2025-09-30: Just Talking
- Cutscene: Just Talking
- Cast: Ichika Kawase, Goichi Mineno
- Where: Hirasaka Police Department, Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: September 30, 2025
- IC Date: Thursday July 19, 2012
- Summary: After 2025-09-29: Interrupted, Ichika is taken down to the police station to be questioned about Tsubasa. She doesn't have a great time.
The interrogation room is small and dim, and Ichika Kawase is a little cold. Dressed still in her Kasugayama uniform, that means Ichika is wearing her white blouse tied up to expose her midriff, her black ribbon hanging from the sailor collar and her long skirt over low boots. They've taken her purse, of course.
But they haven't left her alone for very long.
"Kawase-kun," says Goichi Mineno, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He moves to sit at the table opposite where she's seated. "Sorry about the wait. There was a little paperwork to do."
"Yeah?" Ichika asks, but she's not really paying attention to the answer; she's eyeing her purse that he brought in with him, and then looking back to him. She doesn't tower over him, even seated, unlike a lot of men she encounters.
"Yes," the officer confirms. "So. Where were you on Tuesday afternoon?"
"..." Ichika frowns, and doesn't immediately answer.
"I understand you might think I'm trying to trip you up, but I'm not. I just need to establish some facts. The sooner you answer, the sooner you can go."
"..." Ichika hesitates, and sighs. "I was at the art exhibition in Aoba Park."
"I see. Do you often go to artistic exhibits?"
"I like art," Ichika answers with a frown. "Is that weird?"
"No, not at all." He pauses. "...Did you go with friends?"
"...Yeah," Ichika sighs. "I went with some friends, yeah. A lot of people saw me, you can ask."
"Sure. We'll do that." He pauses. "One of those friends was Tsubasa Seki, isn't that right?" He uses their preferred name, which gets Ichika's attention; she isn't really sure how she feels about getting that out of a cop. Still, when Ichika doesn't immediately answer he says, "Just establishing facts, Kawase-kun."
"Fine," she answers, sullen. "They were one of them, yeah. Art about people falling through the cracks, not being heard... it matters."
"Of course," Goichi answers seriously. "...So, what happened?"
"...Tch," Ichika starts, uncomfortable. "You won't believe me anyway. There's no point. Just let me get out of here already, you're wasting your time."
"Why don't you try me?" Goichi says, "We've put together a lot of what was there already. But every piece helps. You want justice for the artists, right?"
"...Yeah, but..."
"How's that going to happen if no one gets involved? You see it. ...You're not the kind of girl who ignores what's going on around her. You pay attention. That's important."
"Whatever," Ichika answers, but more hesitantly this time. "...Look," she says, "I know what you're getting at, but I was with them, and they didn't do it. They didn't, OK?"
"I just need to talk to them," Goichi says. "To learn the truth for myself."
"You just think they did it because they're an easy target!" Ichika insists. "They got hurt, they didn't set anything on fire. You think I burned my hands for fun!?"
"...Ah," Goichi says. "Yes. Your hands. I do see the bandages on them." He pauses. "Well, if you're so sure they're innocent, then they have nothing to fear from our talking to them, do they?"
"..." Ichika can't quite muster a verbal response, but the skepticism pours off of her in waves all the same.
"I can see it won't be simple, then." He sighs. "I'd hoped this would be easy, but..."
"Right. I know." Ichika scowls. "So are you going to call my Mom, or what?"
"Not yet," Goichi answers. "...Excuse me. There's something I need to check on. I won't be too long." Sliding his chair back, Goichi rises. He leaves her purse on his side of the table, and starts for the exit, quietly opening and stepping through the door in short order.
Ichika stares at her purse. She doesn't reach out for it; instead, she looks to the one-way window behind his chair, back at her purse, and down at her hands.
"...Tch," Ichika vocalizes, and doesn't reach out to take it.
-=-=-
It's about ten minutes of waiting, just long enough that Ichika considers her purse again, but dismisses the idea as a trap. There's nothing in there she needs right now anyway, she's pretty sure.
But eventually, the door opens again, and Goichi steps inside once more. His suit is nice. He has a folder this time, closed up, and he looks right at where he left her purse and then back to Ichika again. He smiles, this time. "Forgive the wait," he apologizes.
"Whatever," Ichika answers. Goichi comes to sit down across from her again, and sets the folder down. He opens it; there are a few papers inside, and a couple of photographs, which he shows to Ichika, turning the first her way so she can see it properly and sliding it over to her side.
"This photograph," Goichi says, businesslike, "May be familiar to you. It was taken early this morning, at about three o'clock."
The photograph is of Ichika Kawase, her bleached long hair prominent, walking through the streets of the Hirasaka Ward.
"What the--" Ichika blinks, looking in some alarm from the photograph to the officer.
Goichi holds up a hand to forestall Ichika's reaction. It sort of stops her, but only for long enough for him to chime in, "Now, I'm not showing you this to scare you--just to illuminate the situation for you. We already know more or less where they are; finding them isn't something you can affect, at this point."
"That's..." Ichika swallows.
"I just want you to corroborate a few facts we have in evidence. We don't want to hurt your friend. We just need answers to what happened."
"And why should I help?" Ichika wonders. "Sounds like you already got them. What do you need from me?"
"Well, I'd suspected you'd seen them last night. Which means you have been in contact."
"..." Ichika clams up again, quiet.
"...But there's something called 'obstruction of justice', Kawase-kun. And your belongings, I have to admit, are a little suspicious. Forgive me for saying so," he apologizes again, "But I don't believe most girls carry condoms in their purse just to go to school. And your phone is locked quite securely... Suggesting you might have something to hide."
"That's--" Ichika, agitated, curls her fingers in her lap. "That's none of--"
"None of my business?" Goichi pre-empts, and reaches up to adjust his glasses, which glint in the dim light of the interrogation room. "I'm inclined to agree. But I want you to understand that your situation here is... somewhat precarious. A known delinquent, in possession of suspicious materials, actively obstructing an investigation..."
"I'm--I'm not--" Ichika is sweating despite the chill of the room.
"Obstructing our investigation?" Goichi offers. "If you'd just help us out with what you know, this would all be over. You could be living your normal student life. Be talking with your boyfriend, instead of an old man like me."
Ichika scowls harder than she had before. She starts to say something--but there's a knock at the interrogation room's door.
"...One moment," Goichi says, and takes back the photograph, closes the folder, and stands up to go to the door. He takes the purse this time.
"What is it?" he starts to someone on the other side, even before he's closed the door.
"'He' heard you had her here..."
The door closes, and Ichika can't hear the rest. She doesn't like how it started, though.
-=-=-
The door opens again and Goichi steps through it, apparently chagrined. "Well, Kawase-kun," he says, "It seems we won't be needing your assistance today after all."
"...Huh?" Ichika asks. "What are you..."
"If you'd like to stay and answer a few more questions, you're welcome to," Goichi says amiably. "But we'll return your belongings. I don't think there's any need to call your parents over from Iwatodai for this, though. Do you?"
"Uh. I mean, I guess... not?" Ichika, entirely thrown, stares at the officer who was interrogating her before. "I mean, um--no. I want to go."
"I thought so." He smiles, and gestures for her to stand, which Ichika does, unsteadily. "Oh, and..."
"Uh?"
"Give my regards to Kamiya-kun. We like it when young men get involved in their communities like he has."
Ichika stares at Goichi for about ten seconds before she remembers how words work.
When she does, she decides she's used too many of them already.
-=-=-
Having declined a ride home, Ichika steps out of the police station and looks around the sidewalk. She waits until she's two blocks away before she opens up her phone again.
"Shuyo-kun?" Ichika asks once she's selected his contact. "...Can you come meet me...?"
Focusing on the walk to their meeting point grounds her enough for the moment.