Not a detective

Page 131

Xingyu finally understood her mistress's good intentions. In fact, she could leave the Dongyun family at any time and stop being a maid. With her current abilities, she could completely support herself.

But after understanding this, Xingyu insisted on staying, even though her mistress was doing something unprofessional, running a detective agency, and deliberately throwing tantrums to drive her away, she never complained.

"All of this was given to me by Miss, and I will use it to help Miss."

she says.

...

To be honest, Riku Asakawa was somewhat moved after hearing this story.

He couldn't tell that Hoshimi Koyu had learned so much knowledge behind the scenes. When he first saw her, he thought she was a silly maid.

Looking back now, perhaps, like her mistress, both of them were simply "hiding their talents."

Otherwise, an average student wouldn't be able to become the class monitor of Class A at this school. Even Asakawa Riku's grades wouldn't be good enough for that. He must be at the minimum score required to get into Tokyo University, right?

After hearing this story, Asakawa Riku not only gained a deeper understanding of Hoshino, but also indirectly gained a new understanding of Shinonome Suetsuki.

He then realized that the girl was not only a spoiled princess with a troublesome personality, but also had a sensitive side.

He said to Xingyu:

"Actually, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. It's not that she gave you everything, but that you got everything yourself. Not everyone who takes those courses can be so amazing. There are also many rich kids who have gone through elite education but are still good-for-nothings, right? It shows that you worked hard enough and seized this opportunity, and it also shows that you are actually very talented."

Xingyu smiled and said, "...I'm not some kind of genius. I've seen real geniuses."

It turns out that during that time, she was worried that she had taken over the girls' classes, causing them to miss out on the education they were entitled to.

But Shinonome Suetsuki said, "Just bring back your textbooks for class."

After Xingyu took it back, the young lady just flipped through it and then left it to gather dust. At the time, Xingyu thought that the young lady was just casually comforting her.

Unexpectedly, on one occasion, Higashion Suetsuki recited a passage from the book fluently, word for word, which made her admire him immensely.

"That's because you didn't understand her true superpowers back then."

Asakawa Riku curled his lip; he wasn't so easily fooled and ruthlessly exposed the true nature of the magic trick.

Yes, Shinonome Suetsuki has a photographic memory called "hyperthymesia." Everything she has seen can be stored in the morgue of her brain and retrieved when needed. This includes the books she has read. From this perspective, her ability is truly terrifying, and the knowledge she possesses is probably enormous.

No wonder she's a college student but never attends classes; she probably only needs to read the textbook to pass all the exams and get a good GPA.

I'm so envious...

"That guy was just cheating."

"Don't say that..."

Hoshino merely pouted to express her dissatisfaction, then she and Asakawa Riku smiled knowingly.

Yes, that guy really knows how to fool people. Once you see through his tricks, it turns out to be a very simple thing.

After laughing, Asakawa Riku felt that his relationship with Hoshino was closer. They had a secret to complain about their "boss" together, but their relationship was more than just that of "colleagues".

They chatted during their rafting trip, and Asakawa Riku also told him about his childhood. They had a very pleasant conversation.

Perhaps it's because Hoshino's personality is more like that of a "normal girl," unlike Chizuko-senpai or Shinonome Suetsuki, who both have some quirks. Yukie is more like a little sister.

The girl in front of him felt like someone his age, which made Asakawa Riku feel much closer to her.

But the joyous atmosphere on the ship didn't last long—

Thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds encroached upon the heavens and earth from afar, and a deluge of rain turned everything around into a world of water, accompanied by a hurricane sweeping in from the sea.

After drifting for two days, they encountered a storm at sea, with waves several meters high shooting into the sky and capsizing their wooden boat.

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Thirty-Two - Landing

"Don't panic...! I'm coming to save you right now!"

Asakawa Riku shouted as he strode forward through the torrential rain and waves, scooping up Hoshino from the sea and tossing her back onto the overturned wooden boat.

But his rescue efforts were in vain. In the dark world, the wind continued to howl, and in an instant, a huge wave capsized the boat again, and the man fell into the sea once more.

The only option was to paddle out and rescue them again.

"Cough cough...! Uh!"

This time, Xingyu seemed to have choked on a lot of water, and was patting her chest violently in discomfort.

Riku Asakawa realized that the swimming skills she had learned in the school pool were completely useless in this stormy weather.

And those elite courses for the upper class obviously don't teach how to swim in such harsh conditions...

As for him, even if he could control his body in such a huge wave, he couldn't control this small, broken boat. If left unattended, it would capsize two or three hundred times sooner or later.

"We have to abandon ship!"

Even amidst the storm, he remained calm and immediately dismantled the soaked sails on the boat, tore strips of cloth, and made ropes.

Then, he carried Xingyu on his back, tied her hands, feet, and the back of her neck with rope, and secured her firmly to his back.

"...Asakawa-kun...what are you doing!"

She seemed frightened and at a loss.

Asakawa Riku didn't have time to explain much to her. He took a deep breath and only said one sentence:

"I told you, trust me, even if it's just a dragging process, I'll drag you back."

Then, he plunged headlong into the massive, overwhelming waves.

...

This is what Asakawa Riku experienced at sea.

This is also what the female tourist witnessed during the interview.

Swimming continuously at sea for 24 hours was something Asakawa Riku had never tried before, especially with someone on his back, which further increased the difficulty.

For the first few hours, it was mostly about battling the storm and the waves, constantly pushing forward.

In the end, all that was left was a test of endurance. Fortunately, Asakawa Riku was a seasoned martial artist, so this level of endurance was nothing to him.

After three full days of rafting and swimming, Riku Asakawa finally landed on the east coast of Japan in Sendai.

Although it didn't return to Tokyo Bay, the distance wasn't too far. At least it didn't drift to Siberia or back to its homeland, which means it found the right direction.

Perhaps this is part of the miracle.

After Asakawa Riku reached the shore, he did not rest immediately, but instead put Hoshino on the ground and observed her condition.

Although he would make sure his back and upper body were above water when at sea, water would inevitably splash around, so Hoshino swallowed quite a bit of water.

He was unconscious at this point, but still had a pulse.

Asakawa Riku remained calm. He had learned basic first aid, so he laid her body flat and alternated between artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Surprisingly, this person had a relatively strong will to live. In less than ten minutes, she successfully vomited the water in her throat and woke up.

"...Where am I...?"

Some were still dazed and looked very weak.

"That's great." Asakawa Riku smiled sincerely. Being able to successfully save someone, especially in such a desperate situation, was a great comfort to him.

After reviving Xingyu, he struck up a conversation with a female tourist who was still terrified, asking to borrow her phone to call the police and also asking if he could borrow her sunshade.

"...I've noted down your phone number. I'll compensate you later."

"Uh, no need, young man, just take it, just take it."

The tourists readily agreed and quickly left with their companions.

Asakawa Riku didn't suspect anything, nor did he have the time to think too much. Instead, he draped the sunshade over Hoshino's body so that she wouldn't look too uncomfortable even in her swimsuit.

After waiting around the beach for more than ten minutes, a police car drove up on the highway. Two police officers got out and verified their identities with Asakawa Riku.

"Excuse me, are you... Mr. Asakawa?"

Their hesitation seemed to stem from their uncertainty about Asakawa Riku's youth.

Without wasting words, Asakawa Riku said directly, "You're local police from Sendai, right? Please take me back to Tokyo, thank you."

He led Xingyu to sit in the back row.

The two police officers looked at each other, surprised by the man's assertiveness. But remembering what their superiors had just said about the man's unusual identity, they decided not to ask any more questions and immediately drove off.

The number Asakawa Riku called to report the incident was not "110," but rather Inspector Takahashi's mobile phone number. Fortunately, he knew someone in the Metropolitan Police Department, which made things much easier.

"Sir, would you like to be taken to a local hospital to rest and recuperate...?"

"No need, I have something important to report, I'll go directly to Tokyo."

Asakawa Riku glanced at Hoshino beside him and found her condition to be alright, then said decisively.

Saving just one person isn't enough... there are others waiting for him to save.

...

After that, after a five-hour drive, from almost noon until dark, we finally arrived in Tokyo.

After stopping in front of and behind the police station, Asakawa Riku and Hoshino got out of the car one after the other. Asakawa Riku didn't forget to thank the two police officers:

"Thank you for your hard work."

They still have to drive back to Sendai, so this field mission is not easy.

The two police officers didn't linger for long and left quickly, while Asakawa Riku saw the people who were waiting for him at the police station entrance.

That was the familiar Inspector Takahashi; his nasolabial folds looked even more worn, and his face was grave.

"We received an email from [Star Feather]... saying that a large number of students will be kidnapped..."

"Yes."

Asakawa Riku almost forgot about this; they had already informed the police while they were on the ship, which explained their swift response this time.

Now, counting from the cruise ship accident on June 13th, including the day on the island and the three days at sea, it has probably been almost a week.

This involves the disappearance of nearly two hundred students, and it's been a whole week... The school and parents must be going crazy with worry, and who knows what kind of uproar it's caused on the internet and in the media.

With pressure from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Board of Education, the Metropolitan Police Department is likely under immense pressure as well, far exceeding the scale of the previous "Spider Woman incident."

He turned slightly to the side and introduced Xingyu beside him: "This is the person who sent you the email."

Xingyu was also a little embarrassed. She clutched the sunshade on her chest and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry to bother you."

Inspector Takahashi was clearly somewhat surprised, perhaps not expecting him to be so young.

"Oh... I see. Then let's not delay, please come with me."

So, Asakawa Riku and Hoshino followed him into the police station. Along the way, they saw many serious-looking police officers staring at them, as if they were on guard duty.

It wasn't because Asakawa Riku was shirtless; in fact, he had already borrowed a police uniform shirt from a police officer in Sendai and put it on while he was in the police car.

It must be because what he's about to bring is crucial information that concerns the lives of so many people.

—Once we get here, we can send out a rescue team!

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Thirty-Three - Disappearance

Riku Asakawa followed Inspector Takahashi all the way to a room in a high-ranking position at the police station.

This place is like a "command center," with the most eye-catching feature being the huge LCD screen hanging on the wall, clearly displaying a world map, especially the Pacific side.

There were only a few technicians here, a stark contrast to the scene last time where a whole bunch of criminal police officers were lined up and sitting.

Asakawa Riku didn't think too much about it; he went straight to the point, concise and to the point:

"The second-year high school students have been kidnapped and are on a deserted island. We roughly know their location. Please send a ship and rescue team there immediately."

Next, he recounted what had happened on the island, including how the students had been brainwashed, formed some kind of village, and developed a strange religion that could become dangerous in certain situations. He explained that he had to take Hoshino back to Japan first, skipping over the details of the time reversal and previous cycles, and only sharing information from this particular instance.

Asakawa Riku didn't want to keep too much information from the police, as that could lead to distrust or serious consequences.

However, he couldn't casually mention something as important as time travel; that was still necessary.

Inspector Takahashi listened with a clearly incredulous expression, and couldn't help but take out a cigarette and light it.

"real or fake……"