Chapter Forty-Five: Hand Fetishism:

March 3rd, 2010.

6:07 p.m.

"Ah, yes!" Tsuzuki moaned. "That's good! A little bit lower! Yes, there!" Anna gently scrubbed his back. Her husband closed his eyes.

"Mmm," he said. "You're so good."

"You think so?" she asked. He moaned in response. The wife felt warm in her chest as her cheeks pinkened. She moved down to his lower back.

"Ah!" Tsuzuki moaned. He glanced over his shoulder. "You sure you don't want me to wash your back?"

"I'm fine," Anna mumbled.

"You sure?" he asked. "I'll go slowly."

"Please," Anna said with clenched teeth. Tsuzuki frowned.

"Anna�" he murmured. His wife took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she said. Anna quietly picked up the washcloth and went back to work. Tsuzuki didn't need to ask. She's still uneasy about her back, he thought. The man decided to help her work through that problem too. She wasn't alone; he needed work as well. The marriage could be a form of therapy or maybe even more.

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April 23rd, 2010.

7:30 a.m.

-Charlotte-

I stood before my mirror as I slid on my white tank top. I glanced over my shoulder at Takashi still asleep in my bed. Last night was amazing, but I sighed and shook my head. My guilt won't let me fully enjoy it. What will become of him, of us now? I can't bear to think about it. I glanced out of the corner of my eye when I heard sheets rustling.

"Good morning," I said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Takashi said. "You going out today?"

"I have morning classes today," I said.  "Takashi-kun, can we talk later?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"It's about last night."

"What about it? Did I so something wrong?"

"It's not that. Look, we'll talk later, okay?"

"Alright."

I bowed my head. "Thank you" I crawled onto my bed and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll see you tonight." I crawled off the bed and went out the door.

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-Outside-

7:00 a.m.

Back at yet another Shinto shrine, a miko snuck her boyfriend in the early hours. He couldn�t stop kissing at her neck. The miko giggled as she pushed him off.

"Baby," she cooed. "Not yet." Her boyfriend pouted.

"But�" he said. She put her finger to his lips.

"Not yet," she said. "I'll show you my garden." The man smiled at her words. The miko led him outside. They arrived at the sand garden. The miko turned and kissed her lover on the lips. She threw her arms around his neck. It didn't take him long to fold. The miko playfully wrestled him to the ground. However, the mood changed to a grim one when the boyfriend looked up. The miko paused when she felt him tremble.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked. The miko looked in the direction he was pointing in and screamed.

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-Charlotte-

They found another dead couple at another Shinto shrine. It's all over Todai.

"It's the Cupid Killer again!"

"Who is it this time?"

"A hostess and her boyfriend."

"Only this one's different."

"How so?"

"This hostess was in her thirties."

"She was engaged too!"

"Was she pregnant as well?"

I rolled my eyes. Great, more stupid rumors about that ongoing case. I'm so sick of hearing about. I wish they would just catch the damn guy already so that they would shut up. That was my original thought, anyway.

I came down to the student lounge for a little peace and quiet from all of the rumors. I had just sat down in one of the chairs when I heard the news talking about the latest in the case this morning. I happened to lift my head and look at the screen. My stomach dropped when I recognized one of the victims. My senpai, Murakami Mariko, and her fianc� had fallen victim to the Cupid Killer. I buried my head in my hands. My elegant senpai was dead and somehow it's all my fault. I stepped outside and pulled out my phone. I dialed my apartment with a heavy lump in my throat.

"Takashi-kun," I said at last. "We have to talk!"

"Why, Char-chan?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

"Senpai's been killed by the Cupid Killer!" I yelped.