Chapter 5: Confession and a Night of Judgment
At the end of June, night fell later than expected. Even after the sun had set, a faint red glow lingered on the school building, reflecting softly on the classroom windows.
Ao Kamizawa stood with Hisui in front of the staff room. In their hands, they each held a piece of evidence.
One was the dried machin seed sample found in the biology prep room, along with the positive result from their toxin detection test.
The other was a set of old documents showing that Hisui’s mother, Mari Shirasaki, had conducted joint research in the past with none other than Fuyukawa.
Among the research papers was an experimental log detailing the effects of machinery, which contains strychnine. It bore Mari’s signature alongside the name of another researcher:
Hiroyuki Fuyukawa.
“We have everything we need. All that’s left is to confront him,” said Ao.
“But there’s no guarantee he’ll admit to anything.”
“He doesn’t have to. We just need the truth.”
Hisui’s voice didn’t waver. Only her hands were slightly cold.
Ao knocked on the staff room door. In the fading light of evening, Fuyukawa looked up from his desk. He was loosening his tie and packing papers into his bag.
“Oh? Kamizawa and Shirasaki…? What brings you here at this hour?”
Ao took a deep breath, then met his eyes squarely.
“We want to talk. About your past research and the recent poisoning incidents.”
“…I don’t know what you mean.”
For a brief second, a flicker of tension crossed Fuyukawa’s face.
Hisui stepped forward.
“We detected strychnine in the biology prep room. And in your desk drawer, we found dried machine seeds. On the day of the incident, the biology club’s usage records were conveniently blank. That doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”
Fuyukawa closed his eyes for a few seconds, then gave a small, bitter laugh.
“I see… So your eyes really do resemble hers.”
“You mean… my mother’s?”
“Mari Shirasaki… She was brilliant. No one was more passionate about studying the medicinal potential of toxic plants. But our research was shut down deemed ‘ethically inappropriate.’ She was blacklisted by both the university and the pharmaceutical company.”
“You held a grudge?”
“No. I didn’t believe the research was wrong. Poison, handled properly, is medicine. But the world didn’t see it that way.”
Ao spoke up.
“That still doesn’t justify harming people. You used real poison on studentsAkiyama-senpai, Sudo-kun. You could’ve killed them.”
Fuyukawa’s face twisted.
“I wasn’t trying to kill anyone. I just wanted to prove something. That Mari hadn’t been wrong. Maybe it was fate that brought you here.”
“Fate…?”
“Hisui. You came here following in your mother’s footsteps. And I… I wanted to prove that poison is free from human emotion. It can’t lie. It only responds to precise dosage and effect… That’s what makes it beautiful.”
“To prove that by risking someone’s life that's unethical,” Hisui said coldly.
Silence fell.
Fuyukawa let out a long sigh, then reached into his desk and handed them a black USB stick.
“This contains the evidence. My archived research data. Surveillance footage from the prep room. I thought it had all been erased… but somehow, some of it survived. It’s part of the truth you’ve been chasing.”
Ao took it, his hand trembling slightly.
“What were you planning to do with this research?”
“I wanted it to be recognized. By someone. Anyone. But you two saw through everything. I suppose… this is the end.”
“No. It’s not the end,” Hisui said softly. “It’s the beginning.”
The next day, the USB contents were secured and handed over to the principal, vice-principal, and the police. Fuyukawa agreed to a voluntary interview. Soon after, an official investigation began under the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act.
That night…
Hisui made a call to her mother. Her hand clutched the phone tightly, a faint sweat on her palm.
“…Mom? Listen. I confirmed what you did… it wasn’t wrong.”
There was a long silence on the other end.
“I see… Thank you, Hisui.”
Her mother’s voice trembled with relief.
“It’s not over yet. But I’ll keep learning about poison. And medicine. I want to use it to help someone. To continue the work… you truly believed in.”
“…You’ve become strong, Hisui.”
Outside the window, the rain had begun to fall.
The June rain descended gently, as if washing away the last traces of lingering poison from the earth.
