Tokyo: I'm really not a killer

How long is 1.29 seconds?

Enough to make three fancy hand gestures with the crank, swing the head back and forth twice, and sit on the buttocks in a Russian pose.

This is only the shooting time from the rooftop to the bank's entrance.

If you were to aim at the Empire State Building from the rooftop, at a distance of 1,500 meters, the bullet's flight time would be approximately 2.9 to 4.2 seconds.

Gensei tested it out, timing it as usual. The shooting time was 3.5 seconds, enough time for Shinomiya Masakazu to do two sit-ups.

The time difference caused by the flight distance can only be compensated for through prediction.

A skilled sniper excels at predicting movement trajectories. Anyone can aim in a straight line; the real challenge is hitting the target three seconds later.

Hara Masaki turned on the radio again to listen to Shinomiya Masakazu's live speech, getting familiar with his speaking rhythm and gestures.

……

In the lobby of the Imperial Hotel, Masakazu Shinomiya sat on the podium, facing a dense array of cameras, and he recalled the day Rio Suzuki passed away.

Rio Suzuki is his wife.

……

There were three important women in his life.

The first woman was undoubtedly his mother. When he was eight years old, his mother abandoned him and his seriously ill father and ran off with a richer man.

He didn't hate his mother because after she remarried, she introduced him to a life of luxury—his stepfather owned a villa in Minato Ward with thick cashmere carpets, the dining table was always set with dishes ordered from high-class restaurants in Ginza, he was chauffeured around in a private car, and his room was filled with imported toys and the latest electronic products that he had only ever seen in shop windows before.

His mother, dressed in a brand-new kimono and wearing expensive perfume, told him in a gentle tone, "Seiichi, this is the life you should be living."

Every weekend, his driver would take him to a private school frequented by upper-class children for lessons in horseback riding, fencing, and tea ceremony. His classmates talked about overseas travel and family businesses; their worries were about choosing investments in trust funds, not where their next meal would come from.

Here, he saw neatly trimmed lawns, a gleaming hall, and the composed expressions on everyone's faces, as if they had everything under control.

Then, every week or two, he would be sent back to his biological father’s dilapidated apartment on the outskirts of Senju-cho.

The narrow corridor was cluttered with junk, the walls were yellowed and peeling, and the air was filled with the damp smell of mildew and the odor of cheap food.

My father, suffering from chronic illness, lay on the tatami mat, his face pale and coughing incessantly. The house was bare; the most valuable thing we owned was an old radio.

When his father saw his brand-new school uniform and the exquisite snack box he was carrying, there was no joy in his eyes. Instead, he cursed him, calling him a spineless ingrate.

Later, my father's condition worsened, and he was hospitalized in a crowded and noisy public hospital. Even the smell of disinfectant couldn't mask the decaying atmosphere.

He was forced to care for his father, sitting by his bedside to look after him, a task that took up the entire day and was extremely grueling.

The liquid in the IV drip was dripping slowly, so slowly it was agonizing.

The father's face was paler than the wall, his fingers were icy cold, and he kept muttering complaints about the high medical bills, about being a burden on his son, about the unfairness of fate, and finally, he returned to square one:

"Going off to your mother's to enjoy yourself again? Good, saves me from having to worry about even the rice I need... She certainly knows how to take advantage of things, leaving behind a sickly child while she lives a comfortable life..."

At that moment, young Masakazu Shinomiya stood by the hospital bed, wearing a clean coat that seemed out of place in the environment. In his left ear, he could still hear the classical music playing from the gramophone in the mansion and the laughter of his mother and guests, while in his right ear, he heard his father's weak groans, the cough from the next bed, and the mournful sirens of the ambulance outside the window.

From that moment on, he had a scale in his heart.

The difference in value between people can be so vast.

……

The second woman was naturally his daughter.

Rin Shinomiya's birth was a complete accident. He had no intention of having children; children would only dilute his assets, drain his energy, and hinder his career.

However, on the day Shinomiya Rin was born, a subtle change occurred in his heart.

He hoped that this child could identify with him, and that this child could continue his bloodline and will... His daughter was like an extension of himself in this world, and should be his most perfect creation.

However, his daughter's growth trajectory went against all his expectations.

He worked hard to promote the policy of expelling homeless people, but when he turned around and saw Shinomiya Rin helping those poor people, the feeling was indescribable... From then on, he couldn't stand Shinomiya Rin at all.

……

The last and most important third woman was his wife, Rio Suzuki.

Rio Suzuki was a naive rich girl, while he was just a poor boy who benefited from his stepfather's wealth—his stepfather never skimped on his food or clothing, but never gave him any extra money to spend.

He lived a life of extravagance, yet he couldn't even afford a single penny in his pocket.

The two met on campus. After his father died, he studied hard and worked hard to improve his value, hoping to gain a place in society. In the end, he was admitted to the University of Tokyo.

They happened to sit together on the day of the freshman alumni reunion.

According to the procedure, everyone should have sat together and introduced themselves, but Rio Suzuki got up and left early, saying "I have no interest in getting to know you" before leaving alone.

Coincidentally, he felt the same way at the time.

He then got up and left his seat, but his wording was more tactful. He said he was feeling unwell and left in a hurry, bumping into Rio Suzuki, who was struggling with a vending machine on the way.

He can no longer remember how he first spoke to Rio Suzuki. All the past events have faded with time, becoming vague impressions.

There were only two things he remembered very clearly.

On their wedding day, after exchanging vows and receiving blessings from the pastor, Rio Suzuki leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Tell me the truth, have you ever truly loved me?"

He was stunned and did not answer.

Rio Suzuki then said, "Well, whatever, it doesn't matter, I don't care."

After marriage, he used the power of his stepfather and father-in-law to rise to power, opened a company in the name of Rio Suzuki to launder money and amass wealth, and betrayed his father-in-law to become the youngest secretary-general in the history of the Liberal Democratic Party.

As a result, her father-in-law was imprisoned, and Rio Suzuki was heavily in debt and facing police investigation. Fearing that the prosecutor's office would find him, he threatened Rio Suzuki with Rin Shinomiya's life to force her to confess.

Before Rio Suzuki committed suicide by shooting herself, she asked him the same question:

"All these years, have you ever truly loved me?"

He still didn't answer, and Rio Suzuki repeated her words: "Well, forget it, I guess I was blind."

……

Shinomiya Masakazu snapped out of his daze.

His mother and wife had passed away, and his only daughter was missing. Facing the media, he straightened his suit and his first words were:

"Gentlemen, please believe me... I will never show favoritism to my family."