"Hayato and I were the judo club's best. The two National League spots were ours," Hoshino Teru said bitterly. "But Makino, in just six months, surpassed us both!"
"If he competed, Hayato would've qualified, but I'd lose to him," Hayashi Shuichi interjected. "So, you sabotaged the ladder, not Doi?"
"Yes," Hoshino admitted, dropping his facade. "When Makino joined the tryouts, I planned his failure. I suggested the banner, loosened a screw on the ladder, and told Makino to hang it. He climbed and fell hard."
A smug grin crossed Hoshino's face. "I had Hayato bring the ladder, so Makino blamed him. Hilarious."
"Just for a competition spot?" Kogoro Mouri gaped. "That's too far!"
"Too far?" Hoshino scoffed. "Last year, Tokyo Institute of Technology scouted us after the league. Reach the semi-finals this year, and we'd get special admission. My grades are average—this was my only shot at a top university. Makino knew, yet he competed. Breaking his leg was a favor!"
"You don't deserve the National League!" Kogoro shouted, face red. "It's about fair competition, sweat, and beating opponents with strength!"
The adults exchanged complex looks, their own youthful passion dulled by life's grind.
"I thought like you once," Hoshino said wistfully. "But I'm a third-year now. Next year, I face reality. Passion doesn't get jobs."
"Work hard, and you'll find one!" Kogoro insisted.
"Idiot," Hoshino muttered.
"But why did you and Hayato flop in the league?" Hayashi asked. "Not even top 16?"
"Because of Hayato!" Hoshino snapped. "After Makino's injury, he blamed himself, lost focus, and dragged me down!"
"So you killed him?" Inspector Samezaki asked.
"Partly," Hoshino said. "We grew up together. I was mad, but I didn't plan to hurt him. Then he learned I sabotaged the ladder and wanted us to apologize to Makino."
Hoshino gritted his teeth. "I fought for that spot, but we still lost the league. If Makino knew, he'd mock me, spread it everywhere. I'd be ruined. Hayato betrayed me, so I killed him."
"I confirmed he alone knew about the ladder. At lunch, I lured him to the activity room, saying I'd apologize. He came happily. I strangled him from behind with a rope, staged it as suicide, then set the air conditioner to 16°C. I saw on TV that low temperatures delay rigor mortis."
"After school, I lingered by the room with my key, waiting for someone to 'discover' Hayato with me. I thought it was foolproof."
Hoshino glared at Hayashi. "Then you ruined it! The teachers bought my suicide story until you spoke!"
"You blame others, never yourself," Hayashi said coolly. "Heard that plenty before. Want revenge? Try after prison."
Outside the gymnasium, the Dean of Academic Affairs stood grimly, bamboo sword in hand, keeping students at a distance.
They whispered, "A judo club student hanged himself?"
"The gym's haunted now!"
"Suicide for love?"
Yukiko Fujimine, among the crowd, didn't care much about the dead senior—she didn't know him. Sympathy sufficed. She was more curious about Hayashi Shuichi, Kogoro Mouri, and Eri Kisaki, her classmates, let inside by the police.
Witnesses? Or… was it murder, and one of them's the killer? Yukiko mused. Kogoro's a hothead, Eri's a bookworm. Hayashi's the shady one—he could kill.
As she daydreamed, Investigation Division 1 officers emerged, escorting a handcuffed Teitan student. The crowd buzzed.
"Not suicide? They're arresting someone!"
"A murder case?"
"A love triangle? Two guys fighting over a girl?"