Why Do You Lie? || Heizou

5

The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting a golden glow on their faces.

The silence of the woods was only broken by the distant chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves under their feet. Y/n turned to look at Heizou, her eyes reflecting the golden sunlight.

"I can tell you're still not convinced, Heizou."

"Convinced?"

"That I'm innocent," she clarified. "But the evidence isn't strong enough to convict me. Am I right?"

Heizou paused, considering his answer carefully. "You're right," he finally admitted. "It's not enough, and The Oratrice that you all seem to depend on isn't helping. I need something more, something to connect the dots."

Y/n hummed in response. 

He turned to look at her, a serious expression on his face. "Y/n," he began, "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm here to find the truth. And I won't stop until I do."

She smiled at him, a soft, genuine smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Heizou."

Heizou was having second thoughts. Y/n didn't fit the profile of a murderer. She was calm, collected, and most of all, she didn't try to run away. She had nothing to hide, did she? But then again, he reminded himself, appearances could be deceiving.

As they continued their walk, they reached a fork in the path. Heizou instinctively moved to the left, but Y/n hesitated, her gaze lingering on the right path. He reached out, gently guiding her to the left.

The moment he touched her, he felt her stiffen. Her relaxed demeanor changed instantly, her body tensing up as if she was on high alert. Heizou frowned, his detective instincts kicking in.

"Is something wrong, Y/n?" He could see her visibly swallow, her eyes darting around nervously.

"No, it's nothing," she replied quickly, too quickly. Her voice lacked the confidence it had earlier, and her eyes... they held a hint of fear.

Heizou's mind was racing. Was this the break he was looking for?

He decided to keep the conversation going, trying to ease the tension. "So, Y/n," he began casually, "do you come here often?"

She laughed, a hollow sound that did nothing to mask her unease. "What is this, a bad pickup line?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, Heizou pressed on. "Just making small talk," he said, shrugging. "After all, we have a long walk ahead of us."

Y/n's steps grew slower, her responses shorter. She was trying to hide it, but Heizou could tell she was nervous. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. Was she regretting coming here with him? Or was there something else she was hiding?

They continued walking until Y/n suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. "Heizou," she blurted, her voice strained, "let's head back. There's nothing interesting up ahead."

Heizou frowned, sensing the tension in her voice. "No," he said firmly, "we should keep going."

Y/n's eyes flashed, a hint of anger seeping into her voice. "And why is that, Detective? Got a hunch?"

Heizou met her gaze. "Maybe," he replied, "or maybe I just want to enjoy the walk."

Y/n crossed her arms, her body language defensive. But Heizou could see past her facade. He could see the fear in her eyes, the slight tremble in her hands. He knew then that they were on the right path.

What was she afraid of? Why was she so reluctant to continue their walk?

Heizou stepped forward, his gaze never leaving hers. He reached out, gently grabbing her hand. He could feel her tense up at his touch, but she didn't pull away.