017. If it’s not a case I’m interested in, I’ll simply let it go.

10:22 AM.

The sky was a clear azure, telephone poles plastered with cram school advertisements lined the streets, and the corner walls were kept neat and clean. The red bricks and gray walls bore a faint patina of age.

Along the edge of the low wall, rooftops undulated among the trees—ancient structures dating back to the Edo period. It was said that every year, during the brightest days between spring and summer, one could see on the terraces the onmyoji cloaked in haori, waving their gohei and chanting sutras.

Toru Anritsu glanced down, tapping his phone screen as he arranged for lunch delivery to the café "Night Moon."

Originally, lunch was to be a simple heated convenience meal box and a can of cat food.

But now, considering he had more or less achieved financial freedom...

Since he couldn't spend the four million yen conspicuously, he might as well use some of it to improve his quality of life while also fostering goodwill with Sakura Hiiragi and Margaret.

After all, whether “witch” or “nekomata,” they were now, in a real sense, his companions.

Perhaps it was time to buy Margaret a phone?

Since she had taken on human form, having a phone would make communication easier.

Toru’s fingers flicked across the screen, and soon he had reordered lunch to be sent to the café:

A lavish sashimi platter and what was touted as a supreme wagyu bento of kaiseki cuisine quality.

The details of the dishes were no longer important; he only noticed the checkout line showing 15,556 yen deducted...

The thrifty salaryman felt his money mindset shatter like never before.

He had never in his life eaten such a meal...

Ah, tonight after work, no matter what, he must quietly treat himself to a meal at a high-end restaurant.

Having finished ordering the day's meals for the two freeloaders at the café, he happened to reach the door of the "Starlight Detective Agency."

Pocketing his now-off phone, the special police officer pushed the door open.

...

The opulent décor, no matter how many times seen, always stirred an inward curse against the insatiable greed of capitalists.

Sunlight poured through the skylight, dust motes floating in the misty light. The classical clock’s second hand ticked steadily. The rose and thorn carvings on the rosewood furniture and door panels seemed to come alive in the vibrant colors, harmonizing with the “Christ’s Passion” imagery on the carpet, as if hinting that the blood of the saint’s sacrifice flowed upward from the ground, summoning miracles that caused thorns to grow and flowers to bloom in the realm of the inanimate.

A girl in the private Sakurakami Academy high school uniform was browsing a hardcover copy of "Crime and Punishment" beside the bookshelf.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, her model-like tall figure partially bathed in sunlight, her skin dazzlingly pale; the other half shrouded in the bookshelf’s shadow. She resembled a goddess statue painstakingly positioned in an art exhibition to evoke unparalleled visual impact.

Her shoulder-length hair was dyed silver-gray, tied into a single ponytail with fashionable curls at the ends, matching the cold yet restless gaze in her eyes. Such a presence would deter any onlooker from approaching, leaving only admiring glances from afar.

Had it been the Toru Anritsu of before meeting Sakura Hiiragi, he might have been momentarily entranced by Shirane Naruko’s ethereal beauty... But after the extraordinary allure of the witch, his psychological threshold had been raised to an exceptional degree.

...

That morning, when Toru had breakfast, he had curiously searched for the girl idol groups he once admired, opened their latest music video, and upon seeing their heavily made-up faces, felt nothing but boredom.

...

It seemed that, because of the “Reaper,” Toru Anritsu was indeed completely immune to the fatal charm of the “witch.”

But he had not been immune to the influence of Sakura Hiiragi.

The accursed witch had thus deprived a single man of his shallow and simple entertainment.

In the fast-paced life of Tokyo, only the occasional video of beautiful girls singing and dancing could offer some solace to a soul numbed by repetitive work and monotonous days.

Ultimately, it was the pleasure derived from fulfilling a lustful heart in a mode of “admiring from afar but never touching,” a fundamentally vulgar enjoyment, yet one refined by the internet into something “appreciated by both the elegant and the vulgar.”

Alas, Toru Anritsu had now lost the right to derive pleasure from it.

A true tragedy.

...

In any case, this special police officer, whose dress and demeanor were entirely out of place in the office, effortlessly tore his gaze away from Shirane Naruko’s profile and approached swiftly.

In a slightly flippant tone, Toru said, “Miss, I don’t have that much time to fool around with you.”

Shirane Naruko closed her book, and on her face—so calm it seemed to exclude any emotion—there surfaced a trace of panic and urgency.

“Have you heard about the ‘Sakurakami Girl Disappearance Case’?”

“That’s the criminal investigation division’s work.” Having just been transferred back to Tokyo a month ago, Toru was not about to admit his ignorance.

Biting her lip, Shirane Naruko didn’t dwell on his words. “At my school, even in my class... three female students have disappeared.”

“That doesn’t sound like a case warranting the ‘S.T.F.’” he said.

Yet despite his words, Toru straightened up and fixed her with a serious gaze.

Shirane Naruko met his eyes unflinchingly.

“In fact... both the criminal division and the ‘S.T.F.’ investigated this case six months ago, and the investigation lasted a full month.”

Toru sat beside the desk. “But they found nothing, right?”

“Yes. It was as if they vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.”

“So, this case had actually reached a level where ‘S.T.F.’ had to intervene, but in the end, ‘S.T.F.’ voluntarily abandoned the investigation.”

Shirane Naruko fell silent, hesitating whether to reveal her true thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Toru responded with a sharp look befitting an ‘S.T.F.’ member: “You suspect... that ‘S.T.F.’ is hiding the truth?”

Her eyes darted around briefly, then she nodded slowly.

“And you’ve probably investigated me... I have only recently come to Tokyo, meaning I was completely unaware of the ‘Sakurakami Girl Disappearance Case.’ That’s part of why Shirane invited me to join the agency without hesitation yesterday, right?”

Shirane nodded again, this time replying aloud: “If it’s you, Mr. Anritsu, you could definitely...”

Toru cut her off without hesitation. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m just a man who bows and kneels before power. Since ‘S.T.F.’ officially dropped the case, I, as an ‘S.T.F.’ member, have no reason to conduct a private investigation.”

...

The atmosphere in the office plunged to freezing cold.

Shirane Naruko showed little anger or panic, only looking at Toru with eyes full of sorrow and utter disappointment.

Toru turned his face away, unwilling to meet her gaze. “The money you gave me yesterday—I’ll return it.”

“No need. I’m not short of money,” Shirane said softly. “Mr. Anritsu, use it to improve your life.”

“A high school girl, trying to make me feel guilty with that?” he scoffed.

A self-mocking smile appeared on Shirane’s lips. “As a high schooler, this is the best I can do.”

“Yeah, kids should just stay in school, fall in love, enjoy youth. What’s the point of playing detective when you have nothing better to do?” Toru taunted mercilessly. “If something happened to you, the chain reaction might cause a disaster far worse and irreversible than the disappearance of three high school girls.”

“Miss, take my advice... go home and enjoy wealth and comfort. That’s a life many dream of but never attain. If you must, find a handsome, talented boyfriend at school, go on a few dates, visit amusement parks and aquariums—soon you’ll forget those little troubles that don’t touch your life.”

Hearing this, Shirane’s composure wavered.

Still, she did not lose her temper but looked at Toru with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

“Mr. Anritsu.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been in love?”

The brief question left Toru silent, seated in his chair.

Shirane clenched her fists tightly. “I... I haven’t been in love either.”

“Let’s not talk about such youthful matters. At my age, I can’t take it.” Toru leaned back, forcing a helpless smile.

He glanced at the young lady of the Shirane family. “Let me be clear—I have no desire to get involved in complicated matters like this. One misstep and my hard-earned life could collapse completely... I don’t have the luxury you do to be reckless.”

“I’ll pay!” she said.

“After all, you’re just a high schooler. You can’t possibly have enough wealth to make me risk my career and future.”

By this point, Shirane had completely lost her composure.

She seemed on the verge of tears but held them back, glaring fiercely at the special police officer.

Such a familiar look... was it defiance?

Toru watched her trembling figure in the sunlight and vaguely saw himself years ago, standing at a university lectern.

But unlike that Toru, battered by reality and the workplace until forced to become cunning and worldly, Shirane clearly had the power to break those old, rotten rules.

She was simply too young and lacked guidance and education.