Case 2 Spectrum

case#2:spectrum is the third case of the Transmitter story of The Silver Case and the fourth chapter of the game as a whole, coming in after Placebo's report*1:YUME. Contrary to the Kamui orientation in lunatics and decoyman, this chapter serves as a development to Akira's first job in the Heinous Crimes Unit.

Description

As mentioned above, spectrum acts as a contrast to lunatics and decoyman by focusing more on a side investigation rather than Kusabi and Sumio's stakeout, established in decoyman - although it appears alongside it, nonetheless. spectrum also follows that investigation through the eyes of Akira, who eventually becomes part of it along with Morikawa after becoming an HC Unit Special Agent.

Summary

The case opens with a monologue from an unnamed child, describing his friend, Hikaru, saying that he has disappeared. He speculates on the theory that some of their classmates might have locked Hikaru up somewhere, and shortly thereafter implies that Hikaru is introverted on the surface, but otherwise cheerful - his laugh is described as that of a frog, mentioning that "he really says 'ribbit'." The child says that he's set up the Save Hikaru Special Headquarters base in a secret location near the Typhoon Apartments, his place of residence. The child then elaborates on what Hikaru's initial experience with the 24 Wards was like: he says that he was scared and must've thought that everyone was a "scary monster," additionally implying that the residents of the 24 Wards were "mean" to outsiders.
After describing some of their friends, the screen eventually cuts to a framed picture of Hikaru in the middle of several flowers. The title is presented, and the case begins.

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Wednesday, June 30, 1999, 12:06 PM
Sumio and Kusabi are watching the Yukimura Villa from their car. Impulsively, Sumio begins talking about how he's falling in love with Ayame, with Kusabi teasing him for falling in love with a serial killer in response. He tells Sumio to never "say shit like this to anyone," advising him to go for Chizuru instead, with his own reasoning being that they would look good as a couple. After a few more back-and-forths, Chizuru contacts them via radio, telling them that something's wrong in the D4 district. Sumio and Kusabi inform her that they're unavailable, as the stakeout's still in effect, but Kusabi eventually tells her to bring Akira as a partner.

03:40 PM
Akira receives a mail from someone claiming to be 'The Bat'. He infroms Akira that he's watching over him "from the shadows," additionally advising him to stay away from Tokio Morishima in the P.S. Chizuru rings his doorbell, and shortly after answering the door, Chizuru explains that she needs Akira to technically "come down to the site." They leave and make their way towards Typhoon.

After arriving, Akira and Chizuru head over to Typhoon's courtyard, stumbling across Kawabata, who explains that the victim must have died on impact after falling from the third floor. He adds that the victim's body has multiple fractures and bruises, but isn't entirely sure if it was suicide or a murder. After asking Chizuru to tell Morikawa to come around for mah-jongg once in a while, Kawabata leaves. In the meantime, a police officer questions an elderly man, Mizoguchi, who says that - while calling the police shortly after discovering the body at 4 AM - he didn't see anyone or anything out of the ordinary. Mizoguchi says that no one was suspicious, and the officer leaves him alone. Morikawa arrives to the scene and makes a few quips on Chizuru's account, adding that he was busy "working part-time at a convenience store." Chizuru IDs the victim as a man named Hiruma, living on the third floor, and is ordered by Morikawa to get the key to his apartment. Prior to that, however, a child starts yelling from the fourth floor. Upon arriving, the child turns out to be Koichi, who asks the detectives to "help Hikaru."

Saturday, July 3, 1999, 08:32 AM
Back at the 24 Precinct, Morikawa asks Nakategawa where Sumio and Kusabi are. Naka explains that they're still on the stakeout, four and a half days later, adding that the whole department is working on the same case as well. However, Naka refrains from explaining why it's a big deal and tells Morikawa that asking Kotobuki isn't worth it either, as the case is under Central's command. Morikawa prods Naka further for information, but is ultimately left with nothing. Meanwhile, Chizuru requests Kotobuki to reassign Morikawa, as she doesn't trust him and disapproves of his 'sexual harrassment'. Kotobuki tells her that "reassignment it is, then," but Chizuru's happiness is short-lived, as Kotobuki immediately makes it clear that he wants her to reassign. Kotobuki reprimands Chizuru and tells her that he only wants agents who can do their job, rhetorically asking her if she thinks she's better at her job than Morikawa. He tells Chizuru to take as much time as she needs, to which she replies that she'll think about it. After their conversation, she then moves over to Morikawa's desk and starts criticizing him, to which Morikawa only responds with sarcasm. Nakategawa and Morikawa argue against her "professional profiling," with Naka adding that profiling has become reduced by value in investigations. Morikawa grills Chizuru for a while longer, after which she leaves, implying that she'll take the case in her spare time. Naka prods Morikawa, saying that their discussion looked like a lovers' quarrel, adding that his instincts are "generally pretty spot-on."

Akira gets called by Kotobuki and Morikawa, with the former thanking him for his help in decoyman, and designating him as a Special Agent in the Heinous Crimes Unit. Morikawa explains that Akira has been scouted, additionally noting that everyone in the HC Unit was scouted by Kotobuki. Nonetheless, Kotobuki tells him that he's able to turn down the position on one condition - if he can do "the Firebird Splash." After a few moments of nothingness, Kotobuki welcomes Akira aboard the HC Unit and immediately puts him on the Typhoon case. Morikawa comments on the case a bit, mentioning that his gut feeling tells him it isn't a suicide after all. Kotobuki tells Akira to keep an eye out on Koichi, Hikaru's friend, and asks Morikawa to keep sending reports on the "Silver Case", after which the meeting ends. Akira and Morikawa then head off to the Typhoon apartment complex.

(to-do lol)