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 2

Episode 2: Just the two of us

After that, Shinichi and the others returned to the station with the detectives from the headquarters without any significant findings.

(A series of unsolved robberies, huh…)

As he thought about it, when he returned to his seat in the Criminal Investigation Division, Kana greeted him with a smile.

“Welcome back, senpai.”

“T-thank you.”

“It’s like a newlywed couple, isn’t it?”

Kana whispered softly in his ear.

It was difficult to tell if she was teasing or not.

As Shinichi fumbled for words, Kana chuckled.

Then, she told him the room where the investigation meeting would take place.

Kana, who is not a detective, will not participate.

“I hope one day I can work as a detective beside you, senpai.”

“You are excellent, Azusa-san, so I think you’ll become a detective soon.”

“Thank you.”

Kana smiled happily.

Shinichi smiled back and headed to the conference room.

There were seats for the executives next to the screen at the front of the conference room.

Maho was lined up with the station’s executives, such as the station chief and the chief of the Criminal Investigation Division of the station.

In terms of rank, Maho was of the same rank as the station chief.

Maho glanced at Shinichi, but immediately lowered her gaze to the documents.

At least, Shinichi didn’t know that Maho was a police officer.

The two had a close relationship as childhood friends.

They were born in a residential area in Nagoya City and spent their time together from elementary school through high school.

Objectively speaking, I think Maho and Shinichi were on good terms.

Maho was beautiful and had excellent grades, so Shinichi felt a complex, but for some reason, Maho called Shinichi “my most important childhood friend.”

However, after a certain incident led to a quarrel, Maho and Shinichi became completely estranged.

They had not been in contact, so Shinichi had no way of knowing that Maho was a career-track police bureaucrat.

Eventually, all the detectives gathered, and the investigation meeting began smoothly.

Shinichi, a low-ranking detective at the local station, quietly took notes in the back row.

Who would he be paired with from the Criminal Investigation Division’s detectives?

The so-called “territory investigation,” or inquiry investigation around the crime scene, is conducted by pairs of detectives from the local station and the Criminal Investigation Division.

As he thought about it, the meeting ended.

The problem arose later.

As Shinichi remained seated, organizing his notes, someone suddenly tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, you.”

The one who called him in an arrogant manner was a detective in his thirties from the Criminal Investigation Division.

The tall man with a stern face looked down at Shinichi.

Shinichi hurriedly stood up.

“What can I do for you?”

“Superintendent Akinaga is returning to the headquarters, so be her chauffeur.”

Shinichi was taken aback and hesitated. Normally, of course, he would say, “Understood,” but…

The other party was his childhood friend, Maho.

Why, of all people, was it Shinichi? It was customary for a local station detective to act as a chauffeur, but…

“The superintendent specifically requested you. Hurry up.”

Ordered to do so, Shinichi headed to the entrance of the police station.

Maho was waiting at the entrance, which had an inorganic concrete appearance.

She smiled softly.

“Sergeant Harabashi, isn’t it? I look forward to working with you.”

Although she deliberately added his rank when calling him, Shinichi sensed Maho’s intentions.

Maho’s rank may be high, but her subordinates are mostly older or of the same generation.

She is expected to show a polite attitude to her subordinates.

It would be better to keep the fact that they were childhood friends a secret.

“I look forward to working with you as well, Superintendent Akinaga.”

As a salute, Shinichi bowed his head.

By the way, Shinichi, a plainclothes detective, was not wearing a police cap.

Therefore, instead of raising his hand to salute, a normal bow served as a salute.

Maho chuckled and got into the passenger seat of the patrol car.

If she were an ordinary executive, she would sit in the backseat.

She might be trying to appeal as a friendly person.

Or maybe it’s because the other party is Shinichi.

As he remained cautious, Shinichi got into the driver’s seat and closed the door.

As soon as he did, the soft expression on Maho’s face disappeared.

There was a cold beauty in that expression.

“Let’s go.”

“Understood.”

Shinichi started the engine and stepped on the accelerator.

There was a police radio in the patrol car, but no voices were coming through at the moment.

In silence, Shinichi and Maho spent their time together.

“Our relationship must remain absolutely secret, okay?”

“What relationship do you mean, Superintendent Akinaga?”

“Don’t play dumb. We’re childhood friends, right? Besides, when we’re alone, do you deliberately use honorifics and job titles?”

“When we’re on duty, you and I, Superintendent Akinaga, are subordinate and superior. It’s only natural not to speak casually, isn’t it?”

“Are you still angry about the past?”

“There’s no past to be angry about.”

“If that’s the case, just talk normally, normally. … If you don’t mind, that is.”

Maho added anxiously.

When she said that, Shinichi couldn’t help but feel reluctant to continue his curt attitude.

As he stopped at a traffic light, Shinichi said.

“I understand.”

For a moment, Maho’s face lit up brightly. She looked happy.

Noticing Shinichi’s gaze, Maho blushed and coughed.

“Remember, it’s only when we’re alone, okay?”

Maho was supposed to be saying that to Shinichi, but her tone sounded as if she was reminding herself.