Chapter 18 Section 5

When Misako went to the door to pick up the evening paper, she thought to herself that the security of the police seemed to be stricter than during the day.Standing in front of the door were two men with sharp eyes who seemed to be standing there just by chance.But needless to say, it is impossible for them to have no purpose, presumably to monitor people who come and go from Gua Sheng's house.Similarly, there were two policemen standing at the back door.Misako didn't understand, why did she suddenly become so heavily guarded after dusk? In this tense atmosphere, Misako's father Sosuke came.He seemed to have greeted Ayako at the main house before coming to the annex where Misako and his wife lived.

"I feel really uncomfortable, and I was stared at when I passed the gate." Sousuke said while taking off his shoes at the entrance. "Did the police question you?" "No. Maybe I'll ask when I leave. Where's Akihiko?" "Not yet, but I think it will be soon." Misako took her father to the living room. This was the third time she had brought someone into the living room today. "What did the police ask you?" Sosuke asked as he took off his suit and loosened his tie. "I've asked a lot of questions. I keep asking the same questions again and again. Daddy, how about some tea?"

"Oh, you don't need to trouble. It seems that the police will investigate you carefully. Do you really have nothing in your heart?" "No, I don't know anything." After speaking, Misako prepared the tea set.There was a hint of self-deprecation in this sentence, but Sousuke didn't catch the implication. "That's good. If you talk too much about it, it will be bad if something irreversible happens." Misako listened to his father with her back turned, thinking that she might have done something irreparable.Yusaku has already seen that she saw Akihiko during the day yesterday.If the police suspect Akihiko in the future, Misako's testimony should be of great significance.Even if Yuzuo said that he would not tell others about this, but...

In addition to telling him about this, Misako also mentioned the "Rope of Destiny", hoping that he could understand her current mood. Before seeing Yusaku, Misako had warned herself "don't lose yourself", but she also noticed that the more she talked to Yusaku, the more she couldn't control herself.She has always wanted to find someone to tell her dissatisfaction with the status quo, doubts about her husband, and doubts about her current life.The reunion with Yongzuo after more than ten years of absence is enough to break the lock on her heart. What would he think of what he said? Would he scoff at my stupid delusion? It would be sad if he ignored what I said.

Misako, however, would also be terrified at the thought of taking her confession seriously and acting on it.She felt like she had opened Pandora's box. Hearing Zhuang Jie's words, she came back to her senses, said "Huh", and turned her head. Zhuangsuke asked while reading the evening paper, "I'm talking about Akihiko, did he say anything about the murder?" "No." Misako brought tea and refreshments.Sou put down the evening paper, squinted his eyes and sipped his tea.Seeing him drinking tea, Misako sighed and thought, Dad is really getting old! After retiring from UR Densan, Sou went to work for its outsourcer, Electrical Engineering Company.The content of the job is to be in charge of liaising with the previous company. It doesn't need to worry about it, and it doesn't consume energy. In addition, moderate exercise may be beneficial to the body. He looks very good recently.

"Akihiko is the heir to the Guasheng family, so the police will naturally suspect him, right?" "Probably so." "The police's suspicion should have been dispelled, right? Like confirming the alibi or something?" Sousuke uttered a technical term, probably because he often watched the mystery series on TV recently. "God knows, I don't know. He was hardly at home yesterday, and he went out early this morning, and he hasn't come back yet." "Oh. The police may have gone to college." Sousuke's eyes wandered in the air uneasily.

The two were talking about irrelevant things about the murder case without saying a word, when there was a sound from the hallway.Akihiko is back. Knowing that his father-in-law was coming, he immediately went to the living room to say hello, sat in front of Zhuangsuke without changing his clothes, and asked how his father-in-law was doing with a smile on his face. "I thought it was serious, so I came over to see what was going on, but I couldn't do anything." "Thank you, Dad. You don't have to worry. This commotion is only because my father's belongings were stolen, and it involved human life. There are often incidents of stolen cars being used for crimes in society, and this time is just like that." Probably thinking To reassure his father-in-law, Akihiko gave a far-fetched explanation.The crossbow being used to kill people and the stolen car being misused are two different things, because there are limited people who can take away the crossbow.

And you are one of them.Behind Akihiko's back, Misako whispered in her heart. Akihiko invited Sou to have dinner, but Sou declined and stood up. "Then I'll take you home." "No, there's no need. I'll sway back slowly by myself." Sosuke waved his hand hastily. "The weather is a bit cold, it's not good for your health. I'll be worried, please let me see you off." Akihiko insisted. Zhuang Jie scratched his head in embarrassment, and said, "Then respect is worse than obedience." Misako watched the two go out, and then tidied up the living room.She picked up the suit that Akihiko had put on the ground, and was about to hang it on the hanger, when something fell to the ground—a tube of instant adhesive.

Why did he have this kind of thing on his body? Was it used in the university's research laboratory? Akihiko often brought some inexplicable things home, but it was the first time he had experienced instant adhesives.Misako was in disbelief, but put it back into the inner pocket of her suit. Akihiko came home later than expected, Misako reheated the soup for dinner, but Akihiko didn't give any explanation for the late return.Misako asked casually: "The road is blocked. Car?" Akihiko just replied ambiguously: "Well, from what you've said, it's really congested. "

While eating, Misako asked Akihiko if the police had been to university.He replied nonchalantly, "Come here." "What did they ask you?" "It's nothing, just like what I asked you yesterday." "For example, where are you during the day?" "almost." Akihiko drank soup, ate salad and roast beef at a leisurely pace, without any unnatural expression. "How do you answer?" "what?" "That's it," Misako said, downing the wine, "when they asked where you were during the day." "Oh," he nodded, "I replied that I was eating a takeaway set meal in the research room. The clerk should remember me, there is nothing to doubt."

"Oh." She responded briefly, thinking, but Yusaku Wakura is suspicious of you. "Is the food in that store good? It's a restaurant near the university, right?" "Nothing special. But for the price, it's ok." "Are there any dishes you hate?" For example, Kabayaki eel Ichimoku Misako didn't say it. "Sometimes. It's better not to order that kind of thing—" Akihiko said here, as if he suddenly held his breath.He must have remembered that the set meal he ordered yesterday and what he said now contradicted each other.Misako didn't dare to look at his expression, her eyes were fixed on the plate. "Why do you ask this?" Akihiko asked her. "It's nothing... just thinking about what you usually eat. Would you like another bowl of soup?" Misako stretched out her right hand, thinking that she acted really naturally. Akihiko didn't show any doubts about her, and replied in a normal tone: "No need." There was a brief silence between the two, save for the sound of a knife and fork hitting a plate.Misako felt that the conversation between the two of them had become less when they had dinner recently. "Two policemen came today. I was shocked when I saw one of them. It turned out to be my former classmate." "Huh? Is it true?" Misako poured wine for Akihiko with a surprised expression on her face.His acting skills were not that great this time, but he didn't seem to notice. "He was in the same school as me from elementary school to high school. He is very active and caring. He is always popular in the class. And he is the kind of hard-working person. Studying is like stacking small stones, one step at a time " Akihiko put down the knife, put his hand on his chin, and showed a look of recalling the past, "It's just the opposite of me." "what?" "He was just the opposite of me. I couldn't get along with the classmates around me. I felt that everyone was so immature, like trash, and I had no interest in the games that ordinary children play. I don't think I'm weird, Instead, I think they have problems." He put the fork next to the knife, "He is a typical representative of that kind of kid, leading a large group of classmates, no matter what he does, he is like a leader, and even the teacher trusts him." "You...don't like him?" "It should be. I don't like his every move, but I feel that I seem to be aware of his existence before I have a thorough understanding of him. How should I put it? Should we say that we don't hit it off? In short, I always subconsciously want to repel him, just like magnets repel with the same pole.” Akihiko drank the rest of the wine in the glass, as if to reflect something, raised the glass to his eyes high. "But it's unbelievable that I now have a feeling of nostalgia for him. Whenever I try to recall the long student life, I can't think of anything, but he always comes to my mind—Yusaku Wakura." "Because you are old enemies?" Misako said what she heard from Yusaku. Akihiko repeated it and said, "Yeah, that might be an appropriate way to say it." He nodded frequently. "However, it's really strange." "what?" "This is the first time I've heard you mention something about your childhood." Akihiko looked away as if he was suddenly upset by humanity, and said, "I also had a childhood." He got up from his chair.Nearly a third of the roast beef was left on the plate.