Most frontline officers smoke to cope with the stress. The two assigned to the Watarase Itsuki case were chain-smokers of the highest order.
They were standing outside the patrol car, puffing away, when strange rhythmic thuds started coming from inside the vehicle.
The car was rocking.
Both men blinked, looked at each other, then looked back at the car.
…Huh. Weird.
For some reason, neither felt the slightest urge to investigate. They just kept smoking.
Cigarette butts piled up at their feet.
While they smoked, the distraught mother who had reported her son missing was being absolutely railed in the back seat.
The rocking grew violent. The car leapt once, hard, then settled.
"Jesus, I thought it was gonna flip!" one officer laughed, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.
The other squinted.
The rear door opened. Watarase Otoha stumbled out, one hand braced against the car, the other clutching her stomach as she bent over and vomited thick ropes of pearly fluid onto the asphalt.
"You okay, ma'am? Carsick?" the first officer asked, genuinely concerned.
Otoha seriously questioned the IQ of these two clowns, waved them off, and kept retching.
Ten seconds later she straightened, pale and trembling.
"Kids these days… all that stamina?" she muttered under her breath, half in disbelief.
"Ma'am, your stockings…" the second officer pointed out, head tilted.
Her coffee-colored pantyhose were shredded. The crotch was completely torn open, revealing smooth, pale thighs now streaked with glistening trails.
"It's… nothing," Otoha panted, legs shaking like a newborn foal's.
That was when Suze stepped out of the back seat.
Otoha instinctively reached for him to steady herself. She realized how intimate it looked and tried to pull away, only for Suze to slide an arm around her slender waist and pull her close.
A shy flush crawled up her neck. Her body went deliciously weak against him.
Back in the car, she'd clung to him for dear life; otherwise she would've been thrown clear. And there was something magnetic about him, something that made her want to submit, like a lioness recognizing the only male worthy of the pride. The instinct was written into her DNA.
But she was an educated woman. She could control those urges, as long as he didn't press too close…
Suze turned his glowing eyes on the officers and smiled.
"Given the circumstances, the probability that Watarase Itsuki disappeared voluntarily is extremely high. There's no need for the department to continue the investigation."
"I'll take care of the family side. They won't be filing any more reports."
"Now, could you kindly give us a ride to the Watarase residence?"
The officers beamed. Less paperwork? Hell yes.
A runaway was a thousand times better for their record than a murder.
They'd been praying the case would go this direction anyway; only the family's constant pressure had kept it open. They wouldn't even have been staking out Suze this late if the mother hadn't been blowing up their phones.
The three climbed back in. One officer noticed the dashboard camera was cracked and dead.
"Huh. Camera's busted."
"Forget it. Let's drop them off and clock out," the driver barked, flooring the accelerator.
Halfway there, Otoha finally recovered enough to whisper fiercely, "Why are we going to my house? Tell me where Itsuki is right now!"
Suze sat a polite distance away. Between them, the middle seat cushion was soaked in a dark, spreading shadow.
An untended field of more than ten years, yet somehow drenched beyond belief.
And with Otoha's voluptuous figure? It had never been a barren field to begin with.
"I need to understand Itsuki's home environment," Suze answered smoothly. "That's the fastest way to pinpoint his location. By tomorrow at the latest, I'll know exactly where he is."
Translation: someone else's beloved car he was going to stand up and pedal himself.
One night was more than enough to conquer the Watarase mother-and-daughters trio.
"Fine. You promised," Otoha said, staring into his eyes.
She had no choice but to trust him now.
The sunk cost was far too high. If he suddenly shrugged and said "Beats me," she would shatter.
After that, the car fell silent.
…
"Please don't mention Itsuki in front of the girls. They'll worry," Otoha murmured just before opening the front door.
Suze nodded.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Mom, you're back!" A beautiful girl with long crimson hair came running, eyes sparkling like blue pools.
"Kaede," Otoha greeted, forcing a smile.
Watarase Kaede's gaze landed on Suze. Her young heart gave an inexplicable flutter.
"Who's this? Any news about Onii-chan?"
"This is Itsuki's friend. He'll be staying with us tonight." Otoha clenched her fist behind her back, then flashed a bright, confident grin. "We have a solid lead! Itsuki's fine, he just needed some space and decided to prank us a little. He'll be home soon!"
Kaede scratched her head, sensing something off. "Why would Onii-chan need space…?"
Otoha fell silent.
Seeing her mother's expression, Kaede understood immediately. Her eyes dimmed.
"Is Dad home yet?" Otoha quickly changed the subject.
"Nope, still out socializing," Kaede said cutely, shaking her head. Her gaze drifted back to Suze.
He rewarded her with a gentle smile.
The girl's cheeks instantly burned scarlet. She whipped her head away in a panic.
Otoha exhaled in relief that Kaede didn't press further. She laughed loudly as she led the way to the living room.
"Haha, I can already smell dinner! Shisa must have started cooking."
"Suze-kun, come sit down and eat with us!"
"My daughter's cooking is amazing."
In just a few sentences, she turned the atmosphere warm and lively again.
What a perfect mother.
Honestly, Suze admired that skill.
His growing family lacked exactly this kind of mature, organizing presence, someone capable of smoothing over egos and enduring his personality without breaking.
Kurashiki Reika, Daimon Naoko—they were brilliant, but their pride was just as strong. Give it time and friction would ignite. He didn't want to keep solving every argument with raw dominance.
Otoha disappeared into the kitchen to help her eldest daughter, leaving Suze and Kaede alone at the dining table.
"Hey," Kaede said, resting her chin on her palms, eyes shining with curiosity. "How do you know my brother?"
She was already half-drowning in Suze's looks.
Modern society had no shortage of pretty boys and idols.
But someone this handsome? This heroically elegant?
She'd never seen anything like it in real life.
Suze's charm was a walking aphrodisiac, especially lethal to an inexperienced girl like Kaede.
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