Chapter 40: The Urge to Play Pranks Lives in Everyone

“We’re already busy enough. Don’t cause more trouble for everyone.”

The thin policeman standing there snapped impatiently at Yuki Asahi’s request.

“Busy?”

Yuki Asahi swallowed down the dryness in his throat, his hand unconsciously gripping the fabric of his pants.

“Do you mean the two of you sitting in the office while the people below do all the work?”

Bang—

A palm slammed onto the table, making the paper cup jump and hot water spill out.

“This isn’t a place for brats like you to act out!”

Yuki Asahi lowered his head, staring at the hot water spilling from the paper cup, the pallor of his face tinged with a sickly flush.

He was so tense he could barely breathe.

“Kanai! What’s with that attitude!”

The man with the Superintendent rank rebuked Kanai.

“Yuki-kun is a Hero who helped us a lot.”

“Aren’t these Superpower Users the source of all the trouble?”

“So many people have died, and we’re supposed to be grateful?”

Kanai spat, speaking with clear resentment.

Yuki Asahi clenched his teeth, his lips trembling.

You didn’t even need to sense emotions to see that the Superintendent, who seemed to be scolding Kanai, was just putting on a show.

“Get out!”

Kanai curled his lips, turned, and left the office, slamming the door behind him, completely shutting out the corridor.

Only two people were left in the office.

The Superintendent adjusted his round glasses on the bridge of his nose, deliberately softening his tone.

“Yuki-kun, we deeply respect your courage.”

He tapped his knuckles on the table.

“But rules are rules. This isn’t something a single ‘permission to meet’ can solve.”

“There are procedures for everything, right? Otherwise, how could society be fair?”

These lofty words like ‘procedures’ and ‘fairness’ were nothing but empty talk to Yuki Asahi.

He wanted to know what kind of interrogation Jiang Jian was enduring.

The calm, undisturbed look in Senior Jiang’s eyes when she was taken away lingered in his mind.

He just wanted to ask, “Are you okay?” Even seeing her from afar to confirm her safety would be enough.

As a so-called “Hero,” all he could do was sit here and be lectured.

A surge of frustration and grievance filled his chest.

“I understand.”

Yuki Asahi stood up, gripping the armrest as if all strength had left him.

“Go rest.”

Koji Hattori, holding half a donut, paused when he saw Yuki Asahi walking out of the office.

The boy stood in front of the door for a while with his head down, the swollen bags under his eyes showing his exhaustion, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

He sighed, turned away, and didn’t notice Koji Hattori.

Koji Hattori casually opened the door, poked his head inside, and asked,

“Why did Yuki-kun come?”

“He wanted to see Miss Jiang Jian. I sent him away.”

The Superintendent answered absentmindedly, flipping through the files on the desk without looking up.

“Mmmph mmmph…”

Koji Hattori chewed his donut, then looked back at Yuki Asahi’s departing figure.

“He can’t see her? Yuki-kun is the young lady’s sweetheart, you know.”

“What?”

***

Two minutes later, Koji Hattori had his arm around Yuki Asahi’s shoulders, holding a donut in his hand.

“Have some breakfast?”

Yuki Asahi shook his head, unable to understand why the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s attitude had suddenly changed.

What happened to fairness and procedures?

“Didn’t sleep well last night? You worked hard. Honestly, Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu should let kids your age get more sleep.”

Koji Hattori held the donut in his mouth and led Yuki Asahi toward the Psychological Counseling Room.

“Thanks for your concern.”

Yuki Asahi’s opinion of Koji Hattori improved slightly.

Remembering the faint hostility he showed last night, he felt a little ashamed.

Several police officers brushed past them, and one of them clicked his tongue quietly.

Koji Hattori turned his head and frowned slightly.

“Rude.”

“What did you say?”

The officer, exhausted from the ongoing busyness, was irritated and ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Koji Hattori didn’t expect such a strong reaction, but he had no intention of engaging, so he pressed Yuki Asahi’s shoulder and prepared to leave.

But the officer wouldn’t let it go. With dark circles under his eyes, he shouted,

“It’s because of troublesome people like you that we’re still working!”

“Hey! Hase, don’t be like that.”

A colleague hurriedly tried to restrain the officer named Hase.

“All this trouble was caused by you Superpower Users. Don’t push it onto us ordinary people, damn it.”

Yuki Asahi’s heart sank.

It seemed Kanai’s words truly reflected the attitudes of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s front-line officers.

“Ah, I see.”

Koji Hattori held the donut in his hand, his expression indifferent, but his words were sharp.

“Once they’re done killing all the Superpower Users, the next target will be the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s useless trash.”

He was a retired member of the Self-Defense Forces, and everyone knew the grudge between them and the police dated back to the Bakumatsu Movement.

Though in modern times the conflict had faded, and everyone just wanted to do their jobs and support their families, tempers still flared on occasion.

If real conflict broke out, it would be another story—awakening old grudges and bringing nightmares of the last century.

“Iron meh!”

The argument was finally broken up by other officers who rushed over.

Koji Hattori also got a scolding from Morita Aoya, who arrived with the group.

Yuki Asahi saw that the Major-domo could move freely, and even though he hadn’t slept all night and his mind was hazy, he understood that Senior Jiang was probably all right.

After finishing with Koji Hattori, Morita Aoya turned to look at Yuki Asahi, who had just barely stayed out of the argument.

He spoke gently.

“The young lady is in the Psychological Counseling Room over there. We won’t bother you two.”

“Thank you.”

Yuki Asahi bowed slightly and walked to the door of the Psychological Counseling Room.

But the door opened first, and a big sister in a maid outfit stepped out.

Akimoto Miki pressed her lips together, scrutinizing Yuki Asahi with a sharp gaze, then lowered her voice.

“Good luck!”

“I heard that!”

Jiang Jian Yue’s voice came from behind the door.

It was the first time Yuki Asahi had heard her speak in such a resentful tone.

Akimoto Miki let out a few soft laughs and walked away.

Inside the room, Jiang Jian Yue had her head wrapped in a blanket, and could only hear Yuki Asahi’s footsteps.

Sigh…

This kid even chased all the way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

There were still so many things at Tokuyōmoto Base…

Did he really stay up all night?

Jiang Jian Yue felt a twinge of worry deep down.

After all, she had always felt a bit of sympathy and pity for Yuki Asahi.

She pulled the blanket away from her face—

Golden eyes were close, and on the handsome face, weary but quietly happy.

At this distance, either a fight was about to break out, or a kiss was coming.

Lips this close didn’t trigger any disgust—

Though she admitted Yuki Asahi was a little handsome, her lack of aversion wasn’t because of his looks.

Inside, a strange impulse surged.

A mischievous urge overwhelmed any aversion to someone of the same sex being so close.

It was like one of those cold jokes that made people ask “what does that even mean?”

She felt an inexplicable desire:

Right now, immediately, she wanted to see Yuki Asahi’s shocked expression.