Toko-senpai Is A Master Detective

Toko-senpai suddenly fell silent, the words catching in her throat.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

With a grimace, Toko-senpai thrust the smartphone back toward me.

“I can’t bring myself to say it. Look for yourself.”

There, it was written: the two of them had indulged in an affair… in a multipurpose toilet in a park near the school.

“In a place like that… these people…”

…Are they animals?!

The retort screamed in my mind. I could only conclude that they were pathologically “in heat.”

Leaving aside my utter exasperation, Toko-senpai was already back to turning things over in her mind. She truly had the aura of a “Master Detective” now.

“But if you think about it, that location also fits the conditions I mentioned earlier.”

“Really? A park near the school… I thought that was the opposite of what you said before?”

“Tell me, did you even know that park had a ‘multipurpose toilet’?”

“No…” I answered after a moment’s thought. I had gone to that park once or twice for a change of pace, but it was in the opposite direction of the station, so I rarely set foot there.

“But it’s a park, so it’s natural for it to have a toilet.”

“True. But normal people don’t use park toilets in the middle of the day or at night. Besides, since that park is in the complete opposite direction of the station, our students rarely go there. Even if they did bump into an acquaintance, if they’re in a park, they can just make the excuse that they ‘happened to be there at the same time.’”

I see. Put that way, Toko-senpai was exactly right.

“I understand. So, timing-wise, it’s on the way home from school on Mondays or Thursdays. And it’s a station within their range of activity that they don’t usually use. Somewhere with a hotel nearby. A place like that.”

“Yes. But if you’re going to investigate Karen-san, be extremely careful. The risk of her noticing is dozens of times higher than it is with Tetsuya.”

“Is it really that different?”

“They say that even with extramarital affairs, a husband almost never notices his wife’s infidelity, but a wife can spot a husband’s affair instantly. That’s how sensitive women are to changes in daily life. They feel a sense of ‘wrongness’ from the slightest shift in gesture or speech.”

I couldn’t say a word to that. It was true that Toko-senpai’s reasoning so far had been brilliant, focusing on points I never would have noticed. Since Toko-senpai was the one saying it, she was undoubtedly right.

“So, you don’t need to push yourself to investigate Karen-san. Whatever you do, never ask her, ‘What did you do today?’ Just pay attention to her gestures and words. If she mentions a shop in a place you’ve never been together, or if there’s a place she suddenly seems to hate going to with you, tell me immediately.”

“Understood.”

“Also, from now on, let’s create separate accounts on SNS for our communication. Then, we’ll create a shared folder on a cloud service with encrypted access where we can store evidence like photos.”

“Roger that. I’ll upload these photos of Karen’s messages to the cloud folder right away.”

As I spoke with her, I started to feel a sense of determination. With Toko Sakurajima by my side, I felt like we could deliver a powerful counter-punch to those two.

But at the end, she looked at me with a sorrowful expression and said:

“I said a lot of high-and-mighty things to you just now, but the truth is, it’s not like I’m not hurting. Honestly, a part of me is still thinking, ‘What if this is a lie?’ or ‘What if this is just a prank?’ I want to believe in Tetsuya too. But I can’t simply dismiss the evidence you showed me as a lie. That’s why, first, I want to confirm with my own eyes whether they are truly cheating or not.”

This was the first time today Toko-senpai had shown any vulnerability.

It was only natural. No one could be faced with their partner’s infidelity and remain unshaken.

The smiles they had shown us, the kind words, the thoughtful gestures, and the countless memories… If the premise that they love only us crumbles, what on earth are we supposed to believe in?

Despite that, Toko-senpai had been brave enough not to whine or lose her cool until now, calmly explaining our future course of action. Even though I, a man, was being so weak and flustered.

…Why would a guy like Kamokura cheat when he has a wonderful girlfriend like her…

I felt a surge of intense rage toward Tetsuya Kamokura once again. At the same time, I began to feel a desire to support Toko-senpai.

“Toko-senpai, thank you for today. Thanks to you, I feel like my eyes have finally opened. As ‘comrades-in-arms’ fighting together from here on out, I look forward to working with you.”

I held out my right hand. Toko-senpai looked up. Was it my imagination, or were the rims of her eyes slightly red?

“‘Comrades-in-arms’… I like that word. You’re right. Let’s do our best together.”

Toko-senpai also reached out and gripped my hand firmly.

I’m going to do this. I’m really going to do this! To the people who made us feel this way—I’m going to pay them back double!