Chapter 1005

June, Tokyo, rainy season.

Outside the window, a downpour fell, the sky as if someone had wrung a huge piece of gray cloth, dripping day after day. Raindrops struck the glass windows of the Sakuradamon Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building, forming winding water trails that distorted the cityscape outside into blurred patches of color.

The air was filled with a damp, slightly earthy coolness; the air conditioner ran in dehumidification mode, operating silently.

In the Special Mission Division office, everyone was on standby.

After the Park Yoo-chun case, Japan had seen no major cases, and Uesugi Muneyuki happened to be busy with affairs at Tokyo University; he had just been promoted to Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine at the Tokyo University Medical School.

From now on, everyone would call him Uesugi the Beast.

No one questioned it, for forensic medicine had no successors; besides Uesugi Muneyuki, who else would be willing to take it on?

This position was one of the very few at Tokyo University that no one would take if you didn't do it.

The television hung on a bracket in the corner of the wall, airing the old historical drama《The Succession Struggle After the Shogunate of Hidetada》, the volume adjusted to just audible clarity.

On screen, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Shogunate, was conducting a falconry hunt near the Sunpu Summer Villa.

Ieyasu's sons were vying for their father's affection.

The second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, nicknamed "Battle Down Hand," had truly poor martial skills; he could not match his eldest son Nobuyasu, nor his second son Yuki Hideyasu, nor his fourth son Matsudaira Tadayoshi, and even fell short of later Tokugawa Yoshinao, Tokugawa Yorinobu, and Tokugawa Yorifusa, appearing clumsy and causing everyone to worry for him.

Indeed, when everyone finally displayed their spoils, Tokugawa Hidetada appeared rather embarrassed.

And at that very moment, the young Tokugawa Iemitsu, who would later become the third shogun and was then still called Takechiyo, spoke up.

"If Grand Ōgosho lacks the skill to have slain so many fierce beasts, he could not have won at Sister River against the Asai and Asakura, triumphed at Nagashino against the Takeda, defeated the Taikō at Komaki and Nagakute, and routed the Western Army at Sekigahara; Grand Ōgosho, you are my Edo's foremost archer!"

"First archer? First archer?!" Tokugawa Ieyasu laughed heartily upon hearing this, tears streaming from his eyes: "I, Ieyasu, in my youth watched Yoshimoto-kō as the Tōkaidō's foremost archer; back then, this old man merely aspired to become lord of one province and one castle in this chaotic age, but today someone tells me this old man is not only an archer, but Edo's foremost archer, hahahaha!!!"

"Come here, come here, Takechiyo!" Tokugawa Ieyasu embraced Tokugawa Iemitsu, thrusting a sugar-dipped "water bun (Japanese buns are a kind of sweet)" into Iemitsu's mouth.

Everyone watched the television and laughed.

"Classics are classics; I've watched this drama countless times, yet no matter how many times I watch it, I can't help but laugh." Uesugi Muneyuki habitually smiled toward the section chief's position, but he quickly realized Minami was not there.

Minami did not come today.

Her belly was already nearly seven months big; lately she had even canceled her daily check-ins, and Okada Masayoshi, acting as section chief, approved her formal prenatal leave; the daily affairs of the Special Mission Division were now fully handled by Feng Tian Masayoshi.

He was now seated in the section chief's seat, holding a cup of hot tea, his gaze fixed on the television screen, also laughing: "No wonder the third-generation shogun Iemitsu-kō in his later years called himself 'The Perfect Lord'."

The office was not crowded; Nanxiang Yui sat at the corner computer reviewing updates to the information system, Maeda Toshihide lay on the desk drawing random scribbles with a ballpoint pen in his notebook, muttering constantly: "Clear night, no tilt, play until service ends!"

Asō Kōta sat at his workstation continuing to gnaw at that thick-as-a-brick volume of police law and police conduct regulations.

Date Nagamune leaned by the window, gripping a mobile phone whose screen was lit but not being looked at, as if waiting for some message.

As for Ikeda Erena, the tall judo beauty master was still tangled in the empty-slot solitaire, while Yamada Nanase was adept at hiding herself; the Prosecutor's Liaison System had gone to liaise with Investigation Division 2, and Ozawa Sumiko's public security police remained as stern as ever.

Then the door was pushed open.

A gust of wind carrying outdoor rain air and damp coolness swept in; a man wearing a Batman mask stood at the doorway, clad in a thin dark gray coat, his shoulders dampened by rain.

"】I"mback！！！

It was Kai Toru, who had slimmed down a bit compared to a few months ago, his jawline more pronounced than before.

After a three-month rest, Kai Toru had returned.

The office fell silent for a moment.

Then Maeda Toshihide shot up from his desk: "Shinji senior! You're finally back! The Special Mission Division without you is like Nobunaga-kō without his Sakuma Nobumori, Hideyoshi-kō without his Mōri Terumoto, Ieyasu-kō without his Ishikawa Kazumasa!"

"

Kai Toru: "?"

Nanxiang Yui poked her head out from behind the computer screen toward him: "Just having you back is good; we've had nothing to do lately!"

Asō Kōta closed that textbook, rarely showing a relaxed smile; Kai Toru, too, was from a prominent political clan, so the two were fairly familiar.

Okada Masayoshi sat in the section chief's seat, setting down the barley tea personally brewed by Nanao for him, his gaze sweeping up and down, confirming Kai Toru looked in good spirits, then he gave a slight nod: "Just having you back is good.

I've saved your seat for you."

These few people weren't entirely clear on why Kai Toru had taken a three-month medical leave, but they all sensed to some degree that perhaps it wasn't so simple.

But who cares?

We're already a community bound by fate! Buy enough once!!!

Kai Toru walked over, and as he passed Date Nagamune's side, his gaze lingered for an instant on the hand gripping the phone: "You little punk, you're reeking of the sour smell of love!"

Date Nagamune sensed that glance, turned his head slightly sideways, a wry smile on his face: "Steamed bun? You not holding the vessel?

"

Kai Toru laughed and said: "Waiting for your girlfriend's message, huh?"

"————Because Akane-chan has a performance today at Nagoya Dome." Date Nagamune's voice carried a subtle complexity: a pride in "my girlfriend performing at the dome," yet an unavoidable worry, for in reality female idols are still banned from dating, "she's been exhausted lately, even video calls have slimmed her down. As for the Red Slope side———— the team atmosphere isn't great, she's stuck in the middle, finding it hard to cope.

E

Just then the television switched channels, to news about Red Slope 46.

"Red Slope 46? Isn't that the super-popular national idol group with Immobile C Hirate? " Nanxiang Yui poked her head out from behind the computer: "Lately I keep seeing them on the news; I heard that center Hirate Sarina missed another performance?"

Date Nagamune nodded, flipped his phone over and placed it face-down on the windowsill, as if temporarily not wanting to see those unread messages: "Hey, she often asks for leave, teeth. Not schedule conflicts, just health reasons, mental stress, whatever; the agency issued a stack of statements, but fans aren't buying it. And besides—

6

He paused, as if weighing his words: "She recently said in an interview, 'Our Red Slope music shouldn't be like this.' After the media blew it up, the team atmosphere grew even more strained. Members are under great pressure; some say she disrespects the team, others say she's just expressing her true thoughts; deputy captain Akane-chan and captain Tomokazu are caught in the middle, neither side wanting to offend, both ends suffering.

66

"Is it really that serious? 'Black Sheep' wasn't a bestseller and still made it to Kohaku?" Kai Toru sat at his own workstation, took off the rain-soaked coat and draped it over the chair back, casually asking: "And her movie didn't win awards, did it?

"

"It did. Several newcomer awards, industry reception excellent." Nanxiang Yui continued: "The cast for '響HIBIKI' they gave her is strong—one North川景子, one Oguri Shun, all big names giving her scenes. A newbie lead getting such a setup definitely has some serious backing behind it."

Uesugi Muneyuki had been sitting silently in his usual window-side seat.

Upon hearing Hirate's name, Uesugi Muneyuki executed a tactical lean-back, sinking into his chair, posture relaxed, but his eyes remained fixed on the television screen rolling the news footage, Hirate Sarina at the movie premiere.

She wore a black dress, her expression unlike typical idols, lacking the habitual sweet smile for work, instead resembling someone thinking "I'm here against my will."

To put it plainly, she doesn't like idols.

Or rather, she doesn't like being seen as an idol.

Uesugi Muneyuki sighed, finally speaking: "She never wanted to be an idol in the first place. She thinks the idol status is lowly, and has always wanted to develop toward acting. That movie—do you really think she got the role based on her own acting skills?

6

He lightly shook his head, his tone slightly mocking: "She has a big backer. Otherwise, how could a newcomer-led movie get actors like Kiko Mizuhara and Shota Matsuda to co-star with her? Those resources aren't something a newly debuted idol could obtain on her own. She doesn't want to be an idol, but she's unwilling to give up the attention and buzz that comes with it, so she both despises her own group and clings to that position.

"Over time, she began to suffer from schizophrenia and mental decline—her idol performances were either overly strained or came across as fake. Idol is a profession that sells dreams, but Hirate began pursuing artistry—talking about 'literature carrying the Katana'—and naturally, she started to crumble."

Maeda Toshihide raised his head, his eyes blinking: "So this isn't just like how you, Mr. Uesugi, and Shirakawa Mai are pushing Sakura?"

Sakura, the fan-pushed ACE of the 48 System, was brought by Uesugi Shiro into the TV drama *Hand of God*, which averaged 38% viewership in the Monday 9 PM slot, playing the second female lead—now many idols in the industry speak to Sakura using honorifics.

As mentioned earlier, the hierarchy is: actor > comedian > singer > idol > gravure model.

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki first blinked in surprise, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Indeed.

You can't only think it's because she worked hard when you're pushing her, and assume it's just connections when others push her.

"Your words reminded me. Seeing Sakura's resources, Hirate Sarina must feel unbalanced inside. Both are centers of the group—why does she get such a good role? "He paused, unable to stop shaking his head: "This is probably also one of the reasons for her inner imbalance—Hirate and Sakura are both placard girls for *Hand of God*, seeing each other daily, so naturally she feels unbalanced."

At that moment, Date Nagamune picked up his phone from the windowsill and glanced at it.

No new messages.

The Nagoya performance should still be in preparation.

Outside the window, the rain continued to fall, wrapping the entire Tokyo metropolis in a hazy, misty rain curtain.

Just then, the news on TV switched to a headline: "Red Slope 46 Nagoya Dome Concert: Hirate Sarina Again Absent from Rehearsal, Members Emergency-Adjust Positions."

"Huh????"

At roughly the same time earlier, backstage at Nagoya Dome.

The lighting in the Red Slope makeup room was bright to the point of being glaring, a ring of light bulbs shining onto the makeup mirror.

Before a row of makeup tables labeled with name tags sat over a dozen young girls in performance outfits, their hairstyles and makeup meticulously done, but the air lacked any excitement or anticipation expected before a concert—instead, it was filled with a tense, restless atmosphere.

——————————

Moriya Akane sat at her own makeup table, head lowered, looking at her phone screen.

She wore a red-and-white performance outfit, her hair braided into an exquisite princess braid, makeup complete, lips coated with cherry-colored lip gloss, but her face bore no smile.

Next to her, Yui Imaizumi spoke to her agent in a tone laced with obvious agitation: "She's not here again?! Today is Nagoya Dome! Not some small theater! Why does she keep disappearing at crucial moments? Poor health? Schedule conflict? Didn't she have any schedule conflicts while filming her movie?

"

The agent, a young woman in her early thirties, had already broken out in a sweat on her forehead, gripping her phone and continuously dialing: "I've called seven times already. No answer, messages read but not replied. Her assistant said she went to the restroom before the show and then—never came back. They've searched every room backstage—hallways, storage closets, fire escapes—found nothing.

Captain Sugai Yuuka stood before the mirror, her voice very low and soft: "Is she unwilling to stand center? Or—

Is she trying to tell us this way that she doesn't want to dance these routines anymore? She—why won't she just tell us?

66

The air in the makeup room felt as if it had undergone a vacuum implosion.

Boom!

Moriya Akane pressed her lips together, still looking down at her phone screen.

Most likely, Hirate Sarina won't appear tonight.

This isn't the first time—whether it's health reasons, schedule conflicts, or mental issues, anyway, she just won't come.

Everyone knows who's behind Hirate Sarina.

It's the father-and-son duo of General Affairs Yuasa!

Even Captain Sugai Yuuka, a graduate of Gakushuin University, lacks the authority to punish Hirate Sarina.

The Nagoya Dome concert is set to begin in two hours, but with center absent, choreography needs temporary adjustment, positioning must be fully rearranged, and microphone allocation must be replanned—everything must be completed within these two hours.

The expressions of the members temporarily shoved into the center position mix "I'm ready" and "I'm completely unprepared" in a Schrödinger-like state.

Yui Imaizumi was originally the most capable of replacing Hirate Sarina.

But if she really had to keep stepping up, Yui Imaizumi couldn't do it.

The agent finally put down her phone. Her voice hoarse and exhausted: "————Can't find her; her location signal is off.

Notify the performance director general: tonight's setlist and positioning must be fully readjusted. Also—

"

She paused: "Prepare a statement. 'Hirate Sarina, due to sudden physical discomfort, diagnosed by on-site physician, regretfully unable to participate in this performance.' Send it out."

She turned and ran toward the door.

The makeup room fell silent.

Outside, Nagoya's night sky began to deepen into evening blue, the dome's lights blazing overhead like a lit Revenant Spirit ship, preparing to descend upon the imperial palace of Divine Terra for the final showdown.

Moriya Akane lifted her head, gazed at the ceiling, her lips twitching before closing again.

She thought of Date Nagamune.

What right do I have to criticize Hirate Sarina?

Idol is just a stepping stone—if you don't make a name for yourself after a long time, idols want to move on; once you do make a name, idols want even more to find a way out!

Hirate! Hirate! Hirate!

She's just one step ahead of us all—she just longs more than anyone to "come ashore"!

First sword upon landing—cut the idol identity!

Who would wear a lowly idol hat for a lifetime?

Hmm, except Kawabe Mayu!

Moriya Akane took a light breath, adjusted her collar, stood up, turned to face the members similarly straining to keep their expressions tight, and spoke with a firmness so steady even she found it surprising: "Don't wait any longer.

She's not coming. We'll follow the backup plan. Without a center, we'll hold up this stage ourselves.

Akasaka! Uphill slope!

Everyone began preparing for the performance, yet even so, everyone still had a puzzling point.

Hirate, where on earth did you go?