"Has he confessed?" Hayashi Shuichi asked.
Superintendent Matsumoto nodded. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, only lighting one after a quick, silent look of permission from Shuichi. He took a deep, long drag.
"His name is Matsuo Takuto. He's an auto mechanic."
"He and the deceased, Takeda Yamato, were friends. A while back, Takeda borrowed a sum of money from him and never paid it back."
"Yesterday afternoon, Matsuo went to collect the debt. One thing led to another, and an argument broke out. In a fit of impulse, Matsuo threw a punch straight at Takeda's head."
Matsumoto exhaled a ring of smoke and gave a bitter smile.
"Who would have thought that even though Takeda Yamato was a boxer, he couldn't take a hit at all? He went down after a single punch."
"Afterward, Matsuo worried the body would be found, so he dragged it into the bushes."
"When we tracked him down, he was in the middle of packing his things, getting ready to flee Tokyo."
Matsumoto stood up, his face filled with a sense of relief as he sighed. "This case is all thanks to your insistence on transferring it to the Metropolitan Police Department, Hayashi-kun."
"If we had let the Bunkyo Precinct handle it their way, the news media would be mocking the police for our incompetence by now."
"I'm just glad the real culprit was caught," Shuichi replied with a gentle smile. "Once the police arrest the wrong person, the consequences often reach far beyond just the individual involved."
As he watched the Superintendent leave, Shuichi's mind drifted. He had already met four of the future "Police Academy Five." He wondered where the remaining one, Wataru Date, was these days.
A little after ten o'clock, after closing the izakaya, Shuichi walked Eri Kisaki home.
The two walked side-by-side down the dimly lit street, their shadows stretching long under the orange glow of the streetlamps. Eri noticed that Shuichi kept glancing toward the shopping district, a flicker of concern visible in his eyes.
Feeling a bit annoyed, she gave her childhood friend a light shove. "If you're that worried, just go over and check on her. Stop being so half-hearted while you're walking with me."
"Let me see you home first," Shuichi said with a dry, sheepish laugh, his thoughts having been laid bare.
"No need. It's only a small detour," Eri hummed softly. "Besides, I'm coming with you!"
The two turned off their path and headed into the shopping district. Even in the dead of night, the Orikasa family flower shop was still open for business.
As Shuichi pushed the door open, Pudding the dog immediately bounded over to greet them. The little dog looked left and right, its round eyes full of anticipation as if it were searching for someone—or something.
Pudding was currently in heat, and she and Shuichi's dog, Wang Cai, were in the middle of a rather passionate "romance."
"Wang Cai didn't come along today," Shuichi chuckled, patting Pudding's head. The little female dog squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
He scanned the shop, but saw only Mrs. Orikasa busy tidying up bouquets. Midori was nowhere to be seen.
"Auntie, where's Midori?"
"Isn't she at the izakaya?" Mrs. Orikasa stopped her work and turned around in surprise. "I thought she was with you."
"This..."
Just as Shuichi was about to explain that Midori had called out tonight, a tired voice drifted in from behind them.
"I left a bit early today. Senpai probably thought I had come home long ago."
Shuichi turned to see Orikasa Midori standing in the doorway. The girl's face was pale, her school uniform was rumpled and creased, and she looked utterly exhausted.
"Senpai..." Midori looked at Shuichi with a pleading gaze, her lips trembling slightly. It was obvious she didn't want him to blow her cover and make her mother worry.
"...Right."
Shuichi frowned slightly but ultimately followed the girl's lead with a nod. "Midori left a little early today. I was a bit worried, so I decided to stop by and check on her."
He stepped toward the girl. "Midori, if you ever run into any trouble, you can tell me directly. If I can help, I will."
Midori understood the weight behind his words, but she simply lowered her head, her toe tracing small patterns on the floor.
"I'm fine. I just felt a little under the weather." Her voice grew softer. "I sat in the park for a while, and I feel much better now."
Shuichi saw the flicker in her eyes and knew she was hiding something, but he didn't press her further. After a bit of idle chatter, he bid farewell to Mrs. Orikasa and left the shop with Eri.
Midori stood at the shop entrance, watching their departing figures with an expression filled with hesitation.
"So, what exactly happened?"
Mrs. Orikasa closed the shop door and turned to look her daughter straight in the eye. "Hayashi-kun coming here like that—there's definitely something wrong. Don't think I didn't notice."
Midori bit her lower lip, her gaze drifting. She wasn't sure if she should tell her mother. Pudding rubbed against her legs, looking up at her owner curiously.
"Does this have something to do with that 'Thorny Rose' team of yours?"
Mrs. Orikasa put her hands on her hips, her brows furrowed. "Whatever it is, out with it! Your mother used to be a delinquent too, you know. There isn't a scene I haven't witnessed!"
She straightened her back as she spoke, momentarily regaining the aura of her younger days.
"...It's not about me," Midori finally admitted, shaking her head. "It's Meigetsu. Today, she took the members of the Thorny Rose to pick a fight with another group. I hurried over this afternoon and barely managed to talk both sides down."
The girl looked up, her face clouded with anxiety. "But I have a feeling this isn't over. I'm worried more trouble is coming."
"If it's not about you, why didn't you tell Hayashi-kun?" Mrs. Orikasa teased, poking her daughter's forehead. "And here I thought you were just worried about damaging your image in front of him."
"Mom! I wasn't thinking that at all!"
Midori stomped her foot in embarrassment. She scooped up Pudding, burying her face in the dog's soft fur. "Senpai is a good student. I don't want him involved in this kind of mess; it might drag him down."
Her voice was muffled against the fur. "Besides, if I told him, he'd probably just call the police. I don't want them getting involved."
"You can't blame the police for what happened to your father back then," Mrs. Orikasa sighed, reaching out to stroke her daughter's hair, only for Midori to pull away. "They were only—"
"I don't care!"
Midori snapped her head up, tears shimmering in her eyes. "All I know is that Dad was killed by a police car!"
With that, the girl turned and walked toward the back of the shop, her face a mask of cold resolve as she carried Pudding away. Mrs. Orikasa watched her daughter's stubborn back and could only let out a helpless sigh.
Midori hadn't wanted to trouble Hayashi Shuichi.
However, when Shuichi walked back to the izakaya after school the following day, he found the girl standing at the entrance, looking utterly frantic.
As soon as she saw him, she ran toward him at a sprint.
"What happened?" Shuichi asked, setting down his bag. He noticed that the collar of her school uniform was soaked with sweat.
"Senpai... Meigetsu is missing!"
Midori's voice was shaking violently, and her eyes were rimmed with red. "She didn't show up for school today, and she didn't call in sick. I skipped class this afternoon to check her house, but she wasn't there. Meigetsu's mom told me she left for school this morning just like any other day..."
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