March 21, 2016.
"...the case, after 3 days, is still unsolved... the victim's classmates are still unaware of what happened..."
The noise from the small television set echoed around the small apartment office. Darkness loomed over the space, with only a little sunlight coming in from the close-curtained windows.
"...the school's reputation and privacy are now at risk... parents start rallying..."
"Nee, senpai, the news sure is noisy today."
The assistant spoke as she brought in some tea and cookies from the kitchen. The clattering from the teacups was clearly heard as she slowly but surely brought them to the office table.
"Any news about that school is always like that, Ichika."
The man in the chair behind the office table reached over his teacup and sipped some tea. Ichika sat down on the small sofa and continued watching the news.
"I received yet another letter from that person again, senpai. Are you sure we should really continue ignoring it?"
"Certainly. I just hope they will finally stop bothering me about that case already."
"Well, it is obvious why they are calling you. After all, you are the best and youngest detective in history!"
"Youngest, sure. Best? I am not certain."
"Well say that in this newspaper." Ichika picked up a newspaper page and showed it to him, "'Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the best and youngest detective, solved yet another murder case!'".
"But the murderer hid in a place he thought nobody would check. It is a matter of elimination."
The assistant just sighed while she slouched down on the couch in defeat. The detective continued sipping tea. Unfortunately for him, he almost spits it all out as soon as he was interrupted.
"Senpai! Somebody is knocking on the door!"
"I know, I know, just open it."
She giggled as she opened the door. The door opened to reveal a certain girl.
"Fufufu, a pleasure to meet you again, Amasawa-san."
"Oh, you are..."
"Tch. So they finally sent you here, didn't they?"
The detective asked as he was wiping his wet clothes. Ichika gestured the girl inside to the sofa. Putting her cane down, the girl arranged her purple hair and looked at the detective.
"It seems you have been ignoring our letters, Ayanokouji."
"And for good reasons. I know why you are here, Sakayanagi Arisu."
"You know personally I don't want to go here since... you know why."
She looked around the room, stating the obvious.
"You want tea, Sakayanagi-senpai?" Ichika said as she put down a cup of tea in front of her.
"Thank you so much." Arisu gladly picked it up, "So, Ayanokouji, may I ask, what is the reason that you are so hesitant about taking up this case?"
"You of all people should know why."
Arisu sighed, "Even after middle school, you are still like that?"
"Senpai will always be senpai." Ichika commented, "He never had many fond memories of that place."
"Nor do I remember any memories of it. I instinctively removed all of it in my head."
"Eh? You can do that?!"
"Yes, Ichika. I can."
He raised his cup slightly upward, signaling the assistant to get more tea. She immediately refilled it up.
"Are you sure you want to do this? This will affect your track record, this will be the only case you are going to refuse to solve." Arisu said.
"As long as I can sever my connections with that place, I will gladly do that."
"Then what if I say that something changed?"
The detective immediately perked up as soon as he heard that.
"What changed?" He asked, "Could it be that man finally..."
"Your suspicions are correct, as usual. AHNS's school director, after many years, finally changed two days ago."
"Wait really?!" Ichika exclaimed, "But why haven't we heard about it?"
"It is not yet announced publicly."
"Who replaced him?" The detective eagerly asked.
"My father."
"I see. So his junior took the position... "
He started thinking, remembering back to a certain conversation he had with that man. Then to the case currently being shown in the news.
"It seems I misunderstood the case." He said.
"Indeed. The case we wish for you to solve isn't the murder of Sakura Airi."
"That isn't the case? Then what?" Ichika curiously asked.
"Ichika, that case is a cover-up. Though it happened, it is not the main case in question."
"Exactly. We want you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, to solve the case about the mysterious disappearance of the last school director."
Confusion is clearly shown in Ichika's face.
"Um, how is the last school director's disappearance connected to Sakura-senpai's case?"
"This is not yet disclosed to the media. On the same night of Sakura-san's murder, that man disappeared as well. The whole staff and even the student council looked through the security cameras but nothing."
"As such the school decided that the case of Sakura's murder is connected to his disappearance."
"Since no answer is found yet in both of the cases, that is the only assumption we can make."
Arisu stood up with her cane and stood in front of the detective who was sitting behind his desk. She took out two white envelopes and placed them in front of the desk.
"We wish to repeat our request. We want you and your assistant to be undercover as students of the school to solve the case. Any request the both of you wish to make can be granted, as long as it is reasonable."
"Going to school? Now that is interesting." Ichika commented.
"How can you be so sure that my mind changed after you said all of these, Arisu?" The detective asked.
"Now I am not saying it is 100% but I am confident that you would accept our case nonetheless."
"Why is it so?"
"This is that man we are talking about. I doubt you would ignore it, am I right?"
Arisu smiled smugly at him while the detective looked at her.
"You are right, I suppose." The detective concluded, "So when are we going to start?"
"April 4th. It will be on the day where the school year will start. I will inform my father about this and everything will be prepared before your arrival."
"That includes school uniforms?!" Ichika asked loudly, with sparkly stars in her eyes.
"Fufu, why of course, Amasawa-san. Your school uniforms and books will be given to you two weeks before then."
"The school prepared everything for this." The detective commented.
"Anything will be done, as long as the school's reputation will be sustained."
Arisu started walking to the front door while Ichika hurried over to open the door for her. The purple-haired girl was about to leave the office when she stopped.
"I am looking forward to your work once again, Ayanokouji."
"Not that I have a choice, now do I?"
"Fufu."
With a final laugh, she walked out of the office. Ichika closed the door and returned to the sofas. Silence returned in the space between the two.
"Hehe, I am excited, what about you, senpai?"
"I am neither excited nor looking forward to this."
"You are boring. But hey, at least this assistant of yours will be with you this time!"
"You do know that we will not be in the same year. That means our time together will be lessened.
"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!"
Ichika started throwing a tantrum at the sofas, kicking and punching the pillows like a child. The detective just continued sipping his cup of tea.
"Relax, Ichika. Not being in the same year doesn't mean we will not meet each other there. After all, you will be helping me in this case."
"Really?!" Ichika asked as her face lightened up.
"Yes."
"Will the tasks be the usual 'assistant' tasks ?"
"No. I think this will be the first case where you will engage in the case directly."
As soon as she heard that, she immediately jumped toward the detective, hugging him. The teacup he was carrying was luckily empty as no liquid was spilled over the floor and desk.
"Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!"
"Ack! I-Ichika... please... let go..."
But his word never reached her ears as she continued hugging him roughly.
He regretted saying all of that to her.
Author's Note
Hey, it's been a while, everyone.
You might be thinking that I am dead because of the many months of being inactive and I can't blame you. I haven't been in the mood to make a COTE fanfic for a long time now because of what happened (if you don't know, check my other fic's last chapter)
But anyway, I am back from the 'dead' with a new fic. It is a new mystery-focused fic, which is very different from my last fic. And as I put in the synopsis (if you guys did read it), I am basing my decision of continuing this fic on you guys.
What do you guys think? Should I continue it? If yes, then what suggestions do you want me to consider? If not, then why?
Anyway, that's all. See you guys next time.
Note: It was April 1st before but I changed it to April 4th after checking the 2016 calendar properly. Such an idiot.