Solving Cases is My Daily Life Now: Volume 1

Chapter 14

Masaru was sitting at his desk looking at his phone when Rina walked in holding her bento at lunch time.
"Do you ever go to class?" She asked, going over to her desk and sitting down.
"I do, but I usually spend lunch time here anyway." He said without looking up, messaging someone.
"But you don't eat lunch?" Rina tried to clarify, remembering their conversation from a couple of days earlier as she opened her bento.
"But I don't eat lunch." Masaru repeated, confirming it for her.
"Well, why hang around here during lunch then? Why not hang out with your fri-" Rina cut herself off as she remembered another conversation she had with him.
Masaru didn't speak, and Rina was almost thankful for it. Silently she began to eat her lunch, and it continued like that until they both heard the door swing open.
As Masaru had likely expected, Kukiko came walking in, looking more annoyed than Rina had seen her before. She stopped in front of Masaru's desk, arms crossed.
"Ok, I'm here now. You happy? Still think I have memory loss?" She asked with a bit of venom in her voice.
Masaru lazily looked up at her, taking a pocky stick and putting it into his mouth.
"I'm not sure. Are you familiar with dissociative identity disorder?" He asked, opening the folder in front of him.
Kukiko raised an eyebrow, before sitting down in front of him.
"You mean like split personalities?" She asked, leaning forward onto his desk.
Masaru looked at her elbows, clearly annoyed, but refrained from commenting on it.
"Yes, like that. It could attribute to your mood swings and lack of short term memory." Masaru said, leaning back in his chair.
Rina put her face in her hand, did he really just tell a girl that she was having mood swings.
"Mood swings?" Kukiko stood up, narrowing her eyes at Masaru.
He simply looked up at her, his expression not changing. Neither of them said a word for a moment, before Kukiko smiled and walked over to his side of the desk.
"I guess I have been a bit moody, huh?" She asked, leaning in close to him.
Masaru didn't turn to look at her, his eyes remained down, looking at the folder.
"I don't know you well enough to say that, but it's what I've heard." He responded simply.
Kukiko leaned in a bit closer, her face nearly touching his.
"Why are you so hellbent on figuring this out? Are you...interested in me?" She asked, her smile turning into a smirk.
Masaru turned his head to look at her, looking into her eyes.
"Not me. But someone has your best interests in mind..." He said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at her, "Are you wearing contacts?"
Kukiko tilted her head, looking down at his lips.
"I am, so what? I don't like wearing glasses, so I wear contacts." She said, her flirtatious attitude shifting to her more annoyed one again.
"Just curious is all." Masaru said, turning his head again.
Rina couldn't take it anymore, she stood up and walked over.
"Do you always try to distract people with your looks?" She asked, annoyed at Kukiko's behavior.
Kukiko looked at Rina, then back at Masaru.
"Who was she again?" She asked, more as an insult than any genuine memory loss.
"That's Rina, my assistant. It's tem-" for once Rina was the one cutting Masaru off.
"It only raises suspicion when you try to seduce someone. What are you hiding?" Rina asked, narrowing her eyes at the blonde girl.
Kukiko looked over at Rina, her eyes were angry, but she kept the smile on her face.
"I just happen to find Masaru here very attractive is all..." she said, taking his pocky stick out of his mouth and taking a bite.
Masaru had clearly had enough as well, he stood up and looked over at Kukiko.
"That's enough." He said, and though his expression remained the same his words sounded cold, even more so than usual.
Kukiko looked up at him, seemingly aware that she had pushed him a bit too far.
"Hey, I was just messing around. I didn't mean to anger you." She said, idly munching his pocky stick.
Masaru didn't respond at first, he looked up at Rina, locking eyes with her for a few moments, before turning to look at Kukiko.
"I'm not angry. Though I don't see much use for this anymore. I'm going to come see you after class today, and then we'll be done. I'm finished wasting time." He said, before sitting back down and closing the folder.
Kukiko looked down at him, annoyed at his comment, before turning to leave, exiting without a word.
"Masaru..." Rina sat down in front of him.
"We could be spending our day actually doing something, instead of sitting here listening to her assure us of how ok she is. If she's ok, there's no need to continue this." Masaru said, not looking up.
Rina looked down at the desk for moment, trying to think of what to say.
"Isn't...every case important though?" She asked, looking up at him, "Regardless of the difficulty, and her attitude, Kukiko is important to Hanako. And Hanako asked us to help her."
Masaru looked up at Rina, but allowed her to continue.
"Isn't that what you wanted? To solve cases for anyone, no matter the reason? Those feelings of Hanako's...it's our responsibility to act on them." Rina finished, a bit embarrassed that she essentially lectured him.
Masaru looked at her for a moment, before his eyes, and then his head drifted back down to the desk. He seemed to be pondering her words.
"We'll have to see. At the very least, we'll see her after class today before deciding for sure." He finally said, looking up at her.
Rina nodded, just before the warning bell rang.
"Crap! I have to go, quick!" She said, running over to get her bento and running towards the door.
"Rina." Masaru said, making her stop and turn around.
He looked at her, before looking away.
"Thank you. You're right, it is our responsibility." He said.
Rina smiled before turning back around and leaving the club room, in a hurry not to be late to class.