Hearing what Koshimizu Nanatsuki said,
Keisuke Kumiko held his chin and looked at her carefully for a while.
Then, he showed a playful expression.
"Tell me, what skills do you have? Crying doesn't count. I don't want useless people here."
"Then… does makeup—no, cross-dressing count?"
Koshimizu Nanatsuki smiled and pulled a wig out of her bag.
She turned her back and fiddled with it.
After a moment, she turned around.
The girl in front of them had completely changed her style.
She now had long brown hair tied into a lively ponytail, an oval face, and an innocent smile on her pure expression.
"Is this… Okino Yoko?"
Ai, who was standing next to her, slightly widened her ice-blue eyes.
It wasn't just cross-dressing—it was as if she had become a completely different person!
Then, Koshimizu Nanatsuki took out another wig and replaced her hair in the same way.
This time, she didn't even bother manipulating it too much. She just rubbed it gently over her face a few times.
Suddenly, she transformed into another style.
"Kuraki Mai?"
Ai let out a small exclamation.
Normally, she was calm and composed, but at this moment, she was genuinely surprised.
In an instant, she had transformed into two completely different people.
Such skills were truly impressive, and it reminded her of her time in the organization, where she had only ever heard of one person with such means.
"How about it? Is it close?"
Koshimizu Nanatsuki winked playfully and turned around.
Even their voices were exactly the same, almost indistinguishable from those of the two popular TV idols.
"No, still far off." Keisuke Kumiko looked down. "Okino Yoko and Kuraki Mai don't look like men."
Koshimizu Nanatsuki paused for a moment, then said angrily, "What are you talking about? I haven't even developed my full potential yet!"
You're twenty years old and still haven't developed? At your age, drinking papaya milk like crazy won't do anything.
"…"
Koshimizu Nanatsuki held her forehead as if she had a headache.
She had spent quite some time with Keisuke Kumiko.
She had really learned a lot from his sharp tongue.
Pause.
Koshimizu Nanatsuki shook her head and looked at Kumiko.
"So, do you think I'm qualified to join your firm?"
Her tone was confident.
After all, her skill was incredibly rare.
In this world, aside from a few special talents like Kaito Kid or the outdated Fujimine Yukiko, Koshimizu Nanatsuki had never heard of many people with such magnificent disguise abilities.
However, Keisuke Kumiko's next words shattered her hopes.
"Sorry, this is a law firm, and we only recruit professionals related to the legal field."
Kumiko said with a smile.
"So, Miss Koshimizu, please leave."
Koshimizu Nanatsuki was stunned and stared into Kumiko's eyes.
Seeing his serious expression, she felt a bit disappointed.
"It doesn't matter."
She shook her head, stood up from the sofa, grabbed her bag, and was about to leave.
Since Keisuke Kumiko wasn't hiring, she would have to find a way to get a job on her own in the future.
However, just as Koshimizu Nanatsuki opened the door and was about to step out of the office—
She heard Kumiko's voice behind her.
"Miss Koshimizu, although you have no chance of joining our firm, if any collaboration arises in the future, I will contact you as soon as possible. I will need your help then."
Koshimizu Nanatsuki raised an eyebrow and turned around.
Keisuke Kumiko was looking at her with a meaningful gaze.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment.
"I see what you mean."
Koshimizu Nanatsuki smiled and then left the office.
After she left—
"Why even bother?"
Ai turned her head and asked in confusion.
"With the skills she just demonstrated, shouldn't she be quite useful to someone like you? Instead of asking for her help in the future, wouldn't it be more convenient to hire her directly?"
"Well, you're actually right."
Keisuke Kumiko nodded.
Just as Koshimizu Nanatsuki had said earlier, he still needed an assistant like a detective.
Although Ai, as his assistant, could temporarily take on intelligence-gathering tasks, she wasn't talented in that area.
After all, her main responsibilities were hacking, obtaining intelligence online, and organizing documents. Offline work was more difficult—being a young girl, she couldn't always do physical tasks like tracking.
And Koshimizu Nanatsuki had a very strong skillset.
Her disguises could be used not only as a detective but also for tracking and investigating things in the field.
It could also be used in various ways, such as concealing her own identity to obtain information.
It was equivalent to the traditional Japanese profession of "Ninja."
Lawyers like Kumiko, who always operated in gray areas and often had to resort to certain gray methods, particularly needed this type of ninja-like talent.
"This woman is very capable, and I like that a lot."
Keisuke Kumiko confirmed, but then shook his head.
"But, as I said before, I don't trust her. I can't have a ticking time bomb next to me. Who could stand working in the same office every day, constantly worrying about whether someone will come to kill me?"
"Then, what exactly do you mean by 'favorability'?" Ai was speechless.
"It's just a matter of favorability. You don't need to know or understand it."
Keisuke Kumiko said casually, "You just need to know that I can't fully trust her."
"I see…"
Ai nodded.
She probably understood what Keisuke Kumiko meant.
Kumiko couldn't fully trust Koshimizu Nanatsuki, so he didn't hire her.
However, he also appreciated her abilities, so he left those words at the end, hoping they could develop a cooperative relationship in the future.
Since you don't trust her, aren't you afraid she might stab you in the back someday? Or give you false information?
—No, no, no, that won't happen, because she identifies with me deeply.
Keisuke Kumiko raised a finger and waved it gently.
In psychology, identification refers to an individual's recognition of someone with a superior status or achievement.
Yueshui recognized me in her heart because she saw my behavior as very similar to hers. She thought I was the same kind of person. It was a form of satisfaction that came from seeking something in someone of the same kind.
"This is also a typical admiration for the strong."
Although I must admit this woman is plotting something, as long as she keeps acting this way, she won't betray me as you said—because that's also the way of life she believes in.
"Unless one day, she changes and turns into the heroine of a morning drama—stupid and naïve, shouting nonsense about upholding justice."
"…"
"…"
Ai pursed her lips and looked at Kumiko's serious expression.
Honestly, she had no idea what "favorability" or "recognition" he was talking about…
But seeing how serious he was, she supposed he was right.
After all, Kumiko had never been wrong in seeing through people's minds, and that was his greatest and proudest strength.
(End of Chapter)