"This meeting of the Stellar Detectives will now come to order!"

Chase smacked her hands against the table as she said this. No one said anything.

Hayato coughed slightly.

"Excuse me? But why, exactly, are we here?" The samurai asked.

"Because all great detective agencies need a headquarters!" Chase announced.

"This is a restaurant, though-"

"They have delicious nachos!" Chase emphasized this by shoving a handful of said nachos into her mouth.

"That's…beside the point, really." Hayato continued. "I meant, why are we here, period?"

"Mmike mph mmmd!" Chase paused, then swallowed her food. "Like I said! This is a meeting of the Stellar Detectives!"

"I don't recall agreeing to join your group permanently." The Bladed Falcon leaned back in his seat, pressing into the padding of the booth.

"I have to agree with Hayato." Kanna, the purple-haired onmyouji said with a slight monotone. She took her cup of tea in both hands and raised it towards her lips. "While I appreciate the refreshment…" She nodded towards the cup. "…we never formally entered into a job arrangement with you."

Chase's ears twitched a little. "A-agent White Fan…"

"Kid…listen…I mean…" Jett, the orange-haired bounty hunter stuttered a little. She took a deep breath. "Chase, we all have stuff we need to do. The Galactic Authority has control of the PULSAR ship, and the Maple Alliance is handling the clones it spits out..." She almost added a "for now", but decided against it.

"I would love to bring my BRUTAL FIST OF JUSTICE down upon any opponents we might have…" Zen, the dragon warrior said. "But there aren't exactly any opponents here…" He paused. "Thank you for the food, however." He added before grabbing a chip from the nacho plate.

"Agent Ironsight…Agent Dragonfury…" Chase looked downcast now.

"We have names too, you know!" Hayato snapped. "Hayato, Kanna...Jett, and Zen, wasn't it?" The bounty hunter nodded a "yes".

Chase sat down and sniffled a little.

"Awah…wait, don't cry." Hayato waved his hands around a little. "I-I didn't mean to make you sad!"

"Perhaps you should stop talking now, Hayato." Kanna advised. Hayato did what he was told and quietly sipped his water.

"Kid…Chase…" Jett put a hand on the sniffling girl's shoulder. "It's not that we don't want to be with you or anything. Like Zen…ahem…'Agent Dragonfury' said, if there's anyone who threatens you or if there was a mystery that needed to be solved…" Jett glanced to Zen. The dragon warrior nodded rapidly. "…we'd be happy…no, we'd come running to your side in an instant."

Chase looked up and wiped her eyes. "But, there is a mystery."

Jett looked startled. "There…there is?"

"Yes!" Chase took a deep breath. "I want to investigate…dun-dun-dundun! Maple World's couples!"

Hayato spat out his drink. Zen covered the nacho plate from the spray defensively.

"C-couples?!" The samurai choked out. "You-you…you brought us out here to talk about couples?!"

Kanna tugged at her hair ribbon. "Perhaps…is there something wrong with Maple World's couples?"

"Well, not necessarily…" The animal-eared girl started.

"Couples…" Hayato leaned his head back in astonishment, as well as a touch of exasperation.

"What are we investigating, if there's nothing wrong, then?" The onmyouji continued.

"J-just how they work together, and…and…and pairs that aren't couples but totally should confess alread-"

"But we can't investigate if there's no case, and there can't be a case unless something's wrong."

"N-no! Wait, see, there's this…client! And she asked me to…"

"What's this client's name?"

"W-well, I don't want to violate her, um, privacy! So, let's just call her, 'Ms. Anima-'"

"It's you, isn't it?"

"W-what?! Noooooooo! O-of course not! Don't be silly!" Chase grabbed her glass of soda pop and sipped through the straw, her cheeks turning a light shade of red.

"Couples!" Hayato bemoaned.

Jett rolled her eyes. "Chase…the rest of us have…stuff to do! You know…" Jett waved her arms a little for emphasis. "I still have to go clear my name, Hayato and Kanna are defending Momijigaoka, Zen is doing his vengeance thing…"

"MAHPH OPHFONENTST WIFL TAFTE MAHPH FIFTH OFF HUSTIF!" The dragon warrior proclaimed through a mouth full of chips and guacamole.

"…yes, that." The bounty hunter continued. "And we'd all love to help you…"

"You're not going to help, are you?" Chase frowned.

"Well, no…because…because, well, obviously you don't need us!"

This was met with a chorus of "huh?"

"T-think about it! You're the greatest detective in the whole world! The whole maple-y world! The great Detective Chase!" Jett continued. "You were investigating Tutu before any of us got involved!"

"Wait, that's not riII-OW!" Hayato grabbed at his gut where Kanna's elbow had connected.

"Obviously…" The orange-haired girl smiled. "…obviously such an investigation is a piece of cake for an expert detective such as yourself!"

"R-really? But…I…you really think so?"

"Of course!" Jett stood up and walked over, putting her arm around Chase's shoulders. "You're a great detective! The greatest there is!"

"I…I don't know…"

"Besides, what kind of couple would like to have five people following them around, y'know? One person is far, far less conspicuous than five! We'd just slow you down!"

"I…never thought of it that way…"

"Look, I will start you out with a tip though. Why don't you go and talk to that new kid from that city-place…what was it…Seal? Sell? Sale?"

"Seoul." Kanna corrected. "The student from Seoul, Korea, he comes from another world. He calls himself, 'Kinesis'. I don't know his real name."

"Yes! Seoul! That's the name! See, I heard he's got himself a girlfriend in that other world of his, and I also heard he's taking her over here soon to check out some of Maple World's sights! That'd be a perfect place to start your investigation!"

"Kin-ee-sis" Chase sounded the name out. "Do…do you think I can learn a lot about couples from him?"

"Yes! Of course!" Jett grinned.

'Although I don't know what it is you're trying to learn, exactly…' She thought.

Chase jumped up. "Yes! That's perfect, Agent Ironsight! I, the great Detective Chase shall go undercover! I shall uncover the secrets of Maple World's couples!"

"It's settled then! You'll go bothe- investigate the two of them!" Jett motioned away from the table. "Waiter! Check please!"

Zen made a muffled sound.

"Yes, and one to-go box, please!"