I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

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There are problems among the institute's own people, but they all trust each other. As the director, he is usually very approachable and down-to-earth.

He is a sentimental person; he feels affection for everyone in the research institute.

Now, this issue is troubling him even more than the funding problem.

The director clearly already had someone he suspected, and Aki Tomoya was unwilling to say more at this point, because it seemed that the other party was no longer in the mood to think about this matter.

Saying more will only add to the trouble.

While feeling sorry for the director, Aki Tomoya was also praying that Kube Rokuro wouldn't do anything stupid again.

The director is a very good person, but he's almost done all he can.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at their destination.

On the path outside the house, Aki Tomoya saw that the yard was piled with garbage bags, some of which had even fallen out of the yard and onto the road.

The director picked up the trash bags on the road and put them back in the yard.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help throw it away, but he simply couldn't distinguish which trash was which. Thanks to Japan's complex waste sorting system, unsorted trash can't be thrown away in Japan.

An elderly man lived here alone. According to the director, his wife had an argument with him one day and fell on her way out, resulting in heart failure and death.

Although his identity could be confirmed, the elderly man refused to claim his wife's ashes, which remained in UDI.

The director persisted in persuading the old man day after day, and even called him his shogi master.

"We've brought some new young people today!"

“I brought Kube-kun here last time.”

The old man had already set up the chessboard and was waiting for Director Kamikura Yasuo to take his seat.

Meanwhile, Aki Tomoya was staring blankly at the surroundings piled with garbage bags.

Chapter 348 Sending her back (3/4)

This messy house hadn't been cleaned in who knows how long.

The yard was piled high with garbage bags, looking like a messy recycling station, making one wonder if people could really live here.

"I wish I could beat you today."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's your turn."

The director and the old man were playing shogi as usual.

It seems that if they could win a game of chess, they could persuade the old man to claim his wife's ashes.

Aki Tomoya also remembered that in that warehouse, there were not only the old man's wife, but also many unidentified dead who had not been claimed.

However, it is rare for the deceased's immediate family to refuse to claim the body even after the identity has been confirmed.

"Ugh, this is really a headache. Can you give me some advice, Aki-kun?"

"What are you doing? You can't call for help!"

If the director brought him in as an outside helper, then the director is sure to be disappointed.

Aki Tomoya had little experience with shogi and couldn't understand it at all.

"I have studied Go or chess, but I know absolutely nothing about shogi."

Aki Tomoya looked apologetically at the director.

Asking him for help is impossible; he doesn't even know how to play shogi.

"Haha, it seems the kid you brought can't be of any help to you!"

The old man laughed, looking with interest at the helpless-looking director.

The director smiled helplessly and said to Aki Tomoya, "Aki-kun, if you don't have anything else to do later, please spend some more time with me."

When I brought Aki Tomoya out before, the director said that he was off work and could go home if there was nothing special going on.

Aki Tomoya nodded upon hearing this, realizing there was another layer of meaning in the director's words.

It's less about accompanying the director and more about accompanying this elderly person who lives alone here.

This place is inhabited only by this old man, and besides him, there are only mountains of garbage for company.

The more people there are, the more vitality there will be; that's probably what the director was thinking.

In the end, the director still lost the game.

"I won again. Let's try again next time."

"Oh dear, I'm still a step behind!"

"It's more than one step ahead."

Before leaving, Aki Tomoya specifically asked how long the old man had been living like this.

"It's been almost two years now. He's been living like this ever since his wife passed away."

"A man continued living like this, comforting himself that his wife was still alive; as long as he didn't admit it, she wasn't dead..."

Aki Tomoya muttered softly.

He could probably understand some of the old man's thoughts.

Two years ago, after an argument with his wife, she left home and passed away, and he didn't even get to see her one last time.

When told that the person in the urn was his wife, even if it was true, the old man did not want to admit it.

He stubbornly believed that his wife was still alive somewhere in the world, and that as long as he didn't admit it, that person would come back someday.

The reason they refused to claim it was probably because of this idea.

The director was very patient, hoping the old man could accept the fact that his wife was dead.

It is UDI's responsibility to bring the deceased home.

Refusing to admit it indefinitely is not a solution, especially since their UDI records have an expiration date.

Before the preservation period expires, the director still hopes that the deceased's remains can be claimed.

After parting ways with the director, Aki Tomoya went straight home.

Because it was considered leaving get off work early, it was also the earliest I ever got home after finishing my part-time job.

After tidying up, Aki Tomoya started thinking about the fire again, and the ninth victim, former gang member Machida Saburo.

The man's parents, who had lost their son, were also living in guilt, unable to get over the fact that their son had caused the deaths of other innocent people.

Hopefully, the fire department and the police can solve the case as soon as possible.

To be honest, these are not issues he should be worried about. The cause of the fire and whether there might be a gangland feud are things that others should be concerned about.

……

What class is it this afternoon?

During lunch break, Takagi lay slumped on the table, listlessly asking the person next to him.

He's been like this since morning, completely drained, and I have no idea what he went through last night.

"Biochemistry and molecular biology".

The sound from the side alerted Takagi. He suddenly looked up and glared at Suzuya, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm here to see Aki-kun and Mashima-kun. Takagi-kun, you don't look well. If you're sick, you'd better say so soon. Goodbye."

Suzuya smiled slightly, giving Takagi's expression a playful look.

After he left, Takagi quickly asked, "When did he arrive? Why didn't any of you say anything?"

Aki Tomoya and Majima exchanged a glance, then frowned and looked at the guy carefully.

"I'm asking you, are you really having a health problem? Suzutani-kun has been there for quite a while, and you've been lying there without any reaction..."

Aki Tomoya looked at Takagi with concern.

It's not that they didn't speak up, it's just that Takagi, for some reason, hasn't reacted.

"How about I take the afternoon off?"

Majima suggested.

Because Takagi does look quite unwell right now.

"It's nothing, I was just disturbed last night. The girl from my hometown broke up with her boyfriend and complained to me all night. I just woke up!"

Takagi shook his head and explained that he was perfectly healthy; he had only slept for half an hour from yesterday until noon today.

"Your sister is only in junior high school, right? Do kids these days start dating so early?"

Or is it because this place is neon-lit?

Aki Tomoya still remembers Takagi's younger sister who had just started junior high school.

"No, one of the celebrities she was dating suddenly announced his marriage."

"..."

This is what daily life is like for fans of celebrities.