This was the first time I was ever asked for a voluntary escort. And even in a bathroom, of all places. "Right now?" "Yes. It won't take much of your time." Even if you say that... "Excuse me, may I make a phone call? I have a little one waiting for me at home." "No problem at all." I tried to decline indirectly, but... Left with no choice, I pulled out my smartphone and dialed my grandfather's house. After a few rings, someone picked up. "Hello? Here by Yamada?" A girl's voice answered. I hadn't taught her, but she answered the phone just fine. "Me, Me. It's indeed me." "Tatsuya-san, is that you?" "That's right." I'll need to teach her how to handle suspicious calls when I get back... "What's going on? Oh, by the way, we're having simmered fish today." Oh, that makes me happy! "Thank you. But something just came up, so I think I'll be a little late. You can start eating without me if you want." "Is that so? Tatsuya-san, you have it so rough. Do your best." She's such a good kid. She and Miriam are my sanctuary. "Yeah, I'll try to come back as soon as possible. See you." "Yes, I'll be waiting." I hung up my smartphone. "I'm sorry for making you wait." "Not at all. Actually, I'm the one who should apologize. Kichi-kun, I'll leave the rest to you, so could you call for backup?" "Huh? Me?" Kichi-san, looking surprised, points to herself, then Kirigaya points at the woman lying down. "You being here would be for the best. You understand, right?" Indeed, if the victim is a woman, having someone of the same gender here would be preferable. But, please change out of your uniform. "Ah, yes. Understood." "Thank you. Then... um, sorry, I haven't gotten your name yet." "Oh, my name is Yamada." I handed over my business card somewhat awkwardly. "Thank you. I'm Kirigaya. Well then, let us go." Kirigaya glanced at the business card, then promptly tucked it into his chest pocket and left the restroom.

Following behind, I too exited the restroom and noticed an expensive-looking black car parked at the entrance of the park, with Kirigaya heading towards it. "…Yamada, I should tell you beforehand. Not just the girl from earlier, but that man is also a wizard. Be careful." Eh? “What’s wrong?” Startled, Kirigaya stopped and looked over with a smile. "Ah, no. I was just thinking that’s a pretty fancy car." While saying this, I quickly walked over. "Haha, it’s nothing special." Even though I’m no expert in cars, it certainly looks impressive to me… Thinking this, I approached the car and Kirigaya kindly opened the back seat door for me, so I got in. Then, as Kirigaya took the driver's seat, we departed. Continuing to watch outside, it took us about 30 minutes to return to the business district. "Yamada-san, you work around here, right?" Kirigaya, who had been silent since we got in the car, finally spoke. "Yes, for over 10 years now." "It must be hard. Do you have any gripes with it?" "Of course. The pay isn’t great." Everybody has their complaints, more or less. "Do you have children, by any chance?" Did he forgot the phone call just now...? "I've been taking care of a relative's child, you see. Since that child is also here, I really would like to ask for a bit more salary. The position allowance for an assistant manager isn't even 10,000 yen, right?" Atleast give me another 10,000 or 20,000 yen. "Haha, I know how you feel." Really? You're getting support from the police, aren't you? Well, with that job, there are probably many dangers too. As we proceeded, the car drove into the underground parking lot of a particular building and came to a stop. "Please, go ahead." Once again, Kirigaya-san opened the door for me, allowing me to exit the car. Then, the two of us (and one pet) took the elevator, and upon quickly reaching the designated floor, we exited. "Let me take care of your luggage." Following Kirigaya-san's offer, I handed him the business bag I was carrying. "Thank you. Then, please wait in that room over there." Guided by Kirigaya-san's smiling suggestion, I entered the room. Entering the room, the first thing that came to mind was an interrogation room. A plain desk was placed in the narrow room. And for some reason, a mirror was mounted on the wall. Upon entering the room, I touched the mirror. "This must be what they call a magic mirror, huh?"

Muttering to myself, I slightly messed with my hair before sitting down in the chair. "Make sure you don't react, okay? It's definitly a magic mirror, meow. There's a man and a woman on the other side. And now, Kirigaya just came into the room and is looking over here, meow. By the way, the woman who saw you fiddling with your hair earlier is right in front of you and was laughing." Seriously? As I tried not to show signs of emotion I waited in that room until finally Kirigaya-san entered. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting." Saying that, Kirigaya-san took a seat across from me. "No, no. Feels like an interrogation room, doesn't it?" "At this time, this is pretty much the only place available. I'm sorry." Atleast try to deny it, please... It's actually an interrogation room. "Well, it's a valuable experience." "I'm glad to hear you say that." Kirigaya-san smiles brightly. It was a joke though... He's smiling, but his eyes aren't, which is kind of scary... "Then, could you please explain what happened in the bathroom? Even minor details are important, so please be thorough." So, I began to explain everything chronologically. Of course, I left out anything about magical powers or demons. I made it look like a simple case of being attacked in the toilet and fighting back. "I see... how should I put it, you're not having a good day, are you?" "Yes. I should have just used the toilet when I got home." "Why didn't you go home?" Eh? Saying I couldn't hold it in... seems like a bad idea. After all, it's been nearly an hour since then, and I haven't been to the bathroom. "Well, I told you earlier that i have a small child, right? And she's a girl... naturally, you wouldn't want to be thought of as smelling bad. So I thought I'd relieve myself outside before heading home." By the way, out of genuine concern, I bought a toilet deodorizer spray and air freshener. "Ahaha. How old are you, Yamada-san?" "I've just turned 35." "It's an age when one starts to be concerned, isn't it? I'm also approaching 40, so I can relate." Huh? This person is older than me? He looks like he's in his twenties. "Yeah... that is kinda it" "I get it, I get it... Hm?" As Kirigaya-san was laughing, there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me." Kirigaya-san got up and left the room. “......By the way, I don't think you smell, meow.” What a nice kid. I'll give you some Chūru treats when I get home.