"Get out of my way!"
Regaining some clarity from his panicked state, the young man shouted at Touko and Azaka, trying to make them clear the path. But Touko and Azaka remained unmoved, merely regarding him up and down with probing eyes.
"Didn't you hear what I said?!" the boy shouted with forced bravado. "Move, or else I'll..."
"Calm down, boy."
Touko pushed her glasses down slightly with one hand and used her Mystic Eyes' suggestion to force the boy back to his senses. "Who are you? Why have you come here?"
"Huh?"
The boy, affected by Touko's suggestion, calmed down instantly. After hesitating a moment, he began to answer. "...My name is Tomoe Enjou. I'm a resident of room 410 in this apartment..."
After a series of careful questions, Touko and Azaka pieced together the situation of this boy, who, on the surface, appeared normal.
First, he was a resident of this apartment. Coincidentally, Enjou also knew both Shiki and Mikiya.
"...And so, in a moment of impulse, I killed my parents," Enjou recounted his story, face twisted in pain. But Touko's enforced suggestion kept him talking. "After that, I ran away from home, left this apartment, wandered the park for a while, and then, by chance, I met Miss Ryougi and Mr. Kokutou."
"For some inexplicable reason, Mr. Kokutou took me in when I had nowhere to go," Enjou continued. "During my stay, he noticed something was off about me... so I had to confess to killing my parents."
"This included the period I spent wandering the streets. By chance, I saw my mother's figure on the street. I thought I was hallucinating due to my unstable mind.
"...After hearing my story, Mr. Kokutou didn't call the police," Enjou took a deep breath and continued. "He sensed something strange. He said it was possible I hadn't killed my parents."
"Miss Ryougi suggested the three of us return to the Ogawa Apartments to find the truth," Enjou said gloomily. "If I killed my parents, they would call the police and turn me in... But if not, they'd help me resolve the situation... I agreed."
"You are missing a few screws, aren't you?" Azaka crossed her arms in displeasure. "Just because of this reason, you dragged my brother into such a bizarre mess?"
"Huh? Brother?" Enjou was surprised at first, but then quickly showed an apologetic face. "Sorry..."
"Keep talking," Touko commanded. "What happened after you returned to Ogawa Apartments?"
"...As soon as we entered the apartment, we ran into that strange man in a black trench coat," Enjou said painfully. "At first, Miss Ryougi could handle the man's attacks, but the man despicably grabbed Mr. Kokutou and used him as a hostage to force Miss Ryougi to surrender."
"...Miss Ryougi refused the man's demands, but because she had to worry about Mr. Kokutou being used as a shield, she failed and was captured," Enjou said.
"So how did you end up here?" Touko asked calmly.
"...I ran away," Enjou said. "The moment I saw that man's eyes, my mind was filled with nothing but terror. There was no thought of resistance or fighting. I ran here in a panic, back to what I thought was my home."
"I don't think this is your home, Enjou," Touko said. "What did you just see in this room?"
Enjou froze. He wanted to refute Touko because he had indeed just seen his parents in the room.
"And the timing doesn't match up," Touko added. "You said you just ran to this room, but Shiki and Mikiya have been missing for several days."
"Also, the name on this plate isn't 'Tomoe', either." Touko pointed at the nameplate by the door, leaving Enjou stunned.
"Come look with us," Touko said. "See for yourself what the truth about your family is."
Though afraid, Enjou, under the effect of the Mystic Eyes, didn't refuse but followed Touko and Azaka back into what he thought was his home.
Things were different from his memories. The house was neat and tidy, just like how his mother would repeatedly clean and organize it.
As the three ventured deeper, they found Enjou's parents' corpses in the living room. Both his father and mother bore stab wounds from a blade, but no blood flowed from them.
"Father... Mother..." Enjou's pupils dilated. He gasped for breath, seemingly wanting to check, but Touko stopped him.
"Watch carefully, Enjou," Touko said coldly. "Wait a bit longer, and you'll see the moment of reset."
Enjou didn't understand what Touko meant, but under the enforced calm, he sensed something off. There was no blood near the bodies, though in his memory this place was splattered with it.
They waited silently for about twenty minutes. Then, the wounds on Enjou's parents vanished. Their bodies rose from the ground like machines starting up, and they began tidying up the surroundings.
The parents ignored Enjou and the others, going about their daily routines—cleaning, reading the paper, and watching the TV news on repeat. This normalcy appeared to Enjou as the greatest abnormality.
"All right, let's go," Touko whispered. "I've confirmed the situation. I probably know where that damned monk is hiding, too."
The three left the room. After closing the door, they stood silently for a moment in the corridor. Enjou's face was filled with pain and confusion.
"Enjou, do you want revenge for yourself and your family?" Touko asked. "Everything your family suffered was caused by that man in black, Araya Souren. I need your help to track him down."
"If all goes well, I have a way to bring you and your family back."
Touko's words deeply shocked Enjou. He thought his life was over, but now a new opportunity had appeared. Even if it required a price, what else did he have left to lose?
So Enjou agreed decisively to Touko's request.