Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner

"You have no idea, you wasted one minute of the police department's time, sixty people is an hour, Tokyo has 102 police departments, totaling 46,000 people, which adds up to seven hundred sixty-six hours, equivalent to you delaying a month!"

As Fushimi spoke, he stood up and positioned himself between the two of them, facing Minamoto Tamako, with his hands behind his back... The waiter glanced down and saw a ten-thousand yen bill between his two fingers, waving back and forth.

Minamoto Tamako thought this logic was very strange, clearly sophistry, she could see that Mr. Fushimi was acting suspiciously, hiding something from her.

"You've been acting weird since earlier," she squinted her eyes, scrutinizing the silly assistant, "Do you know that waiter?"

Fushimi's expression was naturally flawless, showing no lapse, and when the waiter took the money out of his hand, he explained, "I'm with you 24 hours, how could I have time to socialize?"

"24 hours together", although true, sounded a bit ambiguous when spoken, especially in front of strangers, and made Minamoto Tamako somewhat embarrassed, urging him not to talk nonsense or act bizarrely.

"I was just kindly reminding you."

Fushimi shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant, and slowly walked to the restroom.

Seeing him not blocking anymore, Minamoto Tamako just assumed he had a brain fart earlier and didn't delve deeper. The urgent matter was indeed to investigate the murder, and she planned to check the bank card balance then set out.

"Sorry, miss, there's a small malfunction with the POS machine in our store..."

The waiter looked distressed, handing back Minamoto Tamako's bank card.

"Ah, okay."

Minamoto Tamako put her bank card back, planning to check the balance if she happened to pass by an ATM on the way to the Fujiwara family.

When Fushimi finished using the toilet, and came out flicking water from his hands, Minamoto Tamako was already waiting at the shop entrance. He leisurely walked over and sat in the wheelchair, casually asking, "All done?"

"No, their POS machine had a bit of a problem," Minamoto Tamako said, standing by the roadside hailing a cab, "I plan to check it along the way..."

"You're going directly to the Fujiwara family?" Fushimi interrupted.

"Uh... or else?" Minamoto Tamako replied, then realized the issue, "Oh right, Director Fujiwara should be at work now."

"That's not the issue, right? Wouldn't strangers need an appointment to see Chief Kujo?" Fushimi successfully changed the topic, "Plus, you're going empty-handed? Not preparing anything?"

"True, you should at least bring a gift when visiting..."

Then Minamoto Tamako slapped her forehead, "Wait! We're not visiting as guests, why bring a gift? Just a direct call would do!"

Find the source of this chapter at M|V|L-EMPYR.

"Do you have Director Fujiwara's contact?" Fushimi asked, glancing sideways.

"No, but my mom definitely has, I'll just call her." Minamoto Tamako pulled out a pink flip phone and dialed her mom.

Fushimi thought, this is what it means to be a child of high officials, having solid family background is great! A high-ranking official that ordinary people can't even reach in a lifetime is just a phone call away for Minamoto Tamako.

"Moshi Moshi? Afternoon, mom..."

"Have you had dinner? Oh no no, I've already eaten..."

"Once I handle this case, I'll personally cook for mom..."

"Hm yes, you heard? It wasn't Chief Kikuchi who passed it to me, I chose to take it myself..."

"Anyway, that's the situation, there are some things I need to inquire Director Fujiwara about..."

"No no no, not interrogation, just understanding the situation..."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Fushimi is going along too..."

Minamoto Tamako bowed her head briefly, glanced at Fushimi Roku with meaningful eyes, "Yes, he's with me... Okay, thank you, mom, I'll wait for your message..."

After finishing, she handed the phone to Fushimi, "My mom wants you to take the call."

"Wants me to take the call?" Fushimi pointed at his nose.

"Yeah," Minamoto Tamako covered the receiver and quietly warned, "You'd better be careful, she sounds a bit upset."

"Why?" Fushimi pondered, thinking he hadn't done anything wrong lately.

"Perhaps she thinks you taught me bad things, like teaching me to lie..." Minamoto Tamako pressed the speaker button, handed over the phone, and said somewhat sheepishly, "That's not important, you take the call first, I'm curious what she wants to say to you."

Fushimi looked helpless, leaning close to the phone receiver and politely greeted.

Kujo Yua knew all about their little secrets, even events during group dinners, and if she hadn't stepped in at the end, Minamoto Tamako might have been moody and conflicted all night... She vaguely felt that compared to whether Minamoto Tamako was happy or not, Fushimi Roku cared more about his own face.

In that case, she needed to clarify Fushimi Roku's position.

Even if Minamoto Tamako liked him, even if there was a one in a thousand chance they got married, in the end, he would still just be the 'son-in-law' of the Kujo family.

Kujo Yua exchanged a few polite words and then asked directly, "Mr. Fushimi, under what pretense do you plan to accompany my daughter to meet Director Fujiwara?"

Fushimi Roku thought, what kind of ridiculous question is this? Does an evil supporting female character in a broken engagement scenario always have to have a reckless villain lackey by her side? The evil female character Minamoto Tamako and the foolish lackey Fushimi Roku sing in unison, mocking the Dragon King's son-in-law Fujiwara Homare, then at a critical moment, Director Fujiwara waves his hand, saying the three-year term is up, the son has passed the test and can inherit the Fujiwara family, slapping them in the face...

"Colleague relationship… I guess?" He always felt there was more to Kujo Yua's words.

"Is it just a colleague relationship?" Kujo Yua asked.

Fushimi Roku turned around, only to see Minamoto Tamako looking at him with anticipation, not knowing what exactly she was expecting. He cleared his throat and added, "And a partner relationship... Tamako and I are close friends."

Kujo Yua didn't have the patience to beat around the bush: "I'll be blunt, I hope you can meet Director Fujiwara as Tamako's boyfriend and beg him to break off Tamako's engagement."

Fushimi Roku was startled, thinking why not just have me drop dead?

Even if Director Fujiwara were magnanimous enough to tolerate Minamoto Tamako handling things officially, wouldn't he be a blatant troublemaker if he showed up as Tamako's boyfriend?

"This... Chief Kujo, you might have misunderstood…"

Before Fushimi Roku could finish, Kujo Yua interrupted: "I know, you and Tamako are just friends, without any romantic feelings, so that's why I'm asking you to pretend to be her boyfriend, to reject the marriage that ties her down... Tamako, you're listening too, right? Do you want to marry Fujiwara Homare?"

Minamoto Tamako quickly shook her head, then realized her mom couldn't see it, and quickly added: "Of course not!"

Kujo Yua nodded: "You heard that, right? As Tamako's close friend, can you stand by and watch her be forced into marriage, sacrificing her future?"

This move is called 'cutting the ground from under the pot', she had no intention of cluing her father in, if waiting for Minamoto Tamako to actually have a boyfriend and then discussing breaking the engagement, would be like handing all the initiative over to her father—she'd rather bypass her father altogether and, through Fushimi Roku, thoroughly sever any possibility of an arranged marriage.

She would later personally visit Director Fujiwara to apologize, to maintain the relationship between the Kujo family and the Fujiwara family, and to indicate that it was not the Kujo family's intention to call off the engagement, but all Fushimi Roku's doing.

As for how Director Fujiwara would deal with Fushimi Roku, she didn't care at all.

Even if Fushimi Roku knew her plan, he had no way to counter it, as she took the moral high ground, seizing Fushimi Roku's weak spot… As long as Fushimi Roku cared about Minamoto Tamako, he couldn't refuse in front of her.

That's right, this was an open conspiracy.

Fushimi Roku, after thinking for a bit, realized the trick; he thought to himself, why are all officials around the world like this? They want the benefits, they have the right reasons, they are adaptable in handling things, they give face… but they refuse to take the blame.

It's infuriating!

Fushimi Roku opened his mouth wanting to tactfully refuse, phrasing himself: "Uh, it's like this…" As he said this, he glanced up; Minamoto Tamako stood beside him, eagerly looking at him: "This... Uh, uh... this is a big deal, I need to think about it…"

"Mr. Fushimi, do you have any concerns?" Kujo Yua didn't give him a way out: "Feel free to speak up, maybe we can help solve it?"

"This... is not really convenient to say…"

"Are you treating us like outsiders?" Kujo Yua asked.

Fushimi Roku thought, how did it become 'us'? I'm indeed close with Minamoto Tamako, but I've only met you twice, doesn't that make you an outsider?

Even the Police Department Deputy Director has no shame?

He analyzed Minamoto Tamako again; she didn't seem to realize this. She and her mom weren't outsiders, and she wasn't an outsider to Fushimi Roku, which means everyone was like family!

"What if Director Fujiwara finds out later that I was lying?"

Fushimi Roku knew saying this made him seem petty, especially saying it in front of Minamoto Tamako, very low and disgraceful, could even be categorized among the lowest… but he had no choice, Kujo Yua's move was too cruel, so he could only rely on losing face to protect himself.

"How would he find out?" Kujo Yua laughed and said, "As long as you two never clarify things, it becomes the truth, doesn't it?"

She was just a few words away from saying 'fake it till you make it'.

Before Fushimi Roku could speak, Minamoto Tamako frowned and couldn't help but protest: "Wouldn't that be a bit too hasty?"

In her expectations, it should be that Mr. Fushimi confesses to her, and she pretends to refuse him coyly, after Mr. Fushimi's persistent pursuit, he finally moves her on a romantic night, making her reluctantly agree… Not like now, where they muddle into being nominal boyfriend and girlfriend, and then muddle into real couplehood.

Life doesn't need rituals, but a life without rituals can't be called living.

Minamoto Tamako can relax on material living conditions, but she will never lower her demands for her spiritual world even a bit!

Fushimi Roku looked pleasantly surprised, secretly cheering for Minamoto Tamako: 'Yes! That's right! Firmly reject your mother's unreasonable demands!'

"At least add a deadline, right?" Minamoto Tamako added.