SOS Project

Japan is believed to have hit its lowest crime rate in the present. The statistics proved that notion is right. For the past decades, the total number of criminal acts dropped to 817,388.

The first data was taken from when Japan hit its highest crime rate, which is in 2002. 16 years have past and the change was visible. The data showed that crime rate has been declining for 16 consecutive years.

This is worth to be called an achievement. Even media stated that Japan has the right to be called as one of the most peaceful countries. At least, that what people think and see on the surface.

Another survey has also been taken on another law violation. The statistics of the survey showed that domestic violence and child abuse is raising, even higher than it had ever been.

Which then, we can conclude that Japan has successfully suppressed the criminals growth, but failed at stopping the 'Criminal Production'.

Criminals are made. They aren't born.

Some of them are forced by circumstance to be criminal. They have to grit their teeth and do many things they don't like until they get used to it, and finally love doing it.

On the other hand, there are also people who choose being criminal. They believe that doing bad shits suits them the most. They love doing it, even at their first attempt.

Upon reaching this point, everyone knows that there are also people who get caught up in the aftermath. They are the victims. They are often to be regarded as the innocent as they suffer the most.

Most of the people will pity them, while some think that they deserve it. It's strange to think that there are also people who think that way. But, it's already an open secret. Everyone awares of it.

If we see criminal and victim equally, they are similar in one point.

They are made by circumstance.

Victim turned victim when criminal do something against them. And criminal is criminal when the world does something against them. By doing a simple mathematic train of thought, we can conclude that the world is the one who does something against the victim.

Then, are criminals innocent?

No, they're not.

Are victims innocent?

No, they're not.

Who's the victim?

All of them are victim.

What about those who choose being criminal as their way of life?

Mental disorder, abusive parents, violence, environment are some of the many factors that cause them turned that way. They don't really want to be one, they BELIEVE that they want.

Who's at fault, then?

Circumstance, to be exact the one who create the circumstance —people.

World doesn't revolve around you. It's being revolved by the people around you. Everyone could be a criminal in their own way, and also a victim in their own way.

Everyone is criminal and victim at the same time. It is left to the people to judge whether they are worthy enough to be called victim or criminal.

In the end, what we called criminal and victim is merely a label. There's no absolute indication in classifying someone as criminal and victim. Therefore, human made an agreement to be taken as their behavior standardization.

We called that agreement as Moral. We agreed to not steal, in change of not getting stolen. We agreed not to ra*e, in change of not getting raped. All of them are agreement.

And in order to maintain this agreement, we made Law. Law emphasizes that we have to pay for what we have done. Anyone who violate the law will be punished accordingly.

People in Japan are mostly law abiding. But unfortunately, the majority of them are far from being moral. If we got back at the previous point, we could see that Law is made in order to maintain the agreement which in the other hand is Moral.

In this case where people are already far from being Moral, Law is actually a mere facade to stagnate the situation. Stagnation might be a good thing as there is neither improvement nor downgrade.

But everyone knows that there is never have been stagnation in life. People keep changing day by day. They experience things, fail, learn, and try it again. When they succeed they will try another thing to do.

This cycle makes people changed. The good gets better, the bad gets worse. That's what always happened. If there's someone being told that he is the same, the observer is undoubtedly at fault.

People is never the same. The now you, will be different with the tomorrow you. Even your body changed every second. You could imagine how many cells die and regenerate in a second.

You might look like the same, but you've changed. The change is so insignificant that it is unnoticeable. You learn something today, you apply it tomorrow or at the later day.

In conclusion, scale and time decide how noticeable your change. Also, we can also be sure that stagnation is impossible.

As the data stated that the total number of criminal acts have been declining for the past decades, we can take it as an improvement. But unfortunately, it doesn't really mean an improvement for the country.

It's an improvement for the people. They don't want to violate the laws as dealing with the authorities will be a pain in the ass. They abide the law, or so what they are being seen.

In order to not attract any attention from the authorities, they learn a way to conceal it. Late response and lack of attention from the authorities made them so.

And this is what actually happened to Japan. The declining crime rate is only for the noticeable ones. It's not the case with the underhanded ones.

It could be seen that despite the declining of the crime rate, not many people dare to roam around by themselves in a quite quiet places. They know that things will gone awry if they do.

This situation forced the government to rack up their brains. They thought of a better way to really improve the peace of the country. Many ways had been attempted but they still failed.

Fortunately, someone from the country finally able to think of a good way to solve it.

Society Moral Control Department.

It's a notion that is established by one of the Special Force soldiers. Society Moral Control Department is a department that works in secrecy. Even some of the high rankings member don't know of its existence.

People have developed a habit to not concern things that they deem as 'trivial'. When something slightly bigger happened, they choose to ignore it as they don't want to make things any bigger —for example, dealing with the authorities.

Even when some of the women in an office are sexually harassed by their higher ups, they would just brushed it off as they thought that it was normal as it's men they're talking about.

This twisted mindset is developed by the change of society. Deep inside, they can't just accept it. But thinking about what would happen then, forced them to stay silent. Therefore, they managed to conceal it.

Taking the same concept as this situation but in different position, Society Moral Control Department solve any unnoticeable and concealed moral violation.

This department is consisted of the Ministry of Justice and Japan Special Forces Group. It creates a special agency called Messiah. This agency solves every issues regarding concealed moral violation.

The issues are various, it could be crime, terrorism, some variety of moral violations, and any other issues that not many people know or choose to be kept for themselves.

The advantage of this department is that anyone whose problem is solved by them won't get their identity known. Not only that, but they also don't have to pay.

But in exchange, they have to keep silent about the existence of the agency. Each of them is only permitted to speak about the agencies to the ones who suffer the same predicament as them. With that being said, they indirectly work for the agency.

The existence of the agency isn't socialized to the people, even up till now. Even those who know of its existence keep their mouth shut. It's mainly done to maintain the secrecy of the agency.

The agency wanted to work as secretive as possible in order to not alerting the soon-to-be offender or the people who are already one. The reason why the current authorities failed at their attempt to suppress this kind of violation is because the offender awares of their existence.

The agency works in secrecy, making the soon-to-be offender unawares of them while the government trying their best to improve their people moral.

And so, how at the very first place the agency got known by the people if it works in secrecy?

Agent.

The day the agency first established, it spread its agent to whole Japan. The True Agent then made its existence known by solving many people's problem.

And then, the people whose problem is solved, spread its influence to the other suffering people. It caused a domino effect which made the existence of the agency is known among the people.

For 4 years the agency —the department— has solved many concealed or underhanded issues in various places around Japan. It has a good reputation among the people who have ever been dealing with them.

But still, aside from those people, no one knows of its existence. Even some of the high ranking members remain clueless about it. A month ago, the same person who suggested the existence of the department, made another mind-blowing notion.

If for all this time the agency only solved problem of the adults and the people who are considered one, this time he suggested that they should also do for the minors —mainly students.

He called his notion as School Observing Student Project, or abbreviated as SOS Project. This project will be done under the agency by young Agents —under twenty.

They will enroll themselves as students whose real identity remain secret and work the same as what the agency does. But this notion is being heavily considered as SMC Department concerns about the credibility of their young Agents.

Furthermore, they have to make a special agreement with The Minister of Education to be given some authorities to meddle with students problem.

...

Minister of Education Office.

"What do you think of it?"

"...."

The man who was questioned stayed silent as he read the document in his hands once again. He ravaged through it entirely and read every details inside.

[Sigh]

"Actually it's great. I can't believe that two of you have been keeping your agency a secret up till now. Furthermore, the way it works is simply amazing. I will gladly accept this proposal. But..."

Hagiuda Kageichi, the Minister of Education directed his gaze to the woman in front of him who was none other than Miko, the Minister of Justice. He looked at her silently while finding suitable words to say.

"But?"

"The authorities. I can't give you some of the authorities you mentioned."

"Oh, it's about that. It's alright, don't bother with that! He stated the same thing when he proposed the establishment of our SMC Department."

Miko waved her hand in nonchalant manner as if to indicate that it was nothing worthy enough to be concerned.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he has his own reasons."

"But still, this is..."

"I know what you think. I've been also thinking about the same thing. But, you could ignore it for now. There's more important thing to think of."

Kageichi hesitated, but he nodded in the end.

"Ministry of Education will cooperate with you. But... you have to remember that I only keep the cooperation as long as you can maintain the credibility of your agent."

"Noted."

Miko stood up from her seat and patted her slightly disheveled suit. She glanced at Kageichi and suddenly remembered something.

"Ah! Please do remember that you have to keep it a secret. Hiroda wouldn't like it if someone spilled the fun."

"I know it, don't worry. Are you also keeping it a secret from Prime Minister Abe?"

"Of course not. We told him in advance already."

"So how did he react?"

"He agreed immediately."

"..."

Kageichi kept silent and put on a blank face while looking at Miko who slowly exited his office.

Is he really a Prime Minister? How can he turned that thoughtless? Where is the Prime Minister Abe I know?

At least put some thought first before you made a decision!