Chapter 7: Mix-Up

“…Gai Morofushi, that laundry shop owner, he’s the one who killed my parents back then.”

Morofushi Hiromitsu buried his face in his hands, taking a deep breath filled with the scent of blood and hospital disinfectant.

This was a past even Furuya Rei didn’t know about.

When Morofushi Hiromitsu was a child, he had a playmate named Yuri Morofushi, a little girl who liked to wear pigtails and always followed him around.

Yuri Morofushi passed away from illness fifteen years ago. At that time, Morofushi Hiromitsu’s father was her teacher and was responsible for taking her to the hospital.

Everyone was saddened by the loss of a life, yet helpless in the face of death.

However, no one expected that Gai Morofushi refused to accept his daughter’s death and stubbornly believed that Morofushi Hiromitsu’s parents had kidnapped Yuri.

“I was hiding in the cabinet, and all I could hear was my mom and dad outside, pleading and groaning. I clearly saw his tattoo… How could I forget about this?”

There was no screaming, no crying in regret. He questioned himself in a hoarse voice, full of confusion.

Why did he forget such an important thing?

“He still thinks his daughter is hidden by me, following me from Nagano to Tokyo…” Morofushi Hiromitsu raised his face, staring at his hands. “Those three kids, they just happened to cross paths with me.”

Maybe it was a glance in the park, or perhaps just passing by in a convenience store… This shouldn’t be the reason for their misfortune.

Once again sitting on the hospital bench, this time with five people accompanying Morofushi Hiromitsu.

The passing police officers and doctors chose not to disturb the young man after finishing their work, and those by his side remained silent in understanding.

For so long, what had supported the young man was his strong inner strength.

Compared to pale and powerless comfort, he might need silent support more.

Morofushi Hiromitsu’s gaze lingered on the victim’s family not far away.

Just now, when he faced the police and the family’s gratitude, he awkwardly turned his head away.

If it weren’t for him, perhaps none of this would have happened…

“Isn’t it the killer’s fault, not yours, Morofushi-kun?”

This voice brought Morofushi Hiromitsu’s focus back.

Rather than comforting, Kitagawa Ryusei was genuinely puzzled.

His upbringing made it hard for him to understand this sense of guilt, but since Morofushi Hiromitsu had handed everything over to the law for judgment: “The handcuffs ended up on the guilty party, and you were the one who caught him.”

“For your parents, and for the kidnapped girl.”

In a calm and straightforward tone, Kitagawa Ryusei stated these facts, yet it seemed to have a magical effect, causing Morofushi Hiromitsu’s tense shoulders to relax unconsciously.

He saved that child and had the ability to protect others from crime.

No longer just a child facing a blade without resistance.

In the future, he would save more people.

Breaking free from the bad emotions, Morofushi Hiromitsu looked up, his blue eyes once again gathering the familiar warmth, his voice still as gentle as warm jade: “Thank you all, and Ryusei-kun, you’re really good at comforting people.”

“…Am I?”

This time, it was Kitagawa Ryusei who felt uncomfortable, averting his gaze.

Clearly, it wasn’t even comforting…

*

“This is not an excuse for breaking school rules!!”

A new day arrived with a roar from Instructor Onizuka.

Kitagawa Ryusei was startled by the shout, inching back until he was completely hidden behind Furuya Rei in the front row, then reached out to rub his ears.

Matsuda Jinpei and Hagiwara Kenji, who had already been scolded for dismantling a bomb, were now squatting obediently with their heads in their hands.

Furuya Rei, Morofushi Hiromitsu, and Date Wataru stood straight, facing the wrath of Onizuka Hachizo.

“Just a few days into the semester, and four out of six of you are already injured! Do you think you have extra lives to waste?” Onizuka Hachizo was furious, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of red-brown hair swaying behind Furuya Rei: “Kitagawa Ryusei, stop hiding! If a bomb didn’t deafen you, are you afraid of my voice?”

“…” Caught in the act, Kitagawa Ryusei had no choice but to step out.

He lowered his eyes, pursing his lips as he looked up at the instructor, planning to use his usual trick.

Unexpectedly, this time Onizuka Hachizo wasn’t buying it, interrupting the act in advance: “If you know you’re wrong, then take your punishment! Kitagawa Ryusei, starting this week, you’ll run two extra kilometers in heavy gear every day!”

His eyes widened in disbelief, Kitagawa Ryusei protested: “Instructor… that’s too cruel!”

Onizuka Hachizo snorted, ignoring him: “Furuya, Morofushi, you two will start dorm inspections today, patrolling for a week; Date, Hagiwara, Matsuda, you three will organize the archives for me!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the six of them groaned in unison.

“Instructor Onizuka, can’t we have a different punishment? Organizing files is too boring!”

“Report, Instructor! I’m willing to go running!”

“Objection overruled! Report denied!” Successfully hitting their weak spots, Onizuka Hachizo turned with a sinister smile, leaving without looking back: “A bunch of brats, do you really think I can’t handle you?”

He wasn’t sure about the others, but Onizuka Hachizo definitely had Kitagawa Ryusei’s weak spot.

Or rather, no one in Onizuka’s class didn’t know about Kitagawa Ryusei’s deep hatred for heavy gear training.

As soon as they gathered at the training site, you could see a young man cursing from the moment he started putting on the gear until the training ended, completely different from his usual obedient image.

“I hate heavy gear! The sweat and dust make me feel awful!”

“Won’t wearing such heavy stuff make us all shorter?”

“This outfit, it hurts my neck!”

“Don’t you think we look like a herd of migrating wild horses?”

Everyone was running laps in their weighted vests on the training field, the dust kicked up by their shoes flying everywhere, and using “migration” to describe the scene couldn’t be more fitting.

Sweat dampened the young man’s hair, a few strands of bangs hanging on his face due to gravity, only to be brushed aside by his hand.

The hem of his uniform peeked out from under the weighted vest, revealing a glimpse of pale skin beneath the soaked fabric.

Kitagawa Ryusei’s level of irritation increased with each lap of weighted running.

Not only had his classmates gotten used to it, but Instructor Onizuka also let him mutter in the ranks after multiple reminders, treating it like a cat’s grumbling when things didn’t go its way.

Though his verbal complaints never ceased, Kitagawa Ryusei still steadily followed behind the five, leaving the rest of the class far behind.

The weight on him seemed to have no effect… except for the neck pain, of course.

Noticing that Kitagawa Ryusei only seemed “full of energy” during this kind of training, Furuya Rei, leading at the front with Date Wataru, couldn’t help but chuckle.

But he still turned back to remind him softly: “Save some energy, you still have two kilometers to run later.”

“Terrible…”

It was better not to mention it. As soon as it was brought up, Kitagawa Ryusei deflated, his voice growing louder: “I want to go home!”

He missed the independent indoor training ground with a bathroom, missed his diligent sparring partners!

Kitagawa Ryusei looked thinner than the others, with long limbs and skin that never seemed to tan, the youthful aura around him always making people question his real age.

But at this moment, like everyone else, his face was dotted with glistening sweat, his eyes squinting slightly under the influence of sunlight and sweat. It was only then that Furuya Rei noticed he actually had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes.

When his gaze inadvertently swept over, it always seemed to reveal a hint of superiority.

It wasn’t off-putting, nor did it feel out of place; instead, it made people want to explore his true character and experiences.

A future police officer who would instinctively protect others in danger, yet didn’t consider himself righteous or accustomed to being thanked for doing good deeds.

What kind of past did he have?

This thought emerged, and Furuya Rei spent the entire day pondering it, becoming more and more engrossed.

Perhaps it was the amateur detective’s curiosity about puzzles. Always interested in the profession of “detective,” Furuya Rei found a reason for himself.

An afternoon of high-intensity training left muscles feeling like they were on fire, some people not caring about the dust on the ground, just lying down, leaving a clear human-shaped sweat mark when they turned over.

Others supported each other as they walked towards the dormitory, seemingly planning to rest for a moment before dealing with personal hygiene.

But Kitagawa Ryusei couldn’t wait a moment longer. As soon as they were dismissed, he grabbed the change of clothes he had prepared earlier and dashed to the bathhouse.

Leaving Instructor Onizuka staring at his back in contemplation, with a strong urge to drag him back for another two kilometers.

“Date and the others are going to the archives, I’m planning to eat first, what about you, Zero?” Morofushi Hiromitsu asked Furuya Rei after catching his breath.

“I’m heading to the bathhouse, could you please bring me dinner, Hiro?” Furuya Rei ran off without looking back, flashing a big smile at his childhood friend.

Hearing this, Morofushi Hiromitsu was taken aback, watching him run off, not having time to remind him: “Zero, I think you forgot to bring clothes…”

…

By the time Furuya Rei realized this problem, it was too late.

He glanced at his already soaked clothes, then at his bare self, realizing there was no way he could go out and meet people.

Furuya Rei: “…”

Standing naked in the bathhouse for a while, he closed his eyes and steeled himself, asking into the quiet bathhouse: “Is anyone there?”

If he remembered correctly, there was only one other person here.

Kitagawa Ryusei.

Sure enough, a calm and unhurried set of footsteps approached, stopping not far away.

Kitagawa Ryusei asked curiously: “Furuya? Do you need help?”

Without seeing him, Furuya Rei could almost imagine the puzzled look on his face as he said this.

“…Could you help me send a message to Hiro? I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”

So embarrassing… He wished he could turn into water and flow down the drain, into the Sea of Japan, never to return.

Even knowing the other couldn’t see him, Furuya Rei still squatted down in the stall, burying his entire face.

“Oh.” Unaware of the situation, Kitagawa Ryusei replied with a single sound, then thoughtfully asked: “Did you bring a towel?”

Furuya Rei choked, burying his head even lower, his voice muffled through his arms: “…No.”

When he saw Kitagawa Ryusei heading towards the bathhouse, he impulsively followed, not thinking about any of this.

Immersed in endless regret, Furuya Rei suddenly heard the other’s words, like a gospel: “I brought extra disposable towels, you can use one.”

…A towel.

At that moment, the look of a traveler lost in the desert finding an oasis couldn’t be more radiant than Furuya Rei’s. He was overjoyed, nodding quickly but remembering the other couldn’t see, hurriedly saying:

“Thank you, Ryusei!”

For young men of this age, face was something they would defend with everything they had.

For example, if Kitagawa Ryusei were to ask him now if he believed in God, he would sincerely say he believed in Kitagawa Ryusei more than any believer!

The top student at the police academy finally escaped the miserable situation of standing naked in the bathhouse!

Wrapped in a towel, Furuya Rei emerged, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

No wonder, the Kitagawa Ryusei in front of him was fully dressed, his collarbone clearly visible under the round-neck T-shirt, with a hint of red from the hot water.

The red-brown natural curls lay obediently, water droplets from the tips dampening his back, and Kitagawa Ryusei was drying his hair with a towel.

Seeing Furuya Rei come out, he looked up: “By the way, Furuya, did you need something from me?”

Caught off guard by the eye contact, Furuya Rei took an imperceptible step back, his gaze shifting to the tiles on the floor, barely maintaining a facade of calm: “No, why do you ask?”

“Because you’ve been looking at me all day.” Kitagawa Ryusei said bluntly: “I thought you had something to ask.”

Is it too late to go back to the stall now?

Furuya Rei once again asked himself sincerely.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to answer the question, or more accurately, he didn’t know the answer.

…But maybe Kitagawa Ryusei could give him one. Furuya Rei thought.

The bathhouse was shrouded in a thick layer of steam, the floor slick with water droplets.

His cheeks slightly heated from the steam, Furuya Rei countered: “Then what do you think?”

“If Furuya-kun keeps looking at me like that…”

To be honest, Kitagawa Ryusei had seriously thought about this question, pausing halfway through his sentence, looking a bit troubled.

In the steam-filled bathhouse, only the two of them were visible, separated by a slight distance. In the places Kitagawa Ryusei couldn’t see, the heat on Furuya Rei’s face slowly crept up behind his ears.

It was a casual question, yet he inexplicably felt nervous.

Swallowing, Furuya Rei’s heartbeat inexplicably grew louder, starting to regret throwing the question to the other.

However, before he could explain.

He heard Kitagawa Ryusei finish his earlier sentence: “I’d think you want to have a match with me.”

Furuya Rei’s words caught in his throat: “…Huh?!”

Where did that come from??

“Isn’t that it?”

Not expecting this reaction, Kitagawa Ryusei realized he might have misunderstood something, looking more incredulous than Furuya Rei: “Did I guess wrong?”

Caught off guard by his train of thought, Furuya Rei’s steam-dazed mind instantly cleared: “…”

No, what is this even about!

Why were they discussing a match in the bathhouse!?

Realizing he might have made a mix-up, Kitagawa Ryusei rubbed the mole on his nose with his index finger, avoiding Furuya Rei’s complex gaze filled with strong reproach.

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to the dorm…”

Feeling that Furuya Rei’s aura was a bit off, he sensed that staying longer might lead to something unexpected.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and made a hasty retreat.

Leaving Furuya Rei standing there, his gaze lingering, casting aside the earlier awkwardness.

At the entrance, Morofushi Hiromitsu stood holding clothes, still in the motion of entering.

He didn’t know how long he’d been standing there, noticing the faint blush behind the blond youth’s ears, falling into contemplation, looking at Furuya Rei with a gaze that was hesitant to speak: “Zero, you…”

Just as Furuya Rei understood him, Morofushi Hiromitsu also understood his childhood friend.

His expression was complex, but his words were extremely tactful: “Isn’t something a bit off?”

His expression was complex, but his words were extremely tactful: “Isn’t something a bit off?”