ᴍᴇɴʜᴇʀᴀ // ᴍᴀᴛꜱᴜɴᴏ ᴄʜɪꜰᴜʏᴜ

ꜱɪx

"Watch this please." Naoto turned his laptop around to show him a video. "Chifuyu...? What's this video?" Indeed, it was Chifuyu, and eventually another guy that resembled him was shown in the video too. The two were chatting like normal.

"Is that... me?" Although the answer may be clear to him already, he had to ask to make sure. "Matsuno Chifuyu secretly recorded his video. I'm not sure how to explain it..." He said. "Anyway, the moment you returned to the present, my world changed in an instant. Because you changed the past, a great upheaval occurred."

"First of all, in this timeline, you and I... haven't talked to each other since middle school." Naoto explained. "I'm still in the police, just like last time. But you don't work at a rental shop. Now, you're one of Toman's top brass."

"And just like the previous timeline... My sister was killed on August 10th, when Sendo Atsushi crashed his car into the one she was sitting in." Takemichi listened on, mentally prepared for whatever bad news Naoto throws at him. "After that, I worked together with Matsuno Chifuyu to arrest Kisaki and avenge my sister..."

Naoto noticed Takemichi's expression and stopped. "Sorry, Takemichi-kun. You must be very confused. In my position, I had no choice but to arrest you."

The video continued.

"I called you here for one reason." Takemichi said from his desk. "I want a certain someone to be wiped out."

"A certain someone?"

"I've got no clue who or what they are, but it doesn't matter. What's important here..." His arm slammed onto the desk. "...Is that they're getting in Toman's way."

He spoke with such an indifferent tone that the present Takemichi almost couldn't recognise him.

"I don't wanna make you do this. But if it's not done, Kisaki's gonna be on my ass. Am I clear? Atsushi."

"Akkun!?" Takemichi stood up in shocked, his chair reeling back. "I ordered Akkun... to kill someone...?" He said in disbelief.

Naoto remained stoic and continued. "Here's the next video. Another one Matsuno Chifuyu recorded in secret." He turned the laptop around before facing it back at Takemichi. "Please watch this carefully."

The next video showed Takemichi throwing a chair at the floor, appearing enraged for some reason while Chifuyu screamed at him to stop.

"He set me up, goddamn it! Kisaki's the devil!! I didn't know!" His voice was now quieter, but it also sounded weak. "I didn't know the one killed would be her..."

"Naoto, I've seen enough..." Present Takemichi stated, already knowing what he was about to say in the video. The said man was reluctant to say this, but mustered every courage in him to say so. "We sought out evidence of Kisaki's participation in death of my sister. This video... is proof."

"I said I've seen enough!!" Despite Takemichi's demand, the detective continued. "Matsuno Chifuyu kept this video hidden away. He was... trying to shield you."

Takemichi's legs felt like jelly as he collapsed to his knees. "Hahaha... So it was me this time..." He recalled the looks of despair on Atsushi and Hinata's faces. "I... I did it. I killed Hina..."

"...Didn't I?"

"Takemichi-kun... You were just manipulated. That's it." Naoto's words did not mend his heart at all. Even if he was trying to console him, it didn't change the fact that he killed his girlfriend.

"I've had enough... How many times have I tried...? Nothing's changed at all. In fact, it keeps getting worse. It's my fault that Hina...!" Takemichi wailed in remorse. "And Akkun!! And Chifuyu!! It's my fault they're all dead!!"