02x03 - The Yuki-Onna's Alibi

[bunniefuu]

We don't know where your wife, Miharu-san, went

after she left the flower shop she works at around : PM.

We're certain that the riverbed where

her body was found is where her m*rder took place.

We're uncertain about the details,

but she was hit repeatedly on the head with a blunt object,

and her arms show signs that she tried to defend herself.

The suspect hit her from behind,

and then m*rder*d her when she turned around and tried to fight back.

There were no signs of her belongings being stolen.

We believe the motive was a deep-seated grudge.

We haven't found the m*rder w*apon yet.

We're talking about the night of Saturday, September th.

It's been over a year since I divorced Miharu.

I haven't seen her or had any contact with her since.

I didn't know she was working at a flower shop,

or that she was living in the next prefecture over, until now.

By the way, about the reason you divorced...

Publicly, it's said to be because Miharu-san was unfaithful,

but I hear it's actually because she tried to k*ll you.

How did you know about that?

It happened last March.

I was about to drive to work,

and she put a sleeping drug in my usual energy drink.

Have a good day.

Thanks.

Hello?

Muroi

I left my house while on the phone, so I ended up putting the bottle in my pocket,

and just left.

The phone call was from one of my clients,

and I had to stop by the office to get some papers.

I only survived due to a string of lucky breaks.

The one most likely to have put the sleeping drug in the drink was my wife.

When I looked into it, I found that she was cheating on me.

When I showed her what I'd found,

she admitted to my attempted m*rder.

If things had gone as she planned,

the sleeping drug would've taken effect while I was on the freeway.

Apparently, she was after my fortune and planned to marry her lover.

But how do the police know about this?

I haven't told anyone about it,

and Miharu told me that she kept it a secret from her lover.

Before we answer, why didn't you take your wife to court?

Attempted m*rder, apparently, isn't much of an offense.

Ah, I heard that you were almost k*lled by your friend back in college, as well.

Yes, and that's why I know it'd all just be in vain.

I married my wife because I loved her.

Fortunately, I was left without a scratch.

I'm also at fault for making her feel like she needed another man

because I was always at work.

Yet there was the fact that she had cheated on you,

and solid proof that she tried to m*rder you,

so Miharu-san had no choice but to accept the divorce.

And still, you split your fortune with her.

I had the right do what I wanted with it.

I couldn't have her deciding to retaliate because I treated her too coldly.

That is a valid concern.

It appears the person Miharu-san was cheating with

wanted to break up with her right after the divorce.

I'm sure it worked in your favor financially.

You might be far kinder than you look.

But that's not how Miharu-san saw it.

Miharu-san had hidden a letter in her house

saying that if she d*ed in a strange way,

you must have been the one who k*lled her and to arrest you right away.

That's also where she had written about attempting to k*ll you,

which led to your divorce.

Without that,

we never would've known what really happened between you and Miharu-san.

It doesn't matter what Miharu wrote. I had no reason to k*ll her.

Miharu-san genuinely felt that you would seek revenge against her.

Of course you'd resent her,

since she tried to k*ll you and take all of your money.

Yet you never reported that to the police and settled for just divorcing her,

and even split your fortune with her.

You even lied about the reason for the divorce, protecting her reputation.

People can only be so generous.

Miharu-san considered it to be creepy.

It's true. That's so generous, it's creepy.

That's why she suspected that it was just camouflage

so that you could k*ll her later.

Miharu-san had written in her letter that you intentionally made it look

like you divorced on good terms,

so that when you k*lled her, no one would suspect you.

That's why you didn't tell anyone about the m*rder attempt,

and make it sound like you're also at fault.

Your accusations are baseless.

I'm not so spiteful that I'd waste so much time and effort on revenge.

If I was that passionate, I would\n't be holed up here.

It doesn't matter. Whatever I say back will just be in vain.

I see that your friend who tried to k*ll you is also dead.

Three years after he attempted to m*rder you in the mountains.

He was in a car accident.

Apparently, yes. At least, that's what I heard, though I don't know the details.

We looked into that matter just in case,

but there was no evidence that you were involved, and no one suspected you.

Of course not.

However, when Miharu-san found out about this,

she thought that you had done it,

which made her even more wary of you.

She thought you'd seek revenge against her in the same way.

That's why she hid a letter confessing her own crimes.

And you actually believe that?

When she d*ed, Miharu-san's palm

had letters written on it with marker.

She d*ed with her fist clenched, so the suspect probably didn't notice.

It appeared she wrote it very quickly without looking at her hand.

The marker she used has not been found.

She might've thrown it away somewhere so that the suspect wouldn't notice.

But what could be read as "Masayu" was written on her hand in katakana.

Masayu

I believe that your name is Masayuki.

She may have stopped in the middle of writing it,

fearing the suspect would catch on.

If it was incomplete, there's no guarantee that she was trying to write "ki" next.

You are correct. She may have been trying to write "ko,"

but it ended up looking like "yu."

By the way...

Where were you on September th from PM to PM?

September... th...

Take a look at this.

This is a picture from a security camera at the mall closest to here.

The date is September th. Eight days before the incident.

It appears to be you and a woman who looks like Miharu-san in the picture.

You mentioned that you hadn't seen her once since your divorce, but...

This woman may look like Miharu, but it isn't her.

Then just who might she be?

Would you come with us to the nearest police station?

Should I return to the mountains for now?

No. I guess I'll wait for him.

Miha—

Ah, you took quite a while.

To think that she'd continue to cause you trouble after her death...

What an awful woman.

Crystal

And then there's you.

Crystal High Ball

If you talked to your neighbors every now and then,

you may have actually had an alibi.

You're right, but it's not like I don't have an alibi.

September th at PM was just around the time

that I was eating tempura with you.

Ooh! That day, we ate tempura and drank alcohol into the night,

and I went home in the morning.

Then there's no way you're the suspect! Everything's taken care of!

But it's not like I can hand a Yuki-Onna over to the police as my alibi.

When they asked for my alibi,

I should've just immediately said that I didn't have one,

but I ended up saying that it's not like I didn't have one.

That pause made the police suspect me more.

Even so, you are innocent!

You'd be cleared of any suspicion!

But the image from the security camera has put me in a bad situation,

so they're going to suspect me, no matter what I say.

Do I look like your former wife?

If you stood next to her, there'd be differences,

but you do look alike.

Why in the world did you marry a woman who looks like me?

Who knows?

Perhaps I couldn't forget what I saw

when I looked up while buried in the snow.

The white figure I saw on the brink of death...

No matter how much I was betrayed, that didn't waver.

That was the one thing that hadn't betrayed me.

Ah, sh*t. I was planning on never letting that slip...

But at the same time, it's tiring to keep up this ruse.

What do I even say to this?

If that was the case, I'm sure your former wife took issue with that, as well.

She might've felt like she was being compared to someone the whole time.

I feel bad about it.

That's why I couldn't blame her for cheating on me,

and I tried to be mindful during our divorce.

But attempted m*rder is going a bit far.

I can't explain my alibi or about the woman I was with to the police.

And because of that, their suspicions that I did it are growing.

It feels like I fell into a trap.

Are you in a worse situation because I cannot serve as a witness for you?

Things are looking pretty bad...

But thankfully, I have time and money.

I'm going to find the real culprit before they try to tie me down.

Then I'll be able to prove my innocence.

Hey, Masayuki—

There's no other way.

Wait...

Sorry, but I'm not going to be home for a while.

Wait. Do you have any idea how to find them?

It's better than being holed up here.

Wait, wait, wait!

I'm stocked up on booze and food, and I'll leave you some cash, too,

so you can do as you please.

I'm telling you to wait!

I only see failure in your future if you go about this with no leads.

I'm sure the police have their eyes on you, as well.

I will help you, so stop trying to do everything alone!

I know of your innocence! I will not let them capture you!

Come, now, and drink! Eat!

Have some okonomiyaki that I made.

It's half raw...

I-I figured that's better than it being burnt.

After you eat, it's time for bed.

You even get a beautiful woman to lie with you.

Listen carefully, Masayuki.

Rest for now.

You say that, but what am I supposed to do now?

As always, her hand is white as can be.

I know!

This is the perfect time to rely on our lady!

She'll be able to help you and find the true culprit!

Is that even going to work?

The police didn't keep bothering me like I thought they would.

Nine Days Later

It's already been over a week since they showed up.

Masayuki!

Our ladyship has arrived! We must go see her immediately!

Wh-Where are we going?

Deep into the mountains.

Don't fall!

My lady!

Th-This girl...

is her ladyship, the Goddess of Wisdom?

The Yuki-Onna's Alibi

My lady! I humbly thank you for listening to my request!

It's quite all right. This is my duty, after all.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

I am the Goddess of Wisdom to yokai, ayakashi, spectres, and demons.

My name is Iwanaga Kotoko.

I am here upon Yuki-Onna's request,

to resolve the incident that you are involved in.

I'm Muroi Masayuki. Thank you for coming all this way—

I could've just gone to your house,

but I'm sure it might've been troublesome for someone like me to come by your home.

Hup.

It's a bit chilly here, but suitable for us to talk for a while.

Did you come here alone?

I heard that you had a boyfriend. Where might he be?

Well, I invited him to come along, of course...

But he had the nerve to decline, saying he had to work construction tonight.

The nerve, prioritizing the construction of a tunnel at night

over his cute girlfriend...

Of course, he is a grad student, so I realize he may need money.

I told him my family could pay for that, but he just wouldn't listen.

And because of that,

I've been forced to buy a bento and drink from a local convenience store,

and had the monsters escort me up to these mountains.

Previously, he would make me a warm bento and pork soup,

so why would he leave me in a situation where I must eat cold tonkatsu?!

Oh, I beg your pardon. I went off-topic.

I can't stay mad about this forever.

I've looked into the basic details about you and your incident.

To think that having Yuki-Onna as a witness makes them suspect you even more...

It may show that there is always a chance of unexpected danger

when an ill-prepared human gets involved with an ayakashi.

This man is innocent, but has been put in a difficult situation because of me.

He may look rough around the edges, but he is not a bad human.

I implore you to assist us.

It's not your fault. Isn't that right, Muroi-san?

It's all due to my unworthiness. She has done nothing wrong.

Then again,

it must be unpleasant to have everything work so perfectly against you.

Like how Yuki-Onna is the witness who can provide an alibi,

and how she's in the security camera image with you

and being mistaken for your m*rder*d wife.

The predicament that you're in almost sounds like the plot of some play.

But doesn't that make you want to proceed with some doubt?

Is your alibi actually trustworthy even if we can affirm the existence of yokai?

When it comes to yokai and humans,

their lifespans and sense of time are different.

They don't usually use calendars,

and they don't usually specifically know what day it is like humans do.

Now, then, Yuki-Onna.

Can you tell me exactly what month and day today is?

Huh? Um...

Is it, like... the beginning of October? Um...

If Muroi-san said the th, when the incident occurred,

was at that time on that day,

Yuki-Onna would simply assume, "Ah, so it was that day."

Even if it were actually the th or th,

she wouldn't specifically be able to tell them apart.

If you had felt like just giving her the wrong date, she would be easily deceived.

Meaning it was very possible for you to k*ll your ex-wife on the th.

You don't have a solid alibi, even with Yuki-Onna as your witness.

Even with the security camera footage,

you could've figured out Miharu-san's usual routine beforehand,

and could have purposely been filmed with Yuki-Onna

at a time when Miharu-san's whereabouts were unknown.

You can't say you just happened to be caught on camera.

Can you wholeheartedly say that your alibi

or that footage weren't completely deliberate?

What could I possibly gain from them being deliberate?

You make it sound as if I made up my alibi

and purposely made sure that security camera footage existed,

but that'd only put me at a disadvantage. I'd gain nothing from it.

At this rate, I'm going to be arrested by the police,

and I have no way of proving my innocence.

But you do have something to gain.

Yuki-Onna's absolute trust in you.

What?

If Yuki-Onna believes in you, she'd have no reason to doubt your innocence.

And because of that,

she'd think, "I'll do anything to help him."

"I want to be of use to him."

If she's convinced that you were at a disadvantage because of her,

she'd take your side without any hesitation.

You have countless people that you'd consider worthwhile to exact revenge upon.

Your friend that tried to k*ll you,

your ex-wife, and your colleagues that betrayed you and took your company.

The first two have d*ed,

but the others remain.

You were removed from your position, and they took your title.

There must be more than two or three.

And it'd be quite a chore to finish k*lling all of them.

But what if you got Yuki-Onna to be on your side?

If you were to be arrested because of Miharu-san's incident,

and you said, "My former colleagues were scared that

their corruption would be tracked down,

and I found out that they had set up a trap for me.

I can't prove my innocence, nor can I track down their corruption.

Could you exact revenge upon them for me?"

If you had earnestly asked her to do that,

Yuki-Onna would've probably done just that because she believes in your innocence.

She is a yokai that exists outside the laws and morals of humans.

She would probably freeze them to death because she believed in you.

Is she trembling because of her ladyship's theory?

Yuki-Onna was relying on her lady.

Exacting revenge while being completely safe...

For that final goal,

you premeditated the m*rder of Miharu-san,

purposely put yourself in a situation to have the police suspect you,

and tried to gain the trust of Yuki-Onna.

Am I wrong?

I never had any hope in this Goddess of Wisdom...

But I can't believe she managed to come up with such a fabrication.

It'd be a futile plan that'd just leave me walking on thin ice.

Even if I were able to exact my revenge, if I'd be put on trial for Miharu's m*rder

and found guilty, there's no point.

But you have a yokai like Yuki-Onna on your side.

After you exact your revenge,

you can just say you came up with a way out,

and have the Yuki-Onna take some kind of action again.

You could have her go to the mall, get into the security camera footage,

and then have a lawyer you hired look up that footage.

If you can prove that a woman

resembling Miharu-san frequented the area even after her death,

the basis of the police's suspicion against you would fall apart.

Even if prosecution has probable evidence against you,

Yuki-Onna could just steal it before the trial,

and hide it.

It wouldn't be hard to make it seem you're not guilty,

or to have them drop the case.

If you were just striking a minor deal with a yokai, I'd easily advert my eyes...

But I cannot allow you to selfishly control a yokai

to do your bidding to satisfy your own interests.

That act could destroy the laws of both man and yokai.

My lady!

I do beg your pardon,

but this man is not capable of concocting such an evil plan.

It's true...

It's true that I believe in this man's innocence,

and I probably would not hesitate to k*ll another for him.

And I do not doubt your great wisdom or keen judgment...

But though this man may look rough around the edges,

he possesses a truly kind heart,

and is incapable of hating others!

Otherwise, how could he have been betrayed so many times,

so hurt, and unable to trust another human being anymore?

Please...

I beg you to reconsider!

Yes, yes, I know.

I'm very aware that Muroi-san is not the culprit.

Everything I just uttered was a lie.

Huh?

What did you say?

There were a number of holes in my theory,

but if you were just trying to gain Yuki-Onna's trust,

I'm sure the two of you would've moved on to making babies quite a while ago.

Because having relations like that

is the easiest way to convince her to take your side.

The utter lack of morals...

Well, I heard that you've been turning down all of Yuki-Onna's advances.

I was in complete awe of your cowardice.

Such a person would never be able to devise nor execute the plan

I just laid out.

That's why my theory has no leg to stand on.

Then why did you bother making up all those lies?

That was far too cruel to be considered a joke.

It was to enlighten you.

Yuki-Onna went as far as to argue with me

to defend you, even though I am a goddess to her.

That required a great deal of courage.

She went as far as defying a goddess for your sake.

She may be a yokai, but she believes in you and has put her full faith in you.

You may be too scared to believe in people again because you were hurt,

but your existence is that meaningful.

I think it's about time you made a new start.

What the hell am I doing?

It's true that I've been hurt and became so tired that I ran away.

But I was reunited with Yuki-Onna and was able to find peace.

But a part of me felt guilty.

I was a coward who was terrified to interact with others again,

and I couldn't muster my courage.

I can't say I'm too concerned with what happens to you,

but as the Goddess of Wisdom, I must see Yuki-Onna's request through.

Just solving this case isn't going to save you, is it?

I'm sorry. You're absolutely right.

Sorry for the trouble I've caused.

So what about Miharu's m*rder case?

If the true culprit isn't apprehended, I'm still in hot water.

I know who the true culprit is.

There's really no need to rush,

but I guess I can tell you how that will also be resolved.

To be continued