CHAPTER 448: CHAPTER 337: CHAOTIC SCENE

"It’s not random, psychologists have a confidentiality principle."

Kazama Tatsuya slapped his hand away, held his shoulder, and said emphatically, "You need to face your inner self, courageously take responsibility, even if your personality is flawed, it doesn’t matter, you must believe the person you love will always love you!"

Fushimi Roku was stunned, leaning back with the same expression as the old man on the subway: "Have you been brainwashed?"

"It’s not me who has problems, it’s you who have problems."

Kazama Tatsuya wanted to relay Doctor Arima’s words, but he forgot what the other party said at the time, so he could only dryly repeat inspirational clichés, encouraging Fushimi Roku to bravely face Minamoto Tamako and express his thoughts.

"What do you want me to say?" Fushimi Roku spread his hands.

"So far, what is your relationship?" Kazama Tatsuya countered.

Fushimi Roku understood what he meant, it seemed the Japanese Empire’s masculine ideals still prevailed, archaically seeing confession as a man’s duty. He looked disdainfully, sneering: "Are you teaching me how to date?"

"Why not?" Kazama Tatsuya crossed his arms (prosthetic): "I’ve been through this."

"And your wife?" Fushimi Roku feigned surprise, slapped his forehead, and said: "Oh! You have a daughter too! Maybe I can ask you for parenting advice someday..."

Before he could finish, Kazama Tatsuya kicked him out the door.

Fushimi Roku stood sulkily in the hallway, pondering that while Kazama Tatsuya was talking nonsense, this matter indeed couldn’t be postponed any longer.

Whether you stick your neck out or tuck it in, it’s still a knife, better to face the pain quickly than drag it out, it’s something that must be faced.

He prepared himself mentally, used the key to open the door, but the door wasn’t locked, though he remembered locking it.

Maybe Minamoto Tamako had just gone downstairs to take out the trash.

Fushimi Roku didn’t mind, he deliberately shouted ’I’m back’, but received no response from the living room.

Logically, Minamoto Tamako should have been up by now, but she hadn’t left her room yet, which was clearly problematic, maybe she was avoiding him.

"Ahem," Fushimi Roku took the initiative to knock on the door: "Are you awake?"

"Just woke up..." came Minamoto Tamako’s muffled response from behind the door: "What’s up?"

"I want to talk about what happened last night." Fushimi Roku’s tone was like a scumbag ready to disown someone after a one-night stand.

The door was cracked open, Minamoto Tamako peeked out, having showered and changed into her Lion King pajamas, looking guilty and quietly asked: "What happened last night?"

Hearing this, Fushimi Roku immediately caught the key information: "You don’t remember?"

Indeed, there can be alcohol-induced memory lapses, but they’re quite rare, and even more so in a semi-conscious state of blackout.

Minamoto Tamako wasn’t sure how to answer, mainly because she didn’t know what she said last night: "I... I remember."

"Then tell me what happened last night."

"Okay, I don’t remember." Minamoto Tamako admitted dejectedly.

She opened the door, accepted Fushimi Roku’s invitation, and sat on the living room sofa, hugging a cushion, nervously asking: "What did I say last night?"

The demon Kawai inside Fushimi Roku was laughing wildly, but he maintained a poker face, a fake cough, hands in pockets, slowly walked over to Minamoto Tamako.

Now he could fabricate whatever he wanted.

Fushimi Roku scratched the tip of his nose, sat on the armchair diagonally opposite Minamoto Tamako, adopted Kawai’s signature posture, ready to start bluffing:

"To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing to say..."

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Minamoto Tamako covered her ears, emitting a shrill scream.

Fushimi Roku was startled, asking what happened. Minamoto Tamako explained she wasn’t ready yet, lacking the courage to discuss it soberly.

"Maybe let me have a little drink to brace myself..."

Saying so, Minamoto Tamako got up, intending to get two cans of beer from the kitchen fridge.

"No way!" Fushimi Roku shot up, tackled her back onto the sofa: "Absolutely not!"

Minamoto Tamako was taken aback, asking why, if she did something strange while drunk?!

Fushimi Roku told her to calm down, then said: "Actually, it’s nothing..."

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

A second round of Minamoto’s wailing alarm blared, she covered her ears and clasped her head, just like the famous painting "The Scream," refusing to take in any information about last night.

Fushimi Roku simply forced her hands apart, shouting over her volume: "You confessed to me last night!!"

Minamoto Tamako was instantly stunned.

She slowly lowered her hands, wilting onto the sofa. Though her intent in drinking was indeed to confess, upon learning she did it in a blackout, she felt lost and disappointed.

"So, did you... accept?"

Minamoto Tamako nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, head down, eyes avoiding looking at Mr. Fushimi.

"No." Fushimi Roku said.

"—Eh?!"

Minamoto Tamako’s eyes widened in shock, momentarily doubting her ears. Before she could gather herself, Fushimi Roku continued: "But you pleaded with me, kept pleading and pleading, even kneeled, tugged my clothes, acted drunk... I’m not that heartless, I figured you might make a decent partner, so I reluctantly agreed."

...

The living room fell silent.

Minamoto Tamako’s mouth remained in an O shape, her eyes unblinking, holding her expression and posture for a full ten seconds.

What does ’kept pleading’ mean?

I kept pleading for Mr. Fushimi to be a boyfriend?