Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 481, A Public Opinion Tsunami: The Fall of a National Idol

"Um, Inspector," Yamaguchi Maho asked, her voice hoarse and filled with grievance and despair, looking confused. "What are you talking about, succinylcholine?"

The interrogation room was completely silent.

Yes, what is succinylcholine?
Kashiwagi Jin subconsciously wanted to criticize Yamaguchi Maho, thinking, "Are you still pretending?"

However, when his wife also stared at him with curious eyes, Kashiwagi suddenly realized a problem.

Uesugi Muneyuki should naturally know about succinylcholine, the forensic team should know about succinylcholine, and even the non-professional detectives of the First Investigative Division should have heard of it.

However, it's normal that Meisa Kashiwagi, who works in an office, had never heard of succinylcholine.

Meisa Kashiwagi, on the other hand, went to Tokyo after completing a proper high school, and she didn't even know about succinylcholine... so what about this little idol in front of her...?

Kashiwagi Jin turned his attention to Yamaguchi Maho.

She was staring at Kashiwagi Ren with a bewildered expression, her tears dried up.

What is succinylcholine?
Intuition told Kashiwagi that Yamaguchi Maho's demeanor was genuine, and that her ignorance of succinylcholine seemed quite plausible.

Did I really make a mistake?

Thinking about this, Kashiwagi Jin felt a little embarrassed, mainly because his investigation of all the operations and members that morning, all the testimonies and evidence pointed to Yamaguchi Maho herself as the culprit. Her Weibo account also made her seem somewhat arrogant and had a motive for the crime. The attack was too coincidental. Kashiwagi Jin also discovered that Yamaguchi Maho had once inadvertently said that she had a relationship with Uesugi Muneyuki.

All of this led Kashiwagi Jin to firmly believe that Yamaguchi Maho was very likely the one who orchestrated the whole thing.

But... now everything is starting to make no sense again.

But he had to ask the other person if they knew; it was a professional instinct.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Yamaguchi. We're not targeting you personally; we're just considering all possible scenarios." Kashiwagi nodded and said with a slightly apologetic tone, "You've worked hard. Please go and rest. Don't think too much about it. Please believe that we, the police, will definitely give you justice."

If Maho Yamaguchi really isn't the murderer, then... someone who can get their hands on succinylcholine is no ordinary person!

Yakuza? A bigwig in the medical field? A political and business figure?

Kashiwagi Jin looked terrible. He glanced at Kashiwagi Meisa and gestured for us to go outside to talk.

"..." Yamaguchi Maho didn't say anything. She silently got up, took out her phone, and found that her national girl idol group was on the front page. She felt even more sad.

After all these incidents, can his idol career continue?
While the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Investigation Headquarters was still being established, and the police at the scene were debating whether it was an "accident" or a "homicide" and trying their best to find scientific evidence, the outside world was already in an uproar because of this incident.

One man and two women, completely naked, idol, agent, death in an apartment—these keywords combined form a media bomb that is enough to shatter all everyday topics!

While major media outlets adhere to the principle of "reporting the facts" (even if the facts are vague), their headlines and content have gone to great lengths to exaggerate the facts!
Asahi Shimbun front-page headline: "YKC48's idol and male manager die mysteriously in their apartment; Metropolitan Police Department launches full investigation as 'suspicious death'"

The Asahi Shimbun used relatively cautious wording, but emphasized that "the situation at the scene was extremely unusual" and that "the police are not ruling out any possibilities." The accompanying photo showed the YKC theater building surrounded by reporters and fans placing flowers in mourning outside. The editorial called on the police to investigate the truth as soon as possible and to reflect on the management loopholes in the idol industry.

Sankei Shimbun Evening Edition:
Title: The "Dark Party" of the Idol Empire? On Moral Collapse and the Crisis of Youth Culture

The content takes a conservative stance, criticizing the incident as a sign of "moral decay" and "distorted values ​​of the younger generation," and strongly questioning YKC's management capabilities and the idols' private lives.

Weekly Bunshun (leaked online version):
Title: [Exclusive] Horrific Details of YKC's Death Scene! Suspected SM Game Goes Too Far? Suicide Note Exposed!

The content is extremely inflammatory, quoting "police insiders" to describe a large number of unverified, erotic, chaotic, and horrific details of the scene, and releasing some vague contents of the so-called "suicide note," directly directing a "sex party accident."

Television news features (such as TBS's "NEWS23"):

The program featured a former criminal investigator, a psychologist, and a social commentator.

Former detective: "Judging from the situation at the scene, the possibility of homicide cannot be ruled out. We need to thoroughly investigate the grudges and financial transactions between the deceased."

Psychologists say that "under extreme pressure and in a closed environment, idols are prone to psychological dependence and distorted relationships, which may be a tragic form of collective suicide."

The host concluded: "Regardless of the possibility, this reveals the heavy, unknown shadows behind the glamorous idol industry."

The reactions online were more direct, intense, and chaotic.

Twitter (X) trending topics explode:
#YKCおぞましいincident (YKC disgusting incident)

#Sugawara Riko and Nakai Rika (the names of two idols)

#アイドルIndustry’s darkness (darkness in the idol industry)

Fans commented: "Unacceptable! How could such an innocent girl like Riko do such a thing! She must have been forced!", "YKC, come out and apologize! How do you manage your employees?!", "My youth is over, I'm crying so much I can't sleep."

A well-known idol critic and idol industry anti-fan, "Ning1203," commented: "Is this how fans' money is used to support a bunch of useless idol management companies? (referring to Imazaki's management role)", "I've said it before that idols' private lives are messy, fans wake up!", "This is disgusting, this kind of news is an eyesore." A breeding ground for conspiracy theories on anonymous forums like 5ch:
[Breaking News] The YKC triple murder case was definitely a cover-up!
"That guy Imazaki must have some serious dirt on YKC, about money laundering!"

"Those two girls probably accidentally attended some 'high-class party' and saw some important people they shouldn't have seen, so they were taken care of together."

"The Metropolitan Police Department's Special Missions Unit has been dispatched! Let's await Chief Uesugi's forensic report!"

[Question] There was supposedly a suicide note at the scene? It's definitely a forgery!

"It must have been written by an amateur to muddy the waters."

"Police, quickly check the handwriting and computer login records! This must have been written by the murderer!"

[Insider] I am a former YKC employee, and this is not the first time this has happened.

(Anonymous user) "There have been cases before where idols were taken to host drinking parties and then disappeared, but those cases were all covered up. This time, things have really gone too far."

"YKC is backed by yakuza and powerful politicians; those who know, know. This time, the dead operations manager probably got in someone's way."

Video platforms such as YouTube:
A large number of "mystery content creators" quickly produced videos, linking the incident with past rumors about the 48 Group and suspicious points in Japanese political and business circles, drawing up complex "relationship diagrams," and the number of views skyrocketed.

All the arrows pointed to the key producer, Yasushi Akimoto!

The videos of the two idols' performances before their deaths were filled with "RIP" tributes, but also mixed with vicious comments such as "They were definitely two-faced" and "Pretending to be innocent."

The Metropolitan Police Department immediately felt immense pressure.

The entire nation's attention is focused on this case, with social media buzzing 24/7. Calls for the police to solve the case swiftly and release the truth have become a tsunami. Any delay, concealment, or mistake would lead to a collapse of public trust.

Moreover, what troubles the Metropolitan Police Department is that public opinion has already defined the incident before the judiciary (either a dirty scandal or a dark murder), and the police have to walk a tightrope between respecting the facts and appeasing public opinion.

Eiji Watanabe convened a meeting on this matter, which was attended by all high-ranking officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, including the Superintendent General and above.

However, they were not the main focus of this meeting.

When the nation is in peril, it thinks of its best generals! When the Metropolitan Police Department is in trouble once again, everyone remembers the hero who represents Sakuradamon!
All eyes were drawn to the person sitting at the very end, who was the only member of the meeting whose rank was below that of a superintendent of police and who was qualified to attend the high-level meeting.

Special Missions Officer, Minami Watanabe.

From a certain perspective, Uesugi Muneyuki was already the Metropolitan Police Department's last line of defense, and with a body on the table this time, all the higher-ups believed that Uesugi could definitely pull it off.

However, this trump card has always been held by Minami and her father, and to use it, Minami's consent must be obtained.

"Chief Uesugi has made a preliminary judgment." Minami slowly rose to her feet under everyone's gaze: "He believes it was murder!"

"Oh, oh, oh~" "As expected of Uesugi-kun!" "Is there already a conclusion?" "In that case, solving the case is just around the corner, right?" The Metropolitan Police Department's high-ranking officials received a satisfactory answer, and many of them smiled.

"But this case is not so simple. According to Chief Uesugi's assessment, the three victims died from injections of succinylcholine and high-purity fentanyl, respectively. Please see the PPT." Miss Minami briefly introduced Uesugi Muneyuki's preliminary assessment, and then she said in a deep voice, "In this country, anyone who can obtain lethal doses of succinylcholine and fentanyl is not a simple murderer, not to mention that the surveillance and other parts of the system did not find anything special."

"Please state your requirements, Inspector Watanabe." Sitting in the passenger seat, Deputy Commissioner Ren Oyama of the Metropolitan Police Department nodded and asked, "Does the Special Missions Unit require reinforcements from this department?"

“Yes… Chief Uesugi believes that there may be bigger trouble behind this case, therefore… we need reinforcements from the Public Security Police!” Minami quickly turned her gaze to the Superintendent General of Police, her father, Watanabe Eiji, who was sitting in the main seat.

This is Uesugi Muneyuki's request; he needs the police force now.

“Approved, Minister of the Atomic Energy Department. Please dispatch the Public Security Police immediately to assist the Special Missions Unit in its investigation. In certain extreme circumstances, I will allow for expedited action!” Watanabe Eiji said in a deep voice. “However, the investigation must proceed cautiously, leaving clear and legal records at every step. We need irrefutable scientific evidence so that any political pressure that attempts to obstruct the investigation will be rendered powerless in the face of law and facts.”

“Only Uesugi has ever been able to do this, and the Ministry of Public Security believes he can do it too!” Minister of Public Security Yoshikazu Atomoto nodded solemnly.

"Okay, that's settled. Continue to monitor this closely. This is a golden opportunity to demonstrate the police's justice and competence to the nation!"

"Yes!!!"

At the same time, in the National Police Agency's Secretariat, Chief Cabinet Secretary Onoda gazed at the Metropolitan Police Department across from the National Police Agency building. Behind him sat Chief of Security Soichiro Kamishiro, with a document on his table.

It was the document that Miyawaki Sakura had stolen from the operations department.

"The plan seems to have changed, Chief Cabinet Secretary. They've clearly tried to silence us," Minister Jinshiro said in a deep voice. "It seems we should also take action. This is an opportunity! As long as they make a move, our Public Security Bureau..."

“Yes, oh~” Onoda turned his head coldly, expressionless: “But there’s no rush.”

"Let Uesugi Muneyuki investigate first; he'll find something out."

"By the way, we can also see just how much value Miyawaki Sakura really has."

(End of this chapter)