CHAPTER 439: CHAPTER 335: PAST EVENTS

In 1989, many significant events took place in Japan.

For instance, Prime Minister Takeshita Noboru, who had been in office for less than two years, resigned due to a political scandal. Japanese prosecutors summoned 3,800 people, searched over 80 locations, and found more than 7,000 people involved, including over 40 members of the National Diet, causing great political turmoil;

Additionally, the notorious "Ayase Cement Murder Case" occurred in Adachi District, dealing a significant blow to Japanese society at the time, so I’ll refrain from elaborating to avoid censorship...

The social atmosphere was bleak and chaotic, with parents worried their daughters might be harmed by bad people, or fearing their sons might follow bad examples.

As one can imagine, Minamoto Tamako needed great resolve to run away from home, while Kujo Yua, caught in the midst of political turmoil, was undoubtedly overwhelmed.

If Minamoto Tamako were only sixteen or seventeen, running away from home would undoubtedly be the behavior of a rebellious youth; however, she was already in her twenties at the time, and the idea of leaving her family to strike out on her own was quite normal—at that time, Minamoto Tamako deeply felt the world was corrupt and desperately needed an upright and capable famous police chief to save it!

Since no one stepped forward, she would lead by example!

To pursue her dreams, Minamoto Tamako even resolved to risk her life. Before she ran away, she left a note saying, ’If I am killed by criminals, please don’t be sad, Mom,’ and ’This is the path I’ve chosen; I just want to set off on a long journey,’ which was eerily similar to the two boastful letters she later mailed from the Nakagawara Police Station.

After reading the ’note,’ Kujo Yua felt like she was about to fall apart. She dispatched several specialists and bodyguards to apprehend Tamako, insisting on bringing her back home even if it required the use of force.

Minamoto Tamako was hiding at Kawai’s house, planning which police academy to apply to when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. The abbot sternly scolded, preventing strangers from barging into the sacred temple grounds. Her heart skipped a beat as she sensed ill intentions, suspecting they were there to catch her. She didn’t even bother putting on shoes before bolting out the window to escape.

Just after she climbed over the courtyard fence, she glanced back and saw the bodyguards holding down Kawai, with three other specialists climbing through the window to catch her.

"Run, Tamako, run!" Kawai shouted, looking like he was prepared to sacrifice himself heroically.

Minamoto Tamako sprinted barefoot down the street, and before she got far, dark clouds loomed, the air grew increasingly stifling, and thunder rumbled as lightning tore across the sky. A downpour ensued, drenching her through and through.

Pedestrians scattered on the street, and traffic crisscrossed the roads. Using the rain as a cover, she successfully evaded her pursuers.

Returning to Kawai’s house was definitely off the table; the bodyguards weren’t fools and would lie in wait there.

Minamoto Tamako leaned against the door of a convenience store, wringing water from the hem of her clothes. She was completely soaked, without even a pair of shoes, resembling a vagrant orphan, unsure of where to go.

Gurgle...

Her stomach grumbled with hunger. Ever since she ran away, she hadn’t had a chance to eat a hot meal.

Was she really going to slink back home in defeat?

The smell of instant noodles wafted from the convenience store, where office workers slurped noodles against the glass windows, and the staff were handling discounted bento boxes.

Minamoto Tamako’s mouth watered as she lay outside the glass door, staring at the eel rice the staff held. The latter asked if she wanted to buy it; feeling her pocket and finding no money, she could only pull a long face.

She pondered whether she should work in exchange for meals, asking for no salary, just food and a place to stay, when suddenly the shouts of bodyguards echoed from a distance, terrifying her as she quickly turned around, glancing left and right.

"Over there!"

"Block the road!"

"Don’t let her get away!"

Minamoto Tamako scampered away in a panic, looking utterly miserable.

In Minamoto Tamako’s eyes at the time, 1989 was the darkest, most painful, and most frustrating year of her life. She hid everywhere, eating and sleeping in the open air, living in fear every day (even if only for three days), but at the very least, she learned to rebel.

If she hadn’t run away, according to the predetermined life path, she would have continued to earn her degree, pursue graduate or doctoral studies, possibly making outstanding contributions in the arts and language fields, winning a few awards for show, and have elders pick a suitable family for marriage, leading a life of raising children.

Such a life was steady, but she didn’t want it.

...

But for Fushimi Roku, 1989 was an ordinary year.

Having just crossed over to Japan, his impression of 1989 was only that Emperor Showa passed away, and it was officially announced that the new era name would be "Heisei," marking Japan’s entry into the Heisei era—and that the original host was so poor he couldn’t afford rent or utility bills, and couldn’t find a job matching his degree, leading to taking the roundabout path of becoming a taxi driver, ultimately dying of exhaustion from overworking.

Why did one need connections to become a taxi driver? Because in 1989, the taxi industry was strictly managed, with high entry barriers. According to Japan’s Road Transportation Law, there were strict regulations concerning taxi-related matters... Despite having graduated from Nagoya University, Fushimi Roku had no problem competing with a bunch of high school graduates for a taxi driver job.

Starting life over again, after accepting reality, Fushimi Roku had very simple goals: just find a stable job that allowed him to coast through life, sipping tea, reading the newspaper, occasionally looking through case files for fun, and living a steady life without regrets.

At the time, Fushimi Roku had not considered entering police school or becoming a policeman; upon reflecting on the original host’s memories, he thought being a taxi driver wasn’t so bad. He could chat with passengers and earn tips, with comprehensive insurance and a pretty decent income, enjoying eight days off a month. It was far better than his previous life as a lawyer, working himself to death—at least, that’s what he thought on the day he crossed over.