pertwk Page 19
Page 19
In Yuuki Takada's mind, there was still a conflict between Miwako Sato and him, so he believed that Miwako Sato, who was off work, would not answer the phone.
But... it turned out he misjudged the situation.
Despite his wishes, Miwako Sato answered the phone.
Later, with Inspector Megure's partial involvement, this trip to Kyoto with Sato Miwako came about.
Yuuki Takada's mind raced. After a moment's thought, he cleared his throat and replied in a businesslike, indifferent tone, "The tickets over there expire today, and it's a shame to waste them. I just happen to have two. Don't get the wrong idea; it's just a simple getaway."
"Oh? Is that so?" Sato Miwako drawled out the last syllable, clearly not believing it.
But he didn't ask any further questions; his smile just deepened.
This was the first time she had ever seen her usually meticulous and aloof senior, Takada, show such embarrassment and helplessness.
The two found their corresponding carriages and seats.
Yuki Takada naturally chose the aisle seat, giving the window seat to Miwako Sato.
He took off his trench coat, carefully folded it, and placed it on his lap, revealing a similarly dark shirt underneath. He still exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
The Shinkansen train accelerated smoothly, and the view of the platform outside the window was stretched and blurred, eventually being replaced by the city buildings and the more expansive suburban scenery.
Sunlight streamed through the large car windows, casting bright bands of light inside the carriage, where dust particles danced silently in the beams of light.
Sato Miwako excitedly sat down by the window, her fair fingers gently touching the cool glass as she gazed at the slowly moving platform scenery outside.
Sunlight streamed through the window, dancing on her dark blue school uniform jacket and the bow tie at the collar, exuding an almost overflowing youthful energy.
It has to be said, he truly lives up to his reputation as a college graduate who just graduated from police academy.
Yuuki Takada leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.
However, the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from Sato Miwako, and the occasional silly giggles she let out when she saw something interesting outside the window, made it difficult for him to truly calm down.
He quietly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Sato Miwako beside him.
She was intently watching the scenery rushing past the window, her profile soft, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes.
She was completely different from the policewoman I met on the Shinkansen train when I first came to Tokyo.
This school uniform... looks surprisingly harmonious on her, even... there's something indescribable about it?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Yuuki Takada immediately cursed himself in his heart.
He must not have slept well last night, or he has been infected with that strange way of thinking by that old guy Megure!
He forced himself to look away and close his eyes again.
"Takada-senpai?" Sato Miwako's voice suddenly rang in his ear, with a hint of probing.
Yuuki Takada didn't open his eyes immediately, but instead let out a low, single utterance through his nose: "Hmm?"
"Are you...asleep?" Her voice was so close, her breath almost brushing against his ear.
Yuuki Takada, upon hearing this, had no choice but to open his eyes and turn his head to the side.
Sato Miwako leaned slightly towards him, her clear eyes filled with curiosity and a searching gaze that wasn't entirely consumed by the scenery outside the window.
The sunlight fell perfectly on her fair neck and the neatly tied bow, while the dark blue suit jacket accentuated her soft shoulder line.
"No." Yuuki Takada replied succinctly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he habitually looked away and turned back to the front of the carriage.
He noticed a young man in a flashy shirt sitting diagonally in front of him, who was using the pretense of reading a newspaper to frequently glance at the leg lines of Sato Miwako covered by her pleated skirt.
Sato Miwako followed his gaze and glanced at him, her lips curling slightly with a hint of barely perceptible disdain.
"Oh, it seems someone thinks my outfit is pretty good." She deliberately lowered her voice, her tone revealing no nervousness, but rather a teasing eagerness.
"Sit still," Yuuki Takada replied coldly, his tone commanding and leaving no room for argument.
His fingers, resting on his knees, twitched slightly, and the fabric of his trench coat was unconsciously clenched in his palms.
"Don't cause trouble."
Sato Miwako seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his attitude, but she obediently sat up straight, muttering under her breath, "It's clearly Takada-senpai who's being too sensitive... Besides, they provoked me first."
She idly played with the ribbon of the bow.
The train's loudspeaker softly announced that the train was about to arrive at the next stop.
A slight commotion began to stir among the crowd; some people got up to go to the restroom, while others gathered their luggage to get off the bus.
Just then, Yuuki Takada caught it keenly out of the corner of his eye:
The man in the floral shirt exchanged a glance with his two companions. One of them stood up and swayed towards the connecting area between the carriages—which was the direction of the restrooms.
As he passed by Sato Miwako's seat, the man's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds without any attempt to conceal it, carrying an unsettling, sticky feeling.
Sato Miwako clearly sensed it too; she slightly furrowed her delicate brows but didn't move.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
Yuki Takada suddenly stood up, his movements so swift that Miwako Sato was momentarily stunned.
His tall figure instantly blocked out a large amount of light from the window, completely enveloping her in his shadow and blocking out those prying eyes.
"Huh? Now?" Sato Miwako was a little surprised. She remembered that Takada-senpai didn't seem to have drunk much water.
Chapter 30: What's Gin doing here?
"Ah."
Yuki Takada didn't explain, but simply placed the neatly folded trench coat on his seat.
He strode forward, his eyes fixed straight ahead in the direction where the man in the floral shirt had disappeared. His steps were steady, carrying an invisible sense of pressure.
The black shirt accentuated his strong back, and even as he walked through the slightly crowded aisle of the carriage, he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, causing the somewhat noisy passengers to subconsciously make way for him.
Sato Miwako watched his figure disappear into the connecting area between the carriages, blinked, and then a knowing look appeared on her face, accompanied by a slightly smug smile.
She let out a soft sigh, relaxed her body, leaned back in her chair, and turned her gaze back to the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, a slight smile playing on her lips.
So it turns out that Takada-senpai... wasn't completely unmoved after all.
The space between the carriages was relatively narrow, filled with a faint smell of disinfectant and tobacco residue.
The man in the floral shirt was leaning against the closed bathroom door, whispering something to his companion, a lewd smile on his face.
As Takada Yuki approached, the two instinctively suppressed their smiles, their eyes filled with wariness and a hint of provocation.
Yuki Takada didn't even glance at them, treating them like two wisps of air.
He walked straight to the bathroom door and knocked. There was no response from inside.
"Hey, there's someone inside!" the man in the floral shirt couldn't help but speak up, his tone unfriendly as he cursed.
Yuuki Takada then slowly turned his head, his cold gaze landing precisely on the face of the man in the floral shirt, as precise as a scalpel.
There was no emotion in his eyes, only a bottomless indifference and scrutiny, as if he regarded the other person as an inanimate object.
That single glance was enough to freeze the arrogance on the faces of the man in the floral shirt and his companion, sending a chill down their spines and causing them to instinctively take a half-step back.
That's the kind of aura that only someone who has experienced true darkness and danger can exude.
Just then, the bathroom door clicked open.
A slightly overweight middle-aged man walked out and was startled by the tense atmosphere at the door. He quickly slipped away.
Yuuki Takada ignored the two men, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.
The only sound in the cramped space was the sound of flowing water.
He stood in front of the sink, turned on the tap, and the cold tap water washed over his fingers.
The mirror reflected Yuki Takada's well-defined face, his eyes still cold and stern, but there was a very subtle wrinkle between his brows.
He just needed a brief escape from Miwako Sato's sight to cool down his overly tense nerves.
That school uniform, that unguarded youthful energy, and the lighthearted tone with which she addressed herself as "Takada-senpai"...
All of this was completely out of step with the cold world he was used to, and even... carried a dangerous allure.
Yuuki Takada took a deep breath, the cold water droplets splashing on his face bringing a sense of clarity.
There can be no chaos.
he told himself.
This was just an ordinary, even somewhat boring, weekend outing.
They were just visiting Kyoto City and then returned to their respective places.
However, as he turned off the tap and pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands, the deliberately hushed yet still clear voices outside the door pierced through the thin door panel.
"...That girl is fucking hot, a college student? She's top-notch!"
"Hehe, that guy in black next to me looks unlucky, like a bodyguard."
"What's there to be afraid of! Judging from his appearance, he's probably just a pretentious coward. We'll wait until we get to the station and then seize the opportunity..."
"Yeah, those little leather shoes, those white socks...tsk tsk tsk...judging from her expression, she'd probably go limp at the slightest scare..."
"Haha, you're right! These virgins are the easiest to handle, then..."
The foul language became like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiling around Yuuki Takada's heart.
He stopped wiping his hands.
In the mirror, Yuuki Takada's gaze froze into ice at a visible speed, and a dark flame seemed to be burning silently deep within his pupils.
The irritation and some inexplicable feeling that I had just deliberately suppressed were completely ignited by these vulgar remarks, mixing into a chilling and violent force.
He slowly tossed the crumpled tissue into the trash can, his movements so quiet that they made no sound.
Then, he slowly and meticulously straightened the collar and cuffs of his black shirt, every subtle movement exuding a suffocating, dangerous calm that was about to erupt.
Yuki Takada opened the door.
Outside the door, the man in the floral shirt and his two companions were huddled together, lewd smiles on their faces.
The three of them were startled when they suddenly saw Yuki Takada come out.
Especially when she met his cold, abyss-like eyes, her smile froze on her face, and a chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Yuuki Takada's cold gaze swept across the three faces in turn, finally settling on the face of the man in the floral shirt who had said the most offensive thing.