Mystery Research Club

Mystery Research Club (, Misuterī Kenkyū-kai) is a school story in Lost Judgment. This school story encompasses all other school stories and is focused on an uptick in delinquent behavior in Seiryo High School, with investigation into it headed by the eponymous club.
==Tasks==
*Investigate the Professor
**Requirements: Complete all other School Stories, time of day: noon
*Review the Cases with Amasawa
**Note: All other activities will be put on hold starting from this point
*Find Kento-kun
*Track Down Kento-kun
*Defeat the Abductors
*Speak with Itokura
*Head to the Yamakawa Towels Building
*Defeat the Neo Keihin Gang
*Meet with Nishizono and Takanashi
*Scale the Neo Keihin Gang Building
*Defeat Koga
==Plot==
With nine social circles investigated, Yagami and Amasawa review their information.
*Dance Club: Maika Takanashi used the Professor's website for her sugar baby work, and they found the site on the dark web, confirming good programming skills. Takanashi was raising money for Itokura, who stopped coming to school after the school festival committee broke apart. Komekado had made a request to assault Norizuki, but the Professor declined in spot of the large payout.
*Biker Gang: Yuma Suou was a member of the disciplinary committee, but became the leader of Made in Heaven after having his desires exploited by the Professor. The manipluation was done via a letter sent to the on-campus suggestion box, meaning the Professor has ties to the school. Ghost was manipulated by Koga into getting in league with the Neo Keihin Gang.
*Robotics Club: Tetsuro Kurumazaki had crafted a robot which ended up being used to commit thefts around Isezaki Ijincho by the Neo Keihin Gang. A laptop was retrieved and, thanks to Tsukumo, they were able to find a memo which revealed the Professor's intention to lure eight specific students into delinquancy.
*Boxing Gym: Kenya Oshikiri had become the Payback Boxer after learning that the Genbukai matches he participated in were fixed, and received the evidence in a letter from the Professor. As revealing the match fixing to the public would cause an uproar that would potentially end the Genbukai, the Professor having a monetary motive is ruled out.
*Skaters: Shinnosuke Shikishima had drawn graffiti with the Professor as a motif, and directly received a request from the Professor asking him to do so.
*Photography Club: Kanto Hikawa had blackmailed Saiga into giving him money so he can have up for his post-secondary tuition. He used Saiga's affair as leverage, which he had learned of from the Professor. The Professor was the one who made first contact rather than Hikawa, meaning he was a target.
*eSports Club: Genya Sanbonmatsu cheated in a competition uses a modified controller containing a cheat program that was given to him by the Professor. The modificaiton was too advanced for an ordinary high school student to develop, indicating a high degree of technical prowess.
*Casino: Although a student gambling in a casino was suspicious, Kohaku Hayakawa had used her brother's identification, and was not involved with the Professor.
*Girls' Bar: The bar at Girl's Bite was frequented by Kizuna Ashihara, who visited Emily S. Mochizuki with Neo Keihin Gang members after lying about his age. Ashihara was not personally involved with the Professor, ruling him out as a target, but they were able to learn that Koga had called the Professor a "brat," indicating the Professor is in their teens or early twenties.
While the Professor's motive for leading the eight students astray is unknown, they are able to see that the students targeted were: Takanashi, Suou, Kurumazaki, Oshikiri, Shikishima, Hikawa, and Sanbonmatsu; one target is still missing. While theorizing who the last student may be, Amasawa receives a call from Kento, who is in danger near the Jinnai Station Poppo.
When they arrive, they notice a bag outside the store, which Amasawa confirms is Kento's due to the wallet inside. From the clerk, Yagami is able to learn that Kento was present with a woman in her late thirties wearing suggestive clothing, and both were taken into a black car by some thugs. Ranpo is called to track Kento, and they arrive at a building by the riverfront, hearing Kento's voice from one of the floors. Yagami rushed in to see Kento and the woman, then proceeds to defeat the yakuza present.
Yagami and the Amasawas return to the MRC, and Kento confesses the woman was his sugar mama, who was also seeing a yakuza. Kento admits he met her through the Professor's website two months ago, and received a direct message from the Professor encouraging him to do so. Amasawa notices that since Kento was contacted, he may be the eigth target, and places his picture on the whiteboard. Mulling over the evidence and the Professor's potential motive, Yagami notes that if the students continued their behavior, "They'd get caught and punished." A theory is the Professor wanted to remove the students from Seiryo. After some observation, Kento notices a common link between all eight targets- they are former members of the cultural festival committee. He shows them a picture of all members, and Amasawa and Yagami see that all nine members had been targets except for one: Kotoko Itokura.
With the theory that revenge was the motive, Yagami and Amasawa contemplate Itokura's motive for doing so, and what they know so far. The Professor has excellent technical knowledge which would appeal to Koga, and has been referred to as a "brat" by him. Itokura is the only one not targeted, has a motive for vengeance on the other eight, and has high technical skills. Amasawa also brings up the fact that Itokura had found the picture Yagami used while he was investigating the Todoroki Boxing Gym. When she researched the photo further, she found the source was taken down years prior due to a legal claim, presumably pressure from the Omi Alliance. She would only have been able to find the picture by accessing the publisher's servers, explaining how she could access answer keys for tests, and Amasawa suspects Itokura held on to that picture so Oshikiri could face criminal charges.
Itokura is called to the MRC. She sees the whiteboard with the pictures of the targeted students, and runs away, locking the door in the process. Yagami is able to break the door down and the MRC members are able to catch up with Itokura after a student points to where she went. She admits to being the Professor. She states the website was initially made out of boredom, but the people started posting on it. As she continues to give out advice, they started calling her the Professor. She wanted to remove her former committee members from school in hopes it would make it easier to return. Koga arrives, having been called by Itokura prior. Koga states he sees how talented Itokura is and intends to make use of her skills to create a black market in the underutilized dark web. Koga leaves with Itokura and Amasawa is in disbelief, but Yagami intends to convince Itokura to leave.
At the MRC, Kento is updated and they discuss their next move. Yagami states he instinctively memorized the license plate number of the Neo Keihin car, but only the police can make use of that information. He stated Itokura would be in trouble if the police are involved, so they will only use the police as a last resort. Amasawa suggests searching the town, which, while it would take too long for the three of them, is something that Yagami states is doable with help. He considers asking all his Seiryo students.
The students gather in front of the campus and are told Itokura needs to be rescued. Suou notes that she is the only one from the festival committee who is not present, and asks if Yagami's investigation into the Professor is related, but he does not give out many details. Yagami gives them the license plate number and asks them to gether more people to help. Okitegawa informs the Robotics Club, Suou rounds up Made in Heaven, Nishizono gathers the Seiryo Rabbits, Oshikiri brings the Todoroki Boxing Gym, and Kento goes to inform the Karate Club and some of his girlfriends. Amasawa states she will try to contact Itokura's parents and will only tell them if she can be sure they will not call the police, and Yagami decides to investigate the abandoned Neo Keihin hideout.
Yagami finds the hideout empty, but is assaulted by Neo Keihin Gangsters outside. Upon their defeat, reinforcements arrive, including Renji Honda, but the Todoroki Boxing Gym members keep them occupied so Yagami can leave. Nishizono calls Yagami, telling him the Rabbits found the license plate in Hyakkei Alley, and sends him a picture of Koga that she took in the vicinity. He instucts her to remin safe and inform the others the vehicle has been found.
Outside the office, Nishizono states Koga has left and Takanashi points out the third floor is likely where Itokura is, as it is the onle floor with lights on. Amasawa calls Yagami, informing him that Itokura's father, a network engineer who taught her programming, died in a trafic accident while she was in middle school, and her mother is currently hospitalized and could not talk to her about the situation. She hangs up after hearing something. She sends him a picture of Kenta Kasai and Kaito Sakakiba, who are now guarding the room of Itokura's mother.
Climbing up to the third floor, Yagami has a chat with Itokura. He tells her he saw her genuinely enjoying her time with the clubs, and that she now has the courage to break free of her isolated lifestyle, but she counters, saying it is too late. Noticing her trembling, Yagami asks if she was forced into working for the Neo Keihin Gang, showing her The Photo from the Hospital with Kasai and Sakakiba as proof. She confirms her mother is being used as leverage, but she is willing to take risks in this arrangement to be able to stand alone. As he leaves, he tells Itokura to call him of she ever needs his help. Before Yagami reaches the door, Itokura asks for his help, saying she is forced to stay for fear of her mother's life. 
He makes a phone call to a friend for an arrangement, and asks Itokura for some background. She states revenge on the former committee members was her idea, with Takanashi being the first to ask. She hired the Neo Keihin Gang to keep Takanashi safe, and they took her offer at a low rate, but things escalated from there, as she was being asked to contribute to illegal enterprises. When she expressed disapproval with their criminal approach, they took her mother hostage. Itokura accept going with Yagami, and he assures her that her mother's situation is taken care of.
When they leave, Koga arrives and asks for an explanation of Itokura's actions. Stating that she promised to focus on the organizations after the targeted eight were taken care of, he asks why she is rebelling, to which she responds they had taken work under her name without her permission and took advantage of Kurumazaki, which she did not approve of. Yagami informs Koga he does not have leveage over Itokura anymore, and a member tells him the guard were defeated- by Dan Murasaki and his subordinates.
Infuriated by this new development, Koda produces a gun and demands Yagami hand Itokura over, but the Robotics Club uses the reassembled thief-bot to confiscate his weapon and their other robots to shock the Neo Keihin members. Yagami tells Itokura to cover her eyes as Hanasaki unleashes his firework to blind the enemies, and the two use the opportunity to escape. They run to Hamakita Park and Koga intends to call the rest of his crew over, but Made in Heaven is keeping them occupied. Koga tells Itokura that normal life will see her constrained, and the Neo Keihin Gang will help nurture her potential, but after being been told she has the courage to face other people by Yagami, she declines. Koga then fights Yagami to have control over Itokura, but he is subdued.
Oshikiri, Sakuma, and Amasawa arrive to see Koga defeated. Yagami considers throwing him into the sea to prevent him from informing the police of Itokura, but she states she wiped the records of her involvement, meaning the Professor has been reduced to an urban legend. He tried to run away, but Made in Heaven blocks his path. He elects to jump into the sea and swim away overseas, swearing that he will get his revenge.
Back on campus, Itokura apologizes for her actions as the Professor and intends to make amends by resigning from Seiryo High. Suou stops her and tells her he is grateful, as her actions allowed him to race again. He states he is also responsible for what happened, and intends to drop out as well with her, and Takanashi echoes his statement. She also states that they do not blame her for their actions. Kurumazaki, Kento, and Oshikiri offer their apologies as well, and Amasawa tells her it is okay for her to stay at school with all the friends she now has. Feeling touched, she agrees to stay in school.
With the case cracked and the MRC back together, Kento reminds Amasawa that she has mock exams coming up, which she is behind on as the other students were studying while she was chasing mysteries.
Category:Lost Judgment School Stories