Chapter 299: Deduce the Cause from the Result

The case still concluded with Takahashi Ryoichi as the murderer.

However, Takahashi Ryoichi, the murderer, was carefully transferred to Beika Experimental Hospital.

While this was a formal hospital, it also specialized in professional research on various new diseases.

The moment Takahashi Ryoichi was brought in, all the renowned doctors at the hospital gathered for a consultation.

"Strange... really strange..."

After connecting him to instruments, a comprehensive and meticulous examination was conducted on Takahashi Ryoichi's body, revealing that he was on the verge of death.

"It's truly strange. This person's physical condition doesn't resemble that of a normal 25-year-old at all. It's as if he has the body of a 70-year-old."

After completing a detailed examination, an old doctor with decades of medical experience confirmed the results.

"Teacher, please take a look at his cells!"

The old doctor immediately walked over to his student and took the student's place at the microscope.

"Strange. The aging cells are still dividing rapidly?"

There is a limit to how many times a person's cells can divide, yet Takahashi Ryoichi's body exhibited unusual behavior.

Despite his body already showing signs of aging, the cells continued to divide rapidly—at a speed completely outside the normal range.

After some time, the cells under the microscope began accelerating their death rate along with the division rate.

It was like a death process occurring at the cellular level.

The old doctor found the subject's physical state extremely unusual, to the point of being abnormal. The natural laws of cell division didn't seem to apply, as if the process was caught in fast forward.

"Strange..."

Looking up from the microscope, the old doctor stared at the heavily monitored Takahashi Ryoichi with a perplexed expression.

"With the cells dividing so rapidly they're self-destructing, how is this person still maintaining even the minimum level of vital signs?"

Judging by the self-destructive speed of the cells' division, the old doctor was nearly certain the host should already be dead.

Yet the instruments clearly showed Takahashi Ryoichi was still alive, albeit with barely detectable signs of life.

It was extremely bizarre.

The old doctor glanced at the surrounding physicians, who all nodded.

"We got the same result."

"Under normal circumstances, this man should be dead. But his physical constitution is strange. The division of cells slows down inside his body, but once removed, the cells undergo geometric self-division, accelerating death."

The old doctor nodded slightly, then spoke decisively.

"Then, let's begin. While he's still alive."

"Understood."

All the doctors on-site immediately began their experiments and research.

The subject, of course, was Takahashi Ryoichi—who could be called a living corpse in nearly every sense.

At the same time, Sato Miwako of the Metropolitan Police Department was investigating what had happened in the university drama club Takahashi Ryoichi was part of two years ago.

The name Tokumoto Atsuko appeared before her.

"Tokumoto Atsuko… According to records from that time, she committed suicide."

On the surface, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. What Sato Miwako needed to understand was the reason behind the suicide.

But there were no detailed clues explaining it.

Was it because the case had been closed, so no one spent too much time on it?

But then why did Takahashi Ryoichi believe Tokumoto Atsuko had been murdered?

Sato Miwako flipped through the relevant files and records.

The comments about Tokumoto Atsuko were generally positive, even from members of the same club.

For example, Ota Masaru—one of the two victims in this case—had different views. He worked in editing like Chikako, but didn't believe Atsuko fit the club.

And Kakutani Hiroki noted, "She writes good stories, but forgets these are stage plays. The large scenes in her scripts aren't suitable for a small student-organized stage. We can't ask Miss Ayako to pay for everything, right? That goes against the purpose of our drama club."

The two victims acknowledged the quality of Atsuko's writing, but criticized the scale of her work.

Sato Miwako held her chin thoughtfully.

These two didn't speak ill of Atsuko directly, but it was clear that her standing in the club was low, likely because her scripts weren't adopted.

If Suzuki Ayako's funding was still required, it would've been difficult to produce Atsuko's grand-scale stories.

But the club was formed with the intent to remain self-sufficient. Accepting Ayako's financial support would've violated that purpose. Otherwise, if the club changed its name, it would lose its original intent...

It was a youthful ideal. Two years later, those same people probably wouldn't think that way anymore.

Sato Miwako was certain that the two victims in this case must have had regrets, especially after seeing the fruits of their efforts two years later.

So what triggered Atsuko's suicide?

Sato Miwako searched the materials thoroughly for clues.

The two victims didn't have close relationships with Atsuko. They were simply fellow club members. Since Atsuko wasn't good at socializing, she was merely on nodding terms with them.

She wouldn't have committed suicide over two acquaintances she barely knew.

Likewise, it wasn't Suzuki Ayako. This lady led a satisfactory life, had a gentle personality, and treated people well. Her relationship with Atsuko was even better than a casual acquaintance.

The only remaining possibility was Chikako Ikeda, another screenwriter.

Let's look into Chikako's profile.

Back in college, she was also a well-known figure in the club. Her plays were well-received, and she collaborated on scripts with many theater troupes.

Sato Miwako studied the records carefully and noticed that, unlike her peers, Chikako had clearer goals.

She turned her hobby into a career early and began cultivating her path even during her school years.

Before graduation, she published a story called Blue Kingdom under a publishing house.

The story leaned toward fantasy. Unlike the stage plays Chikako was known for, this one seemed like a grand narrative that wouldn't work well on stage.

From the results alone, Sato Miwako deduced the cause.

Blue Kingdom belonged to Tokumoto Atsuko! Chikako had stolen that story, which led to Atsuko's suicide!

The problem lies with Chikako. Takahashi Ryoichi's first intended target for revenge was actually Chikako!

...Wait!

Just as she was about to pick up the phone and contact Ren, Miwako Sato hesitated.

Does he already know?

That single question caused Sato Miwako to stop herself from dialing. Instead, she continued her investigation.

(To be continued.)

***

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