Solving Cases is My Daily Life Now: Volume 1

Chapter 18

"Isn't that what you're doing anyway?" Masaru asked, taking a bite of his pocky stick, "You're simply doing it at a slower pace."

Rina bit her pocky stick as well, wondering how Masaru could eat them so often as Natsuno thought on his words.

"It's not like I don't help at all. I bring the supplies needed to do any gardening at all! And the tools." Natsuno pointed out, regaining his composure.

"The tools. Yes, I'm glad you brought that up." Masaru said with a smirk, standing up straight with his hands in his pockets, "I was hoping you could shed some light on that for us. Any idea where your precious tools are?"

Natsuno stood up, looking Masaru in the eyes and frowning.

"Do you really think I would steal my own tools? How would I benefit from that?" Natsuno asked.

"It would allow you to have them back without upsetting anyone directly, for one." Masaru said, looking away and yawning.

"It's really not like that." Natsuno said, a look on his face that almost looked like desperation.

Rina walked up to Masaru, putting in her two cents.

"It seems like he's telling the truth, Masaru..." she said quietly, looking over at Natsuno.

Masaru thought on her words for a moment, before looking at her.

"All right, we'll go ahead and go then." Masaru said, heading for the door without another word.

Natsuno didn't speak either, he simply seemed relieved to not be grilled by Masaru anymore. Rina looked at him for a moment, before following Masaru out the door.

This time she trailed behind him by a few steps, trying to guess what he was thinking without asking him. She quickly decided she couldn't, and ended up asking him anyway.

"So what are your thoughts on Natsuno?" Rina asked, looking at his back.

She felt like doing so was an accurate metaphor of some kind, but she didn't think much in terms of specifics before Masaru responded.

"I think you're right, he's telling the truth. Not about him not taking the tools necessarily, but that I was off on the reasoning." Masaru said, not looking back at her as he spoke.

"Why do you think he did it, then?" Rina asked, looking down at the floor.

Masaru shrugged, and looked out the window.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we can learn more after school." He said, a bored tone to his voice.

Not long after that they reached the clubroom, and said their temporary goodbyes to each other. Rina returned to class, and the rest of the day went on as normal.

"H-how was Masaru today?" Suzu asked as she walked through the hallway with Rina to the club room.

"The same as always. Nothing ever seems to faze him." Rina said lazily, staring forward as she walked.

"H-he is rather stoic m-most of the time..." Suzu said, sounding more enamored than anything else.

Rina made a noise in response, Not wishing to speak of it anymore. When they approached the club room, Masaru was actually standing outside of the club room. He was on his phone, but put it away shortly after the girls walked up.

"Hello." Masaru said, looking between the two of them.

Suzu looked at him, seeming to remember something.