Chapter 5
"My head hurts. What happened?"
"Looks like you're awake."
As I have regained consciousness, I heard a voice with tinges of annoyance and anger. I looked at the direction of where the voice was coming from. There I found a girl, dress in violet clothing. Her sharp eyes watching my every movement. Like, I'm some kind of animal that came from the wilderness.
"Ummm, hello?" I asked her anxiously.
"…."
She didn't say anything. She just looked at me. That looked really gives me the chill. It's like I can imagine her butchering me like a pig. Or roasting me like a chicken. And not only that, I can feel that she'll do it while I'm alive. After a while she asked me.
"What do you remember when you entered this place?"
"….."
Now it's my turn to be silent. I know that Kyoko doesn't trust people that easily but wouldn't she at least asked me first if I'm all right or not. Wait, I think it's not because she doesn't care at all. I think it's because she's really mad at me. With the bond that I have with her, I can at least deduce that much. But why is she angry? Is it because I bumped against her when I entered here. No, it can't be that simple. Let me think, what happened before that.
When I was trying to remember the events that transpired, I remembered seeing a black thing. That's right, I saw Kyoko's underw-! I nearly blushed because of it but I stopped myself.
If Kyoko found out that I still have memory of it, I'm pretty sure that there'll be a news of a dead body being found in an alley! Wait, Naegi Makoto. You should calm down. You have been friends with Kyoko for a long time. You should know how to handle her in this moments.
"Why are you silent?" A chilling voice resonated from Kyoko.
"Ah, sorry. I was just a little bit shock since people normally ask first about the state of the person. The real thing is, I can't really remember much. All I can remember is when I bumped into you, I saw darkness and lost consciousness. That's all." I answered as confidently as I can. I told Kyoko the truth but with a different wording. Against Kyoko, it's better to tell the truth with a bit of trickery than lying. Since she's the type who can easily notice if you're lying or not. And I'm also not the kind who likes to lie.
"Darkness, huh?" She said in a monotonous voice.
"Yes. I think it was because I was already losing my consciousness. That's why, I was seeing darkness."
"Is that so? I guess that's true. That's what would happen if you're losing consciousness."
"I guess so."
After that conversation, Kyoko sighed in relief. Then, she looked at me again with eyes of scrutiny.
"Let me ask you. Where did you get this steak?"
"The steak?"
Now that you mention it, the thing that gave me these problems is that steak. But I guess I should be thankful to it since it helped me meet Kyoko.
"That steak is something that I got near the park of our neighborhood. It was being fought by animals. When I was watching them, the steak flew over me. And it unluckily landed on my shirt."
"Then, what about this yellow substance?"
"Heh, wait? How did you get the steak off my shirt?! When I was trying to removed it, it didn't even budge. Don't tell me, you tore it off my shirt?!"
"Calm down, I didn't. Judging from your complexion when you were escaping here, you looked like someone who'll protect this shirt with his life."
"Protect it with my life? I guess you could put it that way. It's my sister's gift to me after all."
"Hmmm. Are you those type who are overprotective of their sister to the point you don't want her to get married? Or say something like, I won't give my sister to you if you can't show to me that you have surpass me in everything!"
"Of course not! I'm just the normal big brother that you can find anywhere!"
"Alright. Let's go with that."
"Hey!"
As we were having this exchange, I didn't notice the small smirk that was plastered on her face. After that talk, she gave me a more serious expression. And asked me again.
"I took it off after dipping it in water. It came off quite easily. It doesn't even have any stains left."
"Oh, thank you so much!"
"Since I help you, you should also help me. Tell me, all the things that you know about this yellow substance pasted in this stake."
"You don't really need to say that since I'll still answer your questions if it can help you. That yellow substance was really hard to take off from my shirt. It was like some kind of super glue. I think it was also attracting animals."
"Attracting animals? How did you come out with that deduction? Shouldn't the reason that they were fighting was because of this steak?"
"I don't think so. When they were fighting, I could feel that they were ready to sacrifice their lives just to get it. A normal cat or dog will run away after being beaten so badly. And also, when I ran away from them, I sprayed some perfume on the steak so the smell could be suppressed. Although, it wasn't able to cover it all, I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't be able to sniff it. I think the yellow substance itself has some kind of smell that can only be smell by those animals even from afar."
"Good deduction. That's right, those animals who were pursuing you smelled something they can only smell. But if you had the time to smell the steak critically, you'll be able to smell something odd from it." Although, Kyoko praised me with a stoic expression, I could hear a tinge of approval within it.
"Well then, this answers everything about the trick that the culprit used."
"Culprit?"
"Yes, a culprit. But you do not need to know anything about that."
So Kyoko was investigating a case. That's why she asked me seriously about the steak. Perhaps I could help her but I think she wouldn't let me since we only met right now. If I did that, she would only be suspicious of me.
"Ahem."
I heard a voice from behind us. It was from an old man. Is he the owner of this shop?
"Looks like he gave more help than you."
"I truly apologize for that. I will do my best next time."
"Do not worry too much about it. I should even thank you for the former information that you gave me."
"I am truly thankful for your praise."
As they finished speaking, Kyoko started walking out of the store. But before she steps out of the entrance, she stopped and looked at me.
"What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes."
"Ummm. It's Naegi Makoto."
"I'm thankful for the information that you gave me."
"Is that so? You're welcome. I'm happy to be able to help."
"I'm Kirigiri Kyoko. A de-"
"A detective right."
She was stunned for a moment. And gave me a questioning looked. Although, I know that it was better for me not to say it, I wasn't able to stop myself from wanting to tease and stun her a little.
"How do you know that?"
"Just my intuition."
"…." She didn't say anything. But I couldn't help to notice the slight smirk on her face. After that, she stepped out of the store and walked through the alley.
"Ahem."
"Ummm, hello. Sorry for intruding Sir."
"It's alright. The little miss was quite lucky to bumped against someone who can help her in that case."
"Her lucky? I think it's more like I was the lucky one." I said in a whisper.
"What did you say boy?"
"Nothing!"
"Hmmm. Since you help the young miss, I guess I should give you something. Why don't you take some sweets and bring it home? You can take as much as you can carry."
"Heh, r-really?"
"Yes."
"Thank you very much!"
"No, thank you."
With that, I took some sweets. But as I was finishing taking some sweets, I saw a mirror. I was shocked and I'm pretty sure my face is dyed red right now. That's because, I completely forgot that I wasn't wearing anything on top since I woke up.
"Wait a minute?! Doesn't this mean that I've been talking to Kirigiri while being naked on top?!"
As I was shouting, I didn't even mind how I said Kyoko's name without a san in front of the store owner.
"Yes. Ever since you woke up."
"Heh?! If you knew, you should have told me!"
"Well, you didn't ask. And the view is not so bad."
He answered me calmly while drinking tea. Wait, a minute when did he start drinking tea? His eyes were affixed to me. I gulped.
"Thank you for everything! Good bye!"
I carried all the sweets I have and ran away as fast as possible.
