After that night, Kitagawa Ruby's investigation gradually began to take shape. Using the fragmented time she had during late nights and early mornings, she practically turned the entire Kitagawa household upside down, including the rooms of Kitagawa Susumu and Kitagawa Tomoko.
No one would suspect a baby who hadn't even reached her first birthday. In the eyes of the Kitagawa couple, Ruby was just a smart and lively child. They were even delighted to see her display such intense curiosity about her surroundings, completely unfazed by her habit of opening every cabinet and drawer to explore.
Ruby's own education level was essentially that of an elementary school dropout. She had once found dozens of documents stuffed into a corner of a cabinet, but she couldn't understand most of the content. All she could do was take photos of them with her phone.
In addition to the secretly stored documents and ledgers she couldn't decipher, Ruby also took advantage of a trip the couple took to sneak into Kitagawa Susumu's private computer, which he had left behind. She had seen him enter the password before, so she easily logged in.
Worried she might miss something important, Ruby simply copied all the files from the computer onto a USB drive and, along with the photos she had taken earlier, anonymously sent them to Kitagawa Ryo's publicly available account for business inquiries.
Although the process sounds straightforward, the limitations of her infant body and stamina were a constant source of frustration for Ruby. But every time she felt like giving up, she would think of Kitagawa Ryo. Just recalling the time they had spent together seemed to give her the strength to keep going.
In a pitch-black room illuminated only by the glow of the computer screen, Ruby paced through the darkness, reminiscing about the distant past, and clicked the "Send" button.
After spending three days verifying the authenticity of the documents, Mr. Izaki informed Kitagawa Ryo about the situation.
Kitagawa Ryo had been struggling to find evidence that could truly bring down the Kitagawa family. Although he didn't know who had helped him this time, once the evidence was in his hands, he didn't hesitate to strike.
As one of the most popular child actors of the moment, Kitagawa Ryo's lengthy exposé accusing his adoptive parents of exploitation and abuse topped the trending charts within ten minutes of its release.
The public was in an uproar.
The Kitagawa couple hadn't anticipated how long Kitagawa Ryo had been preparing for this day. Before they could even begin their crisis management, he had already launched a series of well-coordinated attacks. Kitagawa Ryo's agency and the LALALAI Theater immediately voiced their support, and Toshirou Kindaichi, as if finally getting his wish, publicly called the couple "scum" on television.
Soon after, a flood of evidence and reports detailing how the Kitagawa couple had exploited their adoptive son over the years was released, along with information about the luxury homes and cars they had purchased during that time.
If all of the above had only temporarily placed the Kitagawa couple at the moral low ground, subjecting them to a barrage of online criticism, what came next sealed their fate.
Mr. Izaki then revealed evidence of the couple's past bribery, tax evasion, and fraud. Since these were criminal offenses, the police promptly announced they would launch an investigation.
It only takes one bad day to break an adult.
In fact, Kitagawa Susumu and Kitagawa Tomoko were on vacation overseas when the scandal broke. Due to the time difference, they were still half-asleep when the news exploded, but countless phone calls soon woke them up.
After spending three minutes grasping the situation, the couple didn't even bother packing their luggage. They immediately booked the earliest flight back to Tokyo.
"…How did it come to this? Damn it!"
Kitagawa Susumu didn't dare return to their home, knowing it was likely surrounded by reporters. Instead, they retreated to another apartment they owned in Tokyo.
"That little bastard! If it weren't for us taking him out of that orphanage, he'd still be eating garbage there."
Kitagawa Tomoko also cursed through gritted teeth.
"The criticism is one thing. We've made enough money over the years."
"The real question is how he dug up that evidence."
Kitagawa Susumu opened his private computer. He had kept the original documents as leverage against his wife, Kitagawa Tomoko.
After Kitagawa Ryo became famous, his greatest fear was that his wife would divorce him, taking half their assets and possibly custody of their cash cow, Kitagawa Ryo.
That's why he had kept the original documents, signed by both of them, on his private computer.
Husband and wife—closest yet most distant. Only accomplices can live and die together.
Even now, Kitagawa Susumu didn't suspect Ruby. Instead, he wondered if a servant had seen him enter the password and sold the evidence for money.
But the damage was already done.
"The police will be here soon, and with all the attention, it's impossible to handle this privately like before."
Kitagawa Susumu broke out in a cold sweat. While Kitagawa Tomoko had completely lost her ability to think and was just venting her emotions, he was still trying to find a way to escape legal consequences.
Even if he faded into obscurity afterward, the money he had made off Kitagawa Ryo over the years would be enough to last him a lifetime.
As Kitagawa Susumu flipped through his contacts, hoping to leverage the connections he had built over the years to find a solution, Kitagawa Tomoko, unable to bear the pressure, began to sob uncontrollably. Her wailing grated on Kitagawa Susumu's nerves:
"Shut up! If you have nothing to do, just go to sleep and stop bothering me!"
He roared at her.
Startled by her husband's ferocity, Kitagawa Tomoko stopped crying and lay on the bed, whimpering softly.
When Kitagawa Susumu finally found the number of a lawyer he had met at a social event and got up to make the call, he noticed that Kitagawa Tomoko had fallen asleep on the bed, exhausted and overwhelmed.
Shaking his head helplessly, Kitagawa Susumu threw a blanket over his wife and, in his slippers, prepared to call the lawyer to discuss legal options.
But misfortune never comes alone.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Irritated, Kitagawa Susumu looked through the peephole and saw a man with a camera around his neck. As if anticipating that someone inside would be watching, the man smiled and held up his press pass:
"Mr. Kitagawa! I know you're in there. I'm Tanaka from Weekly Entertainment Report under Houun Publishing. I've been waiting outside this apartment all day. Could you spare a moment for an interview?"
In no mood to face the press, Kitagawa Susumu was about to walk away when the reporter, Tanaka, shouted:
"Don't worry, I'm not here to ask about Kitagawa Ryo. This is about something very important to you personally—it concerns a man's dignity!"
Kitagawa Susumu paused. Almost every headline was about Kitagawa Ryo and their scandal. This was the first time a reporter had explicitly stated that the interview wasn't about that and even claimed it was about something crucial to him personally.
A man's dignity—
The description instantly made Kitagawa Susumu think of something unpleasant. Narrowing his eyes, he opened the door and coldly said to Tanaka:
"Come in."
"Thank you. I guess I'm lucky. After all, you own thirteen apartments in Tokyo alone."
Tanaka cautiously entered the living room and, bowing slightly, asked:
"Forgive me for asking, but is Mrs. Kitagawa here?"
"She's upstairs, sleeping."
Kitagawa Susumu made no effort to play host, sitting down on the sofa and eyeing Tanaka with suspicion.
"Explain yourself."
"Well, over the past two weeks, I've been conducting an investigation into your wife, Mrs. Kitagawa Tomoko."
Tanaka smiled and pulled out a stack of documents from his bag.
"Considering your current state of mind, I'll cut to the chase."
"Your daughter, Kitagawa Ruby, may not be your biological child."
"It's hard to believe, and I think this is why my predecessors missed this key detail. The biological father isn't much older than your adoptive son."
The moment these words left his mouth, Tanaka sensed the atmosphere shift.
He tried to suppress his fear and calmly laid out his demands.
By some twist of fate, he had stumbled upon this explosive story, only for Kitagawa Ryo's exposé to dominate the headlines just as he was about to submit it to the editorial department.
Compared to that bombshell, his story about Kitagawa Tomoko's likely infidelity and the resulting child seemed insignificant. In the current media climate, it would probably just be used as another tool by Kitagawa Ryo's fans to attack the couple.
So, rather than publishing the story, Tanaka hoped to use it to strike a deal with Kitagawa Susumu. He knew the extent of the Kitagawa family's wealth, and even a small fraction of it would be more than enough for a small-time reporter like him.
After all, no man would want the world to know he'd been cuckolded.
But Tanaka had misjudged Kitagawa Susumu.
For over a decade before adopting Kitagawa Ryo, Kitagawa Susumu had been tormented by his inability to have children. It had become an obsession, lasting year after year.
He still remembered the joy he felt when he learned that Kitagawa Tomoko was pregnant and the moment he held his daughter in the delivery room, surrounded by congratulations.
Kitagawa Susumu slowly went through the evidence Tanaka had gathered over the past few days. He read carefully, but eventually, he finished.
Just as Tanaka was about to propose his deal, Kitagawa Susumu picked up an ashtray from the table and, without hesitation, smashed it into Tanaka's head.
Stunned, Tanaka instinctively scrambled to his feet and fled in panic. Kitagawa Susumu hurled the ashtray after him, hitting him in the back. Tanaka stumbled but managed to escape the apartment.
It only takes one bad day to break an adult.
Kitagawa Susumu didn't give chase. It was as if a gear in his mind had jammed, freezing his thoughts.
When he came to, he was already strangling his wife.
He wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed with all his strength.
This wasn't some twisted marital game—he was using full force. Kitagawa Tomoko, still asleep, offered little resistance. Her eyes rolled back, and though she didn't die, she lost consciousness.
Kitagawa Susumu tied her up with rope and carried her to the underground parking garage.
If possible, he would have preferred to go home and do the same to the child, but he knew the place was likely swarming with reporters.
The jammed gear in his mind shifted.
Kitagawa Susumu remembered the name he had seen in the documents. He stuffed his wife into the backseat, grabbed a high-voltage stun gun he kept for self-defense, and started the car.
About thirty minutes later, he drove into the city, bought a bottle of liquor at a convenience store, and pulled up in front of Hikaru Kamiki's house.
"Hello, I'm from the community office. Residents have reported issues with the plumbing in this area. Could you open the door?"
Kitagawa Susumu, a second-rate actor his entire life, delivered a flawless performance.
The moment the door opened, he thrust the stun gun he had hidden in his hand.
After confirming that Hikaru Kamiki was unconscious, Kitagawa Susumu carried him to the car.
Kitagawa Susumu didn't know where he was going. He drove out of the city, onto the highway. The moon hung overhead, and a few stars twinkled coldly at the end of the road, as if guiding him to an alien planet.
Occasionally, the headlights of other cars passed by, flaring up like fireworks before fading away.
As if finally exhausted, Kitagawa Susumu pulled over. He grabbed the bottle of liquor from the passenger seat and began gulping it down. Most of the alcohol spilled down his face and neck, but what he swallowed burned his throat and stomach like fire.
Then Kitagawa Susumu got out of the car. He opened the back door and kicked Kitagawa Tomoko awake. Her mouth was taped shut, so she could only make muffled noises.
Kitagawa Susumu smirked at her. He raised the now-empty liquor bottle like a weapon and, under Kitagawa Tomoko's horrified gaze, pulled down Hikaru Kamiki's pants and slowly inserted the bottle.
By the time the bottle was a fifth of the way in, Hikaru Kamiki had regained consciousness, but Kitagawa Susumu had him completely restrained. The stun gun was pressed against him repeatedly, and no amount of struggling could stop what was happening.
When it was over, Kitagawa Susumu clutched his stomach and laughed hysterically, almost out of breath.
Then, he pulled out a lighter from his pocket.
He whistled cheerfully and tossed the lit lighter into the car.
Just as Kitagawa Susumu, now drunk, was about to turn and leave, Hikaru Kamiki, who he thought was incapacitated, mustered the strength to grab his leg from behind and tackle him to the ground.
The fire, fueled by the alcohol, quickly spread through the car.
Kitagawa Susumu tried desperately to break free, but after inhaling several mouthfuls of smoke, he lost the strength to struggle and was dragged back into the car by Hikaru Kamiki.
Seeing Hikaru Kamiki limping away, trying to escape, Kitagawa Susumu gritted his teeth and reached out to grab him, wrapping his legs around Hikaru Kamiki's waist and locking him in place.
He no longer had the strength to shout.
The two exhausted men wrestled and fought.
Until the raging flames consumed them both.
[At 3 a.m. on the 24th, following a report from a local resident, our city's fire department discovered a burning car near the sub-urban highway. After emergency efforts, the fire was fully extinguished. Three bodies were found in the car. Investigations confirmed the identities of the deceased as renowned theater actor Kitagawa Susumu, his wife, and Hikaru Kamiki, an actor affiliated with the LALALAI Theater. Aside from anal injuries sustained by Hikaru Kamiki, no other external wounds were found on the bodies.]
Tanaka read this news in the hospital.
Having narrowly escaped death at Kitagawa Susumu's hands, he gloomily looked at the photos of the scene circulating online. The three bodies had been burned to charcoal, but what stood out most was that two of the charred remains were still locked in a tight embrace, shoulder to shoulder, head to head.
Like a pair of lovers.
A strange thought suddenly occurred to him.
It was an idea that would bring him more satisfaction than exposing Kitagawa Susumu's cuckolding.
Tanaka wrote the headline for his article:
"Shocking! The Truth Behind the Death of Renowned Actor Kitagawa Susumu—"
A day later, the tabloid article began to spread like wildfire across the internet.
Because what Tanaka described was simply too sensational:
Kitagawa Susumu was gay. His marriage to Kitagawa Tomoko was a sham, forced by societal pressure to remain in the closet. He had coerced Kitagawa Tomoko into having a child through artificial insemination. But after the scandal involving Kitagawa Ryo broke, their marriage became untenable, and Kitagawa Tomoko threatened to expose Kitagawa Susumu's homosexuality.
Unable to find acceptance, Kitagawa Susumu chose the most extreme way to protest against society. He kidnapped his wife and, in front of her, consummated his relationship with his lover, Hikaru Kamiki. Then, the two embraced and set the car on fire, committing a lovers' suicide.
This was why, among the three bodies, Kitagawa Susumu and Hikaru Kamiki were entwined like lovers, and why Hikaru Kamiki had sustained anal injuries.
As soon as the article was published, the LGBTQ+ community quickly rallied behind it.
The next day, rainbow parades erupted in cities across the country. Protesters held signs reading "LOVE IS LOVE" and carried photoshopped images of Kitagawa Susumu and Hikaru Kamiki, marching through the streets.
Some even proposed commemorating the day of their deaths as a holiday.
It was a spectacle.
"In the end, they still left you to me, didn't they, Ruby?"
Kitagawa Ryo looked down at his sister, Kitagawa Ruby, who had been brought to his home.
He smiled and picked up the sister who shared no blood relation with him.
The period of infancy was over.
Confusion, worries—all vanished.
The goal ahead was clear, and that was enough.
I will follow this path and reach the future I am destined to reach.
It was like stepping onto a brand-new stage.
"This is the best outcome for both of us."
"Ruby."
The child in his arms giggled, spreading her arms wide. Her ruby-like eyes shone with complete adoration:
"Brother—kiss."
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