I sat back in my seat and waited for the Girl’s return, After washing her hands, Mei returned wiping her hands clean with a pink handkerchief, She grabbed the chair in front of my desk and positioned it in front of mine.

 

“I want to ask a favor from you”

 

“Wait, Don’t you have something to say to me first?”

 

“Like what? I said I want to ask a favor.” 

 

“UGH, apologize for using my mouth as a glorified cunnyhole?”

 

“I’m the one apologizing!!? You apologize for making my hand dirty with your mouth!!” Exclaimed Mei.

 

“Geez, what a princess.”

 

“But isn’t it natural for a boy to apologize for doing something that someone doesn’t like, for example, you sexually harassing me by making my hands slimy with your perverted mouth!”

 

     Maybe I should strangle her… I’m sure this world would be a much happier place without a wench like her, maybe Koharu will have me arrested for it… on second thought never mind.

 

“I’m gonna use your own spell against you, So you don’t mind if someone does something you don’t like to you?”

 

“Umm… Oh…” Mei gracefully moved her hair to the back of her ear.

 

Did that get to her?

 

“Indeed… you’re right… normally a person wouldn’t like it.” Mei turned away, hiding the hand she shoved in my throat.

 

“Why is your face turning red? And what do you mean normally?” I’m questioning her sanity.

 

It’s been silent for 3 minutes, the sun is almost down, alright I’m breaking this silence.

 

“Rather than being loved?” I bluntly questioned.

 

“I want to love,” Mei said bluntly.

 

Interesting answer.

 

“I’m running out of money,” I said dryly.

“I’ll pay for it.” Mei Dryly answered.

 

I sense a pattern here.

 

“Rather than getting slapped?”

 

“I rather be slapped.”

 

Very tempting to ask this but let’s try it.

 

“Rather than being Tied up?” I asked bluntly

 

“I would rather be tied up.” Mei bluntly responded.

 

Interesting… so that’s what she is… I have a conclusion now.

 

“You are a sadistic masochist, you’re a complete power bottom in the bed where you enjoy having your partner choke and spank you.”

 

“Wha-!? N-N-No!! I don’t have a fetish like that! I never even had a boyfriend before!! I came here for a request remember!?” Mei shouted as she got up, slammed her hands on the desk again, and tried to explain herself.

 

“Let’s hear it.”

 

Looking at Mei get all worked up after such a sadistic introduction is quite awe-inspiring as if that tough gal attitude is simply a mask she puts on.

 

“I’m looking for someone, you’re the famous world’s finest detective; Elio right? I want you to investigate and help find my missing father.”

 

     She’s definitely talking about Koharu, but I’m pretty sure she’s at work right now investigating some kind of mystery or something.

 

“Yes my name is Elio, I was born with that name, but I’m not this world’s finest detective like in comic books you say, You got the wrong person, and Let me guess, Did he go out to buy cigarettes and milk at the nearby Nine-Eleven?”

 

“Wrong person? I read the newspaper!”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Are you mocking me!?” Mei raised her tone and glared directly at my eyes.

 

“And why do you think you are entitled to boss me around as you please?”

 

“Because you were all over the news for the past month!”

 

“Where’s the source?”

 

“Here’s the source!” Mei pulled out a newspaper clipping.  “Amazing high school student spotted stopping a purse snatcher the other day!”

 

How creepy… “Uh Huh… just that?”

 

“If it was just that I wouldn’t have come looking for you!!” Mei tossed more newspaper on the desk. “You also appeared in an alley to stop a drug trade! They are all papers about you!” Mei showed me a different newspaper clipping. “Lastly, you found a dead body in a trashcan!”

 

Purely out of the blue, but that was when I was taking out the trash Koharu wouldn’t do herself.

 

“You looked me up… So you’re stalking me Ms?”

 

“In your dreams! Who would’ve thought a famous detective like you was such a filthy pervert?” Mei slammed her hand on the desk.

 

“Famous detective? I only appeared in 3 to 4 news cases, haven’t I?”

 

“Ughh~ you’re a fraud! How could you accuse the girl whose hand you dirtied with your filthy, perverted mouth as a stalker when she is helplessly asking for your help!!!”

 

     YOU SHOVED YOUR FILTHY HAND IN MY THROAT!!! MAYBE, just maybe,  if you practice being nice then I’d consider helping you.

 

“Geez, cut me some slack will you?”

 

“Apologize for making my hand dirty first!!”

 

     I wonder if I make a break for it, this girl won’t be able to stop me.

 

“You already forgotten why you came to me.”

 

“Grrrrggghh…. Fine! If you’re not a detective, then what in the world are you?”

 

“An ordinary high school boy getting sexually, physically, and verbally harassed by a random girl he has never met in his life, but hey she supposedly goes to his school right? despite the fact this ordinary high school boy had never seen her before.”

 

“Why you!? F-fine… I’ll go.” Mei clenched her fist, pressing it on her chest before she slowly got up from the desk.

 

“I never said that I wouldn’t help you though.”

 

“But you…”

 

“You said earlier you wanted to “play” a bit more, so there we go, well played right?” I crossed my arms cackling at her.

 

“Meanie.”

 

“What was that?”

 

“Nothing, just listen to my request okay?.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“My father has been missing for several days, my mother won’t tell me anything on where he’s been going…”

 

“Couldn’t he just be going to work?”

 

“That’s the issue, my parents never tell me anything, not where they work, or how we get money, I’m concerned for his safety.”

 

“A secretive parent?”

 

“Yes.” Mei nodded awkwardly.

 

     From what she told me, this can all just be easily explained to her dad being an overworked, loving father, who only gets very few days of being free. Is this girl just starved of paternal love? Then why is she coming to me for help? Aren’t we the same age? Well, It kinda makes sense to me, in my past life, having a loving nuclear family was all but a luxury to kids and why is that?

 

     Some of the reasons are due to lack of a father figure, or the father was just a deadbeat, maybe he was a womanizer, it could also be an irresponsible mother that sleeps around with unloyal red flags thinking she can fix or tame Chad and Tyrone. Well, the most obvious reason is having both parents are discouraged leading to a lack of a father figure for the child.

 

     Honestly, I’m glad there’s a law in this country that if a couple ever gets a divorce, both parents have to share custody of the kid unless one of them proves the other was unfit, dangerous, abusive, etc. This world values raising and nurturing the kids that lead to the future.

 

“Mei, does your father act in any way before heading for work?”

 

“He is usually wearing a large coat, dark sunglasses, and a fedora, and he is usually picked up by two to four men also wearing similar clothing, they always told me and my mother that they need my father for “Cosa Nostra.” That’s all that I know.”

 

“I see… do they ride any specific cars?”

 

     Did she say “Cosa nostra?” in Italian that meant “our thing” but it also was a codeword for a mafia organization. Maybe her father is being blackmailed by the mafia? Or is he part of it himself?

 

“They ride a very expensive car, that’s about it…”

 

“Thanks for the info.” I placed my hand on my mouth and thought about what she told me.

 

“No problem.

 

     So her father could be part of “Cosa Nostra,” who uses an expensive car, I better tell Koharu about this when I get back home. If her father is part of cosa nostra then it would spell trouble for the city, but if her father is getting blackmailed could it be that they're using his family against him?

 

     Looking to my side, I saw that the sun had just finished going down.

 

“Mei, isn’t it getting late? Shouldn’t you go home now? I gotta catch the last train to get home.”

 

“Well, you see… I… I don’t know the route back home… and… My father was supposed to be the one to pick me up and teach me how the directions and way back home…!!!”

 

“Were you a sheltered child?

 

The girl shyly nodded.

 

“Tell me where you live. What street? I’ll tell you the directions to get back.” I took a city map from my backpack.

 

“I live in 6996 Nahimama Avenue,” Mei shyly turned away.

 

“I see.”

 

     I quickly spotted Nahimama Avenue and saw that it wasn’t that far from where I lived, that’s like two streets away, so I guess we take the same train home.

 

Sigh… “Alright pick yourself up, I’m taking you home.” I grabbed my backpack and grabbed her bag and carried both.

 

“Eh? Just like that?”

 

“Turns out were kind of neighbors.”

 

“I… I see… w-wait but why are you carrying my bag? You’re not my boyfriend…”

 

     She was right!? Why did I instinctively casually pick up the bag of a sexually, physically, and verbally abusive girl who used my mouth as a sex toy for her hand to shove in!?

 

“I uh… Felt bad and wanted to help.”

 

“Oh, Um… S-sure…” Mei gave an innocent smile.

 

     Seeing her not have that angry tough gal attitude showed even the angriest and loneliest people can have a beacon of happiness.

 

     We walked down the hall together, come to think of it other than Koharu who wasn’t a true classmate, Mei was the first girl I walked back home with.

 

     Was this some sort of love comedy story starting?

 

     We exited the school and it was now nighttime and some street lights had started turning on, After we arrived at the train station I bought us a pair of tickets and we boarded the EObard train sitting next to each other.

 

“Elio, we don’t have classes tomorrow, let’s meet up at the nearby cafe to discuss my father tomorrow okay?”

 

“That’s fine by me.”

 

     It felt oddly comforting sitting next to Mei while we rode the train home, the ride was smooth sailing, we got off at the Thawne train station and continued walking together.

 

“I wonder if Koharu got back home yet?” I muttered to myself.

 

“Who’s Koharu?” Asked Mei.

 

“You could say that, She’s my roommate.”

 

“Roommate? What’s that?”

 

“A person I live with, it’s the same way your parents live in the same house as you.”

 

“I see.”

 

Why was she asking so many questions? Was she that sheltered?

 

     While we walked together, I suddenly saw a flashing light at the nearby park and playground.

 

“Mei, I need you to stay back.”

 

“Eh? What’s wrong?”

 

“Don’t follow me.”

 

I handed her bag back and ran to the park.

 

“Wha-? Hey Elio!” Mei shrieked.

 

     I arrived near the park, then hid behind a bench, and saw that there were several men around 8 of them talking amongst themselves.

 

“What a shady bunch,” I whispered.

 

“Hey, that’s my dad.”

 

     I quickly turned to my side and saw Mei next to me.

 

“Didn’t I tell you to not follow me,” I whispered

 

“You promised to take me home!” Mei whispered back.

 

“Fine just stay quiet.”

 

     Why was her dad here? I was holding a small radio that Koharu gave me to record audio that we could use for clues when necessary. It came in handy for recording far voices but it can’t play the audio at the same time so I had to finish this first.

 

While we observed the group of men one of them suddenly got punched as the others started beating him up.

 

I darted my gaze back to Mei and saw that she realized her father was the one who attacked that man while the other ganged up on him.

 

     The poor girl was in total shock and trembled hard when she suddenly made a whimper causing us to draw the attention of the men in the park.

 

“What was that!?” Shouted one of the men as he started going near our direction.

 

     I instinctively pushed her onto the bench and got on top of her. I quickly signaled her to be quiet and pretend that we were a couple in order to not get caught.

 

I was now staring face to face with Mei’s nervous face while I mustered to keep my cool.

 

I could no longer see what was happening but I had to hope this worked or else Mei would be in danger.

 

“Ah, it’s just a bunch of… students? What are they doing over there?” Said the man going in our direction.

 

“Shhh!!!” I signaled to Mei.

 

     We heard his footsteps come closer when. I suddenly saw Mei close her eyes and felt her wrapping her hands around my head and started pulling my face towards hers, causing our lips to come in contact together.

 

“Mmph” Both of us whimpered softly.

 

“Ah, it’s just a couple making out on the bench.” The man went away.

 

     She didn’t have to go that far with the act!!! Why did she have to steal my first kiss to put up an act like that!?

 

     As I tried to get up, Mei didn’t let go.

 

“Elio? Come in.”

 

     I suddenly heard Koharu’s voice coming from the transceiver in my pocket, I better get out of Mei’s grip.

 

“Elio, it’s Koharu, it’s been 2 hours, and you're not home yet…”