Luke's Sweet Chapter 03-09
Overview
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Guide
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Script
Something ignored - Go to Luke's Residence 2F to progress the story.
Luke stays quiet and remains deep in thought the entire way back, which is rare for him.
Once you get home, he stands aside in silence, looking down at the floor.
You: Did you find anything else suspicious, Luke? Or...
He rubs his finger on his chin, then sits on a chair after a few seconds, tapping on the tabletop.
Luke: I keep feeling like... we missed something very important...
Luke: [Player], can you help me go through the evidence so far?
You: No problem!
You: So, where should we start?
Luke looks at the center of the whiteboard. The words "Tony Lester" are written there, which Luke has circled in marker pen and emphasized with multiple symbols.
Luke: Suppose that we are Tony Lester.
Luke: We don't want anyone to find us. Where would we go?
You: I might find a place that's good to hide in. Like a forest deep in the middle of nowhere?
Luke: The police have already searched the wilderness around Stellis and the surrounding cities. They didn't find any traces of Tony's whereabouts.
Luke: Therefore, we'll have to exclude this possibility.
You: Then I'm all out of ideas...
You: I might just go overseas and get far away. Like a place where no one would easily find me in?
Luke: The police already checked that. There are no signs that Tony went overseas or even to another state.
Luke: After all, he has never left Stellis. He doesn't know anyone outside the city, and he also needs to consider his finances. I would discard that possibility.
You: Then where would he go...?
You: Let me ask the question then. If you were Tony Lester, where would you choose to hide?
For some reason, Luke carefully observes your expression before speaking.
Luke: Um, please don't get upset or worry about whether this would happen to me. I'm only giving a hypothetical answer.
Realizing that this is a serious moment of deduction, you nod and push down your desire to refute such a hypothetical.
You: Okay. I'll do my best. Let me hear your hypothetical.
Luke: Hmm, if I were Tony...
Luke: I probably wouldn't hide in places that... people could easily find through investigating or asking people I know.
Luke: Also, since Tony is already worried about being discovered by Victoria Pharmaceuticals and the forces behind the company...
Luke: I think "I" would hide somewhere... no one would expect. Or, somewhere most likely to be overlooked by everyone.
You sort through your thoughts according to Luke's logic.
You: Hmm... a place where people overlook would be the safest...
Luke looks outside the window and lapses deep in thought as if completely putting himself in Tony's shoes.
Luke: I feel like Tony has other reasons for making this choice.
You: Other reasons?
Luke: Yes. Do you remember something that his sponsor said?
Luke: He said Tony still cares a lot about his parents.
You: You mean...
Luke: We shouldn't ignore his age and identity if we're going to guess his choices. In the end, Tony is just a young student who hasn't seen much of the world.
Luke: Think about it — being at his age with limited life experience, and knowing he doesn't have much time left...
Luke: Combined with how he cares a lot about his parents... I don't think he would pick a place completely unfamiliar to him to spend his last days...
Luke pauses as if these words made him think of something.
Luke: After all, he's still young. He hasn't stepped into society and won't make such a lonely and desolate choice...
You: Maybe Tony still has a sliver of hope that someone might come and save him.
Luke: Yes. So, I feel like he is more likely to subconsciously lean toward hiding somewhere related to his parents.
You: Hmm... This does fit a teenager's mindset.
This time, Luke doesn't add to your words and keeps deducting.
He suddenly pauses, tilting his body and his head. He then raises his hand and starts to draw patterns in the air.
Luke: A place...
Luke: Related to his parents...
Luke: He knows he doesn't have a lot of time left...
Luke: He doesn't want people to find him easily... but deep down, he might still be hoping he'd survive...
You stay quiet and try not to disturb his thoughts. This is something he often does when focusing on his deductions.
Just as you think you need to give him more time, you hear Luke clap his hands.
The crisp sound is like a tightly shut door having finally been pushed open a crack. Luke starts to excitedly pace before you.
You: What did you come up with?
Luke: ...How did I ignore this before!?
Luke: I get it! I finally get why I thought I was missing something important all this time!
You: Tell me! Tell me! What is it?
Luke: Think about it. Didn't Luis Terry mention that he knew Tony's dad and that Tony's dad was living alone?
You: Yes, I remember.
Luke: He also mentioned that he saw Tony's dad writing those codes, and he saw it at the place where Tony's dad was staying before he married Tony's mother.
You: True. But... what's wrong with that?
You immediately realize something as soon as you say it, and you blurt out.
You: Wait... you mean...
You: Are you suspecting that... Tony might be hiding... in the apartment his dad was living in before his parents' marriage?
Luke: Yes! That's very possible!
Luke: Now that I think about it, there are lots of questions about the place Tony's dad used to live in. His dad was a young man living alone, so...
Luke: Did he rent the place? Then did Tony rent it again? Did he buy it? Where would it be? Was it sold after Tony's dad left the place?
Luke gets more excited the more he thinks about it. He paces around the room and keeps making gestures with his hands.
Luke: Besides, there is very little information on where his dad was staying. Both us and the police didn't find out anything about it!
Luke: It's bizarre, but not as unexpected, given it was North Stellis from more than a decade ago.
Luke: North Stellis has been rather lawless for a long time, which means all the records, such as property ownership information, are pretty unreliable.
As Luke makes leaps and bounds in his deductions, you pass his phone to him in tacit understanding.
You: I see. So what are we waiting for? Let's ask Terry about it right now!
Luke immediately dials Terry's number and sets the call to speaker mode. Terry soon picks up.
Luke: Mr. Terry, we want to ask about the place Tony's father used to live in, the one in North Stellis. Do you still know the address?
Luke: Also, did he rent it or buy it? Are you aware of its current situation?
Terry is silent for a while.
Luis Terry: I think I understand what you're trying to say... let me think.
Luis Terry: If I recall correctly, it was in North Stellis close to the seafood market that was still operating back then.
Luis Terry: It was a tiny apartment that Tony's dad bought with his work savings. It's barely 20 square meters. It's also in a remote location, so it was very cheap.
Luis Terry: I remember him complaining about it to me once after he got married. He said it was really difficult to sell the place, so he just left it with the real estate agents.
Luis Terry: After all, not many people want to buy an apartment there. I don't even know whether it has already been demolished...
Luke: I see. Thank you for your information. Could you please send us the address of the apartment so that we can go investigate it right now?
Luis Terry: Ah. Hold on... I'd like to come with you.
Luis Terry: I only remember its rough location. If I go there with you, I can probably remember more. Also... I'm really worried about Tony and I want to do my part to help.
Luke: Not a problem. Let's meet up in North Stellis.
When Luke hangs up, you release the breath that you didn't realize you were holding.
You: We finally have a new clue. Let's go!
Luke and you head out as soon as you can and immediately move toward North Stellis.
