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?
Hanamaru 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 had been tasting only salty ramen the whole day, my tongue felt much better when it came in contact with the sweet taste of the hemp and vanilla ice cream. The soup that Min-san makes is now much better than what she made before, but tasting them every day is still very painful.
“Did Toshio contact 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's 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 said, as the drug addicts' 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! Ayaka said seriously, which was out of character. Although it was pitiful for Toshio to be said that he could not have a girlfriend, but actually I have the same sentiments. Only Hiro gave a contrasting opinion.
“Really? His weak personality is actually quite suited for being a gigolo. I won’t be surprised even if he’s staying at some girl’s place right now. Actually, I’m more relieved if that's the case.”
“No doubt that it’ll be more reassuring if things are so…… 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!”
In the end, I went with Major. As soon as I stepped into Alice’s room, I saw her curled in her blanket, looking as though she was going to cry.
“Mocha Bear’s ear has fallen off!”
A huge, tea-colored teddy bear was placed at the front of the bed. No matter how you look at it, it was larger than Alice, but that might be because she’s too petite. As Alice said, the thread holding together the bear’s right ear has burst, exposing the cotton that was hidden in the seams.
“Careful! Carefully place it into the box! Stuff it full of towels! Narumi, don’t touch the wound! What if you enlarge the wound!”
Following Alice’s directions that were full of yelling and crying, Major and I placed the hurt plushie into a big cardboard box stuffed full of rolled up towels if the seams of the box. The huge, wrapped up box is indeed a thing that couldn’t be handled by just a person.
Major asked: “So it’ll be okay if we just bring this to Yondaime’s?”
“Tell him to fix it by this night, this concerns my life!”
Alice said with tears in her eyes. Why would they hand it to Yondaime? How does this concern her life? Questions swirled around in my mind, but the atmosphere does not allow me to ask them.
“And here’s the information that you asked me to find.”
Alice took the transparent file from Major, read it as fast as if she’s reading manga, then extracted a portion of the photocopied papers and threw it at me.
“What are you spacing out for? Don’t you know what to do with this if I didn’t tell you to hand this to Yondaime as well?”
Major and I fled the room with the box containing Alice’s precious bear.
Hiro’s car was a dark blue, high classed imported car, and doesn’t seem to be something that could be owned by a nineteen year old guy.
“It’s because I’m the only one that has a car, although I didn’t buy it myself.”
He explained that it was a gift from his girlfriend, and it was from his ex-ex-ex-girlfriend. This guy would probably get a knife in his chest by a woman one day.
“But driving there is a suicidal action……” I looked at the other side of the railway, which had grand lights lighting up the night skies. There were three roads at the south side of the station, and there were always traffic jams there.
“Speaking of which, just bringing this box over there with this car also counts as a suicidal action, doesn’t it?”
I lowered my head and looked at the large box containing the plushie. Hiro had a point. Actually, we could just tie the box at the back of a motorbike and send it there, but Major said that he needed to go back to his school for awhile, and rode the motorbike away. It seemed like he wanted to investigate this Hakamizaka guy.
We stuffed the box into the backseat, used the safety belt to keep it still and went back to the front seat.
“Is that bear really that important?”
“Alice can’t sleep without it at night.”
“Ah?” Things got that bad, just because of that? “But why are we taking it to Yondaime?”
“Ah— about Yondaime, he looks fierce and all, but he has an interest in arts and crafts. He helped Alice to fix the plushie once before, and his skill is top notch. That was also the first time for me to see Yondaime sewing.”
“Who……”
The car soundlessly drove on the streets. The night view has become a river formed by streetlights.
“Who on Earth is that guy?”
“Have you ever heard of the Hirasaka-gumi?"
I do have a faint impression of the name, as it would come up between conversations in school.
“Are they a motorcycle gang?”
“Nono, they’re not a motorcycle gang. They’re just a gang formed from a bunch of kids who likes to fight or to follow the crowd in this district, a self-proclaimed yakuza gang. Yondaime is their leader.”
Hiro said in a casual manner. But even I, who just moved here, know of the existence of the Hirasaka-gumi, so shouldn’t they be quite a large organization?
“Is it because Yondaime is the forth generation of the organization that he is called Yondaime?”
“No, he’s the first leader of the Hirasaka-gumi. He founded Hirasaka-gumi, and so the only person who could control their members is him.”
“Eh? Then why is he called Yondaime?”
“Because he is the forth generation in his hometown, Kansai. It seemed that he ran away from home, and that place is where the true yakuza truly lies.
Whoa, really? Then why didn’t he just stay home and be their forth generation leader?
“He’ll get angry whenever someone calls him Yondaime, but Alice felt amused about that so she deliberately called him Yondaime. That ended up being his nickname between us.”
“You guys really went too far……”
I muttered to myself, and Hiro laughed while patting at the gear he was holding.
“He’s even worse than us! But nobody can beat her, no matter it is Yondaime or us, understand?”
I thought of the snow white skin that was like a Japanese doll, large eyes and long hair as black as molasses. I get what Hiro meant, as I couldn’t win against her.
“But you should refrain from mentioning this to other people, because Yondaime will kill you. Hirasaka-gumi is a self-proclaimed chivalrous organization, and are very adamant, so they won’t forgive those who misuse drugs.”
I remembered something.
“Hiro, do you remember what the drug is called?”
“Nope…… Ah, I’ve forgotten, it should be written on the information gathered by Major, shouldn’t it?”
I skimmed through the papers that we were supposed to give to Yondaime. The rather complicated chemical equations and content written in professional terms made my head spin. Repeating the same action, excitement, overly-alert, insomnia, rising blood pressure, sharp ears, slack pupils…… The side-effects of the drug were densely packed on the paper, telling people how dangerous it is to consume it, the name of the drug, which was the most important to me, was not written on it.
I hope that it's just my groundless fears.
The office of Hirasaka-gumi was situated at a somewhat dirty building, after driving on the slope that was at the left side of the main street in front of the station. The building was just beside the fork on the slope.
We parked the car at the parking lot and took out the box. We went on the cramped elevator that was making a noise like the painful panting of old men, up till the forth floor. As soon as we walked out of the elevator, we could see the long, straight signboard hung beside the metal door, and the words ‘Hirasaka-gumi” was solemnly written on it. A swallowtail butterfly-shaped logo of the gang was drawn in a round, black frame…… Wait, it shouldn’t be the logo of their gang, but the emblem of their organization. I was really freaked out, they aren’t really yakuzas, are they? But without even using the doorbell, Hiro straightaway opened the door and went in.
The door in the room was somewhat smaller than the doors in a classroom, and looked even smaller because of the cupboards arranged by the wall, the sofa at the center of the room and the tables. Four or five guys wearing black T-shirts were originally sitting down, but suddenly stood up at the same time.
“Second brother(Note: not sure about this), thanks for your hard work!”
“Thanks for your hard work!”
They saluted Hiro. I couldn’t help but take a step back, nearly dropping the box in the process. What is with this situation? Second brother?
The people wearing black T-shirts were quite young, at most they’re at the age when they’ve just graduated from high school. They had skin that was dyed into a dark color, bleached hair and had piercings in their ears. They looked just like ordinary young people who would gather at the streets of the street centre every night. The only thing different with them is that there was an emblem printed on top of their T-shirts.
Hiro answered: “ Don’t call me that! I’ve said that loads of times, don’t call me second brother.”
“But you and Sou-san are just like brothers. Here, let me help you to take your stuff.”
While saying that, Yondaime’s bodyguard – Rocky placed the box onto the ground.
“Well, forget about it, I’ve dated quite a lot of girls before, so in some way, I’m a brother to Yondaime.” How does that count as being his brother?
“Hiro, you really don't want to live anymore, do you?”
Yondaime opened the door to the right and walked out. That day, he was wearing a purple vest, and you can see a tattoo of their emblem on his right shoulder.
“Aren’t you here to hand me an investigation report? What’s with this large box? It isn’t stuffed full of reports, is it?” Yondaime sat down on the chair behind the table and said lazily. Hiro shook his head and tore away the tape on the box.
“Nono, this is Alice’s request. Her doll’s ear dropped off and she wanted someone to fix it.”
Hearing Hiro’s words, Yondaime almost jumped up a few feet, just like a spring. He jumped over the table and leaped in front of me in a flash, pressed down the box that was about to be opened, and glared ferociously at Hiro.
“Don’t you know that? You can’t speak of that thing here!”
“Sou-san, what’s in the box?”
“Nothing! Carry the box to my car, and don’t look inside. If you look, I’ll beat you up until you forget about it!”
Yondaime’s imposing manner was just like a hurricane, and he threw the car keys to another man. “Yes, sir! I’ll go hone my manliness right away!” He picked up the keys and saluted. How could you even hone your manliness while moving a cardboard box anyway?
“This is ane-san’s stuff, so we should move it carefully.”
Ane-san would be Alice, right? Did they watch too many strange movies or something? The box was taken out by two guys wearing black T-shirts. Did we just do some meaningless labor? I raised my head and looked at Hiro. He was laughing sneakily. Oh~ So he deliberately moved it here to annoy Yondaime…… He told me not to tell anyone, but he himself wanted to tease Yondaime.
“You’ll have to fix it by tonight.”
“I know! I’ll send it there after I fix it.”
Anyhow, he’s still a yakuza boss, but he would actually spend the night fixing a doll for a pajamas-clad hikkikomori? It’s such a mystery, what the heck is with this situation? I looked at the people in the room, thinking that they would probably be very surprised if they know that, huh?
“Do you know it too? Hiro told you about that, didn’t he?”
Yondaime grabbed my shirt by the collar.
“Know what?”
“Know that thing! That!” At this moment, I suddenly felt like teasing him.
“Eh? Which matter do you mean by that?” “Don’t you know it? It’s my…… that!” “You keep mentioning that, but how would I know what’s that when you don’t say it clearly?” “Don’t play the fool! Idiot, how could I possibly say it out myself!” “Eh? But I’m not sure, so why don’t you just tell me the possible answers?” “Narumi, I know that you’re very amused right now, but Yondaime would be very distressed if you don’t stop talking!” “I’ll be the one distressed if I stop talking!” “Here’s the investigation report.”
Hiro handed Yondaime the transparent file, as though nothing happened just now. Yondaime tossed me to the floor and snatched the folder. “Hey! Get me the folder from the hospital.” Yondaime commanded. A man wearing a black T-shirt walked into the room and handed us a sea blue folder.
Returning to the other side of the table, Yondaime looked at the two folders with a serious expression on his face. Hiro went closer to have a look and asked:
“What’s this?”
“It’s the symptoms for the people who were hospitalized this month or so for taking drugs, we’re investigating that as well.”
“That’s quite patient of you…… Oh yeah, you could just compare it with Alice’s information.”
“Right…… Hmm, this guy is……” Yondaime’s finger moved along the information of the drug effects, and then pointed at the papers in the sea blue folder. “…… We guessed correctly. The effects of the drug is too long to be MDMA, while stimulants can’t be taken directly, and the patient is young too.”
“Is it Fix?”
Rocky the bodyguard asked while peeking at the side.
“We won’t know if we don’t ask. He’s at N Hospital, so let’s go!”
Yondaime’s words caused all of the black-shirts to stand up and put on jackets. It felt as though the atmosphere in the room changed completely like a light was suddenly turned on.
…… Fix?
The memory of that moment finally surfaced, the carving of the letters A.F at the bottom of an angel’s wings. Toshio have said that, angels would not have preferential treatment on humans.
“…… Angel Fix?”
Because of my mutterings, Yondaime fiercely turned around, scaring me until I couldn’t even straighten my back.
“Why do you know of Angel Fix?”
“Eh….. That, that’s because……”
Yondaime took hold of my collar, and Hiro answered for me with his face green:
“That day I was with Toshio…… That guy……”
“Hey, so the things that Toshio was holding on to were pills? Round ones, you sure?”
Yondaime tightly held my collar, and pulled it until it almost couldn’t rise up higher. Being caught, I nodded fervently. Hiro took hold of Yondaime’s hand, trying to pull him away from me.
“Stop that! Do you want to kill him? What’s with the pills?”
Yondaime tossed me to the sofa, and I could only cough violently while keeping a hand on the floor for support. Yondaime’s voice sounded from above me.
“Didn’t Alice tell you anything? The way of selling Angel Fix was very special, and didn’t have any fixed way of selling them. The people who bought them crushed them into powder, and then sold them to other people that they know. It was like they didn’t even want to earn money, so we couldn’t find the source of the drug. The only thing that we are sure of is, the source of the drug is a person with the round pills.”
Yondaime stopped talking for a moment and looked at me.
“Is Toshio the person who directly bought the pills, or is he the person who’s selling them?”
Putting on the white coat that his lackeys handed him, Yondaime swiftly sent orders using a phone. Some of them went to the hospital while some of them went to search for Toshio. Yondaime and some of his lackeys stayed at the office while the others hastily walked out of it.
“Just go home, Narumi!”
Hiro pulled at the collar of my sports jacket, and only then did I woke up from my stupor.
“You guys aren’t looking for….. Toshio, are you?”
“I don’t even know where he is.”
“But……”
If I have noticed earlier……
“What are you dawdling there for? Hurry up and go home, don’t get in our way.”
Yondaime’s tone was harsh, so Hiro could only drag me out by the arms, but my legs didn’t move. Shouldn’t there be something that I can help with? Although I’m not really clear about Toshio’s problem, but the person who spoke to him last before he disappeared was me. There should be something that I can help with.
“There’s nothing that needs your help. Hurry up and scram. There’s already someone dead because of the drug.”
Yondaime answered sternly.
“But……”
It’s all my fault, if I caught hold of Toshio properly, all of this would be okay. If only I remembered the name of the drug earlier and discussed it with someone……
“Narumi……”
It looked as if Hiro, who was at my back, was going to say something, but was halted by Yondaime’s raised hand. I felt like I was going to be bitten to death by him, so I could only shut my mouth and lowered my head. The sound of the lackey’s footsteps disappeared from the door. I secretly raised my head again.
Yondaime was originally standing at the other side of the sofa, but his wolfish eyes suddenly appeared again before me. I suffered a heavy punch in the stomach, and could not help but to bend my back, saliva dripping out of my open jaw. Yondaime used the hand that he just punched me with to support me and harshly hurled me back to the sofa.
“If that was a knife, you’re already dead. Don’t be so cocky, kid. A normal person will only get in our way if they get hurt when taking part in an investigation, so you’d better get lost!”
After Yondaime walked out of the room, I leant against Hiro’s shoulders and stood up again.
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