Chapter Text
Saki slowly opened the door to her home, slinking into the dimly lit living room and closing the door behind her with a soft click. Silence greeted her without a hint of judgment, the scent of cigarettes still lingering in the air. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, her father's voice came from the corner armchair, making her jump.
"Where the hell were you out so late? Don't say 'work.'"
His eyes narrowed at her stylish new cowgirl boots—the ones she had excitedly shown Yosuke just hours earlier. She hesitated, clutching her elbow with one hand while she slipped off the boots with the other.
"Well?" he demanded.
Saki's eyes swept the dim room, peering into the kitchen and down the hall to confirm her mother wasn't around. She took a breath to steady herself and approached her father. He looked up at her with that scrutinizing gaze, his phone buzzing incessantly in his hand. Yet a hint of a smile pulled at his lips as he glanced down at the screen, seemingly distracted by whatever—or whoever—was messaging him so persistently.
"How long has that been going on?" Saki asked, nodding toward the phone.
Her father's attention snapped back to her, his expression hardening. "I believe I asked you a question first, young lady."
Saki avoided his gaze, shoulders hunched. "I went out to dinner with a friend, that's all."
"Well I certainly hope it wasn't a date with a boy." he spat. "You should be focused on studying and helping your parents. It already looks bad enough that you're—"
"That I'm what, Dad?" Saki interjected. "Say it. It's nothing I haven't already heard."
Her father held her gaze for a moment, his jaw tight. Then he simply went back to tapping at his phone, rapid clicks breaking the heavy silence between them. She wanted to grab that phone and hurl it across the room.
"Look Saki, we need to do what needs to be done sometimes. But couldn't you have talked to Old Lady Shiroku? She would have given you a job."
Saki bristled, tingles rising in her chest. "For chump change maybe. I get a real paycheck and benefits at Junes! Doesn't that count for something?"
"Are you happy there?" Her father leaned back in the armchair.
She turned her head away, wetting her lips. "I do what needs to be done. Can you say the same?"she asked, eyeing his phone.
Her father shut his phone with a passive aggressive flick, standing straight. "Happiness is a commodity, Saki. It comes in many forms—bottles of alcohol, like the ones we sell in the store, or even… a beautiful woman."
Saki's eyes widened at the implication, but her father continued. "I want you to be happy, but don't forget—happiness has a price."
With that, he drifted toward his bedroom, his dazzling smile dimming with each step. His silhouette cast a shadow behind the sliding shoji door, leaving his happiness alone in the room with her. It was as if he had locked it out like a dirty little secret. Time for a long. Late Night. Walk…
Back to the reality. A reality surrounded by the mundane world of food aisles and cleaning supplies. If the stark glow of the meat section didn't remind her, the incessant Junes jingle sure nailed it home. She scanned a beverage, sliding it into the chilled display with mechanical precision. Her mind couldn't help but drift back to last night's escapade with Yosuke, replaying it like a favorite movie scene—vivid and a little too sweet.
From the next aisle over, a distinct voice broke through her reverie, followed by a girl's outburst.
"Seriously, Yosuke? I want my 'Trial of the Dragon' back. I'm not letting you borrow any more of my movies!" the girl snapped.
Saki paused mid-scan, her attention snagging on the conversation like a loose thread.
"Give me a few days. I haven't even finished watching it," Yosuke said.
"It's been a week! You're telling me you had no time to watch it?" the voice—Satonaka Chie, no doubt.
"Something came up, Chie. But look, I'll make sure to watch it tonight, alright?" Yosuke's voice carried a low, sincere tone that seemed to soften the blow.
A sharp pang jabbed at Saki's stomach, the discomfort twisting her insides. Was he two-timing with Satonaka Chie? She shook off the thought. They hadn't defined what that kiss meant, anyway. But the cozy movie talks, the shared recommendations—that was supposed to be their thing. Apparently, Yosuke was too clueless to see that. He breezed past Saki, oblivious, not even a sideways glance her way.
She huffed, feeling her face heat with irritation. That damn kiss! Sure, it had felt right in the heat of that moment, swept up in a wave of romance, but she hadn't stopped to consider the fallout.
Back in the harsh light of Junes, the romance of the night before felt like a scene from a different script—one where she hadn't yet read the ending.
Mid-April
The brisk air wove its way through the stitches of Saki's jacket, raising bumps on her skin. She shivered slightly on her ritualistic walk to school. This morning, a wet musk replaced the usual crisp scent of the river. As the floodplain came into view, Saki wondered if the stranger might be waiting there for her, lost in his musings. She scanned the bank, but everything seemed deserted and quiet.
Ahead, a pool of dark liquid caught her attention. She squinted as she approached, the color stark against the pale concrete—dark and red.
Saki let out a sharp gasp, covering her mouth. "Is that... blood?" Her pulse raced at the unsettling sight, eyes riveted to the ground. A single drip disturbed the puddle, sending ripples across its surface. Her eyes traced the drip upward—it was coming from above.
An antenna silhouetted against the gray sky. A figure was wrapped around it, like a Halloween decoration after a hurricane. Except this was no decoration.
A raw scream escaped her throat.
"W-what the f*ck!"
The woman's leg was contorted around the metal structure, her body bent in a way no living person could withstand, as if she were a discarded marionette doll. Her arms dangled freely, head hanging down with her mouth agape. Blood continued to drip, splattering against the pavement.
She took a deep breath. With her shaking hands, Saki pulled out her phone and flipped it open, dialing the emergency line.
"T-there's a body! Near the Samegawa river... She's hanging... please send someone... hurry." Her voice quivered.
"Alright, ma'am, try to stay calm. We'll send someone over. I just have a few questions—"
Saki cut the line, snapping her phone shut. She forced herself to take slow breaths, fighting against the panic rising in her throat. It seemed she had more questions than answers.
Once composed, she looked back up, bold and curious. The woman's lips were painted a vibrant shade of red, a painfully horrifying detail. Where has she seen that before? At the end of the day, she was someone—but who? How could she have possibly gotten up there? Was she trying to fix something during a downpour? Nothing added up.
Saki's head whirled like the distant turbines behind her, slowly turning in the colorless sky. She sank to the ground, leaning against the chained fence, trying to piece together the surreal setting. This woman wasn't alone anymore. As long as Saki stayed, she kept a silent vigil - a lone companion in the face of tragedy.
After several long minutes, the police siren pierced the air, wailing into silence after pulling up beside the sidewalk. Two doors slammed shut, followed by the sound of a man retching in the background.
One man approached her. "What in fresh hell is this? Looks like Picasso's nightmares got a hold of the place." His face twisted as he stared at the scene, then softened after turning to Saki. "You doing okay there, miss?"
Saki remained still, eyes downcast on the grooves of the pavement.
"Damn it. We've got someone in shock here. Where's the EMT? Someone get her some water, for Christ's sake!"
He approached her, draped his jacket over her shoulders, and sat beside her, pulling a cigarette from his pack. "You mind if I fire this up?"
With a distant gaze, she shook her head. His thumb grazed the flint of the lighter, igniting his cigarette. The sounds snapped her out of her daze and caught her attention.
"Can I snag one of those?" she asked.
The cop shrugged, sliding one out for her. She gently held it between her trembling fingers and leaned in, placing it between her lips. He clicked the lighter a few times near the darkening tip. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled smoke like a chimney on a cold spring day.
"I've seen a lot in this line of work," he said. "One thing I can tell you is—it never gets easier, you just get used to it.
"She was all alone when I found her." Saki said.
The man nodded, smoke swirling around him. "You're holding up better than my greenhorn over there puking his guts out."
Through a haze of cigarette smoke, her eyes fixed on his side profile—a rough-cut figure of grizzled sophistication, skin weathered by hard years on the force. His defined jawline, shadowed with sparse stubble, tensed as he pulled deeply on his cigarette. Ash flaked off, dancing in the air before settling on his gray collared shirt.
He brushed the remnants from his red tie with a nonchalant flick. "You did good calling us." He said. "We could really use your help. That woman, she'd thank you if she could. You think you can help us find out what happened to her?"
She lowered her arm, cigarette between her fingers, and hesitated before saying, "Yeah…Yeah I can help."
"Let's start with your name."
"It's Konishi Saki…"
"Konishi? Like the booze shop on Central? Well, I'll be damned. Detective Dojima, at your service."
A trace of amusem*nt flickered across her face, hiding behind a veil of smoke..
"There it is. The Mona Lisa smile." He chuckled, then barked to his partner still woozy by the car. "Adachi! You plan on hydrating the pavement or you gonna get me that water?"
She co*cked an eyebrow. "That's your partner? He looks more at home in a courtroom than a crime scene. My dad always said, 'Don't talk to cops without a lawyer.'"
Dojima ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "It's the suit, isn't it? I've been telling him, 'You gotta wear it, not let it wear you.'"
