Chapter 47: A Partner for Life? (Second Update!)

PS: This update is in thanks to book friend "temperance," who helped me reach Legend in Hearthstone again this month.

Uesugi Muneyuki only had time to glance a few times before a staff member immediately came up to ask, "Excuse me, who are you?"

"Oh, we are police," Ikeda Erena immediately pulled out her Police Handbook: "There are some things we would like to confirm."

"You shouldn't be confirming things in a place like this, you know! Don't you see what kind of place this is?" The staff member had been startled to see police at first, but upon seeing only "Patrol Officer" on Ikeda Erena's handbook, their posture straightened significantly: "If there is nothing else, do not loiter here at the recording site. If you want to interrupt the filming, please present a search warrant."

"Sorry to disturb you." Seeing that someone had noticed the two of them, Uesugi Muneyuki took the initiative to bow: "Excuse us, we were just passing by and happened to see Bai Chuan-san recording a program here, so we couldn't help but come over to take a look."

"Give it a rest, kid!" The staff member was indeed amused by Uesugi Muneyuki's words: "Who could refuse Bai Chuan-san? Alright, alright, we are recording a program here. If there is nothing else, please go investigate somewhere else."

"Fine, let's go." Uesugi Muneyuki politely greeted the staff member, then slowly walked to Ikeda Erena's side and patted her shoulder in front of everyone: "Seen enough?"

You guy!

Ikeda Erena pouted, thinking to herself that it was clearly you who wanted to watch! How did you end up putting it on me?

Just you wait until I body-slam you! The tall beauty said fiercely with her eyes.

I will not surrender, Uesugi Muneyuki responded with a resolute gaze, I will fight to the end!

The two of them exited the studio, and seeing Ikeda Erena still glaring at him, Uesugi Muneyuki raised an eyebrow: "It seems our Patrol Officer Ikeda is truly full of authority!"

"It was clearly you who wanted to see your senior, why drag me into it?" Ikeda Erena didn't actually take it to heart; she was relatively more open when alone with Uesugi Muneyuki in private: "Aren't you always upright and open? Since she is your senior, go up and say hello."

I know Senior Mai, but she doesn't know me!

Uesugi Muneyuki smiled bitterly in his heart, but being able to watch from afar was enough. Although this goddess senior had the influence of a national-level Idol, with countless fans from men to women and old to young, Uesugi Muneyuki himself felt more of a yearning for beautiful things and a relatively simple desire toward Senior Mai, and not much appreciation for her works or acting skills.

"Forget it, I think you are more important than Senior Mai." Uesugi Muneyuki said casually: "Compared to the scenery in the distance, I care more about the person by my side."

The man's sudden words made Ikeda Erena feel inexplicably flustered.

What does he mean by that?

"To me, Senior Mai is just my classmate, but you are my mentor, my Partner, and my friend!" Uesugi Muneyuki said very seriously.

A friend?

Ikeda Erena couldn't tell if she was happy or disappointed. She always felt that although Uesugi Muneyuki's words made her feel very comfortable, they were not entirely what she wanted.

Thinking that this guy valued her more than his Senior Mai, Ikeda Erena's eyes still curved into crescents, and she gave Uesugi Muneyuki a soft smile: "I'll let you pass."

It cannot be denied that although her looks were not on par with Senior Mai, Ikeda Erena was also top-tier beautiful, and she looked very good and lively when she smiled.

Although she did not have the special temperament and the charm of someone walking out of a landscape painting like Shirakawa Mai, she possessed a sunny, hot, and unrestrained temperament brought from the Iberian Peninsula. Her deep, sharp, and beautiful face was not very popular in an environment like Japan, but Uesugi Muneyuki knew how to appreciate it, because he was not Japanese at heart.

Coupled with her particularly hot and perfect alluring figure, those long, beautiful legs paired with silk stockings were also a huge plus.

Not to mention Ikeda's core competitiveness, Eirina → Shake-Shake-Na!

It's just that she is a bit clumsy, and whenever she appears, police from the Metropolitan Police Department to the various branch stations all retreat in fear, and even Uesugi Muneyuki had tried every possible way to keep her from exploding.

Uesugi Muneyuki caught the flash of disappointment in her expression, and he decisively changed the subject: "It's about time, let's go have dinner, and then head back."

"Do you have any other plans for the evening?" Ikeda Erena's eyes drifted outward.

Eirina's life was truly very monotonous; she didn't follow Idols, didn't play games, didn't wear makeup, didn't collect things, and didn't really watch TV. In her life, besides work and exercise, there was only Uesugi Muneyuki. She knew this was a bit much, but she still wanted to stay with him at night.

"I've had enough fun today, I want to go home and sleep early tonight." Uesugi Muneyuki replied.

Ikeda Erena pouted slightly and gave a delicate huff: "All you think about is sleeping."

"Please, Mentor Eirina, my work intensity is very high." Uesugi Muneyuki was speechless, but the man quickly took something out: "Oh right, you take this."

"This is?" Eirina saw the key in Uesugi Muneyuki's hand and was slightly stunned, her heart immediately thumping wildly.

"This is the key to the pathology laboratory." Uesugi Muneyuki smiled: "To save you from waiting outside all day. Sometimes you arrive even earlier than I do. Since you like arriving early so much, I'll give you the key. You can rest for a while after you arrive."

Ikeda Erena's pretty face turned red instantly, and she chided: "Don't say that! I'm not that early!"

"But I often arrive at the hospital and you are already there."

"I am not!!!"

"Not? Haha, anyway, I'm giving you the key, keep it safe. I think if I didn't give it to you, you would have asked me for it soon anyway, right?"

Ikeda Erena's little secret was exposed, and the blush on her face could hardly be hidden. She snatched the key from Uesugi Muneyuki's hand and said toughly: "You're the one who wanted to give it to me!"

"So, are you satisfied now?"

"Did I say I wasn't satisfied?"

"Ikeda, don't you know your mood is often written all over your face?"

"Really?" Ikeda Erena's expression suddenly turned cold, thinking it was only because being with him was relaxing, which was impossible with anyone else.

"Look, your expression betrayed you again." Uesugi Muneyuki shrugged: "Or are you saying you don't want it?"

"You already gave it to me, so it's mine!" Ikeda Erena gripped the key in her hand righteously: "I don't care!"

"Then... Ms. Eirina, the key is yours, let's go have dinner."

"Mm, the Tempura Set Meal at the restaurant earlier looked delicious." With Uesugi Muneyuki's laboratory key tucked in her pocket, Eirina felt completely satisfied, and she felt like she was floating as she walked.

This is what you call a Partner!

He must also value her as a Partner very much, otherwise why would he give her the key?

If that's the case... Thinking of this, Ikeda Erena suddenly felt a bit of trepidation in her heart.

Life now was a bit too sweet, making her feel like it wasn't real. The time spent as Uesugi's Partner was certainly wonderful, but how long could this relationship last?

"Uesugi-kun."

"Hmm?" Uesugi Muneyuki was surprised that Eirina had addressed him by his name so formally.

Can you be my Partner for life?

She looked at Uesugi Muneyuki with burning eyes, looking at his face, looking at every micro-expression on his face, searching for an opportunity to speak. She knew it was too much to ask, but she still wanted to say it.

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze tightened, and he put on a serious expression: "What is it?"

Once Uesugi Muneyuki became serious, the third eye of the Wisdom King opened, and his aura was compelling, like a rushing river and sea.

Facing his gaze, Eirina suddenly realized that she could not bear the outcome of losing him.

She retreated before the battle even began and hurriedly avoided the man's eyes: "I'll treat us to dinner tonight."

"Sure." Uesugi Muneyuki thought it was nothing, so he readily agreed and even laughed, "You're treating me today, so on our next day off, there's a Tempura shop I really like; shall we go eat there together?"

"Mm!" Having received another positive response, Eirina couldn't help but cheer with joy: "Then it's a promise. By the way, where do you live now?"

"Huh?"

Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly felt a bit scared.

Ten minutes later, Fuji TV Odaiba Building, restaurant.

Ikeda Erena ordered two Shrimp Tempura Set Meals and thoughtfully bought a can of Uesugi Muneyuki's favorite cola. The two sat across from each other. It was already six o'clock in the evening; outside the window, the bright moon hung in the sky, streetlights shone brilliantly, and the night breeze was gentle.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how things are going with Police Inspector Megure." Uesugi Muneyuki ate his Shrimp Tempura and chatted casually about the day's events: "Father once said that in his day, the female anchors at Fuji TV were all the cream of the crop, the kind you could consider marrying. In recent years, the quality of Fuji TV's female anchors hasn't been that great either."

Japan's traditional atmosphere carries a relatively common form of discrimination against women. Part of this is due to historical and cultural reasons, while another part is related to the backlash women have faced after continuously seeking more extra privileges following the modernization of society and the economic boom. However, whether in traditional families like the Uesugi Residence or modern families, female TV anchors are an extremely popular choice for a daughter-in-law: they have good looks, good temperament, decent jobs, and are cultured and well-mannered with high incomes.

In the Peerage circle, the entertainment industry is automatically considered lower-class. If the future Head of the House, Uesugi Sadanori, wanted to marry a former female idol from a girl group, Grandfather would take out the Copper-Headed Belt to personally "inject some spirit" into him. But if Uesugi Sadanori wanted to marry a Fuji TV female anchor, the family would hold a meeting to discuss the feasibility.

"Is that so?" Ikeda Erena brushed a strand of hair behind her ear with her slender, jade-like fingers, tidying her hair. Her long legs retracted and closed somewhat unnaturally, her jade-like feet, wrapped in flesh-colored matte stockings, tucked into black patent leather low heels, the soft tips of the shoes unconsciously tracing circles on the floor.

Since he is so smart, he should also prefer a partner with a high level of education, right?

If the Metropolitan Police Department sends a career officer to replace my position, what should I do?

Ikeda Erena's mind wandered, and it seemed the Tempura in her mouth didn't taste as delicious anymore.

————I am the Tempura divider line————

Just as Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena were enjoying their time at the Fuji TV Odaiba Building, Police Inspector Megure was still in the surveillance room. Unlike the relaxed atmosphere when they first arrived, the brothers from the Thirteenth Section of Investigation Division 1 were now sweating profusely.

"Look again, search again." Police Inspector Megure wiped the sweat from his forehead.

A chorus of "Yes" came from around him. The suit-clad squad from Investigation Division 1 was inside the Fuji TV surveillance room, intently observing seven or eight screens.

Before coming, Police Inspector Megure thought this was an ordinary missing persons case.

In Japan, one hundred thousand people go missing every year. 80% of these are false alarms; the missing persons simply lost contact for some reason. The rest are mainly related to illness, family, or work reasons, with minors and the elderly being the most common, and adults being fewer.

The Metropolitan Police Department receives a large number of missing person reports every year, many of which end up unresolved. Japan's personal data protection laws are very strict, making it extremely difficult to find people who disappear voluntarily. The police usually do not intervene in cases where adults leave voluntarily without obvious risks of suicide, crime, or accidents.

This also leads the police to intentionally classify some cases as "missing," so that they don't need to continue investigating.

For example, that guy from the host club earlier, he "went missing" just like that.

Police Inspector Megure had originally thought that Hironaka Mariko had also just found somewhere to hang out after getting off work on Friday, which was why her family couldn't reach her.

Moreover, this 28-year-old female anchor was about to get married, and her fiancé was an executive at a famous real estate construction company in Tokyo. The Metropolitan Police Department believed that Hironaka Mariko might have developed pre-wedding jitters and disappeared temporarily.

But when he explained his purpose to Fuji TV, the station immediately found that this female anchor was supposed to be on her wedding leave today. After questioning her colleagues in her department, her family, and the wedding planning company, Police Inspector Megure received an answer that made him break out in a cold sweat.

Hironaka Mariko was neither preparing for her wedding nor had she come to work, and her phone could not be reached.

Now, Police Inspector Megure realized the severity of the problem. He immediately found the TV station's security department and pulled the surveillance footage.

They needed to figure out whether this female anchor had gone missing voluntarily or involuntarily.

The answer was chilling.

Since Hironaka Mariko last appeared on camera shortly after four o'clock on Friday afternoon, she had never been captured by a camera again. Furthermore, according to the cameras at the main gate and other exits, this female anchor had never left the Fuji TV Odaiba Building from start to finish!

In that case, from Friday afternoon, through Saturday and Sunday, until today, Monday, she had been missing inside the Odaiba Building for four whole days!

"Inspector!" Several officers from Division 1 rushed in from outside: "We questioned Ms. Hironaka's colleagues and friends. They said they hadn't seen Hironaka since Friday afternoon, and according to them, Ms. Hironaka showed no signs of pre-wedding jitters; she was very much looking forward to walking down the aisle."

"Besides the regular exits, are there any other ways to get out?" A bad premonition grew in Police Inspector Megure's heart, and he hurriedly asked the Security Division Section Chief.

The Security Division Section Chief swallowed hard. He gave his subordinates a look to notify the TV station's top management immediately, then, under Police Inspector Megure's stern gaze, he spoke stammeringly.

"Impossible, every possible exit of the TV station is equipped with surveillance, unless..."

"Unless what?" Police Inspector Megure's uneasy premonition grew even stronger.

"Unless she never left the TV station at all, or... she was packed into a box and taken out of the building, or stuffed into a trash bag in a garbage truck and transported out of the building."

Partner means colleague/associate.





(End of this chapter)