Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 511: Hard to eat soft food
The crowd filed in, a veritable gathering of distinguished guests, young and old alike. There weren't enough chairs, but no one minded; they simply sat on the floor. After all, they were elderly people, accustomed to a life of hardship, and didn't care for formalities.

Fushimi Shika wiped his hands and mingled among the group of grandparents, greeting them and trying to find out about Grandpa Minamoto's romantic past. However, he found nothing and realized that he had misunderstood.

Naoro Minamoto has a good reputation here. Everyone says he is a kind old man who is very good at growing flowers and is always willing to help others. However, he has unexpectedly disappeared, and the neighbors are very worried about his safety.

Now that she sees someone living in the house, the old woman thought it was him who came back, which is why she asked, "Is it Zhilang?"... Anyone else would have asked the same question.

Kujo Yui initially released an obituary, but the news didn't reach Hokkaido, and people were still unaware that Minamoto Naoro had died, believing him to be missing.

So after the elderly people sat down, the first thing they asked was Tamako: "Tamako, you've been in Tokyo for so long, have you found your grandfather yet?"

Yuan Yuzi was serving barley tea to everyone when she heard this, her face stiffened, and she didn't know how to respond.

Fortunately, Fushimi Shika came to the rescue. This guy still likes to lie: "Not yet, but there's been some progress. After all, Tamako and I are both detectives now, so we can investigate missing persons cases ourselves."

As he spoke, he slapped his thigh, displaying an air of authority and influence within the Metropolitan Police Department. Sitting among the elderly, he inexplicably exuded a more down-to-earth, street-smart vibe.

"Eh—" the old woman exclaimed repeatedly, "Did Yuzi become a police officer to find her grandfather? How sweet! I wish my granddaughter had half your filial piety!"

Everyone praised her, making Minamoto no Tamako a little embarrassed. She felt vaguely uneasy, thinking that it wasn't right for Fushimi Shika to lie to people like this.

After all, Grandpa has passed away. It would be too cruel to let everyone cling to such false hope.

Fushimi Shika glanced at her and guessed what she was thinking. She leaned close and whispered, "You didn't even inform them about your grandfather's funeral. What will they think if they find out?"

Yuan Yuzi was taken aback. It seemed to make sense. Telling the truth would definitely make everyone feel disheartened, so she decided to stick to the white lie.

The old folks, noticing the two whispering to each other, quickly shifted their attention and couldn't help but gossip: "I just heard you call her 'Yu Zi,' could it be that you two are...?"

Fushimi Shika held Minamoto no Tamako's small hand and nodded, admitting, "Yes, we're dating."

Minamoto no Tamako was a little shy. This was the first time she had publicly acknowledged a romantic relationship. She subconsciously tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. Fushimi-kun was holding her too tightly, and she felt inexplicably annoyed.

She's the captain, she should be the one holding Fushimi's little hand and announcing to the villagers, "This is my boyfriend whom I kidnapped!"
Fushimi Shika pulled her along, took the tray and barley tea from her hands, and asked her to sit down and talk to him.

Minamoto no Tamako wanted to regain the initiative. Everyone was there to show their concern for her, so she should be the host, while Fushimi-kun was the guest. She should be the one introducing Fushimi-kun to everyone.

"This is Shika-kun, surnamed Fushimi. Like me, he's a detective in the Metropolitan Police Department..."

Gen Tamako knelt on the ground, straightened her back, and stretched out a small hand towards Fushimi Shika, looking like a salesperson introducing a company product.

The old woman interjected, "Are you colleagues? An office romance?"

Minamoto Tamako was a little carried away. She had just been flattered and was eager to prove her position in the family, so she couldn't help but exaggerate a little: "No, I... I am Fushimi's superior."

She is the captain of the deduction team, and Fushimi Shika is a member; that's not a lie.

"Eh--"

The old men drawled out their words, and when they looked at Fushimi Shika again, their eyes were as if they were looking at a gigolo who was living off a woman.

Everyone in this area knows this place well, and they naturally know the social status of Yuan Yuzi's mother. The title of "Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department" is prestigious.

Fushimi Shika turned his head, wanting to ask when Minamoto no Tamako had become his superior.

Feeling guilty, Yuan Yuzi preemptively asked, "Lu Jun, what should you call me?"

"What do you mean, 'what are you'?" Fushimi Shika didn't understand.

Minamoto no Tamako got a little impatient and secretly tugged at Fushimi Shika's pants from behind, saying, "Didn't we agree on what to call each other...?"

Fushimi Shika finally realized what was happening: "Captain?"

"Yes!" Yuan Yuzi raised her head in response. She nodded solemnly and said to everyone, "Please take good care of my Lu Jun in the future."

"..." Fushimi Shika looked at her with half-closed eyes.

Yuan Yuzi's neck was sweating. She didn't dare to turn around and could only pretend to look at her fellow villagers as if nothing was wrong.

Hira Sakura quickly turned on the video recorder and began recording this precious daily footage. Hiding behind the dining table, she secretly filmed while adding voiceover: "Daily record, lots of guests came today. Gen Tamako was bragging in front of everyone, what a vain child. I think she's going to be in trouble..."

Fushimi Shika naturally picked up the conversation, asking Minamoto Tamako, "Could you introduce everyone to me?"

Seeing that he hadn't exposed her, Yuan Yuzi breathed a slight sigh of relief and felt a little smug.

She knelt on the tatami mat and quickly changed the subject, pointing to the silver-haired old woman in an indigo floral kimono beside her: "This is Granny Hamada, she used to always give my grandfather her pickled plums..."

The first woman to visit nodded to Fushimi Shika and said kindly, "Please take care of me."

Fushimi Shika narrowed his eyes, sensing the scent of illicit affair once more.

Gen Tamako then pointed to the elderly couple wearing round-framed glasses: "Mr. and Mrs. Yoshida run a glass workshop. When I was a child, I broke a neighbor's window, and my grandfather went to their house to cut new glass as an apology!"

Glassmaking is a local specialty in Otaru, with many small workshops along the coast.

Fushimi Shika's gaze swept over the thin, dark-skinned old man in the corner, and Minamoto Tamako followed his line of sight to add, "Uncle Sugiyama Saburo is a fisherman, and in winter Grandpa often helps him mend his torn fishing nets..."

The old man also nodded to Fushimi Shika. That's how Japanese people socialize: they nod when sitting and bow when standing, exchanging greetings.

Gentamako looked at an old woman wearing an apron and said, "Grandma Yamaguchi runs a bathhouse..."

"The bathhouse was demolished a long time ago!" Grandma Yamaguchi grinned, revealing her gap-toothed smile. She gestured with her rough hands as she said, "Back in the snowy days, your grandfather would always carry you to my house to soak in the hot spring. The little girl would soak until her face turned red, but she still wouldn't leave!"

Amidst the room's laughter, Gen Yuko's ears turned red.

Fushimi Shika didn't care about anyone else; he was still obsessed with gossip and brought up the topic of Hamada-baba, asking her if she lived nearby.

There was no way around it; life in the countryside was just too boring. There was no TV, no game console, not even a comic book magazine. All we could do was get together and gossip about everyday things.

Grandma Hamada nodded, saying she lived on the slope at the end of the street. As she spoke, she stood up, walked to the bedside, and pointed to a small red-tiled house not far away.

The courtyard was filled with orange-yellow flowers, which swayed back and forth in the sea breeze under the streetlights at night.

"Grandma Hamada also likes to water flowers?" Shika Fushimi asked.

“Yes.” Yuan Yuzi nodded without thinking much and said to Grandma Hamada, “After Grandpa said your eyesight was not good, he secretly watered the flowers for you every morning.”

The elderly people exchanged knowing smiles.

Fushimi Shikashin thought to himself, "I knew it," but then he felt a little bored. The feelings between the old people seemed too distant for him.

Grandma Hamada took Tamako's little hand and pointed to the canal in the twilight outside the window: "Your grandfather often tells me that when Tamako comes back, she'll see cosmos flowers blooming all the way from our house to the harbor..."

Yuan Yuzi was stunned and speechless.

Fushimi Shika had no choice but to take over the conversation, expressing his gratitude to Hamada-chan for her thoughtfulness, and then brought up the topic back to his relationship with Minamoto Tamako.

The elderly woman also enjoyed listening to gossip, and the conversation returned to the young couple's relationship. However, Minamoto no Tamako was distracted until Granny Hamada asked her why she had brought Fushimi Shika back. She then snapped out of her reverie and forced herself to speak:

"I'm getting ready to introduce him to my maternal grandfather."

The old folks started arguing again, leaving the two of them to their own devices. They chattered about the Kujo family, how they usually behaved, and how this fair-skinned young man was probably going to become a live-in son-in-law, completely ignoring the fact that Fushimi Shika was sitting right next to them.

Fushimi Shika didn't care; he just stood there eavesdropping and caught some of the juicy gossip.

Grandma Hamada, fanning herself with a round fan, sighed, "Master Kujo's cannery in Kushiro, the lights never went out last autumn during salmon season! The machines were so loud that I couldn't sleep peacefully."

Mr. Yoshida adjusted his glasses and continued, "It's not just the cannery! Last month, their refrigerated fleet was fighting the Russians for fishing grounds in the Kuril Islands. I heard they even had machine guns mounted on the bows of their ships..."

"The Kujo family's trawlers have emptied Ishikari Bay of its autumn salmon..."

"That girl, Wei, is even worse off! Her father turned that wagashi shop by the canal into a cold storage!" Granny Hamada gestured towards the abandoned warehouse outside the window, "What a nice shop! They even said it would be part of her dowry..."

Fushimi Shika rested his chin on his hand, sensing the power of the zaibatsu (financial conglomerates) from the complaints of the crowd.

Hokkaido's fishery output began to decline in the early 1990s. Around 1991, the government gradually implemented a fishing ban zone and a quota system... As to how it was allocated, those who know, know.

In his previous life in Japan, Fushimi Shika had never witnessed the bursting of a financial bubble, nor had he personally experienced the horrors of a financial storm.

But right now he has a slight sense of what it's like for other East Asian countries after being devastated by financial bubbles.

In Hokkaido, under the bubble economy of the Heisei era, the monopoly of conglomerates was crushing the last embers of handicrafts, and the primitive accumulation of early capital had begun.

Hmm, no wonder Kujo Yui was able to become a Superintendent of Police; it turns out her family is so wealthy.

Fushimi Shika turned to look at Minamoto no Tamako again, as if he were seeing a gleaming jade Buddha. He suddenly felt that he was wise and sagacious, and that his decision back then was undoubtedly correct.

If he really marries Minamoto Tamako in the future, what's the point of being a detective? Being a paycheck thief is so lame; he'd be much more comfortable being a parasite on a conglomerate.

Both the angel and the devil were wrong; you have to play the long game. He didn't just fall for Minamoto no Tamako's charms; he used her to climb into high society.

Thinking about it that way, he's still a Sigma man.

Fushimi Shika successfully convinced himself with a mental victory, and for a moment Ryu was overjoyed, no longer caring about Minamoto no Tamako's boasting.

Ordinary people brag when they're just putting on a brave face, but the eldest daughter of the head of the Kujo family, a giant monopolistic conglomerate, boasts the most in front of everyone: "I am Fushimi Shika's boss." Nothing could be more understated than that.

Her Majesty Tamako is traveling incognito; we shouldn't disturb her enjoyment. Thinking this, Fushimi Shika poured Tamako a cup of barley tea and said, "You two chat for a while; I'll go get some snacks."

"Uh? Oh, okay."

Gentamako, carrying a cup of barley tea, turned around and watched Fushimi Shika enter the kitchen, putting on her pink apron again.

What's going on with this guy?

Minamoto no Tamako was immediately suspicious. Whenever Fushimi Shika switched to his sunny and cheerful boy mode, it meant he had something to hide.

After thinking it over, she realized that Fushimi Shika might be planning to expose her boasting, and she became nervous. She quickly followed him into the kitchen, saying, "I'll go help!"

Grandma Hamada pulled her aside and said, "He'll be doing housework for a long time to come! He should be busy!"

Everyone sided with Genji, thinking that this was how a gigolo should be. The hostess entertained guests outside, while the gigolo was responsible for preparing food in the kitchen.

Having spent over a year training in Tokyo, Minamoto no Tamako's emotional intelligence had risen to a level slightly above average. Now, upon hearing Hamada's words, she immediately guessed what Hamada meant, and felt even more nervous.

If Fushimi-kun heard this, what would happen?

Just thinking about it made Minamoto no Tamako's scalp tingle. Putting aside Fushimi-kun's wicked chanting, just exposing her boasting was enough to give her a hard time.

"No, it's nothing, I'm just going to help out."

Yuan Yuzi had already read the messy reply and left in a hurry.

Before she went into the kitchen, she glanced back and saw everyone staring at her, so she quickly closed the kitchen partition door.

"Why are you here?" Fushimi Shika was arranging pickled radishes on a plate. He was using extra-long chopsticks to pick red radishes from the earthenware jar.

"I...I've come to see you."

Yuan Yuzi crossed her arms, looking somewhat guilty. She paced back and forth in the kitchen, subtly probing, "You're not angry that I asked you to call me captain earlier, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Fushimi Shika knew what the guy was worried about.

He continued to act like a sunny, cheerful boy, saying with a smile, "What's there to be angry about? We already agreed that you would call me Lu Jun and I would call you Captain."

That's true, but...

Yuan Yuzi knew that her behavior just now was a little cunning, but she was too embarrassed to admit it: "Hey, don't be angry. I'll just call you captain next time, and we can take turns being captain."

Fushimi Shika shook his head repeatedly: "Is the captain testing me? Don't worry, I have no desire for the position of captain of the deduction team!"

After saying that, he snapped to attention and saluted: "Loyalty!"

Yuan Yuzi knew he was talking nonsense. This guy was really annoying when he played games, always going around in circles: "I'll give you a stamp, is that alright?"

"I haven't redeemed the grand prize stamp yet," Fushimi Shika said with a smile as cheerful as a fox.

It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up. The moment he did, Genji became even more uneasy, feeling like he was completely vulnerable and could be manipulated by Fushimi-kun.

Genji had no choice but to soften her tone and plead repeatedly, trying to bargain with Fushimi-kun.

……

But to outsiders, their relationship doesn't appear to be like that.

Grandma Hamada took a sip of barley tea and watched the play with the other guests.

The shadows of Minamoto no Tamako and Fushimi no Shika were cast on the kitchen partition door, and no matter what they did, everyone outside could see it clearly.

Grandma Yamaguchi witnessed it firsthand: as soon as Minamoto Tamako entered, she crossed her arms and paced back and forth in the kitchen. Mr. Yoshida chimed in, claiming that instructors in the Maritime Self-Defense Force also gave such instructions.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone saw Fushimi Shika snap to attention and salute.

"hiss……"

Mrs. Yoshida took out some sunflower seeds from her pocket and cracked them open as she said, "No wonder she can be a detective. Look at this little girl, how capable she is!"

Grandma Hamada nodded in agreement: "That's right, I think she's better than her mother! At least she knows how to save face for her husband, so it won't end up like this and they'll get a divorce."

Grandma Yamaguchi said, "Sigh, being a live-in son-in-law isn't good either. It's bad enough that I get bullied by my wife, but who knows how much more I'll suffer when I meet Master Kujo..."

Grandma Hamada liked Tamako, so she didn't like hearing this and retorted, "Look at what you're saying! What's wrong with marrying into the family? You get to eat and drink. I bet this pretty boy became a detective because Tamako promoted him!"

“That’s right, Tamako has become quite successful now; she was even on TV recently!” Mr. Yoshida brought up the matter again.

The elderly people nodded repeatedly, glancing at the partition door and whispering among themselves.

Hira Sakurako was secretly taking pictures in the corner, her camera never stopping. No one noticed her; they were all focused on the two shadows.

Then, Minamoto no Tamako gave Fushimi Shika a few more harsh reprimands, presumably because she was dissatisfied with his attitude towards the guest earlier.

Then Fushimi Shika nodded, as if he had compromised on something; Minamoto no Tamako changed from crossing her arms to putting her hands on her hips, and her aura became even stronger.

Finally, the two prepared some snacks and liquor to go with the drinks, and opened the kitchen partition door.

Everyone quickly turned around, pretending to be chatting and acting as if nothing had happened.

"Long wait, everyone."

Fushimi Shika smiled and put down the tray, bringing out plates of pickled radishes and a jug of shochu. He had heard that coastal fishermen loved strong liquor, so he poured a few cups.

He was in a very good mood. Just now, Gen Tamako promised him that when they returned to Tokyo, they would go to a video arcade together in a private room to watch a movie.

The key point is that it doesn't include Hira-sakura.

It is important to know that in 1985, Japan revised the "Entertainment Business Law" to legalize "special businesses related to sex services," which explicitly included adult video arcades.

Therefore, most video arcades have private booths. More upscale video arcades have very good environments, usually equipped with independent door locks, soundproofing facilities and dedicated projection equipment. Some high-end venues even provide air conditioning and soft seats... It's just a bit expensive, about 2000 to 3000 yen per hour.

Some video arcades collaborate with other industries, such as love hotels and dating clubs.

For example, after watching a movie in a private room at a video arcade, customers can go to a nearby love hotel for further entertainment based on the establishment's recommendation, and the rest is self-explanatory.

Well, following the usual practice of dating in the previous life, after watching a movie late at night, the next step should be to go to a hotel.

But these kinds of things are hard to say aloud. If a guy asks a girl to stay overnight at a hotel, it might seem like he has ulterior motives, and she'll feel awkward. She'll have to come up with all sorts of excuses, like "the dorm is locked," "there's too much traffic," "it's not safe for me to be alone," and the most famous one, "we just wanted to hug and sleep together"...

Japan is very considerate in this regard; if something is difficult to say, you can ask the waiter to speak for you, which can save a lot of trouble.

At that point, it won't be Fushimi Shika wanting to go to a love hotel, but rather the staff recommending a one-stop service combining love hotels and dating clubs.

Fushimi Shika was calculating in his mind, but when he came to his senses and looked around, he noticed that the old people were looking at him strangely.

Mr. Yoshida looked at him with a hint of pity;
Mrs. Yoshida looked at him with a hint of longing in her eyes;
Grandma Hamada looked at him with a hint of emotion in her eyes;
Grandma Yamaguchi looked at him with a hint of disdain...

"What's wrong?" Fushimi Shika asked.

Everyone shook their heads and said it was nothing, then they started talking about Fushimi Shika going to see Minamoto no Tamako's grandfather, asking when they planned to leave.

Yuan Yuzi said, "I'll go tomorrow. I'm cleaning up the old house these next two days to make room for my grandfather."

Grandma Hamada had a knowing look on her face. Grandma Yamaguchi nudged her waist and whispered something in her ear.

Fushimi Shika, unable to hear, found it all puzzling; but Minamoto no Tamako, with her keen senses, heard it all clearly.

"I guess she was afraid that if Master Kujo didn't agree, at least she would have a place to stay after being kicked out..." said Granny Yamaguchi.

"It's hard to say. Maybe Tamako is just being filial. It would be nice if her granddaughter came to visit the old house and did some renovations while she was at it. Don't overthink it," said Grandma Hamada.

“What nonsense! If they were a good match, would this guy be Tamako’s subordinate? Have you forgotten what her mother did when she got married? Master Kujo would definitely have objected!” said Granny Yamaguchi.

"It doesn't necessarily mean they're not a good match..." Grandma Hamada still hoped that Tamako could be happy.

When Grandma Yamaguchi saw that her old friend was still arguing, she ended the private chat mode and switched to the public chat to ask Fushimi Shika what he did at home.

Fushimi Shika told the truth that his parents had died, he was currently penniless, and he had a younger sister.

Grandma Yamaguchi made a meaningless "tsk tsk" sound, then leaned close to her old friend's ear: "Did you hear that? Maybe she's eating tamagoyaki and using tamagoyaki in Tokyo. With housing prices so high in Tokyo, she might even be living in a tamagoyaki house!"

Yuan Yuzi was feeling a little pleased just now, but she didn't expect everyone to think of her this way.

Thinking about it carefully, it would feel really good to be able to keep Fushimi as a mistress. Every day, she would have Fushimi kneel at the door in a servant's outfit to greet her, and when she got home from work, she would hear Fushimi call out, "Good job, Koshujinsama..." She would casually slip a banknote into the gap between Fushimi's pectoral muscles as a reward for him.

Hmm, it's been a long time since I've thought about this little skit, and it makes me a little nostalgic!

But as Genji listened, she began to feel that something was amiss.

When she heard the last sentence, she felt guilty and her face burned, because she had been eating and using Fushimi-kun's things in Tokyo and even living in Fushimi-kun's house.

There's nothing I can do; it's all Mom's fault for not giving me pocket money anymore.

(End of this chapter)