014

I stood in front of the chief's office, feeling nervous and uncertain about what I was about to do. I had to report to him that I was going to attend a party with Yako as a date, all in order to get close to a person connected to the homicide case I was in charge of. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting for the chief to call me in.

"Come in," the chief called out.

I stepped inside and greeted him with a bow, "Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Najisai. What brings you here so early?" The chief asked, a curious expression on his face.

"I wanted to discuss something important with you, sir. I'll be attending a party in a few days with a woman named Akibara Yako. She's a friend from college, and we'll be going as each other's dates," I explained, my heart racing in my chest.

"I see. Is there a particular reason you're going as each other's dates?" The chief asked, his expression now serious.

"I'm sorry, sir. I should have mentioned this earlier, but I need to get close to a person who is connected to the homicide case I'm in charge of. This person will be attending the same party, and I believe it will give me an opportunity to gather some important information," I said, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

"And who is this person connected to the victim? " The chief continued to ask while leaning back on his chair, eyeing me with a gaze that reminded me of a predator looking down on their prey.

"I sadly do not have the full name of the person yet, chief. However, the person sent an invitation to the victim two days before her murder and seemed to be childhood friends with her."

"You're attending the party because of that reason alone, Najisai?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, which made my throat run dry.

"Yes, chief, I would also like to take the opportunity to brush up on my espionage skills as well as build up experience in attending public events such as this."

"I understand. And what about Akibara-san? Does she know about the situation?" The chief asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"She doesn't, sir. But I'm doing everything I can to keep her safe, and I'll make sure she doesn't get involved in any danger," I assured him with a lie, thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him that I roped in an innocent civilian to a case that I was supposed to be in charge of.

The chief looked at me for a moment, contemplating my words. "Very well. I'll allow it, but you need to be careful, Raku. This is a delicate situation, and you don't want to make any mistakes."

"I understand, sir. Thank you for your understanding," I said, bowing once more before turning to leave.

As I walked out of the chief's office, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. I had gotten his approval, and now I could focus on the party and the task at hand. But as I walked down the hallway, my thoughts turned to Akibara-san. I had promised to keep her safe, and I intended to keep that promise. But as I looked down at my clothes, I realized that I had no idea what I should wear to a party like this.

As I stepped out of the police department, my mind was racing with all the things I needed to do before the party tomorrow. I needed to figure out what to wear and plan out how I was going to approach the person I needed to talk to without raising any suspicions.

But there was one problem - I didn't have Akibara-san's phone number. We hadn't exchanged numbers yet, and I didn't want to risk going back into the police department to ask the chief for Ishidi-san's phone to look for it. It wouldn't just be unethical as a detective but could also alert my co-workers about Akibara-san.

I walked around the block, trying to think of a solution. And then it hit me. She had a favorite coffee shop that she would always go to when she was in the area. Maybe she would be there now, and I could catch her and ask for her help.

I quickly made my way to the coffee shop, my heart pounding in my chest. The aroma of freshly made coffee and pastries filled my nostrils as the cold air inside the shop prickled my skin.

I quickly scanned the room for any sign of Akibara-san, and to my relief, there she was sitting at the corner with a book in her hands.

I walked over to her table, feeling a little nervous about interrupting her. "Hey, Akibara-san," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.

She looked up, surprise evident on her face. "Raku-kun! What are you doing here?"

" I just finished talking with the chief, and it made me realize that I don't really know what to wear or how to act in a party so I figured that I could ask you for help since you're pretty stylish yourself and have more friends than me. "I explained while taking the vacant seat in front of her.

Akibara-san stared at me for a moment, a small smile plastered on her lips. "Well, I like the way you dress already, but I guess it's not really something you'd wear to a party. "

"Sure, I'd love to help you pick out some clothes. Just don't blame me if you end up more popular than me at the party."

She shot me a playful wink as I suddenly shivered at the thought of being the center of attention at the party.

"Just... don't go overboard, okay?" I mumbled as I heaved a sigh of relief, feeling grateful at the fact she was willing to help me out.

"Hmm, we can go shopping for clothes after we're done here... but it's still pretty early, so let's just talk for now." Akibara-san suggested as she flagged a waiter for another cup of coffee.

"Black for me, thanks." I gave the waiter my order and leaned back against the chair.

"I still don't know what to do, though. I haven't been to any parties at all."

"I tried inviting you out several times before, but you kept beating me on chess, so I had no choice but to drop the invitations."

"ngh... I'm sorry." I winced at the sudden reminder and sighed deeply."What should we do at the party?"

"Well," she started and gingerly placed a bookmark between the pages of her book before leaning forward."Nothing really special, we can just enjoy ourselves. Drink a few, talk with people, and dance with each other. Maybe kiss in a secluded place."

She said the last part with a playful yet suggestive smirk that made me gulp. I thought I was used to her being assertive, but this level was just something I was unfamiliar with.

"Just kidding, but I bet it made your heart race."

"Not at all, I knew you were just joking."

"Boo, killjoy." She deadpanned at me with a pout to which I only shrugged and averted my gaze. If I told her that it did make my heart race, then I wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Anyway, basically, we should just have a good time with each other." Akibara-san shrugged and took a sip from her cup of coffee, making her sigh in satisfaction.

"I can help you with your investigation too. This case means as much as it does to you to me." She muttered while staring at her reflection at the surface of the milky brown liquid.

I looked at her, feeling guilty that I hadn't realized how she really felt with Ishidi-san's death. Not knowing what to do, I reached out to place my hand on top of hers in an attempt to console her.

"Raku-kun??"

"Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this and make sure Ishidi-san gets the justice she deserves." I assured her and timidly pat her hands before clearing my throat.

"So don't worry, you can count on me to do my job." I nodded and began reading the shop's menu to figure out what I should get for breakfast.

"... yeah, I trust you." I heard Akibara-san whisper, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her from the embarrassment I could feel.

Trust...

A smile found its way on my face as the word sank in. It was a nice feeling.