Chapter 3: Investigation, Continued  

Cyrus

---------------------------------------------------------------

「Sit here, Deputy Commander.」

「Leaving the clubroom aside, please stop calling me that in the cafeteria.」

What are you going to do if the people around us think we’re insufferable idiots!

I leave the tray of Arioka-senpai’s favorite oyakodon with half boiled eggs in front of him.

「Actually, the investigation has come to a standstill.」

「This was obviously going to happen, huh…」

A disappointed Michel is poking his gratin.

His golden hair is stuck on his perfect doll-like face like a loose web. His bored expression makes him look exactly like a lovestruck prince.

「Look at this, Deputy Commander Noda.」

「…What is it, exactly?」

Arioka-senpai hands out a piece of paper.

Objects resembling a pair of eyes are bursting out from the contours of a face, portraying a terrifying alien.

Or maybe it’s a monster. I can’t really tell.

「It’s a portrait of Miss Chocolat that Michel drew.」

「……………I think I’m hurting Miss Chocolat’s feelings…」

No doubt about it!

There’s a limit to how bad a drawing can be, I mutter.

The eyes are sticking out from the face. Also, where’s the nose?

「Yeah, I had doubts about it too, but there’s no one on the Investigation Team who’s good at profiling.」

「That’s to be expected.」

「Well, this should do… and he casually stuck it on the bulletin board.」

「Anyway, why would he do a portrait even though he’s never even met her?」

「Ah, apparently it bears semblance to Michel’s Maman.」

「It’s a biological wonder how a prince could be born from such genes.」

It seems like he wrote “I’m looking for this person” and left the portrait on the bulletin board for a while.

I’m amazed at how meaningless this was.

Rather, it’s having an adverse effect.

If Miss Chocolat was witnessing this, wouldn’t she furiously avoid Michel instead of identifying herself?

Michel’s even taking the time to draw a picture of a prince below the portrait.

I don’t think anyone would come forward no matter how beautifully the portrait was drawn.

「We’re meeting in the clubroom after school. We’ve hit a rock.」

「The rock has been there since the beginning.」

「There’s another problem now. There’s been a series of fake Miss Chocolats.」

「…Huh?」

「There have been multiple deliveries of cookies to the clubroom from self proclaimed Miss Chocolats. All our Investigation Team members are checking to see if the real thing is among them.」

「………………I really want to go home.」

There’s no use in saying anything to Arioka-senpai who insists on going his way.

And Michel’s saying weird stuff like Je t’aime1 Chocolat.

They’re both hopeless idiots.

As I let out a sigh while walking down the corridor, I’m stopped by someone I don’t know.

It’s a tall guy with medium build. I’m 165 cm tall, and he’s about 5 cm taller.

He looks serious with jet black hair and black rimmed glasses, and he’s exuding an aura of wisdom.

「Miss Noda?」

「Uh… yeah, that’s me… Who are you?」

I see the serious guy who called my name.

I don’t recognize him.

「I’m Mizuhara. Mizuhara Eiichi. I wanna talk about you, Noda Chocolat Sagiri.」

「……………………」

I’m Japanese, so I don’t have a middle name.

Even if I did, I’d settle for anything but Chocolat.

「You’ll come with me, right?」

「……………………」

Mizuhara turned his thin lips into a smirk.

How… did he find out?!