Chapter 29: Kagehara Tetsuya’s Contemplation of the Future
Kagehara Tetsuya believed that the only reason Hasebe Koichi would spend two days and two nights on something was if he were stalking senpai’s accomplice. Other pressing issues for Hasebe, such as finding a place to stay or preparing bargaining chips in case the kidnapping failed, wouldn’t take that long.
Moreover, Hasebe Koichi didn't need to worry about senpai or her accomplice aiding the police. Hasebe falling into the hands of the authorities wasn't in senpai's best interest; in fact, it was something she feared. Similarly, Hasebe's greed drove him to ensure that the police never caught senpai, as it would ruin his face-swapping plan.
"In other words," Tetsuya mused, "the confrontation between senpai and Hasebe Koichi can only take place in the shadows, using underhanded methods. Any attempt to shed light on the situation would make the source of that light the first target."
Tetsuya gazed out the window, his lips pressed together. "Compared to the monotony of everyday life, this is far more intriguing and thrilling. The outcome doesn't matter as much as the process itself."
Few things could excite him like this. If it weren't for Hanako's sixth wish, Tetsuya, given his current mindset, would never have stayed on the sidelines. But Hanako's sixth wish was a ticking time bomb, casting a dark shadow over his future.
On the twenty-second day after the face swap, Hanako's sixth wish would come true. By then, he would have completely transformed into "Yomikawa Tsuko," down to his fingerprints, blood type, DNA, and even his brain. Though his memories would remain intact, Tetsuya was acutely aware of what his brain lacked compared to a normal person's. He knew he was missing certain emotions and abilities that most people took for granted.
As a result, he couldn't predict how he would change once he possessed a normal brain, filled with those missing emotions and capabilities. Would he become cowardly, unable to conquer fear, and lose his current rational perspective on death? Would he become impulsive, driven by fleeting emotions, and lose his ability to remain calm and logical? Or would he turn foolish, like those detectives who easily trusted others and were led astray?
He couldn't even rule out the possibility that he might become someone who only cared about living a peaceful life, indifferent to the conflict between senpai and Hasebe, and unconcerned with uncovering the truth about Lord Mask-Taker.
In other words, Tetsuya couldn't fully trust his future self, and that future was rapidly approaching.
"I must prepare for the worst-case scenario," he thought. "Can a person's values, personality, and thoughts undergo a drastic change even if their memories remain intact? Absolutely, and the likelihood is very high."
"Once the sixth wish is fulfilled, my mindset might completely shift."
While it would be an exaggeration to say that his "personality would be entirely replaced," since his memories would remain the same, his priorities would undoubtedly change.
"Still, I have no choice but to accept it. There's no going back to inheriting the identity of 'Kagehara Tetsuya,' who's being pursued by the police."
Since realizing that his brain would change, Tetsuya had revisited this line of thinking multiple times, always arriving at the same conclusion.
"I must leave room for my future self. Even if I can't create an environment where I can make choices freely, I must ensure that I don't leave behind any complications."
Therefore, before the sixth wish came to pass, he needed to take action now.
First, he had to pin the murder of Ōshima Masaki on "Kagehara Tetsuya" and Hasebe Koichi, protecting the identity of "Yomikawa Tsuko." It was acceptable to be mildly suspected, but he couldn't become the primary suspect.
Second, he had to prevent the police from learning about "Lord Mask-Taker's power." To do this, he needed to eliminate Hasebe before his body was swapped with Ōshima Masaki's. On this point, senpai would also never allow the police to suspect "Yomikawa Tsuko." If he were caught by the police and forced to reveal everything to clear his name, Lord Mask-Taker's power would be exposed, which was against senpai's interests.
Thus, who would handle Hasebe was a secondary issue. If senpai couldn't do it, then Tetsuya would have to step in.
The final matter was to secure a countermeasure against senpai—he didn't believe she had his best interests at heart. In fact, if Hasebe could threaten her, so could he. The only way to blackmail her, however, would be to self-destruct by going to the police and revealing everything. Even if senpai had accomplices, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.
Once the police knew who to target, they could handle the basic task of tracking and arresting the culprits. This was a countermeasure, but a rudimentary one, only usable if his life was in danger. It wasn't ideal.
If he had more information—such as what exactly happened last night or the truth behind Lord Mask-Taker's story—he could devise a more effective, one-sided countermeasure against senpai.
In short, most of Tetsuya's recent actions were aimed at achieving these three goals, albeit with varying degrees of emphasis.
Currently, his primary concern was securing a countermeasure against senpai. With enough information, his future self would have the freedom to choose—whether to live an ordinary life or continue pursuing thrills.
To achieve this, he still needed to deal with Hasebe Koichi, as he held valuable information.
"The first method is to find Hasebe before Senpai does and interrogate him thoroughly. The advantage is that I can gather the most information, but the downside is that it will inevitably leave traces."
"The second method is to wait for Hasebe's kidnapping attempt to fail. He'll undoubtedly prepare bargaining chips to use against Senpai. If I can obtain those, I'll have both information and a countermeasure. The advantage is that it leaves no trace, but the downside is that the quality of the information depends on luck."
The first method required locating Hasebe's hideout. The second required deducing Hasebe's approach to preparing his "chips." He couldn't hold onto the chips himself, as being discovered would be disastrous.
For example, if Hasebe told senpai, "I've set up a timed email to the police detailing the truth about Lord Mask-Taker. If I don't cancel it by 12 PM, the police will know everything," that would be unacceptable. There are countless ways to force someone to comply, and Hasebe wasn't the type to withstand torture, as evidenced by their earlier encounter.
Therefore, Tetsuya speculated that if Hasebe wasn't a complete fool, he would entrust the chips to someone he trusted, ensuring they were delivered in an irreversible manner. He would explain the risks and instruct the person to use the chips under specific circumstances.
It was too early to decide which method to use. For now, he would prepare for both and make a decision based on how things unfolded.
Glancing at the clock, Tetsuya saw that the last class of the day was about to end. He had already arranged to visit Ōshima Mana's house, so he gathered his thoughts and prepared to contact Kishida Masayoshi.
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