VOLU 2 - THAT WHICH CONNECTS SOULS file 03: resurrection ()
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1
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‘Oi! Old man! What the hell is this?’
Gotou yelled as he opened the door to Hata’s room.
’You’re noisy. Can’t you be a little quieter?’
Hata scowled in annoyance. To hell with his annoyance.
Gotou sat on the folding chair.
’How could I be quiet about this!? There’s another corpse – what the hell is happening?’
’There’s nothing to it. I’d like to ask myself,’ Hata replied in a casual tone.
Even the demonic old man who was doing things at his own pace couldn’t hide his irritation.
’Who’s the vic?’
’Hashimoto Rumi-chan. Fourteen years old. After she drowned, her corpse was disposed of in a dumpsite.’
’Is it the sa?’ Gotou asked to check.
When a big incident like this occurred, there were sotis copycat cris. In order to prevent them, the police wouldn’t share all the details of the cri until it was solved.
By doing so, cases could be classed.
’The murder thod and situation with the corpse are the sa as with the second victim, Miho-chan. On top of that, there are lacerations on the right ankle. Those were also found on the other two victims.
On the girl they saved, they had seen the sa thing – the laceration on the right ankle had probably been caused by sothing like chains.
Hata flipped through the docunts on his desk and spoke, almost to himself.
’She didn’t go ho yesterday. Her parents didn’t worry about it since they thought it was just her doing her usual thing. There hadn’t been any request when the corpse was found. It was reported in the news that the murderer had died. That might have put them at ease.’
Damn, this was a terrible police error.
But that would an –
’Old man, you think Andou wasn’t the perp?’
’I don’t think that’s it. There is a mountain of things we wouldn’t be able to explain if Andou weren’t the perpetrator. Though the investigation is still taking place, we found Andou’s fingerprints at the ex-water gate and the first victim Ayaka-chan’s bag and hair. No matter how I think about it, Andou is the murderer.’
’Then why’s there a third corpse?’
’I don’t know. It’s my job to analyse. It’s your job to investigate.’
The perverted old man really had a mouth on him.
In any case, it seed like he’d have to ask for Yakumo’s appearance again.
’Sorry to bother you.’
Gotou stood up and moved to leave but Hata called out to him.
’Do you rember seeing this man?’
While he said that, he handed a photo to Gotou.
In the photo was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses. There was a faint smile on his pale face.
Gotou felt the blood in his body go cold.
This face. As if I could forget it. This man. He’s –
’Oi, old man. Where’s this photo from?’
’From the location where the corpse was found. He was there when the second victim Miho-chan was found too. And this ti he was looking at from a distance too.’
He was at the place the corpse was found. Did that an he was connected to the case sohow?
That’d make this a serious affair. The overview of the fake murder case for insurance money a month ago ca up in Gotou’s head.
’Once could have been overlooked, but twice. And that faint smile. No matter how you look at it, that’s not the face of a curious onlooker. I took a few photos.’
’Old man. I’m borrowing this photo.’
’Borrowing? Does that an you’ve got a hint as to who he is?’
Gotou ignored Hata’s question and left the room.
While walking with long strides, he looked at the photo again. It wasn’t just a hint.
I didn’t think we’d et up again like this –
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2
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The next day, Haruka accompanied Yakumo to visit Kinoshita’s hospital.
They had two objectives. One was thanking Kinoshita again for saving her. The other was to ask about the spirit of the girl who had appeared at the river.
Since there was the fuss with the exorcism yesterday, they were still in the middle of their conversation.
The reason why Ayaka-chan was still in the river even though the perpetrator had died.
They wanted to find out the aning behind that.
Even though they had visited without notifying him beforehand, Kinoshita said, ’Thank you for coming,’ and he invited Haruka and Yakumo into the examination room.
’Excuse us for coming by so suddenly. I wanted to thank you for the other day. I’m really very grateful.’
The first thing Haruka did upon entering the examination room was bow her head and express her gratitude.
’Don’t worry about it. I just did my job,’ said Kinoshita with a smile, and he urged Haruka and Yakumo to sit.
They took him up on his offer and sat down next to each other on the round chairs.
’I ca today to ask you a few things,’ Yakumo said, going right to the point.
’That’s right – Yakumo-kun is a detective. You’ve grown up splendidly.’
Kinoshita nodded with a smile.
Eh? Yakumo was a detective? Since when?
He had definitely co up with a lie on the spot again.
’I have to apologise for that.’
’Hm?’
Kinoshita looked dubious.
’I am not a detective. When I ca the other day, Gotou-san had just co up with an appropriate lie.’
’Is that so?’
’I am just a student.’
Even after finding out that Yakumo had deceived him about who he was, Kinoshita didn’t look particularly angry.
’Then this isn’t about my daughter.’
’Though this isn’t an investigation, I would still like to ask about your daughter.’
Kinoshita gave Yakumo an evaluating look.
He would talk about his murdered daughter if the listening party was the police. It wasn’t sothing he would talk about freely with sobody he didn’t know at all.
’Wasn’t the case solved? I was contacted about that.’
’Yes, the perpetrator has been confird.’
’Then what do you want to know?’
Yakumo took a deep breath before speaking. It was unusual discretion for him.
’Kinoshita-san. What are you trying to do for your daughter?’
Kinoshita stared at Yakumo with his mouth half opened. He looked like he didn’t understand what Yakumo was talking about.
’Did you promise your dead daughter sothing?’
’I did make a promise.’
For a mont, Kinoshita looked surprised, but his expression soon returned to normal and he answered Yakumo’s question.
’But why do you know that?’
Yakumo took the black contact lens out of his left eye.
He turned his red left eye towards Kinoshita.
’You know about my eye.’
’Yes, of course.’
Eh? Of course? Doctor Kinoshita knew about Yakumo’s eye from before?
Haruka felt like sothing had been left out of the conversation.
’This eye of mine isn’t just red.’
’aning...’
’As a doctor, you might not believe this, but my eye can see the spirits of the dead.’
Kinoshita didn’t confirm or deny Yakumo’s words.
He just looked at Yakumo’s eye silently.
’Yesterday, I t your daughter at the river where her corpse was found.’
The mont Kinoshita heard those words, his eyes opened wide and he gripped Yakumo’s shoulders tightly.
’Really? Is that true? Then my daughter – Ayaka is really there!’
His face was red with excitent, like his calm deanour from before had been a lie.
He won’t deny it? He completely accepted Yakumo’s ability to see the spirits of the dead.
Even though he’s a doctor –
Why?
’Though this is very unstable so I shouldn’t talk about it between people, if it’s just a bit...’
Yakumo responded like he had been pressured into it by Kinoshita.
’So Ayaka – did Ayaka say anything!?’
Kinoshita was so agitated he started shaking Yakumo’s shoulders.
’Please calm down,’ Yakumo said, taking Kinoshita’s hands off his shoulders.
Kinoshita might have realised he was more agitated than necessary, because he hung his head and muttered, ’Forgive ,’ staring at his hands.
’Your daughter said “stop already”...’
Kinoshita looked up in response to those words.
’What does Ayaka-chan want to stop? Don’t you know the answer to that?’
After Yakumo spoke, Kinoshita shook his head back and forth.
His shoulders were trembling a little. It felt like he’d collapse if Haruka touched him. He felt like Haruka’s mother had when Haruka’s older sister had died.
That was how it seed to Haruka –
’You said this to before. Your mother had tried to kill you...’
Haruka had heard that before this.
Kinoshita even knew about that?
’At that ti, you asked what excuse your mother could make.’
Yakumo nodded silently.
’To say the truth, I feel the sa way. I can’t possibly understand the feelings of a parent who would try to kill their own child. I don’t understand... but I can understand the feeling of a parent who has lost their child as well as anyone else.’
Kinoshita stopped speaking then and bit his lip.
It looked like he was trying to bear the pain.
’To be honest, I was a failure as both a parent and a husband before. It was my dream to have my own hospital. I was stubborn and lost myself in that dream. I didn’t consider my family even once. On the contrary, I was even adverse to it. Then, my wife collapsed. It was cancer.’
’Cancer?’ Yakumo repeated.
’Though I was a doctor, I didn’t notice anything strange about her condition. When I noticed, the tastasis had already started... I was too late.’
Kinoshita’s voice was filled with sadness, like he was letting out sothing that he had kept in for years.
’It’s a truly shaful story. I couldn’t save my wife... But I promised my wife sothing just before she died. I promised her that I would definitely protect Ayaka... How about that? I couldn’t protect her...’
Kinoshita’s tightly gripped fists were shaking with an anger he couldn’t hold in.
That anger wasn’t at the murderer but at himself.
’Why didn’t I take her to and from school? Why didn’t I call the police sooner? If I had looked after her properly, Ayaka might not have died...’
No. that wasn’t true. It wasn’t the doctor’s fault.
Haruka wanted to yell those things out, but she just couldn’t put the words in her mouth.
I know that even if I say anything, it wouldn’t be any consolation.
He resents himself for not being able to save soone he loves –
Haruka had experienced it too. She felt responsible for her sister’s death and blad herself for thirteen years and did so even now. When she herself was like that, she couldn’t tell Kinoshita not to bla himself.
’That’s why I promised Ayaka... I told her... to wait, since I would definitely save her...’
’Then, you started researching how to resurrect the dead.’
Resurrect the dead? What was Yakumo saying? There was no way that was possible. Plus, Kinoshita-san was a doctor. He should have known that better than anyone.
’How do you know that?’ Kinoshita asked with a gasp.
’The books in this room. The Definition of Soul and Body. The Cycle of Death and Reincarnation. All of the titles are related to the resurrection of the dead.’
Kinoshita didn’t respond.
He just looked at Yakumo with tears in his eyes.
’No matter how much you research, you, as a doctor, should know best that it is impossible,’ Yakumo said slowly.
That was right. No matter how you struggled, no matter how much you suffered, the dead wouldn’t co back. Yakumo could see the spirits of the dead. However, even if he could see them, that was different from them being alive.
’Yakumo-kun. Could I ask you one thing?’
Yakumo nodded at Kinoshita’s words.
’The connection between the body and the soul... What do you think it is?’
’I don’t know.’
An imdiate answer. Kinoshita looked puzzled at how quick the reply was.
’All my eye can do is see, so I don’t know the answer to sothing that difficult. If I knew, I would be able to fix this eye.’
’I see...’
’However, I do recognise that a soul is a cluster of a person’s emotions.’
’A person’s emotions?’
Kinoshita slowly thought over Yakumo’s words.
’I apologise for taking so much of your ti.’
After Yakumo said that, he stood up by himself and headed towards the door.
Haruka hurriedly followed him.
’Could you let ask one last thing?’
Kinoshita called out to Yakumo. Yakumo didn’t turn around.
’What is it?’
’Earlier, we were talking about your mother, but don’t you want to know who your father is?’
Yakumo’s father –
Before, he had said his father didn’t exist as long as he didn’t rember him.
However, that was just a question of Yakumo’s own feelings, and he couldn’t have been born without his father.
’I’m not interested,’ Yakumo said lightly, like he didn’t care, and he left the room.
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3
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Ishii was idling in the Unsolved Cases Special Investigations Room with nothing in particular to do.
He hadn’t seen Detective Gotou since morning.
He had tried calling his mobile multiple tis, but the phone just rang with no response.
An unauthorised absence? No, Detective Gotou wouldn’t –
He might have used an enormous amount of spiritual energy to solve this case. No, that had to be it. There was no might about it.
Right now, Detective Gotou might have been suffering in a way that Ishii could not possibly understand. He couldn’t just idle like this. Ishii knew where he lived. He would go check on him.
Just as Ishii stood up, he heard a knock.
After he said, ’Please co in,’ the door opened.
Standing there was a young woman wearing a classy grey trouser suit with her long hair tied in the back.
There’s no way I’d forget her. She’s –
’Eek.’
Ishii was so shocked he jumped onto the desk.
This was the woman who had been possessed by a ghost. Hijikata Makoto.
It was unexpected that she had already gotten better to the point that she could walk by herself in such a short ti.
She was pale and her cheeks were a bit hollow, but that matched her almond eyes and slender fra.
Looking at her like this, she could be called a beauty, but Ishii’s frightful impression of her was too strong.
’I wanted to express my gratitude to you for saving .’
Makoto bowed in a calm and delicate movent.
’A-ah, no, y-you don’t have to thank us...’
Ishii had consciously tried to speak in a way that his voice wouldn’t shake, but it was no use.
’Excuse , but why are you on the desk?’
’Eh? Ah, no, this – I was going to clean...’
Because you’re terrifying – he couldn’t say that.
Ishii hurriedly jumped off the desk. He lost his balance and almost fell.
’It seems like that has only made it ssier.’
Makoto covered her mouth as she laughed.
It was only natural, since he had jumped up in his shoes.
’That’s true.’
Ishii forced himself to laugh.
’Ishii-san.’
’You know my na?’
’I was conscious at the ti, though it was only in bits and pieces...’
Ishii understood. So that was how it was.
That odd point caught his interest.
’I did sothing awful to you, Ishii-san,’ Makoto said quietly, sounding ashad as she hung her head.
Perhaps she was talking about when he had brought Makoto out. That had been awful. She had bit and chewed on him. He really had gone through a lot.
’No, that’s not... There was nothing you could have done.’
’You still have the injuries. Are you OK?’
Makoto reached out with a pale, slender finger towards Ishii’s bruised left eye.
At that mont, Ishii’s nightmare ca up in his mind. Inflad eyes. Bared teeth. A low growl –
’Gyaah!’
Ishii yelped and jumped onto the desk again in response.
At the sa ti, the door opened and Gotou ca in.
’What are you doing? Are you a monkey?’
’Ah, no, I have a good reason...’
Ishii got off the desk dejectedly.
’It’s not the ti for that! We’re going!’
Was he going to do sothing even in this situation?
If he used any more spiritual energy, he would die. Ishii had to stop him.
’Even if you tell to go, Detective Gotou, your spiritual energy...’
Just as he said that, Gotou’s iron hamr of a fist fell on the crown of Ishii’s head.
If this were a manga, stars would have been circling above his head.
’What spiritual energy, you fool!? You read too much manga! I’ll give you a good wallop the next ti you say sothing so idiotic!’
Hadn’t he already walloped him?
Gotou grabbed the scruff of Ishii’s neck and dragged him out into the corridor.
’E-er. Detective Gotou. I ca to thank you for the other day.’
Ishii heard Makoto from behind them.
’Shut up! I’m busy now! Leave it for later!’
Detective Gotou waved his hand like he was chasing away a fly.
Still, Detective Gotou is in such a rush. What on earth happened –
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4
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’Hey – does Doctor Kinoshita know you from before?’
While they walked on the road by the river, Haruka asked this question to Yakumo, who was walking a little in front of her.
The way Kinoshita had spoken had certainly made it sound that way.
’I completely forgot. Or rather, I have no mory of it,’ Yakumo said, facing forward.
He spoke so vaguely that Haruka didn’t understand.
’What do you an?’
She quickened her pace to walk beside Yakumo.
’Doctor Kinoshita was the doctor in charge at my birth.’
’Really?’
While she was surprised, she also understood. In that case, she could accept that he had forgotten.
’Well, that’s all there is to it, so we’re practically strangers.’
Yakumo yawned.
Haruka still had one more thing to ask –
’So what was that?
Yakumo’s feet halted at Haruka’s question, as if ti had stopped.
’What’s wrong?’
Yakumo ran a hand through his hair with a troubled expression and lowered brows as he started talking.
’That girl’s spirit is bound to that river because of Doctor Kinoshita’s strong emotions.’
’Emotions?’
’Yes. He irresponsibly promised that he would definitely save his dead daughter. That keeps her in that river.’
’How can we release her?’
Yakumo didn’t reply and just gazed idly at the river.
Haruka did the sa, turning her eyes to the moving surface of the river.
On the other shore, young n and won were having a barbecue. White herons were resting their wings in the sandbank.
How did Yakumo feel?
Haruka stole a glance at his profile.
The pencil-straight bridge of his nose, his tightly closed lips. Was there anything reflected in his narrowed almond eyes?
’Doctor Kinoshita will have to give up for the girl to be released.’
Finally, Yakumo spoke.
’Give up?’
’Yes. As long as he doesn’t acknowledge that his daughter will not be coming back, she will stay in that place.’
’How can we make that happen?’
’I don’t know that much. In any case, it won’t work if he is still reading books about reviving the dead and reincarnation.’
Haruka grasped the gist of what Yakumo was saying.
When she had been in the river, Ayaka-chan had said this. ’Stop already’ –
Those words had been for her father, Doctor Kinoshita.
’I wonder if things will work out.’
’If things were going to work out, they already would have. This is a problem of a person’s heart. It’s not sothing we can fix by talking. Doctor Kinoshita has to acknowledge it himself.’
It was just as Yakumo said.
Outsiders like them wouldn’t change anything by explaining to a father who had lost his daughter that she wouldn’t be coming back.
’Well, all we can do is see how things go,’ Yakumo concluded.
Haruka caught herself before she said, ’That’s right.’ That was dangerous. So many things had happened that she had almost forgotten the cause of all this trouble.
’Then what about the haunting Mayuko-chan is still worried about?’
’She’s mistaken.’
Yakumo twisted his neck, making it crack as he spoke.
’Mistaken?’
’You saw it too, right? The spirit of the girl in the river.’
Haruka nodded.
’Which ans the girl’s soul is still in the river. She’s not with your friend. Which ans she’s mistaken.’
’But she had sleep paralysis and saw a ghost of a girl. She said she heard voices...’
Yakumo scratched at the back of his neck, looking annoyed.
’Human beings have active imaginations. She had the terrifying experience of seeing a ghost of a girl in a river. That actually happened. Then she thought that she had been possessed by that ghost. However, that was a delusion.’
Haruka understand what Yakumo had said so far.
’After that, she lived her life suspicious of everything, thinking that there was a ghost near her. The result was that she thought sothing in a dark room that she couldn’t make out was a girl. Small noises she couldn’t discern beca people’s voices.’
’But that sort of thing...’
’Happens. Didn’t you experience it yourself before?’
’?’
Did she do sothing like that? She couldn’t rember at all.
’Honestly. It’s because you don’t learn that you always drag into your trouble.’
He always said too much.
’It’s because you always rember unnecessary things that people hate you, Yakumo-kun.’
Yakumo snorted at Haruka’s cynicism.
’I’m talking about the spirit photography I showed you before. After I said that there was a person’s face in the grooves of the tree, you saw a face, right? It’s the sa for the girl. She’s living with the preconception that there may be a ghost.’
Oh. So that’s how it was.
Finally, Haruka understood too. If there was a preconception, all thoughts would end up connecting to it.
I understand that. But –
’What should I do?’
Yakumo raised an eyebrow, like he was saying, How would I know?
’You might not like it, but the best thod would be to tell her that everything’s fine because the ghost has been exorcised.’
’That’s a lie, right?’
Haruka flared up.
’Then tell her the truth. Say, “Everything you saw was an illusion. You’re psychologically ill, so I recomnd that you go to a hospital for counselling.”’
’I will then.’
No matter how she thought about it, that was obviously the better thod.
’However, if she doesn’t accept that explanation, she’ll bring her story to another spirit dium. If they’re an unsavoury one, they’ll take her money.’
To be honest, she wasn’t confident Mayuko would understand if she told her the truth.
’If you can’t say it, then telling her not to worry because the ghost has been exorcised will take away her fear. It’s your choice.’
Haruka grabbed onto Yakumo’s shirt as he tried to walk away.
Yakumo’s cheek twitched in irritation like that of a cat whose sleep was disturbed.
’What?’
’Yakumo-kun. Please.’
Haruka looked up at Yakumo as she pleaded with him.
’Stop that – it’s disturbing.’
Disturbing? How rude.
But she didn’t say that aloud. She’d lose everything if he got angry at her here.
’Yakumo-kun. Please. Go explain.’
She pleaded with him again.
’I get it, so please don’t look at with such disgusting eyes.’
He said it again!
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5
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As Ishii drove, he looked at Gotou reclining in the passenger seat.
He had his arms crossed, and underneath his furrowed brows, there was a sharp glint in his eye like a hound’s.
Just as Ishii had been wondering why he hadn’t seen Gotou since morning, he had suddenly returned to take Ishii out, saying, ’We’re going!’ and now they were headed towards the university by car.
’Detective Gotou, what on earth happened?’
Ishii couldn’t stand it – he asked a question.
’That’s why you’re useless!’
Gotou suddenly yelled at him angrily.
’But, um, since I haven’t heard anything, it’s natural for not to know, or that’s what I...’
’Can’t you do anything without being told!? If you’re a detective, perk up your ears and listen! That reporter woman’s got a much leveller head on her shoulders!’
’I-I apologise...’
Ishii apologised though he didn’t know why, pressured into it by Gotou’s shouting.
The conversation stopped there, and then the only thing that could be heard in the car was the sound of the wind.
’This isn’t public yet, but another one was found.’
Breaking the awful silence, Gotou spoke, as if to himself, while holding a cigarette in his mouth.
’Another one?’
Ishii didn’t understand what Gotou was saying.
He asked his question while fixing the position of his glasses.
’Another girl’s corpse.’
’Eh?’
Ishii’s voice cracked at the unexpected news.
’The third victim. She was found at a dumpsite this morning.
A girl’s corpse? Third victim? Dumpsite?
’You must be lying. I an, Andou was the perpetrator, and that Andou is already dead, so the case is...’
Ishii replied quickly, like he was turning over the words he couldn’t understand in his mind.
A new corpse shouldn’t have been found if the perpetrator is dead –
’It’s too late to be surprised! That’s why I’m in a rush!’
Gotou’s spittle flew through the car.
Oh. So that’s why –
It’s as Detective Gotou says. There’s no ti for careless worrying. I’m a failure as a detective for not noticing anything even in such a terrible situation.
But, with all that said, why are we going to et the young man called Yakumo?
I couldn’t understand that at all –
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6
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Once Haruka returned to her room, she lay on her bed, overwheld by exhaustion.
Was that really OK –
Haruka was assaulted by a sense of self-loathing. Even though it had been because she couldn’t think of any other thods, she had ended up deceiving Mayuko.
After their talk, Haruka had gone together with Yakumo to Mayuko’s flat.
The mont Yakumo entered the room, he had said, ’It’s strong. I feel an extrely strong spiritual energy.’ Haruka had wanted to yell ’Liar!’ but she’d swallowed her words.
In the end, Yakumo had said, ’I will exorcise the spirit now. I would appreciate it if you would leave for an hour because of the danger,’ and that was the end of it.
Mayuko had asked, ’Hey, I’ve seen that person at the university before. Is he really an exorcist?’
Haruka had lied without thinking about it. ’It’s fine. That person is from a well-known family of exorcists.’
What a ridiculous monkey show –
Right after Mayuko left the room, Yakumo said, ’Wake up in an hour,’ and he went to sleep, using a cushion as a pillow. Oi.
When Mayuko returned in an hour, Yakumo pressed his hands together in prayer and innocently said, ’It was an extrely strong spirit, but sohow I was able to remove it. That ghost will not appear in front of you again.’ Haruka couldn’t interrupt to say he had only been sleeping.
Mayuko started sobbing in her happiness, like she had been released from her fear.
Haruka’s feelings of guilt grew.
On top of that, Yakumo had received money from Mayuko.
She couldn’t believe it. It was true that Mayuko was the one who had offered to pay as thanks, but would you normally accept it? Usually people would just wave it off, saying sothing like ’I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I didn’t help.’
This was outright fraud. And Haruka had been an accomplice.
Honestly. She felt angrier the more she thought about it.
After Haruka woke up, her mobile started ringing. It was from her mother.
Her mother spoke in an unbelieving tone from the start of the phone call.
Haruka’s anger dissipated. That was her mother for you. Just hearing the voice made her feel safer.
’Yup. I’m OK.’
Her mother had seen through her.
Her anger at Yakumo had lessened. Her voice probably sounded strange because the conversation with Doctor Kinoshita still bothered her.
’Mum, were you sad when my sister died?’
Haruka didn’t know why she’d asked that, but it had co out of her mouth. It had to be because she had heard Kinoshita and Yakumo talking.
It was natural for her mother to be suspicious.
’I’m currently studying criminal psychology at school, and there was a lecture on the psychology of the parents of victims which caught my interest...’
Haruka said the first lie that ca to mind.
Her mother replied, but it seed like she didn’t know whether to believe Haruka.
’If my sister hadn’t died in an accident but had been killed, how would you feel?
’For example, would you hate the murderer?’
Her mother replied to her question earnestly.
’Would you want to kill that murderer?’
What on earth am I asking my mother? Would you kill him? Would you not –
What am I planning to do if my mother says she would want to kill the murderer? I’m at fault for my sister’s death.
When she finds out the truth, will my mother hate ? Will she want to kill –
For a while, the silence continued.
’Hm, if killing the murderer would bring back my dead child, I might.’
My mother’s voice was warm, but also cruel.
’Bring back?’
’Yes. I don’t think a parent’s feelings will change whether it’s a murder, accident or illness. You don’t think that their death can’t be helped just because it’s an illness. Though it’s the sa for a murder...’
That might be true –
’In any case, we want them to live. That’s all. That’s why I would kill as many murderers as I needed to if doing so would bring back my child.’
If it would bring back her child –
Doctor Kinoshita had said the sa thing. His promise with his daughter wasn’t to take revenge against the murderer but to save her.
If Kinoshita could go back to the past, he would probably kill Andou without thinking.
Haruka couldn’t arrange her thoughts properly in her head, but that was probably how it was.
Then, a doubt ca up in Haruka’s mind.
A doubt that can’t co up, but a doubt that has co up so many tis before. If I were the one who died instead of my sister –
Even through the phone, her mother could probably feel the change in her mood.
Her mother sounded concerned.
But I can’t say this to my mother. The truth about my sister’s death will be my cross to bear forever –
Her mother’s voice felt far away.
If she knew I was at fault for my sister’s death, how distressed would my mother be –
Haruka suddenly couldn’t breathe when she heard her mother’s unforeseen words, just as she had when she had been drowning in the water.
Why does my mother know that? I’ve never ntioned this to her once, and I haven’t let her see behaving like I do either.
And yet –
’Mum... You knew...’
That was all she could say.
’Twenty years...’
Haruka knew that much.
I never told anybody. I thought I had hid it in my heart all this ti –
Her nose felt prickly, and the corners of her eyes felt warm.
Haruka silently nodded.
The warmth in her mother’s words filled her entire body.
Sothing that had frozen over was slowly lting –
When she was younger, she had always been unhappy about her older twin sister, who was better than her at everything.
Haruka had thought that her mother hated her, since she was worse at everything – studying, sports, music...
After her sister died, she had been frantic in trying to be like her. She had been scared that sobody would say ’You should have died’ if she didn’t.
’Mum, how did you know...’
’I even know who your first love was. Ken-chan, right? He got married so ti ago.’
That was right. Ken-chan. He had dark skin and was a shorty. He had been nimble and playful.
Her mother really knew everything.
’Oh...’
Haruka’s heart skipped a beat at her mother’s sudden words.
’Why do you think that?’
’I did that?’
She wasn’t really aware of it herself, but it was probably him.
’He’s incredibly contrary. He’s selfish and not nice at all.’
Her mother laughed, sounding like she was enjoying herself.
’OK. Next ti I co ho.’
Haruka hung up.
At the sa ti, tears started coming out like a dam had been broken, and she cried aloud. Haruka didn’t know whether it was from pain, sadness or happiness.
Her body trembled, and her chest was so hot it felt like it would burn.
In that wave of emotion that made it hard for her to breathe, Haruka realised that the cross she had been carrying up until now had been an illusion –
-
7
-
How long did Detective Gotou plan on staying here?
While Ishii had that doubt, he couldn’t say it aloud, so he just looked at Gotou, sitting on a folding chair with his legs crossed.
It had already been almost thirty minutes since they’d co to the young man called Yakumo’s secret hideaway at the university.
Ishii couldn’t understand at all why Gotou was so fixated on him.
’Damn that bastard. Where’d he run off to? It’s a serious matter,’ Gotou yelled, revealing his anger.
At the sa ti, the door opened and Yakumo ca in.
’Finally back?’
Yakumo looked obviously displeased at Gotou, who had spoken.
’This is illegal trespassing. Ishii-san, please arrest this man now.’
Yakumo pointed at Gotou.
Arrest? In that case, Ishii was committing the sa cri.
’Unfortunately, I don’t have the ti to banter with you.’
’What a coincidence. I was just thinking that I don’t have the ti to play with you either.’
’That’s not what I ant. She was found.’
’Your wife?’
’Stop screwing around! A girl’s corpse! The third victim was found!’
Gotou’s voice which he couldn’t hold in burst out.
At that mont, Yakumo’s expression stiffened. Even Ishii understood that it wasn’t because Gotou’s outcry had surprised him.
’Please let hear the details.’
Yakumo sat on his own chair and crossed his arms as he urged Gotou.
’The victim’s na is Hashimoto Rumi-chan. She’s fourteen, sa as the other victims. Like with the second victim, Miho-chan, she was thrown into a dumpsite after she drowned. She was found this morning. She probably died last night.’
Gotou sumd it up all in one go.
Yakumo didn’t open his mouth. He furrowed his brow and looked down.
Silence –
’Does that an Andou wasn’t the murderer?’
Ishii spoke up.
Yakumo and Gotou both glared at him at the sa ti. Being glared at by these two was truly terrifying.
’Andou is definitely the murderer,’ Yakumo said indifferently.
’I checked with old man Hata this morning. Andou’s fingerprints and Ayaka-chan’s hair were found at the building.’
So there was evidence –
’Detective Gotou. T-t-this is just a possibility. Could that evidence have been faked?’
’Who would do that and for what purpose?’ Yakumo imdiately rebutted.
After hearing Yakumo’s words, Gotou put a photo on the table.
’How about this? This guy did it to hide his murder.’
Yakumo’s eyes went wide when he took the photo into his hands.
His teeth were clenched together so tightly it seed like they might break with a crack.
There was a tall man wearing sunglasses in the photo.
The bridge of his nose was straight, and he looked like he was smiling. On top of that, the man’s face looked vaguely like Yakumo’s.
’Gotou-san. Where did you get this photo?’ asked Yakumo, looking at Gotou sharply.
Gotou’s expression was equally stiff.
’Seems like he was in the crowd of onlookers when the corpse was found. For both the second victim Miho-chan and this ti’s Rumi-chan. Old man Hata thought he was suspicious so he took the photo.’
’If this man is connected to this case, this won’t end easily.’
’I know. Thirteen years ago – and that fake murder case a month ago – this is going to be difficult.’
Thirteen years ago? A month ago? What were these two talking about?
They were talking like they knew this man from before.
’Gotou-san. Do you still have the corpse of the third victim?’
’You going?’
’Yes, let’s go.’
Gotou and Yakumo stood up at the sa ti.
Right then, Yakumo’s mobile started ringing.
Yakumo curtly answered the phone. ’What trouble do you have for this ti?’
-
8
-
Haruka didn’t know why that had co up in her mind herself.
The soul of the girl, still in the river, with the sa na as her sister.
Yakumo had said this. That girl was bound to the river by her father’s strong emotions. Haruka wanted to save her if she could.
Before she noticed, she had pressed the call button on her phone.
Once the call connected, she heard a curt voice.
’It’s not trouble. I just wanted to ask you sothing.’
’That’s revolting.’
Revolting –
’Honestly. I just want to ask about Doctor Kinoshita.’
’That’s true, but that girl will be stuck in the river like this.’
’Can’t anything be done?’
It felt like he had planned on giving up from the start, or he might have thought it wasn’t their problem.
’But the girl seems pitiful.’
’I know, but... I was thinking of trying to get Doctor Kinoshita to understand once more.’
Yakumo’s opinion makes sense.
It’s not sothing I can solve on my own. But –
’Can’t you co with ?’
For a while, Yakumo didn’t say anything.
Doctor Kinoshita said this. His daughter died because of him –
Haruka wouldn’t say she had felt the sa way, but she had lived her life up until now carrying similar feelings. ’Your daughter’s death wasn’t your fault.’ She wanted him to understand that, at least.
Yakumo’s tone changed slightly.
Other people might not have noticed if they heard it, but I can tell –
Haruka recalled sothing Isshin had said before. ’That boy is really kind, but he’s bad at showing his emotions.’
’What do you an?’
That’s –
’I think that’d be impossible.’
Haruka understood what Yakumo was saying.
But she still wanted to save that girl. Those strong feelings hadn’t been changed.
The girl with the sa na as her dead sister.
I probably want to do sothing to save her and be pardoned. I want to be released from the burden of having killed my sister.
I know that’s just my own selfishness. But –
’I want to do sothing.’
It sounded like Yakumo had given up.
’OK.’
Haruka nodded.
Now that she thought about it, it would feel like running away if she borrowed Yakumo’s strength now.
’Your ssage?’
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