CHAPTER 3

Review Corner:

UnivHunterXD: Yes, "The Journey Continues" :LOL:
I didn't actually plan for it but the latest Aqours music video got my engines running :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I write it

Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture,
January 21

Taro Harisu's small apartment room felt even more claustrophobic, now that all his clothes were on the floor. The fashion-chic You Watanabe made sure that every piece of clothing owned by the dedicated police officer was laid out on the floor. And for good measure.

"You-chan, you don't have to do this," Taro said, half-begging. "It is only 3 nights of cruise. I don't want to bring my entire wardrobe to the ship."

"There's going to be members of National Diet on the ship," You argued as she sprawled the last pieces of Taro's clothings on the floor. "There will be revered guests. There will be reporters. NHK, JNN, ANN, NNS… not to mention Youtube, Facebook, Tweeter, Instagram, Snapchat. Are you going to look like a proletariat law enforcer from Numazu in front of those people?"

"I am a proletariat law enforcer from Numazu!" Taro cringed. "I don't see the point of dressing up like aristocrats or celebrities, especially when I'm not on duty."

"First of all, you are never not on duty," You threw an annoyed look at Taro. "Second of all, you are on vacation. Police officers don't dress up like police officers when they are on vacation. They dress up like tourists. Since you are not doing it, then I will do it for you. I am the wardrobe coordinator of Aqours for a reason."

"Don't overburden yourself with my stuffs. Just pack me simple t-shirts and baggy pants, a couple of swimsuits just in case, and two pairs of sneakers."

"Alright, but I will pick whichever look best on you, and I am not going to stop until I get what I like," You gave Taro a sour smile. "If I can't find what I like, I will buy some." She observed Taro's faded, worn-out clothes, and sighed audibly. "That, in this case, I will have to."

"No, no, no, no, don't buy me clothes!" Taro quickly grabbed You's hand. He knew that, unlike Aqours more financially-blessed members like Mari and Chika, You did not have money to throw around, and the thought of the sweet little thing spending money for him just to make him look good gave him goosebumps. "You need your money for school and shows and lots of other stuffs. Please, just let me buy my own clothes. I promise I will dress up nice."

"Alright, then, you can buy your own clothes," You made face at Taro, "but I will have to approve your decision, because what you wear will reflect my credibility as Aqours wardrobe coordinator."

"As you wish." Taro stepped back for a moment, observing You literally rearranging his entire wardrobe. His heart melted watching his sweetheart ploughing through his clothes, so he sneaked up behind her and gave her a gentle hug. He kissed the nape of her neck, and wrapped his arms around her like vines. "Kimi no sonzai ni kansha shi, shukufuku sa rete imasu."

A soft moan escaped You's lips, before she turned around and pulled Taro's head down to kiss him. Taro immersed himself in the moment, enjoying her soft warm lips. Then his hands took the initiative, pulling her closer, tracing the curves behind her oversized t-shirt and undersized skirt. His heart pumped faster, and his kissing became more passionate, to the point he thought he would devour her lips. But You matched his aggression with equal intensity, and both of them knew where the sudden burst of passion would lead them to.

But just when things started to get out of control, Taro's phone rang. The policeman tried to focus on the matter at hand, but he just couldn't ignore the possibility that somewhere a crime was taking place. He didn't want to pull away from this incredible girl on his hand, and he hoped, prayed, begged for his phone to stop, but the longer it rang, the more he realized he had to spend the rest of the night with blue balls.

"Don't answer it… don't answer it…" You wheezed exasperatedly as if she could read Taro's mind.

Taro did his best to comply but in the end his sense of duty overwhelmed his head. He pushed You gently and reached for his phone. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I have to take this," he muttered morosely. He laid You's legs down gently and proceeded to press the receive button. "Harisu-junsa."

"Harisu, we have something big going on," his captain blurted on the speaker. "Some high-profiled Keisatsu agent will brief us online in 20 minutes. I know it's your time off, but I think it's better for you to be at the office, so you can get information straight from the source."

"Yes, Sir, right away Sir," Taro quickly replied. He put down his phone then looked at You morosely. He knew the night was not going to end well, and he would have to pay for it in the future. But as a police officer, he didn't know if he had any other choice. "Forgive me, You-chan, I have to go."

"What is going on?" You was hesitant to ask, as if she was afraid to hear the answer.

"I don't know, some kind of online meeting with a Keisatsu agent," Taro quickly changed to his uniform. "I'm sure it's just a routine briefing. Numazu has very low crime rating. All law enforcement personnel are working very hard to maintain peace and order in the city. There is nothing to worry about."

"You just can't catch a break, can you?" You was bummed anyway. Her voice was heavy with disappointment. "Your public service is taking the majority of your life. You never have time for anything else, least of all me."

"That is not true," Taro knelt beside her. "We are going on a cruise together. I requested a weekend off to be with you, and it has been granted. Don't let this little inconvenience ruin our big moment. Let me find out what the Keisatsu guy wants. I hope I will still see you when I go back."

"Well, better not be too late because I still have school tomorrow," You muttered under her breath. "I'd better clean up your clothes. You really don't have anything good for the cruise."

"Then I'll look forward to go shopping with you," Taro gave You a quick kiss on the cheek, then rushed to the door. He gave You one last naughty wink. "I won't be long. I really want to finish what we started." He put on his shoes then scampered out of his apartment.

As Taro entered the station, he immediately knew he wouldn't be able to see You again that day. The main screen had been converted to host a Zoom meeting. The guy's face on the screen was tight, and Taro could see his veins bulging on his neck from grinding his teeth so hard. The captain of Numazu PD was no less strained. The rest of the policemen congregated around the big screen TV, anxious to learn what prompted a Keisatsu officer to call for a general briefing with a coastal fishing town like Numazu.

"This is Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, Keisatsu," the man on TV introduced himself. "I am calling you regarding a very serious situation. As you might have heard, a very dangerous criminal has escaped Nagoya Prison. Jakku Mitsuragi, a member of the radical anti-quirk group Blue Cosmos, ran away from Nagoya Prison aided by an unidentified accomplice, possibly another member of Blue Cosmos. Jakku Mitsuragi is responsible for more than a dozen bombings of government facilities all over Japan. He is a staunch opposition of Japan's policy to integrate people with quirks into the government. He is also known to have bombed, or made attempt to bomb, Pro Hero agencies all around Japan.

"Mitsuragi and his accomplice were seen taking the Tokkaido Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo. Keisatsu and local police offices had blockaded every possible transit between Nagoya and Tokyo, but when the train stopped at Tokyo, the two criminals had left the train. There is a good possibility that Mitsuragi and his accomplice jumped off at Shizuoka Station, because it is the only transit station that does not have empty platform to isolate the onboard passengers from those waiting to board the train.

"I have alerted all police stations at Shizuoka Prefecture. Jakku Mitsuragi is a very dangerous criminal. I have no doubt that he is going to try to bomb another government facility in a short time. I need cooperation from every possible law enforcement personnel all across Japan, especially within Shizuoka Prefecture. The capture of Jakku Mitsuragi is of the primary important. We have to stop him before he strikes again. Do whatever it takes to secure this criminal. I have sent you all information about Jakku Mitsuragi to your captain. I will contact you on daily basis. Thank you for your cooperation."

"Well you hear the man," the captain picked up where Naomasa left. "We may have a high-profiled criminal in our midst. I want all officers in high alert. Mug shots of Mitsuragi has been spread out to the entire office. You should familiar yourself with his physical attributes, and many variants of it. Keep your eyes open. Pay attention to activities around Numazu, especially grocery stores, where he can buy ingredients for makeshift bombs. Consult bombing squad and ask for manuals if you have to."

Taro knew where this was going. "Captain, Sir, we will do everything we can to catch the criminal, but…"

"As the senior officer Harisu-junsa will spear-head this effort," the captain ignored Taro's remark. "He will be in charge of patrol duty. Special attention must be given to Awashima Hotel, where Councilman Murakami is a regular. I want double patrol on Awashima Island. All available personnel must comply. No exceptions!"

"Sir, I am honored to bear such responsibility, but I already requested some personal time off next week," Taro said, half pleading. "I will do my job as best as I can, but I already promised my…"

"Justice doesn't sleep, Harisu-junsa," the captain heartlessly shot down Taro's hope. "You can take personal time off when we have Jakku Mitsuragi in our custody. Before then, it is our duty to serve and protect the innocent, especially government members and any parties that are threatened by Mitsuragi's rampage. When this is all over, you can take personal time off as much as you like. Now set up an example for the junior officers and set up patrol duty. I expect to see everything up and running by 6 tomorrow morning."

"Yes Sir," Taro sighed in defeat. He dragged his feet to the next room, then called You. "You-chan, I am very sorry, I have very bad news…"

Translation

junsa: Officer

Kimi no sonzai ni kansha shi, shukufuku sa rete imasu: I am grateful and blessed to be with you. Hats off if you know where this line comes from ;P