Chapter 18

-Very well, before we start I need you to take an oath, Mr Daniel. (judge)

-It's fine by me. (Daniel)

-Read this please while extending your right hand up. (judge)

-I, Daniel Firen, swear on my honor, to tell the whole truth and only the truth. (Daniel)

-Okay, now we can start the quizzes. As the defense started last time I will start here. Have something to ask him? (judge)

-Not your honor. I have nothing to ask this young man. (attorney)

-Then I'll skip your questions and move on with the defense attorney. (judge)

-Thanks. Daniel, how long have you been working with Maki-chan. (Ryusaki)

-I started working at the company three years ago. At that time Maki-chan had already started her idol career. (Daniel)

- At that time she was pretty? (Ryusaki)

-As beautiful as it is today. (Daniel)

-Heheheheeheheheh, I'm sure it was like finding an angel. (Ryusaki)

-Yes! She was so small and cute. (Daniel)

-Heheheheheheehhe. (Daniel and Ryusaki)

-Hmmmm hummmmm. (judge)

-Forgive me. Okay, do you believe there is any reason for Maki-chan to have committed this crime? (Ryusaki)

-Of course not!! She's just a child, there's no reason for her to have done that. (Daniel)

-Yes, I think so too. She comes from a very wealthy family, besides earning a lot of money from her shows, I don't see the need for her to risk something so problematic. (Ryusaki)

-You're just saying the beneficial things to exonerate her of the situation. (attorney)

-Well... I'm the defense attorney... wanted me to do what? (Ryusaki)

-Arrogant! You didn't even mention that she had family issues, she might as well have stolen that money to help her parents and get all the love and affection from them. (attorney)

-You're right, I was impartial, I ended up talking only a part, so I think it's better to explain everything so that even mentally underdeveloped people like you can understand. (Ryusaki)

-Which?? (attorney)

-There is no reason for her to have done this to gain affection and love from her parents, because they, once again, are already quite rich. Besides, the last thing she would want is to cause them trouble, so she wouldn't mess with a scheme that would bring so many risks to her passivity and that could aggravate her bad relationship with her parents. (Ryusaki)

-Yes! Maki-chan is extremely smart, she would never do that knowing that. (Daniel)

-Satisfied with this information? (Ryusaki)

The lawyer gives Ryusaki an irritated look.

-That makes some sense, but it's just a guess. You haven't brought any hard evidence yet. (judge)

-Do not worry. This was just to clarify some facts, the real evidence will emerge from now on. Okay Daniel, what is your relationship with Mr Yamato? (Ryusaki)

-Good I would say. Even though he and Maki-chan don't get along, I believe I have a certain closeness with him. (Daniel)

-This proximity, would you be able to try to describe it? (Ryusaki)

-He's my boss and I end up generating a lot of money for him, so I think he likes me a lot. (Daniel)

-I see, it's just a business friendship, from the moment you're no longer useful to him, you'll be discarded. (Ryusaki)

-That's a very mean way of putting it, even though it doesn't seem like I'm sad to hear these things. (Daniel)

-But it's the truth, isn't it? After all, it is the same with you, from the moment it is no longer useful to you it will be discarded as well. (Ryusaki)

-What do you mean by that? (Daniel)

-Don't make a fool of yourself, isn't that what you do? You use people as tools to get what you want and when they are no longer useful you throw them away. So how would you do with Maki-chan? (Ryusaki)

-Huh? Ryu... what are you talking about? (Maki)

-Souta, didn't Ryu call you to help Maki? (Akemi)

-If you're not even extending what's happening, then there's no way I can be. (Souta)

-You... I thought you were a nice guy, but it seems I was wrong... (Daniel)

-Ohhhhhhhh, so I'm the bad guy now? Don't make a fool of yourself, you know very well what you've done. You saw Maki-chan's name coming up in the polls, when you got in touch with her, you tried to approach her anyway, like a snake you ambushed her and wrapped yourself around her, you wanted to feed on her that's why you acted so submissively. But even you saw that it wouldn't last forever, although your relationship with her was a little better compared to other people she never looked at you as someone important, she was only interested in solving family problems, did you know that at one time or another one she would discard you, that's why you acted first, you started spreading rumors to Mr Yamato, little by little his relationship with Miss Maki was destabilizing to the point it is today. The trap was already set, now you just had to wait for the perfect moment and it came, you gained an image of someone trustworthy in Yamato's eyes and got access to some things, despite not appearing, you have a lot of knowledge with systems, with access that he gave you more of his knowledge, it was easy for you to get your hands on the company's deepest information. (Ryusaki)

-YOU TALK A LOT REALLY huh?! BUT TELL ME, IS ANYONE HERE WHO BELIEVES IN THIS STORY HE IS TELLING? (Daniel)

Ryusaki raises his hand.

-Your Honor, at no time was the witness asked a question. I would like her to sit still until I finished speaking. (Ryusaki)

- This boy... I think I underestimated him too much. (Yosuke)

-Like this? (Akemi)

-He called Daniel to help him on the case, but the truth is he just set a trap for him. It obviously didn't even occur to him that he would be framed in some way, he would just say a few things and walk away, there was no reason to refuse and arouse suspicion for not wanting to come. It is as if an eagle has lured a snake with dead rats to ambush it. (Yosuke)

-I understand, I revoke Daniel's speech and forbid him to say anything until the defense wants to. (judge)

-Thanks. (Ryusaki)

-YOUR... (Daniel)

-Like I was saying, you got access, but you couldn't just run it anytime. You had to be very careful, the first thing you did was blame someone and to do that you just had to make a meeting with Yosuke's company and infiltrate his secret vault, despite the security you're fine able to access it if it is in person and no one would suspect since he was just waiting for the scheduled meeting. After entering, he left the stats data and blamed the person who would cause the biggest scandal possible, which was Maki-chan. She is very famous, with so many people concentrating on her no one would notice you. Besides, you had the doormat view of her, it didn't make sense to be you who released the data to end her. The second thing was figuring out how to launder that money. Like it or not, the money could turn you over at one time or another because it was acquired through corruption. That's when you found them, the "shining bandits". They appear on TV straight away so I believe that was where you became aware of their existence. You went after them and made a deal, they would steal gold bars for you in exchange for a significant amount of money. After that you started getting in touch with an old friend of yours who works in a foundry house until you got his full trust and got him into the game. Ready! Complete money laundering, you would exchange the money with the bandits' gold and take the gold to be melted, while the bandits would take the money on the black market which after passing through there would be practically impossible for the police to track them down. (Ryusaki)

-You're just guessing things again, do you have any proof that this really happened? (judge)

-Your honor, my friend Souta and I went after the tests. Just yesterday we got in touch with these "brilliant bandits" and were arrested by them, but thanks to that we got some evidence, I ended up taking a tape recorder and recorded a conversation we had with the bandit who was watching the cell. (Ryusaki)

-UAOHHHHH! This is amazing. Ryu is really the guy! (Souta)

-The boy really has talent Akemi. (Yosuke)

-Yes. (Akemi)

-Has he come into contact with Japan's biggest precious metal bandits? (person 1)

-That's quite a feat. (person 2)

-Could you show us the conversation you had? (judge)

-Clear. (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki presses the button to run the recording.

"-ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNCCC!!!!! (Ryusaki)"

Everyone in the room is stunned by the sound.

-What is that? (person 3)

-Looks like someone is screaming in pain while being killed. (person 4)

-What could make that terrible sound? It even sounds like the end of the world. (person 5)

-Hmmmmm, I'm not remembering that... what could it be? (Ryusaki)

-Souta... by chance... (Akemi)

-Yes... it's Ryu's snoring, it was thanks to that sound that we managed to escape from prison. (Souta)

-That's impressive in a lot of ways. (Yosuke)

-Mr Ryusaki could you skip this dark sound and go straight to the conversation? (judge)

-Oh, of course! (Ryusaki)

"-Yeah, I imagine, but I didn't know I needed as many people as bodyguards to go to the black market. (Ryusaki)

-Idiot. Of course, you need to, that place is very dangerous even for the biggest in the business. (bandit)"

-Ohhhhh, he actually managed to record the conversation with the bad guy. (person 1)

-AND WHAT'S SO MUCH ABOUT IT? THEY JUST SAID THAT THEY WENT TO THE BLACK MARKET, THAT DOESN'T INDICATE ANYTHING!! (Daniel)

-Actually, while Souta and I were there, we didn't notice any presence of the gold bars. Of course they could have hidden it somewhere else, so I went looking for notes while we were on the run and ended up finding amounts of money that match the amounts stolen by corruption. Here is your honor. (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki hands the paper over for the judge to look at and he notices something strange.

-On the values ​​side, there are other numbers written. It even looks like a phone number. (judge)

-And even?! And why don't you try calling to see? (Ryusaki)

-That's ridiculous! Demanding that the most important person in this room take a chance by calling a full number... (lawyer)

TUM TUM TUM

-AHHHHHH HE IS ALREADY DIALING! (attorney)

The judge's cell phone starts calling the number, when in the middle of all that silence in the room.

VRUMMMMMMMMM... VRUMMMMMMMM... VRUMMMMMMMMM

-Looks like someone is calling you Daniel, why don't you answer? (Ryusaki)

Daniel breaks out in a cold sweat.

-Dani-boy? Did something happen to you? It even looks like you saw a ghost. (Ryusaki)

-Haaaa, looks like he's really the damned in this! (Souta)

-THAT... (Daniel)

Daniel starts looking at the court, everyone is staring at him.

-That's not... it's nothing... (Daniel)

Everyone was looking contemptuously towards Daniel.

-NOT THAT YOU ARE THINKING!! (Daniel)

-That's right, Your Honor. Who doesn't guarantee that he wrote this himself? Besides, if what he says is the truth, where is the absurd amount of gold that should have been in the witness's possession? (attorney)

-True, I can't end the trial with just this evidence. I need the gold to be able to do this. (judge)

-There is... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. THAT'S RIGHT! WITHOUT THE GOLD HE CANNOT PROVE ANYTHING! AND NOW RYUUUUUU! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO... (Daniel)

-Oh! The gold? I know where he hid it. (Ryusaki)

-What?... (Daniel)

-DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL THE GOLD IS?? MY MEN ARE LOOKING FOR THEM FOR DAYS! (policeman)

-Hmm hmm! (judge)

-I'm sorry, I got carried away. (policeman)

-And by any chance, is the gold with you right now? (judge)

-No, but like I said, I know where he's hiding. (Ryusaki)

-Unfortunately Ryu, the court is almost at the end of its time. How do you plan on getting all these people to the site with so little time left? (judge)

-Damn he's right. Transporting so many people like that is insane. (Yosuke)

-Yes. He needs everyone present here to be on site to check all this out. (Akemi)

-Then? (judge)

-Do not worry. I have everything prepared. (Ryusaki)

People inside the courtroom started to step outside and found a school bus waiting at the entrance.

-YOU TAKED!! (driver)

-Oiiiiii! (Ryusaki)

-How did you get it? (Akemi)

-He said he would give 200 dollars if he took people to a place. (Souta)

-But he's not even getting how he's going to pay for it? (Akemi)

-Hey, with the gold we find, what else would I pay? (Ryusaki)

Inside the bus heading towards the predestined location.

-Frankly, this is the first time I've seen someone take all the people on the jury out of court. (Yosuke)

-Mine too. (Akemi)

-You were right, this child is really special. (Yosuke)

-OHHH DRIVERAA! YOU CAN RUN! THE FIFTH YEAR IS NOT AFRAID TO DIE!! (Ryusaki)

-Well... in your own way. (Yosuke)

-Yes... (Akemi)

After 10 minutes of travel.

-We're here! (Ryusaki)

-But this is... (judge)

-It's Yamato's company. (attorney)

Ryusaki took everyone inside the building. All the people who were there began to look strange for not knowing why so many people were entering. They needed to go up to the fourteenth floor, but not everyone could fit in the elevator.

-Ahhhh ahhhhh ahhhhh. What a great idea huh Ryu... taking 14 flights of stairs. (Souta)

-You wanted me to do what? The elevator was already full. (Ryusaki)

-This kid... I'm already 60 years old on my back... before I get to the floor I'll be gone a long time... (judge)

-That insolent one pays me. (attorney)

The torture lasted until they finally reached the fourteenth floor. Everyone started watching the recording studio.

-Ohhhh, there are some pretty crazy objects here. (person 1)

-This place is so beautiful. (person 2)

-So Ryu... hey! Where are you going? (Souta)

Everyone starts looking at Ryusaki as he walks towards the wall.

TUM TUM TUM

He hits her with his fingers.

-Hmm, as I suspected. It is not hollow. (Ryusaki)

-Huh? (Souta)

Ryusaki now walks towards a bunch of objects and from inside them takes a sledgehammer.

-It's time for a dick!! (Ryusaki)

-AHHHHHHH! STOP THAT ASSELF RIGHT NOW! (Daniel)

Ryusaki makes the move with his arms and hits the sledgehammer on the wall, however it wasn't hard enough.

-Uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, it's harder than I thought. (Ryusaki)

-WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOY?! THIS IS DISRUPTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY! YOU WILL BE ARRESTED IF YOU CONTINUE! (judge)

-POLICES WALK UP AND CATCH THIS IDIOT! (attorney)

-Ryu... why are you doing this? (Maki)

-I'm an idiot who always causes problems. I am a nuisance to the people around me...

The police who were advancing towards Ryusaki are blocked by Akemi, Souta and Yosuke.

-But even so, they continue to help me, even causing so many problems they don't abandon me. So it doesn't matter if you think you're a nuisance or anything like that, because we'll never leave you. (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki tries one more time and makes the wall crack a little. Right now Maki-chan was unsure what to believe. Was she really a nuisance or was she someone important to these people? The police manage to get through the barrier by knocking them to the ground.

-STOP IT SOON! (Daniel)

-RYUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! (Souta)

-OOOSHHHIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki hits the wall hard causing it to fall apart and raise dust all over the place. At that moment Maki felt something, her dead expression was gone forever, what Ryu had knocked down was not just a wall, but all Maki's worries that kept her from moving forward. The wall in front of her was finally torn down and the person who did it was right in front of her.

-Cough, cough, cough... (Souta)

As the dust settled, everyone looked ahead and were impressed by what they saw. A pile of gold bars that must have weighed 3 tons was glowing inside the wall.

-So... it was true... (lawyer)

-How... HOW DO YOU DES... (Daniel)

A bunch of cops grabbed Daniel and stopped him from moving.

-Mr Ryusaki, how did you know that the gold bars would be here? (judge)

-Well, that was easy, as this company is perfect for hiding these types of things, since there are several trucks unloading loads all day, if one of these loads were gold, no one would suspect. (Ryusaki)

-But how did you find the exact location that Daniel would hide inside the company? (judge)

-Well, a couple of days ago I came back here after running away from Maki-chan's house. It was fine at night, there shouldn't be anyone here at that time, but Daniel was there, I found that a little suspicious. He said he was just putting away some hoods, but that sure was just a made-up excuse in case someone came and saw him, because what he was really doing was waiting for the load the glowing bandits were bringing. He helped me dry me off and when we were talking I leaned against the wall to rest, that's when I noticed she looked more fragile than the others, so I checked and saw that she was hollow. This was the perfect place to hide all the gold. (Ryusaki)

- A hollow wall? Strangely enough, I'm sure everything here has been screened for safety so the building doesn't fall. (Butler)

-You're right, that wall wasn't hollow. But remember what I said, Daniel has been waiting for this moment for a long time, he must have had enough time to gradually open a space inside this wall while no one was looking. (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki walked over to Daniel who was being held down.

-You planned very well, I'm really impressed. (Ryusaki)

-How do you... why? I thought you liked me, that we had a bond... WERE YOU JUST FOOLING ME?! (Daniel)

-HAHAHAHHAHHAAHAH! (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki gets very close to Daniel and speaks softly into his ears so that only he can hear.

-It really doesn't feel so good when your own poison turns against you, doesn't it? (Ryusaki)

Daniel was in shock, he was lured into a trap from the start. This time he was the prey and was the prey of someone he least suspected. (Daniel)

I see, this is all facade, he just pretended to be an idiot around me so I could let my guard down... (Daniel)

"-Do not worry. As I said we're on Yamato's tail, so soon, we'll find evidence against him and arrest him. (Ryusaki)

-So you mean it was him? (Daniel)

-Yes, as I said, my friends are very suspicious of him and they usually don't get their intuition wrong, it's only a matter of time before we arrest him. (Ryusaki)"

I see, that was all front too. He made me believe that they were after Yamato, besides, he made me believe that everyone was on his tail and that it would set me free, since the only one with me was him... and I didn't suspect at all that this idiot could catch me. In the end, I was just a mouse running straight into the snake's mouth. (Daniel)

In the end, the police took Daniel away.

-Hunt huff. All right, it looks like we now have enough evidence to end this trial. I as responsible for this judgment, I find Daniel guilty of the corruption done, and I also find Maki-chan innocent. (judge)

-IIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!! (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki jumps for joy at having managed to exonerate Maki-chan.

-Now you don't have to worry about anymore... (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki was suddenly embraced by Maki. She hides her face with Ryusaki's body, apparently she was crying and didn't want anyone to see.

-Thanks Ryu... really... thank you... (Maki)

-Hahahahaha! No need to thank me, don't you remember what I said before? We are friends, no matter what happens we will always be by your side. (Ryusaki)

Maki-chan stops hiding her face and looks towards Ryusaki, she was extremely happy for what Ryusaki told her.

-Ryuu! I love you! (Maki)

At that moment Ryusaki felt a pang in his heart, as if he had been hit by an arrow. Then, suddenly, he picks her up in his lap. Maki chan shows a little embarrassment on her face.

-Ryu... (Maki)

He starts walking, taking her with him to the exit of the building.

-Where do you think you are going (Souta and Akemi)

Ryusaki is stopped by his friends and asked where he planned to take Maki-chan.

-I'll just take her to play. Hahahahahaha. (Ryusaki)

-And where do you plan to take her to play? (Souta and Akemi)

Ryusaki's expression turned extremely serious at this point.

-To my room. (Ryusaki)

Then, after he answers that, the two punch Ryusaki and knock him unconscious to the ground.

-Come on Maki, don't get any closer to that kind of guy. (Akemi)

-Yes, try to stay away from strangers. (Souta)

After a while, they take Maki-chan and her butler back to her house.

-Thank you very much for helping you. (Butler)

-No need for us to thank you. (Akemi)

-If you don't mind, would you like some tea? (Butler)

-Unfortunately there's someone waiting for us. We promised to go see him now. (Souta)

-I see, so I hope that another time when you are free I can serve you tea to your liking. (Butler)

-Very well, we can't keep this person waiting too long, so we're already going. (Akemi)

-Ryuu, wait! (Maki)

Everyone who was leaving stops and looks at Maki-chan.

-I need to tell you something, but I just wanted to tell you. Then you could come up to my room with me. (Maki)

-For me... (Ryusaki)

Souta and Akemi look with scary and murderous eyes at Ryusaki, if he was planning to do anything cute they would kill him.

-Relax, I won't do anything. (Ryusaki)

Ryusaki follows Maki-chan and enters her room.

-So what did you want to talk about? (Ryusaki)

-I didn't thank you right, you risked your life to save me, so... (Maki)

Maki sits on her bed with her face a little redder than usual.

-You can order anything you want for me and I'll do it. (Maki)

-Hm? Hahahahahahahahahahaha! (Ryusaki)

-Which? Why are you laughing? I didn't tell you that you can do it... (Maki)

Ryusaki starts walking towards her sitting on the bed. Maki is a little more apprehensive to see him walking towards her and closes her eyes. When he gets close to her, he stretches his arm and puts it on top of her head, petting her.

-Huh?... (Maki)

-I think you still don't understand. I acted like that because you seemed too preoccupied with things and when I did those things it seemed like I could make you forget about your worries. Also, I didn't risk my life expecting something in return, as I told you before, now and in the future, I will always be by your side when you need help. (Ryusaki)

Those words stayed in his mind. She would never forget what he said. Ryusaki starts walking out of the room, but before leaving he turns and says something to Maki-chan.

-I hope you recover soon, because I'll be looking forward to seeing you on stage again. (Ryusaki)

-Hmmmmff! Who do you think you're talking to?! It can wait, soon Maki-chan will be back to the top. (Maki)