Not a detective

Page 212

That incident happened three summers ago, during my student days... Although I am still quite young, I'm sure you're all used to my old-fashioned way of speaking.

Before I begin, I would like to ask the readers a question:

Do you believe in supernatural phenomena and supernatural beings?

Whether it's gods, ghosts, urban legends, superpowered individuals, or incredible anecdotes and bizarre myths, it's all about gods, ghosts, urban legends, superpowered individuals, and incredible tales and myths.

Most people probably hold a "half-belief, half-skepticism" attitude. They may rationally think that it shouldn't exist, but when they encounter certain things, their attitudes may reverse. For example, when they hope that something will go smoothly, they will put their hands together in prayer. When they encounter strange or scary things, they will ask for blessings. Even the blessings and prayers during New Year's worship are part of this general belief.

I might be a little different; I've never believed in these things.

Perhaps due to my previous education, I've always believed that fictional things don't exist, and there's no reason to pray or worship something fake.

Without gods, there would naturally be no ghosts or monsters to harm people... That was the original thought.

But that incident three years ago completely changed my perception.

At this point, some readers might be frowning, thinking, "I came here for a mystery novel, why are you telling me about supernatural things?" I can understand that thought. Mystery novels should be rooted in reality. Even masters like Natsuhiko Kyogoku or Shinzo Mitsuda would eventually turn monsters and strange tales into real cases.

However, I am only a beginner in writing, so please forgive me. Although it is written in an autobiographical style, you may also read it as a fictional novel.

To ensure the objectivity and comprehensiveness of the case, in addition to my personal first-person narrative, I will also introduce the perspectives of other people.

Because that person was particularly crucial in the incident, and could even have observed the whole picture, it would be a great pity not to include them.

This may lead to a cluttered perspective, and some readers may be confused, but I think it is the best way to get closer to the truth.

Of course, I cannot read other people's thoughts; there are parts that I guess and imagine. Due to the passage of time, I don't remember some details very clearly. But I can guarantee that the part about the occurrence of the case is still firmly engraved in my mind. As for whether to believe in "ghosts and gods" or "reality," I leave that to you to decide.

That concludes my rambling introduction.

Next, let's delve into an unsolved case that occurred on the streets of Tokyo three years ago. Since "I," the person involved, was not physically harmed, the police did not pay much attention to or participate in the case, leaving no useful investigative materials. Perhaps only by asking you, the readers, can we have the opportunity to uncover the truth of the past.

It consists only of our oral accounts and recollections, which may contain fuzzy or incomplete parts, but what I have written down are all my real experiences, not fabrications.

I still remember it vividly.

So let's go back to that summer three years ago.

...

Chapter One

There's been a lot of anxiety at school lately.

Perhaps because graduation is approaching, everyone's thoughts have become strange.

Although they are just a bunch of kids, it's normal for them to be going through puberty.

me too.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have left home to study in such a far place.

I don't want to inherit the family business, nor do I want to follow in their footsteps, but I'm just a rebellious teenager who only thinks about rebelling and has no opinions of my own.

What should we do in the future? Is it too early to think about it now?

"...Would you like to come back with us? It doesn't seem very safe lately."

My classmate started a conversation with me like this.

"I'll go back by myself."

This is how I answered.

I don't fit in, and I hate fitting in. I think they're childish, and I also think I'm a loner.

They left without a care, going to find other sociable friends. Actually, we weren't really friends to begin with; they just wanted a tool to boost their numbers and give them courage.

What's that saying again...? Before danger arrives, you don't have to run faster than the danger, you just need to be faster than your companions.

Perhaps my thinking is too pessimistic.

I stood up and waited until the classroom was empty before leaving the school.

There's been a lot of anxiety at school lately because of a strange rumor.

It is said that a stalker, a suspicious and dangerous individual, has appeared around the school. Many students have witnessed him and said it was terrifying, so they turned around and ran away immediately.

Although there have been no actual incidents of students being harmed so far, the school has implemented some measures, such as dismissing students early and strengthening security.

But to be honest, this measure is better than nothing. After all, the school is only responsible for protecting the area around the campus. As for the students' safety on their way home, they still have to be careful themselves.

All I can say is that I should pray for good fortune.

This is an age when people are prone to overthinking, and with the added influence of rumors and gossip, this strange tale was made even more terrifying.

What started as just stories of "escaped death row inmates," "gangster killers," and "serial seppuku maniacs" has been repeated over and over again, with the addition of supernatural elements.

Some classmates said that you have to stare at him the moment you see him, otherwise your neck will be snapped if you turn around or blink; some classmates said that he wears all black, is as thin and tall as a telephone pole, and walks in an odd way, like he's on stilts; some classmates said that he will follow you home, and you have to pretend you can't see him to survive, and you're only safe once you get home...

It feels like it's really turning into an urban legend. By the way, aren't the first and third points contradictory? What should I do if I see it?

I really don’t understand.

Some even claimed to have seen monsters with four arms and four legs, which they felt were pieced together from other ghost stories.

In short, with such terrifying legends spreading, regardless of what the adults thought, the children were naturally on high alert. Girls usually went home in groups, while only a few daring boys would attempt to go home alone, but most of them would just run back in a frenzy, too scared to look at anything. As for me, I still went home alone, without anyone accompanying me.

Because I don't want them to find out that I live alone.

As for whether I was scared or not, I probably was scared at first... Why wasn't I scared later?

Because I've seen what that stalker looks like.

Nue's Summer: Chapter 3 The Faceless Man

Chapter Two

I dream of being a hero.

I don't remember when it started, but the dream of punishing evil and promoting good, and upholding justice, is probably something every boy has.

So I will wear that mask and play the superhero from the story in the city.

I started learning martial arts at the age of six and achieved some success by the age of thirteen. After entering junior high school, I always felt that I had nowhere to use my skills and felt frustrated, like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

There are no supernatural powers or strange phenomena in this world. I have always been certain of this. Otherwise, why haven't I found anything after searching for so long?

I even fought in underground boxing matches for a while.

At the time, people there laughed at me because I was too young, but after I won the title for eighteen consecutive rounds, such comments never came again.

Some people even call me "Sea King".

Before a large crowd gathered, I quickly retreated, but was still harassed by some tails. After that, I realized I couldn't show my face.

I want to do something more meaningful, and I also want to challenge stronger opponents.

At that time, I had almost hit a bottleneck, and I thought that only by adhering to my martial arts could I have a chance to go further.

So I became the "Faceless Man".

"Faceless Man" is the name I give myself, partly because I want it to sound cooler. When I go out to work, I cover my face with various masks. Some are cheap items I just bought from street stalls, some are handmade wooden carvings, and some are custom-made metal components.

I have a whole box of masks, which I hide under my bed along with my bulletproof vest. I only wear them when I encounter a particularly dangerous situation.

Thanks to the funds I received from fighting underground boxing matches in the early stages, I'm not short of money for the time being. Besides, I'm not doing this for income; it's just voluntary work.

Every few nights, I would choose a mask to wear, dress in black to blend into the night, and patrol the streets and rooftops.

It's called a patrol, but it's actually similar to a police patrol, only mine is more efficient.

Tokyo's crime rate isn't high, but it's not low either. As long as a city is big enough, you can always find illegal activities, such as robbery, assault, and kidnapping. You can spot them from a distance. All I had to do was get to the scene in time to stop the crime. Fortunately, it's a city where guns are banned, so I didn't encounter any difficulties in handling it.

I look much like a good neighbor, but apart from not being able to shoot spider webs from my hands, I also won't hand criminals over to the police.

I will judge them according to my own preferences and moral standards, and give them the punishment they deserve.

Of course, some of the parties involved have said that I went too far, was too cruel, and even personally ended other people's lives, which is undoubtedly a crime, and I am well aware of that.

But I like it.

I enjoy the feeling of upholding justice and saving others, and I also enjoy the feeling of punishing evildoers and listening to their cries of pain.

Therefore, even if justice is labeled as "hypocritical," I'm too lazy to refute it.

In the first year, I was just patrolling the streets. In the second year, I started searching for news online, investigating injustices that aroused public anger, and taking action after making in-depth judgments. In the third year, I began to reach out to the wealthy, gangsters, and even government officials, cutting off the leaders of evil, crime, and oppression at the source. It can be said that the situation was getting bigger and bigger.

But I know that only by using the most ruthless methods, and on a larger scale and in a wider range, can I truly achieve a deterrent effect.

I cannot save everyone, nor can I change all evil and injustice, but only by doing so can change be achieved.

Perhaps I'm also hoping that if things continue like this, some supernatural power or a mysterious official organization will come to stop me.

But nothing.

That's how I spent my three years of junior high school. To others, this might just seem like the delusions of a teenage kid, but it actually happened.

I once thought that I would continue like this, treating "Faceless Man" as a part-time job.

But I never imagined that I would give up my dream because of such an ordinary little thing.

...

It was one summer evening during my third year of junior high school.

I patrolled the streets as usual.

Those exciting big tasks don't happen every day; most of the time I just wander around aimlessly like this, but that proves that my work is very effective.

The main location during this period was near a certain school, where there were reportedly rumors of a terrible stalker, which was worrying.

Regardless of the circumstances, incidents that harm minors, children, or students are very serious and are a high priority for me.

I heard that a student went missing a few months ago. I was too busy with other things to pay attention to it, and it's been bothering me ever since. So this time, I've decided to take it seriously.

So every night I would come to the school and silently monitor the surroundings. If I spotted anyone suspicious, I would follow them and keep watch.

Sometimes, when they encounter students walking alone, they will escort them for a short distance until they get home before leaving.

This continued for some time, but the surroundings were unusually calm, and no disturbances occurred during this period, which only deepened my doubts.

...Could all of this be just a rumor? Is the stalker story also unfounded?

This kind of thing has happened before, and I don't feel disappointed about making a wasted trip; such a false alarm is generally good news.

But this time it was different. The rumors did not gradually diminish over time, but instead intensified and became more serious. What exactly happened?

I must not leave without warning if there is even the slightest sign of danger. If the murderer is waiting for me to leave before committing the crime, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

Adding to the current rumors, which even include elements of "supernatural forces and strange phenomena," I personally cannot give up, driven by a desire to find out the truth.

Now I'm even less likely to leave.

I continued working like this until one night, when I met a strange girl on the street near the school.

She walked alone on the street with her schoolbag on her back, looking rather inconspicuous, but this made her more likely to become a target for stalkers.

So I followed them.

After we turned a corner, she stopped, and I stopped too.

Two seconds later, she continued walking, and I continued walking too.

After taking a few more steps, she stopped again. Although I was confused, I had to stop as well to keep my distance.

Then she walked away... She wasn't holding a phone, nor was she waiting at a red light, and she wasn't greeting any friends or acquaintances. What was she doing walking and stopping like this?

I became increasingly curious and puzzled, so I quickly followed her. However, this time, she stopped even faster than I expected.

She turned around.

"You're that stalker...?"

"Ok?"

I was stunned.

Summer of Nue: Chapter 4 Nue

Chapter Three

"Nue...?"