Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818622171380942400
When I woke up, I felt warmth coming from close by.
A soft weight rested on my left arm, and I could hear her faint breathing in my ear.
With my mind still a little fuzzy, I gently moved my gaze and there was Yua chan.
Her eyes were closed and she was sleeping with her face in my arms.
Her long black hair was disheveled and spread out like a tangle on her cheek.
Her thin shirt was slipping down from her shoulders, revealing a little bit of her white skin.
Her sleeping face was peaceful, and she looked like a completely different person from the scarred Yua chan of the past.
But there was also a sense of fragility, as if she were about to break down.
“….Yua chan?”
I called out to her, but there was no answer.
However, her breathing had gotten a little deeper.
I couldn’t move and stared at her sleeping face.
I looked around and saw that it was my familiar room.
My room was a little tidier than it had been since I started living with Yua chan.
A small picture hung on the wall and a used mug was on the table.
Yet, for some reason, I feel unsettled.
I mean, I’ve jumped back to the future….
But Rin chan was so cute.
At that moment, the front door was slammed vigorously.
Yua chan flinched at the violent thumping sound.
But she didn’t seem to wake up. I hurriedly pulled out my arm gently and stood up.
◇
When I opened the door, Soichi was standing there.
“Hey, Yuuto ! Don’t sleep, it’s time !”
Soichi stepped inside without my permission, shouting in a loud voice.
He had a convenience store bag in his hand, with a can of coffee and a sweet bun peeking out from inside.
This guy is always like this.
He acts as if my house is his garden.
“Sorry, I overslept.”
I let Soichi through to the living room, scratching my head.
He took off his shoes, looked around the room and asked, “Is Yua chan still sleeping?”
“Yeah. Don’t wake her up.”
When I said that, Soichi nodded lightly, “Okay.” and placed a convenience store bag on the table.
I remember that last night I received a text message from him saying, “I’m coming to your house tomorrow !”
Wait, even though the door is automatically locked, did he come in with someone?
As I watched Soichi sit down in his chair, I felt something tugging at me.
Soichi was the same as usual.
Short-cropped hair, tanned face. But his eyes were strangely sharp, as if he was up to something.
“So, what is it? You just barged in here early in the morning.”
Soichi straightened up a little as I picked up my canned coffee.
“I’ve been looking into Detective Shindo’s case.”
The moment I heard that name, my hands stopped snapping.
Shindo….
Well, Soichi was part of this, so it was only natural that he would look into it.
“This was in a weekly magazine. It’s anonymous, though.”
Soichi took out a clipping from his bag and spread it on the table.
The headline read, [Suspected detective who threatens during interrogations and makes false accusations to gain more arrests].
“It seems that this guy has been using dirty tricks for a long time. Forcibly extracting confessions, making up evidence, and padding the number of arrests.”
As I glanced at the case, I saw that name.
The name that the boss had mentioned before was written there.
He was the boss’s senior who was falsely convicted and sentenced to death.
“It seems there are other victims. I’m gonna talk to them and try to get a hold of Shindo’s weakness.”
Soichi said as he folded the clipping.
“Weakness?”
I asked, and Soichi narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah. To destroy him, we need evidence. I’m gonna gather firsthand accounts from his past victims and pull out the dark side that Shindo is hiding. You’re in on it, aren’t you, Yuuto?”
I silently put strength into my hand holding the canned coffee.
The hatred smoldering in my chest flared up at once.
“Yeah. I’m in.”
And I know one person I should listen to about this.
Soichi gave a small laugh and said, “Okay, it’s decided. Let’s get moving. I’m gonna go see this guy.” and slammed the photo down on the table.
◇
We got into the car at the end of the night.
I was in the driver’s seat, Yua chan was in the passenger seat, and Soichi was in the back seat.
We were going to a rural convenience store where a man named Goto Kiyotsugu worked.
He is a man who was falsely accused by Shindo 10 years ago and was locked up in prison for 10 years.
According to Soichi, he is now living quietly in the countryside as a night shift clerk, and we were killing time by playing house until nightfall.
The lights of the city faded away and the countryside outside the window turned pitch black.
The car engine roared low and the occasional sound of tires bouncing on gravel could be heard.
I looked behind me and saw Yua chan lying asleep on the seat.
A blanket was draped over her knees and her head was slightly tilted.
Looking at her sleeping face, the warm feeling of the morning comes back to me.
I wanted to protect Yua chan, who was by my side like this.
“She fell asleep.”
Soichi looked at Yua chan through the rearview mirror and murmured quietly.
I replied, “I didn’t mean to take her out.”
“It can’t be helped. She followed you because she cares about you.”
Soichi said and raised the edge of his mouth a little.
That made my heart burn.
Yua chan probably couldn’t stand by and watch me get involved in such a dangerous situation.
Unlike those days when she closed her heart to me, now she trusts me and is with me like this.
The car was quiet, and he spoke to me as I gripped the steering wheel.
“…..I’m sorry, Yuuto. I have one thing I need to apologize for.”
His voice sounded heavy and stuck in my mind.
What is it?
I was surprised that Soichi would apologize at this time….
“What?”
When I asked back, Soichi paused for a moment, then looked forward and said.
“I can’t tell you now. But I will. Wait for me until then.”
His words made my head spin.
Apologizing? What is he hiding? But looking at Soichi’s profile, I couldn’t bring myself to pursue the matter any further. This guy is my best friend.
If there was a reason, I had no choice but to believe him and wait.
“Yeah, okay.”
I looked out the window.
In the darkness, the lights of a convenience store floated dimly in the distance.
The car slowed and our night was about to begin.
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