章節 10: For Great Justice
The next day came.
Shugo woke up with a headache at a little past 11:30 AM, having opted not to go to class for the day.
'I suppose I don't look too bad for having encountered two near-death experiences in as many nights.'
His reflection told him as much when he checked himself in the mirror. He lifted up the olive green RCPD shirt Chief Ryoma had given him last night – both as a replacement for the bloody shirt he'd given them as evidence, and as a thank-you for helping free Taro from his captors – and found no evidence of the dozen or two gunshots he'd taken over the past two nights. Likewise, his right forearm bore no sign whatsoever of having nearly been severed the night before, nor was it giving him so much as a twinge of pain. Outwardly, all the physical and visual evidence indicated that Shugo was no different from other young men his age.
Of course, he thought as he laid back down in bed, that didn't mean he was all good. Between the headache he woke up with, and his overall physical and mental exhaustion from last night's events, he simply wasn't feeling like himself. He didn't have any meaningful plans or prior commitments, and seeing as they didn't have any tests or project deadlines set for the day, it was hardly surprising that Shugo simply didn't feel like going to school.
'Besides, I think I've earned the day off.'
His grades were respectable enough, so Shugo doubted his classmates or teachers would hold his absence against him. Kaito would just have to make do without their usual noontime banter, and even then, it wasn't as though he couldn't meet his best friend once classes ended for the day. While the kids he and his fellow Peer Counselors would likely ask questions, he'd just have to make it up to them next week somehow. Even then, he made a point of informing their club moderator via text that he was feeling under the weather that day.
Fortunately – though not surprisingly – their moderator was very understanding.
'No problem. Rest up.'
Shugo didn't need to be told, either. He had every intention of maximizing his downtime, as evidenced by the small library's worth of films and TV series he had on hand to binge watch later that afternoon and possibly even well into the night. 'Among other things, I'll finally get to see whether Arnold and Helga got their happy ending.'
Alternatively, thought Shugo, it might also do him good to catch up on lost sleep. He knew how crucial rest was for people engaging in strenuous physical activities, and it was safe to assume that punishing and exacting vengeance on miscreants and evildoers on a regular basis was right up there as far as those activities went. Besides, he thought, he'd likely be spending much more time out and about past midnight from now on if the past two nights in a row were any indication.
'Whatever happens, happens.'
'I'll just have to deal with it when it does.'
Indeed he would, because he had no other choice. The second life given to him had a price, and the spirit had been very clear about just what would happen if he failed to do his part. And while she hadn't been nearly as descriptive about exactly how his life would be forfeit, Shugo felt he had a pretty good idea nonetheless. After all, thought Shugo, if the spirit bonded to him had empowered him to inflict psychological torment on his targets on top of boosting his physical abilities to unnatural levels, it wasn't hard to imagine just what the price of failure would be.
'No point worrying about it right now, I guess.'
With that, Shugo put those thoughts from his mind in favor of getting the rest and relaxation he sorely needed. He could afford to worry about his duties another time; right now, the best thing for him to do was to take advantage of his unexpected day off. As it was, he'd made absolutely sure he had no errands or duties to attend to that day-
'…Looking for me already, Kaito?'
Shugo looked up as the notification tone sounded from his smartphone.
And when he checked it…
'Sender: Ashihara Riku'
'Date/Time: 04/23/15 11:47'
'Come by the RCPD after lunch.'
After reading the text message, Shugo let out a sigh of resignation.
'So much for my day off.'
In all fairness, reflected Shugo as he put on a fresh pair of jeans he picked out from his wardrobe, it wasn't like they hadn't informed him ahead of time. Ryoma and his aide did tell him they'd have to discuss the details of their arrangement, after all, even if they weren't quite as clear as to when their eventual discussion would take place. More importantly, he thought, it was pretty friendly of them to work out a deal with him at all. Considering how many of the superhero stories he'd read and watched had the heroes having to fend off the police almost as much as they did the actual bad guys, he was lucky that the RCPD under Chief Hikawa Ryoma were willing to work something out at all, even more so that they were willing to compensate him for his assistance.
'Guess I shouldn't keep them waiting.'
Shugo stepped out of the house within the next 15 minutes, making sure to lock the door behind him.
And by the time he arrived at the police headquarters, the clock on his smartphone read 12:51 PM.
"Hi there, I'm Furukawa Shugo," he greeted the pair of cops on guard duty when they inquired his name. "I'm here to see Chief Hikawa Ryoma and Detective Ashihara Riku. Could you please give me directions?"
Not that Shugo needed it, of course. He remembered the way to the chief's office, and if anything, the station was better-lit and easier to navigate in the daytime than it was past midnight. All in all, it took no more than 10 minutes for him to get there.
"Good afternoon, Shugo," the man himself greeted the teen as he opened the door.
The agenda was fairly straightforward. After Ryoma thanked Shugo a second time for helping them get his son back, he proceeded to discuss the rules of engagement they expected him to follow as part of their deal – and on what he could expect out of it.
"Since you'll be working with us on this, it'll be our job to make sure you and your partner don't get too carried away hunting criminals 'for great justice'," said the longtime lawman, with a wry emphasis on the last three words. "In other words, you'll be responsible for keeping her under control and keeping the body count to a minimum."
"We won't ask you to take unnecessary risks," Riku explained. "But if at all possible, you're not to kill unless it's to defend yourself or someone else. It'd be bad for all of us if people got the wrong idea about the RCPD, after all."
Which was fair, thought Shugo. He understood that the RCPD, and most if not all police forces in general, were all about serving and protecting the people, and it'd be a bad look for them for an excess of bodies to be dropping on the streets. And since he'd be working with them from now on, it made sense for them to hold him to the same standard. If nothing else, it helped that his spirit had already made clear that she wasn't so much out for blood as she was for the fear, terror, and suffering of the wicked.
After around a minute or so, during which Shugo processed what was explained to him, Ryoma went on.
"Second, we'll discuss your compensation. For petty criminals, maybe 150,000 yen per head will do?" suggested the chief, before pausing for a moment. "Of course, that assumes you bring them in alive, otherwise it'll be half that much. For high-value targets, it'll have to depend on just who and what you're up against."
"We can't always guarantee you'll get paid immediately, especially if you two go after someone without a prior record," added Riku. "But rest assured, we'll think of something."
Shugo shrugged his shoulders. As it was, what the chief and his aide were offering was more than he anticipated. He expected them to assure him they'd tolerate his activities, but the idea of being paid for it was something else entirely.
"And then there's one last thing," continued Riku, only to trail off when Shugo raised his hand as though he were a student asking a question in class.
"Wait a second," he wondered aloud. "How will you guys even know to find me when I'm out doing my thing? You're not putting a tracker on me, are you?"
Both Ryoma and Riku laughed.
"I was just getting to that," the aide assured as he briefly held his palms up in a placating gesture. "Why don't you click the URL I sent you via text?"
Shugo obeyed. He pressed the link, which caused his smartphone to download what appeared to be an installer for some sort of app, which went on to run and install automatically once it finished downloading.
"The app's set up so it can't be triggered by accident, so you can use it to alert us if needed," Riku elaborated. "The only other users are the Chief and myself, so you won't have to worry about any trouble, Shugo. Just make sure the guys we send don't find you there, or it could be awkward."
Shugo understood. While he personally hoped to keep this arrangement secret, he nevertheless realized that doing so would be a tricky proposition.
"That's it for now," Ryoma prompted after a few seconds' pause. "If you've got questions, now's the time to ask."
Shugo took a few moments to ponder what they'd discussed. While he'd probably have to wait and see how things played out from here, the ground rules were mostly clear as far as he understood them. 'We'll just have to see where this goes, I suppose.'
"No, nothing, sir," he finally said a minute later as he rose from his seat. "Thanks for having me, chief."
With that, Furukawa Shugo turned to leave…
"Shugo?"
…Only to stop and briefly turn back when Ryoma called to him just as he was about to open the door.
"Sir?"
"Watch yourself out there," the older man cautioned him in a paternal tone. "Supernatural powers or not, don't go biting off more than you can chew."
"Understood, sir," acknowledged Shugo with a nod, before turning on his heel and making his exit.
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