Akihiko felt a knot tighten in his chest.
Though he'd politely declined countless confessions at Teitan High, he'd never expected a teacher to harbor such malice.
How could he have provoked Ms. Kato, their gentle English instructor?
She wore simple features—unadorned, even plain—yet kindness radiated from her every word.
Compared to other faculty, Akihiko held her in high regard.
He genuinely couldn't recall offending her—why would she resort to murder?
"Akihiko, do you wish to know?" Kato-sensei's voice was calm, unsettlingly so.
He blinked. "Yes… I want to understand."
"Because you're the one I can't have," she said softly.
Akihiko, Shinichi, and Megure exchanged stunned glances.
Sensei offered a sad smile. "I've watched you since you arrived. Three months of admiration…"
She paused, cheeks flushing. "Your looks drew me in, but I'm… ordinary. A teacher. It was hopeless."
Akihiko's mind whirled.
If rejection fueled her wrath, why target Kawakami-san?
"Why did you kill Mahime Kawakami?" he asked.
"Didn't Akihiko deduce my motive?" Kato-sensei replied, voice even.
She recounted her history with Maeshima-sensei—college classmates turned colleagues—so close they'd discussed marriage.
They'd promised families and bought a home together, engaged just ten days past.
Then she discovered his affair—with Mahime Kawakami, one of his students.
Betrayal cut deeper than any blade.
"I lost myself," Kato-sensei murmured. "He strayed physically, I fell apart mentally."
They'd drained savings on the house, bound by credit and expectation.
So she'd confronted him candidly—hoping to salvage their future.
Megure and Shinichi listened in grim silence.
"Did he end it?" Megure asked.
She shook her head. "He refused. Worse—he proposed to Kawakami-san to break us apart."
Kato-sensei's gaze flicked to the shrouded body.
"Mahime threatened to sue for emotional damages, waving his photo in her hand."
Her voice quavered. "That amount… it was more than we could bear."
Yet Kawakami-san beamed with joy when confessing to Akihiko earlier that day—a cruel contrast.
Shinichi's expression softened. "So you snapped?"
Kato-sensei nodded, tears glinting. "She didn't deserve his love, and I couldn't bear her happiness."
A hush fell as her confession hung in the air.
Akihiko's pulse thundered.
"Kato-sensei," he said quietly, "you admit killing Kawakami-san?"
Her eyes widened. "You tested my evidence?"
He lifted the small evidence bag, careless in his grip.
"Lake water ruined most forensics—no prints, no fibers."
Inside, only fragments of Kawakami-san's skin remained—from her own body.
Her gasp silenced the courtyard.
Shinichi and Megure stared, mouths agape.
A tense beat passed.
Then Akihiko offered a faint, triumphant smile.
He had outplayed the murderer—yet again.
The final inning belonged to him.
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