Irie had already heard about the deaths of Tomitake and Takano.

It seemed like both the clinic and the office in Tokyo had flown into a panic over it.

...It's funny how they make such a big fuss about their own people when they don't care about what happens to other people's lives if it would get in the way of their research.

Takano's subordinate, Okonogi, was in the room.

Okonogi is the leader of the Mountain Dogs.

I came here to make sure he's still willing to protect me.

Based on past experience, they tend to lose interest in protecting me after Takano dies.

"......Okonogi.

Takano is dead, but am I still safe...?"

"Don't worry Rika-san.

We'll still keep up the tight security around you.

You don't have to call the police."

...I guess this is part of that tight security?

They must have been listening to my conversation with Ooishi.

"......Ooishi told me something.

Is it true that Takano isn't really dead?"

"That can't be true.

The Gifu police department made an official announcement.

That Ooishi is retiring this year, isn't he? Sometimes he makes up stories because he's desperate to solve the curse of Oyashiro-sama.

You shouldn't pay attention to anything he says."

...Well, he's not wrong.

This year is Ooishi's last chance.

Because he's so desperate, he's developed a bad habit of listening to every rumor he hears.

"......What's your opinion about this, Okonogi?"

"Right now, they're still investigating, so I can't say anything.

Knowing the relationship between those two... I think it's clear that this was done by someone within the organization."

I glanced over at Irie as I listened to Okonogi speak.

...It seemed that whoever he was talking to over the phone was accusing him of killing them. Irie was frantically trying to prove his innocence.

Soon enough, he hung up the phone.

Irie looked upset that he was under suspicion after working so hard for the organization.

"Oh, Rika-chan.

I'm sorry for making you wait."

"......It seems like you're in big trouble."

"Just as you heard.

...It sounds like there's some big conspiracy behind their deaths.

People in Tokyo think that I'm the one who's pulling the strings.

...Good grief, I have a lot of questions as to how they figure that!"

I rarely ever saw Irie get so emotional.

He must be feeling as though all his effort is being repaid with injustice.

However, it's a fact that Irie was trying to fight against the budget cuts and downsizing of his research team.

Tokyo is thinking that could be his motive for killing them.

...In any case, everyone in the organization is suspicious.

"I understand how scared you must feel.

The people who attacked Takano-san and Tomitake-san could be after you, too...

The people in Tokyo are also concerned about that."

"We got the order to tighten up your security.

Don't worry."

"...I'm very relieved to hear that,"

This was the first time the Mountain Dogs had ever tightened up my security.

They usually become so busy keeping tabs on Irie after Tomitake and Takano's deaths that they end up ignoring me.

Even though they're dead, I'm still in a pretty favorable situation.

"...So do you have any idea who killed them?"

"People in Tokyo are investigating that now.

Based on the situation, it's clear that this was done by someone within the organization.

...Ha ha ha ha, I guess I'm their prime suspect."

"...You're the only one who could kill Tomitake like that."

"Th-That's not true.

The people in Tokyo are discussing the possible use of H173.

But that drug was destroyed when the research was cancelled.

It's impossible...!"

"However...

They have no choice but to suspect you in this case.

Mr. Tomitake even took a vaccine before he came here.

But he still got infected."

"It must just be an extremely unlikely coincidence...

Anyway, it's just impossible...!"

...Irie is usually a very calm person...

but once the people in Tokyo start suspecting him, he often loses his mind.

"......Do you think Takano might be the culprit?

She's someone within the organization."

"Takano-san....?

N-No way..."

But as he spoke, Irie also started to realize that everything could be explained if Takano was the culprit.

......But I don't know how to persuade him that it's the truth.

More than anything, people want to hear a motive.

Not who did something, but why.

...Knowing that probably isn't as important as it sounds.

After all, you never know the motive unless the suspect talks.

Guessing about the motive is just a waste of time.

In other words, it's stupid to assume that Takano isn't the culprit just because I don't know what her motive is.

"Rika-san, you can't say something like that without any proof...

She was very nice to you.

How can you suspect her after that?"

Upon hearing me be ungrateful towards his boss, Okonogi flashed me an unpleasant smile.

"..........."

It's true that Takano was very nice to me.

It might be disrespectful of me to suspect her.

However... I still can't trust her completely yet.

Perhaps I've developed the same bad habit as Ooishi.

Am I believing every crazy theory I hear just because I'm desperate to escape from my fate...?

"In any case, something bad is going on around here.

We all need to be careful."

"Don't worry.

We've received an order to tighten up your security too..."

Irie smiled bitterly.

...For him, their protection wouldn't be too different from stalking.

"Rika-san, make sure that you don't give up too much information to the police.

I think you understand, but you could create a problem if you talked to them about our secrets."

He was implying that he'd have to kill anyone I talked to.

...This isn't the first time they've warned me about this.

It's just......

what if Takano really is the culprit...?

If she is, then Okonogi is almost certainly involved too.

...Then it'd make sense that he wouldn't want me to suspect Takano.

But that would be horrifying.

If Takano was my enemy,

then the Mountain Dogs were too.

...This whole clinic is a lion's den.

Irie is just a researcher, so he probably wouldn't know what's really going on.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I got.

Why would Takano do something like this?

I thought I'd just convinced myself that the motive shouldn't even matter, but I can't stop thinking about it...

Is Takano really behind it all?

Am I going as crazy as Ooishi just because of how badly I want to solve this mystery?

Perhaps...

the Mountain Dogs are more like

wolves looking after a flock of sheep.

I've lived for over a hundred years.

I never once found out who killed me, and I stayed close to the Irie Institute so that they'd protect me.

...What if that was my big mistake...?

......Well...

I'm sure that Irie has no bad intentions.

In many lives, I got to see just how genuine his feelings are.

I can trust him.

...However, he's not really reliable.

Okonogi glanced over at me.

He smiled and told me not to worry, but I noticed an evil glint in his eyes.

......It's possible that I have Hinamizawa Syndrome, and that was just a hallucination.

I don't understand anything.

I don't even know who my enemies are anymore.

...There's no point in thinking about this any longer.

I have to only trust who I know I can trust for sure.

There are only a few of those people, though.

...

...

Irie,

Ooishi...

and my friends.

If Okonogi is on Takano's side, he will be watching me very closely.

If I started accusing Takano of anything, who knows what they'd do to me.

.........When this world first began, I thought I had no time left.

...But that wasn't true.

...The number of things that happened in just two weeks was immense.

I probably only have a few more days left until the day of my death.

What can I do?

How can I change this?

Am I supposed to just take Hanyuu's advice and resign this time?