Chapter 68
In the end, she still got into her ex-boyfriend’s car. Fan An numbly bit into her sandwich.
Tender, savory ham was wrapped in melted cheese. The soft bread was slightly toasted. The half-cooked egg had a golden, runny yolk, and the tomato slices were sweet and sour.
The girl silently finished her sandwich. Furuya Rei, through the rearview mirror, saw her daintily licking her lips, and his eyes curved. “Is it to your liking?”
An’an didn’t answer, turning her head to pretend to look at the scenery outside.
She felt a little too pathetic.
Last night, before bed, she had sworn to resist her ex-boyfriend’s sugar-coated bullets. She had deliberately left half an hour early, her movements as light as could be, the level of a first-class agent.
The sound of a car horn had come from behind the sneaky dark-haired girl. The window of the white Mazda had half-lowered. Furuya had smiled. “Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.”
Her: Do you not sleep at all?
As An’an was thinking about how to run away from the world like a cool fugitive, the back door of the car had opened, revealing a thermal box on the seat.
“I got up very early and spent a long time making this,” the blond young man had said in a slightly pitiful tone. “It would be too sad if it were thrown into the trash.”
A seamless switch between being assertive and showing weakness. An’an, while thinking, It’s all an act, he’s a better actor than I am, had hesitated.
If he had opened the passenger door, she definitely wouldn’t have gotten in.
If he had emphasized that the breakfast was specially prepared for her, and that not eating it would be a waste of his feelings, she would never have been morally blackmailed.
Damn it! Her ex-boyfriend’s words were impeccable!
Accepting his kindness in this slightly awkward situation wouldn’t be a burden, just like when the two of them were just neighbors, being treated with kindness by the handsome and kind-hearted neighbor.
…No, there was a difference.
The handsome and kind-hearted neighbor had shown kindness without seeking anything in return. But her ex-boyfriend’s intentions were very strong.
His intentions towards her were very strong.
She couldn’t be so easily fooled again. An’an warned herself to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend on the set.
…
“Detective Mouri, I’ve heard so much about you!”
Director Ochi greeted Mouri Kogoro with great joy. “It’s a great help that you’re willing to come and guide our script. And your number one disciple, I hear he’s also a very excellent detective. The reasoning elements of this movie are in your hands!”
Director Ochi: Otherwise, this drama will go from a suspense mystery to a third-rate ghost movie. I’ll be sunk into Tokyo Bay and fed to the fish by the old fans. (shivers.jpg)
“This is the script. Please have a look,” the screenwriter said, handing over the script.
Because it was a well-paid, official commission, Mouri Kogoro had a serious attitude towards his work and began to read the script. Furuya also opened the pages.
“You read very fast,” the screenwriter asked, puzzled. “Is reading speed also a detective skill?”
The script had a lot of lines and was much harder to understand than a case file. Even a person with excellent shorthand skills would have to read it slowly.
“No,” Furuya smiled. “Because I just read the script yesterday.”
The Screenwriter: “Huh? But our script is only provided to a few of the main actors.”
The screenwriter sensed something was up. Her gossip-loving heart was aroused. Just as she was about to ask more, her shoulder was suddenly patted.
“Teacher An’an?” the screenwriter turned her head and immediately asked, “Is something wrong? Or is there a problem with the script?”
“Mhm, I don’t quite understand this line,” the dark-haired girl said, taking the screenwriter’s arm and leading her away from Furuya, while also giving him a warning glare.
The blond young man returned an innocent look.
He was just telling the truth.
It was An’an who had moved eight hundred meters away from him the moment she got out of the car, with a “we’re not familiar, I don’t know you” look on her face, and had quickly walked into the set, pretending that they had a cold, professional relationship.
“Mr. Mouri,” Furuya said to Mouri Kogoro. “For you, teacher, it must be very simple to find inspiration from the cases you’ve solved before.”
Mouri Kogoro: Of course, hahaha… wait, how did I solve those cases?
Every time, he would faint, and when he woke up, the case would be solved. Where did the memories in between go?
Conscious Kogoro: Dead brain, think!
Furuya waited for a while, then slowly took over the conversation. “However, Mr. Mouri is a great detective. The cases he has solved have always been used as learning material for new detectives. I’m afraid the reasoning process is already well-known to everyone. Using it in a movie might lack suspense.”
“The cases I’ve handled are different from Mr. Mouri’s. They’re little-known,” the blond young man said humbly. “How about you leave this work to me?”
Look, what a well-spoken young man. Mouri Kogoro was filled with trust for his reliable number one disciple. “Yoshi! Then I’ll leave it to you!”
An’an had finally managed to dispel the screenwriter’s gossip-loving heart. The moment she returned to the set, she was met with terrible news.
“…To think such a thing could happen! As expected of Detective Amuro! Just a few words with you have given me a burst of inspiration! I’ll leave the rest of the guidance to you!” Director Ochi said, excitedly shaking Furuya’s hand up and down.
In that instant, An’an had the urge to quit.
“I have professional ethics,” she muttered, suppressing the sudden urge to kill Director Ochi.
Director Ochi: (shivers inexplicably.jpg)
Could it be the resentment of the old fans, urging him to sublimate this third-rate ghost movie into a first-rate mystery masterpiece as soon as possible? For a moment, it felt like I was going to be killed.
The ruthless Suspect An dragged a chair and sat opposite the director and the screenwriter, listening in as they revised the script.
The main actors of the series all gathered around and greeted An’an friendly.
A suspense mystery series. The protagonist was iron-clad, the villain was a revolving door. How the new villain would create sparks with the protagonist was the biggest highlight of the entire movie, a great test of the script and the actors’ acting skills.
“With Teacher An’an, there will definitely be no problem,” the female lead said with relief. “I thought several times that you were going to kill Director Ochi. To think you maintained your killing intent even off-camera. Such a dedicated person.”
“The moment I heard that teacher was participating, I knew we were in good hands,” the male lead said with deep emotion. “As expected of a legend in the entertainment industry, the famous villain specialist. I’ve been following your serialization on the front page of the crime section.”
“Does teacher really live in Beika Town? Did you voluntarily join that crime city that countless people dream of escaping?”
“I heard that teacher’s ancestors were from Yokohama. Who do you think is more livable, Yokohama or Beika? Which city’s official flower is the big explosion firework?”
The dark-haired girl was surrounded. She was super popular.
It was to be expected. The entertainment industry was a place where people climbed on top of others. Her popularity, works, and status were all first-class. And she was not in the same field as the other main actors. Of course, she would be surrounded by goodwill and eagerness.
Clap, clap.
A crisp clapping sound interrupted the enthusiastic social gathering. Furuya, with a smile on his face, said, “Sorry to interrupt. Can I have your attention now?”
He was clearly smiling, his face handsome, his temperament gentle, a good-tempered look. But the main actors felt as if they were being targeted by something, a chill running down their backs.
“…Putting on an act,” the girl muttered under her breath.
Her complaint was so soft, yet it was still heard by her damn ex-boyfriend.
“Teacher An’an,” the blond young man called her out. “Come and sit next to me.”
An’an: ???
She looked at him with disbelief. What’s with this “teacher calling a student who is not paying attention in class to sit next to the podium” posture?
When others called her “Teacher An’an,” it was a polite form of address. What was he pretending to be, pretentiously adding the “teacher” suffix? If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were playing some strange play.
Director Ochi, like a clueless oaf, chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right! Teacher An’an, what are you doing sitting so far away? The killer should be sitting with the detective.”
The Killer Miss An: If you let me kill you now, I’ll sit over there immediately. (cold.jpg)
The girl reluctantly changed seats and sat to Furuya’s right.
Fortunately, the blond young man did not treat her in any special way. He began to talk about a case he had encountered before.
An’an had guessed that Bourbon must have a lot of experience with crime. As expected, the case he presented was so strange and complex that it put Director Ochi’s third-rate ghost movie to shame.
A movie is two hours long. Besides the conspiracy and the reasoning, a lot of tense and exciting confrontation scenes and action scenes had to be added. Furuya adapted a case he had handled before and told it in a captivating way, making the director and the screenwriter’s eyes light up.
To make it easier for the screenwriter to revise the script, Furuya described every detail very carefully, and appropriately gave suggestions for related props and mechanisms. He spoke for a long time.
The blond young man licked his dry lips. Anyone could see that he was thirsty.
A case of mineral water happened to be behind the dark-haired girl’s seat to her right. Furuya couldn’t reach it. He turned his head and said in a low voice, “Water.”
When a person’s throat is dry, their speech becomes concise. Fortunately, Furuya’s instruction was very specific. It was impossible not to understand.
An’an’s eyes reflected his clear lip lines from his thirst. She hesitated for a moment, then handed him the water.
The director, the screenwriter, and the main actors all watched as the dark-haired girl handed over the thermos she was drinking from.
Furuya was taken aback for a moment. He immediately reacted and took An’an’s water bottle with a natural expression, unscrewed the lid, and drank.
The full case of unopened mineral water behind the seat was speechless. “…”
The others were speechless. “…”
These two… do they think that after the discussion is over, everyone will just look down at their phones and not pay attention to others’ movements?
Please, this is the entertainment industry! The place that loves to pry into others’ privacy the most!
Observing in all directions is a basic skill for entering the industry. Everyone is a master at reading people.
Why was Detective Amuro’s first reaction to ask Teacher An’an for water? He could have just asked a staff member to hand him some.
Why was Teacher An’an’s first reaction after hearing someone wanted to drink water to stare at his lips, and then subconsciously hand over her own water bottle?
Even if, for the sake of argument, the girl had given him her water bottle because she hadn’t noticed the case of mineral water behind her, why hadn’t he reminded her and had unhesitatingly accepted it?
From Furuya’s perspective, the case of mineral water was practically belly dancing in front of him and saying, “I’m here! I’m here!”
The blond young man didn’t speak, only continued to drink from An’an’s water bottle.
“It’s iced orange soda again,” Furuya said in a low voice. “Teacher An’an, your preference is very long-lasting.”
She always bought the same brand of orange soda by the case, filling both her own fridge and the one next door.
In the stuffy heat of the winter indoor heating, the girl, wrapped in a blanket, had her cheek pressed by an ice-cold drink can, and had glared at her unrestrained boyfriend.
“…I’ll switch to black coffee next time.”
An’an, whose memories had been stirred, gritted her teeth with a vengeful heart. “I’ll make you suffer.”