Kudo Shinichi didn't know what to say.
The old man sitting in front of him—Seiichiro—was far too calm.
Did he really not understand the seriousness of the situation?
Kudo tried to warn him carefully.
"Sir… aren't you afraid of death? Someone is trying to kill you."
"Yes," Seiichiro replied calmly. "I know."
Kudo and Takagi's expressions changed instantly.
Seiichiro glanced at them and couldn't help but admire Kudo Shinichi's sharpness.
"But that thing," the old man said slowly, "isn't human, Kudo."
The words hung heavily in the air.
"That's not it."
Seiichiro straightened in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke, revealing the only truth he knew.
Not human?
What did that even mean?
"I don't know," the old man admitted. "To be honest, I know no more than you do. It killed Inoue… and now it wants to kill me."
It.
That word made Kudo frown.
"What is it?"
He hated riddles.
Seiichiro smiled faintly when he saw Kudo's impatience.
"Let me tell you a story."
He stood up and personally poured tea for the two of them. Kudo and Takagi exchanged glances, bewildered, but sat down anyway.
"A long time ago," Seiichiro began, "a young man founded a company using his family's power."
"In that era, starting a company required bloodshed."
His voice was steady.
"Some of that blood was his own. Some belonged to others."
"That was a crime," he continued. "But no one ever found evidence."
"So the young man grew bold."
He raised two fingers.
"He cultivated two confidants."
"These confidants helped him handle all the dirty work… until many years passed."
"The young man grew old. He had a family. A legacy."
"And the confidants changed too—loyalty turned into greed."
Seiichiro paused.
"One day, one of the confidants was visited by something."
"It told him that if he wanted to live, he had to pass the curse on to someone else."
Takagi swallowed.
"The confidant went from terror… to ecstasy."
"He immediately transferred the curse to the young man from the past."
"But his secret was discovered."
"By the other confidant."
Seiichiro's eyes darkened.
"That second confidant accidentally took on the curse—and learned something the first one didn't."
"The curse can be transferred," he said softly. "But if you want to survive after passing it on… you must kill the previous host."
"So the first confidant died."
"Killed as part of a deal between the second confidant and it."
"But it lied."
Seiichiro's voice lowered.
"It—or perhaps they—are blind, stupid, unknown, and unreasonable."
"Even though the second confidant passed the curse to the young man, he himself continued to suffer."
"And perhaps… he will die at any moment."
"Hiss…"
Takagi felt his arms prickle with goosebumps.
This sounded like a nightmare.
Outside the window, neon lights flickered endlessly, bringing him some comfort.
But Kudo Shinichi wasn't afraid.
He stared at Seiichiro intently.
"The young man in your story," Kudo said, "that's you, isn't it?"
Seiichiro only smiled.
Then he said something heavy.
"Kudo… I'm going to die."
Impossible.
Kudo knew this man had a family and a legacy. He had no reason to seek death.
If he wasn't committing suicide, then who would dare assassinate a company president—especially with the police present?
"If I die," Seiichiro continued calmly, "Kawaguchi will die too. But our families will survive."
"Who?" Kudo demanded. "Who wants to kill you?"
The law itself seemed to be mocked.
"If possible," Kudo said quickly, "please allow us to increase your security—"
"No need."
The old man looked disappointed.
No one wanted to die.
He didn't either.
But the so-called savior of the Metropolitan Police Department still hadn't grasped the true nature of the curse.
Seiichiro smiled strangely.
After living most of his life, he had finally discovered that the world contained things that should not exist.
"Kudo," he said quietly, "go find it."
"The curse is real."
"If you're afraid, go back to your normal life."
The words were heavy—like final instructions.
Night pressed against the windows.
A suffocating atmosphere spread through the office.
Even Kudo Shinichi, who firmly believed this was someone pretending to be a ghost, began to hesitate.
Impossible…
His father had already entered the upper echelons of society.
If curses truly existed, how could he not know?
The phone rang.
Takagi jumped violently.
It was Inspector Megure.
He answered immediately—and the roar on the other end made his blood run cold.
"Dead! Kawaguchi Watari is dead! You must protect Seiichiro—!"
Kudo froze.
He turned slowly toward the old man.
Seiichiro was smiling calmly.
Kudo's heart pounded uncontrollably.
"Y-you—"
"Kudo," Seiichiro said softly, "my time is up."
"Remember this—curse… curse is—"
His words cut off.
Kudo lunged forward.
"Bang!"
A horrifying explosion of flesh and blood erupted.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Kudo's vision went red.
No.
Impossible.
How could this happen?!
He staggered back, shaking.
This wasn't like a murder case.
This was fear.
Real fear.
Takagi collapsed beside him, completely stunned.
There was no smell of explosives.
Nothing.
So how had Seiichiro died?
Kudo stared at the remains, his hands trembling.
The old man's voice echoed in his ears.
Curse…
Could it be—
That the things once thought to exist only in stories…
Were real?
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