Ta-da! Mashiro's special sea bass acqua pazza!
Go on. Give it a taste.
Mm. S'good.
Man with Dead Taste Buds
Huh?!
Excuse me? I worked hard to make that! Do you have to sound so unimpressed?
Look, Mashiro. To me, the thing about cooking is...
As long as it's salty and goes good with rice, I'll eat it.
My efforts are wasted on you.
I guess my cooking is too grown-up for a child's tastes.
Hey!
I have a very discerning palate, okay?
Liar. I bet you can't even tell booze from diesel fuel.
That's going too far.
Even I have a favorite bar I go to all the time.
Yeah? So take me there, then.
Sure, anytime.
Just be ready, Mashiro.
You're gonna see me at that bar and learn...
the charm of adulthood.
Should you really be saying that while eating a baby castella cake?
Detectives These Days Are Crazy!
Welcome to the World of Grown-Ups
Tonto?
It's an old bar I go to all the time.
Just so you know, a lot of legit adults go there.
Try not to let the mood swallow you.
No problem there. I bet you only go...
Daytime Drinks
Deal!
Yen
Draft Beer
m 0 0 l 98 10 100 118 1 100
M-size mug
...to places like this, anyway.
I mean, I go to those sometimes, too, but...
This is Tonto.
Wow. It looks so refined.
The barkeep's really particular about style.
If he sees anyone lacking in it, he passes out, so be mindful of that.
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m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h1 The barkeep is pathologically stylish
Wow, the barkeep looks refined, too!
Well, now.
Ain't this a surprise?
Looks like a cute little puppy has wandered into this bar.
What's a cute little puppy doing here?
That your pup, Naddy?
Don't be stupid, Bronto. She's my assistant.
No. Just my assistant.
Wait, who's Naddy?
And who's Bronto?
Your assistant, Naddy?
That's a real laugh.
Want some milk or something, little lady?
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m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h2 They all use nicknames
What kind of weird atmosphere is this?
What will it be?
I'll have a drinkable yogurt.
Barkeep!
Huh? What just happened?!
I warned you earlier.
He passes out when he sees anyone who's not stylish.
Who orders drinkable yogurt in a bar?
Huh? Oh, um, I'm so sorry.
It's fine.
Okay, then, barley tea.
Barkeep!
Well, well, Naddy. Ain't this a laugh?
Why don't you quit being a detective and start a comedy duo with the puppy?
Why don't you two try becoming comedians?
I can't help it. I'm a minor.
Cut it out, Bronto. That ain't happening.
Don't tease us like that, Bronto.
Anyway, I'm just glad you seem well.
Anyway, you seem well, Naddy.
It's on me today.
Have one on me.
Ooh! I've seen people do this on TV!
Must be rain in store tomorrow.
I guess it's going to rain tomorrow.
Th-This is...
Hey now, Naddy. I wasn't trying to buy the Earth itself a round of scotch.
Hey now. I wasn't trying to buy the Earth itself a drink.
There was a nice breeze today. I wanted to show my gratitude. Y'know?
m 0 0 l 0 0 l 23 0 b 24 0 24 1 24 1 l 24 14 b 24 15 23 15 23 15 l -21 15 b -21 15 -22 15 -22 14 l -22 1 b -22 1 -22 1 -22 1 b -22 1 -22 0 -21 0 l -21 0 b -21 0 -21 0 -21 0 b -21 0 -21 0 -21 0
m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h3 They all cover up each other's mistakes
They just glossed over it with some stylish lines!
But the barkeep...
is in super high spirits!
So this is the world of grown-ups?
I'm not sure why, but I feel like I'm gonna get sucked in.
Okay! Gotta try to look more grown-up.
Oh?
What an unusual customer.
What an unusual customer...
Veronica.
What country are these people from, anyway?
Veronica's from Gunma.
Gunma?!
Gunma Prefecture
The barkeep and Bronto are both from Tomioka in Gunma.
Tomioka?!
Tomioka
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m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h4 Almost everyone's from Gunma
You know, Naddy, you're like a migratory bird.
By the time I've seen you, it's already too late.
You're so quick to just up and disappear.
You're already preparing to fly away.
Veronica, have you been drinking elsewhere? I smell alcohol on you.
You been drinking elsewhere? I smell alcohol on you.
Wow, that seems super grown-up.
I have no clue what they're saying, though.
Oh? Who's the girl?
My assistant, Mashiro. Don't pick on her.
Ah, um...
Come back when you're out of diapers, Pure White-chan.
Wha—
Don't treat me like a child!
I might not look it, but I'm a full-fledged woman.
Naddy is such a bad man, making a child like this get so serious.
Ain't this a laugh?
That's all you've said this whole time!
By the way, barkeep, you said you had something to talk to me about?
Yes.
You see, for the past six months, graffiti has been appearing on my bar.
Graffiti?
I clean it up, but it just comes back. It's a game of cat and mouse.
I don't know what to do.
Barkeep.
Are you asking me to do a job for you?
Is that a job request?
Yes. I will pay you, of course.
Yes. I will pay you.
Sorry, barkeep. I don't accept jobs on my days off.
Old dude, he's really troubled by this.
So I won't treat it as a job.
I'll treat it as a favor for a friend.
And of course, I don't need to be paid to do an old friend a favor.
In that case, you needn't worry about your tab today.
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m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h5 Favors for friends are free
So this is why you never have any money.
But anyone could be making those scribbles.
It's going to be tough to figure out who's doing it.
Nope. I already know.
What? Already?
There should be some graffiti on the door.
Go take a look, Pure White.
Don't call me that!
There is! When did that happen?
I'll go look around outside.
The offender may still be somewhere nearby.
There's no need.
Why not?
Because, Veronica, you're the one who made that scribble.
I don't know where you've been all this time, but I think you left your sense of humor there.
I smelled alcohol on you earlier,
but it definitely wasn't the boozy kind.
It was the smell of spray paint.
The smell stuck to me when I opened the door.
Then, you would've mentioned the scribble when you came in.
And assuming your fashion sense hasn't changed,
that mark on the bottom of your skirt...
That's dried paint, isn't it?
Tell me, Veronica.
Why would you do this?
You want me to say it out loud?
Could it be...
you were waiting for me to ask Naddy-san to investigate?
Because he hasn't been coming here as often recently.
You thought that if you vandalized the bar, you'd see him again.
Well done, great detectives.
Where are you going?
Don't know. But I can't stay here any longer.
Sorry for soiling your bar, barkeep.
Wait a moment.
You haven't ordered a drink yet.
Guys...
Really.
Really, you're all so unfair.
You men are so unfair.
Today, we drink to Pure White.
Wait, why to me?!
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m 50 0 b 100 0 100 100 50 100 b 0 100 0 0 50 0
What's Grown-up About Tonto?\h\h\h6 Magnanimous
So how'd you find the world of grown-ups?
Hmm. It felt kind of uncomfortable.
That's just how bars are.
Uh, I don't think so.
But I guess...
I can admit that you looked more grown-up than usual in there.
I hope you and I can drink there together when you hit twenty.
Old dude.
Anywhere but there.
Why?!
That whole act you guys kept up was annoying.
This is the address the client gave us.
Investigation Request For Nagumo Detective Agency
We received a mysterious request to do an investigation.
They offered one million yen, with an up-front payment of 200k.
However, the sender and details of the investigation were unknown.
There was a chance it could be some kind of trap, but...
Danger and mystery walk side by side!
As detectives, we should dive in in pursuit of mystery!
I agree with you!
I'm in, too.
It smells like a big, fat, juicy mystery to me.
And the advance payment made me absolutely giddy.
Well, at least there's that.
Okay, we're going in. Keep your guard up.
Don't you worry! Mashiro here is fully and completely prepared!
You're standing on a pile of shit the size of a sandbag!
{1i1\fnCourier New\b1\4a&H00&\i1\bord5\shad0\fsp-0.5\fs45\an9\pos(358,28)\3c&H000000&)}A Midsummer\h\h Thriller
{1i1\fnCourier New\b1\4a&H00&\i1\bord3\shad0\fsp-0.5\fs45\an9\pos(358,28)\3c&HFFFFFF&)}A Midsummer\h\h Thriller
A Midsummer\h\h Thriller
It smells of mold.
What is this room?
Mashiro-san, leave the door open just in case—
What in the world are you thinking?!
See? Now it won't open!
Well, if you open a door, you should close it!
You leave it open in a situation like this! That's common sense!
"C-Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen"—Einstein.
You're so panicked, you can't do the face right!
There's no phone signal in here.
Because the concrete's so thick, I guess.
Even Mashiro can't break through this.
Greetings, all of you. I had faith you would come.
Who are you?
I have no name. Call me what you will.
Okay, "Guy Who Brushes His Teeth with His Nails."
Fine, sorry. Call me "Mister X."
I have but one objective: to take revenge on you detectives!
Revenge?
I had a very bitter experience with detectives.
But you don't need to worry. I won't keep you here until you die or anything.
So let us out right now, then.
I want to defeat you in a game.
I want to see you lose and crawl around on the ground in disgrace.
That's one hell of a personality you've got there, Mr. Nail Toothbrusher.
Seriously, don't call me that. You're being even more casual about it now.
So? What kind of game is it?
Simple. You will compete against me in a quiz.
If you can answer even one of my five questions correctly, you win.
But for each one you answer incorrectly, I will show an embarrassing photo of you.
If you get all five wrong, I'll spread very compromising photos all over the Internet.
This is ridiculous. Do you really think we'll play along with such a childish game?
I'll start by giving you a little sample.
Ooh! It's Maki-chan in her HS days!
I accept! I accept your challenge, okay?
Just delete that right now!
Then, in response to your fervent demands, here's question one.
Here we have three people, whom we shall call A, B, and C.
Their ages multiplied together equal thirty.
years
Holding Booze
How old is B?
Huh? How are we supposed to figure that out?
That's simple. The answer is—
Now, now. I never said you could just answer whenever you wanted.
You only get one chance to answer each question,
and the one to answer this one will be... Mashiro-kun.
Why's it gotta be Mashiro?
Because she seems the dumbest.
Who are ya callin' dumb?!
What is it with your unparalleled desire to please?
The total's thirty, so it's, uh, three times... um, uh...
What's wrong? Got nothing?
More like...
Thanks to that barley tea I guzzled this morning, I've got more than nothing.
I've got a bladder that's about to explode.
Well, Mashiro-kun? What's your answer?
Um, uh... Ten!
Wrong. The answer is one.
Damn it!
Okay, here's the second photo.
Why are they all me?!
Now, your next question is...
Wrong. Here's the third photo.
And the fourth photo.
The fifth photo.
They're both on the brink for their own reasons.
M-Mashiro-chan, I can't take any more.
Same here. I'm sorry.
Listen to me.
I inspected this room's walls while pretending to writhe around in agony.
The walls?
This is a room that blocks cell service,
yet he's able to show us a real-time video feed. It didn't make sense.
While looking around, I noticed that wall over there is thinner than the rest.
He's probably behind that wall,
and using a cable connection to appear on the monitor.
So, Mashiro-chan...
Okay.
All right. Here comes the last questi—
Wait, I don't see Mashiro-kun.
Why'd you open that with such a "Hey, you guys open?" vibe?
Maki-chan, the rest is up to you.
Hey, Apple! Where's the nearest bathroom?
Twelve kilometers straight ahead.
I don't know who you are...
Twelve kilometers?!
but I assume you came into this prepared to face the consequences.
Come on now! Think about what you've done!
And thus, Mashiro ran... in search of the bathroom 12 km away...
Forgive me!
Nagumo Detective Agency
Lookee! Lookee!
I finally bought one.
Oh, yeah, a Fam*c*m. I know what that is.
Yep, you oldies just call any device you haven't seen before a Fam*c*m.
It's a wiretap detector.
It buzzes when it detects listening devices nearby.
You and the weird toys you buy...
It's not a toy. And it wasn't cheap.
Oh, yeah? How much?
120,000.
That's like eight times what I expected!
It's this year's latest model. I worked hard to save up for it!
Most HS girls would only say that about stuff like purses or clothes.
Let's test it out right away!
You're not gonna find any here. We're a detective agency.
Click.
There is one!
Does this mean someone's been listening to us this whole time?!
Just calm down, Mashiro.
The conversations... and the humming?
Even that cassowary call I've been practicing?!
So you were the one making that racket every morning!
What do we do?! They're listening right this minute, aren't they?
Probably.
I know. This is the time for...
What
do
you
want
Why would you not want anyone hearing that?
to
eat
to-
day
?
Mashiro and the Agent from the Stars
What the heck?
I can't find any bugs at all.
You'd better put all this stuff back.
I found a disturbing number of your porn mags, though.
You didn't have to line them up in alphabetical order!
And I've been searching like crazy.
Your detector's probably just broken.
It's brand-new! It can't be—
Wait, is it picking up something on the floor below us?
Maybe.
Look, maybe we should call this off.
Agent's Secret Base
The hell?
"Agent's secret base"?
She still lives here, huh?
Y'know, old dude, you should work on getting to know the neighbors.
Idiot! Don't touch that without thinking!
Huh?
What the hell?!
I told you!
Take this!
You government lapdogs finally tracked me down, huh?
I knew you'd come to try and steal my inventions one day.
But you messed with the wrong woman. Just give up and—
Huh?
A girl? Who are you? CIA?
Let her go. She's my assistant.
I know that voice. Mr. Nagumo!
Wait, no! What is this icky creature?!
Whew, my mistake.
That's a blunder no agent should ever make.
Mr. Nagumo, this is one fresh young lady you've got here.
Don't call her "fresh."
What have you even been doing, locked away in here?
Research upon research, day after day, of course.
Hey, old dude, who's this lady?
Someone who keeps making weird junk even though she never went to college—
I'll tell you, fresh young HS girl.
At times, a supermarket cashier.
At times, a reliable hitter for a sandlot baseball team.
At times, a supermarket cashier.
You already said that!
But my true identity is...
I strike down evil with the power of science.
A cute, hot jack-of-all-trades.
Someone once called me the inventor queen of Shinjuku.
Science agent...
Hoshino Azuha!
Y-You're so cool!
This is why I didn't want to introduce you to her.
I'm so interested in agent work! Do you think I could be one?
Fresh young HS girl, have you seem all the 0*7 movies?
Well, yes, for what it's worth.
Welcome to the world of agents.
That was easy.
Anyway, what brings you two here to see me?
So dismissive.
There's a bug planted in this room
Really? So you're here to find it?
We want to find not only the bug, but the person who planted it
Uh-huh.
So we're trying to come up with a plan to find both
Mashiro
Oops! This is from when I was practicing my autograph!
So that's the deal. Got any good ideas?
I have just the invention for you!
My DP-02VK prototype!
That name really doesn't deserve a dramatic intro.
What is it? A detector?
Non, non, non.
It'd be faster to catch the culprit first, right?
Oh, you might want to cover your ears.
Waaah
Man, that's loud!
What the hell was that for?!
The culprit's gonna have the volume up so they don't miss a thing, right?
So that should have done a real number on their ears.
In other words, whoever's clutching their ears in pain outside is our culprit!
That's such a stupid strategy, I'm doubting my own ears.
I get it.
Don't agree with her. They're not gonna conveniently be—
My ears!
There is a guy clutching his ears in pain!
I'm sorry. I acted on impulse.
Midway through delivering all those pizzas here, I fell in love.
If apologies were enough, we wouldn't need cops!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
How'd that guy get into your place, though?
Well, I can't be bothered to open the door,
so I always have him bring the pizza over to me.
You're debauched beyond belief, you know that?
Well, we're off to see the police.
Make sure you lock up, all right?
What?
You seem to be having more fun these days.
Because of her?
I mean, I wouldn't say...
Well, I never get bored, that's for sure.
Old dude! Will you get up already?
I told you to take out the trash.
I can't eat any more.
My liver enzymes weren't so good last time.
He's even stingy in his dreams.
Look at you, lazing around like a pig. You're in no place to criticize Azuha-san.
Oh, right!
Wakey-wakey, old dude!
The hell?!
Who are those guys?!
Forget wiretaps. We had actual thieves lurking in here like termites.
Next Time
Mashiro Hosts Girls' Night Out
Assistant Switch!!
Battle to the Death at 100° Celsius