Mr. Fujioka was sitting in a bar after work, drinking away his sorrows in alcohol.
Despite Misaki's death in April, the event, still etched in his psyche, soon a smartly dressed man arrived at his table.
- Mr. *Akito Fujioka?
Akito looked at the man with uncertainty; it could have been another debt collector sent by the Hironiwa clan.
- Yes?
He replied quietly, with a hint of fear.
- Please don't be afraid, my name is Shinichirou Kanazawa.
- Were you sent by the Hironiwa?
- No, on the contrary.
Kanazawa smiled to lighten the atmosphere.
- I am here to help you with your debts.
- I didn't ask anyone to do that.
- Let's just say that I am anxious to weaken the influence of the Hironiwa clan, I have already made several other people offers to cooperate with me, it will cost you nothing, and your debts will be canceled.
Akito, sensing a ruse, stood up and began to walk away.
- I am not interested.
- You will get your daughter back.
At these words of Kanazawa, Akito turned away, with anger and at the same time concern about who Kanazawa is.
- Excuse me?
- There is a possibility of recovering your daughter, Mei Misaki correct?
- How do you know this?
- I have my sources Fujioka-san.
I have a lot of information about you and also about your family...
Kanazawa noticed the anger in Akito.
-I would advise you to control your anger, killing me will not make my organization lose information about you, I am here to help you, not to harm you.
- What do you want?
- We want to destroy the Hironiwa clan, you as well as other indebted people will also gain from this, so I propose to you to cooperate.
- What does this have to do with my daughter?
- You will have a better chance of getting it back won't you?
- I don't trust you.
- We understand your reluctance, what I have said is all I wanted, however, if you think about it - please call this number.
Akito, thinking about the mysterious man's offer, took the number and hid it in his coat, he had no intention of trusting him, however he had a feeling that it was worth having his number just in case.
However, he felt a kind of uneasiness that someone outside his family knew about their secret.
As he walked home he looked back, as he became suspicious that he might be followed by someone.
Naoki was not at school, Ayato tried to contact him however he did not answer his phone calls, so instead of spending time with Naoki as usual, this time Ayato tried to spend time with Kouichi and Mei, Kouichi tried to hide the fact that he knew from Mei about Ayato's impending death.
Kouichi was thoughtful and somewhat concerned about Ayato's death; on the one hand, he had seen a lot from May to August, however, he could not accept that another classmate would die.
- Have you been lost in thoughts, Sakakibara-kun?
Kouichi came back to his senses after hearing Ayato's question.
- No, I... just.
Sakakibara and Mei's gazes connected, Mei who was sitting behind Ayato, gave him a gesture with her head that they needed to talk in private.
- I was just thinking about the upcoming test, that's all...
- You and Misaki-san have some of the best grades in the class.
But probably Muneyoshi-kun will still come first.
- Eh? After all, he was in a coma for half a year!
How is it possible for him to keep up with us? I guess it's only in Japanese that he's doing the worst.
- Muneyoshi-kun actually speaks better French or English than Japanese.
Ayato smiled slightly
- Why is that so?
- Naoki-kun came to Yomiyama about 4 years ago, I don't know where he went to elementary school, but I heard that he had to take exams to learn Japanese, I don't know, but I suspect he barely spoke Japanese then.
In the first year of middle school he avoided contact with everyone, in fact he wasn't the nicest person when I first met him, but that's what I think he might have been ashamed of simply his poor Japanese.
- Interesting story, but...
Kouichi checked the time on his phone.
- I'm busy, I have something on my mind, I have to go now, see you tomorrow Anju-kun.
- Until tomorrow, Sakakibara-kun.
Ayato and Kouichi went their separate ways, soon Kouichi was joined by Mei, she decided to go home together with him today.
- Kouichi-kun.
- Yes?
- Are you sure that your decision for me to tell you about Anju-kun's death was a good one?
Kouichi took a deep breath, not knowing what to say.
- I don't know, if it can be prevented in any way, then yes.
- I don't like him
He seems false to me, however, it's sad that he has to die, especially for Muneyoshi-kun.
-False?
Kouichi looked at Mei curiously, it seemed to him that Ayato was one of his friends, that he was a good person with no evil or hidden intentions.
- Why did he lie for Naoki that my sister was alive? Misaki was someone important to Naoki, just as Naoki was to her.
However, Ayato preferred to hide this from him, didn't he know that he would soon find out anyway?
This revelation, gave Kouichi food for thought, about Ayato's true intentions.
Kouichi realized that Ayato is also overly nice and sociable, which is different from how he is with his friends Naoki, and others.
- It is indeed strange, but...
I don't know why Anju-kun would have any hidden intentions...
- And did you think the same way when Kubodera-sensei killed his own mother and then himself?
-You are right, it was not expected, however, then there was a curse.
Now it is gone...
- I told you, after all, that his death will be not related to the curse.
- That is, it could be. just an unfortunate accident?
- I'd doubt it
I think it may be something more serious...
- Huh?
- I don't know however any evidence for this, but don't you think the death of Detective Ohba was a bit shady?
- To be honest… It was certainly unexpected, so It can be something more behind this…
- See you later.
- Huh?
- We arrived to my house already
Meanwhile, Naoki visited Kiyoshi Hiiragi - a friend of his great-grandfather Tokichi Muneyoshi.
Naoki's goal was to find out if the alleged legend of weapons caches hidden just after World War II.
Legends and rumors about it circulated, and the Great Yomiyama Clans - the Hironiwa Clan, the Muneyoshi Clan and the Minamiyashiki Clan - were blamed, the Anju Clan was not associated with the rumors however.
Naoki met with Kiyoshi, the old man was surprised by the young Muneyoshi's visit, not knowing anything about the purpose of the visit.
- Naoki-sama, why did you come to me?
Naoki felt a bit irritated by such a title, he considered it a relic of the past, he also hated being singled out.
- Just Naoki-san is enough, for almost a year we will already be living in the year 2000, this "-sama" is simply outdated, I would ask you not to call me that, Hiiragi-san.
The old man felt a little embarrassed.
-I understand, sorry Naoki-san, for what purpose are you here? If I may ask?
Naoki closed his eyes, and took a breath, he was ready to take drastic measures in case of refusal.
- I want to know if the weapons caches my ancestors were suspected of are true, and where they are located.
Kiyoshi felt a sense of fear mixed with shock upon hearing this answer, he averted his eyes and after a moment to calm down, he asked Naoki in a slightly nervous voice.
- B-but why do you need a gun?
- This is a rather private matter, I would be pleased if you did not ask questions ,Hiiragi-san.
- Do you promise not to kill anyone innocent?
- Of course I will. I swear by the memory of my ancestors.
This confession by Naoki almost forced Kiyoshi to tell Naoki the whole truth.
- No, this is no legend or rumor, these caches really exist...
They are located on the banks of the Yomiyama River - in the forest near the village of Yamegawa.
As far as I remember, the bunker was dug near a felled pine forest, however, it has been 55 years since it was buried, more unfortunately I do not remember.
- I understand, I know it will be hard for me but I know that you may have memory problems, I hope you will keep good health, goodbye, Hiiragii-san.
Naoki, leaving Hiiragi's house, had just realized the first step in his plan for revenge, for acquiring weapons opened up many possibilities.
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*I don't know the name of Mei Misaki and Misaki Fujioka's biological father, there was little mention of him in the first novel.
So Akito is not their father's name from canon.