Chapter 43

As dusk settled, Rina stood on the terrace, enjoying the evening breeze, listlessly gazing at the horizon, a cigarette burning quietly between her fingers.

All the noise of the day seemed to recede like the tide.

Kurosawa Shiran stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the person. After standing there for a while, she finally spoke: "Sister, what are we planning to have for dinner?"

Rina stubbed out her cigarette and threw it into the ashtray at her feet, trying to act nonchalant, but a quick glance revealed that he had been standing there for quite some time.

She was going to suggest quitting smoking, but then she asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"How about grilled fish?" Kurosawa Shiran walked to her side, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes fixed on her like an inextinguishable flame. "My sister likes fish too."

Rina met his gaze and immediately looked away. "Of course."

The air was silent for a moment. Kurosawa Shiran observed Rina's expression: "Is your sister thinking about things at the research institute?"

That research institute was closely related to her, and Rina didn't want to show that she cared too much, but she couldn't control her thoughts. She put her hand on the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette, and said, "I'm a little concerned."

Kurosawa Shiran walked to her side and leaned against her shoulder. "That place has been destroyed. The case just ended. Do you want to rest for a bit, sister?"

Rina turned around, looked at him, and fell silent.

As that enchanting face drew closer, its cold, porcelain-white color, almost poreless, and its deep, resolute blue eyes, so handsome they were almost eerie, made her feel somewhat at a loss.

Kurosawa Shiran gave a meaningful smile: "What are you so nervous about, sister? I'm not going to eat people."

“I’m worried about accidents,” Rina paused, lighting a cigarette, “like an accidental discharge of a gun, or some random accident in life that happens to me.”

Kurosawa Shiran's breathing became slightly heavy: "Sister, can you forget about that matter?"

Rina leaned against the railing, took a drag of her cigarette, and thought for a while. "Four years ago, I participated in an experiment about human genetic modification, which involved injecting a certain drug to enhance the immune system."

Kurosawa Shiran gave a rather unfriendly smile. "Did your older sister also participate in those cruel experiments?"

"I can't remember." A person who has committed heinous crimes has forgotten all the sins they committed in the past and has been reborn. Rina's emotions are very unstable. Countless chaotic thoughts are tangled like a tangled mess, and her head is also throbbing. "So I'm a little confused about why you came to me."

“That’s an easy question to answer, because my sister is the only person I care about in this world,” Kurozawa Shiran bowed slightly. “But why can’t you remember?”

Rina: "All memories about you have been erased, and there have been some experiments."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Did the detective agency do this?"

Rina: "Are you a kid from the research institute?"

Kurosawa Shiran frowned slightly: "Is my sister trying to trick me?"

Rina: "Annie said everyone there is dead. You're the boy from Area A."

Kurosawa Shirane pinched the cigarette Rina had finished smoking between two fingers, took a puff, stared at her for a long time, and slowly said, "Yes, my sister saw through me."

Rina kept her fingers still, staring at the cigarette butt, then looked at him and asked, "Why did I send you away back then?"

Kurosawa Toki said calmly, "My parents came to pick me up."

Rina hesitated for a moment, "This is not my fault."

Kurosawa Toki said in a nonchalant tone, "I am an illegitimate child, and they do not acknowledge me."

Rina: "So you're back?"

Kurosawa Shiran sighed softly, reached out and touched the crease of her collar, a faint smile of extreme pleasure appearing in her eyes, and said in a very low voice, "Sister has become completely unfamiliar with me, or rather, sister has never understood me at all."

Whether those people acknowledge his existence is irrelevant and of no interest to them; as long as he is not threatened, they can do whatever they want.

But if they get in his way, he wouldn't mind killing more.

Rina: "Don't you want to say anything?"

Kurosawa Shiran said, "I'm more curious about why my older sister doesn't remember."

Rina said very carefully, "I want to hear what you have to say."

Kurosawa Shiran turned icy cold, as if a sensitive nerve had been touched, and his expression suddenly darkened: "Does my sister want to know what happened between us, or does she want to know what Takizawa Nanase did to you?"

Neither of them had been completely honest with each other, and continuing to probe like this would not yield any results. Moreover, she could vaguely sense that the clues were right in front of her.

Without hesitation, Rina said, "Let's go downstairs for dinner."

Kurosawa Shiran's expression changed slightly. A self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips as she chuckled softly, "Sister, do you really trust the people around you that much?"

Upon hearing this, Rina paused, but without turning around, she left the escape route directly.

Kurosawa Shiran stubbed out his cigarette, habitually licked his canine teeth, turned around and stared at the dark night, lost in thought.

The conversation hadn't been pleasant, so she skipped the meal and took a taxi to leave the restaurant.

Perhaps, I've experienced a lot these past few days, and those emotions that I've been forcibly suppressing have been surging up again and again.

The person in the back seat began to breathe shallowly and rapidly. The driver, noticing the situation in the rearview mirror, asked, "Do you need to be taken to the hospital?"

"No need, stop at the intersection ahead..." Her mind was a jumble of conflicting voices, yet also a blank, unable to recall anything. Lina clutched her chest, each breath a sharp pain. Within minutes, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her face.

She gripped her clothes tightly, creating messy wrinkles.

“Sister, we are responsible for keeping this child at home.”

"We don't have the extra money or energy to raise another child."

“Sister, he has to leave. He’s so abnormal. I can’t stand the neighbors’ strange looks anymore. I hate him!”

“His parents have come looking for him, sister. He can have a better life. Let’s send him away.”

The cacophony of voices seemed to vanish into a distant hum in an instant.

Rina got out of the car, her legs were still weak, and she almost fell after taking two steps. Finally, she slowly sat down by holding onto a bench on the side of the street.

If Kurosawa Tokiran wasn't lying, then why was there nothing related to him found, only a photograph...?

After living together for so long, why is there not a trace of anything?

Does your sister not like him?

Rina looked around at her surroundings, feeling as if she had experienced a blurry and illusory dream, leaving only a gray haze in the end.

However, she didn't know how to return to the "real" world.

At midnight, there were hardly any people left on the streets. The dim streetlights flickered, adding an inexplicable sense of dread.

The man walked out of the alley, stood next to the convenience store's trash can, and said, "The man next to you is here to kill you."

Upon hearing this, Lina not only didn't turn around, but a cold smile even appeared on her lips. "You've been following me for so many days, why are you showing your face today?"

The man was dressed in a worn-out black tracksuit, with a hat covering half his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly. However, he was tall and imposing, exuding a sense of intimidation.

He stood diagonally behind the bench, his voice gradually lowering: "I have something to give you."

Rina abandoned her idea of ​​smoking a cigarette and became somewhat interested in the person behind her. "I don't accept things from strangers."

He was there when she was searching for the crime scene at the abandoned port.

However, because of Kurosawa Shiran, he escaped, or rather, the timing wasn't right. During this time, he was probably in the shadows, scrutinizing the situation and deciding whether or not to hand over the items.

The man took out a yellowed envelope from his pocket: "Natsume Rina".

Rina stood up, turned to look at him, and said calmly and unhurriedly, "I don't know your name."

“Sector C, #0017,” the man paused, “is my name.”

Rina cracked her knuckles, her gaze gradually hardening. "The people in the research institute."

"Yes," the man answered without hesitation.

Knowing too little, she wanted to ask something but didn't know where to begin. Rina remained silent.

The man continued, "That research institute is not a simple medical institution, Bai Ou, you've been deceived."

Rina was taken aback, looked up and took the envelope from his hand, pouring out several photos.

It was a wall, dark gray in color and covered with cracks, with the peeling paint revealing dark red bricks underneath.

However, none of that matters. What's most eye-catching is that it's covered with twisted, eerie, and densely packed words, stained with blood.

—Natsume Rina deserves to die.

She stared at the photo for a few seconds, then took a deep breath.

The man said, "That research institute isn't a medical institution that treats congenital heart disease and rare diseases. Their real purpose is to use the drugs you developed to experiment on normal people."

Rina gripped the photo tightly, her fingers turning white from the pressure. "A normal person?"

“I’m not entirely sure either, but you did heal me, so I wanted to tell you about it.” The man was wary of his surroundings.

Rina flipped through the remaining dozen or so photos in the envelope; the contents were all identical. "What do you know?"

“You were our attending physician, but… none of us survived,” the man clenched his fist and slowly exhaled. “After a fire, the caregivers and doctors abandoned us.”

These words match what Annie said, and there's also Bai Ou, whom Annie also mentioned as a nickname.

Rina subtly averted her gaze, putting the photo back into the envelope. "How am I any different from those who abandoned you? Perhaps I'm actually one of them."

“I didn’t want to help you. That man wanted to kill you, and no one could stop him. Besides, in my eyes, you are no different from those people, using living people for experiments for your own benefit and purposes.”

Rina countered, "How did you find out about this?"

“There was a huge fire at the research institute that day. I escaped from inside and overheard a conversation between a boy and a doctor. He was wearing the same clothes as us, the same hospital gown.” The man paused. “And he admitted that he started the fire and killed the people. He was looking for you. If you had been at the research institute that night, you would have certainly died. As for the information about you, it was when the doctor begged for mercy that he revealed that he was the only one who survived all the medication. You could say he was the most successful and perfect experimental subject at the research institute.”

Rina is now certain that Kurosawa Shiran is a boy from Area A and is her experimental subject.

It's unbelievable, but that's the only explanation.

He came back to seek revenge on her.

But why didn't Annie recognize her?

Lina pondered for a moment, then looked up again, only to find that the person had vanished without a trace.

She took her phone out of her pocket, glanced at the caller ID, turned it off, and then put it back in her pocket.

During this time, she didn't want to receive any more phone calls from anyone, and she didn't want to communicate with anyone.

There was nothing she could do; she didn't even understand the emotions churning within her own heart.

-

"Still not answering the phone?" Arisu Kazumi asked listlessly, twirling her pen as she lay on the table.

Across from him, Damian leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest. He probably felt completely drained after a day of tutoring struggling students, and didn't even have the strength to speak.

Shimono Gen put down the phone and said, "It's switched off."

"She didn't even answer your calls," Arisu Kazumi frowned. "Did she go out by herself? Or was her phone dead?"

Damian opened his eyes a crack and glanced at the wall clock: "Anything is possible."

Arisu Kazumi snorted dismissively, "She's not a child anymore. Even if her phone is dead, she should find a way to let people know she's safe, unless she's too busy to check her phone."

Shimono Gen nodded and said, "Kazumi, it's getting late, you should go and rest."

"Alright, I'm tired after studying all day anyway, you guys wait here." Arisu Kazumi yawned and went upstairs with her little bunny doll in her arms.

Hearing the door close upstairs, Shimono Gen glanced at Damian and gestured for him to come outside to talk.

Damian realized the problem was a bit serious, stretched while lying in his chair, and followed.

The two stood in the courtyard, and Damian asked him, "What happened?"

Genji Shimono lowered his voice and said, "The tyrant has his eye on Rina."

He had already asked Sato, but the two of them separated at the textile factory, and Rina had gone with a boy.

“Tyrant?” Damian narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to think. “There’s a locator on Rina’s phone. I’ll go check it out.”

“The boy next to Rina, Hoshino Rin, is a tyrant.” Shimono Gen’s voice was cold. “He may have some connection with Rina, but Rina’s memories were rewritten by Takizawa Nanase, and I think that matter can no longer be kept secret.”

Damian remarked with a sigh, "It's really strange. I knew something was off about him, but I never imagined he was a tyrant. His cooking skills are top-notch."

How exactly did they learn it?

"I'll go find her first. Remember to send me your location later." Shimono Gen walked towards the garage, and a short while later, he drove away from the yard.

Damian returned to his bedroom, typed on the keyboard for a while, and searched on the computer. The screen took about a minute to load, and finally the red dot located the Thirty-One Club.

He sent his location to Shimono Gen, but the red dot moved quickly.

-

Yuriko put down her wine glass and gave the person walking towards her a meaningful smile: "What brings you here today?"

The men in black made way for them and closed the door behind them.

Rina sat down in the seat next to her, and after about two seconds said, "I have something to ask you."

Yuriko hummed in agreement, her expression inscrutable. "There are plenty of things you want to ask me, why should I tell you?"

Rina was too lazy to be polite with her. "You can make your request."

Yuriko smiled and said, "Any conditions are fine?"

Rina: "I'll do my best."

Yuriko looked away and continued drinking. "No sincerity."

Rina leaned back slightly: "Go ahead and ask."

Yuriko turned her head to look at Rina again, smiled, and said with a hint of provocation in her eyes, "Little fox, your credibility with me is zero."

That's just the kind of person she is, Rina doesn't deny it: "What do you want?"

Yuriko looked at her quietly, and after a while, she spoke slowly and deliberately: "It seems you've encountered a problem. Let me hear your question first."

Rina cut to the chase: "Do you know Bai Ou?"

“Shiroo,” Yuriko said in a very familiar tone, “I know you. So, is this the progress of your investigation?”

Rina met her gaze and replied, "Yes."

“You’ve come at just the right time. I haven’t been here for drinks in ages,” Yuriko’s smile deepened. “How about this, you drink this bottle of wine, and I’ll tell you the answer. It’s Polish vodka, the chairman’s most prized possession. You can drink your fill today.”

Rina picked up the glass on the table, poured half a glass into it, took a sip, and the alcohol slid down her throat, bringing a burning sensation that quickly spread to her chest, and soon her fair cheeks also slowly flushed red.

She found it acceptable and finished one glass before continuing to pour.

Yuriko was somewhat shocked and asked curiously, "Drinking to drown your sorrows, is it because you've broken up with your boyfriend?"

"I just want to drink something." Rina drank another half glass, her head was already starting to spin, and she could see double. She had overestimated her alcohol tolerance.

The world is full of wonders, and it's not impossible that she might actually have something going on with the tyrant. A glint of light flashed in Yuriko's eyes: "Could it be that person from last time?"

Rina didn't answer: "Have you known Bai Ou for a long time?"

Yuriko smiled, but her answer was not only irrelevant to the question, but also carried a hint of frustration: "Anyone I've known for more than three years in the past three years is an old friend."

Rina drank less than a full glass of wine before feeling the whole room spinning. She closed her eyes, and even then, she felt herself spinning. She braced herself against the table with one hand to steady herself and continued to ask, "Is she also a member of the Blue Whale Organization?"

Yuriko said mysteriously, "I also know many people outside the organization."

Rina wiped the wine from the corner of her mouth, her voice slightly hoarse: "So she's your lover?"

Yuriko couldn't help but laugh, thinking that she was really drunk, and even her questions were irrelevant.

She leaned down to meet Rina's gaze, her voice as gentle as a lover's, "She's really exciting in bed, more interesting than you."

Rina leaned back, putting some distance between herself and her. She felt a little nauseous, but took another sip of wine to suppress it. Holding onto the chair next to her, she stammered, "One last question, where is she now?"

Yuriko's answer remained the same: "I don't know, we don't keep in touch much."

Rina stared at her for a long time, then suddenly laughed.

This time he was completely drunk and couldn't even speak clearly.

Yuriko leaned closer and asked, "What did you say?"

Rina didn't like being close to people, so she slapped her across the face and tried to push her away. She mumbled, "...I already know the answer."

After saying that, he rested his head on his arm and lay motionless on the table.

Yuriko bit her red lips, deciding not to argue with the drunkard. However, a hint of doubt appeared on her face as she carefully reviewed the conversation, but couldn't see anything wrong with it. After all, half-truths are the hardest to distinguish, and how could she possibly be discerning information in this state?

She pondered for a long time, looked at the half-empty bottle of vodka, and gave a mischievous smile. "Go find her a personal person to take care of her. If anyone asks, just say she's my honored guest."

The man in black standing at the door didn't understand her meaning and looked at her with some confusion.

Yuriko said coldly, "After all this time, you don't even understand this simple thing?"

The man in black suddenly realized what was going on, pointed to a handsome male escort, and told him to take the person to another room to serve him.

Alcohol completely permeated her nerves, and Rina's consciousness began to blur, entering a state of confusion, making her stagger unsteady on her feet.

The male escort, supporting her, was clearly struggling and swayed with her in the hallway, panting as he said, "Miss, just a little longer, we'll be there soon."

"I'm going to take a shower." Getting drunk wasn't so bad; Rina's consciousness was starting to blur, which was a good thing for someone who had long been unable to enter a deep sleep.

The male escort struggled to lead her forward, exhausted and with no desire to serve a drunkard. "Okay, okay, I'll take good care of you."

Rina responded and, to steady herself, wrapped one arm around his neck.

The two finally reached the door of the room when suddenly, Rina vaguely heard a thud, as if something had fallen to the ground.

Rina thought for a moment about what was happening, but before she could open her eyes, she lost her balance and fell towards the floor.

Fortunately, the person was quickly caught by a strong and reliable arm.

She found support again and wobbled against him, but he seemed to have suddenly grown taller, making it difficult for her to reach out and put her arm around his shoulder.

Soon, she felt a sharp pain in her chin as someone forcibly lifted it up.

"Sister, I was only gone for a little while and you're already out looking for fun?"

Her voice was quite pleasant, and she wasn't breathing heavily anymore. Rina struggled for a long time, barely managing to open her eyes a crack before quickly closing them again.

She looks alright.

Kurosawa Shiran hugged the man, turned on the light, glanced at the male escort's face, and said disdainfully, "Sister, your taste is absolutely terrible."

Rina hummed in response, as if she hadn't heard clearly and was asking a question.

Kurosawa Shiran closed the door, took Rina out of the club, put her in the car, and found the best hotel nearby.

He settled her on the bed, his gaze falling on Rina's face. He stood to the side, looking down at her for a while, his expression largely unchanged, only her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying the turmoil within him. He had originally intended to leave the room, but after thinking about it for so long, he hadn't even moved his feet away; instead, he had moved even closer.

He swallowed hard a few times, and it took him a long time to find his voice, "Sister?"

The mattress was very soft; lying down felt like being wrapped in a fluffy cloud. Rina groggily turned over.

Kurosawa Shiran lay on the bed, staring intently at Rina's face, unable to look away. Soon, he rubbed her cheek with his index finger.

He asked, "Sister, are you going to take a bath again?"

The person lying in bed was completely drunk, and coupled with previous lack of sleep, he took this opportunity to fall into a deep sleep.

Kurosawa Shiran sat up helplessly and ordered room service.

The next day at noon, when Rina woke up, she suddenly felt something heavy pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

As soon as she opened her eyes, sure enough, she was wrapped in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon, with a fluffy head pressing against her chest. She lifted her eyelids and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before reacting.

He quickly recalled what had happened last night.

Rina: "......"

She slept quite well, and didn't make a complete mess of things.

However, recovering from a hangover is like "reconstruction after a disaster." Rina's throat felt like it was going to crack, and her stomach clenched again.

Kurosawa Shiran moved her head, rolled off the bed, and poured her a glass of honey water.

Rina drank half a cup, which slightly relieved the dryness and burning in her throat. She sat up with her messy long hair, but the next moment, she sank straight back into the bedding, obviously being pushed back down.

Kurosawa Shiran pretended to be feeling unwell and said, "I haven't slept yet after taking care of you all night, so please stay with me for a while longer."

Rina glanced at her clothes, her fingers curled up, and for a moment she wanted to disappear into the ground.

Kurosawa Shiran chuckled softly, burying her face in the pillow around her neck, and softened her voice, saying, "The clothes were changed by a lady from the housekeeping department."

Rina felt a burning and itchy sensation around her ears and neck, but she breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Kurosawa Shiran's Adam's apple bobbed. "Why did you drink so much last night, sister?"

The fluffy head rested against her chin, and Rina's face felt a little hot: "...I want to rest for a bit."

Kurosawa Shiran said calmly, "So you also ordered a male escort?"

Rina bit her tongue. "That was an accident."

Kurosawa Shiran: "So, sister, you're not picky about who you are?"

"......."

Rina ignored him and instead reached for her phone on the bedside table, turned it on, and replied to a few text messages.

Kurosawa Shiran frowned slightly, her nose brushing against her burning earlobe. "Sister, can you answer a question for me?"

Having finally had a good night's sleep, Rina was in a good mood, but she paused for a moment while typing after hearing her words. "Go on," she said.

His tone was lazy and relaxed, like an orange cat basking in the sun on a balcony.

Kurosawa Shiran: "Where did those photos come from?"

Rina wasn't surprised. "A friend gave it to me."

Kurosawa Shiran: "What are your thoughts after watching it, sister?"

Lina recalled the grotesque handwriting. "It's clear you hate me."

Kurosawa Shiran forced a smile. "But I don't hate anymore."

Rina deliberately avoided thinking about it too much, looking down at her phone and saying, "Then you're a pretty good person."

Kurosawa Shiran: "My sister doesn't believe me."

Rina frankly admitted, "I don't trust anyone now."

Kurosawa Shiran felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly. Her eyelashes cast a shadow under her eyes as she held the silkworm cocoon, her arms slowly tightening around it. "I know I was wrong."

Lina put down her phone, sighed softly, and said sincerely, "You're not wrong, I'm the one who's wrong. Let me get up first."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Then, sister, you forgive me."

Rina smiled helplessly, raised her hand to pat his shoulder, but after thinking about it, she finally withdrew her hand.

Kurosawa Shiran: "I thought that if I stayed in that lab, I could see my sister, but in three years, she never came to see me. I could only see the videotapes they brought, in which my sister was wearing a white coat and doing experiments."

Rina: "I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Really?"

"I will definitely keep my promise to you." Rina's tone was full of sincerity.

Kurosawa Shiran: "Then, can you agree to be my girlfriend, sister?"

Without hesitation, Rina said, "No, that's not allowed."

“But we’re already sleeping in the same bed.” As she spoke, Kurosawa Shiran hugged the “silkworm” tighter.

Rina felt a little itchy. "Nothing happened."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Now let's have something happen."

"You deserve a beating—" Rina didn't finish her sentence before her phone suddenly rang.

She picked up her phone, gestured for Kurosawa Shiran to be quiet, and answered the call. A cheerful voice came from the other end.

“To thank you for solving the case, how about I introduce you to a boyfriend? He’s a movie star, very handsome, with a great physique, blond hair and blue eyes, and his acting is pretty good too. I think you’ll definitely like him.” Mary emphasized the last part, “Most importantly, he’s also very interested in you.”

For some reason, Rina subconsciously glanced at the person on top of her after hearing that.

Kurosawa Shiran looked up, paused for a moment, silently stared at Rina, and then got out of bed with a wronged expression.

Rina sighed and politely declined, "Maybe next time."

Mary said, "No, we're all decent people. Let's try getting to know each other."

"I'm too busy with work to be dating right now." Rina threw back the covers, sat up, pulled her robe tighter, chatted with Mary for a few minutes, and then hung up the phone.

Kurosawa Shiran was nestled on the sofa with his back to her, but his legs were too long, so he could only awkwardly tuck them in.

They look rather pitiful.

Lina was a little helpless with him, so she walked over, sat down in a corner of the sofa, hesitated for a long time, and then reached out to pat his head.

The hair is soft and feels very comfortable to the touch.

Kurosawa Shiran felt the sofa sink and began to gather his emotions. When Rina touched his head, he sniffed, turned around, and stared intently at her face with his bright blue eyes.

I feel like tears are about to start falling any second.

Kurosawa Shiran: "Sister, are you really not going to take responsibility for me?"

Rina's eyes held a hint of amusement. "No."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Why?"

Rina explained earnestly, "Because I don't even know who I am right now, I can't take responsibility for your life."

Kurosawa Shiran was momentarily stunned, and the aggrieved yet stubborn expression on her face dissipated considerably.

Rina: "Get up and eat something, I can hear your stomach growling."

Kurosawa Shiran's Adam's apple bobbed, and he raised his hand to press down on Rina's nape, tilting his head back to gently kiss her forehead.

"Then I'll convey my feelings to my sister first," he said.

Rina's brain went blank for a full ten seconds. She suddenly had a strange feeling, but she didn't feel offended.

She said, "She deserves a beating."

Kurosawa Shiran sat up, licked her lips, and said, "My sister said she would treat me to grilled fish last night. I sat in the restaurant for a long time, but she didn't come back."

Rina: "I'll have Mrs. Kasuga make it for you."

Kurosawa Shiran asked with dissatisfaction, "Are those people here too?"

Rina: "You know why you ask."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Sister, if I go back, will they bully me?"

Rina: "No."

Kurosawa Shiran: "Will my older sister protect me?"

Rina: "???"

"Just don't say anything out of line."

Rina found a paper bag in the living room, saw that it contained the prepared clothes, and took it to the bathroom, keeping the little tail behind her at bay.

After changing his clothes, I took him back to the old house.

She didn't want to go back. She hadn't been able to process the news from last night, and suddenly facing them would only make her feel lost and helpless.

However, it might be because it had a good night's sleep and was in a good mood, or it might be because it had a new tail following it.

Rina bought a fish at the market and put it in the kitchen.

Damian had just finished feeding her boyfriend and was about to touch him when the little ingrate heard Rina's scent and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Her boyfriend nimbly scrambled across the floor, climbed up her legs, and perched on Rina's shoulder, his eyes darting around.

Rina, used to this, asked, "Where is Mrs. Kasuga?"

Kurosawa Shiran noticed the pesky lizard and glanced at the microwave oven next to it.

"Mrs. Haruhi went on a trip with her friends these past two days, so no one has been cooking." Damian lay sprawled on the living room bed. "We've been eating takeout for the past two days."

Rina mistakenly thought that Kurosawa Shiran was sad again, and comforted her, "I'll cook for you tonight."

Damian: "..."

Hopefully, the kitchen won't blow up.

Rina: "Where is that one?"

Damian smiled and said, "He went to see you last night. You were originally at Club 31, but then you went to a hotel and came back."

"I drank too much." Rina said casually, opening the refrigerator to check the ingredients inside, and said, "I'm going to the supermarket to buy some groceries. Do you want to stay in my room for a while, or come with me?"

Kurosawa Shiran: "I'm going to rest for a while."

Rina raised an eyebrow, suddenly becoming less clingy, which felt a little strange.

Her boyfriend leaned on her shoulder and showed no sign of getting down, so Rina hid him inside her clothes.

However, as soon as she left the yard, the house was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Shimono Gen emerged from the room and stood in the stairwell, his eyes unusually fierce. "What is your purpose in staying by her side?"

Kurosawa Shiran: "I should be asking you that question in return: Why did you tamper with her memories?"

Shimono Gen frowned and said, "She knows?"

"Are you planning to keep this a secret forever?" Kurosawa Shiran sneered. "You call yourselves a detective agency, yet you're doing these dirty things behind the scenes. How are you any different from the mafia?"

Gen Shimono: "There's a reason for this."

Kurosawa Shiran: "To wipe out someone's existence so easily, if it weren't for my sister, you would all be dead and torn to pieces by now."

Shimono Gen smirked, a complete lack of a smile. "And what's your purpose this time?"

Kurosawa Shiran: "Is there a problem with me going back to my sister's side?"

Shimono Gen warned, "Neither of your identities makes it suitable for you to stay by her side."

Kurosawa Shiran: "A hypocritical, petty face."

Damian coughed lightly and interjected, "Don't bring up the past with her for now."

Kurosawa Tokiran: "Reason."

“I think she can’t accept those memories yet. The research team she was involved in used her research results to do unacceptable things. Given her current mental state, you can’t predict her choices.”

Kurosawa Shiran: "Then why erase my memories?"

Damian explained, "Forgetting is not an inevitable result of deep hypnosis. Selective forgetting may also be her thought. She subconsciously filters memories and ignores specific information."

Kurosawa Shiran lifted her eyelids and looked the two of them over. "Let's talk about something more meaningful."

"Apart from that one thing I can't tell you, you can ask her yourself about the rest. Of course, if you do anything to hurt her, I won't let you off the hook." With that, Shimono Gen slammed the door shut.

Damian narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable: "Worried old father, my view is peaceful coexistence. We have the same goal, so there's no need for conflict."

"Really?" Kurosawa Shiran said dismissively, leaning back lazily on the sofa. "Then let me ask you something. Alice, why couldn't my sister solve the case?"

“Yes, this is a case from a year ago,” Damian thought for a moment. “It was the first murder case she handled. On a ship, the employer fired her midway for some reason. The next day, his wife died of poisoning, and his daughter jumped into the sea and committed suicide in front of him. The husband was probably too heartbroken and repeatedly interfered with the investigation. In the end, he simply locked her up until the end of the journey and then had the embassy send her back.”