Chapter 2 – Russian Sushi

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I haven't had a walk around Ikebukuro for a long time. I'm too engrossed with works lately. No call by Tom san, meaning I'm free now. I should go out and have a stroll, looking for what's new today. I began to make schedule for it. Going to enjoy for it, yes! Enjoy, even if it's only by myself... Can't be help though, everyone got their own life. That's what you get for being in the metropolitan city. Kasuka is busy with his artist life, haven't seen him for a long time though. Tom san, well, don't bother him. I'm gonna go and grab a bite at Russian Sushi first. Simon must have standing in the front of the shop now, trying to gain customers. Just like I thought he is. Standing like a wall there, is he trying to get customers or scaring them away?

Simon is a friend that I know since him and his manager, Dennis, had opened the shop. It was around when I was still in high school. At that time, he was the one, the only one that can stop me and compete with me in strength. Not to mention, he was very easy to be recognized, cause of his size, they way he's talking and his physical attribute. Furthermore he's also easy to get along with other people. That's why even though Russian Sushi is not that tasty, it's still popular among the people at Ikebukuro.

"Sushi yo, umai yo, sushi is good, sushi is tasty, Russian Sushi! Hey Shizuo, come have a bit... Well, different appearances today huh?"

He must have mention about my clothing there. Usually, I'd go around in my bartender suit, but today I go for a change (actually I realized there's a lot of torn up lately, gotta mend them quick).

"It's not like I don't have any other spare."

"It's your trademark okay, your bartender suit."

"Come on, treat me with sushi already."

I come inside. Good, there's not that many people today. I don't have to worry about breaking out, hehe. There's only a group of students that catch my attention. Three of them. They were at the counter. I think they are also about to order something. They were chatting happily, until at that time, one of them accidentally bumps into me. Of course, the one that fall is the boy. He landed on his butt.

"Ouch, er, sorry, mister... Heiwajima san?

Suddenly he sweats all over his body. His other friend tried to get him, but I stretch my hand towards him first. They make a face as if it was an end of the day for them.

"You okay kid?"

He looks surprised, verily.

"Uh? Oh... ya, I'm alright Heiwajima san, thank you."

He takes my hand. And I began questioning him.

"My name."

"Oh, that, my friend there always talking about you you see? That's why I know a lot about you."

He points his finger towards his friend there. A blonde boy. He just waves his hand to me and making that stupid smile of him (more like a scared smile to me). Um. I think I've seen him before, but where? I then change my sight to the one behind him, a glasses girl. Upon meeting my eyes, she nods her head. I also do the same to match hers. They seem like such a good friends.

"Everyone! Today is special. Russian Sushi tried some new recipe for the shop, so you guys can try them without paying!"

"Eh, hontou?" Said the boy that bumps into me earlier.

"Of course Mikado kun. Kida kun and Anri chan can try it too, dozo. Shizuo, come on, what are you waiting for?"

I accidentally got their name from Simon's mouth. But it's not the matter now. You're kidding me right Simon? New recipe again?

"Simon, you know how YOUR newly tried sushi before nearly made me go into hosp..."

He cut off my words by shoving his sushi into my mouth.

"Umph!"

I swallow it. Blech! What is that? I can feel an extraordinary yet creepy feeling on my tongue, it makes me shedding tears and nearly faint. I look at the other kids, seems like Mikado already slump on his chair, shocked. There's steam coming out from Kida's ear, and Anri chan pulls her glasses to wipe her tears and nose.

"There's a lot more helping, so don't be embarrassed to ask for more. Happy eating sushi!"

• • •

All of us wear out of our energy. That's the power of Russian Sushi, I mean, the one that listed 'new' is the one that should be aware of. It seems like those kids learn something new today. I can see it on their face like they were tricked. Hehe, it were funny faces they're making there. I get to know them quickly. The short, black haired boy named Ryuugamine Mikado. He is an enthusiastic and curious little boy. I get the feeling he's kind of interested about me. Well, he still knows how to choose the right words when he does the talking, so that's good for my temper. The blonde boy is Kida Masaomi. He looks like someone friendly, and like to make jokes that is not funny at all. The most cheerful one in the group, I admit. Sonohara Anri is the sole girl in the group. She's got bobbed hair and glasses, it suits her I think, with that great 'package' of her. She's also is a very timid and polite girl, which made me at ease. These three are absolutely good kids.

"Well, at least it didn't make us throw up you know, we're full right? Great job Simon, haha." said Kida in weak voices.

"Your jokes still lame in this situation, you know that Kida kun?" Mikado answer him.

"I think it is a good experience. It can make us stronger, what do you think Heiwajima san?" Anri chan asks me.

"I fail to see what kind of relation between eating sushi and become stronger, it's weird."

"But still, it's very bizarre to see you in casual clothes, not in your usual bartender outfit huh?"

"Yeah, into fashion now Heiwajima san?"

"Why, does it look weird?"

"No, it suits a nice looking man like you. A girl like me says so then it means that's true."

"Ah, er, thanks, Anri chan."

I gulp on the drinks, tried to cover the embarrassment. Then I tried to change the subject.

"Those clothes, which school are you guys from?"

"We're the famous trio of Raira Academy, or so it seems, te hee!"

"Raira huh? That brings memories, I also graduate from there six or seven years ago. It was not Raira Academy, at that time it was called Raijin High School."

"I see, was it different from now and at that time?"

"In my days, it was a school full with delinquents, so you guys now are very fortunate you know."

From the kitchen, Simon that have been eaves dropping replying.

"Yea, well, it comes from the mouth of the Raijin legendery delinquent after all, bring backs memories to me of you and him huh Shi-zu-o kun?"

"? Raijin legendary de..."

I cough a little, signalling Simon to shut his crap now.

Mikado kun then ask me something straightforward. I think he wants to know this a lot, that's why.

"But it's actually surprised me, Heiwajima san. You're less scary than what people around describing you. You're more open this way."

"I think it's what they call, 'Don't judge a book by its cover' huh? Heiwajima san is such a tsundere~."

"I don't like people to see me as a violent matter."

Anri chan, which have been staring at my face for quite some time, began to talk.

"I had a hunch that Heiwajima san actually hates people, from the way you bashing them around."

"... It's not that I hate people you know. I just can't deal with only a certain type of people."

Kida, upon hearing what I said, answered with serious face.

"Yeah, I understand, coz' I also know someone like that."

"Eh? Who're you referring to Kida kun?"

Before the image of that 'person' pops up in my mind, Simon suddenly grab me from behind and put his arm around my neck in friendly manner.

"Of course, coz' this guy here hates violence you see?"

"Ohhh!" said the trio at the same time.

"Simon! Damn you! You trick me into eating your weird sushi again!" I punch him in the face. But of course, he blocked my monstrous punch with a single hand.

"Hoho, no Shizuo, you shouldn't say like that about food you know? Or else fortune would fade away from you."

"I don't consider your recipe as a fortune!"

We continue to quarrel about that stuff. Those kids laugh at our behaviour. But, nice timing Simon. Coz' I really don't want to think about 'that person' at this time. You've my gratitude there. Thanks dude. Then, I think it was my time to do the questioning now, towards them. I need to get the incident from before load off from my mind, so I'm gonna investigate about it myself.

"You guys know anything new that happens around Ikebukuro now? Like something odd."

"New thing you said, nothing, maybe. Oh, but there's this one, new suspicious thing that happen every night around here."

"Wow, you knew a lot Kida kun."

"Such as?"

"Like, the yakuza's or something like that had been moving around with suitcase and a lot of stuff with them."

'Suitcase'? Now that makes me remember the incident yesterday.

"Me too. There's this bunch of people that also go along with those yakuza's, people in white outfit. If you ask me they look like people from the lab." said Anri chan.

People in white outfit... Come to think of it, the guy yesterday also wearing white coat, like some kind of scientist.

"Well, I chat with my friends from the forum last night. They said that the people had been conducting some kind of weird experiment at the yakuza's base. But, we don't even know what and where it is."

Experiment? Ok, that's new. What kind of experiment that the yakuza want to do anyway? How to expand their territories?

...

I'm speechless. Those are something, extreme if you may say so. For kids to gain this kind of information... they're not ordinary bunch, even if it comes from my mouth.

"...How did you guys know about this stuff?"

"How? Haha, er, I always roaming around at night with my gang, so I happen to witness some."

"I watch at every detailed and suspicious thing, and ask my brethren next, that's how."

"That's the power of the social technology nowadays, Heiwajima san. I think you should come and join us on the net sometimes ne?"

I'm amazed at these kids, which make me smile at them.

"You're smiling! Now that's something new!"

"I think you're very handsome when you're smiling Heiwajima san. You should follow me and have a go at the girls sometime, hehe."

"Maybe you're not as bad as what I see, Heiwajima san."

They also smile back at me. We laugh at how cheesy the conversation went.

After exchanging for more words and information nowadays with them, the kids set out and bid me farewell.

"Heiwajima san, don't worry too much, yes? Coz' I also don't know how to 'like' people better too."

"Heiwajima san, ganbaru ne? I can ask for your 'help' if in need, yea? Thank you very much!"

"Heiwajima san, I hope that 'he' would never cause trouble anymore too, so you ought to teach him lessons time by time kay'? I think there's people out there would be happy if you do so."

It's what those three left to me. I have a feeling that it held significant meanings to them, but I can't get them all. Still, they are good kids. I hope that that kind of friendship would never break apart. I went out of Russian Sushi in good mood, but there's also this curious thing that creeping into my mind. This is not good. I can tell something will happen. Maybe because...

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