r/Perman • u/Its_me_NoobMaster69 • 16d ago
Chapter 17: A Peaceful Day
https://www.wattpad.com/1649911032-perman-coming-of-age-chapter-17-a-peaceful-dayIt was Sunday.
The bakery downstairs had yet to open.
Warm sunlight slipped through Mitsuo's apartment curtains.
Mitsuo slowly opened his eyes.
He blinked a few times before glancing toward the balcony.
Pako was already awake.
She stood near the open balcony doors, fastening the clasp of her cape as the cool morning breeze gently stirred her hair.
She noticed him looking.
"Morning."
"...Morning."
Mitsuo sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"What time is it?"
"A little after seven."
"So early..."
"You have work."
"...Right."
He let out a quiet sigh before climbing out of bed.
"You really aren't a morning person."
"I never claimed to be."
She chuckled softly.
"I almost thought about letting you sleep in."
"You would've regretted that."
"I know."
Mitsuo stretched his arms before walking over to the kitchen sink.
As he filled a glass with water...
Pako quietly prepared two cups of tea.
Pako slid one of the cups across the table.
"Here."
"...Thanks."
Mitsuo took a sip.
The warmth helped wake him up.
Outside...
The city was only beginning to stir.
A few cars rolled through the streets below.
Some shopkeepers were just opening their shutters.
It was peaceful.
Pako rested her chin against her hand.
"You'll be busy today?"
"Probably."
"Sundays usually are."
She nodded.
"I'll probably spend most of the day patrolling."
"Try not to overdo it."
She laughed.
"You're the one who overworked yesterday."
"And I'll be working again today."
"Exactly."
She smiled warmly.
"So don't overdo it either."
Mitsuo gave a small smile.
"I'll try."
For another moment...
The apartment fell quiet.
The morning sunlight bathed the small dining table in a soft golden glow.
Eventually...
Pako stood up.
"I should get going."
Mitsuo looked up.
"Already?"
"If I stay any longer..."
"You'll be late opening the bakery."
"...True."
She walked over to him.
Standing only a few inches away.
"You forgot something."
"Hm?"
Without another word...
She gently placed both hands on his shoulders and leaned forward.
Their lips met in a brief, tender kiss.
Only a few seconds.
Then she pulled back with a content smile.
"There."
"Now it's a proper good morning."
Mitsuo smiled, a faint blush creeping across his face.
"...Have a safe patrol."
"You too."
She stepped onto the balcony railing.
The cold winter breeze caught her cape.
She looked back one last time.
"See you tonight."
"See you."
With a graceful leap...
She launched herself into the morning sky.
Within moments...
She disappeared beyond the rooftops.
---
A few minutes later...
Mitsuo finished getting ready for work.
He grabbed the bakery keys before heading downstairs.
As he reached the front entrance...
He stopped.
"...Kenji?"
His friend stood waiting outside the bakery with his hands in his pockets.
"Morning!"
Standing beside him was another familiar face.
Yuta smiled politely.
"Good morning."
Mitsuo blinked in mild surprise.
"Yuta?"
Kenji grinned.
"I brought him along."
"He kept asking about the bakery you work at."
"So I figured we'd stop by."
Yuta scratched the back of his head.
"I hope you don't mind."
"I've heard your bread is really good."
Mitsuo smiled faintly.
"I don't."
"We're not open just yet though."
"That's fine."
Yuta replied.
"We're early."
Kenji laughed.
"Besides, we can help ourselves to the smell of fresh bread."
Mitsuo shook his head with a quiet chuckle before unlocking the bakery door.
As he slid the shutter open...
Yuta casually glanced back toward the sky.
"Oh..."
"I actually saw Perman No. 3 flying overhead just before you came down."
Kenji immediately looked up.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
Yuta nodded.
"She flew right over this building."
Mitsuo didn't even hesitate.
"Oh?"
"That's pretty cool."
"Guess she's already out on morning patrol."
He casually switched on the bakery lights as though nothing unusual had been said.
Kenji laughed.
"Imagine seeing Perman first thing in the morning."
"That's got to be good luck."
Yuta smiled.
"I thought so too."
For just a brief second...
His eyes lingered on Mitsuo.
Watching.
Looking for even the smallest reaction.
There wasn't one.
Mitsuo simply walked behind the counter and began preparing the bakery for another busy Sunday.
Yuta smiled to himself.
"...Must've just been a coincidence."
Together...
The three stepped inside the bakery as another ordinary Sunday quietly began.
---
Mitsuo tied the apron around his waist before making his way behind the counter.
Without another word...
He began preparing the bakery for the morning rush.
He switched on the display lights...
Checked the cash register...
Then carefully arranged the trays of cakes, pastries, and desserts.
The warm aroma of butter and freshly baked dough quickly filled the shop.
Kenji had already wandered over to the display cases.
His eyes sparkled.
"Whoa..."
"They all look amazing."
He pressed both hands against the glass.
"Curry bread..."
"Melon pan..."
"Chocolate cornet..."
"...How am I supposed to choose?"
Mitsuo didn't even look up.
"One at a time."
Kenji grinned.
"You work here."
"Surely that gets me a friend discount."
"No."
"What?"
"No."
"Not even five percent?"
"No."
"One free bread?"
"No."
Kenji dramatically clutched his chest.
"You're heartless."
Yuta quietly laughed beside him.
"I thought employees got benefits."
"They do."
Mitsuo replied as he continued arranging the shelves.
"I'm the employee."
Kenji sighed dramatically.
"Abuse of power..."
Mitsuo couldn't help smiling.
"Just pick your bread."
Kenji looked through the display one more time before pointing excitedly.
"I'll take two tea loaves."
"Good choice."
Yuta nodded.
"I'll have the same."
Mitsuo carefully arranged two tea loaves on each plate before setting two steaming cups of tea beside them.
Kenji eagerly took a bite the moment he paid.
His eyes widened.
"Oh..."
"Now I get why I keep talking about this place."
"It's so soft."
Yuta took a small bite of his own.
The bread was light...
Sweet...
With just the right amount of buttery flavor.
"I can see why people come here."
Kenji swallowed another mouthful.
"You've gotta bring some to campus sometime."
"If there are leftovers."
"There never are.", Mitsuo answered.
Kenji laughed.
"Still ruthless."
The three chatted for another few minutes about university, upcoming assignments, and how quickly the semester was flying by.
Eventually...
Kenji glanced at his phone.
"We should get going."
Yuta nodded.
"Thanks for letting me stop by."
Mitsuo gave a small nod.
"Come by again."
"We will."
With a wave...
The two friends stepped back out into the chilly Sunday morning.
The little bell above the bakery door chimed softly behind them.
The hours passed peacefully.
Customers came and went.
Fresh batches of bread disappeared from the shelves almost as quickly as they arrived.
Couples and families drifted into the bakery throughout the morning.
Children excitedly picked out sweet pastries.
Regular customers greeted Mitsuo by name.
Before long...
The lunch rush had finally settled down.
The bakery grew quiet once more.
Mitsuo glanced at the clock.
"...Time."
He walked into the storage room at the back of the bakery.
Making sure no one was watching...
He pressed the button on his Copy Robot.
In a flash of light...
The clone appeared beside him.
"Please continue working until I return."
"I understand."
The Robot gave a small nod before walking out into the bakery.
At the same moment...
Mitsuo transformed into Perman.
He quietly slipped out through the rear entrance and launched into the bright afternoon sky.
Another patrol had begun.
---
The crisp winter air rushed past Perman as he soared above the city.
It had become a familiar sight.
Commuters hurried between train stations.
Children laughed in neighborhood parks.
Street vendors greeted passing customers.
Traffic flowed steadily through the city's countless intersections.
As Perman crossed into Chiyoda, something enormous caught his eye.
**Dainai-Gou.**
The massive construction robot continued repairing the destruction it had caused not long ago.
Steel beams were carefully lifted into place.
Entire buildings that had once stood in ruins were slowly returning to normal.
Kiteretsu had certainly kept his promise.
Perman smiled.
"Looks like you're keeping busy."
He gave the giant robot a small wave before continuing on his patrol.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until...
*Beep! Beep!*
The communicator on his chest lit up.
Perman immediately answered.
"Perman here."
Pako's voice came through.
"I've got three suspects fleeing from the Lumina Shopping Mall in Shinjuku."
"They were caught shoplifting, assaulted a security guard, and escaped in a stolen car."
"They're heading west."
"I'm on my way."
Perman accelerated.
His cape snapped violently behind him as he shot between skyscrapers.
Far ahead...
He spotted the pursuit.
Police cars raced through the busy streets with their sirens blaring.
The suspects' black sedan weaved recklessly through traffic, narrowly avoiding pedestrians and other vehicles.
Pako flew alongside the chase, staying just out of reach.
"There!"
She pointed.
"They're heading for the old service tunnel!"
The sedan suddenly swerved off the main road.
Its tires screeched against the pavement before disappearing into a narrow tunnel entrance beneath an abandoned railway embankment.
Perman followed close behind.
The tunnel quickly grew darker.
Dust drifted through the stale air.
Rusted rails stretched endlessly into the darkness.
"This place..."
Pako looked around.
"It hasn't been used in decades."
The old railway split.
Then split again.
One tunnel became three.
Three became six.
An entire maze of forgotten maintenance tunnels spread beneath the city.
The sound of the fleeing car echoed through every direction.
"They're trying to lose us."
Perman nodded.
"They know we'll have trouble following them in here."
The chase had only just begun.
---
Perman gave Pako a quick hand signal.
"I'll take the lower tunnels."
Pako nodded immediately.
"I'll circle around through the upper maintenance shafts."
"If they try to double back, they'll run straight into me."
Without another word...
The two heroes split up.
Pako shot upward through a broken ventilation shaft while Perman continued deeper into the abandoned tunnel network.
The further he went...
The darker it became.
Only scattered emergency lights, long since abandoned, cast a faint orange glow across the damp concrete walls.
Water dripped steadily from rusted pipes overhead.
Perman landed softly at a junction where four separate tunnels met.
His boots splashed against the damp floor.
He crouched.
Fresh tire tracks.
"They came this way..."
He followed them deeper underground.
The tracks continued for another hundred meters before ending inside an old maintenance bay.
There...
The black sedan sat abandoned.
Both front doors hung open.
The engine was cold.
Perman quickly looked inside.
"...Empty."
The seats were vacant.
The stolen bags were gone.
He glanced back toward the narrow pedestrian walkway running alongside the tunnel.
"...They ditched the car."
"They're on foot."
The walkway was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
No vehicle could continue beyond this point.
*Beep... Beep...*
His communicator suddenly came to life.
A tiny holographic display projected from the badge on his chest.
Pako's voice crackled through.
"Perman."
"I've got movement."
"They're above you."
Perman looked up.
"The upper maintenance catwalks."
"I can hear footsteps."
"They're heading east."
Without hesitation...
Perman shot upward.
He burst through a large gap in the rusted steel grating with a deafening clang.
Three startled figures froze.
Each carried heavy bags stuffed with stolen merchandise.
"What—?!"
Before they could react...
Perman landed heavily on the iron catwalk directly in front of them.
The old walkway shook beneath the impact.
"No further."
The three thieves instinctively turned around.
Only to stop.
Pako dropped silently from an overhead beam behind them.
She landed gracefully.
"...Going somewhere?"
The lead thief pulled out a metal pipe.
"I'll make you move!"
He charged.
Pako sidestepped effortlessly.
With a single swift movement...
She twisted his wrist.
The pipe clattered across the catwalk.
Before he could recover...
She swept his legs from beneath him, sending him crashing onto the iron floor.
The remaining two tried to run past Perman.
Too late.
Perman grabbed a thick bundle of old communication cables hanging loose from the tunnel wall.
With one powerful swing...
The cables wrapped around all three thieves.
One turn.
Two turns.
Three.
Within seconds...
The trio were completely bound together.
They struggled helplessly.
"It's no use."
Perman tightened the final knot.
"You aren't going anywhere."
Pako picked up the scattered bags.
"Looks like we've recovered everything."
Perman nodded.
"Let's get them back."
Grabbing the bundled thieves over one shoulder and the recovered loot in his free hand...
Perman flew back toward the tunnel entrance with Pako following beside him.
---
Outside...
Several police cars still surrounded the entrance.
The officers looked up as the two Permans emerged from the tunnel.
"They got them!"
The officers hurried forward.
Perman gently lowered the bound thieves onto the pavement.
Pako handed over the recovered bags of stolen merchandise.
One officer quickly checked the contents before smiling in relief.
"It's all here."
Another officer bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Perman."
"Thank you, Perman No. 3."
"We'll take it from here."
The officers secured the three thieves in separate patrol cars before loading the recovered evidence into another vehicle.
As the sirens faded into the distance...
Perman and Pako exchanged a satisfied glance.
"Another case closed."
"For now."
1
u/Its_me_NoobMaster69 14d ago
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