56 Jinjiang Exclusive
It was just a New Year's date.
58
so……
Am I really going to spend the New Year with Fyodor and Gogol?
Kawakami Wakana is confused.
But she knew very well that Fyodor wasn't the kind of person who would obediently listen just because her parents asked him to spend the New Year with her. He definitely had some ulterior motive!
Anyway, knowing Fyodor's style, if she just left, he would definitely expose her new address in Yokohama and her job at the Armed Detective Agency right there and then. Since that's the case, it's better to "risk my life to keep them company" and see what these two are really after.
But unexpectedly—
It really was just a regular "New Year's date".
In the restaurant, Fyodor and Gogol simply ate their food, making no mention of the detective agency or the "book." As usual, Fyodor ate only a small vegetable salad, then sipped his self-service tea while watching her and Gogol eat.
Kawakami Ruoyi: "..."
She finally couldn't take it anymore: "Don't act like that, it's like I'm bullying you or not letting you eat."
“I just have no appetite and nothing else to do,” Fyodor said casually.
"—Since you put it that way..."
He pulled out a Bible from somewhere, on the page with the bookmark.
Matthew 26:47-26:50, the episode of Judas betraying Jesus.
"Are you implying I'm a traitor?" Kawakami Wakana laughed in exasperation. Did this person really think she was some kind of savior?
“No.” Fyodor gently stroked the table. “I’m just curious, if a single coin could sell me to the Special Abilities Section, would you do it?”
"..."
Fortunately, this Bible is in Japanese, so I can understand it. Kawakami Wakana looked at the text and laughed, "Do you want to know if I'll betray you, or do you want to know if, when I do betray you, I'll leave you with a kiss like the Jews do?"
"Clang—" Gogol's fork fell to the ground on the opposite seat.
Wow!
Tuosijun, when did your kitten become so fierce?
What I didn't expect was—
“Please, Rabbian.” (1)
Instead, Fyodor leaned close to Wakami Kawakami's ear and whispered something.
Gogol: ?
Gogol: !!
he……
It shouldn't be here, right?
So, the clever clown wisely chose to slip away as soon as he finished eating, lifting his cloak as if to say, "Whatever you do next is none of my business."
A few minutes later, Kawakami Wakana appeared at Senso-ji Temple and looked at Fyodor in shock.
How can someone be reading the Bible just over an hour ago, and then come to a Japanese shrine just over an hour later?
"Didn't you say you weren't an atheist?" she asked.
“But I respect everyone’s beliefs,” Fyodor said. “Don’t you all come here for New Year’s?”
"..."
On January 1st, Senso-ji Temple was packed with people, and you even had to queue to get in. Wakai couldn't bear to see Fyodor carrying a Bible and mimicking the Japanese as they tossed coins into the money box, clapping their hands together twice in prayer. So she suggested that since there were too many people, they should just draw a fortune slip, buy an amulet, and go home.
Fyodor did not object.
A few minutes later...
Looking at the "Little Lucky" in her hand, and then at the "Great Misfortune" in Fyodor's hand, Kawakami Wakana: "..."
"N-nothing?" She forced a smile. "If you draw this, just hang it on that tree over there and pray."
“Oh,” Fyodor replied.
Fyodor actually went up to the tree with all sorts of paper tags tied to it, carefully tied them on, and then—
He closed his eyes and made the sign of the cross.
"...??"
This isn't the way to pray!
Ruoyi was stunned.
If Fyodor hadn't had a white face, his act of making the Western Cross at the shrine would have definitely attracted 100% attention.
Ruoyi had no choice but to pull the person along and quickly run to the place where they bought the amulets.
This time, they were in line quite quickly. However, looking at the wide variety of amulets, Ruoyi suddenly didn't know which one to buy.
She has completed all her academic credits, and her graduation certificate, which she will receive in February, will undoubtedly be "qualified".
Career-wise, she has become a member of the Armed Detective Agency and will be reporting to the Department of Plastic Surgery as a physical therapist this April...
“This one suits you well,” Fyodor said, pointing to one of them.
Seeing the pink-clad Ruoyi, who seemed to be guarding a lover: "...??"
"No, no need!" she hurriedly exclaimed. "I, I can still buy a peace charm, can't I? After all, no one knows when tomorrow or an accident might happen."
As she spoke, she pointed to one of them;
"—You should buy this one; it's for warding off evil and misfortune. It's for people who just drew 'extremely unlucky'."
Fyodor: "..."
I always feel like I'm being shot even when I'm not doing anything.
Holding their respective amulets, and seeing that there was nothing else to see, the two silently decided to return home.
In any case, what makes Senso-ji Temple special is that besides the temple, there are also many different kinds of shops to browse. Just as Kawakami Wakana was receiving the sesame dumplings she had just bought from the shopkeeper, she noticed that Fyodor's eyes were fixed on the kimono shop across the street.
Looking at kimono shops isn't a problem, the key issue is—
“That’s a women’s kimono,” Ruoyi reminded him.
“I know,” Fyodor said. “I was just wondering what you would look like in a kimono.”
Just thinking about Ruoyi makes me angry.
“I wore it for my coming-of-age ceremony! But you blocked me back then, so I couldn’t send it to you at all.”
Fyodor: "I haven't blocked you yet."
"..."
"Dream on." While munching on a sesame dumpling, Ruoyi pretended to turn around and leave. "Some things, once missed, are missed forever and can never be recovered."
"So, you also missed out on your feelings for me?"
"...?"
Hearing the seemingly calm words behind her, Ruoyi subconsciously stopped in her tracks.
Looking back, she seemed to be trying to see even a trace of regret or apology in the other person's eyes.
But Fyodor's eyes remained as empty and unfathomable as ever.
“Neko,” he said, “come with me somewhere.”
…………
5:30 PM, Chiyoda Ward, Fukukatsu Daishodo (Revival Cathedral).
"See?" Kawakami Wakana nodded at the closed church door. "I told you, they'd definitely be closed by now if we left."
“It’s alright. There’s still a week until Christmas,” Fyodor said nonchalantly.
"..."
Kawakami Wakana felt like she was going crazy: "Then what's the point of calling me all this way here?"
“Neko,” Fyodor said, his seemingly empty eyes fixed on the milky-white building that resembled the snow of his hometown. “You said that gods should not be held hostage by believers.”
"So, do you think that if a believer feels that God's guidance is wrong, does he/she have the right to prove it to the other party?"
"..."
It was a January evening in Tokyo, and a gentle breeze was blowing. Ruoyi felt as if the evening breeze was carrying the coat she had picked up from her dorm before going to Senso-ji Temple.
"You mean, you're not Jesus, but Judas?" she asked hesitantly.
"Think what you want." Fyodor waved his hand. "Since I can't get in, I'll go back first and come back on Christmas Day."
"—But before that, Neko, I think this might be of some use to you."
Then, something was thrown into Ruoyi's hands.
—A membership card for the largest clothing store in Ginza.
Kawakami Wakai:!
Suddenly, the wind blowing into my coat seemed even colder.
After all, she and Naomi had agreed beforehand that she would take Kyoka to Ginza to choose clothes.
…………
The next day, in the detective agency's meeting room.
Standing with the president in front of the whiteboard in the center of the conference room, Wakami Kawakami said confidently:
"I know when Dostoevsky will plan his next move."
"As expected, it happened when I went shopping for clothes with Naomi and Kyouka."
As she spoke, she picked up a magnet and stuck the membership card that Fyodor had given her onto the whiteboard.
"Zard is the largest clothing store in Ginza, carrying various well-known brands. Moreover, it mainly sells women's clothing. There's no reason for Dostoevsky, a man, to own one."
"So I speculate that the reason Dostoevsky gave this to me was to issue me a challenge."
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense.
"So, what are you planning to do, Ruoyi-chan?" Dazai Osamu asked casually. "Find someone, like the easy-going Atsushi-kun or Tanizaki-kun, who looks similar to Naomi's brother, to dress up as a woman?"
"Cough cough—" One sentence instantly made Atsushi Nakajima cough, choking on his own saliva.
“If Naomi-chan and Kyouka-chan are scared, they don’t have to go. But I will definitely go to Ginza,” Kawakami Wakana said firmly.
Upon hearing this, Edogawa Ranpo, who had been munching on potato chips, finally turned his gaze to her, even opening his perpetually squinting green cat eyes.
Could it be...
Does she mean to use herself as bait to lure Dostoevsky?
"No way!" Kunikida Doppo was the first to refuse. "'The House of the Dead' and their leader, 'The Demon,' are enemies of our entire society. We can't let someone like you, who just joined the society and doesn't have any self-defense abilities, bear this burden alone."
At least his ideals wouldn't allow him to use his colleagues as bait to be sacrificed.
“But—” Kawakami Wakana’s eyes were deep and unfathomable, “what if she’s not targeting the Armed Detective Agency, but me?”
“That’s right—” Kunikida Doppo wanted to refute, but found himself speechless.
“However, I won’t let Naomi-chan and Kyouka-chan get into danger so easily.” Wakai laughed, “especially since Naomi-chan doesn’t have any special abilities yet.”
"—So my plan is to take the initiative to ask Dostoevsky to meet me in Ginza on January 7th, the Orthodox Christmas Day."
"It's just that I might have to wait a bit longer to buy clothes."
[Author's Note]
(1) Judas’ last words after betraying his teacher: Rabbi means teacher.
Ruoyi: You're so obsessed with women's clothing.
Small Theater
If Yi receives a scam call, be like
Scammer: It's me! It's me! I've been kidnapped! I'll be killed if I don't pay 100 million!
Ruoyi: Oh, you're Fei Jia. Then tell the scammer that if he succeeds in killing you, I'll build him a temple.
Then, turning to Fyodor, who was standing nearby, he asked, "I heard you were kidnapped?"
Gogol on the phone: "..."
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