"When did you learn those kinds of skills?"
While steadily driving her beloved car, Hayasaka recalled what Ritsu had just done and couldn't help asking curiously.
Knowing someone would eventually question him about this sort of thing, Ritsu had long prepared an answer and didn't panic in the slightest.
Curling up his long legs in an almost aggrieved-looking posture, he replied, "Hayasaka, if you're this interested in me, why not properly read through my file?"
"Who's interested in you? I was just wondering whether you used to do shady stuff," Hayasaka rolled her eyes and snorted. "Like illegally infiltrating major corporations and stealing commercial secrets with your skills."
That was an almost perfectly accurate deduction. He really had done exactly that before.
More than once.
Ritsu blinked innocently with wide eyes and feigned hurt.
"It makes me sad that you think of me that way. How could an upright person like me possibly—"
"Stop changing the subject and answer the question."
"Oh."
Ritsu immediately dropped the lines that even he found nauseating. Playing this role properly was honestly exhausting.
Looking straight ahead with a serious expression, he smoothly recited the fake background he had fabricated,
"My university major was related to computers. I've liked tinkering with that stuff since I was little, so I naturally learned it over time."
'Naturally learned it, huh?'
Hayasaka quietly grumbled to herself. Wasn't he basically just indirectly calling himself a genius? Even bragging about himself had to go through several twists and turns.
The conversation ended there.
The lavender Volkswagen Beetle continued toward Takano Bar. After about half an hour of driving, they finally arrived at the small tavern located in the suburbs.
The two-story building wasn't very large, and since business hours hadn't started yet, the front door remained tightly shut.
However, judging from the fact that the second-floor window was open, the upper floor was likely used as living quarters.
"Takagi, circle around to the back and wait there. Don't let the suspect escape," Ritsu instructed before adding, "And be careful. If necessary, you're authorized to fire."
"Understood!"
"Hayasaka, you're coming in with me."
"How come you didn't tell me to be careful?"
Ritsu glanced at her in surprise before the corners of his eyes lifted into a smile. "With me around, there's no danger."
Hayasaka froze for a moment, visibly stunned by the smile. For some reason… seeing that expression made a thought suddenly pop into her head.
'So he can actually smile that nicely too.'
That thought was terrifying.
"Oh please. Better safe than sorry, so don't get cocky."
"Heh. Got it."
Slowing their steps as they approached the tavern entrance, they saw the "Not Open" wooden sign still hanging from the handle.
Crouching down in front of the wooden door, Ritsu pulled out a universal lockpick and, right in front of Hayasaka, unlocked the mechanism within seconds.
Hayasaka raised a brow slightly, clearly surprised by the efficiency.
At this point, she was even more convinced that if Ritsu weren't a police officer, he would absolutely be the kind of high-IQ criminal that gave police departments nightmares.
Pressing down on the handle, Ritsu slowly opened the wooden door.
Thankfully, it didn't creak. Otherwise, it would've easily alerted the murderer, Takano, inside.
None of the lights on the first floor were on.
The large space was completely swallowed by darkness, and the sunlight outside couldn't penetrate the tightly shut blinds, leaving the two in a difficult situation. Moving through darkness made it very easy to accidentally create noise.
"What do we do?" Hayasaka whispered quietly.
"Follow me."
Ritsu had already activated the night-vision function built into his specially modified glasses.
During his time in Zurich, he had spent his free time tinkering with inventions, eventually adding numerous new features to the Organization's operational glasses.
Not just night vision, either. The glasses now also supported bulletproof functionality and signal tracking.
The only weakness was the limited signal range, beyond three kilometers, precise positioning became impossible unless the target moved closer.
The two chose not to use their phone flashlights, afraid of alerting the suspect, so they carefully advanced toward the staircase with only the night vision in Ritsu's glasses guiding them.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of dress shoes striking wooden stairs echoed out. Ritsu paused slightly in surprise.
'So Mister Killer was actually coming downstairs himself?'
That worked perfectly for him.
He immediately grabbed Hayasaka's wrist and pulled her into the blind spot beneath the staircase. Combined with the surrounding darkness, it would make escape impossible for Takano.
"I wonder how much those idiot cops have figured out already. Maybe I should call Eguchi and ask. They've probably already caught the underwear thief by now."
Takano was wearing pajamas, clearly having only recently woken up.
Pulling out his phone to make a call, the light from the screen illuminated his messy brown short hair, allowing the two hiding in the darkness to see him clearly.
Hearing the idiot insult the police, Hayasaka couldn't hold herself back anymore. She forcefully yanked her wrist free, stood up, and drew the handgun from her waist.
"Hands where I can see them!"
"?!"
Startled, Takano dropped his phone straight to the floor. After only half a second of hesitation, he immediately turned and bolted upstairs.
The darkness swallowed the area again, leaving Hayasaka unable to fire blindly.
Realizing her recklessness had allowed the suspect to escape, she prepared to chase after him, only for Ritsu to grab her arm.
"Go to the front entrance."
"But—"
"That's an order."
Ritsu sprinted toward the second floor but deliberately refrained from exposing himself immediately.
He knew Takano kept a handgun in his residence. Charging in recklessly would only give the man the advantage.
So instead, Ritsu deliberately stomped harder on the steps just before reaching the visible section of the staircase, making Takano think he was about to appear.
Bang!
As expected, a gunshot rang out.
When Takano realized nobody had actually appeared at the staircase, he immediately understood he had been tricked.
Gripping the handgun tightly with both hands, he focused intensely.
If he was going to prison for murder anyway, he might as well take a few more people down with him.
"Opening fire on police officers is a serious crime. Do you love prison life that much?"
A man's voice?
Takano frowned. So it wasn't the female cop who came upstairs.
"What's it to you?" Takano sneered viciously. "Coward. Don't tell me you're too scared to come up here? You cops really are pathetic."
After speaking, he spat to the side.
"Taunts like that don't work on me. And honestly, you're not very good at insulting people either. Didn't your parents teach you properly when you were a kid? You call me a coward, but aren't you one too?"
Enraged out of embarrassment, Takano fired another shot toward the staircase and roared,
"The hell did you just say?! You're the coward! Don't compare me to you!"
"Oh? Then why don't you come downstairs instead of insisting I come up?"
"And besides…"
Raising his right leg, Ritsu slowly stepped upward. A faint smile flickered in his crimson eyes as he said calmly,
"Who said I don't dare to come up?"
Bang—