Hearing Hikari's words, Ikazuchi Rika's beautiful face immediately turned slightly red.
"Y-You're talking nonsense. It's for work! As an investigator, I sometimes have to fire a gun while on duty, so I can't keep my nails too long. Otherwise it'll affect me when I'm arresting criminals!"
Hikari smiled and mercilessly exposed her excuse, "If it were just for shooting, trimming your index fingernail would be enough. Then why is your middle fingernail cut so short too? It even looks smooth and glossy. The truth is, Rika-nee likes to keep things fresh and switch to a different boyfriend every time she drives a manual."
Ikazuchi Rika's fair face instantly flushed bright red, "Y-You..."
She had never expected Hikari to be so observant, or to know so much.
He had accurately guessed her private pastime. As his sworn older sister, Ikazuchi Rika was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear.
"Stop talking! Stop talking!"
"Okay, okay, I give up!"
"I'll confess! I'll tell the truth! Just stop talking!"
She was afraid he'd keep going and expose everything.
She honestly admitted, "It's true, I've never been in a relationship, and I don't have a boyfriend right now."
"You're so pretty, Rika-nee. You must have a lot of admirers, right?", Hikari asked.
"Mhm," Ikazuchi Rika nodded before explaining, "I've never dated because I was never that interested in it. Ever since I was in school, I've wanted to become a police officer like my father."
"So I studied hard back then, and now that I'm working, I want to solve cases as quickly as possible and catch up to my father in rank."
"My father... well... anyway, he's a very capable police officer."
"Some coworkers are always saying I only became a Superintendent because of my father's connections. I really can't stand hearing that."
"So I'm going to keep solving cases. Not only am I going to become a Senior Superintendent and then a Chief Superintendent, I'm going to become a Superintendent General!"
"In any case, I refuse to let people say I'm only in the police because of my father!"
After hearing her explanation, Hikari more or less understood.
Ikazuchi Rika was the daughter of a senior police officer, and her father held a high position in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Since she'd become a Superintendent at such a young age, it was only natural that people would gossip and say she'd gotten there through family connections.
Those comments clearly irritated Ikazuchi Rika, so she worked hard to solve cases in order to prove her own ability.
Hikari guessed that she probably enjoyed being praised for her own competence after solving a case, while hating it whenever people praised her father or her family instead.
There was no doubt that Ikazuchi Rika was genuinely capable.
According to her, she had come through the career-track program, earned excellent grades, and maintained a high case-solving rate.
But she'd only graduated a short time ago and had already become a Superintendent at such a young age.
Had her father, a senior officer in the Metropolitan Police Department, helped her?
Obviously, he had probably helped a great deal.
After all, promotions in Japan also depended heavily on seniority.
Still, children from influential families often wanted to prove they could succeed without relying on their families. That was perfectly normal.
Although he had basically figured it all out, Hikari naturally didn't say any of that.
Instead, he smiled and gave Ikazuchi Rika a thumbs-up, "You're amazing, Rika-nee. You've worked so hard just to become a good police officer."
"I believe you'll definitely surpass your father one day."
"And after hearing what you said, I'm even thinking about applying to the police academy after I graduate."
After hearing that, the corners of Ikazuchi Rika's mouth were harder to suppress than an AK. She tried several times to keep herself from smiling, but eventually burst into laughter.
Still smiling brightly, she said, "You're giving me too much credit, Hikari-kun. I'm only just moving forward on the path of being a police officer. Who knows how long it'll take before I reach the finish line?"
"As for you, you don't need to be influenced by me. What career you choose should depend on what you really want."
"But back to the topic. Hikari-kun, help your big sister solve the case in front of us first. Maybe once we wrap this up, I'll get promoted~"
Hikari smiled, "Sure."
After chatting casually for a little while longer, Ikazuchi Rika parked the car in front of an apartment building.
As soon as Hikari got out, Ikazuchi Rika came over to him, "You still remember today's investigation plan, right?"
Hikari nodded, "Our main objective is to investigate the drug manufacturing organization supplying that bar and the others, gather evidence of their crimes, and wipe them out in one operation."
"That's right. Hikari-kun, you still remember what the suspects look like, don't you?", Ikazuchi Rika asked.
Hikari smiled, "Of course. I was the one who provided information on several of them in the first place. Besides, you showed me their photos before we left."
Ikazuchi Rika nodded and was just about to say something when she suddenly grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled him behind the car.
"Quick, look! You recognize that guy over there, don't you?"
She pointed at a middle-aged man in the distance who was about to head upstairs.
Hikari looked over and saw that the man was wearing a green jacket and had unusually long arms.
Recognizing those features, he immediately nodded, "I know him. That long-armed guy is Oda Kotaro."
"Exactly!"
Ikazuchi Rika nodded.
"Kotaro is one of the junior leaders in the drug manufacturing organization. We have to keep a close eye on him."
The two of them then staked out the building together, carefully watching Oda Kotaro's movements.
But after half an hour had passed, Oda Kotaro hadn't done anything else.
After returning home, he seemed to have simply stayed inside without coming out again.
"Rika-nee, take a break. I'll keep watch."
Sitting in the car, Hikari opened the door and spoke to Ikazuchi Rika, who had been standing outside for quite a while.
"Okay."
Ikazuchi Rika nodded and was about to get back into the car to rest for a while. But the moment she lifted her foot, she let out a soft cry.
"Ow..."
"What's wrong, Rika-nee?", Hikari immediately asked.
"I think I've been standing too long while keeping watch. My foot's gone numb and hurts. I think it's cramped. I can barely move it..."
Looking embarrassed, she wanted to sit back down immediately, but her leg was too numb to move.
"Hikari-kun, just go back and keep sitting in the car. If both of us are standing here watching, it'll be too obvious and might attract the suspect's attention."
Seeing Hikari come out while she herself couldn't get back into the car because of the cramp, Ikazuchi Rika spoke up.
Looking at her embarrassed expression and her still trembling legs, Hikari asked with concern,
"Your leg's already cramped, and you're still going to keep standing here? Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Ikazuchi Rika waved her hand.
"I'm fine. I'll recover after a moment. You go rest first."
But Hikari said, "You should be the one resting first. If you stay like this and something unexpected happens, you won't even have time to react."
"Th-That's true... but my leg's so numb and painful that I really can't move. Maybe..."
Ikazuchi Rika looked at him awkwardly.
Her legs were so long that something she was normally proud of had become a little inconvenient. She couldn't even bend down enough to massage the sore spot herself.
"Want me to massage your leg, Rika-nee?", Hikari offered.
"Mm, yes!"
Hearing him understand what she meant and voluntarily make the request she had been too embarrassed to ask herself, Ikazuchi Rika nodded repeatedly.
"All right."
Hikari walked over to her and crouched down.
"It's numb here. Massage this spot for me."
Ikazuchi Rika pointed to an area of her leg beneath the hem of her skirt.
Hikari immediately placed his hand over her fair, jade-like thigh.
The instant his palm touched her skin, a silky smooth sensation spread through his hand.
It was the kind of touch that could stir any man's heart, but Hikari had seen enough that it hardly affected him.
Wrapping his fingers around her soft thigh, he tightened his grip and slowly began massaging it.
"Ah!"
Her cramped, numb thigh suddenly being massaged brought a mixture of soreness and swelling that made Ikazuchi Rika let out a soft moan before she could stop herself.
Hearing the embarrassing sound she'd made, she glanced down at Hikari before hurriedly covering her mouth.
Although Hikari showed no reaction, his technique and perfect pressure made the numbness in her leg feel incredibly comfortable.
So even with her mouth covered, she couldn't stop herself from letting out quiet little hums.
While Ikazuchi Rika was humming in comfort, Hikari was enjoying himself as well.
After all, Ikazuchi Rika was an investigator.
She trained regularly.
At the same time, she came from a well-off family and took good care of her skin.
He could clearly feel that her jade-like legs were as smooth as silk and as soft as warm jade.
Yet beneath the soft flesh were firm, toned muscles, the combination of smoothness, softness, and just the right amount of firmness made for an exceptional feel.
Hikari had met, and become intimately familiar with, quite a few beautiful women.
Long legs, short legs, curvy legs, slender legs, he had seen and even touched all kinds.
But legs as exceptional as Ikazuchi Rika's were definitely among the very best he had ever encountered.
"Higher... It's still numb up there... Hikari-kun, a little higher. Mm, that's right. Right there..."
At first she'd only wanted him to massage her cramped thigh until it stopped cramping.
But whether because the cramp had been especially severe, or because Hikari's massage simply felt too good, she gradually began directing him to different spots.
Listening to the beautiful investigator's instructions, Hikari could only keep moving his hand, rubbing here and kneading there.
But as he continued, half his hand had already slipped beneath the pencil skirt.
It was close to the top of her thigh.
He gave it a squeeze before looking up at Ikazuchi Rika.
"Mmm~"
The pleasant feeling from the massage made Ikazuchi Rika let out another comfortable sigh.
Only after enjoying it did she notice that Hikari, still crouching, was looking up at her.
And that his hand had already gotten very close to her.
Her face immediately reddened.
"Th-That's enough!"
"Thank you for helping me, Hikari-kun! I think my leg has stopped cramping now. You can stop."
Hearing that, Hikari nodded and withdrew his hand.
"Haa..."
As the warmth of his palm left her leg, Ikazuchi Rika breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, she felt a trace of reluctance, "Hikari-kun, you're amazing at giving massages. Thank you for helping your big sister."
Hikari waved it off.
"It's nothing. Rika-nee, go rest in the car for now."
"Okay."
Ikazuchi Rika nodded and opened the car door.
But Hikari suddenly called out to her.
"Wait a second, Rika-nee."
"Hm? What is it?"
She quickly turned around.
Hikari raised his slightly damp right hand.
"Do you have any tissues? Give me a couple. Your thigh was really sweaty, so my hand's a little wet now."
Looking at the glistening moisture on his palm under the sunlight, Ikazuchi Rika's face reddened.
She quickly pulled a few tissues from her pocket and hurriedly handed them to Hikari.
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