55: Chapter 55: The TV Drama Location Incident

The next day.

After spending the day surveilling Mrs. Maru (still no incriminating evidence), Fujino hurried over to the filming location for "The Threatening Laugher."

Initially, Fujino had planned to decline this 'consulting' gig.

But when Yoko Okino mentioned the 300,000 yen fee and accommodations at a traditional Japanese inn (a ryokan), he immediately changed his mind.

300,000 yen wasn't a fortune, but it was still a respectable month's salary for a typical Japanese office worker. Getting paid just to offer some advice? Only an idiot would refuse.

Of course, for Fujino, the money wasn't the main draw. Nor was the fancy ryokan stay.

It was Yoko Okino's 'sincere heart' that truly moved him! (Yeah, right.)

Dusk painted the shrine grounds in hues of orange and red. The mournful cries of crows echoed from afar.

The setting sun illuminated Yoko Okino's pale face, now streaked with stage blood. She stood before the shrine, clutching a bloodied fruit knife, her eyes vacant as she stared down at the man lying on the stone path before her. Her blue dress was heavily stained.

The man, dressed in a casual short-sleeved shirt, lay sprawled in a 'starfish' position. Fake blood continuously pooled from a knife wound in his chest, staining the sun-drenched flagstones crimson.

After a long moment, Yoko's vacant expression slowly shifted. The knife slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the stone. A look of horrified realization dawned on her face.

"How could this happen?" she whispered, trembling. "I... I never meant to kill him..."

She collapsed weakly onto the ground, a single tear tracing a path through the fake blood on her cheek. Then, a heart-wrenching sob escaped her lips, quickly escalating into anguished wails.

"Cut!"

Just as Yoko hit the peak of her dramatic breakdown, the director standing nearby suddenly yelled. He waved his script triumphantly.

"Excellent! That scene was perfect! Yoko-chan, your acting is superb!"

"As expected of a top actress. That looked completely real,"

Fujino remarked dryly, still squatting boredly on some nearby stone steps, observing the scene.

Hearing the director call cut, he sighed.

"If you didn't know better, you'd actually think a murder just happened."

Hearing the "cut," Yoko Okino visibly relaxed, letting out a breath. She turned to the 'corpse' and bowed politely.

"Thank you so much for your cooperation."

"With a handsome actor like me, Nachi Shingo, playing the part, how could it possibly go wrong?!"

The man playing the corpse, Nachi Shingo, sat up from the stone path, puffing out his chest arrogantly.

"What acting skills does playing a corpse require?"

Fujino watched this display, rolling his eyes internally. He muttered under his breath,

"Seriously? I could probably just lie there and do a better job."

And he wasn't wrong. Fujino had actually seen fresh corpses; he knew what real death looked like. This Nachi guy? Despite being corrected multiple times, his 'dead' pose still looked incredibly fake. His acting is terrible. How did this guy even become an actor?

"Detective Fujino, what did you think of that scene?"

The director walked over, asking for his professional opinion.

"It was alright,"

Fujino replied after a moment's thought.

"Not groundbreaking, but certainly competent..."

"Though, if that narcissistic pretty-boy could manage to look slightly more deceased, the scene would be pretty much perfect."

"Well, nothing's perfect in this world,"

the director sighed quietly, scratching the back of his head. He knew Nachi Shingo's acting wasn't great; he was dragging down Yoko Okino's performance. But what could he do? Nachi was cast specifically at the insistence of the investors. If Nachi walked, the entire production would be cancelled.

Fujino nodded sympathetically. He understood the pressures directors often faced.

"Hey, wanna grab dinner with me tonight?"

"Maybe some other time."

"What's the big deal? It's just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dinner."

A familiar pickup attempt was happening nearby.

"Geez, that kid is hitting on Taeko again,"

the director muttered, annoyed.

"Excuse me, Detective Fujino, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need to intervene."

He excused himself and headed towards Nachi Shingo, who was now trying his luck with Mamegaki Taeko, a female crew member working as a script supervisor.

"You can't, Nachi! Taeko's getting married next month..." the director interjected loudly.

"Isn't that right, Shimazaki?" He turned, gesturing to a man with spiky hair wearing a white t-shirt standing nearby.

The man, Shimazaki Yuji, the drama's Assistant Director (A.D.), responsible for daily operations, nodded shyly, scratching his head.

"Uh, yeah. That's right."

"Hmph. They all look like blooming flowers before the wedding... but who knows what happens after,"

a sarcastic voice drawled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nearby.

Fujino looked towards the sound. A rather plain-looking man wearing a red cap lowered his camera, sneering.

"What did you say?!"

Shimazaki Yuji flushed angrily, stepping forward, ready to 'discuss' the matter.

"Yuji, forget it,"

Mamegaki Taeko quickly pulled him back.

"We're getting married next month. Let's not cause trouble."

Shimazaki clenched his fists, glaring furiously at the man with the red cap. It was understandable; hearing comments like that right before your wedding would infuriate anyone.

"I wasn't talking about you specifically,"

the man smirked smugly.

"Or did the shoe just fit? Hahaha!"

"Ga-ga-ga!" He then made a strange clicking sound, holding up his wrist to show off a bizarre skull-themed watch.

"Bought this in America last month. Cool, huh?"

"And there's this episode's victim..."

Fujino observed the man, muttering to himself. The guy's name was Anzai Mamoru, the assistant cameraman, with a truly punchable face. He'd even made some snide remarks towards Fujino earlier when he arrived.

"What happens in someone else's marriage is none of your business,"

Fujino stood up slowly, strolling over.

"Speaking of which," he continued conversationally, looking Anzai up and down,

"you look like you're pushing thirty. Still single, I assume?"

"A street loafer with your charming looks probably has a hard time finding a girlfriend... A grown man wearing a childish watch like that, tsk tsk."

"What did you say?!"

Anzai immediately bristled, his 'street loafer' nature surfacing. He stepped towards Fujino, ready for a 'discussion'.

"Oh dear,"

Fujino feigned surprise, a slight, mocking smile on his face.

"Did I hit a nerve? You're not actually getting angry, are you?"

Seeing Anzai tense up, Fujino's voice turned cold.

"By the way, assaulting a famous detective on a film set... that kind of incident going public could really ruin someone's career, don't you think?"

"Tch!"

Anzai froze, visibly restraining himself. He glared venomously at Fujino, then spun around and stormed off.