It was already three in the morning.

Inside Watanabe Gengo's memorial hall, not a sound could be heard.

Or rather, what could be more terrifying is if there were any sounds at this time, at this place.

Watanabe Gengo's body had already been cremated and his remains were temporarily placed in an urn, which was now being kept in the memorial hall.

After completing the subsequent rituals and procedures, his ashes would be scattered into the Kamogawa River, known as the "soul of Kyoto".

Originally, Watanabe Gengo should have been enjoying the serene atmosphere alone in this memorial hall. But at this moment, there was another person accompanying him.

Koga Mizuo.

She sat with her back against the altar where Watanabe Gengo's urn was placed, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed.

Throughout the day, she hadn't eaten anything except for breakfast and her stomach was growling with hunger.

After a whole day of thinking and feeling down, Mizuo's mind was now blank.

Mizuo couldn't understand why, even though her mother and Mr. Watanabe had passed away, everyone else could remain so calm.

Just one month had passed and everyone seemed to have moved on, heading towards a new life as if nothing had happened.

Mizuo couldn't comprehend it.

She felt guilty. If only she had listened to her mother's advice and not stubbornly pursued the investigation, she wouldn't have brought calamity upon herself and involved Mr. Watanabe, leading to his demise.

She wanted to atone for her sins, unable and unworthy of living those sunny and bright days.

So when she realized that Chongzong and Yuki wanted her to go back to school and live a normal life again, she did not respond.

But when she found out about Mr. Watanabe's funeral, she actively asked to participate.

Perhaps Chongzong and Yuki had misunderstood something.

They misunderstood that she, like them, could "move on" from the darkness.

She was only here to mourn Mr. Watanabe.

As a sinner, she had the obligation to pay her respects.

Soon afterwards, when the funeral was over, Mizuo saw that everyone was preparing to have lunch together, but she had no intention of joining them in their merriment.

Taking the opportunity of going to the restroom alone with Yuki, she seized the time difference of going in and out of the restroom to hide from Yuki and others' sight, and hid herself in the storage cabinet in the memorial hall.

Perhaps everyone thought she had run outside.

Perhaps everyone thought she had been kidnapped.

By hiding in the memorial hall, she became everyone's blind spot.

After the initial search commotion had subsided and with everyone leaving, the memorial hall became quiet again.

Mizuo sat quietly in the hall, pondering on how to atone for her sins, until late into the night.

She was so devout and focused that she inadvertently fell asleep, despite her fatigue from the day.

Even though Mizuo was precocious, it was still too difficult for her to find a solution for "atonement".

Firstly, seeking revenge on the mastermind behind the scenes was not an option.

Previously, it was because of investigation and revenge that those around her were affected. Even if she tried to do it secretly, it would eventually be exposed and result in the same outcome as last time.

So, should she sacrifice her life?

Mizuo had considered suicide, but she didn't believe that her small life could compensate for the loss of her mother and Mr. Watanabe's lives. Moreover, for herself who wanted to atone, suicide would be too easy of an escape.

What should I do? Mizuo's eyes were bloodshot and deeply sunken, her lips were cracked and white from dehydration, her limbs were weak from hunger, and she sat there blankly with an empty mind. The only companions she had were the ashes of Watanabe and the desolate, cold nights.