent to do. I'll explain later."

"What's so urgent? Yūtarō just found a new dessert shop and we were planning to try it out. Why don't you come with us? After eating, we can go to the arcade. I'm sure I can beat your record this time!" Sawada Yūko insisted, still holding onto Ruri's backpack.

"Next time, let's do it next time. I really have something important to do today!" Ruri didn't have the mood to eat cake and play games now. She didn't have the money to eat cake and play games either. She also didn't feel like talking to her best friend. She managed to break free and ran away.

"Don't run so fast in the hallway, or the discipline teacher will..." Sawada Yūko tried to remind her, but it was useless. Her friend had already disappeared like a rabbit being chased by a dog, leaving only a faint fragrance in the air.

Sawada Yūko scratched her face in confusion and turned to Tsuda Yūtarō, who had just walked over. She asked, "What's wrong with her? She's been acting strange lately and doesn't want to hang out with us."

Tsuda Yūtarō also scratched his face, equally confused. "I don't know."

"Is it because we're dating? Is she avoiding us because of that?" Sawada Yūko felt a bit guilty, suspecting that Ruri didn't want to be a third wheel, so she didn't want to hang out with them.

For the full version, visit [ pawread.com ].

The three of them used to be a small group of friends and had been good friends for many years. But when two of the friends started dating, the remaining one would inevitably feel out of place. And since graduating from junior high, she had been spending every day with Tsuda Yūtarō, neglecting her friends a bit.

She suddenly felt guilty...

Tsuda Yūtarō hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't think so. Ruri is not that petty. When we were kids, you accidentally caused her to hit her head, but she forgave you the next day..."

"It's not about being petty or not. Let's go to her house and hang out with her. We'll do whatever she wants to do. Let's follow her lead for now." Sawada Yūko made up her mind. Friends were friends for life, and she didn't want to forget about them just because she had a boyfriend. She wasn't that kind of person.

She thought for a moment and instructed her childhood friend, "You should also pay attention. See if there's a guy with a good personality, doesn't fight back or curse, handsome, smart, loves sweets, scores above 95 in karaoke, likes to read novels and comics, doesn't eat dried fish, is clean and not smelly, and is at least 170 cm tall. Let's organize a gathering for her."

They would invite Ruri along on their date, and she would probably feel awkward. It was understandable, so they would change it to a double date. That way, their group of friends could reunite.

Perfect!

Tsuda Yūtarō, with his simple and broad-minded personality, despite his girlfriend's outrageous conditions, assured her, "No problem, leave it to me!"

...

Ruri didn't expect that her two friends were already worrying about her "life's big event". She rushed to the shoe locker, changed her shoes, and waited for five or six minutes before she saw Nanahara Takeshi yawning and strolling slowly towards her. She immediately complained, "Why are you so slow? You walk like a snail!"

Nanahara Takeshi glanced at her and said without politeness, "Watch your words and attitude, Assistant-chan. After school, I'm your boss."

"I got it. Hurry up and change your shoes!" Ruri snatched his backpack and put it in her own backpack, which she carried on her back. She was still in a hurry.

Nanahara Takeshi took a look at her backpack and couldn't help but praise, "Not bad. You're using your brain. I didn't say those words in vain."

"Of course. Since I'm going to be your assistant, I have to fulfill my duties as an assistant and use my brain." Ruri lowered her head and zipped up her backpack, speaking calmly but with a hint of satisfaction in her expression. In her mind, she already had a picture.

In the cold wind, snowflakes fluttered like goose feathers, and a ray of light shone down. Nanahara Takeshi knelt down on both knees, hands on the ground, in the orz pose, wearing a mask of pain, murmuring, "How could this happen? How could this happen? I never expected you to be so cunning, secretly learning all my skills while pretending to be my assistant! I really underestimated you. I shouldn't have forced you to be my assistant and tricked you into doing household chores. I regret it, I hate it!"

She imagined this scene and her smile grew even wider.

Hmph, very good. Keep pretending, let this guy think I'm a naive fool. Little does he know that I also have a cunning side. Let him think that he's on the first level while I'm on the second level, but in reality, he's on the second level while I'm on the third level. The advantage is already mine!

When the time comes, I'll overthrow him. Let's see if he still dares to treat me like a silly little lamb all the time!

Nanahara Takeshi finished changing his shoes and glanced at her. He noticed that she was giggling and couldn't help but join in. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to her, praising, "You said it well, very motivated and impressive. Here, have some candy!"

Ruri snapped out of her thoughts and felt a bit puzzled, but she was still happy. She peeled off the candy wrapper and put the candy in her mouth, saying casually, "It's nothing. I take my job seriously as your assistant. There's no need to thank me specially."

This guy really fell for it, but...

The candy was sweet and had a faint aroma of osmanthus. It tasted good.

On second thought, after becoming his assistant, his attitude had improved a lot. He not only took care of meals but also stopped asking for money when asking questions. And now he even gave me candy. So, when I eventually overthrow him, I shouldn't treat him too harshly. It would seem petty if I tortured him too much. Symbolically teasing him would be enough, otherwise, I would appear petty...

She had all sorts of thoughts in her mind, and Nanahara Takeshi was still smiling. He couldn't resist teasing her and said, "You've fallen into my trap, haven't you? You're so cute when you're tricked."

Ruri regained her composure and felt a bit confused, but she was still happy. Nanahara Takeshi had a playful side, which she found interesting. She smiled and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not easily fooled."

Nanahara Takeshi chuckled and said, "You're more interesting than I thought. Let's go. We have an appointment with Nakano Eri."

After Ruri got out of the car, she looked around and felt a bit disappointed. Even as an ordinary person, she could easily find several hidden escape routes. If the culprit had excellent swimming skills, they could jump over the riverbank and disappear into the river. It was impossible to know where they went.

As for the Matsuchi family, it was similar to her own house. The front yard was surrounded by an iron fence that only protected against honest people, not thieves. She could easily climb over it. The gate was just a decoration, an old-fashioned sliding lock that even a child could open. Now it was left half-open, allowing anyone to come and go.

It was beautiful, but not secure at all.

Nanahara Takeshi also took a look at the surroundings but didn't say anything. He walked through the gate and rang the doorbell, with Ruri and Nakano Eri following behind him.

The peephole on the door darkened and then brightened again. The door opened quickly, revealing a pale-faced woman in her thirties, who showed half of her face through three layers of security chains. She looked at the strange group and asked in confusion, "Is this the Matsuchi residence? Who are you?"

"No need to be nervous, Mrs. Matsuchi. We're not bad people." Nanahara Takeshi spoke in a gentle tone and with a sunny smile, but without hesitation, he gave himself a title. "I am Nanahara Takeshi, a special consultant from the police station. These two are my assistant, Kiyomi Ruri, and Nakano Eri, a senior police officer. Can we talk to you?"

"Is it about Matsuchi-kun's case?" Matsuchi Yuki's voice carried a hint of exhaustion, but she didn't object when she saw Nakano Eri's credentials. She opened the door politely and said, "Please come in."

"No problem." Nanahara Takeshi and his team entered the house and sat in the living room.

Matsuchi Yuki went to the kitchen to make tea. Nanahara Takeshi looked around the living room with interest, casually asking, "Mrs. Matsuchi, your house is very beautiful. Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Please feel free." Matsuchi Yuki's voice was calm, and she didn't care whether it was considered a search or not. She didn't even bat an eye when they sent a high school student as a police consultant.

Her husband was murdered, and the police couldn't find the culprit. They had started suspecting her again and had been questioning her in the neighborhood, digging deep into her motive for the crime, trying to find any evidence of her involvement. She was well aware that this was just routine, and she didn't care about the outcome anymore. She had become numb, leaving only weariness in her heart.