Chapter 71: A Successful Ending
As more and more spectators realized this, the audience's discussion quickly shifted from the play to Akikawa Kyousuke, the actor portraying Sae Otani.
The best proof was that they were so immersed in the performance that they completely forgot to judge Akikawa Kyousuke's acting skills.
This demonstrated that Akikawa Kyousuke's performance was seamlessly integrated with the storyline.
Whether it was as the popular and brilliant monitor at school,
or as the older brother carrying the future of his family on his shoulders,
Akikawa Kyousuke perfectly brought each role to life.
"Ran! Ran! Ran! The actor playing Sae Otani is so, so, so handsome! Did you see him?!"
Suzuki Sonoko turned to Mouri Ran beside her with sparkling eyes, her entire being in a state of extreme excitement.
"And to think you were worried that someone would ruin your father-in-law's play! That was completely unnecessary!"
"Wha—?!"
Mouri Kogoro, overhearing Sonoko's comment, let out a loud questioning sound.
Mouri Ran and Conan both blushed at the same time.
"Anyway! Anyway! That actor did a fantastic job!"
Realizing she might have said too much, Suzuki Sonoko was briefly embarrassed but stubbornly continued the topic.
"He's not just handsome—his acting skills are incredible too! I'm going to become obsessed with him!"
"Uh, Sonoko, isn't that bad? You already have Kyogoku-san," Mouri Ran reminded the love-struck Sonoko beside her.
"No, no, no, this is an investment!"
"Ran, don't you think this is the actor's first play as Sae Otani?"
"Then, if I start following him now, wouldn't that be a sure investment? He might become a major star in the future!"
"I have a feeling he'll definitely get popular!"
"Don't you agree, Ran?"
"Well, his acting skills are much better than I expected," Mouri Ran gave a fair evaluation.
---
Elsewhere, hearing Suzuki Sonoko's overly excited voice, Sera Masumi couldn't help nudging Conan with her elbow.
"Hey, kid, don't you think Akikawa's acting skills are too good?"
"Actually, they're beyond my expectations," Conan replied in a deep tone, having just recovered from the shock of Akikawa Kyousuke's performance.
"At first, I thought he got this role because of Miss Yoko's connections, but I didn't expect his acting to be this good," Sera Masumi sighed.
"If his acting skills were poor, how could he have beaten Saihara during the audition?"
"That's an actor who started as a child star," Conan noted with resignation.
"Exactly. If Akikawa's acting wasn't better than Nishihara's, it wouldn't have made Nishihara jealous enough to want to harm him," Sera Masumi added. After five seconds of silence, she continued:
"Still, something feels off. Considering Akikawa's past experiences, how could he have such remarkable acting skills?"
"Could it really be, as you said, that one can perfect such skills just by watching DVDs?"
"Besides, if his acting skills are really that extraordinary, wouldn't that mean that when he acts in front of us, we're unlikely to notice it?"
"Maybe it's more fitting to attribute this to 'talent.' Look at his sister, who's been in the entertainment industry for just a few years and has already become so popular. It's clear she has a lot of talent for acting. Perhaps Akikawa inherited the same talent."
Conan speculated.
"I've never heard of acting talent being hereditary!" Sera Masumi retorted, clearly unwilling to accept Conan's explanation.
"Well, Miss Sera, you can see my acting skills are so good because I inherited them from my mother," Conan joked.
"..."
Sera Masumi stared blankly at Conan, who looked rather smug.
As it turned out, Conan wasn't joking. He seemed to genuinely believe his acting was outstanding.
Feeling slightly embarrassed under Sera Masumi's gaze, Conan sighed after a moment and slowly said:
"Miss Sera, I know what you mean.
"But in this case, it's most reasonable to attribute Akikawa's performance to extraordinary talent.
"Because if we don't consider his acting skills as innate, countless unexplainable questions will arise."
Conan paused before continuing:
"As you mentioned, Akikawa's exposure to society was limited to elementary school, and he spent the rest of his time at home. How could he develop such phenomenal acting skills?
"And if he has such skills, wouldn't that suggest he actually has extensive life experience and isn't as naive as we assumed?"
"In that case, is it possible that the Akikawa we've seen so far has been deliberately crafted using his acting abilities?"
"But how could Akikawa have been under house arrest by his mother for so long?"
"Did he lie to the police and to us?"
"Wait a minute. There's no way to explain all of this clearly, is there?"
Conan glanced at Sera Masumi, who was equally contemplative.
"Kid, you're right.
"In the car accident case, Akikawa's behavior of overdosing on sleeping pills contradicts our theory that he killed Mrs. Ryoko and then committed suicide. Hence, it's more reasonable to consider a third party committed the crime.
"But as you analyzed earlier, there might be another side to Akikawa that lingers in my mind.
"Don't you think Akikawa revealing his acting skills so openly could be a sign of extreme arrogance?"
Sera Masumi questioned rhetorically.
"In other words, Akikawa simply has immense acting talent, but mentally, he's still a child and never considered that we'd suspect him if his exceptional acting was revealed."
"Since there's already too much evidence refuting your claim, Miss Sera, I think clinging blindly to conspiracy theories is misguided."
Conan and Sera Masumi each held their own views, and their discussions remained at an impasse until the beginning of the next scene.
The detective Quinn successfully uncovered the conspiracy behind the "Voice of the Dead" and apprehended the true culprit.
Finally, all the actors in the play gathered together on stage for the curtain call.
Amid the warm applause of over 1,800 spectators, the first day of the theatrical production The Lost Lady: Voice of the Dead concluded successfully.
---
Empire Theatre, backstage
Bang! Bang!
With two loud bangs, countless colored confetti and ribbons burst out from the small salute cannons held by the play's director, Takemura Mine, and the assistant director.
They rained down over the actors' heads.
"Perfect! Everyone did an amazing job on the first day of the performance!"
"Thank you all for your hard work!"
Director Takemura Mine offered his sincerest applause and encouragement to the theater actors present.
Initially, he had been concerned about whether everyone's mindset would be affected by what happened a month ago.
But as far as the results showed, the performance was even more flawless than it had been a month earlier.
"Anyway, there are still six days left, so keep up the good work!"
"Got it!"
All the actors responded in unison.
The run of The Lost Lady: Voice of the Dead was originally planned to last two weeks.
However, due to an unexpected incident a month ago, the performances had been reduced to seven days.
After the live run, the play would be adapted into a film for fans across the country to enjoy.
---
"Akikawa-kun, you're heading back to the office with Miss Itakura later, right? Let's head back together. I happen to need to return for some work as well," said Okino Yoko's voice suddenly.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding performers cast envious glances at Akikawa Kyousuke.
What a blessing it was to get to ride with Miss Yoko!
"Alright, thank you, Miss Yoko," Akikawa Kyousuke nodded softly to Okino Yoko and then returned to his dressing room to prepare for makeup removal.
However, just as Akikawa Kyousuke sat down in front of the makeup artist, the door opened from the outside.
Through it came agent Itakura Misaki, her eyes red with emotion as she rushed in.
"Mr. Akikawa! That was incredible! This performance was absolutely perfect!"
"I couldn't contain myself until now. Taking this role was truly the best decision!"
"Your performance and Miss Yoko's were exceptional!"
Itakura Misaki exclaimed with immense emotion, unable to hold back her tears at the end.
"By the way, Miss Yoko mentioned she'll take us back to the office later."
"Really?! That's wonderful! This is such great news!"
Hearing this, Misaki Itakura's previous tears turned into excitement as her face lit up.
After ensuring her mood had stabilized, Akikawa Kyousuke closed his eyes, letting the makeup artist begin removing his stage makeup.
Meanwhile, Itakura Misaki began replaying scenes from the play in her mind.
Her expression resembled that of a high school girl who had just seen a breathtaking film and couldn't stop discussing its highlights with friends.
Just as Misaki Itakura was getting excited, her phone suddenly rang.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call," she said, stepping out of the dressing room.
Four or five minutes later, she reentered, her cheeks flushed with joy.
"Mr. Akikawa! Mr. Akikawa! I have great news!"
"You know about the film festival happening in Minato Ward in ten days, right?"
"This festival will feature many renowned actors, directors, and producers from the industry.
"Originally, our café booth didn't qualify for the event at all—it wasn't even something we could dream of!"
"But!"
Itakura Misaki paused deliberately, letting the suspense build for a few seconds before raising her voice.
"The second daughter of the Suzuki Foundation was in the audience on this first day!"
"She was deeply impressed by your performance, Mr. Akikawa, and wants to invite you to the opening ceremony and dinner at the film festival."
"The Suzuki Foundation is the primary investor in this festival!"
"So, you could say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
---
Outside the Empire Theatre
Nakajima Takuto sat in the driver's seat of a black Toyota Crown, watching the bustling crowd of theatergoers leaving the venue.
Suddenly, a "knock" sound came from the glass, prompting him to unlock the car after seeing who it was.
The rear door opened, and a man entered.
It was Nakajima Takuto's immediate superior, Toda Kyouji, the deputy chief of police.
As the car began to move toward the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters, the silence was broken.
"So, how was it?"
"That Akikawa kid did a pretty decent job," Kyouji Toda remarked with a smile as he gazed out the window at the fleeting cityscape.
---
Author's Note
The Toyota Crown is one of the special vehicles used by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. These cars are often unmarked, making them less conspicuous for certain operations.
The second volume officially concludes here! Thank you all for reading and voting!
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(End of Chapter)