Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 249, Little Sakura Gets an Extra Scene

Mai Shirakawa has always maintained a cool and aloof public image. This national goddess has never hidden her identity as the head of the Kanto Shrine Alliance since her debut. Therefore, she never needs to please others or look for jobs. She chooses jobs, not the other way around. So she doesn't need to seriously cultivate interpersonal relationships. When she doesn't have a job, she simply disappears. To this day, she has never been caught by paparazzi in any scandals, not even in any street photos.

This gives Mai-senpai a mysterious aura, which in turn fuels the public's strong voyeuristic desires.

Similarly, Uesugi Muneyuki was such a person. Although the former feudal lords and aristocrats now have a somewhat marginalized presence in Japan's top society, they are still at least within the upper echelons of society. It is easy for everyone to accept the emergence of such a talent.

Uesugi Muneyuki is usually shrouded in mystery. Although he is very famous, he always appears in a suit and tie as a forensic officer, explaining cases in serious language and detailed explanations at the Metropolitan Police Department press conferences. People know nothing about his private life.

Fuji TV was worried that these two wouldn't have an awkward silence together.

Unexpectedly, the effect was absolutely phenomenal.

Sitting opposite Uesugi Muneyuki, Shirakawa Mai smiled sweetly, revealing the beauty beneath her icy exterior. Her unpretentious banter and heartfelt joy made her shine like a dazzling diamond.

Uesugi Muneyuki himself had his professional and aloof facade stripped away. Like a junior who couldn't handle an enthusiastic senior, he finally revealed some of his youthful energy and helplessness, completely under her thumb.

Although they didn't have direct contact, their eye contact, micro-expressions, and body language all revealed that their relationship was definitely not simple!
The Fuji TV staff surrounding the area were as excited as flies that had smelled blood.

So cool!

This is what we're going to record, this is what we're going to record!
What this situation means is all too clear to TV station staff who work in the entertainment industry; they have finally received the big news they have been waiting for!
This...this episode is absolutely going to cause a sensation in the Kanto region! A sensation throughout Japan!

At that moment, Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai had a brief exchange of questions. Mai asked Uesugi Muneyuki a few questions, such as why he chose this path, how he viewed his current situation, and what insights he had gained so far.

Uesugi Muneyuki was very candid. He clearly stated that he was forced to switch to forensic medicine because he couldn't make it in surgery. He is very satisfied with his current life. As for his experience, Uesugi Muneyuki said rather seriously: "There are some things that are not suitable to say on television. I just want to say that as a forensic doctor, I try to talk about work when I am working. I don't let work interfere with my private life, and I don't let my life interfere with my work. Otherwise, I will feel very tired."

“The life of a forensic pathologist is not as you imagine, always on the side of justice,” Uesugi Muneyuki said softly. “Just like my profession, my greatest role is to clarify things.”

"We must listen sincerely to the silent words of the corpse; the corpse will tell us the truth."

"But sometimes corpses can lie. Some people go to great lengths to disguise themselves before they die in order to achieve their unspeakable purposes after death, trying to deceive the living, especially the police and forensic doctors."

"For example, I once encountered a single mother who, unable to pay her children's high tuition fees, chose to commit suicide after purchasing insurance and stage it as a homicide in an attempt to defraud the insurance company. This way, her children could receive the premiums to pay for their tuition fees and also get rid of the burden of supporting her... After I took the case and came to the scene to investigate, I immediately discovered that it was a lie. This is a story with tears in my eyes."

"But as a forensic pathologist, I still have to point out that this was suicide, not homicide. I feel sorry for the lying corpse, but I must expose this lie. No matter how perfectly the corpse is disguised, a lie can never replace the truth. Even if the insurance company is willing to pay, even if the deceased actively sought death, even if being determined to be a homicide would benefit everyone, I still have to tell the truth."

"It has nothing to do with good or evil, or right or wrong."

"The bell of Gion Shrine tolls, telling of the impermanence of the world; the flowers of the twin sal trees have lost their color, and the most glorious has turned to decline like the vicissitudes of life." Uesugi Sōsetsu softly recited the poem: "I am a forensic doctor. Forensic doctors are very simple, born only to clarify the truth of the corpse."

“Behind every corpse, whether it carries a lie or a false accusation, lies a heartbreaking story.” Mai Shirakawa expressed her understanding: “Being a forensic pathologist is not an easy job. You’ve worked so hard. My junior has been silently protecting Tokyo and all its citizens from the shadows. Let’s give him a round of applause.”

“It’s not hard work.” Uesugi Muneyuki chuckled. “At least I’m sitting with my senior now, isn’t that the best reward? If I were still in surgery, would I be sitting here now? This is just how unpredictable life is.”

"You rascal, don't be so serious before and then suddenly act like you're recording a variety show!" Mai-senpai scolded, giving him a playful glare, but even a fool could see the happiness and ease on her face.

It doesn't look like work at all!

"This is just a variety show recording!"

A burst of laughter came from below, and then the director of Fuji TV, Yayoi, called "cut." In the first segment, the two talked about a lot of things. Facing his senior, Mai, Uesugi Muneyuki was very open and honest. Some of the things were suitable for television, while others were too heavy to be shown. But that was all part of the post-production work and had nothing to do with Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai.

After a short break, the recording of the second part began soon.

"The ultimate challenge: Truth or Dare Roulette for the legendary rookie forensic pathologist! Yay! Yay! Yay!"

The two returned to the scene, and amidst applause, Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai sat facing each other again. But this time, five male comedians appeared on stage.

They are the famous comedy duo "Banana Man" – Jun Setara and Yuki Himura, Akiyuki Tsuchida from Ota Office, Yu Sawabe, one of the "Haraichi" duo who participated in the M-1 Manzai Grand Prix multiple times, and Hiroyuki Miyano from the Umbrella duo.

"Banana Man" refers to the famous comedians of Horipro. Among them, Shitaku Jun has always been known as "Fuji TV's Morning Eye" and has been the host of Fuji TV's morning news for a long time. His partner, Himura Yuki, is a fat man who deliberately keeps a mushroom haircut to make himself look ugly. Uesugi Muneyuki's deepest impression of him is that he had all his teeth extracted and then had full mouth implants because his teeth were very bad. He spent tens of millions of yen on it, which can be called unique in Japan.

Tsuchida Akira is tall with a long face and always looks sleepy, but he has extensive experience in variety shows and can easily handle any topic. Sawabe is a chubby guy with a monk's head and a cheerful smile. Uesugi Muneyuki's deepest memory of him is that this guy made a mistake at a crucial moment in the M-1 Manzai Grand Prix (he misspoke, missed, or didn't say his lines clearly), which led to his failure to win the championship and left him with lifelong regret.

Then there's Hiroyuki Miyano, a comedian from Yoshimoto Kogyo. His hosting style is bold and radical, and he always manages to come up with a perfectly timed question or witty remark at crucial moments.

So what's going on?

Mariko Hironaka was searching for the body, while Muneyuki Uesugi and Mai Shirakawa exchanged a glance and could only continue recording the program.

The intensity will start to increase in the second phase!
Fuji TV really went all out to get five top-tier comedians on the show.

"Alright, that's enough. I'm sure everyone knows a bit about Uesugi-san by now, but that's not enough, far from enough!" The banana-man, Shitakura, clapped his hands and laughed. "Now that you're all here at Fuji TV, Uesugi-san, are you prepared?" "I'm prepared," Uesugi Muneyuki replied with unwavering determination. "After all, President Kameyama paid me ten times, even nine times, my appearance fee! For money, I'm willing to do anything!"

"Huh??? Ten times or even nine times?" Yuuki Himura looked envious. "But we get normal appearance fees here. This isn't fair!"

"There's nothing unfair about it. You should know that last year, the number one cable TV network ratings weren't for the Kohaku Uta Gassen, but for the special live broadcast program broadcast from the Odaiba building." Tsuchida lazily complained, "If you banana people could host a program that surpasses the Kohaku Uta Gassen ratings, President Kameyama would definitely not be stingy."

"Oh dear, why wasn't I at Fujidai back then?" Yu Sawabe from Haraichi looked like he was about to cry. "Can God please stop punishing me like this all the time!"

"So, Uesugi-san, you're only here for the money today? Not for your senior?!" Miyano Hiroyuki's timing was always so sharp. He feigned disappointment: "Uesugi-san, you're going to hurt your senior's feelings. I'm a fan of yours."

"So what exactly are you a fan of? You're not planning to sell our doujinshi at the doujinshi convention, are you? Or write our CP fanfiction on Lofter? President Miyazaki, who owns Senpai, will sue you!"

Uesugi Muneyuki's sarcastic remark made everyone laugh.

"Now, please welcome the two members of YKC48 to present our guest, junior, with today's Truth or Dare roulette!" Mai Shirakawa laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Mai-senpai signaled for the main course to begin.

After waiting for about an hour, Yamaguchi Maho and Miyawaki Sakura, who were finally given the chance to appear, made a grand entrance wearing identical stage outfits and pushing a giant Russian roulette wheel.

As mentioned earlier, Yamaguchi Maho's outfit was the same as hers. Miyawaki Sakura also changed into the same outfit, a dark blue plaid pleated skirt that accentuated Sakura's idol figure. However, the cunning girl deliberately cinched her waistline by half an inch, revealing two slender collarbones under the ruffled collar of her white shirt. She also changed her pantyhose to a gray-toned milk tea color that better matched her fair skin.

The shoes were also different. Compared to the high heels in the mountain pass, the girl chose a pair of Mary Jane shoes that suited her temperament better. They were made of suede with metal openwork carvings. When she pushed the Russian roulette wheel forward, the bow on the shoe and the lace trim on the mid-thigh formed a charming wave.

She wore sheer white pantyhose with a lace-trimmed garter belt over them.
Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but take a second look.

Mai Shirakawa understood the girl's little scheme at a glance, and a playful look appeared in the eyes of the national goddess.

Clearly, Sakura Miyawaki made subtle adjustments to her own image after observing Yamaguchi's attire on the spot, in order to differentiate herself and attract more camera shots and attention.

This is a prime-time variety show, and getting even one extra shot or one second of close-up is an incredible amount of exposure for a young idol!

Sakura really wants to improve.

What a charming and capable girl!
Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai exchanged a glance, both seeing the truth revealed in each other's eyes. They couldn't help but smile at each other, acting like an old married couple without saying a word.

This entire scene was captured on camera.

"Okay, let's explain the rules of the game."

"This Russian roulette wheel has seven slots, representing myself, the five of you here, and you, my junior. Next, Yamaguchi and Miyawaki from YKC48 will spin the wheel. Whoever it lands on will be the one to ask you a question," Mai-senpai said with a smile. "You have to answer!"

“What if I switch back to myself?” Uesugi Muneyuki asked.

"Then you'll get a reward, which is the ability to make a reasonable request to anyone here." Mai-senpai pointed directly outside the studio: "Including making a request directly to Fuji TV!"

“Okay.” Uesugi Muneyuki nodded with a wry smile. He was certain that Fuji TV had tampered with the roulette wheel.

"Hello everyone, I'm Maho Yamaguchi from YKC48, from Aomori Prefecture." Maho Yamaguchi was very nervous.

"Hello everyone, I'm Sakura Miyawaki from YKC48, from Kagoshima, Kyushu! My favorite person is Mai-sama!" Sakura was poised and confident in front of the camera. As she hooked her fingertips around the pleats of her pleated skirt and gently pulled it towards her mid-thigh, her sheer stockings shimmered like glass candy wrappers under the pressure of her fingertips. "I'll do my best to get this for you, Mai-sama!"

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it!" Mai Shirakawa gave Sakura, who had taken the initiative to add her own scenes, an encouraging look.

Maho Yamaguchi was under so much pressure that her movements became distorted. The girl tried to start the roulette wheel according to the script, but she kept trying and couldn't turn it on. She was sweating profusely before she finally got the wheel spinning.

The roulette wheel began to spin, and amidst everyone's expectant gazes, the first name to be landed on was Hiroyuki Miyano.

"Yoshi, let's go!" Hiroyuki Miyano was overjoyed. He straightened his tie, shook his suit jacket, and asked very seriously, "I have a question, Uesugi-san."

Did you ever secretly have fantasies about the opposite sex during high school?

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki immediately raised his eyebrows.

Why start off with something so explosive?

But the most exciting part is yet to come.

Mariko Hironaka's curse has returned.

"I've found the body, Uesugi!"

(End of this chapter)