Chapter 218: 214. Malice

214. Malice

"Wait a moment, let me find some things you might find useful."

"Alright."

He Jia'an sat before the coffee table, watching the lady walk toward a bookshelf in the living room. Her actions left him somewhat bewildered; he hadn't expected that his casual fabrication would not only be believed, but that she would warmly invite him into her home, claiming she had materials that could help with his investigation.

The lady identified herself as Uda Ryoko and was quite familiar with the Kawakami family, having grown up in the neighborhood. The Kawakami family had only moved here when Kawakami Rumi had just started high school. Come to think of it, she was Kawakami Rumi's junior by one year, and could be considered a witness to the Kawakami family's tragic upheaval.

Uda Ryoko pulled something wrapped in butter paper from a stack of books that seemed to have been gathering dust for a long time. It was bound with red fiber cord, looking less like a refined gift and more like some eerie object sealing something away.

Uda Ryoko gave it a light blow, sending a large cloud of dust into the air, causing both people and the dog in the living room to cough.

After finally clearing the dust, Uda Ryoko sat down opposite He Jia'an with some embarrassment and pushed the unwrapped package toward him: "Sorry, it hasn't been cleaned in a long time. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I should be thanking you." He Jia'an smiled slightly. He flipped through the contents of the butter paper package and discovered they were all old news clippings about the Kawakami family. He looked up in surprise and asked, "You specifically collected these news reports?"

"Well, I was a member of the school's news club at the time. Everyone had always been very focused on Sister Rumi, especially after she was disfigured. Although it was somewhat unethical, it was still a form of traffic, and as a newcomer, I was forced by my seniors to collect this news," Uda Ryoko said with some emotion. "Even though I followed my family's arrangements in college and gave up on a career in media, eventually majoring in veterinary medicine, I couldn't bear to throw away the work I had made with my own hands in the news club. I thought it might be useful someday. Look, it came in handy, didn't it?"

He Jia'an nodded: "As long as there was effort, nothing is without meaning."

He did not want to judge the falseness in Uda Ryoko's words—knowing it was unethical yet doing it anyway, knowing that the things she kept were quite unfriendly and impolite to the victim's neighbors, yet still treasuring them.

Of course, whether she was truly hypocritical or just saying it on purpose, He Jia'an had no interest in guessing. He focused on reading through the carefully clipped reports.

The earliest news recorded in the clippings began with Kawakami Rumi's disfigurement, continuing until the later tragedy that destroyed the Kawakami family.

"Taomu City Daily, September 22, Heisei 8: The most beautiful high school girl at Kisaragi High School was tragically and fatally disfigured by chemical agents. After a joint investigation by the Enforcer and the school, it was determined to be an accident. Kawakami Rumi had carelessly used inferior chemical experimental equipment, leading to a leak of toxic and corrosive gases produced by the experiment..."

"Taomu Gossip, September 25, Heisei 8: According to an internal leak from a Kisaragi High School student who wishes to remain anonymous, they are a classmate of Mimiko (pseudonym). The disfigurement of the most beautiful high school girl was not an accident; it was a deliberate frame-up by someone with ulterior motives. This is truly a shocking matter. Who could possibly be the mastermind behind this malicious act?"

"Taomu Entertainment, September 26, Heisei 8: According to the latest news from the front lines, the case of the most beautiful high school girl in Taomu being disfigured is likely related to a campus romance. Someone turned love into hate!"

"Taomu Official Media, October 1, Heisei 8: The case of the most beautiful high school girl's disfigurement has been settled. It was an accident, not man-made. All media outlets are requested to be careful with their wording and not stir up trouble!"

"..."

"Taomu Gossip, September 22, Heisei 9: One year later, the former most beautiful high school girl has fallen to this state. Suspected of being bullied at school, is her threat of suicide born of despair, or is she seeking sympathy?"

"Taomu Daily, September 28, Heisei 9: Last night, the most beautiful high school girl, Mimiko, committed suicide at home. According to the medical examiner, the time of death was between 11:00 PM and 12:00 AM last night. Before her death, she had made video calls to classmates in her phone contacts, but all were rejected."

"..."

"Taomu Gossip, October 10, Heisei 9: Unable to bear the pain of losing her daughter, Mimiko's mother went insane and was found hanged at home yesterday. Her unemployed husband is devastated..."

"..."

He Jia'an finished reading it all in one breath. After finishing, he only felt his fists clench. Although he was not involved, he could feel the thick malice from the fragments of these past news reports.

"It's infuriating, right? At the time, I would read while making the clippings, and I was often so angry I couldn't sleep. After learning the news of Sister Rumi's suicide, I was even more terrified and sad, unable to sleep well for several days," Uda Ryoko sighed, petting Chaijiro who was lying beside her, and said to He Jia'an, "You can take all these materials. I hope they can help you."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." He Jia'an had exactly that intention. He closed the clipping book and turned his gaze to Uda Ryoko, "Miss Uda, aren't you going to ask why I want to collect this information? If I were to use it for something bad, what would that mean for you?"

Uda Ryoko was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "So, is Mr. He planning to do something bad?"

He Jia'an stared at her for a long time, then slowly uttered one word: "No."

"Then why is Mr. He suddenly investigating something from so many years ago?" Uda Ryoko asked curiously. He Jia'an could tell that this time, her question carried genuine confusion, however slight.

"Do you believe there is such a thing as malice without cause in this world?" He Jia'an asked before answering Uda Ryoko.

Hearing this, Uda Ryoko thought for a moment and replied: "I suppose so, just like what happened to Sister Rumi."

He Jia'an nodded and said calmly: "In that case, you should be able to accept being subjected to Chousha for no reason."

"... Ah?" Uda Ryoko's smile stiffened on her face.

"I don't know if you've been back to your alma mater recently, but there are rumors that the deceased Miss Mimiko has turned into an evil spirit crawling out of hell, and is now killing the teachers and students of Kisaragi High School with a vengeance. Recently, the number of abnormal deaths among teachers and students at Kisaragi High School has increased," He Jia'an looked at her eerily. "What I'm curious about now is, if Miss Mimiko really has returned, will she continue her crazy, indiscriminate attacks, or will she consciously target those who once hurt her, eventually taking them all away without exception?"

He Jia'an noticed that Miss Uda opposite him seemed to be afraid.