So I don't think that the priest was the culprit of the crime, but I do think that he was the one who framed the MC. I think that maybe the culprit went to the church to confess his sins, and the priest took it as an opportunity to get the MC to stay with him. He mentions that they've gone drinking together, so the priest might've managed to plant evidence on Ichiro that led to him getting arrested easily. Idk there's a lot of obvious flaws in my theory, but there's no way the priest is innocent, he's gotta be guilty of SOMETHING.
So I don't think that the priest was the culprit of the crime, but I do think that he was the one who framed the MC. I think that maybe the culprit went to the church to confess his sins, and the priest took it as an opportunity to get the MC to stay with him. He mentions that they've gone drinking together, so the priest might've managed to plant evidence on Ichiro that led to him getting arrested easily.
Idk there's a lot of obvious flaws in my theory, but there's no way the priest is innocent, he's gotta be guilty of SOMETHING.