‘Thank you,’ Mizuki said. ‘I’ll make sure he has them in time.’

After the woman left, Mizuki walked over to Shoji. She greeted him with a composed smile and an air of confidence he hadn’t seen in her before. ‘You should’ve told me you were coming.’

‘I thought you’d like a surprise.’

‘That depends on what kind of surprise.’ She gestured for him to follow her. ‘What brings you here?’

For a moment, he stumbled to find the right words. ‘I’m here to collect Professor Goda’s high-resolution photograph.’

‘The junior reporter?’ She laughed, leading him into a small reception office. ‘You can do better than that.’

The room was furnished with two long, white-leather sofas facing each other. A wooden coffee table — complete with mathematics journals and economics magazines stylishly arranged on top — was sandwiched between them.

‘Please take a seat,’ Mizuki said. ‘Can I get you something to drink? Coffee or tea?’

‘Just water,’ Shoji said. ‘You serve water here, don’t you?’

Hearing that, Mizuki chuckled. She went into another room and returned shortly with two glasses of water. Shoji reached for one and took a big gulp.

‘Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?’ She took a seat across from him. ‘Are you going to tell me why you’re here? It’s been five years.’

‘I’ve always wanted to see you again,’ he said.

She looked into his eyes.

‘But it wasn’t easy after what happened,’ he continued, clenching his fists. ‘Everything was my fault. I owe you an apology.’

‘For talking about my late husband to that bogus freelance reporter?’

Shoji lowered his head. ‘I’m sorry. I was so naïve. I wasn’t thinking properly.’

Mizuki shook her head. ‘Please, don’t be.’

He raised his head. She had a serene expression on her face.

‘You did the right thing,’ she said. ‘The result might not have been what you intended, but you had my best interests at heart.’

‘Can you forgive me?’

She smiled. ‘There is nothing to forgive. I’m in a much better place right now.’

Hearing that, he felt so relieved, as if a heavy burden he had been carrying had finally been lifted. ‘I’m glad to hear that, and I’m so happy for you, Mizuki.’ He thought for a while. ‘About your late husband …’

She bit her lip. ‘You probably heard. He passed away not long after you left Akakawa. Murdered in a karaoke joint he used to frequent, inside the VIP bathroom.’

Even though Yoshioka had mentioned the suspicion surrounding his death, hearing it directly from Mizuki still shocked him.