Detect-er Aster
Ep.#02 - Gender Confusion
Written by: CS-Masyet
"I think I know who did it."

Ovice: "R-really?"

"Yeah."

Fundo: "If the detecter was working that night, it must have been Ruth. Not that hard to figure out..."

Ruth: "B-but..."

Ovice: "This detecter is flashing just like in the footage. That's the reason I wanted to see what this was in the first place."

"Which means it was on that night."

Ruth: "..."

Fundo: "So it had to have been her!"

Sachi: "Yeah! How dare you accuse Fundo of the crime!"

Ruth: "B-but I didn't..."

Ovice: "Stop trying to hide it! We already have proof Fundo didn't commit the crime!"

"Proof?"

Ovice: "Yes. I checked the camera at the entrance. Fundo did indeed leave at 22:45."

"I see... So that leaves Ruth and Sachi."

Ovice: "And since Ruth is a woman, it had to have been her!"

"That's true... if she was the only woman present that night."

Ovice: "W-what are you talking about...?"

"Fundo, you said you kept some of the old newspapers, correct?"

Fundo: "That's right."

"Even ones from before you all started working here?"

Fundo: "Of course. We even have a special cabinet for them... But why...?"

"Do you have one of the day Sachi's sister died?"

Sachi: "W-what?!? Why do you...?"

Fundo gives me an old newspaper.

Fundo: "I don't know why you want this, but here you go..."

I read through the newspaper.

"'Boy dies in fire. Was injured so he couldn't escape...'? Wasn't it Sachi's sister that died?"

Sachi: "U-um... They must've gotten her gender confused..."

Fundo: "That wouldn't really surprise me..."

Ovice: "Aster! Could we get on with the case at hand?!?"

"This does have to do with the case."

Fundo: "What?!? How?"

"How do we know the newspaper actually got the gender wrong?"

Fundo: "What are you..."

"The newspaper said Aijou was injured so she couldn't escape. Is this true?"

Fundo: "I didn't see her after the day that photo was taken so I wouldn't know..."

Sachi: "I don't remember getting... U-um, Aijou getting any injuries..."

"But someone else did. The day the photo was taken in fact."

Fundo: "What are you... Y-you're not saying...!"

Sachi: "U-uh..."

Ovice: "Sachi, what's the matter? Are you feeling okay?"

Sachi: "H-huh? O-of course! Heheheh..."

"Sachi was injured that day. Pretty badly in fact. His legs looked especially bruised."

Fundo: "The bully did that so he couldn't get away for help... But I managed to get there before Aijou got hurt."

Ovice: "That sounds like one ruthless bully..."

"Doesn't seem kind of odd that someone with bruised legs could escape but someone perfectly healthy couldn't?"

Sachi: "M-my legs healed by then..."

"After two days?"

Sachi: "U-um, and I was closer to the door outside..."

Fundo: "But you told me it happened at night, and that you were both sleeping when the fire started..."

Sachi: "U-uh..."

Ovice: "This is very odd indeed..."

"Not really. Because... Aijou isn't dead!"

Fundo: "W-what?!? Is she's not dead, then where is she?!?"

"She's..." Points to Sachi. "Right there!"

Sachi: "W-what are you saying?!? J-just because I'm not the most masculine person in the world..."

"If you're really not Aijou, then you shouldn't have any problem standing on that detecter."

Sachi: "U-uh..."

Fundo: "Go ahead. Show this mediocre detective that he's wrong."

"(M-mediocre...?)"

Sachi: "..." Stands on the detecter, but nothing happens. "I-it must be broken..."

"That's the same excuse Ruth used..."

Ruth: "It wasn't an excuse..."

"Tell the truth, Sachi... If that's your real name."

Fundo: "Sachi, it can't be..."

Sachi (crying): "I-I can't believe you figured it out, detective..."

Ovice: "Then he was right...?"

Sachi (crying): "T-that's right... I'm actually Aijou. My brother, S-Sachi, is the one that... died..."

Fundo: "N-no..."

"Why did you disguise yourself as your brother?"

Aijou (crying): "I was really thankful for him saving me from that bully. But I heard that he didn't actually like girls and that he only protected me because of Sachi... He was all I had left, so I pretended to be Sachi to be friends with him..."

Fundo: "But ever since I first entered high school, I've started to like girls..."

Aijou (crying): "B-but by that time, I couldn't tell you the truth... I really didn't want to do anything to break our friendship, because... I'm in love with you!"

Fundo: "!"

Aijou: "Fundo began working here because he wanted to spread news about bad people ever since the incident with the bully... But I heard Ruth in the writing room that night talking about firing him... So, I stole her money... So she could go down with him!"

Ovice: "So it was you... That's why you went in the direction of the writing room first..."

"You did it for revenge, not wealth... Just as I thought..."

Aijou: "It doesn't really matter to me if you know I did it... But I didn't want you to find out my secret..."

Ovice: "Then why didn't you tell us you stole the money?"

Aijou: "Because of the detecter... I knew about it... If you found out about it too, then..."

"We'd find out your secret."

Aijou: "Exactly..."

Ovice: "You're going to have to return the money, Aijou... Where is it?"

Aijou: "It's still in the office... I hid it behind a loose brick in the wall..."

Ruth: "Loose brick? Show me!"

Aijou returned Ruth's money.

Fundo: "So I guess everything's settled then... Right, Ruth?"

Ruth: "..."

Ovice: "Stealing is a crime, you know. No matter what the situation is..."

Fundo: "B-but officer...!"

Aijou: "It's okay... I don't care what happens to me anymore... Fundo, you must really hate me now. I'm a liar and a thief..."

Fundo: "I don't hate you, Aijou..."

Aijou: "H-huh?"

Fundo: "The time I protected you from the bully... I didn't do it for Sachi, but because I had... a crush on you..."

Aijou (blushing): "R-really?"

Fundo (blushing): "Even now, I still love you... And now I know why..."

Aijou (crying): "*sniff* Fundo!" Hugs him.

Ovice: "Well, after seeing that... I don't know what I'm supposed to do... She technically didn't do anything wrong..."

Ruth: "What are you talking about?!? She almost got me in debt!"

Ovice: "Alright, then I'll leave it to you to decide her charges."

"Officer, is this okay...?"

Ovice: "Sure, why not?"

Ruth: "Alright... Aijou!"

Aijou: "Yes, ma'am?"

Ruth: "You'll work without pay... for one month!"

Aijou: "Okay!"

Ruth: "Wait... you're not supposed to be happy!"

Aijou: "Does this mean you're not firing Fundo?"

Ruth: "I thought the person sneaking around all those nights was Fundo, but I guess it couldn't have been him..."

"(All those nights...?)"

Aijou: "I'm so glad..."

Ruth: "But you still have to work without pay for a month..."

Aijou: "I'm so happy, I don't even mind if I don't get payed forever!"

"But you need money to survive..."

Aijou: "Oh yeah..."

"..."

Ovice: "Well done, Aster! Fantastic detective work!"

"Thank you, but it wasn't that difficult..."

Ovice: "Nonsense, you did great! Why, I could make you head detective of my staff!"

"But I'm the only detective in your staff..."

Ovice: "Oh, right... That would make it pointless then..."

"(You think?)"

Ovice: "Anyway, finally everything's solved!"

"Actually, I still have one question for Aijou."

Aijou: "Yes, Mr. Detective?"

"How did you break into the safe?"

Aijou: "Break in? Actually, it wasn't even locked..."

"Huh?"

Fundo: "Ruth, you should be more careful with your stuff..."

Ruth: "But I locked it the day of the theft! There's no way it could have been unlocked!"

"That's strange... I don't think either of you are lying..."

Fundo: "Then how..."

Ovice: "Does it matter? Everything's solved, right? Let's not let it bother us anymore."

"Alright, I guess... (It's still strange though... Could the person who was sneaking around and the one who opened the safe for Aijou actually be one and the same...? No one knows yet, but for now...)"

END OF CASE