A spotlight beamed down, illuminating Yuu Hoshimiya's sculpted profile and causing tiny stars to erupt in the eyes of every woman present.
Yuu, now dressed in a suit, turned around and looked directly into the camera lens with a handsome face, his eyes deep as the stars and a faint, captivating smile tugging at his lips.
The female staff members couldn't suppress their budding schoolgirl crushes, clenching their fists to their chests and stamping their feet in bashful excitement.
Ran and Eri were equally awestruck; no matter how many times they saw it, the lethality of Yuu's face never diminished.
Meanwhile, the foul-mouthed man pretended to look away in disdain, though he was burning with jealousy inside.
Standing before the villa, Yuu began to recite his opening lines.
His voice was thick with magnetism; several lonely female staff members felt their legs grow weak just listening to him, and the more aroused ones were already getting wet.
The actress Kasumi Namihara, who had just been angry, now had eyes full of pure infatuation.
"I am Yuu Hoshimiya. The stage for today's incident is this secluded villa behind me, far from civilization. In this case intertwined with love and hate, the key lies in one thing: Color!"
"Just as people subconsciously choose products in colors they like when shopping, criminals follow the same psychology. Now, let me pull back the curtain on this incident for everyone!"
"Cut!"
The director stared at the perfect frame in the monitor, the precise positioning, and that final, confidence-filled smile, unable to stop himself from marveling.
"Consultant Hoshimiya, that was a magnificent performance! It's truly a waste of your face for you not to be a professional actor."
The set immediately erupted into a continuous round of applause, with Ran and Eri both looking incredibly proud.
The foul-mouthed Yoshiteru Kazama, however, couldn't help but glare with a murderous look at the spotlight-stealing Yuu, his mind churning with unknown thoughts.
Just then, Ruri Ujijo's voice drifted over.
"Wow, Yuu-kun, your acting was superb!"
Ruri Ujijo approached, wearing a hat and a purple dress.
Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Miss Ujijo, didn't you say your car had a flat tire? Why are you here?"
"It was just a little selfish whim of mine. Even though I couldn't act opposite you, Yuu-kun, it feels very meaningful just to appear in the same work as you. You won't blame me, will you?"
Ruri Ujijo gave a seductive smile, fully displaying the charm of a mature woman.
"It was just an opening monologue."
Yuu said no more and proceeded to introduce Eri Kisaki and Ran to Ruri.
Ruri clearly paid extra attention to Ran, the official girlfriend, for a moment, but she soon fell into conversation with her old classmate of many years, Eri.
After they had spent some time catching up, the director's voice called out.
Ruri smiled. "Alright, the director is waiting for me. I should go change and get ready for my scenes."
"I never expected that the plain little Ruri from back then would turn into such a fashionable star," Eri remarked as she watched Ruri walk away.
Yuu and Ran exchanged a look, and the latter curiously asked Eri about Ruri Ujijo's past.
Before long, Ruri emerged wearing a black evening gown with a slit up to her calf and exquisite makeup, presenting the image of a noble lady to the crowd.
The staff busied themselves moving equipment into the villa, and filming officially commenced.
Yuu and the others watched from the side.
Over an hour passed, approaching 8:00 PM.
Inside the villa, the script supervisor called out: "Scene thirty-eight, ready, action!"
Yoshiteru Kazama walked toward the "corpse" played by Nobuharu Nagumo and began his deduction.
"The body lies on the floor by the fireplace, its head covered with a gray tablecloth by the killer. White golf clubs are scattered on the floor. It seems the riddle is solved!"
The noble lady played by Ruri Ujijo frowned. "Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us who the killer is already."
At this point, a cold sneer appeared on the spiky-haired Kazama's lips as he glanced at Yuu. "According to the normal flow, I should be the one to name the killer."
The director nearby frowned; that line wasn't in the script. Was he improvising?
Kazama continued: "But today, among the guests in this house is the world-renowned police consultant. I would like to invite him to reveal the true culprit of this murder."
Kazama's eyes were full of mockery, as if he were waiting to see Yuu make a fool of himself.
"What? Is Consultant Hoshimiya unable to understand today's case?"
Hearing this, a smile curled on Yuu's lips.
He had no memory of the case this script was based on, but it was far too delusional to think this could stump him.
For a simple case like this, he didn't even need to consult Noah or use magic; pure observation and logical deduction were enough to solve it easily.
The director was overjoyed and immediately signaled the cameraman to keep recording.
"I'm actually quite reluctant to perform a deduction for such a simple case, but since you've insisted so many times, I suppose I'll have to teach you a lesson."
"The key to the case is color. The victim on the floor is covered by a gray tablecloth, yet there is clearly a black coat on his original chair."
"Furthermore, the murder weapon nearby is a white golf club, but look closely at the golf bag: the black clubs are more prominent than the others."
"Because the killer's favorite color is black, their subconscious instinct was to grab a black club as the weapon."
"But the killer realized that using a black club as the murder weapon would increase suspicion against them, so they grabbed a white one instead, and the covering was changed to a gray tablecloth."
"Combined with the fact that the curtains in this villa are also black, the killer is the mistress of the house wearing the black dress—you!"
Yuu pointed at Ruri Ujijo, and the entire villa immediately erupted in a wave of applause.
Ruri beamed and laughed, "Yuu-kun, you're amazing! That's exactly how it was written in the script."
Yuu's mouth twitched at those words; the deduction in this script was practically child's play.
Basing a conviction solely on color?
They hadn't even found the key evidence; the reasoning was full of holes!
Reciting these lines made even Yuu feel speechless.
But there was no helping it; the script was just that bad!
However, no one else there saw it that way; instead, they thought Yuu was incredible for seeing through their carefully polished design so easily.
The spiky-haired Kazama's expression grew increasingly grim.
Nobuharu Nagumo, lying on the floor playing the corpse, couldn't help but give a thumbs-up: "Yuu-kun, you truly live up to your reputation as the police special consultant. Incredible!"
Hearing this, Kazama immediately reached out a foot and stomped on Nobuharu.
"Dammit, do you have any professional ethics? You're playing a corpse! How can you talk before the director calls 'cut'?"
He kicked him again and again, with considerable force.
Nobuharu couldn't help but cry out in pain, and the actress Kasumi Namihara hurriedly scolded, "What are you doing? Why are you hitting him!"
Kazama stopped his foot and raised an eyebrow. "Oho, so concerned for him? Is he your little boyfriend? Did you dump your screenwriter boyfriend for a new one?"
The gray-haired Akira Nagumo said coldly, "Enough! Stop this nonsense, will you?"
"Old man, I advise you not to meddle in things that don't concern you."
"Don't think I don't know about you meeting with your little mistress. Hehe, if I let that out, imagine how much fun it would be!"
Hearing this, Akira Nagumo's pupils contracted sharply.
Kazama loosened his collar and walked toward the exit with an arrogant air.
"I'm done filming for now. These guys ruined my mood. I'm going to sleep for a bit; film the scenes without me first!"
With that, Kazama vanished through the door. The mustachioed director pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, let's all take a thirty-minute break. Reset your moods, and we'll resume filming shortly!"
The staff dispersed, and several female staff members emerged from the crowd, pushing Ran and Eri aside to cluster around Yuu.
"Consultant Hoshimiya, that deduction was magnificent! How did you think of it?"
"We spent over a month writing this script, and you saw through it instantly. You're so powerful."
"Consultant Hoshimiya, could you give me an autograph? Sign it right here."
A bold female fan even pulled open her collar, wanting him to sign her breast.
Yuu felt somewhat helpless; he had zero interest in these women who had nothing to offer but their youth, yet he had to compromise.
"Fine, fine, fine, I'll sign it!"
"Don't touch me randomly! Where do you think your hand is going!"
Ruri Ujijo, watching from the side, couldn't help but giggle. "Yuu-kun, you're far too popular with the girls!"
Ran and Eri shared a smile, making no move to rescue Yuu from his predicament.
After more than ten minutes, Yuu finally managed to escape the female fans and reach Ran's side.
"Let's go. This villa is huge; let's take a walk around!"
The group walked out of the dining room where they were filming and began to stroll through the corridors.
Along the way, Ran asked, "Aunt Ruri, that man has such a terrible personality. Why are you working with him?"
Ruri sighed. "I didn't want to, but my agency said this short film series would definitely be a hit on TV, so they insisted I film it."
"If I had known there would be someone who bought his way onto the set, I definitely would have declined."
"Besides, that guy is the son of the owner of a major newspaper in Tokyo. Because his family owns a press, he's very well-informed on a lot of gossip."
"He relies on his loose tongue and constantly releasing half-truths and rumors to attract attention and hype himself up."
"To be honest, he's an absolute nuisance to me too!"
Ran frowned. "He really is a malicious person!"
Just then, as they reached a corner of the corridor, they saw the mirror-adorned door to the waiting room open and several staff members walk out.
Ruri blinked and turned to look out the window. "The stars are beautiful tonight. Would everyone like to go outside and see the night view? The night scenery at the foot of Mount Fuji is quite a treat!"
One of the female staff members spoke up, "But filming is supposed to start in five minutes."
Ruri chuckled. "It's fine. The director is a nice person; being a few minutes late won't be an issue. Besides, it's during stressful times that one appreciates beauty even more!"
"Come on, let's go out!"
She moved behind the female staff and nudged them toward the exit.
The group followed her out of the villa and into the yard without suspicion.
The environment at the foot of Mount Fuji was excellent, and the weather was clear with no clouds or fog. Looking up, the entire galaxy was visible.
The starlight was brilliant; it was a shame such beauty was often ignored.
However, Ruri Ujijo, who had called everyone out, had vanished into the darkness at some unknown point.
Yuu noticed it but didn't point it out.
After all, if Ruri Ujijo didn't sneak away, how could this popular female star pull back the curtain on tonight's true drama?
A few minutes passed while everyone was still immersed in the magnificent night scenery, then a woman's scream rang out.
It was Ruri Ujijo's voice.
Everyone's expression changed drastically at the sound. Yuu led the group toward the source of the scream.
Before long, they arrived at a room at the corner of the corridor—the room where the spiky-haired Kazama was resting.
Ruri Ujijo was slumped on the floor, her face pale with terror.
And before her, Yoshiteru Kazama was already down on the ground in a pool of blood, his throat having been slit.
Yuu immediately rushed forward and saw his pupils dilating; he was already beyond saving.
Staff members tried to enter the room, but Yuu stopped them.
"He's dead. From now on, no one is allowed to enter this room without my permission."
He reached out and helped the trembling Ruri to her feet, then added, "Ran, call the police."
Ran nodded, took out her phone, and dialed the emergency number.
By now, the director and the other actors had heard the noise and hurried over.
Nobuharu Nagumo couldn't help but ask, "Who on earth could do something so cruel?"
The gray-haired Akira Nagumo said with a cold face, "Who knows? With a mouth like his and so many enemies, it's only natural for something like this to happen."
The short-haired actress Kasumi Namihara remarked, "Theoretically, there's a high probability that the first person at the crime scene is the killer!"
Hearing this, Ruri Ujijo panicked.
"I didn't kill him! He was already lying here when I came in! Yuu-kun, you have to believe me!"
Her eyes were full of crystalline tears as she looked up at Yuu.
Yuu nodded, and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Kasumi Namihara said coldly, "Stop using tears to hide your crime. We're all actors; crying is easy. Stop the act!"
The veteran actor Akira Nagumo couldn't help but snap, "Shut up!"
"I'm just stating the facts! Otherwise, even we might be suspected of being murderers!"
"Quiet!"
Only then did Kasumi Namihara shut her mouth resentfully and turn away, silent.
Yuu gently stroked Ruri's body and said firmly, "Don't worry. I already know who the real killer is."
At these words, Ruri shuddered in his arms, and the three actors at the door all saw their expressions shift slightly.
None of this escaped Yuu's notice.
"Director, please have everyone return to the living room to wait. Do not allow anyone to move alone until the police arrive."
"Yes!" The director complied respectfully.
Half an hour later, the curly-haired Inspector Sango Yokomizo arrived with a team.
Inspector Yokomizo knelt to examine the body.
"The victim is Yoshiteru Kazama, twenty-eight years old, an actor. Estimated time of death is between 7:50 and 8:20 PM."
Mmm, just those few simple facts, and then he turned to Yuu with an expression that said everything was up to the Great Consultant now.
Yuu was somewhat speechless; the Japanese police really were...
He didn't even know how to complain. They weren't even pretending anymore; just openly being useless, weren't they?
Yuu didn't want to linger at the crime scene; since he'd have to solve it anyway, he simply took command.
"Report on the investigation."
A young officer nearby saluted and said, "Investigation shows that during the thirty-minute filming break, most of the staff members were in groups of two or more."
"Those without alibis are the actors who returned to their rooms to review the script: Akira Nagumo, Nobuharu Nagumo, Kasumi Namihara, and Miss Ruri Ujijo."
Ruri hurriedly added, "I was with Yuu-kun and the others for the entire break, though I did leave for a short while toward the end."
"I saw how beautiful the stars were outside and wanted to go to the room to invite Kazama to see them, thinking it might improve his mood and clear the unpleasantness from earlier. I never expected he would be dead."
Inspector Yokomizo turned to the three actors standing nearby and said, "In that case, I'll have to ask you all to accompany my subordinates to the next room for a routine frisk!"
Kasumi Namihara immediately spoke up, "What? Are you treating us as suspects?"
"No, we've searched the entire villa and haven't found the sharp object used as the murder weapon. That's why we're performing routine frisks. Please cooperate."
A male and female officer stepped forward to lead the four suspects to the adjacent room for individual frisks.
Once the frisks were over, the four suspects were left to rest in the next room.
Inspector Yokomizo walked over and said to Yuu, "Consultant Hoshimiya, no weapon was found on any of the four suspects."
"Furthermore, we searched the whole villa, and there are only three types of potential murder weapons: a fruit knife, a kitchen knife, and the utility knives brought by the production crew."
"But we performed blood tests on all three types of blades and found nothing."
Finishing his report, Inspector Yokomizo rested his chin in his hand and began his job as the "straight man" in the duo.
He looked at the evidence recovered from the scene and wondered aloud, "How can this be?"
Cigarettes, a kerosene lighter, gloves used during the crime, and a black suit prop.
Only the murder weapon was missing; clearly, this was the most crucial point.
Inspector Yokomizo's head slowly turned toward Yuu.
He looked at him expectantly, his face an open question.
Yuu didn't explain. Instead, he led Ran and Eri to the next room where the four suspects were gathered.
Kasumi Namihara and Akira Nagumo were smoking.
Ruri Ujijo covered her nose and said to Akira Nagumo, "Could you please put out that cigarette?"
"Ah, my apologies."
The veteran actor Akira Nagumo had a decent temperament and immediately extinguished the cigarette.
Ran leaned in and asked, "Aunt Ruri, are you allergic to cigarette smoke?"
Ruri chuckled softly. "Something like that. I rarely smell it, so I find it very uncomfortable when I do."
At this, Nobuharu Nagumo also joined in: "My mom was the same way. She hated the smell of smoke so much she forced my dad to quit."
"But my dad's willpower wasn't strong enough; he still smokes secretly when he's away from home."
Hearing his son's jab, Akira Nagumo gave a couple of dry laughs.
Listening to the banter, Kasumi Namihara, who had been standing apart smoking a woman's cigarette, walked over.
"As the representative diva of healing pop ballads in this country, it's understandable that you wouldn't smoke to maintain your pure image!"
With that, she took a drag and blew the smoke directly into Ruri's face, causing her to cough uncontrollably.
Nobuharu Nagumo put a hand on Kasumi's shoulder. "Kasumi, what are you doing?"
"What do you care? Because of this, everyone's a suspect. Happy now?" Kasumi shook off his hand and walked toward the window.
Nobuharu apologized on her behalf and followed her, acting completely like a doting boyfriend.
Eri Kisaki raised an eyebrow at the scene.
It turns out that foul-mouthed guy was right; Kasumi Namihara and Nobuharu Nagumo really are a couple!
Ruri reached out a hand to rest on Yuu's arm. "Thank goodness you came today, Yuu-kun. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to deal with this murder."
Akira Nagumo, watching from the side, couldn't help but frown.
At that moment, Yuu spoke with a serious expression, "Ruri, come with me for a moment. I have some private matters to ask you."
With that, the two turned and walked out.
Ran wanted to follow, but Eri held her back. "Yuu is likely asking about the case. Let's not disturb them."
And that was indeed the case. Trajectory shifts were par for the course. Even though he already knew the truth, he needed to verify things just to be safe.
Yuu and Ruri Ujijo entered an empty room in the corridor.
The rooms in a villa used for filming were naturally exquisite and magnificently decorated.
Ruri looked at the serious Yuu and chuckled, her small hand resting lightly on his chest.
"What is it, Yuu-kun? Bringing me to an empty room... you aren't planning to make a move on a big star like me, are you? Like threatening to call me the killer if I don't comply?"
Yuu caught Ruri's hand and smiled. "Do I need to do that? If I were to invite Miss Ujijo to do something intimate directly, would you really say no?"
Yuu's even more direct teasing made Ruri's face flush.
She was about to say something, but Yuu spoke again: "Alright, no more playing around. Let's solve the case first."
"Yuu-kun, you don't really think I'm the killer, do you?"
Yuu took two steps forward, pulling Ruri into a loose embrace and blowing air into her ear. "I don't think you're the killer. I just hope you won't be the one shielding them."