Not a detective

Page 81

"Lu, is this your senior from school, and your younger sister who lives with you?"

"land……?"

"when!"

Before Asakawa Riku could answer, he was getting a headache from the jumbled noises and wondered when he had revealed this information while chatting with the detective.

No, they don't have the habit of chatting casually in the agency. They must have figured that out using their superpowers.

"Please, stop for a moment."

He stepped between them and mediated, first explaining to Chizuko-senpai: "There was a little accident at the end of our banquet yesterday, but it's all sorted out now."

I won't go into too much detail, anyway, that cup of poisoned wine has been completely digested.

"Yes." Chizuko nodded. She didn't press further and explained, "The reason we came here is quite simple—"

She pulled Xuehui, who was standing next to her, along with her:

"Yuki said you didn't come home last night, and you didn't reply to my calls or messages. She was worried because you were on a dangerous mission, so she found me. I thought I couldn't let Yuki cry, and I couldn't let my mystery club go scot-free, so I took her here early this morning on the Shinkansen. I didn't expect to see...tsk tsk."

Chizuko smiled as she stared at the scene in the room.

"Not home?"

Asakawa Riku was stunned.

Isn't this a matter of course?

So he bent down and squatted down, looking at Xuehui gently and said, "Didn't we agree that I would be gone for about two days? I left yesterday and have to go to that banquet, so I might not be able to get back yesterday. My phone calls and text messages were temporarily left in my room because of some things, and I haven't had time to check them yet. Logically speaking, I should have been back today."

Asakawa Riku thought that Yukie was probably too worried, which is why she did something so impulsive.

According to the original plan, he was supposed to depart on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and return on December 25 (Christmas Day). He remembered that he had told Yuki about the itinerary.

But the girl in front of him looked quite confused and puzzled:

"yesterday……?"

She shook her head hurriedly, as if trying to confirm the situation with her sister.

Looking at her expression, Asakawa Riku suddenly felt something was wrong, as if something had gone wrong.

There is a crucial "information gap" between them.

"Yuki, this is confusing, isn't it?"

Chizuko smiled smugly, patted her shoulder, and walked forward herself.

She took her phone out of her down jacket pocket, unlocked the screen, and held it in front of Asakawa Riku:

"Asakawa-kun, you're missing the most crucial clue."

"A cell phone?" Asakawa Riku asked, puzzled.

He remembered that his phone was still in the room across the street, and there must have been a lot of missed calls and text messages accumulated, which he hadn't had time to check.

Is there some necessary clue that we need to search online for?

"Yes, I believe in your reasoning ability. As long as I give you this clue, you will definitely be able to discover the truth."

"Ah..." However, the next second, his gaze locked onto a certain place, his pupils contracted, and he realized something.

It was like a divine revelation.

it is this.

“It’s the [date]…” Asakawa Riku looked back in disbelief, as if he had been punched hard.

"Yes, Asakawa-san, the reason why your words just now caused Yukie to have doubts is because the 'yesterday' you mentioned is not the 'same day' at all."

Chizuko flashed a sly smile, pointing to the calendar on her phone screen: "Today is [December 26th]. Did you think it was still [Christmas]?"

Christmas was yesterday!

But... how could this be...?

Asakawa Riku was suddenly thrown into confusion, feeling as if he had thought it was 10 p.m. but it turned out to be 10 a.m.

Ah, right.

He suddenly looked at the wall clock. Yes, this thing not only created a twelve-hour time difference illusion, but it also "didn't show today's date."

If he had checked the time on the phone, he should have immediately noticed something was wrong, which is the missing "key clue".

I thought it was the morning of the 25th, but it turned out to be the 26th.

“I understand… So you saw that I hadn’t come home for two whole nights and hadn’t been in touch, and that you hadn’t contacted me even though it was past the scheduled time, so you were worried about my safety and came looking for me, right?” Asakawa Riku felt that he was gradually making sense of things.

“Yes!” Yukie nodded vigorously: “I don’t know what happened, but Kyoto is too far away and I’m afraid to go alone… so I went to talk to my sister.”

She lowered her head, her face contorted with worry, and said, "Won't this cause my brother trouble...?"

"No, it's because I didn't contact you in time."

Asakawa Riku quickly smiled, patted her head to indicate that he was alright: "You must be tired, coming all this way in such cold weather. I shouldn't have made you worry."

He noticed that Yuki was wrapped in a thick cream-colored down jacket, with a gray scarf tied around her neck, and earmuffs of the same color as the down jacket.

It's practically a full-on thermal suit; she must have gone to great lengths to avoid triggering her "Snow Woman" ability.

"As long as my brother is alright..." Yuki smiled sweetly.

"Asakawa-kun, you should be able to deduce the whole truth now, right? I don't need to give you any more hints, do I?"

Chizuko smugly put her phone away.

"Ah, yes."

Asakawa Riku stood up, turned his head, and looked at the detective sitting on the bed.

At this moment, Higashion Suetsuki's smile was awkward, and she was restless. She could feel cold sweat running down her beautiful profile, and she turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Detective, this is all your doing, isn't it? My mistaken perception of time was all the result of your [guidance]."

When he woke up, he only heard Dongyun Sueyue say that today was "the second day of the banquet", so he took it as a given.

In reality, he was unconscious for not just fifteen hours, but for "15 + 24 = 39" hours.

He slept through an entire day, he "skipped" it.

"I had no idea that day existed because you [hid] it."

"Um……"

Dongyun Moyue looked somewhat embarrassed. She hurriedly took out a new bottle of medicine and then swallowed it with trembling hands.

"Hmm... Listen to me, I can explain."

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Twenty-Four - The Script of Shinonome Suetsuki (Part 1)

Act One:

Cast: Shinonome Suetsuki – The Great Detective.

Miwako Maeda – currently a top-tier talent agent and a renowned producer in the industry, representing several popular stars.

Scene: The dimly lit corridor of the guest residence "annex" has a slightly eerie atmosphere.

Time: 9:00 AM, December 25th.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Please wait, Miss Miyoko (steps out from the shadows of the corridor, blocking her way).

Miwako Maeda: (Startled by the other person's height, she steps back) You've got the wrong person...

Higashino Suetsuki: Hmm? It's you, right? The manager. You're probably the only one here who does this job.

Maeda Miwako: It should be me... My name is Miwako, young lady. What can I do for you?

Shinonome Suetsuki: Oh, you recognize me. That makes things easier. (Smiles) I've come to ask you something, something that happened twenty-five years ago.

Maeda Miwako: (Looking stiff, she quickens her pace to try and pass through, but there is no gap) I don't know what you're talking about.

Dongyun Suezuki: You should know this, let me see… Don’t you find it strange? Of the 114 people who attended the banquet yesterday, apart from Dongyun family relatives, only 36 were unrelated outsiders. And all of these people were high-ranking officials, wealthy businessmen, and influential figures with considerable social standing. Yet you were the only one among them, an ordinary “agent,” and you weren’t there to accompany a celebrity, but rather invited in your personal capacity. Logically speaking, given your profession and status, you shouldn’t have received an invitation…

Maeda Miwako: (Enraged, interrupted, voice shrill) In the eyes of you superior people, am I not qualified to achieve what I have worked so hard for?

Higashigumo Sugetsuki: I am simply stating objective facts, without any subjective evaluation.

Maeda Miwako: How arrogant you are… Miss, I know even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse, and with the surname "Shinonome," even an exiled stray dog ​​is far more noble than me. You don't need to remind me of that; I am not worthy to speak with you. Please excuse me—

Shinonome Sugetsuki: (Stops her again) Don't change the subject. What I want to say is that it's very unusual that you were invited. Based on what I know about that old man, he's always fair in his rewards and punishments. He punishes those who fail mercilessly, even his own daughter, but he greatly rewards those who have made contributions. You must be the one who was rewarded. (Narrows his eyes) What did you do twenty-five years ago that makes Shinonome Kosuke so grateful to you now...?

Miwako Maeda: (Roaring) I already said, I don't know what you're talking about!

Shinonome Suetsuki: Let me be more explicit then. Miyoko, you used to be my mother's manager, right?

Miwako Maeda: (wavering) I... don't know what you're talking about.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Still trying to argue?

Miwako Maeda: You couldn't possibly know! Back then... you weren't even born yet, all the records were deleted, there was no way you could find me...!

Shinonome Suetsuki: I'm a detective, so I have my own methods.

Miwako Maeda: (Kneeling on the ground, seemingly devoid of spirit)

Higashino Suetsuki: I've seen videos of my mother's performances when she was young. It's clear she had no talent for acting. Aside from being beautiful and having a great figure, she had virtually no acting skills. How could someone like that have risen to such a high position in the entertainment industry? Even though the TV station received many complaints, they couldn't replace her. I read your book, *The Highest Level of Agents—Exquisite Carving*, which is a bestseller. Your success is in nurturing my mother, isn't it? But the book doesn't describe your actual methods.

Miwako Maeda: Stop...stop talking! You didn't record this, did you? You didn't!

Dongyun Suetsuki: Don't worry, I didn't come here to expose you. You're a role model for people in the entertainment industry now, and you can attend such a banquet. You're really living the high life.

Miwako Maeda: (Lowering her head, her hair disheveled) I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything, please let me go.

...

Act Two:

Cast: Shinonome Suetsuki – The Great Detective.

Kiyoshi Murakami – a renowned director whose works have won numerous awards both domestically and internationally. He primarily focuses on art-house and youth films and started his own film company after the age of forty.

Rika Otsuka – a rising idol with outstanding looks, a star on the rise.

Scene: The lobby on the first floor of Jiutianguan Restaurant. The banquet decorations have not yet been taken down. This is the last lunch prepared for the guests at the Christmas party, and everyone is gathered together to eat.

This time, seating has been installed instead of the traditional moving seating arrangement. It's more like a high-end Western restaurant, with dim lighting, soothing music, and waiters moving around to take orders.

Time: December 25th, 12:00 noon.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Are there any empty seats here? Can I sit down? (She sits down without waiting for a response.)

Kiyoshi Murakami: (Slightly surprised, but after seeing the other person, he was no longer surprised) Oh, please.

Rika Otsuka: (Silently eating her meal with her head down, her hands trembling slightly, as if she was recalling the farce on stage yesterday).

Kiyoshi Murakami: (Puts down his knife and fork, handing over the menu) Shall I help you order? I recommend this place—

Shinonome Suetsuki: I have a habit of chatting instead of having a snack before meals. I lose my appetite when no one is talking to me, so please chat with me.

Kiyoshi Murakami: (With a wry smile) Okay... but I'm just a boring director, all I know is about movies. My wife says I'm quite dull in real life, so I might not be able to make the young lady happy. Anyway, are you interested in a male celebrity for an autograph or a photo, or do you want a cameo role in something? I'll try my best to accommodate you.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Oh... I didn't know I had that much power before.

Kiyoshi Murakami: I'm an artist... well, let me be a little more direct. Ms. Shinonome, you probably don't know, but what your father said yesterday completely changed people's perceptions. After the banquet, everyone was talking privately about how you might become the heir. I'm not the only one trying to curry favor with you. Look around (sneaks a glance back)...

Higashion Suetsuki: (Exaggerates looking around, scaring away everyone else's attention)

Kiyoshi Murakami: Right? So many people are eyeing this table, so I definitely want to curry favor with you too.

Shinonome Suetsuki: (turning to the other side) And you, what do you have to please me?

Rika Otsuka: (Startled, stammering) I...I, I'd do anything...

Shinonome Suetsuki: Just kidding. I'm not gay, so I don't need you to do anything. Besides, that old man is utterly heartless; I would never do the same thing.

Rika Otsuka: (Hesitant to reply) Oh...

Shinonome Suetsuki: (Turning to the director again) You must be very good at making deals with actors and the upper class. Judging from how skilled you are, my mother was sold by you, right?

Kiyoshi Murakami: What did you say?!

Shinonome Suetsuki: Don't get excited (as if she had expected it, she caught the wine glass that Murakami Kiyoshi had knocked over with precise movements). You just said that a lot of people are watching here.