[Hayata Saotome Arc 6] All right, hold position

—A few hours earlier, inside the station’s Criminal Investigation Division.

“We don’t have time for that crap. We’ve been dealing with unexplained deaths all day, and the paperwork’s piling up.”

Tadakatsu Shinozuka, head of the Property Crimes Unit, waved his hand firmly as he turned Kaname down.

But Kosuke Kaname wouldn’t back off.

“Come on, just this once!”

“No means no.”

“…Huh.”

Kaname flashed a strange smile.

“What now?”

“That new interpreter, Maria-chan, right? She’s pretty cute, huh.”

Shinozuka’s expression twitched.

“What are you getting at?”

“I saw you two having a friendly little lunch at the cafeteria the other day…”

“Wha—!?”

Grinning, Kaname pressed on.

“And after this, I’m dropping by Traffic. You know, to see Natsumi in General Affairs.”

“Wait, hold on!! Don’t you dare say anything stupid!”

“Eh? What are you talking about? She’s a talkative one, Natsumi-chan…”

Shinozuka’s face went pale in an instant.

“I—It wasn’t like that! Maria—uh, Miss Maria just didn’t know where the cafeteria was, that’s all…!”

“I know, I know. Must be tough, being such a ladies’ man.”

“You bastard…!”

“So, about tonight. You in?”

Shinozuka clenched his jaw in silence, then finally gave in.

“…Fine. Damn it!”

Present time — 11:35 p.m.

In a back alley near the secondhand store.

“I really owe you for this, man.”

Kaname smiled innocently.

“…I’m telling you, there’s nothing going on with the interpreter… damn it.”

Shinozuka muttered under his breath, gripping the steering wheel.

Outside the car, the neon lights of Kabukicho flickered between the buildings.

(All right… Let’s get started.)

Kaname narrowed his eyes slightly.

Kaname and Shinozuka parked the car and slipped into the shadows of the alley.

Though Kabukicho was usually lively at night, this area was oddly quiet—likely due to the lack of nightlife venues nearby.

Shinozuka spoke briefly over the radio.

“Front entrance, secure.”

“Back’s all clear.”

“No windows big enough for someone to fit through.”

“All right, hold position.”

The secondhand store occupied the 4th to 6th floors of a building.

Surrounding the building were 9 detectives from the division, several unmarked vehicles from the mobile investigation unit, and uniformed patrol officers stationed at a distance—all in place, forming a quiet perimeter.

(He grumbles nonstop, but he gets the job done.)

That’s why I can trust him.

“Seriously… A stakeout just because some kid said something?”

Shinozuka grumbled.

“Don’t be like that. Even I think it’s a gamble.”

Kaname shrugged.

But his eyes gleamed sharply.

Still… this is a bet worth making.

In the silence—

Hayata slowly exhaled the breath he had drawn in deep. Then closed his eyes.

With his vision blocked, he felt his inner hearing open up—subtle and wide.

And suddenly, the sounds he thought were beyond the wall… came rushing in.

The wind slipping between buildings,

The low hum of HVAC systems,

Faint vibrations along power lines,

The sound of a distant cat scratching at a plastic bag—

All right… here we go.

He focused on the building where the store was located.

And then—

the “resolution” of sound heightened dramatically.

Every detail took shape, reaching his ears with crisp clarity.

And then—

Clank.

A sharp, metallic noise rang out.

That single sound snapped Hayata’s attention like a trigger.

(…The angle and distance of the echo. Fourth floor—no doubt about it.)

“They’re there—!”

He turned back toward Kaname, his voice low but full of certainty.

“Fourth floor. They went in—left side of the stairs, I think. Three of them!”

Kaname’s breath caught for a moment at Hayata’s wide-eyed declaration.

“Shinozuka!”

“…Are you serious…? Suspects may already be inside the premises.”

Shinozuka immediately relayed the alert via radio.

The two exchanged a brief look—no words needed.

Then, they moved. Quietly, decisively.

In the shadow of the building—

no one would miss the moment their prey made a move.

A cold night wind fluttered the hem of their jackets.

Beneath the glimmering neon,

the night began to stir.