Strangulation: Kubishime Romanticist

Now navigating the relatively unstructured life of a college student, Iichan believes his days of unraveling mysteries and confronting crime are firmly in the past. Far from a model pupil, he approaches his academic responsibilities with deep cynicism and biting sarcasm, investing minimal effort into his coursework. Instead of engaging with the world around him, he remains consumed by his own profound sense of disaffection and isolation, deliberately cultivating an emotional distance from everyone he encounters. Despite his steadfast determination to remain entirely detached from the affairs of others, Iichan finds himself unexpectedly drawn back into a dark and dangerous narrative. His carefully maintained apathy shatters when he crosses paths with Hitoshi Zerozaki, a serial killer who defies conventional understanding. Zerozaki is far more than a mere homicidal maniac; he operates with the soul of a true artist, transforming the grisly aftermath of his murders into macabre exhibitions of his twisted talent. As Iichan forms a strange and unsettling bond with this enigmatic figure, his resolve to stay on the sidelines crumbles, pulling him directly into a chilling story where detachment is no longer an option.