Chapter 0006: The First Case is Solved

Chapter 0006: The First Case is Solved

Once the five-minute window passed, Inspector Megure and the others felt a sense of clarity as the effects of the beginner-level illusion array disappeared.

Inspector Megure glanced at his wristwatch. "Ah, we've been on the scene for quite a while now. It's about time we wrapped up. Daisuke, please bring out Ikezawa Yuko-san and Yoko-san. You both will need to come to the station for further questioning."

The bathroom door creaked open, and Ikezawa Yuko emerged. Her eyes were red, her face carrying lingering traces of emotion, although covered by foundation. She leaned against the wall, unconsciously rubbing her stomach.

"Yuko-san, are you alright?" Inspector Megure asked with concern.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I just slipped and fell in the bathroom," Ikezawa Yuko replied. Her gaze shifted toward Kogoro, and her entire body trembled, though no one else noticed.

Kogoro looked at Yuko with a faint, knowing smile.

"If you're fine, Yuko-san, then please come with us to the station for questioning," Megure said.

Ikezawa Yuko involuntarily glanced at Kogoro again. Kogoro smiled back at her and spoke. "Please wait a moment, Inspector Megure. I believe I’ve figured out the truth behind this case."

"Kogoro, you can't be serious! If you knew, why didn’t you say something earlier?" Inspector Megure exclaimed, overjoyed, as he grabbed Kogoro’s arm.

Kogoro casually freed himself from Megure's grip and stepped closer to Yoko. "Yoko-san, you lied, didn’t you? You know the deceased."

Yoko remained silent, her gaze meeting Kogoro's sharp eyes.

Inspector Megure immediately imagined a dramatic revelation. "Someone, detain Yoko-san!"

Kogoro turned back toward him. "Inspector Megure, you're jumping to conclusions too quickly. Yoko-san isn’t the killer. But she does know the victim."

Yamagishi You interjected. "Detective, whose side are you on? There’s no way we know the victim."

"Yoko-san, trust me. I’ll prove your innocence, but first, you need to tell me the truth. Please believe in me," Kogoro said, looking resolutely at Yoko. Nearby, Yuko’s jealousy burned intensely.

'You shameless detective,' Ikezawa Yuko thought bitterly. 'After what we did in the bathroom, you’re turning around to defend Yoko? How dare you!'

Yamagishi attempted to maintain his composure. "Inspector Megure, I’ve already contacted my company’s lawyer. Until they arrive, I won’t say another word."

"Senpai, please stop," Yoko interrupted. She looked up. "Detective Mouri, it’s true. I know the victim."

The room fell into an uproar. Yamagishi looked disheartened, the officers were stunned, and Kogoro stood with a confident expression.

"He was my boyfriend in high school, Fujie Akira. After we graduated, we broke up. I never imagined he’d die here today," Yoko explained, tears streaming down her face.

Kogoro handed her a handkerchief. "Yoko-san, there’s no need to cry over a man who committed suicide. He only sought to ruin you." He subtly touched the evidence in his pocket. 'Not only to ruin you but to enslave you for eternity, to drain you of everything.'

Inspector Megure frowned. "Suicide? That’s impossible, Kogoro. Are you joking?"

"It’s true," Kogoro replied calmly. "Yoko-san had asked me to investigate who had been stalking her recently. As it turns out, the one spying on her was him." Kogoro pointed to the corpse on the floor.

Inspector Megure grew impatient. "If the victim committed suicide, how could he stab himself in the back? That’s utterly impossible! Kogoro, stop messing around."

His stern gaze swept over Yoko, Yamagishi, and Yuko, pausing on Yuko’s suspicious demeanor. Years of experience told him there was something off about her. However, before he could think further, Kogoro interrupted.

"But what if an ice block and a knife were involved? This suicide method is entirely feasible."

The room fell silent as Kogoro’s words shattered the fog of doubt.

Without further explanation, Kogoro gently helped Yoko to her feet. "Yoko-san, there’s no need to feel guilty. None of this is your fault. After you graduated, you both went your separate ways. You, a young and beautiful talent, entered the entertainment industry and thrived. He, on the other hand, lived an ordinary life, eating junk food and becoming overweight. Bitterness consumed him."

Kogoro glanced at the lifeless body on the floor. "The fond memories of youth turned into venom. Seeing Yoko-san’s radiant presence on TV, Fujie Akira grew envious and resentful. Why had their lives diverged so drastically? His jealousy festered."

"Unable to bear it any longer, he became Yoko-san’s stalker. Watching her every move, he hoped to reconcile with her. If I’m not mistaken, Yoko-san, you’ve rejected him before, haven’t you?"

Yoko gasped. "So it was him! During the Golden Music Festival, a fan came on stage to confess to me. I didn’t recognize him at the time. He’d changed so much."

Kogoro’s gaze was piercing. "And so, everything unfolded. Rejected and hopeless, Fujie Akira snuck into Yoko-san’s home, fixed a knife into a block of ice, set the air conditioning to high, and stood on a chair before falling backward to his ****."

"He sought to leave the most gruesome scene possible, ensuring Yoko-san could never forget him. Moreover, his twisted mind aimed to drag her into despair, tarnishing her reputation."

"The high temperature of the air conditioning caused the ice to melt, leaving a puddle of water behind."

Inspector Megure’s eyes lit up as he listened to the deduction. Such a method was indeed

[plausible.

At

](http://plausible.At) that moment, an officer entered hastily. "Inspector Megure, the victim’s identity has been confirmed. His name was Fujie Akira, 22 years old, a graduate of Kohnan High School, the same school as Yoko-san. He was employed at Kakuho Corporation."

With this revelation, the truth was evident. Inspector Megure sighed as he glanced at the still-crying Yoko. He called for the officers to wrap up the scene.