Song inspiration for this chapter: "ACUTE" (cover by clear×ヲタみん×セリユ)
Chapter 01: "Where We Belong"
My belly touched the compacted earthen ground as I lay prone within the brush. I was overlooking a rough and winding dirt path that led to a bridge, the rusted red tops of its metal towers could be seen peeking above the trees.
Millions of years of erosion from the river below had made the cliff walls into sheer vertical heights, forcing me to engage the enemy closer than I, being a marksman, would have been comfortable with. At this distance I would have preferred an assault rifle or carbine, but we had none to spare, so I had no choice but to go with the dedicated sniper.
We had gotten word that an enemy force was coming to investigate the disappearance of one of their squads from two nights before. They could not be allowed to even catch a glimpse of our compound. So we set up an ambush at one of the many choke points we had scouted out.
My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of loud diesel engines. Their rough mechanical whirl echoing off the stone walls, instantly overpowering the sounds of fauna within the jungle. I look through my scope and see the tell-tale sign of black exhaust smoke.
"What do you see...?" A voice next to me asks, before cheekily adding. "... Sarge?"
"Stuff it, Hikaru."
My answer was brusque and was met with a chuckle. I sigh before giving my observation.
"Two trucks, open tops. Eight guys, no… ten maybe? Probably ten."
I can hear Hikaru rummaging through his belt as he pulls out a flashlight. Although the light wouldn't illuminate anything in the middle of the day, it could still act as a method of communication if your allies knew where to look. Hikaru moved his flashlight in a cross three times, letting the rest of the team know that nearly a dozen bad guys were on the way. [1]
The caravan of cars continues down the road, coming closer to our desired location. I could see the faces of the soldiers in the group, some covered with scarves, while others proudly displayed their heads. All were armed with wooden and steel guns: AK-47's, the age-old rifle from Russia that became the symbol of revolution and rebellion all over the world. Cheap and plentiful, it was a common sight to see them proliferate throughout this war-torn region.
They arrive at a downed tree, it's trunk having fallen across the road and blocking their progress. The two cars come to a halt. To my pleasure they were staggered, giving me full view of the driver's seat of both cars. They began yelling at one another, my rudimentary grasp of the language letting me know that an argument had begun over who should move the obstruction. The laziness one would expect from untrained soldiers, I guess. No matter.
"Hikaru, give me a bearing at the point of contact."
"Uhhh, 70 meters? Give or take one or two." Hikaru responded, eyeballing the distance between us and the enemy.
The men in the back of the trucks all get off now, the caravan having decided to work together to move the tree. I can feel my shoulders and arms tense momentarily, but my training kicks in and I force myself to take a deep breathe and let it out slowly, allowing my body to loosen itself up. Not yet, I told my body, I had to be calm.
Four men had separated, two of them holding a rope in hand and began to tie it around the body of the tree. I see the cautiousness of the enemy disappear as they underwent their task. None were on watch, no one even giving their surroundings a cursory glance. They made the error of relaxing while out in the open in the middle of a civil war where both sides used guerilla tactics without restraint. Amateur mistake. A fatal one.
I made my move.
I pressed the trigger once, the 7.62 by 51 millimeter standard NATO round of my sniper flew through the air and punched a hole through the windshield of one of the vans. Killing the driver instantly. As soon as the bullet had left the barrel, my arms were already in motion. I slid the bolt back to eject the spent shell, before pushing it forward again to load my next shot with practiced precision. I confirmed the kill with Hikaru in a single phrase.
"One dead."
I had adjusted my aim before the enemy could even react, pinning down and eliminating the second driver with a quickness.
"Two dead."
With drivers out of action, the enemy had no easy way to retreat, and my team knew this. My second shot was their signal to come out of their hiding spots, springing the ambush and engaging the enemy. Our opponents weren't dull by any means, and quickly took whatever cover they could and attempted to fire back.
"Hikaru, they're holed up in that ditch," I inform my spotter. "Can you smoke em out?"
"Way ahead of you."
I feel him lift from his prone position into a crouch, but then immediately it was followed by a sound like a bag of potatoes had hit the ground next to me.
I remove my eye from the scope and look over. Hikaru was motionless on the floor and had a clean hole in his forehead that began to ooze with blood. The enemy had no idea of our presence over here, and this was likely the result of a stray bullet from the gunfight up ahead, either from an enemy or ally.
Who knows? It was simply a case of supremely bad luck either way.
Something oblong awkwardly wobbled out of Hikaru's hands. It was the size of a baseball and had a dark green bubbly surface.
A grenade, and one without a pin.
My eyes widen at the realization, and I quickly roll over and cover my face as all sounds are swallowed by a ringing noise and my world goes white.
Δ▼Δ
My eyes snap open and I raise my head, now suddenly awake in…
"Hikki?"
… a very familiar room.
"Hikki…?"
The light from a low setting summer sun illuminated the room in a warm orange glow through the large windows at one end of the room. Tables and chairs were stacked haphazardly in a corner. A comfortable and inviting space.
"... Hikki…?"
I turn my head from left to right. The same old whiteboard. The same old door. The same old table that I sat at the end of, with two other chairs being the only other used pieces of furniture in use. This was the storage room that was turned into the headquarters of our beloved Service Club. Something tugs at my heartstrings as I look at my two clubmates who -
"HIKKI!?"
I jumped in my seat, startled by the shout of Yuigahama Yui, my bubbly and boisterous classmate who I had just gotten close to last year. Her pink hair was tied into her trademark bun. I looked at her in fright and saw vivacious brown eyes that were narrowed in annoyance and her cute face scrunched into a pout. I couldn't help but think that she looked like a chipmunk with her puffed cheeks.
"Uhh… what's up?" I ask lamely.
"Mou, Hikki! I was calling you for the longest time you know!?" Her cheeks puff in anger. "But you kept ignoring me! Yukinon was telling us something important and you didn't even say anything when we asked you a question!"
"Yuigahama-san." Scolded a smooth voice that was as clear as a bell. "While I understand your displeasure, we must remind ourselves of Hikigaya-kun's condition. Being able to sleep upright with his eyes open are symptoms of a strange new disease called Hiki-somnia."
My eyes turned to stare at the speaker of this insult. Sitting in her chair with a straight posture, Yukinoshita Yukino was a majestic figure. Black hair and blue eyes on a beautiful and calm face, one that earned the imagination of many, as well as cruelty from others. Those eyes full of mirth were accompanied by a small teasing smile.
The strangest feeling of longing bubbles in my chest, as if I hadn't seen these two in years. Which made no sense, I see them for club activities almost every school day. That dream must have really messed me up.
"Sorry… didn't mean to space out." I apologize with sincereness I never knew I was capable of.
Yukinoshita and Yuigahama looked surprised at my words. Their eyes opening momentarily before giving me identical exasperated expressions and gentle smiles.
"C'mon Hikki…"
"Really now…?"
I rub the back of my head in embarrassment.
"So you were saying? Something about Yukinoshita?"
Yuigahama nods her head vigorously, making me scared that her neck might break under the force. Yukinoshita clears her throat.
"As you all know, I am traveling abroad… to do my higher education overseas."
Oh yeah. That.
"And, and, and!" Yuigahama interrupts raising a fist in the air. "Me and Yukinon decided to make a promise!"
"A promise?" I parrot back. This was news to me…
"Yup!" Yuigahama gives a bright smile before scooting her chair over and wrapping an arm around a now embarrassed Yukinoshita. "We promised that when Yukinon comes back to Japan for good we all have to meet up! All three of us! The Service Club Reunion!"
"Well, the Service Club hasn't ended yet, so we can't really call it a reunion." Explains Yukinoshita as she gives Yuigahama a tender look. "But that is what we talked about. So what about you, Hikigaya-kun?"
A sense of déjà vu hits me and I feel a need to respond, to say something. My heart beats wildly against my ribcage, causing my body to shake in agony with every powerful pump. But when I open my mouth, no sound comes out. My throat doesn't vibrate any of the air to form the words I want to express. I was drowning in a sea of air.
Yukinoshita looks concerned at my movements.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you alright?"
"Cat got your tongue?"
Of course she would say that.
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"Hachiman?"
Hold on. Did Yukinoshita just call me by my given name? Impossible.
"Hachiman!"
"HACHIMAN!"
Δ▼Δ
"HACHIMAN!"
And so, I woke up for the second time this morning. I blearily open my eyes to see a girl with purple eyes and long black hair in a white and blue uniform shaking my body violently.
"Hachiman! It's time to get up!" exclaims Tsurumi Rumi angrily as she pulls the covers away, exposing me to the cold air of my climate controlled room. I clumsily reach out and grab my cell phone that was charging next to me. I tap the screen twice to wake the device and was met with tall white numbers indicating it was 6:55 AM.
"It's too early." I groan and fling my head back into the pillows. "Isn't it my day off? It's Wednesday!"
Rumi was having none of it today it would seem, as she painfully poked my ribs.
"Uncle Kenji said you had a new case." She poked again to make sure I got the message. "Shizuka asked me to come over to wake you up. We know how uncoordinated you are in the mornings."
"Okay, okay," I surrender and get off the bed. "I get it. I'm up."
Rumi gives me a once over before walking out of my room. I yawn and stretch wide before heading to the bathroom in the hallway right outside the bedroom door to begin my morning rituals. I brush my teeth quickly and begin splashing cold water over my face to wash away the sleep that still clung to it.
As I'm towel dry, I catch a reflection of myself in the mirror. I didn't change too much physically from high school. My hair was still messy, except now it was longer, with bangs covering my forehead now. My face lost its baby fat and was more angular, as was the rest of my body. Combined with my ever present 'dead-fish' eyes, it made me look even more imposing and unappealing than before. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as they say.
I made no attempt to comb my hair and step into the living room, gazing over my home.
I had moved out of Chiba some few years ago, and came to live in this apartment complex in Shibuya, Tokyo because of work. The apartment was located in the residential areas and was quite spacious if a little pricey. Located on the 9th floor, the flat was composed of a single living room, one bathroom, one kitchen, a tatami lounge, and one bedroom. I had turned the tatami lounge into a spare bedroom since I was more likely to have a single person overnight rather than a group of friends to relax with.
I sit down at the dining table, waiting patiently for Rumi who soon places down breakfast on the table before me.
"Thanks for the meal."
It was simple and traditional: grilled mackerel, rice, some pickled vegetables from last night, and miso soup. Mornings like these were becoming commonplace, and I was beginning to worry if I was getting accustomed to this. Then again, Komachi did cook for me all the time back in the day.
Wow, I'm being super sentimental this morning. What gives?
My thoughts are interrupted by Rumi shaking my shoulder. She hands me a glass of water an amber vial.
"I know," I respond softly and carefully take the items. "I wasn't going to forget. Thanks though."
I pop open the cap and place the appropriate pills on my tongue before chasing them down with some water. Rumi nods and sits down at the table to begin breakfast. Only when I see her take a bite of her rice do I start to dig in myself.
"Huh, the miso soup tastes different today," I comment as I take a sip.
"You noticed?" Rumi says absentmindedly. "I tried using katsuobushi this time around."[2]
"Not bad..."
Our conversation ended there as we finished the meal. I helped Rumi with the cleanup, throwing away the scraps into the trash before handing the plates over to her to wash in the sink.
Dressing for work was tedious but had a satisfying feel to it. I wear some black slacks and shrug on a light blue dress shirt. I sling a black tie across my shoulders and return to the living room. Rumi is near the entrance, removing her apron and hanging it on the back of one of the chairs. She was in the middle of slipping on her shoes with school bag in hand, preparing to leave by the looks of it.
"Hey Rumi, you need a ride to school?"
"It's fine, Hachiman." she declines with a shake of her head. "Besides, your car attracts too much attention."
I shrug. Can't argue with logic like that. I watch as she exits the apartment, giving me a small wave before closing the front door.
I open the closest and hanging from a hook was a set of leather straps that I wrap around my shoulders. I stretch to make sure it wasn't too tight, but still taut enough to not get in my way if I do any rigorous movements. I double check my access to the holster before reaching inside the closet once more. I pull a small plastic drawer and pull out a gun. A Heckler & Koch P30L to be precise.
I inspect the empty weapon as I usually do, pulling the slide once or twice to and checking the tension on the dual action trigger. I reached further into the drawer and fished out a match weight that I attached to the muzzle. When everything seemed to be in working order, I grabbed a few loaded magazines and insert one into my P30L before placing the extras into a few of the pockets my shoulder holster conveniently provided.
This process was one I did every morning without fail, whether I had work or not. Having a gun on my person was similar to a baby needing a security blanket to remain calm.
I grab a black suit jacket from its hanger before closing the closet door. I finish gathering my things and put on black loafers before leaving my apartment. On the elevator ride down to the lobby, I briefly consider driving to work, but quickly shoot the idea down when I consider the traffic I might experience during rush hour. It was a better idea to go with public transportation this morning.
Oh crap, did I remember to lock my door?
It was a relatively cool summer morning, the shadows from the skyscrapers fell over the roads and sidewalks; providing shade that made for a pleasant feeling.
"The train for Kasumigaseki is now approaching the station. The train for Kasumigaseki is now approaching the station. Please stand away from the platform edge."
A silver train pulls up in front of me, and I join the rest of the morning passengers in the car. It was an uneventful morning in Tokyo. Everyone was bustling to and fro, and today was no exception.
My eyes naturally begin to wander over my fellow humans. Office workers who were fortunate enough to get seats were trying to catch up on sleep, while others wore panicked expressions because they were late to work.
Near me, students were chatting quietly to one another, the latest gossip from school being traded at light speed. I smiled inwardly when their conversation landed upon Japanese literature. One of the girls moaning loudly that she had forgotten to do the assigned homework.
The walk from Kasumigaseki station to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was a short one, and I soon saw the multistoried building made of drab grey concrete and glass. It was surrounded by a park full of green trees, with police officers and other office workers milling around before the official start of the workday.
"Senpai!" a voice calls out, followed by harried footsteps. I turn my head to see a man of my height running up to me. He had brown hair that was combed over neatly, along with bright brown eyes. He wore a black suit similar to my own, but had a white shirt and tie instead. Of course, this goody-two-shoes would follow the dress protocol to the letter.
"Shiba." I acknowledge gruffly. "Mornin."
"Good morning, Senpai!" he says with a smile. "It's rare to see you at the office this early."
Meet Shiba Suzaku, my partner and fellow detective.
Shiba and I actually go back quite a bit. We went to the same high school and we had even worked together on the student council. He was Vice President at the time, and I was helping out the President because I owed her a favor. I only really had a few memories with him, primarily dealing with the debacle that was the collab Christmas Party with a rival high school as well as the equally disastrous Cross Dressers Night (to this day, I still don't know how we got that to be approved).
"Look, we're not in high school anymore. And you've been working for the police longer than I have. Enough with the 'Senpai' nonsense." I grumble.
Shiba gives me a hearty laugh, as if this was some sort of running joke that wasn't embarrassing for me at all.
"I prefer it this way! Senpai's the one who does all the real work anyway."
"Yeah, but I give you all the paperwork." I point out, "Equivalent exchange, no?" [3]
"But Senpai is 'Senpai'"
Oi, you're starting to sound like a certain foxy kouhai I don't want to recall right now.
I sigh and let him call me as he pleases. I still don't understand why I bother trying to correct him, but at least I can say I tried. We pass through the main entrance and look upon the main information desk that was manned by various operators who were fielding questions from concerned citizens and other officers.
"Ah, Hikigaya! Shiba! Good morning!"
An irritatingly high pitched voice greets us, belonging to one of the secretaries at the front desk.
"Morning, Morimi-san!"
"... sup."
She frowns at my response. "What's with you?"
"Nothing. Just wondering why I have all these upbeat people around me."
"Ok? Well besides that, Hikigaya, are you free this weekend? A few of us and some people from Signals are going out drinking."
I knew it, there was always an ulterior motive to her greeting. No one would ever reach out to me unless they were naturally airheaded like Shiba.
"I'm going to have to decline. I'm going to be busy that day."
"Ehhh?!" she exclaims in disappointment. "Hikigaya, didn't you say you had no friends? What plans can you even make?"
My eye twitches as I realize that my past self had sabotaged my future self. Quick, I need an excuse.
"Well you see, I have a date… with my bed." Amazing display of intellect, Hachiman, that totally doesn't sound like degenerate behavior at all.
"... Hikigaya-san you're actually a mega creep aren't you?"
Secretary-chan's eyes nearly convinced me that the dirt on her shoes had more value than my existence. I can feel myself begin to shrink away. But never fear, my loner brain is always functioning at its highest gear.
"Why don't you invite Shiba?" I say, gesturing to my partner. "He's a strapping young man, healthy as a horse. He'll be a good sacr- I mean drinking partner."
"Shiba isn't single Hikigaya, don't you know that?"
Shit, he isn't?
"Well actually..." Shiba speaks up, his eyes losing their luster and life. "My girlfriend broke up with me last month. I've returned to being a bachelor. Ha ha ha."
What a depressing laugh. Secretary-chan and I share a look and nod, silently communicating that it's probably best if Shiba went in my stead.
"Well then, Shiba has plans for this weekend now. We'll be heading into the office. Thanks." My parting words were accentuated by me shoving a lethargic Shiba down the hallway.
"Oi, Shiba. Where are we supposed to be?"
He tells me lifelessly to go to the interrogation offices. A few choice words bring him back to the land of the living and he's once again a fully functioning human being who is leading me down the confusing corridors.
The interrogation wing isn't new to me, but I was not used to the number of people that were there today. Police officers in uniform stood to the side while detectives and PIs talked in earnest as they changed rooms. I felt all eyes snap to me as soon I stepped across the saddle on the floor.
"He's back."
"Who's that?"
"One of our detectives."
"What? At his age?"
"We're understaffed as is. Word is that Chief just pushed him up from training."
"Chief Tsurumi?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he's close to the Chief's family."
"So you think he got parachuted? Chief Tsurumi pulled some strings to get him the job?"
"Maybe… I would stay away from him. He's got a bad vibe, some rumors about how he deals with criminals don't sit right with me."
"Why?"
"According to Miwata in records, he's a wicked interrogator. Gets them to give it all up, like they're in a confessional and he's the priest."
"Sounds disturbing.…"
"Not only that. Get this, word is that he came from the-"
I smile sardonically at the whispers, my reputation in the office was controversial, to say the least, due to my rapid rise in station. It felt strange hearing others talk about myself. And they were right to a certain extent, but a bit of me burns in anger for getting the Chief involved in it. As if the Chief did something wrong, when all he did was give me the opportunity to make myself less useless.
A tap on my shoulder clears away these thoughts.
"Senpai, don't worry about what they say."
I look over at Shiba and blink.
"I understand that Senpai feels a bit off-"
"The case." I cut him off.
"Huh?"
"...the case," I repeat, intent on switching topics. "Tell me about the case. Chief assigned it to me last night, I didn't have enough time to review the manilla."
"O-oh…"
Shiba rummages through his bag, pulling out a notepad with clear and detailed writing on it. Typical honor student behavior.
"27-year-old journalist Kitamura Elaine was reported missing by her mother-in-law 6 days ago. Authorities finally found her body, half submerged in the Konaki river."
Autopsy shows that she had engaged in sexual intercourse prior to her death, the coroner is certain she was raped. Her hands and legs were tied together with duct tape, and it was also used to cover her eyes. There were numerous injuries to her torso and thighs. Most likely blunt force impacts from the way the bones of her ribs snapped. Likely explanation is that the perpetrator had kicked her violently. There was also cranial injury, suggesting she was beaten over the head at some point. However, that wasn't what killed her: it was death by asphyxiation.
She was choked.
I feel myself scoff as the details of the case became more harrowed by the second. Grisly murders like this? Whatever happened to my country? Gods of this land, I demand you return my peaceful Japan to me!
"Hold on," I interject. "I thought the Chief didn't want me working on homicides?"
"That still stands." Shiba yields. "But it seems that your special 'skills' may be required to resolve the situation promptly."
I feel like a playable hero character in a competitive multiplayer video game. But I was only used as a super niche hard counter that players would turn to because of specific circumstances. My stats sucked elsewise and the fans didn't like my ugly design so they wouldn't even buy my alternate skins. Such is my misery.
As we reach the door to our assigned interrogation room I hear Shiba speak to me hesitantly. "Also… the district attorney is supposed to come in today…."
"What?" I ask, absolutely blindsided by this piece of information. "No, no, no. Not happening. Why is he here? The Chief knows I don't like him. I told him I don't even want to be in the same room as that guy."
"Senpai, he's not that bad!"
"Oh yeah? I don't agree. These 6 months that I haven't seen him were the best 6 months of my life." I say angrily as I open the door with more force than is appropriate. "I don't need my interrogation hampered by an out-of-season Santa Claus. He can go suck a fat di-"
"Ara! Hikigaya-kun? Is that you?"
The blood rushing through my arteries and veins cools into ice and my brain slows to a crawl when I hear her voice. The hand I had gripping the door handle squeezes even tighter. What I can only describe as traumatic memories begin to seep into my body unbidden. A sweet and smooth voice that could only belong to a siren. A siren by the name of….
"Yukinoshita… Haruno…" I whisper, not believing my eyes that landed their gaze on a woman sitting with legs comfortably folded at the metal discussion desk before me. She was clad in an ashen gray suit and slacks, a far cry from the long skirts and blouses I remembered her in. A woman I hadn't seen since I graduated high school.
The first thing I noticed was her face. Sickeningly perfect as usual, the lightly applied makeup did little to ward off the fear that was emanating from my body. Her eyes looked at me with the same interest that a lion has looked at a gazelle. Haruno's hair wasn't that different from what I remembered, reaching shoulder length, but no longer having the purple highlighted tips. She gave a lopsided smile and waved at me. I couldn't tell what mask she was putting on this time. Was she trying to be the ideal woman like usual?
"Do you two… know each other?" Shiba questioned as he looked over my shoulder. There was another man sitting next to Haruno, what I could only guess was an aide or secretary.
I could see the sly grin grow on her lips as a twinkle of mischief shone in her eyes. No doubt to be at my expense.
"Oh? Hikigaya-kun, you didn't tell your friends you used to have an absolute stunner of a girlfriend?"
See?
"He's not my friend. And we never dated." I quickly deny with a low growl. I wasted no time to walk forward and take a seat. Shiba mirrored my actions, although he was baffled by the exchange. Haruno's aide looked between us and then back at Haruno, clearly this development was new for him as well.
"Oh, don't be like that!" Haruno whines reaching across the table and attempting to poke my cheek. I bent my neck awkwardly to avoid it, holding myself back from biting the offending appendage. "But I guess to you, it wouldn't be considered dating. After all, you were just playing around with poor old me while you kept thinking about another girl."
"Senpai?!"
"Yukinoshita-san, please…" the aide gave a weary sigh. He must have been working with her for a while if he could make a sound like that.
"What are you even doing here?" I ask, trying to make my displeasure as obvious as possible.
"What does it look like? I'm a lawyer of course." She gave a look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You're a lawyer? I could have sworn you were in the sciences. And in Tokyo?" I ask accusingly.
"Just for my undergrad, I went to law school afterward. And I've lived in Tokyo for about 5 years now."
Well, that's the superwoman, Yukinoshita Haruno for you. And she lived in Tokyo for that long? Does that mean I only miraculously missed coming into contact here?
"Look, can we just get down to work?" I ask tiredly, hoping for a change in conversation. Feeding Haruno's fire was at the bottom of my to-do list today. In fact, it wasn't even on my list. She was quite literally the last person I expected to meet, by virtue of the fact that I had blissfully let her existence slip from my mind.
The gods must have it out for me. This mortal apologizes for not knowing his place and being so ungrateful in demanding a safe Japan. Just keep my sanity intact, please.
Haruno expectedly, pouts. "Mou, it's been so long but you treat me so rudely."
Clearly, it hasn't been long enough! I snark in my mind.
I look around the room, not spotting the iconic sweating visage of our lovely district attorney.
"When is the DA going to get here?" I ask, guessing Haruno had a hand in the current situation.
Haruno's pout evaporates and transforms into a predatory smile. "Why Hikigaya-kun, I AM the district attorney."
My frozen mind shattered into a billion pieces. Haruno was neither old, nor obese, nor ugly, nor stupid, nor annoying. Ah wait, she's probably as annoying, if not more, than the old guy. Where's the old geezer? There's no way she's actually….
"You're the one prosecuting for this case!?" I blurt out, shock written all over my face.
"Yup!" she confirms happily, resting her dainty chin on a bridge of perfectly manicured fingers. "Decided to use my law degree and enter the field to help my dad, and I've been working to succeed Tokyo's DA for a few years now."
"And it seems you did." My eyes narrow. Having Haruno as my direct superior was definitely the worst case scenario in life.
"But of course, don't tell me you doubted your Onee-san." She winked at me, but I made sure to keep my face as stoic as possible. But my heart went turncoat and despite my anger, it skipped a beat at the pretty face whose attention was entirely on me. "Enough about me, what about you Hikigaya-kun? I have to confess, I never imagined you to be a public servant with your working philosophy. And the police force at that."
"Yeah well, that's just how the chips fell." I vaguely respond in a dismissive manner.
If Haruno was actually the DA, we could get started. I didn't want to answer any more questions about my life if I could help it. Haruno was a foe that would take a kilometer or three if you foolishly gave her a single centimeter. The less info she had to work with, the better. For my own mental health of course. "So what's going on with this case?"
Haruno's face becomes serious as she pushes a blue binder in my direction. I took it in my arms and was surprised at the heft. I flipped through its contents, seeing pages upon pages of mugshots and profiles of various people.
"We have thirty-two suspects for the murder of Kitamura Elaine. We want to narrow down the list. Chief Tsurumi has told me you're good at profiling and interrogation."
Fair enough, I could see why I was called in despite this being a homicide case. In addition, most of my job was already done for me. But….
"I was only told of the case last night, and I didn't get base details until a few minutes ago," I admit. "Can you tell me anything more?"
Haruno taps her cheek before opening her laptop.
"On the night she was declared missing, Kitamura Elaine and her mother-in-law had made plans to have dinner together at Kitamura's residence. The mother came at the agreed time, but she noticed that the front door was left wide open as well as a broken window on the first floor. The mother looked through the house in search of Kitamura, but found nothing. She noted in her witness statement that she had seen that the sheets of the master bed were twisted and crumpled, other signs of struggle were also found."
"So a private house? And she contacted the police immediately?" Shiba asks.
Haruno nods. "Authorities had begun searching as soon as the report was received. Outside of her home, we found tire marks on the ground. The vehicle could not be identified, but by judging by their wear and extrapolating the likely weight of the car we can assume that it belonged to either a four-by-four, an SUV, or a truck of some kind."
"Witnesses say that they saw a white pickup truck driving along the Konaki river the day after the disappearance was reported." Her aide threw in, passing me a sheet of paper with witness statements.
"Evidence is unusually sparse, but we had found some large boot prints on the ground outside the house, followed by footprints. We assume that these belong to the perpetrator and that he most likely led a barefoot Kitamura out of the house."
"Was the shoe print analyzed?" I inquire. "Something we can work with?"
"Suspect is probably male." Haruno answers. "Around 170 centimeters tall, about 55 kilos."
"Our perp was underweight." Comments Shiba.
I pass the witness statements over to him, who accepts it with a studious look and begins to pour over it. I return my attention back to the ringed book in my hands. As expected of Haruno, she already sorted through the list, all suspects were within that height and weight range. So what else could we glean to help narrow this down?
"Kitamura Elaine, huh?" I ask. "She sounds like she's foreign."
Haruno nods and began to explain the past of the victim.
Kitamura Elaine's father was an American diplomat, and her mother was a professional chef from Canada. The two were divorced, and Elaine spent time with both. She mainly lived in Japan with her father, but had gone to Canada for her middle school years and stayed with her mother for that time.
Kitamura returned to Japan to finish high school and enter Tokyo University, where she graduated with a degree in journalism. According to her professors, she was a relatively good student with a solid work ethic. She never wronged anyone and had no obvious enemies. She worked as a technology journalist on consumer electronics for an online periodical under a pseudonym. Elaine recently married her high school sweetheart, Kitamura Keisuke, an engineer at a construction firm that's involved in heavy industry.
I raise an eyebrow at the name. "And her husband is a suspect as well?"
"We couldn't confirm his alibi." explains the aide.
"That's fine, he's not the one who killed her anyway."
"Excuse me?" the aide sputters. I see Haruno lean forward in interest, wanting an explanation.
"The mother-in-law was going to the couple's house for dinner while the husband was away. I would say they have a good relationship. Which implies that the marriage was a happy one, or at the very least functioning. Why kill your wife in the home where your mother will frequently visit your spouse?"
I tap the mother in law's statement, which lay equidistant between me and Haruno.
"Also, there are too many unnecessary risks. This is not the behavior of someone who is a career engineer. This is his house, why would he have needed to break the window? If he lived in this house he would have developed habitual motions like closing the front door as soon as he leaves. Yet it was left open and was the first sign to his mother that something was wrong. This murder was too haphazard, clunkily executed, poorly planned. I would say it was done on impulse, maybe a day of strategizing at most."
"Hmm, that sounds logical. However, even if it wasn't Keisuke who killed Elaine, we still have 31 more suspects to parse through." Haruno throws me a flirtatious smile. "I look forward to working with you over the next few weeks, Hikigaya-kun~."
Heh.
Luckily for me, that wasn't the case at all.
I feel an ugly smirk rise as I looked down at a certain page in the Binder o' Suspects. "I wouldn't say that. I think we can solve this case in a day. This day, in fact."
Haruno's smile fades away and she looks at me as if I grew another head. Her aide has a similar expression.
"Hey," I call out to her aide rudely. "Do we have a description of the car that was seen driving down by the river? Did it happen to look old? Rusted or patina surface?"
"Y-yes it did," said the aide as he fumbled through his folder until he found a loose sheet of paper. "It was a white pickup truck. Both headlights and taillights were functioning, and a few witnesses said it had some minor body rust."
As I thought.
I lay the binder down on the desk, and flip to a page. I turn the book around and push it towards Haruno.
"I want to interrogate this person."
"Why him?" Haruno asks as she taps the lines of the bios of the suspect with her index finger.
"Call it a gut feeling."
Δ▼Δ
As I had expected, the suspect I wanted to talk to was at home and agreed to come down to the station right at that moment. In a few hours, he showed up and was escorted into the interrogation room by Shiba.
Our suspect looked exactly like his mugshot, motley pale skin, and sunken eyes. He wore a grey hoodie and khaki trousers, as well as black boots. He couldn't see us through the one-way mirror, but we could see him just fine. He sat down at the chair across the table and began to fidget.
"Shiba, make sure to record this," I instruct my partner as I made my way out of the discussion room.
"Yes, Senpai."
I briefly nod to Haruno and her aide as I exit.
I stood in front of the door to the chamber.
The success of interrogation was determined before questioning even began. The countenance you project when you first meet with the suspect was vital.
I calmly open the door and walk in, making sure not to make eye contact. I step over to a table that was located in the corner of the room and remove my jacket and place it on the table, followed by my gun and its holster. I wanted to make it clear that I had no weapons on my person, make myself as non-hostile as possible to him.
I imagine the persona of a certain blonde riajuu bastard with an indestructible fake smile. If I recall correctly he had this way of speaking that used gentle intonations to put others at ease. One of the aspects of 'The Zone' as I had called it.
I let myself fall into this facade; copying his mannerisms in a way only I could due to my years of observing him from a distance and dissecting his thoughts and behaviors. If you can break it apart, you can reconstruct it. I slip into that smile, and imitate his pronunciations. All in the pursuit of making my suspect comfortable, because if he was comfortable he would be willing to talk.
And if I can get him to talk, that means I win.
"Hello." I greet him with the trademark toothy smile that I loathed. Ugh. "I'm Detective Hikigaya Hachiman. Sorry for calling you in so suddenly."
I start off with an apology because by lowering myself to him in my current non-hostile state I would be able to slip past his suspicion filters.
"Before we begin I just want to say that I'm an interrogator and I will be asking questions. But I want you to know a few things. I personally believe in treating everyone with respect, and I hope you can do that as well. If you don't wish to be questioned anymore, the door behind me is unlocked, and we'll have one of our aides walk you down to the front."
"O-okay." the man responds with a hint of relief in his voice.
"So let's start simple. Who am I talking to today?"
"M-Miyagusuku Ren."
"Miyagusuku-san then?" I repeat back to him. By repeating his own words him I could remove the feeling of intimidation he might feel. After all, I am indirectly asking him to confirm my information, which slows down the conversation and makes it easier for him to keep up. He's the one who feels in control. "Where do you currently live?"
"Out by Saitama."
I whistle. "Wow, Saitama? That's pretty far by public transportation. Did you happen to drive in?"
"Y-yes, I have a car."
"A car? That's fortunate." I nod and lean back in my seat, "Thanks for taking the time to come here. I understand that you must be a busy man, what exactly do you do for a living?"
"I'm a f-financial analyst," Miyagusuku says, eyes flickering to meet mine before returning to stare at the surface of the wooden table before him. "I work from home."
There, an opportunity.
"I see, a financial analyst… is it because you feel uncomfortable around people?"
My claim causes Miyagusuku to look up at me in surprise.
"Sorry, I just thought that you and I act pretty similar," I say in an empathetic voice. "I was a loner myself most of my life, still am if I'm honest. I have my own trouble with crowds and people, to the point that my high school advisor took it upon herself to 'rehabilitate' me by forcing me to join a club."
By taking the initiative in talking, I was removing stress from his mind. And I knew it worked because he chuckled along with me at the conclusion of my story. I notice a slight flicker in his lips. He was trying to smile, probably meaning that he was relaxed around me. He was not suspecting any ulterior motive.
It was time to begin specific questioning, while the defenses were down.
I lean forward and ask him quietly. "Did you know Kitamura Elaine?"
Miyagusuku's eyes widened before he looked at me with discomfort in his eyes.
"She was the wife of my friend, Keisuke. We met occasionally, even before she was dating him. We used to be a trio in university."
"I'm sorry for your loss. It seems like you were close."
"It's fine." By the way his fist clenched momentarily, he wasn't.
I pull out a manila folder with evidence and gently place it between us, making sure to let him get a good look at the sheets and images I was using.
"Because of the nature of the case that the police are investigating, it's a rather long and tedious procedure," I explain slowly. "Have you watched procedural cop dramas before?"
"Sometimes…" Miyagusuku trails off, unsure where I was taking this conversation.
"Oh good, then you're probably aware of our forensic capability, and I don't have to explain. This speeds things up considerably."
Miyagusuku nods.
"So," I say with a verbal punch emphasizing to him that I was serious now. "What would you be willing to give me today, so I can take you off my suspect list?"
Wording was everything.
"What do you need?"
"Oh, you know…" I trail off, pretending to look for the words to devalue what I was requesting of him. Lower his guard towards the idea. "Would you be willing to give fingerprints and blood samples?"
"Yeah, sure. I can do that. Is that it?"
"Umm, for the full picture I guess it would great if you could also give us some footwear impressions."
I catch the telltale flash of distress and see his eyes flick to his shoes before returning to me.
Little does he know, but I have him at a crossroads. It all depends on if he calls my bluff. He can demand a lawyer now, and slow down the process at the cost of inviting suspicion to himself. Or he could risk giving me what I want, in exchange for potentially clearing his name. He doesn't know the evidence I have, and that was the hand I would stick with.
"Yeah, I guess I can give some of those too."
The trap was sprung.
I let my mask slide off my face, and this did not go unnoticed by my suspect. He flinched at my gaze. I didn't need to keep this act up any longer. All I needed to do now was push, and to do that I needed to intimidate.
"Unfortunately, Miyagusuku-san… your testimony isn't doing you any good I'm afraid. More things pointing towards you, than away now."
"W-w-what do you m-mean?"
I lean forward slowly, fully aware that this was agonizing for him. I grab the picture of the footwear impressions found at the scene of the crime and show it to Miyagusuku.
"This is a bootprint we found outside of Kitamura's house. According to this, the perpetrator is someone around 170 centimeters tall. A shoe size of 27.5 cm. Probably boots. In fact, probably like the ones you're wearing right now. And if I'm not mistaken, you're… 169 centimeters tall?"
The blood drains from his face as I continue.
"As a fellow loner, I know that we're creatures of habit. We're unlikely to change clothes day to day, never mind shoes. Hell, we're probably not even going to be interested in buying new shoes until the ones we wear fall apart. You work from home, you don't even use shoes often. I bet you wore those boots on the night of the murder too."
Fear. Pure unadulterated fear. He was frozen stiff by the realization that I had cornered him. He had lost the one chance to get away, it was time to capitalize.
"You're up a creek without a paddle." I declare boldly, standing up to look down at him. "I have enough evidence to throw you in a cell and extract information the hard way. And let me tell you, that won't look good in front of a jury. Or, you can come clean and make it easier for everyone involved. Your choice."
Miyagusuku didn't even consider his options.
He spilled.
I return to the meeting room feeling exhausted. When I open the door, three heads swing in my direction. Shiba gives me a thumbs up, letting me know that the entire interrogation was recorded as I wanted. We could splice it up and give it to Haruno for use as evidence in court. Speaking of….
"Oh my, Hikigaya-kun! Onee-san is impressed. Umu, very impressed!" She said as she walked towards me, her heels hitting the tiled floor with sharp taps. "You became a whole new person in there! I had to double check and make sure it was the same Hikigaya-kun. Very interesting."
"Umm, thanks?" I was unsure if this was a compliment or an insult.
"You had him eating out of your hand. It was like watching a puppeteer and his marionette. But…." Haruno looks at me questioningly. "How did you know he was the one?"
"Nothing that amazing." I shrug. "His picture."
Miyagusku Ren's picture was a classic example of an antisocial loner who kept to himself. Tired looking eyes and sunken cheek muscles from habitually sleeping late and poor health habits. He works from home, despite being a financial analyst, cluing those observant to his loner tendencies.
The car further solidified my guess. The witnesses described a car that was a white pickup truck with rust. What's important was that this was not a new car: it was either bought used or was given to him. Miyagusuku confirmed that he does drive a car. Considering all the evidence that said he was a loner, there would be too much hassle and social interaction to buy a used car, and he works from home so there would be no pressing need.
Which means the car was given to him, probably his parents who live far away. The car was intended to make visiting them easier.
He was also affiliated with both the husband and wife, and had access to their house from prior knowledge. Not damning, but when you consider that he was a loner, things start to be peculiar.
A loner with a friend? I can attest from personal experience that he must have strong emotional ties to them.
"If his relationship with them was broken apart by the two becoming a couple, he most likely had no way to cope with his emotional distress. All just a gut feeling, but it worked out, didn't it?"
I plop myself on a seat and hang my neck over the headrest.
Haruno takes the chair across from me, and I can hear her sigh in awe. "I knew you were always perceptive, but this is another thing entirely. These jumps in reasoning… I can see why Chief Tsurumi recommended you."
"Right?!" agrees Shiba excitedly to my side. "Senpai was specially invited by the Chief to be a detective! He's probably the best interrogator in the city. The other officers avoid him, so he doesn't get too much chance to shine, but they're just intimidated because he's ex-military - OOF"
My fist planted itself into his solar plexus, instantly stopping any more words from coming out of his mouth.
"Enough outta you!" I growl.
"Military?" Haruno whispers.
Δ▼Δ
I make it a habit to attend the trails of the cases I worked on. It was to see how things proceeded, and how my interrogation may have helped.
Today was no different, just that instead of the usual DA that I hated, there was a familiar lady who was objectively easier on the eyes than her predecessor. I watched as Haruno stood up to prosecute Miyagusku Ren. She wasted no time after her opening statements to display the evidence: the state of the house, the tire marks, the bootprint, and the condition of Kitamura Elaine's body.
And then she played the shortened tapes of the interrogation.
Miyagusuku was best friends with Keisuke and Elaine, but he had a crush on Elaine. A crush bordering on obsession. Miyagusuku was unable to confess to her, worried that it would destroy the friendship he had made with the two. But Elaine didn't seem to share his worry.
She approached Keisuke, and the two began dating, to an absolutely devastated Miyagusuku.
As the years pass, Miyagusuku visits and watches the two. He was invited over for dinners and holidays, being their 'treasured' friend and all. These just served to inflame Miyagusuku, who could never move on from his love. He became more emotionally confused and angered. He didn't want things to change. But Elaine didn't value the same things as he did. She betrayed the trust he put in her, and he could never forgive her. But he couldn't forget what he felt towards her either. He hated how she entered and remained in his thoughts for years, toiling with these feelings he loathed. He wanted her out of his mind. Permanently.
Maybe by getting rid of Elaine, he would be at ease?
The final clip shown to the jury was Miyagusuku confessing to killing Kitamura Elaine.
Res ipsa loquitur. "The evidence speaks for itself."
Haruno unilaterally destroys the defense within minutes, shredding apart the flimsy evidence and reasoning they bring up. It was a foregone conclusion, the jury barely deliberated for twenty minutes before they declared Miyagusuku to be guilty of premeditated murder, and was looking from 20 years to life in prison.
I follow the crowd as they file out of the courtroom. I was about to turn the corner before a relatively painful smack to my back caused me to turn around and be met with a smiling Haruno. I involuntarily shivered at the sight. This was a trap, wasn't it?
"Let's go out for lunch, Hikigaya-kun!" her voice invited me with the clarity of a thousand wind chimes. The stares of the lawyers and other bureaucrats bored into me with drills of envy and hate. I curse Haruno's slyness, with all these people around to witness, I couldn't just shoot down a direct invitation from the DA. My fears were confirmed.
"Fine." I sigh in defeat. Besides I had a question for her.
Haruno smile grew as she wrapped herself around my arm and began pulling me. "It's a date then!"
Oh no.
Chatter erupted behind us. Bits and pieces of how the daughter of a Diet Member and district attorney was having relations with a run-of-the-mill law enforcer of all things. Haruno took it all in stride, pretending to not notice the chaos she left in her wake.
We ended up in a small cafe, as chosen by Haruno since she had driven us. After our orders were given, Haruno spent no time before grilling me under the pretext of "catching up."
"Dad is going to run for Prime Minister soon, so Mom wanted the entire family to move to Tokyo as a sign of solidarity. I was already working at the DA's office by that point so it worked out for me. I moved in with them, closer to the heart of the city and the office, of course."
"Is that so?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You think there's more?" Haruno asks, egging me on.
"You changed your perfume, and you dress far more conservatively than before. Maybe… a partner? A man?"
Haruno's mouth hangs opens briefly before she erupts into hysterical laughter that attracts the attention of the entire cafe.
"Oh my god, it's too good! I can't! Hikigaya-kun, you're the best!" she wheezed out between laughs. "There's a thing as being TOO discerning, you know?"
"My condolences to your boyfriend."
Our food arrived a short while later, and the conversation slowed in pace as we worked our way through the meal. Haruno's attention turned to me, inquiring about the things I was up to after high school.
"How long have you been working as a detective?"
"Two years, I guess. A year in training, before I was promoted to full detective. Been working at that for a year as well."
"I see."
She picks up her glass of water with a dainty hand, a pinky extended.
"You're kind of different now." She says, out of the blue.
"Think so?"
"Yes… I thought you hated fake things."
"That hasn't changed."
"So what you did in the interrogation room with Miyagusuku was...?"
"..."
My silence was all that she needed to know, for I have nothing to justify myself with. We go silent once more and I end up observing Haruno as she eats a European fish steak with butter risotto. She takes small bites and chews quickly. Her fingers move in a prim and proper fashion, never straying too close to the food but neatly eating away at it methodically. Almost like a fairy.
"You know… you never asked about Yukino-chan."
I was in the midst of sipping my drink and began coughing violently at the unexpected question. I hit my chest a few times to clear up my airways and….
Yeah right.
As if things would go like that. I'm many negative things, but being stupid wasn't one of them. This is Yukinoshita Haruno we're talking about, the only reason we were even acquainted was because of that person. I had expected this question from the moment I saw her in the interrogation room.
In reality, I calmly finished my drink before answering in a bored tone.
"To be honest? I forgot about her."
Haruno's face goes blank, but she had no response.
The meal ended in due time and my new district attorney never brought her sister up again. She offered to drive me home, but I declined as politely as I could (which wasn't very). I insisted that I wanted to take the long way home.
I watch as her car pulls away and joined the rest of Tokyo traffic. I spin on my heel and prepare to walk back to my apartment. My thoughts were in disarray, and I needed time.
I hate liars. I hate facades. I hate the masks people put on, changing it for who they were talking to. I hate things that are fake. It inspires emotions that can only lead to ruin and tramples upon the goodwill of others. It's something I hated since I was young, and still hate to this day.
I lied.
I was lying in the interrogation and I also lied to Haruno.
I was always thinking about Yukinoshita, almost every minute since I woke up from that dream.
Just why did I feel the need to lie?
Probably because I didn't want to regret a decision I made in my past.
Did I say 'a' decision? I meant 'many a' decision.
Lying gets easier the more often you do it, and I'm a master at it now. An integral part of my arsenal.
Thus, with everything I do now, I can say with confidence that I hate myself.
Arc 1: "Detective Hikigaya Hachiman"
[1] The number 10 in Japanese is じゅう (jyuu). In kanji,じゅう is represented as 十, a cross.
[2] Katsuobushi is dried and fermented fish flakes, specifically of skipjack tuna. These are used to make dashi, which is a flavorful broth. Dashi is the base of many Japanese dishes.
[3] "Full Metal Alchemist" reference. Equivalent exchange is a principle of alchemy that can be summed as: the value of what is given must have the same value as what was taken.
Dear Readers,
I have returned! Thank you all for waiting for this work to come out. It was delayed a bit after I read some of the great feedback from my one-shot "Faust."
This project has consumed much of my time and most of my brain power over the past month or two. The end of volume 13 was pure suffering, and I considered this writing as self-therapy to make it past that tragedy (I refuse to believe my HachiYuki ship will sink in canon, I REFUSE).
There are going to some things I know people will take up the issue with, so I'll try to address them here in this author's note.
First of all: LET'S PRETEND VOLUME 13/14 OF THE LIGHT NOVELS NEVER HAPPENED.
Second, yes the characters will act OOC in some circumstances, it's purely for the sake of a better narrative than accurate characters. I placed the reader experience over all else.
Thirdly, there are a ton of OC's. TONS. I apologize, but it just ended up that way.
Finally, there are some similarities to other stories posted up here, and I acknowledge that they did inspire some ideas, and I took care to make sure I didn't take the inspiration too far. I scrapped most of chapter 9 for that reason.
The case with Miyagusuku Ren and his murder of Kitamura Elaine is based on a real case that occurred in Canada during 2010, where Russel Williams murdered Jessica Lloyd.
To wrap things up, some chapters were written by a song that I'll list at the top. Take the time to listen as you read.
Thank you for reading, and please rate and review. Feel free to leave feedback!.
-SouBU
(Editor: XioKenji; BetaReader: Lord of Admirals 412)
Re-uploaded with grammar fixes on 01/14/2019
Re-uploaded with Arc title on 04/03/2019