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ANOTHER FILES – THE TOWER OF JUDGEMENT
file 03: the tower of judgement (TRANSLATION NOTES)
1
‘Sorry to bother – ’
The next morning, Gotou went with Is.h.i.+ to Yak.u.mo’s hideaway, the Movie Research Circle room.
Yak.u.mo looked sleepy as always and was in his usual chair, reading a book.
'Coming even though you know you’re a bother – is this some kind of hara.s.sment?’ Yak.u.mo asked lazily as he lifted his head.
That att.i.tude really got on Gotou’s nerves. He wanted to punch him right now.
'And you’re just reading a book in a time like this – feeling pretty laidback?’ retorted Gotou.
Yak.u.mo sighed and put the book he was reading on the table. It was a rather thin book – more a booklet than anything.
On the front, there was a picture of the clock tower which was the start of this incident, and the t.i.tle was just that – the Clock Tower.
'I’m reading it because it’s necessary to the case.’
'Necessary? That is?’
'This is something published by the literature circle that the victim Kanae-san was in.’
'I don’t think reading that’ll solve any cases,’ Gotou said cynically. Yak.u.mo gave him a cold glare.
It was an almost frightening level of pressure.
'It will solve the case – absolutely.’
Gotou felt like it was the first time in a while that he had heard strength in Yak.u.mo’s words.
He had probably done away with his doubts after meeting Haruka yesterday.
The current Yak.u.mo had to have the strong will to solve the mystery of the case no matter what.
Maybe he had finally decided to believe in Haruka.
After that, s.h.i.+noda and Onodera had rebuked them plenty. There had been a big fuss about what sort of punishment they’d go under, but Miyagawa had come in and dealt with it somehow.
It had been troublesome, but if that had brought Yak.u.mo back, Gotou was glad he got Yak.u.mo the chance to see Haruka.
'Then what should we do next?’ said Gotou as he sat down.
Right now, they had solved nothing about the case. They didn’t even have a lead.
They couldn’t just keep sitting around.
Yak.u.mo put his left index finger on his brown and narrowed his eyes. The faint smile on his lips was uncanny.
'Three years ago, a woman committed suicide by jumping from the clock tower – ’
Yak.u.mo spoke slowly.
'Yeah.’
The incident had occurred when Gotou had brought the files on that case at Yak.u.mo’s request.
'I want to know more about the incident.’
'Those files not enough?’
'They aren’t. I want to know what happened at the time, what sort of situation it was – more detail than is in the files.’
'Does the woman who committed suicide have something to do with this case?’ asked Is.h.i.+, his voice shaking.
'Yes, she does. Like I said before, the victim Kanae-san and her friend Nis.h.i.+zawa-san experienced a spiritual phenomenon in the clock tower. That was probably – ’
There, Yak.u.mo stopped, but Gotou understood even without his saying.
He was probably saying that the ghost in the clock tower was the woman who had killed herself, Mizuhara Noriko. But –
'There’s no ghost in the tower, right?’
There had been no ghost when Yak.u.mo went there with Haruka or with Gotou.
Though Gotou had just asked a normal question, Yak.u.mo laughed.
'Ghosts don’t always stay in the same place.’
'Aren’t they bound to the place they died or have strong emotions for?’
That was what Yak.u.mo always said.
The spirits of the dead were bound to the place they died and places that they had exceptionally strong emotions for. If that was the case, the ghost wouldn’t be able to move from the clock tower.
'I only say that is often the case. There are exceptions to everything.’
Gotou couldn’t retort to that.
Well, there were many things he didn’t understand, but all he could do was agree to do what Yak.u.mo said now. If he didn’t, Haruka would be arrested as the culprit.
'Got it. First, I’ll see who was in charge…’
'I already know,’ Yak.u.mo replied easily.
'What?’
'I said, I already know. It was written in the file. It’s amazing how you can be a detective while being so careless,’ Yak.u.mo said mockingly.
It made Gotou angry, but at the same time, he felt happy, since it felt like Yak.u.mo had finally come back.
'Who is it?’ asked Gotou.
Yak.u.mo smiled faintly.
'The detective who was very angry yesterday. If I remember correctly, his name was – ’
Yak.u.mo looked up into the air.
– Oi, don’t kid around.
Though feeling weary, Gotou said the name.
's.h.i.+noda.’
'Yes. According to the files, it was s.h.i.+noda.’
– This is the worst.
If Gotou went to talk to him now, it would just be a repeat of yesterday’s fight. That said, he couldn’t just keep quiet and do nothing.
Well, he had come this far – he had to just go on without grumbling.
'Got it, but don’t expect much.’
Gotou got up, but his heart was heavy.
He didn’t think s.h.i.+noda would just talk. He might have to be a bit forceful.
'Is.h.i.+! Let’s go!’
When Gotou called out to Is.h.i.+, he leapt up. 'Yes sir!’
The two of them were about to leave when Yak.u.mo called out to him.
'Sorry, but please leave Is.h.i.+-san behind.’
'What?’
'There is something else I need investigated, so I’d like Is.h.i.+’s help there.’
Yak.u.mo looked straight at Gotou.
Gotou didn’t know what Yak.u.mo was thinking, but Yak.u.mo’s gaze was always on the truth. Gotou had come this far believing that, and he would continue to –
'Got it. Do what you want,’ Gotou said brusquely, and he put the Movie Research Circle room behind him.
2
'h.e.l.lo – ’
Makoto stepped into the Meisei University cafeteria and spoke to a couple chatting at a window seat.
The two looked youthful but serious.
'Me?’ said the man, looking suspicious. The woman seemed on guard as well.
It made sense for them to feel that way since Makoto had suddenly called out to them.
'My name is Hijikata. I’m a reporter for Hokutou Newspaper. I would like to talk to you…’
Makoto quickly took out her business card with a smile.
The two exchanged a glance and then nodded.
'Is it about that incident?’ asked the man.
Haruka’s incident was in the news, so it was probably such a big commotion that everybody on campus knew about it.
'Yes,’ said Makoto with a nod. The two looked excited.
They were probably happy that they were going to be interviewed about the case. Makoto couldn’t think well of that, but this often happened when she went around interviewing people.
People wanted something exciting in their peaceful lives. If it didn’t have anything to do with them, they ran about irresponsibly.
'It’s a bit scary. I hear the girl was killed by a friend.’
'The person who killed her’s in the orchestra circle, apparently.’
'Seriously? Then maybe it’s somebody you know, Miki-chan.’
'Maybe.’
'Maybe they were fighting over a man?’
'That’s possible.’
The two seemed to be enjoying themselves.
– Don’t just go making things up!
Makoto fought down the urge to yell that.
They could say whatever they wanted because they didn’t know. They just repeated the face of the facts they heard without trying to find out if they were true or not.
It was terrifying.
However, the students wouldn’t recognise that at all even if Makoto told them that now.
If they weren’t involved, they really wouldn’t try to understand.
'What I want to ask about is the clock tower where the incident occurred – ’
Makoto interrupted the two of them, who had continued talking.
The two of them looked up at Makoto.
'There is a rumour that a ghost appears in that clock tower, but have you two heard of it before?’ asked Makoto.
The two looked at each other again.
'I’ve never heard that,’ replied the man with the shrug.
'I’ve never heard it either.’ The woman shook her head.
'I see…’
'Does that ghost have something to do with the case?’ the man asked. That question had been asked many times before.
– It does.
Makoto wanted to say that, but they probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.
'I heard a rumour. If it had something to do with it, I thought I’d be able to write an interesting article, but it seems I’m off the mark.’
Makoto ended the conversation and left before the two could ask any questions.
After leaving the cafeteria, her mobile rang. It was Yak.u.mo.
'h.e.l.lo, Hijikata speaking.’
She heard Yak.u.mo’s clear voice from her phone. Even though Yak.u.mo had been acting calm yesterday, he had seemed weak, as if he might collapse at any moment. However, the call Makoto received this morning felt like it was from the usual Yak.u.mo. Perhaps he had come to terms with his emotions, or something else had happened – in either case, Makoto wanted to do whatever she could to solve the case.
'I asked about ten people, but n.o.body’s heard about it before,’ reported Makoto. Yak.u.mo had asked her to find out when the rumour about the ghost in the clock tower had started, but so far, she hadn’t met anyone who knew the rumour. It made her doubt there was even a rumour in the first place. However, that made something else confusing. Sakurai had said that the ghost of the clock tower made him write his novel. It would have made sense if there had been a rumour, but why would he say it otherwise?
'It looks like I couldn’t help much.’
'What is it?’
3 Is.h.i.+ walked the campus with Yak.u.mo. Yak.u.mo had been on the phone with somebody this whole time. Though Is.h.i.+ couldn’t hear the voice, it was probably Makoto. What on earth was Yak.u.mo thinking? To be honest, Is.h.i.+ had no idea. Still, he was cooperating with Yak.u.mo. It was Yak.u.mo. Is.h.i.+ believed in him to solve the case. It was a mysterious feeling. Since Is.h.i.+ only ever interacted with Yak.u.mo on cases, he knew practically nothing about him. Not only that – Is.h.i.+ never knew what Yak.u.mo was thinking, so it was frightening. And yet – he believed in what Yak.u.mo was trying to do and was going forward. – I wonder what the root behind people’s belief is. 'Is.h.i.+-san.’ After finis.h.i.+ng his call, Yak.u.mo called out to Is.h.i.+ as they walked. 'Y-yes?’ 'Thank you for yesterday.’ 'Eh?’ Is.h.i.+ stared at Yak.u.mo’s profile. He didn’t understand why Yak.u.mo was thanking him. Actually, it was unusual for Yak.u.mo to thank anybody at all. 'You stopped me when I was arguing with Gotou-san.’ Yak.u.mo awkwardly looked down and scratched the tip of his nose. 'Ah, no, er… My body just moved on its own…’ Before Is.h.i.+ had noticed, he had stepped in between them. He hadn’t done it consciously – you could call it habit. 'If you hadn’t stopped me then, I don’t know what would have…’ Yak.u.mo stopped walking and turned his eyes towards the line of clouds in the perfectly blue sky. – Ah, even he worries about things. Even though it was such an obvious thing, Is.h.i.+ felt like he had just realised it. Yak.u.mo and Gotou had definitely not been normal then. It hadn’t been their usual argument – it had felt like they were clas.h.i.+ng with the emotions hidden at the bottom of their hearts. Though fighting with no guards was ghastly, it was true that Is.h.i.+ had felt envious as well when he saw them. Would he ever be able to yell out his true feelings like that to anybody? 'I…’ 'Let’s go – ’ Yak.u.mo interrupted Is.h.i.+ and started walking again. After a quick 'Yes’, Is.h.i.+ started walking diagonally behind Yak.u.mo. Soon, they reached the security room that Is.h.i.+ had visited yesterday. When they went inside, Seo was waiting, since they had asked for an appointment in advance. They were taking to the same table as Is.h.i.+ had been yesterday and sat down. Though Is.h.i.+ had been worried about how to explain Yak.u.mo, Seo didn’t ask, so Is.h.i.+ left it as is. Seo probably thought that Yak.u.mo was another detective. 'To be honest, it’s hard to get any work done when you keep coming…’ Seo had his hat on still, like last time, and grumbled while looking down. Is.h.i.+ understood how Seo felt, especially since other detectives had probably come to talk to him too. 'I sincerely apologise.’ Is.h.i.+ bowed his head and then looked at Yak.u.mo. Actually, Is.h.i.+ had nothing to ask. Yak.u.mo had been the one who said he wanted to meet Seo. What on earth was Yak.u.mo thinking? As if to respond to Is.h.i.+’s question, Yak.u.mo started to speak. 'About the day of the incident, you said that you heard something like a woman’s scream.’ 'Yes.’ Though Seo looked fed up, he still answered. 'How many times did you hear a scream?’ 'Er… Once, I think…’ After Seo responded, Yak.u.mo stood up and then moved towards the wall, where there was a map of the university campus. 'Where did you hear the scream from?’ 'I heard it just as I walked in front of the clock tower.’ 'Would that be around here?’ asked Yak.u.mo as he pointed at the map. 'I think so.’ 'I see. Were you on your rounds when you heard the scream, or were you on your way back?’ Yak.u.mo asked in a flat tone. Is.h.i.+ didn’t understand why he was asking, so all he could do was watch silently. 'On the way back.’ 'Then, that would mean you pa.s.sed by the clock tower once before the incident.’ 'That’s right…’ Seo looked confused. He probably didn’t understand what Yak.u.mo was trying to get at either. Yak.u.mo didn’t seem to care. He continued, 'When you first pa.s.sed it, did you see any students loitering on campus?’ 'Hm… I don’t think I saw any…’ 'Are you certain?’ 'I said “think”, didn’t I? I don’t remember clearly,’ Seo said impatiently. Yak.u.mo smiled slightly at the response. Is.h.i.+ didn’t know what, but Yak.u.mo had definitely got something out of the conversation. To prove that, Yak.u.mo said, 'Thank you. That was very helpful.’ Then, he started to leave. If Is.h.i.+ just stayed here, he would be left behind. He hurriedly stood up as well, but Yak.u.mo suddenly sopped and turned around. 'One more thing.’ Yak.u.mo put up his index finger. 'What is it?’ 'On your waist – is that a transceiver?’ Yak.u.mo pointed at the device about the size of a cigarette box on Seo’s belt. 'Ah, yes, something like that…’ responded Seo. Yak.u.mo looked satisfied and murmured, 'I see – ’ He left the room, but then he came back again. 'Sorry, but one more thing – ’ 'Ah…’ Seo sounded fed up. 'That clock tower – it seems there’s a rumour about a ghost there.’ 'Eh?’ Seo said, seeming uninterested at the sudden mention of a ghost. However, perhaps this was important. A guard that went around the campus at night might have seen a ghost at the clock tower. 'Have you ever seen it?’ 'What?’ 'The ghost.’ 'No.’ 'I see. Have you ever heard the rumour?’ 'The rumour about the ghost?’ 'Yes.’ Seo put his chin in his hand and seemed to be thinking as he c.o.c.ked his head, but then he said, 'Ah! Come to think of it, I’ve heard a rumour like that before – ’ 'I see,’ said Yak.u.mo. He seemed satisfied with Seo’s answer, as he briskly left the room. 'I apologise for taking up your time. That was very helpful,’ Is.h.i.+ said quickly. He went out of the room after Yak.u.mo – 'Do you understand more now?’ asked Is.h.i.+ once he caught up with Yak.u.mo. 'No, not yet…’ Though Yak.u.mo shook his head, Is.h.i.+ was sure that Yak.u.mo was hiding something. 4 'Oi! Gotou!’ The moment Gotou returned to the precinct, s.h.i.+noda came up to him with an amazing expression. His face was bright red – he had to be furious. Normally, Gotou would just go elsewhere to avoid dealing with such trouble, but he was just thinking about going to see him. 'If you get so angry all the time, you’ll die early,’ Gotou said spitefully, which made s.h.i.+noda turn a shade redder. 'You – what are you doing!?’ s.h.i.+noda glared at him fiercely. Gotou didn’t mind taking that, but they were at the ground floor reception. Regular citizens came here to renew licences and to report lost items. 'Let’s go elsewhere,’ declared Gotou, and he briskly walked away. s.h.i.+noda seemed to understand the situation as well, as he reigned in his anger and followed Gotou. They went up the stairs and inside the Unsolved Cases Special Investigation room. n.o.body was here. They would be able to talk without worrying about anybody around them. 'So what are you so angry about? I think we cleared up yesterday’s issue,’ said Gotou. He sat on the desk and crossed his arms. He needed to hear something from s.h.i.+noda, but first he would probably have to endure everything s.h.i.+noda wanted to say. 'Cleared it up? Don’t screw with me! Thanks to you guys, the suspect’s att.i.tude has made a complete 180!’ shouted s.h.i.+noda, stamping the ground. It was like watching a child throw a tantrum. 'What’re you talking about?’ 'Don’t act innocent! We got a confession, but now she’s saying she can’t remember!’ – I see. Haruka must have burst through after seeing Yak.u.mo too. She was probably trying to push through with how she thought because of her belief in Yak.u.mo. 'Oh?’ 'What’s so funny!?’ When s.h.i.+noda said that, Gotou noticed that he was smiling. 'Nothing,’ he replied, quickly hiding his smile. 'You must’ve told her that! Stop fooling around!’ That seemed to be why s.h.i.+noda was so angry. No matter how Gotou denied it, s.h.i.+noda would never believe him – there would just be a fight. 'When did you become like this?’ asked Gotou. s.h.i.+noda frowned. 'What?’ 'Don’t you think this case is strange?’ 'What about it?’ 'Do you think a completely normal girl would suddenly kill somebody?’ 'What are you saying? Normal people kill people all the time. Even you have to know that, since you’ve been on the force this long.’ Just as s.h.i.+noda said, Gotou had seen countless situations where somebody who looked completely normal had suddenly killed somebody. However, that was only a mask they put up. 'You don’t get it.’ 'What did you say?’ 'What you’re saying is only for people who look normal.’ ’…’ It looked like s.h.i.+noda didn’t understand what Gotou was getting at. He seemed confused. Just as Gotou had planned, going with a different approach had calmed s.h.i.+noda down. 'When you investigate, you find out that people who look normal actually have a lot of problems, like money or grudges or other things.’ 'That’s…’ It looked like s.h.i.+noda understood what Gotou was trying to say. Killing somebody just wasn’t normal. Even if somebody looked like they would never kill anybody, as the investigation went on, you would find darkness deep within. Any detective would understand what Gotou was saying. 'Did you see that darkness in her?’ asked Gotou. s.h.i.+noda looked bitter. 'I just haven’t found it yet.’ 'Then don’t you want to know?’ 'Know what?’ 'Cases aren’t just about arresting a guy and calling it quits. Why did the incident occur? If you don’t reveal the truth, the case isn’t solved.’ 'I know that even without your saying it,’ said s.h.i.+noda with a click of his tongue. 'Then investigate until you’re satisfied. You’ve got to think something strange about this case too, right?’ said Gotou to convince s.h.i.+noda. s.h.i.+noda had thought the case strange but determined it a simple case because of the eyewitness testimony and physical evidence, and Haruka’s confession on top of that. But if s.h.i.+noda was a detective too, he had to want to know why this had happened. 'What are you thinking?’ asked s.h.i.+noda with a sigh. His eyes were different from earlier – sincere and steady. The police went through a lot of cases. Even if they tried to face them all earnestly, when they were swamped with work, they could lose themselves. That must have happened to s.h.i.+noda too. 'I want to ask a few things. To solve the case.’ 'What do you want to know?’ After saying that, s.h.i.+noda sat down on the nearby chair. The two of them had always got on each other nerves, so they had never spoken properly before. Gotou felt like he could finally face the man named s.h.i.+noda. In the past, Gotou would probably have just cut ties with the people he didn’t like. He didn’t want to understand the people he disliked, and he didn’t want to try either. He could probably sit like this today because of the case with Kirino. He never wanted to make the same mistake again. 'About three years ago, a female student jumped from the university’s clock tower and committed suicide – ’ When Gotou said that, s.h.i.+noda murmured, 'That…?’ Then, he said, 'What do you want to know about that now? It’s not even related. That was definitely a suicide, from the situation.’ 'I know that, but it bothers me a bit.’ He thought about explaining about Yak.u.mo, but he decided against it. They were talking properly now. He didn’t want to say something unnecessary and make s.h.i.+noda angry. 'Do you think that the woman who committed suicide has something to do with this case?’ said s.h.i.+noda after thinking for a while. He had given Gotou a good explanation. 'Well, something like that,’ replied Gotou. s.h.i.+noda looked up at the ceiling, perhaps thinking about the past. After a while, he suddenly said, 'Ah!’ 'What?’ pressed Gotou. s.h.i.+noda looked troubled, but he said, 'Somebody had been saying that it definitely wasn’t a suicide.’ 'Family member?’ That was Gotou’s first guess. 'No, not family.’ 'Who was it?’ 'Can’t remember the name, but it was a man in the same year…’ s.h.i.+noda’s words gave Gotou a number of theories. What if Mizuhara Noriko, thought to have jumped to her death, had been killed by someone? That could be a clue to unravel this case. 'That was really helpful – ’ After telling s.h.i.+noda that, Gotou left the room briskly. Just as he had started to walk down the corridor, his mobile rang. It was from Yak.u.mo – 'What?’
Yak.u.mo immediately asked that. It was perfect timing, as if he had been watching Gotou from afar. That there was no doubt about Mizuhara Noriko’s death being a suicide. That a man in the same year had made a fuss about it not being a suicide. Gotou told Yak.u.mo in much detail as he could what he had heard.
After Gotou finished, Yak.u.mo said that and was silent for a while. Gotou stopped walking and waited for Yak.u.mo’s response. To be honest, Gotou didn’t feel like he would be able to work out what was happening no matter how much he thought. But Yak.u.mo. Yak.u.mo would be able to put all these truths together and bring them to the truth.
'What?’
The name that came out of Yak.u.mo’s mouth was not one Gotou had expected. 5 Makoto went to the cafeteria once more – Since it was lunchtime, it was bustling with students, unlike how it had been earlier. She went straight to the table at the back. There was a male student there. He was thin and looked a bit boorish – there was no innocence there. He had left the cafeteria tray on the table as he read a book of some kind. 'Are you Katou s.h.i.+getomo?’ asked Makoto. The male student looked up and replied, 'Yes,’ in a thick voice. 'I think you’ve heard from Professor Onda, but I’m Hijikata from Hokutou Newspaper,’ said Makoto as she held out her business card. 'Ah, yes,’ Katou replied in a flat tone as he took the business card. Yak.u.mo had asked her to talk to various members of the literature circle. He had also told her what to ask. That said, she didn’t know who the members were, so she had asked Onda to introduce her to a few. Now, she was talking with Katou, the president of the literature circle. 'It’s about Kanae-chan, right?’ said Katou in a low voice as he put his book away in his bag. 'Yes, well…’ 'I can’t believe she was killed…’ After saying that, Katou’s eyes looked distant. His att.i.tude and his words made him seem like he was trying to act mature. 'How was Kanae-san like in the circle?’ 'How…? Well, she was normal.’ “Normal” was the most troubling response. Since people had different definitions of normal, it was hard to imagine. That said, thinking about that wouldn’t get Makoto anywhere. 'Do you mean that she didn’t stand out?’ 'Well, something like that.’ 'I heard that she was on good terms with Sakurai-san…’ 'Ah, Sakurai…’ Makoto didn’t miss how Katou’s expression twisted in dislike. 'Is there some problem with Sakurai-san?’ 'Not a problem, per se… It feels like he’s getting ahead of himself, calling himself an author after just publis.h.i.+ng one book, doesn’t it?’ – So that’s how it is. People at this age sometimes found it hard to honestly be happy about other people’s achievements. Especially if they were in the same age and aiming for the same genre. No, it wasn’t just people at this age. Jealousy was probably everywhere. 'Were you on good terms with Sakurai-san before?’ 'Well, just normal.’ – Normal again. 'Did you spend time in each other’s company?’ 'Never just the two of us, though we went out normally for drinks with the circle…’ Makoto would get no information like this. Though Makoto felt slightly irritated, she bore with it and went back to the topic at hand. 'So Kanae-san and Sakurai-san were close.’ 'Maybe not.’ 'Were they dating?’ 'Who knows? They never said… Ah, but Nis.h.i.+zawa, maybe.’ 'What about him?’ Makoto reacted to that name. Nis.h.i.+zawa was the person who had experienced the spiritual phenomenon in the clock tower with Kanae. Kanae had consulted Yak.u.mo through Haruka because she had thought that Nis.h.i.+zawa was possessed. 'There was a rumour that Nis.h.i.+zawa was after Kanae-chan.’ 'That would mean that Sakurai-san and Nis.h.i.+zawa-san were interested in the same woman.’ Though Makoto had only ever seen Kanae in pictures, it was true that she looked lovely. That wasn’t all – there was a fleetingness there that made you want to protect her. 'No, I don’t know. It was just a rumour, but something similar happened before, so…’ 'Before?’ Makoto furrowed her brow. 'No, just ignore that.’ Katou frantically waved his hand in front of his face. Even if he said that now, Makoto couldn’t help but want to know after hearing that. 'What happened?’ pressed Makoto. 'No, it was nothing,’ repeated Katou, but Makoto didn’t give up. She forcefully pressed him for an answer, so Katou finally said, 'Don’t tell anybody,’ and then started to speak in a heavy tone. 'When I was in first year, there was a cute girl in the circle that people were fighting over. Of course I don’t partic.i.p.ate in things like that.’ Makoto didn’t like how Katou was trying to excuse himself, but she didn’t say anything about it and urged him to continue. 'Sakurai and Nis.h.i.+zawa were worked up about her too, but… a lot of things happened…’ Here, Katou stopped speaking again, but Makoto had a guess about what he wasn’t saying. 'Could the name of the girl be Mizuhara Noriko-san?’ asked Makoto. Katou’s expression stiffened. 'Why do you know?’ 'Actually – I’ve been researching a number of things about the woman who committed suicide by jumping from the clock tower.’ Yak.u.mo had requested that Yak.u.mo investigate what happened before and after Mizuhara Noriko’s suicide. Putting aside what had brought the conversation here, she had managed to bring up the topic of Noriko. 'So you think Noriko-san’s incident has something to do with Kanae-san’s?’ Katou looked fairly shaken, but he asked that after he calmed down. 'I can’t say anything at this stage… But that is why I think it is worth investigating,’ said Makoto, fill of fervour. 'I don’t know that much.’ 'That’s fine. I’d like you to tell me what happened before and after Mizuhara-san committed suicide.’ Katou looked like he was wavering for a while, but he finally gave Makoto a small nod. 6 Is.h.i.+ stood in front of the clock tower – Yak.u.mo had said he wanted to look at it once more. Now, Yak.u.mo was standing where Seo had said he’d heard the scream. He stood still, looking up at the clock tower. The brick clock tower looked like it had been left behind by time. The clock, needles stopped at one time, was perhaps what made it feel that way. 'Did you find out anything?’ asked Is.h.i.+. Yak.u.mo turned his way. Unusually, there was urgency in his expression. It was probably because he was worried about Haruka. Is.h.i.+ felt the same way. There was no time to investigate everything carefully. They needed to prove Haruka’s innocence as soon as possible. Yak.u.mo opened his mouth to say something, but then his mobile rang. Yak.u.mo answered the call. Though Is.h.i.+ couldn’t hear the voice clearly, it was probably Gotou. Is.h.i.+ sighed and looked up once more at the clock tower. – Will things really be OK? That anxiety had reared up within Is.h.i.+. Even though Is.h.i.+ had decided to believe in Yak.u.mo in order to prove Haruka’s innocence, that determination was shaken by every little thing. He hated how indecisive he was. He felt like he wouldn’t have to worry so much if he could just go straight forward like Gotou. Ever since this incident happened, Is.h.i.+ had been wavering the whole time. 'Is.h.i.+-san!’ Is.h.i.+ jumped up when somebody suddenly called out to him. He turned around and saw Makoto there. ’M-Makoto-san.’ 'You look down,’ said Makoto, seeing right through Is.h.i.+. 'No, er… Well…’ 'It’s fine. Things will turn out OK.’ In completely contrast to Is.h.i.+, Makoto was smiling and she put up her fist confidently. 'I’m envious of you, Makoto-san.’ 'Why?’ 'You’re going forward without any doubts on the path you believe in even at a time like this. Detective Gotou is the same way. But then there’s me…’ said Is.h.i.+ in a hoa.r.s.e voice. Makoto smiled. 'To be honest, I’m unsure myself.’ 'It doesn’t look that way…’ 'In the past, a teacher told me something.’ 'What is it?’ 'Rather than worrying about a future you can’t see the end of, it’s more fun to keep going forward towards a result you believe in.’ Makoto really looked happy as she said that. Though those words were incredibly optimistic, Is.h.i.+ felt like he could understand. Worrying now would solve nothing. It was more important to think about what to do to solve the issue and move towards that. Though it was just slightly, Is.h.i.+ felt like some of his anxiety had lightened. 'Thank you very much.’ Just as Is.h.i.+ said that, Yak.u.mo finished his call and walked towards them. 'Makoto-san is here as well now, so let’s move elsewhere.’ The three of them went to the nearby school lounge. There were no windows and felt like a cellar. Few students pa.s.sed by. They would be able to speak easily here. 'Makoto-san, how was it?’ asked Yak.u.mo once they had all sat on the sofas. Makoto nodded and opened her memo pad before speaking. 'I heard a number of things about Mizuhara Noriko-san, the woman who committed suicide… It seems she was acting strangely before her suicide.’ 'What do you mean by strangely?’ asked Yak.u.mo, his brow furrowed. 'Though she never talked much, one day, she seemed to shut up inside herself and wouldn’t answer even if somebody talked to her, as if she couldn’t hear them.’ 'Isn’t that kind of like the symptoms of the person named Nis.h.i.+zawa?’ said Is.h.i.+ as the thought came to his mind. 'It is similar,’ replied Yak.u.mo, chin in his hand. 'Could it be that Mizuhara-san also saw the ghost in the clock tower and started acting strangely?’ After saying that, Is.h.i.+ regretted his words. They were just too off-base. A mirror that was connected to the underworld. Meeting with a ghost, only to be taken away to the underworld in the same way – it was just impossible. 'I can’t deny the possibility.’ 'Eh?’ Yak.u.mo’s words were so unexpected that Is.h.i.+ was the one who was surprised. 'If we casually say something is impossible, we will lose sight of the truth.’ 'That’s true, but…’ Even though Is.h.i.+ had suggested it himself, he felt it was a bit improbable. 'Well, putting theories aside… Makoto-san, did you hear anything about the reason for Mizuhara-san’s suicide?’ continued Yak.u.mo. 'About that… It appears Mizuhara-san was a very delicate woman. She was very sensitive and had a strangely fleeting impression to her.’ 'I’ve only seen her from pictures, but I felt the same way…’ responded Yak.u.mo. Is.h.i.+ agreed. Perhaps the fact that she had committed suicide was clouding his perception, but he had felt like she was so fragile she could disappear at any moment. 'Because she was like that, everyone kind of just accepted it when they found out she had committed suicide. But as for an actual reason…’ 'How about those two?’ Yak.u.mo sent a gaze so sharp it was frightening Makoto’s way. 'The two of them were both friendly with Mizuhara-san, though n.o.body knew what exactly their relations.h.i.+ps were…’ Makoto appeared sorry that she didn’t have any specifics, but Yak.u.mo didn’t seem to care. 'I see.’ After saying that expressionlessly, Yak.u.mo crossed his arms and looked down. He was probably thinking over the case. Is.h.i.+ wished that he could express a smart opinion to help Yak.u.mo organise his thoughts, but Is.h.i.+ couldn’t think of anything. He didn’t even know who Yak.u.mo suspected or where he was aiming. Makoto looked frustrated as well as she bit her lower lip, perhaps feeling the same way. Yak.u.mo thought silently for a while, but then he suddenly lifted his head. 'Makoto-san, I have one more request – ’ As Yak.u.mo said that, his lips turned up into a smile. 7 Gotou stopped his car in front of the Meisei University gates. Yak.u.mo and Is.h.i.+ immediately walked over. They looked considerably worn out. It made sense. They had been working ever since the incident occurred. Yak.u.mo sat in the backseat as usual. Is.h.i.+ went to the door on the driver’s side and fidgeted. 'E-er… I’ll take over for you,’ said Is.h.i.+, sounding apologetic. Now that Gotou thought about it, Is.h.i.+ always drove. It had become habit, so Is.h.i.+ himself probably thought that it was his job. That said, with Is.h.i.+ looking this exhausted, there could be an accident. 'Just get in the pa.s.senger seat.’ 'But…’ Is.h.i.+ was fidgeting even more now. 'Stop fidgeting!’ yelled Gotou. 'Yes sir!’ Is.h.i.+ replied with a jump. He hurriedly ran towards the pa.s.senger side. He fell – 'So how was the investigation?’ asked Yak.u.mo once Is.h.i.+ had managed to get in. 'I got a bunch of info.’ Gotou tried to hand over the files, but he couldn’t. Gotou had put the files on the pa.s.senger seat. Is.h.i.+ was sitting on them. 'Move over,’ said Gotou, grabbing the corner of the files that were sticking out from under Is.h.i.+. 'Eh?’ 'You’re sitting on the files.’ 'Eh? Ah! I see! Sorry!’ Even though Is.h.i.+ could have just sat up slightly, he stood up in a fl.u.s.ter and hit his head against the top of the car. 'What are you doing?’ ’S-sorry.’ With Is.h.i.+ slightly off the chair, Gotou managed to save the files. Such a big fuss just to hand over some files. As Yak.u.mo watched from the backseat, he was smiling. Gotou felt like it was the first time he’d seen that smile in a while. If Yak.u.mo, who had been pressed psychologically because of Haruka’s incident, felt just a little bit better, Gotou didn’t mind. 'Here – ’ Gotou handed over the files and Yak.u.mo started looking through the files, devouring them with his eyes. 'What files are those?’ asked Is.h.i.+ as he fixed the position of his gla.s.ses. 'Hm,’ Gotou replied brusquely, too bothered to even give a response. Yak.u.mo was reading files regarding a certain man. That man had caused some trouble for the police three years ago. However, it had nothing to do with this case. That said, Gotou couldn’t ignore it. Yak.u.mo had known beforehand that the police had this man on file. – What incident had he been in? While Gotou was thinking, Yak.u.mo lifted his head. His gaze was unusually fierce. It looked like he had found something important in those files. 'Oi, Yak.u.mo…’ Gotou tried to ask, but Yak.u.mo interrupted him. 'Is.h.i.+-san, you said that you saw a ghost before the incident occurred, didn’t you?’ Yak.u.mo’s words made both Gotou and Is.h.i.+ confused for a moment. – What’s he talking about? Gotou didn’t understand, but then he remembered. The prank that had occurred at the intersection near Meisei University. When they went there, Is.h.i.+ had made a big fuss about seeing a ghost. Is.h.i.+ had talked about that when they visited Yak.u.mo afterwards too, but then Haruka’s incident had occurred and Gotou had completely forgotten. 'Y-yes, I did see a ghost,’ said Is.h.i.+, though he sounded confused. – Why’s Yak.u.mo talking about that now? Is.h.i.+ had to be thinking that. Gotou was thinking the same thing. 'Did you see that ghost’s face?’ Yak.u.mo continued asking questions, ignoring their feelings. 'Not clearly…’ replied Is.h.i.+, his voice a bit nervous. 'Was that ghost a man? Or was it a woman?’ 'A woman.’ Yak.u.mo nodded, seeming satisfied with Yak.u.mo’s reply. Then, he frowned slightly. – What on earth is he thinking? Before Gotou could ask, Yak.u.mo said, 'Please go there now.’ 'You… What are you saying? Do we need to go there now?’ said Gotou without thinking. He didn’t know what Yak.u.mo was planning, but they had to solve Haruka’s case first. They didn’t have the time to look for some ghost Is.h.i.+ saw. 'I’m saying it because it’s necessary,’ Yak.u.mo said, incredibly brazen. 'Why? 'You don’t know?’ 'I’m asking because I don’t!’ shouted Gotou. Yak.u.mo sighed in a dramatic manner. It made it seem like Gotou was the weird one. 'Gotou-san, I’ve mentioned this before, but you should get into the habit of reading files more carefully,’ said Yak.u.mo, his tone pointed. Gotou knew he couldn’t focus on files. That’s why he hated paperwork. But it was really grating having Yak.u.mo point that out. 'I don’t need your concern! Stop talking and just explain already!’ Though Gotou yelled, only Is.h.i.+ was surprised. Yak.u.mo just smirked calmly. – I really hate this brat! 'I’ll explain once we arrive.’ After saying that, Yak.u.mo turned towards the window. He probably wouldn’t say any more no matter what Gotou said. 'Honestly…’ grumbled Gotou, though he started the car. He didn’t know what Yak.u.mo was thinking, but he felt like he was getting closer to the truth. 8 Makoto stood in front of a house. It was a bout fifteen minutes by bus from Meisei University at the corner of a residential street. The area, built by a railway company, had lines of nearly identical houses. Makoto checked the name plate and pressed the intercom b.u.t.ton, though her heart felt tight. After a while, the front door opened and a woman appeared. She was probably in her mid-fifties. She was small-framed with friendly eyes – she seemed like the sort of woman who liked people. However, there was an indescribable shadow in the back of her eyes. She was Yasue, the mother of Mizuhara Noriko, who had committed suicide three years ago. 'I’m Hijikata of Hokutou Newspaper. I called earlier.’ Makoto held out her business card. 'I’m Mizuhara. I apologise for asking you to come all this way,’ the woman said and bowed politely. Yak.u.mo had asked Makoto to investigate something at Mizuhara Noriko’s house, but to be honest, Makoto didn’t really want to. She didn’t know what expression to make before meeting a parent who had lost their daughter, and she didn’t think they would accept a sudden visit. However, when she called, Yasue had immediately agreed. Though Makoto had explained that she was gathering material for an article on suicide, but that wasn’t true. Makoto found it hard to breathe with the guilt of lying pressing down upon her. That said, she had already talked to her. She had to go through with it. 'First, would you allow me to burn incense?’ asked Makoto, which made Yasue smile faintly as she nodded. Makoto went inside the Yasue household and was brought to a j.a.panese-style room in the back. There was a small altar there with the photo of a smiling woman. Mizuhara Noriko – She was a very beautiful woman, but now that Makoto looked at the photo again, there was a certain fleetingness there. Makoto placed a lit incense stick and put her hands together in front of the photo. Why had she chosen to die when she was so young? That question bothered Makoto. Makoto’s student life had not been fun. There had been more bad things than good. Still, with the support of many people, starting with Onda, she had managed to come here. Had Mizuhara Noriko not had these people? When Makoto pondered that, she felt very sad. 'Sometimes, students in her grade come as well,’ Yasue said. 'Is that so?’ asked Makoto, turning in Yasue’s direction. 'Yes, students from the same circle.’ 'Would you happen to know their names?’ 'Unfortunately, I don’t know, but there are a few. It makes me very happy that they haven’t forgotten her.’ Yasue’s words were accompanied with wet eyes. 'Is that so…’ That was probably why Yasue had so quickly agreed to Makoto’s request. She was afraid that her daughter would be forgotten, so she wanted people to remember, no matter in what form – and so she had accepted. 'Noriko – was a very kind girl, but she was shy and didn’t like expressing her opinion.’ Yasue began to speak. 'Before she committed suicide, I knew that something was strange. But my daughter always bore with things on her own… And I had been thinking too lightly that she was an adult already. I never thought that she had been so troubled that she wanted to die…’ Tears began to fall from Yasue’s eyes. She didn’t wipe the tears. She just looked at the photo on the altar. That made Makoto’s hurt even more. 'Do you know what Noriko-san was troubled about?’ Even though Makoto knew it was a cruel question, like salt in somebody’s wounds, she asked it. Yasue looked down and shook her head. That was the same response as Katou, the circle president. Though Noriko had definitely been troubled, it remained unknown what she had been troubled about. – What cornered her so? It bothered Makoto, but she didn’t think that finding out would solve the case. However, Yak.u.mo felt something from her suicide. He probably saw something different than Makoto and the others. 'Um… If you wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate it if you allowed me to look at Noriko’s things…’ asked Makoto, watching Yasue’s reaction. That was the biggest reason Makoto had come. Yak.u.mo seemed to think that the key to unravelling this case lay in Noriko’s belongings. 'Please go ahead. Her room has been left as is.’ Yasue slowly stood up and took Makoto to the door right beside the top of the stairs to the second floor. The room was about six tatami in size with wooden flooring. On one side of the room, there was a bookshelf. There was a desk along the wall with the window and a bed in the back. It was a clean and well organised room, but it didn’t feel much like the room of a girl. 'Would you mind if I went inside?’ asked Makoto. 'Please go ahead,’ Yasue replied in a hoa.r.s.e voice. The moment Makoto entered, she felt it hard to breathe. Perhaps she felt Noriko was closer by touching the remnants of her life. There was a laptop on top of the desk. 'May I look at this?’ After Yasue gave her permission, Makoto turned on the computer. The login screen appeared. It needed a pa.s.sword. She wouldn’t be able to look inside this way. She thought about asking Yasue, but it was likely she didn’t known. Just as she had half-given up, a word suddenly came to Makoto’s head. Perhaps – she typed in
It wasn’t just the name of the magazine that Noriko’s circle put out. It was also where they did their circle activities. It was also the place she had jumped from to commit suicide. It looked like Makoto’s guess was correct, as the computer showed the desktop screen. She probably must have loved writing. There were many files that looked like they might have been drafts. – This is…! Makoto was stunned when her eyes fell on one of those files. 9 Gotou stopped his car near the intersection. This was where the prank with the red paint near the traffic light had been yesterday. Is.h.i.+ claimed to have seen a ghost here. Yak.u.mo had told them to come here. Gotou didn’t know why they’d had to. It didn’t seem to have anything to do with this case, at least. 'We’re here. So what are you going to do?’ asked Gotou. Yak.u.mo got off the car silently. – This guy. Gotou wished that Yak.u.mo would try being in his shoes for a change, just being told to do things without any explanation at all. While grumbling internally, Gotou got off the car. Is.h.i.+ did the same from the pa.s.senger side. Yak.u.mo was crouching in front of the traffic light, which still had paint on it. It was like he was looking for something. 'What’re you doing?’ asked Gotou. Yak.u.mo slowly stood up. He opened his mouth to speak, but then his mobile rang. After Yak.u.mo answered, he moved slightly away and started talking. – What bad timing. 'I wonder what Yak.u.mo-s.h.i.+ is thinking,’ said Is.h.i.+ as he pushed up his silver-framed gla.s.ses. 'Who knows?’ Gotou wanted to know too. It was always like this, but Gotou had no idea about the case. He wasn’t sure doing this would really solve the case. But just like every other time, Yak.u.mo took things that seemed completely unrelated and tied them together to carve out the truth. That was why – 'It’ll work out somehow.’ After saying that, Gotou took a cigarette out of his pocket. 'It’s illegal to smoke on the road. Are you really a police officer?’ Yak.u.mo had finished his phone call. His tone was incredibly disagreeable. 'Shut up. I know that – I’m just biting it.’ 'Really now.’ 'And you…’ 'Could you be quiet?’ Yak.u.mo said curtly. Yak.u.mo had been the one who’d started talking on that topic in the first place. It made Gotou angry, but it was pointless when facing Yak.u.mo. Gotou sighed and put the cigarette in his pocket. Yak.u.mo waited for the light to turn green and started walking across the intersection. 'Something there?’ Gotou asked, but there was no response. Yak.u.mo crouched in the middle of the intersection and stroked the asphalt there. Then, he looked at the traffic light with the paint on it. As he was doing that, the light turned from green to yellow. Maybe Yak.u.mo hadn’t noticed, because he didn’t budge. 'The light changed!’ Even after Gotou yelled, Yak.u.mo didn’t move. 'Has he not noticed?’ Is.h.i.+ said anxiously. That was likely. When Yak.u.mo focussed on something, he lost sight of everything else. 'Oi! Yak.u.mo!’ When Gotou yelled once more, the light turned red. The opposite traffic light turned green. Fortunately, there were no cars at the intersection, but Gotou saw a bus coming. 'What are you doing!? A bus is coming!’ screamed Gotou. Yak.u.mo finally stood up and looked at the sky. The bus drew closer. 'Oi! Hurry and cross the road!’ As Gotou yelled, there was a gust of wind. The sand that was blown up got in Gotou’s eyes and blocked his vision. 'Yak.u.mo! What are you doing!?’ Gotou yelled frantically even as he rubbed his eyes. He somehow managed to get the sand out of his eyes. When he looked at the intersection, the bus had pa.s.sed. – Where’s Yak.u.mo? Gotou spotted Yak.u.mo on the opposite side of the road. It looked like he was OK. 'That was dangerous!’ bellowed Gotou, but Yak.u.mo just casually, almost mockingly, walked back across the road. The smile on his face was almost bewitching. 'Gotou-san, I have a request,’ Yak.u.mo said calmly. 'What?’ 'Please bring every related party to the scene of the crime.’ 'You can’t mean…’ 'Yes. I’ve solved every mystery of this case – ’ As Yak.u.mo said that, his voice was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. 10 'Nis.h.i.+zawa-san.’ Nis.h.i.+zawa stopped walking when somebody called out to him. He was about to go home, heading for the bus stop. When he turned around, he saw a young man there. It was the man who had come to ask about Kanae’s incident yesterday. 'You…’ 'My name is Saitou Yak.u.mo. We met yesterday, yes?’ The young man who called himself Yak.u.mo smiled, but the smile was clearly fake. What do you want?’ asked Nis.h.i.+zawa. Yak.u.mo nodded. 'I just wanted to ask one thing.’ 'What?’ 'Nis.h.i.+zawa-san, you definitely saw a ghost in the clock tower, correct?’ Nis.h.i.+zawa didn’t know why Yak.u.mo wanted to know. 'I just saw something like it…’ Kanae had believed in the clock tower rumour and had thought that Nis.h.i.+zawa had been acting strange, but she had been mistaken. Nis.h.i.+zawa was the same as he had been before he’d seen the ghost. He was completely normal. 'You saw it, didn’t you?’ Yak.u.mo’s eyes narrowed. Nis.h.i.+zawa had thought this the first time he’d seen this guy, but he had scary eyes. It felt like they could see to the bottom of your heart. 'Why do you care?’ asked Nis.h.i.+zawa. Yak.u.mo smiled slightly. 'According to the rumour, you can reunite with the dead. The word “reunite” suggests somebody you know.’ 'Well, yeah.’ 'However, you didn’t see the ghost clearly.’ 'I didn’t.’ 'I see. That’s fine. Thank you very much.’ Yak.u.mo said just that and turned on his heels to leave, but he seemed to remember something as he stopped in his tracks. With the dark of night falling, his figure seemed to let out a strange, almost murderous atmosphere. 'Right, one more thing.’ After a silence, Yak.u.mo spoke, his back still facing Nis.h.i.+zawa. 'What?’ 'You said that somebody else killed Kanae-san, right?’ 'I did.’ Nis.h.i.+zawa had said something like that. 'At that time, though you didn’t say it, you thought that the person who killed Kanae-san was Sakurai-san – am I wrong?’ Nis.h.i.+zawa jolted at Yak.u.mo’s words. That was exactly what he had been thinking. No matter the result, Nis.h.i.+zawa was certain that Sakurai had been the one who cornered Kanae to her death. However, he didn’t say that aloud. He was thinking about how to explain, but it would just sound like an excuse. 'I won’t say anything…’ 'I see. Actually, I came to the same conclusion. That Sakurai-san had something to do with Kanae-san’s death,’ Yak.u.mo said calmly. 'What?’ 'I can’t see the reason now, but… I think it’s the same as it was with Mizuhara Noriko-san.’ 'So Noriko didn’t commit suicide?’ 'That’s what I think,’ Yak.u.mo said firmly. 'Why do you think that?’ Nis.h.i.+zawa’s heart was racing and it was hard to breathe, but he still asked. Finally, Yak.u.mo turned around. His face was as expressionless as a Noh mask, so Nis.h.i.+zawa had no idea what he was thinking. However, it felt frightening. 'I can’t say right now. Just one thing – ’ There, Yak.u.mo stopped. Nis.h.i.+zawa was caught in the glitter of Yak.u.mo’s narrowed eyes. He forgot to breathe. 'The Ghost of the clock Tower that Sakurai-san wrote is without a doubt plagiarised – ’ After saying just that, Yak.u.mo slowly walked away. Nis.h.i.+zawa couldn’t move for a while, just watching Yak.u.mo leave. Why had he suddenly said that? Nis.h.i.+zawa had no idea. However, it seemed he had come to the same conclusion as Nis.h.i.+zawa had. 11 s.h.i.+noda and Onodera took Haruka down the precinct corridor. The weight of the handcuffs felt like it would chain her down. She had only been told that they would investigate the scene of the crime – no other details. – Why did this happen? It was a bit late for her to think about that. Even though her friend Kanae had died, she couldn’t even be sad about it – she had been interrogated as the suspect in her murder case. To be honest, nothing had seemed real since the incident had occurred. She felt hollow. While she was thinking that, they pa.s.sed through the back exit and left the precinct. There was a blue prisoner transport vehicle with a white line across it, like the ones often seen in movies[1]. The door opened and she was old to go in. She had never imagined that she would ride one of those. With heavy feet, she stepped into the vehicle. The seats faced each other, like they did in a train car. Two men were already sitting there. – Did they commit some sort of crime? 'Eh?’ The moment Haruka saw the two men’s faces, she spoke up without thinking. The two of them were people Haruka knew well. 'Gotou-san! And Is.h.i.+-san too!’ Gotou and Is.h.i.+ were sitting there. 'Haruka-chan! I’m so glad you’re OK. I thought that something might happen…’ said Is.h.i.+ in a tearful voice as Haruka ran up to them. 'What on earth…’ Haruka looked at Gotou in confusion. Since Gotou and Is.h.i.+ knew Haruka, they should have been left out of the investigation. 'You didn’t hear? We’re going to investigate.’ 'I did hear that, but…’ 'Sorry, could you sit down?’ s.h.i.+noda came in after her and spoke in a displeased voice. Haruka sat next to Gotou, and Is.h.i.+ sat on the other side of Gotou. s.h.i.+noda and Onodera sat opposite them, and the prisoner transport vehicle began to move. 'Um… What’s happening?’ After the vehicle had been driving for a while, Haruka asked Gotou this question. 'I asked Miyagawa-san to pull a string or two and got him to let us investigate the scene,’ said Gotou with a shrug. 'A string or two? It was a completely absurd request!’ shouted s.h.i.+noda. 'What? You still talking?’ reb.u.t.ted Gotou. 'Say what you want. If anything happens, it’s all your responsibility.’ 'I know that. I’ll resign if I have to!’ 'I don’t think your resignation would be enough,’ said s.h.i.+noda with a click of his tongue. Though Haruka didn’t know the details, Gotou and Is.h.i.+ must have done a lot to get Haruka out. She was happy they had done so much for her, but she also felt apologetic. She wouldn’t be able to apologise enough if Gotou and Is.h.i.+ had to undergo some punishment because of her. 'Don’t you ever shut up!?’ 'What!?’ s.h.i.+noda and Gotou were both standing, while Is.h.i.+ and Onodera frantically tried to calm them.
Meanwhile, the vehicle drove into Meisei University. The scenery Haruka was so accu
