This Japanese Slice-of-Life Isn’t Lame

Chapter 26: I Am Very Curious

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

Arano Ryoko informed Kitagawa Tera to go to the police station again, saying that there were new results from the autopsy.

However, Kamiya Mirai, who went along with Kitagawa Tera, was left in the front office of the police station by Arano Ryoko, saying that there were some things that girls should not see.

Kamiya Mirai protested strongly but could not go against Arano Ryoko’s arrangements.

“Logically, I am external personnel, and this information is something that only internal personnel should know, so you shouldn’t have called me here.”

“What nonsense external and internal personnel! Every time a murder happens, you’re on the scene. Do you think you can stay out of it now?” Arano Ryoko took a deep puff of her cigarette. After satisfying her addiction, she threw the cigarette butt into the trash can and brought Kitagawa Tera to the end of the long corridor.

Kitagawa Tera slanted his eyes, glancing at Arano Ryoko’s expression, and did not talk as he followed behind her.

Arano Ryoko said while walking, “The deceased is named Hoshino Nana and happens to be a student at Kyokuboku High School. I think you know that. But I don’t think you know about the autopsy results and the matters linked afterward.

“We found hair of the same thickness on Hoshino Nana and several other bodies. According to the evaluation of the forensics department, this hair belongs to a fugitive ten years ago.”

“It seems that this Ishikawa Kaito was suffering from hair loss.” Kitagawa Tera made a rare joke.

“Don’t be so flippant with this old lady here!” Arano Ryoko said without any demeanor of a lady.

“The fugitive’s name is Ishikawa Kaito and lived in Hassan City, Iwate Prefecture. He killed his parents ten years ago and absconded with all their savings.

“Following that, colleagues in Hassan City dug out the head, legs, and chopped-up torso of Mitsui Yuko, his neighbor, around his house. At the same time, someone also found the dismembered head, legs, and torso of Takahashi Saori in an abandoned construction site not far from his house.

“These bodies are similar to the bodies of the current case.” Arano Ryoko had a deep gaze and a serious voice. “That is, they all have missing arms.”

“At that time, this case caused a huge uproar in all of Hassan City. After all, an educated high school student actually murdered his parents and fellow students. Executioner, murderer, butcher… Regardless of what they called this atrocious culprit, he deserved it.”

Arano Ryoko’s voice sounded distant, as though she wanted to go back in time to see what truly happened. With every single cold word and sentence, it made others shudder.

“Ishikawa Kaito’s criminal motives are still unknown, but he has already been on the run for ten years. Whether the current case is committed by a copycat or the culprit himself, we have no way of knowing for now. The only thing we can be sure of is that there is more than one murderer. Someone is assisting him. Otherwise, Ishikawa Kaito could not have been on the run for ten years.”

“Therefore…” Arano Ryoko stopped in front of the autopsy room, suddenly turned back to look at Kitagawa Tera, and laughed self-mockingly. “How is it? Am I a very strange police officer? I actually think that the key to solving this case lies in you, this rascal.”

Having high hopes on a high school student was undoubtedly very strange.

But Arano Ryoko had an inexplicable feeling in her heart that Kitagawa Tera was the key to solving this case.

“That can only mean that your feeling is quite sharp,” Kitagawa Tera said without much emotion, his tone full of calm.

“You’re really confident,” Arano Ryoko ridiculed Kitagawa Tera. She wanted to reach for a cigarette, but she thought of the rules in the autopsy room. She could only helplessly extinguish the desire, take out a piece of gum, and throw it into her mouth to chew. “Let’s go in. But let me tell you first that I don’t much like the fellow inside.”

The moment they pushed open the autopsy room door, a stream of cold air rushed out from the room.

The brightness of the autopsy room was just right, and an autopsy table was right in the middle of the room, with strong lights shining down. On the autopsy table was an adjustable fixed table with various dissecting tools on one side.

“What a rare visitor. Isn’t this Superintendent Arano? So, do you still want to know the specific situation of the body? But unfortunately, you should have received the autopsy report, and on it is all you can know.” A female voice came.

Arano Ryoko scratched her head, narrowed her eyes, and shouted inside, “I’m just here to bring the kid you’re interested in, Sakura.”

“Oh?!” The female voice was suddenly brimming with interest.

Under the gazes of Kitagawa Tera and Arano Ryoko, a bespectacled female unexpectedly slowly crawled out from under the autopsy table.

Had it been a normal person, he would have felt scared or wary of the baffling interest the other person had in him.

“How many times have I told you? Don’t sleep under the autopsy table, Sakura.” Arano Ryoko sighed.

She had superb anatomical skills, but Arano Ryoko could not get along with her.

After all, this person had a particularly strange hobby. She especially liked to sleep on or under the autopsy table after dissection or autopsy.

Sometimes, when her interest came, she would ask colleagues to use strange props to tie her to the autopsy table.

For Sakura Yuki, this was her way of experiencing how a dissected deceased felt.

This horrible hobby made Arano Ryoko steer clear of her, and she sometimes even suspected if this fellow truly had a peculiar interest in corpses.

“It’s just a trivial matter, and I always clean up nicely afterward. Is this the unique Kitagawa Tera-san that you often talk about, Ryoko?”

Sakura Yuki pushed her glasses up and finally showed her appearance before Kitagawa Tera.

She was wearing a white coat, on her high nose bridge was a pair of light red-framed glasses, and a pair of clear eyes hidden behind those lenses, glittering with light.

Her big wavy hair scattered randomly, displaying a sense of being free and uninhibited.

The only drawback of such a wonderful woman was that she was a little too short, and on the edges of her eye sockets were severe dark circles, looking like she had been staying up late for a long time.

With a smile, she extended her hand to Kitagawa Tera and said excitedly, “How are you, Kitagawa-kun? I am Sakura Yuki. As you can see, I’m considered the one in charge of this autopsy room.”

“Nice to meet you.” Her interested expression left Kitagawa Tera puzzled, but he still reached and shook her hand.

After finishing the introductions, Sakura Yuki quickly exposed her nature. While rubbing her hands, she giggled and smiled. “Kitagawa-Kun, I keep hearing Superintendent Arano mentioning your deeds these days. It is said… you are almost always at the crime scenes, or not far away from them, right?”

“…” Kitagawa Tera.

Kitagawa Tera did not answer Sakura Yuki. He only raised his eyebrows and looked thoughtfully at the root of Sakura Yuki’s palm.

There was a large, light black birthmark, which was not very obvious under the light.

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“Ah? Did you notice? Really…” Sakura Yuki subconsciously tugged her sleeve, slightly shy. “The birthmark on my palm is very serious, so I normally just hide my hand under the sleeve.”

“I don’t care about that.” Kitagawa Tera did not pay too much attention to it and waved his hand, looking calm.

Regardless of whether Kitagawa Tera really cared about it or not, Sakura Yuki smiled and continued, “Then, can I please get Kitagawa-Kun to answer my questions just now? Why is Kitagawa-Kun always able to rush to the crime scenes or already be there every time?

“I am really very curious about this.”

She stared at Kitagawa Tera with bright eyes, expecting him to be able to solve her doubts.