Chapter 50 I even held him when he was little! ...
When I was a child?
Tsukino and Chiya's memories were stirred by Hidden God's words.
As for the relationship between the Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand and myself... although it's not quite to the point of "I even held you when you were little," but...
"That was around when I was... seven or eight years old."
Wang Ma Xiaoji seemed completely intrigued; his bright, sparkling eyes were impossible to ignore, even in the dim light.
Before the purple-haired boy could press for answers, Tsukino and Chiya, lost in their memories, took the initiative to say, "I even hugged Mr. Hikami back then."
Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand: "Cough cough cough!"
Wang Ma Xiaoji: "Wow, the Heavenly Gang has been reversed!"
Well, after all, she's holding the real thing, which looks like a tanuki... It's small, round, and chubby, very cute.
Back then, the Hidden God Detective Agency wasn't even called that yet. The Monster Yorozuya had only been established for a short time, and even the director was someone else.
That was about nine years ago... or almost ten years ago.
“My school was on holiday at the time, and my parents took me on a trip,” Tsukino and Chiya said succinctly. “Then we ran into a monster causing trouble at our destination, and later we met Mr. Hikami, who was also there investigating the incident.”
"That's how we met."
That was indeed the case at the time.
However, what Wangma Xiaoji once said was right: in many situations where they weren't lying, Tsukino and Chiya preferred to only tell half the truth.
Once certain things are concealed, the effect of the words expressed immediately changes.
As for those things he glossed over and didn't mention—
For example... he was dragged out of bed by his parents in the middle of the night to embark on a trip that he hadn't prepared for at all.
For example... if Yin Shen and the others had arrived even a moment later, the troublemaking monster would have been humanely exterminated by Mom...
Or rather—
The Hidden God of the past didn't seem as easy to get along with as he does now, and there was another man by his side.
A little while had passed, and Tsukino and Chiya could no longer remember the man's name. They only remembered that his surname seemed to be "Anaguma" (meaning "Abura Bear"), that he was a human male, and a cheerful, kind-hearted person.
After that, his parents, who constantly walked the line of danger, became friends with the two... no, the three of them, from the Monster House. Later, when Chiya was at school, his parents even went to the bar downstairs from the agency together. Because of this, Chiya later learned that a human woman had started working at the agency.
However, as time passed, when Tsukino and Chiya grew up, they encountered the now gentle-looking Kagami Yachi again. When they visited the agency, the man was nowhere to be seen, nor was the other human woman who had worked there.
Did they change jobs? Are they missing? Or... are they dead?
At the time, Tsukino and Chiya did not ask about the inside story of Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand, but he had some guesses in his heart.
In short... it's unlikely to be anything good.
This involves the past of the Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand, and Tsukino and Chiya, who were very mindful of boundaries at the time, didn't ask too many questions, and they won't say much about it now either.
Just like how the Hidden God Drum Yachi would bring up the fact that "Chiyo liked to laugh when she was little" is because this tanuki, who is about thirty years old according to human age conversion, knows that this is not something that Chiyo should not mention.
After all, there wasn't any deep-seated grudge or bitterness behind the fact that he stopped smiling much from a certain day...
Because of the limited information provided, even someone as clever and perceptive as Ouma Kokichi couldn't glean any clues about Hikami Kouyachi's past from the few simple words Tsukino and Chiya had just uttered, which seemed to imply only that "I've known Hikami-sensei since I was a child because of my parents' friendship."
At this moment, Wang Ma Xiaoji's interest was elsewhere: "Hey, Xiao Yueye, how does the Tanuki version of the Hidden God Uncle feel?"
"As for the feel?" Tsukino and Chiyo said truthfully, "To be honest, it's been a long time, so I can't remember it very clearly, but it must have been good."
Recalling the round and chubby appearance in her memory, Qianye knew that Yinshin must have felt amazing to touch when it was furry.
Tanuki are such adorable creatures.
The tanuki himself, who was driving in the front seat, was speechless: "Hey... when you guys are talking about how it feels, have you considered my feelings?"
"Hehe, of course! My real reason for asking these questions in detail was because I was thinking of you, Uncle Yinshen~"
"That sounds quite strange, why do you say that?"
“I’m estimating Uncle Yinshen’s commercial value,” Wang Ma Xiaoji said happily. “Just now, I came up with a great idea that could make both Uncle Yinshen and me very rich.”
Neither Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand, nor Tsukino and Senya spoke. Ohma Kokichi knew very well that the two of them were "listening attentively," so he continued speaking.
"Uncle Yinshen is such an adorable tanuki, he must be very popular. I'll sell him for a high price first, then he'll come back on his own, and so on... I can make a lot of money!"
Tsukino and Chiya: "In a sense, it's not entirely impossible..."
Yin Shen Gu Baqian: "Spare me, I'm not that short of money... Oh, is it?"
In just a few words, Yin Shen Gu Ba Qian stopped the car.
This is where Tsukino and Chiya used to park their motorcycles... It's fortunate that this place is rarely visited, especially at this time of day, when there are even fewer people. His motorcycle is unharmed, untouched by any malicious passersby.
Because there are practically no passersby right now.
"Then let's part ways here."
Sitting in the driver's seat, Yin Shen Gu Yaqian said goodbye to the two high school students who had already gotten out of the car through the rolled-down window.
If possible, he would actually prefer to personally take the two of them back to school. However, he still had work to do afterwards.
It was because of this incident that Tsukino and Chiya were able to successfully book a ride to Inakami Kouyachi, whose workplace that evening was not far from the police station. However, because of this, Inakami would be late if they were to be taken back.
"Oh, right, Chiya." Before parting, Hidden God Drum Eight Thousand seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "I will help keep an eye out for the spiritual tools that you two need for sealing."
The car drove away quickly.
Wang Ma Xiaoji withdrew his hand, which had been waving in the direction the car had gone: "Speaking of which, if Uncle Yinshen is helping to keep an eye out for spirit tools... he'll be using connections in the monster field, right? Hmm, should this be called connections... monster connections? I originally thought that Kozuki no Kazuya had no intention of involving Uncle Yinshen and the others at all."
Tsukino and Chiya got on the motorcycle first: "It's just something like 'helping to find something,' so it's no problem."
If I directly get involved, that'll probably attract the attention of that fox, Iyuu Yoko. I'm just helping my human friend find something... Even if I do attract Iyuu's attention, Nohimaru will help bury it.
The strange occurrences were already a headache enough. Tsukino and Chiya didn't want the fox spirit to develop any unnecessary interest in the supernatural.
That would be twice as much of a headache. But there's no way around it; sealed artifacts aren't easy to find, so I'll definitely have to ask more people for help.
During the conversation, Wang Ma Xiaoji had already gotten on the back of the motorcycle.
Tsukino and Chiya could sense his voice coming from a very close distance.
"Hmm... never mind! More than that, I really want to see photos of Kozuki Kazuha when she was little~~ Hey, Kozuki Kazuha actually has photos like this, right? The kind where she's smiling when she was little... Let me see them!"
"Um, no. Also, I refuse... and the topic changed too quickly."
"If you let me see, I can unconditionally grant Kozuki's request for one thing, okay?"
"But then again..."
"Huh? Surprisingly, he doesn't have much backbone."
"But I'll pass. I just don't think Wang Ma's 'unconditional' statement is very credible."
"Hehe, you've been found out~"
*******
the next day.
Hope's Peak Academy, East Campus.
This is the heart of Hope's Peak Academy, where the buildings and facilities for undergraduate students are located.
Class 1-B is naturally here as well.
The classroom has been unusually lively these past few days.
It's not class time right now, although normally there's not much difference between class time and break time for undergraduates.
However, this "common sense" obviously does not apply to Class 1-B today.
Ultimately, this change occurred because of the sudden arrival of the deputy head teacher, Yukizome Chisa.
From the moment Yukizome Chisa came to him, Ohma Kokichi had a premonition that his undergraduate life would probably be a little different... but he could actually imagine what kind of change it would be.
The class, which was originally like a pile of loose sand, was brought together. The "ultimate" students, each with their own characteristics, became united. Everyone developed a deep bond with the teacher and gradually became more and more like a group, and in some ways, they could even be called family.
...and so on.
Is this the usual formula?
But it's not all bad. To be honest, although this kind of plot seems a bit cliché, Ouma Kokichi doesn't dislike this development.
Bonds, friendship, family... there's nothing to laugh at about these things. He once had those things too, those members of DICE... but now he doesn't know what's become of them.
Logically speaking, everything seems so peaceful and friendly now, and the classmates are getting along more and more harmoniously.
However, after experiencing "that kind of thing," Ouma Kokichi, who was already quick-witted, inevitably thought more than usual.
The more someone is able to unite everyone, the more likely they are to cause...
Well, but this isn't the same situation as before...
Wang Ma Xiaoji recalled the information he had gathered after he first arrived in this world.
At that time... after becoming accomplices with Hyakuta and working together to commit a murder, Ohma Kokichi met his death.
...That's how it should be.
However, the situation became complicated.
I'm not dead... I should be alive, right?
after all.
Wang Ma Xiaoji, who was pretending to be asleep in the classroom, thought to himself.
The world I'm in now doesn't look like the "afterlife" at all, no matter how you look at it.
On the night they went to Kujo House, Tsukino and Chiya said something like, "Life is only once."
Perhaps that's true.
But if that's the case, then at this very moment... what am I, with my heart still beating, my body intact, yet possessing the memory of death?
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