The spring breeze swept across the crossroads, gently lifting the schoolgirl's aqua-blue skirt.
Black tights wrapped her slightly plump calves.
Hojo Shouko stood under the utility pole at the crossroads, her school bag in her left hand and a box of chocolates she had bought in her right, wrapped in colorful paper and tied with a ribbon.
She had checked the map; this was the shortest route from Brilliant High School to Aozawa's home.
This crossroads just happened to be in the middle.
Choosing this spot was the result of careful consideration.
If it were too close to school, others could easily see her, and it would become the subject of idle gossip.
If it were too close to Aozawa's home, she might get invited in for a visit.
Choosing a midpoint was the most appropriate decision. She could deliver the thank-you gift and then leave directly.
Hojo Shouko had learned about her older brother's whereabouts from Aozawa last Saturday, but she hadn't thanked him yet.
Because Sunday was a rest day, she didn't want to disturb Aozawa's holiday.
Not encountering him at school today was an effort to avoid idle talk.
A cute junior suddenly visiting a senior would surely give rise to some unpleasant rumors among her classmates, right?
She didn't want to cause trouble for Aozawa-senpai.
However, Hojo Shouko had been waiting here for about ten minutes, but she still hadn't seen Aozawa-senpai arrive.
According to her calculations, Aozawa-senpai should have finished his Kendo club practice fifteen minutes ago.
This finishing time was estimated from when her brother usually got home.
Could I have miscalculated my brother's return time, or gotten the route wrong? Hojo Shouko wondered.
Wanting to find out the reason, she decided to walk ahead a little.
Turning a corner, she saw Aozawa crouched in front of a yard, facing off with a pit bull through the vertical bars of the gate.
Are they playing the statue game?
Watching Aozawa and the pit bull remain motionless, Hojo Shouko sighed internally. Aozawa-senpai is still such a child at heart!
She approached with small steps and whispered, "Aozawa-senpai."
Aozawa, who was focused on the intense scene inside the house, heard someone call his name and instinctively turned his head.
The street was empty; no one was in sight.
Did I just see a ghost?
Then he quickly realized his X-ray vision was so strong he had looked right through her, as if she were thin air.
He immediately deactivated his X-ray Ability.
As if a magical red curtain had been drawn aside, a girl suddenly appeared on the empty street, her light blue school uniform jacket accentuating her impressive curves.
Her complexion was as white as snow, her eyes like mountain springs, perfectly clear.
"Shouko, what are you doing here?" Aozawa stood up.
Hojo Shouko's face flushed a slight red, and she offered the chocolates with both hands, saying, "Aozawa-senpai, this is a thank-you gift for telling me my brother's whereabouts on Saturday."
"You don't need to be so formal."
"Please, Aozawa-senpai, you must accept it."
Her head was bowed, but her soft tone was full of determination.
Aozawa scratched his head and accepted the chocolates, saying, "You're just as earnest as Hojo when it comes to these things."
"This is the etiquette of the Hojo family!" Hojo Shouko replied proudly. Then, remembering something else, she bowed and said, "Aozawa-senpai, there's something I must tell you honestly."
Aozawa said in surprise, "You don't have to be so serious. Just say it."
"I believe that one shouldn't—at least, one shouldn't harbor those kinds of thoughts about dogs. I hope you can correct that in the future. Goodbye."
Hojo Shouko straightened up and, without giving Aozawa a chance to explain, turned, school bag in hand, and ran off as if her legs were wheels.
I knew I couldn't stick around after pointing out something so embarrassing; it would just make things more awkward for both of us, she thought.
"Not... about dogs?"
Aozawa glanced down.
Thanks to Mrs. Ishimura's... contribution, he felt extremely energetic and shouted, "Shouko, it's not what you think!"
Hojo Shouko rounded a corner and vanished from sight.
Aozawa's expression soured. In Hojo Shouko's eyes, my image is becoming more and more perverse. And I can't just tell her I have the superpower of X-ray vision, and that I wasn't looking at the dog, but at the intense drama unfolding inside the house, can I?
"Forget it. What kind of man isn't a bit twisted?" Aozawa muttered.
"WOOF! WOOF!" The pit bull, suddenly snapping out of its stillness, became extremely aggressive and resumed barking at him.
Aozawa glanced at the time. Twelve minutes.
So that's the duration of the weakened hypnosis. It's like this with dogs, but the effect on humans might not be as precise. And he didn't dare use hypnosis on people recklessly.
After the large-scale experiment by the Misawa group, he had discovered that once the hypnosis wore off, the hypnotized person could still remember what had happened during the trance, unless a specific command was given to forget. And this forgetting was fraught with uncertainty.
Mainly because the duration was short, he couldn't be 100% certain of total memory loss.
The best solution was to arrange "accidental" deaths for everyone he hypnotized to avoid exposing himself.
As for his targets, they definitely couldn't be honest, decent people.
For scoundrels who did nothing but cause trouble and spread fear in society all day, eliminating one would be a contribution to social harmony. It wouldn't cause Aozawa any moral burden either.
He wasn't noble enough to give villains a chance to reform. That was something for the Japanese government to consider.
From his perspective, it wouldn't matter if all those corrupt officials and scoundrels were wiped out.
However, officials were more troublesome; he could only start with the scoundrels.
...
Aozawa returned home.
Whenever Morimoto Chiyoda was home, the door was never locked. He simply turned the knob and called out, "I'm back, Chitose."
In the kitchen, Morimoto Chiyoda had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing a light blue blouse with a dark blue knee-length skirt.
Unlike female officers in fieldwork, female detectives in the career track dressed more like office workers.
A pair of flesh-colored stockings encased her calves, and she wore high heels.
"You can eat as soon as you wash your hands."
"Okay." Aozawa nodded.
Morimoto Chiyoda always seemed to know exactly when he would return and have dinner ready.
Well, being a career track detective meant she had a rather relaxed schedule, usually finishing work around five. Morimoto Chiyoda had plenty of time to play this guessing game.
"Answer loudly, boys need to be assertive," she teased. She turned around, and her gaze swept to the gift in Aozawa's hands.
Judging by the wrapping and the knot, this must be a gift from a girl, she concluded.
"Valentine's Day should be over by now."
"This is a thank-you gift from Hojo's sister. It's not what you're thinking. Were you jealous just now?" Aozawa asked with a grin.
Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled. "Watching a kid you've raised, from a mere fledgling to a fine young man who receives gifts from girls... while I'm proud, I can't help but feel a little lonely."
"Chitose..." Aozawa grinned, attempting to get closer.
Morimoto Chiyoda raised her hand and flicked his forehead, her tone serious as she said, "Go wash your hands."
"Tch."
She's not going to let me hug her, Aozawa realized. He placed his school bag and the thank-you gift on the kitchen counter and headed to the sink.