Chapter 42 : Jiang Lai - The Power of Technology (Not)
The black-haired, brown-eyed youth looked down condescendingly. Though his face didn't show much emotion, there seemed to be an invisible aura spreading through the space.
"......" Yuikawa Kurisu's fingers curled slightly. He looked up, blinking his round puppy eyes, still with that innocent expression: "I, I don't quite understand what you're saying, Senior."
"Don't understand?" That figure turned his wrist, resting the book against his chin, saying lightly: "Seems like you not only have terrible acting skills, but your comprehension is also problematic."
The light brown-haired teenager: "..."
The pause was only a fraction of a second. Yuikawa Kurisu quickly lowered his head and said softly: "Senior, I know you're sad inside......Regarding Haibara's matter, as a teammate, I also bear responsibility. If you want to blame me, then blame me."
"Suddenly having self-awareness at this moment, seems like the fake crying drained the water from your brain?" Jiang Lai said methodically. "But you're still wrong. It's not [you also bear responsibility], but [it's your fault]."
Yuikawa Kurisu: "..."
Jiang Lai squinted: "You deliberately let the villager in, then guided the cursed spirit to about the right position during battle. After a cry of alarm drew your teammates' attention, you waited for kind-hearted Haibara to sacrifice himself to save the villager."
"After it was over, you came back to cry a bit, spread some negative energy, systematically guide the thinking direction of those around you......Is that right?" He spoke unhurriedly, his expression unperturbed.
Even hearing this far, the light brown-haired youth still maintained that facade, his fingers tugging at his clothes edge, eyelashes fluttering, looking pitiful:
"I, I really don't know what you're saying, Senior. I'm a bit scared."
A demon disguised as a pitiful small dog, killing the truly cute and energetic Samoyed Haibara. He was very good at using his appearance advantage to show an innocent demeanor.
Faced with the person in front repeatedly denying, Jiang Lai showed no annoyance, as if he had long expected such responses.
He just swept over with indifferent brown eyes, his lips curved in a meaningless arc, his tongue moving to speak slowly and gently:
"The plan is full of holes, the acting is crude and clumsy, and the result has no novelty. If this is what you consider your masterpiece, then it's truly a failure, Yuikawa-kun."
"......" Yuikawa Kurisu stopped tugging at his clothes edge.
The light brown-haired teenager paused for a moment, then slowly looked up.
The overhead lighting cast harsh white light. Yuikawa Kurisu's eyes appeared more toward cool red under the light, but the sharp glint was only momentary, quickly hidden as he lowered his eyes again.
He showed a shy smile again, saying softly: "Why is Senior suddenly saying so many incomprehensible things? Speaking of which, Senior doesn't seem sad at all about Haibara's situation. Even if not familiar, normal people would feel somewhat sad hearing this. Ah, I don't mean anything else......"
"I naturally have feelings about Haibara-kun, but there's no need to show them to you." The navy blue figure interrupted him, brushing wrinkles from his sleeve, his voice calm. "Devoting even the slightest attention to you would be an enormous waste."
"......" Yuikawa Kurisu's shy smile froze on his face. His hand tugging at his clothes suddenly grabbed a loose thread.
Jiang Lai said no more. More precisely, he had never shown any particular emotional fluctuation from beginning to end.
The black-haired, brown-eyed youth stepped forward, looking straight ahead, passing by Yuikawa Kurisu who still sat with his head lowered in the chair, as if passing a potted plant, a decoration, an uninhabited place.
After Jiang Lai walked a few steps away, a short call suddenly came from behind.
"Senior."
That voice finally no longer squeezed into a pitiful tone, but normal speed and intonation. The clean and refreshing teenage voice now sounded somewhat inexplicably eerie.
Jiang Lai stopped slightly but didn't turn around.
"......Always so indifferent, it's really irritating. I still think it was quite spectacular." Yuikawa Kurisu said slowly. "You clearly get along so naturally with Gojo-senpai and the others, so why am I not worth showing your emotions to?"
Because you lack sincerity.
This was Jiang Lai's internal response, but he had no intention of saying it aloud.
After all, explaining to this pervert who took pleasure in trampling others' emotions would be useless. Just now he was still celebrating his classmate's death.
Since he was ignoring, he should ignore to the end, letting the other person soliloquize like a jumping clown.
Jiang Lai was happy to annoy this type of person, letting that guy bottle up frustration in his heart.
He didn't leave a single reply, and after the brief pause, continued walking steadily forward, making clear sounds in the corridor, completely leaving Yuikawa Kurisu behind in that small room.
While walking forward, his right hand calmly pressed the save recording button on his phone.
That's right, it was a recording. Jiang Lai's conversation with Yuikawa Kurisu was all premeditated dialogue. He had already turned on his phone's recorder.
The phone appeared to others as just an ordinary ancient book. Only Gojo and Geto somewhat knew about this thing's "spirituality," and Yuikawa Kurisu obviously hadn't thought there was such a layer beneath.
Jiang Lai always made good use of technology. When it should be used, it must be used. Not using it would be wasteful.
Traditional scheming and layer-by-layer revelation wasn't as good as using technology to defeat the enemy in one move.
He knew what kind of person Yuikawa Kurisu was and could deduce the hidden parts behind this Haibara death incident based on this. But he couldn't straightforwardly explain to Geto Suguru and others, there was no evidence.
Direct violent conflict wasn't an appropriate solution, and threats and bribes were also unlikely to uncover this type of person's surface disguise. Only dialogue aimed at the other's mentality was truly useful.
Since doggy Yuikawa always wanted others to break down, let him experience breaking down himself, and record it for others to hear.
So Jiang Lai deliberately faced Yuikawa with completely unfluctuating expressions, and on this basis precisely pointed out the other's possible plans while adding contemptuous criticism.
Most perverts wouldn't think their special fetishes were wrong. Faced with others' fear, accusations, and criticism, they would only become more excited.
The only thing they couldn't accept was mockery of their plans and disdain for their carefully arranged situations.
Layer upon layer of woven "achievements" displayed secretly and arrogantly, expecting to harvest surging emotions like waves.
The result was that the audience not only had no emotional feedback but also saw through the steps at a glance and crowned them with a "low-level" evaluation.
This was like stepping on a cat's tail, planners basically couldn't keep their composure.
Obviously, Yuikawa Kurisu ultimately couldn't hold back and briefly revealed his true nature to the uncooperative audience.
A moment was enough. Jiang Lai rubbed the back of his phone with his fingertip.
Although Yuikawa remained cautious and didn't show overly obvious damning dark behavior, those final few sentences, if heard by Geto and others, could make them vigilant and thoughtful.
He walked toward the infirmary where Shoko was located. Haibara Yu's body remains would be processed there, and that's also where Geto Suguru and Nanami Kento were.
When Jiang Lai stepped through the doorway, they noticed the arrival.
Geto Suguru looked somewhat surprised: "Lai......?" His gaze wandered to the area behind. "Yuikawa didn't come with you?"
"No." Jiang Lai's book floated in his hand, his brown eyes lifting slightly, his voice calm: "But there's something else that's related to him."
Everyone's movements stopped.
Jiang Lai thought for a second about whether this revelation using high technology was somewhat sudden, then felt it was better to inform them earlier to prevent the group from being deceived further. Early communication would give their side more thinking time and the enemy side less reaction time.
After simple preliminary explanation, he prepared to play the recording.
Before starting, Jiang Lai explained two or three more sentences: "I felt some dissonance behind the incident, so I followed up with a few words to him." Jiang Lai said, "The book recorded it."
After a second's pause, he decided to give another preventive shot: "The content might be somewhat disturbing."
In the vaguely tense and inexplicable atmosphere, Jiang Lai pressed the play button, and the ancient book transmitted clear dialogue sounds.
Geto Suguru had previously known that Jiang Lai's book had "spirituality" and special functions, but hearing that book emit dialogue sounds with his own ears, he still looked slightly stunned.
Nanami Kento's focus wasn't on the book. His mental energy concentrated on the familiar voices from the book. As the two people's words unfolded, his hanging hand slowly tightened.
The book recording actually seemed somewhat unrealistic, very much like deliberately fabricated false information.
He was Gojo Satoru's friend, Yuikawa was a direct classmate. Jiang Lai wasn't sure internally whom they would actually believe.
Therefore, he just steadily played the entire recording without saying much more based on it. Saying too much might raise suspicions of sowing discord. This appropriate reminder was just right.
Regardless of whether they believed this recording or not, they surely each had their own judgments in their hearts.
"......" The few people who finished listening to this recording all remained silent.
Nanami Kento closed his eyes.
If this recording was real......Although it contained no solid evidence proving Yuikawa Kurisu did it intentionally, that final sentence with its suddenly changed tone and content, combined with bits and pieces noticed in daily interactions, had already exposed some unknown things.
This way, Jiang Lai's earlier speculation about Haibara's death seemed very much like the truth.
Nanami Kento took several deep breaths and stepped back two or three paces.
A classmate he spent days and nights with apparently had another side in the shadows, and might even be the murderer who killed his good friend......This information overload, overlapping with today's encounters, made him dizzy.
Geto Suguru beside him reached out in time, supporting Nanami Kento and helping him to a chair by the wall.
Ieiri Shoko temporarily placed the wooden box in a cabinet and handed Nanami a towel, conveying silent care.
Nanami Kento gripped the towel. He didn't cover his face with it again. After calming his emotions somewhat, he said: "......I need to go talk with him." His voice was somewhat hoarse.
There was still over two years of classmate friendship after all. Not everyone could be as heartlessly unfeeling as Yuikawa Kurisu.
The teenage Nanami Kento's mind still churned with thoughts, unable to make an accurate judgment.
Though he didn't mention the name in his words, everyone knew who he was talking about.
Geto Suguru patted Nanami Kento's shoulder: "I'll go." He said, "You rest first."
His words were full of comfort, playing the senior role well. Only the weariness in his eyes still floated there.
Chaotic thoughts tangled in his mind like knotted vines. This series of events obviously brought Geto Suguru even more contemplation.
Jiang Lai noticed Geto Suguru's poor condition. He didn't know what the topknot teenager was thinking at this moment, but in this situation, it was probably best not to let him go see that Yuikawa.
After all, even though he had already played the recording for them, the other party had only revealed his true face in that final moment of speech. Yuikawa might be able to give more explanations with that innocent appearance.
He stepped forward a few paces, just about to say something, when at this moment, the infirmary door was suddenly pushed open!
The one who pushed open the door was Ijichi Kiyotaka, a first-year freshman who had just enrolled this year. He seemed to have run all the way here and was still gasping for breath.
However, he couldn't care about calming his breathing and looked up to shout:
"Seniors......! That, Gojo-senpai and Yuikawa-senpai are fighting over there—"
Jiang Lai's first reaction was: Gojo Satoru returned to school?
Then he thought: Wait, didn't Gojo Satoru always tolerate this nominal underclassman before? Why would he suddenly fight with Yuikawa—
Everything happened too suddenly. Jiang Lai quickly brainstormed. Did Yuikawa Kurisu provoke first? But what was this supposed to accomplish?
Also, why did Yuikawa dare to actually provoke Gojo Satoru? Wasn't he afraid of death?