Chapter 252 - This Is Basically Just a Margin of Error
Leaving the investigation of the party venue to the two female officers, I decided to move on to releasing the protected target.
I got into Gondo's car with the girl, and we headed to the designated love hotel.
It seemed the room was already reserved, so we could enjoy the play right after entering.
Extensions were free, please enjoy your time. The one who said that was, of all people, the girl's father.
"You're Keisuke Nakamoto-san, right? I always see you on TV. My, you have excellent taste. Our Mano has lived a life with no boyfriend up until now, she's a genuine virgin! What's more, I had her take a pill beforehand, so today you can enjoy yourself without contraception! ...As for the fee, could you please transfer it to this account?"
I've never seen a more shitty father than that.
A father who speaks with a smile about how excellent his own daughter is as a product.
As for what happened to the child who was shown something like that right before her eyes, naturally, her eyes were dead.
The victim girl—Mano Suzuki—was pale-faced, her lips completely dry and cracked.
Her face, which should have been cute, now looked like a vengeful spirit. She seemed to be in a state of absence of mind.
"Hey, Mano-chan."
When I called her by name, the girl's shoulder flinched.
It couldn't be helped, since she must think I'm a dangerous lolicon creep.
"When we get to the hotel, there's something I want to talk about."
"..."
Mano-chan's body was trembling slightly.
She might be imagining what kind of special play I'd demand, letting her bad imagination run wild.
"Don't worry, it's not a bad thing for you either."
"...Please don't hurt me..."
Gondo in the passenger seat let out a loud laugh.
"Don't be so scared, little lady. The boss Nakamoto ain't a bad guy. Sure, he's got a habit of nearly killing people he fights, engaging in lewd acts with minors, and illegally harboring foreign women, but at his core, he's a boss with a good sense of responsibility who looks after his people."
That follow-up is absolutely not okay, man.
Are you doing this on purpose?
Mano-chan is practically peeing herself! A stain is starting to spread on her skirt!?
"Hey, I can smell it, you know. Your fault the seat's dirty."
"What are you on about? Calling a teenage girl's urine 'dirt'? You on some drugs or what? In our industry, that's called 'finishing work.' My car has been perfected at this very moment."
Mano-chan was almost fainting.
It felt like she was in the middle of forming PTSD right now.
...No matter how much this is a sting operation, making a kid this scared feels awful.
Trying not to scare Mano-chan any further,
"It's okay, I'm used to handling middle and high school girls."
I tried to smile at her.
"That's what they call the finishing blow, boss."
Soon, the car slid smoothly into the hotel parking lot and stopped without a sound.
I carried the unconscious Mano-chan on my back and checked in at the unmanned front desk.
It seemed to be an auto-lock system, so no room key was handed over.
Holding the completely still middle school girl in my arms, I headed for the designated room.
Looking at the panel, it seemed like a dangerous room equipped with a wooden triangle horse and ropes, but what was that father thinking when he booked this place?
...A thirty-two-year-old bringing a fourteen-year-old girl to a hotel with hardcore SM gear...
Objectively speaking, there's nothing here but a prison sentence, but this is all an act to save the girl.
That's right, didn't Gondo himself say it? Undercover investigators sometimes deliberately buy illegal drugs to trick dealers. What I'm doing is no different from that. It's just that what I bought isn't drugs, it's a JC.
This is basically just a margin of error.
If you think about it carefully, marijuana and middle school girls are pretty similar anyway.
Both make you feel happy when you put them in your mouth, both have a white, smooth texture, and both are illegal to touch.
Repeating pathetic excuses in my head, I kept walking down the dim hallway.
Just a few more meters to the target room.
"...Nn... Dad... mgh!?"
Whoa, that was close.
Mano-chan woke up, so I hurriedly covered her mouth.
If she screamed, it'd be a pain. I'd be in trouble trying to explain myself if she called the cops.
...This is basically a real criminal move, isn't it? I realized this huge problem and, stunned, stepped into room 204.
"No... Noooooo!"
I threw Mano-chan, who suddenly let out a shriek, onto the bed and sighed.
"Don't be so scared, I'm not gonna do anything."
"...Eep! Do you have a fetish for just looking at middle school girls!? Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!"
Mano-chan seemed to have noticed the SM equipment around us, her teeth chattering.
"N-no... there's no way you'd be satisfied with just looking at this... what is this... So Keisuke Nakamoto had this kind of hobby...!"
I thought about how Rio would probably be happy if I brought her here, but this probably isn't the time for completely unrelated thoughts.
Trying to calm the pitiful girl, I spoke in a gentle voice.
"Actually, I'm under the care of the police."
"..."
That might have been a misleading way to put it.
Maybe I should have said, "Actually, I'm a police collaborator."
Mano-chan muttered, "A criminal record...?" while staring at me with a stiff face. She kept reaching her hand near her crotch, probably to hide the stain from peeing.
"How about you go take a shower for now?"
Your panties must be soaking wet and uncomfortable, right? I tried to show some subtle consideration.
...Why is it that Mano-chan's eyes have completely lost their light for real this time? What landmine did I step on now?
"...Please don't peek."
I watched the girl stagger toward the bathroom, then sat down on the bed.
Why is handling girls so damn difficult?