𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

file 031 | not as dead as they thought

"Where'd you hear him say that?" Suzume questioned.

"Television," he answered simply. "He actually speaks pretty good Japanese."

"Hawk-san. Could we have a moment please?"

The man held up his hands. "You've made a mistake! My name isn't Hawk!"

"Come on, you can't fool us."

"Is it true that you're donating half the proceeds of your show to zoos all over the world?"

"No, I..." His face began to turn red with panic as microphones were shoved into his face.

"You haven't been to Japan in three years, how does it feel?"

"Please say something, Hawk-san."

The crowd of reporters began to talk over each other and the man just had enough of it.

"I can't give answers to all your questions at the same time!" he shouted in English, making Suzume's eyes widen.

"Geez," Hikaru sighed, shaking his head. "This is why I get nervous when you're on your cases, Suzume." At her inquisitive look, he elaborated with a tired smile. "I worry you'll get hounded by reporters and I'll end up seeing a news report that you ended up killing one of them."

She chuckled awkwardly. Ah, let's hope it never comes to that...

"He's quite lucky," Ai remarked. "I have to hide and look behind my shoulder all the time because I can't afford a bodyguard. He brought this upon himself."

Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, come now," Suzume said, freeing her arm. "Let's go and give him a hand, shall we?"

"Listen. I've been trying to tell you that I..."

"There you are, Uncle Thomas!" Suzume interrupted with a bright grin, earning everyone's attention.

"Huh?"

"Uncle Thomas?"

"He's not Hawk-san?"

"No. He's a friend of Nee-chan's boyfriend over there," Ai said, pointing behind her to Hikaru, who was giving the reporters a passive-aggressive smile while waving a hand at them. "He's an English teacher."

"Yep." Suzume nodded, glad that Ai readily went along with the lie.

The man was bewildered as Mitsuhiko and Ayumi came over as well.

"Come on, let's go, Uncle Thomas," Ayumi urged.

The kids began to lead him away from the reporters, making excuses about going to a restaurant while Suzume stayed behind for a minute longer.

She gave the reporters an obviously fake smile. "Now, why don't you all run along and not bother people, hm?" She made a shooing motion with her hands before walking away, looping her arm through Hikaru's once more when she saw him glaring at the reporters.

~ — — — ~

"Thank you very much," the man said as they walked over the street on the overhead bridge. "You kids were a big help! I get mistaken for Mr. Hawk a lot, but I've never been in that kind of situation before."

They had stopped in the middle of the bridge.

"Then you should disguise yourself when you go out," Genta suggested.

That would make it worse...

"Do you like Paul and Annie's Animal Show that much?" Mitsuhiko asked.