SCIAW: Chapter 369/370

Chapter 369: Sato Miwako's Resentment

As a maid, Hayasaka likely had plenty of work to handle. It was best not to wear anything on her hands, since it could interfere with her duties.

Sonoko rarely did any housework at home, so she didn't have to worry about that.

The same applied to Aizawa Sakuya. As a young lady, she didn't have to consider housework either, so she could wear accessories on her hands without issue.

So, Ren selected three gifts:

A silver necklace inlaid with green gemstones.
A silver-toned women's wristwatch.
A silver Ouroboros ring.

"Necklace, watch, and ring..."

Miwako glanced at the three gifts Ren had chosen. The meanings behind the necklace and watch were relatively neutral, but the ring was a different matter entirely.

"Are you planning to give the ring to your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"...Then hear me out. Don't give the ring just yet."

Miwako cut him off firmly.

"A ring carries a certain implication. Giving it as a birthday gift is a little much. Rings should be given at the right time and under the right circumstances."

She lowered her voice slightly.

"And you don't have just one girlfriend. What would your other girlfriends think if you gave a ring to just one of them?"

"Even though all of you are extraordinary, and your circumstances are extraordinary, that's exactly why a ring shouldn't be given so casually. If you're going to give a ring, then give one to everyone."

"For now, bracelets or earrings are better for birthdays."

Hearing Miwako's advice, Ren paused for a moment, then nodded.

A ring did carry complicated meaning, and it wasn't really appropriate for a birthday gift.

Aside from Sonoko, there was also Ran and Kaguya. If only Sonoko received a ring, that would definitely be hard to explain. It was better to change it.

"Then I'll go with this one."

Ren pointed at a silver bracelet adorned with blue crystal from the display case.

"That one's good."

Miwako looked satisfied. At least Ren wasn't being stubborn.

Rings were just too sensitive. Their meaning was too specific.

In Miwako's view, such gifts needed careful handling. If you were going to give one, you had to give them equally to everyone.

"Miss, could you please help me wrap these?"

"Of course. Please wait a moment."

After paying, Ren stood by as the three gifts were carefully wrapped, which would take a few minutes.

While waiting, Ren turned his attention back to Miwako.

"Miwako, sorry to trouble you today. It's your birthday, and I still had you help me shop for gifts."

"It's fine."

Miwako smiled openly and raised her left hand.

"I got a gift too."

For her, something worth over 120,000 yen was a luxury. Even if she liked it, she wouldn't normally buy it. Besides personal preference, she had to think about her financial situation too.

"Ren, when's your birthday?"

"September 29."

Still half a year away… Miwako mentally noted the date. She intended to prepare a gift for Ren when his birthday came around.

"Come to think of it, those two watching us outside the store just now—are they your colleagues?"

Ren turned and glanced toward the storefront, his gaze directed at the two pairs of eyes watching from a distance.

My colleagues? Miwako turned as well and saw two men peeking into the store from outside.

They didn't realize she had noticed them, but Miwako understood immediately—this was just like what had happened at the family restaurant before.

"Shiratori Ninzaburo. Deputy Inspector in the First Investigation Division. Career track. Highly capable."

"Chiba Kazunobu is also from the First Division, though he's now a patrol sergeant. I remember Inspector Juzo assigned Chiba to mentor Takagi. Takagi's improved at work lately, likely thanks to him."

"As for why they're here, they're probably on patrol."

"The Shinjuku bombing happened just a week ago. And yesterday, a certain thief made a move on museum exhibits, which caused the nearly relaxed patrol schedule to tighten again."

"I doubt they'll get any time off in the coming week."

Originally, she had been one of the hard-working patrol officers. But after her promotion last week, she had just entered the Inspector track, and her patrol responsibilities had been reduced.

Ren nodded slightly. With Miwako's explanation, he committed the names and appearances of the two officers to memory.

But Chiba was mentoring Takagi? That surprised Ren a bit.

"Takagi's a new criminal detective? He still needs to be mentored?"

"Well…"

Speaking of Takagi Wataru, Miwako didn't quite know how to describe him.

"Actually, Takagi was transferred from the Traffic Department to our Investigation Division only six months ago. He's still new."

"His skills aren't especially strong. Thankfully, he works hard. The problem is, when he's assigned tasks, he tends to get distracted, so he makes frequent mistakes. I heard from Inspector Juzo that there was even talk of sending him back to Traffic."

"Gets distracted… transferred from Traffic to Investigations, and still can't focus? Does he want to stay in Traffic forever?"

Ren's confusion made Miwako sigh slightly.

"Honestly, I think the reason he gets so distracted… is probably me."

Ren paused, then turned to look at Miwako. After a moment, he nodded.

"That makes sense."

"Capable female officers are probably rare in the Metropolitan Police Department. And someone like you—both competent and attractive—must be even rarer. It's not that strange for a newcomer from Traffic to be dazzled."

"Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of rare animal."

Miwako rolled her eyes.

"Instead of staring at me all day, he should just focus on his job. That's why Inspector Juzo even warned me not to give him false hope."

As she spoke, Miwako's face twisted into a look of frustration.

"I haven't worked with him directly or even talked to him properly, but I still got warned because of him."

Because of that, Miwako didn't have a particularly favorable impression of Takagi.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 370: Want to Know

"It's like this—I've never even dated anyone before, and just because someone has a crush on me, my boss, who I see as a father figure, calls me over to give me a warning. How do you think that feels?"

Ren could understand Miwako's frustration. After all, no one wants someone they respect like a father to sit them down and remind them to be mindful of their professional conduct just because of someone else's feelings.

No woman would be happy in that situation.

"Yeah, I get it. That's rough."

There was a hint of dissatisfaction still lingering in Miwako's eyes.

"So, you really do think of Inspector Juzo as your father?"

There was a scene like that in the original storyline, but Ren couldn't recall exactly when it happened. He just remembered that Miwako seemed to respect Inspector Juzo a lot.

"Yeah. Eighteen years ago, after my father died in the line of duty, our family lost our main source of income. There was a pension, sure, but we couldn't live off that forever. Things were tight, so my mother had to pinch every yen."

"But when Inspector Juzo found out, he gave my mom some money every month. He said it was for my education and told her to treat it like a loan that I could repay once I grew up."

"He kept doing that every month until I graduated from university and joined the police force."

No wonder… Once Ren heard the full story, he completely understood why Miwako saw Inspector Juzo as a father figure.

Supporting a ten-year-old girl until she graduated college and entered the force—if that wasn't the definition of responsibility, what was?

This wasn't just admiration. It was gratitude on a deeper level.

Now Ren also understood more clearly why Miwako had zero patience for Takagi. Her dissatisfaction wasn't something that could just be brushed away.

Come to think of it, Takagi really did enter the force fairly late.

Ren remembered the first time Takagi showed up in the storyline—it was that case on the plane to New York. That must've been a few months before Edogawa Conan appeared.

If he recalled correctly, Inspector Juzo had taken Takagi with him on that business trip. Maybe something had gone wrong on that trip? Ren couldn't help but wonder.

He subconsciously pulled out the Maple Leaf Gold Coin, gave it a flick, and caught it in his palm. The coin landed face-up.

Seriously… Ren shook his head in disbelief.

Thinking back, from the moment Takagi first appeared, he had stood out from the other detectives as inexperienced. Maybe it wasn't because of some comedic "fool aura" but simply because he was still adapting to the job.

Maybe it wasn't staged amateurism, but genuine inexperience.

Looking at the bigger picture now, Takagi was portrayed as a rookie transferred from the Traffic Division to the Criminal Investigations Division.

With Miwako's added context, it was clear: Takagi was a greenhorn who dared to fall for a policewoman, hadn't yet built up his capabilities, and even got her scolded by someone she saw as a father.

Ren sighed. Was this one of those moments where fiction bled into reality?

"Want to go say hi?"

Miwako glanced over at Shiratori and Chiba, then shook her head.

"Better not. Officers off-duty shouldn't get involved in active patrol operations. If something comes up, it could get complicated."

Ren nodded slightly.

He didn't think Shiratori or Chiba were on some special assignment, but he understood the sentiment.

Some boundaries were necessary. Things like that probably had happened before.

"Sir, your items are all wrapped."

The clerk returned, handing over a paper bag with the carefully wrapped gifts inside.

Ren glanced at the packaging. It was neatly and beautifully done, perfect for gift-giving.

"Thanks."

He accepted the bag and looked at Miwako.

"Okay, lunch is your treat, Miwako."

"Oh, I know a great yakiniku spot around here. I went once with Yumi. The food's good and it's a nice place to talk."

Ren didn't object to the obvious lead-in. For Miwako, her father's death was still an unresolved knot—one she clearly needed to untangle.

"Let's go."

The two left the store together and headed toward the tall municipal building near where Shiratori and Chiba were still standing watch.

On the 7th floor of the building, there was a yakiniku restaurant tucked off to the side, its name was Ninku.

Inside, there were a row of private dining rooms and a larger public dining area.

Unfortunately, the public area was already packed.

Miwako walked directly to the counter.

"Hi, I'm Sato. I made a reservation."

"Ah, Miss Sato."

The cashier glanced at her and quickly responded. He pulled out the reservation log, where her name was clearly written.

"Your private room is ready. You may head in now."

He then handed over a key card.

"Thanks."

Miwako turned to Ren. "Follow me."

She led him to the reserved private room.

The room door opened with the key card. Miwako entered first.

The charcoal grill inside was already burning red-hot, and there was an assortment of meats on the table—clearly prepared in advance.

A built-in vent over the grill would handle the smoke and carbon, so there was no concern about air quality inside the room.

Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one wall, offering a great view of the city below. The room was stylishly decorated, and a shelf in the corner was stocked with wine and beverages.

It really was a great place.

From the look of it, the reservation probably wasn't cheap. But Ren didn't ask about the cost. Since it had been booked in advance, Miwako clearly didn't plan to let him pay.

(To be continued.)