-1778- In an instant

The café on the second floor was enveloped in a heavy silence, completely devoid of the lightheartedness and unease present moments ago.

Shinon held the document in her hands, carefully scanning it bit by bit. At some point, she unconsciously bit her lip.

Seeing her like this, Rozen said nothing and quietly sipped his coffee.

After a long while, Shinon finally put down the document and looked at Rozen.

In her eyes, there was now hostility.

"Have you been investigating me?"

She uttered those words.

The document she had just been reading was a compilation of her personal information.

It contained everything about her, from childhood until now.

This included the traffic accident in her youth that caused her father's death and led her mother to a mental breakdown, as well as how she had once lived with her mother in their rural family home.

Naturally, the incident five years ago was included.

The incident where Shinon, in self-defense, shot and killed the robber who was holding up the post office.

All of this information had been collected and was now in Rozen's hands. Could this not prove that Rozen had investigated her?

Given that, it was no wonder Shinon was looking at Rozen with eyes full of hostility.

However, Rozen remained unfazed.

"Since you came here, it means you want to resolve the issues troubling you, even if it means seeking my help, right?"

Rozen looked directly at Shinon.

"If you're asking me for help, then you need to tell me about your problems. Instead of forcing you to reopen old wounds and explain them to me, I figured it'd be better to learn about them beforehand to be prepared."

It was just a matter of one sentence.

To gather Shinon's information, Rozen hadn't even needed to investigate on his own. By asking Kikuoka Seijirou for Shinon's information, he was confident his request wouldn't be refused.

Indeed, when Rozen mentioned this to Kikuoka Seijirou, the latter took less than half an hour to compile and send the data to Rozen's device.

After the Death Gun case, Kikuoka Seijirou owed Rozen a significant favor, as he couldn't offer enough compensation to satisfy him. Given this, he naturally wouldn't reject Rozen's requests.

Because of this, Rozen already knew that Shinon's friend Kyouji was the one who had attacked him, as well as the reasons for Kyouji's hatred and what had driven him to such extremes.

Unfortunately, the Death Gun case was not to be made public. To avoid any potential fallout, the authorities decided to keep the incident under wraps. Only the involved parties and their families would be informed.

To the public, it would be announced that Kyouji had been sent abroad for further education. Shinon, unaware of Kyouji's true identity as Death Gun's accomplice, had only been told by his family and school that he wouldn't return and hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye. This left her feeling disheartened for a time.

But this was still kinder than letting her learn the truth.

Knowing her only friend had been that kind of person and had approached her with such malicious intent would surely devastate Shinon.

This outcome was comparatively merciful for her.

As for Kyouji's brother, he was arrested by the police yesterday and imprisoned. Both he and Kyouji were now receiving treatment and counseling from psychiatrists and mental health professionals. It was unlikely they would ever be seen again.

The two brothers had become criminals, and their parents were reportedly on the verge of breakdowns. Their father, in particular, was devastated to know he had raised them to such a fate. Without any heirs left to take over the family hospital, the blow to him was unimaginable.

Of course, Rozen couldn't care less about these matters.

Having seen Asuna suffer similarly due to her family's strict upbringing, Rozen had little sympathy for such people.

"They brought this on themselves. Poor education and choices—these consequences are theirs alone to bear. They have no right to expect any pity," Rozen thought coldly.

Still, the incident served as a reminder for him.

"I'll have to take education seriously when it comes to raising kids in the future."

After all, he had an excessively adorable daughter, a fiancée in this world, and a lover in another. He was sure he'd have no shortage of children in the future. Thinking about such unrelated matters, Rozen turned his attention back to Shinon.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder... I didn't expect you to have this kind of psychological condition."

Hearing this, Shinon remained silent.

After a moment, she exhaled and calmed herself.

"Since you already know, then tell me: do you really think you can help me?"

Shinon met Rozen's gaze as she spoke.

"I've seen countless psychologists, taken medication, and undergone treatments as instructed. Yet, until now, there hasn't been the slightest sign of improvement."

Given all that, what could Rozen possibly do to solve her problem?

"You're probably from some extraordinary background, thinking my troubles are the kind of real-world issues you can fix—like financial difficulties. If that's the case, then sorry, but they're not."

By this point, Shinon's tone was filled with self-deprecation.

"Or are you planning to introduce me to some famous psychologist and cover all the costs? Let me tell you, even if you do that, it's likely—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Rozen interrupted her.

"First, I need to correct you on one thing. I actually come from a very ordinary family. My background is nothing special. Even if you don't believe me, it's the truth."

This interruption left Shinon stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief. After a moment, she smiled faintly.

"Second, I neither plan to hire a psychologist for you nor cover any treatment costs. I can solve your problem in an instant."

Rozen's words were shocking.

"In... In an instant?"

Shinon was completely dumbfounded.

At this moment, Rozen retrieved a large package from beneath the table.

It was a rectangular box.

"Here, open it and take a look."

Rozen pushed the box toward Shinon.

"..."

Shinon wanted to ask what it was, but Rozen's gaze silenced her.

Looking at the box before her, she hesitated before raising her trembling hand to open it.

During this process, Shinon realized her heart was racing uncontrollably.

Her subconscious was screaming at her not to touch the box, warning her that it contained something she dreaded and could not face.

Yet, in the end, with trembling hands, she opened the box.

And when she did, its contents came into view.

"...!"

The moment she saw what was inside, Shinon's breath hitched, and her heartbeat intensified.