Chapter 44

"I'm back."

Rina pushed open the door, glanced at the two people in the living room, and then closed the door.

Damian, who was playing a game, heard the noise, looked up, and noticed the cardboard box she was holding. "What's that?"

Rina put the shopping bags aside and rummaged through the shoe cabinet drawer, finding a craft knife. "I saw it when I came back. It was left by the door. Has anyone been here just now?"

"No one knocked." Damian looked away and continued playing his game.

Kurosawa Shiran leaned on the sofa armrest, propping her chin up, and said, "I heard footsteps. She put her things down and left."

Damian hesitated, then stopped moving his hands and stared at him without moving.

“I think the soundproofing of this door in the house is pretty good.” Rina used a craft knife to make a slit in the box, and took out a yellow rose, a letter, and a boat ticket from the box.

The letter is made of thick, ivory-white matte cardstock that gleams faintly in the light. It has no extra patterns, and while understated, it exudes a touch of elegance.

Rina turned to the inner page, where the font was a rounded handwritten style.

My dearest Rina Natsume:

We are pleased to announce that a grand party will be held on the Alice at 3:00 AM on July 21st.

Please arrive on time and travel alone.

Kurosawa Toki's blue eyes darted around as he asked, "Is it an invitation?"

Rina paused for a moment, then calmly put away the letter and ticket, and casually placed the yellow rose into the vase.

Driven by a strange feeling in her heart, she didn't intend to tell them about it, especially that little tail.

She said, "It's an invitation to a friend's birthday party."

"Where are you going?" Kurosawa Shiran smiled and looked at him quietly for a while. "Can I come along?"

Rina smiled at him, and then, thinking she had agreed, she said, "No."

"A month ago, the Alice encountered some accidents during its voyage, and five passengers died one after another on the cruise ship. The ways they died were all different, terrifying and bizarre, and they were said to be ghost killings. Later, because the case was full of mysteries, the police have not yet found the killer. However, they did have one thing in common: all of them received invitations and tickets from strangers." After completing the game, Damian's lips curled into a faint smile. "You received an invitation to the Alice."

Rina: "In Paddington."

Kurosawa Shiran said with a grin, "That sounds exciting."

"Only one person is allowed to go." Rina took out the invitation and showed him the page.

"Going alone?" Kurosawa Shiran raised an eyebrow leisurely. "He didn't buy the whole ship. If someone secretly follows him, there's nothing he can do."

“That’s true. The Alice can carry 121 people. To commit a crime under those conditions shows that the murderer was very confident in his skills,” Damian said. “If you’re planning to go, I have the victim’s information and the crime scene report. I’ll send them to your room in a bit.”

Rina didn't speak, but looked at the invitation carefully again, seemingly lost in thought.

“Then I’ll go cook, and you can go pack your things,” Kurosawa Shiran smiled and took the shopping bag from her hand. “Sister, you only need to take me with you.”

Cooking is a big challenge for her; rather than throwing things into the trash, she'd rather give people a good meal.

Rina ruffled his hair and coaxed him, "Go ahead."

Kurosawa Shiran stood up, rummaged through the shopping bags on the table, and thought for a moment, "Sister, are these ingredients for making grilled fish?"

Rina: "I've never eaten anything like this before, I'd like to try it."

Damian glanced at it and shrugged helplessly. "You're a genius for connecting applesauce with grilled fish."

Rina rolled her eyes at him in her heart, put away the invitation, leaned closer to Kurosawa Shiranai, and said softly, "What else is missing? I'll go buy it."

"No need, the refrigerator has enough ingredients for grilled fish." Kurosawa Shiran seemed to be in a much better mood and carried the things to the kitchen.

Rina: "Then I'll go upstairs first."

Damian stretched, glanced at the wall clock, and said, "I'm going to pick up the young lady from school and see how she's doing."

With a clear division of labor, Rina carried a plate of fruit upstairs, took a deep breath, knocked on the door on her left a few times, and when she heard the person inside agree, she went in with the fruit plate.

Shimono Gen is looking at the photos on the wall, sorting out the relationships between the characters.

Rina picked up an apple from the plate, took a bite, and the two stared at it side by side for a while. Rina recalled the information she had read and suddenly said, "Shiro, aren't we going to put it up?"

"Not finished yet." Shimono Gen glanced at the person next to him out of the corner of his eye, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Did you wash the apples?"

"..." Rina swallowed the apple in her mouth with difficulty, and said nonchalantly, "Why do I feel like the people upstairs are only missing me?"

Shimono Gen smiled unconsciously, and after a moment of silence, he slowly asked, "Do you want to continue investigating?"

Rina: "You knew my identity all along?"

Gen Shimono: "Nanase investigated, and at that time you didn't know who was behind that research institute."

The Blue Whale organization is an academic group with a complex and mysterious membership. The information they have gathered includes well-known scholars in the scientific community, international assassins, entrepreneurs, police officers, murderers, mafia members, and nobles. It is hard to imagine what kind of person could lead such a complex group.

Rina looked down as she flipped through the documents.

Shimono Gen continued, "I put you on the list of dangerous people after I noticed you."

After all, she has amazing talent in scientific research, especially in hallucinogens and drug research. If this continues unchecked, things will be very dangerous.

Rina asked, "And then?"

"Later, Nanase's investigation revealed that you were kept in the dark and didn't know the truth." Shimono Gen pulled out the top sheet of paper from the file and handed it to her. "I plan to contact you first."

Rina quickly glanced at the list: "What's the purpose of hypnosis?"

Gen Shimono: "That memory is a Pandora's box for you."

It is filled with pain and trauma. Regaining her memories could plunge her into suffering, or cause her to break down, or even worse, which is unpredictable.

Rina looked up and met his gaze: "Who are these people?"

Shimono Gen lit the cigarette he hadn't lit until now. A fine, dense wrinkle appeared on his forehead as he raised an eyebrow, exuding a mature and profound air of someone who had tasted the world. He said in a low voice, "These are all undercover agents planted in the Mafia by the police and military. There was a shootout in Yokohama last night, and Dante is dead."

Rina: "Who killed him?"

“That’s uncertain for now, but he did come into contact with the tyrant before he died,” Shimono Gen said. “You stayed by his side last night?”

Rina's heart tightened for a moment, and she turned her gaze away.

Shimono Gen frowned imperceptibly and said in a low voice, "A person's nature may be suppressed and obscured by external factors, but it can never be changed."

His tone was slow and unquestionable.

Rina tightened her grip on the paper, unable to think of anything to say.

Afterwards, the two chatted briefly, but mostly about Dante and the Mafia's recent situation. Shimono Gen didn't ask her about her relationship with Kurosawa Toki.

She should be grateful.

After returning to her room, Rina kept thinking about that sentence, and suddenly felt suffocated and unable to breathe for no reason.

The room was lit only by a dim table lamp. She walked to the window, opened it, and casually placed the photo of her and her sister face down on the table.

After a while, Arisu Kazumi knocked on the door a few times, then pushed it open and went in. "Why didn't you turn on the light?"

Rina leaned against the window, looked up at her, and asked, "Isn't it lit up?"

"You're sick!" Arisu Kazumi turned on the room light, raised her chin, and said, "I'm asking you, why is that bastard here?"

Rina: "My younger brother went missing before."

Arisu Kazumi frowned and asked, "Isn't he your boyfriend?"

Rina: "It was a misunderstanding before."

Arisu Kazumi: "???"

Her brow furrowed again as she questioned, "Was it him who fired the shot?"

"It's a long story, I'll explain it to you later," Rina paused for a moment, "The food is ready, let's go eat."

Arisu Kazumi twitched the corners of her mouth, put the documents from her bag on the table, noticed the overturned photo frame, and paused for a moment: "...Damian asked me to come and deliver the documents."

Rina and Arisu Kazumi stared at each other for a long time before Rina raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong with your clothes?"

Kazumi Arisu: "I attended a karate training camp."

Rina observed carefully for a moment, then said with a serious expression, "...Don't you dislike fighting with people?"

"Mind your own business!" Arisu Kazumi said disdainfully.

Rina recalled the first time she met her; it was when she was called to the school for a fight.

She beat up a few chubby boys until they were black and blue, but then she cried her eyes out: "I was just afraid you would forget your original intention."

"What kind of bullshit original intention is this?" Arisu Kazumi said angrily, "You don't understand the mind of a young girl!"

Rina's eyelids twitched upon hearing this, her feelings somewhat complicated. "Could it be that you're in a relationship? Why did you suddenly think of wearing lipstick?"

Arisu Kazumi touched her lips and asked, "Is this color pretty? I'll give you one if you like it."

Rina: "Looks old."

"You're the one who's in a puppy love! You and your lizard are both in a puppy love!" Arisu Kazumi's anger was rising, and she was about to swing her schoolbag, but then she remembered how delicate the person in front of her was, as if she could be blown away by the wind, so she turned around and left in anger.

Rina: "..."

Damian saw her coming down angrily, poured her a chilled drink, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"I'm so angry! That bastard!" Arisu Kazumi drank half a glass of juice but still couldn't calm down. "I wanted to buy her a lipstick as a birthday present. I had to look at five or six stores to find the right color, and she actually laughed at me for having no taste! That big idiot! I haven't even laughed at her for liking QR codes yet!"

Damian: "..."

Kurosawa Shiran: "..."

During dinner, Rina sensed the strange atmosphere. After eating until she was about 70% full, she guiltily put down her chopsticks and quietly went upstairs.

Arisu Kazumi sat in the living room watching cartoons, and after everyone finished eating, she went to wash the dishes.

She saw Kurosawa Shiran sneaking upstairs. "What are you going to do?"

The two exchanged a glance, and Kurosawa Shiranu couldn't hide his smile: "Take a shower and go to sleep."

Arisu Kazumi said warily, "There is no room for you upstairs."

Kurosawa Shiran pretended to think for a moment and said, "Then I'll just have to ask my sister to share a bed with me."

Want to sleep in the same bed? Even a fool could see what you're up to. Arisu Kazumi cursed, "You pervert! You only deserve to sleep on the living room sofa!"

Kurosawa Shiran ignored her and went upstairs without looking back. He stood at Rina's door, politely knocked a few times, and went in without a response.

The sound of water came from the bathroom. Kurosawa Shiran shifted her gaze and wandered around the room, feeling that each breath she took was very hot.

Out of desperation, he picked up the documents on the table to distract himself.

Rina, wrapped in a bath towel and barefoot, left several wet footprints on the floor. She glanced at Kurosawa Shiranui briefly before looking away.

Kurosawa Shiran absentmindedly stroked the paper, tilting her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness, "Sister, there are no empty rooms at home."

The room wasn't stuffy. Rina had dried her hair, but water droplets were still dripping from it. She slowly walked over and took the documents from his hand. "My sister's room is still empty."

"She doesn't like me," Kurosawa Shiran stared at the skin on the back of her neck, quick and sharp, feeling the heat emanating from her body, and a faint rose scent lingering around her. "Should I help my sister blow-dry her hair?"

"No need." Rina looked up at the obsidian earring on his right ear and asked, "Have you looked at all the information?"

Kurosawa Shiran's breathing was relatively steady, but her voice was somewhat hoarse. "I've seen it."

Rina took a sip of coffee and asked him in her usual gentle tone, "Do you have any thoughts?"

“The five victims came from all over the world, were strangers to each other, had no business dealings, so there was no conflict or hatred between them. They had no connection whatsoever, and even their deaths were different,” said Kurosawa Shiran. “I don’t have any ideas for the time being.”

“Through a sharp weapon to the neck, strangulation with a rope, a heavy blow to the back of the head, drowning in the bathroom, and finally, decapitation.” Rina picked up her porcelain cup, preparing to take a sip of coffee, when Kurosawa Shiran suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The skin in her palms was damp, and a glint of water could be seen on her fingertips, just like her eyes now, arousing both lust and malice.

"It's all my sister's fault." His voice was very low, like a feather lightly brushing against my heart.

Rina raised her head to meet his gaze, a smile playing on her lips in the darkness. Ripples spread across the calm lake, revealing the allure of a stunning beauty.

"The only solution is to take a shower."

However, before she could finish speaking, the smile on Kurosawa Toki's lips deepened, and he leaned down to kiss her.

"It's all your fault."