Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 207 - 128: The Bad Teenager’s Counterattack

Junko was different from him; she was a smart girl.

From elementary school, Junko’s grades had always been among the best. She was introverted and liked reading, which over time led her to become nearsighted and always wear thick glasses.

Horie Kei and his sister had completely opposite personalities. He was rebellious from a young age, often skipped classes and got into fights, and naturally became a so-called ’delinquent’ in high school, often participating in riots or protests.

Their parents were very worried and often advised him to behave. But Horie Kei only felt that his parents were conservative and old-fashioned, too afraid to fight back and bound to be eliminated by the times... They often quarreled, and Horie Kei frequently ran away from home. Each time, it was Junko who would go out searching for him, persistently persuading him to return home.

If it weren’t for Junko, he’d probably be mixing with gangs on the street now, or running around with the Punk Gang, living a precarious life.

It wasn’t until after graduating from high school that Horie Kei realized how difficult life was.

Nowadays, it was difficult to find a decent job with just a high school diploma, so he could only earn meager wages through manual labor, doing repetitive tasks day in and day out, either selling fish for a seafood shop or working part-time at a convenience store. There was no hope of advancement in sight for the future... It turned out that the one eliminated by the times was himself.

But fortunately, Junko didn’t have to follow his old path; Junko excelled at studying, always maintaining a deviation value above 70, capable of easily getting into a prestigious private high school.

The family couldn’t afford the tuition, and Junko, being considerate of her parents, wanted to attend a regular home economics high school. Horie Kei outright refused, having a big argument with their parents over it, and this time, no matter how much Junko persuaded, he wouldn’t give in.

"If the family has no money, then I’ll go earn it! I’ll work with all my might, even if it means taking on three jobs... Junko is so talented, she should aim for a prestigious university, go to college, and have a better life!"

Horie Kei truly believed this from the bottom of his heart.

After he said this, their parents showed a relieved expression and agreed. Their son had become sensible, and their daughter would have a brighter future. They could endure hardship as long as there was hope for life.

And so, Junko got into a private high school. The parents, after hearing the teacher’s advice, also signed her up for extra tutoring classes... If everything went well, she would likely get into Waseda University, giving her more choices in job hunting later.

Horie Kei didn’t hope for his sister to become wealthy, nor did he have any fervent expectations, just wishing for her to have more choices in her future life.

However, after Junko advanced to high school, she became rather gloomy. Every time she came home, she appeared listless, often forgetful, and occasionally locked herself in her room. Mother was very worried about her, and each time she knocked, Junko refused to meet.

"I’m fine, just a bit tired... I’ll study hard and not disappoint everyone’s expectations." Junko would always say.

At first, Horie Kei thought his sister was simply unaccustomed to high school life. After all, her middle school friends went to different high schools, and feeling lonely was normal for the new term.

Busy fulfilling his promise, Horie Kei had little time to care about his sister’s concerns, simply thinking that after some time, once Junko made new friends, she would naturally regain her spirits.

As time passed, Junko not only failed to become cheerful but grew increasingly withdrawn. Logically, as Junko’s family, they should have noticed her unusual behavior... But at that time, other family issues arose, causing everyone to overlook the most silent Junko.

That’s right, the company where father worked went bankrupt.

A company still adhering to the seniority system naturally lacked competitiveness in the new era; but if it didn’t maintain the seniority system, father would certainly be among the first batch of employees dismissed... In short, what they encountered during the burst of the financial bubble was merely a microcosm of countless families.

Father attempted to find other work to support the family’s expenses. But given his age, he had long been left behind by the market, only able to do manual labor like unloading, mixing concrete, moving bricks... Before long, his body was exhausted.

Mother took him to the hospital, only to discover that father’s medical insurance had been overdue for more than a year— that bankrupt company not only failed to pay employees’ insurance but even hid the overdue bills in the employees’ mailbox lockers.

Without insurance, the family had to bear the full medical expenses. Horie Kei borrowed a lot of money to pay a month’s hospital bill. After a month’s rest, father’s health improved somewhat, but he didn’t want to continue treatment, fearing it would ruin the family.

But wouldn’t the family collapse without treatment either?

Horie Kei had never felt such hatred for his own incompetence. He deeply regretted not studying earnestly before, not finding a stable long-term job, realizing only under the pressure of the family’s burden that his shoulders couldn’t bear it.

Father consoled Horie Kei, telling him not to blame himself too much. He didn’t need to worry about money.

"Don’t always shoulder the blame yourself. We, as parents, also share the fault of not providing a good educational environment from the start... Rest assured, soon you all won’t have to worry about money anymore. And Junko’s tuition won’t require you to struggle to gather funds."

At that time, Horie Kei didn’t understand what his father meant by these words.

It wasn’t until father’s ’accidental’ death and the insurance company paid a large insurance sum that he realized those were his father’s last words.

They were relatively fortunate; many unemployed families tried insurance fraud by suicide, leading to the bankruptcy of numerous small and medium-sized insurance companies, and prompting large insurance companies to tighten audits... Father’s death appeared so much like an accident that Horie Kei could even deceive himself into thinking it was just a plain mishap.

However, after receiving the insurance money, their lives didn’t improve; instead, it took a sharp downturn.

Aum Truth Sect proselytized at the funeral to the grief-stricken mother. At the time, he thought she just wanted solace, but not long after, all the family savings were secretly donated by the mother.

"The Venerable will protect us. Once I achieve advancement through penitence, gaining superpower, we’ll restart in the New World, living a happy and fulfilling life together..."

Horie Kei had a furious argument with his mother, the next day she hid in the Church and refused to see him. Horie Kei could only go to Junko’s school, hoping she could persuade mother to reconsider, only to find out Junko had been expelled... The reason being involvement in compensated dating, spreading obscene photos, and associating with delinquents.

Overnight, the family shattered, leaving only him, alone, struggling in the storm.