Episode 0 - Chain Mail - Part 9 - Alt. Route

 Check the last part for some alternative dialogue as well!

"That was a prank."

That was the conclusion we chose, to deny the chain mail and ignore it. Now, we'll see the consequences of this action and the changes that come with it.

"Thank you for your hard work"

After dealing with that day's work, I headed home.

It was a sleepless night. I was suddenly tempted by a feeling of sleepiness, but once I crawled into bed and tried to sleep, I would be unable to fall into slumber.

Even though my body was in a sleeping position, my head was strangely alert. It was as if my thinking and bodily functions were separated.

I wanted to have a beer for my nightcap [A drink taken before sleeping.], so I tried to wake my lying body.

Huh? This is strange. I can't move my body. No matter how much my brain tries to command my limbs, they refuse to listen to me at all.

That's not all. As I became confused by this sudden change, it gradually became difficult to breathe.

Wait. It's not just difficult to breathe. I can't breathe at all.

I can't breathe in or out.

Sleep paralysis--- It was the answer my confused brain came up with to explain this unknown experience.

I have heard that sleep paralysis can be scientifically explained as a fatigue-induced physiological phenomenon.

Yeah, I am tired. I told myself that to shake off the uneasiness that was nagging at the back of my mind.

"Erisa Hattori..." I heard someone whisper in my ear.

Unfortunately, I live alone. I have no lover that would whisper in my ear. [ok?]

"The killer is Erisa Hattori..." I knew intuitively whose voice it was. It's that woman. For the sake of argument, I have to accept that much.

But why is that woman next to my bed now, whispering in my ear...!?

"See you tomorrow, I'll call you..." Wait! Who are you!? I cried out in a muffled voice.

I saw something in my temporary state of consciousness, neither a dream nor an illusion. Something I should have never seen---

Fear beyond my limits took me on a journey into a distant unconscious world...

The screen suddenly blacks out.

The next day---

Was what happened last night just a dream...?

The same old police building brought me, who could not shake off my doubts, back to the real world.

I heard a rumor that if you don't get sleep paralysis by the age of 20, you'll never experience it after that. That rumor has been proved wrong.

The next time she calls me, I'll try listening to her story again.

And believe her...

I'll say it now that it's not because I'm afraid. It's because of my sense of duty as a detective.

Alright, let me put a quick disclaimer: Some of the following dialogue will be the same as in the other route, but there are some big changes between them, so I'll put all of it here.

Inspector Indou is glued to the TV, watching a talk show. Mr. Kogure, despite not being good at it, is diligently doing desk work. Everyday life is the same as usual.

However, my heart is restless. When will I get a call from her again? I keep thinking about it.

Mr. Kogure gave me a fleeting glance. He seems to be interested in the woman on the phone too.

A ringtone suddenly sounds.

The moment I heard my phone ring, I picked up my phone by conditioned reflex. On the LCD screen was "Withheld Number".

I paused, caught my breath, and answered the phone. "Hello?"

??? - "...Hello..."

Same voice as yesterday's call. There's no doubt. It's her.

??? - "...If you leave it like this, another woman will be killed again soon..."

Following yesterday's accusation, now she comes with a criminal notice.

Even if that was true, how could she know that? A simple question arises.

I...

                     >Ask "Who are you?" 済

                    ⬢  >Point out "The culprit is you!"

The kanji in red means "already", showing the already chosen option, which is pretty helpful. Now, to truly start the alternative route, we also have to choose the second option. So let's do it.

                    ⬢  >Point out "The culprit is you!"

"The culprit is you!" I accused her with a strong tone of voice.

I don't know exactly who she is, but I'm sure she's close to the killer.

I might get some unexpected information by shaking things up.

"Me, the culprit? That's funny. Are you trying to provoke me? Or are you seriously suspicious?"

Frankly, she's still in a gray area. Even if I tried to trust her, her words alone aren't enough.

I think I should take the plunge and meet her here. I need to ask for more information.

"Um, how about meeting right now? I would like to hear more of your story." I cut straight to the point. [Awkwardly.]

"Eh...?" An exclamation of surprise escaped her mouth.

Maybe she didn't expect the police to take serious action.

"I still can't believe your words 100%."

"But that's why I'd like to meet with you, so I could hear the full story, please...!" These were my honest feelings.

After a long silence, she decidedly answered.

"...Alright. Where should we go?"

Last time, this was where we got the Inference Logic tutorial, but since we had already seen it, they just skipped it altogether.

In a family restaurant not far from the MPD, we were waiting for the lady on the phone.

Mr. Kogure looks a little annoyed as he looks at the watch wrapped around his thick arm.

"Sir. Is the suspect coming?"

The appointed time was 1:00 PM, she's already 40 minutes late.

"The suspect, you say... Mr. Kogure, we still don't know anything about her, do we?"

"No! But anyone who lies about Miyuki-chan deserves to be arrested!"

That would be abuse of authority.

"Now now, Mr. Kogure, let's wait a little longer."

"Yes, sir..."

Mr. Kogure's expression looks exactly as if he was trying to push himself to endure.

We arrived 15 minutes before the meeting. So I can understand Mr. Kogure's feeling, considering we've been waiting for almost an hour.

"...!!" Mr. Kogure's expression turned pale as he looked at me, and small tremors shook his huge body.

"Um..." A woman's voice echoes from behind me.

When I turned around, a lone woman was standing there. Her black hair was tied up behind her neat features.

Although she was clearly beautiful, she doesn't seem to be a suspect fitting for Mr. Kogure's "Miyuki Kawahara's rival theory".

She's probably no older than 30, but with all due respect, I think she is beyond the proper age to be an idol.

 "Um, are you Mr. Kazami?"

 "Yes." I gave a short answer and showed my ID to prove I was a real police officer.

 "So you really were a policeman, huh?" It seems she was very skeptical until now.

Anyway, she did show up.

We decided to enter the family restaurant and listen to her story there.

This establishment is rather large for a restaurant in a prime location in Tokyo.

Restaurant Staff - "Welcome, is it only you two?"

 "Eh? No, we're three people." I guess he couldn't see her because she was hidden behind Mr. Kogure's large build.

As soon as we sat down, a waiter brought us water and towels. I ordered three coffees and went straight to the point.

 "Well then, let's introduce ourselves again. I'm Kazami. This is Detective Kogure."

"...{Nao Hayashi}." After responding with a completely unadorned answer, she grimly pressed her right eye, as if a contact lens had slipped out of place.

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she replied, this time with a little embellishment,

"I'm sorry. My eyes are a little tired."

While staring at her, I involuntarily averted my gaze. Her deep black eyes that seemed to see through me are very striking.

"Sir. Let's hurry up and interrogate her." Mr. Kogure whispered into my ear at a barely noticeable volume.

"That detective to your side seems suspicious of me. But, by now you must know. The true identity of the culprit..."

In response to the provocative words she spun, I asked---

       >Who are you?

                   ⬢ >You're the culprit, aren't you?

I'll end it here today since this is currently the best place to do it. Next post we'll continue until the next Self-question segment though, so it won't be as short as this one.

Anyway, see you then!