On the way to the hospital, they encountered a traffic jam. Fortunately, as the ambulance siren wailed, the initially congested traffic began to clear a path, allowing the ambulance to speed through towards the hospital.
However, Officer Hidari's car remained stuck in the slow-moving traffic, inching forward bit by bit.
"The ambulance has already gone ahead. Don't worry. Once we get past this congested section, I'll take a shortcut that'll get us to the hospital quickly," Officer Hidari reassured Iroha, who was sitting in the backseat, her face tight with worry.
As part of her professional routine, every ti Officer Hidari arrived in an unfamiliar city, especially when on duty, she would thoroughly familiarize herself with key locations—police substations, main streets, hospitals, and the fastest routes to them.
Being a detective in the First Division ant constantly dealing with dangerous situations, and she always prepared carefully. Knowing these routes ahead of ti could an saving soone's life—or even her own.
"Take a deep breath and try to calm down bit by bit. Staying tense for too long can make your head feel worse," Kotomi said gently, taking Iroha's trembling hand in hers.
Following Kotomi's advice, Iroha exhaled deeply, then managed a faint smile.
"Senpai, I feel much better now!"
This little devil's heart is stronger than I thought. Kotomi admired Iroha's resilience, her heart aching at the thought of everything Iroha had endured. She wished she could comfort her more but didn't know how.
Thankfully, the traffic jam didn't last too long. Once the flow loosened, Officer Hidari seized the mont, stepped on the gas, and maneuvered her car out of the congested area, speeding down a shortcut to the hospital.
"Excuse , could you tell which floor the patient just brought in by ambulance is on? Has the surgery started yet?" Iroha ran up to the reception desk, her voice trembling.
The nurse at the desk, having a fresh mory of the recent arrival, replied, "He's on the third floor in surgery."
"Thank you," Iroha said, imdiately heading for the elevators, supporting Kotomi as they moved awkwardly together.
Kotomi had completely drained her strength earlier and had only recovered enough to remain upright with Iroha's help.
This incident taught Kotomi a harsh lesson about overextending the energy reserves of her unique physique. She was thankful that everything had turned out alright this ti, but she couldn't help but imagine what might have happened had the situation taken a turn for the worse.
If sothing had gone wrong, she would have been like a fish on a cutting board, helplessly awaiting her fate.
Wait, a fish on a cutting board?
Her stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, interrupting her thoughts. It was so loud that it echoed through the otherwise empty elevator.
Even the ever-composed Officer Hidari, who had faced countless dangerous criminals without flinching, froze montarily at the sound. Then, unable to contain herself, she burst into laughter.
Kotomi's face turned beet red.
Why now, stomach?! Couldn't you read the room? And to make it worse, it sounded like I hadn't eaten all day—even though I had two big plates of fried shrimp for lunch!
Exiting the elevator, Officer Hidari stopped a passing surgeon and inquired about Tetsunosuke Isshiki's condition.
By sheer luck, the doctor she stopped happened to be one of the physicians who had treated him. He offered to guide them to his room and explained as they walked, "Mr. Isshiki's wound isn't life-threatening. We've successfully treated him, and the bleeding has been stopped. You don't need to worry too much—he just needs a few days of rest."
Hearing this, the tension in Iroha's face finally eased, a hint of relief softening her expression.
Before long, the doctor led the three of them to a patient room. Iroha saw her father, Tetsunosuke Isshiki, lying in bed, already dressed in hospital attire. His left hand, which had tightly gripped the knife earlier, was now wrapped in bandages.
A female doctor with a high ponytail, looking to be around 35 years old, was examining the wound on his abdon. As she checked the injury, she softly asked him questions.
Kotomi and the others decided not to disturb the examination and waited outside the room. When the doctor finally ca out and saw the three waiting outside, she asked, "Are you the patient's family?"
"Yes," Iroha quickly replied. "How is my father?"
"You're Tetsunosuke's daughter?" The doctor glanced at Iroha, her gaze shifting slightly before returning to a calm deanor. She replied, "Don't worry. Although the knife penetrated his abdon, it was fortunate enough to miss any vital organs, so there's no serious damage. By the way, does your father drink alcohol frequently?"
"Yes, he often has to drink while entertaining his boss," Iroha said, nodding.
Hearing this, the doctor's eyes flashed with a hint of pity before she sighed lightly. In a deliberately lighthearted tone, she continued, "Well, it seems his 'beer belly' saved his life. The extra fat provided so resistance to the knife's impact. If the blade had gone even slightly deeper, he might have spent much more ti in the operating room."
With that, the doctor didn't linger. She turned and left, her face partially obscured by a mask. From what they could see, her features were delicate and clean, giving off an impression of refined beauty, despite her chilly tone.
"Dad! Are you okay?" Iroha hurried into the room. Hearing his daughter's voice, Tetsunosuke Isshiki tried to prop himself up but was quickly stopped by her.
Lying back on the bed, he coughed lightly and waved his hand. "It's just a minor injury, haha. Don't worry, don't worry. Who would've thought that my beer belly would save my life one day?"
"Are you really okay?" Iroha asked, still uneasy.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. But what about you, Iroha? You weren't hurt, right?"
"Not a scratch. Honestly, at first, I was scared out of my wits and thought I wouldn't survive the day. If it weren't for Senpai and you, Dad, arriving in ti…"
"Senpai?" Tetsunosuke repeated curiously. Hearing his daughter ntion this "Senpai" so often piqued his interest. He turned his gaze toward Kotomi, who had been quietly standing near the door.
When Kotomi noticed his eyes on her, she smiled warmly, stepped forward, and greeted him confidently, "Hello, Mr. Isshiki. I'm Kotomi Izumi, the older sister of Iroha's friend. She calls Senpai because she's always dread of attending the sa high school as ."
"You're an Izumi? Are you Aimi's older sister?"
"That's right."
Since Aimi had visited Iroha's ho several tis, both of her parents were familiar with her. Moreover, during the police interrogation at the station, when the officers explained the cris of his late wife, Yuzuru, they ntioned her attempted murder of Kotomi the previous night.
Now, knowing that Kotomi had also saved his daughter during a critical mont, Tetsunosuke Isshiki was filled with deep gratitude. He had countless things he wanted to say but didn't know how to put them into words.
"My daughter often speaks about Aimi. She has many acquaintances, but very few close friends. Aimi is practically her only confidant. And now, you've saved her life… Even though Yuuha tried to harm you last night in such a terrible way… I truly don't know how to thank you enough."
Tetsunosuke looked at Kotomi with genuine sincerity, closed his eyes, and bowed his head in gratitude.
"Well, since Iroha is so eager to beco my junior, as her senior, it's my duty to protect her," Kotomi replied with poise, gracefully accepting his thanks.
In monts like these, straightforwardly accepting gratitude is far better than falsely modest deflection.
When it ca to navigating interpersonal relationships, Kotomi had a wealth of experience far exceeding that of her peers.
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