The episode opens when a girl, with tears in her eyes and a cellphone held in one hand, jumps from the rooftop of an apartment complex. The next day, Izumida and his colleagues talk about the incident -- apparently the fifth one to occur in that particular apartment complex. Satomi then reads an anonymous report that says the suicides are caused by an ultrasound bug.
Ryouko arrives at the office just then. As soon as the elevator opens, Yukiko gives her the usual acid greeting. They exchange barb comments for a while before Yukiko finally informs her that the latest suicide victim was a classmate of theirs. Ryouko is not in the least bit concerned, which draws some ire from Yukiko. But Ryouko only says that people who commit suicide are stupid, then she adds that she (Ryouko) has nothing to worry about.
Soon enough, however, Ryouko and Izumida find themselves investigating the suicide of a scientist, Midorikawa. The suicide seems unlikely considering that Midorikawa is a trusted scientist and occupies a high position in the company. This is bolstered by the fact that Midorikawa was working on the study of ultrasound emitted by insects. Their suspicion immediately turns to a science lecturer, Azuma, who turns out to be Midorikawa's former classmate and a rival of his since their school days. Like Midorikawa, Azuma has a fascination for insects and has also been searching for the elusive ultrasound bug. He believes that Midorikawa has found the ultrasound bug but has fallen victim to it.
After their interview with Azuma, Izumida points out an inconsistency in his story, such as the fact that if Midorikawa discovered the ultrasound bug, then logically he would have been the first victim to it. However, Midorikawa only committed suicide in the second week. For her part, Ryouko observes that Azuma has not asked them to search for the ultrasound bug in the apartment complex, which seems odd considering that he should be very interested in procuring the insect for his experiment.
That evening, another girl tries to commit suicide at the same apartment complex. However, before she could fall to her death, Lucienne and Marianne catch her just in time. In an interview later with Ryouko and Izumida, the girl says that one minute she was laughing with her friend over the cellphone, the next she felt like her friend was laughing at her and that she felt unspeakably depressed. This is when Ryouko makes the connection that the trigger could be the signal from a cellphone.
That morning, Ryouko organizes her subordinates, along with Lucienne and Marianne, to conduct a search around the apartment for the bug. Azuma seems inordinately bothered by the fact that Ryouko has not called more people to help out in the search. Even more so when Ryouko calls off the search after only a few hours with nothing to show for their efforts.
Later that evening, Yukiko is at Azuma's insect laboratory, having been called there earlier by Ryouko. However, it seems she arrived too early as nobody else is there. She then gets a call from Ryouko through her cellphone. The usual snarking between the two divas occur but something is different. Yukiko begins to have visions of a smirking Ryouko mocking her.
In Yukiko's mind, she is a child and Imaginary Ryouko, alternating between mocking her and telling her how she (Ryouko) has everything, gives her a gun. Yukiko puts the gun to her head but before she could squeeze the trigger, Izumida arrives and takes the gun away from her. He then shouts for the others to search the laboratory for the ultrasound bug. They eventually find the insect in one of the glass containers and the most amazing thing is that the sound that the bug emits resembles the vibrating sound of a cellphone.
Meanwhile, Azuma is at the Tokyo Bridge seemingly preparing for a trip as he has luggage with him. Ryouko calmly approaches him and tells him that the ultrasound bug has been found. She then says that it was Azuma all along who kept the ultrasound bug and used it to drive Midorikawa to commit suicide. Azuma says that Midorikawa has always gotten the credit for his (Azuma's) work, working for an influential research company, while Azuma remains an ordinary lecturer.
Typically Ryouko is not in the least bit sympathetic to his plight. Instead, she reveals that she has been recording the entire conversation, further incriminating Azuma with the crime. But Azuma merely laughs at her and then proceeds to put on a headphone before turning on his cellphone. Then, from his luggage, he pulls out a cage filled with ultrasound bugs.
Ryouko says that it's useless since she can't hear Azuma's cellphone. What she doesn't know is that Azuma plans to use the metal wires of the bridge to create resonance. While the drivers of passing cars are affected by the frequency, Ryouko reveals no adverse reaction. Again she declares that she has nothing to worry about.
Just as she says this, however, Izumida arrives, shouting "Superintendent!" The sound of his voice seems to be her undoing as tears fall from her eyes. She then turns to the bridge and proceeds to jump off. But before she could reach the water's surface, Izumida calls her by her full name and somehow, this wakes her up from her trance in time for her to recover and dive harmlessly into the water.
A large truck veers off from the lane and appears to be headed straight towards where Azuma is standing. Izumida frantically calls for him to get out of the way but Azuma is still wearing the headphone and could not hear the truck until too late.
Later, Lucienne and Marianne support Ryouko as she walks out of the water. Izumida inquires after her but Ryouko is none too pleased to realize that he actually called her by her name. So instead, she gives him an ominous warning: "Look forward to your bonus."
Although worried about the "bonus," Izumida also wonders what Ryouko's tears meant. But just as suddenly as the thought occurs to him, he dismisses the thought as he reminds himself that this is the "dreadful" Yakushiji Ryouko he is talking about.
A few days later, Yukiko offers some flowers at the sight of the suicides. At the office, she again encounters Ryouko at the elevator. At the sight of Ryouko yawning, Yukiko echoes herself about Ryouko pulling out another all-nighter. Ryouko makes the expected retort by saying that unlike Yukiko, she is a busy person. Unexpectedly, Yukiko lets the comment pass. Meanwhile, a girl walks by the same river, talking on the cellphone with a friend. Not far away is a small swarm of ultrasound bugs, living among garbage.
COMMENTS:
The preview shown in the previous episode has Ryouko's sister, Okinu, in it. So when she does not appear in this one, I was gobsmacked.
But then, this episode shows a very nice look at Ryouko and Yukiko's relationship so I don't really mind all that much. It's not that Yukiko is inferior to Ryouko but that Yukiko spends all her time thinking about besting Ryouko while Ryouko does not even think of her as a threat. That's damaging to anybody's self-esteem, even if the rival does not spend her time rubbing it all in. With Ryouko, she rubs it in every chance she gets so the result is actually worse. You have to admire Yukiko for not committing suicide earlier. ^.^
Also very clear is Ryouko's infatuation with Izumida. So she really has a thing for Izumida (I suspected as much), only he seems completely oblivious to it or he merely discounts the fact since she is obviously completely out of his league. And considering that it is enough to drive Ryouko to commit suicide, it must be some serious infatuation, even if the feeling was intensified somewhat by the ultrasound bug.
Speaking of which, the bug itself is not that interesting. Maybe because I have a natural dislike for creepy, crawling things.
Next episode: Ryouko doesn't know how many more sisters she has.
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