I... um... You see, I work as an idol...
There's something I'd like to ask a legendary detective to handle!
Hate to say it, but I'm no detective...
Then--
Sorry.
This unmotivated-looking guy is only a sidekick.
But it's okay.
If it's a detective you want, there's one right here.
I'm the legendary detective Nagisa Natsunagi.
The detective is already dead... but her dying wish will never die.
"Episode 3: That's Yui-nya Quality"
My name is Yui Saikawa. I work as an idol.
Yui Saikawa?
So, you see... the thing is...
I want you to prevent a sapphire with a market value of three billion yen
from being stolen before it happens!
What happened was,
last month, a warning, giving advance notice of the crime, arrived!
We strengthened our vault security measures, but on the appointed day,
the security personnel will be at my live performance venue--
Whoa, calm down. That's a good girl...
Let's relax a little, okay?
This week's...
...idol news!
"Yui Saikawa's live tour starts next week"
This week we're looking at that middle school idol who can sing and dance,
"Yui Saikawa's live tour starts next week"
and commands the tip-top of all the hit charts, Yui Saikawa-san!
So cute!
Since her debut as a sixth grader, with her unique songs and dance style,
her adorable expressions have won her popularity with fans of all ages.
The live tour of the world's cutest idol, Yui Saikawa-san...
Oh!
...at last...
Next week!
...will begin!
Yay!
Are you... the real thing?
Ouch! Hey! Don't run away!
Why'd you do that all of a sudden? Don't you know who I am?
I'm the world's cutest idol, Yui Saikawa!
Who do you think you are, treating me like that?
Calm down, Saikawa.
The saliva of the world's cutest idol is now smeared all over both my hands, sure,
but I'm not going to be enjoying myself later by collecting it
with a cotton swab to keep or anything like that.
Eww! I thought you were a detective, but you're a pervert!
Wait, are you the criminal who sent that warning?
Eeek! Somebody call... call the police!
Hate to tell you, but the police and I have a really tight relationship.
Th-That's awful! Are you saying this whole nation is hopelessly corrupt--
from bottom to top?
The police, the lawyers, the politicians are all on the side of a panty thief?
Hold on just a minute. Stop lumping together being a pervert with theft
to try to make me out as a panty thief!
To be clear, I'm neither a pervert nor a thief!
Uh-uh, you deserve 2,000 years for the crime of pervertedness.
That's absurd. I'm not a bad person.
That's what every criminal says.
Sorry, we've got a lot going on today; could we talk details tomorrow?
Oh, I see... Well, if you say so, Ms. Detective, we'll have to go with that.
Okay, I'll see you tomorrow! Absolutely!
You really intend to work as a detective?
Yeah. Somehow, my body was already in motion by the time I realized it.
In Natsunagi's presence, I'm trying to keep my cool to the utmost, but...
The former partner who I'd thought had died...
What's more, only her heart is alive, and beating right before my eyes...
With that fact alone, my brain's already working at 100% capacity;
I didn't have the head space to read much into any of this.
Sure, I'd have just been laughed at by my former partner
for saying such sentimental stuff...
You could've at least said goodbye before you died...
Or is that why you came back? To say goodbye? Or was it...?
Kimizuka.
No, it's just...
Looking forward to working with you.
Oh... yeah.
Well, I'm heading home.
Right. I'll see you tomorrow.
"City Bus"
Once I became aware of it,
it felt as though I'd been searching for someone for a long time,
but in reality, it was only for about this past year...
Or should I say, I think the thing I call an identity
was also only established very recently.
During my childhood, I was always ill, spending all my days in bed...
I wanted to put on running shoes and sprint around a track.
I wanted to take detours and goof off with friends after school.
But none of those wishes would come true.
If I couldn't get things even when I wished for them,
I thought I was better off not wishing in the first place.
So I didn't really need a self-image.
Or rather, I most likely avoided having one.
But one day, a wish came that I desperately wanted to fulfill.
This heart was crying out. It was crying that there was someone it wanted to see.
I suddenly realized I'd started running.
You're the legendary detective?
The source of hope I thought I'd finally found was listless, without spirit,
and looked as though he'd already given up on a lot of things.
Something about him looked like the old me.
So I couldn't leave him be. I flew off the handle at him,
even inadvertently let him see me cry.
That... That was a blunder...
Natsunagi... whomever that heart may belong to,
you can live your own life.
He said those words just for me. So my life begins again, fresh--here, today.
Umm, ahem. I apologize for getting upset yesterday.
Before we get to that... just how long is this table? We're way too far away!
Oh, really? I don't think it's that big!
Then why have we been shouting at each other this whole time?
Well, that's obvious.
If we spoke normally, we wouldn't be able to hear each other!
Doesn't that mean there's something off about your house?
Okay, so to re-focus...
By the way, that left eye--is it injured?
Oh, this is--how do I put it-- a "playing a character" kind of thing.
Idols have a tough struggle to survive, too.
Sorry to call you here on such short notice.
It's just that time is already running short.
It's fine.
You can leave all your worries to me, Nagisa Natsunagi, legendary detective!
Where is all this confidence coming from?
Now, Saikawa-san, could you tell us the details?
Yes. What happened was, the other day, this arrived.
A letter?
"On the day of Yui Saikawa's live performance at the Dome,
we will take possession of the sapphire valued at three billion yen."
So in this day and age,
there are thieves conscientious enough to send a notification like this.
I want you to prevent that before it happens.
I see. And do you know what this "three-billion-yen sapphire" refers to?
Yes, I think it's unmistakably
the "Miracle Sapphire," a family heirloom kept in the vault.
But if you know the date of the crime,
isn't it better to just increase security on that particular day?
You've got a large number of security personnel in this house.
No, that's just it--that's not possible,
because on the day of the crime, I have a live performance.
Ah... You mean they'll serve as security detail at the performance venue?
Uhh... no.
They're my biggest fans, so to them, guarding a three-billion-yen sapphire
isn't as important as watching my song-and-dance performance.
"Yui Saikawa" "Yui Saikawa"
isn't as important as watching my song-and-dance performance.
You all need to find different jobs!
Seriously. If you're just going to mess with us, excuse me, but I'm leaving.
Wait, Kimizuka.
Since she specifically placed her trust in us, can't you listen a little longer?
What's up? You're being awfully insistent.
Come on, an assignment from a girl who lives in this kind of house?
That means...
You may be right, but detective isn't a profession to pursue just for the money.
With that said, money is a necessity, right?
That is certain. After experiencing three years of traveling as vagabonds,
I believe I comprehend better than anyone the importance of money.
You're reading yourself for eventualities like--
A new swimsuit...
Oh.
Well, even if we have different goals, money still definitely matters.
So... is that it?
On the day of the show, Natsunagi and I just need to guard your home vault?
Yes. That's basically it.
In that case, isn't it better to leave it to the police?
I discussed it with them once,
but with only the threat letter, they wouldn't deal with it.
Hey, that face--like, "Why not dangle some money to motivate the police?"
That's just the way a pervert would think.
I haven't said any such thing yet! Still, that's just what I was thinking.
Certainly, my way of thinking is,
"If you don't have pastries, just purchase a bakery."
That's a thought process that would've stunned even Marie Antoinette...
So that's the deal.
Umm, why are you the one who's requesting this, Yui?
If a Saikawa family heirloom is being targeted for theft,
why not your father or mother?
My parents died three years ago.
So the head of the Saikawa household...
...is me!
This... is the Saikawa family heirloom, the Miracle Sapphire.
It's huge. Not her style at all, though.
Amazing... It's beautiful!
We do have an airtight security system in place...
Hurry up and go use the restroom.
Eh? Eww, how did you know?
You truly have exceptional pervert powers of observation.
An ordinary person could never fake that.
A certain someone trained me that way.
I may have drunk too much tea. Excuse me for a minute.
Some detective.
Kimizuka-san...
Wha--?
Now I see.
You feel pleasure when someone breathes in your ear--you're that type of pervert.
Stop making me out as a pervert with your contrived interpretations.
Hey, what's this?
This is a photo from my first live show.
It's a super-rare picture that hasn't ever even been posted online.
Are you starting to become obsessed with me after all?
Have you become a fan? Are you in love with me?
But I'm sorry. I'm an idol, so falling in love is out of the question.
Look me up in the next life.
Quit taking it upon yourself to profess my feelings and then to turn me down.
More importantly--she's still not back?
Quite a stunning beauty, eh?
Sure, as far as looks go. Her personality leaves something to be desired, though.
Oh, Natsunagi-san is, too, but I meant me.
You have no hesitation about singing your own praises, do you?
That's right; in the world of idols,
it's hard to get by without this level of self-confidence.
Having outfits sliced apart by rivals, or having tacks stuck in your shoes
are an everyday occurrence.
But I hear that such rivals all vanish from the center stage the next day.
That's a coincidence... Has to be a coincidence, right?
I like you, Kimizuka-san. Your reactions are funny. It's a joke--just a joke!
Which parts are the joke, and which aren't...?
The part where I said I like you was the joke.
Ah, okay, now I get it. You're messing with me.
No, that last part was the real joke.
I can't get a grasp on when you're putting me on and when you're for real.
Being an idol is a deeply toilsome profession.
Not much sense asking now, but are you doing all right with all this?
Eh? With all what?
Sunday is your live stadium show, right? But with that letter having shown up...
Just the... How do I put it?
Mentally, you might say... isn't it too much to shoulder all alone?
I'm all right. I'm not all alone.
You're kind, Kimizuka-san.
Kind? Not many people have said that to me.
It might be that you're starting to grow the heart of a human being.
Stop treating me like some robot living with a scientist
who has learned to feel emotions.
You are funny, Kimizuka-san.
Give me a little more of a look around this room.
Go ahead--feel free.
This looks like it could turn into more trouble than I imagined.
So how about this case? Think we can handle it?
Will you get mad if I say this is different from what I expected?
Why would I?
You say that, but detective work is hard.
I thought it would be more like looking for runaway cats and that kind of thing.
You need to immediately apologize to every single detective in the nation.
Yesterday...
...I had a dream. With Siesta-san.
Really... Did she seem to be doing all right?
For starters, I was intimidated by how amazingly pretty she was.
Right?
Well, I'm not sure what it means that you're so proud of that, but...
Did you talk to her about anything?
Yeah... we had a big blowout argument.
You shouldn't have blowout arguments in a dream with a person you've never met...
...but still, I kind of get it.
We went at it verbally without holding back, and she wasn't backing down,
but in the end, she told me to do with you as I saw fit.
So I was the cause of the fight...
N-No! It's not like we were fighting over you.
What's with that reaction? That makes it even worse.
Aargh, we're done talking about this!
The gist is, she said we should just do our best together--
with me as detective, and you as sidekick!
Sure, sure. A new swimsuit is at stake, right?
You want to see me in a bikini, too, don't you?
Yeah, totally... I must see, right this moment.
That apathy is irritating. But that's all right.
It is?
Okay, if we can safely resolve this case, you want to go to the beach with me?
Do you have a death wish or something?
I'm not going to die.
I won't die. To voluntarily die and leave you on your own...
...I'd never do that.
I see.
Hurry up, Natsunagi! The rehearsal is about to start.
Umm, just what is all that?
"All that," what?
That!
"Yui is Life"
"Love Yui"
"Sa"
What have you been doing this whole week?
You haven't come to school, and when I tried to contact you,
you never replied.
When I finally did get a reply,
it said we were going to a rehearsal the day before the show.
No, it's just, as I was binge-watching Yui-nya's past TV appearances,
before I knew it, it was already today...
Yui-nya?
That's what all her fans call her.
Okay... I'm gonna murder you multiple times.
I give... give up.
Do you understand what tomorrow is?
It's Yui-nya's live show.
It's that, too, but that's not what most concerns us, right?
We have to protect the Miracle Sapphire from that crook. Am I wrong?
I understand what you're saying, Natsunagi,
but there's also a grasp of the true situation
that comes into view by learning about the client's background, right?
Well, maybe. But even so, would that normally go as far
as begging Saikawa-san to go watch a rehearsal?
Once you accept a job, you go all in.
And also, tomorrow we have to guard Yui-nya's house,
so we need to have all the fun we can today.
You just admitted this is about the fun.
I'll bet her opening number is gonna be "Raspberry Grizzly"...
I'm telling you: I don't know anything about the order of her set list!
Come on, the rehearsal's gonna start!
♬ The express train of love can't make any stops ♬
Hoo-hoo!
♬ Wait for me at the last station ♬
--Fuwa-fuwa! --♬ I'm leaving behind the train that stops at every station ♬
--Don't leave us! --♬ I'm leaving behind the train that stops at every station ♬
♬ We don't allow breakdowns on the Nine-Star! ♬
Yeah!
Is he for real?
Thank you so much!
That was "Sudden Stop on the Nine-Star Express" from my second album!
Oh, so it does stop.
Don't sweat the little things.
Now for my next song...
Here it comes.
Here what comes?
Come on, Natsunagi. "Eight-one" is coming. That means the next song is...
I told you, I have no idea about the set list.
And don't abbreviate "Sudden Stop on the Nine-Star Express" to "Eight-One"!
"Nine-Star Express sudden stop [Kyuuteisha]"
Nine times nine equals eighty-one... cut it out with your geeky thinking!
"Nine [kyuu]" "kyuu" Nine times nine equals eighty-one... cut it out with your geeky thinking!
"Nine [kyuu]" "kyuu" Oh, nice deduction, legendary detective. Next will be Yui-nya's show-stopper.
This is what we really came to hear, isn't it?
Did we? That's news to me.
You don't know it? This song's big hook reveals what Yui-nya has sealed up inside.
Sealed up?
Yeah, sealed up. Yui Saikawa's secret.
Here it is... "Sapphire Phantasm"!
Ah, that was great.
Saikawa-san truly is a pro...
Huh?
Hey, Kimizuka, isn't there something off about that guy?
Eh? Is something wrong?
Hey, who is that guy? Grab him!
So it was...
Kimizuka! Quick!
As a person, she's lovely to behold;
for a detective, though, those extreme emotions are of no use.
Kindness, compassion--even those can sometimes come back to bite you.
Natsunagi doesn't realize that yet.
Are you all right?
Oh, Mr. Pervert!
Even in these circumstances? Stop calling me a pervert.
I mean, if you're joking around, hey, don't let me stop you.
However, what may happen is unclear.
Security for the vault tomorrow matters,
but you should tighten up this stadium's security as well.
Show me around the backstage area of this hall later.
I will.
The principles governing the actions of this breed called the detective
all come down to logic...
Can you stand?
Yes. Thank you.
However...
That means that when the question at hand unequivocally changes,
there are truths that come to light.
That's right. Yui Saikawa...
...is lying.
"Episode 4" "What I See in That Eye"