Chapter 140: A New Crucial Objective

Okino Yoko originally believed that after their mother, Ryoko Akikawa, passed away, her younger brother would live alone in peace.

To her surprise, Kyousuke Akikawa directly joined her talent agency.

He even deliberately chose projects in the same locations as hers.

Okino Yoko initially thought that, after losing their mother, her brother simply wanted to rely on her—someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

However, after spending some time with Kyousuke Akikawa, she realized his attitude towards her was completely different from what she had expected.

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Even in private, Kyousuke still addressed her as "Miss Yoko," just like everyone else.

Okino Yoko understood that they were trying to maintain the appearance of a professional, hierarchical relationship within the company.

But using such a formal title in private felt unnecessarily cold.

Even though she had tried to restore the more familiar nickname she used for him in the past, her brother's choice of words and attitude toward her had hardly changed.

This made Okino Yoko uneasy.

She began to wonder if she had misunderstood her brother's intentions.

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Now, having learned that Kyousuke Akikawa was "once again" considered the suspect in a car accident, she couldn't help but feel a familiar fear for his safety.

But then, her brother held her hand.

In doing so, he accidentally revealed his true feelings, putting to rest the worries she had harbored for so long.

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Indeed, her brother was just like her—he didn't want the other person to worry too much about him.

Okino Yoko didn't want Kyousuke Akikawa to become famous.

She knew that as long as he remained in the public eye, danger would inevitably come for him sooner or later.

But she hadn't expected her fears to materialize so quickly.

Okino Yoko quickly wiped her tears, clasped Kyousuke Akikawa's hand with her other hand, and bowed her head, speaking in a pleading tone:

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"Please, Kyousuke, promise your sister that you'll stop being an artist."

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Okino Yoko silently begged for a positive answer from her brother.

To her surprise, Kyousuke abruptly responded with a seemingly unrelated question:

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"Sister Yoko, I want to ask—did you have a boyfriend last year?"

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"Huh?"

Okino Yoko raised her head abruptly, her eyes widening as she stared at her brother's delicate face, so similar to their mother's.

After a moment, a faint pink hue appeared on her fair cheeks.

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"W-What are you talking about?! Kyousuke, why are you asking this all of a sudden?!"

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Okino Yoko's voice rose sharply as she stared at Kyousuke in shock.

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Hearing Okino Yoko plead for him to stop being an artist, Kyousuke suddenly realized something was amiss.

He vividly remembered the scene where he was questioned by detectives and criminal investigators following last year's car accident.

At that time, their questions had focused entirely on him and their mother.

There had been no inquiries about Okino Yoko or her relationship with them.

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As the primary suspect, it was impossible for the police to overlook her personal connections.

This led Kyousuke to a realization:

Although the Metropolitan Police Department knew that Okino Yoko was his sister, they had never suspected her of any involvement in the crime or its aftermath.

This could only mean one thing—the Metropolitan Police believed Okino Yoko had no connection to the events involving Ryoko Akikawa or their family.

In other words, on the surface, Okino Yoko had not interacted with their mother or the original owner of his body for a long time.

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But Kyousuke observed Okino Yoko's current behavior carefully.

It was clear she genuinely feared for his safety and was begging him to leave the entertainment industry.

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'Now that I think about it,' Kyousuke mused, 'I remember seeing news about Okino Yoko on TV the day I was cleared of the car accident case.'

At the time, he hadn't known Okino Yoko was his sister and hadn't paid much attention to the news.

But now, recalling it triggered an alarming realization.

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The news had aired between stories about "Mouri Kogoro winning one million yen on a horse race" and "high school detective Sera Masumi solving a serial murder case."

The report in question was:

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"National idol Okino Yoko has been absent from filming for four consecutive days. Experts suggest she may have a boyfriend."

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Kyousuke vividly remembered hearing this two days after being interrogated by the detectives.

This was why he had asked Okino Yoko if she had a boyfriend.

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From her timid and surprised denial, Kyousuke judged that she wasn't lying.

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'In other words, Okino Yoko had been absent from filming since the car accident.'

'This contradicts the Metropolitan Police's conclusion that she hadn't been in contact with the original owner or their mother for a long time.'

'Moreover, her plea for me to leave the entertainment industry clearly indicates she knows something—but she's deliberately hiding it.'

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Kyousuke had already deduced that the three insurance policies found in the original owner's home suggested an intention to commit suicide.

However, from the car accident inspection report Kyouji Toda had shown him earlier, he had ruled out the possibility that the original owner had killed their mother and then attempted suicide.

This left only one conclusion—Ryoko Akikawa had been murdered by a third party.

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In truth, Kyousuke had little interest in the original owner or what had happened between them and their mother.

This indifference stemmed from his belief that the original owner had been responsible for Ryoko Akikawa's death.

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Only Kyousuke knew the truth: the original owner should have died on August 23 of the previous year.

His time travel had inadvertently rendered the overdose of triazolam ineffective.

This was why the evidence initially pointed to the original owner murdering their mother before taking their own life.

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But now, with the realization that a third party was responsible for Ryoko Akikawa's death, everything changed.

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Just as Kyouji Toda had stated, the Metropolitan Police had found no motive for anyone to harm Ryoko Akikawa based on her personal relationships.

Although her medical records revealed a history of schizophrenia, those records were dated and showed no signs of recent incidents.

Kyousuke couldn't imagine anyone harboring such hatred toward a mother like her.

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This led him to believe that Ryoko Akikawa's death was part of a larger conspiracy—one he was unaware of.

As long as the person who killed Ryoko Akikawa remained alive, Kyousuke's own life would be in constant danger.

In this scenario, uncovering the truth about the original owner and their mother became crucial.

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This wasn't about proving his innocence or bringing the culprit to justice.

Kyousuke simply couldn't tolerate someone with malicious intentions lurking in the shadows, spying on him.

(End of Chapter).