"Yo, sensei! So, I'm thinking for the next banquet, we gotta amp up the Japanese culture vibes, you know?"
Minoru gave a nod at Fujiwara Chika's suggestion. He was currently tuned in to the student council's rough plan for the banquet. So far, everything sounded good.
"Sensei, would you like some tea?"
Minoru glanced towards the voice. There stood a girl holding a teapot, her friendly yet slightly mischievous red eyes catching his attention.
"Thanks."
"Oh, no worries. It's your first time here, right? It would be best if you came by more often," Kaguya said gently.
Minoru took a sip as he felt someone's irritated gaze on him.
"Shirogane, what's your take on this?"
"I'm generally on board with Secretary Fujiwara. But, we might have a hiccup with the banquet food. We got word that some students have had issues with it."
Minoru hummed in agreement with Miyuki's concern. "Seems like it's a chef problem. I thought Shuchi'in would have someone capable."
"I'm with you there, Sensei. But, with only two weeks to go, we can't exactly call a pro chef," Kaguya chimed in, her mind already churning with solutions. 'Finding a capable chef is a piece of cake for me since the one at my mansion is top-notch. Well, if he asks me kindly, maybe I'll consider.'
"I see. I'll leave the major planning to the student council. As for the chef, leave it to me."
As Minoru finished, Kaguya clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"We get it, thanks, Sensei," Miyuki said.
"Alright—"
"Wait up, Sensei."
Just as Minoru was about to leave, Kaguya stopped him.
"What?"
"Truth is, I brought way too much food today. How about—"
"OH MY~"
"Tch…"
Kaguya's expression soured as Chika interrupted her again.
"So, Kaguya-san brought a bento, huh? If you can't finish it, I'll gladly help," Chika lick her lips.
Thanks to Chika's intervention, Minoru managed to slip away from Kaguya's plan. But as he approached the exit, he overheard a conversation. Most rooms in the school were soundproof, but the door was always left slightly ajar to prevent students from doing anything naughty.
-Is that so?
-What do you like him about?
-I dunno.
"Hey, do I look like I ruined your mood or somethi—Hm? Oh! Long time no see, James."
Minoru opened the door to find two people chatting right outside. He looked at Ai, noticing she was holding a bento with a flustered expression.
"Is this what I think it is?" Minoru asked Ai.
"Uh, yeah. If you've got time, of course, don't push yourself."
"Alright, you head inside," Minoru said, taking one of the bentos. "I'll eat on this later. Thank you."
Even though his words felt somewhat annoyed, Ai happily stepped into the student council room.
"Ah, nice to meet you, Lina," Ai greeted as she walked past, leaving Lina dumbfounded.
"What are you doing here?"
Lina snapped at Minoru's question.
"You're still that annoyingly cheeky smart guy, huh..." Lina said with a pout. "Didn't we talk about this in the email? Obviously, it's the day. Besides, you didn't even greet me properly," she added with a smirk.
Minoru looked at the woman before him.
Angelina Kudou Shield was someone he knew, probably the only person he remembered from his college days. He had once lectured in her class, and since then, she always tried to strike up conversations whenever they crossed paths. He never considered her a friend, though—it was impossible. She considered him her close friend, oblivious to his true identity.
"I said we were meeting this evening, not that you could visit the school. Anyway, what do you want?" Minoru asked his tone curt.
Lina smiled at him. "I just wanted to catch up with an old friend."
"Old friend... I don't recall that ever happening."
"What's with the attitude and that annoying personality of yours?" Lina sighed. "I've always felt sorry for you being a loner. Anyway, I'm here to inform you that an investigator will be arriving in an hour. I'm curious what they've sniffed out about you. Don't worry, though. Since... I trust you," she said before walking away. "See you later…"
'I trust you, huh?' Minoru watched her leave.
He had expected Tokyo's security department to come for him soon, especially regarding Swan-sensei's death. However, he hadn't anticipated it happening on the same day as this encounter with the troublesome detective.
"What's wrong, Min—Ahem! Yanagi-sensei?" Ai asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"Nothing," he replied before leaving the student council room.
"Sigh… he could have just eaten here," Ai pouted as she ate.
"I didn't know that… Sakurajima-san is close to Yanagi-sensei," Kaguya remarked. Lately, she had developed a keen interest in her classmate Sakurajima Mai, feeling drawn to her charm, and noting her closeness with him.
"Well, I could say we're close but not really. It's complicated," Ai explained.
If Kaguya were to ask Hoshino Ai, the answer would be yes. If it were Sakurajima Mai, it could be yes and no. Mai was close to Minoru because her family was helping him cure the strange curse that made her invisible. It's a no since Mai's only interest lies with Ai and not Minoru.
"Complicated...? And you even gave him a bento too," Kaguya noticed that her half of the bento was now in Chika's hands.
"Is that wrong? Oh, I forgot I'm his student now."
"Haha. It's like you just realized it now."
"You could say that. Oh, Kaguya-san… did you see that person earlier?"
Kaguya paused for a moment, wondering when Mai had started addressing her by her name.
"You mean the one who was talking with Sensei? No, I didn't."
Ai grinned at her.
"Hmm… you're lying, aren't you? I can smell it. Just kidding~" she added quickly.
While she joked, she didn't entirely disbelieve it since Kaguya had admitted that Mai was sensitive, and she was right. Kaguya recalled the information about Yanagi-sensei's acquaintances, and one name stood out: the genius detective from the CIA, Angelina Kudou Shield—the person who had been talking with him earlier.
---
In the reception room, Minoru met his uninvited visitor.
"So, is there something I can help you with?" Minoru asked, looking at the man in front of him. According to Lina's intel, someone was supposed to come for him within an hour, and here he was.
"We're here to investigate the incident involving Murdoch Swan, who once worked here. I hope you'll cooperate with us," said a man named Yuri Biar, an investigator from the Tokyo Security Department.
Surprisingly, his surname reminded Minoru of someone.
"Before we begin, can I ask a personal question?" Yuri remained calm despite Minoru's query. "I might not answer it, but please," he said, eyeing the man before him.
Yanagi Minoru, the man who gained fame on Twitter for his late-night encounter with a horse. Despite Yuri's potential assumptions, he harbored a dislike for this man, though not for the reasons he might suspect. Moreover, his presence here is highly suspicious; he arrived not long before Swan's death and has now taken over his former position as the head of School Affairs.
"Are you perhaps related to Forger-sensei?"
For a moment, Minoru noticed Yuri's slight tremble, confirming his suspicion.
"Yes, you're someone that Nee-san always talked about, besides that man," Yuri said, struggling to maintain his composure.
Minoru chuckled inwardly; it was quite amusing, but he now had leverage over Yuri.
"Then let's get started..."
Yuri began asking several questions, and Minoru answered effortlessly. From start to finish, he merely recited responses as if following a script.
"I think I've gathered what we needed..."
Yuri found Minoru suspicious, but ultimately clean. However, there was something he wanted to confirm. Having trained in martial arts, Yuri knew the importance of hands in discerning whether someone was a fighter or more.
Yuri removed his black glove and offered Minoru a handshake. "...thank you for your cooperation."
Minoru reciprocated, "Likewise. I hope your investigation goes well, Mr. Briar."
Yuri was surprised when he felt how soft Minoru's hand was, not what he expected. He wondered how someone with such soft hands could be physically strong. But he pushed aside his doubts, thinking he must have judged Minoru wrongly.
After a brief exchange, Yuri Briar left the reception room, leaving Minoru alone.
'To think he'd check me out like that. Thankfully... I'm prepared,'
Minoru thought as he examined his hand, then peeled off the artificial tissue resembling human skin from his right hand.
'Hmmph, it's worth it.'
After weeks of experimentation, he finally managed to create something akin to a movie-grade fake skin. Though still a prototype with durability issues, it was a significant achievement, partly fueled by his encounter with Loid Forger aka Twilight, and his subsequent acquisition of a sample of his mask, which was a copy of his artificial skin.
---
In her office, Eileen sat calmly, sipping her tea with an elegant smile playing on her lips.
"Eileen, what are you up to now? Planning a new alliance that could lead us into World War III?" said the middle-aged woman with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Normally, only those personally close to her would address her by name alone, but no one could stop her as she was a mother figure to the Queen.
"That's something I aim to prevent, Rachel. Are you here to scold me again, or is this related to work?" Eileen replied, arching an eyebrow.
Rachel sighed deeply. "A bit of both, I'm afraid. I thought you and your boyfriend wanted to make the world a better place, not worse. How do you justify still chasing after him like a cat hunting a mouse? Eileen, you've grown up, and your actions might—no, James, without a doubt, won't come back to you."
Eileen set down her cup with a soft clink, her smile unwavering. "I remember once telling him that I wanted to go to the beach with him, but our kingdom didn't have one. So I made a promise to him that someday..." She trailed off, a distant look in her eyes. "Someday, I'll take him to the beach when we're married."
Rachel looked at her, speechless.
"You mean, by starting a new conflict for a beach?" Rachel shook her head. "Oh my. I miss my cute Eileen who would always study with that silver-haired boy."
Eileen chuckled softly, tilting her head. "If you want to scold someone, it was him who taught me everything about conquering the world."
"I know. And I'll stop the madness that you both cause. After all, I was the one who saved that boy before," Rachel said, placing a pile of documents on Eileen's desk before leaving.
Eileen gazed out of the window, her smile lingering. "I hope you decide which side you're on now, James. I'll patiently wait for you."