STARLIGHT | krmy ✓

15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN —
REVELATION.

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MAYA DOES NOT like the fact that Ichie just could not seem to keep her mouth shut. Especially during morning work hours. She secretly wonders how it would be like to tape the officer to a chair and duct-tape her.

"I love Saijō-san so much, I swear," Ichie babbles as Maya nods as politely as she could. "Like did you not see Dracula? Like, step on me–"

"Otonashi," Maya says threateningly, lowering her mug to waist-level, indicating the pile of files on Ichie's desk with her free hand. "Work."

Every single time that Ichie had brought Claudine up, Maya's mind would consciously wander to the thought of Claudine living in her home, and it was honestly a little too distracting. She had to complete her workload for today.

And this time, she had finally found something that connected all the sexual assaults together.

She had been looking through all the bank records of the accused, and had discovered one thing they all had in common: they had been transferred huge amounts of money at least a few days before the assaults. Unfortunately, they were all made by a handful of numbered bank accounts that she could only have full access to with authorisation from the government. She had better ask Kaoruko to see to it immediately.

A writer, a producer, a director, and more, all falling victim to awful desires.

"What are you still doing in my office, Otonashi?" Maya asks, taking another sip of tea, and the official turns around from where she had been scanning through some books on Maya's bookshelf. "I believe that our discussion regarding your off-days has been...postponed."

Ichie grins unexpectedly, and points to the spine of one of the books, where the words, 'Starry Desert' was printed in peeling cursive. "You have Starry Desert?!"

Yes. Maya thought, amused, raising the mug to her lips again. I was part of the original screenplay, after all.

"Yes."

"That's so cool!" Ichie squeals, not bothering to contain her excitement, her eager gaze going back to scan the shelf. "I didn't know that you were such a theatre enthusiast–oh! You have the prequel and the sequel too!"

Maya just observes her silently. She did not even know why she was even entertaining the likes of her subordinate like this, but she supposed it'd be too mean-spirited of her to chase Ichie out of the office like that.

"Starry Diamond."

Maya looks up from her mug. Well, she supposed she had a little time to spare before she handed the bank records to Kaoruko.

"I remember that the lead actress suffered a really bad fall–" Ichie murmurs absentmindedly, her eyes fixed on the aforementioned book, her mood changing erratically. "–she shattered her kneecap after tripping over a stage prop."

Maya breathes in deeply. That slip-up. Even the slightest reminder of it brought back the aching in her right leg. Her grip on the mug tightens.

"I do recall," Maya answers stiffly.

"But it doesn't make sense," Ichie continues. "She stopped performing after that. I found her previous plays really fun to watch."

Maya slowly lowers her mug, careful to not give away any curiosity in her tone. "Is that so?"