Chapter 243: Preliminary Round Accident
"To be entrusted with such a critical matter... it seems the head of the Kamisato Clan holds you in very high regard, Mr. Zhongli," Okiya Subaru remarked, skillfully shifting the topic. "An affair of this nature, if mishandled, could certainly tarnish the clan's reputation."
"Indeed," Zhongli replied, his voice as steady as stone, a faint, knowing smile gracing his lips. "He has placed his faith in us. It is only natural that we honor that contract."
After a short while, the car finally slowed to a stop, having reached its destination.
Since Ran, Sonoko, and Natsume had come all the way to Osaka to cheer for Kazuha, their first priority was to find her. Thus, their first stop was the venue for the preliminary round of the competition hosted by the Kamisato Clan.
The building served as the venue for both the preliminary round and the upcoming semifinals. It was a well-maintained, professional space, though a grander, more distinctive stage was being constructed specifically for the finals. It was a shame, Natsume mused, that the new venue had already fallen victim to sabotage.
Although the preliminaries wouldn't officially begin until the following day, the building was already buzzing with activity. Several contestants were inside, engaged in intense rehearsals. To accommodate them, the venue provided a number of special soundproof rooms where they could practice their songs or dance routines. Each room had been exquisitely arranged by the staff, complete with professional audio equipment and comfortable seating, allowing the performers to immerse themselves in their art without any outside interference.
One by one, the group stepped out of the car.
The moment Natsume's feet hit the pavement, her head swiveled, her gaze scanning the area. Her eyes soon landed on a familiar figure waving enthusiastically from the venue's entrance. It was Kazuha, already jogging toward them.
A smile broke across Natsume's face, and she quickly raised a hand in return. Moments later, Kazuha arrived before them, slightly out of breath.
Her brow furrowed in confusion as she took in the sight of the three unfamiliar men standing beside Natsume. With Ran, Sonoko, and Heiji—who were supposed to be with them—nowhere in sight, her curiosity was piqued.
Natsume explained that the others had taken a different car and would be arriving shortly. She then proceeded to introduce Okiya Subaru, Kaveh, and Zhongli to Kazuha.
The group chatted for a few moments before another car, the one arranged by Heiji Hattori, pulled up to the curb. The doors opened, and Heiji, Ran, and Sonoko stepped out one after another.
"Ah!" A delighted gasp escaped Kazuha as she spotted her friends, and she rushed forward to greet them.
With their passengers delivered and Heiji's group having arrived safely, Kaveh and Zhongli took the opportunity to bid their farewells.
Although the others, especially Sonoko, looked a little disappointed to see them leave, they understood the two had their own business to attend to and didn't press them to stay.
Everyone waved goodbye, promising to get in touch after the event concluded. Zhongli offered a warm, smiling nod before turning with Kaveh to get back into the car driven by Thoma. The vehicle started up smoothly and pulled away from the scene.
Hattori turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the venue entrance. It snagged on several police cars parked nearby, their lights off but their presence unmistakable. Uniformed officers were busy maintaining order, and among them, he spotted a few familiar faces—men who served under his father.
His brows drew together, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
He turned to Kazuha, his expression shifting to one of keen interest. "Kazuha, what are all the cops doing here? Did a case break out?" A familiar glint of excitement sparked in his eyes, the kind that always appeared at the scent of a new mystery.
Seeing that look, Kazuha couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Heiji," she said, her voice laced with exasperation, "we haven't seen each other in ages, and the first thing you ask isn't about how my practice is going, but about that?"
Of course, despite her dissatisfaction, she didn't completely ignore his question.
She glanced back at the police cars he had indicated. "When I saw them earlier, I overheard someone saying a contestant found needles stuffed inside her dance shoes. They questioned everyone, but nobody confessed, so they had to call the police to investigate."
"What?!" Ran and Sonoko gasped in unison, their hands flying to their mouths. "That's horrible! Is the contestant okay? Was she hurt?"
Heiji's brow tightened, and he looked at Kazuha with a flicker of awkwardness, his tone suddenly tinged with genuine concern. "If someone's pulling stunts like that... are you alright?"
His abrupt show of worry caught Kazuha completely off guard. She froze for a second before shaking her head. "Ah... I'm fine."
A moment later, the reason for his concern dawned on her. An imperceptible smile bloomed on her face, the corners of her lips curling up sweetly. Fearing Heiji might see, she quickly lowered her head, a secret joy warming her chest.
However, just as that warmth began to spread, Heiji's next words extinguished it in an instant.
"That's good," he said, breathing a small sigh of relief. He then added, "But then again, the culprit must have targeted that contestant because she was really talented and posed a threat. With your skill level, Kazuha, you'd have to practice for a long, long time before anyone would feel threatened by you."
After finishing his assessment, Heiji even gave a subconscious nod, as if confirming the solid logic of his own statement.
Hearing this, the others could only stare at him with looks of speechless exasperation.
Natsume let out a quiet sigh. 'What kind of emotional intelligence is this?'she thought.'As a girl, Kazuha must feel awful hearing something like that.'
Paimon popped into her mind, her voice dripping with disdain. [Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can't believe a clueless, dark-skinned guy like this actually has a girl who likes him.]
Natsume's mental voice was dry. [To each their own. And did you just call Heiji a 'dark-skinned guy'?]
[It's a nickname I gave him,] Paimon said nonchalantly. [He is pretty dark-skinned, so isn't it fitting? But after today, I'm thinking of changing it. I think 'No-EQ Heiji' suits him better.]
Natsume found herself nodding in silent agreement.
After the words had tumbled out of his mouth, a wave of regret washed over Heiji. He instantly realized he'd said the wrong thing, but for a moment, his brain stalled, offering no idea how to fix it.
He could only let out an awkward cough, desperately trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. "Ahem... Let's just focus on the case for now."
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