LOVED ONE (ラブドワン)

The serial murders happening recently…

They are similar to the Shiramine case.

Could you please tell me what happened back then?

Stop making a fool out of me.

Mizusawa Masumi, was it?

He is a bit of an eyesore, isn't he?

MEJ will be shut down by the end of this month.

What?

Shut down?

Why so suddenly?

Is there a reason for this?

I haven't been told the details either.

However,

the MEJ was originally an experimental operation,

and the higher-ups said they already have enough data

to debate whether to officially implement it.

Even so, this is far too sudden.

What are we supposed to do now?

What you are all saying is completely justified.

I am truly sorry for my lack of skill.

It's not your fault, Ms. Kiryu.

Dr. Masumi, you don't agree with this either, right?

Dr. Masumi,

I'm sorry.

If only I had done a better job promoting the significance of the MEJ…

Ms. Kiryu,

you are not to blame.

It's my responsibility.

- Hello. - Good work.

Hello.

Hello.

Yukie Morishita, 23 years old.

After she'd called her father last night around 9 p.m.,

she became unreachable.

A passerby discovered the body this morning.

Another strangulation of a young woman…

It has finally happened in our jurisdiction too.

This makes six victims already.

It really is similar.

What?

Well, I'll contact the MEJ.

Oh, they're gone now, right? Sorry.

I'll leave it to you.

Ms. Kiryu, here.

Please review this.

Oh, okay.

Are you still thinking about the MEJ?

Oh, yes.

It's not your fault.

In the first place, Japan isn't ready for the MEJ system itself.

All the staff members managed to find new workplaces, right?

I heard that you found them their jobs.

I somehow managed to find positions for all the young doctors.

Then you've got nothing to worry about.

Your mother was trying to protect someone else,

and got into an accident.

That is not something just anyone can do.

She was an incredible person.

How do you know?

I know by listening to their voices.

But people can't talk once they're dead.

That's true.

But…

I can listen to them.

Come in.

Excuse me.

Masumi?

The other day,

I went to meet Shinichi Serizawa at the detention center.

I asked him if he would tell me what happened back then once more,

but he refused.

I see.

And,

the MEJ was suddenly shut down.

On the surface, it was a notice from the MHLW,

but maybe,

it's a warning from the prosecution

not to dig any deeper into the Shiramine case.

It's one thing if it's just me,

but taking away the workplace of young forensic pathologists

is something I can't ever accept.

I believe we cannot back down now, for the sake of Serizawa,

who maintains his innocence.

I will ask you once more.

What on earth

happened back then?

Professor,

please tell me the truth!

There are people who have been suffering for 15 years.

Besides, we cannot allow any more victims.

What is it that you are trying to protect, Professor?

Listening to the final voices of the deceased…

The person who taught me how to face someone's loved one

was you, Professor.

I…

Will not give up again.

I believe in you, Professor.

Yukie?

Yukie?

Why? Why?!

Yukie!

Yukie!

Why…

Yukie…

Mr. Morishita.

We will now have to perform

a judicial autopsy on Yukie's body.

Autopsy?

It is to investigate Yukie's cause of death

and find traces that might lead to the perpetrator.

Don't!

Yukie has already gone through something so terrible.

Please don't hurt my daughter any more.

I understand how you feel.

However,

a judicial autopsy cannot be stopped by the wishes of the bereaved family.

I am truly sorry.

Moving on to the next story,

this morning, the body of a young woman was discovered on a street in Tokyo.

According to investigative sources,

authorities are proceeding under the belief

that this is connected to the serial murders.

As of now, no definitive eyewitness information has been obtained…

Hello!

No eyewitnesses and not a trace that might lead to the killer.

- You can't enter here! - Please let me through.

No unauthorized personnel may enter.

Please.

- The investigation is... - Isn't that Dr. Masumi?

Why is he here?

Let me explain again.

Doctor.

What are you doing?

Ms. Dojima, I'm glad you're here.

Could you please let me investigate the case as well?

I can't do that.

What?

No one except those involved in the investigation can enter here.

You aren't involved anymore, right?

Could you at least let me see the body?

The body is already on its way to the autopsy.

Please leave.

This serial murder case might be connected to an incident from the past!

There's no way that's true! Don't make up things to try to get in.

Right?

Tell me more.

Are you Yukie Morishita's father?

Yes.

My name is Kyoko Kujo. I'm a pathologist.

I will be performing the autopsy on your daughter.

Doctor…

Do you really have to do the autopsy?

I can't bear for my daughter's body to be hurt any more than it has.

I really do understand how you feel.

After work…

I should have just taken her home.

Because of me, Yukie…

It is not your fault.

The one at fault is the criminal who took your daughter's life.

To get justice for your daughter,

please allow me to investigate this.

Please take care of my daughter.

SHIRAMINE SERIAL FEMICIDE CASE

I knew it.

This is about the Shiramine case, isn't it?

- Yes. - Huh?

What is the Shiramine case?

It was a series of murders

that took place in West Tokyo, in Shiramine, 15 years ago.

The three victims were all females in their twenties,

and the cause of death was always strangulation

by something like a belt.

Shinichi Serizawa,

who worked at the same place as one of the victims, was arrested.

He was found guilty

and his death penalty was finalized because of DNA evidence

and lack of an alibi at the estimated time of death.

Strangling young women…

It's just like the serial killings happening right now.

I was considering that maybe

this is the work of a copycat criminal imitating the Shiramine case.

A copycat?

I…

Don't think so.

I don't suspect a copycat.

I suspect the possibility of a repeat offense.

A repeat offense?

On what grounds?

But you just said the culprit was already caught, didn't you?

The forensic examiner in charge of the Shiramine case

was my mentor, Professor Kujo.

I also participated in the autopsy as an assistant.

However, those forensic findings

differed from the facts.

What do you mean?

During the autopsy,

skin fragments believed to belong to the killer were found on the body,

but there wasn't a sufficient amount to perform a DNA test.

And yet,

the forensic report he submitted to the prosecution