Chapter 21

"Don't worry, Shinichi."

"I know what I'm doing."

Mouri Ran gradually calmed down, but her determination to intervene remained unwavering. She was born with a pure sense of justice—when faced with school bullying, there was no way she would just stand by and do nothing.

Even if she didn't resort to using her fists, she had to step forward and at least try to talk some sense into those two bullies, hoping they would realize their mistakes in time.

Of course, whether they would actually listen was another matter.

If they refused to be reasoned with, hurled insults, or even escalated things to physical violence—well, then...

Let's just hope no one gets hurt.

"Alright…"

Kudo Shinichi sighed helplessly.

"Just don't let things get out of hand."

The moment he finished speaking, before Ran could respond, a panicked voice suddenly rang out from the back of the group.

"Ish... Ishikawa, look!"

It was Aoki, the skinny high schooler, his face filled with terror.

"That guy standing at the edge of the department store rooftop… isn't that him?"

"That looks like Uchida—"

The moment the name of the bullied victim left Aoki's lips, his face turned pale.

"He… he looks like he's about to jump!"

"Huh?" Ishikawa was momentarily stunned.

Following Aoki's trembling finger, he turned to look across the street.

At the same time, Lin Xinyi, Kudo, Ran, and Miyano Shiho also instinctively looked up at the rooftop of the department store.

And sure enough—Aoki wasn't joking.

At that very moment, a figure was standing dangerously close to the edge.

The person was wearing the same black high school uniform as Ishikawa and Aoki, with a brown baseball cap pulled low over his face, obscuring half of it.

He stood there, his head down, silently gazing at the ground below.

The distance made it impossible to see his expression, but his movements were clear—inch by inch, he was edging forward, looking like he could jump at any moment.

"Whoa, whoa—"

Ishikawa's face changed drastically.

The arrogance and bravado of a schoolyard bully vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer panic.

"No way... he's actually serious?"

"That idiot is really trying to kill himself?!"

The atmosphere grew tense.

Except for Miyano Shiho, who merely furrowed her brows, everyone else showed visible shock.

But among them, Lin Xinyi was the most shaken.

"What the hell?"

"Another suicide?!"

"Did I run into the Grim Reaper today or something?"

Three suicides in a single day—even during his time in the police force, he had never encountered something this extreme.

But no matter how surreal the situation felt, the reality was clear—

The boy on the rooftop had already stepped so close to the edge that one foot was nearly hovering over empty air.

It was obvious he wasn't just up there to enjoy the breeze.

Ishikawa, the delinquent high schooler, was now visibly shaken.

"Damn it—"

"If he jumps, we're in deep trouble!"

He cursed anxiously, even dropping his cigarette as his hands trembled.

"Y-Yeah," Aoki stammered, his face just as pale.

"He went up there after we beat him up—"

"The cops will definitely come after us. Reporters might even start sniffing around!"

"..." Ishikawa fell silent for a moment. Then, his expression twisted in desperation as he shouted toward the rooftop.

"Hey! Uchida! Get down from there!!"

"Calm the hell down—"

"We won't beat you up anymore, alright?!"

His voice was so loud it echoed across the entire street, instantly drawing the attention of passersby.

One by one, pedestrians stopped in their tracks, looking up at the rooftop.

And there, at the very edge, was the boy they called "Uchida," half his face hidden under the baseball cap.

"Look! There's someone on the rooftop!"

The murmurs of the crowd quickly turned into gasps of alarm.

Hearing all the commotion, the boy suddenly took two steps back.

Just like that, he disappeared from view.

Had he changed his mind?

From where they stood on the ground, Lin Xinyi and the others could no longer see him. They had no idea what he was doing after stepping back.

But at least, for now, it seemed like the immediate danger had passed.

"Phew… he didn't jump."

Ishikawa let out a long breath of relief.

Then, as the shock faded, frustration crept back in.

"I knew it—there's no way he had the guts to actually do it."

"He probably just wanted to scare us—"

Before he could finish his sentence—

From the alley behind the department store—

BANG!

A dull, heavy sound echoed.

Like a drum being struck, the impact made everyone's heart skip a beat.

"Th-That…?!"

Aoki turned green with fear.

"Ishikawa, d-did he—"

"Did he jump from the other side instead?!"

"..."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

They hadn't seen it with their own eyes, but everyone knew exactly what that sound meant.

"Go check it out!!" Ishikawa shouted, panic gripping his voice.

Without hesitation, he dashed across the street toward the department store.

"W-Wait for me, Ishikawa!"

Aoki, now visibly shaking, hurried after him.

Meanwhile, Kudo Shinichi's sharp eyes flickered with concern.

Without a second thought, he followed the two, sprinting across the street.

Ran, naturally, wasn't about to let her childhood friend run off alone.

And Lin Xinyi…

As if moving on instinct, he stepped forward as well—

But before he could take another step—

"Wait."

A hand tugged at his sleeve.

Turning back, he saw Miyano Shiho.

"Why follow them?" she asked, her cool voice tinged with curiosity. "Are you just going to gawk?"

"Because someone just died."

Lin Xinyi started to reply instinctively—but halfway through, the words got stuck in his throat.

Right.

He had almost forgotten.

He wasn't a forensic pathologist anymore.

There was no need for him to be near corpses, no need to endure the filth and stench that others avoided.

Someone had died, but it had nothing to do with him.

Besides, he had a stable, well-paying, and stress-free job now.

He should be focusing on looking after Miyano instead.

"…You're right. Let's just go."

He wanted to say it.

But for some reason, he just couldn't.

"You care about this, don't you?"

Miyano Shiho, ever perceptive, saw through him immediately.

But she didn't understand why.

"Why does it matter?" she asked.

"This is just another ordinary death."

"And people like us…"

She trailed off, her expression unreadable.

"We don't have the right to claim kindness."

"To feel sorrow for a stranger's death… we're not entitled to that."

As usual, Lin Xinyi had no idea what she was talking about.

He figured it was just another one of her poetic musings.

Still, stripping away the cryptic words, she wasn't wrong.

This had nothing to do with him.

"The police will handle it."

"I'm just an ordinary citizen now. I should trust in society, trust in law enforcement—"

…Except, judging by the police's earlier incompetence, that was easier said than done.

And no matter how hard he tried to shake it off, he couldn't forget that image—

That boy, teetering on the rooftop's edge, full of despair.

"Shiho."

"Give me a moment."

Lin Xinyi sighed, his expression turning serious.

"I think… I need to be there."

"Why?"

Miyano Shiho still didn't understand.

"Who knows…"

He glanced toward the alleyway.

"Maybe someone over there is waiting for me to speak for them."