With a hypothesis in mind, it was time to verify it. Senichi and Takagi quickly arrived at the bento shop.
They say timing is everything, and as soon as they arrived at the convenience store, they saw Sawayoshi carrying a large box of bento, getting ready to leave in his delivery vehicle.
The two exchanged glances and immediately approached him.
When they showed their detective badges and requested Sawayoshi's cooperation in searching the bento delivery vehicle and his room, he panicked and attempted to escape.
However, it was evident that his escape attempt was futile under Senichi's watchful eye. He had barely started when Senichi subdued him effortlessly.
Afterward, Takagi found the "invisible murder weapon" and bullets made from bones that Kimura Saionji had crafted in the trunk of the bento delivery vehicle.
Following his arrest, during the interrogation, Sawayoshi's murderous intent became clear along with his confessions.
As Kimura Saionji had mentioned, Sekai and Sawayoshi were childhood friends. Sawayoshi had silently admired her but never had the courage to confess his feelings. Their interactions were limited to greetings and they rarely went out to play together.
Later, when Sekai Saionji's father was imprisoned, she faced isolation and moved away. But Sawayoshi, unwavering in his friendship, remained one of her few close friends.
Sekai Saionji had a passion for culinary research, and Sawayoshi was the son of a bento shop owner. Their common interest brought them closer. The bento creations they collaborated on even became popular as new offerings in Sawayoshi's family business.
Despite their close relationship, perhaps due to their long-standing friendship, Sekai Saionji always treated Sawayoshi like an older brother and confided to him about everything.
Sawayoshi found himself in a dilemma, fearing that confessing his feelings would cause him to lose her. So, he continued to be there for her.
But when you hesitate, someone else will eventually come along and take what you've been too hesitant to pursue.
Then, one day, Sekai Saionji told him that she was in love with someone, and that someone was Makoto Itou.
Sawayoshi's heart shattered at that moment, but seeing the happiness in the eyes of the girl he loved, he chose to silently bless her. He became like an older brother, taking care of his sister.
However, one day, when Sawayoshi saw Sekai Saionji leaving her father's house as usual, something seemed off about her expression.
However, when Sawayoshi approached to greet her, she merely gave a perfunctory response and left like a lifeless corpse.
At the time, Sawayoshi did feel that something was off, but after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately didn't approach her further. He planned to wait until the next day when she might be in a better mood to talk.
But this moment of hesitation and withdrawal turned out to be their last meeting.
When he heard the news of Sekai Saionji's death and learned of the subsequent investigation into her suicide, Sawayoshi felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
He remembered how his own cowardice had allowed someone else to win the heart of the person he loved, leaving him to silently watch from the sidelines.
And now, when the person he loved was in dire straits, he hesitated once again due to his own weakness and lost her forever.
This remorse filled him with an increasing hatred for his own weakness, almost driving him to madness.
It was during this time that he, who had been delivering meals to Kimura Saionji every day as usual, witnessed him experimenting with that deadly weapon.
In that instant, his murderous intent erupted. The pent-up resentment drove his actions, leading him to first kill Chief Superintendent Itou, the man he saw as the main culprit.
When he returned home and turned on the TV, he finally realized the magnitude of what he had done.
The turmoil caused by the death of Chief Superintendent Itou and the protection given to him and his family made Sawayoshi aware of the chaos his actions had caused.
Simultaneously, the rapid investigation into Kimura Saionji, the prime suspect with the strongest motive, by the police made Sawayoshi feel a sense of impending danger.
In an attempt to obfuscate the situation, he shifted the blame onto those "saboteurs," decisively taking out the journalist who was prying too much, hoping to confuse the situation.
The Criminal Investigation Division was indeed misled, focusing their investigation toward the saboteurs, as they remained unaware of the hidden connection between the two.
It was only when Senichi uncovered the link between the two victims that the investigation was redirected in the right direction.
This man, who had once been weak and constantly hesitating, became incredibly decisive after losing his beloved. Though he later killed three enemies, he also sealed his own fate.
The only comforting thing was that Senichi and his team handled the case promptly. They arrested Sawayoshi just in time to prevent him from committing another crime, killing Kotonoha Katsura.
After completing the necessary paperwork with the pitifully infatuated Sawayoshi, Senichi couldn't help but sigh.
He hoped that all the "lick dogs" in the world would have the courage to confess their feelings. At least then, they wouldn't be left with regrets when looking back on their relationships in the future.
Senichi opened the reward panel and decided to check the rewards.
[The Disappearing Bullets]
[Completion: Average]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining Hand-to-Hand Combat skill (1 year).]
[Evaluation: Just as trees have their days of withering and people have their moments of exhaustion, detectives cannot prevent crimes from happening at all times. In this case, you have minimized casualties to the best of your ability.]
The reward was better than nothing, but seeing this evaluation, Senichi found it quite amusing. He hadn't expected the system's evaluation to actually comfort him, which was quite rare.
After dealing with the follow-up matters, Senichi drove to pick up Ayako for their evening movie date.
Today, there was a theatrical release of "Detective Samonji" starring Osamu Kenzaki, a mystery series that Senichi quite enjoyed. So, he had bought tickets and was going to watch it with Ayako.
"Oh, by the way, this is for you." Ayako handed Senichi a glasses case after getting into the car.
"Hmm? Glasses?" Senichi opened it and found clear glasses inside. He asked in confusion, "I don't wear glasses; why are you giving me non-prescription glasses?"
"They're sunglasses, actually. These lenses turn dark after being exposed to sunlight for fifteen seconds."
Ayako smiled and explained, "They can serve as decorative glasses indoors. I've noticed that sometimes your gaze can be too sharp. Wearing these glasses might soften your look a bit, so you won't startle my friends when we meet up together."
"It's not as exaggerated as you're making it sound..." Senichi chuckled helplessly but still accepted the gift.
After putting on the golden-framed glasses, Ayako's eyes lit up. She then handed him a small mirror. "This style indeed suits you. I spent quite some time choosing it together with Sonoko."
Senichi took the mirror and saw his reflection. His sharply defined face remained as handsome as ever, with slightly tousled hair falling over his forehead. Instead of detracting from his appearance, the glasses added a unique sensibility.
With the sharp eyes beneath his arched eyebrows hidden behind the golden lenses, his whole demeanor appeared much gentler and more refined. Even the faint smile at the corners of his mouth carried an extra touch of warmth.
Indeed, the burden of being handsome as ever. Perhaps that was the dilemma of a good-looking person.
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