The sun had barely risen when Senzaki’s police car rolled up to Kavei’s house. The streets were still shrouded in the soft light of dawn, giving everything a slightly ethereal glow. As the car door opened, Kavei stepped out onto the cobblestone path, followed closely by Shiraka, who had insisted on accompanying him. She didn’t want Kavei to face this alone. The rest of Senzaki's police force filled the remaining seats in the car, their faces set with determination and tension.

The journey to the grand estate was a silent one, the only sound being the steady hum of the engine and the occasional chirping of morning birds. The road wound past lush hills, the scenery growing more secluded and opulent as they neared their destination. Eventually, they arrived at the estate, a magnificent mansion standing proud against the backdrop of the rolling hills, its grandeur almost intimidating.

Inspector Senzaki glanced at Kavei, his eyes filled with concern. "This is where the culprit lives, Kavei-kun," he said, his voice heavy with worry.

Kavei turned to face the inspector, his expression calm and resolute. "I’ll be fine, Inspector Senzaki. See you in a bit, Shira-chan," he said, giving Shiraka a reassuring nod.

Shiraka’s face was a mix of anxiety and determination. She wanted to protest, to insist on coming along, but she knew Kavei well enough to understand that he needed to do this on his own. She gave him a small, encouraging smile instead.

Kavei opened the car door and stepped out, the gravel crunching under his feet as he made his way towards the mansion’s imposing front door. The air was thick with tension, each step feeling heavier than the last. He paused for a moment, taking in the sheer size and grandeur of the estate before raising his hand and knocking firmly on the door.

The seconds ticked by slowly, the silence almost deafening. Just as Kavei began to wonder if anyone was home, the door creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a man dressed in pristine white clothes, a cigar clamped between his teeth. His eyes were cold and calculating as they sized up Kavei.

Kavei squared his shoulders, meeting the man’s gaze with unwavering determination.

"I am Kavei. Niram Kavei. Are you perhaps Mister Yozomaki?" Kavei inquired, his tone polite but firm, his eyes unwavering.

The man took a slow drag from his cigar, the end glowing briefly. He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his gaze sharp and suspicious. "Yes, that's me. What do you want?" Yozomaki replied, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.

Kavei held his ground, his expression unflinching. "I heard that a friend of yours died yesterday," he continued, his eyes steady as he met Yozomaki's gaze.

Yozomaki's brow furrowed in confusion, a flicker of genuine puzzlement crossing his face. "A friend of mine?"

Kavei nodded, pressing on. "Miss Hailey. You knew this nee-chan, right?"

The name seemed to strike a chord. Yozomaki’s eyes clouded with sorrow, his voice faltering. "Yes. Hailey... died...?"

"I have come to give the details. May I come in...?" Kavei requested, his demeanor calm yet insistent.

There was a moment of hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable in Yozomaki's eyes. Then he stepped aside, gesturing for Kavei to enter. "Please... come... in..." he said, though there was an odd note in his voice that didn’t sit right with Kavei.

Inside the mansion, the air was cool and faintly perfumed with the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne. The decor spoke of wealth and taste, but there was a stillness, an emptiness that made the grandeur feel cold and unwelcoming.

Meanwhile, in the police car parked discreetly a few feet away from the estate, Inspector Senzaki tapped impatiently on the steering wheel. He glanced at the grand mansion, worry etched into his features. Shiraka sat beside him, her face tense with concern, while a female and a male officer occupied the back seats, all of them keeping a vigilant watch.

Senzaki's phone buzzed, breaking the tense silence. He picked it up without checking the caller ID, his focus on Kavei's safety. "Hello, Inspector Senzaki here," he answered briskly.

"Hello sir. This is the head of the police science team," the voice on the other end announced.

Senzaki straightened up, his attention fully captured. "Yes?" he said immediately, his tone urgent.

"As you suspected, sir, the gunshot wound has a stab wound carved on it," the head of the police science team reported.

Senzaki's heart sank. This confirmed their suspicions about the violent nature of Hailey’s death. He glanced at the mansion again, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Kavei was walking into a potential hornet's nest, and time was of the essence. He tightened his grip on the phone, praying for Kavei’s safety.

Inspector Senzaki had forbidden himself from mentioning that the conclusion about the gunshot wound had come from a thirteen-year-old. It was a matter of Kavei’s safety, a precaution to protect the boy from unnecessary scrutiny and potential danger. Yet, as he sat in the car, staring at the imposing mansion where Kavei was currently inside, he couldn't shake the feeling that this precaution alone might not be enough.

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Kavei’s sharp eyes swept over his surroundings, taking in every detail. The living room was spacious and tastefully decorated, but what immediately caught his attention were the numerous photographs adorning the walls.

Among the array of photos, a particular one on the table stood out. Kavei stepped closer to examine it. The photograph depicted Hailey standing between Yozomaki and another woman. Yozomaki, now in his late thirties, had an air of rugged charm about him. His sharp features were slightly softened by a neatly trimmed beard, and his dark hair was slicked back, adding to his imposing presence. The man’s eyes, though currently filled with sorrow, had a calculating gleam to them.

Kavei recognized Hailey immediately, but the other woman in the photograph was unfamiliar to him. She had a striking appearance, with long dark hair and a confident smile. Kavei made a mental note to ask about her later, suspecting that she might hold a key piece of the puzzle.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Yozomaki said, breaking Kavei’s train of thought. His voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of something unsettling. He gestured towards a plush armchair before turning towards the kitchen. "I'll prepare some tea for us."

As Yozomaki disappeared into the kitchen, Kavei took a deep breath and continued to survey the room. The atmosphere was heavy, the silence only broken by the faint clinking of cups and saucers as Yozomaki prepared the tea.

Back in the police car, Senzaki’s worry grew with each passing minute. He tapped his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel, his eyes never leaving the mansion. Beside him, Shiraka shifted uneasily, her gaze also fixed on the house. The female and male officers in the back seat were equally tense, their expressions mirroring the gravity of the situation.

Meanwhile, back in the mansion, Yozomaki entered the hall again, a tray balanced carefully in his hands. He approached Kavei and handed him a cup of tea, keeping the other for himself. Setting the tray on the table, he took a seat opposite Kavei, the steam from the tea swirling gently in the cool air. Yozomaki took a sip from his cup, his eyes briefly meeting Kavei’s.

"Mister Yozomaki, who is this woman?" Kavei inquired, pointing to the photo on the table beside Hailey.

Yozomaki sighed heavily, his gaze lingering on the photo with a mixture of fondness and sorrow. "She was my soon-to-be fiancée," he confessed, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Was?" Kavei prompted, sensing there was more to the story.

"Yes. She died a week ago," Yozomaki admitted, his tone heavy with grief.

"What? How?" Kavei's curiosity was piqued, his mind racing with possibilities.

Yozomaki took a deep breath, his eyes clouding with the painful memory. "It happened during a film shoot. Hailey and my fiancée were both involved in an action scene. They were suspended in the air with metal strings, fighting each other with sword props. The director called for a cut after a perfect take, but Hailey seemed not to hear the order and continued swinging her sword."

Kavei leaned forward, his attention fully captured by the unfolding story.

"My fiancée," Yozomaki continued, his voice trembling slightly, "laughed at Hailey's enthusiasm and took a step back. It was supposed to be harmless, but the strings around her tightened and twisted her waist. She struggled, the pain evident on her face, and tried to free herself. The rigger panicked but didn't dare release her, fearing she'd fall. In a desperate attempt to save herself from the excruciating pain, she unbuckled the harness herself."

Yozomaki paused, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She fell headfirst onto the floor. The impact was... fatal. She died instantly."

The room fell silent, the weight of Yozomaki's grief hanging heavily in the air. Kavei absorbed the tragic tale, his mind processing the sequence of events. The sorrow in Yozomaki's eyes was unmistakable, but there was also a flicker of something else, something darker and more complex.

"And...because of this, Hailey nee-chan became responsible for the accident?" he interjected, piecing together the narrative.

"No," Yozomaki confirmed, his voice heavy with regret. "But she took responsibility for what she did and went to the police. However, they wouldn't arrest her because it was not intended murder, so she quit acting."

Kavei's eyes narrowed slightly as he mulled over the information, connecting the dots in his mind. "So, you took justice into your own hands," he concluded, his voice measured but firm. "You planned everything and paid close attention to her schedule. The night of the gala where she was invited for the last time, yesterday, you killed her by calling her out in the empty forest at the edge of the dark street, far away from the gala venue."

Yozomaki's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing in anger. "What are you blabbering, boy?" he growled, his tone laced with menace as he swt his cup on the armrest.

But Kavei remained unperturbed, his gaze steady as he revealed the evidence he had gathered. "I had left the weapon there so you would take it with you. The gloves? The gloves aren't yours, Yozomaki nii-chan. It's only mere replacement. The real pair of gloves you used is with me."

With a swift motion, Kavei produced a pair of dark black gloves from his pocket, the sight causing Yozomaki's face to pale in shock.

"You will die brutally someday," Yozomaki spat, his voice tinged with bitterness as he pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Kavei.

But Kavei merely raised an eyebrow, his demeanor calm and collected. "Do you always carry that around?" he quipped, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The sound of the gunshot echoed through the mansion, a sharp, jarring noise that shattered the tense silence. From the earpiece Kavei was wearing, Inspector Senzaki heard the gunshot and immediately leaped out of the car. The rest of his officers followed suit, their expressions grim and determined. One officer stayed behind with Shiraka, keeping her safely away from the potential danger inside the mansion.

As Senzaki and his team burst through the front door, they found themselves in the opulent living room. The scene that greeted them was one of chaos and tension. Kavei stood at the far end of the room, a broken vase in his hand, its shattered remnants scattered across the floor. The pungent smell of gunpowder hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the recent violence.

Without hesitation, the officers moved to apprehend Yozomaki, who stood trembling, his guilt written plainly on his face. His hands shook as they were cuffed behind his back, the reality of his situation sinking in. The officers led him away, his head bowed in resignation as he muttered, "you will die brutally someday," he shot at glare at Kavei before leaving the mansion.

Kavei let out a long sigh, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. What had just happened felt almost surreal, and he couldn't help but marvel at his own luck. He replayed the moment in his mind: Yozomaki, driven by desperation or perhaps a sudden loss of control, had pointed a gun at him. The tension had been palpable, each second stretching into an eternity. Then, in a split second, Kavei had noticed the flower vase on the table beside him. Instinct had taken over, and he had lifted the vase just as Yozomaki pulled the trigger. The bullet had struck the vase, shattering it but sparing Kavei's life.

As he stood there amidst the chaos, a small smile crept across Kavei’s lips. Despite the danger, he couldn’t deny the thrill of the experience. This kind of excitement was something he thrived on, a reminder of why he did what he did. The thrill of outsmarting danger, the rush of adrenaline—it was something he would welcome at any time, on any day.

As they exited the mansion, Shiraka burst into tears, clinging to Kavei's shirt as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Were you shot, Kavei-kun?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I wasn't even grazed. Thanks to the vase I found on time," Kavei reassured her with a small smile.

As Kavei stepped out of the mansion, Shiraka rushed toward him, her face pale with worry. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Kavei, caught off guard by her sudden embrace, patted her head lightly, offering silent reassurance. Over her shoulder, he saw Inspector Senzaki standing nearby, watching them with a mixture of relief and exasperation.

Senzaki sighed deeply, the tension of the past few moments finally releasing. Kavei was many things, but he wasn’t someone who cared much for his own safety, a fact that often exasperated Senzaki. The inspector sighed again, this time with a sense of gratitude that nothing had happened to the boy.

Shiraka clung to Kavei, her tears soaking into his shirt. She wailed softly, her relief and fear spilling over. Senzaki cleared his throat, breaking the emotional moment. "Niram-kun, let me drop you and your friend home," he offered, his voice gentle but firm.

Kavei nodded, gently disentangling himself from Shiraka’s grip. She sniffled, wiping her tears as she tried to regain her composure. Senzaki led them to the police car, and they all got in. The ride was mostly silent, each of them lost in their thoughts.

First, they dropped off Shiraka. As she stepped out of the car, she turned back to Kavei, her eyes still red from crying. "Take care, Kavei," she said softly, her voice full of concern.

Kavei gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You too, Shira-chan."

The car then headed toward Kavei’s home. His apartment was located in a dimly lit alley, the kind of place most people avoided if they could. The buildings were old, their façades weathered and grimy. Kavei’s apartment was in a narrow building with metal stairs clinging to its exterior.

As the car pulled up, Senzaki couldn't help but frown at the sight of the rundown alley. He had picked him up from here this morning but couldn't speak out at the time. "Are you sure you’ll be alright here?" he asked, his concern evident.

Kavei nodded. "I’ll be fine, Inspector. It’s home."

He climbed out of the car and walked towards the metal staircase. The steps creaked under his weight as he ascended, the sound echoing through the narrow space. The staircase led to a small landing outside his door. A narrow gap separated the landing from the wall of the adjacent building, with another set of stairs leading to the unit above.

Kavei paused at his door, looking back to see Senzaki watching him from the car. He raised a hand in farewell, and Senzaki responded with a nod before driving away. Kavei unlocked his door and stepped inside, closing it behind him with a sigh.

The apartment was modest, a single room serving as both his living space and bedroom. Despite its size and the apparent disrepair of the building, Kavei had made it his own. The room was tidy, with a mattress tucked against one wall and a desk cluttered with papers and books. A worn but comfortable-looking armchair sat by the window, and a few personal mementos adorned the shelves.

Kavei dropped into the armchair, exhaustion washing over him. The events of the day replayed in his mind, but despite the danger and tension, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.