Original subtitles

Someone related to him might know something.

Is that key the only clue left?

Tsuda didn't kill your parents.

What?

1995

-Hey, I'm scared! -What?

-Where are we going? -Just stay quiet and come with me.

-How much farther? -I don't like this!

Don't open your eyes. Don't.

Okay, now. Open your eyes.

Amazing!

Wow! So pretty!

Right?

It's like a sky of stars!

From time to time,

I would like to eat something light,

not Chinese food all the time!

Dad?

Are you looking at them again?

It's not half-bad coming from you, Makoto.

Shut up.

I told you not to take it out.

I never imagined he would have something like this.

But we aren't even sure it was his yet.

Who else would hide it in a place like this?

Maybe someone else asked him to keep it.

Maybe.

Whether he was just keeping it,

intended to kill with it,

or had already used it…

Stop it.

Not just used, it's possible he killed with it!

I said stop it!

What do you want to do?

If we investigate further,

we might find out things we don't want to know.

A group of three robbers wearing clown masks.

-Scary, huh? -They went inside?

-Yes. -I see.

Is something the matter?

Eisuke Ichijo…

I killed them.

Around when did the murder take place?

Why did you do that to Mr. Ichijo?

Look, if you stay silent, we won't know anything, and nothing will progress.

Let's talk again,

once you've calmed down.

He won’t speak at all.

His name is Kenshin Narita, 19 years old.

We confirmed his address from the ID in his wallet.

But we don't know his guardian's phone number.

We have no choice but to go to the address.

It’s probably just a prank anyway.

A death certificate had been filed.

Eisuke Ichijo, 64 years old.

He passed away a month ago, but it was listed as a cerebral hemorrhage.

Cerebral hemorrhage?

Then it's a natural death, right?

The doctor said it was a natural death!

Dr. Kagura.

Do you have a moment?

Sure.

We were just having a chat.

We were talking excitedly about gene analysis using nanopore technology.

How do you get excited over something like that?

This is perfect timing.

Seems Mr. Ichijo was struck by a terrible headache at work,

went to his usual hospital, and lost consciousness.

Then, he died from a cerebral hemorrhage.

It seems Mr. Ichijo was being treated for high blood pressure.

It certainly wouldn't be strange to rule it a natural death.

Did you hear that?

But, according to the most recent records,

his blood pressure was actually stabilizing.

Since no autopsy was performed,

things like toxins can sometimes be overlooked.

I wouldn't say the possibility of foul play is zero.

Did Kenshin say anything to you beforehand?

No, nothing.

Do you know anyone by the name of Eisuke Ichijo?

I don't.

I would like to ask your husband a few questions as well.

My husband is unwell, and he has been hospitalized for a while.

Enomoto?

TETSU ENOMOTO - TOXICOLOGY

That boy…

his dream was to attend Professor Enomoto's lectures.

At which university?

Jinnan National University.

But this year…

he failed the entrance exam.

I've put him through a lot.

I couldn't afford to send him to a cram school.

After that, what did he do?

He found a job, but he quit immediately.

Since then,

he has spent most of his time in his room.

KENSHIN

Kenshin…

won't be arrested, right?

Narita is pretty smart, isn't he?

Smart enough to take the Jinnan National University exam.

Jinnan?

Seems he admired Professor Enomoto, who researches toxins.

-That's why he applied. -Is that so?

Could it be…

he used poison to commit the murder?

But we haven't found any relation between him and the victim yet.

-I went to Mr. Ichijo's workplace. -Well done.

Mr. Ichijo served as the Chairman of the Board

at Jinnan National University.

The university started using AI in exam grading this year.

It even made the headlines.

He failed the exam there…

But you wouldn't commit murder just for failing, would you?

Enomoto is the leading expert in toxicology.

He would want to attend his lectures if he wants to pursue that field.

However, he couldn't afford to retake the exam.

His father’s kidneys failed ten years ago,

and he has been in and out of the hospital since.

The mother must have it rough.

She cleans a hotel in the morning,

then works at a restaurant in the same hotel afterward.

Even then, it's barely enough to take care of the father and son.

That’s why he only applied to that one university.

Even "safety" schools require an enrollment fee.

If you don't pay, your enrollment is voided.

You have to pay even if you're not sure you'll go there?

Education is on the side of the wealthy.

But… there are exceptions, right?

Minoru.

You did great.

Come on, don't talk about me.

-Makoto. -Yes?

-Can you take care of the stuff out front? -What?

Thanks.

Honestly…

I was really surprised by Minoru back then.

We're back to that?

I mean, you suddenly said you weren't going to take the exams.

I had no choice. We had to make ends meet,

and we didn't have the money to pay back student loans.

I don't know where he heard it, but Mogi said,

"If you became an honors student, your tuition would be waived!"

You sure make it sound easy.

You're drinking?

Being an honors student means being in the top five out of 3,000 applicants.

-Here. -Thanks.

He was always telling me he wanted to go to medical school,

so I just didn't want him to give up.

-Mogi, table for two. -Welcome.

CHINESE RESTAURANT MOCCHAN

If I had said I wanted to be a forensic scientist,

what would Mom and Dad have done?

They would probably have said, "We don't have that kind of money."

He would have been bragging to the whole town.

What?

He would find a way to get the money, no matter what.

Hey, Minoru.

That thing of Dad's.

Should we just throw it into the sea?

Um, about this…

Hey… Excuse me!

-Coming. -Is anyone--

-You never learn, do you? -No, but…

I have this.

Where did you steal it?

Oh, I just happened to find it.

This isn't yours, right, Asakura?

No, it isn't.

I just picked it up a moment ago.

I actually want to sell this.

Sorry.

So you have no leads at all.

No.

We have one more.

KIRIYADO INN

This is Tsuda's room?

Oh, I'm not sure about the name…

ROOM 2

Whoa, this is terrible.

Tell me the details.

What?

That author's room.

You were in here, weren't you?

23RD LITERARY NONFICTION AWARDS

-Just dropping in. -Haruko.

It seems this key belonged to the inn where Tsuda was staying.

The room Tsuda used was completely trashed.

What?

Maybe he was in debt?

A while ago, some people who looked like debt collectors showed up.

Hey, where is it?

Hold it right there!

Hey, Tsuda, you bastard!

The injuries Tsuda had were likely from the assault back then.

Right.

After that, it seems they took the luggage that was in the room.

And…

Tsuda's personal belongings, stolen before all of that.

Inside were daily necessities and…

these documents.

The procurement list for Karashima Metal Industries.

Why would he have that?

I knew it.

Tsuda really was snooping around the factory.

But…

I don't think it has anything to do with that case.

STAINLESS STEEL / WASHER NUTS / IRON PIPE

I heard from Minoru.

I didn't really want to hear it, though.

Haruko, can I leave it to you?

There are things you're better off not knowing.

I'll be in touch.

What did you ask for?

Nothing.

Huh? You're…

What's wrong?

It’s no use.

He won't look me in the eye.

You never know what smart guys are thinking.

Tagusari.

-I'm counting on you. -What?

Go on.

He has been like this since yesterday.

He would be a good match for my little brother.

But…

Inside that head of yours, you're probably thinking hard.

You line up all the possibilities and pick the best choice.

This time, it was turning yourself in.

You have a hidden agenda, don't you?

Hold on. Mr. Tagusari.

His mother will be here soon.

Should we try asking your mom?

Please don't be so harsh to my mother.

Since I failed the exam, she's been unwell.

You really had no idea at all?

No.

It seems he left the house while I was at work.

I see.

Well then, please try talking with Kenshin one more time.

I'm very sorry.

What do you think?

Do you think he killed the Chairman out of a grudge for failing the exam?

Mr. Tagusari.

He's not the kind of boy who would do such a thing.

I just…

I can't accept it.

In his own self-grading, he definitely had a passing grade.

It must be some kind of mistake.

ICHIJO

Yes?

Is this the residence of Mr. Ichijo, Chairman of Jinnan National University?

CCTV footage has already been overwritten.

It has been a month, after all.

On the day your husband passed away, was he acting strange in any way?

He was tired from work, but he went to the university as usual…

I still can't accept it, so the room is exactly as it was that day.

How's it going on your end?

It's tough, there are few cameras around the complex.

We can't confirm Kenshin Narita left his home on the day of the murder.

No luck with the Chairman either.

It was all very sudden.

His belongings hadn't been organized yet.

You're going to Haruko's place, right?

I already contacted her.

You know her number?

Online posts?

After the results got out,

there were quite a few applicants making the same claim as Kenshin.

They said that by their own grading, they should have passed.

IT'S BECAUSE OF THE AI, ISN'T IT?

The grading was done by AI.

Things do seem fishy here.

Do you know something?

This university is unusually close to the Ministry of Education.

Even though operating grants are trending downward,

they're receiving nearly 60 billion yen.

60 billion?

Okay. I'll look into it a bit.

Can you carry this stuff to the front of my shop?

What?

Please!

Wait, hold on.

I'm hungry.

What should we eat?

Eat this. It's really good.

-Yummy! -Right?

Haruko, you…

Yes?

You're so good at your job, so why run a pawn shop?

Originally, that place

was the shop of an informant I used when I was a reporter.

Then they got sick and were looking for someone to take over.

So that's why you quit being a reporter.

Exposing people's secrets isn't exactly a pleasant thing, is it?

For example,

there are things that family members are better off not knowing.

I was thinking about such things,

so I decided to take over.

The police can't look at it that way.

I suppose not.

It's just that, to me, "the truth" was a little too dazzling.

Rare to see you like this. You aren't drinking?

Yes.

I was a bit tired, so I was resting.

At least take off your jacket.

I guess you're right.

That applicant turned himself in again today.

Again?

We thought he would finally speak,

but he just said he's worried about his mom.

You never know what smart guys are thinking.

Did something happen?

What do you mean?

You’ve been like this since you were a kid.

Whenever you hide something in a hurry, you put it in the microwave.

Minoru!

Is this from Haruko?

I told you to drop it.

I had her look into info

about guns used in the vicinity of Yomogida Town 30 years ago.

Between 1990 and 1995…

the five years before Dad was killed, there were two shootings in Kanagawa.

Shooting incidents?

The culprit wasn't caught in either case.

But in one of them, someone died.

Who was killed?

GUNSHOT HEARD

Kaga Shokichi.

An old guy who ran a tatami shop in Yomogida Town.

Was he connected to Dad?

I don't know.

Where is that tatami shop? Do we know anyone related to Kaga?

It was 30 years ago. That shop is an apartment building now.

But…

This might be completely unrelated.

Or…

Dad might have killed him.

-That can't be-- -That’s why I told you to stop!

In the end,

it’s all just speculation.

Section Chief.

Did Narita finally say something?

No, I'm…

A colleague asked for some advice.

Yes?

About 30 years ago,

there were two shootings in Kanagawa, do you remember?

Yes, the culprit was never caught.

You were at the Yomogida Station back then, right?

Do you have any info?

Why ask about such an old case?

It's related to a case my colleague is chasing.

Which police station?

Totsuka North Station.

Here you go.

Sorry for bothering you so many times.

And today?

What's wrong?

Do you still have the documents from the factory?

From the factory?

A robot my dad made for me broke,

and to repair it, I need to know the metal he used.

You could take it to a professional.

It's handmade by my dad, so I want to try fixing it myself.

I see.

I'll go take a look.

1995 KARASHIMA METAL FACTORY

TAX OFFICE

What are you doing?

Those…

belong to our tax accountant.

They were lying here on the floor, so I was trying to tidy them up.

Lying on the floor?

I must have left it open again.

Hey.

Where are you going?

Is someone involved in the grading error coming here?

Kudo.

Did you forget your badge at the place we drank at yesterday?

What?

I have it here…

So you believed me?

Are you back to being a reporter?

Just helping out.

Who is this person?

Probably someone from the Ministry of Education.

This is a chance to drag the higher-ups down.

These are communication records between our Bureau Chief and Ichijo.

PHARMACY

TITLE: "ABOUT THE GRADING ERRORS"

As a university,

they couldn't afford to admit a grading error.

Could it be that Jinnan National University,

which introduced AI grading last year, has covered up a grading error?

An insider investigation revealed new developments.

There are also suspicions of illegal monetary transactions

between the university and the Ministry of Education.

-The Ministry vowed to look into… -The Ministry is involved too.

They've already decided on a successor for the Bureau Chief.

They really moved fast.

But the details of the cover-up haven't been reported by the media.

Our Section Chief is pestering the higher-ups for answers.

They say the cause was human error.

Human error?

It seems a mistake occurred

when staff were manually inputting the AI's grading results.

And the Chairman, Mr. Ichijo, covered it up?

Yes, so their illegal subsidies from the Ministry would continue.

Mr. Koike, can you go to Narita's house one more time?

What is it?

It's about the Narita case.

Something feels off to me.

You too, Minoru?

If the goal was to expose the cover-up, there's no need for him to stay silent.

And turning yourself in when you didn't kill anyone is too high a risk.

I feel like we're being led by Kenshin Narita.

I don't like this.

What about Jinnan National University?

I saw it on the news.

Did you know about it too, ma'am?

Kenshin went to us in hopes that the police would expose it.

Ishizaka.

Oh, excuse me.

Yes?

Oh, Mr. Tagusari.

I'm coming in.

Did it go as you planned?

Someone gave me an assessment.

They pointed out that Mr. Ichijo's murder

might have been carried out with a Green Mamba.

It's a venomous snake.

A venomous snake?

Speak truthfully.

-If you did it, you have to atone for it. -Stop it.

Venom is not a tool for murder.

Green Mamba toxins

are being researched as a treatment for several incurable diseases.

And scorpion toxins

may be used to make more eco-friendly pesticides.

Venom has the potential to change the future.

By the way,

when death occurs from Green Mamba venom, the respiratory muscles are paralyzed,

leading to respiratory arrest.

That's different from the Chairman's cause of death.

Narita hasn't given up on toxicology yet, huh.

The Green Mamba is the snake Professor Enomoto is researching.

He hasn't gotten rid of his study materials,

so while he was cooped up…

He kept up his studies?

We can't progress. Let's end the investigation here.

Wait.

Narita went out of his way to turn himself in.

But why would he kill if he still plans to take the exam?

But, there might be something.

We won't find out anything.

Not from the son.

What do you mean?

Aside from talking about the murder,

Narita only talked about toxins and his mother.

Those two things are likely what he treasures most.

Let's say he was trying…

to protect one of them, his mother.

-He's trying to take the blame for her? -He knew we couldn't charge him.

And the police would also expose the university's cover-up.

I confirmed it with Mr. Ichijo's wife.

After the results were announced, the mother, Atsuko,

visited Mr. Ichijo's home several times.

So the two knew each other after all.

It's about her son. The mother has a motive.

Even so, we can't make an arrest.

Section Chief.

We also have other cases.

One more day. If no evidence comes up, we’re closing this.

Okay.

One more day…

Mrs. Narita is a really hard worker.

As soon as she finishes cleaning, she starts at the first-floor restaurant.

When did she start this routine?

A month ago.

She quit her daytime job and started at the restaurant.

She was already working the cleaning job, so I guess commuting was hard.

Do you know what her daytime job was?

A pharmacist.

Near Aoki General Hospital.

Narita's mother dispensed medication at the pharmacy Mr. Ichijo frequented.

For hypertension, I believe he was taking antiplatelet drugs

to suppress platelet activity.

Can other drugs cause a cerebral hemorrhage?

Maybe NSAIDs?

What are those?

Drugs that suppress inflammation and reduce pain.

If used together,

platelet function decreases further, increasing the risk of bleeding,

and blood vessels in the brain can rupture.

Did the mother kill him by exploiting a drug interaction?

First, we need evidence.

The pharmacy's security footage is gone.

What if we check the NSAID inventory?

Even if there's a discrepancy in sales,

it's not proof that Narita's mother mixed them in.

The medicine bag?

If NSAIDs are found in the bag prescribed to Mr. Ichijo, it's evidence!

Kudo.

It has been a month. Something like that is already--

His wife still kept his belongings.

It was all very sudden.

His belongings hadn't been organized yet.

She moved away after the cover-up report!

Seems she just finished packing.

Then the medicine too?

It has probably been collected.

Trash collection in their district should be around 12 p.m.

Fifteen minutes left.

Wait a moment!

Wait!

I'm Kudo from Aoi Station. Can you help with our investigation?

REMEMBER TO PUT A NET COVERING YOUR TRASH

Mrs. Narita.

Sorry for coming at such a late hour. May we have a word?

What is it?

The one who killed Eisuke Ichijo

was you, wasn't it?

A month ago,

you visited Mr. Ichijo's home several times.

You found out about the grading cover-up

and went to demand they grant him admission, didn't you?

His wife saw you confronting Mr. Ichijo.

But…

he wouldn't take you seriously.

It seems you've known Mr. Ichijo for a while.

Mr. Ichijo had his prescriptions filled regularly

at the pharmacy where you worked.

And so you mixed NSAIDs into the antiplatelet medication

which he took daily,

killing him.

The entrance exam

was important to both your son and you.

Ever since your husband got sick,

the two of you have been working hard together, in that room.

You must have been desperately doing what you could to support Kenshin.

TO KENSHIN

Because of your circumstances,

you couldn't even send him to cram school.

Due to that guilt,

you wanted him to pass no matter what.

That’s why…

you couldn't forgive Mr. Ichijo

for stealing your son's future.

But…

nothing changed.

All that was left was regret.

I'm going to the police.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

Mom…

I'll go.

What?

If I say I killed him, the police will look into it, right?

What do you think

was the thing Kenshin really wanted to protect?

If he failed the exam,

surely you would never stop blaming yourself.

He wanted to prove one thing by exposing the cover-up.

That even without money,

he can beat the exams.

That the time he spent working hard with his mother…

wasn't a mistake.

That’s why,

you would do anything for the sake of the exam.

Even if it meant

committing an irreversible sin.

But…

all of this is speculation.

There's no evidence.

We don't know how you discovered the cover-up,

and the bag of mixed medicine

was already taken by the garbage collectors.

Besides, since it doesn't always lead to death,

maybe you only meant…

to make him suffer, not kill him.

The investigation ends today.

We can no longer arrest the culprit.

Can we talk for a second?

This is your exam paper, graded by an expert.

Believing in your passing,

your mother committed a crime.

If you're going to hide it from her,

hide it until the day you die.

TOTAL SCORE: 880 RESULT: FAILED

No way…

I couldn't do it after all.

Education is on the side of the wealthy, apparently.

Though…

I do know someone who overcame that.

MAKOTO TAGUSARI

Mr. Ichijo also had a family who loved him.

If you ever feel like talking, please contact us anytime.

Did you want to arrest that mother and son so badly?

No.

The one I'm stuck on is the mother.

The mother?

I saw a TeleSeek notification on her phone.

That app that doesn't store message history?

A mom wouldn't normally use something like that.

She lives with her son, so she wouldn't need it anyway.

That's true.

It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I have a bad taste in my mouth too.

You went out of your way to call me here

to try and convince me about Dad, didn't you?

Even though you'll keep going by yourself, anyway.

That kind of thing

really pisses me off.

Did you find out anything?

You were also poking around by yourself, right?

I went to the tax accountant's office.

I compared the procurement list Tsuda had

with the subsidiary ledger from the Karashima Metal factory.

In the subsidiary ledger for the tax return,

one type of metal had been erased.

Erased?

In Tsuda's procurement list,

there was SNCM.

This metal is used for jet engine turbines

and valves in oil equipment.

As well as…

handguns.

That gun might not have been meant for use,

but rather something manufactured at the factory.

I see.

The pieces might be coming together.

I asked the Section Chief,

and she said it's likely the Igarashi-gumi were involved in the shootings.

The Igarashi-gumi?

They were likely distributing guns made at the factory.

But why was Dad complicit in something like that?

I want to ask you about Tagusari…

Tagusari? What happened?

He asked me about the shootings in Yomogida Town 30 years ago.

From 30 years ago?

He said a colleague at Totsuka North was pursuing it,

but apparently, Totsuka North isn't handling any such case.

Mr. Koike,

do you know what Tagusari is investigating?

Tsuda…

was probably investigating the gun smugglers.

If some kind of incident happened then…

The ones who killed our parents

might be the Igarashi-gumi.

SIR, IS THIS REALLY GOOD ENOUGH?

-Uno did it as revenge. -Even though they forgot all about it.

Why don't you stop carrying the burden all by yourself?

To be honest…

I was scared of that.

Subtitle translation by: Nix S.