Tokyo: Are you even a proper lawyer?

After leaving the Shiodome Sanatorium, Masashi Akiyama and Rio Arimura wandered through the dark alleys until they stepped back onto a street with streetlights, at which point they slowed their pace slightly.

"Attorney Akiyama," Rio Arimura couldn't help but speak up, "what should we do next? If Dr. Kobayashi's words are true, then Ms. Nagai is completely innocent! This is a conspiracy against her! We should immediately investigate the vice president and the head of security! And the backgrounds of those three patients, especially the family of Nakamura Tatsuya, who is said to have connections!"

Masashi Akiyama did not answer immediately; after a moment, he asked a question in return.

"Arimura, after hearing Dr. Kobayashi's story, what do you think? Do you completely believe him?"

"I..." Rio Arimura paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

"I think what he said is very likely true! The pain and remorse he showed when mentioning Nurse Imai didn't seem faked, and his logic makes sense! How could Ms. Nagai have committed murder in that state? It's obvious someone used the time she went to get her medication to frame her! The hospital management had every motive to do this to cover up the scandal and potential responsibility! Even... even Nurse Imai's death might actually be suspicious! We can't let innocent people be wronged and let the real culprits go unpunished!"

Her tone grew increasingly agitated, and her face flushed with a sense of justice.

Masashi Akiyama was all too familiar with this state of hers; Rio Arimura possessed a strong, almost naive, sense of justice.

This makes her easily moved by the narratives of the vulnerable, and once she emotionally leans towards believing one side, she unconsciously accepts their entire version of events and immediately transforms it into motivation for action.

This is both her strength and her weakness.

Driven by emotions, she loses her objective judgment and ignores logical flaws.

"Dr. Kobayashi's remorse may be genuine, and his feelings for Nurse Imai may also be real. However, Arimura, lawyers cannot rely solely on feelings to construct defense strategies, nor can they place the fate of their clients entirely on the one-sided testimony of another witness," said Masashi Akiyama.

He stopped and looked at Rio Arimura: "There are several obvious logical problems in Dr. Kobayashi's story. First, he violated regulations by prescribing medication for his fiancée and having an intern nurse retrieve it using a backup password, which is a major professional stain. While his willingness to tell us could be interpreted as wanting to save Miyuki Nagai, it could also be to seize the right to interpret the situation before the truth is revealed, or simply to muddy the waters."

"Second, he claimed that someone took advantage of the time when Miyuki Nagai was picking up her medicine to steal the medicine and frame her. So, who has the ability to accurately grasp this time? Who has the key to the dispensing room or the skill to pick locks? Who can silently administer the medicine to three patients in different wards without being detected? This requires deep cooperation from insiders or extremely sophisticated methods of committing the crime."

"Third, regarding the speculation about silencing witnesses, if it was to cover up the truth about the riot, why only kill those three patients? What about the other patients and nurses who were present at the time? If the management really had such connections that they could orchestrate a series of poisonings, why didn't they also deal with Miyuki Nagai, instead of leaving her, who seems to be the most direct 'culprit', alive?"

A series of questions cooled down Rio Arimura's feverish mind a little.

She opened her mouth to refute, but found that Akiyama Masashi's doubts were indeed reasonable.

"Then... what should we do?"

"We need more information." Masashi Akiyama started walking again. "Tomorrow, I'll go see Miyuki Nagai again."

"Go see her again?" Rio Arimura looked up in surprise. "But... Attorney Akiyama, didn't we just see her during the day? She completely refused to communicate! She wouldn't say anything when we asked her anything, like a wooden doll. If we go again, will she even open her mouth?"

"I know," Akiyama Masashi said, "but there are some things that only Nagai Miyuki, the person directly involved, knows."

Rio Arimura nodded, seemingly understanding.

The following afternoon, at the Metropolitan Police Department detention center, in the same visiting room.

Miyuki Nagai was brought in again.

She was wearing the same blue prison uniform, still with her head down and her steps unsteady, as if she were an empty shell from which her soul had been ripped away.

She was escorted by the police to sit down on a chair, her hands still on her knees, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, her knuckles turning an unhealthy pale from the excessive force.

Throughout the entire process, she never once looked up at Masashi Akiyama across the glass.

Masashi Akiyama came alone today, but unlike yesterday, he didn't immediately start asking questions; he simply looked at her quietly.

Time ticked by in silence, a silence more oppressive than any questioning.

Miyuki Nagai wasn't completely oblivious; her body involuntarily tensed up, and even her breathing became shallower and more rapid. Yet, she kept her head firmly up, as if a terrifying beast would suddenly pounce out of the shadows and tear her apart if she raised it.

Masashi Akiyama knew that conventional questioning was no longer effective with Miyuki Nagai.

Her mental world may have been partially closed off due to immense trauma and stimulation; to open that gap, we need to reach her core more directly.

Unfortunately, Masashi Akiyama currently has no information on this matter.

But it's okay, he has other ways.

Masashi Akiyama placed his hands flat on the cold tabletop, leaned forward slightly, and tried to look into Miyuki Nagai's downcast eyes.

He used the abilities of the Deduction Joker.

"Look, you're sitting here, and I'm sitting here too."

"so……"

Miyuki Nagai's body, which had been as stiff as a stone statue, suddenly trembled almost imperceptibly.

Her empty eyes, which seemed to be covered with a thick layer of dust, suddenly blinked very slightly.

Then, she slowly raised her head.

Miyuki Nagai's gaze passed over the cold glass and landed on Masashi Akiyama's face.

Her lips moved very slightly.

"so……"

"So...you also...like Junko-neechan?"

Akiyama Masana was inwardly turbulent, but he still nodded expressionlessly.

"Yes," he said.

"Very good."

Miyuki Nagai showed the first expression Masashi Akiyama had ever had since they met; she finally smiled happily.

"That's great," she said.

"So you'll protect Junko-neechan with me too, right?"

"Of course." Masashi Akiyama nodded again.

"Then, can Junko-neechan and I trust you?" Nagai Miyuki continued to ask.

"Of course you can. You can always trust me. In fact, that's why I came here," Masashi Akiyama replied.

Miyuki Nagai gazed at Masashi Akiyama for a long time, then a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

"So..."

she says.

"I'm going to tell you a secret..."