"So, you're saying you've already confirmed he's the one who killed those cops?"
Hearing this, Tamaki Niya turned to Toshiya Odagiri with a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. "I knew it. He's the bastard who murdered my brother and those officers…"
"It's just a suspicion for now. We can't say for sure he's the culprit yet," Hakuba Tan interrupted, eyeing Tamaki Niya curiously. "But I've got a question for you, Miss Tamaki. What exactly are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've been tailing him, trying to catch him slipping up and prove he killed those cops."
Tamaki crossed her arms confidently. "His dad's the head of the criminal division. Back when they took statements, his name didn't even come up once. And then all the cops who investigated that case started dropping like flies… You detectives should be able to put two and two together, right?"
She paused, her face twisting with disgust. "Or what, are you lot just covering for those crooked higher-ups like good little lapdogs?"
"He's the son of the police superintendent. Covering for him wouldn't even be worth it—the criminal division head doesn't have that kind of pull," Fujino said, clapping Hakuba on the shoulder with a light chuckle directed at Tamaki. "If it were really like you're saying, he wouldn't bother wading into this mess. If nothing comes of it, it's the superintendent's reputation that'd take the hit."
"The superintendent's son, huh?"
Tamaki mulled it over for a second. "Fair point, I guess."
Hakuba: "…"
*Are you seriously that hung up on me being the superintendent's son? And what's with the 'I guess'? Are stereotypes all you've got?*
Tamaki shot Hakuba a weird look before turning to Fujino. "So what are you two doing here, then?"
"Like this guy said, we're here to investigate," Fujino answered honestly. "This case has a ton of suspects and a lot of details we can't spill yet. Toshiya Odagiri's one of the people we're looking at. But you, Miss Tamaki—finding your brother Tamaki Ho's body and having every reason to hate the cops who wrote those deaths off as suicides—well, you're on the list too."
"Huh?"
Tamaki blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, hold up. Are you saying you think *I* killed my brother and those cops?"
"Yeah, that was the initial theory, but not anymore…"
Fujino locked eyes with her. "Miss Tamaki, before that celebration event, you were tailing Toshiya Odagiri the whole time, right?"
"Damn right I was. I never let him out of my sight."
"Did you see him sneak off to the hotel to plant a bomb that day?"
"Nope, nothing like that…"
Tamaki answered, then frowned as it clicked. "Wait, a bomb?"
"You heard me. There was a bomb set up at the venue that day," Fujino said, pausing for effect. "The goal was to take out Officer Sato in the chaos when the lights went down."
"Maybe he slipped it in when I wasn't looking…"
Tamaki's gaze darkened as she glared at Toshiya Odagiri. "That guy's so damn careful, no wonder I couldn't catch him slipping."
"Thing is, he's not the one who killed those cops," Fujino countered. "If he really did it, do you honestly think you'd still be breathing right now?"
"Could be he's just using me as an alibi…"
Tamaki's bias against Toshiya didn't budge. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind if he *did* kill me. At least then it'd prove he's the murderer."
"You're stubborn as hell, you know that?"
Fujino sighed, exasperated. "If you're so dead-set on this, why not just ask the guy yourself?"
---
**After the Show · Backstage at the Underground Concert**
"You damn stalker! Why the hell won't you leave me alone?!"
Toshiya Odagiri roared at Tamaki Niya, clearly pissed off.
"What, am I getting under your skin?"
Tamaki smirked coldly. "I bet you're just scared I'll dig up proof you killed those two detectives."
"What?!"
Toshiya froze, stunned.
"The police think you're tied to the recent murders of two officers," Fujino explained. "You know Tamaki Ho, right?"
"Tamaki Ho…"
Toshiya's face twisted uncomfortably. "What are you even talking about?"
"A year ago, Tamaki Ho's suicide case was handled by Officer Tomonari. He found evidence linking you to it and staked you out at a warehouse. But then Tomonari died in an 'accident,' so the case got closed as a suicide, and you walked free," Fujino said, his tone heavy as he stared Toshiya down. "The two cops killed recently? They worked that same case. You get where I'm going with this, don't you?"
"You think *I'm* the killer?!"
Toshiya's voice shot up, his emotions boiling over.
"Quiet down," Fujino said calmly. "When a pig's about to get slaughtered, every part of it's useful—except the squealing."
Toshiya roared again. "Are you calling me a pig?!"
Fujino shrugged. "Look at you, squealing again. I didn't say you were a pig. But if you're not, then who is?"
Toshiya: "…"
*Goddamn it, I hate arguing with these cultured types.*
He scratched his purple hair in frustration. "So what do you want? You gonna haul me off?"
"That's a job for the cops, not a detective. I just want to ask you some questions," Fujino said, his expression darkening. "What's your deal with Tamaki Ho?"
"Uh…"
Toshiya hesitated, fumbling for words.
"I'll ask again. What's your connection to Tamaki Ho? Why'd you go see him that day?" Fujino took a deep breath, losing patience with this stubborn rich kid. "If you don't talk, you can explain it to the police. I'm not gonna wait around forever—and trust me, when they get involved, it'll drag your dad, the criminal division head, into this mess too."
He locked eyes with Toshiya. "You don't want that, do you?"
Hakuba: "…"
Tamaki: "…"
*Why does this guy sound so practiced at this? Has he pulled this move before?*
Toshiya froze. He wasn't exactly fond of his old man, but he wasn't about to screw him over either.
After a long silence, he finally muttered, "That day at the warehouse, I was there to collect some cash."
"Cash?"
Tamaki's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Were you blackmailing my brother?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Toshiya admitted, annoyed. "He was a doctor selling banned drugs to my fans on the side. I caught him, and since I was short on money at the time, I shook him down."
"How much?" Fujino asked, unfazed.
"About 50,000 yen the first time," Toshiya said, thinking back. "The second time, I was gonna ask for 100,000, but when I got there, he wasn't around. That's when those cops must've spotted me. Later, I heard he killed himself out of guilt or whatever."
"You sure you didn't kill him?" Hakuba chimed in.
"Why would I? I was planning to squeeze him for more cash," Toshiya scoffed.
Fujino: "…"
*More cash? 50,000? 100,000? That's what you call money? The son of the criminal division head, and that's all you're extorting?*
Fujino let out a baffled sigh before steadying himself. "Alright, I think I've got a handle on this case now…"
Hakuba glanced at him, puzzled. "?"
*You've figured it out?*
---
**Sunset · Tokyo Suburbs**
The sky burned red as the group drove to the home of Criminal Division Head Odagiri, located in a prime spot in Tokyo.
A tall wooden gate flanked by pristine white walls opened to a spacious two-story traditional Japanese house with a wide courtyard. In a high-value area like this, the place screamed money.
"So why the hell am I stuck coming to this old geezer's house with you guys?!" Toshiya complained as he got out of the car, clearly irritated.
"Hm?"
Fujino glanced back, giving him a sharp look.
Toshiya shut up instantly under that icy stare.
Tamaki smirked to herself. *This detective's got him on a leash. Should've hired him myself.*
*Knock knock.* "Anyone home?"
Fujino rapped on the door. A young maid opened it, and her eyes widened when she saw Toshiya. "Master Toshiya! You're back!"
"I didn't come back. They dragged me here," Toshiya grumbled. "Don't get it twisted."
"We need to see Minister Odagiri," Fujino cut in.
"Got it!" The maid glanced at the group. "I'll let Master Odagiri know right away."
"Ahem." Fujino shot Toshiya a knowing look.
Toshiya caught on quick. "What, I need permission to come into my own house now?"
The maid led them inside to the back courtyard. The traditional setup was simple—no frills, just small trees, a stone path, and a lawn with a straw dummy fixed to a stand.
There, Odagiri Toshiro stood in a kendo uniform, a sheathed katana at his waist. With the faint sound of birds in the background, he drew the blade in a flash.
Three swift strikes.
Each pause between them was deliberate, but the force was undeniable. The straw dummy split into three clean pieces.
Sure, it wasn't a wooden post or anything, but slicing through straw like that still took skill—way harder than cutting down your average joe. It demanded precision in angle and strength.
"Not bad, Minister Odagiri," Fujino said, clapping as he stepped forward. "That iaido technique's spot-on."
"Fujino," Toshiro greeted, sheathing his blade before glancing at Toshiya.
"Tch…" Toshiya clicked his tongue.
"Hmph." Toshiro didn't let it slide. "So the stray dog finally decided to come home."
"What'd you say?!" Toshiya snapped, though he didn't dare step closer—not with that katana in his dad's hand. He muttered weakly, "Swinging that stupid sword around, chopping straw all day—what's the point, old man?"
Fujino: "…"
*Oof, I feel a little attacked. I don't know what chopping straw's good for either, but I'm pretty sure he could chop you in half just as easy.*
"Get a fresh straw dummy," Toshiro ordered the maid before turning to Fujino. "Show him how it's done."
Fujino: "…"
*Hey, don't drag me into your family drama!*
He sighed, reluctantly taking the katana. Truth be told, he'd never chopped straw before. His old mentor, Suwa Yuji, had once told him, "You know how strong you are—why waste time on straw? If you're bored, go cut down a utility pole instead." Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but close enough.
Still, if the criminal division head wanted a show, Fujino wasn't about to say no.
"Minister Odagiri, you don't mind if this blade gets banged up, right?" Fujino asked, just to be safe.
He rarely used a real sword in practice—his techniques were all about hitting vital spots. Painful. Lethal. A wooden sword just left bruises and bad vibes, but a steel one? That was a one-way ticket to the morgue.
"No problem," Toshiro replied.
Good enough. Fujino focused on the straw dummy, took a deep breath, and lowered his stance.
In a blur, he lunged forward, unsheathing the katana and striking in one fluid motion before snapping it back into the scabbard.
The dummy stood there, seemingly untouched.
"Not bad for Master Suwa's student," Toshiro said, clapping despite the lack of visible damage.
Toshiya squinted. "It didn't even break."
"It's already cut," Hakuba said, his expression odd as he glanced at Fujino. "He drew, struck, and sheathed it in that split second as he passed by."
He stepped up and lightly tapped the dummy with a finger. It split cleanly in two, the cut so smooth it looked laser-carved.
"This is a damn good blade," Fujino said, handing it back to Toshiro. "Though I might've overdone it—there's a nick in the edge now."
"No big deal," Toshiro said, taking it back before glaring at Toshiya. "I told you to learn kendo, but no—you'd rather mess around with that music crap, dressing like some freak. You're an embarrassment!"
"What's so great about swinging a dumb sword?" Toshiya shot back. "All you do is chop straw anyway!"
Toshiro: "…"
He'd hoped Fujino's skill would put some sense into his useless son, but nope—total waste of effort.
This kid was beyond saving. If he weren't so old, Toshiro would've considered starting over with a new one.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Finally, he pulled the classic move—comparing him to someone else's kid.
"Look at Fujino right here. Younger than you, already a second-dan in kendo, dubbed Tokyo's rising star in the sword world, and a direct disciple of eighth-dan Master Suwa. Of course a failure like you wouldn't get it!"
Fujino: "…"
*Why's this about me now? Even the criminal division head knows my rep? Am I really that big a deal?*
"And even Hakuba here's a famous detective, cracking murder cases with Division One and stopping Kaito Kid with Division Two. What do you have to show for yourself? Nothing!"
Hakuba: "…"
*Why do I feel like I'm still coming up short compared to Fujino?*
"Hmph." Toshiya didn't bother arguing back.
Sure, he thought being an underground rock singer was cool, but compared to a guy who could slice someone in half with one swing *and* solve crimes—or even Hakuba—he didn't have much of a leg to stand on.
Toshiro's fist trembled as he took a deep breath to calm down.
Kendo was huge in Japan's police force—a whole subculture with its own factions. Departments even had dedicated instructors, usually eighth-dan masters. Someone like Suwa Yuji could walk into a teaching gig any day if there was an opening and a connection.
Toshiro's real point in bringing up kendo was that he wanted Toshiya to follow in his footsteps and join the force. Even if his grades sucked and he couldn't make Division One, he could at least coast into Division Two as a manager. Being a kendo pro would've given him an edge.
But no—this idiot had to go play rockstar instead.
It was like some ancient warrior throwing away a general's career to become a useless, face-reading actor. In Toshiro's eyes, pure stupidity.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed the woman nearby. "You're Miss Tamaki Niya, right?"
"That's me," she replied, her tone cold. She didn't like this guy one bit.
To her, he was the reason Toshiya got away scot-free back then.
Toshiro caught the disdain in her eyes but didn't dwell on it. He got it and cut straight to the chase. "I've got something I'd like to officially return to you."
"Return to me?" Tamaki frowned, confused. What could she possibly have left with him?
Toshiro led them into the living room. He pulled something from the pocket of his coat hanging on the rack, then turned to Toshiya with a growl. "Kneel."
"What? Why the hell should I?!" Toshiya snapped back, defiant.
Toshiro's brow twitched. He stepped aside, his hand brushing the hilt of the katana on its stand. "…"
*Thud.* Toshiya dropped to his knees instantly, no hesitation.
Clearly, he'd been through this drill before. He had zero doubt that if his dad—the criminal division head—got mad enough, he'd slice him up for the "greater good" and then turn himself in.
(Chapter End)