Mystery Of The Mask

EP8 : NEW IDEA

After two years, it's time for my final outcome and the last day of my police academy.

I was searching for my Roll number on the board, whispering, "10078... 10078" as I discovered it and felt a wave of relief in my heart.

I noticed my pals, possibly searching for me, so I called out their names and they spotted me.

I hurried over to them and asked, "Did you get your roll number?"

They nodded and I grinned. Then, I saw Akari at the entrance. She glanced at me and waved her hand.

I rushed over to her and she asked, "Did you pass?" I replied, "Yeah!" She responded with, "Good boy!" and we both laughed.

As my friends approached, Haruki asked Akari, "Hey Akari, how are you?" She replied, "I'm good."

They said, "We're good too," and Akari smiled. Then, Fuji playfully asked us, "So Akari, Akihiko, when are you guys getting married?"

I could sense her becoming shy. You might be wondering why they're asking about our wedding date when she's with Akira, right? Well, let's go back in time.

I was sitting sadly on a bench in the garden, feeling the cool breeze making me shiver.

I spotted Akari walking by, looking all cheerful.

She was strolling around when she noticed me and came running up to me like, "Heyy! Yamagata-san!"

"H-hello!" I stammered, and she sat down beside me.

She asked, "What brings you here?" I replied, "Just feeling a bit bored."

"Ohh! You seem down," she said. "N-no," I denied, trying to hide my true feelings.

I peeped at her, and she caught a glimpse of the tears brimming in my eyes. "You shedding tears?" she inquired.

"I ain't sure..." I murmured, just loud enough for her to catch. "Of course, you're crying," she declared, and then she gave me a tight squeeze.

How can I let her know I got feelings for her? It's so dang tricky.

"D-do you love Akira?" I asked her. "N-no! Why you keep asking me that? You've asked me the same thing during lunchtime too," she softly replied.

"Akari, I gotta spill something," I gathered up the guts to say.

"I-I love you," I confessed, and she hugged me even tighter.

"I love you too," she said, and in that moment, all my sadness vanished.

"Ever since the day I laid eyes on you, I've been dreaming about you, even going as far as burnin' my adult books," I said, makin' Akari burst into laughter.

And that brought a smile to my face. "Good."

So, the flashback ended and I reached my crib. I tossed my coat on the bed and plopped down on it.

I let out a sigh and whispered, "Now, I got myself a degree as a cop! I got the power to bust criminals and seek revenge."

I shut my eyes for a bit and dozed off on the bed.

The next morning, I woke up to a bunch of missed calls from Dai.

I dialed him up and he picked up in a hurry. "Hey! What's up, Dai?" I asked.

"Nothin' much, we just planned to grab lunch together," he said. "Oh! Send me the location, I'm on my way," I replied.

He sent me the link to the restaurant's location and I got ready to head out for lunch.