Between Lines Unwritten (2)

The police?

Yeah, I never really rated them.

Back in my old life, they were either useless, corrupt, or just straight-up not around when you needed them.

Always showing up late, always making things worse.

Serve and protect is one thing they hardly got right.

I had zero faith in them.

Maybe it was the news, maybe it was just life experience, but every time I heard about them, it was the same story—crooked cops, lazy ones, or the ones who acted like they were in a damn action movie, causing more damage than the criminals they were after.

If you weren't rich or important, you were just another statistic to them.

So, it's kinda funny that in this life, my dad's a detective.

Although he's underpaid as many government workers, he still does his job well, giving a damn about it.

He solves cases, takes down criminals, does the whole 'justice' thing like it actually matters.

Makes me feel a little bad for all the times I said fuck the police.

Well, only a little.

We stepped into the station, and I took in the scene.

It was cleaner than I expected, less chaotic than those cop shows made it look.

Officers moved around, busy with whatever cases they were working on.

Some were flipping through case files, talking in hushed voices, or gulping down coffee like it was their lifeline

Some looked serious, some looked exhausted, but none of them gave off that lazy, don't-give-a-shit vibe I was used to seeing.

I followed behind my dad, hands in my pockets, keeping a neutral expression as people threw glances at me.

Some nodded in recognition, while others looked curious.

"Morning, Ruki–oh? Who's this?" One of the officers, a middle-aged man with a deep scar along his jaw, raised an eyebrow.

"My son," Dad answered with a small smile, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Azaria, greet them properly."

I gave a polite nod. "Good morning, sir.

That seemed to catch his attention.

His eyes flickered with approval before turning to my dad.

"Polite kid. Definitely takes after his mother."

Dad let out a short laugh. "You wound me, Sakamoto."

Another officer, a woman with her hair tied in a tight ponytail, leaned against a desk.

"Handsome boy. What's the plan for the future? Thinking of joining the force?"

I shook my head lightly. "No, ma'am. I want to be a hero."

That got a mix of reactions—some amused, others nodding in understanding.

Ruki sighed dramatically. "Not like us officers, unfortunately."

"Smart choice," the lady muttered.

I caught the meaning behind her words—the job was tough.

Less recognition, more paperwork, and often, too little power to do anything before the worst happened.

Ruki glanced around. "Where's Chief Tsuragamae?"

"He's in a meeting with Officer Tamagawa," Sakamoto replied. "Something about inter-department coordination."

I nodded, recalling the dog-headed chief and the feline-featured officer.

Their appearances were striking, even in a world filled with diverse Quirks.

We didn't linger much longer before heading toward the briefing room.

Ruki pushed open the door, leading me inside, where a few other detectives were already gathered around a table cluttered with case files, notes, and grainy surveillance images.

At the head of the table stood Detective Kenji, a man in his early forties with graying hair, sharp eyes, and a build that suggested he had seen his fair share of action.

His expression was serious, extremely focused but not unkind.

He glanced at me as we entered.

"Who's this?"

Before my dad could answer, I stepped forward and gave a slight bow. "Azaria Arashi, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kenji raised a brow, then let out a short chuckle. "Well, well. Polite kid." He glanced at my dad. "Yours?"

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder. "Yeah. Brought him along today."

Kenji smirked. "Wait… don't tell me. Today's career day?"

A few of the other detectives chuckled. My dad sighed. "No, Kenji."

Kenji grinned at me. "Aspiring cop?"

I shook my head. "Aspiring hero."

That got a few more reactions from the room, some amused, some curious.

Kenji tilted his head. "Huh. A hero, not an officer, huh?" He rubbed his chin mockingly. "Guess you don't wanna be like your old man."

I smiled slightly. "I wouldn't say that."

Kenji laughed before flipping a file open. "Well, since you're here, you might as well stay."

Dad frowned. "Kenji–"

Kenji waved a hand, not really giving anyone a choice. "Relax, Ruki. It's fine, right?"

He glanced at the other detectives, not really asking but more like daring them to object.

No one did.

Dad sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just observe."

Kenji smirked. "See? No harm done." Then his expression turned serious as he slid a file across the table. "Alright, let's get to business."

I took a seat as the mood in the room shifted.

Kenji tapped on the case file. "We're tracking a quirk-enhancing drug that's been circulating in back-alley deals."

He laid out some surveillance photos—grainy images of shadowy figures exchanging small vials.

One photo showed a man holding a package with a strange symbol on it.

"The drug temporarily boosts a person's quirk output beyond normal levels. The problem? It comes with nasty side effects."

I studied the images. Quirk boosters? They were mentioned briefly in the manga, but nothing deep was explored.

Still, it didn't seem like anything world-breaking. Just another underground issue.

Kenji continued. "Multiple cases of aggression, loss of control, and even mental deterioration. But the worst…" He slid out another photo.

A corpse, veins bulging and blackened under the skin, face twisted in a frozen grimace of agony.

"This one overdosed. His quirk went into overdrive, and his body couldn't take it."

The room was silent for a moment.

Ruki crossed his arms. "Any leads?"

Kenji pulled out a picture of a thin, nervous-looking guy. "Small-time dealer. We've been tailing him. He's got connections. If we take him down, we might trace the source."

I studied the picture. Just another street thug.

Dad exhaled. "What's the plan?"

Kenji grinned. "We move tonight." Then, casually, he turned toward me. "What about you, kid? Wanna tag along?"

Dad shut it down immediately. "No."

But at the same time, I said, "Yes."

The room went silent.

Ruki's head snapped toward me. "What?"

Kenji burst into laughter. "I like this kid!"

Ruki looked at me like I had just lost my mind. "Azaria, you're a student, not a cop."

I kept my expression neutral. "I'm training to be a hero. Consider this a learning experience."

Ruki rubbed his temples. "Yumi is going to kill me if she finds out."

Kenji shrugged. "Then don't let her find out."

The detectives chuckled as Ruki groaned in frustration.

Kenji clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome to the squad, kid. Just don't slow us down."

I smiled, "I won't."

***

The scent of cheap takeout filled the office as I sat across from Kenji, chopsticks in hand, picking at a bowl of stir-fried noodles.

The police station had its own cafeteria, but Kenji insisted that real officers ate from the food stalls nearby.

"Detective Kenji," I spoke politely, my tone measured. "Thank you for the meal. I appreciate it."

Kenji, who had been eating with the speed of a man racing against time, paused and waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it, kid. You're not one of those picky eaters, are you?"

"No, sir. This is very good," I replied, taking another careful bite.

He let out a satisfied hum before tapping his chopsticks against the photo lying between us.

It was a blurry capture of the suspect from a traffic camera, grainy and indistinct, but his bag strap had a faint marking—something I couldn't quite make out.

"Alright, future hero," Kenji said, leaning forward. "What do you see?"

I placed my bowl down, straightened my posture, and studied the image properly.

The hooded figure's face was mostly obscured, but my eyes focused on the bag strap.

Something was there—a symbol, barely visible due to the poor quality of the image.

It wasn't distinct enough for me to recognize, but it was certainly unusual.

"There's a marking on his bag," I noted. "It's difficult to see, but it could be important."

Kenji smirked. "Sharp eyes. That's good."

"Do you know what it represents?" I asked.

"Not yet," he admitted. "Could be some random fashion brand. Could be a gang insignia. Could be nothing at all. But details matter, Azaria."

I nodded, absorbing his words. "Yes, sir. Even if it doesn't seem important now, it could connect to something later."

His smirk widened slightly. "Exactly. You've got a good mindset for this stuff."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I simply gave a polite nod.

"Most people look for the obvious," Kenji continued. "The best detectives? They pay attention to what doesn't fit. Sometimes, you don't get the full picture immediately, but the smallest details can crack a case wide open."

I glanced at the image again. The symbol still didn't spark any recognition, but something about it felt…off.

I didn't have enough information to make sense of it, but Kenji's words stayed with me.

This case wasn't even something in the story, I had little to no information about quirk boosters.

All I knew was the name of the drug—Trigger.

Like Kenji had explained, it temporarily enhanced a person's quirk while also affecting their sense of reasoning.

That lined up with what I remembered from the manga.

It was briefly mentioned, just another illegal substance smuggled in from overseas.

Nothing about its origins, nothing about its long-term effects, nothing about who was really behind it.

My fingers tapped lightly against the table as I thought back to this morning. The shift.

The feeling that things weren't exactly following the script I knew.

First, tailing that man. Being elected as assistant representative. Now, this case.

Was this proof that the story was changing in ways I couldn't predict?

Was this just another insignificant background event, one of those things that happened off-screen in the story but never got expanded upon?

Did Shigaraki or All For One have their hands in this?

He picked it up, and his voice immediately turned casual. Too casual.

Was this just some small-time crime ring, or was it a sign of something bigger lurking beneath the surface?

Or was there someone else involved? A player who existed in this world but never made it to the pages of the manga?

That thought sent a chill down my spine.

I didn't like unknowns.

And right now, I was sitting in the middle of one.

That meant this was something new, something that wasn't supposed to happen?

If it was, then that meant the storyline wasn't just shifting—it was expanding.

If this was expanding, then that meant there were things at play that I didn't account for.

Which meant new variables. Unpredictable ones.

That is concerning.

But why would it expand? I haven't really done anything special or great enough to cause that.

We're still a far cry from main aspects of the story.

Or was my presence itself the trigger for that?

'...'

Nah, it can't be.

Am I not just overthinking this?

Yeah...

I'm just overthinking this thing.

I should just stop making pointless things up in my head.

Ruki's phone rang, buzzing on the table as it pulled me back to reality.

He sighed before picking it up, barely glancing at the caller ID.

"Hey, Yumi," he greeted, his voice softer than usual.

Kenji immediately smirked, leaning in slightly like he was about to enjoy a good show.

I just kept eating, pretending not to listen.

"Yeah, I know it's late. Azaria and I got caught up with something," Ruki continued, his voice calm but holding that familiar edge of guilt.

A faint voice crackled through the phone, though I couldn't make out the words.

Whatever she said made Ruki rub the bridge of his nose.

"No, no. We're not doing anything dangerous." He shot a glance at Kenji, who was grinning as he sipped his drink. "We just stopped to grab some food, and then I had a few things to wrap up at the station."

Kenji leaned closer to me. "Translation: He's lying."

I fought back a smirk.

Ruki exhaled, shaking his head. "Yumi, I promise I'll bring him back in one piece."

A pause.

"Yeah, I know. Yes, I'll make sure he eats properly. He's literally eating right now."

Kenji nudged me, whispering, "Man, she's got him on a leash."

I ignored him, focusing on my food as Ruki continued.

"We won't be too long," he assured her. "Okay. Love you too."

As soon as he hung up, Kenji whistled. "Damn, she's got you wrapped around her finger."

Ruki shot him a glare. "Shut up."

Kenji just laughed, stretching his arms. "Alright, alright. Now that mom has given her blessing, let's go catch some criminals."

——–—

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