"Reasoning complete, closing case."
"Overall case evaluation: A"
"Knowledge: S"
"Logic: A"
"Observation: A"
"Settlement complete, overall rating reached A, reward money 40."
"Detective rating: Assistant Detective"
"Bounty: 390"
Sitting in Yukiko's car, Takato recalled the settlement panel for this case and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
Because he relied on Kudo Yusaku's hints and didn't notice the smell of smoke on Ooyama Kei, he still couldn't reach an "S" rating.
It's quite difficult to get an "S" rating in the game "Bounty Detective," regardless of the case's difficulty. Many times, you can deduce the truth by only grasping some clues, but this often leads to missing many details. To achieve an "S" rating, you need an extreme grasp of details.
However, the game's original gameplay wasn't about grinding for "S" ratings; accumulating bounties to improve one's rating was the key.
Forget it, thinking about this is pointless. His bounty isn't enough for the next promotion challenge, and the more pressing issue is that he's running out of money!
The extra remuneration Nishikawa Taisei gave him earlier had almost been spent on purchasing some basic furniture and appliances. He should first consider how to make money now.
"Speaking of which, little Takato."
Yukiko, who was driving, glanced at Takato in the passenger seat and suddenly said, "I didn't notice it before, but you look quite handsome! Was it your outfit before that didn't suit you?"
"Huh?"
Takato was stunned by her words. He looked at The Hermit's trench coat folded on his lap—no way, it had such an effect!
"It must be an illusion, Sister Yukiko. I have a common face; after all, clothing doesn't affect one's appearance, right?"
Takato tried to explain, feeling a little guilty. Looking at the trench coat in his hand, he couldn't help but think with emotion: Why is there only one of these!
Yukiko heard him and thought for a moment. Indeed, Takato's face had been the same since she helped him with his makeup yesterday. The feeling just now must have been an illusion, so she didn't pursue it further.
"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you something."
Yukiko suddenly remembered something else.
"When I was chatting with Atsuko just now, we talked about Hanada Shochi. Hanada and Atsuko had a good relationship in the film crew back then, so Atsuko knew some special things."
Takato became interested in this topic. Although he didn't know why Yukiko brought it up now, it was good to get more clues, as there were too many hidden things in that promotion challenge case mission.
"Atsuko told me that when she learned Hanada Shochi retired from acting, she contacted her. At that time, Hanada Shochi told Atsuko that she planned to go to East Capital (Tokyo) to rely on a friend. Atsuko had heard Hanada mention this friend before; she seemed to be a graduate student at Todai Medical University, with a name like 'ROU' or something."
Yukiko explained in detail.
Hearing this, Takato couldn't help but feel strange. After all, the news he got from Saeki Tadashi was that she went to America, right? Could something else have happened in between?
"But since it was brought up by chance today, it probably doesn't have much meaning for you now, does it?"
Yukiko added.
At this point, Yukiko had already driven the car to the intersection near Takato's House and then stopped the car.
"Alright, Sister will drop you off here. I still have to catch my flight."
"Okay, thank you very much."
Takato responded and got out of the car.
"See you next time. Also, please take good care of my Shin-chan in the future!"
Yukiko waved at Takato.
"Okay. Goodbye."
Takato also waved back, and Yukiko drove away.
Watching the car gradually disappear from sight, Takato felt a little strange—since she had already come this far, why didn't she just drop him off directly at home?
Thinking this, Takato turned and walked towards his home. After turning a corner, he reached the street where his, Kudo's, and Dr. Agasa's houses were located.
Then Takato saw the scene before him—Kudo Residence's entrance was now surrounded by various reporters!
So that's what happened!
Takato didn't walk directly back to his house but climbed over the wall to get back—because Yukiko, the legendary actress, had made a grand appearance at the Beika City Hall earlier, so the media had flocked there! No wonder she didn't drive him directly home; she must have anticipated this situation!
At this moment, on the way to the airport, Yukiko's phone rang, and the caller ID showed Kudo Yusaku.
"Husband, what's wrong? I'm still driving."
Yukiko answered the phone and asked.
"Nothing much, I just saw the news, the reports of you making a grand appearance at the crime scene."
On the phone, Kudo Yusaku said in a calm tone.
"Is that so? These entertainment reporters are quick!"
Yukiko said with some pride.
"So, how was your interaction with him?"
"He's a very interesting young man, and quite intelligent. With him as our Shin-chan's neighbor, I feel relieved."
"Is that so? Since you've judged him that way, he must indeed be a good person."
"So? Why did you suspect him?"
"Perhaps I was overthinking. After all, the wealthy Mr. Nishikawa passed away just after finding his illegitimate daughter, which inevitably makes one wonder. However, since you, my wife, believe he has no problems, then I will trust your judgment."
"Alright. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up first. I'm still driving."
Yukiko said, then hung up the phone.
Recalling the scene when she first met Takato yesterday, Yukiko couldn't help but smile.
There's no mistake; the makeup techniques he's learning and the materials he uses for makeup are from the same school as hers! Learned from that great Magician—Kuroba Toichi!
As dusk fell, the brown-haired Female student, who had been sent back by Hirota Masami, had completed her experiments for the day and returned to her residence.
With the door tightly shut, the Female student walked into her bedroom and rummaged through the cabinet by the bed, pulling out a photo frame.
Inside the frame was a photograph, with the school's teaching building as the background. On the plaque above the entrance were the English words "Experiment Building." In the center of the photo were two people, smiling at the camera.
One was a brown-haired Female student who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old.
The other was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old male with a striking, stylish hairstyle.
Looking at the photo of the male, the Female student was silent for a moment, then went to the computer, turned it on, and found the news about the incident that happened today at the Beika City Hall.
Because of the appearance of the legendary actress, many photos were taken by reporters at the scene.
The Female student scrolled through these photos, finally finding the man in the blue trench coat captured in the corner of one of them. She then enlarged it and enhanced its clarity.
The Female student repeatedly compared the male in the photo in her hand with the man in the photo on the computer, then frowned slightly, feeling unable to make a judgment, but—
The Female student was certain that her feeling in the parking lot, even for that brief moment, couldn't be wrong!
Pondering, the Female student unplugged the network cable connected to the computer, scanned the photo in her hand into the computer, extracted the part of the male with the stylish hairstyle, and then, along with the photo of the man in the blue trench coat, placed them together into a program.
"Facial feature positioning... Comparing..."
"Skeletal analysis... Comparing..."
"Growth changes... Analyzing..."
Staring intently at the program's progress on the computer, the Female student was somewhat anxious.
But soon, the results came out.
"Comparison complete."
"Similarity: 98%"
Looking at this result, the Female student was stunned for a moment, and then, a radiant smile bloomed on her originally indifferent face, like ice and snow melting.