"So that's what you told me, Ms. Kawashirasawa?" Kotohime wondered as she shifted the scrolls inside her simplistic office during the late afternoon.
"Yes, of course," Keine said as she gave the police officer a polite bow. "I was worried Reimu might harm the children over a snowball fight yet she somehow didn't."
"Any ideas?"
"Apparently Mr. Bakugou thinks it might had been from the guy wearing the straw hat that's with her I suppose," The teacher suggested. "While there are other factors in mind, but that's what one of my students suggest."
"Hmm," the police officer places the scrolls into a tansu nearby. "I will send some officers to discuss the Midoriya, Bakugou, and Uraraka families about what had happened tomorrow morning."
"Don't you think that sounded too much?"
Kotohime gave Keine a grim look. "We're not just dealing with the Hakurei Shrine Maiden anymore; the Hakureis and the Youkai Sages are responsible for the construction of Gensokyo in the first place, and the Gap Youkai is among those that played a role in it. Dealing with someone who have ties with them entirely is a huge matter to deal with."
"But what about the nobles, in particular the Sekijō Family?" the teacher asked fearfully. "They already hated Reimu for what they had done to- "
"Sadly, that's going to be the least of their problem when Hakurei has the Youkai Sage at her back," Kotohime stated bluntly. "Even if they hire the strongest, ruthless, and talented Youkai Hunters around, provoking the Yakumo family's wrath will the last thing they'll ever receive, Sekijōs included."
"Not only that," the police officer begins to look at the nearby window of her office. "I have a feeling she may had already setup countermeasures in case they did that behind the scenes."
"Kotohime, please don't say that."
"I'm sorry, but this is a Gap Youkai as the Sage we're dealing with," the police officer stated bitterly. "As much as I hate Yukari Yakumo for playing mind games with anyone she comes across, clearly the way the Hakurei did that to their son alongside what the Yakumo family could do to them and their allies are way too much for my taste."
Keine face grew weary. "Sadly, when the lives of loved ones are concerned, anything can go from there."
"Unfortunately, it may be very true at this point."
A sliding door was opened, revealing to be three people, a guy and two girls respectively as the two women look towards them directly, before one of them slides the door shut.
The one at the front is a young woman with long brown hair that goes almost to the middle of her back, brown eyes, and wears a white kimono underneath a green hantan, a green hakama, and white tabi socks over the geta sandals. She carries a long brown staff by her right hand.
Next to her right is a slightly shorter young woman with short yet wavy black hair with a purple double-breasted winter tailcoat with a black winter loose-fitting skirt that goes down her legs, dark brown boots, and black gloves.
On the opposite of the slightly younger woman is a young man that looked slightly older than the girl at the front with short yet slightly messy black hair and eyes alongside an outfit that consists of a dark brown kimono that is covered by black kote on the arms under a faded green sleeveless hanten, while a black hakama with similar colored tabi socks over the geta sandals and suneates on the shins. He carries with him a dark brown matchlock rifle on his back by a sling and a black half bow on his hand as the arrows are neatly tucked within a brown quiver around a black obi sash.
"Akemi, Hiroko, Daisuke, glad to see you arrived," Keine said gratefully.
"Same to you as well, Keine," Akemi nodded before turning to Kotohime. "Sorry we're running a little late. We have to wear some spare hunting attire after the recent mission we did."
"And what was it?"
"Trying to stop a group of Youkai from attacking the gatherers outside of the Human Village walls," Akemi answered nervously. "We ended up getting wet from one of them using water-based abilities."
"Not only that, the water started to make our clothes sticky as well," Hiroko grumbled as she folded her arms. "We had to wash ourselves thoroughly until we weren't sticky anymore."
"Aside from Haruto badgering us to take several precautions in case of any 'unwanted' surprises," Daisuke added while rubbing his head nervously. "Despite getting paid after this, we didn't want to draw attention until Keine showed up."
The teacher had to close her eyes in embarrassment as she politely bows. "I didn't know you guys were on a mission until now and I needed those I can trust to not panic over this something like this; so sorry about that."
"It's fine," Akemi replied as she turns towards Keine as she straightens herself out before looking back at Kotohime. "So, what's going on?"
"It's regarding to the Hakurei shrine maiden."
"You mean the current Hakurei girl?" Hiroko asked.
"Yes," the police officer replied.
"Uh, what did she do this time?"
Keine recalled about Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako telling her what had happened after the the Midoriya boy accidentally threw a snowball towards Reimu during a snowball fight. And while the shrine maiden acted civil about it, it stilled unnerved them of the stark change in attitude unlike before.
"Okay, if we were in their shoes, I would be slightly nervous in that change in attitude as well," Hiroko stated. "How about you two?"
"Would be surprised to be honest," the dark brunette woman answered.
"Probably same for me, though I have to keep my guard up regardless." The dark-haired young man stated.
"But anyway, please go on, Kotohime," Akemi said.
The police officer quietly nodded. "We suggested that it might had been related to the guy with blonde hair wearing the straw hat that was with her."
"But why wear a straw hat?" Daisuke wondered. "Clearly there's a number of people with different hairstyles and colors that we see all the time."
"Perhaps he's just shy of drawing too much attention," Keine suggested. "Especially with someone like Reimu to be exact."
"Or in Naoki's case, 'cause it makes him look cool." Hiroko offered.
"Anyway," Kotohime sits in a chair next to her desk. "What bothers Keine aside from myself as the timing of his appearance and why Reimu seemingly hovers around him at every given moment. Especially given how she acted sometime after the whole fiasco with Inin Sekijō not long ago."
"And before that, Reimu discovering what happened to Marisa as well," the teacher added. "Poor girl looked as she's about to suffer a mental breakdown after witnessing something truly atrocious."
The mention of what happened to the Ordinary Witch and self-proclaimed Youkai Hunter alongside the way it was done to her alongside others aside from the ones that did this made them sick to the stomach over it greatly, aside from almost causing panic around Gensokyo itself once it was discovered.
"Even if Reimu appeared traumatized because of this, that does not explain why she had to act like this towards Inin despite him being a jerk and turning a 180 with that guy around," Hiroko stated. "Yes, we should feel bad for her, but at the same time it doesn't excuse her actions regardless."
"But still, we have to remember that Reimu is still coping with the trauma over what had happened to Marisa," Akemi said as she calms down the young woman in purple. "This is something no one wants to witness, especially in regards to how callous that group did to her and the others without a shred of remorse."
"Regardless, we need to gather info on the Hakurei shrine maiden and the guy she's with," Kotohime replied. "If we can figure out what's going on with the sudden change in behavior, we can figure out how to properly handle it."
"Unfortunately, my students were lucky they can walk away unscathed unlike Inin and that horrible group beforehand, but I doubt Akemi, Hiroko, and Daisuke are going to get the same treatment like before today." Keine sighed bitterly.
"Sanamoto, Wallace, and Tsunoda are still going to play their roles in spite of this," Kotohime reassured the teacher (much to the latter's displeasure). "We need to find out what's going on as soon as possible
"How are they going to do this?"
It's then the police officer's turn to sigh. "I may have to 'convince' someone to keep the shrine maiden occupied while the three get to know him carefully in case he does anything suspicious."
"And what do you have in mind?"
"Something you don't like."
Kotohime explains who she's recruiting to keep Reimu distracted while Akemi, Hiroko, and Daisuke quietly interrogate the guy without drawing unwanted attention.
"You're insane, you know that," Hiroko flat out stated.
"Are you really sure about this?" Akemi wondered nervously. "You could get hurt if you don't negotiate carefully."
"Do you need help doing this?" Daisuke offered. "Because any of us can do that alongside keeping you company."
"It's fine," Kotohime replied. "I know how to defend myself, so I won't have any problems entirely."
"But with the recent mood as of late, I doubt things will go slowly from here on out," Keine said.
"I know, but it's better than nothing anyway," the police officer had to massage her head once she tells them about it.
"As long it's quick, we won't have to worry too long." Akemi noted that, despite being borderline insane, could actually work if done right.
"Okay," Kotohime said once she finishes massaging her head with a firm clap. "Here how things are going to go."