022 Mom, Believe Me!

How to dispose of a car is a task with infinite possibilities.

In America, you could drive the car into a slum or a non-metal processing plant to solve the problem.

Either a fully-capable bankrupt guy or a powerful metal compactor could handle the car cleanly.

But Tokyo, Japan, clearly doesn't have such convenient facilities.

Firstly, because Japan's public security is not as "colorful" as America's.

Secondly, because Tokyo has a more convenient disposal method.

The Tokyo Bay, capable of submerging nuclear wastewater and warships, surely a car would be a simple matter to toss in?

After finding an unmanned corner around Tokyo Bay, Uesugi Kazuki meticulously wiped down the car's interior.

He put the car in neutral, released the handbrake, rolled down all the windows, opened the trunk, and simply pushed it into Tokyo Bay.

Watching the black luxury sedan slowly sink to the seabed like a submerged battleship, Uesugi Kazuki, feeling a bit uncomfortable from the night's sea breeze, sniffed.

He rubbed his hands together, looking at the prompts that appeared before him:

[Akichi Aya Favorability +80]

[Akichi Kiko Favorability +90]

(He is going to be a motherfucker soon.)

And [Life Achievement Triggered: First Major Environmental Pollution]

[Carelessly discarded plastic bottles always return to you in ways you least expect, or rather... into your body.]

[Reward: Chemistry +1]

[Stamina +1]

Uesugi Kazuki, who finally knew Akichi Aya's mother's name, suddenly remembered a small problem.

That is, after sinking the car, how was he supposed to get home?

After a brief thought, Uesugi Kazuki made an instinctive reaction that all humans have when faced with difficulty.

"Moshi moshi, Mom? It's Kazuki, I'm at... achoo! ***** Street, can you come pick me up?"

Before Uesugi Kazuki was completely numbed by the night's sea breeze at that public phone booth, Uesugi Riko, like a peerless hero, drove up in her white, red-badged Honda mini-car.

After Uesugi Kazuki got into the car, Uesugi Riko looked at him, rubbing his hands in front of the air conditioning vent, looking as if he had just returned from Stalingrad in January 1943, and asked,

"Kazuki-kun, can you tell me why you're here at this hour and need me to pick you up?"

After rubbing his hands, Uesugi Kazuki turned to look at Uesugi Riko, who was looking at him seriously.

"Mom, it's like this: a classmate of mine had a mother who joined a cult, so I went to rescue them, and then I burned a cult leader to death. Since I drove their car away when I left, I drove it here and pushed it into Tokyo Bay."

Uesugi Riko stared into Uesugi Kazuki's eyes for a moment, then sighed and started the car.

"If you don't want to tell me, you can just say you don't want to. I know you have little secrets; I just want to make sure you're safe."

"No, I'm telling the truth."

Hearing Uesugi Riko's words, Uesugi Kazuki felt insulted.

I went in and out of that cult hideout, fighting seven rounds, without even blinking. How can you not believe me?

"Alright, alright... So you burned down a cult hideout and drove away their car. Well then, Uesugi Kazuki, great hero, did you have dinner tonight? And where's your school uniform jacket?"

Uesugi Riko didn't feel displeased that Uesugi Kazuki was hiding something from her.

After all, she was just his stepmother, and their relationship was somewhat awkward after his last confession.

So, Uesugi Riko didn't want to press too much. Her face was simply plastered with an expression of "I believe you, I truly believe you," and she casually responded in a tone that could fool a three-year-old.

"Didn't I just go to the cult hideout... so..."

"So you lost it?"

"No, the female classmate was wearing too little, so I lent her my jacket. I forgot to take it back after dropping her off."

Hearing this, Uesugi Riko's eyes lit up.

Although instinctively, she felt that this guy, who had just confessed to her two days ago, was now messing around with another female classmate in the middle of the night, he must be a complete scoundrel.

But if he had shifted his target, didn't that mean they could return to a normal mother-son relationship?

Suppressing her small excitement, Uesugi Riko said to Uesugi Kazuki in a tone that suggested no one understood women better than her,

"That's probably the only true thing you've said... If you two get into a relationship, remember to bring her back for me to see. I'll know if she's a bad woman just by looking."

"No... Mom, believe me!"

"Right, right, I believe you... I believe you, alright? Tell me about that female classmate of yours. What's her name, where does she live, what does she look like?"

Facing Uesugi Riko, whose face was screaming "I believe you," Uesugi Kazuki wisely chose to remain silent.

The next morning, as usual, Uesugi Kazuki brought his bento to school.

However, unlike usual, today Uesugi Kazuki not only didn't see Akichi Aya in the classroom but also didn't see Tojima Masako, who would usually sneak attack him.

What a peaceful morning. Since that's the case, should he just put his head down and sleep a little more?

Napping again was the most comfortable.

But as Uesugi Kazuki put his head down on the desk, he remembered something.

Damn it, I was busy outside until late last night, so I didn't do my homework.

And now Akichi Aya wasn't here, so Uesugi Kazuki was on his own.

However, even when Akichi Aya entered the classroom at the last possible moment, just before the school bell rang, Uesugi Kazuki still hadn't finished his homework.

So, without surprise, Uesugi Kazuki, who hadn't submitted his homework, was kicked out of the classroom by the teacher to stand in the hallway with a bucket.

Akichi Aya, who also hadn't submitted her homework, naturally couldn't escape either.

She was made to stand beside Uesugi Kazuki, balancing three books on her head.

The two, punished to stand outside the classroom door, exchanged glances, and a smile appeared on both their faces.

Akichi Aya, with three books on her head, remembered the completed homework in her backpack, and her smile grew even brighter.

Just as Uesugi Kazuki and Akichi Aya stood at the classroom door, their faces displaying smiles that would make the head of student affairs want to call the police,

In front of the Happiness Mansion, where a small disturbance had occurred last night, it was now surrounded by police.

Several police officers held up their hands, repeatedly telling the reporters, who were practically shoving microphones into their mouths and camera into the villa behind them,

"This is a police controlled area. Please do not cross the cordon."

As these reporters incessantly buzzed, questioning the police,

A red Mazda MX-5 convertible sports car stopped behind the crowd.

As the car door opened, a woman, wearing the Metropolitan Police Department's summer uniform, unusually tall for a normal person, looking more like a basketball or volleyball player than a police officer, stepped out of the car.

Such a tall woman driving such a small two-seater sports car gave off a strange feeling, like Lu Bu riding a donkey.

After this woman appeared, the reporters' eyes immediately lit up, and they surged towards her like a cavalry charge.

"Inspector Minato! Are you in charge of this case?"

"Inspector Minato! Can you reveal any details about the case?"

"Inspector Minato! Just say something!"

Watching the reporters surround the tall woman, a young police officer standing behind the cordon somewhat surprised, asked the older police officer beside him, whose temples had already turned white,

"Senior, who is that female giant...? Why is she so popular with reporters?"

"What female giant! Don't talk nonsense!"

The old police officer reprimanded the young officer, then looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he whispered to the young officer,

"That woman's name is Minato Aya. She's known as the '100% Case-Solving Witch'!"