Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 38: Minamoto Tamako’s Day of Suffering

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Minamoto Tamako’s Day of Suffering

While Minamoto Tamako was in her element, suspect Fushimi disrupted the final bus by puncturing its tires, smashed the emergency radio inside, and handcuffed two instructors to the bus.

Hence, the entire mountain became a caged prison, isolated from the outside world.

You must know, the "Great Snow Mountain" is comprised of 20 peaks each rising above 2000 meters, and the exam area is just one of the peaks. The indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido call this expanse of the Great Snow Mountain "Kamui Mintara," meaning "the playground of the gods".

Without any means of transportation, it might take days of hiking without encountering another soul.

Moreover, some peaks have treacherous terrains, and once fog sets in, you can’t find your way out even with a map, only to be reported missing. If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon a rescue team; if not, you’ll be waiting for someone to retrieve your body.

He intended for this exam to be completely void.

Fushimi drove down the mountain, took a bath at a roadside family inn, feeling his whole body relax. A few elderly gentlemen leaning by the hot spring remarked, ’As expected, the sons of Edo must take hot baths...’

An hour later, having eaten and drunk his fill, he donned the inn’s provided yukata, tucked his hands in his sleeves, and strolled leisurely through the courtyard, gazing at the rolling mountains afar.

As night fell, the layers of the county’s mountains blurred and darkened, forming a shadowy stretch at the edge of the starry sky. Fushimi squinted, a crystalline snowflake drifted past him, and he involuntarily shrunk his neck.

"Ah, is it snowing?"

As expected, it’s late September in Hokkaido, where the first snow could fall. It’s already October, and the first snow is finally arriving late. Seeing the mountain scenery tomorrow morning will surely be beautiful.

Fushimi treaded back to his room in wooden clogs, wrapped himself in a thick futon, feeling wonderfully warm all over.

"Indeed, it’s the best to lie in a futon after being exhausted." He contently closed his eyes.

After a while, Fushimi opened his eyes again.

"That guy won’t catch a cold, will he?"

He pondered, Minamoto Tamako frequently indulges in sweets, often lazy and avoiding exercise, standing only about 1.5 meters tall, looking so fragile. She could very well be shivering in hunger and cold deep in the mountainous woods now.

"Should I go check on her?"

As soon as the thought flashed in his mind, the demon and the angel appeared on his shoulders.

The demon said, is it nice and warm in here? Why go out and suffer? Whether she lives or dies is none of your business. Blame Instructor Shirota instead... Before it could finish, the angel used its halo to strangle it.

The latter laughed maniacally, loudly declaring that finally it’s my turn! Ask yourself, how is Minamoto Tamako usually toward you? Would you really let her suffer in the mountains? Get out of the futon now!

Fushimi hesitated for a moment, slightly sat up, but the chill seeped in through the futon’s gap. He shivered and lay back down, turning over to get comfortable again.

Even the demon was displeased this time, blaming Fushimi for not cherishing the opportunity to woo the little heiress. The chance for a hero to save the damsel is right in front of him, if not now, then when?

Fushimi laid there with open eyes for a while. He cleared the chaotic thoughts in his mind, then gritted his teeth and tossed off the futon.

"After all, I accepted two hundred thousand yen, should show some professional spirit..."

He dressed, stuffed a futon into the car’s trunk.

After hesitating a moment, Fushimi returned to the inn, picked up a few hot rice balls, and, adding Minamoto Tamako’s favorite sweet treats daifuku, started the car and set off.

...

On the other side, within the Great Snow Mountain.

Minamoto Tamako’s situation was worse than Fushimi imagined.

She made the same mistake as Yoshimura Yu, that is, overestimating the trainees’ execution abilities.

After assigning the mountain search tasks, all sorts of chaos ensued. First, a few female trainees clamorously demanded a break, then several, unable to hold their needs, deserted their posts. Finally ready for the official search, an unfortunate soul twisted his ankle in the darkness.

"Where is this coordinate point? I can’t make sense of it!"

"I figured standing over there would give a better view..."

"No way! Are you looking down on me?"

Even with Minamoto Tamako kept her stance low, the commands still aggravated the directed trainees.

Everyone felt she was dictating from a comfortable seat while ordering them around.

Managing a position isn’t for everyone. Minamoto Tamako finally realized how taxing the class leaders’ workload is.

The search initially projected to last three hours dragged on for five. This time, they thoroughly searched the entire peak, confirming Fushimi’s absence, triggering dissatisfaction and frustration among them.

"What the heck! He could have already run to the assembly point!"

"Traitor! I can’t believe Yu-kun is like that!"

"And then there’s Tamako, who usually hangs out with Fushimi. She might have deliberately helped him stall time!"

On their way back, the trainees loudly discussed. Some more rational trainees advised keeping voices down, but their attempts backfired. A fruitless hunt demands accountability.

Minamoto Tamako leaned on a tree branch, trailing behind the group, feeling especially downcast.

She comforted herself internally, although she didn’t capture Fushimi, she unearthed unexpected gains during the mountain search...

The braided girl slowed her pace, walking alongside Minamoto Tamako, offering a few words of comfort. The latter was nearly in tears, genuinely moved by Kuroki Miu’s kindness, and found her to be such an angel!

When the group arrived at the San’in assembly point, a mishap was discovered. The bus tires were punctured, and two responsible instructors, handcuffed to a rail, had only adult magazines to pass the time.

After Shirata Masahiro inquired, he learned the culprit was Fushimi, and an ominous feeling surged in his heart. He instructed the trainees to wait, personally leading instructors to the nearest departure point—true to expectation, the car tires were punctured too, with a note on the car’s glass.

"Your tire has burst"

Face darkened, Shirata Masahiro punched at the note, shattering the car window.

Returning with the instructors, he immediately found the trainees ’interrogating’ Minamoto Tamako inside the bus. A few boys cornered her, demanding whether she conspired with Fushimi, pretending to search the mountain but secretly helping him escape, thereby fooling everyone.

Seeing this, Shirata Masahiro was furious. He yanked those male trainees off the bus, made them stand at attention, slapping them one by one, cursing them as worthless while delivering the blows, leaving their lips split and heads spinning.

"You idiots think you can become police officers? The thugs on the street have more discipline than you!"

After berating them, he shut the bus door, leaving those boys outside, feeding mosquitoes.

Without any lighting equipment, they couldn’t trek the mountain roads by night, forced to overnight in the bus. Everyone was exhausted and hungry; some trainees’ water supplies depleted, prompting them to seek water from their companions.

As the night deepened, snow began to fall in the mountains.

The bus had no heat, and inside was as cold as an ice cave. Minamoto Tamako curled up in a corner, sneezing a few times, feeling dizzy and feverish.

Sitting next to her, Kuroki Miu tucked her braid into her collar as a makeshift scarf for warmth. She turned, saw Minamoto Tamako frowning, eyes closed, looking uncomfortable, reached out to touch her forehead, finding it alarmingly hot.

"Oh no, could she be running a fever?"

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