My Career in Organized Crime is Tragic As Expected

by Napoleon1815

Part 3: The Tokyo City Story; When a mob boss is pitted against new, interesting characters with just as much wits and ambitions as him, what happens? This is a tale of crime, intrigue, love, betrayal and family. (Crossover Oregairu X Classroom of the Elite X Love is War, and cameo character appearances from other series)

56. Part 3 - Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII

…

…

Hachiman came back to the Capablanca after classes were out for the day. He found their apartment room empty - perhaps Yumiko was still at school, engaged in practice with the Tennis varsity. She was, after all, a highly-skilled player of the sport. On the other hand she might've gone out with her clique to the malls again. The terrace was empty as well. But he spotted her bag lying on her bed in the other room, which indicated she had come home earlier.

He pulled off his hat and overcoat and fixed himself a glass of water. Yumiko warned him of lighting a cigarette inside their apartment, especially if the sliding door that divided their rooms was open - she'd most certainly find out and rail about it again, so he decided against that. She'd be back soon enough, but he decided to leave the room for a while and climb up the stairs to the rooftop as usual. It was a nice place where the noise from the streets below were swept away by passing wind, and he could then clear his head. The flat rooftop grounds were surrounded by ten-feet high wire fences, and sometimes fellow dwellers played Basketball there. On good days, he could make out the red-and-white tip of the Tokyo Tower further up Hibiya-dori avenue, across Shiba park.

Hachiman guessed the rooftops to be empty as well, and didn't hear any commotion as he went up the stairwell, but he found Yumiko up there. She was by herself, playing Tennis in the same way Hachiman did often: against a wall. She struck it with her racket. The neon-yellow ball made a click every time it ricocheted back from the wall, occasionally bouncing once on the ground, before Yumiko repeated the process all over.

Yumiko soon noticed Hachiman as he leaned against the wall, silently watching. She said, "you just come in?"

"Yeah," Hachiman answered.

"How'd you know I'd be here on the roof?"

"I didn't."

"I see." Yumiko stopped and caught the ball. "Let's have a game?" She motioned towards another tennis racket in her duffel bag, on a bench near him. Hachiman took it and walked over. They took sides on the roof and though there was no net between them, they didn't mind. She threw the ball over to him and he served. They played in a relaxed, gentle manner as they talked.

Hachiman asked her about their class. "What turned out from the expulsion vote in First Class, Yumiko?"

"Well see, it was bad. I say that because even though everyone agreed to kick out one of the bottom feeders, the foolish idiots, it was no fun. The guy had to be dragged out by force, screaming. He was very angry. I kinda felt sorry for him, because he really didn't have a choice. Shinomiya-san's call was law. So much for democracy, huh."

"You didn't throw your vote in?"

Yumiko leapt and struck the tennis ball, sending it across to him. "Nah, and it wouldn't matter anyways," she said.

Hachiman staggered a bit to receive the ball, but returned successfully. "You think?" He said.

"I'll bet you didn't throw your vote in as well, Hachi. You don't bother with those kinds of things."

"Yeah."

"Y'know - I think it's Plato or Aristotle who said it - that the 'price of apathy is to be ruled by evil people.'" Yumiko mused, looked over. "It seems the majority of your class just lets that guy Kakeru-san do whatever he wants. That's your class's leader, right?"

"It's Plato alright." Hachiman answered. He said, "Ryuuen is our representative."

"You don't have a problem with that?"

"I do not mind."

Yumiko sighed. "Of course you don't. That's how Kakeru-san got to be leader."

Hachiman shrugged and asked, "Who exactly is this Shinomiya-san you're talking about? Is she your class representative?"

"You seen her before, Hachi?" He shook his head. Yumiko continued, "well she's the daughter of a huge conglomerate head, from a very, very rich family I tell you. We know her father is a close friend of the Dean of the Lyceum. Shinomiya-san's the girl with red eyes, like Dracula. You'll know that. Ah, she's pretty stuck up too."

"She dictates who goes and who gets the merit points then," Hachiman said.

"Well, so does Sakayanagi-san. Those two seem to hold each halves of our room, and they have huge influence on class decisions. This time, Shinomiya-san seemed to get her way. She won over the special merit point which means she's pretty much impossible to expel - not like anyone would try her. I never liked how they come decide to expel one student, and he's got nothing to do about it."

"It's got to happen one way or the other, doesn't it?"

"There must be a way to save someone from the expulsions every month. If this keeps on, there'll be nine less of us, and that's a pretty big scope. Some of 'em might not even deserve it.

Hachiman was amused. "Now, are you saying you wanna save all these people?"

Yumiko answered, "no, but they're still students. How come the Lyceum's got to kick out anyone at all?"

"They must have good reason to. Irregardless, we just have to deal with that. What's the matter with you? Suddenly, you seem more sympathetic than back then."

Yumiko grunted. "I just don't feel great about it all. It could happen that a friend of mine might be the next to be expelled, and what can I do? Now, that's the thing I'm worried about."

Hachiman lost focus and failed to catch the ball. It bounced and hit the wire fence behind him. He went to retrieve the ball, and thought about it.

"I bet you could save from an expulsion with enough money. Just buy an excuse, of course such an arrangement could be made," he said afterwards. "Negotiate with the dean himself in such a way he wouldn't refuse. 'Course, that'll take someone real clever to pull off."

Yumiko then asked, "where were you again the other day?"

"I was in Ginza, at a friend's place."

"Mmhm. Y'know Hachi, I dunno why, but I doubt that."

Hachiman scoffed. "Oi, Yumiko. I do have more friends than you think," he insisted.

"I dunno, you seem to have a spring in your step these days, like you've been gettin' laid every Friday night now. Am I right?"

Hachiman huffed and said, "I won't lie."

Yumiko stopped. She didn't move to catch the tennis ball, and it bounced along the ground. She stared at him. "Whoa, I meant that as a joke. You're not really going out with other girls, right Hachiman?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-No. But so, like... are you dating someone else?" She asked anxiously.

Hachiman shrugged again. "No, I don't think so."

"Do you have some girl on your mind? Anyone in the city I don't yet know of?"

"Look, what's with all the questions Yumiko?"

She chuckled blandly. He didn't say so, but it was a dead giveaway and Yumiko was better than anyone else in perceiving such nuances. Him staying out the other night could just as easily mean he had slept with someone else. She wasn't pulling random suspicions, and she knew Hachiman was very different from the boy she knew back in high school. She shouldn't have been surprised to find out he was having sex with other girls. It was obvious if Hachiman wasn't so wretched and cynical, he would've been a popular guy. She felt uneasy for some reason. She didn't like it.

"I didn't see that coming," she said softly.

They both had already lost interest in their game of tennis, and put away their rackets. Hachiman walked over to her side, as Yumiko stood near the parapet, looking down at the city streets. She thought quietly. He asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, we've been dating for a while now..."

Hachiman was surprised. "What?" He made a kind of low, throaty laugh as if mocking her. "We were?"

"You fucker," Yumiko sighed in frustration. She reddened a bit. "What, you thought all those times we went out, watched a movie or ate together, or just stuck around for the other was nothing? Those were all dates, you idiot. Hachiman."

"But Miura-chan, you said we were just friends. How should I make that jump, from that, to dating?" Hachiman reasoned innocently.

"Ora… so I'm wrong, so I'm 'Miura-chan'!" she said sarcastically. Yumiko pouted and leaned closer to him. "Well, which one of us is giving the wrong ideas to the other, huh? You don't see me with other guys. How would you like that?"

"Well, I don't bother."

"You mean you don't care about me."

"Ah, come on that's not it. I'd even say that I care about you more than anyone else in my class."

Yumiko blushed. It was frustrating how Hachiman always acted like this around her. Especially so, he hardly was being serious at all.

She was staring good at him now. Hachiman gazed back at Yumiko with a quizzical expression, his dark beady eyes meeting sharp, emerald green ones. It's the little things that gave it up; a small smirk on the lips indicated a bluff, a twitch in the eye told of a ruse. And the longer you look at someone, the more apparent those details become. Yumiko wouldn't let up so easily, and Hachiman understood she was looking him over to figure something out - and she eventually would. He was first to look away, and they were quiet for a while.

She realized that she liked him a lot, and not just as a friend. She wanted to tell him that. But Yumiko knew that Hachiman would try to steer away and avoid such kinds of conversations. He wasn't ignorant about her, and if she started to come too close she knew he would try to push her away. That was what made her uneasy. She was in the unexpected, ironic position of being just friends with someone she grew deeper feelings for, even though it began with her absolutely despising him. Now, she wanted to get closer to him.

There was no easy way of going about her feelings without Hachiman blatantly laughing her off and dismissing it as nonsense. He was certainly going to shoot her down if she confessed right now. She was already running late to make a move, and he couldn't be expected to make an effort. It wasn't that she wasn't likeable - Yumiko was confident in herself. But Hachiman was an inveterate pessimist, and if she wasn't his friend, Yumiko was one of those types of girls whose guts he hated. That was why she was nervous.

Hachiman turned around and began to head back to the stairwell. "You hungry? I'll cook this time if you want. Let's go back to the room," he beckoned. Yumiko begrudgingly followed. He picked up the duffel bag and carried it for her. She walked behind and as they went, she continued to look at him.

…

The Canillas was a pretty, finely-furnished restaurant that stood right next to the Tokyo Twin Parks hotel, in Shiodome, just a few minutes from the Capablanca. These days it was turned over and run by Michael Sieyes, who at twenty-one was now the acting boss of the Sieyes family. While the old Father Jacob didn't fully approve of the whole business and what it entailed behind the schemes, he remained silent. One of his sons had died after all, but he would not restrain Michael from pursuing his own designs. It was in hopes that his son would grow to become a respectable man, and face the differences between failure and success by himself. Still, Hachiman encouraged Michael to attend classes at the local college at least - a diploma was necessary in a society that judged people according to cardboard labels, and there was little to be argued about that.

It was a welcome opportunity to bring in potential associates to their racket, in particular: Ryuuen Kakeru and Albert Yamada. Both were blood relatives of a friend of theirs, and there was little reason why they shouldn't be working jobs - everyone Hachiman knew back in Sakaecho, Chiba were hustlers. The mob ran the game there, and he knew it - understood it. The former, Ryuuen, was Tobe's cousin - who now had a legit job back in the city, after their batch graduated a year early - and the latter, Albert, was a member of the Sieyes family. Even Ken Sudo turned out to be the older brother of Kid Sudo, whom Hachiman remembered as the errand boy from the cabstand in the neighborhood.

It was a pleasant surprise for Michael to find Albert, after Hachiman had invited their group to the restaurant that Wednesday for drinks. Ensuring that they could be trusted and were competent was secondary, there were still matters that needed to be straightened out first.

When the gang got together at the empty restaurant, Ryuuen and Hachiman were not there yet - perhaps held up a bit or gone to finish something first before catching up. Tobe, Ken Sudo, Daichi Ishizaki and Albert played cards at a table while Michael quietly sat behind the counter, watching the television.

Tobe was off telling stories about life back in Chiba, and what went on in their neighborhood. He narrated the recent marriage of a fellow he knew, and how they were invited to the wedding. He continued, "now it was one of the good marriages. The guy screwed the girl's family hard. I remember what he took from her dowry: one million yen - all new, crisp money withdrawn fresh from the bank. Yes sir, Jesus. He went and blew it on booze and hookers I bet. They do that, you know."

They listened curiously. Ken Sudo gawked and said, "No! That so?"

"Yes sir."

"God-damn, they actually get away with that."

Tobe paused to peel off a card from his hand and drop it in the pile at the table.

"But of course. It's not like anyone will tell them what to do," Tobe told Ken. He said, "Me and Hikigaya-kun went to the wedding, the guy invited us. Everybody was shaking hands with Hikigaya-kun, and a lot of people knew him. It's a big thing to have him show up. He's one of the street bosses around there, and it's no secret. He doesn't look like it but he is."

Daichi Ishizaki said, "Well, I suspected there was somethin' about him when he first showed up in class. He's awfully quiet then."

Tobe shrugged. "Once you get past that, he's a pretty cool person. You ask him nicely enough, he'll see what he can do to help you out."

"Seems like he can be awful bad too, if turned the wrong way," said Ken Sudo.

"Well, I suppose everyone is."

They keep on laying down their cards. There were a couple 1000 yen bills in the pot. At this point Albert was the last one to lay his hands - and it occurred that he had won that game. This was the first time they saw the big man smile. Tobe sat back and sighed, slightly surprised.

Albert then took the money he won, got up and excused himself to the restroom, still grinning as he left. Tobe Kakeru looked over and then said, "He ain't much of a talker, is he?"

Ken Sudo shook his head. "Naw, he ain't."

"Not a mean guy either."

"Hell, no. But Yamada-san, that bastard's so damn strong, if he were he'd be a thug like Ryuuen."

"I know. I can tell a mean guy right off the bat."

Daichi Ishizaki said, "Say, what is it with that guy Hikigaya-san? The first time we ran across him, he was not taking any bullshit at all, and managed to spook Yamada-san a bit. You know about 'im, Tobe?"

"What'd he say?" Tobe asked slowly.

"Hikigaya-san knew who Albert was, somehow. He wasn't being funny with Ryuuen-san at all, and everyone else is afraid of Ryuuen, and they don't talk back to him, but that guy did."

"Hikigaya doesn't like people, that I know. He'd rather stay out of trouble."

Ken Sudo spoke up. "I see. But your cousin's going to make trouble, I'll bet. Never seemed right to me, 'cause Ryuuen picks fights with people he knows he can beat and he always finds a way."

Tobe said skeptically, "Well, Ryuuen had better lay off from Hikigaya-kun all the same. Nobody really knows what Hachiman can do."

Both Ken Sudo and Daichi Ishizaki inwardly understood. They did not like Ryuuen, and only followed along due to the menacing force he carried himself with. They reckoned that it wouldn't be long until someone like Hikigaya Hachiman came to challenge his authority over their class. Otherwise, there were people like Hachiman who simply did not subscribe to any given word by other men, and could not be bothered at all. Such kinds of individuals were triggers for rebellion, and even now they started to wonder if they could replace Ryuuen for another representative in Class IV.

Albert returned to the table. Shortly after, the two had arrived - Ryuuen and Hachiman picked out a seat at the table and found drinks already reserved for them. They started another round of poker, but the conversation had faltered. There was tension between them since Hachiman and Ryuuen had come.

Hachiman had thrown in a bill for his bet. This time when they laid down their cards, he was close to winning, but not quite. It became apparent that Albert was quite smart at poker. There was a lull at the table, and Ryuuen threw down a card as well. Suddenly he looked over and said, "that doesn't count, Albert."

Albert was silent. Ryuuen said, "you owe me somethin'."

Everyone soon understood what was happening. If Albert won the pot again, he would have to give it to Ryuuen anyway. If Ryuuen won, he took the money. This was why Hachiman didn't like gambling a lot - not just because he usually lost, but because it was perfect for stirring bad blood. Hachiman spoke up, "What're you putting over? You taking his cut away from him?"

Ryuuen stared at him levelly. He smiled. "Suppose I am, suppose I ain't. The matter's between us."

"That ain't right."

"Boy, you sure know how to set me up, Hikigaya-san. What is it with you nosing around on everyone's business?"

"Taking someone's cut away never seemed right to me," said Hachiman. "Albert would say the same. Why don't you let him talk?"

"He'll talk if he wants to say something. Ain't that right, Yamada-kun?"

Albert did not utter a word. He nodded slowly.

Hachiman spoke in a low voice, still keeping his eyes on his hand of cards. "There's no need to take Albert's pocket money from him. And nobody's got no obligation to hand over to anyone. No one but a friend or family."

Ryuuen scoffed and rose a bit in his chair. "Don't you preach to me, Hikigaya-san. Who in the hell do you think you are, Pope Francis?"

Everyone watched the two curiously. Hachiman shot him a cold look. "You god-damn punk. You've been trying to throw a scare into me since day one and couldn't make it stick," Hachiman said. "I don't care if you're the craziest gangster on the block. The next time you come and try to size me up, I'm gonna belt your ass."

Tobe Kakeru now turned to Ryuuen. "Sellout piece of shit," he spat out indignantly. "You've been giving the rest of us a hard time with your antics, and I heard it all. Your class is now in disarray because of your sabotage. All that, because you actually believe First Class is paying you ten million."

Ryuuen whirled towards his cousin. "You keep out of this Tobe boy, unless you wanna step outside."

Ken Sudo was glowering, but Daichi Ishizaki joined in with glee. "Where's the ten mil at, huh?" He said disgustedly. "Don't you take us with your gang anymore. I ain't followin' no jack-off."

Ryuuen glared round at them, realizing how they were all turning on him. Hachiman had set him up alright. Then his eyes slipped past Daichi and he saw Albert. Albert still had his cards up, with a smile to himself from winning the pot. Ryuuen held his chin up at Albert like a bulldog. "What the hell are you laughing at, Blackie?"

Albert looked back blankly. "Huh?"

Ryuuen finally exploded. "Alright, you big bastard. You're growing a head now, eh? Get the fuck up. No big motherfucker is going to laugh at me."

Albert was bewildered. His eyebrows furrowed into steep mountains. When Ryuuen furiously leapt out of his seat and went over, Albert instinctively stepped away. He looked at Hachiman helplessly, and then at his cousin Michael Sieyes. Ryuuen shoved his chest hard, causing Albert to stagger slightly. "I wasn't saying nothing," Albert protested. "I don't want any trouble, Ryuuen-san." He backed until he was almost at the doorway in the restaurant, while Ryuuen advanced provocatively, shoving him repeatedly.

Ryuuen was now filled to the brim with boldness. "Come on, punch me! Come on!" He goaded. Suddenly, he threw a right at Albert, catching him upside the jaw. He launched another jab that slashed his lip. Albert leaned away, but Ryuuen was immediately on him.

Tobe Kakeru was on his feet and running. "Get him, Yamada-san! Don't let him push you around!"

Albert Yamada Sieyes was drawn with apprehension. He shouted in a heavy voice. "Enough! I don't want to fight!" He raised his large, muscled arms to shield his head from the succession of blows. Then Ryuuen started to slug his stomach. Albert's massive frame absorbed each of the punches like a stone wall, and still he refused to fight back.

Michael Sieyes had been watching intently all the while as Ryuuen provoked his cousin. "The stupid son-of-a-bitch," he gasped, and jumped over the counter. "I'll get him myself!"

Hachiman stood up and grabbed Michael. "Hold on, Mikaeru," he said, "your cousin has got this." Hachiman cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Fight back, Albert! Let him have it!"

Albert lowered his arms from his face to look at Hachiman. He was dazed, not understanding the order.

This momentary lowering of guard caught him a sharp slash to the temple. The corner of Albert's right brow began to bleed.

Ryuuen gave a savage grin. "Are you gonna fight, Blackie? Huh?!"

"I said get him!" Hachiman said again.

Ryuuen cocked back his right fist and thrust again, and Albert reached out to grab it. The next second, Ryuuen was crumpling like paper. His fist was now crushed within Albert's massive hand. Then came a heavy sledgehammer blow that threw Ryuuen to the ground. He was knocked down with one square punch to the head.

Ken Sudo and Daichi Ishizaki hurried over. "Let go of him, Albert. Let go!"

Everyone hastened to break up the two. Ryuuen was white as a ghost and hollering.

"The fight's over - Mikaeru, come and help me while Ryuuen still got any hand left!" Tobe called out.

Tobe and Michael seized the big man's forearm and tugged. Albert gave and released his grip, tumbling down onto the floor. Ryuuen stared at his hand, amazed. It was now changing into a shade of purple all over.

Albert was mortified. "I didn't want to fight," he said.

"We've got to take him to the doc," Michael exclaimed. "Looks like his hand is all fucked up. "

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Albert groaned. "I swear. You told me to, boss."

Michael was seething. "He was askin' for it. The fucker was askin'!" He said, "Hikigaya-san, what now? Is this trouble?"

Hachiman walked over. During the whole incident, he watched without drawing amusement. His hands were on his hips, and he frowned. "It was a fight."

"Nobody saw here. But y'all have school tomorrow, and everybody will notice. Sweet Jesus, if he doesn't need a cast for his whole hand. Is Albert going to get in trouble for this?"

Hachiman stooped low and looked at Ryuuen. "You still got the sense to listen?" Ryuuen slowly nodded, not looking at Albert. "Well, then listen. I think what happened was you fell unto yourself here and smashed a hand. Capisce?" He continued quietly, "Now, not a word to anyone else about this, unless you want the whole Lyceum to know how you tried to size up Albert and got your arse handed back to you. You go telling no discipline officer or counsellor about this, you'll be made the laughingstock of the whole campus. I promise you that. You hear?"

"I hear," Ryuuen grunted, clenching his teeth. "God-damn, this hurts more'n a bitch."

Michael muttered roughly, "come follow to the kitchen, and put ice on that. We'll have to drive down to the doc then."

Ryuuen got up, wincing still, and went off with Michael around the counter and into the restaurant kitchen. Ken Sudo and Daichi went as well. Hachiman and Tobe helped Albert up. The latter walked back to their table and came to give a glass of water to the big man. Albert's hands were trembling slightly as he took the water and drank. Hachiman said, "Albert. Let's step outside for a bit."

The three walked out into the parking lot in front of the Canillas.

Tobe whistled through his teeth. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing about anxiously. "Oi, Hikigaya-kun. What was that all about? Holy jeez, Yamada-san almost cut off Ryuuen's hand!"

Hachiman stood there, crossing his arms. "I already told you before. We've got to get your cousin straight."

"This is crazy. I went along with your plan because I know you know what the fuck you do. You asked me to back you up, and I did. But I didn't know you'd start trouble yourself between Yamada-kun here and my cousin!"

"I knew Ryuuen was going to pick a fight. That man is reckless."

"You're right that fucker is nuts. But you and your crazy schemes, Hikigaya-kun..."

"Ryuuen isn't stupid. He won't lay a hand on me because he knows we own the streets around here. It doesn't matter - the punk steps out of the gate, he's going to get whacked if he lays a hand on me. Though there's no need for such extreme measures. However," Hachiman stops to take a look at Albert, who stood motionless. Albert glanced up at the mention of his name.

"We know Mr. Sieyes here simply goes along with Ryuuen because he doesn't want a fight. Ryuuen thinks he can order Albert around and take his cut. Mikaeru wouldn't stand for it. But Albert never wanted no trouble, and he's a friend of a friend. No, that will not sit with me."

"So you thought you'd solve the problem by starting a fight between the two? Hikigaya-kun, as much as I hate Ryuuen's guts, I just don't think that sounds right. Sure, let him have a deserved whooping, but Jesus, Albert could've done him worse."

Albert looked up again. "I never meant to hurt him, honest."

Tobe sighed. "I know you don't."

"You ain't mad at me, guys?"

"No, we ain't. But we're mad here at this Ryuuen bastard," Hachiman answered.

Hachiman then stepped in front of him and spoke in a clear, but reasonable voice. "Listen to me, Mr. Sieyes. Ryuuen will not tell you how to go about or what to do anymore. Forgive me if I have pushed you into such an ugly situation, but I wanted you to realize your decisions. A man should not allow another man to walk all over his dignity at all costs. Never. Your family will be saddened to see you like this. Do not sit with it, Mr. Sieyes. You do not hold any obligations towards anyone else - No one but family. As my father would say, 'be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect people. But if ever someone puts his hand on you, crush him.'"

The next day, they all went back to school as if nothing happened.

It was expected that there would be tense grudges between Ryuuen and Hachiman. During a Basketball game in the other courtyard in the campus that afternoon, the group were worried that a fight would break out again. It was a friendly, mixed match with some students from the neighboring Class III. Ryuuen and Hachiman were on opposing teams.

In the middle of the game, Ryuuen had accidentally bumped against Hachiman, causing the latter to almost slip. Hachiman snapped, "are you trying to kill me?"

Ryuuen remained silent, peering back at him. He simply raised his hands and stepped back. "Free throw," he said.

The boys all lined up as Hachiman took his position. He dribbled the ball a couple of times before leaping and taking a shot at the hoop. Hachiman had never been good at the game, and it wasn't that he didn't know how to play - he simply didn't. Regardless, this time there was no laughter.

Hachiman missed all three tries. He then shrugged. The game went on. Afterwards, though his team lost, Hachiman was seen approaching Ryuuen and shaking hands, calling it a "good game." They were beginning to put grudges past each other, the loner and the delinquent, as if having arrived at a compromise which the rest of their classmates were unaware of.

While they were standing near the benches drinking their water bottles, they noticed a girl come up to them. She had light, pink hair that reached down to her waist and big blue eyes. She was a pretty figure and had a sweet voice. This was the representative of Class III, and most students already knew her for being polite and amicable with everyone. She smiled and said, "you guys played a great game there."

She put out her hand. Ryuuen stared at her narrowly. "My name's Honami Ichinose," she added.

"Yeah, yeah, we know that." Ryuuen brushed her off. Ichinose pouted bashfully, and instead turned towards someone else.

Hachiman put up a smile and readily shook her hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Ichinose-san. I'm Hikigaya Hachiman."

Honami was delighted. She said, "I'm glad that both of our classes could share common fun during spare time like this. I really hope that we can continue to be on good terms with each other, especially when the Cultural Festival comes around."

Hachiman nodded. "Of course. I don't see why outside of the competitive air in the classrooms we can't have a good time."

Honami looked away, turning her eyes towards something. "Umm… Ryuuen-san, I hope you don't mind me asking but what happened to your hand?" She asked timidly.

Ryuuen replied brusquely, "none of your business."

"Well, but your hand looks hurt and I'm concerned. You've been playing with a handicap, and everyone noticed," she said. Ryuuen had in fact endured the whole game using mostly his right hand to maneuver and throw the basketball around, keeping his bandaged hand at his side. It wasn't a big problem, but he couldn't play as well as he preferred.

Ken Sudo joined in. "He went and fell and broke his hand," he told her.

Honami laughed softly. "Really?"

Ryuuen frowned. "What else ya think?"

"Okay, Ryuuen." Honami giggled, "If you say so."

The slight, but noticeable bruise on Ryuuen's cheek however hinted at something else. Honami wasn't so easily fooled - and Hiyori Shiina wouldn't have fallen for such a cover-up; she had in fact noticed Ryuuen first thing in the morning and pulled him to the infirmary to put a cold compress on his face to alleviate the swelling a bit.

Hachiman watched her curiously. Honami Ichinose seemed to have something else in mind - she looked like she had something to say to him. But the presence of Ryuuen's gang around Hachiman deterred her. She knew that the enigmatic, soft-spoken student from Class IV was likely the other dominant figure in their class, next to Ryuuen - she knew, because Hachiman reminded her of someone very similar: Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. They both were very secretive, had a cunning look in their intelligent eyes and carried a mysterious aura.

The difference was Hachiman seemed nicer, easier to approach, although he always seemed to make himself scarce. She felt she could reason with him more than Ryuuen, if she could just sit down and talk with him. The guys from Class IV started to leave. Honami bit her cheek and decided to try again the next time.

…

The expulsion had a degrading effect on the morale of every class. If a class lost a friend, they became disheartened; if they lost an intelligent individual, they gave up even more merit points. And if they lost a very important or appreciated person, the grief from that loss worsened the situation. Class IV, being the lowest class in the Lyceum, could not afford to lose any more important students from their class, else they would lose the strength to compete with the other classes. Worse, it would cause them to splinter apart even more, as being forced to choose who to expel turned them against each other.

Hachiman was going back to the station that afternoon, accompanied by Albert Yamada Sieyes and Ryuuen Kakeru. It seemed they had forgotten all about the fiasco from a night ago, yet Ryuuen was still brusque as usual, though more agreeable.

Hachiman told them, "It would be good if you, Albert and Ryuuen, and Sudou-san, Ishizaki-san and Ibuki-san got into the sports varsity, especially in Basketball. Varsity players are treated very well, much better than most students in the Lyceum I'll bet. It'll be another note that would increase your merit points and mark you as an important student in the Lyceum. Not to mention, varsity players are provided extra allowance and food and drink during practice. That lightens the load a bit and you can save more money to pay off the rent or bills."

Ryuuen was impressed. "That so?" He said. "I've considered that before actually, but getting accepted into the varsity is a different story. They have crazy standards there before you can even step in."

"Nonsense. Anything in this world can be arranged," Hachiman said blandly. "Did you know that one way to get into prestigious schools, like Keio or Waseda, is to indicate yourself as a varsity athlete? Rich people sneak their kids into universities all the time, and you wonder how some dumb punk is able to pass the entrance exams at all. They bribe their way in, paying inside people to doctor their kids' profile cards. They'll show you as a goddamn water polo player, even though you haven't the slightest idea what that is."

Ryuuen said cleverly, "haven't the other classes figured this out? I'm guessing Sakayanagi-san has an idea of a scheme such as this. Almost all of the First Class is in the varsity, or is a scholar of some sort, music or the arts or something."

"Sure. They'll all figure it out anyways. I operate under that very assumption. Perhaps we're even the first ones to pull off such a plan, and the important thing is that we put in as many of our classmates in the varsities or the clubs."

"That leaves only the issue of gettin' in. Pray tell, how exactly are you going to put someone like Ken Sudo in the Basketball varsity?"

Hachiman was thoughtful. He said, "If you like, leave it to me and I'll take care of it. In the meanwhile, I can find you and your friends some work in the neighborhood, and no day goes wasted. Only remember that I've done you a favor."

Ryuuen and Albert instantly understood him. Though they were initially skeptical, it was an irresistible offer. They'd get a legit part-time job, get to know important people along the way and then there were always sideline schemes to fill their pockets. It put them on the winning team, so as people say. And it was better than keeping as a ragtag after-school gang.

There were other students and commuters in Shirokane-Takanawa station. Some of their classmates, who lived in Azabujuban or Shiba district, always took the subways so it was not surprising to find them. They stood there in the subway waiting and Albert spotted a girl standing near a less crowded corner of the station platform. This girl also had long, pink-coloured hair like Honami Ichinose - he recognized her as another Lyceum student from the dark green ID ribbon around her neck.

She was standing too close to the gap. Ryuuen was eyeing the overhead LED display of arrival schedules and chewing a wad of gum, while Hachiman was now smoking a cigarette and hunched over with his pocketbook checking something. Albert seemed the only one who noticed something wrong. The girl was already beyond the yellow safety line, and was drawing closer and closer to the very edge.

Now, everyone knows about the great Tokyo metropolitan rail system, and how efficient it is. The public transportation is so well-developed, one could take a train all the way to Fukuoka in the south, from Tokyo, and do the same thing and travel up to Sapporo city in the north. The metropolis itself is single-handedly the most complex matrix of subways and railroads in the whole world, putting New York to shame. It had to be said, of all the ambitious ideas in the past, the government certainly nailed that one.

The other thing it would then be known for are jumpers; people who see train stations as a convenient place to commit suicide in - though not very often, it was not unusual to see some poor sap walk over the platforms and into the path of an oncoming train. It wasn't a painless death, but it was always dramatic. Mostly, it was salesmen and foolish vagrants who died in the rail tracks, out of ignorance or depression - but students died for the same reasons as well. It was a nasty event when such things occurred, and the rail workers have the horrible task of scraping off the puréed remains of jumpers. The trains would be damaged, the station shut down for a week and all traffic redirected to alternate routes.

Hachiman knew this of course. And he found it humorous that even if a jumper were to survive, they would be sentenced to jail for 'sabotage of public transport'.

Not exactly a welcome incentive to continue surviving, he mused.

Albert tapped Hachiman on the shoulder and said, "Hikigaya-san, I think there's something wrong."

Hachiman glanced over. "What?"

"Look at the girl. She's standing too close to the gap."

"Huh? I know, I saw her since we came in. She's just standing there, just don't mind her."

"But sir, Hikigaya-san…"

Ryuuen overheard their conversation and huffed. He said, "Well, that's Sakura Airi-san. She's probably headed home as well."

Hachiman had known quite a bit about his classmates from Class IV - he had a particular intuition for discerning the kinds of persons he faced. Some of them were the clever, soft-spoken kind like Mei-Yu Wang, others were more extroverted like Kikyou Kushida, who was the sweetest girl in their class. Airi Sakura fell into the middle spot where she could hardly be considered an extrovert, yet neither was someone who was comfortable by herself. Hachiman thought she was a nice girl, one of those kinds you come across everyday - pretty, boring; sometimes fortune fills them with mystery and they hold fame for some time. Hachiman eventually learned that Airi Sakura was a model, perhaps a starlet who did shoots for an online magazine, tied to a particular agency.

However, as far as he was concerned, he did not know her true persona and neither had she spoken much for him to overhear. She was a quiet girl in class and drew little attention that Hachiman did not expect much from her, until a few days ago it was revealed that Airi Sakura had the third highest amount of merit points in Class IV. It surprised him even, as she was more popular on paper than Kikyou Kushida. All things considered, it was likely due to her background, meaning she had a certain status and popularity outside of school, something Hachiman initially overlooked.

Hachiman furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, that is her indeed." He began to notice Albert's suspicions. He asked curiously, "why is Sakura-san over there?"

Albert and Ryuuen did not answer. They heard a horn blow down the tunnel, the platform beginning to tremble. The girl pulled her backpack straps tightly to her chest, and stepped a little closer to the very edge. The three looked at each other and a frightening realization dawned upon them. Now, why would Airi Sakura want to kill herself? Hachiman hesitated for a second, deliberating whether to move or stay put, but he went off impetuously. He could deliberate later; now, there was no time to dawdle about. He started to run.

It was obvious what happens next if word got out that a student from Class IV died from suicide. Reasoning was irrelevant - Hachiman knew without a doubt: The girl's death would ruin their whole class's reputation. It would be devastating.

Hachiman collided with several other people and almost crashed into a passing man. Calling her out would be useless. It was amazing how onlookers hardly noticed such things until it was too late. The girl was definitely nuts, he thought. She lifted a foot to step into the gap.

Airi Sakura had closed her eyes one more time, else tears would have spilled. How it all came to this, it didn't matter anymore. One heavy-skied day - that was all it took for her to decide she should be gone now. She let herself fall. It was mysterious how time seemed to slow down during the final moments of life. Of course, she was afraid - everyone died scared - but sometimes, there were other things that drowned out death.

Any moment now, she would feel the impact with the cold gravel of the railroad, and hopefully it would end there. Instead, she felt a sharp tug on her collar that pulled her shirt up to her throat.

Airi choked a bit in shock. What happened? Her back slammed onto the side of the platform, and she realized something - No, someone had caught her by her shirt and prevented her from falling completely into the rails.

Hachiman had lunged towards the girl just as she started to tip over the platform edge and grabbed the back of her shirt collar with his left arm. He yanked her back, and still, was pulled along by her momentum and he crashed onto the floor. Ryuuen was bewildered, bounding over to help. Hachiman was struggling to get up on his knees. Ryuuen took the girl's arm also and pulled. His foot slipped and he almost fell into the gap. They both cursed, as they saw the train roll up to them, blinding lights washing their faces.

The next moment, Hachiman was able to lift out the girl from the gap, but realized it was not by his own strength. They were saved in time by Albert, who had caught up. With one mighty heave, taking his hands and seizing both Ryuuen and Hachiman, Albert pulled them over.

The train screeched by them as it rolled along. Hachiman was wide-eyed, finding himself on his back. His heart was banging against his ribcage, and he drew a sharp gasp. He felt Ryuuen's leg tangled with his, but realized that was not him. The girl, Airi Sakura, was on his lap. She was crying, her clothes were ruined, but she was evidently unharmed.

Ryuuen and Albert both removed themselves from the mess and looked over. All of them were rattled, their backsides damp with cold sweat. Hachiman sat upright, his hand still locked tightly on Airi's shirt and clutching her.

Ryuuen saw her and was immediately furious. "Fucking son-of-a-bitch," he said. "Sakura Airi, what are you doing?!"

Airi Sakura didn't hear. She was too frightened and was crying miserably.

The train didn't stop - It continued to go down the line, past Shirokane-Takanawa station and disappeared into the dark tunnel. People were now staring, murmuring, but did not dare to come close. "What are you doing, you crazy bitch?" Ryuuen burst out harshly. "You almost got us all killed. Do you want to die, huh?" He stopped. Ryuuen spat into the gap and wiped his mouth with his palm. "Fuck you, Sakura-san. Blubberin' like a little baby - ah, stop your fucking acting! I dunno why you can't just go away and not have to make a scene every time."

Hachiman looked up. "Are you done, Kakeru-san?" He said irately. "Enough. Let Sakura-san be. She's scared, she didn't mean to cause us trouble, and we've gotta get out of here."

Albert asked gingerly, "What are we gonna do about her, boss?"

Hachiman was silent for a while. "I don't know," he muttered.

Without saying another word, he gently helped the girl up. Airi Sakura still clung to his arm, and her head was down low. She was sobbing softly now, and they couldn't make out if she said anything. Hachiman motioned for Ryuuen to come close. Hachiman whispered in a flat tone, "I want you to take Sakura-san to her home. I do not know where she lives. But we've got to get her home now. We'll sort things out tomorrow."

"Why do I have to take this stupid girl home?" Ryuuen asked.

Hachiman was exasperated. He inwardly admitted that Ryuuen did not have any obligations at all - neither did any of them for that matter - and he could not expect them to involve themselves at all. Hachiman understood - he himself never wanted in on anyone else's issues, because it meant dealing with difficult situations such as the one they were in now.

"Look here, Ryuuen - Albert, we're all going to take her home. Then there wouldn't be any problem. I went and saved Sakura-san, and you all were smart enough to run after me, so we're now all in this together. For now, let's just try to make damage control and not let anyone else find out about this incident."

...

...