Miss Ikezawa, You Don't Want To

Looking at the earring in Fujino's hand, Yuko Ikezawa's expression was a little stunned.

But after a moment, she regained her composure: "What if it's mine?"

"It's good that it's yours."

Fujino smiled playfully and asked, "Aren't you curious how your earring ended up in my hand?"

"Who would be curious about that kind of thing."

Yuko Ikezawa frowned slightly at his words. She took out a cigarette case from her pocket and lit a cigarette. "It's a good thing I was worried about not being able to find it. Since you found it, give it back to me."

"Guess where I found it?"

Fujino's gaze fixed on Yuko Ikezawa. After taking a deep breath, he continued to speak slowly: "At Yoko Okino's house, the scene of the murder."

"Words are not evidence!"

Yuko Ikezawa's face suddenly turned pale, and the cigarette in her mouth slipped.

Damn it, my floor!

Fujino looked at the cigarette butt that had fallen on the floor, his mouth twitched, and he coughed lightly.

Yuko Ikezawa, having recovered her senses, picked up the cigarette butt and put it back to her lips.

"Who would believe your word alone?"

She bit the end of the cigarette, trying to retort, "Maybe I just accidentally dropped it at your place!"

Fujino looked at the floor with the burnt black spot with a pained expression and sighed.

He turned his gaze to Yuko Ikezawa and said in a deep voice, "Although I don't know how you got Yoko Okino's house key, if I'm not mistaken, after you commissioned me to investigate her yesterday, you went back to her house and rummaged around, trying to find some scandal about her..."

"And if I'm not mistaken, you were attacked when you went to Yoko Okino's house last night?"

Fujino continued, "You resisted in a panic and managed to escape, but the earring was left at the scene of the crime."

"This is just your speculation, where's the evidence?"

Yuko Ikezawa was a little guilty and retorted, "As a detective, you should know this, right? You can't convict someone without evidence!"

"Evidence? Of course, I have it."

Fujino chuckled lightly, then slowly stood up. "You may not know, but at the scene of the crime, the deceased was still clutching a strand of hair. Based on my deduction, that strand of hair turned out to be Yoko Okino's..."

"But that strand of hair doesn't look like Yoko Okino's at all, it looks more like yours."

As he spoke, Fujino smiled playfully and said lightly, "If the police were to conduct a DNA test..."

"Are you threatening me?!"

Yuko Ikezawa's face gradually turned grim. She stood up from the sofa with a frown, her eyes fixed on Fujino.

"No, no, no! I'm a detective with professional ethics, how could I threaten my client?"

Fujino waved his hands innocently. "It's just that... Miss Ikezawa, I had already found dirt on Yoko Okino's boyfriend, but with you doing this, you've gotten involved. I worked hard to get you out of it... If this matter were exposed, it would be bad for both of us. I wouldn't mind much, maybe just some damage to my reputation, but it's different for you, Miss Ikezawa..."

He then revealed a cunning smile. "Miss Ikezawa, you wouldn't want to be implicated, would you?"

"Speak! What is it you want?"

Yuko Ikezawa sighed leisurely, regretting her actions.

If only she hadn't hired a detective to investigate Yoko Okino in the first place.

Now, not only had she lost her "cub," but her "fox tail" had also been burned.

This guy was definitely threatening her!

"I want..."

Seeing Fujino's evasiveness, Yuko Ikezawa couldn't help but swallow.

This guy, could it be...

She still...

"I want my commission fee."

"Huh?"

Yuko Ikezawa was stunned for a moment. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Fujino scratched the back of his head and said sheepishly, "After all, in a way, I have completed the commission. I should at least get the commission fee, right? This way, you'll also be my client, and I'll keep this secret."

"You should have just said so!"

Yuko Ikezawa's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

So it was just the commission fee. She had thought... Never mind, let's not mention it!

This guy was truly detestable.

Although Yuko Ikezawa was somewhat reluctant, she still felt relieved and took out her credit card from her pocket. "Do you have a mobile POS machine?"

"No."

Fujino shook his head. "I only accept cash payments, or you can deposit it into my account."

"You're really unprofessional, not even having a mobile POS machine."

Yuko Ikezawa sighed, then said, "I don't have that much cash on me right now. Why don't you come with me to the bank to withdraw it?"

"You got it!"

In the nineties, POS machines were all the rage. You could pay for anything with a card. In this era, it was comparable to WeChat and Alipay in the future.

It was indeed Fujino's oversight not to have one.

Mainly, he had never taken on such a large-scale commission before...

It seemed he needed to get one someday.

Late at night, on the pedestrian overpass outside Suzuki Bank.

"Here you go, 540,000 Yen. No need to count, right?"

Yuko Ikezawa handed Fujino a paper bag, which also had the Suzuki Bank logo printed on it.

Fujino took the bag casually without counting. "I trust you, Miss Ikezawa."

"Hmph."

Yuko Ikezawa snorted coldly. She had figured out Fujino's character.

He was an unscrupulous detective who would do anything for money.

However, on second thought, although he was a bit unscrupulous, he did follow the rules.

He even blocked the police investigation for her... which did save her a lot of trouble.

That kind of trouble couldn't be measured in money.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

Yuko Ikezawa said, turning to leave.

All she wanted now was to go home, take a nice bath, and escape the troubles of reality.

"Wait!"

At this moment, Fujino called out to her.

Yuko Ikezawa turned around and frowned. "Do you need something else? Don't tell me you want more money."

"Where did you get that idea? I'm not that kind of person."

Fujino chuckled softly, slowly lit a cigarette, and said, "I just wanted to advise you to engage in less scheming in the future... The end result of slandering others is often burning yourself."

"Mind your own business."

Yuko Ikezawa said unhappily.

Fujino let out a scoff, then turned around with the kraft paper bag. "Actually, Miss Ikezawa, you're not bad yourself, just a bit hypocritical... perhaps it's the idol baggage?"

"It must be tiring to always pretend to be a mature woman."

Facing the round moon, he continued without looking back, "Show more of your true self. With your talent, you'll eventually become a national idol alongside Yoko Okino."

Staring intently at the figure reflected in the moonlight, Yuko Ikezawa's pupils dilated slightly. That receding figure was imprinted in her eyes.

It wasn't until the figure gradually disappeared that she snapped back to reality.

The moonlight shone brightly, casting the overpass in a snow-white glow.

Looking in the direction he had gone, a faint smile appeared on her face as she murmured, "I know that without you telling me."