After the Undercover System Went Haywire, I Switched to Grinding Suspicion Points Chapter 43

If we're being honest, Onizuka class's reputation wasn't exactly reputation damage in the usual sense—the kind that makes people feel bad or terrible upon hearing it.

Rather, it was the type of reputation that people in the bureaucratic system would find troubleso and want to avoid.

After all, acting heroically and arresting criminals during off-duty hours—up to this point, no one would have any complaints about Police Academy students, and they'd even show appreciation. But causing an entire police station to be reported, making the chief get woken up by superiors in the middle of the night asking what happened, possibly having to stay up all night writing reports...

Everyone could only refuse with a triple rejection and maintain careful vigilance to avoid getting dragged down themselves.

In the workplace, regardless of whether what you do is good, if you cause trouble for those above you, you'll be disliked.

Good subordinates are supposed to take the bla for their superiors. The path taken by Onizuka class students was truly sothing to avoid at all costs.

Most importantly, once a reputation had flaws in certain aspects, there would be a slippery slope effect. Originally normal incidents would beco distorted in the telling.

Now Inspector gure couldn't help but mutter to himself—Onizuka class had many problem students; could there be a Police Academy student murder case?

No wait, he couldn't confirm that the other party was really a Police Academy student and Assistant Instructor. What if they were brazen fraudsters?

"Sorry, please register your identities." Inspector gure was extrely alert. During registration, he checked both their docunts and even had soone quietly call the Police Academy to confirm before believing Hagiwara Kenji's claims.

...Only now everyone's feelings were even more complicated.

What exactly was the situation at the Police Academy? Even if they were short-staffed, they couldn't lower their standards! Why could soone like Samukawa Shinryu, who looked like he was sent to infiltrate the police, pass the interview?!

After confirming their identities, everyone finally had basic trust. Only then did Usuha Izuki ask: "What exactly happened? Can I go in and take a look?"

They'd been standing in the entryway to living room area for ages—wasn't this a bit excessive?

Inspector gure was very hesitant: "Well, inside is currently a cri scene undergoing investigation..."

Theoretically, they should let the current resident see the situation—maybe they could discover details they hadn't noticed. But facing Samukawa Shinryu's face, Inspector gure inexplicably couldn't bring himself to say such words.

What if evidence got destroyed?!

No wait, he was at the Police Academy last night and had an alibi...

At this mont, more people gradually gathered at the entrance, apparently arguing with the police at the door about sothing.

Inspector gure called out: "What's wrong?"

The police officer outside quickly ca to report: "Inspector, it's the people from upstairs."

Since the door was open, as the speaker approached, the voices beca increasingly clear: "Since the death was on the second floor, what does it have to do with living on the fourth floor? Even if soone jumped from my place and died, they'd die on the third floor! It must be the third floor that has problems."

"What do you an by that?" The third-floor resident wasn't having it. "I was exhausted when I got ho yesterday and fell asleep right in the entryway without even taking off my clothes. Where would I get the energy to kill soone!"

"I didn't say you killed anyone. Isn't there still the second-floor resident..."

Inspector gure's head was pounding. Since the junior officer's words didn't carry weight, he quickly went out to maintain order: "Alright, alright, everyone, please quiet down. We're not calling you here because we've determined you're murderers—we just have so questions to ask... Do any of you know the deceased? His na is Kato Izumi."

Usuha Izuki followed behind and walked out, very cooperatively being the first to answer: "Don't know him."

The other two suspects who were about to answer silently closed their mouths and just looked at him: "..........."

One of them was silent for several seconds, then instead of answering the question, took a step back and asked hesitantly: "Isn't this person the murderer?"

Inspector gure: "...No, this person is just a resident of this room, sa as you all, just called to ask about the situation..."

The fourth-floor resident's expression changed repeatedly: "I don't know any deceased person. I think this has nothing to do with . Since he died in his house, wouldn't it be obvious that he killed the person if you just investigate him?"

"We can't be so hasty..."

Inspector gure had just begun when the agent interrupted very excitedly.

"Impossible! If it were Samukawa-san, he absolutely wouldn't leave such an obvious cri scene!!!"

Everyone: "..........."

The fourth and third-floor residents showed obvious expressions of "see, I told you this guy was problematic."

Inspector gure looked at Usuha Izuki with an even stranger expression and asked the agent: "Do you know sothing?"

Hagiwara Kenji couldn't help but hold his forehead: "This is just a misunderstanding. Little Shinryu has an alibi..."

"Alibis can be faked!" The fourth-floor resident was clearly prejudiced against Usuha Izuki and, emboldened by the police presence, stubbornly said, "Maybe he's doing the opposite, trying to make people think ordinary murderers wouldn't be so brazen in their own hos, using this to clear suspicion..."

Just then, a police officer erged from the room with a serious expression, leaning close to Inspector gure's ear and whispering: "Inspector, there's sothing wrong with this room. The underside of the tatami has lots of dried bloodstains..."

While speaking, he looked suspiciously at Usuha Izuki, his posture suggesting he was ready to pounce and arrest him at any mont.

Inspector gure's expression beca grave, sowhat uncertain: "What? Really?"

Did the principal really misjudge? What kind of person did they admit to the Police Academy?! The Police Academy's reputation...

After exchanging glances with his colleagues, Inspector gure coughed: "How long has Samukawa-san been living in this room?"

"Not long." Usuha Izuki said. "I moved in about a month after soone died here."

The police officers: "...???"

Hagiwara Kenji glanced inside from the doorway, seeing police lifting tatami mats, and felt like he understood sothing: "Excuse , Inspector gure, soone died in this room several months ago. The tatami and such weren't replaced, so the bloodstains should be from the previous murder case. Little Shinryu hasn't been living here very long."

"Ah... oh..." Inspector gure turned into dot-eyes. "Haha, so that's how it is... I don't rember this case..."

Hagiwara Kenji considerately replied: "Since the perpetrator confessed, you probably didn't co to the scene."

The third-floor resident kept checking his watch: "Sorry, I don't know the deceased and can't help you with anything. Can I leave first? Otherwise, custors will be stolen by others."

The fourth-floor resident wasn't to be outdone: "I don't know the deceased either. I still have work. I want to leave too."

Inspector gure could only gently dissuade them: "Please don't be hasty. At least tell us where both of you were last night?"

Third-floor resident: "I was sleeping at ho. No one can prove it for ."

Fourth-floor resident: "I was drinking outside. The bar owner should be able to testify, though I forgot when I ca back... What about him?" The fourth-floor resident didn't hide his suspicion of Usuha Izuki at all. "Where was he last night? Have you investigated his alibi?"

Inspector gure found it hard to speak: "Uh, regarding Samukawa-san..."

What to do? He felt like saying it would just sar the Police Academy's reputation! So difficult!

Usuha Izuki didn't care about the Police Academy's reputation at all and said very calmly: "I was at the Police Academy last night."

The two suspects: "........???"

Clearly neither had expected this answer. The fourth-floor one directly stuttered.

"P-Police Academy? You... what exactly do you do?"

"Future police officer." Usuha Izuki looked thoughtfully at the fourth-floor person. "What did you think I did? You've seen before, haven't you? Why did you pretend it was your first ti knowing I lived here?"

The fourth-floor resident's expression beca sowhat panicked: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You thought that if it were , I might not have an alibi I could tell the police, and even if I did, it would make the police suspicious. So you put the body at my place, thinking the police would focus on investigating my identity and whereabouts."

Though it was all speculation, his tone was very certain, his dark red eyes coldly watching the fourth-floor resident.

"And you."

The dark-haired youth suddenly turned to look at the third-floor resident: "You and he are actually very familiar, but you're pretending not to know each other in front of the police to mislead them and rule out the possibility of collaborative murder."

"W-wait...!" The third-floor resident panicked. "Are you just going to let him make wild accusations like this?! The Police Academy actually admits this kind of person who randomly accuses people of murder?! This kind of person will beco a police officer in the future? Don't joke around! What if he's at the Police Academy—can't people climb walls to get out?"

Usuha Izuki: "I'm not making wild accusations. These are things I observed. Words can be disguised, but the eye contact, expressions, and physical distance between you cannot be disguised."

The fourth-floor resident interrupted him: "He might be trying to get the Police Academy to provide his alibi..."

Hagiwara Kenji sighed: "That's not possible. He couldn't have snuck out of the Police Academy last night..."

"How can you prove it?!" The fourth-floor resident was aggressive. "Did you sleep with him all night?!"

"It's actually not appropriate for to discuss this matter, but given the circumstances, I can only say it."

Hagiwara Kenji rubbed his temples: "Actually, there was an incident within the Police Academy yesterday. The higher-ups dealt with the problem all night, and he, as an important witness, could be called for questioning at any ti. If they called him and found he wasn't in his dormitory, wouldn't that prove he'd snuck out to do bad things? Anyone with brains would know not to take this risk."

Everyone: ".................."

Hagiwara Kenji added: "Besides, he has no motive for murder. He doesn't even know the deceased."

"...Hitn don't need to know their targets either." The third-floor person seed unable to accept this situation. "Maybe the deceased saw him doing sothing illegal and was silenced..."

"We already said he's a Police Academy student..."

"I see." Usuha Izuki pondered. "So you thought I was a hitman. No wonder the fra-up was so crude. Unfortunately, I've been at the Police Academy for a month and only returned once, with total ti outside adding up to less than half a day. Police station records can prove my whereabouts. Trying to divert police attention through probably won't work."

After a pause, he said carelessly: "But even though I'm a Police Academy student, it indeed doesn't rule out the possibility that I'm also a hitman... Well, let ask—do you hope I'm just a frad Police Academy student, or do you hope I really am a hitman? I should ntion that current evidence isn't enough to send to prison. At most, I'd cooperate with the investigation for a few days before coming back..."

Inspector gure, standing behind Usuha Izuki, thought this was a strange question.

But oddly, the other two suspects, for so reason, suddenly started shaking like sieves after hearing this, with visible cold sweat streaming down their faces.

"Officer! I want to confess! I also want to report! It was this guy who first suggested murder! He said he had a way to get away with it! He said Samukawa was a hitman and the police would definitely arrest Samukawa first. I just believed his words..."

"Nonsense! You were clearly the one who first said why wouldn't that bastard Kato die! You hoped he'd drop dead!"

"I was swindled out of less money, but you were defrauded of your entire fortune and went into debt. Obviously you hated him more!"

With their self-exposures, Inspector gure finally understood the relationship between these people.

To put it bluntly, it would indeed be difficult to investigate that they knew each other well on the surface, because the three of them had t in a cult. The deceased had swindled money from two of them. After belatedly realizing this, they used "I have more money to give you" as an excuse to lure the deceased out, killed him, then planned to fra their downstairs neighbor.

Simply because they thought Samukawa Shinryu looked like soone with cases on his back who couldn't withstand investigation. As long as the two of them cooperated and made police think they had a bad relationship, with the murder scene on the fourth floor and the third floor being most easily suspected, as long as they concealed the thod of relay-transporting the body via the balcony, the police would push the bla onto Samukawa Shinryu to close the case quickly.

The two said in unison: "Officer! Even if we're not innocent! Doesn't that guy have any problems at all?! You must investigate him thoroughly!!!"

"...You've watched too many dramas." Inspector gure's face was full of speechlessness. "Most police officers are quite responsible, okay? And this has nothing to do with Samukawa-san. Don't act like you only got vindictive after seeing Samukawa-san... As for Samukawa-san's situation, the Police Academy must have investigated long ago..."

Hagiwara Kenji felt Little Shinryu was really catching strays while lying down.

"Look on the bright side." Usuha Izuki himself didn't seem to feel anything and could even comfort others. "If all criminals are at this level, the case-solving rate will definitely go up. Just give it so ti—this case is still quite easy to solve."

"...True. At least this ti the instructor can rest assured. The problem isn't really with you—you're just a bit unlucky." Hagiwara Kenji sighed.

Having said that, he felt it was good he ca along. Otherwise, wouldn't Little Shinryu have to face suspicion from both criminals and police with no one to speak for him?

Since the case was solved, Usuha Izuki and Hagiwara Kenji didn't plan to get involved in what ca next. The two chatted as they went downstairs.

"But even with all this, they still thought you were a hitman." Hagiwara Kenji found it both funny and speechless. "You should say fewer things that could be misunderstood."

Usuha Izuki complained: "With their intelligence level, thinking such crude thods were perfect and believing I'd threaten them in front of police is normal. These people are more afraid of hitn than police... But for such a simple case to take so long, police efficiency is too low."

"After all, without reasonable cause, there's no way to search their rooms. They had to follow procedure first and ask about their situations." Hagiwara Kenji still spoke up for them. "Fortunately, the balconies on both sides of your place are far apart, or there would be even more people to question. They can't just search everyone's hos right away—that would really make the news..."

Hagiwara Kenji thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. He instinctively turned his head but saw nothing.

...Must be an illusion. Was he missing them because it had been so long since they'd t? Whatever, he needed to find the car first. Where had he parked it just now...

At the sa ti, Morofushi Hiromitsu, who had ducked into the shadow of a building, wore a grave expression.

Encountering classmates by chance and discovering they were doing well should have been good news, but his discovery really didn't make him happy.

What was wrong with that Hagiwara Kenji guy? When had he gotten so close to gang mbers?! Even if you like making friends, there should be limits! Making friends with just anyone will only harm you!

But speaking of which, that person beside him looked sowhat familiar...

Undercover police officer Morofushi Hiromitsu fell into deep thought.