Asi Hell

Capítulo 7

An encounter that should never have happened, arrived without warning.

Why wasn't I more nervous? Why didn't I...

The box was still empty, but the lid was about to be opened.

"I dare not make any conclusions before the on-site investigation is over, unless the girl can give a good testimony. But as for whether it is possible—it is indeed possible."

Kiba ultimately chose the easier path.

Kiba quickly transforms from a twisted man in his thirties into a tough detective.

No problem, the lid of the box is tightly closed—the timber yard is now just a tenacious guardian of the law.

"So, it's possible it was a homicide, right?"

"It's just that," Masuoka said emotionlessly.

"It's an attempted murder case. I don't know your relationship with the victim. But don't say anything unlucky in front of your family!"

Kiba restrained Masuoka with a stern tone, then looked at Yoko with the eyes of a detective.

Yoko didn't look like she'd been summoned in the middle of the night; she was impeccably dressed, not at all like someone who'd rushed over in a panic. She even had makeup on. Was it her inherent nature as a female celebrity, unwilling to appear disheveled in public? That's probably why she was late.

If that were true, Yoko would probably be a rather cold-hearted person. But judging from her behavior from just now until now, although she tried her best to remain calm, she still couldn't hide her panic.

It's hard to imagine that she was late because she was busy getting ready.

"Furthermore, while you all insist that this is a criminal case, haven't you considered the possibility that it could also be an accident or suicide? Isn't there any evidence that she had a motive for suicide?"

As soon as Kiba finished speaking, Yoko immediately covered her mouth with her right hand, revealing an extremely tragic expression. Amamiya looked at her face with concern. She glanced at Masuoka, who was standing stiffly, and said:

"Clues? — I can't say — there aren't any, but Kanako isn't — that kind of child, suicide is the least likely thing she would do."

"This isn't about whether it looks like her or not. Doesn't she have any worries or pain? And you didn't even notice that she left home in the middle of the night? If you really didn't notice, you can't say you understand her at all, can you?"

That's because...

Amamiya interrupted Yoko's speech at the exit.

"No, it's all because of my inadequate supervision. I don't know how to express my apology. If anything happens to Kanako, I... I..."

"Amamiya. It's not your fault, it's my fault." This time, Yoko interrupted Amamiya.

What exactly is the relationship between these three? Even Lai Zi, standing beside Kiba, is just as clueless. None of them understand.

Amamiya said in a tearful voice:

"Detective, more importantly, how is Kanako doing? Is there any hope for that child? What is the current state of that child—"

Yes, Kiba regretted deliberately not explaining the victim's condition, as he should have done so first. His family's biggest concern right now was, of course, Kanako's health.

Kiba conveyed as faithfully as possible what he had just heard from the nurse.

Yangzi must have just heard the same thing from the thin nurse on the first floor. She covered her mouth with both hands and stared straight at the wall.

Amamiya let out a sobbing sound every time Kiba said a word.

Masuoka glanced sideways at the distance and nodded. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, which perhaps made him appear to be smiling.

Lai Zi stared at Yang Zi, almost in a daze.

Fukumoto rubbed his eyes sleepily, probably feeling the same way Kiba had a few hours earlier—longing for his bed. More importantly, this place was incredibly difficult for him to endure.

"It seems more practical to consider it as hopeless."

Masuoka continued to speak without any restraint.

"What did you say!"

Yangzi stared at him, her gaze chilling and menacing.

Kiba also felt he couldn't remain silent any longer.

"Exactly. You're such an annoying person, everything you do is irritating. Didn't the nurse say—there might still be hope, right?"

A cold smile appeared on Masuoka's face—it looked like that.

"What the nurse said was—that she would do her best to save her, not that there was hope. My position values a correct understanding of reality, not predictions made with expectations. The fact is, if someone's life is in danger, then their life is in danger. No matter what you say, if someone is beyond saving, then they are beyond saving. If we only consider feelings, everyone would want to save her. After all, no one can be happy to see a poor young life end like this."

"Aren't you—very happy!"

Yangzi said it.

--Happy?

What does it mean to be happy?

“I can’t pretend I didn’t hear that. This lady just seemed to be saying that you think it would be better if Kanako died—is that what she meant?”

Masuoka scoffed and said unhappily:

"What did you say? I didn't mean that."

"Is that so? Isn't it you—no, it's all of you who made Kanako like this? If you want to do it, what's so difficult about this little thing?"

"Enough with the jokes. Listen carefully, Ms. Yoko, you've got the situation wrong. I've told you countless times—"

Masuoka stopped halfway through his sentence and turned to look at Kiba.

"—There's no point in saying more here. In short, please don't make any unfounded speculations. There are police officers here who clearly don't know the truth but are eager to find the culprit—and insulting me is the same as insulting my client, do you understand? Ms. Yoko, this will not help you—in the future."

"Isn't what you're thinking—that there's no future, Mr. Masuoka?"

Yangzi looked toward the operating room and spoke quietly.

Masuoka frowned and pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

"No future—what do you mean?"

"Since that's the case, I have nothing to hide anymore. I'll tell this policeman the whole story now!"

Yoko's sharp gaze was fixed on Masuoka.

Kiba noticed a hint of panic near Masuoka's cheek.

"Forget it, there's no point in rushing to a conclusion. I just made a hasty judgment based on what this detective said. Based on my limited medical knowledge, Ms. Kanako has almost no chance of being saved. I just wanted to remind you of that. After all, if something happens to Ms. Kanako, there will be a lot of procedures and follow-up matters to deal with, so we must prepare in advance."

Masuoka continued to chatter on and on, his rapid-fire delivery and clear pronunciation coupled with a completely monotone tone.

Kiba couldn't understand a word they were saying, and even if he wanted to join in, he couldn't.

"Don't worry, Miss Yoko, you will get what you deserve. We will never treat you unfairly."

Masuoka concluded in this way.

At this moment, Amamiya, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't hold back and shouted out.

“Mr. Masuoka. You don’t need to say such things at a time like this! Kanako, she’s still here, she’s still alive! Can’t you understand Yoko’s feelings?”

"If we don't talk about it now, when will we? We need to buy time, which is why we've been discussing it day and night until now, isn't it? Nobody likes having to work in the middle of the night. It's because you're insisting on something that things have become so complicated. We've been negotiating with you from the beginning with good intentions. In short, if Kanako dies first, this matter is off the table. So, we're taking action now for your own good."

"But...that."

It seems that Amamiya, like Kiba, is not good at dealing with this kind of person.

Not only could she not refute, she couldn't even give a proper answer, and Amamiya was so frustrated that she didn't know what to do.

Kiba couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up in support.

“I don’t know what the dispute is between you, but no matter how urgent it is, the surgery will be over in a few hours. As long as the surgery doesn’t fail, Kanako will still be alive. I don’t understand medicine, but I have seen the victim with my own eyes, and my impression at the time was that there was still hope. In any case, she will be transferred to another hospital after the surgery. Whether there is hope or not, it will come then. That’s only human nature, isn’t it?”

Masuoka was dissatisfied, but showed no fear.

"You mentioned transferring her to another hospital—who knows what kind of treatment she's receiving now? Is there really still a chance?"

What an utterly detestable guy. Kiba wanted to punch him.

"just--"

Yangzi said.

"I just told the nurse that the transfer location has been decided."

Masuoka stared wide-eyed at Yoko.

"—He is a renowned surgeon with whom I have a good relationship."

Amamiya, Raiko, Fukumoto, and Kiba all looked at Yoko.

Bathed in the gaze of the entire audience, the retired beauty stands tall and aloof under the somewhat casual light of the signboard in front of the operating room—a substitute for the spotlight.

Kiba thought. "Ah, what a dreary night. What have I been doing?"

When will this farce, so lacking in realism, end?

"I will never let Kanako die."

Minami Kinuko, and Yuzuki Yoko, resolutely said it.

(The first half is omitted)

For some reason, I became very envious of men.

The train station in my hometown is desolate and deserted. The wooden station building leans to one side, its pillars bent into parallelograms.

Where did the man get off the bus?

Where exactly did the man board the bus? And how long did they ride together? I have no recollection of any of this. I really want that suitcase.

My grandmother's funeral was very simple.

Funerals in this area mostly involve burial. My grandmother's body was folded up and placed in the coffin.

It's heartbreaking to see. The gap between the coffin and the body is disturbing to look at. It should have been packed tighter. That's what we think, but nobody wants to do it.

Wouldn't that mean that annoying things would crawl between the bottom of the coffin and the buttocks, or between the thin thighs and calves?

Why not address the unsettling gap between the face and chest?

It's unsettling not to pack it tighter. It needs to be completely filled. You could use flowers or prayer beads to fill it.

Why leave so many gaps before putting the lid on?

I almost screamed out loud.

First of all, choosing a round shape for the coffin container was inappropriate.

It should be made into a box shape. Then pack it tightly. Pack it carefully until there are no gaps in the corners that allow air to get in. Only then will you feel at ease.