Chapter 15
After saying this, the silver-haired man in the kimono leaned slightly towards Ye Yihe and whispered an apology.
"I'm sorry, he didn't mean any harm by saying that."
No… he didn’t feel any malice at all. Rather, the boy named Ranpo always squinted his eyes like a dozing cat, and his puffed-up face after being lectured was rather cute.
Ye Yihe gently shook his head, indicating that it was alright.
Ranpo turned his head and tried to say something, but was ruthlessly and coldly suppressed by the man in the kimono.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of the performance.
Ye Yihe had almost never seen a stage like this with actors performing before, and tonight was her first time experiencing it, which felt quite novel.
It's a mystery story with a lot of mystical and childish elements, about a non-existent angel who kills one by one twelve people who were originally angels but were punished and sent to the mortal world to atone for their sins.
Ye Yihe initially thought the play was still a classic mystery about humans pretending to be gods and killing each other, but unexpectedly, a special setting was introduced: these twelve people were originally angels who sought to coexist with humans because they admired them. As a result, they angered the gods, had their wings removed, were stripped of their powers, and became ordinary people who fell to earth.
Only by receiving forgiveness from God can one regain some of the abilities that were originally part of an angel's power—such people are also known as gifted individuals or new angels whose atonement has ended.
For the audience, this is a rather unique and novel setting, but for Ye Yihe, his only thought is, "What a coincidence!"
It was another instance of linking the words "God" and "superpowers." He remembered the bishop mentioning superpowered weapons and miracles before...
"Hey, what is a superhuman?"
Ye Yihe heard Ranpo asking the kimono-clad man beside him, but the man only replied, "Keep watching and you'll find out."
That being said, Ye Yihe clearly noticed that the man in the kimono wasn't paying attention to the stage at all, and was instead pretending to casually look around—his movements were extremely subtle, but they couldn't fool Ye Yihe's senses.
Jeet Kune Do emphasizes offense over offense, and is a close-quarters combat technique that places great emphasis on timing of strikes. Excellent observation skills are crucial and fundamental for successfully mastering the art.
During the performance, Ye Yihe, whose gaze remained fixed forward, noticed more than once that the other person's gaze was on him, and then hesitantly looked away.
With the plot nearing its halfway point, the theater was unusually quiet. The rest of the audience was engrossed in the actors' brilliant performances, but just like Ye Yihe, who knew nothing about music and religion, he could only try his best to control himself from yawning as he listened to the actors' long monologues about angels and redemption.
So boring, I'm never coming here again...
"You really do find it boring, don't you?"
Just as Ye Yihe raised his hand to cover his mouth, suppressing another yawn, Ranbu, who was sitting next to him, suddenly leaned over and said something.
Ye Yihe made a questioning nasal sound, "Hmm?"
Is it that obvious?
"Ranpo," the man in the kimono next door immediately stopped him from speaking, "Keep quiet."
"Ugh, I don't understand why so many people pay to watch this boring stuff," Ranpo said, his face full of exhaustion, his voice growing louder. "You only need to watch the first five minutes to understand the plot; the rest of the time just makes you impatient!"
The audience on both sides gradually became restless. The men in kimonos tried to stop them, but Ranpo clearly could no longer tolerate it.
“Whether it’s the timed candle trick or the evidence in the mailroom, it’s all out in the open, isn’t it! Hey you over there,”—he pointed to one of the characters in the performance—“the guy who was talking to you just now is the culprit, you should hurry up and grab him!”
"Ranpo!" The man in the kimono raised his voice, but correspondingly, Ranpo's emotions were also on the verge of collapse.
"I don't understand! I don't get it at all, and no one is willing to explain it to me! Why is everyone sitting here like this, ignoring things that are obvious at a glance, as if nothing's wrong!" Ranpo's grievances gradually turned into shouts.
"I'm so scared. Being surrounded by monsters is terrifying. It feels like the weightlessness of falling off a cliff in the dark, living in a country where I'm the only one suffering from loneliness...!"
After shouting at the kimono-clad man in a voice that seemed to be venting his frustration, Ranpo suddenly turned around and grabbed a corner of Ye Yihe's cloak.
Ye Yihe did not dodge.
"You think so too, right?" Bathed in the stage lights, Ye Yihe could clearly see that the cat-like boy's eyes were now red-rimmed, as if he were clinging to a lifeline, seeking validation. "You're like me, aren't you? Because you are."
Ranpo!
Before he could finish his sentence, the silver-haired man in the kimono placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from continuing. "I will tell you the answer. Calm down... Don't interfere with the stage performance or disturb other viewers."
The commotion caused by Ranpo grew larger and larger, even affecting the actors on stage.
"…………"
Even though he was very unwilling, Ranpo still let go of the hand that was gripping Ye Yihe's clothes.
Ye Yihe actually wanted to comfort him, as the other person looked extremely aggrieved, yet full of an unyielding stubbornness.
Limited by his poor Japanese speaking ability, Ye Yihe could only try to give him a reassuring smile—it's unclear whether the other party noticed.
The stage lights gradually dimmed, and the broadcast announced that the play was entering a fifteen-minute intermission.
Ye Yihe saw the black-haired boy being dragged away by the man in the kimono. He figured he'd be comforted and then come back full of energy.
But as for himself, he had absolutely no idea where to do good deeds.
The organization that called itself [V] said they invited him to the guest seats to see the script up close... but so far, apart from the commotion just now, nothing special has happened in the play.
Ye Yihe, still sitting in his original seat, was somewhat distracted.
Could it be that, just as he was trying to persuade Ivan, his real goal in doing this good deed was to persuade the boy named Ranpo?
That's not right. He's accompanied by a man in a kimono who looks like an elder. It doesn't seem like it's his place to give advice, since he's illiterate in Japanese.
—And that is indeed the case.
Upon discovering that the man in the kimono had returned alone, Ye Yihe looked at him inquiringly, and the man offered his answer.
“He’s alright now,” the man in the kimono nodded slightly to him. “Don’t worry.”
It seems that comforting Ranpo was not his goal in doing good deeds.
Ye Yihe looked away.
But when the second half began, the lead actor was delivering a passionate monologue when he was suddenly killed by a sharp blade protruding from his chest and fell to the ground on stage.
The crowd erupted in uproar. The man in the kimono was the first to rush onto the stage to examine the body and immediately ordered everyone not to leave.
Ye Yihe was also momentarily panicked, but did not hear any notification from the system that the incident had failed to be resolved.
...Hmm? This isn't exactly the kind of good deed he's supposed to be doing?
And that kimono-clad man who stood on the stage controlling the crowd and then easily subdued the fleeing audience members at the door—he must be a bodyguard or some kind of formidable undercover agent…
He jumped onto the stage, which was two or three meters high, and it was like he was flying. His physical abilities are so extraordinary that they seem superhuman.
No further murders occurred, and the spreading panic gradually subsided into unease. Even when audience members tried to escape the scene of the murders, they were forcibly brought back by the city police, who had cordoned off the entire theater, and began to investigate the suspects one by one.
Ye Yihe was still sitting firmly in his position... until he noticed that the city police were starting to verify the identities of the audience members one by one.
He neither speaks Japanese nor has any identification, including a passport!
Because Ye Yihe was sitting in the front row, and the other party asked questions very quickly, they came to him in no time.
Are you here to see this play alone?
The policeman asked very seriously. Unlike ordinary patrol officers or guards, he was equipped with a fairly complete set of armed gear.
Not to mention with so many eyes watching him in the theater, even if he could defeat his opponent, it would cause a riot and a manhunt that he could never clear his name from.
Ye Yihe nodded sadly.
"Your name and current address."
"…………"
"Please state your name and address, and provide anything that can prove your identity."
Receiving no response, the police officer's expression became extremely serious.
…………
The cordon was quickly set up, and after the murder, everyone was kept inside the theater by the police and prohibited from leaving.
Except for one person.
"Chief Inspector Mita,"
The policeman who brought the man over saluted his superior. "Although we can't be sure if he's a criminal, he can't provide any identification and refuses to give his name or address. Judging from his clothing and appearance, I suspect he's an illegal immigrant."
"……oh?"
Inspector Mita's gaze fell on Ye Yihe, whose hands were obediently handcuffed in front of him—after a barely noticeable surprise, he revealed a thoughtful expression.
“I understand,” he said. “We must not let our guard down until the real culprit is identified. Let’s send him there.”
Ye Yihe was escorted into a police car, and the destination was a detention center next to the police station. It was said to be built underground to prevent prisoners from escaping, and it didn't even have a window.
He remained silent throughout, gazing at the sky.
Upon landing in Russia, I was handcuffed and rode in an escort vehicle. Unexpectedly, upon landing in Japan, I was still handcuffed and rode in an escort vehicle.
The difference this time was that there was no car accident. Upon arriving at his destination, Ye Yihe had his only possession, a cell phone, taken from his clothes and was locked in a cell that was already occupied.
"Why are you locked up with that guy? Shouldn't you be separated?"
While being pushed along the shoulders and urged to hurry to his cell, he also heard the police behind him whispering.
"Who knows? Chief Inspector Mita ordered that since both of them are minors and one of them doesn't seem very aggressive, we shouldn't waste space in the detention center..."
Ye, not very aggressive, Ihe: …………
He seemed to be underestimated.
The grating sound of metal bearings turning filled the air as the heavy iron prison door closed and locked behind him.
Standing in the dimly lit cell, Ye Yihe sighed wearily.
The boy with reddish-brown hair, sitting on the simple bed, also looked up from the Bible in his hands and quietly looked at him.
Why are you here?
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