This subconscious concern made Ran unknowingly return to the vicinity of the clinic.
While she was hesitating whether to go in and persuade Asai Narumi again, the beautiful doctor on duty inside the clinic noticed her arrival.
Asai Narumi proactively came out and asked caringly, "Miss Ran, why are you here alone? Do you need any help?"
"Dr. Asai…"
Ran shook her head, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Looking at Ran's conflicted expression, Asai Narumi smiled knowingly.
She probably understood what Ran was thinking.
"Miss Ran is truly gentle."
Asai Narumi took Ran's hand and said softly, "Thank you for your concern, but I must do this."
She herself knew that what she was about to do was wrong, and would even cost her the rest of her life.
But some things, even if you know they shouldn't be done, must be done.
"Let's not discuss this topic. Do you have time to go for a walk with me, Ran?"
Faced with Asai Narumi's invitation, Ran tried hard to hide her sadness.
"Yes, Dr. Asai."
"Just call me Narumi, and I'll call you Ran."
Asai Narumi smiled. "I feel quite lucky to have met you and Mr. Hoshimiya at this final stage of my life."
"I'm also very happy to be friends with Dr. Asai… Narumi-nee."
"Speaking of which, I haven't had many friends for years. You and Mr. Hoshimiya are the first people to know everything about me. I remember when I was alone in the hospital, suddenly hearing the news that my parents and sister had died…"
Asai Narumi closed the clinic and walked toward her home while chatting with Ran.
At this time, in the Community Hall, the current village chief Kuroiwa and others also learned from the secretary that a detective from Tokyo had arrived.
The guilty men immediately turned pale. Just as they were panicking and wondering why a detective had suddenly shown up, their subordinate brought back more news.
"What? It was a letter sent by Keiji Asou from Tsukikage Island?"
Hearing that Kogoro Mouri had received a request from Keiji Asou, the three main perpetrators of the murder and arson completely lost their composure.
"Impossible! I personally… I saw him burn to death with my own eyes!"
"Chief Kuroiwa, just as you predicted, that Detective Mouri thought the request was a prank after learning the client had died more than ten years ago, so he has already returned to Tokyo."
The three main culprits, Kuroiwa and his associates, exchanged glances and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, since that detective has left, we'll forget about him."
The current village chief, Kuroiwa, looked at the secretary and instructed, "The focus now is the memorial service tonight. Make sure everything is arranged properly."
His approval rating was currently the lowest among the three candidates, but he couldn't just give up.
The memorial service was a major event on the sparsely populated Tsukikage Island. If he messed up, his reputation would decline further.
Then he would truly have no chance.
...
The last ray of sunset completely disappeared, and Tsukikage Island, isolated on the sea, quietly sank into the silent night.
In the night sky, a full, luminous disk hung high.
Behind the Community Hall, waves continuously washed ashore, reflecting a shimmering, silvery light.
In contrast to the clear chill outside, the Community Hall was bustling with activity inside.
Villagers dressed in black formal attire arrived one after another, greeting and chatting with familiar faces, waiting for the memorial service to officially begin.
Asai Narumi and Ran also arrived at the entrance of the Community Hall.
She was no longer wearing her daytime doctor's attire but a form-fitting black evening dress.
The taut fabric clung to her beautiful curves, every undulation perfectly accentuated.
The skirt, with delicate lace, reached just to her knees, exposing a pair of slender legs wrapped in black stockings.
In contrast to her mature competence during the day, the current Asai Narumi was more alluring and seductive.
"Ran, is it alright for you to come with me?" Asai Narumi looked at Ran beside her, concerned. "Don't you need to notify Mr. Hoshimiya?"
"I've already sent a message to Hoshimiya Nii-san. He'll see it when he wakes up."
Ran shook her head. Knowing that Asai Narumi was about to embark on a life-altering path of revenge, how could she leave at this moment?
After spending the afternoon together, her relationship with Asai Narumi had grown closer.
"I want to stay with Narumi-nee for a while longer."
Looking at the slightly downcast Ran, Asai Narumi ultimately couldn't bring herself to send her away.
Forget it. I was going to avoid everyone anyway. I'll just be extra careful with Ran.
Just as Ran didn't want the gentle Asai Narumi to become a killer, Asai Narumi also didn't want the pure and kind Ran to witness the cruelty of murder.
Ran hadn't changed into black formal wear and was a stranger to the islanders, drawing attention from many inside the Community Hall.
Asai Narumi proactively explained that Ran was her friend who happened to be visiting Tsukikage Island today, and only then did the villagers relax.
After all the villagers had arrived, the three-year memorial service for the former village chief officially began.
The noisy Community Hall gradually quieted down. Asai Narumi and Ran sat side-by-side in the back row.
Asai Narumi was naturally not there to mourn the murderer of her family. She was observing, looking for the right opportunity for revenge.
Halfway through the memorial service, Kawashima, one of the three village chief candidates, used the excuse of going to the restroom and left the hall alone, heading toward the unmanned piano room in the Community Hall.
Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in Asai Narumi's eyes. The opportunity had arrived.
Kawashima's full name was Hideo Kawashima.
He was one of the three murderers who had killed the Keiji Asou family.
Not only that, he was the only one still involved in drug trafficking.
Thanks to the large amount of money obtained from drug transactions, Hideo Kawashima was also the candidate with the highest approval rating for the next village chief.
While everyone was mourning in the main hall, Kawashima, under the pretense of using the toilet, came to the room next to the hall where Keiji Asou's piano was stored.
Due to rumors of a cursed piano, this room was rarely visited.
It also had a window facing the sea, making it an ideal location for secret transactions.
But he didn't know that this transaction would end his life.
Asai Narumi hid in the shadows. As Kawashima reached for the heroin, she decisively knocked him unconscious and then dragged him into the sea to drown.
However, she did not choose to drag the body back to the piano room and then play the Moonlight Sonata.
"Oh? Is it because she knows Ran and I already know the truth, so she doesn't want to leave any more hints?"
Hoshimiya Yuu was hiding in the shadows, watching everything unfold.
He had originally intended to help Asai Narumi dispose of the murder traces and clues, but he hadn't expected Asai Narumi to avoid the unnecessary steps she took in the original storyline, saving him a lot of trouble.
Thanks to the [Deep Sleep] talent, he had completely recovered his energy and stamina in just four to five hours.
When he woke up, Hoshimiya Yuu saw the message Ran had sent.
Glancing up at the bright full moon outside the window, he calculated the time and quietly slipped out to wait by the sea behind the Community Hall alone.
Not long after, Hideo Kawashima walked into the piano room.
Asai Narumi followed closely behind.
Seeing the window open, Hoshimiya Yuu quickly ducked into the shadows.
There wasn't much cover on the beach, but with the added effect of [Concealed Presence], and using the sound of the waves and the cover of night, he could remain undetected.