8 To the cold palace

[Seven Years Later]

All the gazes fall on the three beautiful women sitting around the coffee table. The shortest one is dressed up in a black suit -- curvaceous, symmetric oval face, sharp brows, penetrating dark eyes, clear skin, and a resting bitch face that can scare away even the yakuza with a glance, especially when she's in a bad mood.

Wearing a red blouse and a flamboyant pink skirt with high pencil heels, the second woman is as beautiful as the top actress in the country. Skin as smooth as jade, sparkling honey brown eyes, and long face, many lose their hearts to her flirtatious smile.

The third one is neither charming nor an icy beauty. Her aura is neither approachable nor repulsive. She's a rookie detective, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. Standing out for her tall figure with a slender body, she has shoulder-length black hair, tanned skin, amber eyes, and cool aura around her. She's not the same scardey cat who would start crying whenever she saw the ghosts.

The three sisters drink the coffee in silence.

"Did you get promoted?" Natsumi asks Wakana quietly.

"No, someone else got promoted instead of me," Wakana replies with a haunting voice.

The three sisters sigh.

Nakashima Wakana passed the test and joined the police academy. Her performance was neither good nor bad. She wasn't interested in a high-profile job like a detective. But she didn't expect that many people thought the same way. Because all the positions of the traffic police officers were filled by those who had better performance than her, she ended up in the violent crime investigation division in the H district of T city. Starting from the bottom, she had a little choice. It's been seven years and little to no progress in her career.

Her elder sister is working at a law firm. Her younger sister is already working as a fashion designer in a leading brand and planning to open her store soon.

She's still a rookie. Being at the bottom means being harassed by superiors.

Sayuri puts down the cup. "Wakana, if you just resign, I can still help you become a model. Your body has what it takes."

"Not interested." Wakana would rather be a rookie than become a model. She's someone who loves to eat. Following a model's strict diet is not her thing. She's already a vegetarian for god's sake. If she can't even eat chocolate or pizza, what's left in her life?

"I will keep asking until you get promoted." Sayuri chuckles. She looks at her wristwatch. "It's time. I am leaving for work."

"I have a meeting with a client." Natsumi pats Wakana's shoulder. "Don't be sad. Let's meet up later."

Wakana nods and watches them leave. She picks up her coffee and takes a sip. She pays for the coffee. She sits on her bike and drives to the station. She feels people gaze when she enters and sees them whispering among each other. Is she late? She glances at the wristwatch. She's right on time. What's wrong? Why are they staring and whispering about her? When she meets her fellow rookie Miyazawa Keito's eyes, he turns his gaze away.

She takes long strides toward him and grabs his arm before he can escape. "What's going on?"

"Nakashima, you shouldn't do this." Miyazawa Keito looks around nervously. "Don't talk to me. It's your D-Day."

"D-Day?" She widens her eyes in shock. "Why?"

"You have been sentenced." Miyazawa Keito leans closer and tells her in a low voice, "To the cold palace."

Her blood turns cold when she hears the word 'cold'. That place is haunted by the ghosts of dead cases with no lead or evidence. Going there is akin to a death sentence. There's only one old man in that division.

"Miyazawa, you have to help me." She tightens her grip on his wrist. "I don't want to go there."

"You are already..." He runs his finger across his throat. "The boss is in a good mood since he could get rid of you. I don't want to be seen with you. He might send me there too."

Miyazawa runs away from her as if she's a ghost.

"Argh!"

She grasps her hair in frustration.

Why that division? It's full of unsolvable dead crimes.

***

The walk of shame has a different meaning for different people. Currently, Nakashima Wakana is taking the walk of shame as she picks up the box full of her stuff and makes her way to the cold palace AKA the basement. It's a basement with no window. As she walks through the corridor, she realizes that the place is clean. There is rarely any remnant of negative emotion. It's probably because people don't come around here a lot.

Should she be happy about this?

She knocks a few times. When the door isn't opened, she pushes it cautiously. The condition of the basement is worse than she expected it to be. There are piles of old cases. The walls might not have been painted for years. There are only one desk and two chairs. On one of the chairs, a man in his forties is snoring. This person is the head and only member of this division, Nishimura Soichiro.

She walks to the man soundlessly. She stops in front of him, hesitating whether she should wake him up or not. She hasn't noticed that he stopped snoring the moment she started walking toward him.

"Are you going to just stand there?" The man opens his eyes lazily when she makes no movement.

She bows apologetically once. "I am Nakashima Wakana. I am starting working here today. Please take care of me."

"You are a rookie." He looks at her sharply. "How did you mess up?"

She smiles awkwardly. "Nishimura Sama, I didn't mess up."

"Then, you must have done nothing at all." Nishimura Soichiro stretches his arms. "This is the first time I got a rookie. They send anyone here these days."

She doesn't know what to say. Even the coldest division of the department is regretful about taking her.

"I was told that there's one more person." Nishimura Soichiro yawns. "Wake me up when he arrives."

There's one more guy who messed up. She won't be alone. Gods are not unfair.

The door opens and the other man walks inside. She drops the box when she sees his face.

Minami Sei.

After 7 years, they are meeting again.