Chapter 98 Bystanders

Tokyo, Japan.

In an effort to uncover the mysteries surrounding a 20-year-old murder case, Amuro visited residents near his former residence. However, aside from further confirming that his memory was correct—that the reports at the time indicated the little girl was burned, not burned to death—he gained nothing else, not even being able to find the hospital where the little girl had been treated.

"So many traces have been erased by time, it's really a headache!"

However, there was another aspect of the case that concerned him: the person in charge of the case back then was Taro Ibe, who was still working in the First Investigation Division. He was one of the three suspected moles in the Public Security Bureau that they had previously identified, and also the one with the highest official rank.

Upon encountering the name Imai here, Amuro was surprised: he had no idea that this person had such a deep connection with the organization!

The perpetrator in this case was apprehended later; he was a professional hitman who confessed to the crimes. However, he did not reveal the identity of his employer or his motive.

"It's also possible that the hitman was paid to do the job and didn't know the truth."

What frustrated Amuro even more was that the case file made no mention of the crocodile pocket watch.

After working hard all day without any results, he decided to have dinner first, sort out his thoughts, and then make a plan for the next step.

Amuro arrived at a sushi restaurant. He was a regular there and easily found a corner seat.

Just as he was hesitating whether to eat the same thing as usual or try something new, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a handsome man and a beautiful woman entering a Western restaurant across the street.

The woman was beautiful, tall, and had radiant blonde hair.

But what caught Amuro's attention wasn't the beautiful woman, but the handsome man beside her: with his flowing, medium-length black hair and dashing, unrestrained demeanor, who else could it be?

Isn't that his good friend and classmate, Kenji Hagiwara?!

"I went on a trip to the Americas and came back to find that Hagiwara is no longer single?"

The golden retriever, who had been single for nearly 30 years, was deeply shocked and his gossipy soul was ignited.

He had no appetite, so he casually ordered a few sushi dishes, took out his phone, and started frantically tagging "cigarettes" in the "crying" group.

"What's wrong with you so late at night?" Matsuda retorted irritably.

Blonde Retriever: "Hagiwara's girlfriend? What's going on? (Starry-eyed)"

Cigarette: "Huh? What did you say?"

Blonde: "I just saw it! Hagiwara is on a date!"

Matsuda's eyes widened in shock, and he almost dropped his phone. He never expected that the golden retriever, who had been lurking in the group for a long time, would suddenly make such a splash.

This bombshell news even drew out the "dad leader," and the three of them quickly started chatting enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, the group leader, the cat demon, was in flight mode at the time, while Holmes's disciple was still feeding the seagulls. They thus missed a spectacle unfolding on the other side of Eurasia.

Amuro vividly described the scene to the two of them: "That blonde woman looks to be around 25 years old, probably of mixed race. She's very beautiful and has a great figure. The two of them seem quite close, chatting and laughing, and even holding hands!"

Matsuda firmly denied it: "Impossible! I know exactly where Hagi smoked, when, and how many cigarettes he smoked. How could I not know he has a girlfriend?"

Golden Retriever: "It's definitely him! How could I mistake him for someone else?"

Dad: "Is it possible that the woman is Hagiwara's older sister?"

Golden Retriever: "Impossible, I know Hagiwara's older sister, she doesn't look at all."

Cigarette: "Sister Chisato isn't in Tokyo."

Golden Retriever: "Then it's definitely my girlfriend! (Excited)"

Cigarette: "Where did they go? What are they doing?"

Golden Retriever: "They went to a Western restaurant for dinner. They went inside, and I couldn't see them."

Cigarette: "So what are you doing?"

Golden Retriever: "I'm eating across the street. Don't worry, they didn't see me."

Cigarette: "Who cares about this? (Angry)"

Amuro imagined Matsuda's expression at that moment and couldn't help but laugh. He tried his best to control his facial expression and typed quickly: "Matsuda, you really don't know anything? Good news should be shared with everyone, isn't that the original purpose of creating this group?"

Matsuda retorted irritably, "No matter what, that woman is definitely not Hagi's girlfriend! I'm absolutely the first person to know this!"

The class monitor, with "extensive" dating experience, transformed into an emotional analysis expert, offering the two single students a new perspective: "Could it be love at first sight? You were caught before you even had a chance to tell Matsuda?"

Amuro became even more excited upon hearing this hypothesis: "Wow! That's even more romantic! (heart emoji)"

Cigarette: "It's clearly Hagi's business, why are you getting so worked up? (rolls eyes)"

Golden Retriever: "Hey? Your best friend is no longer single. Don't you want to congratulate them? Don't you want to care?"

Cigarette: "That guy has no chance of finding a girlfriend! He's a total ladies' man, with tons of female friends. Everyone treats him like a best friend, and nobody dates him. I know him too well!"

Golden Retriever: "After all that, you're just being sour, aren't you? (Lemon)"

At this moment, the class monitor spoke up: "I'm also quite curious. How exactly did Hagiwara meet the other person? Could it be that they knew each other before, had feelings for each other, and took the opportunity to confess during this chance encounter?"

Golden Retriever: "Wow! I love this story too! It's like something out of a novel or movie! (heart emoji)"

Cigarette interjected, "You seem to care about them a lot, so maybe you're thinking about dating yourself?"

Golden Retriever: "Why are you being so sarcastic today? Your good buddy has a girlfriend, what's wrong with you?"

Cigarette: "I'm not upset at all. I just don't like your yelling here! I'm telling you right now, that woman is absolutely not Hagi's girlfriend!"

Golden Retriever: "You really don't believe in the power of love? Love at first sight, mutual unrequited love, how is that impossible?"

Matsuda was so angry he didn't want to say anything.

At this point, the squad leader tried to smooth things over, saying, "Why don't we just ask Hagiwara? That way we won't have to guess here."

Matsuda replied, "No need, we can't get in touch with that guy right now."

Amuro became smug and deliberately provoked Matsuda, saying, "Hey! Doesn't this just prove that Hagiwara is on a date? Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

Cigarette: "I have no interest. Go by yourself if you want!"

Golden Retriever: "I already told you I was eating next door."

Cigarette: "Aren't you good at disguising yourself as a waiter? Go in!"

Golden Retriever: "It's not that simple. Waiters are screened and assessed, okay? It's not like you can just start working as soon as you're asked to."

Cigarette: "I'm not going to talk to you anymore, I should eat too."

Amuro, however, wouldn't let the other person off the hook: "Hey, they're progressing so fast, maybe he'll bring his girlfriend home tonight!"

Matsuda, who lived next door to Hagiwara, was in an uproar: "Are you kidding me? How could it be so fast? Who brings someone home right after meeting them?"

Golden Retriever: "Why not? The first time I met Jing, I took him home to play! (Yay!)"

Cigarette seller: "What's the point of comparing these things? (Speechless)"

Golden Retriever: "Admit it, you're just jealous!"

Cigarette: "What do I have to be jealous of? I don't want to have a girlfriend!"

Golden Retriever: "Then why are you targeting me all day? Every time I say something, you snap back?"

Cigarette: "We've known each other for so many years, when have I ever not argued with you? (Angry)"

Golden Retriever: "You bastard! You want to fight? (fist)"

Cigarettes: Defeated Opponent.JPG

It was an emoji made from a photo from his police academy days. The picture showed a blond-haired guy grimacing in pain after fighting with Matsuda.

Upon seeing this old photo, Amuro was furious: "You bastard! You actually used an unflattering photo of me as a meme?!"

Matsuda retorted without hesitation, "Who told you to be so dark-skinned? Not a single photo of you looks fair!"

Not to be outdone, Amuro also retaliated by searching for pictures in his phone's private album.

Two single people started an emoji battle in the group chat. After a frenzy of attacks, the class monitor sternly stopped this irrational online behavior: "You two are almost 30 years old, how come you're not as well-behaved as my son?"

The golden retriever fell silent, and the curly-haired dog on the other side also remained silent. But they were both competing with each other, neither willing to admit defeat.

Cigarette: "Want to make a bet?"

Golden Retriever: "What do you want to bet?"

Cigarette: "Whatever, I'm fine with anything. Anyway, I absolutely won't lose; that woman can't possibly be Hagi's girlfriend!"

Golden Retriever: "You said it yourself. If you lose, you have to find a partner this month."

Cigarette: "What kind of bet is this?!"

Golden Retriever: "Let me show you the power of love, and you'll lose fair and square (smugly)."

Cigarette: "Fine, if you lose, let me beat you up. I'll beat you awake!"

Golden Retriever: "Tsk tsk, just you wait! You'll regret this soon!"

Amuro couldn't remember when he finished his sushi. Anyway, his plate was empty after he finished chatting with Matsuda. After paying the bill, he figured Hagiwara and the others hadn't finished eating yet, so he went to wait in his car.

The golden retriever transforms into a paparazzi, secretly vowing to win this round: Go Hagiwara, I believe in you!

Amuro had originally intended to park near the Western restaurant, but considering that parking on the roadside would be too conspicuous, he opted for a quieter side street. If Hagiwara came out of the restaurant, Amuro would see them through the rearview mirror, but they wouldn't notice him.

"If we get caught, just say I happened to be in the area on business."

Amuro pretended to be resting in the car, waiting anxiously with his eyes half-closed.

After an unknown amount of time, Hagiwara and the blonde woman finally appeared. The two were still chatting and laughing, looking quite intimate.

Amuro thought smugly: Matsuda, just wait until you find a girlfriend!

However, the golden retriever's joy was short-lived, as things took an unexpected turn: Hagiwara did not leave with the woman, but parted ways at the restaurant entrance.

"Hmm? Could it be that things haven't progressed to that stage yet? But you should at least take the girl home, right?"

Amuro was puzzled and worried, thinking: Hagiwara, you have to live up to my expectations! I've put all my bets on you.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

After saying goodbye to Hagiwara, the woman gracefully walked towards the white RX-7. Amuro couldn't help but wonder: My car doesn't look like a taxi, does it?

But the woman was clearly there for Amuro. She gently knocked on the car window, and the driver, who was taking a nap, rolled down the window and asked, "What's the matter?"

"I didn't expect to run into you here. I didn't drive today, could you give me a ride?"

Amuro instantly snapped back to reality, breaking out in a cold sweat: the woman's face was unfamiliar, but her voice was very familiar.

At that moment, he knew he was doomed to lose. The power of love ultimately couldn't overcome the familiarity of childhood friendship. All his hopes shattered into dust in that instant.

"Help! Why is Vermouth the one Hagiwara is dating?!"