Junior high school student Eisuke Sasaki has been found dead in a chilling fashion, with a smiley-faced paper bag over his head. This unsettling visage bears a striking resemblance to a recurring clue in a string of unsolved murders from 18 years ago – as well as the urban legend Emio, aka the Smiling Man, a serial killer said to grant his victims “a smile that will last forever”. Does the Smiling Man really exist…or is a new culprit continuing on his legacy? As a member of the Utsugi Detective Agency, you’ve been tasked with investigating the events that led to Eisuke Sasaki’s death. Along the way, scrutinise the clues and testimonies you gather for potential connections to the gruesome events of the past.

It’ll take a keen sleuth to solve this captivating mystery. Interview the victim’s classmates and others connected to the case to gather leads, and travel between crime scenes and locations of interest to comb them for potential clues. If you hit a snag in your investigation and can’t seem to find a way forward, consult your notebook to review your findings thus far. Use every detective trick at your disposal – no matter how farfetched they might seem – to uncover a potential lead.

A cheeful and patient assistant deteictive from the Utsugi Detective Agency who possesses a keen intuition. He is assigned to investigate the circumstances of Eisuke Sasaki's death at the request of the police. "But...the legend almost has to be connected to the current case, doesn't it?"

A hard-working assistant detective working alongside the portagonist. Despite her kind-hearted nature Ayumi is often praised for her interrgation skills. "OK, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

The director of the Utsugi Detective Agency. Shunsuke has collaborated with the police on numerous cases, including the series of murders that happened 18 years ago... "I'd say we have a lot of work to do. Let;s split up and get to it."

An urban legend with an eerie similarity to the serial killings from 18 years ago. It's said that Emio would appear before crying girls and offer them "a smile that will last forever". His murder victims would later be found with a smiley-faced paper bag over their heads.