Chapter 43
If we're being honest, Onizuka class's reputation wasn't exactly reputation damage in the usual sense—the kind that makes people feel bad or terrible upon hearing it.
Rather, it was the type of reputation that people in the bureaucratic system would find troublesome and want to avoid.
After all, acting heroically and arresting criminals during off-duty hours—up to this point, no one would have any complaints about Police Academy students, and they'd even show appreciation. But causing an entire police station to be reported, making the chief get woken up by superiors in the middle of the night asking what happened, possibly having to stay up all night writing reports...
Everyone could only refuse with a triple rejection and maintain careful vigilance to avoid getting dragged down themselves.
In the workplace, regardless of whether what you do is good, if you cause trouble for those above you, you'll be disliked.
Good subordinates are supposed to take the blame for their superiors. The path taken by Onizuka class students was truly something to avoid at all costs.
Most importantly, once a reputation had flaws in certain aspects, there would be a slippery slope effect. Originally normal incidents would become distorted in the telling.
Now Inspector Megure couldn't help but mutter to himself—Onizuka class had many problem students; could there be a Police Academy student murder case?
No wait, he couldn't confirm that the other party was really a Police Academy student and Assistant Instructor. What if they were brazen fraudsters?
"Sorry, please register your identities." Inspector Megure was extremely alert. During registration, he checked both their documents and even had someone quietly call the Police Academy to confirm before believing Hagiwara Kenji's claims.
...Only now everyone's feelings were even more complicated.
What exactly was the situation at the Police Academy? Even if they were short-staffed, they couldn't lower their standards! Why could someone like Samukawa Shinryu, who looked like he was sent to infiltrate the police, pass the interview?!
After confirming their identities, everyone finally had basic trust. Only then did Usuha Izuki ask: "What exactly happened? Can I go in and take a look?"
They'd been standing in the entryway to living room area for ages—wasn't this a bit excessive?
Inspector Megure was very hesitant: "Well, inside is currently a crime scene undergoing investigation..."
Theoretically, they should let the current resident see the situation—maybe they could discover details they hadn't noticed. But facing Samukawa Shinryu's face, Inspector Megure inexplicably couldn't bring himself to say such words.
What if evidence got destroyed?!
No wait, he was at the Police Academy last night and had an alibi...
At this moment, more people gradually gathered at the entrance, apparently arguing with the police at the door about something.
Inspector Megure called out: "What's wrong?"
The police officer outside quickly came to report: "Inspector, it's the people from upstairs."
Since the door was open, as the speaker approached, the voices became increasingly clear: "Since the death was on the second floor, what does it have to do with me living on the fourth floor? Even if someone jumped from my place and died, they'd die on the third floor! It must be the third floor that has problems."
"What do you mean by that?" The third-floor resident wasn't having it. "I was exhausted when I got home yesterday and fell asleep right in the entryway without even taking off my clothes. Where would I get the energy to kill someone!"
"I didn't say you killed anyone. Isn't there still the second-floor resident..."
Inspector Megure's head was pounding. Since the junior officer's words didn't carry weight, he quickly went out to maintain order: "Alright, alright, everyone, please quiet down. We're not calling you here because we've determined you're murderers—we just have some questions to ask... Do any of you know the deceased? His name is Kato Izumi."
Usuha Izuki followed behind and walked out, very cooperatively being the first to answer: "Don't know him."
The other two suspects who were about to answer silently closed their mouths and just looked at him: "..........."
One of them was silent for several seconds, then instead of answering the question, took a step back and asked hesitantly: "Isn't this person the murderer?"
Inspector Megure: "...No, this person is just a resident of this room, same as you all, just called to ask about the situation..."
The fourth-floor resident's expression changed repeatedly: "I don't know any deceased person. I think this has nothing to do with me. Since he died in his house, wouldn't it be obvious that he killed the person if you just investigate him?"
"We can't be so hasty..."
Inspector Megure had just begun when the agent interrupted very excitedly.
"Impossible! If it were Samukawa-san, he absolutely wouldn't leave such an obvious crime scene!!!"
Everyone: "..........."
The fourth and third-floor residents showed obvious expressions of "see, I told you this guy was problematic."
Inspector Megure looked at Usuha Izuki with an even stranger expression and asked the agent: "Do you know something?"
Hagiwara Kenji couldn't help but hold his forehead: "This is just a misunderstanding. Little Shinryu has an alibi..."
"Alibis can be faked!" The fourth-floor resident was clearly prejudiced against Usuha Izuki and, emboldened by the police presence, stubbornly said, "Maybe he's doing the opposite, trying to make people think ordinary murderers wouldn't be so brazen in their own homes, using this to clear suspicion..."
Just then, a police officer emerged from the room with a serious expression, leaning close to Inspector Megure's ear and whispering: "Inspector, there's something wrong with this room. The underside of the tatami has lots of dried bloodstains..."
While speaking, he looked suspiciously at Usuha Izuki, his posture suggesting he was ready to pounce and arrest him at any moment.
Inspector Megure's expression became grave, somewhat uncertain: "What? Really?"
Did the principal really misjudge? What kind of person did they admit to the Police Academy?! The Police Academy's reputation...
After exchanging glances with his colleagues, Inspector Megure coughed: "How long has Samukawa-san been living in this room?"
"Not long." Usuha Izuki said. "I moved in about a month after someone died here."
The police officers: "...???"
Hagiwara Kenji glanced inside from the doorway, seeing police lifting tatami mats, and felt like he understood something: "Excuse me, Inspector Megure, someone died in this room several months ago. The tatami and such weren't replaced, so the bloodstains should be from the previous murder case. Little Shinryu hasn't been living here very long."
"Ah... oh..." Inspector Megure turned into dot-eyes. "Haha, so that's how it is... I don't remember this case..."
Hagiwara Kenji considerately replied: "Since the perpetrator confessed, you probably didn't come to the scene."
The third-floor resident kept checking his watch: "Sorry, I don't know the deceased and can't help you with anything. Can I leave first? Otherwise, customers will be stolen by others."
The fourth-floor resident wasn't to be outdone: "I don't know the deceased either. I still have work. I want to leave too."
Inspector Megure could only gently dissuade them: "Please don't be hasty. At least tell us where both of you were last night?"
Third-floor resident: "I was sleeping at home. No one can prove it for me."
Fourth-floor resident: "I was drinking outside. The bar owner should be able to testify, though I forgot when I came back... What about him?" The fourth-floor resident didn't hide his suspicion of Usuha Izuki at all. "Where was he last night? Have you investigated his alibi?"
Inspector Megure found it hard to speak: "Uh, regarding Samukawa-san..."
What to do? He felt like saying it would just smear the Police Academy's reputation! So difficult!
Usuha Izuki didn't care about the Police Academy's reputation at all and said very calmly: "I was at the Police Academy last night."
The two suspects: "........???"
Clearly neither had expected this answer. The fourth-floor one directly stuttered.
"P-Police Academy? You... what exactly do you do?"
"Future police officer." Usuha Izuki looked thoughtfully at the fourth-floor person. "What did you think I did? You've seen me before, haven't you? Why did you pretend it was your first time knowing I lived here?"
The fourth-floor resident's expression became somewhat panicked: "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You thought that if it were me, I might not have an alibi I could tell the police, and even if I did, it would make the police suspicious. So you put the body at my place, thinking the police would focus on investigating my identity and whereabouts."
Though it was all speculation, his tone was very certain, his dark red eyes coldly watching the fourth-floor resident.
"And you."
The dark-haired youth suddenly turned to look at the third-floor resident: "You and he are actually very familiar, but you're pretending not to know each other in front of the police to mislead them and rule out the possibility of collaborative murder."
"W-wait...!" The third-floor resident panicked. "Are you just going to let him make wild accusations like this?! The Police Academy actually admits this kind of person who randomly accuses people of murder?! This kind of person will become a police officer in the future? Don't joke around! What if he's at the Police Academy—can't people climb walls to get out?"
Usuha Izuki: "I'm not making wild accusations. These are things I observed. Words can be disguised, but the eye contact, expressions, and physical distance between you cannot be disguised."
The fourth-floor resident interrupted him: "He might be trying to get the Police Academy to provide his alibi..."
Hagiwara Kenji sighed: "That's not possible. He couldn't have snuck out of the Police Academy last night..."
"How can you prove it?!" The fourth-floor resident was aggressive. "Did you sleep with him all night?!"
"It's actually not appropriate for me to discuss this matter, but given the circumstances, I can only say it."
Hagiwara Kenji rubbed his temples: "Actually, there was an incident within the Police Academy yesterday. The higher-ups dealt with the problem all night, and he, as an important witness, could be called for questioning at any time. If they called him and found he wasn't in his dormitory, wouldn't that prove he'd snuck out to do bad things? Anyone with brains would know not to take this risk."
Everyone: ".................."
Hagiwara Kenji added: "Besides, he has no motive for murder. He doesn't even know the deceased."
"...Hitmen don't need to know their targets either." The third-floor person seemed unable to accept this situation. "Maybe the deceased saw him doing something illegal and was silenced..."
"We already said he's a Police Academy student..."
"I see." Usuha Izuki pondered. "So you thought I was a hitman. No wonder the frame-up was so crude. Unfortunately, I've been at the Police Academy for a month and only returned once, with total time outside adding up to less than half a day. Police station records can prove my whereabouts. Trying to divert police attention through me probably won't work."
After a pause, he said carelessly: "But even though I'm a Police Academy student, it indeed doesn't rule out the possibility that I'm also a hitman... Well, let me ask—do you hope I'm just a framed Police Academy student, or do you hope I really am a hitman? I should mention that current evidence isn't enough to send me to prison. At most, I'd cooperate with the investigation for a few days before coming back..."
Inspector Megure, standing behind Usuha Izuki, thought this was a strange question.
But oddly, the other two suspects, for some reason, suddenly started shaking like sieves after hearing this, with visible cold sweat streaming down their faces.
"Officer! I want to confess! I also want to report! It was this guy who first suggested murder! He said he had a way to get away with it! He said Samukawa was a hitman and the police would definitely arrest Samukawa first. I just believed his words..."
"Nonsense! You were clearly the one who first said why wouldn't that bastard Kato die! You hoped he'd drop dead!"
"I was swindled out of less money, but you were defrauded of your entire fortune and went into debt. Obviously you hated him more!"
With their self-exposures, Inspector Megure finally understood the relationship between these people.
To put it bluntly, it would indeed be difficult to investigate that they knew each other well on the surface, because the three of them had met in a cult. The deceased had swindled money from two of them. After belatedly realizing this, they used "I have more money to give you" as an excuse to lure the deceased out, killed him, then planned to frame their downstairs neighbor.
Simply because they thought Samukawa Shinryu looked like someone with cases on his back who couldn't withstand investigation. As long as the two of them cooperated and made police think they had a bad relationship, with the murder scene on the fourth floor and the third floor being most easily suspected, as long as they concealed the method of relay-transporting the body via the balcony, the police would push the blame onto Samukawa Shinryu to close the case quickly.
The two said in unison: "Officer! Even if we're not innocent! Doesn't that guy have any problems at all?! You must investigate him thoroughly!!!"
"...You've watched too many dramas." Inspector Megure's face was full of speechlessness. "Most police officers are quite responsible, okay? And this has nothing to do with Samukawa-san. Don't act like you only got vindictive after seeing Samukawa-san... As for Samukawa-san's situation, the Police Academy must have investigated long ago..."
Hagiwara Kenji felt Little Shinryu was really catching strays while lying down.
"Look on the bright side." Usuha Izuki himself didn't seem to feel anything and could even comfort others. "If all criminals are at this level, the case-solving rate will definitely go up. Just give it some time—this case is still quite easy to solve."
"...True. At least this time the instructor can rest assured. The problem isn't really with you—you're just a bit unlucky." Hagiwara Kenji sighed.
Having said that, he felt it was good he came along. Otherwise, wouldn't Little Shinryu have to face suspicion from both criminals and police with no one to speak for him?
Since the case was solved, Usuha Izuki and Hagiwara Kenji didn't plan to get involved in what came next. The two chatted as they went downstairs.
"But even with all this, they still thought you were a hitman." Hagiwara Kenji found it both funny and speechless. "You should say fewer things that could be misunderstood."
Usuha Izuki complained: "With their intelligence level, thinking such crude methods were perfect and believing I'd threaten them in front of police is normal. These people are more afraid of hitmen than police... But for such a simple case to take so long, police efficiency is too low."
"After all, without reasonable cause, there's no way to search their rooms. They had to follow procedure first and ask about their situations." Hagiwara Kenji still spoke up for them. "Fortunately, the balconies on both sides of your place are far apart, or there would be even more people to question. They can't just search everyone's homes right away—that would really make the news..."
Hagiwara Kenji thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. He instinctively turned his head but saw nothing.
...Must be an illusion. Was he missing them because it had been so long since they'd met? Whatever, he needed to find the car first. Where had he parked it just now...
At the same time, Morofushi Hiromitsu, who had ducked into the shadow of a building, wore a grave expression.
Encountering classmates by chance and discovering they were doing well should have been good news, but his discovery really didn't make him happy.
What was wrong with that Hagiwara Kenji guy? When had he gotten so close to gang members?! Even if you like making friends, there should be limits! Making friends with just anyone will only harm you!
But speaking of which, that person beside him looked somewhat familiar...
Undercover police officer Morofushi Hiromitsu fell into deep thought.