Kanro's eyes widened—he knew that voice.
He spun toward the shadows. From the dim alleyway, a silhouette stepped into the pale light, clutching a folder tightly. The man's presence carried weight, as if the shadows clung to him.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Kanro demanded.
The figure stepped closer, revealing a face half-lit by a flickering street lamp.
"Rei. I'm a friend of Shiki's. I know who killed him... but before anything else, you need to understand everything."
Relief flickered briefly in Kanro's expression—but suspicion quickly followed.
"Why stay silent all this time?"
Rei lowered his gaze. Guilt carved lines into his face.
"I was scared. Watching from the sidelines felt safer. But Shiki didn't deserve to die like that... and silence is no longer an option."
Kanro clenched his hand into a tight fist, his voice thunderous.
"SHIKI DESERVES JUSTICE."
Rei walked closer and gave Kanro a folder.
"Shiki was finding out something big. That's why they killed him."
Kanro looked inside. There was a picture of Shiki, like he was investigating something.
"This is Shiki," Rei said.
Kanro looked at Rei sharply.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, you're scary," Rei joked.
Kanro didn't answer at first. Then he said,
"So what's here? Just pictures of Shiki, not proof."
"I just want you to know Shiki was onto something big. That's why I think he was killed."
Kanro stayed quiet for a moment.
"That's why we must be careful. The people behind this aren't normal criminals. They hide in plain sight."Kanro nodded. "I already know that."
Rei said, "Oh, okay."
The place was quiet for a while.
"Let's finish this tomorrow. It's already late," Rei said.
"Sorry for bothering you."
Kanro didn't answer.
"But I hope we can work together, for Shiki," Rei smiled.
Kanro sighed. "Yeah, okay."
Just as they were about to leave—
"Can we exchange numbers?" Rei asked.
They gave each other their phone numbers.
"See you," Rei said and walked away.The Next Morning
Kanro lay in bed but couldn't stop thinking. He had some pieces of the truth but many questions still stayed.
.
.
The Next Morning
"Bzzz. Bzzz." His phone buzzed. A message from Rei.
Rei: Hey, good morning.
Rei: It's me, Rei.
Rei: Can we meet? 10 AM. 3rd Avenue. There's a café there. I want to show you something… face to face.
Kanro quickly replied,
"Okay, I'll come."
At 8:40 AM, Kanro was already awake. The café was only a 15-minute walk from his house. He wanted to eat first.
He couldn't cook, so he bought a siopao (steamed bun) and bottled water from a store nearby. By 9:30, he was done eating and feeling nervous.
When he reached the café, just as he was about to open the door—
Someone touched his shoulder.
"Hey, you're early," Rei smiled a little. "Come inside. It's hot outside."
Inside, the air was cool and quiet. They sat in the back, away from other people, and ordered coffee.
Kanro leaned forward. "So, what's going on?"
Rei quietly took out three photos and put them on the table.
Each showed a different man. Kanro looked at the first.
Nothing.
The second—didn't know him.
But the third…
He felt like he knew him, his eyes got sharp. He tapped the photo. "This one. I know him."
He gave the photo back to Rei, his voice soft but serious.
"Who is he?" Rie ask with curiosity
"He's one of the drug dealers caught two months ago but—" he stopped for a moment, thinking hard, "he died one month ago. They said a police officer killed him in his cell." Kanro replied
Rei looked far away, lost in thought as he thought about what Kanro had said.
Kanro asked, "Why? What does he have to do with this?" He asked, then called a waitress and ordered more coffee.
Rei said, looking pale, "I saw him driving the truck that hit Shiki."
Kanro looked at Rei with no reaction.
"I already know that . But how did Rei see who was driving? The car windows were very dark." A question lingering in his thoughts while looking at the menu and tapping it without really reading.
Rei said, "You don't seem interested."
Kanro thought, "Because I already know that he was the driver of that car."
"No, you're wrong. I am interested. I'm just surprised how a man who's supposed to be dead can still be alive." Kanro said
Rei said, "Maybe he was never really dead."
Rei added quickly, "Or maybe he has a twin!"
"Maybe. But the papers say he has no brothers or twins. Unless, the police lied about his death and his personal information." Kanro replied
Rei thought for a moment and then spoke "But why would they do that?"
"Who knows"
Rei leaned back in his chair, his fingers trembling slightly as he gripped the coffee cup.
"Kanro… what if the police lied, then they're part of this. That means whoever killed Shiki isn't just hiding in the streets—they're inside the system."
"Maybe," Kanro muttered, "especially since Shiki was known as one of the outstanding police officers. Maybe someone held a grudge against him."
That thought echoed in his mind. He almost wanted to say aloud: "It already crossed my mind, but no matter how I think about it, something feels missing and wrong."
But Kanro held back. He still didn't trust Rei enough to reveal everything.
The silence between them stretched, heavy and uneasy. Rei's eyes searched Kanro's face, trying to read what he wasn't saying.
Then finally Kanro spoke, his tone measured."If the police lied, then maybe you're right—they might really be involved." He paused, his face turning serious. Before continuing, he took a sip of coffee, letting the silence weigh heavy between them.
"But we don't have enough proof or evidence yet to confirm their connection," he said firmly
Rei leaned forward, his voice trembling. "Then we need to find that proof. Without it, Shiki's death will just be another forgotten case."
Kanro's eyes narrowed. "Proof is dangerous. Whoever covered this up already killed Shiki to protect their secret. If we dig too deep without caution, we'll end up the same way."
Rei's hand shook slightly as he set his cup down. "But if we stop now, then they win. Shiki's sacrifice means nothing."
Kanro stared at him, his mind racing. "Rei is determined… but is he trustworthy? Why is he pushing so hard? Were he and Shiki really that close?"
Another thought gnawed at him: "If they were that close, why didn't Shiki mention Rei to me more often? Why was his name barely spoken at all?"
The café's quiet hum seemed to fade, replaced by the pounding of Kanro's thoughts. He tapped the table slowly, then spoke.
"Yeah, you're right. Afterall Shiki needs proper justice."
Rei took a deep breath, then rested his head on the table while tapping his coffee cup.
"If the police are really involved, then we're not just fighting criminals… we're fighting shadows inside the force itself," he said, running his hand through his hair.
Kanro's jaw tightened. "That's why we need proof. Without it, we're just chasing ghosts."
Rei was about to take another deep breath when a thought struck him.
"Ahh— I have something else. Something Shiki left behind," he said.
Rei hesitated, then pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He slid it across the table. Kanro unfolded it carefully. It was a list of names—some businessmen, some officers, and some marked with strange symbols.
"Shiki handwritten" Kanro thought as he look at the names
Kanro's chest tightened. One of the names was familiar. He whispered, almost to himself, "This one… Shiki marked it in his notes."
Rei leaned in. "Then Shiki was onto them. That's why they silenced him."