Holmes of Kyoto: Volume 13 E-Book

Mai Mochizuki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Serie: Holmes of Kyoto
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 229

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

At Yilin Jing’s request, Kiyotaka goes to Shanghai with Ensho and Komatsu to appraise an art exhibition. What was supposed to be a comfortable trip takes a dramatic turn when Shiro Kikukawa suddenly sends him covert photos of Aoi in New York! Shiro tells Kiyotaka that if he wants to ensure Aoi’s safety, he has to steal a particular painting. To make matters worse, the man claims to have dirt on Seiji Yagashira. With Aoi’s well-being and his grandfather's reputation at stake, what will Kiyotaka do?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Characters

Introduction

Prologue: Beware of Maru-Take-Ebisu

Short Story: What Komatsu Saw

Main Story: The Splendid Shanghai Tower

[1] The Komatsu Detective Agency Goes to Shanghai

[2] Shanghai Museum

[3] The Shanghai Tower

[4] A Certain Painter’s Secret

[5] Memoirs

[6] Executing the Plan

[7] Night of Departure

Afterword

Color Illustrations

Map of Shanghai

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Introduction

1

“It’s been a while, Aoi.”

“Y-Yes, it has.”

Aoi Mashiro smiled awkwardly at the woman who had suddenly shown up at the antique store Kura. Her name was Yilin Jing, and she was the daughter of Zhifei Jing, one of the richest men in the world. Aoi and Kiyotaka had met her on the luxury overnight train “7 Stars,” where she’d been accompanied by Shiro Kikukawa (formerly Shiro Amamiya).

“Sorry to pop in without notice. Is the Holmes of Kyoto here?”

“Do you have business with him?”

“Yes. I want to ask him to do a job for me,” the Chinese woman said, narrowing her large eyes elegantly as she smiled. Her Japanese was as fluent as ever.

“A job?”

Shortly before Yilin Jing’s arrival, Kiyotaka Yagashira and Ensho had left for Komatsu’s office after receiving a call from the detective. Her visit would set various things in motion, but the next part of the story actually takes place at the Komatsu Detective Agency.

*

The office was located south of Kiyamachi-Shijo, on a small, quaint path along the Takase River. Most of the traditional wooden townhouses here were restaurants. The unique “Komatsu Detective Agency” sign among them felt out of place, but since the building’s exterior matched the aesthetic of the ones around it, it didn’t ruin the scenery. Inside, however, it had been renovated in a Western style. The first floor served as the office and consultation room, with bright wood-grain flooring. There was a black sofa set in the middle and three desks around it. The sofas, by the way, were leather—well, synthetic leather.

Currently, one of the sofas was occupied by Komatsu. Sitting on the one across from him was a beautiful, elegant-looking woman in a kimono. Her name was Atsuko Tadokoro, and she was in her early fifties. In addition to running a flower arranging school called Hana-tsumugi, she also operated a (legal) secret club. This was the same Atsuko who had been involved in a recent case. Thanks to Kiyotaka Yagashira, she had recovered the valuable blue diamond left to her by her late father. Her visit was the reason Komatsu had called Kiyotaka and Ensho (whose real name was Shinya Sugawara) back to the office.

“Oh, Atsuko is here,” Kiyotaka remarked upon entering. “I’m glad you seem to be doing well.” He smiled at her.

Ensho gave her a slight bow.

“Thank you both for your help,” she said, returning the smile as she held her coffee cup.

“It was nothing,” Kiyotaka replied, shaking his head as he sat down beside Komatsu. “I heard the blue diamond was appraised as genuine.”

“Yes, and paying the inheritance tax on it was difficult, to say the least.” The woman shrugged.

“I’d imagine so.” Kiyotaka gave a strained smile.

“Receiving expensive things comes with its own problems,” said Komatsu, crossing his arms.

“I considered quite a few options, but in the end, I entrusted the diamond to a museum,” said Atsuko. “Entrusting” meant that she maintained ownership of it.

“You’re fine with not keeping it at home?” Kiyotaka asked.

She nodded. “Blue diamonds of that size are very rare, so I’d be happier if a lot of people could see it. But the main reason is that I wouldn’t feel comfortable having it at home.”

“Yeah,” said Komatsu. If you had a diamond worth hundreds of millions of yen at home, you wouldn’t be able to leave the house in peace.

“The museum ain’t safe either,” Ensho muttered from one of the desks.

Atsuko giggled. “It’s much safer than my house, though. If it gets stolen from the museum, I’ll be able to give up on it. I don’t want my house to be set on fire again if I keep it,” she murmured with a faraway look in her eyes.

Everyone fell silent, knowing that was the real reason.

Atsuko looked up and tried to change the subject, perhaps feeling bad that her remark had affected the mood. “Oh, right, there’s something I wanted to ask you to do. It’s not a formal request, though.”

“Of course.” Kiyotaka and Komatsu nodded.

“You may have already heard, but there have been many purse-snatching incidents in Gion as of late. People have been having bags and even jewelry taken from them by force. Several of my students have been victims too. If you see it happen, could you report it?”

“Understood.”

Atsuko stood up. “Fridays are the one day our club is open at night, so I have to start getting ready now.”

“See you next time, then.”

“If you ever want a part-time job, Kiyotaka, you’re welcome anytime. That goes for you too, Ensho.”

“Thank you,” Kiyotaka said with a polite bow.

Ensho, however, turned away, his chin resting on his hand. “I ain’t interested in pouring drinks for rich old ladies.”

“Hey, Ensho, that’s rude. S-Sorry,” Komatsu apologized, flustered.

Atsuko didn’t seem offended. She gave an amused laugh and said, “Most people in Kyoto always give polite, superficial responses, so your honesty is refreshing.”

“I’m from Amagasaki, so yeah. I don’t like Kyoto people in the first place.”

“Me neither.” Atsuko grinned and left the office.

As soon as she was out of sight, Ensho shrugged and said, “Yeesh. That’s exactly what I hate about Kyoto people.”

“That scared me too, so I kinda agree with you this time,” said Komatsu. “She was smiling, but she was definitely in a bad mood. I’ll bring her some sweets from Toraya the next time I pass by. They’ve got the kiddo’s seal of approval, after all.”

Kiyotaka, who was taking the cups away, turned around and said, “Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you last time. As a Kyoto native, people will be happy when I bring them Toraya, but the situation changes if an outsider like Komatsu does it.” As he spoke, he washed the cups in the kitchen, gently wiped them with a dish towel, and placed them back in the cupboard.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Komatsu gaped at him.

Kiyotaka came out of the kitchen and faced the detective. “Everyone knows that Toraya is delicious and has a lot of brand power, but some feel that it abandoned Kyoto since it moved its headquarters to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration. So if an outsider brings them Toraya, they may think, ‘They brought something from a store that abandoned us. They just don’t understand.’ In particular, you should avoid giving it as an apology gift. I recommend Kyoto-brand sweets instead.” Kiyotaka held up his index finger and grinned.

Komatsu and Ensho fell silent for a moment before exclaiming in unison, “What a pain!”

“What the hell?! That’s so annoying,” Ensho scoffed.

“Yeah, what the heck is up with that?”

“Now, now, it doesn’t have to be a pain or an annoyance,” said Kiyotaka. “You can enjoy this aspect of Kyoto culture.”

“Like hell I can!” Ensho retorted.

“What he said.” Komatsu nodded, then looked up, remembering something. “Oh yeah, the other day, I read on the internet that when Kyoto people tell their guests ‘That’s a nice watch you have there,’ it means ‘Go home already.’ It was so scary that it gave me chills.”

“Yeah, that’s the kind of people they are.”

Kiyotaka placed his hands on his hips, exasperated. “What is your problem? It’s just taking ‘Shouldn’t you get going now?’ and wrapping it in a compliment. Isn’t that a show of kindness? Why do outsiders have to blow every single thing out of proportion?”

“You guys are the ones blowing things outta proportion,” said Ensho.

“Yeah, what he said.”

As the three men conversed, they heard the rattle of the front door sliding open. The visitor had chosen to ignore the intercom.

“What’s up, guys?” It was Akihito Kajiwara. With his brightly dyed hair and casual T-shirt and jeans, he looked like a bit of a flirt, but he was certainly handsome in an eye-catching, glamorous way.

“Akihito...”

“Hey.” The young actor raised a hand and plopped himself down on the nearest sofa.

“Did you come here for fun?” Kiyotaka smiled, but his aura was clearly saying, “This is technically a workplace, you know?”

Akihito pouted. “No, I’m here for a consultation.”

“About what?”

“Someone will be coming here in about an hour, I think.”

Suddenly, the intercom rang.

“Huh, are they here already?”

Everyone looked at the monitor. Aoi Mashiro was on the screen.

“Aoi?” Kiyotaka stood up and looked at Akihito in surprise. “Was Aoi the visitor you were talking about?”

“Nope. Mine won’t be for a while.”

“I see.” Kiyotaka quickly went to the front door.

Komatsu caught a glimpse of Ensho’s eyes lighting up for a second just like Kiyotaka’s had, which surprised him considering how grumpy the man had been thus far.

“Sorry to bother you when you’re working, Holmes,” came Aoi’s voice from the entrance. She also explained that Rikyu was currently watching the store in her stead.

“Don’t be. I’m glad I get to see your face again,” Kiyotaka said cheerfully.

Komatsu, Akihito, and Ensho easily imagined the sight of the young man fawning over his girlfriend and shrugged in mild exasperation.

“Hello, Holmes of Kyoto,” came another woman’s voice from behind Aoi. Apparently. she had brought someone with her.

Komatsu and Ensho furrowed their brows, wondering who it could be.

“Oh, this is an unusual guest,” remarked Kiyotaka.

“Yilin was looking for you, so I brought her here.”

So the woman’s name was Yilin. Was she a foreigner?

“I’ll be going now,” said Aoi.

“Oh, um, since you already came here, won’t you have a cup of coffee before you go?” came Kiyotaka’s flustered voice.

“Yes,” Yilin agreed. “I want you to stay too, Aoi.”

“Only for a little while, then,” Aoi said hesitantly.

2

“Come in,” said Kiyotaka, opening the door for them. One could almost see the flowers dancing around him as Aoi entered the office.

“Hey, little miss. Long time no see,” said Komatsu, waving at Aoi. “And welcome,” he continued, turning to Yilin—only to be rendered speechless.

“Whoa, she’s gorgeous,” Akihito blurted out, straightforward as ever.

“Yeah.” Komatsu nodded firmly.

The beautiful woman before them had glossy, straight black hair, fair skin, and large, almond-shaped eyes. She seemed vaguely familiar. Was she in the entertainment industry like Akihito?

While Komatsu and Akihito were gawking at Yilin, Kiyotaka was smiling happily at Aoi as usual, not paying the foreign beauty any mind. Komatsu glanced at Ensho, assuming the man would also be fed up with Kiyotaka’s behavior, only to find that he, too, was looking at Aoi.

How can he be so uninterested in Yilin? Komatsu wondered. Does this mean he really does have feelings for Aoi? Which means that Kiyotaka and Ensho are rivals competing for the same woman? Is that why they don’t get along? He gulped and turned to Aoi.

“Yes, it’s been a while, Komatsu,” Aoi said with her usual carefree smile. “I see that Akihito is here too.”

Aoi was indeed cute. She had clear, round eyes, and her meekness made one feel at ease. If Komatsu were to compare her to an animal, it would be a white ermine high up in the mountains, peeking out from behind a rock. But she really didn’t look like the kind of woman these intense men would be fighting over. He imagined a black panther and a tiger fighting over an ermine and laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

“Please have a seat,” Komatsu said, getting up and motioning to the two women.

Aoi and Yilin nodded and sat across from Akihito. Komatsu went to sit at his desk.

“I’ll make coffee, so please wait a moment,” Kiyotaka said before going to the kitchen.

The small office was now crowded with young, glamorous men and women. It was such a dazzling scene that Komatsu couldn’t help but squint. Back when he had been working by himself, it had been nothing like this. The office had been dingy, with piles of books and papers everywhere. At the time, he’d rarely had any visitors—all of his communication with clients had been over the internet. The sofa set had become nothing more than a decoration.

“The kiddo sure is good at attracting people,” he murmured as he observed everyone from his desk with a stiff expression.

3

After Kiyotaka set down everyone’s coffee, Yilin bowed her head.

“I’m sorry for the delay in introducing myself. My name is Yilin Jing. I’m from Shanghai.”

“Huh, your Japanese is really good,” Akihito remarked, impressed.

Komatsu choked on his coffee upon hearing her name, the liquid spurting from his mouth.

Akihito grimaced at the coughing detective. “What’s wrong, Komatsu? Nervous because Yilin’s so pretty?”

“I-I was surprised. Are you the daughter of Zhifei Jing?” Komatsu clenched his fist. No wonder she’d seemed familiar. He didn’t remember exactly where he’d seen her before, but it was probably a photo of her with her father in an article somewhere. Even people who weren’t knowledgeable about the business world knew the name of Zhifei Jing, one of the richest men on the planet.

“Huh?” Akihito and Ensho’s eyes widened.

“Yes, I am.” Yilin nodded.

“Wait, that super rich and famous man? Whoa!” Akihito exclaimed.

The woman gave a weak shrug. “It’s my father who’s famous. There’s nothing special about me.”

Huh, she’s pretty humble, thought Komatsu.

“Well, yeah. You were just lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” Ensho said with a sneer.

Yilin turned red for a moment, as if it were the first time she’d been told that to her face. Ensho probably had a strong inferiority complex towards the upper class. It was possibly a big part of why he treated Kiyotaka with such disdain.

“C’mon, Ensho, don’t be jealous.” Now it was Akihito’s turn to be rude.

Ensho clicked his tongue and looked at Kiyotaka. “Holmes really is amazing, eh? Even a super rich and powerful lady is going to him for help.”

Kiyotaka breathed a small sigh. “Ensho, you’re being rude to our guest. Sorry, Miss Yilin.”

“No, it’s fine. And you can just call me Yilin. I’ll call you Holmes too.”

“Very well.” Kiyotaka sat down next to Akihito and Aoi and looked at the Chinese woman in front of him. “So what did you need from me? Does it have something to do with Shiro Kikukawa?”

Yilin grimaced. “Let’s not talk about that man. I cut ties with him after that incident.”

“Huh?” Kiyotaka and Aoi blinked.

“I later found out that he was trying to use my father too. I don’t even know where he is right now.”

“It was wise to cut ties with him.” Kiyotaka nodded.

“Holmes, I come to you today with an appraising job.”

“Appraising?” Holmes’s eyes lit up.

Aoi seemed surprised too. “You want Holmes to appraise something for you?”

“Yes.” Yilin nodded. “My father is going to hold an art exhibition. Since he quickly rose to wealth during the economic bubble, he’s what people call ‘nouveau riche.’ Some applaud his success, but others hate him very much.”

Komatsu, Akihito, and Ensho nodded in understanding.

“So he decided to hold an event at a Shanghai museum to win over the local residents where he lives. It’s called The World’s Finest Art Exhibition, and he’s been gathering treasures from around the world. But some of the pieces that arrived were fakes, and his reputation would be ruined if forgeries were found on display.”

Kiyotaka placed a hand on his chest and tilted his head. “You would ask me to be an appraiser for such a grand exhibit? I don’t mean to be self-deprecating, but I’m very young. Are the staff okay with you choosing me?”

“They want to bring over specialists from each region, and for western Japan, their research led them to the names Seiji Yagashira and Shigetoshi Yanagihara.”

Ensho smirked slightly at the mention of Yanagihara. He must’ve been glad that his teacher’s name came up.

“They contacted them right away. Yanagihara accepted the request, but Yagashira said, ‘Take my grandson, not me. He’s my apprentice and his eyes are just as good as mine.’ That grandson was you, and since we’d met before and I happened to be in Japan already, I came here to ask you directly.”

“Her Japanese really is good,” Akihito murmured, genuinely impressed.

“So my grandfather directed you to me?” Kiyotaka frowned, seeming unconvinced.

“Is something the matter, Holmes?” Aoi asked, puzzled.

Kiyotaka unfolded his arms and smiled. “My grandfather enjoys this kind of glamorous, large-scale event, so it’s surprising that he would decline and nominate me instead. Perhaps he isn’t feeling well. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen him in a while,” he said in a worried tone.

Aoi nodded in understanding. “Oh, so you were worried about the owner’s health. The manager saw him yesterday, and he said he was as energetic as usual. I’m sure he just wants his successor to gain valuable experience.”

“Is that so? I suppose it’s fine, then.” Kiyotaka sounded relieved, but at the same time, he still didn’t seem to fully accept the situation.

“In that case,” said Yilin, opening the scheduling app on her phone and pointing to the calendar, “I know this is really short notice, but we’d like to borrow you for around two weeks starting on this date.”

The departure date was in three days.

“That really is short notice,” Aoi remarked, seeming interested in the trip.

Yilin looked at her with a smile. “You’re welcome to join him if you’d like.”

Aoi blushed slightly and shrugged. “I really appreciate the offer, but I have plans to go to New York during that time.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Oh yeah,” said Komatsu. Aoi had been invited to the U.S. by a world-renowned female curator. “You have to be there for three nights, right?”

“No,” Aoi replied, shaking her head with a troubled smile. “I’d planned on three nights at first because I didn’t want to miss school too much, but they said it wouldn’t be enough, so now I’m going for ten days, including travel time.”

“Oh, right. The flight is more than ten hours one way, so you might as well stay for longer.”

“Be careful,” Ensho muttered.

“I will.” Aoi smiled and nodded.

“So only Holmes is going to Shanghai, then,” said Yilin. “We’ll prepare a first-class flight and a five-star hotel for you. Which hotel would you like? Since you’re Japanese, would you prefer Mori Building? We’ll get you a deluxe room overlooking the Shanghai Tower.”

Ensho heaved an exasperated sigh. Kiyotaka thought for a few seconds before looking up and saying, “I don’t need a first-class flight or a luxury hotel, but would I be able to bring my acting apprentice along?”

Ensho looked up, startled.

“An acting apprentice?” asked Yilin. “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that term.”

“I’m mentoring Yanagihara’s apprentice, Ensho, at the moment—he’s the man over there who was rude earlier. Would he be able to come with me? He lacks manners, but he has a very good eye.”

Yilin looked at Ensho and gave a quick nod. “Yes, that will be fine. We can prepare the finest accommodations for both of you, if you like.”

“No!” Komatsu put his hands on the desk and stood up. “Those two young’uns don’t need that much luxury. Have them fly economy and stay at a normal hotel!”

Yilin’s eyes widened. She whispered in Aoi’s ear, “Is that Holmes’s father?”

“No.” Aoi shook her head. “He’s the boss here.”

“Yilin, I think Komatsu’s jealous of Holmes and Ensho,” Akihito said, laughing.

The detective’s face turned red.

“Oh my.” Yilin looked at Komatsu. “In that case, the boss can come too.”

“Whoa, no, I’ll pass,” said Komatsu, shaking his head so fervently that it looked like it’d come off. “I’ve got work to do here.” He scratched his head in embarrassment. Apparently, his remark really had been out of envy.

The Chinese beauty giggled as if she’d seen right through him. “Well then, I’ll have the necessary documents delivered here later. I’ll send enough paperwork for three, so please fill it out.”

“Wait, no, I’m not—” Komatsu stammered.

“If you end up not needing it, please mail it back,” Yilin replied, preparing to leave.

“I can show you the way to the station if you want,” Aoi offered.

“It’s fine.” Yilin shook her head. “I’d like to do some sightseeing in Gion while I’m here.” She left the office with an eloquent, “See you again.”

And with that, right before Aoi was due to leave for New York, Kiyotaka, Komatsu, and Ensho had secured themselves a trip to Shanghai.

“Seriously?” Komatsu muttered, leaning back in his chair. He never could have expected this turn of events. Feeling his face begin to relax of its own accord, he shook his head and focused on the computer screen.

Prologue: Beware of Maru-Take-Ebisu

1

Not long after Yilin Jing left to do her Gion sightseeing, Akihito Kajiwara’s guests arrived at the Komatsu Detective Agency.

“Hello!” two energetic girls greeted him.

“Oh, there you are,” said Akihito. “You didn’t get lost on the way here, did you?”

“Nope,” they replied with a grin. They looked like young girls because of their petite frames, but they were probably around twenty years old. “Nice to meet you!”

Kiyotaka, Aoi, Ensho, and Komatsu stared blankly at the girls who had sauntered in.

“We’re with the same talent agency as Akihito! I’m Beniko!” one of them said. She was a mysterious beauty with a glossy black bob cut.

“And I’m Sakurako!” said the other, a cute girl with a childish face, wavy hair past her shoulders, and a sweet, high-pitched voice.

They struck a pose. “Together, we’re Beni-Sakura! Thanks for having us,” they said in unison, bowing deeply.

“Cute...” Aoi murmured.

Kiyotaka and Komatsu smiled and nodded, while Ensho snickered and said, “What the heck kinda pose is that?”

The girls laughed despite his rude remark and said, “It’s our signature pose.”

Akihito laughed too. “Don’t be so harsh on them. They’re my juniors at the agency; idols who also do a variety of entertainment stuff. They’re like my precious little sisters.”

The Beni-Sakura duo bowed again.

“So anyway, this is Holmes, my best friend.” It was the usual introduction as far as Akihito was concerned.

“Holmes?” The duo seemed confused.

“My name is Kiyotaka Yagashira. My surname is written with the characters for ‘home’ and ‘head,’ so I was given the nickname ‘Holmes.’ Nice to meet you,” the young appraiser said, smiling gently.

The girls gasped and blushed.

“What are you both fidgeting for?” Akihito groaned. “You have a real Adonis right here.”

“Sorry,” they said, giggling.

“By the way, the girl next to him is Aoi. She’s his girlfriend.”

“I’m Aoi Mashiro,” Aoi said, bowing.

“Akihito, Aoi is my fiancée,” Kiyotaka immediately clarified.

“Oh, right.” The young actor gave an exaggerated shrug. Aoi and the Beni-Sakura duo all blushed.

“So, what did you come here for?” asked Kiyotaka.

“Well...” Akihito looked at the two girls. “Could you give them some advice? Please?”

“You want me to give them advice?” Holmes asked incredulously. He probably didn’t think he’d be able to help idols.

“Please!” the girls implored him, bowing their heads again.

“Well, please have a seat first. Do you drink coffee? I can also prepare tea.”

“Thank you,” said Beniko. “I’ll have coffee, black.”

“I’d like milk and sugar in mine,” said Sakurako.

“Understood.” Kiyotaka went to the kitchen.

The Beni-Sakura duo took their seats on one of the sofas. Akihito sat down across from them.

2

“So what did you want to ask me?” Kiyotaka asked, sitting next to Aoi. Akihito had moved to sit with Beni-Sakura on the sofa across from them. Komatsu and Ensho sat at their desks, observing the situation.

The gathering of idols and handsome men felt like a scene from a TV drama. Komatsu smiled. For some reason, he felt proud that Kiyotaka easily fit in with the celebrities. Aoi seemed very curious about the situation, while Ensho was resting his chin on his hands, looking uninterested. But despite how the man seemed, Komatsu knew he was paying close attention. As proof, the instant Akihito began to explain, Ensho interrupted him.

“Well, you see—”

“Mr. Actor, this is a detective agency. It costs money to request our services. You’re aware of that, right?” he asked in a mean tone.

Akihito gave him a determined look and nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll pay the fee.”

“Akihito...” The idols looked at him, teary-eyed.

“I see that you’re nice to your juniors,” Kiyotaka said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Akihito said nonchalantly. “Besides, a simple consultation won’t cost much.”

“If it’s only a consultation, yes. So what happened?” Kiyotaka asked gently, looking at Beni-Sakura.

“Well...” It was Beniko who spoke. She seemed to be the leader of the two. “We’re on a Kyoto trip right now. Part of it is to prepare for our roles in A Fine Day in Kyoto: Case Files, which Akihito is starring in.”

Kiyotaka’s eyes widened. He looked at the actor and asked, “Case Files?”

Akihito nodded, his hands folded behind his back. “Yeah, A Fine Day in Kyoto is getting a two-hour suspense drama. The lead role is me, playing myself, Akihito Kajiwara. It’s a classic suspense story where I introduce places in Kyoto and incidents come up along the way. Beni-Sakura are making guest appearances, and they said they wanted to sightsee in Kyoto before the filming, so I was showing them around yesterday.”

Aoi’s eyes lit up. “That sounds really interesting.”

“Right?”

“My mom likes those kinds of sightseeing suspense shows, so I often watch them with her. It’s so exciting that A Fine Day in Kyoto is going to have one too!”

“You’ve got good taste, Aoi,” Akihito said cheerfully. “But yesterday, something terrible happened,” he continued, a serious look in his eyes.

“Yes, that’s right.” The Beni-Sakura duo nodded meekly. Everyone listened in silence.

Since they’re idols, did a fan stalk them and cause trouble? Komatsu guessed. The truth ended up being completely different, though.

“We booked time off and came here together,” said Beniko. “Since we’re going to be appearing in a TV show that takes place in Kyoto, we wanted to take our time exploring the area and seeing the sights first. Akihito offered to show us around, and...”

*

It happened yesterday.

Upon arriving in Kyoto, Beniko and Sakurako excitedly headed for their first destination: a shrine recommended to them by Akihito Kajiwara, a senior talent at their agency. They were to meet up with him at the shrine grounds.

They boarded a Randen tram car at Shijo-Omiya Station and were surprised to find that the shrine’s stop was right in front of the torii gate.