I’m Shota Akiyama. 25 years old. Part-time worker.
Why am I the last to go? I’m ready to get out of here. No, I don’t have anything special to do. I’m just in the mood to be by myself! My girlfriend is dead! Okay?!
Huh? Reina’s dad didn’t know about me? What a load of bull.
Nah. I don’t want to admit it, but Reina probably wanted to hide me from her dad. But this wasn’t unrequited love. Reina liked me, too. That I’m sure of.
Give me a second. I want to get my head straight.
Okay, I’m ready.
My alibi? I already told you. Do we really have to go over it? It’s procedure? Whatever, then.
While I was at work, I got a call, so I went over to Reina’s apartment. I rode my scooter straight to her apartment from the convenience store and went in with my copy of the key…Huh? No, I had no time to stop somewhere else. You can check if you don’t believe me. You’ll realize I’d never have made it on time if I didn’t drive pretty fast.
So then I found her—[swallowing sound]—foot, reported it, and was with the police until early that morning. Then I just went back and forth from Reina’s apartment to Mukojima Police Station. I was at Reina’s place with the cops until 8:00.
And that brings us to the next question: Our relationship. We were dating. It was the real thing, unlike that other guy. He was meaningless.
Where did I meet Reina?
Why does that matter? This whole thing is crap. We met through friends, ok?
What was she like?
She was amazing, very kind. She always thought about how her actions affected others. I guess she was somewhat of a martyr? That side of her was intense. She had more love than anyone I ever met. I always thought she should have prioritized herself more than she did.
I felt that love, too, of course. She changed me. I felt like I would have done anything for her.
If I had to wrap it all up in one word, I feel like she embodied “maternity.”
But you know, Reina Myoko was beautiful more than anything else.
Why are you making that face? Huh? The other two had a completely different impression of Reina?
If that’s the case, then maybe she was only showing her true self to me? Of course she’d never reveal herself to Ken, her fiancé of convenience, or to her dad who was making her marry him.
Yeah, that’s gotta be it! That’s why she didn’t tell her dad about me! I’m the only one—the only one she loved!
What? I am calm. I’m just stating the obvious.
Who’s the killer? I’ve told you over and over, it’s that fucking Ken guy. Doesn’t he seem like the kind of guy who’d be tricky enough to kill her and frame Masquerade?
What? Err, your name was Dr. Higano?
Excuse me? “What am I hiding?”
Nothing! What the hell are you talking about?!
I’ve already told you everything you wanted. So I can go home now, right? What? You want me to stay overnight in a hotel? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me! Let me outta here! Shit…Is the hotel safe?