Volu 1, Chapter 1
"It's a primitive response to gratitude. To give pleasure. You see, our normal hosts are quite mindless; they can be thanked only by physical sensation."
"Thank you for agreeing to transport . Thank you very much."
"The Only Neat Thing to Do" by Jas Tiptree, Jr.
A boxer, a soldier, a gigolo, a detective, even a Yakuza boss—
I t so many different types of people that winter; the winter I was sixteen. Technically they were all classified as NEETs, but they were different kinds. NEET, the term occasionally manages to find its way into newspapers or television. At the ti I thought it rely referred to unmotivated and unemployed youths, but the reality was that there were many different sides to them. There was no all-encompassing reason they remain jobless and fail to attend school.
“The term NEET refers to neither ‘useless people’ nor ‘lazy people’”. It was those words which that detective said to . “The only difference lies in the rules. While everybody seems content using the board to play checkers we play chess instead.”
“I don't get it. Doesn't that an you're just getting in the way?” The naive of then questioned. The detective seed to think for a mont, pursing those cherry-like lips which eventually gave way to a silent smile.
“I suppose that it would seem that way to those who just want to rush ahead. I understand that society wants to just group us together and label us: flinging us out into a rubbish dump. I also understand that they want to point at us, to laugh mockingly. Let them laugh all they want. No matter how you argue with it, the fact remains. We're a negative influence on society at large, that's undeniable.”
The detective lowered her head, gazing at her opened palms before looking at again. This ti her smile was not one of sarcasm or of bitterness, instead it was one comparable to the rays of sunlight on a freezing winter's day. “We will never laugh at ourselves. Just as earthworms do not fear darkness and penguins are not ashad of their inability to fly. That's the aning of life, is it not?”
I couldn't muster a response. Perhaps it was that I had never thought so deeply about matters such as these before. Regardless of how you dress it up, of how many taphors you use, doesn't the main fact remain? You're still all useless people.
However, it was that sa winter I saw my first corpse, that I assaulted another person. It was the first ti in this life of mine that I had contemplated what it truly ant to be alive. Though, I suppose anyone who'd witnessed another person forfeit their life and seek death might feel the sa way.
But I digress, that is a story for later. For now I will tell you about the winter I first t these people, and the story of a normal, non-NEET girl.
*
Near the end of November, I t Ayaka for the first ti.
After school ended on Tuesday, I sat on the water tower on the roof of the southern campus, and stared blankly at tall buildings far away. Normally once school ends, I would go to the computer lab and focus on club activities that only need one person. But on afternoons with computer lessons, there are a lot of students remaining to play on the computers that they usually don't have access to. I am unable to bring myself to walk in just like that, so I end up coming up to the roof to waste ti every Tuesday and Thursday. Staring at the computer lab on the second story of the northern campus, I gave off a lot of "Get lost already!" waves, and sighed as I looked at the streets below.
The streets of the city I currently live in can be divided into two colors, while the long thin river that flows like the artery of a patient is the divider of the colors. The side closer to has rusted roofs of factories, cheap apartnts lying side by side, and then there is the high school. I am not sure why, but there are a lot of shrines and graves in this area; My house is also on this side. On the other side is a tall flyover bridge with a highway leading to the capital, a gigantic train station with countless railways, tall buildings packed along complicatedly interweaving roads on the slope, shopping malls and television stations. On sunny days, you can even see the shadow of the governnt building far away. Tokyo is an amazing place to let boring housings that can be found anywhere in Japan and tall modern buildings co-exist peacefully here.
Looking down from the roof, the train station is like a scene in an advertisent on TV, without realism. Perhaps it's because I don't want to get close to that area? As we can wear our school uniform and straightaway go out to play imdiately after school, I heard that our school is rather popular in Tokyo; If the sailor costu has bright colors, it might even increases the attractiveness by around 40%.
That day was a cloudy day, just nice enough that you can closely examine the glass panels of the tall buildings that are normally unclear due to their piercing reflections. Speaking of which, they are just a bunch of glass windows that are cut using similar thods. I always filled those glass squares with colors in my mind, as though I was sketching pixel art.
I've gotten used to killing ti like that. I think it's because I'm always transferring schools due to my dad's work. At the beginning of October, when I transferred into my current high school, I joined the Computer Club just because there was no one else active there, and went about my school life without getting noticed by anyone. I've often thought that there's no point in going to high school, while I couldn't follow the lessons as well.
As I was gazing at the building, I suddenly heard a clattering sound below , and thus I leaned my upper body outwards to have a look. The water supply tower was set on top of the stair room jutting out from the roof while the sound was that of soone who had climbed up the stairs and opened the door.
"Eh? He's not here?"
I heard a girl's voice. When I carefully leaned forward and peered directly below, she turned around, eting my gaze.
She had short hair, and strong-spirited eyebrows, in contrast her eyes, which gave off a cute, friendly impression. I felt like I'd seen her before. As I moved to get up, she made an extrely surprised face, letting out a "Wah!", causing to tumble down from the water supply tower.
It was lucky that I fell from my feet, but as the backs of my hands scraped roughly against the concrete wall, the first thing she did when we t was to wash my wounds with water from the watering can she had.
"Why would you climb up a place like that, it's dangerous!"
She said while applying plasters on my wound. Being asked such a question, I couldn't answer her.
“……idiots and sothing like high places, after all.”
“You have to play down the ‘idiots’ part when you say that!”
She calmly replied. Although I wanted to escape, I couldn't do so as my hand was held tightly.
“There, I'm done. Rember not to climb to high places again.” She lightly tapped my right hand that was full of plasters, just like a caretaker who was scolding small children. Then, she said while smiling, “Even though I said all that, I actually climbed it before myself. Seeing the ladder over there really gives you an urge to climb it, doesn't it?”
Anyway, who on earth is this girl? As I can't recall neither faces nor nas of anyone in school, I cannot think of any girl who would talk to with such a friendly tone.
Suddenly, I saw the yellow badge on her left arm. Although it was quite old and was already sowhat faded, the words ‘Gardening Committee’ could still be seen on it. At that mont, I finally noticed the large number of flower pots arranged by the railings. Does our school even have a Gardening Committee?
“Ah, so you have to climb that high to see the computer lab! Are you that type of person, Fujishima-kun? Those who can't concentrate when soone else is in the room? The type that people call the artistic type?
The girl held on to the railings, saying all that while looking at the school building opposite of us. I was taken aback.
“——How do you know about that?”
I let out a shout that startled even myself. She turned around to look at with a look of shock on her face.
“Well, our class is on this side of the third floor, so that's why the computer lab can be seen from there. Besides, Fujishima-kun always sits beside the windows.”
I was found out. Color drained out of my face. How much does this girl know? She doesn't know that I was drawing naughty pictures on the computer, does she? Wait, that's not the main point…
“Why do you know my na?”
She raised her arms like a baseball pitcher who was getting ready to pitch the ball. It seed my question surprised her.
“Don't you rember ? We're even in the sa class!”
“Huh?”
I started to beco anxious. From the ti when I transferred to this school, I practically avoided all contact with other people, which is why I can't rember the nas of my classmates.
“It was I who told you where the canteen is and also collected information of World History for you. Even when you were changing clothes during P.E class, I have helped you out!”
“Wa- Wait a minute!”
“That last comnt was just a joke~”
Ugh, this girl…
“Although I thought that you might have forgotten about , I didn't really believe that it would really be true……”
Seeing the girl with tears glistening in her eyes, I can't help but feel sowhat guilty.
“My na is Ayaka Shinozaki, and I sit just beside you in class. How can you forget about even like this?”
“I'm sorry…”
“Fujishima-kun, you don't think that you are a part of class 1-4, do you? You even skipped school during the school festival.
But the school festival was held just a week after I transferred, so I had no other choice but to skip it!
“And you aren't even wearing the class badge. It's rare for public high schools to have class badges, so it would be a pity if you don't wear it!”
I didn't really think it's a pity, so I lied to her: “ I lost it.”
“Then I'll lend you mine then, I have so to spare at ho.” Said Ayaka while she took off her class badge from her sailor uniform.
“Huh? No, there's really no need to.”
“Seriously, don't move.”
She caught from the back when I was trying to escape. I couldn't help but freeze and pause my breathing for a mont. She moved her hands to the front of my blazer and put on the class badge on the collar of my blazer. Looking at this from another angle, wouldn't it seem like she was hugging from behind? No, wait, I have to calm down.
After what seed like a very long ti, the warmth of her body finally faded from my back.
“Hmm, that's better.”
She turned around and nodded with a satisfied look on her face. With a complicated feeling, I lowered my gaze and gazed at the blue and green badge. It was as though an alien thing appeared on my neck. Why did she help to this extent? I saw many other people who take very good care of transfer students, but it was the first ti I saw soone who was that helpful.
“It is a requirent of the school rules that one must wear a class badge, so don't you take it off.”
“Why do the schools in Tokyo have so many odd rules……”
Actually, isn't it my fault for feeling that Tokyo is a very free place in the first place? One of the many annoying rules is that students must join at least one club. It was all because of these rules that I got into these kinds of troubles.
“If it weren't for the school rules, you probably would have been in the Going-Ho-Club, wouldn't you?”
So? So what?
“But isn't the Computer Club going to be abolished next year?”
“……Huh?”
“You see, the Third Years are going to graduate soon. I heard that they are going to abolish clubs that have less than two mbers when they decide the club budgets next April.”
It was the first ti that I've heard of such an important matter. I thought of the pale, tomato-shaped face of the Computer Club advisor. That guy wants to let the Computer Club close down without saying a thing, huh? No wonder my club activities are so relaxing.
“As I was saying…”
Ayaka suddenly raised her voice, startling into stepping back half a step.
“I have sothing to discuss with you. If you accept my conditions……” Her expression was that of one who made a strong resolution. “I agree to join the Computer Club!”
“……Conditions?”
“Actually, I'm the only mber left in the Gardening Club as well.”
Ayaka, who had a triumphant look on her face for so reason, placed the armband on her left arm on my palm. Gardening Club? Isn't it the Gardening Committee?
“The committee was closed down ages ago. I found this lying around in a cupboard. Isn't it cool?”
“Not at all.”
“Why do you always say things like that!”
Her whole face flushed red. Why do you have to be so agitated, I don't understand at all.
“Small clubs have to help each other out, isn't that right?”
*
In the end, I succumbed to Ayaka's threats and accepted her conditions. We went to the staff room to hand in our application forms, and things were supposed to end just like that. Realizing that I cannot stay at the rooftop alone anymore, I could only find another place to while away ti after school. On the way ho, I thought to myself: Is the library better or is the restroom exclusive for teachers better?
However, Ayaka walked by my table right after school.
“I'm going to borrow the keys to the rooftop, so you can get the gardening tools first! You know where they are, right? You can find them in the cupboard with “Gardening Committee” on it.”
My classmates' gazes fluttered between Ayaka and I, who was busy putting away my books.
“Am I not just a ghost mber?” I started to say.
“……A ghost mber?” With her face pale, Ayaka turned away and covered her mouth. “Th- That's right, I'm so sorry. I- I was just too excited, and that confused for a mont.”
It looked like tears could pour out of her eyes at any mont. My classmates' gazes pierced through , as though it was I who made Ayaka cry…… No, it was I who made her cry. Anyhow, this situation is just terrible.
“Erm, uh, wait a sec!”
“Fujishima-kun, you're busy with your activities at the Computer Club, right? I'm really sorry for bothering you.”
“O- Of course not——”
“Aren't you going to complete your drawing of the girl on the computer soon? You just haven't added the dress yet, right?”
“UWAAAAAAHHHHH!”
I hastily covered Ayaka's mouth.
“Alright, alright! I got it. I'll help you then.”
“…… Really?” The tears vanished from her face in a flash. “Thank you so much!”
She stuck out her tongue, as though it was just a prank just now. Arrggh, this girl…
“Aya-chan, there's a new mber in your club?”
A female classmate asked while giving a suspicious look.
“Oh, yes. That's why we have more horsepower now. You can ask him anything about plants!”
My classmates exchanged looks.
“Oh, yeah!” a male classmate raised his hand. “There's a lot of mold on the washroom sink, please think of sothing to help.”
“Mold isn't even a plant!” exclaid Ayaka.
“No, it should count as a plant, shouldn't it?” “Differentiating organisms by animals or plants is already outdated!” “Aren't the ones in the washroom moss?” “Lichen are definitely not plants!” “The ones in the Biology Club, shut up.” “But it's growing really quickly.” “Looks like a person's face.” “Seriously?”
The guys started to discuss the topic with vigor. What is wrong with this class? After about twenty minutes of discussion, Ayaka ended up getting a mold spray to clear it away. I hastily stopped Ayaka, who was about to dash into the n's washroom.
“……Allow !”
My classmates probably feel sorry for for having to clear away the mold that have spread on the whole wall. A few of them ca in to give a hand. The washroom soon stank of the pungent odor of chlorine.
“Fujishima, it was hard on you……”
They started to pity .
“Of course, Shinozaki is not bad either.” “Not a bad person.” “Yeah.”
I nodded tiredly while scrubbing the wall vigorously with a sponge.
I suddenly noticed that it was the first ti my classmates called by my na. Even so, I just stamred, unable to even answer them properly.
*
“Let's have a welco party! My treat!”
She said that evening as we were carrying the orchid plants indoors.
“I work part ti at a ran store, so I can give you a discount.”
I thought to myself: How rare for high school girls to work part ti.
“As I often went there, I beca a part ti worker in the end. There are many interesting custors as well. Do you want to go with ?”
“Why——”
Thinking that I would have to see Ayaka's tearful face if I refuse her, I nodded reluctantly. After keeping the tools in the cupboard and returning the keys to the staff's office, I walked out of the school entrance with her.
After learning that I haven't even gone across the Shuto Expressway, she was astonished.
“But don't you live just nearby?”
“Well, I've just moved here recently, and there's a lot of people at the station, so I didn't really feel like going. Besides, I don't even have a reason to go there.”
“Don't you usually go to bookshops or record stores?”
I nodded. Usually, I would just buy books or records that I want online, as I might not find the things that I want even if the actual shops are big.
“Is that so? But the shop that I've just ntioned is very far from the station. The ran isn't really that good, but the ice-cream there is extrely delicious, so it's still very famous.”
“Then just start an ice-cream shop instead…”
“Try not to say that to Min-san, or you'll get ran served with ice cream.”
Min-san would probably be the owner of the ran shop. Is he Chinese?
Ayaka walked a bit faster than . Seeing her happily prancing around, I was extrely mystified. Where did it go wrong? How did it turn out like this? Why is she so nice to ?
When we were crossing the bridge, a large delivery truck passed by, spraying dust on us. After entering the streets, we walked past the Shuto Expressway viaduct and towards the station. Then, we went along with the crowd and entered the south side of the underpass and exited it through the east side.
We walked back to the surface in the direction of the railways. After we passed by a tramp's tent in a park, we found the ran shop in a dark alley unreached by streetlights. On the first floor of the building that had both shops and lodgings, only the signboard that says ‘Hanamaru Ran’ had any light on it. The custors gathered around the shop looked like bugs attracted to a bug zapper.
The interior of the ran shop was very cramped. Most of the space in the shop was taken up by the kitchen, while only five tables were in the shop. The other custors could only dine outside on a steel chair. There were even so custors who were sitting on turned over beer crates, eating their ran while holding the bowl.
“You can just sit wherever you like.”
After saying that, she entered the shop. Although she told to sit wherever I like, the problem is the chairs and beer crates are already fully seated.
I saw a man sitting on the ergency staircase between a building and another one that Ayaka just went in, located by the entrance of the kitchen. Beneath the stairs, there were stacks of worn tires, small gas tanks and so cardboard boxes full of stains.
When he raised his head, I couldn't help but take a step back. The man was about twenty and had darkish skin. It was already November, but he was just wearing a T-shirt, completely showing off his bulging biceps. As soon as he stared at , I even thought that I would get killed.
“Are you a student of M High School?”
“Nonono, I'm still in middle school. Do I look that much like a high schooler?” I lied for no reason at all. He put down his bowl and said:
“Really? There's a teacher teaching Maths, Fukumoto-sensei. Does he still have any hair left?”
“No, a lot of his hair has already dropped o……AHHH!”
He approached and flicked my forehead. The pain made feel as though it bore a hole on my forehead.
“…… Uuuuuu…… That's too despicable of you. Since you've graduated from our school, why don't you say so in the first place!” I, myself, don't understand why I feel that he is despicable (It was obvious from my school uniform that I'm from M High School, it's my problem for lying). I covered my aching forehead and crouched down while moaning. At that mont, a voice rang behind :
“He didn't graduate. This guy was kicked out of school: a drop out. Here, eat this.”
When I turned my head, I saw a young lady in a gray, sleeveless vest standing behind . Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and you could see a white sarashi around her chest. She looked just like a laborer. It was only because of the black apron with ‘Hanamaru’ printed on it in white that I realized that she was from the shop. Does that an that she is Min-san? So she's a woman!
The thing that Min-san just stuffed into my hands was a paper cup filled with ice cream.
“Master, I've told you many tis already, I was not kicked out. I dropped out myself.”
“Say that after you've cleared your tab, you bum.”
“Babies are jobless when they are born too! It's just that they are tainted in the large bathtub called life after that!"
That would be colorless, not jobless. But Min-san doesn't seem to want to reply to him, but instead turned around and went back into the kitchen that was filled with white smoke. I held the paper cup with the ice cream and just stood there in a daze for quite so ti.
“Hey, you there!” the person who was kicked out of school called . As soon as I turned around, I hastily covered my forehead.
“What are you so nervous for! So you're in first year now, huh?” He said while looking at my class badge. “How many fails did you get in your test?”
“Huh?”
Why on earth are you asking sothing like this?
“Fujishima-kun, don't chat with Tetsu-senpai for too long, you'll get the NEET virus!”
Ayaka, who wore her black apron over her school uniform, said while walking out of the kitchen with a tray full of bowls. The dark skinned guy —— Tetsu-senpai gnashed his teeth, but only pretended to flick Ayaka's forehead. This is just plain preferential treatnt! Ayaka stuck out her tongue, and started to serve the custors outside the shop.
“Oh, just answer already! Your face is that of one who fails a lot since first year.”
Although I thought that he was a busybody, what he said was still the truth. I could only answer in a small voice: “ I need to retake my English and Japanese History.” Tetsu-senpai caught hold of my arms while beaming, forcefully dragged to a gas tank and made sit down.
“Actually, the seats here are specially for NEETs. You have the potential to be a NEET, so if you drop out, feel free to co here! We will always welco you.”
“No, please don't expect that of .” We? Is there anyone else who's with him?
“Why? I can start from teaching you how to choose pachinko machines! Also, I know so of the employees quite well, so I know which one has the highest frequency of hitting the jackpot!”
When I had a closer look, I saw so magazines about pachinko gambling stashed in Tetsu-senpai's hind pocket. Whoa, so this guy is a professional pachinko player. What a useless person. I averted my gaze, and started to eat the ice-cream using a wooden spoon. Basking in the evening sun of this late autumn and savoring the delightful aroma of the ran soup while eating ice cream is indeed exceptionally scrumptious.
The second person of the ‘we’ that Tetsu-senpai spoke of appeared when I was eating roast pork noodles. He suddenly pressed a hard object against the back of my head and said: “Don't move. Throw away your weapon, raise your hands, declare your na and unit.” I almost spitted the roast pork out of my mouth.
“Erm…… Err…… But……” If I raised my hands, the roast pork will fall down!
“Major, you are so slow. Stop doing idiotic stuff and sit down.”
Tetsu-senpai said while stirring his vanilla flavored ice cream and caral sauce.
“But he's sitting on my seat! Who is this fellow?”
“Narumi. He's in the sa club as Ayaka.”
“Hiro-san said that he's coming later too, there won't be enough seats then.”
“Hiro can just sit on Narumi's thigh.”
“Oh, I see.”
What do you an you see?
The guy called Major then walked into my field of vision. He wore a dark green and coffee-coloured camouflaging sports attire, a sturdy looking helt, and a pair of sunglasses shaped like goggles. He was sowhat thin and his skin was a beautiful shade of pink that belongs to primary school students. He actually looked about my age. While putting away the model gun (Well, I think it might be a model gun, but what if it's a real gun?) into his khaki backpack, he looked at and said:
“But isn't this guy a high schooler? He doesn't fit the description of a NEET.”
“Don't worry, he's my kouhai. He'll beco a great NEET after a year or two.”
“I definitely won't beco a NEET!” I protested hastily. Through his goggles, Major glared at and sat on a cardboard box.
“In this era when there are about a billion NEETs in our country, NEETs-in-waiting like you are necessary, are they not? The future of our country sure is dark.”
“……in waiting?”
In bewildernt, I asked him what he ant by that. Major pointed at and started to chatter enthusiastically:
“Speaking of which, do you know the how a NEET is defined? The term ‘NEET’ was originally used on people who are between the ages of 16 and 18 and are not in education or employnt. When the word ca to Japan from England, its aning changed to include people from 15 to 34. As a lot of types appeared after that, they were even classified into an active type and a passive type, a sudden type, challenged type, caveman type and hesitating type. Besides that, there were also so attempts to classify them using three-dinsional coordination to divide them into eight quadrants, but they are actually just aningless classifications to .”
“Mukai-san, sorry for the wait.”
Ayaka served Major his salt-flavoured ran. It looks like Mukai is Major's real na.
“I'm so sorry, Fujishima-kun, there would be less custors after a while.”
I tried to give Ayaka a ‘justfindanexcusefortoleavethisseat’ signal, but she didn't get it. Major sipped so soup and continued:
“NEETs were originally just a cultural illness of reliance, and will only appear in a prosperous country like ours. We should be more proud of NEETs! Love the country that strives to produce NEETs, for world peace, we must stand up! We must find more non NEET-in-waiting elites, learn from each other , form a new Japanese Party, and bravely challenge the evil! Grow, NEETs! Grow like blazing fire! NEETs!”
“So noisy! Just shut up and eat your noodles!”
Min-san's furious outburst echoed from the kitchen, and a small frying pan flew out of the kitchen soon after, landing on Major's head.
“Huh? What's with that guy?”
A male voice rang in the alley, and a tall silhouette appeared at the end of the alley.
A young man daringly wearing a brightly colored coat with khaki jeans was standing at the end of the alley. His occupation was a mystery, but he radiated the aura of a professional person. His aura was different from what Tetsu-senpai had, but they have the sa imposing manner. That man approached, almost causing to fall off the gas tank.
“He's Ayaka's friend. See, he's from M High School.” Said Tetsu-senpai. “Oh? Oh——”That man patted my shoulders and said:
“There was a ti when Tetsu was wearing this uniform too!”
He shot a look at the narrow kitchen back door and sat down beside Tetsu-senpai. I started to get confused. Aren't the seats here just for NEETs?
“Hi, nice to et you. Here's my card.” He took a piece of card out of his pocket and handed it to . He is a working person! While thinking so, I took the card, on the card it was printed:
‘NEET - Hiroaki Kuwabara’
…… Huh? I nearly fainted at that mont.
To reconfirm the world that I live in, I breathed in deeply and looked at my surroundings. Tetsu-senpai was eating ice cream, Major was eating salt-flavored ran. Ayaka was busy washing bowls in the smoky kitchen, Min-san was having a battle royale with flas. Looking at the night skies in this autumn, the only person who found sothing wrong was .
“Is…… Is your job a NEET?”
I asked cautiously. Hiro-san showed a smile worthy of a toothpaste advertisent while saying:
“What are you talking about? A NEET isn't an occupation!”
Well, that's true. As I was about to nod, Hiro-san's next comnt completely devastated .
“Being a NEET is a lifestyle.”
He actually said that it was a lifestyle? I almost cried. Hiro-san, with his eyes narrowed while pushing back his hair, was aninglessly handso. What on earth is with these people?
“Did you make these cards before this, Hiro?”
“Well, its quite convenient while flirting. People always laugh when they see it.”
“Didn't I tell you that you'll make your girlfriend angry like this, and that you shouldn't flirt with other people so much?”
“Ah, I broke up with her already. I'm now living at the house of a lady working at a night club. Making it clear that I'm jobless from the start makes my life much easier!”
So Hiro-san is a gigolo! Well, he did say that it was a lifestyle.
I listened to their conversation at the sidelines while drinking the ran soup, but I didn't really notice its taste. From their conversation, I gathered that they were about 18 to 19, and are supposed to be teenagers who have bright futures.
I vaguely thought to myself: would Tetsu-senpai's words that I'll turn out like them soon co true? I could only hope that this won't be true.
After we finished eating the ran, and were enjoying the ice creams (Tetsu-senpai was already eating a second), extrely noisy rock music suddenly blared in this narrow space. It was ‘Colorado Bulldog. The three imdiately sprang up, took out their cellphones that were almost simultaneously playing the sa ringtone.
Tetsu-senpai picked up the call first, then Major and Hiro-san's phone imdiately stopped ringing. An expression that looked very much like regret appeared on their faces.
“Min-san, Alice has an order for you! Onion ran, without ran, roast pork and egg.”
Doesn't that an that there's only leeks left? I thought to myself. After three minutes, the bowl that Min-san took out did look like there was only leeks and soup.
“Tell this to her clearly, we sell ran.” Min-san said with a sour expression on her face.
The leeks floating in the soup looked like islands in a sea of soup. Tetsu-senpai, Major and Hiro-san looked at each other.
“The problem is, who's gonna take it to her?” said Tetsu-senpai.
“Does Alice seem like she's in a bad mood?” asked Hiro-san.
“Definitely.”
“Are you guys taking it to her?” asking this question was a sign of doom. Tetsu-senpai nodded, and then slapped his kneecap.
“Since there's four people here, let's decide by a Yamanote Line ga; whoever loses, delivers it.”
Four people?
“So what's the topic?”
“Let's use “Brochures commonly found at employnt agencies” then.”
“Okay, but there's only one chance when you can't answer.”
“Wa- Wait a minute, did you count in?”
“Okay, let's start from . ‘Guide to a Laborer's Insurance’.”
“ ‘Searching for your Dreams from Thirty-two’.”
“ ‘Discover your Talents in Two Minutes’.”
“Ah, uh, erm……”
“Narumi, that's your first loss. ‘How to Resign Favorably’.”
“ ‘Starting Your Business From A Computer’!”
“ ‘Guide for Blending in your New Workplace’.”
“…… How on earth would I know any of those!”
“Ah, getting angry are you? Narumi, as long as you're a NEET, you'll have to know about these! Going to an employnt agency but coming back without doing anything, this is a route that all of us must take.”
No, the problem is that I'm not a NEET.
“If you lose you'll have to admit it, loser.”
“Don't mind it, Narumi, it isn't embarrassing that you don't know about these.”
“Well, of course! Don't console !”
“But you still have to deliver the ran!”
Unable to retort, that was how I fell into their trap.
The place where I was supposed to deliver the ran to was in the sa building as the ran shop, but on the third floor, room 308. As they said: “You'll know when you go.” There was a large signboard on the door.
‘NEET Detective Agency’
The words were written with a sowhat cute handwriting, and there were a row of mystifying English words.
It's the only NEET thing to do
My mind had already gone numb after the events that I've gone through today, so I won't be surprised even if I see a NEET being a detective. I used the corner of the tray that held the ran to press the electric bell, and the side cara modified into the electric bell flashed blue. According to Tetsu-senpai, that was the sign for ‘Co in’.
After opening the door, I saw that it was a long single room. As the air-conditioner was going strong, it was even colder than outside. Walking past the fridge, kitchen and washing machine in the corridor, a narrow room could be seen. As there were not any partitions in the room, a computer rack could be seen even from the entrance, while countless monitors filled the walls of the room.
“Your ran is here……”
“Please enter.”
The voice of a young girl rang from inside of the room.
While holding the tray, I walked into the room. This room is really quite sothing. Three sides of the walls were covered with unknown machines, liquid plasma monitors and electric cables, while the small space left —— the floor in the middle of the room, was filled with a mattress. As though she was buried in dolls, the silhouette wearing pajamas turned around.
She looked just like a doll. She had a small face, a pair of large eyes that were in contrast with her face, unbelievably white skin, thin limbs, sleek hair flowing on the sheets, and was wearing pale blue pajamas with pictures of cartoon bears on it. I held the tray and stared at the girl.
The girl shifted the table that the keyboard was on aside, and pulled to her bed another long table that was just like those small tables that were used with the mattresses in a hospital.
“What are you standing there for? I ordered leek ran. I don't rember ordering a high school student-shaped ornant.”
“Ah, um…… Where should I put the ran?”
“Since you're standing so far away, do you think that my arms seem like they're long enough that I can take the bowls from your hands?”
I was scolded by her. But I do not even feel angry or surprised anymore. I placed the tray on the table in front of the girl. She took the disposable chopsticks, looked at it for awhile and breathed in deeply. Her small face was full of determination while the hands holding the tip of the chopsticks were applying force on it. But when the chopsticks were dragged into a ‘人’ shape, it just shook but did not separate. How little strength does this girl have?
“…… Would you like to give you a hand?”
The cute girl wearing the pajamas was visibly glaring at .
“It seems that you're the type that sees a frail bird that couldn't fly, tosses them upwards and sink in your own satisfaction after that, are you not? These type of people are the most useless of them all. When you walk away triumphantly, the bird would fall back down on the asphalt road and die, but you won't even know that. Being dumb really should have a limit.”
It's just a pair of disposable chopsticks, why am I scolded like this? But I did not retort her. Again, she breathed in deeply and applied force to separate the chopsticks.
Thwack.
The chopstick on the right has split into two. This is the most common result. She emotionlessly stared for awhile at the chopsticks with unequal length, and then started to cry. Hey, don't cry!
She used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, and started to eat the leek ran(that pretty much has only leeks in it). As I was thinking of this, she started to glare at again and said: “Your interests are really out of my comprehension. Does silently watching people eat make you happy?”
“Ah, so- sorry.”
When I was about to walk out of the room, this ti she said: “Where do you think you're going? If you are gone, who will dispose of the bowls? You should really think about this.” I scratched my head, and having no other choice, I squatted down at the entrance with my back to the mattress.
While listening to the girl wearing pajamas eating the onions, I mulled over the things that happened today. I'm just here because I couldn't refuse Ayaka's request…… Then, I encountered a lot of stuff. I'm really tired. As I was about to drift into sleep, the girl's voice rang out yet again.
“Narumi, I'm done. Get so beverages for from the fridge.”
Startled, I turned back to face the girl.
“Eh, huh?”
“I said, get sothing to drink from the fridge. Falling asleep even in soone else's house, you really are shaless.”
Who are you to say that about ? But still, I followed her instructions as I did not have the energy to retort. After opening the fridge, I found that it was stuffed full of 350ml red cans, and nothing else. I thought that all of them were Coke, but they were actually all Dr. Pepper. I don't even have the energy to say anything anymore. The girl drank all of the Dr. Pepper that I brought her in one breath, and happiness welled out from her face. Seeing that expression made feel that I could forgive everything.
“When God was creating the world, it was because He drank Dr. Pepper that He took a rest on the seventh day. If Dr. Pepper does not exist, there would be twelve days in a week instead of seven.”
“Is that so?”
“Narumi, you should drink it too! I can't give you the ones in my fridge, but I can tell you where you can get them.”
So you're not giving them to ?
“…… Wait!” That was when I realized: “Why do you know my na?”
Was it when she was talking to Tetsu-senpai on the phone? No, at that mont Alice was just ordering her leek ran, and she hung up right after she ordered. There wasn't any ti for them to say my na.
“Fujishima Narumi, sixteen, male, 164cm tall, weighs 51kg, in class 1-4 of M high school……” She fluently spoke of all of my personal information —— address, phone number, educational background, and family background. I was speechless.
“Ayaka said that there was a new club mber, so I just did a little investigation. There is so much information in your school, but so few protective asures, so it's better if you start being more careful.”
At a loss for words, I looked at the wall ford of computers.
“…… Are you a hacker?”
“I'm not a hacker.”
The girl smiled while shaking her head.
“I'm a NEET detective.”
The detective said, Alice was partly her real na, and partly an alias.
“Yuuko can also be read as Alice . The na Alice was taken from Jas Tiptree's real na.”
“Who is she?”
Alice sat on the mattress while hugging her knees, looking at as though she was looking at an idiot.
“She's a novelist! Didn't you see the signboard at the door? Although I changed a letter, it was quite a famous quote! Haven't you read of it before?”
I cocked my head, thinking of the English words on the signboard.
“The detectives that you speak of…… Don't they just accept other people's requests and investigate various cases?”
“I am not an ordinary detective, but a NEET detective. They are as different as Chofu and Den Enchofu, mind you. An ordinary detective asks around for information, monitors other people, all in all going here and there to search for information and find their target. NEET detectives, on the other hand……”
Alice puffed out her chest, turned around to the wall covered with machines and waved her hands.
“Do not need to leave their rooms even a step, but can search the whole world to find out the truth. You probably just think that I'm just a hikkikomori who's overly reliant on the Internet, huh? You don't need to lie.”
“Erm…… Yeah.”
“Hmph, that's because the common man cannot understand the work of a detective. A detective is the ssenger of the deceased, looking for the words lost from their graves, hurting the living for the sake of protecting the honor of the deceased, and condemning the dead for the sake of consoling the living. That is why this is such an unpopular and misunderstood occupation……
Is your expression questioning that why am I, as a hikkikomori, saying all these?”
“No, my expression shouldn't be that obvious.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“But you look like you have sothing to say. Don't worry, just ask! Because of my occupation, I am already used to never ending questions. And I will let you fall into despair very quickly.”
…… Despair?
I don't really have anything much to ask, just that I'm a bit shocked by the endless chatter of this strange girl, Alice. But in this situation, it seems that I need to ask a question. Looking around the room that looks like a control room, I asked the question that was the most confusing to .
“You…… What do you usually eat? Do you always eat that stuff?”
Alice's round eyes beca even rounder.
“This trivial matter is the first thing that you thought of?”
“…… I think that what we eat is very important.”
“Yes, you are correct. You are also an oddball, different from what Ayaka has said.”
Alice narrowed her eyes while looking at , as though she was smiling.
“To obtain the nutrients essential for my body, drinking Dr. Pepper would suffice. But Min-san is very persistent, so sotis I eat so vegetables as well.”
“So that's why you don't grow……”
“Where did your biased opinion that only tall people are good co from? I can list out fifty advantages for being a shorty and disadvantages of being tall, if you are willing to have a debate, I am always ready to accept the challenge.”
“No, sorry.”
I was just thinking about her height, which resulted in mumbling to myself and getting heard.
“So do you depend on Min-san for your daily life?”
Alice raised her eyebrows.
“You're really impolite, you know. I've already said that I'm a NEET detective, a NEET detective is an occupational detective! I have an actual inco, and pay her for everything.”
“Eh, eh, but aren't you a NEET?” aren't all NEETs jobless?
“You misunderstood NEETs from a fundantal level. The second E in NEET is Employnt, being employed by soone. My occupation is a personal enterprise, so I'm not employed. How other people view that depends.”
How other people would view.
“…… Lifestyle huh?”
“In Hiro's life, that is so. Turgenev might say call it the ending of an illusion, Dostoyevsky might call it hell, William Sorset Maugham might call it reality, while Haruki Murakami might call it self. I use another na for it, but anyhow it's unrelated to the matter of inco.”
I have absolutely no idea what she is talking about, but the fact that the pajamas-clad girl earned money by being a detective is sowhat unbelievable. Which reminds , she seems to be familiar with the usage of computers and the Internet.
“Your expression tells that you don't believe . No matter, another man would co here in a mont to request for my investigation, you'll probably believe it after you've heard it.”
“…… Huh?”
At that mont, the doorbell rang as she had predicted. I turned around and looked at the door.
“Open the door.”
“?”
“It would be nice if the agency adds so other way to welco guests besides the blue lights.”
As I walked to the entrance to open the door, I froze as there were three n outside the door. The young man in the middle was wearing a leather coat and looked slightly older than , but his expression was like that of a wild wolf. Among the other two who were flanking his sides, one was a man having muscles like a rocky mountain, the other was tall like an electric pole. Both of them were wearing the sa gray hoodie.
“Who is this guy? Where's Alice?”
The wolf said. It was as though I was pierced by his sharp gaze, my lips trembled and I was unable to speak. At this mont, Alice's voice ca from inside the room:
“Oh, Yondai, please co in.”
The two people behind the man who was called Yondai said: “We'll wait here.” And then I was dragged into the room. After the door was closed, the two n disappeared from my field of vision. When I was closing the door, I felt as if I was glared at, and my hands holding the door handle trembled.
“Narumi, get another can of Dr. Pepper.”
Alice's voice finally peeled my hands off the door handle.
“Hey, who is that guy? Aren't we going to talk about the job?”
When I handed the Dr. Pepper to Alice, Yondai who was sitting beside the mattress used his chin to point at , and then turned around and said to : “You, get out for a mont.”
“Eh?”
Telling to go outside the room to beco best friends with the two bear-like bodyguards, and wait for you to finish discussing? What are you talking about!
“Yondai, just imagine that there's a high school student-shaped ornant here, relax and start the discussion.”
“Hey, Alice, are you joking? You should know that this isn't sothing that you can let outsiders know!”
“It doesn't matter, Narumi is only my assistant for today, I can guarantee that he will not speak of this to anyone else.”
I don't even know when I've beco an assistant.
“That's not the point.”
“If you're so insistent, why don't you talk so that outsiders wouldn't understand? Your job has a lot of jargon anyway. If you would not want then, you can just give the request to so other people.”
An awkward expression appeared on Yondai's face and he used his foot to kick the bedstead. Finally, he sighed and started to talk.
Indeed, I could not understand a thing, it was all a bunch of unknown nouns and verbs that you couldn't understand. The ones that I could barely understand “deal with him when we catch him”, are the ones that I really don't want to understand.
“Hmm.”
Alice finished listening to Yondai's explanation and finished drinking her second can of Dr. Pepper.
“I understand. Narumi, do you understand what he just said?”
I hastily shook my head.
“Is that so? Basically, soone is doing unknown drug dealing behind Yondai's back, so he requested to help find out about the ways that they deal drugs.”
“What is the use of talking like that when you explain it to him!” Yondai flew into a rage. That was quite understandable. I felt sowhat happy and thought: Great, finally soone would teach her a lesson…… “What is with that happy look on your face!” Yondai's changed the target of his anger to . I could only retreat to the corridor and hide behind the fridge.
“Well, as I had a big headache this morning, I wanted to enrage the first person who ca in to vent my annoyance, whoever it was. Although Narumi was the first person to co in, but for so reason he is quite tolerant of it, and didn't get angry at all.”
So she did all that on purpose!
“Coincidentally, the next person was you, so I vented my annoyance on you, so don't mind it. If I did anything wrong, you'll always get angry, and that's why I like you the most.”
Alice stretched her legs out of the blanket and smiled sweetly. At this mont, I was totally defeated (Yondai probably was, too). Yondai hamred the blanket for so ti, tried to say sothing but then stopped, and then he stood up.
“So are you willing to accept the request?”
“I accept it, so just leave it all to !”
“I will mail the details to you, goodbye.”
Yondai walked to the corridor and dragged out from the fridge. He caught hold of my left shoulder and applied force on it until his thumb almost sank into my body.
“Ah, ouch……”
“I've rembered your face, and will find out your address imdiately. Listen closely, you didn't hear anything just now. Is that clear?”
The wolfish eyes ca closer to my eyes, while I could only nod while trembling.
“Answer !”
“I…… I didn't hear anything.”
Yondai tossed to the ground and walked out of the room.
“Are you alright?”
Alice ca over and asked as I was huddled up on the floor in exhaustion. So she can walk? I thought that she had an illness that causes her to die if she leaves her bed.
“I just feel very tired.”
The words popped out of my mouth. That would be my feelings about what occurred the whole day.
“If I didn't do so, I'm afraid you'll still think that I'm a hikkikomori who's over-reliant on the Internet. Don't mind it!”
“No, I already understand clearly.”
Because of Ayaka, I stepped into an unbelievable world. Drug dealing, detectives and hackers, I had always hoped that these only exist in worlds that I don't know of.
“You just wanted to understand your work, so you said nonsensically that I'm your assistant and that I'm tight-lipped……”
“That is not nonsense. You are indeed tight-lipped, I am sure of it.”
I raised my head to look at Alice and saw that she was smiling. Since this is the first ti that we've t, why does she dare to say so?
“Hey, Narumi. The people who t , each and every one of them would ask: ‘Are you really a NEET? Why did you beco a NEET?’, and you are the first one who did not ask this question.”
Adjusting to my eye level, Alice squatted down.
“Although it might be because you're thoughtless or uncaring, but I -- we NEETs would be extrely happy. Instead of pitying us, ignoring us would have been better. 'Why did we beco NEETs?', this question shouldn't even be asked. Because there is only one reason - it is written on our page of God's notebook: ‘We lose when we work.’ There is no other reason.”
“…… God's notebook?”
“Isn't this statent so irresponsible that it's great?”
Placing her hands and chin on her knees, Alice said while smiling:
“What the word NEET really ans, is actually not ‘Soone who doesn't know how to do anything’, and not ‘Soone who doesn't want to do anything’.”
*
Holding the empty bowl on the plate while walking out of the NEET Detective Agency, I saw that it was already completely dark outside. The starlight could not be seen as it was hidden by the piercing lights on the earth. The ran shop below had beco extrely crowded. Laughter and angry shouts coming from there could be heard even from here.
After I walked down the ergency backstairs, I found Yondai sitting on the seat exclusively for NEETs that I was sitting on just now. Tetsu-senpai, Major, Hiro-san and Yondai surrounded the wooden table, and looked like they were doing sothing together. The clear tinkle of a bell-like sound could be heard even from far away.
“Sou-san! Didn't you say that you are only playing for five minutes!?”
The bodyguard, Rocky, who was standing behind Yondai was shouting angrily by Yondai's ears.
“Shut up, how can I go back when I'm in a losing streak! Tetsu, hurry up and throw already!”
“Okay, four, five and six.”
“Impossible!”
A large bundle of money was on the bowl. So they're playing a ga of dices. Do these four know each other?
“Fujishima-kun, Min-san made a flavored ice cream, do you want to try so?”
Ayaka ran out holding an ice cream cone. While licking the ice cream which was giving out a fragrant aroma, I listened to the dice tinkling along in the bowl. Yondai was shouting with his whole face red, throwing his cash onto the bowl like a ninja throwing knives. Looking at this situation, I couldn't help but feel - sowhat happy.
*
On the way ho, the streetlights on the street were very dim. Walking in front of , Ayaka turned around and said:
“I'm so sorry, I did say that I wanted to have a welco party for you, but coincidentally the shop was busy……”
Speaking of which, I don't think I've talked much with Ayaka today at the shop. There were so many custors that even I helped to deliver.
“Oh yeah, did you see Alice?”
“Yeah…… She's an oddball.” I couldn't say anything else about her.
“But it was really unbelievable today. There are indeed a lot of interesting people behind the ran shop, but it's rare that all of them were present like today! You're so lucky, Fujishima-kun.”
“Does that count as lucky?”
Indeed, the people that I t and the faces that I've seen today have far exceeded my brain capacity, but I still rembered all of them. Tetsu-senpai, Min-san, Major, Hiro-san, Alice and Yondai.
“It would be even better if Onii-chan could co.”
Onii-chan?
“After my brother left school, he beca a NEET. He usually goes to the ran shop to hang out with Tetsu-senpai and the others. But recently he didn't even go ho or to the shop. I couldn't even reach his phone.”
“You can't really say that all of those who hang out there don't have a job……?”
A horrible illusion ca upon . Would I turn out like them when I leave school soday?
Ayaka turned around and said: “Did you ever think of leaving school?”
“Every day.”
Under the streetlight, an inscrutable expression appeared on Ayaka's face.
“…… Even now?”
I was montarily speechless. Being unable to imdiately answer this question is indeed strange.
Ayaka gazed sincerely at .
I averted her gaze and lied: “Now…… I don't want to…… Probably!”
“Is that so.” A gentle smile appeared on Ayaka's face.
“But I think you have no need to lie right now.”
I stopped walking, speechless, and Ayaka stopped too. Coincidentally, we were standing in the middle of two streetlights, while our shadows interlaced on the asphalt road.
“…… Why?”
I could only say this one word. Why? How did she know that I was lying?
“Because…… That place originally belonged to .” Ayaka said. “It was because there were no other mbers that I entered the Gardening Club. So in this case, I'm your senior for about half a year!”
I pondered the reason why Ayaka can smile while saying such a thing. Because she is different from , and can chat with the other students in our class as if nothing had happened, it seed as natural as breathing.
Hearing speak of my true thoughts, she showed a glass-like smile that was even more transparent.
“It's really simple, you can do it as well. Shout when you're angry like the others, laugh when you're happy like the others, and speak your mind when you want sothing.”
I lowered my head, and thought repeatedly about what Ayaka ant by her words. I still don't get it. I just felt that her words were like that of a busybody, although its contents completely suit my current situation.
After we crossed the bridge, Ayaka and I said goodbye to each other.
Looking at the silhouette of Ayaka running towards the station, I thought of a scene when she was shouting or laughing like the others. Wasn't she just pushing herself? Does she an that I should do that as well? Forcing myself to talk to the other students, forcing myself to smile.
I wish that she would not care about anymore. I just couldn't do what she said anyhow.
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