All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

In a private room at the breakfast diner, Kotomi Izumi put down her chopsticks. Hidari Officer tugged at the corner of her mouth. Although Kotomi had warned her repeatedly about her large appetite, she hadn't anticipated it being this enormous.

Three plates of beef stir-fried noodles, six trays of steamed buns—served in entire bamboo steamers.

Hidari glanced at her wallet. Though Kotomi's meal wouldn't bankrupt her, if she were to treat the girl for a week straight, it might be a different story.

"Kotomi, can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? What's the question?"

"Is your family loaded?"

"Eh?"

Who could afford to raise such an insatiable eating machine in an ordinary household?! Hidari thought silently.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket. As a reflex from her profession, Hidari tensed at the sound, especially when she saw the call was from a colleague.

"Yukki, what happened?"

"Hidari, we've identified the culprit's name and determined her true motive. It turns out this serial killer case doesn't involve just her alone!"

Hidari's eyes widened as she shot up from her seat and moved to a quieter corner.

"What's going on? Tell me everything."

Yukki Officer relayed everything he had just learned. After listening to the full report, Hidari remained silent for a long time before exhaling a heavy sigh.

Sliding the phone back into her pocket, she returned to the table and addressed Kotomi. "Kotomi, the girl who was with you yesterday—her name is Iroha Isshiki, right?"

"Yeah," Kotomi nodded, suddenly realizing that if the police were asking about someone's name, it probably wasn't good news. She quickly followed up, "What happened? Does this have something to do with Iroha?"

Hidari was surprised at Kotomi's intense reaction. She had expected the girl to maintain her usual calm demeanor. Instead, her agitation was palpable.

"Calm down for a moment," Hidari said, gesturing for Kotomi to lower her voice.

"I am calm. Just tell me!" Kotomi's nerves were so frayed that she had lost all interest in her soy milk.

Even in her wildest thoughts, she couldn't connect Iroha to the serial killings.

"First of all," Hidari began, "Iroha Isshiki is not a suspect. But we did find her name in the killer's plan book."

"What?! Are you saying Iroha was one of the targets?"

"Not just her. Her father, Tetsunosuke Isshiki, was also a target. And the killer—Iroha Isshiki's mother and Tetsunosuke Isshiki's wife—was identified as Yuuha Isshiki."

"No… that's impossible!" Kotomi exclaimed.

The information was overwhelming, and Kotomi struggled to process it all.

"It's shocking, isn't it?" Hidari continued. "For a mother and wife to plan the murders of her own husband and daughter… Even as police officers, we were momentarily speechless when we found out. But after uncovering her motive, it became less surprising."

"What… was Yuuha Isshiki's motive?" Kotomi asked, her voice trembling.

"This morning, after we discovered her body at the construction site, we searched the building. Among the evidence, we found the murder weapon, her plan notebook, and a personal phone known only to her. On the phone, we found something akin to a diary in the memo app. The entries were chaotic, and after consultation with psychiatrists, we confirmed that Yuuha Isshiki suffered from severe mental illness. It appears she already had underlying issues, but after being brainwashed, her condition deteriorated beyond recovery."

"Brainwashed?"

Kotomi listened in stunned disbelief. She never imagined that Iroha's mother—a woman she had never met—could be involved in such horrific crimes, let alone that someone had manipulated her into committing them.

"Yes. And that brings me to another point: this serial killing case has two perpetrators. One is Yuuha Isshiki, and the other is the person who brainwashed her and incited her to kill. As of now, the police have identified a suspect."

Hidari pulled out her phone and showed Kotomi a photograph that Yukki had sent.

The image was of a bespectacled middle-aged man with a seemingly respectable appearance.

"This man is named Shikama Shika. He was a college classmate of Yuuha, and the two dated during university. They broke up after graduating."

"After their breakup, Yuuha remained infatuated with Shika, but at the time, her parents arranged for her to go on a matchmaking date. She met Tetsunosuke Isshiki, who had a stable job, and decided to marry him. After their marriage, she gave birth to their daughter, Iroha Isshiki."

"Yuuha had no feelings for Tetsunosuke; she was only drawn to his money. During a class reunion two years ago, she ran into Shikama Shika again. They reconnected instantly and quickly rekindled their relationship, which escalated into an affair. Yuuha often stole money from her household to give to Shika, who was unemployed."

"At the same time, after starting the affair, Yuuha's attitude toward her husband and daughter took a sharp turn for the worse. While spending her family's money to live it up with Shika, she blamed her husband for restricting her life and failing to give her happiness."

"But Iroha is her daughter... How could she possibly see her daughter as a murder target?" Kotomi asked in disbelief. She couldn't fathom how a mother could harbor such murderous intent toward her own child.

"Kotomi, Yuuha Isshiki is mentally ill. The one who brainwashed her and made her beyond saving is Shikama Shika. They're both mentally unstable. Through text messages, they planned to murder Tetsunosuke Isshiki and Iroha, seize the family assets, and run away together.

As for her daughter, in Yuuha's eyes, Iroha was merely an obstacle on her so-called path to happiness—something to be eliminated as soon as possible.

However, Yuuha blindly trusted her former college boyfriend and failed to realize that he only saw her as a disposable tool. From the very beginning, he had no intention of running away with her after taking the money."

At this point, Hidari Officer finished the last sip of her coffee and added:

"Next, I'll be heading to the Isshiki household. Although Tetsunosuke and Iroha are not suspects, they were Yuuha's family, and they need to know the truth. As for Shikama Shika, the police have already tracked his movements. He's currently in Kyoto, and a team is heading to his rented apartment to apprehend him. For inciting murder—especially in a serial killing case—the only thing waiting for him is the death penalty."

Kotomi sat silently in her chair, her head bowed, making it impossible to see her expression.

Seeing this, Hidari grew concerned and asked, "Should I take you home first?"

Kotomi shook her head and spoke slowly, "After you visit the Isshiki household, you'll need to bring them to the precinct, right?"

"Taking statements is a necessary procedure. However, since neither Tetsunosuke nor Iroha knew that Yuuha was a killer, it won't take long. They should be able to return home tonight. Don't worry. During the press conference after the case is closed, the police will alter their names to protect their privacy as much as possible."

"I can understand your feelings. In this whole incident, the small blessing amidst the misfortune is that Iroha Isshiki remained unharmed."

"Both Yuuha Isshiki and Shikama Shika have obsessive tendencies—they insist on following their predetermined order for killing. Until it was Iroha's turn in their sequence, they wouldn't have made a move against her."

"Fortunately, before that could happen, Yuuha Isshiki died in an accident, and Shikama Shika is about to be apprehended."

"After their statements are finished, can I go pick up Iroha?" Kotomi brushed aside the strands of hair falling near her face and asked softly.

"Of course. But aren't you afraid? I can see that you and Iroha are good friends, but her mother was following you last night—trying to kill you."

"That's her mother's doing… No, she doesn't even deserve to be called Iroha's mother! This has absolutely nothing to do with Iroha!" Kotomi raised her head to look at Hidari Officer, speaking each word with resolute seriousness.

Hidari Officer froze for a moment, then smiled softly.

"Hearing you say that puts me at ease."

After her words, Hidari Officer stood up to settle the bill before heading out. Once she returned to her car, her phone suddenly rang.

"This is Hidari."

"Officer Hidari, we've arrived at Shikama Shika's rented apartment in Kyoto. However, after forcing the door open, we discovered he had already left. Surveillance footage reveals that an hour before we arrived, he boarded a train bound for Chiba City."

Hidari Officer slammed the steering wheel hard. "Damn it! He's quick on his feet!"

Kotomi remained in the breakfast café, letting out a small sigh as she leaned back in her chair.

The rain outside showed no signs of stopping.

It seemed as if everything had concluded, but what came after the end?

How would she comfort Iroha once the girl learned that her mother was a murderer who had even plotted to kill her?

Kotomi didn't want to see the little devil's tears. She much preferred the mischievous Iroha, carefree and with a sly smile as she teased her.

Opening her umbrella, Kotomi made her way back home. Quietly, she opened the front door, assuming her parents and sister were still asleep. She tiptoed carefully, heading toward her bedroom.

"Onee-chan!" Just as Kotomi was about to set her umbrella down, Aimi's voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Kotomi jolted in fright, spinning around to see Aimi standing at the entryway with her hands on her hips, her brows slightly furrowed. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had just finished crying.

– Oh no! Aimi found out!

Kotomi's heart sank. Without Aimi saying a word, she already knew. Sneaking out at four in the morning—of course Aimi had noticed!

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