Not a detective

Page 31

It was the height of summer, after all. Even in the mountains, the temperature difference between day and night shouldn't be this great. He had lived in his hometown in the countryside for a while when he was a child, and he had never experienced such a cold summer night.

If it were anyone else wearing short sleeves, they would probably be shivering and burning firewood to keep warm.

Asakawa Riku was still walking in the mountains.

He felt he had been walking for at least thirty minutes. It was completely dark, and the moonlight was blocked by the tree trunks overhead, so visibility was still very low.

However, he can observe his surroundings using his senses other than his eyes, so he can walk normally without turning on his phone's flashlight and without bumping into trees.

We might reach a place with a signal soon, so we need to conserve battery power.

To be honest, his profession is "martial arts practitioner," not "wilderness survival expert" or "special forces king," so he knows absolutely nothing about this kind of knowledge.

Although he could still put up a fight against a wild bear, he was completely helpless when it came to getting lost.

We had no choice but to grit our teeth and move forward.

Leaving the mountain path and heading deeper into the woods is a risky move, as it means getting even more completely lost, but climbing up that labyrinthine path is not an option either.

Asakawa Riku wanted to try his luck... but the next second, luck seemed to come his way.

He saw the long-lost light.

Those weren't will-o'-the-wisps or fireflies; upon closer inspection, they turned out to be a large house.

Light was coming through the window, and it seemed like someone was inside.

Asakawa Riku stood frozen in place, not for any other reason than that the house stood out too abruptly in the mountains and forests, giving off an overall sense of incongruity.

It's not a Japanese-style building; it's more like a Western-style mansion. It has three floors, and the exterior walls are painted brightly, so bright that you can see it even at night.

It has the style of a "hotel" or "inn", so why is it suddenly here?

It's almost as if Riku Asakawa was thinking, "It would be nice to have a place to rest," and then this is how it happened.

He walked over.

The gate was tightly closed, and the faint sounds of people talking could be heard from inside. The heavy gate provided excellent soundproofing, and even Asakawa Riku couldn't make out what was being said inside.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go in.

Ideally, the house would be inhabited by Chizuko-senpai's family, which would be even better.

But this possibility is very low, since they should be living in a shrine on the mountaintop.

Even if it's a complete stranger, Asakawa Riku can ask to stay overnight. Once visibility improves the next morning, he should be able to find a way to escape the forest.

If the other party is kind enough, it would be even better if they could help us with directions.

Asakawa Riku searched for a while but couldn't find the doorbell, so he knocked on the door.

"Hello, is anyone home?"

He waited a while, but there was no response, while the conversation inside the door continued.

It seems the soundproofing is mutual; the person inside didn't hear his knocking either.

What if this house is a monster's trap?

That would be exactly what I wanted.

Asakawa Riku pushed open the door and walked inside.

He saw someone he never expected.

...

"Ah Lu, what are you doing here?"

"Asakawa-san...this is..."

People surrounded him, asking questions and venting their doubts and curiosity.

But Asakawa Riku actually had just as many doubts and curiosities.

His first feeling was—

There are too many acquaintances.

First of all, there were five other people in the house besides him.

They are:

First, Hirata Hirokichi, a male friend of Asakawa Riku's who sat behind him.

Second, Asakawa Riku's homeroom teacher, the tall and imposing math teacher, Mr. Matsuyama.

Third, the vice principal of Asakawa Riku School, the nominal director of the mystery club, and Principal Komiya.

The simultaneous appearance of these three people gave Asakawa Riku the illusion of returning to school.

They surrounded Asakawa Riku, asking him why he was there, but Asakawa Riku couldn't answer yet.

He looked at the other two people.

As for the other two people, they seemed unfamiliar at first glance, but Asakawa Riku quickly realized that one of them looked somewhat familiar.

He was a middle-aged man, probably in his forties or fifties, noticeably older than Mr. Matsuyama, perhaps because of his overweight figure and stubble on his chin.

Riku Asakawa recognized him; it was Ichiro Takagi!

That is, Ms. Takagi's wife, Yumiko Ezaki's father, a loyal fan of Orisaku Tamatsu... and a person directly involved in the Tsuchigumo incident.

Someone who was once suspected of cheating.

Asakawa Riku almost didn't recognize him. After all, in the photos he searched online, Takagi Ichiro always looked like a social elite and a business tycoon, wearing a suit and looking dashing.

But now when I see him, he has heavy dark circles under his eyes, a puffy face, and his skin looks like he has just recovered from a serious illness. He looks like he has aged ten years out of nowhere.

He wasn't dressed like a company president or adorned with luxury goods; he was just dressed in ordinary old clothes, looking like a homeless man, with a颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a sense of listlessness, apathy, or dejection) look in his eyes.

After all, she went through the ordeal of her daughter's disappearance... Although Yumiko was rescued, she's probably still recovering in the hospital.

Asakawa Riku felt some sympathy for him; he might have suffered severe psychological trauma.

It wasn't time to comfort him yet; she looked at the last person in the room.

That person was a complete stranger. Even after careful consideration, Asakawa Riku was certain that he had never seen her before.

She is a girl.

If Chizuko-senpai only "looks like a middle school student," then this girl should be "right in middle school."

Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, falling smoothly down her back. Her eyes were clear and beautiful, her skin was as white as snow, and her features were delicate and petite.

Like an Ichimatsu doll, it sat there quietly.

Her temperament seemed somewhat similar to that of Chizuko-senpai, but there was a subtle sense of difference. She wore a red and white shrine maiden outfit, with a fitted top and a floor-length skirt.

Asakawa Riku didn't know that the professional terms should be white robe and scarlet hakama. The waist was cinched with a bow, which accentuated her slender figure. The overlapping collar revealed her neck.

She noticed Asakawa Riku's gaze, so she stood up and bowed:

"Hello, guest. I am Yukie, a shrine maiden from the shrine on the mountain."

Asakawa Riku noticed that she was wearing woven straw sandals and white socks covering her toes.

It seems that when she stands up, she is slightly taller than Chizuko-senpai.

Summer of the Snow Woman: Chapter Seven - The Reason for Coming Here

She's probably about 1.52 meters tall.

"Hello, I am Asakawa Riku."

He swallowed his impolite comment and greeted the girl and Takagi Ichiro, who was standing next to him.

Mr. Takagi did not stand up; he nodded and said, "Ichiro Takagi."

It seems he doesn't know about the detective agency, or he doesn't know about Asakawa Riku's relationship with the agency.

As for the other three acquaintances, there's no need to introduce them.

　Amidst the chaos, Asakawa Riku blurted out:

"Yuki...Miss, I'd like to ask, is this house part of the shrine?"

The girl who called herself Yuki shook her head; she still didn't know her surname.

"As I explained to the other guests, I was unaware that such a Western-style mansion existed in this mountain. I also got lost here and couldn't find my way back to the shrine."

Even the shrine maiden who works in this mountain got lost...?

What exactly is this house...?

So Asakawa Riku turned to the others and asked them how they got to the house.

Hirata Kokichi scratched his head: "I heard rumors at school that this shrine is very effective, so I wanted to come and pray that I'll be more popular with the opposite sex next semester. Otherwise, I'm not happy seeing you and your senior showing off your love every day..."

He had barely finished speaking when he was glared at by the principal and teachers beside him, and he quickly sat up straight and shut his mouth.

However, when it was Principal Komiya and Mr. Matsuyama's turn, they hesitated, glancing at each other furtively, unsure of how to answer.

Principal Komiya countered, "Asakawa-kun, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pay my respects too. After all, I joined the mystery club, so I have to pray for blessings."

Asakawa Riku responded with a lukewarm joke.

Principal Komiya couldn't answer, after all, the school had turned a blind eye to Chizuko's bullying incidents throughout the previous year, and even encouraged them.

This visit to Kazamatsuri Shrine, besides being a typical home visit, may also have been intended as an apology to the family members.

Although it's a bit late, the school has spent the entire semester comforting and offering condolences to the seven victims from last year. Principal Komiya must be getting a few gray hairs, probably so busy he's dizzy. The fact that he remembered "Chizuko was also one of the victims" shows that he's trying to make amends.

Seeing the awkward situation, Mr. Matsuyama interrupted, saying in a slightly forceful tone:

"We're here for tourism, specifically mountain climbing."

This burly math teacher actually took Principal Gong's hand.

Asakawa Riku was taken aback, his serious thoughts vanishing instantly.

Is there such a thing?

Principal Komiya seems to be a bit older than Professor Matsuyama... You really can't judge a book by its cover... By the way, does the school allow office romances?

It should be allowed, right? If one of them is the principal, it seems like even if it's not allowed, there's a way to resolve it.

Asakawa Riku and Hiroki exchanged a glance, both with surprised expressions. Principal Komiya quickly pulled his hand away, coughed twice, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Not being able to delve into the details left Asakawa Riku's curiosity somewhat tormented.

He had no choice but to turn to Ichiro Takagi and ask the same question:

"Mr. Takagi, what brings you here?"

"you know me?"

"Ok?"

Being asked a question in return, the dejected Mr. Takagi raised his head and stared at Asakawa Riku: "Hey bro, do you know me?"

"Why?" Asakawa Riku wondered. He hadn't made such a basic mistake as calling out a name in advance; Mr. Takagi had just introduced himself by that name.

"Judging from your tone, you seem very familiar with me."

Takagi Ichiro's voice was a little hoarse, sounding like he had been overwhelmed by the effects of smoking and drinking.

Are you a detective?

Asakawa Riku was somewhat helpless. How could one tell just by the tone of voice? But then he thought that this gentleman was quite impressive for recognizing his daughter's voice through a virtual image.

He could only admit, after a moment's hesitation, that he said, "I know Ezaki-senpai."

“…Yumiko?” Takagi Ichiro’s expression clearly wavered.

"Yes."

This is a clumsy lie. After all, Asakawa Riku is a first-year high school student. When he enrolled, Ezaki Yumiko had already been kidnapped, so the two could not have had any interaction.

If the teachers, principal, and students present pointed it out, it would be very obvious.

But clearly, Takagi Ichiro, who dotes on his daughter, wouldn't care about such things. His detective skills seemed to automatically fail whenever Ezaki Yumiko was mentioned.

"I see..." he murmured, his tone and expression softening somewhat.