Chapter 24: , It's Very Comfortable!

Has the investigation ended just like that?

Following behind Uesugi Muneyuki, Ikeda Erena felt a sense of unreality, and although Uesugi Muneyuki had offered an explanation, she still felt somewhat bewildered.

She had no evidence on her side to convict that host named Takigawa Tsubasa, but Uesugi Muneyuki had no evidence either; why was he so confident he could solve the problem after getting a response to his probe using the underworld slang "young mastiff"? Wasn't this also just a single piece of uncorroborated evidence?

Moreover, his line of reasoning was unfettered and lacked any logic; Ikeda Erena also did not understand how Uesugi Muneyuki had made the connection from the club to the Yakuza.

Yet, he truly gave off an extremely strong sense of reassurance. This man exuded intense confidence in every gesture, and his attitude—that he must investigate to the end and provide closure for the late Ms. Kurosawa—was exactly to the tall beauty's liking. Ikeda Erena intended to do the same; she had originally planned to achieve her goal at any cost.

She absolutely refused to let off a piece of human trash who toyed with a woman's feelings and money, squeezed out all her value, and then directed her murder! Otherwise, what was the point of her becoming a detective?

"Let's head back to the police station now." Uesugi Muneyuki pressed his nose bridge with his middle finger, frowning: "Although we have a conclusion, we still need to go back and report to Section Chief Sudo and the others, and have Section Chief Sudo contact the Metropolitan Police Department."

"Why?" The tall beauty opened the car door. She sat in the driver's seat quite naturally, her long legs swaying. Even encased in suit trousers, her toned, slender legs could not hide their astonishing length and straight shape. Furthermore, Ikeda Erena's physique was not the traditional short-legged, pigeon-toed build of a Japanese girl, which gave her a unique, mature, and soft sense of swaying curves in every movement.

Yet, her very young face carried a fortitude and stubbornness not found in typical Japanese girls, and her expression was sharp. This unique temperament made Uesugi Muneyuki unable to resist taking another look at her.

It was truly a pity that such beautiful long legs weren't wearing silk stockings.

Though, it was currently impossible to confirm whether she was wearing silk stockings inside those trousers...

No wonder they say men and women working together don't feel tired. With such a tall, beautiful policewoman working alongside him, Uesugi Muneyuki only felt that official business was much easier and his mood was pleasant.

"Ms. Ikeda, you are only a bottom-level Patrol Officer; you have absolutely no qualifications to investigate a case alone." Uesugi Muneyuki sat in the passenger seat and pulled the seatbelt: "Unfortunately, I am also just a Forensic Pathologist; I also have no qualifications to investigate an incident alone. Ms. Ikeda, we can exploit loopholes in the system, but we cannot confront the system head-on."

What Uesugi Muneyuki said was entirely correct; Ikeda Erena nodded unwillingly, indicating her agreement.

She gradually felt that being with Uesugi Muneyuki was indeed very comfortable. In the past, as soon as other men finished their first sentence, Ikeda would subconsciously retort, but when talking to Uesugi Muneyuki, she found she could patiently listen to the end and think before speaking.

"Then will Section Chief Sudo believe us?" Erena stepped on the brake and pulled the handbrake.

"That depends on how we tell him." Uesugi Muneyuki gestured that it should be left to him.

Driving back to the Otsuka Station in Bunkyo Ward, the last trace of sunset was stubbornly hanging in the gaps between the high-rise buildings, unwilling to leave for a long time. It was already close to six o'clock in the evening, and Otsuka Station was preparing to get off work; many administrative staff and non-criminal traffic duty officers were slowly leaving the police station in twos and threes.

"I wonder if Sudo and Tanaka have finished work yet." Uesugi Muneyuki said casually in the passenger seat: "If they have, we'll just have to wait until tomorrow."

"The incident hasn't even been resolved, how could they have the nerve to leave?" Ikeda Erena had been busy all day, but her energy was actually quite good. Hearing Uesugi Muneyuki say this, the tall beauty waved her small fist as if sulking: "We must block them."

"Clocking out on time and doing the rest tomorrow—that is what a Public Servant is. Ms. Ikeda, didn't I tell you not to bring work into your life?" Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but shake his head with a smile: "Work is work, life is life. If you can't distinguish between the two, you will be very tired, and the people around you will be very tired too. If they really encounter a situation that requires overtime, they will definitely stay."

"Are you the same?" Ikeda Erena snorted coldly: "Since we are accomplices, you are not allowed to desert."

"Of course."

The two got out of the car. Uesugi Muneyuki went out first, and Ikeda Erena parked the car, shouldered her small bag, and followed quickly with the *clack-clack-clack* of her leather shoes. She naturally walked beside Uesugi Muneyuki, the two less than a meter apart, walking side-by-side with natural expressions and relaxed conversation, easily drawing a wave of discussion and surprise from the crowd leaving work.

Uesugi Muneyuki, although he had only started participating in autopsy work three months ago, was already known to almost everyone at Otsuka Station. Inside the police station, except for the Criminal Investigation Division, almost everyone had heard of his talent in autopsies and witnessed his charm.

For two consecutive months, the Criminal Investigation Division had a 100% case clearance rate and a 100% arrest rate. If it weren't for the mishap with the Ms. Yamada case a while ago, the entire Criminal Investigation Division would have been commended by the Metropolitan Police Department!

And even without talking about that, just in terms of appearance, Uesugi Muneyuki was handsome and naturally exuded an air of elegance and the nobility of a Noble background; attracting attention was only natural.

As for Ikeda Erena, she was the famous "Boss Killer" of all Tokyo. With a tall figure, mixed-race appearance, and a firm and tenacious temperament, she was both a cold goddess-level figure and a workplace killer feared by everyone, a self-propelled wholesale machine for complaints and trouble.

Taken individually, both were focal points, bringing their own topics of conversation, let alone the fact that the two appeared together at this time, and Ikeda, who had always hated men, was actually able to communicate normally with Uesugi Muneyuki without keeping five or six steps away like she did with other police officers.

This was big news enough to shock the entire Tokyo police world, not to mention that Ikeda was a famous center of gossip. From the moment she entered the police force as a Non-Career Track officer and actively requested to work in the field, this mixed-race policewoman was considered a beauty who would definitely be transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Relations Division in the future to serve as a ceremonial representative and image representative. The people who wanted to pursue her could circle the Sakuradamon Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.

Not to mention those potential admirers.

But let alone pursuing her, the ending for every man who came into contact with her was miserable. After Ikeda Erena reported them by name multiple times, no man dared to look at her face or operate within five steps of her.

"Look! The Section Chief! The Subsection Chief!"

Kuwabara Mako, who was preparing to pack up and leave, acted as if she had discovered a new continent, jumping up and down while pulling Tanaka Laodeng and Sudo, who were also preparing to leave.

"Good heavens, it really is them!" Tanaka Laodeng poked his head out of the window, dumbfounded: "Little Brother Uesugi, how did he manage that?"

"Hard to understand, truly hard to understand. Could it be that the two of them are actually dating?" Sudo placed his briefcase on the table: "But they just met, right?"

"Things like this, you never know!" Kuwabara Mako only felt her heart of longing shatter, shattered into a mess, broken and dilapidated. She clutched her chest with a pained expression.

What happened to the high-mountain flower? What about the mixed-race beauty? What about the tall model!

She was taken down so fiercely only a few days after meeting Uesugi-san?

But looking at Uesugi Muneyuki's calm, cold temperament and his face that made her feel ashamed of her own inferiority, Kuwabara Mako couldn't say any words of rebuttal, nor could she raise any feelings of jealousy.

It seems, they are a bit of a match!

No, they are quite a match.

But why does my heart feel like it's tightening in waves?

【44】 I understand, this is the stench that belongs to the 'normies', this is the sour smell of love, this is...

It seems, they are a bit of a match!

While still thinking, Uesugi and Ikeda had already entered the police station building. Sudo, Tanaka, and Kuwabara could no longer see them, yet these three guys simultaneously had an evil thought.

Hehe~ Hehehehe~

Our local branch's Great Matchmaking Technique is already ready.

Witness the Great Collision of the Criminal Investigation Division!

Just as they entered the building, Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena felt the gazes of the people around them and the chattering discussions. But when Ikeda Erena looked over, the nearby people immediately fell silent, their eyes dodging, and they took the initiative to step aside.

"Boring." Ikeda Erena said coldly, her leather heels stomping on the ground with a bit more force.

"What do you think they are discussing?" Uesugi Muneyuki seemed completely indifferent; he didn't care about other people's gazes at all. He was originally an extreme realist who could say to a patient, "It's cancer, there's no saving it, just wait for death," in one breath.

"Can't you guess?" Ikeda Erena glanced at Uesugi Muneyuki, her light brown eyes filled with intense hatred.

"What could it be when an unmarried man and woman are together? A scandal, that's all." Uesugi Muneyuki put his hands in his pockets: "When I was in college, I just exchanged notes with a girl in the same lecture, and people thought we were dating."

"These guys are truly boring to the extreme. If you get a little closer, they think you're dating; if you dress up a little, they think you're going on a date." Ikeda Erena's sharp gaze turned fierce, then quickly dimmed; it seemed she had remembered something unpleasant. Her emotions changed so quickly that the words Uesugi Muneyuki had wanted to say—"Just walking around is love, if we ate together wouldn't that be equivalent to spending the night"—remained unsaid.

A woman's emotions are just that unfathomable. Sometimes the exact same words in different situations can please her one moment and offend her the next.

Uesugi Muneyuki appreciated Ikeda Erena's looks and toned, tall figure, but that didn't mean he was going to take the initiative to launch an offensive.

It wasn't as if he didn't have women around him; he would have to be sick to take the initiative to pursue a female detective with a bad temper and a sharp personality who had already sent away three superiors.

He was mainly interested in her martial arts.

Arriving at the third-floor Criminal Investigation Division, Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena told Sudo and Tanaka about their investigation results for the day.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Ikeda had dared to act alone and had even dared to disturb Uesugi Muneyuki, Sudo couldn't hold back at all and immediately scolded Ikeda Erena severely. It was clear that this guy was truly angry; he told Ikeda Erena directly that if there was another time like this, even if he were disciplined by the Metropolitan Police Department, he would kick her out.

Ikeda Erena stood straight and lowered her head, silently enduring her superior's criticism; judging by her desolate and dim expression, she was already used to it.

But this time, Uesugi Muneyuki stood in front of her: "This matter also has to do with me; it was I who suggested going with Ms. Ikeda."

Once again, Uesugi Muneyuki stood up for Ikeda Erena; he forcibly interrupted Sudo's lecture.

"But little brother Uesugi? Why?" Tanaka Laodeng said impatiently. It was already time to get off work, and the old man really didn't want to stay for even a second; whatever it was, do it tomorrow. A Public Servant should have the awareness of a Public Servant.

Work is work, and life is life!

"Curiosity." Uesugi Muneyuki frowned: "You all should have read the report I wrote, right?"

"Little brother Uesugi, we handle cases by relying on evidence. Your judgment is brilliant, and I, Sudo, along with Tanaka and Kuwabara, all highly recognize your ability, but to make an arrest, we are still missing a key piece of evidence."

Sudo's attitude toward Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena was completely inverted; the former was an Old Kazoku who helped their Otsuka Station Criminal Investigation Division rank first in the Metropolitan Police Department evaluations for two consecutive months and even saved them once, while the latter was, in Sudo's eyes, a troublemaker, a superior-killer who looked for trouble where there was none.

"This matter does not require evidence," Uesugi Muneyuki said indifferently.

"But, without evidence, the Public Prosecutors Office and the Metropolitan Police Department..." Sudo's expression was extremely troubled.

"That Host was likely a fringe member of a Violent Group before. For Violent Groups, isn't it always 'guilty until proven innocent'—arrest them first and talk later?" Uesugi Muneyuki continued.

Yakuza have no human rights; if Ms. Yamada were a Yakuza, she would have had many holes in her body the moment she touched a knife, and her seventh-day memorial service would have already passed by now.

At that point, the Metropolitan Police Department would say: They only just took out a knife, why did you have to open fire?

Tanaka Laodeng and the other two: She was a Yakuza.

Metropolitan Police Department: Oh, then it's fine.

"That won't work either! Little brother Uesugi! Is the Metropolitan Police Department run by your family?" Sudo couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly: "For Violent Groups, the Metropolitan Police Department has a specialized department, and it is true that evidence isn't needed, but..."

Sudo did not say the following words out loud, which meant that if he were a Police Inspector and Section Chief of the Investigation Division 1 of the Metropolitan Police Department, he could mobilize directly against a Violent Group without evidence, but he was only a Police Inspector and Section Chief at a local branch; how could he possibly mobilize resources of that level...

"You definitely know people in the Public Security Department, right?" Uesugi Muneyuki interrupted Sudo again: "Am I talking to you about the former Yakuza guiding Ms. Yamada to handle the crime scene of the corpse?"

"I am telling you that there is a former Violent Group member who changed his identity to enter a Host club, using it as a base to remotely control Ms. Yamada to commit crimes, and conducting illegal financial activities through tips and opening Champagne Towers." Uesugi Muneyuki tapped the desk with his finger: "Is there a connection behind this murder to the entire Violent Group organization and that Host club, or even the club's capital flow? That is what I am talking about."

"Right." Every time Uesugi Muneyuki said a sentence, Sudo's eyes grew brighter, and as he continued, the guy's eyes grew brighter and brighter: "Right, right~ right!"

How is this looking for trouble? This is clearly a major discovery! This is a merit!

No further instructions were needed; Sudo immediately grabbed the phone on the desk and dialed the number for the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Hello, is this Ichijo-san from the Public Security Department? Yes, I am Sudo from Otsuka Station. We have made a new discovery during this investigation... Yes, the one from the police assault case last time. Yes, we discovered that the Host who the suspect opened a Champagne Tower for might be a former Violent Group member. He seems to be using... Okay, okay, okay. No, this is all for the sake of the citizens' safety, cracking down on Violent Group crimes and financial cases—my Otsuka Station is duty-bound!"

Putting down the phone, Section Chief Sudo was all smiles: "The Metropolitan Police Department says they will launch an investigation immediately! Little brother Uesugi, you've helped us earn another merit!"

"Off work, off work! Hahahaha~" The three guys from the Criminal Investigation Division were beaming with joy, turning off the lights and preparing to leave.

"Let's get off work too." Ikeda Erena was still standing in place. Sudo and the others looked at her as if she were a plague god, specifically taking another door because they didn't want to get close to her. The tall beauty stood with her back straight, her posture like a lonely pine tree, her suit trousers hanging straight to the floor. Although she was very tall, facing the empty office, there was a sense of desolation and loneliness, so Uesugi Muneyuki took the initiative to say: "I'm hungry."

After saying this, Uesugi Muneyuki took the initiative to pull open the door of the Criminal Investigation Division, holding it for her.

Ikeda Erena only then reacted. She didn't say anything, but a hint of softness appeared in her beautiful eyes.

This kind of detailed gesture was very well-received by her, as she was sensitive and delicate in her thoughts.

"You helped me again, thank you." The tall beauty thanked Uesugi Muneyuki very earnestly.

"It's nothing, didn't I say, we are accomplices!" Uesugi Muneyuki squeezed out a smile. He was just about to say it was nothing, but because he had to reply, his gaze couldn't help but sweep over Ikeda Erena's miraculously ample figure, lingering for a few seconds before moving away.

So bouncy!

Ikeda was incomparably sensitive to this kind of gaze from men; she reacted immediately to Uesugi Muneyuki's look.

You are already dead!

This man is full of flaws!

Just as the tall beauty was preparing to use a front elbow strike combined with a side kick to take down this detestable man, Uesugi Muneyuki's previous words suddenly echoed in her ears.

"I'm a man, too, after all!"

Heh, you're a man now, are you?

Ikeda Erena felt disdain in her heart, but the elbow she was preparing to strike with was lowered.

Forget it, for the sake of him always helping her, she would spare him this time. It was hard enough to find a normal, communicative, and knowledgeable male; if she wanted to continue doing this job, she would need his help.

The tall beauty forcibly suppressed the thought of smashing Uesugi Muneyuki's handsome face, stepped over the threshold, and signaled for them to go.

"I feel like your expression changed just now. Was it my imagination?" Uesugi Muneyuki sensed the change in Ikeda's mood and pondered: "Did I do something wrong?"

"It was your imagination." The tall beauty turned sideways and walked past Uesugi Muneyuki. The sunflower scent from her body suddenly became much richer. It was hard to imagine that a woman who used such a hot, lively, and cheerful perfume (or perhaps it was her natural scent) would always have such a cold and indifferent tone and demeanor.

"Alright, I'm going to have dinner. Do you want to come along?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked casually. He took a few Discount Coupons out of his pocket: "Given to me for eating too many times. Shall we go together to meet the minimum for the discount? It's 200 yen off for every 1500 yen!"

"Pfft... No, you should go find Tanaka and Sudo." The tall beauty had received a dinner invitation to "go to Yoshinoya together to meet the discount" for the first time; she really couldn't hold it in and laughed, quickly shaking her head to control her expression: "I have other things to do."

"Oh." Uesugi Muneyuki really had just asked casually. Seeing that Ikeda Erena wasn't going, he really turned around and walked away: "Goodbye."

Hmm, it seems this wasn't some kind of trick; this man really was just looking for a dining companion.

A strange feeling rose in Ikeda Erena's heart.

In the past, she would instinctively get angry when receiving that kind of stare or gaze, and if a man got too close, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from attacking them.

But Uesugi Muneyuki was different. This man's proximity and gaze didn't seem to trigger her body's and brain's defensive instincts. Being with him was very comfortable, and she could control herself.

Ikeda sighed deeply. In her fourth year since joining, she had already changed five Police Stations. Even someone as stubborn as her knew that if she had another problem, she really wouldn't be able to survive in the police force.

There are still normal men in the city, after all!

Violent Groups have no human rights. Others might not be treated this way, but if a Violent Group member is a suspect, you arrest them first and talk later. Moreover, as long as they dare to resist, Japanese police dare to open fire directly, because these people are not considered human.

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(End of chapter)