Not a detective

Page 198

but……

Chizuko was seen hugging and comforting someone, while Yukie thoughtfully brought over some tissues.

The aftermath of the Spider Woman incident was properly resolved, and the students who were victimized were also saved.

She turned her head again to look at Moyue, who was slowly taking her pills, and Xingyu, who was tidying up the things that had been blown around in the wind.

The detective's task was also completed smoothly, and she might become the future head of the Dongyun family.

"This messy state... isn't so bad, is it?"

For some reason, Asakawa Riku laughed.

Although we don't know what the future holds, or whether anything even more bizarre will happen after tonight, at least the world is real at this moment.

He can't guarantee he can do it, but he will do his best to protect the people around him and the world around him.

...

After that, everyone held a small celebration party at the agency, since Hoshino had already prepared the decorations and setup for the Halloween party.

Not only the dishes on the table, but Yuki also showed off her skills. Under the culinary skills of the two chefs, Asakawa Rikubi felt an even more heartfelt happiness when he defeated Shinonome Kosuke.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

He noticed that Ezaki smiled more often in the cheerful atmosphere, and perhaps she could emerge from the shadows without Chizuko's treatment.

After they had had their fill of fun, the group decided to stay at the firm.

As mentioned before, the streets of Tokyo are not safe right now, and there is a possibility of danger on the way back. Living alone may also present unknown situations.

Just as Xingyu had mentioned, the upper floors of the agency are all Moyue's personal properties, including a whole luxury apartment with many rooms, more than enough for these people to stay overnight.

The fighting power formed by these people gathered here is probably beyond the reach of any threat.

"It would be safer to leave during the day tomorrow."

Asakawa Rikuya thought so too.

"I do not want it."

Chizuko, however, disagreed and turned her face away.

It seems that she and Shinonome Suetsuki have never gotten along. Although the two of them have only met a few times, they haven't exchanged a single word since entering the agency.

Indeed, both of them are very strong-willed and unwilling to back down, making them a perfect match.

Fortunately, the younger sister was much more sensible than the older sister. Xuehui bowed obediently to thank the host for letting them stay for the night.

Xingyu smiled and said, "You can stay as long as you want. It's usually quiet here, so it'll be more lively with more people." But the actual homeowner didn't say anything.

Higashion Suetsuki just sat in that chair, shaking her head and swaying, her eyes wandering. She had been silent since the beginning, and no one knew what strange things she was thinking about...

Asakawa Riku felt that it was better than saying something strange and causing conflict.

Yukie dragged the flustered wolf girl away, and Hoshino led the uneasy Ezaki to find a room.

He was the only boy, so naturally he had a private room, but there were clearly other empty rooms upstairs. Before going upstairs, he stopped and glanced at them:

"Aren't you going upstairs to sleep?"

I'll go to bed a little later.

This was the only response from Shinonome Suetsuki.

Oh well... maybe some people just like living in cramped lounges. And this guy is the type who sleeps during the day, just like a cat.

Asakawa Riku was indeed sleepy, so he said goodnight and went upstairs.

The things that happened today were beyond my imagination. It didn't stop from early morning until late at night. It was really tough. After washing up, I went to bed.

He thought to himself, "If only I had asked Moyue for help, and used [Nirvana] to restore my condition."

I'm still not quite used to using this kind of power.

However, taking a nap will have the same effect.

Just as he was feeling drowsy and about to fall asleep, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Although he had heard approaching footsteps long ago, there was no sign of malice, so he only reluctantly sat up after the cat had crawled into bed.

"What do you want to do, detective?"

Before me is Higashigumo Sugetsuki.

She was wearing even less clothing than expected, and even in the dark room, large swathes of her fair skin were visible…

"Didn't you invite me?" she said with an innocent, matter-of-fact look. "I came here to sleep."

"Calm down..."

Asakawa Riku didn't believe that this guy couldn't understand; he was definitely pretending to be confused.

But the moon was still approaching. She pressed down on Asakawa Riku's hand, with more force than she had expected.

"Assistant, you still owe me a favor. Remember, during the Marineford War?"

"Didn't I already pay it back... when you asked me to save Xingyu?"

“I didn’t say I was going to use it there.”

She smiled: "I need it now."

Her cunning smile made her seem like the most willful young lady in the world.

"Lu, it's your birthday tonight, right? That means you're eighteen now."

"Don't remember everything so clearly..."

He was helpless because he didn't have the habit of celebrating his birthday, so he hadn't told anyone else.

In front of this detective, it's truly impossible to tell who is completely naked.

"This should have been my home turf... I feel like my spotlight has been stolen, and I'm not happy about it."

She murmured softly, realizing this side of Shinonome Suetsuki for the first time.

As our bodies pressed together, the soft body, delicate skin, and sweet scent made me feel warmer and more aroused.

Asakawa Riku is, after all, still a teenager.

But he remained restrained, placing his hand on Moyue's face and staring into her eyes as he asked, "Are you serious?"

"I am serious."

She returned the same look.

Then, he leaned close to Asakawa Riku's ear and whispered two sentences in a soft voice:

"This is my first time too. How much initiative do I need to expect from the girl?"

"Don't forget, I'm immortal."

Winter of the Gods: Epilogue

I accidentally posted a paid chapter...

I'm really sorry, the first chapter of the next volume will be free.

...

When I was writing the chapter above, I felt like I was writing the ending.

After all, most of what needed to be written has already been written, and the storylines of Chizuko, Yukie, Shinonome Suetsuki, and Hoshino have all reached their respective destinations.

The emotional outburst was over, the incident was resolved smoothly, and those who were meant to climb the ladder of adulthood have climbed it.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to type "The End" here.

Looking back, I realize that my "First Year" chapters were really poorly written, so I completely understand why some people gave up. To those who persevered, I sincerely thank you. It wasn't until the "Second Year" chapters that I felt I was slowly getting into the swing of things, so these four chapters are a work I wrote with all my might as a way of repaying you all.

Starting with the Spring Arc, "Spring of Cases," it's a proper investigation of cases. I quite liked the tricks of the real culprit, and it also foreshadowed the possession of a yokai.

The summer chapter, "Summer of the Red Stingray," can be seen as a love letter to the folklore-themed time-loop series, and a tribute to "Higurashi," "The Mystery of the Werewolf Village," and "Summer Returns."

Then comes the autumn chapter, "Zashiki-warashi no Aki," which attempts a new approach to intellectual battles and is a new interpretation of several games, including "Minecraft Glico" and "Liar."

Finally, there's the Winter Arc, "Winter of the Gods," which concludes the entire arc with grand scenes, Chizuko's return, the appearance of various characters, and even the ending of the first year arc.

These four events are progressively connected and none of them are particularly badly written, maintaining a relatively good level of quality compared to the previous volume.

Of course, this volume is not perfect either. I have seen a lot of feedback about issues such as "deus ex machina" and "the male protagonist's highlights".

Let's start with the second point. Some people say, "The male protagonist never solves any cases independently; he always relies on the female protagonist's abilities." That's indeed true. This is somewhat counterintuitive in online novels. Generally, online novels center on the male protagonist as the absolute core, solving cases independently. But this book is different; in most cases, they solve cases together. Asakawa Riku relies on the female protagonist's help most of the time, which makes one feel uneasy, wondering, "Would he fail without the woman?"

In fact, Riku Asakawa's role in this book is "not that of a detective," but rather more like that of an assistant, "Watson." The female protagonist is the detective, so it's reasonable for them to work together to solve problems, just like in mystery novels. I also imitated some of the writing style of Japanese light novels, focusing more on the bond and connection between the male and female protagonists, which is why I rely more on the female protagonist.

The first point about "deus ex machina" is similar; it's just a way of writing that binds the male and female protagonists together more closely. Another reason is that I thought it was cool, so I wrote it.

Will this diminish the male lead's own brilliance? ... This is indeed a problem. Emphasizing the cooperation between the two will inevitably weaken one of them.

I will think about it carefully in the future.

Are works like "Summer of the Red Stingray" and "Autumn of the Zashiki-warashi" too long? Will too much calculation and intrigue deter readers?

Chizuko is very popular, but she is being sidelined. Will introducing a new female lead make readers dissatisfied? Will it keep readers in suspense and cause some to abandon the book?

These are all common setbacks and difficulties encountered in writing.

When Hedgehog Cat writes books, the continuous decline in subscriptions is a visibly obvious phenomenon. This book's performance is okay, but not great either; it's barely enough to make ends meet.

I don't really care about royalties, but sometimes after several chapters I don't get a single comment, and the frustration of zero feedback is very real.

This book isn't something you can just skim through; every step is like walking on thin ice. If I accidentally mess up the writing, things could get even worse, so I have to worry.

Sometimes, starting a new book as soon as possible is the right choice.

But I've already written original content on Hedgehog Cat, so what else can I say?

A friend once told me that I clearly have the talent to write, but I always end up writing about "transformation," "the underworld," and "mystery," like I'm constantly banging my head against a wall...

But sometimes people always want to pursue something. I have never abandoned a book, and I hope to continue to do so.

Since I've already made a grand promise to write for three grades, there's no reason to back down at the last minute. I have to fulfill the promise I made, no matter what.

This is not only to fulfill my promise, but also to see how well I can write, and whether I can go further after reaching a passing grade.

Just like Riku Asakawa's "Seeker of the Way".

He might not be a qualified male lead; he'll make mistakes, be immature, his abilities might not be invincible, and he might sometimes act impulsively.

But if you stop because of fear, you will never be able to move forward.

So, thank you so much to all my friends who have read this far. If possible, let's continue our journey together into the third year.

Kirisame Aoi, who has always been detached from the main storyline, finally gets her turn to tell her story. The last, more mysterious heroine also takes the stage. It seems that the past events have all come to a close, but there is still a more distant past that has not been explored. Asakawa Riku's secret, the limits of power, the expansion of reasoning, the truth of the world... all of this will be revealed in the final spring, summer, autumn and winter.

The third-grade chapters will be shorter, so I hope everyone can keep up with the updates.

As usual, I'll take a break tomorrow, and start reading Volume 9, "Tamamo no Spring," the day after tomorrow. I'll update five chapters on the first day.

The book club group number is 935731256. If you have any other questions, you can chat with me in the group at any time.

See you the day after tomorrow.

Tamamo no Haru: Chapter 1 - Leaving the Mystery Club

"I've come today because I have something to say."

In the activity room, Asakawa Riku said this to the girl in front of him.

"Please allow me to leave the Mystery Club."

Yukie looked surprised and sad: "Eh—"

...

This winter break was longer than usual, with the start of school delayed by a full month. Everyone was a bit lazy and out of sorts due to the extended holiday.

This phenomenon is not limited to schools; Tokyo's process of lifting the lockdown and resuming work and production also took a long time, with time almost frozen in winter.

It only begins to flow when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Although there are many different speculations online, Asakawa Riku knows that there is only one possibility—