Chapter 14 You actually care about me a lot, don't you?

"The one behind it seems to have disappeared."

"Yes, it's gone."

"Hey~ what's going on? I haven't had enough fun yet! Why is this weirdo moving so slowly!"

"Generally speaking, the activity range of strange entities is still somewhat limited, so..."

Kenji Hagiwara, Tsukino and Chiya, and Ouma Kokichi chatted amongst themselves in the car.

After the four of them finished discussing the strange events at the bar downstairs from the Invisible Detective Agency, Kenji Hagiwara did not go with the other three.

Well... after all, Kenji Hagiwara is the only one of the four without any marks on his body. It would be bad if he were to get a mark on his body from the strange creature that could lead to his death, just because he went to the mansion with them.

Of course, if it were only for this reason, Kenji Hagiwara, a member of the explosives disposal team who often walks on the edge of life and death while on duty, would never agree to be excluded from the whole thing after knowing the inside story.

The reason why Kenji Hagiwara didn't go to the mansion with the three of them earlier was because he had other plans.

Even without reaching the interior of the mansion, he could still provide the three with assistance that didn't require going there.

For example, they could drive their car to the vicinity of the villa where they had previously parked, and wait there to pick up the three people who were going to the villa again.

Because if Matsuda and the other two find something wrong inside the mansion and try to escape, no matter how fast they run on foot, they still can't outrun a car.

However, when Tsukino and Chiya ran out of the mansion with Ohma Kokichi not long after, they ran into Hagiwara Kenji who was driving up. They couldn't help but wonder to themselves why Officer Hagiwara had arrived so quickly.

After all... unlike the three of them who took a taxi directly to the mansion after leaving the bar, Kenji Hagiwara, who had to go back to get his car and drive it over... shouldn't have arrived at this time, right?

But Kenji Hagiwara did just that. He arrived in his car and, noticing the two people wandering around playing with the strange creature, promptly invited them to get in.

After learning about the current situation, the reliable adult male Kenji Hagiwara gave a reassuring smile and confidently said that he would take care of it.

As it turns out, Kenji Hagiwara's confidence in his driving skills was not without reason. He did indeed control his speed very well, keeping the strange at a distance from being caught, while maintaining a steady distance that prevented the strange from thinking, "I can't catch up anyway, so I might as well give up."

Well... no wonder Officer Hagiwara agreed to the suggestion at the time. After all, the fact that he was able to drive to the vicinity in such a short time was enough to demonstrate his excellent driving skills.

As night deepened, the already remote area became even more deserted at night. Furthermore, Kenji Hagiwara wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the area, allowing him to leisurely and deliberately stroll past the oddity following the car in this sparsely populated place.

...It would be strange if things really went that smoothly.

No matter the speed of the car, Kenji Hagiwara could always see the strange figure relentlessly following behind him through the rearview mirror.

It followed them at a distance, seemingly some distance away, but for some reason, Kenji Hagiwara knew he absolutely couldn't stop the car at that moment, otherwise the strange creature that was relentlessly chasing them would definitely rush forward immediately.

At this time, Kenji Hagiwara had already received a message from Jinpei Matsuda on his phone. In order to avoid the strange situation from returning, he finally decided to take Mio Yukimura away from the mansion first and wait for the ambulance to arrive in another place nearby.

"I see, is that what Xiaozhenping said? Then we..."

Because he was in charge of driving, Ken Hagiwara hadn't even finished speaking when he asked Tsukino and Chiya to look at the contents of the newly sent message.

Because the next second, his usually high-performance car suddenly stalled without warning.

*******

...Time returns to the present.

"Hmph... I have a feeling that the existence of the supernatural is not quite the same as what I imagined."

After confirming that the thing that had been following the car had indeed disappeared, Kenji Hagiwara slowly exhaled and couldn't help but sigh as he prepared to drive to the hospital that Jinpei Matsuda had mentioned.

To be honest, even Kenji Hagiwara had to admit that it was impossible for him not to be nervous at all, having such an inhuman being whose mere appearance was enough to make anyone lose their mind.

After all, it was a completely unknown existence for Kenji Hagiwara... and the fear of the unknown is one of the reasons why many creatures in this world have been able to survive to this day by seeking advantage and avoiding harm.

However, Kenji Hagiwara has always been good at hiding his true emotions. He also needs to remain calm when he is doing bomb disposal work. In addition, there are two high school students in the back seat of his car. As a good policeman with a sense of responsibility, Kenji Hagiwara would not show his fear at this time. He can even bring up interesting topics in a very natural manner so that the atmosphere in the car does not become heavy.

Moreover... haven't he experienced enough thrilling, exciting, and even life-threatening situations in the past twenty years?

One more encounter with a paranormal event doesn't seem like a big deal, right?

However, considering the behavior of the two students in the back seat of his car, Kenji Hagiwara, the only reliable adult male present, couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with him or with the two high school students behind him.

Because no matter how you look at it, the two boys in the back seat are much more impressive!

Tsukino and Chiya were doing alright... After all, although they hadn't spent much time together, it was enough time for Hagiwara Kenji to become familiar with and understand his perpetually composed demeanor. But Ouma Kokichi...

He was clearly making sarcastic remarks the whole time, without stopping at all, making one wonder if Wang Ma Xiaoji deserved some credit for the strange creature's relentless pursuit of the car.

Although Tsukino and Chiya briefly explained the situation after getting on the bus, stating that "the strange creature was angry because it prevented the corpse from appearing and thus chased after them," it's really hard not to think that the strange creature's hatred has been completely transferred to Ohma Kokichi!

The purple-haired boy who did these things still looked like he wasn't having enough fun and that the weirdo was no good, as if they were facing a very interesting game rather than a life-or-death crisis.

The back seat of the car did not become quiet just because the strange thing had disappeared.

As Kenji Hagiwara drove, he could hear the conversations between the two boys in the back seat from time to time.

Wangma Xiaoji: "Hey, as the first person to see that guy, Kozuki no Kazuha, don't you have anything to say yet?"

Tsukino and Chiya: "Thinking about it, I do have a question I want to ask."

Wang Ma Xiaoji: "Huh? What? What?"

Tsukino and Chiya: "Isn't your throat dry? I'm planning to buy a drink from the vending machine later, do you want me to get you one?"

"Great! I want the grape flavor! Kozuki is so thoughtful, come be my subordinate and take special care of me!"

"Let's skip this one."

"Tch, what a pity~"

The conversations continued, and the tension they felt not long ago, when they were being chased by the strange, was completely absent from their words... or rather, did they even feel any tension at all?

Wow... supernatural events, chases with the bizarre, plus two high school students who can only be described as "mysterious"... it really has all the elements of a manga.

"Speaking of which..."

Kenji Hagiwara spoke up, quite naturally joining the increasingly pointless conversation behind him.

"What did you throw out back then, Tsukino Kazuki?"

In the nick of time that followed—after the car suddenly stalled—the strange creature that had been following closely behind gradually moved closer to where the car was parked.

Kenji Hagiwara desperately tried to restart the car, but to no avail. As the strange phenomenon drew closer, Tsukino and Chiya, who were sitting by the window, suddenly threw something they had been carrying in their bag far away.

The strange creature that had been approaching the car howled with a barely audible "Unforgivable," then chased after something that had been thrown far away. Just then, Kenji Hagiwara's car finally returned to normal. With a stomp of the accelerator, the vehicle sped away instantly, and the strange creature didn't pursue.

“It’s a manga,” Tsukino and Chiya replied. “It was an experiment I did based on recent rumors about the 'ghost painter.' And, surprisingly, it actually worked.”

"I see..."

Kenji Hagiwara nodded slowly.

He completely lacked the arrogance that some adults might have towards minors, and clearly didn't see anything wrong with asking high school students who weren't yet adults about things he didn't know.

"After witnessing it firsthand, I found that the existence of the supernatural is not quite the same as what I imagined. It's like... although the appearance is indeed very strange, you can actually walk around with it, or even chase after something that has been thrown away like a dog, and suddenly the sense of horror decreases."

The young policeman with slightly longer hair asked curiously.

"Are other anomalies like this too? But anomalies that can leave a mark that 'causes death' must be more than just that, right? Or do they actually have other terrifying abilities?"

After all, the strange creature that was chasing after them in a fit of rage and incompetence seemed rather dim-witted. It had only followed behind the whole time and hadn't used any other power except for that one bizarre moment when the engine went out.

...That being said, even the short time the engine was off left Kenji Hagiwara drenched in sweat. And just because of the mark on Matsuda Jinpei and the two high school students, Kenji Hagiwara couldn't possibly underestimate this anomaly simply because he was being led around by the car.

"Actually, it depends on the specific circumstances."

Tsukino and Chiya recalled some strange tales they had heard about.

"However, most of the weirdos I know are indeed like that... I mean, they're rather single-minded in their thinking. So generally speaking, reasoning with them won't work. But similarly, sometimes if you figure out their thought process and take action, you might achieve unexpected results."

The strange creature encountered this time seemed to care a lot about "corpses" and "comics," which is why it became angry after being interrupted by Chiya while making the corpse, and ultimately chose to pick up the comics that had been thrown away.

"But... that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous."

Otherwise, Yukimura Mio wouldn't be on her way to the hospital right now.

"Many supernatural beings possess the ability to inflict pain through hallucinations... just like the one I encountered today."

Tsukino and Chiya briefly described the situation when their arms were pierced by a spear.

“I had heard of similar cases from an ‘expert’. So after this happened, I wondered if this was the same situation… So I kept telling myself that it was all fake, and then the spear and the wound caused by the penetration all disappeared.”

In other words... although his eyes saw the spear and his body felt intense pain at the time, it was all an illusion.

"Huh? Did something like that really happen?" Wangma Xiaoji's gaze lingered unabashedly on Qianye's arm. "Even the sleeves are intact! That's amazing!"

“Yes, because it was ultimately an illusion, which means… the thing about being pierced through the arm by a spear never actually happened.” Tsukino and Chiya let him examine them, and even offered their right arms so he could observe them more easily.

Kenji Hagiwara did not let his guard down because of the previous conversation: "Although you made it sound so easy, if you think about it carefully, it is not easy to maintain your rationality and believe that it is an illusion."

"After all, sometimes, when faced with a bizarre threat of death at close range and suffering from excruciating pain, even if you know in your heart that 'these are all fake,' it is still very difficult to truly believe that it is all an illusion."

His originally cheerful tone softened slightly as he made his own speculation.

"So if the situation is the opposite, and those who fail to escape from the illusion, then..."

Kenji Hagiwara didn't finish his sentence, but the other two people in the car understood what he meant.

Although the topic suddenly became heavy, Kenji Hagiwara knew that this was something that needed to be figured out.

The atmosphere inside the car didn't become quiet despite the sudden shift in the topic. Kenji Hagiwara was always adept at smoothing things over and improving the atmosphere, but this time someone was faster than him.

Wang Ma Xiaoji had a relaxed smile on his face: "Hey~ isn't this obvious? If we can't see the hallucination, then we can only die! After all, we've already gotten involved in this kind of thing. If there isn't a situation like 'a meteorite suddenly hits the earth and everyone dies before the monsters can act,' then the only outcome we'll face is either 'killing the monsters' or 'being killed by the monsters.'"

"Ah, of course, Inspector Hagiwara is such a kind person who willingly got involved to help even though he didn't have any marks on him. But once you're involved, you're involved, so..."

The purple-haired boy's voice became even more cheerful.

"--If we only realize this now and then say things like 'How scary!' or 'Oh no, I could really die!', wouldn't that be too much of a hindsight?"

"However, it might be too late for Inspector Hagiwara to offer hindsight advice. After all... even though Inspector Hagiwara didn't enter the mansion, he still witnessed that strange scene, right? Doesn't that count as close contact? So I think—"

His tone sounded somewhat gloating.

"Officer Hagiwara might also have a mark on his body signifying his impending death, but he doesn't even know it~"

Tsukino and Chiya were slightly taken aback.

The black-haired boy, who had been quietly gazing at the night view outside the window after retracting his right arm, occasionally chiming in with a few words or patiently explaining some strange questions, turned his head after hearing what Wangma Xiaoji said, and then happened to meet those purple eyes.

Wang Ma Xiaoji was watching him with a smile.

But unlike his seemingly innocent and well-behaved face, his words were not as friendly as they appeared on the surface... No, actually, there was nothing wrong with his tone and word choice.

A few seconds after their eyes met, Ouma Kokichi's smile became even more sincere and friendly, and his tone remained unchanged: "Hmm? What's wrong? Kozuki Kazuha is suddenly staring at me like this without saying anything, it's so ambiguous~ Because usually, when you look at each other so intently, it either means you're about to have a Pokémon battle or you're about to confess your feelings, what is Kozuki Kazuha trying to do?"

"Could it be a 'whoever blinks first loses' competition? Okay, I accept the challenge, let's play!"

...That's how it is. Although the wording was rather unusual, overall, neither the tone nor the content seemed to carry a trace of malice.

But... intuitively speaking, well, should I call it intuition? Tsukino and Chiya felt that something was hidden behind that seemingly harmless smile.

However, no matter how you look at it, at least for now, he can't see any clues.

Tsukino and Chiya slowly began to speak: "A game? It's not, but I can play with you if you want. Actually, I was thinking..."

“You just spoke at length… but it all seemed to be the truth? That’s rather unusual, so I was a little surprised.”

Although there was absolutely no surprise on his face.

Wang Ma Xiaoji didn't respond immediately. He blinked, then chuckled mischievously, drawing out his words: "Eh—is it the truth or not? Xiaoyue Nozue should think it over carefully, because I'm a liar."

"However, the fact that they're so focused on finding out whether what I said is true or a lie..."

The two were originally sitting in the back seat of the car, each occupying a spot on either side, without feeling cramped at all. But as they were talking, Wang Ma Xiaoji suddenly moved closer.

Tsukino and Chiya watched as that still-childish baby face magnified in their vision due to the close proximity.

The purple-haired boy was like a child exploring a new toy, his eyes full of curiosity and inquiry.

"Kozuki and you... you actually care about me a lot, don't you?"

A note from the author:

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#Hagiwara, who actually wanted to respond after being prompted but remained silent and observed the situation because she's good at reading the room: Should I be under the car?

#In Death Mark, Yashiki once used a car to shake off a monster, and in Death Gnawing, Masashita once used a run to lure a monster away from Yashiki and successfully escaped (of course, there are also monsters that are fast, and some that can directly create illusions and make it impossible for people to run away).

The day I wrote this chapter, I was on a diet but couldn't resist ordering fried chicken, even though I knew it was greasy but I just craved it. Then I regretted it after eating it.

After the friend who helped me read this chapter learned about this, he said: (posting the original lines from this chapter) If we only realize this now and then say things like "How scary!" or "Wow, I could really die!", wouldn't that be too much of a hindsight comment?

Me: Hey, is this right?

#I'm not winning anymore. Now all I can think about is "Who are you? Please support 100 Days of War," Xiao Gao is so funny...