Chapter 4: This is only a test
After the written exams come the physical exams, to see if they're up to the job. At first, they are tested individually, then they're grouped into two-man teams. Quickly, since he doesn't know anyone else, Haruto grabs Yurika for his partner, and she grins. Together, they make it through the shooting gallery, as well as the seemingly mindless exercises such as building furniture towers (they stole from other teams). She surprises him by her agility and shooting skills, and he surprises the others by using his skateboard for the timed speed test ("Hey, that's cheating!") and willingness to risk his neck to make sure his partner gets the job done.
At the end of their physical exams, the examiner blows his whistle. Shoving his cell phone into his pants pocket, he yells, "Miss Doujima! Mr. Sakaki! Front and center, now!"
The two look at each other, slightly worried, and do as the man says. Great, Haruto groans inwardly, I got us both kicked out before we could even get a foot in the door. "Sir?" he asks.
The examiner glares at them. "Outside. Now."
The two teens blink, then do as he says, to the undisguised glee of their competitors. The door slams shut, and the blonde girl jumps. Her blue eyes widen when they see a police car pull up. "We didn't do anything wrong," she frowns, unconsciously stepping behind Haruto.
A heavyset man with sideburns and a nondescript jacket steps out and says gruffly, "Haruto Sakaki. Yurika Doujima. Come with me." He pulls open the back door of the car.
Yurika hangs back, but Haruto cocks his head. "What's the charges?" he asks, sounding like a street punk. "We were just taking a test."
The girl looks at him in surprise. "Haruto, what are you doing?" she hisses.
He shrugs. "If I'm going to jail again, I'd like to know why," he says belligerently.
The heavy chuckles. "You're not going to prison, Mr. Sakaki. In fact, you're going exactly where you want to go." He glances at the closed school door. "And they're not."
Understanding brightens the young man's eyes, and he grabs the girl's hand. "Come on, Yurika!" he says, pulling her into the backseat of the cop car as she yelps.
The heavy guy chuckles, closes the door, then slides into the driver's seat. "Buckle up, kids," he says through the wire mesh. "And congratulations!"
"For what?" the blonde girl blinks.
Haruto is smiling so widely, he's sure his face is gonna break. "We passed!" he says, not caring that his voice cracked. "We got in!"
"We did?" she says, and the driver nods. "We did!" she squeals in a voice sure to shatter unreinforced glass. "We passed!" She hugs Haruto enthusiastically, bouncing on the seat.
The driver glances back at the newbies one last time and chuckles, steering them towards a quiet corner of Tokyo.