"Yes, I'm not hurt, so you don't need to worry..."
Upon hearing Hattori Heiji's explanation, Kazuha's initially excited voice gradually subsided, and she simply muttered to herself.
If her loud questioning just now was a sign that she still harbored a sliver of a desire to salvage something, then...
Now, she was utterly disappointed in the childhood sweetheart she had grown up with.
"See, haven't you figured it out now?"
Heiji Hattori was completely unaware of what Kazuha had figured out; instead, he naively believed that his words had convinced her.
Yuzuru, watching from the side, shook his head, thinking, "You're given a chance, but you're useless!"
Even at a time like this, you're still playing the male chauvinist card.
Then, he patted Ai's head and walked towards Kazuha.
Your turn is over, now it's my turn.
"Since you're saying I'm a murderer, Hattori-kun," Hanyu Nan gently handed a tissue to the dazed Kazuha, then casually asked Hattori Heiji, whose face had darkened at the sight, "why don't you ask Inspector Otaki what he thinks?"
"Me?" Inspector Otaki, whose name was mentioned, was hiding behind a group of police officers, not wanting to get involved in this mess.
After all, he couldn't afford to offend either of the two people arguing!
One father was the superior of all the police officers in Osaka.
The other was a young nobleman whom Representative Matsui personally instructed him to treat well.
However, that young nobleman named Yuzuru Nan was clearly more difficult to deal with.
Although Inspector Ōtaki knew the truth, he didn't dare to say it directly. He could only carefully walk between the two of them and say with a forced smile, "Please stop arguing, we're all friends."
Hattori Heiji glared at Inspector Ōtaki with displeasure and asked irritably, "Which side are you on?"
Inspector Ōtaki chuckled twice, thinking to himself, "How could I dare to take sides with either of you..." But on the surface, he maintained his smile, trying to ease the tension.
Yuzuru wasn't angry at all. He remained calm and composed, smiling as he looked at Inspector Ōtaki, as if everything was under his control.
Inspector Ōtaki sighed helplessly, feeling caught in the middle and truly torn between the two.
"Ahem, Heiji, you were in the wrong in this matter!" Inspector Ōtaki first glanced apologetically at Hattori Heiji, then turned to Hanyu Nan with a smile and said, "Hanyu-kun was acting in self-defense to protect the lives of the people of Osaka!"
He emphasized passionately, "This isn't called being a murderer, this is called acting bravely for a just cause!"
Heiji Hattori was completely dumbfounded when he saw Inspector Otaki's righteous and indignant expression.
Don't you know who I am?
Inspector Ōtaki certainly knew who he was, but at this moment, he chose to stand on Hanyu Nan's side.
After all, Hattori Heiji's father was indeed a Superintendent General of Police, but Hanyu Kusunoki's background was even stronger...
Normally, you'd have to consider your dad's feelings, but right now, that's not enough.
"This is commendable and praiseworthy behavior!" Inspector Ōtaki became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke. He gave Hanyu Nan a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Hanyu-kun is not only agile, but also fearless in the face of danger. This spirit is truly rare and precious!"
He patted his chest and promised, "When we get back, the Osaka police will definitely present Yuzuru with a banner recognizing his act of bravery!"
"No need for that. Just deliver it to Inspector Hattori for me." Seeing Inspector Ōtaki's understanding manner, Yuzuru smiled and waved his hand with satisfaction, saying, "I want to thank Inspector Hattori for raising such an excellent son for the people of Osaka!"
After saying that, Yuu Nan took Kazuha's hand and walked out, under Hattori Heiji's fiery gaze.
Seeing this, Ran and Ai silently followed in their footsteps.
When Hattori Heiji realized something was wrong, she was his childhood friend.
He hurriedly tried to chase after him, but was stopped by Inspector Ōtaki, who was very understanding.
"Heiji, don't leave yet. We still need to ask you about Numabuchi..."
"Inspector Ōtaki said with a serious expression, while tightly gripping Hattori Heiji's arm to prevent him from having a chance to chase after them," he said.
...
As they walked down the mountain, Kazuha kept her head down and didn't say a word. She didn't try to pull away from Yuzuru holding her hand.
The group quietly left Jimian Park.
As he got into the car, Yuzuru quietly asked about the address of the Kazuha family.
Kazuha seemed to come to her senses and slowly gave out her home address.
After finishing her report, she continued to stare blankly at the scenery rushing past outside the window.
Yuzuru simply watched quietly as the girl, who had been as radiant as the sun during the day, was now filled with sadness and loneliness.
Seeing this, Xiaolan wanted to go forward to comfort her, but Yusheng Nan shook his head and stopped her.
Such a long-standing relationship is not something that outsiders like them can easily advise on.
Some things need to be given Kazuha some time so she can figure them out on her own.
The car drove quietly on the road for more than ten minutes.
As they approached their destination, Kazuha, who had been in a daze, finally made a move.
She first reached out and gently ran her hand across the corner of her eye, as if trying to erase all the sorrow and pain.
Then, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if to release all the pent-up emotions in her heart.
Then, Kazuha turned her head and gave Hanyu Nana, Ai, and Ran a bright and radiant smile, as beautiful and charming as cherry blossoms in spring.
"I'm so sorry that this unpleasant incident has happened to everyone's trip to Osaka!" she said softly, her voice filled with apology and self-reproach.
"Oh dear, how could that be?" Ran was overjoyed to see that Kazuha was alright, and immediately leaned over to hug her tightly, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "Thank you so much, Kazuha, for showing us so many beautiful sights in Osaka today."
"It's what I should do, after all, we're good friends," Kazuha replied with a smile, using a phrase they had once used to ask a question, her tone relaxed and natural.
Everyone tacitly refrained from mentioning what had just happened.
Yuzuru watched quietly as Kazuha's smile concealed an undeniable sadness, his eyes filled with heartache.
Everything that happened today was actually orchestrated by him using Hattori Heiji's personality traits to manipulate Kazuha into feeling so heartbroken and distressed.
He felt very apologetic towards Kazuha for this.
However, if he had to do it again, he would still choose to do it the same way.
He gave Hattori Heiji many opportunities to choose Kazuha, but Hattori Heiji chose to give up each time.
Therefore, Hanyu Nan firmly believes that only he can give Kazuha true happiness.
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