Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 531 Confession Before Midnight

When Kujo Mutsu saw that Fushimi Shika had returned, he guessed that Minamoto no Tamako was not at the old house. He volunteered and said, "She may have encountered something that delayed her. I'll call the transportation bureau for you."

Fushimi Shika remained silent. After a moment's thought, he pushed open the gate to the small courtyard and walked down the slope.

Kujo Mutsu had no choice but to get off the train, leaning on his cane to follow, asking Fushimi Shika where he was going as they walked. Unfortunately, Fushimi Shika ignored him, and he could only force himself to keep up despite his advanced age of seventy.

In fact, Kujo Mutsu suspected that Fushimi Shika was doing it on purpose, taking revenge by running around everywhere.

Although he was still in good spirits and exercised regularly, and could run around occasionally without any problems, the human body has its limits. Getting old is getting old, and various bodily functions are not as good as before. He was already out of breath after walking only a short distance.

Sigh, it's all for the sake of the Kujo family. Let them suffer as they may, consider it repayment for the blessings they enjoyed in their youth.

Kujo Mutsu comforted himself for a few minutes, then followed Fushimi Shika for four or five minutes before stopping in front of an old house on a slope.

"Is Grandma Hamada here?" Fushimi Shika called out twice.

No one answered; the old house was empty.

Fushimi Shika had no choice but to continue walking forward, calling out to Grandma Yamaguchi, the Yoshida couple, and Mr. Sugiyama... but to her surprise, none of them were home, and no one was staying at home either.

It's clear that this place has a serious aging population; the young people have all left, leaving only some elderly people living alone.

"Oh dear, they're all not here. What a pity. Why don't we go to the police station and ask?" Kujo Mutsu suggested, wanting to rest at the police station.

Fushimi Shika ignored him and continued walking until he finally encountered someone at a fisherman's house.

The man was a single, middle-aged man who lived alone and fished at sea year-round; he was familiar with the local residents. Fushimi Shika first asked him if he had seen a girl riding a motorcycle, but the fisherman shook his head, indicating he hadn't.

Fushimi Shika had no choice but to settle for second best and asked, "Where did everyone else go? Why is no one here today?"

"It's a bonfire party tonight! The business district is setting off fireworks, everyone's gone to play." The fisherman uncle curled his lip and said, "Tsk, they're all a bunch of shallow guys. How could they possibly confess their feelings just by watching fireworks? It's impossible! Naïve! Foolish!"

Fushimi Shika and Kujo Mutsu both realized that there was a reason why this older man was single.

After saying goodbye to the fisherman, Fushimi Shika hailed another car, intending to go check out the location of the bonfire party.

Kujo Mutsu was too tired to walk any further and advised, "The party is already over. By the time you get there, everyone might have already left. How could Tamako possibly still be waiting for you there? Why don't you go to the police station? If there's any news about Tamako, the police station will notify you immediately."

Fushimi Shika stood by the roadside waiting for a car, without turning his head, and suddenly asked, "What does it feel like to bow to someone?"

Kujo Mutsuko was taken aback, remained silent for a moment, and continued to observe Fushimi Shika. He wore a heavy and humiliated expression and carefully said, "Of course it was very painful, extremely shameful, even despairing. At that moment, I felt as if I could hear the sound of my self-esteem shattering..."

Fushimi Shika interrupted, "So you don't feel anything?"

Knowing he couldn't fool her, Kujo Mutsu had no choice but to honestly say, "Well... it's not like I felt nothing at all."

Fushimi Shika asked, "What do you mean?"

Kujo Mutsumi patted his knee and said, "I have a bit of rheumatism, so my knees feel uncomfortable when I kneel down. You know, as you get older, there's no way to avoid these things."

Fushimi Shika felt like he'd punched a pillow; his annoyance and anger hadn't been vented at all: "Is that all?"

Kujo Mutsu saw through his thoughts and said with his head down, "That's right. I was ignorant when I was young and often knelt down in a dogeza. After kneeling so many times, I became numb... I'm truly sorry that I couldn't satisfy Fushimi-kun. How about you punch me a couple of times as compensation!"

Having said that, he released his cane, his body trembling like a frail old man, and opened his arms, shouting, "Come on! Don't hold back just because I'm old! Use all your strength and feel the sincerity of the Kujo family!"

Fushimi Shika couldn't really fight him; after all, he was over seventy years old, and one punch could really kill him.

He realized that Kujo Mutsu was playing the old man card, but then he thought about it again and realized that he was being too serious.

...As I said before, he's an old man in his seventies after all. He'll be living one year less each year, and maybe next year he'll be going to visit Kujo Mutsu's grave.

What's the point of arguing with someone who's half-buried in the ground?

That's the logic, but Fushimi Shika still reached out and patted Kujo Mutsu's old face. It wasn't very hurtful, but it was extremely insulting: "How could someone like you have a granddaughter like Tamako?"

Regardless of what he was thinking, Kujo Mutsu maintained an indifferent smile on his face and said, following Fushimi Shika's words, "It's probably because of the good genes from his in-laws."

As the two were chatting, the taxi arrived just then. It was the same one that had brought them there. The driver turned around and drove past, but when he saw Fushimi Shika waving, he accepted another fare.

Fushimi Shika took a car to the beach, and just as Kujo Mutsu had said, the party had already ended.

The beach was littered with trash, along with confiscated parasols and towels. Volunteers, armed with trash bags and tongs, were cleaning up the mess. A chandelier stood in the center, making it look like a construction site at night.

Fushimi Shika got off the carriage and looked around in the sea breeze, only to see piles of ashes from the campfire.

Kujo Mutsumi followed behind him and said, "See? I told you she wasn't here..."

Someone was waving in the distance, seemingly calling out to them, but they were too far away to hear clearly. Fushimi Shika squinted, looking closely as he walked; the person seemed to be Uncle Sugiyama.

It seems he came here to have fun and happened to run into an acquaintance, which is why he waved and greeted him.

Fushimi Shika was a little disappointed. He stopped walking, not wanting to waste any more words with outsiders. He just wanted to find Minamoto no Tamako as soon as possible and make things clear with her.

When Uncle Sugiyama saw that he wasn't coming over, he jogged over to him, calling out as he ran:

"I've been waiting for you for so long... Why are you only arriving now..."

The shouts grew louder as they approached, and Fushimi Shika gradually heard them clearly. Somewhat puzzled, he called out, "Were you waiting for me?"

"Tamako is waiting for you!" Uncle Sugiyama shouted.

Fushimi Shika was startled, his heart pounding, feeling his body warm up, his palms burning. He started jogging, his footsteps echoing in the sand, and shouted, "Where is she?"

Uncle Sugiyama, exhausted from running, turned and pointed to the lighthouse behind him: "Up there, Tamako said she could see further from up there. Maybe she wanted to see you sooner."

Fushimi Shika went from a jog to a sprint, and Sugiyama-san and Kujo Mutsu couldn't keep up, so they slowed down and watched his figure disappear into the distance.

"They're so young," Uncle Sugiyama remarked.

Kujo Mutsu didn't want to talk to the common people. He reverted to his stern demeanor and rested on the spot, leaning on his cane.

But Uncle Sugiyama was very outgoing and wouldn't let him off the hook. He kept asking him what his relationship was with Fushimi-kun, and then he said that you could see the lighthouse fence from below.

As he spoke, Uncle Sugiyama pointed to a small dot at the top of the lighthouse and asked, "Do you see that? Tamako is right there."

Kujo Mutsu looked up, the lighthouse beam piercing the night sky over the sea like a white backdrop, allowing him to see Minamoto no Tamako's hair fluttering in the wind. "Has she been waiting up there all this time?" Kujo Mutsu suddenly asked.

“Of course,” Uncle Sugiyama said, “When the party ended, everyone was comforting her, thinking that Fushimi-kun would definitely stand her up, and advised her to go back and rest early. She refused to leave and insisted on going up to wait, saying that she would be content as long as she saw Fushimi-kun come over.”

Kujo Mutsu let out an "Oh".

Uncle Sugiyama then asked him what his relationship was with Fushimi-kun and Minamoto no Tamako. Kujo Mutsu, tired of being asked, had no choice but to tell him the truth.

"Ah, I knew it was Grandpa or Grandfather, and I was right." Uncle Sugiyama smiled and took out a bill from his pocket, saying, "This was paid for by everyone on Tamako's behalf. Originally, no one was planning to let Tamako pay it back, but since Mr. Kujo is here..."

Kujo Mutsumi was taken aback: "You know me?"

Uncle Sugiyama gestured with his chin, pointing to the fishing boats moored by the dock, and said, "Your name is printed on it, and your picture is in the brochure. I've heard Naoro mention you before, how could I not know you? Thanks to you, everyone is stuck at home now!"

Kujo Mutsumi was speechless. He could only take the bill, glance at the amount, and ask, "What the hell is so expensive?"

Uncle Sugiyama laughed and said, "Of course it's fireworks."

……

While Uncle Sugiyama was demanding payment from Mutsumi Kujo, Shika Fushimi had already run into the lighthouse.

Many people were waiting inside—or rather, having a tea party—Grandma Hamada, Grandma Yamaguchi, the Yoshida couple, and others were all there. They gathered in a circle, spread out a blanket, and set out sandwiches, pickles, barley tea, melon seeds, and other snacks, eating, drinking, and chatting.

"They definitely won't come! If they really wanted to come, would they have waited this long?"

"It's hard to say, look how certain Tamako is..."

"It's all wishful thinking on her part. The bonfire party is over, what's he doing here?"

"If you ask me, that pretty boy is unreliable. He's just a freeloader, after all, and only after Yu Zi's family fortune. He has no real feelings whatsoever..."

As soon as Fushimi Shika entered, he heard a cacophony of voices, just like the elderly folks at the village entrance.

Grandma Hamada was overjoyed to see him and urged him to hurry up. Fushimi Shika felt a little awkward; everyone was staring at him as he passed by, as if they were scrutinizing some rare and exotic creature.

He had just climbed the stairs when Grandma Hamada suddenly said, "Oh right, it's not past midnight yet."

Grandma Yamaguchi understood her best friend's meaning and quickly nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, the party isn't over yet, you must muster up the courage to speak up!"

Fushimi Shika was taken aback. He had only thought about meeting Minamoto Tamako and hadn't considered confessing his feelings... He hadn't prepared at all and really didn't know how to start the conversation.

Grandma Hamada could tell from his expression that he hadn't brought anything with him, so she took out a bracelet from her pocket and said, "It's a craft item, made of glass, not worth much. Take it with you; you can't go up empty-handed, can you?"

"This……"

Fushimi Shika hesitated.

Grandma Yamaguchi also generously offered her help, taking out fruit from her basket for him to take up and cheer up Tamako; others also brought out all sorts of small gifts, such as hairpins, bracelets, and seashells... Some even grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and handed them to Fushimi Shika, asking him to go up and eat sunflower seeds with Minamoto Tamako.

"Thank you all for your kindness, I will keep it in mind, but there's no need for these things."

Fushimi Shika had figured out what he wanted to give. He realized that he wasn't completely unprepared, and that these weren't the things that Minamoto no Tamako wanted. He immediately made up his mind.

Before anyone could reply, Fushimi Shika turned and went upstairs, his steps becoming longer and faster, from one step at a time to two, three steps at a time...

He ran up the spiral staircase to the top floor in one go.

The moment he pushed open the door, a breeze brushed against his face. Fushimi Shika saw the lights shining on the distant sea. Genji Tamako leaned against the railing, turned around, and their eyes met.

It's only been a week since we last met.

Fushimi Shika tried to speak, but suddenly her throat tightened as a flood of past memories came rushing back.

He recalled his unresolved past with his mother, the repeated setbacks and disappointments he experienced as a lawyer, and his own self-abandonment, spending his new life with the mindset of just getting by as a taxi driver...

Undeniably, it was Minamoto no Tamako who brought him back.

He remembered the steamed buns that Minamoto Tamako gave him under the streetlight, he remembered the first time Minamoto Tamako begged him to investigate a case, and he remembered the embarrassed look on Minamoto Tamako's face when she couldn't afford the partner fee...

Even though Minamoto no Tamako knew his secret, his past, and his bad habits, she could still firmly and loudly say, "I want to understand Fushimi-kun," and "I like him, not just the name Fushimi Shika!"
He didn't know when it started, but Minamoto no Tamako had become his guiding light.

Even if Fushimi Shika denies it a thousand times, even if the devil and the angel never affirm this relationship, that soul-stirring feeling still exists.

His heart was saying, "I like this girl."

……

Genjiro also looked at Fushimi Shika, unsure of what to say.

She had never imagined that she would fall in love with anyone before; to her, love only made people lose their minds.

She looked down on girls who only knew about love, and she also looked down on her mother who always argued with her father over trivial matters.

She was single-mindedly pursuing her dreams and wanting to prove her abilities, only regarding Fushimi-kun as a good partner like Kawai. But every time a murder case occurred, she could only ask Fushimi-kun for help time and time again. Rather than her pursuing her dreams, it was Fushimi-kun who guided her growth.

She could see that Fushimi was unwilling, that he found it troublesome; but she could also see his gentleness, that he still held onto his sense of justice... If Fushimi really didn't want to do those things, how could she possibly persuade him on her own?

Without realizing it, she became the girl she once looked down upon.

Minamoto no Tamako knew that right now, all she could think about was love, and she was always arguing with Fushimi-kun over trivial matters.

Even though Minamoto no Tamako repeatedly challenged Fushimi-kun, and even though her mother and grandfather did not support the relationship, the unwavering love from the bottom of her heart was still hard to suppress.

Her heart was saying, "I like this boy."

……

In the distance, a ship's horn sounded in the middle of the night, like a battle cry. Before the fireworks bloomed, the love, too shy and stubborn to express, suddenly burst forth. They rushed forward, taking a step, and said in unison.
"I like you."

Then fireworks burst forth, and the sea shimmered.

Kujo Mutsumi stood with his head held high, side by side with Sugiyama-san. Hamada and the others gathered around the lighthouse, reminiscing about their younger selves.

(End of this chapter)