Chapter 2

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

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Forcing myself to part ways with my sister, I entered a convenience store to jog my memory of the streets. I grabbed a lighter from a location far from the cash register and slipped it into my pocket.

Next, I went to the stationery section, stuffed a notebook into my backpack, concealed a pencil up my sleeve, pretended to make a purchase, and simply walked out. As I sat on a bench I happened upon, I left a few words on the notebook I had received earlier.

The next destination was a cake shop. I ordered the smallest chocolate cake in the display, featuring chocolate chips in the shape of my favorite tree leaves, along with candles matching my age.

Upon receiving the cake, I attempted to dash away without paying.

Naturally, the shop assistant chased after me.

If I was being pursued, it was only natural to run and escape.

Running and escaping meant the cake inside the box would turn into a mess.

But that was okay. I thought it suited me.

As I ran toward home, a certain building caught my eye, and I was drawn inside.

It was an unremarkable, old-fashioned building without security, where anyone could enter, and you could even reach the rooftop non-stop.

Meanwhile, at home…

In the living room, family members and the childhood friend who was once a girlfriend were gathered.

It seemed that the relationship between the former couple had naturally ended within the family due to the brother’s time in the juvenile detention center.

However, only the younger sister knew the full story—the reasons behind the breakdown between her brother and his childhood friend.

Despite being a bit of a troublemaker causing inconvenience to others, he wasn’t a truly wicked person.

The circumstances leading to the brother’s incarceration and the underlying reasons were known only to the sister, aside from the parties involved.

In the living room, a variety of dishes, including a birthday cake, were arranged.

Amidst this setting, news began to flow from the TV, which had been left on.

The news reported a suicide by jumping from a building in the neighborhood.

The television screen displayed “Live,” and the news anchor reported the current details.

The content highlighted a face smeared with cake, the impossibility of identifying the face due to the impact of the fall, the body contorted in various places, and the report that the young body was unidentified.

“Isn’t this neighborhood, no?” someone in the family remarked.

“That’s why we’ve been hearing sirens for a while,” someone else added.

He still hasn’t come back.

“Hey, didn’t you go to pick him up? Why didn’t you come back with him?” the mother asked the older sister.

“Because I had to go buy this,” the sister replied, showing a wrapped package presumed to be a birthday present.

As the outside darkened and night fell, anxiety grew among the family members who were waiting for him to return.

Where could he be?

Is he finding it hard to come back after being released, or did he immediately get into trouble again right after being released?

Or perhaps…

The dishes prepared for the celebration of his release and birthday had all gone cold.

At that moment, a high-pitched doorbell rang.

Upon reflection, they all realized that they hadn’t given him a key.

Unable to resist, the sister rushed to open the front door.

“Mou, you are late Onii…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she faltered.

Standing there were two plainclothes police officers showing their police badges.