The sky had begun to brighten into a soft, dull gray as the early morning settled into full daylight. With the situation wrapped up and the mercenaries hauled away, Raito leaned against the edge of a police cruiser, arms folded, waiting.
Yumi approached from across the street, jacket a little scuffed, cheeks slightly flushed—not from exertion, but from something else.
"I'm taking you home," she said without giving him a chance to refuse.
Raito raised a brow. "Didn't we already go through this?"
"Yeah," she muttered, looking away. "And I still don't care. After what happened, I'm not just letting you walk off like it was nothing."
He sighed, realizing there was no use arguing this time. "Fine."
The car ride was quiet at first. The city blurred past in streaks of steel and concrete. Raito leaned his head against the window, arms crossed, watching the buildings pass while Yumi focused on the road.
"So," he finally said. "The person those criminals hit… who was it?"
Yumi glanced at him briefly. "City councilman. Low-profile, but with just enough influence to be considered a threat to the wrong people. He's alive, but in the hospital."
Raito gave a slow nod. Just as I thought. This wasn't some random job. It was a message—sloppy, but dangerous.
"I'm guessing you figured that out already," she added with a tired smile. "You've got that annoying look on your face."
Raito looked over at her. "What look?"
"The 'I already know everything but I'm going to let you catch up anyway' look."
He remained stoic, but didn't argue.
A pause followed, quieter than before. The engine hummed beneath them, a low comforting sound.
"…I'm sorry," Yumi said suddenly. "That you got dragged into this. I thought it'd be a simple drop-off, not a brawl in the street."
"I've dealed with worse customers before," Raito replied.
"I'm serious." She gripped the wheel tighter. "You didn't have to do anything back there, and even if it was just a punch or two—thanks. Really."
He nodded once. "You did most of the work."
Another pause.
"…And, uh—sorry about the boyfriend thing," she added, voice lower now. "That must've been weird. Especially since, y'know, I'm not exactly the 'feminine' type. Probably not the kind of girl someone like you would even think about dating."
She stared hard at the road, her ears slightly pink now.
Raito's response was immediate, sharp, but calm. "There's nothing wrong with you."
Yumi blinked, caught off guard.
"It shouldn't matter if you're not into dresses or tea parties or whatever it is people expect," he said, his voice cool but firm. "You held your own back there. You didn't hesitate. That's more than the other cops in your precinct can say."
Yumi's grip on the wheel loosened slightly, her lips parting in quiet surprise.
"…Thanks," she said, shyly.
Raito leaned back in the seat again, eyes closed now. "You're fine, Detective. Don't apologize for being who you are."
The rest of the ride passed in thoughtful silence, both of them lost in their own worlds. But something had shifted slightly in the air at least for the detective—her mind racing from Raito's sharp words.
"You must be quiet well off if your here huh?" Yumi added as they arrived closer to his villa
He responded by saying that "The insurance business pays me well". Even though that was not how he made the money to buy the villa in the first place.
When they pulled up in front of Raito's place, she gave a short nod while there was still tint of pink on her cheeks. "Alright. Get some rest. And try not to sell any more insurance during street fights."
Raito remained expressionless as he got out with his groceries. "No promises."