Vol 3 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3

It’s hard to believe that there would be a day that I would feel depressed to go to Hanamaru Ramen

That’s because the ra said those words, Tetsu-senpai probably wouldn’t go there for quite some time now Major and Hiro-san probably feel aard, so they wouldn’t go Coupled with Min-san’s stern expression when she was asked by Alice to take care of Ayaka yesterday, I don’t feel like going just by thinking of that

But there’s still a reason that I have to go there

“Do you really have to go?”

Sayuri-sensei sat on the teacher’s chair in the greenhouse, a lonely expression on her face The seat at my side was empty because of Ayaka’s absence as well That means the supplementary class would end for the day when I leave

“I originally planned to teach you all of the English grammar from the third semester too, what a pity……”

Can you please not speak such scary words with such a piteous gaze? The unmarried Sayuri-sensei was often said to be a , because of her unique e student up till now I know that you’re worried about rades, but……

“Then I’ll give you a lot of ho that, she iain

“Do I really have to wear this?”

“Yes” Sayuri-sensei s I still have a lot of places to go to……

I slowly rodepast the police station, a whole row of e the steel road to an alley that was surrounded by blocks of short buildings I started to feel depressed when I faintly saw the portiere of Hana started to turn heavier as well

At least let there be so at the space behind the kitchen backdoor—

“Judging from Major’s personality, it must be a bluff Shoo pair!”

“What a pity, mine is three card Tetsu-san, you’re too naïve”

“Ahhh, why didn’t you change even though you have three card!?”

“Because Hiro-san and Tetsu-san just changed a card, that’s a basic tactic”

“Major, sorry for saying this while you’re happily explaining away, but ht flush”

“Why……!?”

“Why is my line! Why are you three over here!?”

I couldn’t help but say Tetsu-senpai, Major and Hiro-san ere surrounding a wooden stand playing poker turned around and looked at me at the same time

“So it’s just Naruht now, I’ve just lost twenty thousand yen!”

“Vice Admiral Fujishi+nal to me his cards with semaphore”

“I’ve asked the girls out, treating the too, Narumi-kun?”

Hearing Hiro-san say so, Tetsu-senpai and Major acted like a king kong and a gorilla respectively, repeatedly hitting their chests I really didn’t knohat to say, so I could only squat down behind the kitchen backdoor

What’s with these people? They’re the same as usual

Just at that moment, the door at round after being punched

“Oi, Narunore these mites(dani) of the community, hurry up and help out in the shop! Didn’t Ayaka take sick leave today?”

Min-san looked at me with a cold expression Didn’t you say that you fired me just yesterday!?

“Oi, ere called mites”

“But it seems that we’re not fleas in the community”

“Maybe mite sounds cooler?”

In the end, the three started to sing the Ireland folk song ‘Danny(dani) Boy’ at the same time

“…… Why are the three of them here?”

I asked Min-san while taking offon an apron

“Why do you ask that……?”

Min-san tilted her head while stirring the food in her large pot, and it was like her expression said: what is this guy talking about?

“Min-san, you know it as well, right? Tetsu-senpai refused Alice’s request, while Major and Hiro-san wouldn’t help out in the case—“

“Those are two different matters, aren’t they? They’re not related at all”

“What does that mean? Not related……?” But really, it does seem that they’re unrelated Even if they don’t assist Alice in investigation, they don’t need to stay away from Hanamaru Ramen But this is still……

“…… I can’t separate them that well”

“Is that so? Tetsu and Hiro just went to see Alice just now too I heard that they got a gift fro pachinko, and there’s a doll that Alice would like”

I even thought that ‘healthy’ words like pachinko gifts can’t be linked with Tetsu-senpai So that’s not all, they even went to see Alice? What are they thinking of……?

“You’re the one who’s thinking too e toit while :

“Is that so? Alice ht?”

“About what you’re thinking of, she doesn’t really mind about that”

My jaw dropped, and I stared blankly at the side of Min-san’s face

“The thing that she’s concerned of is that Tetsu lessher or not This is also the only merit of those community mites”

Min-san as looking at her pot suddenly raised her head and smiled at me

“She’s just worried about other people If she’s a person who just worries for herself, she wouldn’t be living in a rubbish duo”

I held the kitchen knife, not

So that’s why Min-san was right

The reason that so despair can enjoy theether is probably because there’s soh they look as if they don’t care about it

Of course, many NEETs aren’t that lucky as well When those people are alone in a cold night, they el’

Minagawa Kengo ht have been one of them

Dropping out of school in theto a dark corner in the city, the body andonto the asphalt road—

And then they el’

I once experienced a s The only word that could express the feeling— though I really really feel that it’s extremely dumb, there’s truly only one word that could describe it…… that is ‘love’

It felt as though the whole world loved yourself, i that the whole world would accept yourself

I think that nobody in this world could live on without having these fantasies Because of that, many people committed suicide when the supply of love by ‘fix’ stopped when the flowers that Ayaka planted disappeared and Haka would know the whole truth during the instant when he wakes up

The whole world doesn’t love him at all

But I still came back Thanks to Alice and Ayaka’s help

“—mi! Oi, Narumi!”

I was slapped, and was brought back to the kitchen that was full of heat fro that caer

“Eh? Ah, erm…… Thanks to your help as well?”

“What gibberish are you spouting? Alice ordered so, hurry up and send it there!”

Min-san handed a bowl of bean sprouts ramen without meat or noodles on a plate to me, then knocked me on the back with her knees That hurts……

“Look, ly, but this could be said as a chef d'oeuvre! Good thing Tetsu saved it out froift cupboard in the pachinko shop, I really don’t kno to thank him”

A broad s off the present that Tetsu-senpai gave her Just like that, a new kitten joined the doll arirl really doesn’t mind

“What’s with that gaze? Perhaps you have so the cat Patronius”

“Not really”

I placed the ramen bowl onto the moveable computer desk

“Judging froless things because you saw that Tetsu and the others looked for ht?”

“Mnn…… A little I thought for a bit about problems about ‘love’”

Alice’s expression looked as though she accidentally sed a bug After staring at ot off the bed, sloalking to the kitchen When she was back, her hands were full of Dr Pepper, and she handed one of them to me

“It is said that Dr Pepper was originally sold as e treatment”

“Thank you for your concern!”

Alice alked back to the bed shoveled the ramen and the drink in the dark red can in turn into her :

“Don’t think about these things that you don’t understand, you just have to take care of Ayaka and yourself”

“I know that it’s the best if things can be like that……”

While sighing, I turned the cold can in my hands

“Hoas Ayaka after that?”

Why are you asking , Alice would have asked Min-san or investigated herself, so she probably knows about Ayaka’s condition already, right?

But at that moment, I realized that she wanted me to speak

“…… Her condition stabilized when she arrived at the hospital Her h she said Ayaka took leave today, she would probably be well enough to go to school tomorrow

“That’s fine”

Alice’s sincerely happy expression made me feel shy for awhile

It’s great that a tragedy like her needing to stay in the hospital again didn’t happen, but I still recalled Ayaka’s terrified expression that time

At that moment, the screams that Ayaka made because of her memories

I really wish that she would remember about me— but that wish started to waver That’s because herIf she’s in such pain, is it better if she doesn’t get her memory back?

Facing the silent me, Alice said in a businesslike tone:

“Yondaih he hasn’t found the other three dropouts, he contacted so Committee It seems that Yondaio and get some information as well”

“…… Right now?”

“That’s right Yondais fast”

“But I still have to help out at the ramen shop……”

Alice picked up the phone before I even finished talking

“Ah, Master? It’s me Didn’t Narumi quit the job at Hana as a volunteer right now? I understand Then of course his work as an assistant detective is given priority, right?”

The matter was dealt with in less than twenty seconds So I’, since I’m now fired

“Then…… Please go there iht already be there now”

“…… Where’s the location?”

“A shrine”

Shrine?

Though japan is proclaiion, there are actually lots of religious places in the city Most of them are small shrines that most people don’t even know the names of

Besides visiting there during the New Year or during rituals, almost nobody would think of these places But soettable place for a small amount of people

And tothat day

The shrine was located at the borders of a neighboring district, and it took about ten minutes to ride over there from the ramen shop Cheap and broken down apartments surrounded the woods nearby, and the forecourt of the shrine was located there; there was also a rather large cemetery that was surrounded by a cement wall beside the shrine

A silver Civic car was parked on the road in front of the shrine Yondai the location into consideration He wasn’t wearing his crimson coat that day, so his whole attire was black; and there was a bottle of sake squeezed under his arm as well

“Sorry for being late” I parked my bike at a side of the road that had some distance with the car

“Those people have already arrived”

I looked at the forecourt of the shrine

The temple that was surrounded by woodland was more majestic than I expected, and the stone path was rather clean as well A s to the cemetery was on our left, andthe silhouette of a columbarium after we passed the woods

Three young athered in front of a small toe as Yondai casual attire of a Polo shi+rt and khaki trousers, while the last one earing the uniform of a construction site When we approached, the three bowed to Yondaime at the same time

“Sorry for calling you here suddenly”

Yondaime said in a completely unembarrassed tone, opened the bottle of sake and poured it on the toradually dyed the word ‘Minagawa’ on the tombstone black

The man in the casual attire answered: “It’s okay, I was free anyways”

“I was visiting a client, so I could get here sneakily Of course wefor us”

After thethat, he immediately poked the construction worker by his side: “While it’s unusual for you to be able to come”

“I don’t have any breaks at all, and I did not even know Minagaas dead I actually squeezed in so me”

“You don’t need to thank ether vertically in front of Minagawa’s toht just now into the ground, closing my palms as well

The victiht be the founder of the Gardening Club as well— Minagawa Kengo

“I never would have thought that he would touch drugs”

“He even looked rather unconcerned when he dropped out”

“Do you reo, and his pop is rather……”

The three who once used the Gardening Committee as a secret base discussed in a pained tone behind me It seemed that they had never met Yondaied to call them out like this The fact that Yondaiawa like this shows that a rather attentive mind was hidden behind his stern appearance

“Then today is for……?”

The

“You’re our kouhai? I heard you have so to ask us?”

“Ah, y- yes!”

“It’s better to speak over there” Because of Yondai on the wooden steps in front of the temple

“Eh? Isn’t that……?”

The construction worker as sitting aboveon :

“Doesn’t that belong to Sayuri-chan?”

“…… Do you know Sayuri-sensei as well?”

“What do you reenhouse”

“It’s so nostalgic She probably used this to ht? It’s so e”

“Is it possible…… that she gave you guys supplementary lessons before this as well?”

I nodded in surprise, recalling Sayuri-sensei’s words That’s right So Coether with those people for soive them supplementary lessons after class for some reason

“Heh That does indicate that you’re really our kouhai in so

People are connected to each other in intriguing ways sometimes

“I often skipped classes to sht by Sayuri-chan one day”

“She wasn’t scary at all though she was angry, and she had just joined the school recently at that time”

“Why did she start the supple”

The expression of the three while they were chatting looked co winter

“But it’s all thanks to those suppleraduate”

“I can’t believe until now that you actually got into college”

“I retook the exam a year I also can’t believe that you actually found a job”

“It would be better if Kanegawa didn’t drop out half way”

“Eh? Did he take the lessons in the greenhouse as well?” I couldn’t help but interject

“That’s right As I recall, there were about ten people there”

“Sayuri-chan worked hard to move the blackboard in as well”

“But since the incident happened, we couldn’t continue”

“Is it…… the death incident of Hayano Tomohiko?”

“Ah, so you know about it That’s right, you wanted to ask about this?”

It was as though the surrounding air suddenly chilled down The man in a suit answered in a low voice:

“Tomohiko was in the supplementary classes as well It was because he wasn’t that healthy and kept taking leave Though it snowed on the day that he died, I think he still did go to the lessons”

“But I really didn’t notice that he was bullied by anyone”

“Then, Tetsu-senpai…… Did Ichinoreenhouse as well?”

“Oh yes The ones who dropped out were all froroup, all Sayuri-chan’s students”

“Though only Tomohiko’s personality was different form the others, it wasn’t until the extent that people would bully him……”

“Does speaking of this now have any use?”

To hide the treaze on the ground withbeside e at all

There were once lessons in Sayuri-sensei’s ‘classroom full of flowers’

And it was destroyed from the inside by Tetsu-senpai and the others in the end…… Did Tetsu-senpai really do such a thing?

I still think that there’s soht, Hirabayashi+-sensei as the advisor at that tireenhouse didn’t know of the mistreatment at all How is this possible?

“It’s great that we didn’t become NEETs already”

“That’s right I think I’ll visit Sayuri-chan with a present during Obon”

“To be frank, I’h now, but I really feel like seeing Sayuri-chan”

“I wonder if she didn’t marry until now because of us”

The three laughed in a lonely way

The three of theestion to drive them back, but that’s quite norh they were asked out, they probably didn’t want to owe Yondaime any favors

“Do you want to go back to Alice’s now? Isn’t Tetsu at the ramen shop as well?”

After sending them away, Yondaime asked me at the entrance of the shrine

“Well…… Is there so?”

“You’re my brother after all, so if there’s a need……”

Yondaime leaned on the car with his elbow on the top of the car, showing the expression of a hungry wolf in an instant

“I can help you to beat him up”

Shocked, I hastily shook my head in response

“T- there’s no need I can’t ask other people to do such a thing”

“Then are you preparing to do it yourself?”

Why do you keep co to these conclusions?

“I can’t possibly do such a thing, and I don’t want to owe you any more favors”

“If it’s just beating up that guy, it’s no big deal actually”

To be honest, is Tetsu-senpai or this guy the stronger one? Though it’s unrelated to this, I couldn’t help but feel soe in speed, but Tetsu-senpai would probably have an advantage in strength and staless curiosity aside

“You didfavor for today already”

“This is not a favor, I’ll claim my payment from Alice”

Ah, I see As expected of the fourth generation of a business such principles However, would the fee be counted into my request fee in the end?

After Yondaime drove his car away, I pushedof Tetsu-senpai’s matter

I’ He doesn’t want to say anything though he’s one of the people involved, so that troubles ood, so it’s quite enough

Though it’s rather odd, beating hi like this, but should I be ives in? Alice yielded the very moment when Tetsu-senpai refused, why is that?

I suddenly recalled my conversation with Hiro-san

‘Though we ht lose a client because of this, it’sa companion’

So I chose not to touch Tetsu-senpai’s past again

Alicefor Tetsu-senpai’s help ht make us lose the power of the detective squad, ouldn’t need to lose a companion because of this

But I still find soht really better for all of us?

If we’re true companions—

Should we give him a vicious punch instead?

Perhaps this was Yondaime’s true intentions? ‘If I were you, I’d definitely beat hi like that

Unknowingly, I clenched my fists

The next day, I had an opportunity to interact with Sayuri-sensei alone in the greenhouse

“What is it, Fujishi+ out, or is there so on my face?”

After she said that, I hastily turned my attention back to the textbook on the table

“You really can’t concentrate when shi+nozaki-san isn’t here, can you?”

“No, that’s not it”

Two days passed since Ayaka fainted in Alice’s room, but she continued to take leave, and nobody picked up the phone; her h I orried of Ayaka, I was actually thinking of the infor

After I reported to Alice about the things that I heard at the shrine, she iround in detail, then handed the information to me; and I finally found out that sensei’s surname was Kuroda As for the other contents, I really didn’t feel like reading it in detail She’s a teacher that I meet everyday at school! I would feel embarrassed if I know too much about her

Even so, I still couldn’t resist checking if she was unood

“She probably knows about the situation that day as well, so you’d better question her about it”

Alice said in a nonchalant tone

While sneakily observing sensei’s expression, I pretended to concentrate on taking notes, but the things that I read actually didn’t get absorbed into my mind as well

“There’s a staff o first You can revise what I taught before this first, I’ll come back later”

After saying that, Sayuri-sensei stood up and was about to walk past the racks and tables full of flowers, out of the greenhouse Ahh, it’s my last chance I pulled away the chair and stood up as well, running frantically out of the greenhose

“Fujishi+ma-kun, what is it?”

Sensei walked while looking back to ask me

Err… Where should I start fro her out of the blue, right? And if she found out that I was investigating the death incident, it would be hard to explain things

“Well…… I heard that sensei did such a thing before this, right? Supplementary lessons after class”

“That’s right, there were even more people before this……”

Sensei’s expression at that moment looked rather sad, perhaps she recalled her dead student?

“Err…… I wore the clothes peg that you use to remind me of my homehen I went for my part tiraduated”

I finally thought of a lie Sensei looked rather curious about that

“They said that they recalled you as soon as they saw the note, so it seemed that they went for your classes as well”

“Is that so…… Who are they?”

“Well……” I spoke out their names as I recalled them

“Uwaa, that’s so nostalgic! Are they alright these days?”

“Yeah One of the now”

“Is that so? Ah……”

When we reached a school building, a joyful s appeared on Sayuri-sensei’s face while she alking up the stairs

“Doing this is actually right…… Though I really regretted it when that happened”

Sensei see to herself

That happened…… The incident thatin the ‘classroom full of flowers’, That was probably—

“I heard froreenhouse lessons had to be canceled”

Sensei suddenly stopped while she was cli the stairs, while I hurriedly stopped in front of her and turned back

“Ah…… Mnn, that’s sure to happen, talking about things like this It really……”

Sensei covered herpale I just felt as though h a block of ice was stuffed into it Do I have to continue to ask? To send ?

But I have to do this

“The person called Hayano…… Did he go to the supplementary lessons that day as well?”

Sensei stared at my face for awhile and nodded

“But why are you asking about this?” Sensei said weakly

“N- no…… Well, it’s just that……” I answered with the lie that I cooked up after a night’s though: “Since senpai were discussing about the last person Hayano-senpai talked to, so that made me rather curious……”

“Eh, ah……”

Sensei’s expression turned evenher ‘It’s okay, please forget all about this!’ and run down the stairs, away fro so and waited for an answer

“…… Mnn, yeah That’s right, only Hayano-kun was there that day, and since it was about ti, I asked hi… I was tidying upended when I heard the sounds of the ambulance, and in the end……”

Sensei’s voice sounded like the moans of a patient that ti

“…… So- sorry! I shouldn’t ask these strange questions……”

“I had no idea that Hayano-kun was bullied I…… I saw that he was quite friendly with Ichinomiya-kun and the other, but- but……”