Minamoto Tamako wore pajamas printed with Winnie the Pooh, crossed her arms, pouted, and sulked on the sofa.
After giving herself a foot massage, she entered her sage time, pondering the mysteries of the universe, the boundaries of science, and the dialectics of philosophy.
Thinking about her grandfather, who had taken care of her since childhood, still being out of contact, she felt a deep sense of guilt; worried about Senior Kazama’s uncertain fate, she was anxious... The entire Police Department was busy beyond belief, yet here she was, soaking her feet in red wine at home. It was really inappropriate!
But this was all for the sake of the investigation, not for her to indulge in pleasure!
Mr. Fushimi knew how to challenge her. She had already given up on partnering with him, as investigation personnel must maintain confidentiality in principle, but Fushimi insisted on revealing the information, which piqued her curiosity... She endured hardships and bore great costs, determined to make Mr. Fushimi keep his promise!
When Jun and the dog returned home, Minamoto Tamako slapped the coffee table, setting up a stance for a three-court trial, ready to question Mr. Fushimi, but unexpectedly, a foul stench greeted her, and she instinctively pinched her nose and knitted her brows: "Did Jun fall into a sewer?"
Jun was all wet, truly a drowned rat, sneezing from the cold. He wanted to shake off the water but didn’t dare, as Fushimi Roku was watching from the side.
"Yes, a foolish dog, running around on the street, fell into the roadside ditch." Fushimi Roku dragged it into the bathroom and said, "I have to wash it too, such a hassle."
Minamoto Tamako thought Jun usually seemed pretty smart; she didn’t expect him to do such a silly thing. It seems a dog’s intelligence still has limits.
Fushimi Roku brought over a small stool, adjusted the hot water, and showered Jun with the showerhead. Minamoto Tamako stood at the door supervising, seizing the opportunity to ask, "How was my massage?"
Fushimi Roku was thinking about something else, momentarily distracted and confused.
"The foot massage I gave you just now! How did you feel?" Minamoto Tamako pinched her nose, speaking in a muffled voice.
"It was fine." Fushimi Roku replied absentmindedly.
Minamoto Tamako wore an expression of cunning success, cheering and pushing Fushimi Roku’s shoulder, urging him to quickly talk about the case details. The latter, not in the mood to tease her, succinctly explained the main points.
After listening, Minamoto Tamako bit her nail and pondered.
After a moment, as if something occurred to her, she was about to ask Fushimi Roku for his opinion, but was cut off by him: "Stop overthinking. Do you think Chief Kujo couldn’t come up with what you thought of?"
"I haven’t even said anything yet!" Minamoto Tamako felt underestimated.
"If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. It’s not your responsibility to worry. Work well when you’re working, and rest well when you’re on vacation. The world will keep turning whether you’re here or not."
Saying this, Fushimi Roku used the shower gel to wash Jun’s fur, who enjoyed it with narrowed eyes.
"What kind of public servant takes more than a month off? How is this different from being suspended?"
Minamoto Tamako had long had issues with Mama but never found a place to complain. Now, finally catching a chance to talk about it with Fushimi Roku, she couldn’t wait to vent: "Not only was I on vacation, but I kept getting my salary, isn’t this wasting taxpayers’ money? It’s obviously eating idle salaries! If it were you, wouldn’t you be mad?"
Fushimi Roku’s expression was indescribable. After a moment of silence, he chose to change the subject: "How’s your relationship with your grandfather?"
"Why ask about this all of a sudden?" Minamoto Tamako hadn’t finished complaining, still wanting to enumerate the bad things Mama did.
"Didn’t you say before that the reason you wanted to be a police officer was to find your missing grandfather?" Fushimi Roku scrubbed Jun vigorously and continued in a casual tone, "Once you find him, will you stop being a police officer?"
Minamoto Tamako shook her head, using one hand to prop up on Fushimi Roku’s shoulder, flicking her hair pompously, and said: "Once I find him, I’ll tell him about all that’s happened over the years. His smart and lovely granddaughter has grown into a very reliable police officer! I’m sure he’ll be proud of me!"
Fushimi Roku opened his mouth to speak, but the words turned into a low cough. Jun yelped twice, hinting for him to be gentle.
"Aren’t you satisfied just being a small patrol officer?" He said offhandedly.
"Your tail’s practically wagging to the sky already, and you still want to become a famous detective and police chief? Being a criminal police officer is harder than you think; you’re still far off!" Fushimi Roku unmercifully criticized.
Minamoto Tamako, used to her partner’s sharp tongue, took it as just hot air, pouting and thinking she was much better than those bumbling criminal police officers; how could Mr. Fushimi’s few words affect her?
"Even if I don’t become a criminal police officer, grandpa will still be proud of me." Minamoto Tamako snorted.
Speaking of which, she began to reminisce about her grandfather’s kindness. Every time Mama discouraged her, grandpa would encourage her, praising her as a little genius and saying Mama had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
Once the longing started, it couldn’t be stopped. Minamoto Tamako fiddled with her fingers, leaning against the doorway, talking about living with her grandfather as a child.
When she first arrived at her grandfather’s house, she was frightened by the black and white photos in the hall, crying out loud uncontrollably. Mama scolded her for being unruly, saying it was grandma’s memorial photo and she should be respectful. Hearing this, she cried even more frantically, afraid grandma would come back at night for revenge.
Grandpa hurriedly covered the photo and bent down to comfort her.
After that, every time she passed the hall, she was very cautious, not daring to breathe, and she didn’t dare get up at night to use the bathroom. She wet the bed a few times (didn’t tell Fushimi Roku), so grandpa put the photo away.
Kujo Yua often scolded her for being naïve, but grandpa always defended her, saying when Tamako cried, he felt a sense of return and felt happier deep down. Minamoto Tamako cried out again, while Kujo Yua wore a helpless expression.
Later on, grandpa couldn’t stay idle and got a job as a municipal cleaner, which simply put, was sweeping the streets.
Kujo Yua couldn’t keep an eye on the old man all the time. After finding out, she repeatedly tried to persuade him to quit. Grandpa never got angry; he let Kujo Yua persuade all she wanted, and once done, he just said he understood, only to go out sweeping the streets the next day.
Kujo Yua was so upset she could have burst; she held a high position as Deputy Director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, yet she couldn’t do anything about her father-in-law.
"It’s honorable to earn money through hard work; spending money earned by your own hands feels more secure," grandpa often taught her that way.