In a flash, half a year passed like morning dew.
It seemed like just the time of taking a nap, the ginkgo trees outside the window had shed their green and put on a full coat of gold. Occasionally, a leaf fell on a student's desk, like a postcard from late autumn.
For Gojo Satoru, life at the police academy was actually incredibly peaceful. Aside from teaming up with the group of five to solve some sudden cases during the internship period, most of his time was spent in a flat and warm daily routine.
During morning runs, he always deliberately lagged behind by half a lap and then overtook them, causing Matsuda to look back at him in a rage; during class, he casually drew doodles all over his textbook, getting his head tapped not too heavily by Furuya Rei with a notebook; in the cafeteria, he was dragged by Hagiwara to expand his network, which was actually just an excuse to chat up pretty girls; and the routine program of every week was none other than Date Wataru's relentless challenges—though the ending always resulted in him being thrown to the ground.
Occasionally, he would give some pointers to students in class, receiving a flock of looks that were either admiring or unreconciled. On afternoon rest days, he would either go to the gym to play basketball or play games in the dorm. In short, he could never stay idle. Aiming to become the king of e-sports, he never held back, making even the good-tempered Hiromitsu unable to help protesting that Kuno must have cheated.
If there was extra time, the six of them would also go to the supermarket together to buy ingredients, and then prepare dinner in Dorm 144. Under Hiromitsu's guidance, Furuya Rei's cooking skills became more and more exquisite. Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru still stuck to his persona of a cooking idiot, looking forward to the meal with wide eyes every time, looking just like a big hamster waiting to be fed.
In addition, there were also some small episodes from Shiro. Chris Vineyard's advertisement was a huge hit, successfully making a name for the Gojo family's health tea and even expanding into overseas markets. The boss sent a precious gemstone suspected to be Pandora, but after Shiro's identification, it turned out not to be. Chianti didn't forget her thought of competing with him at the shooting range, and even asked Vodka to inquire when he would be free.
However, these matters had nothing to do with Gojo Satoru, who was temporarily using the vest body, for now. Perhaps because the days were too comfortable, he often had an illusion. This kind of noisy routine with this bunch of guys might be able to continue forever.
But an illusion was an illusion after all. Just like a person dreaming, there would always be a day to wake up.
At eight in the morning, Dorm 144.
"Hmm..." Morofushi Hiromitsu, fully dressed, stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his uniform, and turned his face to ask, "Does it look a bit natural this way?"
"Very great." Looking at this young man who was as gentle and upright as a green bamboo, Gojo Satoru slowly buttoned his coat while speaking, "If you walk out now, girls will definitely come to ask for your second button."
That was a long-circulated romantic legend in Japan. Getting the second button closest to the heart from the person you like meant you could get their love.
"Too exaggerated, Kuno." A faint smile rippled in Morofushi Hiromitsu's eyes. "The one who will be asked for buttons should be you, right?"
Gojo Satoru took a look at himself in the mirror. A white shirt paired with a light blue tie, the formal uniform adorned with a golden sash, and two shoulder badges shining in the morning light, symbolizing his status as an assistant police inspector, quite full of elite style. The instructor said he was too young and could only be an assistant police inspector for now, but as long as he performed excellently within one year after taking office, he could smoothly be promoted to police inspector.
"Looking at it this way, I really understand why little Hagiwara thinks police uniforms attract girls."
"Right... Ah, someone has already set out!" Morofushi caught sight of the figures walking in a hurry downstairs. "So early, probably afraid of being late."
"Understandable, after all..." Gojo took a red ribbon, his long fingers weaving through his hair, tying his shoulder-length black hair neatly behind his head. A few strands of disobedient hair hung over his forehead, adding a bit of casual handsomeness instead. "This is the graduation ceremony."
...
At the entrance of the police academy gate, a blue and white banner with "Graduation Ceremony" was hung, highlighting this special day.
A short-haired girl with a beautiful face and a capable aura was standing a bit far away, her gaze firmly attracted by a white Mazda parked nearby.
"It really looks like... my father's car..." Thinking of her father who died in the line of duty eighteen years ago, an unspeakable nostalgia welled up in Sato Miwako's heart. She couldn't help but walk forward, gently touching that cold hood.
"Wait, Miwako, it's not good to touch it randomly like this, right?" Her best friend quickly followed up, pulling her arm to stop her.
As if verifying these words, an urgent voice suddenly exploded, "You two female college students over there, don't touch that car randomly with dirty hands!"
Miwako, who was immersed in memories, was startled. She snapped her hand back and turned around to see a curly-haired young man with a face full of displeasure rushing over quickly. "This was fixed with great difficulty, it will be troublesome if it gets dirty!"
"It's not what you think, I just..."
"Don't be so loud, little Jinpei~ Police officers can't yell at citizens like this." Hagiwara Kenji, who followed behind, had a comforting smile on his face. He gently patted Matsuda's shoulder, then turned to Sato Miwako, explaining politely, "Sorry, sorry, this guy just has a hasty temper. He didn't scare you, did he, beautiful lady?"
His gentle and polite attitude instantly dissolved the trace of anger in Sato Miwako's heart. She shook her head. "No, it was my intrusion... The car is very beautiful."
Just at this moment, a burst of slightly hurried footsteps came.
"Matsuda! Hagiwara! What are you two lingering for?" Date Wataru walked over quickly. "The ceremony starts in ten minutes, hurry up!"
"What, it's all because of this guy Kuno!" Matsuda immediately turned his spearhead, pointing at the figure drifting over slowly behind. "If he hadn't spent so long buying breakfast, we would have arrived long ago!"
The black-haired, red-eyed boy chewed the last bite of the yakisoba pan. "Even if it's the end of the world, breakfast must be eaten well."
"Alright, alright." Morofushi Hiromitsu quickly spoke, "If we linger any longer, we will really be late, Instructor Onizuka will kill us!"
Watching the back of them leaving in a hurry, Sato Miwako's best friend couldn't help but sigh, "Are all the graduates of the police academy handsome guys? If guys all have this level of looks, it's not impossible to consider studying at the police academy."
Sato Miwako looked at her helplessly. "If it's just for this kind of reason, the awareness is not enough, you know?" She paused, her tone becoming a bit more serious. "Wanting to become a police officer is not such a simple thing..."
"Well said." Hearing their discussion, Furuya Rei, who hadn't had time to leave, joined the conversation with a smile. "Although becoming a police officer is not easy, if you are interested, you are welcome to visit today's graduation ceremony." Those purple-gray eyes carried a bit of encouragement. "As long as you hold honor and a sense of mission in your heart, as well as the determination to protect the people of this country..."
"..."
"Hey, Miwako?" After Furuya Rei left, the best friend's hand waved in front of Sato Miwako's eyes. "What are you dazing for?"
"Nothing, just thinking... how to prepare for the police entrance exam."
The best friend blinked. "Eh? Do you really want to enter the police academy?"
Sato Miwako didn't answer directly, just holding her hand. "Let's go, the graduation ceremony is about to start."
Yes, one day... She would become an excellent police officer just like her father.
Inside the auditorium, the old principal wearing a sash stood on the podium, with a huge national flag and police emblem hanging behind him. He looked around at the energetic faces below the stage, speaking in a loud voice, "Everyone, congratulations on graduating!"
"On the path ahead, you may encounter numerous difficulties, but I believe that as long as you uphold a heart of justice and remember the beliefs forged in the police academy, you will surely break through thorns and protect the peace of this land..."
Instructor Onizuka stood on one side of the podium, his gaze shifting to those few high-spirited young people in the crowd, a trace of gratification welling up deep in his heart.
Compared to half a year ago, the current Furuya Rei had become more stable and restrained, unmoved by surprises; the gloom between Morofushi Hiromitsu's brows had disappeared, just like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon; although Matsuda Jinpei was still sharp-tongued, he was clearly more mature and knew how to cooperate; Hagiwara Kenji's smoothness gained a sense of responsibility, making him trustworthy at critical moments; Date Wataru no longer went into dead ends, and that reliable leadership became the solid backup of the team.
As for Kuno Nozomu... although he still had a casual look, he no longer regarded playing as everything. Perhaps, it's because he has a few more invisible attachments?
After finishing his speech, the principal bowed slightly, giving the microphone to another old man walking up slowly. "Then, please welcome Superintendent General Hyakuta to give a address..."
"Wow!" Matsuda Jinpei suddenly felt his shoulder being poked.
"Hey, little Jinpei." Hagiwara Kenji lowered his voice, his violet eyes flashing with a playful light. "This is a big opportunity! Didn't you come to school back then just to beat up the superintendent general?"
"That's right." Furuya Rei said with an exaggerated tone, "Class rep, quick, control Matsuda, don't let him rush up whatever you do!"
Gojo Satoru instigated without fearing trouble, "Why stop him? A real man should carry out his original intention."
"You bunch of idiots..." Matsuda snorted. "How could I go and hit him, I'm not a kid anymore!"
Everyone looked at each other, swallowing the sentence "you clearly are still a kid" back down.
Since the superintendent general's speech was too boring, Hagiwara proactively picked up a topic. "Right, when Class Rep Date and I went out earlier, why didn't I see you guys?"
"Hiromitsu said he wanted us to help put a photo in the letter to his brother, so we messed around with the polaroid camera in the dorm for quite a long time." Matsuda grinned. "After taking his photo, we also took several group photos."
Hagiwara complained, "What?! We agreed to take a big group photo together after the graduation ceremony ended, you guys actually sneaked ahead!"
"Don't be too expectant." Gojo Satoru shrugged. "After all, little Matsuda only knows how to do the V-sign."
"Hey, hey, how are you any better!"
Furuya Rei suddenly remembered something. "Right, Matsuda, you are sure Hiro's photo was put into the letter, right?"
"Of course!" Matsuda pulled out his phone, showing them a photo of Hiromitsu wearing a police hat and saluting. "See, isn't this Master Hiro very handsome?"
Hagiwara touched his chin. "Indeed."
Matsuda was quite proud of his photography skills, looking at it left and right for a while, and then said with some regret, "It would have more spirit if some stubble was added."
"Huh?" Date Wataru imagined it. "Wouldn't that be very strange?"
"A stubbled face..." Morofushi Hiromitsu blinked, seemingly really considering it. "What do Zero and Kuno think?"
Furuya Rei took a serious look at his childhood friend's face. "Hmm... maybe it will make you look older? Just like your brother."
The image of a cat-eyed man with stubble appeared in Gojo Satoru's mind, precisely Scotch Whisky. "...It might be very suitable." He said meaningfully, "A mature and stable stubbled detective, that sounds like someone with a lot of stories, right?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu smiled. "That's not bad either."
They were just discussing what kind of stubble style to keep when they heard the principal on the stage speak into the microphone, "Let's welcome the two outstanding graduate representatives to come up to the stage in turn to give speeches—Student Furuya Rei, and Student Kuno Nozomu!"
Yes, just like their scores in the entrance exam, in the graduation assessment, these two still tied for first place. Therefore, the two had already become legendary existences among the successive generations of police academy students.
When getting up, Furuya Rei turned his head slightly, casting a glance at Gojo Satoru, as if saying: This speech won't be as high-profile as the opening ceremony again, right?
Gojo Satoru, however, returned a pure and harmless wink. Take a guess~
Furuya Rei's mouth twitched, and he had to walk up to the podium first.
"It is my honor to stand here as a graduate representative..."
"The decision I will least regret in my life might be choosing to come to this school..."
His speech was still perfect with no faults to pick out, and could even be said to be particularly moving. Some people, listening to the end, clapped while sniffing their noses.
However, when it was Gojo Satoru's turn, the first sentence he spoke made the whole venue dead silent.
"To be honest, until now, I also think everyone sitting here is too weak."
Before anyone could protest, he turned his tone around.
"However, during this half year, I met many surprising and interesting guys... And because of that, I saw that they have something more important than being powerful."
"It is the stubbornness of never giving up, the original intention of protecting others, and the courage to move forward even when knowing it's difficult..."
"Perhaps, these are the things truly worth praising."
The black-haired, red-eyed boy paused, his gaze sweeping over the peers below the stage, among whom there was no lack of people who still held hostility toward him, and no lack of people who looked at him as a goal to aspire to.
"All in all, I hope everyone... can become a better version of themselves."
"..."
After a brief silence, the applause lasted for a long time. Even the principal, while clapping, quietly said to the instructor on the side, "This child Kuno has indeed changed a lot."
After he returned to his seat, Matsuda clicked his tongue. "Actually so serious? It doesn't feel like your style anymore."
Gojo Satoru stuck out his tongue. "I just didn't finish my words."
"Hmm? What words?"
"If they become more powerful than before, it will be more interesting for me to bully them, right?"
"...Give me back my touch from just now!"
After the two finished their speeches, all students received their respective graduation certificates, and the graduation ceremony came to an end.
The men and women walking out of the auditorium all cheered and threw the police hats in their arms into the sky, looking forward to their future after taking office.
Meanwhile, the six people from the Onizuka class were gathering under a tall ginkgo tree.
"Instructor! Help us take a group photo!" Hagiwara Kenji, holding Hiromitsu's polaroid camera, stopped Instructor Onizuka who was about to leave with a smile.
"A group photo..." Instructor Onizuka said with his mouth "don't blame me if it doesn't look good," but immediately reached out to take the camera.
Date Wataru extended his strong arm, grabbing the shoulders of Morofushi Hiromitsu and Furuya Rei in one go, showing his trademark hearty smile. Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji leaned on them from left and right, smiling with bright faces.
As for Gojo Satoru, he propped one hand on Date's shoulder, while his other hand made a classic V-sign, his eyes curving into a crescent shape. "Yeah~ Eggplant!"
Matsuda noticed his gesture and complained, "The one who only knows how to do the V-sign is clearly you!"
"Oh, because it's indeed very cute, right?"
Instructor Onizuka held the polaroid, shouting at the six people under the ginkgo tree, "Going to take it!"
"Three, two, one..." Capturing everyone's most relaxed state, he pressed the shutter quickly with a sharp eye and hand.
"Click!"
The autumn wind brushed past, and the golden ginkgo leaves drifted onto the shoulders and hair tips of the six people, just like a picture scroll that would never fade.
-----------
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus chapter
Chapter 76: Birthday and Bad News
Sorry for this. I scheduled the chapters but this chapter got missed. Now I am uploading it. I was not available on that time to check it. Hope you will forgive me.
With the end of their police academy life, the six people of the Onizuka class officially took office, becoming genuine police officers. They were assigned to different posts and threw themselves into their busy work, no longer able to be inseparable like during their student days, but their relationship remained close.
October 17th was Morofushi Hiromitsu's birthday. On that day, the other five specifically made time to gather at a hot pot restaurant to celebrate his birthday.
A drizzling rain was falling on Chinatown, and pedestrians wrapped their coats tightly as they hurried past, their white breath dissolving instantly in the cold air. But the hot pot restaurant on the corner was like a steaming stove, keeping all the chill outside.
"Cheers!"
Inside the private room, six glasses bumped together with a crisp sound under the warm yellow light. The red and white bases of the mandarin duck pot bubbled, and the rising mist blurred the rain marks on the glass window.
"Hiss..." Date Wataru fished out the beef tripe from the boiling soup, dipped it in sesame oil and minced garlic, and sent it into his mouth. He blew air from the heat but couldn't help putting his thumb up. "Too delicious, I should have come to try Chinese cuisine earlier!"
"Right? This kind of weather is best for eating hot pot." Hagiwara took a sip of beer and then a bite of tofu, narrowing his eyes comfortably. "This shop is really good."
Gojo Satoru picked up beef from the clear soup pot with the tips of his chopsticks, saying proudly, "Of course, does the place I recommend even need to be questioned?"
When he first came to Tokyo, he walked through almost all Chinatowns just to find the familiar taste in his memory. Hard work paid off; though this hot pot restaurant was in a remote location, the taste was top-notch authentic. However, Gojo Satoru's taste buds were sensitive, and he didn't have a high tolerance for overly stimulating spicy food. Even if he wanted to eat to his heart's content, he could only taste it lightly, and had to use strawberry milk to relieve the spiciness.
"So spicy!" Matsuda Jinpei gulped down half a glass of ice beer, sticking out his tongue to fan himself like a Husky. "How can there be something this spicy?!"
In comparison, Morofushi Hiromitsu and Furuya Rei, who chewed and swallowed slowly, were much more composed.
Gojo Satoru chose to add fuel to the fire, "Little Matsuda is so weak~ You can't handle this level of spiciness?"
"How are you any better! You've clearly been drinking milk the whole time! Won't the flavors mix weirdly?"
"Heheh, you'll know if you try it."
Matsuda was just about to argue back when he saw the owner wearing an apron walk over, bringing over several servings of plum juice with a face full of smiles. Speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent, he said, "You young brothers can use this to relieve the spiciness, it's very comfortable!"
None of the people present knew Chinese, so they could only guess and say thank you. At this time, Gojo Satoru subconsciously replied with a dialect word "yaode," causing the boss to laugh out loud, "Young boy, you're doing good!"
Hagiwara widened his eyes and asked, "You even know Chinese?"
Under the shocked gaze of everyone, Gojo Satoru laughed it off and fudged through, "After all, I'm a genius."
The others didn't doubt it much and soon accepted the explanation. Of course, even if they racked their brains, they couldn't think of the truth.
Furuya Rei took the opportunity to bring up the topic of job assignments, "Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to proactively request to go to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad." With Kuno Nozomu's excellent grades of full marks in every subject, he had long entered the recommendation group list. If he hadn't refused stubbornly, he might have entered the Security Planning Division like himself, responsible for investigating certain classified cases.
Morofushi Hiromitsu nodded, "Me too, I thought little Kuno would go to the First Investigation Division, or the Violent Crime Investigation Third Section or something."
Date Wataru sighed, "It would be great if you went to the First Investigation Division, then you could keep me company."
"After all, there are more acquaintances in the EOD squad." Gojo Satoru answered with his cheek propped up, "Competing with little Matsuda in bomb dismantling, or watching little Hagiwara being chased by female police officers, is much more interesting than being a detective."
"Hey hey!" Matsuda poked his stray hair, "I knew it, you kid are still doing it for fun."
"Life is short, enjoy it in time~" Gojo Satoru dragged his tone, looking at the cat-eyed young man opposite, "So, when will our birthday boy be transferred to the Public Security Bureau?"
"At least I have to do duty at a police box for a few months." Morofushi Hiromitsu smiled, "No choice, I don't have grades as good as you and Zero."
"Stop, stop, stop—we finally came out to eat together, whoever mentions work will be penalized to drink three glasses!" Hagiwara mysteriously pulled out an indigo gift box from behind his seat, pushing it in front of Morofushi Hiromitsu, "No time to lose, let's give our gifts to the birthday boy first?"
"Eh? Everyone prepared things for me?"
"Of course, it was planned long ago." Matsuda took out a small box from his coat, "The sense of ceremony cannot be missing."
Date Wataru also rummaged through his briefcase, taking out a beautifully wrapped gift to hand to him.
"I didn't expect... I thought eating together was happy enough." Morofushi Hiromitsu looked at the differently wrapped gift boxes in front of him, his heart feeling warm, "Thank you guys."
At this moment, Furuya Rei and Gojo Satoru squatted down at the same time. Amidst the rustling of the tablecloth, a black and a blonde head bumped together with a thud.
"So painful—"
"Why is your head so hard?!"
The two held their foreheads and glared at each other, but each protected the surprise they had hidden for a long time in their hands. Furuya Rei held out a large square box, looking like packaging from a dessert shop; Gojo Satoru dragged out a large long object wrapped airtight, making people ask the question of how it was stuffed in there.
Matsuda Jinpei raised his beer glass, grinning, "Do you want to open them and look now, Master Hiro?"
"Is it okay?" Getting the confirmation of everyone, Morofushi Hiromitsu began to unwrap the gift boxes in order.
Hagiwara picked a pair of handmade opal cufflinks for him, which should be a fashion item from a popular magazine. "It suits your eyes very well, doesn't it?" Hagiwara winked at him, "You can wear it during a date next time... I heard that several female police officers quite like you?"
"There's no such thing." Hiromitsu was a bit embarrassed, turning to open the second gift.
Matsuda gave a wristwatch, with a simple and grand style. He raised his chin proudly, "That old antique of yours should have been changed long ago, this is a professional model that is shockproof and waterproof."
"I didn't expect you to even notice this..." Matsuda looked rough, but sometimes he was surprisingly delicate.
The razor in the third gift box made Hiromitsu unable to help laughing, "Is the class rep afraid that I will really grow a beard?"
"What a pity for your clear face to grow a beard?" Date Wataru laughed and patted his shoulder, "Better to be clean."
Hiromitsu smiled and shook his head, his fingers already landing on the fourth gift box. "This is... a birthday cake?"
The first layer had sunflower petals outlined by lemon yellow cream, and sunflower seeds made of chocolate. The second layer was dotted with fine crushed pistachios, overflowing with aroma, and every detail showed the care of handmade production. In the middle of the pistachios was a neat row of letters: Happy birthday, Hiro.
Furuya Rei let out a sigh of relief, "Good thing it didn't melt... I made this myself, tried several times before succeeding, hope it won't be too sweet."
Hiromitsu dipped a bit of cream with his fingertip to taste, praising, "Very delicious! Much better than the ones sold in shops."
Looking at this scene, Gojo Satoru couldn't help but recall many years ago, he had also made a cake for Gin with his own hands. Was this a common tacit understanding shared by childhood friends all over the world?
"Glad you like it." Furuya Rei smiled, "Aside from this, today's hot pot is on me, you guys can order as much as you want."
"Wow, the boss is generous—"
Amidst the cheering of everyone, Hiromitsu opened the last gift. Though he had already guessed seventy or eighty percent from the size and weight, the moment he opened the box, he still subconsciously held his breath. Inside was a finely crafted bass guitar.
The body, based on black, had smooth lines, as if sealing the midnight under the lacquer surface. The curvature of the neck perfectly fitted the palm, gleaming with an amber luster under the light. On the inner side of the guitar case, the cursive words "To Hiromitsu" were engraved, low-key and luxurious.
"What a beautiful bass." Hagiwara's eyes lit up, reaching out to touch the strings, "Quality looks very good at a glance, what brand is it?"
"Private customized model." Gojo Satoru said with a smile, "Anyway, it's better to use than the ones on the market." It was produced by the system, so it must be a fine product.
Matsuda raised an eyebrow, "You kid, you didn't get it from some strange black market, did you?"
"How is that possible, I'm a law-abiding Officer Kuno."
Morofushi Hiromitsu fell in love with this bass at first sight. However, as an insider who had deep research on musical instruments, he could easily realize that the value of this gift probably exceeded the range he could imagine. His throat moved, "This is too precious..."
Before the words "I can't accept it" could be spoken, Gojo Satoru said, "Don't worry~ I earn a lot of money, this bit is just a drop in the bucket." Holding the halo of entering Tokyo University at the age of fourteen, his words were believable. "If little Hiro doesn't accept it, I will be angry."
"..." Capturing his meaning that allowed no refusal, Hiromitsu hesitated for a while before saying softly, "Thank you... I like it very much."
"That's right." The black-haired, red-eyed boy smiled brightly, "Then, remember to cherish it well." His tone carried a trace of hard-to-detect seriousness. "Even if we are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers in the future... you must play it often, as if I am by your side, okay?"
[Ding! Impression value from plot character Morofushi Hiromitsu increased by 300 points, impression composition... Moved.]
Matsuda complained, "Too cheesy—Tokyo is only this big, if we want to meet, can't we meet anytime?"
Hiromitsu was not perfunctory, but nodded seriously, "Okay, I got it."
Hagiwara blinked, "Looks like Hiromitsu's favorite gift is little Kuno's bass, right?"
Hiromitsu's fingertips pressed lightly on the strings, and a low tone flowed slowly in the private room. "No, what I like is not the gift..." He looked around at the companions sitting around the hot pot, his gray-blue cat eyes curving into a gentle arc, "But you guys who gave me the gifts."
Furuya Rei froze, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, "Hiro, you guy..."
"Each one is so cheesy..." Matsuda muttered, "Save this kind of words to say to girls."
Date Wataru coughed, "Right, if we don't eat the cake, it will melt."
"Quick, light the candles!"
The candle flames on the sunflower cake flickered gently, casting a warm golden edge on the six young faces.
"Happy birthday—!"
Hearing the unanimous blessings of everyone, Morofushi Hiromitsu closed his eyes gently, "Time to make a wish..."
Furuya Rei reminded, "Hiro, don't say the wish out loud, or it won't work."
"Ah, don't worry." A few seconds later, Morofushi Hiromitsu took a deep breath and blew out the candles.
After he finished cutting the cake, everyone ate and chatted, and somehow talked about their respective birthdays. Four of them, without exception, had already passed their birthdays this year.
"In that case, if I want to return gifts to everyone, I have to wait until next year." Hiromitsu figured, looking at Gojo Satoru who hadn't spoken, "Little Kuno, when is your birthday?"
Gojo Satoru was stuffing cake into his mouth, his movement freezing upon hearing this, "Mmh... it's just on a very, very cold snowy day." He was not lying. When he crossed over back then, he found that he and the real Gojo Satoru happened to be born on December 7th. Perhaps, this was also a wonderful coincidence.
"A snowy day? That must be at least after November, right?" Hagiwara asked, "So which day is it exactly?"
"Forgot~ If you give me all the beef, maybe I can remember."
"That won't do."
The few looked at each other, temporarily giving up the questioning. Forget it, anyway, when November came, they had plenty of ways to find out.
"In short, we will throw a surprise party for you then." Matsuda snorted, "Don't cry from being moved, okay?"
Hagiwara didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Little Jinpei, if you say the surprise party out loud, there is no surprise anymore!"
"...Okay, I will look forward to it."
Whether it was an illusion or not, Matsuda Jinpei always felt he was a bit different from usual. Exactly where was it different? Before he could think of an answer, he saw Gojo Satoru extending his arm, trying to grab the last few pieces of beef rolls in the clear soup.
"Damn it! Leave some for me—" Matsuda shouted, his chopsticks striking like lightning to block the opponent's attack.
"As the saying goes, hot pot is the epitome of life." Gojo Satoru said profoundly, "If you lose here, life will become a mess."
"What are you even saying! Can't understand at all!"
"You two... didn't I say we can order more if it's not enough?" Furuya Rei failed to stop the fight, so he simply joined the battlefield; Hagiwara laughed so much that his posture swayed, and he even recorded a video with his phone; Date Wataru drank a big gulp of beer heroically, cheering them on regardless of anything.
This kind of scene seemed to return to when they were still at the police academy. The steam from the hot pot blurred Morofushi Hiromitsu's vision, but made the warmth in his heart clearer. Truly... it was great to meet you guys.
Hiromitsu silently repeated the wish he had just made in his heart—hope these days... can continue forever and ever.
However, at that time, he did not know that this wish was so simple, yet so luxurious. Just like he never thought of the upcoming change.
...
Two weeks later, Tokyo welcomed Halloween.
The streets in the evening were extremely lively, and shop windows were filled with skeleton decorations and candy gift boxes. Children wearing pumpkin masks and young people dressed as vampires walked through Chiyoda District like a parade.
Morofushi Hiromitsu had just handled a fraud case, and only came out of the police box after nine o'clock. Not until he walked in the noisy crowd did he realize today was Halloween. Right after, he remembered the gathering inside the hot pot restaurant not long ago. Right... it was almost November. Was little Kuno's birthday coming up soon? Which day was it exactly? Better let Matsuda and the others ask quickly.
Although the time hadn't been confirmed yet, Hiromitsu had already thought about what gift to buy. Aside from that, he also planned to use that precious bass to play a song of "Happy Birthday" for Kuno Nozomu. Speaking of which, that guy hadn't heard him play a piece formally yet... At that time, he would definitely show a very happy expression, right?
Thinking of this, the corners of the cat-eyed young man's mouth turned up unconsciously, and he even quickened his pace a little.
As he passed the crossroads, he brushed shoulders with several young women dressed as witches, and therefore heard an unusual piece of news.
"Did you hear? Over at Ikebukuro, there was a loud boom..."
"Eh? It wouldn't be an explosion, right?"
"Explosion? I thought it was fireworks!"
"Something big must have happened, my friend said that place is full of police cars, really scary..."
Morofushi Hiromitsu's footsteps slowed down. A bad premonition seemed to breed in his chest, making his heart panic badly. No, better go over and ask them...
One second before he was about to take a step, the phone ringtone rang abruptly. Hiromitsu caught sight of the name "Hagiwara Kenji" on the screen, and that bad feeling did not decrease by a single bit, but became more intense instead. He hesitated for several seconds before pressing the answer button.
"Hagiwara? Why call at this time?"
"..."
There was no one speaking in the receiver, leaving only heavy breathing and some piercing siren sounds.
"What's wrong?" Morofushi Hiromitsu proactively broke the silence with a joke, "I know. You want to invite me to a Halloween party, right? That won't do, I have a lot of things to be busy with tomorrow."
"..." The opposite side still had no response.
"Hagiwara, what's wrong exactly... why aren't you speaking... it wouldn't be because I'm not going to the party that you feel down, right? In that case, I'll just participate—"
In his own babbling words that felt unfamiliar even to himself, Hagiwara finally spoke.
"No, Hiromitsu..." On the other end of the phone came Hagiwara's choking with a crying tone, as if desperately suppressing something that was about to burst. "Little Kuno, he..."
Hiromitsu's heart shrank violently, as if tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and even breathing became difficult. He tried hard to force a smile, his voice light and natural to an unnatural degree, "If little Kuno is going too, then Matsuda should be there too, right? Did you guys prepare cosplay costumes? You can't wear police uniforms to play—"
"He died in the line of duty."
In an instant, all the noise from the outside world became blurred and distant. The passing pedestrians looked strangely at this young police officer, not understanding why his expression was completely blank.
"...What?" Morofushi Hiromitsu heard himself ask.
Clearly it was just a few simple words, why was it so difficult to understand? He stood in the middle of the street where people came and went, but felt as if he had suddenly sunk into an icy sea, and even his blood froze into ice.
"You're lying... right?"