"—Eh?"
Behind me is a man in a traditional policeman uniform.
"What could you possibly be doing out at this hour? Considering the recent kidnappings."
"... …"
I can't find my words.
He just stands there, with his hands behind his back, as if we were catching up like old friends.
Looking at his uniform, he can't be from this district.
I'm guessing his station is all the way back in the east, but because of the recent disappearances, he wound up here for night duty.
"I'm … on my way home."
"Oh, is that so? Nevermind me, then. Carry on."
What an ominous face.
I feel bad for the guy. He must be mistaken for a criminal often in people's heads.
"…Hey, officer. What's your name?"
My question startles him.
"Hm? Oh, my name. I suppose that's a reasonable question, considering I don't have a badge."
He adjusts his frames.
"I'm officer Junko of the Eastern District…nice to meet you."
He doesn't smile, but it's probably because policemen in that district aren't allowed or something.
"Yeah, same here."
"Hmph. You're pretty articulate for a child. How old are you?"
"Twelve. I turn thirteen in a few months."
A faint smile creases across his face.
"Ah…that's nice to hear. It seems that nothing is in disorder here, so I'll be off now. You get home safely, young man."
"Yeah, same to you…"
He nods and begins to walk away.
The interaction ended as abruptly as it began.
…Wait.
"—How did you know my name?"
He faces me again.
Tilting his cap sternly, he replies.
"I am simply an old family friend, Aron."
Simple?
I have never heard of a Junko.
"It is fine if you do not remember me. I treated you when you were very young."
He smiles.
It's a bit weird, seeing him smile.
Anyways, he nods and begins to walk away again.
"Sorry for causing you any trouble. Forget we had such a discussion."
"Y-yeah."
What an awkward man.
He carries himself quite seriously, but he can't seem to understand how uneasy he makes me feel.
I turn around.
Looking down at the cake, it's already started to melt.
Even on a cold night like this.
I hear Junko's footsteps patter behind me.
What an awkward interaction.
Imagine asking an old relative if they knew you, only for them to have forgotten you completely because of an old childhood incident…
I'd feel bad for him if I knew him.
But, I can't dwindle on such a weird moment.
Well, I suppose a simple 'goodbye' wouldn't hurt.
I look up and prepare to turn around.
"Goodbye, Officer Junko—"
Huh?
Ow, ow.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!!
"S-sorry! So sorry! I'm so dastardly sorry!"
Another officer in the same uniform as Officer Junko lands in front of me.
Though, he's a lot more unkempt compared to his superior.
I can already tell he's under Junko in rank because of his appearance.
No chief should ever look this way.
"B-buchou! Reporting for duty!"
He quickly stands up and bows.
"Ah, Kuto. Have you finished scouting the southern district?"
"Y-yes Buchou! Nothing seems out of order there as well!"
Officer Junko sighs heavily.
"That is good. It would be better if you didn't take three hours to do so."
"S-sorry, sir…"
Kuto scratches his head in shame.
So, these two must be a part of the same department.
But, their uniforms seem strange.
Even if they were a part of the traditional district's police department, these designs are missing key details of a normal uniform.
They have no distinguishable badges, nor ranks. I wouldn't even be able to tell Junko and Kuto apart if it weren't for Kuto's amateur aura.
"I can see you are a bit confused."
Officer Junko stares at me.
"We are not from Shukufuku's residential district at all. We come from the olden side of the town, where we differ in many things."
Kuto adjusts his posture and walks up next to Officer Junko.
"I-if I may, Buchou?"
As if asking to do something he normally could not, Kuto awkwardly raises a finger.
"Hmph. You may."
Officer Junko nods silently and steps to the side.
Now, two officers are looming above me.
"Well, you see, you may have heard of those disappearances lately."
I don't even have to nod for Kuto to keep going.
"We were just called down here because of the increasing reports, that's all."
Nervously, he looks over to Junko, as if looking for approval for such an explanation.
"Hmph."
His nod is so slight that one could mistake it for just a twitch.
"That was sufficient, Kuto. But you left out a major detail."
"R-really…?"
Officer Kuto twitches in fear.
"Hey, Aron."
Officer Junko squats down to my level and pats me on the head.
I don't particularly like it, but his palms are warm, in contrast to his cold face.
"You're a curious child, aren't you?"
I wouldn't bank on that description. It feels more of a forced compliment than the truth.
Nevertheless, I nod.
"That's what I thought. It's good that you're so curious at a young age."
Officer Junko waits a moment and then looks at me with a warm smile.
"So, how about I tell you a secret, and you promise me you will head home right after. And you won't talk about running into these two kind officers again, hm?"
I nod.
More or less because I need to escape this place and run home.
I'm not one to run my mouth, despite most kids my age doing so.
To be honest, I feel like I'm nodding more than speaking in this conversation.
"That is great."
Officer Junko stands up and tilts his cap.
"Well, Aron. The secret is that our department believes that there's something special behind these disappearances."
"---Special?"
He smiles at my question.
"Yes. Have you ever heard of magic, Aron? That's what we think is behind this."
"-----?"