CHAPTER 440: CHAPTER 335: PAST EVENTS (PART 2)

Nowadays, looking back, the two of them were indeed naive. One was determined to become a famous police chief addicted to work, and the other was resolved to lay back like a slacker... Such matters cannot be judged in terms of right or wrong; after all, deciding what kind of life to live is the individual’s prerogative.

They first met on July 28, 1989.

At that time, Hokkaido experienced a heavy storm, with a curtain of rain hanging on the viaduct, the sky was dark and gloomy, and the streets were lit with neon signs. Fushimi Roku was driving a taxi, weaving through Otaru, Hokkaido. He had just dropped off his first passenger of the day and was on his way back.

After leaving the viaduct, there was a long stretch of coastal road. In the distance, the sea roared and surged under the storm, and the black waves crashed against the cliffs, turning into shattered white pearls.

His mood at the time was quite complicated; the reason he continued taking rides was merely because he didn’t know what else to do. Everything in Japan was novel to him, yet he had no mood to appreciate the scenery.

According to the original owner’s memory, he drove to the city, unlocked the car and was about to get out and call it a day, when a short girl dashed from the roadside, quickly opened the car door and squeezed into the back seat.

"Hurry, drive, drive!" She slapped the backrest.

Fushimi Roku glanced at the rearview mirror outside, only to see three strong men burst out from the street corner, looking fierce in their windbreakers. Seeing the girl get into the car, they drew out police badges without hesitation and shouted, "Police! Pull over!"

Click! The car door locked, the engine roared, and the headlights pierced through the rain curtain. The guards watched as the taxi’s tires slid, racing down the street.

Once again, they were thwarted, stomping their feet and rubbing their heads in frustration, finding a phone booth to report the situation to their superior.

"...Yes, I showed the police badge, it was useless."

"License plate number Hokkaido 11た56-78, headed towards Asahikawa..."

"Please make sure to set up roadblocks ahead, she absolutely must not escape this time!"

...

Minamoto Tamako swallowed hard, feeling a terrible omen.

Generally, upon hearing the word ’police,’ a taxi driver would certainly comply and pull over, rather than speeding up as if fearing capture... Only a criminal would be startled at every sound, wary of every sign.

Before she could recover her wits, the car radio blared with local news, accompanied by a shrill alarm. The announcer’s tone was urgent:

’This is the Sapporo Police Headquarters’ emergency broadcast. A knife murder has occurred at the Sapporo City Central District South 4th Street West 2nd District, resulting in the death of a woman in her twenties. The suspect is currently at large. The suspect’s description is as follows, please assist in cooperation...’

Screech—

The taxi driver casually twisted the radio dial, and the emergency broadcast abruptly ended. He kept switching stations until soothing music came through, and only then did he let go, satisfied.

The air was humid, and the chill was bone-deep. Minamoto Tamako shivered.

She felt on pins and needles, recalling reports of the Ayase cement murder case. Her calves were shaking, and she turned her face away, not daring to speak.

"Where to get off?" The taxi driver asked without turning his head.

"J-just by the roadside...here’s fine..."

Minamoto Tamako’s voice changed out of fear; she was exceedingly timid back then. Without Kawai to accompany her, her courage was probably as minuscule as a speck of dust.

"Are you sure?" The taxi driver looked out the window again and didn’t stop.

Minamoto Tamako was certain, she was sure that the driver was definitely not a good person. The situation was urgent, and she was alone, needing to think of a way to protect herself. As the driver hadn’t turned his head yet, she decided to strike first.

"Don’t, don’t make a move!"

Minamoto Tamako slightly rose, leaning forward, pressing the key against the driver’s nape, pretending it was a knife. "If, if my hand slips, your life is over!"

The driver said nothing, lightly tapping the brakes, pulling the taxi to the roadside. Minamoto Tamako was just about to get off and escape when suddenly a siren blared from not far away. She peeked out, only to find the guards who had been after her.

"Keep going! Don’t stop!" Minamoto Tamako nearly shouted herself hoarse.

The driver floored the gas pedal again, nearly causing her to stumble and fall onto the car seat. The police car chased unrelentingly, holding up a loudspeaker urging the taxi to pull over. The driver ignored them, instead fiercely accelerating.

The taxi and the police car raced through the rain, Minamoto Tamako’s heart was about to leap out from fright, fearing a crash and sudden death.

If her journey to chase her dreams ended like this, even in death she would become a resentful ghost unwilling to reincarnate. She screamed at the driver to stop, and he asked whether she wanted to drive or to stop.

"Just slow down, slow down is fine!" Minamoto Tamako shouted, clinging onto the seat, transforming into a screaming prairie dog.

"If we slow down, won’t we be caught?" The driver retorted.

"That’s a police car chasing us! Don’t you care about why the police car is after us?" Minamoto Tamako felt he didn’t resemble a fugitive; after all, he had just tried to stop.

"Because you killed someone?" The driver prepared to turn his head. "Need legal aid?"

"Don’t turn around!! Focus on the road!!" Minamoto Tamako’s soul nearly left her body from fright; she hurriedly cupped the driver’s face with both hands, kneeling behind him, forcing him to look forward.

The driver sharply turned the steering wheel, truly performing a drift show amid the rain. Minamoto Tamako could hear the screeching friction of the tires, as the taxi aggressively swerved into a small alley, taking a shortcut towards the coastal road.

Minamoto Tamako’s heart raced to 180 BPM, her legs jittering uncontrollably, asking the driver why he took detours. He answered in an undeniable tone, "Didn’t you see all the turnaround vehicles? That implies police roadblocks ahead."

With those words, the driver’s identity was upgraded from murderer to fierce bandit.

Minamoto Tamako increasingly felt that the driver’s identity was complex, yet unfortunately, the taxi lacked a rearview mirror in the front seat, or she could sneak a look at the driver’s face.