"Fine, then we'll give you the reason," the lead officer said, crossing his arms with a look of pure arrogance. "Yesterday at seven o'clock in the evening, were you passing through the community park near the boxing gym?"
"Yes, I was," Matsuda Jotaro nodded. "That's the only route from the gym to my house. Is there a problem with that?"
"This morning, we found a male corpse in the bushes of that very park," the officer stated flatly. "After an autopsy and ID check, it turns out he was also a boxer. His name was Takeda Yamato."
"I don't know him," Jotaro replied, shaking his head in confusion.
"You don't know him?" The officer let out a derisive snort. "Then why did a witness see you near the park at the exact time the victim died?"
"I just told you, that park is on my way home!" Jotaro's face flushed a violent red, his fists clenching tight. "You can't just decide I'm a murderer because of that! That's absurd!"
"As police officers, we naturally don't jump to conclusions so easily," the lead officer sneered. "We examined the body. The cause of death was a heavy blow to the head—a single, fatal strike. A regular person wouldn't have that kind of power. Only a professional boxer like you could pull that off!"
"I—" Jotaro started to argue.
But the officer ignored him, continuing with his own narrative. "Both of you are boxers, so you must have known each other. Yesterday evening, you ran into him, an argument broke out, and in a fit of rage, you killed him with a single punch! Then, worried about being caught, you dumped the body in the bushes and went home acting like nothing happened!"
"That's a lie!" Jotaro shouted desperately. "I didn't kill anyone… wait!"
A memory suddenly flickered in his mind, and he spoke up quickly. "Yesterday evening, when I passed the park, I saw two men arguing. I didn't want to get involved because I was worried it might affect my focus for today's final, so I just ignored them. If the victim was one of those men, then the murderer must be the other one!"
"Heh." The lead officer gave a thin, mirthless smile. "Why didn't you say that earlier? You only 'happened' to remember after I explained the situation? That sounds like a story you just made up on the spot!"
"I didn't!" Jotaro barked back, his voice a mixture of fury and helplessness.
"My dad isn't a killer! He wouldn't do that!" Matsuda Jinpei, though clearly terrified, stepped forward bravely to shield his father.
The officers, however, were finished with the debate.
At a wave from the lead officer, two men stepped forward. They grabbed Jotaro by the arms, preparing to haul him away.
"I didn't kill anyone! I have a match to fight!" Jotaro struggled, and in the chaos of his twisting body, he accidentally knocked one of the officers to the ground.
"Matsuda Jotaro! You dare assault an officer?!" The lead officer's face darkened as he reached for his holstered handgun.
"I really didn't kill anyone!"
Jotaro quickly pulled his son behind him and raised his hands. His voice was a raw plea. "Officer, please. Even if you have to investigate, let me fight this final first! It starts in less than half an hour. This is my dream. I can't miss this!"
"Hmph. Your word?" the officer said mockingly. "Why should we trust the word of a murderer? Come with us quietly, or don't blame us for being rough!"
The officer who had been knocked down stood up, face twisted in rage as he produced a pair of handcuffs.
Jinpei clung to his father's legs with all his might, trying to keep them from taking him. One of the officers lost his patience. He grabbed Jinpei by the collar, intending to drag the boy away despite his frantic struggling.
"You're going too far! Jinpei is just a child!" Hagiwara Chihaya couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to intervene.
The tall officer gave a rough shove, causing the girl to lose her balance. She stumbled sideways, heading straight for the concrete wall.
"Nee-san!" Hagiwara Kenji screamed in terror.
Just as her head was about to collide with the wall, a long, powerful hand caught her, steadying her instantly.
"Shuichi-niisan?" A breathless Chihaya looked up at the teenager in front of her.
"Are you alright?" Hayashi Shuichi helped her stand firm.
"Why are there so many brats backstage at a boxing match?!" the lead officer barked, glaring at Shuichi before snapping at his subordinates. "Are you all useless? You can't even move a few kids out of the way!"
Urged by their superior, the officers stopped holding back. Their movements became aggressive and crude, and Jinpei began to cry out in pain.
"Wait a moment," Shuichi said, stepping in front of Jinpei.
"Get lost!"
One officer shouted, reaching out to shove Shuichi aside, but Shuichi simply redirected the momentum, pushing the man away with ease.
"Kid, you look like you're at least sixteen," the lead officer said, his voice dripping with menace. "Interfere again and we'll haul you in as an accomplice to a murderer. Think carefully about your future."
"Are you sure you want to haul me in?" Shuichi smiled, though there was no warmth in it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his identification as a consultant for the First Investigation Division, holding it right in front of the man's face.
The officer took it, looking confused. "Division One... Investigative Consultant, Hayashi Shuichi... Since when does the MPD have members this young? This ID must be a fake."
"Whether it's fake or not, why don't you make a phone call and find out?" Shuichi replied flatly.
"Inspector, I think he really is from the MPD," one subordinate whispered, leaning toward the lead officer. "I've seen him on TV before."
"I recognize him too," another officer added. "He's that high school detective who's been making a name for himself in Beika recently."
"You're really with the First Investigation Division?" The inspector's brow furrowed.
"Like I said, if you don't believe me, call them," Shuichi said with a faint smile. "Management Officer Odagiri, Inspector Samezaki, or any of the other officers can vouch for me."
"Even if you are a consultant for Division One," the inspector said, his voice hardening, "this case falls under the jurisdiction of the Bunkyo Precinct. By what right are you obstructing us?"
"I'm not obstructing anything. I'm simply offering a reminder," Shuichi said, taking his ID back and slipping it into his pocket. "Your current behavior doesn't exactly follow proper arrest procedures."
"Since you claim Mr. Matsuda is a murder suspect and intend to restrain him with handcuffs, please... produce the arrest warrant."
Shuichi's eyes turned cold. "Because otherwise, Inspector... the only ones breaking the law here would be you."
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