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mrsleestranger · 4 months ago

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Chapter 27: The impostor of 20 Faces (P2)

“Destiny?”

Both Akira and Utako exclaimed in surprise, then looked at each other, blushing and falling silent.

"That's right, do you think any thief would easily reveal their face to others? Unless... he wants to kill someone and let them see his face as a farewell."

Kanon said, raising her hand in a slashing motion across her neck, her voice filled with a dark tone, leaving Akira flustered, waving his hands continuously.

"No... no... 20 faces isn't like that."

Then Kanon answered her own question:

"But 20 faces has never harmed anyone before, the words 'violence' are not in his dictionary..."

"Right... right, that's true..."

Upon hearing this, Akira nodded vigorously. Please, Akira, do you want the whole world to know that you're 20 faces? Kanon quickly glanced at Akira and then turned back to Utako, placing her hands on Utako’s shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, and continued to brainwash her:

"So, it can only be that, subconsciously, he sees you as someone incredibly special."

"Really... really?"

Utako had been successfully brainwashed. Meanwhile, Akira had collapsed onto the floor due to his body temperature exceeding the regulated limit. This was the conclusion reached by the Student Council.

Nokoru chuckled behind his fan, secretly amused by Kanon-chan's tactics. The next time they had to cooperate, it would surely be much more enjoyable.

The story of 20 faces ended there, and Utako returned home in a daze. Until now, she had always been confident in her feelings for 20 faces and assumed that he felt the same way about her. But today's events came as a surprise, causing her to doubt her and 20 faces’ feelings, was it all just her illusion? Although Kanon assured her that 20 faces saw her as someone special, being special could have many meanings. Was he really interested in her the way she was interested in him?

Ohkawa Utako continued to walk instinctively, her shadow stretching lonely on the ground. Akira still followed behind his little girl, but he didn't dare to approach and say anything. He was afraid of making her angry, he didn't want to see her sad and upset, yet he didn't know what to do. All those things happened even before he knew about her miraculous existence, so he didn't know how to explain anything. Just as he was feeling down and following her, a hand patted his shoulder, causing him to startle and jump up. Akira turned around:

"Kaichou! Why... why are you here? And Takamura-senpai too."

Nokoru smiled mischievously:

"Akira, don't worry too much. Let Kanon-chan take care of Ohkawa Kaichou. Whatever happened today, Kanon can keep it a secret, but she chose to speak up, especially in a situation like this, so there must be a reason. What happened at Gamera Hall today?"

Akira seemed to have forgotten that they had only talked about 20 faces and didn't mention him at all. Today's complications had overwhelmed him, so he naturally overlooked that fact. At the same time, from a distance, Akira saw Kanon running towards Utako, so he felt relieved and let his two seniors drag him to the canteen. After hearing the story at Gamera Hall, Nokoru folded his fan and lightly tapped it on his head, smiling brightly at Akira:

"Akira, don't you see that Kanon is teasing that guy named John?"

"Huh? Teasing? Why would she do that?"

Akira was very surprised. In his impression, Hanazaki was a very gentle person, a bit eccentric but kind-hearted and respectful.

“According to your story, that guy John was very straightforward, even unpleasant, when talking about 20 faces stealing Ohkawa Kaichou's belongings, knowing that she is a fan of 20 faces, right?

“Yes, it was a bit annoying, but not too excessive.”

“From what you told me, he seems to be very confident in his knowledge about 20 faces, but after all, he is just a foreigner. The things he heard may not be as accurate as seeing and hearing everything firsthand, yet he acts like he knows more than the locals and people involved. He also jumps to conclusions and doesn't even bother to care about those he deems unrelated to 20 faces. This is extremely impolite.”

When it came to John not remembering Kanon's last name, Nokoru's tone became indignant. How could one treat a lady like that?

Akira was taken aback and clapped his hands together:

“So, Hanazaki is expressing her discomfort?”

“It's not just discomfort, it's sarcasm. In the end, Kanon is the one holding information that this guy claims to understand about 20 faces, yet he knows nothing. Isn't that laughable? Akira, you know, what is language used for? It's used to express one's own emotions, and Kanon is a genius in this matter. Otherwise, why would she speak up but not reveal everything?

Nokoru laughed cheerfully, clearly agreeing with Kanon's approach. Suoh cleared his throat then sipped his tea, thinking that Kanon didn't do anything wrong. She may have been a bit excessive, but this council was all about covering up each other's flaws, so it was fine.

“This also relates to another matter, but it's a private affair between Ohkawa Kaichou and 20 faces. We still have to see if 20 faces is capable of facing his own feelings. Otherwise, the misunderstanding between he and Ohkawa Kaichou will only deepen, and it's really troublesome.”

Nokoru finished speaking, sighing deeply as he held his tea cup, resembling an old man causing Suoh to groan inwardly. He didn't seem troubled at all, with that excited expression on his face as if he was watching a play, where did the trouble come from?

After talking with Nokoru, Akira was still worried, but determined in his heart. Tonight, he needed to clarify everything with Utako-san. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable anymore.

Since that fateful night of stealing and being chased by the police, accidentally barging into the room of the delicate princess of the Ohkawa family and seeking refuge, 20 faces had vowed to become a strength, a solid support for her.

‘But he only knew himself as the protector, standing behind, smiling and listening to her nonsensical confessions, being the place where she unloaded her frustrations, and being a strong shoulder for her to lean on when she was tired and sad. He never thought that he would be the one standing in front, holding her hand and walking together in the radiant, colorful sunlight. That was something he dared not even think about. She was a proud princess in the castle, while he was just a thief praised and feared by people. She always stood in the bright, beautiful light, while he could only hide in the darkness and watch her.’

This was just a dialogue from some romantic story, not meant for 20 faces and Utako, because their feelings were incredibly pure and simple, without any suspicion or complexity. Just being together was more than enough for them.

Every Friday evening since that day, Akira and Utako would always have a tea date on the balcony of her room, under the shimmering candlelight and with their souls laid soft. But tonight, the atmosphere was somber, with a hint of unease. As usual, Akira wanted to be the first to speak and explain, but didn't know where to start. They both sat in silence until Utako finally spoke up:

“Today's matter, to be honest, surprised me a bit, no, it shocked me.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Akira tightly gripped the handle of the porcelain cup, causing it to tremble.

“But it's normal for Kanon-oneesan not to know that 20 faces is you so her sharing that story is very normal. It's just... just...”

Utako looked a bit downcast:

“I always thought I was the first person to talk and have tea with 20 faces. I felt a bit jealous of Kanon-oneesan because... because for me, 20 faces has been someone incredibly special since our first meeting.”

“What?”

Akira was taken aback, looking into Utako's determined eyes and her blushing cheeks. He swallowed hard, it couldn't be...

“Utako-san?

Akira felt his heart pounding strongly, he was certain that he had finally understood something that many people might take a lifetime to realize. Upon realizing this, Akira took a deep breath, gently smiled at Utako, and said:

“Utako-san, do you know... I really like, no, I love you!”

Utako raised her head, looking at Akira in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe her ears. Did she hear it correctly? Was 20 faces confessing to her? Now it was her turn to stammer and ask again:

“You... you just said... said...”

“From the first time we met, I vowed in my heart to be the one to protect and support you, but I never thought I would be the one to love you. I always believed that you deserved the best, at least someone better than me.”

Akira gently poured out his feelings, causing Utako to slam the table and stand up:

“Why didn't you say it earlier, you fool? And how could you think that way? The one who loves me and the one I love can only be you, regardless of who is better because no matter how much better he is, he is not you. Didn't you tell me that I should learn to love myself? How could you underestimate yourself and underestimate me, the person that Ohkawa Utako pays attention to, of course, will be the best person.”

Utako said this with her head held high, and Akira didn't worry about it. He just smiled gently and nodded in agreement:

“Yes, that's why I wanted to express my feelings to you. I was wrong, Utako-san. Will you forgive me?”

Akira stood up and knelt down in front of Utako, the flickering candlelight reflecting in his earnest and affectionate eyes, making Utako once again immersed in them, but immediately she smiled brightly and hugged him:

“Of course, I forgive you. Always and forever.”

And then the two of them continued to talk about their future with a family and dogs. Utako mentioned her dream of becoming his wife, and Akira felt a bit embarrassed talking about marriage now, but as long as Utako-san was happy, it didn't matter. Then the topic changed back to the events of this afternoon:

“Thinking back, I feel bad for what I did. It was because I thought Kanon-oneesan was special to you.”

Utako felt regretful, as she really liked Kanon. How could she face her idol now? But Akira laughed and recounted the analysis Nokoru had shared with him, that Kanon was telling the story of their meeting just to tease that guy John. It was only then that Utako realized the problem.

“Ah, that guy was really rude. I was annoyed at that time but didn't know what to say. After all, he was a guest. Kanon-oneesan's trick was really effective, I have to tell Mako-oneesan about it.”

Then, with a determined and strong tone that matched her straightforward and strong personality, Utako said:

“The next day, I had to apologize to Kanon-oneesan and thank her. After thinking it over, if it wasn't for this incident, we wouldn't have honestly confessed our feelings to each other.”

Mako stood outside Utako's room, listening quietly and smiling. It seemed that Kanon-sensei didn't have to worry about the two of them anymore. This afternoon, Mako was surprised when Kanon-sensei came to her and told her everything, asking her to pay attention to Utako. Kanon-sensei didn't think she had the right to advise her younger sister, especially about Utako's feelings towards someone Kanon-sensei only considered as an acquaintance, which led to the misunderstanding. But it seemed Kanon-sensei was overthinking, seeing the strong affection between Utako and Akira, her younger sister had to bring a gift to thank her. Thinking that, Mako quietly returned to her room, giving the young couple their privacy.

The next day, of course, Akira wasn't distracted by his troubled heart but rather overwhelmed with happiness. Nokoru announced to the entire student council that the Airplane Museum, which was sponsored by the Imonoyama Group, would be hosting its 10th-anniversary celebration. On this occasion, the Imonoyama Group had donated a gold plane named Golden Goose to congratulate the museum, and the four members of the Clamp school’s Elementary Student Council were invited to attend as representatives of the school.

“Akira, did you hear what I said?”

Look at your face, so full of excitement.

Kanon suppressed her laughter silently. It seemed that the young couple had made their feelings clear to each other last night, which was great. Resolving everything before the incident of impersonation occurred would surely prevent Utako from facing any danger.

“Ah, I've heard, Kaichou. The anniversary celebration will be held on Friday, right?”

“Yes, that's correct.”

“If there's nothing else, I'll go make some tea.”

After saying that, Akira cheerfully went to make tea, while being closely watched by two curious eyes. Nokoru covered his mouth with a fan and whispered to Kanon:

“Kanon-chan, your plan is working. It seems that we will have plenty of delicious tea and pastries in the future.”

“Is it because you still don't eat enough every day, Kaichou? I always wonder how you manage to stay so fit.”

Kanon raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, while Suoh sat solemnly nearby, ignoring the two chatterboxes.

On the day of the museum's anniversary celebration, the four members of the Student Council arrived together to cut the ribbon and present a gold plane to the museum on behalf of the Imonoyama Group. Nokoru then delivered a speech. Kanon glanced around at the crowd admiring and praising the gold plane. It was exquisitely crafted, mostly made of shining gold, with even the engine plated in dazzling gold. Rumor said that it could fly exceptionally well. However, something attention-grabbing like this would surely attract thieves.

Cliff Edmund, from within the crowd, gazed at the sparkling gold plane. This was the item he was hinted to steal through that mysterious email, something attention-grabbing yet perfectly suited to his taste. Only something like this would make 20 Faces aware and reveal himself. His mind was already filled with a complete plan to steal the Golden Goose. Tonight, he would have the opportunity to become 20 Faces and eventually have complete control over that famous thief. With extreme excitement, Cliff Edmund almost couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter in the middle of the crowd, but luckily he managed to hold back. In a dark corner, Seiji furrowed his brow as he assessed the foreign man with red hair who caught the attention of Kanon. This guy was definitely strange, that was Seiji's conclusion after witnessing his greedy gaze at the Golden Goose and his strange, suppressed laughter. It was a pity for such a handsome face.

That night was a sleepless night for the Airplane Museum, as the precious Golden Goose that had just been donated was stolen. After injuring a security guard, the thief flew away in the gold plane, crazily circling around a bustling shopping center, dropping leaflets with the words "I'm back - 20 faces". Meanwhile, the real 20 Faces was actually on a date with his girlfriend, promising her that he would inform her first when he returned to thieving.

Kanon silently picked up one of the leaflets, frowned, and looked at it. The handwriting was terrible, the paper was of poor quality, and it carried the scent of the owner's perfume. How could someone like this claim to be a thief? If 20 Faces was truly cooperating with him, they would be caught in no time. It was a waste of all those years being a devoted fan of 20 Faces without realizing anything. Seiji also held up a leaflet to examine it. Although he had only heard about 20 Faces and didn't really care, he assessed the thief as someone extremely intelligent and cautious in every step, yet today's actions didn't reflect that.

“Lady, this 20 Faces...”

“So you've noticed too, senpai? It's not like the previous heists 20 Faces has done, right? Before stealing, 20 Faces always sends a notice. Many people consider it an overly confident and arrogant act, fearlessly challenging the heavens and the earth. But I see it as a rather polite gesture, simply wanting to convey a message to the host.”

Seiji didn't want to comment on the etiquette of a thief, but he agreed with Kanon's opinion about sending a notice:

“Exactly, once 20 Faces sends a notice, the police will surround the scene beforehand, and the media will immediately report it. So, why would he need to do something as crude as littering the streets with flyers? It's very uncouth.”

“Therefore... this 20 Faces could very well be an impostor.”

Listening to Kanon's conclusion, Seiji nodded in agreement, but he didn't let it bother him as it had nothing to do with them. However, just because Seiji didn't let it bother him didn't mean others felt the same.

The next day, Kanon went to the Student Council room after being informed by Nokoru about the theft of the Golden Goose. She calmly took out the flyer she had picked up at the shopping center the day before.

“Last night, I was walking around the shopping center and found this. The Golden Goose flew around for half an hour in crowded areas, dropping flyers announcing that 20 Faces had returned.”

Nokoru took the flyer from Kanon and huddled together with Suoh to study it. Suoh immediately noticed a flaw:

“This action is very different from 20 Faces' previous modus operandi, not to mention the arrogant language used in it. And the act of indiscriminately dropping flyers everywhere is very unsanitary. Although I don't agree with stealing, I respected 20 Faces' previous attitude more.”

Kanon silently raised her thumb, Suoh’s deduction matching her senpai's. If this pair were to solve the case together, they would make a good team.

“Indeed, there are still many mysteries surrounding this.”

Nokoru scratched his chin, realizing that his Detective Team had another task at hand. After all, the Golden Goose was a gift from his family to the museum. Just then, Akira pushed the door open and walked in, still wearing a foolish smile on his face, but his cheeks were slightly flushed. Kanon furrowed her brow, they weren't arguing anymore, but he was still seemed soaked in the rain? Was this how young couples express their love nowadays? Nokoru and Suoh also looked at Akira with concern, his state seemed...

“Ijyuin, are you okay? You look...”

“Ah, I'm fine, really.”

Akira raised his adorable smile and looked at everyone, causing the remaining three to exchange puzzled glances. Just then, the phone rang, and Nokoru handed the phone to Akira, saying that someone from the 20 Faces Fan Club wanted to meet him. Kanon widened her eyes as the events unfolded as before. Akira listened to the phone call and learned about the theft of the Golden Goose by 20 Faces, causing him to collapse. Nokoru, Suoh, and Kanon took Akira to the hospital, following the same script. He had caught a high fever from being out in the rain last night, probably from visiting his little girlfriend Utako in the middle of the heavy rain. Love truly has its own power.

The two members of the 20 Faces Fan Club also came to the hospital to inquire about Akira's condition, but Kanon knew that they were more interested in getting information about the stolen gold plane. However, before they could say much, Utako appeared at the hospital. Her face was calm, but Kanon noticed the sharp gaze and strong determination emanating from the girl, mixed with anger and worry.

“I would like to ask the Student Council, no, the Clamp Detective Team to investigate the theft of the Golden Goose from the Airplane Museum.”

Her request left everyone stunned, but Nokoru immediately agreed and promised to listen to her story. As everyone dispersed, Kanon stayed behind to comfort Utako. Just as she felt the hostile gaze of Cliff Edmund on herself and Utako, he turned away. She sensed that he had some ulterior motive beyond the script, but she decided to put it aside for now. Kanon waited for Utako to visit Akira before taking her to a nearby tea shop, ordering two cups of herbal tea. Only then did she smile and ask:

“Are you okay, Utako-chan? We haven't had a chance to talk since that day.”

Utako held her tea cup hesitantly but then decided to speak up:

“Kanon-oneesan, I should have met you earlier to thank you and apologize.”

“Huh? Apologize for what?”

“Well, you see, that day I acted a bit jealous. I... um, I really admire 20 Faces, so when I found out that you had a private meeting and conversation with him, I felt envious of you. But because of that, I realized my true feelings, so I feel like I need to apologize and thank you.”

Kanon looked at the little girl in front of her. She was only 5 years old, but she was surprisingly mature and composed, yet still had that adorable innocence. Kanon felt happy to be able to help such wonderful people, so she smiled brightly and said:

“I'm really glad, Utako-chan, that I could help you in some way. Actually, I knew you were very interested in 20 Faces, so teasing that guy John was just an excuse to tell you that story. From now on, always believe in yourself and your own feelings. The best things will come to you.”

Utako felt like crying. The good things came too quickly and unexpectedly, overwhelming her. Kanon handed her a scented handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her tears, forgetting that there was a magical leaf inside.

After that, the two girls talked about 20 Faces. Kanon didn't want to make Utako worry even more, so she reassured her that the Detective Team had gathered information and leads and would definitely investigate thoroughly. There was a suspicion that someone was impersonating 20 Faces, and it was entirely plausible. Even if it was a thief, they had the right to be cleared of suspicion if they didn't commit the crime.

After talking with Kanon, Utako felt much better and prepared for her appointment this afternoon with the Detective Team. During the meeting, the two members of the 20 Faces Fan Club also requested to hear about the case as they had come from overseas to learn about 20 Faces and were extremely interested in this incident. Nokoru and Suoh presented passionate arguments proving that the Golden Goose thief had impersonated 20 Faces, using evidence from the crime scene to a book written by John, a member of the 20 Faces Fan Club, analyzing the behavior of this famous thief. Nokoru asked about the name of the red hair guy and some details from the book, and Kanon noticed Nokoru's eyes quickly shifting towards Edmund. Immediately after, John blurted out a question:

“What about the announcements?”

“Announcements?”

Utako was a bit surprised, not understanding his question.

“20 Faces always announces before stealing.”

Suoh quickly replied:

“We have confirmed with the museum, the police, the press, and other media outlets that there were no announcements at all.”

Nokoru continued:

“That's why this 20 Faces is a fake.”

Both John and Cliff looked surprised, but John's face showed disgust:

“But who could do such a thing, and what is their motive?”

Before Nokoru and Suoh could say anything, Kanon spoke up:

“There are two possibilities.”

“Two possibilities?”

Everyone turned to look at her, except Nokoru, who covered his smile with his fan.

“One is that he simply wants to steal and blame it on 20 Faces. This is something anyone could think of, but there are too many flaws in his behavior that the police would immediately notice. The other is that he wants 20 Faces to appear.

“Whattt???”

The room erupted in noise, and Utako couldn't help but stand up and ask again.

“Why is that?”

“There are many reasons” - Kanon calmly replied – “But the biggest one, in my opinion, is that the impostor is obsessed with 20 Faces. Recently, 20 Faces hasn't been active, which has been driving him crazy. Just look at how he's been distributing flyers everywhere. It's not to let everyone know, but to let 20 Faces know. Whether 20 Faces wants to clear his own name or expose the impostor, he must come forward.”

“Excellent, a brilliant hypothesis.”

Cliff Edmund couldn't hold back anymore. He felt his blood boiling, and he didn't whisper behind John anymore. Instead, he clapped his hands loudly in support of Kanon's theory. Upon hearing this, John couldn't contain his excitement and spoke up:

“Truly, you are the most beloved detective author of 20 Faces. Although I still find this hypothesis hard to believe, it is surprisingly logical. I have nothing more to say. Please, Miss Hanazaki, sign your name here.”

Saying that, he placed his small notebook in front of Kanon, who didn't hesitate to sign it. Nokoru and Suoh were accustomed to Kanon's unbelievable yet accurate theories, so they didn't say anything more. However, Nokoru's gaze towards Edmund became sharper. He had caught on to the excitement in Edmund's eyes when Kanon presented her theory. There was definitely something off about him, and Nokoru's detective instincts told him that. But it wasn't the right time yet. Nokoru confidently ended the conversation with a smile:

“Therefore, we decided to clarify the incident where 20 Faces was impersonated and stole the Golden Goose.”

Utako was extremely happy and knew the power of the Clamp Detective Team, so she quickly bowed and thanked them:

“Thank you, on behalf of 20 Faces, I appreciate everyone's help.”

Nokoru smiled mischievously and teased her:

“Oh, you act like you're his girlfri...”

But before he could finish speaking, Nokoru lowered his head and hugged his legs, while Kanon stood next to him, calmly apologizing:

“Oh, Kaichou, are you okay? I accidentally stepped on your foot.”

Suoh quickly bent down to check if Nokoru was injured, but there was no harm done, just a light stumble. Nokoru suppressed his cries of pain but was puddle of tears inside, vowing to refrain from being so impulsive saying something like that in the future.

Cliff Edmund observed everything unfolding before his eyes, his gaze gliding over Utako's cheerful face before settling on Kanon's calm expression. Hanazaki Kanon, who was this girl? Cliff Edmund repeated her name, doubting that she held many secrets related to 20 Faces that he needed to achieve his own lofty goal of conquering the art of theft, conquering this world. Therefore, he was contemplating a plan to catch both girls, whom he believed were connected to 20 Faces and could potentially make him appear. Why catch both? Because he didn't have many opportunities, so catching the wrong person was better than missing out.

Although Kanon appeared absent-minded, she always paid attention to Cliff's actions. So when he shifted his gaze from Utako to her, she knew what he was planning. He was indeed a cunning schemer. She tried to divert his attention away from Utako, but it wasn't enough. After the conversation ended, Utako returned home to wait for news, and Kanon watched her from behind. Just now, she suddenly remembered that she had given Utako a handkerchief with a leaf from an ancient tree. Although she wasn't sure of the leaf's ability, her intuition told her that Utako would be safe as long as she kept it. So she felt somewhat reassured but still needed a backup plan. It seemed she would have to rely on her bodyguards for that.

That very night, Cliff Edmund arrived at the Ohkawa mansion first. He opened the balcony door to Utako's room and entered as if it were his house. He was confident that he could handle a preschooler with no resistance. But strangely, why was the child's bed empty even though it was already late at night? Cliff looked around the empty room, the curtains swaying in the breeze blowing in from the balcony, distorting his face.

“Bad kid!”

He muttered to himself but didn't give up, pacing around the room, searching every nook and cranny to see if the girl had discovered something and escaped. At this moment, Utako hid behind the bookshelf opposite the bed, covering her mouth with both hands to stifle her fear and prevent herself from screaming. She had been awakened from a terrifying nightmare, dreaming that she was being kidnapped by a fake 20 Faces. Utako sat up, intending to calm herself with a sip of water when she heard a noise outside the balcony. She quickly hid behind the bookshelf and only then did she notice a stranger entering her room. This man dressed exactly like 20 Faces, but how could she mistake the figure of the person she loved the most? This was clearly an impostor.

Meanwhile, at the Ijyuin mansion, Seiji finally found Akira's bedroom. As he climbed the tree outside Akira's room, Seiji almost stumbled and fell when he saw the scene inside. Don't ask what scene it was, just imagine in the middle of a summer night, you see Santa Claus in cozy attire sitting and chatting with his target, wouldn't you be startled? Seiji took a deep breath to regain his composure, took out the note he had prepared according to Kanon's instructions, folded it into a paper airplane, and flew it straight through Akira's window, landing right in the middle of the table where Akira and Santa Claus were conversing. Once Akira noticed the letter, he immediately left.

Ijyuin Shigetoshi, dressed as Santa Claus, watched as Seiji's figure dashed through the trees, while Akira focused on reading the letter:

“Santa Claus, I have to go now. My friend is in danger.”

“I understand, go right away.”

“Goodbye, and thank you for the conversation.”

Akira didn't have time to think, quickly changed clothes, put on a mask, and rushed out into the night.

“Utako-san, please wait for me!”

Ijyuin Shigetoshi stood in the room, watching his son's figure disappear into the night sky, and smiled kindly:

“Son, you have such good friends. Keep going, my boy. Now, let's see how I can help you.”

Kanon was currently in the student council room with Nokoru and Suoh, investigating the case that directly involved their two friends, so she couldn't be indifferent. Even though no one in the council room spoke to each other, through some invisible connection, they all knew that the other members also knew that 20 Faces was Akira, so they were all determined to clear his name.

Suoh obtained information that on the night of the Golden Goose theft, a similar airplane was seen flying around the miniature London island. It's not unusual for airplanes or helicopters to fly in the sky, but if it coincided with that time, it was hard not to suspect. Nokoru quickly thought of the miniature London amusement park invested by the foreign corporation Edmund and immediately instructed Suoh to investigate Cliff Edmund. In just a moment, the information needed appeared on Suoh's computer, including Cliff Edmund's entire background and related details, such as being the son of the Edmund corporation, a promising candidate for the heir position, but with peculiar interests, especially in criminal psychology. He was an obsessed fan of 20 Faces and had sponsored the 20 Faces Fan Club, including this trip.

"He has a tendency towards violence but always maintains a calm demeanor," Suoh read the information, and Nokoru pondered.

"This person is very dangerous," Nokoru said.

"I think we should report to the police," Suoh suggested.

"Alright, I will inform them to come to the miniature London island immediately," Nokoru agreed.

Suoh quickly stood up, intending to make the phone call, but then Kanon spoke:

"No, inform them to come to the Ohkawa mansion."

Nokoru lowered his head and smiled, impressed by Kanon's keen observation and deductive abilities.

Meanwhile, Akira rushed to Utako's house and as he climbed onto the balcony, he came face to face with someone dressed exactly like him, searching the room. Upon seeing Akira, that man became ecstatic as if meeting a dear friend:

"20 Faces, I finally get to meet you," that man said.

Akira didn't know who this man was, but since he had impersonated him and stolen the Golden Goose, he surely had no good intentions. Akira quickly assessed the situation and realized that Utako hadn't fallen into the impostor's hands yet. If he had her in his hands, he wouldn't stay here.

"What do you want?" Akira asked.

"I want you, 20 Faces," the impostor replied.

Hiding in the shadows, Utako almost stumbled, finding the dialogue confusing. Although she didn't pay much attention to same-sex relationships but 20 Faces was her boyfriend. With these thoughts, Utako clenched her teeth.

Oh, little girl, you're thinking too much!

Cliff Edmund looked at the legendary thief in front of him, surprised by how young he was. But the younger he was, the more time he had to reach the pinnacle of glory in the world. Suppressing his desires, Cliff pulled out a small gun from his vest pocket and pointed it at Akira.

"You need to come with me!"

Seeing her boyfriend being threatened, Utako didn't hesitate and rushed out of hiding, shouting:

"Leave my 20 Faces alone!"

"Utako-san!" Akira exclaimed.

Akira was relieved to see Utako safe, but in this situation...

"So, we have a pair now," Cliff said with great satisfaction. He pulled Utako towards Akira and used the gun to control both of them. However, before he could fully enjoy his victory, they heard the sound of an airplane outside and the distinctive laughter of Santa Claus, "Ho ho ho." Akira exclaimed with joy:

"Santa Claus!"

Cliff stared in disbelief:

"It can't be, how is it possible, how..."

But before he could recover from his shock, he felt a paralyzing grip on his gun hand, causing the weapon to fall. Akira swiftly kicked it off the balcony, simultaneously the Golden Goose released a rope ladder in front of him and Utako. Akira held onto Utako tightly, clutching the ladder as the airplane lifted them into the sky. Cliff tightly gripped his numb hand, his face contorted with anger as he watched the two figures disappear into the night sky, gradually becoming out of his sight. His stubborn and manic nature surged up, and Cliff refused to let go. He gritted his teeth and jumped off the balcony, intending to chase after his idol. But as he leaped, he realized something was wrong. The soft ground beneath him sank, trapping him like quicksand. He struggled, but couldn't escape.

"What the hell, what's happening? Is anyone there? Help me!" Cliff panicked and shouted, while Nokoru, Suoh, and Kanon stood in a corner, watching him rise and sink like a dead fish playing in the waves.

"Oh, this artificial swamp trick is quite impressive. It would be fun to have this in a cultural festival," Kanon commented.

"My opinion is quite interesting, isn't it, Kanon-chan?" Nokoru asked.

Seeing Kanon and Nokoru joking around, Suoh felt a headache. This wasn't the time for casual conversation.

Then came the long wailing sound of police sirens, signaling a sleepless night for the criminals.

In this romantic starry night sky, Akira tightly held Utako's hand, and both of them were filled with happiness.

"20 Faces, today isn't Friday, but we have such a romantic date. It's a pity..."

Utako looked down at her pajamas and sighed:

"I'm not wearing nice clothes."

Akira removed his mask and smiled tenderly at Utako:

"To me, Utako-san always shine like the sun."

Utako blushed, she dreamed that this eternal happiness would never end. Some people say that everlasting love is impossible, that humans always change, but she knew that her love for this young man would never waver.

A leaf from an ancient tree sprout clung to Utako's pocket suddenly unfurled, creating a magical display in the night sky with countless sparkling petals as evidence and blessings for their love.

In a dimly lit room, Yudaiji Idomu looked at the satellite images displayed on the computer screen. His lips curled up, but his eyes were cold:

"The Clamp detective team, huh? Not bad, but the pawn this time is too weak."

Then he pushed a black pawn off the chessboard in front of him.

#clamp #clamp school detectives #clamp学園探偵団 #clamp gakuen tanteidan #imonoyama nokoru #takamura suoh #ijyuin akira #yudaiji idomu #azuya nagisa #ohkawa utako #20 mensou ni onegai!!#clamp fanfic #hanazaki kanon

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mrsleestranger · 5 months ago

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AO3 is down for maintainance so I leave chapter 25 of my fic here and will delete later.

CHAPTER 25: The game is fun!

There were some situations that once encountered, one could not help but constantly think about them, unable to stop. After the encounter with the great hiba arborvitae tree and the incredibly magical change in attitude, Kanon fell into contemplation. Although she didn't fully understand the power within her, her intuition told her that it was closely related to every event she had experienced. That hiba arborvitae tree was the key point repeatedly mentioned in the final part of the anime when Nokoru had to confront the destructive schemes of Idomu, his childhood friend whom Nokoru had no recollection of.

Although Yudaiji Idomu did exist in this world, everything related to him seemed utterly illogical. How could someone like Imonoyama Nokoru forget such a joyful and precious time with his friend? What exactly had happened? Could it be that using the fact that Idomu was not a character in the main storyline as a reason?

With these thoughts, her mind exhausted, Kanon slumped onto the desk, exhaling heavily. Writing ten volumes of a story would be less tiring than trying to connect the illogical elements in this narrative.

Noticing Kanon's unusual emotions since leaving that area, Seiji took the initiative to ask,

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing... I'm just trying to connect some things together, but the more I think, the more it feels like a dead end. By the way, do you know anyone who is good with computer technology, senpai? I need to look up some things."

Before Seiji could speak, Setsu beside him burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha, don't you know that my cousin has a hobby of researching computers and high-tech gadgets? Whenever he has some free time, he locks himself in a room, disassembling and reassembling things. If someone didn't know, they would think he's a neet."

"Hehhh? Is that true? Why didn't you say earlier?"

Kanon was amazed. Seiji was truly a genius, capable of anything, but this would be so convenient for her.

"It's nothing, just a little hobby when I have free time," Seiji modestly replied, causing Setsu to pout beside him.

So Kanon asked Seiji to set up a firewall for her computer and another firewall for her email account, but it didn't need to be too difficult to break, just enough for her to know if there was an intrusion. At the same time, they investigated whether there had been any previous intrusions. Kanon suspected that the Kindergarten cultural fair incident was not as simple as it seemed. According to Seiji, the electronic network and internet of Clamp School were completely independent and separate from the outside. So even if a hacker was skilled, they would have to operate within the Clamp network, otherwise, it would be like two parallel lines that could never intersect, let alone infiltrate. Kanon furrowed her brows, that's right, otherwise a computer genius like Yudaiji Idomu wouldn't bother going all the way to Clamp for revenge. But it would still be a while before he appeared. Kanon furrowed her brows even tighter, thinking that there might be another possibility.

"Senpai, if one person is inside Clamp and another person is outside Clamp, can they cooperate to infiltrate?"

Seiji pondered for a while before responding,

"It's not impossible, although it’s very difficult. It depends a lot on the hacker's skills. If someone inside connects the network with an outside hacker, it's highly possible, but the network security of Clamp School is extremely strict, so it won't be easy to bypass."

Kanon laughed, thinking that it might be possible. In this world, what was not lacking were geniuses. While she was contemplating, she heard Seiji hesitantly ask,

“If you have such doubts, why not talk to Imonoyama Kaichou? I believe that with his abilities, he can investigate it immediately."

Seiji waited for a moment but didn't receive a response from Kanon. Instead, he heard a soft sigh and turned to look at her suspiciously, only to find her looking at him with a strange smile before saying,

"Do you think someone like Imonoyama Nokoru would overlook such a serious matter?"

“You mean… he knew? But why is there no action? At first glance, it seems like he doesn't care about this anymore.”

“Who knows, if I understood his twisted mind, I would be twisted too.”

Kanon sighed at the question from her bodyguard. Sometimes, simple and understandable things become complicated when explaining them to others.

Imonoyama Nokoru didn't just suddenly disappear for a week because he was embarrassed about not keeping his word. That would never happen. There was only one answer: Nokoru knew that she, more than anyone else, was aware that the warning information had been delivered right to the university's doorstep. Yet, despite the precautions, something bad still happened, indicating the presence of a saboteur certainly. If she delved deeper into investigating the cause, Nokoru feared that everyone would worry. Suoh, who was already concerned about Nagisa, would have even more to worry about. Akira and Utako were in the process of getting to know each other, and Nokoru was afraid that she would be in danger. The more she knew, the worse it would be. Everyone understood this principle. Nokoru's avoidance was just a diversion tactic, to ensure that no one, including her, would pay any further attention to this unfortunate incident.

Kanon returned to the Student Council room at the end of the day. Suoh and Akira were probably out delivering documents, so only the handsome and elegant Student Council President remained, suffering and frowning while holding a pile of neglected high-priority files, reading and stamping them at the same time.

"Kaichou! You are really hardworking today." Kanon greeted.

Kanon swore that she had no intention of mocking someone else's pain like she was doing now. Really.

Seeing Kanon enter the room, Nokoru didn't stop his hands, but he raised his head, wearing a distressed expression, and whispered,

"Is that you, Kanon-chan?"

Kanon was certain that Nokoru must have felt a great sense of guilt to be able to sit calmly without Suoh being present like that. She returned to her desk and prepared some documents for the next day, then opened her bag to take out a box of chestnut candies that her mother, Mrs. Hanazaki, had made the day before. Kanon stood up and went to make tea. Kanon's tea-making skills were quite good, although not as exquisite as Akira's, it was enough to make the person drinking it feel refreshed. Kanon brewed enough for four people, poured a cup, added a few candies to a plate, and placed it on a tray to bring it to Nokoru.

"Kaichou, take a break for a moment and enjoy the sweet candy. My mother specially made them from chestnuts last time," Kanon said.

Nokoru looked at the tray of tea and candies that Kanon brought up, his eyes welled up with tears. He was deeply touched by her words and immediately put aside his stamp, taking a candy and putting it in his mouth. The sweet taste of the candy and the fragrant aroma of the chestnuts blended harmoniously, making Nokoru's mood become extremely relaxed. He praised,

"Mrs. Hanazaki is truly amazing. Akira always talks about coming to your house to learn some dessert recipes from your mother."

"Haha, there's nothing in our house except for desserts. My mother's passion is spoiling me," Kanon replied.

While speaking, Kanon turned back to the tea table, placed the box of candies on it, poured herself a cup of tea, took a few candies, and casually covered the heat-preserving lid to keep the tea warm. But she didn't immediately return to her own desk. She stood there, watching Nokoru chewing the candy and reading the documents. It was hard to imagine a 12-year-old boy, who was playful and had a wrinkled face when working, could have such bright eyes when eating delicious candy, and yet had to face so many things alone just to protect his friends. Kanon sighed silently, it was indeed a fate.

Kanon stood there until Nokoru looked up and their eyes met. He was surprised for a moment. Today, Kanon's behavior seemed a bit unusual. Thinking so, he smiled gently and asked her,

"Is there something, Kanon-chan? You seem like you want to say something."

"There's nothing, please continue your work," Kanon replied.

Kanon decided to remain silent, as it was not her concern. She had a lot of work to do. She lifted her tea cup and took a sip before returning to her desk. She opened her computer, not to work for the student council, but for her personal projects. There had been a backlog of documents on the president's desk for a week, so except for him, no one seems to be busy. Kanon had already completed her tasks for the day since morning, and now she was just waiting for the president to finish reviewing and stamping them so she could deliver them.

Lately, creative ideas had been flooding Kanon's mind. She didn't want to miss out on any of them, so she made use of every available time to jot them down, even outlining entire plots and storylines. She didn't intend to become so busy, but she had never felt such a strong desire to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to something she loved, not to mention the nagging feeling that if she missed this opportunity, there might not be another one.

Kanon quickly finished the last chapter of "The Red-Haired Princess," an idea she had come up with the previous week. Tomorrow morning, she had to meet with Manami to discuss the illustrations, and then meet with the editor from the literary magazine to design the book. Perhaps due to her intense focus, Kanon was unaware that someone was approaching her.

After finishing his candy and tea, Nokoru didn't immediately return to work. Since Suoh hadn't come back yet, he stood up and stretched, his eyes involuntarily glancing at Kanon's desk. Kanon's desk was placed near Suoh's for the convenience of her assistant duties, so Nokoru could easily see what she was doing just by looking up from his own desk. He was quite curious, as Kanon always efficiently and promptly handled her tasks for the student council. Yet, at this moment, he saw her deeply engrossed in her work. Intrigued, he quietly walked behind her. The computer screen displayed multiple text files, indicating that she was simultaneously writing different things. She was currently finishing a chapter, then jumping to another file to write something else before returning again.

Sometimes Nokoru wondered why Kanon was so busy. She was no longer an anonymous author; her works were sought after by magazines and publishers nationwide, even internationally. Yet Kanon never fell behind schedule, which greatly impressed Nokoru.

After finishing the last chapter, Kanon would quickly proofread it and send an email to the magazine's editor. As she closed a file and took a sigh of relief, she noticed a figure looming over her and her computer. She turned around and saw Nokoru's smiling face.

"Kaichou? What are you doing here?" Kanon asked.

Kanon glanced at the towering stack of documents behind his seat but that didn’t make him feel guilty at all. He still remained unfazed and even cheerfully admitted,

"I took a short break. The backlog was only half done, and Suoh hadn't returned yet."

Half done? Why did she feel the stack was still the same as before? And why was he only concerned about Suoh not being back yet?

"I've wondered why you were always so busy and in a rush," Nokoru suddenly asked.

"I just wanted to get things done. I felt like if I missed something, I wouldn't have time to come back to it," Kanon replied without much thought, still focused on the computer screen.

"But working with paperwork and computers all day wasn't good for your health. You should have taken some time to relax. Like me, for example."

Nokoru appeared genuinely and gave Kanon some advice. This time, Kanon truly stopped and turned, giving the Student Council President a skeptical look.

"I feel very healthy, exercise moderately, get enough sleep, and eat well. What else do you think I need to do?" Kanon replied, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Nokoru tilted his head in thought, then his eyes lit up. He playfully waved a fan with the words "Rule the World" on it and grinned mischievously.

"If you trust me, just leave it to me," he said.

Seeing Nokoru happily return to his desk, Kanon's inner voice screamed, "No, I don't trust you at all. Please leave me alone and let me live a peaceful life, please don't care about me, really."

The next day, before Kanon could even open the Student Council room, a gust of wind with blue hair rushed in, pushing the door open with a bang. The scene inside the room unfolded before her eyes, with Suoh and the piles of high-quality documents swaying back and forth, almost reaching the ceiling due to the impact of the door opening. Nokoru was sitting there, but instead of stamping documents as expected, he was reading a book. If Kanon wasn't mistaken, the title was "The Rules of Baseball."

"Oh my, Suoh, you startled me," Nokoru exclaimed.

"I was the one who was startled, Kaichou," Suoh replied.

With the increasingly uneasy feeling since yesterday, Kanon was about to approach Akira, who was brewing tea nearby, to ask what happenned when Suoh rushed up to Nokoru and questioned him.

"Kaichou, you promised before I returned..."

"Takamura-senpai, here's your tea," Akira interrupted.

Akira calmly served the tea, and Suoh sipped it while praising its taste. Then he turned back to continue questioning:

"You promised that when I returned, you would complete all these documents," Suoh said, slamming his hand on Nokoru's desk, causing the stacks of papers to shake and fall onto all three of them. Suoh quickly brushed the papers away and anxiously asked,

"Kaichou, are you okay?"

But seeing Nokoru still engrossed in his book, despite being covered in papers, left Suoh speechless. Just then, Akira perked up and excitedly exclaimed,

"Great! The cake is fine. Oh, Hanazaki is here, too. Come in and have tea and cake."

Upon hearing this, Nokoru happily looked up from his book and said,

"Kanon-chan, come in and choose the baseball team's uniforms."

Kanon stood rooted to the spot at the door, eyes wide and mouth agape. Oh my, how did she not realize that since yesterday, the Student Council President has been emphasizing the words "relaxation" with her? She had no intention of participating in this meaningless game, really. But plans don't always go as expected, as Suoh challenged Nokoru and Nokoru excitedly pulled her into the game.

"Kanon-chan, join my team! We'll play a great match and defeat Suoh,"

Kanon maintained a blank expression as she looked at Nokoru, who was displaying a team spirit with her, and spoke up,

"Can I choose Takamura-senpai's team?"

"Whattt?"

The whole room was surprised. It seemed like in the plot's setup, Suoh was supposed to face Nokoru's entire team alone, but she didn't like that. She wanted to quickly end this situation.

"Why do you suddenly want to play sports, Kaichou?"

Kanon hit Nokoru right at his weak point and asked, causing his limbs to stiffen but his mouth still smiled as he spoke:

"Oh, well, I suddenly find sports quite interesting."

"Suddenly? So you're just playing for fun, right? In that case, winning or losing doesn't matter, anyone can join any team, right?"

Kanon expressed a very clear viewpoint, 'I'm sure you'll lose.' Nokoru frowned, this girl always managed to pinpoint the crux of the matter, but the more she did, the more he had to bring her to his team. Thus, the Student Council room was once again flooded with Nokoru's crocodile tears. Finally, the charismatic Student Council President came up with a very legitimate reason to recruit Kanon into his team:

"Don't you find it weird, Kanon-chan? Ohkawa Kaichou and Miss Nagisa are also on my team. If you join Suoh's team, how will you explain with Miss Nagisa?"

‘Hey, are you threatening me? Your point is that if I'm on Suoh's team, Nagisa will think this and that, right? That's quite cunning, but well, you win.’ Kanon thought and acceptef her defeat.

"Alright, I agree to join your team, but then Ichikawa senpai should join Takamura senpai’s team, no more negotiation. Do you want to be forever known as someone who bullies the weak?"

Kanon demanded fairness for Suoh, making it impossible for Nokoru to refuse.

"Hanazaki, you don't have to do this, I can play alone. After all, I challenged him first."

Suoh didn’t care about those problems, he was ready to play an unfair match in terms of numbers with his friends just to make Nokoru do the work. Kanon strongly objected, and as a result, the most peculiar duo of the year, Takamura Suoh and Ichikawa Seiji, teamed up to compete against Imonoyama Nokoru Kaichou, Kanon, and the Kindergarten Student Council, with Akira as the catcher for both sides.

During the training period, Nokoru pushed everyone quite hard, unlike the "playing for fun" mindset that Kanon imposed on him. Seeing everyone training so hard, Kanon reluctantly spent some time training with them. After all, she didn't really want to play, but she felt guilty if she didn't train with everyone, as it would be irresponsible.

Throughout the training process, Kanon only saw Nokoru standing there, waving his fan and giving instructions without breaking a sweat. But his instructions were incredibly accurate. Kanon marveled at his precision and thought to herself, ‘What a weirdo!’

"Kanon-chan, try hitting this ball!"

Nokoru noticed Kanon staring at him and smiled, making a request.

Kanon gave him a side-eye but didn't refuse. Yesterday, when she had brought a towel for Seiji, she had seen Nagisa bringing a towel for Suoh, who then had been taught by Suoh how to hold and swing the bat effectively. Oh, they were so adorable! Nagisa had been blushed just by small touching Suoh’s hand.

She looked over at her poker faced bodyguard and thought ‘You had already lost from the inside out, senpai. Your rival already has a girlfriend.’ Seiji responded to her disdainful gaze by making her swing the bat dozens of times, causing her hands to still hurt today. So now she was confident that she could swing the bat correctly and hit at least 1 out of 10 balls.

"Here comes the ball, Kanon-chan!"

Hearing Nokoru's call, Kanon focused and raised the bat.

POONG!

A crisp sound echoed.

"HOMERUN!"

Upon hearing Nokoru's joyful shout, Kanon thought she misheard. What? A homerun? That kind of hit that only professional players rarely achieve? But before she could gather her thoughts, Kanon heard Nokoru shout again:

"Next ball, Kanon-chan!"

Another homerun, and it continued, one after another. Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment. Kanon-sensei was so skilled?

At the end of that training session, Kanon received admiring glances from the kindergarten kids, filling her with a sense of pride.

"You are my secret weapon, Kanon-chan!" exclaimed the weird Kaichou, placing his hands on her shoulders to encourage her. Kanon truly felt like banging her head against the wall. What on earth was happening?

The whole match felt like a joke. Nokoru stood with his arms crossed, directing from the field while Suoh and Seiji cooperated exceptionally well, running back and forth. Somehow, the score remained tied. Kanon was left gaping in amazement.

In the middle of the game, a romantic incident unfolded. After hitting the ball, Nagisa accidentally fell, and Suoh, without bothering to catch the ball, rushed to help her up. They looked at each other shyly. Kanon glanced at the other side, where Seiji stood patiently waiting for Suoh to finish, showing no signs of annoyance or impatience. Then she looked to the side, where Nokoru was casually chatting with everyone, waiting happily for the game to continue. It seemed that this match was not meaningless at all. It helped everyone understand each other better and become more united.

"Kanon-chan, it's your turn to hit the ball!"

And it was Seiji who pitched the ball. Suddenly, standing face to face like this, Kanon felt an overwhelming excitement. It turned out playing this game wasn't so bad after all. It turned out this was the feeling Nokoru had. ‘Well then, bring it on, senpai!’ Kanon signaled to Seiji with her eyes, and Seiji lowered himself, preparing to pitch. Under the brim of his baseball cap, his half-smile filled with enthusiasm was hidden, only he knew his true emotions.

A strong, accurate, and fast pitch flew past Kanon's face before she could even prepare herself mentally.

"Excellent, senpai!"

But it didn't matter. Kanon felt even more challenged.

"Come on!"

She shouted, making Nokoru smile from outside the baseline. Everyone's happiness was a good sign.

Another missed hit by Kanon, but this time she lowered her body, preparing for the final swing. Her eyes focused on Seiji across from her. Seiji adjusted his cap and his feet firmly planted on the ground as he leaned forward to pitch.

POONG!

HOMERUN!

The entire stadium erupted in cheers! After Suoh's homerun, thanks to Kanon, the two teams were now tied.

Kanon stood up straight, straightening her tired back, and saw her usually cold-faced bodyguard with a rare smile, giving her a thumbs up. She smiled back, radiating pure joy.

However, the result couldn't be changed. In the final round, Nokoru faced Suoh and was defeated miserably. But that didn't matter. Nokoru hit the ball straight into Suoh's glove. Kanon smiled as she watched the two of them shake hands. She had a feeling that Nokoru had given it his all and was extremely satisfied. But there was also a conflicting feeling that Nokoru did it intentionally, as a friendly gesture towards Suoh. Whether intentional or not, Kanon had to admit, today's game was really fun!

In a corner of the stands, a handsome and clean-cut face typical of a Clamp student but his eyes were filled with annoyance and anger that was looking at the cheering crowd in the stadium when Nokoru shook hands with Suoh. Then, he turned around and left, not forgetting to leave behind a disdainful remark:

"A bunch of idle troublemakers!"

Kanon caught a glimpse of that unfriendly and negative gaze, and looked up to the corner of the stands where the boy had been standing earlier, but there was no one there anymore. Seiji noticed Kanon's unusual behavior and approached her, asking:

"What's wrong, Lady?"

"I feel like someone was just looking at us, with a very negative and unpleasant feeling."

Seiji followed Kanon's gaze, but there was no one there. However, he believed her. It seemed that peace wouldn't last for long.

#clamp #clamp school detectives #clamp学園探偵団 #imonoyama nokoru #takamura suoh #ijyuin akira #yudaiji idomu #azuya nagisa #ohkawa utako #clamp fanfic #hanazaki kanon #chapter 25 #ao3 #clamp gakuen tanteidan

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mrsleestranger · 9 months ago

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I am too happy so I have to show off a little bit. An illustration for my Clamp school detectives fanfic.

Art: kii_rii

Color: onesan

#clamp #clamp school detectives #clamp学園探偵団 #imonoyama nokoru #clamp fanfic #clamp fanart #hanazaki kanon #clamp gakuen tanteidan #yudaiji idomu

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mrsleestranger · 2 months ago

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I made some great friends in the Clamp School Detectives fandom. They drew me a lot of fanart for my fanfics 🥹🥹🥹

The first one drawn by oneesan and the rest drawn by jelly

#clamp school detectives fanfic #fanarts for my fanfic #my friends are so great 😍#clamp school detectives #clamp #yudaiji idomu #hanazaki kanon

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mrsleestranger · 4 months ago

Text

Chapter 26: The impostor of 20 faces (P1)

“Yudaiji-dono, what are you waiting for? You said that you had already planned everything.”

On the other end of the line, Idomu heard a voice filled with frustration and annoyance shouting at him. He calmly took out his phone, moving it away from his ear slightly, waiting for the other person to calm down before speaking:

"Didn't I just take action recently? Wasn't the interference with the weather forecasting device to sabotage the Kindergarten Fair according to your liking?"

"But in the end, nothing happened. Everything went back to how it was initially. You need to be more forceful."

The voice on the other end, although calmer, still contained a hint of irritation. Idomu chuckled softly, but this laughter made the person on the other end of the line uneasy.

"Do you think you have the right to give me orders? We are just temporary allies, cooperating because we have a common goal. In fact, I don't need you, and you can handle things on your own as well."

Hearing the gentle and indifferent voice of Yudaiji Idomu, the one on the other end fell silent for a while, before finally lowering his tone:

"It's my fault, I lost my composure. I will follow your lead, so what do we need to do now? I heard you visited the school for a preliminary assessment?"

Idomu didn't rush to respond. He approached the grand piano in his room, slowly sat down, opened the lid of the keys, tilted his head, placed the phone against his shoulder, and then slowly glided his hands over the piano keys. On the other end of the line, a melodious sound of the piano suddenly emerged, without any haste, but it made the listener feel a bit uneasy:

"Yudaiji-dono?"

After a moment, Idomu finally responded calmly, his voice so gentle that it seemed to blend into the melodies as if he was speaking to himself.

"Take it slowly, you can't create a series of events by doing the same thing repeatedly. It will make Imonoyama Nokoru suspicious, and I suspect he already has doubts. We have plenty of time, let's slowly torment them."

The last words spoken by Idomu were filled with sincerity and gentleness, harmonizing with the sound of the piano, sending shivers down the listener's spine. Idomu hung up the phone. Yes, his pain couldn't be expressed with just a few bursts of anger. It had to slowly spread, like poison dissolving in water, tormenting everyone in agony. Just thinking about it was exhilarating. Idomu began swaying his body to the rhythm of the piano keys, immersing himself in those deep melodies.

At the end of that day, Cliff Edmund, the son of the Edmund family, received a peculiar email. The email addressed the matter he was most concerned about, the famous thief known as 20 Faces. This email resembled an automated message with no possibility of reply, and it contained no information about the sender, with an empty IP address. However, he didn't care. What made him ecstatic was that the email revealed information about 20 Faces, stating that he was a student at Clamp School and even hinted at a way to make 20 Faces appear, possibly even cooperate with Cliff.

Cliff Edmund was sick, and he was a fanatic of 20 faces. Ever since 20 faces appeared, he had researched extensively and collected even the smallest pieces of information about 20 faces. He knew that 20 faces originated from Japan and had professional stealing techniques that could rival the legendary thief Arsene Lupin, who only existed in movies. But 20 faces was undeniably real. He wanted, desperately wanted, to possess that stealing technique, not for the purpose of stealing, but to satisfy his own conquering desires. Cliff Edmund's eyes gleamed with greed and hidden ambition, concealed behind his long bangs that covered half of his face, exuding a mysterious charm. His family's company, the Edmund Corporation, was currently investing in a miniature replica of London Island amusement park in Japan, close to Clamp School. Perhaps he should take this opportunity to invite his 20 faces fan club to visit the homeland of 20 faces.

Meanwhile, at Clamp School, every morning when Kanon arrived at school, her first task was to tend to the little sapling, it was still too small to compete with the surrounding tall trees. Despite Kanon's worries, she could see with her own eyes how quickly the sapling grew each day. In just over a week, it had reached her shoulders. Luckily, no one had noticed yet. Looking at the seemingly healthy tree, Kanon gently caressed the nearby young leaves and whispered to the tree:

“Dear tree, you're taking good care of yourself. I guess I won't need to come here every day anymore. I wish you well.”

A gust of wind passed by, causing the tree to sway and its branches to brush against Kanon, as if it was cuddling her, expressing gratitude. Kanon burst into laughter and a leaf fell into her hand.

“Is this a gift for me? Thank you.”

Kanon held the leaf up high, examining it. If the tree had given it to her, then it must have a purpose. Thinking so, Kanon carefully wrapped the leaf in a handkerchief and put it in her dress pocket. Farewell, tree. Kanon ran back to the student council room, and as she reached the door, she encountered Utako, who was preparing to open the door to submit a report on the joint meeting to Nokoru.

“Good morning, Kanon-oneesan!”

The little girl greeted Kanon with a bright smile, making Kanon unable to resist smiling back.

“Good morning, Utako-chan! You look so radiant today. Did you have a beautiful dream last night?”

Kanon asked playfully, but to her surprise, the little girl blushed and shyly smiled, confirming that Kanon's guess was correct. Kanon chuckled and opened the door.

And Kanon took the responsibility of making tea as Utako handed her report to Nokoru.

“Thank for your hard work, Ohkawa Kaichou, please join us for tea.”

Nokoru holding the report in his hand invited Utako.

“Since Ijyuin is not here today, try my tea instead.”

Kanon placed two cups of tea on the table for Utako and Nokoru, jokingly saying.

“Oh, is Ijyuin-sama busy with something today?”

“Ah, Ijyuin is busy showing some tourists around the school.

Nokoru sipped his tea and replied. He also enjoyed the taste of the tea made by Kanon, finding it gentle and soothing.

“Tourists?”

Utako was surprised by this word, so Suoh had to step in and explain. For some reason, a group of 20 Faces fans from abroad contacted the school, hoping to come and learn about the incidents related to 20 Faces. Currently, they are visiting Gamera Hall, where last year 20 Faces stole the main decorative curtain. Hearing this, Utako's face showed a hint of worry. So, after finishing her tea, she politely thanked everyone and said goodbye.

When Utako left, Kanon also asked for permission to leave. She knew something was about to happen. Usually, if she let things flow naturally, it wouldn't be a problem. But now, both Akira and Utako were her friends, and she didn't want them to get hurt because of someone else.

“Utako-chan, wait for me for a moment.”

“Huh, Kanon-oneesan, are you going to Gamera Hall too?”

Utako saw Kanon running after her and couldn't help but ask.

“So, you're going to Gamera Hall?”

Kanon asked with a teasing smile, making Utako blush and feel flustered. Kanon couldn't help but want to hug this adorable face and caress it.

“I'm going to check the situation there a bit. After all, 20 Faces is also a character in my story, remember?”

Seeing that Kanon had no intention of interrogating her, Utako naturally felt happy and brought up their favorite topic, her eyes lighting up.

“That's right! So, are you going to release a new detective story with 20 Faces?”

“It's possible. Since 20 Faces hasn't been stealing lately, I want to write a spin-off story where instead of stealing, 20 Faces solves mysteries.”

“Oh, that sounds great! I'll be the first one to buy the magazine.”

The two girls continued their conversation like that, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Gamera Hall. As they were climbing the wooden stairs to the second floor, they heard an English-accented voice speaking in Japanese, speculating about 20 Faces' identity:

“... So it's highly possible that 20 Faces is someone in this school.”

The two girls immediately recognized Akira standing next to a slightly chubby guy with orange hair. His outfit, with suspenders made him look like a character from a bygone era. Akira was facing him, with a hint of involuntary anxiety in his eyes, most likely because he was afraid of his identity being exposed. Kanon realized that Akira never wanted to be seen as a thief. No one wanted to live in constant fear of being caught, and at the same time, he took pride in his skills because his father was also a thief. They both only stole certain items, with a purpose, and never harmed innocent people.

Kanon silently observed while Utako confidently spoke up, as if to defend Akira:

“That's a very interesting hypothesis!”

Well said, Utako. It's just a hypothesis after all, Kanon silently gave her a thumbs up.

Akira and the foreign guy turned back towards the person who had just spoken. Akira was happy to see Utako, while Kanon felt more at ease. The foreign guy seemed a bit surprised and asked:

“Oh, excuse me, but you are...”

Akira immediately introduced both sides, and the foreign guy was introduced as John, a member of the 20 Faces fan club:

“20 Faces is very famous worldwide, and we admire him a lot.”

“I'm also a fan of 20 Faces.”

Utako smiled and shook hands with the guy.

Upon hearing Utako's name, John became very interested. After hearing the introduction about Kanon, he only shook her hand politely and then posed like a detective, asking Utako:

“Not only that, but Miss Ohkawa here is also a victim of 20 Faces, right? On your birthday last year, you had a statue of a mermaid stolen, with a valuable gem worth 100 million yen attached to it.”

Although his tone wasn't mocking, Kanon didn't like his nosy attitude, prying into someone else's personal matters.

“You know about that too?”

Utako asked in surprise, and then listened to John praising 20 Faces. Kanon silently cursed him as "crazy," but it was true that insensitive people often never realize it. Kanon felt a bit provoked and said:

“It seems like you know everything about 20 Faces.”

John was still in an excited state, nodding continuously:

“Of course, we gather every bit of information about 20 faces, and this time we're here just to confront this notorious thief.”

“Then do you know that I had also been stolen before?”

“Huh? What?”

Both John and Utako exclaimed in surprise, while Akira was left confused. He didn't expect Kanon to admit something like that. Kanon glanced at the nearby redhead photographer, Cliff Edmund, the troublemaker, who also stopped taking pictures and looked surprised upon hearing the unfamiliar news.

“You had been stolen too, uh, sorry, I mean Miss...

Kanon didn't respond, leaving John extremely confused. However, she didn't soften her heart and just gave a glance before turning away.

“Sorry, everyone, it's time for me to go to my club, so please excuse me.”

Then she leaned in and whispered into Utako's ear, "I'll tell you later, meet me in the council room after scholl," making the little girl smile and nod before she walked away.

“Oh no, what have I done? Is she angry now?”

When Kanon disappeared down the stairs, John panicked and asked Akira.

“Oh, that, Hanazaki is very busy, don't worry about it.”

“Hanazaki? Hanazaki Kanon?”

It was only now that John remembered Kanon's name and let out a sigh, unable to believe that he had missed the opportunity to get the autograph of the best detective fiction author of all time, writing about 20 faces:

“Oh my god, what have I done?”

Akira took the time to console the bewildered John, while Utako stood by, silently laughing at his foolishness. Cliff Edmund, who had stopped taking pictures, now looked towards the direction Kanon had gone, wanting to know what was going on between 20 faces and that girl. The fact that she had been stolen was something he had never heard of before. Could this be the key to unraveling the mystery of 20 faces?

After playing her little game, Kanon quickly grabbed her bag and disappeared, leaving John and Edmund to go to the elementary student council room and even her literature club, respectively, but they couldn't find her. At the end of visiting time, they were not allowed to stay in Clamp School to avoid disturbing the students, so they reluctantly returned to the hotel, planning to come back the next day.

In the student council room after school, Kanon happily opened the door and saw everyone gathered. As soon as Utako saw her, her eyes lit up:

“Kanon-oneesan, you're here!”

Kanon smiled and walked over to the tea table, teasing the little girl:

“Oh, Utako came to visit again?”

“Kanon-oneesan, please don't tease me anymore.”

Utako knew she was being teased but didn't get angry, she just shyly scolded Kanon. At this moment, the handsome and charming Student Council President, Nokoru, who occasionally had free time, joined in the fun:

“Ohkawa Kaichou said that 20 faces visited you too?”

Suoh was also curious, but he maintained a serious demeanor while waiting to hear Kanon's story, while Akira poured tea with trembling hands.

“It's nothing much, about 3 years ago, my mother bought a beautiful antique bedside lamp. That night, I received a letter from 20 faces, and then blah blah blah...”

The entire Student Council members listened intently as Kanon continued her story, welcoming the thief as if they were an esteemed guest. When Kanon mentioned turning on the lamp and greeting 20 faces, Nokoru burst into laughter.

“Kanon-chan, I didn't know you had such a great sense of humor.”

Utako was also excited, but her voice carried a hint of concern, giving off a sour tone.

“Did you also give 20 faces a cake? Did 20 faces accept it?”

“Yes, Utako also tasted that cake at my house. If you were him, would you have taken it?”

“Of course... um, I mean, the cake was really delicious.”

Utako slipped up but quickly regained her composure. However, when she heard the ending, knowing that 20 faces had given Kanon a new desk lamp, she seemed a bit disheartened. At that moment, Akira accidentally dropped the teacup onto the saucer, causing the hot tea to splash up and making him yelp.

“Be careful, Akira! That tea is hot.”

Kanon spoke up, reminding everyone that she wasn't afraid of being misunderstood. Whatever happens, happens, and it's better to speak up and clear any misunderstandings. But she had no intention of letting this misunderstanding drag on.

“Utako, you know, 20 faces understands things very well and is very fair. He took my lamp and even ate the cake, so he returned another lamp. Did you hear he has stole anything then returned something to someone.”

Utako couldn't help but touch the yellow bow pinned behind her head, the birthday gift from 20 faces after he took away the statue. Nokoru, understanding the situation, immediately chimed in:

“Kanon, did you not see 20 faces clearly? You can consider yourself the first person to have a direct conversation with him.”

Utako's heart ached. Wasn't she the first person to have a direct conversation with 20 faces? So she wasn't special to him? But then she shook her head, dismissing those thoughts. No, at that time, 20 faces and she didn't know each other yet. It wasn't strange for Kanon to have met him, but...

Seeing his little girl confused, Akira felt a pang of sadness and hoped for a chance to explain. But Suoh spoke up, hitting the nail on the head.

“But 20 faces just sat there drinking tea, he didn't take off his mask. How could Hanazaki see his face, right?

Kanon chuckled.

“That's right. I think when 20 faces takes off his mask for someone to see, that person must be incredibly special to him.”

Both Akira and Utako were left dumbfounded. Then Utako hurriedly asked:

“Incredibly special? But if that person is also meeting 20 faces for the first time and he takes off his mask and shows his face, doesn't that mean he was too easy or something? After all, he's known as the pompous thief.”

“Easy? Pom…po…us? No... he is… he is not like that.”

Upon hearing that, Akira choked on his tea, his face turning red, waving his hands as if to explain, stuttering to Utako. Nokoru smiled, adding fuel to the fire:

"We were just talking about 20 faces, everyone calls him that."

"I... I think... 20 faces isn't like that."

Akira hurriedly spoke, not wanting Utako to have that impression of him, he only had Utako in his heart. Only... Utako-san? Akira suddenly felt that he had been enlightened something incredibly important.

Utako stared intently, wanting to hear the answer from Kanon's mouth, even though Kanon wasn't the representative of 20 faces. But for some reason, Utako believed that if Kanon said something, she would feel reassured.

"If 20 faces takes off his mask for someone he meets for the first time, like you said, Utako-chan, then that must be destiny."

#clamp #clamp school detectives #clamp学園探偵団 #imonoyama nokoru #takamura suoh #ijyuin akira #yudaiji idomu #azuya nagisa #ohkawa utako #hanazaki kanon #clamp fanfic #clamp gakuen tanteidan

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