Tokyo Detective Chronicles

After enjoying a rather sumptuous lunch at the Takeda family's house, Fushimi and Hoshizaki chatted for about half an hour before taking their leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer?" Teacher Takeda saw her to the door, somewhat reluctant to part.

"We'll come see our teacher again next time!"

Hoshizaki smiled and looked at Fushimi.

Fushimi was carrying two boxes of exquisite and expensive Japanese sweets, which were a thank-you gift prepared by Takeda-sensei for the two of them.

"Definitely."

Teacher Takeda gently hugged Hoshizaki and nodded to Fushimi: "Be careful on the road."

They left the Takeda family.

The elevator slowly descended, casting blurry shadows of two people on the metal wall.

Rina Hoshizaki stretched and let out a long sigh of relief: "Takeda-sensei and her husband have such a good relationship..."

"Okay." Fushimi responded and took out his phone to check the map.

Katsushika Ward Third General Hospital is about a 40-minute train ride from Chiyoda.

Today is Saturday, if we go there now...

His fingers slid across the screen, his gaze focused.

Hoshizaki leaned closer for a look, then blinked, "Are you really going to that hospital?"

"Um."

"Now?"

"Um."

"one person?"

Fushimi looked up and glanced at her.

Hoshizaki felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and turned her face away. "I was just asking... Anyway, you definitely won't take me, right?"

Her voice trailed off as she unconsciously tugged at the ribbon on the pastry box.

The elevator "dinged" as it arrived on the first floor.

The door opened, and the afternoon sunlight poured in, dazzling the eyes.

Fushimi stepped out, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back.

Rina Hoshizaki followed behind him with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

"Feed," Fushimi called to her.

"what?"

Hoshizaki looked up and stared at him with her big, blinking eyes.

"Would you like to..." Fushimi paused, a rare moment of hesitation in his voice, "...come with me?"

Hoshizaki was stunned.

She blinked, then blinked again, as if she didn't understand.

Then, she slowly opened her eyes, and an expression of disbelief gradually spread across her face.

"Huh?!"

The voice rose in surprise, making it particularly loud in the empty first-floor lobby.

Several residents passing by cast curious glances in their direction.

Hoshizaki quickly covered his mouth, jogged after Fushimi, and grabbed his arm: "Really?!"

Fushimi was tugged by her and said helplessly, "Really."

Hoshizaki's eyes lit up completely, as if stars had fallen into them.

Before, when I pestered Fushimi, he absolutely refused to agree, but today he actually took me along!

She released her grip, placed her hands on her hips, and slightly raised her chin, revealing a smug expression that said, "You finally begged me, didn't you?"

"What, now you know how useful this pretty girl is?"

Fushimi's eyes twitched as he looked at her smug expression.

"Never mind, I won't go." He turned to leave.

"Go away! I'll go!" Hoshizaki immediately pounced on him, hugging his arm from behind and hanging on him.

……

The area of ​​Katsushika Ward near the Arakawa River is quite different from the bustling city center.

The streets are narrow, lined with mostly old two-story wooden buildings, and occasionally you can see Showa-style signs.

Various handwritten "GG" characters are pasted on the utility poles, and bicycles are parked haphazardly on the roadside.

The Third District General Hospital is situated in this street scene.

It was a five-story white building with slightly yellowed exterior tiles. Most of the dark blue glass windows were closed, with only a few open, through which one could vaguely see the old curtains inside.

The hospital is quite large, with the main building in an "L" shape and a slightly shorter annex on the side.

Judging from the architectural style, it is at least a product of twenty or thirty years ago. At that time, it was probably the best hospital in the area.

The metal sign at the hospital's main entrance showed some rust, but the words "District Third General Hospital" were still fairly clear.

"...Is this the place?"

Rina Hoshizaki stood in front of the convenience store across from the hospital, pointing and asking quietly.

"Yes." Fushimi nodded.

On a weekend afternoon, which should have been a relatively busy time for the hospital, very few people were coming and going. Occasionally, a few elderly people would slowly move in with canes.

The entire hospital was filled with a gloomy, deathly atmosphere.

"It feels... so deserted." Hoshizaki rubbed his arms.

Fushimi did not answer.

He was also observing the hospital.

The scene I saw through the swastika candle before... wasn't exactly the same.

The building shown in the ceremony was even more dilapidated, with large areas of the exterior wall tiles missing and covered with dead vines.

The hospital in front of us, though old, was at least clean, with intact windows and no obvious damage to the walls. Most importantly, the hospital building looked completely different from what we saw during the ceremony.

Is this really the place?

Or perhaps... he saw another side of the hospital?

"Let's go in and take a look."

As Fushimi spoke, he stepped across the road, and Hoshizaki quickly followed.

As you enter the hospital, the smell of disinfectant hits you, mixed with a musty smell unique to old buildings.

To be honest, the environment here meets all the shooting requirements of a hospital-themed B-grade horror movie.

The hall was dimly lit, with a few fluorescent tubes flickering and emitting a soft hum.

Anyone would feel uneasy because of this.

However, when Fushimi activated his spiritual vision and carefully examined the situation in the hospital lobby, he was surprised to find nothing unusual; it was just a fairly ordinary hospital.

"..."

After thinking for a moment, Fushimi sighed.

Since no obvious abnormalities have been found, there is only one way left...

There was only one nurse yawning at the registration desk. When she saw the two of them come in, she lazily raised her eyes:

"Initial consultation? Do you have an appointment?"

"No." Fushimi walked to the counter. "We'd like to consult with an obstetrician/gynecologist."

The nurse looked up.

His gaze swept back and forth between Fushimi and Hoshizaki, lingering on Hoshizaki's face for a couple more seconds, before he gave a "I understand" look.

"The obstetrics and gynecology department is on the second floor at the very back. Dr. Hoshino is on duty today."

She tore off a note and hastily wrote a number: "Go upstairs and wait for your number to be called."

"Thank you." Fushimi took the note and turned to walk towards the stairs.

Hoshizaki quickly followed.

She had only taken a few steps when she couldn't help but lean close to Fushimi's ear, lowering her voice to incredulity: "Hey, hey, hey, that expression she gave me just now... she wouldn't think we..., would she?"

"Hmm." Fu Jian said expressionlessly, "She thought you were pregnant, so I brought you here for a checkup."

Hoshizaki's face flushed red.

She stopped abruptly, grabbed Fushimi's arm, and cried out in a trembling voice, "Wait, wait! What are we here for?"

"Of course we're here for you to get a prenatal checkup! Otherwise, why would we bring you here?"

Fushimi replied matter-of-factly, "If I could get pregnant, I would have come by myself."

"ha?!"

Hoshizaki's palms began to sweat.

She imagined herself lying on the examination table, the doctor touching her lower abdomen with cold instruments, searching for something that didn't exist on the display screen...

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

"No, no, no!"

She shook her head vigorously, her hair, which was coiled at the back of her head, swaying back and forth:

"This is just too... too embarrassing! If word gets out, how am I going to explain this to my parents?! This is enough to make me socially dead!"

"Hey, hey, hey, please wake up!"

Her voice grew louder and louder, attracting the curious gaze of an old woman coming down the stairs.

To outsiders, Fushimi seemed like a scumbag who didn't want to admit his girlfriend's pregnancy.

Fushimi sighed: "Calm down."

"I can't calm down!" Hoshizaki puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.

Fushimi was silent for a few seconds, then took two things out of his pocket and handed them to Hoshizaki.

He was, of course, prepared for this.

"What is this...?"

"Fake identity".