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If he is the kind of person who can still smile when talking about his past, I probably won't forgive him.
—Are you going to meet her?
—I don't have the face for that.
He shrugged as he said this, his face looked so preoccupied that I didn't know what to say. An outsider like me shouldn't be able to argue about what happened between them, especially since it's a domestic matter...
From the time we met to the time we parted, he never identified himself, and even wanted me to act as if I had never seen him. To make an analogy, we were like two travelers who happened to pass by each other in some distant corner of the world, destined to walk away from each other five minutes later. He wanted our connection to stop there, and the circumstances at the time didn't allow me to inquire about his identity.
But I knew anyway.
He is Kirigiri Kyōko's father.
I know that he had left his daughter and the Kirigiri family 6 years ago. I know that he was born into a family that inherited the bloodline of generations of detectives, but he didn't want to be a detective. I also know that he is now a teacher at the Hope's Peak Academy.
I recalled the conversation between us when he was driving me to the dormitory.
"There aren't many people who can outwit Kirigiri Kyōko."
As he drove, he squinted his eyes that resembled Kirigiri Kyōko while driving. He was wearing a high-end suit, his tie was slightly loosened, and his collar was open, showing his character.
"I'm not exactly ignorant about that."
He looked straight ahead and said.
The car traversed the uneventful streets at a very ordinary speed, and we blended into the everyday scenery without the slightest disharmony.
"Shinsen Mikado—"
The moment I blurted out the name, he turned his eyes to me in the passenger seat.
But his gaze quickly shifted back to the front.
"It really was him, wasn't it? Please tell me, what is the relationship between the Kirigiri family and Shinsen Mikado?"
"There are some things in this world that you are better off not knowing. The truth isn't always helpful to you." He said so, and then immediately continued: "But... your eyes tell me that you aren't too impressed with this kind of platitude.."
"Please tell me."
I said it again, and he sighed in dilemma.
"Before that, tell me about your experience, and what led you to that mansion."
"Okay."
I told the whole story from the time I met Kirigiri Kyōko until I found the body of Kirigiri's grandfather. I got acquainted with her because of the 'Sirius Observatory' murder case. We then met Shinsen in the 'Norman's Hotel' case. We are now confronting the Crime Victims' Relief Committee with Shinsen as the chairman, and I went to the mansion to confirm a fact related to Kirigiri's grandfather.
