harleyscars Page 44
Page 44
Yuuki Takada looked at the delicious fish in the bowl, paused for a moment, then picked up his chopsticks and said softly, "...Okay, thank you, Sato."
Outside the window, the sky was getting brighter, and the number of pedestrians and vehicles on the street was gradually increasing.
A new day begins.
For Yuki Takada, he used to walk mostly in the dark.
But on this morning, in this small breakfast shop, the person sitting across from him stirred something strange within him, slowly unlocking the chains that bound his heart.
Although there was an insurmountable distance between the two, that faint light was enough to make people feel a brief, almost luxurious warmth beneath the cold facade.
And this warmth may be quietly changing something.
Chapter 67 Sato Miwako's Invitation
After breakfast, the feeling of fullness from the food dispelled the fatigue of the two who had stayed up all night.
Yuki Takada and Miwako Sato walked together back to the Metropolitan Police Department, the morning sunlight now almost blinding.
The streets suddenly became incredibly lively, filled with the hurried figures of commuters and the noise of vehicles.
"Ah... it's true that you get sleepy when you're full." Sato Miwako couldn't help but yawn slightly, a few tears welling up in her eyes. "But thinking about the pile of reports waiting for me, all my sleepiness vanished instantly."
Yuuki Takada glanced at her sideways and replied casually, "Yes, the subsequent paperwork is indeed tedious."
“Especially you, Takada-senpai, as the one in charge, your report must be much longer than mine, at least a thicker stack,” Sato Miwako said with a hint of sympathy, then clenched her fist to encourage herself, “But it’s okay!”
"The sooner I finish writing, the sooner I can go home and catch up on sleep! Keep it up!"
Her optimism, however, exuded a strange feeling, attempting to penetrate the invisible barriers surrounding Yuki Takada.
Yuuki Takada didn't respond, but quickened his pace slightly. "Let's go back and finish the rest of the report as soon as possible."
Back in the office of the First Investigation Division's Violent Crimes Section 3, just as expected, although the case had been solved, the atmosphere was not completely relaxed.
Inspector Megure was standing in the middle of the office area with a teacup in his hand. When he saw them come in, he nodded in acknowledgment.
"Brother Takada, Sato, you've worked hard. I heard the arrest operation went very smoothly for you two last night."
"Yes, Inspector Megure. It's all thanks to Inspector Takada's decisive decision and actions." Sato Miwako immediately stood up straight and reported, habitually attributing the credit to Takada Yuuki.
Yuuki Takada bowed slightly: "It's the result of everyone's cooperation. The suspect has also completed the initial interrogation."
Inspector Megure nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. We'll await your report on the details."
"Brother Takada, I'll leave the report to you. Sato, you'll be assisting Inspector Takada."
"Yes!" Sato Miwako replied with a resolute look in her eyes.
The two then immersed themselves in the stack of documents in front of them.
Yuki Takada sat at his workstation, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
The logic is clear and the details of the case and the arrest are presented in a well-organized manner.
Of course, the part about his own intuition and extraordinary performance was cleverly packaged by his years of experience and observation as a police officer.
Meanwhile, Miwako Sato was organizing the list of evidence, witness statements, and other supporting materials.
Occasionally, when they encounter details that need to be confirmed, they will lean over and ask in a low voice.
"Takada-senpai, is this the exact angle from which Yamamoto Kenichi charged?"
"Takada-senpai, should this message on Shimazaki Nobuo's phone be specially marked?"
Her hair would occasionally brush against the corner of his table as she leaned over, carrying a faint scent of coffee and shampoo.
Yuki Takada maintained a professional attitude throughout, answering questions concisely while keeping his eyes mostly on the computer screen and documents.
Only when Miwako Sato inadvertently gets too close, or when her overly bright eyes look at him intently with a questioning gaze, will his fingers pause for a fraction of a second while typing.
Other colleagues in the office arrived one after another, and the atmosphere gradually became lively upon learning that the case had been successfully resolved.
"Inspector Takada, you've solved another case brilliantly!" an older detective greeted him with a smile.
"Sato, it seems you've learned a lot from Inspector Takada this time, haven't you? I reckon it won't be long before you're able to handle things on your own."
"Honestly, you two stayed up all night to finish this, which puts a lot of pressure on those of us who leave work on time."
Faced with his colleagues' teasing and praise, Yuki Takada simply nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Miwako Sato responded with a smile, "Not at all, the seniors have much more experience, I still have a lot to learn."
And so, the two continued to immerse themselves in writing the report.
During lunch break, Sato Miwako went to the cafeteria and bought a bento box.
"Inspector Takada, I don't know if it suits your taste, but the pork cutlet bento in the cafeteria looks pretty good today." Sato Miwako placed a still-steaming bento on the corner of Takada Yuuki's table, then took another one and sat back down in the seat next to him.
Yuki Takada typed the final paragraph of his report, looked at the exquisite bento box, paused for a moment, then reached into his pocket to take out his wallet. Just as he was about to take out cash from his wallet and hand it to Miwako Sato, he finished writing the report.
But then she heard her voice from the side: "It's alright, Inspector Takada, consider it a thank you gift for breakfast." Sato Miwako laughed heartily and started unpacking her own bento box.
"Thank you, you've gone to so much trouble." Yuuki Takada replied simply, then put down his busy work and unwrapped the bento box.
The two of them quietly ate their lunch at their desk.
Some colleagues went out to eat together, while others, busy with their work, took care of their tasks at their desks. The sounds of chatting, phone calls, and keyboard clicks created the unique background noise of the police station at lunchtime.
This kind of daily, almost mundane interaction gave Yuuki Takada a strange sense of disconnect.
On one hand, there are the tasks assigned by the organization, requiring a concealed identity and constantly improving abilities to deal with the dark world.
On the other hand, there's the routine work of police officers under the sun, the ordinary care among colleagues, and... a whole host of other crime-fighting tasks.
In the afternoon, the main body of the report was basically completed.
Yuki Takada printed it out and did a final proofreading.
Miwako Sato was called away by Inspector Megure to handle follow-up work on some other cases.
As the setting sun began to gild the office windows, Yuuki Takada placed a thick stack of reports on Inspector Megure's desk.
"Inspector Megure, this is a detailed report on the murder of Shimazaki Nobuo and the arrest of Yamamoto Kenichi. Please take a look."
"Not bad, not bad." Inspector Megure glanced through it and nodded in satisfaction. "Very efficient, and the content is very detailed. Thank you for your hard work, Takada. You can leave work on time today."
"Yes." Yuuki Takada breathed a sigh of relief. After more than thirty hours of being on edge, he finally felt the exhaustion wash over him like a tidal wave.
He returned to his seat, began tidying his desk and packing his things, preparing to leave.
Sato Miwako had just finished her work and returned. Seeing his actions, her eyes crinkled into a smile: "Takada-senpai, are you going back?"
"Yes. The report has been submitted." Yuuki Takada picked up his coat.
"Great, I'll be right there too." Sato Miwako quickly packed her things. "Shall we go downstairs together?"
Yuki Takada did not refuse.
Inside the elevator, only the two of them remained. The small space quieted down, and the atmosphere seemed to return to that delicate state of the early morning.
“Takada-senpai…” Sato Miwako suddenly spoke, her voice clear amidst the low hum of the elevator, “Thank you for breakfast today…”
Yuuki Takada paused for a moment before realizing she was referring to breakfast: "...No, I should be thanking you for lunch."
Miwako Sato laughed: "So we're even now?"
"By the way?" Sato Miwako glanced at the other person, gently smoothed her hair with her right hand, and slowly uttered, "Takada-senpai, are you free this weekend?"
"I have time..." Yuuki Takada took out his phone, glanced at it, and said casually, "What's up?"
“That’s great.” Sato Miwako continued to ask, “I happen to have two movie tickets. I was planning to go with my best friend, but she had something come up. How about we go together, Takada-senpai, as a way of repaying you for treating me last night?”
Yuuki Takada glanced at the text message on his phone, barely paying attention to what Miwako Sato was saying, and casually agreed, "Okay! I agree."
Her smile held a hint of slyness and ease.
The elevator arrived at the first floor, and the doors slowly opened.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Takada-senpai." Sato Miwako stepped out of the elevator first, turned around and waved to him, her smile particularly clear in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Yuuki Takada stood in the elevator, watching her figure disappear into the flow of people leaving get off work. He remained silent for a moment before muttering to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it:
"……See you tomorrow."
"and many more……"
Did I just promise her something?
After all, Yuuki Takada had been looking at his phone the whole time and thought the organization had assigned him another mission, before remembering what Miwako Sato had said.
He unconsciously muttered to himself, "A movie?"
Wait... Miwako Sato invited me to go to the movies with her?
What's going on here?!
Yuki Takada walked out of the Metropolitan Police Department building, the setting sun casting a long shadow over him.
The surrounding noise seemed to be separated from him by an invisible membrane.
The unusual suggestion by Miwako Sato to go to the movies was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool; after the ripples subsided, the pool remained unfathomably deep, cold and dark, leaving Yuuki Takada somewhat at a loss.
He stepped into the crowd, heading towards a darker world—a world completely opposite to his identity as a police officer, a world where he needed to hide all his weaknesses.
Perhaps it will become a faint but persistent starlight that existed briefly at the bottom of this icy pool.
Chapter 68 Sudden Emergency Situations
Yuki Takada stood in front of the Metropolitan Police Department building, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a long shadow of him.
The surrounding area was bustling with people leaving get off work, their laughter and chatter seemingly coming from another world.
Sato Miwako's invitation echoed in his mind, and a rare sense of panic rose in his heart.
Movie?
Dating?
This was completely beyond his expectations of their relationship.
As a pawn planted in the Metropolitan Police Department by the organization, he should have kept his distance from his colleagues, especially astute police officers like Sato.
But for some reason, when he saw the expectant look in her eyes, he inexplicably agreed.