In the bright afternoon, a Shirokuma High teacher rushed through the door, face pale with panic. Hiragi, sitting calmly, froze at the sight of Susi Sensei's urgent steps.
"Let's get straight to the point," Susi Sensei s her voice trembling. "Our PE teacher was found collapsed in the restroom, with a blunt force injury to the back of the head. It seems he was struck with a heavy object."
The teacher had been discovered at 8:05 a.m. Witnesses reported that a student, a graduate from last year who arrived at 7:08 a.m., claimed to meet the PE teacher. His name was Minamo, and his expression was strange, almost theatrical.
Akira, a former student who often clashed with Minamo, carried a deep-seated grudge. Even after graduating a year ago, his anger hadn't faded. He planned to take revenge when the right time came.
Hiragi adjusted his hat, examining the scene like a true detective. Based on witness accounts, Akira seemed the prime suspect, but evidence remained insufficient.
At the scene, Hiragi noticed a tablet in Minamo's pocket, its purpose unknown. Nearby, a broken wooden baseball bat lay on the floor, its cracked end stained red.
"Could this belong to Fujiwara from the baseball club?" Hiragi murmured. "Yet he had no quarrel with Minamo…"
The case grew more complex. Hiragi asked Susi Sensei to summon the two suspects: Akira, held in the teachers' room, and Fujiwara, the baseball club member, sitting silently as if carrying unseen guilt.
At the scene, Hiragi began questioning them, reading subtle gestures and words with his psychological insight. Each response, each glance, each hesitation became a clue.
"Everyone seems obvious," Hiragi whispered to himself, "but sometimes the truth hides in the shadows. And I will find it."
Tension filled the room. Both suspects exchanged uneasy glances while Hiragi pieced together the intricate puzzle of this violent morning.