Vol. 1 - CH. 1 - P3

Chapter 1 - Certain Death

Part 3

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Wh-What is this?

I can't believe what I'm seeing before my eyes right now.

How can there be a talking cat?!

This... It doesn't make any sense at all!

..Yep, the world has been making no sense lately anyway.

But this is really very surprising! I didn't see this coming at all!

How did this happen?!

"Oy, human! You can hear me, right?" Asked the talking black cat to me for confirmation.

Confused and disbelieving, I replied-

"Y-Yes."

"Good!~ Because I thought you were one of those who couldn't hear me either"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Ah~ That I'll explain later"

"Why later?"

"That... Because for now... I have a request."

"What is it?"

A cold, cool breeze suddenly blew softly around us, making the black cat freeze and shiver.

"M-May I come inside your house? F-From yesterday I was always shivering outside"

"So that's what you mean..."

I then took him inside the house.

After we both entered the house, I closed the door tightly and locked it. After that, we both went to the kitchen and put all the groceries I had bought into the refrigerator and some into the freezer.

"Ooohh, human~ Your house is so big, huh~" the black cat said cheerfully. I could see stars shining in his eyes as he said that.

"This is my parents' house. It's not my house at all," I replied casually.

"But you still live here, don't you, human? That means this is also your home, right?"

"Well, you're not wrong..."

The black cat then jumped onto the dining table without me realizing it and sniffed at the food my sister made for me that I left on the table.

"Hmmm~ This smells good!~" the black cat said after finishing sniffing my food.

Realizing that the black cat had jumped up and climbed onto the table, I immediately ran over to him while yelling softly-

"HEY! You can't get on the table!" I picked up the black cat and put him down on the floor gently.

"What were you thinking?! Didn't your old owner ever teach you not to get on the table?" I scolded him a little.

"A-Aahh... S-Sorry. About that... Master has always let me to get on the table."

"...Huh? Seriously. Why?"

"M-Maybe... You know. I don't know. Master has always let me do whatever I want"

"..I see. And, 'Master?'"

"Ahh~ I've been calling him 'Master' since the beginning~"

"And he allows that?"

"Hmm? What do you mean? Master can't understand anything I say at all"

"Ehh?"

"Eh? What's wrong, human?"

"But... you can talk to me?"

"Somehow, yes, of course. But I'm also confused about how and why I can talk to you."

"Ehh??"

"Ehhh?"

"????"

I was completely confused. Both of us confused.

"...Don't confuse me, human!"

"You're the one confusing me, cat!"

After we leave the kitchen, we both head to my room. I also brought my food that Sis had made for me earlier.

When we arrived at my room, the black cat looked very excited and very happy. He ran around in my room and jumped up and down while screaming with excitement.

"WUUOOOOHHHH!!!~ LOOK AT THIS ROOM!~ IT'S VERY SPACIOUS!~ AND ALSO VERY WARM!~ Although it's a little cold because of the air conditioner... BUT IT'S VERY SPACIOUS AND A GREAT PLACE TO RUN AROUND FREELY!~"

The black cat was constantly running and jumping around in my room. Yep, I don't mind either. I let him have fun in my room. And once again, I could see a big shining star in his eyes.

I then closed my room door tightly and locked it.

After that, I put my food on the table in my room. I didn't eat it right away, instead I went to my computer and turned on my computer. After my computer turned on, I connected the USB cable with my smartphone to my computer and let it do its 'thing' for a few minutes. Once my computer was doing its thing, I left it and started eating my food.

As I ate, I couldn't take my eyes off the black cat. I tried to think of how that black cat could talk to me. He 100% understood everything I said and even replied back to me very precisely. He also seemed to understand human language. But, earlier he said that his master didn't understand or speak to him at all. Unlike me right now.

The black cat was still running around and jumping up and down like a very excited kitten who wanted to play. Well, he is a cat after all. A fairly young black cat. Probably two years old.

I wonder if that cat is tireless, huh? He looks very energetic and seems like he can't get tired.

But, now that I think about it...

"Fuuaaahh... I'm tired." Said the black cat as it lay wearily before me on my desk.

"What a perfect timing..." I said quietly while swallowing my food.

Before I knew it, I had finished my meal. I then put the plate somewhere else.

Now, it was time to dig up information about the black cat. I sat behind the round table that I used to eat before and the black cat stood, or maybe sat, on the table while facing me.

Let's begin!

"I have something to ask you..-"

Before that, I'll ask what his name is.

"-..What's your name-"

"Before that, I'll introduce my name to you, human"

Before I finished the sentence, the black cat cut me off and volunteered to introduce his name to me where I had just wanted to ask him what his name was.

"... The timing" I said very quietly after the black cat cut me off.

In the end, I didn't need to ask and I let him introduce his name to me.

"Please to meet you, human... My master gave me a name! My name is Schrodinger!" He said very proudly with a sharp gaze into my eyes as if he was trying to convince me that that was his name.

"Schrodinger?"

"Yes."

"...The name of the experimental cat? Schrodinger's cat?"

"Yep, I knew you'd say that. But, no! I just happened to get that name from my Master. So I'm not an experimental cat."

"Heee. That's interesting. Why did your Master give you that name?"

"To be more precise, I asked for it!"

"Huh? Didn't you say before that your master couldn't understand you at all?"

"Indeed. But, what I'm saying here is that when Master was thinking and searching for a name for me by mentioning various names, a television program happened to mention the name 'Schrodinger'. That name immediately made me very interested and meowed many times. Master immediately understood that 'Schrodinger' was the right name for me because he realized that I liked that name."

"Hooohh... So that's it. I see. That makes sense."

"What's your name then, human?"

I didn't expect a cat would ask me my name. Never mind.

"My name, Iekami Ame, called Ame, but everyone including my family calls me Rain"

"Rain, huh... Greetings, my new master" Schrodinger said that as if he was reaching out his hand, or paw, to shake hands with me.

"Yes. You too, Schro"

"Schro?" He asked in confusion.

"I shortened your name. That way I can call you by your name more easily, right. Not that I have trouble saying your full name anyway."

"I see. That's fine, new master-"

"Aa, you don't need to be so formal... I don't know if it's formal in cat language or not... But you don't need to call me by 'new master'. 'Rain' is enough"

"...C-Can I call you like that?"

"Yes. Sure."

"With your nickname?"

"...Yes. Why? It's not something that's disrespectful in the rules of cats, is it? Even if you cats have rules and laws for cats anyway"

"No. But... I don't usually call humans by their nicknames. Especially to humans who can talk to me and understand me like you"

"It's okay. After all, I am your 'new owner'. So you have to follow my orders. Or rather my wishes"

"SO YOU REALLY WANT TO ADOPT ME?!~" asked Schro with great excitement and joy. Once again, I could see a big star shining brightly in both of his eyes.

Didn't he himself say that I was his "new master" before? Cats are strange, huh. But, that's why they are so cute and funny.

"Yes, of course. I just adopted you. This way, from now on, you're my cat!~ My pet!~ Or maybe our family pet since Sis, Papa, and Mama love cats too.."

"Heeee~ Is that so?"~ Schro looked very happy.

"WELL THEN, GREETINGS~ NEW MASTER!~" he shouted with great joy and excitement.

"Didn't I tell you to call me 'Rain' instead..."

After a few minutes of chatting, or rather making small talk and having fun with Schro, I looked over at my computer and it seemed that it had finished doing its "job".

"Aahh..." My reaction after realizing that my computer had finished doing its "job".

I approached my computer immediately then unplugged the USB cable connected to my smartphone.

I looked at my monitor where it showed the face and identity of a person I was looking for.

Schro approached me and jumped onto my computer desk. I let him get on top of my computer desk and let him look at the monitor where he could clearly see what I was currently doing with my computer.

He then asked-

"What are you doing, Rain?" He asked.

It seems like he got used to calling my name right away, huh. I'm glad. Because this way, I don't have to feel too formal if I have to talk with him.

I then replied-

"You'll find out later"

"Hmmm? By the way, who is that guy?" Asked Schro who was curious about the face of a man who appeared on my computer monitor.

"Him? Just someone who's annoying" I replied casually.

"An annoying person? Why is there an annoying person's face on your computer?"

I was amazed that this cat even knew what a computer was. I thought he didn't know at all. Schro is really something.

"Well... There's something I want to 'give' him"

"You even want to give a gift to an annoying person? I don't know if you're being kind or feeling sorry, Rain"

"Hmph!~ You'll understand later~"

"Why don't you explain it to me now?"

"Hmmm? Why, huh? Maybe when the time comes"

"I see. Okay~"

He obeyed quickly, huh.

I then opened the secret application on my computer and immediately wrote down the man's name. After that, I pressed the enter button and the name was immediately recorded in one of the files in the application. Next to the name, there was a green checkmark logo. Signaling that I was "Successful" in "Doing It".

After knowing that it had been "Successful" or "Done", I closed the app then headed straight back to the table where Schro and I were chatting earlier. Schro followed behind and we ended up in the same position as before.

Schro and I started chatting again.

"What did you do just now, Rain?" Schro asked.

"Hmmm... Giving him, and everyone else who was aware, a little 'lesson'. That's all."

"'Lesson'? I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, but it looks like fun"

"Believe me, Schro, for those who 'receive this lesson' it is not fun at all"

"No?"

"No, it's not. But, for me, it's a lot of fun~"

"So you're the only one who gets the fun, huh?"

"Yeah~"

"Heeee. I see. Can I do it too?"

"Doing what?"

"Doing what you just did?"

"Using a computer? I don't think a cat can understand technology, especially computers. No... Wait a minute... Maybe you can?"

"No, no. Not that. But rather giving a 'lesson' like you did before."

"Oh that. Of course you can't."

"Eh? Can't?"

"You can't. I'm the only one who can do it."

"So you're not a teacher, huh"

"How can you speculate like that? And think about it, if you're a cat and want to be a teacher, how could a cat teach humans? Let alone humans, but teaching in general. No, wait a minute... But it's possible that cats can teach each other anyway... Maybe."

"Of course we can teach other cats something from each other"

"YOU CAN?!"

It seems like the cat world and the human world are not so different, huh.

It's been almost an hour since I chatted casually and fun with Schrodinger. My new and unique cat.

But, after chatting casually, it's time to get serious!

I have to know one thing-

No, not only one thing. But several things!

Most importantly, how can he talk to me and how can he understand me?

Let's get started.

"Schro, I have some serious things to ask you"

"Ohh? What's that? Just ask, Rain"

He's quick to cooperate, huh.

Then-

"How can you talk to me? And you said before that your owner can't understand you at all, right? Does that mean... Only I who can understand you?"

After I asked such a question, Schro could only remain silent without answering directly. He seemed to be in deep thought as he searched for the right answer to all my questions just now.

After thinking for a while, Schro finally answered-

"That's the problem. I've told you several times before. But... I myself also don't understand at all and don't know how I can talk to you"

"You don't even know yourself?"

"No, I don't. Not at all."

"Then, how did you realize that you could talk to me?"

"That... I realized it right after we separated for the first time!"

"There?" I was a little surprised.

"Yes. At the park earlier. A few hours ago."

"I see. So that means... Are you completely unable to speak with other humans?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've tried it."

"You tried?"

"Yes."

"Tell me!"

"After you left, I realized that I suddenly seemed to be able to understand everything you said. More precisely, in my head, I felt that I was suddenly able to talk with you just like that. It's not that I don't understand what humans are talking about, although a little. But... When I look at you, I feel very confident that you can talk to me and I can also talk to you. I'm sure that the two of us can understand each other"

"I see. So, about your experiment?"

"After that, while you were gone, there were many humans passing by in the park and on the streets. I was trying to confirm if I could only understand you and talk to you or if I could also talk to and understand other humans. But unfortunately... No one understood me at all and they couldn't talk to me at all. They see and hear me like a normal black cat meowing at them."

"So that means everyone sees you as a normal cat and all they can hear when you speak is a normal meowing like a normal cat? Is that so?"

"Yes. I try to call them, but the result is that I sound like I'm meowing to them in their ears. Most of them ignored me. Some of the kids came up to me and petted me. I tried to talk to them, but the kids thought I was meowing because I was starving so they gave me food. Yep, I was starving anyway. But that's not what I meant"

"I see. Continue with your story"

"Okay. After that, I also began to realize that the humans couldn't understand me at all and couldn't talk to me at all. But, because I felt quite curious about you, I patiently waited for several hours in the same place until you came. And after you returned and came over to me again, I instantly realized, in my head, I could completely understand you and I was sure I could have a conversation with you. Our heads, our brains, our minds... are united with each other. Which makes our two minds connected and able to communicate with each other"

"It's amazing that you were able to understand it to that extent and come up with such a unique conclusion. For a cat. But, wait a minute! So you're pointing out that this is Telepathy?"

"Telepathy? Aahh... Master once told me about a children's storybook about a little boy who could speak or communicate through his mind. But, I'm sure we're not doing telepathy at all."

"No?"

"No, we're not. In fact, all this time, I've been meowing at you."

"So what you're saying is that your meowing sounds like human language to my ears, while other people hear you meowing like a normal cat. Is that so?"

"Yes. That's more or less it."

"...I see. So... Rather than telepathy, it's like an automatic language translation system. My words are translated into a language you understand, and vice versa."

"Yes. I guess it's like that. More or less."

"So that means I can't talk to other cats at all, just like you can't talk to other humans?"

"It seems so."

"Heee... Interesting. I wonder why"

"Me too. This surprised me too. Before, I couldn't talk with humans at all. But now, I can talk with humans. And you're the one, Rain"

"So am I. I never thought that I can and will talk with a cat"

"But, it's fun, isn't it?~"

"You think so?"

"YEAH!~ Who would have thought that I'd finally be able to chat with a human smoothly~ So would you, right?~ I'm sure you must also want to chat and talk with a cat~ You must have that feeling, right? ~"

"Yes. Maybe I'm a little grateful. Although I have absolutely no idea how and why"

"Well... You can forget about it for now~ At least, there's nothing wrong and painful about talking with a cat like me, right?~"

"Yep, it's not painful, but it's just weird that a human can talk with a cat..."

Okay. One question has been answered.

Apparently, Schro can't talk to any other human besides me at all. The same goes for me. I can't talk to other cats or animals other than Schro. I wonder why.

Does this have anything to do with...- No. I don't think so at all. 'Mine' isn't like "that" at all. Maybe there's another reason. But... If it's true that this happened because of "That", then I'll test it later.

Now, there are still a few more questions I want to ask to Schro.

The second question!

"I have something to ask you again"

"What is it?"

"Why did you run away from your owner?"

Hearing that, Schro could only remain silent. His gaze was straight and sharp towards me. Suddenly, Schro's previously carefree and cheerful demeanor turned very serious.

Schro then said-

"I didn't run away at all" Schro said very seriously.

"Then?

"I didn't leave because I ran away. But..."

"But?"

"..Because I want to seek revenge!" Said Schro more seriously than before.

Imagine a cat wanting to take revenge on a human. Sounds funny, doesn't it. Schro's words would probably sound very funny if heard by other people. Of course, a little black cat seeking for revenge? What revenge and why? It might make you wonder and some might laugh at it. But not for me!

This was already weird enough. I can talk with a cat and he can also talk with me. Also, Schro's home address is very far from here. It's obvious that he must be targeting or hunting down something that made him want to seek revenge. And from the way Schro spoke just now... shows that he's very serious.

I can't underestimate this. Schro must be very serious. I have to know what he wants to take revenge for.

"Revenge?"

"Yes."

"Why? And who are you after?"

Immediately, Schro answered-

"The one who killed my Master!"

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Ding Dong!

The sound of the dorm bell being pressed by someone from the front door of someone's dorm room.

"Oy! It's me. Are you inside?" Asked the person trying to confirm if there was someone inside the room.

"Hmm? That's strange. He's usually inside at this hour."

The person then pressed the bell once more. But no one answered at all.

"That's strange. Is he sleeping?"

The person then tried to open the door. And it turned out that the room was not locked at all. The door opened easily.

"Areee? Did he forget to lock the door? Man.. Leaving the door unlocked these days is dangerous you know?"

The person then entered the boarding room and tried to find his friend.

"Oy! Kin! It's me! Are you there?"

Still no one answered.

"I want to invite you to a party tonight with some women! Ehehehe~ You should see them all, Kin!~ They're all very seductive and their bodies... Woooo~ And after we make them drunk, you know what we'll do to them next, don't you~ Yeah!~ Like always!~ Haha!~"

No matter how much he tried, he still didn't get an answer.

"Areee? Where did he go?"

Then, when that person headed to the balcony at the back of the room-

"Kin... Are you here?"

"-..W-WHAT!?!?!"

When he gets to the balcony at the back, he can see Kin lying unconscious.

"O-OY! KIN! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

The person tried to lift Kin who was lying unconscious and tried to see Kin's condition. But, what that person could see and realize was-

"K-Kin...? T-This can't be happening to you..."

Kin's eyes rolled back and his body was cold and already stiff. In other words, Kin was...

"K-Kin... I-It's... C-Certain Death!"

"U-UWAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" That person panicked and immediately screamed out loud in hysterics. He also immediately ran out of the dorm.

The people outside the boarding house who heard his scream and saw him running away in a panic immediately felt very confused and curious.

"Oy, what is it?"

"What's wrong with that guy?"

"Is there something wrong?"

Some of them immediately checked the dorm room where that person had just come from.

"What's going on here?"

They crowded in and saw that there was nothing unusual. Until they checked the balcony-

"THIS!?"

"W-What is it?"

"THIS! COULD IT BE!?"

"N-NO WAY!"

"O-OY! CALL AN AMBULANCE AND THE POLICE!"

"OKAY!"

"N-No way..."

"W-What is this..."

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it..."

"C-Certain..."

"Death..."

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A few minutes later, in the same location as before. In one of the dorm rooms, the corpses and victims of Certain Death were found.

"No doubt about it. This is 'Certain Death'"

"I don't think we should bother investigating this case. Isn't that right, inspector?"

"Sigh... Call the medical team! They can take the body."

"Yes, sir!" The police officer left immediately and informed the medical team.

At the same location as before, the police had come to secure the place and start an investigation. Although they already knew the answer and the cause of this case, that is "Certain Death". But they will still continue the investigation.

"It's 'Certain Death' again and again. The culprit is so relentless, huh. They like to kill people whenever they want."

"Are you sure that the culprit is indeed a human, huh? Inspector Tetsuya"

"Hmmm?"

From behind him, came a senior police officer whom he knew very well. His name was Shikishima.

"Shikishima, huh. It's unusual for you to come to a case like this. I thought you weren't interested in this 'Certain Death' case at all."

"I'm not. It was very strange and scary at first. But it looks like I'm starting to get interested"

"Is it because that mysterious detective, 'Hell', said that the culprit was a human?"

"Yes... More or less."

"So do you believe it? Didn't you ask me about it before?"

"I just wanted to make sure whether you believe it or not. And, I actually don't want to believe it. It really doesn't make any sense, right. How can a human, from a distance, can kill people just like that without any clear way and method"

"I don't know. It really doesn't make any sense. This isn't a Manga, Anime, or a movie where a person has monstrous and extraordinary fictional powers. It's impossible for a human to have that kind of thing, isn't it"

"Plus, there's no way a human can do this kind of thing--"

The medics carried the corpse on a stretcher and covered the corpse with a white cloth and carried it to the ambulance to be taken to the hospital.

Inspector Tetsuya and Shikishima could only watch as the corpse was carried by the medical team out of the room.

"-Killing someone just like that without a clear motive and a clear method. Let alone a fictional power that can't exist in the real world, this incident in front of our eyes is absurd and impossible. Both the work of humans and nature"

"If it's humans, I certainly don't believe it. But if it's nature, it's possible"

"Hoho... Do you believe in god, inspector?"

"I don't know. I'm just trying to figure out the possibilities. Humans are obviously impossible. But nature might. I mean, there are viruses and diseases, right. So it's possible."

"Hoho~ You have a point there. Even though the researchers have said that no unique diseases or viruses were found in the bodies of the victims?"

"Sigh... I don't know. I'm really confused. Twenty years of working as an investigator, this is the first time I've been so confused by a case like this"

"Calm yourself down, inspector. We'll definitely find the answer to this case"

"I hope so"

Inspector Tetsuya, 48 years old, has a large build, very short black hair, a thick black mustache, and sharp brown eyes. He always wore brown clothes and suits to work.

Inspector Tetsuya was a police inspector in this town. He is a great and smart investigator. Also a great police leader. He was the head of the police force in this city and had solved many cases many times. But, it was only this "Certain Death" case that he couldn't solve for over a year.

Shikishima, 45 years old, has a tall body that can be considered ordinary but is well-shaped and quite muscular. He has medium brown hair that is so messy that he never keeps it combed. Sharp amber-colored eyes, and a thin beard and mustache. He is always seen wearing a gray suit, a white messy suit, and gray trousers.

Shikishima was also a heavy smoker. He always smokes wherever he wants.

Shikishima was already quite famous as a policeman. He was known in this town as a very aggressive, ruthless, strict, and very scary policeman. He was also known to be quite strong. However, he is a policeman who has a very high sense of truth and justice and is very kind to innocent people. His cruel and scary nature is only seen if he is dealing with a criminal or suspect who is difficult to catch.

Interestingly, many children like him. They see Shikishima as a fearless hero. In fact, Shikishima never saw himself as a hero or superhero. He is aware of himself where he realizes that he is a policeman who is too aggressive and cruel to criminals. But he will remain like that even though he realizes it.

"So... Are there any witnesses here?"

"There is one. His friend, Yokota Tokaji. We're currently investigating him for information about his friend outside."

"Heee... Did he find his friend lying lifeless just like that?"

"According to the information I got, yes, he did"

"Hmmm... I want to see him."

"I'll come with you. He'll be scared when he sees you."

"Hahahaha~ Am I going to do something to him? Beat him up?"

"Knowing your reputation and behavior, it's possible"

"Haha~... Yes... It's possible."

Outside the dorm room, near the police car, Yokota Tokaji is being interrogated by the officers about the case and about the victim who is his close friend.

When Inspector Tetsuya and Shikishima arrived, Tokaji could already tell that it was the city's famous police inspector, Inspector Tetsuya. And next to him was the city's notorious ruthless cop, Shikishima.

Tokaji immediately trembled and began to break out in a cold sweat. As Inspector Tetsuya and Shikishima approached, they hadn't done anything yet but Tokaji immediately panicked and tried his best to convince them that he wasn't the culprit out of panic and fear. Hearing that, Inspector Tetsuya and Shikishima could only sigh deeply.

"I-INSPECTOR! P-PLEASE BELIEVE ME! I-I'M NOT THE CULPRIT! IT WAS 'CERTAIN DEATH'. I-I just happened to find my friend lying lifeless on the balcony, I-I..."

"Yes, yes, yes. We know you're not the culprit. Besides, it's obvious that this is 'Certain Death'. Why are you even that panicked?"

"W-Well... T-They said that the culprit of 'Certain Death' was a human. And I was the first person on the scene. S-So I was afraid that I would be the suspect and accused of being the culprit of 'Certain Death'"

"Sigh... Yep, there's nothing wrong with your thoughts. But if you already know that this is 'Certain Death' and are sure that you're not the culprit, you don't need to run and flee, right. It was hard for us to find you before. At least contact us, the police, immediately. Instead of running away. That way, whether it's a 'Certain Death' case or not, you can at least be free from being accused as a suspect"

"W-Well... I understand... I-I'm sorry."

"Why are you even apologizing? Never mind!"

Inspector Tetsuya then asked the officer who had interrogated Tokaji for the report.

"May I see the report?"

"Yes, sir! Here!" The officer then gave the interrogation report to Inspector Tetsuya.

Inspector Tetsuya read the contents of the report and he found nothing unusual. Inspector Tetsuya then began to question Tokaji, repeating some of the questions that had previously been asked by the police officers interrogating him.

"Horiuchi Kin, he is your friend, isn't he?"

"I told you before that he's my friend, didn't I!?" Tokaji replied quite annoyed at being asked the same question again like before before Inspector Tetsuya arrived.

"Who did you say that to?" Asked Shikishima sternly in response to Tokaji's exasperated tone which to him was very impolite and insolent in his ears.

Tokaji was immediately frightened.

"H-Hiiikkk! S-Sorry!" Replied the frightened Tokaji.

"The one who asked earlier was the officer who interrogated you, wasn't it?! It wasn't Inspector Tetsuya! Now it's a different person, so it's obvious that Inspector Tetsuya is asking you whether he already knows or not just to make sure! Do you understand the situation here, HUH!?"

"I-I understand!" replied Tokaji with great fear.

"That's enough! Stop it, Shikishima!"

"Okay."

After that, Inspector Tetsuya started asking Tokaji some questions again.

"Ahem... So, you know him?"

"Y-Yes..."

"He's your friend, isn't he? How long have you known each other and been friends?"

"S-Since high school. We met on the first day of high school and have been friends ever since."

"Hmmm... It says here that you came to him today to invite him to a drinking party with some people. Is that right?"

"...Yes..." He answered with some hesitation and fear.

"Who are those people?"

"...J-Just a couple of friends..." Tokuji became even more hesitant and trembled.

"Why, is something wrong?"

"N-No."

"Who are these people, then?"

"..D-Didn't I tell you that they're just friends?"

"Yes. Then... Who?"

"E-Ehh??"

"Who are they?" Asked Inspector Tetsuya very sternly and his eyes were very sharp looking at Tokuji.

Tokuji could only tremble in fear and gulped. He broke out in a cold sweat and his eyes couldn't look back at Inspector Tetsuya's piercing gaze. He was intimidated.

"Let me ask you again... Who are they?" Asked Inspector Tetsuya very sternly.

Tokuji had no other choice. He answered him very honestly.

"S-Some of them are friends from my group. A-And the people we invited are the two girls we met a few days ago"

"Hooo... I see."

"...Y-Yes"

"Where are you guys going to have the party?"

"E-Ehh.. T-That.."

"Where are you going to have a party?" Asked Inspector Tetsuya once again and more firmly.

Tokaji, once again, was intimidated and could do nothing. He could only answer honestly.

"A-At one of the Karaoke places we used to go to"

"Is it behind the alley of the night district in the city?"

"E-Ehhh?! About that..."

"That's it, isn't it?" Inspector Tetsuya gave Tokaji a sharp look.

"...Y-Yes..."

"I see. Officer, please arrest him!" Inspector Tetsuya ordered the officer who had previously interrogated him to arrest Tokaji.

"EH!? WAIT! WHAT!?" Tokaji immediately panicked and confused.

The police officer, very swiftly, immediately arrested Tokaji and put both of Tokaji's hands behind his body and handcuffed him very quickly and swiftly.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL!? I TOLD YOU THAT I'M NOT THE CULPRIT!" Tokaji shouted with emotion and confusion.

"You are not the culprit of your friend's murder. But 'Certain Death' is. But...-"

Inspector Tetsuya looked at Tokaji very sharply. That piercing gaze was enough to make Tokaji tremble, sweat, and be extremely frightened.

"-You and your friends are the culprits of the recent rape and fraud!" Inspector Tetsuya said very sternly.

Tokaji knew that he had been caught red-handed. He tried to lie and clear his name. However, it was all useless. All the evidence that Inspector Tetsuya and his team had collected and the reports of the female victims, the witnesses, and Tokaji's previous reports had made Inspector Tetsuya sure that Tokaji and his friends were the rapists.

"I-It's... I-I'M NOT THE CULPRIT EITHER! I-I..."

"There's no point in lying! We've gathered a lot of evidence and we've also received a report from the victim of the rape you guys committed a few days ago! She said that she has pictures of all of you and knows your faces very well! If you want to be sure and say that you're not the culprit, then we'll test whether she recognizes your face or not! How about it?"

"N-No way?! That fucking Woman!!!"

"Hmmm!? Looks like from your reaction you've answered everything, huh"

"W-WAIT A MINUTE! I-I..."

"There's no need to talk anymore! Do you want Shikishima to take care of you?"

Tokaji looked towards Shikishima where he could see a smiling Shikishima grinning arrogantly saying-

"You're lucky that I'm not in charge of your case. Because if I was on your case, I would have kicked your ass right here! RIGHT NOW!"

Hearing that, Tokaji immediately froze and his body went limp. With this, Tokaji accepted his fate and fully admitted that he and his friends were the rapists and fraudsters.

"Take him to the car! I'll send some officers to arrest his friends" Inspector Tetsuya ordered the officer who arrested Tokaji.

"Yes, sir!" The officer immediately went to take Tokaji to the police car.

Inspector Tetsuya could only sigh deeply. He didn't know if he should be happy that one of the cases he had been working on for a few weeks had been solved. Or a little disappointed for not being able to solve the "Certain Death" case that had just happened and that he should be solving now instead of solving the previous rape case.

"Be happy, Inspector~ You finally solved the rape case and caught one of the culprits right away"

"Sigh... I don't know, Shikishima. I didn't expect that today's 'Certain Death' case would lead me to this kind of luck. Thanks to this mysterious death case, I was able to catch one of the rapists and solve the case"

"You really are very lucky, inspector"

"I don't know if it's luck or just coincidence. If it wasn't for Horiuchi Kin dying from 'Certain Death', then I wouldn't have been able to catch Tokuji and solve the rape case. Not only that, it's a coincidence that Kin, one of the rapists, died from 'Certain Death'"

"What coincidence do you mean? Do you mean, if the culprit of 'Certain Death' is a human, that means..."

"Yes. It's possible that 'Certain Death' found out that Kin and his friends were rapists and started targeting them one by one. Or there's another possibility, just by chance, 'Certain Death' found out about Kin's other crimes and targeted Kin and killed him. Because if 'Certain Death' already knew that Kin and his friends were rapists, then they should have all been killed by 'Certain Death' right away, right?"

"Hmm... That's right. It really is a coincidence. You're very lucky, Inspector"

"Someone's mysterious death can't be considered as luck"

"Haha~ Right, right"

"After all, there are laws too. They may be criminals and have ruined the lives of others for their own interests and lustful desires. But, death or killing the criminals is not always the right or proper punishment to give them. Killing them just because you think it's an inhumane act is also an inhumane act, 'Certain Death!'"

"Haha~ You're getting annoyed, Inspector. So you're starting to believe that the culprit behind 'Certain Death' is human?"

"Well... I don't know. Whatever or whoever it is, I'm still confused about this matter. I don't know if 'Certain Death' is a human or nature or God. If the culprit is nature or God, then God only gives the hammer of punishment to those who deserve God's punishment. But if the culprit is human... Then we must arrest him immediately because he has committed the most cruel crime! That is - Murder!"

--------------------------------------------------------

"...Your master was murdered?"

"Yes."

"..." I could only remain silent for a while.

I stared intently into Schro's eyes, trying to figure out if he was speaking seriously or not. And Schro's gaze answered it all. He was very serious. He was telling the truth. I really can't read the look on a cat's face and their personality. Because cats and humans are very different. But, I think I can read Schro. Maybe it's because we understand each other.

"...I see"

Schro was silent. He knew that I wasn't done talking.

"So... I'm sure you must have - killed him, right?"

"Who? The Master's killer?"

"Yes. Who else?"

"About that..."

"Have you found him yet?"

"I have."

"Then? Did you kill him?"

Schro was silent.

I think I know what he's thinking right now. And I know what he's afraid of. I'll try to calm him down. And convince him that we are - "the same".

"Relax. You don't need to be afraid. I won't get angry and scared of you."

"T-That's... But..."

"You don't have to think about it. Because the truth is - we are 'the same!'"

Schro was still silent while looking at me. I could only return his gaze with my calm face.

After that-

"Hmmm... Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay..."

"So... Did you kill him?

Schro paused for a while then answered-

"Yes! I killed that bastard!"

We both remained silent as we stared at each other.

Schro looked at me sharply and I could only return his gaze calmly.

I have something on my mind right now. That is... How is that possible?!

How could a cat manage to kill a human?

Isn't that impossible?! Plus, Schro is so small!

Did Schro eat it? No, he didn't. Definitely not, right.

Did Schro claw it to death? No, he didn't. That's also obviously impossible, isn't it.

Then... How?!

I'm confused!

Is this for real?! A cat managed to kill a human and avenge his master's death!? This sounds like a thriller movie. How could this really happen?!

I need to make sure and find the answer right away!

"By the way... How did you kill him?" I asked with some confusion and curiosity.

"It's a very long story. But I'll explain how I managed to kill him"

"Y-Yes... Please explain."

"Simply put, I crushed his head!"

"..." I could only remain silent as I listened to his explanation.

EHHH!? SMASHED HIS HEAD?! A LITTLE CAT? CRUSH A HUMAN'S HEAD?! HOW?!

This was much more shocking and confusing to me.

"Y-You smashed his head?"

"Yes."

"But... How?"

"I set him up."

"Trapped him?"

"I knew he was a greedy and deceitful man. He's a very stupid person. I found a 1000 yen bill on the street and put it on a very hard stone."

"So? You smashed that guy's head with another rock?"

"No, I didn't. Not like that. Do you think a cat like me can lift a much bigger rock with my body?"

" Yep, of course not."

It's very obvious. Why do I even think like that? Well, a cat that managed to kill a human who was 10x bigger than its body was already absurd. That's why I started having such strange thoughts.

"Then, how did you do it?"

"I dropped a very large and heavy vase of flowers at him many times from a quite high height."

"You picked it up?"

"No! I pushed it and dropped it. There were many vases in the house that must have belonged to the owner. They were all very large and very heavy. Then, after that person lowered his head close to the stone I had prepared, I dropped the vases towards him one by one..-"

"-...When the first vase of flowers hit his head, he immediately fell down and the front of his head hit the hard stone very hard. Of course, one strike wasn't enough, so I dropped them all on him until...-"

"Until he died?"

"YES! Until he - DIED!"

That's... I don't know why... It sounded so horrible and cold. Coming from a cute and adorable little black cat.

I didn't expect... I could meet a cat like this. No, it's not. Not only that... I didn't expect to meet a killer cat. Plus, he can talk to me. Plus, I can hear his story of killing a human. Plus, I know who the main culprit of the murder is. And finally, plus... I adopted him and made him my pet!

Aahh... My life has gotten more than strange since a year ago. Unbelievable... I always felt that it was just a dream. But... This is "the reality".

"By the way, how did you get here too? Your house is quite far from here"

"Because it was my desire for revenge that brought me this far."

I don't know why... That sounds pretty cool in my ears. A cat can say something like that. Seriously?!

"Did you chase him all the way here?"

"Yes. I smelled and followed that person's scent. And his scent brought me to this location."

It's great that a cat seems to have a very keen sense of smell. Shouldn't such a keen sense of smell belong to a dog?

"But, the culprit is not near our house, right?"

"Yes. Certainly not around this neighborhood."

"Then, how did you get to this neighborhood?"

"I don't know. After killing him, I started wandering alone and suddenly I arrived here"

"Hmmm. I see. Oh yes, and by the way, who is he and why did he kill your owner? I know that he is a murderer. But there should be a certain motive why your owner was killed by him, shouldn't there?"

"I don't know and don't understand at all. But, the point is that he came and barged straight into our house and killed Master with a gun. I wasn't next to Master when he was killed because I was thrown by that person. I knew that he was an intruder, so I tried to fight back. But I failed."

"...You know that you're a cat and not a dog, right?"

"I was just trying to protect our home and my master. But... Yes, it sounds like I'm a dog instead of a cat"

"So... You don't know the motive and the reason why he killed your owner?

"No."

"Then, what did the police say?"

"They thought it was a robbery because Master's room was so messy as if it was being robbed. But..."

"The other rooms - no, right?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"I'm pretty sure that person did it on purpose to make it look like a robbery"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. That is one of the easiest ways to fake a crime. Although sometimes it doesn't work anyway."

"Heee... So that's how it is, huh. I don't understand the way you humans think and work, so I have no idea what that person was thinking and why he had to target Master"

"It might have something to do with your master's work."

"Is that so?"

"Maybe. What is his job?"

"I don't know"

"...You don't know?"

"Yes. I don't know at all."

"Doesn't your owner ever tell you or talk to you about his work?"

"...Rain... You may be starting to forget. But you are the only one who can understand me and talk with me. There's no way Master, who can't talk to me, would tell me about his day, right?"

"....Aa... That's right. I'm starting to forget."

I had gotten used to this so quickly that I thought it was normal for a cat to be able to talk with humans.

"Hmmm... Then, is there anything unique and special about him?"

"Hmmm? Let's see. Master sometimes has a smell like that of medicine"

"The smell of medicine?"

"Yes. Almost every time he comes home from work, Master's body always smells like medicine. Also, Master sometimes comes home late. He always comes home at night. Leave during the day, then come home at night"

"Hooo... Then?"

"Master also has a lot of equipment and medicines at home"

"Hmmm"

I think I know.

"And lastly... Master has a white suit-"

"Doctor."

"Eh?"

"Your owner is a doctor"

"D-Doctor? Master?"

"Yes. He's a doctor"

"H-How can you be so sure?"

"This is just my guess. The smell of medicine around him, coming home quite late at night, a lot of equipment in his house is definitely doctor or hospital equipment, besides there are a lot of medicines, and then the last thing... a white coat. A white suit. That's Doctor's coat. A suit usually owned by doctors or scientists..-"

"-...From all that, I can conclude that your owner is either a doctor or a scientist. But, the most appropriate answer is a doctor. Because according to you, he smells more of medicine than chemicals. And I'm pretty sure that you'd be able to tell the difference between what smells like medicine and what doesn't. Yep, more or less."

My explanation and guess made Schro pause as he looked at me with his eyes wide open. It was as if he couldn't believe what I had just said. To be more precise, he was surprised and amazed that I could guess it all just from his simple and brief explanation.

After a long period of silence, Schro finally reacted-

"A-AMAZING!~"

"Eh?"

"YOU COULD GUESS IT THAT EASILY JUST FROM MY SKETCHY EXPLANATION LIKE THAT ALONE?~"

"Y-Yes. More or less. I just gathered all the information I got and then deduced everything from what I got and found or determined the right answer from the conclusion I managed to get"

"THAT'S SO AWESOME!~I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT!~" Schro shouted with great excitement. I could see a big star shining brightly in his eyes again.

"AWESOME!~ YOU'RE SO GREAT, RAIN!~ YOU'RE SO SMART!~ PROBABLY SMARTER THAN MASTER!~ YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE TRUTH!~ LIKE A DETECTIVE!~"

"This is nothing. It's not something so special. I just happened to guess it right."

"DON'T BE SO MODEST ALREADY!~ YOU'RE PERFECT FOR BEING A DETECTIVE!~"

"You're very happy just because of this, huh. But, by the way... Detective, huh..."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"...I'm still nothing compared to a famous high school detective in Japan right now"

"Eh? There is such a person? In Japan?"

"Yes. A very famous high school detective currently in Japan. He is dubbed as the '21st century Sherlock Holmes'. Or 'High School Sherlock Holmes'. Or just called as 'Holmes' for his nickname"

"Heee... It turns out that there are those who are much smarter than you, huh, Rain"

"Obviously, right. I'm nothing. Just an ordinary high school girl who likes to play games in her room"

"But you're so smart"

"Thank you. I'm glad to hear that. But... Well, I'm not looking down on myself either. I'm just... Trying not to be overconfident and too proud of myself"

"Why is that?"

"Because it's dangerous"

"Is that so?"

"Overconfidence is good, but it's also bad. Being overconfident in your own intelligence or feeling smarter than others is not good either. Because there must still be people who are much smarter than yourself. If you think like that too much, then you'll become arrogant. So I have to be careful and try not to be arrogant to myself and to others. Because that could bring myself down as well."

"Heeee... I see. I get it now"

"Moreover, there's that famous high school detective and there's also 'Hell' who is both very smart and a very good detective"

"'Hell? Who is that?"

"The world's most famous mysterious detective. I think that person is much smarter and more dangerous than the current famous Japanese high school detective"

"Hmmm... I can be sure and accept that they are the smartest because the level is world-class. But... Dangerous? Why? What's dangerous about that person? Especially for you? You're not their target, are you? So I don't think that that person is dangerous to you at all"

I couldn't answer that. I could only remain silent and ignore it. I wanted to tell Schro something. But... It's too soon to tell him. Or telling and explaining it just like that could make him very confused. I'll tell him later and 'show' him in person. So that he doesn't get confused and I don't have to explain too much.

"Well, you'll understand later"

"Ehh... What is it? Is there something?"

"Yes. More or less."

"Heee... I'm getting quite curious. Did you promise to tell me your secret?"

"Yes. Sure."

"When?"

"Sooner or later. I'll tell you."

"Okay~"

He's an obedient cat, huh. Even though he just told me all about his story, but he didn't force me to tell him my secret. Well, cats and humans are very different after all. So it's only natural.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours had passed. It was already late in the evening. I had spent all my time today just playing games all day while chatting with Schro.

It's time for my sister to return home.

"I'm home!" My sister shouted from the front door of our house.

"Aa... My sister's home."

"Do you have a sister, Rain?" Schro asked.

"Yes. I have one older sister and I have both my parents"

"Ahh, you have a normal family, huh, Rain"

"What do you mean? Never mind. Come, I want to introduce you to my sister. My sister is also really like cats"

"Oh, before that"

"What's wrong?"

"Can you tell your sister that you picked me up on the street and that I'm just an ordinary stray cat with no previous owner. This also applies to your parents."

"Eh? Why?"

"I'm just afraid that your family will find out that I'm a former cat of someone who has been murdered and I'm afraid that they will think that you all could be in danger if you adopt me thanks to that"

"Ahh, I see. All right. That makes sense. Sometimes my parents can easily get panicked though. Just like what happened a year ago. But... The collar? It already has your old owner's name and home address on it. I should replace it, shouldn't I?"

"Aaah... About that... Yeah. You have to replace it. So before you buy me a new collar, I'll try to prevent them from looking at my collar."

"Then I'll just tell them that I bought you a collar after I picked you up."

"Okay."

"Okay. That's settled. Then, come on, let's go see my sister."

Schro and I then headed downstairs.

It looked like my sister was in the kitchen. I wanted to meet her and introduce her to Schro so I headed straight to the kitchen to meet her.

When I got to the kitchen, my sister was chopping up the ingredients I bought today to prepare for dinner tonight.

"Ahh, Rain~ I'm back~" my sister said cheerfully.

"Welcome back. By the way sis, I want to introduce you to someone."

"Eh?! Who is it? Your boyfriend?"

"Of course not! It's our new pet cat."

"EH!? WHAT? CAT?! LET ME SEE!~ WHERE?" My sister's reaction was very excited and happy. To the point that she immediately stopped preparing the dishes and started approaching me.

As I expected, my sister was of course very excited and happy. After all, our family loves cats.

"This..." I showed Schro to my sister.

From under my feet, Schro came and meowed sweetly to my sister.

My sister saw Schro and she immediately felt more excited and was very happy with Schro.

"Uwwaaaaa~ So cute!~ And he's a black cat!~ So cute!~ I love him!~ What's his name?"

"Schrodinger. Just call him Schro."

"Heeee... Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, why is it named Schrodinger? Isn't he the name of the experimental cat in the box? What game did you play and what movie did you watch to name him Schrodinger?"

"I-It was... I just wanted to name him a unique name just like that."

"Hmmm... I see. And you even bought him a collar?"

"Y-Yes. After picking him up in the park, I immediately bought him a collar"

"Hmmm... But there's no pet shop around here."

"I-I went straight to the pet shop in the other district"

"Heee... Taking along Schro?"

"Y-Yes."

"Eh? Really?"

"Eh?"

"Eh? Why are you surprised too?"

"A-Aaaa... I-I mean... Yes. I also took Schro to the pet shop."

"Eh? How do you take him?"

"I-I put him in my bag."

"HE FIT IN YOUR BAG?!"

"Y-Yes... Of course."

"Hmmm... Yep, if you look at it again... He's a pretty small cat and would fit in a bag anyway. Plus I'm sure your luggage isn't that much, right"

"Y-Yes... Sort of."

"Heee. Ok~ We'll adopt him~"

"Really?"

"Yes~ He's so cute after all and you went to all the trouble of buying him a collar, didn't you. With this, officially, Schrodinger is the Iekami family's pet cat~" My sister said quite excitedly.

I just clapped my hands quietly.

"Alright~ I'll go back and make some food. Has Schro eaten yet?"

"No."

"You bought a collar for him but didn't buy any cat food for him?"

"A-Aaaah... I-I forgot..."

"..You... Okay, whatever. Since there's some leftover fish in the fridge, let's just give Shcro that. How about that?"

"S-Sure. Okay."

"Ok~" My sister went to the refrigerator and searched for last night's leftover fish for Schro to eat.

I sighed deeply, feeling very tired of trying to lie to my sister.

I looked at Schro and Schro then said- "Rain... "Rain... Good Job!~" He said as he closed one eye and smiled at me and I looked at him as if he was trying to give me a thumbs up.

"This is harder and more tiring than I thought, you know.."

A few hours later, my parents came home. Mom and Dad had gone out for a walk earlier this morning and I didn't know where they had gone.

My older sister had called Mom earlier that I adopted a black cat and we had officially adopted him and made him our new family member.

"We're home~" said Mom and Dad.

My sister approached Mom and Dad who had just arrived and told them both that dinner was ready.

"Welcome back!~ Dinner is ready. Mom and Dad can go straight to the kitchen and eat."

"Oo!~ Thank you very much~" Dad said gratefully to Sis.

"By the way, where's the cat? I want to see him~"

"He' s with Rain in the kitchen watching TV"

"Okay~ I bought some cat food earlier and wanted to give him some cat food"

"Eh? Schro was just eating the leftover fish from last night. Mom and Dad went to the pet shop?"

"Yes."

"...And... Did you buy a cat collar?"

"Of course. And it already has his name written on it, 'Schrodinger', as you told me earlier on phone. And the collar has our address on it too. Aa, and we also bought a feeder and a cat bed for him" Mom showed Sister the new cat collar and some new things for Schro.

"It's so complete! Mom and Dad are too enthusiastic, aren't you?"

"Hehe~ We finally have a pet and it's a sweet and cute cat, isn't it~ So of course we're excited~"

"Then, where's the cat? I want to put the new collar on him"

"Aah... About that... Rain already-"

Knowing that Mom and Dad bought a new cat collar for Schro, I just popped out of the kitchen and said-

"I'll take it!" I said very quickly accepting the new cat collar for Schro.

"Okay~" Mom said.

"Eh? But aren't you already-"

"It's okay! That one's better!"

"Hmm... Fine if that's what you want."

This way, I don't have to spend my money and energy to buy a new cat collar for Schro.

We were all in the kitchen right now, getting ready for dinner. Before that, I put the new collar on Schro. This way, Schrodinger is now officially our family's pet cat. The cat of the Iekami family. Our new family member.

After I finished putting on Schro's new collar, I could see that Schro was a little sad that I had to take off his old collar and replace it with a new one. I seemed to understand his feelings.

"Is everything okay?" I asked Schro.

Schro lowered his head.

"Don't worry. I won't throw it away. I'll keep it for you. After all... It's your old owner's last gift and legacy to you and a sign that you're his cat and family."

"Thank you, Rain. Yeah, it's okay. I accept the collar from you all. Thank you for adopting me and making me part of the family."

I could only smile and say, "You're welcome" to Schro.

"Welcome to the Iekami family, Schrodinger~"

After that, we all started having a family dinner together. Schro, who had previously eaten the leftover fish from last night, was now eating again. This time he ate cat food in his cat food dish that Mom and Dad had just bought for him.

The four of us ate dinner together at the dining table while turning on the TV in the kitchen to watch the news.

"Why must Rain? It was Dad who wanted to put the collar on him," said my father who was a little jealous of me.

"Let it be, Dad," my mom replied in a slightly teasing tone.

"But wait! But why did you name him Schrodinger, Rain? What games or movies have you been playing lately?"

"Aa... Deja Vu."

With that, I started lying and telling my fake story of finding Schro again to Mom and Dad. And, yes... They accepted it and believed it.

Then, on the news channel we were watching, there was news about the victim of the new "Certain Death" that just happened a few hours ago today.

"In our next news, a victim of the mysterious death 'Certain Death' was found a few hours ago at a boarding house. The victim was identified by the name of Horiuchi Kin, a 27-year-old male, and unemployed. The victim was found by his close friend in his boarding room on the balcony at the back of his boarding house. He was found lying there lifeless."

"Ehh? Another 'Certain Death' victim?" My sister said in surprise.

"Do you know what 'Certain Death' is?" Dad asked us.

"Yes, of course. I watched the show this afternoon that talked about 'Certain Death' and in that show they made it official that the name of this mysterious death is 'Certain Death'"

"Hmm... I thought you two didn't watch it."

"We definitely watched it. It's the most watched show today and trending on the internet"

"I see. Rain, did you watch it?" My dad asked me.

I could only nod in response to his question as I was chewing my food.

"I see."

"Why are you even asking about that?" Mom asked Dad.

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure."

"Just for that?"

We watched the news broadcast again.

"In related news, the victim and his friends turned out to be a gang of rapists and fraudsters who have been going around lately. The police, who have been investigating this case for a long time, immediately arrested the other suspects a few minutes after the victim was found lifeless by his close friend who was also a member of the rapist and fraudsters."

"Uwaahh! What a great coincidence! Not only did he dead to 'Certain Death' but also he was a criminal and thanks to that his friends were arrested by the police. What kind of coincidence is this?" said my sister who was quite surprised.

"I don't know if he deserves it or not... But this is quite surprising."

"What are you saying, dad? Of course he deserves it, doesn't he. He's a rapist and a criminal and a fraud. So obviously he deserves Certain Death, doesn't he?"

"That's not what I meant. I'm just surprised that not only did he get 'Certain Death' but also that he was a criminal and thanks to him dying from 'Certain Death' his friends were caught right away. What a coincidence."

"Did 'Certain Death' know that he was a rapist so 'Certain Death' targeted him and killed him. Even if 'Certain Death' is really a human according to 'Hell'"

"I don't know. But if 'Certain Death' knew, then why did he only target one person when there are many rapists? Is this really just a coincidence?"

"I don't know. This 'Certain Death' incident is very confusing."

While my father, mother, and sister were chatting together while looking at the TV, I was looking at my smartphone where I was opening one of my mysterious apps.

I then spoke to myself saying-

"...It was indeed a coincidence, huh"

Back to the news broadcast, just as the anchor was about to move on to the next news, it seems that she got some new information about the previous case and was asked to tell the audience the faces and names of the rapists.

"S-Sorry, this just in. The police have given permission to tell and show the names and faces of the rapists."

Hearing that, we could only react in shock and a little confusion.

"Really?!"

"They want to directly reveal the names and faces of the rapists? Usually the police have been keeping it secret lately. But now they're permitting it?"

"Quite surprising."

I grabbed my smartphone immediately and opened the camera to get ready to take a picture of the faces and names of the rapists that would soon be broadcast on television.

---------------------------------------------------------

On that television station.

"Sir... Is this okay?" Asked one of the television staff to the producer who was in charge of this news broadcast.

"Kkhh! I didn't want to do this at all! It's not usual for the police to allow us to reveal details about criminals on the newscast. Usually lately, the police have been asked not to spread info about criminals due to some matters and policies that are required to be followed for the time being"

"Then what should we do, sir?"

"EII! WHATEVER! We'll just follow what they want for now! DO IT!"

"OK, SIR!"

---------------------------------------------------------

At the Japanese police headquarters.

"Sir... Are you sure?" Asked one of the police officers to the Japanese police chief.

"Hmmm... Yes, I'm sure. It's okay. I'll take the responsibility if anything happens. For now, we just have to follow his 'words' and 'requests' if we all want this 'Certain Death' case solved."

"You believe him?"

"For now, whether we want to or not, we have to trust him. If 'according to him' this can help him to solve the 'Certain Death' case then we must do so!"

"Understood, sir!"

"BUT! If this fails... We'll go back to our previous policy of not spreading the criminals' information just in case of 'Certain Death'"

"ROGER THAT, SIR!"

---------------------------------------------------------

"Here are the names and faces of the rapists and fraudsters"

The news program began to reveal the information about the rapists and fraudsters.

"These are all the culprits of the recent rapes."

The news program showed their faces, names, ages, gender, occupations, and even their current residential addresses. They shared all the details.

"Oy, oy, oy... Seriously. Isn't this just like doxxing?"

"They really reveal it, huh"

"But why? Are they among the well-known criminals right now?"

"Apparently not."

While my family was wondering about the brave actions of the news program and the police, I immediately took pictures of all the information about the criminals that the news program had broadcast.

My family realized that I had just took pictures of the news program's and started questioning my actions.

"What are you just doing, Rain? Why are you taking pictures of them?" Asked my sister.

"It's nothing. It's just for precaution"

"Precaution? For what? If it's them, you shouldn't have to worry, right. They've been arrested by the police so there's no way they'd be hanging around outside"

I didn't answer at all and went back to chewing my food.

"Geez. Your strange nature is coming out again, Rain"

I didn't answer my sister's words and continued eating my food.

---------------------------------------------------------

In an unknown location and in a dark room.

"I've done what you asked"

"Thank you very much"

"Are you sure?"

"This is the last experiment. No matter what, if it works the way I think it will, then we're getting close to the truth."

"Before that... I just want to remind you that I won't be participating with you in this case at all. This case is very different from the usual cases"

"I know and I remember that. That's okay. Thank you very much for your cooperation so far."

"Don't say that as if this is our last cooperation. I'm glad I could help you all this time."

"Thank you. Then... I'll be going."

The mysterious man turned around and immediately walked away. However, before he could go any further, the other man called out to him.

"Wait!"

The mysterious man looked back in reaction to the call.

"Where are you going?"

"Getting ready to go to Japan"

"For what? Are you already sure of your deduction?"

"Not yet. But if I'm already in Japan after this one experiment turns out to be successful, then the sooner the better"

"So that you can act faster and decide on your next move right away? I see. Then, be careful. Good luck."

"Thank you. Then... Goodbye... My friend."

The mysterious man immediately went out of the mysterious dark room and left his friend.

His friend was alone in the room. He scratched his head and sighed deeply.

"Is he going to be alright? He went straight down fighting an absolute death this time. It's called suicide."

"Welp... I can't stop him either. There's no way I can stop him. Only he can solve this mystery."

"But..."

"Will he succeed?"

"Sigh... Let's just see. I believe in him"

"I trust you... My friend!"