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 6

Shinichi Was Cool!

In the end, the case was resolved smoothly.

The arrest of the suspects also progressed smoothly. One suspect still hadn’t been caught, but it seemed that the investigation headquarters at the main station had downsized.

Even when she appeared at the Sumida Station, Maho had been efficiently commanding the situation.

Among her peers who joined the police force at the same time, she was expected to advance in her career.

Her success was perfect for the country’s policy of promoting women.

On the other hand, there was a problem with Shinichi’s room share.

The other police officer had suddenly become unavailable.

The room they were planning to rent was based on both of them living there, leaving Shinichi at a loss.

One night, Shinichi was walking near the outskirts of Akihabara, near the singles dormitory.

His work had gone on late, delaying his return home.

His wristwatch indicated it was 23:30.

(I’m tired…)

As Shinichi staggered along the dark street, he heard a woman’s moan.

“Hmm, mmm”

Looking over, he saw two men pressing a woman against a block wall on the side of the road. The woman’s mouth had been covered, and it seemed her coat had been stolen as one of the men was touching her chest over her suit jacket.

It was obviously a scene of assault. He couldn’t just ignore it.

That’s when the woman managed to resist, and the man’s hand slipped from her mouth.

“Stop it! I’m a police officer!”

Shinichi was startled. He recognized that voice.

The woman being attacked was Maho.

The men laughed at Maho’s words.

“Like there’s a cute cop like her.”

“I’m really a police–”

“Even if you are, who’s gonna know once we take you away?”

Maho let out a short, feminine scream. She looked afraid, shaking. The confident, elite Maho was nowhere to be seen; s

he just looked like a vulnerable woman.

Anger flared up inside Shinichi.

Though he and Maho had become estranged, she was still his childhood friend and a colleague at work.

Moreover… he remembered the time when he couldn’t save Maho’s sister, Rikako.

Rikako had also been attacked by men during her abduction.

This time, it wouldn’t be the same.

Shinichi took a step forward.

“What do you want!?”

“I’m a cop.”

Shinichi showed his badge. Even if the men tried to use force, Shinichi was confident he could handle them.

He was a trained detective, and his grades in martial arts at the police academy weren’t bad.

However, the men seemed taken aback and immediately ran away.

It seemed they could attack a seemingly weak young woman, but they couldn’t stand up to a male detective.

Shinichi chased after the men but lost sight of them around a corner when they left the main street. They had disappeared into the crowd.

He wondered if he should have pursued them further.

Probably not. The chances of finding them if he chased them alone were low.

Besides, he was worried about Maho.

He decided to return to Maho first.

Maho was sitting down on the road.

“Are you okay?”

When Shinichi reached out his hand, Maho gently took it and staggered to her feet.

Shinichi picked up Maho’s coat and handed it to her.

“Are you hurt?”

“Just a bit… They touched my chest, but they didn’t do anything else.”

“Really?”

“Really! Do you wish they did something else!?”

“I was just worried!”

Feeling unjustly accused, Shinichi spoke more forcefully, causing Maho to flinch.

“I’m sorry. You’re right.”

“No, I’m sorry too. I was insensitive.”

“No…”

The atmosphere became awkward.

(It’s not like the old times…)

“We need to file a report.”

“They got away?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault…”

Anyway, Shinichi took Maho to a nearby police box.

It was under the jurisdiction of another station, and even if he was carrying a police badge, a detective on his way home is just a civilian.

They explained the situation at the nearby police box.

The male uniformed officer at the small police box was taken aback when he learned that Shinichi was a detective and Maho was a career-track police bureaucrat.

They filed a report, but the investigation wouldn’t start immediately.

At most, the alert level in the area would be increased based on the information from the police station.

If no suspicious people were found, it’s often the case that the identification of the perpetrators in this kind of crime relies heavily on surveillance cameras.

Maho had a stern expression the entire time, looking downcast.

She might be feeling humiliated because she was attacked by men despite being a police officer.

Shinichi was worried about Maho like that. Maho had always been the type to brood over things since they were young.

After being released from the police box, Shinichi asked Maho in a low voice.

“Your house is nearby, right? Should I walk you home?”

“I can’t let you do that…”

“Your pride won’t allow it?”

“It’s not that, I would just feel bad…”

“Protecting a superior officer is a duty as a police officer.”

When Shinichi said that with a smile, Maho’s eyes widened.

All 300,000 police officers nationwide are bound by a strong bond. The term “police family” represents that.

For Shinichi, Maho was not only a childhood friend but also a fellow police officer.

If she went home alone, she might encounter the same danger again.

He couldn’t just leave a fellow officer potentially in danger.

Especially when he saw the faint traces of tears in Maho’s beautiful eyes.

“Ah, right. If you don’t want me to know where you live, we can part ways nearby.”

Shinichi said, considering her feelings.

It’s natural for a woman not to want a male colleague to know where she lives, and he might have lacked consideration.

At his words, Maho shook her head and made a slightly sullen face.

“I’m not that heartless. It’s not like I don’t trust someone who helped me and is willing to walk me home. I just… I didn’t say it earlier, but thank you for helping me, Shinichi.”

Maho said, looking a bit embarrassed. Hearing her call him by his first name gave Shinichi a strange feeling.

It was like they had returned to being the childhood friends they used to be.

Shinichi smiled.

“You’re welcome.”

Maho relaxed, and her cheeks softened.

“Shinichi, you were cool.”

“Really?”

“Really. I thought you’ve become strong.”

The two naturally started walking side by side.