Junichiro Tanizaki finally came to consciousness. After the desperate communication disappeared, his memory of his sister came back. Naomi Tanizaki lay in his arms and cried sadly. Junichiro Tanizaki almost went crazy because of self-blame.

It was painful to think that I had forgotten Naomi and pushed her away.

And there is Hinata Hajime.

"I'm very sorry!" Tanizaki Junichiro bent down and bowed to Hinata Hajime to apologize.

Hinata was surprised, "What?"

"I actually forgot about Naomi and did such an excessive thing to her. Moreover, I even called Mr. Hinata afterwards, causing problems for him." Tanizaki Junichiro's face turned pale. "It's all my fault! I'm sorry!"

Yes, up to now, everyone in the detective agency believes that Kamijou Izuru is an abnormality that appeared after Hinata Hajime was affected by despair disease.

"Don't worry about it." Hinata helped him up. "Rather than thinking that you would do something excessive to your sister, it's better to think that this proves how important Naomi is to you."

Tanizaki Junichiro was stunned, "Huh?"

"The despair communication will steal the most important thing in a person's heart. You forgot about Naomi after receiving the despair communication, which means that Naomi is the most important and irreplaceable thing in your heart." Hinata Hajime said: "Congratulations, your sister cherishes you as well."

Tanizaki Junichiro blinked, his eyes were still confused. At this moment, Tanizaki Naomi hugged Tanizaki Junichiro, her voice full of tears and coquettishness.

"I know that my brother loves me the most!"

"Naomi! Be gentle!"

"No! Brother, we must be together forever!"

"The wound hurts so much, Naomi!"

However, Tanizaki Junichiro's expression was obviously much more relaxed. When Tanizaki Naomi pulled Tanizaki Junichiro away, Hinata Hajime saw Tanizaki Naomi's grateful eyes.

【It’s great to have a family that understands and cherishes each other. 】

Kamukura Izuru glanced at the Tanizaki siblings as they left.

family?

Have you become accustomed to abnormalities? Hinata Hajime.

The consequences of the Desperate Communication were gradually alleviated. Only the Port Mafia and the Killer Organization suffered heavy losses. The Port Mafia was targeted by the military and police because they were unable to evacuate. The Killer Organization directly evacuated Yokohama and abandoned all its businesses and bases in Yokohama cleanly, which was equivalent to starting over in other cities.

Yokohama really changed overnight.

But this has nothing to do with the Armed Detective Agency. The Armed Detective Agency is the same as before, taking a few commissions every day. Occasionally, when there are no commissions on a day, they will go to the cafe downstairs to drink coffee together.

[It has been too peaceful recently, and I haven't heard of any terrible incidents. 】

Hinata Hajime was drinking his coffee while talking to Kamukura in his mind.

[Despair doesn’t just lead to fratricide.]

[However, when despair reaches a certain level, it will definitely lead to a tragic accident.] Hinata Hajime put the coffee cup on the table. [It is true that it will not reach this level at the beginning of despair, but because the reaction is too small, it is not so easy to be discovered.]

Kamizuru Izuru answered: [Let it be.]

[Is this how I can get good news? ]

【You can try it. 】

Hinata Hajime frowned helplessly, he picked up the coffee cup and drank it all, then stood up to pay the bill. Just after he paid the bill and walked out of the coffee shop, a girl came out from the elevator next to him. It was Naomi Tanizaki in school uniform.

"Naomi?" Hinata Hajime looked at Tanizaki Naomi, "Come down at this hour? Aren't you going to accompany your brother? Or is there something going on at school?"

"No, I came here specifically to see Mr. Hinata." Naomi Tanizaki smiled.

Naomi Tanizaki is a beautiful and gentle girl, an active high school student, who works part-time at the detective agency during holidays. She has a special love for Junichiro Tanizaki, which is why she is so talented. She was once evaluated as a detective who would be better than Junichiro Tanizaki if she did not have supernatural powers.

So Hinata Hajime had to go back to the cafe and order another cup of coffee.

I hope I don’t have trouble sleeping at night because of drinking too much coffee.

"I didn't have time to thank Hinata-san for that incident before." Naomi Tanizaki was referring to the incident where Junichiro Tanizaki was infected by the despair communication. "I heard from Mr. Dazai that it was because Mr. Hinata solved the problem that my brother recovered so quickly. He also told my brother that he forgot about me because he had me in his heart."

Hinata shook his head, "No, I'm telling the truth."

"But if it weren't for that, I don't know what Brother would have become. Although he looks like that, he is actually very self-blaming." Tanizaki Naomi smiled, "He might have really fallen into despair because of guilt and self-blame. Fortunately, Mr. Hinata said those words and avoided this result."

[I came here to express my gratitude for this. As expected, although everyone in the detective agency is a little strange, they are all good people.]

[According to your standards, talent equals weirdness, right?]

[But you can't deny that there are a lot of weirdos among talented people.]

[Very boring theory.]

[…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you with such boring things.] Hinata Hajime was helpless.

"If you really want to thank me, this cup of coffee is for you." Hinata Hajime said, "How about this as a thank you?"

Naomi Tanizaki was stunned for a moment, then she couldn't help laughing, "Mr. Hinata is really funny."

"I just don't think it's necessary to be thanked in person for something like this. This is just what I should do." Hinata Hajime took a sip of coffee, his emerald eyes were gentle and friendly, "Naomi treated me to a delicious coffee, thank you."

"Mr. Hinata is really good at getting along with people. No matter who is with Mr. Hinata, they will not feel uncomfortable." Tanizaki Naomi sighed, "People like Mr. Hinata must be very popular."

"Really?" Hinata Hajime was a little surprised. "This is the first time I've received such an evaluation."

It doesn't make people feel uncomfortable or welcome or anything like that.

"Of course, everyone in the detective agency likes Mr. Hinata very much, and Mr. Hinata is also very powerful. He can do well in everything he does." Naomi Tanizaki said with a smile.

Hearing this, Hinata Hajime sighed. To be honest, he had never felt popular.

From childhood to adulthood, Hinata Hajime's only advantage was his good grades. Apart from that, he had no other outstanding qualities. The fact that he was not admitted to Hope's Peak Academy proved this. His past pursuit of talent made it difficult for him to have much impact on the people around him.

Even in the preparatory department of Hope's Peak Academy, he had no friends with whom he could even speak a few words except Kuzuryu Nazami.

I didn't expect that at this time, he would be described as 'popular'.

"Of course, this time I don't just want to thank you for what happened before. I remember that Mr. Hinata was looking for strange cases." Tanizaki Naomi changed the subject. "Although I don't know if it is true, I always feel that something is not right, so I thought of asking Mr. Hinata."

Hinata Hajime blinked. "A strange case? Doesn't the detective agency know about it?"

"No, I didn't tell anyone in the detective agency. After all, it wasn't a big deal." Tanizaki Naomi clenched her hands, "Actually, it happened in my school."

Hinata Sou nodded, "You go ahead."

Then Naomi Tanizaki told Hinata Hajime the main purpose of her visit this time.

Naomi Tanizaki is still in school, at a high school in Yokohama. She also has a friend in the school, a girl named Mizuide Yoshiko.

Unlike Naomi Tanizaki, who is cheerful and smart, but is good at seeking profit and avoiding harm, and usually spends her holidays in the detective club, Mizuide Yoshiko is a girl who doesn't follow the rules. Of course, although she doesn't follow the rules, she is not a bad person. She has never been a school bully, but has helped classmates who were bullied.

However, Mizuide Yoshiko has a secret: she has a crush on the teacher of the painting cram school.

This is a secret that only Naomi Tanizaki knows.

"I tried to dissuade her and told her the pros and cons, but she just liked that teacher and there was nothing I could do." Tanizaki Naomi frowned. "Some time ago, my brother and I were the only ones who dealt with her issues. Later, we found out that the teacher actually had a girlfriend and was getting married soon. She was very sad."

"But... when I went to school the next day, I noticed something was wrong with her."

The girl who cried uncontrollably last night came to school happily the next day. She also brought Naomi Tanizaki's favorite lunch box, and there was nothing wrong in her words. Naomi Tanizaki tentatively asked her what she thought of the teacher, but heard her say that she didn't even know she had a painting teacher.

Naomi Tanizaki knew her friend very well, so she could easily judge that Mizuide Yoshiko was not pretending, she really had forgotten that teacher.

"Forgot?" Hinata Hajime frowned slightly.

"Well, there is not a trace at all, as if my secret love never existed at all." Naomi Tanizaki frowned worriedly.

Hinata thought for a moment, "Did you continue asking?"

"I asked her but she didn't remember anything, so with her permission I checked her computer records and found this."

Naomi Tanizaki opened her bag, took out a printed paper, and handed it to Hinata Hajime with both hands. Naomi Tanizaki said, "Hinata-san, take a look. I think this incident may be related to this place."

After taking the paper, Hinata Hajime saw a web page.

Title: "I have a secret, but I don't want it."

"Everyone has secrets, but some of them don't want others to know no matter what. Secrets only bring pain. Then, you can come here, delete your secrets, and return to normal life."

"It's okay if you don't want to lose this secret. We welcome you to come and tell it to us in a place where no one is around."

"Mouse Town."

"It's this place: Rat City. It seems to be circulating in all major colleges and universities, like an urban legend." Tanizaki Naomi said, "Legend has it that there is a place called Rat City, where you can tell your secrets to anyone, but Rat City is only open to people with secrets."

"And if you're sad about this secret, Mouse City can help you clear it up."

【Mouse Castle.】Hinata Sou murmured softly.

[It’s really a name that matches the secret. ]