episode_0164

As they were leaving the store after eating their burgers, a message from Amy arrived on Lane’s phone.

I’m on my way back home with Victor now, so if you’re out there, the message is to come home.

We immediately ran home.

When I returned home the way I had come, Amy and Victor were already there.

“Did you all work hard?”

Amy welcomed us back and said:

I nodded, carefully unpacking the bag on my back.

Victor was sitting on the sofa drinking beer.

“What happened?”

“What? Oh. Museum interview?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, both were chosen.”

“Then?”

“I have to go to work tomorrow.”

I sat down across from Victor and began organizing the contents of my bag.

I laid out the notebooks, sketchbooks, and colored pencils I had written down important information in today and started checking to see if I had lost anything outside.

The same goes for Rain and Shine.

“I have to work from 9am to 7pm. Victor will take care of you during that time.”

“What about Victor?”

“I work from 10pm.”

Victor didn’t tell us what time he got off work.

However, it was clear that this would be earlier than Amy’s commuting hours.

“Amy, I think I found some very important information today.”

I opened my notebook and waved at Amy.

She looked at me, smiled slightly, and came towards me.

Amy held a large plate in her hands, filled with various sweet fruits, including apples and strawberries.

I swallowed as I looked at the plate.

How long has it been since you last ate that you’re acting so greedy?

But what can I do if I want to eat something?

Anyway, people with abilities don’t gain weight easily.

As soon as Amy placed the plate of fruit on the table, Shine and Rain jumped at it and started eating the fruit.

I, too, tried hard to pick up apples and eat them, so as not to lose to them.

“Yeah. What did you find?”

Amy asked, stroking my head.

But I couldn’t answer right away.

“Ugh.”

My pronunciation is slurred because my mouth is full of apples.

Amy burst out laughing at my appearance.

After chewing for a while and swallowing the entire apple in my mouth, I was finally able to open my mouth.

“I think I found a very important clue.”

I said so and showed the contents of the notebook to Amy.

She immediately began reading the contents of the notebook.

“Dragon’s scales? Angel’s touch? Gymnastics at the park?”

“Ahhh!”

I started flipping through my notebook in a hurry as the words came out of Amy’s mouth.

It’s because I opened the notebook wrong.

“That’s not it. Look here. This is the information we found at the library.”

I showed Amy my notebook and told her everything I had found out.

Amy, who had been listening silently, listened to everything I said with a serious expression.

Victor, who was drinking beer, also started to concentrate on what I was saying.

“I have not been intentionally keeping records of the museum for the past 10 years. So, anyone who has the authority to arbitrarily modify the city records could also be involved in this matter.”

I looked up at Amy and asked.

She stared at me blankly, her mouth shut.

I looked at Victor, feeling uneasy at her silence.

He too was looking at me with quite surprised eyes.

At that moment, Amy hugged me with all her might.

“Eww.”

I screamed strangely and flailed my arms and legs.

“Really~ Jeff. That’s really great~ You figured that out already?”

“Uh, it’s not that great.”

I said, pushing Amy away.

But Amy wouldn’t let me go.

He hugged me tighter and looked at me proudly.

I turned my face away and avoided eye contact because her gaze was so burdensome.

Then I started to feel Shine’s intense gaze.

She looked at me without saying anything.

“That’s pretty good.”

Victor said with a light laugh.

“Excuse me, Amy. I need something…”

“What do you need?”

“I think I’ll need a computer, a portable laptop, and a cell phone.”

I said this while recalling the inconveniences I had experienced.

Information available from the library was limited.

My request was natural, as I also needed to surf the web using the Internet.

Because there were currently no electronic devices in this house other than a television and a refrigerator.

“And. I. Need some money.”

I said, watching Rain’s expression.

I used Rain’s card when I needed money, but I needed money that I could use conveniently.

“Need some pocket money?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Okay.”

Amy released the hand she was holding tightly and let me down.

I let out a small sigh and sat back down on the sofa.

“Okay. This should buy everything you need.”

Amy handed me a black card.

I received the card with a bewildered expression.

It wasn’t just a simple allowance.

A card with a limit that allows you to purchase a building if you so desire.

Amy handed me that card without a second thought.

I held the card in my arms with trembling hands.

“I think my cell phone is somewhere around here.”

Amy said as she walked over to the corner of the living room where the box was placed.

There were still several unpacked boxes lying around the house, and this was one of them.

Amy unpacked the box, took out two cell phones from it, and handed them to Shine.

Shine fiddled with her phone with curious eyes.

She didn’t take her eyes off the cell phone, perhaps because it was new to her.

***

The next day.

Amy went to work at the museum early in the morning.

Victor, who hadn’t slept since last night, went into his room to get some sleep.

Shine, who learned how to use a cell phone, spent the whole day taking pictures of me.

Click- click- click- When the sound of camera shutters coming from all directions began to become annoying, Shine approached me and spoke.

“Jeff. How is it? Did I take a good picture?”

I looked at my image on Shine’s phone.

A picture of a person spreading out small notebooks and moving a pen diligently.

A brief yawn with the chin resting on the hand.

The sight of someone getting up from the sofa.

Walking towards the bathroom.

Opening the bathroom door and going in.

And the sight of Amy standing in front of it as if guarding it.

There were many other scenes captured as well.

Most of the photos were taken yesterday.

“Aren’t you taking too many pictures? And why did you take a picture of you going to the bathroom?”

“That’s too bad.”

“What a pity…”

I muttered as I picked up my phone and took a picture of Shine.

Click-

Shine blinked as if she didn’t know she was being photographed.

I saved the photo of Shine’s silly expression as my wallpaper.

“Nothing comes out~”

I yawned and slumped down on the sofa.

It was good to have cell phones.

Because we could get all kinds of information using the Internet.

But as expected, I couldn’t find any information about the District 2 library on the Internet.

“Aren’t you going to shine?”

“Yeah. Jeff does it.”

Shine didn’t seem interested in this at all.

I hugged the cushion, puffing out my cheeks at her attitude.

“Amy, you’re not going to help me?”

“I’ll help you. But if I do it, it’ll be over quickly. Jeff won’t learn anything.”

“What do you mean you can’t learn?”

“There is something like that. Jeff shouldn’t have questions.”

Shine said that and quickly walked away, holding her cell phone.

The white hair, fluttering slowly, disappears from sight.

I stared blankly at her back and nodded.

Lane was playing Iron Fist on a game console hooked up to a large television.

She didn’t seem interested in this either.

“Rain~”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

I sighed and started searching again.

After struggling with my phone for a while, I finally got up from my seat.

If you can’t find information on the Internet, you have to go and do it yourself.

“Rain! Shine! Let’s go to work!”

So I left the room with Shine and Rain.

A little earlier than yesterday.

We headed straight to Valentine’s Cafe.

Even at this hour, the cafe’s door was open.

“Oh my. You came early today?”

“Hello!”

“Sorry, you’ll have to wait a bit. The cookie dough isn’t ready yet.”

I nodded to Valentine’s words.

She went inside to make cookies with an apologetic expression on her face.

First on today’s schedule.

Stop by Valentine’s Cafe and build up your friendship with him.

Clear.

So I sat on the chair and waited for Valentine’s Day.

She visited the cafe early in the morning, took orders from takeout customers, and baked cookies. Soon, she came towards us with a large plate full of cookies.

“Ta-da~”

Same menu as yesterday.

I put the straw in my mouth and sucked on the sweet caramel.

The sweetness that spreads throughout my mouth makes me smile.

Valentine watched us like that and smiled faintly.

Looks like you’re in a good mood.

It is now.

I started asking her questions I had been wondering about.

“Over there. Mr. Valentine.”

“Huh?”

“How long have you been running a cafe?”

“Um… This is the 5th year?”

“So, how have you been living in this city?”

“It’s been five years since I moved here and started a cafe and started living here.”

Valentine answered my question.

I nodded, watching her expression.

That’s it for now. There are no more questions.

“Why all of a sudden?”

Just when I thought the conversation was over, Valentine’s question came flying in.

It was a simple question, but it was clear that her reaction would change depending on the answer.

I thought desperately.

“Later, Shasha will open a cafe. So, I have a lot of questions.”

At that time, the one who helped me was Shine, who was sucking on the straw.

I nodded immediately at her words and answered.

“That’s right!”

“Oh my. Is that so? If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.”

Valentine returned to the counter with a languid smile.

Shine’s unexpected help.

I looked at Shine, sighing in relief.

She smiled slightly at my gaze and picked up a cookie to eat.

After leaving the cafe, I corrected the information about Valentine’s Day in my notebook.

She probably doesn’t know much about this matter.

“Are you going to the park?”

“Yeah.”

We headed straight to the park.

Since I left a little earlier than yesterday, I was sure I would be able to get there before the gymnastics started.

Arriving at the park, I walked around and looked around.

But unfortunately, today again I couldn’t find anyone on the list.

The gymnastics venue we arrived at like that.

There were already many children sitting there.

Shine Rain and I quietly joined the ranks.

I asked a question to the children standing nearby.

“Hey guys. Do you do gymnastics here every day?”

The child who was talking with his friends answered my question.

“Huh? Yeah. My older sister always does gymnastics here. Mom and Dad always send her here to grow taller.”

“Really? By the way, do you know the story about the museum?”

“Museum? Um… uh, but who are you?

I was naturally joining in and continuing the conversation, but the child who was answering my questions quickly noticed something was wrong and asked back.

And at that moment, a familiar music sound started playing.

The sound of gymnastics!

I went straight back to my seat and started doing exercises.

The child’s interest quickly disappeared.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

The time for gymnastics is not long.

The story was that it would end quickly.

After finishing gymnastics, the children went home or started talking to the female YouTuber.

We watched them from a distance and left the park toward our next destination.

This time the goal is Ben’s candy factory.

But unfortunately, it seemed like today was the candy factory’s holiday.

[Sorry! Every Thursday is a day off!]

After checking the sign posted in front of the store, I took out my notebook and corrected the information.

No homemade candy on Thursdays.

The glass wall of the building reflected three girls with regretful expressions.

It was a shame, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t eat candy at all.

I smiled slightly as I thought of the card in my pocket.