Chapter 43

To be precise, the Onizuka crew's reputation isn't just a case of being unfairly maligned, the kind of thing that makes people feel bad or unpleasant just by hearing about them.

Rather, it's the kind of reputation that people in the bureaucratic system would find troublesome and that they wouldn't want to be associated with.

After all, acts of bravery, like arresting criminals after get off work hours, won't draw any criticism from police academy students until that point; they'll even show appreciation. But if it leads to the entire police station being reported, the chief being woken up by his superiors in the middle of the night to ask what happened, and possibly having to stay up all night writing a report...

All we can do is refuse the triple threat and remain vigilant to avoid getting into trouble.

In the workplace, no matter if what you do is good or not, if you cause trouble for your superiors, you will be disliked.

Good subordinates are those who take the blame for their superiors; the path taken by the Onizuka Class students is something to be avoided at all costs.

Most importantly, once a reputation is tarnished in some way, a slippery slope effect will occur, and what was originally a normal thing will change as it is spread.

Inspector Megure couldn't help but have some doubts—with so many problem students in the Onizuka class, could there be a murder case involving police academy students?

No, we can't be sure if they really are police academy students and teaching assistants. What if they are audacious scammers?

"Excuse me, could you please register my identity?" Inspector Megure was extremely vigilant. He checked the identification of both people during the registration process and even had someone secretly call the police academy before he believed Kenji Hagiwara's explanation.

...but everyone's feelings were more complicated.

What's the current situation at police academies? Even if they're short-staffed, they can't lower their standards!

How come someone like Hanakawa Shinryu, who looks like an undercover police officer, passed the interview?!

After confirming their identities, everyone finally established a basic level of trust, and Bo Yezhai asked, "What exactly happened? Can I go in and take a look?"

It's been half a day, and they're just standing between the entryway and the living room. Isn't that a bit much?

Inspector Megure hesitated: "Well, this is currently a crime scene, and an on-site investigation is underway..."

Theoretically speaking, the current residents should be allowed to see the situation; perhaps they could discover some details they hadn't noticed. However, faced with the face of Shinryu Kagawa, Inspector Megure inexplicably couldn't bring himself to suggest that he see it.

What if any evidence is destroyed?!

No, he was at the police academy last night, so he has an alibi...

At this point, more people gathered at the entrance, seemingly arguing with the police officers there.

Inspector Megure called out, "What's wrong?"

The police officers outside rushed over to report: "Inspector, it's the people from upstairs."

Because the door was open, the voice became clearer as the speaker approached: "If he died on the second floor, what does it have to do with me, who lives on the fourth floor? Even if he jumped from my house and died, he would have died on the third floor! There must be something wrong on the third floor."

"What do you mean by that?" the person living on the third floor protested. "I was exhausted when I got home yesterday. I fell asleep right there in the entryway without even taking off my clothes. I don't have the energy to kill anyone!"

"I didn't say you killed someone, there are still people living on the second floor..."

Inspector Megure was exasperated. The junior officer's words were ineffective, so he quickly went out to maintain order: "Alright, alright, everyone, please calm down. I didn't call you here to say that I've identified you as the murderer. I just have some questions I'd like to ask you... Do you know the deceased? His name was Kato Izumi."

Usoya Saiki followed behind and was the first to answer, "I don't know him."

The other two suspects, who were about to answer, silently shut up and just stared at him: "…………"

One of them remained silent for a few seconds, not answering the question, but instead took a step back and hesitantly asked, "Isn't this person the murderer?"

Inspector Megure: "...No, this person is just a resident of this house, like you, he was just called in to ask about the situation..."

The fourth-floor resident's expression changed several times: "I don't know any of the deceased. I don't think this has anything to do with me. Since he died in his house, why don't you investigate him? Isn't it obvious that he killed him?"

"We can't be so hasty..."

Inspector Megure had barely opened his mouth when the agent excitedly interrupted him.

"Impossible! Mr. Hanchuan would never leave such an obvious crime scene!!!"

Everyone: "…………"

The residents on the fourth and third floors clearly showed expressions that said, "See? I told you this guy had something going on."

Inspector Megure's gaze towards Usui Saiki became even stranger. He asked the agent, "Do you know something?"

Kenji Hagiwara couldn't help but facepalm: "It's just a misunderstanding, Fuka has an alibi..."

"Alibis can be forged too!" The fourth-floor resident, clearly prejudiced against Bo Yezaki, said defiantly, emboldened by the presence of the police. "Maybe he's doing the opposite, trying to make it seem like a murderer wouldn't be so conspicuous in his own home, thus clearing himself of suspicion..."

Just then, a policeman came out of the room, his expression serious. He leaned close to Inspector Megure's ear and whispered, "Inspector, there's something wrong with this house. There are a lot of dried bloodstains on the back of the tatami mats..."

As he spoke, he looked suspiciously at Usoppō Saiki, whose gestures seemed to suggest he was about to pounce on him at any moment.

Inspector Megure's expression turned serious, somewhat unsure: "What? Really?"

Did the principal really misjudge the situation?! What kind of people did they recruit into the police academy?! The reputation of the police academy...

After exchanging a few glances with his colleagues, Inspector Megure coughed and asked, "How long has Mr. Kankawa been living in this house?"

“Not long after,” said Bo Yezaki. “I moved in about a month after someone died here.”

Police officers: "...???"

Kenji Hagiwara stood at the door and glanced inside. He saw the police officers inside lifting the tatami mats and felt like he understood something: "Excuse me, Inspector Megure, someone died in this house a few months ago. The tatami mats and everything else haven't been changed. The bloodstains on them should be from the last murder. Fukashi didn't live here for very long."

"Ah...oh..." Inspector Megure's eyes widened into beady pupils. "Haha, I see...I don't remember that..."

Kenji Hagiwara considerately replied, "Because the perpetrator turned himself in, you weren't at the scene, were you?"

The resident on the third floor kept checking his watch: "I'm sorry, I don't know the deceased and I can't help you. Can I go now? Otherwise, someone else will take my client."

The resident on the fourth floor retorted, "I don't know the deceased either. I have a job, and I'm leaving too."

Inspector Megure could only gently persuade them, "Please don't be in such a hurry. At least tell me where you were last night."

A resident on the third floor said, "I'm sleeping at home, and no one can vouch for me."

The fourth-floor resident said, "I was drinking outside, and the owner of the izakaya should be able to vouch for that, but I forgot when I came back... Where is he?" The fourth-floor resident made no attempt to hide his suspicion of Usui Saiki. "Where was he last night? Have you investigated his alibi?"

Inspector Megure hesitated to speak: "Uh, Mr. Kagawa's words..."

What should I do? I feel like saying it would tarnish the reputation of the police academy! He's in such a difficult position!

Usoppai didn't care about the police academy's reputation and calmly said, "I was at the police academy last night."

The two suspects: "…………???"

Clearly, none of them expected this answer; the one on the fourth floor even stammered.

"Police...police academy? What...what exactly do you do?"

“A future police officer.” Usakabe Saiki looked thoughtfully at the person on the fourth floor. “What do you think I do? You’ve seen me before, haven’t you? Why did you pretend to be a complete novice when you first learned I lived here?”

The fourth-floor resident's eyes widened in panic: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You think that if it were me, I might not have an alibi to tell the police, or even if I did, it would arouse their suspicion. That's why you put the body at my house, thinking that the police would focus their investigation on my identity and whereabouts."

Although it was all speculation, his tone was very confident, and his dark red eyes coldly stared at the residents on the fourth floor.

"And you."

The dark-haired young man suddenly turned to look at the resident on the third floor: "You are actually very familiar with him, but you pretended not to be familiar with him in front of the police, just to mislead the police and rule out the possibility of a joint murder, right?"

"Wait, wait...!" The third-floor resident exclaimed anxiously, "Are you just going to let him spout this nonsense?! Do police academies now only admit guys like this who randomly point fingers at murderers?! This kind of person is going to become a policeman? Don't be ridiculous! So what if he's in police academy? Can't he just climb over the wall and leave?"

Usoya Saiki: "I'm not making this up. I saw it all myself. Words can conceal things, but the look in your eyes, your expressions, and the distance between your bodies cannot."

A resident on the fourth floor interrupted him: "He probably just wants the police academy to provide him with an alibi..."

Kenji Hagiwara sighed: "No way, he couldn't have sneaked out of the police academy last night..."

"How can you prove it?!" the fourth-floor resident retorted aggressively. "Did you sleep with him all night?!"

"It's not really appropriate for me to say this, but since things have come to this point, this is all I can say."

Kenji Hagiwara rubbed his temples: "Actually, something happened at the police academy yesterday, and the higher-ups dealt with the problem overnight. As an important witness, he could be called in for questioning at any time. If they find he's not in his dorm when they call him, wouldn't that prove he sneaked out to do something bad? Anyone with a brain knows they can't take that risk."

Everyone: "………………"

Kenji Hagiwara added, "Besides, he had no intention of killing, and he didn't even know the victim."

"...A hitman doesn't need to know his target, does he?" The person on the third floor still seemed unable to accept this situation. "Maybe the deceased saw him doing something illegal and was silenced..."

"I already said he's a police academy student..."

“I see.” Bo Yezaki pondered, “You thought I was an assassin? No wonder the framing was so crude. It’s a pity. I’ve been at the police academy for the past month and only came back once. The total time I’ve spent outside is less than half a day. The police report can prove my whereabouts. Trying to divert the police’s attention through me probably won’t work.”

He paused for a moment, then said casually, "But even if I'm a police academy student, we can't rule out the possibility that I'm also a killer... Well, let me ask you this: do you want me to just be a police academy student who's been framed, or do you want me to actually be a killer? Let me make it clear, the evidence so far isn't enough to send me to jail. I'll just cooperate with the investigation for a few days and then I'll be back..."

Standing behind Usui, Inspector Megure thought to himself, "What kind of question is this?"

Strangely, the other two suspects, for some unknown reason, suddenly trembled violently upon hearing this, and cold sweat visibly streamed down their faces.

"Officer! I want to turn myself in! I also want to report this! This guy was the one who suggested murder first! He said he had a way to get away with it! He said Han Chuan was the killer, and the police would definitely arrest Han Chuan first. I just believed him..."

"Nonsense! You were the one who said first, 'Why isn't Kato dead yet? I hope he dies suddenly!'"

“I was scammed out of a smaller amount of money, but you were swindled out of your entire fortune and are now in debt. It’s obvious you hate him more!”

With the two revealing their identities, Inspector Megure finally understood the relationship between these people.

To be honest, it would be difficult to find out from the surface that they were very familiar with each other, because the three of them met in a cult. The deceased cheated the two of them out of money, and the two of them realized what had happened afterward. They tried to lure the deceased out under the pretext of "I still have money to give you", killed him, and then planned to frame their downstairs neighbor.

They believed that Hanchuan Shenliu was obviously a criminal and couldn't withstand investigation. As long as the two of them cooperated and made the police think they had a bad relationship, and the murder scene was on the fourth floor, the third floor would be the most suspicious. As long as they concealed the method of transporting the body through the balcony, the police would also push the blame onto Hanchuan Shenliu in order to close the case quickly.

The two men exclaimed in unison, "Officer! Even if we're not innocent! Doesn't that guy have any problems at all?! You absolutely must investigate him thoroughly!!!"

"...You guys watch too many Japanese dramas, don't you?" Inspector Megure's face was full of exasperation. "Most police officers are quite responsible, okay? Besides, this has nothing to do with Mr. Kankawa. Don't act like you only became vengeful after seeing Mr. Kankawa... As for Mr. Kankawa's situation, the police academy must have already investigated it..."

Even Kenji Hagiwara felt that Fukaru was being unfairly targeted.

"Look on the bright side." Bo Yezaki himself didn't feel anything, and he could even comfort others. "If the criminals are all of this level, the case-solving rate will definitely go up. As long as we give them some time, this case is still easy to solve."

"...Yeah, at least the instructors can rest assured this time. It has little to do with you; you were just a bit unlucky," Kenji Hagiwara remarked.

That being said, he felt fortunate that he had come, otherwise, wouldn't Xiao Shenliu have faced double suspicion from both the criminals and the police, and wouldn't there be anyone to speak up for him?

Since the case had been solved, Usuiba Saiki and Hagiwara Kenji didn't plan to get involved in what happened next, so they chatted as they went downstairs.

"Even after all this, they still think you're an assassin." Kenji Hagiwara found it both funny and speechless. "You should say less things that are easy to misunderstand."

Usoba Saiki complained: "With their IQs, they would think such a crude method is perfect, and it's normal for them to think I would threaten the police in front of them. These kinds of people are more afraid of killers than the police... But it's too slow to handle such a simple case. The police are too inefficient."

“After all, there’s no plausible reason, and we can’t search their rooms. We have to go through the proper procedures and ask them about their situation first.” Kenji Hagiwara still put in a good word for them. “Luckily, the balconies of your two neighbors are far apart, otherwise we would have to ask even more people. We can’t just search everyone’s house as soon as they arrive; that would really make the news…”

Kenji Hagiwara seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He instinctively turned his head, but saw nothing.

...Maybe it's just my imagination, or maybe I miss them because it's been so long since we last saw each other? Never mind, let's find the car first. Where did he park it...?

Meanwhile, Morofushi Kagemitsu, hiding in the shadows of the building, looked grave.

He bumped into a classmate on the street and found that the other person was doing well, which should have been a good thing, but this discovery made him anything but happy.

What's wrong with Kenji Hagiwara? When did he get so close to gang members?! There's a limit to how much you can make friends! Making friends with just anyone will only get you into trouble!

But then again, the person next to him looks kind of familiar...

Undercover police officer Morifushi Kagemitsu fell into deep thought.

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From now on, late updates will result in a higher word count. This chapter is 4,500 words, and there will be no extra update tonight!

.

I'm moving tomorrow! I can resume extra updates the day after tomorrow! Update times will also be more consistent! There's just been so much going on lately, sob sob.

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This guy's alibi...

Han Chuan: I'm at the police academy

...What if I sneak out halfway through...

Hagiwara: He is a key witness and could be summoned at any time...

...This guy has had too many accidents.

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The perpetrator: There's someone with a clear criminal record; the police will conveniently pin the blame on them to close the case—perfect.

Police officer: You watch too many TV dramas...

Prisoner: Officer! Even if we're not innocent! Doesn't that guy have any problems at all?!