17: Chapter 17: The Moonlight Sonata Plan

That afternoon, a ferry cut ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through the dense fog shrouding the waters en route to Moonlight Island.

The foghorn blared intermittently.

Fujino, dressed in his usual black vest and suit pants, stood at the bow, letting the sea breeze whip through his hair, his mind racing.

Earlier that day, right after accepting the mission, 500,000 yen had mysteriously appeared in his system account. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was the initial payment from the 'mysterious client' who wanted him to investigate Aso Keiji's death.

His original plan was to head to Moonlight Island tomorrow.

But upon inquiring at the docks, he learned the ferry only ran every two days.

Missing this one meant waiting another 48 hours.

With the system task having a three-day time limit, leaving today was crucial.

Waiting two days would leave him with only one day, nowhere near enough time.

As for school, he'd already called Hiratsuka-sensei to report his absence.

That woman, despite her rough edges and impressive... cough... heart muscles, was genuinely caring when it came to her students.

Upon hearing Fujino needed time off, she'd apparently used her unique brand of forceful persuasion on the school nurse,

securing him an extended leave of absence for "health reasons."

He could come back whenever, as long as he didn't push it too far.

Her methods, Fujino mused, weren't entirely dissimilar to his own.

He felt a flicker of genuine gratitude, tempered by the memory of her potential for violence.

Moonlight Island Village Police Box.

After disembarking, Fujino didn't waste time asking pointless questions at the village office like a certain bumbling detective might.

Instead, he headed straight for the island's tiny police substation.

There, he struck up a casual conversation with the sole officer on duty, an elderly policeman.

To avoid suspicion, Fujino presented himself as a music student visiting Moonlight Island on a sort of pilgrimage, hoping to learn more about the famous composer, Aso Keiji.

Mentioning Aso Keiji, once the pride of Moonlight Island, made even the old policeman's eyes light up. He proudly recounted the composer's story: born on the island, Aso Keiji had achieved international fame before the age of forty, becoming a source of immense pride for the community.

But then came the tragedy, twelve years ago.

Aso Keiji returned to Moonlight Island for a concert.

Afterwards, he went home, locked himself inside, and set the house ablaze.

It was said he first murdered his family with a knife, then played the piano amidst the flames until he burned alive, leaving behind only a musical score locked in a safe.

As the story concluded, the pride in the old policeman's eyes faded, replaced by a heavy sigh of regret. Just as Aso Keiji perished in flames, the island's future seemed to dim...

Hearing about the musical score, Fujino's interest piqued. He politely requested permission to see the late composer's final work...

The old policeman readily agreed.

That afternoon, inside a hotel room on Moonlight Island.

"Alright, this makes things much easier..." Fujino murmured, scrolling through photos of the musical score on his phone, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

He couldn't actually read music, but he knew exactly what the score contained: coded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evidence detailing the Moonlight Island drug ring, including a list of names.

The current village mayor, Kuroiwa Tatsuji; the island's wealthiest resident, Kawashima Hideo; the former mayor, Kameyama Isamu; and Nishimoto Ken, from a once-prominent family – all key members.

And, if Fujino remembered correctly, the current mayor's secretary, Hirata Kazuaki, was also involved – the mule responsible for smuggling drugs onto the island from overseas.

Though 'mule' wasn't entirely accurate; Hirata was involved in both transport and distribution, putting him on relatively equal footing with the island's main players.

"Taking down a whole drug ring... that's going to be tricky."

Fujino put away his phone and walked to the window, gazing out at the island landscape, deep in thought.

His primary task was solving the twelve-year-old suicide case.

That part was easy money, practically a free million yen.

The real challenge was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the special objective: bringing the drug traffickers to justice.

To involve the police, he needed solid proof first. That meant potentially confronting the drug ring directly.

Fujino wasn't exactly confident about taking on dangerous criminals head-on.

So, on the ferry ride over, he'd been formulating a plan – a way to divide and conquer. Now, with the musical score in hand (or rather, on his phone), the plan crystallized.

He mentally dubbed it: "The Moonlight Sonata Plan."

That night, Fujino put his plan into action.

He stealthily made his way to the Civic Hall via back alleys and staked out a position in the small grove of trees nearby.

According to intel gathered from the island's most reliable source – the gossiping aunties perpetually stationed outside the convenience store – Hirata Kazuaki had just returned from a trip abroad.

Fujino suspected this trip was for procuring drugs. If his guess was correct, Hirata would be making a drop-off very soon.

The likely drop point? The piano inside the Civic Hall – the same piano Aso Keiji had used twelve years ago, which contained a secret compartment originally intended for smuggling.

Midnight. The moon hung full and bright in the sky, the cicadas buzzing incessantly in the trees.

"Damn it, where is he?" Fujino crouched in the bushes, checking the time on his phone. He frowned. "Maybe he's not coming tonight?"

After waiting a while longer with no sign of activity, Fujino sighed, ready to call it a night.

But just as he was about to leave, a figure emerged from the darkness down the path.

Fujino quickly ducked back into cover, aiming his phone's camera towards the approaching figure.

As the person stepped into a patch of moonlight, their features became clear.

A middle-aged man in a beige suit and rimless glasses, with an honest, unassuming face.

It was him. Hirata Kazuaki. Fujino's target for the night.

Don't let the harmless looks fool you, Fujino reminded himself.

This guy's a core member of the drug ring.

Hirata glanced around nervously. Seeing no one, he slipped into the Civic Hall's piano room.

Fujino watched through the window as Hirata pulled a small, white packet from his inner jacket pocket and carefully placed it inside the piano's hidden compartment.

Relieved, Hirata exited the hall, scanned the area one last time, then nonchalantly strolled away, whistling softly.

From the nearby trees, Fujino silently recorded everything.

Once Hirata was gone, Fujino emerged from hiding, slipped into the Civic Hall, and approached the piano. He opened the secret compartment, aimed his phone camera directly at the white powder packet nestled inside, and took several clear photos.

Closing the camera app, Fujino looked at the damning evidence he'd just captured.

A cold, satisfied smile spread across his face.