Tokyo: Let the wicked women pay the price!

Putting down the instant cup noodles with only a mouthful of soup left, Fujino tossed and turned in bed.

"The cost of showing off is too high!" he pursed his lips. "Why don't text messages have a recall function now?"

"Waaaaah, is there a time machine? I want to go back to this afternoon and take back what I said."

Fortunately, it's only the middle of the month, so it's not time to pay rent or mortgage yet.

But he dared not spend a single penny of the money in his pocket recklessly.

The apartment is located in Adachi Ward, near Kita-Senju.

The monthly rent is naturally much cheaper; this single room costs only 5 yen.

In Bunkyo Ward, the rent for a similar apartment might be over 10 yen.

Sometimes, he really wonders if the lifespan he loses by getting up early to take the tram for 45 minutes is worth the 5 yen he saves each month.

buzz-

[Wakaba Saki: Fujino, are you asleep?]

Fujino frowned, realizing that things were not so simple.

Sending messages late at night is probably not a good thing.

He called directly, probably because there was some emergency with Lemon in the ward.

However, after the phone rang twice, Saki hung up.

[Wakaba Saki: Hey! Are you an idiot? Why are you calling me directly?]

[Fujino Kazuhiko: Saki-chan, what happened? Is it about the hospital room? Is it urgent?]

What's so important about it?

Saki looked at her phone with a puzzled expression.

Has this guy never dated a girl before?

Sending you a text message in the middle of the night, and you're asking me if it's important?

I immediately lost interest in continuing the conversation.

She tightened her winter school uniform, quickly typed "Tight my foot! Your lemonade is safe, I'm going to sleep!!!" and then slumped onto the table.

However, he would still occasionally steal glances at the direction of his phone.

[Fujino Kazuhiko: It's good that you're alright. You should get some rest too.]

Hello! Hello!

Saki looked at her phone, suppressing the urge to throw it.

She just lay quietly on the marble tabletop.

There weren't many guests at FamilyMart late at night, but the heater was still on.

Ten minutes have passed.

"What a damn guy!" she pursed her lips. "I didn't really want to talk to you anyway."

I just wanted to thank you for helping me find a job.

What are you pretending for?

Humph.

She rolled over and found a more comfortable position to lie face down.

The FamilyMart near Tokyo University has a stronger warm airflow than the Lawson near Hinomori.

She yawned.

I drifted off to sleep.

......

The next day, Fujino looked at Saki, who was angrily blocking the entrance to the psychiatric ward, with a constipated expression.

Hey, you're making me look like a scumbag who starts a relationship and then abandons it!

What will my colleagues think of me?

Takanashi gave a timely response: "Dr. Fujino, please take care of your personal issues before coming to work, okay?"

Professor Kasai smiled gently: "So, you're Wakaba Saki, aren't you?"

Seeing that he was a kind old man, Saki bowed respectfully: "My name is Wakaba Saki, nice to meet you. May I ask your name?"

"Oh?" Professor Kasai looked Saki up and down upon hearing this.

Although she had changed into her caregiver's uniform, she still wasn't wearing socks in her indoor shoes. Her bare, snow-white feet were stuffed into ill-fitting shoes, the uppers of which rubbed her skin until it was red.

The clothes may look a bit shabby, but this kind of upbringing is clearly not something that can be cultivated in an ordinary family.

Professor Kasai nodded: "We have to go for our morning rounds, young lady. Come to the clinic to see Kazuhiko-kun at ten o'clock."

"Professor... what do you mean by 'her Kazuhiko-kun'?" Fujino rubbed his forehead with his right hand. "Please stop making things worse and trying to play matchmaker."

"Hehehe, let's go! Don't just sit there, do you like to let outsiders watch the show?"

Kasai completely ignored Fujino's words, chuckled twice, and led the way towards the elevator.

......

Seeing Fujino finish his rounds and return to the clinic, Saki sneaked towards the door.

Actually, what happened last night wasn't anything serious, but for some reason, Saki just wanted to get entangled with Fujino.

Just as Saki was about to push the door open and go in, she overheard Fujino making a phone call inside.

Through the wooden door, I couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but I could hear Fujino's words clearly.

"Inspector Ukyo, it's like this." Fujino twirled his pen inside the room, nodding slightly as he spoke. "I've already given you my contact information."

"That's right. This is the second time Himegami Ayame has appeared in our field of vision."

Upon hearing the familiar name, Saki's pupils contracted, and she almost cried out in surprise before quickly covering her mouth with one hand.

What does it mean? Ukyo Police Department? Himemiya Iris?

Did Fujino tell the Metropolitan Police Department what she had done?

She couldn't believe it; she felt as if there was a tumor in her left chest, and it throbbed with pain as it pulsated.

Saki pursed her lips, trying hard not to make a sound.

But the conversation between Fujino inside the house and on the phone had not stopped.

"...Similar to Ms. Waka, Ayame Himegami is suspected of instigation again this time. I think you can investigate this woman further."

"Yes, yes, although what she said is all correct, she is clearly exploiting loopholes in the law."

"Okay, Ukyo-kun, that's settled then. Waka Hanako-san has an appointment for her follow-up appointment today... Hey, what are you laughing at, you idiot?"

"Tax thieves! They did their duty to protect taxpayers! How despicable!"

Fujino hung up the phone, but a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Didn't Saki say she would come to his office after her rounds?

What a troublesome woman!

dong dong——

There was a noise outside the door.

"Please come in."

The door remained unmoved.

If Fujino had X-ray vision, he could have seen Wakaba Saki sitting against the wall on the other side of the door.

She lowered her head, her eyes filled with terror and despair.

He's going to send me to jail.

She accidentally kicked the door frame, making a thud.

No, I can't stay here any longer.

She didn't know how to face this man anymore.

Saki fled, accidentally bumping into a woman heading towards Fujino's clinic.

She lowered her head, apologized, and ran towards the elevator without looking back.

The woman wore a white dress, a camel-colored shawl draped over her shoulders, and a large straw hat with an exaggerated brim.

Her makeup was exquisite, and her skin was fair and radiant, just like she looked in her youth.

It was Waka Hanako.

She gazed in the direction Saki had gone, murmuring, "That child... doesn't she look just like Saki-chan?"

"Well, how could that be? Saki-chan hasn't been to school for over two weeks, how could she possibly be working as a caregiver at the hospital?"

"That's a position that requires resources and connections within the hospital to get."

Hanako gently shook her head, no longer thinking about Saki. She looked towards the hospital room, her eyes filled with determination.

She has more important things to do.

knock knock --

Fujino opened the door.

"Is it really you?" he exclaimed in surprise. "I thought I was hallucinating."

Hanako bowed slightly: "Fujino-san, seeing you has brightened my mood considerably."

"This must be Cupid's doing."

Fujino wiped non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead, let Hanako into the house, and closed the door.

How have you been feeling lately?

Hanako was no longer as manic as before. With gentle movements, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear: "Fujino-san, I feel terrible every day I can't see you."

"It was like being in complete darkness."

Fujino sighed; the woman was still the same.

I'm asking about your illness, not asking you to confess your feelings.

You didn't take your medicine at all when you got home!

"Miss Hanako, please tell me the truth." Fujino rubbed his forehead with one hand, "Have you been missing your medication?"

"Oh, you mean those white pills?" Hanako said with a look of disgust.

"I didn't eat."

"After I eat it, even your image will fade from my mind."

"I can't even see you in my dreams anymore. I don't want to take that medicine!"

This woman... if she doesn't take her medicine, she's probably going to cause some trouble again.

At that very moment, the system panel confirmed his suspicions.

[Waka Hanako: Damn it, Mr. Fujino is so... hard to fool! Why! I'm not taking my medicine anymore, can't he come to my house visit with me?! Ugh, if only I could bring him to our love nest! Everything would be alright!]

[Worldline 1: You pretend nothing's wrong; it's the patient's own business if she doesn't take her medicine. Good advice is useless against a damned person. (Reward: Hanako's condition may worsen + you are indefinitely exploited by her + a depleted kidney)]

[Worldline Two: You decide to trace the root of the problem and find out Hanako's true purpose in doing this. (Reward: Obedient Hanako + Enhanced physical attributes)]

[Worldline 3: I'm too lazy to listen to your nonsense! You decide to use physical means to give Hanako the medicine directly (Reward: Hidden attribute enhancement +150,000 yen)]