Chapter 274
Kazuto Kyosuke's heartbeat was even more intense than before.
After all, just now it was only his own wild imagination, but now it was what the other person had said himself!!!
What was going on?! How did he suddenly start talking about such things?! And with so many police officers in this banquet hall... how exactly had such a person been invited?!
If it were anyone else saying this, he would definitely take it as a joke, but the person speaking was Samukawa Shinryu...
The dangerous aura that didn't fit with others, the overwhelming sense of oppression when making eye contact, even details like always wearing leather gloves as if avoiding leaving fingerprints—all of this made Kazuto Kyosuke feel uneasy.
Kazuto Kyosuke could barely maintain his gentle smile, his mind filled with shock and suspicion.
...Could Samukawa Shinryu really be a well-hidden murderer... no, criminal consultant?
How to put it—before, because there were so many police officers around, he had actually tried very hard to think of the person in normal terms, but if he excluded the police factor and just looked at Samukawa Shinryu as a person—he actually fit the feeling of those mastermind characters in TV dramas or movies.
The oppressive presence that combined elegance with danger, seeming able to maintain calm rationality no matter what...
But if it were true, wasn't Samukawa Shinryu afraid of being reported for speaking so directly about such topics to someone he was meeting for the first time?!
But then Kazuto Kyosuke had another thought and suddenly remembered something.
Although he had mainly studied surgery, when he transitioned to being a psychologist he had also learned a bit about criminal psychology. Some people were very sensitive to the scent of crime and could spot their own kind at a glance from a crowd...
...Had he been exposed?!
So Samukawa Shinryu appeared normal in front of others, even police officers, with his legal consultation, but only gave him hints?
Kazuto Kyosuke was after all a high-intelligence criminal who had already killed people without being caught and had successfully framed others. He used to perform surgeries frequently, which required a very stable mindset, so he quickly calmed himself down again.
He just didn't know if his expression and gaze had revealed anything just now...
It didn't matter. Anyway, Samukawa Shinryu probably just sensed they were similar types of people, but didn't actually know what he had done. On the contrary, he had obtained Samukawa Shinryu's weak point, so he didn't need to worry too much.
After building up his psychological defenses, Kazuto Kyosuke smiled politely at the other person: "Thank you, but I don't need it."
"True enough." Usuha Izuki said. "You're in psychotherapy now, so you're less likely to encounter medical disputes."
Kazuto Kyosuke laughed dryly: "Even if I were still in surgery, I wouldn't think of doing anything because of medical disputes. After all, those people are also worried about their relatives, so I think I shouldn't need..."
Usuha Izuki looked at Kazuto Kyosuke, who seemed to have adapted to Samukawa Shinryu's new persona and whose coping attitude was becoming increasingly skillful, and felt he couldn't let the other person off so easily.
So he asked: "What are you thinking about? Don't tell me that when encountering medical disputes you only think about murder?"
Kazuto Kyosuke: "...???"
What the hell, why did it suddenly become his fault? He had clearly thought carefully before speaking and was sure there was no problem with saying that...
Had he misunderstood something?
Kazuto Kyosuke asked back with a confused expression: "What you said just now, about someone consulting you on how to avoid legal consequences for murder... weren't you asking if I needed this?"
"Your thinking is somewhat dangerous." Usuha Izuki said. "Sometimes legal consultation is very much needed for settling medical disputes."
Kazuto Kyosuke: "..........."
You have no right to say other people's thinking is dangerous! You've been providing legal consultation to potential murderers! Aren't you going to explain that?!
Usuha Izuki continued: "Besides, you don't need this now anyway."
Kazuto Kyosuke was startled.
...Come to think of it, he really didn't need it, because his murder plans were already planned out. He was very clear that as long as the plan was successfully implemented and he successfully framed others, he wouldn't be discovered.
Samukawa Shinryu was meeting him for the first time, right? Had he already understood him to this extent?
Impossible!
Then why was he talking about murder consultation one moment, then saying he didn't need it now the next... What exactly did Samukawa Shinryu mean?
He wanted to ask but didn't dare to. His intelligent brain engaged in a brainstorm, contributing suspicion values with a rush.
"But just because you don't need it now doesn't mean you won't need it in the future." Usuha Izuki was like a very normal salesperson developing clients. "You're always welcome here, Mr. Kazuto."
Kazuto Kyosuke: "...Thank you."
Was this a riddler? But it seemed like he'd said everything that needed to be said...
He completely couldn't understand what Samukawa Shinryu was about, but judging by his attitude—no, even without looking at his attitude, just looking at his aura, you could tell he was one of "those people." Really didn't know how he had gained the police's trust...
Considering that his plan was perfect and missing today's opportunity meant not knowing if there would be a next time, Kazuto Kyosuke decided to continue with his plan.
But just to be safe, he should ask Shiratori Ninzaburo a bit.
So when Shiratori Ninzaburo returned, Kazuto Kyosuke approached him: "Mr. Shiratori, sorry, I have something I'd like to ask you about Samukawa-kun."
"Hmm? What about him?" Shiratori Ninzaburo instinctively said. "His words can indeed be rather harsh sometimes. If you're angry, I can apologize on his behalf..."
Kazuto Kyosuke quickly denied: "No, I'm not angry. I'm just curious about his profession. He said he's something like a legal consultant, but I don't think it's quite..."
"...That."
Shiratori Ninzaburo immediately showed an expression that was hard to describe.
This couldn't be blamed on Dr. Kazuto. Samukawa's aura was indeed somewhat questionable. Even saying he was some kind of underworld organization leader would be believable. For such a person to claim he did legal consultation... it was normal for people to find it strange.
Besides, that couldn't really be called legal consultation!
"He's not really a legal consultant now... He'll take on interesting consultations, like decoding ciphers and such. If you ever write medical records that even you can't understand, you can ask him to help decipher them. Don't know why, but he's very good at these odd skills."
Shiratori Ninzaburo said: "But don't worry, he's not some strange person. I sometimes ask him for help too. He's actually quite decent."
If it were before, Shiratori Ninzaburo would actually have mentioned that Samukawa Shinryu used to be his colleague and was also a police officer.
But now with the serial murder case where the perpetrator might be among the police force, Shiratori Ninzaburo subconsciously felt that even saying Samukawa Shinryu used to be a police officer wouldn't be convincing enough, so he simply used himself as a guarantee.
However, when Shiratori Ninzaburo's words entered Kazuto Kyosuke's mind, which had already been influenced by the [Black Screen Aura], he understood them completely differently.
He'll take on interesting consultations—it seemed entirely possible he'd take murder consultations! Sure enough, his understanding just now was correct, and Samukawa Shinryu wasn't talking nonsense!
Very good at odd skills—whether versatile but not specialized or both versatile and specialized, ordinary people wouldn't need them. It was very likely he enjoyed learning more for certain purposes, like detectives, or—criminals.
Shiratori Ninzaburo sometimes asked him for help too—his disguise ability was very strong. Even with that kind of aura, he could gain police trust, yet he said those things in front of him. It definitely wasn't thoughtless rambling, but because he really saw something that he approached him.
Kazuto Kyosuke interpreted Shiratori Ninzaburo's words through his own mental framework while seemingly casually observing Samukawa Shinryu.
Ah, that expression—he looked like he found everything before him very boring...
I see, he understood now.
Having lived a smooth life and even become the youngest surgeon, he could be called a genius. Although he appeared gentle, Kazuto Kyosuke's pride and self-esteem were extremely high.
And such people liked to attribute special treatment they received to their own excellence.
So Kazuto Kyosuke thought:
For Samukawa Shinryu, everything here was boring. So many police officers, yet not one had seen through his true nature, allowing such a "mastermind" who had secretly orchestrated countless cases to walk around here freely.
And he, Kazuto Kyosuke, also someone who had escaped legal punishment, appeared before Samukawa Shinryu like this. For Samukawa Shinryu, he must be as conspicuous as a light in the darkness, right?
Otherwise, why had Samukawa Shinryu's gaze locked onto him when he and Shiratori Ninzaburo appeared together?
Sometimes, doing impressive operations in secret but not being able to tell others could practically drive a person sick—he was a psychologist and understood this very well.
So Samukawa Shinryu actually admired him and was inviting him to be "friends" by saying those things—no wonder he said he didn't need consultation now. He must trust his capabilities and know he was different from those who had to consult Samukawa Shinryu to formulate plans!
Kazuto Kyosuke finally put his mind completely at ease.
What a pity. Although Samukawa Shinryu had extended an olive branch to him, for the sake of avoiding suspicion, he still wasn't very willing to associate with Samukawa Shinryu... unless his plan had some problem and he really had no other choice, then he would go consult.
After saying goodbye to Shiratori Ninzaburo, Kazuto Kyosuke wandered aimlessly around the venue, but his peripheral vision was always watching Officer Sato, whom he planned to kill tonight.
Finally, he waited for Sato Miwako to leave the venue, retrieve her bag from the front desk, and head to the restroom to touch up her makeup.
Kazuto Kyosuke quietly followed.
His plan was perfect—he didn't need to consult Samukawa Shinryu. He had this confidence!