"Our opponents were indeed Kyoto University."
Ikenami Shizuka gently shook her head, tucking a stray lock behind her ear with pale fingers, her tone laced with regret.
"But it wasn't the full-strength Kyoto team. Their ace, a guy named Hattori Heizo, didn't show."
At that, undisguised disappointment colored her voice.
"Who knows, maybe he chickened out. According to the lineup, I was supposed to face him. I'd been looking forward to it all night."
Hattori Heizo?
Hayashi Shuichi blinked. Was this match supposed to be Hattori Heizo and Ikenami Shizuka's first encounter?
And now the former had been lured away by him to investigate a case…
"Skipping such an important tournament? That guy's seriously pathetic," Orihara Midori huffed, lips curled in disdain.
Ikenami nodded in full agreement.
Hayashi Shuichi opened his mouth to defend Hattori.
Just then, the kendo club members by the window spotted something outside and crowded over.
Orihara, puzzled but curious, hurried to the door.
Moments later she spun around, cheeks flushed with excitement. "Senpai! Ikenami-san! That guy from earlier is confessing right now!"
"Really?!"
Ikenami's calm eyes lit up instantly. She stood and headed straight for the door.
Everyone else in the pub—Hayashi Shuichi and Hibari Eri included—followed.
Earlier, Kazumi had said she felt down and asked Morizono Katsuo to walk with her.
They hadn't gone far—just a short distance from the izakaya entrance. Kazumi stared silently at the setting sun, expression complicated.
Morizono instinctively touched the carefully chosen diamond ring in his pocket. His firm resolve to propose wavered the moment he saw her melancholy face.
He opened his mouth, but the long-prepared words never came. He simply stood quietly beside her; the air grew heavy.
Then Shigematsu Akio, thoroughly drunk and goaded by Hayashi Shuichi and Hibari Eri, stumbled out and staggered right up to them.
"Akio, how much did you drink?" Morizono asked, startled.
Kazumi glanced at him coolly, then turned to Morizono. "Let's walk somewhere else."
Morizono was about to agree when Akio summoned every ounce of courage, face beet-red, and stepped squarely in their path.
"Kazumi… I—I have something to tell you!"
Morizono instantly tensed, eyes flicking to the girl beside him.
A faint, almost imperceptible hope flickered across Kazumi's face. She bit her lip. "…What is it?"
"I…" Akio sucked in a deep breath, fists clenched as if using his entire body's strength. "I like you, Kazumi!"
The moment the words left his mouth, bitterness flashed across Morizono's face. He sighed softly, let go of the ring in his pocket, and looked at Kazumi.
Kazumi's expression was an overwhelming mix—joy, shock, disbelief.
She stared wide-eyed. "You… Akio, what did you just say?"
Having crossed the line, Akio threw caution to the wind.
"Kazumi, I know I'm nowhere near as good as Katsuo. I can't give you a better life. But someone just told me it's better to be embarrassed now than regret it forever."
"I've liked you for so long. I never said anything because… because of you and Katsuo. Laugh at me if you want, I—"
"Idiot!"
Tears welled in Kazumi's eyes. Cheeks flushed, she glared at him—half angry, half overjoyed.
"Do you have any idea how long I've waited to hear that?!"
"Huh?"
Before Akio could react, Kazumi threw herself into his arms, sobbing with happiness.
"This…"
Akio froze, arms hovering awkwardly, face a mess of shock and ecstasy.
"…I lost."
Morizono watched them embrace, his voice tinged with loneliness yet strangely relieved.
"I always knew Kazumi liked you. You never showed anything, so I thought you only saw her as a friend. That's why I pursued her…"
"I thought she liked you, so I…"
Disbelief filled Akio's eyes. He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally managed, "…Sorry, Katsuo."
"Hey, no apologies between us."
Morizono forced a smile, gently patted both their shoulders, and said sincerely,
"No matter what, I hope the three of us stay friends. And… be happy, you two."
"Th-thank you." Akio nodded hard, eyes brimming with gratitude.
The crowd at the izakaya door burst into warm applause—for the new couple and for Morizono's grace.
Akio and Kazumi, now with plenty to say to each other, left to talk privately.
Heartbroken Morizono returned alone and drank beer after beer under his teammates' worried gazes.
The faculty advisor could only shake his head helplessly and let him be.
"Did we meddle too much?" Hibari Eri watched Morizono's lonely back, guilt creeping in. "Without us, maybe…"
"Without us, someone else would hurt instead," Hayashi Shuichi shook his head. "Don't overthink it. In the end, they made their own choices."
"Hayashi-san's right," Ikenami agreed. "Don't worry about Morizono-senpai. With his personality, he'll bounce back soon."
…
Meanwhile, in the Mihua suburbs.
Hattori Heizo leaned wearily against the car. He, Megure, and plainclothes officers had been combing the area all day.
Still no trace of the dean.
"Could he have realized we're after him and gone into hiding?" Megure frowned.
"Very possible," Officer Sato said gravely. "Or we're too late—Nagashima Ruko is already dead, and the killer long gone."
Both looked to Hattori Heizo for his opinion.
Hattori rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm beat. Heading to the supermarket for snacks and water. Need anything?"
Both officers shook their heads.
Hattori walked alone toward the area's only major supermarket—the same one on the receipt found in Kitamura's apartment.
Watching him go, Megure tugged Sato aside and whispered, "I didn't want to say it in front of Hattori-kun, but… should we call Hayashi-kun for ideas?"
"Good call." Sato nodded without hesitation.
Megure found a payphone and dialed the izakaya.
He returned moments later, expression grave.
"Well?" Sato asked. "What did Hayashi-kun say?"
"He says even in plainclothes, we've already blown our cover," Megure whispered worriedly. "This suburb is usually dead quiet—a bunch of strangers suddenly showing up would alert anyone paying attention."
"And his suggestion?"
"Go to the supermarket and ask if anyone recently bought large quantities of water and food. The kidnapper wouldn't want to starve Nagashima-san. If we get an address, raid it. If not, pull back, leave a few low-profile officers to stake out, and maybe lure the dean out."
Sato thought for a second. "We'll do it. I'll clear it with Inspector Kamisaki—you go find Hattori at the supermarket."
Inside the store, Hattori was paying for snacks and bottled water.
Watching the cashier bag the water, something clicked. He asked suddenly, "Has anyone bought a large amount of water and food lately?"
"Yeah," the young female cashier replied casually, glancing up. "Last night during my shift, some guy bought several cases of water and instant noodles. No idea why—barely any discount."
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Hope flared in Hattori.
The girl startled at his urgency and hesitated—just then Megure walked in.
Hearing her answer, Megure flashed his badge. "Police. We're looking for a kidnapped girl. Anything you remember, please tell us."
The girl nodded quickly and described the customer.
Hattori and Megure exchanged excited glances—the description matched Sakuragaoka's Kitamura perfectly.
They'd asked the morning shift earlier, but that clerk had paid no attention to Kitamura and remembered nothing.
"Do you know where he lives?" Hattori grabbed her wrist in excitement.
"I-I don't know him!" She shook her head.
"Easy, Hattori-kun." Megure gently pulled him back and smiled warmly at the girl. "Sorry, my colleague got carried away. If you remember anything else, please call the police. Thank you."
His kindness relaxed her. After a pause: "…There's been a ghost rumor lately. Might help?"
"Ghost rumor?" Though disappointed, Megure encouraged her.
"A two-story apartment by the river burned down half a month ago—two female tenants died inside. Last Monday night, someone passing by heard banging and a girl crying for help. He thought it was the dead girls' ghosts and ran. Word spread, and now no one goes near the ruins."
Hattori froze, then quickly got the exact address and dragged Megure toward it.
"You think she's really there?" Megure asked uncertainly as they hurried.
"She has to be," Hattori said confidently. "Nagashima Ruko vanished last Monday. Kitamura imprisoned her and started the ghost rumor to keep people away."
"Oh, right—" Megure hesitated, then admitted, "I called Hayashi-kun earlier for advice. What do you think of his plan?"
"…I was careless before."
Hattori understood immediately—they'd doubted him and turned to Hayashi Shuichi. He didn't dwell on it; he had made mistakes.
"First, check the ruins. If Nagashima-san is there, we'll follow Hayashi-san's plan and draw the snake out."
…
Back at the izakaya.
The kendo club stayed with Morizono Katsuo until 9 p.m., then finally left.
Seeing his drunken team, the faculty advisor's face turned green. "We're doomed. They're smashed—and we have matches tomorrow morning!"
"Don't worry, Sensei," Ikenami reassured him. "Tomorrow's opponents are average. As long as everyone makes it to the venue, even hungover, we'll win easily."
(End of chapter)
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