He tried to save the fallen girls, but they came after him instead.

"Justice, simply put, is not doing anything that goes against your conscience, right?"

Shirakawa was also unsure how to define the concept of justice.

The world is not black and white, and the more Shirakawa grows, the more he discovers this.

“I see,” Miike nodded, lowered her head slightly, and mustered her courage to whisper in Shirakawa’s ear, “Then, Shirakawa, what if I wanted to be your only companion?”

After Miike finished speaking, he bit his lip tightly, which meant that the Miike who used to be stubbornly committed to justice had disappeared.

She denied all her previous efforts, claiming that she only wanted to be Shirakawa's companion.

However, Miike lost his police officer status and saw so many girls whose truths were distorted and who were wrongly convicted.

And Shirakawa's courage to fight against injustice.

Perhaps becoming Shirakawa's partner would be a good choice.

Shirakawa's cheeks also flushed at this moment.

Is Miike confessing to himself at this moment?

Be my one and only companion...

That sounds tempting.

Moreover, Shirakawa could smell the faint fragrance emanating from Miike's hair.

Even though they had shared many happy moments together, Miike now evoked a feeling of first love in her.

"No," Shirakawa shook his head, refusing Miike's request.

"why?"

"Being a partner of justice has always been your life motto. I would feel bad if you changed your motto for me. Besides... that motto of justice is actually part of your charm. That's why you are Miike Naoko, Officer Miike."

What Shirakawa said was indeed from the bottom of his heart.

He used to come to her house and install cameras to spy on her, and Shirakawa just thought she was crazy.

But when she stood up to the bureau chief for the sake of justice, she was dismissed.

Her image in Shirakawa's mind also became much more positive.

"Then, in what capacity should I interact with you from now on?"

"It's fine as it is now. I actually really like Miike Naoko as she is now."

Although it's a bit nitpicky, it has many other advantages, so its merits outweigh its flaws.

"Do you like it? Oh, I see."

Miike Naeko closed her eyes, brought her cheek close, and gave Shirakawa a deep kiss.

He left his mark under his lips.

A gentle, teasing kiss, without being overly demanding, just the right amount of time.

After the kiss, Miike pressed his forehead against Shirakawa's and said, "Then let's keep this kind of relationship."

They are both partners in justice, live under the same roof, and do things that bring them joy, but they are not in a romantic relationship.

That's enough.

Miike gave Shirakawa another light kiss and hugged him tightly.

"I like you too, Shirakawa."

137. Akaza's Request

in the afternoon.

In the ward.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, falling onto the pristine white sheets, while the air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Akaza's leg was wrapped in plaster and bandaged in layers, with the other end of the bandage tied to a pole, dangling in mid-air.

The nurse briefly checked Akaza's condition, and after confirming that there was no problem, she hurriedly left and went to the psychiatric ward.

Akaza's gaze wandered aimlessly across the ceiling. Her fingers lightly touched the edge of the plaster, feeling its hard and cold texture, her emotions quite complex.

"Now, even walking has become a luxury." Akaza smiled bitterly and muttered softly.

Shirakawa came in carrying a bag of fruit, while Miike waited outside the door.

Shirakawa placed the fruit on Akaza's bedside table.

To be honest, Japanese fruit is really expensive. This little bit of fruit cost Shirakawa several thousand Japanese yen.

"Are you feeling better, Akaza-nee?" Shirakawa asked with concern, and then found a stool to sit on next to Akado's bed.

"Not dead." Akaza replied calmly, still looking up at the ceiling.

"It's good that you're not dead. When will you recover?" Shirakawa took a big, bright red apple out of the fruit bag and peeled it with a fruit knife.

"Well, maybe one or two months. The doctor said my physical condition is good, and the surgery was surprisingly successful. I can be discharged after a period of observation at the school."

"After being discharged from the hospital, you'll only be able to walk with crutches, right?"

"Yes." Akaza felt extremely irritated.

He was beaten up like this by a high school student.

The runner-up in free fighting got beaten up like this by a minor kid.

Akaza still finds it hard to accept this fact.

Shirakawa also noticed Akaza's resentment: "I reminded Nikaido not to rush things, didn't she tell you?"

“I did say that, but they’ve come to bully us right on our doorstep, how can I not be worried?” Akaza said. “Who could have predicted that Yoshioka would be so strong! Is he on some kind of performance-enhancing drug?!”

"Just assume he's on performance-enhancing drugs." Shirakawa didn't elaborate on the Yoshioka brass knuckles incident; she probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

"No wonder....."

"You're all adults, don't you know how to calm down? You're acting like thugs, trying to solve problems by fighting. You deserve to get beaten up."

"Hey, you little scumbag! It's not your place to lecture me!" Akaza said irritably.

"Well, I'm your savior." Shirakawa finished peeling the apple and was about to hand it to Akaza.

Akaza reached out to take it, but before she could say thank you, Shirakawa stuffed the apple into his mouth.

"you!"

"What's wrong, Akaza-neechan? Mmm~ apples are so delicious." Shirakawa deliberately chewed the apple in big bites.

Akaza's feet were hanging down, leaving him lying on the bed in a helpless rage.

"Alright, alright, enough joking around," Shirakawa said, carving another one for Akaza and handing it to him.

“Hmm,” Akaza turned his head, not wanting Shirakawa to see his expression, “Th-thank you.”

It was both a thank you to Shirakawa for giving me the apple and a thank you to Shirakawa for saving me in the alley.

Although Akaza didn't want to admit it, things would have been even worse without Shirakawa's help.

This time, he saved his own life.

“Saying thank you doesn’t mean I approve of you, Shirakawa,” Akaza added.

"I understand, Akaza-nee. I will work even harder to gain your approval," Shirakawa smiled.

He knew that Akaza was grateful to him, but she still couldn't let go of her pride.

Boom boom boom!

There was another knock on the door.

"Come in!" Akaza called out.

Rie Hoshimiya walked in, still accompanied by her two tall and burly bodyguards.

"Boss Hoshimiya, what brings you here?" Akaza asked in confusion.

With her injuries so severe, it's impossible for her to become a coach. She had already told the owner of Xinggong about resigning when she was just out of danger.

I was just one of her employees. Logically speaking, a big boss like her wouldn't go to such lengths to visit her.

"Akaza, are you alright?" Hoshimiya Rie asked with concern, but her eyes secretly glanced at Shirakawa.

Why is he here?

Rie Hoshimiya came for a simple reason. Firstly, Akaza and her cousin seemed to have a good relationship with Shirakawa. In order to win over Shirakawa to monitor Hoshimiya Ushio, she planned to be "good" to Akaza and do him a favor.

Secondly, she herself quite liked Akaza, a strong and straightforward woman, and training her to be the Hoshimiya family's personal bodyguard would be excellent.

But there was an unexpected surprise: Shirakawa was also there.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, it's just that Boss Xinggong is concerned." Akaza was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly.

"It's good that you're alright." Hoshimiya Rie sat on the edge of Akaza's bed. "You don't need to worry about work. Just focus on recovering. I'll save a spot for you."

"Oh, really? Thank you, Mr. Hoshimiya."

"We've already paid for your medical expenses. We'll deduct that from your salary once you've recovered and are back at work, how about that?"