"Madame, you're awfully confident," Otomo Hiroki sighed, his expression heavy with defeat. "Fine. I was worried something happened to Mio, but now that I know she's safe and our love was a lie, I've got nothing left to say."
"I'll drive off once the rain stops."
Hayashi Shuichi gave Otomo a curious glance. From his earlier behavior, Otomo seemed deeply sentimental. Learning he'd been deceived by someone he loved should've sparked rage, not this calm resignation.
Was his devotion all an act?
Madame Togo clearly shared Hayashi Shuichi's suspicions. She sneered, "Men's so-called deep love is always fake."
"What else can I do?" Otomo rubbed the palm of his left hand, giving a bitter smile. "Send her to prison? I don't have it in me…"
"I'm not like you. I have to find Yukiko and get answers," Yuta Moriyama said, storming over after finishing his call to the police. "If she's a scammer, I'll never forgive her."
…
The group sat in the lobby for over forty minutes. The rain outside had lightened when Akita Keito finally came downstairs.
"You took forever with that bath," Otomo remarked.
"What choice did I have? That paint was a nightmare," Akita complained. "I practically scrubbed my skin raw to get it off."
He glanced around the room. "Where's the lodge's staff, Togo-san?"
"I told you in the bathroom—he went up the cliff to look for that woman," Otomo said, checking his watch with a frown. "We've been back an hour. Why isn't he here?"
"That's too long," Madame Togo murmured. "The cliff isn't that big. He should've been back by now."
"Did he find Yukiko?" Moriyama shot up, rushing out of the lodge as he had before.
Madame Togo, worried for her son, followed.
"Let's check too," Otomo said, his expression unreadable. "I hope he really found Mio."
Hayashi Shuichi and the three girls nodded. Akita, his face dark, muttered, "Even if that woman returns my necklace, I'm sending her to prison for deceiving me…"
The rain had eased but still fell steadily.
The group stepped out, opening their umbrellas.
As Hayashi Shuichi raised his, he felt it sag suddenly, as if something had landed on it. Lowering it, he found a soaked pair of men's boxer briefs.
"Shuichi, your luck's something else," Fujimine Yukiko giggled, covering her mouth. "Panties from the sky, haha…"
Hayashi Shuichi looked up. He'd been standing under the eaves, with Room 201 above.
"Why would underwear be outside?" Fei Yingli asked, puzzled. "In this weather, who'd hang clothes out to dry?"
"Probably Moriyama-san's, dropped from above," Otomo said dismissively. "Let's hurry up the mountain."
He strode off after Moriyama and Madame Togo.
Hayashi Shuichi tossed the underwear into the entryway and followed.
…
After climbing the mountain, they searched but found no sign of Togo Ryu.
Madame Togo grew frantic, calling her son's name.
"Did Togo Ryu run off with that scammer?" Akita spat bitterly. "I spent all that money, only got a kiss, and now he's the one who benefits!"
"No way!" Madame Togo snapped. "Ryu would never abandon me!"
At that moment, Otomo, standing at the cliff's edge, shouted, "I found Togo Ryu!"
The group rushed over. Otomo pointed to the pond below. "That's him, right? He's not moving. Did something happen?"
Hayashi Shuichi peered down. A figure lay by the pond's edge, dressed in Togo Ryu's clothes.
"Ryu!"
Madame Togo screamed, but her son didn't stir. She collapsed into panic. "How could this happen? How…"
"He might've slipped while searching the cliff and fallen," Otomo said grimly. "I've trained in diving. I'll check. You all take the long way down."
Without removing his clothes, Otomo jumped off the cliff.
Splash!
With a loud splash, he landed in the pond's center and swam toward Togo Ryu.
The others hurried down the mountain path.
By the time they reached the pond, Otomo had dragged Togo Ryu ashore and was performing CPR.
Togo Ryu's face was ashen, a wound on his forehead pale and wrinkled from the water.
Hayashi Shuichi crouched, checking his pulse and breathing.
"No need for CPR. He's dead."
"Impossible! Ryu can't be dead!"
Madame Togo shoved Hayashi Shuichi and Otomo aside, throwing herself onto her son. "Ryu! Mom's here. Speak, please…"
The group watched with pity. Even Akita held his tongue.
"He probably hit his head on a rock when he fell," Otomo sighed. "He wasn't swept into the stream but couldn't make it to shore and drowned by the edge."
Hayashi Shuichi examined the body. The cyanotic face matched suffocation. His gaze shifted downward—and froze.
What…
Hayashi Shuichi swiftly pulled down Togo Ryu's pants.
"Ah!" Fujimine Yukiko yelped, turning away in a fluster.
"What are you doing, Shuichi?"
Fei Yingli and Reiko also averted their eyes, embarrassed.
"Ladies' panties?" Moriyama's expression twisted. "Togo Ryu was into cross-dressing?"
Akita stared at the vibrant purple panties, then clutched his mouth and staggered to a tree, retching.
Fei Yingli and Reiko exchanged confused glances. A man wearing women's underwear didn't warrant that reaction, did it?
Fujimine Yukiko, unable to resist, peeked through her fingers. "Tch, sexy purple…"
The other two girls shared a look, then sneaked a glance.
Oh… that's what it is!
Recalling the men's underwear that fell earlier, Hayashi Shuichi understood, casting a sympathetic look at Akita.
"Onii-chan, what's that red stuff?" Reiko asked, puzzled, pointing at Togo Ryu's head. "Is it blood?"
Hayashi Shuichi followed her finger. Togo Ryu's hair at the back of his head was matted with something red…
(End of Chapter)
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