Chapter 44: Night of The Thick Fog (Part 1)
“Is that him?”
In the desolate night, the figure was blurred by the heavy fog. Kagehara Tetsuya squinted, but couldn't make out the person's face.
He glanced at his phone. The time was 10:17 PM.
No wonder most of the surrounding residents had turned off their lights and gone to sleep. The streets were unusually dark. Normally, the widely spaced streetlights provided meager illumination, but tonight, the dense fog severely hampered visibility, reducing the effective range of each lamp to a mere two meters.
As the figure drew closer, even Kagehara’s heart began to pound. He observed the other’s cautious movements. The figure moved quickly, constantly glancing around, as if terrified of being seen.
More importantly, their route was well-chosen. They kept to the far right of the road, ensuring that the walls of the houses on that side would block them from view.
When passing the one or two houses with lights still on, they would subtly alter their course, hugging the illuminated walls, keeping themselves shrouded in darkness.
“This guy has a rudimentary understanding of counter-surveillance, but not much,” Kagehara mused. The figure hadn’t once glanced at the car, unaware that someone was inside, watching their every move.
As the figure came closer, Kagehara could discern their clothing. They wore jeans, with occasional flashes of light reflecting off some metal ornamentation.
They had on a black inner shirt and a short trench coat. The coat’s collar was turned up high, partially obscuring their face. A black baseball cap with a silver “X” embroidered on the front completed the ensemble.
“Wait, that hat… it looks familiar.”
Kagehara frowned, studying the trench coat. The design seemed slightly off, with only one button, placed rather high, giving it an odd, unbalanced look. Normally, a second button lower down would create a more symmetrical appearance.
“I see… I see!”
The moment the memory surfaced, a flash of recognition struck Kagehara. It was Hasebe Koichi, without a doubt. And he knew exactly where he was hiding.
The hat Hasebe was wearing had been Kagehara’s from middle school. He’d kept it in his closet after it became worn and he’d bought a new one. The oddly designed trench coat, originally a two-button model, belonged to Kagehara’s late father, Kagehara Kenta. After his suicide, no one had worn it, and the bottom button had fallen off, never to be replaced.
“This guy has guts, hiding in my own house.”
Kagehara chuckled. The hat was his, the coat was his father’s. Hasebe’s hiding place was obvious.
“It’s a clever choice. Sometimes, the most dangerous place is the safest.”
“In the two days following ĹŚshima Masaki’s death, my house was certainly not safe. The police could enter at any time with a search warrant. But after the search, no one would expect the ‘missing’ Kagehara Tetsuya to return. Even I hadn’t considered that he’d hide there.”
“He probably ran there after confirming the face swap with Senpai. The police must have searched the entire house by then. The lock was probably broken by them too.”
Hasebe clearly hadn’t noticed Kagehara watching from the car. He reached the Hasebe residence and took out a small white box from his pocket. He glanced at the house, hesitating whether to throw the box into the yard.
Noting the overcast sky, he changed his mind and walked to the mailbox, depositing the white box inside.
Then, he approached the front door.
“He’s going to ring the doorbell and make sure his parents get the box immediately?”
Kagehara frowned. If Hasebe’s parents saw the contents of the box first, it would be difficult to retrieve it. More importantly, the police would also find out. What would happen if they questioned him later? Worse, if they learned about Lord Mask-Taker’s existence, it would be disastrous.
“Judging by his concern about the rain, the box likely contains a handwritten letter or a notebook. Given his contact with Lord Mask-Taker, it must contain information I don’t know about.”
Kagehara made a snap decision. He couldn’t let that box fall into Hasebe’s parents’ hands.
He could either wait for Hasebe to ring the doorbell and run, then snatch the box before Hasebe’s father came out.
Or he could prevent Hasebe from ringing the doorbell altogether.
The latter option appealed to him more. In a flash, he pushed open the car door and slammed it shut. The sudden “bang” echoed through the quiet street, startling Hasebe, who was at the front door. He took off running without looking back.
“I wonder how hard he tried not to scream. He runs pretty well. Looks like he has some experience with escaping,” Kagehara chuckled softly. He knew better than to underestimate someone who didn’t look back. Many fools were caught because they turned around out of curiosity.
He needed to retrieve the box first, then pay a long-overdue visit to his house.
Kagehara put on a pair of rubber gloves, got out of the car, and stepped into the night air.
The air was cool and damp, the fog slightly acrid. He covered his mouth and nose, but he had barely taken a step when his phone vibrated violently. A piercing message alert shattered the silence of the street.
Frowning, he took out his phone and silenced the alert. A quick glance at the screen made him freeze. He whirled around, staring at the seemingly abandoned house behind him.
The house was desolate, its walls peeling, stained and grimy. In a second-floor window that should have been empty, a figure stood, drawing a bow. The sharp arrowhead was aimed directly at Kagehara.
At the same time, another figure emerged from the broken front door. She removed her mask, revealing her face. She smiled brightly and waved, holding an old-fashioned mobile phone in her hand.
Her face was like a slap in Kagehara’s face, just like the message he had just received: “Kouhai, look behind you.”
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