books44 Chapter 298 An Investigation That Begins with Trust
Chapter 298 An Investigation That Begins with Trust
"How dare you laugh!"
Looking at Kurokawa Haruya, Amuro Tooru's half-moon eyes gleamed with a questioning veil, and he was certain that Haruya was about to unleash a curse.
Unfortunately, the people trapped below brought him back to his senses.
"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"
Kuromon Haruya took a deep breath, her expression changing faster than flipping through a book, instantly switching to a very professional and business-like voice: "Don't worry, the police will take over the subsequent rescue operation, you are safe."
He stood upright at the edge of the elevator shaft, hands in his pockets, the hem of his pure white trench coat billowing in the wind, his silhouette reflected in the dark door frame, all alone.
"Next, we need to go down to the top of the elevator to check the equipment. There may be a slight swaying during this time, but don't panic."
Amuro Tooru tried to sit up, but his trembling arms were too weak to support him. He had no choice but to reluctantly admit that he was indeed very ill.
His heavy, humid breathing echoed in the empty, silent observation deck. Amuro Tooru felt somewhat embarrassed by his disheveled appearance. He let out a low gasp, struggling to control his breathing, bending his knees to huddle his cold body, and, with his last remaining willpower, stared intently at Kuromon Haruya, determined not to cry for help even as his condition worsened.
—If, in his confused state, he were to mistake Kurokawa Haruya for Dr. Elena and expose his identity, Amuro Tooru would be tempted to commit suicide.
Lying obediently on his side, from this angle, Amuro Tooru could just catch a glimpse of Kuromon Haruya's unusual seriousness. He had only seen it twice before: once now, and the other time at the aquarium restaurant, when he resolutely jumped into the water to save someone.
A guy with such a resolute and bright gaze is hard to find, let alone a codename member; he was even rarer back in police academy.
Could Kuromon Haruya really be a member of the organization?
Without a second thought, the white figure leaped down like a feather, and a few seconds later, it nimbly and gracefully flipped back up.
"Hey."
Kuromon Haruya supported Amuro Tooru with one hand while typing with the other, reporting to Hanzawa and the others that they were safe and sound five minutes later, he called the police: "How are you feeling now? Can you still hold on?"
"Ah." Amuro Tooru took a moment to process what he was seeing before he came to his senses. "So? Can you confirm the model of the elevator bomb? Has any bomb disposal team contacted you?"
"By the way, I almost forgot!"
Kuromon Haruya suddenly slapped his forehead, as if struck by a sudden realization, and pulled a black plastic bag from his trench coat pocket, then tossed it onto the exhibition hall's information desk: "Thanks for the reminder."
Toru Amuro:?
Forced away, Amuro Tooru struggled to turn back, asking, "What did you just throw on the table?"
"The bomb's been defused. That was close; I almost took it with me." Kuromon Haruya raised an eyebrow, sighed, and shook his head. His tone was casual, as if he were unconsciously transported back to his time at the police academy.
"If Inspector Megure and the others discover the missing explosives and trace it back to me, that would be bad. I've already been in the spotlight a lot lately, and if they find out I interfered in the case, I'll definitely get another warning. Oh, and for not wearing protective gear, not evacuating the public beforehand, and not using the professional tools provided by the bomb squad..."
"You're going to get a severe scolding." Just thinking about the possible punishment gave Amuro Tooru a headache.
"So my operation absolutely must be kept secret. I'll slip out under the cover of the crowd later! But before that..."
Kuromon Haruya suddenly let go and pushed him in the chest—the unprepared Amuro Tooru immediately fell onto the sofa in the rest area, and under the former's scrutiny, which was like that of a feline eye locking onto its prey, he hurriedly sat up.
Seeing that there was still plenty of time on his wristwatch, Haruya Kuromon patted him on the shoulder, her face full of kindness:
"Sir, given your reckless rescue attempt, I need to give you a verbal reprimand on the spot."
"..."
"...Huh?" Amuro Tooru's eyes widened.
Looking around, the two unknowingly walked into a blind spot where no one was watching. Looking at Kuromon Haruya's seemingly genuine oppressive aura, Amuro Tooru couldn't help but feel a surge of absurdity.
Verbal reprimands, or police officers who are outsourced and nominally affiliated with the public security system—isn't this the complete opposite?
"What are you laughing at? Please get your attitude right and cooperate with this serious life education."
Kuromon Haruya curled her lip, crossed her arms firmly, and exuded a righteous and righteous aura from within:
"Mr. Amuro Tooru! As an independent adult, I am pleased that you have a spirit of courage and dedication, but—knowing that you have been in a bad state for a long time, you sneaked out of the scene without permission, attempting to subdue the gang of criminals single-handedly, disregarding the safety of the public and your own personal safety."
"If the Japanese police have no credibility in your eyes, then am I really that untrustworthy?!"
The more he talked, the more agitated he became. He grabbed her collar and shook her violently in six directions, demanding righteously, "What was so fun about it? What was so cool about it? Why didn't you ask for help?"
"Wait!"
If your teeth hit your tongue, and your body's reaction time slows down, there's simply no time to break free.
"What do you value your life for!"
My brain feels like it's being shaken to its core! I feel so nauseous!
Holy crap, what kind of amateur is Kuromon Haruya? What kind of verbal instruction is this?!
Amuro Tooru's eyes gleamed with golden light, and his twitching hand barely managed to grasp his wrist, which only made Amuro shake it even more vigorously.
"If you were to fall, what would your caring relatives and friends do? What about your unfinished mission and dreams? You haven't thought about any of these things."
pat.
With a crisp sound, the badge on Amuro Tooru's collar fell to the ground, bringing the shaking to an abrupt halt:
"This is..."
Just as Kuromon Haruya bent down to pick up the Raven Badge, as their figures parted, Amuro Tooru suddenly caught a glimpse of a cold light—
The cold rifling emerged from behind the decorative pillar, and Ma Sheng's muscular finger was already on the trigger, the muzzle pointing directly at Kuromon Haruya's back, his murderous intent poised to be unleashed!
"stop!"
With his consciousness returning instantly, Amuro Tooru pulled Kuromon Haruya closer and declared in a hoarse voice to Vienna, "...I can handle this myself."
The tension in his voice made Asahi stop in his tracks.
As if sensing something amiss, Kuromon Haruya was about to turn his head when he was forcefully pulled back.
"Listen to me first!" Amuro Tooru feigned pain, clutching his chest to try and draw attention away from anything that might make him turn back. "Mr. Kuromon, I suddenly feel short of breath, and my chest is throbbing and aching. It might be a flare-up of my hereditary heart condition. Could you please take me to see a doctor right away? Please... quickly..."
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier; Amuro Tooru's memory froze on watching Vienna depart and its anxious calls, and then there was nothing more...
His unyielding eyes slowly closed, and Kuromon Haruya removed his left hand from the side of his neck, revealing a semi-transparent, sticker-like subcutaneous anesthetic between his fingertips.
"I didn't expect you to carry this with you."
Asagi emerged from around the corner, squatted down beside him, and, mimicking Kuromon Haruya, poked the bourbon with her own fingers. A complex emotion flickered in her watery eyes as she turned her head and sighed:
"Bourbon went to such lengths to save people; maybe our retaliatory investigation will actually uncover something..."