High school students working undercover(English)

Cue the undercover high school students!

"Hey, Karin. I want to stop by the new general store in Yongenjaya today..."

　That day, as Karin Takahata was getting ready to leave as usual after class, she was approached by her friend Miyabi Hayashi.

"That's where we were talking the other day, right?　I'm coming too!"

　As she said this and picked up her bag - Karin's cell phone rang.

　In her haste to search her pockets and retrieve her cell phone, the black notebook she had put with it fell to the ground - the notebook had the words "Police Notebook" stamped on it.

　Picking it up quickly, Karin stares at the cell phone screen and lets out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Miyabi. I got some work to do."

　Then Miyabi smiled bitterly and waved her hand, "Go ahead." 

　Karin is a first-year high school student.

　Normally, she lives her school life no differently from any other high school student.

　However, she has another face.

　It is a quasi-police officer - a person with qualifications equivalent to those of a police officer who goes undercover to solve crimes that occur at the school.

　Karin herself has not been told the details of why she was chosen as a quasi-police officer.

　However, it has been almost three years now since he was given his duties as a quasi-police officer.

　The fact that Karin is called out means that some incident has occurred at some school and Karin has to move.

　As usual, Karin went to her department, Special Investigation Section 15, located on the second basement floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

"hello."

　When Karin arrived, she found her buddy, Kyoichi Togusa, and several other students who were certified semi-police officers.

"Togusa, you're early."

"I was done with second period today."

　Togusa is a fifth-year semi-police officer and an eighteen-year-old college freshman.

　Since undercover work is basically done in pairs, Karin has been working with Togusa ever since she became a semi-police officer.

"College students are great, aren't they? I had all my after-school plans canceled."

"I don't have a lot of free time either."

　Then Akatsuki Himura, the section chief, came in.

"Hey you two. Sorry to call you at this hour."

"No problem."

"Then let's get right to it and explain the case."

　Himura handed Karin and Togusa the documents.

"Let's start with the first one. The scene is Shinadaya private school. Rikami Matsuzawa, a member of the third class of the second grade, was murdered. The murder weapon was a metal bat. The victim was struck multiple times, and her skull was caved in."

　A photograph of the victim lying face down showed the back of her head stained bright red with blood.

"Is this from being hit from behind?"

　Himura nods at Togusa's question.

"Probably. The first blow was from behind. But it didn't kill him, so I hit him two or three more times. I want you to look at the next picture."

　The second photo is a frontal view of the victim's face, but there are also marks on the left side of the head and forehead, as if he had been hit with a baseball bat.

"She was probably turned around and hit again, then fell on her face and died while trying to escape. ...... something like that. And about the bat, it seems that this bat is actually used by the baseball team, but it is not yet known who it belonged to. The murder took place in the clubroom of the 100 poems study group to which the victim belonged, and the estimated time of death is between 3:00 and 9:00 p.m. yesterday. And the problem is the next picture--"

　Karin and Togusa flipped through the document and found a close-up photo of the victim's hand on the ground.

"......an anthology of 100 poems by 100 different poets , is it?"

　Togusa's calm reply was answered by Himura, "Yes."

"There were several hundred cards scattered around the victim, and she was clutching only one, this one."

　Karin stares intently at a photo zoomed in on that tag further.

"'Kore ya kono, Iku mo kaeru mo, wakare ha, Shiru mo shiranu mo Afusaka no Seki'" ....... What is this?"

　When Karin lifted her gaze, Togusa murmured, "The tenth of the an anthology of 100 poems by 100 different poets, a tanka by Semimaru."

"We still don't know if there is any meaning to this card. So, I would like you, Togusa and Takahata, to infiltrate as students and find out what is going on. We will send you all the information we obtain during our initial response."

"Understood."