Akiyama Suzuki (2)

The morning arrived as sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains. Shouichi woke up, noticing a cute lady snuggling under his arm. Her peaceful, sleeping face was a treat for the eyes.

"Ah, my arm's numb," Shouichi groaned internally as he gently lifted her head to free his arm.

"Huh?" Suzuki murmured, her dark eyes barely opening, then closing again.

"Oh, did I wake you?" Shouichi whispered.

"It's fiiiiine... What time is it?" She yawned, cupping her mouth.

"I don't know, but it's still pretty early."

"More sleep for meeeee," She mumbled, huddling closer like a child. "I didn't know you were this clingy as a woman," Shouichi thought to himself.

A few minutes later, the alarm clock blared, signalling it was time for the working woman to get ready.

"One more minute…" Suzuki groaned, reaching for her phone to snooze the alarm. Meanwhile, Shouichi was browsing some books he found while cleaning her apartment. Oddly enough, her collection consisted mostly of rom-coms, contradicting her more lewd tastes.

"Please get up now, Suzuki-san," Shouichi gently reminded her, but she just brushed him off, snuggling deeper into his side.

"Heehee, give me a kiss first," She requested playfully, her eyes still shut.

Shouichi indulged her, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. Her dark eyes fluttered open.

"Looks like you're awake now, sleepyhead," He teased.

"On my lips, too…" She mumbled, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"As you wish," Shouichi said, caressing her cheek before gently brushing his thumb across her bottom lip and kissing her. Suzuki let out a soft, contented moan, her breath warm and enticing.

"…I want your tongue, too… Please," She whispered, her lustful eyes yearning for more.

"But I might have morning breath…" Shouichi hesitated, blowing on his hand.

"I don't mind… Please…" She begged, clearly aroused by the idea. "Well… I didn't know Suzuki-san was this insatiable…" Shouichi thought.

Without another word, the two found themselves caught in a passionate exchange — a trip to Pleasure Land.

"WAH! I'm late!" Suzuki suddenly exclaimed, checking the time and rushing to the bathroom.

"Hahaha, I'll make a quick breakfast for you," Shouichi chuckled, following her. He watched as she vigorously brushed her teeth, giving him a thumbs-up in response.

By the time Suzuki finished dressing in her cute police uniform, Shouichi had prepared her breakfast: a premium tuna sandwich with boiled eggs, crab meat, and vegetables.

"Thank you so much, Shouichi-kun!" Suzuki bowed slightly at the entrance, handing her a box of sandwiches. It felt like a married couple's routine.

"No worries, you look great in your police uniform today," Shouichi complimented, admiring her uniform and the cute police cap.

"I think I can still make it to work on time! Thanks again for your help," She said, checking her watch. She appreciated how Shouichi always helped with even the smallest things, like a supportive husband during tough times.

"May I ask for a kiss before you go to work?" Suzuki asked timidly, her fingers nervously tapping together.

"And you said you were late…"

"Because you're just too cute! I want to cuddle all day!" She mumbled, her eyes full of shame, aware of her needy behaviour. "I hope you don't hate me for this…"

"Have a great day at work, Suzuki-san," Shouichi murmured, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek, promising to spoil her endlessly, and wishing her a joyful day.

***

"What's this?"

The crimson notebook that Suzuki used to jot down clues and case notes was left on the nightstand beside the bed. Shouichi picked it up with curiosity.

"Hmm, Suzuki-san must have been in a hurry, forgot everything…" He muttered, recalling the morning's events.

"Sorry about that, but it's not entirely my fault… Maybe I'm half to blame," Shouichi murmured to himself, flipping through the crimson notebook.

"Should I take a peek? I'm curious what she's been up to lately…" He contemplated, grinning mischievously.

After flipping through the first ten pages, he found names, locations, phone numbers, and dates.

"That's Office Nagoya's address and contact details…"

"That's the chief of police's info…"

When he turned the page to the date of the fire festival, something caught his attention. There, on the page, was his own contact number, with a heart drawn next to it.

"Eh? Guess she wasn't lying about the love-at-first-sight thing… You are such a softie, Suzuki-san," he chuckled.

Turning to the next page, Shouichi froze in surprise. There were detailed drawings of four human skeletons found during the fire festival, with markings on each one. At the bottom, Suzuki had written: "Case dropped!"

"All of them suffered major injuries before death… fractures, chips, hairline cracks…" Shouichi read aloud quietly.

Then, it hit him. The epiphany flashed in his mind.

"Wait a minute... these skeletons... they have injuries like the four delinquents from the tech school!" Shouichi remembered the fight with Momo and Shinji during his first months — the one near the hidden staircase with red outlines.

"The one with the broken arms... That's the boss, after Shinji kicked him."

"One of them has a loose tooth and a dislocated jaw… That's Nobu, the ugly one I punched…"

"But there were five delinquents at the time… one had a handsome face… Was it Tsubara?"

Shouichi paused, piecing everything together, his mind racing. He hadn't realised just how clearly he could recall these details.

"How long did Shinji go to buy the drug? It couldn't have been more than ten minutes from Momo's house to the store. He was gone for over an hour…"

His memory began to form a clearer picture, and suddenly everything felt as though it happened yesterday.

"Wait, I remember… He didn't use his fists in that fight, did he? So why did he have a blood-stained bandage on his hands when he gave us the medical supplies?"

"Shit! I have a bad feeling about this…" Shouichi started to panic, breathing heavily.

"Calm down! Calm down, Shouichi!" He told himself, trying to steady his breath.

"It could just be a coincidence… It's impossible… but I need to ask around more..."

The memory of the secluded barbecue spot flooded back to him. "Aoyama family owns Bokusho Hospital, Water Corporation, and Aoyama Holdings…" The girl had explained, clearly to the group.

"I should ask Ayane about this," Shouichi muttered to himself, biting his nails.

Then, it hit him. "Crap… I totally forgot about her. Ayane must be super pissed right now."