My Boss, A Clear And Perfect Beauty Who's An Elite Police Bureaucrat, Turns Out To Be My Sweet And Doting Childhood Friend Who Loves Me Dearly At Home. - Chapter 0

Chapter 1: Reunion with a Childhood Friend

Episode 1: Being teased by a cheeky teenage junior female police officer

Life is determined by chance.

Harabashi Shinichi , who has only lived for 26 years, thinks that’s true since he started working.

He never thought he’d become a police officer. And there was another unexpected thing that happened.

“Shinichi… mmm, mumble mumble, I can’t eat anymore…”

On the sofa, a beautiful woman is sleeping, muttering indecent sleep talk. Although she’s in her mid-20s, she has a lovely and youthful expression, hardly different from a high school girl.

However, her style is outstanding, and the T-shirt she wears as loungewear clearly showcases her beautiful body lines.

(I’m in trouble…)

Shinichi holds his head.

The woman in front of him seems to intend to become Shinichi’s roommate. It’s room-sharing, but the other party is not an ordinary acquaintance.

She is Shinichi’s boss, who is the same age as him.

Akinaga Maho , the supervisor of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Her rank is Superintendent.

She is an elite career police bureaucrat and a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law.

She is a candidate for the future Commissioner of the National Police Agency.

And there’s something even more troublesome.

Maho is… Shinichi’s childhood friend.

☆

Shinichi became a police officer after graduating from a university in Tokyo.

He didn’t have a strong attachment to being a police officer.

Shinichi loved history and enrolled in the Department of History at the Faculty of Literature. He really wanted to be a Japanese history researcher at the university, but he learned that it’s not easy and gave up early.

Finishing a doctoral program at a graduate school would take until his late twenties, and even for a graduate of the University of Tokyo, it seems that becoming a full-time faculty member would take until his forties.

He didn’t fit in well at the university and barely went to the research lab.

He had an aspiration to become a novelist, so he submitted his work to new writer’s awards. However, he barely made it past the first round of judging.

So he went through regular job hunting, but even though it was a decent private university, job hunting with no skills as a literature graduate was quite difficult.

His job applications to publishing and gaming companies, where he had an interest in working, all failed.

He had no interest in banks or manufacturers, so he failed to secure positions there as well.

His entry sheets were barely looked at, and he continued to be rejected in interviews.

He was even told, “You’re not suited for being a salaryman,” and his spirit was completely broken.

It seemed that there was no bright future ahead for him, even if he became a job-hunting ronin.

That’s when he saw the secondary recruitment for police officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

He suddenly recalled that when he was a second-year university student, his bicycle was stolen. When it was found, he remembered having a casual conversation with a police inspector from the same university at the police station that contacted him.

“Being a detective is a tough job, with low pay and constant encounters with good-for-nothing people, but the sense of accomplishment is overflowing. Why don’t you give it a try?”

At that time, he had no intention of becoming a police officer.

However, now… he thought it might not be a bad idea. It’s a public servant position, and the employment rate is much lower.

The salary is stable, and there’s a sense of accomplishment (maybe).

So, Shinichi took the police officer recruitment exam. He passed with ease and was appointed as a patrol officer of the Metropolitan Police Department in April the following year.

Many of his peers dropped out during their time at the police academy, but Shinichi graduated with good grades. He was able to handle his duties at the police box smoothly.

Even though he was told he was not suited for being a salaryman, it seemed that Shinichi was a reasonably excellent police officer.

Then, he was recommended to become a detective by the station chief, and after completing the necessary training, he was transferred to the Oshiage Police Station Criminal Investigation Division’s Crime Squad.

He was promoted to the rank of sergeant, and everything had been going smoothly.

However, he felt somewhat empty. He was here by chance.

He couldn’t become what he wanted to be.

During high school, his childhood friend who he had a falling out with told him, “Shinichi, you have nothing.”

(That’s right. I have nothing…)

He didn’t have any passion or ideals for being a police officer. He got a job because of the phrase “there’s a sense of accomplishment,” but in reality, as long as he could move up the ranks moderately and receive a stable salary, that would be enough.

One day in December, while thinking about such things and working at his desk in the police station, he was approached from behind.

“Harabashi-senpai♪ Let’s go for lunch~!”

It was a bright, bouncing soprano voice from a young woman.

When Shinichi turned around, a petite woman was giggling.

It was unusual for a police officer to have her short hair dyed a bright brown.

She was dressed in a stylish suit but looked almost like a young girl.

Her expression was that of a playful child, and Shinichi thought,

“She’s so young.”

In fact, she was only 18 years old.

Her name was Azusa Kana, a police officer. She was not a detective but an administrative staff member of the Criminal Investigation Division. She sat next to Shinichi.

It was customary for rookie female police officers to be assigned to administrative duties in the criminal investigation division of a police station.

Shinichi looked up at the wall clock on the floor. It was 12 o’clock. It was about time for lunch break, but…

“Sorry, Azusa-san. I have some work that I need to finish up right away…”

“Eh, didn’t you say you had time today?”

“That’s what I thought, but…”

Among police officers, detectives tend to be quite busy. They have to deal with an endless stream of incident reports and a massive amount of paperwork.

There are many times when they only have enough time to eat a single rice ball for lunch.

“I promised to treat you!”

Kana pouted childishly.

Hahaha, Shinichi laughed. He seemed to remember making such a promise.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

When Kana mentioned the name of a high-class café and begged Shinichi to take her there for cake, he smiled wryly and nodded. Kana struck a victory pose, exclaiming, “Yay!”

“You promise, right? Se-n-pa-i?”

“Yes, yes.”

“I can’t help it, so I’ll help you.”

“Thank you. But don’t push yourself, Azusa-san. Go ahead and have lunch.”

“It’s for my senpai.”

Kana giggled.

It seemed that she was willing to give up her lunch break to help. One way or another, Kana was a thoughtful and hardworking newcomer.

I was quite grateful.

When Kana went to the copier and disappeared, the section chief sitting next to him spoke to Shinichi.

“Harabashi-kun, Azusa-san seems to be quite attached to you.”

With a relaxed expression, the section chief sipped green tea from his teacup.

He was a man in his forties and had a much gentler nature than most people in the Criminal Investigation Division.

It was a relief to have a direct boss like him.

However, Shinichi could not quite agree with the section chief’s statement.

“Is that so? I’m sorry, but I feel like she’s just teasing me…”

“She wouldn’t show such a happy expression to someone she’s not attached to, would she? Azusa-san is like a loyal dog wagging its tail, madly in love with its master.”

The section chief used a strange analogy. Before Shinichi could respond, Kana returned to her seat.

“What were you two talking about?”

At Kana’s question, the section chief smiled and said,

“Harabashi-kun was talking about you.”

It was the section chief who had started the conversation, and as Shinichi looked at him, the section chief winked.

He seemed to have deliberately given Kana the wrong impression.

Kana’s eyes sparkled.

“Senpai was talking about me!?”

“Well, it wasn’t a big deal…”

“I’m curious! Was it about me being cute or something?”

“There’s no way I’d be talking about that at work…”

“So, if it’s not at work, will you say I’m cute?”

Kana giggled. She was indeed a beautiful girl, quite an attractive person.

However, since she was childish, it might be better to call her a beautiful young girl.

It’s only natural since she was a high school girl not too long ago.

As Shinichi was wondering how to respond, an announcement came over the station’s broadcast system, and the emergency bell rang in a shrill tone.

“An incoming call from the Metropolitan Police Department, an incoming call from the Metropolitan Police Department.

It appears that a robbery has occurred at a building in front of Minami Oshiage Station in Sumida Ward, within the jurisdiction. I repeat, within the jurisdiction…”

Shinichi and the section chief exchanged glances, then hurriedly stood up. Minami Oshiage Station was within the jurisdiction of Oshiage Police Station, which meant it was their area of responsibility.