"Superintendent Uchiha, Superintendent Uchiha!"
In the haze between sleep and waking, Uchiha Senmon faintly heard calls drifting nearer and farther away.
Uchiha... they must be calling me.
But superintendent? How many years had it been since I heard that title? They should call me director...
Director? Director of what?
Uchiha Senmon's eyelids twitched a few times before slowly opening. Through the corridor windows, he could see people coming and going on the street below, decked with festive lights and decorations. Christmas trees stood outside several shops.
It was almost evening. A little white snow drifted down from the sky, clothing the ground in silver.
His head felt stuffed with paste. Uchiha Senmon was dazed, his thoughts sluggish and obstructed.
Even so, he recognized it at a glance: Kasumigaseki, home to the Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters where he had worked for over a decade.
"Ahem, ahem, Superintendent Uchiha. Section Chief Akagi is still waiting for you."
"Sorry."
He followed an assistant to an office door. The sign read, "Criminal Affairs Department, Third Investigation Division: Section Chief Akagi."
"Come in."
After the assistant knocked, Uchiha Senmon entered the office alone.
"You're here, old friend. Sit, sit."
Seeing the square-faced man behind the desk, with his thick eyebrows, large eyes, and upright bearing, looking like the lead in a Showa-era detective drama, Uchiha Senmon froze.
"Senior Akagi!"
A sense of déjà vu swept over him. For no apparent reason, Uchiha Senmon's eyes grew hot. He turned his head slightly to hide it and said:
"Have you lost weight? And..."
"Senmon, what are you talking about? From our university Kendo Club days to now, my physique has always been this fit."
Feeling his bulging biceps on the opposite arm with his left hand, Section Chief Akagi asked in bewilderment.
"Nothing. I feel a little