Chapter 17: Moonlight Sonata Plan

That afternoon, on the sea heading toward Tsukikage Island, a ferry was sailing through the thick mist.

Amid the blaring sound of the foghorn, Fujino stood at the bow of the ship in his black vest suit, letting the sea breeze wash over him, lost deep in thought.

Just around noon, after accepting the mission, 500,000 yen suddenly appeared in his system account.

It wasn't hard to guess—it was definitely from that "mysterious person" who had commissioned him to investigate the truth behind Keiji Asou's death.

Originally, he had planned to head to Tsukikage Island the next day.

But after asking around at the docks, Fujino learned from the boatman that the ferry to Tsukikage Island only operated once every two days, so he hurriedly boarded the boat.

After all, if he missed this one, he'd have to wait another two days.

The system mission had a three-day deadline. If he didn't get on the ferry today, he'd only have one day left once he arrived. There wouldn't be nearly enough time to complete the mission.

As for school, he had already called Hiratsuka Shizuka to report that he was safe.

That woman might be a bit reckless, with an impressively thick heart muscle, but when it came to genuinely caring for her students, she had no equal.

After learning that Fujino was taking leave, she used brute force to intimidate a certain school nurse into issuing him a long-term medical leave note.

He could return whenever he wanted—as long as it wasn't too outrageous, it was fine.

In terms of handling matters, that woman's methods were indeed quite similar to Fujino's.

Honestly, Fujino even felt a faint sense of gratitude for her care.

It was just… a bit too violent.

Tsukikage Island Village Police Station.

After getting off the ferry, Fujino didn't run around asking questions at the village office like that idiot Mouri usually would.

Instead, he went to the island's small police station and struck up a casual conversation with the elderly policeman stationed there.

During their chat, so as not to raise suspicion, Fujino disguised himself as a music major university student visiting Tsukikage Island on a pilgrimage to trace the footsteps of the famous musician Keiji Asou.

Mentioning Keiji Asou, once the pride of Tsukikage Island, even the elderly policeman lifted his head proudly and began recounting the man's past achievements.

Keiji Asou was born on Tsukikage Island and made his name around the world. By the time he was in his late thirties, he had already become one of the top performers internationally, the pride of everyone on the island.

But twelve years ago, tragedy struck. After returning to Tsukikage Island to hold a concert, Keiji Asou locked himself in his house after the performance, set a fire, and burned himself alive.

Before that, he had stabbed his family to death with a knife, then sat helplessly at his piano, playing a piece until he was burned alive—leaving behind only a sheet of music locked in his safe.

By the end of the story, the pride in the old policeman's eyes had faded into regret as he let out a long sigh.

Just as Keiji Asou perished in the flames, the island's future also fell into a stagnant darkness…

When Fujino heard about the sheet music, his heart stirred, and he immediately asked if he could pay his respects to Keiji Asou's remaining score.

Naturally, the old policeman agreed.

That afternoon, in a hotel on Tsukikage Island.

"This makes things much easier…"

Fujino flipped through the photos of the sheet music he had taken with his phone, a faint smile curling at his lips.

Although he couldn't read musical notation, he knew exactly what that sheet contained.

This musical score documented the criminal evidence and member list of the drug trafficking organization that once operated on Tsukikage Island.

The current village chief, Tatsuji Kuroiwa; the island's wealthiest man, Hideo Kawashima; the former village chief, Isamu Kameyama; and Ken Nishimoto, once from one of the big households—all were core members of that criminal organization.

And, if Fujino remembered correctly, the current village chief's secretary, Kazuaki Hirata, was also a member of the drug ring. He was the one responsible for transporting drugs from abroad to the island.

Calling him just a lackey would be selling him short. After all, he wasn't just a courier—he also dealt drugs. He was practically on equal footing with the island's drug lords.

"Sending these drug dealers to prison… that's going to be tricky."

Putting his phone away, Fujino walked to the window, gazing at the scenery of the island, deep in thought.

—

This time, his mission was to uncover the truth behind that suicide case from twelve years ago.

That case was the easy part—earning that one million yen would be like picking it up off the ground.

The difficult part was sending those drug traffickers to prison.

If he wanted to report them to the police, he would first need to collect enough evidence to secure a conviction.

This meant that, in all likelihood, he would have to directly confront the drug trafficking group on Tsukikage Island.

When it came to dealing with vicious criminals, Fujino didn't have much confidence.

That's why, on his way here, he had been constantly thinking about a plan to break them apart and take them down individually.

It wasn't until just now—after he had obtained the sheet music—that he was finally able to complete the plan.

He tentatively named it: The Moonlight Sonata Plan.

That very night, Fujino began to act.

Sneaking along a narrow path, he reached the community center and started staking out from the small grove nearby.

According to the information he'd gathered from the island's local intelligence network—, those gossiping old ladies sitting in front of the convenience store—if their intel was correct, Hirata Kazuaki had just returned from overseas.

Based on Fujino's reasoning, since Hirata had gone abroad, it could only have been to purchase narcotics. This meant that in the next day or two, this guy would come here to complete the transaction.

The location of that transaction was the grand piano inside the community center—the very same piano that, twelve years ago, Keiji Asou had modified with hidden compartments while helping smuggle drugs from overseas.

Midnight.

The moon was perfectly round, and the cicadas clinging to the trees shrieked endlessly in the heat.

"Damn it. Why hasn't that guy shown up yet?"

Crouching in the grove, Fujino glanced at the time on his phone and frowned, muttering to himself in doubt, "Could it be that guy won't be coming tonight?"

After waiting a while longer with still nothing happening, he sighed, ready to call it a night and go home to sleep.

But just as he was about to leave, a figure appeared in the distance.

Seeing this, Fujino quickly concealed himself again and aimed his phone's camera at the approaching figure.

Under the faint light of the moon, the figure gradually came into focus.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a beige suit, frameless glasses, with an honest, simple face.

This was tonight's target—Hirata Kazuaki.

Don't be fooled by this guy's innocent looks.

In reality, he was a key member of the island's drug trafficking organization.

After arriving at the community center, Hirata Kazuaki glanced around carefully. Once he confirmed that no one was around, he entered the piano room, pulled a small packet of white powder from his inner pocket, and stuffed it into the hidden compartment of the grand piano.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he walked back out of the community center.

After glancing around one last time and confirming nothing seemed out of the ordinary, he casually began whistling and walked off as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, hidden in the grove, Fujino silently recorded the entire process with his phone.

Only after Hirata Kazuaki had completely disappeared did Fujino step out of hiding, strolling into the community center, opening up the piano's hidden compartment, and aiming his phone's camera inside—capturing every last detail of that bag of white powder stored within.

Switching off the recording mode, Fujino glanced at the irrefutable evidence now in his possession, and the corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile.

—

A recommendation for a friend's book:

A story about a member of the Hyuga Clan practicing DNF Male Nen Master techniques in Konoha. Lighthearted, funny, slice-of-life.

(End of this chapter