"Miss, please come with us."
A burly, sunglasses-wearing man with a menacing expression blocked Chika Fujiwara's way.
"Huh?"
Hearing the voice, Chika looked up at the imposing man before her, then turned blankly to Kei Shirogane beside her:
"Kei-chan, it seems my family sent bodyguards to fetch me. Let's call it a day here."
"Eh?"
Kei Shirogane was momentarily confused, wondering why the Fujiwara family would suddenly summon Chika home.
But seeing Chika's insistence, she automatically responded, reaching into her shopping basket for the cosmetics they'd selected earlier:
"Understood. Let's quickly go to the checkout counter then..."
"Ah, those items haven't been paid for yet..." Chika's expression seemed slightly off.
Just then, a cold male voice came from behind:
"Vodka, have you finished? We're short on time."
Chika turned to see a silver-haired man in black emerge from behind the hulking figure called Vodka, his gaze fierce.
"'Finished'? 'Short on time'?"
Kei Shirogane, who'd been sorting Chika's purchases, finally sensed something amiss.
This didn't sound like bodyguard talk at all.
She glanced at Chika and immediately noticed the unease on her face.
Realisation struck - these two intimidating men weren't Fujiwara family bodyguards, but criminals?
The moment this dawned on her, Kei prepared to scream for help. But as she opened her mouth, she suddenly found herself struggling to breathe, coughing violently.
"Cough! Cough cough!"
As the girl clutched her throat, Vodka remarked meaningfully:
"It would be troublesome if you started shouting."
His eyes slid towards Chika as he deliberately opened his black suit jacket, revealing a glimpse of a gun:
"Ladies, you're both coming with me."
Sharp-eyed Chika immediately spotted the pistol when Vodka opened his jacket.
Witnessing this scene, Chika Fujiwara's gaze froze for a moment before she grimaced and said:
"Can't I go alone?"
Gin, standing nearby, glanced at Luo Shu and snorted coldly:
"No."
As he spoke, he directly pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at the two girls:
"Come with us quietly."
Seeing the gun, Kei Shirogane, who was already struggling to breathe, widened her eyes as if about to scream.
But before she could make a sound, Vodka immediately scolded in a low voice:
"Idiot! You're supposed to flash this thing under your clothes, not wave it around openly!"
"Huh?" Gin was momentarily stunned before realising his mistake. He turned his head and saw numerous customers in the drugstore staring at them.
Two men in black suits entering a drugstore was unusual enough. Blocking two young girls further drew attention, let alone brandishing a gun openly.
The next second.
Screams erupted.
"There's a gun—!!"
"Murder!!"
Hearing the screams, more customers in the store turned to look.
Seeing this, Luo Shu could only shrug before pulling out his own gun and firing three shots into the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunshots sent the already alarmed bystanders into panic, scattering in all directions.
At this point, Luo Shu said plainly: "Caused a commotion? Fine, we'll just grab them directly."
As he spoke, he glanced at Chika Fujiwara, sending her into an illusion, then stepped past her to seize the weakened Kei Shirogane's wrist, twisting it behind her back.
Daichi Fujiwara was even more straightforward, immediately turning to Chika and shouting:
"Chika, come with me."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Daichi sensed something amiss. That thing in Chika's hand... was that anti-bear spray?
Meanwhile, Chika Fujiwara, who had secretly pulled out the anti-bear spray, also froze.
Why had that scary silver-haired man in a suit suddenly turned into her father?
"Dad?" Chika Fujiwara blurted out instinctively.
"Yeah!"
Daichi Fujiwara responded reflexively before realising his mistake. He turned to Luo Shu in panic:
"Damn it, I've been recognised."
"My doing," Luo Shu rolled his eyes. "Did you really want a face full of pepper spray? Just put on a show and get them out of here."
"Oh!"
Daichi suddenly understood—as long as it appeared to outsiders that Chika was being kidnapped, that was enough. There was no need for an actual abduction.
Thinking this, Daichi immediately said to Chika:
"It's complicated to explain, just come with me now."
"Hurry up, the police will be here soon," Luo Shu said lightly as he effortlessly hoisted Kei Shirogane over his shoulder, urging them on.
Chika Fujiwara blinked, staring at Daichi.
Daichi was baffled: "Why are you looking at me? Move!"
Chika then pointed at the gun in Daichi's hand and blinked:
"Aren't you supposed to point this at me while we go?"
"Oh!" Only then did Daichi remember he was supposed to be a kidnapper. He hastily aimed the gun at Chika and said, "Move it."
As she turned to leave, Chika couldn't help muttering:
"Dad's so lame at kidnapping. Not professional at all."
Daichi's face darkened. He glared at Chika before herding her out of the store amidst the screams of bystanders, boarding the minivan.
Luo Shu, who was right behind them, moved even faster. He yanked open the front passenger door, shoved the person inside, slammed it shut, then swiftly circled to the driver's seat, started the engine and sped off—all in one fluid motion.
By the time the van roared down the street, the patrolling officers on bicycles could only shout in vain as they attempted to give chase.
Watching the van disappear, the officers hastily pressed their communicators:
"Calling headquarters, calling headquarters!"
"Near Ikebukuro Station, a violent armed kidnapping has occurred. Repeat, near Ikebukuro Station, a violent armed kidnapping has occurred."
...
Metropolitan Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division.
Juzo Megure stared blankly at the panting Wataru Takagi, his jaw practically hitting the floor:
"You what now? The second daughter of Minister Fujiwara was kidnapped in broad daylight near Ikebukuro? And then the perpetrators vanished into our jurisdiction in Beika Town?"
"Are you sure today isn't April Fools'?"
Wataru Takagi grimaced and replied:
"Inspector Megure, today isn't April Fools'—but it is Labour Day."
"That's not the point!"
Megure's face darkened as he bellowed at his stunned colleagues:
"Get the cars ready! Everyone mobilise! If we don't get her back, we won't be celebrating Labour Day next year!"
Takagi blinked in confusion and instinctively turned to Miwako Sato beside him: "Why wouldn't we celebrate Labour Day?"
Sato rolled her eyes. "Because we'd be unemployed."
"Move it, now!" Megure roared.
"Yes, Inspector!" xN
The Criminal Investigation Division erupted into chaos.
Before long, a swarm of blue-and-white police cars poured out of the Metropolitan Police Department.