Chapter 36: The Tenth Playthrough (7)
"Pfft... You became a policeman just to punch the Superintendent General?" Rei Furuya laughed until tears streamed down his face. "That's quite ambitious, huh? Well then, you'd better work hard to get promoted, and make sure you succeed before the Superintendent General retires, hahaha—"
"Hey, stop laughing, is it that funny?" Matsuda Jinpei rolled his eyes, then elbowed him, unable to bear it any longer. "And you? Why did you become a policeman?"
If it weren't for the fact that this blond bastard saved his life that afternoon, and that he knew the bastard meant no harm, Matsuda Jinpei would have punched someone for directly hitting his sore spot.
At 11:30 p.m., on the quiet and dark rooftop of the dormitory building, most students had already turned off their lights and gone to bed. Only Furuya Rei and Matsuda Jinpei secretly ran out and lay on the rooftop, chatting with their hands behind their heads.
“Me?” Rei Furuya looked at the stars in the sky. “I’m looking for a missing person, a woman who is very important to me…”
Matsuda Jinpei was shocked: "It was all for a woman? I never expected you to be this type. You've got some skills."
His expression was so funny that Rei Furuya couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Right, impressive, huh?"
Matsuda Jinpei was still incredulous: "So, your earnest liking for police officers was just a personality trait? I thought you were... tsk, suddenly I feel like an idiot for being upset about this. Come to think of it, it's true, what kind of truly well-behaved, model student would fight with me in the middle of the night? And you even arrogantly stood me up twice! And your fighting style was so skilled! You're clearly a problem child yourself!!!"
“Your self-awareness is quite accurate.” Furuya Rei laughed even louder.
Matsuda Jinpei: "Hey!"
Then he couldn't help but laugh along with them.
And so, the friendship among the troubled children was fully established.
At that time, probably no one in the police academy knew that these two troubled children would eventually become heroic police officers who sacrificed themselves for the public good, and one would become an undercover public security officer who regarded the country as his lover.
"Hey, tell me about that woman, tell me your story in detail." Matsuda Jinpei leaned closer and whispered curiously, his gossipy eyes sparkling.
"I might disappoint you, it's not what you think." Rei Furuya smiled, then drifted into memories.
"She was a married female doctor with children. Because I often got into fights and got injured when I was a child, she would always bandage and treat my wounds, but one day she suddenly disappeared..."
*
11:55 PM.
Morifu no Kagemitsu lay on the bed, tossing and turning for three hours, but still couldn't fall asleep.
He cannot be completely at ease until today is over.
He checked his phone for what felt like the umpteenth time, making sure Zero hadn't called or texted him, and that his location was still on the rooftop, before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In five minutes, April 5th will be over.
Although Zero said that even if something happened in the middle of the day, since it did not affect the most critical point, there should be no subsequent problems.
Although Zero said that the butterfly had been killed and its subsequent effects had been controlled, it would not cause any more tornadoes in the short term.
However, Morofushi Kagemitsu couldn't help but worry; what happened today had really frightened him.
Even knowing how terrifying the butterfly effect is, it's still really hard to react when faced with those unexpected accidents.
Not to mention that what happened today wasn't just due to the butterfly effect.
Zero said that if it were just the butterfly effect, it wouldn't be so obviously targeting Matsuda at that point. If it were world line convergence, it wouldn't be converging now. Therefore, it is very likely that this is the result of the two merging into one.
So how can humanity fight against predetermined fate and the malice of the world? How can we control all the unpredictable butterfly effects?
One person can't possibly manage, right? Zero can't keep being on edge like this forever.
Zero wants to save everyone, but who will save Zero?
Hagiwara is right. He also needs to become stronger to keep up with Zero's pace, otherwise he can't help at all except for mental support.
Even in terms of mental health... right now, shouldn't Zero be more worried about him? He needs to adjust his condition as soon as possible. He absolutely cannot let those things affect his sleep and mental state anymore. After recovering his mental health, he also needs to start working hard to exercise and learn various skills.
He really didn't want to see his childhood friend's corpse again.
The thought of this caused Morofushi Kagemitsu's pupils to constrict and tremble. He seemed to see the blond youth's corpses in various ways before his eyes, the blood staining his hands and making his fingers and breath tremble.
"Knock knock knock".
The sudden knocking startled Morofushi Kagemitsu, who was suffering from PTSD.
"who?!"
"Hiro, it's me." The familiar voice of his childhood friend came from outside the door, and Morofushi Kagemitsu's nerves immediately relaxed.
He glanced at the time subconsciously and realized that he had been so distracted that he hadn't noticed it was past midnight. April 5th was over, and it was now April 6th.
Morofushi Kagemitsu quickly got up and opened the door. The moment he saw Furuya Rei outside, he couldn't help but smile with relief: "Zero, what's wrong?"
"Come on, I'll show you my secret base." The blond youth smiled and winked at him in the moonlight.
"A secret...base?" Morofushi Kagemitsu was completely bewildered, yet he was involuntarily drawn in by that mysterious and mischievous smile. Without much thought or hesitation, he and Morofushi Kagemitsu climbed over the wall and ran out of the school in the middle of the night.
Rei Furuya's "secret base" is not far from the police academy; it's just an ordinary room in an alley on the next street.
After changing his shoes, Morobushi Kagemitsu looked around curiously.
The house wasn't big, and it was even quite dilapidated, looking like it hadn't been lived in for a long time. However, it was very clean, and at first glance, it seemed like just an ordinary single-person dwelling.
However, when Rei Furuya opened the inner door, Kagemitsu Morofushi was stunned by the dazzling array of computers, wires, and other equipment inside.
"What... what are these?" Morofushi Kagemitsu opened his eyes wide and turned to look at his childhood friend.
"Didn't I say before that we still need to get a computer?" Furuya Rei said with a smile as he walked in, closing the door behind him.
Morofushi Kagemitsu looked at the room full of computers and unfamiliar appliances, then turned to look at the innocent-looking blond youth, and was completely speechless.
Rei Furuya couldn't help but laugh, pulling him to sit down in a chair and explaining with a smile, "Okay, actually I'm learning some hacking skills."
"Hacker?" Morabu Kagemitsu stared at him blankly.
"Because I think hacking skills are very important, and computer and network technology can play a lot of roles in the future, I started learning them a long time ago." Furuya Rei shrugged helplessly. "However, this skill is indeed very difficult. I only know a little bit of it now, and I can only do some basic things, mainly to cover up my identity as an information broker."
"Information broker?" Morofushi Kagemitsu's eyes widened even more.
Rei Furuya smiled and nodded: "Yes, I'm currently running an information brokerage identity called [Sakura]. Those locators, guns, and all this equipment came from that."
Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."
Morofushi Kagemitsu vaguely thought that Hagiwara seemed to be right; his childhood friend seemed to be turning into an all-powerful superman.
How many days has it been? How much has he actually done? When exactly did he do all this?
etc……
Morofushi Kagemitsu's eyes suddenly sharpened: "Zero, you didn't sleep last night either, did you? Actually, Zero already knew I was lying and knew I didn't sleep well last night, so you came directly to me tonight. You didn't call me out or ask me because you didn't sleep last night either, you were busy the whole time, right?"
Jianggu Ling: "..."
Rei Furuya guiltily shifted his gaze.
Morofushi Kagemitsu stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed helplessly, "I don't really have the right to criticize you this time, but Zero, aren't you tired of this? Do you really have to push yourself so hard? Is there anything I can do to help share the burden?"
"Actually... actually, the fact that Hiro is alive and well and can stay by my side is the greatest help I can receive."
The blond youth gave him a very earnest and gentle smile, a smile that seemed to contain an indescribable sadness and pain, yet vanished completely before he could examine it closely. Then, the blond youth's expression immediately brightened, like a free-spirited youth who would never be defeated by fate, his eyes filled with unwavering conviction and hope.
“It’s okay, I’m not tired at all right now because everyone is around me, and because this is all learning,” he said earnestly. “Every time I learn a little more, I feel a little stronger, a little more confident, and a little more hopeful. So I only feel happier and more motivated, not tired or exhausted.”
"Don't worry, I mean it. I'm not pretending at all." Furuya Rei looked down at his hands. "I have too many things to do. I don't have the energy to be sad. At most... at most I can't help but fall into memories when it's quiet at night, but I'll be fine again the next day."
He has been studying with this mindset all this time, and now the save file reading has given him more time and opportunities to study.
Once he joins the organization, he'll have to find a way to hone Vermouth's skills, and it would be best if she could learn how to disguise herself.
The blond youth smiled and winked playfully at his childhood friend, who was watching him with concern.
"If I were to compare my life to a game, then my time at the police academy would be the starting area."
"I want to grind to the maximum level in the starting village before leaving," he said seriously.
*
Morofushi Kagemitsu had a dream.
This time it wasn't a nightmare, but a very bizarre dream.
He dreamt that his childhood friend was standing in front of a group of policemen in a serious suit. The blond youth had his hands on his hips and was inexplicably flying in the air with a long red cape draped over his back. The appearance was as strange as it could be.
Then, a group of serious-looking police officers in suits were still waving flags and shouting enthusiastically behind him, and even unfurled a long banner.
The inscription reads: "Police All-Around Superman Furuya." Then, Furuya Rei, wearing a long red cape, suddenly stretched out his hands and made an Ultraman take-off pose. With a "whoosh," he flew up and began a world-destroying battle with the black dragon that suddenly appeared in the air.
Morofushi Kagemitsu, who was startled awake from his dream: "..."
The black-haired youth stared blankly at the empty blanket beside him with his blue cat-like eyes, then silently got up, followed the sound, opened the door, and looked outside.
The blond youth who just came out of the kitchen was still wearing an apron. His dark skin and white shirt made him look very handsome, completely different from the strange childhood friend in his dream.
Rei Furuya, who was holding a plate with sandwiches in her hand, turned around after noticing his movement and gave him an incredibly bright smile in the morning light.
"Hiro, you're awake? Perfect timing, come have breakfast. I've been wanting you to try my sandwiches." The blond youth put down the plate with sparkling eyes, then turned around, put one hand on his hip, and proudly laughed, "Let me tell you, Hiro, my sandwiches are going to be a big hit in the future, hahaha. Actually, I never thought that the cooking skills Hiro taught me would come in handy when I was infiltrating and investigating as an undercover agent."
Seeing this scene, Morofushi Hiromitsu couldn't help but smile: "Okay, I'll be right there. Zero's cooking, I can't wait. I never thought that Zero, who knew nothing about cooking, would become such a master chef. It's amazing. Zero, you're really going to become an all-around superman."
Rei Furuya tilted his head in confusion: "Superman?"
At six o'clock in the morning, Morofushi Kagemitsu finished washing up and sat down at the dining table. Under the expectant gaze of his childhood friend across from him, he carefully picked up a beautiful sandwich and took a bite.
"How is it?" Furuya Rei asked nervously.
After chewing and swallowing, Morofushi Kagemitsu smiled and gave a thumbs up: "Awesome!"
After saying that, he took another bite and carefully savored it: "It's really delicious, but it seems a little different from what I made? I think Zero's is even better!"
Reiji Furuya laughed happily: "Really? Maybe it's because I made some improvements based on my own ideas?"
Watching the black-haired youth happily eating the sandwich he made, his blue cat-like eyes crinkling, Rei Furuya's smile faded considerably, but the joy and happiness in his eyes deepened.
The final version of this sandwich was completed when he became a waiter at Poirot's Café, three years after Hiro had left.
Of course, he occasionally thought about how great it would be if Hiro, who taught him to cook, could eat this highly praised sandwich.
Rei Furuya never imagined that this wish would actually come true.
In that instant, he felt that everything he had done so far had been worthwhile.
Moreover, he would never allow such a life to be disrupted again.
They finished breakfast at 6:15, and after they finished cleaning up together, it was 6:25.
However, it's the weekend, so as long as no one else finds out they've sneaked out of school, it's okay if they don't go back to school for the time being.
“Let’s go fishing!” Rei Furuya picked up the two backpacks he had prepared beforehand and smiled at his childhood friend who was stunned again. “It’s time to relax, isn’t it?”
Furuya Rei actually offered to rest and relax, so how could Morofushi Kagemitsu refuse?
As for the sudden appearance of the white Mazda, Morofushi Kagemitsu has gradually become calm.
As long as his childhood friend doesn't suddenly fly into the sky wearing a red cape like in his dream, he won't find it strange anymore.
With Rei Tani's driving skills, he arrived at his destination in less than half an hour.
Morofushi Kagemitsu was still a little dazed from the thrilling driving skills, but once he got out of the car, his attention was immediately drawn to the scenery outside.
“Where is this…” He turned to look at his childhood friend beside him in surprise.
Rei Furuya smiled and nodded: "Yeah, it's the beach we used to come to often. It's been a long time since we've fished here, hasn't it? The last time was back in middle school, right? It's just a pity we can't watch the sunrise this time."
He jumped onto the dam with his backpack, stood on it, and gazed into the distance at the sun that had completely dyed the sea a dazzling golden-red. He turned and smiled, "The sun has risen completely. It might be a bit hot now."
Morofushi Kagemitsu grabbed his hand and climbed up as well. Feeling the warm sunshine that instantly warmed his body, and looking at the boundless sea, he couldn't help but laugh happily.
"No, it's very warm," he said.
Zhu Fujing sat cross-legged on the dam, holding a fishing rod in his hand, but his eyes did not spare a single glance for the bait.
They first came here when they were in elementary school. At that time, they simply came here to watch the sunrise over the sea. Zero shared his favorite "secret base" to cheer him up.
Morofushi Kagemitsu turned to look at the blond youth beside him, and for a moment seemed to see two children next to him pointing with surprise at the sunrise that was gradually emerging from the sea, and then looking at each other and smiling.
So he couldn't help but smile as he looked at the magnificent sea and the sunrise.
*
It was almost eight o'clock when we got back. The sun had fully risen, making spring even warmer, and the cherry blossoms blooming in the sunlight looked especially beautiful.
They first returned to the safe house.
After all, you can't exactly bring those few fresh, big fish back to school, can you?
"Splash—"
Morofushi Kagemitsu kept the fish in water for the time being, thinking about what dishes he would make with them later.
After packing his things, Furuya Rei leaned against the door behind him, crossed his arms, and quietly watched him for two seconds before suddenly dropping a bombshell in a very calm tone.
“Hiro, let’s work together to cure our PTSD,” he said.
Morofushi Kagemitsu's pupils contracted, and his fingers, which were bracing against the edge of the pool, suddenly curled up and gripped the stainless steel edge. It took him two seconds to realize what he had said.
PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, is a term that has accompanied him for more than a decade, and it has recently become more severe after the psychological trauma of the death of his childhood friend.
Morofushi Kagemitsu reached out and turned off the tap, and the room instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“This can’t go on, Hiro,” Furuya Rei continued. “I’m worried about you, and I’m even more eager to heal my PTSD as soon as possible. I can’t let PTSD continue to affect my condition. There’s no room for error in what follows.”
Morofushi Hiromitsu finally turned around: "Zero's...PTSD?"
Rei Furuya looked at him with concern and helplessness. His childhood friend was always like this. If it was his own problem, he could get stuck in a rut and have a headache, but when it came to other people's problems, he could immediately give his all.
“It’s Hiro’s PTSD from his death.” Rei Furuya sighed, but immediately smiled and reassured him as Hiro’s pupils constricted. “I spent more than three years trying to cure this PTSD, but it’s completely different now.”
He looked intently into the black-haired youth's slightly widened, upturned blue cat-like eyes and said, "Because Hiro is right here with me, I'm very confident in curing this PTSD. So, where is Hiro?"
Morofushi Kagemitsu met the gaze of the blond youth's adorable, droopy eyes, which were filled with earnestness and encouragement. Suddenly, he felt his tense nerves being gently soothed little by little.
“Of course, I think so too.” His eyes gradually hardened, and he smiled sheepishly. “Actually, I was thinking about how to resolve this last night, but Zero’s sudden mention of it caught me off guard.”
"It's okay, we have plenty of time to take it slow." Rei Furuya smiled and raised his fist. "Let's work together to completely cure our PTSD in these six months."
Morofushi Kagemitsu raised his fist and bumped it with his, nodding earnestly: "Yes, I will try my best."
After saying that, he suddenly laughed again: "Wait, hahaha, isn't our conversation a little strange?"
Rei Furuya was amused: "Well, what can we do? We've all been this weird since we were little, and we're all weird in the same way."
Who told them to be childhood friends?
As he was getting ready to leave, Rei Furuya remembered something else.
"By the way, Hiro, let's train together every day from now on." Rei Furuya turned around and handed a spare key to his stunned childhood friend. "The things we're going to do in the future are all very dangerous, so we need to start training now. If possible, I'd also like to help Hiro graduate from the beginner village at max level."
Morofushi Kagemitsu's eyes lit up, and he gripped the key tightly, nodding vigorously: "Great! I was just about to tell Zero about this!"
"But does the idea of 'graduating from the starting village at max level' really need to continue? Hahaha—"
Morofushi Kagemitsu was amused again, but his eyes became even more determined.
He felt as if he had been instantly refueled, his body was full of energy, and he seemed to have become invincible.
The future, a future where the two of us work hard together.
"So let's start today?" Furuya Rei raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I won't hold back, I'll make sure Hiro is so exhausted that he falls asleep the moment he hits the bed and has no energy left for nightmares."
Morofushi Hiromitsu smiled and nodded earnestly: "Then I'll leave it to you, my Zero Superman teacher."
As long as the two of them work together, it seems like there's nothing to be afraid of.
*
8:30 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department Police Academy.
Matsuda Jinpei, who had just woken up after sleeping in late over the weekend and was yawning as he prepared to have breakfast, suddenly fell silent as he watched the two people practicing intensely on the playground.
Kenji Hagiwara, who was standing next to him, pondered for two seconds, then turned his head and asked, "Are they trying to recruit us?"
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
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