Chapter 494
The Last Player
Tokyo.
Summer has arrived before we knew it, and the continuous sunny days have left people feeling dizzy and nauseous, with the highest temperature occasionally soaring above 35 degrees Celsius.
Students are enjoying their summer vacation, and they can often be seen on the streets. They laugh and play, discussing where to go next, and the heat hasn't dampened their liveliness.
Sugitani Yoshihiro stood at the station exit, watching a group of chattering children in short sleeves and shorts leave before turning away with his envious gaze.
He tugged at his suit collar, faced the blazing sun overhead, clutched his briefcase tightly under his arm, and turned to walk in the opposite direction toward the shopping street.
He currently works at a law firm in Mihua, founded by one of his senior classmates from university.
The weather was exceptionally hot today. By the time Sugitani Yoshihiro returned to the law firm ten minutes later, his shirt was already soaked with sweat.
As soon as he entered the room, the cool air from the air conditioner hit him in the face, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
It was close to lunch break, and two colleagues were discussing something at their workstations near the entrance. Seeing Sugitani Yoru enter, one of them greeted him with a smile:
"Back from the Metropolitan Police Department? What did they say this time?"
When this was mentioned, Sugitani Yoshihiro felt powerless.
"Nothing much happened, they just told me to continue cooperating with the investigation..."
……
Sugitani Hajime, male, 25 years old.
As a native of Beika, Tokyo, he was born and raised in this land, completing his education from elementary school to university.
A few years ago, not long after graduating from university, he learned that his father was being transferred to Canada. He originally thought that his mother and sister could go with him while he stayed in Japan. However, to his surprise, his sister, who was not usually a brother-obsessed sister, suddenly insisted that he go with her.
“The environment in Japan is too harsh,” his sister advised him. “Canada is better. There’s no discrimination or oppression from superiors, subordinates, or colleagues. Anyway, your English is good, so why don’t you go and have a look?”
Sugitani Yoshihiro, recalling the complaints he overheard from some alumni during the social event, thought about it all night and finally agreed.
Then he regretted it.
The reason is simple: he studied law in university—Japanese law.
Different countries have different laws and regulations. This means that even if he studied hard in Japan for many years and passed the bar exam, he would have no use for his skills after coming to Canada and would have to start all over again.
Sugitani Yoshihiro stayed for two years, trying several assistant jobs, but always struggling. Finally, last year, he couldn't take it anymore, told his parents, and returned to Japan alone.
The day after he returned to Japan, his younger sister, who was juggling her university studies and part-time job on the farm, finally discovered that he had run away and called him.
Why did you go back?
For some reason, Sugitani Hajime detected a hint of collapse in her tone.
“I don’t want to waste all my previous efforts,” he said. “Ya Yin, I finally passed the bar exam, but I can’t do anything in Canada, so I’m going back to Japan.”
The girl opposite him, Sugitani Hagakure, remained silent for several seconds.
She said, "Have you considered leaving Tokyo? At least don't stay in Beika."
Sugitani Hajime was still carrying the bento he bought from the convenience store. He looked up at the house in Beika Town, where he had lived for twenty years, feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Why?" he asked, puzzled. "Renting is expensive and troublesome. Why would I leave my existing home and rent in another city?"
Sugitani Yoshihiro paused, remembering what his sister had told him earlier, and interrupted her before she could finish speaking:
“I know that the security situation in Japan has not been good in recent years. I have also encountered some cases myself. Several of my former classmates have been involved in murder cases and died. But I am familiar with this place and know which places are dangerous, so I don’t usually go to those places.”
This time, the other side remained silent for even longer.
It wasn't until Sugitani Hajime suspected something was wrong and put down his phone that his sister's voice rang out again.
"……understood."
She sighed.
"Be careful, be friendly to your colleagues and friends, and express your goodwill directly. If you encounter a gathering of four people or a remote place where you are likely to lose contact, do not go there. Remember to call home regularly."
Sugitani Hagaku gave a few words of advice, his tone calm, as if he was too lazy to persuade her any further.
Sugitani Hajime returned to Tokyo.
Because he left Japan after passing the bar exam, he had to complete a year of training before officially becoming a lawyer not long ago.
Then... thinking about the series of events that happened after he officially joined the company, Sugitani Hajime's eyes gradually became vacant.
First, the senior lawyer in charge of his law firm was arrested for murder. Then, he was shot in the street in the Shibuya area. Recently, he also encountered an inheritance dispute.
The client is a large conglomerate located in Gunma, whose chairman is in declining health and intends to make a will.
This job wasn't difficult, and given that the conglomerate also had operations in North America, Sugitani Yoshihiro, who had spent two years abroad and had some understanding of foreign laws, became a good candidate. He went alone.
Unexpectedly, he had barely arrived in Gunma, and before he even stepped into the Takeuchi family's house, he heard in the inn that the Takeuchi family was involved in a major case.
Chairman Takeuchi was arrested, his three children were summoned, and even the lawyer who had just taken over the job was called in for questioning.
After being implicated in the case, the police began questioning him. Sugitani Hiroshi was very familiar with the process, and everything was going smoothly until...
"Huh? If we're cooperating with the police investigation, one visit should be enough, right? This is the first time our law firm has been handled by the Takeuchi Group; we're definitely not involved in those shady businesses." Another colleague asked curiously.
The colleague who first greeted Sugitani Hajime glanced at the unfortunate fellow in front of him, his expression turning slightly mocking:
“There’s nothing we can do about it.” He chuckled. “Who told President Takeuchi to suddenly die after being released and while asking Sugitani about his will?”
Sugitani Yoshihiro glanced at him, but didn't even have the energy to be angry.
That's right, that's why he's been making so many trips to the Metropolitan Police Department lately.
President Takeuchi died, and the Metropolitan Police Department determined that he was unaware of his family's involvement in organized crime, so they temporarily allowed him to return home.
Just as he was calling to discuss his will, the sound of a flowerpot breaking and labored breathing came through the phone. Sugitani Yoshihiro was stunned, but his more experienced colleague immediately called the police.
"While trimming potted plants in the backyard, I slipped and fell through a puddle on the stone path. My neck happened to get caught on the clothesline, which then came loose and became tightly wrapped around my neck. Fortunately, none of the servants were around..."
The colleague shrugged and said, "After this series of 'perfect' events, President Takeuchi was strangled to death by his own clothesline at about half a person's height."
Another colleague clicked his tongue in amazement: "It sounds like an accident straight out of 'Final Destination'."
“Movies and reality are two different things,” the man said, glancing at Sugitani Hajime who was staring blankly into the distance. “There are too many cases like Beika’s. It’s obviously a murder disguised as an accident, and they do it so convincingly.”
"The murderer did it so cleanly that there were no traces at the scene, and everything pointed to an accident. All the servants who were at home at the time were ruled out as suspects."
Another person suddenly realized: "So Sugitani, who happened to be on the phone with him at the time, became the only breakthrough in the eyes of the police?"
Sugitani Yoshihiro nodded, then suddenly felt something brush against his feet.
He looked down and paused.
A tiny animal, no bigger than his palm, was sitting at his feet. It was its little tail that had just rubbed against him. It was looking up at him with its eyes fixed on him, and when he looked down, their eyes met.
……dog?
This was Sugitani Hajime's first reaction.
It was still a small wolfhound, but it was different from the average dog breed. Its triangular ears stood up, unlike many dogs that drooped down.
The little wolfhound patted his trouser leg with its paw, and before they could react, it slipped out through the still-open office door.
"This is a recent unsolved case."
The colleague didn't see its visit and continued talking animatedly.
"Not only the police, but also some crime experts and mystery novelists are paying attention..."
……
"I do not know."
Inside his apartment in Nerima Ward, Kazuya Miwa, dressed in long sleeves, trousers, and a jacket, felt a chill as he held his phone, his exposed hand exposed.
He looked up at the temperature displayed on the air conditioner, his mouth moved, but he didn't say anything to Aoyagi Akimitsu, who was sitting on the sofa not far away knitting a little jacket for the cat. He continued talking to the screenwriter on the other end of the phone.
“I told you, I’m just an ordinary novelist. Even if I were to go to the scene and observe, let alone just listen to your description, I still wouldn’t be able to deduce anything.”
His words came from the bottom of his heart and were extremely sincere.
"Instead of that, let's talk about the script." He forcefully changed the subject. "Last time you said the last few episodes would be reshot, has the new script been written yet?" (End of Chapter)