CHAPTER 326: SEE YOU AROUND.

"Ughhhhh"

Back at the Triple Jackpot, Dante slumped in his chair, looking like his soul had left his body. Boris stared at him for a couple of then turned to the other boy, only to see the distressed look on his face.

"Hey, what’s up with you two?"

When his question got no reply, the big guy placed the large bag he was carrying on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa.

"Guess you aren’t in the mood for some lunch."

Still no reply. Opening the bag, he took out a large wrapper and tore off one of its ends, revealing a freshly cooked burrito. He checked on the boys, but seeing they hadn’t reacted, he just went ahead and took a bite. Soon enough, he was done with the first, then the second. Grabbing the third, he was about to open it, but then stopped.

"Alright, out with it already." He said. "What happened?"

Same as before, Dante ignored the question. Finn showed a reaction, however, and after a few moments, he spoke with eyes wide open.

"She... She demanded he date her..."

"... what?"

This time, the big guy didn’t have to wait for an explanation, and soon enough, he was as shocked as the other two.

"Sorry, Dante, but... can’t say I’m happy for you..." He said, looking at Dante with pity.

Rose’s condition for working with them was that Dante must go out for drinks with her at least once a week. Her true aim was something else, of course, and that was the reason for their low spirits.

"I... should have offered you instead," Dante said.

Finn’s face went pale and he shook his head furiously.

"No no no no no! Absolutely not!"

"What are you so afraid of? You were staring at her tits the entire time."

"I was not!"

Though his size made it difficult to notice, the boy was already fourteen. He was undoubtedly cultivating an interest in what goes on under the sheets. One would think he would jump at the chance to climb that ladder, but from the looks of it, the thought only terrified him.

"Don’t joke about this, Dante." Boris grimaces. "You want him traumatized?"

"What are you talking about? I wasn’t that much older when I first got to hit." Dante said. "And she was twice my age."

"Seriously!!?" Finn looked even more shocked than before.

"No wonder you’re messed up in the head." Sighing, Boris unwrapped the third burrito and took a large bite.

"The hell do you mean with that?"

Clicking his tongue, Dante reached into the bag and took out the last wrapper. Just as he was about to take a bite, he noticed that the boy was still staring at him with eyes wide open.

"What?"

"Ah!... well, I... um..."

"Just... stop. It’s not that big of a deal."

"Don’t listen to him, Finn," Boris interjected. "Be careful around women like that. Don’t let them mess with you."

"Yeah, keep throwing jabs at me," Dante said. "Want me to tell Ms. Yukimora how much you spend in brothels?"

"Wha- I haven’t gone to any in months!" The big guy dropped his food and jumped to his feet. "If you dare say-"

"Chill, you know I won’t." Dante giggled.

"You better not."

Watching their squabble between the two helped Finn calm down. Smiling, he reached for the plastic bag, intending to take one of the burritos for himself. He noticed it was way too light right away, and when he checked inside, he realized it was empty.

~[ ]~

Rapid clicking filled Jonah’s office, though only he could hear it. His fingers jumped on his desk as if he were typing, and that’s exactly what he was doing, except only he could see the keyboard.

He was grateful for the application that allowed him to project retro tech onto his office, allowing him to work the same way he did back in the day. Nowadays, police officers are issued special NIMs to use for their jobs. Getting used to new tech wasn’t too difficult, seeing as he was born in an era of rapid technological advancement. Still, he preferred the classic mouse and keyboard setups. It allowed him to focus, and he always worked faster while using them.

A final tap announced the end of his work, and after fiddling with the mouse a little, he was finally free. It was just another report for the headquarters and a request for reinforcements. After going over the latest findings, he decided to send one despite his last attempt being met with rejection.

After an entire year of no gang violence, it looked like things were reverting to the not-so-good old days. He always knew it was only a matter of time, but even then, he still hoped that the peace would continue.

"Well, we will deal with it when it comes."

He already did everything he could do, and now it was time for a lunch break. Grabbing his coat, he exited the office and headed for the exit, intending to visit Nobara’s shop.

"Hm?"

Passing the cubicles, he noticed one of his colleagues standing beside his, watching as someone scribbled something on a tablet device. The latter had a shaved head, and the hand he held the pen with was clearly artificial. Further observation showed that his entire arm was bionic, and that alone helped the old officer recognize him, even before he could see his face. After all, he was the one who brought him in, and it wasn’t a clean arrest.

Turning to his colleague, he tried to stop himself from frowning, but to no avail.

"Martin, what’s going on here?"

"Ah, captain. Are you heading out for lunch?"

Martin, one of the older officers, has been with the station for the last fifteen years. Gray was starting to take over his head, and the scars littering his face were only made worse by the wrinkles.

"What’s he doing out here?" Jonah asked again, ignoring his colleague’s question.

"Ah, you mean Jacob?" Martin said. "His bail has been paid so he’s leaving."

"First time I’m hearing about this." Jonah’s eyes narrowed.

"But of course! We only finalized it just now! Nara approved it."

"Nara..."

The young man placed the pen down and picked up the tablet, handing it to Martin, who looked at it for a moment before nodding, his smile widening.

"Alright! The paperwork is done!" He said. "You are free to leave now, but make sure to show up to your hearing!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Making his annoyance known as he got up, the young man put his hands into his pockets and started walking. Passing Jonah, he glanced at him and let the corners of his mouth rise.

"See you around, old man."