"All right. Let's start with something simple. Ren, did you meet Aoi yesterday?"
Eiko asked, placing her pen down on her notebook again. Even with her flaws, she was professional, and Ren understood that. Since he had agreed to cooperate, he was obliged to answer in full detail.
Ren thought about his answer quickly before responding. The school cameras could only show that he had stayed late at school, but not the actual meeting, since the school did not install security cameras inside standard classrooms, largely due to deep-seated cultural and legal emphases on personal privacy.
'I can lie about it since they don't have absolute proof, but I can't be sure. Since the police seem to take this matter seriously, it's highly likely they have some kind of proof. If I lie now, there's a chance I'll put myself in even more danger. Should I use my eyes? But I can't be sure I'll get what I want right now...'
Ren bit his inner lip in frustration—an unconscious habit he fell into when trapped in a difficult situation. Eiko's question might have seemed simple, but for Ren, it was the beginning and the gateway to everything.
He hesitated to use Eyes of Desire, terrified of getting an unhelpful result. This time was different from the first, back then he had been desperate for any information, but now he needed to know specifically what kind of proof they possessed.
Ren couldn't afford to overthink this or stay silent for too long, so he made his choice and answered with a tone that bridged slight nervousness and calm:
"Yes, I met with Aoi yesterday afternoon."
Ren's choice was to go with the flow. If he needed to confirm whether there was proof, he had to reach a certain point in the conversation that he believed might trigger their thoughts, and then use his eyes at that moment. Denial was not an option here.
"I see." Eiko showed a surprised expression at Ren's answer, as if she hadn't expected it. "Can you tell me where exactly you met with her?"
"At the student council room."
"So why did you meet with her, Ren?"
"Um... nothing specific."
"So you were just chatting? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yes," Ren answered instantly. For Ren, the way things were going was not good. The way she was letting him answer her questions without pointing any accusations at him was not in his favor, so he had to change his approach again—this time giving an open answer without admitting or denying things outright. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
At that moment, just like the last time, Eiko looked at Akihiko. He leaned forward again, smiled at Ren, and this time, the boredom on his face was partially gone.
"Okay, Ren, you're saying that you stayed at school too late—unusual for your usual schedule—and that was just to chat with Aoi. Is that right?"
Ren looked at Akihiko for a second. 'This man is dangerous. His bored, annoyed tone might give you the idea there's nothing to worry about with him, but every time I try to make my way out of Eiko, he pushes me into a corner, and she understands him well.'
"Not exactly. I stayed late since I was finishing some work, and it just happened that I remembered Aoi was staying late also, so I went to talk to her. But why are you pressing so hard on that matter?" Ren didn't have much to say here other than defending himself and deflecting the attack back to them.
Akihiko tapped his pen on the table and thought for a second.
"Ren, we're focusing on that matter because Aoi claimed that you came to the student council room and blackmailed her with the missing funds."
"That can't be right! I didn't blackmail her. We just talked."
"Oh, hey? Then what did you talk about?"
Ren realized that playing it entirely safe wouldn't cut it. He needed to take a calculated risk to move things forward.
"It was a private conversation. I can't talk about it."
"That won't do, Ren. You said you'd cooperate for your own sake, right?"
'He's not taking no for an answer. Maybe they don't actually have proof of what was said in that room. I need to push harder.'
Ren leaned back, taking a riskier approach.
"Yes, I did cooperate. But personal privacy is off the table. Moreover, Detective, I don't see how this is for my sake. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal."
Akihiko stopped talking and stared at Ren for two seconds. The source of this chapter is g.com.
"That's not—"
"Okay, Ren, here's another question if you didn't like that one: did you meet with Aoi last night?" Eiko lashed out with a direct question, interrupting Akihiko before he could finish.
'A direct one. This is tough.'
Another question where he had to decide whether to lie or tell the truth. At this point, it was exhausting overthinking every single word he uttered, feeling like he was walking through a minefield with a ticking timer.
'Don't overthink it, Ren.' Ren calmed himself down, reminding himself that there was no clean win in this situation—he just needed to escape with the least amount of damage. He made his choice:
"No, Detective." Ren spat the word out with a bitter taste in his mouth, hoping for the best, just like with the last answer.
"Are you sure about that, Ren?"
As soon as Eiko's words reached him, Ren's mind went silent. His eyes shifted swiftly to meet hers, and his vision blurred for a millisecond before snapping back. Eiko was surrounded by blue boxes, just like everyone else—no purple ones. He didn't bother looking at Principal Daigo or Vice Principal Daichi; his eyes locked entirely onto the two investigators in front of him.
(Interested in Ren)
(Thinking about the conversation that took place in the recording)
(Feels a strange feeling about Ren)
(About to look at the transcript in her possession)
Upon seeing the blue boxes, Ren's mind snapped back; his eyes returned to normal.
'There is a recording!!'