Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

A pure white room.

The interior was neatly decorated and fully equipped. If one ignored the color of the walls, it could easily be mistaken for a presidential suite in a hotel. He had it all to himself.

Being a private room with special treatment, the soundproofing between it and the hallway was excellent, leaving the surroundings in complete silence. Of course, from the novelist’s perspective, he didn’t find it lonely at all. The room was usually filled with noisy voices that only gave him a headache.

At that moment, having just woken up from his afternoon nap and with his previous visitors gone, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.

Only one person remained in the room, visiting the patient. She sat in a chair beside the hospital bed, wearing glasses and intensely focusing on the contents of a notebook.

The novelist, thoroughly wrapped in bandages and unable to move his limbs without assistance, obediently lay on the hospital bed, idly gazing at the ceiling and the dark television screen.

“The True Mastermind Behind the Suicide Wave Incident!”

“Mystery Solved by a Sixteen-Year-Old High School Girl Detective!”

“The Savior of the Japanese Police?”

Several newspapers lay open on top of the blanket, their front pages featuring articles with such headlines. This was undoubtedly the most hotly discussed topic among the public and in the media right now.

Asami-senpai was taking her first step on life’s path under the public spotlight—truly a cause for celebration.

“Hmm… very good.”

As the novelist pondered these trivial matters, the short-haired woman in a business suit sitting beside the hospital bed smiled and removed the glasses from her nose.

“Quite an impressive plan and outline, Tachiki-sensei. When I first heard you intended to write a new series featuring a brand-new detective as the protagonist—and a female one at that—I was somewhat concerned.”

Utsunomiya Kei smiled as she returned the notebook to the novelist’s hand.

“Now it seems I was overthinking things. As expected of Tachiki-sensei, your writing skill remains excellent as always, making one eagerly anticipate what comes next.”

“Is it really okay?”

“Yes, it’s completely fine in my view. I personally look forward to the birth of this new work. I’ll do my utmost to convince the chief editor.”

The editor-san replied without hesitation.

“I was worried that fans of the original series might not accept a new work, but now it seems the former detective protagonist and narrator, ‘Tachiki Ryo,’ will continue to appear as the narrator and still play an important role in the new work, just with his role changed from ‘detective’ to ‘assistant’… This idea is quite intriguing and will likely generate strong interest among fans without making them feel alienated. On the other hand, having a high school girl as the newly introduced co-protagonist will undoubtedly attract new readers who prefer this type of character, which suits the current market and trends. Moreover, using that currently popular girl detective as the prototype will certainly attract considerable attention…”

Utsunomiya-san seemed to have become excited, expressing her editorial interest at length. After continuing for ten minutes, she finally realized she was being somewhat rude and cleared her throat with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“I’m terribly sorry. You should be resting quietly here…”

“It’s fine. Physical recovery is just a matter of time. I should be thanking Utsunomiya-san for coming to visit.”

Falling from such a height had been a harrowing experience; the intense pain that surged through his body at that moment was so excruciating that even now, merely recalling it made his stomach contract. At the time, he had thought he was certainly going to die… but the situation wasn’t as bad as expected.

The injuries were quite serious. After all, being pushed from such a height—even with cushioning—the tremendous impact was not something the fragile human body could withstand. The novelist’s left hand and right foot had both broken in that instant.

But beyond that, the impact on other aspects wasn’t too significant. The mild concussion caused by the impact had rendered him unconscious for half a day before he awoke. And currently, his mental state was reasonably good.

…

“There’s something I’ve heard. However…” Utsunomiya Kei’s expression showed some hesitation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tachiki-sensei, is it true that you were pushed from the rooftop because you were trying to save someone you didn’t know? It doesn’t quite seem like you… No, I’m not saying you lack kindness, just… just that if it were you, shouldn’t you have been able to think of a better solution? If you had remained calm, perhaps there existed a way to save that person without subjecting yourself to such severe injuries…”

The novelist didn’t answer immediately.

Being an ordinary person, Utsunomiya-san naturally didn’t know the inside story behind the incident, but the question she asked left him speechless.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t made prior preparations.

For example, asking the stall owner below to move the canopy underneath as cushioning for his fall—if he hadn’t done so, his entire body would probably be shattered by now.

Additionally, on his way to the hospital, he deliberately chose a route covered by Miyagi-san’s surveillance cameras.

And he had also intentionally torn off the button that Yayoi had personally attached.

But all these actions were based on the premise of self-harm.

As Utsunomiya-san said, he should have had other options. Options that didn’t require injuring himself, self-mutilation, or risking his safety… So why, in the end, did he choose the most extreme and unstable method?

The driving factor behind this confused even him.

“Perhaps… there’s a masochistic aspect to my personality,” the novelist finally answered.

That was the only conclusion he could draw.

“Is that so?” Utsunomiya Kei sighed.

“Regardless, as your editor… no, more importantly, as your friend, I hope you will take better care of yourself and avoid such reckless actions in the future.”

“…”

After receiving his reply, Utsunomiya Kei stood up, placed the get-well gifts she had brought beside the bed, and picked up her handbag, preparing to leave.

“Well then, I have work to do, so I’ll be going first. I’ll handle the matter of the new work properly. Please rest well here during this time, Tachiki-sensei.”

The editor-san thoughtfully glanced at the door of the hospital room. The door was shaking slightly.

“It seems someone is already eagerly waiting outside. I won’t intrude any further and disturb you two.”

“Ah… um, okay.”

Faced with Utsunomiya-san’s teasing smile, the novelist could only scratch his cheek with an “aha ha” and a wry smile.

“Asami-senpai, aren’t you coming in?”

After Utsunomiya Kei left the hospital room and a good while had passed, he finally couldn’t help but speak up.

A flurry of flustered sounds immediately came from outside the door.