Hidari Okumuro's car stopped not far from the Kanagawa Metropolitan Police Department. Sitting in the driver's seat, she looked at the building with a wistful gaze. She probably wouldn't have another chance in this lifetime to walk into that place as a police officer again.
She had helped a girl who had lost the only light in her life—the girl who had lost her dearest love—to fulfill her wish for revenge.
In the end, she knew she was unworthy of being a police officer, much less a police inspector. After killing Tsuchiya, Masami Kamihisa would also bear the crime of murder and face trial.
At that time, Hidari Okumuro had already told Masami Kamihisa: if she got out of the car and chose to take revenge in her own way, it would mean she was choosing to become a murderer.
If she stayed in the car, explained everything clearly, and relied on the evidence Hidari Okumuro had gathered over the past few days, Masami Kamihisa's suspicions would soon be cleared. Tsuchiya—the one who had pushed Yoko Uehara into the sea—would be arrested and face the punishment of the law.
"I recommend you stay in the car," Hidari Okumuro had said one last time.
"Stay in the car and let the police arrest her? Even if that happens, will Tsuchiya really be sentenced to death?" Masami Kamihisa asked hoarsely.
We'll make sure she pays the price… Hidari Okumuro wanted to say that.
But she knew very well how difficult it was to have a criminal executed in Japan.
There were countless murderers who had committed horrific crimes and yet were still serving life sentences instead of facing the death penalty. The families of their victims longed day and night for justice—for those criminals to pay with their lives—but in the end?
The murderers lived comfortably in prison.
Someone like Tsuchiya… she might be released in a decade or so. And since she was still a minor, if her family hired a skilled lawyer, her sentence might be reduced even further.
"She won't be sentenced to death. Her family's rich—they can easily hire a top lawyer. She'll spend a few years in prison, then walk free and continue her life like nothing ever happened. She has no remorse… the Juvenile Protection Law… We're both minors, so why didn't it protect Yoko!?"
"..." Hidari Okumuro fell silent.
"Even if I'm cleared of suspicion, what does it matter? When I go home every day, I still have to face my beast-like parents. I want to escape—escape with Yoko."
After saying that, Masami Kamihisa opened the car door and stepped out. After expressing her gratitude to Hidari Okumuro, she walked straight into the Uehara residence without looking back.
Moments later, the sound of chaos and screams came from inside.
Between the two choices, Masami Kamihisa had once again chosen the same one without a trace of hesitation.
Hidari Okumuro picked up her phone and sent a message.
Hidari Okumuro: Yukki, I'm downstairs at the police department.
A few minutes later, Officer Yukki walked out of the building. His face was covered in stubble that hadn't been shaved for days, and his fatigue was written all over his face.
"You sure took your time on that little drive of yours. Where've you been?"
"Went to talk with Kotomi. And I told her—I've resigned."
"You went to Chiba? From Kanagawa to Chiba—it takes at least an hour by car. Wow, enjoying that freedom already, huh? Must be nice."
"Well, you're too busy to finish anything quickly anyway. The last day before a holiday is always the busiest, right?"
"Not too bad. I was almost done writing the case report, but then something came up. After double-checking with the officer in charge, I added a few more pages to the report. Nothing major—just took a couple of hours. Then I reviewed a few files."
Officer Yukki sat in the passenger seat, leaning back and closing his eyes for a short rest.
"What happened?" Hidari asked.
"The culprit who killed Yoko Uehara was Tsuchiya, and the one who killed Tsuchiya in public—Masami Kamihisa—is also a minor. There weren't many deaths in this case, but both the killer and the victim were underage, so the impact was huge. That's why Masami was temporarily detained in a holding cell. Only this afternoon were they preparing to transfer her back to the department for further questioning."
As he spoke, Officer Yukki lit a cigarette and offered one to Hidari Okumuro. After taking a drag, he continued.
"But here's where things got strange. While the police car was on its way to the department, driving along a coastal road above the sea, the road was smooth—no nails, no debris—yet suddenly, the car let out a loud screech, broke down, and stalled by the roadside. No matter how they pressed the accelerator, there was no response, just a low buzzing sound.
The officer in the driver's seat had no choice but to get out and check. It was late afternoon—almost dusk—so the light was dim. No matter how he looked, he couldn't find any visible damage to the vehicle.
In the back seat, the two officers guarding Masami Kamihisa were waiting. One of them knew a bit about car repair. Seeing Masami sitting there silently, looking pale and hollow, they let their guard down. That officer got out too, planning to help inspect what had gone wrong.
Just as he was about to close the car door, Masami Kamihisa suddenly bolted out as if she'd gone mad, crashing into the officer standing there.
They thought she was trying to escape. But before anyone could react, she ran barefoot toward the guardrail by the road. After crossing it, she lowered her head as if searching for something. Then, with a relieved smile, she climbed over the rail completely and jumped.
"She… died?"
Hidari Okumuro asked, disbelief in her voice. But when she recalled the look in Masami Kamihisa's eyes that day at the warehouse, she suddenly understood.
Masami had already decided to die. Her gaze had been that of someone who had nothing left to live for. Hidari's appearance had merely given her a reason—to die only after her revenge was complete.
Yoko Uehara's death had already broken Masami's spirit. No matter what happened, nothing could change her final decision.
When Masami had stepped out of the car and thanked Hidari, that "thank you" had carried far more than gratitude—it was a farewell.
"Her body's been placed in the department morgue," Yukki said quietly. "She moved too fast—too unexpectedly. The officers guarding her didn't even have time to react.
I asked them about it afterward. They all said something strange happened—that everyone, at the exact same time, experienced a brief blackout for a few seconds. When they came to, Masami had already reached the guardrail and jumped without hesitation.
One officer tried to rush after her as soon as he regained awareness—but he was too late. Just a few seconds too late."
Yukki gave a helpless chuckle.
"I reviewed the footage from their body cams. It's short, but from the moment the car broke down for no reason to the second she jumped, every frame is just… too perfect. Too coincidental. So many coincidences stacked together that it felt unnatural. Like… a supernatural event, you know what I mean?"
"I do. Can I see the footage?" Hidari asked.
"Sure. Just don't spread it around."
"Even if I'm not a cop anymore, I still know how to keep a secret," Hidari said softly, taking Yukki's phone and playing the video.
On screen, the patrol car drove normally until it entered a stretch of road overlooking the sea. Then, without warning, came a loud metallic screech—and the car came to a sudden stop by the roadside.
The driver got out to check but found nothing wrong. The second officer, the one who knew a bit about cars, exited as well to help.
As he was about to close the door, Masami Kamihisa suddenly burst forward, shoving the officer aside and running off.
At that moment, the officers in the footage all fell into the strange state Yukki had described earlier—a few seconds of total stillness. They didn't close their eyes or collapse. From a glance, it almost looked like they were just zoning out.
But when Hidari zoomed in on the footage, she saw it clearly—their eyes were empty, vacant, utterly devoid of focus. It lasted only a few seconds, but those few seconds were all Masami needed to reach the railing and leap into the sea.
Before the officers could reach her, Masami Kamihisa let out a laugh—a soft, relieved sound, yet one that pierced the heart of everyone who heard it like a needle.
In the next instant, she leapt and plunged into the sea.
"Funny thing—maybe it's just coincidence—but look at this road in the video. Doesn't it look familiar? That's right, it's the exact same place where Yoko Uehara fell into the sea and died. The time of her death was also late afternoon, just before dusk."
"Has the autopsy report come out yet?" Hidari asked quietly.
"Not officially, but the cause of death is already clear. After Masami jumped, one of the officers—an excellent swimmer—immediately dove in after her. According to his testimony, by the time he caught her body in the water, she was already lifeless."
"Impossible… Even if she jumped, drowning doesn't happen instantly. And if a trained officer went after her right away, she should've stood a chance."
Hidari Okumuro found it hard to believe. The survival rate of a fall like that was low, yes—but that didn't mean death would be immediate.
The terror of drowning lay in the struggle before death—the desperate fight for air, the panic as darkness swallowed the world, the hopeless sinking into the depths. Unless something catastrophic happened upon impact, there was always a brief window of time to save a life.
At this, Officer Yukki sighed deeply.
"She really was determined to die… Look—see how she glances down right before jumping? Like she's searching for something. She grew up near this coast, so she knew these waters well. She found her spot fast—then jumped straight down.
"The officer who followed her realized why when he dragged her body ashore and went back to check. The spot where Masami jumped—right below it was a patch of sharp, submerged reefs.
"The reef area wasn't very large, but it was just the right size—and every single rock rose dangerously close to the surface. If someone were to dive straight down from above, the collision would be fatal.
"The officer who followed her jumped from a different spot, a few meters away, which is probably the only reason he survived without serious injury. Otherwise… he might've been crippled or worse."
He paused, then added quietly:
"According to the coroner, Masami was facing downward when she fell. The wound on her forehead confirms she struck her head on one of the reefs the moment she entered the water—instant death.
"And that's exactly what she wanted. That downward glance—she wasn't hesitating. She was searching for that reef field, the one that would guarantee she'd never survive. She wanted to die there—in the same sea where Yoko Uehara had perished. To die with her, and never return. What a pair of tragic lovers."
Two young lives, swallowed by the waves.
The sound of the surf rose and fell—part cry, part lament, part blessing.
The sea seemed to mourn for them, its waves whispering a gentle wish—that someday, somewhere beyond this world, the two might meet again.
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