Vol 3 Chapter 9 – Kuroko’s Café  (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

After ending the call with Hirata, I headed toward the cave where the three were already on their way.

“Hm…?”

A girl stood ahead of me, looking as if she were searching for something.

She wore a white T-shirt and jeans, her silver hair tied back in a simple ponytail. Her face was a mix of panic and desperation.

I couldn’t bring myself to ignore someone in need, so I started to speak—but hesitated.

“Should I…?”

The thought of the cave crossed my mind, and I debated whether to stop or not. The three were likely already there by now.

While I didn’t want to keep them waiting, seeing someone so obviously in trouble made me want to help.

Well, it’s not like I want to see a well stuffed with corpses. Let the ones used to bodies deal with it.

“Are you looking for something? Can I help?”

Setting aside my internal conflict, I decided to talk to her.

“Thank you so much… Actually, I dropped my wallet,” she said, her voice fraught with worry.

A lost wallet. Yeah, that would make anyone panic.

“A wallet, huh? That’s rough. Do you remember the last time you had it?”

“This morning… The last time I saw it was after I got back from the beach and bought a drink at a vending machine.”

Her face looked ready to crumble, like she’d burst into tears any second.

“Alright, I’ll help you look for it.”

“Huh? Really? Are you sure?”

Her face brightened like she’d found a ray of hope.

“Of course! I’ve got time to kill anyway (total lie). Let’s find it together.”

“Thank you so much… I really appreciate it!”

She grabbed my hand, catching me off guard for a second. But after all the “training” I’d gotten from Satsuki and her unwanted body harassment, I didn’t flinch.

“What kind of wallet is it?”

“It’s a white leather wallet. A bit long.”

A white leather wallet. Not something you see every day—shouldn’t be too hard to spot.

“Got it. Can you tell me which paths you’ve taken so far?”

“Sure. I went from the vending machine near the beach, through an alley, and then wandered through the shopping district for about thirty minutes.”

The alley near the vending machine by the beach… That’s where Satsuki found Kuroda, isn’t it?

So, she must’ve passed through there earlier. If that’s the case, there might still be bloodstains left from Kuroda. A random passerby seeing that would be bad.

“Alright. I’ll check the dim alley. No sense in sending you somewhere unsafe.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll check the shopping district again.”

“Sounds good. Let’s regroup later.”

She headed off toward the shopping district, and I turned toward the alley where Kuroda had been found. There was something I needed to take care of first.

I pulled out my phone and called Kuzuryuu. He picked up immediately.

“It’s me.”

“Manaka here. What’s going on?”

From the faint wind sound in the background, I could tell he was near the sea. They must already be at the cave.

“I’ve got something to deal with here… Have you reached the cave?”

“Yes. The three of us are in position.”

“Got it. Sorry to ask, but can I leave this to you for now?”

“Of course. If it’s your request, Saito-san.”

Kuzuryuu, ever the professional. No objections, no complaints.

“Thanks. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done here.”

“Understood. Let me know if anything comes up.”

With the call over, I sighed in relief. Now I could focus on finding the wallet—and maybe avoid heading to the cave altogether.

I stepped into the alley.

“Alright…”

The dim alley was heavy with a cold, stifling air.

This was where Satsuki had found Kuroda just hours earlier. Being mid-September in Hokkaido, the weather was already chilly, but the lack of sunlight made it even colder.

I scanned the area for the wallet as I walked.

“This should be the spot…”

Reaching a familiar corner, I saw faint traces of blood splattered on the ground and walls.

It looked like the aftermath of some intense fight.

“This… isn’t good.”

I casually scuffed the ground with my foot and scattered dirt over the stains on the wall. It wasn’t perfect, but the dim lighting would help hide most of it.

“Guess this’ll have to do…”

Muttering to myself, I ventured further into the alley, still looking for the wallet. A white leather wallet should stand out even here, but there was no sign of it.

Maybe I should head back and check with the girl in the shopping district.

That’s when I heard the faint sound of waves.

Drawn by the noise, I followed it deeper into the alley.

“…The sea?”

At the end of the alley, it opened up to reveal the ocean. The vast blue expanse spread out before me, the salty breeze and crashing waves enveloping me.

Not bad.

“Well, I’ll probably end up here later anyway. Better head back.”

I turned back toward the shopping district and spotted a vending machine near the alley’s entrance.

Right—this was where she said she’d last used her wallet.

I scanned the area.

No sign of anything that looked like a wallet. I’d already searched the entire alley thoroughly, and if it wasn’t here, then it had to be in the shopping district.

“I’m thirsty… Maybe I’ll grab a drink.”

Having walked out to the beach, the sudden exposure to the blazing sun left me craving something cold. I pulled out my wallet, fed some coins into the vending machine, and pressed the barley tea button. Just as I reached for my drink—

“Huh… Isn’t this the wallet?”

In the vending machine’s retrieval slot was a white leather wallet. It perfectly matched the description the girl had given.

She must’ve forgotten it here when she bought her drink. Holding the wallet and my barley tea, I set off to find her.

“Thank you so much! You’ve really saved me!”

The girl bowed deeply, beaming with joy. The despair that had covered her face earlier had completely vanished.

It feels pretty good to be appreciated.

“Um, may I ask for your name?”

“Ah, I’m…”

I hesitated for a moment. I usually use my real name in private settings, but considering I’m technically here on business for the organization, maybe I should use a fake one.

But then again, it’s not like she’s involved with the organization. Might as well stick with my real name.

“My name is Sakata Yuuto. Pleased to meet you.”

“Sakata-san! I’m Sugiyama Reina!”

She introduced herself with a radiant smile.

With Sugiyama-san’s wallet safely returned, I figured it was time to part ways. But just as I was about to say goodbye—

“Since this feels like fate, there’s a café nearby I go to all the time. Would you mind chatting with me for a bit? As thanks, the treat’s on me!”

She grabbed my hand and looked up at me with puppy-dog eyes.

Ugh… I’m weak to that.

“Alright. But I’ll pay for myself. I only did what anyone would do.”

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s go.”

Before I could protest, she tugged me along through the shopping district.

“Um…”

“Hm? What is it?”

I tried to let go of her hand, but her grip was ironclad.

“Never mind.”

Resigned, I let her lead me.

“This is it! I guarantee you’ll love this café!”

She brought me to a quaint café with a stylish, tiled exterior. It looked chic, to say the least. The sign read Café Hoshihoshi.

“Welcome.”

As we entered, the owner—a woman, judging by her voice—greeted us. She was dressed in black with her face covered like some kind of stagehand. It startled me for a second, but Sugiyama-san didn’t seem fazed, pulling me to a table in the back.

The table was sturdy, made of simple yet polished wood. It had a cozy vibe.

“What would you like to order?”

The owner came over to take our orders.

“Sugiyama-san, do you have any recommendations?”

“Hmm… The coffee here, made by the Master, is amazing.”

“Alright, I’ll have an iced coffee, then.”

The owner nodded silently. As she turned, a glimpse of her face peeked out from beneath the black cloth—it was strikingly beautiful.

Why is she hiding it? I guess she must have her reasons.

“I’ll have an iced coffee and a sandwich!”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

With that, the owner disappeared into the kitchen. She seemed quiet, the reserved type. I appreciated that—no unnecessary interference. The atmosphere reminded me of my favorite café where I’d spend my days off.

“This is a nice place.”

“I’m so glad you think so!”

She looked thrilled. Right, there was something I wanted to ask her.

“I’m glad we found your wallet, but why have you been smiling so much since then?”

She looked surprised for a moment, then spoke shyly.

“Well, you see, these days, people often ignore someone in trouble. The fact that you stopped to help me—it made me so happy.”

She’s not wrong. In this world, it’s rare to find people who go out of their way to help others.

For me, though, it’s just normal.

“I see. For me, it’s nothing special. I didn’t expect to be thanked so much.”

“Nothing special? Does that mean you help people often, Sakata-san!?”

Her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward, her excitement reminiscent of Kirino’s hyperactive energy.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. It’s my only real strength—being kind to others. I even started a volunteer group.”

…Which eventually turned into a criminal organization, but let’s not dwell on that.

Sugiyama-san was looking at me with what could only be described as reverence.

Okay, this is starting to get creepy.

“Actually, I’m part of a group that does charity work here in town. We focus on things like crime prevention.”

“That’s impressive. What kind of crime prevention do you do?”

“Various activities, but mostly cracking down on criminal behavior. We aim to keep the town safe.”

Crime prevention, huh? If they found out about my organization, I’d be arrested on the spot.

I broke into a nervous sweat but managed to keep the conversation going.

“Crime prevention’s important these days. Please take care of yourself.”

“Thank you.”

As we chatted, the owner brought over our drinks and Sugiyama-san’s sandwich.

“Sorry for the wait.”

Two iced coffees were placed on the table, along with her sandwich. Without another word, the owner returned to the counter. I took a sip of my coffee.

“This coffee is amazing.”

“Right? It’s the best!”

Sugiyama-san puffed up her chest proudly, as if she’d made it herself, and happily bit into her sandwich.

“Mmm, so good!”

She looked completely content. Watching her, I suddenly met her gaze.

“Would you like a bite, Sakata-san?”

She held out the half-eaten sandwich.

Wait, wouldn’t this technically be an indirect kiss?

But… the sandwich does look good.

“Thanks. I’ll take a little, then.”

Carefully, I tore off a piece she hadn’t touched and popped it in my mouth. Delicious. But… there was something oddly familiar about the flavor.

“This is great. Does the Master make everything here?”

“Yep! Every dish is handcrafted by the Master.”

As I pondered this, the owner suddenly appeared and handed me another sandwich.

“Wait, I didn’t order this.”

“It’s on the house. As a thank-you for helping Sugiyama-san.”

Without waiting for a reply, she returned to the counter.

“See? The Master’s really kind.”

“Haha… Thanks.”

Taking a bite of the sandwich, I noticed how perfectly balanced it was—the crispy lettuce, tender meat, and sweet-savory sauce.

But then it hit me.

The meat tasted exactly like the kind Arisu uses in her cooking.