“Why are you acting surprised?”

  Sota leaned closer, a faint smile on his lips.

  “You didn’t think I’d show up?”

  Takashi returned the smile, just as faint.

  “I don’t know.

  Let’s say I wasn’t completely sure.”

  “So… are you going to invite me inside,

  or are you planning to just stand there?”

  Takashi blinked, caught off guard by Sota’s boldness.

  “You’re not afraid someone might see you?”

  Sota smiled faintly.

  “Don’t worry, Detective.”

  “We’re not in danger… yet.”

  He stepped out of the car and waited, saying nothing.

  After a moment, Takashi finally spoke.

  “Let’s go inside, then.”

  Takashi’s apartment was small but neat, everything exactly where it belonged.

  Minimalistic and controlled,nothing too much, nothing out of place.

  “Come in… make yourself comfortable.”

  Takashi gestured toward the sofa.

  He slipped off his jacket and hung it neatly in the closet.

  Then he took Sota’s jacket from him and placed it on the hanger in the hallway.

  When he returned to the room, Sota was already seated.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Takashi asked, breaking the silence.

  “Coffee, maybe?”

  He paused, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “I definitely need one.”

  “Yes… coffee sounds good.”

  Sota seemed almost relieved by the question.

  “I’ll make it, then.”

  Takashi said as he turned toward the kitchen.

  His movements were unusually stiff, his shoulders tense.

  He wasn’t sure what he expected from this visit, or what would come next.

  The kitchen was part of the same room, separated only by a short half wall.

  Sota could see him clearly.

  “You live alone?”

  Sota asked, curiosity clear in his voice.

  “Yeah.”

  Takashi answered a little too quickly.

  “I don’t have many visitors. My best friend comes by occasionally.”

  The words had come out before he’d even thought about them.

  Get yourself together, Takashi, he thought.

  “Having a friend is nice… I think.”

  Sota exhaled slowly.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “I never really had one.”

  Takashi spoke before he could stop himself.

  “My father was your friend?”

  Sota shook his head slightly.

  “No. Your father was more than that.”

  His voice lowered.

  “He was family. Someone I owe more than I can ever repay.”

  After short pause he aded

  “Don’t hesitate to ask, Detective. Whatever you want to know.”

  Looking straight into Takashi’s eyes as he walked toward him bringing the coffee.

  “We had a deal,” he continued.

  “I came as I promised. You wanted something on the people closest to my boss, so I came to give you what you want.”

  Takashi placed the coffee on the table and sat beside Sota, waiting for him to continue.

  Sota continued, his voice firm.

  “The Hotel Shion is owned by Masaru Kanzaki, one of the leading figures in the organization.

  Officially, it’s a luxury hotel. In reality, it’s a front for prostitution.”

  He paused briefly before continuing.

  “Some very well-known people are regular visitors. Politicians. Businessmen. People you don’t touch unless you want to disappear.”

  His eyes hardened.

  “It’s a closely guarded secret, and access is extremely restricted.”

  “I never suspected that,” Takashi said quietly, still stunned by what he had just heard.

  “In fact… no one did."

  “I told you before,” Sota continued.

  “They’re very cautious. Organized.”

  He met Takashi’s eyes.

  “You need to use this information carefully. No police involved.”

  He paused, then added calmly,

  “I’m sure you’ll figure out how to do it.”

  “How are we supposed to do anything without police involvement?”

  Takashi asked, surprised by the demand.

  “If you take this information to the police,” Sota said calmly,

  “you’ll end up with nothing. Just like before.”

  He paused.

  “And I can’t help you beyond this. I can only give you information.”

  It seemed Sota had thought everything through carefully before coming.

  Takashi stayed silent for a moment, lost in his thoughts.

  “Then…” he said at last, his voice firm,

  “I’ll find a way to do it without the police.”

  “You need to understand something.”

  Sota continued, his tone calm but heavy.

  “You can’t get inside that place so easily.”

  He leaned back slightly.

  “You’ll need someone else. An outsider. Someone they can’t connect to you.”

  Takashi listened without interrupting.

  “And you’ll need money,” Sota added.

  “Quite a lot of it.”

  His gaze sharpened.

  “If you want to continue with this plan, you’ll have to play by my rules.”

  For the first time, his voice sounded almost frightening.

  “Yes… I understand what you mean now.”

  Takashi nodded slowly.

  “I’ll make sure everything is done exactly the way you said.”

  In all the confusion and tension, Takashi hadn’t really looked at Sota’s face.

  Only now did he notice the small wound at the corner of his mouth.

  “What happened to you?” he asked quietly. “Were you in a fight?”

  Sota lifted his hand and touched the cut with his fingers.

  “It’s nothing…” he said, almost dismissively. “I completely forgot about it.”

  He sounded genuinely surprised that Takashi had noticed.

  Takashi stood up at once.

  “Sit still. I’ll get something to clean it.”

  “There’s no need,” Sota replied calmly. “It’ll heal in a few days.”

  He lowered his hand.

  “I’m used to it.”

  “You asked me about your father earlier,” Sota said softly.

  “Your father was the closest thing to family I ever had.”

  He paused, his gaze drifting away.

  “I was fifteen when I met him for the first time. By then, they had already started giving me jobs.”

  His jaw tightened.

  “One night, they ordered me to do something… and I couldn’t.”

  He stopped speaking for a moment.

  “I just couldn’t do it.”

  His voice was quiet, but steady.

  “So when I came back, they beat me almost to death.”

  He let out a slow breath.

  “That was their way of showing me my place. Follow orders… or die.”

  Sota swallowed.

  “Your father came to my room that night. He carried me to the hospital himself.”

  His voice dropped even lower.

  “For the first time, I felt that someone cared about me.”

  Sota’s voice was steady, but there was something fragile beneath it.

  “After that night, I started following their orders.”

  He paused.

  “But your father never left my side.

  He protected me whenever he could.”

  Takashi remembered his conversation with Dr. Akiyama.

  Back then, he hadn’t felt much, the words had sounded distant, almost unreal.

  But now, looking into Sota’s eyes and listening to his story, his chest tightened painfully.

  For the first time, he truly understood.

  He wasn’t looking at a criminal.

  Not at an informant.

  Not at a tool to reach the truth.

  He was looking at a human being, someone who had suffered deeply, just as Dr. Akiyama had said.

  “Your father gave me this necklace a few days before he disappeared,” Sota continued, pulling Takashi out of his thoughts.

  “I didn’t understand it back then. Maybe I was too young.”

  He paused, his fingers brushing lightly against the chain.

  “Later… I realized the truth. He knew something was going to happen.”

  Sota’s voice lowered.

  “And that was his way of saying goodbye.”

  Takashi swallowed.

  “You think he knew someone had betrayed him?” he asked quietly.

  Sota nodded once.

  “Yes. Now I’m sure he did.”

  Sota took the last sip of his coffee and stood up.

  “I think I should go now. It’s already late.”

  He paused, then added,

  “I’ll come back soon… with more information, Detective.”

  Takashi stood up as well.

  “You can call me Takashi,” he said quietly.

  “I’d really like that.”

  He turned and walked toward the hallway.

  “Let me get your jacket.”

  They walked toward the door in silence, though it felt as if there were so many things left unsaid.

  Sota slipped on his shoes and opened the door, ready to leave.

  “Sota.”

  Takashi called his name.

  Sota paused and turned back.

  “Thank you,” Takashi said quietly.

  Sota turned fully toward him, standing in the hallway near the stairs.

  For a moment, he didn’t say anything.

  “Good night…” Takashi added.

  Sota smiled soft, almost hesitant.

  “Good night...Takashi.”

  After not sleeping the entire night, Takashi was exhausted.

  As he entered the office, he immediately spotted Kenta sitting at his desk, clearly waiting for him.

  When Takashi approached, Kenta’s eyes widened in shock.

  “Oh my God, Mr. Mori,” he said. “I think you should meet your best friend, a bed, as soon as possible. What happened to you?”

  “Go away, Kenta,” Takashi replied casually as he dropped into his chair.

  “What happened?” Kenta asked again, refusing to move.

  “Sota visited me last night.”

  Kenta froze for half a second, then jumped up, planting both hands on the desk.

  “And?” he demanded.

  “I’ll tell you everything later.”

  Takashi waved him off tiredly.

  “You’re really enjoying torturing me, aren’t you?” Kenta said, narrowing his eyes.

  “I can’t talk about it here,” Takashi replied quietly. “And right now, I need to talk to the Chief… about my father.”