#9th liar

Note from me: Oh boy, strap yourselves in for this one because it’s a doozy.

It’s been half a month since the incident with Yuu-kun and it’s now August. MC reflects on how it’s been 10 months since she moved into the share house and she’s remembering the faces of the liars she’s slapped so far (LOL). But then she remembers that Cassie advised her that there are 9 liars, and that one of them is dangerous and awful beyond saving.

MC is off to visit Hime-chan, who is finally being discharged next week. She receives a TalkTime from Hime-chan, which reads “zJhjb” which MC thinks is a typo. MC enters Hime-chan’s room, finding her watching a movie. MC asks her about the message she received, and turns out Hime-chan was using spy code, and the message read “come quickly”. Hime-chan is obsessed with spy movies lately and is learning coded language. Hime-chan invites MC to learn along with her and passes her a book on the subject.

Evidence gathered

Code book

 When she will be discharged, Hime-chan wishes to go watch “0007” (yes the extra 0), go to a beautician and go to an onsen. Hime-chan confesses that she became “Himeno Reiko” in order to obtain her happiness but obtaining something on the surface alone only results in lying to herself. She has decided that she won’t hurt herself further, because someone who can’t even treasure herself won’t obtain happiness. MC believes that Hime-chan’s smile now is the most beautiful she’s ever seen (on her). MC is relieved that Hime-chan is doing well mentally and physically.

Hime-chan shows MC a website she found while surfing the internet called “victim’s cry”, the contents are strange and disturbing and give off a “real” feeling. MC opens the link she receives from Hime-chan, and it takes her to a blog. It writes – “All contents are fictional and are the products of the author's imagination.”

Reading the contents, MC finds the first story has a weird scenario, but does seem oddly real. The next story title reads “after taking medication, another person is born within me” which stirs something in MC. The contents strongly resembles that article Sumika found (the one called “how to create multiple personalities”). MC suspects the writers for both are one and the same person.

Hime-chan points out one article in particular that stands out the most as being strange. It is dated August 3rd and writes “That morning, I was standing in the kitchen frying karaage. It’s my daughter’s first excursion so I’ve decided to make her beloved karaage for her bento.” The writing makes MC’s skin prickle. Reading further, it details that while riding a bicycle, a traffic collision has left the person in a vegetative state. MC mumbles aloud “No way, this story..” (ㆀ˘･_･˘)

Hime-chan asks if MC is okay, because her face has gone pale white. MC explains that when she was in kindergarten, her mother was involved in a traffic accident on August 3rd which has left her in a coma since. That day, her mother had made her karaage for her excursion lunch. Hime-chan is shocked that it matches the contents of the article exactly. They both out loud, draw the conclusion that this story about a victim, is MC’s mother… Hime-chan further deduces that the person who wrote this is the one who made MC’s mother suffer.

MC murmurs there isn’t enough evidence at the moment but she’ll have to investigate further. Hime-chan offers to help too. Hime-chan declares that because MC was the one who saved her, this time it is Hime-chan’s turn to help out MC and that together, they will definitely expose the culprit. MC is grateful and thanks Hime-chan and takes a screenshot of the blog.

Evidence gathered

Blog screenshot

MC tries to calmly reread the blog contents and realises that perhaps that time when her mother had woken up and said “listen carefully… it’s not… your father… that day… the one who…” *cough* MC guesses that the name of the culprit was likely going to follow.

MC leaves Hime-chan’s room and sees Ichimura-sensei, who questions why she has a perplexed expression. When she doesn’t answer right away he guesses it must be due to work being hectic lately and understands she must be tired. He offers to help her if there’s anything she needs. MC reflects on how when her mother was admitted to the hospital, Ichimura-sensei was a 25 year old medical intern. Back then, he had also been kindly looking out for MC. Ichimura-sensei asks MC to go to the staffroom to collect a copy of Himeno-san’s (Hime-chan’s) discharge paper. He tasks MC with it, since he will be out tomorrow. He continues with that he knows that Himeno-san is MC’s good friend, so seeing her get better makes him happy too.

MC thinks to herself that he has a lot of charm, as a person and as a man. He asks if MC has time tomorrow night, would she like to join him for a meal together as he has something he wants to give her. MC is happy because she feels she’s been invited on a date. She accepts. She feels relaxed and her anxiety disappearing when she is with him. She feels that if she were to marry him then she would likely be very happy.

That night, she has a dream about the time she was a child. MC is asking her mother for karaage in her bento, and she obliges by putting two big pieces in her lunch. Her mother tells her to have fun on her trip and be careful. When MC opens her bento to have her lunch was the moment the hospital contacted her kindergarten teacher (to deliver the bad news..). MC is now in the hospital asking her mother why she won’t wake up, and where it hurts. Then, she feels a presence behind her.

??: This is what you get for rejecting me. Now, you must suffer.

MC wakes with a start, heart pounding. She believes the dream was a result from reading the blog earlier. She goes to get a drink of water to calm down. In the living room, she finds Okura sitting on the sofa drinking whiskey. She finds it strange since when he’s in the share house he basically spends all his time in his own room. She declares she will also have a drink to aid sleep and he rebuts with “kids should just go straight to bed.”

MC replies that she is an adult and feels like having a highball, she takes his whiskey and mixes it with some soda water. With Okura’s “do as you wish”, MC feels that he accepts her as she is. In the past, she felt the quiet and unexpressive him was hard to get along with but now his quietness at times like this comforts her.

MC asks Okura when he joined the Ryumon gang but his response is “why do you want to know that” and she wonders what he did before then. He replies that it has nothing to do with her. He asks what’s wrong, because she wouldn’t get up in the middle of the night otherwise. MC admits she dreamt of the past and recounts part of the dream before she starts shaking. He asks MC to put out her hand, and place a pink strawberry milk candy into it, telling her to have it and stop crying. MC exclaims that she’s not a kid and that she’s not even crying. They both continue drinking and chatting and one hour later MC starts to get sleepy. MC thanks Okura for keeping her company but she stumbles when she gets up, so he supports her and admonishes her because she’s had too much.

He helps her to her room and she thinks about how strong he is, and how tall he’s gotten. MC inwardly criticises herself, that she must be quite drunk if thinking about Okura like this makes her heart race. When they both accidentally meet eyes, they look away. MC insists she can reach her room by herself but he just continues helping her. He tells her he’ll still be up, so if she has another bad dream she can go find him. MC crawls back into bed, and asks her mother to continue watching her from above.

DOUBT 9 suspects

Ichimura-sensei

Okura

 6am the next morning, MC is awake and up bright and early, thanks to Okura preventing any bad dreams. She finds him in the living room, and asks why he has a suitcase out. He’s leaving. MC is shocked that he is moving out without saying anything to anyone. His response is that it is too troublesome looking after MC and everyone. MC presses him as to whether there’s more to it than that but again, he replies that it’s none of her business. MC voices aloud that she just thought they were starting to get closer but he interrupts, pointing out that she’s mistaken and that he didn’t move in to get closer to her. When she questions why he came then, his answer is to fulfil his duty. MC guesses aloud that he means he came on her father’s orders but he remains silent. He turns to leave and MC grabs his sleeve, telling him to wait and not to go. MC is shocked to see a rare surprised look on his face and apologises, because the words came out because she felt he was going far away somewhere. Okura reproaches her for suddenly “making a womanly expression” and takes something from his pocket, holding it to MC’s face.

Evidence gathered

Omamori from Okura

He voices for her to keep it on her always and gives one final “see ya, kid.” He ruffles her hair and leaves. Karen comes in, having just returned from work and remarks that she saw Okura leave with a suitcase, wondering if he’s going on a trip. MC explains and Karen complains that it’s hard to understand Okura.

At work, an envelope titled “To MC” is on her desk. Inside is Hime-chan’s discharge form. MC makes a copy for record keeping.

Evidence gathered

Copy of discharge certificate

She writes a receipt for it, using one of those carbon copy notepads, however she forgets how to write the kanji for “seki” in “shoseki.” She searches it up on her phone and writes it down.

After work, MC meets Ichimura-sensei at the restaurant he made a reservation at. She’s a little nervous becomes it seems like a fancy restaurant. He is reading a medical text and she praises him for being so studious, and he responds that his career is his life’s worth. Then he comments that it wore out his ex-fiancée. MC is surprised to hear that, and he explains it was a long time ago – back when he was a medical intern and gave work his all, leaving no time for a private life. Because of that his fiancée left him, and got engaged to someone else. Time continued and he got to this age while still being single. MC realises this lines up with the time her mother was admitted to the hospital, and questions him if it’s because of that he had no private life. He denies it, and that it was of his own volition that he wanted to be in charge of her hospital stay. He elaborates that he strives in his work precisely because he wished MC’s mother would wake up again. MC expresses her gratitude.

Ichimura-sensei however, points out that he is also a man, and that her praise would give him expectations. Ichimura-sensei takes out a silver ring from a ring case and explains this is what he wanted to give to MC. He confesses that he adores her and that she probably believes it is sudden but it’s not. From the day he met her he’s always felt that he wanted to support her. MC asks if he means the day she came to the hospital when her mother was admitted. He confirms it, saying something like before he realised it she’s grown up to be beautiful and resolute woman. Though he knows there’s an age gap, he was happy to watch MC and protect her from a distance before but because of the recent events he’s had a change of heart. He wants to protect MC properly with his own hands. He again proclaims he loves MC just the way she is, and asks if she will spend the rest of her life with him. MC is happy about his feelings but can’t answer so quickly or easily.

MC asks for some time to think it over and he asks her to keep the ring, and if she returns his feelings to put it on.

Evidence gathered

Ring from Ichimura-sensei

 When MC returns home she thinks about going to her father’s place the next day to ask him about it all, as well as her mother’s accident. Okura’s shoes are no longer in the shoe stand and it again hits her that he’s gone. MC does the usual FindFriend surfing before bed.

Evidence gathered

Photo of hospital director

Photo of father and Okura

 The next day, MC goes to see her father. Okura is not around. MC has come to ask her father to tell her more about her mother. He pulls down her mother’s diary to give to her. The last entry is from August 2nd and reads “tomorrow’s the excursion. I hope it’s sunny. I made plenty of karaage which my daughter loves. When I saw her off, I went to visit Isuke (MC’s father) who I hadn’t seen for a while. Tomorrow is our precious anniversary.” MC asks her father about it, and he explains August 3rd is the day they met, and is their anniversary date. It was when Sayuri (MC’s mother) was on her way to meet him that the accident occurred. He elaborates that the first one to find Sayuri at the accident was Okura, he had just happened to be passing by, found her and then called the ambulance. She didn’t wake up again when she was brought to the hospital and when the staff gave up on her, Ichimura-sensei was the only one who kept going without giving up. From then until now, he has been the doctor in charge of Sayuri.

MC questions her father if Okura joined Ryumon gang since that incident, but he denies it, as Okura joined 10 years after that. MC’s father doesn’t know anything about his past but as he said before, he trusts him deeply from the bottom of his heart. He admits that Okura is mysterious but should MC’s father die, then he feels relieved to leave the Ryumon gang in the care of MC and Okura. He invites MC to visit Sayuri’s grave with him, because today is the anniversary.

At the grave, MC’s father loudly declares “Sayuri, we’ve arrived!” and MC berates him for yelling lol. He’s not fazed, and insists Sayuri would be smiling now.

MC puts her hands together and pays her respects. Noticing the date on the grave which says “August 3rd 19XX” MC is again reminded that August 3rd is their anniversary date. With her father’s permission, MC takes a photo.

Evidence gathered

Photo of mother’s grave

She considers how even though her father and mother went through a lot of difficulties, they loved each other dearly until the end. MC recounts Ichimura-sensei’s proposal to her to her father. He is overjoyed and exclaims he has no regrets but she warns him not to get ahead of himself as she hasn’t yet decided. He queries if MC has any other man she is interested in. Okura’s face floats into her mind, but she thinks it’s awful she’s thinking of two men. As if her father can read her thoughts, he proclaims that she can love as many men as she likes lol and that she should test them until she finds the one man who is right for her. He continues with “love is a war, those that win survive and those are the rules of this world!” MC believes it’s so like her gang leader father to think that way. Her father explains that him choosing Sayuri and being blessed with the treasure that is MC makes him the happiest man. Again, he tells her to pick the partner that will make her happy.

Back at the share house, Karen and MC are in MC’s room and she recounts the proposal. While Karen is looking at the ring MC also confesses her new awareness of Okura to which Karen replies that MC is finally being honest with her feelings. Karen points out there is a message inscribed within the ring and asks MC what it means. However, MC doesn’t understand Latin. Karen searches it up and it means “Flowers bloom towards the everlasting future, without ever wilting” and Karen gushes that Ichimura-sensei is a romantic. Karen advises MC to be true to her heart and make the choice that she won’t regret.

MC is flicking through her mother’s diary and finds an entry that reads “Ryumon gang’s enemy group are starting to move. I need to take precautions.” That was July 22nd. On a different entry, “On the way home shopping with my daughter, I feel like someone is following me.” That entry was July 30th, 4 days before the accident. MC suspects it could be the person who targeted her mother. She tries to go on the blog again, but now it reads “this website cannot be accessed.”

MC receives a TalkTime message from her father, who is wondering if MC has seen Okura, as he cannot get in contact with him. MC hasn’t though. MC then receives a call from Hime-chan who screams “HELP ME MC! I’M GOING TO BE KILLED!!”

Boy, that large text SCARED me.

Hime-chan quickly explains she knows the culprit, and that their name is –

And just like that MC hears the sound of paper being ripped and one last “AHH!! HEL-” before the phone beeps out. MC extremely worried, rushes like the wind to the hospital. MC hurries to Hime-chan’s room and on the way, sees Okura standing in front of the emergency exit.

MC arrives but the door to Hime-chan’s room is locked. She desperately yells for her to answer. Pressing her ear to the door she hears some rustling, and believes someone is inside. Sumika arrives, hearing the ruckus and MC pleads her to go get the key and she rushes off. By the time Sumika returns MC no longer feels the presence of someone inside. They turn the key but the door won’t open. They both work together and force it open and find a rope wrapped around Hime-chan’s neck which was tied to the door, hence why it couldn’t be opened. Not only that, there are countless cuts on Hime-chan’s wrist, which is bleeding profusely. MC checks Hime-chan is still breathing (thankfully she is) and calls the staffroom. Ichimura-sensei answers.

MC asks him to come assist. He arrives and delegates Sumika to stop the bleeding at the wrist, and asks MC to help carry Hime-chan to the floor after releasing the rope. MC also notices other scratch marks on Hime-chan’s neck. MC also notes that Ichimura-sensei has a bandaid on his right hand. MC is tasked to call for back up to move Hime-chan to the ICU and as she runs out of the room she thinks she sees someone who looks like Okura leaving.

Once Hime-chan is safely at the ICU, MC is back at Hime-chan’s original room, thanking Sumika for her help. Sumika can’t believe Hime-chan would be trying to commit suicide which MC vehemently denies but Sumika points to the suicide note left on the desk. She advises MC not to disturb the items since the police are probably coming, and takes her leave. MC can’t believe Hime-chan would do such a thing since she was looking forward so much to being discharged. MC finds Hime-chan’s fake nails, which would explain the scratch marks on her. She looks at the other items on her desk.

Evidence gathered

Torn memo

Hime-chan’s suicide note

Black glove

Kitchen knife

Omamori on the PC

Hime-chan’s TalkTime screenshot

MC looks at the ripped memo which looks like nonsense, the only part she can understand is “on the computer.” She recalls how on the phone Hime-chan said “the culprit is” and realises Hime-chan likely solved the culprit for MC’s mother’s accident who then took action against Hime-chan. Since the door was locked, she wonders how they left the room. She notices the window to the balcony is slightly ajar. Looking outside, the balcony isn’t partitioned, so they could have gone to the adjacent room. In front of the emergency exit there’s also a slide for emergency use, which they may have used.

MC visits Hime-chan in the ICU and her sleeping form overlaps with the memory of MC’s mother. MC feels guilty and believes that what happened was her fault, and clasps her clothes. She notices something in her pocket and remember the omamori Okura gave her is in there. Looking at it, she notices a thread is off colour and inspecting closely, finds a small GPS inside with 83 written on it. Sumika appears, expressing MC she understands she is worried but she can’t be seen here. MC explains the circumstances and Sumika states she will go find out who visited Hime-chan yesterday, and the records show that she had one visitor, which was Okura. He also appeared at ICU, saying he wanted to see Hime-chan’s condition but of course was refused. Sumika openly wonders how he knew Hime-chan was in ICU.

MC goes out to the lobby to rest and think, finding Ichimura-sensei. MC queries him about the bandage on his right hand, his reply is that he was scratched by a cat. He advises MC to go home and rest and he will do the same, and that he has instructed staff to contact him if anything changes with Hime-chan’s condition. MC decides to check up on the emergency exit slide before leaving. She finds an old newspaper in there, dated August 4th 19XX with a story detailing how a woman aged 30 was involved in a traffic incident and that at face value, it seemed like an unfortunate accident however shortly before the incident, there were reports of a suspicious man in all black nearby. MC believes that Hime-chan read this article and came to discover who the culprit was, and the real culprit found it and tried to discard it.

MC thinks back to both what happened to her mother, and to Hime-chan as well as the blog. The two people in common from then until now are Okura and Ichimura-sensei and that whoever attacked her mother 20 years ago tried to kill Hime-chan. However, what was written on the blog were incidents involving people other than MC’s mother as well. If such a person really did those things to other people then there is something extremely wrong with them. MC knows that if she doesn’t figure this out then there will be other victims. MC absolutely cannot forgive the person who stole away the futures of her mother and Hime-chan. She once again thinks of the words and actions of the two suspects and realises one piece of evidence that conclusively points at one person. She resolves herself and contacts them.

So who do you think the liar is?

Review the evidence here:

Evidence gathered: Kyoko’s FindFriend Screen ① Kyoko’s FindFriend Screen ② Akari’s FindFriend Screen List of Stolen Jewels Picture of Amethyst Tiara Notice From Thief Professor’s FindFriend Screen Shotaro’s FindFriend Screen Note You Picked Up Picture at Exhibition 

Doubt Part/Accusation Portion

Who’s the Liar? Haruki Yagami

Q1. Which of Haruki’s statements were strange? C. There was a commotion in the hall

Q2. Which area shows that Haruki’s statement is strange? A. Exhibition Hall

Q3. When could Haruki have stolen the tiara? B. 1:15pm

Q4. Where did Haruki hide the tiara? C. Arm

Evidence gathered: Article about Keisuke Keisuke-less Picture Owner’s Work Schedule The Cafe’s Sign Red mark on guy’s shirt Photo of latte art Keisuke’s Doctor’s Note Daito Employee’s Card Hairpins on Table Keisuke’s Schedule Daito President’s Article Identikit Photo Mask May wore Razor from May’s house Emerald Necklace Wire in May’s house

Doubt Part/Accusation Portion Who’s the Liar? May Akutsu Pick your evidence: Mask May wore Q1. "Ate lunch with friends on Saturday.” What’s wrong with that statement?! C. “Ate lunch” Pick your evidence: The Cafe’s Sign

Pick your evidence: Red mark on guy’s shirt Q2. Keisuke’s wound wouldn’t leave blood behind. Why? B. It’s not that kind of wound

Pick your evidence: Emerald Necklace

Final Choice  (boy will you guys be shocked, I’ll leave the question partially not translated so you get some surprise) Q3. Confront May with definitive proof that she’s a ____? A. Her clothes