Chapter 279: Mikoto's Past

After a while, the dishes were served, and Uesugi Muneyuki began to eat and drink heartily.

"In any case, no matter what, thank you for your hard work, little brother." Only today did Ishihara Mikoto realize just how much power Uesugi Muneyuki truly possessed.

But this could not be blamed on her; the medical system was actually a very closed-off internal system, and its perception of the outside world was not that keen. The hospital itself was very busy, with little rest time, and when one added the duties a doctor had to juggle—consultations, study, teaching, surgery, scientific research, and internal political struggles—it was no wonder the hospital was not very sensitive to events happening in the outside world.

Director Ukai's impression of Uesugi Muneyuki remained stuck at him being the ace of the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Mission Unit. He had no idea that, relying on the Todai Case, he had already established connections at Tokyo University, or that through the Yokohama Case, he had linked up with both political and business circles, and that within the Peerage, Uesugi Muneyuki had also begun to gradually take over his grandfather's network of connections.

Likewise, the Forensic Beauty was the same; her understanding of Uesugi Muneyuki's influence was limited to him having a very powerful grandfather and a future father-in-law. She believed that it would not be difficult for Uesugi Muneyuki to settle this matter, but that he would have to ask his elders for help.

Yet the power Uesugi Muneyuki had displayed had completely exceeded the Forensic Beauty's imagination.

No wonder he was not afraid at all.

And besides... joining the Tokyo University Affiliated Hospital???

Ishihara Mikoto had not even dared to think of such a thing before, but looking at Uesugi Muneyuki's expression and attitude, and based on her understanding of him, this matter was nine times out of ten a done deal.

However, apart from wild joy, there was always a bit of guilt in the Forensic Beauty's heart.

Her purpose in coming to find Uesugi Muneyuki was actually quite obvious. After working for a few years as a clinic doctor and a freelance doctor, she was getting older yet still drifting without a permanent residence or a secure future. She only had 350,000 in the bank, and she had relatively high expenses due to her pursuit of fashion and jewelry; therefore, she was aiming for a meal ticket and a work permit for the rest of her life.

He was so good to her that Mikoto always felt she was a bit despicable.

"I always feel like I haven't done anything for you," the Forensic Beauty said softly. "Yet you have arranged so much for me: a job position, a formal status, a dormitory, and now you are going to bring me into the Tokyo University Affiliated Hospital..."

"It's nothing, this is what you deserve, Sister Mikoto. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have embarked on this path as a forensic pathologist." Uesugi Muneyuki did not mind at all. He thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and shook his head: "But this is indeed the downside of office romance—it's easy to fail to distinguish between public and private matters... However, Sister Mikoto, you really don't need to overthink it. You have indeed helped me a lot: autopsies, dissections, writing reports, and reviewing documents. I need you just as much as you need me."

"Pfft~ It's clearly me who can't live without you, yet you make it sound like I'm so important... Regardless, thank you." Ishihara Mikoto stared at Uesugi Muneyuki with her beautiful eyes, feeling a wave of heat in her body.

You stinky little brother, don't be like this. You're making me... making me, your sister, want to have a child for you a little bit. I had originally decided not to have children in this life...

"I'm the one who should be saying thank you." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head.

After transmigrating, he had been quite world-weary. If it hadn't been for the unimaginable pleasure Ishihara Mikoto had brought him by chance that one time, he didn't know how much more time it would have taken him to accept this world.

"But I am still very happy that you can say that, Sister Mikoto, so I have decided to bestow upon you a sacred mission, which is... to become a mother!" Uesugi Muneyuki said mischievously.

"Eh???" Ishihara Mikoto's secret thoughts were poked by Uesugi Muneyuki, and instantly, her exquisite, foxy, and enchanting face was flushed with red: "That's not allowed... Uesugi, you are about to get engaged and prepare for marriage; how can you do this at a time like this..."

"Ah? What are you talking about?" Uesugi Muneyuki was stunned, but immediately realized the Forensic Beauty had misunderstood, and he couldn't help but tease: "It's Asuka, Asuka. Aren't you already Asuka's mother?"

"Damn it! You're bullying me!" Ishihara Mikoto only then realized she had misunderstood.

"Hi~ Your food is all served!" Just at this moment, an employee of Gyoza no Ohsho brought over Ishihara Mikoto's set meal—a five-ingredient fried rice and gyoza combo. But after serving the food, she did not leave immediately, but instead asked with some interest: "Um... may I ask if you are Uesugi Muneyuki-san?"

"Yes, is something the matter?" Uesugi Muneyuki was quite surprised: "You know me?"

"Heh, Uesugi-san is joking. Who in Tokyo doesn't know you?" the female employee of Gyoza no Ohsho chuckled, then said cautiously: "Um... Uesugi-san, since you are here, may I ask... has a case occurred nearby?"

Watching the Gyoza no Ohsho employee's cautious, shocked, and fearful appearance, the Forensic Beauty was amused to the point of laughter, covering her mouth until her face turned bright red.

Uesugi Muneyuki, however, had black lines all over his forehead.

What does it mean, "a case nearby"?

Does that mean wherever I appear, a case will follow?!

I'm not some death-god elementary schooler! In that manga, there are over 230 murder cases in Beika City with 350 deaths; if you look at it in terms of a 30-year serialization, that's already too many, but in reality, only half a year has passed in the story?

"No, I just returned to the hospital to handle some business, and then stopped for a quick meal." Uesugi Muneyuki could only explain.

"Oh, that's good, that's good." The Gyoza no Ohsho employee then walked away with a beaming smile: "Please enjoy your meal."

"Hahahaha~" Ishihara Mikoto finally couldn't hold it in, laughing until she was trembling. After teasing Uesugi Muneyuki to her heart's content, seeing that everything was arranged and her career could reach a higher level, the Forensic Beauty finally felt at ease: "Delicious. Although Kanto and Kansai are different, and many years have passed, the taste is still about the same. I haven't eaten this in many years."

"Is that so? Come to think of it, Sister Mikoto, you rarely tell me about your past." Uesugi Muneyuki became interested: "Up until now, I only know that you graduated from the Osaka University School of Medicine with a degree in forensic medicine. I know nothing about your family, including your... ex-husband. I only found out his name was Satomi Ken after checking the records later."

"My past?" Upon hearing this, a look of reminiscence appeared on Ishihara Mikoto's face: "Actually, there isn't really anything worth saying."

"How could there be nothing worth saying? You are my assistant and my guide. At the very least, I should know why you chose to study forensic medicine, right? It's already strange enough that you would choose the forensic major after getting into the Osaka University School of Medicine, isn't it?"

"It's very simple. Because there really is nothing to say. My mother... passed away a long time ago. When I was young, due to family conflicts, my mother took me and my younger brother to commit suicide by charcoal burning. In the end, my mother and brother died, and only I luckily survived."

"My father also disappeared after this incident. I was raised by my aunt. Naturally, I have nothing to tell you."

"Ah... I'm sorry." Uesugi Muneyuki widened his eyes and hurriedly apologized.

Sister Mikoto... lost her father, mother, and brother at a young age?!

"It's nothing. Since I've said this much, I'll finish it." The Forensic Beauty pursed her slightly thick, sexy red lips and said in a low voice: "I could not understand my mother's choice to deprive others of their lives, so I chose to become a forensic pathologist, dedicated to upholding the 'right to speak' for the deceased through scientific means, to avoid tragedies being covered up."

"Because of this, I firmly believe that death requires a reason. The duty of a forensic pathologist is to reveal the truth, not to judge good or evil. On this point, Uesugi-kun, I am truly happy that you think the same way I do. What a forensic pathologist must do is to make things clear."

"It is also precisely for this reason that I probably crave care and concern more than others. My aunt was very good to me, and my cousin was very good to me, but I still felt they were only pitying me. As you saw, after I graduated, I was pursued, and at the time I was truly happy. I thought there would be someone in this world who would truly care for me and truly love me, so I resigned from my job and married him, even going so far as to become a school doctor at Tokiwa Middle School. But the result, you have seen."

The Forensic Beauty's foxy eyes were filled with desolation: "Since then, I have stopped believing in marriage. I only want to do what I want to do, buy what I want to buy. I want to save the living as a forensic pathologist, and I also want to pick up my hobbies. I just want to live for myself."

"Sorry, Uesugi-kun, this is me—a selfish woman."

"For someone like me to be able to stay in Tokyo, I actually had the nerve to come and rely on you, whom I had once offended. You must really hate me, right?"

(End of chapter)