𝐍𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐀 Manjiro Sano

Chapter 17

Kakucho lingered behind the wheel of his expensive automobile, his hands clutching the steering wheel and his gaze patched on the concrete route poured ahead. He was preoccupied with his thoughts, recalling the occurrence from the day before. He wants to confirm it once more, or at the very least,  seize a fresh snippet of evidence to substantiate the obviously false argument.

He'd never considered Manjiro's behavior as peculiar before; he simply assumed it was his method of dealing with the unexpected news, which had a highly pertinent issue. As Kakucho has noticed, Manjiro appears to be constantly eager to get to the residence where he and his wife lived. Furthermore, Manjiro appeared to be distracted oftentimes, murmuring his wife's name and mentioning sentences he, Kakucho, didn't necessarily comprehend. And this action was something Manjiro had never portrayed whenever all the executive was around...that is, before the startling accident transpired.

When the audacious house from afar came into view, Kakucho suppressed all his rowdy thoughts to the back of his mind, as he focused his attentiveness on parking his car. Thus, after settling his feet to the ground, he, Kakucho permits himself into invading the path that led to the embedded mansion ahead; the surroundings were blanketed in a balmy climate, besides were festooned of graphic clustered of stimulating and colorful flowers.

Thud.

Halting when he reaches the front door looming before him, Kakucho chimed the vintage doorbell hanging. However, despite the patience he showed, no one, not even a single soul showed up to open the door and welcome him within. And it was at that point that he suspected that the dwelling, notably his boss, had gone elsewhere.

Instructing his mind to abandon the place for a while and hope to visit another time, Kakucho furthermore wandered to the vast garden the house attained. However, not far from where he was rooted, a familiar vocal chimed within the atmosphere that lingers. A faint laugh and utterances, he followed those until the faint sound turns to vivid.

Under the shelter of the leafy tree, two frames were basking and rather viewed appreciating the scenery that was brought by another agreeable weather. They were sitting on a sprawled blanket perfect for a picnic, the one whose back was turned on him had bleached hair planted on his scalp and it appears to him that the formidable leader of them has a company beside him. Though, it baffled Kakucho severely when his eyes glimpse how the expression that was portrayed from Manjiro's face when he happen to shift his head sideways was cheerful and far from the grim.

Kakucho heaves a sigh, unknowingly plastering a feeble smile, guessing every doubt that arouses yesterday was merely an assumption. However, this consolation could solely alleviate his dreadful thoughts for a fleeting, as when he takes a step forward towards them, a breeze that wields a terrible scent entered his nose. And that is when the error appeared when his eyes accidentally gaze at the figure hidden behind the tree.

It seems that every single detail that was unraveled yesterday was indeed the truth as it fully dawned on him the terrifying shred of evidence.