Vol 1 Chapter 4 (1/1)

Flow

April 2Yagokoro High SchoolThe next ate, but around to the back gate, where there were few students “Behave yourself until afternoon,” I instructed Sousei-san more severely than yesterday, and parted with him“You’re annoyingTouko and Ai are too but you’re eventhan themYou’re just like ‘Yuuri’”A na had slipped from Sousei-san’s mouth “Yuuri?” I repeated, and Sousei-san iaze“I-it’s nothing!Don’t ask!Hurry and go!You’ll be late to class!”Sousei-san rudely talked on and on as if he were chasing away a stray dogHis expression was severeI was concerned by Sousei-san’s strange behaviorHowever, it was true that I would be late for class, so I said, “I’ll contact you this afternoon,” and hurriedly headed to the classroomAt the sameThere was still a little time before homeroom, so I checked the contents of the mailThe contents naturally made me smile broadly“Naoto!How you doing?You’re not being bullied at your new school, are you?Tell et over to you right away!Anyway, I’ll shove those rude guys down and tie ‘eether!”“That’s just like Tatsumi-kun”In the name field were the characters for “Kanji TatsuhtI’ the “reply” button, I stopped ht it really was a wearisome answerAfter thinking for several seconds, I added, “However, if anything is troublingon you, Tatsumi-kun,” and repliedTatsu about me like thisWhether it was Kujikawa-san or Tatsu their faces gradually filled ht that everyone was doing their best ive it my allMy current self, who had friends that I could rely on, was very happyAnd sure enough – I wondered if Kaoru Hioka and Miyuki Midorikawa had had friends that they could rely onFor example, friends ith just the words “helpat the drop of a hat, no matter how far away they were If they had had friends like that, wea different conclusion than ere nowI could not stop thinking about itWas it unavoidable?Reality, which did not allow for any chance at takebacks, harbored a bit of a nihilistic feelHowever, I did not have the leisure to drown in sentiI had to save them somehowAlso for Kyouhei Hioka’s sake, so that he would not make any more mistakes“Good reeted , as she sat in the chair next to mineSo I would take action immediately“Do you have ti lunch?I must speak to youIf possible, I’d like it to be just the two of us”“Eh?” the girl next towas met with that question, and her shoulders stiffenedHowever, her face soon reddened, and she muttered with downcast eyes, “Yeah, that’s fineIf you want, shi+rogane-kunI could not help but feel that there was a huge , but I smiled at her“Thank you, ‘Takizawa-san’”April 2Yagokoro High SchoolRooftopLunch breakSending a backwards glance at the vigorous group ofas they rushed down the stairs to the school store on the first floor, and the lively fe them ere headed to the restroom, I determinedly ascended the staircases one by oneI opened the steel door and the figure of so that no one else was around, I openedas if she could not relax“I want to hear about Kaoru Hioka-san”I got right to the pointWhen I did, Takizawa-san’s face, which until then had been red with embarrassment, went pale in an instant“W-why me?I think there are a lot of people besides me who know a lot about Kaoru-chan?”She was in a state of considerable confusion, as if a switch had been flipped“You will do; no, it has to be you, Takizawa-san”I said while gazing straight at Takizawa-sanI was convincedYesterday afternoon, the name “Takizaas present in Kaoru Hioka’s past conversation that we detected in this placeWhen I investigated on the cookoro High School with the family name “Takizawa”Incidentally, she had been in the sa their second yearI reiven her na“Don’t worryI only want to hear what you have to say”I addressed Takizawa-san, as disquieted, as if to persuade her“I-I don’t know anything really”Takizawa-san’s hair, tied into two pigtails, violently swung left and rightHer overly strong rejection was suspicious and could be interpreted as proof of a troubling darker side“No, you should know, Takizawa-san – because you often discussed Kaoru Hioka’s worry about the slander with her on this rooftop”Her shoulders jerked violently“You were the one who told Kaoru Hioka about the ‘Midnight Site’, weren’t you?”She was the one who had told me there was a Detective Prince fad on the InternetShe had also savedaround the InternetTakizawa-san clearly knew much about the InternetTakizawa-san wore an uncertain expressionI waited patiently for her to open her htly “Yes“I didn’t I – I didn’t think it would t-turn out this way!”Takizawa-san dropped roughly to her knees on the concreteThen, just like that, she dissolved into tears“I – I didn’tand sports, and popular with the guys, and she had a lot of things I didn’t I thought it wasn’t fair B-but I didn’t want her to die!Really!I just kind of wanted to see I just wanted to see Kaoru-chan’s face when she saw the slander and got a shock”Her voice echoed, gloomy and completely at odds with the cloudless blue sky“Ka-Kaoru-chan was my friend, my best friend But I was still jealous It was hard always being compared to her I was envious But that was all It wasn’t like I was bitter or hated her Writing a coht Site, I only did that once It was spur of the moment”It was a speech as painful as coughing up bloodI stepped up to Takizawa-san and softly placed my hand on her back“It’s all right, cal youIt was an accident that Kaoru Hioka-san died”I liedSo that she would, for a short time, have temporary peace of mindI could only think that the truth would be cruelShe had regretted it enoughIn addition, there was no need to make her suffer under the cruel truthItmyself to be more coldhearted“I can’t trust anyone anys that sound like they’re worried but they don’t get how I feel at all!I can’t take this anymore!I’d rather they insult me to my face!Give me a break!Anyone aroundat shadows Even you, Takizawa-san Ah, sorry Forget it I’ weird”Re the contents of their conversation, most likely Kaoru Hioka had doubted her belief in Takizawa-san soht there was a chance that Takizawa-san was UzumeFrolimpse of Kaoru Hioka’s conflict, as she did not want to suspect herAt the sa she could not trust anyoneIn truth, Uzuer in this world, would spend an eternity never knowing thatAnother quite cruel truth was that Kaoru Hioka had died doubting Takizawa-san, thinking shemoreIt was just a little maliceEnvy, bitterness, resentmentThose were ordinary malices that everyone had as humans in their everyday livesI thought this as I gazed at Takizawa-san, tree of her sinsIt ht Site” bore a role si in the worldLike dirt that had accumulated and accumulated, the hundreds and thousands of se ball of looh to drive people to deathI had nothing but disbelief that a negative place like the “Midnight Site” could be popular, but I felt that I could understand people’s reasons for participating just a littleSurely, in their daily lives, everyone experienced malice born from within the for an outletAnd when I realized that, the “Midnight Site” beca than beforeAs to why, the malice of each of the site’s users separately was extremely small, and it could only be said that their awareness of their sins was nonexistentOnce again, I beca this case to a swift conclusionTo sever the chain of unhappiness – that was undoubtedly the iven to me who knew the truth, me who held the special power known as PersonaApril 2Yagokoro High SchoolRooftopAfter school“shi+rogane!See you tomorrow!”To theto their sports club activities and cutting it close, and:“We were thinking of drinking tea at the Junes food court on the way backDo you want to come, Prince?”To the fe I need to do” I saw them off“shi+rogane?You’re still in the classroom?Don’t stay too late”Receiving that warning from the homeroom teacher, I read a book to pass the timeAt last, when I estis over which the sun sank, I joined up with Sousei-sanOn the designated place, the rooftop, I spoke to Sousei-san about the incident that had occurred at lunchtimeI had obtained two pieces of iained her composureThe first was that, regarding the person who told Kaoru Hioka’s older brother Kyouhei Hioka about the “Midnight Site”: “I told him” The truth was that it had been Takizawa-sanIt seeinning that his sister’s death was a simple accident and had come to her friend Takizawa-san’s home to ask about the circumstancesAs had been in the past conversation, Kaoru Hioka had told her brother Kyouhei Hioka absolutely nothing about her worries about the slanderEven so, Kyouhei Hioka had vaguely realized that his sister was troubled by soe would only hate for her brother to meddle deeply in her affairs, and so he had not pursued theit,” Kyouhei Hioka had told Takizawa-san in a hoarse voiceAnd then the other piece of evidence from Takizawa-san was that I no her conversation with Kyouhei Hioka was an incident that had taken place about twoIn other words, Kyouhei Hioka had spent close to four ht Site” until he reached Miyuki Midorikawa“–Got it”When I had finished speaking, Sousei-san nodded, unimpressed“But geez, it’s hard to understandIf she didn’t want to be co out with anyoneIf she did that, she would’ve been able to go without having grudges or being jealous”Sousei-san threw up his hands in an exaggerated action“Even if they know that, people cannot live aloneIt may be that, if a person co who they themselves are”I thought that, in Takizawa-san’s case, because she was inferior to the one she was being coative result“That’s what’s hard for me to understandI’m a robot, but even if I wasn’t, I would be able to puff out aane even if no one gives you proof, aren’t you?”In truth, it was a speech very like Sousei-sanWhen I thought about it, he saidwhen he learned I was a wo he could say because he was Sousei-sanNot everyone could puff out their chests and say they were constantly true to themselves“Let’s seeIf I had to say, I wouldn’t be confident”I gave a self-deprecating smile“However, as a detective, I can be useful to someone – when I think that, I have a little bit of confidence that I aaneWith that purpose, I can constantly, fully realize my existence in my interactions with people”I did not deny itFor better or for worse, I knew that to live was to be able to accept that all sides of me were still me“Hmph!That doesn’t help when you’re depressedIf you askwho you are is nothing co up debts to other people”I looked up at Sousei-sanI parted htly and asked:“But, isn’t that lonely?”There was no way that people could not know the loneliness of solitude once they had been touched by soht that perhaps Sousei-san had not had that kind of experience“There are also ti that it may have been better if I had not been influenced by othersHowever, I think the joy and reassure friends I can trust and people important tothat I would not have were I alone”I thought it was an evasive, half-hearted rebuttal, but unexpectedly, Sousei-san mulled it over with a quiet expression“Even I can understand that as a robot”Finally Sousei-san let out his feelings little by little“What I wanna say is that there’s no need to form crowdsYou don’t need that manyJust one is fineIf just that one person is there, that’s enough, right?As long as they praise you, you’re happyYou humans ask for too much”On that note, Sousei-san fell silentHe had only been activated several years ago, but his words filled with emotion spoke to his actual experienceThough he was a robot, Sousei-san’s personality was quite humanlike, and I wondered if somehoas influenced by what he had seen and experienced in the pastThe name “Yuuri” that he had inadvertently let fallIt was the name of a womanIt may have been the name of someone who had a deep connection to Sousei-san’s pastI was becoued by Sousei-san’s past, but I shook off the temptation and told him:“In any case, let’s go around the school building and search for Miyuki Midorikawa’s past conversations”At present, that was our greatest priority“Well, the work’s a pain, but it’s fun feeling like we’ll definitely find treasure”Sousei-san answered lightly, as if his sullen de more than an illusion“I wonderThe situation right now is more serious than beforePersonally, I already feel that we’re digging up live shells rather than treasure”So I responded lightly, pretending I had not noticedApril 2Yagokoro High SchoolSchool BuildingWe decided that the timefrao to the presentIt was deterh School who had passed away during that period was Miyuki MidorikawaIn other words, by doing this, ould limit ould detect to Miyuki Midorikawa’s conversations aloneIt had been about an hour since we had started investigating the school buildingAs planned, we had succeeded in detecting a number of conversationsHowever, unfortunately they were all normal, everyday conversations, and we did not obtain any particular information likely to be connected to the case–It was after using our Personasaside Sousei-san, as a robot, I, who had a flesh body, was just about to propose a break because ed glances at the same time at the contents of a conversation we had detected at a certain place“Whoa, what a scary face!Yeah, yeah, as expected of Mr Student Council President, you’re really different froirl like me I’ll say it!It’s fine if I say it!The reason’s siht Site!That’s all!”“Aah, geez!Shut up, shut up!You preach toonow that it’s gone this far, right?If you say you’ll stop it no matter what, then just shut up the jurors under the name ‘Sarutahiko’!”“I haven’t told anyone, you really are a wi your orders and not talking to you at school at all!I pretend not to know you even if we pass in the hall!Say it straight out!I’irl!I like ‘Kaoru Hioka’!I said it but you’re the one who thinks that!It’s because you’re irl”“I-it’s not my fault!I only scattered the bait!The rest was the jurors just sing it and kicking up a fuss and that girl went and died on her own!Hey I’ll listen to whatever you say So Don’t abandon me”“This is suspicious Have we found treasure?” Sousei-san grinned broadly“Yes, we found a live shellAn extra-large one” I nodded quietlyIt could be called a breakthrough in the develop of ile deep breath“In this moment, you could say that we have overturned the known relation between Miyuki Midorikawa and shi+rou Konno, who according to the police’s investigation and the information provided by the students, shared no common point”Sousei-san, who did not seem to comprehend, scowled at the words that appeared on Tsukuyorim look“Please look here” I pointed out one phrase on the er“Hm?Mr Student Council President?”Sousei-san repeated it curiously, but when he realized the answer, his expression instantly brightened“Oi!Naoto!Good job!”He grabbed me by the shouldersIt may have been out of excitement, but in truth, it hurt“Yes, as you’ve guessed, the student council president – you would be correct in thinking he is shi+rou Konno”That theshi+rou Konno was the student council president had also been specified in the case fileIn addition, the place where ere at ithin sight of the student council roomI hypothesized that Miyuki Midorikawa and shi+rou Konno’s conversations had taken place inside the student council room“There is oneIn the case that the person Miyuki Midorikaas speaking to is indeed shi+rou Konno, there is soh probability – that shi+rou Konno is alive”“Right ‘Cause we didn’t detect him in the past conversations!”We had finally reached this wonderful result due to Sousei-san’s Persona’s ability“As expected of enius!”Nonetheless, because the person in question was getting carried away, I thought to myself that I would definitely not praise himRather, I was of the opinion that I should remonstrate him“Sousei-sanIt’s not like the case is settled and you’re overcohter, you know?”“Don’t you have any confidence?If it’s like this, the case’ll be over in a flash, right?Or are all detective guys full of hot air like you?”He spoke in a roundabout way, and Sousei-san gave a displeased snort of laughter“Please call it being cool and collected”As a detective, it was essential toso sensitive as to be called excessively cautiousThat was because the ivenEspecially for ane naht after for capability above that of the policeIf not for that, erate, the existence of the detective Naoto shi+rogane was permitted only when someone needed her“What, that’s stupid”The rude manner of Sousei-san’s response as he spat that out, as if to say it was nothing but a pain, was iave upIt was proof that I was little by little coami“The relation between Miyuki Midorikaho has passed away, and shi+rou Konno, who is , was in their conversationThe next question would be, ‘Why was it necessary for the two of them to hide their relation from those around them?’”“If you just think about it, isn’t it the guy’s ego?If they knew the student council president was hanging out with a woht?And what they were talking about sounded like a lover’s quarrelI can iuy’s fooling around”Sousei-san replied immediately“I think that possibility does also existHowever, the two of them unmistakably share another unknown common feature”I pointed out one word in the past conversation “‘Sarutahiko’?” Sousei-san tilted his head“Sousei-san, do you remember the name ‘Uzume’?”“Huh?Don’t screith ht!Uzuht?The screennaakushi+ Judges’, right?”“Correct,” I answered, trying not to laughSousei-san’s childish behavior when he had becory and answered was just a little bit funny“Then do you reht, if you recall?”However, “Guh” Sousei-san unfortunately fell silent at the next question“By the way, Sarutahiko is also the screennaes’”Sousei-san folded his arertips“So that’s the way it is?That the past conversation is saying shi+rou Konno is Sarutahiko”I nodded quietly“Miyuki Midorikawa and shi+rou Konno’s coakushi+ Judges’Wasn’t hiding their relationshi+p from the people around them also a discreet cautionary measure taken so others would not be aware they were es’?”Most likely it was shi+rou Konno’s initiativeFrom both the case file and Miyuki Midorikawa’s past conversations, it was clear that shi+rou Konno was a careful individual“By the hat are these ‘jurors’?Someone’s name?Or is it also a screenname?”“No, it seeht Site are called ‘jurors’The jurors hold the rights to vote guilty or not guiltyIn japanese, ‘juror’ is ‘baishi+nin’And the judges are ‘saibankan’In other words, one can deduce that the aiht’”“Judget even a speck of fairness when their guilt is considered”“Yes, it’s more like a witch hunt”I nodded firmlyMiyuki Midorikawa, called Uzume, had fabricated completely false sins, and Kaoru Hioka had been made to suffer reasonless slanderOnly she herself knehether it had been an accident or suicide, but it was surely an unreasonable endImmediately afterward, Sousei-san shook his head as if fed up“Hey, Naoto, can I say so here?”“We can’t”I instantly denied himThat was because I could predict what Sousei-san meant to say“Let’s leave shi+rou KonnoIt’s fineLet Kyouhei Hioka have his revenge”He ignored me completely“It’s not like I use the Internet all the tiht Site’ a lot eitherStill, I get itThose guys who have to do with the Midnight Site are a really tightfisted bunch”Sousei-san spat out“Starting up the Midnight Site, naes, I don’t knoho the hell you are, but who are you to judge other people?Can your actions be forgiven?Who’s gonna judge your sins?I wanna ask those bastards that!”“You’re going too farThey also have their own circumstances”I answered, taking it upon ly reprimand Sousei-san, who had lost his temper“Circuot their own circumstances!Even I do and I’m a robot!”I had added fuel to the fire“Don’t let yourself be controlled by your emotionsThere are rules in this worldIf everyone acted on their emotions, the order of the world would soon crumble”“You’re a cold humanDon’t you have any sympathy at all for Kyouhei Hioka?”“Even I can sympathize with Kyouhei Hioka’s situationHowever, this and that are really two different problemsIn the end, a killer is a killerEven if we have the luxury to take extenuating circumstances into consideration, his are not actions that can be forgiven by any means”“Geez, you really have an answer for everything!”“I could say exactly the same to you!”I was being quite frankThere was also a part of me that conceded Sousei-san’s pointHowever, those were sAs a detective, I was of the belief that I could not overlook a criht before my eyesI let out a single, sh“As for ourselves, there is so only we can do”I looked straight at Sousei-san and told him“Let’s do e can, believing that Kyouhei Hioka’s greatest hope of salvation is that on’t let anyone else killed by him”“I dunno if we’ll regret this”Sousei-san snorted morosely“That’s trueI’ll endeavor to make the very best choices so it doesn’t come to that”I responded with a bitter smileIf I didn’t believe and take a step forward, I would definitely not be able to proceed onwardsI persuadedheart

April 2Yagokoro Police StationSpecial Forensics DivisionDirector’s OfficeI returned to the Yagokoro Police station and searched for Touko-sanIt was to report on the investigation up until now and to hear about what kind of person Kyouhei Hioka wasI thought I ht be able to see Touko-san if I showed up at the Criminal Enforcement Division where her desk was, but I was mistakenTouko-san’s desk was emptyI thought I would ask someone as to Touko-san’s whereabouts, but within the office, which was disorderly with mountains of case files and white tobacco sressive looks shot through with seething anger at me, an outsider to the division, and I hesitated to speak to them readilyThere was nothing I could do, so I went around the station myselfHowever, I went around and looked everywhere, but I could not find Touko-san anywhereThe place I reached at last was the director’s office of the Special Forensics Division under Tsuge-san“Touko?DunnoHaven’t seen her since she ca”My last hope iftly dashed“Well, if you wait she’ll coht?”Tsuge-san said carelessly as he processed the documents on his desk“Geez, you’re useless, Gramps!”Sousei-san was disgusted, but:“Tsuge-san, I’ll be borrowing your coain”I was going to investigate so for Touko-san as Tsuge-san had suggested“Oi oi, what should I do?”“Please stay quiet over there”As if :“Right!Do what you’re told, Sousei!”Tsuge-san’s large body shook as he laughed“You’re annoying!Gramps!Shut your trap!”Sousei-san threw hi in bed out of spiteTheir argument continued behind me as I started up the computer“Oi!Gramps!I’m bored!”“Like I care, idiot!Go read the !”“That’s an idol e, Gramps!”“What!The kids’ll get upset if you’re like that!Women’s naked bodies are the last mystery left on Earth!It’s an eternal research theme needed to dispel doubts about your status as a man!”“What research theme!?You dirty old man!Isn’t that just your lust!?”“I’ insulted, so I’ll tell you the idol , idiot!”“Seriously?Touko’s a good woman without any masculinityTo think these idols are her hobby”“Even if you’re joking, don’t say such scary thingsI’ll start i itUh, no, that’s kinda a turn-on too”I thought that if Touko-san had heard, the two of them would be sorryFinally, I heard the sound of theturned behind un to read the idol azine as he spokeIt was at that moment“Huh?What’s this about As?”Sousei-san spoke in an uncharacteristically bewildered voice“Oi!Gramps!Come here a sec!Look at this!”“I’m busy!What is it, idiot!?Who do you think I aot more social responsibility than you think, okay?”As he coe-san’s footsteps as he stood from his seat and headed to the sofa“Huh?Huuuh?W-what is this S’like I’s”Tsuge-san was immediately surprised just like Sousei-sanPredictably, I started to wonder what in the world it was, so I turned my chair and looked back at the two of theazed at me fixedly“Eh?What?What is it?”I drew back in that instant, feeling so, the two of the usThen, at Tsuge-san’s next words, I sprung fro“That surprised irl!”Flustered, I ran up to the two of the outThat was the sound of the blood draining from my faceOn the open color pages of the irl clothed in a navy blue bikini were playing together in the wavesBy the way, it could not be helped that the girl in the navy blue bikini’s smile was stiffI had a flashback to the oIt was a shot frookoro Preravure photos that were to be published in a azineMy whole body was so hot it felt as if it were burningMy field of vision was distorted and ly I couldn’t thinkIt felt like I would unthinkingly scream because of this turmoil I had never before experienced “Ah, oh, ooh” However, I couldn’t even find my voice at such a shock“What was that!Gramps!You didn’t know Naoto is a wo!?”No, even you didn’t know until yesterday“‘Cause Touko didn’t say anything!I did think she’s too slender for a guy, but she acts like one and they call her Detective Prince, so wouldn’t you normally think she’s one?”“Yeah, wellBut right now the issue isn’t so as if Naoto is a man or a woman!”Sousei-san pulled the azine even further open and held it out“Look!At Naoto’s cleavage here!”“Yeah!Not bad, not bad at all!”With a lewd look on his face, Tsuge-san brought his face close to the ravure photoshoot picture, co us“Hot so sooner!I’uy that thinks you should act like a woman if you are one!”I only saw it out of the corner ofas he bowed his head as if charmed, and I shudderedI azine froly ee to ih the shredder“What’re you doing, Naoto!We were still looking at that!Give it back!”“I -- I refuse!”“Hahaa, so you’re embarrassed!”Sousei-san raised his voice delightedlyIn the next instant, my face became hot as if a fire had been lit“I-it’s a swi!”My voice cracked with agitation“There’s nothing to be eoods”Sousei-san’s gaze was focused on azine“P-please stop calling theoods’!”“Be edis good no matter what it is!”“Yeah!Big boobs are the greatest thing God created in this world!And they say too big is better than too small!If it’s just bust size, you don’t even lose to Touko!Whoa!It’ll be fun seeing what kind of good woman you become in the future!”I wondered what it meant that this was the only time the two of them were in perfect accord“Oi!Give back the azine!I’m bored!”“I’ it!Just behave yourself over there!”Shaking off Sousei-san as he approached, I turned on my heel and headed for the corace“Geez, what’s with you!What’re you getting mad about?Naoto!”“That’s not it, SouseiThat’s not angerShe’s embarrassedIsn’t she cute?”“Hmm, I can’t tell the differenceHey, Naoto, are you embarrassed?”“It’s supposed to be pretty popular with young people latelyThat’s definitely that ‘tsundere’ thing!”“What’s that about?Hey, Naoto, are you ‘tsundere’?”I couldn’t take it any longer, I didn’t know any“AnywayShe looks like she’s got her act together, but Naoto’s still a entle”“That’s rightLet’s be gentle”Calnore, if you shout, you loseIf I didn’t tell et myself and yell “Please be quiet!” in a loud voiceTouko-san was Touko-sanWhy did she leave that azine here of all places?There was no way that Touko-san, who I had inal purpose had not been to participate in a gravure photoshootAh, was that hoas?I covered hSurely, at thissomewhereI pulled ether and turned my attention to the coe of the Midnight Site cae boardIn the next instant, aze was arrested“Sousei-san!Please come here!” I immediately beckoned Sousei-san over“Oi!What’s with you!Telling o there!”“It’s fine, hurry!”I urged hi, and the sound of his displeased footsteps echoed inside the room“Look at this”I directed his gaze, and Sousei-san, wearing a sullen expression, scowled at the computer screenWhen he sahat had been written on the e board, Sousei-san’s eyes also widened in surprise“MY NAME IS – KAGU-TSUCHIMY GRUDGE IS BORN FROM THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CONDEMNEDI HAVE COME HERE TO HAND DOWN JUDGMENT UPON THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES TOGAKUshi+ AND DECEIVE WITH FALSE JUSTICEI HAVE ALREADY DISPOSED OF ONE OF THE TOGAKUshi+, ‘UZUME’I PROCLAIM HERE THAT THE REMAINING FOUR SHALL ALSO BE CONSIGNED TO OBLIVIONOMOIKANE, SARUTAHIKO, TAJIKARAO, FUTODAMA, TREMBLE IN FEAR OF YOUR IMPENDING DEMISE AT MY HANDS”[Kagu-tsuchi, associated with death enwikipediaorg/wiki/Kagu-tsuchi]“Isn’t this a ‘declaration to kill’?”Perhaps he had been interested by our extraordinary behaviorBehind ht assu“YesThat’s the intention of the person who calls hiu-tsuchi’”The reactions of the jurors, the site’s users, were the same as our ownThe declaration to kill was the e boardsHowever, going back through the boards, it see that it was a prankHowever, what the person called Kagu-tsuchi had posted was a type of topic only the Five Togakushi+ Judges could start, and on top of that, the account that had been used was Uzume’s, so the authenticity of the post had risen at onceEven now, it was getting so much attention that the comments from the jurors increased by about ten or twelve whenever it updated“It seeh I did not want it to be”The reason that Kyouhei Hioka was stillhad become clear“So Kagu-tsuchi really is Kyouhei Hioka?”“Considering Uzume’s case, I can only believe it’s a screenna under”In the next hed nastily“Ha!I don’t feel sorry for ‘em!This is what they call karma!They should be scared!If they are they’ll finally understand the feelings of the sinners they called guilty!”“Sousei-san–” At Sousei-san’s way of speaking, like he was egging on the revenge tragedy, I opened“–Hey, did Kyouhei do so?”However, before I could say anything, Tsuge-san asked, his brow deeply furrowedHe spoke as if he knew Kyouhei Hioka well“Do you know him?”“Yeah, we oIt’s the sort of relationshi+p where we’d get dinner together if he showed up”“What about his disappearance?”“Yeah, I heard about it from Touko”It had been only a momentary slipup, but there was no way to hide it, and so I continued speaking“The truth is, there is a high probability that he has coer sisterIn addition, there is also the possibility that he will continue to kill from now on”In the next e-san’s brow deepened further“Why That blockhead Even though I told hie”Returning to the sofa eighty steps, Tsuge-san then sat with the sah I felt it to be harsh, as a detective, I sat facing Tsuge-san “I’ll explain,” I said, and summarized the chain of events“It’s already been ‘bout half a yearThe last time I saw Kyouhei, about two months had passed since his sister’s funeral”When I had finished explaining, this tian to speak“As soon as I saw him, Kyouhei said this to me: ‘Kaoru’s death wasn’t an accident’ See his sister froretted it terriblyBla was bothering her”Right now, Tsuge-san had a quiet expression, so much so that I could not believe this to be the same person who up until now I had viewed as a bit boldly lecherous“That man Kyouhei Hioka is excellent, but he’s so serious and inflexible he’s practically got a stick up his assI thought Kyouhei shouldn’t push hi hih I knew they were just cheap wordsBut he said, ‘I’ll find out the truth, even if it’s by myselfIf I don’t at least do that, I won’t be able to face KaoruI apologize, that’s just how I feel’ and stubbornly refused to give in”Tsuge-san let out a large breath and shook his head strongly“Wonder if it’s soic resolve I was so worried about Kyouhei I told Touko about it I thought Touko could do it, but in the end, she couldn’t stop him, huh”“From the way you speak, I take it Touko-san is also an acquaintance of Kyouhei Hioka?”At e-san immediately nodded“Those two’ve known each other longer than I haveSeems like when Touko was a newbie, Kyouhei was her senpai and drilled her in the ABCs of being a detective”“I seeSo the two of them have a senpai-kouhai relationshi+p”It was a bit difficult to iinner, but it made clear the reason for her selection as a principal member of the “Kyouhei Hioka disappearance case” team“Also, I don’t really know much about it, but–”Tsuge-san lowered his voice“–I kind of re froether onceIt hen Touko was a newbie, so I guess about six years agoAnyway, I met Kyouhei ‘cause Touko introduced usIt’s probably the truth”“When you say ‘once’, you mean they aren’t now?”“Yeah, they broke upJust that I don’t really knohen they separatedBut Touko and Kyouhei still go drinking together soether anymore”“Heeh, so Touko does thatWith a !”“Oi, Sousei, keep it under wraps!If you tell her she’ll never acknowledge me!”“Whatever you say, Touko doesn’t acknowledge you in the first place, Gramps!”“That’s why I’ you it’s a secret! You kno Touko hates people sticking their nose in her business, Sousei!”“Okay, what should I do! Hey Gramps, if you bow your head and say, ‘Please, Sousei-sa you!’ I’ll keep my mouth shut, okay?”“Sousei!You bastard!D’ya knoho you’re ht now!”“Yeah!Bring it on!Do it if you can!You senile old man!”What an unexpected resultThat Tsuge-san had also been so well acquainted with Kyouhei HiokaIt could be said that the fact that Kyouhei Hioka had also spoken with Tsuge-san about his regret at the loss of his sister was the conclusive piece of evidence that this eIn addition, the most important product of the conversation was that Kyouhei Hioka and Touko-san had once been loversIt was becoly necessary to meet with Touko-san personally and inquire about Kyouhei HiokaSousei-san and Tsuge-san continued to argue even as I put hts in orderIt seemed they would continue indefinitely if I just let them be“Both of you!This is not the ti!Our priority should be to think about hoe should handle this situation!”I forcedat each otherI may as well have stepped into a chass“Sousei-san, please think about it a littleAnd Tsuge-san, please lend us your wisdom”At that, Sousei-san and Tsuge-san both looked down atup“Oi, Gra boobs’”“FineAs aboobs’ eitherLet’s call it a truce”Wearing serious expressions, the two nodded at each other“As long as you stop” It would be foolish to becoryIf I allowed ht up between theress no matter how much time passedThis was the point at which I had to take commandI diverted the conversation to the issue at hand, even if it was against my will“Since persuasion is unfeasible, I think the first solution would be to secure Kyouhei Hioka hie tragedy”“I get that, but aren’t Touko and the for where Kyouhei Hioka is?LIke you said yesterday, Naoto, won’t those guys say it’s ‘a different area’ from ours if we stick our necks into the Kyouhei Hioka case?”“The situation has changed since yesterdayIt has been proven that the ‘Yagokoro High School student disappearance case’ ere commissioned for and the ‘Kyouhei Hioka disappearance case’ are in fact one and the same”“No no, if the situation really has changed, there’s still no e’d abort our investigation, right?They’ll say it's not your place, ya know?”“Even so, I have no intention of backing out”I immediately shook my head“Even on Touko’s orders?”“A foolish questionIt is not oing case”My resolve was firmIt would be accurate to call this my beliefOf course, it may also have been due to my own nature“Tsuge-san, would you happen to have an idea as to Kyouhei Hioka’s whereabouts?”“Naah, even though I’ve been thinking on it for a whileSorry, I can only think of things like his home and his favorite bar”Tsuge-san shrugged his large shoulders slightly“Geez, Gra trouble if he was hiding in those obvious places!Touko’s looking into it, right?He would’ve been caught a long tio!”“Shut up!I know thatme!”“In that case, weKyouhei Hioka’s ‘targets’ here”I continued, ignoring their argument“It’s clear that the ones Kyouhei Hioka is targeting are the es’, so if we take the re four under police protection, it should prevent his crimes”“Oh!I get it!It’s the opposite idea!”I nodded at Tsuge-sanThe cooperation of those in question was indispensable, but if we had the es in our hands, we should well be able to limit Kyouhei Hioka’s actions“For instance, if we say ‘The police will guarantee your safety,’ I think they will accept the police’s protection as long as they aren’t exceedingly reckless, but”Of course, this idea was not without its flaws“The biggest probleakushi+ Judges are unknown”There was plenty of information to sniff out their whereabouts, such as the fact that, other than celebrities, the chosen sinners were residents around the Yagokoro area, but there was a liuesswork“Can’t we post a coe boards?We’re the police, but we’ll protect you, so tell us how to find you?”“That’s impossible”I immediately replied to Sousei-san“They received declaration to kill frou-tsuchi, an enemy whose true identity is unknownNo matter e post, I don’t think they would believe us”“Then how ‘bout we ask the police bigshots to appeal to the et out here’?”“That’s also impossible”Once again, I immediately replied“It’s difficult to believe that people such as they would readily reveal themselves publicly”“Even if their lives were in danger?”“Most likelyBut frankly, I’m not sure eitherHow do they perceive the ‘lives’ contained within themselves?”It seemed I would have to directly ask the people in question“Getting a taste of the feeling like they’re gonna die, isn’t that really necessary for guys like thes you can’t convey through a screen, right?”No estions wereto say“That’s beside the pointThe biggest flaw is that Kyouhei Hioka will also know of the police’s appealKyouhei Hioka is certainly keeping an eye on the Midnight Site, so to avoid taking any risks, it would be to our advantage to operate secretly as much as possible”Sousei-san had his arhtI was in the sa our brains, searching for any effective methodTime passed in silence as we could not easily find a solutionAnd then “–Uh, hey” Tsuge-san slowly opened his mouth“In the end , so I dunno y, but that Kirijo fa for ‘emI can ask for his help if you want?”Was this to be our hope?I nodded firmly “Please do”“Ah, there’s just one problem”“A problem?”“That guy’s with anti-cyber terrorism, so he’s in demand by everyoneRuns all over the worldI dunno what country he’s in nowCould be even if I contact hiht away”Even now, the threat of cyber terrorism was universalIf he was a skilled technician, he would be assured of a elcome no matter where he wentHowever, if he was that capable a person, he would not be defeated, even if the opponent was a hacker who evenly matched the police’s Anti-Cyber Crime TeamTime was of the essence, but there was no other effective methodWe did not have many other possibilities“Please, we’re counting on you” I bowed ainThat day, Touko-san did not appear at the stationSo I htI proceeded to speak on a nu” was powered up by my “Ability Tune” and we collected information at school and at Iwato Apartments, as well as the declaration to kill frou-tsuchi, and the possibility that Sarutahiko was shi+rou Konno“Got itI’ll explain the situation to the higher-ups and get permission”It was an ex-post-facto approval, but she did not see the invitation of an anti-cyber terrorism expert and the security offered to the es”I inquired as to the reason“Why?I’rateful to youWe were also stuck in a stalemateThat aside, Naoto, that your partnershi+p with Sousei would yield such results after only two days is well beyond what I anticipatedSince I was the one who thought of pairing you up, it seeht beyond my Persona ability“Fufufu” On the other side of the phone, Touko-san laughed a littleFar away, I could hear jazz-likesake at a bar somewhereNext I reproached her for the incident involving the idol azine, but Touko-san was not at all repentant“Wash it on purpose?Don’t be rude!I’ht and day for the safety of the citizensThere’sh no way I would do anything people would dislike, right?”Parts of her articulation were suspiciousShe was most likely very drunk“Well, in any case, it’s been a disaster, Naotoo!Good grief!”[Here, Touko isup words with similar pronunciations I’m not sure what the first word is supposed to be (“sainan”, disaster), but in the second line, she says “goshuushou”, “grief”, instead of “gokurou”, soood work”]A dry laugh echoed through the telephone receiverNo sooner were the words out of her mouth than she showed herself to be a ras that people dislikedI judged that Iat this time, and so I asked about the Kyouhei Hioka incident“I was pretty young when I ith KyouheiSorry I can’t live up to the Detective Prince’s expectations, but it’s a privateto do with the current casePlease forget about it”Her tone was low, like that of a completely different personThough they were apart now, the person she had once gone out with, the senpai who had taught her the ABCs of investigation when she was a newcomer, had committed murderTouko-san’s heart must be unsettledSo much so that she was almost unable to hold her alcoholQuite frankly, she had evaded the subject, but when I i myself to press the matter“Well, we’ll continue this conversation laterTouko-san, I believe that you’ll talk about it someday, so I’ll wait”However, the only thing I would not forget was the way in which she had diverted s of sy to discover the truth“I’ll count on itI still have a pretty discerning eye”On the other end of the line, Touko-san laughed like she was enjoying herselfApril 4Yagokoro Police StationSpecial Forensics DivisionTwo days after the body of Miyuki Midorikaas discovered at Iwato AparthtFrom the autopsy results, theSaeur P230 Kyouhei Hioka was carryingIt was also revealed that Miyuki Midorikaasher cell phoneI was of the opinion that Kyouhei Hioka had taken itIf I thought assuu-tsuchi was Kyouhei Hioka, it validated the theory that he posted a coht Site from Miyuki Midorikawa’s, that is to say Uzume’s, cell phoneIf he had her phone, he would be able to access the site as Uzume, even if he wasn’t the person in questionWhenever the truth became clearer, it supported the existence of Kyouhei Hioka’s crie-san and Touko-san s

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