My roommate turns out to be the heiress of a triad!

Judging by the time, Sugawara Ryoichi had been inside for about twenty minutes.

Yukiko Higuchi crouched in the emergency exit of the upscale apartment building, clutching her phone tightly in her hand.

Using his little leather shoes to jam the automatic fire door shut, he furtively observed the activity in room 901 across the street through the small crack in the door.

She did not listen to Sugawara Ryoichi's advice to go downstairs and find a safe place to hide.

That way, he would be safe, but he would completely expose Sugawara Ryoichi to danger.

That man named Haruyuki Oshima is too fierce, and you can tell from his appearance that he's not a good person.

Higuchi Yukiko suddenly remembered the horror movie she had watched recently.

There's a scene in the movie where the male protagonist, a detective, sneaks into the home of a perverted sardine vendor to search for evidence.

He is now essentially Sugawara Ryoichi's only lifeline.

Only through a mobile phone, a communication device, can one know whether Sugawara Ryoichi is safe inside.

He sent himself a message to indicate that he was currently safe.

But what if there are special circumstances that prevent him from using his phone to send himself a message?

So after much thought, Yukiko Higuchi decided that they should find a place near room 901 where they could directly observe that room.

If something unexpected happens and Sugawara Ryoichi escapes from inside the door, he can help him.

This means you need to plan your escape route in advance.

If you're being chased, you definitely can't take the elevator if you have to wait.

Then the only option is to use the escape route we're using now.

Fortunately, this is the ninth floor, not too high.

There were also some odds and ends piled up here by some unknown resident.

If Oshima Haruyuki were to chase them while they were escaping with Sugawara Ryoichi, they could use these odds and ends to stall him for a while.

Just as Higuchi Yukiko was fantasizing about the escape route she might use later, referencing scenes from TV dramas...

The door to room 901 across the street was suddenly opened from the inside, startling her.

She was just about to rush out to meet Sugawara Ryoichi when she found that Oshima Haruyuki, who had been so fierce before, was now as docile as a kitten, smiling and seeing Sugawara Ryoichi off.

"Are you sure you don't need me to drive you? It takes quite a long time to get to Setagaya by train from here."

"No need to trouble you, Mr. Oshima. It's still early, and it won't be too late to take the train back."

"I see. Okay then. Let me see you downstairs."

Without waiting for Sugawara Ryoichi's consent, Oshima Haruyuki came down from inside the house to the entrance hall with a smile and put on his shoes.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Sugawara Ryoichi allowed Oshima Haruyuki to follow him.

Just by turning around, he spotted Yukiko Higuchi peering through the crack in the safety door into the escape corridor.

Didn't I tell her to go downstairs and find a safe place to wait for me?

How did it get there?

Without giving it much thought, Sugawara Ryoichi waved in Higuchi Yukiko's direction, signaling that she could come out.

She hesitated at first as she watched the commotion.

Only after Sugawara Ryoichi's repeated urging did she emerge from the escape tunnel and cautiously approach him.

"Didn't I tell you to go downstairs and buy something? Why are you here?"

Never mind. Let's go down and buy them together later.

Sugawara Ryoichi pretended to be nonchalant and said these words to Oshima Haruyuki.

But Haruyuki Oshima has no time to think about such trivial matters right now.

He now only hopes that Sugawara Ryoichi will be magnanimous and not speak ill of him to Kujo Mayu, thus ending his career.

The three of them walked to the elevator, and Oshima Haruyuki eagerly pressed the down button for them.

The drastic change in attitude left Yukiko Higuchi completely bewildered.

Why did he only go in for a short while? It's not like Oshima Haruyuki, who doesn't seem like a good person, has changed his attitude so much.

There might be some progress on Sugawara Ryoichi's case.

He probably felt that he had a close relationship with the Kujo family, and now he wanted to make amends for how they treated him in the beginning.

And just before he left, he gave himself a business card made of Leni paper.

It contains his basic information such as his company, position, contact information, and address.

He told me to call him if I encountered any trouble in the future.

Ryoichi Sugawara knew this was a valuable social relationship.

If managed well, it may prove very useful later.

So he immediately expressed his support to Haruyuki Oshima, telling him that he could go home and catch up on his sleep without worry.

······

It's just past four in the afternoon, and the sky is gradually being bathed in a golden glow.

Ryoichi Sugawara and Yukiko Higuchi went to a nearby park.

The two of them, each with a crepe, sat on a swing in the park.

This was something Sugawara Ryoichi had promised Higuchi Yukiko earlier—he would buy her crepes after coming down from Oshima Haruyuki's place.

"Wow~ the cream is so sweet, the fruit is so fresh, and the bread is so soft and fragrant."

Yukiko Higuchi savored the crepe in her hand, shared her thoughts on the taste, and smiled contentedly.

Seeing this, Sugawara Ryoichi also took a bite of the crepe in his hand.

The taste was indeed as she described, and the sweetness was acceptable.

The two sat there, enjoying their crepes and the warmth of the setting sun.

Just then, the sound of a group of children laughing and playing gradually approached.

Before long, the group of elementary school students, carrying backpacks of various colors, entered the park from outside and began to play.

Seeing how happy they were, Yukiko Higuchi suddenly remembered the goal she and Ryoichi Sugawara shared on this trip.

He then asked Sugawara Ryoichi.

"Speaking of which, why did we leave so soon? Weren't we here to visit Kujo-kun in the hospital?"

After swallowing the crepe in his mouth, Sugawara Ryoichi embellished his account of what had happened in room 901 and replied.

"After I went in, I asked around and found out that the big island belongs to their family."

He has already contacted Kujo Mayu. She's fine and will be able to come to school tomorrow.

"Oh, that's great!"

Upon hearing Sugawara Ryoichi's answer, Higuchi Yukiko gave him an expression that said, "Oh, I see."

She took a bite of a crepe with her cherry-like lips, savoring the deliciousness of the soft crepe, filling, and cream.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, she noticed something in Sugawara Ryoichi's answer.

It was about Ryoichi Sugawara repeatedly pretending to be stupid and deliberately changing the subject.

This time, he has to give himself a straight answer.

Suddenly, Yukiko Higuchi put down her crepe and turned to stare seriously at Ryoichi Sugawara.

"W-what are you doing?"

Ryoichi Sugawara was somewhat bewildered by this sudden recollection.

Could it be that my answer just now, like the crepe in my hand, revealed something?

Wait a minute, nothing's been revealed.

Higuchi Yukiko's almond-shaped eyes were fixed on him.

As if to block Sugawara Ryoichi's retreat, she got up from the swing and stood less than twenty centimeters away from him.

At such close range, Ryoichi Sugawara couldn't tell whether the citrus scent he was smelling came from the crepe in his hand or from Yukiko Higuchi.

"This time you have to answer me directly!"

tell me.

"Your girlfriend is Kujo Mayu, so why do you need to ask someone else to find out her address and whereabouts?"