Chapter 10 Who Were You Before

The 500-yen coin is the most commonly used coin in Japan, and now Nanahara Takeshi had one in his hand.

He flipped the brass-colored coin and deftly hid it somewhere; being a professional, he immediately became more amicable after receiving money. With a smile, he asked, "Kiyomi, you haven't really raised flowers before, have you?"

"I haven't raised flowers. What about it?" Kiyomi Liuli replied, sounding displeased.

Nanahara Takeshi, who had been paid, was easy to talk to and didn't mind her tone. He patiently explained, "If you had raised flowers, you would know that flower cultivation requires very specific soil conditions, with different flowers needing different types of soil.

Some flowers need soil rich in decaying matter, some need clay, some need soil mixed with a lot of sand and gravel for permeability, some only need rocks and water, some have very strict pH requirements for the soil, and some must regularly receive special minerals mixed into the fertilizer. So... do you understand?"

Kiyomi Liuli was baffled and said, "I understand... what exactly do I understand?"

Nanahara Takeshi gave her a look that said 'a fool cannot be taught' and sighed, "That pile of soil, the one in the greenhouse, it's not soil that was prepared for repotting. It's waste soil that was recently removed, with no signs of caking or clumping."

Recalling the pile, Kiyomi Liuli remembered that she had aimlessly dug through it with a small trowel. Indeed, it was a mixture of loose yellow soil, black soil, red soil, and gravel, but so what?

Confused, she said, "Isn't it normal to have discarded soil from repotting in a greenhouse? What's so strange about that? There's nothing in it. I've checked myself."

Nanahara Takeshi gave her another look, this time one that said 'you can't make bricks without straw', and sighed, "Since the plants vary so much and have strict requirements for soil quality, it's impossible for them all to need replanting at the same time. Some need changing in early spring, others in late spring, some in autumn, and some even require a specific time at night or on rainy days to change the soil. With so many plants having different needs and soil requirements, they wouldn't all have their soil changed at the same time, which means..."

Finally, Kiyomi Liuli had an epiphany and exclaimed loudly, "Stop, I've figured it out!

Yamashita's bookshelf was filled with books on potted plant gardening, and he even had a very professional greenhouse, housing many rare and valuable species. As a true lover of flowers, he would never make such a basic mistake. That pile of waste soil couldn't have come from him. Someone must have tampered with the potted plants secretly!

Someone did this inexplicable thing, plus Yamashita has just gone missing. The volume of that pile of waste soil is also comparable to that of a human body, which means we can boldly deduce that he has been murdered and his dismembered body hidden in the flower pots!"

Having made her exclamations, she felt exhilarated, as if she had devoured seven ice creams on a sweltering summer day, feeling a shiver of delight from head to toe—it wasn't that hard to uncover the truth after all. If I had knowledge about potted plant gardening, I would have solved the case myself!

What a pity, it was just that tiny bit!

Nanahara Takeshi applauded with a beaming smile, "You're right, Kiyomi, you are indeed smart!"

Hmph! I've always been smart, the intellectual pillar of Higashitama Town. It's just that I've never raised flowers!

Kiyomi Liuli was not completely foolish; she could detect the sarcasm in Nanahara Takeshi's words, but she was in such good spirits that she didn't bother with his snide remarks, taking them as sincere praise.

Feeling invigorated, she asked, "So how did you know it was Apartment 803 that did it?"

Even if Nanahara Takeshi hadn't found it directly, he probably would have solved the case eventually. After all, a murder case is a big deal, and dismemberment even more so, which would likely cause the police to thoroughly search the apartment building. They should eventually find some clues.

Of course, there were no guarantees, considering similar cases had happened before.

A woman fell victim to her neighbor, and some of her remains were stuffed in a suitcase and thrown into a trash bin in a nearby park.

The police had inquired in the vicinity of the lady's residence numerous times without finding any leads; they even chatted with the murderer and inadvertently revealed a lot of investigative directions. The case was only solved because the killer wasn't very clever, unlike the perpetrator today, and failed to dispose of the body completely. The remains started to smell, which led to a neighbor's report and the eventual capture of the murderer.

The Japanese police are known for their incompetence, nicknamed "the salary collectors" for a reason, and there is a possibility that this case might remain unsolved.

Therefore, Kiyomi Liuli was quite curious about how Nanahara Takeshi directly found the perpetrator. Her almond eyes glittered with curiosity, like a kitten smelling fish for the first time, nearly bursting with eagerness.

500 yen was already a tearful markdown, and Nanahara Takeshi felt it was time for her to renew her subscription. With an indifferent demeanor, he said, "Just a wild guess, I had nothing better to do, just thought I would ask on my way past."

Without showing any expression, Kiyomi Liuli stared at him for a moment, then rummaged in her little piggy bank wallet and slapped a few hundred-yen and fifty-yen coins in front of him. Nanahara Takeshi instantly became enthusiastic again and said with a smile, "When I was going to the rooftop, the peephole of Apartment 803 darkened for a moment."

"The peephole... dimmed for a moment?" Kiyomi Liuli was taken aback and speechless.

"Didn't you notice?" Nanahara Takeshi chuckled, "Obviously someone was inside, peeking out!"

Kiyomi Liuli was at a loss for words—who would notice such a thing? Who really looks at the peepholes in people's front doors while walking by?

Incredulously she asked, "Just based on that?"

"At the very least it's suspicious. You're home alone with the door properly closed, so why be so sensitive to someone passing by outside? Are you nervous about someone going up to the rooftop? Especially since, when Tasuku Yamashita's body was found hidden in the greenhouse, this kind of behavior becomes even more suspicious. Particularly when we came back, the peephole lit up again."

"It lit up again?"

"Yes, the person inside was peeking through the peephole, and when they heard footsteps, they quickly ducked away. What do you think their state of mind was?"

Kiyomi Liuli pictured the scene, then hesitated before nodding, "That does seem quite suspicious."

Nanahara Takeshi smiled, "Actually, if you think about it from another angle, it's even simpler..."

Immediately curious, Kiyomi Liuli quickly pressed, "Which angle?"

Nanahara Takeshi glanced sideways at the wallet in her hand, hinting that this counted as a new question. Kiyomi Liuli snorted coldly and began digging out money, but after fumbling for a bit, she took a closer look at her wallet in surprise.

The damn money is gone?

"Actually, the explanation I've already given should satisfy your curiosity," Nanahara Takeshi said kindly, "Knowing another angle is redundant, so don't waste your money."

Kiyomi Liuli glared at him, dug around fiercely, and was left with only a cartoon piggy that looked like it had successfully dieted and exercised for three months. She slapped a pile of coins into his hand, scowling, "I owe you one hundred and seventy yen, I'll pay you back tomorrow!"

"The day after tomorrow is fine too," Nanahara Takeshi was easygoing, pocketing the money and then saying, "Think about it, who is most likely to hide a body in the greenhouse pots after Tasuku Yamashita's death?"

Kiyomi Liuli had a realization, indeed, only residents on the eighth floor would dare to transport a corpse to the rooftop and not worry about being seen in the stairwell. Even the seventh floor would be hesitant, let alone the sixth, fifth, or fourth floors.

Then, considering the nervous behavior of apartment 803 earlier, it was only natural for Nanahara Takeshi to knock on their door—when he grabbed the resident's hand, he surely used some Testing Heart Skill or Negative Physiological Reaction trick, and with the culprit already on the verge of a mental breakdown, they confessed immediately.

It really wasn't hard, if I had also paid more attention to the peepholes usually, I could have caught the criminal myself!

It's such a shame...

Kiyomi Liuli felt annoyed with herself, realizing that there's a slight difference between real-life investigations and detective novels; she had the theory but lacked experience. She continued to inquire, "What if 803 isn't the murderer, how do you plan to look for clues then?"

"Why should I search for anything? Let the police handle it!" Nanahara Takeshi replied nonchalantly, "I just have to find the person. As long as I find them, that's enough; solving the case is the police's job—they get paid for it. Even if Tasuku Yamashita isn't found, it's no issue, I just won't charge for my services. Our line of work doesn't require success every time; we strive for three years without business but business for three years once it comes."

His reasoning sounded convincing, and Kiyomi Liuli found herself speechless. But then she rolled her eyes—she didn't consider herself part of this 'our line of work' and certainly didn't want to become a scammer!

Still, even though she complained, Kiyomi Liuli couldn't help but feel a measure of respect for Nanahara Takeshi. Despite some flaws in his character, he was truly impressive, with observation skills so extreme they nearly rivaled the Famous Detective in novels, even to an abnormal extent.

She questioned herself, her intelligence was definitely superior, having often been praised as a "very smart child" by neighbors since she was young. Yet, with Nanahara Takeshi, she felt as if she was being intellectually suppressed, seeming like one who could only ask why, something had to be amiss!

He couldn't possibly be just an ordinary high school student; his past experiences must be far from simple!

With this thought, curiosity sparked within her. Her eyes shining, she asked, "Why are you so capable...no, who were you before, what have you done?"