Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney
The High School Turnabout
By Derald Snyder
Investigation, Day 3
Court Record:
-Ghost Article
-Byleth's Sword
-Byleth's Planner
-Crime Scene Diagram
-Combat Knife
-Security Footage
February 16, 10:38 AM
Lowee City Streets
"Damn it to hell!" John Smith cried, riding in the back seat of the Lowee Guild vehicle with Rei and Koizumi. "What the heck was Asakura-san thinking, pulling a stunt like that?!"
"Obviously, she's trying to get her friend off the hook by taking the fall in her place!" Sothis snarked, though no one but Rei could hear her.
"Well, even if it was poorly thought out, her actions might have bought us the time we needed," Koizumi tried to reason. "Don't get me wrong, I don't like this any more than you do, John-kun, but we have to consider all angles here..."
"I th-think I was about t-to c-convince the judge anyway..." Rei shook her head. "What a mess..."
"Indeed. I think our first course of action would be to head to Asakura-san's home and talk to her parents," Koizumi proposed. "Hopefully they can shoot down her false confession straight away..." Just then, a ring tone sounded. "Oh, excuse me..." he pulled out his phone and answered. "Yes, Mori-san? ...I see. Thank you for the update. In the meantime, would you mind checking on the professor's condition? Excellent. Sayonara, then." Hanging up, he informed the other two, "It seems that Asakura-san has been taken into custody by law enforcement. As for Nagato-san, she has been released to her parents, but is still under house arrest."
"Yare yare... at least Nagato's out of prison now," Kyon sighed. "But getting back to what you said earlier... I think it's a good idea to pay Asakura-san's parents a visit. Right, Ryghts-san?"
"Right," Rei nodded. "The sooner we knock down that false confession, the sooner we can focus on the real investigation!"
"It's agreed then. Arakawa-san, if you would please?" Koizumi said to the car's driver.
"Of course, Itsuki-san," Arakawa nodded, making a swift right turn...
February 16
Ryoko Asakura's Apartment
Kitchen/Dining Room
*knock knock knock*
"Come in, the door is open!" a female voice called, Rei and the students promptly entering, seeing an NPC female with a hair style similar to Ryoko's, though her body type was slightly chunkier. "Hello, Smith-san, Koizumi-san... Oh! Are you Rei Ryghts the ex-final boss?!"
"I-I p-prefer 'ace attorney'," Rei ducked her head. "I d-don't d-do that f-final b-boss thing anymore..."
"Well, if you had come in by yourself, I might have been a little intimidated!" the woman who was obviously Ryoko's mother giggled nervously. "Ryoko-chan told me about the trial for her friend Yuki... how did it go?"
"Well, th-that's the thing, see..." Rei stammered, before explaining what happened.
"Whaaaaaaaaat?! My daughter confessed to the stabbing in her friend's place?! Th-that can't be! Please tell me this is just sick final boss humor...!"
"Do I look like I'm joking, worm?!" the CPU growled with her hands on her hips.
"No... my girl..." Ryoko's mother fell to her knees in disbelief.
"Asakura-oba-san, this is important," John Smith cut in. "We need you to tell us what Ryoko-san was doing two nights ago..."
"...Same thing she always does. Doing her homework, helping prepare dinner, eating then relaxing, and then a shower before bedtime," the NPC answered.
"That would rule out her hiding in the school until midnight," Koizumi pointed out. "I suppose you don't know what was going on around midnight?"
"Of course not, I was asleep! And so was Ryoko, I checked on her before turning in myself at about 10:30!" Ryoko's mother replied.
"W-would you b-be willing t-to swear an affidavit t-to that effect?" Rei requested.
"Absolutely!"
*Ryoko's Mother's Affidavit has been added to the Court Record.*
"One other thing, Asakura-oba-san," Koizumi asked, "Ryoko-san says that her father taught her how to use a knife for self-defense. So does your daughter own a combat knife?"
"Yes, she does, but she's not allowed to take it to school," Ryoko's mother answered. "I think that knife's in her room. Let me go look..." She promptly left, coming back a few minutes later with said knife in hands, albeit safely sheathed. "Here it is! If my girl used a knife, it certainly wasn't this one!"
*Ryoko's Knife has been added to the Court Record.*
"Arigato, Oba-san," John nodded his head in gratitude. "This should be enough to disprove the class president's confession."
"I certainly hope so. Oh, by the way, do you have any idea who the actual culprit might be?" the NPC asked.
"No... We would have been searching for clues on that maggot if your stupid daughter hadn't pulled that stunt!" Rei growled, slipping into her HDD persona.
"Meep!" Ryoko's mother backed off a few steps. "P-please go easy on her in court tomorrow!"
"Oh, um... I-I'm so very sorry!" Rei bowed in remorse. "I j-just slip into that sometimes. P-please don't p-pay it any mind..."
"Well, for now, let's head back to the school," Koizumi suggested. "Classes are cancelled today due to the ongoing investigation, but I sent emails to everyone in John-kun's class telling them to head back there after the trial, in case we needed to question them again..."
"Good thinking, Koizumi-san," Kyon nodded. "Let's go, then..."
February 16
Lowee North High School
Byleth's Classroom
Sure enough, several of the students from Kyon's class were hanging out when they arrived... even Tsuruya was there, despite not being in the same class. "Hey theres! Find out anything new, nyoro?"
"We've pretty much all but disproven Asakura-san's confession," Kyon deadpanned. "Other than that, not much."
"I never thought she'd go that far," Kunikida spoke up from nearby. "Asakura-san's always a stickler for the rules... to pull a stunt like this, even for Nagato-san's sake..."
"Well, Asakura's one of the few friends Nagato had in middle school," Taniguchi mused. "It's not that much of a stretch, honestly... but man, to think you were a secret agent all along, Koizumi-san! What kind of adventures have you had?"
"Nothing like James Bond, if that's what you're thinking," Koizumi shook his head with a smirk. "Trust me, it's nowhere near as glamorous as the TV makes it out to be..."
"I never understood what people see in TV shows, anyway," Sothis spoke up. "I tried watching it once, but that acting was too ridiculous to be believable!"
"G-getting back on track," Rei cut in, "Do either of you remember anything suspicious going on the day before? O-other than us, I mean."
"Not really," Kunikida demurred, "your visit was the most interesting thing to happen Saturday. I mean, some students were complaining about the six-day week, but other than that... The administration was trying to make up for lost time, due to quite a few snow days, you see."
"Yeah, I didn't like it, either," Taniguchi grumbled. "Had to cancel my date with my girlfriend, but at least she came to see me when classes let out..."
"Your girlfriend?" Koizumi inquired curiously.
"Oh yeah, I've met her before," John Smith recalled. "Quiet girl, long thick black hair, goes to nearby Kyouoen High School, for the rich kids. What was her name, Ku-yoh...?"
"Kuyou Suou," Taniguchi corrected. "Yeah, she's a bit odd, and her skin's a bit pale... I tell her she needs to get out more often, and she's like, 'I would if I could'..."
"She c-comes t-to visit you at school?" Rei asked curiously.
"Yeah, I've shown her around here, she was curious about what this school was like compared to hers," Taniguchi explained. "Actually, when she came yesterday, we were about to leave when she had to use the bathroom. I offered to escort her, but she said she knew the way, and then she ran off like she was about to- uh, well, you know." His face colored a bit as he looked away.
"You d-didn't see her again after that?" Rei pressed.
"I had to get home to do my weekend chores," Taniguchi shrugged. "Mom's really strict on that... I mean, I assume she found her way out, she could've called me on my phone if she got lost..."
"Of course, and she could've gotten help from a teacher as well," Koizumi spoke up.
"Yeah, I doubt Kuyou's the stabber, she and the Professor don't even know each other," Kunikida pointed out.
"They've never met? Not even once?" Rei asked.
"Nope, as far I know," Taniguchi shrugged. "I mean, I told her about him, and her only comment was that he seemed like an interesting character. And I never said anything about the ghost rumors, either. Didn't wanna spook her."
"Well, wasn't that nice of you," Sothis snarked. "Maybe we should pay a visit to this woman's school, just to cover our bases..."
"Okay," Rei nodded. "Er, th-thank you very much. I think th-this is all we're g-going to learn..."
"Guess we'll move on, then. Thanks, everyone!" John called out, the students responding with words of encouragement as he, Rei and Koizumi left the classroom.
February 16
Lowee North High School
Main Gate
"Where to, Ryghts-san?" Arakawa asked as she and the others got in the car.
"C-could you drive us t-to Kyouoen High School, p-please?" Rei requested politely.
"Wait, you want to look into Kuyou?" Kyon said, perplexed.
"Well, her b-behavior t-two days ago s-seems a little suspicious i-if you ask me," the lawyer pointed out.
"It does seem a little strange," Koizumi nodded. "You heard the lady, Arakawa-san." The elderly man nodded, shifting the car into gear and driving off.
"But Kunikida said that she and Professor Eisner have never met," Kyon pointed out. "She has no motive."
"W-well, what if we t-turn that around?" Rei said. "Instead of 'she never met the professor', it would be 'she didn't want the professor to see her'. Th-that's something my boss t-taught me."
"Ah, the famous turnabout strategy," Koizumi nodded. "So, you're thinking that she was possibly using Taniguchi-san as a pansy to learn about her target and possibly plan out her attack..."
"I still think it's a stretch, though..." John Smith muttered.
"Maybe, b-but we're p-pretty much g-grasping at straws at this p-point anyway..." Rei sighed. Looking over at where she could just make out Sothis's figure, she then said, "I j-just hope this d-doesn't end up being a b-big waste of time..."
"I'm trying to point you in the right direction..." Sothis sighed. "Admittedly I'm not 100% certain on this either, but give me credit for trying to help as best I can! A ghost can only do so much, you know!"
February 16
Kyouoen High School
Main Hallway
(Well, this does seem a little grander than the other school...) Rei thought to herself as the trio entered the building.
"Whoa..." Kyon muttered, somewhat awed. "It seems a lot bigger, doesn't it?"
"Technically, this school is only slightly larger than ours," Koizumi noted, "But the design makes it look bigger on the inside, so to speak."
"A lot of wasted space, if you ask me," Sothis said. "Garreg Mach is even bigger, but almost none of it's allocated space is wasted. Modern-day architects could learn a thing or two from studying that ancient building..."
"Well, let's f-focus on the t-task at hand, shall we?" Rei proposed. "Let's g-go find the p-principal's office, so we c-can ask them about Kuyou Suou..."
"You're looking for Kuyou-chan?" The trio turned to see a young girl with a cute face, with medium-brown hair put up into a simple ponytail. Her school uniform was a very dark grey, almost black, resembling a women's business suit and skirt. "I'm sorry, she's not here today... she called in sick."
"And who might you be, young lady?" Koizumi asked smoothly.
"Me? I'm Kyoko Tachibana," the student replied, looking over Koizumi approvingly. "What's your name, handsome?"
"Ah... I am Itsuki Koizumi, a student from nearby North High School. And this is my classmate, John Smith."
"Yo," John waved, though Kyoko barely spared him a glance.
"Y-you p-probably already know who I am, d-don't you...?" Rei said, steeling herself.
"Of course, you're that final boss who turned over a new leaf and became a lawyer," Kyoko nodded. "Ah, Ray Wright, was it?"
"Rei Ryghts," the lawyer corrected, ducking her head. "Um, well, your friend Kuyou is a p-possible p-person of interest in a c-case we're pursuing..."
"She is? But why?" Kyoko tilted her head curiously.
"She happens to be dating a classmate of the defendant," Koizumi replied. "It's likely she has no connection whatsoever, but we must be diligent and pursue all leads..."
"Oh, I see..." Tachibana nodded with a smile. "So, what do you need to know?"
"Do you know what Suou-san was doing two days ago?" John inquired.
"Two days ago? Hmm..." Kyoko put a finger to her chin in thought. "I think she said she was going to go see her boyfriend that you mentioned... Oh, and she asked to borrow my glasses."
"Your glasses...?" Rei asked, somewhat perplexed.
"Yeah, her eyesight's not the best, so sometimes she borrows my readers," Tachibana elaborated, pulling out the glasses in question. "Anyway, I didn't see her again after that, though I did text her the next morning."
*Tachibana's Glasses have been added to the Court Record.*
"So, you haven't seen her since then?" Koizumi asked.
"No... she's been feeling under the weather," Kyoko shook her head sadly.
"Do you have a picture of her, just in case?" Kyon pressed.
In response, Kyoko pulled out her phone... "Hold on, I think I've got a selfie with her... here we go!" She held it up, showing a picture of herself with another girl wearing a blank expression, with long, black, full-bodied hair and pale skin. "I know it's not the best, but..."
"Ah, thank you, Tachibana-san," Koizumi nodded with a smile. "It's not often we have somebody so willing to cooperate with us..."
"T-tell me about it..." Rei sighed.
"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine," Kyoko stammered, blushing a little. "I wish the boys here were half as polite as you, Koizumi-san..."
"Oh trust me, he can be pretty annoying to hang out with when the mood strikes him," Kyon snarked. "Just wait until you have to endure one of his nonsensical philosophical tangents... We could almost make a comedy routine out of it, honestly..."
"Surely you exaggerate," Tachibana gave John Smith a critical look. But then, the bell rang. "Uh-oh, I have to get to my next class... um, Koizumi-san, can we exchange numbers just in case you have to ask Kuyou-chan something in person?"
"Certainly," Koizumi agreed.
"I'm sure that's not the only reason," Sothis spoke up. "Anybody with a brain can see what's going on here!"
"W-well, th-thank you for your c-cooperation," Rei bowed to Kyoko in gratitude. "Sayonara."
"Bye!" Kyoko waved as she turned and headed off.
"Alright, how about we get out of here, before any more students recognize Ryghts-san?" John suggested.
"G-good thinking," Rei agreed, the trio swiftly exiting...
February 16
Kyouoen High School
Front Gate
As Rei and co. approached the car, a ringtone suddenly sounded. "Ah, hold on a second..." Koizumi grunted as he pulled out his phone and answered. "Hello, Mori-san? He has?! Ah, that's good news. No, I understand. Perhaps tomorrow then...? Ah, so you already told him. Excellent. Very well then. Sayonara." Hanging up he told the others. "Well, it would appear that Professor Eisner has regained consciousness."
"He has?!" Rei gasped.
"Hmph, of course he did. A mercenary like him doesn't die that easily!" Sothis asserted.
"Yes, but he's still in serious condition, and won't be available for an interview," the Guild agent elaborated. "However, it might be possible for him to testify when trial resumes tomorrow..."
"That's great! Then he can put this farce with Nagato-san to rest once and for all!" Kyon said forcefully.
"Yes, but remember that it was very dark in that school, so there's no guarantee that he could identify his attacker," Koizumi pointed out.
"Well, he c-could at least c-confirm that Nagato wasn't th-the one he was meeting with th-that night," Rei countered.
"Right, and I doubt he was meeting with Asakura-san either," Kyon nodded. "Of course, we still don't know why..." He glanced over at Koizumi.
"Well, there's nothing I can really say at this point," Koizumi shrugged nonchalantly. "As I just said, hopefully tomorrow we can shed more light on this mystery..."
(He knows something,) Rei realized. (But he must be under pressure from the Guild's higher-ups to not disclose anything unless he has to...)
"I can confirm that he's keeping tight-lipped about something Byleth was involved in," Sothis whispered into Rei's ear. "But I would rather you hear it from the horse's mouth, in this instance..."
"Okay," Rei nodded. "I think th-this is as much as we're g-going to find out t-today... And John should p-probably get home to his p-parents."
"Yeah, don't want them or Imouto to worry," Kyon agreed. "So we'll meet up at court tomorrow, then?"
"That's the plan," Rei confirmed.
"Well, I'll have Arakawa-san take you home, at least," Koizumi said, the other two agreeing as they all got into the car and rode off...
*To be continued...*