"There are way too many people here," Koizumi Akane complained as she looked at the long line in front of her, then reached into her pocket to get her wallet.
The next second, her movements stiffened abruptly, and her face filled with shock.
Hayashi Shuichi had already turned around, intending to head back to the classroom, but catching sight of her reaction out of the corner of his eye, he stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you forgot to bring your wallet?"
"When I left the house this morning, I definitely had it!" Koizumi Akane stomped her foot anxiously. "It must have fallen out earlier when you were dragging me along..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter, eventually turning into a wronged mumble.
"So, this is still my fault?" Hayashi Shuichi glanced at her grumpily. "Didn't you swear you weren't a little scammer and that you really could tell fortunes? In that case, just divine where your wallet fell, isn't that enough?"
"Divination requires tools, and I don't have anything with me right now!" Koizumi Akane bit her lip in grievance. "Fine, I just won't eat lunch."
After speaking, she turned around in a huff, intending to stride out of the cafeteria.
"Wait a moment," Hayashi Shuichi called out to stop her, then took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out two bills, and handed them over.
"I don't want..."
Koizumi Akane wanted to act tough, but before she could finish, her stomach traitorously let out a loud growl.
The girl's face instantly flushed bright red, and she hurriedly explained in a low voice, "First day of school, I was too excited this morning and didn't eat much..."
"Take it," Hayashi Shuichi forcibly stuffed the bills into the girl's hand. "This is a loan. Remember to pay me back tomorrow."
"...Thank you," a warm feeling surged in Koizumi Akane's heart. Although this person spoke annoyingly sometimes, he was actually quite kind.
"By the way," Hayashi Shuichi suddenly remembered something and continued, "If you don't pay me back tomorrow, I'll start charging interest from the day after."
"...I know!"
Koizumi Akane gritted her teeth, barely restraining herself from throwing the bills back in Hayashi Shuichi's face.
This guy really was an annoying brat through and through!
After lunch, Hayashi Shuichi sat with Kisaki Eri, chatting idly.
"It's so strange. In just a blink of an eye, the classmates aren't as crazy about Koizumi Akane anymore," Kisaki Eri said, looking perplexed. "I'm starting to suspect if I saw things wrong this morning."
"It's possible for one person to see things wrong, but how could both of us be mistaken?" Hayashi Shuichi glanced at Koizumi Akane's seat. "She clearly has some secret. It's better to interact with her less in the future."
"Even if I were bored to death, I wouldn't go looking for her. I'm just afraid some people..." Kisaki Eri looked askance at her childhood friend. "Using the excuse of the class monitor helping a new student get familiar with the environment, taking the opportunity to..."
"I don't have any good feelings toward her," Hayashi Shuichi said honestly. "You could even say that because I saw her setting up a stall for fortune-telling that day, my favorability rating for her right now is completely negative."
"I don't believe it," Kisaki Eri huffed, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She is so beautiful."
"No matter how beautiful she is, she's still a scammer," Hayashi Shuichi's eyes revealed a trace of disgust. "If I were already a police officer, I would have arrested her long ago."
At this moment, Mouri Kogoro rushed into the classroom like a whirlwind. "Shuichi, did Koizumi-san ask you yet?"
"Ask what?" Hayashi Shuichi didn't understand.
"Just something about fate or whatever," Mouri Kogoro scratched his head. "Koizumi-san is going around looking for people to chat with. She chatted with me for a bit just now, but I didn't really understand. I just felt she was talking in a mysterious, spooky way."
"This little scammer has only been here for one day, and she already can't resist soliciting business," Hayashi Shuichi said with some regret. "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have lent her money and let her go hungry for a day."
Just as Mouri Kogoro said, after lunch in the cafeteria, Koizumi Akane began wandering around the school, looking for the person who had turned her Wheel of Fortune.
However, a whole noon passed, and she still had no clue.
Koizumi Akane could only sit by the flowerbed in frustration to rest. "Strange, this school isn't that big, why can't I find him?"
Born into a family of magic users, Koizumi Akane had learned magic from her mother at home since childhood.
Life was supposed to go on peacefully like this until she was of age, found an outsider to marry into the family, and gave birth to a child to inherit the family's magic.
However, ten days ago, her mother had told her with a serious face that twelve years ago, when Koizumi Akane was a little over four years old, a strange phenomenon had suddenly appeared in the starry sky.
A meteor that shouldn't have existed suddenly streaked across the night sky.
Immediately after, Koizumi Akane's Wheel of Fortune shifted along with it.
Koizumi Akane's mother wasn't sure if this shift was good or bad.
So when Koizumi Akane grew up, she sent her into the city to personally find the person who had turned her Wheel of Fortune and figure out exactly what was going on.
"That bastard who randomly influences other people's fate, don't let me find you!" Koizumi Akane waved her fist angrily. "If I find you, I will definitely curse you for ten years—no, one hundred years!"
"Achoo!" Sitting in the classroom, Hayashi Shuichi sneezed for no reason.
He rubbed his nose, feeling a bit baffled.
"You were busy for half the night yesterday. Could it be that you caught a cold?" Kisaki Eri handed over a tissue with concern.
"How could Shuichi catch a cold?" Mouri Kogoro sat backward on his chair, leaning his arms on the backrest. "His body has been as strong as an ox since childhood. I remember in the winter of third grade, there was a huge flu outbreak. Basically, all the classmates and teachers got infected, but this guy was still fine as if nothing happened."
"It is indeed a bit strange," Hayashi Shuichi was also puzzled. "From childhood until now, I haven't caught a cold yet. This seems to be the first time I've sneezed?"
"Could it be that someone is thinking of you?" Mouri Kogoro joked. "How does the saying go? One sneeze means someone is thinking of you, two means someone is cursing you, three means a cold. You just sneezed once, so surely some girl is thinking of you!"
Hayashi Shuichi stole a glance at the already displeased Kisaki Eri beside him and hurriedly pretended to sneeze again. "There, now it's two. Someone must be cursing me!"
"That sneeze was way too fake," Mouri Kogoro laughed loudly.
"I didn't say anything," Kisaki Eri scoffed coldly. "Trying to salvage the situation so urgently, could it be a guilty conscience?"
Hayashi Shuichi gave a dry laugh, daring not to speak again, and could only glare angrily at Mouri Kogoro.
Sooner or later, you're going to get me killed!
After school in the afternoon, Koizumi Akane didn't choose to go home immediately but continued to stay at school to look for people.
Mouri Kogoro was busy with his baseball team activities, while Hayashi Shuichi returned to the izakaya with Kisaki Eri.
As soon as they entered, the girl hurriedly walked to the phone and dialed the number of Yukiko's film crew. "...I'm looking for the Curly-Haired Fox... no, Fujimine Yukiko!"
"She can't come back temporarily anyway, and Koizumi Akane won't occupy her seat forever," Hayashi Shuichi said amusedly. "I'll find time in the next two days to go to the warehouse and move a set of desk and chair for Koizumi Akane."
"Precisely because she can't come back, we have to tell her even more," Kisaki Eri revealed a mischievous smile. "That way she can fret over there while being unable to do anything. Let her worry to death!"
"You two really are..." Hayashi Shuichi shook his head speechlessly and went alone to change clothes, preparing the ingredients needed for the evening's business.
Kisaki Eri's phone call was obviously very successful; Yukiko's reaction on the other end kept a smile on Eri's face for the entire evening.
Around five o'clock, Orikasa Midori came over as well.
"Senior, after school, Meigetsu and I went to the underground passage in Nichome, but we didn't see anyone setting up a stall for fortune-telling."
Orikasa Midori had kept in mind what Hayashi Shuichi told her on Saturday night.
She utterly detested scammers who used fortune-telling to swindle money.
"Of course you wouldn't run into her," Hayashi Shuichi said without looking up as he chopped vegetables. "She ran off to our school."
"Eh?" Orikasa Midori asked in surprise. "She's actually a student?"
Hayashi Shuichi nodded. "A new transfer student at our school, in the same class as me."
"Starting to mix in society and scam money at such a young age, she'll definitely turn into a big swindler in the future!" Orikasa Midori waved her fist with a sense of justice. "Senior, I've already instructed Meigetsu. If we see anyone setting up a fortune-telling stall in the underground passage in the future, we'll chase them away immediately!"
Around nine o'clock in the evening, Tomizawa Chikage walked into the izakaya. Her first words were: "Narumi's hospitalization fees have been paid. It's enough to last for at least half a year."
"The Aso family should thank you properly," Hayashi Shuichi said with some emotion. "You saved their whole family."
"It's not just my credit," Tomizawa Chikage smiled gently. "You were the one who sent Mr. Aso's childhood friends to prison. If those people were still around, the Aso family would definitely still be in trouble."
"Your suitcase is upstairs. Do you want me to bring it down?"
Hayashi Shuichi pushed a glass of ice-cold beer in front of the girl. That leather suitcase contained the clothes and tools Tomizawa Chikage used for theft; for her, it was obviously indispensable.
"No need, just keep it at your place for now."
Tomizawa Chikage reached out to take the glass Hayashi Shuichi offered, took a small sip, and showed an expression of enjoyment.
"I came here today just to drink a little and relax. Being in the hospital recently has almost driven me crazy."
After a few beers, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Tomizawa Chikage asked in a low voice, "After that incident, have there been any unusual reactions from the police and the Sumiyoshi-kai? They don't actually think I killed Ito Ichiro, do they?"
"That matter has been resolved, and it won't have anything to do with you in the future."
Hayashi Shuichi shook his head. Just as he was about to explain, he saw the noren curtain of the izakaya lift, and Inspector Samezaki and Officer Teraoka walked in together.
Seeing the cherry blossom crests worn on their chests, Tomizawa Chikage hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to be an ordinary customer.
"Business is pretty good tonight, Hayashi-kun," Inspector Samezaki sat at the counter with a hearty laugh. "You earned ten million last night; isn't that already enough for your university tuition? Why do you still need to work so hard running the shop?"
Ten million?
Tomizawa Chikage was a bit shocked hearing this and subconsciously looked up at Hayashi Shuichi.
This guy was crying poor to me the night before last. Turns out it was all an act!
"I'm only sixteen this year, the future is still long," Hayashi Shuichi smiled as he poured tea for the two officers. "How could just ten million be enough? If there's a chance, of course, the more I earn, the better."
"Luckily we went early last night."
Officer Teraoka took a sip of tea, a trace of relief in his eyes.
"This morning, I received news that while Yamada Daisuke was leading us to find Ito Ichiro's killer last night, Kiryu Yuji sent people to round up Yamada Daisuke and several other faction leaders who opposed him within the gang."
"Hayashi-kun, you were right last night. Takigawa was just bait released by that guy Kiryu to attract attention. The targets he moved against last night were all people who had been investigating Takigawa recently."
"After last night's purge, his position as the boss is secure."
"Before, our Fourth Division treated this kid as an impulsive, irritable fool. Now it seems we were all deceived by his disguise."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Hayashi Shuichi said with a smile. "It's always better for the new boss replacing Ito Ichiro to be a smart person than a fool."
"Haha, that's true," Officer Teraoka nodded in full agreement. "Smart people know where the lines are that shouldn't be crossed. If Kiryu can stay smart, we can worry less."
"By the way, what about Yamada Daisuke?" Hayashi Shuichi asked. "Was he taken out?"
"There hasn't been any news of him all day, but that guy is slippery. It's unlikely he was taken out."
Officer Teraoka shook his head.
"Nine out of ten chances are he fled abroad. Speaking of which, the three of us saved his life last night."
"If we hadn't been there, Kiryu Yuji would definitely have killed him on the spot. If I had known, I should have made him bleed a little more back then."
"Don't be too greedy, Teraoka," Inspector Samezaki frowned and kindly reminded him. "The remuneration from last night was already enough. Being too greedy will definitely lead to big mistakes in the future."
"Inspector, you are too careful," Officer Teraoka waved his hand dismissively.
Seeing this, Inspector Samezaki didn't say anything more. After all, the other party wasn't his subordinate, and it wasn't his place to worry about it.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming a bit stiff, Hayashi Shuichi timely changed the topic: "By the way, what about that Phantom Lady? Even if she isn't the killer of Ito Ichiro, stealing from the yakuza should still count as theft, right?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Tomizawa Chikage with a faint smile. The girl immediately glared back, unwilling to show weakness, and mouthed a retort: That wasn't theft, it was robbing the rich to help the poor!
"It counts, of course, but the Sumiyoshi-kai didn't report it to the police, and the Third Division is happy to pretend they don't know," Inspector Samezaki shrugged helplessly. "This Phantom Lady isn't easy to catch. She's only been active for a little over a year, yet she's already committed more than ten major crimes. And yet, the Third Division still hasn't even traced her true identity."
Hearing this, Tomizawa Chikage beside them immediately curled the corners of her mouth in triumph...
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