Katagiri Mai's short message was like a spark falling on a haystack, and in the blink of an eye, it ignited a roaring flame.

The next second after reading the message, Sengoku Yui grabbed her backpack, opened the door, and rushed out in large strides like a shooting star.

The footsteps resounded through the corridor.

Yuki and Mizuo, upon hearing the pre-arranged footsteps, immediately understood and stopped doing homework to start packing.

"Ah, Mizuo, are you leaving now?" (Yuki)

"Yes, have you forgotten that we agreed to have sushi together at noon?" (Mizuo)

"Oh, right, Yui sister is also going with us!" (Yuki)

"Yes, yes." (Mizuo)

The two mechanically recited the pre-agreed dialogues, all in order to make the Uesugi couple hear them, making their trip out seem more reasonable.

"Huh? You're not having lunch at home?" (Yukino)

Yukino heard the conversation and poked her head out of the kitchen.

At that moment, Sengoku Yui arrived in the living room, and Mizuo and Yuki had packed up and stood up.

"Well, yes, we agreed to have sushi together at lunch." (Sengoku Yui)

"Do you have enough money? Shall I give you some more?" (Uesugi Tano)

Upon hearing their conversation, Uesugi Tano also appeared, holding two Suzuken Keikiyo (characters on ten-thousand-yen notes) to hand to Sengoku Yui.

Sengoku Yui reluctantly accepted, putting them in her wallet.

With an extra income of twenty thousand yen out of nowhere, Sengoku Yui felt even more uneasy.

But time was pressing, so they quickly left.

To avoid wasting time, they even indulged in taking a taxi once, making the two thousand yen sponsored by Uesugi Tano come in handy (actually didn't spend that much because of the short distance, only spent around two to three thousand yen).

Sengoku Yui and her group arrived at the apartment building where Katagiri Mai lived.

At this moment, it had been only nineteen minutes since Katagiri Mai sent the message.

In Katagiri Mai's house, or more accurately, in Tsuchiji's house, there were four people in total.

Dojo Kazuaki.

Katagiri Mai.

Kurashige Yui.

Dojo Mei.

It was eleven minutes past ten in the morning, just when a weekend morning was just beginning.

Dojo Kazuaki, dressed in casual wear, sat on the couch with a laptop, reviewing files and using a secure proxy to access the police department's internal network to check information on suspects.

Beside him, Kurashige Yui, also dressed in casual home wear, sat with a child, reading a children's picture book together.

On the living room dining table not far from them, Katagiri Mai was quietly doing her homework.

A very typical yet casual Sunday morning.

In this peaceful atmosphere, Katagiri Mai was actually feeling a bit nervous.

Only she knew that someone would be arriving soon.

And she deliberately didn't inform her family in advance.

It was all to create a sudden effect, to give an opportunity to Sugiyui Yui.

—It should be almost time, right?

Katagiri Mai glanced at her phone's screen, and at the same time, footsteps could be heard in the hallway outside the apartment.

The clattering footsteps were getting closer.

Approaching their own door.

—Here they come.

Katagiri Mai tensed up.

But their doorbell didn't ring, and instead, the sound of the neighbor's door opening followed, turning out to be the return of the next-door neighbor.

This made Katagiri Mai breathe a sigh of relief.

But little did she know…

*Ding-dong!*

Just as she had relaxed a bit, their own doorbell rang.