Chapter 24
The next morning.
When Rina woke up, the time displayed on her phone screen was 4:30 a.m.
Her sleep schedule has always been like this; even for highly energetic people, her sleep pattern is quite bad.
If she cannot get seven to eight hours of sleep for an extended period of time, she may be at risk of sudden death in extreme cases.
Rina looked at the person in the mirror and suddenly felt a little unfamiliar.
She felt a tightness in her chest, but the symptoms gradually subsided after rinsing with cold water.
She has developed a resistance to the medication, and sleeping pills can no longer put her into a deep sleep.
There's absolutely no solution...
Rina lay back down on the bed and sent an email to Damian.
Please look up information about the Dune Research Institute and make me a resume while you're at it; I specialize in chemical drug research.
This morning, she planned to go for an interview at that research institute.
Although she wasn't entirely confident she'd pass the interview, Yuriko had told her all this to lure her in.
She couldn't be sure what the relationship was between Yuriko and the research institute, but among institutions researching hallucinogens both domestically and internationally, very few had made any research findings.
Since their circle is small and they both research hallucinogens, the two of them would inevitably have some exchanges.
This lead is worth investigating.
Kurosawa Shiran is sleeping on the sofa outside; going out would definitely disturb him.
Rina read some documents for a while, persisting until eight o'clock in the morning. Hearing noises from the kitchen, she tidied herself up and came out.
Kurosawa Shiran held a tray in her hands and placed the warmed milk and bread on the table.
He saw Rina dressed in a formal suit and stared at her with interest for a while. "Sister, what are you going to do?"
Why were even the plaster cast removed?
A fitted dark gray suit perfectly hugged her figure, with a white chiffon blouse underneath, one button undone at the neckline, revealing a glimpse of delicate skin. Her straight and flowing jeans accentuated her figure.
Rina paused, her gaze passing over him, before finally answering after a long pause: "Looking for a job."
She picked up the newspaper on the table and started reading.
In no time at all, the fried eggs and ham were ready.
Kurosawa Shiran quickly set the table with cups and cutlery, saying, "I can support my older sister."
Rina looked up and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Hmm?"
Kurosawa Shiran gazed at her quietly, a strange light flickering in her eyes. "Can you let me see you in a suit all by yourself, sister?"
Rina looked away and continued reading the newspaper, saying, "I'll give you one more chance to speak."
Kurosawa Shiran's eyebrows twitched slightly, her eyes filled with a smile, and she said sweetly, "Sister, you look so beautiful today."
"What are you up to so early in the morning?" Arisu Kazumi came out of her room, looking at the two people flirting in the restaurant with a look of disgust.
Rina: "There are still four days left."
After she finished speaking, she deliberately shook the newspaper in her hand.
Arisu Kazumi slowly opened her eyes wide and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't it supposed to start today?"
Rina: "Little detective, do you have so little confidence in yourself?"
Arisu Kazumi snorted in dissatisfaction, sat down at the table, and picked up her knife and fork. "Four days is four days. It's just about finding someone."
"You should get along well," Rina picked up her phone, replied to a message, and then asked, "Where do you plan to start?"
Kazumi Arisu said, "That rainy night, Yui saw that person was an employee walking out of the company, and she was still wearing the company uniform."
Rina turned her head: "And you?"
Kurosawa Shiran pretended to think for a moment, then said, "Let's go see Naoki directly."
Rina: "Don't do anything illegal or disorderly."
Kurosawa Shiran's eyes widened slightly: "Even threats aren't allowed?"
"Don't go too far," Rina said, having finished eating. She stood up and wiped her mouth with a tissue. "I forgot to tell you, Naoki's lover is dead."
"What?"
"How did you know, sister?"
Rina smiled and lightly tapped the newspaper on the table with her finger.
Arisu Kazumi understood, immediately got up to take it, and accurately found a column of reports.
However, for someone who has lived abroad for many years, reading Japanese can still be quite difficult.
She handed the newspaper to Kurosawa Shiran and said bluntly, "Translate it."
Rina reminded her, "Kazumi."
Arisu Kazumi glared at her angrily.
“A woman’s body was found in an abandoned port. Her limbs were bound with rope, her head was smashed, and her face was unrecognizable,” Kurozawa Shiran said. “Sister, how do you know her identity?”
The photo above has been edited, and it's barely recognizable as a person lying on the ground.
Rina smiled gently, showing no intention of telling them.
She stood in the entryway changing her shoes, preparing to go out.
The doorbell rang with a "ding-dong".
Rina opened the door, and a pale, anxious woman's face appeared behind it.
Yui stood at the doorway, with two pots of orchids at her feet.
She clasped her hands together, her cheeks flushed, looking slightly flustered. "...Rina, are you going out?"
Rina glanced at her watch and smiled slightly. "It's alright, there's still time. Shall we come in?"
"Um, I'm really sorry about what happened last night. I really drank too much and caused everyone trouble." With that, Yui bowed deeply to her.
Rina: "It's okay, we're all classmates, I won't take it to heart."
When they were in school, Yui gave her the impression of being a timid and easily embarrassed girl. Every time she answered a question in class, her face would turn as red as a tomato, even though they had known each other for a year.
"Come in and sit for a while." Rina glanced at the orchid on the ground.
Yui paused for a moment and said, "This is an apology gift. There's also some organic fertilizer in the car. I'll go get it right away. Please accept it."
"You're too kind." Rina wanted to go up and help, but one of her arms was throbbing slightly.
The two entered the house together, and Yui apologized to Kurosawa Shiran again. When she looked up, she noticed the apron he was wearing.
She said, "Rina, you will definitely be very happy after you get married."
Rina patted Arisu Kazumi on the shoulder, gesturing for her to pour tea: "What do you mean?"
A fleeting look of hesitation crossed Yui's face as she sighed, "Having a husband who can cook is a very happy thing."
Rina pretended not to hear and kept her smile to herself.
Arisu Kazumi stepped forward and handed her a cup of black tea. "Sister, please have some."
Yui was stunned, her eyes becoming somewhat vacant.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kurosawa Shiran quietly moved closer to Rina and said, "These fertilizers smell the same as they did last night."
Rina turned the flowerpot around.
Yui immediately snapped out of her daze and explained, "This is the fertilizer recommended by Miyako. Although it has a bit of an odor, it does help orchids bloom very well."
"Yui takes such good care of these flowers," Rina said. "Could you teach me next time?"
"Thank you. If you have time this weekend, you can come see me," Yui tried to put on her usual gentle and serene smile, but it still looked a little awkward. "Actually, I came here this time because I want to ask you for a favor."
Arisu Kazumi leaned closer, observing her more closely: "Have you found the lover you had that night?"
“No, the lover is no longer important. It’s Naoki who wants a divorce,” Yui covered her face with both hands, but tears welled up in her eyes like a spring. “I… I really love him and I don’t want to be separated from him. I admit, I did hate him before… but I regret it now.”
Rina: "Yui, some things will not turn out if you force them. Maybe it will be better for both of you if you separate."
"Ten years of feelings, Rina, I can't let go, I can't sever ties," Yui sobbed uncontrollably. "When I discovered his infidelity, I hated him more than anyone else. He once promised a thousand times that his love would never change, and now those vows have become lies. I truly hate him, but now he's leaving, and he can never belong to me again..."
Arisu Kazumi handed her some tissues.
"Rina, I want to keep him. I can't imagine what I'll do after he leaves." Yui looked up at her. "If you were in his shoes, what would you do?"
Rina: "I might tell him to get lost."
Kurosawa Shiran bit her lower lip and remained silent.
Yui smiled wryly and said, "Rina, have you never loved anyone?"
Rina didn't say anything.
Yui took a trembling breath and said, "I want you to help me persuade Naoki. I can't live without him."
Miyako is a staunch non-marriage advocate, while Masako is a strong and decisive woman; neither of them would ever show their face.
She can only come to Rina's place.
Rina gave her a fairly official answer: "You should be prepared for both possibilities. As the party at fault, you can get more property after the divorce. As for reconciliation, it's impossible to go back to how things were before. It will always be a thorn in your side. You two need to discuss how to resolve this together."
Yui gave a weak smile: "I can't think of anything. If it weren't for him, I would have to commit suicide. Rather than live in torment, I would rather die." Her voice was barely audible.
Kazumi Arisu swallowed hard.
Rina: "......"
She said, "I will go and tell them."
Yui cried for a long time, and after leaving, she bowed deeply to Rina.
Kurosawa Shiran: "Things have come to this point, sister, what about yesterday's promise?"
Kazumi Arisu said, "Naoki contacted me privately yesterday because one of his employees has been missing for a long time, and he wanted me to investigate it."
A vibration came from my pocket.
Rina took out her phone, and the screen showed a call from Sato.
She suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, after the call connected, I heard a very annoying voice: "Little Rina, come over here."
Rina sighed, hung up, and refreshed her emails.
It feels a bit strange. Damian would have replied long ago, but this time, so much time has passed and there's still no news.
Arisu Kazumi couldn't wait any longer, so she grabbed her pink backpack and ran outside.
Kurosawa Shiran grabbed the backpack and pulled the person back.
Rina curled her lips into a smile, a hint of shock in her eyes.
This time, without even a glance, he understood what he meant.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Arisu Kazumi instantly bristled, angrily trying to bite someone.
Kurosawa Shiran noticed her intention, picked up her schoolbag, made her turn around, then grabbed her wrist with one hand and pressed her down onto the tea table.
“Calm down,” Rina typed, looking down. “According to the agreement, you’ve already lost if you haven’t found her.”
Arisu Kazumi struggled to say, "The investigation into who killed her is still ongoing."
Rina: "This is not something you should be thinking about. What you should be doing right now is preparing your school supplies. School is starting soon."
Kazumi Arisu: "Once this case is over, I'll go back to school. I promise, I'll find a martial arts coach. One day, I'll beat this bastard to death."
“Kazumi, don’t push your luck,” Rina said. “You have to keep your promises to others. Your brother taught you that.”
Arisu Kazumi gritted her teeth: "I understand!"
Kurosawa Tokiran let go of his hand, and Arisu Kazumi glared at him fiercely before running upstairs and slamming the door shut.
Rina turned around and bumped right into those curved eyes.
Kurosawa Shiran bent down slightly, looking directly at her, her eyes swirling with many emotions. "Sister, I already know how to confirm the identity of the deceased."
Rina walked into the courtyard, curled up the corners of her lips, and smiled subtly, "Tell me about it."
"The bracelet on the deceased's wrist is the same style as the one on Sakurai Yui's wrist. The latter's bracelet has obvious signs of wear, indicating it has been worn for a long time, while the former's bracelet shows no signs of wear. If I remember correctly, the bracelet on Naoki's wrist is new." Kurosawa Shiran paused. "I just searched online, and this couple's bracelet is extremely expensive. Assuming she is indeed just an ordinary secretary as the newspapers say, buying one of these bracelets would cost her half a year's salary."
“…Hmm.” Rina nodded. “That’s about right.”
If Yui Sakurai hadn't come today, he probably wouldn't have thought of this.
A hint of amusement crept into Kurosawa Shiran's voice again, "Sister, can I claim my reward? You said I just need to find the answer before her."
Did she say that?
Rina put away her phone, thought for a moment, and got into the car.
She said, "Okay."
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