Chapter 240: , Night at Sakata Bridge

Hearing that Uesugi Muneyuki was on the phone with Miss Minami, Ikeda Erena slowly woke up as well. She curled up helplessly at the edge of the bed; her sky-blue blazer was tossed on the floor, and every button of her white shirt was undone, hanging askew on the bay window.

It had already been some time since the morning shootout, yet the heavy-hearted Ikeda Erena still felt a thick haze lingering over her that she could not shake off.

She had always been quite confident in her own strength. Although she knew that women could not compare to men in physique and wrist strength, relying on her black belt skills in Judo and Karate, Erena was very confident that subduing most criminals and thugs was no problem at all.

But today, the Public Security Police's armored vehicle had sent Erena flying.

The tall beauty suddenly discovered that the martial arts she took pride in were like a joke in front of an armored vehicle.

But if she cast aside her martial arts, what else did she have?

Hearing Uesugi Muneyuki discussing the upper echelons of the Metropolitan Police Department with Miss Minami, the tall beauty suddenly felt a bit self-pitying, always feeling that Uesugi Muneyuki was becoming more and more distant.

Especially when hearing Miss Minami vaguely indicate that the Metropolitan Police Department was considering a special promotion for her, to serve as a "Special Mission Unit Management Officer" and be promoted to Superintendent, Ikeda Erena pouted even more.

Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Sergeant Major, Assistant Police Inspector, Police Inspector, Superintendent.

There were already three whole major realms of difference in between!

Even if she died in the line of duty, she would at most be buried with the status of Police Inspector Ikeda Erena, barely the same rank as Minami.

Erena actually didn't care much about rank, nor did she care much about benefits. What she cared about most were merely two things: maintaining an intimate relationship with Uesugi Muneyuki and being able to continue fighting for her own justice as a frontline Detective.

I've already conceded so much, yet Uesugi won't even give me the key! He won't even give me the key!

The movement on her body made Uesugi Muneyuki realize that Erena had woken up. He lowered his head slightly and discovered that, viewed from above, the composition before his eyes was unusually bizarre, yet it also carried an indescribable aesthetic.

Ikeda Erena's collar was half-open, a deep flush suffused her lovely face, and her miraculously radiant and beautiful body was wrapped in the quilt. However, it wasn't tight, and in places where it wasn't wrapped securely, there was an endless, inadvertent, and fleeting glimpse of spring scenery.

Erena was actually unaware that she possessed a natural, hot, and charming allure. Coupled with her open personality—which did not belong to Japan but was closer to that of Spanish descent—she was actually out of place in Japan's social environment. Because Japanese society emphasizes a very strong "collectivism" and "identity," in this kind of social environment, only Shibuya gyaru, women working in Kabukicho, and women engaged in the makeup and fashion modeling industries in places like Shinjuku and Ginza would have this temperament.

And having this temperament meant being "open"—the kind where people could look directly at you on the street and ask for your Line.

But Erena hated being harassed and watched by others, so she could only try her best to appear cold as ice and dress as conservatively as possible to emphasize that she was not that kind of woman, and that she was different from what everyone thought.

Fortunately, after more than a year of Uesugi Muneyuki's tempering, that hot, charming allure and natural, lively personality in Erena had slowly begun to emerge.

Well, only at home, and only when alone with acquaintances like Uesugi Muneyuki.

"Awake?" Uesugi Muneyuki said with amusement: "Eavesdropping on a phone call, are we?"

"Hmph~ Is there any need for me to eavesdrop?" Ikeda Erena had been a bit self-pitying at first, but when Uesugi Muneyuki spoke to her, the tall beauty felt all her resentment vanish. She greedily hugged Uesugi Muneyuki's waist, rubbing her face against his chest like a purring, clingy, loyal dog. Even in her curled-up posture, her well-defined lower abdomen didn't have an ounce of fat; instead, traces of abdominal muscles were vaguely visible on her clear, distinct "V-line."

From this, one could see how strict Erena was with her own physique management.

However, besides that, a beautiful, deep-red pattern was vaguely visible on her lower abdomen, outlined just below her navel. A heart-shaped pattern symbolizing the Wisdom King Aizen was faintly emerging, surrounded by streamlined Eight Auspicious patterns. Lines more complex and exquisite than those on a Thangka extended from the Aizen Seal, drawn in shapes that looked like lotus patterns or scrolling grass patterns.

At the same time, there was a Vajra symbolizing the indestructible Buddha-wisdom and the power to subdue afflictions, empowering the Aizen Seal, with the auspicious clear-dyeing spring water from a treasure vase gushing out like a fountain. Finally, cloud patterns symbolizing the heavenly realm were faintly submerged into her skin, symbolizing the ethereal nature of the Pure Land.

"Alright, time to get up. Minami will be coming over later." Uesugi Muneyuki looked at the results of his work over the past few months with satisfaction.

Secretly placing a private lock on Master Erena~ She shouldn't object, right?

After all, she was so eager to get the key to Sakata Bridge. Since she wanted the key, she had to pay a little price.

"Eh? The Unit Chief is coming over?!" Erena had been lazy and half-awake, but after hearing this, she gave a start and hurriedly got up: "You didn't tell me earlier! Oh my, I need to hurry, otherwise if she catches me..."

After saying this, Erena hurriedly got out of bed and grabbed her clothes.

"She knows you're here; she's coming to find you, and incidentally to find Asuka." Uesugi Muneyuki also got up and laughed: "The adoption procedure from last time was delayed because of the Yokohama Case. This time, Minami will bring Mikoto to complete it."

"Eh?!" After hearing this, Erena was stunned for a long while before she remembered that the adoption was indeed a thing. The tall beauty couldn't help but say poutingly: "You're really good to Asuka."

"Of course, she is my Housekeeper Ashūshū~" Uesugi Muneyuki tapped Ikeda Erena's bottom lightly: "Alright, it's time for dinner. Minami and Sister Mikoto will come over after they finish dinner."

By the time Uesugi Muneyuki changed into pajamas and came out of the inner bedroom, he saw his own Housekeeper wearing a black-and-white lace maid outfit. It had a sheer texture, the hem of the skirt was at the upper part of her calves, and the overall look was serious and earnest, with decorations only on the headpiece and the ribbon on her chest. Pure white velvet silk stockings were slightly translucent, maximizing the pure-yet-alluring girl vibe.

The girl was clearly in a very good mood. She was grilling beef tongue, her jet-black, shiny hair spread over her jade-like back. She was humming a pleasant little tune in a leisurely manner, checking the state of the ingredients while glancing at the news from time to time.

"Ah, Uesugi-san, welcome back. Dinner will be ready in a moment!" Housekeeper Ashūshū quickly noticed Uesugi Muneyuki's appearance. The girl happily ran up to Uesugi Muneyuki immediately and knelt down very respectfully: "Congratulations, Uesugi-san, on the successful resolution of the Yokohama Case!"

"Oh? Asuka, how did you know the Yokohama Case was solved?" Uesugi Muneyuki lifted Asuka up from the floor.

"There's news about it everywhere, Uesugi-san. I've been following your affairs all along." The girl said cautiously: "Besides, everyone at school is talking about Uesugi-san, so how could I not know?"

"During the time I wasn't home, was Asuka doing alright?" Uesugi Muneyuki touched the girl's little head; the texture felt just like touching a little fledgling bird, it felt great.

"I was fine, I was fine." Asuka thought to herself that everything was fine, it was just that Uesugi-san wasn't home, so she felt a bit lonely.

Now that Uesugi-san is back, this home finally feels like a home!

However, the girl's good mood didn't last long before she saw the tall, fat woman who had followed Uesugi Muneyuki out, now changed into hot pants and a small camisole. Her good mood was instantly ruined.

Ugh! Why is it this person again!

Don't break the peaceful life between me and Uesugi-san! You tall, fat woman who likes to sizzle with oil like a sow and make those 'ho-ho-ho' noises, get out!

A wisp of black aura rose on Asuka's little face. She thought to herself that if it weren't for Sister Minami saying Uesugi-san needed a caretaker, I wouldn't welcome you at all!

Ugh! I'm still in school, so I can't stay by Uesugi-san's side.

And... when will I start developing and growing up?

Asuka was on the verge of tears. Every time she saw the tall, fat woman's figure, she felt a sense of frustration and inferiority.

Today's dinner was a beef tongue and beef combo set meal, served with enoki mushroom miso soup, pickled radish, and fried fish and vegetable Tempura. Seemingly influenced by the "Alliance Agreement" from last time, Asuka no longer specifically targeted Erena in the food as she had before, but the girl still didn't give Erena a good look, keeping all her attention on Uesugi Muneyuki.

After nearly a year of living together, Saito Asuka had already learned to grasp Uesugi Muneyuki's appetite very precisely. She even forced herself to change her own tastes to be in sync with Uesugi Muneyuki's, so that the dishes she made would suit Uesugi Muneyuki's preferences.

Having returned home after a long time, Uesugi Muneyuki was also in a good mood. He hummed a song lightly: "Hearing you say~ foreign wars look at Top~ a lump on the roadside~ being spun like a top by Zeus... Asuka, turn on the TV, Fuji TV."

"Okay!" Although the girl didn't understand what Uesugi Muneyuki was singing, as soon as she heard Uesugi Muneyuki's words, she hurriedly got up, her white-stockinged jade feet pattering in her slippers as she turned on the TV.

Sure enough, as soon as the TV was turned on, it was a special program on the Yokohama Case.

Ikeda Erena also looked over curiously, wondering if they had mentioned her.

Fuji TV's special program on the Yokohama Case invited several experts to report on and analyze this "1.5 trillion yen case" throughout. Since no press conference had been held to disclose the details yet, the program's focus was on the final shootout. The public felt encouraged and reassured by the Public Security Police's decisive and heavy-handed strike, and also felt regret over the death of one police officer in the line of duty.

Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't help but sneer when he saw this, shaking his head repeatedly.

The fact that a patrol officer died in the line of duty was entirely the Public Security Police's own doing. Because the headquarters had acted suddenly and mobilized police from another jurisdiction without notifying the Kanagawa police, it resulted in a situation where the patrol officers at a nearby Koban heard the gunfire and the sound of armored vehicles crushing the ground without knowing what was happening, and unfortunately died in the line of duty while coming to investigate.

This incident was a major blow to the Public Security Police. The National Police Agency's Public Security side had already prepared to celebrate a complete victory, and all the press releases and victory celebrations had been arranged to become the benchmark for new-century action textbooks to be selected for world police anti-terrorism teaching materials. As a result, someone died in the end, causing all the set celebrations to be canceled and the press releases to be forced to be revised.

Of course, the National Police Agency announced to the outside world that it was still a complete victory—turning a funeral into a celebration, as everyone knows how that goes.

However, looking back, the Public Security was right not to notify the Kanagawa police beforehand. There was more than one mole inside the Kanagawa Headquarters. If they had notified the Kanagawa police, perhaps there would have been no casualties, but it would have been absolutely impossible to find 1.2 billion yen in narcotics and several key black-money ledgers, nor to round up the upper echelons in one fell swoop.

One can only say that you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

The ability of Public Security... is passable, at least it is satisfactory that no civilians were harmed this time, isn't it?

Tomorrow Uesugi Muneyuki still has to attend Igarashi Aiko's funeral... perhaps he can exchange a few words with Igarashi Masataka to see if he knows anything.

After finishing a simple dinner, Uesugi Muneyuki was weighing whether to take a bath first or watch a special program first, when the doorbell rang.

Miss Minami and Sister Mikoto have already arrived~

(End of this chapter)