"Sousuke ......"

Seeing the person coming clearly, Higashino Kohei grabbed the other party's wrist.

He had a happy smile on his face, but his eyes were full of pleading.

“…… Don't pull me, I'll tell you, Reiko isn't on it......"

"She must have been hungry from overtime, went to the convenience store to buy something, and forgot to bring her phone!"

"You let go...... When she encountered this kind of thing, she didn't have her phone with her, and she must be very scared now...... I'm going to accompany her right away! ”

“…… Speak, you idiot, say a word to Lao Tzu!! ”

He pressed his hands and tried to break the other's hands apart.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of Sosuke Araki's iron pincer-like arm.

The pouring rain ruthlessly washed over the bodies of the two.

The irascible thunder, constantly roaring in the night sky.

Sousuke Araki, who remained silent and was also drenched, turned his head to look at Ryoma Nizen in the rain in the distance.

The latter, whose face was now pale and his hair was weakly resting on his forehead, glanced at a stretcher covered with a white cloth at the back of the ambulance, and shook his head heavily.

"Kohei...... Calm down and listen to me first......"

"I'll talk about it later...... Wait until I find Reiko......"

Looking at the expression of his companion in front of him, Kohei Higashino seemed to sense something, and the light in his eyes gradually extinguished.

"Reiko, she ......"

"I don't listen!! You let me go and let me go to Reiko!!! ”

Bursting out with the power of his whole body, Kohei Higashino violently broke free with a hand and hit Sosuke Araki hard in the face.

"You calm down first, and then we'll talk slowly......"

Even so, Sousuke Araki still held him back, letting the opponent's fists, kicks and raindrops fall on him.

"I just, I just want to go to Reiko...... Wherever she is......"

I couldn't tell if it was tears or rain, and it slipped down Higashino Yukihei's face.

"According to the latest information released by the police, at around 10 o'clock tonight, there was a sudden explosion of unknown cause in an apartment located on the third floor, and the number of dead and injured is currently unknown...... Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that two men broke into the scene after the fire, and it seems that they are residents here, so let's interview them......"

At this moment, a foreign reporter wearing a raincoat and holding a microphone walked up to the two with the photographer.

“…… Hello, I'm Chardo Nord, a reporter for NHK International, are you a resident here? Easy to describe the situation for us......"

Just when Sousuke Araki was still stunned by the black thick unknown object that was suddenly handed to his mouth......

Higashino had already broken free of his grip and punched the reporter hard in the chin, knocking his glasses flying.

“…… That's the guy ......."

"Quick, stop him!!"

At the same time, the firefighters who had recovered from the "critical attack" rushed down from the upper floor, and cooperated with the staff from the periphery to press the Higashino Kohei who had escaped to the ground.

"Let go of me and let me go to Reiko!!!"

"I beg you to ......"

In the rain, Kohei Higashino, who was pressed to the ground by many staff and couldn't move, cried like a homeless child.

"Mr. Higashino......"

Looking at this scene, outside the cordon, the little bird Yu Zhengong, who had just arrived, covered his mouth and sobbed in disbelief.

Hanyu Mai on the side hugged her comfortingly.

……

Three days later.

Saitama Prefecture Spiritual Garden.

Beneath the gloomy dark clouds was a torrential rain.

The torrential rain in Wenyue will fall when it is said and stop when it is stopped.

Like an invisible fate, unpredictable but irresistible,

When you find out, it's undeniably soaking every corner of your body, leaving you with nowhere to run.

A man in a black suit knelt not far from the gate of the Spiritual Garden with his head bowed, letting the raindrops fall on his body fiercely, standing still like a stone statue.

"It's really pitiful, my daughter who was raised with hard work, I heard that she was originally developing well in Tokyo......"

“…… It's said that he didn't listen to the advice of his family.,Got a boyfriend who was mixed with the pole.,Get involved.。 ”

"So, it's important to be human...... Because of that kind of scum......"

From time to time, passers-by who enter and leave the spiritual garden will bypass him far away when they see him.

The man kneeling in the rain, with pale, wet hair limply sticking to his face, was none other than Kohei Higashino.

The day before yesterday, a suspected man-made gas leak in the Shinjuku apartment caused an explosion and fire, killing 8 people and seriously injuring 12 others.

Among them is his fiancée, Reiko Shirasui.

Today, the body of Reiko Shirasui was taken back by her parents to her hometown in Saitama Prefecture for cremation, and the burial ceremony was officially held.

is considered to be the culprit who caused this tragedy, Kohei Higashino, naturally he is not qualified or allowed to go in to see his beloved woman on his last journey.

In the face of the accusations, beatings and tears of Reiko Shirasui's parents, he was willing.

On the night of the incident, several cadres of Nu Luoquan in Tokyo suffered various accidents, and one of them is still in the hospital.

The accident in the apartment and Reiko's death are inseparable from themselves.

An umbrella quietly appeared on Higashino Kohei's head, sheltering the bone-chilling rainstorm.

Higashino Kohei didn't make any moves because the rain that fell on his body disappeared.

He was like the newly erected tombstone in the cemetery, losing all its brilliance.

“…… You're here......"

Holding an umbrella for him on the side was Sousuke Araki, who was also dressed in a black suit.

After that night, Higashino Kohei cut off all contact with the outside world and disappeared.

Sousuke Araki also inquired around, guessing that this guy would definitely show up at the funeral, and was worried that he would do something stupid, so he came over.

Looking at Kohei Higashino, who didn't respond to him at all, Sosuke Araki sighed and just stood aside silently, holding an umbrella for him.

“…… Ryoma said that there has been a breakthrough in the case, and I believe that the suspect will be locked soon......"

"Hey ......"

Hearing his words, Kohei Higashino, who was originally standstill, finally reacted.

A mocking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

In a case like this, the last suspect arrested by the police is nothing more than some addict or a guy with high gambling debts......

If those bullshit laws work, why did the Japanese gangs become legitimate?

From the moment Reiko Shirasui left, his heart had already died.

Only this useless body still has a mission that must be fulfilled.

"......"

With a screeching sound of brakes, several black cars stopped on the side of the road.

A group of men in black suits stepped out of the car one after another and silently stood behind Higashino Kohei.

Even though the rain was getting more and more violent, none of them held an umbrella.