《K – Lost Small World》 Vol 1 Prologue Prologue____No-proud blue guardian The ceremony took place on an autumn day when light rain fell. The grounds earth had gently been soaked and the lined up squadsmen and staff members hair and uniforms too, had soaked in the moisture and stuck heavily. The scenery blurred by the fine rain was dyed blue by the uniforms color and it looked like the whole ground sunk into the waters depths. Fushimi Saruhiko, to the front Called Awashima, the female lieutenant out with an energetic voice. The surrounding attention was simultaneously turned to that one person. He again has taken in an extremely young one, our Captain Seems like hes sixteen! Sixteen?! Isnt he still a high school student then? While being attacked by eyes filled with all sorts of feelings from all directions, Fushimi proceeded through the middle of the line. Apart from the normal squad members stood, with a dashing step at the front of the line, a man dressed in the first ranks expensive uniform with the lower part of the coat fluttering in the wind. The coats shoulder repelled the blue rain, yet from within the mans body a blue color leaked out faintly. The blue king Munakata Reisi. The squadsmens whispers calmed down like a tide fading. Hmmmuttered Fushimi inwardly to himself and quietly raised an eyebrow. The gazes Scepter 4 directed to Munakata Reisi and the gazes the comrades from Homra directed to Suoh Mikoto, they were different, one filled with unquestionable respect and one filled with yearning. Even on the inside, there are enemieseven without approaching that enemy, some of them watch Munakatas slight efforts intently, hoping to pull the rug from under him when they have the chance. A so called clan is the entirety of all clansmen who hold unconditional loyalty towards their king and are convinced they also have to form strong bonds with their comrades. Munakatas clan however seems to not be like that. Fushimi understood for the first time that a clans shape does not always have to be one. Even if he was wrong, he was relieved and his breathing calmed down. Captain Awashima handed the saber over to Munakata with one swing. Munakata took it with a nod and unsheathed it. From the thin swords body blue scale-like things fell. Fushimi Said Awashima with a low voice and with her eyes moving down, she told him to get down. Fushimi kneeled down in front of Munakata exactely how Awashima had drilled into him before the ceremony. His knee got immediately soaked by the water in the ground. Munakata stretched his arm out straight and touched Fushimis left shoulder with the edge of the sword so he could become one with the swords blade. The cold feeling surprised Fushimi slightly and with his head hung down he lowered his eyes to the tip of Munakatas shoes. For heaven and earth to become serene The dwelling heartbeats strength The performed sound held in the heart To certainly protect the order, you Become the blue justices guardian Not much intonation was added, however the beautiful voice with a deep tone like the low echo of a string being strummed, extended piercingly in the wet air. Without shaking, a voice filled with pride and pretension. The kings voice fit well with a pompous speech like this. Take the sword, you who is worthy to be swordsman, who holds honor and faith, and vow your conduct to the sword. The sword that had touched his shoulder left. Fushimi raised his eyes from Munakatas tip of the shoes which straightly faced him. The direction of the kneecap too, the location of the voice too, the bridge of the nose too, and the eyes too, all from straight ahead pointed at him. Fushimis discomfort was enjoyed by Munakata for a short while. Munakata put the blade back into the sheath, and held it out posed horizontally on his hands. Even if you say so, its neither like an honor or a vow. Said Fushimi with a cool voice, and the people watching attentively from behind started to mumble. Hey, with an impatient face Awashima started to walk, but Munakata held her back with a glance. Side-eyeing Awashimas and the other peoples irritated atmosphere, Munakata was the only one to smile in an odd way. Heh, it sure is so. People who themselves have made a vow are angry, those who clearly understand the present stage sure are little. Its also not certain if a person whos vow was said forced can be trusted. Because the vow had been said forced and because Fushimi had looked down on the majority of the squadsmen with his choice of words , a commotion was caused and had been suppressed in a seemingly embarrassing way. Why did this person raise special troubles with his way of speaking? However, it is also okay to not speak such a truth in this place. In the end its a formality, declared Munakata in regard to the self prepared ceremony. I believe that the formality too has efficiency. People suited for this responsibility tend to tighten up themselves, the consciousness faced to clearly do their goal is not clouded, but sharp. Fushimi could not object to that somehow. He thought it was a stupid ceremony, moreover he himself who had gotten on it was also stupid, however putting on airs like that, the truth was he did not hate the old days that much. With the lecture Awashima had given him with sour words in his mind, he was about to grab the sword that was presented to him with both hands. and, in the same moment he had a hunch that next to him was a person with his hand stretched out. ? He unconsciously looked next to himself, but there was nobody. He was alone in front of Munakata, and the arranged saber too had no choice but to wave lonely. Without his voice getting out he laughed a little at himself. He exchanged a look with the somebody next to him, who had moved synchronously, but he was not there this time. During this second ceremony, this installation, in his life he was alone. Awashima had instructed him to receive the sword from below with both hands. But Fushimi grasped the sheath with one hand from above. In this moment, the whole sheath radiated a blue light. The blue that seemed to absorb the surrounding rain grew in its concentration and crawled up from the back of his hand to his arm. Fushimi unconsciously closed his eyes and prepared himself for the impact that was about to happen in his body. However, nothing happened. Neither the cells in his whole body boiling with heat or hurt running through his heart, nothing struck him. He opened his eyes slightly. The phosphorescence cladding the sheath wore off little by little. Right after Munakata had let go of the saber, it was only Fushimis arm that struggled from the weight of the saber which was heavier than it appeared, and because he shook dangerously he grasped the sword again with both hands. Receiving a mighty power with his handshowever, if it had been declined, his whole body had not been burned by the flames of a scorching heat and his life would not have been taken, it was not like the all-or-nothing gamble back during the time with Suoh. Munakatas way was more formal, or rather followed a per-established tradition. Only granting power to the people who he had made sure ahead of time were surrounded by success, something like that seemed just how Munakata did things. Suddenly realizing something, he pulled on the left side of his collar and stared at his own body. It didntvanish? Staring at it and confirming that thing was still there, he unintentionally raised his eyes and met those of Munakata who showed a little unusual, troublesome smile. Fushimi made an uneasy face and Munakata acted as if he had not noticed, and using a megaphone he said to all the clansmen with an echoing voice. It is sudden, but I order the swift pursue and the safety of Minato Hayato and Minato Akito who are in the middle of their escape before they go into hiding. From now on I entrust to you the absolute authority in this matter. If there is the need for personnel, power and the like, tell Awashima-kun about it and use whatever you need. Awashima-kun, that is okay, right. Yessir. Will you do it? He asked in front of all the squadsmen as if to test Fushimi. Not more than in a bold way Fushimi answered. Ill do it. That was what you had enticed me away for, wasnt it. Receiving the answer he had wished for, Munakata nodded satisfied. I am anticipating it. Still not used to the sabers weight that he carried in his hands, he returned to the formation. He again was bombarded by the lined up peoples gazes. The newcomer had suddenly gotten the captains whole trust. Their doubting whispers were also audible. Enticed away? Didnt you know? That newbie was formerly with Homra. I collided with him first hand. One of Homras troublesome kids, Fushimi the hidden weapons user. Did you see that? Just now, on that guys neck Fushimi was flabbergasted, arent you on the same level like a middle school kid complaining about the principles long speech? Cant you stand quietly during the morning assembly. And you guys are properly working adults? Unaware of it, he touched his left collarbone with his right hand and he realized that it had been watched carefully. Seemed like the mark he had gotten during the other clans installation had not vanished. It would have been good if it would have vanished. But, since it had not vanished, this ugly scar will be a reminder to himself and that guy that the antfarm continues, is what Fushimi thought, and in that case it was an amusement. If they had interest, looking at it was okay. Nobody in particular hid it. Shoving his hands inside his collar, giving his surroundings a peek as if flaunting off to the crowd, he scratched his skin. Engraved under his left collarbone was a mark symbolizing flameswhere just now his scratching fingers ran along the shape of four long swellings that had been hideously caused by burning. Vol 1 Chapter 1.1 Mission 1 The grip of the mop perfectly caught the dust cloths centre. The soaked mop had just the right weight, became an airliner, went through the classrooms door in a straight line and stuck to the doorways window. Yeaaaaaahhh! Fourth pitcher Yata, the batted ball went past the third-base outfield, in front of the left field- Yata loudly did a commentary to himself and swung the mop in his hands. Hit In the classrooms subdued atmosphere it was only his high spirited voice that floated around and so his smile got narrower; sullen, he put down the mop. With his expression growing less enthusiastic, he looked at his classmates who averted their eyes, and he began to get back to chatting with his friends who had their eyes lowered on their PDAs. Whats up, are you not in the mood to play? Balancing the mop properly on his shoulder Yata snorted roughly, Yata-team, youre the defense. With four people we can play three bases! Was what he said to the three boys who had gathered at one desk and peered at their PDAs. The three exchanged looks, made a movement like shrugging their shoulders and turned their faces to Yata. Whats three bases? He did not believe his ears. You mean you dont know what three bases is!? How in the world did you guys grow up until 7th grade? How, he says. Yata-kun isnt the most grown up either, right? One of them muttered and the other two started to snort. Did you say something!? Yata yelled, and the three immediately stopped laughing. It cant be helped then, Ill give you a lecture, so listen! Okay, three bases has a guarding position with the pitcher and two basemen, so thats why three bases As soon as he did his explanation, the jingling noise of a missed messages tone was audible, the three simultaneously went Ah and each of them lowered their eyes to their PDAs. Yata felt extremely deplorable that he had been interrupted. Its ?jungle?s e-zine! his friends said and held their PDAs up. Yata walked with big steps towards the place where his friends he had started to talk to with excitement were and snatched the PDA from ones hands. Whats that, what kinda e-zine? Ah, Yata-kun, dont touch it with your hands that have touched the dust cloth before! Dont say sensitive things, are you a woman or what. While looking at the PDA where the screen of an app he had never seen before was shown, he mercilessly kept the friend who tried to take back his PDA at a distance with the mop. Whats this? Yata-kun you dont know ?jungle?? Everybody uses it right now! It has many different games and gimmicks. The design is also cool. I dont really understand, but games? There are not only games. It can also do group messages which is practical. Ah! when the conversation had gotten lively for the first time, one person abruptly raised his voice and put his index finger on his lips as if to silence them. The remaining two seemed to realize something and with a mumble hesitated to continue what they had talked about. Yata who tilted his head pulled out his own PDA from his pocket. Heh? Then I wonder if I should also join in, Because the PDAs were reserved for school everybody had the same model; the students, particularly the girls, decorated them with covers and straps as they pleased. Yata was a young No Strap! tough (1). His was one with normal phone call, internet and other functions, equipped with a no touch style IC card function, and combined with the student card. What was it, ''jungle? It was his first time working with his PDA. With a rough step rushed in from the classrooms back door and Yata Misaki! And that group! was shouted. Dont call me by my full name! Growled Yata almost like a reflex and turned around. The home room teacher had shown up and ordered with a thunderous voice: All of you, come to the staff room. Huh? What have we done? Hey, said Yata rebelliously at the teachers order, but as Yata looked at his friends expression, he blinked in surprise. It was obvious that the faces of those three had become pale. In front of the long desk in the student guidance room stood four persons in a row. On top of the desk were unfold the answer sheets of the proficiency test from the other day. The teacher tapped those with a bothersome sound that got on Yatas nerves and made him more irritated with the minute. Like-I-said, in what way should we have cheated? Is that the evidence? Several questions have the complete same answers. The mistakes are also the same. Here too. And here. Thats just coincidence? How should we have finished our answers together? Our seats are all scattered about, directly looking at each other is not possible and its not like we can use our PDAs during tests! Yata was objecting by himself and when he peeked to his friends who were standing on his left hand side in a line the three were completely disheartened and had their heads hung down. Ah-a, they really did it, these guysthat much I understand. If you dont have the guts to cheat, then dont do it in the first place, as for Yata, he felt kind of disappointed. In that moment, the teacher turned towards Yata with especially hateful eyes. Yata, it was you who did it, wasnt it? Haa!? His voice betrayed him at the unexpected question. Why has it come like this? I dont get it at all Well, for you it certainly is this score. The teacher flipped Yatas answer sheet roughly, who, compared to the other three, had written a fairly sorry score. It was nothing to be proud of but it was a score not produced by cheating. And yet you understand yourself why I called all of you together, right? This is just like you, last month already you tempted these three to go outside during classes. You probably forced them this time, too. We-well that is, last month I invited them, but Tell the truth. This time I only have a talk with you because this hasnt happened regularly during tests. However, if you shouldnt tell the truth, I will have your parents come here. At the threat the shoulders of the lined up friends on the side quivered with a twitch. With a sob one of them snuffled his nose. Ya- Yata-kun did it Y-Yeah, Yata-kun told us to do it, even though he forced us to cheat, he himself didnt do it Wha-!? You guys. Yata raised his fist unintentionally and the three crouched. Sobbing from all three started to be audible. It was no use so Yata lowered his fist. Cant be helped, damn, just remember that something like this happens when you do things as you please while Im not around. If you cant wipe your own ass, then dont do shitty things. .Yeah, its true. I had snuck in the staff room and looked at the answers in secret. Then I told these guys about them, but on the actual tests day only I had forgotten to cheat. The three raised their heads and their reddened eyes became big. Letting out a deep sigh, Yata accepted his fate. Apologizing to the teacher angered him, but abandoning his friends who relied on him as the leader of the Yata-team would be something to be ashamed of. We are sorry! We wont do it again! The teacher leaned back and they lowered their heads with force. young tough: considering association with women and interest in fashion as weakness and focusing on strength and manliness Vol 1 Chapter 1.2 It really saved us that our parents werent contacted thanks to Yata-kun. Its okay. Listen, if youre going to feign ignorance then do so confidently. If youre going to admit it, apologize with force. Well, this time cant be helped since its done with. For the next time, dont do as you like, if you wanna do something discuss it with me first. Because then itll be a success! "Okay. Thanks. Still upset, the three laughed powerlessly. Although they had received a scolding it was no big thing because it wasn something that had happened regularly during tests and they had been released. Of course, if the next time something should be exposed, it couldnt be avoided that their parents would be contacted. When looking at their class in comparison there were many well brought-up kids, so that your very own child would cheat was something the parents could not imagine. Well, Im here with my bike, so. See ya tomorrow. He had planned to take everybody and go to Shizume City, but as expected, the teachers kept a watchful eye on them thus an other day seemed better. Parting with his friends on the main gate, who went home with the school bus, Yata alone turned his feet towards the side gate. There was no place to store bicycles so he had parked his own there. Because it was dangerous, coming to school by bicycle was prohibited. Damn, this is why this is a snobbish middle school! One month had passed since Himuka middle schools entrance ceremony, but the truth was Yata felt as if he did not fit in well. Coming to school by bicycle was forbidden, buying sweets on your way back from school was also forbidden; there were a lot of rigid school regulations. The uniforms deep red blazer and loop tie were kind of pretentious and itched, and Yata wore his uniform out of shape with the sleeves rolled up. Not one of the friends he used to hang out with in elementary school was in this middle school. Because of his parents work, they had to move during summer break. He missed his old school, but because there werent only bad things here Yata thought positively. They had returned close to the city he had lived in when he had been much younger, even before his old school. For Yata, Shizume City was a city he had many memories of. He pulled his bike through the bushes near the side gate. Because it was a shabby ladies bicycle handed down from his mother, it was something he did not really want his friends to see. He thought that if hed work hed want to buy a cool cross bike, but of course, working was forbidden for middle school students, and he had already used up his New Years money and he didnt want to ask for his allowance to be increased either I wonder if my overly rich friends cant do much either. Muttering useless things to himself, he tossed his flatly smashed school bag in the basket, lightly brushed away the leaves that had piled up on the saddle and with a Yo straddled carelessly. Himuka middle school was downtown and therefore the front gate faced a main street with a lot of traffic, however the side gate faced a Shinto shrine at the schools backside. This area was included in Shizume City and he did not know why but there were many Inari shrines(1), Buddhist temple and Shinto shrines. Torii gates(2) that might unexpectedly deify something in this city appeared and a thick forest stretched out to the depths. A high fence surrounded the school ground and the quite path cut through the shrines forest. Like a boundary line between the world of the humans and the world of the g o d s, a place surrounded by mysterious air, scenting of nature. It was possible that the students commuting by bus did not know that this path behind the school existed. Oh, is it this one. When Yata looked it up, he immediately found the app he had searched for. When the installation ended the screen gained a new icon called?jungle/?. In accordance to jungles name, the icon had an image of many swaying and entangled trees. Hohoh, wouldnt a less lame icon been better? Didnt those guys say that the design was also a cool aspect? Speaking of which, in the end how did those guys cheat anyway? That they told each other the answers though messages was the first idea, but the students PDAs where supervised by the school and during classes there was a lock that made working with the PDA, except for emergency calls, not possible. Though they had found a way out of the teachers inquiry, the basic question had not been solved. Well, whatever. Ill ask tomorrow. Huh? First is user registration? While driving with one hand a bit totteringly Yata immediately started to work with the new app, when an alarming conversation reached his ears. This kid has ten thousand bucks(3) with him. Even though hes a first year. The rumor that his familys rich is true after all. Hey, we are all equally in need for money, right? Weve exceeded this months charge of allowance. Yata raised his eyes from the PDA. His ears were sensitive to this kind of conversation. Denouncing, extorting, bullying. Looking forward along the fence, there were the shapes of four boys dressed in Himuka Middle Schools uniform. Three of them had made a semicircle and pushed the remaining one against the fence. Hm? That guy Yata stared in the direction of the surrounded students face. Because he was covering his face with his hands and was looking down, Yata could not see him very well, but the instant he recognized the pale face wearing black framed glasses, he rose his voice without hesitating. Hey, the hell are you doing!? The group of three turned around. Without doubt had they just now taken money from that previously mentioned persons wallet. For a second the three were ready to run away, but when they spotted the shape of Yata who was striking a daunting pose with his shabby ladies bicycle, they relaxed. What is it shorty, what year are you? Dont say shorty! This kid is first years Yata. Yata Misaki. A shorty remarkable for impulsively yelling around. For arguments sake Ill forgive the shorty, but dont call me by my full name! The third years were probably in some kind of sport club. Other than Yata, their body build was quite good, too. If judged by only their outward appearance they didnt look like real delinquents. Unlike Yata who opposed the school rules and wore his uniform out of shape, they did not do so and their hair wasnt too long either(4). Teachers didnt keep an eye on students that earnestly participated in school clubs. Are average guys just like them doing things of this sort in secret, in this middle school..Yata felt an unpleasant feeling in his chest. Return his wallet! In order to appear a bit taller, Yata stiffened his shoulders and approached them and the bespectacled boy seemed to jerk up his chin. Because of the height difference Yata had to look up to the three, which made things mortifying. Wallet? Sure, if its just the wallet then well return it, no problem. The three looked at each other and laughed, and threw the empty wallet into four-eyes direction. Unlike Yata who had a cheap wallet, this wallet seemed fairly expensive, it was something perfectly made of leather. Not only the wallet! Give him back his money Thud, fell the wallet on the ground which surprised Yata a bit and he interrupted his yelling. Do it. Said the bespectacled boy without paying any attention to the wallet that had hit his shoulder and fallen down. It was a voice gloomy and hushed. What was that? Cant hear you. Asked the seniors intimidatingly in reply. Do it, the money and the wallet, too. I dont ever want to touch stuff again that you guys touched. With this remark he wiped his shoulder with a gesture like dirt was stuck there. On top of that he kicked the wallet that had been close to his feet into the direction of the third years and said: Take it. You can still have small change, so grovel and look for it. Come on. Yata who had entered to help was dumbfounded just like the others. The third years faces turned angry and took on a dark red color. Four-eyes picked up his fallen backpack and without looking at the seniors faces began walking away along the fence. Oh-.Y-You bastard, wait! Are you making fun of us?! The surprised third years yelled angrily and one grabbed the bespectacled boys hair from behind. Dont touch me!! The boy yelled with a voice enough to pierce through their ears and head-butted the senior holding him by his hair with all his strength. They only heard a painful crashing sound and the senior covered his face and threw his head back. What has that guy done all of a sudden?! The remaining two were enraged and ready to grab the bespectacled boy. Fushimi! yelled Yata and promptly jumped at one person close by. Riding on his back and winding his legs around him Yata grappled his hands around the seniors head as if to blind him and the third year shook his head with a Get this shorty off of me!. Sensing that from the side an other guy stretched out his hand, Yata kicked the back of the one he wrestled with and backed off without hesitation. He made a backflip he thought had looked amazing and landed on the ground. "Hehe, got caught, huh. The seniors laughed scornfully and in between them four-eyes had been grabbed by the shoulders and been caught. Going three versus one against the sport club senior opponents, whos build surpassed his in the end, put Yata at a disadvantage. Clicking his tongue, Yata quickly typed with one hand on his PDA. If the bus hasnt left yet there should still be time, so. Yata-team, assemble.. He noticed an unfamiliar notification appear on the screen. He saw only for a second how the words [Yata-kun] came in sight [Isnt he annoying?]. ..? What was this.? He frowned and the moment he unintentionally looked a his PDA a second time, a shadow appeared in front of his eyes. Dont look away. His cheek got hit by a fist and Yata was knocked over. - there are many Shinto shrines in Japan dedicated to the god Inari, god of foxes, fertility, agriculture, etc. torii (B) are red colored gates leading to Shinto shrines ~70/98$ dress codes in japanese schools instruct fair hairstyles which usually means for boys to have short hai Vol 1 Chapter 1.3 You can tell already, but you were the ones who started the fight. This was justified self-defense so even if you tell the teachers its useless. Dont ever oppose again, stupid first years. Sneering at the two who had collapsed on the ground, the third years shrewdly picked up the money and the wallet. While the guy whom Fushimi had head-butted stuffed a tissue in his nose, he kicked Fushimis shoulder one more time merely as revenge and spit out saliva. Damn, how the hell was that self-defense. Out of vexation Yata hit the ground with his fist. When he ground his teeth, the wound in his mouth hurt immensely. He turned his face to Fushimi who was taking off his spit on glasses and rubbed them on the berm of the ground. On his face, which had an unhealthily white color, were painful red bruises. You okay? Fushimi. Wondering if they had unnecessarily become dirtied with sand, Fushimi put on his glasses again and faced Yata with a glaring expression. Hm? Fushimi Saruhiko, right? Or did I get the reading wrong? .why the hell do you know that. It seemed like an angry aura rose from Fushimis slender shoulders. Yata quailed at why only calling Fushimi by his name had resulted in such a reaction. Why you ask, arent we in the same class? Im Yata. I sit in the same row as you. Although more than a month had passed since the entrance ceremony, it seemed like Fushimi had not remembered Yatas face. There was talk about moving to new seats in the second school term, however in their first term the seating order in the class room was decided by their attendance number sequence. (1) Yatas seat was in the first row close to the corridor, counted from the front it was the fifth seat. Fushimis was in the same row, the second seat counted from the front. Seemed like this was not the first time for you to get picked on by a group of that sort. Do you always get your money stolen? Dont your parents know? If theyd know they would get angry, right, since it seemed like a fair amount. If something like this time should happen again, tell me. Ill save you. Well, today we lost, but if my friends are also there, then Hah laughed Fushimi scornfully. If you want gratitude, then ask somebody else. Fushimi said something unexpected that made Yata lose his speech and during that, Fushimi easily got the dirt off of his uniform and bag and started walking the way back. Yata didnt really understand if something was wrong with Fushimi not having touched the purse taken by the third years, and with how he had removed the sand that had dirtied him although it had not been much. Often there were times were he had at least once exchanged words with his classmates, but speaking of which, this was Yatas first time talking with Fushimi. Yata had not known that Fushimis way of speaking was this blunt. Giving biting remarks while his voice seems emotionless was the kind of impression he gave off. Judging only by his looks, he was the quiet so-called honor student type. His physiques were fragile and thin, and his height not unusually tall. If the boys of their class would be lined up according their height, Fushimi would be in the latter half (Well, Yata would be the one at the very front). He wore unfashionable black-framed glasses, and Yata would also describe his hairstyle as lame, as a whole Fushimi did not seem stylish. Because of these looks he had become the delinquents target. They did not match at all, the impression his looks gave and the voice that had been directed at the group from earlier. Wa- Wait a moment! While Yata ran back a few meters and picked up his bicycle, Fushimi completely ignored him and kept walking. Yata pedaled his bicycle while standing, caught up with Fushimi and started to slowly drive next to him. Hey, Itd be stupid to cry yourself to sleep, right? Should we retort? Because Ill call my friends then. Who is gonna cry himself to sleep. Fushimi glared at him from the side. Ill get back at them. Defeat them several times as much as they did.(2) Pulling out his PDA, he turned to the screen and began to mutter to it, not Yata. Showing on the display was the app Yata too had just installed. Having found an interest they had in common at last, Yata got excited. Oh, you have that too, huh, Fushimi. I also just joined in. When he had just pulled out his PDA while keeping his balance through driving with one hand, the screen drew in his attention. He had seen them earlier too and now the unfamiliar notifications had increased even more. They seemed to be chat messages and looked like speech bubbles. The screen which had the size of his palm was almost fully covered because speech bubbles were lining up on it. [Yata-kun, isnt he annoying? That annoying hot headed guy, where does he always take his excitement from?[ [Why is he always so stuck up, even tho hes a shortie, that guy?] [Although hes a shortie he yells a lot.] [He yells so much because hes an idiot.] [Even tho its not like we did something very bad, he showed off when he took the blame for us and made us look like idiots.] [What should we do? We told him about the group-messages, but wouldnt it be annoying if Yata-kund join in?] [Isnt it okay if we just make an other group and tell him about it? Well talk about important things on here, and neglect the other one.] [But isnt it enough if we bear with and humor him?] [Isnt that awful? Poor Misaki-chan lol] [Misaki-chan lol] [Misaki-chan lol] What the hell was..this.? Because he had been looking away while driving, the bicycles tire got stuck in a stone and fell sideways. Ouch! He hit his knee so hard, the pain he felt made him forget the wounds the third years had inflicted. He clenched his teeth, but in the corner of his eyes tears appeared. When he opened his eyes slightly and looked for his PDA that had fallen to the ground, Fushimi had picked it up and looked at the screen nonchalantly. Ah Yata jumped up hurriedly and took the PDA from Fushimis hand. S- Sorry, Sorry, I tripped. Ahaha, Im lame, arent I. So, the talk was about returning but getting revenge. Seeming to slip out from the top of his head, an unusual high voice came out. Why am I laughing and covering it up? Even though its nothing to laugh about. Ah, they are bad mouthing you, huh. Fushimi did not only say something trivial like this, but also turned away his face. Yata was not only disgruntled with Fushimis words lacking sympathy, he also snapped at him without thinking. I-is that all? Dont you have something else, more, to say? Something else? Fushimi tilted his head lightly, and replied with a straightforward expression as if he really did not understand. Should I mock you? Or is its pity you want? However, I am absolutely not interested in your business. Yata could not reply in anyway to Fushimis unapproachable words. (1) attendance number sequence a list with the students names with which the teacher checks if every student is there. The names are arranged by the table of Hiragana, starting with a, ha is in the 6th line, ya in the 8th. Fushimi belongs to the ha line (ha hi fu he ho), Yata to the ya line. (2) its not specified in the original text. Fushimi might say Ill get back at them or Well get back at them - Little interesting trivia that gets lost when translating into English: Usually Yata and Fushimi address each other with ޤ (omae, you) which is a quite rude way to talk with somebody. However these two addressed each other most of the time like this, also when they got along. Its a rough way of talking but fits their characters well and is not meant insulting (until Fushimi leaves, when it surely has an angry tone to it). In this first part where they just met each other however, Yata addresses Fushimi by his last name and Fushimi calls Yata (anta, you). Although this is more polite, it shows that they are still not very close to each other. (I have seen several Japanese fans say that they were shocked at Fushimis anta, since it seemed so cold) Fushimi and Yata both use ore (I), a rough-sounding first-person pronoun many males use. However Yatas ore is written with Katakana () and Fushimis with Hiragana (). Katakana give of a more harsh, rough feeling and Hiragana a more calm, mellow one. It fits quite well with their personalities, Yatas fierceness and Fushimis quietness. Vol 1 Chapter 1.4 Yata took action on just once. He had thought of nothing but of what had happened. Hey, what is this?! He asked the three members of the Yata-team the following day and shoved his PDA at them. When the three saw the screen they acted shocked and shamelessly asked in return: Eh, what is this? Isnt that kinda rude? Dont play dumb! Did you think I wouldnt figure out anything? This is ?jungle?s group message! Last night Yata had tested out many things with the installed app and vaguely understood how to use it. However, the problem was that the moment he had received the messages Yata had just installed the app and had yet to do the user registration. Of course he had also not joined the group set up by his friends yet. Despite this, Yatas PDA had received the messages. If theres something you want to say to me, dont talk about it behind my back like this, its better if you say it properly! when we say something youll get angry I cant hear you! I told you to say it properly! Because the rebuttal had been whispered, Yata immediately yelled and his friends cringed. Ah Even though he had told himself since yesterday night that he would not yell and calmly listen to the conversation, in the end he ha carelessly yelled anyway. It was right before morning class, the time their classmates were one by one coming to school. While everybody said a cheerful Good morning as they walked into the classroom, Yata breathed in the air by the window, let his gaze wander and slowly placed his bag on his desk. Fushimis seat was still not occupied. Taking a step back, Yata breathed in deeply I wont get angry.. If there is anything bothering you about me, say it directly. Because Ill listen. The three close to the window looked at each others faces and seemingly unintentionally burst simultaneously into laughter. Youll listen..shouldnt you be saying "Please tell me, Yata-kun? "Ah!? Try saying that one more time! Yelling after all, Yata grabbed the friend who had said that by his collar and punched him with his fist. The friend let out a pitiful whimper and the two other boys got ready to run away. From the surrounding classmates who were watching also came a small shriek. The friend covered his head in desperation and turned away his face. Yata was not very tall, but he was holding up his friend who had fallen down by his collar. Even though I didnt want to fight..Yata looked down on his friend with disdainful eyes. Although they made an idiot out of somebody and laughed in their messages, when theyre punched theyre already half crying or what. A-and also about the thing with the cheating, you made yourself do something for us and jumped on the lie, in the end, you didnt want to be left out, right, Yata-kun? I covered for you, didnt I! You wanted to cover for us, right? You wanted our gratitude, right? Wha..?! The words Fushimi had said yesterday became heavy in his mind. If you want gratitude, then ask somebody else. Even with nobody telling him, he remembered it in this moment. It is not like I want gratitude. Abandoning his friends and pretending as if he didnt know anything, for Yata that was an impossible thing to do. Because friends stick together. I am the top of the Yata-team and they are my friends I must protect S-Stop putting on airs as the self-declared leader. Dont you understand that its annoying? Nobody said we want to be your friends, the Yata-team is lame, a-and even though we want to do and play other things, you always force us to play weird games with you. The friend talked on with a nervous and thin voice. Tears gathered in his eyes while his face stiffened with fear, an impression like thisYata knew a face like this all too well. The face of a bullied kid, expressing resistance to a bully with little hope. It had been an often seen sight in elementary school. Yata had always been on the side to knock the bullies down. Yata certainly had acted wrongly, however he hated weak people getting bullied, since the bullies looked down on others. So when had he gone over to that side-while he didnt understand it himself, Yata felt like the world that surrounded him had been turned upside down and dizziness befell him. ? He lumbered through the middle of his classmates gazes, hiding the hurt in his face, and left the classroom. The instant after, all strength rapidly left his body. Homeroom had already started but he did not feel like going back to the class room. Where should I go.he couldnt think of a place to go by himself, but the place his legs headed towards was the boys toilet. He locked the door of a stall and sat down on the western-styled toilet bowl. He leaned his back on the the tank, looked up to the ceiling and did nothing for a while. Of all the things, tears started to well up. A nauseating, sharp smell reached his nose. It was the time where the students were already in the class rooms, so the toilet was quiet. From somewhere came the sound of water flowing in trickles. After a few minutes his nose got used to the bad smell, if only a little. However, he wondered how one got used to things. Strangely the toilet was a place where youd go to think about things. Was it because there was nothing else to see than the wall in front of ones eyes, or because there was nothing else to do than to take a shit, or maybe it was the fault of the nearly always flickering fluorescent light causing a gloominess. I dont know what things had been said about me behind my back, but I dragged along my friends and wanted a feeling of admiration from them and I showed off, arent I totally embarrassing? If thered be a hole Id want to crawl into it. Surely it has to be a good hole, so that I can try to ram my head between my thighs. Damn! This has just become extreme pitying. Yata limply lifted the back of his head from the tank. He wondered a bit if it would have been better if he still did not know anything. If I had not seen that message exchange. Then from tomorrow on maybe Id still be in those guys middle Hm.? By chance he had noticed a light being reflected onto the ceiling. Different from the white of the fluorescent light, it was a weak tinged blue light flickering while changing its shape. Next door.? When had they come in.? At the top of the wall parting the stalls there was a roughly 30 centimeter big gap. It seemed like the light was reflected onto the ceiling from the stall next door. I cant hear a thing so what the hell is he doing? The toilet was a place you go to to take a dump and Yata questioned his own peeking into the other stall. In order to not make a noise, he got onto the toilet bowl with his school slippers. He grabbed the upper part of the wall with his hands and, standing on his tip toes, tried to secretly peek into the neighboring stall. Since it was the boys toilet it wasnt really a bad thing and Yata did not hesitate. Well, if in this moment the ass would be fully exposed hed be sorry, but Yata looked down on a person who sat on the lid of the toilet bowl properly wearing his pants with a slightly hunched thin back and slender shoulders. Fushimi? What are you doing? Yata said without thinking about it first. The slender shoulders jumped up in surprise. The one who pulled out the earphone from one side and looked up to Yata was indeed Fushimi. Vol 1 Chapter 1.5 Wha-.. Fushimis eyes became big and he nearly slipped from the toilet bowls lid. Yata had expected such a reaction, that one would be very surprised at suddenly being called from above while being in a toilet stall. But seeing this guy make a normal reaction like this was kind of unexpected. Sorry, sorry, for surprising you. When I saw the light I wondered what it was. Its not like you were taking a shit so its okay, right? Dont you have class right now? While pushing up his glasses that had become askew, Fushimi returned his facial expression to how it was before, sat down again and spat out Get lost. When Fushimi lightly touched the PDAs screen that was resting on his knees with his finger, the two plate-like things that had already been visible earlier appeared again. A blue tinged, half transparent keyboard and display made out of the light lined up in an angle just like an open laptops. Whats that? It looks cool, Yatas eyes shone. Was there something like this included in the PDAs? I made it myself. Yourself!? Yatas idea was building a plastic model by using pincers and adhesive which was probably different from Fushimi who was properly constructing a PDA. Yata by the way had never completed a plastic model to look like the actual design because he randomly built something without reading the construction manual, and when it was completed it somehow never turned out right. Hey, could my PDA also get something like that? Without suppressing his interest, Yata had by now put his stomach on the upper part of the partition wall and leaned his upper body towards Fushimis side of the stall. Ohhhh, nearly falling, he held his balance by flailing his legs that were completely poised in the air while peering at the lights display that had appeared in front of Fushimis eyes. Huh? But isnt it in the middle of class? Why is your PDA working? Mine When Yata pulled out his own PDA and looked at it, it was locked as expected and operating it was not possible. Unless there was an emergency happening or an urgent call coming in from ones guardians, the PDA stayed like this until class ended. See, mine wont work, so why is yours Get lost already!! yelled Fushimi, turning around. Yata who had started to talk more kept smiling but his eyes widened. Fushimis eyes filled with hatred pierced him painfully. S-.sorry.. Glum, Yata pulled back his head and slipped off the toilet bowl. He turned towards the wall between Fushimis stall and his, sat down sideways on the bowl and looked up to the partition walls gap, staying quiet for a few minutes. Uh, Uhm.I wont be annoying, so is it okay if we talk? Fushimi, do you always skip class on your own? But in the end Yata couldnt stay quiet for long and he tried it again with a meek voice. Since Yata had a seat in the back he did know that Fushimi was often missing from class. Because he seemed like a fragile person he might be absent because of illness, but since the teacher of each subject asked every time Whats with Fushimi? and looked around the classroom, he really was absent without permission. He seems like an honor student, but unexpectedly he has the nerve to skip class by himself, is what Yata thought now. To be honest, its the first time for me to skip class by my own. confessed Yata while scratching the back of his head. It had been roughly a month since he had entered middle school and he had already skipped class countless times, but every time he had invited his friends from the Yata-team to join him. There was no response from next to him, but he kept talking since he wanted to hear one. Yata-team, thats the group I made in our class, butit seems like I was hated by my friends. I do it for them is what I thought but apparently I had been an annoyance..But, wouldnt you think that it wouldve been good if they wouldve said that theyre annoyed? Its mean, yknow, they told me that they never had wanted to hang out with me at all. Yata tapered off just before he started to complain. Even so, you dont really listen to what people say, huh. When Yata thought there had finally been an answer from next door, he had been forsaken with a rational argument and he could only react with a Uh..gh, tha- that might be, but and his head lowered as if a heavy stone was placed on it. He placed his heels on the edge of the toilet bowl and pulled in his knees. Maybe its the same, how Im complaining to Fushimi right now. Yata put his chin on his kneecaps and discovered that if he sat like this, his way of speaking sounded like Fushimis muttering. They used their PDAs to talk bad about me behind my back, maybe what Im doing right now is kinda the same. ..say, cant you sulk by yourself and not bother me with it? A cold voice came to Yata from across the wall. As a matter of fact Yata couldnt help but feel utterly dejected by the rebuttal. But, Fushimi had been a bit of a companion..even if just a bit. Yata was grateful, even if there was a reply only once in a while. He lifted his chin from his kneecaps and looked up to the ceiling. The blue light from earlier was reflected onto the ceiling above the partition wall. Knowing the lights true shape, when he looked at it now he certainly understood that it was the reflection of the PDA screens display moving quickly. It looked exactly like a blue bird that was playing on its own was glowing on the ceiling. Why had Yata turned to Fushimi and started to complain? He thought if a guy like Fushimi who didnt hang out with anybody was his companion, then even if Yatad complain Fushimi wouldnt tell anybody.if its like that then arent I also being pretty mean, Yata thought and felt down again. Fishing. Was suddenly audible from next door. When Yata wondered about Fushimi skipping class deliberately to play a fishing game, Fushimi told him: If you wanna see it its okay if you come over. Is it really okay if I come to you? If you enter in a normal way. There was the sound of the stalls door getting unlocked. Even though he had been called over once more, two boys being together in a toilet stall was kind of weird, but Yata didnt hold down his interest in what Fushimi was doing anymore anyway. Leaving his stall, this time he entered Fushimis properly through the door as he had been told. Over Fushimis knees, who was sitting on the toilet bowl, floated the two plates from earlier that had the identical shape of a keyboard and a display made out of light. Yata hunkered down in front of Fushimi and looked up to the display. The half-transparent display was flipped horizontally, but Yata could still see from his side what was being projected. He understood at once that it was ?jungle?s surface. In the middle of a forest was a plaza-like space in which several 3D characters walked around. Within the virtual space the users were present as their alter egos, which were called avatars. At first the appearance was only plain, but it was possible to customize the face, clothes and possessions. Last night when Yata had experimented with it, he had also wanted to make his avater a bit cooler but the cloth items that had attracted him had cost money, and ?jungle?s system was that to possess them one had to buy them. Your avatar is this one? The one in the middle, he assumed, was Fushimis avatar, but it seemed like its appearance had not been changed from the initial design at all. Looking past the half-transparent display he compared Fushimis face with the avatar in the middle of the virtual space. Looking through the blue filter at him, Fushimis expression was normal and he didnt seem excited, not less than the avatar he looked like a doll. How about you give it glasses to wear? The suggestion Yata made was completely ignored. It was an unpersonalized avatar that got lost in the crowd of the surrounding avatars that were coming and going and dressed up diversely. However there was one item in his hand that looked like it was the only conspicuous feature. An ax. Suddenly, the effect of something seeming to collide with and shaking the screen made the surroundings of the virtual world change. It seemed like some kind of game had started. It didnt look like a fishing game. A trading card game? Or a puzzle game? No, a simulation game? Several items filled the place tightly, the parameter was all too full and a complicated looking game appeared on the screen. A game that has recently become popular on ?jungle?, called jcube. The opponent we fished for just now is one of the third years from yesterday. Vol 1 Chapter 1.6 3D cards and cubes were swimming and intertwining each other in the middle of the screen, but soon they separated and organized themselves to something like a battle formation on Fushimis and the opponents side. Both had respectively five cards and five cubes. Ah, Ive already seen that, too. Yata had recognized the cards pattern (oh, pretty cool) and the cubes from when he had seen them the first time. He had never owned the real thing, but it was a famous puzzle. It was a hexahedron where one side had 3x3 rows with multicolored tiles, one row at a time could be rotated horizontally or vertically and the tiles of the same color had to be collected on one side. When all colors on the six sides are arranged then it was complete, but even just completing one side was fairly difficult. For you to understand Ill explain it in an easy way; arranging the cubes colors and collecting offense and defense power makes the cards parameter change, and equal cards will battle. The colors have attributes, for example for red "flames, for green lightning and for white recovery. Arranging the five cubes makes it possible for combos to happen. Like, when all the five cubes red sides have been completed, a flamex5 combo will happen. Also, because theres the factor of the simulations strategy, divide your military power between your own camp and the ground you obtained, and secure your supply line, and so that a revolt wont happen, the politics" Ah, I dont think I understand any of that anyway, so its okay. Halfway through the explanation Yata had given up. Yata also loved games, that is, really loved them. The games he was the best in were those were you had to use your body directly, like rhythm games and racing games, and he was also pretty good at fighting and simulation games. That was, if it was done intuitively but if it was necessary to remember the rules, use your head and make presumptions beforehand then Yata was hopeless in it. Whoosh! Pow! Somehow he thought that games that spurred the senses and reflexes were a real pleasure and because of that he felt unsuited for strategy simulations. Fushimi glanced at Yata as if he was an idiot and skipped the simulation part of the explanation. When cards whose power has been exhausted are given some time, theyll slowly be restored but if you use bought items you can restore them on the spot and the game can continue. It has also become possible to buy items that can strengthen your cards. That should be bothersome for them, butthat group, well destroy them thoroughly. With my hundred thousand units. "Hundred thousand-!? Right, the delinquents had run out of money and are probably be frantic. Uh? But dont the third years have class right now? He had wondered about this earlier already, but Fushimi and the third years, why were they able to play games when their PDA were supposed to be locked during class. Of course normally you couldnt do it. However when ?jungle? is installed, a loophole is opened. The security of these PDAs is strong, but ?jungle? slips through this security, invades the system and implants a spyware. Ahahh, I see. Yata said seriously, but of course he didnt understand a thing. Five minutes before, said Fushimi with a glance on the digital clock that was showing at the edge of the display. Yata noticed how time had passed by fast. Five minutes before the first hour ended. When break started people would come into the restroom. If we have five minutes, then itll take ten. Behind the glasses Fushimi squinted his eyes. Through the screen the word Fight! traversed and the battle began. The instant after, Fushimis fingers began to run quickly over the from light made keyboard. In the middle of the screen the cubes spun and he compiled the tiles colors. The six sides of the first cube got assembled so quickly that if something had happened just now, Yata wouldnt have been able to turn away his eyes. The cards got filled with a huge energy and attacked the opponents cards. The opponents cards power got scraped off heavily. The screen shook as if the cards shriek was audible. Ah..that had been a trap. An opponent who proposed a match against somebody who uses such a standard avatar wouldnt imagine them being this strong. If it was a user who just started ?jungle? they could step on them and defeat them easily. When Yata thought that Fushimis cubes were spinning neatly, the colors on the six sides were completed immediately and compared to that the opponents cubes made little progress. One, soon two sides were completed and each were transformed into energy. On top of this astonishing thing it was not like Fushimi was controlling one cube at a time. How he did it Yata didnt know, but on the screen were numerous cubes spinning at the same time. The before mentioned combos were exploding nonstop. The way Fushimi worked was skillful although it seemed like there was little time to think. The slender fingers that glided over the keyboard seemed to dance, just as if they were holding the cubes within the screen and played with them as he wished. Amazing, muttered Yata without thinking and watched in fascination. The opponent tried to somehow stand against the war like situation and quickly embezzled the bought items. He probably had spent time and money on them and on leveling them up, and losing them was a painful thing. Yata had also collected trading cards before so he could understand that feeling. However, if the opponent was this impatient then the cubes wouldnt get done. It showed quite clearly the panic of the competitor on the other side of the screen. The corners of Fushimis mouth rose. On Fushimis default frowning, sulky face appeared a smile carrying a dark passion. This was the meaning behind defeat them several times as much as they did-shredding the important cards leveled up in the PDA, making their purchase a waste. The only way Yata had imagined regaining cash worth as much the stolen money was through retorting with violence. Fushimis way of thinking made him shiver a bit. This guysscarybutamazing! Before he knew Yata had focused not on the battle unfolding before his eyes, but rather on Fushimis face that was visible on the other side of the transparent display. The mosaic tiles patterns of the dancing cubes within the display warped and distorted the pale face. That face was of a perpetrator burning with fire and having a good time, like a guard of purgatory. Vol 1 Chapter 1.7 After that there were two delinquents left. Because they had probably heard from the first victim about the existence of the atrocious user who had pretended to be a beginner, ambushed and then destroyed the moron who had willingly challenged him, they were on their guard and possibly avoided Fushimi (though they probably didnt know that the owner of that avatar was Fushimi). Fushimi carefully stood by for two, three days and after waiting for the remaining two to let their guard down he skillfully tempted them to compete with him and exploited them of both their virtual assets, the cards, and their real assets, the money they had leaned on. It was a week until the three of them had lost all their property C though if it was only the in-game time then it had been roughly ten minutes, and they had to burden a loss of who knows how many ten thousand yen. By now the whole thing had surely fallen into oblivion. A week later on the way home. Hey, Fushimi, Fushimi, I heard a rumor that if your payment is overdue then evil, masked debt collectors sent by ?jungle? come to your place and take out the organs from your body that are worth money. Extract blood and peel off skin and stuff!"told Yata Fushimi. Yata didnt look scared, rather the excitement of wanting to see such a frightful thing seeped out of him. "Thats an urban legend. Yata felt let down a bit by the short answer. Eh. So it isnt true? He had gotten used to these kind of curt reactions from Fushimi. Somehow Yata didnt feel like the conversation was scarce because he knew that this situation was just normal. Thanks to seizing those guys cards your own deck has gotten super strong, right? Also with the skill set your cubes have there isnt really an opponent at all, huh. True. I dont really wanna use ?jungle? anymore, its gotten boring. Fushimi who talked big in a cheeky way seemed proud and satisfied, and in his own way he seemed in good spirits. If you want the cards Ill give all of them to you. Since Im quitting. Eh.d- dont need em. Yata declined after hesitating for a moment. While watching Fushimi play he had thought about wanting to play himself but even if hed start playing now, if Fushimi was quitting..it seemed uninteresting. The whole week Yata had walked home together with Fushimi. If it was only because Yata was staying by Fushimis side or because it was Fushimis intention to go home together he didnt know. He would pedal his bike while standing and sometimes approach Fushimi, sometimes make distance between them. Sometimes Yatad stagger and bump into Fushimi but to be honest even that was fun. But, even if its an urban legend its pretty obvious that those guys are scared right now. If they cant pay the fee this time its not sure if masked debt collectors wont come after all. The idea of the third years being frightened and captured by dreadful debt collectors, have their blood extracted and their skin peeled off made Yata feel satisfied. Well since a lot of money is necessary and theyre desperate now and ought to do somethin. Yata let out a snicker. Hm?, just when he had said that, he suddenly realized something. Hey, Fushimi? Im asking just in case, I mean it is you so of course you have already planned the next ste Yatas bike got pulled sharply from behind and his head jerked forth and back. He was barely standing on one leg and when he turned around there was a person holding the frame of his bikes carrier. It was one of the aforementioned third years. Startled , Yata looked up front when from within the forest the remaining two came forth and blocked the way. You still havent given us the money, Fushimi-kun. Eighty thousand. We need it, no matter what. The two in the front where standing on both sides as if to encase Fushimi. The one in the back held down Yatas bicycle. Dont have it. Well, if you dont have it then of course youll go home right away and pick it up for us, right, Fushimi-kun. Were in a real pinch here. Youre in this together with us, arent you? The threat clearly leaked out his voice and the two got closer to Fushimis face. Compared to last weeks interference with the delinquents this time the mood was easy to grasp. They were probably really in need for the money, but that didnt necessarily mean that they knew the one who had beaten them was Fushimi and had come back because of that. Fushimi stepped back just a bit. The kind of menacing atmosphere emitted that if theyd get even one centimeter closer, hed head-bump them again. This group who had once already suffered that kind of counterattack, they werent so stupid to start a fight just like last time, would they..? Yata promptly scanned the third years. One of them was grasping something in his blazers pocket-these guys werent unarmed..!? The instant Yata caught a fleeting look on the something that looked like a Swiss Army knife, he kicked the third year who was holding his bikes carrier in the chest. The surprised third year let out a groan and bent backwards. With a kick Yata rammed his bike between the remaining two and Fushimi. Flurried, the third years jumped back. Fushimi, get on! Yata sharply used the brakes and yelled to the back. It looked like the angry third years were about to capture Fushimi. He saw the flash of the knife that aimed for Fushimis face and a shudder ran down his spine. Fushimi! By a hairs breadth Fushimi slipped under the knife and ran to the bike. Yata immediately turned to the front and began to pedal. When Fushimi had caught up he jumped onto the moving bikes carrier. Although it had felt like they couldnt keep moving, Yata was surprised at how unexpectedly easy driving was and he hit the pedals with all his strength so that soon they were riding at full speed. ?Dont fall!, he exclaimed, leaned forward even more and pedaled with all his might. Go! Go! Oryaaaaaa! Yatas voice filled with all his spirit drowned the third years voices out; they had made a distance between them. They reached a downhill path and when they had gained another ten minute gap Yata stopped the bike and when he checked the back the bodies of the third years whose angry voices still resounded had completely vanished from the other side of the street. Fushimi too looked back while holding onto the saddles back and steadying his posture. Fuh- We narrowly shook them off. Their breathing had become heavy but it had been a real kick. If you wouldve tried to think about it its just obvious? Its a circle where you sabotage their money in the game and then they come and take yours. And then what exactly had been your plan for that? What you ask, I hadnt thought about it. Fushimi turned around to Yata, settled down and said that with a haughty expression. Huh?..you hadnt thought about it? If you come up with a plan for the worst possible thing to do to those guys then you wanna destroy them with it as soon as possible and dont give a thought about what happens after. Fushimi had become serious and stubborn. Astonished, Yata lost his temper and looked once more at Fushimis lenses. You.you are this full with self-confidence, but its not like that! They had a knife, didnt you notice? This wasnt like what happened the other day, you couldnt just hit them and be done with it. If you knock about guys like this then an escalation is to be expected, think about it for a bit! Though maybe somebody ingenuous like you didnt expect guys like that to be at school "If you didnt want to get involved with it then dont follow me around. They arent after you since you dont have any money at all it seems. I- I didnt say anything like that!? What the hell, is your personality this crooked!? I did this for you.. Yata had gotten vexatious at the absurd argument and his voice had risen but he promptly went quiet. What he had said to the Yata-team was just like this. He hadnt want to push his good intentions to save them. Now too, he hadnt given his best and pedaled his bike because he wanted Fushimi to be grateful. I did for you wasntthe reason The horn of a passing car was honked because the two were right on the driveway. If they had been seen by the police, even under normal conditions it wouldve turned into trouble because they were two sitting on one bike. Yata broke off their conversation, turned to the front and kept his mind on driving. They moved forward with Fushimi in the back who had stopped to talk and had become sulky, and Yata in the front who too had become sullen. Yata had a firm belief as to why he had felt so thrilled when they had shook free from the angry third years and escaped them. Because he hadnt been alone. Because somebody was riding in the back he had to pedal the bicycle with all his might to escape with him together from the bad guys, and wasnt that kind of an exciting adventure? Vol 1 Chapter 2.1 Mission 2 Kuahh.. m tired While yawning, Yata pulled his slippers out of the shoe rack and glanced into it for a second time. Something was sticking in one of the slippers. It looked like a piece of paper folded four times. Whats that, a written challenge? Wonderful, theyll get their asses handed to them again. Boasting to nobody in particular, his voice had gotten excited. On the edge of the folded paper there was a decorative pink ribbon visible. H- hey, hey, isnt something like this put into the shoe rack something that only exists in manga nowadays? Yata promptly looked around. Students were walking here and there while sleepily exchanging greetings, but there was nobody who looked in his direction. He opened the slip of paper by holding its edges with two fingers. On paper with a fancy pattern was a short paragraph written in roundish letters. This definitely didnt look like a written challenge. Yata Misaki-sama Couldnt we go watch the night view together today? Aya N-..no way, is this really that thing this thing could be!? Yatas heartbeat rose and the moment he jerked he loudly crashed into the shoe rack on the opposite side. Yata hurriedly shoved the letter into his pocket because people who were startled by the sound had turned around. He ran through the hall while paying attention to his surroundings, looking like he had just drawn a lot of money from the bank. The moment he had leapt into the classroom he grabbed the door and stopped sharply. He immediately entered through the front door, let his bag fall on the desk in the front of the first row closest to the corridor and sat down backwards on the chair. Although this was not Yatas seat, Fushimis was the second one from the front in this row. Fushimi who was resting his chin on his hand, using his PDA with a bored look on his face lifted his eyes slightly. Yata cleared his throat. Ah, Fushimi. Theres something Id like to show you. With this overdone preface he pushed the letter against Fushimis stomach. The letter crumpled while doing this and when Yata noticed he felt a bit remorse. Dont give me garbage. Its not garbage! It was stuffed in my shoe box. Ah. A letter of misfortune. N-no! If you look at it youll see, its a lov- He had started to talk with a loud voice but abruptly choked down that word. He put his elbows on the desk and when he brought his face close to Fushimi, Fushimi frowned and took the letter out of Yatas hands. Its a lo-love letter, no matter how you look at it When Yata tried to say it his stomach fluttered and made him twist, and Fushimi looked at him with a cold glare, opened the letter in front of his torso and skimmed over it from left to right. "Whos Aya? Keep your voice down! She isnt in our class so she should be in a different one. Hhn. Because Fushimi carelessly put the letter on the desk Yata hurriedly took it in his custody. Dont let it just lie there! Hanayama, the actual owner of the seat Yata remained sitting on had a look on his face as if he was about to say something to make Yata leave. When Yata stared at him with defiant eyes Hanayama looked away and approached the seat the former friends of the Yata-team were gathered at. So, what should I do? Should I go? When Yata returned to their conversation and asked a bit fidgety, Fushimi who was already working with his PDA again with an I-dont-care expression reacted in an unusually surprised way and raised his eyes. Ha? Youre the one they invited, whyre you asking me? Because I havent really ever gone out with a girl and I wouldnt really know what to do. Well, I dont know. So you wouldnt go, Fushimi? Theres no way Id go. Declared Fushimi sharply and returned his eyes to his PDA. The hard light reflected on his glasses emphasized the cold impression he gave. Yata stared at Fushimis pale forehead with a disgruntled face for a bit but then he crumbled the letter into a ball and shoved it into his pocket. Then I wont go. Why. What if youd go? Werent you in high spirits just now. I-I wasnt? A-and its not like I actually wanted a love letter? And sometimes hanging out with guys is more interesting than with girls? Though you dont have anybody to hang out with. Y- you hang out with me, dont you Yata scowled with an unsatisfied feeling but he was aware that Fushimi put a limit on such words, and as if to efface what Yata was about to say Fushimi didnt look up from his PDA. ? Even though he said this, Yata couldnt help but have the letters sender on his mind and because he had nobody to talk about it he was fidgety all day long. School however ended without a sign of the sender getting in contact with him. If Yata would be honest hed admit that he was disappointed after all. Maybe he had just been made fun of, he wondered. This weeks cleaning duty was to clean the entrance. When Yata was pretending to play ice hockey with the broom while cleaning the concrete in the most careless way possible, he spotted Fushimis person carrying his school bag on his shoulder and on his ways home. Ah, Fushimi, wait a sec! Lets go home together. Im done in a minute. No, thirty seconds. Hey, lets go someplace on the way. Ill show you my old town, Shizume City. While swinging the broom sloppily from left to right in a way that totally didnt give of the impression of cleaning, Yata approached Fushimi who was changing into his shoes in front of the shoe rack. He swore he didnt do it on purpose but Yata sent Fushimis shoes that were right next to him flying with the broom, and from Fushimi who was squatting down rose an irked aura. Because he had made him angry again Yata drew back his head. Uah, sorry.. Micha~kibyun When he thought he heard the voice of a high-tension girl who sounded like shed make a heart with her hands sway over from behind his back, he was grabbed by something soft. Uwaaaaah! With a shout Yata pushed away the girl and grabbed onto Fushimi without thinking. Ukyu, uttered the girl in a sweet voice. So- sorr.uwaaahh- Because she had fallen down on her butt Yata could see under her skirt and his apology got interrupted by another shout. Ah, even if you saw it thats, like, okay. Because Im wearing hot pants. See. With that the girl, while still on the floor, lifted her skirt and showed what was under it. From short pants that bulged out like a pumpkins shape were her slender thighs visible. For Yata to see under a skirt was enough already and if it was underwear or hot pants didnt make a difference. He yelled for a third time and hid behind Fushimis back. Annoying Tedious, Fushimi shoved him back but while Yata continued to let out a shriek, he grabbed onto Fushimis elbow as if to shield himself. ?Michakibyu~ns, like, naive, right? When the girl hopped once and rose to her feet, long bunny-like ears swayed with her. Thinking about it they were decorations that resembled bunny ears attached to the rucksack on her back. Because for the time being her panties werent visible anymore Yata appeared timidly from behind Fushimi. Im, like, sorry that Im late. I was in the school infirmary the whole day so I, like, wasnt able to meet you. Despite having been in the infirmary she looked like she was bursting with energy. Even with girls in his class Yata was rather on the short site and that frustrated him everyday (From now on his plan was to welcome the growth spurt and quickly grow taller!) but this girl was even in Yatas eyes much shorter. The image of her with her hair tied to pigtails and the straps of her pink checked backpack in both hands certainly made her look like a child, and despite wearing Himuka middle schools uniform she could pass off as an elementary school student with no problem. The girl saluted cheerfully and introduced herself. Im, like, Oogai Aya." Wasnt her way of talking kinda weird?, thought Yata but more important than complaining about this girls speech pattern was to mention that he did not know her. "Oogai.. he didnt know if it was to match her name, but the decorative bow on her hair ties looked exactly like shells. (1) Aya the same name like the letters sender. Have you, like, seen the letter? Le- leleleletter? Geez, I wo-wonder what tha-that was, nah, Fushimi? Tha-that is, arent we goin home- Because Fushimi had quickly put on his shoes and coldheartedly started to walk away Yata grabbed him by his arm. Eh, so you, like, havent seen it? The girl that had introduced herself as Aya put on a shocked expression. Her big pupils trembled and because she slowly started to tear up Yata got into a panic. Ah? Ah-ah-ah- the letter, you meant that? Ah, ahh, I saw it? Then today, youll go together with me, right? Ah-no, no no today Fushimi and I planned to spend time together. I already promised, so Im sorry though. We didnt plan that, though. B-but we did? We did, right? Drawing closer Yata pinched Fushimis elbow. Ayas eyes shifted to Fushimis face. Both their pupils narrowed and their expressions turned cold. Saruhiko. Why have you, like, lately dropped from the jcube ranking? Yata was surprised and checked Fushimis and Ayas faces. What, you two know each other? You schouldve told me this morning, yknow. I didnt remember anymore. This ones name, that is. To Fushimis cold answer Aya retorted in a sharp way. "Did you quit because it was scary for you to be, like, losing to Aya? I stopped only because I had become bored of it. Quitting is just like you, but then why did you when you, like, fought against Aya for the last time not strip Aya off everything she has? Somebody who wins and then runs away is a coward. Annoying, cursed Fushimi quietly. Right now too he clearly gave off an aura of wanting to walk away quickly. Hm. Well, whatever. Regarding Aya then theres something shes more interested in than jcube right now. Aya twisted her body and took her PDA out from the side pocket of her backpack. A spiral-like cord tied to her backpack jumped up. On her PDA she had a bunny mascot strap, that is, her PDA had three of such stuffed animals hanging down from it. Aya turned towards the boys and showed them the screen in which an avatar looking much like a bunny was walking around. So that was Ayas avatar. It was totally different from Fushimis impersonal avatar that hadnt been edited at all, and was customized with unique items. The scenery was probably from a fantasy RPG and the interior reminded of ?The Adventurers Bar(2). Next to Ayas bunny there were other adventurer avatars loitering around. Assuming this was an underground shop buried right under a big tree, there were entangled roots crawling along the walls. From under an avatar who was at the counter and looked like the bars master popped speech bubbles up. [shell-sans current active mission >capture the Kappa(3) that lives in hiding in the abandoned factory >create a mystery circle 2nd time >get in contact with the mysterious individual who travels in the blimp >see more] This looked kinda interesting. Yata whose interest had been woken brought his face closer to the screen. Capture the Kappa? You can forget, like, about the Kappa. Look at the third line. The third..the blimp.? Exactly. Ayall go get on the blimp. According to Ayas calculations, the blimp should, like, pass through Shizume Citys sky tonight. We will ambush it there. We.you mean us? Cant you go with your g-girlfriends? Because Yatas face was close to Ayas, he blushed and while putting distance between them he purposely said that in a blunt way. Just in that moment, plop, with a sound effect like a bubble rising to the surface appeared in the middle of the screen a new speech bubble. It was a different bubble than from the conversation with the bars master. Yata immediately knew that it was a notification from jungles group chat and bad memories swept in his heart. [Cant Aya just die already.] He hadnt planned to read it but his gaze fell on it and the messages content startled him. Following the first speech bubble, plop, another one appeared. Plop. Plop. Plop. They multiplied like bubbles bursting. [Shes making her middle school debut. In her elementary school graduation picture she looked super plain lol] [But isnt her character totally wrong for a debut?] [Her way to talk. If she does that because she thinks that its cute than that just hurts.] [Ouch!] [She so embarrassing I cant walk together with her.] [I really want her to die.] ..Michakibyun? Is something wrong? Because Yata was completely absorbed and staring at the screen, Aya wondered about it and right after she had turned the PDA to herself, her face stiffened. Plop. Plop. Plop plop plop plop.the small notification sound continued. The speech bubbles quickly multiplied. Youthat.. With his own experience heavy on his mind Yata could feel his body become terribly cold. Even though he did not want to, he paid attention to the PDA, and before he knew he himself was being badmouthed, mocked .Hmph. Aya suddenly turned defiant, threw her head back and showed the other two her PDA once more. By now the screen was buried in all sorts of negative phrases so that it made one feel sick. This isnt, like, the first time. Aya noticed it over two weeks ago. Over two weeks.then it shouldve been at the same time Yata had seen the message exchange from the former Yata-team members on his PDA. They are the girls I had formed a group with right after entering school. Aya had the same looks, the same belongings, the same speech pattern, they, like, make me feel sick, those stupid women. They are the ones who are embarrassing! Its Aya who cant walk together with them. Surprisingly for her immature looks she could talk a lot and with a sharp tongue. But the corners of her mouth were trembling. They, like, also have the plan to do the blimp mission. But Aya wasnt invited by them. So well get a head start. So well go capture the blimp together, right? When Aya said that Yata couldnt find a reason to decline anymore. Oogai (ؐ) means big shell from the video game Dragon Quest X Kappa, a japanese mythical creature, associated with water On Ayas speech pattern: she ends her sentences with ʤǤ/Ǥ (nandesu/ndesu) which really doesnt translate but usually puts emphasis on what was said; on top of that she talks about herself in third person Vol 1 Chapter 2.2 Eight oclock on the appointed night. Waiting with his bike near the bus station Torimochi City 5th Street Yata could see the bus arrival. Bunny ears were bouncing in the window and moving forward and then Oogai Aya appeared on top of the stairs. Although the backpack with the bunny ears was the same, she wasnt wearing her school uniform, but casual clothes. With a denim jumper skirt that had a big pocket made out of different cloth attached in the middle, socks with frills and high cut sneakers she looked less and less like a middle school student. When Aya jumped down to the bus station she held onto the straps of her backpack and looked around a bit nervously, but as soon as she noticed Yatas bicycle she beamed with happiness. Thanks for waiting, Michakibyu~n! When Yata saw Aya rush up to him he couldnt help but think that Aya was glad he had really come because it had only been a promise to meet and he could have also decided to not come. Stop calling me that weird name. If you dont I wont guide you. Also that outfit is kinda. Eh, is it, like, weird? N- no, its not weird. Really not. I- Its just that were out during nighttime and it stands out. Because the bunny ears on her back dropped as if upset, Yata got flustered and while thinking ?Fushimi should come already he cast about his surroundings nervously. Talking with normal girls was already difficult, but being with this kind of strange girl was fairly tense. Michaki-chan, you, like, know about this neighborhood very well, right? Yata-kun. Misaki-kun, you, like, know about this neighborhood very well, right? Compared to the stomach-twisting Michakibyu~n, this was much better, so whatever.. if he would have noticed that the atmosphere just got less tense for him he wouldve wondered how. Yeah, well. Thats because Shizume City used to be my old town, yknow. Proud, Yata hit the saddle of his bike. Another bus came this time from the other direction and they could see how it came to a stop on the other side of the street. When the bus drove away the thin shadow of a person stood next to the bus stop. Fushimi-! Yata was sincerely relieved and waved his hand energetically. From here Fushimis expression didnt seem to shift and he waited for the traffic light to change before crossing the street. His thin pants, polo shirt and cardigan gave him a slender shape that made him look like an honor student on the way home from private school on a holiday. Yata on the other hand wore a jacket with camouflage pattern and baggy pants, somehow just like an adventurers outfit. He also had a helmet with a headlight but that had been too eager so he had not taken it along. Looking at the three all together their looks didnt fit each other at all. Was it okay for you to go out at night? Since your parents seem kinda strict. Fushimi had seemed annoyed at them insisting theyd go pick him up if he wouldnt come so he had made a promise to come with them for now, but Yata had thought that the possibility of Fushimi actually coming was fifty-fifty. Hes surprisingly sociable, huh Though Fushimi might be fickle, Yata was excited nonetheless. Strict? My parents? muttered Fushimi without meeting his eyes and the short sneer that escaped him made Yata worry a bit. At the west side of this bus road was Shizume City. Based on what Aya had said the blimp should pass through the sky over Shizume City tonight. Its gotten cloudy. Wont we be unable to see the blimps like this? Ash-colored clouds hung in the night sky in which the citys neon lights were dimly reflected. Clouds thinned out like worn out pants were also there and only there was faint white light. The moon was hiding on the other side. Its planned that the blimps altitude will be, like, reduced so its no problem. Itll descend to under the clouds. What exactly do you mean with planned? Okay then, let me now, like, present the plan for today. Aya seized the initiative and pulled out her PDA with the usual big bunny dangling on it from the side of her backpack. When the screen switched on blue light looking like plates appeared in the twilight. "Uh? Isnt that the same like Fushimis? When Yata looked to Fushimi, the latter was clicking his tongue in unpleasantness. The blimp will pass though Shizume Citys sky on this route tonight. The highest it will be is 300 meters, the lowest 60 meter and less. Well stand by right under the route and if we light "candle the blimp should, like, certainly pick us up. On the holographic display were many maps showing. It looked like a map of the whole Kanto area, including Shizume City. A line that seemed to display the blimps route was drawn above the map in a fluorescent yellow. Right now was the time when the traffic volume was the loudest. The noise of the cars passing by on the other side of the guardrail was very loud and the three huddled together and peered into the display. The light of the display floating in the twilight lit up the faces of those three. "How come you know stuff like the blimps route and its altitude? Thats because the missions award you with, like, hints. When Aya operated the displays, they changed. Switching with the map on the screen was now detailed writing tightly crammed and spread all over the screen. While staring at it Yata unintentionally flinched; all of it was numbers - he couldnt imagine how many ten thousand or hundred thousand numbers there were, it was a never ending list. For Yata who wanted to put distance between himself and math this was a nauseating sight. Uge. The hint ?jungle? gives you is this row of numbers. Although ?jungle? does not, like, tell you what it means. But it occurred to Aya right away. This is the estimated data of the blimps travel route. If they are analyzed it gets obvious at what time the blimp will pass through which place. When you notice that the date and times are mixed, figuring out the principle is easy. Understood? You have to, like, mark off every one of these 32 digits. The first four digits are the date, the next four the time, the next nine the X-axis, the next nine the Y-axis, and the last six the height. If you sort them and plot them above the map, youll get this kind of line when you connect the dots. The screen returned to the map. When Yata had it visually displayed, he too understood the meaning of the numbers. Is what it felt like.or maybe not. "Heh-.Oogai, youre amazing. Its simple, said Aya although she actually took pride in herself and glanced at Fushimi. But because Fushimi wasnt impressed at all Aya grimaced in anger. If you, like, lie a satellite picture of Shizume City over the map you can see how many buildings lie on the route. This is the plan of where we will be. And that is when its Misaki-kuns turn. I see! If its about Shizume City then leave it to me! I lived in this city until the first grade of elementary school. During that time I had formed an exploration group and had taken them along to downtown to explore it, and we had also built a base. If there is a building that we can enter then Ill figure it out! It seemed Aya had also heard that Yata had often invited his friends from the Yata-team to Shizume City to show them around. Somehow there was never a good time when it was convenient for the members, so they had put off their plans to go..if Yata thought about it now, they probably had arranged things in advance to avoid going. I had been pushy despite them not being interested, I sure was an annoyance.. Because these thoughts made Yata feel down, he pulled himself together and turned back to the map. Like the masked debt collectors the blimp wasan urban legend, told in whispers among middle school students. They say a wealthy man lives gracefully in a blimp in the sky. The candle Aya had brought up earlier C an app, where a special signal was lit to call for the blimp. Lonely and suffering people would hold up candle to the sky and wait, and then the blimp would come and pick them up. The blimp can bring those people to a paradise above the clouds, drop them off at a place constructed by a madman, and make them into pawns of their world dominationthere were various opinions on that matter, and for every idea a group existed that had heated discussions on the internet. When he had lived in Shizume City there had regularly popped up UFO eyewitness reports among the kids, and when Yata had heard the talk about the blimp it immediately came to him that the UFO must have had been that blimp. It went without saying that Yatas exploration group had also tried to capture the UFO. In those days he had not known that there was a system or that there was a method to call the UFO, so they had searched for it aimlessly and the hunt had ended in a failure. To go on board the UFO, or rather the blimp, and take a picture of the mysterious wealthy person was the mission Aya had brought them along to. In short it was a real life participation game. Within ?jungle? there are several more shops that act as an intermediary for missions, like the bar below the tree Aya had shown them. The points that are rewarded when completing a mission can be saved, and there are also prizes like items. Jcube is a game that is only played within the PDA, but missions are for the most part executed in the real world, where real things have to be done, and that makes for clear limits. This building. Yata put his hand into the hologram and pointed out a single item on the satellite map. His finger got tinted blue by the holograms light. It still exists, huh. You can get on the rooftop by using the outdoor emergency stairs. How many stories is it? Should be.ten, I think. If it is like that then the height of the rooftop should be 30, 40 meters. Aya affirmed that the blimp is visible from the place Yata had pointed out. Yeah, this is good. We can, like, crawl right under the blimp. Thats Misaki-kun for you, you can, like, definitely count on him! I- I get it, so dont come here! Touching is forbidden! Aya did a jump and because she looked like she was going to hug him, Yata faltered and escaped. The two of them yelled and ran around Fushimi. If the destinations decided then lets go already said Fushimi coldly, got out of the middle and started walking away. The two who had lost their center tripped forward. Dont go off by yourself! said Aya while running after Fushimi with short steps. Yata rode on his bike with only one foot on the pedal and the other one on the ground, surpassed Aya and Fushimi and took the lead. This way! It bothered him that Aya and Fushimi tried to be the leader in this town that both of them did not know well. Six years ago he had taken along the members of his exploring group, driven around Shizume City on a childs bicycle C six years later he had returned, now on an adults bicycle together with friends different from back then, heading towards a risky task. The fingers of his right hand that held the handlebar felt itchy. Maybe it was because of the urban legend about being dropped off on a land built by a maniac, but the part of the blue hologram he had touched had seemed like it had been rewritten into something different, like matter from space and made him feel itchy. Having started to be with new people made the bottom of his stomach feel like it was gently floating. Fushimi Saruhiko and Oogai Aya. The two were nothing like the people Yata had hung out with until now and they were a bit.no, very strange people and somehow extremely smart. It was an exciting experience how with these two, knowledge they recalled was connected like this. It felt like the world how it had appeared to Yata until now was stretching into a direction he hadnt thought about before. Vol 1 Chapter 2.3 It was six year since he last had come to this building. Despite the tenants sign sticking out of the wall and the worn out posters that were plastered over the windows glass the building itself had not changed much. For Yata six years was half of his life but for the citys history six years probably did not amount to much. That Shizume City was a peaceful city was hard to say. Especially the place near the station had been maintained well and gaudy shopping malls strung together there but entering just one back street would bring you to the poor neighborhood of crime organizations and delinquent groups that even now still existed. It seemed like fights between those organizations had not stopped either. It didnt look like Shizume City was an area to suddenly get a playground, so the kids living in Shizume City had become good at creating playgrounds in the middle of the city themselves. The rooftop of this building had been one of those playgrounds. Back then this building mightve been an office for the yakuza. Maybe they had a gunfight with the cops! For example, this bump in the railing, doesnt it look like it was caused by a bullet? While Yata talked lively he had gone ahead and walked up the outdoor stairs. Yata had wanted to scare them a bit, but the footsteps of the two people following him did not change at all. Didnt your parents get, like, angry that you entered a place like this? Well, I did get a good scolding for it. When I was a little kid my mom would always bare my butt and give me a spanking. But because I was born as a man theres no way Id stop exploring just because my parents got mad, right? Hmm. So thats what boys are like? Thats what we are like! Right, Fushimi? Yata hoped for Fushimi to have the same opinion but when he turned around, Fushimi on the very end had stopped and was staring at the lower part of the stairs. He was listening carefully and because of this suspicious behavior Yata strained his ears too. Can you hear something? asked Yata Fushimi but he himself could only hear the faint noise of the cars passing by on the street. There was a story floating around online. Fushimi started to talk while keeping his eyes on the stairs. Although it was uncertain where this story was going, Yata and Aya were drawn in by Fushimis calm tone and listened focusedly. There was a woman who committed suicide by jumping down the roof of a building, and even though she became a ghost she did not remember her own death, so she climbed up the rooftop again and jumped down once more. But the womans ghost still thought that she had not died and while uttering a curse I cant die, I cant die she climbed up the rooftop and jumped down over and over again. The building had been closed down but despite that if you climb up the outdoor stairs of that building you will hear one pair of footsteps coming. Fushimis voice carried an unpleasant dampness. The wind blew and the railing clattered. Is how the story goes. He ended his telling calmly, with a face as if he had just talked about the weather. What the hell made him suddenly talk about something like that!? Yata regretted deeply that he had listened attentively until the very end. Wha-wha-what the hell is up with you, thinking of suddenly telling a story like this!? Tha-tha-thats of poor taste, Fushimi hahahaha-eek. Footsteps, muttered Fushimi and tilted his head, carefully listening again. Just now I thought I had heard a fourth pair of footsteps. Fou-..Fourth pairha, ha eek? Wha- whawhawhat are you saying, theres just three of us, right, just three. Theres no way you couldve heard another pair of footsteps. Shouldnt we hear them once we start going up again? said Fushimi in a serious manner. Yata turned his head to Aya who he was depending on. Ayas smiling face too had become stiff. Ehehehehe, Saruhiko, what are you saying, tha-tha-thats a ridiculous story. At the end of the sentence her voice jumped up in a weird way. The bunny ears on her back shook nervously and its fur stood on end. Yata and Aya both couldnt move one foot. Even if we start walking nothing will happen, they thought but the feeling that something was approaching them increased and Bam! A foot stepping loudly on an iron plate resounded. U- Uuaaahhhhhh! Yatas scream was completely synchronized with Ayas. They had struggled earlier to run away but now they both pressed together. Fushimis swift footsteps resounded while he was calmly walking past the petrified Yata and Aya. When he ran past them he whispered: Just kidding. The footsteps..there obviously had been only one pair of them. Huh..? Just kidding?..Eh? Huhhh!? Yata opened his eyes wide and stared up at the thin back disappearing upstairs. Dont tell me, this just now had been a joke!? Was Fushimi the kind of person to make such jokes!? Shit. Shit. Shit. To be tricked in such a way is the defeat of a lifetime. It is an embarrassment that will last to the future of the Oogai family. While cursing in a foulmouthed way Aya put up folding chairs close to the entry of the rooftop and lined up sweets and water bottles. The folding chairs had the same pink checked pattern like her backpack. Yata placed the battery-powered lantern he had brought with him in the middle of the seat to serve as a light source but Aya put a shade over it which had bunny shaped holes in it. What the hell.. With the pink color and the bunnies it looked like she was turning their secret base on the rooftop to part of the girl-game playing house, and it made Yata feel somewhat reluctant. When he had been a little child it had sometimes happened that sisters or other female relatives of the exploration groups members had tagged along but basically they had been a tough group without any girls.. Here you go, Misaki-kun. Aya offered him of one of the bottles plastic cup in which she had poured something to drink. Maybe it was milk tea; it was a sweet colored, bubbly liquid. Drinks for exploring are supposed to be calm river water! (that was the ideal image he had gotten from TV but the only river in Shizume City was the drainage channel so the best tough drink they had was tap water.) Uh. Ah. Thanks. It was obvious that Yata could not decline so he sat down cross-legged on the chair and took the cup. What about Fushimi? Yata looked around with the opinion that Fushimi should also already say something. Fushimi was in a corner of the rooftop the lanterns light did not reach. After leaning over the fence to check the streets state below them he sat down on the concrete, the holographic keyboard and display appearing in midair. Hey Fushimi, come here and lets together We should let him be for now. Since back then he had been, like, that kind of guy. Only Aya and Misaki should, like, get on the blimp! Fushimi raised his eyes for a moment as if he had hear what Aya had said. Dont say something like that. The three of us came here, right? Yata tried to smooth things over. Aya turned the other way. Aya did not invite that guy. Fushim did not seem to care anymore and looked back at his things. Were relatives. Second cousins, though he is the kind of guy who is neither close nor far. Aya has, like, known him since she was little. Aya spoke in an annoyed tone and bit three Pocky sticks in half with her front teeth. Yata had been suspicious because he could not see Fushimi have a new female friend but with Ayas explanation he finally understood. I see, relatives, huh. Yata felt kind of relieved, if Fushimi would have had a girlfriend or something he felt like he had been beaten to the punch regarding everything.. "Whats Fushimis place like? I heard that they are kinda rich. They do have money. His mother leads a business. His moms the head of a company? Not his father? Thats amazing. Right after Yata expressed his genuine impression Aya spit out the Pocky and broke into laughter. Uhihihihi. Geez Misaki-kun, please dont, like, make me laugh. That guy, the head of a company? Imagining it alone is already impossible uhihihi. Did- did I say something funny? Aya hit her chest with her fist as if the remains of the sweets had entered her trachea. Ueh, cough cough, uhi cough, uhihi, she laughed in a way that made him wonder if she was all right. Yata who didnt understand the situation at all pulled back and frowned. Ah, Im, like, sorry. Im getting a call. With that Aya fished for her PDA and pulled it out. Her PDA with the huge bunny dangling from it rang. Yata who wasnt familiar with the ring tone thought that it was the theme song of some magical girl anime. In that moment Yata stood up and with the cup Aya had given him and the bag from the convenience store he left the folding chair. Mama? What is it? He could hear Aya answering the phone from behind him. Her voice was like two octaves lower than her usual high pitched voice. Fushimi, isnt it cold here? Theres still a lot of time until the blimp will pass by so have a meal. Here. Yata approached Fushimi and dangled the bag from the convenience store in front of his eyes. From this corner of the rooftop the main street was right beneath their eyes and it was close to the entrance so the wind blew strong. Fushimi who had been looking at the display lifted his eyes once and silently took the bag. There were proper things like Onigiri in there but somehow Fusimi made a sour face and chose a chocolate bar instead. Thats it? Youll get an upset stomach. Eat the Onigiri. Dont have any utensils to eat it with. Fushimi peeled the silver foil of the chocolate bar and took a bite, then he held the rest of it in one hand and with the other he worked with the keyboard on top of his lap. Yata sat down next to Fushimi with his back leaning on the fence. Right after he tried the drink in his cup he stuck out his tongue. Sweet! Yata usually also liked sweets but just how much sugar had been added to this drink? I heard it just now, youre relatives with Oogai? At that topic Fushimi turned towards his display and candidly clicked his tongue. The relationship with his family and home seemed to be on bad terms. ?Ah-Yknow, I have a few memories about this building. Back when I was a dumb little kid I had a fight with my mom..that is, she scolded me, I become sulky and run away from home and in that night ended up here alone. The season right now is kinda okay, but in the dead of winter the nights are super cold, yknow and as expected the next day I had a fever..And my mom even though she had been so angry took care of me like usual, and I felt totally guilty It was a story from way back so now it wasnt embarrassing anymore, but while he had been talking Yata had ruffled the hair on the back of his head roughly. No matter how he thought about it it had been his fault for being scolded and that he in the end hadnt apologized to his mother troubled him still greatly. I had told you that I had lived here until first grade of elementary school, right? My father was never around, but my mom met a good person and remarried and then we moved in with my new dad. And then this year again, because of that new dads work we returned to this place. While he sipped the milk tea which made his tongue feel like it was burning down he continued to talk absentmindedly. From the other side of the fence he could see the distant crammed neon lights in front of the station. Because he had heard some things about Fushimis family from Aya he felt like it would not be fair if he wouldnt tell a few things himself. Although Fushimi didnt really seem to care about Yatas family, if Yata wouldnt talk about it hed feel bad. My mom and the new dad had a child that is, my little brother, and last year my little sister was born. Like that its now a family were only I am related by a half. The new dad and my mom, my brother and sister have tight bonds. I mean, I do love my siblings and my new dad is a normal, good person. Im glad that my mom came together with him. However, from now its the new family that will make my mother happyits okay if I dont protect my mom anymore. When I had thought about that I had realized that isnt the place I belong to anymore He turned around the cup in his hands and the mildly colored liquid moved with it. His new family was like this sweetly mixed milk tea. It felt like only he didnt blend into it. Because Yata had complained for a bit he felt better and lightened his voice. Ah, I talked freely because I wanted to tell you, thats all. Its not like in exchange I want to hear about your family from you or anything, so dont worr- You said she scolded you. Because Fushimi had unexpectedly opened his mouth Yata asked in return: Eh? Fushimis eyes followed the in high speed flowing numbers in the hologram. Just when Yata had started to think he had maybe misheard, Fushimi murmured again. Why? Huh? For a moment Yata did not understand what he was talking about. Ah, aah. You meant that. It was something he had talked about much earlier. After that I had talked a lot about my circumstancesdont tell me, he had stopped at the beginning and hadnt listen to how I had continued, hey. Um? The reason why I got scolded? What was it again, maybe that I had slid down the escalators handrail? No, that wasnt quite it. What would you do if youd crash into somebody who was standing at the end, you and that person too would get hurt mom had said that with a very angry look. And when she had taken care of you when you had been sick? Although Fushimi had inquired the previous topic, he didnt react at all and continued to ask questions. Huh? What did she do? Uh, nothing special? For example shed take my temperature or ask me if theres something Id like to eat, or if its too hot or too cold, the usual stuff. Also yknow when you have a cold and youre lying down and its kind of lonely? But then you can hear your mom making noise in the kitchen and that feeling of relief when she immediately comes to you when you call is the most C ah? W- well for me its okay now. I was talking about when I was around the age of my little brother, okay? Yata had gotten flustered and while he supplemented what he had said a question popped up in his mind. He inclined his head, peeked at Fushimis face and asked: when you get sick, you do get taken care for, right? From your mother. No. Ah, aah. Shes a business head, right? She must be extremely busy. Then instead your father looks after you, right? Crack, resounded it quietly. It was the sound of the chocolate bar getting crushed in Fushimis hands. .yeah. He looks after me. (1) The way Fushimi muttered his response was the same like his reaction at the bus station. When Yata had asked him if his parents were strict; it was like a spit out laugh. Geez, thats just your complaints, mama. Ayas tired of hearing it. They could hear Ayas voice that had gotten higher again. Aya doesnt have the time to have such long telephone conversations. Eh? Aya told you, shes doing homework at a friends place. Eh- Aya did tell you! Its probably just that you werent listening, mama. No, not Erika-chan. Dont call her home. Its a different friend. You want to greet them? No, its okay if you dont. Overwhelmed by her aggressive speech Yata looked back to the folding chair. Isnt Oogais voice different when she talks with her mother? Wasnt it kind of more plain? It was how the girls in their class talked like, in a normal way. Misaki-kun! Aya ran to them with the PDA in her hand and an anxious expression. You, like, talk to her for a second! While covering the PDAs mouthpiece she pushed it into a puzzled Yatas hand. Aya told her shes doing homework at her classmate Yata Misakis house. Then mama said she wanted to greet your mother. Aya, like, responded she isnt here right now but mama said to hand the phone over to Misaki-chan. Huh-..whyd you tell such a stupid lie. Well whatever, if its just a greeting. Although he felt reluctant to speak with a friends parent, it couldnt be helped so he took the PDA and the moment he put it to his ear Ah, Aya told her youre, like, a girl, so please talk with that in mind Aya made that kind of outrageous request. Wha-!? Huhhh!? Who is- Shh! Aya pressed her hand once again against the mouthpiece of the PDA Yata was holding and spoke in a low voice. While Yata turned away his face he got influenced by her and lowered his voice, too. Don- dont joke around, theres no way I could imitate a girls speech! Misaki-kun hasnt had his change of voice yet so its totally okay. We wont be busted if you, like, dont use any guy-speech. Its okay, you can do it. Lets try. Do- dont fuck with me. Please! I beg of you! Weve come this far and Aya doesnt, like, want to return now, Aya wants to get on the blimp no matter what! Uh..gh. She wasnt like Yata who was simply excited about the new challenge of catching the blimp, from Aya came another much more tense feeling. If she would have begged in such a desperate way before and we would have refused just like now he could not have lived with himself. I get it already. Ill do it. With the best scowl he could manage he pushed away Ayas hand and held the PDA to his ear. Misaki-kun! Ayas face was beaming. Damn..even if things are like this now, Ill show you what a guys made of! Wait, I meant what a girls made of. Or something, I dont know anymore. Half desperate Yata cleared his throat and raised his voice. He changed his voice as much as possible and spoke the first words. Goo- good evening, maam. This is Yata Misaki. His voice was more high-pitched that he had imagined and even he was surprised by it. Yes, ye-s, its like that, Im doing homework together with Aya. Mama should come back soon too, so its no problem. Its no bother at all, really. Yes, next time Ill come over to play. I- is it okay if I stop now? Because of that weird energy I had in the beginning this is getting out of hand. He was dripping with sweat and his jaw was shaking. He ground his teeth and glared at Aya who was suppressing her laughter by pressing her hands on her mouth. I- Im doing this for you, yknow. Yes, yes. Have a pleasant night. Yata had somehow deceived Ayas mother and after the telephone conversation had ended he felt like he had used up all of the high-pitch and girl power he had had. He hadnt had much girl power to begin with and there was no real need for a high-pitched voice either. Less than a minute of a telephone conversation had exhausted him and drooping his head, he gave Aya her PDA back. Don- Dont go complaining about this I have helped you out of your pinch, so Yata had over used his high-pitched voice and now his throat was throbbing with pain. It was, like, perfect. A performance mama was not suspicious of. Dont laugh, you. Im not laughing uhihihi! Ughdont think of asking a favor of me again. Do not say something like that. Im sorr-hihihi! If she by any chance has recorded me, then my life is over Yata gazed to the distance with hollow eyes. Hehe. A stifled voice was audible. Aya stopped her laughing and became big-eyed. Yata followed Ayas eyes and saw Fushimi, with his face buried in his kneecap and his shoulders trembling with laughter. Fu- Fushimi!? Even you? No way Saruhiko is laughing muttered Aya, forgetting her verbal tic. Fushimi raised his head with the back of his hand still covering his mouth. His cheeks were still twitching a bit, but he cleared his facial expression again, and Yata regretted a bit that he had not seen Fushimis laughing face However, he had become a bit happier. That he had been able to make Fushimi laugh made Yata feel kind of proud, and he had not been completely unwilling to do the favor, so whatever, he thought. It was in that moment when he felt the ground beneath his feet shake faintly. An earthquakeD? When Yata was looking around nervously Fushimi stood up quickly and stared beyond the fence. Fushimi? Whats up? Yata stepped up to his side and after he looked at Fushimis profile once he followed the latters gaze. The wind that blew was so strong, it seemed to be able to pull somebody over the fence. Oh no-, exclaimed Aya and ran towards the folding chairs. When Yata turned around he could see how the sweets bags and other light things were blown away in the wind. Over there said Fushimi and Yata turned to the fence. Fushimis hair was tousled by the wind and while he held down the frame of his glasses, he fixated his eyes on one point in the sky. Yata placed his belly on the fence and leaned out his upper body. The wind quickly washed away the gray clouds that were covering the sky. He could steal a look at the sky behind the torn away clouds. DThere it is! Flying through the moonlight, a small black shadow. From here it didnt seem bigger than a bean but that was mostly because they were far away and in reality it was probably huge. The blimp! exclaimed Yata in an excited voice. Really?"Aya came running back and leaped at the fence. "Where? Where is it? Over there, that bright spot. Do you see it? Thats a blimp, right? Right? The excitement of those two grew and in contrast to that Fushimi spoke in a serious tone. Its farther away than your prediction. And its altitude is..high. Are you saying that Aya made a mistake? There is no way that, like, happened. After all, Aya plotted the coordinates and altitude correctly. Aya shoved Yata in the middle and snapped at Fushimi. Fushimi ignored Aya, turned around and sat down like earlier, with his back to the fence. He agilely typed on the holographic keyboard and a map appeared on top of the display. When did you-! Aya raised her eyebrows. It was the same map with the blimps route like the one Aya had shown them earlier, but here the fluorescent yellow line was quickly being drawn. Looking at the route the blimp wouldnt pass by the building they were in right now until 22:15. Right now it was still before nine oclock. If the prediction was right than the blimp would come closer in about one and a half hours. Look at the map once more. Fushimi tugged at Yatas clothes from below him. Isnt there anything you notice? Huh? Even if you say so. Yata squatted down and brought his face closer to the map and once again followed the route displayed in a fluorescent color with his eyes. Huh? There was something weird about it. When he had seen it for the first time he hadnt thought much of it, but now he felt like he had somewhere Dont, Misaki-kun! yelled Aya and shoved her face into the hologram. The map made waves over her face. You, like, dont have to listen to what Saruhiko says. There is, like, no way Aya made a mistake. You should only listen to what Aya says, Misaki-kun! Yata, called Fushimi out in an impatient voice. Maybe it was meant as an remark against Aya, but this was the first time Fushimi had called Yata something else than you. Yata concentrated on the map without looking at Aya. AhI got it! He pointed at one spot within the route, forcing Ayas face aside. Even though he had had to have noticed C but maybe he had failed to see it because he had been so excited. You know that theres a steel tower here, right? It overlaps with the route, right here. If the blimp would fly by here with the altitude that is written here, then it would definitely crash into the steel tower! Because both the map and the satellite picture showed only a section, one could not grasp the height of the buildings. Yata however was familiar with the area and relied on his experience rather than on the map. He could recall and compare the steel towers and other buildings heights. Steel tower? Fushimi held onto the fence for a second time and his determined eyes behind the glasses squinted. Yata pointed from next to Fushimis face to the sky. Its that, over there he told him. It was difficult to make out the towering building in the night sky, but aircraft warning lights made it possible for the towers long outline to stand out slightly. Yata wasnt sure if Fushimi had been able to make it out or not, but the latter squatted down again and turned to his display and keyboard. The digits Aya had called hints that were so detailed it made Yata feel overwhelmed appeared on the screen. Fushimi squinted his eyes and traced the digits as if he was scrutinizing something. Are you, like, planning to re-calculate everything? How rude! If you look at things now its obvious they are off. Fushimi silenced Ayas protest easily. Yata, what is the blimps current position? Um.somewhere here I think. Yata located the area in which the blimp was still only visible as a tiny spot in the map and pointed on it with his finger. That place was not on the fluorescent yellow line. Where the blimp was right now was far away from where Aya had predicted it to be. Ayas mouth curved as she was about to say something, but she fell silent. How you divided the thirty-two digits into parts was not wrong. For example, if we single out the thirty-two digits from here we have 05301525035689520139691703035015 0530 is the date, 1525 the time, 035689520 the X-axis, 139691703 the Y-axis, and 035015 the altitude, muttered Fushimi while the list of digits that fully covered the screen were reflected on the lenses of his glasses. Aya was about to stick out her chest in pride and say See, I told you, but Fushimi continued to mumble by himself so she ground her teeth in frustration. Yata too only watched him without saying anything. These digits arent the only hints they provided they hid something intentionally, so that you have to decode it. Fushimis fingers glided over the keyboard, he revised the digits on the screen. There is a code somewhere.. maybe breaking down the prime numbers? Can an amateur figure out that much.? Its probably simpler, something like a puzzlemaybe adding and subtracting the digits.no, thats useless. And if I reorganize every line. ah, that could work? Okay, its this. If I change everything using this rule and then plot them. The way Fushimi was talking to himself started to take on a weird heat. The chaotic digits were busily converted in Fushimis brain. Yata couldnt image anything but for the inside of Fushimis head to be like outer space, where a big bang happened and asteroids collided with each other. This guys amazing Plop, a fluorescent blue point appeared on the map. Plop, plop, plop plop plop The points increased like an evening shower suddenly becoming a strong rain. Soon the assembled points connected and a zigzag line was drawn. This blue line was a curved and totally different from Ayas yellow line. Tha- That doesnt prove thats the right answer. Persisted Aya but there was proof that this line was more correct than Ayas because the new calculated position of the blimp fit perfectly with its actual position. And the problem of the steel tower too was avoided by this new line. Amazing.you did it, Fushimi! Not really. Fushimi calmly cut off Yatas excited praise. Theres still somethingif I have it arranged like this then this cant be everything.Ah, right when I had changed the digits with that rule earlier a new set had appeared.If I plot them once again.. Over the map opened a new row of windows. Fushimis fingers ran over the keyboard with amazing speed and he wrote some kind of command consisting of alphanumeric characters and symbols. He then added the list of numbers to it. This time fluorescent green dots appeared on top of the map. How the dots were linked together this time did not look like a line. A circle was drawn an in its middle. a face? Something like that.? Th- this is.! Yata became big-eyed by the surprising thing that appeared in front of him. It looked like an emoticon drawn by using window lights; the thing that had appeared over the citys map wasD a smiley. theyre making fun of us, grumbled Fushimi and clicked his tongue. Exhausted, he took his fingers off the keyboard. He was like an honor student who threw his mechanical pencil on his desk after solving the questions of a test quickly. His eyes filled with amusement and he switched off the hologram. Why did you turn off the map? That just now, wasnt that another code? Some kind of super secret hidden.. No. The person who made this has a twisted personality, thats all. Its been a sign telling us there are no more hints. Well, we did figure out the correct route, right? So what are we gonna do next? Next even if wed keep waiting here its been made clear that the blimp wont come. The place to light up "candle is too far away and the possibility that well be found by the blimp is little. Its cold, so Im leaving. "Eh, what are you saying? Lets go after the blimp! When Yata said that with vigor, Fushimi made perplex expression. Yata pointed at the tiny shadow floating amid moonlight and raised his voice. I mean, we can see it right now, right? We cant just leave now. We can still catch it! Shizume City was his territory. It wasnt a map, a holographic projection, something you couldnt touch with your hands. In Yata existed a sixth sense about the area that really responded to him. The reluctant Fushimi showed him the map once more and Yata examined the buildings. A building as high as possible and which they could enter.. His head spun with an unusual desperation and he dug out a memory from the explorations during his childhood. was the name that leaped in front of his eyes as if it was suggesting itself, saying only here and nowhere else. Hirasaka building D it was exactly in the middle of the vicinity of where the blimp was right now and the building the three of them were. Alright, if we go there We wont make it said Fushimi after glancing quickly at the building Yata was pointing at. Its located right in the middle, you say? The blimps much farther away. Nope, well make it. And what are you basing that on? That is of course, my intuition!,declared Yata, brimming with confidence. The verb both Yata and Fushimi use here is ޤ (kamau) it can mean to care for/ to look after but also to tease Vol 1 Chapter 2.4 Okay, lets go, you two! Halfway through elating Fushimi and Aya, Yata had run down the emergency staircase and tugged at the bike he had left there. He got on the saddle and pointed his chin at the bicycle carrier. Get on! We wont make it if you run! You plan to ride with the three of us on it!? asked Aya in a disagreeing manner. You dont need to worry about me. You two arent heavy at all. In the past I used to ride around with a guy as fat as three of you and it worked out! Aya cast a side glance at Fushimi and while she still hesitated, Fushimi walked over quickly and climbed on the carrier. Lets go. She should walk, like an infantry. What do you mean infantry!? Aya will ride! Youre really annoying! After Aya had stomped on the ground and jumped once, she too came up to the bike, pushed Fushimi to one side of the carrier with a Move! and sat down sideways on the other side. Since both of them had small butts Yata felt like he was beset. Aya held onto the back of Yatas jacket in an impossible posture. Aya wont hold onto your back even if she dies. Same here, dont touch me even if youre dying. It cant be helped that you two are on bad terms, but dont fall! One week ago he had rode with Fushimi on the carrier away from the third years. Even though the weight he transported was twice as much as back then, it was as if his motivation grew with it. Spirited, he pedaled. As expected the balance was bad and right after the departure Yata couldnt control the speed and the bike wavered. Uwawawawa! Kyaaaa! rose Ayas scream from the back and she pulled on Yatas jacket so much it seemed to rip. Nnuohhh! Yata clenched his teeth and pedaled with all the strength in his body and somehow they managed to speed up. The ladies bicycle protested with creaking noises as it was pushed over its limit and it seemed to break apart any moment. Misaki-kun, are you, like, okay? Yeah! I- I can handle it! Everythings okay! While leaning forward Yata bend his neck and looked up to the sky. The blimps shadow had entered a blind spot within the mass of buildings towering in front of them. But if he believed Fushimis calculations, then the blimp should be gradually dropping in height and coming closer. Following such a huge thing was an intense experience. Yata had a slight buzz in his ears. He continued to pedal his bike so much that masses of dirt came from the front and hit him. Were taking a shortcut! Hold on properly! He firmly grasped the handle and plunged the bike into a path in a gap between two buildings. The bike leaned over and seemed to crash into the wall. Yata momentarily lifted one foot from the pedal and kicked off the wall. Fushimi, hold the balance in the back! he yelled, hoping for joined forces. .dont you think you look stupid? Fushimi asked in a cool voice that felt as if cold water was thrown onto Yatas sweaty back. Youre the only one pedaling desperately, dripping with sweat. Why? I dont think so? answered Yata without hesitating. Because Im carrying you two! Maybe itd be stupid if Id be alone, though. He pedaled the bike rhythmically and raised his voice with every stroke. I like doing stuff with somebody else. Getting angry, too, laughing from the bottom of ones belly about silly things, too. Because having friends to hang put with is interesting, right? Even though I might be a bit too pushy, maybe I cant read situations, maybe I had been laughed at behind my back Yatas voice had lost a bit energy. His eyes, which were staring fixedly ahead, lowered. Until now he hadnt consider peoples feelings and he had been sure what was fun to him was fun for everybody and maybe he had pushed forward what was fun to himself. Yata hadnt even realize that he had been shunned behind his back. Compared to his former self, the Yata from now, who had learned his lesson, wouldnt forcefully push forward anymore. A bit scared, Yata searched for Fushimis reaction. For other people Fushimi might seem totally insensitive, but for Yata, Fushimi was somebody he wanted to be close to. Why? Because Yata didnt want to be hated by anybody? C that wasnt it. Its because he thought it was amazing how smart Fushimi is. Because he felt so excited his whole body trembled. Because he wanted to see him laugh. Because he wanted to do more interesting things together with Fushimi, because he wanted to laugh together with him. They came out of the gap. We arrived! Hirasaka building was right in front of them. Yata stopped the bike abruptly, waited for his companions to jump down and then let the bike fall on the ground. The stairs are in the back, hurry! Yata pushed the other two forward, but because Fushimi stopped Yata crashed into him. Its impossible. We wont make it said Fushimi, looking up at the sky. What are you saying, its right in front of us C Wham..!! In that moment, the sky cracked open. Midst the clouds hanging over their heads, the blimp showed its huge belly. Wham, wham, wham..! Heavy engine noise shook the sky and teared it apart. The air was pressed down and became thick, and pressure was put on their ears. The sudden gust of wind dried Yatas sweat at once. ?Uah.Its huge! so huge they could see only one part of it. And also, ?Its so close! The blimp was passing by, seemingly scraping the highest point of the building. Although it had to be several meters high, its size, so big it filled out their complete visual field, caused the illusion of closeness. If they now would stretch out their hands, wouldnt they be able to touch it? If the person in the blimp would notice, wouldnt he grabbed their hands and pull them in? But they could neither stretch out their hands, nor move in the slightest. It was as if they were being overwhelmed by pressure, they could only stand upright. Like a huge tongue licking the sky once, the whole thing only lasted for a moment. The blimp passed by above their heads and once again shoved itself into the thick clouds. The propeller at its end teared the clouds apart and the scattered pieces dispersed above the building. They hadnt had the time to light candle, but they hadnt remembered it anyway. The crushed skys height returned to normality and when they were released from the pressure they couldnt trust earths gravity anymore and the ground felt unsteady. Ah-ah. We couldnt make it after all grumbled Aya. She seemed slightly irked, maybe because her own calculations had been wrong. Misaki-kuns intuition had been off. Sorry..though I had really thought we would make it. Seems like my intuition has burned out joked Yata, trying to cover up the awkwardness of the situation. He turned to pick up his bicycle. Sorry, Fushimi. It was exactly as you said. I had gotten all excited by myselflets just go home. When he had turned around to say that, astounded he stopped the hand that grabbed the bike. Aya too, who had started to walk back discontentedly, stopped in amazement. Only Fushimi who quivered without moving looked still up to the point where the blimp had disappeared. Maybe, if we.. He sounded as if he was murmuring to himself. ..had gotten onto it, would have something changed? Although his voice and expression seemed bland, his quiet voice revealed the truth, and it sounded like a cried out plea for help. Just why was that? ..Right. Maybe it would have brought us to a far away, different world, said Aya in a melancholic tone. Her posture had soften after that kind of reaction from Fushimi. In one moment, the blimp had engraved its overwhelming existence into their bodies, and had then passed by. The feeling that they were still pulled towards it even after its disappearance stayed in their bodies. Yata was sure at the blimps destination there was a world different from the tiny one they were part of right now. A huge world filled with amazing power, something they couldnt imagine just now, if such a world should really exist somewhere If it exists, then shouldnt they be able to go there some day. Tonight their failure had been vexing, but they could just go chase after the blimp again, and Yata wasnt that discouraged. Vol 1 Chapter 3 Mission 3 Right after running through the corridor and jumping through the doorway Yata grabbed the door and managed a sharp stop. He threw his bag on Hanayamas desk, which was the first seat in the first row next to the corridor, and sat on the seat backwards. Yata was facing Fushimis desk which was the second in the row. Hey, Fushimi. Like usual Fushimi who was tampering with his PDA with a bored expression, glanced up, responded with only an Ah and returned Yatas gaze. For Yata that kind of weak reaction was still dissatisfying but he pulled himself together and started a one-sided conversation about yesterdays anime- That was the pattern Yatas mornings in the last month had been following. However today, halfway though June, Yata was sitting quietly at his own table, watching the empty seat three seats in front of him worryingly. Fushimi sure is late today The looks of the former Yata-team, which was gathered at a desk near the window chatting idly, flickered at the edge of Yatas view. Dont mind it, dont mind it, he warned himself and tried to not turn his eyes their way. Isnt Yata-kun alone today? Lately Yata-kun has been hanging out with Fushimi, right? Isnt that just because they both dont have any friends - In reality their conversation wasnt restricted to just that topic but their whispering voices reached his ears so that Yata could hear them. The reason why Im hanging out with Fushimi is not because we are loners! Fushimi is really amazing! Yata leaned back in his chair haughtily and dropped his legs on the desk with a thud. Unfortunately the teacher who entered the classroom in that moment saw him and yelled: Yata! Dont put your shoes on the desk! In the end, Fushimi didnt come that day. Maybe he wasnt feeling well. Yata wanted to inquire Fushimis state, but the truth was one month had passed since they started to hang out and Yata still knew neither Fushimis phone number nor mail address. Lets exchange addresses! he had once said while pulling out his PDA, but Yata had been turned down. Eh, why? quite hurt, Yata had asked for the reason. I dont wanna enter somebodys data. .had been the answer. I dont get that guy. He had come with them when they had chased the blimp and Yata hadnt expected for Fushimi to turn him down like this. The seasons had entered the rainy season. For three days it had been raining nonstop and coming to school by bicycle had slowly turned into a nasty thing, which was why Yata was temporarily using the bus to commute. If he was on his bike, he could drive it in high spirits despite being alone, but driving on the bus alone was something Yata did not like. Yata could see how on the other side of the soggy corridor a group of girls from another class came in his direction so he stepped aside a bit and walked past them. The girls passed by him while talking in high pitched voices. Walking closely behind this group was a girl of small build, carrying a backpack with bunny ears growing out of it. It was Aya who walked with somewhat weary steps, but as soon as she noticed Yata she waved cheerfully. Ah, Misaki-kun! Ya~hoo! The bunny ears on her back also quickly switched from miserable to energetic. As Aya ran up to Yata, she seemed to want to hug him again and as a reflex Yata took on a fighting pose. Mm? A counter attack? Aya made a sharp stop about a meter in front of Yata and took on the same pose. The facial expression she made right in front of him looked just like Fushimis in the dim light and Yata once again realized that those two were indeed related, so he tried to ask Aya. Hey, Fushimis absent today, do you maybe why? Has he maybe caught a cold? There is, like, no way Id know. Please do not ask me anything about Saruhiko. O- okay. Yatas shoulders dropped but Aya had an expression on her face as if she had just remembered something. Now that I think about it, its already mid-June she said and turned her eyes to the rainy scenery. Which means that guy should come home soon. That guy? Father. Saruhikos. Hes a guy who comes home only about once a month. The way Aya talked about Fushimis father left no doubt that they really were related, but judging from her way of speaking she didnt seem to respect him at all. I know that his mom is the head of some company, but what does Fushimis father do? Usually Yata wasnt really interested in the profession of his friends parents, but how Aya talked about Fushimis parents, how she made them into joke material and sneered at them, had caught his interest already a while ago. He only goes home once a month..so they dont live together or what? You mean work? He doesnt really do anything? Ayas mama always says that hes, like, a good-for-nothing who only has a pretty face. Ah, papa and that guy are cousins, so mama isnt related to him at all. And, like, the one mama totally hates is Saruhikos mother. Even though that woman is a beauty and competent, she only has a discerning eyesfor men but wont be ruined anyway..well, thats jealousy talking. Thats only because mama, like, feels superior to Saruhikos mother. Although aside from marrying papa, mama has no good points whatsoever. Ayas voice was poisonous and it felt like it was encroaching all the way up to Yata. He wondered if Fushimis environment while he had grown up hadnt been so unique if he then maybe would not have turned into such a difficult person. Though it exceeded Yatas comprehension how one could say rude things about relatives or have some kind of superiority complex. Somehow.thats an awful family. Ayas, too. Are you, like, worrying about Saruhiko, Misaki-kun? Of course, were friends after all. Its normal to worry. If theres a way to go to Fushimi and talk with him, then Id always Misaki-kun can somehow do anything, says Aya her voice sounded awfully harsh. Oogai? Yata was a bit bewildered, but Aya immediately returned to her usual self. Anyway, we should, like, do a mission challenge together again. This time Aya wont let Saruhiko interrupt and Aya will clear the mission. Right, Misaki-kun- The rest of what Aya said went in one ear and left the other. Thats right, thought Yata. If theres some kind of problem, you can depend on me! He imagined that if hed say something Fushimid be irritated and shove it away. If you want gratitude, then ask somebody else. C if Fushimi would say something like that again, Yatad be really hurt, but.. Sorry, I just remembered I have something to do in the staff room. Eh, Misaki-kun? Yata turned around and started running down the corridor. Unfortunately a teacher who passed by saw him and yelled: Yata! Dont run in the hall! ? There has to be some print I need to bring over, right!? - with this Yata argued the teacher into giving him Fushimis address. He took a copy of something that wasnt really that urgent and got on a bus in a direction he had never been to before. Because he needed a pretext for himself, anything would have sufficed. What a big house. He looked up at the house from under his umbrella and felt intimidated for a moment. It looked like it had come out of a stylish movie from a foreign country, and the facade made out of red bricks of the western-style building had many windows with double doors facing to the front. The house was build in a way that it seemed to fall onto the cars on the main street with which it was connected. Yata stretched his body under the umbrella and tried to count the windows he could see on the front. He bend too much and raindrops fell on his face. Ah, okay. This is an apartment. Theres no way all of this is Fushimis house, right? There was an intercom next to the bronze-colored solid door and Yata tried pressing it, thinking that was how he could call the person in charge. Because there was a camera attached to it Yata made a serious face and waited, but there was no reaction. Is nobody home or what. Yata walked along the wall and impulsively peeked into a window in the first floor. The indoors was even darker than the outdoors with its bad weather and he couldnt figure out what was inside at all, his face was the only thing reflected in the glass. He returned to the front door and when he tried to grab the pretty door knob which was sculpted like a drop. it turned. Geh, I opened it. When he pulled the knob a gush of cool and wet air worse than the air outdoors poured out. While wondering what he should do now, Yata craned his neck and when had just slid his face through the door the PDA in his trouser pocket vibrated and scared him so much that he jumped. When he pulled back his head and looked at his PDA it was from Aya. The amount of girls contact information were extremely little in Yatas PDA. Y- Yyyyyes Oogai? Wha- whats up? Misaki-kun, you went to Saruhikos place, right. Y- yeah, howd you know? Im in front of the house right now.. He was surprised but because he was at a loss right now the phone call had come in at a perfect timing. Is this place an apartment? No, its for just one family. If the door is, like, not locked then you can go in as you please. Yeah, I already opened it by accident. The doors not locked..thats careless. You can tell that this is a rich household just by looking, and like this a burglar could just go for it. One did enter once. It was when Saruhiko had been home alone. Since then if a thief would enter the house, instead of locking the door they just dont place anything there that would be a great loss if itd be stolen. They have a weird way of thinking there. Saruhikos room is in the second floor, the first one on the right. Aya, like, believes hes in his room. He doesnt eat anything the maid makes and always buys his food so if he maybe doesnt have the strength to buy food he wont eat anything at all, is what Aya thinks. This concludes the information from Aya. Today Aya has to accompany mama by grocery shopping no matter what, so Aya cant come to you. Cant be helped, so Ayas leaving it to Misaki-kun. Her tone was extremely snappy. Until now Yata had thought that Aya seemed to dislike Fushimi and that they had some kind of rivalry going on, but.hm? Yata cocked his head in puzzlement. Yes, yes, mama, Im coming already. Well, mamas being annoying so Ayall hang up now. Ah, yeah, thanks. When youre done you can, like, leave right away. Cause that guys depressing. After hanging up, Yata once again slid his face through the door and peered inside. Uhm, Im coming in.he..llo. Even though he had not spoken in a loud voice, the echo was much louder than expected and Yata got confused from the get-go. But there was no sign of anybody reacting and the house fell deadly silent. Yata folded his umbrella, leaned it next to the door and stepped inside. The entrance hall, which was build like an atrium had at its front a wide staircase that could be out of a royal palace. Unlike Yatas home there was no place filled with kids shoes and the sandals of their parents, and he didnt know where he should take off his shoes. Is it okay to go in with shoes on..this place was different from his own home in every aspect. Even thought the door had not been locked it looked like nobody was home. If it would have been in a rural area okay, but they were right in the city. For Yata who had grown up in Shizume city which could not be called a safe area this was incredibly careless. If a thief would enter anyway there are no valuable things to steal..Yata didnt think that was a good way to handle a possible break-in, but they sure had an other way of thinking here. Yata kept standing open-mouthed in the entrance hall but while he lookied around nervously, he started to walk up the stairs. The first one on the right.Yata stood right in front of the door. Fushimi? Hey, you there? He knocked on the door reluctantly. Because there was no answer, Yata quietly tried to turn the door knob and this one also opened without effort. Honestly, what did they plan to do when a murderer or burglar would break in? The lights were turned off and the room lied in darkness. There was a window facing the main street in the back and through it dull light which had the color of the sky shortly before a downfall fell onto the Himuka middle school uniform hanging on the wall. Yata turned his eyes to the bed where the blanket was bulged and formed in a triangular hill. A bluish light was flickering inside it. ..? Fushimi? Sniff, sniff. A snuffling noise was audible and the hill moved up and down. Yata got closer to the bed, lowered his head and peeked at the other side of the hill. Fushimi, who was curled up and covered in the blanket from his head on stared intently at a row of holographic displays and typed on a keyboard. Fu-shi-mi. Surprised, Yata had pulled out one of the earphones and spoke into Fushimis ear. Fushimi titled his head and turned to Yata. The blanket slipped down from his head and his face was revealed. The blue light was reflected on his pale skin and his glasses but his cheeks were clearly red. Yata. Why are you here? Fushimi had a genuinely puzzled expression and snuffled again. The teach forced me to bring you a print, so I came here. Did you not come to school because youre sick? Ah, not really. Im just skipping cause theres something I wanted to finish. said Fushimi and put the earphone back into his ear, returning to the displays. Without looking away from them, Fushimi fumbled a tissue from the tissue box and blew his nose. That he had to let his hands rest for a second seemed unfortunate and he began to hit the keyboard again. Uah! Are you a manga artist right before his deadline?! yelled Yata and pulled out the earphones from both of Fushimis ears. The hell youre just skipping! Dont you have a normal cold?! You need to sleep quietly! The airs kinda bad in this room, Ill open the window for five minutes so cover yourself with the blanket. Yata trudged towards the window and threw it open. Because the wind wasnt strong no raindrops were blown in. Cool air brushed his cheeks. Theres nobody here, but did you eat anything? Did you drink enough? Water or anything is okay, Ill bring you some. The kitchens in the first floor? Yata looked around the room but could find neither food or drinks. Whats up with this, leaving somebody whos sick home alone without having anything arranged for him. You sure are noisy for just one person.. Fushimi incorrigibly returning to the keyboard while uttering an ungrateful remark made Yata explode with anger. Hey! If Id be your mom Id be totally pissed! Im asking you if you ate something! Yata took the earphones and PDA from Fushimi and threw it onto the table. The projected displays and keyboard disappeared midair and Fushimi clicked his tongue annoyed. What are you doing. So annoying. Seriously, if hed be Yatas son, wouldnt his cheekiness be totally annoying!? What was it you were so absorbed in doing anyway? I was making a mailing app. I still need to recheck the details and debug it. A mailing app? Arent there already plenty? If you use one of those, then youre data will be leaked. I told you before that ?jungle? implants a spyware. There is a possibility that ?jungle? exploits stuff like the content of your mails, personal information and everything you do with your PDA though the spyware. Thats why I thought about making an app coded by myself. If its only for two people to use its no big deal. Stuck at wondering that somebody could make apps and that apps were made by people, half of Fushimis explanation sounded like alien language to Yata and went over his head and he barely caught the last bit. For two people to use..you mean, me and you? You said that you wanted to exchange addresses, right, Yata. I havent entered any personal info that might be troublesome if itd be seen by others in my PDA and I kept ?jungle? even though it is a spyware because I didnt care..until now. While Fushimi mumbled this he drew the tissue box closer and blew his nose. So the reason why Fushimi had refused Yatas request to exchange addresses was this, huh. If you dont want it I wont finish it though. Huh? I didnt say I dont want it. Fushimi turned his head in which his nose had already become red away before he said such contrary thing to which Yata hurriedly objected. Fushimi glanced at him with half-closed eyes. You want it? I- I want it, I want it. I really want it. Its a hassle if I cant contact you. But you can continue working on it after your colds cured. When Yata said that in a soft tone, Fushimi seemed somehow content with the answer. Did you eat something? When Yata brought his face closer to the pillow and asked, Fushimi shook his head as if talking was too exhausting. Do you think you can eat something? Ah, the maid made food for you, right? Ill bring it to you. Fushimi frowned and shook his head stronger. Right, Aya had mentioned that Fushimi didnt eat what the maid made. Okay then should I cook something? I might not look like it, but I have quite a culinary repertoire. Ill make you everything you like. Though I can only make curry and fried rice. Two meals arent everything. Even though hes sick hes still quick with retorts, huh. Ah, I can also make porridge. Probably. Do you have rice, eggs and flavoring? Okay, its decided. If its porridge you can eat it, right. Ill borrow your kitchen. You sleep a bit. Ah, before that Ill make you an ice bag. Unilaterally, Yata settled on the items and was about to leave the room, but because there was no response he turned around on the door to Fushimi, who wearily had his eyes closed and breathed shallowly. His condition seemed pretty bad. Ill leave the door open, so call me if theres anything. Ill come right away. Leaving the door open, Yata stepped into the hall. Why is no adult in this house..? Yata became angry once again. Leaving a kid who is this sick alone..well, Im already a middle school student and totally fine on my one and Fushimi is the same age but two, three months ago we had still been in elementary school. ..Ah, mom? Im at the home from a guy from my class right now.. While worrying about the situation, Yata had pulled out his PDA on the stairs and had called his home. What? A friend from your class has a cold? Is his mother not home? Shes not..just where did she go, leaving her child alone? Dunno. Also, were already in middle school and no children anymore. But middle school students are also children. Anyway, he said he hadnt eaten yet so I thought Id make something for him. You know, the egg porridge you make when were sick. I could make that, right? What if you make a fire while using their kitchen? Should I come over? Huh? You dont need to come specially for that. Also, you cant bring Megumi with you. He could hear the crying of a baby on the other side. It was his little sister, Megumi. Just tell me how its done, I can do it! But arent you all alone.. Dont say annoying things, Ill do it just as you tell me. Yata he heard a weak voice call from the second floor. Hm, whats wrong? Yata moved the PDA away from his mouth and looked up to the second floor, but there was nothing to hear anymore. He turned to his PDA once again. Ill hang up now. Ah, Ill probably be late today.. Of course. interrupted his mother him before he finished speaking. Stay there until his mother comes back. If something happens, call me. I got it already. How bothersome replied Yata in a rebellious way, but he felt reassured and hung up. He ran back upstairs and peeked into the room. Fushimi. Whats wrong? Im thirsty. Was the request from within the blanket. Okay, what do you wanna drink? Some mild grape juice. The one with zero percent fruit. Even better if its semi carbonated. Thats a detailed request..and zero percent, thatd be no fruit at all. Whatever. Theres a convenience store right here, right? Ill run there real quick. Changes in the living room on the cupboard in the plate. Got it. That the house was in the middle of the city was really convenient for shopping and a big help. When Yata started to jog down the stairs, Yata was he called from upstairs again. Hm? Oh, looking back up to the second floor, he ran back again and glanced into the room. Whats it? Get some ice cream, too. Oh, youre right. When you have a fever youd like to eat some ice cream. Some mild vanilla. The cheap kind. Okay. Dyou like mild stuff or what. After receiving the request Yata jogged back to the stairs, but Something occurred to him and he stopped his feet and started to go back backwards without making any noise. He listened carefully, when Yata- Hah! I knew it! What else do you need? Yata had stuck his head through the door the moment he had been called. Looking like a baby turtle with only his head sticking out of the edge of the blanket, Fushimi froze in surprise with his mouth still open. I said Id come when youre calling, right? No matter how often youll test it. Are you doubting me or what said Yata and threw his head back after letting out a deep sigh. Ill hear you even when Ill go to the store. If you want to test it out, then test it. I inherited the sharp ears from my mom. So, its okay.even without confirming it. Dont worry and sleep. He softened his tone at the end. Yata was already remembering the conversation he had had with Fushimi on the rooftop, on the day they had chased the blimp. Yata didnt really understand in this moment why Fushimi clung to such petty things. Having the family right at your side when youre sick and asking for things a bit egoistically; Yata thought an experience like that was normal for everybody during their childhood, but for Fushimi it seemed to be something impossible to imagine. That a guy like Fushimi, who thought quickly and had a lot of extraordinary knowledge didnt know anything about things that should be normal for a middle school student pained Yata somehow and made him want to cry. ..I just wanted you to close the window. Its cold grumbled Fushimi, snuffled and sluggishly pulled his head back into the blanket. Astonished that Fushimi was not being honest, Yata walked up to the window. Ah, yes. Sorry, I forgot about it. The air in the room was fresh again and the rain had subsided. Seemed like he could now go to the convenience store. When he looked back to the bed after closing the window, the breathing under the bulged blanket seemed a bit stifled, but he could hear how the breathing started to even out. If Fushimi was asleep then he might not have to hurry to buy the juice. Yata thought about making the ice bag first. He felt like Fushimi, despite knowing about computers and the internet and digits in detail might not know how to make an ice bag. While Yata asked his mother for the instructions over the phone, which turned into an argument, he finished the preparations for the meal in the kitchen (though itd be better to call it a galley; there was a huge refrigerator in there) and because Fushimi had not woken up yet, Yata put his head on the dining table and nodded off before he knew. He woke up because of some fragrance. A nice smell..a bit sweet, a bit spicy. It smelled too good, kind of tickling him.. Somebody had brought his head down and was peering at him. When he closed his eyes for a moment his blurred sight sharpened slowly. There was a very handsome mans face. Ah, that guy has a quiet face now but when he grows up hell be this handsomeAfter Yata had casually thought that while still half-asleep he rapidly blinked several times. What are you? Whered you come from? An elementary school kid? wah! The chair made a crashing noise and when Yata jumped back the other man too bend back slightly. Without thinking Yata payed careful attention from next to the chair. Ah.ah, um, Im sorry for the intrusion, Im from Fushimis..Saruhiko, kuns, class. Saruhikos? A friend from school? Heh- I thought you were an elementary school kid. He was a person who spoke bluntly. Fushimi hadnt managed an older brother, right? Was this his dad? Wow, he was young. When Yata stared at him his gaze was returned with a grin. It wasnt weird that in the first moment Yata had sleepily thought that it had been Fushimi as a grown up. Though the aura was different..and he was not wearing any glasses, but the face was scarily similar and one could tell by only a glance that they were related. His hair, which was just like Fushimis, was pushed back on one side and steadied with wax or something, on top of that he looked extremely good in his clothes and a sparkling awesomeness seemed to surround him. His ears were severally pierced. With his Henley shirt he wore silver accessory, black damage-styled jeans and pointy boots. This man was incredibly different from the type of father how Yatas step-dad was one, an ordinary working man who was slowly approaching old age and getting a potbelly. Are you really Saruhikos age? I thought middle school kids were quite tall lately. Well, youre just getting stated, huh. So? Youre friends with Saruhiko? Whats your name? Ah, Im Yata. I asked your name so say it properly. YataMisaki. Misaki? Sure is a girly name. Amusing. They probably tease you at school, right? Kids are like that, they immediately make fun of stuff like that. Uh, well.. His almost reflexive way of speaking made Yatas face twitch. What a weirdly cheerful person. Yata thought that he was cheerful by nature himself, but even he couldnt quite handle this. Despite looking just like Fushimi, their personalities were exact opposites. So, whats my little monkey doing neglecting his friend like this? Hey, Saruhiko~? Ah, Fushimi has a fever and is sleeping, you dont need to wake him up said Yata without restraining himself and hurriedly followed the man who had just left. Ah? In that case sleeping will just make it worse. When the blood falls to his feet, thatll also make the fever drop, didnt you know? Hey, come on out, Saruhiko~! Theres no way you cant hear me! Dont hide! Ive never heard of this but. The man said something incredibly random and while putting his hands together to form a trumpet, he walked around with a swift step. If you dont come out Ill put a mantis into your new friends mouth? Bam, made the door as it crashed into the wall in the second floor. Fushimi let it make a noise like a thunderclap and then came running down the stairs. He seemed to miss the last few steps and landed on the floor in a sitting position but he stood up right away, put on the glasses he had been holding in his hand and faced the man. He still wasnt feeling better and his shoulders shook under the coarse breathing. Too easy! I smoked the monkey successfully out of its den! said the man truly delighted and laughed. Fushimi looked at Yata, who was standing at the side in honest confusion for a moment before he brought himself under control and returned his eyes to the man. Yata, leave he said in a hoarse, low voice. Eh? Yata was surprised at the sudden order, but for now put a good face on the matter. Ah, the porridges done so eat it. Its pretty good. What? Your friend made you a meal, huh. How kind. Though I wonder if a kid can make something proper to eat. Fushimi approached Yata by stomping on the floor, ignored the man who continued to joke around and took Yata by his hand. I told you to leave. Fushimi? Wait a mo- Yata stumbled while Fushimi dragged him towards the door. He could feel the damp heat on his wrist as if a hot towel had been wrapped around it. The man who had been left behind called out in a light voice. Saruhiko~ arent you being cruel, sending your kind friend away. Hey, let your friend sleep over. I bought fireworks so lets have fun! Though they all got wet in the rain. I dont think we can light up all of them, so how about we put one at a time on your friends head and try lightning it up, like russian roulette. If were not careful one might light up. Shut up!! Fushimi had turned around in front of the door and yelled. Because Yata had been right next to him when he had yelled, he flinched without thinking. Gyahahaha, you got angry, you got angry! Ive been angry the whole time! Die!! Yata was pushed out the door by Fushimi. The latter also went outside and violently threw the door shut. The man had been bursting with laughter the whole time, but the heavy iron door cut off nearly all of the sound. Ah, my umbrella and bag. when Yata noticed his belongings he had left behind and tried to go back, Fushimi blocked the door and covered the door knob with his hand. Ill give them back to you in school. Fortunately the rain had already become a drizzle and he wouldnt do his homework anyway so itd be no problem if he didnt have his back for the day. Ah, okay. Well then, youll come again when youre feeling better? Fushimi nodded, barely leaning his back on the door. There were things Yata still didnt quite understand, but Fushimi had come outside barefoot and that certainly wouldnt help him cure his cold. His family had come back too so Yatas job was done.though the father was kind of weird. Ah, eat the porridge. It came out pretty good. I tasted it so no worries. It turned into something edible. He wasnt sure if it was obvious, but he forced himself to speak cheerfully. Come to my place next time. Though there are the little ones so it might be a bit noisy. Mom told me to tell you that shell make dinner for us. Dyou like curry? You like curry, right? Ah well, you must be getting cold so go back in. Get well soon! After Yata had said the things he wanted to say at once, he turned around with a light step. The night had come and the cars on the street in front of the house had increased. The light of the outdoor lamps caught the misty rain and turned it into sparkling rainbow-colored crosses. Yata. The muttered call made him stop. What is it, hurry up and go back in. ..Todayfor many things, ice cream, or something After saying just that, Fushimi frowned and looked down on the ground. Imitating his mother when she scolded the children, Yata put his hands on waist and said: In a moment like this youd normally say thank you, right?, though he immediately broke in a laugh. You dont need to thank me. Something like this is just normal at my place. Well then, see ya! ? [There was something like pineapples in the porridge, what was up with that.] Three days later Fushimis self-made mailing app was done. The test mail was this one. [Not something like, it was canned pineapples. When youre sick at my place we specially make canned pineapples into the porridge. Also, when you have guests over you make pineapple into the curry, right?] [No, usually not.] [So what, pineapples are not high-class enough for you? How about melons? If its melons you wont complain? Okay, when you come over the next time well make melon in the curry for you.] [I can assure you, the things that are normal at your place will never become normal at mine.] Vol 2 Chapter 1 Period 2______14-15 years old Mission 1 The world within the square container was being completed. During this nice summer break in which he didnt have to go to school, he clung to and observed the ant farm every day for many hours without ever getting bored of it. Watching the ants all the time is interesting, isnt it? A faceless woman bluntly asked that unpleasant question. Im not watching the ants. Idiots shouldnt say random things. When he said that without turning around, the faceless woman didnt say anything anymore, but from that day on he didnt clean the vicinity of the ant farm anymore. The faceless woman was faceless because she was merely not impressive. The ant farms residents didnt have a plan and with seemingly meaningless work force they extended their path a bit every day. That path branched without principle, twisted and turned and crossed itself somewhere again so that all was repeated. It seemed like they dug their tunnels randomly, but because the residents didnt get lost he thought there was surely some kind of system in that world only those who belong to it knew about. At least a system flawlessly completed and unbroken in this closed world. He thought that was an absolutely beautiful thing. Fushimi-kun, how come you couldnt bring your independent research project with you? Huh? Why was it again that I couldnt turn in my observation notebook that I had carefully written every day..? Something had been in the way. Gyahahaha, Saruhiko~ did you end up dreaming about this just now? cling. Fushimi could hear the clear sound over his head which washed away the dark memories that had invaded his dreams. Cling, chimed the refreshing sound. Although the air that came was hot and humid. The air uncomfortably brushed against his hair that stuck to his forehead due to the sweat. Mom. Mom! The characteristic voice of a child yelling near him spurred the stuffiness and Fushimi frowned, opening his eyes slightly. Mom, hey, mom! Hot. Noisy. With a low groan he wiped off his forehead. He had leaned his head against the frame of the window facing the veranda and had dozed off. Cling, resounded the wind chime over the window. He looked towards the middle of the room and called out to Yata who was sitting cross-legged on a low table. You done? Hm, mm, no mumbled Yata who had stuck his pen between his nose and upper lip while he fanned himself. He was seriously struggling with the math problem in front of him and when Fushimi stretched his neck he saw that Yata hadnt gotten one question done since the first time Fushimi had checked on him. How long are you going to make me wait grumbled Fushimi, fed up and leaned his head against the window frame once again. On the veranda hung the laundry of the five persons family tightly crammed on the clothesline which blocked the sunlight from directly falling into the indoors. But the heat around the window was so high the tatami mats could burn up. Fushimi found it hard to forgive that the window was open in the middle of a hot summer day. Why is only the electric fan on even though they have an air conditioner? On the front side of the electric fan swayed a plastic cord that had been tied to it. The air wont spread any better with that there, so whats up with that plastic cord? He didnt get it at all. Mom, hey moooom, Hercules wont move! Hey moooom! Yatas younger brother Minoru, who was going to be seven soon, lay flat on the tatami mats and yelled again in a whiny voice. In front of Minoru was a plastic insect cage. Thats not a Hercules beetle. The annoyance made Fushimis patience run out and he said what he had wanted to point out since earlier. Eh?! Minorus expression changed and his body rose abruptly from the floor. Thats a Hercules beetle! Dad said its a Hercules beetle! Its Hercules! Hercules, Hercules how annoying. A Hercules beetle is Fushimi swiftly worked his PDA with one hand. When he looked it up there immediately appeared countless pictures of the rhinoceros beetle with its shining yellow-green body and the great horn attached to it. this one. When he showed him the screen, Minoru leaned forward and stared at it intently. He then took the insect cage with both his hands and gazed at the inside of the clear plastic case and gradually his expression turned aghast. The insect that was clinging to the bottom of the case was all in all five centimeters long and just a normal beetle. I didnt cling to the branch they had put in together and wasnt moving much at all. Moooooooom! Holding the insect cage Minoru dashed to the kitchen. Moooom, moooom, moooom! This isnt Hercules! Minoru! I told you before, you cant cling to me when Im handling the fire! Minoru started to cry with a monstrous voice when he got scolded by his mother. But, but! Saru said this isnt a Hercules beetle! Dad said its a Hercules beetle, isnt that enough? But Saru knows much more than dad! Saru doesnt lie! Dad lied to me! Why are you deciding by yourself that I dont lie. I do lie. Somehow an unpleasant feeling emerged in Fushimi and he clicked his tongue, turning his face to the window. Even though he had just corrected a mistake, he was annoyed by his own behavior without knowing why. Ill go buy something to drink, he told Yata and as he stood up he could hear the mothers voice from the kitchen, drowning out the little brothers whining. Saruhiko-kun, we have barley tea here if you want? That she had caught what he had mumbled in this tumult truly proved her frightfully keen hearing. Its okay. Id rather have something with carbonic acid so Ill go buy some. Bam! Something with a squeaky voice came rushing at Fushimi from behind him. It hit him in the knee back the moment he stood up and brought him down facilely. Uwah- damn brat Grimacing in humiliation Fushimi turned around on all fours when the two-year old Megumi yelled another Bam! with her squeaky voice before she clashed with the post of the alcove (1), fell on her butt and started to seemingly randomly laugh. In the kitchen the younger brother yelled Hercules, Hercules over and over while stomping on the floor in frustration though there had to be other tenants living under them in the house (2). By the window the wind chime was ringing with every swing. The younger sister had resumed her Bam!-game and ran around the small living room, crashing with the walls and the post.At the table was Yata struggling with the math exercise and with an expression that he wasnt only tormented by math but by all life and his shoulders started to tremble. Ahhhh! So noisy! Yata flipped the low table over. I cant concentrate! Minoru! Megumi! Cant you two shut up for a minute?! And one more angry voice came from the kitchen, slightly excelling the whiny voices of the younger siblings: Misaki! Youre the loudest one! ? When Yata hadnt made any progress they decided to go to the library upon his suggestion. geez. Why did we have to leave; were trying to prepare for our entrance exams. Kids should play outside anyway. It was late into August and they ended up going outside during a time where the sunshine was harsher than the lingering heat of an early afternoon. The thirty minute walk from the Yatas house to the neighborhoods library felt like torture, worse than being in the desert, wishing for an oasis. A minute passed. Give me the fan. Ah, already? Here. When Fushimi reached out after checking the time, Yata handed the fan he had used for himself (which had been randomly lying around in the living room with a shops name written on it) over. Ahh, it really sucks to not have a bicycle. And I cant think of a new suitable vehicle. In early spring this year Yatas bicycle that had always been standing in a thicket next to the school gate had vanished. They didnt know if it had been stolen, or if it had been spotted and thus removed. Whichever it was, commuting to school by bicycle was against the regulations anyway so he had not been able to properly search for the culprit and he had ended up never finding his bike. Looks like my bike already graduated. Another vehicle would be good. Like a motorbike? Though you cant get your license yet. It just was my birthday so one more year and I can get one. Ah, an ice cream vending machine. Lets buy some. You really love ice cream, huh? Youll spoil your stomach, y''know? I decided until summer ends Ill live on ice cream and carbonic acid. You wont live long like that. Eat some other stuff, too. Well then, if I dont live any longer than this then it shall be so. No, no, you need to live. If you die as a student right before his exams you wont ever have gotten to enjoy life. Ah, one minute passed. Fan. While walking under the blazing sun they talked about their idle complaints. Entrance exams, middle school seniors, summer break ending soon. Ah-ha, entrance exams, huh. s kinda fast. Yata complained as if he had already gotten tired of studying for the exams even though he hadnt even started yet. Hmm, yeah. Fushimi also thought Yata was being nostalgic because his little sister who had been a baby had grown up and now ran around and talked with her squeaky voice. Saruhiko, for you its fine because you can go to any school you want, but even though I try my best I wont be able to go to a decent school. Misaki, you have a lot of energy so if you start cramming one week before you might still make it. I told you to not call me by my first name outdoors, Saruhiko! You really have such a contradicting unawareness of yourself, huh. Isnt it okay if you just dont go to school, if you cant go to a somewhat decent one, I mean. What they teach in school is pointless anyway. One minute. Fushimi spat that out both because he was a bit irritated and because of the unbearable heat and he seized the fan before the minute was over. He had tried to be harsh but Ah, yeah. Youre right, kinda. Yata replied in a bright voice as if he had just remembered something. I thought about moving out after graduating from middle school. Minoru is already in elementary school and Megumi is quickly growing up and with five people in that house its just way too crowded. So I thought if I want to live somewhere then in Shizume City. There are a lot of realtors there and even underground rooms and if my parents dont agree Ill find some place where I can borrow the money. And also Now Yata was about to talk about the core of his idea so he let his eyes sparkle and got closer to Fushimi. Like this he could benefit from the air produced by the fan that brushed against him and he continued to speak. Couldnt we rent a room together? Lets make it our secret headquarters. Fushimi unintentionally stopped the hand that held the fan and blinked. Youre asking me because you cant pay it by yourself, right? he said with his eyes half closed. Tahaha, you figured it out right away, huh confirmed Yata lightly with an embarrassed grin. After graduation Ill work part-time so of course Ill pay half of it without fail. If I dont pay you can go ahead and kick me out. That is of course, if you want to live together. Ill also take care of cooking and cleaning. You wont have to do anything at all. Yata listed those things as if to explain himself and after that his expression suddenly turned serious and he gazed at Fushimi with upturned eyes. His voice became low, a complete change from his usual joking, bright voice. Saruhiko. You dont go to your home for who knows how many days in a month and instead spend the nights in an internet cafe. You only go home when theres nobody else, and if theres somebody you dont go home.you dont need a home like that. Fushimi drew back his head a bit, returned Yatas look and for a moment he was at a loss of words. Yata usually lacked sensitivity, but strangely enough he had his moments when he precisely understood things. He concluded things through his own values and then pushed forward which usually made him miss his target and that annoyed Fushimi, but if you thought about it like this then sometimes it happened that through a fluke Yata hit the highest point of the target. 0 points or 100 points, that was the kind of person Yata was. Right now it was good. 100 points. Fushimi relaxed and let out a faint breath. His expression softened naturally. maybe Ill play jcube again. If I collect rare cards and sell them on black market auctions, I could make enough money to cover the rent. Yata had waited for an answer with a meek expression and got excited again. You can make money like that? You really are amazing! Because I dont want to do some job where I have to move around. And I want at least a cooler and a bath room included. Id love a place with a rooftop. Wed make it into a heliport and organize sorties with fighter jets. A secret headquarters has to be like that, right! Id rather have a cellar. We could build a cistern underground and research cosmic rays. Facilities like that are really totally cool, y''know. We can build a rocket to reach the cosmos under the ground!? If were underground then we could suck out the water from the sewer and connect it through a tunnel with our headquarters, right? Not a rocket, cosmic rays. Atomic nucleus. Ah, you mean an atom spaceship? (3) Sure, whatever. It felt like they had always had conversations like this since the first year of middle school without ever getting tired of it. Fushimi didnt want to go back home and he didnt see the meaning of school either. Talking forever like this about trivial things while going on without a destination was the best. Although with the conditions like this, in the standing heat and with their PDA power running down he knew they couldnt continue to run away. After all they were on the way to the library, where an air conditioner and power sockets were, and they walked the path connected to that real place while the heated asphalt burned their shoe soles. ? Yata hardly advanced in his studies but they stayed in the library until its closing hours to cool off there and after that they settled for fast food as a suitable dinner and Fushimi came home late in the evening. Even in the twilight he could make out the form of a foreign car with its hazard light blinking in front of the house. Because the huge house had neither a gate or a garden and was connected directly to the busy main street, the wide foreign car had to stand sideways right in front of the front door, thus taking up at least half of one lane which was probably a pain for any car passing it from behind. But the car was parked as if it had the natural right to do so and an intimidating, imposing air surrounded it. Fushimi edged through the narrow gap between the car and the houses wall and finally made it to the front door. When he stepped into the entrance hall the air conditioner inside the house seemed to be overworking. He could see a woman wearing a gorgeous evening dress walking down the stairs in the front. Yes, this evening I have to take care of something else no matter what so Im sorry I couldnt visit you. Please convey my congratulations to your wife. I have arranged for flowers to be sent to her. She talked on her PDA with a professional voice and after ending the conversation she turned to a man in a dark suit who had been following her. When she turned to him her voice did a total change and became lower and sharp as a knife. I will go to Director Oogawas place tomorrow personally. You only go to the morning meeting. And arrange for me tickets for 10 am, please. Yes, ma''am. The woman noticed Fushimi looking up from the end of the stairs. As soon as she saw his face, she frowned in a displeased way. Are you always this late? What right had a person who was usually never there to say something like that. He wanted to go to his own room but because the woman was in the way Fushimi kept quiet and turned to the direction of the dining room in the first floor. Hey, called the woman out from the landing. Its about Niki. Itd be better to tell you for now, since hes your father. His body reacted by the mention of that name with a twitch. If the relationship between that woman and Fushimi was to be explained in the easiest way, then it would be like this: they ignored their own direct relationship and referred to each other through their relationship with that man. For this woman, Fushimi Kisa, Fushimi Saruhiko was Nikis son and Fushimi Niki was Your father. For Fushimi Saruhiko Fushimi Kisa was That guys wife and Fushimi Niki was Your husband. The woman made an eye signal and the man in the dark suit bowed slightly and started to walk out. After the man had passed by Fushimi and left for the car, the woman continued to talk. It seems he was hospitalized. I also just heard of it the day before yesterday. Hospitalized? Why? asked Fushimi in return, carelessly reacting in a normal way. If he thought about how the peaceful days had gone on in this summer break unlike in other breaks, he realized he hadnt seen that guys face even once since the start of August. The woman let him know that that guy had diseases of his inner organs because he had been neglecting his health. Fushimi thought it would have been nice if that guy had been stabbed to death on a street somewhere. But, a diseasehe couldnt imagine it and felt kind of let-down. That guy probably hadnt even reached his mid-thirties. He had lived a worthless life so that being in the hospital due to neglecting his health fit just well. Nishida-san told me which hospital it is, so how about you go and visit him? Genetically speaking he is your father. Saying it like that, then the woman was mitochondria-lly speaking Fushimis mother. She was the type to dress in a gorgeous evening dress and appear like that to a party, to which she was leaving now, although she looked like she was on her way to a business party rather than to an acquaintances wifes birthday party. He thought it had been about a week since they had last seen each other, but that was all she said to him. Fushimi changed his direction from the dining room away and ascended the stairs to the second floor. He walked on the far left because it felt like that womans vigor was still lingering in the middle of the stairs. Hospitalizedhe wondered if that guy would get well. Needless to say that he hoped for a disease that wouldnt cure. Itd be good if that guy would never leave that sickroom again. Fushimi of course didnt feel the duty to visit him there. For a moment he thought it might be good to go there and laugh at that guy who was wearing clothes lent by the hospital, stuck in a bed surrounded by old people but when he imagined it in his mind Fushimi suddenly only got furious and didnt find it funny at all. For Fushimi Your husband that is Fushimi Niki, was ingenuous and insensitive and full with malice he was aware of and malice he wasnt aware of and he was one of the four things at a time. There had been that moment in front of the newborn room in the gynecology. One doesnt have to speak of the whole thing, but the moment that guy had seen the newborn behind the glass window he had yelled his impression in front of all the other mothers and nurses without any scruples: Uwah, Looks like a monkey. Disgusting! Well then, lets name him like that, had Fushimi Kisa replied and they settled it on the spot. They had been nineteen at that time. They hadnt even been full grown-ups. He knew why he had felt so awful when he had told Yatas younger brother the truth about the Heracules beetle. It wasnt like what he had done had been similar to that guy. That guy had only malice in him and in contrast Fushimi did things to 99% with good intentions. If he had left Minorus correct world be it would have been good, but even so he had destroyed it and that was just a bit like that guy. Fushimi didnt want to be forced to be aware of the 1 milligram of him that was similar to that guy. He had been in elementary school when he had decided to observe an ant farm for his independent research project during summer break. Following his ingrained daily routine for the summer break in that year, the first thing the six year old Fushimi had done after waking up in the morning was to go to the water tank still dressed in his pajamas- and he had let out a scream. He immediately knew it had been that guys mischief. The world he thought to have a beautiful system had been crushed to pieces overnight. While he cried the ant farm and his observation notebook burned down instantly. What that guy had done was pour gasoline on the ant farm and throw several big cockroaches on the completely destroyed ants. - I translated it as alcove, but actually a g (tokonoma) is meant. In the japanese original it mentions that they live in a լ (shataku), a company residence. A house owned by a company in which the employees can live in with their families. It often has the advantage of not having to pay any rent. Fushimi says 澀 (uch?sen; cosmic ray) but Yata misunderstands it as洬 (uch?sen; spacecraft) since they are both pronounced the same. Obviously it didnt translate well. Vol 2 Chapter 2 Mission 2 Saruhiko, Aya saw the ranking of the nationwide mock exam results. Whats up with the 45th place? Did you, like, have a stomach ache? It was fall and theiruniforms had gone back to the winter version when Oogai Ayaapproached Fushimi after a long time. Although it felt like summer was still lingering around, since the second semester had started there were mock exams every once a month and they had been forced into the role of examinees. Ah, I havent seen the results yet. 45th place? Maybe thats because I didnt prepare for it at all. They were standing in the hall in front of the boys restroom. While they led a conversation in a complaining tone, a group of boys in the same year came out of the toilet and stared at them startled. It seemed like they had just now shown each other the list of the mock exams result that had been sent to each of their PDAs. Uwah, youre the worst. You just displeased the whole countrys middle school seniors with what you said. Dont complain if you get stabbed while walking around at night. Clinging to the 45th place even if you didnt have any motivation makes you irresolute. If youre, like, going to fall then at least fall below the 100th place. Aya easily made it into Tsubasagahara schools A level. Maybe it was because of the appeal of being an examinee that Aya pushed up her black-green angular glasses and showed Fushimi her PDA on which the list of the results was displayed. Although it was annoying Aya wouldnt let him get away so Fushimi gave up and fed up with it, he answered her. Aha. Though if youre going to go to Tsubasagaharas high school then it wouldve been good to go to their middle school as well. And then I wouldve gone through middle school without having to see your face in the same school, is what Fushimi hinted distinctly. Hmph. In that middle school are, like, only idiots who stopped studying in the 6th grade. Aya must not associate with dunces. The one whos gonna get stabbed while walking around at night is you. Itd be good if youd get stabbed though so I wont warn you. Youre not together with Misaki-kun today? How rare. Even though you two who dont have any friends are always together. Its not like we have to go to the bathroom together. He and Yata had fortunately been in the same class from the first year to the third, and they had reached their last year with Fushimi fortunately never sitting in the same classroom as that annoying second cousin. For Fushimi it was good luck but for Aya who took a liking to Yata it had to be bad luck and she seemed to resent Fushimi for it. Ah, Saruhiko! Yata who came rushing energetically from the corner of the corridor spun around and ran towards them vigorously. O-oo, Oogai. He came to a halt and made sure that Fushimi was between him and Aya who he had noticed belatedly because she was hidden in Fushimis shadow. Oh? Oogai, have your eyes been bad? What, did you study too much and your eyesight dropped? When Yata asked that in a surprised tone Aya stuck out her chest in pride and theatrically pushed up her glasses. Thats right, she didnt wear them before, noticed Fushimi after he heard Yatas comment. He hadnt been aware of it because frankly, he didnt care. How rude. Aya can do well without having to try so hard that her eyesight drops from studying. Hm? Your glasses, dont they look like Saruhikos? Coincidence. More importantly, how, like, has the mock exam been for you, Misaki-kun? R- right. Saruhiko- With the topic Aya brought up Yatas expression turned miserable and he relied on Fushimi. My mom somehow knew that the results for the mock exam are released today and shes eagerly waiting for me to come home. Well, it couldnt be helped even if Id hide it so Ill show her the results, but itll be settled more peacefully when my dads home so, y''know, I want to kill some time until evening. Sounds like a really bad result, huh. How pitiful, Misaki-kun. Well, the results until place 150 have been made public and there obviously hasnt even been a hint of your shadow, so I understand already. A- anyway, how was it for you, Oogai? Aya is, like, on place 30. 15 places higher than, like, Saruhiko. Dont boast with the 30th place. When Fushimi interrupted them Aya pushed up her glasses and glared at him. Well, 45th place is quite shameful and you cant talk about it proudly in a loud voice, can you? 30th place or 45th place, arent you talking about a perfect 100 point score? Hah, your lineage is really outstanding. Youre on a totally different level then me. Lamented Yata and let his shoulders drop. 0 points, putting me in the same category as her based on our lineage. Having gotten displeased, Fushimi left the other two behind and started to walk away. Why did we have to talk in front of the toilet anyway. Hey? Saruhiko? Youre free to go back home together today, right? Saruhiko! You are really egoistic, arent you! The two ran after Fushimi, clamoring for a reaction. ? Hah, I really want some flexible vehicle soon. Using the bus just doesnt fit my style. As they were sitting next to the bus station Torimochi City 5th Street and waiting for the bus back home, Yata was diligently playing a game on his PDA and Fushimi was looking through the internet on his PDA whose screen he was apathetically flicking while sipping on a carbonic acid drink. The boundary line between Torimochi City and Shizume City was this bus route. This bus stop was the starting point for everytime Fushimi and Yata were moving in Shizume City. Ah shit, I died. Huh? If I use a coin I can continue? Well if you say it like that then Ill definitely continue! It seemed like Yata was allowing himself to play games today to escape the result of the mock exam. But it was obvious that Yata couldnt concentrate and, Fushimi could only hear the sound from next to him, but Yata had been quickly losing the whole time and continued the game while cursing. Those coins cost money, dont they? Hes thoroughly hooked up on the game, thought Fushimi and left it as is. Oh-to-sh-shit, how annoyin- hey, Saruhiko. I heard from Oogai today that your dad has been hospitalized all this time? Mumbled Yata without looking away from the game. When that girls around Yata finds out unnecessary information, huh. Ah, yeah. Exasperated, Fushimi gave a non-committal response. That man had been hospitalized since summer and hadnt gotten better yet. Not having to see that guy in about three months was lately contributing a big part to the stability of Fushimis heart. Did you go visit him? Why. I havent. Even if you ask whyin the end hes youre dad, right? Occupied with the game, Yata gave an vague answer. I already know but, say, for you hes really, a lot, y''know Say it properly. Hes a weirdo, a creep, human trash. Hes sick right now, isnt he? Isnt what youre saying harsh, despite everything? Yata raised his eyes from the game. In exactly that moment came a explosion sound from within the game and Yata tore at his hair. Ah, damn! Misaki. Youre tedious today. Fushimi gulped down a mouthful of the carbonic acid drink and spat out those biting words together with a little belch. I told you not to call me by my name when there are people around. And the hell do you mean with tedious. In Yatas voice was also a stinging tone mixed in. I only said normal things. He hesitated before he continued. well, my normal and your normal are different. He said sullen and curled his back to hold onto his PDA. Lets play one more time, suckers! Fushimi felt a bit let down by Yata. Havent you lately been swallowed up by the atmosphere of the examinations and withered? A Yata who has only 40 or 50 points isnt interesting at all. Youre good when you throw with all your might and hit 0 points or 100 points. Fushimi had been going absent-mindedly through the internet but there was no especially interesting information either. He shoved the PDA into his pocket and when he was about to glumly raise the bottle to his mouth ShitC I died. it was snatched from beside him with a curse. Yata gulped down the content of the bottle and with a Ah, damn, s tedious, a lot of things. he flung the bottle away in a burst of anger into a random direction, but the moment he noticed that he had messed up and he let out a small Oops. In the direction in which the bottle was flying while spinning were unfortunate passersby. Fushimi drew a sigh inwardly, lifted himself and grabbed the back of Yatas blazer. It was preparation for an immediate escape should they get yelled at. The bottle was going to hit the passerbys back of his head with splendid aim but right before that happened, the passerby securely caught the bottle with one hand. It was a man with sharp eyes and his hair, that might be red through dying or by nature, was standing up looking like a lions mane. Near him were five, six followers accompanying him. They were only young hoodlums and their looks made it hard to tell if they were good people. Of all the targets they could have hit, this one was worse than the worst. In Shizume City were several groups ordinary people absolutely shouldnt have anything to do with. This was unlucky even for times where things werent going well. You, huh was how the redhead was glowering at Yata. Mikoto, dont go scarin the young''uns. Chided a tall man at the redheads side the latter in a light tone and with a soft Kansai dialect. Wh- wh- who is scared! Tried Yata to charge at them while being very obviously scared. Fushimi promptly held Yata back by his shoulder and scowled at the guy with the Kansai dialect. The redhead might be the leader but Fushimi estimated that the guy with the Kansai dialect was the one who grasped the redheads reins. He showed a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders. Should we go?, he urged the redhead who smirked, turned around and started to walk away. The remaining underlings followed them in droves. Tha- that scared me. Let Yata out in a whisper and fall back on his behind as if he had lost all his strength. Fushimi also took a breath and when the tension lessened. The redhead who was walking away threw the bottle casually behind his back. Drawing a parabola the bottle came flying and landed right in front of Yatas feet. In that moment was the bottle shrouded in violent flames. At the hot air warming his face and the dazzling light Fushimi unintentionally closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes the bottle had, through the high temperature in that one moment melted and turned into a liquefied state. It was simmering like magma and seething in a red color but it quickly cooled down and hardened. The bottle however had completely lost its shape and had turned into gooey slime. ? This legend was not as old as the legend of the man flying in the blimp. It seemed like this legend had risen in the gossip of the people sometime in the last year. Like the legend of the man flying in the blimp, this was an urban legend concerning one man. It told of a monster in Shizume City who possesses the power of raging flames. Because of his eyes that harbor a gold color that dazzles like a fierce carnivorous beasts and his hair that has the color of burning flames he is called The Red Monster. The Red Monster leads his followers and strolls around destroying thugs who have been active in Shizume Citys underworld for a long time. There were also a lot of people who wanted to belong to the comrades of The Red Monster, who had rapidly expanded his influence within the thug groups. Although it was said that often the people who wanted to be part of the The Red Monsters group were only burned by the flames of the monster and died. But the ones who overcome the flames and survive obtain a power. Power? What kind of? Like the one that had melted the bottle? Fushimi stopped his thumb that had glided over his PDAs screen. He thought of himself as foolish for searching for a source that confirmed the urban legend as true. They had pulled some kind of trick, that was all. What Fushimi had been drinking was definitely just a normal carbonic acid soda he had bought at a vending machine, but when the redhead had thrown back the bottle Yata had tossed at them, he must have substituted it with another one. If youre goin to waste yer time here, then why dont ya come with us, kids?, was the message the guy with the Kansai dialect who had left together with the redhead, had left them. Well offer ya a place to let off some steam. Shizume City had indeed near the station shopping buildings lined up that displayed huge electronic billboards and the city evolved into a city for the young generation, but at the same time there was another side of the city, it was also a city for gangs. I you took just one step into a back alley then immoral dealings of criminal groups were rampant and the clashing of members of delinquent groups had not stopped either. Within that a gang that had quickly extended its influence joining them? Had the guy with the Kansai dialect invited us? Middle school students like us? Ridiculous, theres no way they could have been serious. They just had made fun of us. Fushimi. Supposing that they had been serious and invited us middle school kids, there was no way they could use us for anything. The final outcome is us becoming sacrificial pawn. Or something like awhat was it called again? Like an existence that exists simply to take out an opponent?(1) I wonder if they simply drew in dumb youths with that kind of performance, invited them to join and then walked off? That was the kind of Youll quickly expand your power trick they pulled on them. Werent they more like simple street performers rather than a gang ? ..Fushimi. Fushimi! A loud voice from right above his head pierced through him as if it was drilling into his skull. Fushimi had heard the whole time that he was called, however he had not felt the need to reply but because it was inevitable he raised his eyes. Next to his seat stood their english teacher, who had been their class teacher since the first year and frowned at Fushimi. Nearly all of his classmates, who were latching onto their desks and struggling with the exam had their faces turned towards Fushimi some secretly, some broadly, but they all seemed troubled. Your PDA is confiscated. Hand it over. said the teacher and reached out. The school had just recently realized that there were students who used their PDAs during class even though it should be locked. How they had done the cheating in their first year, about which Yata had also wondered about had also been exposed with this and it had turned into a big problem. The countermeasure the school had thought of was to collect the PDAs during main examinations like the mock exams and other tests, but that did not solve the main problem in the least. The school didnt yet grasp that the app that removed the lock was ?jungle? which was very popular among the students. The reason why ?jungle? could do that was not only the astonishing incompetence of the person who was in charge of the schools system, but also the fact that ?jungle? frequently did minor version updates which continued to alter how they slipped into the PDAs system-just like a screen saver that wriggly continued to change its shape on the display. Didnt I say to hand it over? When Fushimi ignored the teacher, the latter tried to take the PDA by force. Showing his own huge incompetence, what exactly is it this teacher plans to teach the students? This genuine question was all that popped into Fushimis mind. Dont touch it. He whisked off the teachers hand and shoved the PDA into his blazers pocket. Im done, sir. said Fushimi in a monotone voice, left his already finished test sheet and his writing materials on the desk and only took his bag as he stood up from his seat. He passed though the back of the slightly noisy classroom and headed for the door. This route went right behind Yatas seat. Yata bent his body on his chair and called out. Saruhiko. Fushimi made an fleeting eye contact with Yata and left the classroom. Fushimi! Dont be so full of yourself! Even if youre good in off-campus mock exams, youre school report is still the worst! The teachers hysteric voice pierced through the corridor. He sounded like nothing but a sour loser. Hey, Yata?! You, too?! Youre different from Fushimi, you know! In your case youre just a useless guy running away! When people like you with no perseverance go out into society Saruhiko, you going home? Then Ill also go home, said Yata as if to push away the teachers voice. He was carrying his bag and stumbled while running after Fushimi. Are you sure? Even though were different from each other, it seems. When Fushimi said that coldly, Yata pouted. ..Im sure. He shouldered his bag and started to walk at Fushimis side. Right now Fushimi had been deliberately mean. Because he was irritated, unintentionally. Their slippers made a tapping sound while they walked next to each other through corridor that had quieted down. Fushimi took out his PDA once more. It displayed the site he had looked at earlier. It was a site that had been linked to from another site where various information on urban legends were collected. This site. Fushimi showed Yata the screen. Hm? Ah, thats the shady guy with the Kansai dialect from the other day, isnt it? Yeah. The picture of a man polishing a cocktail glass behind a stylish, wooden long table that probably was a bar counter was posted on the site. It looked like he was talking to somebody with a smile, but his eyes were not turned towards the photographer. The picture quality was poor and it seemed like it had been taken from a distance and then zoomed in. The photo had probably not been taken with a proper camera, but rather with a PDAs photo function. That was not the only photograph. When you scrolled down the screen then there were other pictures lined up as well. Next to the guy with the Kansai dialect where also several pictures with the faces of the people who had followed the redhead the other day. The backgrounds were various, like the interior of always the same store, or the outdoors. Even though Fushimi quickly scrolled down by letting his thumb glide over the screen, the photographs did not break off and he thought that there had to be around one hundred. The pictures had no captions and the one who had uploaded them as well as the sites purpose was unclear. These were taken in secret, right? Has to be. If the ones whose picture were taken would have witnessed it they probably would have felt at least a bit unwell by it. Although this website wasnt really hidden and could be easily reached through a web search. Instead Fushimi deduced that the photographer had assumed he would attract the attention of the people he made pictures of. Who would, for which purpose? There sure are people who do sick stuff. Why would they do something like this, huh? Yata shrugged but what he had said struck Fushimi. What did you just say? Yata raised his head and blinked his eyes. Hm? There sure are people who People, had Yata said as if it was natural. Why do you think there are several people? ''Whythese photos are somehow all other the placeit just seems to me like they were taken by various people. When Fushimi scrolled through the pictures in reversed order while looking at them once more he too understood why Yata thought of them as all other the place. The picture quality and the hue werent uniform and there was a fairly wide range of distance, viewpoint and recording time. Various people.collectively. He only thought about it for a short moment. Yata. Theres something I want you to request from Oogai Aya. You have my mailing app, with that youre connected to her, right? Okay, but a message from me? Couldnt you just contact her? She hates me, doesnt she. Shed rather listen if you talk to her. Yata made a surprised face and while pulling out his own PDA he muttered: Im pretty bad with girls but I cant help but feel like youre unexpectedly slower than me ? When they arrived at Fushimis place and waited in his room, the data was sent to Yatas PDA through their usual mailing app roughly an hour after he had contacted Aya. Its here, its here! Both of them peered into the display. [Youre, like, asking because of Ayas connections, right? You should at least be grateful. You wouldnt get your information without Aya and Aya will, like, keep that in mind.] They skimmed over the mails text which consisted of a long paragraph demanding gratitude and only paid attention to the attached data. Aya was still a heavy user of ?jungle? and had many friends she was connected to within ?jungle? (in contrast to that she had no real friends). She had used those friends and gathered information about missions from the past for Yata. Because they didnt know what they were looking for they had made double sure and asked Aya to collect as many missions that had been offered during a certain time period as possible. Fushimi was still not certain who it was who must not understand this information. But he believed that he could assure his assumption with this. Yata was scrolling down the screen. The missions titles and summaries popped up one by one. Go back a bitthat one. Fushimi flicked the screen into the other direction from next to Yatas finger. What caught Fushimis eyes was a mission recruiting spies. In a bar in Shizume City are criminal dealings carried out. The participants have gotten instructions from a NPC detective and are supposed to go after the real facts, was the kind of story the mission followed. With that kind of appearance they had skillfully stimulated the users interest. The first order was to take pictures of the people who frequented the bar in question, bar HOMRA. Bingo. The pictures that are exposed on that website, theyre collected from this mission. Bar HOMRA - the headquarters of The Red Monster and a gossiped about bar. It didnt seem likely that this was mere coincidence. The one who had set this mission had gathered the pictures that had been secretly taken of The Red Monsters gang and exposed them on the internet. Without letting the users know what they were actually made to collaborate with they participated, thinking it was a game. With letting a lot of people indiscriminately participate their real goal has been made unclear. Assuming The Red Monsters gang wouldve thought of it as suspicious and thus caught the photographers they wouldnt have been able to deduce the truth because the ones who took the pictures are middle and high school students, just like us. The Red Monster who destroys other gangs in Shizume City and his gang are brutal, but even if theyd strangulate the ordinary people who are related to this mission one by one, they couldnt destroy a gang or anything. uhh, I couldnt keep up with what you said at all, but what exactly are we trying to find out? As Fushimi mumbled to himself to sort his thoughts Yata shook his head lightly and widened his eyes. There are people who think of The Red Monster as an obstruction, right? With a method The Red Monster cant destroy they make people take action in Shizume City, a feint like this, a demonstration Um? So, who does that? ?jungle?? .who is ?jungle?s service provider anyway? Halfway through Fushimi wondered that himself. While he turned his eyes towards his PDA his focus wasnt on it but on the empty space right above the screen. Well, who, isnt it just some kind of company? Its written somewhere in the terms and conditions, right? Well, I havent read them so I wouldnt know. Theyre definitely hiding their real nature. Its not how you say, in the core of ?jungle?s structure is Because the phone started to ring Fushimi startedly cut off his sentence. It wasnt the PDA of either of them. The irksome sound came from the first floor. Fushimi looked doubtfully towards the door. Its the phone, right? And the maid isnt here right now either, is she? Yata said that suggesting that Fushimi obviously had to go get the phone, but Fushimi was hesitating to stand up. The landline phone in this house seldom rang. Keeping the telephone line was unnecessary, was how little the phone rang. That woman was a person with many business and personal contacts, but everybody probably knew that she was barely at home so if they had a concern with her they contacted her directly on her PDA. And Fushimi knew nothing about that guys contacts and acquaintances. He didnt know what that guy usually did when he was outside, and he didnt want to now either. When they waited for a few moments like this, the ringing stopped. They hung up, huh. was probably just telephone selling. For some reason Fushimi felt relieved and took his eyes off the door. Um, so? Saruhiko, you were saying something, right? In the core of ?jungle?s service is? There was something I had always sensedI cant explain it properly, but, y''know, there is malice I always disliked that. Malice.? Yata made a meek face and swallowed. I told you countless times that ?jungle? implants a spyware, right? The spyware sucks out the personal information in the PDA. The majority of the information from common people is useless trash, but if there is a fairly high-level text analyzing algorithm then they could with high accuracy salvage the useful information from within the sea of useless trash. If theyd use this algorithm they could for example extract malicious words. In our first year there had been that group chat mistakenly delivered to your PDA, right? It had been the reason why you had gotten excluded. Eh? Ah, y- yeah, that had happened back thenright? Said Yata sounding like he had completely forgotten about it, and frowned. They are able to extract malicious words out of the vast amount of messages that are exchanged in ?jungle? and turn them into usable data. Additionally they analyze the data and can so identify the person who the malice is aimed at. Then they send it to the very person.with the spyware they can of course also draw out the mail address. Im just guessing, but what happened in our first year might have been a test use of that algorithm. You unfortunately had received those insults.. It wasnt like Fushimi had just recently noticed that. He had come to this presumption more than half a year ago because online had been a rumor that ?jungle? collects peoples insults. It seemed like users from the whole country had experienced the same thing like Yata and, Fushimi didnt know how much of it was true, but they had even talked about suicide attempts and cases in which arguments had turned into assault and murdereven though something like this had happened the number of people who use ?jungle? continued to grow. You should just quit, are you all stupid or what, is what Fushimi thought. Its probablybecause everybody uses it nobody can quit. You all really are stupid, is what Fushimi concluded. Though I dont know what a tasteless thing like analyzing insults could be used for. The real purpose could be for example, to get the password to access confidential national information from the trifling e-mail exchanges of the states influential peoples familieswell, it could be something like this. Hoaa Thats really amazing, Saruhiko, that you thought of something like this. Yata gaped his mouth open and heaved a sigh. It was only a guess but Fushimi thought that Yata felt a bit down because the truth of the incident from two years ago had been dug up. Yata was slacking with an expression as if he was terribly tired, but he suddenly made a somewhat nasty snicker and softened his face. Seems like he isnt feeling down after all. You know Saruhiko, I believe that somewhere in this world there is some kind of huge power we arent told about. That there is some guy who possess the power to affect the world, not a politician or anything, but someone unthinkably stronger. Remember when we had chased the blimp? At that time I believed that kind of power certainly exists. But, y''know, I couldnt have thought of that myself. Because I am an idiot and cant think of more than what is right in front of my eyes. A bit embarrassed, Yata scratched his cheek and after he had said that, he heaved himself up and moved towards Fushimi. Saruhiko, you showed it to me. You made sure that Id also be able to experience the existence of a world like that. I dont understand half of the things you think about, but only listening to what you say, makes me more excited than ever. This time it was Fushimi who had been surprised, and he gazed back into Yatas sparkling eyes. With the praise and affection directed straight towards Fushimi, for him Yata was an as mysterious being as the world with some kind of huge power Yata had talked about. Somehow that was a feeling that had his body itching to do somethinglike a hot propellant was plunged deep into his body, a feeling like that. Two years ago, the time when they hadnt been able to catch the blimp, that is, the time when Yata had firmly believed that there existed some kind of amazing power, In that time Fushimi had felt let down. Nothing had changed, is what he had thought. But, since that time something might have started to change little by little. We had talked about making our own headquarters a while ago, but cant we really do it? We said after graduating from middle school, but there is no time to put it off. Lets actually do it right away! Lets make a base to figure out the true colors of ?jungle?s malice. Our base. Proposed Yata, completely caught up in the moment. What will you do about the exams? Youre a useless guy running away, remember? Ughth- that is, well, what about it? When he was pushed away for the time being, Yata got discouraged and frowned, but Fushimi was already making up his mind. Misaki. I wont go to high school. Up until middle school is enough. Being forced to listen to adults long talks any more is only unpleasant and pointless. If youd say this then itd be a useless guy running away, right. So if I invite you then thats a good excuse. Invitehuh. Somehow that was a fresh word. Had this kind of word lied on his tongue from his birth until now? Inviting somebody and doing something together with them, until now Fushimi hadnt had this kind of principle for his conduct. Quit with exams and stuff. Your parents will be angry, right, but just blame me, Ill be the one your parents will resent. I- I wont blame you or anything. Dont just proceed with the conversation on your own. Replied Yata promptly with an angry face. I decided to bear my own responsibilities. I understand already. Iwont go to high school either! Today Ill stop being an examinee! Yata cheered, jumped up with his whole body and landed face up on the bed. Ah, I feel refreshed somehow! Yata started to flail his arms on the bed and immediately baffled Fushimi. Youre too carefree is what Fushimi said, but he smiled fondly at Yata and let out a small laugh. Fushimi didnt particularly hate studying, so he didnt feel like the exams were difficult. But why did he have to be judged by people who were below him? There was no need for school. They didnt need any adults in their own world. Even if they wouldnt be cared for by adults that didnt inconvenience them and it would be very easy to live like that. Building a base for two middle school students to confront an intrigue that was secretly spun somewhere in the world only thinking about it made it seem stupid, but this seemingly stupid thing, Fushimi believed they could seriously succeed in doing it. They werent hesitating or dreading. They werent even thinking of failure. There was nothing but impudence right now. ? The phone in the first floor was ringing again. Fushimi could count on one hand how often it had happened that the phone in this house rung twice in one day since his childhood. It was after Yata had left. Fushimi was lying down on his bed in his room and twiddling with his PDA but he took his eyes off it and turned his face towards the door. It just didnt stop ringing. Theyre persistent this time, what the hell With no other choice left Fushimi rose to his feet and left the room. In summer the air conditioner was overworking in the house, but when it became this kind of season then it was outside his room just as chilly as outdoors. Because Fushimi had gotten out of his room barefooted his toes immediately became cold when he stepped on the hard floor that was meant to be walked on with shoes. In the first floor where no signs of humans were only continued the phone to ring. When Fushimi stood in the living rooms doorway the phone which was in a dusty nook made a green lamp flicker as if it was trying to remember its own capacity after such a long time. Fushimi took the telephone receiver and answered. ..yes. No Hello, no Here is Fushimi. Hello. Am I right that this is Fushimi Niki-sans home? Hearing that name right from the beginning made Fushimi feel regret about having answered the phone. It was a mans voice. It wasnt the voice of a debt collector nor the voice of a haughty policeman, it was the calm voice of an older man. Hello? Am I right that this is Fushimi Niki-sans home? Because the man asked again seemingly worried, Fushimi finally answered. yes. Though he didnt know if this place could be called the home of a person who comes back only for a few days in a month. Im doctor at the XX general hospital. My name is Fujimine. You are the son, right? I am your fathers attending doctor. Is your mother home? Son? Father? Mother? When Fushimi heard in succession these words nobody in this house used, his heart quickly got cold. Expressly denying it towards another person was a pain but Fushimi didnt want to affirm it either so he answered: There is nobody but me here right now. I see In what year are you? If I talk to you will you understand me? Im a middle school senior. Ill understand it. Petulant, Fushimi used a mature-sounding voice to answer. Okay, please stay calm and listen. Your fathers condition took a sudden turn to the worse. Its a situation where Id like for the family to come over quickly, just in case. It is harsh but even if his condition would improve tonight, entering the new year might be difficult for your father in any case. Ah- come to think of it, has that brute even issued a health insurance? Things like that were half of what Fushimi was thinking about while he listened to the doctors voice. Receiving support despite not being a human, this countrys system was really bullshit. Is everything okay? Can you hear me? I hear you. I understand. Thats a relief. Then could you contact your mother right away? Ill wait for you. You can enter through the after-hours staff entrance, please talk to the person on duty. Ill make sure that they understand right away. Stay calm. Its nighttime, so please be careful. That mans attending doctor was too good for him. He seemed like a doctor with a good personality. After the conversation ended Fushimi couldnt move for a moment. He then put the phone receiver back in a slow movement. Haha. He let out a laugh in a tone he himself thought was rare. He turned towards the ground and his shoulders trembled. Today there had been a lot of good things. It felt like change had slowly, slowly come and when it had been here it had immediately received positive energy and increased its speed. Hm, Im hungryI wonder if I should go buy something to eat. Even his mood had become rarely energetic and Fushimi went away from the phone. He never thought back to the phone calls content again. - 1. the word used here is ⟳h (tepp?dama), a yakuza term for a person who exists just to kill an enemy and doesnt care about the consequences for themselves. Vol 2 Chapter 3.1 Mission 3 What is the meaning of this, Saruhiko. In December at the time the results of the mock exam had been sent out to each of them, Oogai Aya once again stopped him in the corridor. Because the mock exam had not been part of the entrance exam this time, they had not known the results would come today. Of course the names of the people in the first 150 places hadnt been publicized either. Are you, like, an idiot? If you dont go to a high school these days youre from societys viewpoint trash. You should go to one. Because you can go into any school even without trying hard and youll be successful in society even without much effort. Well, then I cant be an idiot, can I? You are an idiot. Aya, like, didnt think youd be that big of an idiot. Aya will most certainly not become trash like you. Aya spoke with anger while she pushed up her glasses which she was wearing today too, with force. She hasnt even surpassed herself in anything yet in the first place so why does she want to compete with me on equal terms so badly? I dont get it. Is she an idiot? Even though she isnt supposed to be that stupid. It was the corridor in front of the boys toilet again. Do you wait here for me to come or what The male students going in and out the toilet glanced at them, but Aya glared at them as if there were worms, chasing them away. seriously, whats up with you. Fushimi leaned against the frame of the window in the corridor. I feel good today so Ill listen to you for only one minute. If theres something you want to tell me after all, then do it now. Cause I wont listen to you again. Misaki-kun is good, alright. Even though no matter how hard hell work from now on he wont suddenly get any smarter and he wont be able to get very far anyway. And if he drops out now he wont have any effect on society, will he? He doesnt have to make any more useless effort than this. You sure changed your opinion quickly, huh Werent you drooling over Yata? When youre dragged along by an idiot like Misaki-kun, your own merit drops. Thats the warning Aya, like, gives you. Aya can talk with you on a high level and on equal terms. Why do I have to talk to you? Have you ever listened to me with your eyes sparkling and saying amazing? Aya who had been talking on and on haughtily shut her mouth as if he had caught her by surprise. Fushimi frowned and after he heaved a heavy sigh, he changed the topic a bit. You know, I pop them. Bubble wrap, the plastic kind. huh? What? Pop? Without minding Ayas dubious expression he continued. Popping that feels as if youre crushing because theres nothing else to do I have my hands occupied like that and before I notice all of it is already crushed and that in itself is a result something like a result. Learning too, keeping a high ranking in jcube too, theyre like popping bubble wrap for me. No matter what, I can do them without much effort, just like you said. You seem to think that there is merit for me in it, but in my opinion all of that is merely trash. Because Fushimi hadnt kept his voice down the students passing through the corridor were also able to hear him, and surprised but also nasty gazes were turned towards him. But Fushimi didnt care what thebackground was thinking. Aya was also background. He wouldnt feel better by winning an argument against background. One minute had passed already. He turned back and started walking to the classroom. Sa- Saruhiko! After some distance had been created between them Ayas yell came crushing against his back. Youre really the worst! Aya hates you from the bottom of her heart! With that an actual physical impact crushed against him and Fushimi stumbled forward. Ayas backpack fell to his feet with a thud. With a hand on his back he glowered over his shoulder at Aya who disheartened, braced herself in front of the boys toilet. By now I know that even without you telling me. Though I dont particularly hate you as an individualD He scooped up the backpack with the tip of his foot and juggled it on the instep a few times. Because I hate the society youre part of as a whole. In those few seconds he saw Ayas expression become jumbled. Maybe it was bewilderment, maybe it was hope, maybe it was despair. Fushimi swung his foot back and with the intention to sink the shot with all his might he aimed at Ayas face and kicked the backpack. Fushimi turned around and started to walk away and the last he saw was Ayas wide-eyed expression as she wasnt even able to cover her face. From behind him he heard Ayas scream and the surrounding people being astir. Even though his grades were good he had never thought of being proud of it the way Aya was. He had also done jcube simply out of habit. Because he wasnt bad at studying or playing games Fushimi was immersed in them while he did those, but when he was done nothing like pride or contentment stayed behind. For Fushimi most things in the world passed by the way he crushed bubble wrap out of habit. Even when he was filled with negative feelings, positive ones were hollow. Youre amazing! That ideas super interesting! Lets do it together, Saruhiko! This was the first time that somebody who reacts in an exaggerated way every time without fail and says so straight-forwardly was always by his side. Compared to other people Fushimi might have various talents, but this was what felt like a real merit he had achieved. ? Amazing! With sparkling eyes Yata pushed the switch of the wrist watch on his left wrist over and over. With every push an about four inch large holographic screen appeared and disappeared in the empty air above the watchs glass. Wow! Amazing! Saruhiko, this is amazing, so cool! It looks like something a Sentai member would wear! ''A Sentai member are you seven or what? Se- Sentai members are adults so its okay, right? Embarrassed, Yata made a comeback with little strength behind it and raised his voice again in a cheer as he twiddled with the watch. Right now its not like the watch has turned into a PDA so theres no point in not carrying a PDA with you. When I apply the one I use Fushimi flicked the screen of his own PDA with a special gesture. A holography a bit bigger than Yatas appeared in midair. I want to revamp it sometime but for now its like this. Misaki moves around outside, so a maneuverer would be good, right? So thats why I have this. With that he pulled out and showed Yata a headset with an earphone speaker for only one ear and a mic attached to it. Ohhh. Saruhiko glanced at Misaki who was fascinated by it and had gotten teary-eyed. You just thought it looks like a Sentai operator, right? Ugh, I- I didnt? I did. Cool, right? He said nonchalantly and put the headset on. After Yata had stared at him blankly he broke into a broad smile. Whats up with that, you were thinking the same as me after all. Saruhiko grinned back at him, too. I also assembled the computers I need to run the hacking tool. With only a PDA itd be impossible, as you can guess. Feels like a control room, doesnt it? Yata looked around the room in triumph. At this point I feel like were gonna win! Stupid. I hasnt even started yet. Then, did you consider the possibility wed lose, Saruhiko? No way. When Fushimi gave a prompt answer, Yata nodded enthusiastically. Right. When you and I are teamed up, it feels like wed never lose. Speaking of control rooms of Sentai heroes one would think of shining monitors lined up in a futuristic room but this place felt like a radio station at best. The only thing shining on the loft which is so low you have to squat to not rub your head on the ceiling, was the light of a desk lamp. Going down the loft there was a living space where you could stand and walk normally without worrying about the low ceiling, but there was barely any furniture. They had started first and proceeded with the preparation of their base. It had been a month since they had talked about seriously looking for a headquarters. Middle school students werent guarantors and normally youd think it wouldnt be possible for them to rent a room but just as Yata had said the realtors of Shizume Citys underground didnt care about that too much. A heliport on the roof to organize sorties with fighter jets, and a secret subterranean tunnel from the sewer that connects with the cellar, unfortunately they had neither. Instead they had a three tatami mats large loft that could be reached with a ladder. It was in the first floor of a multi-tenant building with some kind of shop in the front, the walls and floor consisted of undressed concrete and duct tape was peeling of the ceiling. It was an empty square room, but a kitchen, bathroom and toilet were properly included. Because of these features and because it was cheap, Yata had immediately decided to take it. Fushimi had thought the qualifications seemed too good so he had investigated a bit and found out that a homicide had happened there, but he secretly stuck out his tongue and decided to not tell Yata. Howre your preparations going, Misaki? Leave it to me. I told you, I procured a new vehicle! Yata jumped down the loft without using the ladder, crawled under the loft and was gone from Fushimis sight for the moment (By the way, they had decided that the loft belonged to Fushimi, the space under the loft belonged to Yata, and the rest they shared). Just as Fushimi was wondering what Yata was doing, Thud! slipped Yata energetically out from under the loft together with the sound of something hitting the floor harshly. On the loft Fushimis eyes got wide. Yata charged at the opposite wall, made a half turn right in front of it and stopped, looking at Fushimi. Hehen, The thing Yata stepped on with his feet with a triumphant look and his chest puffed out was- Heh a skateboard? In the park was a group of college students practicing with this and then it came to me. With this I can maneuver easily and its perfect for moving in the city. So I asked them if they dont have one they dont use and if they couldnt give it to me. They asked if Im from middle school and if I can at least do a kick flip and when I asked them what a kick flip is, they laughed and said if I can do it within one hour theyll give me the best skateboard they have. I guaranteed that I could do it if they show me once how its done. And then, no where close to an hour I succeeded right at the first time and left those guys dumbfounded. Well, with my reflexes it was an easy thing. Yata who held his nose high and told a story of his strength and valor had both his hands on his hips, and those were covered in scratches. His whole body had to be covered in bruises, although he hid it under long sleeves and long pants. Succeeded at the first time, huh. Wh- what, are you doubting me? When Yata noticed Fushimi glancing at him he became embarrassed and pulled back his hands behind his butt. W- well, I just started, so its like this, but we have one week until the plan, right? In one week Ill ride this skateboard flawlessly. One week laterDD theyll try to hack into ?jungle?s server. There were a few parts that had been prepared hastily, but the things they wanted were generally ready. If theyd be too careful and wait who knows how many months until the right time then their interest would dwindle, and because they had obtained certain information at just the right time they had decided to set up everything for that day. [Extra applications for the surprise party] He had found this among the missions for December posted on ?jungle?. It was about participating in a surprise party that will happen on the night of the 26th December in Shizume City. A surprise party? It felt kind of sudden so Fushimi dug through the information floating on the internet and there was a story attached to that mission. There is a participation limit for the mission and it looks like theyll give you information thatll become handy for entrance exams. DDit wasnt clear if this rumor had spread naturally or if ?jungle? had intentionally spread it. This story was widespread among the ones it was aimed for, the many middle school seniors living in the city (high school seniors might also be included in that but there was no need to divide them). It wasnt clear what kind of information could become handy. Help to cheat or manipulating ones gradeDDthe details were all vague but that was why it was so anticipated for and talked about so much among the students. And at the same time impatience and suspicions developed. Youd think that if they have so much valuable time to waste to participate in this then theyd use that time to learn like a proper student at home. But what if everybody else participates? They probably think in that case theyd be at a disadvantage and that would be unbearable. Using the internet to mess with peoples emotions and manipulate their conductDDFushimi felt like that was one side of ?jungle?. While Fushimi explained their plan once again, Yata put his feet in the middle of the ladder and sat at the edge of the loft with his chin in his hands. Come to think of it, is Oogai also going there? Saruhiko, did you hear anything? I havent. Why are you asking? Because Oogai is also into ?jungle? so the chances that shell go are pretty high, right? Arent you worried? Y''know Ill tell you now but, that girl doesnt think of you the way you do, worrying about her. Ill tell you what she said today. Even if you work hard from now on you cant become a winner so if youd drop out now that wouldnt change anything. It was no secret so Fushimi told him the whole conversation he had had with Oogai that day. Even if it came from Aya, what Fushimi passed on to Misaki was deliberately insulting. Seems like some awful thing were said about me, huh It seemed like that was nothing that cut too deeply for Yata to feel daunted, so he looked as if it was nothing. Well, I guess it cant be helped that she feels bitter towards me. Oogai wanted to go to the same high school with you, right? And yet you suggested to not go to high school together with me. Yeah, I was the one who suggested it. So why is she resenting you? Anyway, when you meet Oogai again apologize, okay? No matter what happened you cant just kick a bag into a girls face. Why. I dont wanna. She was the one who threw it at me. Saruhiko. In Yatas voice was suddenly severity mixed in. Youre not in elementary school anymore. You cant hurt a girl. Youll apologize, got it? Despite getting excited like a seven year old about Sentai members and stuff youre scolding me? if I meet her, after this plan is carried out. When Fushimi said that reluctantly and with a pout, Yata, who had had a serious expression broke in a smile. Good! With a sulky expression Fushimi turned his eyes back to the display and pulled himself together. The appointed time for the ''surprise party on the 26th December is 11pm. The students who at the end of the year at such a time should be in their rooms stuck to their desks learning will slip out from home in droves. And then all those people who disappeared from home will gather in Shizume City. Then the group who operates ?jungle? should also shift their attention to the movement in Shizume City. Thats when well aim for ?jungle?s ''center. I gotta say, Saruhiko, if its with you I feel like we can even take over the world! Yata stuck out his fist from under the loft. It was covered in scars and scab and was swollen red. From the loft Fushimi extended his hand and met Yatas right fist with his left. Middle school students like them had seriously set up a plan to hijack ?jungle?. If hed talk with somebody other than Yata about it theyd probably laugh, calling it a childs make-believe game. But only Yata doesnt laugh about it. He earnestly believes we can do it. Because I made this plan. Because I said to surprise society. In truth Fushimi didnt care about society. He didnt consider wanting this shitty world. All he thought was that he wanted to prove that they werent just rotting and complaining in a small world like school, but that they had the power to oppose a much more overpowering, bigger presence. Well mess with ?jungle? who even messed with the ''red monster. The view the big guys of this world have on power, lets change it a bit in one week, okay? They didnt feel like theyd lose, so they talked big. Well topple this fucking boring world. But what will we do if it doesnt become interesting even after toppling it? Then theres nothing left but despair. If it comes to that Ill think of a way to fly to space and crash right into the sun. That sounds good! Lets build a super stylish rocket and crash into the sun in a super cool way! They talked together until late into the night about stupid thing like detailed, practical plans and magnificent, obscure ones without getting bored of it. After that Yata fell asleep before him and Fushimi turned back to his computer by himself. There were still a few things he wanted to prepare before the one week ended. He concentrated on his task in the dim room that was only lit by the displays light. This room was different form that cold mansion in which only things were placed that wouldnt be a loss if stolen. It was much smaller than that house and there were no expensive things. The computer was assembled with only cheap parts. On top of that was a history attached to this place. But here was nothing that wouldnt be a loss if stolen. I think Ill properly lock the door in this place. ? Theyre coming together one after another. The street is brimming with people. That it came like this is kind of a sick scene, rather than amazing. December 26, 11 o''clock at night. The report from Yata who was examining the state of the scene reached Fushimi through the headset. Fushimi remained in the room by himself. He pulled the blanket over his head and sat cross-legged in front of the desk, and while sipping from the can of coffee he stared at the two monitors placed in an angle next to each other. They were a computers LCD screen and a holographic screen connected to his PDA. On the holographic screen was a low quality video streaming. The scene Yata was recording with his PDAs camera was transmitted to him in real time. Yata was taking the video from the rooftop of a building by the station. The pedestrian scramble in front of the station was packed with the heads of the seemingly deep black people. The people who pushed out of the station building seemed to pour out in a radial pattern, just how the Hedoro rivers branches stretch. The cross-walks white lines, the lights of the stalling cars, the neon signs decorating the buildings by the streetDDit swallowed all kinds of lights, and the black river ate the city. Amazing Murmured Fushimi in front of the display to himself. As many people as this were made to act by ?jungle?, one online service. How are things at your side? Still not moving. Fushimi shifted his eyes from the holography to the LCD screen where another video was streaming which came from a fixed camera they had installed on an other building beforehand. The crowd branched out away from the station into several streams and spread to fill the streets in the center of Shizume City. But when you looked down on the scene from above you could tell that every stream was passing through a certain three-forked road. That was the place the fixed camera was capturingDDa shop with a stylish atmosphere, standing at the corner of the three-forked road. Despite the late hour the shop seemed to be open and the warm color of the light falling through the windows illuminated the street. When Fushimi made the camera zoom in through remote control he could make out the name written on the antique, western-style sign. Bar HOMRA DD the red monsters base. Most of the participants probably didnt know of the red monsters existence and even if they heard of the urban legend those who believed that that monster possessed actual ghastly powers were little. The participants persistently felt like they were participating in a game. Hm? Somebodys come out. The shops door opened and the light spread further. Three or four men appeared from the inside and threw long shadows onto the illuminated street. Oh, the ''red monster? No, seems like some subordinates came to check out the situation. Right now those men were standing in front of the shop and simply observing the situation of a strangely high number of people moving in front of their eyes. Despite it being a dubious situation, there was no chance the shop would suffer any damage because most were ordinary people, and furthermore, middle school students. There was no use in arguing with kids, and they definitely wouldnt strike at them either. This was exactly how it had been with the secretly taken photos, this was ?jungle?s modus operandi. Misaki, I found a group from Himuka middle school. Ill send you a map, can you see them from your location? Next to the camera video was a map of Shizume City displayed in another window. In one point of the map were small lights clustering together like a nebula. The lights were slowly moving in a crowd and were indeed headed for the three-forked road in front of Bar HOMRA. These lights represented the location of the Himuka middle school students PDAs. Most of them seemed to flock together and move according to which school they belonged to. Which was convenient for Fushimi and Yata. I got the map. I should be able to see them from the opposite side of the building Im on right now. Wait a moment. Wham, came the sound from the skateboard hitting the ground and the video that was send from Yatas PDA blurred for a moment. Around here oh, found them! Theyre from a different class but theyre all seniors from our school The video that was send to Fushimi was of low quality so he couldnt make out detailed facial features but because Yata had good eyes he seemed to be able to distinguish every single one of them. Ah, Hanayama is there. And ah Whats wrong? Ah ahh, no, its just that there are all the guys who were in the same class as us in the first year. Thats all. Because Yata spoke in a feigned casual tone Fushimi could guess what this was about. theyre just scum that got hooked up on a rumor that says theyll get information that will become handy for entrance exams. Its good you cut your ties with them, right? Declared Fushimi coldly, but Yata was still not completely convinced. Y- yeah. But well, I understand their opinion too. Because Yata said something as if he was covering for them, Fushimi clicked his tongue and changed the subject. What about Oogai Aya? HmC I cant find her right now. Hm? Cant you tell where she is? Even if I could hack into her account, I cant enter her PDA because she already added security to it That ''account hacking? thing, I still dont really get it I used a teachers account to get into the data base of Himuka middle school and then I extracted the students account information. Thats all. I got the teachers account and password through borrowing his PDA while he was gone for a moment. With this method it was easy to steal it. At present Fushimi had the means to access every Himuka middle school seniors PDA as an administrator, excluding Ayas. Like this he also got a hold of the information on their location their PDAs were dispatching and could displayed them on the map. From all the participants he could at least grasp the movement of the Himuka students on the map. Fushimi could also control their PDAs from a distance. Youre really amazing. Isnt that a crime though? Yes it is, what did I just say? So you can also look at their mails and photos and stuff, right? Well, yeah. I didnt touch those though. Im not interested in other peoples mails and he looked at the clock on the screen and broke off their conversation. One minute left. Oh, is it already time. Yatas voice was tinged with tension. At 11:30pm Fushimi would turn towards ?jungle? and hit them with a hacking program, although that was just a distraction. Needless to say that it was a fairly solid program he had built, but Fushimi didnt think he could hijack ?jungle? this easily and if he should hijack it, that would be a total letdown. For now if ?jungle? recognized it as being attacked then that was good enough. The digital clock changed from 11:29pm to 11:30pm. Through a timer the hacking program activated. On screen two 3D Tyrannosaurus started hurling their bodies into a solid building. This kind of show was utterly unnecessary, but because Fushimi thought itd be more fun for Yata if there was something visual happening he had added it. They wont be able to identify him that easily, no matter how often hell connect to the proxy server. Saruhiko. Something weird just started to happen? He could hear Yatas voice through the headset. When Fushimi returned his attention to the video, he startled a bit. While he had looked at something else the peoples faces had changed. Masks? Before he had noticed everybody had put on white masks with holes for the eyes and a mouth shaped like a thin crescent moon bored into it, which gave the masks a somewhat eerie expression. How had the participants who had come in small groups just obtained thoseD? As he suspiciously stared at it, there was a change in the movement of the crowd that had until now passed by the three-forked road at random. Thud! A sound rose as everybody in the crowd simultaneously stomped with vigor on the ground in front of the red monsters gang who was standing in front of the shop. Just when it looked as if they had taken one step forward, Thud! they matched their movements and this time took a step backward. Thud, thud, thud! Forward, backward, alternately they repeated the movement of stomping on the ground. What is this? Did they all practice together? No there are instructions on the PDA. On Fushimis display was the same thing shown as on the students PDAs screens whose accounts he had obtained. He understood that the way they were supposed to move was being transmitted to their PDAs in real time. Because of that seemed the steps directed, almost as if they were doing group practice. The perfectly coordinated steps performed by the group that wore uniform masks had as much impact as a scene from a musical, and the red monsters gang could also only stare at them in surprise. Thud! The outstandingly huge group stomped their feet and turned their bodies straight towards bar HOMRA. On the PDAs was the instruction to change their direction with their steps by ninety degree. And the next instructionD Bang! Bang, bang! The sound of consecutive bursts echoed and white smoke rose. Through the headset Fushimi could hear the surprised exclamation of Yata, who was watching at the actual scene. In the middle of the video was the group of the red monster also taken aback. The colorful confetti that had scattered together with the white smoke whirled and fell to the ground while glittering in the light of the outdoor lamps. They were party poppers D that party supply shaped like a cone. Each person had hidden them in their hands. While the red monsters group struggled to understand what was happening, the row that had used their party poppers switched places with the row behind them and strewed about. The row that was in the front next stomped there feet just like the steps done in a musical, exactly the way it had happened just a moment ago. Thud, thud, thud, thud-thud D the steps got gradually stronger and fiercer and at the peak they turned towards the shop and let their party poppers crack. Then they run away, and the row that had been on standby stepped to the front. Exactly how the missions keyword suggested did this look like the opening to a secretly arranged surprise party. This however had happened with a definite restriction to the good relationship between the ones who had planned this and the ones who this happen to. Ohh, I wanna try to join them. It looks like fun. Dont be affected by it so quickly. Dont lose focus. I- Im not. Im properly spying on them, all right. ah, that guy with the Kansai dialect came out. Number 2 was pulled out, huh. Through the party poppers going off non-stop the bars shopfront was already shrouded in thick white smoke. Making out details through the camera had become fairly difficult. Fushimi could do nothing but stare idly at the monitor. Misaki, Ill move on my side soon, too. Proceed according to the plan. Ro- roger! Leave it to me! Despite being nervous, Yata gave a high-spirited answer. Within the LCD screen the hacking program meant as a distraction continued its attack. The two tyrannosaurus were gnawing at the wall of the building with their sturdy jaws. With the same kind of force as in the animation tried the program in the background to prize ?jungle?s security open. Letting the tyrannosaurus work without interrupting them, Fushimi hit the keyboard. After he hurriedly mend the code he had arranged beforehand for a short moment, he send the program to the Himuka students whose PDAs were under his control. A shining lizard, smaller than the tyrannosaurus twisted it body once and disappeared from the screen, got on the internet circuit and jumped away. On the Himuka students PDAs showed the following message at once, disguised as an official notice from ?jungle?: XX-san, good evening. We contacte you for an urgent notice. Our server is under attack and has been invaded. To save your user information we will stop service for one hour. At the same time the message Fushimi had send out showed up on everybodys PDAs he heard Yatas loud voice through the headset. Oh no, this is real bad! Theres a cyber attack on ?jungle?, its being hijacked! shut up. That sounded super fake Yatas shouting directed at the crowd pierced right through Fushimis ear and he couldnt endure it so he grumbled and pulled the headset off. Not only was he loud, that act was also really bad well, whatever. Under these circumstances nobodys going to mind something trivial as that. It was Yatas job to blend into the Himuka students and induce them to act. Each of them only receiving the message lead probably to uncertainty, but if there would be somebody whod talk about it the messages authenticity would rise DD Fushimi had come up with most of the plan, but this had been Yatas idea. ''Because somebody said so, you hear that a lot, right? As an explanation to a crowds actions. If youre alone you wont move, but if somebody else starts then it just flows naturally. D Yata had scratched his face with an expression as if he spoke from personal experience, and had taken on that task himself. Needless to say that the hacking in reality hadnt been successful. On the display the tyrannosaurus were merely blocked by the solid building and breaking their tooth on it. On the other hand a moderate number of users had received the official information that ?jungle? had been hijacked and through Yatas incitement it would lead to disorder. ?jungle?d wonder about the state of things, right? Fushimi stared fixedly at the screen that shone in the middle of the dim room and the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. He found himself looking a bit forward to what kind of countermeasure the other party would take. If theyd do a foolish thing like unlocking their door to peek outside because they were worried a burglar had come, theyd give him the perfect opportunity to put his foot in the door and force it open. If their move would be to throw the shutter close and cut off their connection to the outside then he could, disguised as official information, manipulate as many users as he wanted while they were shut indoors. So, what will you do? Depending on your reaction, I thought of several next moves, yknow? Vol 2 Chapter 3.2 Fushimi licked his lips and, without looking away from the screen, stretched his hand out to the coffee can. Which is when he accidentally knocked the can over with his fingertips, and black liquid spilled to the edges of the display and keyboard. Ah, shi- Just as he was distracted, in that momentD The sign of something appeared right in front of his eyes. It felt as if static electricity crawled down his nape and startled, he turned his eyes back to the screen. The two tyrannosaurus that had been attacking the building reacted in a comical way, just how small animals startle when they are sprinkled with water. As if a splash of water that came from the edge of the display intruded into the screens virtual spaceD The two tyrannosaurus tucked their tails between their legs and fled out of the screen. What is this I didnt program an action like that. When the attackers had disappeared the buildings automatic door opened and one character trotted out of it. It wore plain clothes, had no distinctive facial features and was a three-head long 3D characterD it was the default avatar in ?jungle?. He came out of the hacking programs window and walked to the displays center. For Fushimi it felt like their eyes met. His with the ones who was on the other side of the screen controlling the avatar. Fushimi backed away from the screen with a jolt. His hands he had placed behind him slipped off the lofts edge and he almost fell down. Clap, clap, clap, did the avatar applaud with its little hands. Over its head appeared a speech bubble and the lines were written letter by letter. [Well fought, middle schooler. I intended to watch you in silence, but because it was interesting I ended up coming to greet you. Hello.] What are you? Muttered Fushimi in a hoarse voice. Even though they had somehow managed to hack Fushimi, that person should not be able to hear him because he had taken off his headset. But through some way there was an answer typed into the speech bubble. [I am a superior person of ?jungle?.] It was a quick, vague self introduction. [I value your eagerness. But, as you can see Im in the middle of playing with the Red King. He hasnt really taken action yet, but it should be about time, dont you think?] With behavior as if it was really be alive in the virtual space the avatar turned its eyes to one corner of the display. There was the camera video overlooking the three-forked road in front of bar HOMRA still streaming. The masked group repeated to form lines, stomp their feet and let the party poppers burst, but slowly something changed. The distance between the line that was letting their party poppers burst and bar HOMRAs shopfront had narrowed. The red monsters group had backed up so much they were practically sticking on the shops wall. The crowd lined up in a row, pulled the party poppers string and white smoke formed a cloud and rose. Whoosh, flew in the middle of that smoke something that seemed like a burning arrow and pierced right threw the shops front window. The glass shattered and fine dust whirled in the air. That had been a bottle rocket, as one could already imagine. It looked like a normal bottle rocket where on the end of a thin stick a rocket formed like a pencil was attached, but because of the force with which it had crushed the glass it might have been a remodeled one. The expression of the red monsters gang who had until know stared in bafflement, changed. There was no way theyd stay silent if things had been brought up to the level of damage. There were some who got angry and wanted to strike against the crowd, but the man with the Kansai dialect yelled something and gave orders, and the other comrades held back the ones who had gotten enraged. [Haha, Homras Number 2 is being cautious. So they wont carelessly hurt any common minors, huh? As expected of him.] The avatar had completely relaxed, sat down at the bottom of the screen and watched the video together with Fushimi. The crowd got even closer and burst their party poppers. In the white smoke bottle rockets came flying one after another. They went past the stooping red monsters group and fire pierced through the bars walls and windows. [Well then, setting aside me, is it good that you were an impassive spectator?] Letting its tiny legs swing up and down, the avatar turned his head towards Fushimi. [Is that friend of yours who puts pineapple in the porridge alright?] At once the blood in Fushimis veins froze to ice. They can read the conversations in the encrypted mail app. When did we have that conversation? More than two years ago. They had always been able to read them? Since the beginning, everything? Misaki! Fushimi grabbed the headset, and because he was to impatient to put it on, he clung onto the mic and called out. Misaki! Misaki! He held the earphone part to his ear and called out again, but there was no sound audible through the earphone. At some point the connection had been cut. From the silent earphone was suddenly a different voice audible. The codes you write are beautiful. Too beautiful. I recommend you write the secret codes messier. It was a neutral voice to which a mechanical effect had been added. The avatar in the display suddenly raised its eyes and matching the voice, it moved its mouth. Youre pretty talented. But youre inexperienced. If you want to play with me, do it after youve gotten stronger and smarter. If you dont, things will end up like this again. The avatar that had had a simple expression opened its eyes wide. Its gonna be destroyedD! What and how Fushimi did not know, but he felt it in his bones. He instantly grabbed the cables of the router connected to the internet and the computer and yanked them out all together. The display turned dark and the avatar too disappeared. Fushimi grabbed only his PDA and jumped down the loft. He stumbled and fell on his knees but he immediately stood up again, slipped into his sneakers and rushed out the house. They were in the same town. Bar HOMRA wasnt that far away. While he ran he used the phone mode of his PDA and held it to his ear. He had nothing up his sleeve anymore. He could do nothing but call Yata normally. From the beginning he had not been able to hide anything. Todays plan had been completely leaked out. What a stupid story. From his PDA was the beep- beep- beep- that indicated the line was busy audible and it was as if the sound was deliberately vexing him. Fushimi clicked his tongue and hung up for the time being. He soon clashed with the tail of the crowd that was overflowing the city. PDAs that were giving of a faint light were grasped in everybodys hands and illuminated the white masks of the people lined up in a row. Out of the way! While he used his shoulders to push through the crowd Fushimi tried to call Yata once again, and at that exact moment he got a call. Misaki!? Saruhiko, are you okay!? They both called out in the same moment and their voices collided in the PDA. After they both went quiet at the same time, Its useless, everything The line was suddenly cut off! their voices clashed again, and they both fell silent again. The plans broken off. Its our my, lose. Fushimi ground his teeth so hard he could actually hear it. so frustrating. Its been the first time and then losing Saruhiko? Did something happen? Im going back right now so Ill be there soon. Im also going to where you are right now. What happened there? Ah, ahh, I was mingling with the Himuka students but somehow things turned really bad. The shops windows and door were destroyed and the people tried to force their way into the bar, and the red monsters underlings pushed them back ?jungle? had probably incited the red monster and his gang and induced them to raise their hand against common people. The avatar that had invaded Fushimis computer had called the red monster the Red King. King? Bam! Close to Fushimi there was a burst, and a sharp heat pierced the right side of his face. HotD Not able to endure it he let out a small scream and fell to the ground. Ugh Pressing down on his face with one hand he somehow raised his body. Staring through the gaps between his fingers there was one person standing right in front of him with a party popper in her hand from which white smoke rose. With her mask pushed halfway up Oogai Aya looked down on him with fixated eyes. You damn forced Fushimi out in a low voice through gritted teeth. Ayas expression became surprised and she turned around and fled into the crowd. He didnt have the time to go after her and there were a lot of people blocking the way right in front of him. They lined their party poppers up in a row and pointed them like gun ports at Fushimis head. Are these people crazy!? Dont they understand that this is going far beyond just a game!? Oraaahhhh, get out of the wayyyyy!! Together with a roar the sound of something hard hitting the ground was audible. With the glittering outdoor lights shining behind him Yata, riding on his skateboard, crashed into and through the people encircling Fushimi. Saruhiko, are you alright!? While he grooved a circle with the wheels into the asphalt, Yata landed in the middle of the encirclement. Because of the stir he had caused the crowd had backed away a bit. Fushimi took Yatas hand and stood up, but there was a piercing pain in the right side of his face and he could still not open his right eye. What the hell is happening? Why are they attacking you? Yata teared the mask which he had probably snatched away from somebody off his head and glared at the crowd to keep them in check. A hand grabbed his nape from behind him and almost pulled down and Yata tumbled off his skateboard. Without a moments delay Fushimi struck at the masked person. Anyway, lets get outta here! Ah, my skateboard! Leave it behind! Shoving aside the crowd, the two started to run. The masked group reached out their arms to them from every direction. When one was about to be caught the other struck at the captor and so they cut their way through the crowd. With obvious malicious intentions party poppers were burst in their proximity. While they coughed violently because smoke shrouded them on one side, all they could do was to escape right now even though they didnt know why they were being attacked. Not able to attain balance with only one eye, Fushimi staggered and while they ran he and Yata got separated. Saruhiko! Yata tried to run back to him but a burning arrow came flying right in front of him. Fushimi looked behind him and clicked his tongue. Just how they had attacked bar Homra the masked group had changed their weapons from party poppers to rocket bottles and chased after them. Go ahead! Fushimi turned to Yata and yelled that while he waved his hand as if to chase him away. It was in that moment that he saw a red light rise slowly over Yatas shoulder. What looked like a life-sized pillar of fire was one man whose entire body shone and was clad in a dark red aura. He had his hands nonchalantly shoved into the pockets of his jeans, and even though there was no way he could not see this crazy uproar, he came walking towards them from the opposite side of the street as if he was simply taking a stroll. That person whose big steps were as slow as the aura swaying around his body was unmistakably fire itself. Yata also belatedly noticed the persons silhouette behind his back and raise his voice. The ''red monster!! Misaki, run to him! yelled Fushimi, pointing to the front. If he reaches him then itll be safe, believed Fushimi not based on logic, but on intuition. Despite worrying about him, Yata started to run. While Fushimi pressed down one hand on his hurting face he also tried to start running but bottle rockets continued to flash by right next to his head and cut off his way. Orange tails pulled into the night sky and the burning arrows found together so that the whole visual field of his left eye was died by them, and they all came chasing him. ''Red monster!! He could hear Yatas voice that was close to a cry. Save him! Please! Save SaruhikoD Hot air swelled behind Fushimi who was standing paralyzed. The hot air the flames had brought with them became a big wave and, while swallowing the night sky, a rain of flames headed straight towards him. The individual bottle rockets swallowed by the mass, burning without leaving any remains behind, heaving C like that they came chasing Fushimi from above. With a sight as if a huge flame was coming down the sky Fushimi had no place to escape to and he could do nothing but stand there. Gently, pale hands appeared on the edges of his visual field and enclosed his head. The hot air that had heated his face turned into the warmth of a sunny spot in winter. The big wave of flames hit the ground, recoiled, and billowed over the ground as if it was writhing in pain. The asphalt got burned red and seethed. But the warm sunny spot became Fushimis shelter and the flames did not burn his body. When the wave of flames ebbed the boiling asphalt cooled down quickly and solidified into a bumpy and black shape. Only the asphalt within a one meter distance from himself had stayed even and unharmed. I have been saved? Just when Fushimi thought that, he lost his strength and sunk to the ground. The mob that carried party popper and rocket bottles with it and that had chased them as if they were possessed had stopped moving and surrounded them from a distance. Many white masks were floating in the darkness. There was a faint bustling audible but there was nobody who got any closer to them. Oh boy, that sure was in the nick of time, spoke somebody above Fushimis head. He automatically understood that it was the voice of the person who had created the sunny spot shelter; it was a carefree, cheerful voice. When Fushimi turned his head, still in a stupefied state, there stood a young, smiling man. Are you okay? Your face? Did you get burned? Ah, your eyelashes are a bit burned. Peering at Fushimis face he said things sounding as if he was worried, but the feeling that it was urgent and that he was actually worried didnt convey at all. The man looked back to the red monster. King. That was way too flashy. Kusanagi-san said to try our best to not let the decent kids get hurt. Didnt let them get hurt. I went easy on ''em, replied the red monster with a voice sounding like a beasts growl and looked down on Yata who was sitting on the ground in front of his feet as if he was a bother. So, whore these kids? I wonder? You dont know either, king? Then why did we save them? It seemed like they had no impression at all of the middle school students they had met by chance just a month ago. King the Red King Sa-Saruhiko Staggering, Yata stood up, went away from the red monster and ran to Fushimi. Just before he reached him he fell hard on the ground, tumbled, and with that force he charged at Fushimi. Ugh, uehh, Saruhikoo, I- Im so glad yourethis time I really thought it looks bad and youd d-d-dieIm so glad youre fiiiiiiine, Saruhikooooo With tears streaming down his face Yata hugged Fushimi tightly. ? Fushimi and Yata had been protected by the Red King and his subordinate named Totsuka and when they reached bar HOMRA, the rioters C it was okay to declare them rioters now, right C the rioters that had flocked in front of the bar scattered in all directions and ran away. It seemed like the Red King and Totsuka had been away from the bar when the rioters had started to surround it and even though they came back after having been contacted, some time had passed. If ?jungle? had purposely been after a time when the Red King was absent wasnt clear. Anyway, with the Red Kings faction and the Red King himself incited to take action it could be said that the conditions for a definite win had been fulfilled. Kusanagi, the tall man with the Kansai dialect, was the only one who remembered Fushimis and Yatas faces and astounded, he said: What, Mikoto and Totsuka dont know ''em but picked ''em up? The Red Kings faction knew that both the secretly taken photos that had been uploaded online and the attack from this time was ?jungle?s doing and even if they wanted to strike back, because their direct opponents were common people they couldnt start a fight with them. This was exactly like what Fushimi had read. But the one thing they still did not understand in the end wasD What exactly was ?jungle?? And this gang that made this bar their headquarters, just what where theyD? You dont really understand our and ?jungle?s true state, do ya? What I can tell you is that we and they are a group with a King as our leader C a clan, said Kusanagi and looked towards the man who was smoking and leaning back on the couch in the middle of the bar. The kings throne was nothing more than a simple sofa. But it was understandable why that man, who was smoking his cigarette with a cool expression as if he was already not interested in the turmoil anymore, was called a king. He had a somewhat violent presence. The Red King D Suoh Mikoto. An actual man with special powers. A few more hours were needed until all the people who had flooded Shizume Citys downtown had withdrawn. While they waited Fushimi got the burn in his face treated and after they had confirmed that it was safe outdoors, Fushimi and Yata left the bar and went back to their own place. Morning already dawned. The neighborhood was deserted with all the people gone but a strong stench of gunpowder remained in the air. The remains of loads of party poppers and bottle rockets and thrown away masks filled the streets and with each step they crushed them under their feet. He was amazing, the Red King, Suoh Mikoto! I could see it perfectly from close up! Saruhiko, you couldnt see it? When he simply made a fist, like this, it turned into flames and when he wielded it just a tiny bit a huge flame came like whoosh! Yata had already regained his energy and while he talked in high spirits he swung his fists energetically to imitate what had happened and show it to Fushimi. Next to him Fushimi dropped his gaze to the ground and walked in silence. Crack, crack he stepped on the broken plastic masks. Saruhiko? Does it hurt? After we get home and sleep a bit lets go to a doctor, even if its already noon by then. Kusanagi-san also said we should see one. In the blink of an eye Yata sounded close and affectionate, they way one sounds when they call for the reliable big brother figure of the neighborhood. With his eyes still cast down Fushimi shook his head. Because he was wearing his glasses over the bandage that had been put on his temple he looked a bit stiff and gloomy. Saruhiko. Yata lowered his previously cheery voice. It was the tone he used when he sincerely pushed Fushimi to do something. Were the ones who lost. Right? Im the one who thought up everything. So Im the one who lost. Youre wrong. Didnt we say wed do it together and didnt we plan it together? Whichever. Its not like either would console me. When Fushimi stayed silent Yata frowned and turned his eyes to the front. One week ago, when they had talked confidently about changing the view the big guys have on power, their own idiocy had been fully exposed. The ones that had messed with them had, without getting as much as a single scratch, manipulated them. They had only been put in danger. We had honestly believed we wouldnt lose. Were had that confidence come from? We really look like idiots. I want power Saruhiko, muttered Yata next to him. Right now the two of us are in the end just normal middle school students. At that time I could do nothing but beg the Red King to save you. I want power. Special power. Yata clenched his fists on the sides of his body. After Fushimi glanced at him from the side he raised his eyes from the ground and stared fixedly ahead. yeah. He nodded and pressed his lips hard together. Vol 2 Chapter 4 Mission 4 It was right after the surprise party when Fushimi heard that Fushimi Niki had passed away in the hospital during his hospitalization. Just like the doctor had told him in November that it would be difficult for that guy to enter the new year, his death day was the 29th December, just as the end of the year was approaching. Accepting his last few days that had been like a sentence and dying in a meek manner, wasnt that the only thing in his whole life that had been ordinary? - that was the first thought that came into Fushimis mind. He didnt care if people who knew absolutely nothing reproached him for being coldhearted or disrespectful. The funeral was held with only the relatives present. Because he had been a man without a job he didnt have any acquaintances from work. Nobody in the family knew if he had any private friends. Since Fushimi didnt want Yatas parents to pay a visit of condolence he was relieved that the funeral was only for the relatives. He didnt want to show this ordinarily at peace, ordinarily nagging, ordinarily bothersome family his own relatives. He really didnt want to have this conversation with Yata either. After all he still didnt like how Yata had suggested with a good-natured expression on his face that he should go visit that guy when he was hospitalized. Fushimi absolutely didnt want Yata to be concerned about him because that guy had died, and if he would have said something absurd like Cheer up! he probably definitely wouldve punched him. Even if Yata knew to some extent of the situation Fushimi was in, hed never be able to understand that Fushimi was genuinely relieved that that guy had finally died. Because that man had been a strange, abnormal weirdo even among the relatives there were no tears in the attendees eyes. In the banquet hall too did nobody reminisce about the deceased. The conversations that were exchanged were idle complaining or bragging that had nothing to do with the deceased one, and the only thing that had to do with him was the bargaining of the inheritance. Bored, Fushimi sat in a corner of the banquet hall with his arms around his knees. There wasnt even anything he could eat because nothing but sushi and beer had been arranged. The smell of the cigarettes, the alcohol and the sea products, and the awfully high temperature in the hall made him feel sick. Fushimi Kisa was tied up with the elderly and had been put in the middle of a juicy inheritance story. Here, Fushimi Kisa held the position of what they call a wife. But she was a woman with a lot of pride so even though she was in front of her husbands family she didnt submissively bow her head over and over. She wasnt frantic about the Fushimi familys assets and there was no need for her to cling to them because she had build a fortune through her own strength. With her usual attitude she went along with the sake poured into the cups one after another. Only in that point Fushimi reevaluated that woman just a bit. The relatives interest got also directed to Fushimi, who had by status the inheritance rights. Saruhiko-kun, the entrance exams for high school are soon, right? At which school will you apply? Maybe you should really go to Tsubasagahara, theyre the best in the Kanto region. If you need a housing then there is still our place left The elderly cozied up to him with favor currying smiles glued to their faces. Saruhiko-kun, huh he had heard that when that guy gave him that kind of name for fun all of the relatives laughed, saying, Hes the one with the funny name. Fushimi hated the one who had given him that name the most in the whole world, but for the other people he felt much the same. Die, all of you, he thought while answering, I am not applying anywhere. Even though youd normally judge a middle schooler if hed oppose a suggestion and answer bluntly the way Fushimi had, the atmosphere didnt become any more appropriate because the elderly were generally insensitive. What do you mean with that? Ah, maybe youll wait until fall and study overboard. I heard that you are an excellent student. Your uncle also has experience with studying overboard so if there is anything youre worried about then you can definitely discuss Within the sea of black mourning clothes that looked like an assembly of bugs and made Fushimi feel sick was another person wearing Himuka Middle Schools deep red blazer just like himself. It was Oogai Aya sitting in a corner diagonally from him and just like Fushimi she had her arms wrapped around her knees with a bored expression on her face. She wore her black-green glasses today too and now that he thought about it, she seemed to be in the same mood as him. When Fushimi saw that Aya said a few words to her mother who was close by and then stood up, he too stood up because he couldnt breathe properly any longer. He didnt reply to the elderly still talking next to him anymore. Fushimi stepped on the black shoes that had been left jumbled at the entrance of the Japanese-style room, shoved his toes into his own loafers and stepped out into the corridor. Hey. When he turned at the end of the corridor and called out, the small back clad in the deep red blazer flinched. Was there some kind of agreement to target me? Or was it just out of your personal spite? Fushimi tapped the right arm of his glasses lightly. The big gauze had been removed but under the glasses arm was still a band aid. It seemed like his eye had been injured through the party popper attack and according to the eye test results the eyesight on the right had dropped slightly. Well, it had been bad from the start so it wasnt like much changed. If it was out of Ayas personal spite then what, like, would you do? Will you get back at Aya? Haughty, Aya turned to the side but her profile was twitching. Does she think Ill do something and that there is no use in arguing about it or what. Not really. Though with this were even so I wont apologize either. This is enough already, right, Misaki he muttered in his mind. If anything then the damage I received is bigger than hers. Im not complaining and Im replying gently, arent I? He hadnt told Yata that Aya had been in the mob that had assaulted them. Yata probably believed Aya hadnt participated at all. Ill give you an advice for now. Stop using ?jungle? any further. It isnt a mere social network or a game. In the center of it is A ''King, right? Fushimi was actually surprised at Aya replying before him and it left him dumbstruck. All of the ones at the top of the ranks know. If the king likes you he will give you ''power. Aya will, like, collect more and more points and get ''power from the king and then Aya will finish you off. ?jungle?s king isnt necessarily your ally. Worshiping him just because you want to defeat me, just how naive are you? You dont say that!! yelled Aya all of a sudden and glared at him. The corners of her mouth rose with an almost enraged look in her eyes. An odd smile that reminded him of an amphibian appeared on her face. Its both. It was out of Ayas personal spite but there was also the agreement to go after your face. The painful experience of opposing a King and losing, it serves you right. Youre so lame. Ahaha- ahahahahahahyaC Her laugh pierced through the air and quavered in an odd way. This is enough already, right, Misaki he repeated in his mind like a spell to restrain himself and with his fists on the sides of his body he somehow managed to hold back. Sometime soon I might wring her neck. Are you, like, angry? Did I hit a sour spot? Are you vexed now? Was your complete defeat frustrating? That you, who, like, has never lost before has been humiliated so much serves you juuust right. enough already. You, dont talk anymore. Ayas face was red with a flush that might have come from her being possibly drunk because she got hit by the banquet halls alcohol stench. Her face twisted and resembled the laughing face of Niki who shook peoples emotions and basked in the joy of it. Fushimi had until then never liked or hated her as an individual and just didnt really care about her, but in that moment he felt clear hatred towards her. You will go to the ''red monsters place, right? If so then Aya will become your enemy. Because For just a moment her pupils, wide and fixated at him, seemed to quiver. you arent looking at Aya. Mission 5 Can you take my hand? The Red King turned to the two of them and casually held out both his hands. It was a hand with thick veins on the surface and many scrapes, almost like a boxers fist, and you could guess that the man this hand belonged to had struck at many people and maybe even things with it and survived until now. Y- yes. When Yata was about to shake his hand, nervous but still determined, in that moment C did flames wrap around the mans fist. It was a real fire that tinged the surroundings in a vivid red and emitted strong, pale light from the center of the fist as if it was the head of a matchstick. Yata unintentionally flinched and stopped his stretched out hand and looked at Fushimi with a hesitant expression. They exchanged glances and swallowed hard. But they made up their mind, nodded to one another and grabbed Suohs hands at the same time, Fushimi the left one and Yata the right one. The fire spread from Suohs hand and in no time it wrapped their entire bodies. The image of his own body being burned spread in Fushimis mind with high speed. The blood in his whole body evaporating, his skin melting, his hair burning, his internal organs boiling D he thought he was really going to die. There are usually people who die of shock from something like this, right? If he had been assailed by this kind of sensation for just a bit longer he probably would have fainted. The flames that in just a moment rushed about every nook of his body disappeared like they were an illusion. No. it condensed in one point and remained within his body. Throb, throb, there was a hot and aching spot. Hmph Suoh let out his breath and huffed a laugh almost incidentally before he let go of their hands. The man around them who had watched with slightly worried expressions let out their breath in relief. Here and there rose applause. Very nice, very nice. It wouldnt ve been very funny if two middle school candidates were burned ''n killed. I believed that it would work out somehow. Congrats, you two! The impression that his whole body was burned still lingered in Fushimis mind and while he felt his body still shake slightly he nervously dropped his eyes to the throbbing spot. When he pulled down his collar, he saw that a red mark symbolizing a flame had appeared under the collarbone on his left side. Rather than that it looked like it had been pasted on his skin from the outside, it seemed like something that has originated from within his body had naturally penetrated his skin from beneath it. The red light flickered together with the sharp pain that still hadnt left. As the pain subdued the light got weaker and settled gently within his body. He looked at Yata next to him. Yata looked back at him in the same moment. Yata too looked like he had thought for a moment they would actually die, and he made an expression as if his soul had left his body. After they looked at each others faces they dropped their eyes and saw that the mark had appeared for both of them on the exact same spot, on the left collarbone. its in the same spot! It really is They inspected their marks in wonder and then looked at each other again. Hoh? Isnt this the first time the ''mark appears in the exact same spot? Mikoto, did ya do that on purpose? I cant control where their marks appear. Suoh, Kusanagi and the others of the group were a bit surprised themselves. Yata made a fist and crouched a bit before he jumped up and landed on the floor with a loud thud as if his body was overflowing with joy. Alright! With this were genuine partners! Eh, did you until now not think of us as partners? Ehh!? I- I did! Of course I did! But y''know, didnt you also want some kind of item that proved it!? explained Yata eagerly to Fushimi who had pointed that out with half-closed eyes. You two sure get along well, friendly laughter came from the men surrounding them. That they had unintentionally been laughed at made them make a sour face, but then they grinned at each other. Saruhiko. yeah. They stretched out their arms and put their fists on the others mark. At that time they still didnt doubt a bit that they had received this power through their hands and accepted it within themselves with the same thought and the same goal. Period 2 (another side) Himuka Middle Schools graduation ceremony in March was on a day on which cold rain fell. After homeroom had ended Aya went back to her mamas car. When she stepped out through the students entrance with her newly bought umbrella held up there were the guardians cars forming a long line in front of the school gates and she had no other choice but to go looking for the car. Oogai. She stopped when somebody suddenly called out to her from between the cars. A boy stood in front of the fence with the hood of his raincoat pulled over his eyes. He had one foot on a skateboard. He tugged at the hood and showed his face. Yo. s kinda been a awhile, he said shyly but in a bright voice. What does the dropout group need from me? said Aya bluntly and looked at him with eyes full of disdain. Ah, um, you dont need to worry. They said they let Saruhiko and me graduate. If we take the test during spring break, that is. Who is, like, worried? Either way youll be a dropout if you graduate from middle school. Aya, like, made it to Tsubagaharas high school. Its the best school for girls in the Kanto region. Mama is veeery satisfied. Well, Aya isnt satisfied at all. If itd be, like, a boys school the level would be much higher, but Aya cant go to one. Just why is it that only boys receive preferential treatment in education? Oh, ohh, suddenly you said a lot. You dont have to list all those things for me. Its not like you want to be acknowledged by me, right? With an embarrassed expression Misaki-kun ducked his head. Misaki-kun is normal, is what Aya thought. His parents have remarried, but that wasnt that rare and he had been born into a normal family and been raised normally; he had a normal mind, and that was all. His only strong subject was P.E., and music and art, let alone the subjects from the entrance exam were awful. He didnt harbor any peculiar angry thoughts. He acted tough but when Saruhiko wasnt there it was a simple badness where he could do not more than rebel halfheartedly. Despite being the kind of shy where he was unable to talk properly with the girls in class he could talk with Aya fairly well. Aya knew that was only because when he had realized that Aya wasnt making him into her opponent, he had stopped being nervous. Or, to put it the other way around, because he thought the girls were aware of him he cant talk to them; he was an overly self-conscious, normal boy in middle school. It was mysterious to Aya and she couldnt understand why this normal person was the only friend of Saruhiko, who since young age had never have any friends. Sorry to stop you in the middle of the rain, but this will only take a moment. Its kind of meddlesome from me I think but because we wont meet again I thought I should say it, y''know After he said that Misaki-kun hesitated a bit, and as if to gloss over that he rolled his skateboard with his foot fore and back. His, well, y''know, father affects him, but, well, you probably know that better than me, I wonder why he doesnt understand he can only interpret your behavior as direct malice, he doesnt understand that youre trying to get his attention. He kinda does that thing where he only lets negative feelings grow in his mind What are you, like, talking about? ''Get his attention, what is that supposed to mean? Ridiculous. Thats right, what else is there but malice? Aya, like, hates Saruhiko. Ever since hes been born he has been a thorn in Ayas side. Um, yeah, okay, if Im just misunderstanding then you can ignore me. Its also not like I could understand a womans heart, but, y''know ah, whenever I mention Saruhikos family his mood gets bad so I wouldnt say this in front of him, but, maybe its because youre too smart? And I dont get why things turn out like this, but Wouldnt it be good enough to say things normally, and honestly? Thats definitely a weak point of his. Misaki-kuns face had become gradually redder and his explanations had quickly risen. He yanked down his hood and hid his red face. Well, thats all. Give your best in high school. Stay well. With these words he kicked hard off the ground. With two, three kicks his speed rose and he stepped with both feet onto the skateboard. He skillfully broke his way on his skateboard through the students and guardians that were filling the road narrow from the file of parking cars, while fine raindrops flew off his raincoats surface. When he passed by a woman holding a brow umbrella he ran through a puddle of water with his skateboard and accidentally splashed her so that the woman let out a scream. Ah, sorry! He turned around without stopping and apologized, and his figure quickly became a smudge in the gray and rainy scenery. Whats wrong with this child, thats dangerous in a place like this Ahh, Aya, there you are. Didnt you look for me? The car is over there. The owner of the brown umbrella came closer while grumbling. It was mama. Thats Yata Misaki-chan. You talked to him once on the phone. Mama, that umbrella is plain. Isnt that papas? Aya is embarrassed. Niki-kun died at the end of last year, right. And it seems like grandpa has the rights to that house and now theyre talking about what to do with it. Seems like Kisa-san is okay with selling it. I dont know whatll happen to Saruhiko-kun, though Mama only listened to the things she wanted to listen to, and only said the things she wanted to say. Thats why Aya also only said what she wanted to say and didnt respond. Saruhiko was Ayas second cousin and so they had the same great-grandpa. One time when Aya had gone to her great-grandpas house with her mother she had carelessly run into that guy, though she didnt know why he had been there. As soon as she spotted him Aya was on guard and her body stiffened but that guy approached her in an overly familiar voice. She had been about eight, nine years back then so that guy had to be still in his twenties. He was young and handsome and sparkled just like an entertainer and he was the kind of cheerful man who went to such extremes that it seemed like some kind of limiting circuit had blown. Hm? Arent you the shorty whos the same age as our little monkey, that fucking conceited shorty? Whats up, whatre you so scared about? Did I do something? Th- thats because youre the one who destroys the things that are important to Saruhiko. Aya knew the story of how that guy had destroyed Saruhikos independent research project in the summer of his first year, the one he had been so devoted to. After that guy looked at her in puzzlement as if he really wouldnt understand why she was frightened, he guffawed. Why are you scared because of that? Saruhiko thinks nothing of you so theres no way Id mind you, right? Im not interested in you, shorty. Shocked at the humiliating words Aya didnt say anything and only turned red. Aya and Saruhiko, the two only children of the same age in their family, have been since they were born compared in everything. Aya herself was proud of that. She didnt follow Saruhikos back around like a little sister but was equal to him, is what she thought. Saruhiko saw right through it, although they hadnt talked much D regardless of how the other adults saw it, Saruhiko himself never thought of Aya as an equal. The truth was he hadnt even once associated with her. Not only Saruhiko, even his father made fun of Aya! Annoying! Annoying! Annoying! Her shoulders trembled. The umbrella clattered. Aya? Whats wrong, get into the car quick. They were already in front of the car. Mama called out to her in an impatient voice after closing her own umbrella and getting onto the drivers seat. In the glass by the passenger seat was Ayas own hand grasping the grip of her favorite new umbrella reflected. From within the car stared mama in wonder at her under the umbrella and with a My, my, she made a smile looking just like a real big-hearted mother. Youre the only one from your middle school who goes to Tsubasagahara, right, Aya? Being separated from ones friends makes one feel lonely, doesnt it. The umbrella Aya held low was shaking. The image of her own face gritting her teeth and sobbing silently under the umbrella was reflected in the glass. She took of her glasses and wiped away the tears with the sleeve of the uniform shed never wear again. Have you ever listened to me with your eyes sparkling and saying ''amazing? Wouldnt it be good enough to say things normally, and honestly? When did she do what wrong? Should she have been like Misaki-kun from the beginning? Then would he havent been taken by Misaki-kun? Even though Aya aaalways, aaalways had so much time Aya. Youll make new friends in no time. Also, at Tsubasagahara are lots of cool boys. The sport club there is pretty strong, right? Mama leaned towards the passenger seats side to open the door, gently tapped Ayas arm and pulled her close. Aya is not an idiot. Even though mama doesnt understand anything Aya is not an idiot. While thinking so, Aya tossed away her umbrella and her glasses and clung to her mothers neck, crying and wailing loudly. Intermission______Fire pride They meddled in our affairs! Those two brats again! Get them! Im- impossible! Theyre fast! Homras duo, whos strong point is speed D it seemed like this was the kind of reputation Yata and Fushimi had gotten among the hooligans in the neighborhood not longer after they had joined Homra. Whos a braaaaat! What does that make you guys who cant even get a single hit in against these ''two brats? Arent you just wasting your years, only gaining flab to your stomachs and brains? Like a vanguard the two charged at the hooligans who were ready to run away. Their task was to cut a way open for Suoh, and arrive as the first ones in a charge at the place the enemys boss has retreated to. If they thought there was no need to cause Suoh trouble the two of them would sometimes destroy everything by themselves. Theyd wait calmly while sitting on the back of the enemys boss who was covered in bruises and burns and unconscious from the pain, and theyd dumbfound their comrades who arrived late. Kusanagi would recoil, Totsuka would give a wry smile. Then Suoh would arrive as the last one and as soon as he saw the situation, hed, maybe unintentionally, lower his eyes and let out a breath, and turn his back with a Were leaving. If Yata was teamed up with Fushimi, then they demonstrated a power that was not only doubled, but multiplied. Their power was even equal to Kusanagis who, excluding Suoh, was the powerful man standing out among Homras members. Kusanagi, who used a lighter as a weapon and controlled with it a strong flame was so to speak the fire power, but Yata and Fushimis special trait was speed above all. They approached you from behind before you noticed, like a flame stirred up by tailwind, mocked you with the flames, cut you in two D as soon as this combo made you their target you had nothing left but to flee or be terrified. In this fall Yata Misaki was 17 years and roughly 3 months old. His partner, Fushimi Saruhiko, was 16 years and roughly 11 months old. When they had joined Homra in winter the year before last at the age of fifteen they had been the youngest among the members. However age has nothing to do with the merits and demerits of the flames power they received from Suoh. When they used their powers experience might be relevant to some extent, but Yata and Fushimi had even without experience stood out right away. Ever since then they bustled around as the vanguard for Suoh. The position as Homras vanguard he held together with Fushimi was Yatas pride. Wait! Seven, eight man clad in a uniform that had blue as its basic tone chased after them. This is the third squad of the third unit. Were in the middle of pursuing the fugitives but a group of the red clan ?Homra? is interfering. Engaging in battle with them is inevitable. Please give us the permission to draw our swords. After the man turned to his headset and gave an honest report he drew the saber from his hip. Hah, so the Blues cant fight without a permission or what, sneered Yata and looked back over his shoulder while kicking forward on his skateboard. Theres no way theyd lose in a fight against squeamish domesticated dogs. When the Blue swung his saber, and cut the empty air in spite of the close combat weapon, several strikes came flying toward Yata. By bending his knees and letting his weight shift he changed his skateboards route. The wheels shot out fire and ran up the wall, dodging the attacks that drew near from behind. Like that the skateboard ran long the wall while Yata made a half turn and raised the metal bat he carried on his shoulder. Uraahhh! He jumped of the fast moving skateboard as if tipping up. The bat was wrapped in flames. He smashed his bat against the saber the Blue had positioned above his head and a dull sound burst between them. With their weapons locked at the hilt (well a bat doesnt have a hilt but still!) another Blue slashed at Yata from beside him but without paying any attention to him Yata only concentrated on the opponent right in front of him and pushed with strength. In about the same moment the saber flew off the Blues hand he heard a sharp noise come from one side. Fushimi who had seemingly slipped in held the knifes in his hands crossed and stopped the saber of the other Blue who had slashed at Yata. Saruhiko! Yata smiled at him. This time it was Fushimi who was close to locking weapons with the Blue but right then the left behind skateboard lunged through the air and crashed against the Blues back of the head. The Blue sunk to the ground with a groan that made him sound a bit dumb. Angered, the remaining Blues encircled them. Yata recovered his skateboard and got his bat ready again, Fushimi took a close combat knife in his right hand several throwing knifes in his left. Standing back on back they faced the enemies who outnumbered them. The vanguard of the red clan, Fushimi Saruhiko and Yata Misaki, whispered one of the Blues to the one who seemed to be the leader. The latter cleared his throat turning to the two and raised in a stiff and formal voice. Minato Hayato and Minato Akito, clansmen of the former Blue King Habari Jin, have disobeyed the obligation of the limit to supernatural powers which is grounded on the peculiar development control law and caused injuries for the personnel in the ?Scepter 4? government office building. We deem them as dangerous superpowered individuals and we have been entrusted with the task to swiftly capture them. With your interference, red clansmen, you are, as well as your king who also agreed to protocol 120, committing a grave infringement to this law. Your preface is waaay to long. And it was kinda difficult so I didnt really get it. So does this mean the Red King has such a low-level education he cant even read a law text? Hah? Did you just make fun of Mikoto-san, you bastard!? Also, Kusanagi-san did go to college, got it!? Fushimi held Yata, who had suddenly become angry back with a You shut up for a second, as if Yatas behavior was kind of troublesome. He took over for him and answered the leader with a cool voice. We got an instruction to go pick up some acquaintances, thats all. Youre the ones whore hindering us. We havent affirmed the information that the acquaintances are dangerous superpowered individuals so we didnt know about that. Because you keep your information to yourselves and dont distribute them. Th- this kind of far-fetched argument from a bratty clansman. You arent losing in an argument to a brat because of a far-fetched argument. Losing even his pride to Fushimis sneer, a vein popped out on the leaders forehead. Yata saw it and felt a thrilling satisfaction. When it came to mocking adults Yata knew nobody who was as skilled at it as Fushimi. The PDA in form of watch on his wrist let him know a call was coming in. The moment Yata brought the PDA close to his mouth there were a few Blues who tried to approach, but the knifes Fushimi threw without even looking pierced into the ground right in front of their feet. Yata-san! He could hear a deep voice mixed with static come from the PDA. Kamamoto. Howd it go? We took in the twins. Kusanagi-san said you and Fushimi can also come back. The Blues could also hear the voice from the PDA and their leader turned pale. Shit, so this was a decoy! Theyre probably at bar HOMRA! Hurry! Yata and Fushimi exchanged glances over their shoulders and nodded at each other. They said we should come back, Saruhiko. Hey Blues, its exactly how you heard. The twins youve been going after are sheltered in the Red Kings HQ. A kingly domain, corrected Fushimi and took over the talking. Intruding another kings domain, isnt that also a grave infringement of protocol 120? The Blues who were about to turn around at their leaders orders were bewildered at that and stopped moving. The leader ground his teeth and grasped the sabers hilt. Hostile, Yata readied his bat too. If the blue clansmen are no cowards then its okay to fight them, right? Responding to Yatas vigor flames entwined his bat. Its okay, right, Saruhiko? Fushimi who usually stopped Yatas reckless actions fixated the Blues with a brazen gaze and let the flame power dwell in the knifes he held. Sure. I didnt agree on todays task so Im pissed off. Even though they were surrounded by trained, sturdy men the two werent nervous at all. Ordinary soldier class clansmen of another king were no match to them. This was different than from that one time in their first year in middle school when they had been beaten up by only three seniors. They had special powers now. On top of that had their powers manifested as strong, even among the ones who had received powers from the same king. They constantly had disputes with other groups and had a brush with death on countless occasions. In this one and a half year D as long as Fushimi was at his back, Yata was never afraid. He had not even once regretted that they had thrown themselves into this world. He didnt think that these satisfying days were lacking anything. He could feel the heat beneath his left collarbone. As if there was a second heart, throb, power was carried through his whole body with one big beat. If Fushimi was close he could even feel the power of the mark he had in the same spot. Squeezing that part once from over his clothes a confident smile appeared on Yatas face. Lets go, Saruhiko. I wont let this end with the blue dogs having made fun of Mikoto-san, he called out, putting one foot on his skateboard. Fushimi glanced at him over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. A dog, huh Isnt that what you are? Disregarding the puzzled expression that formed on Yatas still smiling face, Fushimi kicked the ground and dashed forward. Become just like a thin, sharp knife himself he slashed into the sturdy Blues. - 1. Aya uses -sama here to address the King ( (?-sama)) Vol 2 Chapter 5 Mission 2, Part 5 After helping Akito up the ceiling, Yata made it back to the room one step ahead of the Blue Coats. Homra side didnt resist, and even helped in searching the building. Totsuka seemed peculiarly lively and slippery as an eel when answering questions. Ah. Sorry. I know how much you guys want to catch him. Too bad he still got away. You see, we were betrayed too. The twins aimed for our boss. Thats why we reported him to you. When they later got in contact with Suoh, who was sleeping in the bar, Hayato was nowhere to be found. He ran from the bar as soon as Akito contacted him. Everyone gathered in the bar as morning came, including those who werent at the scene a couple hours ago. Hayato escaped as well. Im afraid this substantiated Fushimis inference. Shrugging, Totsuka concluded. He didnt have trouble conveniently using this inference to baffle the Blue Coats to begin with. I am sorry. This is inexcusable. I brought the trouble in here. Kusanagi hung his head. Now, now. If the twins had attacked King while hes sound asleep, what do you think will happen to King? Haa Nothing, I think. See? So theres no need for Kusanagi-san to be so depressed. After backing Kusanagi up with a flippant attitude, Totsuka tightened up. Those two ran away after spitting in our faces, and in the face of Shiotsu-san too, since he turned to us for help in saving them. Better not let the word get out and become the laughing-stock of this neighborhood. We should make them pay, with our own hands. Kusanagi-san, what do you say? Thats right. If we settle this with the twins by ourselves, at least they could come in handy in negotiation on improving Shiotsu-sans conditions. Thats the only thing I can do for him. The other members listened to Suoh, Kusanagi, and Totsukas discussion. Most of them openly showed their anger toward the twins, and impatiently waited for orders to go into action. Sitting at the same table with the top three, between Kusanagi and Totsuka, was Niki with a sardonic smile. What a timely distraction! My little monkey never fails me. No one suspected what you really saw before you attacked. Get Lost. Fushimi recited in his mind, staring at Niki. Get Lost. Get Lost. Get Lost. Showing up in broad daylight? If youre a ghost, then have shame and act like one. Fushimi Fushimi? Suddenly hearing someone call his name, surprised, he turned to where the voice came from. Totsuka was looking at him in wonder. Theres one thing I want to ask. Was that the only reason you attacked Akito? Whats your point? He replied in a low voice, and looked to Niki again. I mean Say, where are you looking at? Youve been doing that for a while. Totsuka tilted his head and came into Fushimis view. Kusanagi, with a huh?, also followed Fushimis gaze and looked beside him. Suoh, who was listening quietly all the time, turned his gaze a little while he lit a cigarette. Niki wasnt there, but stuck out upside down from above his head. Hey, he said, Where are you looking at? You got them worried! Now why dont you tell them? Tell them that you see a ghost. This ever so friendly but thick-skinned bunch will ask about every detail, including what you dont want to talk about most: everything about me! Then these thickheads are all gonna say ''poor Saruhiko-kun, pity you, and want to do something for you out of some comradeship. Theyll make a mountain out of a molehill, disregarding your opinion and of course your pride. Aah. Merely the thought of this Niki suddenly ceased his fanatical ridicule, and lowered his voice, is so depressing that youd rather die. Fushimi noticed how that face resembled his own. No. Its the other way around. Since when did they look this alike? That man stopped aging two years ago. Its himself whos getting closer to that man, year by year. What a future without hope. Fushimi looked at Suoh, Kusanagi, Totsuka, and those who were in high spirits. Nothing. Nothing at all. What is it? He replied emotionlessly. If you say so. Alright then. Totsuka showed a lonely smile. Suoh casually looked toward the spot where Niki vanished. Fushimis heart skipped a beat. But he only exhaled smoke at that direction, and didnt seem to suspect a thing. A strand of violet smoke flown through the spot now left empty. Vol 3 Chapter 1 Mission 3, Part 1 The deep blue tone of the van was reminiscent of the ocean, Fushimi thought, before he was shoved into the van with a get in! I invited him here. Show proper manners. A voice as clear as tinklings of jade came from inside. Y-yes sir. You are dismissed. The clansman gave Fushimi an intimidating stare before he closed the sliding door from outside. After staring him back, Fushimi took a good look inside the van again. What in the world He commented inwardly. The spacious interior was enough for 3 rows of seats, yet seats were removed to lay tatami on the floor. A tokonoma was set in the very back, decorated with a hanging scroll of waka poem written in calligraphy. While theres a teakettle steaming in front of the tokonoma, the aircon maintained a cool refreshing temperature. A traditional Japanese fragrance made his nose twitch a bit. Its sandalwood. Are you not fond of this scent? Said the man sitting perfectly straight in seiza on the tatami, the Blue King, Munakata Reisi. Not really. Not liking it nor disliking it. Indifferent, I see. What a shame. Please, take your shoes off and step in. Dont you want me to disarm today? I have my hidden knives as usual. That was only formality. You are not so ruthless as to make a surprise attack alone, nor do you have the reason to. Munakata openly showed the composure of a king knowing he cant be killed by merely a clansman. Fushimi tug his shoelaces loose roughly, kicked his shoes off at the step of the van, and placed them next to Munakatas long boots. What is this? Jigsaw puzzle. Havent you seen one? I have. Something piled up in front of Munakatas knee. On a closer look, those were jigsaw puzzle pieces, cut rather small. There must be a lot to pile so high. Thats not what Im asking. This van seems to be an official vehicle. Is this puzzle related to your work? No. Its my hobby. Do you have too much free time or what? I bring my hobbies to workplace because I dont have free time. Fushimi began to suspect that Munakata is actually looking forward to his talking back. Great timing. Here. Ill share you half of these. Please piece together as many as you can. Feel free to sit at ease. No need to be formal. Munakata divided the pile of puzzle pieces, and shoved half of it in front of Fushimi. Hah? Why should I do that? Well, is this not your forte? Pardon me. I shouldnt have asked then. Seeing Fushimi provoked by his teasing and claimed to be good at it, Munakata cracked a smile in satisfaction. Then he took a piece from his pile which now resembled a half-eroded sand dune. Holding it between two fingers, he gave it a glance, and placed it on a spot on the tatami with a soft pachi sound. With a sulky look, Fushimi sidled and put his knees together, sitting in seiza. I dont suppose youd call me here just to help with the puzzle. For the Blue King to privately invite a Homra member, itll cause a problem if word gets out. I dont see that stopping you from coming here. Munakata replied without looking away from his puzzle. Fushimi pouted his lips and remained silent. The soft pachi sound of Munakata continuously placing pieces on the tatami, together with the clinking of the teakettles lid pushed by the steam, created an ancient and elegant atmosphere which made Fushimi felt like hes no longer in a van of the Blues. I heard that you were the one who leaked us information on Minato Akito leaving Suohs kingly domain. I did it to steer Homra clear of trouble, not for your clan. Please dont get the wrong idea. Nor do I intend to use this as a bargaining chip on betraying to your side. Ha ha. I never thought of taking it that way. Its not worthy enough for a chip. Besides, there is always a possibility for traitors to betray again. I wouldnt even consider placing that kind of person at hand. One can never be too careful. Werent you the one who said a hidden weapon user would be a handy chess piece? Of course Fushimi wasnt anticipating to be recruited. Still, being told you are not needed in his face was displeasing. Whats more, we are now bogged down thanks to you. When Minato Brothers stayed in Bar Homra, at least we knew their whereabouts. Now we have no clue, let alone capture them. As a result, what you did was no more than buying time for Minato Hayato to recover. On top of that, in the past week, we have been receiving reports on Strains getting attacked for no reason. All victims are Risk 3 level Strains, which means they are not subjects of restriction, but are kept tabs on due to their high risk for causing problems. They all stated that the assailants were a duo calling themselves ''Scepter 4. A victim remembered the duos emblem clear enough to draw this. Munakata lifted his hand from the puzzle to take out his PDA, and slid it across the tatami to Fushimi. He looked at the hand-drawn emblem shown on screen, noticing some slight differences from the one painted on the side of this van. This was the Scepter 4 emblem during Habari Jins era. Hearing the explanation, Fushimi lifted his gaze from the PDA. Habari Jins Scepter 4 is the one and only authentic ''Scepter 4 to carry out the duty of supervising Strains. So they declared. I am really hated. Unlike me, Suoh is adored by his clansmen. Which aint that different from monkeys gathering around their leader. After blurting out this, he felt that its pointless venting. I see. Do you mean this is like animal instinct? Its not cool to criticize his own clan in front of another king. To distract himself from his awkward feeling, Fushimi reached for the puzzle pieces in front of him. What in the world? He commented inwardly again. The pattern on the pieces were hard to tell apart, being nearly all grey. Didnt this come with a reference picture? I threw it away by mistake. Well, since its a World Heritage Site, I can work it out by memory. Its Sagrada Famlia. The one in Barcelona. Its still under construction. This puzzle was made with a photo taken in 2001, cut to ten thousand two hundred and ninety-two pieces in total, and will take up the space of two whole tatami when finished. Ten thousand. An overwhelming difficulty on an overwhelming theme. What did you throw the reference picture away for? Following the standard tactics of jigsaw puzzles, Fushimi sorted out the edge pieces from the pile. He began to assemble the frame, although feeling a bit annoyed that Munakata was watching him with evident satisfaction. Very skillful. Have you seen the real thing? I have seen photos on internet. Not sure if those were taken before or after 2001 though. In junior high, Yata brought a jigsaw puzzle one day, shouting, Lets play this! They worked on it together. It was a 1000-piece puzzle, which was nothing compared to the 10000-piece puzzle here, but was challenging enough for starters. Fushimi got so devoted that he finished it overnight without resting. Yata was gone before he noticed, leaving him a message on PDA, you look totally absorbed in it, so I went home first. Didnt you bring this because its a picture of a sports car you like? Fushimi thought, and lost interest in it. I can see you getting the hang of things real quick, ever since childhood. Munakatas words made Fushimis hand twitched and froze for a moment. But he went back to work quietly. The soft pachi sound faded into the teakettles clinking. Munakata didnt mind not getting any responses, and continued. You must be doing well in school too. Basically, the teachers werent able to teach you anything new. People who are inferior can take superior position merely because they are older. You felt discontent and depressed putting up with this, right? In other words, you hope to be led only by someone whos overwhelmingly more outstanding than you. Talk about letting loose a torrent of eloquence. Fushimi tried ignoring, until the talk reached an intolerable degree. He tossed the piece he was holding. It bounced off the tatami with a soft sound. Those talking nonstop like some know-it-all are who I most He raised his head, ready to make an assertion, but was struck speechless. Puzzle pieces in front of Munakata were scattered here and there. Unlike how Fushimi started with connecting adjacent pieces, he placed them on the tatami with adequate space between, regardless of the shape, as if hes overlapping the pieces with a picture beneath. Munakata took another piece, checked its four sides quickly, and placed it in the middle of nowhere. The piece stayed there perfectly, like it knew thats the place it belonged to. The way he placed it without the slightest doubt can be associated with a meijin making every move confidently, with the result of theGo match planned in his head. What are you doing? Fushimi asked, flabbergasted. Actually, I lied about throwing away the reference picture. Its printed on the tatami. Cant you see it? Eh? Fushimi got down, bringing his face close to the tatami. As he adjusted his glasses for a better look, he heard a light chuckle above his head. Pardon me. I didnt expect you to take it seriously. !? Fushimi felt his face blushing. Im so going to kill you. He glared upwards. Of course Munakata still smiled in composure. This puzzle was cut with the same cutting dies as another puzzle I finished before. It didnt take me long to notice. But returning this would seem immature, so I kept it. Mass-produced merchandise can only get this far. I should try a custom-made pure white puzzle of twenty thousand pieces. Now, to disclose the secret of how I do this. He picked up another piece, with playfulness on his face. I remember the pieces shapes. Thats why I know their place. Theres nothing more to it. With a quick glance on the pieces sides, again he placed it in the middle of nowhere, without hesitation. Are you serious? Fushimi cant help but suspect that hes tricking him again. Remember the shapes, he said. But these were barely different in shape. Not to mention more than 10,000 pieces in total. Its like saying, The secret behind this magic is magic! Who can accept this kind of explanation? Then for quite a while, Munakata seemed to have forgotten that Fushimi was here, or he simply paid no mind to him. He repeated the process of picking up a piece, glancing for a second, and placing it on the tatami. Fushimi had nothing to do. He felt can relate to how bored Yata was that night. Yet before he knew it, he no longer felt bored, but instead captivated by whats happening in front of his eyes. Only several hundreds of the 10,000 pieces were placed on the tatami, but he gradually can see the completed picture. The pieces looked similar separately. But when they were set on the spot where they should be, amazingly the image around them can be extrapolated as well. Together they brought out the whole picture. The passion of the deceased genius architect was expressed through the countless stone statues composing Bible stories, and the numerous spires piercing into the slightly cloudy sky of Western Europe. The elaborate construction of Sagrada Famlia was disclosed in front of Munakata. Rather than accumulated piece by piece, its more like hundreds of craftsmen each waving his mallet, constructing and evenly expanding the scenery. Munakata wasnt considering where to place the piece, but knew beforehand where the piece belonged. Amazing Surprised by what he was about to mutter, Fushimi bit his tongue. Simply turning away is a thing anyone can do. Dont you agree? If the world bores you, why not construct it yourself? Reconstruct the order, principle, and framework of the world with your own hands. Vol 3 Chapter 2 Mission 3, Part 2 Simply turning away is a thing anyone can do. Dont you agree? If the world bores you, why not construct it yourself? Reconstruct the order, principle, and framework of the world with your own hands. Munakata reached out and drew to him the parts Fushimi done, which were two rather long borders. He placed the two borders above and below the area he was working on. At the very moment, the Barcelona street scenery flowing over the tatami was neatly settled in the frame, reminding Fushimi that it was no more than a photo. Thats why I cant bring myself to like the nature of Red Clan. All they do is destroying, and never considering how to rebuild. Such an ignorant bunch. Although Fushimis heart was beating violently at the world Munakata created, these words subsided his excitement. Youre saying this in front of a Red Clansman. Indeed. I forgot. Munakata chuckled and feigned innocence. Fushimi was surprised that in his heart he still has a sense of belonging there. How silly, he told himself. Yet he felt relieved at the same time. Im leaving. Hands on the tatami, Fushimi got up. Munakata only watched. Hidden-weapon-user-kun. My name is Fushimi. If I tell those of my clan what you said, theyll go berserk. So words in this van will go no further Eh? Fushimi lost balance and fell face down on the pile of puzzle pieces. His legs went numb from sitting in seiza. Oh my. Did your legs fall asleep? Thats why I said you may sit at ease. They are not asleep. If you say so. But it seems to me that you cant get on your feet. Damn Fushimi hated that amused gaze of Munakata looking from above. He held his breath and waited for the numbness to go away. How careless to be paralyzed for such a silly reason. Not to mention its when hes alone inside the base of another clan nowhere near being friendly. He gritted his teeth out of regret and also due to the tingling in his legs. Oh well. Take it easy until the numbness goes away. While were at it, Ill make you a cup of tea. Do you like sweets? While Fushimi was lying on the tatami cold sweating, a higashi displayed on fine Japanese paper was placed in front of his eyes. What makes you think this is the time and place for tea? Fushimi commented inwardly. With his elegant bearing, Munakata stood up without a problem, and sat back down in front of the teakettle. Fushimi, in anguish, stared sharply at Munakatas back. With a faint clink he sprang a throwing knife in hand. Munakata definitely noticed. Yet he still stretched his back defenseless. The fact that he noticed yet not doing anything about it was all the more irritating. I could really use a hidden weapon user" His mumbling was so soft that its almost absorbed by the tatami. If Granted that I want to change clan, is that possible? Now Fushimi wondered if he was seeing things. Because being always unshaken until now, Munakatas back moved for the first time. Clothes rustling, Munakata turned to face him. "Frankly speaking, it never occurred to me that Id hear this from you. Did something happen? Something, I guess He bit his lip and rubbed his forehead on the tatami. The noise of rushed footsteps drew near. Fushimi tried to get up. But the tingling ran through his spine and he fell again. Captain! The door slid open with a man in blue outside. Suddenly Gyahahahahahaha! He burst out laughing. Surprised, Fushimi turned to look. The man in blue was that guy, pointing at Fushimi and laughing so hard that it almost send him rolling on the floor. Haha! Monkeys legs fell asleep! Tacky! Can you get more uncool than that?! Lemme give you a nudge! Gyahahahahahaha! Driven by hatred and rage blazing in his chest, a throwing knife gleamed in Fushimis hand. You dont know when to stop, do you? Fushimi-kun! Along with Munakatas sharp voice and a thump on the tatami, puzzle pieces were sent flying in the air. Some even bounced up to the ceiling of the van. Munakata took a step forward. Stooped, he grabbed Fushimis wrist. Amid the shower of falling puzzle pieces, the throwing knife fell out of Fushimis hand and stabbed straight into the tatami. His PDA also slid out of his pocket and landed on the tatami with a soft thud. At the door was that Blue Coat who showed Fushimi the way in. He stood there with eyes bulged open. Ah E-emergency! Red Clansman just He finally came to himself. Grabbing hold of his saber, he talked to the microphone on his collar. Wait. Munakata stopped him. But but captain? Fushimi-kun, do you have an explanation for this? If you do, you need to say it now. If you cant explain, the only interpretation of this situation would be Red Clan sending an assassin into my quarters, attempting to kill my clansman. Fallen on his buttocks, Fushimi gazed at the clansman. It was a face without obvious characteristics. No scornful laughter came from him. On the contrary, he had anger written all over his face. Fushimi turned his stiffened neck and looked toward Munakata. The wrist in his grip couldnt move an inch. Those bright and clever eyes behind the silver-rimmed spectacles were fixed on him. He realized that baffling like before wouldnt work on this man. He couldnt come up with anything anyway. I mistook him for someone else. This wasnt Homras instigation It has nothing to do with Homra Fushimi himself felt that mistook for someone else sounded like nothing but a lame excuse. Its the truth, but hard to find credibility in it. Mistook him for someone else In thought, Munakata repeated, and lowered his gaze. He picked up the PDA on the tatami. It happens. Such mistake can be overlooked. So he let go of Fushimis wrist. Captain!? I said to overlook it. Keep it to yourself. But Had he thrown his knife, it would have pierced your heart. As long as youre in that uniform, you are on duty at all times. However, in a surprise attack, you failed to put up any defense. Now, do you have anything to say for yourself? The strictness in his peremptory command wasnt a bit lessened by his usual calm manner. Shaken, the clansman shut his mouth. He seemed to have something to say. But he hung his head and stood there trembling. No sir. Its inexcusable. I was being careless and lacking in discipline. Good. Stay alert on duty from now on. Do you have something to report? Y-yes sir. Theres another case suspected to be Minato Brothers doing Fushimi turned a deaf ear to that clansman once the report began. He drew his knife out of the tatami and secured it back up his sleeve. The numbness in his legs was almost gone, although he was a bit unsteady on his feet. Ignoring the dissatisfied gaze from that clansman, he started putting his shoes on. He saw that clansman took a step back, somewhat perplexed. Fushimi-kun, a moment please. His fingers tying the shoelaces twitched and stopped. You forgot this. Munakata handed him the PDA he dropped. As for what you asked earlier, my place isnt a sanctuary for children who got into trouble to take refuge in. I dont know what your clan would think of someone who cant clean up his own mess, but such person isnt needed here. I guess thats why children dont like me. Munakata smiled bitterly as Fushimi snatched the PDA from his hand. Fushimi was angry at Munakata for saying this, in spite of being the one who dropped hints inviting Fushimi here. But he was even more angry at himself for having a bit of hope at the back of his mind. Is it possible to change clan? What was I thinking when saying that nonsense? Thrusting his PDA into his pocket, he walked out with head hung. Let me give you a hint. You might have caught the flu. Hearing this abstruse advice, Fushimi stopped and looked back. I think this is enough for you to understand. After all, you are who Kusanagi-shi expects to become his successor. He saw Munakata smiling composedly at the door of the van. Vol 3 Chapter 3 Mission 3, Part 3 Saruhiko! Let down the ladder! What are you doing? Saru! Do you hear me? Fushimi moved his PC, which he left gathering dust in the lofts corner for two years, onto his desk. Its specs were outdated, but only graphic board needed replacing. He bought new RAM & harddisk too, since after that night he felt disgusted by these two and threw them out. He was crouching on the floor working with a tiny screwdriver, when the loft suddenly shook and made him miss his aim. He glared beside him. It was Yata, who jumped up and grabbed hold of the rim of the loft. I came to pick you up cause I sent you dozens of mails and you didnt reply any! If you wanna focus on your work, fine. At least read the mails! I dunno. Didnt get any. Why are you fixing the PC all of a sudden? Arent Akito and Hayato more important? Everyone was running around looking for them for the past week. How can the key person stay out of it? You gotta find them to retrieve Retrieve? Yatas words went in one ear and out the other, but this phrase stuck in his ear. Stopped, but without looking away from his hands, he asked in a low tone. What do I need to retrieve? Does the blunder have my name on it? It was you guys who foolishly trusted them just by fighting together merely once. Thats Youre right. But you see, the way you put it could have been softer. The other dudes are still a bit annoyed at you. Say, according to Kusanagi-san, Blue Coats are still holding old Shiotsu in custody, but the twins are like trying their best to rub the Blue Coats the wrong way. They must be doing that for a reason. So why dont we sit down and talk with the twins, and solve this ourselves? Thatll solve everyones misunderstanding too. You dont want to kept being misunderstood like this, do you? Not one word of Yatas impassioned speech could resonate with Fushimi. Solve everyones misunderstanding, you say? Who ever said that I dont want to be misunderstood? Why do you want me to be understood by everyone when you yourself dont? If YOU understand me, I would be content. But thats enough. I dont need you in my world anymore. Hey Saruhiko, say something! Geez, dont you know how much I consider for you? Ha ha ha ha ha! Are you dumb or something? Fushimi raised his head and burst out laughing loudly. Yata, eyes wide open, almost lost his grip. Fushimi himself felt surprised that he laughed in this unnaturally lighthearted way like that guy, but didnt stop laughing. Saruhiko? Yata frowned in bewilderment, and then blood rush up his head. You stupid monkey! Red-faced, he jumped down with a thump. To hell with that! Have it your way! I came back for you, and you dont get it! Roughly he spun his skateboard on the floor and kicked it toward the entrance. Hopping on it before the door, he stormed off with it. Ha hah. Ending his scornful laughter with a sigh, with a serious expression, Fushimi continued focusing on his work, disregarding everything else. So he replaced the parts needed, organized the working area from scratch, and connected his PC to internet. Standing in front of him were his PCs LCD monitor and a hologram screen connected to his PDA, forming an 135-degree angle. This recreated the same environment as that night 2 years ago, in the same room, and on the same loft with a low ceiling which seemed like its gonna crash down anytime. The PC monitor was the only light source that lit the room. My place isnt a sanctuary for children who got into trouble to take refuge in. Munakatas voice echoed in his mind. With a click of tongue, he typed on the keyboard harder. Ill settle it by myself then, hows that? I dont want anyones aid. To begin with, that was how I lived. Never had I really needed to have anyone by my side. Fushimi lost track of time until the light outside reflected on the monitor, making it hard to read. Turning to the window fixed in the wall of the loft, he saw dim sunlight shining through the window blind gaps, blending into the monitors artificial light. He turned back to the monitor to check the time. Its 5 AM. My eyes hurt Laying his glasses on the keyboard, he rubbed his eyes. The muscles of his eyelids and eyeballs became stiff, reminding him that he hadnt closed his eyes for many hours. Also, I need to go to the restroom. He let down the ladder which he pulled up to keep Yata away. Climbing halfway down, feeling rather pointless to use the ladder, he jumped off. Leaving his glasses up in the loft didnt pose a problem, since he knew where things in this room were placed. Below the loft was Yatas bed, in a mess, hence indicated that he didnt come back to sleep. It was just past noon yesterday when Yata came back and chewed Fushimi out. About three quarters of a day had passed. Yata would be either outside looking for the twins, or gathered with others in the bar. Whatever. It doesnt matter anymore. Not feeling hungry, but the thirst was hard to ignore. So after hes done in the restroom, he went to the kitchen for the fridge. The bright light in the fridge stung his weary eyes, making him wince in discomfort. He went back up the loft with a bottle of drink randomly grabbed. In the faint light he noticed something different on the pale monitor. Rushing to the keyboard, he put glasses on for a better look. The program he had been running came to a stop, showing an error message. That program was for scanning for malware on the PDA externally with the PC. Tch Force stopped by that side, huh. While clicking his tongue, he showed a faint smile, for things went just as he expected. There was indeed someone operating this PDA in remote. Fushimi didnt ignore Yatas mails. He didnt see any at all. Someone intercepted them. Rather than feeling distaste for the opponent, he felt more like laughing at himself for letting his guard down along with the others in Homra. He shouldve known better than to use apps without reliable source, and to input his personal data into the PDA, for he knew theres a clan good at making use of these, which led to his suffering two years ago. Not on the PC monitor, but on the PDAs hologram screen something moved. An app, which hes certain that he didnt install, started without him touching it. On top of that, he himself deleted his account in this game two years ago. The start menu showed jungle/2. jungle/¡, the version that Fushimi and the others played in middle school, abruptly ceased service one day, leaving only a notice saying that beta test ended. That was shortly after the Surprise Party two years ago. Fushimi didnt know that they started beta-2. It must be due to it disbanding its user base as soon as it caught too much attention, and started from zero again, making it difficult to track down the clan itself. Like bubbles from huge deep-sea creature, disappearing right after floating up in the sea of internet data. How uncanny. Fushimi sat back and watched someone controlling his PDA remotely. After it logged in with an account surely not created by him, an SD character avatar started walking in the Jungle world. Fushimi avoided choosing any obvious characteristics when designing his avatar. But this avatar with black-rimmed glasses resembled Fushimi IRL, and was actually designed very cute. Okay, these accessories gotta be in-app purchases. Wont that end up with me paying the bill? Fushimi rolled his eyes and muttered. The screen suddenly shook like something hit it. Then a message popped up: You have a challenge for duel by Σɣˣ. Do you accept the challenge? The challengers screen name caught his attention. An avatar on the other side of the screen posed for battle. Except for wearing different clothes without glasses, and hair fixed on one side, the choice of that avatars face, eyes, and other characteristics were the same as Fushimis. They look almost like twins. For a while he sat there staring at the two avatars with eyes wide open. Ha. He laughed. Ha ha ha ha ha After laughing so hard that he nearly tugged the cable off, he held back his laughter. Very well. Ill crush you Fushimi Niki! With a preset gesture he slid his fingers across the PDA screen, bringing out a blue translucent virtual keyboard at hand. That someone who controlled his PDA showed no intent in interfering. Fushimi accepted the challenge himself. The two avatars posed for battle at the left and right end of the screen. In the middle was the jcube game screen, evoking somewhat nostalgic memories, even after its many updates Fushimi didnt follow. Both players were dealt with a deck of five cards, each card with parameters given by the Rubiks Cube spinning and hovering above the card. Fushimis deck was composed of merely beginners cards. Oh well. In a battle against YOU, such disadvantage wouldnt be big enough to make a difference. At the starting signal, NIKIs cubes spun in high speed and soon had three face done, unleashing a combo attack. The opponent must be using external monitor and keyboard too. The amount of information that a small PDA screen can show was very limited, so an external monitor was essential for seeing the big picture. Since the level of cards on this side were low, soon he lost half of his HP of all five cards added together. But Fushimi merely placed his hands softly on the keyboard, like hes waiting for something, while the opponent finished one face after another, shaking his screen with powerful exploding combo attacks. He was not waiting because he got a plan. Actually, it had been so long that he forgot the control keys. He used jcube to make money only at the beginning of 7th grade, which was more than 3 years ago. Of course theres the default system to spin the cube intuitively on the PDAs touch screen, but that could only spin one cube at a time. With keyboard, by assigning hotkeys with detailed instructions, players can spin all five cubes at once. Its overwhelmingly fast, and overwhelmingly complicated. NIKIs avatar made a laughing face, indicating that hes in upper hand. Game avatar can only make standard expressions. But Fushimi felt like he saw that mans twisted laughing face on it. Vol 3 Chapter 4 Mission 3, Part 4 Fushimi closed his eyes to bring back his memories, associating finger movements to the Rubiks Cubes spinning in his mind. He might have forgotten how to work the keyboard, but the rule of solving a Rubiks Cube was deeply rooted in him. If the world bores you, why not construct it yourself? Reconstruct the order, principle, and framework of the world with your own hands. What I can use is but the rules established and passed down by predecessors, Fushimi thought. But the Blue King boasted that hes going to create them himself. He didnt think its boasting at all, and said it nonchalantly like its a matter of course. Amazing To be fascinated this wholeheartedly, as long as Fushimi could remember, had only happened twice in his life. When he was little, that man played an actual Rubiks Cube for him to see. In little Fushimis eyes, the cube spun round and round in those big hands, then magically the six faces were completed. Feeling competitive, he studied the rules of Rubiks Cube and practiced. But by the time he can complete a cube at the same speed, that man already lost interest in this toy. That man, Fushimi Niki, was truly a genius. His wife Kisa, a successful career woman, exerted herself to reach her goal. But Niki was simply born with talents. Fushimi family lineage was gifted, yet he stood out even among the relatives. However, he never did one single thing that benefits the human society. The only hobby hes enthusiastic in was meddling with his young son, and then rolling on the floor laughing after he made his child really angry. Its a sick amusement from any angle. Taking a deep breath, Fushimi opened his eyes. Combo attack of lightning attribute came from the green faces the opponent just completed. On the verge of death, Fushimis avatars life gauge flashed in red. NIKIs avatar jumped up with arms in the air like cheering hooray! How obnoxious. Fushimi felt irritated somehow. No ordinary person is capable of imitating that insane genius. Ghost or whatever, if its the real him on the other side, he cant be so ordinarily strong. Dont you dare underestimate Fushimi Niki! At this instant, Fushimis ten fingers tapped on the keyboard with high speed. Spinning all five cubes at once, it took him less than a second to complete the white face of all 5 cubes. Five combo recover restored his HP back to 90%. His HP gauge returned to normal, and so was NIKI avatars expression, since theyre even now. Once he got the feelings back, his fingers can continue controlling the cubes, even if his brain hadnt recall all the keyboard commands. Whats left to do was to spin the cubes in his mind, and move his fingers accordingly. Rather than attacking by completing one by one, a 6x5 combo attack would be more efficient. Not sticking to the white faces he finished, he scrambled them, and aimed to complete all six faces at once. His opponent seemed to noticed this, and changed the tactics as well. Both of them completed all six faces of five cubes at about the same time. Light waves of six colors collided and nullified each other with dazzling graphic effects. While he clicked his tongue, he felt a bit amused, and burst out laughing. Heh. Not many players can enter play-off match against me. Oh well, since youre pretending to be that man, this is the minimal requirement. Since their 3x3 tiles match ended in a draw, they entered the advanced stage. Only those top-ranking jcube players had seen this: Rubiks Cubes of 4x4 tiles dropped from above. The difficulty of 4x4 and 3x3 werent in the same league. But that didnt slow Fushimi down. Firstly he greeted his opponent with a five combo attack of earthquake attribute by completing yellow faces of all 5 cubes. NIKI no longer spun his cubes quick-witted like before, but tardy like a small fry. NIKIs avatar began wiping sweat in a troubled expression, and then waving his arms in a crying face as his HP gauge flashed in red after Fushimis next attack. Whats with that face!? You never showed that expression in front of me!! If you are doing that now, you should have knelt and apologized before you die!! Fushimi stared wide eyed at the screen and shouted in anger, with emotions that even himself didnt quite understand raging inside of him. 4 rows x 4 columns, of all 6 faces, on all 5 cubes were completed at the same time. Graphic effects of six colors roamed throughout the screen, shaking so hard that he can almost feel the blast wave on his face. The opponents cards shattered as the HP went down to zero. With the light waves still storming in the background, the winner message appeared on Fushimis side, while loser appeared on the opposite side. The battle stage faded out. Their avatars were sent back to an open space in a forest, where other players avatars were hanging around leisurely. Already calmed down, Fushimi looked coldly at the hologram screen. His avatar was jumping victoriously, while NIKIs sat in depression. Although feeling it didnt matter anymore, he started typing on the keyboard again. Comic style speech bubble appeared above his avatar, showing the words he typed one by one. Now then, care to explain? Oogai Aya. NIKIs avatar stood up, changing back to normal expression. You noticed? Unendearing as usual. You are cuter when you were frightened by the ghost and hid in bed shaking. Cheeky words appeared in the speech bubble above NIKI. Like you are any less unendearing than me. Fushimi thought. You cant have made a virus this complicated by yourself. Who sent you? For what reason? The Fushimi Niki which haunted him was a computer virus planted in his PDA. He had to admit, even though he didnt want to, the cue was Munakatas hint, You might have caught the flu. Flu was caused by viruses. Now to think of it, Niki only appeared when he held his PDA. Since he barely leaves his PDA, it was hard to notice the difference. Of course this sounded crazy. In common sense, a computer virus cant affect human, giving him hallucinations and nightmares. But hows common sense defined? Around him theres this man whos inferno himself, and this man who can memorize the shape of ten thousand puzzle pieces. Seven kings ruled the world behind the stage. In this side of the world, common sense can be thrown out the window. Among the seven clans of the seven kings, theres a clan which can reach into the real world through internet. Fushimi knew this too. On the night Kusanagi and he returned from Scepter 4, he saw light at the doorway of Fushimis old house. It was Ayas flashlight. Then a silhouette at the window of his old bedroom on 2nd floor gave him the creeps. That was the only illusion of Niki which wasnt created by the virus, but his own misapprehension. Considering the time, that silhouette should be Aya too. That high class one-piece dress was the uniform of Tsubakigahara Academy, which Aya attended. Fushimi didnt care about high schools back in 9th grade, so he didnt recognize it at first. But her bunny ears backpack, and how it bounced with her movements, were characteristic of his cheeky second cousin. What was she doing sneaking into Fushimis old house and into his bedroom on 2nd floor? Taking pictures for creating the background for the hallucination. The flickering light that Fushimi saw at the window was the flash of her PDAs camera. Later that night when he opened the blank email from Aya without thinking, the virus it carried infected his PDA. That explained everything. Are you still involved with Jungle? Whats wrong with that? You are with Homra yourself! Homra huh? Then what is your purpose in alienating me from Homra? Until now she had been replying right away, but this time she remained silent for a while. Answer me! As Fushimi pressed, words appeared like water gushing out of a broken dam. The king is interested in you, and has been watching you all the time. Now dont be mistaken. Its not like you are special. The king can see everything. The mission given to Aya was, to make sure you cant stay in Homra anymore. Stubborn Misaki-kun was in the way. Finally even Misaki-kun doesnt care about you anymore. This feels great! Is it that much fun to set me up? Aya is NOT having fun!!!! Like emphasizing her lines, the speech bubble inflated, shaking. Fushimi drew back from the screen unconsciously. Her avatar shouted with an angry face, jumping up and down. Why is it always!!? Always!! Always ALWAYS ALWAYS you!! Aya became the kings comrade first!! Thats why I hate you and It seemed like she had more to say, but her line ended abruptly. Σɣˣ has logged out. With this system message, her avatar and speech bubble disappeared. Logged out? Is she running away? Fushimi winced and muttered. At this moment, another avatar walked in from the other side of the screen. It was an avatar in plain default clothes. Its hair style, eyes, and nose werent unique either. It certainly didnt look like an avatar with powerful skills or cards. However A stinging feeling like static electricity ran through Fushimis spine, giving him goose bumps. This was not the first time he got this feeling. Its the same as what he felt in that winter night 2 years ago. Its him - the king of jungle! Vol 3 Chapter 5 Mission 3, Part 5 Fushimi got up on his knees and reached for the cable connected to his PC. Running away already? Werent you the one who called me? The speech bubble above the avatar got Fushimi thinking. Simply disconnecting would end up no different from what happened two years ago. This old device didnt even come with a webcam. But that didnt stop him from seeing what Fushimis doing. Its like he can reach Fushimi from the other end of the line. Shell made a slight misjudgment. Without my order, she arranged a game match as she pleased. On top of that, she ended up defeated on her own stage. Most disciplinable. As words streamed in the speech bubble overhead, the avatar walked leisurely from the PDAs hologram screen to the PCs LCD screen next to it. Its just like walking from one room to another. Of course, theres no Jungle app launched on the PC. Yet he easily walked out of the Jungle apps cyberspace. It seemed that he had Fushimis PC infected as well. From inside the LCD screen, the avatar turned and looked straight at Fushimi The middle-schooler from two years ago has grown into a quite capable clansman. Most delighting. Feeling electricity at the tip of his finger, Fushimi yanked his hand back from the cable he was holding. A small spark swirled on the cable, and entered his PC. For a second thee was an eerie silence. Then with a crackling noise, sparks began splattering out. A wave of electric current flowed out and expanded to the whole room. Fushimi felt a chill running through him, making his every hair stand on its end. Soon the electric wave began to make its way up the walls, while making a kiiiin- screeching sound ringing in Fushimis ears. Suddenly, the wave stopped expanding, like it was frozen. Huh?The avatar tilted his head, and turned around. Well, well! What have we here?With this exclamation, he buffoonishly shrugged with palms up. Fushimi looked to the direction which the avatar was looking at. Its the entrance of his room, in reality. A man stood there, wrapped in flickering aura, like a pillar of blue flame. May I suggest you to step back? For someone whose expertise is hiding in the shadows seeking for chances to meddle in others affairs, this is quite a disadvantageous situation. Munakatas bright voice reached all the way up the loft clearly, like bringing colors back to the room. It had been quite a while since Fushimi last heard someone elses voice in reality, rather than through online chat. The cute chibi avatar rubbed his chin like a person. Then the two ends of his mouth lifted, making a fearless smile. Is that what you think? Most vexatious. Sparks came splashing out of the LCD screen, zapping from one corner to another, like thunder bolts. Oh my. Fully motivated, arent we? Its indecorous for several kings to raise their Swords of Damocles in a place like this. But I see its ineluctable. Speaking in lowered voice, Munakata narrowed his eyes. The blue aura floating about began to concentrate and form a sword around him. The avatar rolled its big round eyes. Aura swelled inside the screen, like hes ready to materialize and step out of the screen anytime. But he suddenly stopped. Ah. I see what you mean. Indeed its to my disadvantage. Most regrettable. The avatar turned 90 degrees to face Fushimi again, changing back to that cute smiling face with no characteristics. Ill keep your account active. Please log in anytime you feel like it. Farewell. Dazzling sparks sprinkled out of the LCD screen before it blacked out with a small explosion. Black smoke came out of the PC, along with a strong burnt odor. For a while Fushimi stared at the LCD. He suddenly came to, and looked toward the hologram screen next to it. Jungle app was still running. But the only avatar there was Fushimis, standing there wobbling like feeling bored. Fushimi snatched his PDA and gripped firmly, infusing into it his power along with his thought, get lost! With a thread of black smoke, the PDA blacked out. So did the hologram screen linked to it. He melted its circuit board, along with the virus taking the form of Niki. Suddenly feeling exhausted, he loosened his grip, dropping the PDA. As he sighed deeply from inside, he heard a short sigh from below the loft, like overwriting his. Why are you here? Sitting on the floor, with eyes half-closed, Fushimi looked at Munakata. It had been a while since he last talked face to face rather than onscreen, so making voice come out of his mouth was more difficult than he expected. Its like his words dissolved into thin air right in front of him. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. What place do you think this is? You are as obvious as anyone can get! While hes asking what Munakatas doing here, he felt more like asking why Munakatas here like this. Stepping into Shizume Town, well known as Homras territory, was already bold enough. Not to mention hes fully dressed in Scepter 4s signature blue coat, even though its not office hour yet. Munakata, in penetrating voice, spoke without the slightest doubt in his actions. Actually, regarding the revolt initiated by Minato brothers, I suspected it to be agitated or supported by Jungle. Infecting a Homra members PDA, which is yours, should be part of that plot. But it turned out that I was overthinking. From the very beginning, Jungles purpose was to lay claim to you. Is that why you let me off the hook? Youre really something, saying all those without feeling embarrassed. Well, arent you really something as well. Since you noticed the virus, just format it or destroy it physically, and youll be done with it. But you went over all these trouble, which seems to me that youre trying to lure "that out. That is a king, not an opponent merely a clansman can handle. Dont you have any fear of kings? "I Looking away while replying in his somewhat hoarse voice, dont. Except for one king. Fushimi wondered if Munakata noticed the unsaid half of his reply. But its hard to tell from his poker face. Munakata merely smiled and changed the subject. Those up there are all of your personal belongings, right? The male dormitory is well stocked with basic furniture, electric appliances, and everyday commodities. You can move in today without feeling any inconvenience. Please pack only the minimal amount of personal belongings you need. Lets see Would 20 minutes be enough? Ill be waiting outside. Wha What? Wait! Hold on, please! Without waiting for a response, Munakata turned to leave. Fushimi, stunned for a moment, leaned out over the edge of the loft. What are you thinking now? You said your place isnt a sanctuary for children who got in trouble to hide in, didnt you? And to begin with, I never said I want to become a Blue Coat. All I asked was if its possible to change clans If you have the time for tedious talk, please hurry up and pack. I would prefer not to stay long. An obnoxious man is on his way here. Speaking while looking over his shoulder, without turning back, Munakata went out the door. Its the first time Fushimi saw Munakata, whos unnaturally composed all the time, being obviously irritated. The obnoxious man who irritates Munakata to this extent No way! Munakata said several kings. If hes referring to himself and Jungles king, two wouldnt be several. Also, why did Jungles king retreat so easily? If its who he thinks, these all can be explained. Fushimi jumped down from the loft and chased after Munakata, didnt even stop to put shoes on. He nearly fell over when coming to an abrupt stop. Munakata stood outside, back to the wall next to the door. With his back stretched straight, and one hand on the saber on his waist, hes like a knight statue in city plaza. Hes looking straight forward, at somewhere which seemed to be nowhere. Having gazed up at Munakatas graceful profile, Fushimi then looked to the opposite direction. Being so early, the streets were empty, except for one silhouette about a block away. As opposed to Munakatas standing straight, he leaned on a lamppost, hunchbacked, with hands in his pockets. Violet smoke from his cigarette went up and melted into the pale sky. Mikoto san Why Fushimi felt like screaming why are you here?! 100 times more then when he saw Munakata. Even though hes standing in Shizume Town aka Suohs territory, and hes Suohs clansman. Are you actually here worried about your clansman? Dont tell me some lame joke like this happens to be your morning jog route. For a lazybone like you to leave your den at this early hour, it seems that you do have the self-awareness of being the one responsible for your clan, after all. Im surprised. Munakata spoke with despise, standing straight facing the same direction, without looking at Suoh. It must be Totsuka who sent him to check anyway. Totsuka asked Yata what happened to Fushimi. Yata angrily replied that he doesnt care. Totsuka went, King, youre the one having the most free time, so why dont you go and see how Fushimi is doing instead? Fushimi can picture the whole conversation in the bar. Suoh himself showed no intention to explain. He too didnt look at Munakata. Heh, a short sneer was his reply. Since you came all the way here, I suppose it wont hurt to have a talk. In tracking down Minato Hayato and Akito, my subordinates are having difficulties. Its possible that they were provided with hideouts and escape routes beyond our intelligence networks reach. Therefore Id like to borrow from your clan someone whos familiar with informants of underworld. This would also serve as making up for the misconduct of your side, and then we can let bygones be bygones. I appoint him because hes the talent most adequate in my opinion. Besides, that band of yours, which is overflowing with excess feels of comradeship, would surely distrust him for inviting another king into his place. So I believe this is for his own good as well. Wait. It was you Inviting? No, you waltzed in yourself. Fushimi wanted to protest when Such a man full of reasons. Growling under his breath like a beast, Suoh glared sharply at Munakata. That daunted Fushimi by conditioned reflex. While Munakata, unaffected, merely raised an eyebrow. The two kings eyes didnt meet until now. Fushimi. Suoh called his name. Reasons dont matter. What do you want to do? Its not like he got yelled at. It was spoken in the same lazy tone and expression as usual. Nevertheless, Fushimis face winced from feeling his anger. Since Suoh didnt seem to be a man enthusiastic in binding his clan tight, Fushimi couldnt imagine seeing him displeased because another king approached his clansman. What aroused Suohs anger was beyond him. Fushimi Saruhiko-kun. This time its Munakata who called him. Lets start over formally. With great honor I invite you. Would you join my Scepter 4? Fushimis face winced for another reason, for Munakata said such ostentatious words so very straightforwardly. Not showing the least embarrassment, he merely looked fixedly at Fushimi. Those blue eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses were serene, pure, and clear. So clear that Fushimi felt like hes falling into some deep space, with no boundary to be seen. I see. Suohs voice was somewhat hoarse. He then dropped his cigarette, extinguished it with his foot, and turned to leave, without really showing regret. See what? Fushimi was confused. But when he lowered his gaze, he got what Suoh meant. Was it because he felt pressed by Suoh? Or attracted by Munakata? He searched in his head but cant find a reason to explain precisely. But like Suoh said, reasons dont matter. He had stepped slightly toward Munakatas side. Vol 3 Chapter 6 Mission 3, Part 6 Arent you coming in? The girl in lacy red dress stood behind him. He was startled by her sudden appearance. Then again, considering her special ability, its nothing to be surprised of. Dont feel like stepping inside again. Besides, Im disqualified, right? Fushimi looked away from Anna. Leaning on a corner of a building, half hidden in the shadow, he looked to the bar at that three-forked road one block ahead. Anna remained standing there without a word, gazing at his face from the side. Her fixed gaze was modest, yet straightforward like seeing through him, which made him feel uncomfortable. You knew, didnt you? You knew that itll turn out like this. He tossed her the question without looking at her. He never liked children to begin with, but thats not the point here. For him to have eye contact with her was a pain, ever since they first met. Its only a feeling. Somehow I felt that one day you will leave." Anna replied in a murmur. "Since when? Since the beginning But I wished it wouldnt come true. Has this feeling of yours ever missed? After a little hesitation, she shook her head lightly. Ha! In other words, you see me as a traitor from the very start. In the sorrowful silence, Fushimi felt that its not funny, and stopped laughing. The bars door opened with the crisp jingling of the bell on it. Seeing this from a distance, Fushimi stepped into the shade of the alley. "Anna? Kusanagis tall and slender figure appeared at the door. Anna? Where are you? He looked around the bar, calling for her. Minato brothers were still at large, so Homra couldnt be in a carefree manner either. The way he talked was calm as usual, but Fushimi can feel anxiety in his tone. Go on. Hes looking for you. Anything you want me to tell them? Tell Kusanagi-san, I On the night the twins ran off, surprising may it be, its possible that Akito might have left to try and dissuade Hayato. Fushimi thought of this too. Theres a possibility that the situation wouldnt get so sticky, had Fushimi not attacked him. But thats no more than a guess. Never mind. Hurry up and go. Apologizing now couldnt change anything. Doing so would be merely for self-satisfaction. Anything to Tatara? Nope. Nothing. To Misaki? Ill tell him myself, okay? Now go or Im gonna kick you. He felt the little girl ran past him toward the bar. But it wasnt long before she stopped and turned to his direction, looking at him straight from the front. Unable to avoid her gaze, Fushimi showed distaste on his face. Now what? Anything else you need? Saruhiko, are you alright? What do you mean? You saw something scary, didnt you? Her hitting the nail on the head left him speechless for a while. Dont be ridiculous. You mean like a Boogieman is on my tail? He deliberately said it in a mocking way, but Anna remain unperturbed. She quietly waited for his reply, gazing at him like shes seeing through his heart. After a sigh, Fushimi assumed a grave look, and replied her seriously. Boogieman was defeated. Its gone. No. Anna shook her head. She lowered her gaze, hesitating, like theres something difficult for her to say. Its still there the Boogieman. Huh? Fushimi frowned. Kusanagi continued calling her name. Go on. Abruptly he urged her. Anna nodded without looking up, and ran toward the bar in light footsteps. Kusanagi made a sound of relief when seeing her. Fushimi watched the two talking in a relaxed mood while walking into the bar.