Vol 3 Chapter 3 (2/2)

“Sensei, please stop! Sorry!”

“I planned to resign after that incident The principal found out about it and gavethese kids lessons was just a waste of time, and I used the school facilities without permission as well Because of me—“

That wasn’t your fault, so please don’t say things like this

Sayuri-sensei kept tre on the walls of the stairs I couldn’t help out regarding this matter, so I could only stand there and stare blankly at sensei’s face that was pale like amoon

Was Tetsu-senpai the one who destroyed Sayuri-sensei’s class? Is that really true?

I really don’t know, and don’t dare to believe it So I must confirm the truth

With my own— fists

I decided to ask hirants usually stay I originally thought that asking hiht be okay as well, but when I thought of the fact that I ht need to do a lot of explanations if I was noticed by Alice through the surveillanceto talk about was dumb contents that I’d rather Min-san didn’t hear

The southern side of the small park had a five-person teareen wire fence, Tetsu-senpai aiting there while leaning against the goalpost That was a cloudy afternoon, there weren’t anyone there, and the tents that I’m not sure if anyone inhabited them were unusually quiet as well The whole park seemed to have been infected with a virus, a piteous at in the air

“…… What is it? Calling me out to this kind of place”

Tetsu-senpai glared ataround a soccer ball left there I really wished that someone would accoo alone as well My feelings were rather complicated, and I couldn’t talk for awhile

In the end, I sed s, and said:

“…… I heard it from Sayuri-sensei and the others”

Tetsu-senpai shrugged, as though he was saying ‘so what?’

“Did you really bully the guy called Hayano together with the others?”

“Didn’t I tell you already? You’re so fussy”

“I want an accurate answer”

“I often asked hih I didn’t really take off his shi+rt or anything, who kneould freeze to death”

I felt a stab of pain, as though a freezing spearhead was pierced intomy mouth and my stomach with my hands, and nearly squatted down, too weak to continue

“…… Is that…… true? Please tell me the truth!”

“I’ you that it’s true”

Lies! You…… You obviously aren’t that kind of person!

“Sayuri-sensei said that as well, Hayano was quite friendly with the others Hooul—“

As I approached Tetsu-senpai, he suddenly grabbed oalpost; hot air was squeezed out of my mouth After some time, my body started to feel bouts of pain

As I approached Tetsu-senpai, he suddenly grabbed oalpost; hot air was squeezed out of my mouth

“Didn’t I tell you before this? I’ll beat you up if you continue to investigate!”

I saw vicious flaaze

“Then— try it!”

Yondaime said so as well, just do it if you can Do it! Senpai clenched his fists so hard that the sounds of his joints cracking could be heard If it were Yondai as him, I was still his sworn brother after all— the bond that was formed with the sake that was thicker than blood

“I’ht” I forcibly squeezed out a voice frohtly throttled “I drank the sake in Hirasaka-gumi after all, of course I have the resolution to deal with things with a fight!”

That’s right, the judght, God will allow hiless belief…… It’s i God wouldn’t be that free that He’ll hts, and I’m not a person in that world with a clear borderline as well, but still—

There are some times when I have to do it!

“If senpai isn’t lying, you’ll win I think— I won’t lose to you!”

That’s because I believe in senpai He’s definitely not a person that wouldthem to die!

Definitely— he’s definitely hiding so, and that’s why he lied Even if that’s only an e and shame the dead……

I must expose it!

“If you win, I’ll stop investigating this But if—“

Senpai narrowed his eyes

“If?”

If I win? Would this really happen?

But Isenpai’s innocence

Also, the Gardening Club would be abolished after teeks If only senpai would speak the truth…… If only we could find the true reason for the Gardening Club’s existence……

“If I win…… Please tell me the whole truth”

“What do you mean by truth, I’ve said all I knew at the police station”

“Then why?” I straightenedaway senpai’s hand “Why did Minagawa Kengo forcibly open the Gardening Club? You ht? Because you’re coether!”

“I don’t know” Senpai looked rather aard Lies! Those were lies! He !

“Are— are you really unable to tell ? Sayuri-sensei, the advisor and the previousCommittee all said that they didn’t know senpai once ht until the incident happened How could that be!? Senpai is—“

I heard the sounds of senpai gritting his teeth, and even thought that he would bite me to death…… But then he finally said:

“…… So what does that mean?”

“If you don’t want people to know, then just defeat ht!”

“Fighting these —“

“If you can’t tell me……” I continued hurriedly: “To Alice…… At least tell it to Alice She probably knows all about it now So please just answer one question from Alice frankly, that’s all!”

“Do you really think you can defeat me?”

Of course I never thought of that, but I still continued:

“Even if I can’t now, just give me teeks—“

I suddenly felt that the world in front of ht shone intomy mouth I only realized after quite so round

“…… I got it, Narumi”

Senpai answered me with a hoarse voice My ears and my eyes felt bouts of pain

“When you’re ready, challenge me anytime I’ll kill you……”

Min-san handled my would in the kitchen of the ramen shop

“You’re pretty badly beaten up, even having bruises”

Quite a few plasters were stuck onto itated, but they say that both

“W- well……” I didn’t kno to answer “I just fell down from my bike”

“Oh please, do you really think that I can’t tell these are bruises froht?”

Uwaa! So she could tell just by one look?

“Don’t tell a lie if you can’t, remember that”

“Uuuu…”

Only the two of us were in the shop, so it’s hard to escape from her questions

“How could you hen you’re against Tetsu? Are you an idiot?”

“No, I just got assaulted this time” Why does she even knoho hit me? She would probably beatto have another fight with Tetsu-senpai

“Isn’t your only virtue yourfor?”

“So Min-san thinks that as well……”

She was spot on But you don’t need to keep e that it’s my ‘only virtue’, do you? At least say that it’s one of my ‘less virtues’?

“But don’t you think that sometimes you just have to do it?”

“Absolutely not”

She refuted

“You only think that there’s a necessity because you’re just a dumb kid What are you so impatient for? You seem to be like this recently”

I’m impatient— really?

With ht It ht be so When did it start? Probably froh I wasa lot of s Yondaime seemed to have said that as well Wait, wasn’t the one who told me to beat Tetsu-senpai up Yondai to him so obediently? And did Yondaime really mean that?

My wounds were slightly hot, and that ain

“I feel— that wouldbeaten up by him”

“That’s coless If you have the tis, it’s better if you use the time to keep Ayaka company”

That ht be the case, but……

“I’ht now To senpai, and to Ayaka as well……”

“Tetsu’s problem is Tetsu’s, Ayaka’s problem is Ayaka’s, aren’t they just different?”

“Senpai…… It ht be so But Ayaka…… I kept her company at school, but she just callspolitely in front ofout a smile It’s just too……”

“Did you speak of this to Ayaka?”

“How could I say that to her!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s already hard on Ayaka to take care of herself, how can I be so selfish?”

“Why are you NEETs alwaysabout yourselves?”

I stared blankly at Min-san I didn’t even have the energy to rebuke her ‘I’ pan

“You really don’t have any progress Why don’t you just act as you usually do? Ayaka is the sa at your actions, it made my shoulders ache as well

“Act as I usually do…… The problem is Ayaka doesn’t kno to deal with me”

“Why?”

“Because, Ayaka doesn’t say anything to me—“

Ah!

I slapped h forcefully

So that’s why Ayaka didn’t knohat to do because I didn’t say anything to her

If that was so, both of us— really didn’t have any progress at all, staying at the same place Even so…… Because of that……

Start fro…… Could we start over fro from the October that we haven’t known each other yet Ayaka was the only one observing , we still became friends after some difficulties

It’s just that I’ht now instead If so, isn’t it the same as that time?

If so, is there a way to start over without having a need for her to regain herthe same way……

I felt rather eh the sound of Min-san cutting the onions was like her laughing atat me

Just at that moment, the door of the ramen shop was opened

Raisinga sailor’s unifor a side of her hair up with a pin, the slightly coffee colored fringe, the friendly eyes blinked repeatedly below her deter backwards rapidly, planning to close the door again

I wanted to stand up, but Min-san as besidespeed A clumped up black object hit Ayaka’s face

“Uwaa!” Ayakaher hands, frantically trying to pat away the black apron covering her face

“Are you trying to go back right now? We’re preparing to open the shop right noash your hands!”

“Erm…… Well…… Fujishi+ma-san is here”

With an apologetic look, Ayaka bent her back while walking into the shop

“I’uy was fired”

What a cruel way of putting it

When I passed by Ayaka at a counter, she suddenly saounds

“Hurt!? H- how are you? A- are you okay!?”

“Eh? Mnn, it’s nothing ht, Ayaka…… Are you okay?”

“Eh? Er up your calls”

I shookto come to Hanamaru Ramen

“…… You, why are you wearing a uniforo to school today

“W- well……” Though there was obviously notit “A lot of flowers are going to blooo to classes, I thought that I should at least attend Sayuri-sensei’s supplementary lessons”

Ah, I see After I ran aithout doing revision, Ayaka went there Because of that, Sayuri-sensei probably wouldn’t get so depressed

I stood at the seams between the counter in the kitchen and the custo on her apron with unaccustomed movements

I originally thought she would coreenhouse……

“W- what is it?”

Ayaka raised the side of the apron to cover half of her face, asking in a rather embarrassed tone

“Nothing!” I shook , and suddenly felt pain on my neck “Ouuchhh…”

“Fujishi+ma-san, are you really okay? Why is your wound—“

“It’s just fro Tetsu and Naruht cure them of their idiot illness”

“With Tetsu-san? Y- you really fought? Why?”

Why… Hearing Ayaka ask the saain, I really didn’t kno to answer I think all of this was done for Ayaka and h I couldn’t really tell how they’re connected—

Though I’m not sure how they’re connected, I could only answer frankly:

“Sorry, I’ht now, so I’m not sure why— but if Tetsu-senpai doesn’t tell ht just be abolished So……”

To protect the place that belongs to Ayaka and I

“I…… Is it because of me? Because I can’t re Club because you want to keep things the same way as it wa—“

No It’s not that Though I thought that in my heart, I found that I couldn’t say it out loud

I clenched the armband that I kept intime

I did think of that before But now that Ayaka said it out directly, it justClub is not only to get her memories back

Then why a Club?

“I’ll do“I would definitely do my best to remember! I’ll help out at the raain! So please don’t do such dangerous things! It’s okay even if the Gardening Club is not here, if only you—“

I felt like there was an ie steel ball She would do her best? Ayaka said that she would do her best?

Why? Why is she saying that? I actually don’t wish for her to say these things So she was thinking of such grievous things beside ……?

“I didn’t do that just for that…… I don’t kno to say it Ayaka, you don’t need to…… And I’ve decided already, so……”

“Fujishi+ma-san!”

“Ayaka, forget it It’s useless”

Min-san looked at the pot while saying:

“He didn’t do it just because of you Men are a type of creature like that, an idiot when they’re born, an idiot when they’re born, and an idiot when they’re dead as well Don’t bother about him”

I looked at Min-san as icily looking at me from the corner of her eyes, and looked at Ayaka as in tears As I was about to open the door, the door of the ramen shop was forcefully opened

“Aniki! Is it true that you and Tetsu-ojiki are going to have a fight!?”

A crowd of tallblack T-shi+rts squeezed into the ra the door— so they’re Pole, Rock and other umi, about six or seven of them I just felt that the color in my face instantly drained out

“E- erm…… Why do you know about this!?”

“Tetsu-ojiki called Sou-san just now, asking him to be the witness”

What’s with this person? Rushi+ng forwards without caring about anything!

“We could finally see aniki’s true powers!” “If he ties in Tetsu-ojiki, he’ll be able to fill in the vacancy in the Four Heavenly Kings for Hirasaka-san!” “We’ll be invincible then!”

“See, they’re all idiots” Min-san said to Ayaka beside her But Ayaka’s eyes were full of tears, and she shook her head helplessly

“Oi, you kids! Get out if you’re not ordering anything! Make trouble outside if you’re going to do that!”

Min-san shouted while banging her pot with a spoon The young yakuzas stood up straight, then politely sat on the seats together Evidently, the others could only be chased outside to sit on the beer crates

“Then I’ll have a tonkatsu ramen”

“Tonkatsu ramen!”

“I want tonkatsu ramen as well!”

Tonkatsu ramen was specially made by Min-san to wish us luck before this, but the taste wasn’t that good…… I just feel that I’ to have a headache

“It seems that the odds will increase drastically this ti to be the dealer?”

“Okay! I’ on Tetsu-ojiki, ten thousand!”

“I’ on Tetsu-ojiki as well, ten thousand!”

“Then I’ll bet on Tetsu-ojiki fifteen thousand!”

“I’ all out! Twenty thousand on Tetsu-ojiki!”

“Using up the deter a bear’s lair to bet twenty thousand on Tetsu-ojiki!”

“With the resolution to ju fifty thousand on Tetsu-ojiki!”

“Eh? Aniki, are you okay? You look rather pale Please show us or!”

It’s all your fault! Okay, I get it, I don’t have any chance of winning!

“We can’t bet like this”

“Then should we change it to how ht will last?”

“Shouldn’t we change it to how many seconds?”

“Or change it to how many meters will aniki will fly away to?”

“Or how many months will it take for aniki to heal?”

“Or how many rib bones of aniki will be broken?”

Please stop, o already!

As I was seriously considering whether I should run away from the kitchen backdoor, I suddenly heard the door open, and a voice drifted in along with the chilly wind outside

“— I’ as well Five thousand on Vice Admiral Fujishi+ma”

“Then I’ ten thousand on Naruet two tiht?”

Thestared blankly at theht be the same as well

Major had a large backpack on his back, and he pushed his goggles onto his forehead Hiro-san as by his side wore a tailored coat with tight-fitting jeans The two of them stood in front of the entrance of the ramen shop “…… Ojiki, are you serious?” Pole asked doubtfully

“Of course I’ht between Naru at me

“Ga, we must observe the odds as well However small the chances for Vice Admiral Fujishi+ma to win—“

Major dropped his backpack onto the cement floor with a thud, then looked at the others

“If the odds are eight times, I will bet on Vice Admiral Fujishi+ma Because—“

“Because we’ll provide support from now”

…… Provide support?

Does that mean Major and Hiro-san would support me?

The ed gazes and started to whisper to each other, but still nobody had the courage to bet on the other side Well, this is quite nor et from this? Why is that?

“Of course it’s to get money”

Hiro-san showed a casual s spot outside the kitchen backdoor Though there wasn’t dom of NEETs that was full of warainst a large steel bucket

“You guys…… Didn’t you guys say that you wouldn’t help Alice and I?”

“That is that, this is this”

“I just said that I wouldn’t involve myself in Tetsu-san’s past”

The two got eventheir eyes That hen I understood so

They couldn’t just wait there silently without doing anything Just because they’re Tetsu-senpai’s co, and cannot take part in the investigation Even so……

“Narumi-kun, of course, ouldn’t force you if you say that you don’t need it”

Hiro-san suddenly showed a rather lonely expression

For h NEETs in this city are so useless that they must use such a forced excuse to hide their own kindness— even so, even if it’s only for this reason…… As a response for their kindness, it has value even if I were to be beaten up by Tetsu-senpai

“Tetsu and I hung out together for a long tihts as well I can tell you his habits when he’s fighting or the blind spots of his attacks!”

“Vice Ad stimulator that I modified from a Wii”

The silhouettes of the two ca The hot tears alushed out, so I hurriedly lowered my head

“…… Narumi-kun? You’re really……”

“I- it’s okay, nothing’s wrong I’m okay”

I bithard not to let my voice tremble

“Got it”

The heat onwith the pain on my body I silently waited for the heat flow to fade, and raisedat my open palms:

“— please help me”

The two stood up at the same time

“Min-san, I want a tonkatsu ramen as well!”

“I want a large tonkatsu ramen as well!”

Major and Hiro-san poked their heads into the shop to order I repeatedly opened and clenchedin my wet palm

At thatin my pocket

‘What were you doing just now? A bunch of people froathered beloell, why aren’t you here to report to me?’

“…… Okay, I’ll be over there right away”

“A fight with Tetsu?”

After Alice as sitting on the bed finished saying, her jaw dropped It’s quite an accomplishment for her not to drop her Dr Pepper in her hands onto the floor

It was quite an expected response After I collected the dirty clothes scattered all over the floor and threw therumble:

“I really cannot understand the mental structure of your ans Wake’ is easier to understand Deciding the results with a fight with Tetsu? If your ai your skull withstand a large impact, it would be better if I just introduce you to a person who specializes in res”

“Well…… Erm……” Since I knew that I couldn’t explain, it was even harder for“Did you read the translated version of ‘Finnegans Wake’?”

“Of course it’s the original one! And don’t change the topic!”

Alice hit her blankets repeatedly in annoyance Why does it seery these days? What’s wrong?

“Listen, in your knowledge, Tetsu is probably just a good-for-nothing gambler astes his life on pachinko and horse races……” Is that wrong? “Look at this so your e your opinion of him!”

Alice pointed at the right side of the bed with her fingers, the monitor that was placed crookedly on a rack nearest to me, then typed speedily on the keyboard with one hand while saying

After soe was played on the screen I realized that it was a rather old recording, because the kitchen backdoor was not too similar to what it looks like now The wooden stands that were used as a table were not present, while the large steel buckets haven’t rusted yet, and were glittering The only thing that was the same was the silhouette of a h a T-shi+rt, and his powerful, toned arms that were like cable car wires Tetsu-senpai

Thewas, the ones opposite hih only the chest of the T-shi+rt of Hirasaka-gumi could be seen, there probably weren’t any other lackeys that were fitter than them

Since there were no sounds in the footage, their next movements couldn’t be predicted at all It looked like Pole lashed out first, while Tetsu-senpai’s strong body was light as a falling leaf, evading his attack inthe abdomen of the black shi+rt The vibrations from the punch seemed to float out of the screen, Pole who didn’t fall even though he was punched really should be applauded At thatto his back carefully, so he sprang back a few steps

Up till now, I still thought that Yondaie in speed, while senpai should bewith his raer and stauards of Hirasaka-gu near, viciously hitting the opposing party froh he was using h his attacks are a kind of art

So— he was a boxer

“— that’s right, this is a boxer”

After Alice finished saying that, the footage vanished

“Though this was footage froo, you shouldn’t expect his skills to be rusty You should know that Tetsu still keeps his boxing equipht?”

That’s right When I suddenly asked hi gloves, bandages and a sandbag

That ht now

“He’s e call a boxing fighter, having both speed and destruction, an all-rounder that could deal with any ene, Yondaime would probably lose to him as well As for you……”

“I understand that”

“You don’t understand! The fist of a boxer is a killing weapon, it can kill, understand!?”

“Erer “Are you worried about me?”

“W- who…… who’s worried about you!” Alice’s face was flushed, her hair even stood up as though it went through an electric current “Who’ll be worried about your things!”

In the end, she just threw itery Pillows, remotes, empty cans, printers, and so on— Oi, oi! Don’t throw the printer!

“Why must I worry about you!”

Alice’s angry roars caused the wall of dolls to collapse, scattering all over the floor with dull thuds Also because she was frantically waving her pillows, hitting her bed, an avalanche of dolls happened once more

“I just couldn’t forgive your duence is, it’s so despairing that even touching the Monolith[1] for seventy thousand tience to the level of monkeys!”

Being shouted at like that, it made me feel rather embarrassed as well After I picked up the dolls scattered on the floor and placed the from her pillow I don’t have any choice but to k