Top of the Fourth Inning After three days pa.s.sed, the day for their battle plan to be set in motion had arrived. Lin and Sayuri met in front of the big display screen in Solaria thirty minutes before the party began. After Lin waited a couple minutes right in front of the screen as they agreed upon, Sayuri arrived in a one piece dress. Even within a crowd, her beauty stood out.
“How do I look?”
She wore an elegant, high quality dress with a simple silver necklace and was in eight inch high heels. Her attire was more formal than usual, but she was neither overdoing it or under doing it. Her bag and wrist watch were all items from famous brands, but she managed to remain conservative enough.
Her sense of style is great as always, Lin thought to himself. She looked more beautiful than ever fully decked out.
“It"s a shame you"re all dressed up just to be a decoy for that sc.u.m.”
“Why thank you.”
The two walked side by side as they headed over to the a.s.sembly hall. Once they got near the place, Lin handed Sayuri a transmitting device. She placed the small device in one of her ears and set the microphone on the back of her necklace.
‘How is it? Can you hear me?"
Lin heard her voice come through on his ear piece. The connection was working.
“Alright, we"re set. Let"s get going.”
They split up and began to each take action. Sayuri headed into the party, which was located in an Italian restaurant on the fifth floor of the multi-tenant building. They had researched the location ahead of time. Lin went to the building across from the a.s.sembly hall and climbed up the emergency staircase. There was an empty tenant on the fifth floor that was left unlocked. Lin stepped inside and looked out the window. He could have a clear view of the party if he used the binoculars he brought with him.
Lin reported to Sayuri over the mic. “I"m in position. How is it on your end?”
‘I"m inside." Sayuri replied back in a murmur. ‘Haha, this feels like a spy movie. I"m getting excited."
Lin let a smile slip when he heard Sayuri"s childish comments.
He took a look inside the a.s.sembly hall through his binoculars. The restaurant had been reserved with men and women dressed up crowding the place. There were chairs set out, but it was mainly a stand-up event so most of the attendants were chatting with each other on their feet with drinks in hand.
Lin was able to see Sayuri as well. After she took a champagne gla.s.s from a waiter, she moved over to a corner in the restaurant where she could have a full view of the a.s.sembly hall.
“Is it going well?”
Sayuri concealed her mouth with her beverage before she answered. ‘I suppose so. I"m going to keep watch and observe for a while."
“Is there any man you"re interested in there?”
Lin asked with a chuckle.
‘Why yes, all of them are wonderful. And they seem to be quite wealthy as well." Sayuri jokingly replied back.
This matchmaking party the culprit enjoyed to attend had a unique condition for males partic.i.p.ating, unlike other parties: that they had to have a high income. The event was popular for women as no one could partic.i.p.ate if they were unable to have a steady income in a year.
“So, why do you think the guy chose this party out of the rest?”
Lin had an instantaneous doubt forming in his mind. He c.o.c.ked his head as he continued to keep watch using his binoculars. “Aren"t there a lot of women who are here looking for a wealthy man to support them?”
The culprit was after women who made a lot of money. This party should be unsuitable as a place to find someone to rob from.
‘Maybe for some, it"s the opposite." Sayuri suggested. ‘There may be some women who make their own money and want to find someone who does the same as they do."
“Ah, I get it.”
There was a sound reasoning in what she said. Naturally there would be women that were financially well off at these parties.
The friendly conversations continued for a couple minutes more. The party was much more casual than an actual matchmaking party as there was no program planned where everyone introduced themselves and exchanged numbers, allowing each person to be able to spend their time as they pleased. Everyone would find someone they were interested in and start a conversation with them as they enjoyed their beverages and snacks. That was all they did. Sayuri had also been approached by many men, but she handled them all properly. Lin was impressed with her performance.
An hour pa.s.sed.
‘...That man could be him."
Lin had heard Sayuri"s subdued voice. She seemed to have found their target.
“Where?”
‘3 o"clock. The one in the gray suit."
Lin looked through his binoculars. When he looked in the direction Sayuri had told him, he saw a man wearing a gray striped suit and a blue necktie looking around the area. From what Lin could tell, the man was around thirty years old. He looked like a kind-hearted and capable business man. And he certainly resembled the characteristics of the man they saw in the surveillance footage, but they needed confirmation.
“I"m not sure.” Lin c.o.c.ked his head. “He looks like any ordinary guy.”
‘It"s his gaze. He"s not looking at the women"s faces; he"s focused solely on their belongings."
The man was moving around to check out the women"s bags, wallets, and wrist watches they had on their person.
‘I"m going to make contact."
Sayuri immediately took action. She approached the man with drink in hand, facing away from him. She looked behind her back through the reflection in the gla.s.s and waited for her moment. She turned around quickly the very instant the target walked near her, intentionally colliding with the man.
‘Ah!"
Lin heard her small shriek over his earphones. It was an old technique, but strangely it looked smart how she did it.
‘I"m sorry."
‘No, the fault is mine."
Sayuri spoke with the man. However, simply making contact with the target was not her only goal.
‘Did I get my drink on you?" Sayuri feigned concern and took out a brand handkerchief from her brand bag to show her items off.
‘Here. Use this."
‘Thank you." The man looked inside Sayuri"s bag the moment he took her handkerchief just as she had predicted. It was not long after that. They introduced themselves, Sayuri going by Yuri while the man called himself Ryouta. The name he used as the same as one of the partic.i.p.ant"s fake names Enokida had found. This man could likely be their target.
The man had told Sayuri he worked for a security company. When he asked Sayuri what she did for a living, she responded that she worked at a beauty salon. She listed her false personal history like a spy from an intelligence agency would; she claimed to have originally been an OL when she changed occupations and joined the cosmetic industry when she was twenty-five, and after five years working at the salon she quit and recently went freelance.
‘You have your own store?" The man had exclaimed, looking surprised. ‘That"s an incredible feat to achieve at such a young age."
‘Oh no, it"s not all that impressive."
Sayuri acted humble.
‘f.u.kuoka has the most salons aimed towards women in all of j.a.pan. So the compet.i.tion is high."
‘I see. That sounds difficult."
After that, the two had exchanged numbers.
Lin hummed, admiring Sayuri"s splendid play.
By the time the party over, the man calling himself Ryouta and Sayuri had completely opened up to one another, even if they both were just putting on an act. Ryouta had suggested for the two of them to go out drinking together very casually, as though it was practice for him. They could not have asked for more. Sayuri had readily consented.
They left the party and Lin tailed after the pair carefully so the man would not notice. The man brought Sayuri to a bar in Nakasu. The bar had a chic style and a soothing atmosphere; it was more oriented towards women who come out for drinks. Lin concealed himself in a telephone booth nearby and waited there to watch what was going on inside.
The two ordered their drinks and toasted at the counter. Afterwards, they proceeded to chat pleasantly with each other.
Lin focused on the conversation they were having over the transmitter. Ryouta had said he came by car so he could not drink, but he had kept pushing Sayuri to drink more. Sayuri took them and downed the drinks fairly quickly. The man would make recommendations of what to try and had ordered Sayuri expensive c.o.c.ktail drinks that could be drunk easily and that had higher alcohol content. He used a very standard technique to get a woman intoxicated.
Sayuri had turned down the fifth c.o.c.ktail Ryouta tried to order for her and asked the bartender for a water instead. It seemed they were going to move onto the next step in their plan.
‘I don"t want any more alcohol."
Lin heard Sayuri"s intoxicated-like voice.
‘Are you alright?" The man pretended to worry for her well being.
‘I don"t feel so great...I might have drank too much."
The man had paid the bill after that. The two then left the bar. Lin instantly hid himself.
The man walked while supporting Sayuri as she was unsteady on her feet. ‘Yuri-san, are you alright?"
Sayuri placed a hand over her mouth and muttered weakly. ‘...I feel sick."
Lin knew it was an act, and yet it really did look like she was drunk. Lin quickened his pace as he followed after them.
‘Maybe you should rest somewhere." The man suggested.
The man took Sayuri, who was feigning to be hardly aware, to the nearest business hotel. Lin kept tailing them. From behind, the pair looked like any ordinary couple.
Only fifteen minutes had pa.s.sed to get from the bar to the hotel. Lin could tell the man was accustomed to this.
The man got into the hotel and went through the formalities in getting a room at the front desk. A couple minutes later, the two had seemingly arrived to their room.
‘Here, lie down."
Lin heard the man"s voice as he nursed Sayuri.
‘Do you need water?"
‘......"
‘Yuri-san?"
There was no response from Sayuri.
‘Yuri-san, are you asleep?"
‘......"
Lin did not hear either of them speak. The silence lingered for a couple minutes more.
‘He just left the room." Sayuri reported after the long wait. ‘It looks like he took my wallet and my bag."
“Got it.”
Lin waited for the man at the entrance of the hotel. The man came out on swift feet, completely unaware.
“Hold it right there, you sc.u.mbag.”
Lin stepped out in front of him and delivered a punch directly in his face.
Lin and Sayuri carried the unconscious man back to the hotel room. They set him in a chair and tied him up with securely duck tape they brought with them.
The man awoke after they slapped his cheeks a few times.
“You awake?”
“Wh” The man"s eyes shot open. “What the h.e.l.l is this!?”
He thrashed around in an attempt to escape his bindings, but it was futile. The man stilled, seemingly understanding his predicament.
“...Who are you?” The man glared up at Lin"s face. “What"s the meaning of this?”
He then glanced over to the person next to Lin.
“Ah, you"re-” The man"s eyes widened when he noticed Sayuri. “You couldn"t have. You set me up!?”
“As if you have any room to talk, thief.”
You"re the one who tried to trick her.
“Are you with the police? Isn"t a sting operation illegal?” The man bore daggers at Lin and Sayuri. “...No, that"s not it. If you captured me like this, then perhaps you"re bounty hunters. Is there a bounty on my head?”
“Do you have any idea what this is for?”
“No idea.” The man averted his gaze. He then asked wearily. “...What do you want from me?”
“Your confession.” Lin stated as he looked down at the man. They first needed this man to admit to his crimes. “We were hired by an avenger under the request of your victims.”
The man calling himself Ryouta was certainly handsome. He had nice facial features, but he lacked any distinct traits. He was average enough to where it would be hard to remember him. He was tall and seemingly had a high-paying job, so Lin was able to understand how the victims fell for his deceit. With this appearance, it was easy to trick the women up to this point.
“You stole money from other women this exact same way in the past, right?”
“I don"t know what you"re talking about.” The man shamelessly lied.
“Don"t pretend you don"t know.”
Lin shrugged. He did not believe from the start that the man would confess right away.
“But there"s no point in trying to hide it. We took your fingerprints while you were out. You won"t be able to get away once it matches with the ones the police have.”
They had confiscated everything the man had in his bag. Lin held the man"s cell phone and wallet in his hand.
“We"ll be taking your belongings. We"re going to have our informant look through everything you have to figure out your ident.i.ty, so prepare yourself.”
They would hand the man over to the avenger after they accomplish that. Until then, they would leave him alone in this room to reflect his actions.
“...Don"t f.u.c.k with me.” The man"s tone abruptly there. He glared at them, teeth bared. “Don"t think you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds will get away with this scot free.”
The gentleman-like att.i.tude he had been using up to this point and completely changed, and Ryouta threatened them menacingly. This was the man"s true nature. Everyone isn"t what they seem, Lin mused to himself.
“I"ll make you regret this.” The man had a vicious smile. “I got an older brother who is a hitman.”
“...Ha? A hitman?”
The man grinned when Lin"s jaw dropped open.
“You"ve got to know, right? There are a s.h.i.t ton of guys who kill for a living in this world. My brother is one of them.”
The man continued proudly.
“Once my brother knows what you did, he"ll come and kill you. Better prepare yourselves.”
“Huh, what a coincidence.” Lin smiled. “We"re hitmen too.”
“My, there are many out there indeed.” Sayuri remarked beside him.
The man was stunned to hear their comments. He frowned before speaking. “Even if you two are hitmen, you won"t be a match for my brother. Two frail women will be nothing to him.”
Sayuri chuckled. “He"s a man.”
“Besides, we"re not weak.” Lin also laughed with her. “Don"t you worry. When the brother you"re so proud of comes, we"ll tell him you said hi.”
After they put duck tape over the man"s mouth to prevent him from speaking, Lin and Sayuri walked out of the room, leaving the man behind.
“Alright, so we"ll be back later.”
“Behave yourself now.”
Nguyen came to f.u.kuoka to carry out a mission his superior had a.s.signed him, but he did not have much to do until his target appeared. He went around scouting for new recruits during his free time, but he did not find anyone. Nguyen reluctantly gave up and returned to the business hotel he was staying in.However, it was boring to just wait idly by in his room the whole time. Nguyen decided to invite out his former colleague as he had a good opportunity to.
He invited the former ace in Murder Inc in their main branch in Tokyo: Shunsuke Saruwatari. He currently resided in Kitakyushu City and was making a name for himself as a freelance hitman. The rumors about him reached even Nguyen"s ears when he was out scouting.
Fortunately, the man was off right now as well. Saruwatari took the limited express train, the Sonic, from Kokura to Hakata to see him. They were going to meet at the Chikushi exit in JR Hakata Station.
“It"s been awhile, Nguyen.”
Saruwatari appeared from the rush hour crowd. He did not change since Nguyen had last seen him. He seemed to be doing as well as ever.
“Hey,” Nguyen raised a hand in greeting. “Sorry for making you come here.”
“I don"t mind. I wasn"t doing anything.” Saruwatari answered bluntly.
They went into a yakiniku restaurant located behind the station per Saruwatari"s request. Saruwatari only ordered the rare items when Nguyen told him he was treating. For drinks, Nguyen got beer while Saruwatari asked for a cola.
They toasted, and as they placed the cow tongues on the cooking net Nguyen thought back on older memories together. The two used to complain about the company they worked for as they had meals together like this. Nguyen downed his beer, feeling a rush of nostalgia.
“Hey, do you remember when you first joined us?” Am I showing my age now that I"m talking about the past while drinking? Nguyen smiled wryly. “You got into a fight with a senior and sent him into the hospital, if my memory serves me right.”
Saruwatari grunted in acknowledgement as he chewed his food. “Now that you mention it, I do recall that.”
He phrased it as though he had forgotten about the whole incident when it was in fact a huge deal back then.
“You caused us a lot of trouble, you know that?”
Nguyen belonged to the same division as Saruwatari did after the newcomers" training had finished. The seniors instructing the newcomers had an eye on the c.o.c.ky Saruwatari. However, Saruwatari was a natural. Even if he had an ego, he was able to carry out the jobs a.s.signed to him, so his superiors had treated him favorably. And as such, the golden rookie was a target of jealousy from everyone else for his talent.
People who excel at something tend to be disliked. Saruwatari"s seniors were spiteful towards him. They would make him work overtime needlessly and would not invite him out to the welcome party (not that Saruwatari would likely attend anyway), and there were occasions where they called the police on him while he was out on jobs. There was apparently one instance where someone had mixed a lethal dose of poison into his drink left on his desk. These were all forms of bullying for a hitman contract company.
A normal person would break down, but Saruwatari happened to have a mental fort.i.tude of steel. He would not give in regardless of how much hara.s.sment he received. He found the actions ridiculous and did nothing in retaliation. Even when he was reported to the police he managed to flee the scene soundly and was fine even after drinking the poison.
However, Saruwatari eventually reached his limit. That said, his patience was short to begin with. It was just a ha.s.sle for him to do anything about it until one point.
Saruwatari was paired up with one of his seniors from training. And the person had made up a story, trying to pin a mistake Saruwatari did not make and blame him for it. Saruwatari snapped when it happened.
Nguyen remembered it vividly even now. Saruwatari had exclaimed as his superior interrogated him: ‘I wouldn"t make a dumb-a.s.s mistake like that!" He then proceeded to kick any objects in the vicinity from desks and chairs to trash cans. All the employees in the office trembled in fear at his display of violence, and the entire air on the whole floor froze over.
Saruwatari had then turned over to his senior who had been working calmly at his desk and sped towards him, leaping from desk to desk to reach him. He grabbed the man by the collar, hefted him up and slammed him against the ground, climbing on top of him and delivering swift punches. ‘Spill it, you f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" When Saruwatari"s furious face drew close to his, the man had tears well up in his eyes and confessed to what he did.
The man had ended up in hospital for two whole months due to the severity of his injuries, and afterwards he had quit the company and joined another organization. He was apparently a skilled employee who was the division"s ace hitman until Saruwatari had arrived, but his final time there was too quick.
Ever since that day, the bullying completely ceased. Everyone was afraid of Saruwatari and did not make any attempt in getting close to him. Saruwatari reigned as the supreme ace in the Tokyo branch of Murder Inc.
“I was scared s.h.i.tless that I got put in the same division as you back then.”
But now Nguyen was able to look back on it and find the whole ordeal comical. Nguyen also thought he would never get along with Saruwatari when he first joined the company. So Nguyen never expected to establish a relationship with him where they would sit and drink together. First impressions were not everything.
“...I was young and acted without thinking.”
“I highly doubt that.” Nguyen chuckled. He was inclined to believe this man would react the same way if he encountered a similar situation a second time.
Nguyen asked about his recent activities as he ate his hanger steak. “So how"s freelance work going?”
“All of them have been too easy.”
“Aside from your personal feelings towards the jobs themselves, isn"t it hard to do it by yourself?”
“Not really. I got a consultant.”
Saruwatari answered as he chewed his meat.
“A consultant?”
“One for hitmen. He handles the clients and making the deals.”
There"s people who do that for a living? First time I"m hearing about it. “That"s useful to have.” Nguyen smiled.
At the same time, Nguyen found it unusual. He never would have expected Saruwatari to have a business partner given how much he disliked human interaction. Not only that, Saruwatari let this person do all the work. Nguyen figured this killer consultant had to be skilled to have conciliated with this man as long as they have.
Saruwatari downed his flat cola drink before changing the topic.
“Likewise, how"s it been going for you? Sounds like the company has been putting you through a lot of work.”
“Yes they are!”
Nguyen exclaimed. He had a list of complaints piled up about them.
“There"s a rumor going around on how we"re downsizing in ma.s.s recently, and because of it more guys are quitting and turning to freelance work.”
“Ha?” Saruwatari c.o.c.ked his head. “They didn"t have much people to begin with, so why are they downsizing?”
“So here"s the thing,” Nguyen explained. “Right now our company is in a dispute over the upcoming successor, and the reformist group and the conservatives aren"t in an agreement.”
After Nguyen ordered another beer, he continued to complain.
“The reformists are trying to change how the company does things. They plan on having fewer employees and have a business to where they could make more profits.”
If the reformists took over the company, then a huge number of employees would be let go from Murder Inc. That rumor began to spread around the company, so now there were many trying to change jobs or go freelance.
And now with the company chronically understaffed, even the scouting division Nguyen was a part of was flocked with work.
“Saru~,” Nguyen tried to persuade the other man by tears. “Please come ba~ck.”
This man could help the company tremendously if he came back.
“I believe I told you no.” But Nguyen"s attempt had no effect on Saruwatari. “I"m not gonna leave f.u.kuoka.”
“Then I can ask the f.u.kuoka branch to-”
“That"s not it.”
Nguyen"s shoulders slumped in defeat. The man was as stubborn as ever.
Saruwatari"s personality clashed with the corporate work environment to begin with, but Saruwatari quit Murder Inc to find more thrilling jobs originally. And he came to f.u.kuoka of all places, which was said to be the battlefield among a.s.sa.s.sins to fight strong opponents like the killer-of-killers.
“That reminds me, did you encounter the killer-of-killers?”
Nguyen changed the topic.
“Yeah, I did.”
Saruwatari nodded.
“I fought with the Niwaka Samurai.”
“Are you serious?” Nguyen"s eyes widened in shock.
Nguyen had heard rumors about the Niwaka Samurai. He was the number one hitman in f.u.kuoka who wore a Niwaka mask and wielded a j.a.panese sword. He was an urban legend as no one had seen him and lived.
And he fought against the legendary Niwaka Samurai?
Nguyen leaned forward and asked excitingly. “What kind of person was he?”
“I guess I"d say…” Saruwatari began as he dug through memories. “He"s tall. Probably around 180 centimeters.”
“And?”
“He looks slim, but he"s got a surprisingly muscular body. And he"s strong.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And he"s fast on his feet.”
“Oh?”
“He gets to run occasionally.”
“...Hm?”
Gets to run occasionally?
Saruwatari kept going, not paying heed to Nguyen"s confusion. “I thought he was the type to hit steadily, but sometimes he swings with a lot of force. And his. .h.i.ts are something to watch out for. Hard to recover from when he makes a hit. I"ve been done in once too.”
What type of person would he be? Nguyen tried to imagine what the man would look like. He wears a Niwaka mask and is surprisingly muscular, and he swings his j.a.panese sword around swiftly as he came at his opponent (and occasionally runs). ...he sounds outrageous.
“And he"s a solid wall on defence.” Saruwatari"s expression scintillated as he talked about the Niwaka Samurai. “He"s got pretty good moves.”
“He sounds quite incredible…”
Nguyen still did not have a great idea of what the man was like, but he understood that he was a force to reckon with. His reputation as the strongest in f.u.kuoka was not exaggerated.
“But I did hold him back with my right arm.”
Saruwatari stated proudly.
“Wow.”
Nguyen was impressed. As expected of the former ace from Tokyo HQ if he had taken down the Niwaka Samurai with one hand.
“But anyway, I think he"s a great player.”
“......A player?”
Nguyen c.o.c.ked his head in confusion once more.
They extended their stay at the front desk, and Lin and Sayuri left the hotel after requesting to not have the room cleaned.
Everything went as according to plan. And it was all thanks to Sayuri.
They did not feel like going their separate ways right away, so Lin and Sayuri decided to go out and celebrate. They went to a restaurant Sayuri frequented in Nakasu. It was a small, cozy restaurant run by a couple in an old building - which based on outward appearances it seemed like the business could go under in the future - and yet it was surprisingly busy inside.
The pair ordered motsu nabe for two as well as other varieties of food and two beers for beverages.
“Cheers!”
Lin and Sayuri clanked their mugs against each other before downing half of their beer.
“Still, you were a huge help. Thank you.”
Lin expressed his thanks for Sayuri"s work and exclaimed. “You were amazing.”
As expected of the woman who a.s.sa.s.sinated the head of the Kakyuu Group. She was very skilled.
“Haha.” Sayuri smiled elegantly. “Likewise, thank you. I haven"t had this much fun in a while.”
After a couple minutes pa.s.sed, their food was brought to the table. A large bowl was set on top of the gas range. They ignited the flame and had their ingredients simmer, and before long the savory fragrance arose, inciting their appet.i.te.
The two conversed as they enjoyed the local cuisine. They discussed their favorite clothes, talked about the makeup they use, and even divulged in memories. They kept talking with little restraint due to the influence of alcohol. Sayuri also enjoyed watching dramas, so they got into a discussion about popular romance dramas. She even told Lin of a skilled worker in a repair shop who could fix broken hills and tend his hair and nails. Lin was grateful to have someone he could have these discussions with.
Eventually, the topic shifted over to someone they both knew.
“...So what kind of relationship did you have with Banba exactly?”
Lin asked, beer in hand.
He had always been curious. They briefly talked about it when she visited the office a few months back, but Lin was unable to hear the full story because Banba came in and interrupted their conversation.
Sayuri had said she was Banba"s lover, yet she also mentioned that she was hired to kill Banba. Lin had remained curious of their relationship because of that.
“Are you sure you don"t want to ask him yourself?” Sayuri questioned back.
“He"s irrelevant in this. I want to know about you.”
Lin figured she would not have an issue with it. He smirked. Sayuri gave a faint smile in response; it looked like she would indulge him.
“So you two dated?”
“He was serious about it at least.”
“And?” Lin"s curiosity grew. He leaned forward and prompted her. “You weren"t?”
Sayuri laughed before ordering another drink. She appeared to be quite the heavyweight. After the shochu was brought over to them, she began to speak again. “I mentioned it last time, I believe. That I was hired to kill Zenji.”
“Yeah, you did.” Lin nodded. “But he"s alive.”
“Yes, he is. The truth is I wasn"t ordered to kill him; I was requested to get him in a life-threatening situation.”
“Who asked you to do it?”
“Zenji"s master.”
Lin raised his voice, intrigued. “He"s got a master?”
That piece of information was a first for him.
“Zenji trained under him. For three years, he shaped Zenji into a prime hitman.”
Sayuri smiled wryly.
“But as things turned out, Zenji changed after his first kill.”
Banba was much more laid back now, but he was apparently a womanizer in his younger days. He would hang out in clubs frequently, and every night he would sleep around with different women. Lin could hardly imagine it with how Banba was nowadays.
“He was in a position where an enemy could try and get close to him, and yet he"d chase after women. He was leaving himself completely open. His master was furious with him. He saw Zenji did not have enough self-awareness as a hitman, so he asked me to teach him a lesson.”
Banba"s master sent Sayuri as an a.s.sa.s.sin after Banba to punish him for his philandering. In short, it was a honey trap. Sayuri was the eighteenth women.
Banba easily fell for the trap when Sayuri had approached him. He apparently had fallen for her at first glance. After they dated for a while and Banba started to get serious about their relationship, Sayuri fulfilled her mission ruthlessly. Sayuri had drugged Banba with sleeping pills on the day he proposed to her and restrained him. She revealed her true ident.i.ty and threatened to ‘kill" Banba. Banba looked like the world was crumbling around him when faced with the reality of the situation.
“It was overkill, wasn"t it?” Sayuri shrugged.
That rhetoric made Lin recall what Banba had told him long ago:
‘When it happened I was shocked...After bein" betrayed by the person I most loved in the world, I couldn"t bring myself to trust other women. I couldn"t help but think if I tried datin" anyone I would just end up bein" betrayed again. So ever since then, I stopped womanizin"."
“...It was apparently rather effective.”
To learn that the woman he loved dearly was an a.s.sa.s.sin sent to end his life and that she had tried to kill him on the very day he proposed to her would have been traumatizing to Banba. Lin felt slightly sorry for him.
“So he was serious about you.”
“I did something awful to him.”
“Well, he practically asked for that to happen to him.” Lin snorted.
It was Banba"s fault to be so preoccupied with the company of women to make his mentor so frustrated. And it was also Banba"s mistake to easily fall for Sayuri"s trap. Banba definitely lacked awareness for his position as a hitman. He was too unguarded.
That said, Lin figured it may have been impossible for Banba to not be tricked by a woman of this caliber. From what Lin had seen of her in just a day, she was very skilled. Sayuri was a great woman. She was dependable and good-natured. Lin could understand how Banba would fall for her.
“So? What about you?”
Lin asked, smirking ear to ear.
“What about me?”
“Did you like him?”
After a few moments of silence, Sayuri answered ambiguously. “...I suppose I did. But whether I loved him or not, I can"t quite say.”
She then added as she glanced around their surroundings.
“This restaurant was where Banba took me to for our first date.”
“What?” Lin"s eyes were wide. “This rundown joint was your first date?”
He had unintentionally blurted out in a loud voice. Fortunately, none of the workers heard him.
Lin could not believe Banba would take a woman like Sayuri to a restaurant like this. Most normal people would choose to bring women to fancy restaurants. He then laughed. Yeah, that actually does sound like something Banba would do.
“The food at this restaurant is splendid.”
The restaurant may be dirty, but their motsu nabe was superb. Banba may have wanted to treat Sayuri to the finest Hakata cuisine here.
“That side of him was cute. I was fond of it.”
Lin could not help his heart from pounding slightly when Sayuri made a gentle smile.
I see. So this is the allure of a grown woman.
Lin felt like he had a better understanding behind what Jiro had said back then.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning After Banba got out of the bath, he walked down the long, old hallway as he roughly matted his wet head with a towel.
This was his fourth night staying at this house. His training on Genkai Island had been going smoothly. Aside from the drizzle outside, it was a rather quiet night. This would be his last night on the island. Banba planned to take off tomorrow morning.
He saw Masataka at the end of the hallway. He was sitting on the veranda, having his evening drink alone as he looked outside. A black bottle of shochu was left beside him.
“Hey, Zenji. You"re still up?” Masataka glanced over to him and raised up a gla.s.s. “Have a drink with me.”
Banba was fully aware this would not just be one drink, but he also could not turn down the sake his master offered. Banba reluctantly sat down next to him.
“Didn"t the doctors say to stop drinking?”
Masataka c.o.c.ked his head and feigned ignorance. “I don"t know. Did they?”
“Masataksan.”
Banba raised his voice in warning, but Masataka kept pretending to not know what he was talking about. He merely retorted with, “h.e.l.l if I care.”
Banba was just taking his health into consideration. He sighed, tired of his master"s stubbornness. “It"ll be your fault if your illness gets worse.”
“That"s fine by me.”
Masataka chuckled.
“I"ve killed many people up until this point. I"ll have to suffer in my last moments.”
Banba offered no rhetoric in response. He took the gla.s.s without a word. Masataka poured the Black Kirishima into it.
Banba turned his gaze outside. It was still raining, and the trees in the garden were drenched. The vegetables in the garden were also being pelted by the rain. The clouds were hiding the moon and stars, so the night scenery was hardly a wondrous spectacle.
“This sure brings back memories.” Masataka suddenly spoke. “We used to drink together like this often.”
“I often got utterly hammered though.”
There were countless of times Banba got as drunk as a skunk when he drank with the heavy-drinker, Masataka.
“Hahaha, oh yeah, that did happen.” Masataka burst out laughing, holding onto his stomach. “You sure built up a tolerance now though.”
He then gazed far off into the distance, as though recalling something.
“I really believed you were going to back out halfway through when you asked me to make you my apprentice...but you came through.”
Masataka"s training was brutal, both physically and mentally. Banba really thought he was going to die when Masataka had him swim in the ocean in the middle of winter. Even though he had aspired to be his apprentice, he often got the urge to run away from the cruel treatment.
“If I"m being honest, I remember thinking, ‘I"d rather quit," so many times.” Banba smiled wryly.
He took his empty gla.s.s and began to pour more alcohol in it.
“I was hard on you on purpose. Since you"re the one who asked me how to kill people, I couldn"t let you think light on killing someone if you were able to pull through easily. I felt responsible for you and gave you, a young person with a promising future, a chance to go back onto a righteous path.”
“Liar.” Banba glanced over to Masataka. “I know about the bets you and the old timer made.”
Masataka and Genzo had been betting whether Banba would see through the training to the end or quit part of the way through. Genzo made a bet that Banba would make it through, while Masataka a.s.sumed that Banba would give up.
“You didn"t want to lose your bet, so you were harder on me, correct?”
“You"re so distrustful. Do I look like that sort of man to you? I really care for you like a parent-”
“Sure you do.”
Banba replied before downing the shochu in one go.
Even then, Mastaka kept talking about the past.
“Your first kill sure was hard on you.”
It was a terrible memory. Banba grimaced. “...Can we stop talking about that?”
Banba was a novice back when it happened. Banba became independent after three years he trained under Masataka as his apprentice. He was ordered to kill a certain man for his first job.
Masataka had told him to wear black clothes. The reason for it was that if the spurt of blood got on him, it was less likely to be noticeable. Masataka had went out on jobs in black, casual clothes and a Niwaka mask during his time as well. That was how he ended up being called the Niwaka Samurai as the strongest ‘killer of killers" in Hakata.
Banba had considered dressing up as Masataka asked, but it was harder to move in casual clothes. So he had put on a black suit instead and headed to his first job as the second Niwaka Samurai like that.
“...I thought it would be easy to kill him.”
The job in itself was simple. The target was just a member of the yakuza, and he had went down with no resistance. The problem was after the fact.
“I was still too mentally weak to handle it at the time.”
A person from the yakuza was an ordinary criminal. They were someone who should be disposed of from society. It was not a big deal if Banba killed them. Banba had told himself this as he plunged his j.a.panese sword into his target"s heart.
However, ever since that day Banba had nightmares.
Whenever he laid down in bed and closed his eyes, he would see the man in his dreams. The man would stand in front of Banba, blood gushing out from the hole in his chest. He would climb on top of Banba and look down at him with his hollow eyes as he muttered, ‘I"ll kill you. I"ll kill you!" He would then clasp his hands around Banba"s throat and try to kill him. Banba was unable to resist, unable to move as though he had been tied down. He would struggle, incapable of retrieving air. The moment he thought he would give out, he would jolt awake.
No matter how much of a villain the person was did not change the fact that Banba had killed a human being. His guilt ate away at Banba"s mind in the form of nightmares.
“So at the time, I was so scared of sleepin" alone…”
“And that"s why you brought women to bed with you every night?” Masataka snorted. “I feel bad for the young girls you toyed with.”
It hurt to hear the statement. Banba at the time had caved in many times. He was terrified to go sleep because of the nightmares, so he always wanted to spend the night with someone. Anyone would have been fine if they could take his mind off of the nightmares.
“...But I was the one toyed with.”
Banba pouted in a low murmur.
“Don"t tell me.” Masataka peered at his face. “You still have a grudge against me for what happened?”
Of course Banba did. He glared at the man next to him. “Isn"t it obvious? You do know how much you hurt me because of that…”
He never expected the woman he loved to be someone Masataka had hired. Banba could never forget the incident. He had deep, internal scars even now.
And yet Masataka was unashamed of what he did. Instead, he stated. “It was your fault to begin with.”
“But you didn"t have to use such cowardly means.” Banba pouted sullenly. “You toyed with my innocence.”
“What innocence? You f.u.c.ked different women every night.”
Banba had nothing to retaliate with.
“Come on now.” Masataka teasingly asked. “You weren"t actually serious with that woman, were you?”
“......”
Banba averted his gaze.
He heard Masataka"s laugh. “You"re such a simpleton.”
“...Shut it.”
Banba muttered before taking another swig of his drink.
“You lacked awareness of being a hitman back then.”
Masataka proceeded with his lecture.
“And I taught you what would happen if a hitman kept sleeping around with women night after night.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
Banba had moments where he entertained one particular thought: what sort of life would he have if he married her and had a family with her? He may have quit the killer industry for her. He may have given up on revenge and would have obtained a happy, normal life for his family. He may have had an entirely different life than what he had now.
But the idea was a dream. And because of Masataka, Banba had woken up from it. He was reminded that hitmen could not achieve normal happiness and in fact, should not be allowed to have one.
Ever since then, Banba had stopped philandering at clubs. He gave up trying to find solace in others. In exchange, Banba opened up a detective agency. He thought of at least being of help to others, even in small ways. He decided that was how he was going to make a compromise for the guilt he felt. It was his job to kill people. He was a hitman but not a murderer. He made a clear distinction between the two.
And he also made a gra.s.s-lot baseball team. He got members who were in the same underground business as him to join. Banba was able to continue doing this job as playing baseball with his friends kept his mental state sound.
But now even that life was coming to an end.
“...Say, Zenji.”
The tone in Masataka"s voice had abruptly changed.
“What is it?”
“I believe it"s time you finally told me.” Masataka glanced over to him. His expression had turned solemn. “Tell me the reason you came here.”
“......”
“You have one, don"t you?”
Banba had to tell him. He nodded wordlessly and placed his gla.s.s down.
“I came to return these.”
Banba took out the Niwaka mask and j.a.panese sword from the room he was staying in and placed them in front of Masataka. They were items he had received from Masataka on the last day of his training.
“What"s the meaning of this?”
“Tomorrow, he"s going to be discharged.”
Banba stated in a low voice.
“By him you mean-”
Banba nodded firmly to the wide-eyed Masataka. “It is.”
He continued.
“I want this kill to be my last.”
Banba had no intention of doing more work when this was over, as neither the Niwaka Samurai or a regular hitman. Banba expressed his thoughts openly.
Masataka had fallen silent. After a few moments, he gave a small nod. “...Alright. So you"re going to quit.”
“I feel like I won"t be able to continue being a hitman after I kill him. I"m going to end up breaking the promise I made though.”
There was no excuse. Banba was unable to return the debt he owed to the man who raised him as a hitman. He was expecting Masataka to be furious with him.
However-
“Nah, I don"t care.”
Masataka had shook his head.
“It"s your life. Do whatever you want with it.”
“...Thank you.”
It was Banba who had asked to be his apprentice to begin with. He made a promise to Masataka to pick up the mantle after the Niwaka Samurai"s short life.
But Banba was going to go back on that, for selfish reasons. Nonetheless, Masataka had told him to do as he liked, that it was Banba"s life. He respected Banba"s decision. Banba was grateful for his master"s understanding.
Time pa.s.sed silently. There was only the sound of the rain accompanying them. The two sat in silence as they drank their sake and continued to watch the scenery outside.
After a couple of minutes, Banba put his gla.s.s back down. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. He could not drink too much alcohol. “I"m going to go to bed.” He stood up.
“Zenji.”
Masataka stopped him, his voice low.
Banba stilled and turned around. Masataka was staring back at him, eyes boring into him.
“Are you really prepared to do it?”
He had the same stern expression as that day.
It was a foolish question. Banba internally c.o.c.ked his head when his master questioned him. Why would he ask that now of all times?
“Why now?” Banba slightly smiled. “I made my resolve to do this thirteen years ago.”
That"s why I became a hitman.
Banba turned away from Masataka and headed back into his room.
Translation Notes: When Nguyen mentions the company wanting to let go of people in ma.s.s, the expression used was the kubi wo kiru (首を切る) one. It literally means "to cut off one"s head," and given that an employee in the company had to explain to Saitou they mean the literal meaning of the expression back in volume 1, it"s possible Nguyen is saying if the one party wins they"ll be ma.s.s extermination, hence many are fleeing the company as they could be killed regardless if they leave or stay.
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Translation: Kaede726
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Editor: Voissane
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