Thursday.
Late night.
Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Japan.
Hidari Detective Agency.
Officer Yukki pushed open the door of the Hidari Detective Agency, carrying a plastic bag from the convenience store in his hand.
"Good evening, Okumuro."
"You're here, Yukki. Thanks for bringing the late-night snacks. Were you able to get the tuna rice balls?"
"Yeah, I got them. Man, it wasn't easy though. I don't know what was going on today—had to go to two different convenience stores before I found one that sold tuna rice balls. The selection of rice balls at the convenience stores around Shinjuku isn't that great. You might've been better off keeping your office in Kanagawa… then again, maybe not. If you had, the only clients you'd get there would be grandpas and grandmas asking you to find their missing cats or dogs."
While joking, Yukki took out the items from the bag and placed them on the rectangular table between the two sofas in the reception area.
Besides the tuna rice balls Okumuro wanted, there was also a box of pre-cut watermelon and a few bottles of juice. Yukki continued:
"I didn't buy you beer. You've got to head to Sobu High School tomorrow, right? For that cultural festival with that frighteningly smart little girl? Better not drink tonight."
"True enough… but who's the fruit milk for? You? You still like drinking that childish stuff?"
"Hey, leave me alone. Fruit milk's good—especially the pineapple flavor."
As Yukki spoke, his gaze was drawn to a stack of dazzling golden cards on the table. Picking one up, he blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing.
"Pfft—hahaha! Okumuro, I never realized you liked such a flashy style! You made your business cards gold and shiny like this? Even the yakuza don't make theirs this gaudy. And they're so thick—seriously, if you kept a stack of these in your breast pocket, they might actually stop a bullet. You picked this color yourself?"
Seeing Yukki laugh so hard, Okumuro immediately pushed the blame onto Kotomi Izumi—no hesitation at all. After all, it was her recommendation.
"Kotomi Izumi suggested it. I originally just wanted a simple white card with black letters."
"Figures."
Yukki examined the golden card again under the light. The glare made his eyes squint. "So this is what they call the taste of a highborn young lady? Even her business card recommendations are over the top. She dares to suggest it, and you actually use it. If your old boss from the police headquarters saw this, he'd probably faint. He already couldn't understand why you quit to become a private detective."
"Alright, alright, enough about the cards."
"Fine, fine. Let's eat. Then get some sleep. I'll crash here tonight too—it's late, the last train's gone, and I don't feel like driving on the highway back home."
Yukki returned the card and sat down on the sofa opposite Okumuro, grabbing a sushi box and dipping it in wasabi before eating.
"Late-night sushi with wasabi? I thought you only did that when you were planning an all-nighter."
"Ah… habit, I guess. Haven't had a proper day off in nearly half a year. Every time I grab sushi from a convenience store, I automatically add extra wasabi."
Hearing this, Okumuro raised an eyebrow.
"This little break, you should really take it easy for once. Who knows if you'll actually get to finish your vacation, but at least until the police headquarters calls you back on some 'urgent case,' make sure you enjoy every day of it."
"Even on vacation, I mostly just stay home and catch up on sleep. But that's fine. I barely slept at all the last few months. Speaking of work though—you're the one who's been busy lately, huh? Already digging into the old Sengetsu Girls' Academy and Gokugū Village cases?"
Yukki turned his head to glance at the mountain of documents and photographs piled up on the nearby desk. The Hidari Detective Agency wasn't officially open yet, and even once it was, it wasn't going to be like in those detective novels where private investigators get pulled into dangerous murder cases every day.
After all, when a murder happens, the first thing people should do is call the police.
At most, they would just take on cases involving infidelity investigations.
Don't underestimate those kinds of jobs—each one brought in a decent amount of income.
Especially in a bustling commercial district like Shinjuku.
One of Tokyo's central urban hubs was precisely Shinjuku.
So now, the only reason Okumuro Hidari's desk looked so cluttered was because of all the documents and photos about Gokugū Village, the Black Eggshell, and Sengetsu Girls' Academy.
"Yeah… when I have too much free time, I can't help but start digging into these cases. Once I get into it, I forget to eat. Before I realize it, every nearby restaurant and delivery service is already closed," Okumuro admitted with a small nod.
"You're still working at the same pace as when you were in the police headquarters," Yukki couldn't help but remark.
"Haha, maybe I'm just a workaholic."
"So, have you found anything yet?"
"Not yet. I've just been obsessing over that song verse all day, trying to figure out what it means."
As Okumuro spoke, he picked up a notebook from the desk and handed it to Yukki.
The song Okumuro had been studying was the one left behind by the Kutsuhana family—an enigmatic verse whose meaning no one had ever uncovered.
Or rather, the people who once knew its meaning had all been brutally killed back then.
"The lightless lamb walks the path of hell; the deformed celestial maiden, God bestows moonlight upon her."
Around it were scribbled various theories and speculations, but it was clear that Okumuro himself wasn't confident in any of them.
"A song verse, huh… speaking of which, I just remembered the second victim from the Sengetsu Girls' Academy serial disappearance case. It was because of that second victim that the case's nature shifted—from a serial disappearance to a serial grotesque murder."
"You mean the body that was found in the corner of Shakuji Park?"
"Yeah, that's the one. When I was reviewing the old case files, I found the first autopsy report written after the forensic doctor examined the body."
As he spoke, Yukki took out his phone, opened a photo he had taken, and handed it to Okumuro.
"Even as a cop, you're not supposed to photograph case files," Okumuro said as he accepted the phone.
"Oh, please—you've done the same plenty of times yourself," Yukki retorted with a grin.
Okumuro began reading through the photographed case file report.
"The victim's neck was twisted, the entire face turned backward. Both eyes are missing; initial examination suggests they were removed by the perpetrator after death, motive unknown. Similar to the first victim, the corpse was covered with a piece of identical black cloth—possibly to conceal something? There is an irregularly stitched wound on the abdomen using thick thread. Upon removing the stitches, a piece of paper was found inside. The writing on the paper was badly smudged and illegible, requiring special processing to reveal its contents."
"I've seen that autopsy report before," Okumuro said, frowning slightly. "It mentioned that paper… it said the contents could only be revealed after special treatment. But I went through the entire case file and couldn't find anything showing whether they actually managed to restore what was written on it."
Okumuro furrowed her brow. She had always felt that whatever was written on that paper must have been an important clue.
"The contents of that paper were actually restored a long time ago. But they were classified into another case file. The Sengetsu Girls' Academy serial murder case had too many victims—it was categorized as a large-scale case, and the files were organized chronologically into several volumes."
"So you're saying… you found the volume that had the paper's contents? Where is it? If it's still at the police headquarters, we can drive to Kanagawa right now!"
"Calm down, calm down. Of course I took photos of it. Just swipe two more times—you'll see it. Though honestly, hearing you say that makes me think we're way too similar, haha."
"Well, you are my senior," Okumuro said with a faint smile, swiping through the phone's screen. Soon, she came across the photo showing the restored contents of the paper.
[Here I compose this verse, to declare a new sin. Thus begins the first melody of the descent into Hell, heralding the moment when the forms of twenty beings shall be revealed.]
[With eyes fixed and mind intent, I gaze upon the depths of a world drenched in despair and tears.]
[Weeping without words, walking without end; all beings kneel thrice and bow nine times, praying for rebirth upon this abyssal path.]
[Their chests and faces misaligned, their hearts and mouths at odds; as I gaze down through the veil, I tremble at their deformity.]
[The face twisted backward, the eyes that cannot see ahead—only by retreating can they move forward.]
[O readers, ponder well—tears within your eyes shall flow down your spine—]
The final line appeared to have been written and then struck through with a thick black line, as if the killer had second thoughts about leaving it there.
"Is this… a poem?"
Okumuro's brows furrowed deeper—her usual expression when thinking hard. She had never been good with poetry, especially the kind that required interpretation.
Still, she could see that some of the verses clearly corresponded to the body found in Shakuji Park all those years ago.
The face twisted backward… That was exactly how that victim had been found—her neck broken, her head turned around completely.
"I told you back then—you should read more. The poem on that piece of paper comes from Dante's Divine Comedy, Canto XX."
"So it's from The Divine Comedy too?"
"Exactly. Whether it's Gokugū Village or the legend of the Black Eggshell at Sengetsu Girls' Academy, both have deep ties to The Divine Comedy.
"Looks like our previous assumption about when The Divine Comedy first appeared at the murder scenes was wrong. We always thought it started with the third victim of the Sengetsu Girls' Academy case, but it turns out the killer had already referenced it with the second victim."
"You brought up the Shakuji Park corpse and the paper from her abdomen that contained a verse from Canto XX… are you suggesting—"
"Exactly. Since the case back then was so closely related to Dante's Divine Comedy, I can't help but wonder—why did the killer do this? What was the goal? We still don't know. But why not use The Divine Comedy itself as a lead to decipher the Kutsuhana family's song?"
After speaking, Yukki reached into his backpack and pulled out a copy of The Divine Comedy.
"I got this through a friend. I compared the verse from the paper with several translations—it matches the version published by Iwanami Bunko in Shōwa 27, translated by Heisaburo Yamakawa. Back in the Shōwa era, that was one of the most widely read Japanese translations."
"You've been a huge help."
Okumuro instantly perked up, flipping through The Divine Comedy while muttering to herself as she thought about the Kutsuhana family's verse.
"The Divine Comedy is divided into three parts. If it corresponds to the earlier lines of the Kutsuhana song, it's likely referring to Inferno or Purgatorio. But that last line—'God bestows moonlight'—feels more like something from Paradiso."
"In that case, it's perfect that I got two copies of Yamakawa's translation. Let's read together and see if we can understand it thoroughly in a short time."
"Alright, but set an alarm—we should go to bed before midnight."
"Huh?"
Okumuro gave him an exasperated look. "Don't tell me you forgot. We have to go to Sobu High School tomorrow—for Izumi's cultural festival."
"Oh, right. Yeah, guess we shouldn't stay up too late. We'll need to get up early tomorrow anyway. From Shinjuku to Chiba… if we leave two hours early, we can even have breakfast without rushing."
...
Chiba City General Hospital.
Two young nurses walked side by side down the corridor, speaking in hushed tones that only they could hear.
"Did you hear? Dr. Motokawa's getting married."
"What? Seriously?"
"Of course. You think I'd make that up? I see her talking to her husband on the phone every day. And you know what? I've been here for over a year now, and I've hardly ever seen her smile before."
"Wow… Dr. Motokawa's getting married? I wonder what kind of charming young man managed to win over that cold-faced surgeon."
"Pfft, not some charming young man at all. He's a middle-aged guy—pushing forty—with a kid from a previous marriage."
"Huh? How did Dr. Motokawa even fall for him? Sure, maybe they're around the same age, but the guy already has a kid. Isn't she basically signing up to be a stepmother?"
"Exactly! I really don't get what she's thinking. She's got such great conditions—never been married, pretty, and smart. She could find any man she wants, but instead she chooses to be someone's stepmom? I'm telling you, kids who aren't your own… no matter how kind you are to them, they might never really accept you from the heart."
"As for me, I'd never marry a man who already has a kid. You could play the role of stepmom for years and still never be seen as part of the family."
"Hahaha, true enough."
Just as the two nurses were about to leave the floor—
"Excuse me… sorry to bother you."
A frail, almost ghostly voice came from behind them—so weak it sounded like it might disappear any second.
!!
Both nurses jumped in shock and quickly turned around. There stood a woman in a hospital gown, her skin pale as snow, her long hair trailing nearly to the floor. Her movements seemed to float rather than step—though faint footsteps could still barely be heard.
They weren't new nurses anymore, so they weren't easily frightened by late-night shifts. But they were certain—when they had just walked down this hallway, there hadn't been anyone there!
"Um, h-hello… is there something we can help you with?"
One of the braver nurses managed to ask, her voice trembling slightly.
"Ah… I'm sorry. I just washed my face in the restroom, and when I came out, I overheard you two talking about Dr. Motokawa. What a coincidence. I've heard of her before—apparently she was involved in that recent serial murder case, wasn't she? She treated a middle-aged man who was injured while protecting his daughter and her friend. Such a kind doctor, isn't she?"
The long-haired woman smiled faintly as she spoke.
"W-what are you talking about?"
Everything she said was true—but there was no way the nurses could admit it. After all, both doctor and patient information were strictly confidential.
"I remember the injured man's name—it was Tetsunosuke Isshiki, wasn't it?"
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but we can't discuss—"
"I also know why he was stabbed by the killer," the woman continued softly, her tone calm but chilling. "It was to protect his daughter and her friend. The daughter's name was Iroha Isshiki. And her friend's name… hehe, such a lovely name—Kotomi Izumi, right?"
"If you don't have any business here…"
"Oh!" The woman suddenly clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.
"Please lower your voice," one nurse quickly warned. "It's rest time."
"Ah, my apologies~ my apologies~ It's just… it's been so long since I've spoken to anyone. Once I start, I can't help myself. I'm terribly sorry~ Oh right, I actually did need a favor. Do you two have a moment? Could you come to my room and help me tie my hair? I don't like sleeping with it loose."
Hearing that, both nurses relaxed slightly. They had thought it was something strange, but tying hair was simple enough. Though, glancing again at her unnaturally long hair—they realized it would take both of them working together to manage it.
It was almost like assisting an old-fashioned noble lady with her bedtime routine.
"Of course, we understand. Which room are you in?"
"Thank you~ My room's 509, at the end of the corridor."
509?
Perhaps from overwork, the two nurses exchanged confused glances. They had just passed Room 509 earlier—but for some reason, neither could remember the name of the patient assigned there.
They only remembered one thing—Room 509 was a single-occupancy room.
The two nurses followed the woman.
Toward Room 509.
"By the way, your hair is so long… it's beautiful."
The woman smiled pleasantly at the compliment.
"Thank you~ Hair is a record of time's passage, after all. I treasure the length I've grown. I only allow it to be cut after a very, very long time.
Time has passed for so long… so long that I only recently learned Sengetsu Girls' Academy has been rebuilt and renamed.
The new name is much lovelier—Sakuraha Seiran Girls' Academy. Doesn't it sound like the perfect place to exhibit my very first work of art?"
—
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