Mayonaka no X Giten 21

Midnight Cross Method 21

p1: ========================================
So at the next BKR concert, Miku-Miku’s gonna be there for the first time in forever!
Dude, I knew that hours ago.
/ And besides, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I hear they’re gonna introduce a new song and a new member.
Seriously?! Shit, tickets are gonna be hard to get.

Well, about that…
/ Sounds like they’re not going with a normal raffle this time.
[sfx]: Swipe
Huh?

p2: ========================================
Top priority goes to whoever can fill the blanks in the lyrics!
[upper left]: Midnight Cross Method / #21: Outside and In
[cell phone]: {
[upper left] Guess the lyrics!
[upper right]: Mikuriya Mikuni’s Return / Special Concert
[bottom, not bubble]: Guess the lyrics for the new song, and immediately get a ticket to the performance ♡
[bubble]: Touch!
}
[bottom]: Story / Yamaguchi Mikoto Art / BAREISHO

p3: ========================================
And for our next story,
/ the popular idol group BKR48 are asking fans to guess the lyrics to their new song.
[background]: What are the new song’s lyrics?

The fans are wrestling with the sudden challenge.
The sole clue is rumored to be the song’s title.
/ And that title…

is “Outside and In.”
[sfx]: Glance

…I get it. The title—and these lyrics—
They’re a challenge sent to X.
[background]: The title: Outside and In

Which means, come that day, I should be able to meet Sachi as well.
…Interesting.

p4: ========================================
[background]: The Bakuan Shrine
I wonder if the plan’ll work…

…If nothing else, we should’ve caught X’s eye.
/ We’ve got the information spread far and wide. Even the media picked up the story.
They did? Then all that’s left to see is if X shows up as challenged.

Okay! That’s enough warming up.
[sfx]: Clap clap!
Let’s get this started.

p5: ========================================
Hey,
/ do I really have to do this?
[sfx]: Stretch
You know there can’t be any more mistakes.

…No, there can’t.
/ And I should do everything I can.

One, two, three, four!
[sfx]: Pose!

p6: ========================================
The Day of the Concert

[signs]: BKR Concert Hall / The Bakuan Shrine / Mon Quiho
[sfx]: *Crowd noises*

Gyah!! / I didn’t win a ticket!!!
[sfx]: Stirs

[sign is the same]

Did anyone answer that question correctly?
Well, six people solved it in all.

p7: ========================================
?!
/ That many?!
A lot of people posted on the ‘Net what they thought the answers would be. One of them was right.

…X must be behind that.
All to disturb our investigation.

Couldn’t we simply arrest all six of those individuals?

No, we can’t!

X is as sly as a fox.
/ He might have leaked the answer and then not submitted it himself. There’s no guarantee he’s one of the six!

If we wind up arresting the wrong people, we’d be playing right into X’s hands.
Screw things up badly enough, and we might never get another chance.

p8: ========================================
I understand what you’re saying,
/ but however unlikely, if anything were to happen to you all—

That is the most foolish thing I’ve heard.
[sfx]: Tap

No matter what happens, no matter who is in the stands, we idols will still be the ones performing on stage.

And before we made it big, we had to make it through some pretty dangerous times.

Don’t underestimate an idol’s experience.

p9: ========================================
Besides, after you came to our center crying your heart out, how could we say no?
I-I wasn’t crying!!

Mikuni, if you’ve gone from being a workaholic to that, well…
/ You must’ve met someone nice.
…
Mngh~

However! Until you graduate, don’t forget: Relationships are strictly forbidden!
I-I know that!!

Detective, with our new member, we can handle ourselves.

Instead,
/ could I please ask that you ensure none of our fans are harmed?

Of course.
I swear by our pride as policemen they’ll be safe.

p10: ========================================
Thank you for coming to today’s special BKR48 concert.

We have for you a unique setlist to be used today only.
/ I hope you all enjoy it ♡
Today only?!
Wonder what’s gonna be different.
[sfx]: Stirs

That came to you from BKR48’s Mikuriya Mikuni!
Whoa!

And with that, it’s time to raise the curtain!

p11: ========================================
[insert]: Whoaaaaaaaaaa!

p12: ========================================
Our plan was to lure X to our concert.

The thunderous volume
/ meant that X couldn’t use Kirishima Ai’s Cross Ability, Love’s Lullaby.

TIGER FIRE!
CYBER FIBER!
K-BAR VIBER!

p13: ========================================
Of course, the only way to completely cut it off was to make sure the music never stopped.

So we couldn’t take any breaks.

We had to keep the concert going at full throttle.

p14: ========================================
Of course, X was sharp. Since that possibility existed, X almost certainly wouldn’t appear in Ai’s body.

And in fact, it would seem Ai was nowhere within the hall.

What of the six?
At present, none of them has acted suspiciously.

…Then if X does take action, it really will be during the new song.
How had we initially drawn X to us?

By hiding a secret within the new piece’s lyrics.
In truth…

p15: ========================================
They spelled out the truth of what happened during the Kirishima Family Murder Incident.

We didn’t know if we had every detail right.
But we were certain that X wouldn’t want the full story made public.

And thus, the challenge. If X didn’t want what lay hidden within the lyrics to be made public,
/ X should come and stop us.
Which meant the true battle would be when we introduced the song.

Next is the new piece.

Next is our new piece.
/ It’s a unit song together with our new member.
[sfx]: Huff x2
We hope you enjoy it.

p16: ========================================
Outside…
and In.

p17: ========================================
I’m on the outside.
Always with a smile, and seeking love from you all

I’m on the inside.
Always with a tear, and seeking to break it all

p18: ========================================
My heart grows distant
It’s going to break.

So I lay my right hand
So I lay my left hand
On the mirror and ask,

Is it all my fault?
Am I to blame?
I’m going to break.

p19: ========================================
But there’s a person I love,
/ A person who loves me
So I can still hang in there.

Why do you cry?
Does loving me scar you?

I knew it was my fault.
No, I did nothing wrong.
It’s all my fault.
No,
/ it’s all theirs!
My heart grows distant… Truly, truly distant.
it’s going to break.

Hey, what should I do?
Hmm, let’s…

p20-21: ========================================
Let’s just split in half.

Half for the outside, half for the in!

p22: ========================================
And I, the outside, will break it all!

p23: ========================================
[sfx]: Bathump
Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

[sfx]: Shove

p24: ========================================
?!

There!
[insert]: Has X finally made their play?!