After rebirth, I confessed to the losing heroine - Chapter 55- Suspicion?
“Ah, yes, I will. Mm…everything went fine. Yes, I will.” As Hiroto finished informing his mother about his day and the fact that he would be late, he disconnected the call.
His parents naturally were curious and a little anxious about what would happen today that’s why Hiroto called his mother when he realized that he wouldn’t be returning home any time soon.
After dealing with those goons, Makoto left soon after. Since Yuichi’s condition was not very good, Hiroto called a cab and brought the guy to his apartment.
Taking a bloodied Yuichi to his(Hiroto’s) home would have raised many questions—and Hiroto wanted to avoid that. He didn’t tell his mother about the confrontation nor he ever would.
Things like these are better to remain hidden from his family until they can be.
Returning to the living area from the dining space, Hiroto found a beautiful girl currently treating Yuichi’s wounds while the guy rested shirtless.
“I told you it’s not possible to handle so many people without reinforcement. You thought that stupid Makoto would be hefty enough…” Her tears and that concerned tone signified her closeness to Yuichi.
Hiroto recognized her the moment he saw her and her attitude toward Yuichi signifies that she also is a potential lover.
Tojou Hanabi.
Hiroto sat on the chair, a little far away from the two, and asked Yuichi,
“I thought you invited me to talk about something?” Naturally, Hiroto had to act ignorant. He couldn’t say outright that he suspected something was suspicious in the morning already.
“I chatted…a lot as you can see. But it wasn’t with you but with those guy-agh!” Yuichi groaned in pain as Hanabi applied an antiseptic to his wound.
“Why are you being sarcastic here? Can’t you just tell him now?” Hanabi glared at Yuichi before turning to look at Hiroto,
“This is the first time meeting you, Hiroto-kun but I have heard a lot about you from, Yu-kun. I am Tojou Hanabi, by the way…Yuichi’s…work colleague?”
Hanabi herself didn’t seem sure of the relationship she just declared with Yuichi. But Hiroto didn’t mind that and introduced himself,
“Nice to meet you, Tojou-san. As you know, I am Takeda Hiroto; Yuichi’s friend.”
Hiroto had no motive to push her into a difficult situation by asking about her relationship with Yuichi. Although Yuichi had told Hiroto some of the things about his life before he joined high school, things about Hanabi and the gang for which Yuichi worked still should remain unknown to Hiroto.
“As for the meeting….then it was me who told Yu-kun that someone was targeting you. As such, Yu-kun asked you to come there so he could become a Rambo and try dealing with everyone on his own. Ah, I forgot, he had that Tarzan with him as well.”
“Hey, watch tha-ow!” The complaint turned into a wince as Yuichi narrowed his eyes even more at Hanabi.
Hanabi ignored Yuichi’s childishness and glanced at Hiroto. Seeing his relaxed visage she couldn’t help asking,
“Aren’t you curious to know who is behind all this?”
“I already know somehow. It’s that Ryuuske right?”
Hanabi raised her brows in amazement, as Yuichi asked, “How did you-well, let it be. Even if we assume that guessed the perpetrator, how did you fend off so many thugs all alone? You didn’t even receive a single scratch.”
Although Hiroto was trained in self-defense, those men carried blunt weapons and were almost double in size as Hiroto. Beating them to oblivion was surely no small feat.
Hiroto remained silent for a bit before he leaned forward and seriously said, “There are things which you cannot tell me and the same goes for me. So let’s not talk about it.”
The tension in the air elevated as Yuichi stared into Hiroto’s eyes silently.
Hanabi was no longer joking around and looked between Hiroto and Yuichi alternatively; an anxious frown marring her angelic face.
After a moment of silence, Yuichi heaved a sigh before raising his left arm, “Fine….let’s not talk about that.”
Relaxing back in his seat, Yuichi asked again, but this time, not about the same thing, “Are you planning on revealing Ryuuske’s secret to Shirogane Souma-san? No offense to your family, but I think Shirogane Souma-san would be a much better help in this situation. And given that Ryuuske is somehow connected to him, it would be reasonable for you to take the case to Shirogane Souma-san.”
“Even I can present the evidence that he hired those men to assault you,” Hanabi added—in support of Yuichi’s suggestion.
Hiroto remained silent for a moment before he said, “That would be pointless. I am guessing the proof Tojou-san is talking about here, is a call recording between Ryuuske and the head of the gang who attacked me?”
Hanabi was taken aback by Hiroto’s range of knowledge before she glanced at Yuichi and nodded in assent.
“Right…but why won’t it work?”
Hiroto didn’t want to expose his knowledge much but he deemed this much to be under the scope of normalcy,
“Have you tried tracking back Ryuuske’s location after the call ended? Or matched Ryuuske’s voiceprint with the caller?”
Hanabi blinked in pure bewilderment as she shook her head and instantaneously asked, “What are you trying to imply here?”
Hiroto leaned back in his seat as he said, “Although Ryuuske looks like an idiot, he isn’t. I have seen that he carries two phones and when he called Miyuki yesterday his number was showing as a ‘Private Number’. There is a high chance he uses a Spoofing device.”
“Now what’s a Spoofing device?” Yuichi asked dumbly with a bit of frustration in his tone.
“Spoofing device diverts caller’s ID and location every few minutes—rendering it nearly impossible to track him through any means until an Intelligence Agency expert isn’t trying to track the person….” Hanabi answered dazedly.
Hiroto nodded to confirm.
Yuichi’s frown deepened as he said, “Then what can we do? Just let the bastard roam free?”
“Considering Ryuuske’s reach, power, and authority there is nothing we can do….unless, the other side attacks again first.”
Hearing those words from Hiroto, Yuichi’s frown slowly turned into surprise. Meanwhile, Hanabi panicked as she exclaimed,
“Don’t tell me….another fight? You guys know right, that he can send armed men this time?”
Hiroto scoffed, “Although gang wars are common these days, doesn’t mean bringing rifles inside the nation is easy.”
Yuichi felt a little troubled hearing that as he said, “Hiro….are you sure about this? I know you can defend yourself, but your parents can’t.”
Hiroto simply rose from his seat and told Yuichi with a carefree smile, “Don’t worry about that…when the time comes I will ask for your help.”
*********
After Hiroto left the apartment, Hanabi brewed some coffee for Yuichi and herself(Hiroto rejected the offer when she asked).
Sitting on the couch with their shoulders touching slightly, Hanabi glanced at his visage which was devoid of any emotion. But she knew, he was very troubled from inside.
“Everything will be fine, Yu-kun.” Nudging him with her shoulder lightly, she assured him.
Yuichi didn’t say anything about rather pointing out something he noticed earlier,
“Hanabi…for a regular high schooler, don’t you think Hiroto knows a little too much? Like I know he is smart and good at fighting but still…I felt something off about him tonight.”
Hanabi held his hand with a frown creasing her brows as she asked, “Do you think…he has some sort of past? Or maybe a connection to someone like my father?”
Yuichi shook his head before he muttered something he couldn’t believe he just said,
“….there is something more about him..almost like the Hiroto I knew all this time and the person I saw today was not the same.”
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A/N:- Suspicion? Well~ don’t worry about that.
I may have added some wrong and stupid technological stuff since I am not too knowledgeable about it. But, it’s fiction, hehe~