The court sessions usually take place between 9 and 10 AM on weekdays. If it's a full-day trial, it might continue until 5 PM or even later, with breaks in between.
Minamoto Tamako had asked for leave from Chief Kikuchi in advance and was waiting at the courthouse door by seven o'clock in the morning.
Fushimi Roku, after dropping Taira Sakurako off at school, also came to observe. On one hand, it was because Minamoto Tamako insisted, and on the other, because he needed to keep an eye on Lawyer Kikuta to prevent any mishaps.
Director Fujiwara had suppressed the news. The Criminal News Agency didn't report it, and other local publications didn't dare offend the Police Department Director. In this era where news media wasn't very advanced, the voice of ordinary people was almost negligible.
There were no reporters in front of the court, nor any onlookers. When the court opened, there wasn't a single spectator.
