[Mushverse, open to anyone] Yet another rider joins in...

[halfboiledjoker]

This place seems just like any other city. Maybe a bit more hustle-and-bustle than Fuuto, granted, but it doesn't seem like the sort of place to be rife with crime and underground activity.

Then again, I never thought Fuuto could be that way, either.

I park the bike in a spot and pull off my helmet. It's weird, somehow, to think that those rumors of caped dopants could have drifted all the way from here. If it were any other sort of crime, I wouldn't have even been tapped. But the rumors had gotten even Jinno a little nervous, and I owed him a favor or five anyway.

Now if only I could find my way to this high school he wanted me to check out. What was the name again? I check my notes - ah, Amanogawa. It's late enough in the day...I wonder if there are any students wandering about?

Comments

[halfboiledjoker]

Well, any hope or prayer of maintaining a cool and composed image while scoping out the school has pretty much been shattered. I peel Akiko's arms off me and and try to set her standing straight. Preferably about a foot away.

"Of course not, ah, Chief." She's always technically in charge. That doesn't mean I expected her to follow me to another city, though. "I just hadn't realized Jinno had contacted anyone other than me. Directly."

[slipperninja]

I laugh an elegant tinkling laugh, kind of like this, "Ahahahahahahaha! Ah, Shotarou-kun, that's always been your problem, waiting for people to contact you! I contacted him instead."

[halfboiledjoker]

Oh, poor Jinno. I rub at my forehead and avoid making eye contact with Akiko. "And he told you everything, did he?"

Maybe he told her more. Although I really, really doubt it, but it's best to check before moving forward.

[slipperninja]

"Everything," I say firmly. "Well, I think it was everything. It'd better've been everything! Or I'll be taking that back scratcher and..."

I smile sweetly. Shotarou-kun can imagine exactly what I mean.

[halfboiledjoker]

I wonder if she knows how creepy she looks with that smile on. I give her a halfhearted smile and nod and look the other way. "Ahahahaha, well now..."

I have a feeling we're probably going to be in town here for a while. I was just going to grab a cheap hotel room for myself, but with Akiko here... "So, do we have accommodations for the night already?" I ask hopefully.

[slipperninja]

Good. He's off balance, just as he should be! It's when he's confident that I know something's going on!

Well, apart from when he's fighting. I like it when he's confident, then.

I tchh at him. "Let your chief take care of everything, Shotarou-kun," I say in a kindly way. "I have a small house for us by the river. Four bedrooms. You can have one, probably. I think Philip-kun's coming down, too."

[halfboiledjoker]

So what started as a little bit of factfinding on my part turned into a full-blown mission. Wonderful.

Wait a second. "Four bedrooms? Who else is coming along?"

[slipperninja]

"My husband and anyone else who might show up to visit," I say grandly. "We can probably find a corner for you to sleep in, though."

[halfboiledjoker]

Now I'm confused.

"Aaaah, mou!" I give up. "Let's just get there and get settled in. Then maybe Philip and I can start looking into things."

[slipperninja]

"Certainly, Shotarou-kun. I'm sure it will be magnificent," I say happily.

It may well be a dump. but I'm not prepared to consider that option.