Kamisama no Memochou:Volume 1 Chapter 3

During the winter break, I started to show up at Hanamaru Ramen Shop more often, because Ayaka was usually working there. Just staying at home is really boring, anyways.

At first, Ayaka was surprised every time she saw me.

“So you can go out even when you have nothing to do?”

What kind of person does she think I am?

Hanamura Ramen Shop was always very free in the winter, there weren’t much customers in the morning. One reason is because it’s the new year period. On the other hand, it’s because there is a chance that the ramen shop is mistaken to be an ice cream shop.

That day, Hiro, Ayaka and I were tasting Min-san’s special hemp ice cream. As I have been tasting ramen that were only salty the whole day, my tongue felt much better when I came in contact with the sweet taste of the hemp and vanilla ice cream. The soup that Min-san makes is much better than what she made before, but tasting them every day is still very painful.

“Did Toshio come in contact with you after that?”

Facing Hiro’s inquiries, Ayaka bit her spoon, knitted her brows and shook her head.

“He didn’t even come home for the new year.”

Does Ayaka know that Toshio was addicted to drugs? From last year end until this year, quite a few cases of violence occurred in the streets. I heard that the police couldn’t make head or tails of what the suspects have said, as their addiction of the drug made them suffer when they were in custody. I watch the news every morning and night, and the name Shinozaki Toshio could be seen on the television screen each time, as he is missing right now.

Ayaka said: “ I think my brother is probably at Hakamizaka’s place.”

“Is that person Toshio’s girlfriend?”

“No, he’s a guy! I’m not sure, but I think he’s a university student or a researcher.”

It’s impossible for brother to have a girlfriend! Ayak said seriously, which was out of character for her. Although it was pitiful for Toshio to be determined that he did not have a girlfriend, but actually I actually have the same sentiments. Only Hiro gave a different opinion.

“Really? His weak personalitiy is actually quite suited for being a gigolo, I won’t be surprised even if he’s staying at some girl’s house right now. If that’s the case, I’m even more relieved.”

“No doubt that it’ll be more reassuring if that’s the case…… But it’s impossible! Brother can’t wash his clothes and can’t cook.”

“Nonono, a gigolo doesn’t need to wash clothes or cook.”

“Is that so?”

“Although they’re sometimes misunderstood, the ones that could do housework are ‘househusbands’, not gigolos. Gigolos want women to feel: ‘This guy can’t live on without me!’ so the housework is handled by the women.”

This guy is completely useless.

“Wow, I can’t do it if it were me. I would probably feel embarrassed for that and give them a hand, finish the cooking and wait for them to come back or something like that.”

“That’s right, the job of a gigolo is to bring out the motherly instinct in a woman, a normal person isn’t competent enough to do all that.”

“That’s so wonderful of you!”

It’s not wonderful at all, what nonsense is Hiro spouting? He’s an incomparably useless scum! Although I was thinking that to myself, I was lazy to correct them, so I continued to eat my hemp ice cream.

“Have you ever thought about marriage?”

“Never!”

“Why is that?”

“Actually I have a person that I truly love in my heart, so I can’t marry other women.”

“But then is it okay for you to live together with them? Don’t you feel that you’re doing something wrong on the girls?”

“I feel that I’m wronging them as well, but I couldn’t change it, this is my lifestyle.”

“Go to hell!”

“That won’t do, Fujishima-kun, you spoke out the things that you are thinking about again.”

Ah, it’s true, but never mind.

“Did you guys just mention Hakamizaka?”

A voice came from behind us. I turned over my head, and saw a person wearing a square, fur hat like those worn by the Alaskan soldiers, and a plump waterproof outer coat used in the army. I only recognized after a while that that person was Major. The goggles-styled sunglasses completely covered up his eyes, making them seem as if they’re a part of his face.

“Ah! Mukai-san, it’s been a while, happy new year! What would you like to order today?”

“I’m on duty right now.”

“What about the Chinese Garlic set?”

“Hmmm…… Okay then!”

Why did Major order something so obediently? And also, what is the Chinese Garlic set?

It was like Major couldn’t handle Ayaka. Among the people that I know, only Ayaka calls Major by his name. Every time when I hear it, I thought to myself: Who is Mukai-san?

“Finally there’s some work to do! Min-san, one Chinese naengmyeon(Note: a type of noodles), with added garlic!”

Ayaka stood up and rushed into the kitchen. Eating naengmyeon in this cold weather? Major looked as if he has just swallowed a live toad, and sat down on the gas tank that Ayaka was sitting on just now.

Hiro asked Major: “Major, did you know the person called Haka-something?”

“I think there’s a person called Hakamizaka at the research centre of our school.”

Hiro and I were taken aback and looked at each other. Hiro leaned forward and continued:

“We’ve heard that Hakamizaka is the person who’s hanging out with Toshio lately.”

Major pressed his hand against his chin and thought for a while.

“Do you know him? Then try to make some inquiries!”

“No, I’ve just heard about his name. He’s really famous! They say that he doesn’t even show up at the research centre, but his PhD thesis went through. But they might just have the same name, right? Why would Toshio hang out with this kind of people?”

“Haka-something isn’t a name that every Tom, Dick and Harry has! Toshio didn’t contact us much lately.”

“But I’ve just went to the school once today, do you want me to go again? There’s professors and students everywhere!”

Of course there’s professors and students in a university! But Major is actually a university student! This point really surprised me.

“The professors just nag me to death whenever I show up.”

“Then just leave school earlier!”

“What are you talking about? For the sake of barely staying in school, I strived to get credits that are barely enough to pass, and then skip classes, maintaining the state of not going to the next level or graduating, waiting for eight years to pass then leave school automatically.”

“…… Don’t you want to graduate?” I actually asked him that.

“Am I still considered a NEET if I graduate normally from university? Don’t you know what the second E in NEET means?” Seeing you screaming blue murder about things like this, I’m having a headache too.

“Major goes to university for the sake of searching for information.”

“That’s because history books and military information is not cheap! Letting the school library buy it is the best plan. I just ask the library to buy books for me before I leave school, until the whole room is filled with the books that I want to read, and then the room would be called the Major room.”

Just buy it yourself if you want to read it! What a troublesome student.

“That’s right, let me tell you, the books that are in this time are about battle submarines that can emit signals!”

“Oh yeah, Major, didn’t you go to school because of Alice’s request?”

Major opened the bag and turned it upside down, and the papers inside fell out onto the crate that we used as a table.

“You guys want to see the photocopied information, huh? You’re holding that upside down.”

“I don’t understand this.”

“I, myself, don’t understand it as well.”

“I went over to look at the papers that Hiro was holding, the color photocopied paper had a tall, red flower on it, and words were closely packed around the plant.

“You know that drugs are running rampant in the streets right now, right? This is what Yondaime requested Alice to investigate. I’ve heard that it isn’t anything good. Toshio wouldn’t be taking these, would he……”

I was taken aback, and thought of the pink pills that were used to block the twinkling lights of the Christmas decorations, which had wings of angels and two English letters on it. After taking the pills, he claimed that it was a legal medication that could make things ‘look as if they’re not moving’. What was its name again? What was it called? It was at the tip of my tongue, but I still couldn’t remember it.

“Ah, that is……”

“Mukai-san, sorry for the wait.”

Ayaka served Major his naengmyeon, interrupting my words. I swallowed back what I was about to say, because I didn’t want Ayaka to hear it. Hiro showed a confused expression and tilted his head. I hastily shook my head.

“What is it?” Ayaka came over to look, and I speedily snatched the paper from Hiro’s hands and turned it over.

“That’s so bad of you! What are you hiding, Fujishima-kun?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all.”

At this moment, a customer finally appeared in the shop. Ayaka hurriedly put on her apron and went to serve him, allowing me to heave a sigh of relief.

“What is it? What’s with you, Narumi?”

Just as I was about to answer, the blaring ringtone of ‘COLORADOBULLDOG’ rang in the shop. Major’s skinny body jumped almost a meter high, while Hiro hurriedly took out his phone, but Major was faster.

“I know that you’re here, so don’t talk rubbish with the others downstairs. Hurry up and get here! It’s urgent! And Hiro, hurry up and dive the car to the front, quick!”

Even I could hear Alice’s voice at the other side of the phone clearly, showing how painful Major’s ears are right now. As Major was about to answer her, she hung up.

“Alice is also in a bad mood today, huh?” Hiro raised his head and looked at the worn-out building behind him.

“Don’t you know? Every twenty nine days, Alice would get into a mentally unstable state for five days, this is the result of my detailed investigation so it can’t be wrong. As for the reason, I’m still not sure of that.”

Isn’t the reason obviously because of the girls’ period? But seeing Major triumphantly speaking of all that to Hiro, I couldn’t tell that to them.

“Every twenty nine days, so today is the second day.”

“I’ll go drive the car over here. What would be the matter, I wonder?”

Hiro left, leaving a silent Major. I tilted my head. Alice isn’t that scary, is she? She seemed like she’s in a bad mood everyday, anyways! After I said that, and was fiercely glared at by Major, whose eyes were hidden beneath the goggles.

Finally, Major said seriously:

“Do you know vice-admiral Jisaburo Ozawa? He’s the last Commander in Chief of Combined Fleet of the Japanese Navies.”

“Never heard of him.”

“Then don’t you know about the naval battle that occurred during the Second World War at Leyte Gulf, Phillipines? It is considered to be the largest naval battle in the world, and Vice-Admiral Ozawa used his team as bait to lure the enemy away , and successfully shifted the attention of the American forces away from Leyte.”

“Ah?”

“So we’re counting on you, Vice-Admiral Fujishima.” Who’s the vice-admiral? “Let’s meet at the Yakusuni Shrine!”

“Refused!”

*

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