Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – ANOTHER FILES Vol 2 Epilogue

ANOTHER FILES – THE COFFIN OF PRAYER
epilogue

Gotou stood in front of the church altar and looked up at the statue of Christ –

That face, looking down, seemed a bit like Kirino’s to Gotou. In the narrow s.p.a.ce between belief and reality, or perhaps, the narrow s.p.a.ce between the ideal and reality, Kirino had always fought.

If he could have turned his suffering into anger like Gotou, he probably wouldn’t have suffered so much, but Kirino hadn’t been able to.

Because he was too sensitive and too kind, he had cornered himself into taking his own life.

‘It isn’t like you to wallow in your emotions in a place like this.’

Somebody suddenly called out to him.

When Gotou turned around, he saw Yak.u.mo there.

With slow With easygoing steps, he walked down the alley between the pews and stopped beside Gotou.

'You’re the one who called me here.’

One week after the incident – Gotou hadn’t come here because he’d wanted to. Yak.u.mo had called him here.

'Yes… How is the investigation?’ asked Yak.u.mo, his eyes faraway.

'It’s a mess.’

Yak.u.mo had revealed the truth of the case, but it was too complex. They had enough trouble just with Kirino’s suicide, but k.u.mi’s murder six years ago was involved too.

The whole Criminal Affairs department was making a fuss.

'How is Utsugi Kento-san being treated?’

Yak.u.mo glanced at Gotou out of the corner of his eye.

Yak.u.mo had empathised with Kento during this case. Probably because Yak.u.mo had felt the same solitariness that Kento had.

'The case six years ago will probably be written off as an accident. It’s lucky that Orita was there to witness it.’

'I see – how about Kirino-san’s case?’

'a.s.sisting a suicide and hiding evidence of the corpse. It’ll probably be a suspended sentence.’

'I see,’ murmured Yak.u.mo, shutting his eyes.

His face seemed melancholy. What was Yak.u.mo thinking now that the case was over – Gotou didn’t know.

But there was something he wanted to ask.

'What do you think crime is?’

'What is this all of a sudden – ’

Yak.u.mo furrowed his brows.

Gotou had been thinking about it ever since the case ended.

Kento, who had made a mistake and killed k.u.mi, couldn’t be tried for crime because of juvenile law.

Gotou and Kirino had caused Sumida to die in an accident, but they could be tried for Sumida’s death.

Kirino, who had chosen to kill himself in the end, wouldn’t be tried by law, but in Christianity, it was a crime to take your own life.

'Who decides what crime is?’

Gotou had grown unsure of that with this case.

'Isn’t this rather philosophical for you, Gotou-san?’

Yak.u.mo ran a hand through his messy hair.

He was probably making fun of him. Normally, Gotou would flare up, but he didn’t feel like it now.

'What’s crime?’

Gotou glared at Yak.u.mo, which made him smile slightly.

'There’s no way I’d know that.’

'What?’

'I don’t think sin or crime is something for somebody to decide. It is born naturally in one’s heart.’

'What?’

'That’s why Kirino-san came up with a plan like that.’

Yak.u.mo looked at the statue of Christ.

Maybe that was it. n.o.body decided it – it was something already defined in everyone’s hearts.

Even if somebody tried to punish someone, they might feel nothing. On the other hand, somebody who wasn’t punished might still feel they had committed a crime.

– But is that really OK?

'I don’t get it.’

'It’s because you’re thinking about something difficult even though you’re you, Gotou-san.’

Yak.u.mo smiled in a slightly mocking manner.

'What?’

'Gotou-san, even if you think for your whole life, you won’ find an answer. Though of course that’s the same for me…’

– He really is a hateful brat.

Though Gotou was irritated, he felt just a bit refreshed.

'So what was the reason you went out of your way to call me here?’

Though Yak.u.mo probably did want to know about the case, Gotou felt like there was another reason he had asked him to come here.

'There is something I want to tell you, Gotou-san.’

'Something you want to tell me?’

'Well, it isn’t from me but from Kirino-san – ’

Yak.u.mo turned his eyes to the podium.

Gotou’s eyes followed. Though he couldn’t see enough, Kirino was probably there.

Gotou had no proof. He just felt it.

'Kirino – ’ Gotou murmured.

Though it was faint, he felt like he could see Kirino there.

'I’m glad I met you – ’

Gotou heard a voice. However, he couldn’t tell whether it was Yak.u.mo’s or Kirino’s.

'Then I’ll take my leave – ’

Yak.u.mo exited the church, leaving Gotou in his daze.

Gotou, who had been left in the silence, felt a hot wave of emotion that was hard to describe surge up within his chest.

Was it anger, sadness or regret – Gotou himself didn’t know.

It was probably all of them.

'You idiot! Just dying on your own! I…’

Gotou knelt in front of Christ’s statue and silently wept –

Haruka was waiting in front of the church when Yak.u.mo returned, yawning –

He ran a hand through his messy hair. He looked incredibly bored. However, it was just his appearance – he had to have complex feelings within him.

'Are you done with Gotou-san?’ asked Haruka.

'Yeah,’ Yak.u.mo replied curtly. He started walking away briskly.

He really just did whatever he wanted.

'Hey, where are you going?’ asked Haruka. Yak.u.mo stopped and turned around.

'There’s just one more thing I want to check.’

'What?’

'You’ll know if you come,’ said Yak.u.mo, who then started walking again.

Haruka didn’t understand, but she followed Yak.u.mo.

'How about the case then?’ asked Haruka as she walked.

Though Yak.u.mo seemed annoyed, he explained what had happened up until now to her.

He had probably heard from Gotou in the church.

What would happen to Kento now – though Haruka was curious, Sachiko was getting better, so in any case, the case was settled.

However, there was something Haruka was still caught on.

'Why did Orita-san tell Makoto-san that there was a corpse even though six years had pa.s.sed already?’

She still hadn’t heard an explanation for that.

'He didn’t just see the corpse in Kagami Spring six years ago.’

'Eh?’

'He saw the corpse very recently – ’

'Ah!’

Haruka understood now.

k.u.mi’s corpse was taken out of the spring recently and moved to the corpse. Orita had probably witnessed Kirino carrying the corpse by coincidence.

'If k.u.mi-san’s corpse hadn’t undergone adipocere, Kirino-san and Kento-san might not have gone through with the plan,’ said Yak.u.mo, gaze on his feet.

'What do you mean?’

'That corpse was too beautiful – ’

'Maybe you’re right…’

As Haruka nodded, the image of k.u.mi’s corpse came up in her mind.

A corpse as beautiful as if it was sleeping. If somebody said that, they probably wouldn’t be able to organise their thoughts.

After walking for a while, Haruka also understood where Yak.u.mo was going.

The origin of the case – Kagami Spring.

However, Haruka was confused by something else then. What did Yak.u.mo want to check at Kagami Spring now?

Haruka reached Kagami Spring before realising the answer.

The surface glittered with sunlight. It was like the spring itself was golden.

'I see, so she really was here – ’ said Yak.u.mo, looking at the spring.

'Eh?’

'k.u.mi-san. She is still here – ’

After saying that, Yak.u.mo’s eyes narrowed.

– Why?

Haruka had that question.

'That’s… She isn’t possessing Sachiko-san any longer.’

'She isn’t.’

'Then why is she still here?’ asked Haruka, which made Yak.u.mo run a hand through his hair.

'k.u.mi-san possessed Sachiko-san because she wanted to stop Kento-san’s plan.’

'Mmhm.’

Haruka understood that.

That was why k.u.mi had left Sachiko’s body after the case was over.

'But she had a different reason for wandering here for six years after her death – ’

'Another reason?’

'Yes. That is why she’s still bound to Kagami Spring after leaving Sachiko-san’s body.’

'What will happen to k.u.mi-san now?’

'She’ll continue to sing here.’

'That’s… Can’t anything be done?’ said Haruka pleadingly.

Yak.u.mo shook his head.

'Nothing.’

'But then k.u.mi-san will continue wandering forever. That’s so sad. It’s too pitiful…’

'That’s just your perspective.’

Yak.u.mo’s eyes were frightening.

'Eh?’

'It isn’t sad or pitiful.’

'Why not?’

'Because she herself wants to continue singing for the people she loves – ’

Those words shook Haruka’s heart violently.

It was just as Yak.u.mo said. If k.u.mi wanted to sing and pray for the ones she loved, n.o.body had the right to stop her.

Doing this made k.u.mi happy.

– What a woman.

She lost her mother to sickness and her father to a traffic accident. She had supported Kento as a sister and a mother ever since.

She had forgiven Kirino, who had caused her father’s death, and even healed his wounds.

That wasn’t all – rather than hating Kento for causing her death, she continued singing here for his sake.

Maybe k.u.mi wasn’t singing just for Kento but for all the people in this world.

Haruka asked herself if she could do the same thing.

Though she couldn’t find an answer, she could understand how deep k.u.mi’s love was.

'Let’s go. There’s nothing we can do any more.’

After saying that, Yak.u.mo turned away from Kagami Spring and started walking.

'OK.’

Haruka turned away from Kagami Spring too.

A cold wind blew.

In that wind, she felt like she could hear the faint sound of singing.

A kind, warm song, filled with love –

'What are you doing?’

Haruka was about to turn around, but Yak.u.mo spoke up before she did.

'Ah, right.’

Haruka slowly started to walk.

k.u.mi’s spirit would probably continue to wander this spring from now on.

With her song of prayer –