NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 - Investigation
The summer in the Third City is hot.
Air conditioners are running everywhere, making the outside hot.
Today, Mikoyuki and Alicia were tasked by Reese with a job. They were to investigate a location believed to be a base of the “Collad Bomb” once more.
The two walked down the street. There were many locations shown on their smartphones, and they had already checked more than ten. Mikoyuki wiped the sweat that was starting to appear as he spoke to Alicia, who was walking ahead by herself.
“Hey, I don’t know why you’re angry, but this is still work. I’m not asking you to be friendly, but at least treat me normally, okay?”
“I told you, I’m not angry!”
Alicia replied without stopping. However, since what she said was reasonable, Mikoyuki couldn’t argue and quickened his pace to catch up with her.
Honestly, he wished she would stop. If she were a stranger, Mikoyuki would just stay silent, but unfortunately, his relationship with her was more than just acquaintances.
“Besides, why do you think I’m angry?”
“Well… because we’re childhood friends. I can tell by looking at you. How many years have we been together? So, what’s bothering you?”
At that moment, Alicia stopped walking.
Mikoyuki braced himself, thinking he had done something wrong again.
“…Idiot.”
“What? Sorry, can you say that again?”
“Idiot, idiot, idiot! Oh, you’re really such an idiot, it’s tiring.”
“Why am I being insulted all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know!”
With that, they reached the next building.
Alicia hadn’t shown any signs of anger since then.
Mikoyuki didn’t understand, but he followed her silently.
“…Let’s split up here. I’ll go left, you go right.”
“Got it… Just contact me immediately if anything happens. We don’t know the enemy’s strength. Even if it’s an easy job, if something happens—”
“I got it! See you at the station at six in the evening!”
Alicia said as she took the left path.
Mikoyuki opened the map app on his smartphone and headed down the right path.
“This makes three places now.”
He thoroughly investigated the vacant room.
As expected, nothing seemed suspicious.
He checked the wallpaper too, but found nothing unusual. Even when he used his ability to investigate, he found nothing significant. Although it was good news, writing the report was still troublesome. Repeatedly writing “There was nothing” was becoming a pain.
“The remaining place is…”
He entered the address from the documents into the map app.
The base, which had always been near the station, was now near a school.
This base had been vacated two or three months ago, and the most frequent information from the surroundings was “They return once or twice a week.” It seemed they rented this place for reconnaissance rather than living there.
“…The bases I’ve checked so far had something. This one alone has nothing…”
The police had already investigated thoroughly, and this was a re-investigation.
The documents mentioned drugs, guns, and other weapons found at the bases.
However, this place had nothing written about it. In other words, there was nothing.
The lack of common features in this place suggested there might actually be something here.
“…This place…”
This road was a school route.
There was an illustration of a child with a backpack on the road surface.
There was only one school nearby.
An elevator-style school that went from elementary to high school.
“It’s getting more suspicious…”
It was around four in the afternoon. Students were heading home in the opposite direction of Mikoyuki.
Mikoyuki wore a green T-shirt and a thin black jacket. Looking up, he saw the shadows of students using their abilities to go home.
Finally, Mikoyuki reached the premises of the last building.
At that moment, his phone notified him of a message. It was from Alicia.
“I finished here. There was nothing. I’m heading to the station.”
It seemed she was done. Mikoyuki sent a message saying he had one more place to check, so she could go ahead. When there was no read receipt, he put his phone in his pocket and climbed the stairs.
“…Fourth floor, room 404…”
He stood in front of the door with the number 404. He covered his shoes with plastic bags to conduct an accurate investigation.
He unlocked the door and entered. The room hadn’t been used for a few months, so it was expected to be dusty. As he opened the door—
“…A breeze?”
The window was open, letting a refreshing summer breeze flow through the room.
He reentered the living room. There was no furniture. He checked the toilet, sink, and bathtub. Nothing. After thoroughly inspecting everything, he returned to the living room feeling unsettled. The sky was still bright. Looking at the blue sky, he murmured.
“But leaving the window open is too careless—”
He stood by the window and saw it clearly.
The window… more precisely, the gap and the floor.
There was a faint presence of gravel.
And then he realized what was bothering him.
So, this room—
“Don’t turn around, Public Security officer.”
There was someone else in this room besides him.