Taking her away directly from his wedding would be too cruel for Saori Saiyonji.
If possible, Koji Hattori wanted to persuade Saori Saiyonji to voluntarily leave Japan with them.
But…
In Afghanistan, it was because Koji Hattori chose to talk to Shadow Girl that…
Koji Hattori opened his mouth slightly, then swallowed his words.
People who die in front of the family head, if they are ordinary people, can be resurrected in a short time.
As for Espers or ordinary corpses that have been dead for a longer time, the family head will guide their souls into the Vision World.
Shadow Girl died in Afghanistan, which means… complete dissipation of the soul.
Therefore, the “guilty” Koji Hattori followed the arrangements of Mr. Sasaki, the commander of this operation, and no longer interfered.
As the Missy’s former driver, Mr. Sasaki is also an important figure in the core circle.
Usually calm and taciturn, with him around, things should be more cautious.
The temporary meeting ended, and they decided to wait for the wedding operation a week later.
Everyone dispersed. Koji Hattori looked at Mizuki Hoshi, who was about to leave again, and asked, “What’s up with the bruise on your face?”
“Ah… this…”
Mizuki Hoshi covered her eyes shyly and said, “I said some stupid things and was slapped awake by Mr. Sasaki.”
“I say, you should be careful. The Missy likes you quite a bit, and she sends you out the most. Every time you’re killed by the Missy herself… Could you be a masochist?”
“Ahaha… How could that be…” Mizuki Hoshi twirled her black hair with her fingers and forced a smile.
“What did you go to do?”
“Family.” Mizuki Hoshi leaned her back against the railing and let out a long sigh. “Although they stopped treating me as family a long time ago.”
“Lucky, they’re still alive…”
Mizuki Hoshi sniffled. “Although I used to hate them, memories are like that. I’ve changed my mind long ago.”
“It’s good to see them alive and well. Japan now is a season of revival. Good, good!”
“As long as I complete the family head’s great undertaking, I can close my eyes in peace.”
Koji Hattori was silent for a while.
In the Vision World, some people know what the family head is going to do, and inevitably some have other thoughts about it.
All Heart Worms, including the family head’s? If the family head’s ability also disappears, then… would they, the people existing in the Vision World, also disappear together?
Some are panicked, some accept reality—Mizuki Hoshi is the one who accepts it.
But Koji Hattori is different. He thinks the family head is a special existence, and even if her goal is achieved, her ability will not disappear.
“I’m leaving!” Mizuki Hoshi glanced at the light seeping through the gap in the break room door and said quietly.
“Hey! I just said don’t act recklessly…”
“Don’t worry, I’m just looking at them.” Mizuki Hoshi explained softly. “Sasaki agreed that I can move freely as long as I don’t reveal my identity.”
She touched her fingertips to her face, her eyes glinted, and instantly transformed into a new appearance.
“See you later…”
Watching her figure disappear at the warehouse entrance, Koji Hattori was silent in the darkness for a long time, then stood up and walked toward the warehouse entrance.
He also had someone to see.
Kokoro Hattori, his younger sister.
Tokyo, Arakawa Ward, a somewhat old single apartment building.
The sound-activated light in the corridor flickered on and off, emitting a faint electrical hiss.
Kokoro Hattori dragged her tired body and used her key to open the door of her small apartment.
Inside the door was a typical urban drifter’s dwelling: a single bed, a small desk, a simple wardrobe. Several unopened cardboard boxes were piled in the corner.
Those were all her belongings she brought from her hometown in Kyushu last year, and she still hasn’t fully organized them.
Closing the door shut out the city’s noise.
Kokoro Hattori put the plastic bag containing the convenience store bento on the table, but didn’t open it immediately.
She walked to the bed and carefully pulled out a thick folder from under the pillow.
The cover was worn, corners curled, containing all the materials and clues about “DRG” and her brother Koji Hattori that she had collected over the past year.
Newspaper clippings, printouts from old internet discussion forums, even photocopies of discontinued magazines picked up from used book stalls.
This afternoon, she made another find at a stall specializing in old books and miscellaneous items.
It was a booklet photocopied and bound with low-quality paper, with the cover blurrily printed with “Millennium Major Events Archive (Unofficial Compilation).”
Kokoro Hattori sat cross-legged on the cold floor, and under the dim light of the desk lamp, she carefully turned the pages of the booklet that gave off a smell of old ink.
Her fingertips traced over the cold names and brief event descriptions, and her heart sank little by little.
Most were absurd rumors or fragmented pieces she had already seen.
Suddenly, her finger stopped.
At the top of the page was a striking title: [Millennium Confirmed Dead/Missing Persons in Tokyo Metropolis and Surrounding Areas (Partial)].
Below were listed several lines of names and brief notes.
Her eyes locked onto one line: Hattori Yumeko – Confirmed Dead (Cause: Medical Malpractice)
Kokoro Hattori murmured softly, her nose tingling slightly.
‘When my brother got married, I didn’t get to attend because I was taking care of our seriously ill mother. I never thought I’d see the name of the woman my brother loved again on this document.’
She subconsciously quickly scanned the other names below, trying to divert that suffocating sadness. A few unfamiliar names flickered past her eyes:
Cuiyue – Missing.
Gabi – Missing.
Kokoro Hattori had no impression of these names, just mechanically scanning over them.
Just then—
A powerful, heart-stopping throb slammed into her chest!
Kokoro Hattori froze instantly, nearly dropping the booklet.
The feeling was so clear, directly piercing her heart. No sound, no image, just an unreasonably strong intuition.
‘—Big brother! Big brother is right outside the door!’
This thought was absurd and crazy. She had searched for so long without a trace, how could it be… But that throbbing was so real.
“Brother…?”
Kokoro Hattori sprang up from the floor and stumbled to the door. Her fingers trembled so violently she could barely grip the cold doorknob.
She took a deep breath, and with all her strength, yanked open the apartment’s security door.
Creak—
The dim corridor was empty. Only the sound-activated light turned on from the door opening, its pale white light illuminating the narrow hallway.
At the end was a cold stairwell landing, silent, not even a breeze.
No expected figure, no familiar smile, no “Kokoro, I’m back.” Only an empty silence.
“Heh…”
Kokoro Hattori leaned against the doorframe and let out a self-deprecating laugh, her voice thick with nasal congestion.
She raised her hand and vigorously rubbed her sore eyes and temples.
“It really is from overworking lately… Am I hallucinating?” She whispered to herself, fatigue flooding in like a tide. “Or… do I miss you too much, brother?”
She closed the door dejectedly.
Click—
Locked, sealed.
Leaning against the cold door, she slowly slid down to sit on the ground, burying her head deep into her knees.
The heavy photocopied booklet lay heavily at her feet.
At the same moment that thin security door closed, in the shadow of the dark corridor corner just a few steps away, Koji Hattori stood motionless.
He heard.
He heard his sister’s tearful self-talk inside the door, heard the heavy sound of the door closing.
‘One step.’
‘As long as I took one step out of the shadow, I could see her.’
He could almost imagine the expression on Kokoro’s face when she saw him.
‘Could I tell him that mother’s condition had improved?’
‘Could I ask how she had been doing all these years?’
‘Could I… could I, like a real brother, pat her head and say, “I’m back”?’
No.
He couldn’t have any emotional attachments, couldn’t expose his whereabouts, and couldn’t bring possible risk to his sister.
Koji Hattori knew there were countless eyes watching Japan.
Although most eyes were temporarily diverted by the “suspected Dark Crows” appearing in Afghanistan, he still couldn’t easily expose himself…
Koji Hattori knew he was still lucky, at least able to sneak a glance at his sister.
Yuki Asahi… there were probably many eyes on him… As long as there was any sign around him, confirming that the news of the Pale Gray Witch’s death might be false, their enemies would shift their focus back to Japan.
In the end, all the struggle, all the longing, was forcibly suppressed by a deeper will.
He took one last look at the closed apartment door and walked into the dark gloom.