Chapter 55: So Repeated

…

After school in the afternoon, the four of them left the classroom together.

"The question in today's class was too beyond the syllabus. Does Mr. Seizawa know the answer to it?" Suzuki Sonoko looked at the boy with black hair and black eyes with a particularly exaggerated and admiring look.

"It's not that difficult." The boy stood straight like a pine tree, wearing his school uniform nicely, and spoke in a neither fast nor slow tone.

Suzuki Sonoko: "It's very difficult! It's because of Sekisawa that he was able to do it so quickly! You are really talented, you will definitely become a big entrepreneur in the future..."

Mao Lilan was already used to her best friend's personality. She secretly glanced at Sekizawa Kazuki and saw that he was not embarrassed or at a loss. Then she smiled and agreed: "Sekizawa is really excellent."

Guan Ze seems to be quite detached from the crowd and is not good at communication. If we praise him more, he might become more confident and like talking to others more.

"Thank you." He actually thanked me very seriously.

Mao Lilan said with emotion: "When we first met, I thought that Sekizawa was the type who liked to be alone... I didn't expect that he was so easy to get along with."

Kazuki Sekizawa said: "I had a cold that day and there were many people, so..."

"How is Sekizawa-san's health now?" Suzuki Sonoko asked with concern.

"The cold is gone."

A few people were chatting when someone suddenly shouted from a distance:

"Hey! Kudo-kun! Please pass the ball back!"

At the same time, Mao Lilan saw a football flying out of the field and hitting her.

She was startled, but not too panicked.

This kind of thing has happened before, and Shinichi has always been able to handle it.

And even if Shinichi couldn't catch it, after practicing karate for so long, her reaction was enough.

So, she was not too scared and just stood there, watching the ball approach.

As expected, Kudo Shinichi stepped forward, stood in front of Mouri Ran, and tried to catch the ball.

At the same time, Mao Lilan and Suzuki Sonoko only saw a black shadow flash before their eyes. In the blink of an eye, when they looked again, Sekizawa Kazuki had flashed two meters away.

"?" Two people.

With a "bang", Kudo Shinichi was hit in the face by the ball and took several steps back, almost knocking down Suzuki Sonoko who was standing next to him.

"Shinichi, what are you doing?" Suzuki Sonoko was confused.

This guy didn't catch the ball and got hit in the face?!

"Shinichi, are you okay?" Mao Lilan quickly supported Kudo Shinichi.

The boy covered his nose and looked up. "No, it's okay. I was distracted and didn't react."

"Are you distracted? No wonder you didn't say anything while we were chatting for a long time!" Suzuki Sonoko said speechlessly: "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Kudo Shinichi: "No need...let me take it easy."

"Kudo-kun!" Someone on the court ran over and asked, "Excuse me, are you okay?"

Kudo Shinichi waved his hands.

"I'm so sorry!"

After the man picked up the ball and left, Kudo Shinichi put his hand down and his nose did not bleed, so it seemed that nothing serious had happened.

Mao Lilan breathed a sigh of relief, "Shinichi, if you don't react in time, don't rush to the front! What if something goes wrong?"

Kudo Shinichi was silent for a moment. He just saw the ball coming towards Xiaolan, and he rushed out subconsciously...

But speaking of it...

He looked at Sekizawa Kazuki who was walking over.

The two girls also looked over:

"Student Guan Ze...you just..."

You're hiding too fast!

Kazuki Sekizawa explained: “I saw something flying towards me and I instinctively dodged…”

Kudo Shinichi asked: "Did you know I couldn't catch it just now?"

Guan Zehe Xi shook his head: "How is that possible? I was just so scared that my body was moving faster than my brain."

That's true.

But Kudo Shinichi did not let go of his doubts, but felt even more strange.

Sekizawa Kazuki's reaction speed just now was really too fast, as if he encountered this kind of thing often.

Considering the faint burn marks on his face, which looked like bullet scratches...

Kudo Shinichi fell into deep thought.

"Ah!" Suzuki Sonoko's scream brought him back to his senses. He looked over subconsciously and saw Suzuki Sonoko looking at Sekisawa Kazuki with a look as if she had discovered a big secret.

Kudo Shinichi held his breath.

"As expected of you, Guan Ze! Even your reaction speed is faster than others!"

“……”Kudo Shinichi.

He was really impressed.

"Unlike a certain detective who is a good basketball player, but when he encounters a flying ball on the road, he will just catch it with his face!"

"... Sonoko, are you going to be mean to me today?"

"Who told you not to remind me of my homework!" Suzuki Sonoko snorted, "But since you stood in front of Xiaolan, I'll treat you to the cake later!"

"Thank you very much."

"What was Shinichi thinking about just now? Why was he so engrossed in it?" asked Ran Mouri.

Kudo Shinichi followed the three people and walked out of the school.

Hearing Mao Lilan's question, he thought of the content in the newspaper before: "I am thinking about 'Leo'. His relationship with the Yamada Group and the Meigyekai makes me a little concerned."

"Leo?"

This time, the question came from Sekizawa Kazuki.

The boy turned around, his black eyes were like unknown crows, and his tone was as gentle as a breeze at night: "What is that?"

Kudo Shinichi felt a moment of shock for some reason.

But upon closer inspection, there was clearly only curiosity and confusion on my new deskmate's face.

He answered distractedly: "He is a meticulous, conceited, and cruel criminal..."

"Did you see your deskmate on TV?" Sekizawa Kazuki took two steps behind and walked side by side with Kudo Shinichi: "You know his personality in great detail."

"I read about him in the newspapers, but I deduced his character myself."

"He is meticulous, conceited, and cruel..." Sekizawa Kazuki repeated his words, "You can deduce so much information just by looking at the incident? Kudo-san is amazing."

"That's nothing. After all, it's not completely clueless. I've also read the book "Night" where Leo's name comes from."

"Leo" is just the police's nickname for the criminal, and when Shinichi Kudo saw this name for the first time, he thought of the murderer in "Night".

Not to mention, there is such an obvious clue as the "Black Moon".

"I must figure out Leo's identity!" Kudo Shinichi clenched his fists, full of ambition.

Suzuki Sonoko smiled and said, "Mr. Sekizawa, don't be fooled by Shinichi just now. He is a famous detective."

Guan Zehexi tilted his head slowly at first, as if he was surprised by this information, and then nodded half a beat late: "No wonder so many people in the school know him."

"Come to think of it," the praised Kudo Shinichi suddenly turned his head and stared at Sekizawa Kazuki: "Speaking of Leo, Sekizawa suddenly became more talkative. Are you also interested in Leo?"

The young detective's eyes were very sharp, like a sharp sword. Although he was young, he had a power that made those with evil intentions dare not look directly at him.

Guan Zehexi was stunned for a moment, and his black eyes looked at the ground: "No, I am not interested in criminals."

"You asked a lot of questions just now."

Guan Zehexi lowered his voice: "I am more interested in you, my deskmate."

“???” Kudo Shinichi.

Caught off guard, he stood there in a daze, his head full of questions.

"???" Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko.

"Is it strange?" The boy lowered his head, speaking in a slow and clear voice: "Last time, you were the first one to rush to the crime scene. I felt that you were very special. You had something that I didn't have at all. You are my role model."

Kudo Shinichi couldn't respond to this. He choked and said dryly, "Oh."

"I was shocked." Suzuki Sonoko said carelessly, "I thought such a handsome guy actually..."

Mao Lilan covered her mouth with her hand and laughed awkwardly: "Haha, it's okay, let's go faster, otherwise it will be late and there will be too many people."

…

When Date Ko received the news of Hagiwara Kenji's death, he was completely stunned.

This is so sudden.

So when he heard it, his first reaction was not grief, but disbelief, thinking something was wrong.

How could Hagiwara die suddenly?

Still at home!

It would be fine if he died at the bomb disposal site, as that was an unavoidable accident, but... at home?

On an ordinary night, someone murdered him at home?

Date Ko immediately called Matsuda Jinpei.

"Squad leader." The voice from the other end was dull.

"Matsuda, Hagiwara he..." Date Kou didn't know how to say it.

"Well, dead." said Jinpei Matsuda.

Date Ko's pupils shrank, and he almost lost his balance: "Matsuda, what's going on???"

There was silence in the microphone for a while.

Then, Matsuda Jinpei's voice became hoarse, filled with great pain and self-blame: "I made an appointment with Hagi to have dinner at his house in the evening, but I received a police mission halfway. After I completed the mission, I couldn't get through to Hagi on the phone. I hurried to his house... and found that he had..."

Yi Dahang gritted his teeth and said, "Who did it?! Did they catch the person?!"

"No," said Jinpei Matsuda. "No clues, sergeant."

"How could this happen?!" No clues?

Hagiwara died just like that?!

Ida Ko raised his voice uncontrollably, his voice almost trembling: "Matsuda, we must catch the murderer and avenge Hagiwara!"

"That's inevitable." Matsuda Jinpei said firmly, "I will definitely find the murderer hiding in the dark."

"Matsuda, do you have time now? Let's meet." Ida Ko was afraid that Matsuda would act impulsively, but at the same time he was eager to know more about what happened.

"Okay, I'm still at Hagi's house, assisting the police in their investigation. I'll go to the Metropolitan Police Department with the Investigation Division later."

"Then let's meet at the police station. I'm working a case outside right now and will be back soon!"

"good."

On the other side, Jinpei Matsuda looked at the screen of his turned-off mobile phone, his expression gradually returning to calm.

He did not tell Date Kou that Hagiwara Kenji might still be alive.

Firstly, the caller said it was unsafe, and secondly, he couldn't be sure.

Instead of telling the other party that there may be an illusory bubble that requires endless time to wait and doubt, it is better to let the squad leader go through the intense pain and then slowly forget about it as time goes by.

The squad leader is different from him. Hagi is his most important childhood influence and a family member to him. That kind of doubt and waiting, as well as the huge disappointment and despair that may be endured, is enough for him alone.

Jinpei Matsuda didn't know how to describe what happened in that short yet long night.

He wants to tell the squad leader that he has met Miyagawa, and is it very likely that Hagi was killed by Miyagawa?

He wants to say that Miyagawa has a dual personality. Miyagawa himself still believes that Hagi is alive, but is it very likely just a misunderstanding due to mental confusion, or an illusion caused by the shock?

Does he still want to tell you what he and Hagi knew about Miyagawa's actions that night at Mayu's house?

Everything here... is so bitter.

For Miyagawa Rei, for himself, and for the class monitor.

Even if it was the second personality who killed someone, wouldn't it be painful and tormenting for Miyakawa?

And... is Hagi really still alive?

If Hagi is still alive, whose body was that he saw? Who was suffering from that torture?

Why is it that the corpse looks exactly like Hagi without any plastic surgery, even some minor scars are perfectly copied?

——For too many things, death has become the simplest and easiest explanation.

Jinpei Matsuda would spend the whole night thinking about these things.

He couldn't help but doubt.

He believed it for no reason.

Repeat this process.

He didn't want the monitor to be like this.