Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 31 The Natural Nemesis of the Schemer

Chapter 31: Chapter 31 The Natural Nemesis of the Schemer

"No way! We must find a way to be assigned together!"

Minamoto Tamako smacked her chopsticks onto the tray with a snap. She didn’t want the painstakingly rebuilt detective team to be torn apart again.

Besides, she heard that some police box officers might bully newcomers. With Fushimi’s personality, he’ll definitely be bullied to tears by the seniors! If she’s not around, who will take care of Fushimi?

In her mind, Minamoto Tamako imagined Fushimi Roku squatting in the corner of a toilet with his hands over his head, looking pitiful. She immediately felt the weight on her shoulders increase. As the captain of the detective team and a future famous police chief, she had to shoulder the responsibility!

"Why are you being picky again? You haven’t touched the broccoli or carrots on your plate," Fushimi Roku criticized.

"Ah, that, I’m talking about serious matters here! Broccoli and carrots are absolutely unimportant, right?"

Minamoto Tamako thought why does everyone have to nag her about it? At home, her mom calls her picky, at school Kawai says she’s fussy, and now Fushimi is calling her finicky... Broccoli and carrots are practically her lifelong enemies!

"So what are you planning to do?" Fushimi Roku asked, casually picking out the fatty meat from his plate.

"Aha! Caught you, didn’t I? You’re picky too!"

Minamoto Tamako thought to herself that they’re even now. Being picky is a fine tradition of the detective team; who, with any sense, would eat everything? Wouldn’t that make them a pig!

Fushimi Roku picked up the piece of fatty meat with his chopsticks, flipped it over, and pointed it at Minamoto Tamako: "Do you think this thing is edible?"

She exclaimed in surprise, wondering why there was a little lump on the meat, and the lump even had hair on it. Could it be some kind of mutant breed?

"Since it’s in the cafeteria, it should be edible, right?"

After Minamoto Tamako said this, she vaguely felt the conversation was drifting off course. She reiterated the most important task once more—ensuring the detective team graduates smoothly so they could continue investigating cases at the same police box in the future!

Fushimi Roku was uninterested and hummed a couple of perfunctory responses. Just as he was about to slip away after wiping his mouth, he saw the class president approaching with a tray, asking, "Are you done eating, Fushimi? May I sit here?"

Fushimi Roku glanced at Minamoto Tamako, then picked up his chopsticks again and said, "Not yet."

The class president looked puzzled, shot a glance at the ’pork breast’ on his tray, hesitated, but said nothing.

From the moment the class president got close, Minamoto Tamako had fallen silent. She stared straight at the carrots, lips tightly pressed, looking like a dazed pink bunny.

Fushimi Roku raised an eyebrow in surprise, wondering what was up with her. Although he knew Minamoto Tamako was shy around strangers, it wasn’t to the point of social anxiety... Did she fear the class president?

"Then I’ll sit over here."

The class president sat down beside them, speaking familiarly, "I overheard you talking about graduation assignments. Haven’t you contacted the police box you want to go to?"

Minamoto Tamako didn’t reply, still wearing that blank expression, but Fushimi Roku noticed her little ears twitch. Then she kicked Fushimi under the table.

Sighing, he put down his chopsticks and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"If you know someone at a police box, you can have the station master submit an application to transfer graduates to their district. It’s kind of an unspoken rule at police academies, right?"

The class president paused, then added, "Of course, whether the application gets approved is another matter."

Fushimi Roku caught the implication: "By that reasoning, does Yu-kun have some connections?"

"Yu" was the class president’s name. His surname was Yoshimura, full name Yoshimura Yu. He had rather square features, thick eyebrows, and big eyes—standard righteous person look.

"Not really, I don’t care which police box I’m assigned to."

Yoshimura Yu unwrapped his chopsticks and then continued, "But, that said, my uncle is a station master at the police box in Bunkyo District, Tokyo, and he’s always wanted me to help out over there. It’s hard to decline such hospitality... it’s quite a bother, really."

Nowadays, economic development is uneven across Japan, and the treatment at police boxes varies greatly. Bunkyo District, where Yoshimura Yu mentioned, has many national and private universities, making it a renowned cultural and educational area. It’s a wealthy district with little work and good pay—every dog on the street is either rich or noble.

Yoshimura Yu feigned another sigh and continued in a pretentious manner: "I’ve complained to my dad many times, telling him not to use his position as dean to give me special treatment, but he wouldn’t listen. He insists on transferring me to the Harbor District... What’s good about that place? It’s only got Tokyo Tower!"

Fushimi Roku’s expression began to sync with Minamoto Tamako’s; they both stared at their trays with pursed lips, silent.

Finally, Yoshimura Yu revealed his true intention: "Tamako, which police box do you want to intern at? Although I can’t help much, I could have a word with my dad, so we might get a chance to work together in the future..."

Minamoto Tamako suddenly had a bright idea, thinking, yeah, why didn’t I think of that? I could ask my mom for help!

But then she reconsidered and felt there was some truth in Yoshimura Yu’s words. If she asked her mom for help, wouldn’t that be using influence for personal gain? No, no, as a champion of justice, she couldn’t do such things!

Minamoto Tamako’s face was filled with indecision, and her tiny eyebrows furrowed.

Yoshimura Yu, growing more enthusiastic, had already begun to imagine their life together in the future, working at the police box with lots of opportunities to be alone...

"Sorry, no need," Fushimi Roku interrupted.

"Huh?" Yoshimura Yu awkwardly chuckled, "I’m talking to Tamako..."

He never understood what someone as charming as Minamoto Tamako saw in Fushimi Roku. The guy had no status, no background, mediocre grades, and only average physical test results—in terms of looks alone, a rugged man like him should provide more security, right?

"I’ve agreed with Tamako to go to the same police box," Fushimi Roku signaled with his eyes for him to leave, "The maximum recruitment is two, right? So you don’t need to worry."

"Yeah, exactly," Minamoto Tamako, looking troubled, hadn’t picked up on Yoshimura Yu’s implied meaning at all: "You’re already stressed out, how can we possibly ask you for such a thing?"

"Actually, it’s not such a bother, just a small effort." Yoshimura Yu retorted, trying to save face.

"Really? Then can you make sure Fushimi and I are assigned to the same police box? Does that count as using influence for personal gain?"

When Minamoto Tamako asked this, she meant no sarcasm. She just genuinely thought the class president was a kind person, although a bit boastful and annoying—who didn’t have a flaw or two?

But after hearing this, Yoshimura Yu’s face turned dark. He picked up his tray and left without saying a word.

Minamoto Tamako was baffled: "What’s up with him? Is he angry?"

Fushimi Roku was about to remark about how natural-born beats crafty, but before he could say anything, a broadcast sounded.

The instructor asked Class A students to gather at the playground, saying there would be announcements about graduation tests.