CANDY AND CIGARETTES

Retired police officer Hiraga Raizou believed his days of chasing criminals were long behind him—until a remarkably lucrative offer draws him out of retirement and into the orbit of the SS Agency, a shadowy government organization operating far beyond the reach of the law. What promises to be an easy payday takes a dark turn on his very first day, when Raizou stumbles upon a gruesome murder scene—and standing amid it all is a solitary little girl whose eyes betray anything but innocence. She is Suzukaze Miharu, an eleven-year-old master assassin, and she is to be his new partner. Their arrangement is chillingly simple: Miharu handles the killing, while Raizou takes charge of the aftermath, covering every trace and burying every piece of evidence. The compensation is undeniably generous, but with each job completed, the former lawman sinks deeper into complicity. Now, a man who once swore to uphold justice must confront an unsettling question: the money may be excellent, but how much blood is Raizou truly willing to have on his hands?