"No—it can't be—" As Amuro Tooru analyzed it further, Tanabe let out a terrifying roar, his gaze toward Mrs. Shimabukuro filled with hope, hoping she would refute it.
And the person he looked toward with such hope avoided his eyes.
Seeing this, Nana widened her eyes in surprise—
Mrs. Shimabukuro might have only been using Tanabe, but Tanabe had true feelings for him.
To be honest, Nana never expected the relationship between the two to be like this; looking at the man whose hopes were shattered, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy for him for a moment.
Tanabe lowered his head in disappointment, remaining silent.
In a place where no one noticed, a flash of confusion and struggle crossed his eyes, finally turning into a raging fury at the end of Amuro Tooru's words, "The truth is obvious."
The enraged man lunged forward in a single stride, throwing a punch toward Nani.
Although he did not exercise regularly and could not compare to people like Amuro Tooru or Akai Shuichi, he was still a tall and well-built adult male; fueled by rage, he threw the punch with all the strength he could muster in his frustration.
The wind from this punch rushed toward Nana's face with shocking speed, as if silently proclaiming her fury and resentment.
Stop—!" "What are you doing—?!
Two cries of alarm rang out simultaneously.
The latter came from the Officer who had rushed over; seeing the Suspect with a distorted face swinging a punch toward a Young girl, he looked on in shock and immediately shouted a command to stop while rushing forward.
The former was Niwang Yaji, who was sitting in the distance; the Silver-haired youth had been watching the development of the situation, silently cheering for his girlfriend. Seeing this scene, he was both shocked and furious, immediately let out a loud shout. Using his right hand to brace against the table, the Niwang youth used his excellent athletic ability to vault over the table and rush toward Nana.
Unfortunately, they were both too far away; distant water cannot quench a nearby fire, it seemed it would be too late.
Nana was also caught off guard; she never expected this guy would turn against her.
"What does the Officer have to do with me?" he cursed. Was he being caught in the crossfire? Or was he just being picked on because he was an easy target?
The young detective was momentarily stunned, with the other party's aggressive momentum, she was unable to react in time.
Watching that punch about to land on her face, Nana's heart was collapsing.
It's over. Even if her face isn't ruined, she's definitely going to lose a tooth..
Subconsciously, she felt she couldn't avoid this punch, but fortunately, the training Gin had given her in the past wasn't entirely without effect—even if, given the current situation, she hadn't learned much at all. She closed her eyes, intending to fall backward to mitigate some of the impact.
Just then, another gust of wind swept past her cheek. Nana froze for half a second before realizing that someone else had stepped in to help.
That punch carried an undeniable force, striking Tanabe's wrist joint with heavy precision. The attacker then took a large step forward, driving a fist upward in a vicious uppercut into Tanabe's jaw. The movements were fluid and seamless, yet ruthless.
Tanabe let out a cry of pain. The man, who stood over 1.8 meters tall, fell to the ground in a pathetic state, clutching his chin and rolling on the floor while letting out whimpering moans.
Amuro Tooru stopped by Nana's side, his clenched fist relaxing, his long fingers bearing thin calluses, his greyish-purple eyes looking coldly at the man on the ground, as if filled with ice.
It was only because he had stepped in to help just now that Nani girl was spared the fate of being disfigured.
The police officer who rushed forward quickly subdued Tanabe, preventing him from having another chance to strike and hurt anyone—though looking at him, it seemed he would find it difficult to strike anyone again regardless.
The young police officer looked at the thin blonde-haired youth with a complex expression. This private detective appeared sunny, gentle, approachable, did not look like someone capable of fighting—but his reaction speed just now, the dull thud when his uppercut hit Tanabe.. it was truly unforgettable.
Niwang Yaji finally arrived. She stood beside the shaken Nana, her gaze filled with concern: "Are you alright?"
Nana finally snapped out of it. After such a close call, her legs felt a bit weak, but she still did her best to remain calm. "I'm fine."
Her voice was faint, tinged with exhaustion; Yaji rubbed Nana's hair with heartache—he had long since grown taller than Nana, drawing a reproachful glance from the Black-haired girl.
Nani pulled Niwang youth's hand away, but he reached back to grasp his girlfriend's hand, standing in front of her to block Tanabe's resentful gaze.
In a protective stance.
Hashimoto Nana's heart softened, so she did not pull away.
The Young police looked them up and down, then flashed a kind smile—he had a good impression of this young detective, seeing this scene, the newcomer couldn't help but feel a bit gossipy.
But business came first.
The Officer signaled to his colleagues to handcuff the two Suspects—he couldn't allow any more of the previous chaos to occur.
..
Nana pursed her lips slightly, her eyes flickering as she called out to the officer, "Officer, do you need me to cooperate and give a statement?"
The Young police nodded, his gaze sweeping over Amuro Tooru and Hashimoto Nana: "Yes, if possible, I would like both of you to come along, but if it is too much trouble, one of you will suffice.. Can Miss Hashimoto come with us?"
Nana gave a soft "Mm," then looked up at her boyfriend, her voice sounding somewhat weak. "Will you come with me?"
The young girl's sweet voice trailed off with a slight lift, sounding somewhat coquettish. Thinking of what had happened earlier, Yaji, a youth, found himself completely unable to resist him, nodding his head in agreement.
Nana breathed a sigh of relief. He cast a subtle glance toward where Gin was located, then used his positioning to inconspicuously block Yaji's line of sight.
After the two said goodbye to the youths from the Tennis Club, they left with the Police. At first, it was difficult for Yaji to notice Gin and his group from his seat. After leaving his seat, his attention was first on Nana, then he accompanied his Girlfriend to leave with the Police; combined with Nana's obstruction, he did not see Gin at all.
This was also Nana's initial plan after seeing the SMS.
Stalling for time, she would wait for the Police to arrive and state their reasoning, then leave with them under the pretext of making a statement, while having Yaji accompany him.
As long as nothing went wrong, she was confident that she wouldn't let Yaji see Zhenjun.
Although there were some hiccups along the way, the ending turned out well enough—Nana deliberately chose not to think about how Zhenjun would train her after seeing her final performance.
Although.. although she appeared to still be practicing her self-defense techniques, theory and practice were two different things.. When faced with such a sudden accident, she really couldn't react in time..
But then again, it was obvious that Zhenjun wouldn't listen to any of those explanations QAQ
Nana lowered her head powerlessly, deciding not to think about these things and just dealing with it when the time came..
But—
This case seemed like an ordinary coincidence, but—
This was also her first time facing someone related to the Organization, even if it was only through indirect contact.
I feel.. I'm still far too green!
And, as expected, Zhenjun is truly amazing.
But it wouldn't do—Nana managed a strained curve of a smile at the corners of her mouth: she couldn't rely on Zhenjun like this.
She had made up her mind to face the killer who murdered her parents and Sister, even though she would choose to seek help and accept the assistance of others to deal with those people, she could never 'rely' on anyone else.
This is something she must do.
The Black-haired girl's eyes revealed a hint of reckless obstinacy and stubborn ruthlessness, their green glow resembling a clear blue pool beyond Aoyama, yet also like the eerie, ghostly light of a desolate graveyard; they were like precious, flawless emeralds displayed on a pedestal, yet also like the cold, fiery eyes of a young wolf in the wild.
Within them lay the persistence and courage unique to youth, as well as a ruthlessness and determination that did not belong to an ordinary girl of his age.
This is something Shiratori Nana must do.
And no matter how quietly Zhenjun protected her, Shiratori Nana had long since lost the chance to be an ordinary, innocent girl.
..
Seeing that everything on that side had finally settled and could no longer stir up any more waves, Akai Shuichi turned his head, then—
He looked directly into Gin's cold Green eyes.
The Silver-haired youth narrowed his phoenix-like eyes, a low pressure radiating from his entire body. Although it wasn't a deliberate killing intent, nor an aura of threat, it certainly had nothing to do with being in a "good mood."
The Black-haired agent was confused.
He asked himself: I haven't offended him, have I?
As if noticing Akai Shuichi's doubt, Gin tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a superficial, mirthless smirk: "It's nothing."
Looking at him like that, it certainly didn't seem like he was fine.
But the other party clearly had no intention of telling him. Akai frowned, an inexplicable emotion rose in his heart, a feeling he couldn't quite define—but it was definitely not a pleasant experience.
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to speak.
However—
Before he could speak, Gin lifted his eyes and stared fixedly at a certain spot, a dangerous, ambiguous light shimmering in his green eyes.
As if having made a decision, he raised an eyebrow and spoke loudly, "Amuro.. Tooru."
Bourbon, who was not far away talking to the Police and planning to make a statement in a while, was startled by those words and then turned his head toward the crime scene.
The Green eyes Assassin was looking at him coldly, his half-smiling expression gave him an instinctive sense of vigilance.
“Long time no see,” Gin said, his voice low as he spoke.
This was not his original plan.
Gin thought.
However—
The Silver-haired youth's phoenix eyes tilted upward.
He is paying attention now.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Hahaha! Ten thousand words achieved!
But it's really exhausting..
..
Akai: I have a bad feeling about this.
Gin: Steamed, braised, or sliced.. forget it. Since he did the work, I'll just spare that youth as a warning.
Amuro: I really can't thank you enough!
..
I almost forgot the mines, let me make them up quickly..
Thanks to Wuru Buhuan Little Angel for the landmine, love you mwah~
Thanks to Meimeimei Little Angel for the landmine, love you, mwah~
Thanks to Meow Unspeakable Little Angel's mines, love you, mwah~
Thanks to Dibeitian Nan Little Angel's mine, love you mwah!
Chapter 57: Chapter Fifty-five Love is not a good thing, it's too..