TRIGGER: CH 16

Chapter 16

( Friday night - somewhere in the city )

 

The city is bustling with people tonight. It's a common sight here, even more so on a weekend's night like this. People young and old come around from every corner of the state to relieve themselves of the stress of working and daily lives, and to enjoy themselves. The ground is lit up with lights in various colours. The cheerful melodies of the advertisement mixed in with equally merry voices of the visitors.

Somewhere in a slightly more secluded corner of the city stood a simple bar. Outwardly, it may be more suitable to be called 'cafe' instead, with its translucent windows and classic wooden finish. The interior is similarly furnished with wooden furniture and warm lighting. All together it makes a cosy-looking place and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.

As compared to the rest of the city, it is considerably calmer here - that is what makes those who ever visited here frequently returns, hooked by the relaxing atmosphere. And as always, the place is never short of visitors.

Once in a while, one can catch sight of one of the bar's seasoned customer. There at the counter sat a beautiful lady in a dark blue dress. Her long straight black hair cascades down her back like a waterfall. The dark colours she is adorned with starkly contrasts her pale skin.

There she sat, alone at the moment. Though she appears to be waiting for someone.

The sound of the door chime pulls her attention towards the entrance. The door opens, giving way to a new customer; the sight of which puts a fond smile on her face. Looks like the one she's waiting for has arrived.

 

"Sorry~. Did I made you wait?" She is immediately greeted with a cheery voice, though slightly apologetic.

"Not for long. I just got here myself."

Her companion is a young, vibrant lady dressed in a pastel yellow dress. The luscious curls of her brown hair bounces as she walks to take her seat.

"The usual, please." She said to the bartender, receiving a nod and a smile in return. She then proceeds to stretch her arms slightly, "Finally I can relax~!"

"Sounds like it was a hectic week to you."

"Mm, more like a hectic month. But it's all done and clear."

"Still, you enjoyed it, didn't you?" It was rhetorical and her knowing smile is audible from it. Works are tough, but challenges are fun.

"You know me." The cheerful lilt of her voice is comforting, like the warm sunlight of springtime.

To the other customers, they are an interesting pair. They contrasted each other like day and night.

"So how are things going for you?"

Leaning on the counter with her hand supporting her chin, "Not much. But thankfully things are going smooth. We're looking forward to moving onto the next stage soon. How about you? Are you staying, or..?"

"Well, I'm thinking of taking a break for a while, that is if there's no new job. Haven't had one in a long time."

"Do you have someplace in mind?"

"A vacation? Sounds like a great idea...Want to go somewhere together?" Her companion turns towards her with a wide smile, eyes twinkling.

"Like a honeymoon?" Her question takes a teasing note, the excitement beginning to infects her as well.

"Yup, like a honeymoon! They would be so jealous." She giggles into her palm, already expecting the reactions of their friends.

 

As simple as that, they spoke to each other with the comfort of friendship and more. She's not one with many people she could call a friend, and from the start she could sense the same about the other. In a way it is a meeting of kindred spirits.

And there's the way her chest warms at the thought of her companion, how her presence seems to light up her day.

She knows what it means, she had felt it before. She hadn't meant for it to turn this way but that is just the kind of power her companion has. Contentment fills her as she listens to the other speaking animatedly.

 

 

 

---

 

 

( Monday morning; a few days after suspect arrest )

 

 

Today is a bit of a rarity for him and for everyone else. Interrogation is usually handled by Takeru. Often time he did it alone, sometimes with one other person, so Ryuga leaves that part of the business to him. After all he is part of the Force’s Undercover unit. He trusts him to get all and any information they need.

As such, no one ever sees him going around the place. Though it looks like he's not the only rare species here today.

 

Just as he got around the corner, he caught Akizuki coming out of the interrogation room.

"Akizuki? Strange to see you here."

The man looks up from his papers upon being called. "Dougai? Well not much different to you. Your kid called for aid, that's all."

"Takeru did? The guy must've been a tough nut to crack then."

"He was. He got a way with his words. Your kid was just seconds away from beating the guy down when I got in."

Ryuga looked over the other's shoulder to peek into the room. Sure enough, Takeru is sitting opposite to the suspect, stressfully rubbing his forehead. Maybe I should talk him into taking tomorrow off.

"So, what did you found out?"

Akizuki glanced back towards the room. "Whatever the guy got going on previously is a lot more complicated than it seem. He claimed that he was employed by someone to test the drug. The reason why it wasn't caught on was because they already have their men within the lab. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the name of his employer, but we got the impression that it's somebody big."

Someone important, influential. Things are getting complicated now. No wonder the Main Division couldn't do anything; too much hindrance. Takeru saw that coming so he called Akizuki in to help. Beside them the only other people they can trust is Akizuki and his team.

"That sounds like it'll be another pain in the ass. Well at least we can convict him for serial murder."

Akizuki replies with a low hum. "About the lab case, I can work that out. We need to strike fast before they could escape."

"How?" He lapsed into a momentary pause before something crosses his mind. "You don't mean asking Wataru-san?"

"Who else."

Shijima Wataru. He only knows a little bit about the man despite being a famous name by the time Ryuga got in. He was the previous commander of the tactical unit before Akizuki took over. According to the team member, he was somewhat hard to approach but otherwise a good man. Though strangely, despite helming an entire unit, he prefers to work alone. He retired quite a while back.

If Akizuki trusts him, then Ryuga sees no reason to not do the same.

"Then I'll leave that to you."

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

( Saturday night - present day )

 

 

The soft ticking of his table clock lightly echoes in the expanse of his bedroom accompanied by the light glow of the digital clock face. It is late into the night and yet sleep doesn't seem to be coming to him. He laid there on his bed in the dark staring up towards the ceiling of his room, trying to sort out his thoughts.

From their last meeting, he now knows the reason why all of these happen, or at least why Jinga purposely pick him of all people. So far, he's not really sure what happened between them but to say that he's completely clueless would be a lie. Nevertheless, the issue doesn't get any simpler. Rather the opposite.

Now he's stuck wondering how is he going to pursue this any further without tripping any alarms. He couldn't risk his members and neither can he trust the Main Division.

To be honest, it would've been a lot more difficult if he was doing this alone; that man being around to take care of things in the background sure helps. But still he isn't too inclined in fully trusting him yet. Who knows what else he's capable off? Afterall, he is the lord of the underworld.

Glancing towards the side table, he can see the faint metallic glint of the thumb drive. Should I just..? But that would mean exposing his friends to danger. It's enough that he himself is a target. He couldn't put any one of them under the line of fire as well.

 

Perhaps he should have listened to Burai, he shouldn't have chased after this case.

 

Shaking his head, sighing. There's no use regretting his decisions now that it's already too late. He's neck deep into this problem; the only way out is to solve it somehow. And he had sworn that he would. It had been going on for too long, too many lives were already lost in the process. Any more and it would threaten the stability of the country itself and the lives of the people who depends on it.

 

He will uncover the truth to this age-old case.

 

The case that had threaten his family. The case that had taken his father's life.