Chapter Four: Questions and Answers in the Park

“That’s a word even elementary school students know,” K said, glancing at Jin before shaking his head with a smile.

“Oh, sorry—I forgot, you have brain atrophy,” he teased.

Jin shot him a glare and raised his fist.

“Just kidding,” K replied with a chuckle.

Their banter faded as they soon arrived at the location where the victim, Yuji Shimazaki, had been found. K deftly operated his portable smart computer to confirm the coordinates.

“When Yuji Shimazaki was discovered, all his belongings had already been snatched clean,” K reported.

Jin pondered aloud, “Maybe there’s a witness.”

K smirked. “Even if there is, they’re probably just some hopeless folks.”

Jin didn’t respond, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Soon, the sounds of a raucous chase echoed across the dimly lit park lawn.

Under the faint streetlights, two young men came into view—one clutching a backpack desperately trying to escape the other’s pursuit.

But the pursuer quickly grabbed the runner’s clothing, wrestling to snatch the bag while shouting wildly, “That’s mine!”

“Asshole! I saw it first; it’s obviously mine!” the other retorted.

K and Jin exchanged a look.

Jin shrugged, prompting K to pull out a laser pistol from his pocket. He fired a shot in front of the squabbling youths.

The burst of sparks was dazzling in the darkness. The scorching heat and flickering flames startled the two, causing them to fall to the ground, eyes wide in fear as they stared at K, who wore a white trench coat.

“Damn it,” one cursed as they scrambled to their feet. Ignoring the backpack now, he bolted swiftly into the nearby woods.

“Let go of me!” the slightly overweight young man struggled to rise, only to have Jin lock his neck in a vice-like hold and deliver a sharp knee to his thigh.

When Jin released him, the man collapsed, clutching his leg in pain.

“Lost all hope in life, yet still have the energy to fight?” K squatted before him, amusement in his eyes.

“W-what are you saying? What do you want from us?” the man stammered.

Jin smiled and grabbed the disputed backpack.

“This is Yuji Shimazaki’s bag, right?” Jin hefted it, noting its weight with a grin.

“What’s inside? That’s quite heavy.”

The man snapped, “That’s the old man’s stuff!”

Jin chuckled and unzipped the bag, revealing stacks of cash inside. He tossed it to K and asked, “The old man? You were close with Yuji Shimazaki?”

“He took care of us,” the man replied.

Seeing the money, K laughed. “So you’re willing to fight over someone else’s belongings?”

He plucked a wad of bills and lightly slapped the man’s face, still smiling.

“That’s quite a sum worth fighting for.”

“That money was earned by the old man!” the man insisted urgently.

“It’s for his sister’s medical treatment,” he added, growing anxious.

“Is that so?” K murmured, flipping through the bag.

Accidentally, a business card slipped from between the bills and fluttered to the ground.

Jin picked it up, then pulled out a card from his own pocket—one given to him by Tamura—and wore a thoughtful expression.

Tamura was the person who had introduced him to a job.

Before Yuji Shimazaki died, he was carrying a large amount of cash. Where did this money come from?

“There are lots of benefits, and the pay’s high! Even after taxes, you can make good money quickly.”

“And the salary is paid in cash directly!”

Tamura.

Jin pocketed the card and looked at the overweight man.

“Do you know what kind of job that is?”

The man shook his head, visibly more afraid of Jin now, retreating a few steps.

After all, his leg still felt numb from Jin’s knee strike.

“Old man said it was a job introduced by someone named Tamura. The pay was good, it wasn’t tiring, but there were risks. He even tried to convince me to join, but I was afraid of being scammed, so I didn’t.”

The man seemed genuinely attached to Yuji Shimazaki. Tears welled in his eyes as he continued:

“But I never expected this to happen after he got the money and hadn’t come back yet…”

“W-wah! His sister’s still in the hospital! How could this happen?”

K looked a bit uncomfortable. He didn’t seem interested in the money. After a brief search yielded no valuable clues, he tossed the bag aside.

“Jin, it seems this Tamura fellow is somehow connected to this case.”

Jin nodded, then faced the man.

“You say this money was for Yuji Shimazaki’s sister’s treatment?”

“Yes,” the man wiped his tears, sobbing.

“Who would’ve thought he’d meet such a fate? There was originally a whole backpack full of cash, but that gang stole it all. I could only snatch back this much.”

“Not sure if it’s enough for Kyoka’s medical bills.”

“Hey, stop crying,” K said, unable to watch any longer. Though stern-faced, he had a kind heart. He awkwardly shoved the money back to the man.

“It’s all yours. We’re not robbers.”

But just as the man reached out, Jin intercepted and took the backpack back.

“You want all this money?” K looked at Jin oddly, lowering his voice as he leaned close.

“We’re agents, not thieves.”

Jin shook his head and turned to the man.

“What’s your name?”

The man swallowed nervously.

“Kojiro Yoshikawa.”

“Okay,” Jin snapped his fingers.

“What’s Yuji Shimazaki’s sister’s name?”

“Kyoka Shimazaki.”

“And which hospital?”

“Delta Medical Center.”

After a pause, Yoshikawa added, “Second floor of the inpatient ward, room 203.”

“Good,” Jin finally smiled—a rare sight. He handed the backpack back to Yoshikawa.

“I’m entrusting this money to you. I’ll check on it.”

“If you lie or fail to use this money for Kyoka Shimazaki’s treatment, you know the consequences.”

Yoshikawa nodded frantically, dragging his numb leg as he prepared to leave.

Jin stood and instructed, “Massage the right inner thigh, five centimeters from left to right, for thirty seconds. You’ll be able to move.”

K stared at Jin in astonishment, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“What was that? The legendary acupuncture technique of Huaxia?”

Jin twitched the corner of his mouth.

“Let’s focus on the job for now.”

Hearing this, K sighed and nodded.

“I really don’t know where to start investigating. Who the hell is this Tamura guy?”

Jin smiled and took out the business card again, looking at K.

“Got a phone? Let me borrow it.”

(To be continued.)