A/N: I'm back after a long hiatus. Sorry for the wait, but life got in the way. I'm in the process of updating all my stories, but I figured I would do this one first since it was the most complete update I had written before I went on hiatus. Of course I had to rewrite some scenes several times because I didn't like how they turned out. This isn't the end of the episode though, just the end of the second half of the first investigation. Next up is the first trial, which may or not be split up into two parts, then the second investigation, which will probably be shorter than the first one, and then lastly the second trial. I have a pretty good mystery planned out for this episode. Now I just have to sit down and actually write it out. If you guys enjoy the story, review, favorite, and follow to let me know.

Mentioned Canon Characters:

Phoenix Wright/Ryuuichi Naruhodou

Blue Badger/Taiho-kun

Miles Edgeworth/Reiji Mitsurugi

Sebastian Debeste/Yumihiko Ichiyanagi

Blaise Debeste/Bansai Ichiyanagi

Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney/Gyakuten Saiban.

Episode 2: Trust in a New Turnabout

Day 1, Investigation, Part 2: Cigarettes and Chewing Gum

April 30, 2082. 12:34. Sakuraba Apartment Complex.

After leaving the detention center I made my way to the nearest subway entrance to catch a train to Shibuya. Getting around the city was much easier in the day with the trains running. About half an hour later, I arrived at the Sakuraba Apartment Complex and took immediate notice of the large police presence outside the building. Residents were still allowed to enter and leave the apartment complex, but the police were closely monitoring everything. I could only imagine what things were like upstairs. 'I guess this is to be expected, considering the victim's a decorated detective,' I thought to myself. Then I approached the building's entrance and struck up a conversation with the police guarding it. "Excuse me, I'm the attorney representing the defendant in tomorrow's murder trial. I'm here to investigate the crime scene."

"Oh, is that so?" one of the police officers replied. "We were wondering when one of you weasels were going to show up here."

"Weasels?" I repeated in confusion.

"Defending a cop killer? Have you no shame?" the rude officer replied. "Or do you just not care who you represent as long as they can pay well?"

I tried my best to not get emotional. "Excuse me, but my client has yet to be proven guilty of this crime. As far as the law is concerned, she is innocent until proven so. And furthermore, I'm from a very small, up and coming law office and happen to be taking this case pro bono. Now, I don't have any time to waste here debating ethics, so I would very much appreciate it if I could examine the crime scene as soon as possible."

The rude officer clicked his tongue and shot a nasty glare at me. Then his partner spoke up. "The crime scene is on the fourth floor, Apt. 4-C. The detectives are still investigating, but they told us to let you go up anyway. They also said they wanted to discuss some things with you."

"Alright then, thank you for your cooperation," I replied, before making my way into the lobby and using the elevator. When I was alone once again in the elevator, I let go of my emotions. "She is not a cop killer. She was friends with the victim for crying out loud. Where do they get off judging her like that?" I muttered under my breath.

April 30, 2082. 12:38. Sakuraba Apartment Complex – Fourth Floor.

When the elevator reached the fourth floor, I turned around the corner and came face to face with Apt. 4-C. The apartment door was open, but some crime scene tape closed off the room. Another police officer stood guard outside the apartment. "You the lawyer?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me," I replied.

"The detectives are waiting for you inside. They wanted you to wear these as well." The police officer handed me a pair of disposable booties and a pair of latex gloves. I quickly put the items on, and then ducked underneath the crime scene tape and entered the apartment.

April 30, 2082. 12:39. Apt. 4-C – Detective Kikumori's Apartment.

I immediately took notice of my new surroundings. The apartment was modestly furnished, and seemed pretty undisturbed aside from the living room area. A clear struggle had taken place there, and a large pool of dried blood was caked on the floor. There was also a body outline in tape, occupying the space of where Detective Kikumori's corpse was found.

This wasn't the first crime scene that I had ever visited, but I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach at the sight and smell. "What's this? Don't tell me you're going to lose your lunch over seeing a little pool of blood," I heard someone say. I looked to my left and saw a man who was dressed in a bright red colored suit, with a white tie, and a pair of stylish, white shoes. He also wore a dark burgundy overcoat, which was unbuttoned, and a white fedora hat with a red band. He had fair skin, bright, hazel eyes, and long dark brown hair that had bits of red mixed into it. When he saw my face, he stopped talking. "…!" A clear look of shock came over his face.

I noticed his odd reaction. 'Do I know this guy from somewhere?'

Then a few moments later, he started talking again and shook the surprise from his face. "P-Personally I love the color red. It's the color of passion, love, and sexuality you know. I can certainly dig it." He chuckled. "Not to mention fire, courage, and fury. The color red says a lot. Plus, I believe it brings a bright splash of life to anyone's mundane day." The odd man sighed. "Such a pity that this particular shade of red came from a horrible tragedy. Makes you really wonder why blood has such a haunting, vibrant color." He seemed a little too fixated on the victim's blood, but that might have just been because of the color. Even without him saying anything, it was pretty obvious what this guy's favorite color was.

'I guess my bandaged head caught him off guard,' I thought to myself. "You must be one of the detectives in charge," I replied, brushing off his odd ice-breaker. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my business card clip. Then I handed him one of my newly printed business cards. "I'm Kibou Hanamura, attorney at law. I'm here to investigate the crime scene on behalf of the accused." The odd detective didn't take the business card and simply stared at the crime scene in silence. After I decided to put my card back in the clip, he began to speak again.

"What's your favorite color, Zetsubou-san?" he asked.

'Zetsubou-san?' I cleared my throat. "It's Kibou. Kibou Hanamura."

"I heard you the first time, but that name's too cheery for someone as gloomy-looking as you. The opposite is better. It makes more sense for your name to mean "despair" instead of "hope". So Zetsubou-san, I'll ask you again. What's your favorite color?"

"…" I realized I wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate, so I decided to just play along. "I like blue."

The detective sighed. "No surprise. Blue is essentially the color of gloom. It's always the direct opposite of my passionate red. It definitely suits you, Zetsubou-san." Then he looked at me. "Very well, you answered my question so I guess I can give you the honor of a formal introduction. I'm Detective Kyoushi Iro – Homicide. Welcome to my crime scene, Zetsubou-san. Try not to make it even more gloomy than it already is."

Profiles Updated: 色 事師 (Iro Kyoushi).

'I can already tell this guy is going to be trouble. Could he be the detective that Kurosaki-san was talking about, or is it his partner?' I asked myself. I peered past Detective Iro and saw another man inside the victim's bedroom.

"So you're the infamous lawyer that our little Kuroi-chan insisted on seeing last night. You've officially taken her case then, I take it?" Iro asked.

"Kuroi-chan? Wait, do you mean Kurosaki-san?" I replied.

Iro nodded. "An apt nickname for our little black jailbird. Black's always been her favorite color, you know. If you ask me, it doesn't really suit her. A beauty like her deserves only the brightest of colors. Yellow, pink, lavender…dare I say, even pure, untouched white."

"So you know Kurosaki-san then? She mentioned having a prior relationship with the detective in charge. I take it she meant you?" I replied.

Iro's dazed smile suddenly vanished. "We do have a bit of a past, yes. How much do you know about her exactly?"

"I know she used to be a police officer. She and the victim were in the same graduating class at the police academy. Is that where you know her from?" I replied.

Iro nodded. "We were all classmates, yes. I remember those days fondly. Kuroi-chan was even more bold back then. She was the valedictorian of our class, you know. She did everything with the utmost poise and precision. Even the way she carried herself was magnificent. Frankly, I had a bit of a crush on her. Unfortunately, my red passion was swallowed up by her black void. I couldn't even come close to becoming worthy of her cool beauty."

"Kurosaki-san was that good?" I replied.

Iro nodded. "The best. She would've gone far in her career if the circumstances were different. Unfortunately, black is the color of corruption, and even as brilliant as she was, she wasn't able to escape its curse. A pity."

"If you know her so well then you honestly can't think she had anything to do with this," I replied. "There has to be some kind of mistake."

Iro shook his head. "That was years ago. We were both rookies. I'm a detective now and she was kicked off the force. Our worlds are now completely out of range. There's no telling how far her chosen color corrupted her." He frowned again. "Trust me, I want to believe it's a lie. But I saw it with my own two eyes. She was covered in Shiroi-chan's blood and holding the murder weapon. Shiroi-chan was my nickname for the victim by the way," he clarified. "There's no doubt she did this. You're wasting your time here, Zetsubou-san. If I were you, I'd be talking with the Prosecutor's Office now to arrange a plea deal. At this point, that's her only chance at still having some semblance of a life."

I shook my head. "You're wrong. She didn't do this and I'm going to prove it, and I'll do that with or without your help. Now are you going to let me investigate or not?"

Iro looked somewhat annoyed, but then he just sighed. "Do you have an official request from the accused for your representation?"

"…" I silently handed him Tomoko's written request for representation.

Present Tomoko's Request.

Iro took the request and gave it a quick once over. "This seems to be in order, very well the crime scene is yours."

Tomoko's Request slipped into Detective Iro's pocket.

"I have to head back to the office now but my partner will watch over you. He'll give you the lowdown of the crime. Ask him any questions you have." Iro turned to talk to the detective in the bedroom. "Keep an eye on Zetsubou-san here. No telling what a lawyer on the edge of despair might do to get his client out of this." The other detective nodded in reply. Then Iro turned back to face me. "Well then, it's been a…pleasure, Zetsubou-san." And without another word, the odd red detective left the crime scene.

'What an asshole,' I thought to myself.

"I know, right?" another voice suddenly spoke.

"…!" I was worried that I had accidentally thought that out loud.

"Don't worry, you didn't say it out loud. Your face did all the talking for you," the voice replied. I turned to see that the other detective had appeared in front of me. He was tall and lanky and was modestly dressed in a neat, black suit. He had pasty skin, shaggy black hair that looked like it hadn't seen a brush or comb in a while, and gray eyes with dark bags underneath them. However this detective seemed odd as well because he appeared to be having a conversation with me while reading a book. Not just any book either, it was a popular isekai light novel series called I, a Former NEET, Accidentally Became a Detective in Another World. The main synopsis could be taken just from the title, like most modern-day light novels. A NEET named Daichi Naganohara gets taken to another world and inadvertently becomes a detective when he stumbles across a murder and manages to bumble his way through solving it. As far as isekai light novels went, that series was actually pretty good. It was ten volumes in so far as I recall. As a matter of fact, the detective happened to be reading the newly published tenth volume. "You can rest easy. I won't tell. Personally, I think the same, and I know about ten more guys in our department who think so too." He wasn't looking up from his book at all, but he was still trying to talk to me.

"Umm, thanks. Say, is that NEET Detective you're reading?" I replied. NEET Detective was of course the shorthand title for the light novel series.

"Oh, you know this series?" the detective replied in surprise.

"A little, I'm only two volumes in though. Not that much has happened yet," I replied.

"Oh-ho-ho, you have so much good stuff ahead of you, trust me. This series is one of my all-time favorites. I've been reading it since it was just a web novel," the detective replied.

"Cool, umm…" I didn't really know how to respond. This was getting a little awkward. "No offense, but should you really be reading a light novel when you're supposed to be investigating the crime scene?"

"Oh no worries, we finished a while ago. The red asshole was just making me stay here as a formality while we were waiting on you. All evidence has already been tagged and processed," the detective replied.

"Oh, I see. So is it okay for me to go ahead and look around then, Detective…?"

"Tatsuki. Isuke Tatsuki. Sure go ahead, knock yourself out." He still had yet to look up from his book.

Profiles Updated: 絶奇嘆(Tatsuki Isuke).

"…" This was still so awkward.

"…" He didn't really seem that interested in anything besides his book.

"Umm, don't you need to watch me to make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to?" I replied.

"Nah, you seem like a trustworthy guy to me. Besides, my job in this case is done for now. Now I just want to find out how Naganohara-kun solves his case. From the way things are going, I have a strong feeling that the ending is going to be different than it was in the web novel. Let me know if you have any questions though, I'll be right here," Tatsuki replied.

"Oh, okay then. Thanks, Detective," I replied. Apparently both of the detectives on this case were weird in their own ways. 'Right, no time to get sidetracked. This is the first step to proving Kurosaki-san's innocence. I have to find out everything I can about the murder while I'm here. Time to investigate.'

"Oh, hold on one second," said Tatsuki. Then he produced a file on his person and handed it to me. "Here's the latest autopsy report. I almost forgot that I was supposed to give you that. Now you can get on with your investigation. Let me know if you have any questions."

"O-Okay. Thanks again, Detective," I replied. Then I looked over the autopsy report that I was just given. It read as follows:

Victim: 聞守拍(Kikumori Tsukasa)

Estimated Time of Death: Around 00:00 (Midnight)

Cause of Death: Single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim bled out in minutes. In addition, a large bruise was found on the back of the victim's head.

'I see, so a gunshot was the cause of death. That goes in line with what Kurosaki-san told me about what she remembers. But I wonder how the victim sustained that bruise?' I asked myself.

Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.

'Now then, time to start investigating for real,' I thought to myself. I began observing the surroundings of the body outline. The coffee table was knocked over and the contents that were on it were strung about across the floor. A nearby bookshelf and a lamp was also knocked over. 'From the looks of the scene, it's clear that a struggle took place here. The victim was probably fighting her assailant before she was shot. Better make note of that.'

Signs of a Struggle added to the Court Record.

I also took notice of the sofa that the body outline was in front of. I couldn't help but think that there was something odd about it, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. I soon turned my attention to the kitchen and continued my search there. I mindlessly checked the pantry, the cabinet drawers, and the refrigerator. 'Nothing looks out of place here.' Then I looked at the kitchen counter and saw two things that seemed out of place. The first thing was a set of drinking glasses in the kitchen sink. There was nothing else in the sink or drying off next to it, so it struck me as odd. I called out to Tatsuki. "Excuse me, Detective? About these glasses in the sink…?"

"Oh those? I'm afraid they're a dead end. They probably prove the victim had company over, but they've been thoroughly washed. There's no prints or DNA on either glass," Tatsuki explained.

'I see. Well it can't hurt to make note of it,' I thought to myself.

Empty Glasses added to the Court Record.

The second out of place thing I noticed was a large colorful box of candy. When I got closer, I noticed that the candy in question was chewing gum. The box's logo read: Cheeky Chiaki 32 Gum Flavor Assortment Pack. looked inside the box and saw that the box's plastic wrapping was torn open, and a few pieces of gum were taken out. Then I noticed the gum flavors left behind in question. Banana Cream Pie, Purple Nurple Grape, Blizzard Minty Toothpaste, Hardy Breakfast Blend…and they just got weirder from there. 'I've never heard of this brand of chewing gum, and judging from the flavors alone, I don't want to try it anytime soon. This must belong to the victim. I wonder if there's any significance to it?'

Cheeky Chiaki Chewing Gum Box added to the Court Record.

Not seeing anything else noteworthy, I left the kitchen and made my way to the bedroom. The first thing I saw that looked suspicious was the victim's laptop computer. It was left open on her desk, and the latest webpage it was on was still up. 'One of the investigator's probably turned it back on.' Then I looked at the page and saw that it was a YooToob video. And from the looks of it, the video seemed to be some kind of live stream. Of course it was long since over. I looked at the video's title. Hikiko-chan Log 4.29.82. And the thumbnail of the video was a 3D anime girl with sparkly eyes and rainbow-colored hair.'Was the victim watching this before she died?' I decided to ask Tatsuki for insight. "Excuse me, Detective?" I called out. A few moments later, he appeared in the bedroom.

"Yeah? Did you need something?" Tatsuki asked.

I pointed to the laptop. "To your knowledge, did anybody disturb this laptop or pull up another webpage?"

"Oh that?" He shook his head. "Nope, when we came in the laptop was open, but it had gone into sleep mode. When we turned it back on, that was the first thing that popped up. To be honest, I didn't take Detective Kikumori as a fan of VToobers."

"VToobers?" I repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, you know, Virtual YooToobers? Advertising companies pay social media giants a lot of money to create YooToob channels around virtual avatars, usually cute anime girls. Then they just post normal YooToob videos while pretending to be that avatar. Hikiko-chan's one of the newest ones, but definitely one of the best," Tatsuki explained.

"I had no idea that was even a thing," I replied.

"Neither did a lot of the forensic techs. I had to explain everything to them. If you're curious, check her out later yourself. She has hundreds of millions of subscribers," Tatsuki replied.

"A character has that many subscribers?" I replied in confusion.

"A virtual avatar," Tatsuki clarified. "We see a cute anime girl, but there is someone behind her face. It could be anyone, even an overweight man living in his parents' basement."

"I see," I replied with a sweatdrop. 'Anyway, I should definitely keep the laptop in mind. I might also ask Hinata later if she knows about this Hikiko-chan person. She's into this kind of stuff way more than I am.'

Laptop added to the Court Record.

Profiles Updated: ヒキコ-ちゃん(Hikiko-chan).

Then I turned around and saw an open safe that was nestled inside the bedroom closet. I approached the safe and then crouched down to further examine it. I couldn't say for sure if anything had been taken as there was still money and documents inside the safe, but someone had definitely broken into it. I could see faint traces of powder on the keypad lock for the safe, and four buttons had clear marks on them.

"Before you ask, yes the forensic techs have already analyzed the powder, and apparently it's the same kind they use to dust for fingerprints," said Tatsuki, reading my mind.

"So this is fingerprint powder? And the safe was found in this condition?" I replied.

"Yep. But don't get any ideas, the powder is apparently more common than you would think. Anyone can order it online. So a person with a forensics background can't automatically be named a suspect," Tatsuki explained.

"I see. Have you determined if anything has been taken or not?" I replied

Tatsuki sighed. "Well, we did a quick search of the safe beforehand and all the important documents you would think a person of the Detective's status would have seemed to be accounted for. We can't really say for sure though without firsthand knowledge of what was in the safe. We did notice something else was missing though."

I got up and turned around. "Really? What?"

"Her Met ID card."

"ID card?" I repeated in confusion. "My dad was an inspector at the Met and I remember he had one of those. Besides being used for identification, they're essentially like keycards, right? Members of the police can use them to access their evidence lockers and other areas that require security clearance."

"Gold star. That's exactly right." Tatsuki reached for his wallet and then showed me his ID. It had his picture, his name, his rank, and a serial number on it. "Every non-civilian employee is assigned one and given a serial number to go along with it. Mine's 0524568940. Civilian employees have IDs too, but they don't function as key cards like ours do."

"So you can't seem to locate the victim's ID? Isn't it possible she just left it at the Met?"

Tatsuki shook his head. "We've already searched there too. No dice. It's completely gone."

"Hmm, I don't think that's a coincidence."

"Neither do I, but as far as the red asshole is concerned, we've got our killer. I think the missing ID has completely slipped his mind."

'Well it's not slipping mine,' I thought to myself.

Kikumori's Safe added to the Court Record.

Missing ID added to the Court Record.

'I think that's pretty much all there is to see here, time to ask Detective Tatsuki some questions,' I thought to myself.

Detective Isuke Tatsuki

Talk – Present

Choose Talk.

Talking Topics

Detective Tatsuki

Detective Iro

The victim

Tomoko

Pick Option One.

"So Detective Tatsuki. You're second in command of this investigation?" I asked.

"That's right. I've been in charge of a few murder investigations since I became the red asshole's partner, but this my first cop killing. I worked the scene at a few of them when I was coming up, but being in charge of it is a whole different beast. The entire department takes it hard whenever one of our own is killed. Things get really intense," Tatsuki replied.

"I'll bet. My dad worked a few cop killings in his career too. He said they're one of the hardest cases to work because of the mounting pressure, not just from the Prosecutor's Office or the public, but from the department too. Because of that pressure, it's easy to lose focus and arrest innocent people. That was always his greatest fear in these kinds of situations," I replied.

Tatsuki sighed. "Your dad sounds like a smart man. We just started a few hours ago and I can already feel that pressure. Which is why I'm trying to deal with it as best I can. I've always felt that a good book can cure any ills. Light novels are a prime example of that. They don't try to make you think, they're just meant to be enjoyed."

"Huh. Pardon me for saying this, Detective, but you don't really seem like the law enforcement type."

"No, it's fine. I get told that a lot actually. Let's just say, I have my reasons for taking this career path, just as I'm sure you have yours."

Talking Topics

Detective Iro

The victim

Tomoko

Pick Option One.

"What can you tell me about Detective Iro?" I asked.

"I've only been partnered up with him for about two months so there's not really much I can tell you," Tatsuki replied. "All I know is that he has one of the highest clearance rates at the Met, he loves the color red, and can be a really obnoxious asshole. Hence my little nickname for him."

"You don't really seem that fond of him. Why not put in for a partner change?"

"I'm actually not in the position where I can be choosy about my partner. I'm kind of in hot water with some bigwigs at the Met. If you ask me, working with the red asshole is some sort of secret punishment."

"Well I heard from him that he knows my client personally. They were apparently in the same graduating class at the police academy together, along with the victim."

"Really? Small world."

"On a scale of one to ten, how wary of him do you think I should be?"

"Eleven, no doubt."

"Great," I replied with an added groan.

Talking Topics

The victim

Tomoko

Pick Option One.

"What can you tell me about the victim, Detective Kikumori?" I asked.

"Well I've never met her personally, but apparently she came up in Homicide just like me and the red asshole, and then about a year ago, she transferred over to Internal Affairs. Are you familiar with that department?" Tatsuki asked.

"Sort of. I remembered my dad talking about them once or twice. They police the police, right? If anyone in the department is up to something criminal or just doing a bad job in general, they come after them," I replied.

Tatsuki nodded. "Yep, I've heard the older detectives in Homicide call them the Rat Squad on more than one occasion. I personally think everyone needs to be kept in line, even the police, but some people in the department don't really see it that way."

"The Blue Wall of Silence, huh? And here I thought we'd outgrown that as a society in general."

"Like I said, I don't have anything against them, but I know people who do. Apparently the victim was making a name for herself in Internal Affairs too. People had even started to call her RQ."

"Let me guess, short for Rat Queen?"

Tatsuki nodded. "She's busted quite a few detectives and officers already. From what I hear, they were all bad guys, but that doesn't seem to matter to some people in the department. Not a lot of love lost."

"But since she was a decorated detective, even the naysayers have to at least pretend to care, huh?" Then a thought occurred to me. 'I wonder, could the real culprit have been someone from the Met? According to Tatsuki, it's certainly not impossible. If I float that theory in court tomorrow though, I better make sure I have something to back it up, otherwise I might make an enemy out of the Met itself,' I thought to myself.

Talking Topics

Tomoko

Pick Only Option.

"So besides the fact that she was arrested here next to the victim's body, what else do you have against my client?" I asked.

Tatsuki shook his head. "Sorry, man. Can't help you there. If it was just the red asshole I'd be pissing off, I'd be fine with it. But if I talk directly about the case we have against your client, I might piss off the Prosecutor's Office too. If that happens, I'd be lucky enough to walk away with just a salary cut."

I sadly chuckled. "I sometimes forget how much sway prosecutors have in today's legal world."

"Where have you been, man? It's been that way long since before either of us were even born. The Initial Trial System definitely helps with case overload, but there are still a lot of problems with it. Prosecutorial misconduct being right up there as one of the big ones."

"Well from what I hear, it's better than it was before our time. After all, we've long since passed the Dark Age of Law." I recounted the time period that I heard about in my days in law school. The Dark Age of Law was an unscrupulous time in the legal world in which the entire justice system seemed to be fraught with corruption and darkness. Attorneys and prosecutors would employ devious tactics such as evidence forgery and witness intimidation to win their cases, judges were caught taking bribes and giving out false verdicts, and even several police detectives were known to stage crime scenes and destroy evidence. There were several attributing factors to the Dark Age of Law, including the actions of some well-known figures of that time period. Even Ryuuichi Naruhodou, as good and just as an attorney could possibly be, had a part to play in it. But after shedding light on the truth behind several of these incidents, the darkness slowly began to fade and faith in the justice system was restored. Though it's still not perfect by any means, the justice system today does its best to search only for the truth. The pure, unadulterated truth.

"Unfortunately, sometimes cases like Kurosaki-san's still fall through the cracks. As it stands now, Kurosaki-san will be tried and convicted of a crime she didn't commit. But I won't let that happen, no matter what," I said out loud.

"The Dark Age of Law, huh?" Tatsuki replied. This time he closed his book and gave me his undivided attention. "Sometimes I wonder if it ever really ended."

"Huh?" That comment caught me by surprise.

"It's nothing. Just a personal thought. Pay it no mind." Then he looked away. I couldn't help but notice that there appeared to be a certain sadness in his eyes.

"…" I stayed silent and waited for Tatsuki to collect himself.

Finally, he began to speak again after a minute or two of silence. "Listen, I can't give you any specifics about the Prosecution's case against your client…but if I were to think out loud a little bit, I couldn't be held responsible if someone within earshot happened to hear me."

"…!" I quickly caught onto what he was saying. "I understand. Please, pay me no mind, Detective."

"…" He didn't respond and just motioned for me to leave the room. I did as instructed and a few moments later, he began to speak in a louder tone. "I really don't understand why I have to stay here for the rest of the day. The Prosecution's case seems almost flawless. The red asshole arrested the accused when he caught her kneeling over the victim's body with the murder weapon in her hand. The lab is still doing tests on the pistol but her fingerprints are for sure on it based on preliminary tests. Plus, there's the fact that we have a witness that places the accused at the victim's apartment before the shooting. Not to mention the fact that the prosecutor in charge of tomorrow's case is supposed to be some rookie bigshot who graduated from Themis Legal Academy. In fact, apparently he's part of that new batch of talented rookies at the Prosecutor's Office. What was that name we came up with for them in Homicide again? Oh right, the Four Heavenly Kings. A little on the nose, but with the way the Prosecutor's Office has been praising them, very accurate. If I were the Defense, I would prepare as best as I can for tomorrow because it will definitely be an uphill battle. I'm really glad I'm not that guy."

I sweatdropped at the needless comments. 'Tell me how you really feel,' I thought to myself.

"Now then, I better get back to work. Hopefully, no one has any more questions because I'm not really in the mood to talk anymore," he added.

'I guess that's my cue to leave now,' I thought to myself. But just as I was about to turn to leave, something caught my eye. The sofa. I stared at it in confusion as that weird feeling that something wasn't quite right washed over me again. 'Seriously, what is wrong with this sofa? I can't quite place it, but I know that there is something off about it.' And then it finally occurred to me. There was only one pillow on the sofa. Usually, any sofa would have either two or more pillows on it, or no pillows on it. But there was only one on the victim's sofa. It might have been nothing, but I couldn't help but feel like it was odd.

Missing Pillow added to the Court Record.

I got curious and decided to investigate further. I picked up the pillow in question and examined it closely. That was when I found a gum wrapper stuck to the back of it. It was a Cheeky Chiaki chewing gum wrapper. I peeled it off the pillow and noticed that it had a smell to it. Cinnamon. Then I saw that the wrapper was for the Fiery Cinnamon Dragon's Breath flavor.

Gum Wrapper added to the Court Record.

"Hey, Detective?"

"I already said that I'm not answering any more questions," Tatsuki replied, entering the living room as he did.

"No, it's not that. I think I found something the forensic techs missed," I replied.

Detective Isuke Tatsuki

Talk – Present

Choose Present.

Present Gum Wrapper.

"Wow, a candy wrapper. Congratulations, you've cracked the case. The victim must've been killed by an assassin with a sweet tooth," Tatsuki said sarcastically.

"It's cinnamon flavored actually. Not exactly what I would call sweet. Plus, I found this stuck on the back of the sofa pillow. It might be nothing, but I thought I should say something anyway," I replied.

Tatsuki sighed and pulled out a small evidence bag. "Give it here. I'll tell the lab about it, but I doubt it'll be a priority to check it out." I handed Tatsuki the gum wrapper and he put it in the bag and sealed it.

Gum Wrapper handed over for testing.

"Well then, thank you for all your help, Detective. I suppose I'll see you in court tomorrow," I said.

Tatsuki nodded. "Definitely. The red asshole doesn't like court, so I always end up having to give the case outline. Odds are that I'll be first up on the bench tomorrow. But regardless of what happens, I hope things work out for your client."

"That's an awfully strange sentiment coming from you, especially since we're supposed to be enemies," I replied.

"You seem like a good guy, and I figure that anyone you represent is worth hearing out at least," Tatsuki replied. "But do you think you'll be up to the task? I couldn't help but notice your current headwear. That looks like a nasty head injury."

"It was nasty alright. I was attacked last night by an unknown assailant. I think there might be a connection to this case, but I'm not sure yet. Regardless, Kurosaki-san needs me, so I'm going to do my best to defend her," I replied.

He slightly smiled. "Best of luck then."

"Thank you. See you tomorrow, Detective," I replied, as I made my way out of the apartment.

April 30, 2082. 13:03. Sakuraba Apartment Complex – Fourth Floor.

I gave back the booties and gloves to the officer standing guard outside the apartment and then made my way over to the hallway railing and stared out at the Shibuya skyline. 'That was a good start, but all the information I obtained doesn't paint a good picture. I need to find evidence of a third party. Something that proves that Kurosaki-san and the victim weren't alone together in that apartment.' Then I recalled that Tatsuki told me that the Prosecution had a witness. 'The witness apparently saw Kurosaki-san before she went to the victim's apartment. Maybe they saw someone else too.' I turned to face the apartments again. 'I wonder. Could the witness be one of the neighbors?' I looked to the officer guarding the apartment. 'I doubt the police will just tell me who the witness is, but it couldn't hurt to ask.'

I walked up to the officer on guard and struck up a conversation. "Excuse me. Sorry to bother you again, but I was thinking about asking the victim's neighbors if they saw anything last night. The only elevator on this floor is to your right, so if anyone left the building you would've seen them pass. Do you think you could help me out? I'd just like to know if anyone on this floor is still in their apartments."

"We already went door to door. Anyone with viable information was sent down to Homicide for questioning. If they find anyone who saw anything related to the crime, you'll see them tomorrow in court," the officer replied.

"I understand, I'd just like to be as thorough as possible."

"I'm not so sure I should be talking to you about this."

"Please, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."

The officer sighed. "I don't know."

"Okay, how about this? Was there anyone in particular that you couldn't talk to or wouldn't talk to you? If I can talk to them then nobody should put up a fuss about me talking to any of the Prosecution's witnesses."

"…" The officer was silent, but motioned to the apartment next to the crime scene, Apartment 4-B.

"Thank you, Officer," I replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I nodded to him, and then I walked up to the apartment door. There was a security intercom with a built-in camera and speaker next to the doorframe. I knocked on the door and then pressed the intercom button. "Hello?" I said through the speaker.

"…" I waited for a few moments for a reply, but none came. I could hear movement from behind the door, but that was it.

I pressed the button again and then said, "Hello? Is anyone home? I'd like to ask some questions if at all possible."

"…" It was quiet for the first few moments, until finally I got a reply. It was a very timid, raspy voice. "I…I didn't see or hear anything. Please, go away." It sounded like a young woman.

I pressed the intercom button and spoke again. "I'm not with the police. I'm an attorney representing the accused in this case. The victim was her friend and she claims she's being framed for the crime. I believe her, but at this point it's not looking good for us. Please, if I could just have a few minutes of your time."

"…" Silence again, and then a simple reply. "G-Go away." There appeared to be some hesitation, but she still didn't want to talk.

I sighed and pressed the intercom button one more time. "I understand, but let me give you my card before I go. I'll slip it under the door for you." I pulled out one of my business cards and slipped it under the apartment door. Then I pressed the button again. "If you change your mind and want to talk, you can reach me at the number day or night. The trial starts tomorrow though, so sooner would be better than later. Thank you for your time." After I said my piece, I got out of view of the camera and waited in the hallway to check and see if the tenant would slide my card back out. Luckily, a few minutes passed and she never did. I sighed again. "Well that was a bust. At least she took the card though," I muttered to myself.

I turned around and made my way to the elevator. It was time to leave the apartment complex and head somewhere else. After mulling it over, I decided to first head to the closest location – Ouroboros Investigations.

April 30, 2082. 14:05. Ouroboros Investigations.

As I arrived at my next destination, I noticed that compared to the apartment complex, police presence was practically non-existent. There was one officer standing guard and one forensic tech, finishing up their investigation. I guess my assault case wasn't a top priority. But if I was right, and if what happened to me last night was connected to the murder, the police would be kicking themselves later for not doing a more thorough investigation. I explained who I was to the officer and was let in without resistance. Then I talked to the forensic tech and asked about the current status of the investigation. So far the results were middling at best. The thief made it a point to wear gloves as all the fingerprints that were found that weren't automatically excluded, such as mine and Tomoko's, left no residual marks. Tomoko had not revealed the contents of her safe to the police, so they had no idea what had been taken either. As I could see for myself, the safe, left open, was completely empty.

Tomoko's Safe added to the Court Record.

After I finished my conversation with the tech, I decided to look around Tomoko's office/apartment once again. From what I could remember, nothing had changed since I was there last night. The only thing that was different was that the safe was empty. I looked down to the floor and saw the picture that I had taken down earlier to reveal the hidden safe. I picked it up and studied it some more. 'There's Kurosaki-san and the victim, Detective Kikumori,' I thought as I spied the two girls at the center of the police academy class picture. Then I mindlessly scanned the faces of the rest of the class, until I came upon another familiar face. 'Wait! That's Detective Iro!' I spied the familiar red detective's face in the second to last row. 'That's right, he did say that they were classmates.' I looked at him curiously. 'You know what? He's right, he does look better in red.' I sighed. 'That guy is going to be a real problem. I can tell. I know Detective Tatsuki said he was the one who was testifying tomorrow, but that's no guarantee that Iro won't show up at some point. I wonder if Kurosaki-san has any tips for dealing with him? Maybe I should ask her when I go see her again later?'

Tomoko's Checkered Past Updated.

As I went to put the picture back down on the floor, I spied something else. It was a wad of chewing gum. The gum had an odd dark red color and kind of smelled like cinnamon. I knew that Tomoko chewed gum on a regular basis, but I couldn't remember if there was any gum on the floor last night. "Hey, I found some old chewing gum over here on the floor," I called out to the forensic tech.

"Oh that? Yeah, I saw it a little while ago. I figured it was just part of the mess. Hard to figure out what the thief did and what was already here," the tech replied.

"Well that's the thing. When I was here last night, I don't remember there being chewing gum here. If there was, I'm pretty sure I would've stepped in it," I explained.

"Really? So you're saying it wasn't there before you were attacked?"

"As far as I can remember," I replied. "It could be nothing, but considering the circumstances I want to be absolutely sure."

"I got you. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make a note of it. We'll test it for DNA as soon as we get the chance."

"Thank you." In the meantime, I should make note of it too.

Chewed Gum added to the Court Record.

After that, I did another once over of the office/apartment before deciding to leave. 'Nothing much here, just like I thought. The assailant took everything in the safe along with the weapon they used to bash my head in. It doesn't look like I'll be able to tie this incident together with the murder so easily. Well, I can't stop now. Next stop, Tokyo Met HQ.'

April 30, 2082. 15:10. Tokyo Met HQ.

I walked into the Met HQ and was immediately greeted by the familiar, yet creepy sight of their official mascot, Taiho-kun. Or to be more accurate, I was greeted by a civilian employee dressed up like Taiho-kun. They were stationed at the front entrance of the lobby and were waving at every guest that walked in. I did not envy that person's job at all. Taiho-kun was established as the Tokyo Met HQ mascot several decades ago, under some disturbing circumstances, and in all that time they hadn't bothered to change it. Truth be told, no one liked him, not even children. There was just something really off about his appearance and mannerisms, and the rumors about trouble brewing wherever he appears don't help either. In my personal opinion, that blue freak was the stuff of nightmares. Childhood nightmares I can attest to as I had gotten very familiar with him, being the child of a decorated police inspector. Though I would never admit that to anyone I knew personally.

I awkwardly waved back and then looked away from him, focusing solely on the lobby front desk. After explaining my intentions to the front desk clerk, I was given a visitor's pass and was motioned to the elevators in the back of the lobby. When I got in an elevator, I made my way up to my first stop, Criminal Affairs.

April 30, 2082. 15:15. Tokyo Met HQ. Criminal Affairs – Homicide.

When I arrived at the Criminal Affairs division, I was greeted with the sight of detectives and office workers at their desks and up and about. Several phones were ringing throughout the large office space, and there was also a lot of chatter. I made my way through the busy office space until I found the Homicide section. 'Huh. I remember I came here to see Dad a few times and bring him things from home. It doesn't really look like it's changed that much. Even the layout of the desks looks the same,' I thought to myself. I looked over to where my father's desk was previously. Of course it was now being occupied by another inspector, but it appeared that they had stepped away for the moment as it was unoccupied.

"…" I didn't have a reason for doing it, but I still mindlessly walked over to the desk and sat down at it. I picked up the name plaque on the desk and turned it over in my hands. Then my mind began to wander to another time.

Nine Years Ago.

I was in my final year of high school, and I was being pressured to decide what I wanted to do with my life after I was finished. A few of my classmates were going to jump straight into the workforce instead of going to tertiary schooling. Considering the amount of stress involved with that, it wasn't a bad option. My grades were decent so I knew I could get into a good university if I studied hard enough and passed the entrance exams, but I wasn't sure exactly what I would study if I made it in. My friends on the other hand were shooting for the stars. They had known exactly what they wanted to do from when they were very young. Unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of motivation.

One day after school, my doubts seemed to swallow me whole, and I mindlessly wandered over to the Met to talk to my father. But that was odd in and of itself, as my father and I were not on the best terms, for more than one reason. He was out investigating a case, so I sat down at his desk and entertained myself by snooping, until he finally returned. I was turning over his name plaque in my hands and staring at his name in curiosity. 捜査官花村正義(Inspector Hanamura Masayoshi) was etched onto the plaque in intimating black characters. I let out a light chuckle as I stared at the characters. 正義 (Masayoshi) can also be read as 正義 (seigi) – the Japanese word for justice. It suited my father perfectly. My whole life I remember him being this pinnacle of justice. He joined the police force at a young age and garnered a reputation for being tough on crime and even tougher on corruption. He didn't stand for less than the complete truth and walked around with this air of superiority, admonishing anyone who didn't see the same way as he did or who he felt wasn't living up to their full potential. Naturally, people like my father make their fair share of enemies. My father especially had a real talent for pissing people off. And as much as I hate to admit it, I was one of those people.

"What are you doing here?" a curt voice brought me back to reality. I looked up and saw a large stern-looking man with neatly combed salt and pepper hair, and cold brown eyes hidden behind a pair of black broad-framed glasses. He wore a neatly pressed black suit and gave off this unsettling aura that was a mix of serenity and intensity.

"…!" In a state of surprise, I dropped the name plaque on the desk.

"Well? It's common courtesy to respond to someone when they ask you a question. What are you doing here?" he replied in a gruff tone of voice.

"I…I…" I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know exactly how to get the conversation started. "…" I eventually fell silent.

"If you don't have a reason to be here, then please leave. You're a distraction to me and my coworkers," my father replied.

"…" I silently nodded and then got up out of his chair. A few moments later, our positions were reversed. My father paid me no mind after that, and began to type away at his computer. But I didn't leave. I silently watched him work, waiting for any sign that he was still aware of my presence.

After a few minutes, he finally acknowledged me. "Didn't I tell you to leave?"

"It's just…I wanted to talk," I replied timidly.

"Speak up. You're not a child anymore. If you want to tell me something, then tell me," my father replied curtly.

"Sorry, Sir," I replied as I looked down at the floor.

"Look me in the eyes when you talk to me. That's a sign of respect. If you can't even do that, then I have failed you as a parent."

I looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry. Can we please talk for a few minutes?" I replied in a confident manner.

"…" My father stopped typing and turned to face me. "Very well. It seems that you remember the reason you came here. Well? Let's have it."

I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to talk to him about, so I just let my brain run on autopilot and continued to speak. "I think I might want to join the police force after I graduate."

"I see," he replied. After a few moments, he turned back to face his computer. "If that's all, then please leave. I must get back to work."

"…!" I was surprised at his lack of interest. "But when I was younger, you always said that you'd be proud of me if I followed in your footsteps. Is that really all you have to say?"

He turned back to face me. "What more would you have me say? Congratulations? I'm proud of you? If you're only saying that to garner praise, then it would be rather hollow if I said such things, correct? If you were really serious, I might say something else, but you aren't. So my response is simply: I see. That's all there is to it."

"What do you mean I'm not serious?"

"Your exact words were: I think I might. In other words, you're not sure if you mean them. If you were really serious about joining the police force, there would be no hesitation in your words. So now I have a question for you. Did you say that purely because you wanted to see how I would react?"

"I…I…" I stared into his eyes. I couldn't feel any warmth. "I don't know. I guess I just want to see some emotion from you."

"I see. So you really didn't mean it," he replied. "Well that's a load off my shoulders."

"Huh?" I was confused.

"I don't want you to join the police force. The same goes for your sister. Ask anyone in the department who is a parent and they will tell you the same thing. No one would wish this kind of work on their child. If you really were serious then we would have a problem."

"I…I don't understand. When I was younger, you seemed thrilled by the idea."

"You were young. Part of growing up is figuring out what you want to be when you grow up. Far be it from me to discourage you. But truthfully, I was glad when you moved on from that dream and decided to be a doctor instead, and even more glad when you decided to become a writer, and so on, and so on. Which leads me to another question. What's your current dream? Surely, you've already started career counseling at school."

"Well I…" I rubbed the back of my head and sighed. "That's just it. I don't know. I think that's the main reason why I came here today. I wanted advice. But I didn't know how to ask since we haven't really talked in a while."

"I see," my father replied. His expression began to soften. "I'm surprised you came to me at all. I know things between us haven't been the best lately, but I am happy that you decided to come talk to me."

My father and I used to be really close, but around the time I entered high school, things changed. He started working more and more odd hours and I barely saw him. Then when we did see each other, he'd complain about my grades or something and it eventually got on my nerves so much that I just started to ignore him altogether. And before either of us knew it, our relationship became practically non-existent.

"…" My father silently motioned for me to take a seat, and I did as he instructed. "Have I ever told you the story about how I joined the police force?"

"Come to think of it, no Sir. I'm pretty sure you haven't," I replied. It was odd now that I thought about it, but it was true. My father didn't like to talk about himself that much, so I guess the conversation just never came up.

My father sighed. "Well in reality, it's a very simple story. My father, your grandfather, was part of the police force. As was his father, and his father before him. You could say I was raised into this line of work."

"I…I had no idea," I replied.

"I didn't want you to know. I figured if you knew about your ancestry with the police, you would join without hesitation. But as I've already said, I don't want this life for you or your sister. So I kept it secret from you two, and for that I apologize." He looked kind of wistful as he spoke. "My father was a very cruel man. He ruled his subordinates and his own family with an iron fist. He didn't tolerate any insubordination or complaints from anyone in his life, and if someone was foolish enough to speak out against him, he would make sure they were harshly punished. I was on the other side of those punishments on more than one occasion. So when it came time for me to choose a career path, I was left with no choice but to follow my father's wishes. I despised him for dictating my life the way he did, but I did make an effort to do my best at my new profession. A little over twenty years later and here I am, a decorated inspector at the Met. To me, it's both a good and bad thing." He looked up at me. "Don't get me wrong, I care deeply about what I do. I feel like I'm making a difference every day, even if the chaos never seems to end. But on the other hand, sometimes, I'm glad that my father died before you were born. Odds are that he would've pressured you to join as soon as you were of age, or worse yet he would've made me pressure you into it."

I had never known my grandfather, so I could only go with the information that I got about him from my parents and my grandmother, and even then his personality seemed rose-colored. But I could tell from the way that my father spoke that I was receiving the unembellished truth. "I…I'm sorry. I never knew that you had to put up with that."

"Don't be sorry. It was a long time ago and as I've said I've grown to love my career. Still though, I do wish that I had at least been given the opportunity to decide my own path. In some ways, I envy you. You have your whole life ahead of you. You can be whatever you want to be. Choose whichever path you want to take."

I sighed. "That's the problem though. I have no idea on where to even start. I have hobbies, sure, but I don't really see myself pursuing them as a career."

"Unfortunately, I can't help you there. But if you really want my advice, all I can say is that when you find the path you want to take, you'll know it. I didn't think I would enjoy the police force when I first started out, but now, I can't picture myself doing anything else. Just keep an eye out. You'll find that path one day. I guarantee it."

I smiled. "Thanks, Si…" I corrected myself, "I mean, thanks, Dad."

My father returned my smile. "You're welcome, Kibou. Thank you for coming here and being honest with me today. Never forget, if you ever have a problem or just need advice, I'm always here for you. "

I nodded. "I'll remember that from now on."

"Speaking of which, your mother tells me that you've been spending a lot of your time with one of your friends lately, and Hinata told me that this friend of yours happens to be a girl."

"..." I went silent and looked away.

"You know if you have any questions about..."

"Umm, I appreciate it, but no thank you."

That was one of the last great memories I had of my father. He ended up being right in the end. I kept looking and I found the path I wished to take. Only, the start of that path ended up being fraught with pain and hardship. But in the end, it made it all the more worthwhile. I wonder, would he be proud of the man that I'm trying to become?

"Well, well, well," I heard a familiar voice call out to me. "Here's a sight for sore eyes. Do you have business with our inspector?" I looked up and saw that Detective Iro Kyoushi had appeared in front of me.

I got up from the desk. "I was just reminiscing. This desk used to belong to my father. He was one of the previous inspectors here. He passed away about seven years ago."

"I see, I'm sorry for your loss," Iro replied, not looking the least bit sorry.

"Thank you. But I'm actually here to get more insight about the case from you," I replied.

"Didn't Aoi-kun, my nickname for Tatsuki by the way, answer all of your questions already?"

"Okay, I got Kuri-chan and Shiro-chan, but Aoi-Kun?" I replied in confusion.

"Along with being a gloomy color, blue is associated with sloth and laziness. The perfect color for that worthless detective. The only reason I didn't give you that nickname was because it was already taken, Zetsubou-san."

I decided to just ignore his inane explanation and continue the conversation. "Anyway, Detective Tatsuki answered most of my questions, but unfortunately, he wasn't the arresting officer or a witness. You're both. I figured that it would be a good idea to talk to you too. I was going to do so at the crime scene, but you said you had to get back to the office, so I thought I would just meet you here."

"Hmm, well unfortunately it seems like your trip was in vain. I don't really have that much to say about the subject, and what little I can tell you is being kept tight-lipped per the Prosecution's instructions."

"I heard that you weren't testifying in court tomorrow though. Detective Tatsuki said that you don't like going to court."

"You heard right. I try to avoid testifying whenever I can. The whole process bugs me. Prosecutors and defense attorneys especially." He sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't really have a choice in the matter this time."

"What do you mean?"

"..." He scoffed. "Well I suppose I can tell you a little about what I know."

Detective Kyoushi Iro

Talk – Present

Choose Talk.

Talking Topics

Last Night's Events

Suspicion of Tomoko

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Option One.

"Can you give me a summary of what exactly happened last night?"

"I guess, but I can only really tell you what I saw and experienced. The Met received a noise complaint at the apartment complex around midnight. I was in the area, so I told the dispatcher that I would check it out."

"I didn't know detectives responded to disturbance calls."

"Normally we don't. Or at least I don't. But that apartment complex in particular has been on our radar for a while now."

"Oh?" I began to think. 'This is the first I'm hearing about this. I should ask for more details.'

Talking Topics

Sakuraba Apartment Complex

Suspicion of Tomoko

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Option One.

"You mentioned that the victim's apartment complex was important. Can you elaborate on that?"

Iro sighed and closed his eyes. "If I must." Then he looked at me again. "It's still an ongoing investigation, so I can't divulge too many details, but to keep it short, that whole area has been the scene of a lot of break-ins and robberies in the past month. There have been five break-ins at that apartment complex alone. Robbery has been working hard to catch the guy, but so far no suspects have emerged. The Brass have asked everyone who patrols the area to keep an eye out."

"But I still don't understand exactly why you were there, Detective. Why not just leave the disturbance call to the patrolling officers?"

"I was still officially on duty and bored. Does that answer your question?"

I sweatdropped. "I guess."

"I'll tell you this too. It's a good thing I did show up. The patrolling officers didn't get there until ten minutes after I did. By that time, our little black jailbird could've escaped."

"..." I glared at him. I didn't like the way he kept calling Tomoko a jailbird.

Talking Topics

Suspicion of Tomoko

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Option One.

"Why are you so suspicious of Kurosaki-san?"

Iro scoffed. "Besides the fact that I saw her crouching over the victim's body, murder weapon in hand, and covered in blood? Oh, not much. As a matter of fact, you might be right. We definitely have the wrong person."

"I could do without the sarcasm, Detective. I just want to know all the facts. Besides all the physical evidence, is there anything else? Motive for example?"

"Oh, there's a motive alright. Have you asked Kuroi-chan why she got kicked off the force yet?"

I nodded. "She told me some of what happened. She made a mistake and that mistake cost her badly. She also told me that Detective Kikumori didn't support her when it happened, and they grew apart as a result."

"That's only part of the truth. That mistake was something really bad, and Shiroi-chan didn't just hang her out to dry. Shiroi-chan was the one who turned Kuroi-chan in."

"What?!"

"Some say that was the day Shiroi-chan became the RQ. She wasn't even out of uniform yet and she was already a bonafide rat."

'Kurosaki-san didn't mention that. Why would she leave something so important out? It was bad enough that the Prosecution already had a ton of physical evidence against her, but now they have a solid motive too?' I thought to myself. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse and the trial hadn't even started yet.

Talking Topics

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Only Option.

"You said you're not going to be involved in tomorrow's trial, but the Prosecution still wants you to be quiet about what you saw. Why is that?"

"It's true I don't like to get involved in trials. If I was just the detective in charge like usual, I would foist off that responsibility on the rookie, but it's like you said before. This time I'm the arresting officer and a valuable witness too. Apparently the prosecutor in charge of the case is pretty confident he'll be able to win without my testimony, but just in case you manage to give him a run for his money tomorrow, I'm supposed to be some kind of trump card."

"Trump card?"

"Yep. My testimony is guaranteed a sure win, but like I said, the prosecutor doesn't want to use it if he doesn't have to. It's not because my testimony isn't iron-clad mind you, it's just because of ego."

"That's ridiculous. If he has a reliable witness, why not use them to start with?"

"Again, I think it's just ego. When I asked him the same question he just said, and I'm paraphrasing here: 'I'll insta-kill that noob attorney with one shot anyway, so not using your testimony will just net me a challenge clear and hella more bonus points,'."

I sweatdropped again. "That cannot be what he said."

"Again, I'm just paraphrasing, but it was definitely something along those lines. Don't tell me you don't know about Prosecutor Mushou of the Four Heavenly Kings yet?"

"Prosecutor Mushou? No, I can't say I'm familiar with any prosecutor by that name." It wasn't that surprising. I had only been in one trial so far against a prosecutor named…named…huh, what was his name again? I was drawing a total blank. All I could remember was a bad wig. "The Four Heavenly Kings do ring a bell though. I remember Detective Tatsuki talking about them." I started to think to myself. 'So they were a real group, huh? I wonder who came up with the name though. Tatsuki said it was someone in Homicide. It's very otaku-ish. The creator probably loves playing a certain game where you catch and battle monsters inside little balls. Come to think of it, the person behind the name was probably Tatsuki himself. He seemed like an otaku, and he was reading a light novel when I met him.'

Then I lightly sighed. 'Then again, it will probably be a good thing if Detective Iro doesn't testify tomorrow. From the sound of it, his testimony will just give us even more trouble.'

Talking Topics

Prosecutor Mushou and the Four Heavenly Kings

Pick Only Option.

"I also heard from Detective Tatsuki that the prosecutor for tomorrow is an alum from Themis Legal Academy. I assume he was talking about Prosecutor Mushou?"

Iro nodded. "That's him. He was apparently one of their best and brightest, though that could just be a lie. From what I hear, quite a few of the alums that come out of that sham of a school are half-wits."

"Isn't the current Chief Prosecutor a Themis alum?"

"Case in point."

Themis Legal Academy was a very prestigious school here in Tokyo. It was established decades ago as one of the world's first law high schools. It functioned like a normal high school, except all the classes were law related and all the students were already set on a career track to become defense attorneys, prosecutors, or judges. Unfortunately, I didn't get interested in law until I was about to graduate from my own high school, so going there never even crossed my mind. I probably couldn't have gotten in even if I tried to. Though…actually my father could've pulled some strings I guess, but…no wait, we're getting off topic. Themis Legal Academy actually has a somewhat checkered history. There was a murder there several decades ago set at the climax of the Dark Age of Law. Up until that point, the school had a bad philosophy of "The ends justify the means". Meaning, anything was okay in a court of law as long as it resulted in a favorable outcome. Luckily, Ryuuichi Naruhodou and his apprentices managed to solve the case and put an end to the infamy surrounding the school. To this day, it's known as one of the best law schools in the world.

Apparently the current Chief Prosecutor was an alum of Themis before it became part of the Dark Age of Law. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he was totally free of corruption. From what I read in my studies, he was an adversary to Naruhodou's friend and rival, Reiji Mitsurugi, on more than one occasion. He supposedly meant well, but he still managed to unknowingly get caught up in the corruption. I had never actually met the Chief Prosecutor in person, but I still knew quite a bit about him.

"So what can you tell me about Prosecutor Mushou aside from his affiliation with Themis?" I asked Iro.

"I don't know him that well myself, but apparently besides being a prosecutor he's also some kind of professional gamer. Keima Mushou is the newest member of the Four Heavenly Kings. He only joined their ranks about three months ago. He's participated in ten trials since then, and he's won every single one of them. He's very…odd from what I can tell."

'There's the pot calling the kettle black,' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped again. "So these Four Heavenly Kings are a pretty big deal, huh?"

"Apparently the Prosecutor's Office sees them as some of the most talented rookies that have graced their halls in a few decades. Between the four of them they have an impressive 100-win streak, and the first of them only started in the Spring of last year."

I was both amazed and frightened. "Th-That really is impressive. And if Prosecutor Mushou only prosecuted ten of those cases, then that means that the other three have won 90 total cases?"

"Regardless of the theatrics, you have to admit, they're pretty good for rookies. But from what I hear you've already beaten a prosecutor with an impressive win-streak, am I right?"

'Did that prosecutor really have an impressive win-streak? I'm having a hard time recalling anything about him besides that bad wig. He was a lot older than me, so I guess he's been through a lot more cases. But seriously, talk about little to no impression,' I thought to myself.

"Of course it was against some no-name prosecutor, right?"

"You could say that, I guess." He was trying to insult me, but the truth was that I couldn't help but agree with him.

Iro sighed. "If you had even a chance in hell at winning tomorrow, I would try and tell you to do so to keep me from having to testify. But we both know that's not going to happen."

"..." I glared at him. I really did not like this guy. But he had given me some valuable information nonetheless.

"Unfortunately, I think we'll have to cut our conversation off here. I have to get back to work, and saying anymore might upset the Prosecution."

"Actually Detective, there's one last thing I would like to ask you. Is it okay for me to look around the victim's office? You should have jurisdiction since you're the lead investigator, right?"

"Much to the Rat Squad's chagrin, but yes, I do. Knock yourself out. Not like it will make that much of a difference."

"Thank you."

"Good luck tomorrow, Zetsubou-san. You and Kuroi-chan are going to need it." And just like that, the infuriating red detective turned and left.

'That guy really is the worst. I hope we don't have to come up against him tomorrow. He said the prosecutor was going to use him as a trump card. I just better pray I find something that discredits his testimony if it comes to that point,' I thought to myself.

I had learned everything I could from the Criminal Affairs division. At least everything that they were willing to share. It was time to head to Internal Affairs and search the victim's belongings.

April 30, 2082. 15:45. Tokyo Met HQ. Internal Affairs - Detective Kikumori's Office.

I took the elevator up to Internal Affairs and found my way to the victim's private office. Apparently she was a very high-ranking detective in the Internal Affairs division, so she was given a lot of luxuries most detectives weren't. There was a single officer guarding the office, and when I explained to him who I was and that Detective Iro had given me his permission, he gave me a pair of rubber gloves and paper booties and let me through with no further questions.

Despite having a private office, Detective Kikumori's decorating taste was very modest. It hardly looked moved in to be honest. There were a few knick-knacks and pictures hung on the walls and shelves, but not much else. From what I heard, the Detective had actually received several accommodations from the Met, but I didn't see any awards or plaques hanging up anywhere. Even the desk and chair looked like they were carbon copies of the ones in the bullpen in Criminal Affairs. The only things that stated that this was a private office were the sofa and coffee table further back in the room. But even those looked unused. It kind of reminded me of my office back at the law firm. I didn't really fit in that well with such a large space so I was mainly only using a small corner of it. I felt out of place whenever I was there. 'I guess Detective Kikumori felt the same way about her professional life,' I thought to myself.

I looked over her desk. Compared to Tomoko's messy abomination of a desk, it didn't look like there was a single thing out of place on Kikumori's. The few files that were on her desk appeared to be from closed cases, judging by the bin they were in. I picked one up and mindlessly thumbed through it. Just as I thought it was from a case that was closed a few months ago. It was about a kickback scandal. I did the same thing for the other few files and saw that they were also closed quickly and efficiently. Kikumori was very thorough. Even her notes seemed neat and tidy. The handwriting was also very nice and easy to read. Then I spied one case file in her open case bin, and then I picked it up and read over its contents. The case file in question pertained to the unsolved murder of a young prosecutor that occurred last December. "Oh, I remember this case. It was all over the news. Reiotsu Gojyuu, he was in his third-year working with the prosecutor's office. He was just one year older than me. He was gunned down in the park across from the Prosecutor's Office." This case file raised a question. "I thought this was a mugging gone wrong. Why is the case file on the desk of an Internal Affairs detective?" It was definitely odd. I didn't know what connection, if any, it had to Kikumori's murder, but it was worth making a note of it.

Gojyuu Cold Case added to the Court Record.

Profiles Updated: 御銃 怜乙 (Gojyuu Reiotsu)

I put the case file back down on the desk and took notice of the single picture on her desk. It was a picture of a girl who bore a strong resemblance to Kikumori. She was younger than Kikumori, at least in the photo. 'Does the victim have a sister? Kurosaki-san didn't mention one.' I decided to rummage through the desk drawers as well. Most of the desk drawers contained nothing but office supplies and the like. One of them contained the awards and plaques she had received for her accommodations. I guess she didn't really feel like displaying them. Then the final drawer I looked into contained another picture. The frame matched the one on top of Kikumori's desk, so I assumed they were part of a set. The picture inside the frame was of a younger Kikumori and Tomoko, in their police officer uniforms, along with the girl in the first picture. The girl in question was wearing a middle school uniform. 'This has to be her sister. I can't think of anyone else it could be. Why would Kurosaki-san keep this from me? I need to ask her about the victim's sister as soon as I see her again. She might know something about the case.'

Kikumori's Secrets added to the Court Record.

I placed the picture back in the drawer and closed it. Then I spied Kikumori's office wastebasket, on the left side of the desk. There were a few things in the wastebasket. 'Do I dare?' I asked myself. Then I sighed. 'Can't hurt. I'm wearing gloves anyway.' I started to dig through the victim's wastebasket and look for clues. But the contents of the wastebasket were mostly just…trash. Not very unexpected. However, when I reached the bottom of the wastebasket, I did find an interesting paper ball. I uncrumpled the paper ball and found out that it was actually a lost item report for the Met. It had the victim's name and ID number on it, and the item that was listed as missing was a Met ID card. Of course, the report was filled out in the victim's handwriting. 'Why would this be here?' Then I thought about something I had heard earlier that day. 'Wait. Come to think of it…'

Flashback:

"I see. Have you determined if anything has been taken or not?" I replied

Tatsuki sighed. "Well, we did a quick search of the safe beforehand and all the important documents you would think a person of the Detective's status would have seemed to be accounted for. We can't really say for sure though without firsthand knowledge of what was in the safe. We did notice something else was missing though."

I got up and turned around. "Really? What?"

"Her Met ID card."

"ID card?" I repeated in confusion. "My dad was an inspector at the Met and I remember he had one of those. Besides being used for identification, they're essentially like keycards, right? Members of the police can use them to access their evidence lockers and other areas that require security clearance."

"Gold star. That's exactly right." Tatsuki reached for his wallet and then showed me his ID. It had his picture, his name, his rank, and a serial number on it. "Every non-civilian employee is assigned one and given a serial number to go along with it. Mine's 0524568940. Civilian employees have IDs too, but they don't function as key cards like ours do."

"So you can't seem to locate the victim's ID? Isn't it possible she just left it at the Met?"

Tatsuki shook his head. "We've already searched there too. No dice. It's completely gone."

"Hmm, I don't think that's a coincidence."

"Neither do I, but as far as the red asshole is concerned, we've got our killer. I think the missing ID has completely slipped his mind."

'Well it's not slipping mine,' I thought to myself.

'That's right. Detective Tatsuki mentioned that Detective Kikumori's Met ID was missing. It looks like she lost it before she died. Maybe the killer didn't take it after all. Oh well, it can't hurt to make note of it.'

Missing ID Updated.

Then I saw that something was stuck to the inside of the wastebasket. I peeled off the item and saw that it was a sticky note. There was something written on it in Kikumori's handwriting. The note read: Tell Ichi, that Tomo and I moved it all for safe keeping. "...!" This was it. This was a clue that I knew had to be connected to the murder. 'I have no idea who "Ichi" is. But "Tomo" has to be referring to Tomoko Kurosaki.' Considering the circumstances, it had to be referring to the evidence of the corruption case that Detective Kikumori and Kurosaki-san were working on.

Corruption Case added to the Court Record.

'Considering the circumstances, it might be best to hang onto this personally instead of leaving it behind. If the detective's murder and the corruption case are connected like I think they are, I need every piece of evidence I can find. The killer, or someone else involved could find this and destroy it. I'll take the lost item report too.' I turned to see if anyone was looking and then I slipped the sticky note and lost item report into my pocket. 'It's not technically stealing evidence if no one ever found it, right? If anyone calls it into question, I can just have the police prove that this is Detective Kikumori's handwriting. That should sway any doubts to its authenticity.'

Sticky Note Discreetly Slipped into Pocket.

Kikumori's Lost Item Report Discreetly Slipped into Pocket.

"What are you doing, digging around in the trash, young man?" someone asked.

"...!" I jumped and turned around to see who was talking to me.

The owner of the voice was a tall, lanky old man with gray hair that had an odd ahoge shaped like a question mark, a matching pointy, gray beard, and warm brown eyes. He wore an odd blue outfit that reminded me of a military uniform, and pinned to his uniform was a prosecutor pin that was modeled into a military badge. He also wore a red cape with gold shoulder pads, a pair of white gloves, and a pair of black shoes. He also had a pointer stick strapped to his right side. "Do you have permission to be here? This office is part of an ongoing criminal investigation, you know?"

"Umm, yes…yes I do. Detective Iro said I could investigate here."

The old man looked at me and then a look of shock and realization spread over his face. His question mark ahoge even became an exclamation point for a moment there. "Oh, I see. You must be the attorney for tomorrow's trial."

"That's correct," I replied hesitantly. 'It's probably best to just act normal in this situation, until he asks any hard questions.' I grabbed my business card clip and pulled one of the cards out and presented it to the old man, while bowing politely. "I'm Kibou Hanamura. A new attorney at the newly established Takumi and Co. Law Offices."

"My, my, what excellent manners," the old man replied. He gladly took the business card and then gave me his. "Here's mine by the way. I'm sure I need no introduction." He sounded oddly cocky and I didn't understand why until I spied the name and title on the business card.

一柳 弓彦, 首都圏 の 検事正

(Yumihiko Ichiyanagi, Chief Prosecutor of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area.)

"...!" I was shocked to see what was written on the business card. I looked up at the old man again. "You're Chief Prosecutor Ichiyanagi!"

Ichiyanagi let out a smug boisterous chuckle. "Yes, indeed. It is I, the literal "Number 1" prosecutor in all of Tokyo. No autographs please."

I sweatdropped. 'Did he really just say that?'

Profiles Updated: 一柳 弓彦 (Ichiyanagi Yumihiko).

Ichiyanagi smiled at me. "I'm actually surprised you didn't recognize me. Even if you're not one of my beloved prosecutors, surely anyone involved in Tokyo's legal world…nay, Japan's legal world…nay again, the entire planet's legal world surely knows my name and likeness." He continued to talk himself up for a few more minutes, so I'll just skip all of that and cut to the part where the conversation moved forward.

After his rant about being "Number 1" and "The Best", Ichiyanagi's inflated ego seemed to almost plummet back down to Earth, like an anvil being dropped from a skyscraper. "That was too much, wasn't it? Sorry about that. It's been decades since Mitsurugi-sensei put me in my place and I'm still having trouble controlling my pride." He seemed very distraught over his out of control ego.

"I-It's fine, Ichiyanagi-san," I replied, trying to cheer him up. "We can all get a little boastful every now and then."

Ichiyanagi sadly chuckled. "It's a little worse for me, I'm afraid. I've always had an inflated ego, you see. Mainly because ever since I was a young lad, I was always receiving undeserved praise for my actions. I was such a screw-up and a scatterbrain, but I refused to see it because everyone always kept praising me even when I messed up. I couldn't even realize that all the praise was just my father pulling the strings from the shadows. I was truly a pitiable excuse for a man." Then he sighed and lightly smiled. "Mitsurugi-sensei was the first person to be completely honest with me and show me the error of my ways. He gave me a good taste of humility, and I always respected him for doing so."

"I've actually studied many of the old cases surrounding Ryuuchi Naruhodou and Reiji Mitsurugi. Your name came up quite a few times, Ichiyanagi-san. Mainly picking fights with Mitsurugi-san."

Ichiyanagi sighed. "Yes, not really some of my finer moments. I was such a pitiful excuse for a prosecutor back then. I'm much better now, but try as I might, I still can't hold a candle to Mitsurugi-sensei. He even reached my current position before he was more than half my age."

"He stepped down as a prosecutor before my time, but I've heard the stories and studied the cases. He sounded like an exceptional prosecutor."

"That he was, that he was." Then Ichiyanagi sighed. "But I've wasted enough of your time with my boasts and regrets. I'll get out of your hair and let you continue with your investigation. I should really get back to the Prosecutor's Office anyway. Nice meeting you, Hanamura-san." Ichiyanagi turned to leave but I stopped him.

"Wait! Actually, Ichiyanagi-san, I need to speak to you as well."

Ichiyanagi turned back. "Oh?"

"I was going to head over to the Prosecutor's Office if there was time and beg for a meeting, but you being here turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I need to talk to you about the case. It involves some sensitive information that you and the victim were working on." I was trying to be as discreet as possible.

"...?" Ichiyanagi was confused at first, but then a look of realization overtook his face. "...!" He turned to face the door and then leaned out of the doorway and talked to the police officer on guard. "Why don't you take a break for a few minutes? I'll keep an eye on our young attorney friend and the crime scene for you."

"I couldn't ask you to do that, Chief Prosecutor," the officer replied.

"I insist. Go get a cup of coffee and relax. Odds are you'll be here for the rest of the day."

"I can't argue with that. Well…if you insist. Thank you very much. I'll be back soon." Then the officer left his post.

"Take your time. I'm in no rush to leave," Ichiyanagi replied as he waved off the officer. Then when the officer was out of sight, he discreetly closed the door and then came back to talk to me. The smile on his face was replaced by a look of worry. He motioned for me to be quiet and then he produced a small device from his person. It took me a few moments, but soon I recognized the device as a bug sweeper. Ichiyanagi then meticulously sweeped the officer for listening devices. When he was satisfied that no one was listening, he began to speak to me again. "So you know about the secret assignment I asked Kikumori-kun to undertake, do you?"

I nodded. "Kurosaki-san told me about it. At least part of it. You think there's ongoing corruption occurring in the Prosecutor's Office and the Met, correct?"

Ichiyanagi sighed. "Corruption makes it sound so plain. If this was just prosecutors or detectives taking bribes it would be one thing, but this is something else all together."

"What do you mean?"

Ichiyanagi looked at the floor for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain things. Then when he was satisfied with what he wanted to say he began to speak again. "Reiotsu Gojyuu. That man was the start of all of this."

Chief Prosecutor Yumihiko Ichiyanagi

Talk – Present

Choose Talk.

Talking Topics

Prosecutor Gojyuu

Pick Only Option.

"Gojyuu-kun had been with the Prosecutor's Office for three years. In that time he had made a name for himself as one of the most honest, fair, and reputable prosecutors that theTokyo Prosecutor's Office had ever churned out. As you may know, the public image of the Prosecutor's Office has always been somewhat of a strained nature. It doesn't help that it's been home to some horrible characters over the many years since its founding, including my father." Ichiyanagi looked both angry and sad as he said that last part. "Thankfully, ever since the Dark Age of Law ended several decades ago, public perception of prosecutors and our office has gotten a lot better. That was mainly due to the fact that Mitsurugi-sensei had stepped up and taken over as Chief Prosecutor. But since his retirement and eventual passing, things had reached somewhat of a stagnation. Public perception hadn't soured that much, but it hadn't improved either. Until, Gojyuu-kun came to work at our office. When the public saw how morally upright this no-name prosecutor was, our public image began to blossom once again. And it didn't hurt that he was a brilliant prosecutor at all. The way he used logic and his endless desire for the truth, it was honestly like he was Mitsurugi-sensei reincarnated."

"I…I had no idea. I heard he was a very talented prosecutor, but to compare him to one of the greatest prosecutors who ever lived. He must have been a very exceptional person."

"That he was." Then he frowned. "Which is why it saddens me so much to know that his killer has still not been found and brought to justice."

"I noticed that Detective Kikumori had the case file relating to Gojyuu-san's murder. She was looking into his death, I take it?" Then it started to make sense. If Kikumori was working with Ichiyanagi to unearth this corruption conspiracy, and if she was also looking into Gojyuu's murder, then that could only mean one thing. "So you think that Gojyuu-san's murder is somehow connected to the corruption case?"

"..." Ichiyanagi was silent at first. Then he simply nodded.

Talking Topics

Corruption Case

Gojyuu's Murder

Tomoko's Involvement

Pick Option One.

"What exactly is this corruption case that you and Detective Kikumori were working on, Ichiyanagi-san?" I asked.

"Well about one month before his death, Gojyuu-kun came to me with some concerns. As preparation for an upcoming trial, he was studying old case files and court transcripts. He noticed some inconsistencies in one of the files and brought them to my attention. It was little things like evidence collected at the crime scene that hadn't been presented in court. I didn't think that much of it at first, until he brought me more case files with similar and larger problems. Different testimony being presented in court than what was told to the police, new witnesses appearing out of thin air, and even some forensic evidence that didn't match up with crime scenes. Gojyuu-kun had found ten cases like these, and that was when I was starting to get concerned. At his request, I began to look into things myself and by the time a week had passed, I found dozens of more cases like the ones Gojyuu-kun found. The problems and inconsistencies were so varied that you wouldn't even think to consider them unless you were looking for them. And to make matters worse, these problems and inconsistencies weren't found amongst case files relating to one single prosecutor or detective, but a large group of them. These "tainted" cases varied too, from simple robberies to capital murder cases."

"Are you serious?! That doesn't sound like small-scale corruption, that sounds more like a criminal conspiracy! With evidence like that, why hasn't anything been done yet?!"

"That's just it. There isn't any evidence. At least not anymore."

"What?"

"After I was satisfied that the whole thing deserved an internal investigation, all of the case files that Gojyuu-kun and I had obtained went missing. And not just the copies either, everything pertaining to each "tainted" case had disappeared from the Prosecutor's Office, the Met, and even the evidence warehouse. We conducted a search but never found the culprits responsible for the theft, but I strongly suspected that was because the people conducting the search were involved somehow. It was around that time that I started hearing whispers about a syndicate working in careers of law and order who were able to control the courts to some extent."

"A syndicate that's able to control the courts?"

"Apparently they're large in number and made up of detectives, prosecutors, attorneys, and judges. I kept hearing the name JUDGMENT being tossed around, and from what I can tell they've been operational for quite some time."

"This sounds too crazy to possibly be true. A syndicate influencing the courts? This can't be true."

Ichiyanagi sighed. "I wanted to believe it was just a conspiracy theory as well, but a few days later, Gojyuu-kun was murdered."

Talking Topics

Gojyuu's Murder

Tomoko's Involvement

Pick Option One.

"You think that Gojyuu-san's murder is connected to the operations of this syndicate then?"

Ichiyanagi nodded. "They tried to play it off as a mugging gone wrong, but I don't buy that for a second. Gojyuu-kun always ate dinner alone in that park when he was working late at the office. Anyone who knew his routine would have been able to ambush him. Plus, there's the murder weapon."

"The murder weapon? I heard on the news that it was a gun of some kind, but they didn't go into any greater detail than that."

"That's because the matter is being kept private so as to not raise any alarms. The murder weapon was a .10 caliber pistol. Standard law enforcement issue."

"...! Are you saying that…?!"

"Someone in the police force murdered Gojyuu-kun. In all likelihood, a member of this so-called JUDGMENT syndicate is behind it."

"But if a department issued pistol is what killed Gojyuu-san, then surely by now the culprit would've been identified? Don't all department issued guns have ballistic marking records on file?"

"That is correct. However, in all likelihood, JUDGMENT has already erased the record of the murder weapon. Without that record, there's no way to identify which pistol killed Gojyuu-kun without testing every single pistol at the Met. Obviously we can't do that, so I've had Kikumori-kun look at the case from different angles. She's been narrowing down the suspect pool ever since December but still hasn't IDed the culprit yet.. But I've taken great care to keep the evidence that can prove their identity safe for when a proper suspect reveals themself. Our most crucial piece of evidence is the bullet that killed Gojyuu-kun. When we find the pistol that fired it, we will have them cornered. They will not destroy this evidence as long as I have a say in the matter."

"But what if the killer's already disposed of the pistol? Then you'll never identify them."

"Kikumori-kun and I already thought of that. If the culprit gets rid of their pistol, they will have to replace it somehow to avoid suspicion. We're keeping close tabs on the Met armory and all licensed retailers, and we even have some criminal informants looking into all the unlicensed ones. So far no one has tried purchasing a new .10 caliber pistol yet. In all likelihood, the culprit is still in possession of the pistol."

"It seems like you have all your bases covered. But what are you going to do now that Detective Kikumori is dead?"

Ichiyanagi shook his head. "Mitsurugi-sensei taught me well. I will not run from the truth, even if it costs me everything. I will not rest until Gojyuu-kun's killer and the rest of the JUDGMENT are brought to justice."

'He seems really serious about all of this. The more I hear about this JUDGMENT, the more I'm starting to worry. If Kurosaki-san is caught up into one of their traps then this really will be a hard battle. But I won't run from the truth either. I need to prove her innocence. It's time to learn more about her role in all of this,' I thought to myself.

Talking Topics

Tomoko's Involvement

Pick Only Option.

"I think I'm starting to understand. Gojyuu-san is the one who first uncovered this conspiracy and brought it to your attention. Then when he was killed, you brought Detective Kikumori into the fold to help find his killer. But how exactly does my client, Tomoko Kurosaki-san fit into all of this?"

Ichiyanagi sighed. "Truth be told, I was hesitant to involve anyone else in this whole mess. I thought at the very least I could trust Kikumori-kun because of her record and personal stance on the truth. She reminded me a lot of Gojyuu-kun. But we were starting to run out of leads, so Kikumori-kun thought it would be best to bring in outside help. I hadn't ever met Kurosaki-kun up until that point, but Kikumori-kun seemed to trust her, so I decided to do so as well."

"Kurosaki-san told me that she and Detective Kikumori were high school friends who joined the police academy together. They were very close from the sound of it. But apparently their relationship turned sour when Kurosaki-san made a mistake and Detective Kikumori turned her in for it."

"I heard the same story from Kikumori-kun, but she went into a little more detail. It's not my story to tell, but suffice it to say, she wrestled with the decision to turn on Kurosaki-kun. She never really forgave herself for her choice either. When she floated the idea of bringing her on to help and I agreed, she seemed really happy. Even more so when Kurosaki-kun agreed to help. I think she might've just been looking for a reason to talk to her again."

"That was the impression Kurosaki-san got too. She said that working together with Detective Kikumori felt a lot like old times. She seemed happy too." I frowned. "After everything that you've told me about JUDGMENT, you can't honestly think that she killed Detective Kikumori, can you?"

Ichiyanagi sighed. "I honestly don't know. I'll admit that the timing of all of this does seem suspicious, but the physical evidence against Kurosaki-kun is pretty damning. Meanwhile, evidence of JUDGMENT involvement is practically non-existent."

"But that's just it. I think JUDGMENT is involved. At the very least, I'm pretty sure Kurosaki-kun was framed by somebody looking for the case file you were creating against them."

"...! I was wondering what happened to the file. Does that mean Kurosaki-kun has it?"

"Oh? Did Detective Kikumori not tell you then?"

"Tell me what?"

Chief Prosecutor Yumihiko Ichiyanagi

Talk – Present

Choose Present.

Present Sticky Note.

"I found this sticky note in the wastebasket over there. It has a message on it written in Detective Kikumori's handwriting." I showed Ichiyanagi the sticky note and he took it and read it.

"..." Ichiyanagi passed me back the sticky note after he finished reading it. "Putting aside the fact that you had that in your pocket for now, I should tell you that, no, I haven't seen this note or heard anything from Kikumori-kun about it." He sighed. "So she and Kurosaki-kun moved the case file and notes to another location, huh?"

"Yes, Sir. Apparently Detective Kikumori had given it all to Kurosaki-san for safekeeping, literally. She was keeping everything in her office safe. Apparently, she even had proof that would've led to a different suspect in the murder." I sighed. "Unfortunately, everything was taken last night. Shortly after Detective Kikumori was murdered, I received a request from Kurosaki-san to go to her office and collect the evidence, and then I was supposed to come give everything to you."

Ichiyanagi frowned. "I never received anything, so I assume that everything was taken, presumably by the person who did that to you?" Ichiyanagi pointed to my bandages.

I nodded. "Yes, I was careless. I was so focused on getting the evidence that Kurosaki-san needed, I didn't stop to think that someone else might be after it. They followed me to her office and attacked me, and then after they left me unconscious, they stole everything pertaining to your investigation."

"This is very troubling. I have to admit, the events do have peculiar timing. Unfortunately, without that evidence pointing to another suspect, there's not much I can do. Kurosaki-kun will still have to stand trial tomorrow."

I sighed. "I figured that would be the case. But I'm not giving up. She didn't kill Detective Kikumori and I intend to prove it."

"I hope you're successful. Let me know if you need anything for your investigation. In the meantime, I will be continuing my own investigation. It was nice meeting you, Hanamura-kun. Good luck in court tomorrow." Ichiyanagi walked away and opened the door for me. There didn't seem to be anything else to see in the victim's office, so I decided to leave.

"Thank you, Sir," I replied. Then I left the office and the Internal Affairs division. 'I've gathered up a lot of clues, but now I'm all out of leads. I guess there's nothing left to do but go talk to Kurosaki-san again.' I decided to make my way to the Detention Center to speak with Tomoko again and update her on my progress.

April 30, 2082. 17:32. Detention Center. Visitor's Room.

When I arrived at the Detention Center, I was immediately escorted to the Visitor's Room and asked to wait. A few minutes later, Tomoko appeared on the other side of the glass. She seemed relieved to see me. "Kibou! You're back!"

"Hi there. It's been a long day on my end. How about you?"

She sadly smiled. "After you left, they questioned me again for a little while, but since then I've just been sitting in a cell and waiting for you to come back."

I frowned. "I'm sorry that I kept you waiting."

"It's fine. I know you've been working hard for my sake. How are things looking?"

I sighed. "Honestly, not that great. I already know a little about the Prosecution's case against you. They apparently have a lot of physical evidence against you, and there's even a witness who's going to testify against you tomorrow. Plus, Detective Iro is a wild card in all of this. If he testifies, there's a good chance that our case is sunk."

Tomoko looked really worried. "Wow, you're right, it doesn't sound good. How could this have happened? How did Tsu-chan and I get wrapped up into all of this?"

"..." I silently stared at her. She looked both physically and mentally exhausted. 'She looks like she's on the brink as is. I really don't want to upset her anymore, but I need answers to certain questions that only she can provide. I don't have a choice in the matter.' I sighed again. "Kurosaki-san, I know you might not be up to it, but I need to ask you a few questions. Do you think you can handle that?"

"..." Tomoko silently nodded.

Tomoko Kurosaki

Talk – Present

Choose Talk.

Talking Topics

What Happened

Detective Iro

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Option One.

"Do you remember anything else about what happened last night?"

"While you were gone, I've been thinking real hard and trying to remember everything that happened. I remember that Tsu-chan texted me last night to meet up with her really late, and then I ended up arriving at her apartment a little before midnight. The door was unlocked so I went inside and saw that it was really dark. I tried to call out for her, but before I could I felt something cover my face and then I remember smelling this weird smell. Then it all went black and I woke up to the sound of a gunshot. I felt someone put the gun into my hand, and then I heard someone leave the room. A few minutes later, I was arrested in front of Tsu-chan's bloody body."

"I see. That must have been awful, but it does give us some valuable information to work off of. From the sound of it, I think you were drugged with chloroform or something like that."

Tomoko nodded. "Yeah, I think so too."

"And you said that the sound of a gunshot woke you up?"

"Yeah, I'm positive that that's what I heard."

"..." Something was off. I pulled out my copy of the autopsy report and noted the time of death. The victim died around midnight from blood loss attributed to a single gunshot to the abdomen.

"What is it?"

"What time were you arrested exactly?"

"Umm, I don't know the exact time, but it was after 00:30, I'm sure of that. I remember seeing the time after they put handcuffs on me."

"...!" The times didn't match. The victim had been killed by a gunshot around midnight and Kurosaki-san was awoken by the sound of a gunshot around thirty minutes after that. There could be only one explanation to account for both times. "I think I just figured something out."

"What?"

"There were two gunshots. One at around midnight, and one around thirty minutes after. The first gunshot killed the victim and the second gunshot is what woke you up."

"...! Th-Then by the time I woke up, Tsu-chan…"

"...was already dead for almost half an hour. There was nothing you could have done to save her. I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san."

She seemed even more depressed. "This just keeps getting worse and worse."

"..." I couldn't think of anything to say in response, so I just decided to make note of our discovery.

Second Gunshot added to the Court Record.

Talking Topics

Detective Iro

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Option One.

I decided to ask Tomoko a different question. "What can you tell me about Detective Iro? I heard that he was the one who arrested you, and that you, him, and Detective Kikumori all knew each other."

She sighed. "So you've met that asshole, huh? What did I tell you? He's trouble, isn't he?"

"You weren't kidding. Even his partner can't stand him."

Tomoko giggled. "Believe it or not, I actually considered dating him when I was still with the police. Tsu-chan talked me out of it though, she was always a really good judge of character."

"Huh, he told me that he had a crush on you but he never said anything about it being reciprocated."

"Trust me, it wasn't. I barely knew who he was when he asked me out on a date. Tsu-chan knew him though and she made sure I steered clear. We looked out for each other when it came to things like romance. I learned later just by observing him what a pompous, egotistical pain in the ass he is. He may be a good detective, but he's certainly a horrible person. I wonder if it's some kind of cosmic punishment that he would be involved in all of this." She got an annoyed expression on her face. "I swear to God, if I hear the nickname, Kuroi-chan, one more time I'm going to clobber him."

"Well one thing's for sure. We have to be ready for him. Apparently, the prosecutor is only going to call on him to testify if he's absolutely needed. Which means that if we start winning, then we're going to have to deal with his testimony."

Tomoko sighed again. "That's just great. Anymore "good" news?"

Talking Topics

Tomorrow's Trial

Pick Only Option.

"Like I said before, the Prosecution has physical evidence and witness testimony against you. That's not counting whatever Detective Iro might say. I also tried speaking to the Chief Prosecutor about dropping the charges, but that was a bust. He thinks you may be innocent too but his hands are tied at this point."

"So in other words, we're on our own. Great. Just great." She looked up at me. "Did you find anything pointing towards another suspect? Anything besides the corruption angle?"

I shook my head. "I've been looking some more into the corruption angle and the Chief Prosecutor brought me up to speed. I think that there's a good chance that…you know who…is involved. Either the killer is one of them or they're a hired gun. But there's no physical proof of their involvement. Right now it's hard to prove that a third person was even in that apartment."

"I'm so screwed."

"Not necessarily. All I need to do is look for inconsistencies in tomorrow's trial and another suspect should present themselves eventually. But until we get to that point, I do have an idea about how we could stall for time and maybe even get another day of investigation out of it."

Tomoko sighed. "We don't have many options as is. Okay, I'm in. What's the plan?"

Talking Topics

The Plan

Pick Only Option.

"I heard today that the reason Detective Iro seemed to arrive at the scene so fast to arrest you was because he was patrolling the area around the apartment complex. Apparently there's been a string of break-ins and robberies in that area. There were five in that apartment complex alone."

"...! I think I get what your plan is. You want to try to draw a connection to the robberies and Tsu-chan's murder."

I nodded. "Exactly. It may seem a bit unethical to bring in a completely unrelated person on suspicion of murder, but as a stall tactic I think it will work. After all, who's to say that this wasn't just a robbery gone wrong? The thief didn't plan for Detective Kikumori to be home or for you to show up when you did. Things got out of control and they were forced to take drastic actions."

"As far as stall tactics go, it's not the worst idea. It actually sounds kind of plausible. If you think it will work, I'm all for it." Then she frowned. "It's just…"

"Don't worry. I won't let this case end without a satisfying conclusion. Even if we're forced to use this stall tactic, I'll make sure that her real killer is found and brought to justice. I promise."

That seemed to be exactly what she was worried about. She smiled at me. "Thank you, Kibou."

"Don't mention it. You're my client, it's my job to look out for your best interests." I started to pull out my photos and notes of evidence that I had collected from my Court Record. "I want to show you some of the evidence I collected. Are you up to answering some more questions?"

She nodded. "Sure. Ask me anything you want."

Tomoko Kurosaki

Talk – Present

Choose Present.

Present Empty Glasses.

"Glasses?" Tomoko muttered in a confused tone.

"I found these in the kitchen sink at Detective Kikumori's apartment. There aren't any fingerprints or DNA on them, but I've been assuming that one of them was used by Detective Kikumori and the other by her guest. Just to be clear, there's no way one of these glasses was yours, right?"

Tomoko shook her head. "No. I was drugged and knocked out before I even knew what hit me. I didn't drink anything."

"That's what I thought. But still the fact that there were two glasses out at all is suspicious. One of them was probably used by Detective Kikumori, but if you didn't use the other one then that can only mean that there had to have been another person there at the apartment at some point that night. Unfortunately, without any prints or DNA it's impossible to say who it was."

Glasses Updated.

Present Cheeky Chiaki Chewing Gum Box.

"...! That gum!" Tomoko exclaimed.

"So you do know what this is? I figured you might since you seem to like chewing gum from what I remember, but I have to admit, I thought it was a long shot."

"No, I do know about it. Cheeky Chiaki is a unique candy brand supplier. They make lots of other candies and sweets, but their specialty is their multi-flavored chewing gum."

"I noticed that the box of gum contained a lot of…unique flavors, so that's purposeful, huh?"

"Hey don't knock it until you try it. That was always mine and Tsu-chan's favorite brand of gum. We were really bummed out when they stopped carrying it in stores."

"You can't find this gum in any store?"

Tomoko shook her head. "No, you can still get some other Cheeky Chiaki products in stores, but the chewing gum can only be bought off of their website. Apparently not that many people bought it when it was in stores."

'I can't imagine why,' I thought to myself as I sweatdropped. "So you can buy the chewing gum off the company's website?"

Tomoko nodded. "As far as I know, that's the only way you can get it now though. I know because I ordered that box for Tsu-chan as a present."

"...! You gave this box to Detective Kikumori?"

"Yeah, it was a kind of truce gift. I thought we were getting to be in a better place, so I wanted to give her something to commemorate it. I remembered how much we loved that chewing gum when we were still friends, so I decided to get her some. She loved it too. She said it was one of the best gifts she's received in a long time." Tomoko seemed happy as she recalled the memory.

'I have a feeling that this chewing gum is more important than it seems. Better make a note of this.'

Cheeky Chiaki Chewing Gum Box Updated.

Present Laptop.

"Hikiko-chan? Huh, I didn't know Tsu-chan was into VToobers," said Tomoko.

"So would you say watching videos like these is out of character for her?" I asked.

Tomoko nodded. "Definitely, if anyone is more into stuff like it would be me. I was kind of an otaku back in the day. Anime, manga, idols, VToobers. That was kind of my thing. Tsu-chan used to tease me about it constantly."

'Idols? She's into idols? Huh, never would've guessed,' I thought to myself. "Well if she didn't watch it, someone else might have. Maybe even the killer."

"..." Tomoko went silent. She appeared to be thinking about something.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh no, it's nothing. I was just thinking of someone else who used to love things like these. But there's no way that they're involved in this."

"...?"

Present Kikumori's Safe.

"So someone broke into her safe, huh?"

"It goes along with the robbery theory, and the other theory too. They were looking for valuables or…"

"The case file and my notes."

"The other detective on the case, Detective Tatsuki, told me that the fingerprint powder used to find the combination is readily available online. So anyone could have gotten it. But the fact that whoever broke into the safe left other valuables behind concerns me. It's almost like they were looking for something in particular."

"..." Tomoko fell silent. We could both tell that something rotten was going on here.

Present Missing Pillow.

"Why are you showing me a picture of a pillow?" Tomoko asked in confusion.

"I don't really know. It's just something I can't stop thinking about. To your knowledge, did Detective Kikumori only have one pillow on her sofa?"

"Last night was my first time at her apartment. We mainly met at my office. But you say she only had one pillow on her sofa? That is kind of weird."

I sighed. "I'm glad I'm not the only person who thinks so. But if you don't know anything about it either, there's not much more we can talk about concerning it. I think we should just keep it in mind."

"If you say so."

Present Tomoko's Checkered Past.

"..." Tomoko seemed upset. She looked away for a second. "Do you really have to keep showing me that picture?"

'She looks so upset, but I can't give up. I need to know more about what happened between Kurosaki-san and Detective Kikumori. I have a feeling that their past is at the crux of this case,' I thought to myself. "Kurosaki-san, I know that you said before that you didn't want to talk about it, but I don't think we can just keep avoiding the issue forever. I have a gut feeling that the Prosecution is going to parade your past out in the open tomorrow and paint it as your motive to kill Detective Kikumori. I want to be prepared to argue against their claims, and to do that I need to know what I'm up against. Please, trust me. I won't think anything less of you no matter how bad your past actions were."

"..." She sighed after thinking my words over for a few moments. "Okay. If you really need to know about what happened between Tsu-chan and I, then I'll tell you. Just promise me that you'll still be on my side when you know the truth."

"I promise. No matter how bad the truth is, I will still be on your side," I said without hesitation.

"Okay then."

Present Tomoko's Safe.

Tomoko was surprised. "You weren't kidding. They really took everything."

"I guess they wanted to be sure that they had everything, so they took whatever was in the safe to leave nothing to chance. They probably checked around the rest of your office while I was unconscious too."

"Again, I'm really sorry about that."

"No worries. I don't blame you. Can you tell me what else was in that safe besides what pertained to your investigation with Detective Kikumori?"

"Nothing major. Some old case files from cases that I closed. There might have been a cold case file or two in there as well. Oh and my necklace."

"Your necklace?"

"Yeah, it's a sterling silver necklace with an infinity pendant on it. Tsu-chan gave it to me as a present when we graduated from the police academy." She frowned. "I haven't worn it since the day I was forced to resign."

I tried to cheer her up. "Don't worry. If the killer still has it, then we'll make sure to get it back from them after we take them down. And if we still can't find it after that, we'll scour the city until we do."

Tomoko smiled. "Thank you, Kibou."

Tomoko's Necklace added to the Court Record.

Present Kikumori's Secrets.

"...!" Tomoko went completely pale at the sight of the picture of her, Detective Kikumori, and the young girl who looked like Detective Kikumori. "Where did you…?!"

"This was in Detective Kikumori's office, tucked inside one of her desk drawers. There's another photo that she has on display of just the young girl, but this one is the only photo I could find that shows all three of you together. This girl. Is she Detective Kikumori's younger sister?"

"..." Tomoko remained silent for a few moments before sighing and nodding. "Yes, that's Tsu-chan's sister. Mokuto Kikumori."

"I thought so. Why didn't you tell me that Detective Kikumori had a sister? I need to talk to her and…"

Tomoko slammed her hands on the table and cut me off. "No! You can't talk to her! I don't want her involved in any of this!"

"...?" I didn't know why she was acting like this. "But Kurosaki-san, surely by now she knows what happened to her sister? I'm sure the police have already talked to her. I should too. At the very least I think she would want to know that you're here under suspicion of killing her sister."

Tomoko was really upset. "You're right, the police have definitely talked to her at this point. But it doesn't matter. She won't be able to help them. Just forget about her. She doesn't know anything."

"..." There was clearly more to the story, but Tomoko didn't volunteer any details. 'She's still keeping things from me. This can't go on. No matter how much it hurts, I need to know the truth.'

Profiles Updated: 聞守 黙徒 (Kikumori Mokuto).

Present Sticky Note.

"...!" Tomoko was surprised. "Where did you get that?"

"I found it in Detective Kikumori's office inside of her wastebasket. I'm pretty sure she's talking about moving the evidence for the corruption case. "Tomo" refers to you and "Ichi" refers to Chief Prosecutor Ichiyanagi."

"That makes sense. Safe keeping must mean a literal safe." She sighed. "Oh, Tsu-chan, you were really bad at being discreet."

"This gets me thinking. Your safe and Detective Kikumori's safe were both broken into last night. What are the odds?"

"You think someone found out that we put the evidence in a safe and that's why they were both broken into?"

"I'm just saying, I think it's something that we should keep in mind."

Present Kibou's Attorney Badge.

Tomoko looked confused. "Umm, why are you showing me your badge? I already know that you're an attorney."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I just got caught up in the moment, presenting all the evidence I had."

"Does that badge really count as evidence?"

"Naruhodou-san and his associates thought of their badges as evidence."

She sighed. "I forgot that your sister mentioned you had an obsession with that old attorney. So do you just mimic your entire lifestyle after him?"

"No, I don't. I'm my own person, my own attorney."

"Then stop doing things that he would do. People might just start calling you the Copycat Ace Attorney if you're not careful."

I sweatdropped. "Point taken."

Tomoko Kurosaki

Talk – Present

Choose Talk.

Talking Topics

Tomoko and Tsukasa

Resignation

Mokuto Kikumori

Pick Option One.

Tomoko sighed. "Growing up I had a really hard time making friends. You think I'm abrasive now? Back when I was still in school, I was even worse. I didn't mean to be as harsh as I was, but I just couldn't help but be blunt when I was annoyed. The problem was that I found almost everything and everyone around me annoying. It wasn't until my first year of high school that I finally met someone who I actually enjoyed being around. Tsukasa Kikumori, a girl who was as bad at making friends as I was. She kept to herself most of the time, just like me. People didn't like her because they thought of her as some kind of robot, incapable of doing anything without a reason, always focused on the task at hand, and cold to a fault. But of course, just because we were both bad at making friends, didn't automatically mean that we got along. To be honest, she pissed me off at first. I still remember the day we met."

Eight Years Ago.

From Tomoko's story, I imagined the scene unfolding in my head. Tomoko and Detective Kikumori, back then just known as Tsukasa, attended a prestigious preparatory school in the city. They were both apparently scholarship students with very high grades, but just as Tomoko said, they were seen as outcasts.

The day they first talked to each other was a few days before the beginning of Summer Break. Tomoko was upset because she had received a lecture from one of her most disliked teachers about her behavior. According to Tomoko, she didn't do anything wrong and the teacher was just lecturing her because he got off on tormenting students, her in particular. After the lecture, Tomoko ran off to the school rooftop. It was pretty much always empty, so whenever she needed to cool off, she would go there and relax.

Tomoko burst through the door to the rooftop, ignoring the "Out of Bounds" sign pinned to it. "Fuck that asshole!" Tomoko shouted as she flung her schoolbag as far as she could. Then she growled and stomped around the area, letting her rage control her actions. "That damn Ishigami! He bad mouths and lectures me every single chance he gets! And what the hell is up with all those private trips to the counselor's office?! Does he think that if he gets something on me he can pressure me into…?! I swear, if he even thinks of trying something like that I'll break his nose and his balls!" Despite her more fiery nature, Tomoko Kurosaki was more or less the same when she was a student. She even looked the same for the most part, besides her hair not being dyed.

"Do you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to relax."

Tomoko turned to see that someone else was on the roof with her. It was a girl with long brown hair and cold brown eyes. Tomoko instantly recognized this girl as the so-called Ice Queen of the school, Tsukasa Kikumori. She was sitting at the edge of the rooftop and leaning back against the protective fence. She had a lit cigarette in her hand and appeared to be smoking. "...! What the hell are you doing up here?!" Tomoko shouted.

"What does it look like?" Tsukasa replied in a deadpan tone.

"This is my spot! Get lost!"

"Why should I? You don't own the rooftop. Besides, I was here first. If you want to be alone so badly, why don't you go somewhere else?"

Tomoko growled and walked up to Tsukasa. "You don't know who you're messing with! Don't make me kick your uppity ass!"

Tsukasa took a drag from her cigarette. "Please, stop barking at me. You're not a dog. There's no reason to be that loud."

"...!" Tomoko was surprised at Tsukasa's blatant provocation. It was like she was trying to make her even angrier. "Leave! Now!"

"N-O."

Tomoko punched the fence, making it shake due to the force and letting a metallic clang echo throughout the air. "..." Tomoko glared daggers at Tsukasa while shaking in anger.

"..." Tsukasa simply stared back at her. A disinterested look was plastered on her face.

A few moments passed, and neither girl gave the other an edge. Finally, Tomoko gave up and took a few deep breaths. When she was finally calm, she slumped down to the ground and sat down beside Tsukasa. "Whatever. Just don't bug me."

"Wasn't planning on it." Tsukasa kept on smoking, completely ignoring Tomoko.

"..." For a few minutes, the entire rooftop was silent, save for the occasional puff and drag that Tsukasa would take on her cigarette. Neither girl spoke or acknowledged that the other was there. Then Tomoko, feeling bored, decided to make some small talk.

"You know smoking's bad for you, right?"

"Do I look like I care?"

"I'm not trying to nag or anything, I'm just saying that it's bad for your lungs and heart."

"It's Japan. Do you know how many people smoke here? Do you think any of them care?"

"It's mainly old men who do that though."

"Maybe I'm an old man then."

"So you're an old man who died and then reincarnated as a cold but beautiful girl?"

"For all you know. And did you seriously just call me beautiful?"

"Purely from an objective standpoint. I'm not gay or anything. I'm just saying that most people would call you beautiful. They'd probably be shocked if they found out you smoked."

"Smoking girls are hot. Don't you know anything?"

"Please, that's such a niche fetish. You don't even look like one of those girls associated with it. If anything I look more the part."

"What? Are you saying you want one then?"

"No, thank you. The only bad habit I have is gum chewing, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Tsukasa put out her cigarette. "I could actually go for some gum. You got any on you? I'm going to need some to cover up the nicotine smell in my breath anyway."

"That won't help your clothes. They reek of the stuff."

"If anyone asks, I'll say that you were the one who was smoking and I just got second-hand smoke from sitting next to you. They'll believe it. It's like you said, you look more like a smoker than me."

"You do that and I'll deny it."

"Like anyone will believe you."

"Will anyone believe you?"

"Touché. Can I still have that gum?"

"Sure." Tomoko went to retrieve her school bag and brought back an assortment of chewing gum. The chewing gum was the girls' favorite brand, Cheeky Chiaki. "I've got Tomato Paste, Snowy Fuji-san, Regal Delight, and Black Licorice."

"...? What kind of weird gum do you chew? The only normal sounding one is Black Licorice and that's the worst candy ever created."

"Don't be picky. Do you want some or not?"

"Fine. Fine. I assume Snowy Fuji-san is minty, right? Give me that." Tomoko handed her the chewing gum, and then picked out one for herself. Royal Delight. The girls then unwrapped their gum pieces and began chewing them. "...!" Tsukasa was surprised at the taste. "That's so minty! It feels like my mouth is going to freeze!"

Tomoko began to speak, while her gum was still in her mouth. "Yeah, that one's only enjoyed by the purest mint lovers. It's not for the faint of heart who only need to cover up bad breath." Then she returned to chewing. "You should've picked Royal Delight. Then your breath would smell like chicken and caviar."

"...? Is that seriously what that gum tastes like? Where the hell did you get this weird gum?"

"It's my favorite brand. It's not really that popular though."

"I can't imagine why."

"..." The girls kept chewing their gum for a few minutes before they stopped and spit it out in their wrappers.

"Thanks for the gum," said Tsukasa.

"Don't mention it."

Tsukasa scoffed. "You know you really are a hothead, but you're not nearly as bad as people think you are."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You can actually be pretty mellow when you want to be. You should act like this around others too. You might make some friends that way."

"You're one to talk, Ice Queen. You walk around like you're better than everyone else and that you can't be bothered to care about anyone but yourself."

"Huh. Is that really how people see me?"

"You didn't know?"

"Not a clue. It's not that I don't care about anyone else, it's that I don't have the time to care about others. I have too much to worry about already."

"Like what?"

"Don't pry, we're not there yet."

"Not there yet? That means you want to talk more?"

"Maybe. Don't read into things. But I wouldn't mind us hanging out like this again." Tsukasa got up off the ground and collected her things. "You're Kurosaki from Class 1-B, right?"

Tomoko nodded. "Yep, that's me. Kikumori from Class 1-A?"

"That would be me."

"..." The girls were silent at first. For a few moments they simply stared at each other, until Tsukasa turned to leave.

"Wait!" Tomoko exclaimed.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have anywhere to be after school?"

"I was going to head straight home, why?"

"If you're interested, I can show you where I get the weird gum. Only a few stores in the country actually carry it. One of them happens to be in Akiba."

"I try not to set foot in that otaku black hole unless absolutely necessary, but why not? I'll meet you at the front gate after classes are over. Don't keep me waiting." Then Tsukasa turned to leave again. Tomoko could see a faint smile on her face.

"Sure, I'll see you then," Tomoko replied. She was smiling as well.

After that brief exchange that one day in between classes, Tomoko and Tsukasa started hanging out more and more, until they became practically inseparable. For the next two years of their high school careers, they were placed in the same class and got even closer. Neither of the girls ever had a real friend before, so you could say that they were making up for lost time with one another. While growing closer with Tsukasa, Tomoko learned about her friend's troubling family circumstances and vowed to help her with whatever she needed. The two girls also discovered that they had a shared love for mysteries and true crime, and even made a mystery research club at school. Though they were the only real members of it. Even after graduating from high school, the two friends remained together through university and enrolling into the police academy. Their friendship continued on until that fateful day where Tomoko was forced to resign as a police officer.

"I…I'm so sorry," I said when Tomoko's story was over.

Tomoko sighed. "It's kind of funny, you know? I was so mad at her for the last two years that I kind of blocked out all of the good times we shared, but now that she's gone, all the memories I kept blocked are rushing back to me."

"..." I sighed. "I know how badly you're feeling right now. I lost a good friend too when I was still in high school, and a few years after that, both of my parents died in an accident. It takes time, and even then the pain doesn't completely go away, but it does get better. Trust me on this. You're going to get through this."

Tomoko seemed to be on the verge of tears, but she put on a brave face and stopped herself from crying. "Thank you, Kibou."

"You don't have to keep thanking me. I haven't really done anything yet. Are you okay with answering a few more questions?"

"..." Tomoko silently nodded.

Talking Topics

Resignation

Mokuto Kikumori

Pick Option One.

"I know it may be a bit of a sore subject, but can you tell me more about the circumstances regarding your resignation and your fall out with Detective Kikumori?" I asked.

Tomoko sighed. "If you really think it will help, okay." Tomoko looked down at the floor for a few moments, contemplating the best way to explain everything. Then when she was satisfied with her answer, she began to speak. "A year after our graduation from the Met police academy, Tsu-chan and I were working our way to detective rank in Public Safety. We both had our eyes on Criminal Affairs as it was our dream to solve real-life mysteries. Around that same time, someone really close to the both of us got hurt." A flash of anger overtook her face. "The person who hurt her was this piece of garbage who was rumored to have done the same thing to a lot of other girls. Only no one could do anything about him because he was related to one of the Top Brass in the Met. Because of his connections, no one was even going to investigate the allegations. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting away with it, so I did everything in my power to make sure he was punished. But I wasn't even a detective yet, so there wasn't really much I could do besides tail him and inform the public to keep an eye out for him. In the end, I was accused of stalking and harassment and was forced to keep my distance from him. But I just couldn't let it go. I sought him out one last time and I threatened him in no uncertain terms. I told him that if he ever hurt any girl ever again, I would kill him."

"...!" I was shocked by Tomoko's anger. 'But if I was in her shoes, I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing.'

Tomoko looked distraught as she continued the story. "The next day I found out that the same piece of garbage I threatened was beaten half to death and put in a coma. Because of my history with him, the Brass automatically thought that I had something to do with it. I pleaded my case and told them that I didn't do it, but they didn't believe me. Worse yet, there was a witness to me threatening the piece of garbage. As you might have guessed, the witness was Tsu-chan. There wasn't any other evidence tying me to the assault though, so I couldn't be prosecuted for the crime. But there was no evidence that proved my innocence either, so that left me in a sort of legal limbo. They wanted to punish me, but couldn't through normal means. They made it clear that if I didn't resign without my benefits that they would make my life a living hell until the day I retired. I contemplated sticking it out, just to prove to those assholes that I wasn't afraid of their threats, but then I thought about Tsu-chan. She couldn't even look me in the eye as she threw me under the bus. I started to wonder if she thought that I really did do it, and I…I just couldn't take that feeling. My best friend in the entire world didn't believe me? That made me even more pissed off than the BS allegations, so I quit. I left the Met behind and never looked back. Good riddance anyway." Tomoko shook her head. "I don't want to be a part of an organization that protects pieces of garbage."

"And you didn't speak to Detective Kikumori for two years after that?" I asked.

Tomoko shook her head. "She tried to reach out at first, but those attempts only lasted for about a month before she left me alone. She became a homicide detective in Criminal Affairs shortly after that. For all I know that might've been a payoff for turning on me. Then I heard she moved over to Internal Affairs a few months after that. As for me, I got my private investigator license and opened up my own P.I. agency." She sighed again. "For so long after that, I didn't trust anyone. Not even my clients. I was so afraid of getting betrayed again that I closed myself off."

"But then things changed?"

Tomoko nodded. "Yeah, they did. Someone trusted me when they didn't have to, and it started to make the sting of betrayal go away. So when Tsu-chan came to me two weeks ago to ask for my help, I decided to forgive her and try to mend the fence."

"...! You mean me? The arson case at Naruhodou Hall? That's what inspired you?"

Tomoko looked at me and smiled. "When you trusted me and my theories, and helped me close the case, it really meant a lot. No one's shown me that much kindness in years. It made me realize that it was petty to let one grudge ruin my relationship with my best friend. So I guess that's another reason why I should thank you. You convinced me to let Tsu-chan back into my life. Even if it was just for a little while, I don't regret it."

"..." I didn't know what to say.

Talking Topics

Mokuto Kikumori

Pick Only Option.

"Just one more question. The girl who got hurt in your story. The one who was important to you and Detective Kikumori. That girl was Mokuto-chan, right?"

"...!" Tomoko went pale. "Please, don't. Just leave her out of this."

I shook my head. "Kurosaki-san, I can't leave anything to chance. I have to know. Odds are the Prosecution already knows the whole story. I need you to tell me everything. Please, trust me."

"..." Tomoko silently looked down at the floor. "Moku-chan was so sweet. The day I met her, she immediately clung to me and said: "Welcome to the family, Tomo-nee."," She smiled lightly. "Tsu-chan and Moku-chan's parents died really young and they were raised by their grandmother up until Tsu-chan graduated from university. Then their grandmother passed away too. After that Tsu-chan became Moku-chan's legal guardian, and I helped them with whatever they needed. Moku-chan always treated me like I was her other older sister. When I met Hinata-chan back at that trial, she reminded me so much of Moku-chan. She used to smile all the time."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Tomoko frowned. "I told you already. That piece of garbage hurt her. She brought him home one day, claiming that they were dating. She seemed so happy, and he seemed so nice. Then about a week later, Moku-chan refused to leave her room. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't speak, all she would do was sleep. Tsu-chan and I noticed several bruises and wounds on her body, and that's when we knew something horrible had happened. We found out who it was who hurt her, and…well you know the rest."

"I see." I felt bile build up in my stomach. 'From the sound of it, the bastard got what was coming to him,' I thought to myself. I took a deep breath to calm down and then I continued to talk. "Do you know what happened to Mokuto-chan after you cut ties with Detective Kikumori?"

"I asked Tsu-chan about her once after we started talking again. She said that as soon as I left, she started talking again. She mainly asked about where I was and when I was coming home. Apparently Mokuto-chan tried going to school again a little after that, but she just couldn't gather the courage to set foot outside of their house. I was actually helping with payments so they moved shortly after that to the apartment complex. But I don't think they're living together anymore, at least she never mentioned they were. She seemed upset, so I didn't push the issue after that."

"Hmm," I muttered. I thought about the crime scene. There was only one bedroom, and none of the items in the apartment seemed like they would belong to a teenage girl. If Tomoko was right, and the Kikumori sisters weren't living together anymore, then where was Mokuto? "It looked like only one person was living in that apartment. Do you have any idea where Mokuto-chan might be? Even if she doesn't know anything, I'd like to talk to her, just to tell her that you're okay."

Tomoko shook her head. "I never asked and Tsu-chan never told me. If they live separately now, I assume she would have to be someplace close by. From what little Tsu-chan told me, it sounds like Moku-chan still has trouble going outside."

'Where could she be?' I asked myself. 'I wonder if the police know. I might ask Detective Tatsuki the next time I see him.'

I checked the clock and saw that visiting hours were almost over. We had been talking for a long time. "It's almost time for me to go. Thank you for answering all of my questions. You were a big help," I said.

"Do you have a better idea about what happened to Tsu-chan now?" Tomoko asked.

"Well both of the scenarios we proposed sound promising, but I can't help but think that the corruption angle is still our strongest lead. But there's still little to no evidence of their involvement, and not having another suspect at the ready isn't very helpful. I think the only thing we can do tomorrow is point out any contradiction we can and see what new evidence and theories appear. I'm going to go back to the office and go over my notes to prepare for tomorrow. Unfortunately, you're going to have to spend another night here. Are you okay with that?"

Tomoko nodded. "I'll be fine. I know I'm not going to be here forever. I believe in you." She seemed very supportive at first, but then she added a snarky comment at the end. "So don't make me lose my faith by doing a crummy job tomorrow like in your first trial."

"Come on now, I'm just new to this. Saying I'm crummy is a little harsh. Besides, the Professor's free now, isn't he?"

"By some miracle, yes he is. Just do better, okay?"

I nodded. "I'll fight tooth and nail for you, I promise."

Tomoko smiled. "That's all I wanted to hear. Good night, Kibou. See you tomorrow."

"Good night," I replied. Then I collected my things and exited the Visitor's Room.

Thus ended my first official investigation. It could have gone a little better, but it was a good first start nonetheless. Another suspect had not yet presented themself, but I was sure that Tomoko Kurosaki could not have killed Detective Kikumori. Whether her death was related to the mysterious group JUDGMENT, a targeted robbery, or even something else, I didn't yet know. But I wasn't going to stop. I was going to save Tomoko and uncover the truth.

To Be Continued…