Episode 45 – Another choice

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https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818622171819684834

At that moment, a dull sound echoed outside the door.

“Hello. Erm, is it correct that the people here are Yamasaka senpai, Yua chan, Sasagamine san, and Akino san? I’m a subordinate of the president. I just put Shindo to sleep, so don’t worry. I’m sure it’s too sudden for you to understand, so I’ll tell you the details at the office.”

I looked at Soichi at the unfamiliar voice.

Immediately afterward, my phone rings, and the screen shows ‘Boss.’

“Yamasaka, it’s me. I just arrived. I put Shindo to sleep and packed him in the car, so come to the warehouse deep in the mountains. You’ll be safe there.”

“…I understand.”

Soichi peeked out the window and muttered, “Shindo is definitely being carried away.”

I looked at Yua chan and the others and said shortly, “Let’s go….”

Then I left Soichi’s house.

The boss led the way, with my car following behind.

The engine rattled and roared as we headed deep into the mountains through the city at night.

And as expected, we arrived at the warehouse that we had used for Yua chan’s father.

A rusted iron building, tucked away deep in the forest.

Headlights cut through the trees, and the silhouette of the warehouse in the darkness draws closer.

The shutters creak open, and under the dim fluorescent lights, cigarette smoke wafts in the air, dusty as ever.

Yamada and another colleague who reported directly to the boss lowered Shindo to the floor, and the boss stepped closer.

“Now, what shall we do?”

His voice was low and heavy.

Aira looked down at Shindo with steely eyes and said, “He should be dealt with. He has ruined other people’s lives many times. He’s not worth living.”

Yamada nodded and said, “I agree with you. I’ve seen this guy up close and I understand. He has made up evidence and destroyed the future of many innocent people. It is dangerous to let him live. If we handle it here and now, it will all be over.”

I looked at Shindo’s sleeping face.

Sweat was beading on his forehead and his brow was wrinkled.

He is definitely a trash.

Then Aira began to talk.

“He’s also my grandpa’s enemy,” he said. He ignored my grandpa’s warnings, and even when the evidence was unclear, he decided on a ‘hunch’ that the suspect was the one who committed the crime, resulting in numerous false convictions. Then, Grandpa was attacked by the wife of the man who was falsely accused in the fraud case, and lost his life that day. Grandpa was really kind…. But I was willing to forgive him if he would change. But that rainy night, even though he had doubts about his own methods, he still continued to work as a detective in that way. Grandpa’s death was a waste. So we should do it.”

I agree.

I still see him as an evil man who pretends to be righteous.

Still, something stuck in the back of my mind.

“I…..don’t think we should kill him. I’m sick and tired of false accusations and threats. But if we kill him, he will never feel remorse or pain. He should pay for his crime. If we let him go here, maybe we’ll get caught…but that still doesn’t mean we should kill him.”

Soichi nodded and said, “I agree with Yuuto. I’m also against killing him. Even knowing his past, I don’t think it’s right to kill him here.”

Yua chan took my hand and said, “I don’t want Yuuto kun to kill anyone else…. He is a bad person…but he is no worse than my father…. I think he would have arrested the bad guy properly…” she said in a trembling voice.

Akino san sat in the corner and seemed to be complicit in neither.

The boss narrowed his eyes and pushed his cigarette into the ashtray.

“Sorry, but I’m with Aira and Yamada on this one. But I’m fine with it if it makes sense to both of you.”

Aira bit his lip and muttered, “I…”

Yamada sighed and asked, “Then what are you going to do? The risk of keeping him alive is huge,” was the obvious retort.

I took a deep breath and made a suggestion.

“How about letting him go overseas? You see, other than killing him, I’ve heard that Boss has an acquaintance in a country that has an isolationist prison system. How about selling him there? Make him pay for his crime in a place where he cannot escape. I don’t know about the old him, but he is already in his late 50s. I don’t think he has the strength to escape.”

The boss thought for a moment and muttered, “I don’t mind, I’ll leave it to the two of you.”

Aira clearly looked unconvinced.

Still… “I understand. But if he tries to escape…please do me a favor.”

Yamada shrugged his shoulders and reluctantly agreed, “Well, if it’s okay with Boss, I’ll go along with it.”

Under the dim light of the warehouse, as I watched Shindo’s sleeping face, I thought about all that had happened.

Was this the right thing to do?

Yua chan’s hand gripped mine tightly.

Then Soichi said, “This is okay, right?” as if to confirm.

I nodded and muttered, “Yeah. This is the end.”

And so the boss’s car with Shindo on board disappeared into the dark night with Yamada and another subordinate.

As we watched, I, Yua chan, Soichi chan, and Akino san were loaded into the car and about to head home.

The air in the car was naturally heavy, and no one opened their mouths.

In the middle of it all, Yua chan whispered something to me.

“….Why don’t we go and see…the stars?”

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