Chapter 218: Witness
Miss Uda Ryoko’s fear might have many meanings, possibly out of simple fear, or possibly guilty conscience making her afraid.
But what exactly is this guilty conscience? Just feeling that she made a clipping report gossiping about Kawakami Rumi’s past, now afraid of being settled by Kawakami Rumi?
No, if she really thought it was a guilty conscience, her attitude when introducing the materials she collected earlier shouldn’t have carried some proud emotions, clearly the other party doesn’t think she did anything wrong.
Perhaps Uda Ryoko did something else, something that truly wronged Kawakami Rumi.
He Jia’an looked at Uda Ryoko for a while with meaningful eyes, the other party seemed uncomfortable being looked at by He Jia’an’s eyes, displeased in her heart, so she issued an order to leave: “What nonsense, how could such absurd things happen, how can a dead person attack someone still alive, and she committed suicide back then, the reason is already very clear… Mr. He, if you have no other matters, I need to make lunch here, there are people at home waiting to eat.”
“My apologies.” He Jia’an nodded slightly, stood up to prepare to leave, and didn’t forget to take that package of materials when leaving.
Before leaving, He Jia’an glanced at the somewhat flustered figure at the kitchen stove, still thoughtful in his eyes.
Woof.
Shijiro barked once, squatting in front of He Jia’an, obedient like a doll.
Seeing this, He Jia’an didn’t forget to vigorously pet the dog again before leaving, such a family-like and obedient dog was rare for him, opportunity knocks but once, can’t miss it.
The dog was very appealing, He Jia’an felt a closeness from the dog, as if the other party knew him.
Finally, amid Shijiro’s reluctant whines, He Jia’an left Uda Ryoko’s home.
On the road, He Jia’an was thinking about where to investigate next, he knew Uda Ryoko was lying.
Thanks to carefully observing Sakura Island people’s customs, their Sakura Island people place shoes at the entrance hall full of characteristics, they place indoor and outdoor shoes for regular household members in advance at the entrance hall.
When entering and exiting Uda Ryoko’s home, He Jia’an noticed that the entrance hall at Uda Ryoko’s home only had her own shoes, so Uda Ryoko is actually a single female or a lone-dwelling female, her saying there are people at home waiting to eat is clearly not true, more likely just an excuse to drive him away.
“What exactly happened back then?” He Jia’an pondered as he walked towards Kisaragi High School.
……
Misaki Naomi came to the school library during the big break, and finally found information related to “Miyako” in the school calendars collected in the library.
“This is the group photo taken at the entrance ceremony back then, this person is ‘Miyako’.” Misaki Naomi marveled at the beauty of the female high school student in the photo, even discarding the era filter, era aesthetics, and the low pixels in this small space, she still noticed at a glance the prettiest girl in that year’s group.
“Kawakami Rumi.” Misaki Naomi recited Miyako’s real name, couldn’t help feeling regret for such a beautiful senior.
Buzz buzz—
Suddenly, Misaki Naomi felt her phone in her school uniform pocket vibrating, she immediately trembled all over in tension, thinking Miyako was calling her with another deadly harassment call, but this vibration only lasted a very brief moment, not the special persistent vibration frequency of a phone call, she calmly realized this was just a message notification.
So she mustered courage to open her phone to check, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the message notification on the screen, and felt a bit of joy, because it was a message from He Jia’an.
He Jia’an: “How’s progress on your side?”
Misaki Naomi leaned against the bookshelf, pursed her lips, typed rapidly: “Just after class came to the library to check information, just saw Senior Miyako’s peerless beauty.”
After sending the message, she secretly took a portrait photo of Miyako and sent it to He Jia’an.
Two seconds later, He Jia’an: “Indeed very pretty, if I were that age, maybe I would have pursued her.”
Misaki Naomi pouted, typed: “How are the battle results on your side?”
He Jia’an: “Ran into a junior of Kawakami Rumi back then…”
He Jia’an briefly described what happened on his side, Misaki Naomi after reading the messages couldn’t help feeling deep sympathy for this deceased Senior Miyako, no one could withstand that environment back then no matter who it was.
She imagined it, if it were her, she might not last long, while Senior Miyako endured campus bullying and social gossip high pressure with that disfigured face for nearly a whole year.
Buzz buzz—
He Jia’an sent another message, this time making a request: “Hope you can investigate that accident back then now, not sure if your school has any witnesses, or people who know what happened back then.”
Misaki Naomi understood, while flipping through the photo album, prepared to reply that she would do her best to find clues, but soon her gaze locked onto a graduation photo, the text just inputted into the send box was quickly all deleted, changed to: “I seem to have really found a witness to what happened back then, right in the current school.”
After the message was sent, the other side was silent for a few seconds, then sent a message: “Be careful with everything.”
Misaki Naomi put away the photo album, returned the calendar and photo album flipped out from the library bookshelf to their original positions, then walked out of the library, straight towards the teacher’s private office next to the school chemistry laboratory.
Knock knock.
“Please come in.” A man’s puzzled voice sounded from inside the house.
Kisaragi High School first-year chemistry teacher and laboratory equipment administrator Mano Daichi saw a familiar-looking student enter when the door opened: “Eh, I remember you, you’re… Misaki from Class 1-B, right.”
“Pardon the intrusion, Teacher Mano.” Misaki Naomi gave a slightly restrained greeting.
Mano Daichi smiled: “No need to be nervous, is there something wrong, or something you don’t understand in class?”
Misaki Naomi bit her lip darkly, mustered courage and asked: “Teacher Mano, do you know… Kawakami Rumi?”
“Kawakami… Rumi.” Mano Daichi was stunned upon hearing this name, then fell silent.
Misaki Naomi felt the air temperature in the office drop several degrees, palms sweating coldly, after all she didn’t know if her inquiry would make the other party feel offended, and the other party was her teacher.
Mano Daichi took a deep breath, looked at Misaki Naomi, seriously said: “How do you know this name?”
“Because… because of some things, I noticed Senior Kawakami Rumi, then learned a terrifying thing happened to her, I saw in the school’s past graduation photo album that in Senior Rumi’s graduating class there was your figure as teacher, so… so I want to inquire with you about that accident.” Misaki Naomi said somewhat tremblingly, then bowed deeply, said a bit loudly, “Please, you might find it hard to understand, but understanding this matter is really important to me, if you know anything, please tell me.”
