Tokyo Drift Arc (17)

Although Ameko had anticipated it, hitting a wall with Kurobe Saburo still left her a bit dejected. She and Zhang Heng found a place nearby for a quick lunch before heading to the public hospital where they had previously rescued Asano Naoto.

After inquiring at the visitor registration desk, they confirmed that there was no one named Hayami Rinko there anymore. However, a passing head nurse stopped when she heard the name.

"Senior Hayami did work here, but she's retired now. When I first started, I couldn't do anything right, and she always encouraged and guided me. Is there something you need her for?"

Zhang Heng gestured with the fruit basket in his hand. "My father was in a very serious car accident, and Aunt Rinko took care of him until he recovered. We wanted to thank her again."

Such things were quite common in hospitals. Many patients or their families would return after discharge to thank their attending physicians and nurses. Hayami Rinko, due to her exceptionally serious attitude and meticulous, dedicated work, frequently received thanks. Coupled with the fruit basket Zhang Heng was holding, the current head nurse didn't doubt their intentions at all.

She tore off a piece of paper, wrote down an address on it, and handed it over. "It's fortunate you met me. Senior Hayami is here now."

"Evening Cherry Care Center?" Ameko read out the place name on the slip of paper.

"Yes, Senior Hayami is unmarried and has no children. After retiring from the hospital, she started volunteering there, saying she wanted to continue contributing her remaining years and also find a place for herself in the future." The current head nurse's tone was filled with respect.

Zhang Heng thanked her, and he and Ameko took the subway to the nursing home located in the suburbs. This time, with the help of the staff, they smoothly met Hayami Rinko herself.

She was teaching flower arrangement to an elderly person who had almost completely lost their hearing. Upon seeing Zhang Heng and Ameko, her expression was a little puzzled, but she still nodded at them.

Five minutes later, Hayami Rinko settled the elderly person and walked over. "Who are you?"

Perhaps due to her profession, Hayami Rinko in the photo looked very serious and meticulous. Zhang Heng had worried she might be difficult to communicate with, but upon meeting her in person, he found her to be much more approachable than he had imagined.

Zhang Heng handed over the fruit basket, and the three of them sat down on the sofa.

"We wanted to ask you about something. Do you remember the severe traffic accident 22 years ago? Two young people were speeding against traffic on the highway and ended up colliding with a large truck. One died at the scene, and the other was seriously injured. The seriously injured person was named..."

"Asano Naoto," Hayami Rinko finished. "I remember that incident, not because the news was reporting on it at the time, but because that child was so young. He was fighting death, and it was clear he didn't want to leave this world. But unfortunately, I couldn't help him."

Zhang Heng and Ameko exchanged a glance. "We heard you stayed by his side the whole time. I... we are his family, and we wanted to know if anyone visited him while he was conscious, or if he asked to see anyone."

"No, you are not his family," Hayami Rinko said, shaking her head. Her eyes seemed to pierce through people, and under her gaze, Ameko couldn't help but blush.

Zhang Heng remained composed and added, "Distant relatives."

"..."

Hayami Rinko smiled but didn't dwell on the issue. "If you are asking about other people's affairs, I won't tell you without their or their family's consent. But as for him... it's rare that anyone in this world besides the media would care about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Asano Naoto, he was a very lonely child. During the three days he was hospitalized for treatment, only his grandfather visited him once. His parents had reportedly disowned him... Oh, right, he seemed to have an uncle, but that uncle only sent two subordinates to guard his door and never went in."

"So, does that mean no one cared about him at all?" Zhang Heng and Ameko were both a bit surprised by this answer.

Hayami Rinko sighed. "In our line of work, we're supposed to be accustomed to life and death, but to leave so lonely at such a young age is indeed rare. He never regained consciousness in the end, and I don't know if that was fortunate or unfortunate."

Leaving the Evening Cherry Care Center, Ameko's expression was filled with confusion. It was different from what she had imagined. Meeting Hayami Rinko hadn't clarified the events of that year; instead, it had made them even more baffling, leaving the two of them shrouded in mystery.

Asano Naoto's uncle didn't seem to care much about his nephew, unwilling to spare time to visit him in the hospital 22 years ago. There was no reason for him to suddenly remember to avenge his nephew after so many years.

But if it wasn't Onitō's people who set fire to the fish market that night, then who could it have been? Why would they target Takeda Tetsuya, who had already retired from the racing scene, and why would they impersonate Onitō?

"No, this doesn't make any logical sense," Zhang Heng said. "As it stands, the other party's goal is to force your father into a trap at Onitō. But if they know about this, they could have directly reported it to Onitō and had Onitō's people deal with your father."

Their investigation had hit a dead end, and there were no other leads for the time being. Seeing that it was getting late and that someone was still hungry, having not even eaten lunch, Ameko went to a roadside KFC to pack two family buckets. The two of them took a taxi back to the cousin's small apartment.

As they exited the elevator, Ameko fumbled in her bag for the keys. However, the next moment, Zhang Heng's expression suddenly changed.

Because he found that the apartment door was open. Although it was only a crack, Zhang Heng clearly remembered that they had locked the door when they left. Ameko, while sometimes a bit ditzy, wouldn't make such a mistake.

Seeing this, the girl also became anxious. She worried that Takeda Tetsuya might go to Onitō alone and walk into a trap. Although Asano Naoto's uncle wasn't particularly concerned about his deceased nephew, if the culprit came to his door, even to protect his reputation as a yakuza boss, he wouldn't let the other party off.

Ameko was about to rush in, but Zhang Heng grabbed her.

A strong sense of alarm arose in Zhang Heng's heart. Takeda Tetsuya, in his condition, couldn't possibly break free from his restraints on his own. Someone else must have helped him. And the state of this door was too strange, half-open, as if inviting people outside to come in and see.

Before they understood the situation, Zhang Heng planned to take Ameko away. But their footsteps had clearly been heard by someone inside. The next moment, a figure rushed out from behind the door. Judging by his attire, he was clearly one of the people who had gotten out of the dark blue Voxy in front of the fish market earlier.

Zhang Heng hadn't trained in boxing, but he had been working out. His current physical condition was still superior to that of an ordinary person. The moment the other guy reached into his pocket, Zhang Heng had already stepped in front of Ameko and punched him squarely in the face with all his might. The other person was completely stunned by the blow and fell back into the room.

Zhang Heng hadn't fought anyone since graduating from elementary school. He was a bit surprised by the result of this punch, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. Now was not the time to marvel at his own strength. The priority was to find a way to press his advantage, knowing that the other party might be carrying a gun. He was about to pounce and continue his attack when a cold gun barrel pressed against the back of his head.