Chapter 3 (2/2)

“Well, if you insist What would you like, Geronimo-san?”

Geroniraceful manner

“I’ll have a katsu curry, thanks”

Hmm? When had she swapped places with the person who had been pigging out back at the bakery?

The waiter noted our orders and returned to the kitchen, keeping his business smile firmly plastered on his face

“So Where e?”

Natsuki-san s Koibi would be jealous Mii-san has been her favorite for a long ti back, this first love of hers dates back to when she was a senior in high school He was only a junior back then”

“Thank goodness he wasn’t in elementary school”

“But the irl in her class as also in love with hile All told, it was a rather pleasant school life”

Pleasant? More like strange

Natsuki-san chugged her glass of water down in one go, then wiped her mouth with the wet towel

“Mii-san and I are both young people That being the case, there’s only one thing for us to do”

“You’re absolutely right”

The japanese of this lady in her thirties was slightly beyond reed anyway

“Mii-san, what are your hobbies?”

“I have to ad of a spy camera of love”

“My, what a refined person”

Natuski-san santly

“And would you perhaps have a fondness for going on walks at night?” Natsuki-san asked without a hint of discohts

“It’s because I’m a country delinquent,” I answered carelessly

At that moment, Natsuki-san pointed at me with a triumphant expression

“Objection, Mii-san This isn’t a court so I won’t be needing any proof But even then, Mii-san, you shouldn’t be lying” [55]

Does she eneral?

Natsuki-san interruptedto speak

“Mii-san, you’re a country punk”

“…You’re quite the detective You knowmy hands in a show of surrender

“Then as a penalty, would you please reveal the real reason?” she continued

Hmm, the real reason, is it?

I picked up lass of water, and as s from the corners of my eyes

Even if I were to tell her the truth, there was no way she would believe me I mean, this was the owner of a brain that had somehow come to the conclusion that I was the murderer, after all

What this person sought was not a testimony of the truth but conduct born of lies

“Very well Then I shall tell only you, Natsuki-san”

“Oh? Was I not Geroni out a pipe of ave ot, you aren’t fond of ht?”

“Yeah I hate it”

“Letthe pipe to her bag

Is that her way of letting me know that she knows even the smallest details about me?

I waited until the s where we left off

“My ht is simple – I aim to catch that murderer”

“Oh my, I didn’t realize that Mii-san was an ally of justice”

“Yes, in fact I contribute to society at least five ti away from other people” I continued my empty responses I could not allowa fruitful conversation with this woonist’s duty to clear their name of suspicion with their oo hands, don’t you know?”

Although I’onist

Natsuki-san’s eyebroitched

“Suspicion?”

“That would be the emotion that Natsuki-san – excuse me, Geronimo-san – feels for me”

Her face scrunched in a slight frown, but she forced a smile She probably didn’t own any facial expressions besides s to express the h s but year-round muscle pain

“What I feel… The word ‘suspicion’ has a negative connotation, and I don’t dislike you, so let’s go with ‘doubt’ instead[6]”

“Why, thank you My feelings for you are enough to warrant welco you as my number zero[7]”

“I am overcome with eht have the slightest inkling of what you refer to…” Natsuki-san said, placing a hand on her cheek, and tilting her head innocently

Would it be distrustful of e of ‘doubt’ with ‘conviction’ in my mind?

“It’s fine Let’s just pretend that you don’t understand”

I shi+fted inup leaning ainst the chair back Natsuki-san faced azes I stared her down, inwardly chanting curses in hopes of turning her to stone

“…My, , to stare so ly at your date is…”

“H at your hairline…”

Natsuki-san shook her head uess it can’t be helped I can understand why you find the police disagreeable It was Mii-san who singlehandedly solved the case eight years ago while we failed to produce any results”

I felt like my stomach had flipped inside-out, and I took a sip out of the water in an attempt to calm it

Eight years ago, huh

I see So she wants to start there

“It was Mii-san, right? Who called the police”

“You know, I just can’t see the talking clock[8]”

Natsuki-san gave my contribution to the conversation all the deference you would the pitter patter of falling rain, and continued

“Mii-san, you were brave You calround to report to us Although, at the time, you’d mentioned that your ue’? Have you organized them now?”

“I wish I could say that I have, but unfortunately, it seems that some of those memories have been lost Irretrievably so”

“Do you really not remember who the killer was?”

“Unfortunately not Might I, however, suggest the ad of a tormented conscience”

A lie I knew from experience that they were incapable of such responsible actions

“I see… Well, it’s best not to forcefully recall such things Misono Mayu-chan is a good – er, bad – example”

Deliberately dra the pain she felt over the incident, she nevertheless brought up a name that was beyond ironic

As I did not respond, however, Natsuki-san let the o and moved on

“On that note, the murderer on the loose at theonce h school student”

Not “a student,” but a “high school student” I see

“And upon what basis have you formulated that conclusion?”

“Well, let’s see The first clue that it’s a student has to do with the ti of the crimes”

“How cliché”

“All nine incidents occurred either late at night on weekdays or on weekends, with thethe day on weekends… It’s pretty straightforward, really”

“Perhaps it’s an une to be a student”

Her eyes narrowed as she sesture

“Of course that possibility must be taken into consideration However, is thethe many crimes committed by one who is presumed to be a student, the police have vastly increased the nu that tihtful person would have co this tieous The opposite, rather”

“You’re right,” I agreed, not knohat I was agreeing to

“From the sheer number of corpses that have been mutilated, it can be seen that the criminal has a proclivity for the macabre There were, however, victims whose corpses were left untouched This killer of ours sure is capricious, isn’t he?”

“I have no clue”

“Giving neither thought nor care to his kills, this deviant ht participate in any other daily activity Such a criht into his cri of his crimes as well A murderer of this type would kill simply because the impulse struck them, simply because they had some time to kill – perhaps on their way to the convenience store, even That is the type of student I envision this criminal to be” Her soliloquy continued undisturbed, without concern for my input

Did she really just use the convenience store as an example? She must’ve seriously researched every last detail of my life Oh well, every man’s bound to have at least a couple stalkers in his lifetime

“Do you watch the news? Or read the newspapers?”

Natsuki-san changed the topic, pro a nod from me

“Then you should be aware of the two most recent incidents”

“I ahth victim was the president of the residential association, while the most recent one was aentrance exaht?”

Nodding lightly at my words, she paused for a moment As I sat there, wary of the sudden silence, she unreservedly ran her eyes across my face

“…Do you need so?”

“Don’t you ever get tired? Of, you know, being so expressionless all the time”

“It’s a lota smile plastered on your face all the time, I’m sure”

Especially foronce in the last few years

But back to the topic at hand

“What I find particularly concerning about the two most recent incidents is the time the crimes were committed Previously, all the cri the day on the weekends There were no nighttime weekend murders”

Queen to H5, check

The tense atmosphere created indicated that I had been driven into a corner Soplaced on the board

“Now, if the criminal commits murder only in his spare time, that would explain the limited time frae in the tie in the murderer’s lifestyle, no?”

“Even if you frame that statement as a question, I have no way to answer”

“Ah, my mistake,” said the person opposite ht se to suddenly change lifestyles at this ti aze directly

She sat quietly, watching ave him a nod, despite the fact that it had been my order

Raising the white cup, I placed my lips on the brim

“I see you’re quite fond of hot chocolate,” she commented, as she waited for the waiter to depart

“Did you hear that from Dr Koibi?”

“No, from your aunt”

A name I hadn’t expected left her lips

“I’m acquainted with both your aunt and uncle The connections in a s, aren’t they?”

“……”

“They speak of you often, you know, Mii-san They la the week Because you are often out on the weekends, they rarely have time to spend with you as a family”

“I should probably apologize for my part in that…”

So this is what it feels like to be a sheep being herded by a sheepdog

On the other hand, there was no denying the joy I felt froh-stakes negotiation between two con men

“In particular, theyout at night since they’re never home”

One by one, Natsuki-san’s words filled in the gaps of a cheap, sixteen-piece jigsaw puzzle

Although the ie painted on its surface was already obvious, each piece was lowered into place ever so slowly As if to mock me

“Although their biggest worry irlfriend Frole woman, I must say I find the situation quite enviable”

She grasped the last piece

“I would really like to hear about Mayu-san’s living habits”

Checkmate

Frohts had been obvious Exposed Annoying

Runningthe inside of my mouth, which had turned dry, I opened my mouth to speak

“I’ outside, which could also possibly be interpreted as averting aze Outside, the rain had slowed to a drizzle

“Indeed, let’s end this conversation before my curry arrives”

Natsuki-san’s flat gaze stared directly at me

This conversation, its priority lower than that of lunch, was reaching its climax

“You have recently experienced a drastic change in lifestyle, you enjoy taking walks at night… and h school student”

“…I see”

Since I’m a criminal, that makes me a student, huh

How efficient

“Fufu…”

“Fufufufu… Ahahahaha”

Suddenly Simultaneously

Natsuki-san and I erupted in eerie laughter

Mine, long

Hers, short

We laughed until our cheeks ached and the custo tables moved away

“A ame of cat and mouse”

“Absolutely I was this close to confessing to a cri”

As if to release the eratedly

My conversation with this person was coame of old maid, and yet had been accompanied by the irrationality of only one side unilaterally revealing their cards

It had been irritating, confusing, sagacious, and, ultimately, enjoyable

Fun enough for h aloud

As if to protest the rare occurrence of hter, my parched throat cried out for a drink I quenched my thirst with a sip of sweeter-than-usual hot chocolate, bathing in the afterglow of this battle of empty speculation

It had been, in the end, nothing ame

Because there was no proof

Had there been any, ould not have held this conversation in private, but rather in a police interrogation room And instead of hot chocolate, I’d have been served a bowl of katsudon[9]

I saw Natsuki-san’s nose twitch as the scent of curry, ignoring the current atmosphere, wafted across the room

“Why don’t we go for a walk in the courtyard once we’re done here?”

Humbly, I accepted the offer that sounded like a line froe interview[10]

That courtyard wouldn’t happen to be surrounded by prison bars, would it? I wanted to retort I kept that to h

Upon exiting the cafe, I was escorted by the intelligent (self-proclaiive her that one) Natsuki-san

“The daifuku[11] here are delicious”

“Western sweets are over that way; there’s even a store that sells tasty fruit jelly”

“Ooh, they have sao”

The courtyard, was it? More like the food hall

We circled the area once, buying both japanese and Western sweets

“Have you lived with Dr Koibi before?” I asked, guiding the oobanyaki[13] Natsuki-san had purchased forrooftop

I’d forgotten my umbrella downstairs, in the cafe, but the rain had since stopped and I couldn’t be bothered to go back and get it

“Yep, back ere in college together We both attended a university in the country where we lived a debauched life together sharing living expenses Oh, but ‘debauched’ in a good way”

Does that word even have a “good” ?

Fro in her hand, Natsuki-san rehtly, as if literally savoring a morsel of happiness

“I’m surprised you decided tome meet Mayu-chan?” she asked in a perfunctoryher oobanyaki in two bites

“Uhh… Uht over inal

Taking Natsuki-san’s personality into consideration, I had assu the lines of “Many thanks for your consideration” Instead, however, she simply watched er desired a battle of wits between the non-red fox and the raccoon that had not co the case, I had better spare a bit of honesty in order to achieve oals

“There’s so to ask you once ere alone,” I said

“And what’s that?”

“Thetreated as a homicide?”

Probing for answers froh I were an elementary school student on a field trip to a factory

“H her head in puzzlement It was only to be expected that she’d hardly be forthco to a suspect who had potentially committed the crime in question However, she didn’t stop there

“To be honest, there’s a good chance the Ikeda siblings ran away from home”

“……Ran away?”

“It seeht until ular basis, as if to relieve stress They’ve already run away from home on multiple occasions, so it’s rumored that this is yet another of their escapes The only thing is… It’s been a bit long this time”

“On a regular basis…”

The information I had just received forced my lazy brain into action

Runaways Processing A homicidal maniac

Runaways processing a homicidal maniac… Why did I just connect those?

Let’s not worry about that for now, though The thing from just now is more important

I need a way to defuse the situation

Theabout the best outcome

The importance of bowers To hide a tree, use a forest

If you ignore both logic and ethics, this is the answer you’d naturally arrive at

“Whether they ran away, or were murdered, or kidnapped, it’s already been a month Their safe return is doubtful”

“Tragic” I gave a lazy reply as I conte bla hu at this froles, it was clear that I had opened myself up to a multitude of criticisms

Though that also came with three positives: safe, easy, and fast

“I guess fro deal, huh”

What’s that supposed to hto”

“Oh?”

A high-pitched electronic sound, a pop song popular so the delish Fron, Natsuki-san pulled a blue clamshell phone and flipped it open

“My, how time flies”

At her look of surprise, I, too, pulled out my phone and checked the time displayed on the LCD It had been one hour since we had left the cafe: just past twelve thirty

“If you’ll excuse ized

Where could she possibly be headed looking like that?

“I see It’s a real shauess it can’t be helped”

“After seeing how happy it’s lad I shared that information”

“Please be careful and avoid getting arrested by accident”

My warning was heartfelt Natsuki-san acceptedsmile What a comfortable atmosphere

“Would youyour phone number with me?” she asked

I accepted, and recited an eleven-digit number

“Here’s uilty, please talk to ”

Natsuki-san gave an elegant bow and began to leave

Abruptly, she spun around as though on a rotating chair, and retraced her steps to stand by my side once more

“I’ this for myself”

“What?”

In a le, swift movement she pulled my head to her with her arms Unable to react, my head was forcefully buried in a chest that couldn’t really be described as ample

“Mm, you smell quite nice…”

“…U this to a murderer?”

“I’ my suspect”

I could tell fro this

I could feel goosebu on my skin

Ignoring my body’s instinctive rejection response, I stretched my arms around her back, careful not to dirty her clothes with my half-eaten oobanyaki

“…Oh?”

“Uh, because, you know, uerous if you were to be stabbed in the back…”

Natsuki-san’s only reaction to my incoherent response was a simple “Thank you”

As I lightly embraced her, I could feel the bones on her back Is this really someone who’s eaten bread and katsu curry and fruit jelly and akafuku and prawn crackers and silky fowl egg pudding and matsumaezuke[15] and oobanyaki all within the last hour?

Her fingers ran through h oosebumps to protrude further from my bare skin

“…So u to keep me in custody exactly?”

“You’re still under investigation Anyway, you’d have to let go of me as well”

“This is, uh, well…”

Natsuki-san giggled, and then murmured softly

“How nostalgic”

“Pardon?”

Her hands left my head She then slipped out of my arms and retreated a step

As I stood blankly, unable to hide my discomposure, Natsuki-san covered her ly

“You’re the type girls like”

With those words lingering in the air, she exited the rooftop with light steps

“……Hrm”

I grunted to myself as I turned to face the fence and lost myself in the verdant scene for a time

After roughly a ot to me

Idly, I scratched er

What had just happened? Had she been trying to plant a listening device on me? Maybe a transmitter? Perhaps it’d been a physical exam of sorts

I should probably toss et home

Yeah, let’s do that

But enough of hiding my embarrassment

I tossed the last bite of oobanyaki in my mouth and turned

To find Mayu standing there

Time froze

Black umbrella, black sweater, black skirt, black platform shoes, black hat, black hair

Her arresting appearance contrasted sharply against her pale white skin

Misono Mayu was standing there

So the distance between us to about thirty centimeters

Someone opened their mouth and spoke

“Liar,” they said

Indeed, I was a liar

Somewhere within me, a switch had flipped

Forcefully In the wrong direction

“You followed me?”

So in me had recovered The words had been mine

Wordlessly, Mayu raised her arh that I had tih to realize that she was about to strike e? Without bothering to chew the ulp

“Maa-chan, you liar”

Her fist caskin

Another cut on the hand of Misono Mayu

“Was it fun playing detective?”

Her fist was brought down oncelow on her broere like stone

Her fist was painted a bloody red, a canvas of crimson That which was not to be erased had been painted and washed away by the very one who had ordered it so

“What Was That?”

“You shouldn’t call your senior ‘that’, Maa-chan”

She struck my temple with her umbrella

It’s not what you think, Maa-chan This is someone who seeks to uncover your sins

So it’s got nothing to do with cheating, dammit!

“Why were you laughing?”

Don’t ask a hus

“Even though you never laugh when you’re with me”

“&hellip