Chapter 248
After dumping Hattori Heiji over to Edogawa Conan's side, Usuha Izuki stopped caring about them and didn't even check how much his suspicion values had increased.
He found a place to eat, then returned to Samukawa Shinryu's office to continue being an urban legend.
When Hagiwara Kenji pushed the door open and found Usuha Izuki actually sitting behind the desk, he was shocked.
"It's rare to see you up so early. Did you eat breakfast... lunch?"
"I ate."
Hagiwara Kenji was even more shocked: "What time did you wake up?"
Usuha Izuki: "Guess."
"I won't guess." Hagiwara Kenji was different from Vodka and the others—this little trick couldn't shake his heart at all. "No need to pour tea. I came to deliver something and I'll leave soon."
"Hm?" Usuha Izuki pondered briefly. "Are you here to deliver food?"
"...It's tickets to Mantendo's new game announcement event."
Usuha Izuki's eyes immediately lit up, but he still asked reservedly: "Why suddenly give me this?"
"I didn't know when I made the reservation, but I just found out today that it conflicts with my shift schedule. I have to work then, so only you and Little Jinpei can go." Hagiwara Kenji cooperatively made an excuse. "To not waste the tickets and to find someone to accompany Little Jinpei, anyway, these tickets are yours."
"Good, I'll go. Thank you for the tickets."
Because he overslept, Usuha Izuki hadn't managed to get these tickets and was originally planning to buy them at a high price later. Now it was convenient.
Hagiwara Kenji: "No need to thank me. As long as you like them."
Although Usuha Izuki still seemed expressionless, in Hagiwara Kenji's view, his happiness was quite obvious.
Little Shinryu always had strange hangups about his image in odd places.
But it seemed these tickets were given correctly. It's just that Little Jinpei and Little Shinryu rarely went out alone together. They were both mature adults now—hopefully they wouldn't fight while he wasn't there.
Hagiwara Kenji worried like a pet owner going on a long trip, concerned about his two cats fighting at home.
Although he knew these two showed affection by bickering, they should stop arguing when going out to have fun. What if surrounding people misunderstood and called the police!
Then he'd be at work and suddenly receive an emergency call, only to discover it was a misunderstanding caused by Matsuda Jinpei and Samukawa Shinryu arguing... Although that would be another way to participate in the game announcement event, just thinking about it gave him a headache!
So Hagiwara Kenji specifically reminded Usuha Izuki to bring his Metropolitan Police consultant ID before leaving to handle his own business.
Usuha Izuki understood what Hagiwara Kenji was worried about.
Usuha Izuki had originally planned to go as his main identity, since the main body didn't have the "Black Screen Aura" and wouldn't be stared at, so he could have more fun than Samukawa Shinryu.
But going with a friend was a different feeling. He thought about it—anyway, they'd definitely split up at the demo area. Then he could switch back to his main body, and when he'd played enough and Matsuda Jinpei called him, he'd switch personas again. On the way back, they could discuss the content of this announcement event together. Perfect.
Soon, the day of the new game announcement event arrived. Matsuda Jinpei drove to Samukawa Shinryu's office to pick him up.
Matsuda Jinpei complained while driving: "Only on days like this can you get up this early."
"I got up this early when I used to work too."
"...Let me correct that. This can't be considered early anymore. If you arrived at work at this time, you'd already be very late!"
Hagiwara Kenji had asked Matsuda Jinpei why he always liked to bicker with Samukawa Shinryu. Matsuda Jinpei had answered "I find him annoying," and Hagiwara Kenji thought he was being stubborn and didn't take it seriously.
But it was actually true.
Matsuda Jinpei really did find Samukawa Shinryu annoying—he always felt that when Samukawa Shinryu had a cold face and said nothing, it made people very uncomfortable. Only when he was complaining, arguing, or saying weird things did he seem somewhat normal, so he really liked to deliberately provoke Samukawa Shinryu.
This was also Matsuda Jinpei's current exclusive method for dealing with the "Black Screen Aura."
Usuha Izuki had become increasingly relaxed around Matsuda Jinpei because of this, and now the "Black Screen Aura" had much less effect on Matsuda Jinpei. But this interaction pattern had become fixed—Matsuda Jinpei felt uncomfortable if he didn't roast Usuha Izuki when they met.
Roasting aside, he still recognized this friend.
Matsuda Jinpei dutifully drove Usuha Izuki, who clearly could drive but stubbornly refused to do it himself, to the venue. Then the two entered while others quietly avoided the seemingly present but absent gazes.
As soon as they entered, Usuha Izuki said: "There are too many people here. Let's split up."
Otherwise, they might have to queue for demos, with one person waiting for another—that would waste both people's time and be quite boring.
Matsuda Jinpei rationally thought this was good, but emotionally he was still a bit worried: "Call me first if anything happens."
Usuha Izuki emphasized: "I brought my ID."
Matsuda Jinpei's complaints were merciless: "I'm worried you'll be mistaken for having a fake ID. It's not like it hasn't happened before."
Usuha Izuki: "............"
Regardless, Usuha Izuki successfully separated from Matsuda Jinpei. He decisively chose to go to the restroom first and switched back to his main body with one click.
He had prepared today's outfit in advance. The color coordination wasn't so blinding, making it more fashionable. But at this kind of game announcement event, there were plenty of fashionably dressed people, so he blended in completely unnoticed and happily went to queue for demos.
Playing game after game, when Usuha Izuki got to a shooting game, while playing, he suddenly heard someone behind him remind: "Left! There's someone ambushing on the left, be careful!"
Usuha Izuki: "..."
The system screamed in his head: [It's Matsuda Jinpei! He actually ran into you in such a big venue! What kind of luck is this! Quick, quick, turn around and let him see your face—suspicion values will definitely skyrocket!]
Usuha Izuki ignored the system, refocused his attention on the game, and casually asked Matsuda Jinpei behind him: "Where else?"
Matsuda Jinpei had just couldn't help reminding him. After all, in this kind of environment, everyone gets into it. Now that the other person was cooperating, he immediately got more excited and started commanding without hesitation: "Right side, two o'clock direction..."
Although Matsuda Jinpei was giving directions, Usuha Izuki wasn't particularly good at this type of game and died quickly.
He stood up and gave his seat to Matsuda Jinpei: "You play."
"Okay, thanks." Matsuda Jinpei politely stepped aside to let Usuha Izuki out.
After withdrawing his attention from the game, Matsuda Jinpei finally gave some attention to this guy who played somewhat poorly.
"...Hm?"
Matsuda Jinpei was stunned.
Since the "Black Screen Aura's" effect on Matsuda Jinpei was gradually diminishing, he was more likely than others to notice the similarities between Usuha Izuki's and Samukawa Shinryu's features.
But because their temperaments were completely different, Matsuda Jinpei didn't think of them as the same person at all.
Plus, when they were cooperating in the game earlier, he had heard the other person's voice—a clear tone completely different from Samukawa Shinryu's low, oppressive voice. With this preconception, just glancing hastily like this, Matsuda Jinpei felt the person before him was a few years younger than Samukawa Shinryu, with limited resemblance.
"What's wrong?" Usuha Izuki asked openly.
Matsuda Jinpei: "Nothing, I feel like you look a bit like a friend of mine."
Saying this, he couldn't help looking twice more. How strange—they were clearly two completely different people at first glance, yet the more he looked, the more similar they seemed...
Usuha Izuki: "Oh, you want to be friends with me."
Matsuda Jinpei: "...???"
His emotions suddenly became disconnected, and his brain even blanked for a moment, forgetting what he originally wanted to say.
No way, was this person this narcissistic?
The people queuing behind them really couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted: "If you want to make friends, can you go aside to do it? If you're not playing the game, please give up the spot."
Matsuda Jinpei instinctively sat down, but quickly reacted and turned to ask Usuha Izuki, who looked like he was about to leave: "I'm Matsuda Jinpei. What's your name?"
Usuha Izuki: "Hattori Heiji."
After saying this, he left Matsuda Jinpei, who was surrounded by other watching players, and walked away nonchalantly.
The system asked puzzledly: [Why didn't you use Edogawa Conan this time?]
[That name is too fake! No one would believe it just from hearing it!]
[You know it's fake now! Weren't you using it happily before?!!!]
Usuha Izuki sighed: [That name's validity period has expired. Using it again won't farm much suspicion value...]
The system was even more confused: [You can use Hattori Heiji instead?]
Usuha Izuki: [It can be more fun.]
System: [............]
Be a decent person...
Usuha Izuki went to buy drinks from a vending machine. Because he wasn't watching where he was going, he suddenly bumped into someone.
"Are you blind?!"
The other person's voice wasn't loud, but his presence was strong, with a thick Kansai accent.
Usuha Izuki looked up.
It was a tall man in a black suit, still wearing a black hat indoors, with a fierce appearance.
After meeting Usuha Izuki's gaze, this man with a face full of scars visibly became flustered.
"Bo-Botanist..."
Usuha Izuki frowned: "Who are you?"
The man in black was silent for a moment, seemingly reluctant to say his codename: "Tequila... Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose just now. I'm the one who wasn't watching where I was going! Um, I still have a mission right now..."
—How unlucky! How did I run into Botanist! I'm not Vodka!!!