Until she was carried into the police car by her older sister Akemi, Miyano Shiho still seemed to be living in a dream.
As a core member of the Organization’s drug development, Miyano Shiho, codenamed Sherry, not only represented the Organization’s valuable wealth, but was also evidence the Organization had to destroy at a critical moment.
If the Organization still had room to spare, it would never give up Sherry; if the Organization was heading toward its end, it would never let Sherry go.
When the Organization member who had been dragging her along to run turned the gun muzzle toward her, the first thought that rose in Miyano Shiho’s mind was: the Organization is completely finished.
In the end, the one shot and hit was not her head, but the gun muzzle that had been aimed at her.
The public security officers rushed into the stronghold, and Scotland walked behind them holding a gun.
She had seen Scotland before. He was always keeping his head down and saying nothing, and when his blue eyes flicked toward other people, there was an indescribable gloom and coldness, giving off a dark impression. That figure, which had once seemed cold and numb, was now wrapped in a police uniform, and every gesture and movement carried an indescribable air of high spirits.
Sakurai Saburo hid behind him and acted all big and intimidating, shouting that he wanted to beat up the people who had been chasing him before. Scotland only pretended to be helpless and advised him nicely, but still indulged him as he kicked the unlucky bastard a few times.
…It was practically like a total transformation.
Noticing her gaze, Fujiwara Hiroki said something to the subordinate and walked over to hand her a cellphone.
“This is for you.”
He showed her a gentle smile that was not at all like Scotland.
Miyano Shiho looked down. This was the cellphone she had left in the laboratory during her escape, and it still contained many photos with her older sister.
As she looked at the phone, the screen suddenly lit up:
[From ★: Thank you for taking care of Dad. Hope you like MIT. Goodbye, Shiho!]
After she finished reading it, that incomprehensible sentence disappeared, and the phone vibrated once to indicate that there was a new email.
…It was an invitation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[[1]]
The sender’s signature was…
“…Hiroki (Hiroki)?”
…
Although Star’s intelligence had tossed both Amuro Tooru and Fujiwara Hiroki into complete chaos, it really did save the investigation team a lot of trouble.
No one had expected the Organization to be taken down in such a short time. Witnesses, evidence, funds, weapons, and so on were basically all seized. The hardest battle was already over, and what remained was only some tedious questioning and pursuit work.
Because of all this, Fujiwara Hiroki had been sleeping only a few hours a day for many days in a row, and Amuro Tooru had even directly moved into the office. After all, now that the Organization no longer had the strength to turn things around, the close protection for the Sakurai family could also end.
Only Hiro was still not leaving.
He perhaps did not know how to say goodbye.
Sakurai Star was lying on the sofa, and while sending Hiroki a new code challenge, she lifted her head to look at Police Officer Fujiwara, who was working at his desk.
The black-haired young man was sitting at the desk slightly diagonally opposite her. Perhaps because he was too sleepy, he had fallen asleep with one hand pressed under him, while the other hand was holding a fountain pen that was about to slip out. It was sunset now, and the afterglow of the setting sun had slipped in through the window. The fire-red clouds were moving slowly, tinting everything in the room with a warm halo.
Sunlight fell on his handsome yet slightly tired face, and the faint dark circles under his closed eyes made one want to lighten every movement a little more.
Sakurai Star gently took the pen away and covered him with a blanket.
After all, he was her cute and gentle little brother, and also her lovable police undercover.
Don’t worry, partner. Big Sis Sakurai Star will take good care of you!
What had been giving them the biggest headache lately… hmm, was the interrogation of Gin, right~
…
No one could pry Gin’s mouth open.
He was like a stone statue, never making a sound.
Only when Akai Shuichi was interrogating him did he say one sentence.
“Where is that guy?”
After that, no matter what they said or did, he never opened his mouth again.
However, no one could find out who that person who had provided the intelligence was.
Except for Fujiwara Hiroki.
Only he had known from the very beginning who the person was that had guided them and protected them.
He was also the person he would never say out loud.
However, the star he wanted to watch over with his eyes flew down from the sky to stand before him.
When he saw that tiny figure at the police station, Fujiwara Hiroki’s heart even skipped a beat.
Sakurai Star followed behind her dad and mom like a little chick, walking in with hands and feet all out of sync, stiff as if she were a thief who had accidentally wandered into a police station.
He was amused by the way the child was so nervous she looked like she was about to cough up her soul, and the next second he felt heartache, so he hurried forward and patted her head reassuringly:
“Star? Why are you here…?”
“I-I came t-to thank the police big brothers for saving Dad’s life, so so so I came to bring a banner…” The cult leader who had proactively walked into the police station looked deathly pale. Looking at the police uniforms everywhere, she only felt that the next second she would confess on the spot and walk straight into the trap.
“Mm…” Amuro Tooru walked over, pinched her chin, and looked her over for a moment. “You, did you not eat breakfast properly this morning? You can’t be picky even without us supervising you. There’s still some snacks in my office, let’s go, come to my place.”
He picked the child up in one go and waved at his friend. “As for the Sakurai family side, Hiro can handle it. I’ll take Star to eat something.”
Fujiwara Hiroki looked a little hesitantly at Sakurai’s dad and mom.
“Yes! This is it! This is the banner our Star-chan specially prepared for the police officers!”
Sakurai’s dad grinned foolishly as he unfurled the red banner, on which were written eight characters that would make the Lord of Myriad Realms Paradise Cult kneel down and faint on the spot: “Divine Police, Heroic Bearing, Criminal’s Nemesis.”
Mm… why did it feel a little strange?
Being thanked by a former criminal together with the evil god’s high-level official, with a banner personally prepared by the evil god’s child, Fujiwara Police Officer also fell into deep thought today.
To some extent, giving such a banner to the person he regarded as his fated enemy was also just as full of challenge spirit as ever from the player lady.
…
After Amuro Tooru brought Sakurai Star into an empty office, he got her a box of strawberry milk.
“Say it. What do you want to do?”
“Do-do what? I didn’t d-do anything…”
Sakurai Star was so frightened that she nearly bit her tongue, blurting out a string of disjointed words before falling into a daze under Amuro Tooru’s half-smiling, half-not-smiling gaze.
“All right, I still don’t know you?” Police Officer Amuro lightly tapped the child on the head with a rolled-up file as punishment. “You’re obviously the one who’s most afraid of the police, aren’t you? Yet you still gathered up your courage to come here. There must be something you have to do, hoshi.”
What the hell, so he wasn’t discovering her criminal record.
You scared me half to death. Hah, this posing police officer.
The player’s heart was no longer panicking, and her legs were no longer trembling either. She happily poked open the strawberry milk. “Hmph, since you sincerely and earnestly asked, then I’ll be extremely mer… ouch!”
“Speak properly, okay? You’re in my hands right now.” The heartless Police Officer Amuro smiled as he tapped her head again.
“…If my intelligence drops, it’s definitely zero’s fault…” Sakurai Star muttered as she rubbed her head, and finally confessed honestly, “The person Gin wants to see is me.”
“Mm, so?” The handsome police officer with blond hair and dark skin had a calm expression.
Player: ?
What, where was your shock? Where was your, your admiration? Shouldn’t this be the time for Amuro Tooru to shout, “This child is terrifying indeed,” then cling to the Lord of God’s legs and repent his crimes of bullying the god child?!
“…Why aren’t you surprised at all?”
“I’m not an idiot. Even if Star only tipped off Hiro and never cared about my feelings, I still noticed on my own that some genius’s identity existed and, in unwillingness and loneliness, kept it hidden.”
“…Sorry… Zero, I’ll definitely send you a message first next time.” The little genius lowered her head in repentance.
This illusion of a primary school student asking who was on better terms with whom appeared again, and Amuro Tooru fell silent for a moment, reflecting on whether he had been a little too indulgent in front of Sakurai Star.
Well, he really was a little jealous.
After all, Sakurai’s little child’s favoritism was too obvious. Clearly both he and Hiroki had been protecting her properly.
“…So why did a certain unnamed hacker-san come here?”
“Uh… because Gin wants to see me…?” Sakurai Star was made a little dazed by Zero’s reaction, and looked at him in confusion: “Wasn’t your recent interrogation work progressing very slowly?”
“Just because of this…?” Amuro Tooru widened his eyes. He hesitated for a while looking at the girl in front of him, who was a little uneasy and confused. In those eyes hiding concern, he saw his own complicated expression that seemed to want to speak yet stop.
…Ah.
So that was it.
“Star… are you worrying about us?”
Amuro Tooru felt a little unable to describe what he was feeling at this moment. He let out a soft breath, only feeling that somewhere in his heart was a sour ache, an unprecedented warmth and softness.
“…Idiot.” Police Officer Amuro crouched down in front of Sakurai’s little child and patted her head, as if all the sharp edges on his body had been softened. “You’re still a child. Just leave this kind of thing to us with peace of mind. It’s enough for Star to live happily and freely.”
“But…” Sakurai Star was still trying to struggle.
“Listen carefully, Star.” Zero lowered his head, and their two pairs of purple eyes met, passing their feelings to each other without any barrier. “You’re an amazing person, and you’ve helped a lot of people. But none of that is your responsibility, understand? Even if Star doesn’t personally go see that criminal, we can still obtain the evidence and clues, it’s just that the speed will be different. Darkness always exists. We can’t just because it would be faster for Star to do it, therefore take it for granted and rely on Star for everything…”
“You’re not a weapon of justice. You’re a person, Sakurai Star, and a companion that Hiro and I trust.”
“When you’re fighting, don’t forget to enjoy life either, hoshi.”
That day, in the end Sakurai Star did not enter the interrogation room. Instead, she cried while hugging Police Officer Amuro and begged him to make her his attendant, only to get a thorough scolding before obediently holding hands with her dad and mom and going home.
“Thank you, Star.”
After Hiroki saw them out of the police station, he gave her another gentle hug.
“Remember to exercise your body properly, okay?”
Sakurai Star looked at him and knew that this was goodbye.
“Does Hiro seem like he wants to cry.”
“…Ah.” The cat-eyed young man pressed his lips together and gave an embarrassed smile. “So embarrassing, even though it’s in front of Star… comfort me a little, Star.”
“What am I going to do with you.” The girl patted his head. “Is Hiro still on my side?”
“Mm. Always has been.”
“Then it’s settled, then, Hiro is my inside mole~”
Fujiwara Hiroki watched that tiny figure shouting loudly as she chased after her dad and mom, and smiled helplessly yet indulgently. “Honestly, don’t emphasize it at the police station entrance…”
Author’s note: Hiroki: So happy to help Star~
Amuro Tooru: Why prepare strawberry milk in the office? There’s no reason.
Actually, in the outline I originally wanted Star and Gin to have one last direct confrontation, and Gin after being touched by Star would have almost had his personality shattered and no longer been himself, but when I was writing, I got suppressed by Zero Zero.
Zero Zero does not allow Star to become a weapon of justice. The carefree smile of a child is what he protects.
So in the end Star still obediently went home. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me with recommendation tickets or fed me nutrient solution during 2022-10-25 15:33:25~2022-10-30 03:22:25!
Thank you to the little angel who fed me nutrient solution: Jia 137 bottles;
Thank you all very much for your support. I will keep working hard!