Not a detective

Page 11

Asakawa Riku was about to offer a complimentary compliment to the company president, but then she started talking again:

"Moreover, I am the successor of the Kazamatsuri Shrine, the great Onmyoji who will take over my father's mantle in the future. How dare a monster run wild on my territory? It must be tired of living."

Chizuko's smile became even more distorted, her small mouth stretching to the corners of her mouth, revealing her gleaming teeth: "I'm going to exorcise this little spider and let it know who's the boss."

Now I finally understand where that evil lurked; this guy is more like a monster now.

No wonder she used ghosts to monitor the entire school; she had made it her territory.

"You've shown your true colors," Asakawa Riku whispered a reminder.

"It doesn't matter, as long as what you do is right, it doesn't matter if the means and desires are a little dirty."

Chizuko's unexpected frankness, her nonchalant wave of the hand, and her high spirits:

"Besides, even if Asakawa-kun is alright, if I leave it alone, the same thing will happen again next year, and then innocent juniors might be harmed."

This might be her true nature, but Asakawa Riku doesn't find her repulsive.

He nodded: "Yes, let's eliminate the monster. I don't want anyone else to be harmed."

Unbeknownst to him, Riku Asakawa realized that he had been thinking about the premise that "the culprit is a monster" as correct, and he had already accepted Chizuko's reasoning.

Perhaps he chose to believe it, since compared to real criminals, who require consideration of the law and the police, it seems easier to deal with criminals being monsters.

All you need to do is get rid of it.

So the two of them finally reached a consensus here.

Chizuko lowered her head and bowed sincerely, making a request: "Asakawa-kun, I hope you can be the 'bait' for this operation. Of course, due to your physical condition, I can guarantee your absolute safety, and I will do my best to protect your life. But I hope you can lure the earth spider out this Sunday so I can follow the line and exorcise it."

"of course can."

Asakawa Riku agreed without even thinking.

Anyway, he'd been challenged (in his view, the love letter was tantamount to a challenge), and a challenger would come up on stage this Sunday no matter what.

For such a reckless guy, just kill him. That's not much different from his original plan. And with this Chizuko-senpai involved, things might get interesting.

What kind of enemy is a monster? Can an enemy that cannot be reached be defeated?

Asakawa Riku was getting excited.

This seems to contradict my initial expectation of "wanting to become a normal high school student." Well... never mind, it's only the beginning of the semester anyway, so I'll just indulge in this little bit of self-indulgence.

"Then it's a pleasure to work together, temporary member. I'll show you my charm, so you'll obediently join the mystery club."

Chizuko smiled and extended her right hand.

"I am looking forward."

This time, Asakawa Riku still felt that her palms were very cold.

Spring of the Earth Spider: Chapter Nineteen - The teacher said, "Don't leave after school."

Today is Thursday.

At this point, there are still two full days until Asakawa Riku faces the murder threat love letter incident.

At noon, Chizuko-senpai prepared a lunch consisting of "teriyaki tofu, clams stuffed with shrimp, salmon nigiri, avocado smoothie, and cherry tomatoes".

It was another delicious meal, and Asakawa Riku sincerely expressed his gratitude.

After finishing her meal, Chizuko mentioned:

"Today's club activities will not take place on campus."

"Oh?"

“We need to conduct an investigation off-campus. Although the book often mentions ‘armchair detectives,’ I believe that reasoning cannot be done without going to the scene.”

Since the president had given the order, Asakawa Riku could only agree: "Understood."

Anyway, it makes no difference to him; going out for a stroll is actually more novel.

...

After finishing his afternoon classes, Asakawa Riku picked up his schoolbag and left as usual. They agreed to meet at the entrance of the activity room and then set off together.

But as soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I saw a tall figure blocking my way.

"Asakawa-san."

"Matsuyama-sensei".

He noticed that the other person was staring at him, so he greeted them.

Asakawa Riku's height was already considered outstanding among the students around him, so it was actually quite difficult for him to describe it as "tall and imposing".

Mr. Songshan is about the same height as him, around 1.8 meters. But this teacher is more broad-shouldered than tall. He is significantly heavier, but not obese. He has a strong physique, which can be seen from his muscle lines. He must have a habit of exercising regularly. People would think he is a physical education teacher, but they would never guess that he teaches mathematics.

He is the homeroom teacher of "Class 1-A" where Asakawa Riku is located. The students around him say that he looks fierce, but he is actually very kind-hearted.

Asakawa Riku had only spent two or three days with him and attended a few classes with him, so he didn't know why his classmates could draw such a conclusion so quickly. But looking at his unshaven face and fierce eyebrows, it was no wonder that so many people were afraid of him. Just standing there staring at him would probably make people wonder what they had done wrong.

"Asakawa-san, would you please come with me?"

Although it was phrased as a request, there was clearly no opportunity to refuse.

"Of course," Asakawa Riku replied. He was upright and had nothing to fear.

So Mr. Matsuyama led him along the corridor. It happened to be the time when school was letting out, so there were many students in the corridor, but with Mr. Matsuyama leading the way, the journey was very smooth.

Taking advantage of the crowd, Asakawa Riku took out his phone and typed two messages to Chizuko-senpai:

I've been called in for a talk with my teacher, so I might be a little late.

[The time is uncertain. If it takes more than twenty minutes, you can leave now.]

The moment he was confirmed as a temporary member, he exchanged contact information with Chizuko-senpai. Since there was no third member, there was no need to even create a group chat.

After sending the message, Asakawa Riku put his phone back in his bag.

Actually, the school rules are not strict. Students can use their mobile phones as long as it is after school. However, since the teacher is leading the way, it would be impolite to do so openly.

A moment later, two faint vibrations came from the bag, probably a reply from Chizuko-senpai. Asakawa Riku didn't take it out to read it.

"come in."

Because we have arrived at our destination.

It wasn't the "faculty and staff room" or "student counseling room" I had expected. Looking up, I saw a sign on the door that read "Vice Principal's Office".

"Hmm?" Although he was puzzled, now was not the time to ask questions, so he could only step across the threshold.

"Hello, Asakawa-san."

The vice principal stood up to greet him with a smile.

She was a woman much younger than I had imagined. I had thought she would be a balding old man, but now, seeing her in that standard business attire, she looked more like an office lady.

She was probably between thirty-five and forty years old. Her makeup was very light, more for a professional look. She had a few wrinkles, but overall her features were still quite attractive, and her hair was styled neatly.

Asakawa Riku seemed to have seen her once at the opening ceremony, but since there were several vice principals, everyone usually only remembered the one who gave the speech.

Fortunately, there was a clear sign on the table:

"Xiao Gong".

"Principal Komiya." Asakawa Riku greeted him, mimicking the greeting from the teacher next to him, Matsuyama.

"Matsuyama-kun, thank you, that's fine."

Principal Komiya greeted the tall teacher beside him, and Mr. Matsuyama nodded, walked out of the office, and closed the door for them.

It seems the person looking for him isn't his homeroom teacher, but rather the vice principal; the situation appears to have escalated again…

"Please have a seat, Asakawa-kun."

"Ok."

When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. Asakawa Riku sat on the sofa in front of him, looking at the sophisticated professional woman.

To become the school's vice principal at such a young age requires either a prestigious position or exceptional abilities, or both.

"Asakawa-san, how are you feeling since entering our school? Are you settling in well?"

Do all leaders start their speeches like this?

"Very good, thank you for your concern, Principal." Asakawa Riku didn't reveal his true thoughts, smiling as he uttered the official phrase: "Your school's rigorous academic atmosphere impressed me—"

Principal Komiya listened patiently, then covered his mouth and laughed: "Asakawa-kun speaks with a maturity beyond his years, unlike a boy of this age."

"Where, where..."

Riku Asakawa was ashamed.

Actually, he wasn't a corporate slave before he was reincarnated. He was also an eighteen-year-old high school student. It's true that his mental age was more mature than his peers, but it's not a simple addition of two lifetimes.

The reason I deliberately act mature is probably because I went through a period of childishness in junior high school that I don't want to look back on, so I'm trying my best to cut ties with it. I think everyone has been through a period like that.

Of course, Principal Komiya is experienced and must have seen similar situations before, so he didn't dwell on this awkward topic.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they gradually turned to the main topic:

"Asakawa-san, have you encountered anything strange lately?"

The other person's expression turned slightly serious.

While it was described as "strange," many strange things had indeed happened in the four days since the start of the semester, but Asakawa Riku was curious about which one the other person was referring to.

The strangest of them all has to be the "murder warning love letter". He hasn't told anyone except Chizuko-senpai. If Principal Komiya finds out, Asakawa Riku will suspect that there are cameras installed in the school's entrance hall (it seems quite normal to have cameras installed there).

Secondly, Asakawa Riku felt that it might be related to his biological parents' escape; they should have already reached Africa by now, truly abandoning their son. Given the school's concern for its students, it's highly likely they will inquire about this matter.

Making wild guesses about these two things could reveal unnecessary information.

Asakawa Riku didn't want the "murder threat love letter" to cause the same uproar as last year, which would panic the school and get the police involved. If his classmates knew that he was the focus of the incident, it would interfere with his life as a normal high school student. At the same time, he also felt that the school was unlikely to arrest his parents, and it was not the right time to beg for a tuition reduction.

So he pretended to be clueless and asked in return, "What are you talking about?"

"Hmm..." Principal Komiya pondered for a moment, feeling that beating around the bush would be a waste of time: "Asakawa-kun, you've joined the school's mystery club, right?"

Earth Spider's Spring: Chapter 20 Spring Limited Strawberry Tart

So that's what it is.

Asakawa Riku replied, "It's not an official joining yet, just a trial membership. If I make up my mind, I'll submit an application to the student council."

There's no need to investigate the source of the information. After all, he goes to the mystery club's activity room at noon and after school, and many people have seen him there. It's perfectly normal for the principal to know from somewhere.

"That's it..."

Principal Komiya leaned back on the sofa, frowning and looking troubled.

"Does the principal think this is inappropriate?"

Asakawa Riku's words suddenly became much more direct.

This startled her: "No, Asakawa-san, you may have misunderstood... You don't know, do you? I'm actually the advisor for the mystery club."

This was truly unexpected.

Principal Komiya, seeing Asakawa Riku's surprised expression, smiled wryly and said:

"Well, by convention, the vice principal is not supposed to serve as the advisor for clubs, but for some reason, I had to take on this task."

I see. Asakawa Riku probably understood what that "certain reason" was.

I remember Chizuko-senpai saying that the mystery club only had a president and no members, so it shouldn't have been able to continue. But because her family had connections with the school principal, the student council couldn't abolish the club. Now I understand. With a vice principal as the advisor, the club really couldn't be abolished.

It seems that Ms. Komiya is a relative of hers.

"So, it's not that I have a prejudice against Kazamatsuri, but I also think that the way the class ignores and bullies her is going too far, and I want to do something about it."

Principal Komiya carefully considered his words: "However, Asakawa, you must understand that school bullying is a common problem in society, and there is still no good way to eradicate it immediately. We can only guarantee that no violent incidents will occur. I have also told Kazamatsuri repeatedly that if anyone takes serious actions against her, they must report it to me immediately."

Asakawa Riku's expression softened, and he nodded.

He can understand, but he just can't agree with it.

That's all the schools can do—that's an undeniable truth—but it's precisely because every school thinks this way that it has become a "widespread problem in society."

However, since Chizuko herself has not expressed any dissatisfaction with the current situation, Asakawa Riku has no reason to argue with the school.