Shinrei Tantei Yakumo Volume 10 Epilogue

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo volu 10 - epilogue

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo novel translation

Volu 10 - Signpost of the Spirit

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epilogue - afterwards

Gotou laid on top of the bed—

After the incident at the apartnt building, Gotou and Nao had been promptly hurried to the hospital.

Luckily, despite the weakening of her body, Nao hadn’t sustained any major injuries, and had only needed an overnight stay at the hospital following the examination.

Compared to that, Gotou’s condition had been significantly worse.

He had forced himself to move around, so his wounds had reopened and had to be restitched. ‘Are you trying to die!?’ the doctor had harshly scolded him.

Thanks to his escape from the hospital, he had to prolong his stay, but he hadn’t regretted it once.

The door to his room opened and Nao appeared alongside Atsuko.

At the sight of Gotou, Nao quickly ran towards the bed, hugging him from above.

Feeling the warmth of Nao’s body filled Gotou with satisfaction.

“Everyday she made a fuss wanting to see you,“ explained Atsuko in an irritated tone, yet a smile was forming on her face.

Just as she had said, after the incident, Nao and Atsuko had been visiting him every day. Gotou had now discovered the joy of having sobody worry over one’s well being.

It had been a particularly troubleso case, but it had made Gotou appreciate how precious Nao was. That wasn’t all. He had co to realise how much he loved Nao.

“Nao, you’re going to catch his stupidity if you get too close to him,”

Gotou turned to the source of the sudden voice and found Yakumo and Haruka entering the hospital room.

“Shut up,” cursed Gotou.

Yakumo’s lips ford a thin smile. “Unexpectedly, you seem to be doing well.”

“This kind of injury is rely a scratch.”

“Your body sure is sturdy. Even though your brain is like a chicken’s.”

“Quiet!”

Witnessing their banter, Haruka laughed out loud.

“We’re going to replace the water in the flower vase. The rest of you take it easy,” said Atsuko. She took the vase that had been in the room and pulled Nao’s hand to leave.

Gotou waited for the door to close before slowly lifting his upper body and said. “I need to tell you sothing.”

Parts of his body still ached, but it wasn’t sothing he could say whilst lying down.

“What? Why are you acting formally all of a sudden?” said Yakumo, his expression sceptical.

“Thank you—”

Gotou bowed his head.

Because of Yakumo, Gotou was able to see Nao once again. Even expressing his gratitude countless tis would never be enough.

“Please stop acting like that. It doesn’t suit you at all,” said Yakumo with a sigh.

“It’s not a matter of whether it suits or not. You’ve protected my family.”

“What are you saying? Just so you know, Nao is my family as well,” said Yakumo blatantly.

Gotou, who sensed the aning behind those words, nearly shed a tear.

“That’s right. Nao is also a precious family to us,” Haruka agreed with a smile.

“Right…That’s true…”

Gotou turned towards Yakumo and Haruka whilst trying his hardest so that his tear ducts wouldn’t loosen any further.

At that mont, Gotou also realised that the distance between Yakumo and Haruka, who stood beside one another, was different from before.

Perhaps it had been the shift in Yakumo’s ntal state that had made it feel that way.

When they had confronted the man with two red eyes, Yakumo had acknowledged the man’s existence and called him father.

For Yakumo who had hated himself all his life, it had been the first ti that he had acknowledged his existence.

Gotou recalled his impression of Yakumo when they had t for the first ti.

At that ti Yakumo had nearly been killed by his own mother. Despite that, he hadn’t been crying or scared, rely staring with a blank expression.

There hadn’t been any hint of hope or dreams in his eyes, only despair towards everything in this world.

Even when he had t Yakumo again after he had grown into an adolescent, his impression had remained unchanged. To Gotou, Yakumo had the air of soone who wished for death.

It must have been the curse of the man with two red eyes.

However, Yakumo’s words back at the apartnt building basent seed to suggest that he had been freed from that place.

The person who had led Yakumo away was none other than Haruka—

Thanks to Haruka’s presence, Yakumo could genuinely confront himself and acknowledge his existence.

“Are you crying?” asked Yakumo, making Gotou return to his senses. Without realising, tears had fallen from his eyes.

“I-Idiot! T-this is…there’s so dirt in my eyes.”

“Please don’t make strange excuses. Gross,” said Yakumo, looking at Gotou as if observing sothing unsanitary.

“Shut up!” yelled Gotou whilst rubbing his eyes, when the door opened to show Ishii and Makoto entering his room.

“Detective Gotou, what’s wrong?” asked Ishii with a confused look.

“I-it’s nothing. Rather, why are you here?”

“Why..? Obviously to pay you a visit,” said Ishii in a pathetic voice. It seed he was the only one who was the sa as always.

“I’m not so weak that you had to co visit .”

“Please don’t say such things,” said Ishii, inching closer like a small dog asking for food.

“Stay away,” said Gotou as he landed a punch on Ishii’s head.

“Ouch!” Ishii whined exaggeratedly as he fell sitting down.

With a pleased laugh, Makoto said, “Are you alright, Ishii-san?”

Although he hadn’t seen Ishii and Makoto only for a short while, the atmosphere between them had grown significantly more familiar.

Gotou couldn’t stand looking at them out of embarrassnt.

“How lively, as usual,” another voice spoke, and entering the room this ti around was Eishin.

Visiting a hospital in monk robes was rather improper. Gotou stated the fact to Eishin before he responded “Even stranger still for a bear to be admitted to a human hospital.”

“So noisy,” Miyagawa grumbled as he entered the room.

“Oh? You’re still alive after all? And here I thought I’d be able to perform your autopsy,” said forensic doctor Hata inappropriately as if regretting the fact.

After replacing the vase water, Atsuko and Nao had returned as well.

Gotou’s hospital room beca suffocatingly crowded.

His sadness earlier now felt like a dream. Gotou couldn’t help but pray that days like this may continue on.

However—

The last sentence Nanase Miyuki spoke flashed into Gotou’s mind.

I’ll be taking away the person most important to you next.

There was no mistaking that she had been referring to Haruka. Following the incident, Nanase Miyuki’s whereabouts remained unknown. Without a doubt, she would be going after Haruka so way or another.

Gotou would never let it happen. Now it was his turn to protect Haruka for Yakumo, by putting his life on the line.

Gotou turned to Yakumo, and as if he understood Gotou’s thoughts, he nodded.

The wind brushing against her face was cold, yet comforting.

She lifted her head to look at the apartnt building where everything had happened.

Because of the incident, not only that the basent had beco flooded, it had exposed the poor construction of so parts of the apartnt building, which was now undergoing repairs.

Perhaps due to the fact, the apartnt building seed different from before.

What was Yakumo feeling at this mont?

Haruka turned to Yakumo, who stood beside her. Unlike before, she could sense a strong determination from Yakumo’s figure. It had to be because he had co to accept himself.

“If the fire never happened, perhaps he would have taken a different path—” mumbled Yakumo.

“Yes…”

As Yakumo had ntioned, if the Michishirube orphanage were still operating, the life of the man with two red eyes would have been completely different.

“But then, I would never have been born—” said Yakumo with a bitter laugh.

Complicated as it was, it was true. If Michishirube still existed, perhaps Yakumo would never even have been born.

No matter how much they despised the past, they couldn’t deny that it had been the past that had led to the present outco.

Many children had died. They couldn’t so easily be thankful for the current situation. Yet whatever things had unfolded back then, those were events that can no longer be changed.

Their only choice was to accept that past and put it behind them as they walk forward towards the future.

Yakumo must have realised that as well.

“Let’s go—” said Yakumo, turning his heel.

“Yes.”

As Haruka walked following the sight of Yakumo’s back, she realised there was sothing left bothering her mind.

“Um—” called Haruka.

“What?” Yakumo turned to respond.

Haruka felt hesitant for a mont as Yakumo gazed straight at her.

Normally she would have set aside whatever she was about to say. But things were different now. She had to ask Yakumo about it no matter what.

“You said…that there was sothing you wanted to talk to about?”

Right before the case had reached its conclusion, as they had stood in front of the apartnt building, Yakumo had said there was sothing he had to tell Haruka.

Haruka was curious about what Yakumo had to say.

Of course, she was afraid at the sa ti. Perhaps Yakumo would turn her away.

“Right…” said Yakumo, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Haruka thought he was going to continue his sentence, but Yakumo didn’t say anything and rely stared at Haruka.

Haruka’s heart was beating loudly as paralysing tension enveloped her.

Yet the feeling was oddly comforting—what a peculiar sensation.

Monts after the silence, Yakumo ford a thin smile before turning away from Haruka. Almost like he was acting shy.

“Let’s save it for next ti,” said Yakumo as he ruffled his already dishevelled hair.

“Why?”

“There are still things I have to do. Once all of that is over, only then I will tell you,” he said before he continued walking.

Haruka was left unsatisfied as Yakumo had stopped the conversation right on its tracks. She wanted him to clarify, but decided not to.

Just for a little more—

She would still like to walk with Yakumo with the distance they had now.

Haruka nodded before running after Yakumo, walking next to him whilst matching their speeds.

Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed her ear.

With it, Haruka faintly heard the joyful sound of children’s laughter—

At this mont, Haruka had yet to realise the danger that was approaching her.