Not a detective

Page 219

Just like last time, she deliberately ignored the "motive" part, pretending not to care.

If you're a true fan of extreme classic mystery, you might be able to completely ignore the "motive" part, just like Chizuko-senpai. She's a model who genuinely thinks "motive" is irrelevant. She believes that motive is just a product of people's far-fetched interpretations later on, a murderous intent that comes to mind on a whim by a passing monster, and that motive only appears after the murder.

However, Asukai Shi's situation is different from hers; Asukai Shi's denial is clearly a deliberate avoidance.

Although she tried to cover up the parts about "Whodunit" and "Howdunit," she didn't argue or resist when Asakawa Riku exposed her, and simply admitted it.

But she was the only one running away from [Whydunit].

The more someone says they don't care, the more they probably care.

"Just like how you went so far as to induce the entire grade to cheat in order to become the top student in the entrance exam. What exactly was your motivation for joining the mystery club, and your motivation for getting close to me?"

Riku Asakawa believes that this may be the key.

"Is it necessary to get to the bottom of things? Is it necessary to find out the truth?"

However, Uta Asukai simply shook her head gently: "Asa, maybe I'm right. Forgetting is happiness, and ignorance is beauty. If you hadn't opened these manuscripts, if you hadn't recalled that memory, see, we could still be classmates and play together. We'd still be senior and junior members of the mystery club. Isn't that great?"

In that instant, Asakawa Riku's pupils contracted sharply.

It wasn't because of what she said, but because he saw that Shiki Asukai's figure was slowly fading away, gradually blending into the color of the air.

"Wait...Are you going to run away again! Are you going to run away again!"

He became anxious and reached out to grab it, but he couldn't grasp Asukai Shi's wrist; instead, it passed right through him, and he could no longer capture its physical form.

We could only watch her disappear; there was nothing we could do.

"If I had to give a motive... let me think."

Her voice gradually faded and disappeared into the distance, and in the end, a smile of reluctance or longing settled on the girl's face:

Perhaps it's because I don't want summer to end.

Then, Shii Asukai disappeared completely.

She disappeared along with the manuscript paper on the table, along with all traces of her existence in this world.

There was no one in front of him, no phantom image.

"Hey……"

Asakawa Riku stood there, stunned, unable to retract his outstretched hand for a long time.

He sat back down with a long, loud thud.

In that instant, he realized that the mystery club had once again become a place where he was all alone...

Time began to flow, but a sense of loneliness began to creep in.

The Autumn of Yagi: Chapter One - The Disappearance of Asukai Shi

Since then, Shii Asukai has disappeared.

It wasn't as simple as "dropping out of school," "leaving Tokyo," or "returning home"; it was a true "disappearance" in the literal sense.

That day, her figure disappeared from Asakawa Riku's sight, as if she had vanished into thin air, along with all the evidence of her existence.

After that, no trace of "Shiki Asukai" could be found in the world.

Her identity as a writer and the books she has written are nowhere to be found on the internet, and even the bestsellers in bookstores have been silently replaced.

It's as if some invisible hand has rewritten all the rules.

Asakawa Riku knew this was familiar, just like how he had erased the traces of "Summer of the Red Ray" and the memories of three years ago from his mind.

Shizuka Asukai may possess the terrifying ability to rewrite reality, and this time, she has chosen to erase herself.

...Is she dead? Or is she just hiding?

Unable to verify.

Of all the people around, only Asakawa Riku remembered Asukai Shi. Perhaps his mind had developed some resistance, which is why this memory was still preserved.

But it was different for the other students. If you asked her classmates, not a single one of them remembered the name. Even such a famous writer was no longer remembered.

Her seat was replaced by another student, and the student who ranked first in the entrance exam a few months ago was now Yukie.

The mystery club member became Yukie, who also acted as if she knew nothing, only saying:

"I've always been here, brother. What are you saying?"

Even when Asakawa Riku pressed her to tell him which girl he saw on the street when he was a child and who gave him directions to Kyoto, she just shook her head and said that nothing like that happened.

It seems that the scope of this "forgetting" effect is universal, regardless of the individual.

Asakawa Riku felt bewildered and tossed and turned in bed. He sought confirmation from various sources, trying to find even the slightest clue or evidence, but unfortunately, nothing was left behind.

There was nothing left in the activity room, not even the red and blue word game they used to play.

He refused to believe in superstitions and sought out Chizuko-senpai, hoping to find an explanation for everything from a bizarre perspective.

But Chizuko only said:

"...The girl who looks a lot like me, Asakawa-san, you're not going crazy missing me, are you? There's no need for that, you can see this face anytime."

Even after Asakawa Riku solemnly confirmed that he wasn't joking but serious, Chizuko still just shook her head.

"Rewriting the memories of all humanity? No monster can do that. Monsters are products born from people's consciousness; it's impossible for anything to influence people's consciousness in reverse—that would be illogical. Even if it were possible, it would only affect individual phenomena; that would be something only gods could do, like the 'Supreme God' incident last year. Remember? He changed the believers' perceptions, making them unable to correctly understand pain and disease. That's an example. However, no religious belief can cover all of humanity. No matter how widely a religion spreads, there will always be non-believers, and I've never heard of a religion that could make everyone in the world a believer and be deceived by it."

What she said made a lot of sense, and Asakawa Riku couldn't find a reason to refute it, after all, she was the expert.

Is Uta Asukai a deity? Did she also achieve this through the power of faith?

It looks like it, but I've never heard of her spreading any religion, which is probably wrong.

...Could it all just be a pipe dream?

Asakawa Riku was not about to give up easily, so he went to the Shinonome Detective Agency to ask one last question.

He thought that if the world was covered by some unseen, mysterious religion, and there was only one non-believer left, it could only be her.

But things didn't go as he wished. After hearing the story, Dongyun Sueyue simply shook her head.

"I don't remember such a thing." These words completely shattered Asakawa Riku's defenses.

He felt deep doubt.

Shinonome Suetsuki possesses a unique superpower: under the influence of "immortality," her memories are repeatedly compressed and folded, stored in her mind. Her memory storage function is far more advanced than that of ordinary people; it's not just simple "hyperthymesia," but rather a sophisticated storage mechanism, like a mental morgue, capable of retrieving and storing information at will.

In other words, she is theoretically a supercomputer that cannot forget anything or miss any details.

If even her memories can be disturbed, erased, or altered?

So what can we trust anymore?

Xingyu, who happened to be off work today, chimed in:

"I don't know there's an author named Asukai Shi... I've searched online and in databases for you, but there are no entries."

"Hmm." Asakawa Riku nodded heavily, having already anticipated this outcome.

Hoshino was a fan of Asukai Shi's books, and she learned about this beautiful young author's name from her, but even she had forgotten it.

Xingyu possesses extraordinary hacking skills and information search capabilities, but this kind of comprehensive and thorough erasure of traces is clearly not something that can be found through a simple investigation.

The "disappearance" of Shi Asukai has become an eternal mystery.

Before leaving the agency, Asakawa Riku asked her:

"Do you remember the story of 'Summer of the Red Ray'? We ended up on that island because of the book you lent me, written by Uta Asukai?"

"If you're talking about last summer... I definitely remember. But about the book, I'm sorry... I really don't know what book it is."

Xingyu answered with a hint of doubt.

It seems that this kind of forgetting will only forcibly strip away information about Asukai Shi and her works, but will not change the fact that the summer on that island has not been erased.

But Xingyu doesn't remember the existence of that book, so she may be feeling confused and conflicted, but she can't figure out why.

"Ok."

Asakawa Riku could only leave dejectedly.

He almost gave up the investigation because there were simply no clues or leads. If it were a real enemy standing before him, he could try to defeat it, but how could he chase after such a vague and elusive phantom? Moreover, those around him had all testified that it did not exist, making him seem like a lonely, rebellious figure.

When the whole world is telling you "you're wrong," it's hard not to doubt yourself.

Is it because of my own mental instability that I created such an unreal character as "Asuka-i Shi"?

So, Asakawa Riku didn't pursue the matter any further and spent an ordinary summer vacation like that.

But after the fall semester started, after school, I would go to the corner on the third floor as usual and push open the familiar wooden door of the mystery club.

The inside of the door was completely empty.

"..."

Asakawa Riku gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

He still couldn't give up easily.

He decided to try one more time, even just one last time, he was determined to find Asuji Shi's whereabouts and where she had gone.

After asking those questions that hadn't been answered.

"I won't let you run away just like that."

Fortunately, he knew of the last promising clue, which might very well be the key to solving the problem.

Orochi's Autumn: Chapter Two - The Coffee Shop

"...I'd like a bubble tea, full sugar, and hot, please~"

Wuyu Kui took her order with a smile.

Asakawa Riku closed the coffee shop's menu and handed it to the clerk: "I thought you were into the kind of pure black Americano."

Today, Kirisame wasn't wearing her signature black trench coat, so it felt a little strange at first glance.

But the overall style is similar: a black leather jacket paired with slim-fit jeans, creating a slender figure without appearing too thin, which aligns with the aesthetic of a martial artist.

She was wearing a pair of black sunglasses, which she took off and placed on the table, giving off the vibe of a female celebrity going on a secret trip.

"You are prejudiced against me."

Kiri Aoi pouted in dissatisfaction: "I can be a little girl too."

Although it doesn't seem like that at all.

Her hair had grown longer than when I last saw her; it was no longer completely short, but instead spread out in a wolf tail at her back.

But he's still the cool and stylish type, possessing both wildness and charm, with an undisguised sharp temperament.

"I'm quitting smoking, so I need to get some sugar."

After a while, the staff brought over the prepared bubble tea. This one didn't come in a plastic cup; instead, it was a special blend inside the cup, which looked quite high-end.

It's just milk tea, though.

Asakawa Riku was somewhat surprised: "You really quit? It's been over a year, hasn't it?"

I remember it was last spring.

"Of course, isn't that amazing? You lasted so long." Kiri Aoi fiddled with the straw, then put it in her mouth. "I remember everything you said."

Asakawa Lu was speechless.

He now realized that Wu Yu Kui might not have been joking when she said those flirtatious things; she might have been serious.

Seeing that Asakawa Riku had suddenly fallen silent, Kirisame Aoi swallowed her milk tea and asked:

Aren't you going to order something?

"I'm here to talk business." Asakawa Riku sat up straight, becoming serious as he stared at the woman before him. "I... I've remembered what happened three years ago."

...

After making up his mind, Asakawa Riku approached Kirisame Aoi.

Although he still didn't have the guy's contact information, at least this time he knew where the guy worked.

He went straight to the building of the Non-World Inspection Department.