Psychic Detective Yakumo / Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

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 space between belief and reality, or perhaps, the narrow space 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 Yakumo 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. Yakumo had called him here.

'Yes... How is the investigation?' asked Yakumo, his eyes faraway.

'It's a mess.'

Yakumo had revealed the truth of the case, but it was too complex. They had enough trouble just with Kirino's suicide, but Kumi's murder six years ago was involved too.

The whole Criminal Affairs department was making a fuss.

'How is Utsugi Kento-san being treated?'

Yakumo glanced at Gotou out of the corner of his eye.

Yakumo had empathised with Kento during this case. Probably because Yakumo 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?'

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

'I see,' murmured Yakumo, shutting his eyes.

His face seemed melancholy. What was Yakumo 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 - '

Yakumo furrowed his brows.

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

Kento, who had made a mistake and killed Kumi, 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?'

Yakumo 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.