The sun had barely risen when Senzaki's police car rolled up to Kavei's house. The streets were still shrouded in the soft light of dawn, giving everything a slight glow. As the car door opened, Kavei stepped out onto the rough path, followed closely by Shiraka, who had insisted on accompanying him. He was here to simply freshen up and then head to the culprit's house. 

"I will be back soon so wait here, okay?" Kavei told Shiraka as he began climbing up the stairs to his unit. Shiraka sighed as she watched him open the door to his house and step in, shutting it close behind him. "I wish you wouldn't come at all. Just stay home...but...it's you after all Kavei."

Time stretched into a long silent force. Shiraka stood leaning against the car door, with the officers and Senzaki waiting for Kavei inside the car. He finally appeared in an all white attire. White turtleneck, white wide leg jeans, white sneakers and even a white band peeping out from his sleeves. 

The journey to the grand estate was a silent one, the only sound being the steady hum of the engine and the occasional chirping of the morning birds. The road wound past lush fields and then high-rise buildings as they moved further away from the area where Kavei resided, the scenery growing more urban and lively as they neared their destination. Eventually, they arrived at the estate, a magnificent mansion standing proud against the backdrop of a hill faraway, its grandeur almost intimidating.

Senzaki glanced at Kavei, his eyes filled with concern. "This is where the culprit lives, Kavei-kun," he said.

Kavei turned to face the inspector, his expression calm and resolute. He could sense the worry in Senzaki's voice. "I'll be fine, Inspector Senzaki. See you in a bit, Shira-chan," he said, giving them a reassuring nod.

Shiraka's face was a mix of anxiety and frustration but that is all she could manage. She wanted to protest, to insist on coming along, but she knew Kavei well enough to understand that he would never not do such confrontations alone. She gave him a small, encouraging nod accompanied with a smile urgently masked on her face instead of a piece of her thoughts.

Kavei opened the car door and stepped out, a small crowd of leaves from the tree leaning out of the mansion walls, crunching under his feet as he made his way towards the mansion's imposing front door. He paused for a moment, taking in the sheer size and grandeur of the estate before raising his hand and knocking firmly on the door.

The seconds ticked by slowly, the silence almost deafening. Just as Kavei began to wonder if anyone was home, the door creaked open. Standing in the doorway was a man dressed in pristine white clothes similar to his own, a cigar clamped between his teeth. His eyes were cold, almost dead and calculating as they sized up Kavei.

Kavei squared his shoulders, meeting the man's gaze with unwavering composure.

"I am Kavei. Niram Kavei. Are you perhaps Mister Yozomaki?" Kavei inquired, his tone polite but firm.

The man took a slow drag from his cigar, the end glowing briefly. He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his gaze sharp and suspicious. "Who wants to know?" Yozomaki clipped, his voice filled with impatience steaming out of events unknown to the boy. Not yet.

Kavei held his ground regardless. "I heard that a friend of yours died yesterday," he continued, his eyes steady as he met Yozomaki's gaze.

Yozomaki's brow furrowed in confusion, a flicker of genuine puzzlement in his eyes as held the cigar in the air. "A friend of mine?"

Kavei nodded, pressing on. "Miss Hailey. You knew this nee-chan, right?"

The name seemed to strike a chord. Yozomaki's eyes clouded with instant sorrow, his voice faltering. "Hailey... died...?" Hailey was a renowned actress and hence it was no surprise that every possible news channel was covering this incident, yet Yozomaki had no idea about this occurrence. How?

"You didn't know? The whole world is possibly in grief." Kavei said, glancing at the man and his tear-filled eyes.

"A while ago..." the man answered between hiccups of wailing, "the television broke down because it was overheated..."

"I have come to give the details. May I come in...?" Kavei requested then, his demeanor calm but someone with clear observation could tell he was being insistent.

There was a moment of hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable in Yozomaki's eyes. Then he stepped aside, gesturing for Kavei to enter. "Please... come... in..." he said, though there was an odd note in his voice that didn't sit right with Kavei.

Inside the mansion, the air was cool and faintly perfumed with the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne. The decor spoke of wealth and taste, but there was a stillness, an emptiness that made the grandeur feel cold and unwelcoming and that emptiness is what Kavei had come to voice today.

In the police car parked discreetly a few feet away from the estate, Inspector Senzaki tapped impatiently on the steering wheel. He glanced at the grand mansion, worry etched into his features. Shiraka sat beside him, her face tense with concern, while a female and a male officer occupied the back seats, all of them keeping a vigilant watch at the mansion through the windows.

Senzaki's phone buzzed, breaking the tense silence. He picked it up without checking the caller ID, his focus on Kavei's safety and the in-ear piece. "Hello, Inspector Senzaki here," he answered briskly, looking forward at the road.

"Hello sir. This is the head of the police science team," the voice on the other end announced.

Senzaki straightened up, his attention fully captured now. "Yes?" he said immediately.

"As you suspected, sir, the gunshot wound has a stab wound carved on it," the head of the police science team reported.

Senzaki's heart sank. This confirmed their suspicions about the violent nature of Hailey's death. He glanced at the mansion again, a sense of something amiss creeping up on him. Kavei had ruffled the hornet's nest. 

Inspector Senzaki had forbidden himself from mentioning that the conclusion about the stab wound had come from a thirteen-year-old. And since news outlets were under strict surveillance of not disturbing investigation, no channel had managed to report Kavei as a key to the lock. It was a matter of Kavei's safety, a precaution to protect the boy from unnecessary scrutiny and potential danger. Yet, as he sat in the car, staring sideways at the imposing mansion where Kavei was currently inside, he couldn't shake the feeling that this precaution alone might not be enough. 

Kavei's sharp eyes swept over his surroundings, taking in every detail as he entered the house. The living room was spacious and tastefully decorated, but what immediately caught his attention were the numerous photographs adorning the walls. 

Among the array of photos, a particular one on the table adjacent to the couch stood out. Kavei stepped closer to examine it. The photograph depicted Hailey standing between Yozomaki and another woman. Yozomaki, now in his late thirties, had an air of rugged charm about him. His sharp features were slightly softened by a neatly trimmed beard, and his dark hair was slicked back, adding to his imposing presence. The man's eyes, though currently filled with sorrow, had a intimidating yet charming gleam to them.

Kavei recognized Hailey immediately, but the other woman in the photograph was unfamiliar to him. She had a striking appearance, with long dark hair and a confident smile.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Yozomaki said, breaking Kavei's train of thought. His voice was steady, but there was something unsettling lurking within those words. He gestured towards a plush armchair before turning towards the kitchen. "I'll prepare some tea for us."

As Yozomaki disappeared into the kitchen, Kavei took a deep breath and continued to survey the room. The atmosphere was quite heavy, the silence only broken by the faint clinking of cups and saucers as Yozomaki prepared the tea.

In the police car, Senzaki's worry grew with each passing minute. He tapped his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as he had been all this while, his eyes never leaving the mansion. Beside him, Shiraka shifted uneasily in the co-driver seat, her gaze also fixed on the house. The female and male officers in the back seat were equally tense, their expressions mirroring the gravity of the situation. Kavei hadn't come out yet and from the phone call Senzaki had had with the science team head proved that the criminal was indeed a twisted individual.

Yozomaki entered the hall again, a tray balanced carefully in his hands, cigar held tightly between his teeth. He approached Kavei and handed him a cup of tea, keeping the other for himself. Setting the tray on the table, he took a seat opposite Kavei, the steam from the tea swirling gently in the cool air. Yozomaki then took the cigar away from his lips and placed it on the ash tray on the table, extinguishing it with a push from his thumb. He took a sip from his cup, his eyes briefly meeting Kavei's.

"Mister Yozomaki, who is this woman?" Kavei inquired, pointing to the photo on the table beside Hailey, not even bothering to drink from the cup.

Yozomaki sighed heavily, his gaze lingering on the photo with a mixture of fondness and sorrow. "She was my soon-to-be fiancée," he confessed, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Was?" Kavei prompted.

"Yes. She died a week ago," Yozomaki admitted, his tone heavy with grief and guilt.

"What? How?" Kavei asked.

Yozomaki took a deep breath, his eyes clouding with the painful memory. He placed the cup on the table and slightly leaned back on the couch. "It happened during a film shoot. Hailey and my fiancée were both involved in an action scene. They were suspended in the air with metal strings, fighting each other with sword props. The director called for a cut after a perfect take, but Hailey seemed not to hear the order and continued swinging her sword."

Kavei leaned forward, placing his own cup next to Yozomaki's.

"My fiancée," Yozomaki continued, his voice trembling now, "laughed at Hailey's enthusiasm and took a step back. It was supposed to be harmless, but the strings around her tightened and twisted her waist. She struggled and tried to free herself. The rigger panicked but didn't dare release her, fearing she'd fall. In a desperate attempt to save herself from the pain, she unbuckled the harness herself."

Yozomaki paused, his eyes glistening with tears. "She fell headfirst onto the floor. The impact was... fatal. She died instantly. And I...I couldn't do anything to save her. I wasn't even there when this occured...my love, my life...she was taken away just like that..."

The room fell silent, the weight of Yozomaki's cries hanging heavily in the air. Kavei absorbed the tragic tale and he could tell what was going on. The sorrow in Yozomaki's eyes was unmistakable, but there was also a flicker of darkness, of what could possibly be termed as revenge. Thirst for justice. 

"And...because of this, Hailey nee-chan became responsible for the accident?" he interjected.

He didn't get an immediate reply from the man who had his head leaned back on the couch, hand covering his eyes as he cried silently. Time stretched as Kavei waited patiently. 

"No," Yozomaki finally said, sitting straight and wiping away his last tear. "But she took responsibility for what she did and went to the police. However, they wouldn't arrest her because it was not intended murder, so she quit acting."Yozomaki then took the teacup in his trembling hands, taking a sip of the calming ginger and light wasabi.

Kavei's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, you took justice into your own hands," he concluded, his voice measured but firm as he sat back, hands folded in front of his chest. "You planned everything with no missed beat because you had memorized every detail of her schedule. The night of the gala where she was invited for the last time, yesterday, you killed her by calling her out in the empty forest at the edge of the dark street, far away from the gala venue."

Yozomaki's expression darkened instantly, his eyes narrowing in anger. "What are you blabbering, boy?" he growled, his tone laced with menace as he sat his cup on the armrest.

But Kavei remained unperturbed, his gaze steady as he spoke. "I had left the weapon there so you would take it with you. The gloves? The gloves aren't yours, Yozomaki nii-chan. It's only mere replacement. The real pair of gloves you used is with me."

With a swift motion, Kavei pulled out a pair of dark black gloves from his pocket, the sight causing Yozomaki to flinch but he regained his composure quickly, making sure it wouldn't shatter completely before Kavei. 

"That is quite the bold statement, boy."

"And also a true one. Fingerprints were already scanned from the weapon and this glove. You can have it if you want, you will be taken away, anyway." Kavei said as he tossed the gloves on the table. This was all felony of course. Scanning fingerprints weren't as quick as people thought it to be and the investigation on the evidence hadn't begun. The procedure involved discerning every possible detail via the medical team from the body. Only then would the crime charge will be cased and continued as a full backed investigation.

"You will die brutally someday," Yozomaki spat with bitterness. Kavei simply shrugged but before he could stand up, Yozomaki pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Kavei.

Kavei sighed as he sat back. He merely raised an eyebrow, his demeanor calm, maybe a bliss, maybe not. "Do you always carry that around?" he quipped, a small scoff leaving his lips.

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the mansion, a sharp, jarring noise that shattered the surrounding air. From the earpiece Kavei was wearing, Inspector Senzaki heard the gunshot in his own and immediately leaped out of the car. The rest of his officers hurriedly followed suit from their respective cars. One female officer stayed behind with Shiraka in the car, keeping her safely away from the potential danger inside the mansion.

Senzaki and his team burst through the front door, pistols in hand, they found themselves in the opulent living room. The scene that greeted them was complete chaos. Unexpected chaos yet relieving. Kavei stood at the far end of the room, a broken vase in his hand up to his face, its shattered remnants scattered across the floor. The pungent smell of gunpowder hung heavy in the air.

Without hesitation, the officers moved to apprehend Yozomaki, who stood trembling, with guilt for his fiancée and anger towards Kavei. His hands shook as they were cuffed behind his back by the two officers who had apprehended him. The officers led him away then, his head bowed in resignation as he muttered, "you will die brutally someday," he shot at glare at Kavei before leaving the mansion reluctantly with the police.

Kavei let out a long sigh, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. What had just happened felt almost surreal, and he couldn't help but marvel at his own luck. Yozomaki, driven by desperation or perhaps a sudden loss of control, had pointed a gun at him. Then, in a split second, Kavei had noticed the flower vase on the table beside him. Instinct had taken over, and he had lifted the vase just as Yozomaki pulled the trigger. The bullet had struck the vase, shattering it but sparing Kavei's life. An inch of a miss and he would have had his life snuffed out.

But despite it all, a small smile crept across Kavei's lips. He couldn't deny the thrill of the experience. This kind of excitement was something he thrived on, and this was the exact reason why he sought out the criminals himself. The thrill of outsmarting danger, the rush of adrenaline-it was something he would welcome at any time, on any day.

Senzaki then gestured to the boy and they exited the mansion. As they reached the car, Shiraka saw him from within and burst out of the car, pushing back the officer who was sitting next to the right door. Shiraka began shedding tears instantly, clinging to Kavei's shirt as she sobbed uncontrollably. Senzaki stepped aside letting Shiraka deal with him for now. "Were you shot, Kavei-kun?" she asked, her voice filled with concern as she looked up at him.Kavei was quite tall for his age so it wasn't uncommon for Shiraka to raise her neck to look at him.

"I wasn't even grazed. Thanks to the vase I found on time," Kavei reassured her with a small smile. 

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Kavei, caught off guard by her sudden embrace, patted her head lightly, offering silent reassurance but didn't dare hug her back. Such gestures never came from him either way. Over her shoulder, he saw Inspector Senzaki standing nearby, watching them. He smiled at Shiraka but when his eyes met Kavei's, there was a anger that came then. Like a parent who would nag at him at any moment now. Kavei looked away slowly, smiling at him awkwardly. 

Senzaki sighed deeply, the tension of the past few moments finally releasing. Kavei was many things, but he wasn't someone who cared much for his own safety, a fact that often exasperated Senzaki. The inspector sighed again, this time with a sense of gratitude that nothing had happened to the boy. He had never sighed so much but Kavei always made the impossible possible. 

Shiraka clung to Kavei, her tears soaking into his shirt. She wailed softly, her relief and fear spilling over. Senzaki cleared his throat, breaking the emotional moment. "Niram-kun, let me drop you and your friend home," he offered, his voice gentle but firm. There was no room for an argument there. 

Kavei nodded, gently disentangling himself from Shiraka's grip. She sniffled, wiping her tears as she tried to regain her composure. Senzaki led them to the police car, and they all got in. The entire journey was of silent thoughts and Shiraka's fading sobs. 

First, they dropped off Shiraka. As she stepped out of the car, she turned back to Kavei, her eyes still red from crying. "Take care, Kavei," she said softly, her voice full of concern.

Kavei gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You too, Shira-chan." She nodded and bowing to Senzaki and the two officers in the back seats, she turned and began walking towards her front door. Ensuring that she had entered her house safely, the car departed.

Senzaki drove toward Kavei's home. Because of the approaching evening, he could sense the kind of neighborhood Kavei lived in now more than ever. His apartment was located in a dim alley lit by barely a couple of streetlamps that often flickered more than staying true to their offering, the kind of place most people avoided if they could. The buildings were old, their façades weathered and grimy. Kavei's apartment was in a narrow building with metal stairs clinging to its exterior.

As the car pulled up, Senzaki couldn't help but frown at the sight of the rundown alley. He had picked him up from here this morning but when the sun dimmed, it seemed like a completely different place. "Are you sure you'll be alright here?" he asked, his concern evident.

Kavei nodded. "I'll be fine, Inspector. It's home."

He climbed out of the car and walked towards the metal staircase. The steps creaked under his weight as he ascended, the sound echoing through the narrow space. The staircase led to a small landing outside his door. A narrow gap separated the landing from the wall of the adjacent building, with another set of stairs leading to the unit above.

Kavei paused at his door, looking back to see Senzaki watching him from the car. He raised a hand in farewell, and Senzaki responded with a nod before driving away. Kavei unlocked his door and stepped inside, closing it behind him with a sigh.

The apartment was modest, a single room serving as both his living space and bedroom. Despite its size and the apparent disrepair of the building, Kavei had made it his own. The room was tidy, with a mattress tucked against one wall and a desk cluttered with papers and books. A worn but comfortable-looking armchair sat by the window, and a few personal mementos adorned the shelves.

Kavei dropped into the armchair. The events of the day replayed in his mind, but, it was a relief. A relief that he got to uncover the case. He smiled to himself as his eyes shut exhaustion washing over his body.

Next: Case Free Arc