Jeff's Breathtaking Information Gathering
Just as we finished our burgers and stepped out of the shop, a message from Amy arrived on Rain's phone.
We immediately ran back. Retracing our steps, we arrived home to find Amy and Victor already there.
"Did you all work hard today?" Amy greeted us warmly as we walked in.
I nodded, carefully sliding my backpack off my shoulders. Victor was sitting on the sofa, sipping a beer.
"How did it go?" I asked.
"How did what go? Oh, the museum interview?" Amy replied.
"Yes."
"Of course we both got hired."
"Really?"
"Yes, we start work tomorrow."
I sat down opposite Victor and began organizing the contents of my bag. I laid out the notebook where I'd written down today's crucial information, along with my sketchbook and colored pencils, checking to make sure I hadn't lost anything outside. Rain and Shine did the same with their things.
"Since I have to work from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Victor will be looking after you during those hours," Amy explained.
"What about Victor's shift?" I asked.
"My shift starts at 10:00 PM," Victor grunted.
He didn't mention what time he got off, but it was bound to be earlier than when Amy had to leave for work.
"Amy, I think I found some really important information today." I waved at her while flipping open my notebook.
She chuckled softly at the sight of me and walked over. In her hands was a large platter piled high with sweet fruits like apples and strawberries. My mouth watered at the sight. I can't believe I'm already craving food when we just ate. But what can I do? I want it. Besides, people with abilities barely gain weight anyway.
The moment Amy set the fruit platter on the table, Shine and Rain lunged forward, snatching up pieces of fruit. Not wanting to be left out, I eagerly grabbed some apple slices and stuffed them into my mouth.
"So, what did you find?" Amy asked, stroking my hair.
But I couldn't answer right away.
"Mmph, mgh..." My voice was completely muffled by the mouthful of apples. Amy burst out laughing at the sight.
After chewing vigorously for a while and finally swallowing everything, I was finally able to speak.
"I think I found a really crucial clue," I said, showing the notebook to Amy. She immediately began reading the pages.
"Dragon scales? Angel's touch? Doing gymnastics in the park?"
"Ah! No!" I gasped, hurriedly flipping the pages. I had opened the wrong section. "Not that! Look here, look at this part. This is the information we found at the library."
I pointed to the correct page and explained everything we had discovered. Amy listened in silence, her expression turning serious as she absorbed every word. Even Victor, who had been quietly drinking his beer, began to focus on what I was saying.
"For the past ten years, records regarding the museum have been intentionally omitted. This means whoever has the authority to alter the city's records at will must be involved in this," I concluded, looking up at Amy.
She stared back at me in stunned silence. Her quiet reaction made me anxious, so I glanced over at Victor. He, too, was looking at me with wide, surprised eyes.
Suddenly, Amy pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.
"Gack!" I let out a weird squeak, flailing my arms and legs.
"Oh, Jeff! You're amazing! You've already figured out that much?"
"Ugh, it's really not that big of a deal," I wheezed, trying to push her away.
But Amy wouldn't let go. Instead, she hugged me even tighter, looking down at me with immense pride. Her intense gaze was so overwhelming that I averted my eyes, only to feel Shine's heavy stare boring into me. She was watching me in absolute silence.
"Not bad," Victor said with a faint chuckle.
"Um, Amy. There are a few things I need..."
"Things you need?"
"I think we need a desktop computer, a portable laptop, and some cell phones." I spoke up, recalling all the inconveniences we'd faced. The information we could gather from the library was limited. We needed to browse the internet, so my request was only natural. Currently, this house had no electronic appliances other than a TV and a refrigerator.
"And, well... we need some money." I glanced at Rain as I spoke. Although we had been using Rain's card whenever we needed cash, I really wanted some funds I could use freely without feeling guilty.
"You need an allowance?"
"Y-Yes."
"Alright." Amy finally released her tight embrace and set me down. I let out a small sigh of relief and sank back onto the sofa.
"Here. This should be enough to buy everything you need." Amy handed me a sleek black card.
I took it with a dazed expression. This wasn't just a simple allowance. This was a card with a limit high enough to buy an entire building if I wanted to. And Amy had just handed it over to me as if it were nothing. I clutched the card to my chest with trembling hands.
"I think there are some phones around here." Amy walked over to a pile of boxes stacked in the corner of the living room. There were still several unpacked boxes scattered around the house, and she approached one of them.
Tearing open the tape, Amy pulled out two cell phones and handed them to Shine and me. Shine fiddled with the device, her eyes wide with wonder. It was her very first phone, and she couldn't take her eyes off it, completely fascinated.
The next day, Amy left for the museum early in the morning. Victor, who hadn't slept a wink since last night, retreated to his room to get some rest.
Meanwhile, Shine, having finally learned how to use her phone, spent the entire day taking photos of me.
Click. Click. Click.
Just as the constant shutter sounds from all directions were starting to get on my nerves, Shine walked over to me.
"Jeff, look. Didn't I take these well?"
I looked at the photos of myself on Shine's phone. There was one of me diligently scribbling in a small notebook. One of me yawning with my chin resting on my hand. One of me getting up from the sofa. One of me walking toward the bathroom. One of me opening the bathroom door to go inside. And even one of Amy standing guard right in front of the door. There were countless others, mostly taken yesterday.
"Aren't you taking way too many? And why did you take a picture of me going to the bathroom?"
"It's a shame."
"A shame...?" I muttered, raising my own phone to snap a picture of Shine.
Click.
Shine blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting me to take a photo of her. I immediately saved her blank, dazed expression as my wallpaper.
"Nothing's coming up..." I let out a long yawn and slumped onto the sofa. Having a phone was great since I could use the internet to look up all kinds of information. But as expected, there wasn't a single trace of information about the District 2 library online.
"Aren't you going to search, Shine?"
"No. You're doing it, Jeff." Shine seemed completely uninterested in the investigation. I puffed out my cheeks at her attitude and hugged a cushion tightly.
"Aren't you going to help Amy?"
"I will. But if I do it, it'll be over too quickly. You won't learn anything, Jeff."
"What do you mean I won't learn anything?"
"It's just how it is. You shouldn't question it, Jeff." Shine said, trotting away with her phone in hand. Her white hair fluttered gently as she drifted out of sight. I stared blankly at her retreating figure before nodding to myself.
Rain had hooked up a console to the giant TV and was busy playing Iron Fist. She didn't seem to care about the investigation either.
"Rain~"
"Yeah?"
"Never mind." I sighed and went back to searching. After wrestling with my phone for a while longer, I finally stood up. If I couldn't find any information on the internet, I had to go out and gather it myself.
"Rain! Shine! Let's go to work!"
I called out, and the three of us headed out. It was a bit earlier than yesterday. We headed straight for Valentine's cafe. Sure enough, the cafe was open even at this hour.
"Oh my, you're early today," Valentine greeted us.
"Hello!"
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit. The cookie dough isn't ready yet."
I nodded at Valentine's words. Wearing an apologetic expression, she headed into the back to bake. First item on today's schedule: Visit Valentine's cafe and build rapport. Cleared.
We sat down and waited for Valentine. After handling takeout orders for early morning customers and baking, she soon approached us carrying a large plate piled high with cookies.
"Ta-da~"
It was the same menu as yesterday. I popped the straw into my mouth and took a long sip of the sweet caramel drink. A smile spread across my face as the sweetness filled my mouth. Valentine chuckled softly as she watched us. She seemed to be in a great mood. Now's my chance. I decided to ask her the questions I'd been wondering about.
"Um, Miss Valentine?"
"Yes?"
"How long have you been running this cafe?"
"Hmm... five years now?"
"And how long have you lived in this city?"
"Also five years. I moved here, set up the cafe, and started living here."
Valentine answered my questions readily. I watched her expression and nodded. That was enough for now. I had nothing else to ask.
"Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
Just when I thought the conversation was over, Valentine threw a question back at me. It was a simple curiosity, but her reaction would surely differ depending on my answer. I racked my brain desperately.
"Sasha wants to open a cafe in the future. That's why she's curious," Shine chimed in to help, speaking while sipping her drink through her straw. I immediately nodded along with her words.
"That's right!"
"Oh, is that so? If you have any more questions, feel free to ask as much as you want." Valentine smiled warmly and walked back to the counter. Thanks to Shine's unexpected help, I let out a sigh of relief and looked at her. She gave me a small smile and popped a cookie into her mouth.
After leaving the cafe, I updated the information about Valentine in my notebook. She probably didn't know much about this whole situation.
"We're going to the park next, right?" Shine asked.
"Yeah." We headed straight for the park. Since we had left a bit earlier than yesterday, we were sure to arrive before the gymnastics session started.
Upon arriving at the park, I looked around as we walked. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone from my list today either. When we reached the gymnastics area, a crowd of children had already gathered. Shine, Rain, and I casually slipped into the group. I turned to some kids standing nearby and struck up a conversation.
"Hey, guys. Do you do gymnastics here every day?"
One of the kids, who had been chatting with his friends, turned to answer me. "Huh? Yeah. That older sister over there leads gymnastics here every day. My mom and dad make me come because they say it'll help me grow taller."
"I see. By the way, do you happen to know anything about the museum?"
"The museum? Hmm... Wait, who are you?"
Although I had naturally slipped into the conversation, the kid quickly realized something was off and questioned me. Right at that moment, the familiar music began to play—the signal for gymnastics to start! I immediately scurried back to my spot and began the exercises. The kid's curiosity vanished instantly, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The gymnastics session didn't last long, meaning it was over in a flash. Once it finished, the kids either headed home or went over to chat with the female YouTuber. Watching them from a distance, we slipped out of the park and headed toward our next destination. Our target this time was Ben's Candy Workshop. Unfortunately, it seemed the workshop was closed today.
We are sorry! Closed every Thursday!
After checking the sign hanging in front of the shop, I pulled out my notebook and updated the information. No handmade candy on Thursdays. Reflected in the building's glass window were three girls wearing deeply disappointed expressions. It was a shame, but it didn't mean we couldn't eat candy at all. I smiled faintly, thinking of the black card tucked safely in my pocket.