Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – ANOTHER FILES Vol 1 Chapter 2

'Y-yes sir.’

Is.h.i.+ thought what Gotou was saying was correct, but even if Is.h.i.+ knew it in his head, there were things he couldn’t do.

Is.h.i.+ had always lived while observing other people’s expressions.

Trying his best not to stand out, trying his best not to get on people’s nerves – it was like a defence mechanism.

Even if he didn’t think he was at fault, if he just apologised, he could fix the situation. At some point his life, that had become a habit.

It sounded like Gotou was grumbling.

Is.h.i.+ almost said 'I’m sorry’ instinctively, but he managed to stop himself.

'So, I wanted to ask what I should…’

'B-but…’

'E-eh…’

'U-understood.’

Is.h.i.+ was about to say 'Sorry’ again but hurriedly swallowed it.

'Er…’

'Detective Gotou…’

After that comment, Gotou hung up.

Is.h.i.+ was putting his mobile away when he realised he’d forgotten to tell Gotou something.

The fact that Yuuko’s older sister, Kosaka Yukari, was Mochizuki Tos.h.i.+ki’s cla.s.smate.

He thought about calling again, but he changed his mind.

'It’s got nothing to do with it,’ murmured Is.h.i.+. He looked up and noticed a man standing on the opposite side of the road.

He wore a black suit. He had long hair and wore sungla.s.ses. His lips were turned up in a faint smile.

– That man.

Is.h.i.+ had seen this man with a strange presence before.

Feeling drawn towards him, Is.h.i.+ was about to approach when a large bus pa.s.sed in front of his eyes.

He stepped back in surprise.

By the time the bus had gone out of Is.h.i.+’s sight, the man had already disappeared –

5

'Honestly…’

Gotou said that without thinking after he finished his call with Is.h.i.+.

Why was Is.h.i.+ so hesitant? Even though detectives should be more unreserved, Is.h.i.+ always seemed afraid of something.

However, it wasn’t that Gotou disliked Is.h.i.+.

Rather, he had expectations for him. He wanted to do something for him. Gotou had always been awkward, so he didn’t know how to put things into words – he always ended up speaking strictly.

He thought that Is.h.i.+ would probably have grown more smoothly if he had paired with somebody else.

'What the h.e.l.l am I thinking about?’

Gotou shook his head to clear it and started walking.

He pa.s.sed through Meisei University’s front gates and went to prefabricated building behind Block B.

'Sorry to bother.’

Gotou opened the door to the room at the very back for the Movie Research Circle.

'If you know you’re a bother, please go home,’ said Yak.u.mo, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he sat on the chair by the wall.

That was his response.

'You’re the one who called me here.’

'I don’t need you, Gotou-san, but those doc.u.ments.’

Yak.u.mo pointed at the brown envelope Gotou was holding.

'Here.’

Gotou threw the files to Yak.u.mo.

Yak.u.mo caught the envelope, quickly too the files out and started reading them.

'Honestly…’ grumbled Gotou as he sat down.

'What is Is.h.i.+-san doing today?’ asked Yak.u.mo, eyes on the files.

'Working another case.’

'The murder case at the shrine then.’

'Yeah.’

'Is it OK leaving him alone?’

'He’s not some brat. He’s gotta work on his own sometimes.’

'Can you really say that about someone else?’

Yak.u.mo looked at Gotou mockingly.

'What do you mean by that?’

'Exactly what I said.’

'This brat…’

Gotou clicked his tongue.

After a pause, the door opened.

'Gotou-san.’

Haruka was the one who came in.

She had a plastic bag from the convenience store.

'Hey. It’s been a while.’

'You look well.’

Haruka sat down next to Gotou with a smile.

'I’m not,’ grumbled Gotou, putting his chin in his hand.

'Is there a case?’

'How are you doing, Haruka-chan?’

'Actually, there was some trouble…’

Haruka glanced at Yak.u.mo. Yak.u.mo seemed to be focussing on the files and didn’t even lift his head.

'When you say trouble, is it ghost trouble?’ asked Gotou.

Haruka nodded.

'Do you know the tree of deceit/’

'Yeah. The one at the shrine, right?’

Where Mochizuki Tos.h.i.+ki was murdered.

'My friend was possessed by a woman’s ghost there.’

'When?’

'Yesterday.’

– I see.

Gotou understood now.

Yak.u.mo was investigating Haruka’s request when he showed up at that shrine.

At the same place, on the same day, a murder case and a spiritual phenomenon – it made sense for Yak.u.mo to think they were related.

'So it really was you, Haruka-chan.’

'What do you mean by “really”?’

Haruka puffed her cheeks out in a sulk.

– Troublemaker.

Yak.u.mo teased Haruka by calling her that. Because she always picked up trouble due to her kind nature.

It was to the point, but Haruka didn’t like it.

She didn’t want to trouble Yak.u.mo – she wanted to support him.

– A strong girl.

'It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.’

Gotou shrugged. At this point, Yak.u.mo lifted his head.

'Couldn’t you be a bit quieter?’ Yak.u.mo said, sounding displeased. He ran a hand through his messy hair. Though his tone irritated Gotou, he wouldn’t be able to keep up if he bothered with everything Yak.u.mo said.

'Ah, my bad.’

'As long as you understand,’ Yak.u.mo said placidly.

It was irritating, but Gotou restrained himself.

'So what did you find out?’ asked Gotou.

Yak.u.mo looked at Haruka.

'Before that, food.’

'Right. Here.’

Haruka put the plastic bag from the convenience store on the table.

Haruka stuck his hand in and took a rice ball and a bottle of tea from inside.

'Would you like to eat as well, Gotou-san?’

'Sorry about this.’

Gotou was just getting hungry, so at Haruka’s invitation, he decided to take a rice ball.

'So how about it?’ Gotou asked again, rice ball in hand.

'The ghost possessing your friend is undoubtedly the woman in these files, Kosaka Yukari.’

Yak.u.mo placed a photograph from the files on the table.

'What sort of person is she?’

Haruka peered at the photo.

Kosaka Yukari was thin and had a sensitive-looking face, but she could probably be called a beauty.

'Ten years ago, this woman fell from the shrine’s steps and died,’ responded Gotou.

Eyes wide, Haruka put her hands over her mouth.

'Fell and died…’

'But why would a woman who died in an accident possess Haruka-chan’s friend?’

Gotou didn’t understand.

'I don’t know the reason either, but the spirit that has possessed her keeps saying the same thing.’

'What?’

'I’ll kill you – ’

Upon hearing Haruka’s response, a chill ran down Gotou’s spine.

'Who does she want to kill?’ asked Gotou.

Yak.u.mo raised his left eyebrow.

'It’d be easy work if I knew that.’

'Well, yeah.’

'Rather than “who”, it might be better to find out “why” first.’

'I see.’

It was just as Yak.u.mo said.

To hate someone to the point of wanting to kill them, there had to be an appropriate reason. If they found out what it was, they would probably find out who the person was naturally.

'So do you have any ideas?’ asked Gotou.

Yak.u.mo grimaced.

'This is only a theory, but…’

'What?’

'What if her fall ten years ago was not an accident but a murder?’

'Don’t be ridiculous!’

Gotou yelled without thinking.

'Please don’t speak so loudly.’

Yak.u.mo put his fingers in his eyes to complain.

'Stop whining. The police aren’t stupid. They wouldn’t say it was an accident without any evidence.’

'I looked at the files, but the reason the police decided it was an accident was because they found no evidence that said it was a murder.’

'Urgh…’

Gotou couldn’t retort. It was just as Yak.u.mo said.

The police had looked into the possibility it was a murder at first, but they found no evidence for it.

In short, they’d said it was an accident because the other possibility was ruled out.

'If Kosaka Yukari-san was killed by someone, it would make sense for her to be wandering this world with strong hatred even after ten years had pa.s.sed.’

'Hatred because of her murder…’ said Haruka, sounding pained as she put her hand to her heart.

Yak.u.mo nodded.

'But who the h.e.l.l killed her and why?’

'I don’t know. I said this earlier, but Kosaka Yukari-san’s being murdered is only my theory.’

'That’s true, but…’

Even though Yak.u.mo said it was a theory, it seemed true to Gotou.

Kosaka Yukari was killed by someone. To take revenge, she wandered the world and possessed Haruka’s friend –

While thinking, Gotou suddenly came to his senses and let out an 'Ah!’.

He had almost forgotten the reason he had come here.

Gotou wasn’t investigating the case ten years ago to save Haruka’s friend. It was because Yak.u.mo had said it might have something to do with Mochizuki’s murder.

'So how is Kosaka Yukari, who died ten years ago, related to Mochizuki’s murder?’

'Gotou-san, you can read, can you not?’

Yak.u.mo looked at Gotou like he were something dirty.

'You making fun of me!?’

'Correct.’

Yak.u.mo clapped his hands.

'You brat! Want me to punch you?’

'You respond with violence so quickly. Just like a wild bear.’

'Who’s a bear!?’

'Who else besides you, Gotou-san?’

'If you don’t stop it, I really will punch you!’

Though Gotou was shouting, it was ineffective against Yak.u.mo. He opened his mouth wide and yawned.

Beside him, Haruka stifled her laughter.

With responses like these, Gotou lost his nerve.

'Explain what you mean.’

Gotou got back on topic. Yak.u.mo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

'Did you not notice anything upon looking at Kosaka Yukari-san’s history?’

'What?

Gotou stole the files from Yak.u.mo and focussed his eyes on them, but he still didn’t understand.

'Just tell me already.’

Gotou threw the files onto the table.

'Is that the att.i.tude you should take when asking somebody for something?’

Yak.u.mo put his chin in his hand.

'Stop putting on airs,’ said Gotou.

Yak.u.mo shook his head, seeming truly exasperated.

'I’m not putting on airs. I am just asking for you to act like an adult.’

'Ah, man, I got it. Please. Please tell me,’ said Gotou, half in despair.

'Your att.i.tude isn’t great, but I’ll let it pa.s.s.’

Yak.u.mo shrugged.

Gotou wanted to punch him, but if Yak.u.mo’s mood worsened here, they’d get nowhere.

Gotou took deep breaths to calm himself.

'So what is it?’ urged Haruka.

'Yeah, tell us already.’

'Kosaka Yukari-san, who died ten years ago, was born in the same year as Mochizuki-san, who was killed this time.’

'What?’

Gotou hurriedly looked at the files.

It was just as Yak.u.mo said. They were born in the same year.

'Furthermore, their school was also the same.’

'Wha!’

Gotou looked at Kosaka Yukari’s history, written in the files.

– Kaisei High School, comprehensive courses.

The same school as Mochizuki’s.

'So the two would have known each other…’

'It is likely.’

'What the h.e.l.l is this…’

Gotou felt himself growing paler. It could be a coincidence, but he didn’t think it was.

The two cases were related – he was almost sure of it.

6

It was already dark.

Is.h.i.+ staggered along the street in front of the station.

Gotou had given him a number of instructions, but he didn’t know where to start – or rather, he didn’t feel like doing anything.

He still hadn’t accepted reality.

'Is.h.i.+-san.’

Just as Is.h.i.+ took a deep sigh, somebody called out to him.

When he turned around, he saw Hijikata Makoto running towards him.

The woman had well-defined features on her elegant face and wore a grey trouser suit. For some reason, Makoto was kind to Is.h.i.+, but Is.h.i.+ wasn’t good with her.

It wasn’t her fault. It was just that they didn’t meet under good circ.u.mstances.

When Is.h.i.+ first met Makoto, she had been possessed by a ghost.

She was completely normal now, but the image of her with her eyes wide as she screamed 'I’ll kill you’ was still vivid in his mind.

’M-Makoto-san…

Is.h.i.+ greeted Makoto with a twitching smile.

'You’re alone today.’

'Eh, ah, yes…’

She was probably talking about Gotou.

It felt like she was scolding him for not working in a pair, so he felt fl.u.s.tered.

'Did something happen?’ asked Makoto, peering at Is.h.i.+’s face.

'Eh?’

'You look down.’

’T-that’s not true.’

'That’s a lie.’

'No, I, er…’

'There’s no point hiding it. It’s written on your face.’

Is.h.i.+ frantically touched his face.

When Makoto saw that, she laughed happily. Is.h.i.+ replied to that with a wry smile.

'Right. Is.h.i.+-san, do you have some time?’

Makoto clapped her hands together.

'No, er… I could say I have time, but I could say I don’t…’

'Shall we have tea?’

'Eh, but…’

'It’s fine, isn’t it? You need to take a breather every once in a while.’

'But…’

Ignoring Is.h.i.+’s hesitation, Makoto smiled and started briskly walking towards a nearby cafe.

Is.h.i.+ followed her, as if he was being dragged along.

At first, Is.h.i.+ had thought of Makoto as a graceful woman, but that image had changed recently.

Completely the opposite of Is.h.i.+, Makoto was decisive and active.

When she opened the cafe door, there was the sound of a bell.

The dark and narrow shop had a counter on the left with square tables on the right.

'How about here?’

’S-sure.’

Is.h.i.+ sat down at the table at Makoto’s urging.

There was a clock with a large pendulum on the wall. Perhaps it was broken, as the clock’s needles were pointed at the wrong time, and the pendulum was no longer moving.

When Is.h.i.+ saw that, his sleeping memories woke up once more.

– I’ve come to this shop before.

When he was in high school. The same seat. The clock had still been working then.

Tos.h.i.+ki had been in the opposite seat.

This is what he’d said.

– I have a request.

A pang of pain shot through his forehead.

– No. No. No. I don’t want to remember.

'Are you all right?’ asked Makoto.

'Yes, it’s nothing.’

Is.h.i.+ shook his head.

A waiter with brown hair – probably a student part-timer – came to take their order. Makoto ordered coffee, so Is.h.i.+ did the same.

After taking one sip of the coffee brought to him by the waiter, Is.h.i.+ felt a bit better.

When he looked up, he saw Makoto staring at his face.

Is.h.i.+, who was an extremely late bloomer, had next to experience being looked at by women. With no idea how to respond, he started stirring his coffee with a spoon for no reason.

'So what happened?’

Makoto’s question made Is.h.i.+’s hand stop.

It looked like Makoto was trying to listen to Is.h.i.+’s worries.

'No, I…’

'Please don’t hide it.’

'No…’

'Is.h.i.+-san, you’re not somebody who can lie.’

'Is that so?’

Is.h.i.+ couldn’t relax, feeling like Makoto had seen right through him.

'Please talk, if you don’t mind my listening. That said, all I can do is listening.’

Makoto shrugged.

'No, but…’

Is.h.i.+ was grateful for Makoto’s feelings, but he couldn’t just chat about information related to the case.

Furthermore, Is.h.i.+ himself didn’t know why he was so disturbed. He couldn’t explain feelings he didn’t understand himself to somebody else.

An awkward silence continued.

'It must be the incident at the shrine,’ said Makoto without delay.

Is.h.i.+ felt terrified.

'What?’

'The victim was your cla.s.smate, right, Is.h.i.+-san?’

'W-why do you…’

Is.h.i.+’s shocked expression made Makoto laugh.

'I am a newspaper reporter. I know that much.’

'Ah, I see…’

Is.h.i.+ wiped the sweat from his forehead.

'Were you close?’

'Eh?’

Is.h.i.+ didn’t understand the question.

'With the victim.’

'We… weren’t that close…’ replied Is.h.i.+ with a bitter smile.

Even though he was just sitting still, his heart was pounding and it hurt to breathe.

'Is that so?’

Though Makoto replied, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Is.h.i.+ drank all his coffee all at once, trying to clear the uncomfortable air.

'How was your high school life, Is.h.i.+-san?’

Is.h.i.+’s heart skipped a beat at Makoto’s question.

He wasn’t sure how to respond. There was nothing he could talk about. No, the truth was a lot had happened, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

If he talked about it, his heart would creak under the pain.

'N-normal. How was yours, Makoto-san?’ Is.h.i.+ asked, avoiding the conversation.

'I was… a gloomy student.’

'I wouldn’t have guessed that.’

Is.h.i.+ meant it.

Makoto was normally good at taking care of other people and seemed like an older sister type. Is.h.i.+ had thought that she would have been the same in high school, liked by everyone.

'Since my dad was a police officer, people usually stayed away from me.’

'Ah…’

Makoto’s father had resigned for certain reasons, but he had been the chief of the police before.

When young, even if you didn’t want it to, your parents’ t.i.tles were enough to make people attack you.

'That’s why I practically had no friends as a kid – I just read a lot of books. And I wasn’t good at talking with people – I talked with practically no one.’

'Is that so…’

It wasn’t that Is.h.i.+ doubted Makoto’s story, but it sounded so different than how she was now that it didn’t seem real.

'Since I didn’t have much of a presence, at one point, my cla.s.smates bullied me, calling me a ghost. Everyone said that they’d be cursed if they approached me…’

Makoto’s expression relaxed, but there seemed to be a sadness in the back of her eyes, a dark shadow.

'Makoto-san…’

'When I approached, people would hold their breath and run away.’

'Wha…’

That was incredibly malicious bullying.

People could do unimaginably mean things. They didn’t understand the pain and sadness of the people who underwent that.

From the bottom of Is.h.i.+’s stomach, anger started bubbling up.

'They’d even put salt on my desk when I went to school.’

'That’s awful!’ shouted Is.h.i.+, unable to bear it.

Makoto looked a bit surprised. Her eyes went wide, but finally, she smiled gently.

'Is.h.i.+-san, you really are a kind person.’

Makoto’s words were gentle, enveloping the anger within Is.h.i.+.

It made him feel strangely embarra.s.sed. He looked away without thinking. 'No, not really…’

'No, you are kind, Is.h.i.+-san. You understand other people’s pain.’

Makoto looked at Is.h.i.+’s face.

She was wrong. It wasn’t that Is.h.i.+ understood other people’s pain – he had just experienced the feelings of somebody being bullied himself.

'Wasn’t it tough?’ asked Is.h.i.+.

Makoto smiled.

'Yes… It was tough then. But…’

'What is it?’

'Now, I think of it as a good experience.’

'Good experience?’

Is.h.i.+ had no idea why she thought that.

'It’s because of my experiences as a student that I’m who I am now.’

'What do you mean?’

'At that time, I think that if I was on the side of the bullies then, I would have had a different life.’

'Is that how it is?’

'Yes. I wouldn’t have become a newspaper reporter, and I wouldn’t have met you either, Is.h.i.+-san.’

'A philosophical view.’

Is.h.i.+ couldn’t think of it that way.

'I started thinking that way because of a novel.’

'A novel?’

'Yes. Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo?’

'It’s a story of revenge, right?’

Is.h.i.+ hadn’t read it before, but he had seen an anime based on it a few years ago, so he knew the general idea.

A man who had been imprisoned on false pretences crawled out of despair for revenge.

'There’s a line in it like this. “Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. It is necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good life is to live.”’

'I see,’ said Is.h.i.+.

If you didn’t experience despair, you couldn’t feel happiness. You could think of it that way.

'I feel a bit embarra.s.sed.’

Makoto smiled bashfully and took a sip of her coffee.

She hadn’t lived an easy life either – she had had many troubles. Now that Is.h.i.+ knew that very obvious fact, he felt strangely close to her.

'Now it’s your time, Is.h.i.+-san.’

'Yes?’

'What sort of student were you?’

'No, there’s nothing for me to talk about…’

As he said that, he saw the clock.

The memories of ten years ago suddenly came back to him.

– Gla.s.ses monkey.

A voice rang in his ears.

Even though Makoto was in front of him, for some reason, he saw Mochizuki’s face.

His malicious eyes glared at him, like a snake.

– No.

Is.h.i.+’s hands turned into fists.

Blood rushed to his face.

– Oi. Gla.s.ses monkey. Ma.s.sage my shoulders.

– Gla.s.ses monkey. Buy me juice.

– Why’s a gla.s.ses monkey wearing clothes? Take them off. Take them off and dance.

Is.h.i.+ covered his ears, but the words kept coming.

– Gla.s.ses monkey. From today on, you’re my slave.

He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t stop sweating.

– No. No. No.

'No!’ shouted Is.h.i.+, shaking his head frantically.

He felt like he was falling backwards into a deep, dark hole.

'Is.h.i.+-san.’

When Makoto called out to him, Is.h.i.+ opened his eyes and lifted his head.

Makoto looked at him, seeming worried, and held his hand.

'Makoto-san…’

'Are you all right?’

The feeling of Makoto’s fingers helped Is.h.i.+ regain his reason.

'Ah. Yes.’

'Sorry. I asked something I shouldn’t have.’

'No… I just…’

Is.h.i.+ took deep breaths.

– I can’t think like Makoto does.

He realised that anew.

He couldn’t say it was a good experience even if his mouth split open.

The injuries on his heart couldn’t be healed with time. He would always continue to run in fear.

That was why, even now – he couldn’t forgive Mochizuki.

'Please excuse me for today.’

Is.h.i.+ bowed towards Makoto, stood up and fled the cafe.

7

'I don’t get it,’ groaned Gotou, scratching his chin.

He understood from Yak.u.mo’s explanation that Mochizuki had been a cla.s.smate of Yukari, the girl who fell and died from the stone steps ten years ago at this shrine.

However, Gotou had another question.

'What don’t you understand?’

Haruka c.o.c.ked her head.

'What I want to know is who’s lying.’

'Lying?’

Come to think of it, Gotou hadn’t told Haruka the case summary.

Gotou explained to Haruka what had happened at the shrine last night.

In this case, Matsuda, the suspect, and Yuuko, the witness, and the victim, Mochizuki, all had different testimonies.

The strangely off testimonies warped and hid the truth.

'That’s…’

Haruka sounded surprised.

Gotou looked to Yak.u.mo for an answer.

Yak.u.mo ran a hand through his messy hair with his usual sleepy eyes.

'So what’s going on?’ asked Gotou.

Yak.u.mo looked annoyed.

'Nothing’s going on.’

'What?’

'I’m saying that deciding whose testimony is true at this stage would be dangerous.’

Yak.u.mo was speaking incredibly vaguely.

'Say it in a way I’ll understand.’

'And are they even lying?’

Yak.u.mo’s unexpected question made Gotou confused for a moment, but –

'Somebody’s got to be lying or things wouldn’t line up,’ said Gotou agitatedly, but Yak.u.mo looked at him with extremely cold eyes.

'That isn’t definite.’

'What?’

'Gotou-san, you are a helpless idiot.’

'What did you say?’

'You are useless, with a uselessly large body.’

Yak.u.mo smiled at him mockingly.

'I’ll beat you to a pulp!’

Gotou stood up, raising his fist.

Yak.u.mo nodded in satisfaction.

'Gotou-san, did you want to kill me just now?’

– What?

Gotou didn’t think Yak.u.mo would ask that question now.

He’d said many times that he’d beat Yak.u.mo to a pulp or that he’d kill him, but he’d never actually acted on it. It was natural.

It was just a part of his banter with Yak.u.mo.

'Of course not,’ denied Gotou.

Yak.u.mo smirked.

– What’s so funny?

'Gotou-san, even if you don’t mean it, what would other people think?’

'I see!’ exclaimed Haruka, who seemed to have understood what Yak.u.mo was hinting at.

However, Gotou didn’t understand.

'What are you talking about?’

'To explain this situation from another angle, a detective from criminal affairs was irritated by a university student’s rude manner and threatened him, raising his fist and saying 'I’ll beat you to a pulp’ – that is how it would seem. If I sued the police, it might become an intimidation case.’

'That’s just quibbling…’

Gotou ground his teeth together.

'It isn’t quibbling. It’s a fact that you said you’d beat me to a pulp, Gotou-san.’

'That’s true, but…’

'Though I didn’t feel any fear from that, there are some people who would have been afraid from hearing that from a detective, yes?’

'Fear, eh…’

Gotou looked at his clenched fist.

He kind of understood what Yak.u.mo was saying.

'In short, even if you didn’t mean that as a threat, some people might have taken it that way.’

'Yeah, but that’s got nothing to do with this case, right?’

'It does,’ said Yak.u.mo firmly.

'What do you mean?’

'Like the earlier example, perspective can change what seemed to happen, but that doesn’t make it a lie.’

Gotou finally understood.

The testimonies weren’t lies. The viewpoints might just be different – that was probably Yak.u.mo’s point.

It was true that perhaps that was the case.

'This is difficult.’

Haruka furrowed her brows and put her chin in her hands.

'It’s not difficult. Cases occur because of differences in points of view.’

'Yeah,’ agreed Gotou.

It wasn’t just this time. As Yak.u.mo said, there were unexpectedly many cases that occurred because of differences of opinion.

It was like that with stalkers.

From the view of the victim, they didn’t feel anything but fear for their safety, but the person doing it sometimes just had pure feelings of love.

'Furthermore, to determine the lie in the testimony, rather than who, it would be better to determine where,’ Yak.u.mo said slowly, narrowing his eyes as he looked into the distance.

'You mean the scene of the crime?’ asked Gotou.

Yak.u.mo snorted, sounding disappointed.

'You really are an idiot.’

'What?’

'Even if somebody lied, that doesn’t mean their whole testimony is a lie, correct.’

Gotou finally understood.

'So how do we determine that?’

'n.o.body would have any difficulties if we knew that,’ Yak.u.mo said, cutting Gotou down.

– Well, that’s true.

8

Is.h.i.+ stood at the shrine where the murder occurred.

A human figure was drawn on the ground beside the tree of deceit.

There were still blood.

A black bird let out an uncanny call as it flew off.

He had returned home. He didn’t know why he was here. He would go home for now. He started walking slowly.

'Gla.s.ses monkey.’

Is.h.i.+ heard a voice from behind him.

He pretended not to hear it. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he couldn’t turn around.

However, the owner of the voice wasn’t kind enough to let that pa.s.s.

Is.h.i.+ was kicked in the back.

The impact forced Is.h.i.+ to fall forward. A sharp pain shot through his nose.

When Is.h.i.+ looked up, he was standing there.

– Mochizuki Tos.h.i.+ki.

The man who should have been stabbed.

– Why him?

Mochizuki wore a blazer uniform, his hands in his pockets as he smirked.

When he smiled, he showed his canines and his nose twitched.

It was an unpleasant smile. Is.h.i.+ had always hated Mochizuki’s smile –

'What’re you looking at me like that for?’

Mochizuki kicked Is.h.i.+’s stomach.

His body contorted in pain. Without a pause, Mochizuki grabbed Is.h.i.+’s hair.

There was a ripping sound as some of Is.h.i.+’s hair came out.

However, Mochizuki didn’t care – he pushed Is.h.i.+’s head into the cedar tree.

There was a dull thud.

'Disobeying me even when you’re just a gla.s.ses monkey? You’re a hundred years too early for that.’

'I-i…’

Is.h.i.+’s voice shook.

'Ah!’ exclaimed Mochizuki in surprise. He let go of Is.h.i.+.

There was blood on Mochizuki’s uniform.

Is.h.i.+ put his hand to his nose and felt something wet. It seemed like he had a nosebleed.

'Do something about this. You got it dirty.’

Mochizuki glared at Is.h.i.+ with a click of his tongue.

It wasn’t Is.h.i.+’s fault that he had a nosebleed. It was because Mochizuki had kicked him, making Is.h.i.+ fall and hit his nose. But that logic wouldn’t work on Mochizuki.

’M-my bad,’ replied Is.h.i.+, swallowing his shame.

Then, Mochizuki kicked him in the behind.

'What are you talking so impolitely to me for?’

Is.h.i.+ and Mochizuki were cla.s.smates, but they had an absolute power relations.h.i.+p.

Uppercla.s.sman and undercla.s.sman – no, it was more than that. He probably only thought of Is.h.i.+ as a slave.

'I-I’m sorry.’

'You think that apology’s enough for me to forgive you?’

'Eh?’

'Kneel. Head to the ground. Prostrate yourself.’

'I-i didn’t do…’

Mochizuki slapped Is.h.i.+, cutting off his words.

'Don’t talk back to me! You wanna die?’

Mochizuki’s sharp gaze shot through Is.h.i.+. He lost his will to oppose him.

He couldn’t fight back. Mochizuki would just come back him with the same power multiplied. All he could do was bear it.

He hated how worthless he was, but that was how he was.

'I sincerely apologise.’

Is.h.i.+ knelt and put his head to the ground.

As Is.h.i.+ bore with the humiliation, he heard laughter in his ears.

Mocking, hateful laughter –

Is.h.i.+ lifted his head just slightly.

It was her voice.

Standing next to Mochizuki, she looked at Is.h.i.+ like he was an animal in a cage.

'Ten thousand yen tomorrow as a cleaning fee,’ said Mochizuki. Then, he walked away with her.

As Is.h.i.+ watched them leave, he felt his emotions well within him.

'I’ll kill you…’ he muttered, gripping his hands into tight fists.

– I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you.

The words repeated in his heart like a curse, growing into a yell and slipping out of his mouth.

'I’ll kill you!’

Then, she and Mochizuki disappeared into the darkness.

For a moment, his vision went black.