Tokyo: I'm really not a killer

Rin Shinomiya ultimately couldn't resist.

The kidnapper broke his promise, and no one released her that night; she endured it all alone for a day and a night, and finally couldn't hold it in any longer, so she relieved herself in a corner of the warehouse.

I feel like all my dignity has been drained from my body...

Shinomiya Rin felt utterly hopeless and secretly vowed to catch Swamp Man and tear him to pieces—if possible, she would have her father watch and give him a couple of slaps.

As she thought about it, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The next morning, at daybreak, there was finally some movement at the door; faint footsteps could be heard. Shinomiya Rin jumped to her feet, pounded on the door, and shouted, "Let me out! Let me out!"

—Sizzle.

A newspaper was slipped under the door.

Shinomiya Rin looked down and thought, "What does this mean? Am I supposed to wipe my butt first?! Damn it, I'm perfectly clean, okay?!"

"I don't want the newspaper! Let me out!"

She called out for a while, but there was no response from outside. She had no choice but to bend down and pick up the newspaper, thinking of tearing off a few words to make a note for help and throwing it out. She glanced at the newspaper headline and froze on the spot.

The front page prominently featured huge boldface text:

"Member of Parliament Masakazu Shinomiya assassinated; suspected to be the work of his daughter, Rin Shinomiya."

Below is a slightly smaller subheading:

"Bank hostage robber spotted near the Imperial Hotel? Police release suspect's photo and launch citywide manhunt"

Shinomiya Rin's breath hitched, and her mind went completely blank.

Her fingers trembled, her gaze fixed on the headline and her own name. A few seconds later, she snapped back to reality, frantically spread the newspaper on the floor, and, using the dim light filtering through the crack in the door, began to read it word by word.

Bank robbery...

The Empire State Building assassination...

Suspected father-daughter conflict...

As Shinomiya Rin finished reading, page by page, her heart sank to the bottom.

She had thought she would be happy to see Shinomiya Masakazu dead, but now she only felt empty and miserable.

What she found most unacceptable was the black-and-white photo attached to the side of the newspaper—it was her patrol officer ID photo, with "Wanted Suspect" clearly printed below, along with her age, height, and unit affiliation.

The arrest warrant asks citizens to provide clues and warns that "the suspect may be armed and is extremely dangerous."

She hasn't left the house for even a day, how did she go from a patrol officer to a wanted criminal?!

"No...no...it wasn't me..."

Shinomiya Rin muttered to herself, immediately refusing to accept reality and doubting whether the newspaper was fake; she stared blankly for a while, her mind a complete blank, not knowing what to do.

After a while, she finally realized that the person who had locked her up here and claimed to be sent by her father was not there to discipline her or shut her up.

This is a complete and utter frame-up!

Shinomiya Rin slammed her fist against the iron door with a dull thud.

"You bastard! Swamp Man! I know it's you! I swear, I'll get out of here! I'll find you even if I have to turn Tokyo upside down!"

"When I catch you, I'll peel your face off and show everyone what kind of monstrous creature you really are!"

Curses and threats echoed through the empty warehouse, but received no response.

"You just wait...you just wait..."

Her voice gradually lowered, turning into a whispered clenched teeth, but the hatred within it grew even more intense, "No matter who you are... even if I have to chase you to hell, I will drag you out!"

As they were cursing, a ray of light shone through the crack in the warehouse door.

Shinomiya Rin paused for a moment, then reached out and pulled, and the door opened.

The warehouse door had been unlocked sometime during the day; she could have easily left long ago, but she had been knocking, banging, and pushing on the door, so she hadn't noticed anything...

Realizing this made Shinomiya Rin even more upset.

She flung open the warehouse door, disregarding everything else, and ran frantically back to the port to hand over her duties.

She ran with all her might, her heart pounding, her mind focused on only one thought—find the police chief! Find the police station! Tell them she's innocent, that she's been framed!

She was panting heavily, her face pale, her bun disheveled from running and sweat; a moment later, she rushed into the barracks, forcefully pushing open the door, the bells on the door ringing loudly.

In the office, there was only Director Yusuke Nishio.

He had just finished a meeting yesterday and patrolled all night. He returned to his post this morning to pick up a change of clothes. He will have to go to the police station later to continue working overtime.

To his utter surprise, no sooner had he entered the office than the suspect, Shinomiya Rin, delivered himself right to his doorstep.

"Chief! Chief!" Shinomiya Rin's voice trembled with tears. "Listen to me! I've been framed! I had no idea about the bank robbery or... about my father! I'm being held in the warehouse, someone is impersonating me!"

As Yusuke Nishio slowly backed away, he discreetly moved his hand toward the walkie-talkie and handcuffs at his waist, and said with an awkward laugh, "Calm down... don't get agitated."

Seeing his action, Shinomiya Rin's heart sank. She took a step forward urgently, "Chief! You have to believe me!"

"Don't move!"

Yusuke Nishio suddenly raised his voice, quickly grabbing the walkie-talkie on the table. While keeping a close eye on Rin Shinomiya, he tried to press the call button to call for backup. "This is the port ward! Wanted suspect Rin Shinomiya has been spotted! Requesting immediate support—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

"That's not how it is!" Shinomiya Rin shouted, tears finally streaming down her face.

She didn't cry when she was kidnapped, she didn't cry when she was framed, and she didn't cry when she learned that her father was dead. But when she saw the police chief treating her like a suspect, she broke down.

"If you're innocent, come back to the police station with me..." Yusuke Nishio pulled out handcuffs from his waist and tentatively walked forward.

Rin Shinomiya has witnessed detectives handling cases and her father colluding with the police station. Once you enter the police station, you won't come out without being skinned alive—the detectives' methods are extremely simplistic and brutal, and torture to extract confessions is quite common.

No! We can't let ourselves be caught like this!

Rin Shinomiya suddenly took a step back, watching Yusuke Nishio approach closer and closer with handcuffs in hand. Behind her was the open gate of the Koban, and outside the gate was a familiar street.

"Shinomiya! Stop! Don't do anything foolish!" Yusuke Nishio saw through her intention.

Rin Shinomiya dashed out of the gate like a startled rabbit, with Yusuke Nishio in hot pursuit, relaying the message over the walkie-talkie:

"Minato Ward command is requesting backup! The wanted suspect is currently fleeing towards Akasaka! Requesting reinforcements from surrounding areas to block off intersections!"

The sirens wailed from all directions as Shinomiya Rin ran for her life, the footsteps behind her growing ever closer. At every intersection she could see, red and blue lights seemed to be flashing.

What to do? What to do!

In her panic, she rushed out of the alley and bumped into a patrol car. Her heart sank, and she thought, "That's it, my life is going to end here."

At that moment, a click sound came from the trunk of the patrol car as it unlocked.

The driver rolled down the window, and Shinomiya Rin looked closely and saw that the person who had come was actually Hara Masaki.

He pointed to the back of the car with his thumb and said crisply:

"Get in the car, I'll take you away."