Arrogant Ones Are Destined to Lose!

On the second floor of Fujino's house.

Gazing at the newly set up detective agency, Fujino couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

The detective agency was located on the right side of the second floor of Fujino's four-story house. The room was about 100 square meters and divided into three rooms and one living area.

The 50-square-meter master bedroom served as the office area. By the window in the bedroom sat a desk, with an ergonomic chair in front of it. Near the entrance, a sofa was placed with a coffee table in front of it.

Another secondary bedroom had a security door installed. Inside were contracts for various cases he had taken on, as well as souvenirs from completed cases.

For example, Yoko Okino's autographed poster, the dagger broken by a man tied up in a shibari, and the helmet knocked off a museum curator.

It was a way to keep memories.

The reception area had a similar layout to the office, with a minimalist style as the main theme. Its amenities were on par with the reception rooms of large companies.

"I have to say, the one million yen was well spent."

Looking at the room, which finally resembled a detective agency, Fujino nodded with satisfaction.

"Ring ring!"

At that moment, the phone rang again.

Fujino pulled out his phone, stared at the contact labeled "Mieko Shibasaki," paused, and then answered.

"Detective Fujino, have you found out who Tatsuya likes?"

Mieko Shibasaki's hurried voice came through the phone.

Upon hearing this, Fujino's eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed to hear some background noise from the other end of the line.

Was Mieko Shibasaki at a concert venue?

After thinking for a moment, he replied, "The investigation is almost complete. I should be able to give you an answer tomorrow."

"Is that so?"

Mieko Shibasaki on the other end of the line was taken aback.

She truly hadn't expected Fujino's efficiency to be so high.

It had only been a few days...

It seemed to justify the high commission fee.

"I might not be available tomorrow, so how about the day after? I'll come to your place after the concert ends."

With that, Mieko Shibasaki hung up the phone.

"So, their concert will end the day after tomorrow, and they'll have a celebration party?"

Fujino put his phone away and murmured, "Looks like I need to hurry..."

That afternoon, at the entrance of Tatsuya Kimura's studio.

Fujino changed into work clothes, put on a blue hat and mask to conceal his face, and infiltrated Tatsuya Kimura's studio under the guise of a plumber.

Tatsuya Kimura's studio was very spacious, filled with all sorts of musical instruments. His posters adorned the walls, and in a corner of a desk, many music scores were neatly organized.

Fujino looked around, then activated his enhanced perception ability.

Soon, he found a photo in a hidden spot.

The background of the photo was an underground concert.

Tatsuya Kimura stood on stage, making eye contact with a girl with freckles on her face, who was neither particularly good-looking nor ugly.

In both their eyes, there was a longing for the future.

"Tsundere always loses!"

Fujino sighed, lamented, and then pocketed the photo before leaving the studio.

"Tatsuya, you have a concert tomorrow, so remember to wake up early and eat."

"You don't need to nag me!"

"Why are you like a mother hen?!"

"I'm doing this for your own good."

At the entrance of Tatsuya Kimura's studio.

Mari Terahara watched Tatsuya Kimura's retreating figure, a fierce glint appearing in her eyes.

After sighing, she returned to her car, intending to drive home.

But as soon as she sat down, she felt something was wrong beneath her.

It felt like there was an foreign object...

She lifted her buttocks and saw a photograph.

It was a group photo of her and Tatsuya Kimura when they were in the band together.

Looking at the old photo, a look of melancholy appeared on her face. "He wasn't like this before... Why."

"It must have fallen out when he got out of the car."

She sighed, picked up the photo, and as she was about to put it away to return it the next day, she saw the lyrics on the back of the photo: [I want to convey this to my bare-faced you].

"I want to convey this to my bare-faced you?"

Mari Terahara couldn't help but murmur in confusion.

As she looked at the lyrics, her pupils gradually widened.

A moment later, a tear fell, wetting the photo.

She clutched the photo tightly in her hand, her gaze looking towards the studio. "Tatsuya, could it be that..."

"Tatsuya, open the door quickly."

Mari Terahara knocked on Tatsuya Kimura's studio door, calling out repeatedly.

"Ugly, why are you looking for me instead of going home?"

Tatsuya Kimura opened the door and asked impatiently, then noticed the photo in Mari Terahara's hand.

He froze for a moment, then quickly snatched it away. "This photo... how did this photo get to you?!"

"You dropped it in the car just now."

"Strange, I wasn't carrying this photo..."

Tatsuya Kimura scratched the back of his head in confusion.

But before he could finish, Mari Terahara interrupted him, "So, the lyrics on the back of that photo, did you write them all?"

"You saw them all?"

Tatsuya Kimura was startled by her words and looked away.

A slight blush appeared on his usually unreserved face. "I was originally planning to surprise you with them after I went solo... That's right, these lyrics were written for you, you ugly!"

Mari Terahara exclaimed in surprise, "Then why do you call me ugly?"

"Because you went and got plastic surgery without my permission!"

He took a deep breath and said, "I never said you were ugly. You were beautiful just the way you were!"

Mari Terahara was stunned.

Suddenly, she seemed to understand everything.

That's right, ever since she had plastic surgery, Tatsuya seemed to have stopped caring about her, and even spoke harshly to her.

Was it all because of the plastic surgery?

"Tatsuya, could it be that you..."

"If you know, don't say it, it's embarrassing!"

The blush on Tatsuya Kimura's face deepened, like a young boy in love.

Hearing this, Mari Terahara threw her arms around him, and tears streamed down her face.

There was regret, or perhaps emotion...

In any case, a battle that could lead to death was bound to happen tonight.

Not far from the battlefield, Fujino sat in his Ford Taurus.

Seeing the lights in the studio across the way go out, his expression became strange.

"So, tsundere characters are already out of fashion..."

A moment later, he took a deep breath, rested his chin on his hand, and murmured.

Gazing at the darkened window across the way, the corners of his mouth curved into a fond smile.

No one would know that an invisible hand was secretly pushing everything forward.

To be honest, this feeling wasn't bad.