Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 382 - 282: Cohabiting Roommate

Chapter 382: Chapter 282: Cohabiting Roommate

"What?!"

Minamoto Tamako’s stray hair stood up in shock.

She’s only met her grandfather a few times and isn’t particularly familiar with him.

In her impression, her mom’s relationship with her grandfather wasn’t that great. Even when she was around, their conversations were filled with jabs at each other, and they rarely communicated on regular days.

Letting an old man she barely knows decide her future life—anyone would be shocked and furious, even if he is her grandfather in name.

It’s not like we’re living in the old times with arranged marriages. Why should she listen to some grandpa?

Kujo Yua’s tone suddenly softened: "Sigh, there’s actually something I’ve been hiding from you for a long time. It’s time to tell you..."

Minamoto Tamako’s heart skipped a beat. If her mom pushed hard, it would be fine. But this sudden tone of resignation made her feel that something big was about to happen. She couldn’t help but swallow and instinctively asked, "Don’t tell me... I’m not your biological daughter?"

She had felt it was strange before. Her mom was so tall and strong, a prime candidate for martial arts according to Eastern wisdom: strong bones, full of energy, with a rich bloodline.

But when it came to her, she stopped growing at 1.5 meters in middle school, her arms limp like noodles, only managing to boost her height with her stray hair...

Kujo Yua, smiling slyly, reached out with a hint of anger in her eyes, flicked her finger, and with a snap, Minamoto Tamako’s head tilted back, her forehead swelling red: "What nonsense are you thinking? I was talking about your father..."

Minamoto Tamako held her forehead, tears brimming from the pain, but she knew she’d misspoken first, so getting hit was normal.

Hearing Kujo Yua mention her father, she instinctively wanted to ask if she wasn’t his biological daughter either... Luckily, she stopped just in time. Thinking too fast isn’t always a good thing.

"What about Dad...?" Minamoto Tamako pursued further.

Kujo Yua was about to speak but remembered there were two others in the room and decided to hold off, first testing her daughter’s reaction: "By the way, are you still living with that orphan?"

"What orphan? She has a name! I’ve told you many times, it’s Taira Sakurako, a smart girl!" Minamoto Tamako feared her mom’s reprimands but also dared to point out Kujo Yua’s wrongs. After speaking, she couldn’t resist asking, "Don’t leave half the story untold! What’s with Dad? What’s it to do with my grandfather wanting me to get married?"

"Why the rush? Can’t we talk about one thing at a time?"

Kujo Yua deliberately looked around, putting on a searching-for-food act: "Talking makes me hungry and my mouth dry. Haven’t even had a sip of tea since I came in... Are we just going to chat dry like this?"

"I’ll... I’ll make tea right away..."

"Just tea?" Kujo Yua’s tone was full of disappointment.

Seeing this, Minamoto Tamako felt guilty, nervously twisting her small feet, and said, "Uh, I hadn’t prepared dinner. How about... we go out to eat later?"

Kujo Yua didn’t press further and casually replied, "Sure, if my daughter treats me to a feast, I’d be too delighted."

Feast?

Minamoto Tamako had expected it to be eating ramen together, or at most instant noodles from a convenience store, just something to fill the belly... But seeing her mom look so expectant, she could only stiffen her resolve and say, "Yes! I’m looking forward to it too! After all, restaurant chefs have better skills!"

"Not bad, not bad," Kujo Yua brought the topic back, pointing to Minamoto Tamako’s room door, and asked, "Is Taira Sakurako staying in this room?"

"Yeah, she usually stays with me." Minamoto Tamako thought there was nothing to hide here; maybe her mom would praise her for being kind-hearted!

Kujo Yua had no comment: "So what’s your relationship with her?"

Minamoto Tamako initially wanted to say they were good friends, but being friends with a seven or eight-year-old made her seem a bit immature, like a children’s leader with no hint of a famous detective and police chief’s demeanor;

But apart from friends, there didn’t seem to be any other solid relationship. Saying sisters didn’t fit since Sakurako didn’t need her care; saying teacher-student didn’t fit either because she couldn’t teach Sakurako anything.

After thinking it over, she decided to bring out Fushimi Roku as her scapegoat: "Well... uh, she’s my best friend’s sister. Their family situation is special, so I’m helping take care of her for a while."

"Oh?"

Kujo Yua’s tone rose: "Best friend?"

Hearing this, Minamoto Tamako suddenly realized a very crucial matter: although they were sleeping in separate rooms, officially, she and Fushimi Roku were ’cohabiting roommates’!

Back then, Fushimi Roku had asked her what to do if people mistook them for cohabiting; she remembered saying, ’As long as we have a clear conscience, it’s fine.’

But now it’s bad. Not only is she worried her mom will mistake them for cohabiting, but the worst part is she doesn’t have a clear conscience...

The absolute worst part is that Mr. Fushimi is right in the next room!!

Minamoto Tamako’s brain worked rapidly, instantly recalling all the lies she’d told since she was young, alongside reviewing the "half-true, half-false for your good" lying technique she’d just learned from Mr. Fushimi. She then awkwardly opened her mouth and said, "Y-yes, that’s the one. Last time, you saw him at Sugamo Station front Patrol House..."

"Fushimi Roku?" Kujo Yua pierced through the pretense.

"Y-yes..."

"He lives in another room?"

"Haha, no way! The other room is my female roommate, we share the rent with friends..."

"I see," Kujo Yua said intriguingly, "How did you become best friends with that guy?"

"He’s actually a really nice person. He was outstanding in police academy, graduated with excellent results, is good at resolving apartment building disputes, gets along well with colleagues, and is very caring, having adopted a pet from an animal shelter, he even..."

Minamoto Tamako hadn’t finished complimenting him when she suddenly stopped, slapped her forehead, and widened her eyes, "Where’s Atsushi?!"

"Who?" Kujo Yua was also taken aback.

Minamoto Tamako hurriedly called the new apartment manager (the hotline number is fixed), after inquiring, she found out that before Fushimi Roku left, he paid some money to have Atsushi fostered with the apartment manager, which finally put her at ease.

Kujo Yua watched the entire time and waited for her daughter to sit back on the sofa before suddenly asking, "So you’re not only helping him take care of his sister, but also helping him with his dog?"

"He, he is usually quite busy!" Minamoto Tamako turned away guiltily.

"Do you have any other thoughts about him?" Kujo Yua wrapped her arms around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug, and asked softly, "Mom’s been there, tell me! Maybe I can give you some advice."

In the past, Minamoto Tamako would have talked with her mom, gossiping a bit between mother and daughter, revealing some girlish secrets—but definitely not now!

Because Mr. Fushimi is just next door, he might hear everything clearly!

If she admitted having feelings for Mr. Fushimi, wouldn’t that be like a confession?! Besides, she and Mr. Fushimi are still in the mutual assessment phase! If she confessed first, wouldn’t it all be over?

"No, no, no, absolutely not!!" Minamoto Tamako shook her head like a rattle-drum.

Seeing her daughter’s firm denial, Kujo Yua momentarily doubted her judgment—if her daughter and Fushimi Roku had any romantic feelings, this would be a good opportunity for her daughter to test her response. Even if Tamako was shy, she would at least indicate something, right?

Why is she so eager to deny it?

Is it because Mr. Fushimi is eavesdropping in the next room?

But it shouldn’t be...

Could it be...

Kujo Yua bent down, inclining her head to observe Minamoto Tamako in her arms, whose eyes were like spring water, her face flushed, and her eyelashes kept trembling. Seeing this, Kujo Yua suddenly understood.

—The two of them are definitely flirting.

Kujo Yua understands the mindset of a girl with a crush.

They express their feelings through actions, they respond to a lover’s advances, and they will ask ’What is our relationship now,’ but they will never be the first to say ’I like you.’

Previously at the Sugamo Station front Patrol House, Kujo Yua had tested Fushimi Roku, she understood his thoughts, and knew his weaknesses.

But she wasn’t clear about her daughter’s thoughts.

Back then, Minamoto Tamako said ’no time for love,’ ’just want to focus on my career,’ ’strive to become the famous police chief’... she could tell these were sincere words; but she also saw that her daughter had a favorable opinion of Fushimi Roku.

Therefore, Kujo Yua wasn’t sure of their relationship status and wasn’t clear about her daughter’s attitude toward Fushimi Roku.

If the mutual affection exists, it would be a happy ending;

If her daughter didn’t like that guy, Kujo Yua wouldn’t randomly matchmake them.

That’s why she changed the topic earlier to test her daughter’s reaction.

Now that she had a clear idea, she felt relieved and brought the topic back on track, "Whether or not, it’s up to you, as long as you know... However, that being said, you should find a boyfriend. Otherwise, once your grandfather starts pressuring, it’s going to be a lot for mom."

From the beginning, Minamoto Tamako had been wanting to ask, but her mom kept changing the subject. Now she finally managed to ask, "Why does grandfather want me to get married by the end of the year? And why is it with the heir of the Fujiwara family... I’ve never even met him!"

"You have met him," Kujo Yua released her daughter and said, "It’s Fujiwara Homare."

"Huh? Fujiwara Section Chief? That’s even more out of the question!"

Without even thinking, Minamoto Tamako refused; in her heart, there was no room for negotiation in such matters: "And why should grandfather have the final say? It’s my life decision, what does it have to do with him..."

"It’s like this," Kujo Yua continued the topic, "Actually, your father’s family, it’s neither the Taira Genji nor the Murakami Genji... The family register is lost, and going back three generations, they’re just ordinary commoners."

"A lot happened back then, generally speaking, I deceived your grandfather and married your father without permission. I didn’t want to bring up these old affairs, what’s past is past. But since you’re involved, it has to be said."

"To be honest, you are the daughter of the Kujo Family."

"And your grandfather is the head of the Kujo Family."

"The ’marriage’ is a command from the family head."