Tokyo, but I'm a deceitful scumbag.

Hoshino Hideyuki said, "You haven't found any evidence, have you?"

"Yes, the chat logs and other people's testimonies are not enough to prove that Kasuga Kaito engaged in any seductive behavior... and to be honest, it's not very clear from the perspective of motive either, since keeping these women on hold is clearly more profitable for the male escort."

"Maybe it really is just a coincidence? Like that unlucky girl who keeps running into landmines."

"Maybe, but the odds are as low as cracking ten eggs and getting a rotten egg every time. I don't believe it... In any case, we need to investigate further."

"So that's why you asked me back then if I was interested in becoming a gigolo?"

Hoshino Hideyuki smiled, narrowing his eyes: "So you want me to pretend to be one of his colleagues and try to get information out of him?"

"Yes, to be honest, I even considered having you pretend to be a female customer..."

"Refuse? That's disgusting. That trick can only be used on pretty girls or young women."

Hideyuki Hoshino gave a prompt reply.

"Ah, I knew..."

"Besides, I don't want to be a male escort. It feels like I'm putting on a show for someone who's not really a man."

"It's alright, you can decide the specific method yourself, anyway..."

Inuyama Tetsuya said in a deep voice, "Could I ask you to handle this case?"

For a long time, the fox did not answer.

Inuyama Tetsuya looked over curiously and found that Hoshino Hideyuki was staring at the photo of Kasuga Kaito on the document.

"The handsome guy with short orange hair matches what that vengeful spirit said. Is it a coincidence...?"

"Any questions?"

"nothing."

Hoshino Hideyuki looked up and smiled, "Leave this to me~"

"please!"

the next day.

The diligent fox woke up early in the morning and adjusted its clothes in front of the mirror.

Today he looked very polite, wearing glasses and carrying a notebook and a voice recorder—yes, he was pretending to be a reporter.

However, instead of interviewing the male escort he was targeting, he planned to first find the families of the three victims.

Before contacting the person in question, he wanted to gather more information.

There are some things the police can't get out of him, but he's different...

Three hours later.

Hideyuki Hoshino admits he was a bit too optimistic.

He has already gone to find two victims, but to no avail.

The earliest victim was a prostitute.

She was the classic type who sold herself to earn money by hiring male escorts. Her personal life was a mess, and she had lost contact with relatives and friends. Before she jumped to her death, no one even knew that she had hired male escorts, so naturally no one could provide any information.

The second victim was an ordinary female office worker. She graduated from an ordinary university, worked for an ordinary company, and earned an ordinary salary. However, when Hoshino Hideyuki came to her house, he happened to witness a rather unusual scene.

Her father was jumping around in the living room with the TV antenna on his head.

After asking him about the phenomenon using the mirror, it was discovered that the person firmly believed in the existence of extraterrestrials and thought that as long as extraterrestrials descended, they could solve all the problems of human society, such as his inability to pay his rent this month.

They're Adventists, hopeless.

all in all.

After a busy morning, Hoshino Hideyuki arrived at the door of the last house.

Located on the second floor of a run-down, cheap apartment building, both the floors and walls give the impression of being moldy.

"With this kind of financial situation, can she really afford to hire a gigolo?"

Hoshino Hideyuki knocked on the door, puzzled.

"Hey kid, who are you looking for?"

The door opened, and a woman with tattoos on her arms and loose, wavy hair poked her head out.

"Hello, I'm a freelance journalist. Excuse me for bothering you, but are you a family member of Ms. Hashimoto Haruna? It's so sad that such a tragedy happened to her..."

Hideyuki Hoshino handed over his business card and explained his intention to conduct an interview.

"An interview? Sure..."

The woman smacked her lips, then reached out her hand to Hoshino Hideyuki:

"Fifty thousand yen per hour!"

Chapter 32 The fox used his rhetoric skills

"I was hoping she would give me child support when she grew up."

"I can't believe she committed suicide for a gigolo, what an idiot."

"I have nothing to say about a daughter like this, unless... you give me money!"

After the woman finished speaking, she lit a cigarette and started smoking it right in front of Hoshino Hideyuki.

Hoshino Hideyuki smiled and stared straight at the woman, saying:

"Madam, I've already given you the money, a full 50,000 yen."

The woman paused for two seconds, then nodded:

"Ah...right...you've already paid..."

"So, shouldn't you invite me in?"

"……Come with me."

Upon entering the house, Hoshino Hideyuki expected the woman to lead him to the living room, but instead, she directly opened the side door and said:

"That's the idiot's sister, Misa Hashimoto. Just ask her if you have any questions."

Then she called out into the room, "This reporter has been paid. You'd better behave, or you won't get dinner!"

Once everything was done, she ignored Hoshino Hideyuki and walked into another door on the opposite side. Soon, she heard a man's laughter coming from inside.

Oh hoo.

None of the victims' families have an easy time.

Hideyuki Hoshino smacked his lips and went into the room.

The room was small, but there was no mold in the corners, and the air smelled less of smoke and alcohol, indicating that it had been thoroughly cleaned. It was a world of difference from the living room outside.

At the far end was a bunk bed. A short-haired girl sat on the lower bunk, her nose a little red, clutching a tissue in her hand, as if she had just blew her nose.

She must be Misa Hashimoto.

"Hello……"

"Which organization's reporter are you from?"

As soon as Hoshino Hideyuki opened his mouth, the person opposite him asked a question in a low voice.

"I am a freelance journalist, but I mainly contribute articles to the Akita Daily and the Kaifu Shimbun."

"never heard of that……"

Misa Hashimoto glared at Hideyuki Hoshino and said, "You should just leave. I won't say anything to you. Interviews by gossip reporters like you only enhance that bastard's reputation. I don't want my sister to become your fodder for gossip..."

Hoshino Hideyuki smiled slightly, but didn't rush to use the Mirror View.

He went to the desk by the bed, pulled out a chair and sat down so that Misa Hashimoto could look him in the eye without having to look up.

"You should know that the police suspect your sister's death is related to a male escort named Kasuga Kaito, right?"

Misa Hashimoto remained silent.

Hoshino Hideyuki continued in a calm voice, "That guy is alive and well. After all, your sister committed suicide, and it's difficult for the police to find any evidence to change that fact."

Are you satisfied with this?

Misa Hashimoto: "..."

“As a journalist, I don’t need to present any evidence. Making baseless accusations is a journalistic instinct. I don’t believe that Kasuga Kaito is innocent. Your sister isn’t the first. Before her, two other people connected to this male escort committed suicide.”

“I want to investigate these matters thoroughly and write an article that takes your sister’s side, so that those who committed the crimes will be condemned.”

“I don’t deny that after this is done, your sister will become the talk of the town… But isn’t she already? What did your mother just call her? Stupid…”

"enough!"

Misa Hashimoto shouted, interrupting Hideyuki Hoshino, and then suddenly burst into tears.

"No, I don't understand, why would my sister get entangled with a male prostitute... and even jump off a building..."

"She was such a strong and gentle person. She made a promise with me that once she made money, she would take me with her to escape from this house..."

After waiting for the girl to cry for a minute, Hoshino Hideyuki handed her a tissue.

"You're right..."

...But perhaps you underestimate the methods of male escorts.

Hoshino Hideyuki thought to himself:

Those people are masters at keeping customers hanging. They'll set the phone's screen saver password to the customer's birthday and let the customer find out unexpectedly; they'll carry the customer's gift close to their body and then pretend to bump into the customer; they'll arrange for unattractive women to act as shills to arouse the customer's competitive spirit..."

It's not just about sweet talk; it's about accumulating small, feigned surprises into a continuous sense of happiness, something that those who seek out male prostitutes lack, making them unable to resist...

Perhaps your sister didn't mean to do this, but growing up in this kind of environment, one day she felt too much pressure and decided to try going to a host club. At first, she only planned to spend a few hundred yen, and then she accidentally fell into their trap...

Yes, that's a possibility.

Ultimately, male prostitutes are also a kind of fraudster.

Of course, Hoshino Hideyuki would never say any of the above aloud.

He simply spoke gently to the girl: