After skimming through the previous plot points, he made his decision.
"No!"
Revealing everything at once would kill the suspense. Knowing the full story upfront would cause at least half the audience to lose interest.
A little mystery was necessary.
With that in mind, Akifumi scribbled down a few lines:
Episode 9: The Enemy's Shadow.
Episode 10: The End of the Journey.
Nakado's long-sought criminal finally emerges, but all the evidence has been meticulously erased.
In court, as Nakado and his team confront the accused, the perpetrator remains unfazed, confident in his defense.
Faced with this deadlock, what will Nakado and his team do next?
Putting down his pen, he leaned back to rest as usual.
The audience watching the live stream fell into stunned silence before the floodgates of complaints burst open.
"How am I supposed to know what happens next?! Just write it all in one go!"
"Damn it, not this again! Fine, fine, take your break, but get back to writing once you're inspired."
"So, the story is only 10 episodes? That's a shame."
"Judging by the pacing, the plot is incredibly tightevery event links seamlessly to the next!"
"If only it were longer!"
"I wonder how long this old troll plans to rest this time."
"There's barely an hour left! Hurry up, or you won't finish in time!"
".."
As if he had heard their cries, Akifumi stood up after just ten minutes.
But when they saw what he wrote next, the audience collectively sensed impending doom.
"Wait, what is this? It doesn't look like plot development..."
"It looks like... dialogue?!"
"Why are you writing dialogue now?! Just finish episodes 9 and 10 already!"
"Damn it! He's not planning to continue the main story!"
"That bastard! How could he cut off at the most crucial moment?!"
"But... this dialogue is kind of amazing..."
".."
Realizing there was no changing his mind, they had no choice but to watch in silence as Akifumi continued writing one electrifying line after another.
Kamikura Yasuo:
"Forensic science exists for the sake of the future."
"This isn't some divine retribution."
"The dead aren't divided into good or evil, they simply had the misfortune of losing their lives. We, on the other hand, were just lucky enough to survive. The living shouldn't fear death."
Nakado Kei:
"Our true enemy? Unjust death."
"Forensic science, like medicine, advances every year. More than relying on experience, what truly matters is the current findings. That's everything."
"No matter who they are, once you cut open their flesh, every person is just a lump of meat."
"Am I supposed to care about how others feel?"
"A killer should always be prepared to be killed."
"He acted according to his own willisn't that fine?"
"The dead won't answer you. The future won't provide an explanation. If you seek forgiveness, live on."
Misumi Mikoto:
"Human resilience is stronger than you think!"
"Instead of wallowing in despair, eat something good, then get some sleep."
"Forensic science is indispensable to a lawful nation. If it is ignored, then so is the law itself."
"Everyone is a sinner. We work to atone for our sins, so we should finish work early and go home."
"Misumi, why do you work? To survive."
"Dreams aren't that big of a deal. Having a simple goal is enoughlike deciding what to buy with your next paycheck, where to go on your day off, or who you're working for."
"Even if I come to terms with things, families of unresolved cases never find closure. Not knowing how their loved ones died, they'll search for answers their entire lives."
"No matter how evil someone is, we can't let murder go unpunished. It's not up to us to decide their fatethat's the law's job."
"Legally, it was ruled a suicide. But I believe he was murderedby something the law cannot punish. A killing named bullying."
"Forensic scientists are also exceptional doctors!"
"Your life is your own!"
"You can only communicate with someone while you're still alive."
"I've always mistaken my anger for grief."
"I refuse to lose."
"If I lose to an unjust death, I lose to my mother who tried to drag me down with her."
" But every day, people die. With every death, someone grieves."
"With every murder, hatred is born, creating even more grief. There's so little forensic science can do."
"If those caught in unjust circumstances abandon their own lives and commit another injustice, then haven't they lost?"
"Our job as forensic scientists is to examine the dead, uncover the truth, and determine the cause of death."
"Nowhere on the report will it mention the killer's emotions. In front of a corpse, only the undeniable fact of their stolen life remains."
"I don't care how tragic your life was. Your motives are meaningless to me."
As Akifumi wrote each line, the audience, fans, and even the judges watching were left with chills, their scalps tingling from the sheer intensity of his words.
A complete explosion of brilliance.
"Whoa! These lines are incredible!"
"Even though it's just text, I can practically see these characters standing right in front of me!"
"This perfectly matches the image of Dr. Nakado in my mind!!"
"That cold-on-the-outside, passionate-on-the-inside personalityit's just too perfect for me!!"
"Mikoto's lines are so profound! This is exactly how a forensic pathologist should be portrayed!"
"To a forensic expert, all unnatural deaths are enemies, huh?"
"It may sound cold, but no matter what the reason is, criminals don't deserve sympathy!!"
"Solving cases from the perspective of forensic sciencethis concept is absolutely brilliant!!"
"Ahhh! I need to see Unnatural Death come to life! Some production company, please start filming already! Don't make me get on my knees and beg!!"
"Wait, realizing this is just a script suddenly makes it feel less exciting."
"."
Judges' Room
Nojima Shinji let out a deep sigh. "I'm just glad I didn't have to compete with a genius like Contestant #13 when I debuted. Otherwise, I might have never recovered in my career."
"Right?"
"For the rest of us, meeting someone like this is basically a disaster!"
The other two judges nodded in agreement, their expressions filled with a mix of admiration and resignation.
"But for us and the audience, it's an incredible stroke of luck!"
Nojima grinned. "We get to enjoy such an amazing story!"
"I wonder when this drama will finally air..."
"Eh? Nojima-sensei, you're already assuming it'll get produced? We don't even have a studio attached yet."
Nojima rolled his eyes. "With a story this good, do you seriously think no company will pick it up?"
"Actually, I'm more worried that no studio will be able to land it. Contestant #13 is from Shueisha, right? Their company doesn't even have a film production division."
"That's true... They wouldn't go so far as to start a whole new company just for this, right?"
Though Kitagawa said this half-jokingly, Nojima replied in a low voice, "They don't have to start a new company. Just investing some money into a production should be no problem at all."
"Well, that's for the big investors to worry aboutit's not our concern."
"Fair point. But looking at this kid's episodic structure, I suddenly got an idea."
"Wait, are you saying you're drawing inspiration from a junior? Yuukawa, don't you feel embarrassed?"
"What's there to be embarrassed about? The best ideas win. Contestant #13's story is brilliant. There are so many aspects worth learning from! If only it were a full-length script already!"
The three judges continued their discussion, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. Watching this unfold, Kana couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
"Sensei, I know you're just speaking your minds, but maybe be a little more mindful of the setting?"
"This is a live broadcast!!"
Kana mentally screamed in frustration.
"Even if the contestants can't see this right now, once they watch the replay after the competition, they'll realize the judges were only paying attention to one person. That's gonna be devastating for the others!"
It was just like an exam where the teacher only focused on the top student, completely ignoring the second and third place scorers.
"That's gotta hurt, right? Just thinking about it makes me sigh..."
Trying to bring things back on track, Kana spoke up. "Judges, we still have over an hour left in the competition. Does that mean Contestant #13 has already completed their entry?"
"Completed? More like overachieved!"
Even though two episodes weren't fully fleshed out, the first eight were already structured so thoroughly that they completely overshadowed the other contestants.
Not to mention the story's concept, narrative quality, and character developmenteach of these elements was leagues ahead.
"Honestly, if we weren't sticking to the competition format, we could declare the winner right now!"
Kana raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean Contestant #13 can just rest for the remaining time?"
"If it were me, I'd go take a nap on the couch."
Having seen the audience's live chat, the judges knew about Akifumi's earlier actions and chuckled as they teased him.
"Maybe the couch the production team provided was just too comfortable. Next time, we should consider getting a firmer one."
"Hahaha!"
As the judges laughed, Kana forced a strained smile. "I'll be sure to pass that along to the production team."
Then, she added curiously, "But if Contestant #13 is done with his story, what is he doing now?"
"Huh?"
Following Kana's gaze, the judges turned toward the screen and froze.
Instead of leaving after finishing his script, Akifumi was still standing in front of the blackboard.
Just as Kana spoke, his pen started moving again.
"If only all of this were just a dream, so I could still meet you in my sleep..."
"Like retrieving something long forgotten, like retrieving something long forgotten..."
Nojima blinked. "Wait is he writing a poem?"
"This part is he talking about Nakado's story?"
"But it doesn't quite feel like a poem either Strange."
[243] A Song of LemonEach with Their Own Feelings
While the judges were still puzzled, Akifumi kept pausing and resuming his writing.
"How good it would have been if this were all just a dream"
[]
"Even now, I still dream of you"
[]
"Like I'm going home to get something I've forgotten"
[]
"I dust off my old, worn memories"
[]
"Even the sadness of those days, even the pain of those days"
[]
"I loved every bit of it, with you by my side"
[]
"In my heart, never coming out, is the bitter smell of lemon"
[]
"I can't go home until the rain lets up"
[]
"And even now, you're my light"
[]
"..."
As he wrote, he hummed the melody softly, following the tune in his mind.
Unfortunately, the equipment was too far away, and the audience couldn't hear it.
Otherwise, they would have been able to appreciate his... absolute lack of pitch.
This scene ignited speculation among fans who were familiar with Akifumi's past achievements.
"Could it be!?"
"No way! Is a mangaka these days really this insane?!"
"What 'could it be'? Stop being cryptic and just say it!"
"Isn't it obvious? This bastard is writing a song!"
"Writing a song?! Are you kidding me?!"
".."
Clearly, this particular fan wasn't familiar with Akifumi. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so shocked.
"There's no way people don't know about Warrior of Love and Hope's past achievements, right? He personally composed the theme songs for Anohana and Your Lie in April!"
"Forget theme songsthose songs became absolute classics!"
"Damn, is this guy really that talented?!"
"Say what you want about how many knives sensei has wielded in his stories, but you can't deny his sheer talent."
"And honestly, aren't these lyrics incredibly fitting? Every single line sounds like it's straight out of Dr. Nakado's heart!"
"So can we all agree that Dr. Nakado is the real protagonist of this drama?"
"No argument there. Whether it's the song or the script, just hurry up and give us the final product already!"
"Wake up! We're still in the middle of the competition! Where's this 'final product' supposed to come from?!"
".."
The chat buzzed with discussion as fans repeatedly reread the lyrics on-screen.
Even without the music, the words alone carried a deep emotional weight.
Meanwhile, the judges received word that Akifumi was indeed writing a song.
Screenwriter Nojima Shinji let out a wry chuckle. "If we were talking about screenwriting, I'd at least have the confidence to compete with Contestant #13 but this? This is completely out of my league."
He spread his hands helplessly, flashing an innocent smile.
"If you ask me, this song is definitely going to become a classic."
On the surface, the lyrics seemed to depict Dr. Nakado's emotions.
But upon deeper reflection, anyone with their own painful story would find their heart echoing with these words.
Whether it was Dr. Nakado, who lost his love one, Dr. Mikoto, who was forced into a suicide attempt by her mother, or any of the other tragic figures in the story
If those wounds could truly turn into mere dreams, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?
Other judges rolled their eyes.
"This is an entirely different playing field. How are we even supposed to compare?"
"Character designs, episode scripts, dialogue, and now even the theme song Contestant #13's project is practically ready for production."
"Just find the right cast, and we can start filming immediately!"
"Seriously!"
At that moment, only two words surfaced in everyone's minds
"Monster talent."
It was absolutely ridiculous.
If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they would have spat in someone's face and scoffed, "You think screenwriting is that easy? You think classics can be written in eight hours?!"
Yet here they were.
"Like one half of a split fruit"
[]
"Even now, you remain my light."
[]
With the final stroke of his pen, Akifumi let out a satisfied breath.
He carefully reviewed the masterpiece he had written over the past few hours, then finally stopped.
Without causing any more commotion, he returned to his seat, calmly waiting for the last hour of the competition to pass.
As he sat down, the audience breathed a collective sigh of relief only to feel an immediate sense of loss.
