In the face of the miraculous survival of Elder Mikoto from the great fire, the three childhood friends of Kimie Shimabukuro transformed into the most devout believers, firmly convinced of this phenomenon.
Simultaneously, the legend they had heard of, witnessed with their own eyes, and the aspiration for immortality which seemed to be within reach, fueled their increasing fanaticism.
Little did they know, all of this was merely an expression of the Shimabukuro family's love for the island and its residents.
Such good intentions seemed to have gone unrewarded, evoking a sense of pity.
Fortunately, Senichi arrived. Just as Kimie Shimabukuro was about to make a mistake, he stopped her from walking down the wrong path.
He also extinguished a tragedy that was about to unfold at its source.
When Senichi revealed the truth of everything that had transpired, Kimie Shimabukuro came to realize that her plan was now impossible to fulfill.
The man before her would keep a constant watch, leaving her with no opportunity to act.
Even if she managed to act, she would likely be swiftly apprehended by him.
Recalling the deductions the man had made previously, Kimie Shimabukuro couldn't help but shiver.
That feeling of having her soul laid bare, it truly brought about an indescribable terror.
However, her heart still held a strong sense of resistance.
Her mother had willingly faked her own death and abandoned her previous identity, dedicating the latter half of her life to impersonate as Elder Mikoto on the island.
Yet, her three childhood friends, after getting drunk one day and out of curiosity to verify if Elder Mikoto was truly immortal, had directly killed her mother.
Thinking back to those years, during which her mother seemed to be dutifully fulfilling her grandmother's last wish, dedicating herself to the island. This endless irony only fueled the suppressed hatred within her.
Thus, even though everything had become clear, Kimie Shimabukuro still chose to resist.
"What you're saying is just your speculation," Kimie Shimabukuro coldly denied, and after that, she didn't say anything more, only retaining a wordless silence.
Even though she knew that knowing it wouldn't change anything, she couldn't suppress her anger. That irritation filled her with hatred.
But the helplessness of reality lay before her, so she chose to engage in a cold confrontation.
Even if I'm beaten down, beaten down again, unable to complete my revenge, I won't admit a shred of your viewpoint!
Moreover, I refuse to believe you can stay on this island forever watching over me. Sooner or later, there will be a chance for revenge!
This action indeed proved to be a headache. After all, the adage goes: while a thief may last a thousand days, there's no principle for guarding against a thief for a thousand days.
When you're gone, I might just seek my revenge.
Stuck in this dilemma, you're in a tight spot, yet you can't control her.
Though she didn't say it, her actions already conveyed such a message.
If it were ordinary individuals, they'd likely be at an impasse, with no way to break the deadlock.
But is Senichi an ordinary person? He's quite an exceptional fellow!
Thus, when facing Kimie Shimabukuro's silent cold resistance, Senichi remained equally composed.
Moreover, having a foundation in psychology helped; when planning the case, he anticipated that the other party might react this way. This tiny contingency was basic knowledge, not something to be surprised about.
Looking at Kimie Shimabukuro with a smile, just as she was starting to get uneasy, Senichi began speaking on his own accord, "I believe Miss Saori Kadowaki should be in the warehouse."
This sentence caused a slight change in Kimie Shimabukuro's expression, a change that certainly didn't escape Senichi's attention.
This probing sentence achieved the result he wanted. Silently celebrating his luck, Senichi continued, "I have a bold conjecture, the basis on which I deduced Miss Saori Kadowaki's location. Would you like to hear it?"
Hearing Senichi's words, Kimie Shimabukuro was taken aback, suppressing any change in her expression. Her face remained the same calm façade.
But Senichi paid no heed, continuing on his own, "Ever since you mentioned that you and Miss Saori Kadowaki went to see the dentist together, I figured out your plan to deal with her.
Although you claim it was you who went to see the dentist, I suspect it was Miss Saori Kadowaki who truly needed the dental treatment. You manipulated things a bit, making sure she couldn't find her insurance card, then you lent her your own.
In this way, the dental records on your health insurance card, documenting the shape of your teeth, became the dental shape of Miss Saori Kadowaki.
As a result, after you killed her, all you needed to do was burn the body. When faced with the charred remains, the officers would only be able to confirm the identity by comparing the dental shapes on your medical records with those of the body.
With your prior preparations, you could discreetly slip away, feigning death without anyone suspecting, and the identity of Elder Mikoto would be your best shield.
This way, you would be like your mother, discarding your previous identity and living solely as Elder Mikoto.
As for how you managed to get Miss Saori Kadowaki to the warehouse, that was quite simple for you.
After all, she was afraid after losing the "Dugong's Arrow". All you needed to do was deceive her by saying that Elder Mikoto had set up a spell or a barrier in the warehouse, convincing her to stay there. She would obediently follow your wishes and remain in the warehouse."
Senichi smiled and said, "After all, who made them believe in Elder Mikoto's power so strongly? You exploited this and manipulated Miss Saori Kadowaki's actions."
Watching Kimie Shimabukuro suppress her calm expression and failing to hold back her surprise, Senichi didn't stop his reasoning. Instead, he continued with a smile, "As for your remaining two friends, I think it's related to the festival. It should be easy to manipulate them individually by tampering with their number tags.
From the way Toshimi Ebihara looked so delighted after drawing her lot, I suspect she was your first target, right? Did you choose the location at the Mermaid Waterfall?"
Senichi's seemingly joking words once again left Kimie Shimabukuro stunned on the spot because the man before her had hit the mark once more.
Indeed, she had planned things exactly like that. In this moment, she found this man before her incredibly terrifying. He saw through all her thoughts, pinpointed her weaknesses accurately in the face of her resistance, and then turned his sharp words into weapons to break through her defenses.
"Remarkable. Being seen through by someone like you, I can't decide whether it's my luck or misfortune."
As her expression shifted constantly, Kimie Shimabukuro let out a slow breath, conceding to everything Senichi had conjectured.
Although all of this was true, as long as Kimie Shimabukuro herself didn't admit to it, Senichi's conjectures would remain mere conjectures unless evidence was produced.
However, Kimie Shimabukuro believed that finding evidence was likely to be a minor inconvenience to this man. For him, it would likely be more trouble than it's worth.
Simultaneously, she also anticipated what would come next. After admitting that the man's deductions were entirely correct, she wondered how he would proceed.
How would he put an end to this case that had unfolded on the island? How would he find closure for himself?
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