Chapter 94: Yagami Light Joins the "Liangshan" (Bandit Group), The Secret War Between Futaba and Mai
Hearing these words, Haruno felt very bitter in her heart.
The identity of the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family hung over her head like a sword, making her feel breathless at every moment.
Haruno felt she was about to go crazy.
Different from the tangled pain in her heart.
Haruno's face still maintained that calm expression, just nodding slightly.
"I understand."
Haruno herself didn't know what kind of feeling she had for Yoru.
Like?
They hadn't met many times in total; calling it "like" was indeed an exaggeration.
If it was just pure favorable impression, it seemed to be something more.
After all, with Yoru's appearance, any normal woman would have more or less favorable feelings towards him, at least not dislike him.
But if it stopped at a favorable impression, the always rational and calm Haruno couldn't have done what she did last night—feigning drunkenness and proactively giving her first time.
And the battle that happened in the shower after waking up also proved that last night wasn't just due to alcohol.
Then why?
On the way here, Haruno kept asking herself.
The final answer.
Yoru had something she had longed for but couldn't obtain, which attracted her.
That was unfettered freedom, acting solely on his own heart, which could even be called reckless freedom.
This was what Haruno yearned for the most.
She liked her sister Yukino very much.
But Haruno also knew very well.
Yukino, like her mother Mrs. Yukinoshita, was a shackle binding her.
Perhaps Yukino herself didn't realize this, but this was the fact regardless.
Haruno didn't want Yukino to bear the responsibility of the Yukinoshita family, so she had to shoulder it herself.
"Good that you understand."
Mrs. Yukinoshita obviously didn't intend to delve deeper into this topic and changed the subject.
"Did you find the fighter to represent our Yukinoshita Company?"
"Yes, found one."
"How much does he want?"
Haruno sat opposite Mrs. Yukinoshita and held up three fingers.
"The price I offered is 30 million."
"30 million?"
Hearing this number, even the always aloof Mrs. Yukinoshita flashed a hint of surprise in her eyes.
30 million in cash wasn't a small amount for the Yukinoshita Company.
After all, they weren't a behemoth like the Shinomiya Group.
Moreover, Haruno and Yukino's father, the Chiba Prefectural Assembly member, was about to start campaigning for the next term.
If they wanted to step out of Chiba Prefecture and not just stay in the position of Prefectural Assembly member but go higher, they also needed to grease many palms.
Mrs. Yukinoshita also noticed.
30 million wasn't the reward requested by the fighter.
But the price Haruno offered proactively.
"Is he worth this price?"
Facing her mother's question, Haruno's smile seemed a bit bitter. After a moment of silence, she replied.
"Let me be frank with you."
"I even feel that 3 million, 30 million, or 300 million makes no difference to that person."
"He agreed to help me this time only because I did him a small favor last time, repaying a debt."
Haruno really thought so.
She found it hard to believe that with Yoru's personality, he would be moved by the "mere" 30 million she offered and agree to help the Yukinoshita Company fight against the fighter sent by the Kyoto City Bank.
Perhaps it was a response to the goodwill she expressed after actively increasing the exorcism reward for the unfinished building and agreeing to the extremely difficult airship promotion across Sakura Prefecture without hesitation?
This was the first time Mrs. Yukinoshita heard her daughter Haruno evaluate a person so highly.
Her question was simple.
"Can he win?"
Haruno pursed her lips, looking noncommittal.
"I don't know. After all, Kengan matches are a mysterious circle that both I and the Yukinoshita Company are contacting for the first time. However..."
Recalling the guarantee Yoru made to her while drinking last night that he would absolutely not suffer serious injuries and would definitely crush the opponent, Haruno took a deep breath, looked straight into her mother's eyes, and said word by word.
"Although I have no basis, I believe he will definitely win."
Hearing this, Mrs. Yukinoshita couldn't help but frown.
This...
Didn't sound like something Haruno would say at all.
Without knowing the Kyoto City Bank's fighter candidate or even knowing much about the fighter circle, she actually said she believed that person would definitely win?
If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, Mrs. Yukinoshita would find it hard to believe that Haruno, who was always comfortable in any social occasion and always maintained rationality and calmness, would say such words tantamount to emotional impulse.
Wait a minute.
Emotional impulse?
Could it be...?
Haruno noticed the subtle change in her mother's expression and realized she had misspoken. She quickly changed the subject seamlessly.
"Anyway, if you don't want the Yukinoshita Company to get involved in this bet, it doesn't matter."
"But if you want to seize this opportunity, I can guarantee that he is the candidate most likely to win that our Yukinoshita Company can find."
Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded.
"Alright then, we'll use the candidate you decided. I'll send someone to contact the Kyoto City Bank to set the location and time as soon as possible."
Mrs. Yukinoshita trusted Haruno's judgment.
And she had no hesitation about the decision to participate in this bet.
At worst, it would just mean donating the newly renovated office building to Kyoto City for free, causing the Yukinoshita Company's plan to expand outside Chiba Prefecture to fail.
Climbing higher was inherently a gamble.
Mrs. Yukinoshita was able to develop the company to this scale by choosing the correct answers in front of one problem after another.
This time was no exception.
....
On the other side, inside Soichiro Yagami's home.
"Father, you're back. Thank you for your hard work."
As soon as Soichiro Yagami walked into the entrance, Light welcomed him and took the bag from his father's hand.
"Light."
Soichiro Yagami looked exhausted. After changing his shoes, he scanned the living room.
"Where are Sayu and your mother?"
"Oh, they went shopping, said they are eating out."
"Why didn't you go with them?"
Light smiled as if embarrassed and scratched his head.
"I thought you weren't here, and I don't like shopping, so I stayed home to study more. Even though I ranked first in the whole school this time, I still can't slack off."
"Mmhmm, not bad."
Soichiro Yagami nodded with satisfaction and patted Light's shoulder in praise.
"I think it's very good that you have this mindset."
"Mmhmm, after all, I want to join the police force like you in the future. For this goal, I have to work doubly hard."
After Soichiro Yagami walked to the sofa and sat down, Light poured a cup of tea for him proactively, sat beside him, and asked casually.
"This was a sudden work incident. I told Sayu, and she understands your hard work. If you have business to attend to, don't worry about Mom and Sayu; I'm here."
Hearing his son Light speaking such reasonable and sensible words at such a young age, Soichiro Yagami felt even more gratified.
He sighed heavily, forced a smile, and waved his hand.
"It's fine. I have no work arrangements for the next few days. The higher-ups have approved my leave application."
"That's great."
Light wore a smile on his face, but his thoughts were completely different.
Of course, he had seen the intrusion incident at the Kyoto City Museum on TV.
His father's sudden overtime must have been for this case.
As for who did it, did he even need to guess?
Although there were no photos of the scene this time, Light was 100% sure that the boy whose real name he didn't know yet, who called himself Miyamizu Mitsuha and Itou Makoto successively, must be related to this case.
For some reason, he had an intuition.
Since the other party did it, failure was impossible.
Probably the truth wasn't as the Kyoto Metropolitan Police and the Museum claimed to the public.
The genuine Onimaru Kunitsuna had actually been stolen.
As for why they concealed this matter, Light could roughly guess.
This also confirmed the tangled and helpless look in his father's eyes.
Now, Soichiro Yagami said he had applied for leave and the police higher-ups approved this application.
It meant the police either didn't plan to investigate or hadn't obtained any clues to investigate yet.
Cleanly done.
As Soichiro Yagami's son, Light knew too well how high his father's criminal investigation experience was.
Even so, he was helpless against that guy.
As expected of someone walking the same path as him, aiming to eliminate evil and change this rotten world.
At this time, Soichiro Yagami didn't know yet that his perfect son, whom he was very satisfied with and who was envied by all parents, aiming to become a police member, had already defected in secret.
....
Meanwhile, inside Yoru's home.
After dinner, Yui and Miko went home first.
After all, it was spring break now, and it wasn't good for them to stay out too late.
In the living room, only Rio, Mai, and Yoru remained.
"Mai-senpai."
Rio looked at Mai sitting on the opposite sofa, who had taken off her apron and crossed her long slender legs, looking completely unconstrained as if sitting in her own home. Rio asked casually.
"It's almost 8:00 PM. If you don't go home, your family will be worried, right?"
Mai smiled upon hearing this and asked back.
"What about you, Futaba-san? Aren't you going back yet?"
Rio took off her glasses and said calmly.
"I live alone, so I can stay a bit later."
A hint of imperceptible strangeness flashed in Mai's eyes. She maintained a perfect smile and replied.
"Coincidentally, I also live alone."
"Then how long do you want to stay, Mai-senpai?"
"And how long do you want to stay, Futaba-san?"
Rio remained calm and indifferent as usual.
Mai still had that sweet smile on her face that was flawless and charming to anyone who saw it.
Neither girl showed any expression different from usual.
But the atmosphere in the living room became inexplicably tense.
Rio came today without intending to leave.
If Yoru didn't come to her house, she would just stay at his house for a night, right?
Coincidentally.
Mai didn't plan to leave today either.
She was used to living here; towels, toothbrushes, and change of clothes were all in Yoru's house.
The problem now was.
Rio didn't want Mai to know she planned to stay at Yoru's house. After all, a lone man and woman in the same room—with her thin-skinned personality, she really couldn't say it.
However.
Mai didn't have this scruple.
"Futaba-san..."
Just as Mai was about to lay it out and make Rio retreat, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Yoru got up and opened the door, finding someone he didn't expect standing outside.
"Good morning." (Note: Kazusa greeting "Good morning" at night? Maybe a quirk or typo, assuming just a greeting).
Touma Kazusa wore plain black trousers and a black short-sleeved shirt. Because she went out at night, she added a short jacket.
After greeting, she clasped her two fair slender jade hands together, lowered her head, and breathed into her palms.
"Touma-san?"
Yoru originally thought the person standing outside would be Light or Haruno.
Unexpectedly, it was Touma Kazusa.
"How did you know where I live?"
Kazusa's expression was emotionless as she replied flatly.
"Asked Hiratsuka-sensei. She heard I had something to find you for and told me directly."
Hearing this, Yoru thought this Hiratsuka Shizuka really doesn't give up unti reaching the Yellow River.
If Kazusa visited at another time, it would be fine.
But...
With the entrance as the dividing line, these were two worlds.
A silent battle was going on in the living room right now.
Of course, Yoru couldn't let Kazusa just stand outside, so he stepped aside slightly.
"Come in and talk."
"Okay."
Kazusa walked in and happened to see the can of Pepsi on the shelf at the entrance.
A complex look flashed in her eyes. She didn't say much, just looked at Mai and Rio sitting in the living room.
"Who are they?"
Player Touma Kazusa has joined the battle.
"Let me introduce you."
Yoru led Kazusa through the entrance into the living room.
"This is Sakurajima Mai, a senpai one year above us."
Hearing his introduction, Rio thought isn't this superfluous?
Even she, who was aloof and antisocial, had heard Mai's name.
As a student of Sobu High, could Kazusa not have heard of her?
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the name Sakurajima Mai, Kazusa didn't even shift her gaze. Her eyes remained on Yoru, responding with a short word.
"Oh."
Mai was also stunned, not expecting such a reaction from the other party.
Yoru knew that with Kazusa's personality, she probably really didn't know Mai.
After all, in her life, there was only piano; she didn't pay attention to other things.
But Mai and Rio's thoughts were more complicated.
What does "Oh" mean?
Could it be Kazusa actually knows Mai but sensed the tension in the air, so she prepared for war and didn't want to show surprise in front of the enemy?
What calmness is this?
Not willing to lose ground even in momentum.
This is a formidable enemy!
"This is Futaba Rio, and she is my deskmate in class, Touma Kazusa."
Yoru led Kazusa to sit on the sofa. Before he could speak, the latter said flatly.
"You have a club about supernatural events, right?"
"Right."
"That's good. I have a commission."
Hearing the word "commission," Rio and Mai looked at each other and understood each other's meaning instantly.
Stop fighting for now.
Business matters.
"Oh?"
Yoru looked interested.
"What kind of commission specifically?"
Kazusa didn't hesitate and said directly.
"The piano in my house always plays inexplicably. Oh right, I live alone, so there is no possibility of someone else playing it."
Hearing the familiar line "live alone," Rio felt a bit complicated but still asked.
"When did it start roughly?"
Kazusa glanced at her, thought for a moment, and said flatly.
"Roughly... before school started."
"Ah?"
Mai and Rio were confused.
Before school started?
Isn't that at least more than a month ago?
Just listening to Kazusa's description, the two girls felt a bit creepy.
Living alone, and the piano plays inexplicably.
Shouldn't a normal girl be very scared, move out immediately, and find an exorcist?
How could she drag it on for more than a month before coming?
"Then you... why say it now?"
Facing Rio's confusion, Kazusa just said softly.
"At first, it didn't affect me. Anyway, the piano only played when I was sleeping. But these few days, I found that when I played, it felt like someone else was pressing the keys with me, affecting me, so I wanted to ask Yoru for help."
Rio didn't notice, but Mai had seen Kazusa during her Adolescence Syndrome.
She noticed a detail in Kazusa's words.
Asking "Yoru" for help, not "Super-Quant Club."
Is this beating me and Rio?
Meaning you two are in the way, leave quickly, I only want to find Yoru alone?
Mai frowned slightly, thinking to herself. Touma Kazusa looks quiet and cold on the surface.
Unexpectedly, she is a formidable enemy with such means.
This battle today won't be easy to fight.