Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

At first, the Novelist thought he had mistaken her identity. After all, Kasai Shino was a doctor, not a nurse. But he quickly realized that it was indeed her.

Setting aside the issue of violating regulations, standing there was a female doctor wearing a nurse’s uniform.

Was it purely out of some personal interest?

Next, he noticed her hands resting on the armrests of a wheelchair.

Though he couldn’t see clearly from this angle, someone was definitely sitting in it. Bare feet dangled from the bottom of the wheelchair, belonging to a young woman with flowing long hair.

…It seemed he had arrived just in time.

The Novelist felt genuinely relieved that he had achieved his purpose. This was the only aspect that didn’t stray far from the story. But whether he could save the person would depend on the outcome of the upcoming negotiation.

“Hello, are you Dr. Kasai Shino?”

The woman seemed to have noticed his arrival in advance. Without showing any surprise at being disturbed, the female doctor turned her head and offered a polite smile.

“Yes, that’s me. Is there something I can help you with?”

“May I ask what you’re doing here…?”

“Oh, this is a patient hospitalized here. I brought her up to the rooftop for some fresh air.”

The young woman in the wheelchair wore a loose white hospital gown, her light-colored long hair swaying in the wind.

She gave an impression of fragility and thinness, surrounded by a dreamlike atmosphere—like a princess living deep within a castle, detached from worldly affairs.

But at this moment, her face was pale, her eyes tightly shut, her slender fingers gripping the armrests, and her lips trembling slightly. She seemed to be in the midst of some sort of medical episode, looking as though she might faint at any moment.

“…Haah.”

Kasai-san sighed and leaned down to the woman’s ear. She might have been dissatisfied with the woman’s previous behavior.

“Hey, I’m telling you, anyone can see something’s wrong when you look like that.”

Kasai Shino didn’t particularly lower her voice, so their conversation was carried to the Novelist’s ears by the howling wind on the rooftop.

When the female doctor raised her head again, the amiable atmosphere around her quickly vanished.

“I’m guessing you didn’t come here to chat with me. What’s going on? Are the police coming? You came here all alone, so what exactly are you trying to do?”

The rapid-fire questions came out unhurriedly from her mouth.

“…Ah.”

Kasai Shino seemed to notice the Novelist’s gaze, so without waiting for an answer, she made her own judgment.

“I see. You came to stop me from hurting others? All by yourself?”

“…Just in time.”

The Novelist responded briefly.

“Just in time, huh…”

Kasai-san, showing no concern for her appearance, scratched at the bun secured with a hairpin at the back of her head. Looking somewhat irritated, she clicked her tongue with a “tch” sound.

“Actually, I wasn’t lying earlier. I really just intended to bring her up for some fresh air… Though if I were in a bad mood, I might have scared her a bit for fun. Just that.”

“But now, I’ve changed my mind.”

Dr. Kasai roughly pushed the wheelchair forward. The woman immediately let out a cry of alarm.

Like a predator that had spotted its prey, baring white teeth and sharp claws in anticipation, a smile appeared on Kasai Shino’s face.

“I think I’ll just push her off like this. It’ll be my first time killing someone with my own hands. As a brand new life experience, today is truly memorable.”

“You’re being excessively honest, Kasai-san. It seems you don’t need a defense. Didn’t you consider concealing your intentions? I might not necessarily be here to…”

“Ah, it’s nothing. No, it’s fine. That doesn’t matter. Since someone has tracked me down here, it means what I’m planning to do has already been exposed, right? So, I’ve decided to push her off now.”

She acknowledged her role as the mastermind without any concern, casually removing her hairpin and dropping it to the ground. Then she attempted to break it with her heel. The sole of her shoe made a “crunch, crunch” pitiful sound.

“Because I’ve had enough.”

“…”

The Novelist frowned.

Although her words were somewhat jumbled, he understood Kasai Shino’s meaning. “Had enough”… Could it be that she was forced into the spotlight, and there was actually someone else behind the scenes?

“To be honest, I’m tired of acting like a sewer rat.”

Kasai-san cleared up his confusion.

“I want the people in this city to remember my name early on. …Fortunately, it’s still not too late. The effect will be the same starting from here.”

“Kasai-san, you haven’t thought about escaping at all? In that case, there’s no need for you to continue holding onto that lady, is there?”

Using words to stall the other party was one of his intentions. But now it seemed there wasn’t enough time. Kasai Shino and the woman in the wheelchair were standing outside the railing—a few steps forward and they would recreate the tragedy of Yuihara High School.

If he rushed over, he wouldn’t even have time for the kind of scene in thriller movies where he grabs the woman’s hand. Moreover, as soon as Kasai Shino saw someone approaching, she would certainly make a quick decision.

Whether from the rooftop or from down below.

Helpless.

No way out.

Powerless.

As Dr. Kasai’s emotions grew increasingly agitated and heightened, the “creak, creak” sound continued to echo across the empty space.

“You say there’s no need… Yes, there’s no need. Indeed, there isn’t.”

Kasai Shino nodded.

“I don’t have any particular reason. I don’t hate her, I don’t like her. We’re just doctor and patient with a passing acquaintance. But… but before I’m captured by the police, I want to kill someone, anyone, as the finale to my performance. That’s all.”

The metal wheels under the wheelchair were making the same “creak” sound.

“…I see. So anyone will do?”

“Of course.”

“Then, what about me?”

The Novelist pointed at himself.

“I would do as well, right? Exchange me for her, let that lady come over to this side. Would that work?”

Kasai Shino was stunned for a moment.

Half a second later, an abrupt burst of laughter erupted from her lips. Like floodwaters after a dam opens, without any hindrance or blockage, it rushed downhill relentlessly.

The female doctor laughed until tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, laughed so hard she bent over next to the wheelchair, laughed until she was out of breath, laughed so that she could only answer with short, breathless words.

“I’m saying… you… are you that eager… to play the hero?”

The laughter continued for more than ten seconds before gradually subsiding. She straightened up, supporting herself on the back of the wheelchair.

“Although I don’t know who you are, I have to thank you for letting me hear the kind of line that only appears in TV dramas.”

Kasai Shino paused briefly, the smile on her face slowly retracting into a corpse-like, cold, lifeless expression.

“But this kind of suggestion means nothing to me. It offers no benefit, only increases risk. You don’t actually think I would agree, do you?”

“Perhaps you’ve misunderstood something. I’m not leveraging a hostage to negotiate with the police. I just want to kill someone. Besides, I’m an ordinary person with no training. How could I possibly let someone of unknown background get close to me? What an incredibly stupid proposal…”

Dr. Kasai spoke in a mocking tone. Of course, from her perspective, it was natural to think this way—

“I advise you not to judge so quickly. It would be better if you listened a bit more.”

Unfortunately, the Novelist had no interest in the killer’s monologue and directly interrupted her.

“…?”

Kasai Shino wasn’t angry. She just looked at him with puzzlement.

“Do you have something to say?”

Of course.

That is the reason I’m standing here.

Nothing more.

Naturally.

He continued to step forward on his life’s path.

Good.

Next.

It’s time—

To use his “trump card.”

…

The Novelist placed his hand on his shirt collar, forcefully tore off a button, and loosened his collar.

Then, he took a deep, deep breath.

“I killed Shirakawa Keigo.”

He said.

In that instant, the composed attitude that had surrounded Kasai Shino was effortlessly stripped away by this single statement.