Coffee Meeting

[Tokyo's Metropolitan Police, Morning after typhoon]

The corridors of the building still smelled of wet clothing, vending-machine coffee, and that particular kind of exhaustion that appears when an entire unit has had a worse night than a student before an exam.

Nakamura took off his soaked jacket, hanging it on a metal rack that bent more than it should have. Kisaragi walked behind him, holding a folder of documents as if she herself were to blame for the lack of progress.

Inoue stood by the window, watching the water on the street slowly recede.

He saw the reflections of patrol car lights — blurred, meaningless at this hour.

"Nothing." Tanaka summarized, as if announcing they ran out of rice in the cafeteria.

"Not a trace. Street cameras went dead from the water. Patrols saw nothing. It was quiet at Sekiguchi’s building."

Nakamura rubbed his temples.

"We searched half the district in a storm. It’s like he vanished into the ground."

"Maybe he did," some police officer muttered from the far end of the room. An officer exhausted, someone who no longer had the strength to believe in anything concrete.

Inoue turned away from the window.

"Miyahara is dangerous. But he’s also… weakened. No medication, no food, no real rest after surgery… his chances of surviving the night weren’t high."

Silence fell over the room.

For a moment, the only sound was water dripping from Nakamura’s jacket.

Kisaragi rested the folder on a desk.

Inoue scratched his beard.

"If he left the hospital in that condition, if Sekiguchi just dropped him somewhere and he was actually alone… the typhoon could’ve been the end for him. Hypothermia. Exhaustion. Drowning. Any kind of accident. No documents, no phone. He could’ve been swept away by the current."

Tanaka switched on the electric kettle.

"I remember an operation back in 2015," he muttered. "Victim fell into a river during a typhoon. We found the body six days later, by accident. Nights like this… everything disappears."

A moment of heavy silence settled over the room — thick like steam.

Kisaragi stared out the window with an empty gaze, but inside her mind sparks were flying.

"I’m not assuming he’s dead. We have no data confirming that. And coincidences in this case smell from a mile away. If someone is hiding him, that person is the only reason he’s still alive right now."

"You mean Sekiguchi," Inoue said, almost emotionlessly.

"I don’t mean anyone specific," Kisaragi replied in a cold tone.

"Just… there’s only one missing piece that would let me form a proper model. And if I find it, then we can move at full force again."

Tanaka sighed and gazed at the ceiling "So.. What are we going to do now?"

Nakamura sank into a chair at the conference table with a sigh.

"Until we find a body or a new lead… we switch to standby mode."

He gestured toward a pile of reports.

"Patrols stay on high readiness, but no active search. The city is slowly recovering after the storm…"

Then he looked at all of them.

"We go back to the pre-typhoon workflow. Analysis, reports, waiting for a move. We can’t chase a shadow in the water."

Tanaka nodded.

"So… officially: the investigation continues in a limited capacity."

"Yes." Nakamura muttered grimly. "We wait. And that’s enough for today. Finish your reports. Then go home — before someone calls us in for another disaster."

The officers dispersed slowly, in silence.

And in that silence — thick with humidity and the nervous energy that lingers after a storm — the case of Miyahara Hideaki entered a state of suspension for the first time in weeks.

As if all of Tokyo were holding its breath, unsure whether the monster would rise again… or had long already been carried off by the night.

No one said it aloud, but they were all thinking the same thing:

If he’s still alive, he won’t stay gone for long.

And the city will have to face his shadow again.

---

Kisaragi gathered her documents and returned to her desk.

The mystery of Hideaki hadn’t disappeared.

On the contrary —

the fewer the traces, the more it gnawed at her.

Like an unseen scratch beneath a bandage that refuses to stop itching.

Everyone else was letting go.

But she couldn’t.

[Interior - IT Office, mid-afternoon.]

Seiji sat at his desk, typing on his computer.

Nearby, was Iwasaki Toga and a few coworkers lingered, chatting and throwing glances his way.

Suddenly, Toga smirked, and yelled loudly at him "Hey, Sekiguchi! Did you mess up those reports again, or are you actually trying to be useful for once?"

A few coworkers chuckled. Seiji's fingers paused briefly on the keyboard, but he didn't look up.

'Guess we're back to her usual ‘being pain in the ass’ mode... In moments like this, I wish that nomikai were everyday. At least she would try to be, even fakely - nice.'

"Must be tough, huh? All that genius and still coming up short." Said one of the coworkers, mockingly.

Toga grinned "Oh, come on. Let's not be too harsh. Sekiguchi's doing his best... for someone who's never going to measure up."

Seiji's jaw tightened, but his expression remained calm. He typed another line on his keyboard before speaking, his tone measured.

"You know, Iwasaki-san, it's fascinating how much free time you have to comment on other people's work. Perhaps you should ask for a promotion to 'office critic.' Though I imagine that would require an understanding of productivity, which - judging by your current contributions - you might find challenging."

The chuckles died down, and a moment of tension filled the air. Toga's smirk faltered before she quickly recovered.

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed "Oh, Sekiguchi, don't act like you're some expert on productivity. The only reason you're still here is because they haven't figured out how useless you really are. Keep polishing that attitude - maybe it'll distract them a little longer."

She walked away, the group dispersing. Seiji exhaled quietly, his fingers resuming their steady rhythm on the keyboard. His thoughts drift.

"Just a few more days." he said internally "Until the weekend. I can endure this."

[The Weekend]

Ken waited in front of the cafe, already spotting Seiji and Hideaki approaching in the distance. He waved, trying to catch their attention.

Seiji noticed Ken and gave a brief wave back. He turned toward Hideaki, who was clearly displeased about the meeting.

"You've got to drop that expression, Hideaki. Ken will start to think that you didn't want to come if you keep that look."

Hideaki scowled. "Because I didn't want to! You set me up for this—"

And then he suddenly stopped talking.

His breath caught mid-sentence, like someone had pressed an invisible hand against his throat.

He remembered.

The ultimatum.

The quiet, sharp tone in Seiji’s voice that night.

The phone in Seiji’s hand.

The number he could dial without hesitation.

Seiji saw the shift in his expression — that forced swallow of fear, the stiffening of his shoulders.

He leaned slightly closer, his voice low enough that only Hideaki could hear:

"Good. At least you remember what we agreed on."

Hideaki stared at the ground.

Seiji continued calmly, adjusting his glasses with that same controlled precision:

"If you want to turn around and go home, fine. But don’t make me pull out my phone and dial the number you and I both know by heart now. I really don’t want to spend my weekend filling out police statements."

He said it almost casually — almost — but it carried weight.

Hideaki’s jaw tightened. His voice came out barely above a whisper:

"...I get it."

"Do you?" Seiji asked quietly, not unkindly but with a certain cold clarity. "Then act like it."

Ken, still oblivious to the tension, waved again energetically.

Seiji exhaled softly.

"Come on. We're almost there."

Hideaki followed, expression now blank — not rebellious, not angry, just muted.

A survival instinct settling into his steps.

Once they reached Ken, he greeted them with his usual enthusiasm, trying to mask the discomfort Hideaki made him by his presence. "Hey! How are you guys?"

"We're good." Seiji nodded, maintaining his composed demeanor. He gave Hideaki a subtle nudge, his eyes signaling for him to participate.

Hideaki, grumbling under his breath, forced a faint smile. "Y-yeah... We're g-good... Tch." he reluctantly added.

Ken, still smiling, leaned in slightly as if to share a secret. "You know, Miyahara-san, that 'I don't want to be here' look of yours is louder than a screaming toddler in a library." He chuckled, clearly teasing but not maliciously, trying to loose the atmosphere a bit.

"Tch..." Hideaki's faint smile faltered as he turned his head away slightly, "I-I don't look like that..." He mumbled, but his tone lacked conviction, "And why the hell a coffee bar? I hate coffee!" He snapped.

"Don't mind him," Seiji quickly said with a calm, almost dismissive tone, "He woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but deep down, he's glad to be here. Right, Hideaki?"

"Tch... Y-yeah," Hideaki muttered, looking away again, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

Ken laughed, brushing it off easily. "Alright, alright." he scratched his head nervously then added "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention - someone else is joining us."

"So your solution is to tell us now, when we have no choice?" Seiji asked deadpan.

"Exactly!" Ken grinned, as if proud of his own logic.

Seiji sighed "Alright. So who is it?"

"My friend from college, Ayase Rika. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll get along."

"A friend? From collage?" Seiji repeated, as if trying to decide whether to believe him.

Ken raised his hands in defense. "Hey, well, I didn't mean to make a big deal out of it!"

Seiji looked away, sighing quietly. "We'll see. I don't like surprises." His tone was dispassionate,

Ken chuckled nervously, again scratching the back of his head, and then added, more casually, "She's back from the States."

Seiji raised an eyebrow slightly, analyzing Ken. "From the States?" he repeated calmly, as if weighing whether or not that detail mattered to him.

"Mhm." Ken nodded. "We haven't seen each other since finishing university. I thought it would be nice to show with who I'm working with."

Seiji looked at Ken with a slight tilt of his head, assessing him as if he was considering whether to criticize him for this or just give up.

"I don't know if I'm more amused by your carelessness or the fact that it still surprises me."

Ken shook his head, still chuckling. "You're impossible, Seiji."

Seiji looked at him for a moment, then turned toward the cafe.

Before entering the building, he glanced at Hideaki, who looked as if he had had enough already. "Well, Hideaki, at least you know what to expect from Ken."

Ken smiled innocently. "Don't worry! Like I said, you'll get along!"

Just then, a average height, japanese girl with a purple eyes and short dark turquoise hair approached. Her face lighting up with excitement.

"Hi Ken! Long time to see!" She blushed slightly and greeted him with a earthy hug.

"Hi Rika!" Ken blushed a little bit from sudden close physical contact, but then he returned to normal.

Seiji, paused pressing the door handle and as always, took a step back, analyzing the situation with a detached yet careful scrutiny.

Hideaki, on the other hand, shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. His gaze darted around, as if he could disappear into the background.

Then she moved to Seiji and Hideaki.

Seeing the two guys being stressed a little bit, she decided to introduce herself slowly and calmly.

"Hi! I'm Ayase Rika, Ken's friend from college. But please, just call me Rika! I've got used to it as everyone in States been calling me like that hehe... So.. Nice to meet you guys!" She bowed and smiled broadly.

"Noted." Seiji replied acknowledging. Then, he bowed "It's nice to meet you too, Rika-san. My name's Sekiguchi Seiji."

"Ooh.. Sekiguchi-san! You're Ken's co-worker, right?"

"Yep. That's me."

Then, Rika's gaze turned towards Hideaki who appeared even more stressed and anxious than Seiji at that moment. "And you? Are you Ken's co-worker too?"

Hideaki's fingers twitched slightly, his discomfort evident as he shifted his weight.

"N-no... I'm-"

 "I'm the only one. He doesn't work" Seiji quickly finished Hideaki's answer.

Rika nodded "Oh alright. It's nice to know."

Ken, observing the exchange, smiled and stepped in "Let's go inside and find a table," he suggested.