Yumi Miyamoto rolled her eyes in exasperation. "He's my ex-boyfriend."
Hearing this, Naeko Miike looked surprised.
These two looked so mismatched; they didn't seem like they had ever been together at all.
Shukichi Haneda, however, frowned and muttered, "Yumi-mi, you're talking nonsense again. We never broke up."
As he spoke, Shukichi walked out of his apartment.
He approached Yumi and reached out, intending to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
Yumi instinctively tried to dodge.
But before Shukichi's large hand could touch her, his wrist was intercepted by another hand reaching out.
"What do you think you're doing to my woman?"
Yumi instantly recognized Yuu Hoshimiya's voice. She spun around in a panic, only to see Shukichi Haneda, in his green haori, go flying through the air.
And this was Yuu holding back for the sake of Mary and Masumi Sera.
So cool!
Looking at the stern-faced Yuu, Naeko Miike and Sakurako Yonehara couldn't help but wear the expressions of awestruck fangirls.
Shukichi Haneda's body traced a beautiful arc before landing heavily on the floor.
The sound of bone hitting the ground was audible, and he immediately began to groan.
He saw stars, his head was buzzing, and he was temporarily deafened.
Even so, he struggled to lift his head.
Then he saw Yuu Hoshimiya, his aura as deep as an abyss, looking down at him from above.
Meanwhile, Yumi stepped forward and tightly hugged this man. Her face full of panic, she was opening her mouth, desperately explaining something, completely ignoring him.
Seeing the intense care in Yumi's eyes as she looked at this man, a surge of anger rose in Shukichi's heart.
What is going on?
Yumi-mi, how can you be so close to this man?
"Yuu-kun, listen to me. Although this guy is my ex-boyfriend, nothing ever happened between us, you know that."
"Besides, I dumped him years ago. We have absolutely no relationship now. I only have you in my heart."
"I didn't come here to see him. A murder happened in the apartment next door, and Naeko got a call and dragged me here."
"It's all Naeko's fault! It was a murder case, yet she insisted on dragging me, a traffic cop, along. That's how we inexplicably ran into this man."
Taking the blame thrown onto her back, Naeko smiled sheepishly.
She had only done it because she was too worried about her best friend.
Looking at Yumi, who was anxious and desperately trying to explain everything for fear of a misunderstanding, Yuu chuckled.
He reached out and gently stroked Yumi's small head, his voice warm and soothing. "Yumi-chan, you don't need to say anymore. I believe you."
Hearing this, Yumi finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat reassured.
However, she still didn't want to let go of Yuu's arm.
Soon, Yumi noticed Miwako's teasing gaze nearby and couldn't help but glare back.
Miwako Sato found this scene incredibly amusing; it was rare to see Yumi Miyamoto so flustered.
Yuu then put his arm around Yumi, looked at Shukichi Haneda, and declared, "I don't care what relationship you used to have with Yumi. She is my woman now!"
"Don't let me see you pestering her again, and don't do anything disrespectful. Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the consequences. Understand?"
Yumi's face instantly flushed red, feeling quite embarrassed.
Shukichi Haneda, who had just recovered slightly, was completely stunned by these words.
He looked at Yumi's expression again. She didn't offer a single word of rebuttal; instead, she looked like a devoted fangirl.
He felt a wave of sharp pain in his heart. It was agonizing.
"Haha, impossible. Yumi-mi, you're lying to me, right? I don't believe it."
Shukichi struggled to his feet, wanting to rush at Yuu and Yumi, but he was grabbed from behind by Detective Chiba.
At this point, Miwako Sato stepped forward to take charge.
"I am Miwako Sato of the Metropolitan Police Department. Everyone calm down."
"We have a murder case here. Cooperate with the investigation and solve the case first. You can resolve your relationship issues privately later."
The dutiful Miwako naturally prioritized the murder case.
Hearing her say this, the weak Shukichi could only stop resentfully.
However, his eyes behind his glasses still glared intensely at Yuu Hoshimiya.
The group then entered the Itou residence, and the police began questioning them about the incident.
Over ten minutes later, having finished her questioning, Miwako glanced at the body laid out on the bed.
The victim had a plaster cast on her right hand, yet supposedly left a suicide note and hanged herself. It was truly suspicious.
With only one good hand, why use such a strenuous method of suicide?
Miwako looked at her notebook and recounted the case details.
"Before 11:00 AM, Mr. Itou and his wife had a massive argument. He then went out to the supermarket with the maid, leaving the victim home alone."
"They returned at 11:30 AM and heard the bedroom door slam shut. The victim was still alive at that time."
"When you knocked on the bedroom door, there was no response from the victim inside. Then, the maid and Mr. Itou went to the kitchen to prepare lunch together."
"It wasn't until thirty minutes later that you discovered the victim had hanged herself in the bedroom. Is that the sequence of events?"
Eishin Itou and the little maid, Sakurako Yonehara, nodded.
Miwako rested her chin in her hand, looking at the hastily scribbled suicide note, and frowned. "She left a suicide note, all other windows and doors in the room were locked, and there are no signs of a break-in."
"Looking at it this way, it really might be a suicide."
At this, Yuu spoke up. "Miwako, saying that is still too arbitrary."
Yuu opened the notebook on the table.
"Look, the tear marks on the paper of this suicide note clearly don't match the torn pages in the notebook."
"Furthermore, in the crumpled papers thrown in the trash can, the signature is usually just 'Chiyoko.' But the signature on this suicide note includes the surname, making it 'Chiyoko Itou.' It's possible someone tampered with it."
Shukichi Haneda, standing nearby with his arms crossed, decided to be contrarian. "What's abnormal about that? Someone is about to commit suicide; is it problematic to write a bit more formally and include a surname?"
"If you don't understand, don't stand there spouting nonsense."
Hearing this, Yumi Miyamoto instantly became furious and began defending Yuu.
"Shut your mouth! I think you're the one spouting nonsense."
"My boyfriend is a special consultant hired by the police. You just sit there quietly and listen."
At these words, Shukichi Haneda looked like he was about to cry, pointing at Yumi but unable to speak.
You've changed. You're actually scolding me for the sake of an outsider!
Wait, no... Yuu Hoshimiya... why does that name sound so familiar!
Shukichi finally realized that the man who had stolen his love was the very same guy his mother and sister had praised to the high heavens, the one they said they were going to seek refuge with.
His expression changed drastically.
No way. Is it really him?
Thinking of how his mother and sister had praised Yuu Hoshimiya to the skies, Shukichi looked utterly incredulous.
This guy is so terrible! He used violence the moment we met and stole my Yumi!
How could someone like this be a reliable person to seek refuge with?
Mom and Masumi must have been brainwashed. No, I have to stop them.
At this moment, Shukichi's feelings were incredibly complex.
This was also because he hadn't yet spoken with his older brother, Shuichi. If he had, he would definitely feel a bit more balanced.
After all, his older brother, Shuichi Akai, had two girlfriends stolen consecutively by Yuu Hoshimiya.
The Akai brothers were truly a pair of tragic siblings. However, even so, they surely couldn't imagine that their mother might also fall into Yuu Hoshimiya's hands.
Who knows, they might end up having to call the man who stole their girlfriends "Dad" in the future!
Hearing Yumi proudly reveal Yuu's identity, Eishin Itou and Sakurako Yonehara were immediately filled with surprise.
The little maid, Sakurako, grabbed Naeko's arm and hopped excitedly behind her, whispering.
"Naeko! Naeko! Consultant Hoshimiya is super famous! Help me get his autograph!"
Naeko Miike gave a dry laugh. She had only met Yuu once before; how could she have the nerve to step up and ask for an autograph?
"Wait, Sakurako, why do you want an autograph? You're not a fangirl."
Sakurako Yonehara's eyes instantly turned into money symbols.
"To sell it! You have no idea—Detective Hoshimiya's autograph is priceless on the market. It'll definitely fetch a high price. It might even cover a month's rent."
Yuu, possessing excellent hearing, heard this and his mouth twitched. He thought Sakurako was a fan, but she was just a little money-grubber.
At this point, the master of the house, Eishin Itou, spoke up. "Consultant Hoshimiya, this suicide note probably isn't forged. The handwriting is Chiyoko's own, and the things mentioned on it are recent events that outsiders wouldn't know about."
Miwako, holding the suicide note, glanced at it and read the contents aloud.
"I'm sorry, Hubby, for injuring you. I hope your injury heals quickly!
Our son Yasuie, good luck on your exams! Mom believes you can do it!
During Ichiko's Shichi-Go-San festival, remember to have her wear my kimono!
Please forgive your unfilial daughter for passing away first.
Chiyoko Itou."
(Shichi-Go-San is a traditional Japanese festival. Boys aged 3 and 5, and girls aged 3 and 7, go to shrines to pray.)
"Is there anything abnormal about this suicide note?"
Eishin Itou shook his head and lifted his glasses, showing the crowd his swollen right eye.
"This is the eye she swelled up by throwing an ashtray at me when we argued last night."
"My son Yasuie is getting his driver's license recently; his written test is in a few days."
"As for Ichiko, she's my niece. She turns seven this year, and she is indeed celebrating Shichi-Go-San. That's why I think it's impossible for someone else to have forged this suicide note."
The little maid, Sakurako, also nodded nearby.
"When the Madam lost her temper last night, she did throw an ashtray at Mr. Itou. That's why I thought the phone by the bedroom door earlier was also thrown by her."
Yuu asked, "When did you discover the phone by the door?"
Seeing Yuu approach, Sakurako's small face turned slightly red.
She quickly replied, "It was when we came home at 11:30. When I first went to call the Madam, I found it on the floor. It's the Madam's red phone."
Miwako asked, "Where is the phone?"
"I put it away." Eishin Itou took the phone from his pocket and handed it to Miwako.
Miwako opened the phone and checked the call log. There were no calls or texts today.
Just then, Detective Chiba, holding his notepad, asked, "Forgive me for asking, Mr. Itou, but what were you arguing about last night? And do you know why the victim would commit suicide?"
Eishin Itou shook his head and sighed.
"What else could we argue about? Stocks, of course. We had huge disagreements over stocks. I wanted her to stop playing the market, but she never listened. Whenever I brought it up, she would go crazy."
"Also, our son Yasuie is about to graduate from his fourth year of college, but he still hasn't secured a job. I imagine that put a lot of pressure on her."
"My son Yasuie hasn't been home since he moved into an apartment near his university a year ago."
At this, Sakurako Yonehara interjected. "But the Madam's son did call and said he wanted the Madam to help him buy a car after he got his license."
"He even said he would bring car catalogs over next time for the Madam to choose from."
"But the Madam said things like he didn't even have a job lined up and it was impossible to buy him a car, and then she yelled and hung up the phone."
"However, I don't think the Madam was the type of person to commit suicide."
"Because the Madam once said she was a lucky one favored by heaven."
Miwako asked, "What does that mean?"
Eishin Itou explained, "I think Chiyoko was referring to an incident a few years ago. She was on a plane that crashed, making an emergency landing in the ocean, but she luckily survived."
Detective Chiba then asked, "Mr. Itou, were you on that plane at the time?"
"No. Because I injured my leg skiing before the flight, I didn't get on that plane."
Sakurako continued, "See? How could such a confident Madam possibly commit suicide?"
Miwako rested her chin in her hand, frowning in thought.
"If that's the case, the motive for suicide doesn't make sense."
Yumi Miyamoto chimed in, "If it's not suicide, then it must be murder by an outsider."
"Between 11:30 and 12:00 when the incident occurred, Mr. Itou and the maid were cooking in the kitchen. The two were together, so it's impossible for them to have committed the crime. That means it's likely a crime committed by an outsider."
"And the most likely suspect is you—the person who knows the mailbox code, can get the front door key, and can secretly sneak into a neighbor's house to kill someone. Shukichi Haneda, you're the killer, aren't you!"
"I didn't expect that after not seeing you for so many years, you'd degenerate into a murderer."
Hearing Yumi throw mud at him, Shukichi was so scared his hair practically stood on end. He hurriedly waved his hands. "H-how is that possible?"
Smack!
Yuu slapped Yumi's perky butt directly, causing everyone to look over.
Yumi's small face instantly turned beet-red, while Shukichi's pupils contracted continuously, staring at Yuu's large hand, wishing he could swallow it whole.
"You can't do that. Even if you're eager to distance yourself from your ex-boyfriend, you can't make wild deductions and falsely accuse someone of being a murderer."
"That's too terrible. I don't like Yumi-chan when she's like this."
"Oh!"
Blushing, Yumi obediently stood behind Yuu and didn't speak again.
Yuu then said, "Miwako, handcuff this guy and take him to the station. Using some torture should get something out of him."
The twist came too fast. He had just educated his girlfriend not to falsely accuse others, and now he was encouraging the police to arrest the man and use illegal torture. This move left everyone dumbfounded.
However, Yuu's prestige among the police was too high. Recovering from their shock, the group actually began to think Shukichi Haneda really was the killer.
The chubby Detective Chiba hurriedly stepped forward and handcuffed Shukichi Haneda directly.
Shukichi immediately roared, "I'm not the killer! Yuu Hoshimiya, you're slandering me! You're abusing public power for personal revenge!"
"Yuu Hoshimiya, you despicable villain! Yumi-mi, don't be fooled by him!"
"I... I'll fight you!"
The struggling Shukichi couldn't be restrained even by Detective Chiba. He desperately charged toward Yuu.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, the group's expressions changed drastically.
Standing by the edge of the bed, Yuu put his arm around Yumi's slender waist and stepped aside slightly, dodging effortlessly.
Dodging a physically uncoordinated otaku was incredibly easy.
Shukichi, wearing his green haori, couldn't stop his momentum. His knees smashed directly into the edge of the bed. He cried out in pain, his mouth wide open, and his entire body fell toward the corpse of the middle-aged woman on the bed.
It should be noted that Chiyoko Itou was hanged. People who die by hanging have their mouths open, and their tongues loll out quite far.
Since Shukichi Haneda's hands were handcuffed, he had absolutely no time to change his posture.
Thus, an extremely eye-burning scene unfolded.
Everyone turned their faces away, letting out disgusted sounds: "Ew!"
Shukichi Haneda planted a kiss directly on the corpse's long, purplish tongue. When he realized what had happened, his face contorted wildly, instantly turning purple. He struggled frantically in panic.
He even nearly knocked the plaster-cast right arm off the corpse.
Eishin Itou roared furiously, "What do you think you're doing to my wife?!"
With that, he stepped forward and pulled Shukichi Haneda down, intending to beat him up, but was held back by Detective Chiba, who hurried over.
Yuu then grinned wickedly. "I didn't realize Mr. Haneda had such unique fetishes. Forgive my lack of respect."
"But Detective Chiba, why did you handcuff him? I was just making a little joke earlier. I never said Mr. Haneda from next door was the murderer."
Hearing this, Detective Chiba stared at Yuu with a look of deep resentment.
Shukichi Haneda, lying on the floor, dry-heaved repeatedly.
Chiba quickly unlocked Shukichi's handcuffs, and he immediately turned and ran toward the bathroom, where the sound of vomiting soon echoed out.
Just then, a police officer under Miwako's command ran in.
"Inspector Sato, we found someone who claims to have witnessed a suspicious person."
"According to the security guard downstairs, he saw a person on the first floor wearing a hat, sunglasses, a trench coat, and a scarf get into the elevator, arrive, and then leave."
"In addition, the security guard mentioned that the Itou family's son also came by, though he's not sure if he left."
Miwako immediately ordered, "What? Send people to search the entire building. Also, this suicide note is somewhat suspicious. Send it to forensics for handwriting analysis."
Meanwhile, with a thought, Yuu's formless perception magic spread out, beginning to search for what he wanted.
The investigation continued. Shukichi Haneda, having finished vomiting in the bathroom, finally emerged, looking weak.
However, he glared with predatory eyes at the incredibly intimate Yuu and Yumi.
Yuu had his arm around Yumi's slender waist as if no one else were there, occasionally leaning in to whisper teasing words, causing Yumi's face to flush deeply.
"...Yumi-chan's attitude today is quite good, but why did an ex-boyfriend suddenly pop out and cause me so much trouble? Wait until we get home, see how I punish you."
"Hehe, I'm going to use lube later, and then beep beep beep... beep beep... beep beep... You won't be able to escape."
Hearing this, Yumi was so embarrassed even her earlobes turned red.
Discussing such things in public, and right in front of her ex-boyfriend, was almost more than she could handle.
However, she obediently nodded, agreeing to the "compensation program" for Yuu later.
Shukichi Haneda's eyes were practically shooting fire, but he still didn't dare act rashly.
His two encounters with Yuu earlier had both ended in miserable defeat. As a Shogi player, he preferred to plan before acting, wanting to find a way to secure a one-strike victory.
The investigation continued. Just then, the doorbell rang from the direction of the front door.
The group moved to the entryway and opened the door.
A young man walked in. He was wearing gray clothes, had dyed-blonde hair typical of a delinquent, and wore a hat. It was the son of the house, Yasuie Itou.
"Huh? Why are there so many guests at home? Even the police are here?"
Eishin Itou stepped forward. "Yasuie, why did you suddenly come back?"
The blonde young man picked up a car catalog. "Dad, didn't I tell you on the phone? I came home to show you guys car models."
Eishin Itou immediately roared furiously.
"Didn't I already tell you it's impossible? You don't even have a job right now, and you expect us to buy you a car?"
"I think you need to find a job first. Your hair is dyed like pudding; what kind of future do you have?"
Yasuie Itou's expression shifted slightly, and he retorted, "Dad, what are you talking about? Weren't you very supportive of me getting my driver's license before? Did something happen at home?"
Detective Chiba stepped forward and recounted the incident.
Hearing this, Yasuie Itou looked incredulous, tears welling up in his eyes.
"What? You're saying my mom hanged herself? That's impossible!"
With that, he rushed into the bedroom, saw the body of his mother, Chiyoko, and instantly broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.