Editing City Series:Volume4a Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 3===

'''3:41 PM

Osaka was a cramped city.

It was known as the sloped city, but the city center was relatively flat. Climbing to the top of a tall tower was enough to see it all.

The Osaka Hilton was a hotel in Osaka’s Umeda district. The sky lounge on the top floor of the thirty-five story hotel allowed one to look down on Osaka as the setting sun washed over it.

A couple looked down at the city like that from a two-person table by the window.

They were Tokyo Vice Chancellor Aoi Hijiri and Tokyo Special Duty Officer Ikemaru Takahiro.

Ikemaru still wore his three-piece suit and black leather gloves while Aoi roughly wore a blouson and jeans.

They looked somehow mismatched.

“…”

Aoi looked at the silhouettes of Osaka that had grown sharper in the setting sun.

“I can’t seem to find them, Takahiro.”

Ikemaru asked her a question while still looking out the window.

“Do you mean Takada?”

“Hm? No, not her. The cherry blossoms blooming in winter that my mom mentioned.”

“We have only been here for half a day. Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself if you’re even thinking about finding them quite yet?”

“Master Iba probably knows the answer, but he can be so stingy.”

“He called them the cherry blossoms that bring misfortune, didn’t he?”

Aoi nodded.

[[Image:City_v04a_159.jpg|thumb]]

“Apparently, the Tokyo Chancellor and Osaka Chancellor saw them during the Kinki Riot and it brought misfortune to everything.”

“The winter cherry blossoms that triggered a riot, huh?”

While Ikemaru thought, Aoi turned a slight smile his way.

“I’m causing you a ton of trouble by making you come with me, aren’t I?”

Ikemaru corrected his posture and looked straight at Aoi.

He adjusted his tie a little and took a breath.

“Please do not worry about me. My family prides itself in being a family of Japan’s greatest businessmen. That is why my parents agreed that I should visit Osaka while I am young.”

“Well, that is why I can stay in a hotel like this. …I’m thankful.”

“I am delighted to hear it.”

Ikemaru placed a hand on his chest, bowed, and smiled bitterly at the troubled smile on Aoi’s face.

“Your parents really are amazing, Takahiro. …Although maybe that’s because I don’t have either of mine anymore.”

“Didn’t you come to this city in order to understand the two of them better?”

“…”

“Before the Kinki Riot, they met below the winter cherry blossoms you mentioned, didn’t they?”

“Yes. And that’s what brought misfortune to my mom…and that man. Who told you that?”

“Your father when he was alive.”

“He always did tend to tell the most important things to people other than his family.”

Just as Aoi sighed, their iced coffee and iced tea arrived.

Ikemaru took the iced tea and Aoi drank some of the iced coffee without placing a straw in the glass.

“Are you sure you don’t want to order a cake or something?” he asked her.

“This is being charged to your card, isn’t it?”

“I see. And we usually pay with our shared wallet. …But I don’t mind.”

“No, I wouldn’t feel right doing that.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Is that why you only ordered toast at the restaurant earlier?”

“No, that’s because I’m on a diet.”

“But my mother told me women are more aesthetically pleasing when a little plump.”

“I’m more worried about building up any more muscle. And it’s an issue with my personal aesthetics.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ikemaru tilted his head and Aoi answered with her head resting on her hand.

“You’re the kind of person that split us up between a boys room and a girls room, so you wouldn’t understand.”

“?”

He tilted his head and she smiled bitterly.

“That’s why we haven’t made any progress after fourteen years together.”

“?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. More importantly, has Seigi really not made it to Osaka yet?”


“I did tell her about this place when we left Tokyo.”

“She’s your cousin, so you need to take better care of her. …Besides, did you tell Taromaru too? That girl can make prophecies, but she can be a little careless when it comes to reality.”

Aoi’s gaze turned toward Ikemaru’s hands.

He wore black leather gloves as if to hide them.

The corners of his mouth tightened a little when he noticed her gaze.

“Are you afraid of my power?”

“No. I know that your tone of voice changes when you speak with me.”

She looked to the seat next to him.

His scarf was draped over the back of the chair.

“Thanks for using that crappy handmade one.”

“And thank you for being so kind to someone as constantly rude as me.”

“It’s fine. And I’m not much better since I tend to talk in a pretty masculine way with other people.”

“I think it has a wonderfully gallant ring to it.”

“Oh? Then will you speak to me as rudely as you do to others?”

“I cannot do that. You are a unique and precious person to me, so of course I would speak to you differently from others.”

“Well, as long as that’s what you really think. I still have room for improvement too.”

“Is there a problem with your Shinkage Style that opposes Rhythms with a divine shadow?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Aoi looked to the leather gloves covering Ikemaru’s hands. “It’s okay, Takahiro. I’m willing to use the power of my Shinkage Style to let you touch me.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“I know why you won’t kiss me on the lips,” she said quietly. “Kissing someone on the lips lets you read their Live, doesn’t it? You’re a Word Master, after all.”

“Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I like the stylish compromise we have going. Remember what you’ve always said? A kiss to the forehead is for parental love, to the cheek is for friendship, and to the eyelid like you always do…”

She smiled bitterly.

“Now I’m too embarrassed to finish.”

“Just remember that a kiss to the lips signifies lust.”

“Oh? How dirty.”

He fell silent at her teasing tone of voice and she looked out the window again.

She smiled and changed her expression. Her face left no opening.

“But Nakamura has it tough, too. He went to finish off the Koto Chancellor today…and then he’s attacking the Osaka Chancellor’s Officers headquarters, right? Will he be okay?”

“People are not made to defeat him.”

“He tries to hide it, but he’s pretty panicked. …If only Seigi could be by his side.”

“None of us can let down our guard until those two are brought back to Nagoya.”

Before Ikemaru finished speaking, a sound came from Aoi’s watch.

She quickly stopped the electronic tone that rang throughout the quiet lounge and then she looked around.

All of the other guests were looking their way, so she shrugged and smiled bitterly.

“How about we get going too?”

“I have a target prepared. There is a black motorcycle and a white car in the parking lot.”

Ikemaru stood up and removed his leather gloves.

His hands were untanned, pale, and could almost be described as delicate.

“How about we start stirring up some trouble for the Osaka Chancellor and Nagoya Chancellor?”

Aoi nodded at the mention of the Osaka Chancellor.

“Do you remember that my mom was originally from Osaka?”

“She knew a lot about the Nanba family’s Modified Purple Electricity Style of Dance Combat that was derived from the Kage Style.”

“I wonder which is stronger, the Modified Purple Electricity Style or the Shinkage style that my mom created with that man?”

Ikemaru gave a brief answer to her question.

“Today we are only introducing ourselves. I am sure the time will eventually come to truly crush him.”

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