Mr. Fujimoto's suicide? That's just hard to wrap my head around. The man who had been our math teacher for the past year, the one who had a reputation for being tough but fair, was suddenly gone. It felt surreal, like a scene from a movie that I couldn't quite comprehend.
The next day during lunch, the cafeteria buzzed with whispers and hushed tones. "Did you guys hear about Mr. Fujimoto? He took his own life! Can you believe that?" Hinata said, taking her first bite of food, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Just yesterday, he was beating Kenji to a pulp. And now this? It's so strange," I replied, trying to piece together the timeline in my mind. The image of Mr. Fujimoto, red-faced and furious, loomed large. He had been relentless in his discipline, but I never thought it would lead to something like this.
"I never thought he'd be the type to do that. I think he was murdered!" Hiroko chimed in, sitting next to the empty chair beside me, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and intrigue.
"Murdered by who? Kenji?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow. The thought seemed absurd, but the tension in the air was palpable.
"No way. I don't think Kenji could do that," Mina, one of our classmates, responded, shaking her head.
"Why not? You didn't see him laughing like a maniac right in Fujimoto's face after he got beaten!" I argued, recalling the scene from the day before. Kenji had been a target of Mr. Fujimoto's wrath, but the idea that he could be involved in something so sinister felt far-fetched.
"Still, Kenji isn't capable of that. He's tough on the outside but really soft inside," Mina insisted, her voice firm.
"You seem to know him pretty well, don't you, Mina?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood, but the heaviness of the topic lingered.
"Oh, come on. We're both backbenchers. I know him. He's way too much of a coward to kill someone and then make it look like suicide. Maybe there was a suicide note found in Fujimoto's room," she said, her tone shifting to one of speculation.
"Honestly, who cares if it was suicide or murder? He's gone, and that's what matters! No more math", Rin smiled happily.
A dimly lit apartment, the air heavy with cigarette smoke and an unshakable tension. Detective Sato and his assistant, Akane, stand over a desk cluttered with papers, an overturned cup of tea staining several documents. Fujimoto's body hangs near the window, a tipped-over chair lying on its side. The suicide note is placed neatly on the desk, its edges slightly crumpled.]
Detective Sato takes a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling thoughtfully as he scans the room.
"So, Akane… tell me again. Who found him?"
Akane adjusting her glasses, flipping through her notepad.
"A neighbour. An elderly woman who lives across the hall. She says she noticed the door was slightly ajar around 7:15 AM. When she knocked and got no answer, she peeked inside… and saw him."
Detective Sato glanced at the body, then back to the desk.
"Hanging near the window. Classic case of suicide, or so it seems."
"Information obtained from Higashi school stated that he was opted for the position of Principal by prior director of the school. Also, he was one of the significant figures of the school. Can you think behind this Sato?"
"What are you referring to Akane?"
"Just that why would someone resort to self -harm just one month before being promoted? No signs of depression were revived from his behaviour with other teachers. Rather, he was said to be bossing them around that he was becoming the new Principle. "
Sato hummed at her assumption trying to grasp the gravity of Fujimoto's situation.
Akane picked up the suicide note carefully with gloved
hands.
"But there's something off about this, Sato. Listen to this—"
She clears her throat and reads the note aloud.
Suicide Note:
*"To whomever finds this,
I have failed. I can no longer carry the weight of my mistakes. Every day, I put on a mask, pretending to be fine, but inside, I am crumbling. The whispers, the stares, the accusations—I can't escape them.
I thought being a teacher meant guiding others, but I have only led myself to ruin. The guilt consumes me, the shame drowns me. If I could turn back time, I would. But I can't. This is the only way to silence the ghosts in my head.
Please don't look for explanations. There's nothing left to say. I am sorry."*
Detective Sato, rubbing his chin, eyes narrowing.
"The accusations. What accusations?"
Akane said flipping through her notes.
"Two incidents. First, a student named Rika Tanaka—16 years old. Two weeks ago, she accused Fujimoto of inappropriate conduct. Said he touched her during an after-school tutoring session. The school launched an internal investigation but didn't take formal action yet."
His brow furrows, lighting another cigarette.
"And the second?"
"A week before that, a boy named Kenji Watanabe—16. He was found in the classroom with a split lip, and bloody bruises. It is said Fujimoto beat him in front of the entire class. "
Detective Sato, exhaling slowly, the smoke curling in the air.
"So, within two weeks, he was accused of harassment and assault. It just can't be accusations."
Akane nods, flipping another page.
"I don't think he was a respected teacher in this school. A statement was obtained from the teachers working with him. They were all negative."
Detective Sato, his fingers tap against the desk as he studies the note again.
"Too much heat. If he was guilty, maybe he saw no way out. But…"
Akane looked at him curiously.
"But what?"
Detective Sato, pointing at the suicide note.
"If he was such a troubled teacher, he must have many enemies trying to harm him or allege him wrongfully."
Akane
(Eyes widening slightly.)
"You think the allegations are false?"
Detective Sato, paced the room.
"I don't know yet. But look at the way this note is written—he's broken, desperate. Almost like he was being driven to do this. And this envelope addressed to the school board…"
He picks up the sealed envelope, weighing it in his hand.
Akane
Leaning closer.
"It's unopened."
Detective Sato
(Nods.)
"Exactly. If he wrote this before killing himself, wouldn't he have sent it? Or at least left it open for someone to read?"
Akane glancing at the body, then at the note again.
"You think someone else was here before he died?"
Detective Sato, lowering his voice, eyes sharp.
"I think it's a possibility we can't ignore."
A long silence stretches between them, the only sound the faint creak of the ceiling fan. Then—Akane notices something.
Akane, kneeling by the desk, reaching underneath.
"Sato… there's something here."
She pulls out a small, batch of metal with the letter 'K' engraved on it.
The detectives exchange a glance, the weight of suspicion settling heavily between them.
Detective Sato, voice cold, jaw tight.
"Looks like this case isn't closed after all."