Chapter 01: The immortal Boy and pa.s.sing everyday Life
“Kyaa! Help me!”
A piteous scream, breaking the silence, resounded.
“Shut up and behave!”
Disturbing it, an audacious voice overlaid it.
Seeing that sequence, I thought what a stereotypical scene it was.
It took place at a deserted warehouse.
In front of me were a couple of boys and a single female student that was caught with her hands tied behind her back.
The boys were wearing uniformity school uniforms with a stand-up collar, had uniform c.h.i.n.king metal accessories on their bodies and made an ill-bred face in unison. In short, they were hoodlums. The perfect example of their kind, they could commonly be found all over the world, in every country, meaningless rebelled against the world and even though they had the motto to live freely without being restricted by anything, they all dressed the same, spoke the same and acted the same. Well, in other words, they were malcontent with the non-individual society.
“Listen, Node! Move even a finger and this girl is dead!”
Spouting a third rate remark that you wouldn’t even hear in a movie nowadays, one of the hoodlums threatened me.
“Noo— Save me!”
The captured female student sought my help. A knife was thrust before her throat.
“…..”
I made an extremely long sigh.
—Actually, how did it come to this?
The day was supposed to have started with a perfect peacefully morning…
My mind forcefully tried to recall the origin of the events.
Though that probably was nothing but an escapism from this situation—-
I actually wanted to do so myself, so I didn’t give an objection.
…Thinking back on it, there had been a sign since the way to school.
July had come.
That said, nothing special happened and if anything, the summer of my senior year in high school had descended upon me. Some people in my cla.s.s started to prepare for the entrance exams next year, but for my part, I hadn’t decided on my future plans yet. For now I thought I should at least go to university and told my homeroom teacher so, but I hadn’t a clear goal. Well, that aside now.
Seasonal it was the end of the rainy season, but the dark clouds that had occupied the sky for the last month had vanished, colouring the sky in a dark blue, derived from other colours. The sun emitted strong rays as to display it’s own duty, gradually roasting my body.
“So hot…”
What was up with this heat? It felt like I was in an open toaster. No, this wasn’t an accurate comparison, but more like a figurative one. A pincer attack from the sunlight above and the asphalt that heated up by absorbing it, violated my mind, bereaving it of the will to study. It made me consider to turn on my heels and return home, but I was attending school with the money from my older sister, whom I lived together with. I couldn’t afford to skip. Besides, the munic.i.p.al Meitou Academy I attended thankfully had air conditioners installed in the cla.s.srooms. In other words, as long as I endure the trip to the cla.s.sroom, heaven was waiting for me. Time-wise, I just had to endure this ascesis for three minutes.
—It happened at that time.
“…is not good!”
I could hear a voice of someone complaining about something.
“Huh!? Say what!”
A threatening voice replied to it.
What was happening in his frigging heat so early in the morning… I raised my head and looked, whereupon I saw a group of people apart of the ma.s.s of students on their way to school while fighting against the heat like myself.
The couple of boy, wearing their uniforms slovenly, formed a circle and surrounded someone.
“Not a nice way…”
I mumbled. Their stand-up collars were the same, but there was a subtle difference. They were from… the Sakuragaoka High School. I came across something troublesome.
Sakuragaoka was a public school near Meitou Academy, but it was famous for the bad att.i.tude and grades of it’s students. Many of them were vicious and there was a unconfirmed rumour that 80% of the graduates got devilish jobs. Due to the proximity, some of Meitou Academy’s students had been target and harmed by the guys from Sakuragaoka. Just taking their money would be one thing, but they even picked fights or bullied to kill time. There were various reports about victims, like being dragged through the town tied to a bike, being stripped of all clothes or being tied to the front gate of Meitou Academy until morning. For the students of Meitou Academy, they were only an object of fear.
Recently there seemed to be guys, who appeared on our way to school and extorted money, which worried the teachers a lot. I saw scenes like that a couple of times too, but pa.s.sed by while pretending not to see it at all. Because nothing would come out of getting involved with guys like that. For weak ones that goes without saying, but even when you were stronger in fights than them, they would chase after you if you got somehow involved with them even once. Needless to say, not in a good way, but a bad one. I knew that by a rule of thumb, because I knew other similar people. As everyone else knew that too, they avoided the group.
Still, they must be really bored, seeing as it was so early in the morning. While thinking so, I too tried to avoid—
“Like I told you, apologize. You can’t do this!”
I stopped.
The tall boys surrounded a girl and boy. Both of them wore the Meitou Academy uniform. The boy had fallen on his behind and dumbfounded watched the course of events. Seeing as his uniform was dirty on all sides and his cheek had a bruise, it was probably him that got involved with them. And standing covering in front of him, fiercely opposing the boys was a short female student. Her long hair was braided into a pigtail, which reached till her waist. She was showing her anger by wrinkling her brow, regretfully it had no effect due to her young features.
“The heck’s up with ya? What’re ya to him!?”
A loud and audacious voice answered her. It pa.s.sed off as a valid threat.
“I’m attending the same school as him!”
The girl claimed that as reason enough for her act. But naturally, the boys made a doubtful face.
“Huh!? Just that!?”
I thought the same. The motive of the short female girl that could pa.s.s off as a middle schooler, to help the male student that got involved with these sort of Yakuza reserve guys, just from the fact that they attended the same school was a little, no, rather insufficient. But even so, the girl nodded like it was something strange.
“Yeah! So, why did you hit him? What did he do wrong?”
The female student asked so, whereas the boys looked at each other in disbelief and one of them return his gaze. Then he gave the male student on the ground a glance and raised one corner of his mouth.
“…Yeah, he did.”
“And what?”
“Ya see, we’re short on money. We’re like seriously poor. So we talked about lending us a bit of pocket money, but he refused, ya know. I was just so sad, that I unconsciously… ya know.”
As his own contrived remark was amusing, the boy laughed together with his friends after he finished his sentence.
“…Is that so.”
The female student said so and cast down her face in thought. When I observed the scene, she slowly raised her head after a moment of silence. Then,
“Okay, I understand.”
She said.
“Then I’ll lend you some.”
“…Huh?”
One these words, not only the boys were puzzled, but me as well. For a moment, we didn’t know what she meant. The female student reached into the pocket of her skirt and took out a wallet in a light pink colour. Checking the contents, she tried to take out a couple of bill and groaned a bit. When she withdraw her fingers for a moment, she nodded and took out all bills. While holding them out to the boys, she said.
“I’ll lend you the money. It isn’t much, but that’s all I have. I’m sorry. But no more hitting. If you aren’t sincere when asking a favour, no one’ll listen.”
“…Seriously?”
One of the boys grunted. From what I could see, the money in the hands of the female students were around 20.000 yen. A good amount to play around with. The female student said “Feel free to take it” with a smile.
“Is she insane…?”
The boy, turning around to his friends and uttering that, turned back right away and alternatively looked at the female student and money. After he confirmed that the girl apparently wasn’t saying that as a joke or lie, he smirked.
“…I see. Well, in that case, I’ll borrow it from ya. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
The boy reached his fingers for the bill.
…Oh boy, I grumbled. I had wondered what would happen, but to think it would develop into this.
I quietly approached the group and called out from behind them.
“Are you stupid?”
The female student looked at my face through the gap between the boys and widened her eyes in surprise.
“Kugi-chan!”
“I told you to stop calling me that.”
The boys turned around all at once. I sighed while ma.s.saging my temples.
“Stop setting new records for the Guinness book of idiots every day. Though I certainly don’t get sick of watching you.”
Forcefully shoving aside the guys that glared at me with question marks, I s.n.a.t.c.hed away the bills from the hand of the female student.
“Gimme your wallet, Kuon.”
On my words, the female student— Kuon Rin tilted her head.
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
Rin was puzzled, but soon after handed me her wallet. When I opened the wallet and put back the bills, I returned it to Rin.
“Oh my, what’s up, Kugi-chan? Will you lend them the money?”
“As if. How about you start doubting people already?”
“What do you mean?”
“…Forget it.”
I sighed and took Rin’s arm.
“We’re going now, or we’ll be late.”
Then I said to the unknown male student sitting on the ground.
“Hey, I don’t care if you wanna sit there forever, but here’s a piece of advice: You better get out of here.”
The male student was absent-minded for a while, but jolted up on my words, then left the place with a “H- Hii!” shriek.
“We’re going too, Kuon.”
“Eh, but Kugi-chan, they need—”
“Hey b.a.s.t.a.r.d, stop meddling!”
A rough hand grabbed me on my shoulder. I said peacefully without turning around.
“Isn’t that what you guys have been doing just now?”
“Say what?”
“Stop touching me so casually. Your stench will rub off.”
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d, ya pickin’ a fight!?”
“…Huh?”
I only turned around my head. In that moment, the frightening look of the boy glaring at me crumbled.
“Hiii…!”
“You’re the ones, who’re picking a fight.”
There were two sorts of anger. First, revealing a raging expression and second, keeping a deathly cold mordancy. The one I used right now was the latter. Moreover, to intensify my natural evil look even more, I glared angrily with all my might.
“I suppressed my sleepiness and diligently went to school, so stop ruining my mood with your idiotic behaviour.”
“Sh— Shaddap. Ya screwin’ with us, huh!?”
He did his best to counter. But hearing an advice from his friend from behind, the boy changed the colour of his face.
“H- Hey… That girl called him Kugi earlier. Isn’t that… Node Kugito?”
“Wha— Node Kugito!?”
Facing me again at a slapping pace, he screamed “N- No way!?”.
“Node Kugito means… the one controlling all nearby high schools—”
“Yeah, rumour says he half-killed a pa.s.sing 100-man biker gang all at once just because he couldn’t hear the TV.”
“From what I heard, he beat up a store clerk that accused him of shop-lifting and even knocked out more than 20 other customers that came to stop him…”
“It’s said he ma.s.sacred the police that came to question him without any hesitation!!?”
“His police file apparently has written ‘A minor that might cause a serious crime in the future that will shake the whole country’ in it!”
…No, only the first one was true. Well, that too only came about from a misunderstand of a misunderstanding.
“Rather than exaggerating a rumour, they gave it a whole new story…”
“Kugi-chan…”
“Don’t believe it!”
“Just kidding.”
Geez— Well, the boys looked really frightened, so it worked out in my favour.
“Okay, if you know all that, get back to your own school already. I’m Node Kugito. I’m sca~ry. I’ll eat you up.”
“H- Hiii! He even swings that way!”
“Don’t understand it in a twisted meaning! Just get lost!”
On my roar, the boys cowered away in fright and one of them used abusive language with “F- f.u.c.k!”.
“So ya Node Kugito, but so what!?”
“Huh? Wanna go at it?”
“N- No, I do not, but…”
Then he looked at his friends as to give them instructions— All of them shook their heads and apparently decided to retreat.
“d.a.m.nit! We’ll remember this!”
Leaving behind an out-of-date sharp parting remark, they left.
“…They made me waste my energy so early in the morning.”
“You sure are famous, Kugi-chan.”
“In a bad way.”
“But… I wonder if they’ll be alright without money.”
“If they want money, they should work.”
Saying so, I looked wearily at Rin.
“Anyway, you just don’t change.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I made a somewhat bitter smile.
To be frank, this girl called Kuon Rin was a “good-natured person”. She long had crossed the level of just being a nice or kind person. Being a volunteer meant to act without compensation, to have desire to take the initiative to help others and aid those in trouble without regards for your own, just like earlier. An existence that could only be called a miracle in the current world. Normally, people like that had some kind of hidden agenda. Some dedicated themselves to good deeds for the reason of wanting prestige or honour instead of money. At first I thought Rin was one of them. But I realized she wasn’t by spending time with her. Just like we didn’t scrutinize why we’re breathing, she naturally tried to a.s.sist people or matters. She was that kind of person.
Becoming cla.s.smates with me in our second year, Rin became unmindful attached to me, a cranky guy with a vicious character, which was quite questionable. I asked the reason for it before, but… even so I had a hard time accepting it. Well, that aside now.
“Anyway, you only just got out of the hospital, so don’t overdo it.”
“…Yeah, sorry.”
“Well, it’s certainly typical for you.”
Making a wry smile, I lightly hit Rin’s head.
It happened a couples of month ago— Rin became the victim of a certain serial killer incident. That said, she miraculously escaped death, completed a painful rehabilitation and was released from the hospital not long ago.
The culprit was called the ≪cross-slashing Devil≫ by the ma.s.s media from the fact that he always left a cross shaped wound on his victims, got the nickname ≪Midnight killing Devil≫ on the internet and threw society into an uproar, but was caught soon after attacking Rin. As he was a minor, it was only known that he was a student living in the capital. At large, it was accepted as that.
The case was closed and now, neither the TV, nor the internet picked up on it anymore. That was how it always went. Unless it was a related person, people‘s interest only lasted from the incident till it‘s settlement. No audience would keep looking at the closed curtains of a stage.
Until just recently, I had been the same, so I was in no position to complain.
Well, either way, it had become peaceful. There was nothing better than that.
Rin had been bothered by a curious lot right after her recovery, but probably because I was always around her, their numbers decreased soon enough and now none of them were left. If it hadn‘t been Rin, I would have remained a bystander, but… I just couldn‘t leave her alone. Besides, I couldn‘t really say that I was completely unrelated to the incident that involved Rin.
No, actually— It might be more correct to say I was right in the middle of it.
“By the way, where’s Kirisaki-san?”
On Rin’s sudden question, I tilted my head.
“Who knows. Guess she’s already at school.”
“Oh, you didn’t come together? Even though you’re a couple.”
“…..”
I had an innumerable heap of things that I wanted to reply to these words, but I swallowed down all of these and said quietly.
“…Well, it’s annoying how she clings to me all the time anyway.”
“I see. Guess that’s how it goes.”
Rin nodded a.s.senting.
…I had forgotten, or rather I wanted to forget, but there was another girl that treated me intimately due to some kind of karma besides Rin, even though I was avoided even at school because I had weird rumours, mentioned by the delinquents earlier, about me, additionally to the terms “Vicious character – Vicious behaviour – Vicious looks”.
Well, in her case though, she was troublesome in a different way from Rin…
When I made a vexed face, the first chime rang.
“Ah, cla.s.s’ going to start.”
“Oh, right, let’s hurry.”
Rin nodded to my words and started walking. I too was going to follow her, whereupon—
“Node-san!”
I froze up on the voice calling out to me.
I turned around with crude moments like from a broken mechanical doll.
A single female student was hurrying over to me with her breath out of order. Her hair cut around the tip of her shoulders, her skin white as porcelain and her finely chiselled features that made you gulp—. With that appearance she could pa.s.s off as some kind of high-cla.s.s lady. Yes, just speaking by appearance.
“Good. I left a bit late and then heard from your sister that you had already headed out, so I hurried after you.”
The female student came rushing over to my side with a smile.
“…Oh great.”
I waved to Rin, who had stopped and turned around to me, to go on ahead. Waiting until she was gone, I faced forward.
When the female student stopped besides me, she lowered her head with a grin.
“Good morning, Node-san.”
It was a polite greeting that would impress ten out of ten boys. And this female student, still showing a charming smile,
“Yay!”
suddenly stabbed my body with the big knife she was holding in her hand while raising a cute voice.
“Ugh!”
I made a groan like ten out of ten boys would have undoubtedly made.
“K- Kirisaki, you…”
“It is such a pleasant morning, Node Kugito-san!”
The female student— Kirisaki Kyouko said so with a refreshing smile while stirring up my insides with her blade.
At the same time the first period ended, I used the short break to forcefully drag Kirisaki to the deserted back of the gym. Thanks to the shadow of the building, the sun wasn‘t so strong anymore, but in exchange there was a discomforting hot humidity.
“What is the matter, Node-san? Dragging me to such a dark place…”
After Kirisaki made a confused expression, she suddenly widened her eyes as she realized something and put her hand on her mouth.
“Don’t tell me, Node-san! No way, at school… We cannot.”
Blushing and averting her eyes, she fidgeted her toes against each other.
“I am aware that a man of your age is tormented by that impulse day by day. And as your lover, I am happy to comply to that desire. But even so, to conduct such an improper act at this upright inst.i.tution for education—”
“Did the heat melt your brain?”
I made a grand sigh with my arms crossed.
“Either way, stop talking like that. There’s no one but us here right now.”
“Guess so.”
Easily overthrowing her att.i.tude on my cue, Kirisaki got a haughty tone, which was completely different from before.
“So, what’s up? If you say you can’t hold back your urges, I won’t object to take care of it as your girlfriend. Although, unnecessary rumours’ll spread if you mess up my clothes, so just a Fella—”
“You’re still talking about the same stuff, just with a different tone!”
I merciless dropped a chop on her head.
“Ow.”
“It’s you, who’s in heat all year!”
“How rude. As the saint Lady I am, I can’t really let that slide.”
“What Saint would stab others first thing in the morning!”
“Here. This one!”
“Here, huh. Oh? In your head!?”
Saying so, I grabbed Kirisaki’s head on both sides and shook it with all my might.
“Awawawa.”
After shaking it to my heart’s content, I released her. Kirisaki babbled nonsense with “The world… The world is spinning. It’s the boundary to multiverse…” while staggering.
“Geez… That’s what I wanted to discuss.”
“The boundary to multiverse? Based on the possibilities of commonly known parallel universes—”
“Nah, talk about that with your beloved friends from the different dimensions.”
I said while looking a head down to Kirisaki.
“Aren’t you going overboard a bit lately?”
“Overboard? What you mean?”
“Your stabbing.”
On my words, Kirisaki raised an eyebrow.
“That’s not true. I keep it down to once in the morning, twice in the noon and five times after school.”
“Going by these numbers, it would mean that eight people die every day.”
“No worries. I avoid vital spots, so it’s probably only around three people.”
“Only insurer would be happy to hear that.”
“Muh…”
Mumbling so and looking down, Kirisaki entwined her fingers near her stomach.
“Sure, I know that I’m overdoing it a bit…”
More or less, she seemed to reflect on her actions. I made a light sigh.
“Well, I agreed going out with you, which meant accepting that impulse of yours.”
But, I continued.
“I didn’t say you can stab me at any time. Only when you can’t hold back it anymore. Do you get that?”
“I do, but on reflex—”
“I won’t let you kill me every day from a reflex.”
I said wearily.
“I told you before, but I’m only ≪immortal≫. I still feel pain.”
“…Mh, right.”
Kirisaki quietly apologized with “…Sorry” while still looking down.
“Well, as long as you understand—”
However, I suddenly thought. For an bystander, this talk about stabbing and not stabbing must be unbelievable.
…It was hard to explain the relationship between this girl, Kirisaki Kyouko, and myself, Node Kugito, with one word.
For outward appearance, we were technically a loving couple. Apparently others still couldn’t believe that Kirisaki, looking like a well-protected lady, was in such a relationship with me, famous for my vicious cruelty that even other school feared (though it was a misunderstanding). I used apparently, because I still hadn’t had a proper conversation with my cla.s.smates in the 2nd and 3rd year. They were surely avoiding me, but I didn’t saw the necessity to approach them by myself either, partly leaving the situation alone. Even so, I sometimes heard them whisper to each other. Stuff like I forced Kirisaki to become my girlfriend, since I had dirt on her, or that Kirisaki was attracted to the wild (smooth word) type, contrary to her well-protected upbringing. There were others, but altogether most of the rumours were about me courting Kirisaki. But, that was greatly different from reality.
To be precise, it was Kirisaki that courted me. And not just as a lover—
but as someone she could stab with a knife any time.
Simply said, Kirisaki was a ≪stabbing Maniac≫.
In general it was needed to comfort yourself to ease s.e.xual excitation, the so called masturbation. Of course there was the option of s.e.x as well, but most minors stopped their own desire with the former.
But for Kirisaki it was slaying. Stabbing a person, gouging the flesh and touching the insides— that was the only way to restraint Kirisaki’s s.e.xual urge.
There was a reason to why I used the suggestive phrase “At large, it was accepted as that“ for the official criminal profile regarding the solution of the ≪Midnight killing Devil≫ incident earlier.
To be truth, the girl in front of me was the real ≪Midnight killing Devil≫. Of course the captured culprit committed various incidents. But he was just a copycat criminal.
Kirisaki was unable to suppress the desire that arose in her own body and killed numerous people. Pretty much like humans couldn’t fully abandon their s.e.xual excitation in obeying that instinct. Constantly pained by that for a long time, Kirisaki kept going through loneliness to not get involved with anyone at least, but she met me and saw hope.
Because I was an ≪immortal boy≫.
It was by no means figurative. I had an immortal body.
Even if I was stabbed, cut, jumped off a tall building, run over by a 4t truck or stayed in a room full of gas, I would never die. As for why I had a body like that, I would like to know that as well. Ever since I could remember, it had been like this. Due to the vicious looks I was born with, delinquents from all kinds of school picked fights with me, but I never retaliated and they just collapsed on their own, which raised weird rumours like a dawn thanks to due my body.
Kirisaki had said: With you, I no longer have to kill people. Please go out with me.
It was impossible to stop Kirisaki from murdering. Even if she was caught by the police, put into rehabilitation as a minor and got out there— In time she would repeat the same thing. Pretty much like you couldn’t prohibit people from having s.e.x or m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.e forever.
Therefore I accepted her request. When my stupid, unproductive and useless ability could save someone—
I knew that Kirisaki’s sin could never be forgiven. But even so, I couldn’t hate Kirisaki from the bottom of my heart. It might be because she loathed what she did herself as something hideous. Killing, even though she didn’t want to. Hurting, even though she didn’t want to— Kirisaki must have lived her whole life with that dilemma.
Besides— Right now, Kirisaki tried to accept judgment by doing a “certain something”:
I couldn’t decided if that was alright or not. But I believed it to be an option.
“…Anyway, promise me.”
“Promise?”
I said to Kirisaki, who had raised her head.
“At school, only one stab per day. Also, don’t use your knife in public.”
“Mh… I agree with only using the knife in front of you, but as for only one stab… as least make it twice.”
“No. Only one.”
“Y- You should have days too, where you want to do things twice a day!”
“…. Only one.”
“You just thought about it! For a moment you hesitated, thinking ‘Guess so…’!”
“I did not! Don’t make a.s.sumptions! Say what you want, but it’s only one!”
“…Muh. Okay.”
Kirisaki nodded, even while puffing up her cheeks a bit.
“To begin with, you gain nothing from being with me. I can’t say anything against you.”
“Yep, yep. I’m glad you’re quick to understand.”
At that time, the chime rang conveniently.
“Oh… Time to go. Well, we have an agreement now.”
“Yeah.”
I raised my hand with “I’m going on ahead” and tried to leave.
But— some kind of strong power grabbed my uniform and I stopped.
“…What?”
Looking backward, I asked Kirisaki, who for some reason pulled out my shirt from my trousers and exposed my skin.
“Well—”
Kirisaki looked at me and said with a flushed face while sparkling her eyes.
“….Let me stab you one last time before the promise?”
“:….No.”
Thin fabric flattered softly. When she raised her skirt, the all too familiar bear imprinted panties came into vision. Kirisaki drew her favourite knife from the holster on her thigh—
“There.”
and merciless thrust it into my side.
“Ugh!”
A dull pain ran through my body. When I glared at her with “You little!”, Kirisaki showed a cheerful smile.
She didn’t understand it after all.
A whistle sounded.
The runners started and headed for the 100 meter away goal, jumping over hurdles one after another.
The athletic ones easily jumped over them, but the others got entangled in them many times. Every time, they suffered wounds, but stood up while enduring the pain. The outline of athletic abilities could also be a miniature copy of life.
At any rate, was there any meaning in testing the physical strength by jumping over hurdles?
While thinking about that, I watched my cla.s.smates how they kept eagerly jumping over the hurdles, and slob around in the shadows. To be honest, I was surprised how they could move around in this d.a.m.n heat.
“Ah, a truant.”
I turned to the voice from behind. It was Rin. As she wasn’t over the worst yet, she was observing today with her uniform. …Though for some reason, she wore the school’s a.s.signed bloomers at the bottom.
“I’m not a truant.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Somehow I didn’t have difficulty to not pull myself together, so I discreetly told the teacher that I didn’t feel no headache while glaring at him a tiny little bit, whereupon he said with a drawn face that I should rest.”
“Totally a truant! You casually threatened the teacher!”
“Idiots are useful.”
“Geez. You will have to make up for it after school anyway, since it’s a test.”
“It’ll have cooled down then. Anyway, what’s up with these clothes?”
“Oh, this? Because my uniform would get dirty when I sit down.”
I see. Still a weird style.
“Reminds me, I saw someone like you in front of the station the other day.”
“Really? What a strange person.”
“Yeah. For some reason, she had a big sign with ‘5000 yen per hour’ written on it.”
“5000yen per hour for what?”
“Dreams.”
Rin tilted her head ignorant and shifted her gaze forward, whereupon she said “Ah”.
“It’s Kirisaki-san.”
I followed her gaze and indeed there was standing a familiar girl at the starting position. That itself wasn’t strange, as the physical tests at our Meitou school were conducted in co-ed. What was strange however was her action.
Kirisaki started with a ladylike, yet smooth run without any preciosity, then jumped over many hurdles. She was rather fast compared to her movements. I could understand why the nearby people were surprised.
Just when I thought that, she got entangled on a hurdle near the goal and tripped grand. Our cla.s.smates hastily rushed over. They called out to her with Are you okay? or Are you hurt?, whereas Kirisaki stood up while wiping off the sand and showed a smile.
“Yes, I am fine. Excuse me, I have no athletic sense…”
One female student praised Kirisaki, who took a depressed breath, with “That’s not true. You’re good. Until midway you had the best time, even counting in the boys”.
“No, you are exaggerating… Uhm, forgive me for causing you troubles.”
A couple of students gave the humble Kirisaki words with the meaning that she didn’t really had to apologize. While having various people worry about her, Kirisaki started running for the goal again.
“…She’s hard-working too.”
Completely different from her usual character.
Except in front of me, Kirisaki’s tone and behaviour apparently was “to smooth out relationships with others”. Showing an clumsy behaviour like earlier was for that too. Normally she was a girl with monstrous physical abilities. As proof for that, I had once seen Kirisaki palter with an opponent with moves from an action movie.
Well, it wasn’t like she was acting a different character to deceive other, but only did so to avoid unnecessary troubles within the cla.s.s. In reality I thought she was doing well. A feat that I couldn’t pull off. But when I, knowing the truth, saw her turning her face downward with downcast eyes and “Oh no…”, I felt like taking the back on my head and slamming it onto the ground while saying “GAW!”.
“I wonder if she’s fine…”
“Mostly. You just watch quietly.”
When I stopped Rin from standing up, she worriedly watched for a while, but when she saw Kirisaki return to the others with a smile after she finished her hurdle run, Rin sat down again relieved.
“…Hey, Kugi-chan.”
“Mh?”
Watching Kirisaki, Rin said.
“Kirisaki-san smiles more often now.”
“Yeah? Didn’t she always do?”
At least in front of everyone.
“…Mhm~”
Rin groaned, then reluctantly consented by mumbling “Guess so…”.
“What?”
“No. Kirisaki-san certainly has been smiling ever since she transferred, but— I got the feeling she put up a distance.”
“A distance?”
“Yeah. I can’t express it well, but it’s like she’s smiling without smiling. Like she’s smiling to keep people at a certain distance, but not allowing them any closer… Mhm.”
…I was a bit surprised. For Rin, that was a really sharp observation. Looking at my face, Rin made a wry smile.
“Sorry, it might be just my imagination… I was like that too not long ago. I didn’t want to get hated or left out.”
I had heard about that already before. Apparently Rin temporarily received something similar to bullying because of her mindset of volunteering. Well, even now she conveniently used as an errand-girl. People really hated easily understood benevolence. For example, there were guys that insulted a person that held a donation box as a hypocrite, that there was no proof that anyone would be saved by doing that. But I believed that those, who didn’t do anything, had no rights to deny those, who were trying to do something. Therefore I honestly thought that Rin was remarkable and one of the few people I respected in the world. But even so, there were people, who didn’t even try to understand people like Rin. That was reality.
“So I can somewhat tell. But… now she’s different. It’s not complete change, but I get the feeling she’s interacting with others a bit more natural.”
“Really? …I can’t tell.”
“Yeah, ever since— she started dating you, Kugi-chan.”
Ahh… I kind of consented. With me by her side, Kirisaki no longer needed to suppress her self. Therefore she might show a bit more emotions than before.
“Kirisaki-san is lucky.”
“…Why?”
When I asked, Rin said “Ah” with a face like she had returned to her senses and shook her head.
“F- Forget it.”
“I see.” Fine then.
But for some reason Rin then averted her eyes awkwardly and started to fidget around. Her face was a bit red.
“What’s up with you? Did the heat get to you? Are you okay?”
“Eh? Ah, yeah. Ehm… I’m fine.”
“I’ll go dampen a handkerchief. Wait a moment.”
“Eh, y- you don’t need to, I’m fine.”
“I’m thirsty and want to drink some water anyway, so it’s on the way.”
I said so and stood up.
I went to the water fountain and twisted the faucet. When I held my handkerchief under the powerful stream of water, I saw a silhouette in the corner of my vision. When I faced it, there stood an unfamiliar male student. Judging by his gym wear, he must be a cla.s.smate. …But did our cla.s.s had a guy like him?
“U- Uhm, Node…-kun.”
“What?”
I had spoken to him normally, but he cowered away.
“I, I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize all of a sudden. Who’re you?”
“I, I’m Saitou… Your cla.s.smate.”
Saitou… Saitou—
“Mh, no clue, none.”
“I, I see. Ehm, you helped me today…”
These words made me finally remember. The guy that got involved with the delinquents from Sakuragaoka this morning.
“It wasn’t me, but Kuon. Say your thanks to her.”
“Y- Yeah. Ehm…”
“What, got more to say?”
When I asked, Gotou… no, I mean, Saitou trembled his body with a shiver again and held out a piece of paper with “Uh- Uhm— take this.”
“What’s that?”
“I, I was told… to hand it you.”
“By whom?”
“T- Take it.”
“I asked by whom.”
“Please!”
Saitou said so with a shrill voice and forced the paper onto me.
“Hey, wait!” I called him to a stop while turning around, but he left the place with an unexpected speed.
“…What was that.”
I looked down on the paper while tilting my head. When I unfolded it, I could see that something was written on it. Seemed like it was a letter.
“A love letter?”
I answered the sudden familiar voice without changing my posture.
“Might be.”
“Even though you already have me… is what I always wanted to say, since I love stereotypical remark, but how was it?”
“It was rather unpleasant.”
When I shifted my gaze back, there stood Kirisaki with her arms crossed.
“What about cla.s.s?”
“I never expected a truant to worry about that. I told them I would go wash the scratch I got and came here. After all I saw you unusually speaking with a student besides Kuon and me.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, Kugito, got nothing to say?”
“Huh?”
I inquired ignorant, whereupon Kirisaki spread both her arms in her gym clothes.
“Look at me. It’s bloomers! Per school rules, we must wear this thing that’s already specified as a protected species in this school. What do you think about it!”
“Bloomers seem stuffy.”
“Unexpectedly, yes. Especially during the rainy season it’s— wait no. You think I wanted such an ordinary talk?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“There’s a lot to say! Like, are you the type to wear no bra under gym clothes? Or like, the sight of bloomers encroaching into the hips after a fierce workout are worthy to be one of j.a.pan’s three most moe sights!”
I wanted to retort with what the other two were. But she likely would answer me normally, so I ignored it.
“Well, to be frank, I want to know if it arouses you.”
“That’s too frank. As if I would, idiot.”
“What? You don’t feel anything from a high school girl’s sweat-wet gym clothes… Are you okay?”
Don’t worry about me for real! It’s your head that isn’t okay!
“Or wait. Are you saying you can’t be satisfied unless you put your fingers into the crack of the encroached bloomers and fix it? To think you had such a fundamental, yet hardcore fetish…Fine. I’ll play out any situation for your desires. Incidentally, do you prefer the gym clothes tucked into the bloomers? Or leave them outside?”
“If you babble any more nonsense like that, I’ll forbid all stabbing at school.”
“N- Not fair!”
I got a headache… I made a big sigh and fanned my head with the paper in my hand.
“By the way, what’s written on there?”
“Huh? Oh, this?”
Remembering with Oh right, I opened the paper. I read the letters on it.
“….Mh.”
“What’s up?”
“Well—”
I shook my head.
“It was stupid.”
“Show me.”
I nodded and handed Kirisaki the paper. She read it out with a small voice.
“…’To Node Kugito. You’re getting c.o.c.ky, so we’ll beat you up. If you got enough b.a.l.l.s, kyam to the warehouse outside the city at four in the evening’. … What the? Kyam!?”
“Kyam probably means come…Listen and be surprised, apparently this is a so called letter of challenge.”
Kirisaki widened her eyes. “Wow” she shouted.
“L- Letter of challenge means the legendary ritual of one-sidedly calling out someone and picking a fight for no apparent reason, except the subjective ‘c.o.c.ky’ or ‘cheeky’!?”
“Yep, that one. Truly a relict of the last century. A phantom that’s disappearing into the void brought forth by the mirage called the Showa Era.”
“Mhm… This is a surprise. Above all, they should just attack on their own if they’ve a problem with you. Do they think someone would voluntary come to the designed point to get a beating? The guys that sent you this might be surprisingly naïve.”
Raising her head, Kirisaki asked
“So, what’ll you do?”
“Obviously not going.”
I took the letter back and screwed it up.
“Ah, the valuable culture heritage.”
“So stupid.”
It probably were the guys from this morning. Like Kirisaki had said, they should just attack on their own if they had a problem with me. Why would I have to listen to their orders?
I stuffed the paper ball into my pocket, then cooled the handkerchief, as it had gotten lukewarm.
“What’re you going to do with that handkerchief?”
“Huh? Ah, this? Rin seems to have a heatstroke. I want to put it on her forehead.”
“…I see.”
“Yep. Got a problem with that?”
I asked so, whereas Kirisaki made a face with unusual mixed feelings and said.
“No… Not really.”
“I see.”
“Muh. Uhm… Get going to her.”
“Yeah.”
While tilting my head, I headed back to Rin.
…What a weird girl.
“I’m home.”
While saying so, I opened the front door and threw the keys on top of the shoe locker.
Declaring my home coming to the quiet deserted living room was a habit of mine. When I left my bag on top of the table and looked at the clock, it was just before half past five. Not even her regular work was over yet.
Reaching deep into the vinyl bag in might left hand, I opened the refrigerator. I put the ingredients I bought inside it. Chinese noodles, cuc.u.mber, ham, crab sticks, a pack of eggs… Today’s dinner was going to be chilling Chinese food, since it was the beginning of summer. For that occasion I wanted to add some pork filet too, but our household had a tight budget every month. Being excessive wasn’t good. We only had a feast when my sister got a bonus.
I wondered when I started to prepare dinner or lunchboxes like this for my sister that came home late. Even the house ch.o.r.es that I learned by imitation at first, I could now do perfectly. My sister was a policewoman that worked at the general security department of the Meitou police station, mainly in charge of juvenile crimes. Thus her schedule was irregular and while she technically had appointed work hours, she rarely managed to come home by it. Usually she worked until 9/10 o’clock in the night or even until midnight when some kind of big incident happened. She was exhausting herself at work every day to feed me, so I was really grateful. Though due to that, she apparently didn’t have a single boyfriend at her age. When I touched that issue, I merciless got an iron fist, as well as kick and sometimes an argentine backbreaker rack, so I kept silent, really silent.
When I finished packing away all the ingredients for dinner, I took out a pot with barley tea out in exchange. While pouring it into a cup, I sat down on a chair.
I gulped down the well-cooled tea at once. Fuah. I was living for this stuff. My sister urged me all the time to say that only after I found a job. But even students had times when they were tired and drinking something cool during heat made you say it. Seeking a comfort in your everyday life wasn’t just a privilege to adults.
While pouring me another cup, I suddenly remembered.
In the past, my sister put sugar into my barley tea, telling me it would taste better with that. It was when we both were still young. When I asked her where she knew that from, the answer was our mother. Regretfully the barley tea from back then wasn’t to my tastes and was. .h.i.t by my sister for spouting it out right away. The reason I remembered that so vividly was that it was the first time my sister spoke out the word mother. Thinking back on it, I got the feeling that she had just spilled it carelessly back then and tried to avoid using it as much as possible.
After all, I didn’t have a single memory of “my mother”.
My mother died right after giving birth to me. I didn’t know why, nor did I ever ask. Neither would I probably do so from now on. Left behind were my sister, me and… our father.
Having lost his wife early, the temper of my father ran out immediately. He quit his job, drunk alcohol every day and soon started to show symptoms of an alcohol addiction, resorting to violence in the end. But not towards my sister. My father’s fist were all focused onto me.
At first, he restrained himself to just hitting me when he was annoyed. If I had been like any other kid, it might not have gone beyond that. But…
“…..”
I rolled up the hem of my uniform. The spot, where Kirisaki stabbed me today, had already healed. A crust had formed, but it barely hurt anymore.
Yes— I was an ≪immortal boy≫.
Even if I was. .h.i.t or kicked, by the next day it was completely healed. My father gradually became afraid of me. He started treating me like a monster and the abuse towards me escalated. Before long, my father came to believe that my mother died because she gave birth to a monster like me. In reality, that might have been correct. At this point, I didn’t know anything.
For a child that wasn’t even ten years old yet, it was incredible difficult to oppose the absolute existence that a parent was. As a matter of fact, I believed that I was punished for doing something bad, when my father drowned me in the bath, threw me into an open fire or strangled my neck. Faced with the blame on oneself like that, a little kid couldn’t run away, but only strive for a mental self-defence.
My sister had always protected me. In the past, I once saw an alb.u.m put away in the closet, so my sister properly inherited our mother’s looks. That might be the reason our father never laid hands on my sister.
With time we grew up and at the same time my sister graduated from the police academy, she was a.s.signed to the Meitou police station and left the house together with me and the little savings that remained. Luckily, the real estate agent, knowing our circ.u.mstances, rented out the house we’re currently living in to us for a surprisingly cheap rent, so we managed to make it this far.
To be honest, our mother wasn’t that big of an existence in my heart that my sister needed to be considerate about it. After all, I didn’t even have any memories of her face. No, not just about our mother. My sister was working hard on various other fronts too.
At the beginning, when I got into middle school, I offered my sister that I would distribute newspapers or so to chip in for our expenses even a bit. However, my sister instantly turned it down. Her reason was this:
“There’s astonishing more to learn in your 20s than your 10s. Not just studying. Fall in love, make mistakes, make friends, brawl, get hated and make up. All these things cultivate you and while you might consider them worthless now, you’ll painfully realize later on how precious it was. So if you have time to work, go enjoy your youth to the fullest instead. You can dawdle along every day, just enjoy your student life as it is and it’ll be best repayment for my troubles.”
So I persistently insisted on doing the house ch.o.r.es at least, which resulted in her agreeing reluctant. That was the current duty a.s.signment between my sister and me.
So every day, I cooked the food, washed the dishes, did the laundry, prepared the bath and went to school without missing a day even when I felt sluggish.
Though if I was asked about spending a fun student life, I would have to remain silent. How tanoshii (enjoyable) could I describe an everyday life as, where I was followed around and stabbed by a knife girl every day? Why did I use j.a.panese?
“…Geez.”
When I was alone, I ended up thinking about a lot of stuff, stupid or not.
Wanting to watch some TV for a change of mood, I took the remote control. Just when I was about to switch it on, the phone rang. Calls at this time of the day were either advertis.e.m.e.nts, the mail order or a scam. While thinking that it wasn’t anything decent either way, I stood up and headed for the ringing phone, then took the receiver.
“h.e.l.lo, Node here.”
“a.s.sholeeeeee! Don’t screw arouuuund!”
I pulled away my ear on the sudden yell. What, the Yakuza?
“I’m sure we didn’t borrow any money.”
“Say whaaat!? Don’t play dumb, a.s.sholeee! Rrrwaaarr!”
What an incredible roll of the r. It seemed like his saliva would come through the phone.
“…Did you get the wrong number?”
“Wha! Eh? Seriously? …Ya’re Node, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s right after all, a.s.sholeee! You won’t trick me so easily!”
He seemed to be rather stupid.
“Who the heck are you?”
Judging that manners were unneeded, I got a rude tone.
“It’s meeeeee!”
“Mr. Me? You from South America or what?”
“I told ya it’s meeeee!”
“Yeah, that kind of swindler. Just to tell you, I got no money for people that don’t name themselves.”
“I’m Yamagami, idioooot!”
Yamagami…. I plodded through my memories. It wasn’t there.
“Dun know you. Bye.”
“Wha! Hey, wait! Don’t hang up! Hold it!”
Before long there was a sound of a hand covering the receiver. But I could perfectly hear the background voices, though as mumbling.
“Hey, he said he doesn’t know my name!” “The b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with us!” “No wait, did ya give him your name back then?” “Ah, speaking of, I didn’t.” “Idiot, then how’s he supposed to know it!” “But I’m the only Yamagami in this area! I’m famous!” “Indeed. Then he’s at fault!” “Yeah, right!”
A moment of silence. Then, a screaming voice.
“It’s ya fault for not knowing iiiiitt!”
“Right. Everything’s my fault. My bad. Bye.”
“Hey! W- Wait! I didn’t get to the issue at hand yet!”
“Oh G.o.d, just spill it.”
“Ya got a letter today! Didn’t ya read it!?”
Now I finally understood. The ones that forced that stupid challenge letter I got during today’s P.E. onto Gotou… Huh? Naitou? Mutou? Whatevertou, were them.
“…How do you guys know my home number?”
“Obviously we looked it up in the phonebooook!”
Uwah, so simple. When I pictured him browsing through the phonebook while holding the received, I felt like crying.
“Anyway, did’cha read the letter, huuh?”
“I did.”
“Then why ain’t you coming! We’ve been waiting the whole time, dude!!”
…They waiting under this blazing sun for longer than an hour? So righteous.
“Well, good job. I was in a bit of a pinch, you know.”
“Huh!? Pinch!?”
“You know, shopping for dinner.”
“a.s.sholeeee! What’s more important, your d.a.m.n dinner or my summons!?”
“Dinner.”
It didn’t even take a millisecond, my instant answer that is.
“Y- Ya- Ya b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Don’t mess with uuuss!”
“Shut up. Why do I have to follow your selfish summoning? Just wait there all your life, idiot. Let the sun turn your brain into b.u.t.ter, you trash. Melt into natural resources and be useful to earth, you sc.u.m.”
“S- Say what, a.s.shole! Th- There’re things you can say and things you can’t!”
I got lectured by a delinquent.
“Aww, sure, sure. My bad for this morning. Sorry, okay. Peace again. Talking it out sure is nice.”
“We don’t need the fire department if a simple sorry could solve it!”
“Huh? You mean like extinguishing the heat of a fight?”
An advice from the background. “Yama-chan, it’s the police!” “Oh, right!”
“We don’t need the police, G.o.d d.a.m.nit!”
An incredible statement when said out of context like this.
“Either way, I’m hanging up now. Good luck, on a lot of things. Work on your language.”
“Hey, wait, b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Don’t ya care about the girl!”
I had dealt with him half-heartedly, but on these words, I frowned.
“…Girl?”
As he thought that the tides finally changed in a favourable way for him, Yamagami (I think) restored his rough tone back to normal on my words.
“Heh, right. Node, it seems ya got a woman recently. Lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d, really.”
“….What about the girl?”
I lowered my voice. But it didn’t have the same effect like this morning. The effect was reduced if it wasn’t done face-to-face.
“Listen well, Node. We got ya woman. If ya want her back, come to the warehouse now. Ya got 30 minutes. Be late and we can’t guarantee her well-being.”
“Hey, who’s the girl? Don’t tell me it’s—”
“Cya!”
“Hey, wait!”
Now it was my turn to stop him. But the delinquent Yamgami ended the call right away. d.a.m.n you.
“A girl—”
Speaking of a girl that hang around me lately and was likely to get caught by them… Rin?
“d.a.m.n.”
I clicked my tongue. That was why I said nothing good would come out of being around someone like me. I regretted parting with Rin at school, since she said she would go clean the park.
“…No use crying over spilled milk now.”
I strongly hit the nearby wall and started running.
I could only head there for now.
Originally this place was a warehouse for the materials that weren’t needed at the nearby factory anymore. But now the factory itself shut down due to recession. As there was no interested party for it, the place was abandoned and turned into a meeting spot for the local delinquents and hoodlums. I too was suddenly approached in numbers, abducted and dragged to this place a couple of times when I walked around. As deserted as it was, it probably was the perfect spot for doing that.
I entered the dusty and musty building. No sounds, but only an eerie silence awaited me.
“Hey, I’m here. Where’re you?”
My voice echoed. But there was no answer. With no other choice, I started to walk on.
“First they call me out here, then they ignore me…”
In the warehouse, where I couldn’t see anyone, was stuff like rusted iron poles, broken shovels, boxes with screws whose purpose I didn’t know, and bags with sand, piled up here and there.
I curiously looked around in all directions, but there was no presence of anyone. For a moment I thought I was tricked, but if they were that clever, they wouldn’t give me such a cheap threat and challenge letter.
Suddenly I got the feeling that I saw a silhouette moving besides the piled up cardboards.
I shifted my gaze there.
“…Someone there?”
It happened right after I said that. Suddenly a shock run over my head.
“…!”
I inadvertently fell forward, but absorbed it by doing a step forward.
“Wha—”
The moment I turned around, a clump of steel pipes attacked me from all four sides.
“Uwah!”
I was knocked down at once. The guys attacked me one after another while I still lay on the ground. My body was merciless. .h.i.t with all kinds of weapons. I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt, but well, it wasn’t unbearable. I used my usual tactic (?) and stayed still, waiting for them to get tired. And like expected, the beating ended before even ten minutes pa.s.sed. I gasped for breath.
“A- After all this, he…”
“Well, a normal guy would lose consciousness or at least be so gravely injured that he couldn’t move anymore.”
Saying so, I calmly stood up.
“Owah!”
“It’s really Node! The ≪invincible Wolf≫!”
Don’t give me a weird nickname.
“…Geez, you really let loose.”
I cracked my and looked at the hoodlums surrounding me.
“So, that’s all? You were lying on the pone? Just for a surprise attack on me?”
“N- No!”
One in a group of 4 or 5 people said.
“Guess this much won’t get ya after all, Node!”
A voice from above my head. I inadvertently looked up. On top of the iron poles that were piled up like a pyramid, was an idiot. Squatting down with his legs wide spread, the so called “Taking a dump position”, he desperately tried to show off. He faced me while shouldering a squared timber.
“That’s how it gotta be! For our festival now!”
“You’re… Yamagami?”
“Exactly!”
“You issued the letter of challenge.”
“Yep!”
“Hey, why a letter of challenge?”
“Huh? Wat’cha mean?”
“A letter in this age? It’s the age of e-mails now.”
“I, I can’t stand them! Besides I don’t even know ya address, dude!”
“I don’t mind telling you my cell phone’s. It’s
Inadvertently Yamagami took out his cell phone from his pocket and tried to input it. But he hastily raised his head as she noticed something.
“Sc- Screw this, ‘diot!”
“Really? Well, I don’t want to be mail friends with you either.”
“Enough of ya bulls.h.i.t! I’ll f.u.c.king kill ya!!”
“…Just try.”
Full unfolding of my characteristic. An intimidating voice cold as ice and a glare that would even daunt a hawk. Like expected, Yamagami flinched.
“D… Don’t make such a scary face, dude!”
“Way to go for a threat.”
“This morning I was scared by it’s power, but it’s different now. Don’cha care what happens to ya woman!?”
“I hope she’s really here.”
“Of course. We kidnapped her on the way home today. Keh, this happens when ya leave ya woman alone, dude.”
Yamagami raised a vulgar laugh, then called out to the guys below with “Bring her!”. To my surprise, he apparently was high-ranked amongst the delinquents and it were his lackeys that attacked me. Proof for that was that the nearby guys disappeared with a loud reply.
“Listen Node, listen real good. We’ll beat ya up now. But ya ain’t allowed to move a finger.”
…So far I never had moved a finger in a fight, though. However it would seem like obeyed his order, which didn’t sit right with me.
“And if I say no?”
Yamigami sneered.
“Then this happens to the woman.”
He mimicked cutting open his throat with his finger.
“…Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
Saying so, Yamagami pulled out a big knife ou