Shuichi Hayashi studied the little girl before him. So this really is Miwako Sato? She was undeniably cute, her puffed-up pride in her detective father shining through her earlier outburst. No wonder she'd grow up to join Criminal Affairs Division One and become a standout officer.
"Big brother, you still haven't told me how you knew my name," Miwako said, tugging at Shuichi's sleeve with a curious frown.
"Because I know your dad," Shuichi replied with a grin. "Convinced I'm not a bad guy now?"
"…Yeah," Miwako tilted her head, mulling it over before giving a decisive nod.
Shuichi let out a relieved breath. Digging into his grocery bag, he pulled out two peaches—one for the still-sniffling boy and one for Miwako.
"Can I really eat it?" the boy asked, hesitation lingering in his voice.
"Go ahead," Miwako said confidently, already biting into her own peach. "This big brother knows my dad, so he's definitely not a bad guy."
"Okay," the boy mumbled, taking small, cautious nibbles.
Satisfied that the crying had stopped, Shuichi turned to head back to his bench, only to find Miwako and the boy trailing him, plopping down beside him.
"Not playing in the sand anymore?" Shuichi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope. He wrecked my castle," Miwako said, chewing her peach and shooting the boy a sidelong glare. "Should've never played with him."
"Sorry…" the boy muttered, head bowed timidly. "I didn't mean to, big sister."
"Whatever, it's just a castle," Miwako said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, Mom's coming back from the store soon, so playtime's over anyway."
Shuichi took a swig from his water bottle, casually asking, "You're Miwako Sato, right? What's his name?"
"No clue. I just met him today," Miwako shook her head, then nudged the boy. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Wataru Takagi. My family just moved here two days ago…"
The boy's answer hit Shuichi like a bolt, making him choke on his water. Takagi?
Talk about fate. Shuichi glanced at the two kids, his mind racing. In his memory, Miwako Sato and Wataru Takagi were supposed to meet as adults in Criminal Affairs Division One, their relationship blossoming on the job. But here they were, already crossing paths as kids. Had his presence as a transmigrator somehow nudged the world's timeline? It wasn't a bad thing, though—plenty of childhood friends in this world ended up as couples.
Lost in thought, Shuichi's gaze drifted to the park's corner, where the balding man still lingered by the payphone, flipping through the phonebook and dialing numbers. Something about it nagged at him. Normal people didn't make calls without purpose, and no one spent this long unsure of who to call. A salesman would be pitching products, not hanging up after a few seconds and dialing again.
"Hey, that bald guy," Shuichi said, nodding toward the payphone. "Any idea how long he's been at it?"
"No clue," Miwako replied with a shrug.
Wataru, however, piped up after a moment's thought. "A long time, I think. He was already on the phone when I got to the park."
Shuichi considered this. The kids' sandcastle had been a work in progress when he arrived, and something that size would've taken at least an hour to build. That meant the bald guy had been at the payphone for over an hour.
The strange call to Eri's apartment earlier—had that been him too? Not a prank call, then. A true prankster would hammer the same number repeatedly, not cycle through different ones.
The man's behavior clicked into place. He wasn't just making calls—he was checking something. Like whether someone was home.
Yesterday, on his way home from school, Mrs. Mouri had warned Shuichi about a string of over a dozen thefts in Mihama Town. A thief who could pull that off without getting caught had to be meticulous, scoping out targets beforehand. This bald guy's actions screamed "casing the joint."
Shuichi didn't rush over, though. The park was crawling with kids, and he had no way of knowing if the man had accomplices. Confronting him could backfire—if a partner grabbed a kid as leverage, things would get messy. Leaving to alert the police wasn't an option either; if the man slipped away in the meantime, tracking him down would be a nightmare.
Sending someone else to report it? Shuichi glanced at Miwako and Wataru. They were too young, and the nearest police box was across a busy street—too risky. There were other adults in the park, but none had bothered to check on Wataru's earlier meltdown. Convincing them to act might take too long, and a wrong move could tip off the bald guy.
As Shuichi weighed his options, a woman in her thirties strode into the park, a shopping bag swinging from her arm. Miwako's face lit up, and she bolted toward her. "Mom!"
Officer Sato's wife? Shuichi's eyes brightened. This was his chance.
"Miwako, where'd you get that peach?" Mrs. Sato scolded, her tone sharp. "Didn't your father tell you not to take things from strangers?"
"But this big brother knows Dad!" Miwako protested, pouting. "He even knew my name."
"Big brother?" Mrs. Sato's expression tightened, her voice dropping with suspicion. "Did he ask you to do anything weird, like lift your skirt or—"
Her words cut off as she caught sight of Shuichi approaching, and he cringed inwardly. He'd overheard enough to know where this was going. Japan's low rate of abductions didn't extend to child harassment cases, which were alarmingly common and rising.
"Mrs. Sato, I've met Officer Sato at Division One," Shuichi interjected quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. "I'm not a stranger."
"You…" Mrs. Sato paused, studying him. Recognition dawned. "Wait, I know you! You're that genius detective from Teitan High. My husband's mentioned you on TV!"
Realizing her earlier accusation, she bowed deeply, flustered. "I'm so sorry! I thought you might be some creep bothering Miwako. Please forgive me!"
"No harm done," Shuichi said, waving it off. "It's normal to worry when a stranger's near your kid. Actually, Mrs. Sato, I could use your help with something."
(End of Chapter)