Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner

Fushimi Roku didn't just want Director Fujiwara to make a simple transaction with him.

He wanted Director Fujiwara to realize that if he wanted certain things done, only Fushimi could do it—only by proving his own value can one gain true respect.

Only by sealing a case as a dead end, with no retreat possible, can one's ability to overturn it be infinitely magnified.

It's like a programmer joining a small company, deliberately writing convoluted code. Even if the software bugs out, it doesn't matter; what's important is that only he can fix the bug.

Fushimi Roku and the other party agreed on a meeting time and place. Just after hanging up the phone, he saw Kazama Tatsuya staring at him. He put away his phone and asked, "Why are you staring? Do I have a pockmark on my face?"

"You have a really sly smile."

Kazama Tatsuya pushed his wheelchair; he had heard the meeting location and planned to accompany Fushimi Roku in person to see what trick he was up to.

"Do I?" Fushimi Roku touched his face, as he was always mindful of his expressions.

"I was joking." Kazama Tatsuya felt slightly amused, finally understanding why Minamoto Tamako was so adamant about having Fushimi Roku as an assistant.

"Seems like you're somewhat quirky." Fushimi Roku retorted disdainfully.

The two exchanged casual barbs, walking in succession through Sugamo Street, reaching the café before Lawyer Kikuta arrived—Fushimi always liked to conduct serious talks in a café because in such a place, no one cares what others are saying, and it's cost-effective to entertain guests with coffee.

While waiting, Fushimi Roku initiated conversation, started discussing events on Cat Island, complimenting Kazama Tatsuya's quick response and ability to pick up on his hints in time.

Hearing this, Kazama Tatsuya gripped the coffee cup tightly, the pain from the Silent Needle lingered, and he pursed his lips, questioning, "What if I hadn't intentionally erred, but still managed to achieve the best hand?"

"Then I'd be dead." Fushimi Roku took a sip of coffee.

Kazama Tatsuya wasn't sure what to say; this guy casually gambled his life on him, making it unclear whether he undervalued his own life or so trusted Kazama that he deserted his life in his hands.

"Your prosthetic eye looks nice, almost real," Fushimi Roku leaned in, examining it closely for a while, "Where'd you get it?"

"Bought it. Do you need one?" Kazama Tatsuya retorted.

"Just in case?" Fushimi Roku observed for a bit before losing interest quickly.

The prosthetic eye only looked realistic but would appear unnatural the moment Kazama had any change of expression.

Then he chatted about various topics like what Watanabe Shun had been busy with these past few days, whether Moriyama Yasurou disliked men, when this month's paycheck would arrive, which areas in Tokyo had rising real estate values... Kazama Tatsuya replied to some while ignoring others.

Half an hour later, Lawyer Kikuta showed up, albeit a bit late.

He was not used to discussing cases in a café; typically, lawyers maintained confidentiality, conducting negotiations in a law office or a more private setting.

With eyes and ears everywhere, he didn't feel comfortable even taking documents out of his briefcase.

"It's okay, just listen," Fushimi Roku specifically chose a window-side corner from where he could observe the flow of people around, ensuring no one was paying attention to them, "It's not a big deal anyway..."

He leaned forward, slightly lowering his voice, detailing the courtroom defense strategy and explaining why each move was made, where the defense points were, how the logical chain was established, and how to win over the judge's opinion...

Initially, Lawyer Kikuta didn't think much of it, feeling that Fushimi Roku, a mere outsider, had no business teaching him his craft. After all, he was a bar exam-passed elite, how could a Police Department hack compare?

But as he listened, he unconsciously sat upright, pulling out a pen and paper, jotting notes on a small notebook with the seriousness of a university student listening to a lecture by a venerable lawyer.

Fushimi Roku did not mind his change in attitude and continued to elaborate on the "preparations" needed to win the case...

Listening to this, Lawyer Kikuta started feeling something amiss: "Wait, wait... isn't this... kind of, well..."

"Gray? Close to the line?" Fushimi Roku interjected.

Lawyer Kikuta said nothing, glancing nervously at Kazama Tatsuya, whom he didn't know, but the man's single eye fixated on him made him feel immense pressure, like a bodyguard next to a big shot.

Fushimi Roku noticed the change in his expression and smiled, saying, "You're a lawyer, right? And what does a lawyer do?"

"A practitioner providing legal services to clients?" Lawyer Kikuta said.

"I didn't ask you to recite definitions," Fushimi Roku waved his hand dismissively and asked, "How long have you been in this field?"

"Over twenty years now." Lawyer Kikuta said.

"Then you're not exactly a rookie anymore, right? Why get so worked up over this? Haven't you ever taken kickbacks? Made prosecution-defense deals? Cleaned up messes for big figures?" Fushimi Roku questioned repeatedly.

Lawyer Kikuta forced a smile, wiping his face with a handkerchief, saying, "Uh, I get it, but I've never seen such..."

He wanted to say he had never seen such dirty tricks but felt embarrassed to say it openly.

Fushimi Roku knew what he was thinking and tried to persuade him earnestly, "You'd better think it through. Who is Fujiwara Homare? The only son of the Fujiwara family! The biological son of Director Fujiwara of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department! You've put in a lot of effort to take this case, haven't you?"

Lawyer Kikuta let out a sound of agreement; he indeed had put in considerable effort.

"If you can't handle it, there are plenty of people eager to take this case!" Fushimi Roku tapped his index finger on the table. "Director Fujiwara can replace you anytime. Do you think you're in a position to negotiate with him?"

As he spoke, he placed both hands on Lawyer Kikuta's shoulders with an unusually sincere gaze, "I'm doing this for your own good! Think about it, if Fujiwara Homare is acquitted, who benefits the most? It should be you! If you can stand up to the prosecutor and successfully overturn a closed case, the professors at the Tokyo University Political Science and Law Course will use you as a case study in their lessons!"

Of course, Lawyer Kikuta also wanted to become a veritable 'Criminal Defense Lawyer,' but he wasn't foolish enough to believe Fushimi Roku's 'I'm doing this for your own good'... If anything went wrong, he'd probably be the scapegoat.

Yet he couldn't resist the blueprint Fushimi Roku painted. If he really could make a successful acquittal defense, he would certainly gain fame in the legal world, successfully open a private law firm, and no longer need to handle cases personally every day...

Kikuta Akio thought over and over, realizing that Director Fujiwara would not gamble with his political career. As the saying goes, it's good to have a big tree to lean on, so if not now, when? He gritted his teeth and agreed.

"That's more like it!"

Fushimi Roku snapped his fingers and ordered a cappuccino from the waiter to celebrate their consensus, as if they had just closed a $200 million deal on the Wall Street Stock Exchange.

Lawyer Kikuta declined the coffee, noting that according to Fushimi Roku, he had a lot to prepare for to win this critical case, and he didn't have time to rest.

After Lawyer Kikuta left, Kazama Tatsuya turned around and said, "Don't you think that's a bit too much?"

"Nope," Fushimi Roku retorted, "If you thought it was too much, why didn't you stop me just now?"

Kazama Tatsuya remained silent. When the waiter brought the cappuccino, he intercepted it and drank it in one gulp.

"I'm doing a good deed," Fushimi Roku argued, "If Fujiwara Homare is acquitted, everyone in the Fujiwara family is happy, both Tamako and I are happy, and Lawyer Kikuta is happy… So what if the methods are a little dirty?"

"What about the victim's family?" Kazama Tatsuya countered.

"Yoshikawa Ritsuo committed suicide, who can we blame?" Fushimi Roku interrupted before he could speak, "Of course, I know assisting suicide is also a major crime, and I know you can't objectify people, treat them as weapons, and that using such tactics for acquittal arguments undermines the integrity of the judicial system... I understand everything you want to say."

"But you don't care, do you?" Kazama Tatsuya asked.

"I'm just changing the world in my own way, Minamoto Tamako is changing the world in her way too. It sounds like self-praise, but it's better than doing nothing." Fushimi Roku stood up and swiped his card to settle the bill, "Don't you agree?"

"I don't care either."

Kazama Tatsuya stood up as well, pushed a wheelchair, and urged Fushimi Roku to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Fushimi Roku was reluctant but still sat in the wheelchair.

The two traveled together to the Tokyo University Medical Department Affiliated Hospital, queued up for registration after entering, and restlessly waited for half an hour. When it was their turn, Fushimi Roku suddenly slapped his forehead and said:

"Ah, I need a trauma appointment first, you go ahead and have your check-up."

"I'll go with you," Kazama Tatsuya said.

"That's too much trouble, we'd have to queue up and register again!" Fushimi Roku replied.

"It's no trouble, didn't you say it yourself? After all, I'm idle, accompanying you to have your trauma checked out won't take long," Kazama Tatsuya responded.

The two bantered at the hospital registration window, going back and forth with each other.

The receptionist nurse observed the touching father-son interaction and kindly reminded, "It's okay, you can register for two departments at once."

"..."

Fushimi Roku cursed inwardly but kept a smile on his face and gritted his teeth saying thank you. He took the form, letting Kazama Tatsuya push him to the trauma department while joking, "A grown person like you, still clinging together for a doctor's visit, no shame at all, afraid of getting a shot alone?"

"Aren't you the same?" Kazama Tatsuya was annoyed.

"I said I can go by myself..."

"Enough talking, let's go!"

He sent Fushimi Roku into the surgical department, where a professional doctor treated his leg injury, stating that the wound was from a gunshot and needed to be reported. Fushimi Roku impatiently presented his police badge, falsely claiming he got a minor gunshot injury while on duty, and only then did the doctor let it go.

"Alright, now everything's done."

Kazama Tatsuya took a deep breath, pushed Fushimi Roku toward the psychiatric department at the end of the corridor, and opened the pure white door:

"Prepare yourself mentally, it wouldn't be surprising if something comes up for either of us."