SCIAW: Chapter 338/339

Chapter 338: Regret

In this day and age, it's not uncommon for junior high school students to start dating. As long as the relationship is relatively normal, there's no need to make arrests.
Only when a young girl crosses certain lines does the law step in.
More importantly, young people often lack self-restraint in this regard.

Ren naturally understood that this was a subtle reminder.

"Sanzenin Nagi, the only heir of the Sanzenin family. Officer Sato, do you think if I did anything to her, her grandfather wouldn't have me 'humanely disposed of'?"

"The only heir... of the Sanzenin family?!"

Sato Miwako's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected that the 13-year-old girl had such a background.

"Officer Sato doesn't need to be too surprised. Being a rich second generation is not something Sanzenin really concerns herself with."

Not concerned? Sato Miwako's mouth twitched slightly.

Even if she didn't know the specifics, she at least understood what the Sanzenin name represented. To put it bluntly, it was practically equivalent to the wealth of a small country. As the Sanzenin heir, how could this not matter?

But after calming herself, Sato Miwako remembered Ren's special abilities—how he had used them to assist her in solving a major bombing case and had saved many lives.

Thinking of that, she began to understand his comment about wealth.
Indeed, for someone with abilities like his, such powers might be worth more than any fortune. Compared to that, being the heir of a conglomerate didn't seem like much.

Sato Miwako took a deep breath and composed herself.

"I also looked into Takahashi Ryoichi's case. Based on the findings, it seems the suicide of Tokumoto Atsuko two years ago was somehow linked to Chikako Ikeda."

"My guess is that it's because of a story Ikeda wrote, The Blue Kingdom. I suspect that story may have led to Atsuko's death."

"That's my theory, but it feels a bit strange."

"Oh? Strange how?"

"If Takahashi Ryoichi's target was Chikako, then why would you help her using your special ability?"

Based on what she'd pieced together, that was the part Miwako found most confusing.

If everything was really as she guessed, Ren shouldn't have involved himself with Chikako.

It definitely wasn't for money.

So, Sato Miwako instinctively felt her theory only scratched the surface. There had to be a deeper truth.

But the follow-up investigation hit a dead end. There was almost no available information from two years ago. In the end, she had no choice but to ask the person involved directly.

Hearing her suspicion, Ren smiled, a trace of amusement flashing across his face.

"Yes. Officer Sato's investigation is pretty accurate. On the surface, it looks like Miss Ikeda stole Tokumoto Atsuko's idea and used it, ultimately pushing Atsuko to take her own life two years ago, and triggering Takahashi Ryoichi's revenge."

"But as you guessed, this is only what it looks like on the surface. The real situation isn't that Miss Ikeda stole the story from Atsuko, but that she bought it."

"Bought it?"

A trace of surprise flashed through Sato Miwako's eyes.

"Tokumoto Atsuko was timid, withdrawn, and didn't socialize well. More importantly, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would sell her own story, then kill herself afterward. If this was a normal transaction, even suicide wouldn't change the fact that Ikeda would still have proof of the deal, wouldn't she?"

"Officer Sato is right. Miss Tokumoto was definitely not someone who would casually sell off her creation. She had great confidence in the story she wrote. But she didn't sell it. Her mother did."

"Her mother..."

Sato Miwako's breath hitched. With that answer, the entire outline of the case started forming in her mind. The introduction of the mother as a variable completely changed the meaning behind Tokumoto Atsuko's death.

Seeing Sato Miwako's reaction, Ren continued with a faint smile.

"Miss Ikeda is a cautious woman. She knew that involving a third party could invite disputes. So when the deal was made, she had a lawyer draft a sales contract, and had the whole thing notarized by a third party."

"So, technically speaking, this wasn't a shady deal. But it wasn't made with Tokumoto Atsuko herself. It was between Miss Ikeda and Atsuko's mother."

"I believe Atsuko found out about the deal from her mother. That's when she realized there was no way she could reclaim her story. Even though she was the author, she had lost the rights."

Now it made sense…
Sato Miwako finally understood what had driven Tokumoto Atsuko to suicide. It wasn't just pain or anger—it was her final, helpless act of resistance after realizing she'd lost everything.

Even then, Sato Miwako found it hard to feel sympathy. The blame didn't lie with Chikako. It was clearly Atsuko's mother who had made the deal behind her back.

And that was exactly why Tokumoto Atsuko couldn't even direct her anger at her own mother. Instead, she turned all her hatred toward Chikako, the one who bought her story.

So, that suicide two years ago wasn't a form of protest against Ikeda Chikako. It was the most desperate scream of a girl who had been betrayed and stripped of all agency—blaming someone who wasn't even at fault.

Sato Miwako shook her head slowly.

"If that's the truth, then I agree, it's not reasonable to blame Ikeda. The person Tokumoto really needed to confront was her mother, but she couldn't bring herself to do it."

"And Takahashi Ryoichi… he launched a revenge plan two years later, without ever knowing the truth. He only saw the surface and assumed it was Ikeda Chikako's fault."

If that was the case, then the revenge itself was misguided from the start.

"So, it wasn't Chikako Ikeda who initiated the deal?"

"Miss Ikeda isn't foolish. She could tell that the story was being presented to her by the mother without the consent of the original author. So she made sure to get it all in writing, with a signed and notarized contract."

"As for who took the initiative… I think Officer Sato already knows. Also, when Miss Ikeda first learned about Tokumoto's story, she had shown interest in buying it. But Tokumoto Atsuko rejected the offer."

"A story like that… even if it's well written, no one can predict its success before publication. There's always risk."

"So after being rejected, Miss Ikeda let it go. But someone came to her on their own, offering the story and initiating the sale. That's what led her to formalize everything."

Quite frankly, there really wasn't anything to hold against her...
Sato Miwako let out a soft sigh. At this point, all she could feel for Tokumoto Atsuko was regret—not sympathy.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 339: Display and Invite

"Maybe the outcome seems unfair to her, but the entire process involved a legal transaction with Tokumoto Atsuko's guardian. In this kind of situation, no one is necessarily at fault—it's just that everyone's circumstances are different."

Ren spoke with a trace of emotion, then added,

"Also, I want to remind you that the emotional state Tokumoto Atsuko was in was largely a result of her family environment. Her mother didn't lack understanding of her daughter's feelings, she just had no way to respond."

"A father addicted to gambling, alcoholic, and who died early. A mother suffering from depression, raising two daughters alone. An older daughter burdened with high expectations. A younger daughter still growing up."

"That kind of environment nurtured Atsuko's inferiority complex and her lack of social connection."

Ren seemed to see a reflection of himself in her. In some ways, he and Tokumoto Atsuko were alike.

It was just a pity... Tokumoto Atsuko had much worse luck than him. It was as if fate had been mocking her.

"As for her... I can only say that some of her actions were too extreme. From what I've investigated, her mother died from depression less than a year after Atsuko's death. Her younger sister was placed in an orphanage but was adopted two months ago. She's living a stable life now."

"..."

Upon hearing that, Sato Miwako could only sigh in helplessness.

Perhaps, as Ren said, there was no one person to blame. The mother had to support both daughters, and the cost of tuition and daily expenses weighed on her like a stone.

Selling the story may have been the only compromise the mother could make to survive.

Compared to dreams, staying alive is a far more pressing concern.

"So after her death, Tokumoto Atsuko turned into that... thing, and her resentment latched onto Takahashi Ryoichi, who was willing to avenge her. And that ultimately led to this kind of case?"

"Exactly."

Ren gave a small nod. That was the truth of the case.

"As for the two people who were killed, they were just ordinary people like Takahashi Ryoichi. It's just that he believed they had something to do with Atsuko's death, and so he killed them on his way to take revenge."

What a tragedy... Sato Miwako could only feel a deep sense of sorrow after hearing it all.

Most people in this case didn't even commit any clear wrongdoing. Yet because of their backgrounds, positions, and circumstances, a simple transaction spiraled into a complex murder case.

"By the way... is this kind of thing common?"

"Evil spirits?"

"Yeah."

"When someone dies with intense resentment or an obsession that refuses to fade, there's a chance they can become an evil spirit. And evil spirits... their actions are no longer bound by the person they once were. They act without ego, clinging to their obsession, haunting the site of their death, and killing anything that enters their domain."

"Such evil spirits are actually quite rare, but in this City, there are surprisingly many."

More than expected? Sato Miwako was surprised. She had never seen one herself, even after living in this city for 28 years.

"It's like Tsukikage Island."

Sato Miwako paused, remembering the corpses tied to research tables. The dead had looked horrifying. Just one glance was enough to know the cruelty they had suffered before death.

"Those people... they became evil spirits too?"

"Yes. Before we landed, I saw dozens of evil spirits floating over Tsukikage Island. Their resentment was thick, overflowing. But the people who conducted the experiments had already left, so those evil spirits could only roam the island aimlessly."

"Besides, Tsukikage Island is too vast. Their hatred couldn't harm the drug traffickers. At most, they could only haunt their dreams and mentally torment them."

Ren paused.

"But we wiped them out last time. In a way, it's better to remove them than let them roam endlessly. It's not salvation, but destruction."

Sato Miwako understood the reasoning behind it, though the topic was far too heavy for her taste.

"By the way, what method did you use?"

"Curious?"

"Mhm…"

"Then, are you ready?"

"...To be honest, not really. But after I learned what the top brass of the Metropolitan Police Department actually think, I knew I couldn't avoid it now that I've been promoted."

Before leaving home today, Sato Miwako had already prepared herself to face the truth.

Some things are hard to accept all at once, but she had to adapt and accept them sooner or later.

Besides, she had just been promoted to Deputy Inspector, and she was offered yet another opportunity for advancement.

If she hadn't entered the special task group, she never would've received such rapid promotions. This latest one wasn't just in recognition of her role in recovering the bombs—it also marked her as the bridge between the Metropolitan Police Department and Ren.

So, once that promotion came, she no longer had the option to run.

"Well, I think it's good that Officer Sato has that kind of awareness. Since you're ready, then it's okay to show you."

"Eh? Right here?"

Sato Miwako was a bit surprised. They were still in a public place. Was it really okay to reveal it here?

"Officer Sato, why don't you try calling the waiter?"

Seeing Ren's casual tone, Sato Miwako took a deep breath and raised her voice.

"Waiter!!!"

She shouted loudly, but in the family restaurant, not a single person reacted. No one even turned to look.

Sato Miwako was stunned. She knew about the existence of supernatural powers, but when did this ability take effect? Was this Ren's doing?

"This... is a superpower?"

"Yes. It's a type of extraordinary ability. But it's not the one I used to locate the bomber. This is just an ability meant for display."

An ability purely for display... but Sato Miwako already felt like it was far too much.

Controlling sound in a localized area so that others can't hear—frankly, this ability had a wide range of applications.

And yet it was only a display.

"So, Officer Sato... I'm inviting you. Do you want to become one of us?"

(To be continued.)