Kami-sama no Memochou Volume 4, 4

Volu 4, Chapter 4

I don’t often go to Ikebukuro, so I was sowhat surprised at the scene before my eyes— Even though it was near afternoon in the holidays, the people on the whole street reduced visibly after I was about one street’s distance from iji Road. After walking by a road with nurous ran shops lined up together and reaching a corner with a Gusto Italian restaurant, a park appeared before my eyes. There was a fountain spouting murky water, a public restroom with outer walls spotted because of the sun, a sakura tree growing lush leaves, working hard to create a shade, and a crowd of senior citizens silently playing Chinese chess on a bench with the sun shining on it.

I picked up the backpack holding an owl plushie with my sweaty hands and carried it on my back once more.

There was a tall silhouette before the fountain, his hair dyed blonde looking as though it directly stuck the scorching rays of sunlight onto his hair. Below the sunny skies, his sunglasses completely covered his gaze. Eh? I suddenly noticed the cellphone in Renji-san’s hand. Possibly because he noticed , his speed of talking accelerated.

“…… I’m hanging up now…… Just think of a thing like this by yourself, I didn’t say that it must be today…… Soone’s coming! Shut up, I’m going back soon.”

Renji-san hung up right after that. So this person speaks in standard Japanese on the phone…… He didn’t seem like that when he spoke to , and sounded like two different people.

“I bought a new cellphone, as I had so inco. Everyone said that it’s inconvenient when workin’ and kept telling to buy one.”

Renji-san bead and waved the cellphone in his hand.

“I told my number to a whole lotta people, and it kept ringin’, it’s just plain annoyin’. That’s why I don’t like to use cellphones.”

I stopped about five steps before Renji-san and lowered my head. Renji-san’s job— Is it to hinder Yondai’s job?

There were just too many things to ask, but I still wished to change them to words and sentences.

“Well then…… Please tell your number.”

Renji-san smiled while spinning his light blue phone with his finger hooked on his phone strap.

“Ain’t that useless? This is probably the last ti we’re etin’.”

He stopped spinning his phone and tilted his head in puzzlent.

“This isn’t the last ti. Because I didn’t bring the T-shirt.”

Renji-san narrowed his eyes, and it felt as though his gaze was cutting my face like a wire saw.

“If I return it to you right now, doesn’t that an we can’t et each other anymore? That’s why……”

However, after thinly piercing my face, he opened the cover of his light blue cellphone.

“I’ll send it to ya by infrared.”

I stared at the liquid plasma screen after exchanging numbers. ‘Hirasaka Renji’. I suddenly thought, it was the first ti that I saw sothing that could be used to distinguish that he was Hirasaka in a glance.

The emotions of disbelief that was hidden in my heart had long been extinguished.

“If so, what’re ya doin’ here, Narumi?”

Renji-san’s tone didn’t seem to mind, and he continued to wave his phone, but his gaze hidden behind his sunglasses had long lost its smile.

“I’m here…… to talk to you. Isn’t it the sa for you, Renji-san?”

“In a scorchin’ place like this? I was plannin’ to finish this quick.”

“You said in the phone that you have sothing to speak to of……”

“There are just two matters.”

Renji-san made the gesture of two to stop from continuing.

“Firstly, thank ya. The only thing that made happy for returning to Tokyo was only etin’ you, Narumi.”

I tried not to avert my gaze from the pair of sunglasses strongly reflecting the sumr sun.

“In the end, it turned out as I said, my relationship with Narumi got broken.”

Renji-san’s faint smile disappeared in the end as well.

“Another thing. Secondly, I’ll kill ya when I et ya.”

Hot sweat erupted in my clenched fists.

“…… Is it because…… I’m helping Yondai out in his job?”

“In Tokyo, is it popular for people to ascertain long established facts under the burnin’ skies?”

“You haven’t t Yondai even once when you were here, right? After all, didn’t you part without saying a word to each other?”

“Look here. I ca here to thoroughly break my old acquaintance. How can I show up before him like this?”

If so, why did you appear before ? Even though you already know that I’m a person standing on Yondai’s side.

In truth, aren’t you still connected to each other?

“Although you shared sake with Yondai, what on earth happened after that? Apart from sharing sake, it seed like you exchanged sothing even more important with each other as well, but even so……”

“Even though chivalry is commonly joked of by other people, those black shirted muscled blockheads still rembered this, but this doesn’t really matter. Sou probably forgot about this as well.”

Aren’t the both of them still rembering this, that was what I thought. Although it can’t be seen with the naked eye, the thing that you exchanged is still the most important to you. When Yondai or Renji-san heard of this from , they averted their gaze and spat out ‘Stop saying these useless words’. Even so, they did not deny it.

They haven’t forgotten about it.

“Although we once shared sake, our bonds had already been cut. What, do you think I will go easy on Sou? There ain’t such a nice thing.”

“Why? …… If there’s any reason for this, pray tell.”

“There ain’t any obligation for to tell ya about this, Narumi.”

“Of course there is! Aren’t we sworn brothers!”

That mont, Renji-san’s smile seed like it was lted by the sumr sun, and was gradually lost in sand.

“Sou and I argued just for a woman— Do ya think ya can believe in that?”

Behind the sarcastic tone, I felt the bitter taste of tal shavings.

“…… Is that the person called Hison?”

“Oh? So ya heard of her?”

“Just her na. Yondai just wouldn’t say anything about her.”

“Ain’t knowing about that enough already? About the na Hison, only Sou and I…… and Min-san know about her, even though the rumor that Sou had a woman was quite widespread.”

“Is she the person that Yondai lived with when he first arrived at Tokyo?”

“That’s right.”

“Which would be the person who made the T-shirt embroidery?”

“She died before finishin’ it. She said that she ca to Japan from Korea alone, not havin’ any relatives and was staying here illegally as well. And since the reason of her death ain’t really legitimate, there wasn’t a burial as well. Even I don’t know where she was buried…… Even though such a thing is quite commonly heard of.”

An illegitimate reason of death. I didn’t even know where the sweat from my body flowed out from, and what sort of temperature I was bathed in anymore. Probably, it wasn’t only because of the hot temperature.

“She was a strange woman. Even when we went back utterly bruised or completely bloody due to fightin’ outside, she didn’t seem to mind. And I was the person who wanted to bring the person Hison was workin’ for down as well! In the end, she actually allowed to go in and out of her room just like that. Not only did she teach Sou how to sew, she thought of teaching as well. So idiotic. Who would do such a thing?”

“…… Why does it seem like the three of you were living together?”

“In fact, it was sothing like that. But Sou and I spent most of our ti outside, while Hison wasn’t at ho at night because of work, so we didn’t et often. And she was really hot as well, people who often stay with her would definitely fall for her. I really can’t believe that Sou actually never went for her.”

“Ah— This……” As the topic suddenly turned realistic, I could only shift my gaze towards the ground. “Well…… Um…… Nothing happened between them? Even though they were living together?”

“Because he promised ……” Renji-san smiled weakly. “As we were already sworn brothers, becomin’ brothers in a way like that just didn’t feel right! So we promised not to go for her before one of us found a woman better than her.”

“This, ah…… Um……” Should I laugh at this mont?

“As she was workin’ at a night club, it was sowhat dangerous for her. The only people who could go for her were Sou and I, and we’ll beat them up if any other n dared to approach. We definitely wouldn’t let anyone touch her— That was our promise.”

That mont, I rembered Yondai’s words—

I couldn’t protect her…… It was the sa for Renji.

“But why— Why did she die?”

“D’ya really wanna know? What can ya do even if you know? It can’t help anyhow.”

Indeed, he was right. Being in the steaming hot air, I just felt as though my innards were substituted by chilly blocks of lead.

I think that was probably what tied Alice to her bed, a sense of emptiness.

Both the words of the deceased or the words of the living said for the dead would hurt soone. The cost of doing so would not turn into sothing that is better, while the words that are dug out from the grave are just ordinary words.

Even so, we still have to extend our hands.

If not, we wouldn’t know where to go.

“Those tis, our gang clashed with a true yakuza gang known as the Gotouda-gumi. As we chased away the head of the shop and snatched away their territory, it’s normal for sothin’ regretful to happen. Hison was killed by the yakuza.”

My teeth chattered in my mouth.

“Sou was there that ti. Not only that, I heard that that guy ford an alliance with the yakuza after that, and even accepted their money.”

“What……?”

“If the dia broadcast the fact that Hison was killed, the delinquents would have a headache as well. And since she was an illegal immigrant, nobody would notice if they kept quiet about it, so it ended up like the woman called Hison did not exist from the start. I couldn’t even see her corpse, so probably she was buried sowhere in the middle of nowhere? Sou made a great deal.”

“How can this be……”

“Besides, I heard from Gotouda-gumi— Though it was a given, the one who was supposed to be stabbed was Sou. He was assaulted at his apartnt, and used Hison who was by his side as a shield.”

“You actually believe in such a thing!? Yondai…… How could he have done such a thi—“

“Sou admitted it himself, and looked like he didn’t care in the process. The opposin’ party gave him ten million yen to shut his mouth as well.”

I bent my back, clamped my fingers between my knees, and heaved a long sigh.

Yondai admitted to it? And accepted other people’s money?

“Actually, I planned to rush to their office and slaughter the person who killed Hison. It was too large of a blow for . Actually, beatin’ Sou up wouldn’t do any good, but I still couldn’t help but beat him up.”

“That person…… Isn’t the type of person that you spoke of.”

“What do ya know?”

Below the strong rays of sunlight in the sumr, Renji-san’s voice suddenly turned into a chilly blade.

“You’re just a kid runnin’ around by Sou’s side, whaddya think yer talkin’ about?”

That’s right. I really don’t know anything. However……

“I’m not just staying by his side. That guy sweated and bled by my side for quite a few tis. Although I’m just a regular kid without many strengths…… Yondai was willing to be sworn brothers with .”

It was as though a crack appeared on Renji-san’s originally frozen face.

“The both of you said that your bonds have been severed and attacked each other— Perhaps you might think that your whole face has already turned bloody and can’t even see the opposing party, but there’s still between you.”

I felt like my throat was about to get burnt because of my own voice.

“Because of my existence, you are still connected.”

Didn’t the two beco sworn brothers with because of a lie slightly thicker than water?

Renji-san stood up and pulled his goggles sunglasses down to his throat, and what appeared after that was a pair of cold wolf’s eyes.

“So what?”

I forcefully gulped down the saliva that had a slight taste of blood.

So what? Even though he looks as though he was going to cry every ti he ntioned Yondai, does he think that he could conceal it with his shades?

Renji-san probably hates Yondai quite a lot, and even I could see that. But so what if that’s true? People like us live side by side in a bustling, crowded world, so it’s natural that such a matter would be encountered. Even though they were close to each other, they couldn’t communicate, and could only extend their claws to hurt each other. Being forced to part because of unreasonable reasons, both goodwill and malicious intents were stuck and fixed by the mud called misunderstanding. However—

Such a truth is just too strange. Such a way of doing things probably has a fault sowhere around.

“— How much money did you take?”

Hearing my question, Renji-san’s brows furrowed slightly. It was the first ti that I saw Renji-san looking as though he took a serious blow.

“If you really hate Yondai, you could just beat him to death directly, but this way of doing things is just too strange. You took action just to interfere in the event from the start, so it’s obvious from first glance that you’re not the one who wants to do this. Who did you accept money from? How much did you get? Is it the organization called Yanagihara-kai?”

“Oh, aren’t ya smart? I’ve underestimated ya.”

Renji-san viciously showed his teeth.

“Even if I’m hired by the yakuza, so what? Do you think I will stop if ya give more cash?”

“How can this be……”

Just when I was planning to speak, I stopped once more.

That’s right, things should be so. If giving him money could solve the problem, it wouldn’t turn out like this……

“Are ya an idiot? Who would accept money just for a dumb job like this?”

Renji-san answered in scorn.

“I planned to do this from the start. I want to break everything that Sou accumulated, it’s just a coincidence that my wishes coincided with my custor’s. Since I can get money by the way as well, why won’t I continue? Saying sothing like Sou and I are still connected? Yer thinkin too much of yerself. I didn’t return to Tokyo just to play a ga of brothers.”

Renji-san slowly raised his hand holding the light blue cellphone, veins surfacing on the back of his hands, while the skin on his fingers tightened so much that it turned white. A sound like bones breaking rang, and then the cellphone was torn in half, the outer shell of the liquid plasma screen falling onto the ground. When I heard that sound, I realized that I was so scared that I almost couldn’t breathe anymore. The bent, broken cellphone fell onto the floor, exposing its innards.

“What did ya say was connected again?”

Renji-san’s voice was like the moaning of soil that was about to freeze.

“Don’t let see ya again, I’ll kill ya.”

Even when his silhouette and footsteps disappeared from my view, I still stood blankly below the scorching sunlight. The sweat on my forehead trickled into my eyes, hurting .

I directly returned to my ho and took a bath. After all, I went out from the previous night. Lying on the bed while wearing only a pair of jeans, I thought if I should just go to sleep. After I wake up, would everything end just like that? Let’s just pretend nothing happened, and I’ll start school on the first of September again, and I’ll go to Hanamaru Ran occasionally, going upstairs to take care of Alice, seeing Tetsu-senpai, Hiro-san and Major gambling over there even though they didn’t have any money, and Yondai would appear—

I clambered up and dried my hair that was still wet with a towel.

It’s better if I just face reality…… Firstly, since I returned from the station directly, my bicycle was still at the ran shop, I still had to return the owl plushie to Alice, and I still had to talk things out with Yondai as well.

Even if I cover my ears and eyes with a towel, the world still wouldn’t change. It would only change from sumr to autumn, and from autumn to winter— And the cycle continues thus.

There were already guests at the detective agency.

“Narumi! Hurry up and save ! These two probably think that I am a potted plant or sothing!”

“Alice, don’t move. Hiro-san, what do we do with the plastic wrap?”

“Mmm-hmm, Alice almost has next to no splits in her hair, and doesn’t dye her hair as well, just this place is slightly dry, so we’ll have to put on more conditioner and cover it with plastic wrap for one night.”

Ayaka and Hiro-san clamped together Alice who was throwing a tantrum between them, and were undergoing a hair treatnt lesson. There were combs, towels, hair dryers, conditioners, professional hairstyle magazines, clothes pegs and other articles on the bed.

“Ah, do you want to try this as well, Fujishima-kun? I heard that Hiro-san once taught about this, but I forgot.”

Ayaka gave a radiant smile.

“If you dare to teach even Narumi, do not think that you can ever step into this office!”

I sighed and sat by the fridge outside the bedroom. The reason that I was relieved was probably not only because of the extrely cold air conditioning in the room.

“Ayaka, just follow my instructions after this, I have sothing to discuss with Narumi-kun.”

“Got it.”

“Uuuu, it hasn’t ended?”

Ayaka forced the tearful Alice to sit on her lap and happily picked up a comb.

On the other hand, Hiro-san left the bed, walked through the door of the bedroom and said softly after squatting down by my side:

“The company of the designer seed to have called just now. Do you know about this, Narumi-kun?”

It was Mika-san’s company. I wonder how Mika-san is right now. From Hiro-san’s heavy voice, I felt a hint of coldness and couldn’t help but raise my head.

“I heard that the company wants to withdraw from this job, if it’s really related with acts of violence……”

“At…… Such a critical mont?”

“Nnn, it couldn’t be helped. After all, soone was hurt so much that she was hospitalized.”

“What about Mika-san? How is she? Is it possible……”

“She dealt with all the procedures and already got out of hospital. I planned to visit her just now, but I was too late.”

I was slightly relieved. Good thing her wounds didn’t worsen or she had to continue to stay in the hospital.

“Eh? Narumi-kun, don't you know? Didn’t Yondai contact you? Mii-chan didn’t call you directly as well?”

“No……”

Probably it’s because Yondai doesn’t want to speak to ? Anyway, he knows that I would know of it if he tells Hiro-san, and I’m just in the lowest level, only in charge of advertising on the internet. Although I sent a ssage to Mika-san, it was sent to the number at her company as well, so she might not have seen it if she just got out of the hospital.

No, it’s possible that she doesn’t want to read it nor reply . As I caused her to be dragged into an incident like that, perhaps she doesn’t want to have any connections to us anymore?

That ant that the influence of Renji-san’s dding gradually intensified.

“What should we do now? Anyway, I know Mii-chan’s phone number as well, so let’s just use this chance to get her, and using my sweet talk to convince her to continue. Ah, but since she is still hurt, she probably can’t be so active on the bed.”

I hugged my knees while listening to him bluffing, but Hiro-san suddenly approached.

“…… If you don’t do a tsukkomi on it, it feels sowhat awkward.”

“Eh? A- Ahh, fine, fine…… I thought that you were serious.”

“Actually, I’m always serious when it cos to won.”

Is this the ti to act cool?

However, Hiro-san is better at in that aspect. Actually, all of the mbers in the NEET Detective Squad were like that. Even though they had an excellent engine, and their fuel’s full, the key was usually not inserted.

“…… Um, what are Major and Tetsu-senpai doing right now?”

“Ah, Major……” Hiro-san shifted his gaze apologetically. “He went to Ikebukuro with so fans of survival gas, saying that there’s an important battle.”

I sighed. Playing survival gas while holding an air gun in such stifling weather? How leisurely of him.

“Tetsu is borrowing money from underground banks right now, saying that the police was looking for him as well.”

“Eh? What…… What did he do this ti?” Commiting cris because of a lack of money?

“I don’t know, but you probably don’t need to worry so much.”

Although Hiro-san’s smile was extrely radiant when he said that, it would probably still give the person listening an impression of this.

You don’t need to worry about this.

You still don’t have the right to worry about this.

I kept rubbing my forehead on my knees and sighed for quite so tis, and even started to suspect if my gut and intestines were going to flow out from my mouth.

“You went to see Hirasaka again, right?”

Hiro-san asked nonchalantly. Why did he know? That’s right, he probably heard from Alice.

That mont, I finally understood that what I did was actually a kind of betrayal to Yondai. Yes, I went to see him again. Seeing Renji-san, and parting after saying sothing aningless.

“Did you get a way of contacting him? Because he still owes so money…… Actually, he haven’t returned the money for losing at dice. So I was thinking of calling him to Hanamaru Ran so that I can have a chance to get my money back.”

I really don’t know why he can still laugh like this, as it’s already impossible for such a warm promise to still exist. I should have first reported this to Yondai to allow a large number of mbers in Hirasaka-gumi to conceal themselves at the place we promised to et at, catching Renji-san in one go. Thus, everything would be solved perfectly— Because that person ca alone without being guarded as well.

I felt a hot flow in the interior of my nose— a sign of coming tears.

That person did indeed go alone. Was it because of his trust in ? Or was it because it didn’t matter even if he was caught?

Why was the person stuck in this position ?

The person clamped between Yondai and Renji-san is just a lost, flustered, incapable kid.

When I was about to hug my knees again, a roar suddenly rang.

“Narumi, hurry up and bring back my Minerva! And your report!”

When I raised my head, I saw the NEET detective who was sitting at the edge of the bed with her feet stepping on empty space. Akaya, whose hands were full with a comb and a towel, was still happily combing the long hair that was like black honey.

“Why do you think you are staying here? Is it possible that you will forget that you are my assistant if I do not remind you of it every thirty minutes?”

“Eh…… Ah, nn…… Nnnn.”

I stood up while grabbing the hand of Hiro-san, who was smiling wryly, while Alice wore an annoyed expression, rapidly snatching away the owl that I took out from my backpack.

“And also, this is your lost belonging. Really, you kept wailing out that it was so cold, so cold, when you were sleeping, and in the end, you kicked away your sweater and the blanket when I just raise the temperature slightly. You are so spoiled that I am speechless.”

Alice tossed the sweater that was scrunched into a ball to . That’s right, I wore it yesterday night, and left it here in the end without taking it out. That mont, Ayaka looked rather shocked.

“Fujishima-kun, you slept here yesterday? Eh? Eh? On Alice’s bed?”

“…… Eh? Mnn, uh huh. Since it was already late night, and Alice said that I could use the very edge.”

“T- That won’t do—! Why are you so insensitive every ti?”

As Ayaka suddenly stood up, Alice nearly fell from her lap, while I hastily held onto her.

“What are you doing! That was dangerous!”

Alice, who fell on my lap, turned back in anger.

“It’s only dangerous for Alice! Listen, in any case, Fujishima-kun is still a boy! Although he’s so slow that he’s completely untroubled with anything, and doesn’t mind even if he eats soy eggs from last month, he’s still a boy. If you sleep together on the sa bed, there’s no guarantee that nothing would happen!”

What harsh criticism. Wait a minute…… Oi! What were you saying!

“U- U- Uuu…… What do you think would happen?” Alice widened her eyes. “I have lent my bed to Narumi twice, but nothing happened.”

“But wasn’t it like he was unconscious last ti?”

While smiling wryly, Hiro-san added at a side.

“Sleeping together on the sa bed under normal circumstances really isn’t too good.”

“What, even Hiro…… Uwaa! Ayaka, do not do that, I am not a kitten!”

Ayaka grabbed the back of Alice’s back and dragged her to the innermost side of the bed. Hiro-san walked over after that as well, and the two explained to Alice who was between them: “Actually, sleeping together actually ans……” ,while Alice’s face slowly turned redder and redder like the setting sun on the Caribbean Seas.

“Narumi! You shaless fool!”

The third ti!? Can you please not give Alice strange ideas?

“From now on, you are not allowed to pass this absolute line of defense without a visa!”

Alice piled up her dolls at the edge of the bed to form a wall, while I was so speechless that I could only scratch my head.

“Erm…… It’ll be inconvenient if I have to send als or Dr. Pepper to you.”

“Uuu…… The said visa would be the red cans in the refrigerator!”

So I’m allowed to cross the borders just by holding Dr. Pepper? Whatever, do as you wish!

“Fujishima-kun, please be more careful as well! Alice is still young!”

“Don’t treat as a child!”

How mystifying. Although Hiro-san still saved in the end. He told Ayaka that we probably had so official business to discuss, and kidnapped her out of the office.

“Is this really fine? Letting Fujishima-kun stay alone with Alice?”

“It’s fine, fine……” Hiro-san answered while holding in his laughter, and I could see that the back of his silhouette was shaking as well. Ayaka seed to be truly worried, but Hiro-san really just wanted to look at the show. What an annoying fellow.

When the two of them walked out of the corridor and closed the door, the detective agency finally recovered its usual nostalgic silence, with the sounds of many cooling fans overlapping together.

I faced the annoyed Alice who was looking at a side, and started my report.

And of course, the contents would be of Renji-san. Alice’s chilly gaze only returned when I spoke of him undergoing his job of hindering because he received money from the yakuza.

“It is sowhat incomprehensible— Hirasaka Renji’s motive.”

Alice said while tapping on the keyboard on the moveable table by her side with one hand.

“Hasen’t his motive been said already? It’s to completely destroy the event Yondai is preparing for right no……”

“In my opinion, it does not seem like it is done just to destroy the event.”

“Eh?”

Alice just ignored the confused , and continued to speak.

“For instance, the reserved event location at Shinjuku. After the incident at Akasaka occurred, Hirasaka Renji once visited there. And he brought along a few people who assaulted the Akasaka music hall as well.”

I could only stay speechless.

“Why…… do you know such a thing?”

“What do you an by why? Because I investigated about it. The said live house always uploads a lot of clips of concerts. Of course, since the video that was uploaded online cannot be used due to low distinguishability, I hacked into their computer to steal the original file. It was taken quite clearly.”

To her hacking and searching ability, I could only say that it was stunning.

“However, they did not do anything that ti. Regarding their popularity, the venue at Shinjuku is not worse off than the live house that got its power distribution box damaged by them. Why do you think this is so?”

I could not answer. How can I know a fact that even Alice doesn’t know of?

“Of course, I do not know the reason as well, but I can still make assumptions of a few possibilities. The venue at Shinjuku is where the last performance will take place, and the booking of tickets has not started yet. I am thinking, is this reason possible?”

“Because the booking of tickets…… Hasn’t started yet?”

“That is correct. The tickets for the Akasaka and Ueno concerts have already been sold out, so the performance will not be halted even if those places had so trouble. However, if trouble is made at places where the tickets have not been sold yet, the performance might really get cancelled.”

I crossed my arms and pondered about Alice’s words. They were indeed quite reasonable.

“However…… These can only count as circumstantial evidence. It’s possible that they’re just thinking of making trouble, only that so trouble occurred at Shinjuku, causing them to be unable to play out their plan.”

“Of course, such a possibility exists as well. But speaking of circumstantial evidence, there is a more pressing matter. If their motive is just to halt the event, why didn't the people who could unhesitatingly resort to violence assault the perforrs beforehand?”

“Ah……”

I opened my palm to cover my mouth. Indeed, that’s true.

“In fact, the only ones assaulted were you and the designing executive. As a result, the advertising company would not accept the case anymore, and it will indeed cause a great blow to the event, but the designers that can take their place are like stars in the sky. If they are aiming to halt the event, should they not attack a more irreplaceable part?”

“But…… Isn’t the party supporting Renji-san the previous organizers? To those people, the band is rchandise that can be snatched back, right? So that’s why they’re not hurting them……”

“Your assumption cannot stand as well. If so, Yanagihara-kai would have long sent a threatening letter so that Hirasaka-gumi would return the job.”

I crossed my arms yet again and fell into silence. The branches of my assumptions were completely snapped.

“…… Frankly speaking…… Renji-san probably isn’t going to stop the event itself, right?”

Or perhaps he’s allowing it to proceed as usual, and on the day of the event— Starting a serious incident that would cause victims to appear?

The thing that that person wanted to destroy— It’s everything that Yondai accumulated up till now. That thing definitely isn’t the event nor the event coordination company. Yondai’s ‘reputation’— the thing that was built after a long ti— his credibility, right?

“Those are just assumptions. Deciding things like this is very dangerous. Besides……”

Alice looked at the row of monitors lined up behind her and explained in a self-deprecating tone:

“We did not accept a formal request. I can only place my fingers on the cover of a coffin and squat at a side, silently awaiting the dawn that will never co.”

I sat at the border of the bedroom and corridor, raising my head to look at the detective’s face.

“…… You can investigate…… Right?”

The black hair fluttered. Alice looked at with a gaze full of doubt.

“Alice, if you’re willing to, even if Yondai did not put in a request, you can still find out everything that occurred between him and Renji-san by using Tetsu-senpai, Major and Hiro-san’s powers, right?”

“Of course. But what about it?”

“Why aren’t you doing so?”

“Are you trying to tell that I should do that?”

“Not really…… I know that you won’t do that. I just want to hear a concrete reason from you.”

Because you’re a NEET, because of your pride as a detective…… Can you ignore this just for reasons like this?

Even though it could be seen from a glance that her heart is in pain.

Alice grabbed a few plushies from her hill of dolls and pressed it to her chest, causing a hole to open up in the wall. Chilly wind blew between us.

“…… The so-called thoughts are things that are not concrete.”

The softly spoken words fell onto my knees along with the air conditioning.

“If it is only in the fras of thoughts, even contradicting matters can co-exist. However, I know how large the distortion and pain would be when they are directly reflected in the real world. It is the sa for you. When Ayaka thought of leaving the world without saying anything, how did you, who just blankly ca in contact with those thoughts, turn out in the end?”

Because of the question, I was pulled back to the cold, bitter days.

Ayaka, who jumped down from the rooftop of the school without saying a word. I, who felt as though my heart was torn, and could only be miserable alone for a few days.

And what sewed my heart together once more was Min-san’s cold dessert, Tetsu-senpai’s fists, and—

Alice’s words.

“That is why words are required.”

Her words overlapped with my thoughts.

“Words can indeed reach a cruel state. They will cut reality open, causing them to turn into a set of planes, causing contradictions to be unable to exist. That is why words are the most important thing in the world.”

The most important, and cannot be seen.

“However, words are like a sharp blade as well. They will turn thoughts into reality, but will unhesitatingly obliterate parts that have not been ford, so that is why detectives must keep playing the role of a ssenger, and drag the words that sank under the dark chasm to the sunlight. This is a detective’s responsibility. Other people’s thoughts that have not been ford cannot be changed to words.”

I hugged my knees with my hands, silently thinking of Alice’s words.

And the thoughts that have not been ford in Yondai’s heart.

In the office of Hirasaka-gumi, a few stout gang mbers unhappily sat on the sofa or the desks.

“Aniki, thanks for your hard work!”

“Thanks for your hard work!”

I still haven’t got used to being greeted by so many people. After I looked around for a bit, I found that Yondai, Pole and Rocky couldn’t be seen.

“Aniki, it’s great that you’re okay!” “If we were by your side……”

They approached, and held my bandaged hand as well, making unable to respond.

“Those guys, actually daring to attack Aniki!” “Those blasted fellows……”

However, the hot-blooded Hirasaka-gumi mbers, who would have usually got so mad that red steam would almost be emitted from their mouth, could only suppress their anger this ti.

“…… Why is Hirasaka-san doing this?”

“Aniki, is this true? Is it possible that they’re just lies?”

“Sou-san won’t tell us anything……”

“Isn’t it said that they exchanged sothing more important than their lives when they underwent the ritual? All of us know about this, and we kept believing that Hirasaka-san would co back one day.”

“How can this be! He…… He ca back after so much!”

I could only lower my head and look at my toes.

“Is it true that Aniki already t Hirasaka-san?”

“Aniki, what’s with this? Hirasaka-san is really planning to do us in……”

“Nn, nnnnn……” I walked back a few steps and leaned against the steel door. “I didn’t speak much to him, so I'm not too clear about things……”

I could only change the topic with a cowardly excuse.

“Why! We originally thought that we would be invincible if Hirasaka-san returns.”

“Aniki, what should we do? We don’t want to go against Hirasaka-san.”

“That person and us are like sworn father and sons. He’s the sa as Sou-san, and is our senior. Why……”

I don’t have any idea even if you ask — But I could only swallow those words back into my stomach. Speaking of all this is no help at all. I think they probably know that as well, but they couldn’t avoid themselves from discussing it.

“Excuse …… Where is Yondai?”

“Sou-san said that he’s going to visit a company or the like.”

“Recently, he often goes out without saying anything.”

I felt that I was really useless when I realized that I felt relieved. I had to report to Yondai about eting Renji-san once more and so other matters. Though I had such plans in my heart, when I thought of the scene when we converse, my heart sank once more. Just because of that, I ca to the office without even giving them a call— And prayed for him to be out coincidentally.

After Alice said so much, I was still afraid of ‘words’. I’m so useless.

Walking into the dark study of the office and telling them to allow to be alone, I sat before the computer without even turning on the lights. When I checked my inbox online, I noticed that there weren’t any replies from the advertising company. What does Yondai plan to do after this? The direction of the design has almost been finished, and the ones left are only so odd jobs. Perhaps he’s going to look for any company to do the follow up work? He won’t tell to do everything, will he?

I stood up from the chair and lied down on the bed used for short breaks. There was a sll of dry dust.

Oh well, why don’t I just give up already?

Although I haven’t got my salary yet, it isn’t like I’m in a state where I won’t be able to cope without getting the money. As long as I am not related with this matter, I won’t need to be troubled or get beaten up anymore. Besides, Alice and Yondai told not to ddle anyway.

As for the reason I’m feeling downcast— Probably it’s because not only did the things that I did not help, I caused the matter to develop towards a bad direction as well. Self-righteously thinking that there’s a deep misunderstanding between Yondai and Renji-san, and kept firmly believing that they exchanged sothing important that cannot be seen with the naked eye— Such stories that were like fairy tales.

The thing that once existed between them had already vanished completely due to critical damage. Only I was standing in the middle of a sandbank that was about to sink, swirling the sand below my feet.

The identities of the people assisting Renji-san had already been mostly made clear. No matter which side bleeds, it isn’t sothing that a dazed high schooler should ddle in.

So I should just groggily go back to my holiday.

As long as I stuff everything to the other side of the glaring sunlight, my world can be like eggshell that was soaked in vinegar, maintaining a soft, sticky, but seemingly unblemished appearance.

However, when I picked up my phone, it was like my whole hand froze, and couldn’t even press one button.

When did it start? being unable to even lie to myself.

In the past, it should be easy for to change my way of separating the things by my side, renaming them, and use a thought to cover the previous one. However, I ca in contact with too much passion, and knew that so things will still spread to through the earth and air even when I cover my eyes and ears in a starless night. So— I cannot ignore this.

What should I do? Is there anything—

“— Hello, everyone! Is Fujishima-san here?”

A voice suddenly rang behind , making almost fall down from the bed.

Is it possible that the voice just now is……? The voices of the confused gang mbers rang faintly at the other side of the door.

“So sorry for disturbing you all of a sudden. I heard that Fujishima-san is over here?”

Using the faint illumination of my cellphone screen, I ran towards the door while dodging the hill of cardboard boxes. As soon as I pushed the door open, my eyes were assaulted by strong light without prior warning.

“Aniki, um…… A strange woman……” “Suddenly barged inside.”

“Fujishima-san!”

Coffee-colored curly hair and a shout jumped at the sa ti. It was Mika-san. The person standing at the entrance of the office was indeed Mika-san…… And she ran in my direction. She was wearing a miniskirt with a transparent shoulder strap. However, the bandages on her arms and kneecaps looked quite painful.

“Fujishima-san, are you okay? Waa! You’re so severely hurt!”

“N- Not really, your are more severe, Mika-san.”

“I’m fine. I’m in tip top shape, and I can walk as well! Since the cane was too troubleso, I left it at ho.”

Errr…… That can’t count as being fine, can it?

“Speaking of which, our boss arbitrarily decided to stop our collaboration, so sorry for that!”

As Mika-san apologized while lowering her head in the speed of a hamr, the Hirasaka-gumi mbers around and I were overwheld by her imposing manner and stepped back three steps.

“It seed to be a decision that was made when I was still in the hospital. I was extrely furious! Earlier today, I rushed to the company from the hospital and talked things out with the boss. Fujishima-san, you’re probably troubled as well, right? This is sothing that we ca up with together! I really had my life on this case!”

“Err…… Well……”

I repeatedly blinked and stared at Mika-san’s face.

Which ans……

“Are you…… willing to continue the case……?”

“But of course! It’s more like I was slightly sad as you didn’t contact imdiately…… Eh? Fujishima-kun, what’s wrong? Eh, uh, eh? U- Um…… Is it because I’m not reliable enough? You don’t need to look like you’re going to cry, do you?”

“N- No…… Not really.”

I hurriedly wiped my face with my palms in force and pretended that nothing happened while fanning my face with my hands— Although the thing that rushed to the depths of my throat almost couldn’t be suppressed already.

“…… Is it really fine?”

“About the company, I’ll try to convince them, and I heard from the boss that Sou-san apologized at the company himself as well. How can I leave this case at the side like this!”

The Hirasaka-gumi mbers sank into a slight commotion, while I widened my eyes as well. Yondai apologized to the company himself? No, that person does indeed know the ways of the world very well, and doing such a thing is a given, however……

Until just now, I was still lying in the dark room, and was even considering to leave all my work aside and escape.

“Fujishima-san? Uh…… Sorry for coming here without prior notice, as I just know the email address you use for contact…… And since the company gave a week’s break because of getting hospitalized, I was too free, so……”

“Nono, I don’t an that.”

I pushed Mika-san out of the office while the sun setting in the west shone on us diagonally at a side. It felt as though we just woke up, and the innocence that originally stuck onto our skin was gradually vaporized by the scorching sunlight.

“I…… should apologize instead.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong, did you?”

“It’s just because I didn’t do anything, but I caused Mika-san to get involved all of a sudden……”

“Ah, no, there’s no such thing!”

Mika-san forcefully thumped my shoulders. As my injuries hadn’t healed yet, I nearly made an odd cry, and could only suppress myself.

“I heard that Hirasaka-gumi seed to be in trouble…… But it’s hard on our company as well. Since our company is so small, it isn’t often for us to get such a large case…… In the end, the president and the boss actually said that they don’t want to have any trouble with the yakuza! Even though I already told them that Sou-san isn’t a yakuza! How could it be possible for such a young, good-looking yakuza to exist? Fujishima-san, why don’t you scold as well? Sothing like ‘What the heck is your company doing!’ or the like. Don’t be so mindful!”

Mika-san’s smooth shoulders that reflected the sunlight and her arms wrapped in bandages were quite sharp, so I could only shift my gaze.

“Then that’s that. I’ll count on you once more when your injuries get better. I’ll have to trouble you to update the blog as well! And I’m going to Alan Garba right now as well!”

“Eh?”

“The idea that you proposed, the T-shirt used for promotional purposes! It won’t do if we don’t hurry!”

Oh yeah— Using a friend’s famous second-hand clothing shop Alan Garba to print the event on the shirt, and selling them to the young people on the streets. Even though it was my idea, I forgot about it completely as I was busy dealing with other matters.

“Then…… Allow to go as well. It should be easier for you to discuss with present, right?”

After all, the owner of the second hand shop would feel bad refusing my request because of certain reasons.

“But Fujishima-san’s injuries are still so serious……” “Aren’t your injuries more severe than mine?” “What a quick tsukkomi!”

“Ah— Sorry, in any case, let’s hurry!”

I breathed in deeply, and relocated my pace.

Do things that I can do now.

“Because this is my job.”

Mika-san nodded while smiling.

It was already evening when we finished our discussion and walked out of the shop. Alan Garba was packed with young won. Since it was only a street away from the busy district, and there was a Yoshimoto Kogyo performance hall by it as well, custors kept gushing inside right until closing ti. It seed like Mika-san wanted to pick out so clothes as well, as she kept looking back, but she still reminded herself to prioritize her work in the end, and picked up her phone after that.

“Hmm…… The calls to Sou-san just wouldn’t get through.”

She placed her phone by her ear for quite so ti and showed a troubled expression after that.

“There shouldn’t be much trouble with the T-shirts, so I wanted to report this to him.”

“Allow —“ To tell him…… I wanted to say that, but I stopped after that. Is Yondai still willing to speak to ? It just seed like I damaged the trust that he had for after so ti because of my insensitivity. After all, the past that he wasn’t willing to ntion was dug out by …… Including Renji-san and the woman called Hison.

“That won’t do. The one who accepted the case was , I’ll report it to him. Spinach is a basic condition for working in the society. ”

“aning, report, contact and communication?”

“Yes, yes. In any case, taking the initiative to speak is very important. I’ll send him a ssage first.”

Actually, it’s probably the most important thing while doing anything in this world.

Actually having so many people say the sa thing to , is it possible that I’m a person bad at communicating in other people’s eyes?

“That’s why, rember to contact after you finish the discussion of the design tomorrow!”

“I understand…… Report, contact and communication, I’ll rember it.”

Although we had to ask Yoshiki-san to sew the design onto the T-shirt imdiately, Mika-san said that she had a eting that she must go to the next day, so I had no other choice but to head to Kita-Senju alone.

“I heard that the shop owner is really good looking. Is that true?”

“Eh? Ah, yes…… Well…… He’s quite good looking.”

“Having a na like ‘Yoshiki’, it sounds like he’s the Yoshiki in the visual kei band ‘X’! So does that an he has a sickly beauty like that of visual kei bands?”

“No, it’s completely different. Their nas are written differently as well.”

If I’m not mistaken, the Yoshiki in X should be written as 佳树, while善喜was written on Yoshiki-san’s card that I handed to Mika-san.

“Whoa! This na seems to be quite candid!”

As you said, he’s indeed a candid, good-looking man.

“I want to go as well! What a pity! But if I don’t defeat president in the eting tomorrow, this case would be closed. They’re probably letting continue my break, deciding on things by themselves.”

I couldn’t help but think: If anything wrong occurs, the efforts that we put in till now might be lost— Why can this woman still be so energetic? However, I hoped that she would help out more. As for — I should at least send a ssage to Yondai.

I sat on the sailings of the road and took out my phone, and Mika-san said at a side while I was pondering of what I should write:

“Are you sending a ssage to Sou-san? Well then…… Why don’t you add more emoticons? And add a heart at the end!”

“Wait a minute, please don’t do that!”

Such an embarrassing ssage was nearly sent. So close……

“At these tis, you should be more open about these, then you can speak whatever you want to when you et.”

“I’d have been killed before I speak whatever I want!”

“But emoticons can express the emotions that cannot be said in words……”

Nonono, even if you speak in words like those from a love poem, I won’t be fooled. However, if there are really such emoticons, I would really like so.

What should I say to Yondai? How can I start the topic? After going round in a circle, my thoughts still returned to that point.

After the next afternoon, I went on the Chiyoda Line from Omotesando Station. From what I rember, Chiyoda seems to be near the Saitama Prefacture, but it wasn’t as far as I thought, as I reached it after about thirty minutes of taking the subway.

“Narumi-kun, I’ve been waiting for you!”

When I reached Wakagi Crafts Store, Yoshiki-san was chatting with two girls who seed to be college students. He imdiately stopped chatting when he saw and waved at . His slim figure wearing a pair of tight fitting jeans looked even slenderer while being covered by an apron with the na of the shop printed on it. How crazy would Mika-san go if she sees him, I wonder. After that, I walked around the counter and sat on the chair that he handed to . Who is that person? What’s his relationship with the shop owner? All the females in the shop shot such glances non-stop, making feel extrely uncomfortable.

“Very sorry— Let’s chat again later!” Yoshiki-san consoled the girls slightly and turned around after that. Basically, Yoshiki-san kept staying in the counter, and it felt like he was a rental books owner from olden tis.

“About the design of the logo, I made about eight of them.”

A whole stack of Cham papers with large, trendy band logos drawn on them were handed to . Except for the sa black thrush on the letter ‘i’, there was a variety of pictures, with pictures that had a sense of trendiness and even those that had a sowhat chanical look.

“How is it?”

I couldn’t help but moan.

“…… It doesn’t seem right?”

“Nono…… To be honest, each one is great.”

If ti allows for it, I would even think of putting all of them on the website to allow everyone to vote. Regretfully, the promotional T-shirts had to be made as soon as possible, or the effect would drastically decrease, so there’s not too much ti.

“If you really want to pick one……” “Nnn, if you want to choose one out……”

Yoshiki-san and I pointed at the sa picture at the sa ti, a slightly Japanese styled picture. We laughed out loud after glancing at each other.

After that, I used the laptop computer that I brought to edit the logo and the promotional text, pasting them on the sample T-shirt. There were five colors in total, and each of the lines were simple and clean. Since there isn’t much ti anymore, let’s just decide it like this?

“So we’re going with this? But this picture will be more sharp if you use embroidery instead of printing it on.”

“Nonono, our budget wouldn’t be enough for that.”

Yoshiki-san laughed while saying ‘That’s true”. Even if they’re printed on, it should look quite cool as well.

“The girl called Mika called , saying that I can decide it by myself. Is that really fine? I heard that even the band mbers said that they’re letting handle things.”

“It’s just because the band mbers let us handle everything that makes feel uneasy.”

I heard that it’s because the previous organizer was too terrible. Possibly because of that, we got their complete trust just because we handle things normally. That made slightly troubled as well, though it isn’t anything bad.

“Have you t the band mbers? I saw them on the net, and every one of them was quite cute.”

“No, I haven’t t them in reality, but Yondai probably ets them quite often.”

“Nnnnn, is it really fine if we handle things?”

Do we need to listen to Yondai’s opinion? I thought while taking out my phone, but did not have the courage to press the button, and could only sigh after reaffirming that I didn’t receive any ssage. After seeing my expression, Yoshiki-san seed to have sothing to say, but since there was a female custor calling him at the other side of the counter, he just slid over with his chair after apologizing to .

“Yoshiki-san, was this on a rack? Can I take it directly?”

“Nnn, sorry for the trouble.”

Eh? Looking at Yoshiki-san’s silhouette, I suddenly thought— Why does he allow custors to climb on a ladder to take the rchandise at high places? When I think about it, this person almost always sits on a chair……

“…… Do you have trouble with your feet?”

I only thought after I asked Yoshiki-san in a low voice, isn’t this way of asking sowhat rude?

“Ah— Nnn……” He looked slightly embarrassed, but he still answered. “It’s not like I have trouble with my feet. It’s just that I had so of my innards removed in a surgery, so the doctor told not to stand while working if possible.”

“…… Eh?” Then he was probably hurt badly that ti?

“I originally worked at a night club, and I couldn’t continue it in the end. At first, I thought that it’ll be fine if I just sit down while making crafts work, but it isn’t like that at all.”

“It isn’t like that from the start!”

It just seems like this person is a bit out of touch with society. Talking with him is slightly tiring. He probably used up quite a lot of money when he started his shop, how can it be decided by such a simple reason? I’m not too sure of this person’s background, but since he’s senior to Yondai, is it possible that he was a NEET in the past? Although he doesn’t seem like one, it’s really hard for one to ask the other person if he is such a person in person. That’s right, I rember that he knows Min-san as well, right? Let’s just ask her directly next ti.

“Hina helped out in the busiest tis when the shop just opened, and now the custors are helping out, so it still counts as passable.”

“Eh? What? You’re talking about Yondai? Isn’t that guy really mindful of money? Wouldn’t he ask for a high salary?”

“But I asked him to help for free?”

I breathed in deeply to express my helplessness. Although he’s a senior who knows him from long ago, I really can’t think of another person who can treat Yodnai like this, and I’m slightly envious…… Nonono, and I actually imagined myself calling Yondai ‘Hina’, it’s just too impossible.

“Actually, I feel stranger seeing everyone scared of Hina to death.” Yoshiki-san gave a smile.

“My impression of him is that he probably started to threaten and scare people from the ti he was born……”

“Haha, there’s no such thing. When Hina wasn’t too familiar with Tokyo, he was scared like a small rabbit as well. And he even complained to that the ssy subway structure makes people feel lost, there aren’t covers on the lights in the trains and the like. So cute.”

Does this count as cute?

“He probably did a lot of things that forced himself, huh? That guy is a bit too tough, and he’s slightly too good at taking care of other people, so naturally many people followed him. However, these people probably aren’t thinking of relying on him, but want to beat him up instead.”

“…… Then what about Yoshiki-san?”

“Of course, I’m the type that wants to rely on him, you know when you take a look at my body!” Hearty laughter, “Actually Hina only has one true friend that can support him when he’s in trouble, but they got in a large fight. I wonder what that person is doing right now.”

So he knows Renji-san as well? But it doesn’t seem like he knows that he’s already back. Probably Yondai didn’t tell him about it? If it were to be , I probably won’t say anything about it as well, because I wouldn’t be willing to see such a bright smile being clouded over.

There is only one true friend.

“…… He probably has a girlfriend as well, right?”

Yoshiki-san once ntioned that she was a frequent custor as well, so he should know her as well.

“I heard that she’s called Hison…… Couldn’t she have beco Yondai’s pillar of support?”

Although Yoshiki-san’s expression did not have too much of a change, it was as though I could hear the sound of an old book turning into powder after being touched with a finger.

“…… Ahh, hmm, about Hison……” Yoshiki-san’s voice sounded slightly rigid. “She couldn’t help it. Although she could help out a bit with their daily lives, she wasn’t a reliable person, and it felt like she was sowhat unconcerned as well, and couldn’t even handle her own matters. Besides…… She isn’t here anymore.”

I bit my lip. Perhaps that wasn’t a question that I should ask. It seed like I made him recall sothing sorrowful.

If so, was Yondai always alone? Faces of Tetsu-senpai, Hiro-san, Major, Min-san, Alice and others surfaced in my mind, but it doesn’t feel quite the sa. Although they won’t rely on Yondai, they won’t beco his supporting pillar as well.

Because he’s just too tough. Yondai is just too tough, and can handle anything by himself.

“That’s why Narumi-kun, you must do your best!”

“Erm…… What must I do my best for?”

“Do your best to be Hina’s sworn brother.”

“Isn’t that a thing that can’t be done by just doing one’s best? I don’t know what to do at all.”

Right now, I can’t even find a topic to talk to him about, and I almost can’t believe in it now…… Believing in the thing that should exist between Yondai and Renji-san up till now.

“Perhaps you can try practicing manzai with him?”

“Um, that shouldn’t be so, right?”

As I was about to be pulled back to reality by my real troubles, Yoshiki-san forced the topic to another direction. How tiring.

“So Narumi-kun will of course be the side doing tsukkomis, right?”

What do you an of course! Although I’m a bit self-conscious that it’s like this……

“Hina spoke in Kansai slang in the past as well, so he can probably act as the boke? And your group’s na would be ‘NaruHina Brothers’.”

“Why are you giving us such a cute na!? Please don’t joke anymore, I’m full just hearing the na—“

Just at that mont, my words were completely absorbed by the air and stopped.

Yoshiki-san shook his head before . It seed like he asked sothing, but his voice couldn’t reach my ears at all.

Words.

The answer that was suddenly grasped.

Although it cannot be seen with the eyes, it’s sothing that is more important than anything else.

I stood up, tripping the round stool along the way. Yoshiki-san and the custors in the shop got a shock and looked back at , but I didn’t have the ti to care about them.

“E- Excuse …… I’m very sorry, but I have to make a call!”

I rushed to the dark stairway behind the counter and hurriedly pressed the buttons after picking up my phone. The repetitive dial tone kept ringing in my ears. The call hasn’t gotten through? Is it because I’m calling, so you’re deliberately pretending not to see, and not to pick up? Please, hurry up and pick up the phone!

If I don’t speak it out, nothing can be expressed. I must express this in words, or we will only be lone shadows in a dark fog far away for eternity. So— Please pick up the phone. As long as this answer can be expressed, no matter what blades you use to carve your own emotions, I will accept it openly. So right now—

The dialing tone stopped in a flash.

’What?’

Yondai’s voice ca from the receiver. Up to a hundred words clambered up my throat in one go, causing to be unable to speak.

I could only tightly hold my phone while squatting on the floor that was full of dust, pressing my chest while breathing in deeply repeatedly at the sa ti.

’Hello? Hurry up and speak if you have anything to say! I have to go apologize to the sponsors after this.’

I frantically suppressed my charred emotions that was about to spill out.

“…… I went to see Renji-san today again.”

’I already saw your ssage just now. So what? It’s not like we found their hideout. Just now, I called my n to the sports shop at Ikebukuro just now, but they’re not there anymore. Then there’s no reason I should listen to yo—’

“Can you please listen to first!”

The vibrations of my loud roar spread to my abdon, giving no choice but to support myself on the floor with my palm.

“Renji-san— He’s still speaking in Kansai slang up till now.”

No response could be heard for quite so ti, but I know— I know very clearly, that’s the answer. Alice once said, words are like a sword, and I truly felt the blade of the sword sinking in my blood. The thing that Yondai and Renji-san exchanged when they shared sake, the important thing that can’t be seen— Those are words. The two gave the words that they use from the ti they were given birth to the other—

And they’re keeping it up till now.

It’s true for Renji-san, and the sa for Yondai as well.

So……

’So what?’

The voice of the wild wolf that answered after so effort sounded sowhat shaken.

’It’s just a la ga.’

As I recall, Renji-san spoke in standard Japanese when giving orders on his phone, but he spoke in a strange Kansai slang when he talked to , as though he was showing off photos in a photo album. Perhaps it’s sothing that can only be shown to friends…… A true thing?

“That person……” I chose my words carefully, and squeezed out my voice from my scorching throat. “…… told this. No matter how many years he continues to live, he cannot make a friend more important than that guy— But he has no other choice but to do in that person that gave him such a feeling. He’s just hired by soone, and doesn’t really want to do this, that person actually doesn’t want to fight with y—“

’Shut up!’

The words that were squeezed after so effort stemd the flow of words gushing out from the depths of my throat.

’So what about it! Then what do you think we should do? In truth, he is now my enemy, and I can only actively try to break him—’

“Please give Alice a request!”

I stood up and shouted out my thoughts.

“This is definitely wrong! Even though you’re friends and you’ve reunited after so long, up till now…… The two of you haven’t forgotten about the most important thing! Healthily…… Living on…… As long as you’re still alive.” It was as though my overheated voice was about to sink into the damp flas climbing up my windpipe. “As long as you’re still alive, you can communicate with each other, but why— why are the two sides bruising each other from head till toe?”

’What do you kno—’

“I don’t know anything, but it’s the sa for Yondai and Renji-san! Definitely having lies sowhere around, having unfortunate coincidence, so our…… our relationship wouldn’t have dissolved so easily…… If so!”

Beads of particles scattered in the darkness along with each word and sentence that I spat out, and I realized that I already couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. Even so, I still struggled to speak out the thawing words:

“Please give Alice a request!”

Steaming breath fell onto the filthy floor.

Detectives— exist just for these tis.

I closed my eyes, holding my phone that was almost lted by sweat while pressing my aching side abdon. I awaited the answer.

The words— Were they successfully transmitted? To where?

Are there only clips of emotions that have long died due to being cut, left at the place that they are transmitted to? Because I arrived too late? Even though I was always between them…… Even though I could have told them even more even earlier……

’You just need to finish your own work.’

Yondai’s sharp but weak voice sounded like flattened aluminum foil. ’You’re just too nosy. Don’t be so alike your employer only in these places.’

After hanging up, I still squatted at the stairway, staring at the cellphone in my palm. The fragnts of myself that couldn’t be transmitted still seed to tangle up my fingers, making feel bouts of pain. Sweat dripped onto the dust ti after ti, but I still felt cold.

Sounds of tallic friction suddenly flashed past my neck. The door was opened. I slowly raised my face and saw Yoshiki-san before .

“Are you okay?”

My voice had already turned hoarse, so I could only nod in response.

“Renji…… He’s back?”

I couldn’t answer the following question.

“Sorry. I didn’t have any intention of eavesdropping, I just heard it on coincidence.”

As I was about to stand up, I suddenly forgot how to apply force with my feet, and could only hug my knees and pull them close to my chest. I even felt as though I might even have difficulties in breathing if I don’t contract my body.

Even so, I still forced myself to stand up and look back when Yoshiki-san walked away from the door and towards step after step by leaning against the wall.

“You can’t even walk?”

“It’s not like I’m completely unable to, walking slowly is not a problem. The main point is about Renji.”

I really couldn’t et Yoshiki-san’s gaze as he reached my side.

“Hina seems to be sowhat grumpy recently, so it’s because of this? So it’s not just because he’s busy with his event organization?”

So Yondai never ntioned anything to this person. Because he didn’t want him to worry.

So I squeezed out a smile with all of my might and shook my head in denial. But how should I justify myself? I was already lacking energy, and couldn’t even think of a harmless lie anymore.

“…… Renji-san, has returned.”

I could only speak of the truth.

“They didn’t make peace with each other because of the matter before this. After all, both of them are stubborn people.”

“That’s…… True.”

“It seems like there’s nothing to do anymore. If so, at least—“

At least— What? What should I do? Follow what Yondai said and do my own job?

It seems like there’s only this step to take now.

I supported Yoshiki-san back into the shop. The cold wind dried my sweat. Yoshiki-san still seed like he had sothing to say when he sat back onto his chair, but I imdiately asked:

“About when will the design of the T-shirt picture be done? Is it possible to be done by today? Please send it to in psd format, and then…… We’ll have to send it to Alan Garba. I’ll use it directly on the shop website and pop out ads. As for the fees—“

I tried to pretend that I didn’t see his sincere gaze, and continued the topic of work.

If not, I would definitely forget how to speak, directly burying myself into the gentle atmosphere of silk and wool.

*

After the discussion ended, it was already four in the afternoon when I returned to Hanamaru Ran by taking the subway from Kita-Senju. Along the way when walking back from the station, I reported the results to Mika-san through phone, and in the end, my remaining vigor was drained by the woman that was as energetic as a high school girl.

When I finally saw the portiere of Hanamaru Ran that looked like a mirage at the end of the alley through the heat given off by the asphalt road, I suddenly felt like crying.

It seed like I turned fragile. After frequenting the shop, I turned more fragile than before. Just like a block of dried up brick that fell into the water, absorbing a lot of water.

But I don’t regret it, because it’s the sa fact that there aren’t any hearts in this world that can’t be broken.

However, I really wish that I could be stronger, at least to the extent that I don’t need to keep walking with my head lowered. While thinking of such matters, I was attracted by faint sounds of conversation, and continued to walk forward while stepping on the asphalt road that seed to be sticking onto my feet as it lted. After that, I heard the sounds of conversation even clearly.

“I want cards of both wool and malt! Who can give that to ?”

“I can provide it if it’s just malt.”

“If steel ore can count as a thousand yen, I’ll provide both.”

“It’s too expensive!”

“Then let’s use five hundred yen in cash, and I’ll provide malt only.”

“What are you doing……?”

As usual, I looked in the back alley behind the kitchen backdoor. Tetsu-senpai, Hiro-san and Major were passionately playing a ga around a wooden stand, and didn’t even give a glance. There was a board full of hexagonal blocks, colorful cards and wooden pieces on the stand. This should have been a board ga that I’m quite familiar with……

“Isn’t it clear in a glance? It’s The Settlers of Catan.”

Major answered in a sowhat scornful tone and confird the wad of cash by his hand. The Settlers of Catan is the most famous board ga in Germany, and was brought into Japan as well— But……

“As I recall, this ga doesn’t use cash, right?”

“This is a way of playing that we thought of, and it’s called Cash Catan. What differs from the normal way of playing is that cards can be traded in cash. “…… Won’t Germans be angry if they see this?”

“There will be an extre struggle in our hearts when comparing the cash obtained after winning and the cash paid when doing deals in the ga, so this is a ga that requires intelligence.”

“There won’t be any driving force to play if money isn’t involved.”

“Tetsu, you wasted Major’s explanation!” Hiro-san smiled while standing up, giving the seat of the gas tank. “Well then, Narumi-kun, why don’t you join and let us start again?”

“That’s too devious, Hiro-san! Just getting cash with deals, but not even building one street!”

“Then why don’t we let Narumi join directly? Hurry up and place two cities and streets sowhere you like. And there’s an entrance fee of two thousand yen.”

“That’s a fine idea. Indeed, The Settlers of Catan is more enjoyable with four people.”

“Fine my foot! Doesn’t that an that only I have a setback, and am in a bad position?”

“Then we’ll give you an advantage. Only Narumi can throw five dice at once.”

“That isn’t an advantage at all!”

Hiro-san laughed out loud. The rules of the ga state that we can gain crops from the boxes that we stop at, so it isn’t much of an advantage.

“It is fine even if you join halfway through, Narumi. Just play. I shall support you and provide you with the funds.”

“—Why is even Alice over here?”

But there’s so problem with as I didn’t notice her here at all. The kitchen backdoor was about half open, and a black-haired silhouette donning light blue pajamas stood in the middle of it. Alice pressed an ice pack on her forehead and her thighs, and looked as though she returned from going sowhere to put a curse on soone. Why must she force herself to stay in the stiflingly hot ran shop?

“Master said that she is making ice cream puffs, which is why I am waiting here. Eating ice cream puffs is all about experiencing the taste of crispy cream puff that is just done and the feeling of the ice cream slowly lting inside! Unfortunately, it is eternally impossible for to experience the said taste if I stay in the office, so that is why I am tolerating the scorching heat over here. Despite the fact that I requested to join their ranks of playing the ga, these people actually excluded from them.”

“Because Alice’s financial status is a far cry from ours!” Hiro-san consoled her. “If you buy away all the resources each ti in the end, we definitely can’t win.”

“So that is why we are having a compromise, asking the stupid Narumi to be my representative, and having the handicap of joining in midway as well. Let’s go, let’s go!”

To be frank, I wasn’t in the mood to play gas at all, but I was still forced to sit down and pick up the dice in the end. Alice gave a huge scolding behind , saying that I’m untalented, have no observation powers, and no negotiation ability; and was forced to see Ayaka rolling her eyes, having my crops cards taken by Hiro-san because of his negotiation, being beaten up by Major with special cards, and even being forced by Hiro-san to lend money to him with the stupid reason of ’Forget about the ga, just lend so money’ that was completely unrelated to the ga—

In the end, Min-san served us a whole hill of soft cream puffs on a tray along with a punch on each person’s head, warning us not to gamble too much as well. After the hands of unequal sizes were extended to the tray, the hill of cream puffs disappeared without a trace in a flash. Being surrounded by vanilla ice cream that gave a refreshing sense of coldness, hot wind with the fragrance of chicken soup from the kitchen, and chatter of the strangely bright NEETs, I experienced a pain differing from the usual sweetness of wounds, and nearly forgot about the strong emotions burning in my heart, and the feelings when I shouted at Yondai through the phone.

However, silence suddenly descended. Between I, who stared at the cards and wooden pieces on the stand, and my companions, who stared at , a ti that seed to have difference in temperature passed, and there was a rustling similar to soone crying.

The sounds of the water used by Ayaka to clean the pots in the kitchen and Min-san cutting onions or celery ca from the kitchen.

Just at that mont, thoughts ford in a slow speed that almost made people lose their senses.

“…… I failed.”

The first, and the most useless statent.

Unknowingly, Alice placed a chair away from the kitchen backdoor at a position near to and sat down while hugging her knees. Her direct gaze assisted in squeezing out the words.

“I’ve said everything I can…… Both to Renji-san and to Yondai, but it’s useless. I think Yondai probably wants to finish everything by himself. I really can’t see how they’re enemies, and even think that they’re still friends, so…… If it’s Alice…… If only he would give Alice a request. I kept thinking about this, and said a lot of useless stuff in the end. Is it possible— All of this are just my delusions?”

Nobody present could give an answer, while my words were gradually buried by the humid air.

“Having once played a ga of yakuzas, and having owed each other favors, and having asked to work for him, I even thought…… I understood Yondai a bit more. In the end, I just did a lot of aningless stuff, and dragged him down…… I don’t actually know anything at all.”

“That’s true.”

The detective covered with her gentle voice.

“You don’t know the person called Hinamura Souichirou at all.”

As I was about to crush signs of tears with my eyelids, Alice’s hands ca in contact with my arm.

“That person is not such a low person. He will definitely return things that he keeps for the others, look.”

Alice’s chilly fingers sank into my skin. I suddenly heard faint sounds of footsteps coming from afar and raised my head.

The setting sun inserted in the alley brought a long shadow to my toes.

Tetsu-senpai turned around and shrugged, Major smiled wryly and pushed his goggles up, while Hiro-san stood up, carrying Alice along with her chair, making space for one person.

While I— I just stared blankly at the gray hair, sharp gaze of a wild wolf, and the shoulder with the picture of a swallowtail butterfly sewn on it.

“…… Why are all of you glaring at ?”

Yondai said while stepping on the soil of the back alley. He just glanced at , shifting his gaze to the NEET detective by my side imdiately after.

“Why are even you over here?”

“I am a NEET detective who has nothing worth complinting, so I do not need a reason to participate in parties.”

Yondai snorted at Alice’s answer.

“I'm here to give you a request.”

“What a joyous event. I am happy to interrupt the party to listen to your emotionless explanation.”

I couldn’t even suppress the trembling of my knees. Yondai gave the detective a request:

“An old friend returned. Because of timing, we can’t even talk to each other properly. But I still owe him sothing, and he has sothing to return to as well.”

When I heard Yondai’s words, I unconsciously held Alice’s hand. I needed sothing to hold on.

“As for the way, I’ll leave that for you to handle…… Just think of a way to bring him to see .”

My throat was full of the impulse to speak.

Even so, the detective still added the last words.

“I am a NEET detective, the ssenger of the deceased. My hands might destroy the tranquility based on ‘ignorance’. “

My hands temporarily recovered its grip.

“—Are you fine with that even so?”

Yondai shifted his gaze in embarrassnt.

“I’d be lying if I’m fine with that. Don’t investigate aningless matters. I’m telling you to think of a way to stop him and to bring him before without killing him.”

Alice sighed.

“Although I have received up to a hundred types of requests, only you dare to deny my question in face.”

“So what? Who cares about your sickly curiosity?”

“So that ans you are asking to preserve the cruel misunderstanding without touching it?”

“That isn’t your job. I’ll decide what to do myself.”

My tightly gripped hand was trembling non-stop.

“If so, Renji-san would still hate Yondai—“

“You shut up!” “Narumi, please shut your mouth!”

The words that the both of them spoke at the sa ti pierced into my chest, and I could only stop.

“However…… Yondai, we shall dig open graves, digging out the words of the dead. If the person in the coffin is still alive, I am afraid that our pickaxes cannot harm them. And we will be stained with their blood as well. It is an unavoidable fact.”

We gazed silently with bated breath, while Alice just looked directly at Yondai.

“Do you understand what I an?”

Yondai glared furiously at Alice while gritting his teeth.

Would he cancel the request because of that? My heart was filled with uneasiness. Even though…… Even though we ca in contact after so much effort.

However, the trace of anger in Yondai’s eyes suddenly disappeared on the next second.

“…… Whatever. Anyway, if you dare to investigate things that have passed, I’ll beat people up.”

“In my whole detective career, it is the first ti I t such an uncooperative client.”

In contrast with her words, Alice showed a relieved smile.

“Very well, I accept.”

Alice jumped down from the chair, and her black, silky hair fluttered because of that. As for , I puffed out the air that I held in for a long ti. We can finally take action. For Yondai…… I couldn’t sit still just thinking of that, so I stood up.

However, I was not the only one to await the sign of confirmation. Major stood up first and opened the backpack by his side, taking out a stack of papers with photos attached to them and forcefully threw them at the ga board.

“I predicted that such a thing might happen, so I already installed spying caras and bugs at Renji’s hideout. But he doesn’t stay at the sa place, so I couldn’t grasp his movents completely. I’ve already finished doing Ikebukuro.”

Yondai seed to be slightly surprised, while I think I probably had a similar expression on as well.

“…… Ikebukuro? So you weren’t there for a survival ga?”

“Hmm? Of course, I installed them along the way in the battle, and I used the support of my n as well. Installing a large amount of spying devices while wearing normal clothing would definitely be suspected, but it won’t be so if one wears camouflage clothing and is geared for battle.”

“Won’t people be more suspicious because of that?”

As I was about to do such a tsukkomi, Tetsu-senpai opened up a grubby notebook on the wooden stand.

“This is the incident in Akasaka, and this is the incident in Ueno. According to the investigations of the police, the fire was probably just a concurrent event, as the people actually damaged the power distribution box only. The police is quite troubled as well, as the people who can’t get together at normal tis actually cooperated under Renji’s command, and they don’t know their true motives as well.”

Yondai and I looked at Tetsu-senpai with bated breath at the sa ti.

“However, the one supporting Renji has already been confird. That idiot, he owed the loan sharks operated by the yakuza at Chiba quite a few million, and he was transferred to Yanagihara-kai. It’s unmistakable that the organization supporting him is Yanagihara-kai.

So he looked for loan sharks and the police because of this? And he actually put up an act before this like he didn’t want to get involved when we didn’t get a request.

“And also, I’ve already known which shops Renji often goes to.”

Even Hiro-san said such things and showed the nas of shops recorded in his phone to Alice. I could only stare at the things occurring before .

“I heard that Renji’s underlings are the delinquents near Ikebukuro, right? A girl that I know searched for a bit and found it. She knows about the sports goods store, and found out from quite a few people about sightings of Renji. If so, we can probably find out who’s assisting Renji, right?”

I looked at the faces of the three, but since Major and Tetsu-senpai gave sowhat triumphant gazes, I couldn’t continue to look.

How could I have forgotten? How could I have thought that they were just waiting at the back alley without doing anything? Even though I ca in contact with this for so many, so many tis— When in need, the flourishing vigor that called one to stand up.

Why…… couldn’t I have believed in them?

“…… You guys……”

Yondai looked sowhat bitter. Perhaps because he didn’t want people to see his expression, he extended his head into the kitchen.

“Oi, Master, can I order sothing?”

“I’m doing the preparations right now, you can see at a glance! You’ll have to wait for so ti for the water to boil as well.”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s fine as long as there’s sake. Anyway, the ran here is— It hurts! Why are you hitting custors?”

“Guys who don’t order don't count as custors!”

“In any case, just hurry up and get us so sake. My treat.”

Five cheap glasses with brewed sake were served, and a can of Dr. Pepper as well.

This is a place that exists for us. In the past, it was probably a gentle place that existed for another person as well.

Such a thing will never disappear, but people can get lost. I firmly believed in that. Thus, we raised our glasses in toast and drank. Smoke arose. It wasn’t to signal a battle that was starting— But to give that person at a place far away a chance to find this place.