"My office, immediately."
Yui doesn't startle – the room had fallen abruptly silent to the distinct snap of steps that she'd recognised as Koumei's, even without turning around.
She saves the handover report she's working on and stands to follow the inspector, though she doesn't say anything until the door is closed behind them. "What did you want to speak to me about, Morofushi-keibu?"
He gestures for her to take a seat, and all Yui can think about is how Kan-chan would've started yelling right off with don't play dumb with me, Uehara and you know damn well what this is about!, even as she remembers another voice saying in chasing the enemy, o–
"Your resignation, Uehara-keiji," answers Koumei, sitting down himself. "The chief believes that the circumstances more than justify an extended leave of absence, if that is what you require."
– one should not leave the ranks, finishes Kai-senpai in her head.
"I'm afraid that won't cut it, sir," Yui says evenly. "Haven't you heard? I'm engaged to marry in a month."
"...I wasn't aware, no." His surprise is audible for once, but where there should've been satisfaction Yui feels only nothing. "I see congratulations are in order. Who is it, if I may ask?"
There's no need to hide it, especially not now that she's handed in her resignation. "It's Yoshiro-san, sir."
He blinks, incredulity falling rapidly into comprehension. "Torada Yoshiro, I assume. So you intend to leave the force and marry someone you barely know?"
"My contacts in the village say that the Torada family wants a wife for their heir." Her voice is brisk, matter-of-fact. "I know the Tatsuo family better since Akira-san was always around Kai-senpai, but Yoshiro-san and the others are hardly strangers to me."
Koumei considers her in silence for a long moment. "And the fact that those same families are your prime suspects is mere coincidence?"
Yui shrugs slightly – if people assume that hers is a rash decision following... everything, then she will let them – and instead says, "They're not only my suspects."
The words hang heavy between them.
It's Koumei who looks away first, glancing to the side.
"I see," he says finally. "Are you quite sure about this, Yui-san?"
Yui laces her fingers together and exhales. "I – "
" – wouldn't have done this without thinking it through?" he continues when she falls silent. "My apologies, I didn't intend to question your judgement. Don't let me keep you, then, I'll inform the chief that I was less than successful at persuading you despite my best efforts."
Koumei's expression is wry, and if Yui hadn't noticed how exhausted he looked before she definitely does now – having to take charge of both teams in their division is already a considerable task in itself, let alone the search efforts that he'd been coordinating almost single-handedly.
She pushes her chair back and stands. "If it helps at all, I've arranged to transfer mine and K–" (her voice catches, barely) " – Yamato-keibu's open cases to the other detectives alongside all the relevant evidence."
"Believe it or not, I trust you of all people to be responsible about such matters," Koumei says, voice dry, as she turns to leave. "Oh, and if you'll permit one more question, Yui-san?"
She glances over her shoulder. "Yes, sir?"
Koumei looks back, steadily. "Do you truly believe that Kansuke-kun is dead?"
"I – " Yui bites down, hard, on her lip. "I don't know what to think, really."
"Don't you?" he replies, but continues before she can even respond. "Rest assured, I'll see to it personally that you will be able to return here, whatever happens. I know what this position means to you."
...it's difficult to speak around the sudden lump in her throat.
Yui tries, nevertheless. "Thank you, Morofushi-keibu. For everything."
"As I said back then," Koumei answers, smile faint and frayed, "it runs both ways, and I fully intend to hold up my end of the deal. Don't hesitate to contact me should you require assistance at any point."
She nods. "Just – keep me updated? If you find him."
"Of course. You hardly needed to ask." He pauses briefly. "I wish you all the best, Uehara-keiji, I have the feeling you're going to need it."
"I would say the same to you, but I'm fairly certain my mother-in-law already hates me for some reason." Yui manages to smile back, a little. "I'll see you around then, sir. Tell the chief not to miss my coffee too much, he'll have to find something else to complain about."
"I'll be certain to pass on the message," Koumei says with a careful lack of amusement, already reaching for his desk phone, and Yui leaves him to it – she's got a job of her own to do.
It's five years too late, but Yui is going to end this once and for all.
Even if it's the last thing she does.
軍旅以舒為主，舒則民力足，雖交兵致刃，徒不趨，車不馳，逐奔不踰列，是以不亂。軍旅之固，不失行列之政，不絕人馬之力，遲速不過誡命。–––– 司馬法 第二篇 《天子之義》 In chasing the enemy, one should not leave the ranks. By doing so he will bring confusion to his unit, lose order in his column, and waste men and horses.
–––– The Marshal's Art of War
END
*trips and falls into a pool of yui feels™*
translated quote from Wilson's Ideals of the Samurai, original (which took me forever to track down?) from one of the seven military classics alongside Sun Tzu's Art of War