'I have no complaints about the job itself, but that guy, That 175.6 cm tall guy is unbearable!'"
"No one has lasted long as his partner. The longest tenure? Three months. The shortest? Three days before they quit."
"The other protagonist of this story, a man trapped in darknessNakado Kei"
After a brief pause, Akifumi continued his description.
"Eight years ago, after performing a certain surgery, he plunged into an abyss he could never escape."
"A top forensic pathology student from Nichisho Medical University, he was once destined for a bright future. But that surgery led to his arrest.
Although he was eventually released due to insufficient evidence, the storm of online public opinion painted him as a murderer, dragging him into an unrelenting scandal.
Yet, Nakado Kei, now consumed by darkness, cares little about the online discourse. For the past eight years, he has focused solely on uncovering the truth."
After finishing this passage on the whiteboard, Akifumi exhaled deeply. Gazing at his own writing, a genuine smile spread across his face.
This time, his approach was entirely different from before, sparking heated discussions among the live stream viewers.
"This style is completely different from his usual work!"
"Wait am I the only one dying to know what kind of surgery led this man to prison and plunged him into despair?!"
"Didn't he mention it later? A murder scandal. He must be trying to clear his name, right?"
"You think sensei would write something that clich? I don't believe it!"
"Same! And for some reason, just reading this passage gave me phantom limb pain. Weird I didn't even see any 'knives' yet!"
Kanae, who had been lurking in the stream for a while and was about to check in on other contestants, suddenly halted.
Seeing a brand-new character brought to life in less than a minute, she couldn't help but exclaim.
"Amazing! Contestant #13 Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei is truly incredible!"
"In under five minutes, he's already creating a new character!"
She then turned to the three judges.
"Judges, what are your thoughts on Contestant #13's new character?"
Having spoken multiple times already, Nojima Shinji naturally took the lead in responding.
"We can see that compared to the first character, this one is far more developed.
It's clear that Contestant #13 now has a more concrete direction for the story.
The contrast between a righteous and a fallen character is a standard storytelling template.
However, if he merely follows a formula, the story could become predictable. I hope he has something unexpected in store for us."
Kitagawa, intrigued, added, "I'm more curious about what exactly happened eight years ago. What kind of surgery caused Nakado Kei to fall into darkness?"
"Think about it, wouldn't a forensic pathologist, someone who knows human anatomy inside and out, find it easier to commit the perfect murder?"
Yukawa, visibly interested in the topic, chimed in.
"That's definitely something worth pondering."
"Take Mikoto for example. She's performed 1,500 surgeries. If she wanted to kill someone, it would be effortless."
"And Nakado Kei, who is even more experienced than herif he really did it, wouldn't he be skilled enough to leave no trace behind?"
"From a certain perspective, forensic pathologists are practically experts in murder, aren't they?"
"But clearly, Nakado Kei didn't do it," Nojima Shinji interrupted with an exasperated sigh.
"If he had, he wouldn't be tormented by this darkness, he would've already been in it from the start."
"The story may be using a light-vs-dark approach, but I believe Nakado Kei is meant to be a protagonist, not a villain."
"As for why he's trapped in darkness, the more reasonable explanation would be his despair towards life itself."
Initially, he wasn't planning to voice his thoughts so directly.
Although he was confident in his interpretation, if the actual plot turned out differently, he'd be setting himself up for embarrassment.
As a mature and composed man, he knew when to speak and when to stay silent.
But seeing the other two spiraling deeper into wild speculation, and the chat following suit, he had no choice but to step in and steer the conversation back on track.
Realizing their discussion had gone off the rails, Kitagawa and Yukawa exchanged glances before giving Nojima Shinji a grateful nod.
"You're right, Nojima-sensei," Kitagawa admitted, clearing his throat.
"That was just a random thought, nothing more. It doesn't mean the story will go in that direction, so let's not dwell on it."
"Exactly," Yukawa quickly added.
Without giving them time to linger on the topic, Akifumi had already resumed writing on screen.
"For those who have never tasted a lemon, most will instinctively cut it in half and take a bite, enjoying the initial burst of tangy sweetness that floods their mouth."
"But soon after, all that remains is overwhelming bitterness, an indescribable pain that lingers on the tongue. The other half is often discarded, left to wither and rot."
"Lemons are dual-natured by design, just like Nakado Kei's life."
[234] Others Still Busy, I Will Just Sleep!
"The first taste of happiness always comes with the lingering bitterness of memory."
"For Nakado Kei, who had never experienced the taste of lemons before, he first savored the sweetness of love and happiness, only to be crushed by the unbearable pain of losing the one he loved."
"That day, as a forensic doctor, he found himself standing before the cold, lifeless body of his beloved on the autopsy table."
"By protocol, he should have recused himselfjust as a judge cannot preside over a case in which they have a personal stake."
"Yet, when faced with the body of the woman he loved, Nakado Kei remained silent, expressionless."
"Throughout the entire autopsy, he showed no sign of distress, as if the corpse before him was just another case, another body."
"But the moment he zipped up the body bag, his composure shattered."
"He broke down, sobbing uncontrollably."
"From that moment, his world plunged into darkness."
"He moved through life like a soulless husk, his only remaining purpose being one singular pursuit, to find the murderer!"
Eight years passed.
"With relentless determination, Nakado Kei never stopped hunting for the truth. And now, after all this time, he had finally caught the scent of the killer..."
Akifumi leaned back, satisfied as he reviewed the last few lines he had written.
This was enough.
The character's backstory was complete.
He could have expanded it further, adding more details, but that would only consume unnecessary time.
For the story's progression, this level of depth was sufficient.
In the livestream chat, an unusual silence followed.
Then, in the next moment, the comment section exploded.
"Damn! The second character and you're already stabbing us in the heart?"
"What the hell!? I thought this was going to be some villain origin story, why am I feeling emotions!?"
"Tch, Mugiho's skills are slipping. This knife barely even scratched me! I almost laughed instead!"
"Exactly! If this is all he's got, I can handle it!!"
"Loving someone for eight years, living only for revenge... Nakado Kei is a true man!"
"To lose the one you love forever and be left with nothing but ruins..."
"This character is full of contradictions! His unseen warmth, hidden beneath his sharp tongue and cold demeanor, makes him even more compelling!"
"I think... I'm starting to like him."
"Me too."
"Why does his backstory feel even richer than Mikoto's?"
"Not just richerit's a story with so much more potential!"
"Wait... does that mean Nakado Kei is actually the protagonist!?"
The chat was in an uproar.
Compared to the previous protagonist, this new character had a much more layered and developed backstory.
While fans were thrilled, they also couldn't help but question the direction of the story.
Curious about the judges' opinions, the host, Kanae, turned to them. "What do you all think about the audience's reaction?"
Nojima Shinji shrugged with a grin. "I'm just watching from my seat."
"Then I guess I'll stand and watch?" another judge quipped.
"Are you expecting me to lie down and watch!?" a third judge retorted, making Kanae laugh.
"Alright, alright, jokes aside," Nojima finally said seriously.
"It's true that Nakado Kei's backstory is more complex and engaging. However, make no mistake, the main protagonist of this story is undoubtedly Mikoto.
No matter how you look at it, this series revolves around the idea that forensic science exists for the future. Nakado's arc is, at most, a major subplot.
How that subplot will ultimately tie into the central theme remains to be seen.
To be honest, since I'm not the one writing this story, I can't predict how it will all come together.
One thing is certain, though, integrating this storyline seamlessly won't be easy. I look forward to seeing how Mugiho pulls it off."
Kitagawa nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Instead of doubting, let's trust in Mugiho's ability to deliver. After all, this is the story he chose to tell."
Kanae smiled. "That's right! We should believe in the contestants!"
"Now then, let's check on the other participants and see how they're doing."
Back in his room, Akifumi wasted no time. As soon as he finished writing about Nakado Kei, he immediately moved on to another key character: Rokuro Kubushiro.
"Born into a prestigious family of doctors, Rokuro was constantly compared to his two older brothers, both of whom were considered geniuses in the medical field."
"Unlike them, Rokuro struggled."
"It took him three attempts to get into a third-rate medical university."
"Though he lacked passion for medicine, he still pushed himself toward the goal of becoming a doctor."
"As the youngest member of the Unnatural Death Investigation Office, he was treated like a little brother by the team."
"However, he carried a secrethe worked part-time as a journalist for a tabloid magazine!"
"His original intention was to help the public understand the significance of forensic science, but the magazine's editors had different priorities."
"They only cared about what would generate the most clicks and attention."
"As Rokuro got involved in various cases, he slowly matured."
"He learned to navigate the conflict between trust and ambition, between his personal values and professional aspirations."
"Eventually, he realized his true calling. He made his choiceto fully dedicate himself to forensic science, a profession that exists for the sake of the future!"
Having outlined the key aspects of the three main characters, Akifumi let out a deep sigh.
He finally slowed his pace.
"Nakado Kei has spent years searching for the truth behind his lover's murder. Besides forensic scientists, there's another profession that frequently deals with the deadmorticians."
"For years, Nakado maintained a transactional relationship with a mortician named Nagumo Kibayashi, paying him in exchange for access to valuable information..."
By the time he had finished drafting the major characters' arcs, two hours had passed.
Akifumi leaned back, stretched, and casually grabbed a snack. Then, without a second thought, he flopped onto the sofa.
The audience, expecting him to use this moment to reflect on the story's progression, waited in anticipation.
Then came the sound of soft, rhythmic snoring.
Everyone was stunned.
While other contestants were sweating bullets, frantically trying to keep up with their writing, Akifumi was doing the unthinkable
He was actually sleeping in front of thousands of viewers!
And he didn't care one bit.
[235] The Nameless Poison
"Is this for real?! Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei just fell asleep?!"
"You can hear his snoring! Who's gonna say this is fake?!"
"Unbelievable! How can he sleep in such a serious competition?!"
"First, he was the youngest contestant, and now he's the first to take a nap mid-contest!"
"Look at the other contestants sweating buckets, and then look at him, dozing off like he's on vacation! Are we sure they're even in the same competition?"
"Wait is he planning to sleep through the entire round?!"
"No way, right? The story isn't even finished yet. Unless he doesn't care about continuing?"
""
The chat was going wild.
Even after witnessing countless unexpected moments in competitions before, seeing Akifumi straight-up fall asleep mid-match was a new level of absurdity!
Everyone else was racking their brains, pushing themselves to their limits, doing everything possible to move on to the next round.
And then here he was, sleeping.
Was he that confident? Did he think the challenge was too easy?
No one could understand it.
No one.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the venue
Kanae, the host, was leading the judges through different livestreams when she suddenly received the news.
She froze for a second, her expression shifting into disbelief.
Then, after a brief hesitation, she turned to the judges and said, "We just received an updatethere seems to be an incident in Room 13. Let's check it out together."
"An incident?"
The judges exchanged curious glances.
When the screen switched to Room 13, all three judges blinked in surprisethen burst into helpless laughter.
Kanae, on the other hand, had an expression that basically said, "Of course it's him."
With a wry smile, she announced, "We've just received confirmationcontestant No. 13 has officially fallen asleep on the couch."
She turned to the judges, hesitating. "So, um should we wake him up?"
The judges didn't answer immediately. Instead, they turned their attention to the large screen displaying his workspace.
"Zoom in on the blackboard."
The staff quickly followed the instruction.
As the camera focused on the board, the three judges studied it carefully.
After a few moments, Shinji Nojima chuckled and said, "I think, as officials, we should be more accommodating."
"It's just a nap. There's nothing in the rules that says you can't sleep, right?"
"Uh this"
Kanae was caught off guard.
She had studied these three judges thoroughly before the competition.
All of them were industry veteransextremely strict, with little tolerance for nonsense.
She had expected them to see this as a sign of disrespect toward the competition, maybe even toward themselves as judges.
