The Tokyo Police Journey Begins with the Ability to See Evil Thoughts

"What do you mean, 'first place'..."

Kamiya Gen responded casually, then paused halfway through his sentence before realizing what she meant. He said irritably, "Why are you arguing with me about this? Besides, is it really a good thing to steal someone's money and run away?!"

"It's not good..." Miyazawa Yuzuki muttered under her breath, her head drooping.

"Would you like something to eat?" Kamiya Gen asked.

"There's a ramen shop over there..." Miyazawa Yuzuki said, looking at a shop at the end of the street.

Kamiya Gen was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh.

"W-What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Kamiya Gen waved his hand and took the lead in walking towards the noodle shop.

Nothing has changed. This guy is still the same guy who always tries to freeload whenever he catches her. For her, doing this kind of thing doesn't bother her at all.

That's good enough. At least the vivid image is right in front of me, which is better than facing the cold river and wondering if the person who drowned was her.

The ramen shop has a sliding door, and the warm yellow light carries the rich aroma of bone broth.

At this time of day, the store was almost empty. The owner, a middle-aged man, looked up and greeted the two with a smile when they came in.

Kamiya Gen found a seat by the window and sat down, with Miyazawa Yuzuki sitting opposite him.

Kamiya Gen pushed the menu in front of her: "Order whatever you want, it's on me."

"Aren't we settling accounts today?" The girl's eyes lit up.

"I got paid," Kamiya Gen said casually.

Miyazawa Yuzuki wasn't going to be polite to him since such a good thing was happening, and immediately ordered a bowl of ramen.

"Add another order of pan-fried dumplings," Kamiya Gen added, noticing how hungry the girl looked.

The owner had already started cooking the noodles, and the aroma filled the air.

Miyazawa Yuzuki rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window. The streets were quiet and peaceful in the night.

Seeing her like this, Kamiya Gen broke the silence first and said:

"Do you even know what chaos has ensued here because of your disappearance?"

Miyazawa Yuzuki paused, turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion:

"Missing? I just had a fight with my family and ran away, how did that make me missing?"

"After you dropped out of school, you disappeared without a trace. Your family reported you missing to the police, and then this afternoon, a female corpse was found at Yoshinobashi Bridge."

Kamiya Gen picked up the warm water on the table, took a sip, and said in a calm tone, "You're about the same age as me... When I arrived at the scene, my first suspicion was that it was you, and the female corpse was related to Nozaki."

"The female corpse at Yotsubashi Bridge? Nozaki? I know nothing about these things!"

At this moment, the ramen was ready, and the owner brought it over.

Kamiya Gen already knew she was truly clueless, so he didn't intend to continue.

"Nozaki... she killed someone?"

After the ramen was served, Miyazawa Yuzuki murmured, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Her feud with Nozaki stemmed from a trivial matter. In her eyes, Nozaki was merely arrogant and vengeful, but she never imagined he would be so ruthless as to kill someone.

Kamiya Gen nodded: "She not only killed someone, but she also played a role in you being framed for stealing the necklace at school."

Upon hearing this, Miyazawa Yuzuki's eyes instantly turned cold, her tone filled with deep resentment:

"I knew it was her! I didn't go back to the classroom that day, and Oda Yuki came with people to accuse me, saying she saw me steal the necklace. I didn't do it at all! I explained to the teacher, but she believed them. My family wouldn't listen to me either, and they insisted that I apologize."

"Let's eat something first," Kamiya Gen said.

Miyazawa Yuzuki nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and looked up at him, her eyes swirling with complex emotions.

These past two days she has been alone outside, enduring hunger and hardship, suffering a lot of grievances, and even almost encountering danger.

He thought no one would believe him, but when they met again, Kamiya Gen not only found out the truth, but also tried to clear his name.

"Thanks……"

Her voice was soft, tinged with sobs; the grievances she had held for the past few days finally found an outlet.

"Don't thank me, it's my job."

Kamiya Gen said calmly, then teased, "What, I thought you wouldn't cry? Are you about to shed tears?"

Miyazawa Yuzuki immediately stopped crying, muttered "No, I didn't," picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of noodles, and put it in her mouth.

The rich and savory flavor of the pork bone broth spread in my mouth, and its warmth slid down my throat into my stomach, instantly dispelling the chill and hunger throughout my body.

She ate very quickly and looked rather disheveled, clearly extremely hungry.

Pan-fried dumplings were also served. The restaurant was quiet, with only the sound of a girl slurping noodles and the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Miyazawa Yuzuki ate most of her bowl of noodles before slowing down and asking:

"Uncle, how come you just happened to be in that alley?"

"I was leaving the convenience store, heading back to my dorm, when I happened to pass by."

Kamiya Gen, recalling what had happened in the alley earlier, began, "We haven't discussed that yet. According to the law, you've committed attempted robbery. However, considering your status as a minor, the sentence should be..."

"I'm an adult now."

Miyazawa Yuzuki suddenly said, still holding half a fried dumpling in her hand.

When she looked up at Kamiya Gen, there was a hint of stubbornness in her eyes, as if she was afraid of being looked down upon as a child.

Kamiya Gen was slightly taken aback, thinking that this guy really didn't understand the situation at all. If he were an adult, the judgment in this matter would be completely different.

He put down his chopsticks, leaned forward slightly, and his tone, which had been playful, became serious and professional as he spoke, word by word:

"If the person is an adult, then they will be punished according to Article 236 of the Criminal Law for attempted robbery."

"Then...how long will the sentence be?"

"Let's first talk about the standard penalty for completed crimes."

Kamiya Gen clearly stated the legal provisions: "Anyone who has committed robbery shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than five years. An attempted robbery shall be punished less severely than a completed robbery. This is a statutory mitigating circumstance."

Although your actions just now did not actually obtain any property, you clearly demonstrated the subjective intent to rob, and you expressed your intention to demand money from the other party. This constitutes the commencement of a crime, not a preparatory stage; it is a genuine attempt.

He looked at Miyazawa Yuzuki's face and continued:

"If an adult commits this crime and there are no other grounds for commutation of sentence, the court will generally sentence him to a term of imprisonment of two to four years."

Even considering that the other party had the intention to molest you first, and that you had a legitimate reason for doing so, this falls under the category of discretionary mitigation of sentence. At most, you'll receive a lighter sentence, but the term will still be between one and two years, and it's highly likely to be a prison sentence, not probation.

"Solid punishment?"

Miyazawa Yuzuki's voice softened, and the fried dumplings in her hand fell back onto the plate. "Does that mean I'll go to jail? I was just confused for a moment..."

Seeing her genuinely panicked expression, Kamiya Gen softened his tone slightly, but still maintained a professional one:

"The law will not make an exception for you just because you are confused for a moment; it only looks at the behavior and the result."

However, don't panic too much. There's still something you can fight for—the other person's behavior constitutes the crime of forced indecency under Article 176 of the Criminal Law, which is a current offense. Although your actions at the time constituted attempted robbery, it was an overreaction triggered by the other person's prior unlawful infringement, and your subjective malice was extremely low. This point can be emphasized in your defense during the trial, and you'll likely be able to secure a suspended sentence.

"Probation?" Miyazawa Yuzuki looked up at him.

"Yes," Kamiya Gen nodded, "If it's a suspended sentence, it's usually a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years."

During this period, you will need to undergo protective observation, abide by the regulations, and refrain from any further illegal or criminal activities; otherwise, you will be immediately imprisoned and sentenced to prison.

Furthermore, once you have a criminal record, it will affect your future job search and school admissions. At Shibuya Minami High School, they might just expel you outright.

"Is that so..."

Miyazawa Yuzuki muttered to herself, inexplicably stretching out her hands, and deliberately spoke in a timid tone, "Then, then, uncle, please arrest me. You should be punished for making a mistake..."

Kamiya Gen's slightly upturned lips instantly flattened.

This guy... doesn't take me seriously at all!

She didn't think she would be arrested at all, which is why she put on that confident expression.

To deliberately guide oneself to read legal provisions here is simply too arrogant.

It's not that I should have followed her lead, but it's also a professional habit... Why keep memorizing all those rules and regulations?

"What's wrong, Uncle?" Miyazawa Yuzuki raised an eyebrow, a hint of cunning in her eyes.

Kamiya Gen finally silently took out the handcuffs.

Upon seeing this thing, the girl was terrified and quickly pulled her hand back.

"Uncle...you're serious, I won't plead guilty."

Having finally won a round, Kamiya Gen felt a bit better and put away the handcuffs, saying:

"Then you can hire a lawyer to defend you. If you don't have money, you can wait for a pro bono lawyer to be assigned to you..."

"Can you defend me? You're making such a good point," Miyazawa Yuzuki immediately chimed in.

"My appearance fee isn't low, it's at least..."

As Kamiya Gen was talking, he realized that he seemed to be being led astray by her again, so he quickly changed his tune and said seriously, "Hurry up and eat something, then go home."

Seeing that he wouldn't continue the conversation, Miyazawa Yuzuki pouted, drawled out an "Oh—", and continued eating her noodles with her head down, but didn't forget to mutter:

"I'm not going back. My family is convinced I stole something, even though it didn't happen. I'd be so embarrassed if I went back..."

Noticing that Kamiya Gen's expression changed slightly, as if he was about to get angry, she quickly added, "Uncle has to help me explain, get the school to say that they framed me, before I can go back. How am I supposed to go back now, especially at this hour..."

"What's wrong at this hour? Your father is probably still waiting at home. I'll contact Officer Muhe; she's in charge of your case. She'll definitely have time to take you back. She can also handle the explanations."

"If my father knew that I hadn't seized the opportunity and let Uncle go at this time, he would definitely be very disappointed in me," said Miyazawa Yuzuki.

Kamiya Gen didn't understand what she meant.

Seeing that he was still as blank as ever, Miyazawa pursed her lips and could only explain more clearly:

"Uncle... you should have a place to stay. I can stay here for one night. If it's inconvenient... could you lend me some money to open a hotel? I'll definitely pay you back. A single room is fine..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Kamiya Gen belatedly realized what was happening and was somewhat speechless.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke:

"Look at yourself now. You're not exactly filthy, but you're not exactly clean either. Do you really think this will get my attention? Only a greasy guy like the one in the alley would like that..."

"Cough cough cough!"

Miyazawa Yuzuki was extremely embarrassed and coughed a few times as if to appear embarrassed.

He didn't say another word, and just picked up his chopsticks and put the noodles into his mouth.

Seeing her like this, Kamiya Gen almost laughed.

It seems like none of the women around me are normal.

Let's not even talk about Inspector Kihachi, who's not even in the scope of this discussion. And Miyazawa's thought process is quite peculiar.

How can someone borrow money from a man to book a hotel room, essentially giving themselves away for nothing, and then have to pay him back later?

However, regarding the many peculiar ways of thinking among the Japanese, Gen Kamiya has already reached the point of "not understanding, but respecting".

Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned; they don't see anything wrong with it.

But he never considered agreeing with Miyazawa.

Putting everything else aside, her current situation alone makes it unacceptable.

If people found out that I took a 'missing' girl to a hotel, my whole life would be completely ruined, right?

It's the kind of thing that can't be cleared up no matter what.

"I'll contact Officer Muhe and ask her to take you home and explain things to your father. She'll do that. I'll take you to school tomorrow and make sure everything is arranged properly."

As he spoke, Kamiya Gen took out a walkie-talkie.

After two crackling sounds from the power cord, her voice came through quickly, though it was clearly hurried and filled with background noise:

"Inspector Kamiya? I'm busy right now, what's up?"

Hearing the commotion on the other end, Kamiya Gen knew she was indeed busy and got straight to the point:

"Miyazawa Yuzuki is with me now. We've found her and she's alright. She's had a falling out with her family and refuses to go back. Could you come over once you're done here and take her home to explain the situation to her father, and also let him know about the case?"

"Miyazawa Yuzuki has been found?!"

Mu Heyou's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, only to be interrupted by the voices beside her. She hurriedly replied with a couple of words, then switched back to the walkie-talkie, her tone apologetic yet urgent.

"I'm so glad she's alright! I really can't leave here; the statement we're recording is at a crucial point, and we have to finish it tonight. I'll contact you when I'm done. Could you please keep an eye on her for me and make sure she doesn't run off again? Thank you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, someone seemed to call her name. Mu Heyou hurriedly added, "I'm busy now, I'll call you back later," and then cut off the communication. Only the buzzing sound of electricity remained on the walkie-talkie.

Kamiya Gen put away the walkie-talkie, shook his head helplessly, and looked at Miyazawa Yuzuki on the other side.

The girl, who had been eavesdropping, immediately leaned over and asked when he put down the walkie-talkie, "Isn't Officer Muhe coming?"

"I can't come right now, but I can take you there..."

Kamiya Gen really didn't want to see the Miyazawa family; it would surely cause a lot of trouble.

But given the current situation, it seems I have no choice but to make the trip myself.