𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 | wild police story

012.

012: cherry blossom storm.

[Whatever happens, together, they can handle it.]

-

"I see! So that's how it was."

The boys ran as fast as they could, the expressions, especially Hiro's, was as solemn as they could be.

"Back then," Hiro started. "I wasn't hidden in a Japanese cupboard, but in a closet. And I saw the culprit's silhouette, through the slits of the closet! If we assume that the top and bottom were hidden due to the slit, then Tomori-san's tattoo could both look like two Guanyin facing each other and a goblet!"

"So the reason why you couldn't see the tattoo on his upper arm when the culprit clutched his shoulder, was because he grasped it with his bloodstained hand, following the length of his upper arm, so it was hidden by the blood traces!" Hagiwara said.

"That's right." Date agreed. "The fact that Tomori-san lives alone has been bothering me all this time... Right, Zero?"

"Yeah!" Furuya nodded, still keeping his running pace. "When we were locked up by the convenience store robbers, Tomori-san said that he came here to buy snacks for his daughter. I even saw him talking about it with Ari-san!"

"If that Tomori gramps is from the same town as that old man Irie, who speaks Nagano dialect, then there's no doubt. The one who killed Morofushi's parents 15 years ago, was Tomori Hajime!" Matsuda stated.

"But, why would that man kill Morofushi's parents?" Hagiwara asked.

"It might be because my father was an elementary school teacher, perhaps..." Hiro spoke. "Yuri-chan, who I just mentioned, complained about a stomach ache during a school trip. Dad carried her to the hospital, but it was late-stage appendicitis, and just like that, she ended up dying..." He trailed.

"If Tomori-san was Yuri-chan's father, and because he never accepted his daughter's death, he convinced himself that my dad abducted her instead of carrying her to the hospital, then..."

"Hey, don't tell me... The reason why the little girl who resembled her a lot went missing is..." Date said.

"Well, we've got no choice but to ask directly about it to the guy in question!" Matsuda said, as they finally arrived at the Tomori's laundromat.

"Eh?"

The boys were surprised to see Ari's motorbike parked in front of the place. Though, the woman was nowhere to be seen. "It can't be, right..." Date murmured, thinking of the worst at the fact that their instructor may be in the presence of a murder suspect.

"Agh!" Matsuda yelled, frustrated as he barged in the place. "Hey, Mister Tomori! Are you there?!"

He suddenly yelled in pain, looking up to see Ari's annoyed face. "Hush."

"Barging in like that without a permit. Suspecting a person for murder without evidence. Leaving a duty given by an instructor." Ari listed, "That much is enough for you to be kicked out of the academy, y'know?"

Matsuda glared at her, "We know that! But a kid's life is at stake right now. If Ari-san is going to stand in our way, then you're no different than the police officers I've always hated!"

Hagiwara panicked, futilely trying to calm the two who were glaring at each other.

Suddenly, Ari let out a heavy sigh. "I'm quite sad to know that you would think so," She smiled sadly at Matsuda who was slowly calming down.