*Kei Machida's POV*
//March 8, 2040//Thursday//
I stopped walking when Shinohara asked me those things.
Mayu Shinohara, both of us do not work well together because the two of us have different mindsets. She has yellow hair and those blue eyes of hers that look like the sea. She also has this calm way of speaking in different kinds of situations and can be sarcastic with her words sometimes. But what annoys me the most is how she is willing to help the government even if it is to the point that they are just using her as a pet.
Sometimes I have been keeping secrets about my past investigations to the government when I was not yet discovered by them, but Shinohara always found a way to know about those secrets because of her skills, and she gives my information directly to the government. Her reason for doing that is so the government can know me better, and the things I did in the past might help the government.
That attitude of hers being a mutt for the government is the reason the two of us do not go along together, and yet, here she is who might give me useful information about my investigation at Saitei University.
"If you are going to give me some useful information, you should have said that from the beginning."
"You are still rude when talking to people as usual."
"What can you expect? I will just talk to people who I can benefit from."
"Woah… How frank can a person be."
"So? What information do you have about Saitei University?
"Follow me to my laboratory."
I followed Shinohara to her laboratory, and we entered inside. As usual, her place was really tidy and organized. I thought a person who has a lot of things going on inside their head might have a messy room, but Shinohara's was different. Despite having many computers that she is working with, all of them are well maintained. You can't even see any dust in her laboratory at all.
"So Machida, have you found anything about Saitei University?"
"I haven't. Every time I look at Saitei University, it is pretty much the same as how the other universities run. Sigh… Sometimes I wonder if I am crazy for doubting that kind of school."
"Maybe you are not just giving effort in looking at the case you are going to investigate."
"Listen here, Shinohara. I am this country's Greatest Detective. I am spending every day looking at this case, and I haven't found anything this past month."
"Japan's Greatest Detective who can't even find any suspicious information at Saitei University?" Shinohara mockingly said.
"Tch!"
*BEEP*
While I was complaining to Shinohara who was busy doing work on her computers, she sent me a message. I checked my phone and looked at the two pictures that she sent.
"Greetings Dear Student! We are all delighted to see you at Saitei University next week! We hope that your talents will improve to the greatest extent in the field of Filmmaking! Classes start at exactly 7:30 am in Class 3-1! Good luck on your first day, and once again, Welcome to Saitei University!"
"Greetings Dear Student! We are all delighted to see you at Saitei University next week! We hope that your talents will improve to the greatest extent in the field of Filmmaking! Classes start at exactly 9:30 am in Class 3-1! Good luck on your first day, and once again, Welcome to Saitei University!"
It is a message for the students who will be going on their first day at Saitei University. I remembered that my enrollment at that school was kept secret, and that is why I haven't received any reminder from the school about the first day of class.
At least I can rest easy to know that me being a student there was not known by the school.
Saitei University is one of the schools that have really tight security. If I ask Shinohara to deactivate their security systems, it might get difficult if the school noticed that their security was not going well.
The only reason why I asked for a Student ID was to infiltrate the place, and not to be considered as a student.
I observed the two messages that Shinohara sent me, and noticed a slight difference between them.
"Have you noticed something different in those two messages, Machida?"
"Their times are different."
"That's right."
"So does this mean that there are two students who have different class schedules in the same field even if they are in the same room together?"
"Not only that but look at the receiver of the two messages."
Shinohara showed me the two receivers on her computer screen. The student who got the 7:30 am schedule is someone who I do not know, but the one who got the 9:30 am schedule is what shocked me.
"Ryo Asahi?"
"That's right, Machida. Ryo Asahi, a famous film director, enrolled at Saitei University with a different schedule from the others on his first day given by the school."
"From the others? How many students have a 7:30 am schedule on their first day?"
"Aside from Ryo Asahi, 199 students have the same 7:30 am schedule."
"199? If we include Asahi in the number of students who enrolled in the field of filmmaking, only 200 students can enroll in one specific field at Saitei University. So how come Asahi is the only one who has a different schedule from the others?"
"That is what I don't know about. Not only did Ryo Asahi have a different schedule, but these students from different fields had the same schedule he has."
Shinohara showed the list of students on her computer. Including Asahi, there are eight students out of 3000 students who had the same schedule he has. Wait a minute… Aren't these students...
"In the field of Culinary Arts, Sports, Psychology, Filmmaking, Fashion Design, Computer Programming, and Music. Aren't these students-?"
"That is right, Machida. Since we have been studying a lot of people as a requirement for our future investigations, aside from Yuuki Kanade who we do not know about, these students are people who are blessed with amazing talents in a specific field. But isn't it unfair that these students have a different schedule from the others?"
"No, that is not the issue here."
"What do you mean by that, Machida?"
"We know these people because we have been studying every talented individual in this country for a long time."
Shinohara tilted her head out of confusion from what I just said.
"So what is your point?"
"Shinohara, if Saitei University has 3000 students this school year, how come the university knows which ones are the most gifted ones from those who aren't?"
"Are you stupid Machida? Of course, a famous university knows a lot about these people."
"I'm not the one who is stupid here, Shinohara. You have a point that some of these people are well-known because of their talents. But what can you say about Raku Nakamura, and Kiyoko Sasaki who excels in a specific field but have been using that talent without the public knowing it?"
The information that we learned from these two is confidential that only the government knows.
From what I know about Kiyoko Sasaki, she is using her great intellect to solve problems that even professionals had trouble answering in exchange for money. She has been living by herself since she was a child because her parents died in a car crash, and she needs money to earn a living.
As for Raku Nakamura, he has been helping musicians who are famous in this present time. His reason for helping them, rather than doing it for himself is still unknown. But in my opinion, it is stupid that he is using his talents for the sake of others. Who would be even dumb enough to do that?
"You have a point, Machida."
"Then that means my intuition…"
"Exactly, your intuition might be correct. This school year, Saitei University is quite suspicious."
"Sigh… As expected from an amazing hacker."
"I am just doing my job."
"Then if you are talking about your work, you are going to tell this information to the higher-ups am I right?"
"Of course."
"Sigh… Why are you even helping those pieces of shit? You are the one who they need, and yet you are giving them information that they are not asking for."
"I'm not doing this just for them, I am also telling this information to the higher-ups for your sake as well."
"Do what you want. I am leaving."
This is what I do not like about Shinohara. She is wasting her talent for the sake of others. I started walking away from her out of irritation.
"Hey, Machida."
When I was about to leave the place, Shinohara called and told me something. When I looked at her she was staring at me with those calm eyes and that emotionless face of hers.
"Machida, there will be an investigation where you will need the help of others. Not because you want to use someone for your own benefits just like how you think, but it's because you just really need their help."
"..."
I left Shinohara's laboratory without giving her any response to the things she said.
I remembered how I first met Shinohara. When I showed myself to the government a few years ago, they introduced me to her for the first time. I learned that Shinohara also showed herself to the government when they found out she was the one supporting the police in capturing criminals around Japan.
But the thing is, I do not understand why she is willingly doing this kind of work right now to the government. The government is the one who is in need of help from us, and things such as help should always come with a price to pay.
Seriously, why would you do such things to people you do not know about even if you had a great talent that one in a million people can have?
"Sigh…"
I stared blankly at the ceiling and said something to myself about what Shinohara told me earlier.
"Shinohara you are absurd... You know that I am just using these people so that I can find out who caused that major incident."
Yes, I am just using these pieces of shit who turn a blind eye to the worst of things.
Especially to what happened 11 years ago.
******** TO BE CONTINUED ********