She took a deep breath. ‘You’re feeling frustrated, aren’t you? I, too, have a lot of bitterness inside me. I’m trying to move on, but I’m struggling.’ She extended her hand and patted his arm. ‘But I think we’ll be fine. I promise you, one day we’ll be able to think about the past without all the anger and resentment, and all the tears and tightness in our chests.’

‘That would be nice, but —’

‘There is no but,’ Liyun said. ‘That day will come. All we need is a little time. So, until then, please hang on. The pain won’t last forever.’

•

In the morning, Yoshioka came up to Shoji’s desk. Must be an assignment, thought Shoji. But when he looked up, his senior’s expression was solemn.

‘Is there a problem?’ Shoji asked.

Yoshioka nodded slowly. ‘It’s about that politician.’

‘Did you manage to find any information?’

‘Kind of.’ He rubbed the nape of his neck. ‘I hope you don’t need anything from him, because he’s dead.’

Shoji was stunned for a moment. ‘When?’

‘Last night.’ Yoshioka tilted his head. ‘During the typhoon. What fitting weather, eh?’

Could it be … ‘What happened? Was he in Tokyo?’

‘No, of course not. The man passed away in Akakawa,’ he said. ‘The official cause of death was heart failure.’

‘Is it confirmed?’

‘Yes, it’s in today’s newspaper,’ Yoshioka said.

‘Uh-huh,’ Shoji mumbled. ‘What about his wife? Did you hear anything?’

‘Not really. No one knows who she is. She never attended any public events and her maiden name was never mentioned in the press. I’m afraid I couldn’t find out much about her at all, let alone her current whereabouts.’

Nevertheless, Mizuki was better off if her husband was no longer around. It wasn’t right to rejoice at someone’s death, but Shoji couldn’t help but feel relieved that Kazuhiro Katou could no longer hurt her.

‘Would it be possible for me to take some time off?’ Shoji asked. ‘I’d like to return to Akakawa, just to make sure my friend is safe.’ He could probably enlist Uncle Hidetoshi’s help to get in touch with her.

‘Of course you can, but I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Kazuhiro Katou may be dead, but the family influence is still strong. As we speak, his position is already being filled by his successor, a younger cousin. And right now, the situation in Akakawa is rather tense. You would be putting her in danger by going there.’

‘I see.’ He realised it wasn’t going to be that simple.

‘I know you’re worried. I promise I’ll ask around for more information,’ Yoshioka said. ‘Aside from that, is there anything I can do for you, Arai?’