"Good, you're here." Ginoza said to Akane when she reached the scene of a crime.
"Sorry I'm late. I had a meeting with the director. What do we got?"
"28 year old female identified as Konizuka Tatsuki. She was stabbed from behind." He said, indicating the body of a woman lying on the ground. "The suspect got away. The woman had her son with her when she was attacked."
"Where is the son now?" Akane asked.
Ginoza nodded towards the paddy wagon, where Kogami was playing with a little boy.
"How old is he?"
"He always says he's 28, but with the way he's carrying himself, he looks 12." Kagari joked.
"Very funny." Akane rolled her eyes. "I was talking about the kid."
"He's almost 5." Masaoka said with a frown. "His info says that his birthday is this Saturday."
"Where's his dad?"
"He apparently committed suicide shortly after he was born. That kid has no one."
Akane watched Kogami and the boy, sadly. He was riding on top of the enforcer's shoulders, pointing in different directions for him to go. Kogami would pretend to get confused, causing the boy to laugh.
"Who could have thought that Ko was good with kids." Kagari said in amazement.
"He does look like he's a natural." Masaoka chuckled.
"Alright. Alright." Ginoza said, getting annoyed by their idleness. "Let's gather the rest of the evidence and get out of this place."
They finished up at the crime scene and headed back to the PSB. The boy never left Kogami's side.
"Inspector Tsunemori, I want you to question the son of the victim." Ginoza said when they got back to their office.
"Yes sir." Akane nodded.
"Kogami should already be in the special interrogation room that we have reserved for kids."
"Okay, I'll head over there right now."
Akane left the office, going over the questions she had to ask in her head.
She had never been good with kids. Even when she was a kid, she never really interacted with anyone except her two friends.
A few moments later, she had made it in to the interrogation room. She looked through the one way window, and saw Kogami and the little boy drawing each other on a piece of paper.
Akane took a deep breath and walked in.
"Hello." Akane said, giving them a small wave.
"Big brother Ko, who is that lady?" The little boy whispered loudly to the enforcer.
"This is Inspector Tsunemori. She has some questions for you." Kogami explained.
"But I don't want to talk to her." The child whined.
"Please? If you'll be a big boy, I'll get you some ice cream later." Kogami bribed.
"Are you gonna stay?"
"Of course." Akane said with a smile as she sat in front of him and Kogami.
"All right… I guess I'll talk to you."
The little boy continued to draw on the paper, refusing to look up at Akane.
"So…" Akane awkwardly started. "What is your name?"
"Konizuka Hiro."
"What would you like me to call you?"
"My mommy calls me Ko." The boy answered. "Just like how big brother Ko is Ko."
"So do you want me to call you Ko?"
"No, call me Hiro." The little boy said, putting the crayon he had in his hand to the side and picked up a new color.
Akane looked up at Kogami, who smirked back at her. He was definitely amused by this.
"Okay, Hiro. Do you remember anything that happened earlier today?"
The little boy stopped coloring and put his crayon down. He stared at the paper for a long time, then showed it to Kogami.
"Look, big brother Ko! I drew you!" He beamed.
"That looks great, buddy." Kogami praised him. "But can you please answer the inspector's questions?"
Hiro frowned and put down his drawing. "I don't want ice cream anymore. Can we just go, now? My mommy misses me."
Akane and Kogami gave each other a glance when he said this.
"We talked about this Ko." Kogami said, looking in to the boy's eyes. "Your mommy won't be able to see you anymore, remember?"
"Yes she will." Hiro said. "Mommy always comes to get me."
Kogami frowned. The boy was in denial of his mother's death.
"Hiro, your mommy died." Akane explained, trying to sound gentle.
"No she didn't." The boy glared at Akane. "Stop lying. Big brother Ko, make her go away."
Akane looked to Kogami, feeling helpless.
"Inspector Tsunemori, should we talk outside?"
Akane nodded, and the two adults got up and went to the other side of the room.
"What should I do? I've never questioned a child before." Akane whispered.
"It doesn't take a pro to see that." Kogami sighed. "And to pile it on your plate, the kid has developed a defense mechanism in his brain to avoid the truth at hand."
"He has been through pretty traumatic things today." Akane said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to ask Inspector Ginoza if we can wait a couple of days until we try to question him again."
"That's a good idea and all, but he needs to be processed through the system as an orphan. He has nowhere to go but the local orphanage."
"No, we can't let them make him go to a home." Akane snapped. "That's the last thing he needs."
"Well, what do you suggest we do, Inspector? That's protocol. But then again, you're not one to strictly follow protocol, are you?" Kogami smirked.
"Look, all I'm saying is that you are the only person he trusts right now. Are you really going to let him just go to a strange place? It's almost his birthday, and I don't think he deserves to go through more than what he already has."
"I can't do anything. I'm an enforcer, remember?"
"Just… Let me talk to Inspector Ginoza, okay?"
—-
"So you had no luck at all?" Ginoza sighed. "I guess it's to be expected with all of the events he went through."
"If I may, can I make a suggestion?" Akane asked.
"What is it?"
"Hiro seems to get along really well with Enforcer Kogami. I think we should let Hiro stay with him until we get him to answer our questions. I think if we go about it that way, he will open up more to Kogami and we can do it with out endangering his psycho pass's hue."
"Denied." Ginoza flatly said. "The PSB is no place for a child. We are not babysitters."
"He doesn't have to stay at the bureau." Akane said.
"Where else do you suggest that he can stay with Enforcer Kogami being constantly monitored?" Her partner asked. "The only way that can happen is if they went home with an inspector from our division, and I withdraw my name from the suggestion box."
Akane looked down. She knew what it would look like if her and Kogami stayed in her small apartment with the little boy, and all of the rumors that would go along with it. But she also knew that Hiro couldn't leave Kogami's side for now.
"I'll take them in." She said, looking up at Ginoza with determination.
"Fine." Her partner said. "But only until we get what we need from the kid."
"Yes sir." Akane nodded.
"Until then, you will be kept away from any other case. Is that understood? We can't have Kogami and the boy left unattended ever in case he tries to leave."
"I understand."
"Good." Ginoza nodded. "Now go tell Enforcer Kogami to pack up. As of now, you're both on brat duty."