Time flies.
Before we knew it, the day of the trial for the Piano Sonata murder case had arrived.
Roughly a month and a half had passed during this period.
This was because the suspect, Asai Narumi, had suffered deep burns over a large area of her body. To allow her to appear in court smoothly, the public trial was postponed until she recovered and could walk.
Of course, given the chaotic timeline of this world, it is unknown how much real time has passed in such a long period.
The public trial will begin at 1:30 PM.
At noon, Kumiko prepared the necessary documents early, dressed smartly, and headed to the corresponding Tokyo District Court.
After taking several trams and walking for a while, I arrived at the courthouse.
When I entered the courtroom, as expected, there was a group of reporters inside.
"Lawyer Kumiko, I heard you'll be facing Prosecutor Kujo again this time. What are your thoughts?"
"Are you still insisting that the suspect is innocent or guilty this time?"
"Are you still confident in winning this time?"
Kumiko didn't have time to waste talking to the reporters.
His gaze turned to the gallery, where some people were sitting in seats, holding various signs and banners in their hands.
These were the villagers from Moonshadow Island.
"Mr. Lawyer, we are all here as you instructed."
The leader was the old village elder.
He held a sign that read "Honest doctors are not guilty."
The things the other villagers held were, without exception, similar to his, all of which were good words of support for Asai Narumi.
Keisuke Kumiko nodded, "Very good, does everyone have their attendance passes already?"
"Understood!"
"If the judge makes the wrong decision, we'll make a scene!"
"That's right, how can an honest doctor be convicted?"
The villagers were very emotional.
Keisuke Kumiko immediately shook his head and told them not to be impulsive.
Doing this would not only fail to achieve the desired effect but would also deepen the negative impression the judge had of the defendant.
"All you need to do is stay in the gallery, hold something up in your hands, and sit quietly."
"Okay, I'll follow the lawyer's instructions!"
After calming the villagers, Keisuke Kumiko didn't stop.
He turned and walked towards the courthouse restroom.
What are you doing?
Of course, just like last time, I went to meet old friends who were supposed to be involved in this lawsuit.
However, it's clear that this old friend is a bit smarter this time.
"Are you planning to go into the wrong restroom again?"
A mature woman leaned against the restroom door and sneered at Keisuke Kumiko.
That's right, she is the one who will be facing Kumiko today.
The Madonna of prosecutors, Reiko Kujo.
Keisuke Kumiko looked her up and down for a while.
Today's Reiko Kujo looks a little different from the past.
The most obvious thing is her hairstyle. She used to have shoulder-length hair, but now she has a forest girl hairstyle. The hair on both sides was braided and coiled on either side of her head, forming a centipede braid. The ends of her hair were curled with a curling iron, giving it a slightly fluffy look. The excess hair was fixed with a U-shaped hairpin and rolled up with an elastic band.
There were traces of makeup on her face, including eyeshadow and powder.
She seems to have the charm of a mature woman and the beauty of a young girl.
Keisuke Kumiko couldn't help but say, "You're an old woman in your thirties or forties and always want to act like you're young."
"Can you please stop calling me 'old auntie' all the time?"
Reiko Kujo shook her head and was too lazy to pay attention to what Kumiko said.
She took out a pack of slim women's cigarettes, pulled one out, lit it, and took a puff.
"I had a blind date today," she said while smoking. "The man is the son of a corporate president, and his uncle is a member of the House of Representatives."
"That's great, congratulations, someone finally wants you."
"When are you going to be serious?"
Kujo Reiko frowned slightly and looked at him, "Do you understand? I'm getting married."
Hey, if you want to get married, then get married. What does it have to do with me?
Keisuke Kumiko took a step back. "You said that in a tone that makes it sound like I have something to do with it."
"…"
Reiko Kujo moved her mouth, but finally sighed.
Forget it. I can't explain it to you clearly. Maybe I got the wrong person.
Pause.
She changed the subject, "What do you say about this lawsuit?"
"No matter what, I still maintain the same opinion as before."
As Kumiko said this, he glanced at Kujo Reiko and clicked his tongue.
"I originally planned to play with your mentality before filing a lawsuit, but now it seems you've learned your lesson."
"Is it really okay for you to say this to my face?"
Kujo Reiko was speechless.
After a pause, she thought about it and said.
"Actually, I also think the suspect may be innocent."
"Huh?"
What Kujo Reiko said was shocking.
Keisuke Kumiko couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"I went to the hospital to see the suspect," Kujo Reiko said. "She spoke in a tone that seemed to indicate she had taken revenge. But at the same time, she also had the desire to survive. I think if she were really the murderer, she wouldn't have that argumentative mentality."
"Really? From what you said, when did prosecutors start making judgments based on intuition and subjectivity?" said Keisuke Kumiko.
"Sometimes, intuition is also very important."
Kujo Reiko shook her head.
If my superiors hadn't forced me to take this case, I wouldn't have come. Of course, I wouldn't have seen your hateful face.
"It's an honor." Kumiko shrugged.
"Anyway, since I've taken charge of this case, I will take it seriously."
Kujo Reiko glanced at Kumiko, then moved away from the wall she was leaning against and walked towards the hallway outside the restroom.
"Kumiko, I look forward to your performance."
After leaving these words, she left the place.
After Reiko Kujo's figure completely disappeared, Ai turned her head to the side.
"I feel like Kujo Reiko really likes you."
"Don't tell me she likes me."
Keisuke Kumiko made a face as if he was about to vomit. "That's disgusting what you said. Please think twice next time."
"No, I mean psychological recognition. After all, you are her favorite student, and the only one besides Kisaki Eri who defeated her."
"Is that so?"
Keisuke Kumiko couldn't help but recall.
He had just seen that Kujo Reiko's favorability was indeed not high, but her recognition was indeed much higher than that of ordinary people.
"Look, she even told you about the blind date."
Ai thought about it and said.
"I guess she told you those things because she wanted to talk to someone. Even though you're usually a pain, you're the first person she thought of... I even suspect she might have been here waiting for you on purpose."
"Oh, from what you said, the situation is quite similar now."
Keisuke Kumiko smiled softly.
"And what does that have to do with me? She comes to talk to me, so I just have to stand there and listen to her nonsense."
Ai observed his moralistic expression and couldn't help but shake her head.
"You really are the kind of person who wouldn't have any friends unless there was a miracle."
"If a person needs the recognition of others to survive, then that person is too sad, because there is no real recognition in this world."
Keisuke Kumiko said this.
"Okay, it's almost time. We should go to the execution ground."
"...Just go to the courtroom. Don't always talk about the execution ground. It sounds awkward and gives the impression that someone is going to be punished."
"For lawyers, the courtroom is an execution ground. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"You're right, okay?"
Thank you for your monthly tickets and recommendation tickets.
(End of this chapter)