Vol 5 Chapter 6 (1/2)
Utsurigi Gaisuke, Crinant Bacteria)
Hinened Stillness Double Flick (Double-layered World)
Gotodoroki Seigo, Scornful Coht-travel Crime)
Munefuyu Bloodshot Eyes Cubic Loop (Infinite Three-dimension)
Nadekiri Hakuraku, Disheartened Parting Gift Dancing with Madness (Dancing Wildly)
Ayana Suzuki Cheetah (Wild Beast)
shi+kigishi+ Kishi+ki, Squir Ruination Bad Kind (City)
shi+gai Touno, Resurrecting Debaseer-happy End (Corpse)
Kunagisa Toe of Death)
Not so ue so much as the behind-the-scenes that must never be spoken about
As for where I return, for now the only place for ht -- after having wrapped everything up, without waiting for nightfall, we left the Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility using the Fiat we refueled with shi+to-kun's help Suzunashi+-san reserved a hotel while in the car, and we spent the night in Nagoya While it was an inn we settled on at the last minute, it boasted an enormous room and top-notch service -- well, not that much, but it was still much better than the Haunted House in the research facility The three of us slept like corpses in the saisa → Suzunashi+-san) Well, we did not really, but it definitely felt like it had been a while since I had slept
When the sun rose, Suzunashi+-san's lecturing began It lasted several hours, and I sat in seiza[1] posture the entire ti allowed to talk back, soer While that happened, Kunagisa woke up, and we spent the entire day touring Nagoya While keeping watch over Kunagisa, who ran around like a child, I bought the uirō Hime-chan had requested of me (conveniently, there was a five-color set, immediate buy) as well as some for Miiko-san and the others in the apartment, for a total of ten bars
On the way ho, we dropped off Suzunashi+-san in the Hiei a Prefecture
”Well, give Asano ards We'll continue the lecture another day”
So she said Apparently she was still not through Part of me felt exasperated, but the other part of me looked forward to it
And then I stopped the car in the high-end residential area shi+rosaki that Kyoto boasted to the rest of country (or perhaps more accurately felt embarrassed about), or more specifically in front of the isa lived in, and helped her to her room
”Well, later” ”Yup, later”
I did not knohat she , returned to the Fiat, and then this time headed for the apart lot, and then less than ato my room, knocked on the door to the room next door
”Yo, welcome home,” Miiko-san was fortunately hoht It seemed she had downed a little, no, quite a bit of sake, and her face was red ”That was fast Two days three nights”
”Two days three nights”
Indeed The three of us had only been in that facility for two days Yet look at us, it felt like we had been imprisoned for a whole month
”Well, yes Thank you for letting asoline also, a souvenir, uirō”
”Right hmm?” Miiko-san noticed my left arm It had been re-patched by Kokoromi-sensei, and was now covered in a cast instead of just bandages ” Inoji, did you drive frooya to here with that arm?”
”Huh Well, yes, see, ht hand for the transmission”
”I see well, that's alright then”
Miiko-san stopped asking questions then, and did not ask about what happened to my arm
”Co together with you”
”Usually you're supposed to decline, but”
But, even I struggled to turn down this nostalgic sense of human decency
”I shall accept today, Miiko-san”
”Met closer”
And so in that way I ate uirō and drank tea in Miiko-san's room -- and while it was quite a hassle to deal with a drunk Miiko-san -- I then returned toin it
” huh?”
Wait, wait, while it was nor andnonexistent was not I did not see er, either Woah, even one For aI had been robbed, but the next moment I realized what had happened, and headed to Hime-chan's room on the first floor
”Because you said you'd give , Master”
The suspect was Hime-chan
”Hime-chan cleaned your room Even threay your trash”
There was no doubting that the trash Hi items
” Hime-chan That was supposed to be if I did not return safely”
”But But but, looking at your aret back safely”
” maybe”
Jeez if every case could be solved so easily
I took back ave her the uirō in exchange, and then returned to my room once more
”Ahh you know”
As if I had awakened froht but misapprehension similar to a delusion Because the Mad Demon Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility was indeed real
”Real -- how is that any different from an illusion?”
What will happen to that research facility now? I thought about that at length With its leader Professor Shadou Kyouichirou in such a state, it probably does not function as a research facility anymore, so it may have already been absorbed into another research syndicate, is what Kunagisa had told-- literally -- and I could not i money into the Mad Demon forever So then ould happen to the other researchers
Neo-san would not be troubled He was a turncoat from the start His profession is betrayal -- an i anywhere He would just return pay to the aspects of his job he was unable to fulfill, and as a professional traitor, move on to his next job
”-- but you knoant to try working as a pair with you once I actually want to recruit you and take you along here and now”
”That is not a funny joke please do not say so”
”Naw, you're not the type to betray people If anything you're more the type to abandon them in their face”
””
”Hhable joke”
-- although ould likely never cross paths again, much less have any run-ins with each other, in retrospect, it is fascinating to realize that I had found hi fellow There are not many who have defined so clearly what it means to betray
Miyoshi+ Kokoromi -- Kokoroain Well, I do not iine they have any reason to reject someone of her talents, so all should be well on her end
”Well, we shall not ain, sensei”
”Main soon, y'know”
””
”And y'know, it'll be in an even more, more and more ridiculous and terrible a situation, but it'd sure fit ya fine So, y'know, adios!”
Sensei left an oain Jeez, why is that person so bad at parting scenes? Cut me some slack, seriously
Kasugai Kasuga Kasugai-san -- what is that person doing? She will do anything, to the point where I should really not be paying it any heed In the truestOf all people, I cannot i in a situation where she cannot find a way out A hu fro she wants and nothing she does not want, no satisfaction nor dissatisfaction, no fortune norto protect and no idea what it means to want to destroy, not alive and thus no concept of death, has values but no sense of valuation, no problems and no solutions -- that is the sort of person she is
If Ipulled into soisa Syndicate Because she is too talented as a scientist to be allowed to roaain, but - no, specifically for her, there are no buts
Oogaki shi+to -- Uze Misachi The two of the with Shadou Kyouichirou Follow hi to say There is nothing a person with no convictions can say to people with strong convictions
And then
Koutari Hinayoshi+
Koutari Hinayoshi+ -- escaped
The security guards standing guard over the foothills were said never to have seen him Truly, like smoke, he disappeared like a puff of cloud
”Disappear -- although hus do not just disappear”
However, you can vanish a hu
And that is what happened
” whoops, there was one more”
Yes, one et
I thought that as I fell asleep the night of that day
And then the next day I forget easily, but I ao to school on weekdays To be honest, I wanted to get some rest for another day, but I had already rested for three days for a little trip like this, and counting my hospitalization the previous month, I had already ht before the exaation to drag myself to class I prepared to head to school (I could not use e), and then left the apartment At the side of the alley, Houko-chan, who lives upstairs in , was crouched over The straw hat she wore to block off the sunlight fit her well and made for a cute scene
”Yo, good , Houko-chan”
”Goodbrother,” Houko-chan bowed her head without turning to faceto school now?”
”Yes What are you doing, Houko-chan?”
”I as”
” I see Keep at it”
”Yes I will”
Just as I was about to walk past her, Houko-chan grabbedher head to stopbrother”
”Big brother, if you go to school today, you'll probably die”
She said, casually
And I answered, casually, ”I know”
”You know but you're still going?”
”It is a worthless life anyways,” I shrugged ”Plus, I have exams soon”
Is that so, Houko-chan let go She still did not turn to look atto university
Class was as boring as ever Thinking it boring is just a personal proble That is what university is about Regardless of whether ere just before exaardless of whether I attended or not, this systee I passed ti due tothe book shi+ no Kaisousen [2] that I had borrowed from Nanami The cover and the book itself was so old that it was somewhat hard to read It was a box-bound hardcover, and it was oddly-shaped so that it did not fit in , such was the incomprehensible taste of Nana and interesting
And then after lunch break caht a snack pastry for lunch, and then clio to the fourth floor, where the basic exercise room resided I wanted to use the elevator, but for whatever reason I did not feel like using the elevator today
” what does not feeling like using the elevator mean, anyways”
Coi hated elevators Not that it mattered any, but I wondered why
Was it because it made him feel trapped?
I arrived at the classroo upon a rather bizarre spectacle Several of my class in They should just go in, but they all had a serious expression, peeping in on the classroo the door open just a bit
” what are you all doing?”
”Oh, Ikkun,” Yashi+ge-san (Wears coats during the su tiain, too”
”Mht it's Ikkun,” Manayala scripture) [3] also noticed me, and waved me over ”C'mere'sec! Look, Ikkun, don't jus' stand there an' c'mon an' look, lookylook”
”What? Just go in already--”
”Noay!” Yoshi+maki-kun (Combed-back blond hair and short jeans Wants to becoitated and held downwhat're you doing, to our precious treasure?”
”Treasure?”
”There's a strange woht shoulder Goth-loli) explained ”And that's why it feels kinda -- weird to go in?”
”Strange woman? Not a classmate?”
”Yeah! But she's really cool!” ”Yeah! Seriously!” ”Really pretty,” ”And really tall-- with pretty hair--” ”And long legs--” ”Kinda see!” ”Like she can have her ith me?” ”-- and red--” ”Feels hard to approach for soant but kinda manly, and really--”
”Wait”
I stopped them
”Did someone just say and red?”
”Yup? I did, why?”
”-- I have a feeling Can everyone step aside and let h?”
Instantly, their eyes sparked And as if they aiting for the moment, their voices went in sync,
”Wow, Ikkun! He does souy!” [4]
And they shouted with joy
I hate them
I ignored them and opened the door
And then, of course
”-- yo”
Displaying too poest contractor, Aikawa Jun, seated with both legs on top of ave off an inti aura Her appearance alone was like a work of art
”What a coincidence to meet in a place like this, Ii-tan”
”-- if this is a coincidence, no one would ever roll a die”
”Hahah True that,” Aikawa-san laughed sarcastically, and then she ju in that posture She flew over a desk, and landed in front of me ”Yup To tell you the truth, I came to see you”
”Uh huh well, sure, but please do not jump while in a seated position” [5]
”Oh don't be like that between the two of us, after all we've been through,” Aikawa-san wrapped her arms intimately around my shoulder Our faces, our chins became inordinately close And then she faced onna abduct this bride”
”Go ahead, please”
They said in unison
I hate them so much
The powerless nineteen-year-old bride was thus escorted, I ed out of the classroom Aikawa-san kept her ar it felt ether As if she were trying to hug me to her I wondered hoe looked to others
Certainly not lovers
is what I i it in my head, and a part of me felt a bit downed by that
”H, Ii-tan? You're even quieter than usual Ya feeling down?”
”No and et off me?”
”What? That's harsh,” Aikawa-san responded totone ”Sister's all hurt now, all hurt, if you're gonna be like that Ii-tan's so cold You cold person Meanie meanie, monster-”
”It's hot It's summer It's hard to walk”
”You just gotta adled and she finally let go ”Well, can't say that's not a cute point of yours Maniacs into that stuff probably can't get enough of it So, how're you doing?”
” what do you want? Coly bored”
”M bored I finally finished a job”
”Is that so A job”
”Really cold, Ii-tan,” Aikawa-san said with a forced chuckle ”Alright, alright I'll fess up then Alright, I came here to see you”
”Well of course You said that earlier, too”
We left campus It was still lunch break, so ca about Aikawa-san and I weaved through the crowd It seemed she had an objective, as she had no hesitation in her steps I felt a bit of anxiety over where we ht be headed, but I followed her anyways
”In other words, I want to make up with you”
Aikawa-san said I was so incredibly surprised at how frank she was that I becaht after that I felt like I had become extre
Hmm No Not like this Our Aikawa Jun is more--
”So I'ize”
Aikawa-san continued without nary a hitch I balled ht hand and did a fist pump That is it That is it that is it that is it That is Aikawa Jun
”I do not mind -- I do not mind at all,” I nodded ”Ishi+ize”
Aikawa-san puckered her lips in response and said, ”Alright, forgiven”
”Yup I mean, I had to punch you there But I wanna make up with you, so I'll acquiesce”
Ooph, is that her definition of acquiescing?
This is how Aikawa Jun needs to be
”I do not mind then I want to make up with Aikawa-san too--”
”It's Jun,” Aikawa-san showed noyou not to call me by my name Cut it out and remember it already”
”-- I, too, do not want to fight with Jun-san” I mean, really, seriously ” so, was that braided hair a wig or so?”
”Yup Disguise equiplasses Well, it was pretty co her hair up ”But you know, you didn't notice for so long Imyself, but part ofit Guess you aren't that bad, though”
”Well, of course I had cootten, but if one is to take the Lupin III role, that would be it”
”Hahah, ave any hints about it this time, but Ii-tan, when'd you realize?”
”No, you gave a lot of hints for exah the voice recognition system and Kouta-san called it si siisa Tomo, after all Just any vocalknife This is also strange After giving h other locks? But when it coest's vocalskills would suffice”
”So you caic as Shadou Kyouichirou”
Aikawa-san playfully shrugged her shoulders
”Well, you're right Anyone can perforh to dupe people -- but I'ths I had to then, though”
”Jun-san was also the one that told me that no one would use the surname Zerozaki, too”
”Did I? I don't remember that”
”Indeed But you know, all of those are after-the-fact reasons I realized, or rather, I thought so with Kouta-san at the very, very end At the end, when Kouta-san gavelike The knife in your right pocket is not enough, is it?”
”Hmm I did, didn't I”
”But, I had equipped the knife in ht it would be easier to reach that way That ht pocket If she had said the knife in the left pocket, it would siht pocket meant it was simply prior information And the only person ould have that prior inforave me the knife and holster in the first place, Jun-san”
”-- damn”
Aikawa-san slapped her forehead
”Ahh I see What a dumb slip”
”So Jun-san makes mistakes, too I wondered if you had done it on purpose”
”Nah I probably let down uard a bit Nah, not that I was probably that pissed at you,” she cynically laughed ”I'uess”
”Training That is what Ishi+kawa Goemon said -- however, this was quite mean of you, Jun-san Why did you not just tell me? If I knew Ishi+maru Kouta was Akawa Jun, I would have trusted you more--”
Trust Oh coot pretty loose lips And above all, it was pretty funny seeing how you reacted”
”So that was the reason”
”I just meant to make fun of you when I first called out to you But then the next day you got caught Well I mean, I can't just leave you there then, can I?”
She said, as if it was the natural course of action to take
”So, I figured Iyou, so I kept up uise--”
she said that as if it was the natural course of action to take, too
”But then you started saying you didn't need my help And you know, as a contractor I can't really help people who say they don't need help, so I was like what gives?well, no,” Aikawa-san shrugged ”Mmmmm, since we're at it, I'll be honest, but I was moved by your line then Glad that you were able to be friends That one, I missed my chance to talk”
Augh
Ahh -- that ti that I was saying it in front of the person I said how I felt because I thought I was in front of Kouta-san, who I would never see again
”I've been grateful that we'd beco tily ”I love you, Ii-tan”
””
Guah E I Eek This is bad Topic Need to change topic What To what
”B, but, why did you use an alias? How unlike Jun-san Leaving Zerozaki Itoshi+ki aside as a bad joke, as Ishi+maru Kouta?”
”It's a bit complicated to explain, but well, to repeat myself, it was a job, so I couldn't help it Well, there're work secrets so I can't really tell you lary contract, and basically Ishi+maru Kouta actually exists”
”Huh -- then Jun-san was burglarizing in that person's stead?”
”Yeah Kouta and I don't get along She talks politely like that, but she's really vile She's not so much Lupin III so much as she's Kaijin Nijuumensou [6] The real Kouta wouldn't have asked for assistance nor have helped you Well, I was gonna turn her down because it's a request from Kouta, but then I realized it put isa-chan And I orried about you two, so I accepted the job”
This person was putting personal feelings into her work!
”But, why did that -- Kouta-san, the real one, ask Jun-san instead of doing it herself?”
”Mmhmm That Kouta She hates Neo”
That one put personal feelings in, too
”I kinda like hi, but it's hard to hate him Like a mouse? Hahah, maybe Ii-tan's a bit like that too?”
”Please do not put me in the same vein as that person but, that would mean Neo-san has been acquainted with Kouta-san in the past? But he still did not notice?”
”Of course he wouldn't Leaving aside how good uise is, people don't really look at other people Just the saht have noticed”
”Might have”
Yes, with Kunagisa To if she had noticed Although the problem is that she would not bother to tell anyone Maybe that hy Kunagisa ended up spaced out when Kouta-san appeared in front of the cage in the basement of the fourth ward Not that I had asked her, and I did not intend to ask her, for confirmation
”Well, yeah I guess it means this time I was Tuxedo Mask”
””
It appears irls
”However -- I guess you would not notice Even though it was not like you had changed your height or did you?”
”I could, but there's no reason to Once they've fixated on a thought, people are really easy to trick -- ahh, but just one thing, the real Kouta doesn't wear glasses That was just to trick you”
”Uh huh but just glasses?”
”That's how it goes You know, they block out the eyes for juvenile suspects with a black bar, right? It's the sa Did you know if you cover the eyes it beconize someone? You know Noyou can do about the eyes and fingerprints,” Aikawa-san continued ”That's why aside frolasses, or in other cases growing your hair long and hiding your entire face, or suddenly cutting the hair to turn into a skinhead are pretty good tactics, kinda like wearing gloves”
” uh huh, I see,” I tried to ansith as calm a voice as possible ”I see”
”There's nothing more I see than that Well, that's all So basically I was just using the naood job by ht?”
Aikawa-san grinned
Ahh, shi+t Yes, yes, you're cool
I feel like I am in love, literally
” so, how did your job go?”
”Hmm? Like I said, I finished a job When I say that, it means I finished it This Aikawa Jun has never failed a job”
”Probably”
”Of course that was because you helped ain ”That hat you were doing, right? You gathered everyone in one spot, and that let rateful you make the first ward uninhabited”
” you are welco the favor a bit”
”How conscientious of you”
”I lie but I do not break promises”
”Me people by their appearances Except for the wanted, or so?”
” ury”
”Fufufu This joke is mine”
”You are plagiarizing”
”Sounds like you don't know about conservation of energy Like Go forhilebackwards, but moonwalk!”
She has perfected it
And then Aikawa-san stopped walking, and put out her right hand to me
”And so Handshake, forup?”
”Uh U her hand, such a chicken I am ”Well, thank you”
”And you,” Aikawa-san s relationshi+p”
We left the university grounds, and Aikawa-san continued walking Where in the world was she headed? Given how she alking, it was clear she had a specific objective in mind, and I also did not expect her to tell me before we reached the place
”M a pretty old book”
I did not knohether she kne I felt, but regardless, she spotted Nana
”It is a book I have borrowed from a certain witch Apparently a mystery novel”
”H, took it out of the box, and then flipped through the pages But she seemed to quickly lose interest, and put the book back in the box ”H Just throw it away”
And just as she said that, she ripped the book, box included, in half, and then threw the reht on tiuished from this world
””
”Feels good to throay garbage”
” yes, indeed”
Goethe's words and Taishi+'s words were nothing in the face of Aikawa Jun And of course, I have no words to offer to someone who can rip a hardcover book in half vertically, either Ahh, jeez, it was a borrowed item, too hatever, it was Nanaed anyways, I can just buy her a replacement Should be about three-hundred yen at a used book store
”Actually, I hate mystery books”
A bombshell statement
”They say they like unexpected solutions but at the saic And then they seek tantalizing mysteries Don't they realize that if you stick to reason all you'll get are boring solutions? I mean, maybe I'll snort if 1 plus 1 became 3”
”Uh huh then what genre of books does Jun-san like?”
”A good question Ii-tan, I hate things that try to shed light on the strange or try to put s I love stories that're all irl The stereotypical happenings, a royal road story, a cast of characters you've seen before, a familiar type of villain The overused conflict of justice and evil, the hot-blooded idiot and the logic-bound idiot A tearful happy end for the rival friends I really love those”
” I see Royal roads”
”Yup There's no need for the unexpected There's no need for surprises I don'tIn the end, off-road paths and cunning schemes are for the clowns and side characters Don't you think so? Hmm?”
” I have no words”
”If you say so,” Aikawa-san smiled, satisfied
”Right, royal roads reminds me -- don't you think this Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility story has similarities with the Wet Crow's Feather Island incident?
”Has similarities”
The gathered geniuses The isolated situation And the sealed-room death, the body parts that were never discovered after having been taken away--
”Yes Now that you mention it, it does seem as similar as mystic eyes to contrition”
”Come to think of it, without that incident, I would have never met you--”
”What is with that line You areit sound like a tearful final episode”
Aikawa-san sihed at s of destiny?” I thought for a moment, and then shook my head
”I can believe in destiny -- but I do not believe in s”
”I see Figures,” Aikawa-san said ”-- however, while it was similar to the April case, there were several absolute differences First, in that case there were two, three -- or four? anyways, there were a few, but in this case there was only one Well, the reason for this is just that you got just a bit serious this tieniuses that were gathered were enemies of yours You were hardly noticed on the island that time -- you were hardly an enemy, but this time you were a fantastic enemy”
” enemy”
There was not one person as fond of you, and even the victim was an enemy of yours Seriously, isn't that rare? The structure of the incident was essentially identical but the end result was the exact opposite You did the sa, but that the result was coically happens often This story makes you realize that what's iht, it's like we took the Wet Crow's Feather Island case, turned it over, and gotthe backside of it”
”-- Sounds like a boring story for Jun-san I do not re about that whacky island except for my love story with Akari-san”
”I see That's fine”
So said est in a carefree tone as she yawned and walked However, I was not allowed to be duped by that carefree attitude
Yes, I et
The role of the contractor in the story
Theof this person that appears at the end
Yes -- if the truth of this case, was that it was a turned-over version of the Wet Crow's Feather Island case that had caused Aikawa-san and I to meet -- then what royal road twist lay in wait ahead?