The sound of thunder, followed by a heavy storm, resonated throughout the entire precinct. Two police officers were engaged in an important discussion regarding the interrogation of the human trafficking syndicate.
"Is he budging at all, Akiyama-san?" asked the pale, thin officer in his forties, rubbing his chin.
The young female officer, Suzuki, shook her head, frustration evident in her dark eyes.
"They're staying silent for some reason," He commented, crossing his arms.
"Three attackers on the school are dead, Sakurai Hiroshi was murdered, and now this. I suppose we won't be getting anything at all," She complained, removing her cap to loosen her black hair.
"I guess it's way above my pay grade…" Officer Nagoya sighed again. Probably his tenth sigh today.
A stern-looking policeman in navy blue approached them. His uniform bore prominent insignia and badges, indicating his rank as Chief of Police. The two officers instinctively raised their hands in salute.
"Ease up, guys. No need to be tense around me," he spoke softly, contradicting his stern appearance. Officer Nagoya turned to glance at Akiyama briefly. She noticed that the chief had likely just returned from outside, judging by his wet hair and damp uniform.
"Any updates, guys?" The chief asked casually.
"Um… we tried to interrogate the suspects, but…" Suzuki hesitated, ashamed to admit her failure.
"It's my fault. I couldn't get anything useful out of them. They haven't said a word since," Officer Nagoya interrupted.
"I see," The chief mused. "What about the Seihei attackers? I heard they were found dead in their cells."
"Oh… Seihei attackers. That's what the media are calling them these days," Officer Nagoya acknowledged.
"That's correct, sir. The autopsy found excessive methamphetamine content and…" The female officer flipped through her crimson notebook to report.
"…" The chief listened patiently.
"Here's the weird part — traces of water intoxication, or hyponatremia, were also found in all three attackers," She continued.
"Hmm… It's uncommon for meth addicts to consume excessive amounts of water, right?" The chief questioned.
"You're right, sir. Meth is a strong stimulant, so an overdose wouldn't normally lead to excessive water consumption," Officer Nagoya added matter-of-factly.
"I see. Thank you, guys." The chief smiled, placing a hand on Officer Nagoya's shoulder and nodding in gratitude to Suzuki.
"Is there anything else you need, sir?" Suzuki asked firmly.
He shook his head before replying. "Yeah, don't feel bad, guys. But this case is out of our hands now."
"Huh?" Suzuki gasped in surprise.
"I got a call from the Organised Crime Control Bureau this morning," The chief explained.
"From Tokyo?" Officer Nagoya remained composed despite his astonishment.
"The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department?!" Suzuki spoke louder than she intended.
"Correct. What we need to do now is contain the suspects within our jurisdiction and prepare the transfer documents before they arrive," The chief advised before walking away.
***
On the weekend, the dazzling duo, Seito Shouichi and Aoyama Shinji, strolled gleefully through the shopping district. The morning rain had subsided, leaving wet streets and small puddles everywhere. However, this wouldn't stop them from hanging out in the afternoon, as they had a matter of great importance to attend to.
"Lately, the weather's been shit!" Shinji whined, walking with his hands in his pockets. The superhuman Shinji had almost fully recovered from his injuries from the Seihei attack, while Shouichi still had bandages on his knuckles and purple marks on his throat.
"Still, it's not too bad since it's stopped now," Shouichi said, trying to comfort his tall friend.
"Hehehe. True! It's like we're blessed by the gods," Shinji's mood shifted instantly, his face beaming like an idiot.
"Don't worry, budddaaaayyyyyy." The tall boy wrapped an arm around Shouichi's shoulders, his sophisticated aroma of warm spices noticeable.
"Today's gonna be wholesome," He declared cheerfully.
"It's 'mate' in Australia," Shouichi corrected him.
"I'm not your buddy; I'm your mate, eh?" Shinji joked, making them both burst out laughing.
The steep stairway between two shops led to a mystical land for those who were lonely… or horny.
Once Shouichi climbed to the top and pushed past the curtain, he was met with a large poster stand of a naked female model.
"Woah?! Sh-She's naked!" Shouichi exclaimed in surprise, reflexively covering his eyes.
"Hehehehehe," Shinji chuckled softly, covering his mouth. Shouichi's reaction was way too innocent.
"Welcome to the 18+ club, mate!" Shinji tapped him on the shoulder.
The two ecstatic boys explored the store full of explicit content and adult toys. Shouichi skimmed through a shelf stacked with adult DVDs.
"Anything caught your eye?" Shinji asked, grabbing a few DVDs from the shelf.
"There's way too much. I can't decide on the fly," The graphite-black-haired boy answered.
"How about this one? The girl with twin tails," Shinji suggested, holding up a DVD case.
Shouichi's face faked a sour expression, "Hehehe, don't tease me. I'm way past that," Shouichi chuckled, thinking about his ex-girlfriend.
"I'd prefer a non-vanilla genre, to be honest," Shouichi added while browsing.
"Oh! This one, lil' bro~The Libido Policewoman." Shinji handed him another case.
"Ho, damn! The actress is kinda hot."
"Take it! I'll buy it for you, man." Shinji tossed it into Shouichi's shopping basket.
The two boys revelled in their shared amusement until Shouichi realised nearly an hour had passed.
"Excuse me!" A young woman in a black hoodie and sunglasses announced to the boys, who were blocking her path.
"Oh, sorry!" Shouichi quickly stepped aside, and the woman brushed past him.
"Thank you," She muttered as she squeezed through. Shouichi could feel her chest lightly press against him. In a quick glance, he noticed her distinct canine teeth as she spoke. The mysterious woman had a strong, familiar aroma of citrus and jasmine. It definitely reminded him of someone he knew.
As his eyes involuntarily peeked at her basket, "Damn… She's got a whole bunch of stuff and toys… I guess it's normal for girls to buy them in Japan. After all, women have needs too," Shouichi remarked inwardly.