Chapter 376

This is an application for purchasing new equipment.

In the Equipment Management Department of the Metropolitan Police Department's General Affairs Division, Uesugi Muneyuki handed a thick document bag to Kashiwagi Misa, laughing heartily.

Kashiwagi Misa wore a crisp Metropolitan Police Department winter indoor duty uniform; the navy wool suit was sharply tailored, the gold emblem and double-breasted buttons exuding a cold, rigid feel. Her white shirt collar was neatly pressed, a dark blue necktie tied at her throat, further accentuating her upright posture and aloof demeanor.

Her deep-set mixed-race features carried a chill, eyebrows and eyes like frost, gaze calm yet sharp, lips tightly pursed, revealing an unapproachable frigidity.

She warned Uesugi Muneyuki with a fierce stare.

Beneath the navy uniform skirt, a pair of long legs was wrapped in brown ultra-thin stockings, clearly outlining the smooth, taut lines from calf to knee.

The absolute domain formed by the skirt hem and stocking edge silently emitted a restrained allure.

On her feet were a pair of black pointed-toe 5cm high heels; the simple shoe style tightened the arch, stretching out a neat leg line. Her delicate ankle bones were lightly bound by the shoelaces, stepping on the ground producing a clear, steady footfall; the sheen of the stockings and the lines of the heels complemented each other, under the strict female police uniform highlighting her icy beauty and married-woman aura in that pair of brown-stocking beautiful legs and feet.

Is Madame Kashiwagi not wearing the Metropolitan Police Department standard thick-wood winter flesh-colored pantyhose?

Uesugi Muneyuki glanced again.

Since the two overstepped the line at last year's police department year-end party, Kashiwagi Misa has been avoiding him; if she can have someone else handle it, she absolutely refuses to meet him in person, and if she can convey information via email, she absolutely refuses to speak to him.

He naturally understands why; Madame Kashiwagi clearly regrets it—well, she regrets it quite a bit.

However, she fundamentally does not understand what it means to have a spirit mark branded on her body—"Ah—, okay, okay, hard—hard work, I will—will report it."

Kashiwagi Misa slowly took it, her face somewhat stiff; her features, as always, bore the deep contours characteristic of mixed heritage, the brow bone and nose bridge lines like finely carved ice shards, revealing an unapproachable frigidity.

Those deep eyes, beneath long lashes, seemed to hold winter night's cold stars gazing at Uesugi Muneyuki.

This is the Metropolitan Police Department—you absolutely cannot mess around! I've warned you before! There won't be a next time!

The mixed-race female officer's lips were tightly pursed, lip color a natural rose red, yet made to feel especially cold by the aura she emitted, like a rose covered in first snow; this perfect iceberg, however, automatically cracked open a fissure before Uesugi Muneyuki.

Kashiwagi Misa truly fears seeing Uesugi Muneyuki; since last year's year-end party, she has discovered that whenever he appears nearby, her body begins to act strangely, as if awakened, becoming disobedient and uncontrollable.

What the hell did this damned man do to my body?!

Kashiwagi Misa vaguely recalls Uesugi Muneyuki saying he would give her a "special gift"; for this she specifically underwent a gynecological examination, but the data showed no abnormality; instead, the doctor envyingly remarked that her female hormone levels were recovering.

The problem is, it feels like a radar has been implanted in her body! As soon as Uesugi Muneyuki appears nearby, she immediately senses it! Kashiwagi Misa even discovered she doesn't need to be on the same floor—she can instantly know whether he is in his office just by going downstairs to the Special Mission Unit!

Besides Uesugi having tampered with her body, there is no other explanation! But the problem is, Kashiwagi Misa has no evidence! Moreover, she doesn't know how to tell anyone about this!

Therefore, Kashiwagi Misa can only silently endure; since last time, although the Kashiwagi couple appear reconciled on the surface, they have already begun sleeping apart; Kashiwagi Jin is indeed unlike Uesugi Muneyuki—not a lecher—this causes her, when sleeping alone at night, to constantly have the scene of the Tokyo Cultural Exchange Hall and the furniture and lighting in that break room pop into her mind, and as time passes she feels something gradually being etched into her bone marrow, cerebrum, and depths of her soul.

And now Uesugi Muneyuki truly stands before her and speaks; Kashiwagi Misa discovers she has never felt this way before; she cannot help but clamp her legs together, her face unnaturally flushing.

"Are you alright, Madame Kashiwagi?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked concernedly.

"No, no problem." Kashiwagi Misa lightly waved her hand, amid the strange glances of the Equipment Management Department staff, signaling Uesugi Muneyuki and Ishihara Mikoto to scram, the door being over there: "I'm just slightly unwell, a common occurrence since last time; I've received the items, you may leave."

You bastard! If you don't leave now, I'll become even stranger!

"Oh, okay, then see you later; by the way, please tell Madame Kashiwagi's superiors that although it may indeed be expensive, I believe it will definitely be useful." After hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki truly turned around, intending to leave with Ishihara Mikoto.

Moreover, he very naturally switched to another state, telling the forensic beauty that a steak and rice bowl restaurant had recently opened near the Metropolitan Police Department, suggesting they go eat together, him treating.

The forensic beauty naturally had no objection; she also mildly chided, saying if you don't bring Chiyou along, I'll agree to go with you.

Gazing at their retreating backs, Kashiwagi Misa felt somewhat lost and forlorn.

Did he just leave like that?

Did he really just leave like that?

Watching Uesugi Muneyuki and Ishihara Mikoto prepare to depart, Kashiwagi Misa suddenly felt a strong surge of jealousy rise in her heart.

Uesugi Muneyuki's attitude toward her has never been as good as toward the forensic beauty!

Since the year-end party, Kashiwagi Misa has secretly investigated Ishihara Mikoto; it is clear Uesugi Muneyuki truly likes and cares for this forensic beauty, arranging special female dormitory for her, making her his assistant, providing all possible support, even the document in her hand for the NEC Far-Infrared Spectrometer application—this too originated from Ishihara Mikoto's idea!

Even within the department, rumors have long circulated that Uesugi Muneyuki will go to the University of Tokyo's affiliated hospital forensic department, and Ishihara Mikoto will also join him there!

That is to say, just a few months ago Ishihara Mikoto was still examining people's essences and determining injuries at various clinics in the Tama region, a mere ox and horse for injury assessment, and now she is instantly to fly to Tokyo University, that great blue tree of heaven, to become a phoenix?

Kashiwagi Misa envies Ishihara Mikoto to the point of desperation; she most desperately craves and needs a stable, safe environment; originally she thought Kashiwagi Jin could provide it, but later discovered her husband is also utterly unreliable, offending people wave after wave! The Fujitsu incident was resolved by herself and Uesugi Muneyuki; the rudeness at the year-end party was also smoothed over by Uesugi Muneyuki; this time there are rumors he offended the District Public Prosecutors Office's Nishikawa Director.

Upon learning this news, Kashiwagi Misa felt suffocated with anger, thinking, No end in sight, right? Uesugi-san already said, last time was the last time he wiped your backside for you!

Hmm?!

At this moment, Kashiwagi Misa suddenly recalled something.

Does the District Public Prosecutors Office also have some connection with Uesugi Muneyuki?

Perhaps, perhaps he can still help Jin—no mistake, he definitely can help Jin!

I'm doing this for Jin's sake. I'm just a non-career-track female officer transferred to Tokyo; what can I do? I can only beg him again, beg him—Kashiwagi Misa reluctantly convinced herself, this is not for myself, but for my husband's career and future!

She took out her mobile phone.

She had already deleted Uesugi Muneyuki's number, but it doesn't matter; she has already memorized it.

In the Metropolitan Police Department corridor, afternoon air filled with the quiet of affairs, Kashiwagi Misa was hugging a stack of documents, walking during lunch break; her navy winter indoor duty uniform outlined her tall, slender figure; the dark brown stockings beneath her long, beautiful legs, with each step of the black slim high heels, produced a clear, regular light tapping on the floor. Her face was calm, bearing the work-state-specific chill, but she had been waiting for something all along.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared from the corner—Uesugi Muneyuki arrived as expected; his gaze first caught her; facing his line of sight, Misa's silk-stocking legs instinctively clenched imperceptibly; those eyes, originally calm as frost, flashed a hint of panic and incredulous delight; she almost instinctively wanted to step forward, but professional discipline and public-place awareness immediately suppressed the impulse. She quickly scanned the surroundings, confirmed one side of the corridor was temporarily empty, then signaled him with her eyes to follow.

The two tacitly slipped into a narrow passage beside leading to the backup stairwell; here only the emergency lighting emitted a weak glow, the space instantly becoming private and tense.

"That—" in the narrow passage, the voice of the former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department was pressed extremely low, carrying a barely perceptible tremor; that icy beauty now diluted by fear and tension, the corners of her eyes and brows tinged with shyness: "Last time's matter—"

"Wasn't last time's matter already over?" Uesugi Muneyuki, upon receiving Kashiwagi Misa's message, felt both surprised and not particularly surprised; his voice equally low: "What else is there?"

"That—Jin, Jin seems to have offended someone again!" Kashiwagi Misa trembled as she spoke; facing this, the iceberg mixed-race beauty struggled to maintain her dignity and a shred of shame, while Uesugi Muneyuki's exhaled breath made her feel she was melting: "Can you—please help him again? I beg you! I don't know many people; the District Public Prosecutors Office—"

"Oh? Indeed there is such a matter; I recall when Watanabe Director and Nishikawa Director shared dinner, I was also present." Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly realized,

His gaze burned as it fell upon the ashamed married woman, three parts helpless, three parts amused: "I remember I told you last time, Madame, this is the last time I'll help your husband wipe his backside, right?"

"Yes—but Uesugi-san—" Kashiwagi Misa lowered her head, shoulders slightly trembling, almost daring not to meet his eyes: "Besides finding you, who else could I turn to?"

"You ask me? Your husband's affairs, you ask me?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked amusedly at the former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department; this pitiful appearance of hers always enchants him.

"I—" Kashiwagi Misa thought, it's not because you did something to me!

Thinking this, Kashiwagi Misa slightly shifted her weight, moving her center to one leg; the other leg, wearing brown stockings and stepping on pointed-toe high heels, unconsciously extended half a step forward, toe elegantly tapping, lifting the heel from the stocking's heel.

This subtle motion instantly straightened the leg's smooth line, from the firm knee to the delicate ankle, then to the taut arch and pointed shoe tip; in the dim light, the stockings gleamed with an inward sheen, extending the beautiful legs and feet beneath the uniform skirt in a contained yet highly aesthetic pose, briefly, deliberately displayed before his eyes: "Can't you, can't you make an exception just once?"

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze suddenly deepened: "You said last time there would be no next time, madam."

"Yes, I said that, but—please, please—" Kashiwagi Misa couldn't describe what she felt in her heart; she suddenly realized she very much enjoyed speaking with Uesugi Muneyuki, being alone with him in such a private place, and even more so enjoying showing herself to him, so she whispered softly: "This is Sakuradamon, I don't want— but the others— is it okay? Can it be?"

"Madam, madam, you truly sacrificed so much for Kashiwagi, don't you think? You've done all this, and he doesn't know a thing about it." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled helplessly, he took the initiative to grasp Kashiwagi Misa's hand and whispered in her ear: "Alright, I promise you."

"However, I have a small request, I hope madam will help for the sake of reason."

"What———request?" Kashiwagi Misa slowly closed her eyes: "Except———I agree to———"

Upon saying this, the former Face of the Metropolitan Police Department suddenly felt an inexplicable joy, this joy did not come from successfully helping her husband,

but from her rebuilding the connection with Uesugi Muneyuki!

But everything I did was for Old Ren! Kashiwagi Misa said to herself with a calm heart.

All for him!