Mayonaka no X Giten 16

Midnight Cross Method 16

p1: =============================
Let’s hurry with the purr-suit of X! <3

Story / Yamaguchi Mikoto
Art / BAREISHO
#16: United Front

p2: =============================
You—you’re
/ Aono Shin-san?

Mm?
…I… do not know you.

Grandpa!

Granpa,
/ is that really him—or rather, his body?
Umm, err…
/ You know, the one you met during the Midnight Cross Method?

p3: =============================
Precisely!
[sfx]: Grab / Twitch!
Aiee!
This little rascal…

is the one who toyed with my heart
at the party!
[sfx]: Bathump x2

And stole from me your precious thing: your panties!!

And then…
/ To top everything else…
[sfx]: Shaking
He took from my granddaughter something to which she ascribed great import…

p4: =============================
Her first kiss!!!

Huh?
He what?
…Ah… Awah… Wawawa…

p5: =============================
Waaahhhhhh!!!
[sfx]: Bump / duck

Ahh… Uh, umm, err…
[sfx]: Panicking

Basically,
/ right now, Kamiya-kun… You’re inside Mikuni-san’s body?
Uhh… Yeah.

Then switch back to your actual bodies right now!!
/ Then we can talk!!
O-Okay!!

p6: =============================
…Ummm, basically, the person who came to my rescue at the party,
Aono Shin-san,

was you, Class Rep,
/ inside your grandfather’s body?
[insert]: Don’t call me “Class Rep.”
That’s right.

…In the first place, “Aono Shin” was just a random rearrangement of “An’no Shion.”
[chart, top line]: A o no shi n
[chart, bottom line]: A n no shi o n
[insert]: There’s two ‘n’s in my name, so I skipped the second.
Oh, you’re right.

…So Class Rep, you’re a high school girl detective?
That’s right!

p7: =============================
Pfft.
[aside]: “High School Girl Detective”?
Stop laughing!!

This is my grandfather, An’no Shin’ichirou. A former police detective, he currently works as a private eye.
/ Originally, I was his assistant.
[sfx]: Bow

However!
[sfx]: Snap!
Now, I’m the fantastic High School Girl Detective Shion-chan!!

I said, stop laughing!!!
[sfx]: Snicker

So then… Who are you?
[insert]: Mm.

p8: =============================
I’m Mikuni. Mikuriya Mikuni.

…So you are the real McCoy.
The idol Mikuriya Mikuni, in the flesh.

…How did you two meet?
/ It’s rare to see someone swap bodies with a member of the opposite sex who isn’t a family member.

Mikuni here
/ doesn’t hab a cwue. ✧
[sfx]: Sparkle

p9: =============================
Oh, I see.
/ So the pop idol Mikuriya Mikuni has a fetish for lending men her own body. Lemme write that down.
HEY!!!

[sfx]: Spark x3
[insert]: Now, now.

Let’s get back on track!
/ Class Rep, why are you chasing after X?
[sfx]: Oooh…

…Because we were requested to, of course.
/ Simply put, this is an undercover investigation as private eyes.
[sfx]: Tighten!
Rather, I would like to know why you are chasing after X.

You told me before that someone had harmed that which you held dear.
Does that have anything to do with it?
If so, just what was harmed?

p10: =============================
…I can’t tell you that.
Why not?!
/ Aren’t we after the same thing? If so, you should work with us.

There’s still more I have to do.
[insert]: I can’t let myself be arrested. Not yet.

…What are you trying to say?

…I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.
[sfx]: Clench
Moreover, though I know it’s selfish for me to ask…

p11: =============================
I’d like you to tell me everything you know.
/ There’s not much time left for me.

…Okay. We’ll tell you everything we know.
[sfx]: Sigh.
The person who requested our services did give us license to do whatever necessary to capture X.

…Besides, I trust you, Kamiya-kun.

…Sorry.

…

Is that all right, Grampa?
Right now, you’re the boss.
/ I’ll follow your judgment.

p12: =============================
First, we were commissioned to capture X,
who was using body swapping to commit countless crimes.

Of course, we didn’t immediately believe such an insane story,
/ but once we were given these…
Those are—

These made clear that body switching was at least possible,
but honestly? I wasn’t sure if we should undertake this request.
/ There was so much we didn’t know.

Yet we did know that X was deeply connected with the subject of our original investigation.

p13: =============================
Specifically,
our investigation of the homicide of the Kirishima Family.

There’s a number of open mysteries regarding that case
/ and the police requested my grandpa’s assistance.
…And that’s why you swapped bodies and participated in the Cross Act?

That’s right.
/ Though technically speaking, it was Grandpa, not me, who participated.
Was that the same Cross Act I participated in?
What were you hoping to uncover by participating?

Well, we’d received information that X would be participating in that Cross Act.
!!

p14: =============================
X participated? You’re certain?

Absolutely.
/ Why? Because I swapped into the body of Kirishima Ai herself!

Later, we established that he chiefly used her body.
…We’ve confirmed that info ourselves.

Couldn’t you have captured her while you were in your body, or something?
Again, we learned she was connected with X after the event!

D-Do you know anyone else who participated in that Cross Act?
[sfx]: Mngh.

p15: =============================
We know one.
/ The person who swapped into Grampa’s body.
[sfx]: Nod

Since X could have swapped into Grampa’s body,
/ we tied him up beforehand.
And then? Who swapped in?

…Let me check…
[sfx]: Flip
Furuyanagi Kou, 86, male.

He’s lost all freedom in life, and is bedridden most days.

He’s bedridden?
Sachi said the person he entered was probably a patient, could barely move about, and was an adult male.

p16: =============================
W-Wait one second. I’d like a second to think this through.

If he’s the person whose body Kirishima entered…
[box]: Cross Act participants, 8 total
[upper left]: Two people remaining—did they switch with each other?
[left side]: The identity of “Y,” who participated in the Midnight Cross Method.
[counterclockwise, from top]: Furuyanagi Kou / An’no Shin’ichirou / Kirishima Ai (X) / Kamiya Hiroki / Mikuriya Mikuni / Kirishima Sachi

…Then my sister’s murderer really is…

…

p17: =============================
Could it be? Did you also participate in that Cross Act?
!

And, at that time, X hurt something you hold dear?

…
Looks like I hit the nail on the head.

If there’s parts you don’t want to talk about, that’s fine.
But if you’re running out of time, shouldn’t you cooperate with us on whatever you can?

…

p18: =============================
You’re right.
/ I participated, too.

Can I borrow your notebook for a sec?
…Sure.
[sfx]: Slide

[sfx]: Scratch x2

Look here.

[counter-clockwise, from top]: Furuyanagi Kou / An’no Shin’ichirou / Kirishima Ai (X) / Kamiya Hiroki / Mikuriya Mikuni / Kirishima Sachi
I combined everything you’ve just told us with what we already know.
/ Though there are a few things I’m not certain of.

p19: =============================
I see… During that event, Kamiya-kun, you entered Mikuni-san’s body.
Mikuni-san entered Kirishima Sachi’s…
That would be Kirishima Ai’s brother, right?

And he went on to enter Furuyanagi Kou’s.
Furuyanagi Kou went to my grandpa’s, and Grandpa’s went to Kirishima Ai’s.

Finally, Kirishima Ai—or rather, X—went to Kamiya-kun’s.

p20: =============================
It was then, right? When he hurt your precious thing.

Yes. That was when he…

Remember what I said? You don’t have to force yourself to say anything.
[sfx]: Press…

I can see in your eyes…
[sfx]: Step

how much pain you’re in.

…I am your childhood friend, after all.

p21: =============================
Let’s support each other every way we can,
and catch X together!

…Thank you, Class Rep.

It’s a class rep’s job
to save a classmate in need.

p22: =============================
By the day, miss Class Rep,
/ are you just going to overlook how your super-duper precious first kiss was stolen from you?
[sfx]: Bathump

W-Well, that was, umm, a mistake, more or less, so… I mean, these things happen, right?
[sfx]: Grin
Really? Weren’t you trying to track the culprit down in order to kill him?

But even though you were that angry, there’s certain people you’d be willing to forgive.
I-I mean, I’m not—that’s not what I’m saying!

[sfx]: Sparks
X participated in the Cross Act that day—that’s a huge new piece of information.

But in the end, so long as we don’t know X’s hideout, there’s nothing we can do.
/ Do you know anything, any clues at all?
Hmm… A clue, you say?

p23: =============================
Perhaps going to meet our employer would be a wise course of action.
/ He is the most knowledgeable person with regards to swapping bodies.

After all, he was the first person to ever swap bodies.

…Do you have a picture of him, or something?

Oh,
/ then would you look at this?

…It’s her? The girl?
No, not her. The one below her.

Huh…?
You mean…

p24: =============================
That stuffed animal?

The next day
Everything you told us yesterday was true, right?

I can’t believe that our client and Kirishima Sachi’s collaborator are one and the same.
I’m all but certain.

Sachi told us that his collaborator was the first person to swap bodies,
and the photo you showed us resembled Sachi’s drawing... more or less.

p25: =============================
Oh, I figured you kids were the ones to ask for a meeting.

…Sorry, but I can’t let you talk to Kirishima Sachi.
?!
/ Why not? Before, you said we could so long as we stuck to visiting hours.

…
/ This is just between us, but right now, it isn’t possible for you to meet him.
…What’s that supposed to mean?
You see…

p26: =============================
How does it feel, walking around the free world in your own body once more?
Different. Really, truly different.

Now then, shall we go?
Yes, let’s.
/ Now that we know X’s true identity, it’s time for me to settle everything.

Kirishima Sachi escaped prison.
[insert]: What’s X’s true identity?!