Solving Cases is My Daily Life Now: Volume 1

Chapter 15

    Friday morning started out a bit lazier than Rina had expected. She dragged her feet into the classroom, despite being there a bit earlier than usual. She sat her bag on her desk and sat down, resting her head in her hand and beginning to doze off. Just as the sweet embrace of sleep began to wrap itself around her, a loud voice echoing in her ears pulled her back to the realm of the awake,

"Rina, watch out!!!"
Rina's head shot up with a light yelp and she looked around, eyes narrowing when she saw Yua laughing hysterically next to her. A few other students, Suzu excluded, chuckled along, while others pretended not to notice. Rina gave Yua a swift but light punch to the stomach.
"Don't ever do that again." Rina said with a growl.
"Agh! My uterus! Now I can never have children!" Yua cried out, holding her stomach in fake agony as she walked to her desk.
"Th-that's not your...oh." Suzu began to correct her before realizing she'd walked away. She gave Rina a smile and a wave before going to her seat as well.
"You came straight to class today, huh?" Yua asked, putting her arm over the back of her seat.
"I wasn't thinking...I'm feeling really tired today for some reason." Rina mumbled, looking down at her desk.
"Y-y-you've been up all night with Masaru, sc-sc-screw-" Suzu began.
"Maybe you should go to bed earlier, then!" Yua said, as if it was the perfect plan that nobody had ever thought of before.
"That's not the problem..." Rina mumbled, just moments before the bell rang and Miss Miyake walked in to begin class.
Most of the class was a blur, with Rina fading in and out of consciousness throughout. She barely even woke up when the lunch bell rang, but it was just loud enough to bring her out of her drowsy trance. Yua glanced over at Rina, watching her stand up as she took her bento out.
"Another lunch spent in the club room? He's really working you to the bone!" She said, shoving some squid into her mouth with her chopsticks.
"I offered this time, I felt like it was partially my job to go with him." Rina said, briefly turning to Yua.
Yua stared blankly back at her, and when Rina had surmised that it was the only response she was going to get, she gave Yua and Suzu a wave and went out the door.

Apparently Masaru was on his way to come get her, considering she ran face first into him when she left the room.
"Gah!" Rina cried out as her face bumped into his chest.
Luckily she managed to keep her bento closed, so no food items spilled out onto either of them. She felt hands on her shoulders, and presuming they were Masaru's, she looked up at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and her face began to heat up when she realized that it was the closest she'd ever been to him.
"Rina..." Masaru said, his eyes exploring her face.
"Yeah?" She asked, not sure what he was going to say next.
"You...should really watch where you're going." He said, letting go of her shoulders.
Rina puffed out her cheeks and jabbed him in the chest with her chopsticks.
"Me?! What about you? You had to have seen the door open!" She said, ignoring the giggles and whispers behind her.
Masaru looked at the door for a moment, then back down at her.
"All right, I suppose we're both at fault then." He said, conceding the point.
Rina backed away from him, keeping him an arm's length apart as she began to walk away.
"Let's just get going." She said, annoyed with the situation.
Masaru watched her for a moment, before shrugging and following her.
"You look tired today." He said, walking a couple of feet behind her.
"I am." Rina responded grumpily, beginning to eat from her bento.
"Well, you don't have to come with me." Masaru said, walking faster to walk beside her.
"No, I..." Rina stopped herself, realizing that she was being aggressive, "I'm sorry. I want to come. I'm just a bit cranky."
Masaru nodded in agreement, annoying Rina a bit, but not enough to say anything. She continued to eat her lunch as Masaru spoke,
"It shouldn't take too long. I'm just going to tell Hanako we couldn't solve the case and why."
"I hope she doesn't get upset..." Rina mumbled, looking at the floor.
"She shouldn't. It isn't our fault, and if they're close at all then she knows how difficult Kukiko can be." He said, looking forward as he put a pocky stick in his mouth.
Rina didn't have too much time to consider his words before they reached the door to Kukiko and Hanako's classroom.
Masaru stood in front of the door and put his hand on the knob, looking at Rina.
"You re-" he was cut off when the door opened and someone slammed into his chest, "Twice today, really?"
"Well, maybe you should stop standing in front of doors." Rina pointed out, crossing her arms before realizing who had bumped into him.
It was Kukiko, and she seemed to have been trying to leave in a hurry.
"Oh! Sorry..." she said, a blush on her face despite her smile.
After a few moments, she realized it was Masaru and she froze.
Masaru was the last to notice, looking down at her.
"Oh, Kukiko. Don't worry, I'm just here to cancel the c-" Masaru's eyes widened suddenly.
"Masaru...?" Rina tilted her head at him.
Masaru looked into Kukiko's eyes, a mood of disbelief on his face. He leaned in closer to Kukiko, their noses almost touching, as he continued to look into her eyes.
Rina scowled, had the seduction worked on him after all? But Kukiko didn't seem to be pleased with it either, as the faint pink blush on her face turned beet red.
"U-um..." She stammered, beginning to look around to avoid his eyes.
After a few seconds of this, she moved out of the way and began walking off quickly.
"S-sorry!" She said as she walked down the hallway.
"Wait." Masaru said, compelling her to stop and turn around, "Could you meet us at the club room one more time? I think you left something of yours there."
Kukiko hesitated, but nodded, before hurrying away.
Masaru watched her leave, the look on his face returning to a neutral one.
"What the hell was that all about?" Rina asked with a frown, tugging at his trench coat sleeve roughly.
"Nothing, just...just a hunch." Masaru said, before walking into the now open door.