Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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Sunday, April 25
It had been nearly a month since he became a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. A day off meant he should relax properly. He had originally planned to invite Hiro and the others out to an izakaya, but when he was finally free, they were all busy with their own duties.
Especially Jinpei and Kenji, they had been assigned to Kanagawa Prefecture for bomb disposal training and wouldn't be back until next month.
Waking up naturally in the afternoon with nothing to do, Ritsu went downstairs to a nearby convenience store and bought a fried chicken bento. From the refrigerator, he grabbed his all-time go-to drink—Calpis.
Sitting on the sofa watching the replay of the morning news, Ritsu took small bites of his meal and unexpectedly came across a report about Wataru. His performance at his assigned police station was excellent. At this rate, he'd probably join the First Investigation Division in about half a year.
After eating until he was about seventy percent full, he took a few books on psychology from the study shelf. Knowledge was something one could never fully exhaust, and Ritsu had the habit of using his free time to expand his understanding. Sooner or later, it would prove useful.
20:29
The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang. It displayed an unfamiliar number, and judging from the area code, it was from Nagano Prefecture.
In Nagano, the only person he could somewhat consider an acquaintance… was Hiro's older brother, Morofushi Taka'aki. Could it be him calling?
With that thought, Ritsu answered, puzzled. But the voice on the other end sounded familiar in a different way, he could tell the speaker was at least thirty-five years old… and it wasn't Taka'aki.
"Is this Sasajima Ritsu?"
"…Who are you?"
Hearing the caution in his tone, the man let out a dry chuckle before replying, "I'm from the National Police Agency. However, due to certain circumstances, I can't disclose my specific identity."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"1-32 Beika Town. My man will be waiting for you there."
The call ended abruptly.
Ritsu couldn't determine the caller's intentions. It didn't sound like a scam, there was no mention of money. It seemed he would have to make a trip to Beika Town himself.
Instead of driving, he chose to take a taxi. After giving the address to the driver, he arrived at 1-32 Beika Town after nearly half an hour. However, he didn't get out immediately. He asked the driver to circle the area once more.
A man in his forties, with tea-colored hair and wearing a brown suit jacket, checked his watch from time to time while reporting something into a walkie-talkie… That must be the contact mentioned on the phone.
"Driver, please stop here."
"Alright."
After paying the fare, Ritsu put on a white mask to conceal his face. Using his counter-surveillance skills, he quietly circled behind the man. Taking advantage of the moment, he pressed a stun gun against the man's back and asked.
"Who are you?"
The man clearly hadn't expected someone to approach him without making a sound. In somewhat awkward Japanese, he replied, "Mr. Sasajima? I'm the one assigned to receive you, Andrew Pettyfer."
His accent was distinctly British. Combined with his tea-colored hair and light green eyes, he was most likely from the UK.
A British man connected to the National Police Agency? That was unusual.
"Show me identification."
Andrew quickly took out his credentials from his jacket pocket and handed them over. It turned out to be identification from MI6.
MI6 and the National Police Agency… It seemed necessary to meet this mysterious figure behind the scenes.
"Take this. Bring me to him."
"Of course, Mr. Sasajima. This way, please."
Under Andrew's guidance, Ritsu entered a high-rise office building at 1-34 Beika Town. The building looked ordinary on the outside, but in reality, it was the pinnacle of Japan's police system, the National Police Agency.
After taking the elevator to the top floor, Andrew stopped and stated that what followed was beyond his scope. He then left.
Ritsu proceeded alone to the fifth room on the left, as instructed. Looking up at the nameplate on the right side of the door, he saw that it was a conference room.
Remaining cautious, he knocked. The same voice from the phone came from inside.
"Come in. And take off your mask, I want to see your face clearly."
Ritsu glanced at the potted plant behind him. There was likely a hidden camera installed inside. Removing his mask, he pushed the door open and entered. Inside, a folding screen stood upright, and behind it was clearly someone at least 185 cm tall, broad-built, and male.
"For now, I can only meet you like this. I'm glad you came, Sasajima-kun." The man behind the screen extended a hand, gesturing toward the documents on the conference table. "Sit down. Let's talk."
After taking a seat, Ritsu noticed that the two files on the table were the police records of Furuya Rei and Morofushi Hiromitsu. He frowned, looked up, and asked coldly.
"What does this mean?"
"I belong to the Security Planning Division. I have access to all police records. These two were carefully selected by me."
The Security Planning Division? A leadership department within the National Police Agency? The person behind the screen clearly held significant authority.
Ritsu tapped the table lightly with his index finger and asked, "Selected… for what purpose?"
"I intend to assign them to an undercover mission within a certain organization. The reason I called you here… is to ask for your opinion."
An undercover mission within an organization. As a police officer, Ritsu fully understood what "undercover" meant, it meant risking one's life at any moment for the sake of the mission. And in the end… your name might not even appear on the list of commendations.
"My opinion?" Ritsu let out a self-deprecating laugh and countered, "I'm just an inspector in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Since when does my opinion influence the higher-ups of the National Police Agency?"
"What if I told you it could?"
His background indeed made him suitable for undercover work. His parents were long deceased, and he had cut ties with the Honjo family, his only blood relatives. His only blemish could certainly be cleared with intervention from the National Police Agency.
A clean background, no family ties, and an outstanding graduate who had set numerous records at the police academy—combined, these made him an ideal candidate.
Understanding the deeper implication of those words, Ritsu lowered his gaze to the files. After a long silence, he asked.
"If I agree… they won't have to go, right?"
"That organization is vast. One public security officer is far from enough. If you're willing to go, one of them can be spared."
Ritsu stared at Hiro's file for a long time before speaking in a low voice.
"Since you say it's a large organization, the danger must be extremely high. His brother is a police officer in Nagano Prefecture, his identity would be harder to manage. Unlike me, with no parents, no family ties… I'm more suitable."
The sound of tea being poured came from behind the screen, accompanied by the faint fragrance of black tea.
At the same time, the man's deep voice followed.
"Heh… that is indeed the best solution. Since you agree, you can leave now. I'll inform Andrew, who will be waiting at the elevator, to hand you the documents. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully…"
"Don't disappoint me, Sasajima."
"…Understood."
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[Author's Note: Congratulations to Sasajima Ritsu for obtaining his first alias: Nanase Toru.]