Chapter 42 Social Butterfly
Before reporting to the archives on her first day, Hagiwara was worried that she would be ostracized by her colleagues because of the rumors circulating online.
Driven by survival instinct and work experience, he devised various ways to improve his relationships with his colleagues.
Upon arriving at the archives, it was unclear whether it was Hagiwara's easygoing nature and thorough preparation that had an effect, or whether everyone had lost interest in the topic after two days of discussion.
In short, Hagiwara did not encounter any difficulties or criticisms; in fact, he was quite popular.
There was only one exception.
When his new colleagues came up to greet Hagiwara, he noticed a man sitting in the corner.
The man only glanced at Hagiwara when he first entered the room before burying himself in his own business.
Out of politeness, Hagiwara decided to take the initiative to approach the person who didn't seem very friendly.
Seemingly noticing Hagiwara approaching, the man turned and glanced at him.
The man looked to be about the same age as Hagiwara, with an ordinary Japanese male face and unremarkable short hair.
The only thing that was truly impressive was those eyes.
Hagiwara inexplicably felt as if he were transparent under the scrutiny of those eyes.
He paused for a moment, then smiled broadly, bent down, and extended his hand, saying, "Hello! I'm Kenji Hagiwara, the new guy. Nice to meet you."
However, to Hagiwara's surprise, the man completely disregarded social etiquette, turned his head straight away, looked directly at the computer screen, and said, "Don't try to pull that on me."
Hagiwara awkwardly withdrew his hand and went to his seat.
A senior colleague named Jun Moriki gave Hagiwara a brief explanation of his job duties, and he officially began working as an archivist.
Matsuo had previously said that this was a cushy job, and that was absolutely true.
Hagiwara's job is to review documents and materials.
The superior's comments were not standardized; it has been returned for revision.
The electronic seal was affixed incorrectly; it needs to be returned for correction.
The case closure materials did not match the description in the preliminary investigation materials, so they were returned for revision.
Everything is fine. Keep a copy for future reference.
This job is incredibly boring, and since everything is now paperless, even things like printing materials and running errands are no longer necessary.
Hagiwara observed the work status of his other colleagues and found that they were basically all slacking off:
Some were playing games, some were watching TV series, and some were whispering and gossiping...
Hagiwara listened intently and realized they seemed to be arguing about whether Uncle Meow had a wife or not, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Because the job was so boring, consisting of nothing but typing and clicking, Hagiwara started slacking off.
However, instead of having fun, he stayed true to his old profession and investigated the latest developments of the prisoners.
After browsing through the mixed news online, Hagiwara found that the culprit seemed to have no intention of making any further moves, which made him slightly relieved.
The job he was currently doing was a stark contrast to his previous life in the virginity-exploding class, and Hagiwara couldn't help but recall those tense, exciting, and joyful times.
When there are no missions, the police officers in the bomb disposal unit will organize drills and bomb disposal competitions.
He and Matsuda were always in different teams, each with their own wins and losses.
"I wonder if I'll be able to go back after Jinpei-chan recovers from her injuries?"
If not, it's likely that there won't be another person who can rival Matsuda.
Thinking about this, Hagiwara felt dejected.
With nothing else to do, Hagiwara began to observe the colleague who had treated him very badly.
Hagiwara learned from the list that the person's name was Kawabata Hisashi, who was a year older than him and considered a senior.
He glanced curiously to his left rear, but before he could see what Kawabata was doing, he was immediately met with a warning look.
Startled, Hagiwara forced a smile and never dared to spy again.
Why does Kawabata dislike me so much?
"Could it be because of that bombing?"
After much deliberation, Hagiwara felt that this was the only possibility. However, the specific reason was still unclear, and he planned to inquire with other colleagues.
When lunchtime finally arrived, Hagiwara sat at a table with several colleagues, while Kawabata remained alone in a corner.
Hagiwara asked Moriki, "Isn't Kawabata-senpai eating with us?"
Senmu frowned and replied, "Never mind him, let's eat!"
The other people sitting next to him also acted as if they didn't care about Kawabata at all, as if he didn't exist.
Hagiwara vaguely sensed that Kawabata's malice wasn't just directed at him; it seemed that the man had a bad relationship with everyone.
The afternoon was still boring, as was Matsuda, who was lying in the hospital.
So the two childhood friends could only pass the time by chatting and complaining.
During the conversation, Hagiwara mentioned Kawabata, who was known for keeping everyone at arm's length. Matsuda quipped, "I never thought there was someone Hagiwara couldn't handle. But it's understandable, since Kawabata isn't a woman!"
These words provoked Hagiwara, who retorted without hesitation, "Jinpei-chan, don't look down on me. I'll definitely take care of him in two days!"
After get off work, Hagiwara began to put his plan into action.
He took the initiative to invite Moriki to dinner, and the senior readily agreed, praising Hagiwara for being sensible.
Moriki is a talkative person and has spent more than a decade in the archives.
Hagiwara felt this was a great way to learn about Kawabata.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Hagiwara familiarly served his senior food and poured him drinks.
After a few drinks, Senmu started talking non-stop.
Hagiwara deliberately steered the conversation towards Kawabata, saying, "I'll have to rely on Moriki-senpai's guidance a lot from now on!"
"Not at all, Hagiwara, you're wasting your talents by coming here. You'll definitely be able to go back after a while! Everyone knows what's really going on; you've been wronged."
"Everyone has been very kind to me, and I'm really touched! But it seems like that Kawabata-senpai doesn't really want to talk to me. I wonder if I offended him somehow?"
"Hey, don't worry about that guy. He's always like that, he doesn't like anyone, and nobody can stand him!"
"If Kawabata-senpai doesn't like this place, why does he continue to stay?"
Senmu let out a contemptuous sneer and replied, "He doesn't want to stay any longer; he'd love to go back to his Ministry of Public Security! But would they want him?"
Upon hearing this, Hagiwara became interested and asked, "Kawabata-senpai was actually a public security officer before? That's amazing!"
"What a load of rubbish! He made a mistake and was transferred to the archives. And even after he got here, he didn't stay put. In the past few years, he's offended everyone he could."
"What did Kawabata-senpai do wrong?"
Senmu took a swig of his drink and muttered, "Don't mention him, it's bad luck!"
Hagiwara changed his mind, no longer pressing Kawabata for answers, but instead lamenting his own situation: "Moriki-senpai, what kind of world is this? My partner asked me for a cigarette, and what happened? He's enjoying himself in the hospital, while I've been relegated to this place! Why? Just because it was a work injury? He even punched me! Why do I have to take full responsibility? My boss keeps saying he'll transfer me back, but who knows when that will be!"
Hagiwara's words had an immediate effect. Moriki waved his hand and said, "Hey, Hagiwara, what are you talking about? How can your situation be compared to Kawabata's? You just offered him a cigarette, while Kawabata killed his partner!"
Hagiwara was startled; his hand holding the chopsticks trembled, almost dropping a piece of meat. He exclaimed, "Killed him?!"
Senmu immediately sobered up considerably and, realizing his slip of the tongue, said, "Don't spread this around!"
"So, Kawabata really killed someone?"
Moriki sighed and gestured for Hagiwara to come closer, saying, "There are many conflicting accounts of this matter. Kawabata denied it to the death, and was eventually released due to insufficient evidence. However, some people say that it was because Kawabata's family was wealthy and bribed the forensic doctor to fabricate evidence."
"I never would have guessed that Kawabata was a rich kid! Money really does make the world go round." Hagiwara displayed the astonishment of an ordinary wage earner at the power of money.
But he soon discovered a logical inconsistency:
Since Kawabata's family is so wealthy, why does he continue to stay here despite being labeled a murderer and facing criticism from his colleagues?
Wouldn't it be better to just go home and inherit the family fortune?
Hearing this, Moriki became even more enthusiastic: "Hagiwara, you don't know this, but Kawabata has always been arrogant and haughty. But after that incident, his career plummeted. He was originally an elite in the Ministry of Public Security, but he was reduced to doing odd jobs in the archives."
"Kawabata must be feeling really resentful, right?"
"Who says otherwise? And I heard later that something even more outrageous happened that completely broke him down."
"What is it?" Hagiwara quickly poured Moriki a full glass of wine.
Moriki squinted and slowly said, "Kawabata has a friend who, it's said, has been his classmate since high school. They graduated from police academy together and became police officers. Originally, that friend was inferior to Kawabata in every way. But coincidentally, that person also killed his partner. And guess what? He got away scot-free, and even got promoted directly to the National Police Agency!"
"How is this possible?!" Hagiwara exclaimed, his jaw dropping in astonishment.
"Sigh! Everyone's saying that, who knows?" Moriki said after taking a sip of his drink. "Speaking of which, there's a rumor that Kawabata was once the top student at the police academy!"
"It's really pathetic that the top student from the police academy ended up like this." Hagiwara couldn't help but think of a certain blond man. Maybe that guy would have been promoted to inspector by now!
"However, some people say that Kawabata is always second best, and the partner he killed was the real number one. Kawabata killed him out of jealousy."
"He actually killed his own classmate?" Hagiwara recalled those sharp eyes, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Ha! I don't know if Kawabata killed anyone or not, but it's absolutely true that that bastard tried to stab me with broken glass!" Moriki said, raising his hand. "Look at this scar! This is what Kawabata did."
"Has he gone mad?"
"Isn't he just a lunatic? When Kawabata saw prisoners being given longer sentences for rioting, he got indignant and stood up for them, even arguing with his colleagues. I went to break up the fight, and he injured someone!" Moriki became increasingly angry as he spoke, his face turning red. "That guy even yelled that all police officers are cowards and deserve to be blown up by prisoners. Do you listen to that? Is that even human language?"
"Bombed to death?"
"Oh right, because one of those prisoners happened to be the one who escaped this time."
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
If Hagiwara's previous investigation of Kawabata was merely due to a bet with Matsuda, then things are probably not so simple now.
Seeing the other's serious expression, Moriki said earnestly, "Hagiwara, as someone who's been there, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. It's inevitable to stumble at work, like you did this time, right? But you can't just lie there and not get up! Some people are just too arrogant and too fragile; they give up before anyone can help them up. If they run into someone who kicks them while they're down, they're completely finished. Don't end up like Kawabata! He's been mentally unstable for years; I think he's even a bit antisocial. Stay away from him, or you'll get yourself into trouble!"
Hagiwara nodded knowingly.
He deeply agreed with the first half of Moriki's heartfelt words, but he did not intend to adopt the last sentence.
"Kawabata-senpai, I really want to have a serious talk with you about prisoner escapes!"
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