This Japanese Slice-of-Life Isn’t Lame - Chapter 27

You’re very curious?

Kitagawa Tera was also rather curious if this person had a younger sister named Kamiya Mirai.

“It might be an issue with my physique.” Kitagawa Tera looked at her eyes with a cold expression.

“Problem with your physique?” Sakura Yuki blinked with even more interest. “In other words, Kitagawa-kun’s physique is one that attracts you to crime and murder scenes?”

Whatever you say.

Kitagawa Tera was calm. He did not lie. His physique was one that attracted strange phenomena and danced with them.

However, he had no obligation to answer this woman bursting with curiosity.

“I’m getting more and more curious.” Sakura Yuki shook her calf while sizing Kitagawa Tera up.

“Sakura! What are you doing?” Arano Ryoko could finally not hold back.

“Um? Nothing?”

“What are you doing with a scalpel so close to Kitagawa?”

When Sakura Yuki heard that, her fingers deftly flexed the scalpel, and it danced like a butterfly within her fingers.

She stopped the seemingly very dangerous movements and puckered her mouth with a wronged look. “Sigh… My occupational curiosity crept up again.”

“Occupational curiosity? You want to dissect a living person like Kitagawa Tera?” Arano Ryoko rebuked.

“Hehe. Kitagawa-kun would have to agree.” Sakura Yuki blinked dangerously before asking a little shyly, “Will Kitagawa-kun agree?”

“I’ll just treat this as a joke.” Kitagawa Tera narrowed his eyes at this woman flatly.

Kitagawa Tera already wanted to go home, feeling that it was just a waste of time staying here. Except for the small pieces of information Arano Ryoko gave him, coming to this autopsy room was basically consuming the time that he did not have enough of.

Arano Ryoko shrugged when she saw Kitagawa Tera’s lack of interest. “I originally wanted to show you a corpse up close to look at the specific condition, but…”

“Look at a corpse close up? Uh, that’s a violation of the regulations,” Sakura Yuki interrupted Arano Ryoko’s words decisively but soon changed her words again.

“I don’t really care what the regulations are.” Sakura Yuki leaned back against the autopsy table with burning eyes. “I can bring out the female corpse delivered yesterday and even provide you with a corresponding explanation. In return, I hope Kitagawa-kun can call me first when you find a murder scene next time…”

“No need.” Kitagawa Tera interrupted her relaxed attitude without waiting for her to finish.

He had seen the general condition of the body yesterday, and it would not make much sense to check it again. Kitagawa Tera would not risk exposing his Cadaveric Aura for this. Sakura Yuki’s situation was not like Kamiya Mirai’s. She was a forensic doctor and a member of an organization.

This isn’t something negotiable with one or two million yen. Even if she increases the amount… Erm…

In short, whatever that should not be divulged could not be divulged.

“That’s really regrettable.” Sakura Yuki smiled mysteriously, but her face had no trace of regret.

The autopsy event finally came to an end at this point.

The Sakura Yuki captured by sleepiness sent Arano Ryoko and Kitagawa Tera to the door of the autopsy room. She waved her hand with an ‘I want to sleep a little more, so I won’t send you out of the police station’ expression, then returned back under the autopsy table.

Seeing how she treated the autopsy table as her own home, the corner of Arano Ryoko’s eyes twitched. “Tsk, is Sakura okay?”

Arano Ryoko lit a cigarette and sucked. “Kitagawa, you’re still a kid. Don’t grow up to be an adult like her.”

Don’t become an adult like her?

Kitagawa Tera gave Arano Ryoko, who was smoking in front of him, a meaningful look and nodded full of understanding.

He remembered that he had other things he wanted to ask Arano Ryoko, but he did not have much hope for them.

Kitagawa Tera gave it a shot nonetheless, “Ryoko-oneesan, can you show me the case files of Hassan City in the last ten years?”

“Huh? Why do you want them? I should have already told you everything about Ishikawa Kaito.”

Checking past case files was not a trivial matter, and even Arano Ryoko could not just agree to it. She shook her ashes and appeared to want to hear Kitagawa Tera’s explanation.

“I want to go to Hassan City personally to investigate. I’ll probably ask for leave from school in the next few days.” Kitagawa Tera did not conceal his thoughts. Only the truth could make it possible.

After hearing what Kitagawa Tera said, Arano Ryoko froze for quite some time before finally laughing out loud. “You? Investigate? Kitagawa, not that I want to say it, but what can you find out now?

“I don’t want to give you a blow, but you’d better accompany your sister these few days without any worry.”

Kitagawa Tera unexpectedly did not refute but asked calmly, “Ryoko-oneesan, how long can the police protect Eri given the current progress of the investigation?”

Facing this question, Arano Ryoko fell silent.

The case was entering its intense phase, so it was impossible to keep wasting manpower on the Kitagawa siblings.

Kitagawa Tera only said this because he understood this point.

“But it’s a bit too ridiculous for you to investigate this in Iwate Prefecture alone.” Arano Ryoko leaned against the wall by the trash can with a serious look. “Although I’ve been ridiculing my job, we have experts, and we police have done everything we can.

“Do you really think you can get to the truth of the Ishikawa Kaito murder cases all by yourself?”

Seeing the sharp look in her gaze, Kitagawa Tera replied to her question with another question, “Do you already think about what to do after failing before even striving toward a goal?”

“…” Arano Ryoko.

…

“Hahahaha!” Arano Ryoko suddenly burst out laughing.

Somehow, she just wanted to laugh. She could hardly stand straight as tears poured out of her eyes.

Pa!

The crisp sound was piercing in this quiet environment.

“You’re right.” Arano Ryoko ignored the fingerprints that appeared on her face as she breathed out a ring of smoke. “Thinking about failing to solve a case before the investigation even starts undoubtedly disqualifies me as a police officer.”

She subconsciously placed her hand on the gun at her waist. Its cold body seemed to be transmitting a faint warmth.

Since when did I start to lose the enthusiasm and determination I had after graduating from the police academy?

One person protects a hundred citizens.

A qualified police officer must protect at least one hundred citizens before being allowed to die.

A policewoman that has lost her determination isn’t worthy of being called a policewoman.

Yumiko probably doesn’t want to see my useless side either.

“Tsk.” Arano Ryoko scratched her head. After a while, she slapped her palm hard onto Kitagawa Tera’s shoulder a little unhappily.

Kitagawa Tera did not escape from her unique way of greeting this time. That pair of dark eyes had the vitality of a youngster and the calmness of someone older.

This Kitagawa Tera…!

He simply ignores any attempts to frighten or anger him.

What a hedgehog with no place to pry open!

Arano Ryoko smothered her cigarette butt. After a long silence, she said sulkily, “Follow me.”