Inspector Megure pushed the Dean of Academic Affairs outside the cordon. Kogoro Mouri, recalling yesterday's scolding, smirked at the Dean.
"Pathetic!"
The Dean's face flushed with anger. He raised his bamboo sword, itching to charge at Kogoro but stopped at the cordon, lowering his weapon.
I'll deal with the students later. Barging in now risks police accusations of vandalism—a disaster.
Trying to calm himself, the Dean was interrupted by a student's question: "Teacher, why can those three enter, but not us?"
"Idiot!" The Dean struck the student with his bamboo sword. "I told you to leave! Go home!"
Like a madman, he drove the students away from the gymnasium entrance. Soon, it was clear, though many lingered at a distance, including Class A, Grade 1 students.
"How did Hayashi Shuichi and the others get in?"
"They seem chummy with the Investigation Division 1 police."
"They were late yesterday, assisting the police, Mr. Murakami said. Is today's gym incident tied to them?"
Yukiko Fujimine, with her drama club classmates, watched the gymnasium, puzzled. She didn't think highly of Hayashi Shuichi, Eri Kisaki, or Kogoro Mouri. To her, Kogoro was a hotheaded fool, Eri a study-obsessed nerd, and Hayashi, her seatmate, a creepy, quiet lech who stared at her yesterday, claiming she reminded him of someone. What an outdated line.
Inside the gymnasium, Dr. Kobayashi secured the judo club room after confirming Hayato Doi's death, barring entry. School leaders and teachers, unconcerned about Doi, swarmed judo club president Teru Hoshino, who found the body with Kogoro, with questions.
"Did you see anyone else when you found him?"
"Your judo club flopped in the summer nationals, largely due to Doi. How's he been?"
"Was he ostracized by the club?"
Hoshino, eyes red, answered softly, "The room was locked. I opened it with my key, and Kogoro was with me. We saw Hayato hanging as we entered. Just us—no one else. He's been guilt-ridden since losing the summer judo match. Nobody says it, but the club likely blames him."
"It seems Doi Hayato hanged himself, overwhelmed by guilt for letting his team down," Vice Principal Inoue concluded. The others nodded. A suicide, though damaging to Teitan's reputation, was the least harmful outcome. A murder would ruin the school's name, deterring future students.
The police? Those incompetent tax-wasters won't catch anyone, they thought.
Dr. Kobayashi tried to speak, but Inoue snapped, "Stay out of it! Don't make trouble for the school!"
As they settled on the "truth," the First Investigation Division arrived.
"I'm Vice Principal Inoue Jinshin," he said. "We've confirmed Doi committed suicide out of guilt over the summer judo loss. Please close the case quickly to avoid disrupting our students."
"Inspector Samezaki Shimaharu, First Investigation Division," the officer replied coolly. "We'll determine what happened. The case's timeline depends on our investigation."
Inoue, frustrated, insisted, "I've made it clear—Doi killed himself. Don't let this affect our students."
"Suicide or not, the police decide, not—" Samezaki began, but a voice cut in: "He didn't kill himself. Someone strangled him, then staged the hanging."
Not a suicide? The teachers and Inoue were stunned, expecting a police revelation. Instead, they saw a Teitan student in uniform.
This wasn't an era of teenage detectives. Neither Inoue nor Samezaki initially trusted Hayashi Shuichi.
"Which class are you from?" Inoue barked. "Stop spouting nonsense! Get out!"
Hayashi, having surveyed the judo room, spoke up against Inoue's claims about "impact."
"Lin-kun, why isn't it suicide?" Samezaki asked.
"He's just a student!" Inoue protested. "Are you police so useless you trust a clueless kid?"
Unfazed, Samezaki signaled Hayashi to continue.
Pointing at Doi's neck, Hayashi said, "Two strangulation marks—one upward, one downward."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Inoue scoffed. "Maybe he regretted it after hanging and struggled, leaving those marks."
"Let's test it," Hayashi replied with a smile. "Kogoro, lend me your belt."