Page 23 (1/2)
VOLUME 5 – CONNECTED FEELINGS file 03: yearning ()
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1
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We found Takeda Shunsuke –
Miyagawa received that news at about noon He ive instructions immediately
‘Report the situation!’
He yelled at the wireless The other investigation teaathered round as well
The nerves in the detective roo by the scene and is chasing him>
The one who answered was the detective in command at the scene, Shimizu
Shimizu and the teahted Takeda and had been questioning civilians near the abandoned building They had spotted him coincidentally
’Were you able to confirawa felt irritated by the vague response
’Was there anyone else who saw him?’
<There was not Only Arai did>
’Weren’t any other investigation o elsewhere for a task and spotted Takeda then, so…>
Shiive their undivided attention to catching Takeda now
Miyagawa cleared his mind of his irritation
’Where are you stationed?’
<He was sighted escaping northward on a prefecture road in 3-choawa followed the location with his finger on the enlarged , went onto the prefectural road and headed north – if it ell, they awa pointed at the ation members by his desk ran out of the room
If they went ahead and blockaded the escape routes, they would definitely be able to stop hiritted his teeth
<We will reach hie came from Shimizu over the wireless
– I’ll finally be able to catch Takeda
The event that took fifteen years would coht that, he felt exhilarated
There was silence –
They ht be able to secure Takeda before reinforceawa’s back in his nervous state
<This is Shiawa’s heart beat more quickly
’What happened?’
r… That is…>
’What!? Say it clearly!’ yelled Miyagawa
<It seeise>
’You bastard! Do you knohat you’re saying? You’re not playing tag!’
It felt like his head would pop like a balloon froer
’Explain what youto what he said, he suddenly lost sight of Takeda…>
Those words added oil to the fire that was Miyagawa’s anger
Making such stupid excuses at a tiht now!’
Even after the transer did not abate
He picked up a nearby chair and threith all his strength out the
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2
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After leaving Hata’s hospital, Ishii turned his car into the parking lot at the precinct
He shut off the engine and leant back in his seat
He had been working with no sleep or rest since last night His joints were stiff His body was heavy, as if he had become an old man He felt like he would be drawn into sleep
But he didn’t have the tiation, Gotou’s survival chances dropped There was still a ot off the car
What he’d heard fro The problem was how to use that as a foothold to level the case
Investigating around with no purpose would just waste time
It would be quickest to make a hypothesis like Yakumo and prove it
However, he hadn’t constructed that crucial hypothesis
A feeling of helplessness ate away at his body
’Think, Ishii Yuutarou’
Just as Ishii was encouraging hi’
<U-u somewhere Ishii could hear the rhythm of her footsteps
’Makoto-san, what is it?’
<Ishii-san, you seehed as she said that
Even if she said that, Ishii didn’t feel like anything was different
’Is that so?’
<Yes It’s like you’re a different person froed was that he was determined now More iht Actually, I was investigating the case and found so>
’What is it?’
There was the chance that it would be timely help for Ishii, who had reached a standstill
<It’s about the testimony of A-ko-san, the person who reported the incident>
’Was anything suspicious about it?’
<Yes Rather than suspicious, I can’t explain it very well Ishii-san, where are you currently?>
’I’ve just returned to the precinct’
<That’s great Actually, I’ve just arrived at the precinct as well Shall we speak in person?>
– Arrived at the precinct?
Ishii turned around and looked at the front entrance
He spotted Makoto there withup and waved at Makoto
Makoto noticed Ishii too and walked toward hilass from up in the sky
What is it – Ishii looked up
A chair was falling Why was a chair –
The chair sht into Ishii’s confused face
Blood spurted out of his nose into the air
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3
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Haruka got off the Shinkansen at Nagano Station
She passed through the gate The moment she went out to the station traffic circle, she heard the short honk of a horn Haruka spotted Keiko leaning out of theof a white iven a proper explanation, Keiko had gone along with her daughter’s whim and even come to pick her up Keiko’s kindness made Haruka lower her head
She ran up to the car and sat in the passenger’s seat
’Welcome back,’ said Keiko kindly
Haruka couldn’t look at Keiko’s face properly
’I’ave Haruka’s face a pinch when she replied without looking up
’Ey, tha hurs, Muhter’s cheek even harder, looking like she was having fun
– It hurts, it hurts
Haruka flapped about to resist and somehow escaped Keiko’s hand
’Honestly, what are you doing all of a sudden?’
Keiko laughed as she looked at Haruka with a hand against her cheek in her protest
’OK, OK If you’re that energetic, you’re fine’
Keiko patted Haruka’s shoulder, put the car out of park and started the engine
She must have been worried When Haruka was troubled, it showed in her attitude Haruka’s chest suddenly hurt the way it did when she told a lie
’So why are you looking for Azusa-san all of a sudden?’
Keiko looked at Haruka while driving
Haruka didn’t kno to answer the question, but she had to
’I said that I go to the saht?’
’Yup, you told me What sort of child is Yakumo-kun?’ said Keiko with excited eyes
Since he was the child of a friend who she hadn’t heard from in fifteen years, it was natural for her to be interested
’Even if you ask me what sort of child he is…’
Haruka was lost for words It was difficult to explain Yakuh herrather like an idol-obsessed girl
’Well, in a way’
’I’ve only seen photos of hirow up to be cool Which Johnny’s[1] member is he like?’
’Why would you use Johnny’s as an exaht? Korean groups are no good I can’t bring myself to like them because they feel too perfect’
Haruka was the one who felt embarrassed when she looked at Keiko, as as excited as a teenage girl
She would have preferred it if hermore tasteful such as Ishihara Gundan[2]
’He doesn’t look like anybody in Johnny’s’
Keiko covered her mouth and smiled when she heard Haruka’s refusal
’Hey, can I say what I think?’
’What?’
’The reason you’re looking for Azusa-san’
Haruka didn’t knohat Keiko was thinking, but she see fun
Before Haruka responded, Keiko started talking on her own
’Haruka, you and Yakumo-kun truly love each other and vowed to ?’
Haruka objected loudly, but Keiko wasn’t listening
’Well, just listen You’re looking for Yakumo-kun’s e Right?’
There was a limit even to delusions
Haruka was so astonished by her ownHer head hurt
’Of course not!’
Haruka said that angrily, but Keiko was nonchalant
It was like Haruka was talking with Yakuht?’
’Who?’
’Yakuly
’I hate hiuy’
Haruka hadn’t been planning on responding, but it just came out of her mouth
’Oh, is that so?’
’It is He’s contrary and he’s always s like "Do you want to be clumsy or stupid? Make up your mind" He was really awful the other day too He threw me into a pool’
Haruka objectively listened to the words that kept co out of her mouth
Theabout so it back until now, but the feeling that she
’What? So you really do like hi exasperated
’I said I hated him, didn’t I!?’ said Haruka, in a voice so loud it even surprised herself
– Why a so worked up?
Haruka couldn’t find the answer to that question
’I see…’
After Keiko murmured that, she parked the car by the sidewalk and turned off the engine
The cars passing them sounded extremely loud
Haruka had her hands in fists on her lap Keiko laid a hand on top of them It arm
Her mother accepted her When Haruka felt that, she relaxed fros stopped working
’I really hate that guy He disappeared without saying anything Don’t you think that’s horrible? Even though I believe in Yakumo-kun, he’s always alone He’d be fine even if I weren’t there…’
Tears started falling from her closed eyes
– I’m frustrated
Haruka realised that She was frustrated that Yaku
The distance between Yakuht She had been forced to feel that anew
’Did Yakuo to search for his mother?’
Keiko pulled Haruka closer to her by the shoulder and hugged her
Haruka’s body relaxed and she nodded, resting against Keiko’s chest
’And you’re searching for Azusa-san to find Yakuht be dead’
Haruka gripped Keiko’s hand tightly
’What are you saying? You’re searching for hiht?’
As Keiko rubbed Haruka’s back, Haruka could smell her mother’s scent
It’s warm –
The anxiety she had held by herself until she had felt like she was going to burst was softening
– I haven’t given up I will definitely find Yakuain while in Keiko’s arms
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4
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Ishii sat at his desk and looked at the lasses were cracked There was gauze on his nose A piercing pain in his nose ht he looked terrible
’Are you really all right? You should go to the hospital…’ said Makoto, looking troubled
’I’m fine’
Ishii returned the mirror to Makoto He didn’t care about his appearance at all right now
’Why did a chair fall?’
Ishii didn’t know either It was an interesting mystery, but he didn’t have the time to concern himself with that
’More i about, Makoto-san?’
Ishii changed the topic while bearing his pain
Makoto still looked worried, but she reluctantly opened her notebook
’Actually, today, I met with A-ko-san, as the one who reported the crime She lives near the precinct’
I see, so that hy she called from in front of the precinct But –
’Why did you meet with A-ko-san?’
For a moment, Makoto looked troubled by Ishii’s question, but she started speaking after licking her lips
’Actually, there was a small contradiction in her testi to her testimony, on the day of the crime at nine PM, she heard a screa a television drama’
’If I remember correctly, the dossier said that the report came in at twelve AM…’
Ishii’s lips narrowed into a thin line
’That’s right She claimed it was at nine PM, but actually, the report came in at twelve AM…’
’If what she said is correct, that would mean she reported the incident three hours after she heard the screah the files he had received froe had A-ko-san’s testier
It really did read 12:07 AM
– No, that’s wrong
It had been written over, stae, the time had been written as 9:10 PM
’The police pointed out that contradiction to her and in the end, she said that her ht have been at twelve AM, changing her testied it…’
’But fro to her today, she appears to still doubt that’
’I see! So that’s how it is!’
Ishii stood up in his agitation In A-ko-san’s testimony, there was the same distortion of time that had resulted from Hata’s autopsy
’Ishii-san, what is it?’
Makoto’s ape as she looked at Ishii
’Actually, I just heard so siht The coroner, Hata-san, was told that the tiave, seven to nine PM, contradicted with the scene of the cri a broad interpretation of the facts’
Makoto appeared to have understood the situation and put a hand over her itation
’Now there’s no more doubt about it The actual time of death was much earlier than twelve AM’
It was probably past nine PM –
’But how about the time of the report and the detective’s testimony? And even if the tie?’
Just as Makoto said, even if the tie ently following the investigation e he was looking for i of Takeda’s actions froet Takeda’s testimony, but the testimony of those around him had been collection
’This!’
Ishii hit the desk in his delight
’What is it?’
Makoto looked at Ishii’s face in concern
He wasn’t insane
’Please look at this’
Ishii pointed at the passage as he showed Makoto the document
As Makoto looked at the paper, her expression hardened before Ishii’s eyes Then, her eyes ide and looked up at Ishii’s face
’I see In this testiether with Takeda until about nine Then, Takeda revealed that he was going to talk things out with Katsuaki’
’Which ht If A-ko-san did hear a scream past nine, like she said in her testih Ishii hadconfidently, Makoto looked depressed She had a complex expression on her face, like the food she had eaten wasn’t as delicious as it looked
’But why is there a difference in time? Why did A-ko-san report the incident to the police three hours after hearing the scream?’
It was just as Makoto said
Nine PM and twelve AM No matter which time they chose, it wasn’t consistent
It would make more sense if A-ko-san had mistaken the time and they looked at the autopsy results with a broad interpretation, as the police ended up doing
But there was another way of looking at it
’What if somebody faked the time of death to pin the crime on Takeda?’
’Would that ave a false testimony in order to cover for her accomplice’
– That was the only way this would e?’
Makoto ie?’
’A-ko-san testified that it was nine PM The police were the ones who changed that to twelve AM’
That was certainly true Whichever time it was, it would be difficult to think of A-ko-san as an accomplice
’Also, the detective met the culprit at the scene It would make the idea that the time of the crime was faked suspicious’
It was just as Makoto said
There was no point in faking the time of the crime if the culprit stayed at the scene
Ishii’s theory went back to the drawing board Dispirited, he organised the documents His head felt heavy He felt somewhat irritated He wanted to have a sht A-ko-san’s testi beyond that’
’Right’
’If A-ko-san’s testimony is true, that would mean she heard the scream past nine PM, lost consciousness for about three hours and then called the police without noticing that
Lost consciousness – ?
So
The various inforether, leading him to one theory
– What on earth? Is that how it is?
’Makoto-san! You’re a genius!’
In his agitation, Ishii leant forward, grabbed Makoto’s shoulders and shook her
If the theory he had just constructed noas true, this was very serious
’E-er Ishii-san, what’s wrong?’
Makoto looked at Ishii like she was looking at so unpleasant
Please don’t look like that I ured it out! The puzzle of this case!’
Ishii yelled that in a ringing voice
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5
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Togakushi Soba <Ozawa> - that was Haruka’s hoarden when they parked the car in the parking lot behind the shop
He wore an apron and had his neck out like an ostrich as he looked about It seehter’s sudden return
However, he didn’t approach Haruka even after she got off the car with her luggage Even though he had s he wanted to ask, he didn’t put them into words He was that sort of person
’I’m home’
Haruka called out to Kazuhiro
’Oh, you’re back?’ said Kazuhiro curtly Then, he went back into the shop
Fathers really were afraid of their daughters –
’Honestly Why is he running away?’ said Keiko exasperatedly before entering the house through the backdoor
Haruka followed after her
She took the stairs by the front entrance, opened the sliding door and went into the room
It was six tatami in size – a dreary roo in her own house really did calue and anxiety that Haruka had had for so long see up her coat and sat on the tatami
’Sorry for the wait’
Keiko entered the rooether with a rubber band Those were the letters that Yakumo’s mother had sent Keiko
Keiko sat across from Haruka and held out the bundle
’There are a lot of letters’
’There are I didn’t pity her because of what happened – I was just on the sath as Azusa-san,’ said Keiko earnestly
Haruka felt like she understood If they had only met because of the case, the relationship wouldn’t have continued for so long
Haruka and Yakuardless of how they th
’So I feel like I understand why you’d be charmed by Yakumo-kun,’ said Keiko When she said it like that, Haruka didn’t want to ad words for sohed as she elbowed Haruka’s arm
When Keiko said that, unfortunately, Haruka could ry You have to look for Yakuht’
Haruka cleared her et angry
’Azusa-san said that she had a lover,’ said Keiko
Haruka also felt that that was a good thread to start froood chance that that person ht knohere Azusa was if they could find him
’Er, which was it…’ murmured Keiko as she checked the envelopes
A question suddenly came to Haruka
’Mum’
’What is it?’
’Why didn’t you look for Azusa-san?’
– Oh no
After Haruka said it, she thought what she said had been careless That was because Keiko suddenly looked regretful when she heard Haruka’s words
’I didn’t think that Azusa-san was so cornered that she would lay a hand on her son,’ replied Keiko with sad eyes
’Thatht that soave up That’s why I didn’t even think of looking for her I was a bit lonely, but I thought there was nothing to be done…’
Haruka could understand why Keiko felt that way
If Azusa hadn’t talked to the person she was going to marry about her past, it wouldn’t be unnatural for her to think of keeping a distance fro strange Sorry’
’Don’t worry about it Plus, Yakuht?’
’Probably’
’Which ht also be able to hed pleasantly
– Azusa-san e to tell Keiko that
However, Keiko see at Haruka, who had kept silent, and she bit her lower lip as if vexed
’I want to know too’
’Want to know?’
’Yes Why did Azusa-san try to kill Yaku their own child There s to end up that way’
As Keiko said that, she looked troubled Like Isshin, her emotions were probably divided
Perhaps what Yaku for wasn’t his mother but the reason why his ht have been the case
’Oh, h these quickly’
Keiko sniffled and went back to checking as inside the envelopes The ability to clear hertalents
When Haruka’s older twin sister had died, the first to sain had also been Keiko
It wasn’t that the sadness had left her She had been thinking of Haruka
Even under normal circumstances, Haruka had had a complex about her older sister Ayaka And Haruka had been the cause of Ayaka’s death –
The sadder Keiko acted, the more it would make Haruka suffer Keiko had known that
’Haruka! Look at this!’
Keiko took a letter and a photo out excitedly
Haruka took the photo and looked at it
A child who looked to be one year old was sleeping on top of a cushion He was sucking on his right thuirl’s
’Could this be – ’
’Yup, it’s Yakurinned
She hadn’t ever thought that she’d get to see a photo of Yakumo like this His cheeks were as puffy as marshmallows, and his expression wasn’t as harsh as it was now
Even Yakuine it
She took a look at the letter too
<Yakumo is one now too He cries when I’m not near him He’s so spoiled – it’s troublesome…>
It’s different – Haruka felt that immediately
The contents of the letter were incredibly different froe, her love for her child cae Haruka had had of Azusa in the first place was the fact that she had failed in trying to kill Yaku after that
That had been such a strong episode that it decided the ie
Perhaps it was the same for Yakumo too
His own mother put her hands around his neck – wouldn’t that vivid memory have erased all the other ones?
’Found it This one The three of the about the photo and letter fro for
Keiko held the photo and was looking at it nostalgically
– I want to see it right away
Led by that impulse, Haruka moved to Keiko’s side and peered at the photo
The photo was taken so in the centre If the photo was taken fifteen years ago, he was about six years old Yakuht it was
Azusa was on the left She had almond eyes and well-defined features – she was a very beautiful person
She did look like she was carrying some shadows, but it felt like that doubled her charm
Yakumo resembled his mother
On the other side was the person ould have becoht she would stop breathing from the shock
’What is it?’
’I know this person’
– He is probably in Nagano
It was thebefore