Suicide Suspicions

After ordering coffee, Shiraishi listened as Aida Aiichiro spoke about his nephew—

Aida Aiichiro had an older sister, Aida Midoriko. Though Aiichiro had always been rebellious, the siblings had been very close. Even when Shiraishi had sent him to prison to "save" him, his sister had still visited him there and checked on how he was doing.

Because her husband had died early, a year after Aiichiro went to prison, Midoriko remarried a high school teacher named Takazawa. She brought her two children with her, hoping to give them a complete family.

However, not long after the marriage, Midoriko was diagnosed with cancer. She ultimately passed away a year ago. Since the two children were still minors at the time and had no other guardians, they continued living with their stepfather.

After Midoriko died, Daiki, the eldest child, became completely despondent. He locked himself in his room and refused to come out, with even his meals delivered to the door by his younger sister, Miki.

Three days ago, Aida Aiichiro, who had only recently been released from prison, received a call from his brother-in-law. Takazawa said he wanted to discuss Daiki's refusal to leave his room and hoped Daiki could return to school this semester.

Because Aiichiro had once joined a violent gang and gone to prison, the two children were somewhat hostile toward their uncle. Aida Aiichiro had originally not wanted to go.

But Daiki was a child he had watched grow up. The boy had once been cheerful and optimistic, and seeing him suddenly become like this left Aida Aiichiro deeply worried.

After hesitating for a while, Aiichiro still decided to go and see how Daiki was doing.

After entering the house, before he could exchange more than a few pleasantries with his brother-in-law, he heard anxious knocking