Psychic Detective Yakumo / Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

Epilogue

One week later -

Haruka headed for the prefabricated building in the back of Building B.

She had really wanted to show her face sooner, but she hadn't been able to. She had been hospitalised.

Though she was only hospitalised for three days, her mother had rushed over from home and shut Haruka in her room to force her to rest.

This morning, her mother finally returned home.

Haruka had talked a lot with her mother for the first time in a long, long time.

More than half of what they talked about was stories from when her older sister was alive. The time at home after that had been halted without her knowing it.

Laughing, crying and getting angry from the bottom of my heart. I haven't done that in a while.

I feel like I always live while holding myself back because of my sister.

I've noticed something from this case.

Like with Doctor Kinoshita, blaming myself for my sister's death has tied her down -

But even if I know that, I can't stop blaming myself.

I will always regret my sister's death, but I think I can look forward, little by little.

I'll try to live more as myself.

Well, it's easier said than done -

She stood in front of the door with the plate <Movie Research Circle> on it.

Still, Yakumo didn't come to visit her at the hospital even once. Even though she had kind of been hoping for it.

Though it might have just become troublesome since he would have suddenly run into her mother.

Plus, she would have felt uncomfortable for making him worry.

Ah, but maybe she could just make one complaint.

'Yakumo-kun. Are you here?' said Haruka, opening the door.

He was here. His hair looked mussed up from sleep as usual. Even though it was the first time they had seen each other in a while, he replied half-heartedly, 'Oh, it's you?' Honestly, this person.

'Hey, are you going out?'

Yakumo was dressed for something.

'Good timing. Are you going too?' asked Yakumo with a yawn.

What did he mean, going -

'Where to?'

'To check on Ishii-san.'

'When you say Ishii-san, do you mean that Ishii-san?'

'Yes. That Ishii-san.'

'Is he injured?'

When she was saved, Ishii had been collapsed faced down and wasn't moving, as if he had died.

'It's not at the level of "injured". His upper left arm, his right clavicle and three ribs on top of that are fractured. He is seriously wounded from the full-body beating.'

'Is it that awful?'

I didn't know -

'At the time, Ishii-san was the one who held us up with the chain we were on, in Gotou-san's stead, since he was attacked. Ishii-san didn't let go even when Doctor Kinoshita was hitting him with an iron pipe.'

Even though they had only met a few times, Ishii had only left a vaguely weak impression.

That Ishii did -