Vol 1 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3

During the winter break, I started to show up at Hana there Just staying at ho, anyways

At first, Ayaka was surprised every time she saw me

“So you can go out even when you have nothing to do?”

What kind of person does she think I am?

Hanamaru Ramen Shop was always very free in the winter, there weren’tOne reason is because it’s the new year period On the other hand, it’s because there is a chance that the ramen shop is mistaken to be an ice cream shop

That day, Hiro, Ayaka and I were tasting Min-san’s special he only salty raue felt much better when it came in contact with the sweet taste of the hemp and vanilla ice cream The soup that Min-san makes is nowthem every day is still very painful

“Did Toshi+ contact you after that?”

Facing Hiro’s inquiries, Ayaka bit her spoon, knitted her brows and shook her head

“He didn’t even come home for the new year”

Does Ayaka know that Toshi+ was addicted to drugs? From last year's end until this year, quite a few cases of violence occurred in the streets I heard that the police couldn’taddicts' addiction of the drug made them suffer when they were in custody I watch the news every ht, and the name shi+nozaki Toshi+ could be seen on the television screen each tiht now

Ayaka said: “ I think my brother is probably at Hakamizaka’s place”

“Is that person Toshi+’s girlfriend?”

“No, he’s a guy! I’m not sure, but I think he’s a university student or a researcher”

It’s iirlfriend! Ayaka said seriously, which was out of character Although it was pitiful for Toshi+ to be said that he could not have a girlfriend, but actually I have the sa opinion

“Really? His weak personality is actually quite suited for being a gigolo I won’t be surprised even if he’s staying at soht now Actually, I’m more relieved if that's the case”

“No doubt that it’ll be s are so…… But it’s impossible! Brother can’t wash his clothes and can’t cook”

“Nonono, a gigolo doesn’t need to wash clothes or cook”

“Is that so?”

“Although they’re sometimes misunderstood, the ones that could do housework are ‘househusbands’, not gigolos Gigolos ouy can’t live on without me!’ so the housework is handled by the women”

This guy is completely useless

“Wow, I can’t do it if it were ive the and wait for the like that”

“That’s right, the job of a gigolo is to bring out the motherly instinct in a woh to do all that”

“That’s so wonderful of you!”

It’s not wonderful at all, what nonsense is Hiro spouting? He’s an inco that to myself, I was lazy to correct them, so I continued to eat my hemp ice cream

“Have you ever thought about e?”

“Never!”

“Why is that?”

“Actually I have a person that I truly love in my heart, so I can’t marry other women”

“But then is it okay for you to live together with theirls?”

“I feel that I’e it, this is my lifestyle”

“Go to hell!”

“That won’t do, Fujishi+ about again”

Ah, it’s true, but never mind

“Did you guys just mention Hakamizaka?”

A voice came fro a square, fur hat like those worn by the Alaskan soldiers, and a plunized after a while that that person was Major The goggles-styled sunglasses co them seem as if they’re a part of his face

“Ah! Mukai-san, it’s been a while, happy new year! What would you like to order today?”

“I’ht now”

“What about the Chinese Garlic set?”

“Hmmm…… Okay then!”

Why did Major order so so obediently? And also, what is the Chinese Garlic set?

It was like Major couldn’t handle Ayaka A the people that I know, only Ayaka calls Major by his naht to myself: Who is Mukai-san?

“Finally there’s soarlic!”

Ayaka stood up and rushed into the kitchen Eating naengmyeon in this cold weather? Major looked as if he has just sed a live toad, and sat down on the gas tank that Ayaka was sitting on just now

Hiro asked Major: “Major, did you know the person called Haka-so?”

“I think there’s a person called Hakamizaka at the research centre of our school”

Hiro and I were taken aback and looked at each other Hiro leaned forward and continued:

“We’ve heard that Haka out with Toshi+ lately”

Major pressed his hand against his chin and thought for a while

“Do you know him? Then try to make some inquiries!”

“No, I’ve just heard about his name He’s really famous! They say that he doesn’t even show up at the research centre, but his PhD thesis went through But theyout with this kind of people?”

“Haka-so isn’t a name that every Tom, dick and Harry has! Toshi+ didn’t contact us much lately”

“But I’ve just went to the school once today, do you want ain? There’s professors and students everywhere!”

Of course there’s professors and students in a university! But Major is actually a university student! This point really surprised me

“The professors just nag me to death whenever I show up”

“Then just leave school earlier!”

“What are you talking about? For the sake of barely staying in school, I strive to get credits that are barely enough to pass, and then skip classes, raduating, waiting for eight years to pass then leave school automatically”

“…… Don’t you want to graduate?” I actually asked him that

“Araduate normally from university? Don’t you knohat the second E in NEET s like this, I’ a headache too

“Major goes to university for the sake of searching for information”

“That’s because history books andthe school library buy it is the best plan I just ask the library to buy books for me before I leave school, until the whole room is filled with the books that I want to read, and then the room would be called the Major room”

Just buy it yourself if you want to read it! What a troublesome student

“That’s right, let me tell you, the books that are in this tinals!”

“Oh yeah, Major, didn’t you go to school because of Alice’s request?”

Major opened the bag and turned it upside down, and the papers inside fell out onto the crate that we used as a table

“You guys want to see the photocopied infor that upside down”

“I don’t understand this”

“I, myself, don’t understand it as well”

I went over to look at the papers that Hiro was holding, the color photocopied paper had a tall, red flower on it, and words were closely packed around the plant

“You know that drugs are running raht? This is what Yondaiate I’ve heard that it isn’t anything good Toshi+ wouldn’t be taking these, would he……”

I was taken aback, and thought of the pink pills that were used to block the twinkling lights of the Christlish letters on it After taking the pills, he clais ‘look as if they’re not ain? What was it called? It was at the tip of ue, but I still couldn’t remember it

“Ah, that is……”

“Mukai-san, sorry for the wait”

Ayaka served Major his naeng my words I sed back what I was about to say, because I didn’t want Ayaka to hear it Hiro showed a confused expression and tilted his head I hastily shook my head

“What is it?” Ayaka came over to look, and I speedily snatched the paper from Hiro’s hands and turned it over

“That’s so bad of you! What are you hiding, Fujishi+ma-kun?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all”

At this moment, a customer finally appeared in the shop Ayaka hurriedly put on her apron and went to serve hih of relief

“What is it? What’s with you, Narumi?”

Just as I was about to answer, the blaring ringtone of ‘COLORADOBULLDOG’ rang in the shop Major’s skinny body juh, while Hiro hurriedly took out his phone, but Major was faster

“I know that you’re here, so don’t talk rubbish with the others downstairs Hurry up and get here! It’s urgent! And Hiro, hurry up and dive the car to the front, quick!”

Even I could hear Alice’s voice at the other side of the phone clearly, showing how painful Major’s ears are right now As Major was about to answer her, she hung up

“Alice is also in a bad mood today, huh?” Hiro raised his head and looked at the worn-out building behind him

“Don’t you know? Every twenty nine days, Alice would get into a mentally unstable state for five days, this is the result ofAs for the reason, I’m still not sure of that”

Isn’t the reason obviously because of the girls’ period? But seeing Major triu of all that to Hiro, I couldn’t tell that to them

“Every twenty nine days, so today is the second day”

“I’ll go drive the car over here What would be the matter, I wonder?”

Hiro left, leaving a silent Major I tilted my head Alice isn’t that scary, is she? She seemed like she’s in a bad lared at by Major, whose eyes were hidden beneath the goggles

Finally, Major said seriously:

“Do you know vice-admiral Jisaburo Ozawa? He’s the last Commander in Chief of Combined Fleet of the japanese Navies”

“Never heard of him”

“Then don’t you know about the naval battle that occurred during the Second World War at Leyte Gulf, Phillipines? It is considered to be the largest naval battle in the world, and Vice-Admiral Ozawa used his team as bait to lure the enemy away , and successfully shi+fted the attention of the American forces away from Leyte”

“Ah?”

“So we’re counting on you, Vice-Admiral Fujishi+ma” Who’s the vice-admiral? “Let’s meet at the Yakusuni Shrine!”

“Refused!”

In the end, I ith Major As soon as I stepped into Alice’s rooh she was going to cry

“Mocha Bear’s ear has fallen off!”

A huge, tea-colored teddy bear was placed at the front of the bed No er than Alice, but that ht be because she’s too petite As Alice said, the thread holding together the bear’s right ear has burst, exposing the cotton that was hidden in the seams

“Careful! Carefully place it into the box! Stuff it full of towels! Narue the wound!”

Following Alice’s directions that were full of yelling and crying, Major and I placed the hurt plushi+e into a big cardboard box stuffed full of rolled up towels in the sea that couldn’t be handled by just a person

Major asked: “So it’ll be okay if we just bring this to Yondaime’s?”

“Tell hiht, this concerns my life!”

Alice said with tears in her eyes Why would they hand it to Yondaime? How does this concern her life? Questions swirled around in my mind, but the atmosphere does not allow me to ask them

“And here’s the information that you asked me to find”

Alice took the transparent file froa, then extracted a portion of the photocopied papers and threw it at me

“What are you spacing out for? Don’t you knohat to do with this if I didn’t tell you to hand this to Yondaime as well?”

Major and I fled the roo Alice’s precious bear

Hiro’s car was a dark blue, high classed i that could be owned by a nineteen year old guy

“It’s because I’h I didn’t buy it myself”

He explained that it was a gift froirlfriend This guy would probably get a knife in his chest by a woman one day

“But driving there is a suicidal action……” I looked at the other side of the railhich had grand lights lighting up the night skies There were three roads at the south side of the station, and there were always traffic jams there

“Speaking of which, just bringing this box over there with this car also counts as a suicidal action, doesn’t it?”

I loweredthe plushi+e Hiro had a point Actually, we could just tie the box at the back of a motorbike and send it there, but Major said that he needed to go back to his school for awhile, and rode the ate this Hakauy

We stuffed the box into the backseat, used the safety belt to keep it still and went back to the front seat

“Is that bear really that important?”

“Alice can’t sleep without it at night”

“Ah?” Things got that bad, just because of that? “But why are we taking it to Yondaime?”

“Ah— about Yondaime, he looks fierce and all, but he has an interest in arts and crafts He helped Alice to fix the plushi+e once before, and his skill is top notch That was also the first ti”

“Who……”

The car soundlessly drove on the streets The night view has becohts

“Who on Earth is that guy?”

“Have you ever heard of the Hirasaka-gumi?”

I do have a faint impression of the name, as it would come up between conversations in school

“Are they a ?”

“Nono, they’re not aforht or to follow the crowd in this district, a self-proclai Yondaime is their leader”

Hiro said in a casual manner But even I, who just uanization?

“Is it because Yondaianization that he is called Yondaime?”

“No, he’s the first leader of the Hirasaka-guumi, and so the only person who could control their members is him”

“Eh? Then why is he called Yondaime?”

“Because he is the forth generation in his hometown, Kansai It seemed that he ran away from home, and that place is where the true yakuza truly lies”

Whoa, really? Then why didn’t he just stay hoeneration leader?

“He’ll get angry whenever someone calls him Yondaime, but Alice felt amused about that so she deliberately called hi his nickname between us”

“You guys really went too far……”

I ear he was holding

“He’s even worse than us! But nobody can beat her, no matter it is Yondaime or us, understand?”

I thought of the snohite skin that was like a japanese doll, large eyes and long hair as black as ainst her

“But you should refrain fro this to other people, because Yondaiuanization, and are very adas”

I re

“Hiro, do you re is called?”

“Nope…… Ah, I’ve forgotten, it should be written on the inforathered by Major, shouldn’t it?”

I skiive to Yondaime The rather complicated chemical equations and content written in professional ter the sa blood pressure, sharp ears, slack pupils…… The side-effects of the drug were densely packed on the paper, telling people how dangerous it is to consu, which was the most important to me, was not written on it

I hope that it's just roundless fears

The office of Hirasaka-gu on the slope that was at the left side of thewas just beside the fork on the slope

We parked the car at the parking lot and took out the box We went on the cra of old men, up till the forth floor As soon as alked out of the elevator, we could see the long, straight signboard hung beside the umi” was soleo of the gang was drawn in a round, black fra, but the eanization I was really freaked out, they aren’t really yakuzas, are they? But without even using the doorbell, Hiro straightaway opened the door and went in

The door in the room was somewhat smaller than the doors in a classrooed by the wall, the sofa at the center of the roo black T-shi+rts were originally sitting down, but suddenly stood up at the same time

“Second brother(Note: not sure about this), thanks for your hard work!”

“Thanks for your hard work!”

They saluted Hiro I couldn’t help but take a step back, nearly dropping the box in the process What is with this situation? Second brother?

The people wearing black T-shi+rts were quite young, at h school They had skin that was dyed into a dark color, bleached hair and had piercings in their ears They looked just like ordinary young people ould gather at the streets of the street center every night The only thing different with them is that there was an emblem printed on top of their T-shi+rts

Hiro answered: “ Don’t call me that! I’ve said that loads of times, don’t call me second brother”

“But you and Sou-san are just like brothers Here, let me help you to take your stuff”

While saying that, Yondairound

“Well, forget about it, I’ve dated quite a lot of girls before, so in some way, I’ his brother?

“Hiro, you really don't want to live anymore, do you?”

Yondaiht and walked out That day, he earing a purple vest, and you can see a tattoo of their eht shoulder

“Aren’t you here to hand e box? It isn’t stuffed full of reports, is it?” Yondaime sat down on the chair behind the table and said lazily Hiro shook his head and tore away the tape on the box

“Nono, this is Alice’s request Her doll’s ear dropped off and she wanted someone to fix it”

Hearing Hiro’s words, Yondai He jumped over the table and leaped in front of me in a flash, pressed down the box that was about to be opened, and glared ferociously at Hiro

“Don’t you know that? You can’t speak of that thing here!”

“Sou-san, what’s in the box?”

“Nothing! Carry the box to my car, and don’t look inside If you look, I’ll beat you up until you forget about it!”

Yondai manner was just like a hurricane, and he threw the car keys to another ht away!” He picked up the keys and saluted How could you even hone youra cardboard box anyway?

“This is ane-san’s stuff, so we should move it carefully”

Ane-san would be Alice, right? Did they watch too ? The box was taken out by two guys wearing black T-shi+rts Did we just do soless labor? I raisedsneakily Oh~ So he deliberately moved it here to annoy Yondaime…… He told me not to tell anyone, but he himself wanted to tease Yondaime

“You’ll have to fix it by tonight”

“I know! I’ll send it there after I fix it”

Anyhow, he’s still a yakuza boss, but he would actually spend the night fixing a doll for a pajamas-clad hikkikomori? It’s such a mystery, what the heck is with this situation? I looked at the people in the roo that they would probably be very surprised if they know that, huh?

“Do you know it too? Hiro told you about that, didn’t he?”

Yondairabbed my shi+rt by the collar

“Knohat?”

“Know that thing! That!” At thishim

“Eh? Which matter do you mean by that?” “Don’t you know it? It’sthat, but hoould I knohat’s that when you don’t say it clearly?” “Don’t play the fool! Idiot, how could I possibly say it out myself!” “Eh? But I’m not sure, so why don’t you just tell me the possible answers?” “Naruht now, but Yondai!” “I’ll be the one distressed if I stop talking!” “Here’s the investigation report”

Hiro handed Yondai happened just now Yondaime tossed me to the floor and snatched the folder “Hey! Get me the folder fro a black T-shi+rt walked into the room and handed us a sea blue folder

Returning to the other side of the table, Yondaime looked at the two folders with a serious expression on his face Hiro went closer to have a look and asked:

“What’s this?”

“It’s the symptoms for the people ere hospitalized thisthat as well”

“That’s quite patient of you…… Oh yeah, you could just compare it with Alice’s information”

“Right…… H the infor effects, and then pointed at the papers in the sea blue folder “…… We guessed correctly The effects of the drug is too long to be MDMA, while sti too”

“Is it Fix?”

Rocky the bodyguard asked while peeking at the side

“We won’t knoe don’t ask He’s at N Hospital, so let’s go!”

Yondaime’s words caused all of the black-shi+rts to stand up and put on jackets It felt as though the atht was suddenly turned on

…… Fix?

Theof the letters AF at the bottoels would not have preferential treatment on humans

“…… Angel Fix?”

Because ofhten my back

“Why do you know of Angel Fix?”

“Eh… That, that’s because……”

Yondaime took hold of reen:

“That day I ith Toshi+…… That guy……”

“Hey, so the things that Toshi+ was holding on to were pills? Round ones, you sure?”

Yondaihtly held her Being caught, I nodded fervently Hiro took hold of Yondai to pull him away from me

“Stop that! Do you want to kill him? What’s with the pills?”

Yondaih violently while keeping a hand on the floor for support Yondaime’s voice sounded from above me

“Didn’t Alice tell you anything? The way of selling Angel Fix was very special, and didn’t have any fixed way of selling theht them crushed them into powder, and then sold them to other people that they know It was like they didn’t even want to earnThe only thing that we are sure of is, the source of the drug is a person with the round pills”

Yondai for a moment and looked at me

“Is Toshi+ the person who directly bought the pills, or is he the person who’s selling them?”

Putting on the white coat that his lackeys handed hi a phone Some of them went to the hospital while some of them went to search for Toshi+ Yondaime and some of his lackeys stayed at the office while the others hastily walked out of it

“Just go home, Narumi!”

Hiro pulled at the collar of my sports jacket, and only then did I woke up from my stupor

“You guys aren’t looking for… Toshi+, are you?”

“I don’t even knohere he is”

“But……”

If I have noticed earlier……

“What are you dawdling there for? Hurry up and go hoet in our way”

Yondai s didn’tthat I can help with? Although I’m not really clear about Toshi+’s problem, but the person who spoke to hi that I can help with

“There’s nothing that needs your help Hurry up and scra”

Yondaime answered sternly

“But……”

It’s all ht hold of Toshi+ properly, all of this would be okay If only I re earlier and discussed it with someone……

“Narumi……”

It looked as if Hiro, as at , but was halted by Yondai to be bitten to death by him, so I could only shut my mouth and lowered my head The sound of the lackey’s footsteps disappeared froain

Yondai at the other side of the sofa, but his wolfish eyes suddenly appeared again before me I suffered a heavy punch in the sto out of my open jaw Yondaime used the hand that he just punched me with to support me and harshly hurled me back to the sofa

“If that was a knife, you’re already dead Don’t be so cocky, kid A noret hurt when taking part in an investigation, so you’d better get lost!”

After Yondaiainst Hiro’s shoulders and stood up again

The sun had already set by the tih we could touch the cold air that was accus of the curtains of ‘Hana on it, had so at the lights

Walking to the back door of the kitchen, the silhouette that was sitting on a pile of old tires was Tetsu-senpai, wearing a short-sleeved shi+rt Holding a bowl, senpai turned around, and there were only the sounds of hi ramen in the darkness

“Where’s Hiro?”

“He’s parking his car”

I sat down on the worn out tires, and stopped talking Senpai finished the salt flavored raether with the soup, then took out a cruazine from his back

Isn’t he going to ask about Toshi+? Or did he already know but doesn’t care? Am I the only one who’s like an idiot that thinks that I’m involved in this matter?

“What is it?”

I don’t know if he just noticed aze, but Tetsu-senpai shi+fted his attention froazine to me

“Do you already know about Toshi+?”

“Yondaime called just now Toshi+ is such an idiot”

“You guys were…… friends, right?”

“We’re friends now, too, as long as he is willing to co that

Then, aren’t you worried of him?

The sh he noticed what I wanted to say