Morofushi Akihiko withdrew his withdrawal application, and Instructor Onizuka visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his indecisive attitude also lowered Instructor Onizuka's evaluation of him by a few points.
Nevertheless, Morofushi Akihiko felt no regret. Even if given another chance, he would still make the same judgment.
As for the identity of that Gong'an officer, it aligned closely with his speculation—he was an undercover agent dispatched by the Soshiki.
Kato Akio was a hidden piece planted by the Soshiki within the Gong'an, not to be used lightly under normal circumstances. This time, he was merely tasked with facilitating "Scotch's" entry into the Gong'an department while simultaneously monitoring Morofushi Akihiko during the process.
This was the Soshiki's practice: unless under special circumstances, most operations involved two (or more) individuals mutually supervising each other.
Clearly, Scotch's "partner" for this mission was this Gong'an officer.
Morofushi Akihiko was well accustomed to such arrangements. After confirming this, his mind automatically generated a 1-2-3 plan for utilizing Kato Akio.
For instance, obscuring the other party's intelligence-gathering channels, creating time discrepancies to have him provide alibis, seizing his weaknesses to coerce him into service, or taking control of his connections and intelligence networks… and the like.
Morofushi Akihiko saw nothing wrong with his line of thinking, but after careful consideration, he still abandoned the idea.
It wasn't that he wouldn't use Kato Akio—simply that keeping him alive and in his current position would be more beneficial for now.
For example, the answer he had probed for that night.
…
"You seem to have overstepped."
Under the moonlight, Morofushi Akihiko, standing in the shadows, addressed the Gong'an officer before him, whose face was taut yet bathed in the light of the police academy. "Your task is only to monitor me."
"My actions hardly require an explanation to you, Mr. Kato."
"Or perhaps—" Scotch's upturned eyes narrowed slightly, making them appear even more elongated as he chuckled softly. "Have you been in a position of authority for so long that you've forgotten the distinction between us?"
Kato Akio's expression turned grim. Yet, precisely because of this, Morofushi Akihiko knew he had guessed correctly.
This Gong'an officer named Kato Akio was not particularly important to the Soshiki.
The reason he was dispatched to "monitor" Scotch was merely due to the convenience of his identity, not because he was indispensable.
Daigou Kaiin held equal status among themselves (most of the time). If Kato Akio were a Daigou Kaiin, he would have undoubtedly retorted at this moment.
Thus, Scotch took a step back, allowing the shadows to completely conceal his expression. His tone remained gentle, yet it carried an arrogant, cold, and unyielding quality that starkly contrasted with his words. "In that case, I shall take my leave, Mr. Gong'an."
"I look forward to our next meeting."
…
Kato Akio had been away from the Soshiki for too long. Morofushi Akihiko, taking notes in class while lost in thought, curled the corner of his lips slightly, though there was little genuine emotion behind it.
The Soshiki was far from the kind of gentle entity that distinguished right from wrong. Once they detected any unusual movement among their members, there would be no questioning via text messages. Instead, without a word, they would point a gun to your head, using your life to confirm your loyalty—just as they had the moment Morofushi Akihiko's identity was exposed.
Morofushi Akihiko added a few lines of notes in the notebook in his hand—all knowledge he had already learned once before. For others, studying repetitive material might seem like a waste of time, but for the current Morofushi Akihiko, sitting quietly in the classroom and listening to lectures on police duties and regulations was a luxury.
The class period was quite short, and before long, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Ueno walked over to his desk and invited, "We're having a gathering tonight. Want to join us, Morofushi?"
Ever since he had been given the "good guy card" last time, Morofushi Akihiko had occasionally received such invitations from Ueno.
Morofushi set down his pen and looked up at his classmate standing before him, his tone tinged with apology. "I still have some matters to attend to."
Ueno didn’t seem to mind. Though a bit disappointed by the refusal, he responded cheerfully, "Then let’s do it next time we have the chance!"
Watching Ueno’s retreating figure as he jogged away, Morofushi Akihiko was inexplicably reminded of a friend from his childhood.
He didn’t dislike this kind of slightly whimsical liveliness.
However, his current identity and the tangled state of his circumstances didn’t allow him to form friendships.
Someone whose dream was merely to become a police officer at a Kouban wasn’t suited for closer contact with him. He didn’t want Ueno to be targeted by the Soshiki either.
Since that day’s shooting class ended, Morofushi Akihiko had spent a week in this "world."
He had tested the authenticity of this world in various ways. Ignoring his slightly illegal and rule-breaking actions, his least outrageous move was sneaking out of the police academy at night to conduct investigations.
His reason for refusing Ueno’s invitation wasn’t entirely a lie—he did have things to do.
Morofushi Akihiko headed toward the dormitory and, as expected, encountered the laundry shop owner on his way back, who had come to collect clothes and bed sheets.
Police academy trainees had a very high daily level of physical activity, and by the end of the day, their clothes were either soaked in sweat or covered in mud. As a result, the academy outsourced the cleaning of the trainees’ daily clothing to a laundry shop.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Sotomori," Morofushi Akihiko greeted the laundry shop owner, who had just finished packing the clothes.
"Hello!" The laundry shop owner looked up, revealing the same kind smile as usual. "Training must be tough, right? There’s quite a bit of mud on the clothes today."
Morofushi Akihiko smiled. "You’re the one working hard, Mr. Sotomori, having to clean so many clothes."
"It’s nothing! After all, you’re all working so hard to protect us civilians," the laundry shop owner replied with a smile. Then, as if curious, he asked, "Judging by your attire, are you heading out?"
"Yes, I’m planning to go to the convenience store," Morofushi Akihiko answered without much caution. "I’ve run out of toothpaste."
Sotomori Hajime chatted with Morofushi Akihiko for a few more words with a smile before driving away.
The smile faded from Morofushi Akihiko’s face. He stood still for a moment before, just as he had said, heading in the direction of the convenience store.
It took only about ten minutes to walk from the police academy to the nearest convenience store, but the round trip from the laundry shop to the academy took at least half an hour.
Morofushi Akihiko stood in front of the convenience store shelves, selecting the toothpaste he usually used, and waited for a few minutes.
He paused for a moment, raised his hand to take an item from the shelf, then turned and walked toward the checkout counter.
After paying, Morofushi Akihiko did not immediately return to the police academy. Instead, he strolled slowly along the commercial street—if someone were to observe from a god’s-eye view behind him, they would notice a figure secretly following his footsteps, matching his pace yet maintaining a distance that ensured he would never lose sight of Morofushi Akihiko.
Hmm… the tracking skills are quite impressive. No wonder I never noticed in the past.
Morofushi Akihiko bought a bottle of water from a roadside vending machine, thinking this as he bent down to retrieve it.
He hadn’t actively investigated the "Nagano Fuufu Anken" of this world in the police academy’s database.
The news report on the case hadn’t included the surname "Morofushi," and Morofushi Akihiko had lived in Tokyo since childhood, which made his accent and habits quite different from those of Nagano natives.
Unless he brought it up himself, it would be difficult for anyone to connect the Nagano case to him.
But ignoring it didn’t make it disappear.
In his childhood, Sotomori Hajime had killed his parents, believing that his own daughter, who had died in an accident, had been hidden away by Morofushi’s father. For over a decade, he had tracked Morofushi, hoping to find his deceased daughter.
Was it the same in this world?
Morofushi Akihiko held the bottle of mineral water and abruptly turned back. The next moment, a look of surprise appeared on his face as he waved to Sotomori Hajime, who hadn’t yet hidden himself properly in the distance. "What a coincidence, Mr. Sotomori."
Sotomori Hajime had no time to retreat. He adjusted the baseball cap on his head but soon smiled. "What a coincidence. I remember you… Morofushi-kun, right?"
"Yes, your memory is excellent," Morofushi Akihiko smiled. "Are you out shopping too, Mr. Sotomori?"
"Yes, the snacks at home ran out, and my daughter is throwing a tantrum for more," Sotomori Hajime replied.
"I see," Morofushi Akihiko said gently.
"Are you heading back to the academy, Morofushi-kun?" Sotomori Hajime asked.
"Yes, I plan to take one more stroll before returning," Morofushi Akihiko said, a hint of hesitation appearing in his expression.
Sotomori Hajime asked with concern, "You seem like you want to say something, Morofushi-kun."
Morofushi Akihiko paused, then smiled somewhat awkwardly. "You might find this strange…"
Under Sotomori Hajime’s urging, Morofushi Akihiko lowered his voice hesitantly. "You seem familiar to me, Mr. Sotomori."
"As if I’ve seen you somewhere before…"
"And hearing the way you talk about your daughter reminds me of a friend of mine…"
Morofushi Akihiko’s voice grew softer, but his eyes remained fixed on Sotomori Hajime’s face, observing the momentary mix of suspicion and delight that flashed across it.
"But after I moved, I rarely saw her again."
"It just so happens that my friend shares the same surname as you, Mr. Sotomori, but it must be a coincidence," Morofushi Akihiko chuckled. "Sorry for saying something strange."
"Mr. Sotomori?" Morofushi Akihiko stopped, looking puzzled at Sotomori Hajime, who had suddenly halted. "What’s wrong? Is something the matter?"
"You…" Sotomori Hajime’s voice was intermittent, so faint that Morofushi Akihiko couldn’t quite make it out.
"What?" Morofushi Akihiko leaned in slightly closer.
"…So it really is you!" Sotomori Hajime suddenly raised his head, his eyes wild and unnervingly neurotic. He grabbed Morofushi Akihiko's wrist and leaned in close. "Where have you hidden Yuri?!"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about, Mr. Sotomori."