Volume 2 Chapter 3 (1/2)
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The value of land inside the ZR Yaenerally ridiculously expensive, but Ochanoh search would turn up aparth for a student
But that le man with a job would be ashamed to live in one In fact, the landlord would usually refuse soed to avoid that
It seee students felt safer when they knew a police officer lived in the sa
I was a bit annoyed that the landlord used my private information as a sales point, but it was the best place I could find As a pitiable public servant, I could not afford to do anything about it
And so…
I was in the living roo meant for students The table held quickly-s made in the
It was my sister-in-law's number
It was likely about the cardboard boxes in the corner of my room
”Did you get them?” she asked
”Yes, unfortunately Three boxes is going too far”
”Don't be picky They contain Intellectual Village-etables, soy sauce, miso, mirin, and sake You would have to wait to even et that from a restaurant”
That was true And if word got out I had it, it would probably bring in tons of thieves and robbers
”Please, give me a break You know I can't cook”
”Um, this may be an aard question, but how do you survive, Hayabusa-kun?”
”These days, you cana pre a pack of white rice in thehot water to a cup of miso soup”
”That is not how to live a happy life”
I wanted to protest that I sis other than food
But before I could, I heard the sound of a struggle over the phone
”U on?”
”The Yuki Onna and Nekoree whether to watch The Unknown Secrets of the Antarctic or The Pet Café that Cats Love …No, stop that! If you keep acting that selfishly, shi+nobu will grow to hate you”
The sounds of a struggle immediately ceased
My nephew's rare disposition seemed to have taken effect once more Weren't the Yuki Onna and Neko the the too
After being sure the commotion was over, I returned to the conversation
”Could you at least send cucu else you can slice up and eat as is? I don't even knohat to do with a squash I don't like getting a long line of brand-naour them rot”
”I will take that into consideration, but I cannot do anything about what I already sent you If you are not going to learn to cook, you can use thehbors”
Having said that, my sister-in-law ended the call
She probably just ran away because she did not like how the conversation was going
But…
I was the one police officer living in an apartet to know er rift between us than between an ele PE teacher If I rang hbor's doorbell, they would probably think some incident had happened
Then again, I couldn't stand for brand-narapes cost 30 thousand yen to rot away into organic fertilizer, so I nervously headed to the neighboring room
I rang the doorbell and a female voice so unambitious I wondered if she had low blood pressure came over the intercom
”What is it…?”
”Uetables, so do you have room for any?”
I heard frantic footsteps, a crash, and then a shout of ”Slippers!? Where are my slippers!?” from beyond the door
The door shot open and a college girl in a track suit with a towel around her neck and a coed out with a full-faced smile
”Hoonderful, you Kasajizou!! Now I can escape this life of soaking ramen in water to infinitely double it in size!!”
”Ho on money are you!?”
Despite all that trouble, I still had to leave for work at the same time Asthe front door of my apartment, I headed on foot to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
My workplace was in a nice place like Sakuradamon That hy I wanted a place to live in Ochanomizu
”Oh, if it isn't the detective”
”What the hell are you doing here, mystery freak?”
When I turned around toward that sudden voice froirl with twintails na at me
That mystery freak could be summed up as ”a suspicious person who frequently appears at the crime scenes of bizarre murders”
Theoutfits such as swi the obvious outfit of a student: a short-sleeved blouse and a wine-red pleated skirt I was fairly certain it was the uniforirl's school I had no idea if the kneesocks were a designated part of the uniform
Knowing her, she would say she chose to wear them herself because they were necessary to solve aas you did not look too deeply, she was just a nice rich girl
There were even banks and heavy industry coami
If you flipped through the channels during primetime, you would probably find a commercial for a company affiliated with her family
”I'm just headed to school You're the one out of place here, detective I thought you usually used the subway”
”Why do you think I would be walking to work in this horrid heat while dressed in a suit, mystery moron?”
”Hah hahn The suit looks cheaper than necessary, but it also looks new Did your boss tell you to hurry up and break it in so you can run around in it?”
”…That's right, dammit,” I replied in annoyance
Police detectives did not wear cheap suits because they had no fashi+on sense While it was not as bad as the police dra was resolved in 60 minutes, a police detective was one of the few jobs that required physical labor in a suit The suit would get muddy, bloody, and torn by suspects arh-class suit
And since we had to run around a lot, a brand new suit could be a bit restrictive That e intentionally put an extra burden on a new suit to break it in
For that reason, police detectives gave the i the public servants with zero fashi+on sense ore cheap mass-produced suits that were horribly beat up
”By the way, detective, what are you pursuing now?”
”I can't tell a civilian that Employees have a duty to keep secrets”
”I' a bit depressed You could always letI would enjoy”
The mystery freak pouted her lips, but we had arrived near the fairl's school Enbi waved and then left
Afterwards, I wiped away my sith a handkerchief and stopped at a convenience store for water when I couldn't stand it anymore Finally, I made it to my workplace in Sakuradamon
It was the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the symbol of the city's law and order
Due to the influence of police dramas, it seemed to have beco at that awe-inspiring building was enough to improve even my mood a bit It always made me realize my job would directly affect people's lives for better or worse
The uniforave me a faithful salute
However, the usual fastidious greeting did not accompany it
Instead, a ed police officer whispered to me
”Oh, Uchiht now”
”Eh? Is so a drama?”
The front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Depart spots in all of japan But to prevent terrorism, the inside shots were all done on sets back at the studio I highly doubted a request to directly film inside would have been approved
In response, the ed police officer shook his hand side to side and said, ”No, no Uroup of eleiven a tour Naturally, they weren't allowed to bring in their cell phones or any other recording devices”
”Oh… Yeah, I don't want to get caught up in that”
With that offhand colass door and into the front lobby Even through the glass, I could hear a chaotic deluge of voices
”Do you have katsudon!?”
”Where's Investigator Itako from TV?”
”Can you show us the investigation headquarters!?”
There were a lot more kids than I had expected It looked likefe in front of theuide
I whispered to thearound for some reason
”Looks like the Sakura Police have plenty to do Oh,Look at the face of the big guy froanized crime counterotta snap a photo of this”
”Wait, don't do that, Uchimaku-san! If he notices, he'll constrict your carotid artery!!”
”You say that, Nakada-san, but I can see your shoulders shaking as you try to hold back laughter”
Just as I held upman displayed on the small screen
That fifth dan in judo (openweight) opened wide the eyes of his stone-like face and pointed straight at me
”That's a detective from Department 1!!”
”Bh!?” I spat out
Well over 100 children all turned to look in my direction
”A detective?”
”A detective from Department 1!”
”Investigation Departuns all the time to kill the criminals!!”
”Th-th-that bastard!! He turned them on me because Department 1 is more popular!!”
Just to be clear, detectives in Investigation Departuns all the time It would be a lot easier if we could, but we prided ourselves at being the best in the world when it ca criminals alive
The ed police officer then said, ”Uchi to run, do it quickly! You can enter through the materials delivery entrance Otherwise, the children will surround you!!”
”No, it's a bit late for that! Wah! This is like a store during a really good sale!!”
I need to turn their focus somewhere else!! But is there any job more popular than a detective from Department 1!?
Just as I started to panic, a God of salvation appeared
Mezu Gen He was an older man with deep wrinkles on his face His hair was a very shi+ny black because it was dyed While he was not as anized crih force to silence a fifth dan in judo He was the leader of my depart fe the necktie he received as a father's day present
”…What is this commotion?”
Instead of answering his simple question, I pointed at him and raised my voice as loud as I could to announce, ”That's the chief of Department 1!!”
Tostory short, he slammed his fist down on my head later on
But do not forget that the department chief pointed at aaround the i bodyguard in black) and shouted ”That's the superintendent general!!”
I worked for Investigation Department 1 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
But that did not ation headquarters or rushi+ng out to suspects' houses based on an iative information
So on
The depart detective like me often, yet he suddenly did just that
”Uchiht?”
”…What?”
Since I had nothing better to do, I had been trying to work up ether several different types of coffee beans, but now my eyes opened wide
The department chief went on to say, ”Y'know, the safety class where you head out to a school to put on a puppet show and kamishi+bai The materials you need are here Be there in half an hour That is all”
”Wait, wait, wait! That isn't a job for Department 1 What about the Life Safety Division or Traffic Division? In fact, why is anyone fro it? Can't an officer from the school's area handle it?”
”Norh school students these days don't like ka asleep They want a detective who has felt real danger to more effectively explain the recent SNS trouble Soive it more tension”
”Geh”
As the departh, I recalled a certain fact
It had been ht an end to the SNS murders back in May
”But won't we get complaints if we use an actual incident to draw their attention?”
”The police's job is not just to resolve crimes that have been committed We must also prevent crimes before they are committed We will use whatever means we have available to us But be careful Make sure to hide all personal information”
The departiant envelope on my desk and quickly left
I had no choice but to check inside the envelope
”How am I supposed to knohat to say when I have to be there in half an hour?”
”I can still hear you, Uchimaku I did not tell you until now because I did not want to deal with your co”
The safety class was a school activity, so I could not be late I glanced through the e envelope, and left
While I rode the elevator to the first floor, it stopped ot on Unlike me, he was the type of detective that alore a nice suit
”Hey, Uchimaku”
”Toujou-san”
”I heard you have to go out in this heat to present a safety class at a middle school This is the middle of summer break, so the students probably won't be happy about it Try not to lose the attention of every single student in the school while they're gathered in the gym Nee ha ha”
”Chehh I take it I was the only one that didn't know about this 'surprise party'”
”You need to be around so people every once in a while It's not healthy to deal with nothing but murder cases”
Once the elevator reached the first floor, Toujou-san left
While it was true I dealt with nothing butpeople
Thedistance Most of the police officers gathered there were uniformed officers from the ”usual” station I felt out of place as the only murder case detective in the bunch
And…
”…You can't be serious”
”Is so the matter?” asked the school's female director in a refined manner
That was a very difficult question to answer
Outside theof the faculty roo smile on her face
This is her school?
A very bad feeling wrapped aroundto happen But just as I expected,the never-before-heard threat of ”coe into the faculty room and kiss you”, I had no choice but to exit the school building
”hello, detective”
”What do you want, mystery freak? I'm kind of busy”
”So aym soon for the school assenore me, I'll forcibly have my ith you here”
I let out a heavy sigh
Myunder the hot sun
”If you're interested, I take it this is about some kind of incident”
”That's right What about you, detective? Why are you here for this SNS safety class? Are you using it to get into the school because you caught the same scent I'm after?”
I had no ulterioraround the mystery freak?
”If it's urgent, I'll hear you out Despite how you act, you are civilian and I am a police officer”
”So you understand”
I had tried to warn her by e the fact that she was a civilian, but the ive in at all
She glanced away from me and beckoned someone over with her hand
”Okay, To about There's no distinction or division between adult and child with him, so he's our ally”
I do too have a division and distinction there!!
It would be a major problee!!
”…Detective?”
A face peered out fro a nearby outside pathway
She was a girl with an appearance that made you think her braided hair was to help with her school records She wore glasses, but she looked irl Her body rapped in supple ure than the mystery freak
However, both her ure did not look natural Itto do, but it appeared she had done a fair bit of ”groo” She was the type ould have tons of diet ebooks on her phone
You weren't supposed to push yourself too hard while still growing, but the world was a harsh place
”No, Enbi It can't be a detective I don't think he can help us”
She seeun to assu some sort of incident, even the most innocent normal citizen did not want to approach the police
”Tomoe, he isn't that kind of detective”
”Enbi, I decided to ask you for help because you gather infor several different routes, but I aet my request I'll do this on my own”
This Tomoe-chan turned her back on us and muttered one last comment
Her voice was quiet, but it possessed a piercing sharpness
”I can't trust the police They can't do anything”
After watching Tohed
Now then…
”I' on This smells really fishy to me”
”Fine, but neither of us has much time We can continue this in the afternoon Let's finish with this school day first”
As expected, the best I could e in the SNS safety class was to make sure it did not absolutely fail There was no way I could give e with no script or rehearsal tih-level acrobatic flying while all I delivered was a safe e That required soically difficult for others to tell
But at least the hter while listening to me speak
After finishi+ng with the school day, Enbi and I met up outside of the school
”Detective, do you want to get lunch somewhere?”
”It's exactly noon Everywhere will be busy”
”…Oh That's a sad statement that shohat sort of restaurant you eat at”
”More iht be a serious issue”
”We can speak while alk” Thethe lead ”I will omit any uncertain information if that is okay with you”
”Just tell me what you can”
”Lately, Jinirls in shi+buya”
”…In shi+buya?”
I had thought every restaurant in a student district like Ochanomizu would be packed at lunchtime, but we found an empty café a bit off the major roads where the employees were dressed as masters and maids The mystery freak swiftly moved to a table in the back like she had done it a thousand times before
”This placeelse is just a hobby”
”I don't care about the restaurant Tell irls in shi+buya? I've never seen those creatures except on TV”
You could say they were synonymous with lies
Most anyone could easily tell just howto soirls in shi+buya”
The police received a lot of unreliable-sounding reports and tips, but the credibility dropped considerably if that term was mentioned
After ordering a hot sandwich and an iced coffee produced in so name, the mystery freak said, ”Well, just think of that as a symbol or a framework that was easy to use The Jinmensou problem has reached one of our students That would be ht have reached so a proble out in shi+buya”
”Just to check: are you sure there really is so to this?”
”Of course”
I glanced through the rimaced
Why is there not a single thing on the menu spelled with less than 50 characters?
Thefor
”Jiniant tuirls You cae, so you knohat a Jinht?”
”…A Youkai”
”The story goes that they appear as a symbol of evil deeds when a person has lied or sinned too much It's the same as the Futakuchi Onna But they do not have the ability to kill as they merely appear on the surface of the body”
Seeing one in an Intellectual Village was one thing, but it bothered reat metropolis of Tokyo
Youkai disliked ather in rural areas It was possible so that aspect of the Youkai so the Jinirls
The mystery freak put mustard on the hot sandhen it arrived which made the picky master frown
”These Jinmensou are a very serious problem when they appear in the sensitive adolescent school society You would likely be isolated if those around you found out sooes double for a girl's skin They hold irresponsible dreaards to their skin
”Would they really be purged like that?”
”It wouldn't be so bad with a siet hurt But a Jinmensou is a Youkai And it appears in response to lies and sins Not only does an ugly tue appear, but everyone assumes it's your fault These people can't help but be socially purged at an accelerated rate”
Isolation
Ostracism
A student who had no place in the inescapable frah fear to end their own life
Was that the issue the mystery freak orried about?
No
That did not include a ”criminal” which is what she would be most interested in
”I understand that this leaves a lot unknown about the appearance of the Jinmensou,” she continued ”But what if this is a Youkai-related Package that allows someone to freely make these face-shaped tuive this person the ability to ostracize any student in a school at any time Doesn't that sound like it would lead to criirls affected by it”
If that was true, it was indeed a problereat risk
If the situation only advanced below the surface due to the restrictions of a school society, talk of it could definitely spread around without the organizations of adults learning of it
But…
”…? What's wrong, detective?”
”Nothing”
I was unable to work up any motivation without a murder or a corpse and this seemed outside the usual realm of her twisted interests
”H unmotivated because it's outside the jurisdiction of Department 1?”
”My job can be rather vague You could say it's my job to resolve any major incidents or matters that are not handled by other departments”
And if I went back to the office, I would just be given another annoying job by the department chief
I decided tosick froe so I could avoid heading back for a while
”Let's do soation Where should we start?”
”shi+buya, of course I' someone there”
”Who?”
”One of the ruet anywhere without first seeing one of these Jinmensou for ourselves”
We rode the train to the ZR shi+buya station
”Did you irl on the internet?”
”Yes, but I'irl I was talking with Itto beco, detective”
”Just as you explained in the gyers It onlysome insurance Kee hee hee”
Please don't laugh like that Just thinking about hoard and nervous I was on that stage makes me want to die
We left the station and headed to a plaza surrounded by countless buildings The plaza doubled as a large bus roundabout and was often used as apoint
I beg you, Mr Uniforirl clinging to lare at me with such suspicion
”But this Jinht? Will she really open up to souy, I'm an adult, and I'm with the police That's three distinct boundaries”
”I'd say it depends on the person Soer than themselves”
”But that girl at your school held some pretty blatant hostility towards me What was her name? Tomoe-chan?”
”Hachikawa Tomoe-chan Her situation is a bit unique”
”No, people like you who can talk to a police officer so cheerfully are the exception”
”Oh, c'mon, detective Surely you don't think you're a whisky-drinking, trench coat-wearing, tough-looking nice guy who lives in a hard boiled world You're more like a cute little animal”
”I'll have to disagree if you're trying to say I fill the role of a mascot But anyway…”
I trailed off before I could continue
I sharpened ain
The mystery freak called out, ”Oh, it's Tomoe”
The sa our way from in front of a convenience store at the base of one of the large buildings surrounding the plaza
I suddenly recalled that she had said she would ”do this on her own”
”Hey, irl afflicted with a Jin about, is she?”
I received a blatant click of the tongue in response
But from Tomoe-chan rather than the mystery freak
”If that was the case, I wouldn't use such a roundabout method It would have been simpler just to talk with you at school”
”I suppose that's true”
”…You're such an idiot You had enough inforht about it at all, you would have known right away”
Yes, but it's ht away” dozens or even hundreds of ti the reaction of the people I ask
Hachikawa Tomoe-chan pointed at my nose
”Anyway, I don't need anyone as useless as you here If this shi+buya high school girl learns a policeht around and run away Then ill lose any hint we otten”
”So you're saying…um…”
”Hachikawa Hachikawa Tomoe”
I of course already knew that, but calling her by her name before she had introduced herself would only have increased her distrust ofdumb could be a real pain
”Hachikawa-san, are you here to contact the saami-san?”
”That's right I was the one that asked Enbi for help after irl online If I had known that would lead to so, I never would have done so!”
I felt a bit bad for the mystery freak, but this was the normal reaction
It would have been stranger if so to join a group of sensitive adolescent girls
However…
”We can talk about this later” I said
”…What?”