After finishing his report of the events, Officer Yukki put out his cigarette and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes for a brief rest.
Compared to the major cases he had handled before, this one was simple—almost too simple. After all, the people involved were all minors. Even if they plotted murder, the methods they used could never be too sophisticated.
And yet, as he completed the case report, an unshakable heaviness filled Officer Yukki's heart.
At first, he had disapproved of Hidari Okumuro's decision to let Masami Kamihisa carry out her revenge. In his eyes, she was just a high school sophomore—a girl whose life had barely begun.
But after reviewing all the evidence Hidari had gathered, and finishing the report today, he finally began to understand why she had made that choice.
For Masami Kamihisa, Yoko Uehara had truly been the only light in her life. Their bond had long surpassed the boundaries of simple friendship or love.
When that single light was cruelly snuffed out—mockingly, without reason—Masami chose to take justice into her own hands and end the killer's life. As a police officer, that was unforgivable. But as a human being, it was understandable.
Hidari Okumuro looked up at the night sky for a while, as if searching for the brightest star. After a moment, she dropped her cigarette butt into the ashtray, started the engine, and drove off.
"So, the case is fully wrapped up now?" she asked as she drove.
"Yeah. Once the autopsy report's finalized, it'll be officially closed. My paperwork's already done. The rest's up to the others." Yukki stretched lazily. "I'm planning to use this short break to actually relax a bit."
He let out a short laugh.
"Honestly, this should've been your busiest time. But you just had to go and quit, becoming a private detective instead. Now you're free as a bird—driving around, visiting that terrifyingly smart girl in Chiba. You've got everyone at the department talking. Some of them are even giving me strange looks because of you."
"Well, since you were my partner, and now that my inspector spot's vacant, they're probably wondering if you'll take over my position," Hidari said lightly.
"Not a chance. Being a division chief is already exhausting enough. I used to think I'd see you—the rookie I mentored from day one—rise up to become a full inspector someday. But before that could happen, you up and quit."
"Sorry, sorry," Hidari said apologetically. "I've been thinking a lot lately. That's why I made this decision. Though honestly, if it weren't for this case pushing me, I might've kept hesitating for a while longer."
"You've been thinking about what true justice really means, haven't you?" Yukki asked knowingly.
Hidari nodded slowly.
"The justice in my heart—and whether the actions I take for it are truly right. What is real justice? From now on, I want to seek that answer as a detective."
"Then I wish you luck," Yukki said with a faint smile. "Because that's a question I've always wanted to answer, too."
"If the police ever get a tough case, feel free to call me anytime," Hidari said with a soft laugh.
"You really are slipping into that 'detective from a mystery novel' persona, huh? Don't underestimate the police! Oh, right—leave me a spare key to your detective office. If it's too late one night, or something comes up, I might crash there."
"I've already prepared one for you," Hidari replied casually. "There's also a razor, toothbrush, cup, pajamas, blanket, and pillow. If you need anything else, you can bring it yourself."
"Oh, that's thoughtful of you! Thanks. With that kind of setup, I might as well sell my apartment and move in."
"Go ahead," Hidari said with a straight face. "Though Shinjuku's a bit far from Kanagawa. Commuting might be a hassle. Maybe stay in the department dorms during workdays and come over to my office on your days off."
Her tone was calm and matter-of-fact, as if suggesting something perfectly ordinary.
This time, it was Officer Yukki's turn to be stunned. He blinked a few times, clearly at a loss for words, as if he had a thousand things to say but couldn't decide where to start.
Finally, he let out a hearty laugh and said, "Hahaha, on second thought, maybe I won't sell my apartment after all. I'll probably still need it someday."
The two long-time partners both shared the same quiet wish—to stay a little further away from the darkness and blood, and live a peaceful, ordinary life filled with the small comforts of everyday routine.
"It's pretty late already. You want to grab something to eat?"
"Of course. I'm starving. I can't sleep on an empty stomach. I remember there's a ramen shop near the station. The ramen itself isn't great, but their braised pork knuckle rice is amazing. I'm not kidding—even just mixing that thick broth into plain rice, I could eat two big bowls. Honestly, I wish the owner would just give up on ramen altogether and focus on that dish."
"It's almost midnight, and you're still thinking about pork knuckle? No wonder your belly's getting rounder lately. If you told people you were a detective from the Investigation Division, I doubt anyone would believe you."
"Hey, that's a stereotype! There are plenty of big guys in the Investigation Division. Take Kyōgoku for example—though that guy got fat because he got married. He's got a warm home, a wife, a kid, and a packed lunch made with love every day. Lucky bastard."
"Ah… traffic jam up ahead," Hidari Okumuro muttered helplessly.
She had thought she'd missed the evening rush hour, but the road toward the station was still backed up. Judging by the pace, it was nearing the tail end of the jam.
"Well, since we're stuck, might as well talk," she said, stretching. "When you were waiting for me at the department earlier, you mentioned reviewing a case file, right? Which one was it? I won't have access to the archives anymore now."
"You've seen that file before," Yukki replied. "Actually, it's not just us—every police archive across Japan still keeps a copy of it. Even some of the retired veterans have heard about it from their own seniors. But as time goes on, most people at the department have forgotten it."
He gave her a meaningful hint.
Hidari's expression shifted slightly. The name came to her immediately.
"So it's that case… The unsolved case from Shōwa 31. It's been far too long. Every officer who worked on it back then has passed away—some from accidents, some in the line of duty, others of old age. I didn't expect you to be interested in that one."
"You were the one most interested, weren't you?" Yukki chuckled. "When you were still a rookie under my guidance, I brought you to the archives to see that file. You said, full of determination, that one day you'd solve it."
"Of course I remember. And you mocked me for being overconfident."
"Well, wasn't I right? That case is from Shōwa 31—and Shōwa's long gone. Even Heisei's over now."
"Some evidence can't be destroyed by time," Hidari said quietly. "Even if I'm no longer a police officer and just a private detective now, I'll still keep following that case."
"You really have a personality that's both frustrating and admirable," Yukki sighed. "Anyway, even though it's Reiwa now, you'd better be careful when digging into that case.
"Understand?
"The reason it cast such a deep shadow over the entire police force back in Shōwa 31 wasn't just the grotesque nature of the murders—but also because it involved several powerful families and a mysterious old village hidden in the snowy mountains of northern Japan."
"Gokugū Village…" Hidari murmured.
Even after so many years, just hearing that name again made a chill run down her spine. She could still remember the photos and descriptions she'd seen in the case file.
She'd seen all kinds of horror and blood before—but those records… those images from Gokugū Village still haunted her to this day, with a fear that seemed to crawl up from the very depths of her soul.
"Whether Gokugū Village still exists or not—I can't say for certain," Yukki said. "But I think it might. Its origins trace all the way back to the Tokugawa shogunate, and it's been around ever since.
Among the families involved in that case, there was the Kushibana family—whose head was killed, their line nearly wiped out, leaving them a shadow of their former selves. The other two families, the Izumi family and the Shiina family, still exist today. Especially the Izumi family—one of Japan's three major conglomerates. As for the Shiina family, most of their members now live in the UK."
He looked at her seriously.
"Hidari, if you really intend to pursue this case, my advice is this: try reaching out to the Izumi family. And more importantly—know when to stop. Don't let the investigation consume you. Don't try to find or enter Gokugū Village."
"The Izumi family…" Hidari murmured. "Even if I wanted to contact them, I don't know anyone from that family. Wait—no way…"
A sudden realization flashed in her mind. That girl… though she was frighteningly intelligent, Hidari had always assumed she came from an ordinary household. She'd never once connected her to any great lineage.
Hidari, who was always keenly observant, had noticed before that the girl carried herself with an effortless grace—a certain refinement that seemed out of place for a normal student. But her carefree, mischievous nature made it hard to picture her as a sheltered heiress.
Officer Yukki nodded knowingly. "That's right. Kotomi Izumi. Surprised? I was too, when I first found out that she's the Izumi family's little princess."
"How did you find out?"
"It was five days after the Iroha Isshiki–Kojigashi serial murder case ended," Yukki explained. "You were in Ueno at the time, so you missed it. That day, the Superintendent-General himself came looking for me—made me nervous as hell. Without saying a word, he took me straight to the top floor.
"When I entered the room, I saw the Superintendent, the Chief Commissioner, and the Metropolitan Police Director all standing there. And on the sofa sat a man whose very presence sent chills down my spine.
"After asking a few questions, I learned he was none other than Yakken Izumi—the head of the Izumi family.
"I sat down as carefully as I could, and the old man immediately got to the point. He told me to recount the entire Isshiki–Kojigashi case from start to finish. So there I was, sweating bullets, with the Chief of Police standing beside me while I sat and talked. Thrilling, huh?"
"When I finished, I finally learned the truth—Kotomi Izumi is his beloved granddaughter."
For a long moment, Hidari Okumuro was speechless.
Wait—what? Kotomi Izumi was… Yakken Izumi's granddaughter?!
Everything suddenly clicked into place.
It seemed that attending the upcoming cultural festival was no longer optional.
If she truly wanted to investigate the unsolved case from Shōwa 31, she would have to make contact with the Izumi family—and right now, the only person she knew from that family… was Kotomi Izumi.
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