Turncoat Detective

Five minutes later, in Fujino's room.

Fujino sat on the brown sofa in his bedroom, studying Yoko Okino as she explained how she had recently been followed, feeling utterly speechless inside.

Yuko Ikezawa had barely left when Yoko Okino arrived.

Good grief, had the two of them planned this together or something?

Fujino could not help but feel troubled by Yoko Okino's commission.

He had just accepted Yuko Ikezawa's request to investigate Yoko Okino's dirt.

And now Yoko Okino had come to hire him to investigate the person who had been following her lately.

This was practically a commission within a commission... It was a bit hard to handle.

"If Detective Fujino can truly uncover the truth, we are willing to offer a commission fee of four hundred thousand yen."

Seeing Fujino's absent-minded expression, her manager, Eiichi Yamagishi, immediately understood the implication and tentatively stated the fee for this commission.

Four hundred thousand yen?

Fujino's ears perked up.

Well, he could not reveal a client's private information, so being forced to act as a turncoat was not really a problem, right?

After all, she was offering four hundred thousand yen. Her sincerity was clear as day.

"So, Miss Yoko, you came here because you want me to find the person who has been watching you these past few days?"

As usual, Fujino poured Yoko Okino a cup of black tea.

"Mm."

Yoko Okino nodded.

"Could it be paparazzi or something?"

"No..."

Yoko Okino accepted the tea and frowned slightly. "If it were paparazzi, I would actually be used to it by now... But this time, it has obviously gone too far."

"Every day when I return home, I find that the furniture in my room has been moved."

"I also often receive silent phone calls. The day after those calls, secretly taken photos get mailed to my home."

"Just last night, someone was even chasing after me like crazy..."

As she spoke, fearful tears welled up in Yoko Okino's eyes. "I really don't know what to do anymore. If this keeps happening, I won't be able to sleep peacefully at night at all..."

Fujino carefully examined Yoko Okino and noticed faint dark circles beneath her eyes.

For an idol, insufficient rest was a deadly matter, especially for a popular idol like Yoko Okino.

"What a beast..."

Fujino cursed under his breath.

But now that he thought about it, if he remembered correctly, Yuko Ikezawa should have been the one behind all those incidents.

And Yuko Ikezawa had just hired him...

Damn it, the beast was actually him.

"Cough, cough!"

Fujino coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness.

He hurriedly changed the subject and deduced, "If Miss Yoko's description is correct, then I believe you've encountered a stalker fan!"

"A stalker fan?"

Yoko Okino asked in confusion, "What kind of food is that?"

"It isn't food. Fan means fan, as in admirer."

Fujino explained, "Fans who pry into an idol's private life are called Sasaeng Fans. They are extreme fans who obtain an idol's private information through methods including, but not limited to, stalking, secret photography, breaking into homes, and peeping."

"How come I've never heard that term before?"

Sitting properly on the sofa as she listened to Fujino, Yoko Okino raised another question.

She looked just like a kindergarten child raising her hand to ask a question.

"Of course you haven't heard it, because I coined the term 'stalker fan' myself."

Fujino explained guiltily, "Before you came here, I had already helped countless idols like you who suffered at the hands of Sasaeng Fans..."

Yoko Okino looked at Fujino admiringly. "In that case, Detective Fujino, you must have a way to solve this, right?"

"Of course."

"I have specialized methods for dealing with Sasaeng Fans."

"What method?!"

Yoko Okino gazed at Fujino in admiration.

"Catch them and throw them in prison for rehabilitation. A permanent solution."

"Isn't there another way?" Yoko Okino frowned. "Even if that fan is an extreme stalker fan, I can't bear to send them to prison."

"Sigh, Miss Yoko really is too kind-hearted... In that case, this may become rather difficult."

With that, Fujino sighed, his every gesture radiating reluctance.

He looked exactly like someone asking for more money.

Yoko Okino did not understand the implication, but the manager standing nearby saw right through it.

Difficult did not mean impossible. That troubled expression simply meant he needed more money.

"If Detective Fujino can resolve this matter without exposing it, we are willing to add another one hundred thousand yen to the commission fee."

"After all, if this matter gets out, it could greatly damage Yoko's reputation."

Looks like this kid understood. He had potential!

Nodding, Fujino made a decision that went against his ances... detective principles. "In that case, I will treat this matter as top secret and investigate it with all my might."

Looking at Fujino's righteous expression, Eiichi Yamagishi suddenly felt as though he had boarded a pirate ship.

This guy... he was definitely a shady detective, wasn't he?

But there was nothing they could do.

For less than one million yen, there was no one in all of Tokyo with better confidentiality than this guy... Everyone in the industry knew it.

He had only come here because an acquaintance had recommended the place.

Helplessly, he could only sigh. "Then we'll be relying on you, Detective Fujino."

As he spoke, he took an envelope from his pocket, stuffed full of one hundred thousand yen.

It was the deposit.

Fujino accepted the bulging envelope, pulled out the money, and began counting it.

One hundred thousand yen, not a single yen short.

Fujino glanced at Eiichi Yamagishi's miserable, near-tearful face.

Feeling a little guilty, he paused, pulled out fifty thousand yen, and handed it back. "I only take one-tenth as an advance payment. You can take the rest back. That's my rule."

"Thank you very much."

After taking back the fifty thousand yen, Eiichi Yamagishi gave Fujino a deep bow.

It seemed he had misunderstood this detective... Could this matter really be that difficult?

"No need to thank me, no need. It's just business."

It would all be his eventually anyway.

"Now that I have accepted the commission, time is of the essence. Let's head to Yoko Okino's home and investigate."

Fujino then slowly rose to his feet and said firmly, "The sooner we uncover the truth, the sooner Miss Yoko can get a peaceful night's sleep."

"Mm!"

Eiichi Yamagishi nodded vigorously, extremely pleased by Fujino's efficiency.

Sure enough, coming here on an acquaintance's recommendation had been the right choice. This was absolutely a proper and reliable detective.