Chapter 25: A Mind Beyond Fear

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Mr. Jhee examined the lie detector machine carefully, adjusting a few wires and checking the monitor. After a moment, he looked up and said, "No issues. The machine is perfectly fine."

Akira smirked, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the cold metal table. "Then let's test it again, shall we?" He leaned forward slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming under the dim light. "I killed them."

The machine remained still—Truth.

A tense silence filled the room. Kento and John exchanged glances, their confusion evident.

Akira tilted his head, a twisted grin forming on his lips. "I killed them," he repeated, his voice eerily calm.

This time, the machine let out a loud beep—Lie.

Akira let out a soft chuckle, which quickly escalated into full-blown laughter. It was an unsettling sound that echoed within the confined room, making Kento's fists clench.

"See?" Akira gestured toward the machine. "Your precious little toy is broken."

Kento slammed his hands on the table. "How the hell is this even possible?!"

John narrowed his eyes at Akira. "There's no way this machine is faulty. It detected the truth earlier."

Akira's laughter died down as he exhaled slowly. "You still don't get it, do you?" He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "I suppose NPA intelligence is a little… lacking." He turned his gaze directly at John. "I had higher expectations from you, John. I thought you were smart."

John's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Akira continued, his voice laced with mockery. "You both seem to have forgotten—I suffer from a rare condition. It makes me restless, but more importantly… it makes me feel no fear."

Kento's brow furrowed. "And that means…?"

Akira's smirk widened. "That means I can manipulate my physiological responses at will." He tapped the side of his head. "Heart rate, breathing, sweat levels… all of which your pathetic machine relies on. In short, I control what it reads."

John gritted his teeth. "I don't care about your tricks. I know you're the killer."

Akira's eyes flickered with amusement. "You think you know," he corrected. "But the truth is… who knows?" He let the words hang in the air before sighing dramatically. "Oh well. Why don't we let the news decide?"

He casually gestured toward the TV in the corner. "Turn it on."

Kento hesitated before grabbing the remote and switching it on.

The screen flickered to life, displaying a breaking news broadcast. A female reporter stood in front of the crime scene, speaking with urgency.

"Shocking new developments in the murder case of a local family. Authorities have identified the culprit as Yakuza, a 33-year-old criminal who had been operating in the shadows for years. The footage of the attack, though blurry, clearly identifies Yakuza as the murderer."

Kento and John froze.

The reporter continued, "The evidence was submitted by a responsible citizen—17-year-old Akira Toizawa—whose quick thinking led to the criminal's exposure."

John snatched the remote and turned off the TV. His fingers dug into his palm as he clenched his fist.

Akira tilted his head, looking rather pleased. "Oops, would you look at that? Seems like I'm not your guy after all."

John exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "You're smart. I'll give you that."

Akira grinned. "And don't forget—tomorrow's Monday. I have school." He leaned back, stretching. "So, if you're done wasting my time, I'd like to go now."

He stood up, dusting himself off, then turned to Kento. "Aren't you coming home, Takeshi?" His tone was mocking, but Kento remained silent, his fists trembling at his sides.

John gave a slight nod. "Let him go."

Kento clenched his jaw but reluctantly stepped aside.

Akira adjusted his collar, then turned to Kento with a smirk. "Oh, by the way, those glasses of yours? They'd look way cooler on me."

Before Kento could react, Akira snatched the glasses from his face and slipped them on. He grinned, tilting his head slightly. "What do you think?"

Kento gritted his teeth but didn't respond.

Akira walked out of the interrogation room, his confidence unshaken. He found Hinata waiting for him outside. She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Let's go home," Akira said casually. He gestured to the glasses. "Look, Kento gifted these to me as a 'sorry' note."

Hinata smiled, reaching for his hand. "I knew you were right."

Their fingers intertwined, and as they walked out of the station, Kento watched from the doorway, his expression unreadable.

But one thing was certain—he wasn't happy.

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