### Chapter 61: The Unpredictable Human Heart

"Does Akagi Hideo have any enemies?" 

Fujino asked as he continued to question Naoi Riko.

"No, he shouldn't have any enemies," Naoi Riko replied firmly. "Hideo is always kind to everyone, and people speak highly of him. I can't think of anyone who would kidnap his brother just to make him lose a game."

"In that case, identifying the perpetrator will be difficult," Fujino said, taking a deep breath. "Please take me to the scene where Akagi Masaru was kidnapped. Perhaps we can find some evidence to identify the culprit."

---

Akagi Hideo's home was located in a nearby apartment. 

The apartment was quite spacious, suggesting it was quite expensive. Given that Akagi Hideo was a player in the Grand Asia Cup, this made sense.

It might also be inherited, like Fujino's own situation.

Two years ago, Akagi Hideo's parents had died in an accident, leaving him and his brother to rely on each other, much like Fujino.

At least Hideo had a brother, while Fujino was truly alone.

"Was the door lock pried open?" Fujino asked, examining the scuff marks on the lock.

"Yes," Naoi Riko nodded. "When I came this morning to make breakfast for Masaru, I noticed the lock had been pried open. When I entered the room, I found Masaru had been kidnapped."

"When was the last time you saw Masaru?"

"Last night," Naoi Riko thought for a moment. "I saw him when I came to make dinner."

"So he was kidnapped sometime between last night and this morning?" Fujino confirmed.

"By the way, Naoi-san, why were you making dinner for the Akagi family? And it sounds like you do it often."

"It's because I'm childhood friends with Hideo," Naoi Riko said with a shy smile. "Hideo is always busy with games and training, so he asked me to come over and cook for Masaru."

"Ah, I see," Fujino nodded.

Another pair of childhood friends. It seemed there were so many in this world. Why wasn't he one of them?

He followed Naoi Riko into the Akagi home and arrived at the room where Akagi Masaru was kidnapped. The room was a mess.

Furniture was overturned, drawers were pulled out, and various items were scattered on the floor.

"It's a bit strange," Fujino said, frowning as he examined the disordered room.

"Strange?" Naoi Riko looked at Fujino with confusion. "Detective Fujino, do you see something?"

"Other rooms haven't been ransacked, only this one. If the perpetrator came to kidnap, there's no benefit in making the scene look like a robbery," Fujino replied. "Don't you find it odd?"

"It does seem strange," Naoi Riko agreed, surveying the mess. "But what does this have to do with Masaru's abduction?"

"The scuff marks on the door weren't from prying but were deliberately created after the abduction. It's impossible to make those marks from prying alone."

"So, if it wasn't prying, how did they get in?"

"Clearly, Masaru opened the door himself," Fujino deduced.

"Masaru is a very obedient child," Naoi Riko shook her head. "He would never open the door for strangers."

"What if it wasn't a stranger?" Fujino's gaze held a hint of meaning as he looked at her.

"Could it be…"

"Yes," Fujino confirmed, "The person who kidnapped Masaru wasn't a stranger but someone familiar!"

"A familiar person?!" Naoi Riko was shocked. "Who would kidnap Masaru and threaten Hideo?"

"The perpetrator's goal was to create the illusion of Masaru being forcibly taken, to avoid suspicion as a familiar person."

"Do you know of anyone Masaru would open the door for when they heard a sound?"

"Besides me, it would only be Uemura Naoki," Naoi Riko explained. "Naoki is a good friend of Hideo's. They both joined the Tokyo Aoyama team together. Recently, Hideo accidentally broke his leg during practice, and Naoki has been resting at home since then. He's good with electronics and often plays games with Masaru."

"Then it's likely him," Fujino said, nodding. "Since Hideo broke his leg, Naoki might have harbored resentment and kidnapped Masaru to threaten Hideo into losing the final match."

"No way!" Naoi Riko's face showed disbelief. "Naoki and Hideo are good friends. How could he hold a grudge?"

"The human heart is unpredictable. The evidence points to Uemura Naoki. Let's check his home to confirm."

Although Naoi Riko found it hard to believe that Naoki was the kidnapper, she eventually followed Fujino's lead.

"Don't reveal our purpose right away. If he realizes he's exposed, Masaru might be in danger," Fujino instructed as they arrived at Naoki's house.

"Understood," Naoi Riko nodded and rang the doorbell.

After the "ding-dong" sound, a young man's voice came from the intercom, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Riko!"

"Riko?" The voice on the other end was surprised. "It's late. What brings you here?"

"Just open the door and we'll talk."

"Is something wrong?"

After a moment, Uemura Naoki opened the door slightly and peered through the gap, "Can I come in?"

"That's not possible…" Naoki said with a hint of discomfort. "My girlfriend is here right now. It would be bad if she misunderstood."

**(End of Chapter)**