"Hattori, pass me the gloves!" Tsune said, popping open the hood of a car and glancing at his little buddy.
"Oh, sure!" Hattori tore his eyes away from a heavily disguised superstar idol and handed over the gloves from the tool bag.
Who'd have thought this handyman actually knew Okino Yoko?
And from their chat, they seemed pretty close.
After getting wrecked twice that morning, Hattori insisted on a break by afternoon.
Tsune had no choice but to take on a few jobs, dragging Hattori along for the ride.
Five minutes later, Tsune lowered the hood and pocketed cash from his wealthy client.
"Been busy with work lately, Mr. Tsune?" Yoko asked, glancing around from under her hooded sunglasses, checking in on her friend.
"Not too bad. Can't sit still," Tsune said with a grin, nodding.
Beika Town's been crawling with interesting folks lately. Running around all day beats lounging at home watching TV any day.
Hattori stood to the side, watching their awkward small talk with a blank expression.
Five minutes to fix it…
That car didn't even have a problem, did it?
This superstar probably just wanted someone to chat with…
Should I praise him? Truly the most popular handyman in Beika Town?
If every job was this easy, people wouldn't be dog-tired every day…
After about ten minutes of chatting, Tsune and Hattori hopped into the red pickup truck, music blaring, heading to the next job.
"The next one's not another idol or celebrity, is it?" Hattori asked with a wry laugh.
He was starting to wonder about this handyman's real side hustle.
No weird, shady business, right?
"Of course not."
"But I gotta warn you—don't stare at what you shouldn't, or you might end up in a deadly mess," Tsune said, giving Hattori a once-over.
The kid's a bit dark, but he's decent-looking. Dangerous!
"Huh?"
Hattori tilted his head. What's off-limits?
Now I have to look!
…
Twenty minutes later, in a house in Beika Town's Fourth District, Tsune and his temporary assistant were fixing a fridge.
"Mr. Tsune, you've taken on an apprentice?" a striking woman in a tight red skirt and high heels said, leaning against the doorframe with a playful smile.
"Just showing my little bro the grind of life," Tsune said, looking up with a grin.
Hattori blinked, his face flushing red and dark.
This lady's outfit was… bold, to say the least.
Where do you even buy a white blouse that sheer?
And are those top buttons broken or what?
Why not button them up!
"Looks like your little brother's shy," the stunning woman said with a light laugh, winking at the teen.
"Hattori, quit staring."
"Mrs. Sakurada's husband's a truck driver," Tsune said, forcibly turning the Osaka kid's head.
Getting hit by a truck could send you to another world!
"Mr. Tsune's as cautious as ever," Mrs. Sakurada said, clicking her heels into the kitchen and bending over the sink to fill a glass with water.
"Yup," Tsune nodded, keeping it brief.
Hattori's eyes darted between them.
No doubt about it—this guy's job is not simple!
This scene felt like something out of those weird magazines his classmate hid in a drawer.
Should I suggest he become a handyman when I get back to Osaka?
…
By evening, Tsune brought Hattori to Dr. Agasa's house to mooch dinner.
"This guy seems a bit off," Haibara said, eyeing the high school detective who'd arrived from Osaka yesterday.
What's with that spaced-out look?
Another case?
"It's like that when you're new to the game," Tsune said, biting into a piece of fruit and nodding.
He was the same way at first.
But once he poured most of his energy into mastering Bajiquan, things got better.
No big deal—everyone's wild when they're young. Just gotta find the right path eventually!
"R-Really?" Hattori shot Tsune a dumbfounded look.
Today was an eye-opener!
But what's with this little miss crossing her legs over there?
Hattori couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't like a normal kid…
"After dinner, more special training!" Tsune said, pulling Hattori to the table and digging in.
Training!
Gotta train hard!
It's rare to find a hot-blooded kid like Hattori who's so easy to rope in.
"Got it!"
For some reason, the afternoon's adventures left Hattori brimming with energy.
"Poor guy," Haibara said, shaking her head and propping her chin, watching Tsune shovel food.
"Tsune-kun, the chatroom's set a date for the meetup!" Dr. Agasa said while eating.
Who'd have thought they'd pick a date just a day after mentioning it?
"When?"
"Next week. Let's go check it out!"
Dr. Agasa was clearly excited to meet these online friends.
…
Nine p.m.
Hattori, finally done with a full day of training, collapsed into bed at the apartment without even undressing.
Fresh from a shower, Tsune stood with hands on hips, looking at the sleeping Osaka kid with a satisfied smile.
With this guy around, no need to go looking for thrills in the middle of the night. He could sleep soundly.
Ring, ring, ring!
The phone blared.
Tsune frowned at the clock. Who's calling at this hour?
"Hello!"
"Tsune, my man!"
A familiar voice and greeting came through.
"Inspector Megure?" Tsune blinked, confused.
Did that dog-faced detective use his voice to crack another case?
But even if it's for a statement, calling this late is overkill…
"I'm at Second District right now. There's a case, and it's got something to do with you."
Megure paused, then continued, "Neighbors said you were at this house today with someone."
"Got it. I'll be right there."
After getting the address, Tsune hung up, looking helpless.
He sighed, then suddenly turned to the soundly sleeping figure.
"Heh heh heh!"
"Hattori, get up for overtime—a case just came up!"
The words flipped a switch, and Hattori jolted awake.
"Where's the case!"
(End of Chapter)
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ
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