"Hey. I wanna ask you a question about your experience as a coroner."
"What is it?"
"Be honest - have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"Of course I haven't."
The two men, puzzled, headed out of the room and down a hallway dimly lit by the green glow of an emergency light. One fanned his chest, sweaty beneath the surgical gown he wore; the other had his arms folded, still deep in thought.
"Dying in the same way in different rooms. I'd guess they died at roughly the same time, too. Might've been a prearranged suicide... Maybe a failed suicide pact."
"Hey. They'll get pissed at us for being inappropriate again."
"I know. I just don't get it."
"I wish I could say I don't know what you mean, but... Yeah, me neither. So much about this whole thing makes no sense."
They made it back to the desk, tossing the pieces of paper bearing notes they'd made for the death certificates onto it.
"...Marie Shinomiya."
"Tomoe Nanamura, huh."
The pages were smothered with the information they had gathered.
~~~
Commonalities between Marie Shinomiya and Tomoe Nanamura
● Condition at time of discovery
Tomoe Nanamura died in the sickroom, covering her face with both hands. Marie Shinomiya was later found dead in her room, also covering her face with both hands.
Tomoe Nanamura had suffered no physical trauma. Marie Shinomiya showed signs of minor injuries. Due to damage to the surrounding walls and furniture, it's possible she was in a state of severe confusion.
● Cause of death
Unknown on both counts. Judging by their contorted faces, may have been due to severe mental shock.
Special notes cited from psychiatric records
● About Moonlight Syndrome
Both have a history of hospitalisation for severe memory impairment. Disease name is recorded as "Moonlight Syndrome".
Moonlight Syndrome is a memory disorder only found within the islands in the vicinity of Rogetsu Isle. No similar cases observed on the mainland. Marie Shinomiya and Tomoe Nanamura were both from Rogetsu Isle.
Aside from typical memory dysfunction, symptoms include not recognising oneself, wandering at night, etc. Similar to symptoms of sleepwalking?
Both women's symptoms had improved to the point that the illness was declared to pose no obstacles to their daily lives. Relapse?
Patients of Moonlight Syndrome tend to become fixated on a particular thing. According to testimony from interviews, Shinomiya had become overly engrossed in club activities (dance club) prior to the summer holidays. Nanamura cherished a white mask of unknown origin. (Note: confirmed to be the same split white mask found in the sickroom.)
Findings indicate a causal link between the phases of the moon and Moonlight Syndrome. Reports claim that symptoms stabilise on the night of the full moon.
Symptoms may drastically worsen due to patients recalling memories. Some cases of patients being so afraid of remembering things that they shut themselves in dark places to avoid the moon.
Condition of patients noted as requiring close observation. Applies to the current case?
Records remain of both Shinomiya and Nanamura asking doctor if they were going to "blossom". What does that mean? Unique expression referring to worsening of condition?
Folie à deux. Found account of similar cases. Investigate further.
● About sympathetic mental illness
Refers to a delusion shared by multiple people. The first person's delusion infects the others. Similar in concept to mass hysteria; cut-off, isolated environments known to encourage conformity.
This sort of psychological contagion, the sharing of an anomalous mental state, is also known as folie à deux.