Chapter 113
At the end of this year, the internship for this class of Metropolitan Police Academy graduates ended, perfectly connecting with the New Year holidays.
Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei had made plans early on to travel together during the New Year holidays after spending New Year with their families—they had naturally invited Usuha Izuki as well.
So in the end, it was the three of them driving off together for vacation.
Due to certain social conventions, even Hagiwara Kenji, who had the closest relationship with Usuha Izuki, didn't ask how an orphan like Usuha Izuki spent New Year. Everyone stuck to unimportant topics in their conversations.
"We originally invited the class rep too, but he has to accompany his girlfriend." Hagiwara Kenji sighed. "Life with a girlfriend really is different from us bachelors."
Matsuda Jinpei rolled his eyes: "If you wanted to find a girlfriend, wouldn't it be easy? At every mixer, you're the one girls ask for contact info most, right?"
Hagiwara Kenji smiled: "If I went to accompany a girlfriend too, wouldn't that leave just you two traveling together? What if you're mistaken for bad guys and someone calls the police on you?"
"...Do you think having you along solves the problem?"
Matsuda Jinpei, who had naturally accepted the fact that standing next to Samukawa Shinryu made him easily mistaken for a bodyguard, couldn't help complaining: "Adding you would just be one more military strategist in passersby's eyes—not much difference!"
Hagiwara Kenji didn't want to accept this reality, having been popular since childhood: "Those were accidents."
Usuha Izuki had been listening to the two's comedy routine without speaking, only now chiming in with a finishing blow: "Even Shima-senpai and Senior Ibuki were mistaken for gang members, so it's normal for Kenji to continue being misunderstood."
Hagiwara Kenji was silent for a moment: "...Are you hinting that we should dump you right now?"
They were currently in Hagiwara Kenji's car, heading to a hot spring inn on a mountain, recommended by a girl Hagiwara Kenji had met at a mixer.
When considering where to vacation in winter, their first thought was hot spring inns, so Hagiwara Kenji remembered this place and decided to bring everyone to try it.
The car was almost at the foot of the mountain now. Even if they really dumped Usuha Izuki, he could climb up the mountain himself, so it was obviously a joke.
Usuha Izuki didn't seem to mind: "I can pretend not to know you, so others won't implicate you when they get the wrong idea."
"It's not necessary to go that far..." Matsuda Jinpei was speechless for a moment. "But your aura really is too strange. Isn't there some way to improve it? Like, don't be expressionless all the time—smile more often?"
Hagiwara Kenji quickly stopped him: "No, I think Little Shinryu is fine as he is now!"
Good lord, Jinpei was too naive! With Little Shinryu's appearance, smiling would only make people more afraid!
"Besides, I think the situation should improve this time." Hagiwara Kenji added.
There was indeed improvement. Hagiwara Kenji's Christmas gift to Usuha Izuki was a light khaki coat.
After all, dark colors created too much pressure. He hoped to use light-colored clothing to suppress Samukawa Shinryu's dangerous feeling.
As for the effect...
At the hot spring inn, the young woman greeting them had a somewhat stiff smile.
But at least she didn't look like she wanted to call the police, so there should be some effect.
The group was led to their reserved room.
Since it was three men anyway, there was no need to separate in this tatami room—they'd booked one room directly.
Everyone put down their luggage first, then checked the time.
"Let's rest a bit. They'll bring dinner when it's time." Matsuda Jinpei stretched his muscles. "My back's a bit sore..."
This type of inn had set dinner menus. They'd ask what you wanted when making reservations, then deliver it at the appointed time.
Hagiwara Kenji rolled his neck, hearing bones crack, equally tired: "Thinking about how the Mobile Investigation Unit has to sit for 24 hours like this makes it seem really tough. Are you still planning to stay with the Mobile Investigation Unit, Little Shinryu?"
"Ah, about that."
Usuha Izuki remembered he hadn't mentioned this yet: "Captain Kikyo talked to me. I'll probably be going to Criminal Investigation Division One afterward. Chief Odagiri directly requested me."
"Eh?" This was Hagiwara Kenji's first time hearing this, and he was a bit pleasantly surprised. "You're going to Criminal Investigation Division One too? We might be colleagues in the future."
Matsuda Jinpei didn't have strong feelings about Criminal Investigation Division One. He just liked the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, so he didn't feel left behind, only complaining: "At this timing, such a coincidence—maybe you won't just be colleagues but partners. Your military strategist label probably can't be removed."
Hagiwara Kenji hesitated: "In the future, everyone will wear uniforms."
Matsuda Jinpei didn't argue with him, just looked at Hagiwara Kenji with a "you'll see" expression.
Hagiwara Kenji's smile froze: "...It won't be that bad, will it?"
Usuha Izuki was quite self-aware: "I'll probably be mistaken for a corrupt cop. It's not the first time I've been complained about like that... But before, it was only criminals complaining about me. In the future, it might be ordinary people."
Hagiwara Kenji: "............"
The three joked around while lounging on the tatami for a while until the person delivering dinner arrived.
These tatami rooms with sliding doors had no locks. The staff would call out from outside and could slide the door open.
Originally, the entire hot spring inn had these types of rooms, but with the times' progress, the inn had made corresponding adjustments—the second floor was converted to Western-style rooms to meet various customer needs.
However, the person delivering dinner wasn't the young woman who had greeted them earlier, but a sturdy man.
He somewhat clumsily served everyone's food, then silently and quickly withdrew.
Matsuda Jinpei: "............"
Hagiwara Kenji: "............"
Usuha Izuki: "He doesn't seem to normally do this job."
Matsuda Jinpei couldn't help looking at Usuha Izuki, who had the nerve to speak up: "What do you think caused this?"
Wasn't it obviously because they didn't trust a delicate woman to serve them, so they temporarily reassigned someone who should be handling other work to deliver their food?!
Hagiwara Kenji reflected: "Is light khaki still not light enough..."
"I don't think it's a clothing problem..." Matsuda Jinpei held his forehead. "Besides, you don't wear coats indoors constantly. Once we change to yukatas, everyone will look similar."
Matsuda Jinpei felt Hagiwara Kenji now had strange filters regarding Samukawa Shinryu. What was wrong with admitting Samukawa Shinryu himself was very problematic?!
While Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei discussed, Usuha Izuki had already quietly started eating.
Since everyone had individual portions, he could eat his own without affecting others.
Although Matsuda Jinpei felt clothing had no effect, Usuha Izuki could actually tell that changing to different color tones did reduce the suspicion values he harvested slightly.
There was no help for it—color was also psychological suggestion. When he changed clothes, he'd already anticipated this partial loss.
However, on one hand, Usuha Izuki didn't want to waste Hagiwara Kenji's good intentions. The Christmas gift just given was perfect to wear. On the other hand, he did want to properly vacation.
People couldn't work constantly. Thinking about farming suspicion values every day and getting anxious when not reaching expected amounts wasn't sustainable—he needed a few days of relaxation without worries.
Besides, the suspicion values he'd farmed so far could exchange for four or five years of life as long as he didn't buy things from that money-pit system shop. He had room to relax.
Since this was vacation, he shouldn't be too calculating. Any suspicion values would be unexpected gains. So when Hagiwara Kenji deliberately gave him a blue and white yukata from the inn's random selection, Usuha Izuki accepted it with equanimity.
"Hmm..." Since discovering Usuha Izuki's mischievous nature, Matsuda Jinpei spoke without giving him face, saying whatever came to mind. Finding good results, he wasn't stingy with praise either: "This one's good. At least you won't make everyone quietly leave when you enter the hot spring."
Usuha Izuki pondered: "Then I want to wear your black one. That way we three could monopolize a hot spring pool."
Matsuda Jinpei: "............"
He knew this guy had a bad personality! Wasn't he completely using being easily misunderstood as a tool now?!
And seeming to really enjoy it?!!
Hearing Usuha Izuki's statement, even Hagiwara Kenji's filters were wearing thin, his mouth twitching: "Don't even think about it. When entering hot spring pools, you only wrap a towel anyway—what you wear now doesn't matter... Let's go, let's go. There are fewer people at this time, which is basically like monopolizing the hot spring pool..."
With Little Shinryu's mouth, no wonder Officer Shima complained to him every few days... But Little Shinryu really wasn't unable to speak properly—many times he was deliberate! This couldn't be taught! He'd tried educating him so many times without Little Shinryu changing!
Honestly, the most effective method Hagiwara Kenji had discovered was directly covering Samukawa Shinryu's mouth before he could say weird things. Nothing else worked.
The three went to the bathhouse, showered first, then wrapped in towels and walked to the outdoor hot spring pool.
Facts proved Hagiwara Kenji had done good research—there really weren't many people at this time. Without needing Usuha Izuki to scare anyone, they could monopolize this hot spring pool.
The three initially chatted, but soon fell into blissful silence.
Unfortunately, this tranquility and warmth didn't last long before a scream suddenly rang out.
Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei's eyes snapped open.
Matsuda Jinpei wiped his face: "Something happened?"
Since the women's bath was next door, Hagiwara Kenji didn't rush over there directly but called out loudly: "What happened? Do you need help?"
But no one responded to them. From the sounds next door, the screaming person seemed to have run straight back to the changing room.
Hagiwara Kenji frowned and exchanged glances with Matsuda Jinpei. Both stood up simultaneously, deciding to inquire.
Usuha Izuki also stood up, wanting to participate in the group activity.
But Hagiwara Kenji diplomatically stopped him: "Haven't we only been soaking for a little while? Keep soaking. Jinpei and I can handle things over there."
Matsuda Jinpei said with low emotional intelligence: "If you go too, something Hagi could figure out in two sentences would probably take half the day..."
Usuha Izuki: "............"
—Damn, they had experience now!