Vol 4 Chapter 4 (2/2)

Nick nodded “Well, I suppose we can leave them be until they decide to take action And I’m sure Mr Kurtz and Ms Litner will stop them if necessary”

For so, but they eventually stopped and continued down the street—there were simply too many people outside

But a moment later—

Larry frowned

The boys spotted Jenny and Meg stepping out of the stationery store and surrounded them

“Tch So now they’re going after older girls?” Natalia sighed “Boys, go get ‘ehtily

“Man… Let’s go, Seron”

“Yeah”

Larry and Seron stood, walking over to the nonplussed Jenny and the confused Meg

“You, Nick?” Natalia asked, crossing her legs

“I’m afraid I’m not one for hand-to-hand combat”

“You said that before”

“So I did”

“That ot a weapon?”

“Well, I suppose so”

“What kind of weapon?”

“A bomb, perhaps”

“Scary”

Natalia ended the conversation and turned blankly

She expected to see Larry and Seron holding the boys by the collar, giving the of a lifetime—

“Huh?”

But what she saas the opposite

Petite Jenny was the one holding a boy by the collar, shaking hiainst the pavement

“Jenny! Enough!”

And Larry was the one desperately trying to stop her

“Somebody as there explain this toon the bench

Before her stood five of her friends and one young boy

The boy was part of the group they had earlier labeled ‘delinquents’ He wore shorts with suspenders and a short-sleeved checkered shi+rt He had freckles and short brown hair, and seeht as Jenny

Jenny’s hands were still gripping his collar

“No way… no…”

He stood there like an apprehended cri about ready to burst into tears

“What’s there to explain?” Larry answered Natalia’s question “By the tirabbed this one and wouldn’t let go She can tell you the rest”

Natalia nodded

“It can’t be… you’re not Jenfie! Let go! Let o!” The boy cried

“I don’t think he’s gonna run, chief” Natalia said “Let go of him”

“Hrip “You idiot!”

“Ow! …What happened to you, Jenfie?!”

“Who cares? That’s got nothing to do with you, Neil What happened to you?!”

Meg, Seron, Nick, and Larry stared as Jenny and the boy snarled at each other

“Hey, little man” Natalia said kindly

“Wh-whaddaya want?” The boy turned

“Neil! We’re older than you! Roxchean has polite language for a reason!” Jenny snapped

“O-okay Wh-what is it, glasses lady?”

“There’s a good boy I’d prefer it if you called lasses lady’, but I’ain?”

“Get to the point, Lia”

“All right The name’s Natalia Steinbeck Fifteen years old How about you, little guy?” Natalia asked with a smile on her face

“N-Neil Neil Locksmith I’m 11 this year… I’ll be 12 soon” Neil replied

“All right I’m a school friend of that scary redhead over there Do you know her, Neil?”

“Yeah, but no!”

Meg tilted her head “Pardon?”

“What’s that mean?” Asked Natalia

“Th-the Jenfie I know has long hair! And she’s quiet and cute and nice, just like a princess! Jenfie’s not s’pposed to look like a boy and act all otta be an extraterrestrial pretending to be her!” Neil raved, panicking Larry put a hand on his shoulder

“Calm down, Neil Look My name’s Larry Hepburn Nice to meet you”

“H-hello…”

“By ‘Jenfie’, you ht? Jenny Jones?”

“…Yes”

“It’s okay Jenny hasn’t been replaced by extraterrestrials If anyone, it’s probably our pretty glasses lady who’s been abducted”

“Shaddap” Natalia said Then she looked at Jenny “Nice nickname”

Jenfie—Jenny—frowned

“It’s froo”

“How do you know Neil?”

“…His dad works as a gardener in town His dad and all his relatives are really good, so a lot of villa owners hire them The Rufs, too Neil cah that o years ago”

“I see And you had long hair back then, Jenny?”

“Back then, yeah” Jenny ad him around like a bottle cap

Neil stared, wide-eyed Jenny glared

“What’s happened to you, Neil?! Last tionna be a great gardener like your dad! You were always helping him out when you didn’t have school! Now you’re just a delinquent-in-training! People are free to choose their careers, but delinquency isn’t a career!”

Neil could not make a comeback

“It certainly doesn’t lead to many job opportunities” Nick nodded “But what is youth but a ti here today will guide hiht direction”

“That’s it, then” Natalia said “Let the poor kid go, chief I think he’s had enough”

Jenny did as she was told “Go on home, okay? Don’t slack off just because it’s su like an idiot! It’s not like you”

“Okay…” Neil replied, hanging his head

“Hold on, Neil I want to ask you so away

The others turned All eyes were on Seron

“Wh-what is it? Er…”

“It’s Seron Maxwell Nice to meet you”

“‘Maxwell’, like the frozen food?”

“My mother’s the president Do you like our products?”

“Y-yeah… a whole lot My favorite’s the crea steak”

“Glad to hear it —I just wanted to ask you about the fatal car accident last night”

The newspaper club clearly saw Neil grimace Seron cut to the chase

“Did you know them?”

Neil nodded

“I see I’m sorry to hear that If it’s okay with you, could you tell us what kind of people they were?”

“What kind of— well, they were just… just older boys Just so for them…”

Neil was obviously trying to hide so Jenny frowned, but she did not interrupt Seron

“I’ve heard that there are four gangs in this village And these people were in one of theht?”

“…Yeah ‘Wolves’, ‘Jackals’, ‘Hunters’, and ‘Governuys who died were Hunters”

Larry furrowed his brow “The first three aside, why ‘Government’?”

“Perhaps they wanted a name which sounded powerful ‘We are the Government!’, they could boast” Nick whispered

Seron continued his line of questioning

“So I suppose the other Hunterstheir friends now”

“I guess so…”

“You’re not in any of the groups yet, right Neil?”

“No Not yet If you want in, you gotta do soonna accept you into the club Like pickpocketing…”

“That’s theft! And it’s a crime! Don’t do it, Neil!” Jenny warned viciously

“Since you’re not in any of thes, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

Larry nodded in understanding Seron continued

“Just out of curiosity, was there anyone in one of the gangs anted to kill a rival gang member?”

Seron sounded as nonchalant as if he were asking Neil for his blood type Neil paused, ape Then—

“N-n-n-n-no! None of ‘euys, but they’re not evil! You’d get arrested for killing soo to hell!” Neil cried, waving his hands

Seron thought for a moment

“He’s right, Seron” Natalia chiuys?”

“You’re right” Seron agreed “Thank you, Neil That’s all I wanted to ask”

“Huh? Er…” Neil hesitated, wondering if he was free to go “Then I’…”

As he turned to leave, Jenny howled behind him, “Don’t join any of them, you hear me?!”

Neil flinched and ran off

The newspaper club followed Jenny’s schedule and left their filraphy studio

The et so much business, and promised to deliver the printed photos the next afternoon The newspaper club headed back to the villa

Larry and Natalia set out first on the motorcycle The others followed on their bicycles And about 50 meters behind them followed Kurtz and Litner on their car

Along the way, Nick asked Jenny a question

“It was quite the surprise to hear you once had long hair, Jenny Do you have any photos from the time?”

“Eh Who cares what kind of hairstyle I used to have?”

Meg chiood on you Now is good as well, however”

“Thanks” Jenny said” But I prefer my current hairstyle”

“Sure I mean, I used to have a buzzcut in primary school” Seron added

“You have any photos?”

The fourback to the villa By the ti the motorcycle

It o in the afternoon

“It’s nap tiuys” Jenny said “Meet back at five to help Mr and Mrs Ruf with the barbecue Dismissed”

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