Ember Sunblaze: As promised, here is the second half of the interrogations, featuring the girls of Class 1-A. A fair warning for readers, this chapter is literally pure comic relief. Having said that, I truly hope this chapter brings a smile to your face. I know I was smiling the whole time I was typing it.
Chapter 20: The Interrogations, Part 2
Statement #1: Mina Ashido
Loid sat stiffly, blue gaze observing the pink skinned female sitting across from him. She was the next on the list to be interviewed and unlike Uraraka, this girl showed absolutely no hint of timidness at being interrogated. In fact, she looked completely relaxed as she casually leaned against the chair, arms crossed behind her head in a carefree manner. "Soooo, you mentioned your name is Detective Loid?"
"Detective Loid Fujikawa."
"Loid sounds so foreign! Are you American?!"
"I was born in Germany, but raised here."
"Can I call you Loid?"
"Absolutely not."
"Alright…Detective Loid!"
"It's Detective Fujikawa to you and I believe you are forgetting who is the one being interrogated here."
"Right! Right!" Mina grinned, ripples of amusement shimmering from her and tickling Loid's skin. "Let's see, where to start….So we were all swimming and…" Loid's palm rose, halting her tale.
"Actually before we start your narrative, there are some details I would like to get clarified first, if you don't mind."
"Sure!" Mina replied with peaking interest.
Loid cleared his throat, preparing himself. "It's concerning two of your classmates, Miss Uraraka and Mr. Midoriya and the one-on-one battle that went on between them." He paused, the air around him suddenly sizzling with excited, electric energy. His eyes narrowed, observing Miss Ashido as squirmed in her seat, biting her lips in what was clearly anticipation of some kind. The detective frowned suspiciously as he continued. "Our accounts show that Midoriya mysteriously broke out of Siren's control during their skirmish. As a witness to this battle, I would like for you to give some clarification on what exactly—"
"Oh my god,YOU DON'T KNOW?!" Mina shrieked, slamming both palms on the tabletop and leaning forward excitedly. The startled detective jolted back, not by the sudden outburst but by the enormous wave of delight that was unleashed upon him by the overly hyper teen. Before he could even speak, she was already going into a full explanation.
"Okay! Okay! So here's the deal! Uraraka and Midoriya are totally duking it out and I mean REALLY go at each other! Midoriya was doing his whole Spider-Man whip-lash trick, with the WHISH! WHISH! and BAM! BAM!" She demonstrated with fun swinging hand motions, much to the entertainment of those present and to the great irritation of the detective, who felt like the more animated the girl the more energized her waves became.
"This could not get any worse…" Loid thought, miserably clutching his pounding head.
Statement #2: Momo Yaoyorozu
"It was quite a distressing experience, to say the least." The elegant Miss Yaoyorozu explained, delicately dabbing a tissue to her eye. "Poor Uraraka was trying in vain to get through to Midoriya, all the while trying to dodge his attacks. It was terrifying to watch."
Statement #3: Kyoka Jiro
"Yeah, it was a pretty bad-ass fight. '' Jiro explained, finger absently twirling her earjack as she described the sequence. "You could tell Midoriya was definitely trying to kill Uraraka, especially when he slammed her down to the ground with his whips. We all thought that was it for her, at least I did."
Statement #1: Mina Ashido
"Yeah, we were all like "Oh NO! URAVITY!" And then she gets up like a pro and Midoriya is like…SUPER mad! He charges full throttle at her and she whips out her quirk and sends him floating! Then WHAM!" Ashido slammed her palm loudly against the table, startling everyone in the room. "Urararaka's head just whams right into his!"
Statement #2: Momo Yaoyorozu
"It looked quite unpleasant and sounded very painful!"
Statement #3: Kyoka Jiro
"Blood was gushing everywhere!"
Statement #1: Mina Ashido
"And then the best part was…!"
Statement #2: Momo Yaoyorozu
"You wouldn't believe what happens next!"
Statement #3: Kyoka Jiro
"It was totally out of the blue!"
Statements #1, #2, #3
"URARAKA KISSED MIDORIYA!" Each girl exclaimed in an equal amount of excitement.
Loid stared at the pink hair heroine sitting across from him, the tips of his fingertips touching as his elbows rested on the table top. The girl before him was bouncing in her seat, clearly too excited about sharing this juicy bit of gossip to sit still. Unknownst to her, it wasn't just her physical self that was overly ecstatic. Loid was finding it very difficult to keep a poker face as waves upon waves of happy, joyous emotions rammed against his head like a hammer. Breathing in, he slowly laid his palms flat, lifting himself up to lean towards Ashido.
"Pardon my impertinence, Miss Ashido, but are you to have me believe that a mere kiss between Mr. Midoriya and Miss Uraraka was the determining factor that broke him away from Siren's quirk? That seems rather implausible."
"I KNOW! RIGHT?" Ashido exclaimed, not at all deterred by the detective's less than believing attitude. "I'm still in total shock! Not because it worked!" Ashido quickly clarified, shaking her hand dismissively at the thought. "No, I just can't believe she actually did it! I mean you don't know her or anything but she's basically had the hots for Midoriya since like our freshman year! But I would have never thought she would actually go for it! The best part is…"
Statement #2: Momo Yaoyorozu
"We were actually present to witness their blossoming romance unfolding right before our eyes!" Yaoyorozu gushed, her hands cupping her flushed cheeks as she happily described the scene. The elegant heroine was so enthralled in the memory of the incident, she was completely unaware of the rather deflated look upon the detective who sat across from her. "It was ever so romantic the way it played out. Almost as soon as her lips touched his, you could see his demeanor transform! It was truly a magical moment. Awww, it was like witnessing the most romantic of fairy tales!"
"Please….make her stop." Loid mentally begged, her feelings of love and longing for a similar experience to happen to her left him feeling intoxicated, his head feeling light and bubbly, almost like downing a whole bottle of champagne.
"Wouldn't it be nice if they got engaged after this?" She innocently inquired, as the detective's eye gave in involuntary twitch.
Statement #3: Kyoka Jiro
"Yeah, they kissed." Jiro answered simply, continuing to nonchalantly twirl her earjacks.
Loid listened, jaw clenching tightly. For despite the girl's mellow attitude on the matter, her inner self was throwing off just as much joy and happiness for Uraraka and Midoriya's kiss as the other two girls. He even felt a little bit of envy swirling in the mix. The overall effect was like swallowing a Halloween's worth of sweet candy with random sour pieces mixed in. It was nauseating.
Jiro continued, never realizing the discomfort the detective was in. "I mean the kiss was definitely a surprise, since the guy was literally trying to kill her. But I guess she felt like she had to give it a shot? Personally, I don't really understand.. But I guess it was pretty…"
Statement #1: Mina Ashido
"AMAZING!" Ashido exclaimed, her eyes wild with joyous energy. "Gah! I just can't believe they actually kissed. And I got to see it! Eeeek! This is literally the best day ever….well except for that whole getting abducted part. But even still!" Loid had to fight to keep his composure as he continued to get hit over and over again by her over rambunctious emotions as she leaned in with eyes sparkling with happiness. "Aren't school trips just THE BEST!?"
The detective groaned, his hands covering his face. Behind him, he could hear Hedgie and Midnight trying and failing to mask their laughter. And even without his quirk he could sense the vicious smug waves radiating from Kana as she furiously typed the girl's frillious statements. "This can not be happening…."
He lifted his hand, halting Ashido's romantic ramblings. "Miss Ashido….before we continue, are you absolutely sure, that this…kiss…was responsible for breaking Midoriya from Siren's control."
The girl puffed up her chest, looking almost indignant at the question. "Well yeah! It's not like anything else had worked! Hitting the boys just made them angry and speaking with them was literally like talking to a wall! Nope, it was definitely the kiss!"
The smugness from behind intensified to a dangerous proportion, chilling the detective and unpleasantly reminding him of the retribution that was awaiting him at the end of these interrogations. Fortunately, he was momentarily distracted from these thoughts by Midnight waving him over from the side.
"Pardon me, Miss Ashido, but I need to be excused for just a moment." Loid said, rising from his chair. He quickly approached the back wall, meeting with not only Midnight but the rest of his team. "Yes?"
"Sorry, I just want to say you're doing a simply fabulous job, Detective. If it's alright with you and your team, I just wanted to make a teeny tiny suggestion." Midnight said, her body buzzing with excited energy, making Loid tired just standing near her. "Judging from your targeted questioning, I assume you're not quite convinced about the "kiss" being the deal breaker?"
The detective frowned, feeling the same energy spike he had experienced with all of the teen girls. A clear warning sign of something unpleasant on the horizon. He crossed his arms, surveying the eager teacher, skeptically. "So what do you suggest?"
Midnight smirked. "You just need to juice out more details from them! Try asking the girls if Midoriya and Uraraka french kissed or not!" Loid gawked.
"Are you daft woman?!" He finally snapped, barely containing his whisper in his frustration. "What kind of detective agency do you think I'm running?!"
"I'm sorry but isn't it the job of a detective to get all the details?" Midnight inquired, brow raised skeptically. "Need I remind a fellow adult that there is quite a big difference between a simple kiss compared to the passing of tongues. Shall I demonstrate?"
"Absolutely not!" Loid snapped, reddening. "Need I remind you, you are their teacher! You shouldn't be asking questions like this!"
"News flash, I'm not the one asking. You are." Midnight calmly reminded him. "I'm just here to chaperone."
"This is completely absurd…" Loid's statement was cut off by Kana quickly raising her hand, face flushed with unsuppressed excitement.
"I agree with Midnight Sensei!"
Loid couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sharply, he turned to his partner. "Officer Hedgie?" To his utmost horror, the spiky haired investigator was rubbing his chin, actually contemplating the suggestion.
"Technically, she is correct." Hedgie thoughtfully replied, "For all we know, the exchange of saliva could be the determining factor."
"You have got to be joking." Loid muttered, annoyed at the absurdity of this whole situation.
"You're outnumbered." Midnight declared, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him back towards the table. "Now go ask your important question, Detective!"
"Damn that woman!" Loid cursed, feeling the teacher's amusement swirling about him. "These interrogations are not to solve your juvenile curiosity!" He sighed, taking a deep breath. "Focus, Loid. You're still in control here. Your job is to ask the questions that need to be asked. Even if it is absurd. I can't back down."
With his determination renewed, he returned back to where Miss Ashido sat waiting. He moved to sit, but ultimately decided it best to remain standing. "Thank you for being patient, Miss Ashido. Shall we continue?"
"Sure! I guess I should start with what happened after Ochako and Midoriya's fight?"
"Actually," Loid cleared his voice, unable to stop the redness that crept into his cheeks as he hesitantly continued. "There is one detail I would like to get clarified before we move on. I know this may seem completely irrelevant, but strictly speaking it is of the utmost importance to know so we, upholders of the law, can truly understand the nature of how Siren's quirk operates!"
"Ummmm, okay?" Ashido replied with a confused head tilt. "Sooo what's the question?"
Loid grimaced, slowly forcing the words out. "When Mr. Midoriya and Miss Uraraka…kissed….did they….or did you notice….if…they…" He gulped, swallowing whatever pride he had left. "French kiss?"
Statement #1: Mina Ashido
He wasn't sure what he was expecting. But he surely wasn't anticipating the unnaturally high-pitched squeal to escape the young heroine's mouth, or the blinding punch of delighted emotions that slammed into him, making him catch his breath. He was caught so off guard, he barely heard Ashido's lively rambling that followed.
"I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED! Because I can definitely assure you they did! I mean, we were kind of far away, but I'm almost 95% sure I saw a tongue somewhere in the distance. If I had to guess, I would say their lips were touching for maybe five to six seconds. That seems rather long, don't you think? There had to be something going on! Of course I could be wrong. But really, if I was in her shoes and I knew this my last shot at getting through to a boy. I'm going all in, if you know what I mean! Wouldn't you agree?!"
Statement #2: Momo Yaoyorozu
"French…kiss?"
The detective blinked, fully expecting similar waves of excitement to bombard him at the question, but instead only felt confusion. He shuffled his notes, trying to mask his surprise. "Yes…you know…a….French…kiss?" Here repeated, hoping her surprise was just a fluke. But once again, he was met with just an innocent expression of confused curiosity.
Desperately the detective swiveled around, hoping to seek guidance from the other adults in the room. He found Hedgie avoiding his partner's gaze as he tried to hide an embarrassed blush. Kana was hunched over her laptop, shoulders shaking in mirth. His only hope was with Midnight, who in answer, mischievously pointed to her exposed tongue. Loid growled, reluctantly turning back around.
Facing the naive heroine, Loid once again attempted to explain. "You know…." He shut his eyes, regretting his choice to lead these interrogations. "Kissing with….tongue."
"Eh?" Yaoyorozu blinked, her smile faltering as her mind digested this new bit of knowledge. "Eh? Eh? EEEEEHHHHH"
Loid flinched, the young heroine's surprised reaction feeling like small darts piercing his skin. The pain only intensified as the now mortified Yaoyorozu began to ramble an apology.
"Please forgive me, Detective! I was quite unaware that such an action had a term….especially in association with the French!" She waved her hands in front of her, her flesh tinged red with embarrassment. "Not that I wasn't aware that such a technique existed of course! As a woman approaching marrying age, I am fully knowledgeable of all forms of affection." She gave a flustered flick of her hair, nervously continuing. "As for your question, seeing as I was being held captive by Todoroki's Dark Shadow, I did not have the clearest of vision on what had conspired between Uraraka and Midoriya."
She held her hands in her lap, fidgeting. "I mean to say…I clearly remember their lips touching….Not that I was watching too closely or anything of the sort!" She stressed, her hands covering her cheeks as steam visibly rose above her. "But…but..but since you ask, I must confess I find it rather difficult to believe Ochako would insinuate such bold moves upon Midoriya! I mean, aren't such intimate actions reserved for those married or at least betrothed? Surely, they wouldn't partake in such a thing?! Isn't that correct, Detective Fujikawa?!" She slammed her palms on the table, fiery flames of conviction erupting from the heroine. "SURELY THEY WOULDN'T, DETECTIVE FUJIKAWA?!"
"I believe that's what you're supposed to be telling me, Miss Yaoyorozu." Was Loid's lacking response as he internally questioned the purpose of this interrogation.
Statement #3: Kyoka Jiro
Loid's stern gaze fell across the table at the punk-themed girl, who had been sitting there chuckling into her palm for the last two minutes. Though his ears were still tinged red, he was happy to note that the rest of him had remained composed while asking Miss Jiro about the relationship of Uraraka and Midoriya's….kiss. The young heroine had not been as put together, instantly succumbing into a fit of unprofessional laughter.
"Who paid you to ask a question like that?!" Jiro asked, wiping tears of mirth away. Loid glared, not amused.
"Miss Jiro, all questions asked during these interrogations are of the utmost importance to our investigations of a crime scene. Thus, they should not be taken lightly and should be answered in a serious manner befitting a protector of the law."
Jiro's elbows came to rest on the table as her chin fell into her hands, a sly smirk playing on her lips. "So I take it you SERIOUSLY want to know if my two friends French kissed or not?"
Loid growled, knuckles squeezing together tightly. "To put it frankly….yes."
The amused waves rippling from her tickled his skin unpleasantly as her grin broadened. The detective grinded his teeth, feeling the teen's see-saw emotions play before him behind her poker face. Delight, along with a mix of amusement and fun were twirling around, seeming to urge her forward. But then those emotions would be pushed back by a nagging guilt. The two different groups pulled and pushed, trying to win the girl over.
"This girl…" Loid fumed, quickly coming to the realization Jiro probably had no clue about the kiss and that she was just trying to decide which answer would be the most amusing. "Is just trying to play me!"
With a decisive grin, she lifted her head. "Well Detective, if you muuuuust know…."
"Officer Uehara, please note that the witness remains indecisive on the question." Loid's blunt response cut her off, much to her annoyance.
"HEY!" Jiro cried indignantly.
"Let's move on, shall we?" Loid ignored her, shuffling through files. "I believe I have enough notes regarding the interaction between Miss Uraraka and Mr. Midoriya." He explained, wanting to quickly finish. "Now that this kiss nonsense is over with, I can try to wrap up these interrogations."
Of course, that is what Detective Loid had wanted to believe. Unfortunately, another factor stood in his way of moving on from this terrible ordeal.
Statement #4: Toru Hagakure
"THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!"
Detective Loid visibly flinched at the outcry, his composure waning as unpleasant waves of emotion buffeted him from all sides. It was like being in a storm, her feelings of betrayal, of anger, of sadness, was all more overpowering than he thought was possible. Though her face was invisible, streaks of tears flowed down her cheeks as she moaned her grievances to the unwilling detective.
"First I have to get paired with literally the worst partner ever in volleyball! Then I have to get dragged into a hellish watery underworld with a psycho idol and her weird pet, sidekick boyfriend LITERALLY right after that sleezy Mineta stole my bikini top! Can you believe how humiliating that is for a girl?"
"Very…tragic." Loid reluctantly agreed, thinking of a picture of her in her hero outfit that was in her bio folder. "But isn't she always topless anyway?"
"Then I'm forced to do all this very unfun fighting and running and then more fighting! But the worst part is that with all that horrific stuff going on I COMPLETELY MISSED OUT ON OCHAKO'S KISS WITH MIDORIYA!" She fists came down on the table top in outrage, tears spilling out in majestic waterfalls that would make the Midoriya family proud. "AND IT WAS A FRENCH KISS!"
"Blast it, not that damn kiss again!" Loid cursed silently, once again steeling himself against the devastated emotions that rammed into him like a samurai's blade.
"Miss Hagakure, this interrogation is designed to go over the parts of the investigation you ACTUALLY participated in. As you were absent during that particular event, there is no need to bring it up…"
"Was it really a French kiss?" Hagakure demanded, ignoring his lecture.
The detective frowned. "Miss Hagakure, I believe I warned you all not to gossip about what is talked about during these interrogations."
The teen remained stubbornly silent, waiting for an answer. Loid sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes. "The French kiss is…debatable."
Hagakure moaned miserably, slumping over the table in despair. "ARGGHHHH! This isn't fair! That kiss is going to be the absolute highlight of our school trip! It's worth like three confessions! It might even be the most talked about thing in our whole high school careers! Even when my friends are all old and gray and sipping green tea together, they'll still be gossiping about it. They'll say… 'Hey, do you still remember that time when Ochako and Midoriya kissed?' AND I'LL NEVER BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION!" She finished with a pitiful wail.
Loid stared, not quite sure what he was listening to. "This can not be the normal mindset of a teenage girl. How could anyone be this upset over a simple kiss between classmates? Clearly, this girl is in a delusional state due to the drama of today's events." He turned to Midnight, hoping for her assistance in reeling her student. To his horror, he saw her emotionally wiping tears away with a dainty handkerchief.
"Miss Midnight?" Loid guffawed.
"My apologies," She sniffed, continuing to dab at her eyes. "It just really is tragic."
"NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST!" Loid internally yelled. A loud sniffle from behind made him swivel around to spy his own colleague, Officer Urehara, with fat tears dripping down as she continued to type. "YOU TOO?"
As if sensing Detective Loid about to lose his patience, Officer Tamaki quickly passed Kana a tissue, brightly commenting. "Pardon my intrusion, Miss Hagakure. But despite all that you missed, weren't you the one who was able to locate Siren and take her down?"
Unbeknownst to the cheerful officer, Loid could steadily feel the girl's emotions begin to build on top of one another as he spoke, very much resembling a volcano ready to erupt. Realizing he was truly in a dire situation, the detective frantically made a silent X symbol with his arms, trying to get his colleague to shut up.
His warning went unnoticed as the officer clasped his hands together, beaming at the heroine. "It's thanks to you that both your classmates were saved and we were able to finally capture Siren once and for all! So wasn't it all worth it?"
"NO ONE CARES ABOUT THAT!" Hagakure shrieked furiously, her anger boiling over and slamming into Loid's gut like a bag of bricks. The detective tumbled to the ground clutching his stomach in agony as the girl once again began to sob. All the adults stood up, worried for the both of them.
"Detective Loid! Are you okay!?" Midnight asked, approaching him first.
Almost instantly the detective stood back up, straightening his ruffled tie with hands that shook. "I'm perfectly fine." He faced her, a thin trail of blood dripping from his nose. "Why do you ask?"
"THAT IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT FINE!"
As the teacher forced a wad of tissues into the detective's face, Officer Uehara and Officer Tamaki approached the crying girl, with Uehara falling on her knees next to her. "Please don't cry, Miss Hagakure! I completely understand how you're feeling!" The female officer exclaimed, tightly clutching the heroine's hands.
"You do?" Hagakure asked, sniffling.
"I do! I was devastated when a member of one of my favorite idol groups made a confession during one of their live shows and I had to miss it because of cram school!" She clutched her chest, as if the memory was still too painful to bear. "Everyone knows declarations of love should be public and shared with the whole world!"
"They should!?" Officer Tamaki asked, looking both shocked and uneasy by this bit of new information.
Unable to answer due to Midnight continuing to push tissues onto him, Loid could only internally complain. "No, they really shouldn't!"
"But never you fret," Uehara continued reassuringly, "You may have missed this kiss, but your class trip isn't over yet! There are bound to be more confessions between your classmates and maybe even a kiss or two!"
"WHAT!?" Before Loid could cease this conversation from veering into dangerous waters, he was roughly thrust aside by Midnight as she joined Officer Uehara, her nostrils flaring up excitedly.
"Officer Uehara is right!" Midnight agreed, squeezing her student's shoulder eagerly. "I've been chaperoning school trips like this for years, and you wouldn't believe how many saucy things I've spotted students doing!"
"WHAT KIND OF CHAPERONE ARE YOU!?"
"Plus, with your amazing quirk, you'll have no trouble spying on your classmates!" Uehara added in, as Midnight nodded approvingly.
"WHAT ARE YOU ENCOURAGING HER TO DO?!"
To Loid's utmost dismay, he felt their words filling Miss Hagakure with renewed hope. Her eyes once again filled up with tears. She stood from her seat, clasping both women's hands in hers as she passionately exclaimed, "Thank you! Thank you all for your encouraging words! I promise I'll do my best!"
"PLEASE DON'T!"
Loid's hands slammed down hard on to the table, halting the females' conversation. The normally controlled detective was breathing heavily, his gaze fuming and slightly unhinged as he glowered down at the three. With a strained, shaking voice he growled, "This….interrogation…is…OVER!"
"Uhhh, Mr. Detective?" Hagakure asked, confused. "What happened to your nose?"
The detective slapped his face, not finding the energy to answer.
Statement #5: Tsuyu Asui
A tense silence had befallen the interrogation room as Detective Loid sat across from his very last witness to interrogate, Tsuyu Asui. The frog-girl sat quietly, her wide eyes staring unblinking back at him. Though the detective had attempted to clean himself before she had arrived, a bloodied tissue still remained stuck in one nostril, diminishing his usual intimidating aura.
Thankfully, the girl seemed unperturbed by his ruffled appearance, merely asking.
"Where would you like me to begin, Detective Fujikawa, kero?"
"Yes, about that Miss Asui." Wordlessly the detective set his cellphone down on the tabletop in the space between the two. The detective then looked up at her, his blue gaze cautious as he explained. "Before we begin our recordings of what happened during the Siren event, I would like to set a two minute timer. During these two minutes, you are allowed to speak about the kiss between Miss Uraraka and Mr. Midoriya as much as you would like. If you have joyous thoughts, grievances, uncontrollable rage…any feelings at all concerning their kiss….." He inhaled sharply, shutting his eyes before wearily continuing, "...Then please express them during the depicted time frame….ONLY. DURING. THE. DEPICTED. TIME. FRAME!"
Asui blinked, confused. "Detective Fujikawa….I wasn't even there when that happened."
"According to a Miss Hagakure, that fact is completely irrelevant." The detective shook his head, as if ridding his thoughts of something distasteful. "Again, if there is anything you feel the need to get off your chest concerning their kiss, let it be known right…." He leaned over, pushing the button on his timer. "...Now!"
He immediately clutched the edge of the table, bracing himself for what was to come. Several seconds of silence went by, with nothing happening. No emotions. Nothing. Loid frowned, studying the young heroine, who continued to just stare back at him blankly from across the table. The detective relaxed his grip, carefully leaning in towards her. "Miss Asui, did you want to talk about their kiss?"
"No. Not really, kero." She quietly replied, glancing away.
It was then he felt it. Emotions that were so controlled, so fine tuned, he had almost missed it despite his years of experience. Small ripples of bitterness lightly trickled from the frog-like girl, silently slipping over the detective's skin. The touch was as soft as the wings of a butterfly and within it bore the unmistakable chill of sadness. It dawned on the detective that perhaps not all of Uraraka's friends were as pleased with this new development as he originally assumed. Giving a polite cough, he reached over, tapping the timer off.
"Very well…" The detective said, smiling charmingly at her. "Then let us begin, shall we?"
As soon as the last interrogation was completed, Loid quickly excused himself. He retreated outside, collapsing onto the nearest bench outside the station. There he sat, head inclined back to soak in the last of the afternoon sun before it slowly started its descent towards the horizon. The warmth of the rays soothed his pounding head.
"That…was a new experience." Never in Loid's career had he had an interrogation episode quite like that. He wasn't sure if he should feel amused or frustrated by the ordeal. In the end, he really just felt drained. "Are all high school girls like that?" He wondered, closing his eyes. Almost immediately, a shadow fell over him, along with a familiar feeling of levity. He cracked an eye open, spying Midnight grinning over him as she held up a canned coffee.
"I figured you would need one of these." Midnight explained, handing it over as she sat next to him. He nodded a thanks, opening it up and silently taking a sip. She watched, smiling knowingly. "Sorry my girls are a handful."
"Are they always like that?" Loid inquired, truly curious.
"Hmmm, yeah pretty much."
"I don't know how you teachers do it." The detective took another sip, asking. "Where are your students anyway?"
"Grabbing the last of the things from the hospital ward." Midnight answered, stretching back against the bench. "We'll be heading out soon."
"That's good to hear."
Midnight shifted, leaning towards him with her dark eyes twinkling mischievously. "So detective, still feeling irked by that kiss breaking the spell?"
Loid shut his eyes, not going to fall for her bait. "There has to be another factor involved. Logically speaking, a mere kiss shouldn't have the effect needed to break the bond made by Siren." Annoyance flared as she continued to watch him in an amused manner. "I assume you have a theory on the matter?"
She shrugged, smiling. "I have my thoughts, but nothing more than that." She stood up, absently brushing her skirt as she continued. "To me, it doesn't matter on the how, what, or why. What matters is that it worked and thanks to that, my students are alive and well." She turned to him, playfully winking. "And that's enough for me."
Loid couldn't help but smile. "Your optimism is truly inspiring." He lowered his gaze, brow furrowing. "But I can't really accept an explanation like that. As long as there are mysteries, it's my job to solve them."
"Spoken like a true detective!" Midnight replied with a chuckle. The laughter died from her expression as the conversation suddenly took a turn to a much darker topic. "I know it's not my place to ask since I'm merely a visitor here. But I am curious to know what is to become of that child? That Kai boy?"
Loid remained silent, taking a slow sip from his drink before finally answering. "As for now, nothing. He is underage, so lawfully speaking, we can not incarcerate him. We haven't even been able to get a statement from him."
Midnight frowned. "He refuses to speak?"
"He speaks, but only to make demands. Mostly asking to see Siren." What he didn't say was that it was almost impossible for him to be in the same room as the boy with the amount of anger penetrating from him. Or how the detective could feel Kai's overwhelming love and desire for the older villainess so much it was painful. That was what disturbed the detective the most. "He's spent a year wrapped around her finger, unweaving her control over him is not going to come easily."
"The only option we have is to send him to one of the juvenile facilities and hope we can turn him around." Loid grimly explained. Midnight nodded, already guessing this. Most underage villains were usually sent to these facilities in the hopes of changing their ways before they were hopefully released back into society.
"Have his parents been contacted?" Midnight inquired.
"His mother has. She'll be arriving on the morning flight from Osaka. Though, it's merely to sign the paperwork." He added gravely. "He won't be returning home anytime soon."
Midnight frowned, but said nothing. For a moment, the two sat there wondering about his fate. Would he change his ways? It was a question none of them could answer and was truly up to Kai to decide.
"Well, I better head back." Midnight said, getting back to her feet. "I'm sure the girls are almost done."
Loid joined her, adding, "My team and I will meet you all at the entrance to the hospital. We wanted to bid our farewell and thanks to your team." Midnight waved a confirmation, the click of her heels fading as she walked towards the neighboring hospital.
"I can't believe we're finally leaving!" Mina squealed, joyfully twirling her purple beach bag around. In it were spare clothes and what was left of her swimsuit.
Momo shot her peer a reproachful look, tugging her own bag under arm securely. "Please be careful, we are still inside a hospital."
"Right, right!" Mina replied, still grinning. "I just can't wait to see everyone!"
"It would be nice to make sure all is well with the class." Momo agreed. "I'm sure they've been worried."
"I bet you're extra excited to check on your precious Todoroki!" Toru teased, giving her friend a playful nudge. The invisible girl's mood had brightened considerably since the interrogations, something the others had curiously noted.
"I'll be pleased to see everyone!" Momo emphasized with a flustered huff, causing both Mina and Toru to giggle.
Rescuing her friend, Kyoka casually noted. "Those interrogations took a bit longer than I thought they would. But I guess we had a bit more to talk about than the guys."
"A bit?" Mina perked up, eyes shining. "I don't know about you all but I had a LOT to talk about! It was so much fun! And that Detective Loid!" She made a swooning gesture. "He was soooo hot!"
"He did have a rather mature look about him, didn't he?" Momo agreed, blushing despite herself.
"Yeah, because he's like in his thirties!" Kyoka teasingly pointed out.
"Age is all but a number when it comes to a handsome face!" Toru exclaimed in a Shakespearean accent.
"Did I just hear something about a "handsome face?" Midnight's voice suddenly rang out, startling the four guilty teens. "You wouldn't all be gossiping about Detective Fujikawa, now were you?" Before they could muster the courage to answer, their teacher laughed. "Haha Relax! You all aren't the first girls in the world to swoon over an older guy. Plus, he was rather handsome, right?" She winked, waving a hand towards the door as they giggled. "Are you all ready to head out? The van's waiting for us."
The girls hurried forward, with Ochako and Tsuyu taking up the rear. Both girls had been rather quiet since returning from the interrogations. As they followed the others down the long hospital hallway, Tsuyu shot a concerned look towards Ochako. "Are you feeling okay, kero? You've been awfully quiet."
"Yeah, just tired." Ochako quietly replied. Her gaze fell to the ground as they walked, a mask of worry lining her face.
Tsuyu had a feeling that Ochako was not at all pleased about heading back to the ryokan and meeting with the rest of the class. Ochako had yet to bring up the kiss with her, and despite Tsuyu's curiosity on the matter, she wanted to give her friend space. She was pretty sure that the roots of her friend's anxiety stemmed from that kiss and once again having to face Midoriya.
Before they could say much else, the group paused near the entryway, surprised to see a line of nurses, doctors, and Detective Loid and his team lining the doors. As one, they all gave a respectable bow towards the young heroines.
"Thank you very much!" All the adults pronounced in unison. The girls gaped, shocked at the grand show of gratitude. Detective Loid stepped forward, along with Officers Kana Uehara and Hibiki (Hedgie) Tamaki, each bearing gifts in their arms.
"Please accept these gifts from the Naha Police Station." Loid said, as the officers handed Momo a large basket of fragrant tropical fruits and Mina Kyoka a basket full of souvenir chinsuko cookies (See Author's Note). He then turned to Ochako, handing her a bento box, wrapped in a beautiful red cloth.
"This one's for you, Miss. Uraraka." The detective stated, nodding for her to open it. With the girls peeking over her shoulder, Ochako curiously unwrapped the box, lifting the lid. Inside, it was completely filled with still steaming red bean rice, or Sekihan. Ochako looked up at the detective, confused.
"This is to thank you for your….service to the mission." The detective explained, looking very much uncomfortable. The meaning of his words and the strange contents of the bento box instantly became clear to Ochako. (See Author's Notes!) Blood rushed to her head and she quickly put the lid back on, steam rising over the completely mortified girl.
"Thank you…for the… gifts." Ochako managed to choke out, despite her embarrassment. The girls echoed her thanks, with Midnight leading them out of the hospital and into the waiting van. They all eagerly scrambled in, raring to go. Ochako let out an exhausted sigh, head leaning against the cool glass of the window.
Tsuyu sat next to her, casually commenting. "This kind of feels the same as the bus ride from this morning. When we were all heading to the beach."
"Yeah…" Ochako reluctantly agreed, feeling the excited energy of the girls around her and wishing she could join in. "But it's not the same." She muttered, so quietly that Tsuyu almost missed it. "Nothings the same anymore."
They sat in silence the rest of the way to the ryokan, watching the last of the sun sinking over the horizon.
Author's Notes:
1. Chinsuko cookies are popular souvenir gifts and are often picked up as presents for family and friends upon returning to the Mainlands. The cookies have been part of Okinawan culture for centuries and were once reserved for royalty.
2. Red bean rice or Sekihan, is a Japanese dish feature sweet rice cooked with Azuki beans. The red color symbolizes happiness and prosperity and is traditionally served during special occasions such as New Year or the birth of child. One occasion where it is served is during a pre-teen girl gets her first menstrual cycle (or any highlight of girl reaching womanhood) though this trope has declined in recent years. In this case, the police station is giving Ochako red rice not only to thank her but to also congratulate her on her first kiss.
Ember Sunblaze: Again, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next up, we get to focus on the boys again! Please review!