Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 57: The Punch-Resistant Senior Watanabe

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The Punch-Resistant Senior Watanabe

Minamoto Tamako was startled, nearly letting go of her grip on the gun.

The gunshots came from outside. She hurriedly pushed the door open, almost colliding with Fushimi Roku, who was peeking through the door. He asked, "Was that your shot?"

"How could that be! Senior Kazama hasn’t even issued any bullets!" she exclaimed anxiously. "Something must have happened, there’s been a shooting on the street!"

"Oh."

Fushimi Roku withdrew, preparing to close the door, but Minamoto Tamako dashed over and stuck her foot in the door. "No escaping! As patrol police, how can we ignore a shooting incident?!"

"It’s not even working hours yet..."

"Patrol police are on standby 24 hours! Once there’s an incident, even if it’s off-duty, we have to respond!" Minamoto Tamako said, reaching out to grab Fushimi Roku.

He had already changed into pajamas covered in sheep patterns, ready for a good nap rudely interrupted by the gunshots, making him particularly irritable: "Senior Kazama hasn’t said to respond, why are you in such a hurry? Besides, our guns don’t even have bullets; going out would be a death wish. We only earn 150,000 yen a month, and you want me to go out and fight criminals barehanded?"

Minamoto Tamako calmed down, feeling Fushimi Roku had a point but still couldn’t ignore the shooting on the street. After an internal struggle, she rushed downstairs to wake up Senior Kazama and asked what to do in such situations.

"You’re at the front desk. If someone reports a case, handle it as you’ve learned in police academy. If no one reports anything, go upstairs to rest. Every night’s patrol is a night shift. I suggest you get more sleep during the day," Kazama Tatsuya replied, putting his sleep mask back on as he reclined in the lounge chair.

Huh? Not responding to the scene? Is it so casual?

Minamoto Tamako felt something was wrong. The work at the patrol house wasn’t as she imagined.

She stood at the front desk honestly, looking at the tightly shut patrol house door, wondering how anyone could report a case with the door closed. What if a victim, gasping for air, crawled to the steps only to find the patrol house door shut? How desperate would that be?

Thinking this, Minamoto Tamako took down the key hanging by the wall and pushed open the locked door.

Snap, a hand grabbed her ankle.

Minamoto Tamako was suddenly frightened, goosebumps rising all over her body. She looked down to see a man lying on the ground, his head covered with a gauze net, and his trench coat wrinkled.

"S-sir, do, do, do you need any help?" she stammered, her teeth chattering with fear, afraid that the first person reporting a case would die right in front of her.

"Uh?" The man looked up, staring at Minamoto Tamako, for a moment thinking he’d seen an angel after dying. Then he noticed Minamoto Tamako was in a police uniform, slowly realizing, "Ah! You’re the new recruit?!"

Minamoto Tamako also recognized him; it was Watanabe Shun lying there. They introduced themselves to each other, and Minamoto Tamako saluted like a soldier to her senior, "I’m terribly sorry for leaving you at the airport! I’m Minamoto Tamako, a new patrol officer, please guide me!"

Watanabe Shun’s vanity as a senior was triggered, and suddenly his waist and legs didn’t ache anymore. He flipped himself up from the ground with a kip-up, casually tearing off the hair net for bandaging, and from his pocket, he took out some hair gel, quickly styling his unruly hair into a spiky airplane style.

"Yosh! It’s just a small wound, nothing serious! Don’t look down on me, I’m quite tough! I heard you solved the murder case at the airport? Well done! By the time I got back, the criminal police at the station were all talking about the new patrol officer!"

Just as he finished speaking, Kazama Tatsuya’s scolding voice rang from the office: "Shut up! You’re so noisy! I sent you to pick up the newcomer, and instead they arrived before you, and you still have the face to shout here? Get back to the dormitory and write a three-page reflection!"

"Uh, boss, please give me some face in front of the newcomer..."

"Get lost!"

"Alright."

Watanabe Shun trotted upstairs, knocking on Fushimi Roku’s door as he passed by, intending to greet another newcomer. But after knocking for a while without any response, presumably asleep, he reluctantly returned to his dormitory.

Fushimi Roku had his reason for not responding; he was at the window, peering out, intending to watch the commotion. If there could be daily shootings on the street, he could comfortably observe gang shootouts without leaving his home—that’s the very reason he became a patrol officer!

He came to the patrol house for three things: loaf around, watch the drama, and steal wages!

Unfortunately, after watching for a long time, there wasn’t even a shadow of a person on the road. Presumably, the gunshots came from a residential building. A few crows perched on the telephone pole seemed used to the occasional gunfire.

"Tsk, boring."

Fushimi Roku shut the window, contemplating whether to find some time to collect bullet casings and reload a few bullets for self-defense. After all, if a patrol officer fires a shot, it’s particularly troublesome. They must apply for bullets beforehand, report afterwards, and provide the necessary justification for firing... He might as well craft a few rounds himself and then decide whether or not to use the department’s bullets based on the situation.

Hmm, being a patrol officer is like running a business; how can there not be some creative accounting?

Without delay, he decided to take action. He changed out of his pajamas, made an excuse about buying daily supplies, and wandered around the fireworks shop and hardware store, not buying anything but just keeping an eye out. He could wait to buy materials until he finds usable casings during an incident response vigil.

By the time he returned to the patrol house with an armload of toiletries, dusk had passed, and the streets were bathed in a bluish haze.

The windows of the residential buildings began to light up one by one, with cool whites and warm yellows, intermixed with purple and red hues, leaving little to the imagination of what was happening inside.

The daily work shift begins at 6 PM, but it would be later in summer, starting at 7 or 8 PM until 6 AM the next day. This means a 12-hour workday, with any hours beyond 8 considered overtime, which comes with extra pay and night shift allowances.

It’s for this reason that Sugamo patrol officers’ actual pay is about three times that of other patrol officers. The base salary is 150,000 yen. Other miscellaneous items added up and, after deducting insurance, there’s an extra 400,000 yen, not including other benefits and allowances.

Fifty-five thousand yen a month, enough to match the income of a small middle-class family.

But there’s a reason for the high pay. Looking at Kazama Tatsuya’s appearance, it was clear they were trading their life span for money.

Before the two were demoted, the chief had already given up hope and planned to slack off. But unfortunately, Kazama Tatsuya had too much of a sense of duty, driving their boss along reluctantly.

After the four finished their convenience store-bought bento, they prepared to start their shift.

"It’s your first day, move together to get familiar with the area. If there are any emergencies, don’t force it. Prioritize your safety. If you can’t handle it, call for backup and don’t risk it out of pride..."

After some admonishment, Kazama Tatsuya drained a bottle of energy boosters, his face a bit flushed. "Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

Minamoto Tamako answered energetically, while Fushimi Roku replied feebly.

There was no special ceremony, no rousing speeches; just like that, the patrol officers of Sugamo Station front Patrol House began their routine patrol.

Kazama Tatsuya watched the backs of his two juniors as they left. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Watanabe, follow them. If anything happens, don’t let them get killed."

Watanabe Shun remarked with surprise, "Huh? Boss, will you manage on your own..."

"Stop babbling, get going!"

"Alright."