01x05 - Fate

[bunniefuu]

It's been a while.

When was the last time we met?

I think it was around the time

you resigned as a prosecutor

Why did you want to see me today?

Now, now, no need to rush.

No, thank you.

Our relationship isn't one

for drinking sake

and getting lost

in memories together, is it?

I see.

I guess your admiration for me

is a thing of the past now.

How sad.

Organizations are so terrifying.

Even when you think

you've created one where everyone

is straightened out and aligned,

there's always someone

who steps out of line.

I'm talking about Prosecutor Himeno.

Who else?

I'm grateful to you.

Thanks to you,

we were able to get rid of the rot

in the organization.

I hope

you'll continue to be relentless.

That's my intention.

How promising.

By the way

I heard you're handling the case in Chiba.

Chief Kurata, huh?

Who are you talking about?

DAD:

LET'S MEET AND TALK

It's from my father.

He wants to meet and talk to me.

Will you?

Mr. Akizumi

is trying to use my relationship

with my father.

Then I'll use that as well.

I heard you visited Yusaku Shimizu.

What about it?

It's moving.

An innocent person has been living

in fear of death for 12 years.

And a hero of justice

clears his false accusation

Is that your aim?

He's guilty.

Yusaku Shimizu has admitted to his crime,

the court has convicted him of m*rder,

and the case is closed.

You agreed with the decision too,

didn't you?

You remember, right?

After all,

you're the one who put him on death row

As the prosecutor of justice!

A friendly word of advice

Don't expect everything to go your way.

Mr. Akizumi,

you were aware

that I was Kurata's daughter, right?

I was.

Then, please tell me.

Six years ago,

you showed up in front of my father.

What?

Answer me, Mr. Kurata.

You unlawfully

covered that up, didn't you?

My father unlawfully covered something up.

I heard you accuse him of that.

It's

related to the Itoi family murders

12 years ago, isn't it?

Regarding that case,

it appears Akamine is also interested.

Huh?

If you're going to tail someone,

do it better.

This time, you caught onto the possibility

that the Chiba Police were colluding

with Attorney Uno and Ms. Eri Sendo

behind the scenes.

And so, you took over this case.

Because

Isao Kurata, the Chief

of Criminal Investigations, is behind it.

You invited me to this office

because I'm Kurata's daughter, right?

I did.

Please tell me.

What

did my father cover up?

Was he always engaging

in such unlawful activities?

Ms. Shinomiya

I believe you're aware that I'm using you.

What you want to know

and what I want to know

might lie in the same place.

If there's use in you,

we might uncover something.

The truth we both seek.

We share a mutual interest.

So, let's work together.

Very well.

What should I do?

Regarding this case

of three consecutive instances of r*pe

The Chiba Police decided

to arrest Mr. Reiji Kurusu

based on the eyewitness testimony

of Ms. Eri Sendo, the third victim.

However, Ms. Eri Sendo's testimony

raised several doubts.

Furthermore, it was found

that she had been stalking Mr. Kurusu.

We've learned that

the Chiba Police and Ms. Eri

might have been using each other

to fabricate this incident.

And Attorney Uno,

who has a history of connection

with the police, is also involved.

He pretended to assist Mr. Kurusu,

only to make him confess

and wrap everything up.

Exactly.

One lie connected three parties

that shouldn't have been linked.

And in a delicate balance at that.

So, if we can find evidence

to expose their relationship

Such evidence doesn't exist.

The Chief of Criminal Investigations

would never leave any evidence.

However,

if their relationship

only stands on a delicate balance

Are you saying

we should sever their connections?

Correct.

First

We'll use Attorney Uno.

-Okay. Can you get in?

-Yeah.

Daddy! It's the man with the magic tricks!

Akizumi

Yua is really cute, isn't she?

I heard you lost your consulting position

at that big trading company.

I imagine stepping down

from Mr. Kurusu's case

has pushed you into a tight spot.

And meeting with the police after that

must have been awkward too.

What are you getting at?

Ms. Eri Sendo's story

The police filled you in on that, right?

I don't know what you're on about.

I don't know anything.

If you want to expose my affair, go ahead.

But if I did that,

you'd really lose everything.

You see, I have this feeling

that you aren't to blame for most of this.

You can play dumb and wiggle out of this.

You took on Mr. Kurusu's case,

and he just happened to confess.

That's all.

What are you thinking of?

So,

are we going to get Attorney Uno

to blow the whistle on the invention?

No.

In order to upset this balance

all we need

is a little cooperation from him.

What's going on? Hey!

He's one of my staff.

He's capturing us together.

What are you planning?

It's simple.

For your precious family,

you can't afford to lose your job, right?

Next

we chip away at the weakest link.

Thank you.

Huh?

Sorry.

I come here often for business.

And I've always appreciated

your welcoming smile.

I'm sorry I don't remember you.

Well,

I do look rather plain.

No, not at all!

Um,

if you're up for it,

how about some tea once you're off?

Really?

Me?

She's wary of me.

From now on, it's in your hands.

Handle it smoothly.

So, Mr. Akamine, you're an attorney?

Yes.

But I'm still kind of in training.

I work under a tough boss, you see.

This here's Akizumi, my boss.

He's a real piece of work

and a real taskmaster.

We're working on the defense

for Mr. Reiji Kurusu.

What do you want?

You recognize this man, right?

I can't say.

This is Attorney Uno, the man

initially handling Mr. Kurusu's defense.

Aren't you curious about

what they were discussing?

Here's the recording.

The third incident.

Wasn't that story cooked up

by the police and Ms. Eri

to fit their agenda?

And you knew about it

when you took on the case.

Isn't that right?

"Don't be absurd."

"Do you have proof?"

Right here.

"That's"

Will you keep making excuses?

With this evidence,

I won't let you play ignorant

to the fact that it was a setup.

"I had nothing to do with it!"

"Why should I care?"

What on earth?

You and the police

invented the third incident.

We've got proof.

What's the evidence?

We can't tell you that.

I really am a victim.

I'm leaving.

Lastly,

can I give you a glimpse of your future?

What?

In upcoming trials,

we'll bring forth evidence

of your dishonesty and that of the police.

You'll face charges

of false accusation, perjury,

and fraud if you accept settlement money,

with a prison sentence of up to ten years.

Even if you receive a suspended sentence,

this case is receiving

much media attention.

If it becomes known that a victim lied,

you'll become their prime target.

Your face and name will remain online,

leaving a digital footprint

that will stay with you forever.

This will make it difficult

to find a new job.

Even if you find someone you love,

they'll eventually learn about this.

I wasn't lying.

Listen,

this is just one potential future

that can still be changed.

You might as well finish your order.

It's quite delicious.

How did I do?

Splendidly.

The photo?

I sent it.

Now, it's in Ms. Shinomiya's hands

and how she decides

to confront her father.

KURATA

Welcome back.

Sorry, I only have random stuff.

Will tea do?

Sure.

Here's Asuka.

She's turned eight years old.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Um

a police officer!

Then, when you're all grown,

do you want to work with Daddy?

Yeah!

When was the last time you've been here?

The day I graduated from university.

It's been that long, huh?

I haven't come here

since I became an attorney.

What did you want to talk about?

You actually don't want to talk,

you want to ask me something.

About Mr. Akizumi.

Does he know

about us?

He invited me to his office

knowing all along.

This string of r*pe cases

You know why Mr. Akizumi

took over the defense for it, right?

Mr. Akizumi suspects the third incident

involving Ms. Eri Sendo was fabricated.

He thinks too little of the police.

If he brings that up in court,

he'll be the one facing public backlash.

Not if we've got evidence.

There's no way there's any evidence.

Are you here to rattle me

on Akizumi's orders?

You never know what might become proof.

So, an attorney should always

record conversations.

That's what Mr. Akizumi taught me.

But

it makes me careful with my words.

RECORDING

RECORDING PAUSED

I've always looked up to you.

But now, I'm not so sure

if I was right.

The Itoi family murders 12 years ago.

It was after that incident

that you stopped smiling.

I was there.

The day I graduated from university,

Mr. Akizumi was pushing you

for answers about that incident.

You

covered something up

about the Itoi family murders.

You've been regretting it

ever since, right?

Tell me.

Are you still the hero of justice

whom I looked up to?

Please.

Tell me.

Is Mr. Yusaku Shimizu behind bars

due to a false accusation?

What did you do?

Working under an eccentric attorney

warps even your perspective, doesn't it?

The police work

tirelessly day and night

to ensure citizens can live in peace.

A false accusation?

Cover up?

Absurd.

You're terribly mistaken.

Fine.

We'll reveal the truth in the courtroom.

We do have evidence.

Sorry. I just got concerned.

You were here the whole time?

I've got a ton of work to catch up on,

so Ms. Shiraki will be mad at me.

It's hard, isn't it?

Lying to a parent.

I've been prepared for this

from the beginning.

I'm fine.

Do you want a donut?

No, thank you.

Wait, so you're not into sweets?

How about salty stuff?

I prefer salty foods.

Salty, huh?

Will this upset the balance?

Thanks to both of you,

a crack has formed among the three.

People carrying guilt in their hearts

are bound to feel increasingly anxious.

The number you are trying to call

is currently unreachable.

ATTORNEY UNO

Excuse me.

We've rechecked the security cameras

at the station and the surrounding area,

but found nothing

to contradict the testimony.

Just as we initially thought,

this case should be airtight.

As we suspected,

Akizumi's goal is to shake us up.

Don't let it get to you.

Right

Kurusu has a history of sexual offenses.

He deserves to be punished.

Um, are you sure everything is okay?

Can you avoid contacting me

unless necessary?

-But

-If something comes up, I'll call you.

Don't worry.

You are a victim.

That's why we took action

and arrested Kurusu.

Put your mind at rest.

But

Excuse me.

CHIEF PROSECUTOR DATEHARA

This is Kurata.

Oops, my bad.

It seems I called you by mistake.

No worries.

But since I have you on the phone,

I might as well ask.

Everything's good, right?

Yes.

There are no issues at all.

I'm glad to hear that.

Um, it seems Akizumi is looking into

that incident from 12 years ago.

That incident?

What do you mean?

By the way,

your daughter's become an attorney, huh?

I heard she's working

at Akizumi Law Office now.

Parents always want what they think

is best for their kids,

but kids just can't help

but rebel, can they?

Anyway, you wouldn't want

your dear daughter

to witness you in a sorry state,

would you?

So, that woman was lying?

Seems like she's got

some serious resentment toward you.

Screw her!

First, she pestered me relentlessly,

and now this?

"You were only good for your looks."

Maybe she came to that conclusion.

Huh?

Are you looking for a fight?

Not at all.

You're going to expose her lies, right?

Yes.

Then, the first two cases

Mr. Kurusu.

You confessed to those

because you were coerced

by your previous attorney, right?

But now, I'm the one on your defense.

All right.

Well then.

Ms. Sendo.

I was asked to give this to you.

I had no clue you knew that hottie.

Hottie?

Excuse me.

What should I do

about this person's exit record?

-Just a minute.

-Yes.

These are?

No idea.

These were sent to my workplace

by that attorney!

That attorney?

Do you mean Akizumi?

Forcing me to see pictures

of Kurusu with other women

Do I have to endure

this harassment forever?

They're trying to mess with your head.

Once we win the trial, it'll all stop.

Fine. In that case

Can we use this in the trial?

VOICE MEMO

COURTHOUSE

Next, we're moving on

to the witness examination

requested by the prosecutor.

Prosecutor, please get ready.

Right.

Set them up, please.

Um

I don't need the partitions.

I want to handle this fair and square.

Well then, prosecutor, you may begin.

In terms of privacy protection,

we sometimes keep

the victim's name confidential.

However, in this instance,

we have the victim's consent.

Could you please state your name?

I'm Eri Sendo.

As outlined in the indictment,

on February 21st, in Chiba Prefecture

Are you feeling unwell?

I'm okay.

I'm just

terrified.

Is it because the accused is so close?

No.

The attorney

questioned me relentlessly.

This is what you mentioned

before the trial.

That's right.

Your Honor,

we've discovered that the defense

contacted the victim

and was using intimidation tactics.

Could you clarify?

I've obtained an audio recording from her

and I request an investigation

into this evidence.

Defense counsel,

I won't let you get away

by pleading ignorance.

You wouldn't object to this, would you?

In that case,

can we use this in the trial?

I was intimidated.

In upcoming trials,

we'll bring forth evidence

of your dishonesty and that of the police.

You'll face charges

of false accusation, perjury,

and fraud if you accept settlement money,

with a prison sentence of up to ten years.

You recorded this?

I did.

that will stay with you forever.

Even if you find someone you love,

they'll eventually learn about this.

That wraps up the recording.

Based on this, I'd like to continue

the questioning. May I?

You may continue.

Witness,

is this the voice of Attorney Akamine,

seated over there?

Yes, it is.

Not only did the defense

reach out to the victim,

they also intimidated her

with non-existent evidence

and tried to get her

to retract her testimony.

They pressured you to distort the truth.

Is that correct?

Witness?

What's the matter?

Are you feeling unwell?

If there's anything

That's not true.

It wasn't intimidation.

I begged Attorney Akamine

to give me advice.

What do you mean?

I have something to share

about the evidence you were interested in.

What exactly does this prove?

It shows that Mr. Kurusu was acquainted

with many women other than you.

That's not what I came here for!

At the time of your as*ault,

Mr. Kurusu didn't have an alibi.

That's what you thought, right?

Actually,

there's a location record for Mr. Kurusu

at the time of the incident.

You're lying.

Kurusu said his phone was turned off.

This woman had secretly placed

a GPS tracker in Mr. Kurusu's bag

to find out who

he was playing around with.

That can't be.

We will reveal this truth in court.

You collaborated with the police

to fabricate charges for a false incident.

This is totally a crime.

However

If you were simply

manipulated by the police

and had no choice but to cooperate

in fabricating the incident,

it's a different story.

You're a victim.

A victim?

Yes.

If you admit that you were threatened

by the police

and still complied with them

despite your conscience,

the blame will be directed at the police.

All you need to do is testify

that you were intimidated.

You wanted to bring Mr. Kurusu down.

Isn't that right?

We won't let him go unpunished.

You have our word.

You have two options.

If we present this evidence,

you'll be seen as accomplices

with the police.

You'll be arrested on charges

of false accusation and perjury,

while Kurusu will go free.

You can accept this outcome,

or you can cooperate with us.

You can send Kurusu,

who caused you pain, to hell.

Do you want this outcome?

Consider very carefully.

What should I do?

I

I hated Mr. Kurusu,

and lied about him harming me.

However,

after speaking with the attorneys,

I've come to realize the gravity

of the crime I've committed.

No matter how much I hated him,

it was thoughtless of me to be used

for his unlawful arrest.

I'm truly sorry.

Prosecutor.

What's going on here?

You accused even our quest

for truth as intimidation

and tried to fabricate

a crime out of thin air.

Well

What are you looking at?

Nothing.

Surely, you won't suggest

this was orchestrated by the police too.

Don't tell me you presented

this recording without even verifying it.

No, I

Never mind.

The truth will come out.

Isn't that right,

Chief Kurata?

Order in the court.

We will conclude today's trial.

We will review the situation

and decide how to proceed

with future trials.

Prosecutor and defense counsel,

please come to the chambers

immediately after adjournment.

The court is adjourned.

How serious will my crime be?

That depends on your attorney.

Can I ask you to represent me?

Relax.

We're partners, after all.

The GPS tracker in Kurusu's bag.

You lied about it, right?

Maybe.

It doesn't matter.

You'll handle Kurusu, won't you?

I will.

You even expected Ms. Eri

to see through it?

Perhaps.

Kurusu is actually guilty

of the first and second cases, right?

What will you do next?

Good grief!

The police are such a disappointment.

They can't make an arrest

without inventing evidence!

My bad.

I've been complaining a lot lately.

Maybe it's my old age.

Come to think of it,

your ex-husband is a UTokyo graduate

and a police official, right?

Yes.

Could I ask you a little favor?

So, Mr. Yashiro,

the third incident was fabricated

by the police, correct?

This is quite unprecedented.

The police fabricating an incident

is utterly disgraceful behavior.

What about the woman who testified

she was threatened by the police?

What will happen to her?

If the police coerced

her testimony through intimidation,

she shouldn't be charged

with a serious crime.

Ms. Eri will face

a difficult time after this.

Um

Were you in on everything, Mr. Aoyama?

Who knows?

It's time.

Attorney Akizumi, please go ahead.

The police's unlawful conduct in this case

was incredibly sloppy

and undermines Japan's justice system.

As an attorney,

I feel it's crucial

to investigate past cases as well.

On the other hand,

I uncovered something

while defending this case.

Mr. Kurusu, my client,

was also found to be making a false claim.

I believe an attorney should act

as a guardian for their client,

but I must stick to my principles.

Therefore,

I've stepped down

from Mr. Kurusu's defense earlier.

I'd like to hand the case

back to Attorney Uno,

who led the client to confess

and encouraged him to repent.

Daddy, what's wrong?

Nothing.

Daddy will work hard for you, Yua.

He's handing the case

back to Attorney Uno?

He'll have to make a fresh start

for the sake of his wife and daughter.

Even the lowest of the low wouldn't want

to let down his beloved daughter.

Well then

Are you moving?

I'll be investigated internally.

I'll either face disciplinary action

or be kept on the payroll

with no real work.

Either way,

I can't continue living here anymore.

Asuka

Dad.

In this case,

First Investigation Division Chief Onishi

was forced

to take responsibility and resign.

Were you trying to protect him

by any chance?

Were you protecting something

back then too?

Answer me, Mr. Kurata.

You unlawfully

covered that up, didn't you?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Please leave.

What are you trying to protect

even at the cost of breaking the law?

I just

want you to smile like you used to.

Asuka

I'm sorry.

Mr. Kurata, you're home, aren't you?

It's the police.

Please open the door.

You're Mr. Isao Kurata, correct?

This is the Chiba Police

Second Investigation Division.

We have an arrest warrant for you

for aiding a false accusation and

violating the National Public Service Act.

We will take you to the department.

Additionally, we have a search

and seizure warrant,

and other officials will conduct

a search of your home.

Right.

Asuka

Forget about me.

Wait.

Wait, Dad!

Dad!

I see.

Thank you.

Sorry.

He might have been silenced.

What do you mean?

Was his arrest unlawful too?

No.

They acted awfully quickly,

but there was nothing unlawful

about Kurata's arrest.

I suppose not

So

what should I do now?

You can either continue

to see him as your father,

despite his crime

or reject him.

The choice is yours.

You have a clear mind of your own.

Act on it.

Both as an attorney

and as a daughter.

Thank you.

Take care and come back.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

He just went in.

I believe he went to see Akizumi.

Is that so?

I suspected as much.

So, it's connected to that incident.

So

Can you get your hands on that thing?

Yes.

Well then

shall we begin?

Maybe Mr. Akizumi got an acquittal

for Hiyama for a reason.

The evidence speaks for itself.

As if begging to be arrested.

She's maintaining her innocence,

insisting she was framed by someone.

If all these cases are connected

I want to uncover

what my father is hiding too.

Please join me in this fight again.

I've been eagerly awaiting you.

None of the evidence was accepted?

This made their connection clear.

Now that I know, I can't back down.

You anticipated this, didn't you?

Akizumi is relentless.

Don't let him catch you out.

I'll expose their corruption.