Toda Kyouji looked at Akikawa Kyousuke and turned his head.
After hearing what he said, the smile that had originally appeared on Akikawa's face froze instantly.
"Dilated pupils, slightly open mouth. Indeed, this sneak attack was quite effective."
Toda Kyouji chuckled inwardly.
When a person is shocked, surprised, or emotionally overwhelmed, their body automatically produces certain physiological responses.
Examples include pupil dilation caused by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and facial muscle reactions triggered by the amygdala, the brain's emotional center.
These physiological responses, collectively called "microexpressions," are extremely difficult to actively control.
Typically, they appear and disappear in less than a second.
This is also a critical criterion for determining whether someone is acting.
Toda Kyouji noticed that the astonished expression on Akikawa Kyousuke's face was almost fleeting.
This demonstrated that the emotions Akikawa Kyousuke showed were not fabricated.
Then, a look of confusion and bewilderment quickly appeared on Akikawa's enviable, handsome face.
"...Officer Toda, what... are you talking about?"
Akikawa Kyousuke's tone was slightly hurried, as though he was frightened.
"Now the performance begins. He truly is a competent actor."
Toda Kyouji silently remarked, feeling a bit odd.
He didn't criticize Akikawa Kyousuke's acting skills outright because what followed would test Akikawa's disguise.
"Don't make a sound and follow me."
Toda Kyouji reached out, grabbed Akikawa Kyousuke's slim shoulder, and spoke in a deep voice.
He also noticed Akikawa's body stiffen instantly, with obvious fear in his eyes.
This reaction was too realistic.
If Toda Kyouji hadn't already confirmed Akikawa Kyousuke's extraordinary acting abilities, he might have thought that this was just a scared child overwhelmed by his own intimidation.
Toda Kyouji was certain that Akikawa Kyousuke wasn't someone who only acted when necessary.
Instead, Akikawa immersed himself in his roles almost every moment.
Such individuals were harder to expose than those with merely excellent acting skills.
But they also had weaknesses.
Specifically, they were easily trapped by the roles they played.
"Just like now."
"Without an arrest warrant, even as a criminal investigator, I have no authority to enforce the law, let alone use force."
"To the 'criminal genius' Akikawa Kyousuke, my commands hold no weight, and there's absolutely no reason for him to obey."
"However, you are no longer a 'criminal genius.' Instead, you're a 'child' who has been confined at home by your mother for more than half your life."
"You wouldn't know anything about the law."
Toda Kyouji looked at Akikawa Kyousuke in front of him with a smile.
The other party either disobeyed his command, exposing a mind not as innocent as it appeared, or continued to play the role of the "child" and obediently followed him.
No matter which option Akikawa Kyousuke chose, Toda Kyouji had a plan to counter it.
However, he believed Akikawa Kyousuke would choose the latter.
Because Akikawa Kyousuke didn't know his true identity.
He certainly couldn't know that he understood him better than anyone else in the world.
In this situation of informational asymmetry, Akikawa Kyousuke would undoubtedly try to maintain his external persona.
After all, he was confident in what he had done.
Toda Kyouji watched Akikawa Kyousuke avoid his gaze. He then asked Akikawa to turn around, extending his hand from behind and firmly gripping his shoulder.
"Stop talking and follow me."
Toda Kyouji began to push Akikawa Kyousuke toward the exhibition hall he had previously scouted.
There were many people at the movie exhibition site.
But no one cared about the odd pair of Toda Kyouji and Akikawa Kyousuke.
Toda Kyouji walked with Akikawa for a full ten minutes before arriving at a closed projection room.
"Go in."
Although the exhibition hall and projection room were closed, the projection room's door was only shut, not locked.
Toda Kyouji grabbed Akikawa Kyousuke's shoulder, letting him enter first.
Once inside, Toda Kyouji shut the door behind him.
He then felt through Akikawa Kyousuke's jacket and pants pockets. Taking out Akikawa's phone, he confirmed the recording function hadn't been activated beforehand and tossed the phone aside.
Even though he was confident Akikawa Kyousuke hadn't anticipated his sudden appearance, it didn't hurt to be cautious.
"What do you want?"
Akikawa Kyousuke touched the spot on his shoulder where Toda Kyouji had grabbed him and asked with a trembling voice.
"Oh."
Toda Kyouji crossed his arms, looking at Akikawa Kyousuke, who still maintained an innocent persona, with a mocking expression.
"I want to see how long you can keep pretending."
"It's truly disgusting to see a criminal feign innocence all day."
"What are you talking about?"
Toda Kyouji noticed how the confused look on Akikawa Kyousuke's face grew even more pronounced. Although he felt slightly odd, he became increasingly convinced that Akikawa still had no idea about his situation.
"The Imperial Theater Case."
"Koichi Nishihara merely knocked you unconscious and planned to frame you."
"But after realizing this, you used extremely cruel methods to destroy the body, tamper with evidence, and alter the crime scene."
"You even went as far as self-harm to escalate Koichi Nishihara's crime."
"This suggests suspected corpse desecration and evidence fabrication."
Toda Kyouji detailed Akikawa Kyousuke's crimes, raising two fingers.
He clearly saw Akikawa's eyes widen upon hearing this, followed by a blank expression.
Toda Kyouji curled the corners of his mouth imperceptibly, understanding that Akikawa Kyousuke was undergoing significant internal turmoil.
He continued:
"The film festival case two days ago."
"You sensed Takao Ohga's murderous intent toward you, so at 12:10, you preemptively entered Hotta Yoshitoki's private lounge, where Takao Ohga was."
"You took advantage of his carelessness, compressing his carotid artery, rendering him unconscious. Then, despite knowing the severe withdrawal symptoms, you injected him with medicinal morphine and sodium chloride."
"This suggests suspected intentional injury, attempted murder, and violation of the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act."
Toda Kyouji raised three fingers this time.
"Finally, the car accident case last summer."
"You deliberately killed your mother, Ryoko Akikawa, for the insurance money."
"This was premeditated murder."
Toda Kyouji's hawk-like sharp eyes bore into the pale-faced Akikawa Kyousuke in front of him as the corners of his mouth curved.
"Will you plead guilty, or should I help you recall everything you've done before pleading guilty?"
(End of Chapter)