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Chapter 23: The Judgment and the Tremor
"Tsugawa Shuji had contact with an unknown person the day before his death, and the cause of death is suspected to be poisoning... So, he was murdered by an associate?" Ryusei Kiryu mused, staring at his phone.
He wondered if a death caused by a chain of events still counted as his "kill." If the system recognized it, the rewards—the copper coins—should have dropped wherever the librarian died. In this case, inside the elevator of the Beika Library.
I need to find an opportunity to confirm it, Ryusei thought. However, the library was currently a crime scene and closed to the public. While he could use Double Jump to sneak in at night, the police were likely monitoring the area for the poisoner. He decided to wait. The coins wouldn't disappear, and it wasn't worth the risk of being caught by the authorities.
Returning to the old apartment building, Ryusei found his landlady, Sayuri, on the first floor. She was leaning against her door in a plain white dress, distractedly enjoying a popsicle.
When she saw him, her eyes brightened. "Ryusei-kun!"
"Good evening, Sayuri-san," he responded politely.
"Why are you back so late? Did you go out to play after school?"
"No, I was at a part-time job," he explained. "I'm a bit messy, so I'm going to shower first. Let's chat later."
As he headed upstairs, Sayuri sniffed the air. "A strong smell of fish... did he go to a fish market? Why such a tough job?" she wondered aloud, licking a stray drop of white residue from the corner of her mouth. "He must really be short on money."
On the third floor, Ryusei marinated the sea bream fillets Uncle Takagi had given him. He fried the fish, then added hot water and seasoning, simmering it with the "Fujiwara Tofu" he'd bought that morning.
While the stew bubbled, he showered. Afterward, he sat down to a fragrant meal of fresh fish and tofu. He took a photo and sent it to Katsura Kotonoha. He purposefully didn't send it to Eriri; doing it three days in a row would seem too calculated.
In the Katsura household, Kokoro perked up her ears at the sound of her sister's phone buzzing. While Kotonoha was busy in the kitchen, Kokoro tiptoed over and checked the message.
Another dinner photo! From that 'Ryusei' guy again!
Then, Kokoro spotted a book peeking out of Kotonoha's school bag: Koisuru Metronome.
A school romance light novel? Kokoro was stunned. Her sister only ever read the classics. Is she... in love?
During dinner, Kokoro watched her sister anxiously. Kotonoha was smiling at her phone, clearly chatting with Ryusei. Kokoro felt a wave of worry. She knew their mother, Katsura Manami, would never approve of high school dating. Even her favorite curry tasted like ash as she fretted over her sister's future.
That night, Ryusei finished his homework and read more of the novel before sending goodnight messages to both girls.
Katsura Kotonoha: Goodnight, Ryusei-kun. Eriri: ? Do you go to bed this early every day?
He fell into a deep sleep, only to be jolted awake at 11:52 PM. The bed was shaking, and the windows were rattling in their frames.
"An earthquake?"
In this island nation, tremors were common. He calmly put on his shoes, grabbed his phone, and headed to the open space outside. A few other tenants were already there, looking bored rather than panicked. However, he didn't see Sayuri.
He hurried back inside and pounded on her door. "Sayuri-san! Are you there?"
A sleepy Sayuri eventually opened the door in her pajamas. "What is it, Ryusei-kun?"
"There was an earthquake! We need to get to the open area for safety."
"Just an earthquake..." she yawned indifferently. "It's nothing..."
Just then, a much stronger tremor rocked the building. Ryusei didn't waste time. He grabbed her hand and began to run.
[Ding—] +10 copper coins.
"Eh? Ryusei-kun! Slow down! My shoe!"
One of her slippers had slipped off in the rush. Ryusei looked back, then back at the shaking walls. He couldn't risk staying inside. Without a word, he scooped Sayuri up in a princess carry and sprinted for the exit.
She was petite and light, which was lucky, as his current strength was only at 4 points.
"Wow!..." Sayuri gasped, her face flushing as they cleared the doorway.