Chapter 37: Hasebe Koichi’s Transformation
“Is Mrs. Hasebe not home?”
Mr. Hasebe shook his head quickly. “She’s unwell. It’s not convenient for her to come out. Please, just ask me anything. You mentioned earlier that Koichi is in danger—is that true?”
The concern in his voice was palpable, his hands fidgeting nervously. Tetsuya leaned forward slightly, his expression grave but calculated. “If he’s not in danger, that would be fortunate. But from what I know, Kagehara Tetsuya is not a man to be trusted. A year ago, when he was still a middle school student, he mimicked the methods of the Makeup Hunter and brutally murdered a female classmate. Now, he’s struck again. Do you truly believe Hasebe-san is safe in his company?”
While Mr. Hasebe was still processing this, Tetsuya pressed on, “And from what I understand, Koichi and Ōshima Masaki were friends, weren’t they? Even if friends have disagreements, it rarely escalates to murder. In other words, Koichi has no motive. Don’t you agree?”
The old man’s hands clenched into fists, his voice rising with desperation. “Yes, yes! That’s exactly what I think! Koichi and that Ōshima boy were always together. How could he possibly kill him? My son is innocent! I’ll go to the police right now—I’ll tell them to save him!”
Tetsuya’s hand shot out, stopping Mr. Hasebe mid-rise. “Calling the police won’t help.”
Mr. Hasebe froze, confusion etching deeper lines into his face. "Huh? Why not?"
“It’s simple,” Tetsuya replied, “The detectives aren’t interested in the truth. They just want to close the case. If they cared about justice, why would they so foolishly issue a warrant for Koichi’s arrest?”
The old man’s resolve wavered, his shoulders slumping. Tetsuya seized the moment, his words cutting like a blade. “And let’s not forget, Koichi doesn’t have the best reputation with the police. The warrant mentions that seventeen years ago, when he was in high school, he was imprisoned for bullying a classmate to death, doesn’t it?”
Mr. Hasebe’s eyes widened, a flicker of realization crossing his face.
“Furthermore,” Tetsuya continued, his tone growing colder, “Hasebe-san and Ōshima-san were both part of a motorcycle gang. They’ve likely been detained multiple times for related incidents. For the police, who would want to go through the trouble of proving someone like that innocent? Who would want to save him?"
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “In fact, it might be more convenient for them if Hasebe-san were dead. One less troublemaker to deal with, and they could easily pin Ōshima-san’s murder on him. A dead man can’t defend himself, after all. They could announce that the notorious Hasebe Koichi was the killer, an easy way to fool the media and the uninformed public, and move on."
"Who knows? These incompetent cops might even pat themselves on the back, thinking they’ve done society a favor."
By the time Tetsuya finished, Mr. Hasebe’s face was a mask of fury and despair. His voice trembled as he spat out, “Bastards! Those damn cops, those tax thieves!”
After venting his, he quickly turned to Tetsuya, his eyes pleading. “What should I do? How can I save Koichi? Please, you have to help me!”
Tetsuya’s expression softened, though his eyes remained sharp. “All you need to do is answer my questions. Hasebe-san is a key witness who can identify Kagehara Tetsuya. My employer, who seeks justice for his daughter, cares about your son’s life as much as you do. That’s why I’m here. I’ll do everything in my power to help him.”
With that, Tetsuya began his questioning, his eyes fixed on Mr. Hasebe.
"Before June 9th, on which days did you last see Hasebe-san?"
Mr. Hasebe hesitated, his brow furrowing as he sifted through his memories. "He’s often not home... doesn’t always stay here. He came back at noon on the 8th and stayed the night on the 7th. I didn’t see him on the 6th or the 5th. Before that..." He paused, rubbing his temple. "Give me some time. I’ll try to remember."
Tetsuya’s mind raced. If Hasebe Koichi and Ōshima Masaki had swapped faces, the real Hasebe wouldn’t have risked returning home on the day of the swap—his voice would have betrayed him. That meant the switch had to have happened on either June 6th or 5th. The man Mr. Hasebe had seen on the 7th and 8th wasn’t his son at all. It was Ōshima Masaki, wearing Hasebe’s face.
Leaning forward slightly, Tetsuya pressed further. "Before June 5th, did Hasebe-san show any sudden, unusual behavior? It’s fine if you can’t recall the exact day." He paused, then added, "For example, did he get drunk around late May—say, the 27th or 28th—and start talking about striking it rich? Maybe saying he’d make a fortune and make those who looked down on him regret it?"
Tetsuya’s reasoning was clear. If Ōshima Masaki had considered using the face-swap for personal gain, he must have discussed it with Hasebe Koichi. And according to Ōshima Mana’s testimony, Masaki had been drunk that day. It stood to reason that Hasebe would have been, too.
"Late last month..." Mr. Hasebe’s voice trailed off as he stared at the floor, deep in thought. "He did come home drunk those days, but he didn’t say anything particularly unusual. As for talking about making a fortune or making people regret looking down on him..." He sighed. "He’s always said things like that."
"He’s always said things like that?" Tetsuya frowned slightly. "Was he always someone who liked to boast? Even back in school?"
Mr. Hasebe shook his head. "Not really. You know, he was sentenced to twelve years in prison. During high school, Koichi hung out with delinquents all the time. He rarely talked about the future or dreams. About five years ago, after he got out of prison, I tried to talk to him about work and the future, but he was always impatient. Told me to stop bothering him."
"But about a year after his release, his attitude changed. Sometimes I could tell he was... pleased with himself, like something good had happened outside. He also started staying away from home more often."
Mr. Hasebe’s voice grew quieter, almost reluctant. "Around that time, he stopped asking me for money. He seemed to become quite well-off. Bought a nice motorcycle, started smoking expensive cigarettes. When I asked him if he’d found work, he wouldn’t tell me. I could only warn him not to do anything illegal."
As Mr. Hasebe’s words spilled out in a disjointed stream, Tetsuya felt the pieces of the puzzle click into place. A quiet realization settled over him, sharp and undeniable.
So that’s how it was. It could actually be like this.
No—it should be like this.
"This information is incredibly important to me," Tetsuya thought to himself, coming here today had been the right decision. He encouraged the old man, “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to save Hasebe-san.”
Mr. Hasebe’s eyes widened, “R-really? Koichi will be okay, won’t he?”
Tetsuya nodded and smiled. “Of course. He’ll be fine. I promise.” He paused, then added, “But I need your help. Try to think back—was there anything unusual or memorable during his first year after his release?”
The old man’s face scrunched in concentration. He sat in silence for a long moment, the ticking of a wall clock filling the room. Finally, he shook his head, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry… I can’t recall anything specific. That first year, he was… different. He locked himself in his room for weeks, barely spoke a word. Eventually, he started going out for walks, but he was still distant. Later, he took some money from me and went on a few trips out of town. But nothing strange stood out to me.”
Tetsuya wasn’t ready to let the thread slip away. “What about the timing? When exactly did his attitude change? Was there anything unusual just before that?”
Mr. Hasebe hesitated, then shook his head again. “Nothing comes to mind. But…” He trailed off, his voice dropping to a murmur. “I’ve always wondered if he met someone in prison. Maybe after that person was released, they started some kind of business together. Koichi never talked about it, though.”
Tetsuya’s frown deepened. A connection forged behind bars—it was a plausible lead, but vague. Too vague. He shifted tactics, his tone measured but probing. “What about his relationships outside of prison? Did he have a girlfriend? Anyone close to him?”
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