“What should we do… Oh?”
As we were worrying, a large figure skipping from far away came into view.
“Wh-what’s that…?”
“A skipping adult male is approaching.”
“Wait, that worn-out trench coat! Inspector Gori!?”
A tough face like a concentrated ape-man. Hardship seeping from his worn-out coat. It was unmistakably veteran Inspector Gori.
He was walking down the sidewalk with an uncharacteristic grinning face, lightly skipping. No matter how you look at it, it’s extremely unnatural.
That inspector also noticed the familiar high school girls standing in the office district and stopped skipping to approach us.
“O-oh, you two, what are you doing in a place like this?”
“inspector, it’s been a while.”
“O-oh, hello there.”
Inspector Gori bows back to the politely bowing Koyomin. What a heartwarming scene.
When Inspector Gori raised his face, he looked at us with a puzzled expression.
“However, high school girls in uniform in a place like this… I don’t quite approve.”
[It must be work. As expected of a great detective, in demand even in downtown office districts!]
(Hmm, tsundere as always.)
I can feel tremendous trust in us famous detectives from his inner thoughts.
Pretending not to know what Inspector Gori is thinking, I go along with the conversation.
“Yes, well, it’s for work. I can’t discuss the details.”
“Oh, I see, good work then. Well then.”
Inspector Gori tries to leave, looking awkward about being seen in a strange scene.
But Koyomin immediately asks why he was skipping, determined not to let him escape… She can really ask anything, I’d be too scared to ask.
“By the way, cases of adult males skipping during daylight hours are extremely rare, so did something very good happen?”
“N-no! Nothing special at all!”
Inspector Gori won’t crack, but curious, I decided to peek into his mind.
“R-right! That wasn’t skipping! My foot was just a little itchy! That’s how it looked!”
[I can’t possibly say that a public servant of my age hit it big on horse racing…]
(Horse racing!?)
What timely topic, Inspector Gori.
Intrigued, I decided to dig a little deeper.
“Um, this is quite a change of topic, but… Inspector, do you ever do horse racing?”
Asked directly about “horse racing,” Inspector Gori was obviously flustered.
“What are you saying!? I’m a modest public servant!”
[When I was getting beaten down by superiors at police academy, I used to go to the racetrack even on weekdays to blow off steam (nostalgically).]
(This guy’s been at it longer than his detective career.)
Gambling due to stress… He probably can’t say it in front of his subordinates because he maintains dignity, I thought sympathetically and gently patted Inspector Gori’s shoulder.
“Come on, there’s nothing to hide. Adults indulge in gambling to some degree.”
“O-oh right… certainly, if it’s just indulging to some degree, I certainly do that, yeah.”
[Busted, as expected of a great detective. Actually it’s way beyond just indulging. I write horse racing columns as a hobby too.]
(Columns!? I don’t really understand but it’s some kind of writing?)
Well, as long as he’s not ruining his life, I guess it’s fine?
Meanwhile, clever Koyomin, having picked up on various things from this exchange, asked Inspector Gori for cooperation.
“Um, Inspector Gori, sorry to bother you when you’re busy. Could you help us out?”
Inspector Gori scratched his short hair somewhat embarrassedly.
“Well, I am busy, but I’m in a good mood right now. Can’t be helped.”
[Oh!? Directly from the great detective’s assistant!? This is irresistible! What kind of case is it this time?]
(As expected of someone who became a detective because he admired detective dramas, this tsundere guy.)
Despite his stern face, Inspector Gori has a fanboy side and agreed with inner excitement.
Having successfully gained cooperation, Koyomin gave me a small peace sign. Cute.
But──
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
“But would a security guard who didn’t react even to a high school girl like me show interest in a middle-aged man like this?” whisper whisper
“Since ancient times, it’s said that birds of a feather flock together. Let’s catch his interest with horse racing topics.” whisper whisper
“Ah, I see… eh? Who’s Louis?” whisper whisper
“……There are the thirteenth and fourteenth, but it’s not that Louis, so please forget about it for now.” whisper whisper
Well, I’m good at forgetting, so that’s fine, but I wonder which Louis that was?
Leaving such questions behind, we made a U-turn back to Logic Consulting headquarters with Inspector Gori, who according to Koyomin is a “powerful ally.”
Logic Consulting building for the second time today.
──murmur murmur murmur
(Ooh, even more curious stares are piercing us than before.)
That’s no surprise, since two high school girls came back with a burly old man in tow.
“……It wouldn’t be strange if people thought this was compensated dating.”
“Don’t say such things, though I did think about it a little.”
A straight fastball flies from Koyomin’s mouth, and Inspector Gori panics.
“That misunderstanding would definitely be problematic. Recently headquarters has been sensitive about those kinds of cases… It’s no joke, so can I hold my police badge in my hand?”
“Um, that’s also problematic. This request is the kind where we can’t involve the police~”
Inspector Gori scratched his head and laughed weakly.
“A typical pattern where you don’t want the police involved. And on top of that, you want to borrow my strength… Just what kind of case is this, really?”
Well, as expected from a drama lover, your comprehension is high and that’s helpful.
(Well, originally it was your boss’s unreasonable demand, though)
I swallowed those words that were on the tip of my tongue.
“So? What do I need to do? I hope it’s not something incredibly difficult.”
[I wonder if I can do it, heart racing]
Inspector Gori, whose heart was a bit small, asked anxiously. What a maiden heart.
“It’s okay. I just want you to become friends with that person over there.”
Koyomin smoothly pointed in a direction where a security guard stood like a guardian deity, staring ahead expressionlessly. The same sullen face as always.
After staying silent for a moment, Inspector Gori squeezed out this question:
[“I don’t have that preference, you know.”]
Good, his heart is unwavering! If he had that preference, things would get complicated.
I patted the back of the worried Inspector Gori.
“It’s okay! Even without that preference, you’ll definitely become friends. Once you’re friends, there are various things I want you to find out, so please switch with us after that.”
“What’s with that multi-level marketing team play? Usually it’s the opposite, with women… huh? Wait, does that person have that preference?”
The middle-aged man who couldn’t dispel his suspicions was greatly flustered.
“That’s not it either, so please don’t worry,” said Koyomin.
“Eh… Are you sure we can get along?” asked Inspector Gori.
“Yes, definitely.”
“That’s… kind of creepy in its own way. Besides, I’m not good at talking.”
Inspector Gori scratched his neck with a troubled expression. This person has been troubled ever since coming to the main office. Since he’s under Naomi-san at the police station, he must be quite the hardworking type.
Koyomin chose words to encourage the anxious man. This girl is amazing at picking the right words at the right time.
“Please be assured, for starters, if you approach with horse racing as a topic…”
“Horse racing… Ah, I see. But wouldn’t it be rude to someone working so diligently on security?”
(Working diligently on security, huh)
I peeked into the security guard’s mind once more.
“……”
[Ah, I knew Moguri Cap would win first place! I should have bet more! No! Don’t dwell on it! Focus on predicting the next race!]
See, his head is still absorbed in horse racing.
Koyomin, reading my exasperated expression, pushed Inspector Gori’s back.
“…Alright, let’s go.”
Pushed by her… no, vigorously shoved by her, the Inspector stumbled forward in front of the security guard. As expected of a cyborg’s arm strength.
“Whoa there!”
“……”
Even with a middle-aged man suddenly appearing, the security guard remained expressionless.
The Inspector hesitantly raised his hand, unsure what to do.
“Um, hello there.”
“……”
“Uh, well…”
“……”
“…Moguri Cap won today, didn’t it?”
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