The Lying Counselor’s Eloquent Reasoning - Chapter 42
“Because of this, all of our current video works are produced in compliance with guidelines for visual expression to avoid inducing photosensitivity attacks. For example, in animation, the screen may suddenly darken during intense scenes such as battle scenes, but this is also done with the guidelines in mind.”
“I see, so today’s animation is safe?”
“That’s right. And since this work was made before the guidelines were established, it is not recommended for people with epilepsy.”
“That’s why Mr. Hirose refused to watch it with Ms. Kiyokawa??huh?”
That’s when Tomomi realized something. Something strange was going on.
“But according to yesterday’s story, Mr. Hirose, didn’t he watch this when he was a child? With his grandfather?”
“Surely he hadn’t yet developed epilepsy at that time. So he was able to enjoy it as a normal person.”
“Ah, but Jimmy watched it in university, too. With his Japanese friends.”
This time Sayuri spoke up.
“Does that mean that Jimmy didn’t have epilepsy at that time after all?”
“I guess so. Even people with epilepsy can safely watch a movie if the screen is darkened enough, but it’s doubtful that he watched the movie with his friends in that way. He probably didn’t develop epilepsy until later. And from this, we can predict the type of epilepsy he has.”
“Type?”
“Yes, there are many types of epilepsy, depending on the age at which they tend to develop, the symptoms, and how well they respond to medication. In his case, it was probably juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. One reason for this is the older age of onset. Another is that Ms. Kiyokawa, who was living with him, was not aware of his disease. In other words, he had juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, a type of epilepsy whose symptoms can be completely controlled by medication.”
Uroma then fished something small out of the pocket of his white coat and placed it on the low table. Looking at it, she saw that it was the case of tablets that had been found on James’ desk yesterday.
“The contents of this one were not my favorite. It’s a shame, really.”
Uroma took out a piece of its contents and laid it on the low table. It looked like a white, round grain. On the surface, however, there was a small “VPA200” written on it.
“This is not candy, it’s valproate, a kind of antiepileptic drug.”
“So Jimmy’s been taking these?”
“Yes. He was probably suppressing the symptoms of epilepsy with this medicine. From a certain hospital.”
Uroma’s tone was decisive. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that James had epilepsy.
But, of course, Tomomi thought it in another way.
“Doctor, if you have such conclusive evidence, why didn’t you produce it in the first place?”
Yeah, yeah. You didn’t have to talk about anime all the time.
“Well, certainly, this is a conclusive evidence, but this drug is also prescribed for migraine and bipolar disorder, so this alone is not sufficient to guarantee that he had epilepsy.”
“But you know that he had some sort of disease, don’t you? If so, let’s keep the explanation concise??”
“Concise? Don’t be silly, Tomomi. Telling me to keep my story short is like ordering a tuna not to swim. That means you’ve just told me to suffocate to death, right?”
“W-What’s that?”
“To begin with, these things are only significant if you uncover the details, from piece to piece. Even the smallest of discoveries can shed light on vital clues for a solution. Hey, isn’t that right, Ms. Kiyokawa?”
“Huh?”
Sayuri, who was abruptly asked to join the conversation, was naturally a bit perturbed.
“W-Well, I guess so…” She replied in an appropriate and safe manner and passed it off.
“Did you hear that, Tomomi? The person who consulted me, Ms. Kiyokawa, assured me that my way was fine. I’ve been given permission to talk as much as I want. You’re just a mere chore girl, what else are you planning to complain about?”
“Yes, yes. Okay, then.”
He was boasting about his victory in an unaccountable fashion, making her feel annoyed. Tomomi answered appropriately.
“… Hmm, alright. Now that we have the unnecessary interruptions out of the way, let’s get back to Mr. Hirose’s story.”
“Is there anything further to add?”
“Yes, there is. It’s very important. Why did Mr. Hirose have a myoclonic seizure on that day, even though he was taking these medications?”
“Ah, indeed.”
He had been concealing his disease from Sayuri for a long time, and he never had a seizure before.