Chapter 149: Touma Kazusa's Mother, Yukinoshita Madam's Decision
Next night, in front of the train station.
Today's Kazusa was different from her usual attire of loose white long-sleeved shirts and jeans.
She wore a white short-sleeved shirt, not long trousers on the lower body but a short tight skirt, paired with high-top boots, indeed looking somewhat like a trendy band girl style.
To match today's special outfit, she also wore a black choker on her fair neck.
Plus that model-like figure, clear and beautiful face, and smooth long straight black hair, just standing there attracted the attention of countless pedestrians.
"Kazusa."
Hearing the voice not far behind, Kazusa's eyes first showed joy, then sorted out her expression, took a deep breath, turned around, and spoke calmly.
"Here? Let's go then."
Yoru was still wearing his usual black casual clothes, just changed to short sleeves because it was approaching summer.
Have to say.
With his appearance, standing with Mai looked like actors filming an idol drama.
Standing with Rio felt like a Frankenstein combo.
Standing with Kazusa...
Felt like two people going to do something bad.
Self-adaptive style indeed.
"Take the train?"
Kazusa shook her head.
"No, take a taxi."
Kazusa didn't have the good virtue of thrift and frugality.
Rather, she had no concept of money at all.
Kazusa didn't know if her monthly pocket money was much or little among peers; anyway, she couldn't spend it all.
....
Half an hour later, the two arrived at their destination.
Kyoto Tower.
This was a famous landmark building in Kyoto city, with a total height of 131 meters.
Usually, as long as Kyoto Tower was open, there would be an endless stream of tourists entering and leaving. Today being Saturday without work, it should be even more crowded.
But at the entrance of Kyoto Tower today, a cordon was pulled up, and fully armed Police Department members were patrolling everywhere.
All this was just because of the arrival of one person.
Even the headline news reports in Sakura Prefecture were occupied by that person.
[World-class pianist Ms. Touma Youko arrived in Kyoto city today, expected to stay in Sakura Prefecture for one day, leaving for Vienna by private jet tomorrow.]
For people in Kyoto, this was a big event.
That was Touma Youko.
A super-first-class... no, arguably the world's number one pianist today, who could hold solo piano tours all over the world and be treated as a distinguished guest in any country!
And this time, Touma Youko, who always disliked media, actually agreed to an exclusive interview with Kyoto TV Station.
To show the importance attached to this world-class pianist, Kyoto city specially vacated this day to live broadcast the exclusive interview with Touma Youko in the landmark building, Kyoto Tower.
And the reason Kazusa came here was also simple.
She hadn't seen her mother for a long time.
More outrageously.
She saw the news of Touma Youko returning to Sakura Prefecture from news reports.
When she texted, her mother only replied with a short sentence.
"Only have time today; you can come to Kyoto Tower to find me."
If it were usual, Kazusa probably wouldn't come.
But she had a thought hidden deep in her heart.
If...
Letting Yoru meet my mother, that should be a good thing.
Only Kazusa's extremely awkward personality would jump directly to the step of meeting parents without even daring to express her feelings clearly.
"What do you do?"
Seeing the high school-aged Kazusa and Yoru walking towards the entrance of Kyoto Tower, the Police Department members patrolling at the door stopped them immediately.
"I want to go in."
Hearing Kazusa's abrupt sentence, Yoru beside her rolled his eyes.
Saying this, it would be strange if they let you in.
As expected, the Police Department member frowned tightly and waved his hand.
"Cannot visit today; come another day."
Kazusa didn't reply, just took out her phone from her bosom and made a call.
"Hello, it's me."
"Mmhmm, I arrived."
"Mmhmm, okay."
Adding up to less than ten words, Kazusa hung up the phone, looked at Yoru beside her, and said softly.
"My mom said let the assistant come down to pick us up; let's wait."
"Sure."
Yoru responded casually, glancing around.
Sure enough, saw a very familiar figure.
Kyoto's Number One Square Face, Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau Yagami Soichiro, also appeared here.
While Yoru was looking, Yagami Soichiro happened to turn his head.
Their gazes collided in the air.
"Hmm?"
Seeing a high school-aged boy and girl appearing here, Yagami Soichiro, as the on-site commander-in-chief, couldn't help frowning.
At the same time, an inexplicable sense of familiarity rose in his heart.
Yagami Soichiro walked slowly to the cordon, looked at Kazusa and Yoru in front of him, and asked peacefully.
"May I ask what business you two have?"
Kazusa said faintly: "I came to find my mother."
"Your mother is....?"
Just as Yagami Soichiro looked puzzled, a woman wearing a suit skirt walked quickly out of Kyoto Tower.
Seeing Kazusa outside the cordon and Yagami Soichiro standing there, she hurried over.
"Chief Yagami."
The assistant greeted Yagami Soichiro first, then introduced with a smile.
"This is Ms. Touma Youko's daughter."
"Oh, so that's it."
Yagami Soichiro nodded, looked at Yoru standing beside Kazusa, hesitating.
"This is...?"
Before Kazusa could speak, Yoru replied with a smile.
"I am Miss Touma Kazusa's assistant."
"Hah?"
Yagami Soichiro froze for a moment, then laughed dumbfoundedly.
"Young man, you really know how to joke. Let's go; I'll send you two up together."
Before entering Kyoto Tower, the necessary security check process was naturally not omitted.
Confirming Kazusa and Yoru carried no weapons, Yagami Soichiro and Touma Youko's assistant took the two into the elevator.
Reaching the top of the 131-meter-high Kyoto Tower took nearly a minute even by elevator.
Looking at the continuously rising height outside, Kazusa seemed nervous, her hand unconsciously grabbing the corner of Yoru's clothes.
She wasn't afraid of heights.
But nervous because she was about to see her mother.
Kazusa felt her palms sweating.
Just then, Yoru quietly put his right hand behind his back and held Kazusa's hand directly.
Such an intimate move made Kazusa's pretty face flush instantly.
She struggled symbolically, then fearing being seen by the other two in the elevator, could only lower her head and remain silent.
Kazusa felt her heart was about to jump out at this moment.
Although this wasn't the first time holding hands with Yoru, it was too shy in public.
Seeming to feel the somewhat awkward silence in the elevator, Yagami Soichiro coughed lightly twice and initiated conversation.
"Looking at your age, still high school students?"
Kazusa didn't like talking to strangers, plus holding hands with Yoru now, she hid directly behind him without saying a word.
Yoru didn't have such a problem, nodding with a smile.
"Yes, we are first-year students of Sobu High."
"Sobu High..."
Yagami Soichiro murmured first, then asked curiously.
"With Ms. Touma Youko's status, you should be able to enter Private Shuchiin Academy, right?"
Yoru maintained a polite smile and replied.
"Then with your status as Chief of Criminal Investigation Bureau, you shouldn't be here doing security work either, right?"
Yagami Soichiro froze. Before he could reply, he heard Yoru add softly.
"Moreover, Sobu High isn't worse than Shuchiin, maybe even stronger."
Hearing this sentence, Yagami Soichiro and Touma Youko's assistant both looked complicated.
No, are you okay?
How can you say such outrageous words?
Sobu High is a good school; this is a fact.
But comparing with Private Shuchiin Academy...
Isn't the difference a bit too much?
Yagami Soichiro began to suspect.
Does this handsome young man in front of me have some mental problems?
He didn't continue to dwell on this topic; after all, choosing which school was others' freedom. He just pondered and said.
"Hmm.. by the way, you should have seen recent news reports. High school-aged girls better go out less at night."
Yoru replied calmly.
"Chief Yagami refers to the so-called 'Teru Teru Bozu Killer'?"
"Correct."
Speaking of this, Yagami Soichiro hesitated slightly, looked at Kazusa's dress, then breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"However, that madman's target selection isn't girls with appearance like Touma student, but still cannot relax vigilance."
"Oh? Besides being junior high and high school girls, do victims have any other common points?"
Hearing Yoru's question, Yagami Soichiro froze first, then smiled.
"Your tone reminds me of my son. He is about your age, first year of high school in Tokyo."
Yoru remained calm on the surface but thought secretly.
I am probably more familiar with your son than you are.
Yagami Soichiro said this first, then looked serious, waving his hand.
"The case is under investigation; it's inconvenient for me to reveal too many details. Anyway, minimize going out at night."
Ding~
Hearing the elevator arrival prompt tone, Yagami Soichiro didn't continue this topic, just smiled.
"Then send you here. I still have to be responsible for on-site security work; nice to meet you two."
After walking out of the elevator with the assistant, Yoru let go of Kazusa's hand.
The loss on the latter's face was extremely obvious, but she was too tsundere to show it, just snorting lightly.
"Ms. Youko is being interviewed; please wait a moment."
After the assistant finished speaking, she bowed slightly and left the two.
The top floor of Kyoto Tower was a place like an exhibition hall, without any room partitions.
From the elevator entrance where Yoru and Kazusa stood, they could clearly see the short-haired woman sitting on a sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, accepting an interview from the host, looking somewhat similar to Kazusa.
"That is my mother."
Kazusa looked at her mother with a somewhat complicated gaze.
Longing, nervousness, and a bit of carefulness daring not approach.
"However..."
Kazusa looked at Yoru beside her, eyes dim.
"For a celebrity like her, you should have seen photos long ago, right?"
"Not really."
Yoru waved his hand, replying disapprovingly.
"I knew you first before knowing there is such a person as Touma Youko. To me, she is just Kazusa's mother."
"Eh?"
Hearing Yoru's sentence, Kazusa froze directly.
This was the first time she heard such words since childhood.
Not Touma Youko's daughter...
But Touma Kazusa's mother.
And...
No one had ever called her Kazusa; all called her Touma-san (classmate).
"You... you guy..."
Kazusa pursed her lips, suddenly bursting into laughter with a pfft sound.
She wiped her tears, almost unable to straighten her waist.
"Smile more in the future."
In Kazusa's shy eyes, Yoru gave a straight ball attack again.
"You look better when smiling."
Kazusa blushed slightly, made a face, sticking out her tongue.
"Lululu, if you want me to smile more..."
Speaking of this, she extended her hand, lifted Yoru's right hand, then extended her little finger, hooking with his little finger, a layer of misty water vapor appearing in her eyes, saying in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's.
"Then you have to stay by my side forever in the future."
"Don't worry."
Yoru pinched Kazusa's cheek and smiled.
"That is natural."
.....
Half an hour later, the TV station's exclusive interview finally ended.
Touma Youko stood up, walked to Kazusa, nodded slightly first, greeting.
"Here?"
"Mmhmm, here."
Watching the communication between this mother and daughter, Yoru had only one evaluation.
Awkward.
Looking awkward no matter how.
Kazusa's extremely awkward personality, not good at expressing feelings, obviously inherited from her mother.
After greeting her daughter, Touma Youko looked at Yoru standing aside, eyes revealing interesting playfulness.
"This... your boyfriend?"
Kazusa blushed, explaining in panic.
"Please don't talk nonsense; it will cause trouble to others. This is my classmate, Yoru."
"Oh?~"
Touma Youko looked at Yoru with interest, saying meaningfully.
"Really just a simple classmate relationship?"
Before Kazusa could speak, Yoru smiled and replied with a sentence unexpected for Touma Youko.
"Temporarily just classmate relationship; later, hard to say."
Touma Youko froze slightly first, then showed admiration.
This young man, interesting.
For her daughter's awkward personality, she as a mother naturally knew best.
Kazusa, who was used to hiding her heart and coping with others with aggressive appearance, would actually come to find her with a boy of the same age.
If there wasn't something going on here, beat Touma Youko to death and she wouldn't believe it.
After saying this sentence, Yoru smiled and spoke.
"Since we met, I won't disturb your rare mother-daughter reunion time. Club still has things; I have to go first."
"Mmhmm."
Kazusa nodded in response, then looked twisted, finally stopping Yoru before he entered the elevator.
"Um..."
"What's wrong?"
Kazusa blushed, saying in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's.
"Be... be careful."
"Don't worry."
After Yoru left, Touma Youko looked at her daughter with a playful look, saying meaningfully.
"It seems I will soon become a grandmother."
Kazusa blushed completely.
"Please... please, don't... don't talk nonsense!"
Neither Kazusa nor Touma Youko realized.
Because of Yoru's appearance, the scene of their mother-daughter meeting was no longer like before, having no topic to chat about except whether the piano tour was busy.
....
Next afternoon, inside a cafe in Kyoto city.
"Aiya aiya, sorry, late."
Yukinoshita Haruno pushed the door open, saw Yoru and Yukino sitting there, and walked over smiling immediately.
She sat next to Yukino and smiled.
"My cute sister, haven't seen you for so long, missed me~?"
Yukino's tone was very flat.
"Please be normal."
"Aiya, still not frank enough."
Haruno covered her lips and chuckled first, then looked at Yoru sitting opposite, playfully.
"Then my handsome boyfriend, did anything beyond friendship happen with my cute sister during this time?"
Yoru answered very honestly.
"I wanted to, but didn't."
Watching Haruno and Yoru talk nonsense in turns, Yukino sighed helplessly.
"If calling me here is just to discuss such boring topics, then I have to go back first; after all, final exams are tomorrow...."
Unexpectedly, just as Yukino spoke here, Haruno put away her smile, interrupted with a serious face.
"What I want to tell you is about this exam."
Haruno took a sip of coffee. The bitter taste of coffee made her brain clearer, then she looked at Yukino beside her and spoke slowly.
"You should also know, Mother strongly opposed you leaving Chiba Prefecture to study in Kyoto city."
"I know this, but..."
"Listen to me first."
Haruno spoke solemnly.
"Recently, vicious criminal incidents in Kyoto city emerged endlessly, plus a serial killer targeting junior high and high school girls appeared during this time."
"Mother's meaning is very clear."
"Even if you want to stay in Kyoto for school, you should enroll in Private Shuchiin Academy. With the security force there, as long as you apply for boarding, your personal safety won't be worried."
"Otherwise, return to Chiba Prefecture."
Speaking of this, Haruno paused slightly, then suddenly changed the subject.
"However, things are not absolutely without a turning point."