Chapter 101: Rooftop

“I have something I want to ask you,” the transfer student, Nagasaki Meiichi, said to Masashi at the stairwell. 

“Kazumi, Rumi, you two go ahead,” Masashi told the two girls.

“Be careful, Masashi.” Kazumi gave the transfer student, Nagasaki, a cold glance before speaking.

“I will.”

Kazumi then took Rumi’s hand and left for the classroom.

“So, what do you need?” Masashi asked as he looked at him on the rooftop.

“Did you do it?” Nagasaki asked directly.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” Masashi shrugged.

“My house was deliberately set on fire. I want to know if it was you,” Nagasaki asked again.

“Do you think a high school student could do something like that?” Masashi countered.

Nagasaki glanced at him and sneered, “You must be very pleased with yourself right now. But don’t get too cocky. It’s just a house that burned down, and with my family’s wealth, it’s nothing.”

In truth, he didn’t think Masashi, an ordinary high school student, could have been responsible. It was more likely his reckless father who had caused the trouble. He had asked just to confirm his suspicions.

“Quite the arrogant rich person, aren’t you?” Masashi laughed.

Nagasaki didn’t want to hear any more of his voice and turned to walk toward the stairs.

“By the way, Nagasaki, I want to ask you something too,” Masashi suddenly called out loudly behind him.

“What is it?” Nagasaki said without turning back.

“Do you know of a strange substance called diethylaluminum chloride? I’ve heard that it can spontaneously combust if exposed to the air for just a short time. I wonder if Nagasaki has ever heard of it?”

“So it was you!” Nagasaki shouted angrily, spinning around and glaring at Masashi.

“It seems like you’re familiar with it,” Masashi said with a smile.

“I won’t let you get away with this,” Nagasaki said, his fists clenched tightly.

“Nagasaki Meiichi, male, 16 years old. A genius with an IQ of 140. His father, Nagasaki Masao, 56 years old, is the president of an export company called Nagasaki Trading. His mother, Miwako, 40 years old, divorced Nagasaki Masao three years ago and is now single.” Masashi spoke slowly.

“You had someone investigate me?” Nagasaki spat angrily.

Masashi ignored him and continued, “You have an older brother, Nagasaki Ishi, who is a surgeon. He’s your half-brother, the son of Nagasaki Masao and his deceased former wife. But for some reason, three years ago, Nagasaki Masao suddenly announced that he was disowning Nagasaki Ishi. While the exact reason is unknown, I’ve heard some strange rumors. Apparently, Nagasaki Ishi seemed to be unusually close to your mother, Miwako, his stepmother. Some workers even claimed they saw your brother leave your mother’s room in the morning. Now, that’s strange, isn’t it? Nagasaki Masao divorced your mother three years ago, and the same year, he disowned Nagasaki Ishi. Don’t you think that’s a bit of a coincidence?”

“You bastard, I’m going to kill you!” Nagasaki’s veins bulged, and his face twisted with rage.

“Ever since the day my two sisters were cornered by thugs, you were the first person I thought of. Later, when I sent someone to investigate you, I found out that the middle-aged man who had been meeting with those thugs and giving them money was your butler. I didn’t have time to deal with you at the time because I had some other things to take care of. But something happened later. Do you know what it was?” Masashi looked at him.

Knowing Nagasaki wouldn’t answer, Masashi continued, “I met Tokyo’s infamous Jack the Ripper, Maruo Choujirou.”

At the mention of the name, Nagasaki stiffened.

“He said some strange things. He claimed he had a very capable younger brother, the one who accessed the police department’s computer system to find a report that mentioned me. And the person who arranged for him to carry out his attacks was also his so-called brother. But ironically, the person who contacted the police to set up a trap for him was also that brother. I had a strange feeling that this so-called brother might be someone I knew. So, after that, I had my people investigate everyone I thought might be suspicious. Naturally, that included you.”

Masashi lazily leaned against the rooftop’s iron fence. “After reviewing the investigation, I found something strange in the report on you. Your half-brother, Nagasaki Ishi, mysteriously disappeared a year ago. No one has seen him, not even at his hospital or his residence. And here’s the kicker: Nagasaki Ishi’s mother, who was Nagasaki Masao’s first wife before marrying your father, her real name was Maruo Kikuna.”

“You should know that with today’s cosmetic surgery technology, it’s actually quite easy to become someone else.”

“If my theory is correct, then the answer is obvious. Nagasaki Ishi is actually Maruo Chojirou.”

“Perhaps because of your mother, Nagasaki Ishi seemed to treat you well. But because of her, you actually hate him deeply, or perhaps you’re terrified of him, because he’s a complete madman. You helped him arrange his killing spots in order to gain his trust, until that final moment when you found an opportunity to kill him.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you transferred to this school perhaps because of me. You wanted to find out what kind of person I am. Because initially, it was my tip that led the police to successfully ambush him.

Am I right, Nagasaki?” Masashi turned his head, looking at him indifferently.

At this moment, the transfer student’s expression changed from pale to flushed, looking at Masashi with a mix of resentment and complexity.

“So, to get revenge, you set fire to my house?” After a long while, Nagasaki said gloomily.

“Sorry, I won’t answer any of your questions. Don’t forget, Mizuta Kazuo was expelled because I recorded him. You should be careful too.” Masashi shrugged, walking up to him.

“Gennai Masashi, don’t get too cocky, I…”

Before he could finish, the boy suddenly grabbed his neck with his right hand, slamming him against the wall.

“Kid, don’t piss me off. If anything had happened to my two sisters last time, I would make sure you wished you were dead. If you dare to touch them again, there won’t be a second warning.” The boy tightened his grip around his neck as he spoke.

“Ugh…” Nagasaki struggled painfully, trying desperately to remove his hand.

After a while, when the boy let go, Nagasaki fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

“If I really wanted to deal with you, it would be easier than squashing an ant.” Masashi stepped on his heaving chest, looking down at him.

Even long after Masashi had walked down the stairs, Nagasaki Meiichi was still trembling uncontrollably…

***

“Lei, I’m really happy you’re here with me, but I’m still worried about you falling behind in your studies.” Naoko, sitting on the boy’s lap, said with concern.

“You guys worry too much. Fine, I’ll show you my final exam results later.” The boy said, resting his head on her white neck, inhaling her faint fragrance.

“Lei, you seem a bit unhappy today. What happened?” Zhizi asked, caressing his face lovingly.

The boy chuckled, “Why do all the people I know have such extraordinary intuition? It’s nothing, just suddenly tired of all the scheming, it feels pointless.”

Although she didn’t understand what the boy was talking about, a smart woman knows not to pry, so Naoko didn’t ask further, just hugged his waist, resting her face on his shoulder affectionately.

The two embraced quietly. Although no words were spoken, the cozy feeling, like the aroma of coffee in the morning air, made them feel very comfortable.

The more time the boy spent with this woman, the more he liked her unique scent.

Suddenly, Naoko’s phone on the desk rang.

She looked up with a hint of resentment, about to get up to answer it, but the boy stood up, carrying her to the desk.

Naoko glanced at him shyly, then let him hold her as she picked up the phone and pressed answer.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Oh, it’s Mr. Nishinaka, what can I do for you?”

“You want to invite me to dinner? Sorry, I’ve been very busy lately, thank you.”

“You must be joking, I really don’t have time. If there’s nothing else, I need to hang up.”

“Goodbye.”

After hanging up, Naoko playfully stuck out her tongue at the boy.

“Does he often bother you?” The boy asked.

“Not often, but he sometimes invites me out for dinner or movies like that. Lei, you have to believe me, there’s nothing between us, and I’ve never accepted his invitations.” Naoko looked at him earnestly.

“Fool, don’t overthink it.” The boy kissed her tender cherry lips.

Naoko responded gently.

After a while, when their lips parted, Naoko in the boy’s arms had a flushed, enticing face.

Sitting back on the edge of the bed, the boy played with her delicate, jade-like feet with his left hand.

For this intimate gesture, Naoko felt both sweet and shy, trembling as she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him do as he pleased.

“Naoko, your feet are beautiful, I love seeing you in sandals, they really look good. But from now on, try to wear less mini skirts outside, otherwise, if those perverts see you, I’ll get jealous.” The boy whispered in her ear.

“Mm, I’ll only wear them for you to see.” Naoko blushed and smiled, seeing this expression on him for the first time.