Chapter 238: Comparison
Is this being shy with strangers? No, it’s clearly picky about people.
The dog’s attitude toward him was completely opposite to that toward He Jia’an, leaving Matsumoto Gin somewhat frustrated inside. Although he appeared humble, he had his own pride in his heart.
He and He Jia’an were both world-recognized S-level investigators, confident that he was absolutely no worse than He Jia’an, whether in appearance or ability. But it seemed that right now, in terms of natural affinity with animals, he had lost by a step.
“So… what do you two want to consult about today?” Miss Utararyoko looked at the two eagerly. She was in her own home, yet she seemed more reserved than the two guests.
He Jia’an stroked Shijiro nestled against his calf and gave Matsumoto Gin a look, signaling the other to ask first.
Matsumoto Gin understood and got straight to the point. “Actually, our law enforcement side has recently restarted the investigation into Kawakami Rumi’s disfigurement case from back then. The reason is that recently in Taomuki City, things related to ‘Miyako’s Curse’ have become prevalent…”
Hearing this, Miss Utararyoko immediately grew nervous and hurriedly inquired: “Is that true?”
He Jia’an had also mentioned “Miyako’s Curse” before. Later, she had investigated through various channels herself and discovered that in Taomuki City, at least among the group from boys to young men in their early twenties, everyone knew about this “curse.” And some people even spoke as if it were true, saying they had witnessed it with their own eyes or heard that someone nearby had died because of it.
After hearing these various terrifying rumors, Miss Utararyoko felt uneasy inside. After seeing He Jia’an and Matsumoto Gin, who claimed to be a law enforcement officer, come to her door today, she couldn’t help but overthink, as if the worst conjecture in her heart had been confirmed.
“Please stay calm.” Matsumoto Gin soothed Miss Utararyoko, who was so agitated she nearly knocked over her own teacup, and said, “Everything has not been fully confirmed yet, but recently, there have indeed been people dying in the same way as Kawakami Rumi did back then.”
Hearing this, Miss Utararyoko was almost completely convinced, grabbing her hair in some collapse. “How could this be…”
Matsumoto Gin observed Miss Utararyoko’s huge reaction and continued to watch impassively, saying slowly: “He Jia’an has the information he obtained from you here, which I’ve also roughly looked over. I know you were one of the few witnesses to the incident back then, so as a law enforcement officer, I want to ask you a few questions.”
Miss Utararyoko was somewhat distracted, as if she hadn’t taken in what Matsumoto Gin said.
Matsumoto Gin naturally noticed, but he ignored it and continued: “Miss Utararyoko, do you know Kawakami Rumi from back then?”
Miss Utararyoko’s expression was unsettled, her eyes drifting.
“Miss Ryoko!”
Miss Utararyoko was startled awake by Matsumoto Gin’s shout, her whole body shaking. Only then did she come back to herself, staring blankly at Matsumoto Gin. Then she heard Matsumoto Gin repeat the earlier question once more.
Miss Utararyoko then said with a dry laugh: “I… I actually didn’t interact much with Kawakami Rumi.”
“Your answer is actually completely unrelated to my question.” Matsumoto Gin’s eyes stared straight into the other’s pupils. Unlike his humble appearance, the penetrating power of his gaze made Miss Utararyoko feel somewhat mentally defenseless. “Not interacting doesn’t mean not being familiar. Your investigation of her back then was so detailed, detailed to the point of exceeding the attention a normal person would give to someone unfamiliar—somewhat too obsessive.”
Miss Utararyoko avoided Matsumoto Gin’s gaze. “It was just… a slight interest. Plus, my dream at the time was actually to become a media industry practitioner, so putting a little effort into this aspect wasn’t anything, right.”
“What you say does make reason.” Matsumoto Gin nodded, smiling slightly. “But that means… you don’t deny that you were very familiar with Kawakami Rumi.”
Miss Utararyoko was speechless, her lips trembling slightly. She lowered her head and said: “Being very familiar with Senior Student Kawakami isn’t anything strange. After all, the her before the disfigurement back then was so dazzling, standing out alone. Whether in academics, appearance, or abilities in all aspects, she was great. Wherever she went, she was the focus of people’s attention. Classmates admired her, elders and adults paid attention to her… Such a perfect beauty lived nearby my home, so whether at school or home, wherever I went, I could hear people’s good reviews of Senior Student Kawakami.”
“Did you envy her too?” Matsumoto Gin slightly hunched his back to better observe the changes in her eyes.
“At the time, which girl wouldn’t envy her?” Miss Utararyoko showed a bitter smile, but her eyes were full of complex emotions. In those emotions, Matsumoto Gin caught a fleeting trace of hatred.
Matsumoto Gin held his teacup with both hands, feeling the warmth of the cup’s wall, while probing coldly: “You were very envious, and also very jealous of her, even hating her, right?”
Hearing this, Miss Utararyoko was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately trembled all over in anxiety, her eyes widening as she urgently defended herself: “I didn’t!”
“Such an excellent and perfect person must have been the ‘other people’s child’ in the mouths of the elders, right? If back then, among the girls of similar age living nearby in this area, you were the only one, and you were compared to her, you must have been quite disgusted and angry, right? It’s not hard to understand even hating Kawakami Rumi because of it.” Matsumoto Gin said.
Matsumoto Gin’s words seemed to stimulate Miss Utararyoko. In an instant, it was as if they made her recall quite a few images that broke her mental defenses. Her expression could no longer be restrained, appearing slightly ferocious. She clenched her fist and said through gritted teeth: “…Yeah, on this point, I really can’t forgive it!
Why compare me to such a one-of-a-kind and perfect person? It was clearly something with no comparability at first glance, yet everyone delighted in it—the long-tongued women around, lecherous uncles… Every single one deliberately compared me to her, overtly praising the other, but actually treating me as a joke!”
“So, if one day Kawakami Rumi suddenly fell from her pedestal, you’d laugh very happily, and even wouldn’t forget to step on her a few times, right?” Matsumoto Gin gently sipped some tea water, staring straight at the sullen-faced other, continuing to poke at her heart word by word. “Of course, if it was you who personally kicked her down, that feeling should make you even happier, right?”
