Vol 7 Chapter 1 (2/2)

I had enough, and hung up Finally, after much deliberation, I called Yondaime He’s yakuza

“Idiot, a holiday’s a holiday” Guess it’s a holiday

He hung up onany custoe wooden stool placed at the e at the greyish skies The at to fall fro my time peacefully on such a holiday

But after the sun set, there was a customer who came by It’s Meo

“Excuse me!Huh?”

I heard a girl’s voice from the entrance of the ramen shop I put the broom and the dustpan at the door, and went to the road The thick bouncing braids and the coffee-colored skin were coupled with a beaer once she saw me

“…Meo?”

“assistant-san!”

Meo turned towardsa thick ju denim hot pants It’s already November I started to worry if she’ll be cold

“Why is ‘Hana happen?”

“Ahh, it’s closed for today Min-san went out to drink”

“Mmm, too bad I wanted to have so at the pulled shutters of the shop Suddenly, she tuggedyou’re already, assistant-san!”

Meo’s two years younger than me, born in Thailand Her mom remarried a japanese, so she came to japan in her youth Her japanese’s a little weird at times, but there’s no real communication problem Because of a certain incident, she came to request us, and after it was solved, she occasionally dropped by at ‘Hanamaru’

“What about papa?”

Meo’s papa wasn’t really a ot soners working in the brothels To be honest, I’ to meet him

“Papa has to go around to all the shops he often goes to today and have so or so around to the shops Meo can’t enter”

I see So the world of yakuzas too have a Labor Thanksgiving day

“I want to o!”

Meo dragged ency staircase I didn’t even have the time to say that Alice wasn’t available

“Chairman-san’s here too? Wah! Why’s detective-san dressed in a blac, pretty dress? Meo wants to hug too!”

Once we entered the detective agency, Meo got really excited Alice, in herclothes on the bed, was on tenterhooks like a cat, and Ayaka inadvertently hide Alice behind her

“Meo-chan, you need to wash your hands before hugging Alice!” Ayaka said, “Okay!” And Meo went straight for the basin

“Don’t say it like she can hug me just because she washed her hands!” Alice was furious, but Meo was already running back and got onto the bed

“Chairman-san, did you comb detective-san’s hair?”

“I did It’s my job after all”

Their first encounter was during the basement match back then, and ever since then, Meo often caood terms The reason why Meo would call Ayaka ‘chairman-san’ was because Ayaka proudly introduced herself as “I’ coination, it seereet Ayaka whenever the latter stepped into school

“But chairman-san, why do you have detective-san’s pajamas on you today?”

Very good question, Ayaka immediately leaned forward The blue bear pajamas on her shoulders fell off

“I’h I’”

Meo’s eyes dazzled

“Then, chair like detective-san!”

Ayaka opened her legs wide and stood on the bed, tugging Alice under her ar,

“I’m the NEET detective, the shi+tter of the dead”

“Speaker” The dead can’t poop anyway [3]

“And you’re rereat!”

She’s actually delighted…Alice too was unable to speak due to shock and despair as she reuess there’s no point fortogether causes a lot of noiseCite error: Closingy, so

I walked down the eency staircase, and casually looked over to the train station beyond the low buildings On the other end were bustling streets, and the shop lights continued to dazzle, the passers-bybillboard, holding a chocolate product and s on the trees by the road flickered, and Jingle Bells could ostensibly be heard

Noveotten by the city

It was to be expected Once Halloas over, the s, directly everyone’s attention towards Christ

I brought ed at my duffle coat

I pedalled roup of people huddled around, seated on the road, chatting furiously The wine cups and cans of beers dazzled in their hands, and at the center of it was an oil can lit with leaves and newspapers

“…So I say, that old man’s inside intel can’t be trusted”

“Shut up, yuou idiot I inning until the fourth race”

“But didn’t you believe in that weird level 6 infor, Tetsu?”

I found that one of the 4aside his physique, there weren’tjust a short-sleeved shi+rt in this weather of howling winds The other three old men were dressed in a worn out jumper, a thin dean’s jacket or an oil-stained trench coat

“Oh? Narumi, you’re still around?”

Tetsu-senpai was the first to find me, and raised the wine cup towards me The others too turned to look at me They’re all tanned rather dark, and their untrimmed moustaches had some white in them I suppose I saw their faces before

“What are you doing here? The fire depart a fire in the ht”

“Don’t be so stuck up Labor Thanksgiving Day is over, and we’re having a party here We were betting at the race tracks Pe-san took a huge loss, and Mori-san got a huge win, so it’s like we’re celebrating and consoling here”

“Heh, why do I have to toast with gutter water in such a cold weather?”

The Pe-san Tetsu-senpai mentioned was dressed in a Hiroshi+ afternoon show ‘Iitomo’[4], and if Tamori asked her, “Did you cut your hair?”, she would certainly snap back, saying, “I have never had my hair cut, not since I was born You should at least consider rowth speed of the huh sarcastically

Yui-san’s voice beside hts

“But ould such a little girl choose to be a detective?”

“Ah, ermI'm not actually sure myself”

”Aren't you her assistant, Fujishi+ma-san?”

”No, but, first,”

The saliva and disorientation swirled in my mouth in unison

”Please stop calling ht?”

”But I heard that you're the go-to freeter here, Fujishi+ma-san”

”I said I' in the entertainment circle? Did you mishear it?”

”Thenare you a boxer?” ”I'h I did once!

”A victor?” ”That's the co your CDs, isn't it!?”

”Uuu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry A minor character like me can't play dumb in front of you, Fujishi+ma-san”

”I'm not an entertainer! Is that dumb act of yours just an act?”

Yui-san looked really terrified, probably because I went overboard with htly upon it, I went silently, and turned to look at the dark street, where two long shadows shone upon

”Actually, I'et nervous too Just stay normal”

”But if you're just an ordinary high school boy, why did you becoht? Why did you become her assistant?”

”Let's just say things turned out that way”

If I were to really explain, the story would be long enough for Arabian Nights

”Is that so?” Yui-san glanced aside at ht it would be so place like a yakuza den, filled with scary muscular men”

How ency been misconstrued as? However, it's true that I do know of such people

”And that detective's so cute We even agreed to exchange dolls I'ot to ask for her contact!”

”Ahh, then, you can give ” I stopped, and was about to fish outnuht?

”It's fine, it's fine”

Yui-san smiled, and started the infrared transmission

”Narumi? That's a unique name” Yui-san said as she stared at the data shown on her phone

”Everyone calls me Narumi”

”I seeNarumi, kun? Can I call you that?”

Woah I'm embarrassed to be called that now I kept my cellphone in my pocket, and continued to move down the dark pedestrian pathway towards the station

The pedestrian pathway's finally approached the railway, and the black trees in the park entered my eyes Yui-san inadvertently hastened her steps, and walked in front of me Her eyes remained upon the yellow, black fence in the forest, and in the shadows, one could see some abandoned sheds of cardboard and blue vinyl sheets There were no residents to be seen from the sheds, and they probably would be torn down and redeveloped into futsal courts

For me, that was a place I had some painfuldown the gardening club, I called out Tetsu-senpai and we had a fight on this futsal court to settle things Thinking back about it, it was e, and I didn't want to approach this park Thus, I never paid attention to the ho here

”I caain”

Yui-san muttered

”So I'm a little worried, worried if he's really my dad…”

The silhouette stopped at the stairs branching off from the trees in the park, and the ball on the wool cap shook and stopped in a forlorn manner

”Once you meet your father, what do you intend to do?”

I could not help but ask The wool ball shook to the right

”E-eret a chance to talk to him, what do you intend to say to him then, Yui-san?”

”I earned a little bit of money”

Yui-san said, her back still turned on me

”I guess I can help pay off dad's debts”

So please co for Yui-san to continue, but answering ht over the exhaust sounds of vehicles from opposite the railway, coupled with theruckus, sounding really forlorn when they passed through the filter of the fence

”—I don't know”

Finally, Yui-san spoke with a feeble voice that could be bloay by the freezing winds

”I don't knohat I'll do once I meet my dad When he left, I was still in elementary school; ere harassed by the creditors, and pushed around by our relatives Until the very end of her life,dad”

Yui-san continued, her tone akin to dried dirt

”So, I don't knohat I'll do I don't knohat I should say”

Whether to hate him, or to reunite with him; that certainly applied to Yui-san's predicament

For sos if I were to return home and find my dad there, if someone's to ask me what I would say to hi roo absence, our hearts would have been so stubborn

”Ah”

Yui-san inadvertently ht on, I could see her blushi+ng

”What happened?”

”it's nothing! Let's hurry!”

She didn't look fine to me Yui-san slammed my chest with both hands, but I looked over at where she was looking—the top of the fence separately the park and the railway, and I found e billboard at the top of the building, and on it was a sidelong i down to tie her shoelaces and the logo of Hercules There was no lighting, probably because it was not fully set up Despite this, I could determine the female artiste on it

”So-so I say, please don't look at me!'

Yui-san grabbed e whereDespite this, I compared the hidden, bashful face under the wool cap with the deterh not to the point ofthem as two different people, I was ie contrast in demeanour

”There's already a large-scale promotion activity near the station with lots ofmore embarrassed than ever”

Yui-san covered her face with the muffler, even her mouth Really, could she actually handle the work in the entertainment industry?

Suddenly, I realized so

”When did the proin?”

”Eh? Ah, ahh, yes, it started around last month when the billboard was up there”

If it started last month, it meant that Ginji-san could have seen it

Did he find his daughter? They never her now, right? It'll be great if he found out that it was his daughter Even if he wanted to play duht let slip due to a moment of carelessness

I instinctively realized that even if Ginji-san was Yui-san's father, he probably wouldn't be too willing to meet Yui-san Thus, I had to cautiously ask him, but how? Was it really okay to ask about the homeless' past?

While ponder and walking behind Yui-san, a sharp glare of light stung uardrail

”—Yui! What are you doing here!?”

A blue-purple car i was a tall, skinny man in his thirties or so He shoved the door of the driver seat, and stormed out A black shi+rt was matched with his leisure suit, and frosty eyes were behind the pale green glasses He didn't appear to be an ene, and I inadvertently took a few steps back Yui-san cringed back, wanting to cover her face with her muffler

”B-b-b-b-b-but I'm on leave today!”

”I said that you have a rehearsal early in the !”

The rily

”Who are you? Yui, did youwhat are you thinking, having a boyfriend at such an important moment?”

”That's not it! Erm, Narumi-kun is erm, well, Pixar?” Pixar's an anied looks between Yui-san and the glasses guy's faces, trying to grasp the situation as well as possible He's probably souess? Is he Yui-san's er?

”Anyway, get onto the car! The chairman's worried too! Hurry back first We'll talk on the car!”

The glasses guy grabbed Yui-san by the shoulder, and dragged her into the co-passenger seat He then gave lance, and went to the driver seat

The blue-purple car drove off, leaving only the stench of car exhaust all over the place I sat on the railing, and sighed

I assumed it would be a very si pre billions of corporate funds into unstable personalities This weight will unknowingly torment the idols, and then crush them at a crush point, an abrupt moment

Thinking about how I didn't want to get too involved with hiet Yui-san's helpless expression when she failed to close the co-passenger seat

I returned to the office, and Alice kept her scowl as she went to the corridor, saying,

”Why are you here? Didn't you go home?”

”Eh, eh? Why? My bicycle's still parked here at 'Hana to you”

”And you were sending her off so happily…”

Alice i that she was feeling under the weather, but why?

I too followed her into the bedroouy

”He's probably Natsuki Yui's er, called Washi+o Kazuto”

Alice si me

”It's this ht?”

She pointed at the e, probably a ed Yui, and there was a lass door of a building The sharp glare under his glasses really was unique, and I could identify hier after all Doesn't look decent Did he remember my appearance?

”Did you inforer of the request?”

”Of course not” I answered, somewhat peeved A detective's most important duty would be to maintain a client's secrecy

”Good Remember to remain so at all times”

”right Understood”

”A noble NEET like me typically wouldn't accept this kind of cases, but we're looking for so about this case I don't have any affinity with the entertainment industry, after all”

Once she said that, I recalled what Yui-san said

”Maybe you do have some affinity, Alice”

”What are you saying?'

I stated how Yui-san felt that the chairman would invite Alice into the entertain, turning around to face h she had just sed a live chick whole

”Wh-what nonsense are you saying?” Alice uttered those words, ”Even if I do reincarnate 7,000 times, I can't possibly enter the entertainment industry”

”Well, I thought so, but you ht be unexpectedly suited for it”

”Wh-what?”

She hugged the largest teddy bear, and buried her face into it

”In other words, you'll go buy idol , and preorder li filmed for 90 minutes?”

”I don't need to The actual one's in front of me”

”Or are you going to bid for clothes I wore, queue overnight for a handshake urines of me?”

”I've never seen wax figurines of idols”

”Y-y-you just said such a long spiel of shameless folly!”

”You're the one talking about it!”

Alice hide behind the doll, huffing and puffing She rubbed her pal about such stupid things”

”I just thought of it though If you're to appear on TV, youserious there, you know?”

”Of course I'll be scared just thinking about thousands of anonyh the television How am I able to speak out? A NEET detective's words don't exist for the sake of appearing on television”

Alice's words causedon 'Tetsuko's Roo things shall we discuss today?”, Alicewould surely reply, ”A detective is the speaker of the dead, only able to hurt the living, and hu to listen?” All I could do would be to break out in cold sweat and force a smile

”Well, it's not a good thing for you to show up in public, so you can continue beingthat she would cause trouble for the likes of Taai Tetsuko and the other television network people, the hill of dolls suddenly collapsed It was due to Alice rolling about on the bed

”Y-your detective? Wh-h-hat are you saying?'

”What I' to talk to others with the saer them

Alice looked up, a rare act in that, and tried to probe ,

”I-is that how you view me?”

”Well, sorry for saying the truth”

”Why are you apologizing!?”

”Why are you angry!?”

Alice stuffed her blushi+ng face into the dolls, and ducked under the blanket

”Even without you saying, I'll support you for the rest of your life with er pay! I don't intend to increase the number of stupid assistants!”

”Alright, I get it” It would be great if there were bonuses Anyere we talking about?

”If you understand, go ho any overtime pay”

Alice lashed out as she peeked out fro, I placed the scattered dolls back onto the bed, and walked out of the door If I had to continue working and talking like this for the rest of uess it would be a wonderful life At this point, all I could do was grih

References

Jump up↑ The Creation, an Oratario by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn

Jump up↑ the first shi+nto shrine visit of the japanese New Year

Ju in kanji is 大便, taiben, while代弁者, taibensha, is iven that Alice’s role is basically ‘Speaker of the Dead’ by Orson Scott Wells…

Ju/wiki/Waratte_Iitomo!

Jui Tetsuko, an esteemed actress Think of it as a japanese version of Oprahr

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