The girl in the white dress sitting on the steps was Kayako Kawamata.
In the past month and a half to two months, whenever Toru was home, he would go out for a night run and then stop by to visit Kayako.
Every day, they would sit there and chat for half an hour, then go their separate ways.
This had become a silent routine between them.
Even when Toru had things to do, like going to Kyoto for a few days, he would inform Kayako in advance and give her several days' worth of meal money so she could eat well.
After nearly two months of being fed, Kayako's complexion had visibly improved. Her face no longer looked ghostly pale but had gained some color.
Sometimes, Toru felt like he was basically keeping this girl, yet he didn't ask her to do anything for him.
In these past two months, Toru had also wondered if there really were any supernatural events in this world.
He had killed many thugs but had never encountered a single supernatural incident.
And whenever he passed a shrine or temple, he would go pay his respects, but as far as Toru could tell, the supernatural events he expected simply hadn't occurred.
Could it be that this Kayako Kawamata was just a normal girl with the same name and background, and there was no Ju-On in this world at all?
Although that thought occasionally crossed his mind, Toru didn't dare to gamble on it.
After all, covering a girl's meals wasn't expensive, and it wasn't worth gambling his life for such a small cost.
So, Toru still visited on time every day.
"Meow~"
The Komuro cat in Kayako's arms saw Toru, jumped down, and rubbed itself against his leg.
"Here, Komuro. Your canned food for today."
Toru took a can of cat food from the convenience bag in his hand, opened it, and placed it on the ground.
The Komuro cat immediately ran over and began eating happily.
Toru walked over to Kayako and sat down beside her, handing her the convenience bag. "I bought you a bento. Beef and chicken. I think the sauce tastes pretty good."
Kayako accepted the bag happily, and her bottom subtly inched closer to Toru. Soon, their bodies were almost touching.
Toru pretended not to notice her little movements. With clothes in between and their skin in contact, feeling the soft warmth of her body made it even harder for him to associate her with a ghost.
Toru caught a glimpse of Kayako's face and saw her nose nearly pressed against his sleeve. She was sniffing deeply, intoxicated, as if his scent was some kind of heavenly fragrance.
I just finished running. There's no fragrance on me. If there's any smell, it's sweat.
Toru muttered inwardly, feeling a slight chill.
This Kayako really is a pervert... and a yandere!
"Hm? Kayako, what's wrong with your face?"
Toru finally noticed bruising around her eyes.
Normally, Kayako kept her head lowered, her long, black, straight hair covering her face.
If he hadn't been sitting so close, Toru might not have noticed she was injured.
Startled, Kayako instinctively brushed her hair back down to cover her face. Her gaze flickered, and she whispered, "No, I'm fine."
Toru reached out and gently brushed her hair aside. Sure enough, there was bruising around her eyes.
Kayako's eyebrows trembled slightly. Toru's serious expression made her a little scared.
Toru softened his voice and asked gently, "Did your parents hit you?"
"Yes. They always take it out on me after they fight."
After a pause, she quickly added in a panic, "...I'm sorry. I'm fine, Fujiwara-kun. Please don't be mad at me."
Seeing Kayako's teary expression, Toru felt helpless.
"You're the victim. Why are you apologizing to me? And why would I be mad at you for that? I'm angry at your parents."
"Parents shouldn't hit their kids like this. And you haven't even done anything wrong. You're very well-behaved."
Kayako didn't hear the rest clearly. She only heard Toru say she was "well-behaved," and her face lit up with a silly smile.
Toru thought for a moment and asked, "Are your parents home right now? Will you get beaten again if you go back?"
"Fujiwara-kun... do you want me to stay at your place?"
What is this girl thinking?
Toru said apologetically, "I have a little sister at home. She's not comfortable around strangers. If you don't want to go home, I'll help you find a hotel to stay at."
Haibara is already on edge every day, constantly paranoid about the Black Organization.
It's better not to have her spooked by a female ghost too.
Kayako looked a little disappointed. She muttered, "Dad went out drinking, and Mom probably went to... find some man again. No one's home."
Toru nodded and said, "Alright. Then head back for now. I'll figure out a solution for your family situation."
"Does Fujiwara-kun have a way?"
"I know a very capable lawyer. I'll see if I can get her to help you legally separate from your parents. You don't need to worry about living expenses. I'll support you."
"Okay. I believe in Fujiwara-kun."
They sat on the steps chatting for a while longer. Eventually, Kayako reluctantly left with the Komuro cat in her arms.
After she left, Toru didn't head home right away. He scrolled through international news on his phone, while pondering how to deal with this situation.
Suddenly, his finger paused. He quickly tapped on a disturbing photo.
The image showed a female corpse with a distorted face and numerous strange, deep wounds all over her body.
Toru had seen countless corpses, so he wasn't fazed by the appearance. What caught his attention was how bizarre her death was.
"Did she strangle herself?"
From the horror frozen on the victim's face, the marks on her neck, and the stiff posture of her arms, Toru, a seasoned killer, immediately drew a chilling conclusion.
He quickly read through the article.
The report was from Thailand. The Thai police couldn't find any leads, and even openly stated in the article that the woman was killed by a ghost.
To the average person, that just sounded like the police making excuses, but Toru's scalp tingled and his limbs went cold.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then immediately made a decision.
He pulled out his phone and sent a message to one of his subordinates.
[Stage a car accident and kill these two people.]
Attached were Kayako's parents' details.
He couldn't wait. If Kayako were really abused to death by her parents, then he'd have to face a terrifying ghost directly.
He had to eliminate the threat at its root.
After arranging this, Toru felt much more at ease, but he still had lingering doubts about the case in Thailand.
Whatever. I'll go home and sleep first.
...
A private hospital in Tokyo.
Yukiko was peeling an apple by Yusaku's bedside when her phone rang.
"Yusaku, it's Eri. I'll take the call outside."
"Go ahead."
Yukiko placed the apple at the head of the bed, picked up her phone, and stepped out into the corridor.
She answered the call with a guilty expression, covering the receiver with her hand.
"Hello, Eri?"
"It's me. I'm quite busy, so I'll keep it short."
Yukiko chuckled. That was classic Eri.
"I've already spoken with Fujiwara-kun. He'll accompany you to Gunma Prefecture this week."
Eri's words made Yukiko pause.
Now that Yusaku was having mental health issues, shouldn't she stay by her husband's side instead?
But then she remembered the Black Organization's request, and her heart grew heavy. She replied, "Got it. Then, Eri, see you this weekend."
"Mm, see you. Oh, by the way, how's Kudo doing?"
"He's fine. No need to worry."
Yukiko forced a smile.
Only after ending the call did she quietly sigh.
How could Yusaku possibly be fine?
Even though he was over forty, he couldn't bear the psychological blow of losing his male function.
These days, he just sat there in a daze. Forget writing books, he could barely take care of himself.
Yukiko hadn't expected this to hit a man so hard.
Back in the ward, she resumed peeling the apple. After hesitating, she said, "Yusaku, I had already agreed to go back to Gunma Prefecture with Eri and my family. If you're not feeling well, I'll stay here with you."
After so many years of marriage, even if the romantic feelings were gone, Yukiko still saw Yusaku as family. She couldn't bear to see him like this.
Yusaku forced a smile. "I'm fine. You shouldn't break a promise. Yukiko, just go."
Yukiko responded softly, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Knock knock.
An older woman entered the room.
Yukiko quickly stood up and said, "Dr. Hashimoto, you're here. I'll step out for a bit."
This was Yusaku's psychologist. His biggest issue now was psychological.
After stepping out again, Yukiko couldn't help but complain inwardly.
What's the point of having a son? Your father's like this, and Shinichi, you haven't even visited once.
...
In the morning, Toru parked his Panamera in a parking lot not far from Tokyo University. He got out and began walking toward campus.
But after a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
"That's..."
In Toru's line of sight, a tall man was cornering a girl.
Toru recognized him. It was Horikita Manabu, the guy he had fought in the Karate Club.
Driven by curiosity, Toru walked over.
Was Manabu forcing himself on some innocent girl?
(To be continued.)