I have a bunch of things I want to write, but for starters, something fun and small. Like addressing the question of why Kougami, who works for Foreign Affairs, was allowed to pick up Akane, who’s now an Enforcer. Directly after that scene in First Inspector.
The open air and fresh food had drawn a number of people to this courtyard. Not far from one of the gateways, Arata saw them first, and taking care not to knock over his food, he enthusiastically waved. “Ah, over here! Good afternoon!”
Tsunemori smiled and headed towards his table, Kougami in her shadow. A flicker of annoyance passed through the tactical advisor’s expression, before it smoothed over.
Arata looked around in puzzlement, then realized he needed to clean up. Hastily, he stacked his empty dishes, handing them off to a drifting droid. “Sorry about the mess.”
“It’s no trouble. We ordered a lot of things, so it’ll take some time. How are you?” Tsunemori studied his face. “I heard you were hurt in the incident.”
“Luckily, nothing was broken, so I recovered really fast. Please, sit down.” He gestured to the empty seats and watched as Kougami pulled out both chairs for them.
“Is this a place you go to often?” The man abruptly asked.
Arata was almost finished eating, his spoon tucked into an almond jelly and fruit dessert. “I come by now and then, and it was the closest spot today. I just ran an errand. Anyway, congratulations on your release, Tsunemori-san. When did you get out?”
Her answer was remarkably blithe. “Actually, less than an hour ago.”
“U-um, I’m a little confused. The chief said you were returning as a statutory Enforcer, so…why aren’t you here with an Inspector?”
Tsunemori’s eyebrows drew together, but before she could reply, Kougami spoke up. “You’re a detective. Why don’t you work us through your reasoning?”
Startled at being put on the spot, Arata tightened his grip on his paper cup of jelly. Masking his nervousness by clearing his throat, he slowly nodded. “Alright.”
Kougami leaned back in his seat, his gaze cool. “Whenever you’re ready.” Tsunemori did not intercede, though beneath her thoughtful expression, Arata sensed swirling inner turmoil.
He sharpened his focus, taking in every detail of their forms. The surrounding noise of other people faded away, the holographic cherry blossom petals blurring in a luminescent haze. He wasn’t performing a Mental Trace; instead of diving, it was more like he was gradually submerging himself in a pool, keeping a hold on the rail. “You came together, right from the facility. I didn’t get a notification to pick up Tsunemori-san, and Kei probably didn’t either. The question is, why didn’t the chief say something to us?”
Unit 1 had been informed about Tsunemori’s return, but now that he thought back, he had assumed the chief would be retrieving her new aide.
“One: she couldn’t.” He checked his messages. “No, she actually just sent a reminder for tomorrow. And…nothing in the past messages. The chief’s always thorough, so this option wasn’t likely to begin with.”
“She’s done a good job.” Tsunemori’s tone was genuine. “I’m happy to work with her and everyone else again.”
“She’s complaining about the new boss, but I’m sure we’ll be fine. And we’re looking forward to your return to the Public Safety Bureau.” He paused. “Two: Kougami-san was sent to pick up Tsunemori-san on purpose. That’s still not convincing. Permission would have to be granted from up top.”
“And that isn’t an easy task, considering the CID has available staff.” Kougami said. He was difficult to read, Arata noticed. “Not to mention, I work for Foreign Affairs.”
“I would be out of your jurisdiction.” Tsunemori pointed out, the corner of her mouth lifting.
Arata had to agree. “That leads us to three: it has to do with Tsunemori-san being a statutory Enforcer. Come to think of it, that’s something new. I’m not even sure what that really means. ‘Statutory’ is something required by the law. If that’s so, we can’t say Tsunemori-san’s status is the same as a typical Enforcer.” Or her Crime Coefficient. It had never been released. “We can apply that to your privileges as well, you’d have more flexible rights. You would have the freedom to not be supervised by an Inspector at all times. Is that right?”
Her smile was enigmatic. “I’m not sure what I can or can’t say at the moment. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, but I won’t deny anything either.”
“Aw, fine.” He was most confident about this last possibility. However, it didn’t explain why Kougami-san had escorted her out of the facility. “Do you happen to be blood relatives?”
“Oh, no!” Tsunemori exclaimed at the same time Kougami snorted.
They seemed to be honest. He chewed on a mouthful of sweet jelly. “I see.” That ruled out the possibility of him being her emergency contact. Well, unless they were married. His gaze shifted to their fingers. No wedding bands, but that didn’t necessarily prove that hypothesis wrong. Nevertheless, not even spouses were able to pick up Enforcers…unless they had more flexible rights.
An incoming message vibrated against Arata’s wrist. With a quick button press, Karina’s ID projected over his skin, and he smiled. “Sorry, I have to go. Hope you enjoy your lunch!”
“I’ll see you at work.” Tsunemori kindly said, while the other man gave a curt nod.
Grabbing the leftovers of his dessert, Arata hurried off. At the gate, he picked up the call and, in the milliseconds while the connection formed, he spared another glance at them. They’d moved their chairs so they were sitting directly opposite one another, clearly relaxed in each other’s company. Kougami said something that made her laugh, and his gaze upon her was surprisingly gentle. The temptation to Mental Trace plucked at his self-control…
Then, Karina’s voice greeted him, and for the time being, he focused on their conversation.
