Chapter 30
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” the woman apologized to Rina. “He’s very handsome, it’s hard not to come over and say hello.”
Rina smiled gracefully: "Are there any other people in the company who are close to Ishikawa Ryoko?"
"Nao, you can ask her. She's from the publicity department, and it seems like the two of them are roommates." The woman pointed to the girls queuing outside to buy fruit.
“Thank you,” Rina stood up, took the milk tea from Kurosawa Shiran’s hand, and gave a meaningful smile. “This handsome little brother, why don’t you chat with the older sisters for a while? The older sisters all like you very much.”
Kurosawa Shiran blinked, seemingly bewildered and at a loss: "Sister...?"
The woman sized up Rina, who had a fair, oval face and beautiful skin, but her pupils were too dark, like ink soaked in a deep pool, cold and clear. Fortunately, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of alluring and cold beauty.
She asked, "My curiosity has been piqued. Are you plainclothes police officers?"
Kurosawa Tokiaki: "I'm just more interested in the case."
"Was Ishikawa Ryoko targeted by an enemy for revenge?" the woman thought for a moment. "Her face was smashed; the culprit must hate her to death."
Kurosawa Shiran: "It's not clear yet."
“As a woman, I sympathize with her situation.” She sighed silently and said very tactfully, “Ishikawa is a very ambitious woman, but she used the wrong methods.”
Kurosawa Shiran: "Does he have a boyfriend?"
The woman shook her head: "I don't know. It's hard to see through a woman like that; she's very shrewd—"
At this point, Kurosawa Shiran kept glancing out the window and saw Rina follow that person into the alley. She immediately couldn't sit still anymore. "Wait a minute, I have to go find my sister."
The woman looked at the empty seat opposite her with a smile, and couldn't help but think to herself, "What a clingy little brother. His face still looks childish, but he's tall and upright with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He's so irresistible."
“Miss Rina, I’m quite certain that Ryoko isn’t as bad as everyone thinks,” Nao whispered, following behind Rina. “She’s a really good person.”
Rina stopped and turned to look at her: "Do you know about her and those people?"
She could understand that when the police questioned Ryoko Ishikawa at the company, the employees were very cautious to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble, and some even concealed some information.
However, this approach serves two purposes: firstly, it pleases Ishikawa Ryoko's clientele, and secondly, it protects the boss's reputation and helps him keep his job.
We're all adults; we can all weigh things clearly.
Nao hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are indeed a few playboys pursuing her... but none of them are sincere. Ryoko said that they just treat pursuing girls as a game, and those people will not take it seriously for her."
Rina: "Are there any people who have been in frequent contact with her recently? Or have you met them?"
“No, she doesn’t usually go out except for work,” Nao hesitated for a moment, “and she usually only contacts clients.”
Rina frowned, thought for a long time, looked her over, and softly expressed her apology: "No offense intended, the scarf around your neck is nice."
The scarf was a luxury item; the cost of her entire outfit couldn't even come close to the price of that silk scarf.
"This is a birthday present from Ryoko..." Nao hesitated, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness and unease. "She often receives gifts from men. Should I take it back?"
She took Ishikawa Ryoko's belongings without permission, but Rina didn't question it and just nodded in surprise.
She continued, "Do you usually go home together after get off work?"
“Occasionally, but the sales department often has drinking parties and a lot of overtime,” Nao paused for a moment, “She was working overtime the night she had the accident.”
Rina asked, "You didn't call when you didn't come home last night?"
Nao: "Sometimes she would stay out all night, but I didn't pay much attention... I'm sorry I can't help her."
Rina stared at her intently for a moment: "What's her personal relationship with your boss?"
“She once mentioned it when she was drunk, saying that she envied his wife for having such a good man,” Nao thought for a while before answering. “Maybe it was just admiration. Their only interaction was when they went on business trips together, and then there was that tea shop. The owner often went there to buy coffee, and Ryoko would sometimes go there too.”
Her tone was not very certain.
"Thank you so much, thank you for telling us all this."
Rina found some clues and was in a relatively good mood. She then planned to go to the hospital for a follow-up examination of her wrist.
My wrist is probably swollen again because I slept on it last night.
However, before that, she needs to ask why the tea shop is short one person.
Kurosawa Shiran: "Sister, how could you leave me in a place like that? Those women were so fierce."
Rina: "I like you."
Kurosawa Shiran: "But I only like my older sister."
Rina: "I'm just your older sister."
"Sisters are meant to be loved. Of course, I'd love even more if sisters could take the initiative," Kurosawa Shiran said, striking a pose that was both alluring and inviting to be teased. She leaned down and rested her chin on Shiran's shoulder.
Rina clearly knew this; his submissiveness and ingratiation were all feigned.
“I am not your plaything,” she said.
Hearing this, Kurosawa Shiran's lips curved into a wider smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and she no longer concealed her malice. "Why would you think that, sister?"
However, Rina caught this detail precisely through the glass opposite her. "Excuse me, is Ms. Akari here?"
Kurosawa Shiran pursed her lips and straightened up as if she were sad.
The shop assistant wiped the cup in his hand without looking up at her: "She's not here anymore. Two weeks ago, she wrote a resignation letter to the manager and left it in the mailbox by the door. She hasn't come back since, and she didn't take her water cup with her."
"Here's the thing, can you tell me where she lives?" Rina said. "I'm her friend. She stayed at my house before and left her clothes behind."
"Is she a friend? She lives in the Shikawa residential area... Let me check," the store manager came out of the break room, found the employee information registration form in the counter drawer, and showed it to Rina.
Rina: "Would it be convenient to ask her why she resigned?"
Upon hearing this, a shop assistant nearby said with a resentful look, "Why bother doing hard work when you've found a rich man?"
The store manager glared at him, then turned to Rina and said, "I'm sorry, the kid is just being silly. We've all been too busy with work these past few days, so everyone's not in a good mood."
The store manager was an elderly lady with exquisite makeup and elegant clothes, which made her look very energetic.
Rina: "Hello ma'am, may I take a look at your resignation letter?"
The store manager smiled. "Did something happen?"
Rina: "No, I'm just a little anxious because I can't get in touch with her."
"Take a look, there's nothing special about it," the store manager said, taking a resignation letter out of the envelope. "However, I made it very clear to her during the interview that she needed to give fifteen days' notice before leaving, but she left without any warning. This has caused a shortage of staff in the store, and everyone is under a lot of pressure. I think she is a meticulous and conscientious girl, and she shouldn't have done something like this. I think she must have encountered some difficulties."
At this point, a troubled look appeared in his eyes.
Rina nodded and quickly read the letter.
Dear Store Manager:
As I write this letter, my heart is filled with reluctance and gratitude. At that moment, the cherry blossoms outside the shop were falling gently, and it should have been a beautiful day.
Since joining the company, I have been grateful for the care and support of everyone in the store. This has enabled me, a delinquent girl who dropped out of high school to work, to be able to stand on my own at work. Every step of my growth is inseparable from everyone's help. I will always remember the warmth that these fragments piece together.
Making this decision was extremely difficult, and it had become a knot in my heart. However, my family found me a suitable job in my hometown. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to resign and return to Osaka to embark on a new journey.
As I write this, my nose still gets a little sore. I am truly grateful to have spent three years in such a warm and loving family. This will be the most precious gift in my career.
If I have the opportunity to return here in the future, I will definitely bring plum wine from my hometown to visit you all.
Thank you again for your support. I wish the company a prosperous future and great success.
yours truly
Akari Yamamoto
This is a template that departing employees often use.
Rina returned the letter, bought a cup of hot cocoa before leaving, and returned to the car thoughtfully, saying, "Let's go to the Shikakawa residential area."
Kurosawa Shiran looked at her heartbrokenly, without saying a word, and seemed about to burst into tears at any moment.
It's rare to realize that he didn't say a single word on the way back.
Rina's expression froze slightly. "What's wrong?"
"Sister, I want a reward!" Kurosawa Shiran looked extremely aggrieved. "You can't always bully me."
How did I bully him?
It's just cooking, shopping, doing housework, and driving...
Lina suddenly felt a little guilty.
She decided to walk on her own, but she was penniless. After a long silence, she couldn't bear his gaze any longer, so she took his hand and kissed it. "Let's drive."
Kurosawa Shiran swallowed hard, her expression instantly changing from before.
He raised the corners of his lips and stared intently at her, his eyes filled with a captivating allure. "Sister, what were you doing just now?"
It's so strange, why is everything she does so adorable?
He stared at Rina's expression, feeling himself getting even more excited, and then, in the next second, he leaned in and kissed her lips.
Rina instinctively tried to dodge, but his palm pressed down on the back of her head.
It started as a gentle, fleeting kiss, until he bit Rina's lower lip, tasted it, and began to suck and lick it.
Gradually, he wanted to take Rina's breath away, but secretly observing her reaction, he ended the kiss.
Kurosawa Shiran licked her wet lips, as if savoring them, "Sweet."
My older sister is sweet.
Rina: "Perhaps you should take some psychiatric medication. I know many excellent doctors, and I wouldn't mind recommending a few to you."
Kurosawa Shiran chuckled softly, her voice exceptionally captivating. "Sister, are you insulting me?"
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