Detective Kanji

Chapter 13: The Final Clue

Begin!

~Normal POV

Kanji had been patient, and patience paid off for him. Naoto sent him a text before school started the very next day. The text said she wanted to talk to him after school about everything. He accepted right away. Hm, she also said she was bringing a friend to help explain the phantom thief situation. He figured it would be nice to tie that up before they talked about anything else. Sadly, they were in different classrooms so he couldn't see her much at school. And it was one of the rare times when the team didn't have lunch together, so that didn't work either.

Finally after school let out, Kanji went to meet with Naoto at the gazebo. She had decided this was a good spot. And it let them get out and away from their friends' questioning. Naoto was grateful for it, Rise had been pestering her all day for details, and she had only told her that she wanted to talk to Kanji again before she had any updates. (Rise seemed to finally back off after this, thankfully.)

Kanji practically ran to the gazebo, wanting to not be late for Naoto. Lucky for him, she arrived first. And as promised, she wasn't alone. That guy was with her! The man in the suit and sunglasses! Kanji got a bit heated from seeing him again. But his anger faded when he noticed the two were talking calmly with each other. It was confusing. Wasn't this guy dangerous?

"Hey, Naoto?" He greeted walking up to them.

Naoto and her companion turned their attention to him. "Ah- hello, Kanji-kun..." She turned a bit pink from looking at him. "I'm glad you came. There's someone I want you to meet." She gestured to her companion.

The man beside her bowed respectfully. "I am Yakushiji, secretary of the Shirogane estate. I humbly apologize for the other day."

Kanji was shocked. So this was the guy she talked about before? "R-Really?"

"Yakushiji-san, this is Kanji Tatsumi, he's..." Naoto struggled to avoid saying what she wanted to call him. The last thing she needed was for him to go blabbing to grandpa just yet. "Been helping me lately..." She finished, vaguely. And she avoided looking directly at Kanji as she did so.

With Yakushiji it was hard to tell how he thought of this. He seemed to look between the two and nod slightly as if he understood. He didn't seem the type to show too much expression. Kanji thought it made sense, kinda like a prim, proper butler, in that way. All business. And knowing this now did make him relieved that he wasn't a threat after all.

"What's this about?" Kanji asked.

"I must also apologize, Kanji-kun." Naoto said, frowning. "Though I may not have known, I involved you in this. It was an act put on by my grandpa."

"My master has been terribly saddened by Naoto-sama's state of affairs lately," Yakushiji explained, in a smooth professional tone. "Lacking acquaintances to confide in, she devotes every fiber of her being to work... My master wanted Naoto-sama to regain the joy she felt in days past. To regain the feelings when all that she wanted was to be a detective, regardless of her heritage or gender..."

Naoto looked away embarrassedly.

"I involved you at my own discretion," Yakushiji continued. "Believing you to be trustworthy. Please forgive me." He finished with another respectful bow.

Kanji couldn't help feeling kinda proud now. If someone like this guy thought he was trustworthy with Naoto, then maybe he didn't need to worry so much after all. He never expected to hear that. So this whole mess was just a trick all along. He thought it was kinda funny.

"Oh, it's, uh, all good..." Kanji replied. He felt dumb for saying it like that, he should have been more proper- but Yakushiji simply nodded and didn't seem to mind.