Chapter 1: Waking up in another world, forced to change careers.
The cherry blossoms twirled in the air, blown by the wind, before settling steadily on the ground. The words "Metropolitan Police Department Police Academy" seemed to gleam in the sunlight.
People come and go at the school gate. Most of them only pause for a moment before excitedly stepping into the campus. Their faces openly reveal both their trepidation and anticipation, as if they are eager to embrace their upcoming campus life.
This made the boy squatting under the big tree by the door stand out.
"This is terrible..."
The face was lifted from the arm. The man's appearance was somewhere between a young man and a boy. His face was fair and handsome, and his reddish-brown hair was slightly curly. At this moment, it looked a bit frizzy. A tuft of hair that he couldn't suppress stood up slightly on his head and swayed with his movements, refusing to obediently fall down.
He looked up at the school gate, then looked down at his light blue school uniform, and buried his face in his arms again.
Kitagawa Ryusei muttered, "Surrounded by natural enemies..."
More and more people noticed this place, and one or two people even came up to ask if he needed help, only to be politely refused in a listless tone.
After hesitating for a long time, Kitagawa Ryusei suddenly stood up as if he had made up his mind, his expression solemn as if he had made up his mind, picked up his luggage and rushed forward.
"It's just a police academy, what's there to be afraid of!"
*
Just a day ago, Kitagawa Ryusei was a junior officer in the port Mafia, leading a group of well-dressed subordinates in a shootout with smugglers who threatened the Mafia's interests, resulting in the loss of both himself and his ship.
When I woke up, I found myself in a strange place and was told that I was going to report to the police academy.
Is there any April Fool's joke that's more outrageous than sending someone from the Mafia to police academy?
Kitagawa Ryusei spent a day investigating hastily, but found nothing.
Her body was her own, with all the scars and old wounds present; it wasn't a superpower, and the surrounding scenery and people were incredibly realistic; unable to find a way back, Kitagawa Ryusei received no hints or threats.
After much thought, it seems there's nothing he can do right now except let things take their course.
Kitagawa Ryusei practically closed his eyes as he stepped into the police academy.
Unobstructed passage, without any crisis, and the pleasant scent of cherry blossoms filled the air around me.
Hey! This is a police academy! Can't you be a little more vigilant? Is it really okay to just let a Mafia member in like this??
Kitagawa Ryusei cried out helplessly in his heart, while the leaves beside him rustled in the wind, whether in response or mockery, it was hard to tell.
"Hurry up, hurry up, we haven't even checked on the dorms yet!"
"Jinpei! Wait for me!"
A police academy student in a light blue uniform ran past like the wind, and the one behind him was pulled along as they ran, his arm accidentally bumping into Kitagawa Ryusei's suitcase.
Kitagawa Ryusei was still feeling uneasy and reacted a beat slower. Caught off guard, she was pulled off a fall by the out-of-control suitcase.
"Sorry, sorry! Are you alright?" The young man with black hair and purple eyes quickly stopped, steadied the box, and turned back to ask with apology and concern.
After regaining his balance, the boy looked up and recognized the uniformed student in front of him, whose eyes and brows unconsciously revealed a smile. His face was full of uncertainty as he said, "Ah...maybe?"
The purple-eyed youth clearly didn't understand what he meant: "What?"
"...Oh no," Kitagawa Ryusei paused for half a second before realizing what had happened, immediately snapping back to reality and flashing her standard smile at her classmate.
"It's okay!"
The police academy student who accidentally bumped into someone was dazzled by the sunny smile. He stood there for a few seconds before saying apologetically, "It's alright, I'll be going now."
After saying that, he quickly ran towards his companion who had already walked some distance away.
Only two figures walking side by side and the faint sound of their conversation remained.
Watching the two walk away, Kitagawa Ryusei stood there, puzzled, and stretched out two fingers to slightly pull up the corners of his mouth, making a smiling expression before letting it fall back down.
His voice was barely audible and tinged with doubt: "Strange, isn't that how you laugh?"
Why do my subordinates become so much more agreeable whenever I make that kind of expression?
So it really isn't suitable to have friendly exchanges with these future police officers after all... He looked up, thinking calmly to himself.
After a long while, Kitagawa Ryusei shook the jumbled thoughts out of his head, carefully checked the class information once more, picked up his luggage, and walked in the direction where the two police academy students had just left.
"...Onizuka class."
Since he's already here, he might as well make the best of it. His immediate priority is to settle himself in before investigating what's really going on.
...In any case, it can't get any worse than it is now!
*
"Zero! The instructors are coming soon, you all better behave!"
At the meeting point, the blue-eyed youth with upturned cat-like eyes lowered his voice and tightly gripped his childhood friend with blond hair and tanned skin.
The blond youth thrashed about, his greyish-purple eyes glaring fiercely ahead: "Hiro, let me go! I'm going to teach this kid a lesson today!"
Although the person being glared at was firmly locked in place by his friend's arm, he didn't back down and glared back, kicking the air with his long legs: "Who's going to teach who a lesson is still up in the air, you blond bastard!"
"Alright, alright, Xiao Jinping, calm down," the purple-eyed youth stood firm against his friend's struggle, suppressing all his movements with one hand, and comforted him with a smile, "Getting angry will give you wrinkles, you know."
The two young men, both eager to deflate the other's arrogance, were both paralyzed. They exchanged a glance and, with a strange, unspoken understanding, reached a consensus.
Rei Furuya: I'll deal with you tonight, you curly-haired bastard!
Matsuda Jinpei: Anyone who doesn't come is a dog, you blond bastard!
When Kitagawa Ryusei arrived at the meeting point, everyone else had already quieted down.
Because of the commotion, many people moved far away, leaving empty spaces around the four young men.
Not wanting to be too far from the future police, Kitagawa Ryusei lingered until he reached the most sparsely populated area, trying to minimize his presence.
His gaze habitually swept across the faces of the four people in front of him.
Are all the Japanese police reservists this good-looking now?
Kitagawa Ryusei thought in surprise.
The four people in sight each had their own striking features. Just consider the two who had only briefly met Kitagawa Ryusei—
The young man with black hair and purple eyes was chatting with someone, his eyes always filled with a smile, making him seem very approachable; his companion next to him had slightly curly hair and sunglasses hanging from his collar, and even his delicate face couldn't hide the coldness on his face, which made Kitagawa Ryusei feel very close to him.
—A familiar Mafia vibe!
The other two young men, who were at odds with the two, were about the same size in appearance.
The cat-eyed youth looked gentle and refined, and gave Kitagawa Ryusei a friendly smile when he noticed his scrutinizing gaze; while his companion, who had a rare combination of blond hair and dark skin, had a pair of droopy round eyes that contrasted sharply with his youthful baby face and mixed-race features, making him particularly eye-catching.
Although the other party looked extremely innocent, Kitagawa Ryusei's intuition told him that the black face of that "Little Jinpei" was definitely caused by the fire that this person had stirred up.
They're both practically the same color!
His gaze was undisguised, his curiosity written clearly on his face, making it hard for anyone not to notice.
Rei Furuya spotted this person who seemed out of place at first glance.
Although wearing the same uniform, Kitagawa Ryusei appeared too youthful and innocent. With his long limbs and reddish-brown hair that made his skin appear even whiter, he gave the impression that he should be drinking breakfast milk in high school rather than appearing at a police academy.
Even the color of his pupils was lighter than that of ordinary Asians. When Furuya Rei met his gaze unexpectedly, he couldn't help but think to himself.
Kitagawa Ryusei glanced around, his professional instincts prompting him to mentally assess the strength of everyone present. Before he could even look away, he sensed someone approaching from behind.
He sidestepped with lightning speed, dodging the hand that was about to pat his shoulder.
Turning around, I saw a tall, muscular police academy student with one hand dangling in mid-air and the other rubbing the back of his head, looking somewhat surprised.
However, the other person didn't seem to mind at all, and greeted him with a smile: "Hello, my name is Date Wataru."
With that cheerful and loud greeting, many people looked over and saw the people next to Date Wataru.
He instantly became the focus of attention for many police reservists. Kitagawa Ryusei unconsciously pursed his lips, his body tense, ready to retaliate at any moment.
The last time I faced this many police officers was when dealing with a gem smuggling ring...
"Ryusei Kitagawa grew up in Yokohama, and it's nice to meet you all."
He stretched out his limbs, which were in a state of stress, and gave a bright smile to those who were looking over.
*
On the first day of school, Kitagawa Ryusei did not intend to act like a well-behaved student. As soon as it got dark, he chose the right time to sneak out of the school.
What a joke! The fact that he didn't pack up and run back to Yokohama on the very first day is already the greatest respect he can show to the world...
Of course, the fact that the world has no ports is also one of the main reasons.
In short, Kitagawa Ryusei ran away, and the first thing he did after leaving the school was to change his clothes.
He folded his uniform and put it away. He was wearing a black hoodie with the collar slightly askew, revealing his fair skin and half of his collarbone.
Only when the sharp, piercing look in his eyes completely concealed his innocent, naive student persona did he nod in satisfaction at himself in the mirror.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street at night. After walking a few hundred meters, Kitagawa Ryusei hailed a taxi and told the driver the name of a nearby bar.
That's the most convenient place he can access to gather information right now.
It is also the place closest to the Otherworld.
The dim lighting cast ambiguous shadows on each customer's face, and the air was filled with the mixed smells of smoke and alcohol. The wine glasses on the bar gleamed a beautiful amber color under the warm yellow light.
At this moment, Kitagawa Ryusei's demeanor blended magically with the environment. He sat at the bar as naturally as a regular customer, and no one would think he was naive or easily fooled, no matter how out of place his appearance was.
"What does the gentleman need?"
"One glass of Ginfashi, thank you," Kitagawa Ryusei said fluently.
"Okay, please wait a moment."
People around him either whispered or laughed loudly, but all their voices were eventually drowned out by the songs coming from the phonograph.
During this time, people would try to get close to Kitagawa Ryusei from time to time, but he rejected them all.
He tapped his fingertips on the bar, looking as if he was thinking.
Even though it was the same light, when it shone on him, he had a hazy, detached feeling, as if he were cut off from the world.
Today is my second day here. Kitagawa Ryusei tried calling acquaintances, but all the numbers were disconnected.
The Mafia building, a symbol of the port, was gone from Yokohama. The only thing he had left was a bank card containing his salary from the Mafia over the years.
I wonder if he still has his superpowers...
The squeaking sound of the foam popping from the Ginfair rang in my ears.
After a moment's thought, Kitagawa Ryusei looked up at the bartender and asked the first question he had asked since arriving at the bar.
Have you heard of Osamu Dazai?
He chose a name that would most likely allow information to be discovered.
...
Ten minutes later, Kitagawa Ryusei left the bar still looking a little dazed.
Instead of rushing back, he wandered over to a bookstore and bought a few books that the bartender had recommended earlier.
...Nothing is more shocking than learning that your senior in another world has been dead for almost half a century and has become a novelist...
Even though she knew it couldn't be the same person, Kitagawa Ryusei still fell into a sleepwalking state.
He held the book in his arms, his eyes no longer sharp as before, even somewhat unfocused. After changing into his uniform, he returned to the school by the same route.
Perhaps due to the immense shock, Kitagawa Ryusei even forgot to check his surroundings beforehand. He pushed off the top of the wall with one hand and jumped down, landing steadily on the ground with his legs slightly bent.
Before he could even brush the dust off his palms, he heard a faint voice behind him—
"Hey, what are you doing here so late?"
Kitagawa Ryusei froze and slowly turned around.
Perhaps because of the distance, the person almost blended into the darkness. He couldn't make out the face, only a striking head of blond hair, a set of white teeth, and a pair of grayish-purple eyes that reflected all the light around them.
Getting closer, Kitagawa Ryusei could see a large, frightening patch of darkness around the right eye that seemed to be partially closed.
"—A ghost!!" he screamed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
