Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner-Chapter 808 - 490: Marriage (Part 2)

Fushimi Roku feigned confusion, mouthed the words, silently asking, "What’s wrong?"

Minamoto Tamako covered the receiver, looked up with a blank expression, and whispered, "Grandpa suddenly had a heart attack, the doctor issued a critical condition notice..."

After saying this, she lowered her head and continued her call, "Uh-huh... did Grandpa really say that...? I-I might not be able to leave... okay... okay... I understand..."

After a while, Minamoto Tamako hung up the phone, her small face full of worry and a hint of anxiety, even her ahoge drooped listlessly.

"Is the situation very serious?" Fushimi Roku asked softly.

"Yes, they’ve given up on treatment," Minamoto Tamako kicked a small stone by the roadside, and said, "Grandpa wants to see me. Mom says every time he wakes up from a coma, he asks people around him, ’Has Tamako returned yet?’... I think I should go back once."

"Why at this time?" Fushimi Roku pretended to be regretful.

"Yes, right at this time." Minamoto Tamako sniffed, her nose a little sour, "But you can investigate a case anytime; if you miss seeing a family member for the last time, that’s something you can never make up for in your lifetime."

"You’re right, I support you." Fushimi Roku nodded.

Minamoto Tamako pouted, sulking, and said, "Anyway, the Special Investigation Department doesn’t do anything serious, staying in Tokyo won’t accomplish anything, and having Sister Yasurou help collect the tapes is the same... When I come back, I will definitely solve this big case!"

In a previous life, Fushimi Roku had heard of a similar case, but all the insiders were dead. He thought carefully and felt that Kujo Yua’s judgment was correct.

It’s better not to let Minamoto Tamako get involved.

So, they went home to pack, bought a ticket for that day, and went back to Hokkaido to see her grandfather. Taira Sakurako, who still had school, was temporarily left in the care of Moriyama Yasurou.

Before boarding the plane, Fushimi Roku used the excuse of going to the bathroom, to call Sazaki Gen, entrusting him to recover and destroy tapes related to the Dog Head Man Special, and instructed Kazama Tatsuya and others to help.

Of course, he wouldn’t make people work for free, offering a 500 yen bonus for each destroyed Dog Head Man tape, and reimbursing the cost of purchasing the tapes — the more destroyed, the higher the bonus.

With everything prepared, they took a plane, and hurried all the way back to their old home in Hokkaido.

The passing of a relative always brings grief, even if Minamoto Tamako and her grandfather didn’t have a good relationship, and she even said she wanted to cut ties with the Kujo Family, but at the moment of parting in life and death, she just couldn’t help but soften, feeling so sad and bewildered that she didn’t dare to enter the door.

Putting on an act requires doing it thoroughly, so Fushimi Roku had already changed into a pure black suit, with a black tie, looking especially solemn, as if attending a funeral.

The Kujo residence was filled with mournful expressions, it was unknown if Kujo Mutsumi had made arrangements beforehand or if the act was so convincing that even the staff thought he was dying.

In any case, when Minamoto Tamako stood at the door, she did not doubt the authenticity of the situation at all.

Her grandfather was lying just behind the door. Minamoto Tamako didn’t know what to say when she went in, nor did she know how to face her grandfather.

There had been a lot of unpleasant incidents before, like Grandfather sabotaging her relationship with Mr. Fushimi, lying that her mother had arranged a marriage for her, imprisoning her at home, not allowing her to go outside...

And she had done some excessive things, like riding her mother’s motorcycle into the floor-to-ceiling window glass, trampling over the carefully manicured lawn in the yard, claiming to break ties with the Kujo Family forever...

This is the peculiar nature of kinship, even when both sides are fed up with each other, even when they loathe each other, in the very end, they forgive one another, attending each other’s funerals with heavy hearts.

A part of the bloodline has passed away.

The newborn blood should come to pay respect.

Minamoto Tamako took a deep breath and pushed open the door. She was also in formal attire, dressed in pure black, looking a little like a widow.

The bedroom was large, lacking furniture, only a conspicuous big bed, made from velvet, looking very soft.

Kujo Mutsumi lay on the bed, emaciated, seeming as if he was sinking into it.

He wore a breathing mask, with an electrocardiogram monitor beside him, emitting a cold, beeping sound. The plastic mask fogged up with each rise and fall of his chest.

"You’ve come?" Kujo Mutsumi’s eyes were tired, he turned his head laboriously on the bed.

Fushimi Roku marveled secretly, thinking this old man’s acting is really good, looks just like the real thing, no wonder they say old people are cunning.

Minamoto Tamako nearly shed tears, the small resentment in her heart dissipated instantly: "Yes, Mom said you wanted to see me..."

"Yes."

Kujo Mutsumi said, then suddenly coughed violently, as if he was going to cough up a lung. Fushimi Roku secretly gave it a low score, by setting the plot he should have a heart disease, not lung cancer, shouldn’t cough so intensely.

Minamoto Tamako, feeling soft-hearted, hurried to pour water, trying to help Kujo Mutsumi, pat her grandfather’s back, to make him feel better.

But Kujo Mutsumi refused, lying there, hoarsely reflecting, "I’m old, can’t even muster the strength to sit up."

Minamoto Tamako didn’t know how to comfort him, because Kujo Mutsumi stated a fact.

She didn’t even have the heart to say, ’Grandpa, you’ll surely live a long life,’ because Kujo Mutsumi was about to die, saying such words at this moment would just seem so hollow.

The bedroom fell into silence, swiftly broken again as Kujo Mutsumi spoke, "Tamako, I’m sorry you had to come all this way to see me..."

"It’s no trouble," Minamoto Tamako said, "It’s what I should do."

"Little Wei brought you back, didn’t she?" Kujo Mutsumi sighed.

Minamoto Tamako’s heart ached a little, she felt her grandfather really wanted to see Mom, but Mom, as Director of Police, had a heavy burden and couldn’t leave for now, having no choice but to put work before family.

"No, it was...it was I who wanted to come back..." Minamoto Tamako told a white lie, wanting her grandfather to feel better.

"Ah, I see," Kujo Mutsumi looked at Minamoto Tamako, sincerely saying, "Actually, I’ve always wanted to apologize to you in person."

"Huh?" Minamoto Tamako was a bit surprised.

"I was confused before, did some wrong things, truly sorry." Kujo Mutsumi showed a bitter smile: "Sorry, I don’t even have the strength to bow now... I only wish you can forgive me."

Minamoto Tamako nodded rapidly, "I-I forgive you, Grandpa, I understand, you did those things for a reason..."

"Thank you." Kujo Mutsumi closed his eyes: "Now I can leave in peace."

After finishing, the bedroom fell silent again.

Fushimi Roku was stunned for a moment, thinking, what about the marriage proposal?

For a moment, he thought Kujo Mutsumi was really going to die. This old guy was acting for real, perhaps he’s actually suffering from lung cancer, with not many days left...

As he was thinking wildly, Kujo Mutsumi opened his eyes again, "Ah, there is one more thing I can’t let go of."

"Please tell me, I’ll do my best to accomplish it." Minamoto Tamako’s eyes were already red, she secretly wiped her tears while Kujo Mutsumi had his eyes closed.

"Tamako, do you love Mr. Fushimi?" Kujo Mutsumi asked.

"Why ask this suddenly..." Minamoto Tamako was a bit flustered, and glanced sideways at Fushimi Roku.

East Asians rarely say the word ’love’, love seems too heavy; everyone loves fiercely, yet feels embarrassed to speak it out loud.

"Tamako, I want to entrust you to someone worthy of entrustment." Kujo Mutsumi’s eyes moved up, meeting Fushimi Roku’s eyes, all was said without words: "This is my last wish, before I die, I want to attend your wedding."

Minamoto Tamako’s small hand shook, the glass fell to the ground, shattering to pieces.

"Ma-marriage?!

She turned around sharply, looking at Mr. Fushimi, "You... you... this... I..."

Fushimi Roku was prepared, he knelt on one knee, took a ring from his pocket, and asked softly and earnestly, "Tamako, will you marry me?"

Minamoto Tamako plopped down, sitting on the edge of the bed.