OSHI NO KO — ALTERNATIVE TIMELINE

# OSHI NO KO — ALTERNATIVE TIMELINE ## "The Call" ### INT. HOSPITAL — CORRIDOR — DAY Gorou Amamiya leans against the wall outside Ai Hoshino's room, reading a chart he's already read twice. His coffee has gone cold. His twenty-minute break is approaching forty. A man in plain clothes approaches. Mid-thirties. Tired eyes. A police identification card clipped to his belt. OFFICER: Dr. Amamiya? GOROU: Yes? OFFICER: Detective Sato. Koganei Police Station. Do you have a few minutes? GOROU: Is something wrong? SATO: Not that I know of. I wanted to speak with you about a matter involving Ms. Hoshino, but I'd prefer to do it somewhere private. Gorou studies him for a moment, then gestures toward an empty consultation room. ### INT. HOSPITAL — CONSULTATION ROOM — CONTINUOUS Sato closes the door but leaves it unlocked. He takes out a notebook. SATO: Before we begin, I'm not asking you to disclose confidential medical information unnecessarily. If there's information relevant to a criminal investigation, we'll deal with that through the appropriate channels. GOROU: Then what do you need from me? SATO: There have been reports involving people who approach performers and attempt to obtain information about their private lives. Some of those incidents have involved unwanted visits to homes and workplaces. A few have involved threats. GOROU: I'm aware that happens. SATO: Have you personally noticed anyone repeatedly coming here to see Ms. Hoshino? Anyone asking questions about her location, her treatment, or her schedule? Gorou hesitates. GOROU: I've noticed people taking an unusual interest in her. I haven't documented anything that I can confidently call stalking. SATO: That's fine. I'm not asking you to diagnose someone's intentions. I'm asking whether you've observed anything specific. GOROU: Nothing I can give you a name for. Not yet. Sato writes that down. SATO: All right. Then here's what I'd like you and the hospital to do. He places a card on the table. SATO: If somebody appears to be watching the entrances, repeatedly asking where she is, trying to get past reception, or following staff, don't confront them to find out what they want. Notify hospital security. If there's an immediate threat, call the police emergency number. Otherwise, report what happened through this station. GOROU: And if they leave before anyone arrives? SATO: Record what you actually saw, while it's fresh. Their appearance, the time, what they said, where they went. Preserve any relevant security footage through the hospital. Don't follow them to get a better look. GOROU: You make it sound straightforward. SATO: The reporting part is straightforward. Predicting what someone will do next isn't. Gorou looks at the card. GOROU: What if I think someone's dangerous, but I can't prove it? SATO: You can report suspicious conduct without claiming you've proved a crime. We'll assess the information. We might have enough to investigate, or we might not. If we don't, that doesn't mean you should put yourself in danger trying to get more. A pause. GOROU: What about Ai herself? SATO: If she's willing, I'd like to give her the same contact information and explain her options directly. She doesn't need to make a formal complaint just to ask for advice. If she reports conduct that may fall under the stalking laws, we'll assess that separately. GOROU: She's had enough people making decisions about her life. SATO: Then we explain her options and let her participate in the decisions wherever the law permits. We don't need to turn her into a helpless person to take her safety seriously. Gorou looks up at that. GOROU: All right. SATO: One more thing. If somebody threatens you because of your connection to her, tell us. Don't assume that because you're her doctor, it's something you should handle privately. GOROU: Understood. Sato stands. SATO: I'll leave my station's contact details with you. If something happens, give us the facts. Don't try to build a case yourself. He leaves the card on the table. Gorou picks it up. Through the glass panel in the door, he can see a nurse passing in the corridor. He looks toward Ai's room. Then he puts the card in his pocket. FADE OUT. ### INT. HOSPITAL — SIDE ENTRANCE — NIGHT The twins are asleep inside. The hospital is quieter now. Gorou stands near the side entrance, checking a message on his phone before returning to the ward. A thin man in his late twenties stands several metres away. His jacket is too warm for the season. He has been watching the entrance. RYOSUKE: Doctor? Gorou looks up. GOROU: Can I help you? RYOSUKE: You're Dr. Amamiya, aren't you? The one treating Ai Hoshino? Gorou's expression changes. GOROU: Who are you? RYOSUKE: Just a fan. I've followed her for years. I heard she was here, and I wanted to— GOROU: Who told you she was here? Ryosuke pauses. RYOSUKE: People talk. GOROU: Her treatment isn't public information. RYOSUKE: I'm not doing anything wrong. I just wanted to know she was okay. GOROU: If you want information about a patient, I can't give it to you. RYOSUKE: I didn't ask you to. He takes a step backward. GOROU: Then I suggest you leave the hospital grounds. Ryosuke looks at him. For an instant, his expression seems almost offended. RYOSUKE: You're very serious, Doctor. GOROU: I'm asking you to leave. Ryosuke turns and walks away. Gorou watches him go. Ryosuke looks over his shoulder once, then quickens his pace. Gorou takes one step after him. Stops. The consultation room. Sato's card. The warning not to follow anyone to get a better look. Gorou takes out his phone. He calls the station's non-emergency number. When the dispatcher answers, he gives his location and explains what happened. DISPATCHER (V.O.): Is the man still there? GOROU: He's leaving. I haven't followed him. DISPATCHER (V.O.): Did he threaten you or attempt to enter the hospital? GOROU: No. He identified Ms. Hoshino by name and knew I was treating her. When I asked how he knew, he gave a vague answer and left. DISPATCHER (V.O.): All right. Can you describe him? GOROU: Late twenties, thin build, dark hair, dark jacket. He was standing near the side entrance. I'll provide a more detailed description if an officer attends. DISPATCHER (V.O.): We'll record the report and pass it to the local officers. If he returns, attempts to enter, threatens anyone, or you believe there's an immediate danger, call emergency services. Don't approach him. GOROU: Understood. Gorou ends the call. He contacts hospital security and asks them to check the entrance and preserve any available footage. Then he locks the side door and returns to the lit lobby. The receptionist looks up. RECEPTIONIST: Everything all right, Doctor? GOROU: I'm not sure yet. Security knows. The police have the report. He sits down. He watches the door without approaching it. For once, he lets uncertainty remain uncertainty. FADE OUT. ### EXT. HOSPITAL — FOREST TRAIL — NIGHT Ryosuke stands near the edge of the trail, hands in his pockets. He checks his phone. 11:47 PM. He had expected the doctor to follow him. He had imagined a conversation in which he could explain himself, make the doctor understand, perhaps convince him that there was nothing to fear. Instead, the doctor had stayed behind. Ryosuke looks toward the hospital. RYOSUKE: (under his breath) What did you tell them? He starts down the trail toward the road. Headlights illuminate the trees. A patrol car pulls over near the trail entrance. Two officers get out. One speaks into a radio while the other scans the area with a flashlight. PATROL OFFICER: Excuse me. Could we speak with you for a moment? Ryosuke stops. RYOSUKE: Why? PATROL OFFICER: We've received a report about a man seen near the hospital's side entrance. We're checking the surrounding area. Are you willing to tell us your name and what you're doing here? Ryosuke looks at the road behind the officers. RYOSUKE: Am I under arrest? PATROL OFFICER: At this point, I'm asking you a question. If there's a legal basis to detain or arrest you, I'll explain that. You don't have to treat a voluntary request as an order. Ryosuke's jaw tightens. RYOSUKE: I haven't done anything. PATROL OFFICER: Then tell us what happened, if you're willing. The officer keeps a respectful distance. Ryosuke glances at the forest. He suddenly runs. PATROL OFFICER: Stop! Police! The officers pursue him briefly, shouting for him to stop. The flashlight beam bounces across the trees. Ryosuke scrambles up the slope. His foot catches a root, and he falls hard onto one knee. PATROL OFFICER: Don't move! Are you injured? Ryosuke tries to get up. His leg gives way. RYOSUKE: Don't come closer! PATROL OFFICER: Stay where you are. Keep your hands visible. The second officer radios their location and requests assistance. They approach cautiously. Ryosuke is breathing hard, his palms muddy, his face pale. PATROL OFFICER: Are you carrying anything that could hurt us? RYOSUKE: No. PATROL OFFICER: All right. Don't reach into your pockets. We need to establish who you are and what happened here. The officer checks whether Ryosuke is injured and asks for identification. Ryosuke hands over his identification. The officers confirm his identity and explain that they want to ask him about the incident at the hospital. They do not tell him that running away automatically makes him guilty of a crime. He is taken back toward the road, where the officers can speak with him safely and establish the next steps. The hospital lights remain visible through the trees. Gorou is not there. FADE OUT. ### INT. KOGANEI POLICE STATION — INTERVIEW ROOM — LATE NIGHT A plain room. A table, three chairs, a recording device, and a glass of water. Ryosuke sits across from Detective Sato. Another officer sits nearby, taking notes. Ryosuke has been informed that he is not under arrest. He has agreed to answer some questions voluntarily. SATO: Let's establish what we know, and then you can tell me if anything is incorrect. He opens his notebook. SATO: A hospital employee reported that you approached him near a side entrance. You identified him as Dr. Amamiya and identified Ai Hoshino as a patient he was treating. He asked how you knew she was there. You gave an unclear answer and left. RYOSUKE: That's what happened. SATO: Later, officers found you near the forest trail. When they asked to speak with you, you ran. You fell and injured your knee. Is that accurate? RYOSUKE: I didn't mean to hurt myself. SATO: I didn't ask whether you meant to. Are the facts accurate? RYOSUKE: Yes. SATO: All right. Do you know Dr. Amamiya personally? RYOSUKE: No. SATO: Have you met Ai Hoshino personally? Ryosuke hesitates. RYOSUKE: No. SATO: How did you learn she was at that hospital? RYOSUKE: I heard something. SATO: From whom? Ryosuke looks down. RYOSUKE: I don't want to answer that. Sato puts his pen down. SATO: You can decline to answer a question. I'm not going to threaten you into answering it. But I need you to understand why I'm asking. Ryosuke says nothing. SATO: A person's medical treatment is private. A member of the public knowing someone's name isn't necessarily suspicious by itself. Knowing where that person is receiving treatment, identifying their doctor, and appearing at a restricted entrance raises different questions. I need to determine whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger pattern. RYOSUKE: I wasn't trying to hurt her. SATO: I haven't said that you were. RYOSUKE: I just wanted to see her. SATO: Why? Ryosuke rubs his hands together. RYOSUKE: I've followed her career for years. I wanted to know she was okay. SATO: Did she invite you to visit her? RYOSUKE: No. SATO: Did anyone authorized by her or the hospital invite you? RYOSUKE: No. SATO: Then you had no permission to visit her there. Ryosuke looks up. RYOSUKE: I wasn't inside the hospital. SATO: I understand that. I'm not claiming you committed a crime merely by standing outside. I'm asking about the circumstances and what you intended to do. A long silence. RYOSUKE: I thought the doctor would come after me. SATO: Why? RYOSUKE: Because he wanted to know who I was. SATO: And you wanted him to follow you? Ryosuke doesn't answer. SATO: Did you intend to lead him somewhere? Ryosuke's fingers tighten around one another. RYOSUKE: I don't want to answer that. Sato makes a note. SATO: All right. We'll stop that line of questioning for now. He closes the notebook. SATO: I want to be clear about something. We have a report of an unusual encounter, and we have your account of it. We haven't established a criminal offense from those facts alone. Your decision to run doesn't prove that you committed one, either. RYOSUKE: So I'm free to go? SATO: If this remains a voluntary interview, yes. You're free to decline further questions and leave. If that changes because new facts provide a lawful basis for a different procedure, we'll explain your situation and your rights. Ryosuke looks almost disappointed. RYOSUKE: You're not going to stop me? SATO: Stop you from doing what? RYOSUKE: Going to see her. SATO: You have just told me that you weren't invited. The hospital has the right to control access to its premises, and you should not attempt to enter restricted areas or approach her against her wishes. If your conduct develops into stalking or another offense, the police can investigate and take whatever lawful measures are justified. RYOSUKE: I just wanted to know she was alive. Sato studies him. SATO: You can care about someone's wellbeing without being entitled to access to them. Ryosuke looks away. SATO: I'm going to give you the opportunity to leave. Before you do, I need to confirm your contact details for the incident report. You can decline to answer questions that you're not legally required to answer. If you choose not to provide something, we'll record that accurately. Ryosuke supplies the information he is willing to provide. The officers explain that they are recording the encounter and its outcome. They do not promise that no future investigation will occur, and they do not tell him that another incident will automatically result in a criminal charge. After the necessary procedures are completed, Ryosuke leaves the station. Sato watches him go through the glass. He does not look relieved. FADE OUT. ### INT. KOGANEI POLICE STATION — BREAK ROOM — LATER THAT NIGHT The fluorescent lights hum. A young officer sits across from Sato. A notebook lies open between them. YOUNG OFFICER: Sato-san, can I ask you something? SATO: Go ahead. YOUNG OFFICER: Why didn't you push harder on the question about where he got the information? SATO: I asked him. YOUNG OFFICER: He refused to answer. SATO: Correct. YOUNG OFFICER: And you let it go. SATO: For the moment. She leans forward. YOUNG OFFICER: He knew which doctor was treating Ai Hoshino. He showed up at the hospital at night. He ran when we approached him. Doesn't that tell us something? SATO: It tells us we have reasons to investigate further. It doesn't tell us everything we need to know. YOUNG OFFICER: What if he has someone inside the hospital giving him information? SATO: Then we need evidence of that connection. We can speak to hospital management, review footage with the appropriate authorization, establish who had access to the information, and examine any other evidence we lawfully obtain. YOUNG OFFICER: And if he won't cooperate? SATO: We investigate what we can without his cooperation. She looks down at the notebook. YOUNG OFFICER: It feels wrong. He knows so much about her, and we barely know anything about him. SATO: That's a problem we need to address through evidence, not by pretending we have powers we don't have. A pause. YOUNG OFFICER: Do you think he's dangerous? SATO: I think his behavior warrants attention. I don't know whether he intends to hurt anyone. I won't write that he does when I can't establish it. YOUNG OFFICER: But you don't think this is over. SATO: No. He turns a page in his notebook. SATO: We have the hospital's report. We have the officers' account of finding him. We have his statements, including the ones he declined to make. We need to make sure those records are accurate and determine whether there's evidence of repeated unwanted contact. YOUNG OFFICER: What about Ai Hoshino herself? SATO: We should arrange for an officer trained in victim support to explain her options, provided we can do so without unnecessarily exposing her private medical information. We should also speak with the hospital about access control and preserving relevant footage. YOUNG OFFICER: Even if she doesn't want to file a complaint? SATO: We can explain what assistance is available. Whether her cooperation is required for a particular procedure depends on the legal basis for that procedure. We don't make promises before we know the facts. The younger officer nods slowly. YOUNG OFFICER: And Dr. Amamiya? SATO: He did the right thing by reporting what happened and not following the man into the forest. We'll ask him to preserve his account and remain available if we need clarification. She sits back. YOUNG OFFICER: So we document it, look for corroborating evidence, and reassess if something else happens. SATO: Exactly. He closes the notebook. YOUNG OFFICER: Sato-san? SATO: Yes? YOUNG OFFICER: I still think he'll come back. Sato doesn't answer immediately. SATO: That's a possibility. We plan for it. We don't turn a possibility into a fact just because we're afraid of being wrong. The young officer stands and collects her things. YOUNG OFFICER: Good night, Sato-san. SATO: Good night. She leaves. Sato remains at the table. He looks at the incident report, then reaches for his phone. ### INTERCUT — INT. HOSPITAL — LOBBY — SAME NIGHT Gorou sits near the reception desk. His coffee is untouched. His phone rings. GOROU: Amamiya. SATO (V.O.): Detective Sato. I'm calling about the report you made tonight. GOROU: Did you find him? SATO (V.O.): Officers located a man in the surrounding area who matched the general description. We've spoken with him. I can't give you details about everything that was discussed, but we've documented the encounter. GOROU: Is he going to be charged? SATO (V.O.): We haven't established grounds for a charge from the information currently available. The matter hasn't necessarily ended, either. We're reviewing the report and the information the hospital can provide. Gorou rubs his forehead. GOROU: So we don't know what happens next. SATO (V.O.): That's right. I know that's not a satisfying answer. GOROU: No. It isn't. SATO (V.O.): But you did something useful tonight. You gave us information we can assess, and you didn't put yourself in a situation where you could have been injured. Please make sure hospital security knows what happened. If the man returns, don't approach him. Report it again. GOROU: I will. SATO (V.O.): And Dr. Amamiya? GOROU: Yes? SATO (V.O.): You don't have to solve the entire case tonight. Gorou looks toward the corridor leading to Ai's room. GOROU: I know. He hangs up. For a moment, he remains seated. He still doesn't know who gave Ryosuke the information. He doesn't know whether the man will return. He doesn't know whether Ai will be safe tomorrow. But the report exists. The hospital knows. The police have a record. There are steps they can take if more evidence emerges. Gorou picks up his coffee, discovers that it has gone cold, and puts it down again. Then he gets up and returns to Ai's room. FADE OUT. ### INT. HOSPITAL — AI'S ROOM — EARLY MORNING Pale morning light filters through the curtains. Ai is awake. Gorou sits beside her bed, reviewing her chart. AI: Sensei? GOROU: You're awake. AI: You look terrible. GOROU: Thank you. I'm glad your medical assessment skills are improving. She smiles faintly, then notices the card on the bedside table. AI: What's that? Gorou sets down the chart. GOROU: The police contact information. Someone came to the side entrance last night. He knew your name and knew I was treating you. Ai's smile disappears. AI: A fan? GOROU: That's what he said. I don't know whether that's the whole story. AI: What did you do? GOROU: I asked him to leave. Then I reported the encounter and notified hospital security. The police looked into it. AI: You didn't follow him? GOROU: I thought about it. Ai looks at him. GOROU: But no. I stayed here. She lowers her eyes toward the card. AI: What if he comes back? GOROU: Then we report what happens. Security can control access to the building, and the police can assess any new information. We should also talk about what precautions you want to take. AI: And if none of that works? Gorou pauses. He doesn't offer a guarantee. GOROU: Then we reassess and work out what else we can do. I can't promise that nothing bad will happen, Ai. But we don't have to wait until something terrible happens before we ask for help. Ai is quiet for a long time. AI: I hate that someone can know things about me without my permission. GOROU: I know. AI: And I hate that I can't just make it stop. GOROU: You don't have to solve it by yourself. She looks at him. AI: Neither do you. Gorou blinks. GOROU: What? AI: You always do that. You act like if something happens to me, you have to be the one who fixes it. He doesn't answer. AI: You're my doctor, Sensei. You're not supposed to be my entire security system. Gorou lets out a quiet, surprised laugh. GOROU: That's a rather unflattering description of my job. AI: Am I wrong? He looks at the police contact card. GOROU: No. I suppose you're not. Ai reaches for the card. AI: Can I keep this? GOROU: Of course. We can also ask the hospital to explain the security arrangements and have the police explain what options are available to you. She places the card beside her phone. AI: Okay. Gorou picks up her chart again. The threat hasn't vanished. The investigation hasn't been solved. There are still questions neither of them can answer. But now, for the first time, those questions aren't theirs alone to carry. FADE OUT.